LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Students of Merit
Editor: Thank you for printing the article about National Merit
recognition for Analy students. I’d like to clarify the information
you provided, starting with a description of what National Merit
Scholarships are all about.
National Merit Scholarship status is based on the student’s PSAT
score achieved in his or her junior year. The highest scoring
students in each state become semifinalists, as detailed in the
press release issued from National Merit Scholarship Corporation
and summarized here: www.nationalmerit.org.
On Sept. 15, 2010, the names of approximately 16,000
semifinalists in the 56th annual National Merit Scholarship Program
were announced by officials of National Merit Scholarship
Corporation (NMSC). These academically talented high school seniors
have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,400
National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million, that will
be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship
award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance
to the Finalist level of the competition.
Analy High School is fortunate to have four seniors who are
National Merit Semifinalists this year that are working to advance
into the Finalist stage: Gordon Allen; Tula Biederman; Lucas
Tamminen and Alex Thokle-Sample.
Congratulations Gordon, Tula, Lucas and Alex.
Irene Sample
Sebastopol
Unscientific dreams
Editor: I had an unusual dream last night. Actually, it was a
nightmare. I dreamt that Sebastopol City Council has issued a
proclamation stating that global warming is a hoax and that our
schools’ science classes should teach creationism or intelligent
design instead of the theory of evolution. After I woke up, I
happily realized that the City Council had not taken such scary,
anti-science actions. But then I read the latest Sonoma West
article (City looks into possible moratorium on SmartMeters, Sept.
23) about the City Council’s pandering to the EMF Safety Network
and realized that my nightmare had reappeared in a different
form.
The campaign against the safety of PG&E’s SmartMeters is
every bit as unscientific as the challenges to the science
supporting global warming or the theory of evolution. And if the
City Council were to take a stand against the safety of smart
meters, what would be next? Logically, the City Council would have
to outlaw cell towers, cell phones, and Wi-Fi Internet devices. In
addition to being nuclear-free, Sebastopol would become a “No
iPhone Zone.”
The City Council should stand on science by demanding that the
EMF Safety Network provide rigorously tested scientific proof that
the minuscule levels of electromagnetic radiation emitted by
SmartMeters and similar devices create health risks. No such proof
can or would be offered. Simply put, it is well past time for the
City Council to move beyond this phantom issue and renew its focus
on matters that truly affect Sebastopol residents and
businesses.
Joe Mascovich
Bodega Bay
Vote for Gurney
Editor: This weekend I had a chance to meet, and hear from Mayor
Sarah Gurney, why she is running for another term on the City
Council. “Government works slowly,” she said. This I know to be the
truth. “There are several projects I would like to see to
completion.” In looking at the impressive list of volunteer
committees and governmental agencies she has been a part of, I know
she is someone who can navigate the labyrinth of bureaucracy that
is local politics and get some things done sensibly for our
city.
I also had the chance to see her in action this week at a
council meeting, and was again impressed with her patient and
fair-minded presence at moving things along and keeping all sides
heard.
We are lucky to have a person with such dedication willing to
continue to serve our community. She works long hours and has put
in years of attention to tedious but important details with minimal
financial payback. Her experience and leadership were part of the
Sebastopol I found when I moved here five years ago. Voting to keep
her in office will help keep and move our city in the ways we all
would like to see five years from now. Please vote. And vote for
Sarah Gurney for Sebastopol City Council.
Laura Shafer
Sebastopol
Palm Drive incumbents
Editor: This last year has been the best year since the
community took over Palm Drive Hospital in 1999. The staff of Palm
Drive has shown over and over again how dedicated they are to the
quality of care you receive at your hospital. Right now Palm Drive
Hospital provides the best quality of care in Sonoma County, better
than Kaiser, Sutter or Memorial Hospitals
(www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/). The doctors that practice at Palm
Drive have shown that they are loyal to your community’s hospital
by bringing their patients to us for care. The community itself has
continuously supported Palm Drive by telling their doctors that
they wanted to be treated here. And last, Brim Healthcare has
stabilized the operation of the hospital, has gained the confidence
of the staff with their sound management practices, and brought us
to fiscal stability.
There is still work to do: 
• We need to hire a permanent CEO and CFO;
• We need to work with Brim on our strategic plan that will
guide us for the next several years;
• We need to maintain the positive financial direction that the
hospital has been going in for the past two years;
• We need to recruit more family practice and specialists to
serve the healthcare needs of our community.
Most of all we need to keep the momentum going. This is why I am
supporting the board incumbents, Nancy Dobbs, Chris Dawson and
Linda Johnson.
Frank Mayhew, Director
Palm Drive Healthcare District Board
Thanks to Woolsey
Editor: There is no Social Security crisis. It runs a big
surplus, and can’t contribute one penny to the deficit. By 2023
Social Security will have a $4.3 trillion surplus. And, it’s
legally prohibited from adding to the deficit.
A big majority of Americans oppose benefit cuts. In a recent
poll, 68 percent opposed benefit cuts, including raising the
retirement age. Instead, Americans want to see the rich pay their
share by lifting the cap on Social Security contributions. Right
now millionaires only pay Social Security taxes on a tiny portion
of their income.
We should thank our representative Lynn Woolsey for standing up
and making sure we’ll have the secure retirement we’ve earned. And
we should call on our other elected representatives to do the
same.
David L. Matt, Esq.
Occidental