Letters to the Editor 8-1-13

Carrillo should resign
Editor: We should not have to be ashamed of our elected officials. Fifth District Supervisor Efren Carrillo has proven himself to be unworthy of his position and an embarrassment to Sonoma County. Blaming his behavior on alcohol is no excuse.
Resigning is the only honorable option.
Meg Brittan
Sebastopol
‘May I help you?’
Editor: Two weeks ago, there were two Sonoma West front page stories: the first on the 3 a.m. escapade of the Fifth District supervisor, the second about the disastrous fire destroying Frizelle-Enos (“Carrillo arrested Saturday, charged with prowling, burglary,” “Historic Frizelle Enos building gutted in weekend inferno,” July 18). In this modern era of famous big-time politicos who cannot keep their flies closed without mounting every female in sight, Supervisor Carrillo’s underwear romp might not upset most voters. After all, if he manages to bring forth the right policies to make the most popular new laws, what matter if the guy wants to force his way into an innocent lady’s house “to see if she’ll have a drink with me?” It’s sad and disgusting. Why didn’t the police do a toxic screen on this prowler? If forced to resign, will he get a pension?
The loss of Frizelle-Enos, the Purina checkerboard feed store with the funny name, affected me far more deeply. It literally breaks my heart to see the loss of that friendly store on Petaluma Avenue. While I know, with insurance settlements, it will be rebuilt, what do it’s fine employees do for a job for the next two years? So many memories of chickens, pets like our Golden R., and geese, greeting cards, the smell of fresh birdseed, and, last but by no means least, “May I help you?”
Frank Baumgardner
Santa Rosa
Bad apple Hobbs
Editor: I’m eating Gravenstein apples as I write. I also ate them at the picket at the Paul Hobbs Winery this Monday and as I testified before the Board of Supervisors against Hobbs’ toxic practices on Tuesday. Each of my 20 years here I’ve eaten Gravs at this time of year.
But for how long will we have many Gravs here? According to the 2011 Crop Report, there were only 600 acres of Gravs left. There are probably less than 400 acres now. In l957 there were 5,500 acres.
Among the fallen Gravs were those on the 47-acre apple orchard near Apple Blossom School on Watertrough that Hobbs clearcut in June.
Sonoma County has good grape growers. Hobbs is a bad apple and a bad neighbor. Last week CBS evening news showed the orchard he cut and interviewed one of the many mothers complaining about how his toxic practices hurt her child.
After Hobbs illegally cut the creek-side vegetation there, we got a stop work order that shut him down for a month. Hobbs is a repeat offender who does not follow the rules.
I was there when Hobbs cut the trees. You can visit that apple graveyard, before they dispose of the dead bodies. Neighbors have written to the District Attorney suggesting she shut it down permanently because of Hobbs ongoing environmental abuse.
Fortunately, there are organic grape growers and other sustainable farmers here. I praise organic wineries, such as Porter Creek, Benzinger, Cline, Quivira, and Topolos.
Among the especially bad killers that Hobbs uses are the fungicide mettle, the herbicide trigger, and the insecticide/fungicide Purespray Green.
They cause cancer and other diseases, groundwater contamination, developmental/reproductive damage, endocrine disruption, and other problems.
Let me clear up some PR fabrications: To be a “local farmer,” you have to live here, not just come and go through your wine empire. And you need to get your hands in the dirt or on animals. Otherwise you are an industrial alcohol producer, which is what Hobbs is.
Let’s stop wine barons from poisoning our children, workers, water, air and the land itself.
Shepherd Bliss
Sebastopol