Letters to the Editor 8-25-16

Not afraid of the dark
EDITOR: Regarding the LED streetlight pilot trial; I don’t want PG&E’s LED lights. Please turn off the existing streetlight in front of my house. I am not afraid of the dark. I want to see the stars.
Peter Naughton
Sebastopol
Top tier priority
EDITOR: Several people have accused Fifth District Candidate Lynda Hopkins of promoting safe camping as a solution to homelessness. This is entirely untrue, as Lynda knows that people sleeping in tents or cars remain homeless and that any solutions will require a broad, creative approach. She intends to use public financial resources and regulatory authority to create real housing and supportive services for homeless people.
 Today in Sonoma County there are scattered homeless encampments, many of which have been removed because of water quality concerns along creeks and the anticipated beginning of SMART train service. I have helped remove many of these abandoned encampments in the hills around Monte Rio, moving thousands of pounds of material from remote, forested sites distant from any supportive services. Safe camping and parking are an improvement over encampments because they are safer for people and provide easier access to said services. We can take such actions immediately to improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness. 
We can also rapidly house many of those experiencing homelessness and provide further access to supportive services by repurposing existing buildings. Lynda Hopkins supports the use of surplus county-owned buildings for supportive housing. And she sees the creation of housing available to homeless people, either through reuse or new construction, as a top tier priority for Sonoma County.
Pat McDonell
Sebastopol
99 percent sure
EDITOR: Sonoma county has a golden opportunity to take back their Board of Supervisors from the political cronies who have been using their bought and paid for supervisors to carve up the bounty of the county and serve it up to their friends.

 The good ol’ boys have hand picked Lynda Hopkins to replace their fallen golden boy Efren Carrillo. There’s no mystery here. A board majority of Rabbitt, Gore and Hopkins will continue to represent big corporate wine and the rest of the 1 percent. 

Enter Noreen. Noreen Evans, Shirlee Zane and Susan Goren could become a majority that tempers its decisions with compassion and a greater care for our environment. At least there would be a chance to kick the cronies to the curb.

 Lynda Hopkins has no experience. She is funded and manipulated by the 1 percent. Noreen Evans will hit the ground running with a 20 year scandal-free record of public service for the 99 percent.

Opportunity is knocking. Let’s not blow this.
 Vote for Noreen Evans to occupy the 5th district seat.
Thomas Morabito

Sebastopol­
Choice to be informed
EDITOR: We in Sonoma County pride ourselves by making choices; will buy organic, or gluten-free or have a coffee with dairy, soy or perhaps almond milk. We flatter ourselves that we are in charge. Yet in this year of our federal elections, the Federal Election Commission in combination with our main-stream media suggest that we select our next president from only two people. 
As some people are aware, there are two other candidates that will be on the California ballot, Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate and also a libertarian candidate. The mechanics of gaining access to the pending presidential debates is via sufficient interest in national polls, however such data is accumulated. I am writing to encourage people to read about Dr. Jill Stein’s platform; she takes the goals of Senator Bernie Sanders toward a more just society, in my opinion.
Tony Bryhan
Sebastopol
Friends and neighbors
EDITOR: Thank you all for coming out and supporting the Peacetown Summer Concert Series at Ives Park on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. It has been truly magical with the love vibe circulating among the free music, good food and fine refreshments. By bringing your loving hearts each week, you have helped create what Peacetown is meant to be — a joyful community of happy, loving people celebrating life.
I invite everyone to come the last week, Aug. 31 for Mr. Music and Friends featuring the Love Choir and an All-Star Band. Headlining the show will be Tom Rigney and Flambeau, a fantastic Cajun/Zydeco Band, who will get you ready for the Cajun/Zydeco Festival on Labor Day Weekend. Peacetown is growing and you all are citizens of this “Beautiful Place to Be.” See your next Wednesday!
Jim Corbett
“Mr. Music”
Sebastopol