LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Community steps up
Editor: A big thank you to Sonoma West Times & News readers
for their timely and generous response to our recent appeal for
help at the Interchurch Pantry.
We received more than $1,250 from people mentioning reading
about our crisis in the two weeks after the story (“Food pantry
needs help,” Letters, July 22) was printed. Bless you all.
Cecile Lusby
Sebastopol
Proud to be in Sebastopol
Editor: Last week’s five letters to the editor really moved me,
so I encourage all to read them. They made me proud of our small
town and its dependable weekly. First, we have two visiting parents
writing how “Palm Drive Saves a Life” — their daughter’s, who had a
cardiac arrest here. We are so lucky to have Palm Drive.
Then we have our special Chief of Police Jeff Weaver writing
“Open House Success.” I was there and can testify to the truth of
his account. All the police and staff were cordial and helpful. I
even had a picture taken of me on a police motorcycle. My
Harley-driving brother will be happy. We are fortunate to have such
a good police force here in our small town that is considerate and
helps to protect us. As all who have heard our police chief and
fire chief speak, we know that they are both articulate and
represent our small town well.
“Thanks to the Bohemians” followed. It presented the other side
of the story than the one that I support. I tend to be critical of
this wealthy men’s club for what they do, including cutting too
many redwoods. But reading about their contributions to the Monte
Rio community was instructive. Disagreeing without being
disagreeable in a civil way seems to me important, as is listening
to different points of view.
Speaking of such differences, then there was “Visualize Not
Watering” by a critic of a recent garden column. I tend to agree
with the letter writer that some over-use precious water in our
gardens, but both points of view have validity. We learn, in my
opinion, from such arguments.
The final letter was two more parents dealing with death:
“Trystan’s Legacy.” Trystan Nash Shelly was one of the 1.2 million
people killed in a car crash last year. Enough, already, of our
nation’s car addiction. The generosity of his parents to respond to
the tragic death of a child and to thank the many good people of
Sebastopol brought tears of joy to me. Loss, grief, and mourning
can unite us, especially when expressed. I am glad that Sebastopol
and West County are places where we can talk and write openly of
death and its multiple consequences. Death is seldom what one does
alone, since a single death can impact so many others, depending on
how they respond.
Alongside the letters was publisher Rollie Atkinson’s tribute to
our deceased Mayor Bill Roventini. His memorial service was indeed
moving and it is important to remember his outstanding
contributions to our lives. Bill was one of the first people who
welcomed me almost 20 years ago when I moved here, where I plan to
spend my final days. His smile and uniqueness are
unforgettable.
Rather than reading Sonoma West from the front to the back page,
I start with the letters, editorial, and commentaries near the end,
which include people whom I know and do not know. It is there that
I feel the pulse of our wonderful community. With that grounding, I
then return to the front page. Our small town and the West County
around it have lots to celebrate, including our tasty Grav apples.
Good picture of my next-door neighbor apple farmer John in the
Community First Credit Union ad, a GoLocal member, which I heard at
a Chamber of Commerce gathering may soon have a branch in
Sebastopol. Yea!
I love my hometown and am proud to be a Sebastopudlian.
Write On,
Shepherd Bliss
Sebastopol
Cloth diapers
Editor: To add some missing information to Kerrie Lindecker’s
Aug. 12 article on cloth diapers, let me say the problem with cloth
diapers was the terrible diaper rash.
The rash was only able to be avoided by rinsing the cloth in
cold water, not using detergent and bleach, and hanging it in the
sun to bleach.
The thinnest cloth was preferred for its ability to dry on a
rainy day quickly between rain showers.
Plastic cover-up pants had elastic and that worked great.
Contrary to professional psychological opinion, humans easily
learn to “go potty” in a cup if trained from the “minute of birth.”
I did this with my daughter and she never made a “mistake” in the
bed with “no diapers on” since she was always presented with a “cup
to go in” the minute she woke up. Most people are incredulous that
this can happen.
Sue Paulekas
Sebastopol
Bring back 2-way
Editor: The idea of a return to 2-way traffic on downtown
Sebastopol’s Main St. is definitely controversial. Our current
traffic situation is never going to be good; the outrageous
imposition of two major highways at its very center is so impactful
that any tweak to its seemingly delicate balance conjures images of
over-the-top gridlock. This is understandable, but neither
realistic nor creative.
We are addicted to the automobile. We allow traffic engineers
the final word, not only with issues of traffic flow and parking,
but even those that influence the community itself, for which they
are unqualified. As a result, we have a downtown that, for the
auto, is as good as it can be and conversely, for the pedestrian,
one that is “breathtakingly bad.” For them — whether at the
crosswalks, parking lots, or the many driveways that intersect the
narrow, outmoded sidewalks — the experience is not only boring and
dreary; it can be traumatic, even downright dangerous, with the
frequent close calls one can expect with the automobile. It is a
dysfunctional mix.
I believe we have lost our perspective. It is the pedestrian, in
fact, who should have top priority downtown, and it is their coming
together that should have facility, emphasis and celebration. The
consequence of closing Petaluma Street and making Main Street 2-way
— both in the one block between Bodega and McKinley, as well as
eliminating all parking in the Plaza — would be a simple first step
towards a grand scheme that would transform this special part of
our community. Much like Sunday’s Farmer’s Market, it would be a
delightful, park-like oasis that, with the gazebo as its primary
theme, could feature additional shops, kiosks, benches, etc. The
reduced local traffic along McKinley would readily support a
stronger connection to the existing shops to the north, and have
the potential for block parties, festivals, etc. encompassing the
entire area. It would be a magnificent town square, the kind of
place that such an enlightened community as ours truly
deserves.
Robert Beauchamp
Sebastopol