Thanks for the fundraiser support
EDITOR: On behalf of the museum board, and all its members, a heartfelt thanks goes out to all those who helped our annual fundraiser become such a wonderful event. From the amazing donations, to all of the volunteers who participated, it could not have been more successful.
The fundraiser allowed many people who have never visited the museum to become acquainted with the vast amount of historical material available about our great city and it’s past, and it helps us to continue to be a viable part of the city and county.
The continued community support shown to the museum and the Historical Society allow it to continue to be the heart of the city, where it’s past, present, and future is and will be stored.
We thank you for the privilege.
Robert Redner
Cloverdale Historical Society
Museum Board President
Cloverdale
Doomed development?
EDITOR: I wrote the following letter on Aug. 26, 2016, almost three years to the day and nothing has been done. Why? Our town is receptive to new businesses — just look at Erin Mavis, Next Door Comics, Kelly Voss, etc. to name a few. We really want to see this historic building returned to its former glory. Please Mr. Wilson, do something.
An open letter to Ken and Diane Wilson, Wilson Winery: Three or four years ago you purchased the historic Westamerica Bank building in Cloverdale. I was excited at the prospect you would do something impressive with this beautiful prime spot on our Boulevard.
Well, forward the clock to 2016 and this lovely building still sits empty. It is overgrown with dead vines, garbage in the doorways and graffiti on some walls and is generally becoming an eyesore.
My question is — are you ever going to develop this property or is it doomed to sit vacant and in disrepair? I was hoping you would turn it into an Italian Deli and Wine Shop (much like Traverso’s) to house your many brands.
Our town is starting to revitalize after the downturn of several years ago and we are getting new restaurants & retail shops that are offering our community and its visitors a lot of variety.
Won’t you please listen to the community of Cloverdale and take an interest in furthering its progress. We would love to help you make a successful venture here in our town.
Christine Flaherty
Cloverdale
Real reporting needed
EDITOR: Sonoma West Publishers needs to do some real reporting. They need to use the Freedom Of Information Act and get SMART to turn over the real numbers. Then, with that in hand, do some investigative reporting and compare the SMART money train drain to, let’s say the BART system, the Santa Clara County system and CalTrain.
We, as the people footing the bills, need to know what a well-run system might spend per passenger, or per mile of service. We need to know what a productive system gets back from the farebox toward costs. Let’s not let SMART lies go on and on and give them more money to flush down the train drain.
Those of us who live in the outlying cities of Cloverdale, Sonoma and Sebastopol are getting nothing, no train, no bus connections to the train, nothing at all. Yet, they will soon ask us to increase the contributions we are making to the sales tax for the system.
Those in Cloverdale will probably never see a SMART train in our town, yet that is what was promised.
We need the facts.
Wayne Diggs
Cloverdale
