Loved the last issue
EDITOR: Your June 13 issue was something special! Although I have a subscription and read your paper every week, your June 13 edition particularly captivated me.
All of the stories were interesting, informative and worthwhile, from the garden exchange program at the grange to the mental health class for teens at the library, and everything in between. The profile of Max Broome, Forestville’s Citizen of the Year, and the re-opening of the Rio Nido roadhouse were heartwarming. The SoCurious feature about Monte Rio’s Ed Brochu was inspiring. Your managing editor’s notebook was a wonderful invitation to step inside the newsroom for a look behind the scenes at how a community newspaper is birthed every week. Your publisher’s invitation on how to be part of the community conversation was instructive and encouraging. I was thrilled to read about the book by Obi Kaufmann, “The State of Water: Understanding California’s Most Precious Resource,” for the precise reason captured by the book’s title. (I plan to buy the book at Copperfield’s.) The graduation and the student athlete photos were fun even though I didn’t know anyone in them. (I confess that I stopped short of reading all of the legal notices.) The overall design and layout of this issue seemed especially pleasing and harmonious, including the ads. The headlines were clear and compelling.
And on top of all this goodness, our Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins’ “Open Letter to the Bohemian Grove” was an articulate and powerful public exposition of her perspective on some of the issues related to having the Grove in our midst. This illustrates one of the reasons our local newspaper is so important — to examine and report on the actions of our local governmental public servants throughout their term in office, not just during campaign seasons.
I scan other newspapers to glean information about national and international issues, events and commentary. However, in contrast, I read, and enjoy reading, my local newspaper to learn about my community, people who live here, businesses and organizations in our towns, and the issues and activities that define who we are and help create a sense of place.
I have been part of this community for 40 years now, and I am very grateful that we still have an independent newspaper locally owned and staffed by a team of professional journalists to chronicle our collective community life. Thank you.
Mary Luttrell Cuoio
Forestville
Thanks for the teachers’ strike story
EDITOR: I just wanted to thank you for such a clear and interesting story. (“High school teachers union votes to strike,” June 6). You brought up a lot of information, like the teacher average pay thing, that most of us had no idea about. Thank you! What a pleasure to read a well-thought-out story like this.
Carol Benfell
Sebastopol
In praise of Lynda Hopkins
EDITOR: We opposed Lynda Hopkins for supervisor not because of who she is, but because of her support from some well-known male wheeler dealers in Sonoma County, who have been working to control the supervisors for years. They knew they would not be able to control Noreen Evans.
So it is refreshing to read the deadly accurate and sarcastic letter Hopkins wrote to the Boho Grove pee brigade, taking on the issue of female discrimination at the grove. The whole pee thing and the court case in which the Bohos claimed that they would be embarrassed to pee in front of women, thus no women allowed, had me in stitches.
Mary Moore led demonstrations against the Grove for many years. It is good to see Lynda take them on from the position of power that she holds. Good on you, Lynda, for showing us your independence. Please continue to fight for equality, justice, the environment and good planning decisions.
Richard and Brenda Nichols
Sebastopol
Hopkins on point in Boho letter
EDITOR: Supervisor Lynda Hopkins’ commentary, published June 13, 2019, should become required reading for all higher education students. Today, she is excluded from invitations to the Bohemian Club because of her gender, though invitations to all of her male predecessors were automatic.
Of course, in 1847, the founders couldn’t imagine that women would get the vote 73 years later, let alone hold public office. One can only wonder what they would have made of the female supervisor’s gentle, humorous, surgically precise laying-bare of their “There, there, little lady” defense of male dominance.
Which is the point that Hopkins makes, oh so deliciously — this ain’t 1847, and the Boho’s exclusion of women can’t be justified in 2019, not that it ever could.
No wonder the Bohos want, must exclude women from their deliberations on how to run the world. Like Hopkins has done, unbearable truths would get laid bare. For example Supervisor Hopkins exposes the myth the Bohos willingly welcome women as servants (at $14 to $17 per hour). The truth — a court order from the ’80s forced them to hire women. She gleefully brings up the club’s legal defense of their discrimination against women in the work place was they wanted to feel free to pee on the bushes. Seriously.
She also invites the Bohos to name the first female California governor or first female president if they want to dispute that “it’s a man’s world.” Obviously, Lynda Hopkins should be a prime candidate. It’s not about time; it’s past time.
HolLynn D’Lil
Graton
