Terrific job
EDITOR: As property owners on Fitch Mountain, we want to thank CalFire and the young workers of the California Conservation Corps for their terrific job, over the last couple of weeks, of cutting back trees and vegetation on the roads of Fitch Mountain to provide safer access for emergency and fire vehicles. We all recognize what a fire danger our “jungle” poses to our community and to Healdsburg. So a big thank you — and come back soon!
Dave and Kathryn Henderson
Healdsburg
Partnerships needed
EDITOR: Richard Burg’s insightful commentary last week was such a welcome addition to the discussion about the housing crisis. Over the past five years, I have been intensely studying the problem and came to the same conclusion: that public/private partnerships that enable the community to become the developer is the only path forward.
The particular obstacle that Richard’s plan addresses is that more houses won’t address the workforce housing need unless they can be deed restricted. Otherwise, new homes will be disproportionally bought by out of town speculators and retirees.
Jay Beckwith
Healdsburg
Local lore
EDITOR: I just received my Tribune dated May 3. It took three weeks to arrive at my Colorado home since I had to leave my favorite town, Healdsburg, in 1996. Living in the Bay Area, I found Healdsburg and my new home in 1984 and told my late husband, Bob Rawlins, “That home is it. Let’s move one last time.”
As a Navy Jr. and Navy wife, I kept track of my moves. This was the 75th. So we moved to beautiful Healdsburg and, one year later, opened the Lytton Springs B&B in our home.
I began looking at the library and learned we could turn it into the museum, which was located in the community center at the time. I was appointed to the architectural committee and we finally accomplished the big move.
People helped haul books down to the only library built in California that year. I was appointed to the museum board and didn’t leave until the day I moved to Colorado.
As a board member of the Sonoma County Wine Library, I was asked by Millie Howie to take oral histories of Sonoma winemakers for the library’s new wine section. I was on the Sonoma artist board, which still has annual artist tours.
I was also on the chamber of commerce board and produced the first Plaza Festival, which stressed Healdsburg’s many cultures. The Pomos were invited to dance for us, with their art work on display along with the other cultures the area is known for. I was asked to help put on a similar function for the town of Sonoma and did so.
I ordered the films for our first film festival and delivered them to the Raven. The guest speaker for the festival stayed at our home. I helped with AAUW Home Tours and enjoyed the May 3 pictures.
I brought a group of international AAUW members from the Stanford Conference to see our museum, tour two wineries and have lunch with the winemaker before taking off for the Geysers, then flying back to their homes around the world.
I have been taking your great newspaper for 34 years. So even though your out-of-county mail contract doesn’t deliver my paper on time, I want to keep receiving the Trib. Thank you for all you do and know that I read every word whenever the Trib arrives.
Peggy Rawlins
Grand Junction, Colorado
Another fiasco
EDITOR: Our new city hall was built with an open floor plan. Furniture was purchased to accommodate this floor plan. However, they soon realized an open floor plan wasn’t going to work. Now partitions and walls are under construction and new furniture being ordered. Could this perhaps be another roundabout?
Ken Buchignani
Healdsburg
