Editorial

Turn the clock back 50 years and we would not be engaged in a debate about greenwashing. At that time most people didn’t think about reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water or implementing “sustainable” practices on their working lands. 

It turns out that not all of us went to the Burning Man Festival after all. Most of us stayed closer to home and thousands more came here for a visit, which made for a very busy Labor Day weekend around Sonoma County.

An Open Letter to the Healdsburg City Council Regarding the Current Rent Crisis:

Local schools are welcoming back students and teachers from their summer break, which officially ended three weeks ago and we wish everyone a successful year of learning, personal growth and good health.

As Scoutmaster of Healdsburg Troop 21, I’m compelled to respond to the recent statements from the press and members of the community regarding the 4Cs preschool departure. I write this with the hope that despite the inaccurate depiction given in recent articles, Healdsburg’s Troop 21 continues its role in community service, promoting youth leadership and skills development. A reader wrote in last week’s Tribune, “What about the Oath?” I’m happy that she asked about Scouting principles like the Oath and Law.

Two decades ago, lots of Sonoma County winemakers and innkeepers were jealous over the attention heaped on their counterparts in Napa Valley, but they swore they’d never actually want to be another Napa or another wine country version of Disneyland. Back then, Sonoma’s wine and hospitality people would chortle, “Sonoma’s for wine, Napa is for auto parts.”

The City of Healdsburg, like many communities throughout our state, is facing a number of housing related challenges. These challenges have been exacerbated in Healdsburg due to the recent recession, elimination of redevelopment funds by the state and many have argued the limitations of the growth management ordinance, which inadvertently has curtailed construction of new market rate, multi-family units for sale or rental units. This has all become much more personal and painful for our community over the past two months, with the news of families being evicted from their apartments as well as reported rent increases. While it seems like a perfect storm of housing issues, the city has been working for some time to address these issues with short, mid and long-term approaches in mind.

Ceremonies are being held across America this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War to “thank and honor” veterans and to allow for public reflections on a time and war that seems very distant from the country we live in today.

In response to the Healthcare Foundation and Healdsburg District Hospital “at odds” article, the foundation would like to emphasize that we are committed to raising funds for healthcare in Northern Sonoma County – it is our mission.

The opposite of planned parenthood is unplanned parenthood. One approach reduces unwanted births, offers education for new parents and promotes family and social order. The other turns the clock back to days of back alley abortions, family frenzy and archaic religious codes.