Editorial

While some of us long for the days of our younger years, when we spent our summer breaks sleeping in, going to the movies or hanging with friends, we aren’t picturing the realities of hundreds of Sonoma County youth, who have spent the past months raising steer or milking goats, feeding hogs and grooming sheep.

Each time the Healdsburg Armory comes up in our outstanding local newspaper, I am saddened by the omissions of a very significant phase of its history.

Much has been written about the United States Supreme Court decision in the “Hobby Lobby” case that effectively will deny some women access to four types of birth control because it no longer has to be a covered cost under their employer’s health coverage.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Annie Millar, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Healdsburg Unified School District, to discuss, among other things, how the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are affecting the way she goes about her work.

In the past months, much has been written within these pages about who we are as a town and where we are headed with Healdsburg. We’re debating what is sacred about our little burg, what should be protected, and how to continue to thrive as an intimate community, while honoring the benefits that come from being a successful tourist attraction.  

There have been a number of great letters to the editor recently including the ones from John Crevelli and Brigette Mansell. They captured the frustration of being long term Healdsburg residents and seeing our town changing negatively while the town’s leadership isn’t representing the average citizen’s concerns. Most everyone I talk to in town agrees, so I think we are in the majority.

I had written a response to Sam Naujokas letter “Death of a small town” thinking that Mr. Naujokas was an older man who had grown up in Healdsburg. When I found out that Sam is a 15 year old high school student I was a little stunned. First of all I would like to say that Sam is an excellent writer way beyond his years. If all fifteen-year olds could write like this we wouldn’t be having the debates about how schools are failing our students. That said, since Sam entered this debate about Healdsburg’s future growth writing and thinking like an adult he deserves an adult response.

For some members of the Healdsburg community who took pride in Healdsburg being a big school district, enrollment decline may seem unfavorable. However, the research over the last 30 years on school size has demonstrated over and over that less is more. HUSD’s current enrollment of 1,850 students is an advantage, not just because there is more money per student but also because of the more intimate, personalized learning environment it creates. Our students are not just a number, but individuals with strengths, talents and challenges.

I lived in Santa Rosa for 51 years. Since 1986 my wife and I have lived in Healdsburg. I feel  the long experience in these two “cities” gives me some perspective to make judgments about our current squabble about what is best for Healdsburg.

I  gotta be honest here. Don’t you love it when people say that? It implies that, up until that moment, he or she has been less than honest, calling into question your entire relationship with said apparent serial liar.