Editorial

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.

While the originator’s attribution is uncertain, the following phrase, popularized by Mark Twain, seems particularly appropriate relative to the survey results recently presented to our City Council by HCSS (Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions) on March 17 and April 7. To quote Mr. Twain, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”

Matthew Hall was hired as a reporter for the Healdsburg Tribune in 2006. He has been the editor of the Windsor Times for seven years, and during that time also served as the Tribune’s editor during vacations and maternity leaves.

Why do public health systems matter? Because they work extraordinarily well, and are among the most efficient public programs in the country. More importantly, because public health providers work together to keep our communities healthy.

Despite recent rains, the cumulative average rainfall for the water year to date (July 1, 2013 – March 9, 2014) is still well below average. The Santa Rosa basin currently, as of March 14, has 14.1” compared to an average of 25.2”. The Ukiah basin has 11.45” compared to the average of 30”. While the drought status in much of the county was updated from “extreme” to “severe,” water storage levels in Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma continue to be well below average. Lake Mendocino’s water supply storage capacity was at 50 percent and Lake Sonoma’s water supply capacity was at 73 percent (as of March 14).  

What a bunch of baloney! I’m referring to the flyer and the website that was put together by ‘Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions’ (HCSS). Sheesh. Where do these people come from? The gall to take credit for negotiations with recent hotel proponents is incredibly bold and deceitful. The City of Healdsburg has a dedicated team consisting of the City Council, Planning Commission, and city staff  that is quite capable of working and negotiating with prospective developers. They have approved some quality projects that have greatly enhanced the economic and visual character of the downtown corridor, and they have denied some projects that were inappropriate for various reasons. They have done a commendable job, and along the way, public input was always considered at every aspect of the planning process. Truly a transparent process that encourages any and all to participate.

Most people have heard the slogan “Only rain down the drain” or have seen decals near storm drain inlets with the words “DRAINS TO CREEK, NO DUMPING” on them. And we know what a wonderful environment we have in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties — our rivers and creeks are a major part of what is so great about living here. As you go about your daily tasks at work and home, you want to do what’s right to protect our environment, but sometimes it seems more convenient to overlook the responsible action, or just take a shortcut. It may seem easy to just clean a paint brush or roller with a hose into the street gutter or inlet rather than into the sink. After all, it’s just a little paint. Or when completing the replacement of a portion of a driveway you might be tempted to hose off the excess concrete into the nearby storm drain inlet — what else can you do with it? Let’s say the area around the dumpster or garbage can is getting a little dirty so why not a quick rinse with a hose to clean it up? It goes to a treatment plant, doesn’t it? These are all examples of how waste can end in our creeks.