Editorial

The July 5th edition of the San Francisco Chronicle featured a remembrance of the 75th anniversary of the first Herb Caen column to appear in that paper. I started reading Herb Caen’s columns when I was a senior at Napa High School (Class of ‘62). My parents subscribed to the Napa Register so, for reasons I can’t recall, I began to read Caen’s Chronicle columns in the Napa High library. I’d leave home in whichever of my dad’s vehicles was available, often the ‘56 Chevy pickup which I still drive, arriving at the high school in time to walk through the main entrance, avoid stepping on the tile school emblem on the floor just inside the door, say hi to friends gathered around the senior heater, a radiator at which for some unknown reason a group of senior boys congregated, and then I’d head to the library for my daily dose of Herb Caen before heading off to my first period class.

Hallelujah! It is done. Clang of bell and roar of gun. The so-called Defense of Marriage Act is no longer the law of the land. It should be called the Restriction of Marriage Act, because it limits marriage to certain citizens but not others. And in California, Proposition 8, the law voted by the people to restrict marriage to straight people, is defunct.  

Each Year I try to write about boating safety, hopefully to help prevent an accident or possible fatality. Just last week a 7 year old boy got caught in a propeller, severely cutting both legs. How does this happen?

The big mystery about the exciting new Russian River riparian setback rules is whether anyone really has a clue how they’ll work.

Summer quiz

Palliative Care to many sounds ominous and foreboding.  But as a practicing physician in Healdsburg for 38 years and caring for many elderly people, I see its value. Its main goal is quality of life, and defining patient’s wishes and seeing that they are followed.

Americans have much to be grateful for. Freedom makes the top of the list for most of us because it’s expressed in so many aspects of our daily lives. Independence Day marks our celebration of freedom — it remembers we declared our independence from political and economic oppression by outsiders.

“All who believed were together and had all things in common. They would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need…”

If we must say so ourselves — and why shouldn’t we? — the citizens of Healdsburg are one of the proudest and most generous communities to be found anywhere. We cherish our traditions as we also expand our horizons and meet all kinds of challenges with a stalwart blend of conviction and compassion. Healdsburg is home to good folks with big hearts.

There are people who don’t agree with me. Yeah, I had the same reaction – what? It’s true though. I realize that more and more when I try to talk sense into unreasonable people. How do I know they are unreasonable? Because well, they just are, that’s how.