Editorial

Did you know that less than one percent of the earth’s water is available for human consumption? As California’s population continues to increase, climate change and periodic drought affect the amount of water supply available, and the demand for water to meet the needs of aquatic life and our environment continues to grow. Having enough water supply to balance all of the needs is becoming increasingly complex. Many communities throughout California are faced with the challenge of coming up with new and innovative ways to maximize the supply of drinking water, also called potable water. Recycled water can play a key role in responding to this complex issue and helping provide local, reliable water supplies to meet California’s water needs.

Some pretty amazing things have been happening over at Healdsburg’s Hop Kiln Winery on Westside Road. It’s the kind of stuff that may give us a clearer picture of where Wine Country is headed.

“Why doesn’t someone do something about all the trash in the creek?” This question from an 11 year old girl scout surprised me. Dozens of energetic volunteers surrounded us scouring the banks of Santa Rosa Creek along the Prince Memorial Greenway for trash washed down by the winter rains. I started to explain that many people were indeed doing something, only to be interrupted by her observation that cut to the quick of any storm water program, “Yes, but if people were really doing something, we wouldn’t have to be here cleaning up after them.”

Pride in Public Service

I have logged over 70,000 miles in the last 30 years at sea. In this time, I have seen many dangerous situations as well as unnecessary accidents as well as deaths, that could have been prevented with a bit of common sense as well as preventative measures. By writing this article I hope it helps to give a helping hand to all that enters the water this year, by boat or simply just swimming in our waters.

Last August, I was called to help a man with his dying wishes.  He had three.  The first was to go to Zen Hospice in San Francisco for his final days.  The second was that a Tibetan Llama accompany him with prayers and chanting for the last part of his journey, and the third was for medical cannabis so that he could reduce his reliance on prescribed opiates and die with a “clear mind.”

The Library Commission meeting on Monday, May 7th was remarkable for the Commission’s inability — or adamant refusal — to listen to points of view other than their own, especially with regard to their pet project, self-check machines. The documents that were meant to inform an incisive conversation about the self-check equipment were over 58 pages long and did not include any information from the employees who have been the “testers” for the equipment. The documents were posted on the website less than two days before the Commission meeting, and were still being revised hours before the meeting itself. A large number of employees and community people came to the meeting, and several commented on the self-check machines.

I was recently reminded of a 1912 article published in The Healdsburg Tribune which reported that Healdsburg would soon have eight passenger trains daily. The article describes the increased convenience for Healdsburg businessmen who would be able to make a round trip to the City in one day, and for the San Francisco businessman “whose family might be spending the summer at one of the many resorts” in our area. I assume the link across the bay to San Francisco was a ferry from Sausalito. Anyway, it sounds pretty good to me and I hope I'm alive and kicking if and when the SMART train is running along the same route as 1912 trains and replicates their service.

This is Part 2 of the “Cost Savings” commentary. In Part 1, the councilmembers discussed factors that led to the current budget conditions, as well as actions that have been taken in the past year to address the budget issues.

Part I