Editorial

We work hard to keep our gardens looking beautiful, so when we find our plants in distress it is hard to resist the temptation to head to the store and grab any product that promises to restore the garden’s beauty. While many people consider pesticides and fertilizers as a quick solution, they are not the safest options for our heath nor for the environment.

The seasons are changing at this time of the year and some of the changes are more apparent than others. The sun is lower in the sky, mornings are cooler and Daylight Savings Time ends soon. October’s colors are spectacular and the foliage of the trees and vineyards are the most visible reminders of the changing days ahead.

Editor: I continue to be baffled by the City Council’s unswerving resolve to build a roundabout at the five corners area. This project has been in the works for 10 years. It has been pointed out by several that a better, less disruptive, and simpler means of achieving smooth traffic flow into and out of our city would be to add a southbound 101 freeway entrance on Westside Road, and a northbound exit off Westside Road.

Many of us who live here in Sonoma County have been wrestling with our identity the past few years. We stopped calling this place the Redwood Empire several years ago, but not all of us want to be known as wine country. By land mass, we’re still rural and agricultural. But, by many other measures we prefer to be urban and urbane, more hip and less hick. We get wowed with mentions of “Sonoma style” and “wine country lifestyle” from places like New York, Los Angeles or Paris.

Bacteria are a natural part of the environment, but some bacteria like those found in human or animal waste can be a hazard when we are exposed to it in the rivers where we work and play. These microscopic single-celled organisms are found virtually everywhere, including water, soil, plants, animals and the human body. Bacteria provide numerous benefits to the environment, including the decomposition of organic matter, like breaking down leaves and plants to nourish the soil. Bacteria also serve several functions in the human body, including assisting with digestion, aiding the immune system and protecting against harmful and disease-causing invaders, known as pathogenic microbes.

There is a grassroots movement afoot in Sonoma County to join our neighbors to the north and south in creating a Coastal GMO Free Zone.

Richard Burg wrote in a recent commentary that he was disappointed in the actions of the Healdsburg City Council when they insisted on equity in the new governing document for the Sonoma County Library of which the Healdsburg Regional Library is a founding member.  I welcome Richard’s admittedly belated attention to a process that has been going on for years.  Let’s try to answer his question, “What is Equity?”

Rollie Atkinson, Publisher of he Healdsburg Tribune, Windsor Times and Sonoma West Times and News was profiled by the California Newspaper Publishers Association in the Summer issue of their official publication "California Publisher".  The magazine covers the news and trends, the buying and selling, the technological developments and the historical events in California's diverse newspaper industry.   Decision-makers in the California newspaper industry look to California Publisher for the latest information to help them run an efficient, profitable and worthy business.  Suppliers to the trade rely upon California Publisher as their connection to all newspaper departments.

The Healdsburg Animal Shelter is in the business of saving lives, and we do it well. National averages show approximately 50% of dogs and 70% of cats entering shelters are euthanized. The Healdsburg Animal Shelter’s rate is 7%. Additionally, in 2011, our dog adoptions tripled; cat adoptions increased by 29%; medical expenses decreased by 75%; professional fees decreased by 53%; income from fundraising events increased by 358%; charitable giving doubled and volunteers contributed 1,500 more volunteer hours. These are amazing accomplishments. Operationally our shelter ranks among the top in the nation.

One of the more publicized events to have come out of Sacramento