Future of fire services
The future of Healdsburg’s fire fighting services could look very different from what we all have become used to over many previous decades. The fire trucks and the siren alarms will be the same and the volunteer and paid emergency and safety teams will likely remain in place. But who is in charge, and how everything gets paid for could change dramatically.
Have a slow Christmas
T’was the night before Christmas and all things were a Twitter. Yes, the mice, all the other creatures and the rest of the house was abuzz and full of clattering. The stockings were not hung by the chimney with care; they were overstuffed with “stuff.” When was it that getting through Christmas Eve started feeling like making it to the finish line of a race?
1+1+1 = 1
A little over a week ago, I was driving with my father from Phoenix to San Diego. We were in the hills above San Diego when traffic on Interstate 8 came to an abrupt stop. Soon we saw signs telling us we were approaching a Border Patrol checkpoint. We noticed that the Border Patrol officer was having a long conversation with the driver of the car in front of us, finally motioning him over to the side where there were a number of well-armed officers. When I drove up, he motioned me on through with a wave and a simple, “Have a nice day.”
Free-swinging arms
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.
Be thankful
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.
