Letters to the Editor

Thanks for election coverage
Editor: It is my strong belief that the presence of the The Sun/El Sol and KSVY in our community greatly enhanced the accessibility of the recent elections for the citizens of the Sonoma Valley. The broadcasts of the forums, coverage of the issues, interviews with the morning show, and the election-night results made the immediacy and importance of the election a part of our political life. There is a relationship between the citizens, candidates and media that if done right bring democracy forward. Congratulation to all your staff who made it possible.
Ken Brown
Sonoma City Councilman

Native Sonomans
being decimated
Editor: Does anybody out there in the Valley ever feel like us native Sonomans are being decimated by newcomers similar to the Native Americans not so long ago? Here we were just living normal lives, some of us blue-collar some white-collar, when all of a sudden things started to change way faster than we could handle. All of a sudden it is way too crowded, it costs more than we can afford to just live here like our parents and grandparents did. Some of us are being pushed out by a bunch of people moving in just because this is the place to move to if you have money. The Native Americans were wiped out by the introduction of diseases they had never seen. We are being pushed out by the disease of inflation. I don’t think we should stand here and watch any longer. I think it’s time to do something about this. We need to join together just like the clowns on the Plaza every Friday and come up with a plan. We’re not just going to hold up goofy signs; we’re going to accomplish something.
Bill Jennings

Welcome back, ‘joan’
Editor: Hooray! just joan is back. I missed her articles the past two weeks. They are so well-written.
Flora Durfee

FineLife drapes cheesecake
Editor: Come on, whose idea was it to drape the cheesecake all over the cover of FineLife? And the inside page was worse… I daresay it was some editor’s cheesy fantasy for girlfriends to wear lingerie when they get together to watch movies. Which is all good (yet not reality) but not for the cover of Fine Life, puleeze!
Anne Petersen

Con artists
are calling
Editor: I guess men are as prone to being taken in by con artists as women. I too live in the 800 block of Oregon Street and was called by a con artist. He wanted a payment of $1,000 to be sent to a woman that worked for an insurance company in Costa Rica.
I received another call from him that night, saying that he had received the $1,000, but that this only paid the tax on the package required by the country of Costa Rica and that I needed to send another $1,000.
I had already heard from a company from New York and Las Vegas. Both parties accused the other of being con artists, I mailed the $1,000 to Costa Rica, regardless.
I became quite suspicious and contacted the Sonoma Police Department’s fraud department. They have turned the case over to a specialist belonging to the Country Sheriff’s Department. I have not heard from anyone since that time.
Both the agents at the Safeway and Western Union were most helpful, but as this was in another country, they were unable to be of assistance.
The only thing I have gained from any agent was mistrust. Don’t say anything to anybody, do not name names, do not send any “tax money” to anyone and ignore the requests of these two “agents” if contacted!
Cecil Atwood

Goodbye American Dream?
Editor: Many times I have been told that the American Dream was to be able to own a house with a yard around it and to have a garden and place for kids and pets to play. We had a victory garden in our yard during World War II.
When I moved to Sonoma I saw a small town with many small houses of varying architecture designs; the types of houses where a young couple could get a start.
Not so today, for we have just lost another one. I am not talking about a derelict house, but a house that was clean and straight. It had a nice stone wall in front of it. I had been in it many times; it was the Cat Clinic.
Goodbye American Dream.
Who’s next?
Charlene Hunter

Peripheral bike trail
Editor: Leave the car – take your bike around Sonoma.
A peripheral bike trail around the city would utilize much of what already exists.
It would also connect the various neighborhood and schools.
To see where this path could lead, start at the Plaza and go clockwise. Go north on First Street East to the northern bike path at Vintage House, then east to Lovall Valley Road. A paved shoulder and trees should be added. Go south on Seventh Street East; it’s not well-travelled and also shady. At Denmark, go west to the high-school playing fields. A path there takes you to Nathanson Creek Bike Path. A bridge crosses the creek here. Go past the tennis courts and through the high school parking lot. At Broadway, cross when the traffic light is favorable. Take Newcomb Street to Cox Park and pick up the bike path going south and at the end exiting west on Fryer Creek Drive take a paved path going south along the creek to the bridge.
Cross the bridge and go north on Fryer Creek Path to West MacArthur Street, cross and continue on the path which ends at Third Street West and Arroyo Way. Go west on Arroyo Way to Fourth Street West, then head north, crossing Andrieux to the end of Fourth Street West.
There you will find a well-travelled dirt path along the creek. The path turns to black-top covering the culvert containing the creek. As you arrive at Safeway, the path ends behind the service station. Jog to the left skirting the Safeway parking lot.
Cross Fifth Street West and go north on the sidewalk to the church. (A class-2 bike lane is possible here). Go east on Church Street to Third Street West then north across West Spain Street and toward the Vallejo House on State Property. You will intercept the bike path. Go east back to the Plaza.
The weather is just right for making this a weekend tour for you and your family. The city has engaged a consultant to plan something, which still may be still in process. If you have an interest in how this roughly $300,000 is spent, now is the time. City streets are too narrow to accommodate bike lanes. The route described here is confined to the safest paths and is mostly in existence today.
Our former membership of Sonoma Valley Trails supported the development of bike trails. Their vision will soon become a reality.
Fred Burger

Candidate gives thanks
Editor: I’d like to thank everyone who helped me in my bid for the hospital board as well as the almost 4,000 voters who agreed with my message. While I fell short, I’m proud of my efforts to help restore trust in the hospital board, to hold our hospital administration accountable, and to secure a sustainable hospital for many decades to come.
I also want to congratulate both Dick Kirk and my friend Arnie Riebli on their election. I am confident they will both provide a much-needed new direction for our hospital board. In a race that took place after the contentious Measure C campaign, I’d also like to thank both of them for running positive campaigns that focused on solutions for our hospital instead of our past problems.
Going forward, there are still many questions to be asked of our hospital board and the administration it selects. You can be sure that I’ll still be there asking them.
Kathy Barnett