Letters to the Editor

Valley needs another VOM Saloon

Editor: Loved the article “Remembering the Valley of the Moon Saloon” by Donna Hays! As I am sure J.M. Berry would contend, it is a shame that the valley has no place for its plethora of musicians to jam. Young players need a place to cut their teeth and be taken under the wing of older, more-seasoned musicians. I am forever grateful to Carolina of Valley of the Moon Saloon for supplying such a venue. It is there that I met such local talents as Jeff Gilbert (The Last Crooner), guitarist Isaac Carter and drummer extraordinaire Jim Holland. The Valley of the Moon Saloon may be gone, but its offspring continue to entertain throughout the valley to this day.
“Smokin’” Joe Herrschaft

Dogs not confused by electronic fences

Editor: I wanted to address Sun columnist Dr. Chris Forsythe’s issues concerning electronic containment systems. In the process of addressing concerns about electronic bark collars and the confusion that they can cause the dog when they are employed, you went on to attribute that same state of confusion when an electronic containment system is in use.
I have been serving dogs and their owners, designing and installing electronic pet fences for the past 12 years. I have found that with the proper indoctrination to electronic containment systems, dogs are not at all confused, but rather quickly understand their boundaries and are able to safely enjoy the freedom such systems provide.
Chris Steinfeld
Pet Stop of the North Bay

Let’s get
one thing right

Editor: We have three possibilities to keep our hospital alive and local.
One: an in-town possibility.
Two: a larger site on Broadway.
Three: a medical Spa and private hospital on Eighth Street East.
When one is chosen, we will have a big job of not going into emotional meltdown if our choice isn’t the one.
Let’s get together, as practice for more getting together we are going to be needing to do as we keep a local hospital a reality.
Chris Elms

Pharmacies should dispense “medical” pot

Editor: The ongoing confusion of medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits is understandable. With quality control and professional packaging, the solution can be straightforward. Where are drugs currently sold where patients feel safe buying them? In drug stores! Isn’t that where drugs should be sold?
The 200 percent increase in the cost of a California Medical Marijuana Identification card is outrageous. In order to force some reality in that area, police should be politely educated that under Proposition 215 in the state of California, a doctor’s written recommendation is legally sufficient. We do not require a Medical Marijuana ID card! The approval should be on the doctor’s letterhead. The doctor would phone the approval to a central automated registry. That would enable the police officer to call that number. By mentioning the name of the individual, the recorded voice would reply: “Approved” or “Not approved.”
Also, a doctor’s visit once every three years should be reasonable. Not annually.
David R. Ford

Small hospital
the answer

Editor: There was hope that a serious look at Sonoma Valley Hospital retrofit would take place along with the option of building a new facility on the existing site. These options that are the best for avoiding sprawl, saving open space, greenbelt and farmlands, and not building beyond the true facility needs for a hospital nor beyond what we can afford.
Unfortunately, the Sonoma Valley Hospital District Board still has as its first option building a massive medical center complex outside of the city of Sonoma’s Urban Growth Boundary and partly on existing and productive agricultural lands. Plan “B” still looks very much like what was resoundingly defeated in the recent Measure C election.
The argument that Sutter Santa Rosa closing has any impact is dead. With planned and recent expansions of Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Santa Rosa, Kaiser Petaluma and Sutter Novato, more resources will be available after closing of Sutter Santa Rosa than there are now.
With a small medical facility geared towards feeding other nearby medical centers, there would be support for a one-quarter cent sales tax – not a regressive and grossly unfair parcel tax that hurts those on limited budgets.
Bob Hughes
Health insurance a good investment

Editor: As a financial advisor, I’m concerned that the recent media attention regarding Gov. Schwarzenegger’s and President Bush’s health care proposals leave workers assuming they can’t afford even the most basic health insurance if their employer doesn’t provide it.
Young, healthy adults may assume they don’t need the expense of health coverage. But all it takes is an accident landing you in the hospital to destroy your credit and financial future.
For potentially as little as $51 a month, people between the ages of 19 and 29 can purchase a major medical basic plan that will save them from financial ruin should they end up in the hospital. That’s an investment of $1.68 a day – about the cost of a cup of coffee in a local café.
Another reason people of moderate income should invest in at least a major medical basic plan is that individuals with no health insurance are often charged more for health services than people with insurance. This is because insurance companies negotiate the fees health care providers can charge insurers’ customers.
It’s also important for people to get on a health plan when they’re young and healthy, because if they develop medical conditions as they age, insurance can become very expensive and hard to get.
If you are a working person of any age who doesn’t receive health benefits, please don’t assume all health insurance is out of your reach.
Lillian Meyers