Letters to the Editor

Let’s be grateful
for dog park

Editor: In response to Bob Edwards’ July 12 letter to the Sun concerning Sonoma’s hospitality/inhospitality to dogs, I would say the following: Work hard, Mr. Edwards, raise a ton of private money for a larger dog park and then find a site; I doubt you will get any help from the City.
The current dog park on First Street West is there because I made an offer
the city could not refuse:
“Here is $30,000, basically unencumbered, for a dog park downtown; the only stipulation is that it be named after my deceased terrier, Ernest.”
With the invaluable assistance of Les Petersen, the current site was identified and the city reluctantly agreed to go along. (Not without many meetings and objections, some of the most memorable: “Why doesn’t she give her money to kids instead of dogs?” “What about the water table? Won’t it be damaged by dog urine?” “What about out-of-town dogs who will come and overrun the place?”)
Yes, the park is small, but I can assure you that it is adequate for even large dogs to get plenty of exercise. (My 95-pound giant male golden retriever romped to exhaustion there many times with other dogs of all sizes, including greyhounds.) And then there is location, location, location.
So, additional, larger dog parks? Absolutely! In the meantime, let’s be grateful for the existence of the Ernest Holman Dog Park.
Sue Holman

More space,
respect for dogs

Editor: I want to thank Sun letter-writer Bob Edwards for his extensive editorial comment on the lack of places to allow our dogs in the community of Sonoma. I have always felt they are a part of our families, if treated right, and on hot days it breaks my heart to see my pooch at home when she could enjoy the farmer’s market or any other activity more freely.
I hope that the hygiene department, the city council, the government officials who make such decisions will consider carefully the fun, the joy, the added tourist commerce and the humane aspect of having animals in community and how it promotes a civilization and model of caring and respect for all.
I do believe as deeply that the owners (guardians) of animals need to be responsible completely… that includes the safety, the care, pickup, clean-up and the gentle care of these voiceless ones for all of our sakes, and also that they do not bite or create havoc, making it harder for the rest of us to co-exist. For the folks who are not giving due respect to their animals, in my opinion, there needs to be more legislative change, restricting and penalizing them for lack of licensing, neutering, daily care and lack of training and, of course, love.
Children and animals cannot take care of themselves. It is a part of our adulthood to do so, or we should not have them. We are also equally responsible, if we witness ill treatment of them, to speak up! These principles need to be spoken of as often as the value we place on communing with our dear creatures who share this earth with us.
Katy Byrne

‘Mayberry’
City Council

Editor: The Mayberry City Council met in Sonoma on July 18 to consider, among other things, the conversion issue regarding Rancho de Sonoma mobile home park.
On the agenda was consideration of extending the 45-day moratorium issued at a previous hearing.
Although the council had 45 days to plan before adding this item to its agenda, councilmembers did not seek a legal opinion prior to scheduling the hearing. And so, it was a surprise to all parties to hear – after testimony was given by both sides – that nothing could be done, since it was legally necessary to post a notice to the public 10 days prior to considering the question.
As a result, everything has been put on hold until the mayor and council can comply with this ruling, sometime after vacations have been taken.
This is the same mayor who has been attending meetings of concerned mobile-home owners for over a year, boasting that Sonoma – unlike other jurisdictions affected by condo-ization – was strongly prepared to counter such moves. (Enter Barney Fife into deliberations.)
This exercise in incompetence and futility was fittingly televised (and I use the word loosely) by some high-school group beginning what looks to be a very long road to mastery.
Dorothy B. Castle

Sounding off
for Barnett

Editor: I would like to thank Larry Barnett for his wonderful articles, especially “Drowning in a sea of sound” in the July 5 edition.
I would not be surprised if we were also drowning some creatures in a sea of light.
One area of concern that Larry Barnett did not touch upon is the military use of sound as a non-lethal weapon. Then there are the classified uses of sound, besides sonar, that the military also “dabbles” about using. These go playing rock ‘n’ roll to harass General Manuel Noriega. Your tax dollars hard at work via research.
Also, many thanks to Bernie Krause, whom I envy, for his lifetime of work recording and sharing natural soundscapes. What a great gig, well done.
Patricia Mount

Council should
support immigrants

Editor: I feel pleased that I arrived in California with full legal documentation. It is called a birth certificate, which I seem to have applied for through the proper historic and genetic channels because my ancestors from northern Europe chose to try their luck in the United States, where they were, at the time, welcomed. This document permits me to criticize those who have arrived in this territory well after their date of birth and out of economic desperation. Yes, my ancestors worked hard and learned English, but that doesn’t make me superior in any way. Only fortunate.
What is legal and what is not depends mainly on current economic and social conditions. It was once illegal for native Americans to vote, but
perfectly legal to grow hemp. It is now legal to remove “undocumented” workers from their homes and jobs, jail them in massive prisons and/or deport them to countries whose economic stability depends on their working abroad. Some arrived as children and do not even speak the language of their birth country. Some are children. None really wants to be undocumented.
For these and other reasons, I do not think that the difficulties of immigrants should be exacerbated or local law enforcement resources wasted by giving any assistance to agencies, such as I.C.E., that are carrying out irrationally punitive policies, policies that could be thrown into the dustbin of history at any time. I ask the members of the Sonoma City Council to support the reasonable and humane sanctuary movement. We “legals” might even try defending people whose work we depend on and who depend on us.
Pat Spicer

Sonoma’s
ugly ballerinas

Editor: What has a face that would shock a hawk
and the soft feathered wings of an angel?
I just saw three of them circling, floating
on the wind high above the hills of Sonoma.
I stopped trudging up a hilly Kenleigh Drive
to admire the grace in flight.
All that’s needed to perform those lazy
maneuvers is a keen sense of the wind.
I don’t care if they thrive on road kill or feed
on loveable little rodents.
With the wingspan of eagles, turkey vultures
are magnificent creatures.
Thanks to Mother Nature, they’re all gussied up
in zebra-striped feathers of pale gray and umber.
The sea gulls and pelicans who flit around my
Pacific Ocean pier could take a lesson from
these sour-faced mountain gliders.
As I stare heavenly, the homely ballerinas are
performing their pirouettes searching for a morsel.
Hope it’s not me.
Boots LeBaron

Universal health care is up to us

Editor: “Sicko” is a powerful and moving film. Moore’s best yet. Makes the strongest case for universal, single-payer health care. No more insurance companies. Some things have to be socialized in a civilized society (firefighters, public education, social security, the post office, etc.) and so should health care for all. It works in other countries and it will work here when we, all of us, demand it.
See this film even if you think you know the “story” and tell everyone you know to see it. Start a revolution and drive the insurance companies, their lobbyists (the largest of any interest group) and the politicians who do their bidding out of business. They have no right being there in the first place. It’s a sick and venal perversion to make health care about profits. When health care is socialized and available to all, the rapacious, greed-driven pharmaceutical companies will come to heel; they’ll have no choice. Health care is what an intelligent, compassionate and responsible society provides for all its people.
We can do this. We must do this. Only we the people can bring this about. It will not come from on high or any quarter. It is truly up to us.
Will Shonbrun