Letters to the Editor

In praise of our
City Council

Dear Editor: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in“- Greek proverb.
The Sonoma City Council took a step towards greatness when they voted unanimously to pay Council members a small monthly salary. The Council looked to our future, as all good leaders should. This small salary is not for the enrichment of the present Council but to put in place some small financial help for others who might want to serve their city, but find it too great a financial sacrifice. This might apply especially to women who would need reimbursement for childcare and other expenses.
A letter to the editor (in another local newspaper on Nov. 16) on this matter struck me as extremely snide and negative. The writer derides our Councilwoman Sanders, for saying “that if she gets nothing else done in her four years, she will be proud of making this change in policy. I ask why shouldn’t she be proud? She and the rest of the Council are creating a path to change so that a wider base of our town might participate in the democratic process.
The letter then goes on to insult the entire Council by inferring that they do not work hard enough.
I wonder if this writer has any idea how many hours our Council puts in for free every single month and how much on top of that they donate to Sonoma from their own pockets.
Every other City Council in Sonoma County receives some compensation for their time. Why shouldn’t ours?
Our Council deserves, nothing but praise and thanks for all the countless hours spent on our behalf, and the good that they do, out of love for our community. In fact they are priceless!
Catherine Sperring
Sonoma

Editor: Gerald Hill’s “History” columns in the Sun are always informative, deepening our understanding and appreciation of Sonoma’s history. His latest column on the visit by the Governor of the Hudson Bay Company, Sir George Simpson, to General Vallejo in the early 1840s is no exception.
Recently, another local historian, Dr. Peter Meyerhof, has brought to our attention that Sir George Simpson kept a journal of his visit to Sonoma. It provides us with the first recorded description of the view from the hillside behind Sonoma that is now the Upper Loop of the Sonoma Overlook Trail.
The Sonoma Overlook Trail Task Force is planning to install a sign on the Upper Loop with Sir George Simpson’s journal entry for January 5, 1842:
“We first ascended a steep hill at the back of the mission, whence we obtained an extensive view of the surrounding region. In the distance lay the waters of the magnificent harbor, while at our feet stretched a plain, for it exhibited nothing of the valley but its wall of mountains, about fifteen miles long and three broad. This plain is composed of alluvial soil, which is so fertile as to yield about 50 returns of wheat, and the hills present abundance of willow, poplar, pine, chestnut, and cedar….Beaver and otter have recently been caught within half a mile of the mission, and there are also the red deer, the wild goat [antelope], the bear, the panther, the wolf, the fox, the rabbit, etc.”
Readers are invited to enjoy a hike along the Sonoma Overlook Trail to the Upper Loop. Bring along a pen and pad to compose your own journal entry describing what you now see in 2007.
John Donnelly
Co-chair, Sonoma Overlook Trail Task Force
Sonoma

Editor: My name is Brenda and I support the nomination of Joanne Sanders as Mayor of Sonoma.  She is very dedicated to all aspects of her life and a respected member of our community.  As Councilwoman she is very pro-active, fair and makes herself available to listen to her constituents.  Joanne practices a green business which improves the environment around us.  As a loving mother of three, she can respond to needs of the community.  I congratulate her in the upcoming year as our Mayor of Sonoma.
Brenda Tobin
Sonoma