Letters to the Editor

More tips = better service?

Editor: I, as a long time friend and co-bartender to Craig Browne, feel exactly the same, regarding Mr. Scanlon’s tip policy. Our first duty was to our employers and their customers. Where did Mr. Scanlon come up with the idea that the customer tips a server in order to get good service? We had great, local customers and tourists. I really cannot remember either of us worrying about getting tips; maybe we were just lucky to work in a town where the folks are so generous. After reading Brian Scanlon’s story, I thought maybe “Sharls” had re-opened!
Good Luck, Brian!
Susan Woodside
Sonoma

Editor: I am the bartender at a busy local restaurant and bar. I read Brian Scanlon’s column and I nearly fell over laughing. Right on, Brian! He’s a great writer and a funny character. We need that kind of brutal honesty projected out to all those who dine out in Sonoma. Thanks for running that article; it made me feel like I’m part of the community, and it put a smile on my face for the rest of the day. Please let Brian know that I will be eagerly awaiting his next column.
Brian Gilliland
Sonoma

Confusion over bottle size chart
Editor: I was intrigued and delighted by Jack Bertram’s article on bottles. I was however puzzled by an inconsistency in his nifty chart’s summary of the names, volumes in liters, and corresponding bottle numbers.
Specifically, a French champagne bottle, called a Jeroboam, is 4 liters in volume by the article, but it is listed as 3 liters in the chart. Similarly the corresponding 3 bottles should read 5.33 bottles.
Another possible anomaly is found in the picture of the bottles. The largest bottle there is called a Nebuchadnezzar. However a rough evaluation of the ratio of its volume to that of the champagne Jeroboam next to it is about 3. Consequently, I suspect the larger bottle is twelve liters in volume. This would correspond to the Balthazar. The 2.25 liter bottle is usually called a Marie-Jeanne. I suspect it’s a French thing.
Finally, the names of the bottles are mostly Biblical, both Hebrew and New, in origin. Jeroboam and Rehoboam vied for the Northern kingdom of Israel. Methuselah was Noah’s grandfather. Salmanazar was a king of Assyria while Nebuchadnezzar was a Babylonian king. Balthazar and Melchoir were Magi who by tradition brought gifts to the Infant Jesus. One final note about larger sized bottles. They usually age well and are a delight to open at any festive occasion.
Mike Heiman
Sonoma

Editor: The Broadway site was and is still favored by most people, including the Coalition Options committee who voted 27-7 for the Broadway option, but our Hospital Board, has refused to allow CEO Gerlach to further explore any potential partnership with Barry Swenson Builders, the private developer that could save us taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in cost, maybe as much as $50 million. These savings would come from having Swenson as the Master Developer and them building the Medical Office building on Broadway. Swenson would take over all of the current costs of the planning and the EIR reports. Swenson of-
fers significant soft cost savings such as architectural fees, engineering, management, testing, inspection and permit fees and the site development costs that include parking and roads. They also offered to buy the current hospital site for $5 million with payment immediately after a bond passage-this has not been widely reported or acknowledged by the Board. In October, the Board was given estimated building costs for the two sites along with other assumptions. Mysteriously, none of the above fees and costs were included in the figures when they made their site decision. The Broadway costs and assumptions were completely inaccurate, but that is not surprising, in that they were prepared by two firms whom would not have a job if Broadway was selected.
Since I initiated contracts on the properties on Broadway and for the past 20 months I have witnessed gross negligence by the Board and the current Administration especially regarding Broadway. With this issue probably being the most important financial decision in Sonoma Valley’s history, one would think that the Board has a fiduciary responsibility to pursue this opportunity thoroughly along with Caranalli. The savings could be 20-25 percent of the entire cost. We can still build a beautiful hospital more quickly with significantly more future expansion area -10 acres-Caranalli v.s 17 acres-Broadway at the gateway to our city on Broadway. The owners are still willing to sell and it remains the clear cut favorite among the public. There is little opposition and it is not in a hostile residential neighborhood. It gives us the 100-year option for growth and expansion in the future. We all know the Caranelli site has growing opposition. With County and City Planning and zoning issues and potential legal actions from the neighborhood, the Board is once again taking the route of most resistance.
I truly believe that most of the public is very skeptical and untrusting of the Board’s actions especially regarding Broadway. Why not clear the air? Board members. Please take another thorough unbiased look before you act on any bond measure. You have all said that minimizing the costs to the public is the number one objective. We need to know that you are true leaders and are making the absolute right choices on our behalf.

Bruce Stephens
Sonoma