Letters to the Editor

Enjoy Sonoma this holiday season

Editor: I used to love to get up early, in fact, in my youth, the novelty of midnight sales was irresistible. Now, however, I savor the sanity of a leisurely post-Thanksgiving morning, followed by the ease, convenience and fun of playing tourist in my own town: shopping locally, rediscovering what our Sonoma retailers do so well, thinking of gifts of donations to local charities like The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, and of course, relaxing with a glass of Sonoma Valley wine. These are the things that make the post-turkey Friday worthwhile, so get out and enjoy your very own community this season, and thanks for shopping locally!  Happy Thanksgiving!
Susan Reber
President, Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce

Plaza Liquors

Editor: After reading your e-mail blast concerning the removal of Plaza Liquor’s license to sell alcohol by the ABC, I feel this action is unreasonable concerning the circumstances.  I’ve only been in Sonoma Valley for little over a year, but have found the store to be charming, helpful and very conscious of the age of patron’s purchasing alcohol.  Their employees obviously made a mistake, and it seems appropriate that the full ownership change as planned should be expedited, however, to essentially take away a long-held family asset doesn’t make sense.  From my observation and conversations with long-term Sonoma residents concerning this issue, the Gregory family have been an asset to our community and deserve a fight on their behalf.  I’m encouraging the Sonoma Valley Sun to organize a petition to deliver to the ABC, or whatever local representative that can and should carry the flag on their behalf.
Dean Bordigioni
Annadel Estate, Anndel Flower Company

Support our schools

Editor: I had the pleasure last week of witnessing a group of students practice a new program in Mr. Tim Curley’s class at El Verano School.  I was amazed at the enthusiasm and level of interest the children had for this exercise.  Students who are normally reticent to participate in class discussion were eager to give their opinion.
The program is Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) which is offered to more that 1600 elementary school students and funded by Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.  Utilizing fine art images to develop vocabulary and literacy skills, VTS helps student build critical and analytical thinking skills.  These skills benefit students in all subjects but the greatest improvements are in science and language arts. This program is so innovative and the results so impressive that it has been integrated as part of a course at Harvard Medical School!
As the holiday season begins and we start thinking about our shopping lists, I would like to request that people consider a donation to support programs for our students as a way to honor friends and family.  Receiving a holiday card from Sonoma Valley Education Foundation acknowledging a contribution in their name would be a meaningful gift for business associates, friends and all on your list.
Happy Holidays,
Kevin Jaggie,
President, Sonoma Valley
Education Foundation

Vintage House

Editor: Thank You Sonoma!
We have always felt that “there is something about Sonoma, something special in the sense of community”, and this past Saturday, November 22, Sonoma went all out to help A Vintage Holiday surpass our fundraising goal of $85,000 by a significant margin (final figures pending) – and this during a time of extreme economic uncertainty!
Generous contributions of time, money and resources from our event sponsors, auction donors, guests, committee members, entertainers, staff and volunteers came together in a magical way under the expert guidance of Julie Atwood Events to create an elegant Vintage Holiday to kick off the holiday social season in Sonoma Valley – and we heartily thank you all!
On behalf of all who benefit from Vintage House programs throughout the year,
Sincerely,
Carole Nicholas and Lucy Segal
Event Co-Chairs

Appointed, not anointed

Editor: I was astounded by incumbent Supervisor Valerie Brown’s reaction to her thin margin of victory in the race for First District Supervisor. Immediately after the election, she is reported to have said, “It was really a very tedious last six months.”  Webster’s Dictionary defines “tedious” as: tiresome because of length or dullness or boring e.g. “tedious public ceremony.”
Ms. Brown’s use of this word “tedious” sadly reveals the cynicism and perhaps arrogance with which many incumbent politicians treat the electoral process. Will Pier ran an outstanding grassroots campaign and he received the highest number of votes that any challenger in Sonoma County has ever received running against an incumbent supervisor.
When incumbents run in safe seats or face token opposition, perhaps they feel they have, like the autocrats of another era, a “divine right” to rule. The electoral process is part of what makes this country a great democracy and those politicians who regard it as a “tedious” irritation do so at their peril. The fact that over 22,000 of Ms. Brown’s constituents supported Will Pier’s platform and ideas surely sends a clear message to the incumbent. We trust that Ms. Brown now understands being appointed to an office is not the same as being “anointed.”
Philip Sales
Sonoma