Where God lives
Editor: Parishioners taking to the streets! What a heart inspiring story, Oct. 16, you opened so the rest of us could tune it in. My second day in London before heading off to Oxford and medical school, I went for an early Sunday morning walk inspired by distant bells. Asking an elderly woman how I might locate the church, she spoke squarely back to me saying something like, “Churches … just a pile of old stones … find what you’re looking for out here with the birds … that’s where God lives.” Your article and the given gifts spoken to therein, sounds like that old woman’s voice in my ear today. Thanks.
Ned Hoke
Sonoma
A community that cares
Editor: You’re down and out in the wine country. Every nickel you have is swallowed up by the mortgage. You worry how to feed your family and, of course, your pets. Well, here’s hope. I just learned that if you’re 60 years old or older, dedicated volunteers distribute fruits and veggies, and more, at La Luz on the third Wednesday of every month at 11 a.m. hard-working volunteers distribute the same at Faith Lutheran Church on the first Wednesday of every month at 9 a.m. no matter how old you are; c. the women of St. Leo’s – and one devoted gentleman – break their backs distributing fruits and veggies at St. Leo’s on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m., rain or shine. No questions asked. We certainly do live in a community that cares. In fact, if you are a senior citizen, call the Vintage House three days in advance, and volunteers are ready to drive you for free, if it is important.
Elli Larrieu
Sonoma
Where’s the vet?
Editor: I was faced with a sick dog at midnight last weekend and the decision to drive on a two-lane highway late at night, wake my child and make her accompany me. She thought it was better to let it go then risk the ride so late at night, with the possibility of someone drunk on that road. We took the chance and luckily our dog was OK. What if I was a senior and my beloved pet was sick in the night? What if I had two young children and no husband to stay with the kids? They do not have the luxury to contemplate it, let alone act on getting in their car and driving to Rohnert Park or Santa Rosa to the only emergency hospitals available to us. We need an emergency vet in town. We have thousands of pets here and thousands of people who need this service. I am hoping one of the many vets in Sonoma will step up to the plate and create an on-call system to serve our population so nobody in the future is forced to make the decision I did that night.
Julie Diamond
Sonoma
More tennis, anyone?
Editor: After reading Lynda Robles letter about the Sonoma Tennis coach having to clean up after vandalism I must respond. She is flat out incorrect. The nets were not torn down by vandals. There were a couple of corners that had blown free of the zip ties and early in the season one windscreen had completely blown down. There are no skateboard marks and there are no bicycle marks on the courts. I know this because I am the court cleaner and maintenance person for the high school courts. I am THE ONLY person that cleans those courts and have done so the last three years. I have taken photographic documentation and presented it to the school assistant superintendent concerning the situation with the courts. What is perceived as vandalism is either normal court wear and tear, such as tennis shoe scuffs, or the result of aging equipment – windscreen nets that have grommets torn out over the years. One and only one case of vandalism has happened in the last year and that happened during school hours with the gates locked. Twenty or so rocks were thrown on the courts and caused some minor gouging. It happened DURING SCHOOL HOURS. By the way, the smudge marks on one of the courts are from a girl on the high school team who had a bloody nose. She tried to clean it up but left paper towel smudge marks behind. So before calling everything vandalism first check the facts. I have a business cleaning and maintaining tennis courts and I maintain all the public courts in the Sonoma Valley so I do think I speak from experience.
By labeling everything vandalism it motivates the school to close the courts to the public. Funny thing is I’ve seen courts that are locked up be vandalized more because there is no one around to scare off vandals.
Anyone wanting further clarification I would be happy to respond.
Mark Harvey
Harv’s Court Cleaners
Chamber debate
Editor: I would like to comment on Leslie Sheridan’s letter on Oct. 23. If she had researched the U.S. Chamber’s position on Climate Change (see Mr. Donohue’s press release on Sept. 29, 2009- USChamber.com), she would have discovered the Chamber “supports strong federal legislation and a binding international agreement to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change.”
The Chamber opposes the EPS’s “endangerment” finding which would allow the agency to unilaterally regulate carbon. This would be a bad precedent to stretch the Clean Air Act to encompass carbon. It could involve the EPA with every major construction project, every major road, bridge or port construction. Just think of the delays and time spent on hearings, conducting studies, etc. before a project could begin. In the meantime, no jobs for these projects. Would we allow the IRS to suddenly decide that mortgage interest is no longer tax deductible? Congress, through legislation makes the laws, agencies are to follow the law, not create new laws. This is why many in the business community are objecting to the EPA’s position.
As for PG&E, Apple and others dropping their membership, she should read the Wall Street Journal’s Review and Outlook of Oct. 24, 2009. As they said, “there’s far more to this story.”
We all want clean air and a safe environment. However, we need to proceed with reasonable legislation to keep the U.S. competitive in a world economy and not stifle job creation for our citizens.
Pete LaVault
Sonoma