Happy Thursday
Editor: I was pleased to receive my copy of The Sun today, Thursday, rather than on Friday. I hope you will continue to distribute your paper on Thursdays.
Mary Logasa
Sonoma
Unsafe streets
Editor: I am a daily walker and bicycle rider and usually have a close call with a car each day. I just had to write in after what I experienced today, Dec. 7. I was in the middle of the crosswalk at Seventh Street West heading to the library. A car flew threw the crosswalk never even noticing me. I shouted at the driver. I was still getting over the shock of that when I saw the yellow Mini Cooper turning right from Seventh Street West onto Napa Street. The car was heading straight for me, with the woman behind the wheel so intent upon watching for a break in the on-coming traffic to her left she never even looked to her right at the crosswalk through which she was driving! Obviously, she saw me in the nick-of-time or I wouldn’t be sitting here at the computer writing this letter.
This is an example of just one day. I could list numerous other horror stories! I am an adult, and watch very carefully for cars. There are children out there that don’t watch as carefully. I fear for them. I live on Fifth Street West across the street from Sassarini School. The crosswalk there and the one at Safeway are two of the most dangerous in Sonoma. It appalling what goes on at these two crosswalks. This is a school zone. I have been in these crosswalks with my granddaughter and have had cars fly through ignoring the flashing lights.
I had to chuckle when Sonoma was named the “most bike-friendly city.” It may be bike-friendly, but it sure isn’t “bike-safe.” How about this: “Sonoma Valley has earned the first Cittaslow designation in the United States, translated as ‘slow city.’” I don’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong – I love Sonoma. I love living in a small town where I can ride my bike for transportation. People … please, please slow down and watch for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Liz Strand
Sonoma
Climate Conference: Valerie Brown’s call from Copenhagen
Copenhagen is about 34 degrees, threatening snow and absolutely gorgeous. But, it has been a very frustrating conference.
There was great hope that with Obama coming in (on Dec. 18) and this being a fairly green city, that there would be lots of movement forward, but there are so many levels of negotiations that’s it’s actually been frustrating. For example, developing countries want developed nations to pay them something, because they won’t be successful unless that have dollars to ramp up programs like we can. And there’s another group who say, if you reduce greenhouse gases across the globe then you take away from producers of fuel and natural resources — they want to be paid back. So you’ve got the Middle East, African nations and the U.S. Everything is pivoting on the U.S. and Obama coming in.
Overall, I think the hope is that some sanity comes to the process, and this game-playing of ‘what about me’ turns in to ‘what about all of us.’
I’m here for two reasons. One, to make sure whatever happens with protocol, local government is part and parcel of that. We are the innovators, the ones really creating and implementing projects that reduce greenhouse gases. It won’t be the state, or the federal government or the cities – it’s got to be the counties. The second thing is, all the players that fund projects are here, national and global funders looking for projects they can support that have actually achieved some degree of success. Sonoma County is one of those counties. We’re hoping we can come home with a little money, and elevate the role of local government.
County Supervisor Valerie Brown called in her update on Monday to the Morning Show with Ken Brown on KSVY 91.3