School District bans gas blowers

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District will stop using gas-powered leaf blowers on all campuses by the end of the year, switching to electric or battery-powered units. The board had been lobbied by the Sonoma Neighbors Against Leaf Blowers (SNALB), among other blower opponents, and commissioned its own report on the machine’s effects. It also reviewed the plentiful material on the subject courtesy of the City of Sonoma’s protracted discussions on the subject.

Superintendent Louann Carlomagno said the decision includes setting the best times to use blowers on campus, but “as has always been the case we want to use the leaf blowers when school is not in session, either before or after the school day.” The relatively quick action was welcomed by, of many, SNAP’s Lisa Summers, who said the process should be a lesson for the Sonoma City Council. “They might have learned something,” she said. “Maybe they should get the (meeting) minutes.” Read her letter, and others praising the District’s November 10 decision, here.

It may be splitting hairs, but the council’s big-news decision to put the blower ban on the ballot is not a done deal. While they voted for the concept, the exact language of the measure, and indeed the final decision to proceed, is yet to come.

Congratulations and thank you to David Cook, who steps down after one year as mayor of Sonoma. The ceremonial post next goes to Laurie Gallian… You can’t vote for mayor, but you can nominate the city’s Alcalde, the ‘honorary mayor,’ chosen by the council for selfless community service. Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday November 25. For more info, contact city hall at 933.2216 or sonomacity.org… Marcie Waldron held the post this year and used it to promote the importance of organ donations, even starting a “Got the Dot” campaign, a reference to the pink donor dot printed on driver’s licenses. Still, she joked, being Alcadessa was a great gig: “No duties and no responsibilities.”

— Val Robichaud