“Eat for Ed”

That was the slogan from 1995, long since discarded, that the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation adopted in one of its early efforts to raise money for our public schools. The plan, as one might imagine, was to encourage Sonoma Valley residents to go out to dinner, on a specific Thursday night, to one of a dozen or so local restaurants who had agreed to donate some percentage of that evening’s dinner checks to the “Ed” Foundation, as it was and still is called by many.
If you’ve never heard that slogan, that’s probably because the event bombed, though we applaud the generosity of Mary’s Pizza, The Red Grape and other local eateries that continue on their own to have such special evenings for the benefit of particular schools.
The fortunes of the Education Foundation were saved in large part by the generosity of Steve and Judy Page, who conceived and organized the fun and successful “Dancin’ and Draggin’” party at the race track formerly known as Sears Point. And good fortune also came in the persons of John and Nancy Lasseter, who ensured that the fabulous “Toy Story” premiered in Sonoma, at the Sebastiani Theatre, as a benefit for the Education Foundation.
When we recall how well received these events were, and their sequels, we’re reminded that Sonoma Valley residents turn out not only for great parties, but also for great causes. Which, certainly, still should include public education.
Fortunately, we have such an opportunity again, with ballots being mailed this week for the November 6 election reportedly featuring just one item: Measure E. This is the parcel tax for our public schools. If it passes, with the required two-thirds approval, the tax would run six years, as a cost of $91 per parcel per year. The usual contiguous parcel and senior exemptions apply, and the cost works out to just 25 cents per day.
Will it solve all the financial woes facing our schools? No, no one expects it to, as that problem runs deeper (and passes through Sacramento). What it will do is provide Superintendent Barbara Young and the Board of Trustees with some cushion as they wrestle with their budget. Measure E will allow restoration of the cuts made two years ago to athletics and other extracurriculars, which the High School Boosters and others stepped forward to cover, and also the cuts to library schedules, which the “Love our Libraries” group organized to fund – moving examples of how Sonoma pulls together in a time of need.
Of course, a great slogan is still needed, and we pondered the following:
E for Education … too obvious
E for Excitement … too rah-rah
E for Extra-Curricular … topical, at least
E for Excellence … that’s better!
Then we hit on it: E for Everybody. Public education affects the whole community, whether or not we have school-age children. And everybody can help. Vote Yes on E.