Page 6 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2019
P. 6

COVER ARTIST - Molly Eckler Captures Wildlife in Watercolor Paintings
LETTERS cont’d from. page 5
Here’s a link to a free 6-week education course for people inspired to help these kids:
 “The continuity of the natural world with its fantastic variations and specific adaptations for coexistence offers humanity a forgotten sense of balance. There is also a sense of joy and wonder -- this is what I hope to
Legally, it appears that the Sonoma County Sheriffs Department is responsible for this, but they are not willing to accept this responsibility. They just don’t take animal cruelty seriously when it comes to farm animals. But, it’s not the Sheriffs job to pick and choose which laws he wants to enforce.
https://www.futurelearn.com/ courses/childhood-obesity - as they say - because every child deserves the best possible start to life.
communicate through my art.” --Molly Eckler
A long-time Laguna Foundation
Amanda Liszewski
  volunteer and contributing artist, Molly is an accomplished illustrator, painter, and graphic designer.
She began recording her wildlife experiences decades ago while living in a lighthouse on Lake Michigan. She headed south to Florida and worked with wildlife rescue on Sanibel and Captiva Islands before settling in California.
Those activists exposed some horrific animal cruelty at our local farms, and our local officials are spending our tax dollars going
after the whistleblowers who exposed these crimes instead of the animal abusers. I understand that agriculture is an important part of our economy, but that doesn’t mean that the laws don’t apply to them. This problem isn’t going to go away by arresting the whistleblowers.
Ralph Nader: The End of ICE
Molly works in varied media including book illustration,
painting, lithography, serigraphy and graphic design. Her prints, posters, puzzles and wildlife designs have a worldwide production and distribution.
We need some leadership in this county and less passing of the buck.
I cannot recommend strongly enough this one hour interview Ralph Nader recently did with acclaimed journalist Dahr Jamail on the global warming/ climate change issue, the biggest game changer the human race has ever faced and that’s no exaggeration. Of all the major issues we face, ALL, only the nuclear one is of a scale that affects all of humanity and every other living thing on the planet and that one is still in
Doug Moeller
the realm of possibility. Global climate change is inexorable unless humanity comes to its senses and ends its use of fossil fuels. It’s that simple and that stark. Full stop (in all its meanings).
 Her home is near the Laguna de Santa Rosa, from which she derives a great deal of inspiration and joy. In concern for the integrity of our natural environment, Molly has contributed a great deal of her energy and art to conservation issues.
Inspired to END Childhood Obesity
Will Shonbrun
 Molly’s art is the mural in Sebastopol on Oddfellows Hall, McKinley Street in Sebastool and on the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods event van.
When do you think is a good time to talk about childhood obesity, before or after the fact that child obesity has already tripled in the last 3 decades alone? The time to
Corporate Politics
What happened to our political system that officials drag their feet
on such issues as opposing war, single payer health care or a Green New Deal? The answer, of course, is corporate donations from weapons manufacturers, drug and insurance companies, and oil companies.
These corporate donations have undermined our political system
and blocked positive change for so long. That’s why we are having the progressive political revolution that we are having. There was a time when Democrats had control of the executive branch and both houses of Congress, but because their collective donors prevented them from prosecuting Wall Street fraudsters, getting us out of Afghanistan or doing anything significant about massive inequality, they rapidly lost traction. Establishment politicians don’t change much, and what they do change, they change incrementally over a period of decades. We need real change now. We don’t have time for political football games. And we have these problems at every level. Please consider running for office. Any office. City council, supervisor, school board. We, the people, ARE the change we’ve been waiting for. We need you! If you will refuse corporate donations and believe in a progressive platform, I promise you help.
Jason Kishineff
VISIT Molly’s wesbite to see more of her art and fnd an opportunity to view a current show. www.mollyeckler.com
act is now so that children can have the freedom and confidence to play, grow and learn without serious health problems holding them back. According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Childhood obesity has been called “one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century.””
 The Role of County Commissions
Did you know that there are over ninety commissions, also known as advisory citizen bodies, that report to the Board of Supervisors?
Some have very specific geographic focus such as the Sebastopol Oversight Committee or the Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission. Others have a more county wide function such as the Child Care Planning Council.
These commissions are a vital link between county agencies and the Board and are a way that citizens can help craft policy and set priorities on how money is spent. Commission members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors and usually serve for a two-year term. Some commissions provide modest reimbursements, many do not.
At the moment there are 34 commissions with vacancies.
The process to apply is simple. Go to the County of Sonoma website https://sonomacounty.ca.gov Click on the Government menu then the Board, Commissions link. There is a brief description of each commission with contact information and a link to the County agency to which the commission reports. Download and complete the application. Mail it to the Board of Supervisors.
Citizen engagement at all levels of government is critical
Our government provides a breadth of services to our communities, including public safety, protection of human rights, environmental oversight, waste management, promotion of the arts, health policy and so on. If you are passionate about some aspect of government policy, consider applying for a worthwhile and rewarding commission membership.
to maintaining a healthy democracy.
The Sonoma County League of Women Voters will highlight some of these commissions in future articles. Stay tuned.
Young children often don’t have a say in the habits they are taught either from their parents, mentors, school, etc., and unfortunately can become
all too accustomed to malnutritional diets and sedentary lifestyles.
I’d think we should provide more education to children and their parents and workshops that are budget friendly aimed to prevent
and cure childhood obesity, Along with encouraging healthy eating habits exercise. If we don’t act soon, our current 1:6 ratio could increase. Childhood obesity negatively affects every body system, can prolong into adulthood potentially causing serious harm.
Childhood obesity is a real and growing problem, but education, encouragement and exercise can one day stop it for good. Let us solve this together so our next generation doesn’t have too.
 6 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 4/19
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