Page 4 - Sonoma County Gazette February 2017

LETTERS cont’d from page 3
Greetings Vesta, and Happy
two recycling stations that took glass, aluminum and plastic. In a county that values clean air quality (yes, I burn because I have to) and “green” living practices, surely our representatives can find a better company for our waste-disposal needs.
THANK YOU Forestville
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the following businesses that participated in this winter’s Holiday Window Painting fundraiser for the Forestville Education Foundation, which raises money for the arts and other enrichment programs at Forestville School and Academy: Event sponsors Karol Scheiner, DDS and Paul Hobbs Winery, Bauer Associates, Carr’s Drive In, Forestville Pharmacy, Forestville Pizzeria, Ideal Hardware, Mark Sever, MSPT, Nightingale Breads, Sequoia Properties and Sunshine Coffee Roasters. These businesses and the many others that support vital programs for our children, demonstrate what a terrific community we have here in Forestville. With the support of these businesses, as well as family and staff volunteers from the school, we kicked off the holiday season in a true spirit of community and celebration. We hope everyone enjoyed the festive windows! Thank you all for keeping this tradition alive and for supporting your local school!
With gratitude, Eleanor Gorman Past President & Holiday Window Painting Coordinator
Forestvile Education Foundation
Homeless: Not Against the Law
The current version of this ordnance is illegal on its face and in it’s stated application. It forces people (such as myself) to commit criminal behavior they would not otherwise do and in effect being a punitive unjust ordnance.
Birthday Louise Hallberg!
Thanks for your optimistic update on our current state of affairs.
I tend to live in the world of unintended consequences....
--Carolyn Sel
I have as well asked as a redress and relief that the City implement a self governing safe environment encampment as a pilot project ... And to simply provide a space ( the City owned lot at West Collage and Stoney Point ) 2 to 3 porta potties and a dumpster with service .... And per the current ordnance the City has the power to do this tomorrow ....
...have been trying to make sense of my ‘time served’ in Americorps (1998 vintage), numerous Community Involvement projects (SRJC) and other venues along the way...
While recovery of those memories that have been slammed by the whimsy of Mother Nature (living downstream in our coastal desert/tropical rain forest terrain) is a daunting process, I have learned to listen deeply for the simple voice of my father to come through all the noise. It doesn’t matter so much what you call IT...climate change is a fact of life.
This is an avenue that needs to be utilizednow...
I have been on a mission to revive and cherish those bright spots that I have overlooked. “Where ever you go, there you are.”
“ The Homeless Link “ (Mikeal ( OZZY ) OToole)
Thank You
Mikeal OToole / Founder Camp Michela / Santa Rosa Poverty Department / The Homeless Link
Respectfully,
Linda R. Picton, WTP II
alias ANT Buddy - VISTA VET Feminist Advocacy Group
an innocent project
Optimism Issue
What a wonderful issue. It has already inspired me to get behind education, in a personal way. I really enjoy your publication and read every issue.
Dear Friends & Community
Our precious daughter, Nina, has been courageously battling cancer for 6 years. The fight is getting tougher & tougher. Please pray for a miracle. Her husband Jon, is taking family leave time off work to care for her at a 15% decrease in pay. Their rent has increased $1000, they now pay $2400.(no rent control in Sonoma County) They are in desperate need of financial assistance. If you are willing & able, please send a donation to Jon Mikolasko at PO Box 6707, Santa Rosa, CA 95406. Please pass this on to anyone you think might be able to help. This is not an actual event~it is a personal request for donations. (GoFundMe takes a percentage off the top)
THANK YOU SO MUCH George & Mary Gosiak
Trash Service Discrepancies
Thank you, Randy Tudor, for pointing out trash service discrepancies in our county. The Ratto Group is clearly all about profit, not service. When I lived in Forestville, my service was half the cost and double the amounts of allowed trash picked up—to say nothing of the fact that we have no green-bin service here at all (north of Occidental). And this year, we were hit with a 40% price increase. Then there was the county-wide removal of all but
4 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 2/17
I only have one comment to make on Duane DeWitt’s column this time around. He wrote about a tragic incident that happened to Alfred Lemay. His comment, IHHO was “Kill a biker and go to jail” In my humble opinion that was uncalled for. We do not know all the details of this tragic incident and this sort of hyperbole just riles everybody up. Otherwise his column was worth reading.
On January 10th I filed a grievance with the City of Santa Rosa, The Mayor and City Council, charging that the current anti-camping ordnance directly violates the civil rights of the homeless THAT ARE COMMITTING NO OTHER violations OF ANY OTHER ORDNANCE’S .
Keep up the good journalism! Moira Sornstein
The United States Department of Justice has stated in no uncertain terms that to harass, intimate or arrest displaced people ( homeless ) for doing nothing more than what is humanly needed to exist as such when there is a valid lack of affordable housing and shelter space (both present in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County) it is a direct violation of the 8th amendment protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
Living with Redwoods
I was reading an article on your website by Matt Banchero about “Living with Redwoods” (3/1/16) which addressed trimming and pruning Redwoods. I would like to trim a Redwood tree in our yard and have been told that they should not be pruned during the rainy season. There are already several branches that have broken off during the recent storms and I was hoping to do the pruning in the near future. In your knowledge, is it unwise to prune / trim Redwood trees during the rainy season?
Thanks for the help, Mark Hesher
This has as well been a shared view of many recent court cases from Idaho to California as well as other states .
Hello Mark,
For Redwoods it makes no difference
The issue is now effecting a vast range of our communities residents and there needs to be radical approaches in order to realistically impact this issue as a whole .
what season you prune them. Trees that loose their leaves, fruit trees and oaks that get sudden oak death all
LETTERS cont’d on page 5