Page 65 - Sonoma County Gazette - May, 2018

Syria: The Last Men in Aleppo
Syria is an abysmal Hell, a fetid, roiling cauldron of man’s inhumanity to man. The intrigue and entanglements are intricate and have global ramifications. The old axion
about the scorpion and the frog is so fitting. The scorpion asks the frog to take him across
the river. Half way across the scorpion stings the frog. The frog asks, “Why did you sting me, now we will both drown?” The scorpion answers, “...well,
because it is the Middle East!”
Iran and Russia support the government of Assad against the people’s
revolution. The West abhors Assad’s human right abuses. ISIS is taking advantage of the situation and would like to establish an Islamic caliphate there. The U.S. supports the Kurds who are helping us defeat ISIS. Iran hates the Kurds. Turkey has closed off its borders to Syrian refugees. One day the administration indicates we will withdraw from the area, the next day we are peppering the country with missiles. And so it goes.
HIGHLIGHTS at our Libraries - sonomalibrary.org
May 1 ~ Play and Learn Island. All Day. Cloverdale
May 2 & 15 ~ Introduction to Virtual Reality - ages 14 & up. 3-5p, Healdsburg
May 4 ~ Intro to Lego Robotics class, Ages 8-12. 4-5:30p Central Santa Rosa
May 7 ~ Title VI - Know Your Rights Workshop. 6-7:30p, Petaluma
May 9 ~ Flower Making for the Apple Blossom Fair. 10a - 12p, Sebastopol
May 10 ~ Book Discussion Group. 12:30-1:30p, Guerneville
May 12 ~ Lego Stop-Motion Workshop. 2-3:30p, Healdsburg
May 16 ~ Book Discussion, The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko. 2:30-3:30p, Northwest Santa Rosa
May 16 ~ Foam Martial Arts Fencing Class, 7-12 years old. 6:15-7:15p, Roseland May 16 ~ Guided painting party, materials provided. 6-7:30p, Healdsburg May 19 ~ Ancient Future, World Fusion Music. 2-3p, Sonoma Valley
May 21 ~ Sew, Create, Re-purpose. 3:30-5:30p, Sebastopol
May 23 ~ Jennifer Lynn Alvarezs Writing Club for Kids, ages 8-12. 2:15-3:15p, Rincon Valley
May 26 ~ Introduction to Virtual Reality, ages 14 & up. 2-4p, Rohnert Park-Cotati May 26 ~ Family Yoga (ages 3-6), 3-4p, Sebastopol
Because of the unspeakable horrors that have been unleashed on the general public, can you even imagine the atrocities perpetrated on the animals? My interest in the area stems from the fact that I support Alaa Aljaleel who has
a sanctuary in Aleppo mostly for cats, a few dogs, monkeys and rabbits. He gives parties for little kids and teaches them empathy and compassion through his love of animals. There are some incredibly good people in Syria. A DVD just released is about another courageous group, the The White Helmets. It is called The Last Men in Aleppo. It has won all sorts of awards at documentary film festivals. Syrian film makers directed and produced with a Danish co- director and editor. The narrative follows two members of the White Helmets, Mahmoud and Khaled, as they go about their daily activities. It is not always an easy film to watch. Oftentimes, in the line of duty, the men have to watch out for stray body parts. Whenever the city is bombed, the Helmets rush in
SONOMA COUNTY BOOKMOBILE
freebookmobile.org NEWS on Facebook 707.520.4536 Donations welcome, Glen Weaver, Director
May 6 - Forestville, Forestville VFD Fundraiser Breakfast, 8-12p
May 12 - Larkfield, SR Farmers Market, Luther Burbank Center, 10-1p May 12 - Cotati, Oliver’s Market, 2-3:30p
May 12 - Roseland, Dollar Tree, Sebastopol Rd., 4-6p
May 19 - Kenwood, Kenwood Market, 9:30-10:30a
May 19 - Glen Ellen, Post Office, 11-12p
May 19 - Boyes Hot Springs, Fiesta Center, 12:30-2:30p
May 19 - Santa Rosa, SR Marketplace, Kawana Springs Rd., 3:30-5:30p
to dig out the living and the dead from the ruin and rubble. There is always joy when someone is recovered alive and solemnity when they aren’t. The organization is financed internationally and is apolitical. Interspersed with the tragedy are ordinary scenes of home life and of the easy camaraderie of the men. Women are conspicuously absent. Mahmoud plays with his young daughters and is concerned by their weakened statures as vitamins have become scarce. He chats with them on his cell phone when he is called away. Not all the participants will be alive by the end of the feature. We are not presented with a great deal of hope. Maybe the film maker’s theme is to jostle us to consider what can be done to alleviate the situation since we cannot remedy the source of the conflict perhaps we can mitigate some of the misery that comes from it.
M a y 2 0 - - G G r r a a t t o o n n , , G G r r a a t t o o n n V V F F D D F F u u n n d d r r a a i i s s e e r r B Br r e e a a k k f f a
May 22 - Geyserville, 5-6:30p
May 26 - Freestone, 9-10a
May 26 - Valley Ford, 10:30-11:30a
May 26 - Bodega Bay, Veterinary Hospital, 12-1p May 26 - Jenner, 1:30-3p
May 26 - Monte Rio, Beach Parking Lot, 3:30-5p
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Support The White Helmets and The Cat Man of Aleppo. youtube.com/watch?v=qvbGqF3SZ1E
Our ONLINE Calendar is UPDATED all month @ SonomaCountyGazette.com
5/18 - www.sonomacou
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