Page 6 - Sonoma County Gazette June 2019

LETTERS cont’d from. page 5
Telecom Industry Plans to Install 5G Cell Towers in Our Neighborhoods
by Lin Marie deVincent
Hello Lin Marie, I am part of
a group in Sonoma County (still searching for name) which has
been actively working to limit the expansion of expanded 4G and 5G cell towers. Our focus has been Sebastopol and today we met with Supervisor Hopkins and the PRMD Director Tennis Wick. They are committed thus far to revising their outdated 1996 Telecommunications Ordinance with a Ministerial one dealing with PROW, rather than a Discretionary Permit process which would allow public notice and public hearings, appeals to the Board,
etc. But this is just the beginning
of the struggle. The good news is that we’re planning a coordinated strategy to lobby all of the other supervisors; get a concise statement of our position; seek the support
of other environmental groups in Sonoma County such as Sonoma Conservation Action (SCA); raise $$$$; write OpEd pieces in the local papers and printing flyers inserts
in local newspapers in Sebastopol, Windsor and Healdburg. Perhaps
we should join forces combines resources and strategy. I will send your article to the other members of our organization. Please contact me, Cordially, Paul-André Schabracq 707 823-2607 pas8@comcast.net
~ Paul-Andre Schabracq
Paul-Andre ~ I attended a townhall meeting in Forestville yesterday that included Supervisor Hopkins. I asked her about the
5G rollout during a question and answer period during the first hour of the meeting, and then spoke to
her directly after the meeting, and she stated that at the Federal level, mandates were in place not to allow local communities to protest 5G installation due to health concerns (this would refer to the Wireless Communications Act of 1996 that prohibits local jurisdictions from considering perceived health effects when taking an action on a proposed facility). She said that no applications have been submitted for Forestville yet, but that if they were, the locals had no say in preventing installation, other than concerns about their aesthetics and placement. You wrote that Hopkins and PRMD Director Tennis Wick were “committed thus far to revising their outdated 1996
Telecommunications Ordinance
with a Ministerial one dealing with PROW”, but that’s not what she was communicating to me. She seemed to be accepting of the 5G installations. You might want to give her a call and see what’s up with that.
~ Karin Seritis
Lin Marie deVincent’s piece
Letter Sent to Parents on Current Measles Outbreak
Although currently no measles cases in the County, letter informs parents of potential
In the midst of the current state and nationwide measles outbreaks,
a letter informing parents on the importance of vaccinations to prevent illness was sent from Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Celeste Philip.
“I would like to encourage all unvaccinated children receive the measles vaccine as soon as possible during this current outbreak,” said Dr. Philip. “Vaccinations are safe and the most effective way to prevent many childhood diseases.”
The letter was sent yesterday to parents of students enrolled in County public schools by the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE).
Dr. Philip emphasizes in her letter to parents and guardians the seriousness of this current measles outbreak and the potential impact to unvaccinated or under vaccinated children.
As of May 10, 2019, there have been 44 cases in California and over 764 cases in the U.S. in 2019. This is the highest number of cases of measles since it was nearly eliminated in 2000. Several Bay Area counties have reported cases in this outbreak. Sonoma County has reported no cases of measles, however is still vulnerable.
About Measles
Measles is a very contagious airborne illness and is highly preventable through vaccination. The virus is spread by sharing the same air
with an infected person, especially if that person coughs or sneezes. Individuals are contagious four days before they develop a rash and may unknowingly make others ill.
Measles usually starts with a high fever, runny nose, red and irritated eyes, and then a rash. The rash is red and bumpy, starts on the face and moves down the body.
Even in previously healthy children, measles can cause serious illness requiring hospitalization. Common complications are ear or throat infections. Less common but more serious complications are pneumonia and brain swelling. In some cases it can even be fatal.
It takes two weeks to develop immunity after receiving a measles vaccine. Unvaccinated or under vaccinated children should be vaccinated as soon as possible through their healthcare provider so they will have protection, will not further spread illness and will not need to be absent from school.
SCOE Superintendent Steven D. Herrington, Ph.D., said he shares the concerns of Dr. Philip and supports the letter in the interest of safety and wellbeing for students in County public schools. 625 5th Street, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401 • phone (707) 565-4528 • fax (707) 565-4565
on cell phone towers (Sonoma County Gazette, May 2019, p. 9) could only have been written by someone who is completely ignorant of the physics involved. The only significant radiation in a cell phone system is the radiation from the user’s phone itself, as towers are much farther away -- and radiation intensity falls of as the square of the distance from the source. Human anatomy is not affected by cell phone radiation because of something called the skin effect: except for
the outermost layer, skin is a fair conductor of electricity, so radio frequencies are either reflected or absorbed and do not reach the inner parts of the body. The “trust”web site is simply a collection of crackpots. The only legitimate study found in
a Google search related to effects on animals of radiation at intensities hundreds of thousands of times higher than that of cellphone transmissions. An advantage of
5G technology is that, with towers much closer to users than those presently used, the radiation levels will be much lower: you don’t need as much radiated power if your communications are over a shorter distance.
~ Robert A. Saunders
Sonoma County Airport
Expands Ground
Transportation Options
Passengers arriving on flights
into STS who want to take the SMART train can hop aboard the Mendocino Transit Authority bus to the SMART train terminal and also
to downtown Santa Rosa or north
to Windsor. Check details for Route #65 at http://mendocinotransit.org/ routes/route-65/ Passengers also
can download the app RouteShout to see real-time GPS bus locations and arrival times. Hope that’s helpful! - ~ Suzanne Pletcher
6 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 6/19
LETTERS: email to: vesta@sonic.net