Even more Letters to the Editor
We love hearing from our readers! If you’d like to write a Letter to the Editor, please send it to hagarlaura@gmail.com and/or dale.dougherty@gmail.com.
NOTE: We will be accepting Letters to the Editor about the current election until noon on Monday, Nov. 7.
Dear Editor,
I have a serious concern about a candidate for the West County High School Board, Deborah Ramirez. First, though, I urge my fellow citizens of West County to retain Patrick Nagle, who has done a great job as trustee since being appointed to the School Board last August. Despite stepping into a difficult situation last year, he and his fellow board members have balanced the budget, worked on plans for a technical high school, and given the teachers a long overdue raise. He and his fellow board members have become a very successful team on behalf of our students, teachers, and citizens.
I have served on many boards in the West County, such as the Sebastopol Cultural and Community Center, Sebastopol City Parks and Recreation Board, and West Sonoma County Swimmers, which runsIves Pool. I was a Sonoma County Assistant DA for 35 years, and served on many committees throughout the county. I was also on the board for the Sonoma County Retirees Association. I also have run a swim lesson program for all Sebastol Second Graders for my Rotary Club, for 15 years, which brings me into contact with all local schools, their administration, and teachers. I know what it takes to be a good board member, and work with others. Patrick has the qualities needed to be a school trustee.
He is supported by the Sonoma County Democratic Party, the CTA, the West County Teachers Union (Analy), and both Gravenstein and Sebastopol Teachers unions. He is a life resident of West County, as are his parents,and all graduated from Analy. Why has he been a good board member? Because he listens to all. That is obvious from his endorsements. He also has business experience and has brought substantial financial skills to the board. His fellow board members like him, and most everyone else does too. He is beholden to no one.
I am afraid this excellent situation is being challenged by Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, and her field representative, Deborah Ramirez, who works for Hopkins. Despite that conflict, Ramirez is running for the West County School Board. Throughout last year both Hopkins and Ramirez criticized the school board. You cannot be a trustee, that is, hold a position of trust for the district, when you work for someone else, who with you, criticizes the board.. As Supervisor, Hopkins will have more interactions with the school board while Ramirez might be on the board. You cannot serve two masters at the same time and be objective, no matter how hard you say you may try. At the very least, this relationship will have the appearance of a conflict. More disturbing is that neither Ramirez nor Hopkins discuss this conflict publicly.
Hopkins just recently said that Ramirez is "collaborative", yet they both supported an unnecessary, costly, and unsuccessful lawsuit against our district. Hopkins also recently said that Ramirez "cares" about students, but both of them ignored two student surveys who wanted to keep the name Analy for our high school. Hopkins says that Ramirez "cares" about students yet Ramirez has said that she wants to cut the highly regarded seventh period to the school day, which allows students to take electives. She has not publicized this either. In fact, I have not heard any specific, positive things that Ramirez would do on the school board. She and her employer, Supervisor Hopkins have stuck to generalities and platitudes. Either Ramirez has no specific ideas, or is playing it close to the vest, so that we do not know if she and her employer, Supervisor Hopkins, have plans that would anger a lot of voters. Plans that are based on past grievances.
My vote goes to Patrick Nagle because I know what he has done, what he will do, and is not connected to any outside interests.
Greg Jacobs
Sebastopol
Editor’s Note: Thanks to Loretta Castleberry for directing us to this item:
An Open Letter to Sebastopol Neighbors,
The volunteer firefighters of the Sebastopol Fire Department support the candidacy of Jill McLewis, Oliver Dick, and Dennis Colthurst to fill the three open Sebastopol City Council seats on November 8, 2022. These three candidates have promised to work together to provide the necessary resources so that the Sebastopol Fire Department will remain an independent department of the City of Sebastopol.
As you are aware, on May 17, 2022, Council Members Slayter and Rich presented a proposal to the full Council to consolidate the Sebastopol Fire Department into the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, purportedly as a cost-effective way to resolve staffing issues. The volunteer firefighters were never consulted or asked for their feedback on the consolidation proposal. It was presented to the Sebastopol volunteer firefighters as a “done deal”.
We accept that staffing is an issue during the daytime because many volunteers work outside Sebastopol these days. But, to be excluded by the City Council from developing alternate solutions to the staffing issue, other than consolidation, reflects a dismissive, arrogant attitude toward the volunteers. We have staffed the Fire Department since 1902, yet the current City Council clearly has no respect for what the Sebastopol volunteer firefighters have afforded Sebastopol over 120 years. We have saved the City millions of dollars which have been used by the City Councils to fund other city departments. In the past two years, the Sebastopol volunteer firefighters have earned the City approximately $300K by joining Sonoma County strike teams to fight the California wildland fires.
Incidentally, the consolidation plan, surreptitiously developed by Council Members Slayter and Rich, had the support of Larry McLaughlin, the City Manager, who, several years earlier, had initiated secret consolidation discussions with Gold Ridge FPD without informing Fire Chief Braga.
The Sebastopol Fire Department’s current annual budget is approximately $1.2M, which is about 10 percent of the total City of Sebastopol budget. Most volunteer fire departments in California have a budget which is about 20 percent of a city’s total budget. Sebastopol Fire Department’s allocation is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, in California relative to cities of similar population and annual budgets.
Candidates McLewis, Dick, and Colthurst promise to address the Sebastopol Fire Department budget so that the Department will be adequately staffed in the future while remaining an independent fire department serving the residents of Sebastopol.
Please join us in voting for Jill McLewis, Oliver Dick, and Dennis Colthurst for City Council membership on November 8th. Thank you.
Sebastopol Volunteer Firefighters [Years of Service with the Sebastopol Fire Department]: Joe Pogar [21], Ray Senn [43], Tim Leach [30], Shawn-Paul O’Dell [21], Mitch Lamb [21], Patrick Innes [32], Mike Simpson [29], Marc Simpson [29], Steve Thibodeau [39], Rich Ressler [18], Jay Jorgensen [19], Christian Garcia [3], Doug Buonaccorsi [33], Mike Elson [32], Kelley Kinoshita [9], Lou Castleberry [31], Sandi Satyadinata [5], Lucas Myers [4]
To the Editor:
Our City Council has five seats. In this election cycle three seats—a majority—are open. That’s because three very dedicated and gifted Council persons decided not to run for re-election. Una Glass, Sarah Gurney, and Patrick Slayter have each brought a different perspective to issues, frequently differing on solutions to Sebastopol’s challenges, but working in a respectful and collegial way with one another.
A large new sign at the Highway 12 corner of the Barlow property endorses a slate of three candidates; in the neighborhoods, a household with one candidate’s sign almost always stands side-by-side with the other two. It’s clear that these three candidates are running as a slate.
Sebastopol has not favored slates of candidates in past elections. We prefer to choose candidates on a person-by-person basis, largely out of concern that a three-person slate elected to a Council majority could take whatever actions its three members decide privately among themselves for their four-year terms. This is particularly troubling if—as in this case—the slate has not disclosed its agenda.
I suggest that it would be good to follow the wisdom of the past: vote for individuals. If a candidate on the slate impresses you, give them your vote. But a diversity of voices is important. Giving an automatic Council majority to three new members for the next four years is probably not a good idea.
Kevin Dwan
Sebastopol
To the Editors:
I want to sincerely thank our retiring Sebastopol City Council members, Sarah Gurney, Una Glass, and Patrick Slater, for their many years of devoted service to the betterment of our fair city.
I am concerned that the historic progressive and thoughtful nature of our City Council may not be preserved unless we elect progressive and thoughtful council members to fill these three vacancies.
Towards that end, I want to put in a plug for Sandra Maurer. Sandra is the only City Council candidate endorsed by the Sonoma County Democratic Party. She has also been endorsed by the North Bay Labor Council, the Sierra Club, and Sebastopol Tomorrow.
Sandra is one of the most honest, articulate, and progressive-minded people I know. She has lived in Sebastopol for 34 years. Besides being a wife, mother, grandmother, artist, and small-business owner, Sandra has championed health and environmental justice throughout her career. She has served as a watchdog of the California Public Utilities Commission, advocating for honesty, transparency, and environmentally-sound policies.
I am confident that, if elected, Sandra will devote herself to maintaining Sebastopol as a vibrant city where residents feel connected and content.
Please mark your vote for Sandra!
Pam Gentry, MA
Retired School Psychologist
Sebastopol
Dear Sebastopol,
I support Steven Zollman and Sandra Maurer for Sebastopol city council because they have conducted themselves with dignity and restraint throughout this campaign. I support them because they share the values that make Sebastopol the caring, thoughtful and compassionate community it is. I support them because they believe in environmental stewardship, economic vibrancy, human connection and respect for the various members of our community. I support them because people I respect support them. I support them because they are experienced and knowledgeable.
I urge you to support them and continue building the kind of place we want to live in.
Jude Kreissman
To Sebastopol:
The planet and our small town need our help. Please vote with compassion and understanding for Sandra and Stephen. They care and are listening.
Thank you.
Andy Bunnell
Dear Editor:
Before Sandi Maurer ever started to run, she struck me as a caring and generous citizen, one of those people who actually simply cared for people and good.
Though not always popular with the stance on EMF’s, it takes great courage to stand up for something that is against the grain, that others may not admit, is convenient or want to embrace, and clearly there is no financial motivation for her in this case.
The 3 that are already endorsing each other without any outright statement of their intentions makes me feel like a big taking over could occur. I hope in the end we have some natural diversity where people can hear each other and not have their plan in place before we even start.
Saying we are for the fire department, as a reason to garner support is an obvious for everyone running in office.
Leslie Whiting