Editorial

We live in a world of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ — always have, and probably always will. But the divide between who has the most and who needs just a little bit more has never been greater. People like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg can make millions of dollars a day on Wall Street while neighborhoods of families can’t make ends meet or promise their children a better life.

'Snapshots' are contributed by Pierre Ratte. Halloween celebrations and decorations are rooted in Celtic traditions around harvest time. Bonfires were lit and costumes were worn to ward off and confuse ghosts. Ghosts apparently would not recognize people in costume on the day they were allowed...

On Nov. 17, Cal Fire approved a Timber Harvest Plan that will permit aggressive logging in the headwaters of Felta Creek, one of the last remaining native fish habitats in the entire Russian River watershed. Despite more than 130 letters of public concern from school board officers, the local fire department, concerned citizens, ecologists, nonprofit organizations and neighborhood associations, as well as elected officials including county supervisor James Gore and state senator Mike McGuire, Cal Fire gave the green light on THP 17-017 SON “Fox Meadow.”

Kick the can farther

We’re happy to report that the first few weeks of in-person express services at the Healdsburg Library have gone very well. It’s been heartwarming to see our community inside the library again and we encourage you to give it a try. For the moment, we are open for specific hours — on Monday and Tuesday, we are open from 1-2 p.m. and 5-6 p.m.; from Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-noon and 3-4 p.m. We’ll still offer our curbside services for anyone who prefers that to coming into the library. You can make a reservation online or by giving us a call at 707-433-3772; but so far, we have not had to turn anyone away because of capacity requirements. In coming weeks, we do intend to expand our express services further, so please keep an eye out for additional updates.

Your articles continue to be well written and usually put together in an easy-to-read fashion. Thanks for informing local residents of what is happening in our town. Today’s paper, however, caused me to write to you...

The City Council must address this issue with a “formula retail ordinance” that expands the boundaries of the retail area and codifies “formula business.” The 2030 General Plan protects businesses directly facing the Plaza, but not those around the Plaza, which explains why Faherty can slip into Ooh la Luxe’s space.

The staff at the library is excited to be there to help our community as we begin another school year in Healdsburg. If you are a student of any age, a teacher or a parent, we have something helpful to offer this year as we prepare for another chapter of this action-packed story of life in the 21st century.