Commentary: Stormwater runoff
As the winter rains continue to fall, and hopefully bring relief to our watershed communities mired in a historic drought, the rainwater will begin to soak into our gardens and fields and run down the streets into our storm drains, which are not linked to the sewer. Storm drains are specifically designed to capture excess stormwater from streets and divert the flows through culverts and drainage channels into creeks, rivers, and eventually the Pacific Ocean. Stormwater drainage systems are not limited to just the drains on our streets; they can also include engineered systems which help reduce flooding, increase groundwater recharge, and improve overall resilience of the ecosystem. These engineered systems are called Low Impact Development (LID).
Halved
These days, just about everywhere we look, we are being “halved.” For instance, half of all Americans have now had their COVID-19 vaccinations. (Half of the other half doesn’t believe in vaccinations.) According to one recent opinion poll, half of Republican voters still think the 2020 Presidential Election was stolen from Trump. Half of the rest of us can’t believe this is happening.
Green Dog of the Week Cola!
Cola has quite a personality and so much love to give. Terrified when he first showed up, he cowered in a kennel and growled at everyone who came by . . . but there was something in his eyes that told all of us that he was dying to be loved.
Young artists show their skill
Young local artists and their adoring fans enjoyed the artist’s reception for the seventh annual Young Artists' Show at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts.
What’s it like losing the last half of your senior year?
In a bathroom stall on the 25th of January my life changed forever. I was at the Phoenix Theater for the first time, an old, local punk and rock and hip hop joint that has witnessed some of the greats including The Ramones, Green Day and Sublime. I was there for my friend’s band’s first show, and halfway through the show I found myself alone in a broken stall, overwhelmed with a strange and unwelcome anxiety. I pressed my back against the door and stared at the wall above a toilet seat cover dispenser, gazing at the legacy of teen angst scrawled across the walls. And then I saw it, on the green wall in all caps: “DONT WAIT TILL FRIDAY! BE ALIVE NOW!”
