Yes on Measure P
As usual, voters of Healdsburg will be casting votes about taxes, statewide bond measures and making choices for new city, county, state and Congressional leaders in the Nov. 4 General Election.
Another local icon in jeopardy
Unless you’ve been closely following Sonoma County happenings, you may not be aware that another local, iconic bridge, the 1915, Parker-through-truss, Lambert Bridge, is in jeopardy of being removed from service. Like our Healdsburg Memorial Bridge, until recently, this bridge had a Caltrans reported structural Inventory Rating (a rating used for federal funding purposes) of zero tons. Its Sufficiency Rating is 4.8 compared to our Memorial Bridge’s Rating of 2 on a scale of 0 to 100. In June of 2013, I became aware of this threat and corresponded with our County Supervisor, Mike McGuire.
It’s time to plant a rain garden
The term “rain garden” is being used more and more by landscape architects and gardeners alike. It is a fanciful term that conjures images of a garden that magically creates rain. What a rain garden is, however, is one of many landscape features that fits into the category of “low impact development for storm water” or LID. Like many other LID features, rain gardens gather, hold, filter, and slow storm water runoff.
Local law enforcement leaders say no on Prop 47
Local law enforcement leaders oppose Proposition 47. Although well intended, its consequences will not be as advertised. The proposition promises to channel funds from prisons to schools and rehabilitative programs by reducing many crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. However, what we’re not hearing in pro Prop 47 arguments is that many successful programs currently exist for offenders that Prop 47 would negatively impact. In Sonoma County we have an extensive diversion program for drug offenders, and specialized courts to address drug and alcohol addiction. By reducing these crimes to misdemeanors, the incentive to combat these addictions is replaced by a revolving door at the jail. Worse yet, date rape drugs will be reduced to misdemeanor crimes.
