Glass, Gurney and Slayter for Sebastopol City Council

Glass
Gurney
Slayter
for Sebastopol City Council

I support the re-election of Glass, Gurney and Slayter to the Sebastopol City Council. Please join me and vote for them.

I’ve been Council watching for about 25 years; the seated Councilpersons are gutsy, knowledgeable and battle tested. They can be trusted to govern our city and represent our entire community with honesty and forthrightness. They have singular knowledge of our current affairs.

They have grown into a cooperative, collegial Council.

As for CVS, this council has found a way to repair, if not cure, the mis-steps of the one in 2011 that drew us into the CVS debacle we're now, at long last, resolving.

They are working on the development of two downtown sites: the large parcel immediately east of the Plaza, and the large parcel almost totally city owned parcel immediately south of Round Table pizza, etc.

They oversee and participate in maintaining a balanced budget.

The General Plan update is underway, under their guidance, as are new Design Review criteria,

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Patrick Slayter brings to the mix his expertise as an architect; he served on the Sebastopol Planning Commission and Sebastopol Business Outreach Committee as well as being a founding member of BikeWalk Sebastopol and the Sebastopol Entrepreneur’s Project. He is a member of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, sits on their Advisory Board, and volunteers with the Sonoma Humane Society.

Go to https://ci.sebastopol.ca.us/page/pat...ter-vice-mayor for more on Pat.

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Sarah Glade Gurney’s legal and mediation skills are frequently brought into play as a Councilperson. She is a proven leader; represented Sebastopol on the Sebastopol Health Action 2020, and assisted in obtaining a $25,000 grant to help our youth and families. She led the Council opposition to the still-unbuilt 145 unit Laguna Vista development. She’s chaired the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the Regional Climate Protection Authority. She was appointed by the State Legislature as our alternate to the California Coastal Commission. She knows the town and the community
well.

www.electsarahgurney2014.com

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Una Glass, while new to the Council is a long time Sebastopol resident and was confidante of her late husband, former Sebastopol Mayor Michael Kyes; she has experience as CEO of the non-profit Coastwalk. She was co-owner of an accounting software company for 25 years, which honed her financial know-how. She served on Sebastopol's Community Development Agency and was on the Board of Conservation Action for 20 years. In her job as aide to former 5th district supervisor Mike Reilly she developed local and statewide contacts that all add to the Council’s basket of resources.

www.una4seb.com

These incumbents have unimpeachable integrity, with no need to make claims of leadership that do not hold up under the light of day. We can put our trust in them.

Please join me.

Vote for Glass, Gurney and Slayter for the experience, honesty, and integrity they bring to the City Council.

Helen Shane

From Clare Najarian
Former Planning Commissioner
Member General Plan Advisory Committee

In 1992 Sebastopol completed a study of its downtown, the result of which is our Downtown Plan – Volumes One and Two. This plan was developed by a committee of citizens, planning consultants (including economists, architects and others). The plan was sponsored by and participated in by the Downtown Association, the Chamber of Commerce, Sebastopol Tomorrow, and the City Council. It is summarized in the Community Identity element of the current General Plan, Chapter V, pages 13 – 21).

The current site of the CVS property lies within the designated Downtown Core. Although the owners of the property were not constrained by any law or ordinance as to whom they could sell their holdings, the buyers of any property are constrained by such precepts and the former owners are certainly familiar with the wishes of the community regarding appropriate, beneficial development for the site.

The sale of that prime piece of exceptional real estate at $1.9 million set in motion a legacy that divided the community and left us staring at a security fenced neglected property that engendered the response “anything built there would be better than that eyesore”.

The CVS property was sold as eight parcels. CVS planned to merge those eight parcels into two: one for them, the other for Chase. A simple lot line adjustment could create smaller parcels similar to our existing downtown and more in keeping with the Downtown Core Element.

In August 2012, by a 3-person majority of the Sebastopol City Council, the anti-city-policy plan gained steam; it turned the project into a strip mall: two buildings in a sea of asphalt that was not pedestrian-friendly and incorporated an undesirable cookie-cutter approach to design.

Former Mayor Michael Kyes and Council member, Sarah Gurney, voted against this project.

Subsequent wrenching, lengthy public meetings of the Design Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council left the community divided and disappointed, regardless of a position. CVS never listened to the impassioned community regarding the prime position of this gateway property and continually ignored opportunities to follow the Downtown Core Plan from the General Plan.

The design now agreed upon in the Settlement is the legacy of the current City Council, with the aid of City's legal council and Small Town Sebastopol. It is the best possible outcome given the very complicated, tortuous circumstances.

They have negotiated changes that improve the project; key to those changes are five parcels, not two, not eight, that cannot be merged.

In the future with subsequent owners, the city may have continuous street frontage on Petaluma and Sebastopol Aves.

Additionally, there will be no drive-thru’s and no left turns in or out of the project site, ever. Solar Panels and more windows will be installed. The project will be set back from both Sebastopol and Petaluma Avenues, rendering the CVS building itself less domineering, imposing and prominent at this City gateway.

I am concerned about future conflict when I consider the conduct of CVS and its attempt to override the clear imperatives of our General Plan and the Down Town Core element.

Sarah Gurney has stood up for our community’s values against the approval of the project by the previous Council and has introduced an approach for future solutions regarding appropriate development. For example, the Diamond Lumber/ Tractor site with the owner’s participation (Item 6 on the City Council Meeting, Oct. 21) calls for a “recruitment” brochure based upon community input and owner’s OK. She calls for a Task Force to review our map for opportunity sites, not just empty lots, examine our processes and devise strategies to that we never face a conflict like this again.

This is not about the former owners, nor even the previous Council. It is about the citizens of Sebastopol who have a right to demand excellence, quality, and representation for major development decisions and respect and deference to our General Plan that is, after all, our Constitution.

www.electsarahgurney2014.com

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Posted in reply to the post by Helen Shane:

Glass
Gurney
Slayter
for Sebastopol City Council

I support the re-election of Glass, Gurney and Slayter to the Sebastopol City Council. Please join me and vote for them.

I’ve been Council watching for about 25 years; the seated Councilpersons are gutsy, knowledgeable and battle tested. They can be trusted to govern our city and represent our entire community with honesty and forthrightness. They have singular knowledge of our current affairs...

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I want to appreciate the long-term commitment of Helen and Clare to small town Sebastopol. I have also endorsed and contributed to incumbents Glass, Gurney, and Slayter, rather than to the insurgent Jonathan Greenberg. I certainly agree with his criticisms of CVS and his advocacy of lengthening hours at the library and keeping the hospital open. I will continue to boycott CVS. As we enter a time of uncertainty and unpredictability,
we need the teamwork that Gurney/Glass/Slayter offer, in my opinion.

Greenberg certainly contributed to the CVS and library effort. However, he was not the "leader" in either, as he claims. Other people worked long and hard on these issues and their actions spoke louder than the endless Greenberg self promotions.

I invite Mr. Greenberg to join the CVS boycott, but please Jonathan, don't take credit for leading it.

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

I want to appreciate the long-term commitment of Helen and Clare to small town Sebastopol. I have also endorsed and contributed to incumbents Glass, Gurney, and Slayter, rather than to the insurgent Jonathan Greenberg. I certainly agree with his criticisms of CVS and his advocacy of lengthening hours at the library and keeping the hospital open. I will continue to boycott CVS. As we enter a time of uncertainty and unpredictability,
we need the teamwork that Gurney/Glass/Slayter offer, in my opinion.

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Richard,

I don't know anything about CVS, but Jonathan was instrumental in getting the library initiative on the ballot and has raised a lot of money for the library campaign.

FarmerDan

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

Greenberg certainly contributed to the CVS and library effort. However, he was not the "leader" in either, as he claims. Other people worked long and hard on these issues and their actions spoke louder than the endless Greenberg self promotions.

I invite Mr. Greenberg to join the CVS boycott, but please Jonathan, don't take credit for leading it.

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No one doubts Jonathans efforts regarding the library, including raising 10K from a prominent West County couple.
What is being taken exceeption to is his claim that he "…led the challenging two-year countywide effort to restore … cutback in library hours." (from his green flyer attacking Slayter) The folks that worked long on hard on this issue long before Jonathan joined the group would take exception to that claim. He did not lead that group. Jonathan is all about transparency and honesty, and self promotion is fine if you are running for office, but he should rephrase his claims to reflect what really happened, for the sake of transparency.

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Posted in reply to the post by farmerdan:

Richard,

I don't know anything about CVS, but Jonathan was instrumental in getting the library initiative on the ballot and has raised a lot of money for the library campaign.

FarmerDan

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Richard,

Thanks for clarity.

I am sure many others worked on this campaign and deserve tons of credit.
I for one am very pleased to see that the libraries may get funding and give gratitude to everyone who worked on the campaign. Clearly you now more of the details than I.

Dan

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

No one doubts Jonathans efforts regarding the library, including raising 10K from a prominent West County couple.
What is being taken exceeption to is his claim that he "…led the challenging two-year countywide effort to restore … cutback in library hours." (from his green flyer attacking Slayter) The folks that worked long on hard on this issue long before Jonathan joined the group would take exception to that claim. He did not lead that group. Jonathan is all about transparency and honesty, and self promotion is fine if you are running for office, but he should rephrase his claims to reflect what really happened, for the sake of transparency.

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Ya know, my kids raised a lot of money for the Girl Scouts and their school right here in Sebastopol. That doesn't mean they should be voted into public office. What I've seen from Greenberg is a shoot first ask questions later approach to problems coupled with a need to take full credit for efforts that many had an equal or more active role in. He fans the flames and hopes a solution comes of it. Not my style of government, thank you. I believe the community as a whole will be playing second fiddle to Mr. Greenberg's ego.

And since you don't know anything about CVS, Dan, I suggest you look into the claims Mr. Greenberg has made. That, in itself is a great example of his blustery exaggerations. I was right next to him at the podium and he did very well. He's smart. But he led nothing. No one is a leader because they claim to be one.

Viva la Gurney, Glass & Slayter.

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Posted in reply to the post by farmerdan:

...I am sure many others worked on this campaign and deserve tons of credit.
I for one am very pleased to see that the libraries may get funding and give gratitude to everyone who worked on the campaign. Clearly you now more of the details than I.

Dan

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It's clear that there's strong emotions running here and throughout this election.

My goal with this post is to clear up any doubt that Jonathan did indeed have a fundamental role in getting Measure M on the ballot. I worked alongside Jonathan with this goal in sight.

Here are two petitions to restore library hours, both of them created and marketed by Jonathan:
May 21st, 2013: https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/restore-library-hours (1165 signatures)
April 9th, 2014: https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/supervisors-must-act (1851 signatures)

Here's the website he created to gather signatures and call people to action to phone or email the supervisors on the issue (which was highly successful in getting LOTS of emails sent out):
https://restorelibraryhours.com/

Here's the video he commissioned (made by me) and marketed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHjS...ature=youtu.be

Here's the award-winning article he wrote (one of many articles over the last 2 years):
https://www.bohemian.com/northbay/lo...nt?oid=2432713

Here's the Facebook page that we worked on and updated. You can see the graphics and memes that we collaborated on there and "boosted" to get more views.

Additionally, he spoke publicly to the Board of Supervisors many times, and the two instances that I joined him, I didn't notice anyone else there to speak on the issue besides myself and other friends of Jonathan.

I've personally seen him spend hundreds of dollars of his own money and hundreds of hours of his time to make sure that the supervisors were flooded with impassioned requests from our county's residents. I'm certain that without those emails, calls, and signatures, we would not have any library measure to vote on.

Jonathan may come off as harsh with his criticisms and strong in his opinions. This is because he cares deeply about doing the right thing and helping our city and its people. Jonathan is a hardworking, passionate, and immensely dedicated to seeing our town of Sebastopol flourish.

Nobody is questioning his library efforts, or his fundamental role, or his personality, but what is being questioned is his claim that "led" the effort. He was part of a group of people who did the work and they were already working on it when JG came to the table. Why does he need to take all the credit?

Also, there are no strong emotions, but only a desire to see a little more honesty.

And by the way there are lots of "hardworking, passionate, and immensely dedicated" people in this town, but they don't erect a pedestal to shout from.

And another thing, people aren't "name calling" JG, but he is being called on some of his claims and statements.

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Posted in reply to the post by haammer:

It's clear that there's strong emotions running here and throughout this election...

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I appreciate these details.

I do want to disagree with your concluding paragraph (below) defending the behavior of Jonathan that so many of us in small town Sebastopol and the West County disagree with. Being "harsh" does not prove that one "cares." The two are quite contrary.

Believing that one is always "doing the right thing" can also be a problem. No one always does the "right thing," since we are all flawed, even Jonathan, who is a good writer and smart. You mention being "strong." Actually, I think that being so attached to one's own opinions is not a sign of strength.

Once you are elected in a democratic process, in my opinion, you need to represent more than yourself, your opinions, and those who voted for you. You must represent our entire lovely town, West County, and Sonoma County. What is appropriate in the big cities where I have lived, like New York City, Chicago, and LA, is less appropriate here.

I want Sebastopol to "flourish," as you write. So I would never run for political office. I am better using my skills and emotionality on the outside, not by being an elected official. Sebastopol is a small town, where it is best not to make enemies by name-calling and ad hominen personal attacks, as Jonathan does. We need more than skilled argumentative personalities on the City Council. One fast-talking, "harsh" person thinking that he alone is "doing the right thing" can do a lot of damage, especially at our unpredictable economic and political historical moment. We need a team of elected officials who can work well together.

Jonathan and I have worked together; I agree with most of his ideas; and I consider him a friend. But I am not endorsing him for the City Council. I plan to write him in for the Hospital Board.

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Posted in reply to the post by haammer:

Jonathan may come off as harsh with his criticisms and strong in his opinions. This is because he cares deeply about doing the right thing and helping our city and its people. Jonathan is a hardworking, passionate, and immensely dedicated to seeing our town of Sebastopol flourish.

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Shepherd, at the bottom of a board where a small politically connected group of insiders related to Sebastopol Tomorrow and the Palm Drive District Board has been calling me names and making personal attacks on me, you write:
Sebastopol is a small town, where it is best not to make enemies by name-calling and ad hominen personal attacks, as Jonathan does.

Please cite, for the public here, one personal attack that I have made on these posts or anywhere in print.

Feel free to copy and paste and provide the hyperlink. The web is so wonderfully transparent, that if what you say is true, I am sure you can find a citation for this comment you made about me.

And then let us know what you think of the ad hominem personal attacks on me that you read above. You do not have to do much research to find them. Yet these do not seem to concern you at all. Why is that?

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

...I want Sebastopol to "flourish," as you write. So I would never run for political office. I am better using my skills and emotionality on the outside, not by being an elected official. Sebastopol is a small town, where it is best not to make enemies by name-calling and ad hominen personal attacks, as Jonathan does...

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Dear Jonathan,
As you know, at 70-years-old, I am very low-tech. I do not know how to hyperlink. Are you denying that you have maligned the Planning Director, at least two sitting City Council members, and called Helen "egocentric?" If you were to re-read this thread you would be likely to find those times you did so. I have better things to do with my limited time left.

I am not defending others who may also made personal attacks. Maybe if you cease to do so, you would take the higher road, rather than the "harsh" road that your ally describes you as taking. I have tried to stay out of this fray, which is not my cup of tea.
In friendship,
Shepherd

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Posted in reply to the post by Peacetown Jonathan:

Shepherd, at the bottom of a board where a small politically connected group of insiders related to Sebastopol Tomorrow and the Palm Drive District Board has been calling me names and making personal attacks on me, you write:
Sebastopol is a small town, where it is best not to make enemies by name-calling and ad hominen personal attacks, as Jonathan does.

Please cite, for the public here, one personal attack that I have made on these posts or anywhere in print....

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I can name one. You said that Jim Horn is a leader in opposition to opening an ER which is a fabrication and is therefore an ad hominin attack. No one has been calling you names, only pointing out that you make more of your activities than are warranted.

And another thing Jonathan, the "small group of insiders" is yet another attack. It sounds like you are from New York, where insiders do run things. This small group, as you call it in a derogatory way, has been working for 30 years here in Sebastopol to make the town a better place. Sorry if we are not progressive enough for you. Your negative remarks are not appreciated.

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Posted in reply to the post by Peacetown Jonathan:

Please cite, for the public here, one personal attack that I have made on these posts or anywhere in print.

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

Dear Jonathan,
As you know, at 70-years-old, I am very low-tech. I do not know how to hyperlink. Are you denying that you have maligned the Planning Director, at least two sitting City Council members, and called Helen "egocentric?" If you were to re-read this thread you would be likely to find those times you did so. I have better things to do with my limited time left.

I am not defending others who may also made personal attacks. Maybe if you cease to do so, you would take the higher road, rather than the "harsh" road that your ally describes you as taking. I have tried to stay out of this fray, which is not my cup of tea.
In friendship,
Shepherd

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Hi Shepherd,

You write that you are not defending others making personal attacks, but nor are you criticizing them for making these attacks, or initiating them, as they have done, in inaccurate diatribes like the ones that Helen Shane has chosen to initiate, for no apparent reason. Instead, you find the time to criticize me in Sonoma West for not knowing the difference between criticizing and attacking people, while you urge people not to vote for me. And when I ask you to substantiate the charge that I attack people, you cannot find the time to do so.

If this is how you treat your friends, Shepherd, I cannot imagine how you treat your enemies.

I did not say Helen Shane was egocentric. I said that her view of what constitutes leadership is egocentric, as it seems to be a view that excludes any acts of leadership except writing Small Town Sebastopol a check or joining her organization Sebastopol Tomorrow. Helen Shane rails about my "true colors," as though she has learned something outrageous about my actions. And what is this heinous charge that has made me an enemy of Helen and her loyalists? That I claim to be a leader but am not really the leader I say that I am because I take credit for the work of others because my work has not been at all important like the work of other people. People like, um, Helen Shane and her friends at Sebastopol Tomorrow and those who voted to close Palm Drive Hospital and Jim Horn, whom she endorses.

Also, I am not sufficiently "collegial." My election to Council might pose the danger to or fragile local democratic system of a 4 to 1 vote! Or the questioning of a staff recommended budget item. Or insistence that a department head purchase an electric vehicle. Or even vote against a staff requested budget appropriation. Or a request that the public be surveyed to see whether we ought to appropriate taxpayer dollars to finally budget and paint, instead of talk about and study, bike lanes for our future.

As for the Planning Director and city council members referred to by Shepherd as people I "maligned," I have publicly criticized their actions--and their records, but never their characters. There is a difference between maligning someone and expressing inconvenient truths about their actions, on behalf of transparency, and the public interest. I have written that Kenyon Webster likely rigged the faulty CVS traffic report because no other explanation has ever been documented, and that Patrick Slayter championed and voted for the project, and the faulty traffic report. All the evidence that I clearly and transparently presented, in their own words and from documents, support these characterizations,

This falls under truth telling, Shepherd. If the public does not become aware of the facts that led to the CVS fiasco and lawsuit, our local government is far more likely to repeat the same mistakes. I believe in accountability, even for powerful unelected men like Kenyon Webster.

I do not think there is anything maligning about holding public officials accountable for their public actions. Do you, Shepherd?

I believe that I am being maligned by a small but vocal number of political insiders because I am talking openly and loudly about:

1) the back room politics of Sebastopol that favor personal loyalty over public interest. This means friendships or marriages to members of the Palm Drive District Board, like Nancy Dobbs and Marsha Sue Lustig, over the public's need for the emergency room to reopen.

2) the lack of transparency and accountability in the city budget process that leads to the approval, by our "collegial" City Council, of a six year $8 million capital budget that does not include a single dollar for a bike lane or bike trail

3) the over deference that allows a few powerful unelected City staffers like Kenyon Webster to dominate what should be public policy determined by elected council members

4) and the concerted effort to block the Palm Drive Hospital Foundation and dozens of business and health care supporters from reopening a hospital with an emergency room because the leaders of this effort (Dan Smith in particular) are perceived by a small circle of political insiders, including Helen Shane, to be enemies of their close friend Nancy Dobbs, and others, on the existing Palm Drive District Board.

I think that we can do better, and that we deserve better. That's why I am running for City Council. And why I am doing everything I can to support Dennis Colthurst and Richard Powers for Palm Drive District Board, to reopen a desperately needed emergency room for our community.

Hello Jonathan,
I do not consider myself to have "enemies," as you apparently do. I do have opponents and adversaries, but that is different. The really good leaders--like King, Mandela, Gandhi--prevail partly because they win over some of their opponents and adversaries. One can be militant without demonizing their opposition. Helen's reasons seem clear. She prefers your opponents to continue serving on the City Council, as do I and many other people.

Thank you for your good work compiling the Progressive Voters Guide. I will be following many of your suggestions. As I've told you before, I think that your high tech skills are phenomenal, helpful, and admirable. Blessings to you for them. On the other hand, I am a digital dinosaur. I would rather have my hands on plants and animals on my farm, which I do every day, than spending hours on machines, especially computers. Emails can be so hard to accurately convey context and feelings. I prefer to spend my time reading, memorizing, and reciting poetry. Perhaps we could have an old-fashioned arm wrestle, rather than all this male bantering. I am certainly not as "hyper," "linked," or wired as some. I prefer not to play by your rules.

Your moniker "peace" implies that you bring peace. That does not seem to be the case. You seem more committed to fighting and bringing divisiveness at a time when we desperately need real unity, amidst differences. We march to a different drummer. Yet we certainly have similarities. We are both agitators.

A good elected official, in my opinion, is one who works with those with whom he or she may disagree. "Politics makes strange bed-fellows" goes an old saying. With all your attacks on the Sebastopol Planning Director, two City Council members, and a former Planning Commissioner, how would you plan to govern and work with them?

I am sorry that you are so upset by groups such as Sebastopol Tomorrow, which have done lots of good work over their 30 years of labor. Your antagonism may attract a small group of people, but it is likely to alienate those whom you would be working with, if elected. I am concerned that with your presence inside the Council it would become chaotic and dysfunctional, as we witness in other governing bodies. The left--in which I have been an activist for over half a century-- spends too much time attacking each other and alienating natural allies. Politics is partly the art of compromise.

I moved to Sebastopol two decades ago from a large metropolitan area. In my first years here, I made some of the same mistakes I perceive you as making. Over time, I have come to prefer those individuals and groups that do not signal out “enemies” and attack them, but take more positive approaches. Such groups as the Grange, Transition, Village Building Convergence, Cittaslow and, yes, the Sebastopol City Council represent such positivity. That does not mean that I always agree with all of their members.

I look forward to seeing you on the CVS boycott lines, where at least two sitting Council members have indicated that they will be. Once the benches Occupy Sebastopol has been working with the City to provide in the plaza, we could have some discussions in that Free Speech area. Hopefully we will see each other on Mondays at the library, which you have worked hard to keep open more hours, for which I also thank you. I also appreciate you for drawing attention to my commentary in this week’s Sonoma West. We are, after all, neighbors in this small town and its countryside.

I should probably go back to sleep now and re-read this in the morning, rather than send it off.
Still your friend,
Shepherd

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Posted in reply to the post by Peacetown Jonathan:

Hi Shepherd,
...
If this is how you treat your friends, Shepherd, I cannot imagine how you treat your enemies...

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Shepherd and Jonathan,

At the risk of joining a private fight without an invitation, (something no self respecting Irishman would do), I would ask you both to stand down and talk to the issues like:

What is the proper role of City government in something like the closure of Palm Drive Hospital?
What will the permanent closure of Palm Drive or replacement with 'urgent care' mean to the city?
Should the City be taxing cell phones, (for which they appear to provide no services or oversight and which obviously travel beyond the city boundaries?)
Should the City be issuing across the board raises for city employees?
(I heard this was happening, but don't have first hand knowledge.)
Does it create at least the appearance of a conflict for the spouse of the Hospital District Board Chair to be the liaison between the City and the District?

Since you both have been immersed in City politics (I have not for the obvious reason that I wish to retain the little sanity I still have), I'd also like to understand a few things better if you don't mind my asking:

Did the city's battle with CVS result in $300,000 in legal fees (a lot of school lunches) for the City or is CVS covering the city's legal costs? (This was not clear to me from the reporting in the newspaper.)
Did Sarah Gurney criticize the Pellinis for selling their property to CVS in the same meeting where the council approved the CVS project? (I hope this is just a rumor!)

For those whose memories are short, the Pellinis have been one of the most civic minded families our community has ever had. They always gave generously to the schools and other public minded organizations and the closure of their business was a huge blow to many community organizations. Pauline Pellini (also known as the 'engergizer bunny') has been citizen of the year, president of the noon Rotary, and has probably gotten every civic award ever issued in the city. They deserve our ongoing thanks!

To Shepherd: Like you, I admire both King and Gandhi but also Malcom X and Nelson Mandela, Mario Savio, and the many others who pushed back hard. Verbal conflict is not necessarily a bad thing as we often get closer to the truth through it. Also, I still want to learn how to grow great raspberries from you some day when we both have time!

To Jonathan: Relaaaaaaaaax! Stop reacting to personal attacks or inciting them. Stick to the issues. You have good points to make there. And thanks for your work on the Libraries! We are all praying that the proposition passes so that kids and seniors can have access to the internet, books, stories, and the many other services that libraries provide.

Best regards to you both,

FarmerDan

Dan,
I appreciate your Irish sense of human/humor. I do not feel competent enough to write about the complicated hospital matter, which is certainly a serious problem that you, Jonathan, and others know a lot more about. I am still studying it in order to make an informed vote. I would like to see the hospital remain open.

I also admire Malcolm X, particularly after he came back from the Holy Land and embraced various races. Mario Savio was certainly a hero also. In their mature stages, they were good at both "push back," as you say, and listening to others without demonizing them, which Mario practiced while teaching at SSU. I agree with verbal conflict, which can move things forward, unless it gets downright insulting, especially in small towns like ours were we are likely to need to come together, rather than apart, in the uncertain and unpredictable future.

In terms of berries, from late Dec. to Feb. or so, "down time," I give away bare root plants to friends willing to dig them up. Now I'm off to our wonderful dog park. My puppy thrives on conflict, which she engages in as a form of play, never biting, but growling, so I cannot promise that I will not engage Jonathan in further conflict about issues such as the nature of truth.
Regards to both of you,
Shepherd

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Posted in reply to the post by farmerdan:

Shepherd and Jonathan,

...
To Shepherd: Like you, I admire both King and Gandhi but also Malcom X and Nelson Mandela, Mario Savio, and the many others who pushed back hard. Verbal conflict is not necessarily a bad thing as we often get closer to the truth through it. Also, I still want to learn how to grow great raspberries from you some day when we both have time!
...

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

... I agree with verbal conflict, which can move things forward, unless it gets downright insulting, especially in small towns like ours were we are likely to need to come together, rather than apart, in the uncertain and unpredictable future.

...

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Shepherd,

Well said.

In dancing, we come together and move apart. Only together is constricting in politics, love, life and small towns so I would be hesitant to support all the people who support each other just for that reason.

We also fall down and get up. We make mistakes and fix them if we can.
I have certainly made my share and likely will make more in the future.

I like what Naoimi Klein says 'Fall down get up should all be one motion. Some people fall down and just lie there for the rest of their lives.'

The hospital is both complex and simple: The simple part is that it fell down, now we need to get up if we can.
In my view, the complex part is how to do it, not whether we should try.

Dan

Dan,
Naomi Klein's wise phrase on fall down/get up that you echo is part of perennial wisdom, which can be hard to follow. In the old book Jesus tells Lazarus to pick up his bed and walk. Then D.H. Lawrence has a poem about why he does not like Willy Wetleg, because when you hit him, he just stays on the ground, rather than rising.

In our time, the late Maya Angelou wrote a poem entitled "Still I Rise." On Nov. 8, Sat., the Joyful Noise Gospel Choir will be singing her poem at a tribute in Santa Rosa at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation on Mendocino Ave., near College. Other performers there will be engaged Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy, poet Larry Robinson, and an African American singer. It is sponsored by the Numina Center for the Arts and Spirituality. Over 100 tickets have already been sold, which means that only around 60 are available. More details at numinacenter.org.

I mention this partly because your email below has a poetic quality to it, which I appreciate.
In solidarity,
Shepherd

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by farmerdan:

Shepherd,

Well said.

In dancing, we come together and move apart. Only together is constricting in politics, love, life and small towns so I would be hesitant to support all the people who support each other just for that reason.

We also fall down and get up. We make mistakes and fix them if we can.
I have certainly made my share and likely will make more in the future.

I like what Naoimi Klein says 'Fall down get up should all be one motion. Some people fall down and just lie there for the rest of their lives.'

The hospital is both complex and simple: The simple part is that it fell down, now we need to get up if we can.
In my view, the complex part is how to do it, not whether we should try.

Dan

---

I don't know anyone who has said the hospital should not be opened. And you are right, the issue is how, and that may be the source of some misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by farmerdan:

The hospital is both complex and simple: The simple part is that it fell down, now we need to get up if we can.
In my view, the complex part is how to do it, not whether we should try.

Dan

---

Thank you Dan for refocusing this series of posts to its original title, Sebastopol Tomorrow's endorsement slate of three incumbents. I have a separated thread that I hope to continue in the future with Shepherd about the nature of peace, political change, collegiality, and accommodation, but that can wait. For now….

Instead of their criticisms of my character and assertions that Palm Drive is a "non-issue," I wold much prefer to hear the direct viewpoints of the members of Sebastopol Tomorrow (Helen Shane, Richard Nichols, Marty Roberts), as well as Shepherd. on the timely questions Dan raises. Especially since Sebastopol Tomorrow's endorsements for the three Council incumbents that started this thread fail to mention a single specific issue facing or city. I am repeating your questions here and looking forward to reading their responses:


What is the proper role of City government in something like the closure of Palm Drive Hospital?
What will the permanent closure of Palm Drive or replacement with 'urgent care' mean to the city?
Should the City be taxing cell phones, (for which they appear to provide no services or oversight and which obviously travel beyond the city boundaries?)
Should the City be issuing across the board raises for city employees?
(I heard this was happening, but don't have first hand knowledge.)
Does it create at least the appearance of a conflict for the spouse of the Hospital District Board Chair to be the liaison between the City and the District?

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by farmerdan:

Shepherd and Jonathan,

At the risk of joining a private fight without an invitation, (something no self respecting Irishman would do), I would ask you both to stand down and talk to the issues like:

What is the proper role of City government in something like the closure of Palm Drive Hospital?
What will the permanent closure of Palm Drive or replacement with 'urgent care' mean to the city?
Should the City be taxing cell phones, (for which they appear to provide no services or oversight and which obviously travel beyond the city boundaries?)
Should the City be issuing across the board raises for city employees?
(I heard this was happening, but don't have first hand knowledge.)
Does it create at least the appearance of a conflict for the spouse of the Hospital District Board Chair to be the liaison between the City and the District?

Since you both have been immersed in City politics (I have not for the obvious reason that I wish to retain the little sanity I still have), I'd also like to understand a few things better if you don't mind my asking:

Did the city's battle with CVS result in $300,000 in legal fees (a lot of school lunches) for the City or is CVS covering the city's legal costs? (This was not clear to me from the reporting in the newspaper.)
Did Sarah Gurney criticize the Pellinis for selling their property to CVS in the same meeting where the council approved the CVS project? (I hope this is just a rumor!)

For those whose memories are short, the Pellinis have been one of the most civic minded families our community has ever had. They always gave generously to the schools and other public minded organizations and the closure of their business was a huge blow to many community organizations. Pauline Pellini (also known as the 'engergizer bunny') has been citizen of the year, president of the noon Rotary, and has probably gotten every civic award ever issued in the city. They deserve our ongoing thanks!

To Shepherd: Like you, I admire both King and Gandhi but also Malcom X and Nelson Mandela, Mario Savio, and the many others who pushed back hard. Verbal conflict is not necessarily a bad thing as we often get closer to the truth through it. Also, I still want to learn how to grow great raspberries from you some day when we both have time!

To Jonathan: Relaaaaaaaaax! Stop reacting to personal attacks or inciting them. Stick to the issues. You have good points to make there. And thanks for your work on the Libraries! We are all praying that the proposition passes so that kids and seniors can have access to the internet, books, stories, and the many other services that libraries provide.

Best regards to you both,

FarmerDan

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Richard,

I remain hopeful that when the dust settles, the entire community will be at the table to talk about the 'how' of it, not the 'who' of it (which is frankly quite boring.) I am pleased that Ray Hino will be starting in November and taking charge of this effort so that I can step back and focus on fund raising and other issues like IT for the Medical Center that I know well. Please invite Ray to meet with Sebastopol Tomorrow!

I take inspiration from Richard Nixon (Wow! Of all people!) who was willing to sit with Mao Tse Tung to reach detente. If he could do that, we can certainly all work together.

Dan

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

I don't know anyone who has said the hospital should not be opened. And you are right, the issue is how, and that may be the source of some misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

---

I appreciate this response by Jonathan and Dan for refocusing us, which I will do my best to follow. However, since I have already loaded my pen, I am going to take what I hope is my last shot about this matter. Once it is discharged, I hope we can all have a better conversation. I have never heard anyone say that Palm Drive is a "non-issue." There are legitimate questions about where it should best be addressed. I certainly consider it a major issue. To clarify, I am not a member of Sebastopol Tomorrow.

Hello, again, Jonathan,
You describe what others characterize as your attacks to be “truth telling.” Determining what is truth, especially in complicated political situations, can be difficult. Being convinced that one is THE truth-teller and suggesting that others are lying, bought off, or failing to speak up--hence what you describe as the “enemy”--can be problematic. It sometimes requires a court with a judge to discern truth. What you perceive as truth may differ from what others consider truth.

Given your training to be a lawyer, you are probably more learned and skillful at this back-and-forth than I am. My own training is more in psychology and philosophy and my inclination is to search for what Buddhists call the “middle ground” and avoid taking sides when two people come for counseling.

I teach an Ethics in Health Care class this semester. We learn that discovering one single truth--TRUTH being a prominent philosophical inquiry--is difficult with respect to certain issues, including the following: abortion, euthanasia, sexual morality, the death penalty, environmental ethics, experimentation on animals, biotechnology and bioengineering, violence and war, global justice and globalization. I now would add local politics to this list.

You have named three individuals in your message and accused them of “back room politics” and seeking “to dominate.” Your proof?

You and I went into a “back room” of your office various times to meet with former Mayor Guy Wilson to talk about legislation regarding leaf blowers with our friend. We came up with a plan. Is that what you would call “back room politics” and “personal loyalty?” Or was it merely three friends from a small town thinking together about a problem that we were trying to solve?

Then you reduce the complicated re-opening of the hospital—which you, many others, and myself favor--to another situation of “enemies,” again naming two individuals. Rather than your perception of yourself and your personal friends as the sole bearers of truth, I would suggest that you consider what you are doing as enemy making. Because people have different points of view on politics, does that put them in an enemy camp? When you accuse someone as having “rigged” something, I would consider that an attack.

Helen might have made an error in her attempt at “truth-telling” when she bravely took you on. I have tried my best to stay out of this fray. On the other hand, Helen did draw you out to explain yourself. I am not a Sebastopol Tomorrow member nor a “loyalist” of Helen, though I do respect her and often agree with her. When I first moved to Sebastopol two decades ago from a large metropolitan area, she was one of the first activists to welcome this new-comer to her small town. I have been in living rooms discussing politics with her. Does that qualify as “back room politics?” We have not always agreed, but we have never publicly attacked each other, as if one of us was the sole bearer of truth. I know that Helen loves Sebastopol and is dedicated to it.

There is so much that I agree with you about, Jonathan. For example, you do speak “loudly.” That can be helpful. But when you use your loud voice to mis-characterize others and seek to dominate them, especially in a small town, that can cause problems, especially for the majority, who have quieter voices. This is especially the case if one is an elected official, which means that the person should represent her or his entire electorate’s needs, not just their own personal politics, true though they may be. When one assumes a position of power, she or he has to be careful not to intimate constituents.

In case some may not have seen their endorsement, both the Sierra Club and Sonoma County Conservation Action have endorsed Una Glass, Patrick Slayter, and Sarah Gurney. That would be UP for UPS! I say this to follow Jonathan's request that we return to the origination of this thread.

As an expression of my friendship with rable-rousing Jonathan, rather than Peacetown Jonathan, I have some Rome Beauty apples on my farm that I am giving away to friends. You would be welcome to come for a visit , take some home with you, and we could at least attempt to speak man-to-man, without a computer mediating our conversation or acting as a megaphone. Dan has been skillful in mediating this conflict and would also be welcome. Since I am slower than you, I would request that we consider having pauses, so that we each get about an equal amount of time to speak our truths, which seem to differ on the issues above. I am often wrong; I just do not know when. :)

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Peacetown Jonathan:

Thank you Dan for refocusing this series of posts to its original title, Sebastopol Tomorrow's endorsement slate of three incumbents. I have a separated thread that I hope to continue in the future with Shepherd about the nature of peace, political change, collegiality, and accommodation, but that can wait. For now….

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If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. -Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

Tofu Larry

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

Hello Jonathan,
I do not consider myself to have "enemies," as you apparently do. I do have opponents and adversaries, but that is different. The really good leaders--like King, Mandela, Gandhi--prevail partly because they win over some of their opponents and adversaries. One can be militant without demonizing their opposition. Helen's reasons seem clear. She prefers your opponents to continue serving on the City Council, as do I and many other people....

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you show how limited your circle is. in seebasstoepull every good citizen has a sign and/or expresses support. yeah, lets have all of west county pay for our hospital. we want to feel safe, but healthcare is in a time of change, the momentary biggest being sutter. lets make river lot owners pull 50c out of their pocket every day so we can have boutique care close to home.

on a personal level my mother died at palm drive. my father almost but i got him out just in time so he could die at home. i appreciated that, it was just before closing. i went to the emergency room multiple times, only once(with my father at the end), at my choice, every visit was essentially a waste of time. hospitals are less and less the future of health care, they are dangerous places, when in doubt, tough it out, you will be better off. palm drive rip.

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

I don't know anyone who has said the hospital should not be opened. And you are right, the issue is how, and that may be the source of some misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

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Why I Endorse Gurney, Glass, and Slayter
For Sebastopol City Council
By Shepherd Bliss

I endorse and contribute to incumbents Sarah Gurney, Una Glass, and Patrick Slayter’s campaigns to continue their effective service to our larger community as members of the Sebastopol City Council. At this unpredictable time in history, we need the continuity they offer, as well as the diversity of their experiences and perspectives. They have served Sebastopol and the West County well.

During my 24 years living and farming here and attending many City Council meetings, this has been the most effective and progressive City Council. They deserve the chance to continue their good work on behalf of our larger community and the opportunity to implement programs on which they have been working. Change usually takes time. Gurney, Glass, and Slayter work well as a team, which is what we need at this time of economic and political uncertainty.

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...6_16-36-56.png

As an activist opposed to CVS’s proposed downtown store, which Slayter supported, I disagree with him on this matter. However, I have come to respect him. Slayter has proven himself to be a collegial collaborator seeking consensus. He effectively represents an important constituency in Sebastopol and West County. Slayter has proven himself able to represent Sebastopol as a whole. Once elected by a democratic process, one needs to represent the entire town and its surroundings, not just those who voted for the candidate. Slayter cares for Sebastopol. As vice-mayor, he deserves to be our next mayor. I hope that the politically experienced Glass may be given the opportunity to bring her substantial experiences and credentials as an environmentalist to the vice-mayor role.

Slayter was the most visible Council member at the ten-day Village Building Convergence (VBC), which I helped organize. He and his wife Teresa were at the opening and at the last evening of presentations. Architect Mark Landman of Portland’s City Repair, on which the VBC was based, spoke that evening. Slayter is an architect, which is one of the many skills he brings to the Council.
Also, my puppy has learned things from the Slayters' more mature dog, as I have learned things from Patrick.

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...6_16-37-35.png

I have also worked with their challenger, my friend Jonathan Greenberg. I support many of his good ideas, for example on expanding library hours and working to keep the hospital open. This excellent writer describes himself as an “effective whistleblower.” I think Greenberg can be more effective by questioning the City Council than by stepping into a governing position.

I wish that Jonathan had run for the Palm Drive Healthcare District Board, which could have provided him experience inside a governing body about both their possibilities and limitations. A common way of getting such experience is to apply to serve on the Planning Commission or the Design Review Board, where one can “learn the ropes.” Perhaps after living here for a while longer and making more of a transition from a big city to a small town and serving in some public role, Greenberg might make a better candidate for an elected positin.

There is a big difference between criticizing ideas, which I support doing, and attacking people. I teach my college students not to attack individuals, which is described as the ad hominen fallacy. It would be helpful to elevate political discourse, especially in small towns where we need to build community among people who have political and other differences in order to deal with crises that may come our way.

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...6_16-38-21.png

I also support Jordan Burns to be on the Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees. Burns, 30, impresses me as someone to replace the man closer to my 70 years, who has been on that Board for 29 years. We need some new blood closer to the age of the majority of the JC students. He frequents West County gatherings, at the Grange, for example, and could be a rising figure in Sonoma County politics.

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...6_16-34-01.png

(Shepherd Bliss {[email protected]} teaches college part-time, owns Kokopelli Farm, and has contributed to 24 books.)

You got me rossman. I should have said I don't know anyone in Sebastopol who is opposed to the hospital being opened. Jim Horn is the only Hospital District candidate who seems to understand that Sebtown is only 13% or so of the district population, and the rest of you out there in lala land are way underserved and deserve better.

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by rossmen:

you show how limited your circle is. in seebasstoepull every good citizen has a sign and/or expresses support. yeah, lets have all of west county pay for our hospital. we want to feel safe, but healthcare is in a time of change, the momentary biggest being sutter. lets make river lot owners pull 50c out of their pocket every day so we can have boutique care close to home...

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Alright Jonathan, I'll bite. I will answer your questions if you will answer questions I have raised in this forum. I am speaking for myself and not SebTom.

Here they are:
Do you have a list of the "hundreds of parents, seniors and people like you"? (from the Greenberg flyer)
Where do you find criticisms of your character from me?
Can you cite an example of Jim Horn being "the leader of the opposition to opening the emergency room ".
Why have you continued to state that you were "the leader" of the library and the CVS issues?
Would you cite an example of where I said that the Palm Drive is a non-issue?

And this one not previously mentioned:
Can you provide a link about you being the Policy Director for the Lower Manhatten Redevelopment Agency?

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Peacetown Jonathan:

...

Instead of their criticisms of my character and assertions that Palm Drive is a "non-issue," I wold much prefer to hear the direct viewpoints of the members of Sebastopol Tomorrow (Helen Shane, Richard Nichols, Marty Roberts), as well as Shepherd. on the timely questions Dan raises. Especially since Sebastopol Tomorrow's endorsements for the three Council incumbents that started this thread fail to mention a single specific issue facing or city. I am repeating your questions here and looking forward to reading their responses:

What is the proper role of City government in something like the closure of Palm Drive Hospital?
What will the permanent closure of Palm Drive or replacement with 'urgent care' mean to the city?
Should the City be taxing cell phones, (for which they appear to provide no services or oversight and which obviously travel beyond the city boundaries?)
Should the City be issuing across the board raises for city employees?
(I heard this was happening, but don't have first hand knowledge.)
Does it create at least the appearance of a conflict for the spouse of the Hospital District Board Chair to be the liaison between the City and the District?

---

I await Jonathan's answers to long-time Sebastopol resident Richard Nichols' questions below.

The Oct. 27, Mon., Press Democrat has an article about the Sebastopol City Council race. The reporter writes that Jonathan "was behind a proposed city ban on leaf blowers." She must have gotten this information from Jonathan, who has said this before. This is another example of his over-stating his role, as he has done with the CVS, library, and hospital struggles. Given my severe sound trauma from being raised in a military family and having served in the Army, I initiated that ban, in collaboration with former Mayor Guy Wilson. Jonathan eventually did come on board and do good work. But he did not initiate it and should not take too much credit for it.

The PD reporter, Mary Callahan, is correct when she writes that Jonathan has "come amid complaints that he is prone to creative interpretations of facts and figures, as well as claiming credit some say more properly resides with others." Amen.

I want to echo what long-term Sebastopol resident, former mayor, and current City Council member Sarah Gurney is reported as saying, "I think it's important to pick people who intend to work well together." That would certainly not be Jonathan, in my experiences. I would not be concerned about 4-1 votes. I would be concerned about all the time he would take disrupting the governing process by continuing to attack other Councilmembers, hard-working city staff, and people he perceives as "enemies."

Jonathan and his few allies say the council should use its "bully pulpit," according to the PD article. I have also heard that from some of his reporters. Personally, I am not much in favor of bullies, especially when they are in power as elected officials.

"City officials argue that Greenberg often misrepresents the facts," the article reports. That has also been my experience with him. I echo our wonderful Mayor Robert Jacob when he says "Jonathan would put our city in a horrible position financially." He would also bring chaos in other ways. I appreciate his target, Vice-Mayor Patrick Slayter, for taking the higher road of not responding to Jonathan's dis-respective "swipes."

"It takes a group working together" to get things done, are the wise words that Councilmember Gurney is quoted at the end of the article.

As I read Mr. Greenberg's rants on this thread, I come away with a feeling that, he really doesn't get it. I don't believe he's got a grasp of what it takes to work together with others to make a city work. All points made by Mr. Greenberg are confrontational (on all fronts) at best. He exhibits a need to confront and combat. To work together means to consider - to understand the opposing viewpoints. It seems to me, that if Mr. Greenberg is elected, he has already made up his mind NOT to work with the other four members of the City Council.

Here is what the facts show about our respective roles in the leaf blowing campaign.

The website I created, through my company, Progressive Source, at my own cost and with many hours of time, after you told me you were unable to assist with any work on it whatsoever, can still be seen here:
https://www.progressivesource.org

Please let us know if you can substantiate that you provided any assistance for the website? Or if anything I write below is a "misrepresentation" of the truth:

• I did all the organizing of our participants and hosted every one of the SPARE leafblower meetings, which you attended at my office.
• I shot and posted and showed the City Council the video that is at the bottom of the landing page of the website about the City's unnecessary weekly leaf blowings in Brookhaven Park. This, and my testimony and requests at Council meetings, along with our petition, provided the impetus for the City to stop using leaf blowers in our public parks.
• I wrote and printed the petition. We both worked to gather names.
• I did all the extensive researching and writing of the facts about leaf blowers that appear on the website.
• I paid for and produced and managed the production of the multiple videos of people speaking out about leaf blowers that appear on the website.
• We both spoke about the issue at City council meetings for the same amount of time.
• I wrote the compromise solution attempting to regulate blowers in senior homes and multi unit housing and introduced it to the City record.

I leave it for the reader to determine which of us is "over-stating" his role in the leaf blower campaign.

And why?

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd:

...The Oct. 27, Mon., Press Democrat has an article about the Sebastopol City Council race. The reporter writes that Jonathan "was behind a proposed city ban on leaf blowers." She must have gotten this information from Jonathan, who has said this before. This is another example of his over-stating his role, as he has done with the CVS, library, and hospital struggles. Given my severe sound trauma from being raised in a military family and having served in the Army, I initiated that ban, in collaboration with former Mayor Guy Wilson. Jonathan eventually did come on board and do good work. But he did not initiate it and should not take too much credit for it....

---

Yes, Jonathan, as you say and I said, you were helpful in the leaf blower campaign. But you take all the credit for starting it, which you did not do. You have your list below. If you google "shepherd bliss leaf blowers," this is what you find on the first page, with many more pages to follow. Please click on the other 10+pages. You see, you present only some of "the facts," which is why people complain about you, as the PD reporter writes.

Long before you jumped on this campaign, to which you added good work, as I said before, others had done the important start-up work. Perhaps once in a while you might mention others, rather than just yourself. You seem to jump on one campaign after another, and then take total credit. That is simply not good team work. You are not a team player, which is why you should not be elected to the City Council team.

We need more than your substantial high tech skills, which you have. We need City Council members who can work together as a team in our uncertain and unpredictable future, not people who are just pushing one campaign after another.

1. Time to ban this health threat: Leaf blowers | The Smirking Chimp
   www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/26540‎
   
   "Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment to cut down ... About authorShepherd Bliss teaches at Sonoma State University, ...
2. The last word on leaf blowers? - Sonoma West Times and News ...
   www.sonomawest.com/...leaf-blowers/article_5060f57e-d59e-57d4-8d96- d1a696396a8d.html
   Apr 20, 2011 ... The leaf blower debate has produced personal attacks against ... “In Honor ofShepherd Bliss,” which starts “Whereas Shepherd Bliss has been ...
3. Time to ban this health threat: Leaf blowers By Shepherd Bliss ...
   dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/.../time-to-ban-this-health-threat-leaf-blowers- by-shepherd-bliss/‎
   
   Feb 9, 2010 ... By Shepherd Bliss Guest Writer Dandelion Salad https://www.vowvop.orgFebruary 9, 2010 photo by Dandelion Salad previously published on ...
4. Shepherd Bliss: No blow movement grows : Augusta Free Press
   
   augustafreepress.com/shepherd-bliss-no-blow-movement-grows/‎
   
   Jun 29, 2010 ... While at their home recently a siren-pitched, shrieking scream interrupted thatserenity—a leaf blower, which some call a debris blower, since it ...
5. Sonoma County Gazette: Leaf Blower Ban Proposed for Sebastopol
   
   sonomacountygazette.blogspot.com/.../leaf-blower-ban-proposed-for- sebastopol.html‎
   
   Jan 7, 2010 ... By Shepherd Bliss I appreciate the Sebastopol City Council for discussing aleaf blower ban, which it was scheduled to do at its Jan. 5 public ...
6. Praising Leaves/Condemning Leaf Blowers - Resilience.org
   
   www.resilience.org/stories/.../praising-leavescondemning-leaf-blowers‎
   
   by Shepherd Bliss, originally published by Energy Bulletin | Jan 4, 2010. Leaves are ... Leaf blowers versus leaves is a classic machine versus nature conflict.
7. Noise and Leaf Blower Debate Intensifies in Cittaslow Sonoma ...
   
   cittaslowusa.org/news/noise-and-leaf-blowers/‎
   
   Jul 6, 2010 ... By Shepherd Bliss. Leaf blowers were the talk of the town from the East to the West of Sonoma County this week, especially around Sebastopol ...
8. WaccoBB.net - Leaf Blower Ban
   
   www.waccobb.net/forums/list.php?category/18-Leaf-Blower-Ban‎
   
   Mar 26, 2011 ... Leaf Blower Issue A Thorny Public Policy Debate ... of leaf blowers has flowered into one of the most robust public policy ... by Shepherd Bliss
9. Leave the Leaves | Earth Island Journal | Earth Island Institute
   
   www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/leave_the_leaves/‎
   
   Oct 12, 2010 ... By Shepherd Bliss. photo of a man standing among ... I'm glad, then, that ablowback is brewing against the leaf blowers. In the small Northern ...
10. Leafblowers on trail in Sebastopol and Sonoma | News & Features ...
    
    www.metroactive.com/bohemian/07.21.10/openmic-1029.html‎
    
    Jul 21, 2010 ... Sebastopol and Sonoma move toward leaf-blower bans. By Shepherd Bliss. The city councils of Sebastopol and Sonoma, both by 4-to-1 votes, ...

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Peacetown Jonathan:

Here is what thefacts show about our respective roles in the leaf blowing campaign. .

And why?

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Jonathan and Shepherd,

You guys are the most fun I have ever had on Wacco!
'I did more on CVS than you did! You did not! I did more on leaf blowers than you did! You did not!'

I get an image of leaf blowers, CVS, bike trails, libraries, cell phone taxes, and the kitchen sink being lobbied from one trench to the next on an open battle field. How about celebrating each other? You are both some of the farthest out people I know. Amazing!

Maybe you could come up to the French Garden and throw leaves at each other! I have plenty, having about 10 magnificent Red Oaks that shed like crazy all winter. In fact, please come have lunch some time and lets laugh about it all!

Farmer Dan

i'm not sure you've got me. i do live just north of sebastopol, in the school district, though fire is graton. it is easy to support hospitals, but anyone who keeps up with health research knows they are dangerous and expensive ways to provide healthcare, best to be avoided if at all possible, they are twentieth century medicine. obamacare is designed to keep people out of hospitals. hospital use has been declining for years and that trend will accelerate. no one has cited the source for the more likely to die stats if your towns hospital closes but i'm pretty sure it does not apply here due to close alternatives. my guess is that healdsburg will close within 5 years because of the new sutter.

if palm drive is resuscitated it will probably be a last hurrah with even more debt to pay. if it did survive it would be a modern medical miracle! greater west county has plenty of healthcare options, btw after a certain minimum, exceeded in all of sonoma county, greater access to healthcare does not correlate to better health.

Quote:

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Posted in reply to the post by Richard Nichols:

You got me rossman. I should have said I don't know anyone in Sebastopol who is opposed to the hospital being opened. Jim Horn is the only Hospital District candidate who seems to understand that Sebtown is only 13% or so of the district population, and the rest of you out there in lala land are way underserved and deserve better.

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