Rustie, Larkin and Nancy,
I am one of the Sebastopol residents who grew up here in the 50s and 60s. I have followed this thread and weighed in once or twice myself. I must say here how much I have enjoyed reading your posts; I find them well researched, clear and, mostly, without the hysteria that seems to often accompany words on this site. I appreciate passionate discussion; heck, I was reared on it. But it is really useful to see the kind of thoughtful attention you each bring to the table here.
I would be interested in being part of any discussion that transpires between the lot of you; I, too, am interested in keeping Sebastopol a small town. And I also remember when it was exactly what you, Rustie, have pointed out that it must be: a self sufficient place. Going to Santa Rosa was a big deal then. Sebastopol could offer much more than high end clothing, coffee, trinkets, etc. There were 5 car dealerships, 2 bakeries, high end dress shops, mid range dress shops, a men's clothing store and clothing for those who couldn't afford much. 3 grocery stores and a couple of mom and pop stores who allowed their customers' kids to pick up food and pay them later were here, as were furniture stores, Western Auto, a shoe store and all the apple canneries and packing houses that employed so many. Restaurants were places that families could afford and welcomed well behaved kids.
We had a lot of kids riding bikes then. We rode all over town and sometimes our parents rode, too. We were a different kind of rider: we knew that cars were bigger, faster and stronger than we were and so we stayed out of their way. We made sure to look both ways when we walked up to an intersection before we crossed and we walked our bikes on sidewalks and obeyed the rules of the road proudly because it meant that we were as important as the cars. But that was then, when most families had one car (and one truck for those of us in the country) and only the wealthiest families bought their 16 year olds cars when they got their licenses. That's a different Sebastopol than the Sebastopol of today where there are 3-6 cars parked in more than one driveway or on surrounding streets. So this Sebastopol needs something else and I'd like to explore those options with women such as yourselves.
The fact that you envision this conversation to be about making things easier for moms such as yourself, Larkin, and not about bike paths for fairly well off gentry heartens me. I am grateful to all those who have spent time trying to find a way to make this work. More than anything, I love to see things hammered out between folks who seem to be far apart but who really want the same things. i believe that this is one of those things.