Sebastopol's "Charm"

There was an article in the Press Democrat a couple of days ago about the redevelopment proposals for the old industrial area of Sebastopol over by the theater.  Now, I have to admit that I did not read the entire article closely.  However, I did see that there are some opponents to the proposed plan.  They seemed to be concerned that, if the plan goes forward as is, Sebastopol will lose its "charm".

I've lived here for 10 years now, and honestly, I'm not aware that Sebastopol has any "charm" to lose.  In my eyes, its one street, which is usually clogged with traffic.  There's no center to town, no overall feeling, no sense of itself.  One of the last old-time restaurants, the Pine Cone, was recently sold and closed.  My understanding is that the new owners intend on re-opening it as yet another over-priced for the amount of food on your plate, place.  (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.) Do we really need another one of those??  Sonoma County is full of them.  "haricorts verts" - they're green beans!!  Why can't we just call them green beans??  Please try to stop making everything seem more important than it is.  What about a normal place where everyday, hard-working people can get some regular food at reasonable prices?  Now, I think that's a charming idea. 

Yep, I'm missing Sebastopol's charm.  When we have friends from ou of town, we go to Healdsburg with its lovely central plaza, Sonoma for Vella Cheese and a picnic, or even Windsor so the kids can play in the park while we eat gelato from Powell's.  Last time I took my kids to the Plaza in Sebastopol, I had to shout at them over the din of the traffic and caution them not to play on the steps of the bandstand for fear they'd setp in one of the numerous wads of gum on the ground or, worse yet, pick up the used condom that was left.  Charming, huh?

DUI Court in Schools

See Chris Smith's column in the Empire Section of the Press Democrat, May 6, 2008.

Judge Gary Nadler deserves a lot of recognition for coming up with this idea.  Basically, he takes a session of DUI court to a high school.  Recently, at Casa Grande High School, a DUI offender was sentenced in front of the assembly of high school students.  At the conclusion of sentencing, the young woman was handcuffed and led away by bailiffs to a waiting patrol car to be taken to jail. 

As an attorney who works in the juvenile criminal court, I am so strongly in favor of programs like Judge Nadler's DUI Court in Schools.  It gives kids a rare opportunity to see what real consequences some actions bring.

A lot of my clients are sentenced to the Sonoma County Probation Camp program.  There, kids receive counseling and real job skills - welding, forklift certification, working with power tools that would enable them to be construction workers or carpenters, etc.  The program can be difficult because, in order to succeed, the young people have to take a good, hard look at the choices they've been making, and really want to change.

Lots of kids make it through and go on to wonderful futures.  Unfortuately, because juvenile proceedings are confidential and thus closed to the public, graduations from camp are held in the private confines of the courtrooms.  I think it would be hugely beneficial for the graduations to be held in public.  I say - Let's do them in the lobby!  It would show all the kids who are in trouble and waiting for court that there can be a good outcome, that there is hope and there are programs that can help them have a brighter future.  Let's do them once a month for anyone who wants to participate and have the Press Democrat cover it.  That would also go a long ways towards showing the community that, while there are a lot of kids getting in trouble these days, there are also a lot of kids who are turning things around.  And wouldn't that be nice - to read something positive in the paper?

Ask for Water

KTVU Channel 2 reported last night on the 10:00 news that the town of Pacifica is asking restaurants to only serve glasses of water on request.  This is a simple way to conserve and I hope other restaurants follow suit.  Not only does it save the water in the glass, it also saves all the water used for washing those glasses. 

Perhaps we could encourage local restaurants to conserve by, right when you sit down, tell your server if you'd like water or not.  If you're not going to drink it, ask your server to save it for someone else!  Its a small, simple, easy thing you can do.

Apple Blossom Parade

We went to the Apple Blossom Parade in Sebastopol last Saturday.  It was the first time we've been, despite living here for ten years.  Luckily, we found a spot in the shade; I don't think we would have made it very long standing in the sun.

Overall, it was a typical hometown parade and we enjoyed it.  Evan and I love the bands.  I continued to encourage the drums as his instrument of choice.  "Why?!" Brian kept asking me.  "I like the drums!" I said.  Girl Scout troops, Boy Scout troops, rag-tag preschool groups dressed up in cute outfits.  4-H and FFA'ers riding on big trucks.  The dog groups and horse groups were Ella's favorite.  Evan liked the old tractors and fire engines.  Good job to the synchronized lawn mowers (to the person behind us who commented, "what a waste of gas" - can't you just have a good laugh?)

All the anti-war people bug me but, hey, that's a representation of where we live.  My hat is off to the veteran's groups that marched.  "Freedom is not free."

One other comment - I don't think that entries should be allowed from people or businesses who are clearly there for the sole purpose of advertising.  For example, the caterer who simply rode in a car with her name and phone number on the side added nothing.  If a bank or relator want to sponsor a youth group, then fine.  Pacific Landscape were advertising, clearly, but their synchronized lawn mowers added entertainment value.  The others just made an already long parade, too long.

With all that being said, we're looking forward to next year!

Olympic Torch - My thoughts