Fremont Park’s future
EDITOR: Fremont Park on Fourth Street in downtown Santa Rosa was designed about 90 years ago by Howard Gilkey, a well-known landscape architect. Fremont Park has historic features, including a pool, stone fountain, wisteria arbors and yew trees. Twenty years ago, it became a significant memorial to those who survived cancer. The cancer survivor installation was approved by the City Council, celebrated by the community and partially funded by donations from the public.
Fremont Park is a destination for people who appreciate its historic architectural components and who find the cancer survivor art installation inspiring.
A master planning process has been initiated to re-imagine this park. At the first meeting, it was shocking to hear the designer recommend that all of the historic components be removed from Fremont Park. Currently, the four design options being proposed show elimination of the historic components and the cancer survivors feature.
If you are interested in preserving the historic components of this park and/or value the cancer survivors feature please, let the city know. You can complete a survey through March 18 at srcity.org/3670/Fremont-Neighborhood-Park.
ELLEN BAILEY
Santa Rosa
Two questions
EDITOR: This year, two question should be asked of all candidates for any office. Knowing the answers will go a long toward finding out who the candidates are and where they stand on the basic foundation of democracy:
Do you think Joe Biden was elected in a free and fair election in 2020?
Do you consider the actions of the people who stormed the Capitol building as “legitimate political discourse”?
Just that. Those two questions. Ask them, I implore you.
R. MICHAEL JOHNSON
Penngrove
No casino on Shiloh
EDITOR: Imagine if the proposed casino resort adjacent to Windsor (with 400 hotel rooms, six restaurants, convention center and spa and casino, operating 24/7) was a completed project during the Tubbs and Kincade fires. Anticipated visitors to the resort are over 20,000 people a day. No one can deny that gridlock occurred along Shiloh Road and Old Redwood Highway as well as along Highway 101. Add the casino resort evacuation and what would be the end result?
Two Northern California towns were destroyed by wildfires, one of which resulted in deaths because the evacuation route was clogged. I believe the majority of us don’t want to face this possibility.
Another critical concern is drought. How much additional water will this project be using?
If you drive to the proposed site, you will see an agricultural zone abutting residential neighborhoods, next to a peaceful regional park for hikers and a family park where kids play ball and have family picnics.
This behemoth project needs to be built in a commercial zone away from neighborhoods, not in a fire-prone area where people live and play.
SIDNEE COX
Windsor
Carbon fee and dividend
EDITOR: If your present solution to a problem is not effective, what to do? Find a better solution, obviously. California’s cap-and-trade program, which allows corporations to continue to pollute by buying “allowances” from other corporations, is preventing California from reaching its climate goals (“Excess emissions credits could jeopardize state climate goals,” Feb. 17). Tell Gov. Gavin Newsom to switch to a guaranteed effective solution: carbon fee and dividend, where all (as in no exceptions) carbon is taxed at its source and the accumulated fees are returned to California citizens in the form of dividends. Ask him which is more important, climate change or corporate profits. The comet is real — but “Don’t Look Up!”
GENE HOTTEL
Santa Rosa
Trump the enabler
EDITOR: Donald Trump and Trumpsters say that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he were president. On the contrary, he would have enabled Vladimir Putin, based on his own history:
In 2008, Donald Trump Jr. has said a significant part of Trump’s business comes from Russians.
At the 2016 GOP convention, Trump had the platform committee eliminate the provision of lethal defense support of Ukraine.
Trump gave top secret intelligence to Sergei Lavrov in the Oval Office.
At Helsinki, contrary to U.S. intelligence, Trump accepted Putin’s denial of Russian actions in the 2016 election, musing that it was Ukraine.
Trump weakened NATO as a counterpoise, even suggesting that Article 5’s mutual defense obligations wouldn’t apply in all cases.
Trump tried to undercut congressional sanctions on Russia.
In 2020, Trump tried to withhold vital military aid to Ukraine.
Trump extolled Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as “savvy.”
The evidence is overwhelming that Trump would have acted as a vassal to his Prince Vladimir.
ROBERT FAUX
Santa Rosa
Planting for the birds
EDITOR: When planning a landscape for a yard, one might consider mulch instead of rocks. Birds can forage for food in mulch, but not in rocks. In my yard, I used mulch without sheets of plastic and planted drought-tolerant plants and ground cover. I enjoy seeing birds in my yard and am pleased knowing that I am supplying them with food. As for weeds, if they are picked before they flower and go to seed, there will be less of them each year. There is a trend to cover entire landscapes with pavers, fake grass, and/or rocks over plastic. This will result in repelling birds and creating soil that is not alive.
LYNN HOYLE
Santa Rosa
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