Ziemer a joy to follow
Editor: Over 50 years ago, Herbert Ziemer, a parent in the Gravenstein School community in Sebastopol, visited our parent group at the school and introduced us to the sport of soccer. Mr. Ziemer’s sons were already players at that time, and the sport soon caught on in our community and all over Sonoma County. Our children played through grammar and high school, and Mr. Ziemer’s children pursued careers as strong advocates and coaches of the sport.
Now it is with great pleasure to read the reports in The Press Democrat written by one of the Ziemer sons, Christopher. Thank you, Chris, for your lively and well-informed reports that make me feel like I am almost “there” at the many venues you have visited, the fans you have met from home and afar, the transportation and housing arrangements you have made — all in order to share with PD readers. I will look forward to your next report from the comfort of my easy chair.
— Donna Matern, Sebastopol
Trump’s big beautiful ballroom
Editor: Trump should be mandated to never rebuild his big beautiful ballroom without the donations he promised.
I believed these smoldering ruins would be a perfect memorial to the Republican party’s dismantling of everything people everywhere hold near and dear, including democracy itself. There are plenty of spaces in Washington, D.C., no need for a massive ballroom to serve dinner to 200,000+ people.
If Trump is such an astute businessman, why on earth didn’t he carefully dismantle said ballroom piece by piece? Has anyone calculated the actual cost of all that was destroyed? I’d love to have an accurate monetary accounting of how much was lost in his eagerness to demolish our American history. He must not have realized how valuable signed White House artifacts can be auctioned for and how they increase in worth over the years. He may not have cared since he couldn’t keep the money for himself.
Please make him leave it as is and donate (no write-offs) a Trump facility for all future White House dinners. Make him pay for the costly debacle of removing his name from the Kennedy Center and the redo of the reflecting algae adventure. I think that is completely fair.
— Marisa McCrea, Santa Rosa
No more school bonds
Editor: There will be two more school bond issues on the November ballot: one for Windsor Unified School District and one for Santa Rosa Junior College.
I already have three bond issues on my property tax bill for Windsor schools; two from 2008 and one from 2016. We will be paying those off for another 20 years. The JC wants to add yet another bond issue to the two we are currently paying. I don’t know whether the previous bond money was poorly managed or the previous repairs were poorly done, but Windsor and the JC want more, in many cases to make the same repairs. Windsor’s current ask makes more than $200M in 18 years. WUSD has closed an elementary school due to lack of enrollment. Instead of demanding more money from already cash strapped taxpayers, sell that property and use the proceeds for necessary repairs.
It feels like the JC’s ask of over another $800M means they will have squandered over $1B of our money over the last 24 years. Taxpayers are not an endless fountain of money that the schools can tap when things need fixing/replacing. I’m a solid no on any further school bonds. The repairs don’t last as long as do our payments on them. That’s not fiscally responsible.
— Annette Flachman, Windsor
Editor’s Note: The Windsor Unified School District is currently in the process of selling the former Windsor Creek Elementary School property.
Won’t hold my breath for a donation
Editor: The latest financial disclosures of President Trump indicates, what, a billion dollars-plus by the Trump clan? I stand confident that most all of this ill-gotten excess will be donated to worthy causes! Perhaps not!
— Chris Zipperian, Duncans Mills
No more violence
Editor: I would love to not read the news. I know I would be happier if I ignored it all and pretended everything is wonderful. But I’m not made that way. I believe in our laws and we should follow our laws as they are made with good reason.
I just read how a road rage incident turned into a nightmare for a Marine father, 29-years-old, who was shot and killed by 23-year-old truck driver. The wife and three children in the car with him, to watch their dad being murdered, ruling out any self defense needed by shooter.
For those paying attention and those that are very saddened by these things happening, please help make a change for the good. We need more police officers on patrol. We need Democrats and Republicans to find common ground with each other and stop this violence, especially within the younger population. No more.
Without laws to follow everything will fall apart. We already know that’s happening. All of us need to care! Whether Republican or Democrat, some common sense goes a long way.
— Gayle Kozlowski, Santa Rosa
You can email letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com