A poor school site
EDITOR: The proposed purchase of land at the corner of Badger and Baird roads to build a new elementary school is a terrible idea. Badger and Baird are narrow two-lane roads that are already congested with traffic from four other schools located on the same three-block stretch of Badger Road as the proposed location:
— Rincon Valley Christian School (enrollment: 270) is less than a quarter mile away.
— Brush Creek Preschool (enrollment: 99) is immediately adjacent to the proposed property.
— Rincon Valley Middle School (enrollment: 860) is directly across the street.
— Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter School (enrollment: 128) is directly across the street.
That’s nearly 1,400 students being delivered to schools within three blocks of one another every day.
In addition, Badger serves as a major thoroughfare for traffic to Maria Carrillo High School (1,700 students) from homes in north and west Santa Rosa. Traffic on Badger Road is brutal twice a day every school-day with cars and buses transporting children. And in some sections, no sidewalks exist.
It makes no sense to build another school on this already congested quarter mile stretch of road. Call Rincon Valley Union School District to stop this land purchase.
LYNN FITZPATRICK
Santa Rosa
Don’t blame Trump
EDITOR: President Donald Trump didn’t create the divisive and isolationist slant in today’s America, nor did he author distrust in our government. He merely used his sales skills to tap into those things and throw in a little populism. Give him credit for seeing that and playing to what an audience wants to hear.
Ever have a car salesman start talking about a car’s interior when you ask about the gas mileage?
Trump made it clear who he was and what he intended to do. And then we elected him. And now we’re shocked? Don’t blame the Russians for that.
So now everyone is angry. Maybe we should be encouraged with the general show of First Amendment outcry. With the Trump presidency, it seems clear that something has to give. Oddsmakers already have almost even odds that it won’t last. We should all stay informed, stay involved, vigilant and, most of all, listen to an opposing viewpoint. Just because you have an opinion doesn’t make you right.
We simply have lost our grip on the responsibility of democracy, and we’ve turned that into fear and anger.
Mostly, never buy a car from someone who won’t give a straight answer.
RICK NILES
Santa Rosa
Becoming Napa
EDITOR: Padi Selwyn points out that roads throughout Sonoma County weren’t built to cope with the tremendous increase in traffic (“More is not sustainable,” Letters, Sunday). We moved to Oakmont eight years ago, and it is noticeable every day that the traffic increase is not only causing congestion, but there seems to be an accident every week on Highway 12. And still more wineries and related events are being proposed. Can we find a way to avoid being “Napa-ized” before we ruin the beauty of Sonoma County?
SHIRLEY LIBERMAN
Santa Rosa
County hospital sale
EDITOR: As a practicing doctor in Sonoma County since 1993, I’m concerned about the hospital site and associated property on Chanate Road in Santa Rosa. Why would the county sell this 82-acre community asset to a developer for only $6 million (with another $6.5 million contingent on approval of an additional 400 units)? Eighty-two acres in a desirable location in Santa Rosa is surely worth far more than $6 million. And why is the additional $6.5 million tied to approval of more units? That sounds more like an inducement to approve development than a land sale.
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