Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor

2/8/18

Hello Janice,
From the tone of the letters from Don, Thomas and Michael, they are all most on target. So many of these programs started by the “Dems.” But once they were implemented the “Repubs” have never made an effort to repeal them.
My pet peeve? We never hear or read of anyone on the “Feds” payroll of going to jail.
Cost over runs, no big deal. We will just borrow out of the S.S.I. Fund. The “Dems” started that when they gave the nations in Europe over $1 billon to rebuild after WWII. I think Germany paid their share back. Just recently.
So, no shortfall if S.S.I. wasn't being used for purposes other than what it was intended for.
The post office and the management's obscene paychecks? One boss “worked”? for 2 years for half a million dollars. He was fired for incompetence. But got a $5 million severance package! Then the stamp cost went up.
Our electeds bureaucracy, the hidden government, continues with each newly elected. Probably goes something like this: Welcome Mr. Joe Blow. Congratulations. While you are making yourself comfortable I will explain to you how we do things around here. But I will listen to what you have to say.
I find the “Another Senator Spotlights Federal Wasteful Spending” January 2018 from the Sparks Tribune to be a shameful example of our electeds example of, “I don't care,” spending. How to stop that nonsense? I don't have a clue. The changing of the elected does not have an affect. Otherwise it would have never gotten so out of control.
To change the problem according to the “Dems” is more taxes. And the “Repubs” idea is to look for funds someplace else, which usually ends up being more tax money.
But how can we stop it?? Well, let's quit paying taxes. Wait. That won't work unless you don't mind losing everything you have worked for. Jail time anyone?
Only after all of your assets are gone.
The only sane solution is to stop the bleeding. And how do we do that? I don't know. Sometimes my elected will reply. But never a reply from a random selected of the elected, from a different state for instance. No answer. So inspite of us voters, they do as they please back in D.C. Even President Trump is having problems with the Swamp! But he still has 3 years.
Sincerely,
Marvin Reed
Reno, NV

February 4, 2018
Another NFL football season has come to an end and not without controversy. I suppose the most enduring thing was the many players who continued to participate in Colin Kaepernick's thoughtful and courageous kneeling (what we do in church) during the national anthem. Because of this Kaepernick lost more money than most of us make in a lifetime. Their protest was not disrespectful to the flag or the anthem but by using their first amendment rights they were hoping to highlight the catastrophic treatment of dark skinned Americans by some police departments. This is the very essence of the first amendment but conservatives do not seem to understand this. They just want to send young people off to war to fight for “freedom”. Well, speaking your mind is freedom. Conservatives, do not be afraid of people who think.
Don McKechnie
Sierraville

For those Supervisors and "folks in power" that are supposed to be interested in the economic growth of Sierra County, but may have some "personal" problem with others private needs/habits, this is an article for you to read!
Hemp is a fantastic agricultural product, good for many uses - except for getting "high".
Russell Rosewood
Calpine
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/science/hemp-homes-cannabis.html?action=click&contentCollection=us&contentPlacement=1&emc=edit_ca_20180130&module=stream_unit&nl=california-today&nlid=73693959&pgtype=collection®ion=stream&rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FCalifornia&te=1&version=latest




Hi,
Even those of us who don't live in California have heard about the terrible mudslides that caused devastation out there some weeks back. It's absolutely horrible, and I really hope people are able to recover. I can't imagine how scary that experience would be.
I was inspired to do some research on mudslides in order to promote awareness on ways people can keep themselves safe should this kind of disaster occur. I noticed that you have shared this kind of information on your site, and was wondering if you might add a few more resources? Maybe on this page: http://www.sierrabooster.com/latest-news?
Here is what I found that I think is most helpful:
Mudslide Safety for the Home: How to Assess Your Risk and Take Preventative Action
Landslide Safety Checklist
Landslide & Mudslide Safety
Weather Wiz Kids: Landslides
I hope you can find a way to use these, and I hope they help everyone who reads them!
Thanks,
Tom
Thomas Hodge | thomas_hodge@floodsafety.info

Editor:
Would a rose by another name smell so sweet? As it turns out, that depends on a complex variety of factors. And when it comes to the smell of cannabis in Sierra County, the complexity compounds.
As the supervisors form a committee to develop recommendations for a new cannabis ordinance at the same time as presenting voters with the age-old failed policy of total prohibition, odor of the plant will certainly be a topic in the coming months. Odor may be the number one complaint of opponents of regulating cannabis in the county, even above concerns about youth access.
Tackling the smell issue will not be simple, but it is important that we be honest and realistic about its significance. Viewing cannabis odor as a simple “good smell/bad smell” dilemma is not realistic. First, let me be clear that my intention is not to discount the very real impact that the smell of cannabis has on some people, but rather to encourage us to take a balanced approach to the conversation.
The impact of the flowering cannabis plant on someone's sense of smell is subject to several variables:
What stage of growth is the plant in? Cannabis is generally grown outdoors for 16 to 18 weeks. For the first eight to 10 weeks of the plant's life, there is no odor. Cannabis only gives off an odor at the end stage of a seven to 10 week flowering process. As the flowering progresses, the odor gets progressively stronger. At what stage the odor is strong enough to travel by air to neighboring properties will vary, but generally, there will only be three to five weeks of odor.
What time of day is it? Cannabis flowers smell more at dawn and dusk than any other time of the day. How far the smell will travel depends on the time of day.
What way is the wind blowing? The smell of cannabis travels according to the direction of the wind. The days or even hours that may impact a neighbor will vary.
How large is the garden? The larger the canopy size, the higher concentration of odor.
What strains are being grown? Different strains of cannabis have different levels of odor-producing substances called terpenes. Cannabis plants have the same terpenes found in a variety of other plants such as citrus, hops, pine and scented flowers. Linalool, often found in cannabis, is also what gives lavender its smell. Many cleaning products have lavender in them. Pinene can be found in all the pine trees that sprinkle Nevada County. Limonene, like it sounds, is in citrus fruits on the side of someone's cocktail glass or in a fruit bowl in a kitchen. The smell of terpenes in cannabis are around us every day, yet we may identify the smell differently when it is associated with cannabis. Terpenes have also been found to be an important part of the medicinal benefits of the plant just as they are in other herbal and aroma therapies.
Who is doing the smelling? Research shows that there is an exceptionally short path (just a few synapses) from the olfactory receptors in the nose to the emotion and memory centers of the brain. In experiments, the same smell was labeled with a positive qualifier and a negative qualifier. Consistently, people liked it when the label was positive and disliked it when the label was negative. ("Ah Sweet Skunk! Why We Like or Dislike What We Smell," Cerebrum, 2001). If we have an emotional reason to dislike a smell the odds are higher we will find that smell offensive. So, another variable influencing how a person smells the plant is how they feel about the idea of the plant. Emotional bias can inform us.
I am not suggesting that we should discount the concerns of those people who are offended by the smell of the plant, even if it is for a short amount of time and periodically, or even if their offense is emotionally based.
We need to strike a balance between the impact on neighbors and the need to reduce constraints on gardeners seeking to transition into the regulated market.
In conclusion, the smell of a rose is in the nose of the beholder.
Sarah Grew,
Pike

We love getting the Booster.
Elma, Washington

Thanks for being our “voice.” Keep up the “good words.”
Annie

Dear Jan:
Due to many changes in my life, unfortunately, I have just completed the sale of my home in Sierraville.
The purpose of this letter is to sincerely thank and recommend the excellent service of my real estate broker, Mrs. Paula Erle of Dickson Realty. Mrs. Erle and her husband, Jim, are long time residents of Calpine.
This transaction was a very difficult and time consuming process due to having to involve a surveyor, several trips to the courthouse in Downieville dealing with parcel descriptions, and then combining several parcels etc., etc., Mrs. Erle handled all this for me on her own without a whimper.
I would highly recommend Paula Erle very highly anytime a realtor is needed. Again, she is very efficient and takes a very perso


Submitted: 02/08/18
Article By: not specified