Letters to the Editor

Volunteers needed for Fire Safe Council
Thanks for publishing the article in the 6/8/07 issue of The
Pinnacle about the San Benito Fire Safe Council’s fire safe
garden.
The council appreciated the write-up by Patrick O’Donnell and
photos by Daniel Cressman.
 Our organization really needs more members – it is made up of
volunteers.   I’d like to encourage anyone interested in helping to
make the county more fire-safe (which is a real priority,
especially in a dry year like this one), to come to one of our
meetings and see what you can do to help. 
We meet at 10 AM the 4th Wednesday of every month at Hollister
Fire Station #2  (the site of the fire safe garden) and would
welcome any and all. As we serve the community, it’s imperative
that community members be involved in our plans and efforts.  If
you would like more information, please cal
l 623-1677 or e-mail sb***@****ic.com.
  I did want to make a couple of corrections to the article. 
The statement was made that
”
the best way to find out what
 is and isn’t fire safe is to ask at a nursery.
”
   While I’m sure many nurseries can help the shopper to locate
fire resistant plants, we do feel the Fire Safe Council is better
prepared to make such suggestions than nurseries in general.  We
have a very wide list of such plants, and one only needs to call or
email to the above to have this 
sent to you.
  I also wanted to let the readers know that the SB Fire Safe
Council has recently upgraded the landscaping at the Aromas Fire
Station to be fire-resistant, so there IS another such garden in
our area which the public can observe and enjoy.
BLM and PG
&
amp;E provided funding for the garden.
  Thank you, 
Sandra Davidson
San Juan Bautista
(San Benito Fire Safe Council)
Volunteers needed for Fire Safe Council

Thanks for publishing the article in the 6/8/07 issue of The Pinnacle about the San Benito Fire Safe Council’s fire safe garden.

The council appreciated the write-up by Patrick O’Donnell and photos by Daniel Cressman. Our organization really needs more members – it is made up of volunteers. I’d like to encourage anyone interested in helping to make the county more fire-safe (which is a real priority, especially in a dry year like this one), to come to one of our meetings and see what you can do to help. We meet at 10 AM the 4th Wednesday of every month at Hollister Fire Station #2 (the site of the fire safe garden) and would welcome any and all. As we serve the community, it’s imperative that community members be involved in our plans and efforts. If you would like more information, please call 623-1677 or e-mail sb***@****ic.com.

I did want to make a couple of corrections to the article. The statement was made that “the best way to find out what is and isn’t fire safe is to ask at a nursery.” While I’m sure many nurseries can help the shopper to locate fire resistant plants, we do feel the Fire Safe Council is better prepared to make such suggestions than nurseries in general. We have a very wide list of such plants, and one only needs to call or email to the above to have this sent to you.

I also wanted to let the readers know that the SB Fire Safe Council has recently upgraded the landscaping at the Aromas Fire Station to be fire-resistant, so there IS another such garden in our area which the public can observe and enjoy.

BLM and PG&E provided funding for the garden.

Thank you,

Sandra Davidson

San Juan Bautista

(San Benito Fire Safe Council)

Thanks to planning commission 

Recently, the planning commission met to discuss the issue of the proposed hotel in Tres Pinos.  After a lengthy discussion and public comment, the commission voted to deny the proposal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the process for a fair and proper evaluation of the project. 

The main issues were negative impacts on our community and zoning. We in Tres Pinos appreciate your vote, which matched our sentiment.  In our town, 80 percent of the adults over 18 years of age signed a petition against the hotel.  Many of us have become active in the struggle to prevent this project’s realization. At the meeting, many of us spoke of the numerous negative impacts of the proposed hotel and the planning commissioners listened intently.  Everyone had his say.

In addition to the negative impacts was the effect on our property rights. In the end, our property rights were protected and guarded.  We are grateful, for our homes are our main investment and we cherish them.

When all was said and done, the process was fair, complete and appropriate.

Thanks again to all involved who allowed the voice of the people of our united community to be heard and heeded.

 Ed Schmidt

Tres Pinos

Confidentiality matters

On May 23, Ken Underwood, CEO of Hazel Hawkins Hospital spoke at a San Benito Chamber of Commerce meeting at Ridgemark Golf and Country Club. I am a licensed nursing administrator and have been administrator at skilled nursing facilities. I have a bachelor’s degree in nursing and have been director of nursing in acute care hospitals and I have taught charting/documentation I a university setting. I was appalled that Mr. Underwood handed out excerpts of physicians’ documentatin from patients’ charts as part of his presentation on Hazel Hawkins Hospital. He made light of physicians’ intent in their documentation. I feel this was degrading to all physicians, especially those that practice at Hazel Hawkins Hospital.

Confidentiality matters

All employees and students employed at medical care facilities are required to sign a form of confidentiality. Documentation in patients’ charts is privileged information. Health care needs positive re-enforcement to the communities where they provide their service. Mr. Underwood may have thought it was amusing for Chamber members, business leaders in the Hazel Hawkins community to hear these examples. It is not amusing to me. Nor I’m sure would the patients from whose charts these examples were taken find them amusing.

Janita Kroger

Murrieta