Posted by Michael Haran on Nov 16, 2011
Bob Rawlins is fixture at the Healdsburg Museum. He is one of many invaluable people that devote their time making the museum what it is – one of the best run museums in the California. Bob has been helping out at the museum since 1995. As a member of the board of directors he is the assistant treasurer, he collects the mail and he is on several committees. Members of the museum know that Bob is a retired U.S. naval officer but that’s about it. He really doesn’t like to talk about himself so I will.
A couple of months ago I was over at` Jon Lacaillade’s work shop (Jon is the museum’s resident Nantucket master carpenter). He was working on what looked like a piece of furniture. He explained that he was working on a project for Bob Rawlins and then showed me a beautiful navy bell with the inscription USS Triton on it. Remembering my history I knew that the Triton was the United States first nuclear submarine and the first submarine to circumnavigate the globe under water. Jon suggested I write an article about the bell.
I contacted Bob and he told me the history. After graduating from the naval academy at Annapolis, Bob served on two amphibious ships and two destroyers. From 1952 to 1959 he cut his submarine chops on three diesel powered submarines. After nuclear power training Bob skippered two nuclear powered ships and in 1964 became the CO of the Triton.
Bob retired from the navy as a Captain and moved to Healdsburg (smart man). He keeps in touch with his shipmates and they meet annually. When the Triton was decommissioned in 1970 all reusable materials were removed from the ship – the Triton’s bell included. It was sent to be cut up for scrap but a sailor saved it and sent it to his home in California and later to Nevada.
Through Bob’s shipmate they located the bell and the sailor donated the bell back to the cause. That cause is, after a ship’s reunion in San Francisco in the Spring of 2012, the bell will be sent to the Navy’s Great Lakes Training Station in Chicago. The bell will stand in front of one of the recruit barracks where it will be used in training ceremonies.
We are lucky to have Bob as a member of the Healdsburg Museum. As Holly says, “I don’t know what we would do without him.”
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Posted by Michael Haran on Sep 27, 2011
The Republicans ran the U.S. economy into a ditch by creating a vehicle that would crash the economy to make billions when they bet it would. They made billons more when the U.S. tax payer bailed them out. As the economy tanked they cut jobs and made billions on fewer workers working more efficiently. The resulting unemployment has caused a loss of over two trillion dollars in home equity which is why consumers, who are 75% of the economy, have cut spending. During this same period the Republican’s corporate shields have stashed over two trillion dollars. Since creating jobs should be the highest priority in Washington and it’s not to the Republicans it’s obvious their true intentions are only to get back in the White House to undo the newly enacted banking regulations so they can pull another scam. And by the way, you tea party lap dogs when the rich have no more use for you they will chew you up and spit you out.
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Posted by Michael Haran on Sep 27, 2011
A recent political cartoon in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat showed moving the Palestinians to Wyoming and Montana. Although it was a joke it got me thinking. What about and alternative approach like the Roman Catholic model. There is no Catholic country. They have the Vatican in Rome which serves as their sovereign cultural and religious center but the Catholic faithful are spread out all over the world just as Jews are.
What if the U.S. were to give the Jews a Jewish “Vatican” somewhere in the U.S., say in up-state New York. Then we move the five million Israelis to the U.S. where they would create businesses, jobs and buy up a lot of the foreclosed homes throughout the country. In exchange for this the Palestinians would have to agree to guarantee to all Catholics, Jews and Muslims access to each religion’s holy sites in Jerusalem. If this could happen, the U.S. would experience a huge economic boost – call it the “Jew Boom.” In addition, the U.S. would be protecting a culture that has been under attack for about three thousand years and at a cost that would be far less than what we are paying right now to defend Israel.
Because the Israelis and Muslims are like cousins who hate each other, neither wanting to give the other an inch, the chances of doing something like this are slim and none and slim just left town. But if it could happen it would stop all the fighting, finally bring peace to the region and get the U.S., and the world, out of this persistent economic slump without starting WWIII. Just a thought.
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Posted by Michael Haran on Aug 11, 2011
By Michael Haran
Published Healdsburg Tribune 8/11/2011
I ran into Mike McGuire the other day at the First Annual Healdsburg Water Carnival. He asked how I was doing and we chatted about county politics for a few minutes until another constituent came up and wanted to thank him for something. Knowing that his time is limited at these public affairs I excused myself and walked on.
I first met Mike and his wife Erika a few years ago at the Kiwanis pancake breakfast at the Villa when they sat down across from my wife and me. I recognized him from the city council articles in the Tribune. He introduced himself and Erika and then wanted to know about us. I felt his interest sincere.
Sometime in early 2010 I ran into him at Amoruso Printing. I had been working on a project to sell wine in China and when I told him a little about it he wanted to know all about it. So we scheduled a coffee and met at the Goat. Having taken a couple of poly-sci courses at Sonoma State in the early 70’s I was eager to give him my two cents on how he could win his upcoming election.
I had one issue to talk to him about which I call “pothole politics.” He listened intently as I explained the theory of the lowest common denominator. If he knew about it he didn’t let on and let me finish talking. Judging from his margin of victory I think he knew very well about this theory.
In the fall of 2010, I attended Mike’s debate with Debra Fudge at the Raven Theater. As Mike announced the endorsement of several business and civic groups Debra criticized him for seeking those endorsements. Mike responded that Debra had also pursued those endorsements. She continued by asking him how he intended to handle any conflict of interest in dealing with such diverse groups. He paused for a moment, turned toward Debra and, almost under his breath said to her, “Don’t worry, it’ll be alright.”
This amazed me. It was as if Mike thought that Debra was sincerely worried about this and his initial reaction was to reassure a worried constituent. I think this goes back to his days on the Healdsburg School Board where he developed his people skills. As Pat Wyman said in an article on Mike soon after he was elected, “If you know McGuire at all, you know how much he loves one-on-one meetings and how accessible he is.” It should be mandatory for every politician to spend some time on a local school board.
His election to the Board of Supervisors comes at a time of extreme austerity. He has to deal with SMART extensions, education, the increased demand for senior care, jobs, pension reform, education, clean air, housing and the homeless and all on a shrinking revenue base. He is new to this and his challenges are many but Mike McGuire is a unique individual and with his work ethic I really do believe that “it will be alright.” And it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one that feels this way.
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Posted by Michael Haran on May 31, 2011
By Michael Haran
A few weeks ago the Press Democrat ran an article about the Villa Chanticleer. The article stated that “a city-commissioned consultant’s report recommended that to make the Villa profitable, the city reduce discounts offered to local, nonprofit, government and social groups.” The Villa is one of the City of Healdsburg’s civic treasures. From the time it was purchased in 1955, to the present the Villa has been used by the community for weddings (both local and out-of-towners); social events (school proms, Christmas and holiday parties, and anniversaries); meetings (Kiwanis, school districts, the Healdsburg Garden Club; and fundraising (Rotary crab feed, Kiwanis and Boy Scouts pancake breakfasts, the American Legion gin-fizz breakfast). The report didn’t break out “events” such as the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Fair w
hich I assume is included in one of the above categories.
It was disturbing to me that the report suggested “reducing the discounted percentage for local groups.” Local fundraisers and events are a vital part of the life we enjoy in Healdsburg. It is at these events that the community meets and greets. These events are not only important for the good causes that they support, but they also introduce our children to the value of volunteering. Our local fundraising event should not only be encouraged, they should also be, if necessary, subsidized by the City for the betterment of our community.
David Mickaelian, Healdsburg’s Community Services Director, said that the article was confusing in that the report was actually referring to the activities (such as weddings or social events) which were held at the Villa by people who didn’t live in Healdsburg but got a “resident” discount because they went through a friend or relative who did live in the town. Weddings were by far the largest income producer, averaging $3,119 per event; next were Fundraisers, which generated $863 per event; followed by Social events at $665, Meetings at $56, and Classes which generated $26 per event.
The article stated that the Villa lost $16,000 in 2005 and $56,000 in 2006. The increased deficit in ‘06 was due mainly the facility’s deferred maintenance. The consultant’s report suggested that to increase revenue, renovations to the Villa would cost between $400k and $1.2m. These would include audio-visual upgrades, raising the ceiling in the bar, installing room dividers, putting in side doors to create a more open feeling, developing a new outdoor waiting area for wedding parties, modernizing the restrooms, and improving the acoustics.
I don’t think over spending on improvements is the right answer. A lot of money has been spent improving the Villa over the years from the $150k to finish the buildings and grounds after the original purchase to the $1.3m that was spent in 1992 which included a heating/cooling system, refurbishing the kitchen and bar area, cleaning the redwood interior paneling, paving the parking and picnic area, installing a public address system, installing a portable stage and bring the exits up to code to meet the federal Disabilities Act. Upon completion the Parks and Recreation Director was quoted as saying, “…now this building will be solid. We won’t have to go in there for another 50 years.” So much for another 50 years.
The only improvement that should be made, I feel, are those that support the use of technology such as wireless outlets (reportedly this work has been completed), a multimedia system, and improved acoustic so everyone in the room can clearly hear event speakers. A 1964 Healdsburg Tribune article said that the only thing keeping the Villa from becoming a first rate corporate retreat facility was the lack of quality hotel and motel accommodations in the area. Well, we certainly now have plenty of those. In addition, the hiring of a full time manager to focus on generating facility revenue was a step in the right direction.
The charm and beauty of the Villa and it’s proximity to the ambiance of the wine county should be its biggest draw for mid-week activities. Maybe only residents (which ought to include Fitch Mountain resident) and their immediate families (children and/or parents) should be entitled to facility discounts. I think if we all put our heads together we can come up with a plan to generate Villa revenue that won’t require reducing the subsidies for our local residents and fundraisers. Ideas…the Villa needs ideas!
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