These Boots Are Made for Strummin’

Thanks for the article on Frankie Boots (“Buckle Up,” Dec. 25). You place Frankie Boots in a line that includes Kate Wolf and other Sonoma County folk-country-bluegrass figures, and rightly so. Indeed there are a number of good local, younger bands that could be placed there: Driftwood, the Bootleg Honeys and Old Jawbone, to name a few.

And, just to fill in a bit more of that history, it’s worth noting that Sonoma County was, indeed, a hotbed of that music for many years. I moved here in 1978 hoping to secure the guitar chair in Kate Wolf’s band (only to find Nina Gerber got there first), but what I discovered was a wealth of talent and band-playing opportunities.

Bluegrass, in particular, was popular during this time. Between the well-known bluegrass bands (Boothill, Eagle Ridge, HiJinks & the High Forehead Boys) and the old-time bands (too many to name), it seemed you could find really good acoustically driven music most nights of the week. In fact, I played bluegrass at a club, now long gone, on Fourth Street called Joe Frogger’s every week. It was a wildly popular club, overrun nightly with fans of that music.

Among local acoustic musicians from that era, some of the names of the best remain vital today: Chris Carney, Layne Bowen, Evan Morgan, Ted Dutcher. And then there’s Chip Dunbar. He was responsible for teaching many, many people the joy of the banjo, guitar, mandolin and singing. Though he passed a few years ago, Chip’s legacy lives on with groups like the Mighty Chiplings, so named to honor their first important teacher in this music.

And we shouldn’t forget important venues like the Inn of the Beginning in Cotati, concert home to many of the important figures in acoustic music. I remember seeing David Grisman (with a fresh-faced young singer who went on to some Nashville fame, Vince Gill), David Bromberg, Doc Watson (who politely requested that folks refrain from smoking so he could sing), Norman Blake and Bay Area bluegrass icon Laurie Lewis. I could go on and on.

So, yes, let’s hoist a glass and honor those great musicians here in Sonoma County who have always entertained us, educated us and endured with us the comings and goings of fashions and the closure of clubs that support this music.

A final tip of the hat to Sheila Groves down at the new Twin Oaks in Penngrove. Looks like country-bluegrass (i.e., Americana) may have a new home in Sonoma County.

—Kevin Russell

Santa Rosa

Women and Prowling

Bravo to all of the contributors to this piece (“So Long, 2013!,” Jan. 1). You did a great job summarizing some of the most important issues that captured the spotlight and imaginations of the people of Sonoma County last year.

But I must clarify something. You report that Ms. Darling says that nobody is talking about the effect that Efren Carrillo’s conduct has had on women. This is not entirely true. While I (and others) perceived a dearth of outcry of shock and disgust from the women in this county for a time after this shameful incident occurred, that all changed at the second meeting held by the Citizens for Accountability, which was held at the Sebastopol Grange a week before Thanksgiving.

At that time, several women, one by one, got up out of their chairs, bravely faced the members of the large crowd and spoke of their own past unrelated experiences and how hearing about Carrillo’s reprehensible conduct in the early morning hours of July 13, 2013, violated their right to feel safe in their own home. Then, at the third meeting held by the Citizens for Accountability, several women once again rose up out of their chairs, took the mic and expressed similar feelings.

Also, it should be pointed out that I and others have been raising this issue since day one of this incident; in fact, I wrote a letter to this publication, which was published, identifying the real victim as the woman who, at 3:40 in the morning on July 13, was so terrified by Efren Carrillo’s actions that she found it necessary to call 911, not once but twice.

I will reiterate once again that I stand with this victim and hope that she will avail herself of each and every opportunity that may become available to her in her personal pursuit of justice. And it is my sincere hope that she is receiving the support that she needs to get her through this most trying time.

—Thomas Bonfigli

Sebastopol

Write to us at le*****@******an.com.

Je Ne Sais Jacques

In your Jacques Brel article (“Jacques and Awe,” Dec. 25), you mistakenly call the fifth anniversary show the 50th. I know, for I was there, seated four rows behind the man himself. He had not come to America in many years as a protest of our aggression in Vietnam. He made an exception this night. Brel sat on the aisle next to Judy Collins, a faithful interpreter of his work. The Village hip and the uptown swells joined at Carnegie Hall to honor the voice of the generation—or as Ms. Collins said, “The world’s greatest performer.” The audience was dotted with elites from the theater and devotees of the show—many of us who had seen the show multiple times. My seven times seeing it was a minor blip. Many had seen the show 20 times or more. The music and lyrics are life-altering.

—Michael Pollack

Via online

New Year,
New Love

Here we are at the time of the year when most people look back and reflect on their lives, experiences, successes, failures, relationships and beliefs. Most are also looking ahead, planning for the coming year—preparing and constructing their goals, purposes and aspirations as the old year draws toward an end. Many people enjoy the comforts and pleasures of reflecting on past accomplishments and experiences with loved ones, sharing meals together, exchanging gifts with one another and generally being thankful for having such people in their lives. This is a time where most individuals really embrace the idea of family and truly slow down just enough to realize what that entails.

Past successes don’t always guarantee future successes. Failures don’t always condemn us to impending doom. Family, however, on whatever level one chooses to acknowledge or experience it, is the heartbeat of everything. It is one thing that will always just “be.”

Love makes the world turn. It is the creative power in the universe. Embrace it and accept it on any and every level during this wonderful time of year, and try to carry those thoughts, intentions and feelings with you throughout the duration of the coming year.

—Scott Foster Harris

Via online

Dumb Digital Design

Digital read thermometer probes have been a lifesaver for me, because I don’t cook enough meat (except on the grill) to really know by “feel” or experience when that whole turkey/beef roast/crown roast is done (“Food-Fad Fails,” Dec. 18). But I have to agree with their flimsiness! Usually it’s the metal wire leading from the probe that fails, usually from heat! Wouldn’t you think they’d take that into account during the design process? “Our product will be used in 500 degree grills. I guess heat resistance to 200 should be sufficient.”

—’Geodrone’

Via online

Free Beaches

More than 37 years ago, the Sonoma County coast was the birthplace of the movement that led to the California Coastal Act, which has preserved maximum public access to our coastline and beaches ever since. And in the 1990s, the Free the Beaches movement stopped a threat to charge the public to use our beaches.

Today, we need your help to fight an unfair and unwise proposal by the state to charge day-use fees to use beaches along the Sonoma County and Northern California coast. Please join me and show your support by signing our petition to stop the state’s plan and protect maximum public access for our beaches.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and our state senator, Noreen Evans, have been aggressive opponents of these day-use fees. I’m grateful for their tremendous work and leadership on this important issue.

Unfortunately, this ill-considered proposal has made it this far because too many other leaders in Sacramento have lost touch with their local communities. I would be honored to have you stand strong with me to protect the public’s right to use our beaches free of charge. Sign our petition today!

—Mike McGuire

Candidate, State Senate

Write to us at le*****@******an.com.