Cambrian letters to the editor, Dec. 22, 2016

Scarecrow Festival thanks tree bids

The Cambria Scarecrow Festival wants to extend its warm thanks to Marcia Betrue for decorating and donating a beautiful tree on our behalf to this year’s Festival of Trees and Silent Auction. We also salute Crosby and Laura Swartz for placing the winning bid of $300 for that tree.

The proceeds from the sale of that holiday tree will be combined with profits from this year’s opening gala to fund a new scholarship for a graduating Coast Union High School student from the Scarecrow Festival.

In addition to our annual cash grant to CUHS arts programs, this is another way the festival thanks the entire community for it ongoing support.

Rotary praises Festival of Trees

The Rotary Club of Cambria congratulates the Cambria Chamber of Commerce for hosting another successful annual Festival of Trees holiday tree auction. The Festival of Trees is a festive gathering that serves as a major fundraiser for the Cambria’s community service organizations.

The Rotary Club would like to thank Laura Anthony, who successfully bid $850 for the Rotary Club entry and donated the tree back to be auctioned off again, and Karen Pelle won the Rotary tree with a bid of $500 the second time it went on the auction block.

The $1,350 raised by the Rotary Club of Cambria at the Festival of Trees auction will help fund college scholarships for graduating seniors at Coast Union High School and Leffingwell High School.

Self-reflection is good for the soul

A few comments regarding Mrs. Dickason’s letter to the Cambrian (Dec. 8, 2016), where she used the following words, “nastiness,” “denigrating” and “respect.”

I would challenge her to watch the Cambria Community Services District board meetings, when they are rerun, to see herself in action at the podium and see if her own words don’t have application. A little self-reflection is good for the soul.

Rice, Farmer a step forward for CCSD

I was out of town last Thursday, so could not make it to the Cambria Community Services District board meeting. Otherwise, I would have been there to support the initiative to ensure Amanda Rice be named board president.

Now, with Harry Farmer as a new director, an advocate for sane and frugal solutions, we might actually have a chance to redirect this sad state of affairs regarding the mismanagement of our resources, environment, and money.

Water plant gives confidence

For the first time this season on Friday, Dec. 9, Santa Rosa Creek began to flow under my bridge five miles east of Cambria. Rain saturated ground throughout the watershed, and welcome water is beginning to run off toward the ocean.

I thought this might be a good time to jog Cambria’s memory that we share this precious resource. Not only does this water supply the taps, showers and toilets in your homes, but a good rain season will return vigor to the local environment on the Central Coast. Ranches and farms that dot the notable landscape will also benefit.

My appeal to Cambrians is to remember that despite the welcome rain we are not out of this drought. Aquifers need much more to return to normal. Reading letters in this paper, I find that some of you are drought deniers. We never know what the future holds. Therefore, I support the Emergency Water Supply project. It will supply needed domestic water in the case things continue dry. The EWS also gives those of us surrounding town confidence in future supply. I realize there’s a cost but believe it represents the best future option.

Best wishes for the holidays from your neighbors who share our water.

This story was originally published December 21, 2016 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Cambrian letters to the editor, Dec. 22, 2016."