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A long, often bitter union organizing effort in Santa Rosa offered lessons in practical theology for both sides, and may have set some important precedents as well.
Adam ReichIn the early stages of the union organizing effort at Santa Rosa Memorial Hosptial, management sought to invoke religious considerations to oppose the campaign, reports Adam Reich, author of With God on Our Side, a new book about that campaign.
It took a while for the union representatives to find an effective counter-argument, Reich says, but when they did, it eventually became part of the contract they negotiated.
Santa Rosa Memorial HospitalAlthough the protracted organizing effort at Memorial Hospital didn't attract a lot of attention from outside this region, Reich suggests that it holds some lessons with much wider application—for both sides.
The Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa is hosting a book signing party with Adam Reich on Friday evening, June 1 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Several of the important figures from the organizing campaign are also due to attend.
The most famous bridge in America celebrated its 75th birthday over the weekend, but the most interesting aspects of its past are even older, in the details of its design, construction--even financing.
Kevin StarrAs a native San Franciscan, Kevin Starr has spent most of his life within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge, and seen it from just about every possible perspective, even from below while swimming beneath the span. But there is one vantage point he has not tried.
The building of the Golden Gate Bridge was a popular subject for photographers of the day, and many of their striking images have endured as popular posters today. Unsurprisingly, Starr has a favorite, seen below.
Predictions for a hot, dry summer across northern California are worrisome for fire-fighters and farmers, but could be good news for endangered salmon in the Russian River.
Ken Pimlott, California’s State Forester and the director of CalFire, says the number of wildfires requiring a response are up three times this year, compared with the same period last year. Since the year started with little to no rainfall, the ground and heavier, bushy plants are already drier than usual.
Pam Jeane, operations manager at the Sonoma County Water Agency, is expecting a good year for water. But, she says, residents still need to be conservation conscious. 
Demand has spiked in the last few weeks. A few sprinkler heads may need to be checked.
Fast-growing genetically engineered salmon could reduce food prices and ease pressure on wild fish. But are they safe for humans and the environment?
Allison Van EenennaamAquaBounty Technologies, the company behind the fast growing AquAdvantage Salmon, has sought regulatory approval since the early 1990s. After addressing the most serious safety and environmental concerns, the approval process is still stalled, causing some scientists such as Alison Van Eenennaam, University of California, Davis, to worry that the process has been driven more by politics than science.
The genetically modified AguaAdvantage salmon (at rear) grows far bigger in the same time than the natural Chinook in the foregroundRobert Streiffer, a professor of bioethcis at the University of Wisconsin, expresses some of his concerns about the AquAdvantage salmon, saying that safety compliance is hard to enforce and that, while inland aquaculture might be a good idea, genetic engineering is not best for the animal.
Keeping legally designated Open Space lands remain open isn't voluntary. But teams of volunteers play a central role in monitoring the properties' protections
Based in the town of Bodega, the Bodega Land Trust was formed by some of the landowners whose easements the trust now manages. Those properties are concentrated around Occidental and the coast, but Sharon Sadler, the BLT's Monitoring Coordinator, says they represent a considerable variety of habitats.
In May of each year, the Bodega Land Trust holds a training session for people interested in becoming a conservation easement monitor. Sadler spells out the details for this year's upcoming meeting.
Georgiana Hale, Conservation Easement Stewardship Manager for the Sonoma Land Trust, says property owners have varied reasons for choosing to implement a conservation easement.
