Didn't mean to diss recycling

As a member of the management team at Wine Bottle Recycling, LLC, we certainly appreciate the positive comments we have received regarding the excellent article on our wine-bottle reuse program featured in the Jan. 6 issue ("Bottle Blues").

Although members of our team made certain comments relative to recycling that appeared to be negative, we all know and understand that reuse is but one of many ways to improve our environment when it comes to glass bottles, and that includes recycling and newer light-weight bottles, to name a couple.

One of the strengths of our business plan is predicated on working with local recycling facilities. They have the infrastructure, delivery system and expertise to handle all facets of bringing a more green glass to the marketplace, whether it is for reuse or recycle. While experts in the field all agree that reuse is higher on the resource recovery hierarchy, both reuse and recycling share important and tangible environmental benefits, including significant energy savings and CO2 reductions. Both strategies create new local jobs and capture raw materials (and for glass containers with no loss of purity, quality or additional waste or by-products created) and therein lies the promise of a truly sustainable society. Any opportunity to recycle and save energy is certainly worth our time and effort.

Thanks for allowing me to make an important points regarding the importance of our entire recycling program for glass and other materials.

Bill Dodd

Wine Bottle Recycling, LLC

A giant wtf

After a couple reads of last week's article about Douglas Keane's civil suit against a Healdsburg teenager, I still have no idea what her gender has to do with the story ("Foie Gras Flap," Jan. 13). It really is a giant WTF. My memories of being a 16-year-old hetero, white, gender-conforming male are tough enough; I can't imagine how rough it would be to be outed in the local alt weekly just after being sued for a million bucks by a guy who has tried to peg you as a crazed fringe element.

I'm wondering about a couple other things also. Why didn't the Healdsburg police or Sonoma County DA pursue criminal charges for the alleged assault or the threatening emails? Why didn't the article even mention the million dollar punitive damages aspect of the suit Mr. Keane's legal team filed? Last time I checked, a restraining order is a pretty easy thing to get, especially if there is a pattern of intimidation. Going after a teenager for a million bucks with a high-priced legal team seems kind of excessive. That law enforcement didn't go after these charges also says something.

And finally, even though foie gras got top billing in the headline, there was no description of why it's controversial or what a vet would be doing at a farm that raises birds for foie gras. Enlighten me. I'm a power-dynamics and social-movements guy, and I could give a crap about yuppie grub. This is your chance to get me to read about food, and you're blowing it.

Ben Saari

Santa Rosa

Queer identities

I wanted to let readers of and writers for this publication know that using the word "transvestite" with regard to a minor who may or may not be "out" to their family or community is not OK. It is a violation of privacy. I am not involved in this case and don't have feelings about foie gras one way of another, but I object strongly to the possible defamation of the young person in question. We need to be sensitive to the fact that there are differences between transvestites, transsexuals and transgendered people. Use the correct term when appropriate for an adult or for someone who wishes to be identified in this way. The tone of the article uses the word "transvestite" as a weapon to show that the young activist is some how unhinged. I wish that the Bohemian, of all publications, would be more sensitive to queer identities in future.

Rachel Icaza

Santa Rosa

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