Vouchers for Botched Trees

Well, I sure can relate to your story about PG&E and Davey Tree ("Hack Job," March 2). Thanks to the Johnny Appleseed efforts of a previous owner, our rural property is overflowing with aging pines and eucalyptus that grow like weeds. Every year, I go head-to-head with Davey Tree, and while they always want to chop, chop, chop, and I'm always urging restraint, I have to say that all in all they've done all right by me over the years. Also, in the past, PG&E has compensated us for removing or severely trimming trees with vouchers ($50 per tree) at Home Depot. Whether they still do this or not, I don't know.

I'm all for responsible tree trimming, but on the other hand, I'm not about to leave my day job for a spot on a PG&E repair crew during the next big storm.

Peter Daly

Sebastopol

Hold the Rabbit

I would have thrown your rabbit-as-cuisine piece ("Cottontail Club," March 2) on the floor in disgust, but my own pet rabbit was sleeping at my feet, and I didn't want to disturb her. Thanks for a useful article. Now I know which restaurants to avoid.

Lori Barron

Sonoma

Right On, D'Argenzio

This is a great article about a relevant topic ("Art Official Intelligence," March 2). I really wish more building owners in San Francisco would take this idea and allow the up-and-coming artists of the city to enliven the dead spaces that are otherwise falling to ruin and dust. It would be such a benefit for all.

Thanks for covering this topic!

Layil Umbralux

San Francisco

Local Yokels

Love the Boho's new, clean lines and brightly colored layout—but I have one rant I just have to express. You've cut off half of our local yokel voice!

I'm referring, of course, to the "Open Mic"—now a mere blip in the new "Rhapsodies" section. How can we locals scream out loudly or even just inform the uninformed about our mind-expanding insights and opinions with only a half (and a measly half) page?

Even the letters to the editor now have more space on their side of the page!

The new Culture (Clash) gets a whole page, and with all the emphasis on culture and dining, the Boho is starting to look suspiciously like San Francisco Chronicle-lite! Hmmm . . . How rather homogenous we're all starting to seem.

Linda Darnall

Sebastopol

Hi Linda—thanks for the feedback. The Open Mic section was always a half page, but now simply occupies half of a slightly smaller page. Our letters to the editor section has actually expanded, since our readers, like yourself, tend to submit their opinions largely in letters instead of formal Open Mic submissions. All told, that important screaming local-yokel voice is still represented just as much as in our older design—only now with more voices.

Glad you've noticed our culture and dining coverage. Please also enjoy our news story this week on U.S. Uncut's actions in San Francisco, which went entirely unreported by the Chronicle, as well as our cover feature on wineries' excessive use of groundwater, which the local daily has yet to investigate.

Dept. of Birth Names

While putting in long hours last week working on a cover-to-cover redesign of the Bohemian, some wayward tissue in our brains decided to redesign some people's names, as well. Namely, the program director for Youth Studios Sonoma County for the Imagine Bus Project is Brino Ism, not Bruno Ism. Moreover, the president of the Sonoma Beerocrats is Alan Atha, not Alan Altha. We can only surmise that U's and L's crept into the copy like soft light from a UL-rated lightbulb, settling in and making themselves at home. We hereby evict them, and regret the errors.

The Ed.

Sleepless in Santa Rosa

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