It takes a village to make a town

I read Gabe Meline's article on Body or Brain, and the investigation you did into the burgeoning Napa scene really impressed me ("Rock Among the Vineyards," May 13). It's great to see the Bohemian paying attention to changes in our community's culture. You've given the bands in Napa a broader voice in the community. I only hope that others in similar situations can learn from their struggle and fruitful persistence. 

That being said, I must emphasize the unfairness of crediting me for organizing the Battle of the Bands. An entire committee of young Napans came together to orchestrate this opportunity— all of them representing a variety of artistic inclinations (theater, film, photography, music, writing and visual design, among others). The idea stemmed from Wandering Rose's mission to promote Napa's pop, indie and experimental art scenes, and the actual event happened by pooling the resources of a group.  

We believe that by representing ourselves honestly, showing respect for the community, and taking responsibility for our actions, we can create space for multitudinous arts and cultures within the Napa Valley. Many, even locals, wouldn't think of Napa as a hub of progressive art, but I think they'd catch their tongue if they came to any of our events to see the diversity of voices and genres. 

There are many great businesses and leaders in the community that have taken us in and shown us their support in this effort. For Wandering Rose, the Napa Valley Battle of the Bands is the first step toward establishing a healthy working relationship between local artists and respected Napa businesses. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Napa Valley Opera House, Napa School of Music and daSilva Records for making this first step a big one. In many other ways, businesses and organizations like Arts Council Napa Valley, Oxbow Public Market, Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company, Rockzilla and Billco's have also shown their support for the arts culture. We want to pay our respects and continue to work hard to build a self-sustaining arts scene.

That's a long way of saying thank you. To all you Napans: If you think Napa is like the town in Footloose, take a lesson from Kevin Bacon and do something about it.

Olivia Everett, wandering rose
Napa

Big green butt

Regarding the Cloverdale Seventh Annual Sculpture Exhibit: Most people in the area are enjoying the sculptures in the Plaza. It's a big thing for the town, and visitors come because the exhibit draws in submissions from good artists, has great judges and is well done.

This year, there's a tad bit of controversy with a few uptight residents. You see, one of the piece's plump, chartreuse derriere is hanging out facing the main street. The piece was done by M. C. Carolyn and is titled The Listener.

Hopefully it'll draw even more people out to see the big green butt, and the rest of the great pieces, of course.

Kat
Cloverdale

 

Get Behind those chicks!

If out-of-state egg producers don't want their eggs to rot away in the supermarkets, they should at least give their hens enough space to spread their wings. California voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition 2 because we believe that it's unethical to cram birds in tiny, filthy cages. For that reason, we should support AB 1437—the bill that will require out-of-state egg companies to comply with our more humane standards. I believe that the best way to help hens is to not buy eggs at all, but if AB 1437 passes, it will help lessen the suffering of countless hens around the country, and that's something everyone, everywhere, can get behind.

Laura Frisk
Encinitas

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