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I feel compelled to respond to George Blevins' “Open letter to Rep. Mike Thompson,” from Oct. 16.

As a 74-year-old, I too have been a longtime constituent of Rep. Thompson's congressional district and have spent my entire career in the health care and aging policy field.

As we prepare to go to the polls, I think it is more important than ever that voters get beyond the campaign rhetoric and go straight to the facts.

On Friday St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake received some big news - the hospital was awarded a $497,076 grant for health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Lake County.

This grant is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) Community Transformation Grants (CTG) to support public health efforts to reduce chronic diseases, promote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities and control health care spending in small communities.

Thompson promises federal safeguards

LAKE BERRYESSA â€" A community meeting that was at times contentious, bordering on unruly, fostered a dialogue Thursday night on what the future might hold for communities and recreation at the lake.

The meeting focused on the fate of the contractor in charge of six of the seven resorts at Lake Berryessa, and a proposal by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, for a national conservation area (NCA) whose boundaries would include the lake.

It is always difficult to summarize an hour and a half of spirited discussion. More than a hundred local area residents packed the Capell Valley Fire Station on Octobr 25th to discuss the future of the Lake Berryessa region. Thanks to the Lake Berryessa Chamber of Commerce for organizing this important meeting.

I feel compelled to respond Mr. George Blevins and his “Open letter to Rep. Mike Thompson” on Oct. 16. Let's get the facts straight.

First, I have talked with the congressman numerous times about his “Obamacare” vote. Not only did he read the legislation, he wrote an amendment to the House bill, and worked behind the scenes to strengthen the Senate bill that eventually became law.

I also received a great fact-versus-fiction newsletter from the congressman on Obamacare, which I encourage everyone to read. It's on his website.

It would be easy to endorse Mike Thompson for Congress because he is a St. Helena resident.

He grew up here, worked for Bob Pestoni as one of his first jobs, stayed in St. Helena while serving in the California Legislature and later in the U.S. House of Representatives, and still calls St. Helena home. He travels back and forth from Washington, D.C. nearly every weekend and few people are surprised to see him around town. His wife, Jan, works as a nurse at St. Helena Hospital and Mike is the embodiment of “our” local hometown boy.

BENICIA -- Aged and crumbling ships may be leaving the Suisun Bay "mothball" Reserve Fleet at a steady pace, but some of their value is being left behind.

Vallejo's California Maritime Academy, one of six state maritime schools nationwide, soon will see a nearly $400,000 funding influx, proceeds from the sale of the obsolete vessels. The new funding, $2.2 million overall, is due to a federal mandate requiring federal reinvestment into maritime schools.

Defiantly proud of this city, Mayor Osby Davis on Thursday commended the completion of Vallejo's waterfront parking structure as telling "the story of who we are and what we're going to be."

"Vallejo has come back from a lot," Davis said to an audience of several dozen atop the new multi-million dollar garage's pedestrian paseo, which opens to the public Monday. "To those who said we were dying, this is another heartbeat that shows you it's even stronger. We're not dead, and we're moving ahead."