Rio Nido Roadhouse requests letters of support -- please help!

I received the following letter (shown below) from Brad Metzger, owner of the Rio Nido Roadhouse. He NEEDS LETTERS OF SUPPORT from all of us who love the place. In addition to providing a live music venue, swimming pool, delicious food, & a fun place to hang out, the Rio Nido Roadhouse also supports our community in myriad ways. They've hosted fundraisers for our local schools, a community Easter Egg Hunt, neighborhood meetings, children's swimming lessons with instructors from the Santa Rosa YMCA, morning aquatic aerobics classes, & more.

PLEASE help them out by sending letters of support to 5th District Supervisor Efren Carrillo (ecarrillo@sonoma-county.org) & also send a copy (cc it) to Brad (bk_metzger@yahoo.com) so he can feel the love. If you're up for sending snail mail, mail it to: Rio Nido Roadhouse, Letter of Support, PO BOX 425, Guerneville, CA 95446.

Dear friends of the Rio Nido Roadhouse and Pool:

Recently, an unidentified person has started a campaign to stop live music at the Roadhouse. This person complained to the county, and in return, the County of Sonoma sent me two notices. The first demands that the outdoor stage be permitted or removed in thirty days. The stage was built in the late 1980's, without a recorded permit. Due to ADA and flood zone building requirements, a permit will not be issued as it is, and a permit will not be issued for a new one.

The second notice demands a cease and desist on our live music activities. That's a real shame considering the history of music in Rio nido. I have retained the services of a professional to help me navigate the county, and I have some legal help as well. I feel the the issues are not insurmountable.

This is where you come in. Very soon, I will find myself down at the county offices, in front of the planning commission and our supervisor Efren Carrillo, pleading my case for not tearing down the stage and for the continuance of music.

I would like to ask that you take ten minutes to write a letter to Supervisor Carriillo on behalf of the Rio Nido Roadhouse. Your letter should include any thoughts, feelings, and stories that involve you and your family's experiences at the Roadhouse and its previous incarnation, Rio Nido Bar & Pool. If you enjoy our music events or joined us for our Easter Egg hunt, Lu'au's, Family Hoe-down BBQ, Avon Walk for Life Breast Cancer Benefit, Chili Cook-off for Paco's glaucoma surgery, Spaghetti and Chili Cook-offs for the Monte Rio and Guerneville After School Programs, Family Marshmallow Roasts, memorial service for "PG+E Mike", weddings, for Dave and Debbie or Mark and Nancy, please make reference to those events. Any copies of photos that you could include would certainly go a long way to drive your points home.

I request your help as soon as possible due to the hard, simple fact that the Roadhouse and swimming pool business model are not sustainable without live music several nights a week,all year long. Remember, your families have known and loved this place for quite some time.

Please Mail your letters to:

Rio Nido Roadhouse, PO BOX 425, Guerneville, CA 95446

or Email Supervisor Carrillo directly at: ecarrillo@sonoma-county.org On emailed correspondence to Supervisor Carrillo, please copy me at bk_metzger@yahoo.com.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have at 707.869.0821.

On behalf of myself and the entire Roadhouse staff, Thank you very much.

Brad Metzger