Santa Rosa Wastwater Discharge Hearings NOW

Please scroll down to previous post Santa Rosa Wastewater Discharge EIR Ready to Read for the full story - here are current updates and the Hearing Schedule:


BPU Certified EIR with Unanimous Vote - October 2, 2008. Many residents and experts on river health came to speak. We tried to convince the BPU Board that the most recent changes in the EIR reagarding the Steelhead Beach discharge site needed more time for study - but the board said no. Sonoma County Regional Parks objected to their park as a discharge site, submitted a letter from Director Mary Burns that both Regional Parks and Fish and Game had not been properly informed nor part of the process, but even that failed to sway the board from certifying the EIR. NEXT: Project selection. Although BPU insists that the Laguna is the preferred discharge site, there still needs to be pressure to protect Steelhead Beach. The most recent plans to bring the pipeline further down River Road before cutting over to the Russian River just upstream from Children's Beach, is still unaccaptable to Russian River advocates. If you have thoughts on this subject - this next meeeting is imporant to attend.

BPU Study Session re: Project Selection - November 6, 2008
BPU has a study session at their regular meeting. They will probably take public comments at this meeting as well, but no decision would be made at this meeting.

SR Council Review Study Session Results - November 18, 2008 (about 5 PM) This discussion with probably have time for the public to speak. No decision would be made here.

BPU Project Selection/Approval - December 4, 2008 This is the meeting where they will select a project. This is the last chance for comments and public testimony.

Seasonal Storage Project:

Final EIR available for Review - October 6, 2008
BPU considers EIR Certification - October 16, 2008

The meetings where certification will be considered are held during Board of Public Utilities (BPU) meetings in the Santa Rosa Council Chamber, 100 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa.
All meetings will be at 1:30 PM, *except the October 2nd meeting, which will be at 5 PM. Confirm agenda and schedule at http://www.SRCity.org/BPU.

10/7 UPDATE: Information about the Seasonal Storage Project (SSP) and the availability of
the Final EIR follows below.

The SSP Final EIR is available for review October 6.
Available online at www.SRCity.org/SeasonalStorage under
<http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/utilities/irwp/storage/Pages/studies
_reports.aspx> Studies & Reports.

The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) meeting at which certification will be
considered is being held at 5 PM* in the Santa Rosa Council Chamber, 100
Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa.

(*Note meeting time change to 5 PM) Confirm agenda and schedule at
http://www.SRCity.org/BPU.

Where you can find copies of the SSP FINAL EIR:

The Final SSP EIR (as well as the Discharge Compliance Project EIR) will be
available for review at Sonoma County Branch Libraries in Santa Rosa,
Rohnert Park/Cotati, Sebastopol, and Windsor and on the project Web site at
www.SRCity.org/IRWP.

The Final EIRs, appendices and reference material cited in the Final EIRs
will also be available for review at the Laguna Plant Library, located at
4300 Llano Road, Santa Rosa. Hard copies and CDs of the Final EIRs will be
available for purchase by calling ARC at 707.579.9096.

If you have any questions please call 707.836.0300.


NEW NOTES 9/30/08
Mark Millan called to say he has received some panic concerns and questions from people - this is his summary to allay fears:

The Laguna Site is noted in the EIR as the Environmentally Superior Alternative meaning it has the fewest or least significant effects on the environment. See pages 1-10 and 11 of the EIR. Steelhead Beach (Site D1) would be 20 to 30 times more costly (140 to 174 million) than the Laguna site.

The Russian River would not be closed for any period of time if they chose the Steelhead Beach site (D1) - they would use what is called a Coffer Dam that holds water back from where they are working - forcing the river around the dam - not stopping the flow.

Santa Rosa is in serious budget crisis - like the rest of the world - and simply doesn't have the resources to do a large scale project. But - they have to meet NCRWCB regulations for oxygen and temperature, thus the study and project. Plus CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) requires they study a range of feasible projects.

Calpine (The Geysers) would like just about every drop of water Santa Rosa creates so discharge would only be necessary in wet years when there is too much water coming through the treatment plant.

Leaky Pipes - they finally heard Brenda - are being fixed at a very slow rate - but have increasingly been recognized as a major source of inflow into the treatment plant.

Moving the Steelhead project site up River Road was intended to reduce the environmental impacts to the area. Steelhead Beach and Osprey Trail. - CEQA requires impacts to be avoided where possible.

Reverse Osmosis, also known as Advanced Membrane Treatment (AMT) facilities were reviewed in the EIR for each proposed discharge site including at the Laguna. Consideration for using AMT as a strategy to meet regulatory compliance is evaluated in the EIR and you can find it in the Draft EIR in Volume 4 of 6; Section 3.3.3., on page 51.

Also see Volume 6 of 6, TM-D10 Advance Membrane Treatment Evaluation, which
goes in to great detail how this type of treatment could be used.

All available on line at:
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/utilities/irwp/discharge/Pages/studies_reports.aspx

Source:
Mark Millan
Public Information Coordinator
www.SRCity.org/IRWP
707.836.0300
EM: millan@DataInstincts.com

COMMENTS from Brenda Adelman 9/30/08

Much of what Mark has written is basically correct and what I have been saying for years. What he doesn’t say is why they want concerned citizens to back off just as the big decision is going to be made. They are feeling the heat from concerned citizens now who have been alerted to their pending decisions.

The City has already removed five options from this proposal and were asked repeatedly to take this one off as well and they refused. They are now working very hard to get people in the community to back off at a critical juncture. Yet, the City has spent six years and about $16 million planning this direct discharge into the Russian River. Does it make sense that they would back off this easily?

Mark is a very nice man, but the City is absolutely not to be trusted in this. They have a long history of spinning and ignoring, etc. things we have been saying for years. Why is it, at this critical point in time, they are all of a sudden agreeing with us? Why are trying to diffuse public interest in the up coming decisions that will have very significant legal implications that will seal our fate on river discharge? It is imperative that the people speak out now and not buy into these empty assurances. Until the meetings/hearings are held and the votes are counted, we have NO assurance that what he says will happen.

Brenda

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Readers Endorse Candidates and Share Opinions

This is a collection of LETTERS I have received since the September 18th issue of WCG. The particular collection refers to the upcoming election for Board of Supervisors. For Letters that refer to material in that edition, please go to the HOME PAGE at http://www.westcountygazette.com/, click on CURRENT EDITION and scroll down to the Table of Contents to the LETTERS pages. - V


Dear Vesta,
I read Tom Lynch’s letter accusing Rue Furch’s campaign of slandering, misrepresenting and trying to destroy Efren Carrillo (his words, not mine) in the race for Fifth District Supervisor. Although Lynch’s letter was passionate, it didn’t ring true with me. I know Rue and I have worked for her campaign. In all the time I have spent with her and her supporters, I have never heard any of them speak in a way to “destroy” or badmouth Efren or his character. Quite the opposite, my sense is that Rue and her supporters highly respect Efren and find him to be a personable, charismatic, and intelligent opponent.

I think what Tom Lynch may be sensing, is not so much something that the Furch campaign is doing, but the fact that there are a number of us who live in 5th District who recognize that Efren is strongly supported by powerful groups who, in the past, have lobbied hard against issues we supported. For example, Efren is supported by groups who fought hard to defeat the GE-free initiative and also strongly opposed badly needed riparian (creek) protections during public hearings for the General Pan 2020 Update. Lynch is right when he says West County voters aren’t naive, because people like me, who actually attend Board of Supervisor and Sonoma County Planning Commission hearings, know that the very groups who support Efren are powerful opponents of the environment.

Efren has told me personally that “he will listen” to all sides of an issue before making a decision. This is admirable, but it is not the listening I am worried about, it is the decisions he will make if elected as Supervisor. The 5th District has historically been the most left leaning of the five Board of Sups seats and this is because the 5th District constituency is also the most left leaning. Important land use decisions are ultimately decided by the Board of Sups. For example, if elected, I am concerned how Efren would determine “substantial benefit” on Preservation Ranch, one of the worst environmental and precedent setting (agricultural conversion of timber to vineyard) projects to come before the County in a long time.

Rue is overwhelmingly supported by those of us in the environmental community. Rue has concerns about water, sustainability, the environment, health care, worker benefits and quality of life that are similar to many of us who live here. Rue has a 16 year voting record on the Planning Commission where she has proved herself as a knowledgeable, capable and experienced decision maker. She is supported by the current Supervisor Mike Reilly who has done a great job for 11 years supporting 5th District interests on the Board. It may also interest 5th District voters that Rue is supported by both the United Farm Workers and Centro Laboral de Graton (Graton Labor Hall).

Simply put, although Efren represents himself as “environmental” (in the 5th District it would be political suicide not to), he is strongly supported by groups who are not. He is also young, inexperienced, politically green and does not have a voting record I can look at to figure out where he really stands on the issues that are important to me. In my opinion, Efren is a wild card, and I really have no idea how he will vote if elected.

In the coming years, I would be delighted to see Efren represent the 5th District on a commission, like the Planning Commission, as Rue has done, so we can see what this ambitious young man is all about. But with the facts at hand, I feel that Rue is hands down the best qualified and the more transparent of the two candidates. Please consider supporting her with your vote in November.

Jo Bentz
Sebastopol

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Dear Editor:

When I read Jo Bentz' letter in this weeks Sonoma West Times and News regarding the campaign tactics of her candidate, Rue Furch, I did so with disbelief. Ms Bentz stood in my front yard prior to the primary last Spring and did exactly the bad mouthing about Efren Carrillo and his supposed backing by “evil” business interests that she claims she has never seen or heard in her time in the campaign!

Wow! I've no doubt that Ms. Bentz has good intentions...but the way to elect someone that you believe in should not be to tear down the other candidate and then claim that it never happens...

Efren Carrillo is an intelligent young man with a background that includes political experience, an environmental policy degree from UC Berkeley, and community service in the areas of health care and Santa Rosa's gang task force. The fact that he has support from the business community should only strengthen his desirability. These are the people who write our paychecks and make tough economic decisions on a daily basis...

Watching Efren at our local candidates night, he struck me as energetic, knowledgeable, brave, and open...I believe that he'll be a fine advocate for our district and nobody's pawn.

It is the fact that Ms. Furch showed poor business acumen in her decision to withold property taxes for 5 years and thus incur high penalties and jeopardize her home that makes her unqualified to be our Supervisor. Our County is a leading employer, and their huge budget requires oversight by intelligent people with stamina and business acumen in these very scary economic times.

Efren Carrillo is the most qualified candidate for this vital position in our county government.

Susan Upchurch
Graton

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Dear Editor,

On Sept. 16th, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, with two strokes of the pen, showed us the future of Sonoma County, if voters don’t elect Rue Furch and Shirlee Zane for Supervisors in the 5th and 3rd Districts.

First, the Supervisors passed an ordinance that raises the limit on campaign contributions from $1,000 to up to $5,000 per year, to take effect after the final filing date for public disclosure before the election in November. This change of the rules will disproportionately benefit candidates whose supporters have deep pockets: the natural resource-extraction and big development companies supporting Efren Carrillo and Sharon Wright for Supervisor. By establishing the effective date of October 16th, the supporters of these two candidates, who have already maxed out their $1,000 donation limit, would be able to pour as much as an additional $440,000 into those campaigns in the last 19 days before the election. There would be no public disclosure about the identity of the corporations and special financial interest making the contributions until after the election.

Second, the Supervisors completed the picture by giving permission to Syar Industries (a big contributor to Wright’s campaign) to resume gravel mining in the Russian River, despite the fact that their permit ran out in 2006. Retiring Supervisor Tim Smith, who endorses Sharon Wright, voted for Syar’s request. Retiring Supervisor Mike Reilly, who endorses Rue Furch, voted against the request, joined by Supervisor Valerie Brown. If Wright and Carrillo are elected in November to join business-interest-controlled Supervisors Kelley and Kerns, our County Supervisors will tear up the current vision of Sonoma County and replace it with one of gravel mines, rock quarries, industrial vineyards, and rampant commercial real estate developments without restrictions.

Sonoma County is at a crossroads. If you do not want to have “drill baby drill”, “log baby log”, “convert the forests to subdivisions”, privatization of pubic works, services and the commons, then Act Now to protect the quality of life in Sonoma County. Please get involved.
Volunteer and vote for Rue Furch - rue@ruefurchforsupervisor.com and Shirlee
Zane-shirlee@zaneforsupervisor.com

Lynn Hamilton
Chair, Progressive Democrats Sonoma County
Occidental

---------------------------------------------

Dear Editor:

It was interesting to read Tom Manure Man Lynch’s response to Scott Kersnar’s condemnation of candidate Carrillo for alleged ills as a stealth candidate for land rapers, in stream gravel miners, and timber fallers. Since Manure Man raised the spectacle of Ernie Carpenter working on the former Preservation Ranch land as an example of how his candidate is not controlled by nefarious interest because Rue Furch is supported by Ernie and after all he worked on a project that didn’t presumably meet environmental muster. Got it?

Firstly, the conversion project was for 5,000 acres of which roughly 2,500 was bare land and exempt from forest practice rules as there was no standing timber. This includes the land that Preservation Ranch has converted and already planted into vineyards. So, the net effect is that for a 2,500 acre conversion of marginal forest, there was to be extensive controls on 80,000 acres in two counties. That is, the ability to plan 80,000 acres to protect water sheds, do forest renovations, game trails, and so on. Then, 400 existing parcels were to be reduced to 40 parcels. All oak forest and streams including Class 3 were to be protected by easements. I continue to be interested in seeing if Preservation Ranch meets this stringent mitigation and raises the bar on preservation. It is a rare opportunity to plan a large unit to the betterment of the environment and the bar must be high. Oh, the former owner sold 20,000 acres of timber at lower than market to a community based trust in Willits, leaving 60,000 acres sold to Preservation Ranch.

As to "being naive enough to believe the big lie "about his candidate as Manure Man characterizes it, I respond, "Follow the money." Regardless of what any candidate says about position or what any other person states for them, the source of campaign money is a tell-tell sign in the twisting winds of politics. Money from development interest, gravel operators and timber companies do not find a candidate by accident. I am supporting Rue Furch because she is tried and true in the world of environmental politics.

Sincerely,
Ernie Carpenter
Sebastopol

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Open letter to Efren Carillo,

Dear Efren,

When you and Rue Furch appeared together at a candidate's night in Monte Rio, she stepped back and made you take the first shot at answering the opening question. Why? Because during the primary election she had gotten very tired of giving informed answers and hearing all the other candidates take tutelage from her on the crucial issues for the West County. But this time, by making you go first, Rue was able to follow you with a more informed answer. After that Monte Rio debate, I heard listeners say that while they found you very likeable, you obviously knew less than Rue.

I want to remind you of something your friend Sharon Wright said. Sharon has been around for a long time, as mayor of Santa Rosa, as a member with Rue of the Planning Commission, as a friend of the developers in her long tenure with the Sonoma County Alliance. She has been an unwavering ally of your handler Nick Tibbets and the other professional lobbyists of the upstream developer community. Taking aim at her current opponent, Sharon said a supervisor's job is not for rookies. If that's true in Santa Rosa, it is far truer out here in the West County.

Let me stress that you are a nice guy, Efren, a decent guy, and I hope you will stay involved in county politics for a long time. I understand you are an expert kick boxer, so I'd always want to be on your side in a dark alley. But right now I don't want you for my supervisor. Why not? For the same reason I'd look for a surgeon, rather than a promising medical student, if I needed an operation.

What we need in the Fifth District is a supervisor who doesn't have to be tutored, who will stand up to the Sharon Wrights of the world, not one who plants his election signs next to hers, as you do. Sharon Wright supports you, so that means some rookies are okay with her, as long as the rookie is willing to be a cooperative member of a voting block that puts the interests of upstream developers ahead of the West County's. If our Fifth District supervisor should turn out to be a good team player in a Santa Rosa voting bloc on the Board of Supervisors, that's bad news for us. We need a supe who's on OUR team, not theirs, because upstream development will always be a potential threat to our environment, our tourism and our health.

If it ever came time to make Sharon, Nick and the Sonoma County Alliance furious with you, would you do that? I really doubt it, Efren. At critical moments your knee has seemed to jerk in the wrong direction. Here's a case in point: When you showed up at Steelhead Beach and talked to concerned citizens who were gathering signatures on a petition to head off plans to use it as a wastewater discharge site, you shook hands all around. Then you took a petition home with you, but you didn't sign it. That says more than you can take back, though by now you may have signed one. What you should have done, what we expect our supervisor to do in protecting our Russian River, is say, "Over my dead body!" to a proposal like that sewage discharge plan. Rue Furch wouldn't tolerate that plan for a split second. But you went off to study the matter. Only after it became clear that the agencies would turn thumbs down on that discharge site did you say you flatly oppose the plan. You can't be our leader, Efren, if you don't step out in FRONT on an issue like that. Sometimes you can't hesitate before you start kicking the right butts.

Lets talk sustainability. When you've come from Santa Rosa to campaign over here, I've heard you say you are for a sustainable environment, for sustainable agriculture, for a sustainable economy. But when asked what you would actually DO to promote sustainability your answers are extremely vague. For years Rue had worked to encourage healthy and profitable farming practices by protecting agricultural zoning. Why? Because developers and farmers alike love flat land.

If you want to sustain agriculture, that means you defend it from development. Are you prepared to do that? If you are, don't let the Farm Bureau hear you say so, because they want a supervisor who will work to change the zoning for them any time they want to stop farming and start building subdivisions there instead. Agribusiness people like short-term profits as much as Wall Street does. Sustainability is a dirty word to the Farm Bureau, as their positions on past ballot measures have shown. To prove you are in favor of sustainability, what are you prepared to DO, Efren? Since the Farm Bureau had such an important role in creating your candidacy, sustainability is not likely to stay very high on your agenda. Rue, on the other hand, has worked hard over the years to preserve sustainable agriculture. That's why upstream developers and corporate agriculture are fighting so hard to defeat her.

Look, you're nice, and Rue is nice. If this election is about niceness, it's a dead heat. But there's more at stake here than a popularity contest. This is a contest about electing a supervisor who will protect the West County. Rue will do that. I see no concrete evidence that you would, because to do that, sometimes you'd have throw some hard political punches at your developer friends.

Scott Kersnar
Guerneville

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Rue Furch essay on Maintaining Sonoma County Roads

During the Primary and now in preparation for the November election of our new District Supervisors, I have invited candidates to express their views on topics they feel are important to voters. This is one of Rue Furch's essays, this one published in the September 18th edition of WCG. Please read Shirlee Zane's and Efren Carillo's essays as well. Links to their web sites are included in these web essays. - V

Routes to Recovery or Roads to Ruin?

Western Sonoma County has more than its share of older roads that have been neglected. Winter potholes create craters big enough to cause car damage or accidents. For years, maintenance has fallen farther and farther behind. The situation is so bad that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission says Sonoma County roads have the worst “pavement condition index” of all the over 100 Bay Area cities and counties.

As your West County Supervisor, a top priority will be getting our fair share of tax dollars for West County roads, improving rural public transit and ensuring safe student and pedestrian walkways and bike trails.

Sonoma County spends $18.8 million annually on county roads, including growth areas like the County Airport and Industrial Park. Yet when residents of rural Joy Road objected to the rapid collapse of their public road, the County tossed it back saying they may need to create their own tax assessment district to fix their road! That is not an option for residents who rely on public streets to be useable and safe. The County can’t just walk away from street maintenance obligations, particularly if they keep approving development on those same roads.

Where is our Fair Share?

Passage of Measure M approved an increase in sales tax to pay for road improvements. But west Sonoma County is being shortchanged. Forty-five percent of Measure M taxes go to rail and Highway 101 projects, which does little for West County. Measure M allocates 34 percent of the money it collects for local road, transit, bike, and pedestrian uses. But the bulk of that goes into the cities, with rural West County competing for its share.

The biggest road project in the 5th District is improving the Highway 12/Fulton Road intersection, but it does a lot more for Santa Rosa than West County. Bottom line, only 4% of Measure M road project funds dribble their way west of the Laguna de Santa Rosa to projects on River Road, Bodega Highway and the Forestville Bypass. Only 6% of the bike/pedestrian money reaches rural West County.

There are ways to bring more funds into the West County.

As Supervisor, I’ll work to allocate road repair funds to target public safety and substandard roads. The present system distributes repair money based only upon population and miles of road. It doesn’t consider how old or safe the roads actually are - and that stacks the deck against the West County.

As Supervisor, I won’t let developers off the hook for traffic impacts and long-term road repair. With Alice in Wonderland logic, the County says that if the traffic in an area is already bad, then projects that only add 5% more traffic won’t have a cumulative impact that has to be mitigated. As your Supervisor, I will make new development participate directly in fixing road problems, instead of just tossing the money into the County road fund.

And as your Supervisor, I will work to get especially bad sections of rural County roads declared substandard for safety or structural failure, and restrict any new projects that will add significant truck traffic to those roads until a correction plan is in place and funded.

I will go after special funding that fits the needs of our area. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has public transportation funds for areas like the Russian River with a high proportion of low-income households. Local agencies and non-profits can partner to qualify for those funds. As your Supervisor, I will work to build partnerships to bring in resources that are tailored for our circumstances.

I will work for a bigger percentage of Measure M funds for West County. When the Measure M package was assembled, it allocated 5% for rail as a stopgap until the SMART train had other funding. If a SMART tax measure is approved, that Measure M money can go to expand transit services to give the rural West County residents better access to the SMART train and a more useful transportation system.

Safe roads, sidewalks, paths and bikeways, and adequate transit must be a top priority for West County. It will be a top priority for me as your West County Supervisor.

Rue Furch
Candidate for 5th District Supervisor
www.ruefurch.com

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REAL Change in Campaign '08

I pulled this essay off a national news web site because I think it has value for many readers. Seth Freeman is a professor of conflict management at New York University's Stern School of Business and Columbia Business School. He's asking us to ‘‘Stop hating the other party.’’ - V

Real change in campaign '08: Stop hating the other party.

By Seth Freeman

As angry and politically active as I am this presidential election, I'm starting to notice a problem as I fight for my side: The more engaged I am and the more the polls seesaw, the more I find I have an ugly desire to see the worst in the other side. The technical term for this condition is hate.

Maybe you've had a bit of the same problem?

Try this experiment: Imagine that last week you read a report that the candidate you oppose did something truly awful – assaulted someone, took a bribe – something like that. The polls swing toward your side. Then, today, you learn it's untrue – the candidate is innocent. How do you feel? Disappointed? I think I know the feeling. It's a bad sign.

Here's why: Hate has the annoying tendency to turn into hypocrisy. I laugh with glee when my side catches the other's lies and follies. To a point, that's healthy and cathartic.

But you don't hear me laughing when the other side returns the favor. Then I discount the point and quietly fume at the attack itself. Don't they understand our side is the good one?

And so it goes: They smear us; we uncover the truth about them. They have corrupt contributors; we're creating a badly needed war chest. Their moral difficulties are untenable; ours, if any, are excusable.

Hate also kills thinking. In 2004, my wife and I did a simple exercise with some of our liberal and conservative friends.

We asked each to imagine seeing their side from the other's perspective. "We're not asking you to agree with them," we said, "we're just asking if you can understand them."

Though our friends were educated, compassionate, and capable of great empathy, they found our request impossible. "I can't," they said. "Maybe I should, but I can't. They're just crazy – or evil." Perhaps you felt that way recently as you watched one of the conventions. "Who are those people?"

Why do politics alienate us? It's true we are more polarized now than we once were, but there never was an idyllic age when politics was kind and gentle. It has always been prone to verbal viciousness, and I think I know one reason why: Physical violence is a no-no.

Politics is a field of battle where bloodshed is discouraged, but much is allowed. At its best, politics can ennoble us; more often, it makes us smaller, and there's nothing new about that. In the 1800 presidential campaign, Thomas Jefferson paid a journalist to publish claims his opponent and friend, John Adams, was deranged.

An inconvenient truth of the political heart is that it's prone to bring out in us the very things we say we hate about the other side. "We have met the enemy," said Pogo, "and he is us." That's true even if we say we want hope and change, and it's true even if we say we believe in loving our enemies.

In warning about hatred, am I buying in to naive rhetoric about ending partisan politics? Insisting that, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?" Hardly.

A Far Side cartoon captures the danger of mere niceness well: "Although skilled with their pillow arsenal, the Wimpodites were favorite targets of Viking attacks." What then?

Fight hard and well. My wife and I discovered something odd about politics recently: Good political activism – as opposed to sitting around stewing with rage – gave us a measure of peace. If our side won, we rejoiced, knowing we'd helped a little; if it lost, we mourned without bitterness, while acquaintances who'd sat on the sidelines stewed.

I've also learned something recently from Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps: anger can be fuel. I plan to be active this season. And I aim to win.

But can I fight hard without damaging my heart, my relationships, or the country I claim to love?

Borrowing from two astute politicians, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Abraham Lincoln, I'm looking for ways to want good things for the other side, see the good in them, and genuinely see the force of their arguments.

Easy to say, hard to do, but I'm trying. I don't think that means I have to give up my favorite comedians; it does mean checking facts. (Factcheck.org, anyone?)

Even more, it means watching out for the times when I'm savoring bad reports about the other side, thinking, "now we've got you, you @#$&!"

Think of it as a kind of counterinsurgency. Or a response to another, more serious, inconvenient truth.

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Vote No on Prop 8 - Equality for All

WCG reader (and columnist) Tish Levee writes on the ‘‘the ultimate rite of love and commitment’’ - a RIGHT for everyone to enjoy. There will be a mobilization event at Congregation Shomrei Torah, 2600 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, Oct. 5th, from 3-5 P.M, presented by the lgbt alliance of the Jewish Community Federations of the Bay area.


Equality for All Vote No on Prop 8

by Tish Levee

Pioneer activists married
‘Freedom to Marry’ came just in time for Del Martin. “We’re not getting any younger,” the long time lesbian activist said, a few days before she and her partner of 55 years became the first same-sex couple to legally wed in California. Mayor Gavin Newsom married them at 5:07 P.M. on June 16th. Less than three months later, when Del Martin died at 87, he ordered the flags at City Hall lowered to half-mast. Her widow, Phyllis Lyon, 83, said, "Ever since I met Del…I could never imagine a day would come when she wouldn't be by my side…[or that] there would be a day that we would actually be able to get married,…I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed."

These two women were finally able to marry when the California Supreme Court overturned Proposition 22, in response to a suit brought by them and others. Proposition 22, passed in 2000, declared, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The Court’s 4-3 decision ruled that people have a fundamental 'right to marry' the person of their choice and that gender restrictions violate the state Constitution's equal protection guarantee.

Proposition 8––a re-run of Proposition 22
Now Proposition 8––the “Protection of Marriage” amendment to the State Constitution, using the same definition of marriage as Proposition 22––is challenging that decision. The arguments offered for Proposition 8, as were those for Proposition 22, bear a striking resemblance to the arguments made in favor of anti-miscegenation laws prohibiting inter-racial marriages. The California Supreme Court, in a precedent setting ruling, declared those laws unconstitutional just sixty years ago. For 65 years a string of post-Reconstruction judicial precedents had upheld these laws, some of which dated back to 1664. In the California Supreme Court’s ruling, Chief Justice Roger Traynor stated, "A member of any of these races may find himself barred by law from marrying the person of his choice and that person to him may be irreplaceable. [italics added]" "Human beings," he continued, "are bereft of worth and dignity by a doctrine that would make them as interchangeable as trains." "The right to marry," Traynor insisted, "is the right of individuals, not of racial groups." Finally in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, “…restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the Equal Protection Clause." By and large, Americans adjusted remarkably quickly to the new judicial consensus that interracial marriage, like marriage itself, was, "a basic civil right,” as Chief Justice Earl Warren insisted. However, opposition to interracial marriage didn’t end overnight––Alabama only removed laws against it from the constitution in 2000, the year Proposition 22 passed in California
Sound Familiar?

In post-Reconstruction judicial rulings against interracial marriages, some of the same arguments, now being used to argue against same-sex marriage, were used again and again, especially that interracial marriage was contrary to God’s will and was “unnatural.”

Despite efforts beginning as early as 1913, there was little movement on this issue until civil rights groups began challenging these laws. The first group to do so was a small but very effective pressure group, the Catholic Interracial Council of Los Angeles, founded in 1946. They argued that anti-miscegenation laws violated the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. Today, many denominations and religious leaders support the rights of same-sex couples to wed, and, therefore, it would seem clear that laws prohibiting their marriages violate their religious freedom, too.

Protection of Marriage––what does that mean?
Proposition 8 is entitled “The Protection of Marriage Act” by its proponents; in 2000, Proposition 22 was called “The Defense of Marriage Act”. How does denying anyone the right to marry ‘protect marriage?’ The freedom to marry, implicit in the constitution, is as sacred a right as freedom of speech or freedom of worship. In their ballot argument Proposition 8 proponents assert, that, “Marriage is at the core of family security and is an essential element in our society. The [California] Supreme Court effectively rendered marriage meaningless at a time when we should be taking steps to strengthen families.”

Marriage is an essential element in our society, and we do need to strengthen families. However, I fail to understand how the legal marriage of loving, committed same-sex couples can be a threat to anyone else’s marriage. The California Supreme Court’s ruling repeatedly invoked the words "respect and dignity,” framing the marriage question as one deeply affecting couples and their children. In 2000 California had more than 100,000 same-sex families, with 58,000 children.

Like freedom of religion and freedom of speech, the freedom to marry is fundamental to our society. As the No on 8 ballot argument states, “Marriage…conveys dignity and respect to the lifetime commitment of any couple…committed and loving couples who want to accept the responsibility (italics added) that comes with marriage should be treated like everyone else.” Regardless of how you feel about marriage -- for straight or gay and lesbian couples -- it’s wrong to single out one group of Americans and prevent them from having access to the same rights and responsibilities as their fellow citizens.

For more information go to http://noonprop8.com/home. While you are there, you can also take the” Vow to Vote No.”

There will be a mobilization event at Congregation Shomrei Torah, 2600 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, Oct. 5th, from 3-5 P.M, presented by the lgbt alliance of the Jewish Community Federations of the Bay area.

© Copyright Tish Levee, 2008. All rights reserved

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Whole Foods, Sebastopol supports Ceres Project

Ceres Project is a wonderful cooperative effort engaging the efforts of young cooks who prepare nutritious meals for people in need. To learn more about the Project - please visit their web site - link below. To help contribute to this project, please shop at Whole Foods Sebastopol from September 29th through December 28th.

Whole Foods Sebastopol has selected the Ceres Project to be the recipient of the Envirocents Program from September 29 to December 28th. This is a great opportunity for us to raise money, but even more to spread the word about our work.

There will be posters in the store featuring Ceres, and our logo will be on the change boxes at each register.

Folks can choose to put their extra change in the boxes, and all of the bag donations will also come to us.

Whole Foods is also giving us three opportunities to table in front of the stores. We will be there on Sunday, October 19 from 11 - 1, and again on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and again in December.

Here's what you can do:

1. Spread the word among your circles and encourage them to take their bags to Whole Foods and to donate their change to us via the change boxes.

2. Put notices up on WACCO and in other newsletters you have access to.

3. Shop at Whole Foods often, take your own bags with you, and donate that $0.05 to Ceres.

4. Help out by volunteering to table October 19, November 23, or pick a date in December.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

And here's the complete story:

Whole Foods Envirocents Program Helps Get Meals to Local Cancer Survivors

Grab your reusable grocery bag and head to Whole Foods in Sebastopol to help a local non-profit that’s touching a lot of lives with the healing power of food. From now through the end of December, The Ceres Community Project will be the beneficiary of Whole Foods-Sebastopol’s Envirocents Program.

Envirocents gives Whole Foods shoppers the option to donate five cents for every bag they bring in to a local non-profit organization. Change boxes at each register are designed to collect additional donations. Local non-profits get visibility as well as funds to support their work.

The Ceres Community Project, founded in March 2007, provides organic, nutrient-dense meals to families dealing with serious illness while training young chefs in the art of healthy cooking and eating. This year, Ceres will deliver more than 15,000 meals to individuals throughout Sonoma County. More than 100 teens from ten area high schools have worked as chefs in the project’s kitchen.

The majority of the project’s clients are dealing with cancer and the debilitating effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Here’s what one of those clients had to say about the difference that The Ceres Community Project made for her and her family.

“I don't know how to fully express what a lifesaver the Ceres Project food was for me during my chemo. Having food already prepared, tasty food which I knew was good for me and helping me fight the cancer, made my life so much easier during an extremely difficult time. As it came to the end of the treatment, I grew more and more fatigued but there were things I really wanted to be able to do. It was important to me to help with my daughter's 8th grade play and graduation. After nine years of being an active volunteer in her school, especially with the plays, it would have been a shame to not be able to work on her last play. If I hadn't had the Ceres food waiting for me, I wouldn't have been able to handle it.”

Each Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, teen volunteers gather at The Community Church of Sebastopol’s commercial kitchen to chop, sauté, whisk, bake and roast their way through cases of mostly donated local organic food. The teens learn first hand about the relationship between the food we eat and our health, develop their culinary skills and discover how simple it is to make a difference in their world.

If you’d like to learn more about The Ceres Community Project visit their website, www.ceresproject.org . If you know someone who needs food support, call Cherie at 823-2529. If you are a teen or adult who would like to volunteer, call Judi at 829-8295. And from now until the end of December, visit Whole Foods Sebastopol with your reusable bag in hand. Donate that five cents – and whatever change you have – to The Ceres Community Project. If each of us gives a little, we can make a big difference for our neighbors who are struggling with illness, and for the young people who are becoming the leaders of the future.


Cathryn Couch
707-799-7489
www.kitchencosmology.com
"Humans are tuned for relationship. The eyes, the skin, the tongue, ears, nostrils -- all are gates where our body receives the nourishment of otherness." - David Abrams, The Spell of the Sensuous

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Blood Bank LOW on Blood and Platelets - Please Donate

My friend Mary Mount recently encouraged me to come by to Bank of the Redwoods while she donates platelets for cancer patients - get the story and tell our readers how much blood is needed. While I was there I met with Kent Corley the PR manager, and he gave me a good impression of our dire need for blood and platelets, especially with blood needed for Hurricane Ike victims and people injured by the train wreck in Los Angeles. The blood bank always takes care of local patients first and if it has excess inventory it can help those in need outside our community. Below is more information on how you can help - and who is eligible. I was amazed to learn that a mere 37% of the population can give blood. That makes keeping blood supplies full and available much more challenging. The information below comes from their web site - more later - V


Blood Brothers and Sisters
The common bond of blood unites us all. No matter who we are blood sustains us. Since it cannot be manufactured we rely on caring citizens to donate, forever connecting and changing lives with this simple act.

Every 15 minutes someone in our community requires lifesaving blood for a variety of reasons - traumatic accidents, surgery, and cancer treatments. Depending on the injury or form of illness, specific types of blood components are used. For instance, many cancer patients require platelet transfusions as part of their treatment. Platelets must be transfused within five days of donation, which means constant replenishment from dedicated donors is required.

The number of individuals in the U.S. who are eligible to donate blood is far smaller than previously believed - approximately 60 million fewer people. The new figures suggest that only 37 percent of the U.S. population is currently eligible to donate blood, and with anticipated demographic changes, that percentage is likely to drop.

"In the nearly sixty years of continuous operation in Sonoma County never has blood collection been more challenging than it is today," commented Public Relations Manager, Kent Corley. "The industry had the shared belief that 60% of the population was eligible to donate blood. With this new statistic, it makes a little more sense to me why we have had a hard time keeping up with demand. Add to that the huge number of layoffs we've seen over the past seven years in the local manufacturing sector and more in the mortgage industry just this week, you can easily see that we are fishing in a smaller and smaller pool."

As additional donor restrictions are implemented and the population ages, the country could lose more and more willing donors, which could pose an even greater threat to our national blood supply," said Karen Shoos Lipton, chief executive officer of AABB (formerly known as American Association of Blood Banks). "Ensuring an adequate supply of blood is increasingly more challenging, and these new data suggest it is extremely important that eligible donors give blood more frequently."

"Thank goodness for the people who donate on a regular basis," said Ryan Benjamin, Recruitment and Donor Services Manager. "We keep asking our existing donors to give more and they are tired of carrying the load.

Only 5% of our local population donates and that is unacceptable from a community that is so giving in other ways. I think there is a false sense of security out there - that someone else will donate. We need every person over the age of 17 (16 with parental and doctor's consent) to visit a blood drive to see if they are eligible. Some people know they are not eligible and that's fine. If you're not sure, please visit http://www.bbr.org/ and find a drive near you."

Blood Bank of the Redwoods
2324 Bethards Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95405
(707) 527-5617

Here is the web page schedule - please visit it often as it is updated:
http://www.bbr.org/upcoming.aspx

09/25/08	Petaluma	Plaza North Shopping Center	3:00 PM	6:00 PM	259 B North McDowell Blvd	Parking Lot
09/26/08	Petaluma	Redwood Business Park	8:15 AM	11:15 AM	1310 Redwood Way	Parking Lot
09/26/08	Healdsburg	Grove Street Plaza	9:00 AM	11:00 AM	511 Grove St.	Parking Lot
09/27/08	Santa Rosa	Kawana Elementary Health Fair	3:00 PM	7:00 PM	2121 Moraga Dr.	Parking Lot
09/29/08	Santa Rosa	Friedman's Home Improvement Ct	4:00 PM	6:00 PM	4055 Santa Rosa Ave.	Parking Lot
09/30/08	Petaluma	Lucky - Lakeville	4:00 PM	7:00 PM	939 Lakeville Highway	Parking Lot
09/30/08	Sonoma	Maxwell Village Shopping Ctr	3:00 PM	6:30 PM	19111 Sonoma Highway	Parking Lot
10/01/08	Healdsburg	Latter-Day Saints Church	3:00 PM	6:30 PM	310 Powell Ave	Cultural Hall
10/01/08	Cloverdale	Cloverdale Fairgrounds	3:00 PM	6:00 PM	1 Citrus Fair Dr	Tea Room
10/01/08	Rohnert Park	TCBY	2:30 PM	6:30 PM	7285 Snyder Ln	Parking Lot
10/01/08	Graton	Graton Fire Protection Dist	3:30 PM	6:30 PM	North Main & Ross Rd.	Parking Lot
10/02/08	Petaluma	G & G Market	3:00 PM	6:30 PM	701 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy	Parking Lot
10/02/08	Sebastopol	O'Reilly Media	9:30 AM	12:30 PM	1005 Gravenstein Hwy N	Parking Lot
10/02/08	Santa Rosa	Marmot	11:00 AM	2:00 PM	2321 Circadian Wy	Parking Lot
10/04/08	Petaluma	Petaluma Theater District	12:00 PM	3:00 PM	Suite 109 C Street	Corner of 1st & C
10/05/08	Petaluma	New Life Christian Fellowship	10:30 AM	1:30 PM	1310 Clegg St.	Secondary Room
10/05/08	Healdsburg	Healdsburg District Hospital	11:00 AM	3:00 PM	1375 University Ave	South Side of Main Entrance
10/06/08	Windsor	Windsor Regional Library	3:00 PM	6:00 PM	9291 Old Redwood Hwy	Conference Room
10/07/08	Petaluma	Washington Square Shopping Ctr	3:00 PM	6:00 PM	373 South McDowell Blvd	Parking Lot
10/07/08	Santa Rosa	Sonoma County Water Agaency	7:30 AM	10:30 AM	2060 West College Ave	Finely Ctr Parking Lot
10/08/08	Rohnert Park	Longs Drugs	3:00 PM	6:00 PM	6378 Commerce Blvd	Parking Lot
10/08/08	Forestville	Forestville Fire Dept	4:00 PM	7:00 PM	6554 Mirabel Rd.	Fire Station
10/08/08	Santa Rosa	S.C.O.E.	8:00 AM	11:00 AM	5340 Skylane Blvd	Parking Lot
10/09/08	Santa Rosa	Kaiser	3:00 PM	7:00 PM	401 Bicentennial Wy	Parking Lot
10/11/08	Cotati	Oliver's Market	10:30 AM	2:00 PM	546 E. Cotati Ave	Parking Lot
10/11/08	Windsor	Johnson Pool & Spa	11:00 AM	2:30 PM	9650 Old Redwood Hwy	Parking Lot
10/12/08	Sebastopol	Safeway	10:00 AM	2:30 PM	406 North Main St	Parking Lot
10/12/08	Sonoma	Safeway	10:00 AM	2:30 PM	477 W Napa	Parking Lot
10/14/08	Santa Rosa	Santa Rosa Marketplace	3:00 PM	6:00 PM	1960 Santa Rosa Ave	Parking Lot near Applebee's
10/15/08	Petaluma	Long's Drugs - E Washington	2:00 PM	6:30 PM	365 East Washington St.	Parking Lot
10/16/08	Petaluma	Petaluma Business Expo	4:00 PM	7:00 PM	320 McDowell Blvd	Parking Lot
10/17/08	Santa Rosa	Raley's	3:30 PM	6:30 PM	1407 Fulton Rd.	Parking Lot
10/18/08	Rohnert Park	Pacific Market	11:00 AM	4:00 PM	901 Golf Course Dr.	Parking Lot
10/19/08	Petaluma	Catholic Church of St. James	8:45 AM	12:15 PM	125 Sonoma Mtn Pkwy	Room 9
10/20/08	Petaluma	Kaiser	2:30 PM	5:30 PM	3900 Lakeville Hwy	Parking Lot C

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Homeless Girl grows up to become Outstanding Woman

Constance Bravos earns Hearst Award

I find stories of personal achievement great inspiration for people - especially young people who are bored or lack direction. Some times a few words of encouragement, a goal accomplished or an example of someone else who has risen above obstacles are all it takes to succeed. Constance Bravos is an example of a young woman whose personal strength, attitude and intelligence earned her the William Randolph Hearst/CSU Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement. She's a rising star at 20 and an excellent example for others to follow - V

Once Homeless, Constance Bravos earns Hearst Award and Aims to Help Troubled Youth

She was an adopted child who not only faced financial problems and but was once homeless, living in a shelter.

Now, Sonoma State University junior Constance Bravos has a 3.61 grade average and won the William Randolph Hearst / CSU Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement, picking
up the $3,000 scholarship that comes with it. Recipients of the award have overcome challenging odds, to pursue a college degree.

"Asthma has proven to be one of my most prominent and consistent struggles throughout my life. It made my lungs collapse when I was six," says Bravos, 20, who is from Martinez but now lives in Rohnert Park while she attends school.

Bravos lost her home when she was ten, and says it took five years to find a home and see her life get back on track. "You could say it was because my parents didn't graduate to go on to college in order to make a better living wage and not have to rely on their parents to help them with a house," Bravos says.

"But really, I just remember being ten and receiving the two weeks notice and coming to the realization that my life was going to be different and difficult."

During school Bravos feared being teased because she was homeless and so she had only a few select friends that did not know her past.

"Instead of focusing on my peers and my struggles, I began to expedite my energy toward school and my future," Bravos says.

Bravos is a psychology major looking forward to graduating in 2010. Because of her own hardships, she wants to make a difference as a psychologist for Martinez's Juvenile Hall after
completing her degree at UC Berkley where she plans to study counseling and psychology.

She already has worked toward this goal by being a peer mentor and a teaching assistant at SSU, helping the freshman class become more aware of college opportunities. She is involved in
the Educational Opportunity Program, Future Scholars, among others.

Bravos feels blessed by the award.

"I feel honored in knowing that my life and goals are being recognized for their true worth. It's an indescribable feeling to come from a history of being a part of one of the most forgotten populations - the homeless - to end up becoming someone who is not only remembered, but awarded for my efforts," she says.

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Perspective on Politics & Economy

A reader checks in with tongue-in-cheek comments on the current financial crisis in our country. Sometimes it helps to look disaster in the face with a smile. - V

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with
a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson

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Volunteer at Tolay Pumpkin Fest for FREE Park Pass

This is a great opportunity to volunteer and have fun - meet wonderful people - and get a FREE Regional Parks Pass - all at the same time!


The Regional Parks Department needs volunteers to help out at this year's Tolay Fall Festival.

http://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/pk_tolay_fallfest.htm

Everyone who signs up and works a five-hour shift will receive a volunteer parking pass. This pass works exactly like our Park Pass, waiving the parking fees in all 44 Regional Parks.

The Fall Festival itself is a really fun event that truly benefits from volunteer involvement. The Festival highlights Sonoma County's Agricultural and Native American heritage through interactive, hands on crafts, exhibits and games. Volunteers assist staff with a number of different booths and activities. The Festival runs from October 9-12 and 16-19. Volunteers are asked to attend an orientation at our main office in Santa Rosa located at 2300 County Center Dr. Suite 120A. Orientations are being held on:


Thursday, 9/25: 6pm – 8pm
Saturday, 9/27: 10am – noon
Sunday, 9/28: 2pm – 4pm
Tuesday, 9/30: 10am – noon
Wednesday, 10/1: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Saturday, 10/4: 3pm – 5pm

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to sign up for one of the orientations. Due to the nature of the position, working with children, all volunteers will be fingerprinted and background-checked at County expense. All volunteers who go through an orientation and volunteer for a five hour shift receive a Festival T-Shirt, Park Hat, lunch and of course, the volunteer parking pass which waives all parking fees in the County parks for a year.

Thank you so much for your interest in our parks.

Sincerely,
John Ryan
Volunteer/Intern Coordinator
Sonoma County Regional Parks
Ph: 707-565-3356
Fax: 707-579-8247

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ACLU Voter Recommendations for California

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) weighs in on specific propositions and makes recommendations.


The ACLU-NC believes that our priorities in California should be focused on building communities in which every child is safe and free to pursue his or her dreams. We believe that the only way to create safe communities for all Californians is through a balanced approach that includes investment in education and prevention and intervention to end violent crime. That’s why we urge you to vote NO on propositions 6 and 9 and YES on Proposition 5.

NO on PROPOSITION 6
Prop 6 is focused on the wrong priorities. We need real solutions to violent crime. But that’s not what Prop 6 provides. Prop 6 threatens to take funding away from the places we need it the most -- like education -- and to spend billions on the same costly and ineffective methods, such as incarcerating more youth, that have failed to help our communities, at great cost to all Californians. Learn more: http://defeatrunner.org/

NO on PROPOSITION 9
Prop 9 is a well intentioned but poorly written and truly dangerous initiative. It will negatively impact California’s most vulnerable residents -- our children -- by diverting hundreds of millions from schools and education to spending on prisons and jails. It puts huge burdens on local law enforcement and creates more red tape but does not provide new services to victims. Learn more http://www.votenoprop9.com/

YES on PROPOSITION 5
Prop 5, on the other hand, takes a sensible and balanced approach to the problem of non-violent crime. It offers common sense solutions to prison overcrowding by providing drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders, saving California taxpayers billions of dollars. Learn more http://www.prop5yes.com/

It’s time to focus on the right priorities. Vote NO on propositions 6 and 9 and YES on Proposition 5.

Our Mission:
The ACLU of Northern California works to preserve and guarantee the Bill of Rights for all, through litigation, public education, organizing, lobbying and legislation. Protecting freedom of expression, the right to privacy, and the right to be free of discrimination are fundamental goals of the ACLU.

ACLU of Northern California | 39 Drumm Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
T (main): 415.621.2493 | T (civil liberties counselor): 415.621.2488 | F: 415.255.1478
http://www.aclunc.org/

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McCain: A flustered rookie

I've read Geogre F. Will's columns for many years and have admired his rational thinking in the face of what I consider irrational Conservatives. In Will's McCain: A flustered rookie 9-23-08 column, he pointed out the volatile nature of McCain. It's what scares me about him. Even at the mature age of 72, he has yet to show evidence of thinking before he acts. If there is one characteristic with which I tie him to Bush, it is the shoot-from-the-hip decision making process. He doesn't seem to take the time to examine a situation in depth before he makes a statement of opinion. This can also be evidenced in his choice of a running mate. How little he seems to have known about Sarah Palin before choosing her as his successor to the presidency. McCain's health and age will surely put Palin in the White House and McCain's impulsive decision to seek a dynamic woman who can win him the highest office of our nation, puts us at risk for his political ambitions. As quickly as McCain smeared Chris Cox, he attacks opponents. Do we really want a president who doesn't stop to think before he speaks…and acts? - Vesta

The full text of Will's column is below. I am passing this on to readers because George F. Will is an intelligent Conservative whom I admire.


McCain: A flustered rookie

By GEORGE F. WILL
WASHINGTON POST

Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 7:21 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 9:09 a.m.
"The queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small. 'Off with his head!' she said without even looking around." -- "Alice's Adventures in wonderland"

Under the pressure of the financial crisis, one presidential candidate is behaving like a flustered rookie playing in a league too high. It is not Barack Obama.

Channeling his inner Queen of Hearts, John McCain furiously, and apparently without even looking around at facts, said Chris Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, should be decapitated. This childish reflex provoked the Wall Street Journal to editorialize that "McCain untethered" -- disconnected from knowledge and principle -- had made a "false and deeply unfair" attack on Cox that was "unpresidential" and demonstrated that McCain "doesn't understand what's happening on Wall Street any better than Barack Obama does."

To read the Journal's details about the depths of McCain's shallowness on the subject of Cox's chairmanship, see "McCain's Scapegoat" (Friday, Page A22). Then consider McCain's characteristic accusation that Cox "has betrayed the public's trust."

Perhaps an old antagonism is involved in McCain's fact-free slander. His most conspicuous economic adviser is Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who previously headed the Congressional Budget Office.

There he was an impediment to conservatives, including then-Congressman Cox, who as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee persistently tried and generally failed to enlist CBO support for "dynamic scoring" that would estimate the economic growth effects of proposed tax cuts.

In any case, McCain's smear -- that Cox "betrayed the public's trust" -- is a harbinger of a McCain presidency. For McCain, politics is always operatic, pitting people who agree with him against those who are "corrupt" or "betray the public's trust," two categories that seem to be exhaustive -- there are no other people. McCain's Manichaean worldview drove him to his signature legislative achievement, the McCain-Feingold law's restrictions on campaigning. Today, his campaign is creatively finding interstices in laws intended to restrict campaign giving and spending. (For details, see the Wednesday Washington Post, Page A4; and the Saturday New York Times, Page One.) By a Gresham's Law of political discourse, McCain's Queen of Hearts intervention in the opaque financial crisis overshadowed a solid conservative complaint from the Republican Study Committee, chaired by Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the RSC decried the improvised torrent of bailouts as a "dangerous and unmistakable precedent for the federal government both to be looked to and indeed relied upon to save private sector companies from the consequences of their poor economic decisions." This letter, listing just $650 billion of the perhaps more than $1 trillion in new federal exposures to risk, was sent while McCain's campaign, characteristically substituting vehemence for coherence, was airing an ad warning that Obama favors "massive government, billions in spending increases."

The political left always aims to expand the permeation of economic life by politics. Today, the efficient means to that end is government control of capital. So, is not McCain's party now conducting the most leftist administration in American history? The New Deal never acted so precipitously on such a scale. Treasury Secretary Paulson, asked about conservative complaints that his rescue program amounts to socialism, said, essentially: This is not socialism, this is necessary. That non sequitur might be politically necessary, but remember that government control of capital is government control of capitalism.

Does McCain have qualms about this, or only quarrels? On "60 Minutes" Sunday evening, McCain, saying "this may sound a little unusual," said that he would like to replace Cox with Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic attorney general of New York who is the son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo. McCain explained that Cuomo has "respect" and "prestige" and could "lend some bipartisanship." Conservatives have been warned.

Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either.

It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?

© George F. Will is a columnist for the Washington Post. E-mail him at georgewill@washpost.com.

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When Freshwater becomes tainted with Wastewater

Ludwigia thrives in wastewater nutrients...choking waterways

When we turn on our faucets to use water, that fresh, clean water instantly becomes wastewater that needs to be treated and disposed of. Rural homes use septic systems where the water leaches into the ground, and over time and distance, is filtered before it re-enters the groundwater system. But in the majority of our populated ares, that water goes down the drain into the sewer system, out to the treatment plant...and then what? Body lotion, laundry detergent, hair conditioners, pharmaceuticals that filter through our bodies - they all end up in the wastewater system - and many of them don't get filtered out during the treatment process. The impacts these products have on our fresh water streams and rivers has changed the way we think about flushing water down the drain.

What's in Our Wastewater?

“Incidental Runoff”

By Brenda Adelman

Wastewater discharged into local streams by sewage treatment plants is subjected to lengthy and complex State permit requirements that can run as much as a 100 pages long. The permits include directions on water quality limits, monitoring, receiving water standards, and protections of beneficial uses, among other things. They describe when and where discharges can occur and penalties to be imposed when compliance fails. As treatment systems age, and pipeline replacement lags, the opportunities for failure (and fines) increase. The Regional Water Quality Control Board is charged with overseeing this very complex process.

Yet, of more than 80,000 chemical pollutants on the market, discharge permits regulate only about 126 of them. Currently, no regulations exist to monitor and limit the discharge of either personal care and cleaning products or pharmaceuticals, especially hormones, steroids, and anti-bacterial products, recently accused of causing bacterial illnesses to become more resistant to treatment.

Recent studies have shown trace amounts of cancer causing and endocrine disrupting chemicals in national rivers and streams and drinking water supplies. Even more alarming are the latest reports indicating that at least 46 million Americans are known to be exposed to drug-contaminated drinking water supplies. The tests have not been done in our area yet, so we don’t know if we are part of that group.

And species are being lost at an unprecedented rate. Currently, the Living Planet Index claims that the bird, fish, mammal, reptile, and amphibian populations worldwide have dropped by almost a third in the last 35 years. Only this month, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) claims in a very new study that nearly 40% of North America’s fish species are in jeopardy, and our area (mid Pacific Coast) has been identified as one of the most threatened.

Yet the State, facing a serious water shortage crisis, is now promoting a program to greatly increase goals for increased irrigation with recycled wastewater from 500,000 acre feet a year to two million acre feet by 2030. To make this policy more palatable, treated sewage is now consistently referred to as recycled water, as though by sanitizing the words, they create a different product. The State is strongly promoting the idea of offsetting water use by greatly expanding recycled wastewater in summer, water short months.

Normally, application of treated wastewater to land is safer than discharging into waterways, although only if done in a manner that prohibits runoff into streams. And that’s the hard part. The State proposed a Recycled Water Policy last year and it met with a great deal of consternation from various environmental, business, and agency groups. Environmental groups objected on the basis that all incidental discharge must be regulated in the same way as intentional winter discharges, since the toxic constituents are the same.

With the State Water Board’s concurrence, a representative group was formed to study, modify, and make recommendations on the policy to which all stakeholders could agree. A draft was presented to the Board in early September and the group agreed on all points, but one, and that was “incidental runoff’. Incidental runoff is not clearly defined; but is intended to mean some runoff that is accidentally spilled, small in amount, and considered to have inconsequential impacts. The committee, not able to agree on this issue, left it to the State Board to define. Our local Regional Board is considering a Basin Plan Amendment to legalize it.

Normally Department of State Health Title 22 regulations apply to the application of wastewater to land. These regulations are meant to protect the public from mostly acute illness, and does not address protection of aquatic life and the environment from these discharges, especially during a time when flows are very low (and getting lower) and unable to assimilate residual toxins in the wastewater.

The State (and the City of Santa Rosa who is planning a large program of urban irrigation) refers to inconsequential runoff in order to justify using it to offset potable water. The problem of defining, successfully and consistently monitoring and regulating these “incidental” events is daunting. No one has addressed the possible impacts if numerous, cumulative impacts occur at the same time.

Extensive carelessness with irrigation water has been regularly observed, and most people really aren’t aware of the difference between potable and treated wastewater. We can easily picture children and pets playing in the water and ingesting it with unknown results. Where irrigation is allowed to occur, it should be on large publicly owned parcels, that are carefully monitored and regulated and discharge permits should be required. Furthermore, irrigation should not be allowed near creeks, especially where pesticide use occurs.

Some of our local streams are filled with Ludwigia and are literally dying in the summer. They cannot assimilate additional toxic loads now, but to make the problem worse, the National Marine Fisheries Service will be demanding lower summer Russian River flows to protect the fish. That combination of circumstances would increase possible harm to people AND fish because of greater potential for exposure to harmful toxins that are not assimilated by flows. Lower flows cause the toxic load to become more concentrated.

We must maintain the summer prohibition of wastewater discharges to protect the health of humans and the environment. RRWPC will keep you posted on future critical actions on this issue. Please contact us at rrwpc-1@comcast.net if you want to be on our mailing list to stay informed about this issue.

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Slow Food Nation comes to San Francisco, CA

“Get Your Hands in the Dirt”

Inspiring people to be conscious of, and there for responsible for, their own nourishment, is part of the mission of Slow Food Nation. With heath problems soaring as people exercise less and eat more fast & convenient food, trying to get people's attention that this issue is extremely personal is vital! The health and economic costs of life-style bad habits impacts the entire planet, from crop priorities to fuel costs transporting food products. The subject is vast.


By Shepherd Bliss

“Get your hands in the dirt,” recommended physicist Vandana Shiva of India. She was speaking at Slow Food Nation over Labor Day Weekend in San Francisco, which attracted around 60,000 people. While in the Bay Area Shiva also gave a presentation in Sonoma County on August 27, partly sponsored by the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. She wrote the book “Soil Not Oil—Securing Our Food in Times of Climate Change.”

“We have to get back to the stuff that we are made of, which is soil,” Wes Jackson of the Land Institute in Kansas declared, echoing Shiva. The word human, after all, shares a root with humus, the black, organic matter in soil. Perhaps it is also related to humility and humbleness.

Shiva and Jackson were among the Food for Thought speakers at Slow Food Nation (SFN). Most of the SFN’s events, other than the speakers, were free, including a Victory Garden that replaced a lawn in front of City Hall. A soap box was set up in the garden where farmers and others gave lively presentations and engaged people in discussion. A huge marketplace surrounded the garden and offered healthy food. A few miles away at Ft. Mason the SFN Taste Pavilio--the length of two football fields--also offered “good, clean, and fair” food. Free music, films, and other cultural expressions also occurred, because agri-culture is the basis of culture.

The Food for Thought speakers’ series took a systems approach. It related food and agriculture to issues such as climate change, social justice, re-localizing food, and the policy and planning needed to replace our current food system with a more sustainable one. Food security, energy security, and climate security were approached as intimately linked.

21st century agriculture is dependent upon petroleum. As UC Berkeley professor Michael Pollan said, “We eat oil.” Oil is necessary for industrial agriculture. It is needed to make pesticides and fertilizers, for tractors, to transport the average morsel 1500 miles from field to fork, to make plastics for packaging, and in so many other ways. But guess what? The cheap 20th century supply of petroleum is dwindling. We’re running out of oil. This is no longer the Peak Oil theory. It is the fact of diminishing oil supplies meeting growing demand as China, India and other countries rise.

Other prominent speakers at SFN in the growing sustainable agriculture movement included “Fast Food Nation” author Eric Schlosser, Kentucky author and farmer Wendell Berry, chef Alice Waters (Slow Food Nation Founder), and Italian Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food movement. He founded Slow Food in 1989 to protest fast food culture. It has spread to 100 countries and has over 80,000 members. Slow Food USA has over 200 chapters, including an active Russian River chapter, and 16,000 members.

Speakers described how our food system is broken, not only in the U.S. but worldwide. Food shortages are occurring around the world, leading to food riots, which are likely to continue as the global food crisis grows.

Farming used to be based on human muscle, then animal power was harnessed. At our family farm in Iowa in the late 40s/early 50s we had no electricity, which had not yet reached the rural mid-west. No TV. We had ice boxes, gas lights, an outhouse, a windmill with a pump on it for the well, and cold cellars. Muscle, mules, and hand tools were the main means of our farming, as well as some draft horses, and eventually tractors. Life was good. When electricity did arrive, life seemed to get somewhat easier, but I am not sure that it was any better.

One of the SFN panels was titled “Help Wanted: 50 Million Farmers.” Most Americans used to farm, which continues in among many traditional peoples on the globe. But in the U.S. less than 2% of the population farms today. If we are to survive, more people must grow their own food and become gardeners and farmers. We are fortunate here in Sonoma County, because we have the climate, soil, and some people who remember how to do such old-fashioned farming.

“Slow Food makes a political statement, though we do not do politics as such,” explained Randi Seidner of the Russian River chapter. The visibly pregnant Seidner was taking a brief break from selling organic fruit. “We are not just about getting together with friends to have dinners. We want to make changes in our food system.”

“Slow Food can help support local farmers,” Seidner added. A month after SFN in San Francisco, on October 5, Seidner and others are organizing the Russian River Convivium’s annual event at the Barndivia Restaurant in Healdsburg, They are joining with a group called Fork and Shovel, which brings together local farmers and chefs.

“The big folks are starting to get it. There are many signs of change. Major publications are realizing that things need to change in our food system. It is a shame that our president and government do not see that we are in a total crisis,” Seidner said.

“I think it is courageous to grow apples,” commented Sebastopol Farmers’ Market manager Paula Downing. “It is courageous to keep working the land when you can sell it for houses, courageous to keep growing Gravenstein apples when they are out of style and don't pay like grapes do, courageous to believe in something that is not necessarily in fashion right now. I feel it is important to honor the apple farmers who have this courage,” she added.

Some of the leading voices in sustainable agriculture have written a draft Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture that was released at SFN. “Food Fight” author Dan Imhoff of Healdsburg and Santa Rosa’s Michael Dimock, President of Roots of Change, which initiated the declaration and co-sponsored SFN, were among its framers. They intend to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures and present the petition in Washington, D.C., to Congress by the fall of 2009. One can learn more about or endorse it at www.fooddeclaration.org.

“We all eat everyday,” master chef Waters noted. “There are consequences to the choices we make with respect to our health, environment, and culture. Edible education is to help children understand those consequences.”

"Seed by seed, plant by plant, peasant by peasant, community by community, country by country, we will reclaim our food freedom,” Vandana Shiva writes.


Shepherd Bliss, sb3@pon.net, has farmed in Sebastopol since l992, currently teaches at Sonoma State University, and is writing chapters on agropsychology and agrotherapy—farms as healing places—for books.

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Sonoma County Artist Studios Open for Visitors

Helen Caswell

Discover Sonoma County Art Country

A program of the Arts Council of Sonoma County, ARTrails is an annual fall tradition and Sonoma County’s largest and most visible arts event. Voted “Sonoma County’s Best Outdoor Art Event”, ARTrails provides a rare opportunity for the public to meet local artists in their studios and learn about their diverse creative processes and techniques. Through hands-on demonstrations as well as intimate conversations, ARTrails artists will take you into their world where colors, shapes, materials, and textures merge into unique and collectible works of art.

ARTrails leads you into Artists’ Studios

Sonoma County ARTrails Lead Beyond the Vineyards into Artists’ Studios Food and Wine may define the region’s reputation, but Sonoma County’s heart and soul are expressed by its artists. This October, ARTrails Open Studios celebrates 23 years of Art Country hospitality as 143 visual artists open their workspaces to the public.

Now, one of the Sonoma County’s best kept secrets is out as local and visiting collectors alike gear up for the annual event—one of the nation’s oldest open studio programs and the only juried event of its kind in the North Bay.

ARTrails provides the rare opportunity to view original artworks in their natural habitat: the artist’s studio. Because it is a self-directed tour, Sonoma County ARTrails can be tailored to fit into anyone’s unique interests and schedule.

SPECIFIC DETAILS:
ARTrails studios are open two weekends, October 11-12 and 18-19, 2008, 10am - 5pm.

Visual media represented include: painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glass, woodwork, and wearable art.

Visitors from previous years’ ARTrails events have traveled from as far and wide as Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, Canada, Austria, Germany, Spain and beyond.


Preview openings/exhibits in two locations:

Arts Council of Sonoma County Gallery
Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 27, 4pm - 6pm
404 Mendocino Ave., Suite C
www.sonomaarts.com
(707) 579-2787

September 27 - October 24, 2008
Wednesday - Friday, 12pm - 5pm
Saturday, 12pm - 4pm

Saturday & Sunday, 10am - 5pm
(only during ARTrails weekends)



Graton Gallery
Opening Reception:
Sunday, October 5, 2008, 3pm-6pm
9048 Graton Rd., downtown Graton
www.gratongallery.com
(707) 829-8912

October 5 - October 24, 2008
Tuesday - Sunday, 10:30am - 6pm

ARTrails operates under the auspices of the Arts Council of Sonoma County (ACSC). Initialized in 1985 by a group of artists with an educational mission that continues today, the program continues to win recognition by the public as “Sonoma County’s Best Outdoor Art Event”. ARTrails 2008 welcomes 19 new artists, selected from 61 applicants in a blind jury process. There are no quotas on the number of artists or media types selected.

For more information about ARTrails, visit www.artrails.org.

The Arts Council of Sonoma County is a federally designated non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the visual, performing and literary arts within Sonoma County. In partnership with the California Arts Council and the County of Sonoma, the organization serves as a conduit for coordinating arts information, programs, services, and technical assistance countywide. For more information, please visit www.sonomaarts.com or call (707) 579-2787.

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Santa Rosa Wastewater Discharge EIR Ready to Read

Santa Rosa is Seeking Wastewater Solution

Please see NEW NOTES and INFO on this subject below. 9/30/08

The City of Santa Rosa, California, is looking for another way to dispose of the wastewater they generate every day. At this point the water is treated to Tertiary level, and although very clean, it still contains elements like heavy metals and pharmaceuticals that can harm waterways, fish and the environment. The challenge is to dispose of the water in a way that is the least harmful. The Geysers Pipeline project takes treated wastewater up Pine Flat Road to geothermal wells managed by Calpine to recharge the steam fields and generate electricity for the Bay Area’s grid. But in very wet years the system generates more recycled water than that project alone can handle. This EIR is the study of alternatives for solving the problem into the future as Santa Rosa grows. Please see the link to view the EIR in this story.

The City of Santa Rosa Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) for the Incremental Recycled Water Program's (IRWP) Discharge Compliance Project (DCP) is ready for public review. http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/utilities/irwp/discharge/Pages/studies_reports.aspx

Compliance Project (DCP) is now available for review.
(http://www.SRCity.org/DischargeCompliance)
Please note time change: The BPU will consider EIR certification on October 2 at 5:00 PM instead of 1:30 PM.

In addition, on October 6th the Seasonal Storage Project (SSP) Final EIR will be made available.
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/utilities/irwp/storage/Pages/studies_reports.aspx

Information about the DCP and SSP, and the availability of their Final EIRs follows below. These documents are being provided within a close time frame to allow for the opportunity to cross reference them, in response to input we have received from the public.

Upcoming Activities

Discharge Compliance Project:

Final EIR available for Review - September 22, 2008

BPU considers EIR Certification - October 2, 2008* (Starts at 5PM and will be televised) BPU will probably certify the EIR. This is NOT a hearing but people will be given the opportunity to speak. There is no legal requirement for the BPU to consider anything that is said at that meeting. It is unlikely that they would make any changes to the EIR at that point before they certify.

BPU Study Session re: Project Selection - November 6, 2008
BPU has a study session at their regular meeting. They will probably take public comments at this meeting as well, but no decision would be made at this meeting.

SR Council Review Study Session Results - November 18, 2008 (about 5 PM) This discussion with probably have time for the public to speak. No decision would be made here.

BPU Project Selection/Approval - December 4, 2008 This is the meeting where they will select a project. This is the last chance for comments and public testimony.

Seasonal Storage Project:

Final EIR available for Review - October 6, 2008
BPU considers EIR Certification - October 16, 2008

The meetings where certification will be considered are held during Board of Public Utilities (BPU) meetings in the Santa Rosa Council Chamber, 100 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa.
All meetings will be at 1:30 PM, *except the October 2nd meeting, which will be at 5 PM. Confirm agenda and schedule at http://www.SRCity.org/BPU.


WHERE TO FIND COPIES OF THE DCP and SSP FINAL EIRs

Both Final EIRs will be available for review at Sonoma County Branch Libraries in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park/Cotati, Sebastopol, and Windsor and on the project Web site at www.SRCity.org/IRWP.

The DCP Final EIR will also be available at the libraries in Cloverdale, Guerneville, Healdsburg, Occidental, Petaluma, Forestville and Lakeport. The Final EIRs, appendices and reference material cited in the Final EIRs will also be available for review at the Laguna Plant Library, located at 4300 Llano Road, Santa Rosa. Hard copies and CDs of the Final EIRs will be available for purchase by calling ARC at 707-579-9096. (Prices at ARC are as follows: $100 per set of
2 volumes, $10 per CD and $8 per Executive Summary)

Please contact our office if you have any questions.

Other helpful site addresses are available at:
http://www.SRCity.org/DischargeCompliance
http://www.SRCity.org/SeasonalStorage
http://www.SRCity.org/BPU
http://www.SRCity.org/IRWP


NEW NOTES 9/30/08
Mark Millan called to say he has received some panic concerns and questions from people - this is his summary to allay fears:

The Laguna Site is noted in the EIR as the Environmentally Superior Alternative meaning it has the fewest or least significant effects on the environment. See pages 1-10 and 11 of the EIR. Steelhead Beach (Site D1) would be 20 to 30 times more costly (140 to 174 million) than the Laguna site.

The Russian River would not be closed for any period of time if they chose the Steelhead Beach site (D1) - they would use what is called a Coffer Dam that holds water back from where they are working - forcing the river around the dam - not stopping the flow.

Santa Rosa is in serious budget crisis - like the rest of the world - and simply doesn't have the resources to do a large scale project. But - they have to meet NCRWCB regulations for oxygen and temperature, thus the study and project. Plus CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) requires they study a range of feasible projects.

Calpine (The Geysers) would like just about every drop of water Santa Rosa creates so discharge would only be necessary in wet years when there is too much water coming through the treatment plant.

Leaky Pipes - they finally heard Brenda - are being fixed at a very slow rate - but have increasingly been recognized as a major source of inflow into the treatment plant.

Moving the Steelhead project site up River Road was intended to reduce the environmental impacts to the area. Steelhead Beach and Osprey Trail. - CEQA requires impacts to be avoided where possible.

Reverse Osmosis, also known as Advanced Membrane Treatment (AMT) facilities were reviewed in the EIR for each proposed discharge site including at the Laguna. Consideration for using AMT as a strategy to meet regulatory compliance is evaluated in the EIR and you can find it in the Draft EIR in Volume 4 of 6; Section 3.3.3., on page 51.

Also see Volume 6 of 6, TM-D10 Advance Membrane Treatment Evaluation, which
goes in to great detail how this type of treatment could be used.

All available on line at:
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/utilities/irwp/discharge/Pages/studies_reports.aspx

Source:
Mark Millan
Public Information Coordinator
www.SRCity.org/IRWP
707.836.0300
EM: millan@DataInstincts.com

COMMENTS from Brenda Adelman 9/30/08

Much of what Mark has written is basically correct and what I have been saying for years. What he doesn’t say is why they want concerned citizens to back off just as the big decision is going to be made. They are feeling the heat from concerned citizens now who have been alerted to their pending decisions.

The City has already removed five options from this proposal and were asked repeatedly to take this one off as well and they refused. They are now working very hard to get people in the community to back off at a critical juncture. Yet, the City has spent six years and about $16 million planning this direct discharge into the Russian River. Does it make sense that they would back off this easily?

Mark is a very nice man, but the City is absolutely not to be trusted in this. They have a long history of spinning and ignoring, etc. things we have been saying for years. Why is it, at this critical point in time, they are all of a sudden agreeing with us? Why are trying to diffuse public interest in the up coming decisions that will have very significant legal implications that will seal our fate on river discharge? It is imperative that the people speak out now and not buy into these empty assurances. Until the meetings/hearings are held and the votes are counted, we have NO assurance that what he says will happen.

Brenda

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Sonoma State University Saving California Turtles

“HEAD START”
SSU Head Start Program for turtles sees first hatchlings effort to halt shocking decline of reptiles in California - Slow and steady is not winning the race.

Rapidly shrinking numbers of California’s only native aquatic turtle species - the Western Pond Turtle - has sparked the development of a pioneering partnership between Sonoma State University and two Bay Area zoos to save the reptile from extinction in California.

Sonoma State Biology professor Nick Geist successfully hatched the first six young turtles last Friday from 57 eggs collected this summer from an undisclosed Lake County location. Geist and his graduate students, and Oakland Zoo staffers, spent the summer monitoring a Lake County site for mother turtles and followed them to the nests where they collected their eggs.

PHOTO: Students working form a ‘‘blind’’ to watch the turtles

The eggs were placed in five incubators in his lab at the Rohnert Park campus. Young turtles began to emerge last Friday. More are hatching daily in the first-of-its-kind breeding program for this species in the state.

“Slow and steady is not winning the race for this species,” says Geist. “The turtles must be saved before the population reaches critically low levels.”

Geist has solicited the support of Bay Area zoos in a captive-breeding program - a “head start” program - to protect the young turtles, who at the size of a quarter at birth often become tender morsels for predators such as bullfrogs, skunks and foxes. These predators, as well as the loss of 90% of its habitat, have contributed to a shocking decline of the species.

This past Friday, the first hatchlings went to the Oakland Zoo for care until they are large enough to be released back to wild. Plans are to send the second batch to the San Francisco Zoo on Friday. The SF Zoo plans to create a public education exhibit about the project at its Koret Animal Research Center.

Geist envisions a network of zoos throughout the state that will raise the hatchlings in captivity for almost a year to facilitate the immediate conservation and ultimate recovery of the Western Pond Turtle in California.

Geist is also using the program to determine at what temperature the sex of the turtle is decided so that better conservation management techniques can be designed.

The Western Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata) has declined precipitously, or been eliminated entirely, in so many parts of its former range, that it is now protected by the Department of Fish and Game as a California Special Concern species.

Originally, the pond turtle ranged from Mexico to the Canadian border in a narrow strip along the coast. It lives to be 60 years old and its shell gets as large as 12 inches in length.
Once estimated to have populations in the millions, it has virtually disappeared from urban areas of southern and northern California and most of the Central Valley.

For further information, contact:
Dr. Nicholas R. Geist, Associate Professor of Biology,
(707) 664-3056, nick.geist@sonoma.edu
Nancy Filippi, Director of Marketing, Oakland Zoo,
(510) 632-9525, ext. 132, nancy@oaklandzoo.org
Gwendolyn Tornatore, Public Relations Manager,
San Francisco Zoo, (415) 753-7174, GwendolynT@sfzoo.org

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Sonoma County Campaign Finance Reform

Campaign Finance reform became a big issue here in Sonoma County when a quick vote at the Board of Supervisors changed the rules in the weeks before the next election where the majority of Supervisors seats are up for grabs. The only NO vote came from 5th District Supervisor Mike Reilly. For those who cannot attend the BOS meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, please see the Supervisor's e-mail address below for your comments.
This announcement to concerned citizens came to my attention through Rue Furch, 5th District Supervisor Candidate. I sent the following e-mail message to all supervisors. - Vesta


Letter to Sonoma County Board of Supervisors re: Campaign Finance Reform:

I just learned that this topic will be open for discussion at your meeting Tuesday morning the 16th. I cannot attend. I am under deadline to get my newspaper to press.

I found the news disturbing that this “reform” was even considered so close to an election - especially one that will replace the majority of our Board of Supervisors. I understand that those who are leaving will not feel the impact of this vote, but those of us out here voting find it disrespectful of our influence on elections.

Most of us don't have money to influence voters, but what we do have is a voice and a vote. If we feel this “reform” is designed to provide influence on our vote in support of candidates beholding to those with interests that oppose our own, we will use our voices to influence voters against these power-grabbing policies.

Our voices are spread through conversation, through e-mail and through internet blogs. Politics and policy are vulnerable to our influence on each other.
Vesta Copestakes
Publisher, West County Gazette

----------------------
From Rue Furch,
A few days ago I suggested that the League of Women Voters and/or people who have been involved in campaign finance reform would be the best positioned to address the campaign financing changes being proposed at the County Board of Supervisors.

I have no direct knowledge of how this came about; but apparently someone heard me, or came to the same conclusion. The following request for support came via email today. (see below)

I am grateful to the League and to anyone willing to speak out about fair election practices. Allowing large investors to bankroll campaigns is contrary to anything we might hope for in local control. We’d loose that in a heartbeat to corporate investors in our local races. Disproportionate influence from moneyed interests must be thought to be able to buy a race in Sonoma County. And it is midway through a campaign cycle.

Stay tuned. This is just the beginning. The stakes are high.
Rue Furch

---------------------------------
From Chlele Gummer, President of the League of Women Voters of Sonoma County.
Please note call for action at the end of message:

"...the County Board of Supervisor's decision to raise campaign donation limits from $1000 to $2500 (this can be increased to $5000) during this election cycle (effective Oct. 16). It seems obvious they want to affect the election of the three supervisorial seats up for election. The committee who recommends this action consists of the two supervisors who are retiring; they need not be responsive to an electorate.

"...I will speak to the Board at their meeting, Tuesday, September 16, 2008, during the public comment portion of the consent calendar at 8:30 AM. I'm asking you, who are able, to stand with me at the meeting. If you have the time and ability, do not say to yourself, there will be lots of others who will be there. Not true, everyone thinks that and no one will be there. So I'm sincerely asking for your direct support by attending this meeting. If you choose to do so, please let me know, chleleg@sonic.net, 537-1207. The League is a force for democratic action; let's show the public a force in numbers.

Chlele Gummer
President,
LWVSC

CALL FOR ACTION:

(If you) can't get to the Supervisor's meeting on Tuesday, you can email your opinions. Please email your supervisor or all of them.

Two items: changing the finance rules during an election cycle does provide undue influence on the outcome of the election, and, raising limits narrow the base of campaign financing and limits citizen participation.

The emails are;

1st dist. vbrown@sonoma-county.org

2nd dist. mkerns@sonoma-county.org

3rd dist. tsmith@sonoma-county.org

4th dist. pkelley@sonoma-county.org

5th dist. mreilly@sonoma-county.org

So there they are. Click on them and go for it. Thank you for your help.

Chlele Gummer
http://sonco.ca.lwvnet.org/

-------------------------------

ANOTHER LETTER:
I will try to attend this important meeting, and hope that the press covers it.

Increasing the individual donation limits is so contrary to campaign finance reform and antagonistic to the democratic process. It says that money, rather than people, rule our country from top to bottom.

Our Supervisorial races already have far too much money being thrown at them. I recall that in a previous election, Supervisor Tim Smith received almost $900,000 in soft money from the same groups that now appear to be trying to influence Efren. Money buys big signs and money buys mass mailings. In a close race money makes the difference by just enough of a margin to subvert
democracy.

Our Supervisors should have to meet with each of us one on one and forget the radio ads and expensive campaigns. If there are too many of us for a supervisor to meet one on one, then we need more supervisors, not less democracy.

When a land-use deciding body such as the Board of Supervisors spends ten to twenty times their salary in order to get elected, voters should ask who is buying them. When organizations spend more than a million dollars in order to control just one seat on the Board of Supervisors, and that money is derived from a few vested interests, the people have lost their representative democracy.

Imagine the expectation of those donors that have spent millions of dollars on a campaign. They could have invested those bribes with far less risk in other sound business ventures. A rational person has to conclude that they anticipate a very large economic return on their investment that is commensurate with such risk.

The fact that retiring politicians who know how the system works, and have nothing at risk, are still contemplating the entrenchment of this corrupting influence peddling, is very discouraging for anyone who cares about democracy. Large donations are tantamount to bribery and should be illegal not supported by elected officials.
Bob Rawson

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Sonoma County Supervisor Candidate Forums

Meet the 5th District Supervisor Candidates - Efren Carrillo and Rue Furch

Sept. 22 - Candidates Forum--Sonoma County Supervisor.
First District at 7:00 PM,
Third District at 8:00 PM
Santa Rosa City Council Chambers
100 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Sept. 23 - SCARE (retired county employees – I don’t know if this is a public event)
1:00 pm
Santa Rosa Vet’s Hall – Lodge room

Sept. 25 - Latino Civic Engagement Breakfast & Forum
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
7:00 am
Flamingo Hotel, Santa Rosa CA

Sept. 29- Santa Rosa City Council Chambers
Santa Rosa City Council Chambers - 7:00 PM
100 Santa Rosa Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Sept. 30 - Candidates Forum --Windsor. Windsor Town Council, School District, and Fire District
6 to 9 PM
Windsor High School
8695 Windsor Rd
Windsor, CA 95492

Oct. 4 – The Sea Ranch Community Forum
3:00 pm
The Sea Ranch (?)

Tentative: WaccoBB plus Candidates’ Forum
5:00 pm – City Council
7:15 pm - Supervisor
Sebastopol Community Center, Sebastopol

Oct. 6 - Advocacy Forum--Proposition 11. Redistricting
7:00 PM
Santa Rosa City Council Chambers
100 Santa Rosa Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Oct. 08 - Candidates Forum--Sonoma County Supervisor. 5th District
7:00 PM
Graton Community Center
Graton Rd, Graton 95444

Oct. 13 – Medical Marijuana Candidate Forum
6:00 pm
Santa Rosa Public Library – downtown meeting room

Oct. 18 – Forum on Social Justice
1 to 3pm
Sebastopol United Methodist Church
500 N. Main Street in Epworthian Hall
Sebastopol 95472
5th District Supervisor candidates Rue Furch and Efren Carrillo will be present to take questions from their potential constituents on such issues as police abuse, homelessness, Sanctuary movement and ICE abuses, mental health resources, the County Criminal Justice System, seniors, and other subjects. The public is invited to come with their own concerns of social justice.

This forum will be co-sponsored by 5th District radio stations KBBF (89.1 FM) (Roseland) and KGGV 95.1 F.M. (Russian River) as well as WACCO, the West County Internet Bulletin Board. The forum will be broadcast live on KBBF 89.1FM and rebroadcast by KGGV 95.1FM the following week. Community organizers include endorsers of both candidates.

Oct. 20 - Candidate forum on Sonoma County Tourism
12:30
location to be arranged

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International Artists Honor Life...and Death

We treasure our loved ones while they are alive and find our own ways to honor them when their bodies die. For some, scattering ashes in ceremony provides solace - Dust to Dust. For others creating a vessel to hold our loved ones remains honors their life. Artists from across the planet who have created urns for the ashes of those we love will display their works at Funeria in Graton starting September 27, 2008

4th International Funerary Art Exhibition
Opens in Graton at
Art Honors Life® | The Gallery at FUNERIA

Ashes to Art® | scattered installations include award-winning work from a British designer, a short film of a Viking funeral by West County artist Rik Olson and 80 original artist-made urns, vessels and reliquaries in all media

More than 80 original personal memorial artworks by 64 sculptors, potters, woodworkers, gold and metalsmiths, stone carvers, mosaic and glass artists and others working in media as diverse as cut paper and computer-generated 3D forms will be featured during the 4th biennial “Ashes to Art | scattered” exhibition at Art Honors Life, The Gallery at FUNERIA, September 27-November 30, 2008, 2860 Bowen St. #1, Graton, CA 95444. An artists opening and awards reception is being held September 26, 6-8 PM. Exhibition admission is free. Guests are asked to RSVP for the opening reception at www.funeria.com or by calling 707 829 1966. During the exhibition, the gallery will be open Wednesday through Saturday, Noon-5 PM and by appointment.

The unique art objects featured in the exhibition are intended to contain all, or some portion, of an individual’s cremated remains—either permanently for keeping at home, placement in a columbarium niche, burial, or temporarily prior to scattering or other dispersal. Some artworks are designed to be shared by companions. Also featured are a greater number of urns created for pets than in previous exhibitions. It is the first time that this seminal exhibition is opening in Sonoma County since its 2001 debut at San Francisco’s historic Fort Mason Center. Ashes to Art exhibitions have also opened in Philadelphia, and portions have toured at Onishi Gallery in New York’s Chelsea arts district and at Le Bourget in Paris.

Two special installations at this exhibition include several designs by young British product designer Nadine Jarvis (www.nadinejarvis.com) in her American debut and one short poignant film by Sebastopol, California artist Rik Olson. Olson built a wooden boat for his father’s and brother’s ashes in order to enact a Viking funeral with his family as co-participants in July 2008. Both artists’ imaginative and beautifully executed concepts address the increasingly favored process of ash scattering. More than 40% of survey respondents who are considering cremation for themselves would like their ashes scattered, mostly in water. More than 60% of all California residents, and the populations of most western states, are choosing cremation for themselves and their loved ones. The choice of cremation throughout the US is expected to grow from 32% of all deceased currently, to more than 50% by 2025, and perhaps sooner.

Ashes to Art is presented by Northern California-based FUNERIA, a unique arts agency and exhibition organizer that promotes and sells original artist-made urns and personal memorial artwork through wholesale and retail channels worldwide. The Graton installation of the show is also made possible through the generous support of Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary (www.hillsidememorial.org)—the most prestigious Jewish cemetery in Southern California with a rich tradition of serving all Jewish families and particularly those who are among the most well-known and beloved writers, producers and performers in the entertainment industry, as well as respected arts advocates, political figures and philanthropists.

On January 18, 2007, preceding its first Open House, FUNERIA, its artists and clients were featured in The New York Times in an article by Patricia Leigh Brown who cited Art Honors Life as “the nation’s first art gallery dedicated to cremation urns and personal memorial art.” Maureen Lomasney, FUNERIA’s founder and president who organized the first Ashes to Art competition with the help of two friends and many volunteers in 2001 has been a Sonoma County resident for 19 years, and is a writer, designer, fine arts photographer and the gallery’s director. In 1992, she founded Tannery Creek Press, which introduced “Sonoma Skyscrapers”—a locally printed poster and photo essay in black and white of three icons in the rural landscape.

For further information about the exhibition, opening reception or additional sponsorship opportunities, call 707 829 1966 or email arthonorslife@funeria.com.

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Sonoma County's EcoRing Web Site

EcoRing was started several years ago to promote ecologically based travel and entertainment for tourists as well as locals. By giving people options that show the beauty of Sonoma County while preserving and promoting our environment, we not only teach respect for nature, we bring year-round opportunities to enjoy what Sonoma County has to offer.

EcoRing is pleased to announce the launch of its new website www.ecoring.org, and we welcome you to take a look. The website features a Directory of Green Businesses, Best Practices Guides, Maps, Events, and a Kids Corner.

We hope you will find this information useful and will forward it on to others who might be interested. If you have any comments, please fill out the contact information section on the website. www.ecoring.org

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Sonoma County Mental Health Services

Mental Health: A Community Responsibility

This essay is written by Pedro Toledo, JD, MA, Director of Community and Government Relations for Redwood Community Health Coalition – the network of 16 community clinics in Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Yolo counties. His personal and professional experience, as well as his commitment is to improve the quality of life for people living with mental illness, is impressive.

By Pedro Toledo
Imagine if 1/4 of the population was diagnosed with a disease that ravaged the community, killed countless people and tore families apart. Envision carting the sick off to prisons. Picture reading newspaper stories of people who were killed in the streets, victims of a disease that even law enforcement officers didn’t understand. Imagine a world where the sick turn to self-medication with alcohol and drugs in an attempt to relieve their symptoms. This illness sees no boundaries; it affects the rich, the poor and all races of people.

This illness exists today in our community, affecting thousands of people. It’s called mental illness. With medical research indicating that the life expectancy of people living with mental illness is 25 years less than the average, we must address mental illness as a community priority.
Treatment for mental illness is as effective as treatment for high blood pressure, asthma or diabetes. Recent advances in treatment options result in more and more individuals reclaiming full and productive lives. People in recovery- managing their illness, holding down a job and forging positive relationships- are an inspiration.

Here’s an example of what happens when early detection and treatment of mental illness occurs. As a teenager, Maria was diagnosed with mental illness. Her family stood by her side and supported Maria by educating themselves and remaining actively involved in her therapy. Maria and her family joined the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Now an adult, she receives supportive housing services from Buckelew, attends college and holds a steady job. Her parents are certified NAMI teachers, leading courses at Southwest Community Health Center to help other Spanish-speaking families cope with mental illness.

With the commitment and hard work of many agencies and advocates, many people like Maria connect to the support and services they require. Others aren’t so lucky. Unable to navigate the fragmented and oftentimes bureaucratic mental health delivery system, thousands fall through the cracks, ending up in prison or taking their own lives.

Recently, the county mental health department shifted hundreds of patients to the community clinics, a stark indicator of the strain on the mental health delivery system. While joint collaboration remains an opportunity to work together, these types of decisions need to be complemented with funding mechanisms. Unfortunately, Medi-Cal policies currently restrict reimbursement for mental health visits rendered on the same day as primary care visits at community clinics. This limitation stifles innovation and serves as a roadblock to care at a time when our community needs solutions.

With the current economic downturn, many community members have lost their homes and jobs. During these difficult times, even more people are in need of mental health services. Mental health agencies are struggling to meet the needs of more people with fewer resources as they face even deeper budgetary cuts as a result of the State budget crises.

Despite these conditions, we must move forward. Our community organizations, government agencies and the business sector have a long and proud tradition of forging partnerships to collaboratively develop effective solutions to address challenging problems. Working together, we can improve the mental health safety net to ensure that all members of our community have the opportunity to thrive.

Now, imagine a world that accepts mental illness as a disease, where families are strong and communities are resilient. Envision a world where we treat people in crisis in local hospitals and where police are trained to deal with people in crisis just like they are trained to deal with a heart attack victim. Imagine a community of survivors. This community, while not far away, won’t become a reality on its own.

Bust the stigma associated with mental illness by learning about, volunteering with or donating to local organizations serving people with mental illness. Vote for County Supervisor candidates that are committed to improving the local mental health delivery system. Ask your State legislators to protect mental health services. And, most importantly, join me in honoring the people and organizations who work each and every day to improve the quality of life for people living with mental illness.

Pedro Toledo, JD, MA is Director of Community and Government Relations for Redwood Community Health Coalition – the network of 16 community clinics in Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Yolo counties.

To learn more: www.rchc.net

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

Another contribution - please read and contribute yours to vesta@sonic.net - Thank you!

Sliming Sarah Palin, and our shadow

Much is being shared about Sarah Palin that disturbs me - and the tone and some content of what is being shared reminds me of the days, months and years of the Bill Clinton impeachment hunt (masterfully illustrated in a fine movie called "The Hunting of the President" which paints the scene of how the recent American discourse went from adolescent to primal, from conversation about ideas to fundamentalism and rage, on both sides of the culture war.)

And now, a good part of what is being bandied about regarding Governor Palin is proving to simply be untrue. Worse, as Dr. Deepak Chopra writes this week, we are chasing after our own shadow, distracted once again from reality.

I believe that the hope and change of the Barack Obama movement is about the best of the American people, about our basic goodness, as we say in Shambhala. But as we buddhists also say, "Good at the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end." In this case, we do not ascend to or create on this spot, in this time, a shining city of fairness, truth and justice by engaging in hate, aggression and projection. The means reflect the end, not justify them. Or, as Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche writes in "Ruling Your World", planting an apple seed will not yield an orange tree - truly, we reap what we sow.

So....for example....Sarah Palin did not ban books in Alaska; she apparently didn't like what she found in the public library and questioned the librarian on a "What if...?" basis, but both librarian and books remained in the library. This and other issues about Palin's past are verifiable at FactCheck.org and will no doubt continue to be updated as time marches on towards Election Day and beyond.

But what about our shadow? Here's what Deepak Chopra has to say:

"Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week....She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind."

At this stage, public opinion polls are stating that McCain-Palin are ahead and Obama-Biden behind. Polls don't tell the whole story - not new voters' stories or how the actual November 4th vote will go, as well as any number of variables, such as global climate disruption's (in other words, Mother Earth's opinion) affect on voter turnout. And besides, it's the electoral college, remember? Yes, that's still around, we all thought it went away after the last stolen election(s).

If you feel as I do that Barack Obama should be our next president, YOU need to do something, friend: make a financial contribution (www.barackobama.com), invest your time, talk with your undecided or turned-off friends, make a difference. Waking up from these past nightmarish eight years requires some effort, a lot of faith and yes, work.

Barack can't wave his hand and make the sun come back up. Only we, individuals, communities and a society, can recognize the shadows and repel them with our voices and our exertion. And that's a good thing, for us.

Peace,
Marc Hussein Matheson
San Rafael, CA

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

The essay below is in response to my invitation for readers to submit their perspective on our national race for President & Vice President of the United States. Please send essays to vesta@sonic.net - Thanks so much! - V

Write the Headline NOW!

Dear Everyone,
I am truly inspired by Barack Obama and believe now is the time to come together as a country to elect a leader with integrity and intelligence. Today I thought about what I could do personally to get Barack elected and go about it in a completely positive way that anyone could easily do.
Here's what I came up with. We could each write the headline that comes out the day he wins and put it up in a place we look at every single day.

OBAMA WINS IN LANDSLIDE!!

OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

HOPE AND INSPIRATION MOVE BACK INTO WHITE HOUSE WITH NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT

BARACK OBAMA BARACK OBAMA, THE YES WE CAN PRESIDENT

I know this works!! When Jeff and I sold our house in a very tough market we did all the prep we possibly could and also put a picture of the house up on the wall (in our new house) with the address and "sold" written across it. We sold it the very first day it was on the market!! We also sold a condo in 3 weeks using the same technique in a similar tough market where 4 other units had been for sale for at least 2 months.

Share this with anyone at all!
Talk about grassroots!
If millions of us are picturing this happening, it will!

Terry Loveton

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Warren Arnold - Stone Sculptor

Once Warren Arnold found a local source for soapstone in Forestville, CA, he moved from carving wood, to sculpting stone. Don’t miss the opportunity to see Warren’s upcoming shows. You can, also, see Warren’s work at Art Trails on the second and third weekends of October.

Warren Arnold

Every mass of stone is awaiting a sculptor who will release the joy it contains and bring nature and man into harmony. Nature and man in consort – each supporting the other in sustaining and creating beauty. The image is pure West Sonoma County. It is, therefore, befitting that Warren Arnold is the shaper of marble in the midst of a small farm on the south outskirts of Sebastopol. Warren Arnold did not become a part of the West Sonoma County culture by happenstance. He was teaching and living sustainability long before it became a buzzword for the Green Movement. Even while living in the urban environment of Berkeley, Warren and his wife, Maile, raised chickens, rabbits and bees as well as vegetables in rooftop boxes. He shared the lessons of living with nature in the classes he taught in Orinda for the Contra Costa County school system. He developed a nature area for students to learn first hand how to work with the environment instead of against it. He expressed his profound fascination with nature’s untold secrets through sculpture.

His dedication to sculpting began over 40 years ago with wood but once he discovered a supply of soapstone in Forestville, he was hooked on stone. Trips were taken to Sebastopol to buy apples. Sonoma County appeared to be the idyllic Eden within reach of mortals. In 1976 the couple purchased their small farm with the plan to spend weekends and summers away from their normal lives. Soon they could not go back to the confines of the city and began their not-so-normal daily lives on the farm. Over thirty years later, Warren and Maile live off of the land in a manner that was once common but has long ago gone the way of one room school houses and crank up car windows. They grow their own food including livestock, heat with firewood from their land and produce solar energy for their household needs. Pre-existing outbuildings house the hay for the animals and keep the firewood dry through the winter but most importantly provide ample studio and display space for Warren’s art.

It is clear from the urban farm in Berkeley that Warren does not have an issue with going against the tide. You might recognize his name from the controversy which rose around his Whale Project that placed a series of seven totemic sculptures along the coast of Northern California from south at Big Sur to north at Trinidad. Only six remain today and one is the hotly contested “Whale Ballet” at Doran Beach Park in Bodega Bay. But don’t expect all of his works to be whales frolicking in the waves. At each opportunity to display his sculptures, Warren picks a new theme. His fun is in doing something that has not previously been done. Arches, lovers, sunrises, sea mammals – they each have their own aura but all speak of Warren Arnold’s love of form and texture. His upcoming Labor Day Weekend venue is at the Blue Gum Farm Gallery on Hall Road. Warren, Jocelyn Audette and Hanya Popova-Parker will be showing their depictions of fragments from the coastal shore in an exhibition they have coined FRAGMENTS. The three artists draw inspiration from the same broken objects collected on beach walks and express their observations each in a different medium – stone, watercolors and oils. They have made this collaboration in the past with enthusiastic success. Warren has a completely different series, titled STORMS, planned for this October’s Art Trails.

Sonoma County benefits from Warren’s residence. He has been an instrumental personality in the yearly Sculpture Jam and was recognized for his work in 2007 with a proclamation from the Sebastopol City Council for his Leadership and Dedication to Sculpture Jam over many years. He is curator for the upcoming Ten Year Review of Sculpture at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts which will showcase the works of 13 Sonoma County sculptors. His most recent community effort is the tables and benches at the Sebastopol Skate Park which is finally poised to open.

All of these things are being propelled by the internal energy of Warren Arnold. And what did I find him doing when I came to visit? He was at the controls of his forklift with his last large chunk of Indian marble (the remains of The Whale Project) poised above a pile of pallets. 2700 pounds of stone that will be transformed into yet another polished masterpiece over the coming months. Don’t miss the opportunity to see Warren’s upcoming shows. The Blue Gum Farm Gallery is at 4787 Hall Road, Santa Rosa. Exhibit hours are Saturday, August 30, through Monday, September 2, from 1 to 5. You can, also, see Warren’s work at Art Trails on the second and third weekends of October. www.artrails.org/

You can email your comments to bshula@comcast.net

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

The essay below is in response to my invitation for readers to submit their perspective on our national race for President & Vice President of the United States. Please send essays to vesta@sonic.net - Thanks so much! - V

Registered to Vote...at 59

I am 59 years old and have never voted. That statement shocks a lot of people. After all, I am a business owner, father of 3 and pay my bills and taxes before they’re due….but I’ve never been willing to participate in democracy. It all started with my Grandmother.

My Grandmother Edna was a force to be reckoned with. She was a staunch Republican, a Daughter of the American Revolution, successful business woman and unquestionably the head of our family. Growing up, I spent a good deal of time with my Grandmother; I think she saw me as her torch bearer. At age 15 she upped the agenda substantially by opening up the books on her life and views; I was advised to pay close attention.

Among the many things conveyed was her view on politics. “I do not wish to seem negative or contrary, my dear, but democracy is the opiate of the masses. If you wish to have a true effect on this world, it will not occur because of your vote. The decisions that govern our world are made by people of money, privilege and power and if you wish to have any sway, you will have to become one of them.” Well, that got my attention.

And looking around the world, I had to admit, she had a point. And so I refused to participate for the next 40 years; 59 years old and never voted….until now. For the first time in my life, I have heard a voice that caught my attention and didn’t fuel my jaded opinion of American politics. For the first time in my life, I am eager to place my one vote against self serving traditional politics. For the first time in my life, I registered to vote to help elect Barack Obama. Maybe, just maybe, if enough of us come out from our long isolation, the tide can be turned.
- Alan Joseph, Santa Rosa, CA

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Obama & Biden vs. McCain & Palin

I invite all readers to submit their perspectives on our national race for President & Vice President of the United States. This Blog has no word limits like the print edition of the West County Gazette. Please submit your essays to vesta@sonic.net. I will publish all that come my way, whether I agree or not. The only limitation I place is on fowl language and violence or what I consider to be overly negative concepts. (Submissions for print need to be 700 words or less.) Below is my opening essay. Thanks for reading. - Vesta


Qualifications I Want to See in Our Leaders

By Vesta Copestakes

It comes as no surprise to West County Gazette readers that my bent is Liberal and therefore I am a Democrat. Some of my friends are Green Party, Libertarians or Independents, and I can see the point from a philosophical perspective, but not when it comes down to the reality of voting. We’ll never get leaders who believe in freedom and equality for every man, woman and child, respect for our environment, and economic balance of any kind as long as we split the Progressive/Liberal vote and hand over leadership positions to Conservatives. This has nothing to do with philosophy and everything to do with counting votes.

I am a woman and therefore many people assumed I was a Hillary Clinton supporter. Hillary is not the first female to run for a top Democratic office. Geraldine Ferraro ran for Vice President with Walter Mondale in 1984. Her career focus in the senate was equality for women, specifically for wages, pensions and retirement plans because women were being increasingly responsible for raising families with income inferior to men. Ferraro was not only female, she was a Catholic, Italian American. At the time, those were considered three strikes against her. Beyond her gender, we Liberal females supported her efforts on our behalf. We lived then, and still live now, on wages inferior to our male counterparts. Single mothers everywhere know the imbalance that still exists 24 years later. Geraldine recently worked on Hillary’s campaign.

Although I admire Hillary Clinton, she was not my choice. On top of my list is my desire to have a peacemaker as our president, and Hillary presented herself as a fighter. She voted for the invasion of Iraq and my philosophy is that we use weapons and war as our last choice, and use conversation and debate as our entrance to problem-solving – no matter what the subject. War always involves killing innocent people, destroying families, communities, nations, hearts and minds through generations impacted by loss and emotional pain. I don’t want to see another aggressive fighter leading our country no matter what gender.

When John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, he did so to lure female voters. He chose an aggressive, young woman to invigorate his party and those concerned about his age and health. After all, he is 72, has had serious bouts with cancer, and the stress of being president will take its toll on his life. Chances are good that his running mate will take his place. Women wanting to see a female in the top office of our country will likely get the chance if the McCain/Palin ticket wins in November.

Sarah Palin is not my kind of female. A self-proclaimed “Pit Bull with lipstick” who staunchly believes that killing animals while hunting and people through war is OK, but not aborting fetuses in the case of rape and incest, shows me an imbalance of concern for life. These young women who have been violently abused have to suffer for the life of the child in their womb, and the citizens of our planet have to suffer for the decisions of their leaders. This is not pro-life in my mind. Sarah Palin has other short-comings that deem her insufficiently prepared to lead our country. Time will bring these to the surface more and more.

John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin makes me question his ability to make good, sound decisions. The information he based his decision upon was superficial. It’s similar to internet dating. He met a woman on the internet, saw her picture and deemed her beautiful, read her profile and liked what she said. From that moment on he decided that this was the woman he would marry and with whom he would create a family. Most of these impulsive relationships fall apart in the light of day. But in John McCain’s case, he decided to tie the knot right then and there. He stated “I had a gut feeling she was the right person.” And George Bush had “a gut feeling” that invading Iraq was the right decision. I don’t want a leader who makes important decisions on gut feelings.

And when it comes down to it, I don’t want a leader I can relate to as a person with whom I drink beer or shots of alcohol. And although I admire community leaders on the PTA, etc., that doesn’t make them qualified to lead my country and make decisions that impact millions, even billions of people. I don’t want one of us. I want an exceptional person. I want to see a leader I admire, respect, and am even intimidated by his/her intelligence.

Analytical intelligence, level headed thinking, emotional balance and consideration for others are at the top of my list of what a leader should have as qualifications. I want someone who reads voraciously, who gathers information across a full spectrum of facts, figures, perspectives and opinions before coming to conclusions. I want a leader with a calm center in his/her heart and mind. I want to see a grounded individual who is not excitable and impulsive. I also want to see compassion and love in the face of the person leading my country.

When I see the team of Obama/Biden, I see the qualifications I am looking for. They are both fair, considered individuals who I can admire on many levels for many reasons. I don’t care that they are both male. I don’t care that Obama is bi-racial. What I do care about is that they both demonstrate characteristics that give me faith they can lead our country out of the hole we have dug ourselves into – economically, socially and politically. I want to see these people lead our country into a future I can feel confident will respect the lives of our planet and every living being on it. That kind of respect for all life is how I define pro-life.

Please vote in the November election. Vote for peace on our planet, respect for the lives of every living being and an environmental policy based on science and fact. We can’t afford to make important decisions through emotion. We need to use our minds.

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Playing with Your Children

Sharon Wikoff is an advocate for both ends of the spectrum of life…children and elders. Her insights are full of knowledge, experience and compassion. She hosts The family Hour on KGGV 95.1 from Guerneville, CA, which can be heard on the internet through WWW.KGGVFM.ORG



The MAGNIFICENT GIFT behind the simple…Playtime in the LOCAL PARK!

How many times have you gone to the park for a fun relaxed time with your children, and thought of it as just another ‘thing’ to do with the kids? Or perhaps thought, “You really want to go their again?”

During this summer I’ve spent many hours at the Forestville Youth Park, enjoying the swings (YES, I still LOVE to swing!) and walking about under the luscious trees, just hanging out.
It’s been such a joy to watch children there with their parents. I’ve come to realize how very special these moments are between parent and child. Some recent observations of mine have been:

1 - A mom and 5-year-old little girl who is enjoying having her Mom watch her on the equipment.
2 - A father with two young boys, about ten and four years of age. When the children were on the teeter-totter he encouraged the older boy to bounce easily so that the younger child, about 50 pounds lighter, wouldn’t get bounced off.
3 - And the 3rd family I saw was a very buff good looking man, probably about 25 years old with his 2-year-old son, simply observing him as he traveled form place to place. Dad appeared so content and allowed the 2 year old to be very self-directing.

After observing these and others child-parent relationships, I began to see the tremendous GIFTS in such situations.

GIFT ONE: The GIFT of Allowing
When a child is allowed to be free and to do as he/she wishes, that is such a gift! Children need time just “to be!” In today’s world, there are so many demands upon a child’s time that children need that special time daily just to “hang out” and “be.” Magda Gerber, Child therapist, called it: “Wants nothing time.” The parent wants nothing from the child.

This time varies greatly from what Magda calls: “Wants something time.” “We have to go to the store…let’s get in the car.” Or “Please come pick up your toys with me, your room needs to be cleaned up.” Or “Come inside, its dinnertime.” These are all times when the parent “wants something.” After a day of such requests from both parents and teachers, a child needs time and space to play! To be! To enjoy!

GIFT TWO: The GIFT of “Simply Being” for Mom or Dad
The parents I saw were simply “being” in the moment. They were not planning, or teaching or expecting or directing or reprimanding unless there was an issue of safety. In such cases, they responded in the moment without a pre-planned agenda or expectation. They address the need of the moment. This can be a very freeing time for Mom and Dad too! Parents need down time too, very much! They need to relax and just “be.” When parent and child can find the space to do this together, it truly is a gift for both.

GIFT THREE: The GIFT of Self-Confidence
When a child is in an environment where he/she is allowed to choose what they want to do, there is a certain level of confidence that comes from that choosing. This is also a wonderful time for a child to experiment and see what he/she is capable of and what they have a challenge with doing. Infants will spend much time “practicing” a certain move, for example moving from a crawling position to a half sitting position when they are learning to do that movement. They gain confidence in the practicing.

I remember going to the park and sitting on the grass with my 18 month old and allowing her to walk away from the blanket area…and then come back to me. She enjoyed the going and coming so much…and as she gained more confidence she would venture further away. And yet she’s always turn around to make sure I was still there.

So the next time you take time out for a playtime in the park, know that the GIFTS behind such a venture, for both parent and child, are many more than what first meets the eye.

Sharon Ann Wikoff, is an elementary teacher, parent educator and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Practitioner. She hosts The Family Hour weekly on KGGV 95.1 Guerneville, which streams on KGGVFM.ORG. She can be reached at (707) 539-0601

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River's End Restaurant & Inn, Jenner, CA

Carolyn Horan takes on a culinary journey to Sonoma County restaurants she just plain enjoys. Her reviews are more than about food, they are about our community and the people who choose to feed us with their food, their time and their lives.


RIVER’S END Restaurant & Inn at 11048 Highway 1 on the coast in Jenner provides a quality experience with good food, presentation and service. The drive to Jenner on Highway 116 West takes you along the Russian River to the River’s End restaurant which sits on the cliff overlooking the ocean. The evening sunset adds to the romantic feeling of the restaurant. You might start with a special artisan cocktail. The chef (yes, Patrick Keane’s title is Cocktail Chef) creates classic cocktails with flavors and ingredients that will expand your conception of the pre-dinner cocktail. He trained at the French Culinary Institute but always had an appreciation for the bar. He wants to contribute to a whole new level of contemporary dining. As example you might try a Kaffir Lime Drop made with Hanger One Kaffir Lime vodka and fresh lime juice served in a citrus sugar rimmed glass, or a Cucumber Gimlet made with Hendricks Gin, fresh cucumber water and lime. If you want something more traditional I recommend Patrick’s Old Fashioned made with Maker’s Mark Whiskey or try his Rasberry Mojito or Cadillac Margarita. If you don’t want alcohol you can try one of five different non-alcoholic specialties. All alcoholic cocktails are $11 and non-alcoholic are $5.

You can select from several appetizers followed by soup or salad. I tried the Crispy Duck Confit Rolls - $12. The presentation of this dish adds to the pleasure of the taste and 4 people could share this appetizer. If you are a fan of beets I suggest the Technicolor beet salad which consists of roasted multi-colored beets layered with mascarpone and goat cheese, macadamia nuts and fresh basil with an orange balsamic vinaigrette for $14

Along with the daily special main courses include Fish, Pork, Filet Mignon, Duck, Elk or vegetarian with prices ranging from $18 to $49. There is a special Dungeness Crab Tasting Menu at a price fixe. I suggest you go to www.ilovesunsets.com to check this out. As a diner, you can see the chef at work through a glass enclosed kitchen and marvel at the presentation of all these meals. The Executive Chef is David Dahlquist , a young man who has literally spent half his life working in Sonoma County restaurant kitchens and loves the influences of all kinds of tastes: Asian, Mexican, Thai, Latin as example which he integrates into the flavors of California with local fresh products.


So how did these talented chefs end up in a restaurant on the coast? Bert Rangel and his wife, Stephanie, visited River’s End, staying in one of the cottages on a vacation in 1992. Bert fell in love with the setting and told Stephanie he wanted to live there- some day. In 1998 Bert was flying to San Francisco from Mexico City to meet Stephanie and some of their friends to spend a few days in Sonoma County. When Bert settled into his seat on the plane he opened the Wall Street Journal and ‘lo and behold’ there was a for sale ad for River’s End Restaurant and Inn. To make a long story short a few months later the deal was closed and Bert changed his profession from working on developing high tech facility projects to working the “front of the house” at River’s End, a job he loves. Stephanie continues with her profession scheduling construction projects which take her all over the world. They live in Jenner with their two children but find time to travel and visit restaurants to see what their friends and others are achieving with their culinary pursuits. Bert says, “I want River’s End to be a great value and experience. It’s too easy to be average, we want to be spectacular.” Bert has created a culture for the restaurant based on six guidelines: 1) what is the feeling (for the customer)upon walking in the door, 2) a music style that is pleasing for diners, 3) how does the staff approach and communicate with customers, 4) the quality of the food, 5) the presentation of the entire dining experience, and 6) the ambiance.

The restaurant received an ‘Award of Excellence’ in 2002 and has wine by the half bottles plus 17 options for wine by the glass. There is an extensive menu for your ‘Night Cap’ including cordials, ports, muscat, Riesling, brandy & congnac and single malt scotch. If you prefer to end the meal with dessert you could try chocolate mousse, old English Trifle, Mascarpone filled poached pear, creme brulee or house made ice cream.

Horan@sonic.net

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Expand Your Varietal Horizons

John Haggard is on-hand once more to fill in for Dick Starr during his absence. Dick will be back in the September 2008 issue. We are lucky to have such a knowledgeable wine writer so close at hand and so willing to help.


Expand Your Varietal Horizons

I am the first one to fall into the trap of loving a varietal. Surrounded by some of the best pinot noir in the country, I carry sixty to eighty of them in my store. You may find yourself to be a pinot-file or, perhaps, having a preference for cabernet, but California’s winemakers have so much more to offer.

Barb Gustafson (Matt Gustafson’ wife, the winemaker for Paul Mathew) persuaded me to taste the Paul Mathew Gamay Noir 2007, from Knights Valley (Sonoma County). Matt is known for his pinot noirs, indeed is about to be profiled by Wine Spectator for his expertise in expressing the flavors in the clonal varietals of pinot noir such as Russian River Valley’s Ruxton Vineyard… but I digress, his Gamay Noir is outstanding. Traditionally served lightly chilled (although a red wine), this Gamay Noir needs only be brought to cellar temperature – which can be done by placing in a refrigerator for just fifteen minutes. The Paul Mathew Gamay Noir is a dusty, black stone-fruit filled sipping wine which finishes with flavors of bubblegum (yes, I said bubblegum) and hints of fennel, retail price $16.99.

Once widely found, French Colombard has been ripped out of California’s vineyards for more profitable varietals, thankfully, some has survived. Nikolai Stez, the winemaker for Woodenhead, knew he had something special and wanted to make a dry white wine crafted for another love of his, oysters. He has indeed achieved his goal. The Woodenhead 2007 Russian River Valley French Colombard is a perfect pairing for the Hog Island Oysters found locally in Tomales Bay. With creamy citric lime and lemon flavors, and minerality mid-palate, this French Colombard would also make a great pairing for Pacific Coast Abalone. Woodenhead has a new tasting room at 5700 River Road, though they may be a touch taken-a-back if you say you were drawn there by his French Colombard rather than his more sort-after pinot noirs and zinfandels (I certainly recommend you try everything they let you taste at Woodenhead). Woodenhead’s French Colombard retails at $17.99, but why not go to Mosaic Restaurant in Forestville, now serving lunch and dinner 7 days a week in their beautiful hidden garden oasis where you will find it placed on Tai Olesky’s well-rounded wine menu.

Grenache is certainly not an uncommon varietal to the French – it is the dominant grape used in many Rhône wines, famously Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In California, however, it is much harder to find. Quivira has made an exquisite example of a Rosé of Grenache in 2007 from their estate in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma. Quivira wins my praise before even tasting their wine because of its organic farming, commitment to solar power and restoration of Wine Creek as a fish-friendly habitat. Their dry Rosé of Grenache has nice tart red fruit flavors of strawberry and cherry, with watermelon and green papaya - a versatile food wine, making a great pairing for caesar salad with either prawns or grilled chicken, retail price $19.99.

Dornfelder was definitely not a varietal on my radar screen until just a month ago when I had the good fortune to taste a 2005 Dornfelder from Huber Estate in Santa Barbara County. While more common in Germany, this distinctive varietal produces a dark, inky red wine in your glass filled with blueberry, not a tannic wine but dry, full-palate, blueberry - a great robust sipping wine, retailing at $25.99.

A favorite of mine for the last two vintages, is Carol Shelton’s Late Harvest Trousseau Gris. The current vintage is 2007 and retails for $15.99 (375ml). A demi-sec (light-sweet) this wine pairs beautifully with aged goat cheeses, such as Redwood Hill Farm’s Bucheret from Sebastopol. The wine is filled with stone fruit flavors of nectarine and white peach with a subtle effervessence. The Trousseau Gris vineyard is off Wood Road in the Russian River Valley. The vineyard is approaching sixty years of age and farmed about as organically as it gets by Peter Fanucchi, testament to this was the hidden bird nest I found amongst the vines on my last visit to the vineyard with Carol Shelton.

John Haggard is owner of Sophie’s Cellars, The Sonoma Wine & Cheese Market in Monte Rio, California. Sophie’s Cellars is open 11am – 7pm, closed only on Wednesdays. www.sophiescellars.com

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A Wine Junket through West Sonoma County

Dick Starr takes us on a wine retail/tasting room drive through the hills and towns of Sonoma County, including: Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Monte Rio, Occidental, Duncans Mills and Bodega Bay. This column was part of the 2007 Annual Small Town Shopping Tour, published every November in the West County Gazette and designed to get holiday shoppers out into our towns where we can support our local economy and our neighbors. In the November 2008 edition, we'll have more shopping adventures, people to meet and places to learn about in this lovely place we call home…Sonoma County.

A Wine Junket

by dick starr

Sonoma’s West and North County presents a rich selection of wine retailers for those that seek an array of domestic and international wines to choose from. On hand, at least with the retailers that I’m reviewing, is an informed mentor to channel you through the labyrinth of juices, accouterments, and pairing suggestions.

Why visit a wine specialty shop in lieu of a winery? Actually, I support the patronage of both wine sources, but a significant advantage to shop at a specialized retailer is personalized service (anyone that has been to a crowded winery’s tasting room can appreciate that) and to glean information on a wide range of relevant wine and wineries based on your taste, pocketbook, and occasion. Additionally, if the retailer is worth his or her salt, will be the propensity to keep you informed on future wines based on your personal interest.

For those of you that want a piece of Carmel without having to drive south for four hours, just amble up to the Healdsburg square with its vibrant, eclectic, and esoteric shops alive with art, food, jazz, crafts, nouveau boutiques, and the ambiance of wine weaving throughout the amalgamate. Of special interest is the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, a Café Jazz Series at the Palette Art Café throughout November. And, at www.winerywalk.com, you’ll find a walking tour of the wineries and artisan food producers downtown.

Healdsburg
The Wine Shop

One wine retailer of import is the Wine Shop on the square. Manager and wine buyer Pedro Rusk and assistant manager Mark Friedrich confidentially hold the reins to guide patrons through a wide range of local and international wines. A grape repartee is established over a flight of tastes for $10. If you want to peruse an extraordinary selection of Pinot Noir, this is the place. The Wine Shop is located at 331 Healdsburg Avenue on the square.

Sebastopol
The Wine Emporium

Meandering southwest of Healdsburg, our first stop is The Wine Emporium located at 125 North Main Street in the heart of downtown Sebastopol. Ever since its inception in February 2006, owner, James Haug, has endeavored to provide an accommodating milieu for tasting and consulting as well as general information about the region. Like a personalized dating service, James, or a member of his staff, will match you with an affectionate and adoring grape that will adorn any occasion. About four dozen wines are available for tasting with prices starting at $1.50 per ounce. The store’s fine art gallery is currently featuring art by Jose Maro Alvarado. The Emporium is open noon to 6pm Wednesday through Sunday and by special appointment. www.the-wine-emporium-store.com

Monte Rio
Sophie’s Cellars

Four miles west of Guerneville is California’s original “Vacation Wonderland,” harking back to the days when big bands played to thousands at Monte Rio’s famous outdoor dance pavilions. John Haggard brought 25 years of food and wine experience with him when he opened Sophie’s Cellars in June 2005. He has maintained a viable and visible source of Russian River wine energy. John provides an extensive collection of hard-to-find limited production wines. About 75% of his wine inventory is local with almost two dozen available exclusive outside of restaurants. There are about 40 imports with Italy gaining ground. About half of the 80 cheeses are local with an emphasis on goat cheese. Also available are freshly baked breads and pies as well as chocolates, olive oils, and vinegars. Sophie’s Cellars is open from 11am to 7pm and closed Wednesdays.
www.sophiescellars.com


Occidental

Sonoma Fine Wine

Heading south on Bohemian Highway from Monte Rio along the same latitude is the charming former logging village of Occidental. Sonoma Fine Wine is located in historical digs in the hub of downtown, 3625 Main Street. Like the Wine Emporium, owner Benjamynn Gabriel, considers the nub of his service to customers to be wine consulting. He utilizes a state-of-the-art database software that allows the tracking of personal preferences and ordering history. The shop will feature artist Dee Andreini at an art opening November 30 from 4pm to 8pm. Heintz Wines will be pouring their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. www.sonomafinewine.com

Duncans Mills

Wine Tasting of Sonoma County

Returning to Highway 116, 7 miles west of Guerneville, minutes west of Monte Rio, and 3 miles east of the ocean is another former logging community, Duncan Mills, where the population has recently exploded from 20 to a teeming 85. If not a destination, this should be a must-stop for west as well as east bound trekkers. The historic railroad depot gives resonance to a time in the 1870s when a group of San Francisco journalists and artists gave birth to the Bohemian Club that started using this area for their summer encampment.

Among the unique mélange of specialty shops, restaurants and galleries is Wine Tasting of Sonoma County under the new (about a year) sway of Prairie Silva. Once located on Pig Alley on the south side of town, Duncan Mills’ oldest building, dating from the early 1870s, was moved to its present location where Prairie pours and discusses the fruit-of-the-vine with both locals and tourists over a Sonoma Sampler consisting of five tastes for $5. It might be an extension from her previous activity, that of catering manager for rock & roll groups like the Eagles, but where food is concerned, wine follows. Friday evenings from 6pm to 8pm is a good time to visit when a full glass of wine is served for a $1 off of regular price. Regular hours of operation are 11 am to 6pm weekdays, noon to 6pm on weekends, and closed on Tuesdays. (New Owners in 2008 - just as delightful) www.winetastingsonoma.com
Bodega Bay

Continuing west three miles to the ocean and south on the famed coastal highway 1 for 16 miles or about 25 minutes, is the ocean community of Bodega Bay. As most of us already know, Alfred Hitchcock facilitated visibility of Bodega and Bodega Bay as a consequence of his film, “The Birds” released in 1963 after taking three years to complete. Politely cutting me short on the subject in an interview I had with the film’s star, Tippi Hedren, about six years ago at the Sarasota Film Festival, she was totally focused on Shambala which she and her daughter Melanie Griffith support. Shambala is a refuge that she supports for endangered species that were born in captivity and abandoned or retired from circuses or exceeded homeowners expectations as pets. She did admit to a number of wounds from the birds. The most horrific scene – that took a week to shoot – was near the end when she was being ravaged by the birds. They were attached to her clothes by a long nylon thread to prevent escaping.

There are 950 residents and untold number of tourists that fill out the area’s extent. An event that you might want to mark on your calendar is the Bodega Volunteer Fire Department’s Annual Christmas Fair November 24 and 25. And, for you ocean and sea life aficionados, the UC Bodega Marine Laboratory on Bodega Head conducts ½ hour tours from 2 to 4pm every Friday. For hikers and whale watchers, there’s Bodega Head, a no-charge state park. And, if you’re inclined to beaching or camping, Sonoma County’s Doran Beach is the place. It has one of the most aesthetically lovely beaches in northern California.
Gourmet au Bay

Steve Hecht and Tammi Salas trekked up from Silicon Valley in 2002 to preside over 200 hand-selected award-winning California wines at Gourmet au Bay. Located approximately in the center of Bodega Bay’s business area and leaning out to the bay, Steve and Tammi retained the boutique ambiance fashioned by the shop’s creators, Ken and Connie Mansfield in 1995. They carry a wide assortment of gifts and wine accouterments to peruse while enjoying your wine. Wind Surfing is their presentation to the wine tasting experience. This consists of two ounces each of three wines from a daily list of six wineries and, weather permitting, can be enjoyed on Kaya’s deck. (Also new owners in 2008 - and also just as delightful!) www.gourmetaubay.com

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Discarding Your Stuff — Ecologically

Dear EcoGirl: Where can I pass along my unwanted items to others? I’d like to keep them out of the garbage, and maybe make some cash too.
Signed, Cluttered in Cazadero


Dear Cluttered: I’m delighted that you want to help reduce the waste sent to our overflowing landfills, thus lessening that environmental harm and the eco-costs of making and shipping new items. And, yes, you can also make money and feel good about contributing to others!
Waste reduction is especially vital in Sonoma County. Did you know that our local landfill was closed in 2005, because of contaminants leaking into groundwater? Since then, we’ve been hauling our 6,000 tons of weekly garbage to out-of-county dumps, emitting countless pollutants along the way.

The County can’t afford to fix the landfill, and hopes a corporation will invest. But then they might also revive a prior proposal to dramatically expand the dump. This risks increased harm to our water supply, nature’s creatures, and the sensitive neighboring Petaluma Marsh (California’s largest remaining unaltered tract of tidal wetlands).

That’s why it’s so vital to significantly reduce our trash! Our actions do make a difference.

Making a Plan
1) Take stock of what you have. Start by gathering your unneeded items. Is there anything you could repair, repaint, or refurbish, for yourself or others?

2) Identify your discarding priorities. Which items might be worth trying to sell? Which ones do you just want to go to loving homes? This will determine your next steps.

Your Action Options
1) Sell Directly. With this approach, you do the promotion, meet with folks, and keep the full sale price. Offer your goodies on local email lists, such as http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wacco-bb>. Post them online at www.craigslist.org, www.waccobb.net, and special-interest sites (e.g., for cars). Or place classifieds in general or specialty periodicals. Consider who might find each item useful and where they’d look for it.

2) Sell Through Consignment Stores. This approach allows you to sell your more-valuable items with less effort. Stores will bring in customers and manage logistics in exchange for about 40-50% of the sale price (usually paid after the item sells). Look for places online and in the phone book under Consignment, Antiques, and specific categories, such as Books, Clothing, and Sports. Ask shops what they take, drop-off hours, turnaround time to get on the floor (sometimes 4-8 weeks), and payment rates. (See box for some wonderful local shops.)

3) Hold a Yard Sale. Best for less-expensive items, a sale allows you to make some money, reach more folks at once, move a decent amount of stuff, connect with interesting people and neighbors, watch shoppers delight in their finds, and setup a “Free” area. Also consider a flea market booth ($18, 823-7874).

4) Giveaway Directly. To pass along a few items quickly, especially larger ones, leave them curbside with a “Free” sign. Or post on the above sites and lists, plus www.freecycle.org.

5) Donate to Charities. Support community groups, non-profits, and churches with donations to their activities, thrift stores, or yard sales. Contact groups you value, or look in the phone book or online under Thrift Shops and Charities. Some offer tax deductions. (See below for some great local outlets.)

6) Give Creatively. Consider who could use what’s left. For instance, offer medical items to a senior center; art supplies to a school or artist; egg cartons to a farmer; and a broken lamp to a repair store (to fix and resell, or use for parts). Even pencils can be given to the library!

For More Information
* Sonoma County Eco-Desk (565-3375, www.recyclenow.org). Their website and Recycling Guide (under “R” in the Yellow Pages) suggest places to discard many items (including toxic ones!).
* Book: Choose to Reuse, by Nikki & David Goldbeck. Great inspiration, ideas, and resources for repair and reuse.

For The Future
* Streamline by setting up an ongoing giveaway box or area.
* Complete the circle by buying used.
* Support zero waste projects. These efforts seek to align our culture with nature’s ways, where everything either becomes a resource for something else or returns harmlessly back into the earth. For more information, see www.crra.com/grc/articles/zwc.html.
So I hope this article helps you find useful homes for all your discards, now reborn as someone else’s treasures!

Ask EcoGirl is written by Patricia Dines, Author of The Organic Guides, and Editor and Lead Writer for The Next STEP newsletter. Email your questions to EcoGirl@AskEcoGirl.info for possible inclusion in future columns. View past columns at www.AskEcoGirl.info. Also contact EcoGirl for information about carrying this column in your periodical. “EcoGirl believes that everyone can be a superhero for the planet. Then she shows you how!”
© Copyright Patricia Dines, 2008. All rights reserved.


Where to Discard
By Patricia Dines

Here are some local favorite places to sell and donate your treasures. See my Ask EcoGirl article for more options and tips.

CONSIGNMENT STORES
* Pine Grove General Store (Sebastopol, 829-1138). Women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, from casual to professional, plus jewelry, accessories, furniture, art, and home decor. Pays 40% of sale price.
* Shards & Remnants (Sebastopol, 823-1366). Clothing and accessories “to make you feel beautiful.” Velvets and silks more than jeans and t-shirts. Style important, mostly newer items, some vintage. “If I can’t use it, I’ll guide you to someone who might.” Pays 40% of sale price.
* Simply Chic (Santa Rosa, 578-8044). Women’s clothing, “high-end fashion that’s trendy, funky, and artsy.” Pays 40% of sale price.
* Hot Couture (Santa Rosa, 528-7247, www.hotcouturevintage.com). Bohemian readers voted this the county’s 2008 Best Vintage Store. Authentic vintage clothing (at least 35 years old), plus accessories, are bought (outright) for resale and costume rental. Purchase prices vary. Sometimes will buy items needing repair.
* Cotati Clothing (Cotati, 665-9401, www.cotaticlothing.com). Current or vintage stylish fashions, including accessories. No fur, lingerie, or jewelry. Buys outright, either 35% of the expected sale price in cash or 50% in store credit. (They also sell new eco-clothing, made of organic cotton, bamboo, etc.)
* Vicki’s Secret (Petaluma, 765-2807, www.vickissecret.com). Current-season high-end women’s apparel and accessories in pristine shape, less than two years old. Pays 40% of sale price.
* Red Umbrella Consignment (Petaluma, 778-3499, www.redumbrellaconsignment.com). Women’s clothing and accessories. Current seasonal fashions, bought within two years, better labels, excellent condition. Also vintage and contemporary furniture and decor, art, and some hand-crafted items. Pays 40% of sale price, 50% on furniture.
* New 2 You Consignment (Sebastopol, 823-7377). Children’s clothes, toys, and books, plus maternity. Buys outright for 40% store credit. (They have a children’s play area plus a dollar clothes rack.)
* Sweet Pea Children’s Consignment (Cotati, 794-1215). “Upscale Resale Children’s Boutique,” specializing in new and gently-used children’s clothing, maternity wear, infant and educational toys, books, baby equipment, and more. Offers local handmade items. Pays 35% of sale price.
* Zoe Clothing & Kid Exchange (Petaluma, 775-3239). Women’s and kid’s clothes, jewelry, and bags. Pays 40% of sale price.
* Harry’s Second Hand Warehouse (Santa Rosa, 526-7713). Buys mostly furniture, outright.
* Furniture Consignment Gallery (Santa Rosa, 523-3680). Furniture plus art, lamps, etc. Pays 55% of sale price.
* Play It Again Sports (Santa Rosa, 527-7678, www.playitagainsportssantarosa.com). Sports items, from treadmills to weights to ski equipment. Buys outright (30% of expected sale price in cash, or 40% store credit), or on consignment (50% cash, when it sells).
More places are at http://consignment-thrift-shops-in-santa-rosa-ca.yellowpagesltd.com.

CHARITIES & THRIFT STORES
* Sutter VNA & Hospice Thrift Store (Sebastopol, 824-4712). Donated clothing, furniture, and household goods are sold to benefit hospice care.
* Goodwill (Santa Rosa and more, 545-2492, www.gire.org). Donated clothing and household items are sold to fund Goodwill’s job training, placement, and support programs for people with disabilities and other special needs, and those transitioning from welfare to work.
* The Clothing Closet (Santa Rosa, 523-0550 x281/Peggy, www.gire.org/programs/profiles/csv). Donated women’s and men’s professional clothing and accessories are given to underprivileged people as part of helping them get jobs.
* Sack’s on the Square (Santa Rosa, 541-7227). Clothes, jewelry, household items, CDs, art, and holiday items are sold in this thrift store to benefit two charities. Bohemian readers voted this the county’s 2008 Best Secondhand Store.
* Recycletown (Petaluma, 795-3660, www.garbage.org). Accepts used paint, building materials, furniture, bikes, appliances, mattresses, lamps, pans, tools, clothes, toys, and more. Sale proceeds support this non-profit’s eco-educational work.
* ReStore (Santa Rosa, 568-3228). Habitat for Humanity resells salvaged building materials to support their affordable housing work.
* Computer Recycling Center (Santa Rosa, 570-1600, www.crc.org) Drop off old computers and tech items, and this pioneering non-profit repairs, sells, and donates them to schools and others. Leftovers are recycled responsibly. Repair services are also available.
* Public libraries (Various, 545-0831 x541, www.sonomalibrary.org/friends). Donations of books, CDs, DVDs, art, and software are sold periodically to help support the libraries.
* The Living Room (Santa Rosa, 579-0142, www.thelivingroomsc.org). The county’s only daytime drop-in program specifically serving homeless and at-risk women and children offers them food, information, and referrals. Their website lists donation needs, including women’s and children’s clothing, blankets, small toiletries, strollers, spiral notebooks, craft supplies, and basic foods.
* The Legacy (Sebastopol, 823-7520, www.sebastopolseniorcenter.org/legacy.htm). Drop off cloth, sewing supplies, and craft materials for resale. They do some consignment. Benefits the Sebastopol Senior Center.

"More EcoGirl columns are available at <http://www.askecogirl.info/AEcolumns.html>. For more wonderful articles by Patricia Dines, see <http://www.patriciadines.info/GZ.html> and <http://www.patriciadines.info/i_whatsnews.html>."

© Patricia Dines

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Yes on Prop 5

The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act of 2008

There's no question that drugs and alcohol destroy not only the lives of the addicted, but also damage the lives of every person in close range of the addicted individual. Drugs and alcohol impact people in different ways, but no aspect of addiction can be seen as positive for the individuals involved, or society in general. Helping people get beyond addiction not only saves lives - it saves money. In the case of helping addicts - $1 spent saves $7 - please read more…


As you know there is a shortage of funding for alcohol and drug treatment in Sonoma County ...in fact 40,000 teens and adults have challenges with alcohol and other drugs - - IMAGINE THIS ....all the people living in the towns of Sonoma, Sebastopol, Cotati, Guerneville and Healdsburg!!

If this bill gets passed Sonoma County would have approximately $5M more dollars for education and treatment !! For every $1 spent in treatment it saves $7 in medical, legal and other social costs!

Timmens Cermak, MD who is speaking at the DAAC (Drug Abuse Alternative Center) Understanding Addiction Workshop on September 17th is an advocate for Prop 5. On September 24th there is a debate on this Proposition in Sonoma County - location to be announced.

For more information on Proposition 5, please contact:

Susan Anderson at DAAC: sanderson@daacmail.org and/or
Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Yes on Prop. 5 at prop5@drugpolicy.org
Deputy Campaign Manager, Drug Policy Alliance Network
www.drugpolicy.org

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Wine Country Says No on 8

On a personal note, I've never understood objections to people marrying when they love each other and want to make that legal commitment. Married couples have legal rights that unmarried couples do not. Some of those include being able to make decisions about the health and well-being of critically injured and ill loved ones. If our country's government is truly based on the separation of church and state, then laws that dictate religious value systems on people of all faiths are against our constitution. If Liberty and Justice for All is real, then equality for all is just as real. The United States of America is supposed to stand for freedom to live our lives free from the rules of religion. It's why the original settlers came here to begin with. If we can't find freedom here - there's no place else to go. - Vesta


Wine Country Says No on 8

Recognizing a need to preserve equal rights under the law, a committee of local citizens has announced its opposition to Proposition 8, a state ballot initiative that would eliminate the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

“Equal protection under the law is a founding principle of the United States of America and the California Constitution,” said Stu Harrison, Co-Chair of Wine Country Says No On 8, which is raising funds and awareness about the issue. “This constitutional amendment would undermine that principle, by – for the first time ever in California – singling out one group of citizens for unequal treatment under the law.”

Wine Country Says No On 8 began operations in Sonoma County in mid-August with the creation of a Founder’s List of local opinion leaders who oppose Prop 8. “Our list of supporters who have stepped forward to become ‘Honorary Campaign Co-Chairs’ is growing each day, and we have been humbled by the incredible response we received to our first call for help,” said Pat Callahan, the other Co-Chair of the committee. “It just reminds us what a fair-minded and wonderful place this is to call home.”

Opposition to Prop 8 is growing among heterosexual couples who see the dangers of taking away a fundamental right – the freedom to marry – which is as basic to our society as freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Dennis Prior and his wife, Juli Navarro Prior, joined the Founder’s List because they support the rights of committed couples to be married. “Imagine not being able to marry the person you love because of race or sex,” said Dennis, the owner of a Windsor-based construction company. “It wasn’t that long ago that people of different races could not marry in many places in the U.S. Everyone should have the same right to this opportunity in life.”

Dan Rose agrees. The local physician, who led the efforts to save Healdsburg District Hospital from closure a decade ago, said, “Marriage has been a source of profound joy and strength in my life, and I think everyone should have that same opportunity.”

Wine Country Says No On 8 is sponsoring a series of events, including a campaign rally in Geyserville on Wednesday, October 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. Brother Cat, a popular “swinging blues” band, will play, with a special guest appearance by blues harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite. (For event information, visit www.NoOnProp8.com)

To get involved in the No On Prop 8 campaign, call 1-888-271-5697 or email dhring@gmail.com. Volunteers can help in several capacities in Sonoma County. Voters are also encouraged to visit www.NoOnProp8.com and click the link that allows them to pledge to vote No On Prop 8.

Attached is our Founder’s List of Honorary Co-Chairs, the first 100 local couples and individuals to endorse a No On Prop 8 vote.

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Activist Vandana Shiva at Sonoma Country Day School

Respected and Revered, Vandana Shiva's presentation at Sonoma Country Day School is reviewed not only for content, but also from the perspective of mutual respect from Sonoma County leaders on the environment.


VANDANA SHIVA
Review by Jim

On August 27, 2008 Dave Henson of Occidental Arts and Ecology Center introduced Dr Shiva, a world-renowned scientist, environmentalist and agricultural activist to an audience of about 700 people at Sonoma Country Day School, whose Jackson theater, I estimated had about 750 seats. He spoke glowingly of her for about 15 minutes. A Phd in quantum physics who started the tree-hugging movement in India. A cofounder of The International Forum on Globalization and author of a number of books such as "Water Wars", "Stolen Harvest" and "Biopiracy". Her new book, "Soil Not Oil" will be out in November. She is the founder of Navdanya International, a science and policy research center based in India. A powerful, articulate and vocal critic of the WTO, IMF, World Bank, Monsanto and the biotech industry (GMO's). She has founded or organized holistic living schools and huge seed saving exchanges in India and all around Asia. Of course most of us attending needed no introduction to this profoundly amazing and inspiring leader in the movement to protect and restore the Earth.

She refers to the global climate crisis as CLIMATE CHAOS which she calls the highest expression of global instability. We are brilliant at how to do nothing, she says. We are good a getting oil and gold out of the ground without regard for the destruction it causes. Producing what we want when we want it, is called democracy. Half of the people in the world are peasants.

Agriculture is the fundamental crisis and remember FTA's & GATT,(Free Trade Agreements/General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs)? They have led to Three instruments: GMO's, Packaging (?) Mergers and Intellectual Property Rights. Seeds embody biological evolution! Cargill and Monsanto have merged and now own 95% of all genetically engineered seeds. This agricultural dictatorship owns half of all seeds. Farmers in India gathered five million signatures protesting the 50 to 100 fold increase in seed prices. GMO's are vulnerable. The often heard claim that they increase yield has been proven false. NAFTA has destroyed food security in North America. Strangely, Anti-Trust Laws have never been applied to food. There are serious food shortages in India and China. George Bush claims it is because the Indian people are eating more; getting laughs from the crowd...which she did on numerous occasions.

Petroleum based fertilizers account for 51% of greenhouse gases(?). We need to ban chemical fertilizers. They constitute a war against food, life and ecosystems. She says oil represents a human death wish. She mentioned the creation of a University of Seeds. She asked the audience if they knew the root of the word millet. She said it means millions, a reference to the number of seeds one seed can produce. Monsanto's terminator technology represents the creation of scarcity. The real and true fertilizer is the soil. She repeated the phrase Seed, Soil, Sun. Earth Democracy is nonviolent farming.

Following her presentation was a Q & A session from 3x5 cards taken from the audience. When asked about water, she talked at length about the water crisis and mentioned the fact that the use of chemical fertilizers requires 10 times as much water. With more carbon in the soil, less water is needed and flood and drought damage is decreased. My question was about farmer suicides, and like the water question she answered in great depth, talking about the conditions leading to suicides. Turns out that about 200,000 farmers have committed suicide in the last decade in india and well over 3,000 (?) in the U.S. The solution is to distribute good seeds to the farmers. When someone suggests that its too late for whatever, her reply is " It is never too late to stop doing the wrong thing or to start doing the right thing." About bees she thinks it has something to do with the Bt gene engineered into crops. She used the phrase GE FREE STATES. She says don't take peoples' land away and use resources to produce more food. We need soil and seed keepers and not tractor keepers. Finally, when asked how we need to change, she said, start celebrating Earth. All food is a sacrament. Give us this day our daily bread should not be a prayer to Cargill/ Monsanto.

In trying to describe this incredible woman, I decided she had the knowledge, integrity and perseverance of Ralph Nader, the incisive, linguistic wit of Barbara Jordan, the powerful, commanding presence of Hugo Chavez and the compassion and sensitivity of Mother Theresa.

Debbie Barker spoke at the break between Vandana's presentation and the Q & A session. She is co-director of the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) and was instrumental in arranging Dr Shiva's appearance here. This event was a benefit for Navdanya International and a kickoff for Navdanya U.S. whose director is Debbie Barker.

The evening was capped off with delicious hors d'oeuvres and a number of superior wines donated by local wineries. My sympathies to those who missed this marvelous event. Check out the website navdanya.org.

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Astrological Influences on the Presidential Election

One of the most popular columns in the West County Gazette is Wheel of Light by astrologer Rio Olesky. My personal experience with Rio's craft is that his interpretation of astrological influences are amazingly accurate. The passage of time has taught me that this science provides information proven to be correct once future becomes present, then past. In this and previous columns, Rio has delved into the presidential election and candidates. Here is the part of Rio's column that deals National Politics in October, 2008. View his website - linked below - for more information.


One of the most important events of the decade will take place early next month: the election of the next US president. As this is being written the polls show that the candidates are either even or show McCain slightly ahead. Who will win?
We all have our preference. Some might say that the outcome of this election will determine the direction that the world, not just the United States, will take for the next decade at least.

In assessing the potentially victorious candidate, we can look at each of their birth charts in relationship to two factors. One is the chart of the United States. Which candidate’s chart aligns most compatibly with the framework that our country has evolved through for over 200 years? Second are the transits prior to and at the time of the election.

In relationship to the US chart, neither candidate has an obvious connection. Obama’s Saturn is conjunct the US Pluto. This implies that he could have a profound affect on transforming this country in two ways. One is to revitalize our core values. After years of misappropriation by the corporate-evangelical complex, the electorate has an opportunity to reclaim its country. The second effect this aspect could have is a renewal of our economic vitality and viability in the world.

McCain’s Venus is conjunct the US Neptune. Ironically, this could imply an artistic renaissance or an accentuation of our traditional flow of compassion and financial generosity. Hard to see how someone with such conservative values would benefit either the arts or global philanthropy. So that leaves us with a second option: he will be able to sugar coat our international reputation so that the world sees us as we would like to be seen, rather than as it has been.

Transits prior to and at the time of the election provide more clarity. As we have noted in this space all year, this is a period when the earth signs are filled with powerful planets. Pluto was in Capricorn most of the year and Saturn is in Virgo all year. McCain’s Moon sign is Capricorn and he has 3 planets, including the Sun, in Virgo. This could be why he was able to prevail in his party when his candidacy seemed dead last summer. The question is, will the earth energy be enough to propel him to victory in November? So far his campaign has been playing to people’s fears and how a President Obama threatens our security, a priority of the earth signs.

One of the most interesting transits at this time is an opposition between Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces. The last time this transit occurred was in 1966. At that time the planets were reversed by sign: Saturn was in Pisces and Uranus was in Virgo. One of the events that took place at that time was the election of Ronald Reagan as Governor of California. This proved to be the first shot in the “Republican Revolution” that culminated in 1994 when we elected a Republican Congress for the first time in 40 years. Saturn represents the conservative, traditional and the controlled. Uranus represents change, often revolutionary, innovative and inspired. After all the radical changes in the mid-60s, this opposition turned things around, even though the full extent of that shift wasn’t obvious for years.

Fast forward to 2008. Same aspect with the signs reversed. The exact, to the minute, opposition will take place on Election Day. Furthermore, that day begins with the Moon in Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) and ends with the Moon in Aquarius (co-ruled by Saturn and Uranus). We could assume from all of this that this opposition could have the same affect as it did in 1966: a shift in the direction of the country. Only this time it would mark the moving away from the limiting, fear based Saturnine patterns and toward the more liberating, inclusive Uranian influence. This aspect could also represent an unexpected outcome of the election. For example, if the polls clearly show one candidate ahead, he could lose. This could be as a result of people suddenly changing their minds or that the polls weren’t accurate in the first place.

McCain has an opposition in his chart between Venus in Virgo and Saturn in Pisces. This aspect is in exact alignment with the current Uranus-Saturn opposition. With Saturn conjunct his Venus, he could seem less attractive to voters possibly due to them suddenly becoming afraid of him or his policies, values or personal life style. With Uranus testing his Saturn, he could overreact to being challenged by forces and factors beyond his control and appear extremely rigid, controlling and authoritarian. Or he could react to these unexpected events by changing his stance on things during the final stages of the campaign, thus being perceived as flip-flopping.

Ironically, Obama’s Mars is exactly conjunct McCain’s Venus at 22 degrees of Virgo. So Obama will also be challenged by this transit. One of the problems his campaign has had up to this point is proving to the American people that he is mature, experienced and responsible enough to lead the country. Saturn conjunct his Mars could enable him to appear tougher, more assertive and more in control. He could be more decisive in defining his plans and policies in more detailed (Virgo) ways. He could seem like the safer, more responsible and more “in charge” candidate. Similarly he could cause his opponent to seem flaky or more detached from the concerns of everyday people living their regular lives.

This transit also suggests that the people of this country, those who value our democracy (Uranus) will rebel against the repressive, secretive, patriarchal and authoritarian policies and actions of our government over the past 8 years and simply rebel from those patterns by choosing a brand new path. As the Monty Python players used to say: “Now, for something completely different.”

However these influences play themselves out, and ultimately whoever wins, we can expect some major shifting and changing as well as wild accusations and some compelling political fireworks transpiring as the election approaches.

Rio Olesky has been studying astrology since 1967 and been a practicing professional since 1976. The author of Astrology and Consciousness and the co-author of The AstroReader, The Wheel of Astrology, Rio offers classes in beginning astrology through SRJC and ongoing classes through Crystal Channels in Santa Rosa. To find out more about classes, or to make an appointment for a reading, call Rio at 707-887-1820. Check out his website: www.starwatcher.com

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Tony Mininno - “Touching Earth”

“Setting Sun-Shell Beach” by Tony Mininno
www.tonymininno.com - 707.874.2200

Tony Mininno is an Occidental, CA artist and resident who is one of the co-op artists at Plaza Arts Center in Healdsburg. In addition to his work on display at his home gallery, Tony's paintings will be featured in San Francisco from September 6th through November 6th at William Trophy Fine Arts.

“Touching Earth”
recent paintings by Sonoma County painter Tony Mininno.
September 6 – November 8, 2008.

William Torphy Fine Arts, 255 California Street, San Francisco, CA
Lobby at Battery & California.
Hours; 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM weekdays.
510.222.8215. For information, contact: william@torphyart.com

Like so many Sonoma County artists, Tony is a transplant from the East Coast, where he grew up in New York City. He trained under Giuseppi Trotta and Sylvia Applezweig, as well as attended the New York School of Visual Art and the Pan American Art School. Recently, Tony was a featured artist at the Ocidental Art Center's booth at the Friday downtown Occidental Farmer's Market where he demonstrated his skills and sold prints and cards of his work. My favorite place to find Tony is out in Duncan's Mills when he occassionally works at Pig Alley and where you can find an extensive collection of his prints and cards for sale.

Tony is a delightful person to meet and has learned the fine art of promotion while serving the needs of Plaza Arts Center. To learn more about Tony's art, please visit his web site, keep an eye out for the Art at the Source tours when you can visit his home studio, and watch for notices of exhibits featuring Tony's work in the WCG Art Calendar and on our web calendar.

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My Lover - Poem by Spring Wills, Mendocino, CA

West County Reader©
The LITERARY Category is open to all who create with words… Poems, Essays, Short Stories, etc. Just send them to me at vesta@sonic.net and I'll get them posted.


My Lover
By Spring Wills

i am pierced by Satan's arrow
already incurable

my Lover
Your power is like a soaring river
sweeps my wounds away


my past binds my soul
as chains on my neck

my Lover
You say the coercion and hunger are all your arrangements
i should be joyful and gambol


i praise You in hymns
my songs frustrate the battalions besieging me

my Lover
i triumph because i only look up to You
not watch my questions


someone pulls my faith
want it down to the ground

my Lover
my heart cries out You support me
let this burden leave me


i and evil are nose to nose
the withstanding force is same as the night

my Lover
You show me the way to overcome dangers
take me into Your realm


hence i worry about nothing
only praise You in my heart


my Lover
Your name is the fruit from my lips
Your spirit pours it totally sweet


suddenly inside me is silent
resounding with Your truth

my Lover
any tribulation which happens to me
is less than Your suffering

Your pain is for the sake of me
You care of my minutiae more than i do


my Lover
You wake me up in the morning
my eyes see You, my ears hear You, and my mouth speaks You


my life is in Your palm
You are my all reasons and aims

my Lover
how dare i complain Satan's symptoms
You have healed me


You saved me from death
lead me to walk in Your spirit

my Lover
no might in this world can carry me away
except Your will


that is You
You didn't let me die

my Lover
attentively i listen to Your voice
You say i am the doer for Your special wonderful plan


i obey my spirit's sensation
dodge calamities

my Lover
before i begin my inquiry
You know my want


i talk with You in tender voice
You unload my burden by Your kind hands

my Lover
i cannot depend on anything else
i trust You alone


i didn't get talent
but You demonstrate Your glory through me

my Lover
i can't predict Your great doings
Your accomplishments are above my requests and thoughts


i know what i should do
is to present myself before You

my Lover
my whole body is transparent under Your sight
You know my thought and intention


You renew me from the inside
with my own eyes i see my spirit's about-face

my Lover
i didn't mishear Your words
i would like now to live as You


i want to give myself to You
but i have nothing to give

my Lover
You gave Yourself to me
----Your lover

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Campaign to Protect Steelhead Beach

A group of advocates for protecting Sonoma County Regional Park's Steelhead Beach in Forestville from becoming a wastewater discharge site for the City of Santa Rosa, have formed a campaign and are collecting signatures on a petition.


Steelhead Beach
- Lower Russian River Jewel
Threatened to become a Wastewater Discharge Site for the City of Santa Rosa

With its deciduous riparian forest bordering inundating river beaches, Steelhead Beach Park is the quintessential Russian River recreation area. It contains 26 acres of beaches and beautiful trails shaded by riparian forests, and one of the most popular beaches in the lower river for walking dogs, sun bathing on the sloped sands, floating in an inner tube, or swimming in the river. Currently, the shallow water invites visitors to cool off in the middle of the river at Children’s Beach, bringing relief from these hot summer days. It is a lower river jewel.

The park was founded ten years ago. For years, recreationists felt a dire need for river access, and this spot, just west of Mirabel Road in Forestville, was perfect. It was publicly owned by the Department of Fish and Game through their Resource Conservation Department. It is now managed by Sonoma County Regional Parks. The parking lot, bathroom, and daytime picnic area were developed on the portion that had been formerly disturbed by an old gravel mining facility, leaving the remaining natural attributes virtually untouched.

There are two beautiful trails meandering through the park. Willow Trail travels along the Russian River for less than a mile. Osprey Trail winds through the forest a similar distance and ends at the river where it meets Willow Trail. The former path is darkened by the surrounding vegetation and one can hardly see the sky through the cottonwood trees, the big-leaf maples, the box elders, Oregon ash, and California Bays as they join the willows to form a thick riparian canopy. At its widest point, the winding trail is 15’ across. Much of the existing riparian to be cut for the pipeline consists of mature trees that cannot be replaced.

Steelhead Beach Threatened by Possible Santa Rosa Sewer Pipe!

NOW GUESS WHAT! The City of Santa Rosa is contemplating the placement of a big sewer pipe through the entrance of the park to Osprey Trail, down Osprey Trail almost to the end where the pipe will make a sharp right and head towards the river. Osprey Trail would be widened from 15’ to 50’ to accommodate construction and later permanently paved to serve as a 30’ access road.

This pipe would hook up to a diffuser (discharge equipment) that would almost cover the width of the river (dimensions: 12’ wide, 20’ deep, and 65’ long) and be constructed underneath, just upstream of Children’s Beach. This would create a circumstance whereby anyone at the beach before May 15th or after October 1st could be doused by wastewater at any time. The system would be designed to discharge as much as 69 million gallons a day, which is more than four times the treatment plant’s daily sewage intake during normal flows.

Sonoma County Regional Parks Expresses Concerns
Sonoma County Regional Parks submitted comments on this project including:
• “The park property was acquired for the sole purpose of providing public recreation, preserving and restoring habitat, and not for the development of a waste water discharge facility.”
• “Paving the trail within a flood prone area reduces the groundwater recharge capacity within the site.”
• “It would be difficult to avoid the removal of mature trees because of the existing dense vegetation.”
• “This potential health threat exposes the County and the State to liability and is unacceptable. It is the County and the State’s responsibility to provide safe public recreation at Steelhead Beach Regional Park.”
(The letter was signed by Director Mary E. Burns.)

The Russian River Watershed Protection Committee Opposes this Project

Russian River Watershed Protection Committee (RRWPC), has requested that the City drop this option from their plan. They had already dropped two other direct and three indirect discharge options and we are requesting that they save money and drop this one as well. So far they have refused.

The City has closed the public comment period on the environmental review and their consultants will soon begin their response to comments. We have developed a petition opposing this project, which which will be submited during the project selection process sometime next fall.

(Please contact RRWPC at rrwpc-1@comcast.net for copies of the petition and related questions.)

This Option is Unnecessary
The City does not need this option. It could cost them upwards of $150 million dollars. Last year they only discharged a total of 190 million gallons (about 13 days of dry weather flow) because of conservation practices. This is nowhere near the 4 billion they used to discharge and for which they claim they need capacity for now. They will expand Geysers discharge, system storage, and summer irrigation. They should expand conservation and the program to fix their leaky pipes. If and when they do all of this, they won’t need to discharge

STAY INFORMED - Brenda Adelman of the Russian River Watershed Protection Committee reports on water and wastewater issues in the West County Gazette. Log on to www.westcountygazette.com for past and present articles.

Russian River Watershed Protection Committee
PO Box 501, Guerneville, CA 95446

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48 Years After the Torch was Passed

Stephen Gale writes about our political legend, Ted Kennedy, from his personal perspective and years of activism.

Forty-eight Years after the Torch Was Passed

By Stephen Gale

The first time I met Arnold Schwarzenegger he was sitting beside his celebrity companion, Maria Shriver. Their table-for-four at Froman’s Deli in Santa Monica was only a few feet from the little two-seater where my wife and I sat, exhausted at 9:00 on a Sunday morning. Maria was animated and loud and excited that she woke that morning to see the name KENNEDY boldly showing on the windshield of every car on the street below the apartment where she lived. Arnold beamed, but it was Maria who became the gracious niece of Edward Kennedy when Lorre and I admitted, wearing broad smiles of our own, that we had labored since before sunrise to place a flyer on every car in Santa Monica, until our limited supply was exhausted.

Ted Kennedy has been the patriarch of a generation of Democrats for as long as I can remember, being only eleven when John Kennedy visited Dallas for the last time. Five years later, such a short time after I heard him calm an anguished crowd when Martin Luther King was murdered, there was no consoling those whom Robert Kennedy touched and who sought to touch him. Although I would experience grief at the loss of friends who did not return from Viet Nam and others who stepped out of line too soon, there is a cold stillness, even today, as I remember the assassination of the second Kennedy. The generous words Ted Kennedy spoke in eulogy were soothing and still hang on my office wall.

My father was so affected by the loss of John Kennedy that he resigned a lucrative job in the Santa Clara valley and became the Director of Vocational Education at Parks Job Corps Center in Pleasanton. Some of those relationships forged during years of committed action grew into friendships that lasted for the rest of his life. Before his death he remembered how George Forman, the most famous person to emerge from Parks, had his life changed by the passionate commitment of those who worked in one of the cornerstones of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society.

For a short time, I was so affected by the loss of Robert Kennedy that I worked in the district office of first term Assemblyman John Vasconcellos and considered pursuing a career in public policy. Then I went away to college, married, pursued two careers and raised a son, while the political world unfolded on a course so different from the hopeful path illuminated by three Kennedy Brothers. Through all of those overly ordinary and sometimes self-absorbed years, I came to understand that it was Edward Kennedy who showed the greatest strength, through long struggle that is the real hallmark of courage.

To see Edward Kennedy speak tonight, with his left hand covered by a bandage and his right hand shaking slightly as his voice filled the Convention’s never-silent space, was to know that the torch had, indeed, been passed. When Edward and Caroline stood with Barack Obama and endorsed his candidacy, the torch moved from the loving hands of the third Kennedy Brother who had so jealously kept the eternal flame alive in the Democratic Party.

In his mid-day message from Denver, Chip Roberson (Obama Delegate from the City of Sonoma) shared his illuminating recognition of the message imprinted on the California Delegation. “By strengthening and building relationships, we can share and craft a common message that will serve to build the bonds that unite the party.” Politics and the struggle to create a better future for ourselves and our children do create lasting bonds of unity. For those of us who are preparing for the loss of the final Kennedy Brother, it is encouraging to see the torch being passed so peacefully and respectfully to Barack Obama. And locally, it is equally gratifying to see a new generation of political leadership emerging in the likes of Delegate Chip Roberson, new to politics, and passionately engaged.



Stephen Gale is the Chair of the Sonoma County Democratic Party.
http://sonomademocrats.org/

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