Bennett Valley Voice

Bennett Valley VOICE

Volume 25, Number

Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association (BVHA) Inside This Issue Noteworthy Points, BV Fire Silent & Live Auction Flier BV Historical Personalities Annadel Wildfire Concerns BV Fire Board Ansel Adams in BV BHA Board Elections BV Community Calendar BHA Board & Membership BHA Agenda, Meetings

July, 2002

Your family and your home: are they worth $.33 a day to you? • $.33 a day for what? This is the proposed increase in the special fire protection tax, which you're being asked to vote for in November - the first increase in fifteen years.

• Do we want more taxes? Of course not! • Do we want to save $$ by closing the Bennett Valley Fire Station? That's even worse; it could be a matter of life or death for any of us. Here's why... • Even a 3-minute time delay can make the difference between life and death...brain damage, etc. How many minutes do you want to wait to be rescued by EMT-trained firemen, providing crucial help including CPR, oxygen, glucose, a heart defibrillator, reduced loss of blood, etc, prior to the arrival of the ambulance?

• Once a fire starts in your home, it typically doubles in size every 30 SECONDS. How many seconds do you want to have to wait for the firemen to arrive to fight the fire? • The fastest response to any 911 call from Bennett Valley is always our own BV Firefighters. Bennett Valley Fire was first established in 1948 because of the lengthy response from other fire stations.

• Bennett Valley Fire District is barely scrapping by with the $60 per year special fire tax being paid by BV homeowners since 1987. An increase is now necessary. We're paying our welltrained firefighters only $8.90/hour; the proposal is to increase it to $13/hour. Often one of our firefighters serves alone during the day; we need to hire another daytime firefighter. No longer are there enough volunteers from BV, as there was in 1948, to rely on for quick responses to our emergencies. The cost of fire and safety equipment, now meeting much higher standards, has risen considerably more than the 68% inflationary increase since 1987.

• This $.33/day special fire protection tax increase can be used solely to support our Bennett Valley Fire Station. The proposed budget for this fire protection tax increase has been carefully scrutinized for months to be sure it includes only the essentials. That's why over 75% of the increase is for firefighter payroll and benefit expenses.

• Voting for this tax increase of $33/ day is very important insurance for you. In South Lake County, two fire stations are being closed because only 38% of the voters voted on the special fire tax and only 63% of those approved it, rather than the required 67%

Your "Yes" Vote Is Needed!

Noteworthy Points On BV Fire

198 Calls For Service In 2001

Medical Aid = 27%, Vehicle Aid = 21%, Fire Calls = 17%, Mutual Aid, with other Fire Districts = 21%

• Helping To Reduce Response Time

The Bennett Valley Fire District is currently working on a project to help reduce the response time for firefighters. One of the main causes for a delayed response to a home is access problems, primarily caused by difficulty in getting through gates. It can take several minutes for firefighters to force their way through a gate and thousands of dollars in damage will likely occur to the gate itself, as well as the fire engine, when this has to be done.

The Bennett Valley Fire District strongly requests that if you have a gate you do one of the following to help avoid access difficulties: 1.) Provide the BV Fire District with a current gate code that will not be changed. 2.) Invest in the Knox Lock system. This can be used on manual or electric gates.

The Knox Lock system is highly endorsed by our District. It is a very safe way to ensure that firefighters have access to your residence with minimal delay. It is also much cheaper to install this lock than to replace your entire gate. Please feel free to contact the BV Fire with any questions or stop by to pick up an application for the Knox Lock.

Trevor Galeazzi, BV Firefighting Engineer

• Personal Stories; Service From The

Bv Firefighters

What is the role of the BV Firefighters in medical emergencies or vehicle accidents? The BV firefighters assess the total situation while helping to calm those at the scene, prior to the arrival of an ambulance. They are on duty 24-hours a day to respond to our emergencies. The following stories provide a few examples of their very valuable service to those experiencing different sorts of trauma.

Darlene Paugh - About two months ago, Darlene was driving on the narrow part of Bennett Valley Road under the oak trees when she was hit head-on by a car crossing over into her lane. Her car went off the road down into the vineyard and was totaled. As the car was steaming, some bystanders helped her crawl out of the car and by then the BV Firefighters were on the scene. "They were very helpful and concerned; very responsive and very good." They examined her eyes, took her pulse and blood pressure, checked out her cuts and possible injuries, and asked her some questions.

When she told them she wasnt hurting anywhere, they explained to her that she was in shock and it would be better if they could stabilize her on a board, just in case. The ambulance then arrived and took her to emergency. She said she was very stiff later that night and is still undergoing some therapy, but she really appreciated the prompt response and all of the good help from the BV Firefighters, the first emergency help to arrive.

Allergic reaction - A little girl in Woodside who had just had an allergy shot broke out in welts and was having trouble breathing. When her mother called 911, BV Firefighters were first on the scene. They recommended the mother give her daughter some Benedryl, and the firemen provided her with oxygen.

By the time the ambulance arrived, her welts were gone and she was breathing fine. She was taken to emergency only as a precaution. Joe Judge - Joe is a strong supporter of the BV Fire District and here are some of the reasons why.

1.) His car was once rear-ended by another car (near the mini-mart) on Bennett Valley Road. As always, BV Firefighters were the first on the scene and were very helpful in calming everyone down and assessing possible injuries for further treatment. 2.) Also, once his young daughter seemed to be choking in an alarming way and 911 was dialed.

The BV firefighters were at his home in minutes. While no further action was needed, if it had been an emergency the firefighters were there to provide any necessary interim care. Joe Judge is proud to say he is one of the many BV residents working actively in support of the proposed special fire tax.

Katie Black - Katie recently had her tire "blow out" on a narrow section of Bennett Valley Road and her 7,000 Ib. SUV rolled over. One of the BV firefighters was driving by and immediately called the BV Fire Station. The. BV Firefighters were able to get her to stay calm. A neighbor called her husband, Michael Star, and he was able to get to the accident even before the ambulance arrived. The BV Firefighters are always there first to be sure that everything is taken care of as much as possible before the other emergency vehicles and/or medical help arrives.

Marilee Jensen - The BV Firefighters came immediately in response to a call for a fire in a small bathroom and put it out before it spread any further. We need to see that our BV firefighters are paid better than $8.90/hour for this invaluable service they're providing us!

Page Two

Laurel Glen Vineyard

Bennett Valley

Community Day

CELEBRATION! August 25, 2002 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m. Jackson Park, Grange Road

Mark Your Calendar Now!!!

The Bennett Valley Volunteer Firefighter's Association is an important and valuable asset to our community. The BVVFA need our help in their effort to purchase additional life saving and fire fighting equipment. This gives us a wonderful opportunity to thank these volunteers for their ongoing support. And this is where you can participate - we're looking for donation items for the Live Auction and Silent Auction. Be creative!

Donate any of the following items - or others which can be auctioned off to raise money for this important cause. Donna DeLaBriandais • Dinners for 2 Time Share Spots Artwork / Photographs Massages • Get-away Trips • Computer Training • Collectibles • Wine

Questions Or Pick-Up?

Contact Bobbie Blair (707) 542-1608 or Heather LaRiviere at 522-0106 to arrange pick-up of your auction item or for further information. Visit our website at: bennettvalleyhomeowners.org

Volunteers Needed!

Monica Schwalbenberg-Peña

Ruth Jacobs - a Bennett Valley Pioneer By Marilyn Stocks and from the Press Democrat, 3/9/02 Bennett Valley lost an early valley pioneer with the death of Ruth Jamison Jacobs this past spring, a lifelong resident of Bennett Valley and a member of a prominent ranching family that shaped Sonoma County agriculture and politics for much of the past century.

Ruth was born and lived most of her life on the 600-acre family ranch, Green Dale Farm, on Jamison Road, named after her father. When this ranch was sold by the family in 1990, she moved to 170-acre family ranch on Sonoma Mountain Road. She was 88 at the time of her death and had been living independently on this ranch until just a few weeks before her death on March 7th.

Ruth's father, Jim Jamison, had purchased the ranch on Jamison Road in 1910, after the family had moved from a ranch in Tomales. He was a prominent rancher who also served as a County Supervisor. Ruth's life was one of riding horses and tending livestock. Marilyn Jacobs Herzog, Ruth's daughter, in remembering her mother has said, "My mother was really cut from pioneer cloth. She was a strong, incredibly independent person who was lucky to be able to do what she wanted up until the end. One of my mother's fondest memories was driving sheep with her brother Marshall, when they were kids, from the ranch in Bennett Valley down to the railroad depot in Santa Rosa to ship to market. They rode horses and used two dogs to drive the sheep down Bennett Valley Road to Santa Rosa." One can only try to imagine such a pastoral environment as we make our way down Bennett Valley Road today.

After her father's death in 1944, Ruth and her husband, Bill Jacobs, whom she had married in 1939, bought out the interests of her brothers and continued working the ranch first as a dairy and then as a beef cattle ranch along with producing some fruit crops. Ruth loved to cook and for several decades had cooked three meals a day for the workers on the ranch.

Bill Jacobs also had a road building and gravel hauling business which is how I met him. We were developing our property and needed to have a road put in. Bill had been recommended to us as it took an accomplished professional to create a road on our rocky hillside. It was a great experience working with Bill, and fun too. He really loved our big old heavy- duty rake that he used to smooth the edge of the driveway, and wanted to make it part of the deal.

Looking around at the rough landscape I thought I'd better keep it. I've always been glad I did because over the past 30 years not only has it been a very handy tool, but I never pick up that rake without thinking of Bill Jacobs and the Jacobs family.

When the Jacob family sold their Jamison Rd. ranch, they purchased a cattle ranch in Oklahoma, which is now run by their son. Her husband, Bill Jacobs, died shortly after that, in 1991. Ruth Jacobs will be remembered in Bennett Valley as a 75-year member of the Bennett Valley Grange, the Sonoma Mountain Garden Club, an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society and one of the first children in Sonoma County to join the 4-H club. She was truly a "Lady of the who rode her horse until she was 82, and loved this valley for the 88 years of her life.

Al Lafranconi - another Bennett Valley Pioneer (From the Press Democrat, 7/2/02) Al Lafranconi spent most of his 81 years living in Bennett Valley as a dairyman, volunteer firefighter, and Grange member. He died June 30th, 2002 at a local hospital, with leukemia and pneumonia.

Al was born in Santa Rosa, to parents who had come from Switzerland. He grew up on a ranch in Bennett Valley. He attended Santa Rosa High School and Santa Rosa Jr. College. As an adult, he worked for 30 years as a dairyman on the family's 61-acre Bennett Valley ranch before he retired and sold all but one acre of his land to Matanzas Creek Winery. Right up until recently, he had been living on this one-acre, overlooking Bennett Valley, where he had built a new home.

He will be remembered as a gentle man. "He had a good positive attitude. He was just pleasant to be around." , his daughter said. For 52 years he was a member of the Bennett Valley Grange, including being a Grange officer. He also had retired as a volunteer for the Bennett Valley Fire Protection including serving as fire chief. Bill Pisenti, another long-time Bennett Valley resident, estimated he and Al were friends for more than 70 years. "He was an excellent fellow.", Pisenti said.

Agnes Gloeckner - A Firefighters' Pioneer Press Democrat, 5/13/02 Agnes' grandson, Jimmy Gloeckner, is now working at the Bennett Valley Fire Station as one of the paid firefighting engineers. Agnes died at the age of 92 years on May 9th. In 1950, she and her husband, Charles Gloeckner, donated some of their own property for the newly-formed Hessel Volunteer Fire Station which can still be seen i standing on Hessel Road in Sebastopol. This has since become a part of the Gold Ridge Fire District. Agnes volunteered to be one of their first fire dispatchers.

Her son and three of her grandsons are firefighters. Page Four

Annadel Wildfire Concerns Some homeowners from areas surrounding Annadel State Park, such as Kenwood, Oakmont, and Bennett Ridge, have expressed some concern about fire protection to their homes. Can fires which occur in Annadel be located and controlled reasonably well, protecting surrounding residences, using the reduced ten miles of fire roads currently being maintained by State Parks? This has been discussed at State Parks/Fire Districts' meetings, held quarterly, at the Santa Rosa office of our State Senator, Wes Chesbro. In addition to Jim Leddy, Wes' very capable district coordinator, there have been representatives attending the meetings from State Parks, California Dept. of Forestry (CDF), Kenwood Fire District, Glen Ellen Fire District, Bennett Valley and Bennett Ridge Homeowners' Associations, Lawndale/Kenwood Homeowners, Oakmont Homeowners' Association and Wild Oak Village Homeowners' Association.

This group, under Jim Leddy's direction, planned a surprise emergency Annadel fire drill which was held on June 4th, to test response time for 5 to 6 pieces of fire equipment (engines, tenders). The actual time and location was not known in advance. Some homeowners were there as observers, including Marilee Jensen, from Bennett Valley.

Tweive pieces of equipment participated in this drill. The first identified location turned out to be a mistake and then a second correct location was identified. Apparently this happens frequently in emergency situations in Annadel. The dispatch time drill was 53 minutes, and, as Mark Richardson said to Marilee, the fire would have moved on to some other location by the time they arrived Two of the problems contributing to this unacceptably long delay were the poor radio communication and the poor condition of the trails which were used. Dave Nelson, the State Parks Superintendent for this area, has agreed to work on having radio transmissions improved as a top priority. State Parks has already contracted for these trails, Canyon Train and Warren Richardson, to be improved for emergency vehicle use, as well as having brush and tree limbs removed which interfered with the vehicles along the trails, especially the CDF truck carrying the bulldozer.

While a cross-park trail would have proved very helpful, these other problems need to be corrected first to see if the situation improves satisfactorily. The next quarterly meeting in Wes Chesbro's office with Jim Leddy will be on Monday, 10/21/02. It is expected that another emergency fire drill Annadel State Park will be scheduled at that time.

Page Five Bennett Valley Fire Protection District Board of Directors 6161 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa Marie Nottingham, Chairman Dan Felciano, Matt Phillips, Mark Richardson* *, and Nola Stans Everyone is welcome to attend this BV Fire Board meeting. For any questions or comments, feel free to contact Kent Reynolds, Bennett Valley Fire Chief, 578-7761.

* Mark Richardson had to put off being sworn in until the next meeting as he was one of the firefighters who spent more than 15 days fighting raging wildfires in Colorado, as part of a State Emergency Services strike team. Bennett Valley Tidbits • Please be sure to let us know when new people move into the area or when someone is NOT receiving the VOICE; 542-1608. Thanks!

• With the proposed Grange Road Bridge, the Jackson Ranch driveway on Grange Road will be moved up about 300 feet, because the grade of the road will be increased (with the new bridge ten feet higher), , and the guard rail will extend past the present driveway. In its new location, the driveway will be at the present grade of the road, but squared off better as a T intersection • Matanzas Creek Stewardship training, pending property owners' access to Matanzas Creek, is 8/17 and 10/5/02. Call 569-1448 2222222--

Ansel Adams In Bennett Valley !!

Photographers And Artists!

Join Ansel Adams in the Bennett Valley 2003 Calendar. An original black and white Ansel Adams photograph of Bennett Valley, donated by Bev Loftus, will be featured in the new calendar. LAST CALL! The deadline for submitting entries to the 2003 Calendar is August 31sl . We accept slides, prints and photos of artwork depicting our scenic, unique valley. Entry forms available on our web site: <bennettvalleyhomeowners.org>, at the Bennett Valley Fire Station, at Community Days or by calling Judy (544-0234) or Suzanne (542-1608).

Mail your entries to Stephanie Zaborowski, 4184 Sonoma Mountain Rd., Santa Rosa, 95404 by August 31st 2003 Calendars can be reserved at BV Community Days on August 25.

Upcoming BHA Board Elections Come one, come all! The time has rolled around once again for nominations for positions on the Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association (BVHA) Board of Directors. Three directors are to be elected, and the term of office is three years. The Board meets the third Wednesday of each month, at 7:30 pm at the Bennett Valley Fire Station, except there will be no meeting in December.

Qualifications for office (from the BHA bylaws) are that each candidate (1) must be a voting member of BHA and (2) must have a strong commitment to promoting and preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley. This second qualification must be evidenced by a statement of 250 words or less, to be included with each candidate's request for nomination. Members may declare their candidacy and submit their statements after July 1st.

All requests for candidacy, with accompanying statements, must be in the hands of the Nominating Committee by 5 p.m., August 15, 2002. Candidates may present their packets to any of the Nominating Committee members. For campaign purposes, such as sending out fliers, candidates may submit a request to BHA, including the intended use, for a list of names and addresses of those members entitled to vote in the election for directors. If there is no reason to believe the list would be used for any other purpose, then the candidates will receive the current list. The list of telephone numbers, when they are available, will not be released or used for this purpose.

Ballots, together with candidates' statements, instructions for voting, and return envelopes, will be mailed out to the membership with the September VOICE, which is to be mailed September 12th. Results of the election will be announced at the October 16th meeting of the Board. Candidates, please send notice of your candidacy together with accompanying statements to any of the three committee members, listed below.

BHA members or others having questions concerning these procedures should also contact one of the members of the nominating committee: BHA Nominating Committee Members Eve Boling, 2769 Rollo Road Jean LaCombe, 4393 Pressley Rd. Phil Temko, 4780 Hidden Oaks Rd. 573-8614 585-3482 544-0234 (All three addresses are in Santa Rosa, 95404) Bennett Valley Community Calendar 1.) Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association -The BHA Board meets the third Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm, at the Bennett Valley Fire Station. The next two meetings are July 17th and August 21st, 2002. Bennett Valley residents are encouraged to attend these informal, open forum meetings.

2.) Bennett Valley Fire Protection District -The Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 Bennett Valley Fire Station. Bennett Valley residents are also encouraged to attend these meetings. 3. Bennett Valley Grange #16, Saturday, October 26th, Spaghetti Dinner 4.) Bennett Valley Community Day with Silent Auction and Live Auction, Sunday, August 25th, 2002 See flier.

5.) Sonoma County Board Of Supervisors meets every Tuesday (except on weeks when there is a holiday) at 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa. Cale's office is still open. Lynn Morton-Weil continues as the Aide to our First District and is "running the office herself until a new supervisor is elected in November." You can call her for information or assistance at 565-2241.

Bennett Valley Homeowner'S

Association (Bha) Board Of

DIRECTORS P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Marilee Jensen, President & VOICE Editor, (576-0405 - phone # and FAX #) Michael Friedenberg, Vice-President (579-5310) Helen Bates, Treasurer (695-8760) Bobbie Blair, Recording Secretary & Mailing List/Membership Coordinator (542-1608) Leanore (Lolly) Mesches, Corresponding Secretary, (545-8684) Jennifer Combs, Director, (546-1190) Jim Katon, Director, (528-9487) Tim Murphy, Director, (542-7114) Marilyn Stocks, Director (528-2458) We want to thank the many Bennett Valley residents who provide so much help in a number of different projects, including helping to write and edit the VOICE, updating the mailing list and/or working as a "Friend of BV Fire".

For 2002 BVHA Membership, send your $15 annua! dues to Blair/Dougherty, 7373 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Page Six

BHA Board Of Directors Tentative Agenda For The Meeting On 7/17/02. • Call to Order, Public Input, Approval of Minutes and Treasurer's Report • Monthly Reports • Old Business • Updates; Friends of BV Fire & Silent Auction • New Business • Update: VOICE mail-outs to registered voters, BV Fire District, July & September Report on the BHA Board Meetings The Board of Directors Agenda for each meeting is posted on a bulletin board at the BV Fire Station, as well as the BHA web-page, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting The agenda includes a brief description of items for action or discussion, and information on the scope of the proposed action.

May 15th, 2002 - Board members present were Marilee Jensen, Tim Murphy, Lolly Mesches, Michael Friedenberg, Helen Bates and Bobbie Blair. Two other Bennett Valley residents attended. Treasurer Helen Bates presented her report and budget update. We now have 365 members, 87 of whom were not members last year.

It was reported that Dan Felciano and Mark Richardson had been appointed by the BV Fire Board to fill the two Board vacancies until the next Board election. The owners of "A Barn Worth Saving. had not been heard from recently, but a local architect, Bill McNearney, had phoned and is interested in the barn restoration.

Bobbie reported that the BV Silent Auction Committee has begun collecting items for both the silent and live auctions, to be held during the BV Community Days on 8/25/02. A flier went out with the May issue of the VOICE, asking people to donate generously. This money is used by the BV Firefighter Volunteers to purchase upgrades and safety equipment which are NOT covered either in the BV Fire District provisional budget or by the proposed special fire tax increase.

The "Friends of BV Fire" presented an update of their activities, which included a recent meeting at Bill Pisenti's home to discuss his objections to the proposed special BV Fire tax increase. He thinks the $3.6 million which BV pays in property taxes should be given to the BV Fire District, rather than to other basic County services, such as the District Attorney, Public Works, PRMD, Registrar of Voters, libraries, etc. We all agreed that while some of this money may not be allocated in the best way, we were not going to be able to change the system in time to save the BV Fire Station. Friends of BV Fire are considering different ways to educate and inform the 1,785 registered voters in the BV Fire District.

A letter from a BV resident had been received expressing her concerns about sulfur spraying in nearby vineyards. Matt Phillips, former vineyard manager at Kendall-Jackson, provided us with some good information on this subject. It is hoped that space will be available in an upcoming VOICE to include more detail on sulfur spraying. Concerned citizens can contact the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner and ask the biologist on duty what a particular vineyard is spraying in the way of chemicals and how it might affect them. All vineyard managers must report what they have sprayed by the 10th of each month. It was also suggested that neighbors go directly to the vineyard manager and ask any questions they have.

June 19th, 2002 - Board members present were Marilee Jensen, Marilyn Stocks, Helen Bates, Lolly Mesches, Tim Murphy and Bobbie Blair. There were three other BV residents in attendance. A report was given by Marilee on the 6/4/02 Fire Drill in Annadel State Park as described on page 5. Matanzas Creek Watershed Program is still trying to obtain access to the creek area from private property owners. The latest plans for Grange Road Bridge, which is to be built either next year or the were information, see page 5.

discussed. For more Bobbie reported donations are beginning to come in for the Silent Auction, but many more are needed Volunteers are also being sought to assist with these auctions at the BV Community Day, 8/25/02. In their last planning meeting, Friends of BV Fire scheduled three meetings at the BV Fire Station for the purpose of informing more BV residents about the need for the Special Fire Tax increase. To let people know about these meetings, an attempt was made by 16 people to call all of the 1,700+ Registered Voters served by the BV Fire District.

Also, some of the Friends have worked many hours with members of the BV Fire Board on the proposed increased fire budget, to be sure that only essentials were included while keeping the bare-bones personnel changes. There is a rapidly approaching deadline to get the ordinance written by County Counsel, have it published by 7/15/02, have a public hearing on 7/30/02 and have the BV Fire Board submit the ordinance to the Registrar of Voters by 8/9/02 for the election on 11/5/02.

In examining this list of registered voters, it was found that 42 of them should be receiving the VOICE, but were not on our mailing list. Also, the Board approved sending the VOICE for July and September to an additional 248 homes of registered Voters served by the BV Fire District but not in "Bennett Valley", such as Holland Heights.

Page Seven

Calendar Photo Entry Form

2003 Deadline: August 31, 2002 NAME: ADDRESS: PHONE:

Number Of Entries:

• Photos of the valley and photos of original paintings of the valley are acceptable. • A horizontal format works best on the calendar page. • Please put the photo title and date taken on the back of each picture. • Please do not put your name on the back of the photographs.

• If you want your pictures mailed back to you, please include a SASE. Mail this form and photos to: Stephanie Zaborowski 4184 Sonoma Mountain Rd. Santa Rosa, 95404 We are happy to answer questions. Call: Judy @ 544-0234 or Suzanne @ 542-1608