Bennett Valley Voice

Bennett Valley VOICE !

Volume 26, Number 5

Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association (BVHA)

September, 2003

The Bennett Valley Appellation! An appellation is a geographically designated area due to the proximity of the Crane Canyon/Grange where a particular type of fruit and/or vineyard land Road wind gap; (2) drainage into Matanzas Creek is located. In October, 2001, a Bennett Valley rather than into Sonoma Creek; (3)... similar American Viticultural Area (AVA) petition was distributions of soils as in the rest of the Bennett submitted to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Valley Appellation including similar percentage and Firearms with the lead petitioner being Jean occurrence of... -- Goulding clay loam and Goulding Arnold, CEO, Matanzas Creek Winery. The purpose cobbly clay loam - and an absence of Red Hills loam.

is to have the defined Bennett Valley area All of these characteristics apply only to the area of officially recognized as a distinct viticultural proposed overlap, and not to the Glen Ellen side of zone which produces high quality wine grapes. Sonoma Mountain AVA. " The petition was prepared by Compliance Service of • "The climate in Bennett Valley is considered to America on behalf of the Bennett Valley petitioners be ideal for Merlot", because Bennett Valley has whose names appear below. The petitioners are greater marine influence than the vineyards where saying that final approval of this Bennett Valley Cabernet Sauvignon predominates, such as on the Appellation is expected shortly.

Glen Ellen side of Sonoma Mountain. • '...Bennett Valley is not a high-producing This proposed appellation consists of approximately vineyard area..But the cool coastal influence will 8,100 acres, which includes around 650 acres grow exceptional grapes in a good year, and very currently planted in wine grapes, and two bonded good grapes most years." wineries, Matanzas Creek and Sable Ridge. The planted grapes include Merlot (42%) Chardonnay The supporting petitioners to the lead petitioner (30%), Pinot Noir (8%), Syrah (7%) and lesser (Jean Arnold of Matanzas Creek Winery) are Matt amounts of other varietals including Cabernet Phillips, Peter Young, Joseph Destein, Teresa & John Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Grenache, and Votruba, Michael Haarstad, John Bertram, Diane Sauvignon Blanc. The BVHA web site contains a Kleinecke & Brett Raven, Charles R. Barr, Jr., Sally description of Bennett Valley that matches the Connell, James Morris, JD & Peggy Moore, Sara proposed boundaries of the appellation; "Bennett Schorske and Gail & Joe Judge. The first meeting of Valley is nestled between three mountainous peaks; Bennett Valley grape growers was held on August Taylor Mountain to the west, Sonoma Mountain to 31st, 2003 and they formed the Bennett Valley the south, and what are known today as Bennett •Grape Growers' Association. The five people selected Peak and Bennett Ridge to the east." for the Board of Directors were Sally Connell, Francois Cordesse (Asst. Winemaker at Matanzas Bennett Valley is now a sub-appellation of the Creek Winery), Ken Hunt, Joe Vivio and Peter Young.

Sonoma Valley Appellation. The proposed Bennett The Board of the Bennett Valley Grape Growers' Valley AVA will have a partial overlap with Sonoma Association develop a Mission Statement and select Mountain AVA. The reason is that on the Santa Rosa officers for the Association. This Bennett Valley side of Sonoma Mountain appellation there are Appellation is expected to add a real distinction to unique geographic characteristics which link it to the quality grapes grown in Bennett Valley.

Bennett Valley and "are absent on the Glen Ellen side of the Sonoma Mountain appellation. These (Excerpts from Bennett Valley Viticultural Area Petition, as sent characteristics include (1) greater marine influence to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

October Is Bennett Valley Roads

Clean-Up Time

The Fall "Road Clean-up Day" is scheduled for; Saturday, October 25, 2003. Coffee and donuts will be served at the Fire Station beginning at 8:30 AM. Once again we are asking for volunteers to spend a few hours picking up litter on their neighborhood roads in our community. Families with older children have participated successfully also. Our focus has been on the main roads through the valley, that is Bennett Valley Road and Grange Road, but other: roads can be selected, also. Some volunteers choose to concentrate on their own neighborhoods, such as Sonoma Mountain Rd., Pressley Rd., Crane Canyon Rd., Woodside or Bennett Ridge.

We would also like to remind you to wear sturdy shoes, gloves, and hats. BVHA will provide vests for safety and pick-up sticks for easing the job of picking up trash. Please give us a hand! 4th Annual

Art On The Ridge

On Saturday, September 20th, and Sunday, September 21st, from noon to 5 pm, a number of; different types of art will be displayed and sold from 12 different homes in Bennett Ridge. The homes will: be identified by yellow balloons tied to their! mailboxes. If you're interested in receiving a flier,: please call 576-0405.

This event will include more than 27 artists, with the type of art including paintings, drawings, prints, photography, clay sculpture, fused art glass, fine hand crafts, wrought iron work, gourd art, quilted wall hangings, clothing, monotypes, lithographs, bronze sculpture, wire sculpture, textiles, jewelry, woodwork, mixed media, metal ornaments, collages, kiln formed glass, etc. Snacks and beverages will also be available at the different homes. You'll enjoy; all of the selections available in such close proximity!

Jacobs Ranch Celebration!

On Saturday, September 27th, from 9 am until noon, a celebration of the successful acquisition of the 168 acre Jacobs Ranch on Sonoma Mountain Road is being planned by Sonoma County Open Space : District. The Open Space District is looking for : volunteers to assist with ongoing monitoring of the ; ranch. If you're interested in volunteering or learning more about the Jacobs Ranch, please call Kathleen Brennan-Hunter at 565-7360. If you are interested in ! attending the event, you need to RSVP with ¡LandPaths (which assists the District with public access and stewardship) at 524-9318 or via email to landpaths-outings@sonic.net. Before the event LandPaths will email or fax you with further instructions for attending this celebration.

Visit BV Artists at Art Trails Open Studios, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. - 5 pm, October 11,12,18 and 19 ¡Art Trails is a county-wide open studio program. Come visit artists where they create. Bennett Ridge: Colleen Cotton - Fused Glass Donna DeLaBriandais - Watercolor & Oil Paintings Bob Nixon - Photography Bennett Valley: Peter Crompton - Paintings Tamra Sanchez - Paintings Denise Traverso - Paintings : Pick up a free Art Trails catalog/map at Matanzas ¡Creek Winery, Montgomery Village Art Supply, ; Sonoma County Library, Borders Books, Music & Café, or the Cultural Art's Council at 579-2787.

Come Hear About Water Quality!

The Bennett Valley Homeowners' Board Meeting, on Wednesday, September 17th, will start at 7 pm, with a 30-minute presentation on "WATER QUALITY" by Laura Barnthouse, a Community Outreach Specialist from Sonoma County Dept. of Health Services Environmental Health. "What You Need to Know About Water Quality in Your Well" is a brochure recently published by her office.

Her presentation may include information on wells, water tables, standing water, irrigation, water pollution, chemical analysis, chlorine, effects of vineyards, or other areas of concern. Questions and answers will be encouraged. Everyone is invited to this meeting at the Bennett Valley Fire Station.

Order Your Bennett Valley

Calendar Now!

Bennett Valley Calendar 2004 will be available the middle of November - in time for the holidays. To reserve your copy with 12 beautiful images of the Valley captured by its residents, call Suzanne at 542-1608, Judy at 544-0234 or sign up at the Bennett Valley Fire Station. Calendars will also be on sale at four locations: Longs Drugs, Paterson Nurseries, and Ace Hardware (all on Yulupa Avenue) and Bennett Valley Fire Station.

MORLEY WINERY (AKA Flanagan Winery) The new Morley Winery is being proposed on a 40acre parcel, located above Bennett Valley Rd., just west of the Bennett Ridge Subdivision. The plans for the winery were described in detail in the July 2003 VOICE. The owner, Eric Flanagan, is now planning to build a one-story winery, rather than a two-story winery. Tall poles have been put up with large bright red triangles on top, showing where the four corners of the proposed winery will be located. Trees and topography in front of the proposed winery building will screen it from view from the valley floor. Distant views of the one story building from Sonoma Mountain Rd. and Grange Rd. appear to not present significant visual impacts.

The public hearing on this proposed winery is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, December 11th. If you want more information, please call Nick Chase, Sonoma Co. PRMD, at 565-1932.

Areas Of High Fire Concern

Fires are more likely to move quickly uphill, putting elevated areas more at risk. There are three residential areas of special concern in Bennett Valley, where a number of homes are located up an incline: Bennett Ridge, Hidden Acres and Holland Heights. Being adjacent to a welltraveled road adds to the risk of fires starting at the bottom of the hill, as happened on August 25th, about 5 pm, just off Bennett Valley Road in the vicinity of Bennett Ridge. Bennett Valley Firefighters, with the help of Kenwood Firefighters, were able to contain the fire quickly, before Calif. Dept. of Forestry (CDF) arrived on the scene (as described on the next page). What can we do to reduce this risk?

A few years back, after an arsonist set three fires along Bennett Valley Road in the Bennett Ridge area, CDF was able to arrange for inmates to dig a firebreak near the road around the bottom of the hill. Some Bennett Ridge residents have requested this firebreak be redone. The Bennett Valley Fire Chief, Andy Pforsich has explored these options for us and reports the following: 1.) Inmates are no longer allowed to work on private property. 2.) A disc cannot dig up the firebreak because of all the rocks in the soil. 3.) A bulldozer might dislodge some of these large rocks in the soil, creating a dangerous situation for cars traveling Bennett Valley Road. 4.) A local abatement contractor no longer employs a crew to remove brush by hand and knows of no one else who now does this. Possible answers are for individual parcel owners to cut their own 10 foot firebreak and/or for a group of parcel owners to hire a local farmer to spray a strip of perennial herbicide to create an earthen barrier at the base of the slope.

A strip of spray 10 feet wide on fairly level ground would act just like a disc or dozer line but won't upset the soil. An herbicide just kills the grass on the surface and prevents re-growth throughout the season. Erosion isn't a concern and the grass grows back during the winter and spring. Vineyard and orchard operators apply a row of herbicide at the base of trees and vines so they don't have to get close enough to damage them with the disc.

BVHA will consider scheduling a meeting at the BV Fire Station next spring for Bennett Valley residents who are interested in exploring and discussing these options with firefighting staff from Bennett Valley and CDF.

Bennett Valley Fire District Information

• Bennett Valley Firefighting Staff

Brian Campbell, Mike Musgrove and Bryon Reid (Firefighting Engineers, 24-hour shifts, 7 days a wk.) Kevin Burris, Matt Tognozzi, Danny Connelly (Firefighters, Sam to 5 pm, 7 days a week) • The Bennett Valley Firefighters helped with what is known as the Futura Fireworks fire, just before the 4th of July where one home actually burnt down. All the local fire districts were helping.

Bennett Valley sent 3 fire engines to the outskirts of Santa Rosa, to help fight this fire with the two onduty firefighters plus ten volunteers, including three of our captains; Jason Mallory, Sean Cotton and John Berto. They also sent one of the Bennett Valley fire engines to Santa Rosa's Yulupa Fire Station, to cover the fire station for those firefighters who were fighting the same fire. Meanwhile, the Schellville Fire District was covering the Bennett Valley Fire Station.

When some of our firefighters were covering the Yulupa Fire Station, there was an automobile accident, where these firefighters had to extricate someone from a car. As you can see this takes a tremendous amount of training AND coordination between the different fire districts, to cover all of the bases.

• Since January 2003, most of Sonoma County Fire Districts are using a new dispatch service, referred to as REDCOM. With this new dispatch service the different fire stations can communicate on the same frequency, which is an improvement. It is a model that has worked well in a number of areas such as Phoenix and San Francisco. At the same time, there are a number of problems which keep coming up because of the dispatchers' lack of experience. One of Bennett Valley's fire captains, Paul Lowenthal has been working from 2 to 6 pm on the week-ends with REDCOM, to help acclimate their dispatch staff. Paul has previously done dispatching with Emergency Medical Services, so he has a lot of experience with what needs to be done.

• On Monday, August 25th, just after 5 pm, Mike Musgrove and Kevin Burris received a walk-in report about a wildland fire just off Bennett Valley Road, a little before Old Bennett Ridge Road. There was an excellent volunteer response with 11 volunteers responding and all of the Bennett Valley fire engines at the scene except for one. When Mike and Kevin first approached at this fire, they followed the established practice of laying their hoses on the windward side near the hot flank of the fire. Mike then noticed that there was a driveway next to the fire and he realized that meant there was a house in the vicinity of the fire. The priorities for firefighters are first saving lives, then protecting property, and then protecting the environment. Because of that, they moved their fire engine up the hill to protect the house. Meanwhile Kenwood Fire District arrived as "mutual aid" and laid their hoses on the windward side of the fire closer to the bottom of the hill. With these actions, they were able to surround the fire and contain it before CDF arrived.

In the Bennett Valley area CDF is responsible for wildland fires and Bennett Valley Fire District is responsible for structure fires. But of course, Bennett Valley firefighters immediately go to any emergency, including wildland fires. They are very proud when they can get the wildland fires out or at least contained before CDF arrives. After this fire was contained, nearby residents saw a number of CDF airplanes flying overhead.

These airplanes determined that the fire was actually out and flame retardant did not need to be dropped from the air. With their quick action, the Bennett Valley firefighters kept the flames to about 1 acre, despite the wind and all the dry, very flammable grass up the hill. Once again we can be very proud of and grateful for our Bennett Valley Firefighters.

• Brian Campbell reports that Bennett Valley only had one lightning strike on September 3rd, that happened on Grange Road. It resulted in a small tree fire that was put out quickly, with lots of water. Bennett Valley Fire Protection District Board of Directors 6161 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa (707) 578-7761 or 578-8471 Matt Phillips, Chairman Dan Felciano, Deborah Haarstad, Marilee Jensen, Mark Richardson The Board meetings are on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, at 7:00 pm. at the Bennett Valley Fire Station; those should be October 14th and November 11th, but be sure to confirm. Everyone is welcome to attend. You can call a Bennett Valley firefighter at 578-8471 if you have any questions or concerns. In addition, you may call one of the firefighters if you want to request a fire safety check for your home and surrounding property. Also please feel free to call the Bennett Valley Fire Chief, Andy Pforsich, at 823-1084.

Grange Road Bridge

Levi Gurule from Sonoma County Public Works reports that the county is still working on right of way and purchase of property for the proposed Grange Road Bridge. He is not aware of any particular difficulties in this area. Cal Trans will authorize money for construction after the right of way is certified as complete. Then the County can put this project out to bid. This bridge is being funded with Federal and County funds only. The impact of the recent financial crisis is still not clear.

Bvha Board Of Directors

Tentative Agendas For Meetings

Wednesday, September 17th, 2003, 7:00 pm Bennett Valley Fire Station • Call to order, 7:00 pm. • Speaker, Laura Barnthouse, Sonoma Co. Dept. of! Health Services, on Water Quality • Public Input, Approval of Treasurer's Report and Minutes of Last Meeting • Monthly Reports: Board of Supervisors, Open Space District, Sonoma Co. Public Works & Permit Resource & Management Dept. (PRMD) • Updates; BV Fire Station Water Tank & California Flag, Morley Winery, BV Calendars for 2004 • Reports on BV Community Day & Silent Auction, and BVHA Web-Page • BV Clean-up Day Announcement, Letter to CHP • Spring-Time Fire Meeting On Options For Reducing Hillside Fires; Bennett Ridge, Hidden Acres, Holland Heights Wednesday, October 22nd, 2003, 7:30 pm Bennett Valley Fire Station • Ballot Counting and Election Results • Possible Filing of Restated Articles • Selection of Officers for the Next Year • Possible Speakers and Meeting Dates for the Next Year • Other Pertinent Business

Thanks To The Following!

in writing these articles, Marilee Jensen, the Editor, appreciates the tremendous amount of input she has received, in varying amounts, from a number of people including Laura Barnthouse, Helen Bates, Bobbie Blair, Eve Boling, Kathleen Brennan-Hunter, Brian Campbell, Nick Chase, Donna DeLaBriandais, Pete Downs (KendallJackson Wine Estates), Levi Gurule, Mike Hickey, Joe Judge, Heather LaRiviere, Peggy Longman, Tim Murphy, Andy Pforsich, Karen Sommer, Marilyn Stocks, Judy Temko, and Peter Young.

Brief Summary of BHA Board Meetings For a copy of the detailed minutes, please call Bobbie Blair, 542-1608. June 18th, 2003 This was a special meeting held to discuss the proposed Morley Winery. More than 50 people attended in addition to Nick Chase from PRMD and Hubi Schrage, Project Manager for the proposed winery. The issues discussed included size, noise, water usage, lighting, paint colors, non reflective roof, saving trees, number of trucks, pesticides, no public access or events, wildlife vineyard fencing, fire engine accessibility, and the public hearing, now tentatively scheduled for December 11th.

July 16, 2003 • New signs to remind people about the Clean-up Day were discussed and ordered. • One Bennett Valley resident asked that we also encourage people to request to clean-up their own neighborhoods; Pressley, Crane Canyon or Sonoma Mountain roads or Bennett Ridge or Woodside area.

• The Board approved the motion to send a letter to PRMD, recommending approval of a conditional use permit for the Morley Winery; conditions listed. • The Board approved the Restated Articles of Incorporation, with some added purposes. • BVHA became a member of the Sonoma Mountain Preservation Group.

• Due to the election and annual meeting it was decided to have a meeting in October. We will also meet in November but not December. • Jennifer Combs expressed concern and some possible solutions about bicyclists in Bennett Valley.

Bennett Valley Homeowners'

Association (Bvha) Board Of Directors !

P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 BVHA Web-Page <bennettvalleyhomeowners.org> 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) Eric Burns, Web-Page Coordinator (584-7531) Jennifer Combs, Director (546-1190) Tim Murphy, Director (542-7114) Marilyn Stocks, Director (528-2458) (For 2003 BVHA Membership, send $15 to Blair/Dougherty, 7373 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.)

Proposed Change

BVHA Articles of Incorporation The Articles of Incorporation for the Bennett Valley Homeowners Association were endorsed and filed with the Secretary of State on June 1, 1971. As was said by a BVHA Director on 10/2/94, in regards to the Articles of Incorporation, "...the Articles really are atrocious and need to be updated. Aside from the fact that they do not agree with the Bylaws, and the agent for service of process is long gone, they simply have far more in them than the Secretary of State now wants." Such things as the first nine directors' names & addresses are included in the original Articles. For these reasons we are planning to restate our Articles of Incorporation without making any significant changes to the legal basis of the organization.

To approve this change, the Restated Articles of Incorporation need to be "adopted by the Board of Directors and by the vote or written consent of twothirds of a quorum of its members." The Restated Articles of Incorporation, which follow, have already been adopted by the Board of Directors at the last Board meeting, on July 16th, 2003. On the ballot found on the next page, BVHA members are being asked to vote on these restated Articles of Incorporation as well as the three candidates for the Board of Directors. If anyone wishes to review a copy of the original Articles of Incorporation, please call 576-0405.

Restated Articles Of Incorporation

I The name of this corporation is Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association. II. A. This corporation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for public purposes.

B. The specific purposes of this corporation are to: 1) promote and preserve the rural residential character and natural environment of Bennett Valley, located near Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California; 2) serve as an open forum for Bennett Valley community participation; and 3) provide a bridge for communication between government agencies and the Bennett Valley community.

III This corporation is organized and operated exclusively for social welfare purposes within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(4) and is not organized for the private gain of any person. IV The property of this corporation is irrevocably dedicated to social welfare purposes and no part of the net income or assets of this corporation shall ever inure to the benefit of any director, officer or member thereof or to the benefit of any private person. Upon the dissolution or winding up of the corporation, its assets remaining after payment, or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities of this corporation shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for social welfare purposes, and which has established its tax exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(4).

Bvha Election

! To qualify as a BVHA voting member, you must be a ¡ dues-paying member of BHA, as indicated by the ¡ check-mark in the "2003 member" box on the ¡bottom of your mailing label. You must also hold i ! recorded title to any real property located within the ! unincorporated area of the "Bennett Valley Study Area." ¡ Please vote for your choices by placing a check mark ion the line next to your choice, both for the Articles ! of Incorporation (Yes or No on the Restated Articles) ! and for three candidates for the Board of Directors.

¡(The statements of the three candidates can be ¡found below the ballot.) After you have voted, mail ¡ the ballot (or the whole page) to BVHA, P.O. Box !2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405, so it is received by ! October 22nd or you may bring it to the BV Fire | Station on Wednesday, October 22nd, by 7:30 pm.

¡ Your ballot will be disqualified if it is not received by ¡ this date and time. The BVHA nominating committee ! will count the ballots and report the election results.

Bennett Valley Homeowners' Association Ballot Must be received by mail prior to October 22nd, 2003 @ P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 or brought to the Bennett Valley Fire Station on October 22nd, by 7:30 pm. All mail at the Post Office Box will only be picked up by members of the BVHA Nominating Committee from 9/12/03 to 10/22/03.

I. Restated Articles of Incorporation for Bennett Valley Homeowners' Association (on page 6) Yes, I approve of these Restated Articles of Incorporation No, I do not approve of these Restated Articles of Incorporation II. Candidates for the BVHA Board of Directors, Three year terms. Vote for three candidates.

1.) Marilee Jensen, Incumbent 2.) Leanore Mesches, Incumbent 3.) Marilyn Stocks, Incumbent 4.) — Write-in Candidate _ (name) Statements of Candidates for the BVHA Board of Directors (Limited to 250 words) 1.) Marilee Jensen I am very committed to "promoting and preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley" as well as the two additional purposes which are being added to the BVHA Articles of Incorporation: A.) Serving as an open forum for community participation B.) Providing a bridge for communication between government agencies and the Bennett Valley community. I feel these commitments are well-demonstrated by my activities over the last seven years, as listed below: *President, Bennett Ridge Community Association, 1996 to present *Co-leader, Conserve Our Rural Environment, successful local effort to modify plans for the proposed Grange Road Bridge, '97-'98 *BV Common Ground Committee, '00 & '01; one of three participants designing the Bennett Valley brochure, still being sent out to potential buyers. *Board of Directors, Bennett Valley Fire Protection District, since April, 2003 *Board of Directors, Bennett Valley Homeowners' Association, 4 ½ years (President, BVHA, last 3 years) *Editor, BVHA newsletter, VOICE, four years, with at least bimonthly issues "...successful communities rely on people who roll up their sleeves and work." ( Press Democrat) Your support and vote are greatly appreciated!

2.) Leanore Mesches As a long-time resident of Bennett Valley, having moved here in 1972, and prior to that, having lived in Holland Heights for 11 years, I have a strong commitment to preserving and enhancing this special place. As a two-term member of the BVHA, I have served as corresponding secretary for both terms and have been on the calendar committee since its inception 5 years ago. In 1998 our board held a community meeting at the Grange Hall and I served on the organizing committee. The meeting was entitled Bennett Valley 2000, A Bridge to the Future. More than 100 people attended and participated in a variety of sessions.

The goal of the meeting was to enable our residents to become pro-active, to gain information, make decisions, give voice to our concerns by attending meetings, writing letters and e-mails and developing strategy. I take pride in the accomplishments of the board and the ongoing involvement of a number of community members. I hope to continue to serve on the board and am appreciative of your support.

3.) Marilyn Stocks My interest in serving as a director of the Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association is rooted in my deep concern for the preservation of the beauty and character of Bennett Valley. I have lived in the valley for 31 years, have actively worked in various capacities for the protection of the valley during much of this time, and have always been an enthusiastic supporter of the Bennett Valley Area Plan. During these past 3 years I have been active in working for the financial stability of the fire department, and am now focusing my attention on the issue of water and what concerns we may need to study in order to better understand this issue as it relates to all of Bennett Valley. During my tenure on the board we have worked to have an open dialogue with the community. As a retired public school teacher I have had a great deal of experience dealing with people and solving problems and think this experience is beneficial when dealing with issues that come before our board. The board has continued to be pro-active in looking at issues that affect the valley. Earlier this year we called a special meeting to discuss the concerns regarding a winery that is proposed. This meeting generated a large gathering of residents and offered an opportunity for a positive exchange of ideas. One of my goals is that the BVHA continues to be a vibrant organization that offers residents a forum where they may express and exchange ideas. We are continuing to improve our web site to offer one more way of communicating. The valley today remains an oasis of natural beauty. We don't have a trailer park or a convenience market thanks to the diligent effort of those who came before us, and the protection given us by the Bennett Valley Area Plan. My husband and I have been fortunate to live here these past 31 years and raise our children, and now as our children, grandchildren, family and friends return to visit we all marvel at how the beauty and character of the valley has remained unchanged in the center of a very different Sonoma County. If elected to another term I will continue to work in a positive, professional manner, making careful decisions based on the thoughtful development of this magnificent valley we all call home.

Bennett Valley Community Calendar Be sure to get these dates on your calendar! 1.) Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association -The BVHA Board will be meeting on the following Wednesdays during the next couple of months: September 17th, October 22nd (the fourth Wednesday) and November 19th, at 7:30 pm, at the BV Fire Station. You can check our web-page at <bennettvalleyhomeowners.org> for more information about BVHA meetings. Everyone is invited to attend these Board meetings.

2.) Bennett Valley Fire Protection District -The Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm, at the Bennett Valley Fire Station. Everyone is invited to attend these Board meetings. 3.) Bennett Valley "Clean-Up Roads" Day, Saturday October 25th, 8:30 am, BV Fire Station. See Page 2 for more detail and please join us.

4.) Bennett Valley Grange #16, There will be a Spaghetti Dinner, open to the public, at the Grange Hall on Saturday, October 18th, 5 pm to 8 pm. Watch for the announcement sign at the corner of Grange Road and Bennett Valley Road. Your support for the local Grange is appreciated!

5.) Sonoma County Board Of Supervisors meets every Tuesday (except on weeks when there is a holiday) at 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa. Valerie Brown is the Supervisor for our First District. You may call her or Lynn Morton-Weil, her Aide, at 565-2241, if you have any questions or concerns.

Page Two Page Three Page Four Page Five Page Six Page Seven 4th Annual Art on the Ridge Areas of High Fire Concern BV Fire District Information Grange Road Bridge BVHA Articles of Incorporation BVHA Board Meetings, BVHA Election Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 BVHA web-page <bennettvalleyhomeowners.org> BVHA Mission Statement: "Committed to promoting & preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley." Return Service Requested

Help Clean-Up Bv Roads!

Staber 25th, 8-30 am, By Fire Station