Bennett Valley Voice

Volume 31, Number 3

Bennett Valley VOICE www.bennettvalley.org

Bennett Valley Homeowner'S Association (Bvha)

MAY, 2008 The Shape of our Valley By Frank LaCombe Reading the recent news articles about the latest • According to a poll... only 22 percent o scientific studies predicting a severe earthquake Californians consider themselves prepared for coming here soon, caused my anxiety meter to shoot to the top. Again. Have i become • olen state residents dusume that it won't complacent? Way!

happen to them-or if it does, it won't happen until after they've pulled together the emergency kit...maybe next week. Statewide, our own Rodgers Creek Fault is • A study released (April 14, 2008) by the U.S. prominently mentioned as one of the faults to Geological Survey and California Geological cause major grief. I almost wish it (the quake) Survey is a call to prepare now.

would get over with so that I can sort out the • . a major quake on the Hayward fault could pieces and put it all behind me. However, if it's close 1,100 Bay Area roads and render San the 6.5 event that they're talking about, it will be Francisco and Oakland airports unusable.

humbling. As I look around my own house I see that I could be crushed by my pack rat accumulations. Equally crushing for everyone Chance of Major Quake (in California) Now 99.7% (Press Democrat, April 15, 2008) could be the tremendous feelings of loss and helplessness throughout our community.

• Study all but guarantees State will have temblor of 6.7 or more within 30 years. Yet I've gained a glimmer of confidence for • The biggest threat in the Bay Area is the combined facing catastrophe through my participation in Hayward and Rodgers Creek faults ... which CERT training. Yes, it's never easy or convenient passes through Sonoma Mountain and ends in to expect that you'll have four open Saturdays, Santa Rosa.

but for me it was the most worthwhile training • "If someone lives in California, they need to be that I can imagine for a disaster here in the prepared.", says one of the chief seismologists valley. Contact Karen Sommer, 528-8982, to see from U.S. Geological Survey.

how you can fit the CERT training into your • The last major earthquake in Sonoma County, in schedule. Meet with your neighbors and form 1969, was a magnitude 5.7 quake on the Haywardneighborhood groups, because they will be your Rodgers Creek faults. lifeline. Bennett Valley assumed its shape in part • Its Hayward segment is described...as a "tectonic time bomb" that could cause hundreds of deaths, due to the presence of the Rodgers Creek Fault.

leave thousands homeless, and devastate the affected region's economy. How Scared? (Press Democrat Editorial, 4/16/08) • Will newest study finally wake up residents to quake dangers? .. Clearly, many Californians would rather ignore the realities of living in earthquake country. At the very least, a large quake along the Rodgers Creek Fault would cause significant shaking damage to the region's roads, water pipelines and structures and would lead to landslides and road closures, according to the Association of Bay Area Governments.

What Container Should We Use To Store Our Emergency Water? By Marilee Jensen The following three articles pertain to some health concerns regarding different plastic containers. The safest choices, apparently, are plastic containers with a resin code of 2 or 5 (as described below) for storing your emergency water. As some neighbors recently informed me, Safeway sells a 2.5 gallon plastic water container with a resin code of 2 which I'm now using for my emergency water storage. I recently also purchased some 1 liter polycarbonate containers, to use for drinking water in the car. The firm plastic bottles, made in China, state, "Glass-like non-porous material - No leaching of plastic taste, Re-use again and again..." It looked good to me. I have since been told by a knowledgeable source that polycarbonate definitely contains BPA. So I'll discard those and go back to containers with the resin code 2 on the bottom. If you have any other good ideas about carrying or storing water, please let me know so we can share it with others.

1.) What Are Resin Codes? (Mayo Clinic, Health Letter, April 2008) Q: What do the numbers on the bottom of plastic food containers mean? I've heard there are potential health risks associated with certain plastics. A: The small numbers surrounded by arrows on the bottom of plastic containers are part of a uniform resin code system used by recyclers to identify the type of plastic used to make the item.

There are seven types of plastic identified by these codes. However, more than 95 percent of recyclable plastic containers are marked on the bottom as being made with either a 1 or a 2. Those marked with a 1 (one) are made with polyethylene terephthalate (PET OR PETE) plastics, which is a phthalate. These products also contain the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which has come under scrutiny by scientists concerned about its potential for harm in humans.

Those marked with a 2 (two) are made with highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) plastics. Particular concern has been raised about phthalates...How phthalates might affect human health isn't fully clear... The bottom line? ...some experts suggest using plastics with a resin code of 2 or 5... 2.)Hopkins Health Watch (December, 1998, The John R. Lee, M.D. Medical Letter) The plastics and plastic ware used to package and store foods may look pretty solid, but in reality it is always shedding.

Most plastics contain xenohormones, which mimic the action of hormones in the body. The majority of plastics seem to act most like estrogen. Eating a burrito wrapped in plastic for lunch might not mean much by itself, but if you're being exposed to shedding plastic in your food most of the time, it's going to add up and affect your body.

An Australian reader sent an October newspaper clipping for the Courier-Mail in Brisbane titled, "Sex Defects linked to Plastic Food Containers." The article reported that a Professor Fred vom Saal from the University of Missouri found that male offspring from mice exposed to tiny doses of a plastic called bisphenol A had "significant drops in sperm production and evidence of malformed reproductive organs." Bisphenol A is commonly found lining metal food cans, and is the plastic used to make many bottled water bottles. Professor vom Saal believes that this chemical is affecting pregnant women, and that the amounts allowed in foods (set by the plastic industry) are much too high.

Meanwhile, the Green Guide reports that the Consumers Union found that cheese wrapped in clear polyviny! chloride (PVC) plastic cling wrap (e.g. Saran Wrap) "contained the plasticizer DEHA at an average of 153 parts per million (ppm)." The limit by the Commission of the European Communities set for food migration by plastics is 18 ppm. DEHA causes birth defects and cancer in lab animals. Other studies found that the DEHA leaches into the food from the plastic as soon as it makes contact.

The US Congress has finally mandated that the hormonal effects of chemicals be studied, but it will be years before those studies yield good information, and years more before action is taken to protect the consumer. In the meantime, store your food in glass, never microwave your food in plastic, and avoid plastic-wrapped and packaged foods as much as possible.

Now, nine years later, "for the first time"... 3.) Ubiquitous Plastic May Cause Cancer, NIH Report Finds_(Washington Post article, printed in the Press Democrat, April 16, 2008) A federal health panel Tuesday (April 15, 2008) for the first time acknowledged concerns that a chemical found in thousands of everyday products like baby bottles and compact discs may cause cancer and other serious disorders. The draft report...signaled a turning point in the government's position on bisphenol-a, or BPA, so ubiquitous in American society that it has been detected in the urine of 93 percent of the population over 6 years of age...Used in plastic production since the 1950s, BPA in laboratory animals may be linked to breast cancer, prostrate cancer, early puberty in females and behavioral changes, according to the study (just) released. It called for more research into the chemical's health effects

Revised 2009 Bennett Valley

Calendar Guidelines

Birds And/Or Blooms!

It has come to our attention that "Birds AND Blooms" in one attractive photo (as stated in the March VOICE) might be too much to hope for. So--our theme will now

Be Birds And/Or Blooms.

Here are the entry guidelines: • Subject: Birds and/or Blooms (wild birds only!) • Maximum of 3 entries. Entry deadline: September 2, 2008 • Format: horizontal 5"x 7" or 8"x 10" prints for judging - film or digital. • Put your name, address, and phone number on the back of each print, using a soft pencil or an address label, in order not to mar photo.

• If photo is digital, please use highest resolution, minimum compression, largest size settings. • If photo is film or slide, submit as photographic print with info (as above) on back. • Only one image per entrant will be selected. • Drop off or mail to: Calendar Committee, 2663 Bennett Ridge Rd,

S.R. 95404

For more info: 527-6002 or 5286176 2008 Calendar Committee Sally Weare, Sherry Parker, Ray Lemieux If you'd like to join the Calendar Committee, please call Sally Weare or Sherry Parker at the numbers above! Press Democrat Youth Service Awards April 25, 2008 Ten Sonoma County high school seniors received honors..for volunteerism and leadership in their schools and communities...(T)he Community Youth Service Awards sponsored by the Press Democrat recognize students who promote the common good by serving others... "It is our effort to recognize these extraordinary students, and it sets an example about being part of the community," PD Publisher Bruce Kyse said. The following is from this article about one of the extraordinary students who lives in Bennett Valley.

Bret Barner... Cardinal Newman's Bret Barner, who intends to study veterinary medicine and environmental science in college, has spent more than four years establishing 50-plus bird boxes to help re-establish native western bluebirds in Sonoma County. As a freshman, Barner earned Cardinal Newman's Service Award for donating the most volunteer hours to a nonprofit agency-The Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County.

Neighbors opened their property to Barner, who has built, repaired and cared for both the boxes and the birds who come to nest. Covering hundreds of acres every week, Barner traps and removes nonnative birds while monitoring the establishment of bluebirds and their chicks. "We have seen a young man with a passion delve into all aspects of his project with a commitment rarely seen today," said Mary Poe, a member of the Summit View Ranch Homeowners Association where boxes have been installed.

BV Spring Clean-Up Roads Day! On Saturday, April 5, once again the major BV roads were cleaned by the 18 volunteers listed below. We want to express our great appreciation to all of those who helped: Jim Alfieri, Dave & Sandy Sandine, Lu Schultz, Mike Hickey, Jami Jamison, Richard Lukasko, Tim Murphy, Bill Nielson, Norm Boling, Suzanne Dougherty, Sandra Carr, Patty Gundry, Ron Simpson, Bill & Patty Allen, Bobbie Blair, Bill Breslin and Miriam. Jim asked us to give a

Special Round Of Applause To Valerie

Kneit, who works for Sonoma Co. Public Works and has been very helpful in making the necessary arrangements.

Bennett Valley Fire Protection District 6161 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa Non-Emergency Business Phone: 578-7761 Board of Directors Mark Richardson, President; Joseph Mazeau, Vice-President; Marilee Jensen, Secretary; Arnie Tognozzi, and Don D'Avanzo, Directors Board meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday each month, 7:00 pm, at the BV Fire Station.

Bennett Valley Paid Firefighting Staff

Fire Chief: Andy Pforsich, 823-1084 24-hour Personnel: Lieutenants Kevin Burris and Matt Tognozzi, Engineer Danny Connelly Daytime Firefighters, 8:00am to 5:00 pm: Engineer Patrick Tognozzi, Firefighters Brian Drees and Ronnie Lakin Supplemented and supported by many trained firefighting volunteers. Three separate shifts of volunteers are paid to sleep overnight at the Fire Station, three at a time, for improved coverage.

Bennett Valley Firefighting Activities March/April, 2008 By Lieutenant Kevin Burris Medical Aids = 12, Vehicle Fires = 1, Smoke Checks = 1, Structure Fires = 3, Vehicle Accidents = 9 Vegetation Fires = 1, Alarm Soundings = 1 Bennett Valley firefighters found flames consuming some upstairs bedrooms when they arrived at a home on Bennett Valley Road, at 7:48 pm, Sunday, March 2. A resident said accidentally left candles burning in an upstairs bedroom, which investigators are considering as a possible cause. Eight fire trucks from Bennett Valley and Santa Rosa responded to the fire as well as a water truck from Windsor. Firefighters had the flames under control at 8:28 pm. There was about $150,000 in damages, but no injuries.

Bennett Valley Fire Protection District Explorer Post 78 Donations & Recruitment The Bennett Valley Explorer Post is a training program for interested young people, between the ages of 14 to 18 years of age. It is also the primary source of volunteer firefighters for the Bennett Valley Fire Station, after they turn 18 years old. We currently have 10 BV Explorers in weekly training at the Fire Station. As costs continue to climb it becomes harder for the Explorer Post to have sufficient funds for training, safety equipment, yearly academy tuition and insurance. If you would like to donate to the Explorer Program or sponsor an Explorer at $250 for the yearly California Fire Explorer Association's Academy, please send your donations to the Bennett Valley Fire Explorers, 6161 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, Ca, 95404. If you have any questions regarding the Explorer program please call Lieutenant Kevin Burris at 578-7761 or email kburris78@comcast.net.

The Bennett Valley Explorer Post is also looking for additional young people between the ages of 14 to 18 years who are interested in firefighting as a possible career. As an Explorer you will receive training in all aspects of Fire Service such as fire suppression, auto extraction, and emergency medical training. If you are between these ages and think you are up for the challenge of being a fire Explorer, then go to www.bennettvalleyfire.org to fill out an application today!

A Hands-On Lifesaver (UC Berkeley Wellness Letter; April 2008) If you don't know CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), should you learn it? Yes. Each year, as many as 400,000 Americans go into cardiac arrest— that is, the heart stops suddenly due to an electrical problem triggered most often by a heart attack, but also possibly by other heart conditions, stroke, neardrowning, or severe electrical shock. You'll never know when it will happen. It's especially important to learn this lifesaving technique if you have a family member with heart disease. After all, about 80% of cardiac arrests occur at home.

CPR consists of a series of forceful compressions to the chest (which squeeze the heart) and mouth-tomouth breathing (which supplies oxygen to the lungs and blood). This combination delivers oxygencontaining blood to the brain and other vital body organs when the heart can't do it itself, until advanced medical treatment is available. CPR should be given whenever someone collapses suddenly and is not responsive and not breathing normally.

Without it, a person in cardiac arrest can die within 8 to 10 minutes. The American Heart Association simplified its CPR guidelines in 2005 and made an important change in the ratio between compressions and breaths. It now recommends...30 compressions for every 2 breaths given...The goal is to push hard and fast-100 compressions a minute. In addition, two new studies have shown that compression-only CPR is as effective as standard CPR (with mouth-to-mouth) in saving lives, when done outside the hospital (except for children and individuals near-drowning)...The key is to start resuscitation as soon as possible.

(The Bennett Valley Fire Station offered a CPR course on March 31, 2008, for $85. The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross can help you locate a CPR course. Contact Karen Sommer, 528-8982.)

Bennett Valley Road Maintenance Craig Harrison, Marilee Jensen To expand on our report trom the March VOICE, Rob Silva, Road Maintenance Operations Coordinator and Jeff Ross, Area Foreman, from Sonoma County Public Works, "toured" the Bennett Valley roads with Craig Harrison, President and Marilee Jensen, VOICE Editor, for Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association (BVHA) on March 3.

As we drove along the various Bennett Valley roads, the Road Maintenance staff described their work expectations along with their limited resources. They generally concentrate on the roads with the higher traffic volume in this area: Grange Road, Crane Canyon Road and Bennett Valley Road. Their goal is to maintain safety as much as possible. As for the smaller roads, the maintenance crews did a lot of work on Holland Heights roads last summer, but the bulk of their asphalt allocation in this area last year went to Enterprise, Sonoma Mountain and Mt.

Taylor roads. They plan on chip sealing some of the western parts of Bennett Valley Road this year. Because of state budget problems, the County might not receive 5 months of gas tax money from May to September. Supposedly the County's share of the road taxes is just being "borrowed" ", but road maintenance starts to wind up in October when the rainy season begins, so receiving road maintenance funds that late presents a problem.

A hiring freeze has been instituted, presumably due to the pending state gas tax issue. Over the past decade, road crews have been significantly reduced. For instance, there is now only one road crew at Cotati, where there once were three. Managing water so that it does not undermine the integrity of the roads is very important for road maintenance, and drainage ditches along side the road are part of that approach. The California Department of Forestry crew is scheduled to go through in early summer cutting back the brush, after which the County will follow and excavate where ditches have filled or are needed. They have to stop this activity or fire reasons around July 1.

Some local residents object to brush trimming. One typical response is "I support brush and tree trimming on this road, but don't do it on my property." Brush trimming along the road is crucial for improving road drainage, improving road visibility and reducing fires; all for increased road safety.

The budget for purchasing asphalt has remained the same for many years. Because asphalt has doubled in price in recent years to $76/ton, the County will purchase significantly less. (Note: Asphalt prices track oil prices). The department has to work out an allocation of the available asphalt between north and south county. (We asked asked if someone purchased more asphalt for a particular road could road maintenance use it and he seemed to think it was a possibility. We didn't explore this too far as it's more of a management issue.) We didn't hear much about improving Sonoma Mountain Road or Pressley Road this year. If the maintenance crews do anything, it would be to address very localized safety issues such as grinding down high points and filling sumps. Some places in the roads which seemed uneven and rough to us didn't seem to be serious problems to the Road Maintenance staff.

We emphasized that we thought the maintenance crews were doing a good job with their budget constraints, but we thought they needed more funds. We want to encourage them, show some appreciation for what they do, and hope that when they have an extra few days to do something that they think of our area.

Sonoma Mountain Road Completion By Tony Rosenblatt It now appears that the reconstruction work will begin most likely in late August on the collapsed portion of Sonoma Mountain Road. Supervisor Valerie Brown has sent the following email in response to my latest inquiry. * The project is HIGH priority.

* Funding is secured, mostly through Prop 1B - no danger of siphoning off to other projects. * Work is planned for late summer when soil conditions will be the driest we can hope for... * We are considering the use of light weight fill as part of the repair. Recycled tires is an alternative for this which we are working on with the State.

* Right-of-way will need to be acquired and we are currently working on appraising property values for this. Owners should be contacted soon. * Drainage will be a key element of the repair. * We are finalizing plans, working with Kleinfelder to make minor improvements and adjustments to plans.

Finally we have some very encouraging news. Let's hope for a dry summer and fall. The County staff fully expects to finish the work and have the road open within this year.

Some Key Points from BASINS OF RELATIONS, A Citizen's Guide to Protecting and Restoring Our Watersheds By Brock Dolman, Director of Occidental Arts & Ecology Center Water Institute and Permaculture Program. Wildlife Biologist • "The water cycle and the life cycle are one." - Jacques Cousteau • Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana, philosopher • Just as water is the foundation of life it must also be the foundation of design of the build environment." Betsy Damon, founder of Keepers of the Waters • Watersheds: Our Basins of Relations (To work with others to help protect "our" watershed.) • The "pave and pipe paradigm" is disastrously flawed and hydro-illiterate.

• A new paradigm of stormwater management is based on "waterspread" restoration, with a call to slow the water down, spread the water out, sink the water into the land. • The old drain-age is now being replaced by a new retain-age. • Receive (through annual precipitation), recharge (limit impervious surfaces and wholesale conversion of native vegetation), retain (be sure the extractions of water do not exceed the inputs of water), and release (take the critical steps that can ensure optimal amounts of water will be available for future release.) • Let's keep the creek clear, cold and copious.

• Water conservation, choose not to use. • Harvest roofwater. (www.rainwaterharvesting.net) • After your roofwater cistern, the best place to store water is in the soil. • Form a watershed group...Support or start a waterquality monitoring program. • Participation of Watershed Citizens in Land Use Planning at All Levels.

• Implement On-Farm Water Conservation and Protection Programs. • Manage Watershed for Local Control and Protection of Water Resources. These next four articles are from the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Newsletter Update, sent out April 29, 2008. <casonoma@govdelivery.com> 1. Spring is Here - Enjoy the Outdoors The district has plenty of Outings to get you out to the green hills and wildflowers this spring. We offer several outings every month. Take a moderate three to four mile moonlight hike at Taylor Mountain Open Space Preserve in Santa Rosa and enjoy scenic vistas and wide-open grasslands. For more information about these and other outings, to www.sonomaopenspace.org• 2.Construction of Sonoma Mountain Ridge Trail Approved With the approval from the County Board of Supervisors, construction of a new trail for hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists may begin this summer.

The 4.25-mile trail will not only link 500 acres of protected open space on the north slope of Sonoma Mountain, but it will be an addition to the Bay Area Ridge Trail, a planned 500-mile ridgetop trail encircling San Francisco Bay. A collaborative effort of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, Sonoma County Regional Parks, California State Parks, California State Coastal Conservancy, Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, and LandPeople, the project will also provide a new trailhead and parking lot off of Sonoma Mountain Road 3.Matching Grant Program Applications ...

Available Applications are now online for the 2008 cycle of the District's Matching Grant Program. The application deadline (was) May 2 at 5:00 p.m. Grants are available to Sonoma County public agencies and nonprofits for projects that enhance natural areas or provide urban open spaces for public recreation, and funds may be used for acquisition or development costs.

To date, the District has contributed approximately $11 million in matching grants through this program. For more information about the program, go to www.sonomaopenspace.org. 4. Explore Camp Gualala on a Guided Hike Protected by the District in 2005, scenic Camp Gualala is now open for regular guided hikes. The property features impressive old-growth redwood and Douglas fir forests and a mile-long stretch of the Gualala River (northern Sonoma County, just past Sea Ranch, near the coast). The guided hikes, about three hours long and from moderate to difficult hiking levels, are held on select Sundays; May 4, August 31, September 7, October 5 and 19, and November 2, 9, and 30. Pre registration is not required; arrive at 9:45 a.m. for a 10:00 a.m.

departure time. Park at the bend in the road near the Camp Gualala sign. For more information, contact Tom Bernard, UCCR's Camp Gualala site director, at 886-5351, gualalacamp@aol.com.

Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association (BVHA) Board Of Directors P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Craig Harrison, President charrison@hunton.com, 573-9990 Eric Burns, Vice-President datamonk@svn.net, 584-7531 Fay Blair, Treasurer fayblair@sonic.net, 576-0152 Connie Montague, Recording Secretary ecmonty@teevax.com,_ 542-4987 James K. Cobb, Director cobblaw@pacbell.net, 586-9172 Larissa Goliti, Director Igoliti@hotmail.com, 578-3453 Paul Hamilton, Director, 527-0671 Frank LaCombe, Director franksgarage@peoplepc.com, 585-3482 Richard Lukasko, Director rlukasko@hotmail.com, 566-7803 BVEP COORDINATOR - Karen Sommer, ksommer11@earthlink.net, 528-8982 BVHA VOICE Editor - Marilee Jensen, marileejensen@sbcglobal.net, 576-0405 A Message From Your Membership Coordinators, Larissa Goliti and Jeannie LaCombe Thank you all for your response to the annual membership drive and your generous contributions.

It is not too late to become a member of Bennett Valley Homeowners Association. Annual dues are $15 plus any additional contributions you want to make. Amount of contributions for BV Emergency Preparations (BVEP) should be noted on check, but with the check still made payable to BHA. Mail checks for dues and/or contributions to: BVHA, P.O.

Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. Questions? Call (707) 578-3453 Brief Summary of BHA Meeting, March 19, 2008 This meeting was devoted entirely to the Candidates' Forum for the First District County Supervisor position. The three speakers included the incumbent, Valerie Brown, plus two other candidates, David Reber and Will Pier. Besides making presentations and answering questions, they each had available some written material as well as their website addresses. BVHA chose to not have a business meeting on this date.

Board of Directors' Tentative Agenda May 21, 2008, BV Grange Hall, 7 p.m. • Treasurer's Report ; General Liability insurance? • Report From Bennett Valley Emergency Preparedness Committee and Discussion on Potential to Be a IRS § 501(c)(3) Organization • Update on Bennett Valley Road Conditions • Report on Bennett Valley Road Trip With County Road Maintenance Staff • Appointment of Nominating Committee Status of Proposed Cell Phone Tower • 2008 BVHA Meeting Schedule -- speakers for July, September or November?

Bennett Valley Grange's 136th Annual Summer Barbeque By Jocelyn Thompson The Bennett Valley Grange will have its 136th annual summer barbeque Saturday, June 28th from noon to 4:00 pm; Wine Auction, Silent Auction, farm animals, Bennett Valley Emergency Preparation Display (see below), and fun activities for all. The Manzanita Moon band, so successful last year, will entertain again playing violins, fiddles harmonicas. The barbecue will consist of chicken, tritip and all the fixings. Our theme this year is a study being done by UCSF called "The Great Sunflower Project." They are trying to determine why bees are disappearing. Live plants, seeds and information will be given out to picnic participants for a "One Hour Bee Count" in July.

Check it out on www.greatsunflower.org. Plant some sunflowers this year and help the Hunt for Bees. In order to donate to our Silent Auction or purchase presale tickets, please call 542-6289. All proceeds from the picnic are for the preservation and restoration of the oldest Grange in use in the United States. Mark your Calendars!

Bennett Valley Emergency Preparation (BVEP) By Karen Sommer The BVEP committee will be hosting a booth at the Grange BBQ, Saturday, June 28th. Come and view the Bennett Valley section maps, to find out which section you are in, get information on setting up a "communication tree" for your neighborhood, and help arrange for a neighborhood meeting to find out how you can work together to prepare for a disaster.

You can also receive this same information at the next BVEP committee meeting at the BV Fire Station, on Saturday, June 14th, 3:00 pm. People who want to take the first steps to being prepared are encouraged to attend.

Bennett Valley Communitycalendar

Remember to Mark Your Calendars. 1.) BENNETT VALLEY HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION (BVHA): Next meeting, Wednesday, May 21, 7:00 pm, BV Grange Hall. See Page Seven for agenda. 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. Please call 823-1084 to verify meetings in advance 3.) BENNETT VALLEY GRANGE: 136TH Barbecue, Saturday, June 28, from noon until 4:00 pm. Chicken and tri-tip with all the fixings. See Page Seven and watch for signs along the road for more details.

4.) BENNETT VALLEY EMERGENCY PREPARATION (BVEP) Committee will be hosting a booth at the BV Grange Barbecue, Saturday, June 28th, Also, BVEP is having a meeting at the BV Fire Station, Saturday, June 14th, 3:00 pm. See article on Page Seven for more details. 5.) SONOMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS meets every Tuesday (except on weeks when there is a legal 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. Be sure to vote for the First District Supervisor candidate of your choice on June 3, Sonoma County

Important Phone Numbers

• Call Sonoma County Road Maintenance, at 565-7280, to report pot holes which need fixing or trash which needs to be picked up along the BV roads. • Call 576-1371 to report emergencies from a cell phone in Bennett Valley; call 565-2121 from any phone, to talk to someone at the Sheriff's office 24 hrs. every day, with concerns that may or may not be an emergency.

Page Two Page Three Page Four Page Five Page Six Page Seven Inside This Issue Plastic Water Containers? 2009 BV Calendar BV Youth Award BV Clean-up Thanks BV Fire, Explorers + CPR BV Roads & Sonoma Mtn. Rd. Watershed Protection Sonoma Co. Open Space Info BVHA, BV Grange, BVEP Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Website: www.bennettvalley.org SPECIFIC PURPOSES OF BHA: "To promote and preserve the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley, serve as an open forum for Bennett Valley community participation and provide a bridge for communication between government agencies and the Bennett Valley community." Return Service Requested Bennett Valley Grange 136th Annual Barbecue June 28, noon until 4:00 pm