Bennett Valley Voice

Bennett Valley VOICE www.bennettvalley.org

Volume 35, Number 6

Bennett Valley Community Association (Bvca)

November, 2012

Mean Annual Rainfall in Bennett Valley At Seven Different Locations By Craig S. Harrison and Marilee Jensen With the advent of the rainy season we thought that residents might be interested in learning the results of our analysis of rainfall records from seven locations in Bennett Valley, after our request in the September VOICE for rainfall data. The results seem to reflect the adage that Sonoma County and Bennett Valley have an abundance of micro-environments. Rain is measured from July 1 until June 30 in the subsequent year. Most of these measurements were made with a simple 5 inch rain gauge.

A resident living in Bennett Ridge at about 1,200 feet elevation wins the prize for having kept rainfall records for the longest period of time, with monthly totals recorded for 30 years (since 1982-83.) The mean annual rainfall at his location during this time period has been 40.4 inches, with a high of 69.6 inches (199798) and a low of 23 inches (1993-1994).

Marilee Jensen, also in Bennett Ridge, at an elevation of about 1,100 feet, has been keeping rainfall records for 20 years, since 1992-1993. Her mean annual raintall at this location has been 43.2 inches, with a high of 73.1 inches in 1997-1998 and a low of 24.2 inches in 2006-2007.

Apparently she gets more wind and an average of about 7% more rain than the other Bennett Ridge resident, above, although variability occurs regularly. Bobbie Blair on Bennett Valley Road, directly below Bennett Ridge, at an elevation of about 800 feet, has also been keeping rainfall records for twenty years, since 19921993. Her mean annual rainfall has been 34.0 inches, with a high of 63.2 inches (1997-1998) and a low of 18.2 inches (1993-1994). Fay Blair, on Bennett Valley Road at the southwestern base of Bennett Ridge, has recorded rainfall for the past eight years at an elevation of about 800 feet. His mean annual rainfall is 33.8 inches with a high of 50 inches (2005-2006) and a low of 20.6 inches (2006-2007).

Mary Poe in Summit View Ranch on the southern perimeter of Bennett Valley has recorded annual rainfall for the past eight years at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. Her mean annual rainfall is 34.5 inches with a high of 57 inches (2005-06) and a low of 20.9 inches (20062007.) Craig Harrison has measured rainfall on Sonoma Mountain Road near Pressley Road, elevation about 800 feet, for the past seven years. He uses an Oregon Scientific remote wireless gauge that he occasionally corroborates with a simple 5 inch rain gauge. His mean annual rainfall is 32.3 inches, with a high of 50.4 inches (2005-06) and a low of 22.0 inches (2008-09). Jim, on Sonoma Mountain Road near La Granada Lane, elevation about 600 feet, has been recording rainfall for five years.

His mean annual rainfall has been 45.2 inches, with a high of 63.8 (2010-11) and a low of 35.8 (2011-12). Covering various years and seven Bennett Valley locations, the mean annual rainfalls, in inches, was, for their locations, as follows: 40.4, 43.2, 34.0, 34.5, 33.8, 32.3, and 45.2. These compute to a mean average of 37.6 inches for Bennett Valley, as compared to a mean average of 30.5 inches for Santa Rosa. Cazadero has the second highest rainfall in California, with average rainfall between 72 inches to 85 inches a year, resulting in Sonoma County's average being higher, at 39 inches a year. (Internet figures) Generally rainfall increases with altitude on a windward slope, often peaking well past the crest. In hilly country with canyons and peaks, such as Bennett Valley, the wind can have a great effect on rainfall.

Among the seven locations for which we have information, the rainiest is actually the lowest in elevation, but the next two highest amounts of rainfall are from the two highest in elevation. The three locations at 800 feet in elevation are remarkably similar. An examination of the records indicates that while we can readily calculate the mean rainfall, few years are truly "average." Only about 40 percent of the years have rainfall plus or minus 10 inches of the mean.

We have a lot of relatively rainy or relatively dry years. No need, so far, to worry about "droughts." Residents who are interested in keeping track of their rainfall may want to consider joining the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. See http://www.cocorahs.org/. This is a nonprofit organization of people who are willing to keep rainfall records and report them by computer to this organization. Residents may also want to send their rainfall data, along with their elevation, to Craig S.

Harrison, Bennett Valley Community Association, for further comparisons over time. We can help you determine your elevation, if necessary.

Bennett Valley Road Work Update By Craig S. Harrison In October, the Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works completed a pavement grinding and paving overlay project on Bennett Valley Road east of Sonoma Mountain Road between the narrows and the intersection of Old Bennett Ridge. This project became possible because we had less rain than anticipated and work elsewhere had been completed early. This project will allow the entire section of Bennett Valley Road from Grange Road to Bennett Ridge to be chip sealed in 2013.

The portion of Bennett Valley Road from Bennett Ridge to Warm Springs Road is 2.54 miles long. Public Works will not have the funding to commit to grinding repairs and pavement improvements through this entire section in one season. It is hope the section will be repaved over a two to three year period, say about 1 mile or less per year.

Eventually Public Works plans to chip seal over this section of Bennett Valley Road, also, but base and pavement repairs need to be completed first. Once that is completed, then all of Bennett Valley Road will be in very good shape Also last month, maintenance repairs were made to a depression in the asphalt on Sonoma Mountain Road at the 2006 slide repair location, and a second repair was made to a deep dip in the asphalt along Enterprise Road.

These projects on Bennett Valley Road are a result of hard work by our Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) and Save Our Sonoma Roads (SOSroads) to persuade the board of supervisors to designate all of Bennett Valley Road as a county priority road. Now that we have entered the winter storm season, pavement preservation activities have stopped.

Except for road striping on Crane Canyon Road and Bennett Valley Road through the recently repaved sections, activities will be devoted to filling pot holes, cleaning clogged culverts and emergency guard rail repairs needed. Please call Public Works at 565-5100 to report any safety issues.

2 Save Our Sonoma Roads (SOSroads), Second Summit Wednesday, November 14 By Craig S. Harrison Save Our Sonoma Roads (SOSroads) is hosting its second Road Summit to discuss the Future of Sonoma County Road Funding on Wednesday, November 14. The event will take place from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Event Center, Sonoma Mountain Village (old Agilent facility) in Rohnert Park.

County Supervisors Shirlee Zane and David Rabbitt and Director of Public Works Phil Demery will discuss the crisis in road maintenance in Sonoma County. The audience will have an opportunity to ask questions. Admission is free but a $10 donation is welcome. Please RSVP to admin@sosroads.org so that there will be sufficient space.

On October 23rd, the board of supervisors approved a new report by their Ad Hoc Committee on Roads (Supervisors Zane and Rabbitt) to allocate $15 million in general fund money during this fiscal year. Last year the board allocated only $5.3 million for their roads. A map of the roads that will be repaired can be found on SOSroads.org.

With the additional money the county will resurface or rebuild 52.8 miles of roads over the next year. $6.5 million of the additional funds are devoted to segments of 15 roads throughout the county serving tourism and agriculture areas. allocated $500,000 to demonstration projects to develop information on the latest techniques for road repair and preservation that might lower overall costs. There is also $800,000 devoted to safety projects, which includes the purchase of a new machine to stripe the center lines and sides of the roads.

The supervisors acknowledge that over 700 miles of county roads remain in poor or failing condition and have yet to develop a long-term plan. This issue will be a focus of the discussion November 14, and your thoughts and ideas are welcome. SOSroads is a Sonoma County-wide citizens' group that was formed to advocate for an improved allocation of public funds to roads. On October 25, the Bay Area section of the Wall Street Journal featured a long article about SOSroads entitled "Rough Roads Plague Rural Sonoma."

PG&E Plans, Actions & Reliability By Marilee Jensen • Quotes from Paul Hamilton, fifty years ago, still on Sonoma Mountain Road in Bennett Valley: "In 1959, I acquired 80 acres on Sonoma Mountain Road and shortly thereafter I had my first encounter with PG&E. Two of their reps wanted me to agree to an 80 foot right-of-way for construction of high voltage power lines incorporating two towers. For this I would receive $300.00. My reluctance was met with threats of condemnation of much of my property, reducing and devaluing my land. We did reach a settlement and I was able to save numerous trees.

However, when reviewing the southwest corner of my property, I stated that removal of trees there would result in landslides. My warning was ignored. They clear cut and within a few years a massive land shift occurred involving 5 acres and vertical cleavage of 30 feet. My attempted repairs took 1 month, 5 pieces of earth-moving equipment and hand labor costing in excess of $50,000. At the completion of the first power line, I was promised there would never be another tower on my land. Now there are 2 tower lines, more trees down and land still on the move.

A most pristine environment has been disfigured. I have practiced architecture for 65 years and have had a long-frustrating relationship with PG&E. I have witnessed a world tangled with an unsightly maze of overhead lines and seen the arrogant wastefulness of a company with no regard for the health and beauty of our land. Why doesn't PG&E act responsibly, and become a prime mover of green energy and move us out of the age of crude technology?" • Dave Sandine has been a Bennett Ridge resident for over 40 years, and was on the original Board of Directors for Bennett Valley Homeowner's Association, in 1970. He is a vast Valley retired engineer and an active bike rider.

Message received from Dave, dated October 31, 2012: "I rode the Lawndale Trail in Annadel and saw what PG&E had done in our state park with their clearing program. It is devastating! There must be a law about desecrating a State Park. We should have gotten an injunction. Is there a possibility of a class action lawsuit to sue for damages?" • Excerpts from Article in Kenwood Press, October 1, 2012: Tree cutting continues on Sonoma Mountain, By Jay Gamel "Aggressive tree clearing continues as PG&E seeks to remove as many trees as it can underneath its high voltage power lines throughout California, including a 39-mile stretch of lines running from the Geysers power generating plants to Lakeville Road. A segment runs through Northern Sonoma Valley, coming down Mt. Hood, across... property near Pythian Road, across Oakmont Golf Course and over Sonoma Mountain...

Jim Casciani lives on Sonoma Mountain Road, close to the high tension wires and is concerned that the tree removal near the top slope of Sonoma Mountain could contribute to future erosion and damage the headwaters at Matanzas Creek. Casciani is a member of SOS Trees, a group of Sonoma Mountain landowners and others who have been working to get PG&E to modify its decision to maximize tree removal throughout the state rather than continue its long established policy of trimming trees. Casciani, along with fellow SOS Trees member and arborist Emery Dann, is concerned about the work recently done.

Both are frustrated by the lack of clear standards for deciding whether to cut or trim a tree and the absence of any guidelines for cutting on slopes. "I've... requested a limitation of cutting on some slopes. And none on slopes over 40 percent, like the county's vineyard and orchard clearing regulations," Casciani said. "There's no reason why PG&E can't have that same requirement. What they have cleared on Sonoma Mountain is much more than that. They view that they can remove trees on any slope.".. "We are looking for a win-win situation so they can continue to maintain lines as they have in the past without cutting down all the trees." Casciani said.

Congressman Mike Thompson, after meeting with all interested parties... asked PG&E to come up with a clear set of guidelines that could be understood and applied in all situations. SOS Trees doesn't feel that has been achieved yet.... • Further Planned Action SOS Trees now has a scheduled meeting with PG&E staff including Vice-President J.P. Martinez on November 8. The purpose of this meeting is to receive the PG&E position on the following items: • Adoption of a Property Owners Vegetation Management policy, to inform landowners of their right to choose to have trees trimmed rather than removed.

• Limited tree removal on hillside slopes, especially with a grade of 40% or greater. • All proposed tree work in riparian and biologically sensitive areas to meet Department of Fish and Game, Department of Fish and Wildlife and Sonoma County Tree Removal Regulations, with permits obtained and posted on-site, one week before work begins.

• Trimming of trees to maintain a 25' clearance, rather than a 40' clearance, from federally regulated transmission lines. 3

Bennett Valley Fire Protection District (BVFPD) 6161 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Phone: 578-7761 bennettvalleyfire.org Board of Directors: Mark Richardson, President; Joseph Mazeau, Vice-President; Marilee Jensen, Secretary; Don D'Avanzo and Arnie Tognozzi, Directors. Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper: Kori Lantow, 823-1084 Board meetings are held on the second Tuesday each month, 7:00 pm, at the BV Fire Station. Please confirm meeting date ahead of time by calling 823-1084.

Bennett Valley Paid Firefighting Staff: Interim Fire Chief: Darrin De Carli, 823-5502 48-hour Personnel: Lieutenants Matt Tognozzi and Travis Browne, Engineer Rene Torres Part-time Firefighters, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm: Engineers: Mike Alcocer, Derrick Alvestal, Ly Leng, Jon Matej and Patrick Tognozzi Bennett Valley Volunteer Firefighters There are about 29 BV Firefighters, including the volunteers and interns. Three rotating shifts of three volunteers each are paid a stipend to sleep overnight at the Fire Station, for improved coverage. During the day, interns are used, at no cost when available, allowing the fire station to cover unfilled firefighter positions on those particular days.

Bennett Valley Fire Protection District By Lieutenant Matt Tognozzi, Call Log; September/October, 2012 Structure Fire - 2 Vehicle Fire - O Grass Fire - 2 Medical Aid - 21 Vehicle Accident - 3 Public Assist - 2 Strike Team - 1 Other Type Call - 8 Total - 39 During An Emergency, Be Sure to Call 911, And Not The BV Fire Station There has been an increase in people calling the B.V. Fire Station during emergencies to get help. It is important that you call 911 initially, rather than call the fire station in an emergency, so that you won't be adding more delay to the response time.

Once a firefighter at the Bennett Valley Fire Station receives a direct call from a resident regarding an emergency, then he must take the extra time to personally notify the 911 dispatch center regarding the emergency. Also, when you call the fire station rather than 911 in an emergency, there is no guarantee that firefighters will be at the station, adding significant delay to the emergency response. Additionally, when residents do call 911 immediately, they receive valuable life saving instructions from the dispatchers, who stay on the line with the caller until help arrives.

Check Your Smoke Alarms and/or Carbon Monoxide Detectors On A Regular Basis By Lieutenant Matt Tognozzi When you turn your clocks back for the end of daylight saving time on November 4, you also should spend a few short minutes changing the batteries of your smoke alarms. When it comes to smoke alarms, use the twiceannual time change for daylight saving time to make sure your alarms work, including both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Worn or missing batteries are the most common cause of non-working smoke detectors leading to injuries and fatalities in residential fires. We also advise homeowners to replace smoke alarms every ten years.

Blaze Destroys Rural Hillside Home in BV, Overlooking Crane Canyon Road On September 8, the Press Democrat reported on a fire on Friday morning, September 7, in a tri-level home on Inverness Avenue, while the owners were apparently on a flight home from London. The home was completely gutted and most of its contents burned into piles of charcoal rubble. Other than two cars in the garage, the house was a complete loss. It was very good that no one was at home, as the chances for survival for anyone were not very good. It remained unclear what started the fire, fire officials said. The couple had been away for about 10 days when the fire broke out. Cool morning weather and heavy fog helped prevent the fire from spreading beyond this home to the surrounding oak woodland and neighboring houses. "The presence of fire hydrants, despite the rural setting of the neighborhood, was extremely advantageous, as well," said Darrin DeCarli, Bennett Valley Fire Chief.

Lawsuit Filed Over State Fire "Fee" As expected, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers • Association (HJTA) has filed a class action lawsuit i against the State of California, seeking to overturn a fire fee being imposed on residents in rural areas, i such as Bennett Valley, in the amount of $115, for which you'll be billed and expected to pay in 2012.

i Bills sent to affected Sonoma County residents are expected to be mailed out after November 8, covering 2011-2012. Bills for 2012-2013 are expected to be mailed out in the spring. If the "fee" i isn't paid within 30 days, there are penalties assessed. The lawsuit asks the court to declare the fire fee invalid, as it actually is a tax, and thus requires I a two-thirds approval in the state legislature, rather than the simple majority by which it was ! originally approved. The lawsuit also asks the court to order a refund for those individuals who've paid ! the fee and then filed an appeal, known as a I "Petition for Redetermination" ", and those who L have filed for a refund.

4

Wood-Burning Rule Spare the Air alerts can be expected from November 1, 2012 through February 28, 2013, but there is also a year-round wood-burning rule which requires that residents who burn in fireplaces, woodstoves or outdoor fire pits burn dry seasoned firewood rather than garbage, leaves or other material that causes excessive year. For further information, you can call the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, 1-877-4NO-BURN or visit www.baaqmd.gov.

Volunteer Firefighter Shortages An article in the Press Democrat on September 20 describes the increasing difficulty with finding adequate number of volunteers needed by various fire districts throughout the country. Some of the difficulty boils down to economics, where people don't work where they necessarily live anymore and people just can't leave their jobs to run to a fire. To offset this shortage, more incentives are being developed for potential firefighters, to increase their numbers, as needed.

Most local fire districts/departments have at least a small core of volunteers - a mix of oldtimers and younger people for whom volunteer service may be a stepping stone to a paid firefighting career. But staffing at many districts is thin, especially in more remote communities ...

Also safety mandates and laws now require that the volunteer firefighters have the same extensive training that paid firefighting staff are required to have, which can be as much as 140 to 150 hours of classroom b time before they qualified firefighters. In addition, because of lower call volumes in rural districts, such as Bennett Valley, volunteers are required to attend weekly or biweekly training, even after completing their extensive initial firefighter training, to remain proficient. This extensive time requirement eliminates many potential volunteers.

Also "fire service" has expanded well beyond fire calls to include vehicle crashes, rescues, medical emergencies, hazardous conditions and all manner of catastrophes, meaning higher call volumes and more diverse training needs. It's also become highly technical. Fire officials are looking for creative ways to increase their pool of volunteers, including paying, for example, modest stipends for training sessions, callouts or overnight "sleeper" shifts. Recruiting high school students for the Explorer Academy has also been a good source for "new" volunteers once they turn 18, although Bennett Valley has recently had problems finding and recruiting interested high school students.

The federal Department of Homeland Security has stepped in as well, with a nationwide grant program aimed at recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters through reimbursement grants for tuition and other programs that provide Homeland Security grants was obtained by Napa County last year and recently extended to Sonoma County and other neighboring counties. This has been well received, although awareness is still building.

Access to Approved Minutes For Bennett Valley Fire Protection District (BVFPD) Members of the public can request the meeting agenda be emailed to them 72 hours before the board meeting or they may pick up a copy of the agenda at the BV fire station 72 hours before the meeting. Complete minutes from the previous month's meeting will be available to the public after board approval, either by picking them up at the next Boarc meeting, or requesting a copy be mailed to them. Please make requests to the Bennett Valley Fire District Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper, Kori Lantow, by email, klantow@comcast.net, at the BV Fire Board of Directors meeting or by telephone, 823-1084. Below are the highlights selected by Marilee Jensen of the approved minutes for the board meeting on September 11, 2012,.

Highlights of BV Fire Board Meeting, September 11 All of the directors were in attendance at this meeting, and Director Joe Mazeau led us in a time of silence in remembrance of the first responders and others who died on September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center.

Director Jensen reported that she attended the Gold Ridge Fire Board meeting on September 5, to request certain changes to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two districts. As described in our August 14 minutes, this included reducing the Gold Ridge contract amount for the 2012-2013 year by $6,000, to $90,500, effective July 1, 2012 and adding their "Scope of Services" to the MOU as defined in their bid proposal dated April 3, 2012, covering fire management and administration, fire operations, training, fire prevention and investigation services, apparatus, facilities maintenance and replacement plus value added services provided by Gold Ridge to Bennett Valley, with the goal of best serving the lives and property of the citizens of Bennett Valley Fire Protection District through leadership, effective management and skill. Gold Ridge Fire Protection District Board of Directors approved all of these changes at their Board meeting on September 5. The MOU will be revised accordingly, reviewed by the Gold Ridge Fire attorney, approved by the Gold Ridge Board at their October meeting, then reviewed for approval at our next meeting in October. At this time, the Board agreed that our BV October meeting would be on the third Tuesday, October 16.

Next the budget for this fiscal year was approved, with a number of decreases in expenditures, increases in revenue, primarily because of the strike team activity by the BV firefighters in August and September, and a 2% increase in salary for the BV firefighters, effective October 1. BV has had six part-time firefighters, but it was agreed by the Board that when one of those part-time firefighters resign, we will not replace that position for up to three of the six part-time firefighters. Director Mazeau made the motion to pass the final budget in the amount of $873,080, which was passed unanimously by roll call vote.

5

It's Never Too Early To Prepare For A Disaster; Now Is The Time To Do It. By Karen Sommer, Bennett Valley Emergency Preparation Coordinator With the devastating images of The "Monster Storm Sandy" in the media, we are reminded that natural disasters can occur, and if it isn't a storm, such as the East Coast recently experienced, then it could be an earthquake that the West Coast will experience before we know it. Individual preparedness planning, survival skills, and mutual aid within neighborhoods during the initial period after a disaster are essential measures in coping with the aftermath of a disaster.

It takes time for emergency response agencies to set up and prepare for an organized response. Damaged roads and disrupted communications systems may restrict their access into critically affected areas. Families and individuals need to be prepared to be on their own for three days or longer. What to have on hand: Water: 1 gallon per person per day. Don't forget to include enough for your pets.

• Food: Non-perishable • First Aid supplies • Shelter supplies (Blankets, pillows, eating utensils, pots & pans, towels, wipees, toilet paper, shovel, flashlight, etc.) When you and your family are safe, check on your neighbors. What to plan for and how to respond: • Discuss with your family an evacuation plan. Where to meet. What route to take.

• When emergency agencies tell you to evacuate, don't hesitate! Don't put your life, your family's lives or the first responders lives at stake by staying and trying to save your house or belongings. • Remember to prepare an Emergency "Grab & Go Bag" ", which is what you can grab when you need to get out in a hurry! Use a light weight back pack so both hands are free. A walking stick or cane may be useful.

Highly Recommended For Grab Bag: 1. Vital medications for 1 week; 2. Flashlight with extra batteries; 3. Basic First-Aid kit (Suggestions for content: www/ready/gov/first_aid_kit.html); 4. Extra car and house keys; 5. Extra eyeglasses and/or hearing aid; 6. Whistle; 7. Plastic bag, rain poncho; 8. Warm and cool clothing (preferably non-synthetic); 9. Sturdy shoes; 10. Hat; 11. Necessary pet supplies (vaccination information, food, leash, etc.); 12. Waterproof packet with the following: a.) Emergency information, with family phone numbers & email addresses, including someone out of the area b.) List of medications, allergies, medical information, MD name and phone d.) Copy of ID and Health Insurance Cards e.) Emergency cash (small bills and coins) f.) Calling card 6 or cell phone with charger; Additional Useful Items: Mylar space blanket; Snack goods; Small bottles of water; Vital documents (Copies of passport, birth certificate, driver's license, list of bank accounts, mortgages, loans, insurance policies, credit card-both sides); Notepad and pen; Personal hygiene supplies (toilet paper, etc.); Portable radio; Plastic bags.

Visit the Red Cross website or FEMA's website for more detailed information on preparedness. And in times of need give what you can to others that are suffering. The Red Cross is a good place to start. Can You Help Clean Up Our Bennett Valley Roadside Messes Next Spring?

By Sandy Sandine, BV Clean-up Coordinator The roadsides through the heart of Bennett ¡ Valley are now clean due to the ten volunteers who ¡ met on Saturday morning, October 13. Thanks to ị Bobbie Blair, Suzanne Dougherty, Ron Simpson, ¡ Patty and Mike Hickey, Lu Schultz, Gordon ị Boultbee, Norm Boling, and Dave and Sandy ! Sandine. If you know these folks, you know that ! they are some of the "Senior Citizens" of the Valley.

The youngest is 63 and the eldest is 81. Average age: 73 years old. We all enjoy seeing our beautiful valley free of trash as we travel to do our business. Unfortunately, trash gets tossed out of car windows, blown out of pickup trucks and spilled ! over from garbage trucks. In the spring and fall we ! organize a morning to pick-up trash alongside our roads. Since we only had ten volunteers this time, we were only able to clean along Bennett Valley Road. If there are more people, we then clean trash from Sonoma Mountain Road and Grange/Crane Canyon Road; this time we couldn't. Please think ¡ about helping next spring.

_......_. Taylor Mountain Regional Park Plan Approved Press Democrat, October 10 On Tuesday, October 9, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a plan meant to guide the future look and feel of a regional park on Taylor Mountain. The blueprint for the 1,100-acre park includes 17 miles of trail for use by hikers, equestrians and cyclists, camping and picnic sites, five trailheads with restrooms and future plans for a visitor center, small event venue and eight-room inn, given interest from a private partner... General public access could begin as soon as late January…..The heart of the property includes the family spread of John Shackelford Taylor, a Gold Rush pioneer, resort owner and local entrepreneur. The County Open Space District purchased most of the acreage in separate parcels...A final five-acre frontage parcel was donated in 2011 by the late...Gertrude Van Steyn.

Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) Board Of Directors P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 www.bennettvalley.org Craig S. Harrison, President charrison@hunton.com 573-9990 Larissa Goliti, Vice-President and Membership Coordinator Igoliti@hotmail.com 578-3453 Debra J. Forton Engle reddogvineyards@gmail.com (415) 987-5677 Frank LaCombe, Secretary FrankKLaCombe@gmail.com 585-3482 Gary Barner, Director gbarner@cds1.net 481-6196 Tim Bosma, Director tbosma@comcast.net 953-8873 James K. Cobb, Director cobblaw@pacbell.net 586-9172 Richard Lukasko, Director rlukasko@hotmail.com 566-7803 Karen Sommer, BVEP Coordinator, Director ksommer11@earthlink.net 528-8982 BVCA VOICE Editor - Marilee Jensen, 576-0405, marileejensen@gmail.com BVCA Webmaster - Bill Finkelstein, 536-1026 bill@williamfinkelstein.com Any questions about the BVCA website can be directed to Bill Finkelstein.

Bvca Membership Dues, 2012

If you haven't yet sent in your dues for 2012, the annual dues are $15 plus any additional contribution you want to make (these contributions to BVCA may now be taxdeductible). You may either send in your check to BVCA, P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405, or pay online with a credit card or PayPal account. To pay online, go to www.bennettvalley.org (our BVCA website), then choose from the menu on the left side of the first page "Join/Renew: BVCA Membership", , and follow the instructions. If you have any questions, please call Larissa Goliti at 578-3453.

Brief Summary, BVCA Minutes September 20, 2012 Meeting • Guest Speaker was Scott Lawyer on Bennett Valley Geology. There were approximately 90 people who attended. • Jeannie LaCombe, as Election Nominating Chair, reported that unchallenged candidates Gary Barner, Tim Bosma and Debra J. Forton Engel were "appointed as if elected" to the BVCA Board, because they were unchallenged.

Fay Blair had decided to not run for re-election. • Fay Blair distributed the Treasurer's Report for the calendar year to the Board, stating we'd be close to our budgetary figures by the end of the year. • Necessary changes have been made to finalize our recent name change.

• We heard the latest update on the PG&E tree clearing. Having PG&E agree to inform property owners that they can choose trimming rather than tree removal has not been easy. • Karen Sommer noted that the BV Fire Station no longer needs an addition on the fire station with reduced equipment, so the proposed BVEP communication may be built coordination with the new proposed AT&T shed, intended for use with AT&T's cell tower.

• The portion of Sonoma Mountain Road needing repair for some time has now been chip-sealed. • There was general agreement that BVCA offer an honorarium or stipend to our speakers. Karen Sommer made a motion and the board concurred to pay Scott Lawyer $100.

Board of Directors' Tentative Agenda Thursday, November 15, 7:00 pm, BV Grange Hall • Approval of minutes; Treasurer's Report • Issues Related to Changing Name to BVCA • Bi-Monthly County Reports • BV Emergency Preparedness Committee • Road Issues • Update on PG&E Tree Clearing • New Business as Determined by Board • Adjourn to Executive Session for organizational meeting for 2013, including selection of officers Bennett Valley Special Alert, April 2009, Finally Resolved Man Following Women Around in Cars In Bennett Valley At Night Recently Sentenced to 15 years by Marilee Jensen The following sentence was taken from our May 2009 VOICE: "There was a man following women around Bennett Valley (and other rural roads in Sonoma County), trying to pull them over, after dark, and sexually accost them if he could get them to stop. We personally knew of five such instances in Bennett Valley during the first week of April, so a number of us felt some alarm at this situation." A Press Democrat article on September 28 reports a man awaiting trial in a series of roadside sexual assaults dating back to 2008 ... accepted a deal that will send him to prison for fifteen years, eight months. Thomas Boccaleoni, 47, was arrested in April, 2009 and has been in jail ever since. After numerous appearances in court, he finally pleaded "no contest" to three felony counts, including attempted sexual battery and assault, with attempt to commit rape. What a lengthy process!

7

Bennett Valley Community Association P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 www.bennettvalley.org PURPOSES OF BVCA: To promote and preserve the residential ural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley; t ducate, instruct, train and inform the local residents on disaste preparedness and emergency response as well as local land use and environmental issues; to serve as an open forum for Bennett Valley community participation; and to provide a bridge for communication between government agencies and the Bennett Valley community.

Return Service Requested • SOS Roads Second Summit, Nov. 14 • PG&E Plans, Actions and Reliability • BV Fire Protection District, Information • In Emergencies, Call 911, Not BV Fire Station • State Fire Fee; Lawsuit Filed. Bills Arriving Soon • Volunteer Firefighter Shortages, • Highlights of Sept. Fire Board Meeting • Time to Prepare For Next Disaster!

• Help Clean-up BV Roadside Messes, in Spring! • Taylor Mountain Regional Park Plan Approved • BVCA Board, Summary of Minutes, Agenda • Follow-up, BV Special Alert, April, 2009 Bennett Valley Community Calendar Mark your calendars now!! • Bennett Valley Community Association: The next meeting is Thursday, November 15, 7:00 pm, BV Grange Hall. See Tentative Agenda on Page 7.

• 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 confirm meeting date ahead of time. • Bennett Valley Grange #16, Go to bvgrange.org to learn more about and to become a member of the Grange.

• Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) Licensing In Just One Day: (From website smrs) Below is the date set for the one day licensing class and exam. Saturday, December 8, Petaluma Senior Center. 1. Cram session, 9:00 am - $10, Exam session, 1:00 pm, $15. Please pre-register in order to get help with obtaining your Federal Registration Number. Contact Dale, 762-0414 or • Sonoma County Board Of Supervisors: Meets every Tuesday (except weeks when there is a legal holiday), at varying times, 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa. Valerie Brown is the Supervisor for our First District. You may call her or her District Director, Jennifer Hainstock, at 565-2241, if you have any concerns.

• For emergencies, use your landline or your cell phone to call 911. Or you can also report emergencies to dispatch, # 576-1365. • To talk to someone at the Sheriff's office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to either report concerns that may be an emergency or to discuss a situation that may require law enforcement response, call 565-2121.

• Call Sonoma County Road Maintenance, at 565-5100 to report dangerous potholes, fallen trees or landslides and to request possible help with litter control and bulk trash in the road. • Call Sonoma County Animal Control, at 565-7100, regarding the removal of dead animals along the road • Call California Highway Patrol, at 588-1400, as another resource if debris is causing imminent traffic hazards on county roads.