Bennett Valley Voice

Bennett Valley VOICE www.bennettvalley.org

Volume 36, Number 4

Bennett Valley Community Association (Bvca)

July, 2013

Controlling Gophers and Moles; Proposed Sonoma Mountain Zen Center Project, 6367 Sonoma Mountain Road Speakers, Thursday, July 18, Bennett Valley Grange Hall The "Gopher Guy", 7:00 pm Craig S. Harrison The Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) is pleased to announce that Gregg Crawford, better known as the "Gopher Guy," will speak at our meeting on Thursday, July 18, 7:00 pm, at the BV Grange Hall. Gregg is a very entertaining speaker, and has been trapping gophers and moles in a variety of environments (homes, vineyards, parks, etc.) since 2000.

Bennett Valley residents have familiarity with the problems caused by gophers and moles, whether eroding fields, destruction to a garden, or damage to a beautifully manicured lawn. Gregg will focus on the biology and habits of gophers and moles. He will explain how to identify correctly which pest is causing your problems - gophers, moles, voles, ground squirrels, chipmunks, rats, or others.

Without correct identification, your efforts will likely lead to frustration and failure because trap size and methods are specific for the different pests. Gregg will explain how to determine whether the gopher or mole activity is recent and the best type of equipment to use to control these pests. He will also talk about how to estimate the number of pests on your property, how often they breed, the effectiveness of natural controls such as the use of owl boxes, and the likely results if you decide not to control them and let "nature take its course." He will be delighted to answer any questions.

Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, 8:15pm Marilee Jensen The Sonoma County Zen Center (SMZC) at 6367 Sonoma Mountain Road, is requesting a modification of its existing Use Permit, which includes adding three new buildings described below, plus planning for an annual six-hour community summer event for up to 500 people; and planning a biannual 28-day retreat for up to 50 people on their 80+ acre parcel. Their complete proposal can be found at http://bennettvalley.org, the BVCA website.

As stated in the email message sent out on July 2, by BVCA President, Craig Harrison, there is concern this proposal may be interfering with Bennett Valley's rural residential character as well as increasing traffic on a crumbling road that Sonoma County classifies as failing. Representing the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, we are expecting Ron Dering, who signed the PRMD application for SMZC, and Cam Kwong, the architect listed on this proposal, to make a presentation and respond to questions at our BVCA meeting about 8:15 pm, after the "Gopher Guy" presentation.

Any comments you have about this proposal must be sent to the project planner with Sonoma County PRMD, Karin Theriault, by July 24, (a two week extension) at 565-1908 or Karin.Theriault@sonoma-county.org. In a recent conversation with Karen Theriault, she explained that what SMZC is proposing will result in their meeting county codes and coming into compliance for what they've been pretty much doing all along. She also said this

(continued from first page) project must comply with CEQA before being approved. These proposed changes are interpreted and summarized as follows: • The SMZC has been using a large old barn, not up to code, as their existing Meditation Hall, (Zendo). The SMZC is now requesting to build a new Zendo, 4,330 sq. ft. in size, which will take two years to construct "Upon completion of the new Zendo, the existing Zendo (the large old barn) will be abandoned from any further use or occupancy." The proposal then says, "in five years this existing Zendo will be brought up to code and used as a lecture and ceremonial hall." These plans would seem to result in a significant increase in the approved building square footage at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, over an extended time period.

• In conjunction with this amended Use Permit, the SMZC has been and continues to work on satisfying the 20 original conditions of approval attached to the existing 1992 use permit. Condition #1 was for SMZC to obtain permits for all buildings built or altered since 1973, which they will be accomplishing with these proposed changes.

• In this conversation with Karen Theriault, she explained that SMZC is now using a number of small cabins, almost shed-like in appearance, for overnight sleeping quarters, which are not up to code. In this application, they are proposing to replace these cabins with two relatively small buildings (up to 1,420 square footage each) with six moderatesized sleeping rooms in each, to be used "exclusively by residents and ... participants to only sleep in while participating in the various daily and retreat programs." Except for the Dharma Cabin, which was permitted and legalized, (not part of the "Current Active Violations" list) and the Kwong Cabin and Sangha Cabin, which will be brought up to code within five years, the other cabins (sheds) now being used for sleeping, in violation of code, will be dismantled once the new buildings are constructed within five years. This proposal would seem to result in a scaling down of the number of buildings, but not necessarily the square footage, to be used as overnight sleeping quarters.

Bennett Valley Road Update Report Craig S. Harrison Sonoma County road crews have completed projects to seal cracks and remove low overhead tree limbs on Bennett Valley Road between Grange Road and Old Bennett Ridge Road. This section of Bennett Valley Road is now ready for chip sealing, scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, with sweeping to be done Wednesday, July 17. For the chip sealing on Tuesday, July 16, drivers can expect 20 - 30 minute delays on this section of Bennett Valley Road. Traffic will be escorted through the work zone by pilot cars. The Wednesday sweeping will probably be from around 8:00 am until 1:00 pm, with less lengthy delays.

Following the chip seal application, the road will be striped for new center lines and fog lines. This pavement preservation project results from the decision to include Bennett Valley Road as part of the county's 200-mile primary road system. Rehabilitating Bennett Valley Road from Old Bennett Ridge Road to Warm Springs Road has yet to be scheduled.

In addition, the 200-yard section of Bennett Valley Road near the Bennett Valley Golf Course is in Santa Rosa City Limits and has recently been crack sealed by City of Santa Rosa road crews. Santa Rosa has scheduled asphalt work there for July 9 to 12, but completing the work could slip into the subsequent week. We appreciate that we've been kept informed about this project by Joe Schiavone, City of Santa Rosa Street Maintenance Superintendent.

Weekly postings of scheduled road projects in Sonoma County can be found on the county web page, www.sonomacounty.org, by clicking on "Road Closures and/or Delays" near the top of the page. In addition, this information is usually posted on http://roadwarrior.blogs.pressdemocrat.com, the Road Warrior blog for the Press Democrat.

Tree Down on Sonoma Mountain Road Rob Silva, Sonoma County's Road Operations Division Manager, in his weekly list of Sonoma County Road Projects, included the fact that on Sunday, June 2nd , a tree was down on Sonoma Mountain Road, off Bennett Valley Road. Utility lines were involved and the road was closed for several hours, beginning around 2:30 pm.

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Wines & Vines, the 1415t annual Bennett Valley Grange Picnic Bill Finklestein For the second year in a row, the weather was perfect for the 141st annual Bennett Valley Grange Picnic held on Saturday, June 2. One hundred sixty-five people (165) attended and enjoyed the wonderful spread of the tastiest grilled chicken, tritip, and homemade desserts ever, with the fabulous music of the Jami Jamison Band. This year there was plenty of food and those staying until the end were able to buy the remaining delicious chicken halves to take home.

The wine auction featured a wide variety of Sonoma County and surrounding area wines. Since a flight of wines was sold every 20 minutes, folks could pick a wine and have it with their lunch. Or they could partake of the wonderful Lagunitas Beer or wines available by the glass.

Our 3rd annual Cherry Pit Spitting contest was quite popular and a lot of fun. This year's winners were - Men: Dan B. 26' 3" (last year's winner Rob T. achieved 30' o" but was disqualified for "Juicing"); Women: Pam 18' 4"; and Kids 14 and under: Caleb 13'0".

The kids especially enjoyed face painting by Susan Thompson and the 4-H animals. The 4-H goats and chickens evoked grins all around This year's Silent Auction had a wide variety of offerings. The Art and Restaurant offering were very popular, as were the surprise pair of live chickens. We had everything from Antiques to Modern Jewelry, Front Seats for Performances at Weill Hall to Golf Lessons, Gift Baskets to Garden Equipment, and much more.

You can see the entire list on the Bennett Valley Grange Facebook Page. Bidding started slowly and then the rush came at the end, which makes us think we will have future auctions open for a shorter time. This will heln folks pick up their "Wins" earlier.

The event was so much fun, that nine new members applied to join the Grange. Grange membership is open to everyone. You can get more details about membership on the Bennett Valley Grange website, http://bvgrange.org or by visiting the Bennett Valley Grange Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/BVGrange, Proceeds for the event are being used for emergency repairs to the Grange Hall to fix dry rot and termite damage discovered this spring. The Grange Building Committee is in the process of prioritizing needed building projects. Next up are repairs to doors and decks to fix dry rot problems and bring them up to code. But there is still much which remains to be done. Our Grange Hall is a wonderful local resource, the community center for Bennett Valley, as well as being listed as an historic building. It's the oldest surviving Grange Hall in continuous use in the United States and it's vital we all have a part in helping to take care of it.

Special thanks for this successful event go to all who came and enjoyed our local Bennett Valley hospitality and the volunteers who made the day possible, plus the many donors to the event, silent auction, and wine auction. Stay tuned for future fun events at the BV Grange.

Coming up is the annual Spaghetti Dinner and new this year - a Halloween Costume Party tor adults. Check out all the happenings on the BV Grange website and the BV Grange Facebook Page, described above. Emergency Preparedness Karen Sommer Learn how you can be prepared when a disaster strikes. Bennett Valley Emergency Preparedness is working on classes that will help you be better prepared. Whether you want information or would like to learn skills that may help you, your family and your neighbors survive during an emergency, you may be interested in what we are planning.

• Disaster Preparedness - Know how to prepare your family for an emergency and what steps to take before an emergency strikes. • First Aid/CPR - Learn how to provide immediate care in cardiac, breathing and first aid emergencies. • DP4VP(Disaster Vulnerable Preparedness for Populations) Vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities, the elderly, the situationally disabled, and those with special needs are at particular risk in a disaster.

Communication in a disaster and being prepared are critical for these groups. Learn how you can prepare those in your family and neighbors that will need your help. If you would like to know more about these classes or any other questions you may have on being prepared for a disaster, contact Karen Sommer, by ksommer11@earthlink.net or by phone, 528-8982.

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Supervisors Restore Road Maintenance Funding, After Protests Craig S. Harrison, SOSroads.org The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in early June approved a budget for 2013-2014 that retains the $16 million in general funds allocated to roads. The budget that the Sonoma County Administrator recommended during mid-May proposed to slash general funding for pavement preservation by $8 million.

The $8 million cut would have allowed no pavement preservation work on the 1,182 miles of county roads that are not part of the county's 200 mile primary road system. Thanks to members of the concerned public, the supervisors received many emails and phone calls asking that these funds be restored.

At the budget hearing, SOSroads told the supervisors that their decision "is a step in the right direction, but only a small step." We said that $50 million or more per year may be needed to address the backlog of crumbling roads. Supervisor Efren Carrillo said that "roads stood out as the main issue raised in recent weeks by his constituents." Supervisor Susan Gorin expressed her support for restoring the culvert crew, which will help minimize the flooding which undermines our roads. All five supervisors expressed support for the road budget, which the Press Democrat called "a signal of how high-profile the county's yearslong struggle with road maintenance has become." The county will develop a long-term plan later this year. SOSroads believes that no plan will be credible without a long-term commitment to devote at least 9% of the unrestricted portion of the General Fund for road repair and maintenance (about $16 million this year).

Without such a commitment, efforts to raise additional funds will likely fail because the public may lack confidence that the supervisors are serious about addressing the roads crisis. Notice Of BVCA Election The 2013 BVCA election season is upon us. Members of the BVCA Board of Directors serve for three-year terms at the end of which they may choose to run or not run for reelection. There is no limit to the number of terms which they may choose to serve, if reelected. Terms are ending for three of our current BVCA board members; Jim Cobb, Frank LaCombe and Richard Lukasko.

Anyone interested in joining the BVCA Board of Directors is encouraged to submit a Candidate's Statement to Jean LaCombe, Chair of the BVCA Nominating Committee, by no later than Friday, August 30. Statements should be no longer than 250 words. Minimum qualifications are: 1) candidate must be a member of good standing in the BVCA, with paid dues current, and 2) have a strong commitment to "promoting and preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley." If you are interested but are not yet a member of BVCA, you may join at any time before August 30, by simply submitting your check for $15 to the BVCA Membership Coordinator, Larissa Goliti. See instructions on Page 7, for both online or mail payments for membership.

Please mail your Candidate's Statement to:

2013 Bvca Election

Attn: Jean Lacombe

P.O. Box 2666

Santa Rosa, Ca 95404

If you prefer to email your statement, please send it to Jean at jeannielacombe@gmail.com. These Candidate Statements will appear in the September BVCA VOICE. All voting members of BVCA will be sent an Official Ballot 30 days prior to the annual Election Meeting, scheduled for November 21.

Should you have questions, please contact any of the current board members whose phone numbers appear in each BVCA VOICE, on Page 7, or call Jean LaCombe at 585-3482. 4

Bennett Valley Fire Protection District (BVFPD) 6161 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Phone: 578-7761 bennettvalleyfire.org Mark Richardson, President; Joseph Mazeau, Vice-President; Marilee Jensen, Secretary; Don D'Avanzo and Arnie Tognozzi, Directors. Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper: Kori Lantow, 823-1084, klantow@comcast.net (Gold Ridge Fire Administrative Supervisor, Ruth Newman) 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 Battalion Chiefs Dan George, Adam Schipper 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, Ly Leng, Jon Matej Bennett Valley Volunteer Firefighters There are approximately 28 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 Call Log May/June 2013 By Lieutenant Matt Tognozzi Structure Fire - 1 Vehicle Fire - O Grass Fire - 10 Medical Aid - 28 Vehicle Accident - 7 Public Assist - 3 Strike Team - o Other Type Calls - 12 Total - 61 Fire Activity up Over 45 Percent Lieutenant Matt Tognozzi An early increase in fire activity has CAL FIRE looking at the lack of rainfall as an indicator of a potentially higher fire threat this summer. Since the beginning of the year, CAL FIRE has responded to over 680 wildfires, which is more than 200 over the average for this time of year.

"Our firefighters have responded to an increased number of wildfires due to the very little rainfall we have received over the past few months," said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. "Last week in Southern California we increased our staffing and moved our airtankers to their bases, which was needed as we saw several large wildfires over the weekend." In late March, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted this year's next-to-last snow survey and the low levels have CAL FIRE concerned about the impact to this year's fire season. This final survey found that snowpack is just 52 percent of average statewide, according to the Department of Water Resources. Due to the low rainfall levels across the state from January to April, this year is likely to go down as one of the driest ever.

5 The lack of winter rains has resulted in dry conditions across the state leading to a number of unseasonably large wildfires that have already threatened people, homes and the state's watershed. Over the past few months CAL FIRE crews responded to an increased number of large wildfires including the 296 acre Becks Fire in Lake County, the River Fire in Inyo County which grew to 406 acres and most recently, the 311 acre Jurupa Fire in Riverside County.

"In many other areas of the state we are in the process of training our seasonal firefighters and monitoring weather conditions closely to determine our staffing levels," said Chief Pimlott. "While we are busy transitioning into fire season, this is the time we want residents to begin preparing their homes for fire season by creating (at least) 100 feet of defensible space." CAL FIRE is asking Californians to prepare for wildfires by taking these actions: • Maintain 100 feet of defensible space, or 150 feet with shrubs or trees on very steep slopes, 40%. * • On flat and gently sloping yards (to 20%) remove all dead plants, grass, and weeds from within 30 feet of your home on flat or gently sloping yards* • Trim trees 6 feet from the ground • Remove all leaves, pine needles and debris from roofs • Create an Evacuation Plan in case of a wildfire For more information on preparing for wildfires visit: www.ReadyForWildfire.org.

Living With Fire In Sonoma County; A Guide For The Homeowner This information is from an undated publication with this same name, prepared by the Fire Agencies of Sonoma County, distributed by Fire Safe Sonoma, and Sonoma County Dept. of Emergency Services. Living In A High Hazard Fire Environment ...Our ability to live more safely in this fire environment greatly depends upon our use of "pre-fire activities." Pre-fire activities are actions taken before a wildfire occurs which improve the survivability of people and homes. They include proper vegetation management around the home (known as defensible space), use of fire resistant building materials, appropriate subdivision design and other measures.

Research clearly demonstrates that pre-fire activities save lives and property. The Limitations Of Wildland Firefighting A lot of people assume that when a wildfire starts, it will be quickly controlled and extinguished. This is an accurate assumption 97% of the time. Firefighters have the ability, equipment, and technology to effectively suppress most wildfires. But 3% of the time wildfires burn so intensely that there is little firefighters can do...

* Darrin De Carli, BV Interim Fire Chief, "When mowing weeds, be sure it is early in the morning, prior to 10:00 am, to limit the potential for fire."

- 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 Board meeting, or requesting a copy be mailed to them. Please make these 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 highlights selected by the VOICE Editor from the approved minutes for these two meetings. Brief Highlights of BV Fire Board Meeting, April 9, 2013 Station Expansion: Chief Darrin DeCarli met with Karen Sommer to review the station expansion plans for emergency communications Based upon the amount of donations received, the current station expansion plan is not feasible. The $15,000 committed by the District will be removed from the budget as there is no added benefit to the district. The Emergency Communications Group is to come up with alternative proposals for the BV Fire Board to consider.

1• Directors Marilee Jensen and Arnie Tognozzi volunteered to be on the budget committee for the 2013/2014 budget. i. Resolution No. 12-13-03 bringing $22,653 in Strike Team revenues into the 2012-2013 budget was approved. • Chief DeCarli reported that AT&T is expected to break ground with the new cell phone tower at the BV Fire Station next spring Brief Highlights of BV Fire Board Meeting, May 14, 2013 • Patrick Tognozzi has been hired at San Jose Fire.

Derrick Alvestal was hired at Cal Fire. Interns and paid volunteers, when necessary, will fill the now unfilled third daytime position. 1• There are now five Explorers at the BV Explorer Post and it is going i.great. SOS Trees And Government Officials Meet With The California Public Utilities Commission Marilee Jensen The meetings described below with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) started with a meeting between SOS Trees and Assemblyman Wes Chesbro, in April. At that meeting it was decided a letter needed to be written to the State Water Quality Board.

with copies to CPUC, State and Federal Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Federal Fisheries & Marine Lite. It was signed by all five state legislators representing Sonoma County, both from the California Senate and Assembly. This was followed up by a conference call between Wes Chesbro's office and four levels of CPUC Staff, resulting in the two days of meetings, described below.

On June 18th, a group of five Sonoma County representatives from SOS-Trees met with Ray Fugere, CPUC, regarding PG&E's efforts to unnecessarily clear cut trees in the vicinity of high voltage transmission power lines. Ten properties were visited, with six of these properties in the Sonoma Mountain area.

Beginning at 9:00 am, Mr. Fugere and the group examined a property yet to be worked by PG&E. It was noticed that PG&E had placed some new tree markings (white X's) on some of these trees, which were not present two weeks earlier. This property owner had notified PG&E several times regarding unannounced visits and PG&E had agreed it would not enter this property without advance notice, but these markings clearly demonstrated that PG&E had not given notice.

Next, Cooper's Grove provided an example of differing results on properties directly across the street from each other, with clear cutting of the upper reaches of the area starkly contrasting with the property across the roadway that had been reasonably trimmed, albeit in excess of CPUC clearances. It also showed results of some of PG&E's trimming of redwoods trees.

The next property on Zachary Lane was an example of what a property "worked" a year ago looked like when the vegetation cut by PG&E was not removed, as required by property easements. It also showed what takes place when property owners are not involved in monitoring PG&E's work. This property's area beneath the power lines had been basically striped of trees, displaying pending erosion issues, the encroachment of undesirable vegetation species. It also refuted PG&E's claim it was not clear cutting.

Two nearby properties along Sonoma Mountain, south of Bennett Valley, provided an opportunity to educate Mr. Fugere on the severe impacts which PG&E's work has had and will continue to have in that area. The final four properties were in the LarkfieldWikiup area. Two of these properties demonstrated PG&E's ability to correctly trim the trees on one property while destructively hacking the trees on an adjacent property. Mr. Fugere was also able to observe trees leaning away from the power lines, marked for removal, while a tree right next to the transmission tower had no marks at all.

The following day, June 19th, Mr. Fugere met with Maddy Hirshfield (Assemblyman Wes Chesbro's office) With Chery Diehm (Congressman Mike Thompson's office), County Supervisors Mike McGuire and Susan Gorin, Bill Keene (General Manager, Open Space District), Carol Hart (Director, Regional Parks), and Bert Whitaker (Regional Parks Manager). They discussed how PG&E doesn't seem to follow the same rules as would be expected, such as those found in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife laws, as well as county ordinances. That needs to be changed. They also reminded PG&E that the new federal regulations, based on the big outage some years ago back East, did not require clear cutting, but rather a certain distance between power lines and tree limbs, needed for safety.

Following that meeting, Mr. Fugere reported back to Liza Malashanko, CPUC Deputy Director of Gas & Electrical Safety. In light of the concerns Mr. Fugere expressed to Ms. Malashanko, it was decided it was necessary to convene a meeting with PG&E's PJ Martinez, Vice-President overseeing electric operations.

Congressman Thompson and SOS-Trees had met with PG&E's PJ Martinez last year with no notable or significant changes in PG&E's actions or attitudes, so the challenge is to determine what action can CPUC take to make a difference. PG&E has recently hired a new government relations person for Sonoma and Lake counties, who knows all about these issue and will be working on some of these problems in the future. Will that person be able to make a difference?

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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, Treasurer reddoqvineyards@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 For any questions about the BVCA website contact Bill Finkelstein.

Bvca Membership Dues, 2013

If you haven't yet paid your dues for 2013, the annual dues are $15 plus any additional contribution you want to make. contributions to BVCA may now be tax-deductible. 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, about your membership dues, please call Larissa Goliti, 578-3453. If you have any questions about paying online, please call Bill Finkelstein, 536-1026.

Notification Of Email Changes

Please be sure to notify Larissa Goliti of any changes to your 'email address, at Igoliti@hotmail.com or by phone, 578-3453. This may be necessary because you've chosen to receive your VOICE, via email, or because you want to be notified by Bennett Valley Community Association through Email Alert of important information at times when the VOICE is not scheduled to go out.

7 Brief Summary, BVCA Minutes May 16, 2013 Meeting •Guest Speaker; First District Supervisor, Susan Gorin, met with us for a little more than one hour. We were able to sit in a circle around Supervisor Gorin, and have a very relaxed exchange of information.

• Present: Gary Barner, Karen Sommer, Tim Bosma and Craig Harrison. There was not a quorum of Directors, so an official meeting was not possible; the minutes could not be approved. and a Treasurer's Report was not reviewed. • Some items were • reviewed informally, including future goals of the Bennett Valley Emergency Preparedness Committee, status of the AT&T cell tower at the BV Fire Station, and the speaker for the July meeting.

Board of Directors' Tentative Agenda Thursday, July 18, 7:00 pm, BV Grange Hall • 7:00 pm, Guest Speaker Gregg Crawford, "The Gopher Guy" 8:15 pm, Call To Order • Announcements and Public Input • Approval of Minutes • Presentation by Representatives of Sonoma Mountain Zen Center Concerning Proposal To Modify Existing Use Permit • Treasurer's Report • Bi-Monthly County Reports; Board of Supervisors, Open Space District, PRMD, Public Works, Alcoholic Beverage Control Permits • Report from BV Emergency Preparedness Committee • Road Issues • Update on PG&E Tree Clearing • Board Election i • Speaker for September • New Business as Determined by Board.

• Adjournment Annadel Operations Going Back to State New agreement will provide a healthy budget for the next two years. Kenwood Press, June 1 "Beloved Annadel State Park will get a two-year respite from the budget axe as the State of California takes back operations from the county on July 1, thanks to a new agreement between the county and State Parks...Annadel was saved from closure a year ago when Sonoma County and local organizations stepped up and took over operations...But even though State Parks ... will resume operational responsibility for the day-to-day running of Annadel, the work done by several volunteer organizations is vital to keep this agreement going, at least through the 2014/2015 budget cycle.

Bennett Valley Community Association P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 www.bennettvally.org PURPOSES OF BVCA: To promote and preserve the residential rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley; to educate, instruct, train and inform the local residents on disaster 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 Inside This Issue • Bennett Valley Road Update, including scheduled delays • Wines & Vines, BV Grange Annual Picnic • Emergency Preparedness Information • County Road Budget Restored, After Protests • Notice of BVCA Annual Elections • BV Fire District Staff, Fire Activity Up Over 45% • Access to Approved BV Fire Minutes; Highlights of Two BV Fire Board Meetings • SOS Trees & Government Officials Meet With Public Utilities Commission • BVCA Board, Minutes, Agenda, Annadel Returning to State Operation Bennett Valley Community Calendar Mark your calendars now!!

• Bennett Valley Community Association: The next meeting is Thursday, July 18, 7:00 pm, BV Grange Hall. The speakers will be first Gregg Crawford, "The Gopher Guy", at 7:00 pm, then two representatives from the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, about 8:15 pm, regarding their new proposal. See articles on Page 1 and 2 and the Tentative Board 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, BV Grange Hall is serving as our Disaster Preparedness Center and a meeting place for community activities. Go to http://bvgrange.org to learn more about general Grange information. Help support the BV Grange!

• Earn Your Ham Radio Over A Week-end!! When? Where? Friday evening, August 23, 6:00 to 9:00 pm, Saturday, August 24, 8:00am to 5:30 pm, Sunday, August 25, 8:00am to 2:30 pm. Return at 3:00 pm for the FCC Exam! Class is at First American Title, 627 College Avenue, Santa Rosa, corner of Humboldt St. $15 for the study guide, plus $15 administrative cost to take the FCC exam.

Contact jeff.tonelli@yahoo.com,539-3272, K16PBF, for pre-study guide. • Ham Radio Licensing In Just One Day: (From website smrs) The next scheduled one-day licensing class and exam is Saturday, August 10, Petaluma Senior Center. 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 wb6tms@arrl.net.

• Civil War Days, Re-enactment, Duncan Mills, July 20 & 21st, 9:00am-5:00 pm, details on website, www.civilwardays.net • Sonoma County Board Of Supervisors: Meets every Tuesday (except weeks when there is a legal holiday), at varying times, 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa. Susan Gorin is the elected Supervisor for our ist District. If you have any concerns or questions, you may contact her District Director, Pat Gilardi, 565-3752, pat.gilardi@sonoma-county.org. Or you can contact Susan Gorin at 565-3752, susan.gorin@sonoma-county.org.

Important Phone Numbers

• 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, 565-5100 to report dangerous potholes, fallen trees or landslides and to request possible help with litter control and bulk trash in the road. After hours, call 565-2121. • Call Sonoma County Animal Control, 565-7100, regarding the removal of dead animals along the road.

* Call California Highway Patrol, 588-1400, as another resource if debris is causing imminent traffic hazards on county roads.