Bennett Valley Voice

Bennett Valley VOICE www.bennettvalley.org

Volume 37, Number 3

Bennett Valley Community Association (Bvca)

March, 2014

Bennett Valley Community Association: Who Are We? We Work Together To Help Our Neighbors Preserve the Residential Rural Character and Environment of Bennett Valley, Have Open Forum Dialogue Available, Find a Bridge For Communication with Government Agencies, Receive Instruction, Supplies and Equipment For Disaster Preparedness, and Communicate With One Another.

Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) is a non-profit organization, with volunteers handling all activities. The current annual dues are $15, although additional contributions are welcome to help cover costs for pursuing our mission as summarized above. We generally meet six times a year, on the third Thursday of January, March, May, September and November, at the Bennett Valley Grange Hall.

About one week before each meeting, we distribute the VOICE, this BVCA newsletter, either by email or mail, to all residents and property owners in Bennett Valley, roughly 900 households. Our annual dues alone wouldn't cover this added expense of distributing the VOICE to all households in the area, but with your generous voluntary donations, we have enough money to pay for this as well as other extras. With these extra voluntary donations, we are also able to obtain the equipment and supplies needed for the BVCA Emergency Center at the Bennett Valley Grange. We are now a tax-exempt organization. If you haven't done it already, please complete and send in our 2014 Membership Dues Form (on Page 5) in order to help continue these valuable services by BVCA.

Some of the Bennett Valley Community Association accomplishments during the last year are listed below: Speakers At 2013 BVCA Meetings; • May; Susan Gorin, our newly elected First District • July; Gregg Crawford, with information on Gophers & Moles, followed up by Cam Kwong, from the Sonoma Zen Center on Sonoma Mountain Road, who explained the changes being proposed for their facility through county planning..

• September; Liz Parsons discussed "Landscaping with California Native Plants", as the coordinator of the local Native Plant society sale for 30 years, and the president of the Santa Rosa Garden Club. • Forums At our November meeting, Nate & Lauren Belden presented their ideas and plans for their vineyards and winery operation on the former Steiner vineyard on Sonoma Mountain Road, including "farming in training" for apprentice farming couples. The Beldens are hoping to open to the public in 2015, but they are still in the process of having their plans approved by the Sonoma County planning department before they can proceed.

Their next hearing with the planning department is scheduled for March 13. We arranged for a more widely publicized forum regarding the Beldens' proposed winery and farm, at our January 2014 meeting, in order to fulfill one of our missions to keep made another complete presentation of their proposed project. A number of people in the audience expressed concerns about the increased traffic this will cause on Sonoma Mountain Road.

• BVCA Provides Other Pertinent Information about Bennett Valley, including about the BV Fire District, BV Grange community activities, BV road work, BV Cleanup Days (see article below), the new combined AT&T/ Verizon cell phone tower, Bennett Valley Emergency Preparations, and other Bennett Valley events.

Now Cancelled: Bennett Valley Clean-up Day By Sandy Sandine The Bennett Valley 'Clean-up Day' has now been cancelled. Despite the many Bennett Valley residents, only about a dozen have shown up recently to help clean up the litter alongside the roads in our beautiful valley. The average age of our volunteers has been around 72 years old. We certainly appreciate the core of folks who have come out twice a year to help---but a dozen is not enough to clean up all the litter on Bennett Valley Road, Grange Road, and Sonoma Mountain Road.

Last fall's cleanup event was particularly discouraging. Not only did just a handful of volunteers turn out, but only a week after the clean-up there was already considerable litter on our roadsides. What can be done to keep our valley looking good? • We can blame the trash haulers' messy trucks, the drivers of pick-up trucks without bed covers, and unthinking people who toss their trash out of their car (continued on next page)

("Clean-up" continued from previous page) windows. All probably share some responsibility for the litter on our roadsides. But that doesn't stop it. • We can also pick up the litter ourselves. If each of us would keep the roadside area just in front of our property clean, and pick up trash we see when we are out walking, our valley would look a lot better.

• You can organize your friends and neighbors to do a group cleanup, much like our committee has done in the past. If you would to like plan a Clean-up Day I would be happy to provide you with the information and tools. Contact: ssandine@yahoo.com A big 'thank you' goes out to all who have helped in the past. Hopefully each of us will try to find our own way to help work on our valley's litter problem. I'm sure we all share the desire to keep beautiful Bennett Valley litter free.

Bennett Valley Grange Plans Restoration Press Democrat, February 21

By Ann Dubell

The 141-year-old Bennett Valley Grange building is in need of a facelift, and members have mounted a campaign to raise $900,000 over the next decade. Early donors have already pledged $30,000 The six-phase renovation calls for rebuilding the exterior decking and stairways, replacing interior and exterior doors and purchasing an emergency propane generator and a larger propane tank. Exterior rot work and siding repairs also are needed. Subsequent phases aim to remode the interior, rebuild the septic system and re-roof the building. Finally, niceties such as an improved barbecue setup, a kitchen suited to catering needs, a playground and a gazebo are planned.

Bennett Valley is the country's oldest continuously operating Grange, organized on April 26, 1873, when a group of Bennett Valley farmers and ranchers met at the Strawberry Schoolhouse. It was part of nationwide grange movement that began in 1867, following the Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant was President when Bennett Valley's hall opened in December of 1873, at what is now 4145 Grange Road. The grange hall did not have electricity for 50 years. The building 1906 Earthquake and subsequent shakers, and its members shared the sorrows of the Great Depression and foreign wars. Many residents have enjoyed the spirit of camaraderie at its picnics, barbecues, spaghetti feeds and holiday parties. Kids are likely to recall cherry-pit spitting contests and the fun of petting 4-H animals.

Dancers have twirled to a lot of live music there. In fact, a day before the grange first opened, Santa Rosa was hit by a rare snowstorm that lasted all night and day, but on opening night, an undeterred crowd danced until dawn. California's state grange website describes a grange as, "a meeting place where new friends are made and old friends are cherished." Over its long history, Bennett Valley's grange has provided its members ties that bond and heal. Weddings and memorial celebrations come to mind. For example, three generations of Bennett Valley's early settlers, the Jamison family, were married in the grange hall.

Members have gathered to share a meal and remember deceased dairyman and volunteer firefighter, Al Lafranconi, whose dairy property is now the site of Matanzas Creek Winery. All are welcome to join the grange. Bennett Valley residency is not a requirement, nor is a farming background. Today, the hall hosts a variety of community organization meetings, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 4-H, the Bennett Valley Community Association, the Bennett Valley Emergency Preparedness Group, local water districts, the Bennett Valley Grape Growers Association, Sonoma County Radio Amateurs, the Bennett Valley Cemetery Association and the Santa Rosa Active 20/30 Club.

The building's original lumber came from Smith's Mill, west of Occidental, and cost $292.82. An ox-driven wagon carried the lumber over a two-day journey. Its driver was paid $12, six months after the delivery. Lumber used for the doors and window trims came from the Korbel Brothers, who cleared and milled the timber on their Russian River property.

Today's Grange members hope to discover redwood beams behind the 1950s-era false ceiling in the main hall when interior renovations are made. The ambitious project would restore the building's historic architecture as well as make improvements to suit current activities. Donations by check made payable to the Bennett Valley Grange may be sent to Bill Finkelstein, BV Grange Treasurer, 6584 Birch Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, 536-1026.

Grange Restoration Campaign Kickoff & Open House Bennett Valley Grange #16 Newsletter, February 26 Our open house on February 21 was a great success! Around 60 people attended and we got a great start on our fundraising campaign. While Rob Thomson, Restoration Committee Chair, hosted tours of our historic Grange Hall and previewed the beautiful architectural plans developed for the Grange by Paul Hastings Design, Joe Judge served delicious wine donated by the Bennett Valley Grape Growers, and fantastic food was provided by caterer Madalyn Parker.

Also a special thank you to Joel Brisgel who did all our event signage. Of course an enormous thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event a rousing success. Everyone who attended had a wonderful time and learned about the upcoming work to be done to our building.

For more information, see our website: http://bvgrange.org. 2

Fluorescent Lights:

Advantages, Disposition, And

DANGERS By Marilee Jensen, VOICE Editor (Information References Listed at End of Article) We've all been encouraged from a number of different sources to use more fluorescent lights in our households, in order to save energy and money. But we've also been told it is very important to dispose of these fluorescent lights carefully, in order to protect people from the tiny amount of mercury in each fluorescent light bulb. Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) are marketed as "safe" and they don't pose any health risks as long as the glass remains intact. The danger comes if the bulbs are cracked, broken or not disposed of properly. Although miniscule amount - 4 to 5 milligrams - there is enough mercury in just one fluorescent light bulb to contaminate 6,000 gallons of water.

Are these lights really safe and are the risks worth it? What happens to the environment - the air, soil and water - when tons of discarded bulbs, along with the mercury, are dumped into local landfill. Recently, I was unable to recycle my fluorescent bulbs in my usual nearby retail store. The store owner explained that it was very expensive to recycle fluorescent light bulbs, and the source of funding had stopped which helped this store cover the added cost. I felt very discouraged by that news, as I knew the result would be more people negligently dumping their burnt-out fluorescent lights in their garbage, which would then end up in our landfill, increasing the pollution for all of us. I felt some further research was needed.

The following are some quotes from the FACT SHEET, "What Are The Health Risks Of Mercury And How Do CFL's Fit In?" identified below. "Mercury is an essential ingredient for most energy efficient lamps..However, every product containing mercury should be handled with care. Exposure to mercury, a toxic metal, can affect our brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver, causing symptoms such as trembling hands, memory loss, and difficulty moving...

CFL's Responsible for Less Mercury than Incandescent Light Bulb (Editor's note: This is one of the advantages of CFLs and fluorescent tubes.) Ironically, CFLs present an opportunity to prevent mercury from entering our air, where it most affects our health. The highest source of mercury in our air comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal, the most common fuel used in the U.S. to produce electricity. A CFL uses 75% less energy than an incandescent light bulb and lasts at least 6 times longer. A power plant will emit 10 mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to only 2.4mg of mercury to run a CFL for the same time..." "Safe cleanup precautions: If you break a CFL, clean it up safely. And always dispose of it properly to keep CFL's working for the environment..lf a CFL breaks in your home, open nearby windows to disperse any vapor that may escape, carefully sweep up the fragments (do not use your hands) and wipe the area with a disposable paper towel to remove all glass fragments. Do not use a vacuum. Place all fragments in a sealed plastic bag and follow disposal instructions.

Always Dispose of Your CFL Properly...To find resources for disposal of fluorescent bulbs, you can go online to 'Earth911.org', enter your zip code, press

"Go", Click "Household Hazardous Waste",

Then "Fluorescent Light Bulb Disposal."

Current Local Resources for Free Recycling of Fluorescent lights: I received a list of possible recycling centers for fluorescent lights, online, from Earth911.org, but some of the listings were for other communities, for commercial businesses or some charge for the service. I've verified the following retail stores will recycle at least a limited amount of fluorescent lights at no charge.

• Friedman Bros, 4055 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 584-7811, CFL's only, no tubes • Home Depot, 100 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa, 544-2130 • Home Depot, 4825 Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park, 585-9200 • Lowe's, 7921 Redwood Dr., Cotati, 242-5000 • Orchard Supply and Hardware, 2230 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa, 527-1029 (limit, 10 CFLs, 6 tubes) • Sonoma County Household Toxic Facility, 500 Meacham Rd., Petaluma, 795-2025; Numerous limitations in locations, times, dates, appointments, etc.

As stated in the recyclenow.org/toxics/fluorescent.asp website, these listed companies are going above what the law requires, meeting the needs of their customers and doing what's best for the environment. We want to go out of our way to support these businesses that are good environmental stewards!

"FACT SHEET: Mercury in Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL's)", US Environmental Protection Agency; Earth911.org; www.recyclenow.org/toxics/fluorescent.asp" Bennett Valley Road Work Report By Craig S. Harrison The Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works has no scheduled work in our area during March or April and pavement preservation activities will not begin again until May or later.

The winter storm season arrived very late this year, but it surely has finally commenced. Road work is focused on filling pot holes, clearing downed trees and cleaning clogged culverts. They respond as quickly as they can, and often must prioritize because problems occurring simultaneously all over the county. Be sure to call Public Works at 565-5100 to report any safety issues or road hazards. If it's after hours or weekend emergencies, you should then call the Sonoma County Sheriff Dispatch at 565-2121 to report road hazards.

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/Clerk; Don D'Avanzo and Arnie Tognozzi, Directors. Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper: Kori Lantow, 823-1084, klantow@comcast.net 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: Fire Chief: Dan George, 481-8105, Battalion Chiefs: Darrin DeCarli, 823-5502, Adam Schipper 48-hour Personnel: Lieutenant Matt Tognozzi, Lieutenant Travis Browne, Engineer Rene Torres Part-time Firefighters, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm: Engineers Ly Leng, Andrew Keefer, Andrew Tognozzi Bennett Valley Volunteer Firefighters There are approximately 23 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 January/February By Lieutenant Matt Tognozzi Structure Fire - 2 Grass Fire - O Vehicle Accident - 3 Strike Team- 0 Vehicle Fire - 1 Medical Aid - 11 Public Assist - 5 Other Type Calls - 14 Total - 36 Careless Cooking Is The Number One Cause Of Residential Fires. Never Leave Anything Cooking Unattended.

Lieutenant Matt Tognozzi selected this online article from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , CAL FIRE, fire.ca.gov •- Keep children a safe distance from hot liquids. •• Always use potholders. •• Hot grease causes severe burns. Avoid using deep fat fryers around children.

•- Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool. •• It's wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen.

•- Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and or close the oven door. •• Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back and always watch young children in the kitchen. •• Don't store items on the stovetop, because they could catch fire.

•• Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition. •• Follow instructions carefully when using microwave ovens. •• Be sure your stove is not located under a window where curtains are hanging. •- Wear short sleeves or fleece clothing while cooking. * If your clothing should catch fire, immediately stop, drop and roll to smother flames.

•• Scalds and burn injuries are on the increase. The highest risks are the very young and the elderly Four Retired Firefighters Make Use of Skills to Help Save A "Downed" Golfer Article written by Marilee Jensen, As Narrated by Mark Richardson Mark Richardson, president of the Bennett Valley Fire District Board, was recently playing golf with three other retired firefighters at a local golf course. They were teeing off at the 7t hole, when they noticed a golfer collapsed on the ground, with no apparent bodily activity. They all immediately ran over to help. This man was not breathing and the paramedics from the Santa Rosa Fire Department had already been called Mark knew the firefighter who arrived there first, Mike Harrison, who was performing CPR on the man.

There were so many things to do, in an attempt to save this man, that even 6 or 7 skilled firefighters were kept very busy. This included continuing the chest compression (CPR), using the heart monitor, administering drug therapy with two rounds of drugs, using the defibrillator to shock his heart 5 or 6 times, and flooding the bags to use with IV's for him. When the ambulance arrived, Mark and the other firefighters helped secure the man on the gurney, with a back board, installed a automatically does the CPR chest compression), and helped get him into the ambulance, to be taken immediately to the hospital.

Mark didn't think the man had much chance of surviving, but by the time he and his friends had reached the ninth hole, they received a message that the man had come out of his cardiac arrest, was breathing, and doing quite well. Within six weeks, Mark understands this same man was playing golf again. Meanwhile his three brothers came back to buy Mark and the other retired firefighters a round of free golf, for all the help they had provided to their brother. There have been other stories in the Press Democrat, since then, about retired firefighters successfully helping other golfers with physical emergencies such as this one, on the golf course. As preventative action, should they all get free passes for golf courses, just in case?

4

Access to Approved Minutes For Bennett Valley Fire Protection District public can request the 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. What follows are highlights selected by the VOICE Editor from the approved minutes for two meetings.

Brief Highlights of BV Fire Board Meeting, December 10, 2013 • The lease was signed with AT&T for the new cell tower, expected to be starting the installation process in the spring, combined with Verizon's cell tower. • There is testing going on for two "open" BV firefighter positions, with the interviews being conducted by outside fire departments, including Santa Rosa's.

• A BV strike-team was sent to the Geysers fire for 4.5 days, a source of additional revenue for the BV Fire District from the State of California. • BV Firefighters Association received a $5,000 donation from Riccardo's new restaurant, from the fundraiser on their first opening days. The Firefighter Association purchased mountaineering medical bags, SCBA mask bags, and 2 radio interfaces. They have $1,000 left.

• The five BV Fire District Explorers (high-school age trainees) continue to do well. Trevor Galeazzi was responsible for their training, but since he is now employed by CAL FIRE, the on-duty staff are responsible for the Explorers' firefighting training. Brief Highlights of BV Fire Board Meeting, January 14, 2014 • Personnel/Training - There will be testing on January 19 for the two open BV "part-time" firefighter positions. (Part-time firefighters work and are paid for two concurrent days shifts, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.) • Financial Report - Financial reports were distributed and reviewed.

Chief Dan George reported on fire districts separating from the county treasury and accounting systems. The county is replacing their accounting system at a large cost to special districts. The districts will have limited access and no benefits from the new system. The other fire districts are also exploring moving their money over to a local bank.

They have been meeting with Redwood Credit Union. • Audits - Chief Dan George also reported that we are soliciting bids from accountants to do our annual audit. The county will no longer be conducting audits after this year. The county does more in their audit than what is required by law.

• New Business - Election of Board Officers: Director D'Avanzo made a motion to keep the Board Officers the same. Director Richardson will be President. Director Mazeau will be Vice President. Director Jensen will be Secretary/Clerk. The motion was seconded by Director Jensen and passed unanimously.

Homeowners Asked to Prepare Earlier, Due to Increased Fire ActivityDrought Conditions Lead to Early Need of Defensible Space Around Homes, Sacramento, Release Date, January 24, CAL FIRE, fire.ca.gov In just the first three weeks of January, CAL FIRE has already responded to a significant increase in wildfires this winter due to the extremely dry conditions.

As a result, CAL FIRE officials are reminding residents to ensure they are maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space (around homes and buildings); a reminder that comes several months earlier than normal. 'We are experiencing conditions right now that we would usually see in August," said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. "In Southern California we never really transitioned out of fire season and in Northern California we are already in the process of hiring additional seasonal firefighters to augment our permanent firefighters who have been staffing extra fire equipment this winter. We have increased our personnel and now we need the public to make sure they, too are prepared for early fire season conditions." With record low rainfall, the grass and brush across California is tinder dry and ready to burn. Already this year CAL FIRE has responded to nearly 300 wildfires that have charred over 700 acres. In a normal year the department only responds to about 50 fires that all together would char a little over 100 acres. Many of these fires have been sparked by powered equipment mowers and trimmers.

maintaining Defensible Space is critical right now, residents are asked not to use powered equipment outdoors during the heat of the day when it's dry and windy, and especially on Red Flag Warning Days. Clearance work should be done in the early morning when temperatures are down and humidity is up, to avoid sparking a wildfire. One less spark means one less wildfire.

Smoke Alarm Maintenance Anonymous Is your smoke alarm still working? Smoke alarms must be maintained! A smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all. A smoke alarm only works when it is properly installed and maintained. Depending on how your smoke alarm is powered (9 volt, 10-year lithium, or hardwired), you'll have to maintain it according to manufacturer's instructions.

General guidelines for smoke alarm maintenance: Smoke alarm powered by a 9-volt battery • Test the alarm monthly. • Replace the batteries at least once per year. • The entire smoke alarm unit should be replaced every 8-10 years...

Still Waiting For Supervisors' Decisions on Road Improvements By Craig Harrison, SOS Roads I had expected that by now the supervisors would have made a decision on whether to spend some of the $8 million that is available to fix Sonoma Mountain and Pressley Roads. Over 550 residents and users signed a petition that asks the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and the Transportation and Public Works Department to fix those particular roads, primarily in Bennett Valley. Within the next few months this will be on the agenda for one of the Tuesday meetings for the supervisors and we will alert you by email and on the BVCA website once it has been scheduled.

This decision may be made at the same time the supervisors discuss the long-overdue plan to address the repair and maintenance of all county roads. Please make an effort to attend the supervisors' meeting and to tell our Supervisor Susan Gorin 565-3752; susan.gorin@sonoma-county.org) that the time has come to fix our deteriorating roads.

Caltrans Spends Too Much to Achieve Too Little SOSroads.org, January 2014 SOSroads Newsletter The latest Annual Highway Report by Reason Foundation indicates that California ranks 47* of the 50

Bennett Valley Community

Association Membership Dues For 2014

Learn about our beautiful and interesting community.... Find out about events and people that will affect our valley. Support volunteers and neighbors who work for all of us. Join or renew your membership in our Bennett Valley Community Association! Annual dues are only $15, plus any extra you can send to better enable BVCA to carry out our stated purposes. Easy options to pay...

, • Cut this form out along the lines, complete it and mail ' in with your name, address, phone # (see below) and i check, to: BVCA, P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa CA 95405 • Pay online with your credit card or PayPal account.

i On our website www.bennettvalley.org see the Menu on | the first page, left side. Select "Join/Renew: BVCA " Membership" and follow easy instructions. How do you want to receive your VOICE newsletter? Check one box. • By email at (email address) more per mile than the national average.

This affects Sonoma County's spending on roads. For example, the ongoing widening of US 101 requires Sonoma County to provide a percentage of the construction funds, which is paid for by the Measure M sales tax. If Caltrans spent "only" twice as much as the national average, some of the Measure M money could be spent on fixing our county roads.

We cannot understand why the state legislators who represent Sonoma County don't investigate why Caltrans is so inefficient. If you go to the above website for SOSroads.org, you will be able to read the full report from the Reason Foundation as well as the California summary.

Spring Walks at Jack London Kenwood Press, March 1, 2014 As the spring equinox approaches, Jack London State Historic Park will host a series of spring walks... On March 16, explore the concept of "Walking Meditation" during a relaxed 1.5 mile moderate hike to Jack London's lake. Hike guide and park docent Jeff Falconer will begin the journey with a brief overview of walking meditation at 10 a.m., followed by a short standing meditation to ground and center the group before embarking...

For more information, go to www.jacklongonpark.com. By paper in the mail, to my address on the label , used on this VOICE, or to the following address: ¡ Special BV email notificatons! At times we send out , email notifications about particular unexpected i community events related to Bennett Valley. We also i send out email alerts when there are immediate safety ¡ or security matters (such as repeated burglaries, stalker ' or attempted personal harm) in Bennett Valley. Those I receiving their VOICE by email will automatically receive these special email notifications. Those who ' chose to receive their VOICE as paper in the mail will i need to sign up below in order to receive these special ' email notifications and alerts!

• Yes! Send these special notifications and alerts to ' this email address: Corrections: Please be sure to enter any changes in your i name, address, phone number and/or your email address, ' either here or online. Thanks! Please call Larissa Goliti, Membership Coordinator, 578-3453, if you have any questions about membership, dues, VOICE mailing, special email notifications and alerts.

Please put your phone number here, for questions we might have 6

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 Bill Finkelstein, Director, BVCA Webmaster bill@williamfinkelstein.com 536-1026 Karen Sommer, Director, BVEP Coordinator, ksommer11@earthlink.net 528-8982 BVCA VOICE Editor - Marilee Jensen, 576-0405, marileejensen@gmail.com Highlights, BVCA Minutes January 16, 2014 Meeting • Craig Harrison announced the fundraising effort for the Grange will be Feb. 21, 2014.

• Bill Finkelstein explained use of "Next Door" social media for neighborhood news. • Nate Belden made a presentation giving his family increased traffic resulting from the retail wine sales and wine tastings. Editor's Note: The date of the Board of Zoning Adjustments hearing concerning this issue will be announced via email when it is confirmed.

• Larissa Goliti passed around the Treasurer's Report in Debra Forton's absence. • Discussion arose about the costs of the Bennett Valley VOICE. Ideas were tossed about. It was decided to hold any final decisions until next meeting. • Bill Finkelstein enumerated the various elements of the Grange Hall that require repair and upgrading. It was agreed that the BVCA contribute $3,000 as seed money to start the fundraising for the Grange repair effort.

• Craig Harrison explained that the intended report from Public Works has been pushed back to February. • VOICE Issues - The Board discussed merits of including different opinions on issues of interest in the community. • The Grange Fundraiser and Belden hearing date will be posted to all residents on the email list.

• There was interest expressed in arranging for a speaker to cover drought and conservation. 7 Board of Directors' Tentative Agenda Thursday, March 20, 7:00 pm, BV Grange Hall !• Treasurer's Report - spending cuts, consideration of : dues increase, and consideration of hiring help to pick up litter on Bennett Valley Road, Sonoma Mountain Road, and Grange Road, twice a year • Report from BV Emergency Preparedness Committee i• County road issues i • VOICE and email distribution list issues ; • Speakers for upcoming meetings • New business as determined by the board Have You Heard about the Southeast Greenway?

From our 1s* District Supervisor, Susan Gorin's Winter Newsletter, through her District Director, Pat Gilardi, pat.gilardi@sonoma-county.org The Southeast Greenway Campaign is a community-based effort to develop a vital urban greenway on the stretch of open space that links Spring Lake to Highway 12 at Farmer's Lane in Santa Rosa, creating a valuable community asset for the citizens of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County. Our campaign is committed to shaping the Southeast Greenway based on principles of sustainability - respect for the environment, economic, vitality, and social equity - and on community input, needs and desires.

What is the Southeast Greenway? This approximately 2 mile long, 50-acre strip of land was originally intended for a state highway extension that included a bridge over Spring Lake. Citizens resoundingly opposed this plan and the land has remained fallow for the past 50 years. It is the largest undeveloped parcel of land within Santa Rosa city boundaries.

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to link Spring Lake, Howarth and Annadel Parks with downtown Santa Rosa and beyond, creating a much-needed east-west connection for alternative transportation, restored creeks, open space, community gardens and recreation. This piece of land is the best and last chance to connect park trails on the eastern side of Santa Rosa with trails that pass through the center of the city and continue on to the Russian River at Forestville, a distance of more than 25 miles. 2014 promises to be an exciting year of opportunity for this project.

Bennett Valley Community Association P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 www.bennettvalley.org PURPOSES OF BVCA: To promote and preserve the residential rural character and natural instruct, train and inform the local residents on disaster preparedness and emergenc esponse as well as local land use anc environmental issues; to serve as an open forum for Bennett Valley community Return Service Requested Inside This Issue BV Clean-up Day Cancelled BV Grange Restoration Plans & Kickoff Fluorescent Lights: Disposition..

BV Road Work Repor BV Fire Protection Information Increased Fire Activity Still Waiting for Decision on Roads Bennett Valley Community Calendar Mark your calendars now!! • Bennett Valley Community Association: The next meeting is Thursday, March 20, 7:00 pm, BV Grange Hall. • 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 ahead of time to confirm meeting date.

• 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 or see Page 2, to learn more about the Grange and the scheduled activities. If you have any questions, please call Bill & Patty Allen, 544-3721.

• Ham Radio Licensing In Just One Day: (From website smrs) The next scheduled one-day licensing class and exam is Saturday, April 12, 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.

• 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 1st 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 a law enforcement response, call 565-2121.

• Call Sonoma County Road Maintenance (Public Works), 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, for help from Sheriff's office. • 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.