BVCA and BV Guild Present: Meet Bennett Valley's New Fire Chief Mark Heine
Summary of Living With Lions Presentation
Bennett Valley Guild’s 147th Annual Picnic
Supervisors Approve Pavement Preservation Projects in Bennett Valley
Notice of 2019 BVCA Election BVCA Meeting Schedule and Contact Information
Bennett Valley Community Events
The BVCA and YOU! Join. Engage. Support.
BV Guild Contact Information
We still need an editor-in-chief for the VOICE.
If you are interested, please contact any board member.
BVCA and BV Guild Present: Meet Bennett Valley's New Fire Chief Mark Heine
Join us Thursday, July 18, at 7 PM at The Bennett Valley Guild Hall for a special presentation by our new fire chief Mark Heine. Come learn about the new Sonoma County Fire District that includes the former Bennett Valley Fire District. This is an opportunity to meet Chief Heine and Fire Prevention Officer Cyndi Foreman and learn how they plan to meet our needs for fire protection and prevention. For directions to the Bennett Valley Guild Hall, click here.
Mark Heine has served in the Fire Service for the past 32 years. Because of the recent consolidation, he now commands eight fire stations. Chief Heine says that “the 2017 fire brought about a new attitude of collaboration and a greater sense of urgency forged by disaster” that will bring “inspiration and renovation" at the fire stations.
Follow SOCO Fire online at www.sonomacountyfd.org or via social media for information about fire prevention and protection.
Sonoma County Fire District map (green).
Summary of Living with Lions Presentation Craig S. Harrison, BVCA President
Dr. Quinton Martins, Director of Living with Lions with Audubon Canyon Ranch's (ACR) community conservation project, gave his fourth annual talk on the Living with Lions project in May. A large crowd braved stormy weather to attend. Quinton began by noting that 10,000 years ago, our landscape included huge saber-toothed cats and another large lion as well as the species we call mountain lion. After the glacial period, all the large cats went extinct in North America, and ours eventually returned from South America.
Dr. Martins pointed out that for an apex or top predator, the mountain lion is relatively timid, similar to its closest relative the cheetah. By contrast, leopards are of similar weight but have a much more aggressive temperament. In a study covering over a century, only sixteen people were recorded having died as a result of a mountain lion attack in North America, many due to rabies. Compared to other causes of death (170 die each year from swallowing toothpicks; 2 people each year die from vending machine accidents), mountain lions are not particularly dangerous.
Quinton’s original study focused on an area that encompasses about 1,000 square miles, primarily in the Mayacamas Mountains in Sonoma and Napa counties. ACR now has permits for all of Sonoma County as well as parts of Mendocino and Lake counties. Dr. Martins showed many videos of mountain lions and bears going in and out of walk-through cage traps. Trapping allows the researchers to place collars on the lions so that we can follow their movements by satellite every two hours. His maps showing movements over time are especially fascinating. The males can have huge ranges compared to females. They like to move in mountainous areas or along creeks, but prefer avoiding grasslands. One intrepid male started in Bodega, swam the Russian River to Jenner, and then moved north to Sea Ranch, Gualala, and Point Arena.
Quinton has learned that their prey includes black-tailed deer (75%), unprotected livestock (10%), and cats (10%). Smaller animals such as fox, racoons, skunks, and birds are sometimes consumed.
People are the primary threat to lions, and under California law depredation permits are readily issued due to antiquated laws. Dr. Martins is focusing on ways to minimize conflicts between people and mountain lions. They will hunt livestock or pet animals that are left unprotected at night. Dr. Martins urges residents to secure their livestock and pets in predator-proof pens or other protected areas at night. Lions can scale fences as high as twelve feet, so open pens without the correct fencing structures are insufficient. You can support ACR’s Living with Lions project and other important research and public outreach programs by donating or becoming a member of ACR here.Photo credits: Dr. Quinton Martins, Director, Living with Lions, ACR
147th Annual Bennett Valley Picnic A Great Success Bill Finkelstein, Treasurer, BVCA and BV Guild
The 147th annual Bennett Valley Picnic was held on June 2nd at the Bennett Valley Guild. Attendance was again around 170, and a fabulous time was had by one and all!
If you didn't make it this year, we hope to see you next year at Noon on Sunday, June 7th, 2020 - Save the date.
And a big thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors who made this year's picnic a rousing success.
Supervisors Approve Pavement Preservation Project in Bennett Valley Craig Harrison, Save Our Sonoma Roads (SOSroads) President
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a list of pavement projects for the 2019 and 2020 construction seasons on May 21 and approved the budget for road repairs during its budget hearings in early June. The county Transportation and Public Works Department (DTPW) proposed the list of projects.
Of most interest to residents of Bennett Valley, Grange Road between Bennett Valley Road and Peracca/Guenza roads will have an asphalt concrete overlay at a cost of almost $1 million. When this 1.3-mile section is completed in either 2020 or 2021, it will complement the similar two-mile project completed last autumn on Grange-Crane Canyon roads. Unfortunately, the long stretch of Sonoma Mountain Road between Sonoma Ridge Road and Warm Springs Road remains in wretched condition. According to county records, that stretch officially has no remaining useful life. A copy of the complete list for the county is posted at http://www.sosroads.org/.
Please use DTPW’s app for smart phones to report potholes or other road problems. The app is called SoCo Report Itand allows you to take a photo of a pothole and report it. You may also use the link on their website (https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Services/SoCo-Report-It/Submit-a-Service-Request/) to report an issue or call DTPW at 561-5100. DTPW Director Johannes Hoevertsz says that sending photos is especially helpful because sometimes the county crews are unable to find the problem that was reported.
To use SoCo Report It, follow these steps: (1) Click “New Request” on the home page; (2) click “Roadway” on the next page, which appears automatically; (3) click “Pothole” on the next page, which also appears automatically; (4) insert nearby address unless already noted, which also appears automatically; (5) click “Next” in the upper right corner in order to proceed (the next page will not appear automatically); (6) click on the diagram of a camera above “Add Photo,” and then click on one choice at the bottom.
Notice of 2019 BVCA Election Jean LaCombe, Chair, BVCA Nominating Committee
The BVCA election season is upon us once more. Members of the BVCA Board of Directors serve a three year term, with no limit on the number of times they choose to run for re-election. The BVCA Board positions are open to any BVCA member in good standing who are encouraged to place their names into nomination. Current terms are ending for three of our sitting Board members: James Cobb, Bill Finkelstein, and Frank LaCombe. They may, or may not choose to run again. Anyone interested in joining the BVCA Board of Directors may submit a Candidates Statement to Jean LaCombe, chair of the BVCA Nominating Committee, no later than 5:00 PM on Sunday, August 25, 2018. Minimum qualifications are: Candidates must 1) be a member in good standing in the BVCA, with dues current, and 2) have a strong commitment to “promoting and preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley”. Statements shall be no longer than 250 words and may be sent to Jean LaCombe via either e-mail at jeannielacombe@gmail.com or by regular mail to:
2019 BVCA Election
Attn: Jean LaCombe
P.O. Box 2666
Santa Rosa, Ca. 95405
Statements will appear in the September 2019 Bennett Valley Voice.
If you are interested in becoming a BVCA Board Member but are not yet a BVCA member, you may join anytime prior to August 25, 2019. Simply submit $20.00 to receive the BVCA Voice by e-mail to:
Larissa Goliti
BVCA Membership Coordinator
P.O. Box 2666
Santa Rosa, Ca. 95405
Payments may be made by check or PayPal.
All voting members of BVCA will be sent an Official Ballot 30 days prior to the annual Election Meeting schedule for November 21, 2019. Should you have questions, please contact any current Board member whose numbers are listed in the Voice, or call or text Jean LaCome at (707) 537-5779.
BENNETT VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
MEETING SCHEDULE
The forthcoming Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) Board meeting will be held Thursday, July 18 at 7 PM at the Bennett Valley Guild Hall located at 4145 Grange Road, Santa Rosa, CA. The BVCA Board convenes the third Thursday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November) at the Bennett Valley Guild Hall. Meetings commence at 7 PM and are open to members and non-members alike. We invite and encourage public attendance. The remaining 2019 BVCA Board meeting schedule is as follows:
Thursday, July 18
Thursday, September 19
Thursday, November 21
The Board meeting Agenda opens with public discussion, with each presenter invited to address the Board for up to three minutes with their name, address, and concern. Following public input, the Board will receive a report from the Treasurer, and reports of any official notifications from the County. Additional topics of discussion will include county roads, VOICE, the BV Fire Protection District, and potential speakers for coming meetings.
Minutes from previous meetings of the BVCA Board are typically posted on the BVCA website soon after they are approved. You can find an archive of meeting minutes here.
To building a sense of community in Bennett Valley by serving as an open forum for community participation;
To providing information on local environmental and land use issues and encouraging communication between residents and government agencies with the goal of promoting and preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley;
To educating and providing resources that encourage disaster and emergency preparedness
Membership Benefits: The Bennett Valley VOICE delivered straight to your inbox!
Six times a year, the BVCA will keep you up-to-date on a broad range of topics pertinent to your community.
$20 per household per year = Electronic version of BVCA’s newsletter
Get access to exclusive events, speakers, discounts and plenty of opportunities to meet, greet and broaden your own Bennett Valley “family”.
Pay dues online here, or make checks payable to BVCA, and send to P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. Or if you’d simply like to support the BVCA, a section 501(c)(3) organization, you can do so here. Any questions? Contact Bill Finkelstein at bill@bennettvalley.org. The BVCA thanks you!
Bennett Valley Guild (BV Guild)
Go to http://bvguild.orgto learn more about the BV Guild, including the Guild calendar or, for an article on the early historyof the Bennett Valley Guild. Note: Ricardo's Bar & Grill, 2700 Yulupa, Santa Rosa, is donating 10% of all day sales on the fourth Tuesday of every month in 2019 to the Bennett Valley Guild Building Fund. If you have any questions email Bill/Patty Allen at paddybill@sbcglobal.net.
