Please Join the BVCA or Renew Your Membership
Preparing for An Emergency Nature Where You Are
Vineyards and Wineries in Bennett Valley: The First Century
Changes at Bennett Valley Fire Station Since It Joined the Sonoma County Fire District Covid Shutdown Affects Bennett Valley Community Events Notice of 2020 BVCA Election
BVCA Meeting Schedule and Contact Information
The BVCA and YOU! Join. Engage. Support.
BV Guild Contact Information
Please Join the BVCA or Renew Your Membership by BVCA Board of Directors
We live in challenging times. We are slowly resuming somewhat normal daily lives after being disrupted in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to be careful and safe. As discussed in Bennett Valley Community Events below, for now we are not holding any meetings.
Bennett Valley has a fascinating history, and is a bucolic oasis. The Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) was established to keep residents abreast of proposed zoning and other changes that would affect our valley.
We hope to soon resume speakers who will discuss the history and natural phenomena here. We also hope to host events celebrating local artists and to hold themed fundraisers. As we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary, your participation can help us to preserve and enhance our unique Bennett Valley community. In this edition we have a history of the first century of vineyards and wineries in Bennett Valley, and plan on publishing additional articles on the history of the BVCA and Bennett Valley. If you have an idea for a suitable article, please contact the editor Craig S. Harrison.
The BVCA is a non-profit organization. All board members volunteer their time for quarterly meetings and fundraising events. Please join in our efforts by renewing your membership in the BVCA or joining for the first time. Our dues are $20 per year plus any additional contribution you may choose to make. You will help fund the many activities in which we are involved and stay informed via the VOICE newsletter which is sent to members at least four times per year. Together, we can strengthen our corner of the world.
These newsletters help keep you informed about a broad range of issues affecting Bennett Valley, provide updates on the status of our local fire department and Guild activities and enable sharing of community information. We need your participation to achieve our mission as a community association.
Send checks to BVCA, P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 or pay online at www.bennettvalley.org by choosing “Join/Renew: BVCA Membership." For questions about dues contact Larissa Goliti at lgoliti@hotmail.com or 578-3453. For questions about paying online, contact Bill Finkelstein at bill@bennettvalley.org.
Thanks so much for your support!
Preparing for an Emergency by Robert Stephens, BVCA President
Join your neighbors and help us with Emergency Preparedness:
What is defensible space?
Is it possible to connect my generator to my well/tank during an extended outage?
Have I planned all my exit routes in case of emergency?
It’s no surprise that the topic that gets the most attention in Bennett Valley is fire safety and that will be a top focus for the BVCA in 2020-21. If you are interested in learning more about what you and your neighbors can do, please consider joining our new Emergency Preparedness Committee. We’ll be focusing on gathering and sharing information on fire, power outage, earthquake, and other emergency issues. Many of your nearby neighborhoods are already organizing themselves for defensible space work. We hope to keep you informed on events, resources for preparation, and who to contact for each topic.
How Defensible is Your Space?
An excellent local resource is FireSafe Sonoma. It is a non-profit “whose mission is to increase awareness of wildfire issues in our county and help local residents and firefighting agencies to achieve improved wildfire safety.”
Click Defensible space for the excellent 18-page guide for Sonoma County residents from Fire Safe Sonoma. Below is an excerpt with a focus on defensible space.
Defensible space is crucial for three reasons: to save lives of residents and firefighters, to keep fires that start in structures from escaping into the wildland, and to prevent home loss in a wildfire. Reducing vegetation helps protect structures by ensuring that intense radiant heat is far enough away from the sides of the building that the heat doesn’t ignite the structure. Defensible space also ensures that flammable brush does not act as kindling allowing direct transmission of flames to the structure. “Defensible space” does not mean “moonscape.” A good defensible space is likely to have lots of trees, but low branches and brush have been modified to remove the “ladder fuels” that increase fire behavior. Your defensible space landscape should be even more beautiful and wildlife friendly than before treatment. But there is much more to the picture than vegetation.
We realize that for some Bennett Valley homes, nearby fuel conditions are such that improving your odds may seem impossible. We often encounter those who think: “This home is a goner anyway, why should I do anything?” Here are just a few of the reasons that every resident of the wildland-urban interface should do everything they can to prepare for wildfire:
Even small modifications to your home can make a big difference in home survival.
In the event that you are trapped by a wildland fire and cannot safely evacuate, a well-prepared home could save your life.
A minimum 100 feet of defensible space is required by law.
During a wildland fire, firefighters perform triage to determine which homes can be effectively and safely defended. Homes with surrounding vegetation that present a danger to firefighters will likely be passed up in favor of homes that have been improved. Assist your firefighters by providing a safe and defensible space.
A well-treated wildland is a healthy wildland. Fuel treatment projects should improve overall health of surrounding vegetation, provide better habitat for wildland creatures, and be even more beautiful.
Please reach out to me if you are interested in learning more about fire safety.
Calligrapher Fly
Nature Where You Are by Jacqueline Levy, Education Programs Manager
Audubon Canyon Ranch, Bouverie Preserve
Photos by Mike Witkowski
Since the “Shelter in Place” order went into effect, and the school program hikes at the Bouverie Preserve were put on hold, I have been exploring other ways to help youngsters connect with nature. My time is now spent creating resources to inspire children to explore the natural word within their reach. Though there is no replacing the feeling of holding a newt or learning to spot a turret spider tower alongside the trail, children can still learn from and be comforted by nature. Nature is all around us: the lizard sunning itself on a nearby rock, the shade offered by a tree, the warmth of the sun on one’s face, the fragrance of new leaves and flowers. There is nature where you are, and you can experience it yourself or with the children in your life.
There are many things you can do to become more aware of the natural world. Appreciating nature is as simple as slowing down and noticing. Listen without making noise. You may hear a rustling in the leaves that tells you there is a bird or lizard nearby. A buzz or a zoom will draw your attention to a bee or hummingbird. Vary your perspective by scanning the sky and treetops then get close and notice the tiny world contained in a leaf or under a rock.
Take in the night. Gaze at the moon. Where is it in the sky? What color is it? What phase is it in? What sounds do you hear at night that are different than those during the day? How does the air feel and smell?
It does not take an expert to realize the diversity that surrounds us. In under a minute I have seen three different bees and a fly visit a splay of flowers. There was a sleek yellow and black honeybee. A large, solid black, round, fuzzy bubble bee. Another bee I could not identify slender, small, green, and black. Finally, the fly that was good mimic of a honeybee.
Bumble Bee
The oaks in our area are often laden with lichen, yet another world to delve into. Next time you see a branch with lichen growing on it, take a few minutes to examine it closely. Look from the branch tip to trunk, node by node. Answer the following questions for yourself or with a child in your life as you scan the branch.
Does the density of the lichen change?
Does the color of the lichen change?
Does the size of the lichen change?
Does the variety and shape of the lichen change?
In what ways do each of these attributes change?
Look at many branches – is there a pattern?
If you like sharing nature with children, I visit the “Nature Where You Are: Resources for Teachers and Families” page of Audubon Canyon Ranch’s website. You will find more ways to explore and appreciate nature through videos and several types of printable activities including two activity books called, Meet Ephran the Great Egret and Meet Luna the Puma. The books are fact-based, yet from the animal’s perspective and have images to color, questions to answer, and observation to be made. In the heat of summer, I wish you enjoyment of nature where you are.
Vineyards and Wineries in Bennett Valley:
The First Century by Craig S. Harrison, BVCA VOICE editor
Pioneers began to settle in Bennett Valley in the mid-nineteenth century, attracted by its prime farmland for orchards and vineyards. James Bennett acquired the Yulupa Land Grant from General Vallejo near Bennett (formerly Yulupa) Peak on what is now Bennett Valley Road in 1849. Coleman Talbot, who arrived in California on a covered wagon in 1850, planted 1,000 vines (about an acre) in Bennett Valley in 1854. I cannot confirm its precise location, but possibly near the intersection of Bennett Valley and Sonoma Mountain roads. Bennett Valley’s first vineyard was later sold to Nelson Carr.
In 1858, Isaac DeTurk arrived in California. He learned a love of wine from his father, who tried unsuccessfully to grow European varieties in Indiana. Historian Gaye LeBaron wrote that DeTurk may have been the first to appreciate the importance of grape culture to the future of Santa Rosa Valley. He planted 20 acres of Mission Grapes in 1859 at the base of Bennett Peak on land he acquired from Bennett. He later increased Yulupa Vineyard to 50 acres with Mission and Zinfandel, which soon yielded 300 to 350 tons annually. He built Bennett Valley’s first winery and wine cave at the site in 1863, mostly using purchased grapes. His winery business rapidly increased to 100,000 gallons of wine, hauling grapes from as far away as Geyserville and his Belle Mount wine was well-regarded. Ned MacDonald, the current owner of the property, recently rebuilt Bennett Valley’s first winery.
Bennett Valley's first winery was restored in 2019.
John Taylor settled 1,400 acres on what is now Taylor Mountain in 1853, which includes a 60-acre vineyard with Zinfandel and Mission Grapes. When he first planted is unclear. According to Evelyn McClure's Beneath the Mountain of the Burning Bird: Bennett Valley History and Memories, Sonoma Mountain was home to vineyards and wineries as early as 1862, but I can find no further information.
Other nineteenth century viticulturalists included George and Edward Davis, who purchased DeTurk’s cellar and vineyards around 1885. Horace Talbot’s vineyard near the current Matanzas Creek Winery produced Flaming Tokay, Mission, White Muscat, Black Prince, Zinfandel, Black Morocco, and Fountenac. Albert Burnham, Robert Crane, and George N. Whittaker, William Cowan, and Helen Kirsch planted vineyards along Grange-Crane Canyon Road, Sonoma Mountain Road, and on the slopes of Mount Taylor.
In 1876, Sonoma County had 50 wineries and was California’s primary wine-producing county. By the 1890s, Bennett Valley had 2,000 acres devoted to vineyards. Bennett Valley was recognized as one of the best grape-growing regions in the county. Largely because of DeTurk, Sonoma County was recognized as a leader in California viticulture.
Then came trouble. Phylloxera wiped out Bennett Valley’s vineyards in early 1890s, and many farmers switched to orchards. Phil Guenza, interviewed in the VOICE in 1985, recalled that his parents’ farm on Guenza Road had 15 acres of Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, and Petite Sirah. When they arrived in Bennett Valley in 1917 there were only nine vineyards. Sibbald, Brovelli, and Beutel were the wineries.
Prohibition from 1920 to 1933 limited wine production to what a family used for its own purposes, although some growers shipped grapes east. After prohibition ended, the wine industry recovered slowly while the nation suffered the great depression. Even the booming economy just after World War II did not quickly change the situation. In 1949, only 350 acres were in vines, and much of the land was devoted to grazing. Just two wineries were operating—Branger Vineyards on Bennett Valley Road near Galvin Park and Bottasso & Sons on Sonoma Mountain Road near Bottasso Court. The Bottassos marketed Settler’s Pride, a dry table wine.
Before long, the wine industry in Bennett Valley would blossom dramatically and return to its roots. But that’s another story.
Changes at Bennett Valley Fire Station
Since It Joined the Sonoma County Fire District by Marilee Jensen, BVCA Board Member
Bennett Valley Fire District joined the newly-formed Sonoma County Fire District in April 2019, which includes Windsor, Larkfield, Wikiup, Mark West, Middle Rincon, Bennett Valley, Bellevue, Graton Casino, Fulton and adjacent unincorporated areas. Effective July 1, the Russian River Fire District (Guerneville and Rio Nido) joins the Sonoma County Fire District. Very few of the firefighters who were assigned to the Bennett Valley Fire Station in April 2019 still work there. It is crucial that each firefighter is knowledgeable about each of the six fire stations in the district in terms of equipment, geographic area, and particular problems.
The stations are typically staffed with an Apprentice Firefighter, Firefighter, Engineer and Captain. Typically, Captains and Engineers do a 6-12-month rotation at each station. Some firefighters have taken the necessary classes to become engineers. The Captains have been promoted from the position of Engineer. There are 18 Captains for the six stations, and they are in charge of planning and the supervision of 54 firefighting personnel. Firefighters are on duty for 48 hours at a time, with 4 days off in between shifts.
Bennett Valley is a relatively quiet station, but has more instances of vehicle extrication because of its narrow winding roads. The firefighters in Bennett Valley are trained to respond to problems in Trione-Annadel State Park, including personal accidents and fires. They will also be conducting vegetation management inspections in Bennett Valley and Bennett Ridge. Each fire station provides mutual help throughout the California, as well as other states. There is a tremendous amount of information for each firefighter to absorb.
Fire Chief Mark Heine and Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal Cyndi Foreman have their offices at the Sonoma County Fire District headquarters at 8200 Old Redwood Highway in Windsor. The board of directors meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 pm and the meetings rotate among the six fire stations in the district. Arnie Tognozzi from Bennett Valley is a director of the Sonoma County Fire District, having previously been a director of the Bennett Valley Fire District.
Captain Eliseo Gonzalez, one of the three Captains assigned to Bennett Valley Fire Station #8, has been here for ten months. He supervises an apprentice firefighter, a firefighter and an engineer. He has entered Annadel State Park from the emergency entrance in Bennett Ridge, and has been trained around the marsh area in park coming in from Bennett Ridge.
Captain Gonzalez encourages people to call 911 for all emergencies because this will provide the quickest, most efficient response from emergency personnel. He prefers that residents do not call the Bennett Valley Fire Station or stop by because firefighting staff may not be there, but they always receive messages from 911. If 911 is unavailable, you can call the sheriff’s office at (707) 565-2121.
I felt pleased and satisfied with the recent changes at the Bennett Valley Fire Station #8 since it joined the Sonoma County Fire District. Thanks to Cyndi Foreman for assisting with this article.
Fire season is here! Don't just do the minimum. Don't just do what is "required." Be a good land steward, good neighbor and give us all a fighting chance. Go above and beyond with your vegetation management. It can make all the difference. Lots of great changes coming, so stay tuned. We continue to be proud to serve our Bennett Valley Community!
--Cyndi Foreman, Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal
Non-Renewal of Homeowners Insurance by Craig S. Harrison, BVCA VOICE editor
Using Nextdoor, I recently asked residents of Bennett Valley whether their insurance company had declined to renew their homeowners policy after the wildland fires in 2017 and 2019. I received only three reports of non-renewal of homeowners insurance. The insurance companies involved are Chubb, AAA, and CIG.
One reason that there have been relatively few non-renewals is due to Senate Bill 824, which provides temporary relief from non-renewals to residents living near a declared wildfire disaster. Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency for the Kincade Fire on October 25, 2019. Because of his declaration, insurers may not cancel or non-renew residential property insurance policies due to wildfire risk in certain ZIP Codes for one year. A memorandum by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara provides a list of relevant zip codes, which includes Santa Rosa 95404 (much of Bennett Valley) and Glen Ellen 95442
If you experience a non-renewal later this year, please let me know and I will update the names of problem insurance companies.
Covid Shutdown Affects
Bennett Valley Events
To comply with the State and County Public Health Order, the Guild Hall is closed for all activities until further notice. All meetings, rentals, and other events are currently cancelled through September but may be rescheduled. Because of this, the BVCA board of directors meeting on July 16 will take place by conference call. If you want to join this call, please contact President Robert Stephens.
The BVCA and the Guild still plan to host a talk on bears by ecologist Meghan Walla-Murphy whenever the BVCA can again hold meetings. Ms. Walla-Murphy has launched the North Bay Bear Collaborative to study the bears' movements. The highest density of black bears in the contiguous United States is in Mendocino and Humboldt counties, and they are slowly migrating into our area. From wildlife cameras placed in the vicinity of Sugarloaf State Park, black bears have recently become residents of Sugarloaf and the Mayacamas. We hope to be able to reschedule this talk later this year.
NOTICE OF 2020 BVCA ELECTION by Jean LaCombe
The BVCA election season is upon us once more and the Nominating Committee is encouraging BVCA members to consider a position on the BVCA Board of Directors. Each Director serves a three year term with no limit on how many times they may run for re-election and positions are open to any BVCA resident or property owner. Current terms are ending for three of our sitting Board members: Jamie Burkart, Larissa Goliti and Craig Harrison. While all three of them have opted to run for re-election, I encourage anyone interested in joining the BVCA Board of Directors to add their name to the nomination roster.
Minimum qualifications are: Candidates must 1) be a member of good standing in the BVCA, with dues paid and current, and 2) have a strong commitment to “promoting and preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley”. A candidate Statement that includes such a commitment should be limited to 250 words and should be mailed no later than 5:00 PM on August 28, 2020, and addressed to:
Jean LaCombe or Wendy Von Wiederhold 2020 BVCA Nominating Committee P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405
If you are not a BVCA member to date, you can remedy that situation be simply mailing your payment of $20.00 via check or PayPal before August 28, 2020 to:
BVCA P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405
As a survivor of both the 2017 Tubbs Fire and the 2020 COVID-19 Flu, I truly understand the specter of one more thing on your plate. Our President, Robert Stephens, has some exciting ideas for the coming year(s) and will be needing some help with these endeavors.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
BENNETT VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
MEETING SCHEDULE
The forthcoming Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) Board meeting will be held Thursday, July 16, at 4 PM by Zoom conference call due to the covid situation. The BVCA Board now normally convenes at the Bennett Valley Guild Hall locatedat 4145 Grange Road, Santa Rosa on the third Thursday of every third month (January, April, July, October). Meetings normally commence at 7 PM and are open to members and non-members alike. We normally invite and encourage public attendance. The current BVCA Board meeting schedule through calendar year 2020 is as follows
Thursday, July 16
Thursday, October 15
The Board has not yet discussed its schedule for 2021. 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, new directions for the BVCA that would encourage wider participation, 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. The April 16, 2020 meeting was held by Zoom. Among the items of discussion were whether and how to mail by US Postal Service the VOICE to those members of our community who prefer receiving a hard copy. In addition, within the overall goal of expanding membership, several ideas for new events were discussed after the shelter in place restrictions are lifted.
The Fire District Board of Directors meets the third Tuesday of each month at 5pm at Station 1, 8200 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor. For now the Board is holding its meetings there as they anticipate major remodel work at many of their other stations throughout 2020. They will revisit their meeting locations in a few months as their facility plan and schedule are developed.
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! Four 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.
If you have any questions email Bill/Patty Allen at paddybill@sbcglobal.net.
