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Has Bennett Valley Ever Looked Better?

We don’t think so. Neighbor Jim Codington took this stunning photo from the top of Sonoma Mountain looking towards Taylor Mountain and Bennett Peak. He is offering high-resolution digital prints of this image for $50, with all proceeds going to the Living with Lions conservation efforts. You can order by emailing Jim directly here.

February 17 Zoom with Dr. Quinton Martins

The Bennett Valley Grange has organized a special presentation by Dr. Quinton Martins for Thursday, February 17th, 7pm-8pm, by Zoom. Dr. Martins will provide an update on the activity of the mountain lions in our area and will happily answer questions.

Time: 7:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3549486717

Meeting ID: 354 948 6717

Passcode: 875023

BVCA 2021 Year in Review

• The Bennett Valley Community Association spent the pandemic redesigning our website, making donations easier, and staying on top of local issues like changes to the North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park, The Bennett Valley Area Plan, and commercial cannabis permit activity.

Looking ahead in 2022

• We approved our annual budget for 2022, and set two main goals for this year:

  • Live Events - This month, the county will relax the mandates for indoor and outdoor events. The BVCA is ready! We are determined to have two in-person events in 2022. The goal: getting to know each other better. After all, you can’t call yourself a community association without at least a little associating. Stay tuned for details and dates.

  • More outreach: Current subscribers to this newsletter only account for 20 percent of BV property owners.We want to reach the rest. How will we do it? By mailing invitations to neighbors who aren’t yet subscribed. You can help us keep our costs (and paper use) down by nudging others to subscribe. Please share this link with any neighbor that hasn’t yet signed up: bennettvalley.org/subscribe

Coming Soon: Better Roads…

• Between June and November 2022, Sonoma County plans these Grange Road & Bennett Valley Road Pavement improvements:

  • Half mile on Crane Canyon Road between Inverness Avenue and Petaluma Hill Road

  • 1.6 miles of Bennett Valley Road extending east from Grange Road to about 6600 Bennett Valley Road

  • Sonoma Mountain Road is classified as “Tier 2,” which means its repairs are expected to be in the 2024-25 time frame.

… & That’s Good Because: Here Come More Drivers

• Traffic on Petaluma Hill Road is projected to go from 12,000 to 70,000 trips per day by 2029. We will be keeping an eye on this trend.

• Our neighbors in Penngrove recently met with officials from the county on road traffic there: Link to article in Sonoma Express news

Updates from around the Mountain

• Sonoma Land Trust Year in Review (Youtube 2min)

• Sonoma Mountain Preservation’s annual review

Sheriff: Avoid Tax-time mailbox theft

We reached out to the county Sheriff’s office and here was their specific advice for Bennett Valley: “Now is the time when we see another uptick in mail theft in our rural areas because of tax season. If you see any suspicious vehicles in the area please call our non-emergency dispatch line at 707-565-2121. Be prepared to provide a description of the suspicious vehicle, color, make and model, any distinguishing marks or damage and direction of travel.”

Some quick tips to help keep you and your mail safe:

• Never put bill payments in your roadside mailbox with the flag up, bring them to a USPS mail receptacle or post office.

• Pick up your mail promptly.

• Place a hold on your mail if you will be away.

• Sign up for USPS’s free service Informed Delivery, to digitally preview your mail.

Grape Grower Profile: Ned & Vivien MacDonald, Yulupa Vineyards

We asked Ned to tell us about his and Vivien’s beautiful property on Bennett Valley Road. Here’s what he told us: We acquired the property in 2015. Our vineyard (it’s 25 acres, all of it Chardonnay) was planted in 1999. The place has a great history. In 1861, Isaac de Turk planted the first vineyard here (25 acres of Mission grapes and 25 acres of Zinfandel). He called the place Belle Mount. He was a visionary. Back then, wine sold in barrels, but Isaac bottled his wine and bypassed the middlemen by selling it direct on the East coast. Unfortunately for him, however, he lost all his money on horse racing. He should have stuck to wine.

What’s your favorite wine? Côtes du Rhône.

You recently joined the board of the Bennett Valley Grape Growers. Why? I believe that Bennett Valley needs to ensure its vineyards are economically sustainable. The Russian River enjoys a 15% premium for their wines. I’d like to see the BVGG focus on ways to enjoy the higher prices that Sonoma Coast & Russian River AVA wines enjoy.

Ned Macdonald enjoying the view from up above Yulupa Vineyards