This is part two of David Abbott’s roundup of local news for
2010.
The second half of 2010 was marked by contested elections, new
rules, broken laws and the continuing saga of SmartMeters in
Sebastopol.
July:
Thousands of revelers descended on Sebastopol for the 31st
Annual July 3rd Fireworks Extravaganza and Music Festival,
sponsored by the Kiwanis of Sebastopol. Overall attendance was down
from the previous year. On the following day, the Plaza was full of
people enjoying the farmers’ market and the music of the Sebastopol
Community Band, which honored the occasion by ringing a gong 13
times for the original colonies. The beaches on the Russian River
were full as well, rounding out a sunny Independence Day
weekend.
The AVOID the 13 DUI taskforce arrested 63 drivers countywide
over the four-day holiday weekend, up from 49 arrests in 2009.
Sonoma County’s 2009-2010 Grand Jury released one of its most
far-ranging annual reports covering “sporks” and tasers, among 12
separate reports included in the 50-page document.
The Graton Community Service District was singled out due to its
mounting operation and engineering expenses and a challenge to
convert to tertiary treatment standards at a possible cost of $7
million. The annual single dwelling fee, raised in May to $1,428,
represents a 73 percent increase over rates imposed when the
district was formed in 2004.
The Grand Jury said “serious consideration should be given to a
joint venture with the Forestville Water District.”
About 40 people attended an informational forum at the social
hall of Burbank Heights & Orchards to discuss the installation
of PG&E’s SmartMeters. The forum was led by former Mayor Sarah
Gurney and Sandi Maurer of the EMF Safety Network, who has led the
surge against SmartMeters and Wi-Fi in Sebastopol.
The race for Sebastopol City Council filled to include four
candidates with Sarah Gurney, Maureen Shea, Ron Basso and Colleen
Fernald finalizing their nomination processes.
August:
Sebastopol City Council revisited issues surrounding Ives Park,
from how they plan to deal with the fences surrounding Calder
Creek, to how many times a day to clean the bathrooms. The plan
could take 10 to 20 years to implement.
City officials and two Sebastopol families broke ground on the
Litchfield Avenue Habitat for Humanity housing project. Shortly
thereafter, vandals, or possibly youth looking for something to do
over the weekend, converted the construction site into a bike
track.
About 250 people gathered at the Sebastopol Community Center to
bid a final public goodbye to former Sebastopol Mayor Bill
Roventini, who died on June 27 at the age of 70. His mother,
Virginia “Noni” Roventini died Aug. 27 at the age of 94.
Across the county, crops of all varieties were running two to
three weeks behind schedule, thanks to an unusually deep and
consistent marine layer.
The 100th Gravenstein Apple Fair took place at Ragle Park, and
Sebastopol City Council won the 5th Annual Mayors’ Challenge blood
drive which took place throughout the month of July. It was the 4th
victory in a row for the city.
Sonoma County Sheriff’s officers and members of Korbel Winery
security located an illegal marijuana planting on Korbel property,
along with about 15 felled redwood trees, some up to 60 feet in
height. The operation was located about 1/4 mile up a mountain from
a fire road on Korbel Winery property. Deputies seized 103
marijuana plants standing approximately 2 to 3 feet high located
among numerous large redwood trees. The marijuana plants had been
planted in 50 gallon plastic bags containing potting soil, and
unknown suspect(s) had dammed up the nearby creek running a plastic
water line from the creek to the plants for a water source.
An 18-year-old woman was likely the first offender cited for
violating Sebastopol’s social host ordinance – passed in February –
following an underage party held at the residence where she was
housesitting for family friends while they were out of the state
with her parents. About 80 people attended the party on Ragle Road.
Police discovered the party by chance when they responded to an
incident at a local grocery store.
September:
A 31-year-old Guerneville man sustained gunshot wounds to both
of his legs when his brother accidently shot him while trying to
clear the weapon at a private shooting range
In one of its most brief discussions on the matter, the
Sebastopol City Council directed city staff to look into whether it
could place a moratorium on PG&E SmartMeters.
Bodega volunteer firefighter Ben Hakala, 35, was in critical but
stable condition after sustaining multiple burns as the result of
an electrical shock when he came into contact with an energized
downed 12,000-volt power line while fighting a wildland fire in the
Bodega Bay area.
A group of parents from the Sebastopol Union School District
transformed Ives Park into an Elizabethan village to raise money to
support programs in the SUSD. The 15th Annual Cajun Zydeco
Festival, hosted by the Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise, brought
dancing and good times to Ives Park as well. Proceeds from the
event, which draws nearly 2,000 people regularly, benefit West
County schools, public agencies and non-profit organizations.
Graton Day took new route and turnout was low, as clouds threatened
rain, but the parade still generated plenty of energy.
The lines were drawn in the board room of the Palm Drive Health
Care District, as for the first time in the District’s history
there was a contested election, which was largely seen as a
referendum of Brim Healthcare, Inc., a hospital management firm
based in Brentwood, TN hired to run the hospital.
October:
The Sebastopol City Council decided on Oct. 5 not to pursue a
moratorium against PG&E’s SmartMeters to the displeasure of
more than two dozen members of the community who have been
demanding action from the city since March.
The unseasonable heat didn’t deter scores of people from heading
into town to watch activities of Pomo Honoring Month and join in to
support global action addressing climate change on Oct. 10, 2010
(10/10/10). An estimated 7,347 events took place in 188
countries.
Palm Drive Hospital announced the hiring of a more permanent
CEO, Richard Polheber, a health care executive with more than 30
years’ experience from Tucson, AZ. Polheber replaced Interim CEO
Mike Lieb, who replaced former interim CEO Neil Todhunter.
There were no unicorns or offers of free ponies, but one of the
six candidates for Sebastopol City Council did want Sebastopol to
be like Disneyland to make it a destination for tourists. At a
candidates’ forum at Park Side School in Sebastopol, the common
theme was economic vitality and the need to maintain levels of
service that Sebastopol residents have come to expect despite the
bad economic times.
Grape growers raced to get their final crop picked, not because
they wanted to watch the World Series, but because damaging rains
were on their way. The previous weekend’s series of rain bands
dumped 3.5 to 5 inches of rain on the late-maturing grapes, with
growers focusing most efforts on saving as much chardonnay grapes
as possible.
Over its 37 years of existence, Sonoma County Farm Trails
rambled down many different marketing, leadership and financial
trails, but no change of direction for the non-profit association
was more abrupt than the ouster of its sitting board members,
replaced by an all-new nine-member interim board.
An “emergency” election was called by a faction of Farm Trails
members, upset over a “loss of focus” on smaller and family farm
members. The insurgent group had alleged the board was violating
the organization’s bylaws, appointing non-members to the board and
making inappropriate hiring decisions. Questions about financial
record keeping also were raised. The face-off and eventual coup
left some Farm Trails old-timers stunned and determined to keep the
organization together.
November:
West County Community Services celebrated its 35th anniversary
with a gathering of local leaders and friends of the organization
as the Redwood Empire Food Bank served more Sonoma County residents
than ever. “Need is up like never before, that is for certain,”
said REFB Executive Director David Goodman.
The Sebastopol Celtic Festival may have come to an end after 16
years when the board of directors of the Sebastopol Community
Cultural Center voted to no longer host the three-day festival,
citing unsustainable economic issues.
The Sebastopol City Council unanimously passed what is
considered to be a groundbreaking medical marijuana cultivation
ordinance that could serve as a blueprint for future ordinances
statewide.
A power clash escalated as Russian River winegrowers continued
to challenge state officials over regulations restricting the use
of Russian River water to protect grapes against frost. “We would
rather self-regulate,” said Geyserville grape grower Dave Fanucchi,
summing up the mood of agricultural interests at a hearing to kick
off preparation of an Environmental Impact Report on the state’s
proposed Russian River frost protection rules.
Santa arrived by fire truck for the annual tree lighting in
downtown Forestville on Nov. 28 and a few hundred Forestville
residents and their families braved the cold to enjoy cookies with
hot cider and coffee. The truck was called away to a fire, but that
didn’t stop the Jolly Old Elf or the tree lighting.
December:
The former bookkeeper at Benedetti Tire in Sebastopol was
charged with embezzling $44,000 from the company according to the
company’s owner Mark Reece. Reece said Vaughn Rhoades, a longtime
family friend who worked for the company for about eight years
began taking money from the business about 2 and 1/2 years ago.
Sebastopol’s new city council was sworn in and the city said
goodbye to Larry Robinson, who was a member of the first Green
Party majority city council in the U.S. in 2001. An era of
Sebastopol politics came to an end.
The business of swearing in new councilmembers Patrick Slayter
and Michael Kyes — who would be vice mayor before the evening was
over — was punctuated with a virtual love fest for councilmembers
Robinson and Linda Kelley, who served on the council for 12 and
eight years respectively. The first order of business saw
Councilmember Guy Wilson promoted to the position of mayor, while
newcomer Kyes was appointed as vice mayor.
The first fully elected board of directors in the 10-year
history of the Palm Drive Health Care District took the reins on
Dec. 6, coinciding with the first meeting for the hospital’s new
CEO. The meeting began with the swearing in of the new board, which
included incumbents Nancy Dobbs and Chris Dawson, along with
newcomer and longtime hospital volunteer Jared Dreyfus, who beat
out former board member Linda Johnson for the board’s 2-year
seat.
Sonoma County passed the wine-industry-friendly vineyard frost
protection ordinance despite protests that the public was left out
of the process. “This was all done in secret,” said Jim Doerksen, a
property owner, farmer and vineyard neighbor on Mark West Creek.
But growers and the County Board of Supervisors said the effort to
hammer out local frost protection rules represents a new chapter of
grower cooperation and educational outreach.
