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Election Results - Incumbents Return to Council, Measures Q and R Pass by Wide Margins
We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know. W. H. Auden
Happy Holidays to you and thanks for reading
A special shout out to Brenda Bellinger, Alicia Hugg, and Barbara Harris for saying they read this column each month.
Cotati’s Holiday Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 7th
Come to this enjoyable Cotati event. The celebration happens from 4 to 8 pm in La Plaza Park. When our daughter attended Thomas Page School, we loved singing Christmas Carols with Cotati’s Troup 4 Boy Scouts. “The children grow excited on the count down (to the annual lighting) that they almost rush the stage,” said Mark Landman. “...an old tradition in Cotati going back well over twenty years. The event includes free cocoa and coffee, arts and crafts and...Santa Claus on a fire engine.” Josh Rheinhart, The Community Voice.
Rohnert Park Cotati Regional Library Food Drive
Bring canned food to the library. Each winter they donate food to the Redwood Empire Food Bank. In a spirit of giving, remember those in need year-round. Beyond the feeling, and benefit of doing good, the library will forgive your late fees. That’s right. Time to square your library account and fines by bringing canned food. Vegetables, beans, soup, stew, and chili all help fill empty tummies and warm people.
Holiday Special, free gift wrapping and shipping
Marc Hoffman makes a most generous offer. When you buy a copy or two of Red Sky at Night: Dog Leader Mysteries from me, he will gift wrap and mail it for you in the U.S.A. Please email me at my public email above or find me at Redwood Writers Club holiday meeting and potluck at the Flamingo Hotel, Sunday, December 9 from 2-4:30 pm. Come at 1 pm to listen or ask questions in the Author Support Group I facilitate. Guest speaker will be Elizabeth Stark. She promises to deliver on the topic: Secret to a Page-Turner.
Emergency Preparedness for Pets
Luckily, our local animal shelter is proactive helping pet lovers. Take advantage of their “Get Them Back Home” Campaign—Every lost pet should have a way to get back home. Rohnert Park Animal Shelter provides a FREE pet ID tag and a back-up microchip to all residents of Rohnert Park and Cotati. No appointment necessary, just come by the shelter during regular open hours: Wed. 1-6:30; Thurs.-Fri.-Sat. 1-5:30; Sun. 1-4:30. Thanks to Mickey Zeldes, the RPAS supervisor for her weekly column, All About Pets in The Community Voice. Her article on preparedness for pets inspired this section.
Do you have pet carriers handy for rabbits and cats? Is your dog’s leash
kept in the same place? Do you have pictures of your pets in case they disappear? Are they microchipped so they will be easy to identify? Do you have a list of all medications your pets are on? Smart suggestions: Scan or snap a smart phone photo of each bottle of pet medicine. You will need these to show to a veterinarian after you evacuate to get a refill. Also take a picture of each pets’ vaccination records to show proof if needed.
If these methods are not available, put pet medical information with pet emergence supplies or pet crate. Pack a bag with pet food and litter. These items will need to be rotated every two months to keep them fresh and usable. Some emergency shelters allow pets. Still, make a backup plan where your pets can stay in case a shelter does not have room for pets. For a list of what items to gather and keep for your pet during an emergence visit ASPCA disaster preparedness or the Human Society.org.
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Although some absentee and provisional ballots from the November 6th election remain to be counted, it appears that Sebastopol voters have returned the incumbents to Council for another term. Congratulations to my colleagues, Patrick Slayter and Una Glass. The swearing-in takes place on December 4, assuming election results are certified by then. Everyone’s invited to join the public ceremony.
Congratulations to newcomer Vaughan Higginbotham for his strong showing. He took on many of the traditional tasks of a campaign—a brochure, website, signs, candidates’ forums, loads of official paperwork, some walking door-to-door—and garnered an impressive number of votes for a first-time campaigner.
There’s another election in two years. Maybe some more “young” candidates will enter the race? This campaign, there was definite interest in “new blood,
“ a “fresh face,” and “youth!”—comments that I heard on the campaign trail, along with “Good for the kid!” when voters congratulated me on my win afterwards.
If you’re a future candidate out there in the wings, don’t wait. Step up now, become known, and create a track record for yourself by demonstrating your skills, values, personality, and effectiveness to our community over the next 24 months. As I wrote last month, a great way to start is to serve on boards or committees. Some Council Members have served on boards, like the Planning Commission or for non-profits.
Meanwhile, remember that there are two relatively “fresh” Council Members at your service: Michael Carnacchi, often called “the bootmaker,” and
Neysa Hinton. They were voted in, in 2016, and had no elected or appointed experience when they ran. Engage with them, let them know where you stand and what you’d like them to accomplish.
More election results: Measures Q and R passed by wide margins, offering some financial help to the city coffers. Thank you to Cordelia Hurst, Executive Director of the Community Cultural Center for launching a modest sign effort and to the voters for confidence in the city’s fiscal management and service delivery. Measure M for the parks also passed. Sebastopol’s public spaces will get a financial boost to help with maintenance.
VOTE AGAIN – with Your Holiday Dollars! Local non-profits appeal for help each holiday season. Consider those who offer you valuable activities and help them out with a generous donation. Our City doesn’t have the band- width to fund and staff traditional services like a Community Center or a Senior Center, or a Parks and Recreation Department so your financial help is critical to our local non-profits.
Support local merchants by shopping for gifts in town. Park once and browse Main Street or ride the free Local Shuttle #24 from the north end to the south end of town and through The Barlow, hopping on and off at leisure.
In between purchases, enjoy a pastry, coffee, meal, or drink. Mathew Carson, the new owner at 116 S. Main Street, invites shoppers to try his place, Mothers Ruin, with its remodeled loungey feel. Open daily at 4 pm, he serves craft cocktails featuring local distillers and breweries. Check out the holiday menu, consider having your holiday party there, or drop in after the Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 6.
Each year the Chamber of Commerce lights the official holiday tree at
the City’s Public Park on The Plaza. Festivities start at 5 pm and include hot beverages, popcorn, children’s activities, and seasonal entertainment. Santa arrives via fire truck towards the end of the evening, before 8 pm. Candlelight and carols make memories.
Remember Others and Create Joy this Holiday Sebastopol has many churches, thrift stores, Friends of the Sebastopol Library, and other organizations that take year-end donations to benefit others, including our own homeless people, our 2017 fire survivors, and the Camp Fire victims.
Make time this busy season to: sort a dresser for hand-me-downs; organize
a closet to cull give-aways; look through a book shelf for a good read to pass along; dig through the kitchen cupboards for those unused items. Give them to others who can use them. Share your good fortune.