Page 41 - Sonoma County Gazette Janaury 2019

New Beginnings
For example, this month the newly formed Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council under 5th District Supervisor Linda Hopkins begins
to meet. Our “MAC,” as it’s referred to, stretches from Forestville west as
far as Duncan’s Mills encompassing Hacienda, Pocket Canyon, Rio Nido, Guerneville, Monte Rio and Cazadero on its way. Your own Forestville representatives are Vesta Copestakes, owner and editor of this very paper you are reading, Lucy Hardcastle, writing this very column you are reading and Gary Harris, otherwise known as the man who knows everything that goes on in town, and owner of Sequoia Properties. Two other outstanding and impressive candidates, Allyson Bordessa and Iain Burnett will join our outreach team. Our goal? To represent you.
Yet you may ask, how does one get their voice heard through
this Council? After all it doesn’t take the place of individuals reaching out to their Supervisor. It’s a bit different than that. It’s more about tackling some of the bigger issues that affect us all. We need solutions and if we are to find and implement solutions we will need to work together, brainstorm and be open to creative ideas. Who better to get ideas from than the folks directly impacted by decisions? In Forestville, that’s us.
So how to best communicate these ideas? Perhaps a Facebook site for each town would work. Let’s include an email system, or even a Blog. For those of us not on the world-wide-web, how about an old-fashioned suggestion box located next to the bakery? We could have more Town Hall Meetings, which I love. Your MAC committee will be looking at all sorts of ways to stay in touch because your voice matters. Let it be heard!
Plant some TREES! A great family new year activity is to join the Forest Unlimited annual tree planting Jan. 5 & 6, 8:30 am at Guerneville Park and Ride. Sign up before the 5th at harlieankin@gmail.com. Tryouts for Little League scheduled for January 26th. Go to elmolinolittleleague.org.
Are you thinking of other ways to start over, or start
something new? If you are a patient at the Forestville Wellness Center, new wellness groups start in January. Think smoking cessation (save money, smell better) Diabetes Wellness (healthy and strong is more gratifying than the momentary thrill of donuts, spoken by a former donut addict.) Chronic pain support and resilience group, (get off the pain meds dragging you down and lessen pain that’s keeping you grumpy.) It’s a local clinic with amazing physicians and services right here in town!
No matter how old I get, I love the idea of new beginnings. January seems to afford us the opportunity to do just that. Start anew.
Local Board of Directors Meetings in Forestville
Guests are welcome!
Forestville Planning Association
1st Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Food for Thought Community Room, 6550 Railroad Ave. Website is 95436.org.
Forestville Chamber of Commerce
1st Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Fire Station Community Room, 6554 Mirabel Road. Website is forestvillechamber.org. Email is wendi_gianni@sbcglobal.net
2nd Tuesday of the month at 6 pm in their community room, 6554 Mirabel Road. They do skip months so check either on their website, forestvillefire.org, posted on their front door or on the bulletin board outside the station.
2nd Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Water District office across from the fire station. To get on their agenda, submit a request a week ahead.info@forestvillewd.com. Website is forestvillewd.com
Forestville Fire Protection District Board
Forestville Water District Board
Russian River County Water District Board
4th Tuesday of the month at 6 pm at the Fire Station community room, 6554 Mirabel Road. Website is rrcwater.org.
Forestville Youth Park Board
3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 pm in their Community Room, 7045 Mirabel Road. Website forestvilleyouthpark.org.
West Sonoma County High School District Board
Wednesdays intermittently between Analy and El Molino. Contact website www.wscuhsd.k12.ca.us. El Molino High School has a Boosters Club that meets the 4th Monday of the month at 6 pm at the school.
Forestville Union School District Board
2nd Thursday of the month at 6pm, held at the school office, 6321 Highway 116. Website is foresvilleusd.org
So, what will your new start be? Is it health like we mentioned above or is it a better connection to your community? If so, check out Local Board Meetings (list to your rght). Your local nonprofits are doing amazing work. By attending a meeting, you will learn what’s going on, what’s meaningful, what’s important, plus going to those meetings is a way to meet incredible, dedicated people. You may even want to join a Board to strengthen our community.
If you are just into having fun and eating good food while connecting to others, you can get well connected and well fed at the Chamber’s 3nd Annual Crab Feed Saturday, January 19 from 5-11pm at the Holy Ghost Hall in Sebastopol. “Best Crab ever” was last year’s refrain. Tickets are $55 each at Sequoia Property, Shear Salon and the Pharmacy too. Cool auction and raffle items with dancing to a live band included.
Pasta Feed for El Molino basketball is on Saturday, January 12 at Big Bottom Market in Guerneville. Get your tickets at brownpapertickets.com. It’s called the Big Bottom Market Slam Dunk. Yummy biscuits!
Connect at the next Soul Café at the Methodist Church on Sunday, January 27 from 5-6:30 pm. A soup and salad meal is a mere $10 ($5 for child) which supports Goatlandia Farm Animal Rescue this time around. Entertainment comes from The Farallon’s, a great upbeat three-piece acoustic rock and folk band. Soul Café is turning into a fun gathering spot for our town.
Don’t think for an instant you aren’t needed. Is 2019 your year to get involved? Through a Board or through supporting our local fund-raising activities, we need you. And you just might need us too.
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