Page 39 - Sonoma County Gazatte May 2017

Sebastopol Endorses Safe Haven Sign
By Rob Milton
West County Community Services and City of Sebastopol has an
On April 18, the City Council endorsed the Community Safety Sign (text above) and encouraged its display in public view in businesses, stores, offices, schools, places of worship, and other buildings throughout Sebastopol and Sonoma County.
opportunity to provide housing for 15 to 30 low income families. Sebastopol has acquired an old established mobile home park & will be revamping infrastructure. WCCS will
provide housing and social
Liz explains that, if someone on the street feels bullied, threatened, or harassed and sees the sign, they would know that the people inside would understand and, importantly, offer a safe space.
Please contact us at housingunits@westcountyservices.org or 707-332-4456.
Donate Used Travel Trailers for Low Income Housing
This action is consistent with decisions made in February to adopt the Resolution for Safeguarding the Civil Rights, Safety, and Dignity of All Residents and to support SB 54 authored by Senator Kevin de Leon. It also addresses the City’s objectives to create a safe, healthy environment for residents and visitors and to build a cohesive and collaborative community identified as Peacetown USA.
services to all the residents at the mobile home park. We will begin providing social services during the spring of 2017 & housing during summer 2017.
One woman, working on her own, inspired this Council Proclamation. Forestville resident, Liz Larew, saw the sign in Mendocino last November and committed to its wider distribution. She started in her hometown, with help from the local gas station owner who was first to post the sign and has made over 600 free copies, then she expanded to Sebastopol.
WCCS plans on housing
new tenants in trailers on
8 vacant sites in the west
county Trailer Park. By
using the park’s upgraded
infrastructure and getting used trailers & refurbishing them, we can provide homes for thousands less than other methods.
We are looking for donated or super deals on used travel trailers. Any difference between market price & purchase price or donation is tax deductible. We are looking for donations first.
Trailers should be 25 ft - 35 ft long & everything should be in good working condition. Trailers with minor problems may be considered. Ability to tow trailers up to 35 feet is also needed.
Others, like Gary Sugiyama, a third generation Sonoma County resident and member of the Japanese-American community, agree, “The simple act of providing a safe haven may be the least we can offer someone in need.”
Russian River Estuary Project Meeting
The Sonoma County Water Agency will hold its annual meeting on
It is hard and important work to create a society where people feel safe. We support you..in taking a stand for the protection of our most vulnerable citizens, especially at a time when our wider American culture grows increasingly suspicious and vindictive. We believe such a welcoming stance..not only signals safety to those who are marginalized, but will add to the unique and lovely qualities that make Sebastopol a place where all people can thrive,” writes Rev. Benjamin J. Broadbent on behalf of the Council of the Community Church of Sebastopol.
Monday, May 15, 2017 to update the community on the Russian River Estuary Management Project. The meeting will be held at the Monte Rio Community Center, 20488 Highway 116, Monte Rio, from 6-7:30 p.m.
Our mission is to create peace and social justice through active nonviolence. Through our work at the Center, we are acutely aware that our current national climate is one in which none of us can take our safety for granted even in our very ‘blue’ Sonoma County,” according to Larry Harper, Board Member of the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County. Similarly, the Interfaith Council of Sonoma County is “committed to the rights and safety of all persons and all communities,” says Chair David Hoffman.
The meeting will consist of a presentation on the Russian River Estuary Management Project, which will include information about the annual
outlet channel management plan, and updates on the estuary water quality monitoring and pinniped monitoring programs. There will be a question and answer session following the presentations.
Reb Irwin Keller, Co-Chair of Of One Soul, comments, “While listing all
the ways and reasons that we offer our welcome might seem unnecessary
in a progressive place like Sebastopol, the national climate has created an environment in which no one can take their safety for granted. And so affirmative statements, like the sign that Liz Larew is offering, become a critical corrective to make sure that we are always embodying a spirit of welcome, kindness, safety and dignity.”
“We know there is always a lot of interest in the estuary management project from folks in the lower river communities,” said Water Agency Director
Lynda Hopkins. “Estuary management is one of the keys to the success of implementing the Biological Opinion. The annual community meeting is a chance for residents to receive regular updates on the Estuary Management Project. It provides a great opportunity to receive current information and ask questions.”
Omar Medina, President of the North Bay Organizing Project, believes “ The sign is an effective, visible tool to address the divide.”
Since the mid-1990s, the Water Agency has artificially breached the sandbar when it closes and increasing water levels in the estuary threaten low-lying properties. The Biological Opinion calls for managing the estuary as a summer lagoon with an outlet channel in place to enhance conditions for steelhead
“The placement of this sign in the Sebastopol commons will be a reminder
of the values that we, as Sonoma County residents, hold dear. It will also add
to Sebastopol’s unique atmosphere of friendliness and social awareness,” according to Patricia Andreine, President of The Women’s Support Network. “I will be pleased to ask individuals and offices and stores in Sebastopol to participate so that we are strong and public in our inclusiveness,” offers Barbara Briggs-Letson, international peace activist.
to grow and thrive, giving them a better chance to survive ocean conditions, while continuing to minimize flood risk.
Cathryn Couch, Executive Director of The Ceres Community Project, speaks from the heart, “Liz’s effort is consistent with connecting people of all ages and from all walks of like to one another, and to their value as an integral part of the community.” The City has posted a downloadable version on its website and Facebook page; hard copies are available at City Hall.
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The Biological Opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service in September 2008 required the Water Agency to change the way the estuary is managed in the summer. The purpose of the Estuary Management Project is to enhance summer habitat for young steelhead while minimizing flood risk in the estuary. The May 15 meeting is the ninth community meeting discussing the estuary since the Biological Opinion was issued.
For more information about the Russian River Estuary Management Project visit www.sonomacountywater.org/russian-river-estuary/ or contact Barry Dugan, at 547-1930 or barry.dugan@scwa.ca.gov.