Page 39 - Sonoma County Gazette March 2018.indd

The Barlow Sets the Bar High
The Barlow Event Center was aglow with trendy, small-town charm on February 8, when the City of Sebastopol hosted the rst 2018 meeting of the Sonoma County Mayors and Council Members Association.
The evening held special signi cance for our City in that Mayor Patrick Slayter was installed as the Chair of the Association. Iit was the rst time in history that two electeds from the same city to hold the o ce of Chair were present at the same meeting; I have also served in this capacity earlier when I was Mayor. Sebastopol was congratulated for our longevity in leadership.
Nine Mayors left to right: Madolyn Agrimonti, Sonoma; Brigette Mansell, Healdsburg; Mark Landman, Cotati; Chris Coursey, Santa Rosa; Joe Palla, Cloverdale; Pam Sta ord, Rohnert Park; Bruce Okkrepkie, Windsor, David Glass, Petaluma; and Patrick Slayter, Sebastopol, with Hawke
“Sarah, before I say anything else, I want to tell you how much I like The Barlow,” Carol Russell from Cloverdale enthused when I greeted her at the entrance to the donate venue. “I was a little lost in the buildings but I found parking and I found this great spot!”
First Lady Theresa Russo added her warm welcome to our countywide guests, including Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins. Theresa sta ed the registration table throughout the early evening.
Vice Mayor Neysa Hinton created a stunning setting with her three-foot high centerpieces, using tall cylindrical vases, provided by Assistant City Manager Mary Gourley. The vases were lled with green apples then topped with seasonal owers, such as calla lilies, purchased from the Sequoia Flower Mart. Poster boards from our Community Gratitude event, recognizing our local restorm heroes, decorated the front of the room.
“This is the best food we’ve ever had at one of these meetings,” David Glass of Petaluma praised our chef, Susan of Trends Catering, also known for the lunches she prepares for the Friday-noon Rotary Club. Beer donated by Crooked Goat and wine from Friedeman, McPhail, and Wind Gap no doubt added to everyone’s enjoyment.
The Association provides a public forum for exchange of city updates and discussion of regional issues. Through written reports, each city summarizes its recent actions and successes, and promotes upcoming community events. The evening’s informational program focuses on wider concerns.
Facility PALS to assist professionals working with children with special needs. Social PALS, Therapy PALS, Reading PALS, and Comfort PALS Teams to
For this meeting, the program covered some of the emergency services during the restorm, as o cials are still trying to understand “what really happened” during those long two weeks so our communities can be better prepared. It was the rst time all of us had gathered since the disaster, our meeting last October having been cancelled.
serve the special needs of the community.
Courthouse PALS to provide emotional support and comfort to victims and
Mayor Slayter approached the topic in an unexpected way. He brought First Dog Hawke and Hawke’s friends, Rudy, Star and Nadia who are PALS, “Paws as Loving Support” Assistance Dogs. These four dogs worked the crowd during the appetizer course.
visits to the shelters during the res and to schools as they reopened afterwards. During non-emergency times, the teams regularly visit libraries, schools, elder care facilities, Juvenile Hall, and the airport. They o er de-stressing help during nals week at SRJC and SSU.
“I was able to go to the re ghter base camp at the Fairgrounds with Hawke a few times and visit all the remarkable and sel ess re ghters who came to our assistance when it was needed,” Patrick explained the dogs’ presence.
The rst level of training takes three days and is o ered several times a year. Owners and dogs interested in becoming certi ed Comfort Teams take several more days of training to learn how to be e ective in more sensitive situations.
PALS is a local non-pro t organization run entirely by volunteers dedicated to enhancing the human/animal bond by providing specially trained dogs for several purposes: Service PALS to help children with disabilities, including Autism and Down’s syndrome.
“It is fun to be able to share my dog with others and Hawke is the star of the show. I am really just his valet and driver,” Patrick made light of the important
witnesses of violent crimes before, during and at the conclusion of a trial. Of the almost 70 Social Therapy Teams and Comfort Teams, most made daily
community service he o ers. pawsaslovingsupport.org.
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