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President Obama’s Executive Order to allow over 5,000,000 illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. if they meet certain rules is going before the Supreme Court. The Court’s decision may have a serious effect on unknown Springs’ residents.
Whatever the outcome, the Court’s ruling will reach into neighborhoods and locales across the nation. This isn’t rhetoric of Republican presidential candidates, it’s a reality. How many of the five million illegal immigrants covered by this case live among us in the Springs is unknown. It is likely that some live here, work here, and have children who were born here – American citizens.
During World War II there were movies, billboards, and stories proclaiming, “It can’t happen here!” This was in reaction to atrocities reported in Europe and Asia. A decision by the Supreme Court to round up and deport five million residents would certainly resemble the Nazi arrests of Jews in the 1930’s
As I write this, preparations are being made to hold the UN Conference COP21 in Paris as planned, despite the acts of terror that occurred November 14th. The G-7, an organization of powerful Western economies met earlier this year and agreed they could reduce their
Reality, not rhetoric, on immigration
carbon emissions by 2100.
In our home county, we see a flurry of activities centered on climate change,
“It Can’t Happen Here!” Or, can it?
But there’s no cause for complacency. Our fossil fuel emissions are down only because we’ve switched over to natural gas, much of it fracked. We have a drought that has been linked to climate change, and not enough rain so far to reassure ourselves.
and 40’s for transportation to camps. The result might be different, that is, deportation, not extermination, but the knock on the door and methods used to accomplish that end will be the same.
November 14 at a meeting presented by EarthCare at the First Congregational Church, Richard Dale, Executive Director of Sonoma Ecology Center, whose presentations are always reassuringly sweet, confessed he is “scared” by the consequences coming down the pike, but even that statement was mild compared to the reality:
Springs Community Alliance Meeting Draws A Crowd!
Climate change is an opportunity for human beings and human culture
to change – to move out of its patriarchal capitalist racist world-dominator
rut and figure out what evolutionary path to choose that will allow us to survive and create a better world for everyone. To do that, we are going to need more women’s voices to speak about how they believe we might re- orient ourselves, and non necessarily the voices of women in office, who
have been trained to think the way the dominant male personality thinks, but women activists, healers, organizational leaders, attorneys, writers and artists, business women and others who have been working on the sidelines for many years now, honing their skills. These women will certainly have new ideas about how to redirect commercial activity so that we don’t continue to exploit resources and indigenous people for the benefit of a few white fat-cats. Can I be any more explicit? You know who they are!
Chairperson Rich Lee presided over the November SCA meeting of nearly forty citizens. Topics discussed included...
Agua Caliente Road Speeding and Sight Issues... that were reported in the November Gazette will move to the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers in January. The Dept. of Transportation will recommend changes in parking, signage, and red curbing. These changes result from a meeting between Supervisor Susan Gorin and Aqua Caliente residents over traffic danger along that corridor.
Post Office and Churchmouse Get A Paint Job! The drab pink is gone thanks to Jack Metallinos, owner of the building at the corner of Hwy 12
and Boyes Blvd. Color specialist Elisa Stancil recommended the new hues. Supervisor Susan Gorin’s Springs Aide Jennifer Gray reported the color scheme was coordinated with architect Adrian Martinez who recently submitted plans for a pizzeria on the former Uncle Patty’s site.
Just to show how connected one thing is to another in this great fight to save the planet (which means, to save ourselves) the fate of the Sonoma Development Center will affect not only the 400 residents of the center and their families, but the whole disposition of a major wildlife corridor in the Valley.
Wish to be an Springs Community Alliance Officer? Participate on Committees? Be part of the Springs Renaissance! Contact Chairperson Rich Lee. (richlee@comcast.net). There’s room for everyone.
Last month we wrote about a story that had run in the North Bay Business Journal about plans to put an equestrian center on that land housing 27,000 horses! I checked that figure many times, folks, because it seemed so improbable and it’s accurate, but the story may not be. I refer you to the piece by Val Robichaud, publisher of the Sonoma Sun, in the current issue of the paper and online, showing that the obstacles to this plan are, in fact, many.
Chamber of Commerce Promotes Holiday Shopping... Laurie Decker announced that the Chamber is promoting a “Buy Sonoma - Buy Springs” program with door hangers and posters. Decker agreed copies should be bilingual.
Over at the Sonoma I-T, reporter Christian Kallen quoted 1st District Supervisor Susan Gorin as saying she was in the process of evaluating the county’s “very specific interest in protecting and preserving the undeveloped land, and transferring that land into the Sonoma county regional parks, and state parks for that matter.”
Ricardo Ybarra heads up La Prensa Sonoma.
Ricardo Ybarra introduced himself at the meeting. Ybarra will produce La Prensa Sonoma, a Spanish language e-mail newsletter. (www.laprensasonoma. com)
Robert Barnhart of the Lonesome Cowboy Ranch... reported on a “Springboard” meeting where Danielle Ronshausen of the County Health Services Department presented progress of the SNAP program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). SNAP visits local markets and evaluates health levels of products sold. Owners, if interested, receive advice about products. Ms. Ronshausen reported that Sonoma County young people (12 -18) have
the highest soda pop intake of any county in California. Barnhart and Marcos Suarez, County Program Manager, reported because of this program there has been a decline of sales of sugar drinks offered by markets.
Here’s the thing: the land is actually part of the Greenbelt that surrounds Sonoma. To protect that wildlife corridor (and the beautiful oak woodland that goes with it) we need to maintain the Greenbelt that is coming up for review now.
Future SCA Events: Chair Rich Lee announced that the next SCA meeting will be Thursday, December 10. In addition he announced a Springs Celebration and a Springs Town Hall Meeting to be held early next year
This Greenbelt, or Urban Growth Boundary, is crucial to preserving open space against rampant development for the many people (and their employers – you know Google is moving to Novato?) who are dying to buy a home up here. And why wouldn’t they? Sonoma County is a great place to live, but only if we can keep it from becoming like...Novato.
prompting environmentalists to crow about how we are ahead of the pack on this issue, which is not, alas, a significant achievement, given the slackers we are measured against.
In other words, if you don’t want to see the SDC turn into a business park of one sort or another, it’s essential to persuade the supervisors to maintain and even extend the growth boundary, because that will keep businesses and houses in urban areas, such as the Highway 101 corridor.
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