Page 33 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2016

youth and families is in the process of creating more beds for young people who are homeless. The Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) (855-707- 4678) a pilot effort by the city and operated by Catholic Charities has expanded its services.
These are the
boat owners and
crewmembers of the
Fishermen’s Marketing
Association of Bodega
Bay. They are suffering
because the warm
waters of Los Niño
sweeping in these
storms have brought
with them a massive
red tide rendering the
Dungeness crab, all of us
enjoy at this time of year,
toxic. While the loss of
Neptune’s sweetest gift
is a minor inconvenience
to most of us, it’s a hardship to restaurants and markets depending on tourism, and a disaster to the fishermen who call Bodega Bay their home.
Mayor John Sawyer is optimistic by the restructuring and renaming the former Economic Development Department to the Housing and Parking Department. Their main focus will be on affordable housing and homelessness. Sawyer is encouraged by the cities “out there” campaign and invites people to visit the website OutThereSR.com where you can find out what Santa Rosa has to offer tourists and young entrepreneurs.
Councilman Tom Schwedhelm is the new Vice Mayor. There will be a budget priority meeting on January 26th and the public is invited. 2016 is an election year and so far Councilwoman Julie Combs will be a candidate along with new comer Jack Tibbetts.
Diversity Workshop at Community Baptist Church
Bodega Bay Crab Traps
This year housing and homelessness were the priority of the Santa Rosa City Council. According to Council Woman Julie Combs the city now has a total of 560 shelter beds and Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) providing crisis intervention, counseling and community support to
By Jim Kelly
As the heavy clouds roll into Northern California this holiday season bringing
Remain Onshore
a blessing of rain to the parched soil, we can give thanks to the Los Niño currents. But for a large number of families living on Sonoma’s coast, this Christmastime will bring to them no tree, no gifts, no songs around a warming fire.
“We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are” a saying of author Anais Nin came to light at the at the “Community Training on Implicit Bias” hosted by the North Bay Organizing Project (NBOP) Education Task Force
in December. The training was provided by Chris Bridges from the Equal Justice Society (EJS) in Oakland (justicesociety.org). The EJS is transforming
On December 20, these quiet, hardworking neighbors of ours gathered at the Bodega Bay Grange to measure their choices for the coming year. The mood was, of course, somber but foremost on their minds was making sure the public’s health is not placed at risk by bringing in crabs with high counts of domoic acid produced by the algae. Crabs and clams pose a significant health risk now, possibly causing seizures or even death, so the State of California has suspended the fishing season.
the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. They use a three-pronged approach to accomplish these goals, combining legal advocacy, outreach and coalition building, and education through effective messaging and communication strategies.
The workshop attended by approximately 100 people focused on exploring individual and collective bias along with looking at cultural diversity and its impact on us. The instructor asked us to imagine we were walking down the street and saw a person of color walking towards us. I personally was surprised when I recognized that I felt fear. According to Bridges this type of reaction
In order to open the crabbing season, two subsequent clean testings of crabs in all relevant parts of the coastline in California need to be recorded and nobody is more determined to get this done right than our fishermen in Bodega. Bay. At the meeting, they all voiced a determination to make sure all the waters off the shores of Sonoma and Marin Counties were free of toxic crabs. At their own cost, they are motoring out and pulling in crabs for testing by the State Health Department.
is called “unconscious bias” which is more subtle then we recognize. It is important to note that according to Bridges psychological studies show that children develop an adult like understanding of race around five years old. It is my opinion after attending that all schools and organizations in our county would benefit from this type of experience.
So, with their boats sitting heavy in the water, owners and crew are waiting for the all-clear signal. They ask only for some relief from the County of Sonoma by suspending slip fees while their boats float idle at the docks, help for families of the crew, some of whom are going hungry over the holidays, and patience from the County in letting those crab cages sitting along Coast Highway stay where they are just a little bit longer.
New Location for Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce
Good news for 2016: Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce is moving back downtown to 50 Old Court House Square in Santa Rosa. The move is taking place tentatively the second week in January.
Any kind citizens of our county who wants to help with donations to these families can call 707-875-3625. This would be a miracle for many of them.
The situation is dire and wouldn’t it be a wonderful Christmas miracle if our wineries and other businesses could come up with some assistance for our Bodega Bay men of the sea.
The new location will have an expanded meeting room for seminars and workshops; the central location provides greater accessibility for business meetings and forums as well as being more easily accessible to the general public. “Their presence in the heart of Santa Rosa is critical to influencing policy, growing our economy and supporting businesses downtown,” says Julie Kawahara, owner of Kindred Fair Trade Handcrafts.
None of these proud people are going to ask anyone for a dime so you aren’t hearing this from them. They will suffer and lose their homes, boats or jobs without any of us knowing about their plight. But as you’re having your Christmas season filled with the abundance you’ve worked so hard for, please pause a moment and think of those who need you more than you may know.
New Park in Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa Recreation & Parks is excited to announce the opening of Finali Neighborhood Park located at 1420 Range Avenue. Finali Park sits on 2.8 acres of land and features a community garden, dog park, large playground structure, tot lot, walking paths, a barbecue area, picnic tables and multiple grassy areas.
Elaine B. Holtz is producer/Host of “Women’s Spaces” Monday 11-12 noon & 11-12 midnight. All shows on line at www.womensspaces.com
At the very least, anyone who has any clout with our board of supervisors, please urge them to pass emergency measures to help save our fishing fleet. Relief from slip fees would definitely be a miracle for them and help keep our fleet in business.
Richard and Susan Finali purchased the original 28 acres of farmland
over 70 years ago. The land recently was developed by the Wolff Co. of Scottsdale, Arizona. Adjacent to the park will be 270 unit multi-family housing development. Once construction is completed, the Wolff Co. will dedicate Finiali Park to the City of Santa Rosa and the Recreation & Parks Department will maintain the park. Agricultural-themed play structure details in the new park are a nod to the land’s history.
Tests are showing marked improvement in the toxin levels but it’s already too late for the Christmas market and many boat owners are thinking the season may be over for them.
I believe in miracles and I hope all of you will be blessed by them in the coming year, especially those of you who go out to sea in boats. We love ya, guys, hang in there.
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