Page 34 - Sonoma County Gazette August 2019

Come Sea the Sea Squill
To be prepared is half the victory. ~ Miguel de Cervantes
I’m admittedly anxious—two years ago I planted one of my favorite flowers, the giant Sea Squill. These striking tall flower spikes grow to four or five feet and are common on sea cliffs throughout the Mediterranean. However, they also can thrive away from the water. The giant bulbs are depicted in ancient art and can weigh up to 14 pounds, reaching the size of a small watermelon easily.
Last month’s Gazette led off with an informative, motivating article by Vesta titled “Ready for Anything” discussing what we all can do to take care of ourselves, our families and our neighbors in case of emergencies such as fire, earthquake or flood. After all, as was pointed out: “There are only so many First Responders available. They will be busy.”
While I know they may be tricky to grow for our area, I’m eager to see if these fall-blooming wonders will make it here in Geyserville. The bulbs I ordered arrived had already sprouted and promptly died back the first year, but this spring they emerged and sent up long, strappy green leaves. Those have died back, as they should, and now I’m waiting to see if the flower spikes will take their place. You can watch along with me—they are expected to emerge in the next few weeks right by the driveway at our northern entrance, at the eastern end of our row of purple and lavender Lilies of the Nile (which, unfortunately for us, have nothing to do with the Nile—they hail from South Africa). Folklore says that the Sea Squill flowers are a sign of eternal life, since they continue to grow even after they have been cut to use in arrangements, and the bulbs themselves can endure for decades, growing bigger and bigger. If these are happy enough to bloom this year, I’ll be putting in more and may have some to share - email me at the address above.
Coincidently, around the time she read the article, Carol was contacted by one of her neighbors in The Cottages development who’s a member of a team starting to plan for emergencies there. During the 2017 fires, Cloverdale was threatened to some degree and a number of us put limited plans in place; but many, if not most, of our plans have gone by the wayside over time.
Dance and Drink Under the Stars
In 2017, across Sonoma County, 23 residents died and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed. Cloverdale was one of the lucky places, something for which we will always be profoundly grateful and truly humbled. Our hometown was on alert; but none of us had to leave.
Coppola’s Winery is continuing its “Bottles and Beats” series, with Kingsborough providing the “beats” part of the evening. This event is held
by the lovely outdoor swimming pool and the poolside cafe will operate extended hours, serving food until 830 and drinks until 930 Wednesday, July 31st. Enjoy a cool evening under the stars from 6:30 to 9:30pm. We do go to bed early midweek in western Sonoma County, even in summer! No cover charge and no reservations are necessary. For more information, see their website at francisfordcoppolawinery.com/en/visit/winery-events/.
More Music: There’s no shortage of music in Geyserville this summer. A new entry to the summer concerts is at The Ranch at Lake Sonoma, which
is offering a free Summer Sunset concert series every *other* Sunday
from 4:00pm until sunset at their beautiful property by Lake Sonoma. On August 11th, the band will be Spike’s Awesome Hotcakes, which is almost becoming Geyserville’s official band—they’ve performed at Diavola’s and at the Redwood Theater at Isis Oasis Sanctuary. Their energizing New Orleans- style music will get things hopping. On August 25th, the Thugz, a Jam Band, will provide the entertainment. At both events, beer, wine and food will be available for purchase. The Ranch is at 100 Marina Road Lot A at Lake Sonoma, with a turn-off on the way to the Marina. I recommend you read their detailed directions at theranchatlakesonoma.com/directions.html as this is one of those places where your GPS may lead you a little astray. More information is on their website at theranchatlakesonoma.com/events-and-meetings.html.
34 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 8/19
Next time, we may not be so lucky. It’s time for each of us to take a thorough look at what we have in place for emergencies. At the same time we need to look around, connect with our neighbors, and plan together. Throughout our county-- Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Petaluma and Sebastopol have begun the process of instituting forward thinking plans and making the connections necessary for safety.
While on that very well-stocked event page, scroll down to check out the “Splish-Splash Coppola’s Bash” pool party scheduled for August 10th. Tickets are $75 and all guests must be 21. Later in August, the “Bottles and Beats” evening returns on August 29th with the Rockabilly group Roem Baur.
For example, in The Cottages’ neighborhood, encompassing Pepperwood Drive, Laurel Court, and Buckeye Circle, one resident’s husband has mobility issues while another resident copes with blindness, and others are chair-bound. As with most of us, thoughts of what would happen if a fire broke out or an earthquake occurred has its residents asking vital questions like: How can we get help? What can we do to make a difference and make our lives, and those of our neighbors, safer in case of an emergency?
If our city does get into trouble, we’ll need to know who’s close-by, who can help or, conversely, whom we might be able to help. If we ever have to leave our homes and even this entire area, we’ll need to know how we can all get to safety without causing congestion and other problems. For instance: what are the surest routes in and out of our neighborhoods?
Cloverdale is embarking on the path of planning for safety
These neighbors obtained a format of COPE’s (Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies) plans and began the process of building their network. They got together to begin the discussion and to gather information. Kevin Souder from Cloverdale Fire Department talked to them about the emergency process. Take-aways. . . ?
1. Don’t call 911—avoid jamming the lines!
2. Avoid crowding the roads—wait for a Police officer to come tell you to leave! 3. Sign up for SoCo Alerts—alerts specifically for Sonoma County!
The community gathered important information, which is kept confidential, on who’s in each home, phone numbers, emails, location of keys, special skills. One person is in the process of making an emergency data-base, creating another layer of connection. They are getting to know their neighbors in a whole new way – one that provides caring and safety. They are on the move.
To start learning more about how to protect yourself and those you love most by organizing within your neighborhood, check out: smartlivinghealdsburg.org srcity.org/461/Citizens-Organized-to-Prepare-for-Emergencies
4. Stay connected—remember there are only so many First Responders!
Others within Cloverdale’s area of influence are COPE planning as well: Pine Mountain, Asti, and Mountain Pine Road in Palomino Lakes are laying the groundwork for emergency preparedness and neighbor helping neighbor.
bacc.org/uploads/1/0/2/9/102989796/norcalemergencyguide_0415.pdf
If you need more information or want to talk with someone knowledgeable
regarding COPE in your Cloverdale neighborhood, drop us an email at: cloverdalecomments@sonic.net and we’ll help you make connections to get together, plan, and connect with your neighbors!