Page 42 - Sonoma County Gazette 3-19
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   Well. That was a bit of a downpour, wasn’t it?
Good day to you, reader of the Gazette. Back in January’s column I wrote about my new year intention to plug into the effort to replace the gym floor at the Community Center. Well, I have news to report. I attended the January meeting of the Occidental Community Center Advisory Council and learned that we
are in the running for grant funding from the Bothin Foundation that could potentially give us all the money needed to replace the floor (apprx. $20K). Pretty exciting stuff! We will receive word on or around February 22nd. We might not get anything, or perhaps will get a portion of the request but not the full amount. Keep your fingers crossed.
Though honestly, it would be a reach for me to try to guess the weather you’re sitting in as you read this. I write these words, generally a week or
two before you read them. This entails what the financial world likes to call “forward looking statements.” There’s usually an extensive codicil of caveats in the fine print disclaiming all responsibility for any such forward lookers made which might turn out to be as good as a weatherman’s guess. Consider this opening paragraph my codicil of caveats.
I also learned that the OCCAC at this point basically consists of two people. Kudos to them for carrying the torch of improving the Community Center, finding this foundation and putting together the grant proposal. On the bright side my attendance represented a 50% increase, on the downside—come on friends and neighbors, please step up your help is needed! They meet every first Thursday at 6:30pm at the Community Center (March 7th).
I made some forward lookers in my last column, inadvertently. And really, these were more sideways looking statements. I was rabbiting on, pun very much intended, about the local wildlife of Camp Meeker. I speculated that if there were mountain lions, present, it was likely to be a solitary male, patrolling some fifty square miles of territory. It so happens that I was strolling about the Sylvania Heights neighborhood, admiring the Bigfoot statue and its seasonal floral display. There is an artist’s eye at work here, I don’t need to tell you, but
In hopes that we do receive the full funding request the floor could be replaced in the next few months which would be a wonderful improvement for the community. This would also allow for energy and fund-raising efforts to shift focus to remodeling the Community Center bathrooms and resurfacing the tennis courts. The tennis courts are obviously the low hanging fruit of those two projects and I am told a quote of $15,000 has been given to take care of that job. As with the gym floor I will put out the thought, does anyone have any connections
I think I will tell you anyway. That artist’s eye is also at work in the splendid little jewel of a playground I found there behind the big fella. Call me late to the party all you want, but...you’re right. I am hanging my head in shame over here. I do need to get out more, and the good news is, I am doing so.
Ah, but I digress. While in this jewel of a playground (those swings!), I happened to meet a perspicacious young lass of four or five years, whose name escapes me. She is in the Occidental Towing familial orbit, of that I’m pretty sure, because she volunteered to educate me on the drinking fountain water policies (off in the winter because pipes might freeze) and the general state of things on the Morelli side. I had been strolling about following up a tip from the Union Café Regulars (you guys know who you are) that there are some old “Indian Caves” over on that side, and I asked her advice. She didn’t know from caves, but she volunteered that sometimes she and Mom go looking for arrowheads. I came up dry on the caves, but who knows? It’s probably behind a fence somewhere.
Yet again, I digress. I know this is a bit of a shaggy dog story. Or, as
it turns out, a shaggy puma story. My charming young acquaintance also informed me that said puma has been sighted up and around the water tank on Morelli. She told me this with dazzling brio, but I sensed proper concern amidst her aplomb. Mountain lions are very serious business! That’s my lede, and I’ve done a proper job of burying it, haven’t I? Work with me on this. Follow my
lede, so to speak. Our mountain lion—let’s dub him Monty—has been sinuously insinuating himself into the wilds above Camp Meeker the way he has this column. Forget Monty Python, the real master of Not Being Seen is good
old Monty the Mountain Lion. Monty is as OG as G gets, and he knows that messing around with humans is not good for business. It’s nothing personal, folks: just business. Monty would like to mind his business and let us mind ours, and I do believe that he has earned the right to his turf. Follow the rules (the ones on the signs posted on some of the gates). Or go to mountainlion.
org. They got some wonderful information on staying safe in Mountain Lion country.
It’s humbling to not always be at the top of the food chain. Embrace that feeling. It’s good for you. Respect it, and respect the OG out there in the bush.
And speaking of humble... I give you the possum. In my cataloguing
of the Varmints of Camp Meeker, I completely overlooked him! I know this because I was pondering on my porch one recent eve, and one of those homely little critters overlooked me! I was there minding my own business and thought I saw a cat coming up on the porch to mooch a meal. Mooching yes—cat no! He or she was probably as surprised as I was, but to his/her credit the possum did not emit a girly little shriek like I did! The possum graciously acted afraid of me and scuttled off behind the garbage cans while I claimed victory. So yes, Mr. or Ms. Possum. Respect to you as well. Word to your Mother.
42 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 3/19
that could help make this project happen? Money of your own certainly or relationship with sporting goods or tennis specific companies. Perhaps the USTA?
I know everyone who lives in our area has a general fondness for the community and would profess to wanting the best for it. I also know that you
all have plenty going on in your personal lives and limited free time. However for our community to function, let alone improve we need your help. As a small unincorporated town we don’t have people on payroll to perform many functions that other towns can rely on. We also lack in interest and funding trickling down from the county level.
These realities can feel like negatives holding us down, they can also plug into our already strong sense of self-reliance. It truly does take a village. I implore all of you, and especially those of the younger generations to get involved keeping the village functioning and moving forward.
The last two evenings I attended events at the Arts Center—a book launch and a concert. The book launch was free, and the concert was a very reasonable $15. Both were fun, were attended almost exclusively by the elder generation (though there were two teenage girls dancing up a storm at the concert – awesome!) and both had plenty of empty seats. Coming to an event is an easy way to support the community. A little more potential effort in support is that they always need help with the set up and breakdown for events. Or donations of time or money to help complete the new lobby project.
I have already mentioned the need for more people engaging in the OCCAC group. Another group I work with, the Occidental Community Council would really benefit from some increased community interest. We meet the third Saturday of every Month at 10:30am at the Community Center (March 16th). Our longtime secretary is retiring so we could use help in that regard or, if note-taking isn’t your thing we could use help in deciding what community projects are most deserving of the thousands of dollars we have in our budget for this year and beyond.
Speaking of projects, do you realize that our town doesn’t have a public restroom or water fountain? That just seems crazy to me. Well, I can tell you neither of those things is going to change unless we rise to the challenge of making it happen.
Trudy who runs the after-school program at the Community Center is planning an Easter event on April 20th from 9-12. I am sure she would be happy to have help in creating a successful event, stop by the Center weekday afternoons and see what ya’ll can accomplish.
Another group picking up steam locally is Fire Safe Occidental. They are looking to improve the safety and resiliency of our community in relation to fire. Their next meeting is prior to this issue hitting the newsstands but check out their website for more general information and to learn about future meetings at firesafeoccidental.org
Thanks for coming along on another article ride. I welcome your input and I hope to see you out and about—helping to create and maintain community.






































































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