Page 42 - Sonoma County Gazette MARCH 2020
P. 42

   The annual Occidental Fools Parade is coming up on Saturday, April 4th from 1 – 4pm. Meet at the Community Center at 12:30 to participate in the parade. After the parade winds its way through town it will end at the Arts Center where there will be live music, food & drink (for purchase), fun and frivolity. Put on your most foolish attire and attitude and come join in the festivities – it’s a great event!
The Elections have begun! With California being in the Super Tuesday this year, we should have a better opportunity to impact changes on the national level. Please vote, and let’s hope for the best!
Some updates on local EV chargers: Monte Rio Rec and Park District has decided not to pursue a public EV charger at the Community Center. The good news is Northwood appears to be interested in moving forward with EV chargers. There will be good grant subsidies available in the fall for public chargers so hopefully Monte Rio will have our first public charger by the end of this year.
On the Hate Free Community sign front, Rec & Park has also decided not to reinstall this sign at the entrance to the Community Center. They have asked the Monte Rio Chamber if the sign could instead be installed on the Triangle sign. Hopefully the sign will be prominently displayed again by next month.
Set to a soundtrack of soothing ocean waves rising from the Sonoma coast below, LandPaths hosted their first stewardship workday of 2020 in January at Ocean Song Preserve. It was the inaugural offical workday since LandPaths acquired and protected the 421 acre property in October.
“ It felt like a new beginning,” says Bilingual Stewardship Specialist Nicolas Whitaker. “The land that we now call Ocean Song has been tended by human hands for thousands of years; the landscape has been shaped by stewardship. The excitement to continue in the tradition of tending this beautiful preserve was palpable for all those present.”
Several businesses are up for sale after a difficult year.
The event drew an eclectic mix of 24 volunteers, including former Willow Creek trail stewards, former Coyote Camp summer nature campers, and members of the well-established, decades-long Ocean Song community.
Dawn Ranch Lodge with an unadvertised asking price, Applewood Inn priced at $5.5 million, the Rio Nido Lodge priced at $1.5 million, and of course our own Rio Theater priced at $895,000.
“It just feels so good to have people on the land again. This is how it is supposed to be,” said one volunteer who had helped steward the Ocean Song property for many years under the previous owner.
Let’s hope these businesses reopen soon. The floods have really been devastating to many of our local businesses. We can all help our businesses by keeping our thoroughfares and neighborhoods clean and inviting to tourists, as well as ourselves!
Land Paths would love to see you out at the next Ocean Song stewardship workday! Workdays happen every 4th Friday of the month (March 27th) with tasks dependent on the season.
If you see litter or blight, please report it using SoCoReportIt app or contact the county. If you see inoperable or unregistered vehicles on our roadways contact CHP. If you experience less than good service at an establishment,
let the owner know. Usually they will appreciate the effort as it helps their business. Let’s keep the Welcome, in Welcome to the Russian River.
They have also kicked off a roving West County weekend workday at their preserves every 2nd Saturday, alternating between Bohemia Ecological Preserve, Grove of Old Trees, and Ocean Song.
This month it is Bohemia on the 14th. All Stewardship days are from 9
– 12:30, with an optional half hour lunch from 12:30 to 1. There is another stewardship opportunity at Bohemia this month on Friday the 20th. For a full calendar of workdays and outings go www.landpaths.org
We have several happenings this month:
Camp Meeker wildfire meeting March 12th 6 – 9pm at
Monte Rio Chamber presents renowned Bay Area entertainer Perrish D’Andrea Sings Sinatra March 7th 6-10pm at the Monte Rio Community Center. $40 includes a pasta dinner. Monterio.org
Anderson Hall. Please consider coming to this meeting to discuss wildfire preparedness in Camp Meeker. This meeting is hosted by Fire Safe Camp Meeker, working in collaboration with Fire Safe Sonoma and Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District.
The next Monte Rio Supper Club is in April - please find sates and dinner menus at friendsofmonterio.org.
This meeting is an important part of a collaborative planning project to reduce the wildfire risk to Camp Meeker and its surrounding community. As a resident of Camp Meeker, your input and engagement in this project is essential to making it a success and helping the community come together to prepare for wildfire. RSVP please via. https://www.eventbrite. com/e/lets-make-camp-meeker-fire-safe-a-community-planning-meeting- tickets-94561817943 so they can be sure to have enough food and supplies.
Friends of Monte Rio are also presenting Film Night at the Monte Rio Community Center Friday March 20th at 7pm. This is a 2017 documentary portrait of Jane Goodall who challenged the male dominated science world and revolutionized our understanding of the natural world. $2 suggested donation. FriendsofMonteRio.org
This is the first of 3 public meetings as part of this process and is especially important as they want to discuss risks and priority projects. More info about the meeting at the rsvp link above.
Happy March and Happy Spring everyone! Here’s to a bright and prosperous high season.
Vacation Wonderland, we just keep getting better.
A major benefit of the collaborative planning process is building
the relationships and greater awareness needed for impactful project implementation. You may also wish to become a member of Fire Safe Camp Meeker. Members meet regularly to grow community involvement in fire safe projects like this one. Email Fawn Nekton at fawn@opendoorins.com if you’re interested.
Herb and Ingrid from Highland Dell announce the return of Tuesday Locals Nights Specials! 3 course meal $15 fixed price.
 The project has funding from a Cal Fire grant and is called the Camp Meeker Community Wildfire Protection Plan Project (CWPP). The goal of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan is to bring together all stakeholders in collaboration to document the community’s wildfire history and current conditions, develop a wildfire risk assessment, and create a list of prioritized projects that will reduce wildfire risk.
It takes a village, and together we can make Camp Meeker more fire safe.
The final product is a plan that will guide Camp Meeker stakeholders in the development and implementation of projects that will prepare the community for wildfire and reduce potential for wildfire losses.
Please spread the word about this project to your friends and neighbors! If you have questions or would like to discuss any part of this project, please do not hesitate to reach out to the project manager, Adriana Stagnaro, Adriana@ goldridgercd.org, (707) 823-5244.
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