Page 41 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2020

The HEAT is ON: It’s been a wild ride these past three and a half months. The Pandemic has wreaked havoc on our tiny enclave. Businesses are struggling to survive. Our little hamlet is truly resilient when it comes to the struggles we have had to endure over the last few years.
It feels like a return to summer with the crowds out enjoying themselves and helping our struggling businesses. It’s been a long road to get us back to some semblance of reality. They say you come out stronger after dealing with adversity. I guess that’s usually the case.
The good news is that we really band together with our neighbors to make it more tolerable. We are all in this together and remember, life is short, make the most of each and every day. Do something nice for another person whether you know them or not. The smallest gesture of kindness goes a long way.
A new local hot topic is the Guerneville homeless camp. This will become a tent city for 25 homeless people that will be managed by West County Community Services (WCCS) with 24/7 supervision. It will be open until 12/1/20 when the downtown shelter reopens at the Vets Hall.
The Friends of Rio Nido (FRN): At our last meeting we counted the votes for our election and the winners who will be on the Board are: Marsee Henon, David Rosen and Kim H. Returning members are: Pip Marquez DeLaPlata and Ingrid Emming. More news on their titles/positions in next months column.
FUN in Rio Nido: The Rio Nido Roadhouse has outdone themselves once again as ALWAYS. If you are feeling restless, no need to fret any longer. The RNR is YOUR destination for relaxation, good food, tasty beverages and fun in the sun. The RNR has taken all the necessary precautions to keep you,
your family and the Community safe with all the proper cleaning procedures in regards to the pandemic. The POOL is now open for all to enjoy. Social distancing is in place if you care to get your tan on. And, ding, ding, ding - the Water Aerobics classes are in full swing. For INFO call 707 869-0821.
PeeWee Golf: Yay! It is OPEN!. The golf course has been spiffed up and lovingly maintained. The concession stand has all the goodies the little itty bitty’s crave. Candy, ice cream and fun and games. Bring the kids down and hit a few balls and enjoy this beautiful summer weather. A gigantic thanks goes to Marsee Henon for making this little Putt-Putt whole again!
Rio Nido Tennis Court: Our RN Tennis Court has been getting a lot of use recently. There was quite the tennis match going on there these last few days. I’ve given tennis a try but am not good at the game at all. What I am good at is playing Beach Ball over the net. You get an extra large inflatable beach ball and have two teams. Its super fun and great exercise. Give it a try sometime!
Dog Park: Now that the Dog Park is open neighbors from all around Rio Nido have been taking their doggies back to the park to socialize with each other.
The pet parents all seem to be thrilled too. The best times to go to the dog park are the mornings and late afternoons. Since we are in the middle of Summer weather it gets a bit too warm in the early afternoons. Remember to read the signs, there is also a small doggy hour for those of you who have tiny doggies.
The idea is to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 among the homeless community while providing them a “navigation center with wrap around services” with a goal to get them into permanent housing.
Postal Outlet PLUS: Our new little business in town is thriving. If you do not care to drive to Guerneville to retrieve your mail and since our own RN Post Office is currently closed Postal Outlet Plus may be your answer. They relocated to RN recently from Guerneville. The staff is wonderful and accommodating
In other good news, you might have noticed the renovations ongoing
at Northwood Lodge. Years ago, friends from San Francisco would travel
to the Russian River for a getaway. Then later one of the friends, Alexandra Walterspiel, bought a house in Northwood just down the street from Northwood Lodge. Personally, I’ve always liked Northwood Lodge, but it usually seemed
to your mail needs. They offer: Pack & Ship, Copy Services, Scanning, Fax, Mailbox Rentals, Notary Services and Business Services.
to be underutilized. Alex is CEO and Co-Founder of Imprint Hospitality, a boutique hotel and management company out of Denver. In November she notices that Northwood Lodge is on the market. The transformation since then has been amazing. The new Casa Secoya (Spanish for redwood) is accepting bookings July 1st. Aside from the hotel there are 3 duplex cabins in the back of the property for a total of 26 rooms. Yes, they are dog friendly and they will also have public EV charging stations! They plan on welcoming active lifestyle guests drawn to the area for hiking, biking, wine tasting, or just relaxing. Aside from meeting with Alex, I also met with Randy Marcotte. Randy’s husband Chris Hentschel will be the General Manager for the resort. With these folks running the show, the guest experience should also be great. A perfect addition to our hotel resort scene. We are fortunate to have several wonderful lodging operators in our hamlet. It’s always awesome to have people that recognize the unique potential that is Monte Rio and people that are committed to investing in our hamlet. Casasecoya.com
The Guerneville community response was, once again, not positive. The county has said they did Covid-19 testing on the homeless population in West County and got very few positive results back. I don’t think anyone has an issue helping those down on their luck that need, want, and will avail themselves to help but most of us have an issue with the ones that don’t want help. We are not interested in enabling more destruction of our community.
Another topic raising its head again is Low Flow. Brenda Adelman from the Russian River Watershed Protection Committee wants people to know that Sonoma County Water Agency is asking the State Water Resources Board for permission to lower minimum water flows from 85cfs to 70cfs, and possibly as low as 40cfs at Hacienda. Water flows at Hacienda were 88 cfs in mid-June. Low Flows cause bacteria and toxins to accumulate, cause algal growth, and are not helpful for water recreation. INFO: rrwpc.org
Another government-related entity, the Lower Russian Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) has been in existence over a year now. At their last meeting in June they were discussing Bylaws, Policies and Procedures, and Agenda setting process. I have some friends on the MAC board and one that recently resigned. When our problems have magnified exponentially recently, what has this group accomplished? Are our streets cleaner? Is crime down?
Are the abandoned vehicles and unregistered RVs off our roads? Are our roads repaired? Are our businesses supported? Is our community safe, welcoming and thriving? Do we have streamlined procedures and low-cost financing for new septic tanks? Are the lights on at the Welcome to Russian River or Welcome to Vacation Wonderland signs?
Go to: www.PostalOutletPlus.com for more information or call 707 604-7796.
RN Pet of the Month: This is Clark Kent (aka Superman). Clark hails from Santa Rosa. He is currently residing with his Auntie and Uncle in Rio Nido for a few months. Clarky as we call him is the biological brother to Stavros Baron, both who are Black purebred Shepherds. Clark enjoys frolicking in the yard with Stavros and Jesse James the Rottweiler. All three boys love their lives in Rio Nido and enjoy running and playing fetch. Lets give Clarky a warm RN Welcome.
Vacation Wonderland, we just keep getting better.
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