Page 34 - Sonoma County Gazette Sept 2017

It’s getting closer to harvest time and the season of thanksgiving, and
it seems to be appropriate to start this month’s column with a message
of thanks to our local Fire Department here in Geyserville and to the
other local agencies and departments which assisted in the protection
of Geyserville and the Isis Oasis Sanctuary recently. On an otherwise quiet Monday morning, my first inkling of a problem was when a plane flew so low over the Oasis that I thought it was going to scrape the top branches of our Great Tree. I ran out of the Bosch farmhouse with my fist in the air ready to try and see what silly wine country tour plane was buzzing us so low – and then I saw that the low-flying plane was actually a fire plane headed for the billowing clouds of smoke approaching our northern boundary. Within minutes, a helicopter zoomed over with a dangling giant water pouch, flames could be seen from our forested area, and more smoke was then rising from the south. We decided to box the cats and birds for possible evacuation and the Oasis
was a very busy place for the next hour. Along the west side of Highway 101, a series of up to six small fires had broken out, apparently simultaneously. At the peak of the fight, seven aircraft and 22 engines fought the flames.
While the exact cause of the blazes remains unknown, it was much too close for comfort. Even if a fire itself does not reach us, just the smoke alone can
be devastating to the health of our elderly ocelots and servals and our very sensitive birds. In the end, fortunately, though packed up and ready to go,
we did not have to evacuate. While stressful, on the plus side, it turned out to be a very realistic “fire drill” and we learned a great deal as we applied our long-standing emergency evacuation plan for real. As soon as the possibility
of evacuation arose, we immediately started coordination with Safari West, which has become a leader in coordinating disaster preparedness for animal sanctuaries in Sonoma County, and so our crisis became a test case for them as well. We were especially touched by a number of calls and contacts we received from the local community asking if we needed help getting the animals out and offering other assistance.
One thing we learned was that some of our evacuation containers were too large to use effectively in boxing our cats if they were in their interior sleeping dens. If anyone has spare medium-size animal transport containers about 18- 24” high, in good condition, the kind that would fit about a 30 pound dog, we would welcome a few more of them. Once the cats are inside the medium-sized containers, they can be transferred to larger ones for transport relatively easily. And while Safari West stood ready to evacuate our alpacas with one of their trailers, realistically it is much better if we have one of our own easily accessible at all times. So we are also looking for a reasonably-priced, or better yet, a tax- deductible donation of a horse trailer big enough for our three alpacas.
A Foodie Moment On the Way
Mark your calendars now for the 2nd Annual Geyserville Beer Wine and Spirits Festival in October. The first festival was a great success in bringing together local craft breweries, distillers, and wineries accompanied by bites from the Geyserville Grill, and tickets are limited for this year’s event which will be held on Saturday, October 7th from noon until 5pm. 21 and up only. Tickets start at just $35 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com. Unless sold out, some tickets will be available on the day of the event at the Geyserville Inn.
Have more Geyserville news to share? Contact me at the email above.
34 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 9/17
2017 Friday Night Live Season Wraps-Up 9/01
Thanks to its brilliant board of directors, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters, for fourteen fabulous evenings Cloverdale’s free concert series has once again kicked-off our summer weekends with a joy filled variety of outstanding music, a delightful street fair, and lots of family-friendly fun.
But come September and, as in years past, all too soon summer and FNL become sweet memories. However, all is not lost! For, as the Chamber of Commerce reminds us, the 24th Annual Car Show (Fri., 9/08 & Sat., 9/09) is just around the corner ensuring that for one more sweet time:
Friday Night Rocks On! You may recall that Cloverdale Comments featured the Car Show last month. In case you missed it: Friday, 9/08, revs-up at 7 p.m. with the beloved Downtown Cruise starting at Ace Hardware plaza and traveling up Cloverdale Blvd. showcasing some of the Show’s fabulous classic vehicles. Next, 7:30 p.m. brings live music back to the Plaza thanks to Johnny Vegas & The High Rollers! Then, on Saturday, 9/09, (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) 200+ car and motorcycle entries line the downtown Blvd. vying for trophies. (For details: cloverdalecarshow.com)
Indivisible in Cloverdale In 2016 a team of savvy former congressional staffers published Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Administration, an online handbook modeled on the strategies of the Tea Party movement which focused on local actions and strong Congressional advocacy. Instantly, the Indivisible movementwas born and is growing so rapidly that, as of last May, about 6,000 groups were reported active for an average of 13 in every Congressional district.
Now, thanks to Vicky Groom, that expanding list includes Cloverdale. Raised here (her father was City Manager), she moved away at 18 but returned in 2008 and the increasing membership of the Indivisible group she founded recently are glad she did.
Intelligent, focused, and productive yet consistently warm, open-minded and approachable, it comes as a surprise to her colleagues when Vicky explains: I’m an introvert... But then, given that fact, we have to agree when she adds with a wry smile: and you know when I come out things are really bad!
Then, too, though she seems a natural at activism and it’s clear she cares deeply about what she’s doing, Vicky explains that in the past she was not political. In fact, her strong interest began during the Obama campaign and increased when, thanks to a friend, she discovered Rachel Maddow and was hooked.
Having heard of Indivisible (indivisible.us) and witnessed her fellow Cloverdalians’ interest in local activism during the successful January, 2017, protest in the Plaza against President Trump’s executive order on immigration initiated by business leader Marne Dupere, Vicky made contact with the organization after its representative appeared on one of Maddow’s shows.
She then got right to work building an Indivisible group and, with 50+
at the first meeting, it was off and running toward the goal of resistance in positive, non-violent ways. So far, based on the interests, skills, and concerns of members, there are five very active committees dedicated to: Immigration; Women’s Health; Healthcare in general; Environment, and Election 2018. There are no dues and membership is open to residents in the Cloverdale/North County area. Contact Vicky at: groomskis@comcast.net.
Here are a couple of examples of what Indivisibles is already accomplishing: on August 13th, joining similar actions in three other Sonoma County
cities, members and supporters met in the Plaza to stand in solidarity with Charlottesville and against white supremacy and, on September 16th, the Election Committee (Carol belongs) launches a series of local voter registration days at the very popular:
Cloverdale Latino Independence Day & Bi-National Health Fair
Don’t miss it! Look for the Indivisible table on Saturday, September 16th, at the Citrus Fairgrounds, 1 Citrus Fair Drive, when from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. this very special free community event brings us: Music, Ballet Folklorico, a Latin Pioneer Discussion, Kids’ Games, Crafts and Activities, Exhibit Booths, Food Vendors, and Free Prize Drawings, plus:
Free flu shots! Health screenings & Health insurance
information! We appreciate all the agencies, community organizations, and individuals who make this unique event possible.