Page 8 - Sonoma County Gazette October 2018

OPINION cont’d from page 6
and the Sierra Club, local businesses, community leaders and private individuals. I’m delighted to be among her list of endorsers.
Fire Recovery and Beyond
Teresa Barrett has devoted herself to making Petaluma a safer, more prosperous and desirable community. Her focus on smart growth and traffic resolution has been key in making Petaluma more livable for all. She has fought to achieve equitable housing opportunities and traffic mitigation while protecting our beautiful surroundings and focusing on clean energy.
Petaluma is at a juncture that needs strong, clear-headed leadership. Teresa Barrett is the mayor we need now. I strongly encourage Petalumans to vote in November for Teresa Barrett for Petaluma’s Mayor in 2018 so that we can continue to grow as a community, as a prosperous town and a most desirable place to visit and to live.
By Trathen Heckman, Daily Acts
It is important to first honor the significant hard work that went into seeking
Petaluma is booming and we can thank Teresa Barrett for having done her part in making this happen.
She has an extremely impressive
list of endorsements from elected officials, including Congressmen Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson, organizations such as the AFL-CIO, Sonoma County Conservation Action
Get to know Teresa, visit
her campaign website: barrettformayor2018.com and vote for Teresa Barrett.
Sustainability is the moral and strategic imperative of our time and thus should be the primary organizing principle, above the other eight organizing principles. Sustainability is resilient, regenerative and places equity at the center of a local living economy that cares for people and place.
John Crowley & Diane Gentile Petaluma
Our focus must broaden beyond recovery and preparing for the next disaster. To reflect the vision of our community, as is the report’s intent, we must think and act in accord with what the scientific mandate for survival says we must do to maintain a stable climate.
community input and writing this strong guiding fire recovery and resiliency framework for action, especially under difficult conditions. While there are more detailed fire recovery recommendations that have been crafted, such as in the recent report from the Alliance for a Just, Equitable and Sustainable Recovery, here are a few of the recommendations to help strengthen this plan.
“Resilience is a chief characteristic of sustainability” ~ David Orr
Get Involved!
As Supervisor Gore reminded us at last week’s North Bay Climate Action Summit, in a five-year period from 2013 to 2017, locally we had record drought, record rains and flooding and record fires. This capped the costliest year in
our country’s history for natural disasters, over the span of several decades in which these disasters have significantly increased globally.
By Sister District - West County Group
You can help elect Democratic candidates to state legislatures that are
The second reason for placing sustainability at the center and making
our recovery and resilience framework a strong call to action is because preparedness alone is not enough to nourish and sustain active engagement and the spirit of our community.
currently Republican held. On October 20, we will hit the Forestville trail again with “Walk It Blue”. Prizes for walkers are donated by local businesses and all proceeds go to Democratic candidates in Arizona’s State Legislature.
Last month California’s Governor raised the bar and set a bold new climate target for our state of 100% renewable energy by 2045. Locally, Sonoma County has a strong track record for visionary community-powered action, regenerative agriculture, cutting edge green businesses, carbon free water, local power and more. This plan is an opportunity to not just further sustainability goals, but to inspire and drive them because this community consistently models and drives leadership on sustainability at all levels, and we know what we can expect more of if we don’t strongly prioritize more than recovery and preparedness.
The third Friday of each month in Rohnert Park, Sister District members take part in a rousing poker night; earnings are divided between several political groups. The evenings start with food and wine after 5 and usually continue until 10.
If you wish to join us, email ole.molle@att.net for directions.
Still feeling frustrated about current events? There are plenty of ways
to get involved to take back red districts in other areas! Work groups are forming as we ramp up toward the November election. We are helping our candidates reach potential voters with postcards, phone calls and text messages, encouraging folks to register and vote on election day. For more information email Sister District Sonoma West County at sd.westcounty@gmail.com.
Sister District Project was formed by four women in San Francisco after the election in November 2016. The founders realized that they were living in a very blue district and wondered how to channel their energy and frustration to influence elections in red states. They understood that volunteers in blue districts could send help through fundraising, canvassing, and phone banking for qualified Democratic candidates. The Sister District founders decided that targeting state legislative races was a way to ensure that all Americans have equal representation and our government works for all people, not just the minority in power. Sister District analysts did intensive research and selected the most important and winnable races for 48 local groups to support.
In the 2017 elections, our local West County Sister District group was formed and supported two candidates running for the Virginia State Legislature;
both candidates won. The previously Republican legislature nearly changed hands from red to blue, coming down to a coin toss. In 2018, our local group is working to elect three excellent Democratic candidates in Arizona. Nationally, 48 Sister District chapters have assisted 16 candidates in winning their seats! This year 21 candidates are benefiting from our support! People can make a difference with their energy in areas where every extra bit of help can have an impact.
8 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 10/18
A strategy that Daily Acts has long used, which could be included in
this plan is to highlight and connect what’s working to grow more of it. As mentioned above, we have an incredible community of leaders in resilience and sustainability across all sectors of society, from the home to farm and civic scale.
A burst of action to be a force for positive change after November 2016
Eight years ago, David Orr wrote about a national effort by sustainability leaders in partnership with the Department of Defense, calling for a
National Security Sustainability Network to connect and spread models of sustainability. While there has been a significant increase in new networks and alliances to strengthen our collective resilience, this area could use much more attention and investment.
Sonoma West Sister District Chapter formed 2017
My last recommendation is to start in the garden.
To achieve the framework’s intent of planning and preparation before a
In 2018 West County Sister District has already raised over $6400. You can be part of the positive change we are working toward: come to our events, join Sister District Project, help us get out the vote for a Democratic victory in November and beyond. For more information: www.sisterdistrict.com Our chapter is linked with Congressional District 2.
Final comments for the Recovery and Resilience Framework are
due on October 26th. Until then, we have an opportunity to pause, reflect, connect and update our community vision for a just, resilient and sustainable recovery. Everyday across Sonoma County residents, businesses, organizations and agencies are taking action towards a strong vision of more sustainable communities. By placing sustainability at the center of recovery efforts, strengthening the social infrastructure of our community and emphasizing practical action that residents and households can take to create more healthy, just and resilient communities, together we can rise to this historic moment.
An emphasis on strengthening and connecting existing organizations, networks and place-based centers of resilience and sustainability is a critical strategy for both nea-term recovery and long-term sustainability and resilience.
disaster occurs, we need to provide a call to action that is accessible, inspiring and rewarding the way that small efforts aligned with our values are.
Lots of people creating small practical demonstrations of sustainability and resilience at home and in the garden and neighborhood can strengthen our local food system, make our landscapes and neighborhoods more drought and deluge resistant. Getting more of us outside, has a range of personal benefits, including connecting with neighbors, which builds resilient communities.