Page 32 - Sonoma County Gazette - October 2017

Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything, asking why progress on climate change is so slow, concluded that the difficulty lies with
the threat to the present economic system. “Put simply, if the science
is true, then the whole economic project that has dominated American
Walking The Dog!
power structures since Ronald Reagan was president is out the window, and the deniers know it.”
Last January we received an unexpected visit from two people who brought a small short-haired dog to our doorstep. My spouse’s daughter and friend offered us this friendly little fellow. Having
Here in the Valley, and throughout the county really, the same reflexive action is in play. Those who benefit most handsomely from wine and tourism – mostly corporations based out of town – talk about “being sustainable” but you won’t often hear them mention the dreaded culprit, “climate change.”
lost my old feline companion “Buddy” a few months earlier, I was receptive as was Joan when he was offered to us.
The result is that most of the time, we hear talk of the great split in our community between those who favor tourism and those who complain about the traffic. But it’s not about the traffic really; it’s the greenhouse gases emitted by all those cars traveling up and down Highway 12.
Our new found friend’s history may not be different than many others. An owner moved away to be married to a spouse not wanting a dog. (Hmm?) The dog was given to a relative who passed him to a neighbor who, in turn, told of the animal’s plight to a friend who brought him to us. From an embedded chip we learned his name and age, a mere one year, one month. He was renamed, “Buck,” because his buff short haired coat resembled a deer’s coloring. However, Buck soon gave way to “Buckey.”
And the wine industry is not only about the proliferation of tasting rooms around the Plaza. It also has to do with the effects of industrial agriculture, particularly monoculture, on the soil’s ability to draw down carbon from the atmosphere.
As for development, it not only drives up real estate prices, but it replaces green plants with cement.
Now we were dog owners! That means not only feeding, medication checks, microchip registration, new leashes, finding appropriate bedding, obtaining the “right
Take the case of the Sonoma Developmental Center. A sophisticated design team from San Francisco, Wallace, Roberts and Todd, has been retained by the state to assess the facilities in the main part of the campus; and on a guess, WRT probably hopes to present a project that they might be hired to design.
foods,” finding toys and bones, but, above all – walking the dog!
This may sound easy, but it really isn’t. Where can the beast run free? Well, one might say at the dog parks. However, there is a great deal of variance among dog parks. Some are rather small. Some have dogs that are not sociable. They chase smaller dogs and are quite rough. Other parks are littered or the grasses are worn. Inclement weather renders them muddy. Some are seldom cleaned of feces.
No surprise then that there has been little communication from the state to the county about the progress of their work. An article in the current issue of Valley of the Moon notes that Supervisor Gorin’s “confidence in WRT is growing
but she’s a little troubled that WRT’s final work product will be delivered as a confidential report to the state Department of Governmental Services.”
According to the article, at a May 15 meeting between WRT and “area stakeholders,” Bob McKinnon of DGS asserted, “The state will absolutely not be dictating to Sonoma County what happens.”
So what are alternatives?
Well, that’s reassuring. But by the way, who are the stakeholders? We don’t know. Who represents the community there? And what is the county’s interest? Might the county select a profitable showpiece that caters to tourists but does
Walkin’ the neighborhood has a routine. This format usually is at the beginning or end of the day when an owner has limited time. There is a pattern of routes known to owner and animal. It is nearly predictable on which bush, hydrant, or fence the dog will leave his/her mark. The dog knows exactly when a counterpart behind a fence or at a window will produce a bark and/or growl.
little to address our real needs here, least of all climate change.
The Sonoma Land Trust has been advocating that the undeveloped, 600-acre
Both owner and dog are familiar with those they meet en route. Friendships grow. Animosities exist. On our walk there are the two small dogs that bark, growl, and extend their leashes to the max in a show of bravado. There is the guttural loud warning from behind the same fence each walk. Depending on time of day, and day of the week, there are friendly barking announcements that a family is eating outdoors and you are receiving a social recognition of their presence.
part of the property to become a public park, thus preserving the significant wildlife corridor from the Mayacamas Mountains to the Coast. Whether that much land will be kept for open space, we do not yet know.
It’s the other, developed section of the property that is in question. We have other needs in the Valley that this property could help solve. The most obvious is the need for affordable housing. Dave Ransom, of the Sonoma Valley Housing Group, has sent out a call for a people’s Town Hall to voice our ideas. The SDC could become what Supervisor Gorin has called “a complete community,” to include housing, some small businesses and jobs.
Walkin’ the bikepaths... Two common dog runs are the community bikepath from Highway 12 through the center of Sonoma and Fryer’s Creek. Leashes
are required and this rule is likely followed most of the time. Side trips to the Vallejo Home area and vineyards on the east side add interest.
If we were to focus on climate change, we might take that concept a step further, into an energy-independent, low-waste eco-village with a farm.
Walkin’ in and out of bounds... Leashes are required in state and county parks. The Overlook and Montini trails are out of bounds! Why in each of these cases? These are natural areas to allow dogs to experience the open road. Yet, they are closed. Running free is tempting, but problematic. The fine is prohibitive. In the alternative find a field or friend’s vineyard and let them run.
Few people realize how little land is left for farming. Nationwide, developers and investors wait for older farmers to retire so they can buy their farms. And while now we enjoy an abundance of foods, most of them are brought in from out of town. Think Safeway.
Those foods travel hundreds of miles to get here, contributing GHGs as they go. Less that 5 percent of our food is actually grown in this agricultural county. Meanwhile young farmers seeking affordable land to farm organically, using methods that regenerate soil and draw carbon out of the atmosphere, are finding it harder and harder to obtain it.
For great fun, travel west 45 minutes to Dillon Beach where dogs and owners have miles of open beach. It is hound heaven, an unimaginable dog amusement area.
Safeway doesn’t want to think about climate change any more than Exxon does. But the situation grows more urgent daily, and growing our own healthy food wherever we can is a step toward independence from the damaging practices of agribusiness.
Walkin’ country roads... There are many country roads in Sonoma Valley where dog walkers may be found at locations with a lower level of traffic and activity. These provide dogs and walkers familiarity with the local environment. There are surprises too. A walker and dog often stopped to engage a burro and goat in a pasture. Recently a passer-by was feeding carrots and watermelon rind to the animals as we watched.
The SDC is public land. The state bought the property, then 1640 acres, for $170,000. We have the right to make our wishes known. Gorin has scheduled a meeting at Altamira School on Saturday, October 21 at 9 o’clock. If you care, be there!
When walkin’ country roads one becomes aware of debris along the side of the road. This writer and dog recently picked up a bag of cans, plastic, cartons, and other refuse. They left the bag by a neighbor’s mailbox for disposal. Sad to say, within 7–10 days time the same roadside was strewn with fresh trash.
32 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 10/17
If you are a dog walker, what’s your favorite route?