Page 46 - Sonoma County Gazette 3-19

Water Water Everywhere!
Living on the edge in beautiful Bodega Bay!
There are serious issues before the community now.
Mother Nature delivered another punch in February to the already soaked Sonoma Coast. Were we prepared? Did we learn from last year’s major storm that certain roads & creeks needed some TLC? Valley Ford Road, the main route for residents and visitors going to the Coast, flooded again. Highway
Some of the various groups, along with Efren Carillo, are planning a community-wide marathon along Highway One. Many of the locals are opposed, especially those who have a business location along Highway One and who fear that their customers won’t be able to get into the shop, store or restaurant. Some of the success will depend upon the weather.
1 is crumbling into the ocean in many places. Even our Evacuation Route on Bay Hill closed. Up to 6 million visitors to Bodega Bay a year doesn’t generate enough revenue to fix our roads?
Many citizens showed up for the meeting at the firehouse about what
to do when the Big One comes. The attending people listened with great attentiveness. After all, we do live right on a fault. We are grateful to those in the community who continue to urge us to take safety measures and who take seriously the possibility of a major calamity.
And the “Chowder Winners” are: Bodega Bay 2019 Chowder Day Winners: People’s Choice – Spud Point Crab Company, Fisherman’s Cove & Ginochio’s Kitchen. Best Theme: Fisherman’s Cove, Fishetarian & The Boat House. Critic’s Choice – Fisherman’s Cove, Spud Point Crab Company & Anello Family Crab & Seafood. Congratulations to all that participated! It was a beautiful and tasty day in Bodega Bay! Learn about events in Bodega Bay at www.visitbodegabayca.com
The Birds returns to Bodega Bay! Psycho birds! The Bodega Bay Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the Hitchcock Film Festival on March 23 at the Bodega Bay Grange. Showings: The Birds at 12 Noon - Psycho at 3:30 PM - The Birds again at 7:00 PM. Jeanne Russell, one of the child actors who was in The Birds, will share some of her experiences. Proceeds benefit the Arts Programs at Bodega Bay Elementary & Tomales Elementary. Buy your tickets today at: https://hitchcock2019.bpt.me/
“Sea your way to Bodega Bay, the fishing community” the theme for the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Festival on Saturday May 4th & Sunday May 5th at Westside Regional Park. So much fun and lots to do! Watch the wooden boat challenge, the adorable pet parade, listen to music, enjoy lots of delicious food, purchase crafts & so much more. Sunday is the “Blessing of the Fleet” where local Fisherman decorate their boats and receive blessings from local Clergy for a safe & bountiful salmon fishing season. Tickets go on sale soon! www.bbfishfest.org
Cruising the Coast, Marathon style - A proposed Marathon made headlines in the local newspaper in February taking many by surprise. The marathon would shut down Highway 1 to Westside Regional Park in Bodega Bay with 5 – 7,000 runners on Sunday, September 29, 2019. The Bodega Bay Collaborative is scheduling a Town Hall to discuss. Email the Bodega Bay Collaborative to learn more: bbcollaborative@gmail.com or contact Sonoma Coast Marathon (707) 329-4004.
Waiving fees for Bodega Bay Detachment - LAFCO voted in favor of Bodega Bay’s request to reduce the filing fee deposit for the Detachment from Palm Drive Hospital District from $5,000 to $2,500. Per Liz Martin, BBAUT (Bodega Bay Against Unfair Taxation) stated, “The deposit covers all outside agency costs, such as Registrar of Voters, (they verify signatures on the petition), newspaper advertising, legal counsel”. The Special Election to sell the hospital for $5 Million to AAMG is Tuesday, March 5, 2019. Vote wisely – it’s currently our debt!
Saying Goodbye can be so hard to our beloved Bodega Bay Cabaret. After 10 years of pure laughter and joy, February’s Cabaret was the last
after 10 fabulous years. A HUGE thank you to Diana & Michael Bundy for bringing our community together to support Bodega Bay. The show was put on by locals, for locals and benefiting local organizations. Laughter & tears by all who love it so.
We are lucky to have some wildlife out here. We often hear the seals; neighbors have heard coyotes. We have resident deer (a doe who hasn’t convinced her fawn that cars provide something to be avoided, not examined.) More than once a half-grown yearling has tried to outrun my car even though I honk my warning and they seem oblivious.
Beach Hopper & Mole Crabs? Oh my! Join Coastwalk for the 2019 Sonoma Family Coastal Trail series on March 9, 2019 from 9:00 am – 12:00 Noon to explore the Sandy Shore Inhabitants along South Salmon Creek Beach in Bodega Bay. Learn about the many organisms along the sandy beach. Visit www.coastwalk.org to register.
I have known this young man ever since he was in grammar school and devising projects that no one else would have thought about. (He was actually a neighbor in Davis and his school projects were always very interesting.) I think we should put together a lottery to pick out the first bird to make a nest in one of the bathtubs. (I get to choose vultures, since they had a nest on the top of the house next to me when we built our house. They are good builders. I am sure the display will engender great attention.
Did you know NOW is the best time to visit Bodega Bay? The whales think so and they bring their babies too!
We all have the joy of the beautiful cloud I am watching. The dark cloud serves as the base; on top of that is a completely pink cloud, reaching up higher in the sky. Like the song “ I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now...”
All are beautiful. Enjoy.
46 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 3/19
There is very little boat traffic. Very few horns; just a chanel warning. There are few ground birds, like quail, but the hummingbirds make up for it. A
few minutes ago I witnessed a multi-minute airborne battle between two hummingbirds (one with the most beautiful red head; the other green). The female safely perched up watching the conflict between the two males for the recently-filled feeder. They nearly emptied one feeder; and then flew away.
Enjoy this beautiful place. Enjoy the gifted residents that work so hard for Fish Fest (which Is coming up May 4 and 5th) the Grange Crab Cioppino and the enjoyable Cabaret. Hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day.
Now it is time to start work on Fish Fest (May 4-5) another community-wide project. It will undoubtedly be a success and people truly enjoy seeing their fellow citizens in a new light. The fried fish are delicious.
These are the kinds of events that provide the funds for the entire community for the rest of the year. The Fish Fest, which is coming up, is an example of a community-wide effort to provide the funds required to keep all the various activities funded. Each group is asked to designate their unmet needs.Then the committee decides how to allocate the funds obtained from the festivities.
It is always interesting to see what communities choose for
“improvement.” Some communities are so well funded that they can install an art exhibit or a display unique to that year. Our communities are full of innovative and artistic citizens. Some of our larger communities choose a statute or some kind of memorial. We all still remember the “Running Fence” and the stir it caused in the community.
Now we have another display of a different type. Petaluma has selected a Bathtub Display. The bathtubs will be suspended on a metal wire and float over the city. There has been some complaining, but it looks like the project will go ahead. The display is of special interest to me since the artist is a young man from Davis. He has always been able to select community-wide projects that evoke discussion and notice. If you have gone to the airport in Sacramento you will have seen his display of luggage. It is fascinating to see all the various suitcases and boxes piled without support. His name is Brian Goggins and he has immense imagination. I am always tempted to try to pull out the bottom suitcase and see the tumble (but I resist.)