Amgen cyclers through Bodega Bay Monday, Feb. 19
World Class bike racers return to West Sonoma County
The peloton heads through Valley Ford, Feb. 2006.
Posted Wed. Jan. 31, 2007 --------- The Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race returns to Marin and Sonoma Counties on Feb. 19. The route will follow the route used last year but will also include the towns of Bodega and Bodega Bay and the monster hill climb of Coleman Valley Road. The first stage of the race begins in Sausalito runs almost 100 miles to Santa Rosa.
The race climbs 1200 feet in the first stage. The race has
seven stages ending in Long Beach. Click on map thumbnail
for larger view. 
blank The tour includes 18 of the world’s top
professional cycling teams including BMC Racing Team (USA) based in Santa
Rosa. Other teams are:Colavita/Sutter Home Presented by Cooking Light Team
(USA), Crédit Agricole (FRA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
(USA), Gerolsteiner (GER), Health Net Presented by Maxxis (USA), Jelly
Belly Cycling Team (USA), Liquigas Pro Cycling Team (ITL), Navigators Insurance
Cycling Team (USA), Predictor-Lotto (BEL), Priority Health Cycling Team
Presented by Bissell (USA), Quick Step-Innergetic (BEL), Rabobank Cycling
Team (Netherlands), T-Mobile Team (GER), Team CSC (DEN), Team Slipstream
Powered by Chipotle (USA), Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team (USA), USA Cycling
National Development Team (USA).
The first stage will be held Monday, February 19. The route through Sonoma
County will go north on Highway 1 through Bodega and Bodega Bay, over Coleman
Valley Road to Occidental Road, then to Fulton Road, Third Street and into
downtown Santa Rosa where the peloton will make three circuits around the downtown
area.
Last year the racers arrived in Valley Ford about 1:30 p.m. They are expected in Bodega Bay just before 2 p.m. For the race the California Highway Patrol had a rolling road closure about 30 minutes before the riders came through. The pack of cyclists or peloton was about three minutes behind the three lead riders. The peloton passed in less than 30 seconds.
Daily coverage in this country will be televised on the Versus TV network (formerly OLN). The tour is hailed as one of the best international cycling events with a world-class course and a level of competition unprecedented on U.S. soil.
The Amgen 2007 Tour of California stage one heads into Bodega Bay
It's a big ship
Feb. 4, 2007 -------- It may have seemed to you that most folks were home watching the Stupor Bowl, but that doesn't account for the thousands who lined the hillsides of the Marin Headlands, Fort Baker and the Golden Gate Bridge to watch the entrance of the Queen Mary II into San Francisco Bay. A fireboat sprays welcome and several sailboats, motorboats and even kayaks can be seen greeting the leviathan as she passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was, in a word, gynormous.
Photo by Lynn Schnitzer shot from a hillside at Fort Baker, on the Marin side just south of Sausalito.
Follow up to 2007 Chowder Day in Bodega Bay
Posted Feb. 20, 2007 --------- Several hundred Northern Californians drove to Bodega Bay Saturday Feb. 3 to taste clam chowder at Bodega Bay’s Chowder Day.
The event, sponsored annually by the Sonoma Coast Visitor Center, features local eateries giving free sample tastings of their clam chowder. Chowder is an all-time favorite at all the local restaurants. On Chowder Day, tasters visit all the restaurants to sample and compare the hearty fare. Tasters returned comments to the Visitor Center. Each of the cooks eagerly reviews the comments, with an eye to improving a great local chowder tradition.
Spud Point Crab Company, piloted by Carol Anello and her husband Tony, received the greatest number of positive comments. Dolores Jones, owner and chief cook at Dee’s Bayside Deli and Catering and new to Bodega Bay, tied with the Tides for second in positive comments.
Betsy and Claudio of Claudio’s Trattoria, also new to Bodega Bay, charmed many with a Manhattan style, red chowder. Until Claudio’s all Bodega Bay chowders were white New England style.
The Sandpiper’s chowder was also a favorite of many. Their Tee-shirts “Please Don’t Eat the Chowder -- Savor it” are also a crowd pleaser.
10-year-old Maren Powers greeted with memorable cheerfulness the line of chowder tasters at the Boat House.
As a special treat those that made the trip out to Bodega Head saw numerous whales. Docent volunteers with the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods provided local whale lore and information.
"Never Alone in Bodega"
Submitted by reader John Duran
"Never Alone in Bodega"
Foghorns moan,
while sea lions groan &
the night hangs like a moist coat on my shoulders,
while darkness reminds me,
we're all getting older.
I brace myself against the brisk cold wind,
looking into the heart of the night,
as it rests lightly over the bay.
A mist of moonbeams are reflected upon the rippling waters
edge,
while filling me with scents of sea foam,
as foghorns moan,
sea lions groan and we realize,
we're never alone in Bodega.
John Duran's reflections on the bay on Christmas
Harbor View subdivision days away from construction
By Joel Hack
Posted 8 pm, Wednesday, August 30, 2006 -------- Construction should begin by early next week on the Harbor View subdivision. Building permits have been issued for the 14-unit low-income housing units. A contractor is in final negotiations with Battaglia Associates.
The 27-acre Harbor View parcel, currently designed for 70 upscale single-family homes and a 14-unit low-income housing complex, has been in development for over 20 years. Streets and utilities are already built.
The developer, Richard Battaglia of Newport Beach, bought the subdivision two years ago. Battaglia owns and manages 2000 apartments across the southwest and Hawaii.
Spokesman Philip Young said, “We have been working with Brad Tavis Construction. We are very pleased with their commitment to quality construction. There are some details of the contract to be worked out. When that is finished, Tavis will start construction. We expect the units to be ready for rental early next spring.”
The other 70 units have a few more permit hurdles to surpass before construction can begin. Young expects the process for the 70 units to allow construction on them to begin Spring 2007. A public design review hearing is scheduled for late September. Construction and site details are up for final review.
Young said Battaglia has been busy with getting the permits to this point and had no details to offer about the renting units or selling the upscale homes. The low-income housing units are rigidly regulated by Sonoma County. Who is eligible to rent and at what rent are carefully reviewed although Battaglia Associates will operate and manage the complex.
Construction is expected to begin on the 70 market rate units in the spring, completion in fall ’07 or early ’08.
Bodega Bay School at the spelling bee
Bodega Bay School sent two students, Cody Hamer and Angel Flores to the Spelling Bee at Tomales. Angel finished third and will go on to MCOE on November 4 for the finals. Angel came to Bodega Bay three and a half years ago from Mexico, without a word of English. Quite an accomplishment!
Update: Angel Flores was one of 25 spellers at the Marin County Elementary Spelling Bee Championship held on November 4th. He finished 20th and was the last Shoreline student still standing.
Bike Rodeo for the Bodega Bay School kids
Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy Charlie Bone and members of the Bodega Bay Fire Dept. conducted a Bike Rodeo and Bike Safety program for the students at Bodega Bay Elementary School.
Teaching kids to be safe
Posted 10 am, Thursday Oct 19, 2006 -------- Run. Yell, “GUN!”
That is what to do when confronted with a gun or even a friend with a gun. This is the message taught to the young kids at Bodega Bay School last week. Along with instructions about what to do if approached by strangers, how to stay safe around traffic and how to dial 9-1-1.
The program, part of a national effort, is called RAD KIDS. This year the Bodega Bay After School program sponsored the safety training as well as the Polly Klaas Foundation.
28 Bodega Bay kids, up to second grade, went through the five-afternoon program. Sara Chiapetta led a group of law enforcement folks including Steve Mathias from the San Francisco PD, Evan Hughes of Marin Sheriff’s Office, Lou Stoerzinger of the USCG Two Rock Police and Charlie Bone of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. Many of the parents of the children attended the program.
Kids were taught through play-acting what to do in specific situations. In one training, a kid was asked by an adult to play with a gun. One by one each child would respond by yelling “Gun” and running to the designated safety zone and dialing 9-1-1.
In another skit, a stranger would come to the kid’s front door asking to be let in. The kids refused them entry and then dialed 9-1-1.
Kids learned simple instructions for handling dangerous cleaning supplies found around their home or electrical outlets. They also learned safe responses to “bad touching” being offered cigarettes, drugs or alcohol.
Top: Deputy Charlie Bone talks with BB School students about drugs and alcohol use. Bottom: Steve Mathias from the SFPD rehearses a skit about guns and kids and friends.
Another appeal of Harbor View Subdivision
Harbor View subdivision days away from construction
Posted 8 pm, Wednesday, August 30, 2006 -------- Construction should begin by early next week on the Harbor View subdivision. Building permits have been issued for the 14-unit low-income housing units. A contractor is in final negotiations with Battaglia Associates.
The 27-acre Harbor View parcel, currently designed for 70 upscale single-family homes and a 14-unit low-income housing complex, has been in development for over 20 years. Streets and utilities are already built.
The developer, Richard Battaglia of Newport Beach, bought the subdivision two years ago. Battaglia owns and manages 2000 apartments across the southwest and Hawaii.
Posted 4 pm, Wednesday Oct 25, 2006 -------- The above story was posted online August 30. Today Phillip Young updated events. He said Battaglia Associates is still negotiating with Tavis on the constuction contract. Battaglia has the building permits to construct the 14-unit affordable housing portion of the subdivision. The start date for construction of those units is unknown.
Battaglia Associates received approval last month from the Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) for the 10 homes that will be visible from Hwy One. However the Bodega Bay Concerned Citizens filed an appeal of that decision with the Board of Supervisors. That appeal will be heard December 12, 2006.
Posted 9:30 am, Thursday, August 24, 2006
-------- The Marin I-J this has an article about the restraining order against
the Bodega Bay Navigator and David Mitchell.
It is located here: http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_4229591
Visit also this West Marin site: http://www.bolinas2miles.com/newsandinfo.html
Posted 2 pm, Wednesday, August 23, 2006 --------- Today marked the first day of school for most West Counties students. Bodega Bay School had 46 students on the first day. The new students included two sets of twins and a brace of quadruplets.
Click on the photo for additional first day of school photos.
Additional Posting 9 pm, Friday, August 18, 2006 --------- Robert Plotkin has obtained an order preventing the Bodega Bay Navigator and David Mitchell from associating in any way. Mitchell is also prevented from assisting the Bodega Bay Navigator to compete with the Point Reyes Light in Marin County. The court order transforms David Mitchell, Pulitzer Prize winner, into the private commercial property of Robert Plotkin.
Steelhead in Quinlan Creek
Posted 4 pm, Tuesday, August 22, 2006 --------
Bill Cox, CDFG biologist and Karl Menard of the UC Bodega Marine Lab visited
the Calvi ranch last week with Chris Calvi to see if salmonids were present
in Cheney and Quinlan Creeks.
The informal group in fact locate a small but healthy population of steelhead
on the Calvi property. There were well over a dozen fish in a few different
pools ranging in size from 1.5 to 6 inches. Bill Cox described them as 0+,
1+, and 2+ years of age demonstrating successful reproduction over the last
three years.
As these juvenile fish generally only stay in the coastal streams for up to three years, this is all the age classes expected.
The Save Bay Hill citizens group is trying to stop the Dutra Materials Group plan to operate a rock quarry on Bay Hill Road. The property owned by Dante Calvi encompasses Quinlan Creek.
Visit their website at: http://www.savebayhill.org/
Quarry on the coast?
Resident activists gather steam as option on Calvi Ranch extended
By Jeremy Sharp
Posted 7 pm, Thursday, Sept 21, 2006 -------- While a local mining company has announced no plans as of yet to purchase the picturesque ranch at 1001 Bay Hill Road, local residents are already trying to stop the process. They have held meetings, built a website and begun networking with other conservation non-profits to get the ball rolling. Organizer Chris Calvi from Friends of the Bodega Bay Watershed said it’s important to get the word out now so people can come together to fight what he sees as an enormous environmental disaster just waiting to happen.
“We need help with peaceful protests and canvassing (going door-to-door),” Calvi wrote in a recent email. “The time to act is NOW.”
Calvi has mustered a lot of support from the community at large, including large non-profit groups such as Surfriders and the Sierra Club. Community meetings are being held every Friday night and he has called for protesters to gather peaceably in the town of Bodega to elicit support from tourists heading to the coast to enjoy the scenery and locals who would be more directly impacted by blasting and increased traffic.
The current saga began on September 23, 2005, when Dutra Materials bought an option to purchase the 553-acre ranch from Chris Calvi’s father, Dante Calvi. The next month, Dutra took out a permit to drill five exploratory boreholes to test for well suitability.
Brian Peer, project manager for the Dutra group, told interested locals at a recent community meeting held by opponents that the rock was of “very, very high quality.” While bore samples can be used to determine the type and quality of rock available at the site, according to Pete Parkinson of the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department, the permit Dutra applied for and received doesn’t allow that activity.
“That was a problem for us,” he told The Navigator. “They came in and got permits to drill wells.” Exploratory drilling is not permitted in the Coastal Zone. The Department has expressed their displeasure to Dutra in a letter, but no legal action is anticipated.
The permitting process and the Coastal Zone are both significant hurdles the company will have to jump through to develop a working quarry on Bay Hill Road. For one thing, mining is not allowed by the Coastal Plan. Changing the plan would have to be okayed by the Board of Supervisors and ratified at the state level. Parkinson was very clear on this process.
“If the Board decides not to, that ends it,” he said. “The State cannot overrule it.”
Fifth District Supervisor Mike Reilly, who also sits on the Coastal Commission, puts the power higher up but doesn’t consider the possibility of an exemption likely.
“The primary obstacle is not county but the Coastal Commission,” said Reilly in a recent email. “I have advised Dutra against it.”
It’s hard to say whether Dutra plans on listening to that advice. Reilly told me they have extended their option to buy the land, Aimi Dutra Krause, public relations officer for the company, refused to comment on the potential sale or any possible plans for the site.
“[W]e are not able to go on record with any detailed information at this time,” Dutra Krause wrote via email. Calvi tells me, however, that he confronted Peers on the property after the deadline passed, in the company of a fisheries biologist. Dutra does not appear to be giving up easily.
Calvi had previously invited CDFG Biologist Bill Cox to take a look at the creeks on the land. They discovered baby salmonids. In addition to fish, sheep herds once covered this picturesque parcel nestled just inland from the coast. Until Dante Calvi got too old to continue in that line of work and it became unprofitable. That formula is not unique. More and more family ranches are being disbanded every year in the West County as aging farmers give way to baby boomers eager for a house in the country. According to Maya Craig, a local activist working with Friends of the Bodega Bay Watershed, the Calvi Ranch is one of the only remaining agricultural properties along the coast, a sign of how difficult it can be to make a living out here.
One of the hooks Peer dangled at the community meeting was the possibility that a new quarry would offer jobs for local fishermen, part of what he called a “dying breed.” Ironically enough, a mine would also further degrade the local habitat for fish that Chris Calvi, along with many other local fishermen, relies on for much of his income. That may explain his skepticism.
“Those jobs aren’t going to be given to locals,” Calvi has said.
This isn’t the first attempt the elder Calvi has made to sell his ranch. According to family lore, his main purpose in buying it was to build a dam and sell it to Bodega Bay for domestic water. That plan fell through, but several years ago, he began negotiations with the county Open Space District to protect the parcel, rife with habitat for endangered species and in plain view of scenic Highway One. But the deal fell through.
“The most significant reason that it wasn’t pursued any further is that there wouldn’t have been enough value in the easement,” Maureen Middlebrook, Community Affairs Officer for the Agricultural and Open Space District, told The Navigator last December. The ranch is smaller than zoning regulations call for, so it can’t be subdivided. There was only the potential for “one, maybe two more houses.”
Zoning regulations will play big role in whether Dutra exercises its option to buy, as well. The property lies squarely in the Coastal Zone, a relatively recent zoning designation that severely limits the potential for development and prohibits mining. In addition, the local zoning is for Land Extensive Agriculture, which also prohibits mining. The parcel has been recognized by the state as a significant mineral resource, but that may not be a deciding factor, explained PRMD’s Pete Parkinson.
“The mineral resource area does not obligate the county in any way,” Parkinson explained. “Let’s just say that if Dutra did go ahead and apply for permission to put a quarry there -- it would take a number of years. There are very big regulatory hurdles to get over.”
Useful links:
PRMD Permit Search — be sure to search by both the address (1001 Bay Hill Rd) and the APN (103050001) to get all the permits listed.
Save Bay Hill, Friends of Bodega Bay Watershed. Visit their website at: http://www.savebayhill.org/
California Sea Grant aims to stem the tide of invasive marine organisms
Posted noon, Monday, Sept 18, 2006 -------The battle
against invasive marine organisms that harm California's native plants,
fish and wildlife is getting a boost with a renewed effort to educate the
maritime industry, government regulators, scientific researchers and the
public.
With two new staff members, a freshly revamped Web site and newsletter, and a series of upcoming workshops and seminars, the West Coast Ballast Outreach Project (WCBOP) launched phase two of its effort with a grant from the CALFED Bay-Delta Program. The ballast project is a creation of Jodi Cassell, San Francisco Bay region marine advisor for UC Cooperative Extension's statewide Sea Grant Extension Program (SGEP).
"Aquatic invasive species pose serious economic and environmental threats," Cassell said. "One way invasive marine organisms are transported from distant locations is in the ballast water of ocean-going ships. For instance, a ship transporting goods across the Pacific may pick up ballast water in different Asian ports of call, and then release this water and associated organisms into the environment at U.S. ports of call--and vice versa."
The San Francisco Bay Area has become a virtual poster child for the problem of invasive aquatic organisms. The floor of the bay is covered with exotic Asian clams (Potamocorbula amurensis) that essentially strip mine tiny organisms called plankton out of the water. Plankton form the base of the food chain and thus changes in their populations will have a ripple effect through the largest estuary on the West Coast.
Other species that have received a fair amount of notoriety include the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) and European green crab (Carcinus maenas). The mitten crab is of special concern because it can burrow deep into riverbanks and levees and can multiply into enormous populations that could clog critical transfer points in the state water system. The European green crab can out-compete native crabs, such as the commercially valuable Dungeness crab (Cancer magister), for food and habitat.
These aquatic invaders also pose potential threats to humans. One recent study found that 93 percent of foreign ships coming into the East Coast's Chesapeake Bay carried bacteria that cause human epidemic cholera.
Ballast helps keep ships stable and functioning safely, but that water must be adjusted as ships are loaded and unloaded. Current management strategies to prevent aquatic invasive species introductions via ballast water are limited to open ocean exchanges. Exchanging ballast water on the open ocean can be tricky. In rough seas it can be dangerous. So the maritime industry is looking at alternatives.
On-board treatment systems using UV irradiation, filtration, ozonation and other emerging technologies are in development. Experimental systems are being tested now on ships like the Moku Pahu, which sails back and forth between the Port of Oakland and Hawaii with shiploads of sugar cane. The Moku Pahu is using a chlorine dioxide generation system to treat ballast water. The chlorine dioxide kills the organisms and then dissipates to undetectable levels within 24 hours.
However, adapting experimental technologies to ship level has been challenging. Large ocean-going ships deal with huge volumes of water. Furthermore, different ship types may have radically different tank orientations and placements. To date, no on-board technology has proven a viable solution for treating ballast water.
Marine stowaways can also be found aboard other nooks and crannies--growing on ship hulls, clinging to anchors and chains, tucked away near intake valves. As reported in the current Ballast Exchange newsletter, "sea chests" provide ideal refuge for a long ocean journey. These built-in recessed areas are where ship's hulls house intake water pipes for engine cooling, ballast and fire-fighting.
The California Sea Grant Extension Program inaugurated the ballast outreach project in 1999. Its aim is to facilitate communication among industry, regulators and researchers involved in ballast water management on the West Coast. An award-winning poster and thousands of companion brochures were distributed to domestic and international shipping companies, ports and government officials to educate them on the ballast water threat.
With similar goals for the second phase of the project, extensive outreach activities will continue through December of 2008. West Coast Ballast Water Outreach Project staff have already revised and updated the brochure and poster and significantly broadened its distribution. The project newsletter, Ballast Exchange, has a fresh new look and will be published twice a year with a wealth of information on ballast water, vessel fouling and marine invasive species.
WCBOP Coordinator Holly Crosson administers the project from UC Davis. The third member of the WCBOP team is program representative Nicole Dobroski, who oversees the project's database and Web site. Both give educational presentations on WCBOP activities and interact with a 50-member advisory committee.
"We are so fortunate to have a large advisory committee comprised of a broad range of stakeholders who guide our outreach efforts," Crosson said. "That enables us to focus on issues that matter to our audience."
"The threat to California's ecosystems is not going to go away," Cassell says. "The best thing we can do is to educate people so they can take the preventative measures that will help lower the risk of invasion of aquatic nuisance species through ballast water and other avenues of introduction. In the long run, prevention is significantly cheaper and more effective than trying to control and manage invasive species once they are established."
To learn more about SGEP's work on aquatic invasive species, contact Cassell at (510) 219-9125, <mailto:jlcassell@ucdavis.edu>. To learn more about the <http://ballast-outreach-ucsgep.ucdavis.edu/> West Coast Ballast Outreach Project, contact Crosson at UC Davis, (530) 752-3419, <mailto:hacrosson@ucdavis.edu>.
What a difference a day makes--dunk an abalone pest
Posted August 16, 2006 -------- University of California
biologists (Bodega Marine Lab) have found a way to nearly eliminate an
invasive pest from California abalone production and display facilities.
The shell-dwelling fan worms (a sabellid polychaete) originated in South Africa
and deform and reduce the marketability of abalone. The worms settle on the
shells of abalone and other gastropods, which are a kind of sea snail, inhibiting
and grossly deforming shell growth. Several native intertidal snails and slugs
are susceptible to fan worm infestation.
The parasitic polychaete is a member of a group collectively known as sabellids
or "fan worms." With funding from the UC Exotic/Invasive Pests and
Diseases Research Program, UC Davis ecologist Ted Grosholz and UC Davis veterinarian
James Moore found that submerging the fan worm in fresh water for 24 hours
can destroy it. This practice allows aquaculturists and aquarium operators
to destroy the fan worms in abalone holding units.
"The pest doesn't affect the abalone's meat, but damages the shell so much
that the abalone's growth slows or virtually stops," says Grosholz. "Though
the industry has learned to manage the pest, concerns over its impact and its
potential spread have become widespread."
After sampling studies in 20 California locations that are known to have been
exposed, or may have been exposed to sabellid-infested abalone, Moore and Grosholz
found that sabellids have not become established in intertidal gastropod populations
anywhere in California.
Abalone is highly prized in many cultures and is considered a delicacy in certain
parts of Asia, especially in China and Japan. The inner shell of abalone is
lined in an iridescent green, blue or pink sheen, which is a source of mother-of-pearl.
Because of its popularity, abalone has been depleted in many locations, including
the coast of California. These declines, coupled with the value of abalone
meat on the world market, have promoted the concept of abalone aquaculture
internationally to supplement the world supply of abalone. Facilities free
of fan worms are advised not to obtain abalone for stocking from facilities
where this pest has been observed.
This research provides resource managers information on whether fan worm infestations
are present among native intertidal snail populations. "Our sabellid transmission
studies demonstrate that infestations can be sustained in a variety of sea
snails, so the threat of such infestations becoming established in a particular
location is real," says Moore.
"We recommend a 24-hour minimum fresh-water-immersion exposure time to destroy
all life stages of the sabellid polychaete," says Moore. "This amount
of time is recommended for field applications such as sanitizing a production
tank after one group of abalone is moved out and before another is moved in."
The research team found that transmission of fan worms from one turban snail
to another could occur, although the rate of transmission is very much lower
than the rate between abalone. Turban snails can support fan worm infestations
although they are less susceptible than abalone.
In a separate series of experiments, Moore's research team found the minimum
fresh-water-exposure time necessary to kill mobile fan worm larvae is one minute.
They recommend using a biocide such as chlorine to sanitize hands and tools
when working in different production areas or display tanks.
The scientists produced a DVD describing the polychaete, the threat it poses
and recommended techniques for preventing sabellid acquisition and transmission.
The DVD, which contains both English and Spanish versions, will be distributed
to abalone culturists and display facilities.
Tenth annual Bodega Land Trust Dinner
Tenth Annual Bodega Land Trust Silent Auction A Huge Success
By Norma Jellison -- Posted Friday, Nov. 10, 2006 -------- Saturday night, November 4th found many West County folks gathered at McCaughey Hall in Bodega to enjoy the tenth annual silent auction and fundraiser for the Bodega Land Trust. Hors d’oeuvres and desserts passed by the wonderful young people of Bodega, and wine, non alcoholic beverages, and coffee all filled the bill and allowed for lots of mingling of old and new friends and spirited silent (!) bidding. There were ever so many items donated by West County restaurants, spas, artists, galleries, stores, wineries, professionals (massages, chimney sweeps, veterinarians etc) plus tickets to all manner of concerts and plays. The auction items ranged from beautiful jewelry to handsome leatherwork to handmade clothing to antiques and other unique artwork. The acknowledgement posters displayed on the wall listed over a hundred donors, whose donations helped make the event a big success.
Mary Biggs, President of the Board welcomed the attendees and introduced other members of the Board: Alistair Bleifuss, Rob Cary, John Everett, Sharon Welling Harston, Norma Jellison and, the Trust’s Executive Assistant, Abby Myers and the wonder woman Hazel Flett who masterminds the silent auction. Mary announced that Alistair will be stepping down at the end of the year, and thanked him for 10 years of service on the Board. Mary also welcomed and thanked Don and Joyce Sherer, the newest donors of a “forever wild” conservation easement to the Trust, which protects 16 acres of old growth redwoods in the Occidental area. She pointed out that several other donors of conservation easements held by Bodega Land Trust were present in the crowd, including Delia Moon, the donor of BLT’s first conservation easement, a mile and a quarter riparian corridor along Fay Creek near Bodega. Mary emphasized that Bodega Land Trust is a grass roots organization focused primarily on preserving land and its communities. West County is the focus of Bodega Land Trust and the majority of its easements are in the Salmon Creek watershed.
Mary said that 2006 and 2007 are auspicious years for those interested in donating conservation easements. The value of a conservation easement is tax deductible as a charitable contribution. A recently passed Federal law enhances the tax benefits of protecting private land for those who donate before the end of 2007. A donor can now extend their exemption over 15 years instead of 5 years, but only if they donate before the end of 2007. Qualifying ranchers and farmers (those who make more than 50 percent of their living from agriculture, including vineyards) can deduct up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income per year, and other landowners may deduct up to 50 percent. After December 31, 2007, the law will revert to the previous provisions unless extended by Congress. For more general information, call the Bodega Land Trust office at 876-3093, or to discuss details of your particular situation call 876-3422.
In keeping with the theme of community, the music for the evening was provided by Javier Salmon and his group, Cuyuy. Javier “moonlights” playing music, but daytime finds him tending his goats and running his cheese business in Bodega. The hall was decorated with native plants from the Salmon Creek watershed by locals Jay Sliwa and Alyssum Cowley. The fantastic hors d’oeuvres and desserts were made by a group of volunteers headed up by veteran kitchen director Barbara Peterson and chef Nick Peck from food donated by many local farmers and local stores. Others were made and donated to the event by attendees. The wine was donated by our very own Sonoma County wineries. All of the plates, napkins, and cups were biodegradable, compostable tableware made from 100% bagasse – a sugarcane fiber remaining after extraction of juice from the sugarcane. Souvenir wine glasses with the Trust logo accompanied admission, and for those who wanted to leave them, will be recycled for the next fabulous Bodega Land Trust event.
DFG Warns Do Not Feed Wild Animals
Wildlife Problems Increase with Feeding and Access to Ripening Crops
Posted 4:30 pm, Thursday, August 10 -------- The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) cautions everyone that feeding wildlife, whether directly or indirectly, is never a good idea. Problems from wildlife often increase with the availability of food, and feeding could result in an attack, damaged property, and often the death of the animal.
"When there are conflicts between humans and wild animals, the animals lose," said Allan Buckmann, DFG associate wildlife biologist. "Don't feed wild animals. They don't need our handouts, they need our respect. We all need to take responsibility for the wild animals whose habitat we share. When humans are careless, wild animals may pay the price."
Animals that become accustomed to feed will expand their activities to find more feed and can damage fences and structures, and threaten human safety in the process. Such behavior by well meaning people puts the animals at unnecessary risk and often disrupts the natural survival instincts of the animal.
"It's never a good idea to feed wildlife; it's as simple as that," DFG Lt. Don Richardson said. "When people feed wildlife, the wildlife becomes habituated to that source of food, and that can lead to animals that are unnaturally bold or develop aggressive behavior. That type of aggressive behavior results in conflicts between wildlife and humans, and that, most often, leads to the death of the animal."
Preventing human and wildlife conflicts is the goal of DFG's "Keep Me Wild" campaign, which encourages people to respect all wildlife by keeping them wild. Anyone can download materials at www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/index.html.
The most common problems stem from leaving pet food out at night, directly feeding wildlife by putting out food, or by allowing access to crops.
DFG urges pet owners to feed pets early in the day, and to retrieve dishes at night. In addition, if a pet door is used, owners should exercise caution that wildlife - particularly raccoons and skunks - don't enter the house in search of an easy meal. There are lockable pet doors that have manual locks or open by a magnetic collar placed on pets.
Additionally, Richardson warned, people who feed wildlife are at greater risk of an attack when animals grow accustomed to being fed and have that feeding disturbed in some way. They are also at a greater risk for the spread of disease and parasites. Urban areas often have an invasion of turkeys, skunks, opossums and raccoons coming to get food, with predators such as coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions following their prey down into housing areas. These animals can cause problems for pets and unsuspecting neighbors who may not want the visitors in their yard. It is illegal to feed big game, such as deer and bears, for these reasons.
Fencing is the best protection from wildlife problems.
Deer fences should be at least 8 feet tall, or a combination of a fence 6 feet straight up with an 18- to 24-inch top that leans in the direction of access. The modified top affects a deer's naturally poor depth perception, and it is less likely to jump. Place gates at the corners of fence lines with access to outside native habitat, as deer will walk down a fence line and continue straight out. The use of double cattle guards reduces the need for a gate, but the bars in the guard should be round to prevent the deer from walking on top.
Bear fencing should follow the fencing guideline for deer, but with the addition of electric fence or "hot wires" on the top. These fences work best with two hot wires, one on the front edge and one directly on top - and sometimes with one hot wire near the base of the fence, but keeping it clear of dry grass or brush. Northern California vineyards have enjoyed success preventing bear access with this design. With a cattle guard gate, it may be necessary to add a temporary closable hot wire across the front, or attached to the guard to make it hot.
Wild turkeys are more difficult to control through fences since they can fly over them. Using herding-type dogs may be enough to keep the birds moving. Paint ball guns have been effective in hazing turkeys without injuring them, as well as motion sensitive water sprinklers. Legal hunting during the annual spring and fall turkey seasons can reduce population numbers.
When trying to protect against coyotes, opportunistic scavengers that will eat almost anything, the best protection is a dog-proof fence at least 5 feet tall. The fence should be placed just around yards or other areas where coyote intrusion is not wanted. For large properties, areas that do not require coyote protection should be left open for animal passage. An electric fence hot wire near the outside bottom edge can keep coyotes from digging under.
Bobcats, mountain lions, and foxes will all go after poultry if they are out in the open, particularly at night. It is best to bring poultry into caged enclosures after sunset. All three species are good climbers so it is important to have a secure roof on the cage.
Proper fencing is the best way to protect not only your property, but also the wildlife and public resources. While DFG can issue depredation permits to remove certain animals that have caused damage, biologists always recommend taking measures to avoid the problem in the first place.
Joel Hedgpeth died this past Friday morning, July 28, 2006, at the age of 94, in Hillsboro, near Portland, Oregon, at his daughter's home. Joel would have turned 95 on September 29.
Well-wishes and messages can be sent to the family (including Joel's 94-year old wife, Florence), via his son Warren Hedgpeth, in Santa Rosa, California at this email address: Anna@hedgpetharchitects.com
A brief obituary appears in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060801/NEWS/608010329/1033/NEWS01
That obituary has minor errors about where and when Joel took his college degrees,
and about the Treatise he edited. A very brief biographic note about Joel
is appended below. A longer biography is under preparation
-- Jim Carlton
Joel Hedgpeth was one of the great icons of 20th century marine biology. His archives, which his son Warren and I have been making our way through for the past three years, contain correspondence with every well-known marine biologist of the 20th century. Joel was a world-class expert on pycnogonids, wrote hundreds of articles and essays (including many philosophical and environmental pieces in the Quarterly Review of Biology, disguised as book reviews), edited the massive volume 1 of the Treatise on Maine Ecology & Paleoecology in 1957, still a gold mine of obscure 19th and 20th century literature and known in earlier years as "The Big Red Book"; edited and authored much of Between Pacific Tides through several editions (and objected very vigorously when Stanford University Press declined to name him the editor of the 5th edition of BPT), became a champion of the rare freshwater Californian shrimp Syncaris pacifica, and monitored the state of the environment from the 1930s through the 1990s. He was consumed with water issues and water resources of the west for his entire life, and vividly remembered meeting California Governor George Pardee (1857 - 1941), who once looked at Joel and remarked, "I like the cut of your jib" (Joel was very proud of that encounter). Joel's first scientific publication was in 1939, and he will appear as a co-author of the pycnogonid chapter in the 4th edition of Light's Manual (now the Light & Smith Manual) due out in early 2007 (University of California Press).
Joel took his undergraduate degree in 1933, his Master's in 1940 under S. F. Light (on diaptomid copepods), and his Ph.D. in 1952 under Ralph I. Smith, all at the University of California at Berkeley. His doctorate was on the distribution and ecology of invertebrates along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Joel traveled extensively, including Pt. Barrow, Alaska; much of Europe; three visits to Antarctica ("South Pole, 1974", being one of them, according to Joel's notes) and one expedition to the Galapagos Islands (producing one of the first essays on the intertidal life of the Galapagos), although he never took a formal sabbatical. He was director of the extinct Pacific Marine Station (Dillon Beach, CA) and the OSU Marine Science Center (Newport OR), served on innumerable panels and committees, received the Browning Medal in 1976 for environmental stewardship (often proudly pointing out how he had made the "EPA hit list"), wrote Seashore Life of the San Francisco Bay Area, and could speak knowledgeably about thousands of species of marine invertebrates and vertebrates around the world. He was honored in 1976 by a special symposium at the Linnean Society of London (a Hedgpeth festschrift resulting from that meeting was published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society in 1978).
He founded the Society for the Prevention of Progress, and wrote poetry under the pseudonym Jerome Tichenor (for whom he had special stationery printed, showing Joel's famous red squirrel logo, and with an extensive entry at the bottom on a "bardic tradition" that the first environmental impact report was submitted by a delegation of squirrels at the time of Elizabeth I: the stanzas are written in Welsh and English). Joel had an abiding interest in poetry of the sea, and produced a 500-page unpublished manuscript on sea poetry.
Our last extensive conversations were in November 2000 (when Joel and I sat on his couch in Santa Rosa, and turned each page of Seashore Life, discussing the needed revisions), and December, 2001. I last saw him in 2005. In 2000, at the age of 89, Joel still fluidly laced his conversations with phrases in Latin, German, Welsh, and Russian (and expected his listeners to keep up). Joel Hedgpeth lead a long and distinguished career as a scientist, teacher, environmentalist, writer, poet, historian, traveler, critic, and philosopher, and represented the grand tradition of an earlier generation who took great pride in the depth of their knowledge of the natural world.
-- Jim Carlton, August 1, 2006
Bodega Bay Fire finds a surplus
Posted July 21, 2006 -------- Bodega Bay Fire District found nearly $400,000 to put into next year’s reserve budget last week.
At the regular monthly meeting of the Bodega Bay Fire District Board of Directors, a proposed budget for the next fiscal year was discussed. The current year expenses are below budget by $183,149. Current year income has exceeded budget by $207,052. These combine for an unspent $390,000 from the current year’s operations. That money will be placed in reserve for future needs.
Fire Chief Sean Grinnell has proposed a budget for next year that anticipates similar expenses and revenues. With anticipated increased costs and revenues, that budget year should end with over $400,000 surplus. That would be added to the unspent revenues from this year and last year. The reserves would then total about $1,000,000.
The Board of Directors has several committees to make recommendations to the full board. There is a Budget committee and a Citizen’s Tax Advisory committee. Just before the full board meeting the Citizen’s Tax Advisory committee met. Directors Barbara McElhiney and George Sage sit on that committee. With Directors Tony Anello and Cathy Beck seated in the audience the Citizen’s Tax Advisory committee discussed recommending to the full board that the tax rate for the upcoming year be set at the full amount or $130 per unit. A single family dwelling is four units.
At the regular Board meeting, the agenda item read “2006-07 Fire Tax rate (discussion).” Fire Chief Grinnell had already proposed using the full rate so the District “continue saving for a rainy day.” Director Cathy Beck questioned Grinnell “could you operate with a tax rate set at $120 a unit (a $40 a year savings for most homeowners) ?”
Grinnell responded that he could live with the tax rate set either way ($120 or $130). He anticipated no problems with the lower rate since the budget was adequate.
Just two fiscal year’s ago, the District had to borrow $180,000 to continue operations. That loan has been repaid. Last fiscal year showed a $150,000 surplus. The current year will produce another $390,000 surplus.
At the board meeting, discussion stalled because the Budget committee – and its two board members – had not met to discuss the tax rate or a policy about reserves. Director Barbara McElhiney said that there wasn’t much point in the Budget committee discussing the issue since most of the Board had already made up their minds.
Director Briare, who had earlier said she wanted to see the higher tax rate, changed direction and said she wanted to hear what the Budget committee recommended.
A Budget committee meeting was set for August 1 at 7 pm at the firehouse. The regular board meeting is set for August 8 at 7:30 pm. The tax rate will be set by the board at the public hearing on the budget held at that meeting.
