Rio Nido News & Events Jan 2010

Rio Nido is buzzing with enthusiasm these days. This community is mobilizing itself to reclaim the identity it seems to have lost in recent years. Our quaint hamlet of canyons and one-lane streets is undergoing a fundamental shift in how it views itself and how it wants to be viewed by the world. This community is determined to reclaim its’ historical rights as a well thought of entertainment venue, relaxation summer destination and homes to everyday folks as well. This community is home to nurses, lawyers, architects, contractors, administrators, training professionals, marketing consultants, actors, singers, dancers, poets, bloggers, activists, artists, laborers, web designers, and many others of professional significance. The perception of Rio Nido has long been that this is an impoverished community of substance abusers and low income households. The residents want to restore our community to it’s rightful heritage as a thriving, vital, interesting place to visit and live.

Recent Happenings:
Buzzing! Perhaps because Rio Nido now has a wonderful and successful community garden, and a well used dog park, along the children’s play area in Bruno Farnocchia Park. All are gathering places for the locals to share, laugh and enjoy our quaint sunny community common areas. Rio Nido has in it’s wonderful community park, a tennis court, picnic tables, barbecue pits, and the streets surrounding are also very walkable. Thanks to the Parks District and several wonderful volunteers Rio Nido built a dog park on a razor thin budget and donated materials. A day has not gone by without doggie friendships being made.

Homeowner’s Events:
The Rio Nido Homeowners Association led by it’s President Douglas Misner makes sure the weekends during the summer months is filled with family oriented gatherings and fun. Rio Nido has long been known for live music and great parties.

Parade of Lights:
Are you aware that Rio Nido recently won a 1st place trophy at the “Parade of Lights” for it’s wacky and inspired group of folks who wanted to represent the community in the parade? Well, we did! The contingent was quickly assembled, the entry planned out and executed without a moment to spare, but the biggest challenge of the evening was avoiding the surprises left by the horse in front of our contingent. Some people missed it and others did not. Thanks horsee!

Feeling of Community:
Fed up and tired of the substance abuse and prostitution problems at the Rio Nido Lodge, this community is now making efforts to avoid allowing this to be repeated. Several recent community meetings have been focused on neighborhood security and solutions to the problems created by a long ignored social problems. Rio Nido has had enough and is working on ways to curb the perception of Rio Nido as “Rio Needle”, or whatever the current favorite term may be. As a community, Rio Nido is feeling a sense of empowerment as we work together to accomplish our goals. You need not look further than our recent successful parade entry, the several successful community meetings held to address neighborhood issues and working together on community projects. No longer does Rio Nido want to be the place on River Road where you slow down and drive through on the way to Guerneville, that is if you remember to slow down at all. Rio Nido wants you to visit and get to know us.

Place to Visit:
So you see, there is a lot of buzzing going on in Rio Nido. Like the Phoenix rising out of the fires of blight, the Rio Nido community is determined to be economically vibrant again. With the potential ideas being talked about for the Rio Nido Lodge and the formation of task forces, it may soon again be added to the list of ‘places to visit’ on the Lower Russian River. Rio Nido has many interesting people and with that many interesting stories to be told. If you have any suggestions or topics to share, please feel free to contact us. When you get the chance be sure to buzz into Rio Nido.