Cazadero News & Events February 2010

Wow, I am looking out of the windows of my cosy cyber-hut and the sun is shining! This is quite a contrast from the past 10 days of necessary and copious rainfall! I think that we will all agree that this respite is terrific! I don’t know if this is a signal that we are indeed, going to receive ‘normal’ rain this year.

I would like to remind you all to be very careful around the quickly moving creek.

I am happy that Raymond’s Bakery has reopened after a winter break. Lots of folks will happily resume their relaxing times there,while snacking on yummy baked goods!

Cazadero Supply continues to offer a great 15% Discount each 1st Saturday of the month. An incredible inventory awaits you! Another good way to save locally is to shop at the Cazadero General store-a friendly and warm spot.

After a brief hiatus, the Cazadero Community Club resumes monthly meetings on Tuesday, March 2nd-7 p.m. at the Firehall. The very low membership fee is due now. Only $10.00 for Individuals and $15.00 for families. Please send to CCC, P.O. Box 3,Cazadero, California 95421.All are welcome to come and help the Club plan a variety of enjoyable events which benefit the entire community,including the Cazadero VFD, FT.Ross VFD, Montgomery Elementary School, Community Garden, local college scholarships and more!

There has been a lot of activity at the Montgomery Elementary School. A new School Counselor, Marie Pampanin has just begun working at MES. Lifelong Cazadero resident Natalie Douglas is now teaching science in Grades K-8th.Several field trips are scheduled,including K-2nd grader’s visit to the Gymnastics center and Healthy Choice restaurant on Feb.10th.the 3rd-5th graders are creating gold rush games as history projects and planning a ‘Gold Rush day’. The 6-8th graders are studying the U.S. Constitution and planning to see the show’ Most Valuable Player’,which is the story of the great Jackie Robinson,as well as a jog-a-thon to raise funds for their spring trip to Westminster Woods.Valentine’s day card exchange and party on February 11th,followed by Presidents Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays. Also worth celebrating is Chinese New Year-GUNG HAY FAT CHOY! I have spent much time in Asian countries where this holiday is HUGE!! This is the Year of the Tiger.

Wishing Happy Birthdays to Ruary Lough,turning 20 on Feb.2nd,Matthew Harra will be 25 on the 4th,Andrew Harb turns 22 on the 18th,Natalie Canelis celebrates 24 years on Feb.19th,Jesus Velasquez-Greer will be 12 on the 22nd and Kiona Scherrer turns 21 on Feb.25th.

Community Radio Station KGGV FM lp, 95.1 (streaming on the ‘Net at www.kggvfm.org) is now in the 4th year of broadcasting. A terrific local resource for all.

Cuddle up with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day or pursue a romantic interest.

Please enjoy warm days by the stove and sunny days outside,call me at 632 5545 or email mayawrld@sonic.net with info for your Cazadero Column!

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Monte Rio: Valentine's Celebrations

Boy was that some incredible storms we had! I don’t think we will hear the “draught” word any more! This month brings us Groundhog Day on the 2nd, Valentine’s day on the 14th, Presidents Day is on Monday the 15th which celebrates Lincoln’s birthday which occurs on the 12th and Washington’s birthday which occurs on the 22nd, because that is way more convenient---didn’t you know. Ash Wednesday is on the 17th and then onto Lent!

The Village Inn has all kinds of things happening this month! First of all they will be celebrating Valentines Day for 3 days! Starting on Friday, Feb. 12 until Sunday, Feb. 14, when you make your reservations for dinner just mention that you are celebrating Valentines Day. Not only will you receive a complimentary glass of champagne but also your table will be decorated for Valentines Day! Also don’t forget that all lodging is 50% off for your guests, just mention that you are a local! They are also making Pizzas to go! It is a nice 15” pizza with 1 to 4 toppings---just call, order, and pick it up! They will also be doing smaller pizzas for the restaurant appetizer list! The Winemaker Dinners will begin again starting on Sunday Feb 28, with Wild Hog Vineyards. The next will be March 14 with Quivira, March 28 will feature J. Rickards Winery. These dinners get sold out very quickly so make your reservations by calling the Village Inn (865-2304). The cost of $48 includes your meal, wine, tax and tip---what a fun way to spend an evening!

The Rio Villa is also offering a February special that is really fun! If you are looking for someplace to relax for several days, this is the spot because the longer you stay the more money you save! They are celebrating February has $28 days! Just stay 2 or more nights, the first night is at full price and the remainder of your weekday nights (Monday–Thursday) are just $28 per night! Offer is good all of February; just mention “28 days”! Now that’s a great deal! Check out their website for more spectacular specials---riovilla.com.

Don’t forget to stop by Don’s Dogs Café for a fabulous breakfast burrito, buckwheat pancakes with sausage, pulled pork sandwich, or his amazing Cuban sandwich---and of course all the different and delicious Don’s Dogs! We have just printed up a great menu, so stop by and grab one---I guarantee you will be amazed!

Also, I am sure that you have noticed that Les Jummels has moved to Guerneville leaving the restaurant empty---but not for long! I spoke with the new ladies that will be re-opening the restaurant very soon. They have been in there cleaning, fixing and cleaning some more and plan to open hopefully sometime in February. They want to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner and do plan to have things like a pot roast special for just $9.95. They are working on a new name for the restaurant---one idea is the Drunken Robin---after the robins that come and eat the piracantha berries and get drunk. One of the new owners, Felice Angel, tells me that it was her mother’s dream to run this particular restaurant, so she has decided to do it in her honor. Felice says she is a published author and comes from Occidental. We wish them the best of everything in their new venture and welcome them to our little town.

Finally, just a mention---the Monte Rio Watch Group will be hosting a very important community meeting on March 29, call Dawn Bell at 865-9956 for information and times.

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Aaron Vargas Murder Trial Examines Abuse

To Kill a Predator

The case of Aaron Vargas goes to trial March 22nd in Ukiah. A hearing was held February 5th (see story posted Feb 8 in PERSPECTIVES category). In many ways it's an open and shut murder case if you only pay attention to the murder aspect of this story. But the story is about abuse. The long-term consequences of abuse are what led to this murder - everyone agrees - and now the jury will decide how to charge the murderer who killed his abuser.

It's not the first time a victim has killed his/her abuser. In some cases compassion rules and in others the murderer gets put in prison just like any other killer because it's still murder no matter what the motivation. What we examine is what caused this person to act - after all the years of abuse - and ultimately - what can do we as a society - and as family members - to protect people from abuse.

Below are stories written by Frieda Moon on this case. And below that is some information on what is called the Stockholm Syndrome - many times referred to in stories of why victims of abuse don't leave or lash out against their abusers.

The most challenging aspect of abuse is knowing how to recognize abuse, and knowing when to act to intervene in a way that will not escalate the abuse. The laws of our nation do not protect against assumed abuse - only proven.

And please visit this web site - http://www.saveaaron.com/ - not just for the Save Aaron campaign - but because it also is a good resource for information on abuse. Education - no matter how painful - is essential to changing society. - Vesta

To Kill a Predator

by Freda Moon on Apr 22nd, 2009
The Anderson Valley Advertiser

There’s not much dispute about what happened on Fort Bragg’s Farrer Lane the night of February 8—the night Aaron Vargas killed Darrell McNeill with a cap and ball .44 caliber black powder revolver.

In this case, almost nobody bothers with the obligatory “alleged” when describing how Vargas knocked on the door of McNeill’s Coachmen Somerset fifth-wheel trailer around 7pm that Sunday; how Vargas told McNeill’s wife, Elizabeth, “I’m not going to hurt you;” how Vargas and McNeill briefly argued; and how Liz heard Vargas say, “You’re not going to hurt anyone else again” just before shooting her husband once in the chest. Vargas then waited 15 minutes to half an hour for Darrell McNeill to die while Liz McNeill waited to call the police.

That most of the facts are agreed upon doesn’t make the murder case against Aaron Vargas as clear-cut as one might think. Vargas shot an unarmed man—a local businessman, former Boy Scouts leader and Big Brother—and waited for him to die before disassembling his gun and leaving it behind. Despite this, nearly all—if not every last one—of the 30 or so people who attended Vargas’s preliminary hearing at the Ukiah superior courthouse last Friday were there to support Aaron Vargas and his defense. The 9am court date and hour and a half drive from Fort Bragg made the showing all the more striking. If courtroom B is any indication, in this case it’s the killer—not the dead man—who has the community’s support.

This support has grown as details of Darrell McNeill’s past seep through the coastal gossip mill. It’s a past, according to the Vargas family and their supporters, that includes the long-term sexual abuse of Aaron Vargas, members of the McNeill family and a number of other local boys and young men, including one former “Little Brother” who committed suicide in 2006. Vargas’s defense attorney, Tom Hudson, says he has the testimony of two people who say they reported the abuse to the Fort Bragg police, but it was never investigated.

The Vargas family, meanwhile, has launched a website, www.saveaaron.com, to raise funds for Vargas’s defense and to petition community support. Mike McNeill, Darrell McNeill’s son, is among those who signed. “Aaron and I are very close friends,” he wrote. “We’ve known each other since childhood. I know how Aaron felt and I believe he sacrificed himself to save others. I stand behind Aaron 100%.”

But there are two people whose support Vargas doesn’t have: Mendocino County District Attorney Meredith Lintott and the prosecutor on the case, Jill Ravitch. The DA’s office is charging Vargas with first-degree murder, false imprisonment and threatening, all of which carry special weight—and additional sentences—when committed with a gun. All told, Vargas, who’s 31, is facing 50 years to life in prison. If the DA’s office has its way, he would be in his eighties before he’s eligible for parole. Vargas has plead not guilty. The next court date in the case is May 1 in Ukiah.

On April 17, Ravitch called Vargas’s fiancé, Selena Barnett, to the stand for a series of questions about phone calls between her and Vargas the night that McNeill was killed, focusing on one that Vargas answered while still at the McNeill home on Farrer Lane.

Barnett—who has been with Vargas for five years, sharing a house in Fort Bragg and a seven-month-old daughter—said Vargas had been upset that day. He’d spent the day with friends, including Mike McNeill, and had been drinking. When he left the couple’s home that night, Vargas told Barnett he was going for a walk. Instead, he drove off in Barnett’s Toyota pickup. Worried, Barnett dialed Vargas’s cell phone until he finally answered. “He told me that he’d just shot Darrell, and he was sorry, and he was going to prison,” Barnett said.

During Hudson’s cross examination, Barnett described how Darrell McNeill “stalked” Vargas in the weeks leading up to the shooting—a characterization the prosecution objected to, but that Barnett was not alone in making. Barnett said McNeill started “coming around” beginning last August, about the time that Vargas and Barnett’s baby was born. McNeill made offers “quite a few times” to baby-sit for the couple’s daughter, Barnett said—offers that were only extended to her, never to Vargas directly. Barnett said McNeill called and made unannounced visits to the couple’s home more and more frequently in the weeks leading up to February 8, and that she once threatened to call the police if he wouldn’t leave. “Sometimes,” Barnett said, “[McNeill] would call all day long, over and over and over.”

During Friday’s preliminary hearing, Ravitch dismissed testimony about the molestation as “self- serving” and objected to it as irrelevant. But for McNeill’s victims and their families, the abuse is anything but insignificant.

“I personally feel that the boy [Aaron Vargas] did the community a favor,” said Richard Masingale, whose younger brother, James Specie, killed himself in 2006, four days after confiding that he had been sexually abused by Darrell McNeill from the ages of nine to 14-years-old, while in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

“I attribute the loss of my brother’s life to that,” said Masingale. “Until he was nine he was a good kid. But after [the abuse], he took another path. He didn’t trust nobody in life…My little brother became addicted to cocaine, methamphetamines. He didn’t do well with the pressures of everyday life after that.” (Neither Big Brothers Big Sisters or the Boy Scouts were able to confirm McNeill’s involvement in their organizations. Neither maintains records that go back to the 1980s. But Dr. Guy Grenny, who has been involved with the Fort Bragg Boy Scout troop for decades, confirms that McNeill was involved sometime before 1986 and members of the McNeill family have said that Darrell McNeill was Species’ Big Brother.)

McNeill, meanwhile, found other boys to abuse.

His former stepson, John Clemons, said that McNeill sexually abused him from when he was 11 until Clemons “got big enough to where I told him if he ever touched me again, I was going to beat the hell out of him.” Clemons’s mother, Jenny, divorced McNeill when Clemons was about 14. Then, Clemons said, “when my brother got big enough, he started using my brother to get to my brother’s friends. Me, I just stopped bringing my friends around.”

Clemons was among those who attended Friday morning’s court date in support of Aaron Vargas. Of his former stepfather, he said, “It doesn’t bother me a bit that this happened to him, personally. But I don’t like that Aaron’s in jail. The system messed up. The Fort Bragg Police, the D.A., whoever. None of this would have happened if Darrell would have been locked up.”

“I have children, I have a son,” Clemons said. “If he ever would have touched my son, I would’ve killed [McNeill] myself.”

Jenny Kotila, McNeill’s second wife and Clemons’s mother, said it wasn’t until several years after she and McNeill divorced, in the early 1980s, that she found out—through Clemons’s then-wife—that Clemons had been molested. She reported the abuse to the Fort Bragg Police, but she said she was told the statute of limitations for sexual abuse were up—that she would need additional, more recent victims in order to get an arrest.

Kotila said she then went to McNeill’s house, rummaged through his things and found sexually explicit photographs of him with another local boy. But, according to Kotila, the FBPD told her the photographs weren’t enough to warrant an investigation unless they were coupled with testimony—and she wasn’t able to convince the boy to speak to the police. “I was doing everything I think I could do,” she said, “to make the police do something about it.” (The Fort Bragg Police, citing privacy laws surrounding child sexual abuse, say they cannot comment on whether such a complaint was ever filed.)

Kotila, Clemons and Masingale are not alone in feeling that the system—and the community—failed.

“I know that many people could have prevented this over 100 years ago,” reads one comment on the Save Aaron petition that was signed, simply, “Darrell McNeill’s Daughter.”

“How many of you knew, and did nothing,” the comment continues. “I will never believe that for so many years this was happening and it now all falls on Aaron. I am a survivor of my grandfather’s sexual assault, the same man that molested Darrell. His father loved him in a very sick way, he loved all his children in a very sick way. You learn right from wrong from your parents, with what I know Darrell didn’t have a chance. Aaron does, don’t let him go to prison.”

Even Liz McNeill, Darrell McNeill’s wife at the time of his death, is supporting Vargas’s defense. “I’ve known the kid [Vargas] for years,” she said. “I love the kid. I do not agree with what he did, by any means, but I don’t want to see him go to prison for many, many years. I’d like see him get help and counseling for what happened to him.”

Liz and Darrell McNeill were married for 25 years. For 19 of those, the couple ran their furnishing shop, Fort Bragg’s American Home Store, while Darrell also worked as a Century 21 realtor. Liz McNeill was reluctant to discuss her husband or the details of the case, but she said she doesn’t doubt that McNeill sexually abused Aaron Vargas. “For the boy to go to that extreme,” she said. “I don’t question it.”

For Part TWO - please visit this link
http://theava.com/archives/2113

then the interview with Aaron's sister at
http://theava.com/archives/3504

For information on Stockholm Syndrome - please visit these sites:

Love and Stockholm Syndrome: The Mystery of Loving an Abuser (Part 1)
By Dr Joseph M Carver, PhD

If you’re in a controlling and abusive relationship, you may recognize several of the characteristics described in this article by Consulting Clinical Psychologist Dr Joseph M. Carver, PhD. Part 1 describes the formation of bonds between victim and abuser, while Part 2 continues with observations about cognitive dissonance and offers suggestions for friends and family of victims.

http://counsellingresource.com/quizzes/stockholm/index.html

Stockholm Syndrome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In psychology, the Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors that appear irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims. [1][2] While uncommon, the FBI’s Hostage Barricade Database System shows that roughly 27% of victims show evidence of Stockholm syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome

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Sonoma County Board goes LIVE on the Internet

Sonoma County Board Meetings to Begin Live Streaming on Internet

Beginning on January 26th, Sonoma County residents will be able to watch Board of Supervisors meetings live on the internet.

Viewers with internet access will be able to watch live meetings, view the Board’s agenda, and access relevant support documents such as staff reports and board resolutions. The internet streaming will include live captioning for the hearing impaired. In addition, meetings will be archived and available for replay at the viewer’s convenience. This project is a continuation of the County’s commitment to making government transparent and accessible to its residents.
“This will enhance the public’s access to their county government,” said Board Chair and 1st District Supervisor Valerie Brown. “This is a smart use of technology that moves the county closer to being paperless, and also complements our sustainability efforts.”

Residents interested in using this new service may visit the Board of Supervisors website at http://supervisors.sonoma-county.org/meetings/. The meetings will be listed by date. The meeting archive will begin with the January 26th meeting, and will grow over time as future Board meetings occur.

The new online service is provided through a contract with Granicus, Inc., a San Francisco company and a leading provider of government webcasting and public meeting management solutions throughout the U.S.

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Russian River Flooding - Sandbag Availability

Then worst may be over ...or yet to come. Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works has sanbbags for those who need them.

The Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department (TPW) has begun placing sand at locations in the Russian River area so that area residents may make and place sand bags on their property if they desire to guard against the possibility of flooding.

The Forestville Fire Department has bags for local residents. Sand has already been placed at the Forestville Youth Park on Mirabel for public use. TPW will be placing sand tomorrow (1/20) near the Guerneville Library on Armstrong Woods Road, also for public use.

Friedman’s Home Improvement stores are also providing a limited number of bags for free at their Sonoma County locations.

TPW - Tom O’kane ∙ (707) 565-3585

Forestville Fire Department 6554 Mirabel Road, Forestville, CA‎ - (707) 887-2212‎

Forestville Youth Park

Friedman’s Home Improvement 4055 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa - 707-588-7625

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Mitch Darnell's ADVICE on Good Goals

Hey Mitch,
I’ve started off 2010 pretty well. Forced myself to the gym. Eating MUCH better than I did over the last few months of ’09. But you know what? I do this every year, Mitch!

I have this “pattern”, I guess you’d call it. My friends say they all do the same thing! We set those resolutions, go for it, push, push, push… And then life catches up with us.

Mitch, how do we get ourselves out of this vicious cycle of bad habits, feeling like a pig (and a loser), then a good habits period (while work piles up), then back to the bad habits?!

I’m almost 40, Mitch. I have a LOT of experience with this challenge. I’ve read some great books, made charts and lists… I just always fall! ARGHH!! Do you have some words that might help me?

Trying But Failing,
Sacramento, CA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Trying,

Funny story about a guy who’d never felt drawn to exercise – Suddenly “assigned” by his doc to do three weekly 25-minute cardio sessions. So, most unenthusiastically, he forced himself out of bed at 5:33 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to join a neighbor for morning jogs.

After a couple of weeks, I asked him how it was going. He told me he was enjoying “runner’s euphoria”! After I congratulated him, he finished his sentence with, “…on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays!”

~ ~ ~ ~

SO MUCH of what we encounter are NOT the actual experiences or things in our lives, but the challenging/blocking terms we give them!

Take the term “eating better”. Suggests that someone not eating an extremely healthy diet is “bad” (versus “better”)! Do you think a term like “power eating” or “energy eating” might have a different effect, when trying to get there?

… Maybe those foods that aren’t on the “great for your health list” can be on the “reward food” list, or the “Saturday night food list”! There are NO “bad foods”; just foods that may need to be a more limited part of your diet for you to become your strongest self!

Not feeling compelled to hit the treadmill endlessly has no connection with the terms “loser” or “pig”! There are losers who are in great shape! Some of our greatest human beings have/had very “unhealthy” diets!

Remember “The Definition of Insanity”?!.. The only way to stop a perpetuating cycle is to GET OFF THE CYCLE!! Time to find a NEW approach!

NEVER long for the “old ways” or “how things used to be” – They weren’t as they now seem, and you are a stronger, smarter being! Every day is opportunity to seek life’s lessons, and to find new opportunities… New ways of living.

° Good Goals Are:

• Realistic (Not so hard to reach they require 100% commitment)

• A Stretch (Not so easy they aren’t interesting, nor rewarding when achieved)

• Specific and Measurable…

Example of A Poor Goal: “I’ll lose some weight this year”

A Good Goal: “I will lose 15 pounds by April first of this year”

ANOTHER Good Goal: “Instead of pushing to the gym, I’ll do something I enjoy

to get exercise!”

° Here’s some Resolutions EVERYONE should START with… And let the others follow!...

· LOVE yourself more this year than last year

· FORGIVE yourself for ALL mistakes you've made in the past

· FORGIVE others for ALL mistakes they've made in the past

· Remember you ARE “Good Enough”

· Remind yourself you “Have Enough”

· And, You have “Done Enough”!

° WHO are your resolutions with?! While our actions affect those we love, our commitments and integrity are first to ourselves.

° AND, your most powerful message:

Set your Resolutions as “Intentions” – Loving YOU… And then LET GO!

… You become powerful the moment you LET GO and trust a greater power…

Namaste,
Mitch

Mitch Darnell, MA, OM
Online: www.ForeverInspired.net
E-Mail: ForeverInspired@surewest.net

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Reform Immigration Campaign for Support

Our broken immigration system is hurting our economy, American families, and all American workers. Comprehensive immigration reform is the solution. President Obama supports reform. But only Congress has the power to pass legislation.

On Thursday January 14th, over 80 supporter of immigrants rights gathered in the historic Sonoma Plaza, to kick off the Reform Immigration for America campaign. Young students spoke of their experience being denied options to higher education, faith based leaders referred to the immigrant Jesus and the common struggle being undertaken, The United Farm Workers spoke about the importance of Ag Jobs to the farmworker population, supporting wineries donated bottles as symbols of support, which were to be then donated to Congressman Mike Thompson (Dist. 1) as gratitude for past support of immigrants in northern California. The action was also in coordination with 55 other actions across California between January 12th- 14th, as well as over 100 across the country in 28 different states.




We need to win comprehensive immigration reform in 2010, but we need to make sure we're organized first. Come support!

Text the word Justice to 69866 for regular local and national updates from Reform Immigration for America

Call Mike Thompsons office, thank him for his support, and let him know you support comprehensive immigration reform (anti- immigrants outnumber our calls 10 to 1).

Napa - (707) 226 - 9898
Mendocino (707) 962 - 0933

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Fight for Air - Sonoma County Healthy Home Website

IS YOUR HOME MAKING YOU OR YOUR FAMILY SICK?

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE AN UNHEALTHY HOME?

New “Healthy Homes” Webpage Launched
on Sonoma County Environmental Health Division Website

The County of Sonoma Department of Health Services, Environmental Health Division has launched a new webpage resource with information about how to identify health and safety problems in homes, and how to keep our homes healthy.

“Poor housing conditions can definitely affect the public’s health, which is why we’re so pleased to launch this webpage”, said Walt Kruse, Director of Environmental Health.

The webpage was created in cooperation with the Sonoma County Asthma Coalition through a grant from California Breathing of the California Department of Public Health. The webpage includes the following resource information:

· Aspects that define healthy homes
· What constitutes a substandard housing violation
· Indoor air quality asthma triggers
· A quick reference table and map of code enforcement jurisdictions that include the public contact numbers for submitting substandard housing complaints/tips
· Frequently asked questions regarding mold
· Tenant/Landlord resources
· Many helpful and informational links to external resources for Healthy Homes related topics

The new webpage is located at the following link: http://www.sonoma-county.org/health/eh/healthy_home.htm

For any questions regarding the webpage, please contact the Environmental Health Division at (707) 565-6565

Shan Magnuson
Associate Director
Sonoma County Asthma Coalition
American Lung Association in California
115 Talbot Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-527-5864
smagnuson@alac.org
www.sonomaasthma.org

I am committed to bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on this planet as the guiding principle of our times.

Saturday, March 27, 2010
www.fightforairclimb.org

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Bohemian Grove Forest Management Protest

As many now know, the plan to log valuable stands of timber at the Bohemian Grove property in Monte Rio, California was signed off for approval by CALFIRE on December 29, 2009. This development, characterized by Judge Bill Newsom as a "thinly disquised plan..." to log "one of the last two great stands of old-growth" has disappointed more than a few, both Russian River residents and many of the environmentally conscious community.

So what's next? With such approvals, there's a thirty day window to file appeal via legal means. Who better to tell the story than John Hooper, organic farmer and past member of the Bohemian Club. John knows the Bohemian Club property and its trees far better than many, and as an owner of forestry stands himself, he has a strong sense of how forests can best be managed.

A wealth of information, including professional testimonials, forestry reports, and forestry management statistics relevant to the Bohemian Grove NTMP is available for review at

http://www.savebohemiangrove.org

John has taken time to discuss the situation's latest developments in an interview with David Kenly and Harvey Mendelson, and that interview is now online as a podcast.

To listen to the interview, podcast player software is required. We recommend iTunes for either MAC or PC. It's free and downloadable from the Apple site at http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Once iTunes (or a similar podcast player) is installed, subscribe to the ArrowFlight Green Parallel podcast to hear the interview with John Hooper. All you have to do is click on

itpc://www.arrowflight.com/podcasts/green.xml

or, in the event your computer doesn't accept this address, enter the following directly into the podcast subscription area of iTunes, usually found in the "Subscribe to Podcast" menu item in the "Advanced" menu.

http://www.arrowflight.com/podcasts/green.xml

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Save State Parks Petition Training

Save our State Parks Signature Gathering Training for Petitions

Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods will sponsor a training on Friday, January 22 at 4:00pm and at 5:00pm for those who want to help us gather signatures to get the California State Parks and Wildlife Preservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 on the November ballot. You can come to either training time and we will distribute petitions and acquaint you with the scheduled signature gathering locations throughout Sonoma County, which you can sign up for. The training will take place at Armstrong Redwoods at the Stewards Office. When you get to the park you will drive past the entrance station (don’t need to pay) - stay to the right and follow the signs to the picnic area. Then continue to your right past the picnic area to the parking lot where our office is located. Please RSVP with Michele Luna mluna@mcn.org or (707) 869-9177.”

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Sales Increase at Locally Owned Businesess

"Buy Local" is on the minds of more shoppers.
Holiday Sales Increase at Independent Businesses, National Survey Finds

By Stacy Mitchell
More holiday shoppers deliberately sought out locally owned businesses this year, according to a national survey of more than 1,800 independent businesses.

The survey found that holiday sales for independent retailers were up an average of 2.2%. That contrasts with the Commerce Department figures released today, which show that overall retail sales were down 0.3% in December and up 1.8% in November.

The survey also found that independent retailers in cities with active "Buy Local" or "Think Local First" campaigns reported stronger holiday sales than those in cities without such campaigns. These campaigns have been launched by local business alliances in more than 100 cities and towns. Independent retailers in these cities reported an average increase in holiday sales of 3.0%, compared to 1.0% for those in cities without an active Buy Local initiative.

Nearly 80% of those surveyed said public awareness of the value of choosing locally owned businesses had increased in the last year (16% said it had stayed the same).

"The buzz about buying local was louder among my customers this year than any other year," said a shoe store owner in Michigan.

"We've had many customers say they are making a real effort to 'Buy Local' this year. A number of customers said they saw an item at a chain store or online, and came back to us to purchase it," said a retailer in Maine.

A bookstore owner in Oregon added that the growing public awareness and support for independent businesses "has been critical to our ability to stay in business during down economic times."

The survey was conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit research organization, in partnership with several business organizations, including the American Booksellers Association, American Independent Business Alliance, American Specialty Toy Retailers Association, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, and National Bicycle Dealers Association.

Similar surveys in 2009 and 2008 likewise found that independent businesses in cities with Buy Local campaigns reported stronger sales than those in communities without such an initiative.

"This survey adds to the growing body of evidence that people are increasingly bypassing big business in favor of local entrepreneurs," said Stacy Mitchell, senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "Amid the worst downturn in more than 60 years, independent businesses are managing to succeed by emphasizing their community roots and local ownership."

"These results reinforce what we've heard from our local affiliates -- that their campaigns are yielding real dividends and shifting local spending," said Jennifer Rockne, director of the American Independent Business Alliance. "That's good news for their local economies. Studies show that small businesses keep more dollars circulating locally and generate the majority of new jobs."

"For the third year in a row, this study demonstrates the bottom-line impact of local business alliances running Think Local First campaigns," said Michelle Long, executive director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. "Local entrepreneurs are the bedrock of the U.S. economy and, when they work together, they make our communities more resilient, unique, and rewarding places to live."

"This survey demonstrates how important a Buy Local/Local First campaign is in helping independent businesses achieve greater sales," said American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher. "This insight about consumers' preferences is consistent with what we have seen since the launch of IndieBound in 2008. Shoppers value authenticity, they want to connect with and to strengthen their communities, and they recognize that bigger is not always better. Because of that, we believe that this is a time of great potential for locally owned businesses that are committed to working together."

Stacy Mitchell | New Rules Project | 207-774-6792 | www.newrules.org

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Food Bank Fundraiser American Philharmonic Concert

The annual Winter Food and Funds Drive
by the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) will mark its finale with performances
January 30 and 31
by the American Philharmonic – Sonoma County (APSC)
at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa.

The concert entitled, Once Upon A Time, is FREE to the public and is dedicated to the work and supporters of the REFB, Sonoma County’s leading hunger relief agency which provides food to 70,000 Sonoma County residents every month.

The concerts will be performed at the conclusion of the REFB’s three-month-long winter drive to collect food and raise funds to support hunger relief efforts into the New Year.

Concert goers are being urged to donate cash or checks to the REFB during the concerts at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. Credit or Debit cards may be used to give as well, using remittance envelopes located in each program. Information tables will be set up for donations to REFB.

In dedicating the concert to the Food Bank, American Philharmonic-Sonoma County spokesperson and Co-Chair, Katy Madrigal said: “This time of year is often the hardest for the needy and those who serve them. While many donations come in during the holidays, by the beginning of each new year, REFB has to double its efforts to secure more food. This is a time when all of us in the community can collaborate and help raise much needed food. Please donate to this worthy cause and enjoy the beautiful music.”

David Goodman, Executive Director of the REFB, thanked the American Philharmonic and expressed hope the concerts would remind people that hunger is a year-round problem.
“Every day is a crisis for people who haven’t enough to eat,” Goodman said. “Coming at the conclusion of our annual drive, the two days of music will help us celebrate the generosity of the thousands of people who have contributed and serve as a reminder that our annual winter fund drive ends Jan. 31 but the need continues every day of the year.”

The orchestra, which will be conducted by American Philharmonic Music Director Gabriel Sakakeeny, will be performing Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream-Overture;
Blechinger’s Concerto for Bassoon, featuring guest bassoonist George Sakakeeny; and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.

The performance on Saturday, Jan. 30 begins at 8 p.m. Sunday’s performance on Jan. 31 begins at 3 p.m. Admission is free. Wells Fargo Center for the Arts lobby doors open an hour prior to the concerts. The Wells Fargo Center for the Arts is wheelchair accessible.

The REFB launched its annual Winter Food and Funds Drive on November 1, and with the help and support of some 360 community drives raised thousands of pounds of food as well as cash. Donations help keep its food shelves stocked into the new year to distribute food through 13 of its own programs and the 146 charitable agencies it partners with in Sonoma County.

The goal is to collect $160,000 in cash and 200,000 lbs. of food by Jan. 31.

By the first week of the new year, Lee Bickley, Community Relations Manager of the REFB, said donors had contributed 160,871 lbs. of canned and packaged food and $111,744 in cash.

“We have just one more month to go, and we’re almost there,” she said. “We’re hoping residents who haven’t yet contributed will find a way to help and help us meet our goal.”

No food will be collected at the Wells Fargo Center concerts, only cash and checks.

Bickley said every cash contribution helps, no matter the amount.

“No donation is too small. We’ve received a $20,000 check from a Healdsburg winery and we’ve received hundreds of pennies from grade schools,” she said. “We have 5,000 volunteers who help us operate our programs throughout the year and because of that volunteer labor we are able to turn a dollar donation into $4 worth of food,” she said. “So each donation counts, no matter the amount, and will enable us to help thousands of our neighbors.”

Bickley urged concert goers to donate cash at the Wells Fargo Center performances and others to send their contributions to the Redwood Empire Food Bank.

Checks can be mailed to 3320 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa CA 95403.

Donors also can give online www.refb.org or by calling the food bank at 707-523-7900 and put a donation on a charge card.

Canned and packaged food can always be dropped off at REFB’s headquarters, 3320 Industrial Drive in Santa Rosa.

The American Philharmonic–Sonoma County was created in 1998. It has performed more than 60 concert events for more than 40,000 audience members since 1999.

For more information on the REFB, contact David Goodman, 707-523-7900.

The orchestra is sustained almost completely on the generosity of donations by audience members. It has grown from a modest Cotati Philharmonic to become the premier professional volunteer orchestra of the North Bay Area with 60 to 75 musicians and scores of support volunteers. The American Philharmonic-Sonoma County is a resident company of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.
F
or more information about the American Philharmonic-Sonoma County, contact Katy Madrigal at mailto:kgomezmadrigal@apsonoma.org" at kgomezmadrigal@apsonoma.org or go to www.apsonoma.org.

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Project Censored: Independent News from Media Freedom

CURRENT TOPICS (full stories below):

US Special Forces Murder Family in Syria
Florida Imprisons Black Children for Life
Global Censorship Technology used in U.S.
US Weapons Still Killing in Vietnam
H-Bomb Missing in Savannah Swamp Since 1958
Cancer Spreading In Iraq due to Depleted Uranium Weapons
Massacre in Peruvian Amazon over US Free Trade Agreement
Iranian Election not Stolen
Illegal Arms Trade Experts in Air France Crash
Wealthy Petition for Tax Increase
Texas Writing Our Nation’s History Textbooks
British Global Brands Reject Amazon Deforestation
No Water for Palestinians

College and University Reviewed and Validated News http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/

Support this work: http://www.projectcensored.org/about/support/


US Special Forces Murder Family in Syria

On October 26, 2008, U.S. helicopters stormed a farm near the Iraq-Syria border and brutally killed 7 people within the farm walls. Anonymous Pentagon sources claimed that there was an Al-Qaeda terrorist, Abu Ghadiya, with in the walls of the farm. This terrorist is held responsible for smuggling men and arms across the Iraqi-Syrian border.

In the process of “killing” this terrorist, U.S. killed 7 people within the farm walls. They killed a father, his four sons, including a teenage boy, the father’s visiting friend, and the night watchman. The U.S. troops also severely wounded the night watches wife; she and her six-year-old son along with a man Hamid, were the only survivors. As witnesses of this event say that there was no one was shooting back at the U.S. Soldiers because they had no weapons to fire back.

It became suspicious when there were no reports of Al-Qaeda terrorists, or Abu Ghadiya, death. These people were brutally shot, 10 or more bullets to each body, and there is no body or official report that this terrorist was killed. There also was no official announcement about the raid. Al-Qaeda in Iraq, in August of 2006, announced the death of Ghadiya. One Syrian official says that the U.S. never showed him any proof that Ghadiya was alive after 2006.

Title: The Murders at al-Sukariya
Source: Vanity Fair October 27, 2008
URL: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/10/al-sukariya-200910
Author: Reese Erlich and Peter Coyote
Student Researcher: Trinity Cambon
Faculty Advisor: Keith Gouveia

Sonoma State University



Florida Imprisons Black Children for Life

There are 73 children, 14 and younger, who have been imprisoned for life without parole Florida. 84 percent of prisoners in Flordia are black, and African American youths are serving life without parole 10 times that of white youths. For the age 13 and younger, there are nine kids serving life in prison including both homicide and non-homicide

In the 90's there was the myth of the “super predator” which was introduced as packs of mostly Black and Latino kids who were “wilding” or being rowdy and said to be the new breed of criminal. What people didn't know was that by stereotyping these packs of minority kids as the “super predator” they created a monsterous stereotype that led to many faulty arrests.

One of the key persons who created the idea of the “super predator” was John DiIulio, a professor at Princeton, who stated he was wrong, but still many groups of black teens were targeted, arrested, and paid for the mistake.

Title: Ugly Truth Most U.S. Kids Sentenced to Die In Prison Are Black
Author: Liliana Segura
Source: Alternet.org, 11/11/09
URL:http://www.alternet.org/rights/143776/ugly_truth:_most_u.s._kids_sentenced_to_die_in_prison_are_black

Student Researcher: Garet West
Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips
Sonoma State University



Global Censorship Technology used in U.S.

Deep packet inspection technology monitors everything that goes through the internet. It is readily available in the United States and there’s no legislation that prevents the US government from employing it. Deep packet inspection is currently used in Iran. The Iranian Government has the ability to look through everything, land line telephones, mobile telephones, email, websites, looking for keywords and actually monitoring the entire traffic going through one chokepoint in Iran. Deep packet inspection is the use of sophisticated equipment that literally watches the entire internet for every piece of data, voice, and video looking for key words, such as “rebel” or “grenade.” It is widely known that since 9/11, AT&T and Verizon were being asked by the Bush administration to deploy this sort of off-the-shelf technology. And they did. Again, Obama came out against the law and said we must punish these carriers for doing this, because it’s illegal, and then he flipped under enormous pressure from the lobbies.

Title: Deep Packet Inspection: Telecoms Aided Iran Government to Censor Internet, Technology Widely Used in US”
Source: Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales, Democracy Now!, 6/23/09
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/23/deep _packet_inspection_telecoms_aided_iran
Title: Deep-Packet Inspection in U.S. Scrutinized Following Iran Surveillance

Author: Kim Zetter,
Source: Wired, June 29, 2009
URL-http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/06/deep-packet-inspection/

Student Researcher: Mira Patel
Faculty: Ben Frymer
Sonoma State University



US Weapons Still Killing in Vietnam

American War weapons and artillery still killing many in Vietnam. American bombs, artillery shells, rockets, landmines, grenades, and other type of unexploded ordnance still haunt Vietnam citizens. The explosive ordinance left over from the American war has killed thousands, in one village alone it has killed in alarming 1300 people.

In one case a six year old boy named Nguyen Vu Lan was watching his cousin as they came across a bomb used in the American War, the young boys were pounding on the metal, only to see their youth disappear in front of them, as the boy watching on took the grunt of the explosion shredding the whole front of his body. The bomb killed the other two boys. The mom of this young boy wants America to be accountable for there actions and contribute towards the many that were injured.

There is little medical care in which these people can receive in Vietnam; they are seeking American doctors to cover surgeries due to American post war destruction. There are many cases similar to this one and America still denies involvement. The Vietnam Veterans are forming a group to inform there citizens about explosive ordinance. They meet with a non-profit group named Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, who focuses strictly on explosive ordinance. They are coming up with ideas to reduce explosion related deaths. The recent estimates have calculated that it will take billions of dollars to clean up Vietnam’s bomb littering. Project RENEW is pushing hard for a casualty decrease and a clean swept of their country.

Title: Vietnam Still in Shambles after American War
Author: Nick Turse
Source: In These Time “Magazine”, May 2009
URL: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4363/casualties_continue_in_vietnam/

Student Researcher: Ryan Stevens
Faculty Evaluator: Mryna Goodman
Sonoma State University



H-Bomb Missing in Savannah Swamp Since 1958

Where did the missing H-Bomb Go? That is the question on many people’s minds and especially the residents near Tybee Island in Savannah Georgia.

On February 5, 1958 two USA air crafts collided during a night training flight. On one of the aircrafts lay what the pentagon described as the “Mother of all Weapons”. After colliding with each other the pilot was order to “jetton” the bomb before landing the damaged plane. The pilot did so over the shallow waters of Wassaw Sound.

To this day this bomb has still not been discovered. Since the 200 pounds of TNT that was attached to the bomb exploded scattering debris everywhere, residents and officials know that the bomb was dropped. After less then two months the government ordered the search for the bomb to stop. Residents concerns have increased over time due to the fact that they are aware that plutonium, which is a major part of the H-Bomb, becomes even more dangerous and deadly over the years as it erodes and disintegrates. They are afraid that the bomb is leaking radioactive materials into the area around them, which some scientists feel is definitely the case.

Title: The Case of the Missing H-Bomb: The Pentagon Has Lost the Mother of all Weapons
Author: Jeffery St. Clair
Publication: Rock Creek Free Press, June 2009
Student Researcher: Kristin Laney
Community Evaluator: Gary Evans MD
Sonoma State University


Cancer Spreading In Iraq due to Depleted Uranium Weapons

Cancer is spreading like wildfire in Iraq. Thousands of infants are being born with deformities. Doctors say they are struggling to cope with the rise of cancer and birth defects, especially in cities subjected to heavy American and British bombardment.

Dr Ahmad Hardan, who served as a special scientific adviser to the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the Iraqi Ministry of Health, says that there is scientific evidence linking depleted uranium to cancer and birth defects. He told Al Jazeera English [3], "Children with congenital anomalies are subjected to karyotyping and chromosomal studies with complete genetic back-grounding and clinical assessment. Family and obstetrical histories are taken too. These international studies have produced ample evidence to show that depleted uranium has disastrous consequences."

Iraqi doctors say cancer cases increased after both the 1991 war and the 2003 invasion. Abdulhaq Al-Ani, author of "Uranium in Iraq" told Al Jazeera English [4] that the incubation period for depleted uranium is five to six years, which is consistent with the spike in cancer rates in 1996-1997 and 2008-2009.

Not everyone is ready to draw a direct correlation between allied bombing of these areas and tumors, and the Pentagon has been skeptical of any attempts to link the two. But Iraqi doctors and some Western scholars say the massive quantities of depleted uranium used in U.S. and British bombs, and the sharp increase in cancer rates are not unconnected.

In Falluja, which was heavily bombarded by the US in 2004, as many as 25% of new- born infants [1] have serious abnormalities, including congenital anomalies, brain tumors, and neural tube defects in the spinal cord.

The cancer rate in the province of Babil, south of Baghdad has risen from 500 diagnosed cases in 2004 to 9,082 in 2009 according to Al Jazeera English [2].

The water, soil and air in large areas of Iraq, including Baghdad, are contaminated with depleted uranium that has a radioactive half-life of 4.5 billion years.

Title: Cancer – The Deadly Legacy of the Invasion of Iraq
Source: New American Media: January 6, 2010 http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=80e260b3839daf2084fdeb0965ad31ab

Author: Jalal Ghazi
Research/evaluator, Peter Phillips



Massacre in Peruvian Amazon over US Free Trade Agreement

On June 5, 2009 World Environment Day, Peruvian Amazon Indians were massacred by the government of Alan Garcia in the latest chapter of a long war to take over common lands—a war unleashed by the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Peru and the United States. Three MI-17 helicopters took off from the base of the National Police in El Milagro at six in the morning of Friday, June 5. They flew over Devil’s Curve, the part of the highway that joins the jungle with the northern coast, which had been occupied for the past 10 days by some 5,000 Awajun and Wampi indigenous peoples. The copters launched tear gas on the crowd (other versions say they also shot machine guns), while simultaneously a group of agents attacked the road block by ground, firing AKM rifles. A hundred people were wounded by gunshot and between 20-25 were killed. The versions are contradictory. The government claimed days after the events that there are 11 indigenous dead and 23 police. The indigenous organizations reported 50 dead among their ranks and up to 400 disappeared. According to witnesses, the military burned bodies and threw them into the river to hide the massacre, and also took prisoners among the wounded in hospitals. In any case, what is certain is that the government sent the armed forces to evict a peaceful protest that had been going on for 57 days in five jungle regions: Amazonas, Cusco, Loreto, San Martin, and Ucayali.

Title: Massacre in the Amazon: The U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement Sparks a Battle Over Land and Resources
Source: Americas Program, Center for International Policy (CIP) 6/16/2009
URL-http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6191

Title: ‘Police Are Throwing Bodies in the River,’ Say Native Protesters
Author: Raul Zibechi, Translated by Laura Carlson, ‘Police Are Throwing Bodies in the River,’ Say Native Protesters” Milagros Salazar,
Source: Inter Press Service, June 9, 2009

URL- http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47142

Student Researcher: Kelsea Arnold
Faculty Evaluator: Eric McGuckin, PhD
Sonoma State University



Iranian Election not Stolen

Because the issue of whether the election was stolen will remain relevant, both to our understanding of the situation and to US-Iranian relations, it is important to recognize the legitimacy of the Iranian election results.

Title: Iranian Elections: The ‘Stolen Elections’ Hoax
Author: James Petras,
Source: Global Research, 6/18/2009

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=14018

Student Researcher: Meg Carlucci
Faculty Evaluator: Janet Hess, PhD
Sonoma State University
Corporate Media Source:

Title: Was the Iranian Election Stolen? Does It Matter?”
Author: Mark Weisbrot, Washington Post, 6/26/2009

http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/was-the-iranian-election-stolen/


Illegal Arms Trade Experts in Air France Crash

Amid the media frenzy and speculation over the disappearance of Air France flight 447, the loss of two of the world's most prominent figures in the war on the illegal arms trade has been virtually overlooked. Pablo Dreyfus, who was traveling with is wife aboard the flight from Rio de Janerio to Paris, had worked with the Brazilian authorities for years to stop the flow of weapons and ammunition that have fueled drug wars in Rio. Also traveling with Dreyfus was his friend and colleague Ronald Dreyer, a Swiss diplomat and coordinator of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence. Dreyfus and Dreyer were on their way to Geneva to present the latest edition of the Small Arms Survey handbook, of which Dreyfus was a joint editor. It was to have been an important step in their relentless fight towards a less profitably violent future.

Title: Key Figures in global battle against illegal arms trade lost in Air France crash
Author: Andrew McLeod,
Source: Sunday Herald (Scotland Independent0, June 7, 2009

http://www.heraldscotland.com/key-figures-in-global-battle-against-illegal-arms-trade-lost-in-air-france-crash-1.829372

Student Researcher: Travis Hann
Faculty Evaluator: Rick Luttmann
Sonoma State University


Wealthy Petition for Tax Increase

Over 200 people who would pay these taxes have signed onto the petition which will be delivered to President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Republican Leader John Boehner.

Title: Wealth for the Common Good,
Author: Katrina Vanden Heuvel
Source: The Nation, 07/30/2009

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/457403/wealth_for_the_common_good

Student Researcher: Marissa Warfield
Faculty Evaluator: Stephanie Dyer, PhD
Sonoma State University


Texas Writing Our Nation’s History Textbooks

Approved textbooks, the standards say, will teach students to identify significant conservative organizations and individuals, such as Newt Gingrich, Joe McCarthy, Phyllis Schlafly, and the Moral Majority in heroic terms. In sharp contrast, the historic roles of liberal figures and groups such as Martin Luther King, Betty Friedan, and the American Indian Movement are either not mentioned or minimized. Texas is one of two states with the largest student enrollment in the nation. California is the other. Publishers vie to get their books adopted by these states. Changes that are inserted to please Texas and California are then part of the textbooks made available to every other state.

Title: Could Texas’ Gingrich-Based High School History Curriculum Go National?”
Author: Justin Elliott,
Source: Civil TPMMuckraker, 09/04/2009

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/could_texas_gingrich_based_curriculum_go_national.php

Student Researcher: Megan Vosburgh
Faculty Evaluator: Rich Sevendsen
Sonoma State University


British Global Brands Reject Amazon Deforestation

Four of the biggest companies involved in Brazilian cattle farming have joined forces to stop the purchase of cattle from newly deforested areas of the Amazon. Meat companies Marfrig, Bertin, JBS-Friboi and Minerva yesterday signed a formal moratorium in which they pledge better protection for the rainforest.

The move follows a three-year Greenpeace investigation, reported extensively in the Guardian in June, which exposed the link between forest destruction and the expansion of cattle ranching in the Amazon. The investigation prompted calls for action from key international companies, including food group Princes and footwear manufacturers Clarkes, Adidas, Nike, and Timberland, which threatened to cancel contracts unless their beef and leather products were guaranteed free from raw materials linked to Amazon destruction.

John Sauven, head of Greenpeace, said: "Today's announcement is a significant victory in the fight to protect the Amazon. Cattle ranching is the single biggest cause of deforestation globally, and the fact that these multibillion dollar companies have committed to cleaning up their supply chains will lead to real change in the Amazon."

Title: Global brands refuse to endorse 'slaughter of the Amazon'
Author: David Adam,
Source: guardian.co.uk, 10/5/2009

www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/05/meat-amazon-deforestation

Title: British Supermarkets Acussed Over Destruction of Amazon Rainforest
Author: David Adam,
Source: guardian.co.uk, 5/31/2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/31/supermarkets-amazon-cattle-deforestation-greenpeace/print

Student Researcher: Dani Wright
Faculty Evaluator: Robert Girlin
Sonoma State University


No Water for Palestinians

In a new extensive report, Amnesty International revealed the extent to which Israel’s discriminatory water policies and practices are denying Palestinians their right to access to water. Israel uses more than 80 percent of the water from the Mountain Aquifer, the main source of underground water and the OPT, while restricting Palestinian access to a mere 20 percent. The Mountain Aquifer is the only source for water for Palestinians. Some 180,000-200,00 Palestinians living in rural communities have no access to running water and the Israeli army often prevents them from even collecting rainwater. To cope with the water shortages and lack of network supplies many Palestinians have to purchase water, of often dubious quality, from mobile water tankers at a much higher price. Others resort to water saving measures which are detrimental to their and their families’ health and which hinder socio-economic development. Israel has also imposed a complex system of permits in order to carry out water related projects. Applications are often rejected or subject to long delays.

Title: Israel Rations Palestinians To Trickle Of Wate
Source: Amnesty International Website, 27 October 2009

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/israel-rations-palestinians-trickle-water-20091027

Student Researcher: Ashley Housley
Faculty Evaluator: Andrew Roth
Sonoma State University


To Support this work you can make a secure on-line financial gift at: http://www.projectcensored.org/about/support/


Peter Phillips Ph.D.
Professor Sociology—Sonoma State University
President—Media Freedom Foundation
1801 East Cotati Ave
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
707-664-2588

Daily News at: http://mediafreedom.pnn.com/5174-independent-news-sources

Validated News & Research at: http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/

Daily Censored Blog at: http://dailycensored.com/

Project Censored: http://www.projectcensored.org/

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Carol Sklenicka: Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life

Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life
Voted one of the 10 Best Books of 2009 by the New York Times.

at River Reader Bookstore Winter Events
16355 Main Street, Guerneville, 707 869 2240

Wednesday, February 17 at 7:00 pm

"Ten years in the making, this prodigiously researched and meticulous biography sympathetically and adroitly integrates its subject's work with the turbulent life -- marred by alcoholism, financial turmoil and family discord -- that brought it into being. Sklenicka shrewdly deconstructs Carver's fraught relationship with Gordon Lish, the editor who played an outsize role in the creation of Carver's stories, the most influential of a generation." --New York Times Book Review

LOCAL REVIEW:

I just finished reading Carol Sklenicka’s book on short story author Ray Carver. (Carol and her husband Rick Ryan live in the Jenner area. At first, I didn’t know how I was going to feel about the book as Ray Carver was unknown to me, but I have to say that once I started, I couldn’t put the book down. It is a fascinating biography and has already won prestigious awards. Stephen King did a lengthy review several weeks ago in the New York Times Book Review and gave it high honors.

Carol is going to be reading at River Reader in Guerneville on Wednesday, Feb. 17th. I urge all of you to put it on your calendars and attend. I also urge you to purchase the book. If you have any interest in modern literature, you won’t be sorry.

Brenda

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Sonoma County Kids Dental Health Month

Saving Smiles Mouthfuls at a Time: Sonoma County Dentists Seek to "Give Kids a Smile" by Providing Exams and Education, Kicking Off National Children's Dental Health Month.

With almost 1/3 of California preschoolers and more than 2/3 of elementary and high school children having had some form of tooth decay, oral health advocates know more work needs to be done regarding oral health education, prevention measures and treatment for California's children. In an effort to combat preventable oral diseases, the California Dental Association (CDA) and dental professionals from around the country are allied together in observing February as National Children's Dental Health Month by offering free dental exams for uninsured children throughout the state. Through this annual program, local dentists strive to foster the importance of properly flossing, brushing and caring for teeth and gums in children.

Sonoma County dentists will be participating in the American Dental Association’s "Give Kids a Smile[R]" day, Friday, Feb. 5. Give Kids a Smile allows dedicated dentists to reach out to underserved children in Sonoma County and across the nation in preventing oral disease and promoting healthy habits that if properly followed with regular visits to a dentist, will ensure dental health well into their future

Last year's event gave needed care to more than 41,000 children in California totaling over $1.5 million in donated dental services. This year, CDA and its member dentists hope to make an impact on more children throughout California.

For more information about proper oral care and the National Children's Dental Health Month, please call the Redwood Empire Dental Society at (707) 546-7275.

To register your child for Give Kids a Smile[R] events in Sonoma County, please call (707) 544-5638.

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REVIEW: Monte Rio Wastewater Task Force meeting Jan 11

Review of Monte Rio Wastewater Task Group Meeting, January 11, 2010
Personal perspective by Lloyd Guccione, Guerneville

Follow-up letters below

The Monte Rio Wastewater Task Group (MRWWTG) met at the Monte Rio Community Center on Monday evening; January 11th. The Task Group is a group of citizens, property owners (both resident and outside of the area), contractors, and investment – speculator property owners. Its members include Ken Wikle, Dan Fein, Preston Smith, Leo Torr IV, Rene de Monchy, Gary Getchell, Chuck Berger, Doreen Atkinson, Jim Quigley, Steve Mack Richard “Rick” Holmer, Susie Baxman, and Fifth District Supervisor Efren Carrillo. This was the group’s fourth meeting and was important in that it brought together in a panel discussion the lead spokesmen for all the significant agencies that have relevance to the Task Group’s self-defined mission. Panelists included spokespersons from North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, Sonoma County Water Agency, Environmental Health and Safety, and Permit and Resources Management Department. Also in attendance was Kathleen Kane (Executive Director Community Development Commission) and twenty-five or so members of the public during the course of the meeting.

Background: The Task Group

The current Task Group was appointed by Kathleen Kane and followed upon two main events. The first was Mr. Mike Reilly’s ‘Amending Resolution’[1] which stripped the Oversight Committee of its ability to have subcommittees (among other impacts) and assigned to the CDC Executive Director the authority to both establish “Task Groups”, make the appointments to the groups, and oversee meetings. The second event was the collapse of the CSWS (Citizens for Sensible Wastewater Solutions), an ad-hoc group, when the Monte Rio Parks and Recreation District Board disbanded them as a subcommittee of that Board. The short-lived CSWS held only a few “formal” meetings and at least two of those had to on the picnic tables outside the Community Center because they could not pay for the facility, and because they were locked out (did not have keys).

The demise of the CSWS was due primarily to some glaring organizational and procedural problems, lack of a legitimate funding source to underwrite their efforts, and a legitimacy conferred by county government (e.g. CDC/Redevelopment). All of these shortcomings and difficulties have now apparently been overcome or addressed. The members of the ad-hoc CSWS (now almost all members of the MRWWTG) have learned from their past procedural and organizational errors and miss-steps. Dan Fein deserves much credit in helping the group in this respect as well as in guiding the group toward obtaining the legitimacy the Task Group now has. The funding (underwriting) was addressed by Mr. Reilly’s ‘Amending Resolution’ and the authority it ceded from the RRROC to the Executive Director of the CDC.[2] And the bureaucratic/institutional legitimacy was obtained through the appointment power of CDC and the sitting on the Task Force of Efren Carrillo; Fifth District Supervisor. Also deserving credit for this group’s rebirth and its massively reinvigorated possibilities are Ken Wikle (RRROC Chairman, Monte Rio Volunteer Firefighter), Victoria Wikle (Sweetwater Springs Water District Board Member). Steve Mack (Sweetwater General Manager) and Jim Quigley (Sweetwater Board Member and Windsor Water employee) have also added to the “weight” credibility of the group; Mr. Mack for his wastewater experience and the two of them together as important components in Sweetwater policy, operations, and/or governance. [Sweetwater Springs Water District is one of several “potential” lead agencies or administrative districts (entities) that may be essential to certain “solution” approaches being broached and discussed.]

Prior to the formation of the CSWS the key players in the CSWS (and now the MRWWTG) had largely been advocates/boosters of the Sheridan Ranch regionalized sewer approach and advocates/boosters of a rebuilding and development of the core (downtown) area of Monte Rio. The group also included individuals with interests and concerns surrounding building on undeveloped (vacant) parcels, renovation, remodeling, and expansion of current structures (residential and commercial). The members of the group, irregardless of their individual motivations and expectations, are all committed, intelligent, and community-minded (albeit each has his or her own important view of what ‘community-minded’ includes or excludes). In general they are all to be thanked for their work, their persistence, and their willingness to learn and accommodate.

On the current MRWWTG there are some notable questioning and constructive divergent perspectives; Doreen Atkinson and Gary Getchell.

The Meeting of Monday January 11, 2020

Dan Fein outlined the intent of the meeting, introduced the panelists, and explained the format for the meeting. Rene de Monchy provided some of the important background issues (AB 885, septic particulars, slopes, and explained a large map he and Preston Smith had created). Dan Fein, Rene de Monchy, and Preston Smith sat at the table in conjunction with the panelists and gave the appearance of being an executive group of the task force (at least for this meeting). The presentations by the three were well delivered, coherent, and avoided unnecessary repetitions. The attention of the public and the other Task Group members was retained and the question-comment/answer-commentary segment also went quite well. This is notable in that the concerns and discussion covered a rather large territory.

Some of the larger points/concerns addressed were; water body impairment and Section 303 (d) designation, AB 885 and its current legislative further working out including a conceptionalized ‘three-tier’ approach modification, Guerneville Treatment Plant status and capacity or lack of capacity issues, UC Davis and other monitoring undertakings, revised PRMD policies, and cost implications of certain approaches. All of these, however, were dealt with only in rather general and perhaps cursory detail. Some of this was due to time limitations, but also due to the outline provided to the panelists in anticipation of the meeting. Several of the panelists cited that they were not prepared to provide requested detail or greater specificity since the outline material they were provided did not provide the advance notice or expectation. This was particularly applicable to the NCWQCB’s spokesman.

The lack of more current detail and specificity can be understood by taking into account the “intent” of the meeting as a general informational outline. In other words the meeting was not structured to allow in-depth review of aspects, questions, or concerns. A further meeting is anticipated for Spring were there may be opportunity to reach for greater substance instead of a review. At least two members of the Monte Rio community; familiar with past efforts and meetings felt the meeting lacked sufficient ‘new’ data or perspectives to sustain their interest. They left the meeting early; slightly disappointed, if not disenchanted. Other members of the public seemed to appreciate the re-opening of the perennial issue and getting a review with some important (although general) updates.

The issue of water body impairment and the Section 303 (d) designation for the Russian River (e.g. Healdsburg at the bridge and that stretch between Fife and Dutch Bill creeks) was addressed. In connection with it Gary Getchell asked about the impact of the low flow regime and its attendant low flow-rates on data results for coliform bacteria and the other criteria of impairment including temperature and turbidity. Mr. Getchell made the point, through his question, that one action to address an issue (low flow to accommodate fishery issues) can and has had a subsequent deleterious effect upon the river. In example, lower river flows have resulted (allowed) in higher temperatures in the summer and the concentration of biologicals and other components that would have been sufficiently diluted (possibly) with what had been ‘normal’ flows before the regime was instituted. It is a clear example of how addressing one problem can lead to a set of new ones that are more intractable, expensive in solution, and politically and socially sensitive that expected. None of the panelists were able to give a sufficient answer either to Mr. Getchell’s question or to the equally important issue it implied.

When the question was raised about how a body or segment receives the 303 (d) designation: ‘How long does a single indicator (temperature, turbidity, coliform count) need to persist to trigger the designation?’ there was no clear responsive reply. There was also no enlightening response to questions regarding such impact specifics as motoring locations, flow-rates corollaries, eddies, water depth, daily or seasonal variations, and time specific events (such as children in a shallow ‘kiddie beach’). Another point that was not clearly or adequately addressed is how the 303 (d) designation can be rescinded. In other words (putting both aspects together) it was not made clear how long a monitoring result must be in effect before 303 (d) is triggered, or how long it must be absent for it to be rescinded. The best the panelists could offer is that it is easier to make the designation that it is to remove it. Perhaps they meant that it is hard to prove a negative and therefore rescinding a designation is exceedingly problematic. Even more simply; they didn’t know.

One of the troubling implications of the lack of a clear response is that a monitoring result, perhaps a single event, could trigger a designation that could take years to address and study and bushels of money and time. Not an encouraging or confidence building scenario. The current regimen has the propensity to initiate miss-leading positives and to act like a blinking light – now on, now off; the regulatory agencies will gladly acknowledge the “on” but have not quite figured out to how to address the “off”. After all, an “off” might well imply a diminishing of their (at any particular moment) purview; something bureaucracies eschew.

The concerns and review of AB 885, the legislature’s bill addressing septic systems state-wide, held little new concrete information. The review of the concerns, as raised by the overflow crowd at the Wells Fargo (Luther Burbank) meeting last February (2009), was good for that (a review) but did not carry things forward. The caveat to that is that the public was informed that it appears the legislature is moving toward a “three-tier” approach to implementation instead of the “one size fits all” approach. However, the changes will not offer any appreciable relief to Monte Rio over the initial AB 885 implications. This is due to Monte Rio’s location on the river, its slopes, and its predominate small (insufficient) lot sizes. While there was some soft comment that something may come out of the legislative/lobbying process this year it was implied that any active implementation of a worked out AB 885 was still many years off.

One limiting factor to the implementation of any worked out AB 885 is funding, and in connection with that the current state of the State’s finances is quite relevant. In addition to the costs to state and local government to implement any plan there is also the potentially prohibitive costs to property owners, the intrusiveness of the inspection requirements, and the inability of government (federal, state, or local) to underwrite or mitigate the costs. AB 885 looks like a well-intended idea; a good theory! But it also is seemingly absolutely impractical to implement. This impracticality; for cost and political reasons (the rural public does not appear to be ready, or willing, to accept it) does not seem to be going away soon.

Although analogies are always imperfect by their very nature they can be helpful. In a fashion AB 885 is like the regulations and changes that occurred in automobiles in pursuit of cleaning up the air. Everyone is for clean air; everyone is for clean water. The problems start when you try to figure out how to get from A to B. With cars we went the route of imposing exhaust emission limits on new cars and greater efficiencies. This lead to a host of innovations and results. The route, however, was not to require everyone to buy a new car and junk their old one. The theory in the car ‘model’ was that given time the newer models would replace the older ones by a kind of natural process.

With AB 885 the implication is otherwise. Still following the car analogy; an AB 885 type of law would have required everyone to have their car inspected yearly, pay $125-130 yearly (to start), and if it failed make the necessary repairs. Start thinking in multiples of 10’s of thousands of dollars. So far in essence not much different. But AB 885 would apply no matter how old your car was. It would be like taking your Model A, or your Bel-Air into inspection and told you didn’t pass and now you need to bring your classic up to current standards; even though yours is running just fine and dandy. Yes-siree-bob… you gotta’ add a catalytic converter, an O2 sensor, an air bag (make that two), a five mile per hour bumper, and you just read down the list yourself. The point is AB 885 is currently impractical and is being used as a “boogey-man” by way too many. And in addition to the annual inspections god help you if you wanted to restore or update your old jalopy or classic (house). If you want to replace more than one rusted fender and one bent bumper you’d get a real wake-up call in the pocket book and in the process (permit) line.

I know that the analogy is weak, but somehow it still gets me in the right kind of mood. Like… I like my old car; I take care of it:… I like my old house, I take care of it. I don’t ask anyone to take my crap away; I take care of it myself. Its my old heap… its my crap (so to speak) and I prefer to keep it that way. Now mind your own business and go and find some other ‘problem’ to fix somewhere else. Don’t need the likes of you round these here parts. We do care for our river, our neighbors, our septics, and our pocketbooks… thank you very much.

Conclusion:
The dialog and discussion on MRWTG and the attendant issues has taken off in the past few days and hopefully will reach a point of increased public exposure and responsiveness. It is clear that the Task Group members need to now individually put down in written form; actual pen to paper, what their individual perceptions of the issues and problems. These written presentations should (must) be in the context of the mission statement and the parameters of the Task Group. That means not all their individual problems or concerns, but those relevant to the (their) task at hand. Without these individual written perspectives no effective (firm) understanding will be forthcoming that is not subject to the critique (disparagement) of personal, personal business, bureaucratic, and growth self-service. Truly, the group needs to come to grips with what is self-evident to so many others; the group is refusing to distinguish itself from its previous incarnation; the CSWS, with its more obvious intentions and needs and its equally obvious shortcomings.

There is no need for the individual members of the group to eschew such a task; writing down their views of the issues and problems. Once done let these be made available and (I believe; if done with candor) the result will provide a must needed understanding of the various terrains each brings to the table. Once done this will allow (accommodate) discussion on a level playing field (show your cards!) instead of this money consuming effort being turned into a political game-play.

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[1] The formal (legal) title of the resolution is: Revised Procedures for the Composition, Election and Continuing Role of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee for the Russian River Redevelopment Project.

[2] Note: It must be stated that the rationale given for the elimination of the RRROC’s subcommittees was that CDC could not support their activities due to staffing and budgetary restraints. Following the passing of the ‘Amending Resolution’ these constraints somehow evaporated and staffing, staff time, and discretionary budgetary funds became available. [The RRROC previously had declined to form a specific subcommittee to address the Monte Rio Wastewater (Sewer) matter finding that no project existed or was being put forward. Also its Infrastructure Subcommittee declined to focus on the issue and was additionally specifically barred from developing liaisons with relevant governmental (county and state) departments, agencies, and/or individuals.

ADDENDUM:

Mr. Richard Holmer has written to Mr. Todd Thompson of the State Water Resources Control Board a well conceived letter on AB 885. Assembly Bill 885 which concerns septic systems is relevant to those of us hooked up to the Grenville Treatment Plant in that the Plant is being
considered (viewed) as an option (again) by the proponents of a Monte Rio Wastewater Solutions program. Such a prospect could have significant impacts on sewer cost (future assessment increases) as well as other considerations.

I encourage you to share this with your other neighbors.

Please keep yourself informed on the activities and participants in the Monte Rio Wastewater Solutions Task Force of the Community Development Commission/Russian River Redevelopment Project. Get informed about local issues. Participate and have confidence in your own abilities to have an important and relevant impact. Voting is not enough; participation is local issues and goverance is vital.

Text of Mr. Holmer's letter is below:

January 15, 2010

Mr. Todd Thompson, P.E.
Division of Water Quality
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street
P.O. Box 2231
Sacramento, CA 95812

Dear Todd:

Subject: Comments on “Proposed Regulations and Waiver for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (Septic Systems) and the Associated Draft Impact Report (EIR)” currently being developed pursuant to AB885

As you know, I was involved with the Sonoma County septic system program for 32 years (until my retirement from public service) and I was in charge of the program from 1995 to 2004. I attended the initial hearings on AB885 as a representative of the County of Sonoma. At that
time, I raised the issue of existing dwellings that would not be able to comply with the proposed regulations due to substandard lot size or other issues. I was assured that this would be dealt with during the process of developing the regulations. My review of the current draft
finds that the language about existing dwellings on septic systems is ambiguous and appears potentially confiscatory. I have detailed my comments on this subject below as well as my comments on other aspects of the regulations.

At this time, I feel that the regulations have significant fatal flaws and should not be adopted due to the unintended consequences which may result. I also feel that the EIR is not adequate particularly in the economic analysis.

My comments follow:

EXISTING DWELLINGS ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS

History: Many areas in California that are served by septic systems were developed primarily for recreational purposes; often when local land use regulations were limited or nonexistent. I will use Sonoma County as an example but this applies to other counties as well.

In Sonoma County there are thousands of lots that were subdivided prior to any septic system regulations or land use planning. Some of these subdivisions date back to the early 1900's. Many of these lots are extremely substandard in size for a septic system based on current
standards. At the time that they were subdivided, the lots were intended for seasonal use and often had only a cesspool or pit privy for sewage disposal. Over the course of time, the residences have become converted to full time occupancy and are often the best source of
affordable housing for low income families.

When conventional septic system standards are applied to these situations, it is simply impossible to meet standards for sizing of absorption fields, setbacks to water ways, depth of soil requirements and many other issues. In response, Sonoma County has developed an
extensive program of alternative wastewater systems that includes the provision for waiver to septic system standards where in can be demonstrated that the system being proposed as a replacement system provides a clear and positive improvement over the existing system and
represents the best available technology for the specific site constraints.

Without this type of approach, the septic systems could not be repaired or replaced and the house would not be able to be occupied. It should be noted that all on-site sewage disposal systems have a finite lifetime and will become subject to repair or replacement at some point. In
order to prevent the widespread condemnation of older housing, the proposed septic system regulations must provide for flexibility in application of the standards to existing houses.

Proposed regulations: The sections of the proposed regulations that mention repair or replacement of septic systems are ambiguous and subject to interpretation. There is no provision for waivers or exemptions to the regulations.

In Section 30000 (definitions), “New OWTS” is defined as “an OWTS permitted after the effective date of this chapter”. Does this mean that the issuance of a permit to repair a system, issued after the effective date of the regulations, triggers meeting the requirements for a new system?

“Existing OWTS” is defined as “an OWTS that was either permitted by the applicable local agency or legally installed before the effective date of this chapter”. This appears to imply that the replacement of a system has to meet all of the requirements.

Section 30001 (b) states that this chapter applies to all new OWTS and only to existing OWTS where specifically indicated. This section speaks only to the OWTS and not to the dwelling. There is no recognition of the need to differentiate between existing houses served by septic systems versus new construction of houses.

In section 30002, there appears to be an attempt to differentiate between new and replaced OWTS. Section 30002 (b) refers to “new and replaced OWTS” having to be designed to maximize treatment of wastewater. Section 30002 (c) states that “new OWTS” “shall be
designed, operated and maintained in accordance with the requirements of this chapter”. Does this mean that replacement OWTS do not have to meet the design requirements? If this is the intent, then it should be clearly stated as such and the standards for a replacement OWTS should
be clarified. This is especially confusing given the requirements under the definitions section described above.

EIR: If the regulations are not flexible in their application to existing dwellings, then there are huge economic impacts that have not been addressed in the economic analysis. This analysis should quantify the number of existing dwellings that would be unable to meet the new standards and would be subject to condemnation. This is a critical aspect of the new regulations that has been completely overlooked. This impact, in my opinion, is potentially the most significant impact of the proposed regulations unless there are changes made to allow existing
houses on septic systems to repair or replace their systems even if they cannot meet the proscriptive standards contained in the regulations.

WELL WATER SAMPLING

Section 30002 (t) requires routine testing of the drinking water well on the property where the OWTS is situated. The specified testing includes a variety of mineral tests for constituents that are not of public health significance. Specifically the required testing includes calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc, sulfate, chloride, total alkalinity, carbonate, bicarbonate, MBAS and pH. Although these tests may be of interest to a property owner in determining whether or not they need a water softener or other mineral removal devices, they are not indicative of any kind of threat to the property owner’s health. It is excessive to require these kinds of tests and is an unnecessary expense. Routine testing for coliform organisms and nitrate could be justified.

GROUNDWATER LEVEL MONITORING

Section 30012 sets requirements for monitoring groundwater levels prior to installation of a new OWTS. These requirements stipulate continuous monitoring of groundwater for a period of five months during the winter months. This will be very expensive and is much more restrictive than
what is typically currently required in California. It could also lead to inaccuracies from heavy storms or due to damage to the testing equipment when it is subjected to conditions in the field for five months. Most jurisdictions now require one test during the wettest part of the year. For the purposes of installing a household septic system, this has proven to be adequate. There is inadequate substantiation of problems with the existing testing methods to justify this onerous
requirement.

LEACHFIELD DESIGN

Section 30014 (b) requires that “dispersal systems” (leachfields) be designed using only the square footage of bottom area of the trench for infiltration. This is an extremely poor design requirement. It has been repeatedly shown that the bottom area of a leachfield will clog
very quickly during operation due to formation of biofilm and physical clogging with suspended particles in the wastewater. Most jurisdictions in California have required that systems be designed based upon sidewall area of the leach trench because this is the effective absorption area during most of the life of the leachfield. The use of bottom area for sizing will result in wider trenches with less sidewall per linear foot of trench. This will hasten premature failure of the leachfield system when the bottom of the trench becomes clogged. There is no scientific
evidence to support use of bottom area for leachfield sizing.

IMPAIRED WATER BODIES

Section 30040 stipulates that no new system shall be constructed within 600 feet of the “edge of the river bank” of an impaired river. This is extremely vague. Many rivers do not have clearly defined banks. They are often characterized by a series of flood plateaus that can extend great distances from the typical course of water flow. This section would be subject to interpretation that would result in discrepancies between jurisdictions. There are ways to define this
more accurately such as: edge of summer water flow, edge of 10 year flood plane, or edge of floodway.

It is also unclear whether the impaired water body is meant to be simply the area described in the 303(d) listing or also including the tributaries to the listed water body. The maps shown as an attachment to the regulations show all of the tributary streams to the listed water
bodies. For example, a stretch of the lower Russian River from Fife Creek to Dutch Bill Creek is listed as an impaired water body, a relatively small portion of the lower river. Map 20 of the attachment, however, shows every tributary to that stretch of the river as an impaired water body. This is a huge expansion of the 303 (d) listing. If the intent is to include these tributaries, then the regulations become extremely burdensome to property owners.

EIR: The EIR significantly understates the costs to homeowners adjacent to 303 (d) listed water bodies particularly in relation to the attached maps which expand the boundaries of the impaired water bodies. There is no attempt to provide a statewide tally of costs to property owners. There are only estimated costs for a few areas in the state. This does not provide adequate information for the decision makers to make an informed decision on the true economic impacts of adopting these regulations.

SETBACKS

Oddly enough, the regulations do not include any requirements for the distance that an OWTS must be located from water wells, rivers, streams, lakes, etc. This is a fundamental provision of any regulation relating to OWTS. The executive summary makes a vague reference to these
setbacks being contained within “existing regulations”. Which existing regulations? The California Plumbing Code, Regional Water Quality Control Board Basin Plans, and individual County Codes all set standards for setback requirements. Often these are contradictory. Having individual jurisdictions adopt their own setback requirements would be in conflict with the goal of having uniform statewide OWTS standards. The proposed regulations should either contain setback standards or should adopt them by reference to another code.

Richard L. Holmer
Registered Environmental Health Specialist #3145

--------------------------------

Dear Mr. Guccione,

The draft regulations circulated on Nov. 7, 2008 were retracted on Nov.
6, 2009.

The State Water Resources Control Board staff is fully reconsidering ways to fulfill the requirements set forth in Water Code Section 12291 (as added by AB 885 in 2000). We do not currently have a schedule for this process.

Thank You,

Todd Thompson, P.E.
Program Manager
DoD/Site Cleanup Program
Division of Water Quality
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
tthompson@waterboards.ca.gov
916 341 5518

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