Dec 19

Minutes of the business meeting of November 21, 2015

Present: Barry Hirsch, President; Alix Shore, Vice-President; Rick Massell, Treasurer; John Broughton, Secretary; Bill Robertson; Sandy Reynolds, President, Santa Rosa Democratic Club

Opening: Barry called the meeting to order shortly after 12 noon, and handed out an agenda.

Reminding members of meetings: The current notification system (4 or 5 people calling those on the WDC roster; email blast on Sunday or Monday before the Thursday meeting) was discussed. Changes were agreed to:

  • We’ll try to reach everyone by email or postcard on the Friday that is six days before the meeting
  • We’ll ask people to RSVP so that we can figure out how much pizza to order for the meeting

Speakers at the January through March meetings

  • The speaker at our January 28th meeting will be California Assemblymember Jim Wood, of the 2nd District, who represents Windsor, most of Santa Rosa, and north to the Oregon border.
  • The tentative speakers for the February meeting are (hopefully) two members of the Windsor Planning Commission
  • Supervisor James Gore is tentatively set for the March meeting, but might be asked to speak in February if there are issues with getting Planning Commission members in February.

Club role in endorsements, 2016

The process for endorsements of Democrats, by the Sonoma County Democratic Party Central Committee, has changed:

  • There will be a two-step process this year: the committee that does interviews will make recommendations directly to the Central Committee, rather than to the Candidate Search and Development Committee
  • If the boundaries for an office encompass the area of a specific club, then that club will have a representative as part of the interview process. That doesn’t prevent members of the Central Committee or those who volunteer for interviewing, and are also members of a club, from also participating
  • Clubs can also formally endorse those who have been endorsed by the Central Committee

Speakers, April through October

  • At some point later this year, we’ll set a meeting for State Senator Mike McGuire to speak.
  • 2016 is an election year, and there may be ballot issues as well. There will be elections for two county supervisors, though not the district covering Windsor; two Windsor town councilmembers; and several Windsor Unified School District board members.
  • One known topic of great interest is vineyards and water.
  • Another known topic of great interest is the potential use of Windsor’s water and sewer systems by the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians.
  • Feedback from the Sonoma County Fair: transportation, housing, water, and education are the areas of highest concern
  • The Affordable Care Act is another possibility; the Organizing for America group is involved in publicity to try to get more people signed up for coverage through Covered California.

Survey of possible topics:

In early January, we want to send out a survey to members, asking for their thoughts about topics

Name change

  • The group agreed that the club would move forward with a proposed name change, to “Windsor/North County Democratic Club” or “Windsor and North County Democratic Club”. The membership area would be explicitly expanded to cover Healdsburg, with claims to the rest of the county directly north of Windsor (Geyserville and Cloverdale).
  • This will be included in the general survey (see next major item)
  • If the membership seems agreeable, the name change will require a Bylaws amendment.

General survey of members

  • Members will be surveyed, in early to mid December, about general club matters, separate from the early January survey about possible programs
  • One topic will be the possible name change for the club
  • Another topic will be volunteering: Calling people to remind them of meetings, mailing postcards, and staffing the Sonoma Democratic Party table at the Sonoma County Fair.
  • Sandy commented that the annual survey of the SRDC has been very useful; that includes asking members for recommendations for speakers at their meetings.

March Crab Feed

  • This annual fundraiser of Sonoma County Democratic Party’s Central Committee is coming up in early March. Last year, the WDC sponsored a table, and spent $250 in subsidies for that table.
  • Those present agreed that we want to do something similar this year, even if not at quite as high a sponsorship level.

Closing

The meeting ended at approximately 2 p.m.

Nov 29

Santa Rosa Democratic Club – Dinner and Meeting – December 9th

The Santa Rosa Democrat Club meeting on the 9th, at the Veterans’ Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa (across from the Sonoma County Fairgrounds), will be from 6:00 p.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m. The program will be an informal “open mic” for any or all of the 20 elected officials who represent Santa Rosa, all of whom have been invited.


Schedule:
6:00 pm—Mix & mingle, no-host bar
6:30 pm—Club Business Meeting:
Announcements
Executive Board Election
7:00 pm—Dinner (optional; $15 cash or check; RSVP no later than 11:00 a.m. on the 9th)
7:30pm—Program

More information is available here.

Nov 22

Sonoma County Democratic Party 28th Annual Crab Feed on March 4th

Mark your calendars: the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee’s annual “Crab Feed” dinner has been moved from its usual last Friday in February. It’s now on Friday, 4 March, 2016, at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple St., in Santa Rosa. Cocktails, auction, and raffle from 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m.  Keynote Speaker: Dave Jones, California insurance commissioner

The Windsor Democratic Club is thinking about getting a table, as it did in February 2015. If you want to be at the table, the ticket cost is $75. (It’s a premium table: up front, where you can see and hear everything, plus you’ll be contributing more to the Sonoma County Democratic Party.) Otherwise, tickets are $50 each. Contact Alix Shor if you’d like to be part of the Windsor Democratic Club table.

(And yes, the crab will probably be coming from outside California. Still, there will be crab!)

Nov 12

Russian River documentary – November 12 and 19

On Thursday, November 12, and Thursday, November 19, at 8 p.m., KRCB (channel 22 on Comcast) will be showing a two-part documentary that explores the diverse forces which have come to shape one of California’s iconic rivers—The Russian River—forces which also impact rivers and watersheds throughout the world. The documentary examines how the Russian River has been used, and what the consequences of that use have been. By looking at the effects of mining, logging, fishing, agriculture, diversion and development, the film conveys a historical perspective of the river’s condition. Scientists, educators, policy makers, activists and citizens offer their perspectives on how this resource has been used and managed.

Beyond examining its exploitation as a resource, the film revels in the watershed’s profound, often forgotten, beauty. What can we learn from it? Why are we drawn to it?

As we consider the policies and actions which have shaped the watershed, the film looks to the future by offering solutions and implores viewers to offer their own. What do we need to change in ourselves to again live in balance with this life-sustaining resource?

More information: http://www.russianriverallrivers.com/

Oct 30

Automatic voter registration

Check

On Saturday, October 10th, 2015 Governor Jerry Brown signed into law measures which will eventually make voter registration automatic for all California citizens who get or renew a California driver’s license.

The bill was a priority of newly-elected Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who championed its provisions during his election campaign.

California is the second state to enact such a law, to the chagrin of Republicans who want to limit voter registration. Widespread voter participation is a challenge to those who want to maximize the voting power of white, property-owning males.

Oct 30

Welcome to our website

WELCOME

This website is a work in progress, but we certainly hope you will like and enjoy our efforts. In particular, please Website-Construction1-300x169[1]see who we are, where we are and what we do.

We really hope you come to one of our monthly meetings – no obligation whatsoever.

If you’re interested in what we do, we hope you’ll help the club by paying dues – our annual dues (for a calendar year) are only $20.00.

Our goals include having a lot of fun while educating and informing the citizens of Windsor, California, and the surrounding area. So no, you do not have to live within the Town of Windsor to attend a meeting, or even to become a member.

Oct 25

Santa Rosa Democratic Club Dinner and Meeting – October 28th

The Santa Rosa Democrat Club meeting, at the Veterans’ Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa (across from the Sonoma County Fairgrounds), will be from 6:00 p.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m. The featured speaker is Shirlee Zane, Sonoma County’s 3rd District Supervisor
Schedule:
6:00 pm—Mix & mingle, no-host bar
6:30 pm—Club Business Meeting:
By-Laws Additions to vote on
Legislative Updates
7:00 pm—Dinner (optional; $15 cash or check; RSVP no later than 11:00 a.m. on the 28th)
7:30pm—Program

For more details, see the club’s October newsletter.

Oct 24

Report on the Russian Riverkeeper presentation on October 22

At the October 22nd meeting, Bob Legge, the Policy and Outreach Coordinator for the Russian Riverkeeper organization, gave a presentation on what his organization is doing to protect the Russian River. Mr. Legge outlined some of the major threats to the river, the source of drinking water for 600,000 Marin and Sonoma County residents. With current drought conditions, the community’s focus has been on essential water conservation. Mr. Legge explained how the degradation of riparian corridors has compromised the ability of the river to recharge and retain a critical water supply.

Most people think of the river as the area between the banks, but this neglects one of the river’s essential components- the floodplains next to the rivers. These riparian areas are critical to water quality, as well as providing habitats and food sources for birds and fish. On the Russian River, 90% of riparian areas have been lost because of urban development, clearing of land for agriculture, and the channelization of tributary creeks and the river.

Gravel has been extracted from the river since 1900, including highly damaging practices such as digging deep pits in the middle of the channel. This practice led to severe erosion of the river banks, cutting the river off from historic floodplains and damaging wildlife habitats. The recognition of these negative outcomes led to the founding of the Friends of the Russian River in 1993, as a voice against gravel mining, and to protect the river for wildlife and the community. Friends of the River later became the Russian Riverkeeper, a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, which has more than 200 chapters worldwide.

The organization is working on several fronts to reverse the damages to the Russian River. The Hanson Gravel Pit Restoration Project near Windsor is converting a 357-acre gravel quarry site into a self-sustaining off-channel wetland complex, which will eliminate bank erosion, create fish habitats, increase groundwater recharging, and provide filters for fine sediment. The project is supported by both the building and agricultural sectors.

In addition to this large project, the organization is working with school students to create bioswales onsite to collect residues from parked cars, to filter out pollutants in an environmentally friendly way before the runoff finds its way back into the river system. In another project, volunteers work to remove non-native plants along the river, replacing them with native plants for riparian corridors.

Those at the meeting came away with a fuller understanding of how the Russian River has been damaged by growth and how the work of the Russian Riverkeeper organization is helping bring the river back to a healthier and more natural state.

— Barry Hirsch

Oct 12

Russian Riverkeeper presentation on October 22nd

What’s happening with the Russian River? And with creek restoration in Windsor? Some of the answers will be presented on Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. at the Windsor Round Table Pizza, 8499 Old Redwood Hwy, when the Windsor Democratic Club hears from Bob Legge, the Policy and Outreach Coordinator for the Russian Riverkeeper organization.

The organization says of itself, “Inspiring the community to protect the Russian River since 1993!” As an advocacy organization, it has taken legal action against polluters to protect the River. It has called for mandatory water conservation to respond to our current drought, has pursued enforcement of sediment controls at construction sites, and has sought increased agency enforcement region-wide.

In November 2014, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors authorized a five-year agreement with Russian Riverkeeper, for creek bank restoration and riparian habitat mitigation in Windsor Creek, immediately downstream of Brooks Road South. The primary work for this project is in October of 2015, with additional maintenance and monitoring for four more years.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Pizza will be served.

Sep 26

Report on the September 24th meeting

The Windsor Democratic Club took a break from politics at the September 24 meeting. Instead the club heard from Ryan Pedrotti, the Water Education Programs Specialist of the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA). Pedrotti filled the group in on the state of the water supplied by SCWA to more than 600,000 customers in Sonoma and Marin Counties during the present severe drought.

The water agency was created in 1949 by the California legislature as a legal entity separate from Sonoma County, with an independent budget and revenue source. The agency sells water to cities and towns in Sonoma and Marin and maintains pipelines, built in the 1950’s and 1960’s, to convey the water from its six wells to its customers. In addition to water supply, the agency purifies the wastewater from several communities. Flood control is the third function of the agency.

The Russian River is the agency’s primary water source, feeding the shallow aquifer where the agency has its wells. The river system features two reservoirs, Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma, which have the dual function of water storage and flood control, depending on supply conditions. Currently, Lake Mendocino’s water capacity is at only 34%, while the much larger Lake Sonoma stands at 74% of capacity. Pedrotti mentioned that SCWA is trying to get the Army Corps of Engineers, which controls the two reservoirs, to use Forecast Informed Reservoir Operation (FIRO), which bases reservoir release on weather forecasting, rather than just use abstract formulas.

According to Pedrotti, agency customers have done a great job of reducing consumption in response to the drought, now using 128 gallons per day per household, while statewide usage is between 160 and 170 gallons per day. Australian households average 55 gallons per day, so more progress can be made with increased care and awareness of how our water is used. He stressed that the further reduction of outdoor usage, as well as the conversion to water saving appliances, is needed to meet the challenges of continued drought conditions.

In closing, Pedrotti touched on this season’s much anticipated El Nino. He noted that the effects of an El Nino are mixed in Northern California: in some years there are rainfalls well above average, while below-averages amounts are just as statistically likely.

— Barry Hirsch