Roundup: Like a Hurricane
You are like a hurricane/ There's calm in your eye/ And I'm gettin' blown away - Neil Young.
Zooming Out
In 1977, Charles and Ray Eames created a short film for IBM called “Powers of Ten,” which started with a couple enjoying a picnic in Chicago and begins zooming out, magnifying the view each time by a power of ten. Eventually, we’re looking at the view of the earth from space and the view from an even larger universe before reversing course and coming back to the picnic The film demonstrates that we are limited to what we can see with our own eyes and a much larger perspective is possible.
Now, there all kinds of amazing satellite imagery to see the world from a larger view, and there’s so much weather this week all around us. In the Western United States, there is Hurricane Hillary coming up from Mexico. In the Pacific Northwest and in British Columbia are fires that are generating large amounts of smoke.
South of us is Hurricane Hillary is arriving today in southern California. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain in the Washington Post called it “a remarkable, rare, historic event for California.” The National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center have jointly issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Southern California, which “is the first such Watch issued in the State of California.” It’s been since upgraded to a Warning with unusual amounts of wind and rain expected in the desert. The Weather Channel’s Ryan Hall says “we’ve never seen a storm like this one,” on his YouTube Channel. Again, the satellite images are incredible — below is an infrared image
Another satellite image from NOAA taken on Saturday.
North of us, there are “elevated fire weather conditions” from possible lightning strikes, according to the National Weather Service bureau in Eureka.
State Senator Mike McGuire posted on Twitter about the Smith Complex fires started by lightning in the Six Rivers National Forest in Del Norte County California earlier in the week.
Get Your Go-Bag Ready
Closer to home, Santa Rosa’s Wildfire Ready Resource Fair was held at Finley Community Center on August 19th. The Santa Rosa Fire Department was giving away red go-bags. Their Twitter account has a one-minute video on what to put in your go-bag. The only question is where would you go?
Fire Dept Ad Hoc Fire Services Committee
A Town Hall organized by Sebastopol’s Ad Hoc Fire Services Committee will be held on Thursday, August 24, 2023 from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Community Church of Sebastopol, 1000 Gravenstein Highway North.
Sebastopol’s Ad Hoc Fire Services Committee is looking for input from the community. This in-person only Town Hall meeting provides an opportunity for citizens to let the committee know of specific interests and concerns as the topic moves forward.
In February, we reported on the rejection of proposal for fire department consolidation presented by the second Ad Hoc Fire Services Committee and the appointment of a third such committee, which delegated the preparation of a plan to Interim Fire Chief Jack Piccinini.
The current Fire Department budget as well as it goals and objectives can be found in the City of Sebastopol’s Approved 2023-2024 budget starting on page 94.
Pickleball Sebastopol
Thanks to everyone who showed up last Monday at Brook Haven Pickleball courts to meet Kathy Kerst. We were amazed by the turnout. About 35 people dropped by — young and old. We were delighted if not a bit overwhelmed by the response. Undaunted, Kathy and her team of assistants grouped people to get time playing on the courts.
Some were there to get their first lesson in Pickleball while others were looking to find more people interested in playing on a regular basis at Brook Haven. Kathy will return this Tuesday at 5pm for another meetup at Brook Haven, so if you missed the first one, or you’d like to come again, you’re all welcome.
The courts at Brook Haven are shared with tennis players. The courts can’t be used during school hours, I’m told. But they do have lights and we might try to organize a time for the group to play under the lights before summer is over.
I took names, phone numbers and email addresses of people interested in joining a group so that they can make arrangements to play with others in town. I sent out mail to the group.
Bev Buswell set up a group on the GroupMe app, which requires a mobile phone number to join. The group is called “Sebastopol Pickleball.” Click on the link below to join via the web. You’ll have to set up an account and then download the app to your mobile phone.
Barbie Tea at Patisserie Angelica
Minoux Goodfellow posts on Facebook:
Raise your pinkies and lower your heels!!! Rialto Cinemas has a really sweet event coming up - a BARBIE TEA and movie event. We partnered with our terrific neighbor, Patisserie Angelica (located right next to the theatre), have tea with your fellow Barbie lovers and then come and see the biggest hit of the year - THE BARBIE MOVIE! Two weekends,SAT 19 & 20 and SAT 26 & 27.
In the spirit of Barbie, here’s a sweet ride, the Ramblin’ Rose, from the Bodega Big Event parade on August 6th.
Sonoma Clean Power Seeks Volunteer Advisors
From a press release forwarded by City Council member Stephen Zollman:
Sonoma Clean Power is recruiting volunteers for seven (7) openings on its Community Advisory Committee. This is a meaningful opportunity to provide input toward Sonoma Clean Power’s innovative customer benefits, renewable energy projects, and assist with shaping clean energy goals for our community.
The Community Advisory Committee comprises volunteers who typically meet once per month to make recommendations and provide input to our Board of Directors on topics such as: customer benefits; the review of budgets & rates; and the general operations of the agency. Members serve four-year terms following appointment byour Board of Directors.
For more information, visit our website.
ICYMI…
Our “most liked” story of this week:
Longtime Sebastopol Farmers Market manager and force of nature Paula Downing has died
Coming up this week is a conversation with Barbara Hom, who is the current Market Manager for the Sebastopol Farmers Market.