This headline caught my “eagle-eyes” and caused me to ask myself, “even though I’ve been blogging about Petaluma’s sense of community and claiming that it is second to none in community spirit, can we do better?” Do we still have smaller communities within the larger community waiting to happen? Of course, I’m referring to our neighborhoods.

We know that our community leaders – elected, appointed, and self-proclaimed boast about our great town … now a growing city. But, is it as “great” as we think it is, or as it once was? As I listen to citizens speak up during public comment before our City Council, and as I read their Letters to the Editor and Guest Commentaries, and blogs; I have to ask, “Can we do better?” 

The person who coined the above headline and title for this Weblog founded a placeblog at http://www.h2otown.info … in Watertown, MA … my hometown in the late ‘20s. It was her message, however, that I wanted to share with Petaluma viewers. Here are a few quotes for your consideration:

“As media consolidation has made regional and small town dailies more and more anemic, suburbanites and small city residents are feeling more and more ignored by traditional media, even their local hometown newspaper.”

“Despite the attempts of large newspaper organizations to reach readers on-line, place blogs are cropping up all over the country.”

“Why leave local on-line community to print? Where is the Digg of public media? We don’t have to answer to a conglomerate. We have local presence and personal connections. We have a community waiting to happen.”

 “Food for thought!” This Project OPEN site was created to promote citizen participation at the neighborhood level. What are your thoughts and opinions about your neighborhood and our community? Stay tuned. 

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We hearing these two buzz words more and more as the 2008 presidential race gets underway. Are they really new? IMHO, no! I believe that the North Bay’s recent use of the label Telecom Valley incorporated the spirit of these two words, but without the buzz.

What ever became of those glamorous years, 1990-2002? What impact, if any, did they have on Sonoma County and our favorite river town, the birthplace of Telecom Valley in 1987, when Don Green founded Optilink? The final score card may not be tallied for a few more years, but it is obvious that we have more people, more houses, more cars, along with an increase in local community concerns and problems than the pre-Telecom Valley days. I’m not so naïve to believe that the growth of the telecommunication technologies industry of the 1990s was the sole cause. Of course, tourism, agriculture, and the wine industry played a role, but Telecom Valley was the new brand name.

My concern is what happened to that “spirit of innovation and transformation” associated with this branding of the region as the “heart of the global telecommunication industry?” Did it change the way our local city governments, schools, businesses, health care, and community-benefit organizations conduct their affairs? Again, IMHO, no! Yes, indeed, we all know that change is the only constant in life, and that changes take time and do not happen overnight. But, must it take as long as it does to make modifications or alterations in how our “established” community institutions, agencies, and organizations function in order that they might achieve their desired goals in a more effective, efficient and economical manner?

Some folks will say you have to have a crisis first.  You have to capture the public’s attention before they even begin to think about making changes. Does that mean we have to wait until there are disasters, riots, recessions, or other catastrophic events before we swing into action? More on the local community level, do we have to organize pothole and graffiti patrols in order to capture government’s attention? I could go on and on. Our various forms of news media report these kinds of stories each and every day. So what?

Since I believe strongly in the capacity and the ability of citizens to rise to the occasion with innovative and transformational ideas when faced with crises, I’ll pause for a while and see what our readers have to suggest. Please feel free to leave a comment. It just might lead to making an important change in how we live, work, play and learn. Stay tuned.

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 By Frank Simpson

I noted with more than a little interest the article in the Press Democrat this morning about “Animal” and the Pothole brigade.  An illustration, perhaps, of how far you have to go to have an impact. 

At the time I thought they were way over the top.  Now that I have a little more experience, I have come to believe that their approach was correct.  Letters to the Editor, Blogs, going to Council Meetings are all necessary tactics but you have to have more–you have to take it to the streets and door to door. Eventually you may have to take it to the ballot box.

It seems to me that for anything to happen in a meaningful way, you first have to have a situation that is completely outrageous–the Petaluma potholes or the vandalism in La Tercera. Than you have to have someone rise up and stick their head out the window (Think “Network”) and yell–”I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore.”

Add large does of satire, humor and publicity.

Get the politicians really scared.

Then perhaps something may be done…even if it is only temporary or palliative.

Thank God for the “Animals” and  the La Tercera Activists.

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Another “media” outlet! It will be interesting to see how this works out.

As an article of faith, I firmly believe that you cannot have a COMMUNITY without COMMUNICATION. And in today’s world, COMMUNICATION is a two way street. Is Project Open another “voice” that will be ignored? Does this forum add to potential confusion?

Perhaps.

On the other hand, if you are not “totally confused” you are not “fully informed.”

The trick is to transform “totally confused” into “action.”

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Have you noticed the number of acronyms I use in my blogs? What do they stand for and what do they mean? Isn’t the use of acronyms supposed to make it easier for readers to understand your references? Here’s my Weblog’s index of acronyms and their related community theme or topic. (There’s an exam at the end of this blog.)

 Earlier in my blogging career (such as it is as a volunteer journalists), our website projects in the late 19990s used PEN (Petaluma Electronic Network),  PCN (Petaluma Community Network), and POL (PetalumaOnline). Recently, our emergency preparedness initiatives resulted in CERT (Community Emergency Response Training), NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team), ALERT (Alliance of Local Emergency Response Teams), and STAR (Safe – Trained – Alert – Ready). 

Now that we have launched a campaign for OPEN (Our Petaluma Electronic Network), you might run across these letters and their relationship to local neighborhood action group projects.

Sample Matrix of Current Concerns

• NEAT = Neighborhood Empowerment & Action Teams
  • Graffiti and vandalism
  • Abandoned shopping carts
  • Overdue parking of vehicles

• NERT = Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Emergency communications

• KYN = Know Your Neighborhood
  • Neighborhood political action groups

• PINS = Petaluma Involved Neighbors
  • PINS Picture Trail Site & Archieves

• NWG = Neighborhood Watch Groups
  • Under-age drinking & drugs
  • Inactive Neighborhood Watch groups
  • Speeding & reckless driving in neighborhoods
  • Cooperation with NERT & NEAT

• NAG = Neighborhood Action Groups
  • Issues identified by neighborhood

If you’re still with me, that means you are interested; so, we’ll skip the exit exam. However, you are invited to check out the http://www.petalumaopen.net and consider stepping up to the plate and bringing your neighbors together in order to identify and begin to take action that will address a need or concern of your choosing. After you have gotten the ball rolling, take the next step and share what your neighborhood accomplished by posting a blog to this site. Instruction on “How to post a blog entry” are linked on the OPEN home page.

 I’ve “talked the talk,” are you and your neighbors ready to “walk the walk?” Stay tuned for case study reports from Neighborhood Action Groups that actually did it.

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Once again, this question is being asked as the result of a series of Weblogs that have been posted on Petaluma360 over the past several weeks. The residents of our community have gradually become more aware – thanks to letters to the editor, guest columns, and comments made in public before the City Council – of a variety of issues and problems. These concerns are NOT the same for all the neighborhood clusters that make up our “river town.” Now what?

 The key question is, what can be done about addressing and solving them if the city’s budget is tight, and the funds just aren’t sufficient to provide the human and material resources necessary to get the job done? 

Once again, one approach is to make greater use of the knowledge and creativity of the citizens who have voiced these needs and form local Neighborhood Action Groups. Review some of my earlier blogs, as well as looking at http://www.petalumaopen.net

What is a Neighborhood Action Group?  It may consist of a cluster of homes that share the same cul-de-sac, a block of families, or an entire residential development. These self-identified clusters of neighbors will get-together and identify the top 1-2-3 concerns for their area.

What is a Spark Plug?  This title is given to the one or two individuals who “ignite” the interest of their fellow neighbors and bring them together for a face-to-face gathering in order to become better acquainted and facilitate the process that results in coming up with their cluster’s top priorities.

What happens next?  Due to the fact that all the neighborhoods may not identify the same list of concerns, each cluster continues to talk about a plan of action and the resources they need to mobilize in order to carry out their plan. In addition to continuing the face-to-face get-togethers from time to time, it is recommended that each neighborhood set up an electronic neighborhood network or conference board for use by those residents with Internet connectivity. Such a network can be set up in minutes and it is free. Hopefully, one or two neighbors will volunteer to serve as “moderators.”

What are current examples of neighborhood concerns?

• Graffiti and vandalism
• Abandoned shopping carts
• Overdue parking of vehicles
• Under-age drinking and use of drugs
• Inactive Neighborhood Watch programs
• Emergency communications and preparation
• Speeding and reckless driving in residential areas
• Damaged and poorly maintained public facilities and areas 

We’ve had these problems for years; so what? That may be true, but Petaluma is growing and is no longer a small river town. In many areas, neighbors no longer associate with one another. If we continue to live, in denial, and choose not to communicate with each other and our city officials about these concerns, we will gradually lose our local connections and things will fall apart. Bottom line: we lose our sense of community (period).

 How do I learn how to walk the walk!  If you wish to become involved in protecting and enhancing Petaluma’s spirit of community, please participate in one of the public information forums that will be held at various times and locations throughout the city over the next couple of months. Your participation in one of these orientation sessions will NOT commit you to any course of action, at this time. The main purpose is to provide additional information about Project OPEN Our Petaluma Electronic Network) and the role of a neighborhood spark plug. 

How do I step up to the plate?  Send your name and e-mail address to this blogger, whammer@petalumanet.org to receive an announcement and schedule of the Neighborhood Action Group orientation meetings. (Your personal information will be kept confidential and not be shared with anyone else.) If you have any questions and wish to talk over the phone, call 762-6593.

  Neighborhood Action Groups can help Petaluma become a better community      

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BY Petalumans and FOR Petalumans that Use ICT To Share Information ABOUT Petaluma

In spite of the rain last Saturday, a wonderful experience in neighborhood empowerment took place with about 100 residents who live in the LaTercera Park area. They had an opportunity to engage the mayor, members of the City Council, and the Parks & Recreation Commission, as well as members of the Petaluma Police and Fire Departments in a Q&A session dealing with concerns about vandalism and graffiti. (Additional details may be found on blogs featured on http://www.Petaluma360.com)

On Sunday, the day was sunny and bright, and my thoughts about the previous day were clearer and brighter, as well. Here are the conclusions I reached as a result of participating in this Neighborhood Action Group (NAG) meeting:

• All a neighborhood needs to get an initiative started is a “sparkplug” who commits the time, effort, and energy necessary to ignite interest in a local need or concern. The neighborhood cylinders gradually become interested and begin to get the engine up and running. In due time, this warmed up neighborhood engine increases its power and starts the journey toward the desired goals and objective, developed by the neighbors.

• After the initial get-together, follow-up is a necessary ingredient to sustain the effort. This can be accomplished by holding additional face-to-face meetings and the creation of an “over the back fence” conversation board … an exclusive electronic conference board for the neighborhood that is available 24/7.

• As Neighborhood Action Group (NAG) participants make head way, they become empowered to continue their journey with a greater degree of confidence and strength. They soon realize that what they learned from their experience might be of value to other neighborhood groups in the larger community regardless of the cause, need or concern, so they seek ways to share their new found wisdom and knowledge.

As these community-wide networks of local NAGs expands and grows, there is a need for a more sophisticated system of transmitting information, announcements, and dialogues. One solution might be the design and creation of a community website, independent of any political, commercial, or special-interest advocacy group.

Over the past twelve years, such an all-volunteer, community-driven group of citizens have incubated, designed, implemented and evaluated information and communication projects for every sector of the Greater Petaluma community. During this same period of time, 1995-2006, the Pew Research Center sponsored surveys have reported that the percentage of U.S. adults online has increased from approximately 15% to over 70%. These Internet use statistics include those who have ever used a computer at home, work, school to connect to a search engine, bulletin boards, or information services.

Obviously, we are in a state of change with respect to how Americans are sharing information through the use of computer technology and telecommunications. Perhaps the time has come for a new grass-roots, all-volunteer pilot project is needed in order to make greater use of ICT to connect citizens within a community.

Project OPEN – Our Petaluma Electronic Network – will be an independent Weblog designed BY Petalumans and will share information ABOUT Petaluma, FOR the benefit of all Petaluma who have access to our online community.

For this local endeavor to be successful, it will need citizen-reporters to share their stories about Our Petaluma, a community second to none in spirit and getting things done because its citizens truly believe that the greatest resource of any community is the collective wisdom, knowledge and creativity of its citizens. This moderated Weblog co-op is designed to make it easy for Petalumans to reach out to our growing “town” and strengthen our sense of community before we become just one more urbanized city along the Highway 101 corridor. If you are interested in participating in this new electronic collaboratory, and are willing to open the door to …

• Your thoughts
• Your heart
• Your mind

… and share them in order that all our friends and families may live, work, play and learn in a concerned and safe community that looks out for each other regardless of race, creed, or ethic origin…

Use the Register link at left to register and then login to post an entry to the site. When you post blog entries please use the Categories available, and/or add new Categories that apply to your entry topic. That’s all it takes to participate in this online community. By using this website you are agreeing to our Terms of Use. Thank you for your participation!

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