Project Open

By Frank Simpson 

Many have lamented the changes in Petaluma over recent years. They have been discussed to a fare thee well in the local papers and elsewhere. 

The discussions have been variously framed as issues of development versus no or controlled development, traffic, street maintenance, Big-Box stores versus Eggcentric (local retailers), and the adequacy of our water supply.

Underneath these issues, there is another issue that is frequently brought up in e-mails or in comments posted to blogs or newspaper articles–The Elephant in the Room…Illegal immigrants.  The discussion at this level includes unlicensed food carts, taco trucks, unlicensed and/or uninsured drivers, too many people living in a home or apartment, street gangs, day laborers, illegal boarding houses, unlicensed day care homes, and too many cars on the street. 

It must be kept in mind that the changes brought about by the immigrant population are occurring everywhere, not just in Petaluma.

In addition, you must remember that:

• Not every immigrant is illegal
• Not every Spanish speaking person is an immigrant &
• The underlying policies and laws behind the immigration influx are set in Washington D.C. and not here.

It is not my purpose or intent in this post to develop a brilliant conclusion on the subject. I can recommend a documentary that may provide some additional background to help understand what is taking place–POV: Farmingville.  It was originally broadcast on PBS and is now available on DVD.  It documents what happened to a small rural community on Long Island and how they struggled to cope with the situation. According to one review: “FARMINGVILLE is an astounding glimpse into an issue that continues to anger, frighten and confuse us.” (Amazon Editorial Review)

I have seen it at Silver Screen Video and it may be available through the Sonoma County Library.  It is definitely worth your time.

The above notwithstanding, I do agree with those that want our local ordinances enforced–for everyone. However, remember that in so doing, Petaluma enforcement officials will be subject to charges of profiling or discrimination.  It is a fine balancing act and I don’t envy them the task. 

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In which His Majesty gets ready for the red carpet walk.

All of Petaluma is agog with news of the new movie premiere. Forget Spielberg and Scorsese. On Sunday night you can see H.R. Downs and Paul Francis [the Michael Moore’s of Petaluma minus a few pounds] at the premiere of their big-box documentary in the theatre [note the cool European spelling] district at Boulevard Cinema [go ahead and park in the Basin Street garage, just be careful and walk with a friend].

His Majesty on the red carpet…

All the gliteratti of Petaluma will be there, walking the red carpet [ok, the concrete sidewalk. But you can see the brass plaques of the young girls who were instrumental in getting the cinema built.]. His Majesty will pull up in the royal limo about 6:30 PM [no, your Majesty. You’ll be walking the five blocks to the theater] We’re not sure Brad and Angelina will be on time. And we hear that Newman and Redford have scheduling conflicts. But His Majesty will be there to hobnob with the Petaluma celebs. We hope to get H.R’s and Paul’s autograph.

Be there or be square…

For five bucks and the price of popcorn you can’t beat it. So if you are interested in what the big-box invasion is going to do to Petaluma in the next ten years, Boulevard Cinema at 7PM Sunday September 30 is the place to be.

The Petaluma Neighborhood Association ( http://keeppetalumaeggcentric.com/ )is excited to announce the premiere of a documentary film
by H.R. Downs and Paul Francis! LWC coordinator Ben Boyce is one of the contributors. Now on the big screen.

Boulevard Cinema (Petaluma Blvd. @ C St.)
Ticket price $5 This viewing is open to the public so please invite your friends and neighbors!

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10-11 a.m. Met one-on-one with a videographer who produced an Internet TV show shortly after Hurricane Katrina that addressed the concern: Sonoma County Disaster; Can Sonoma County Communicate? It appears that many communities across the nation are asking a similar question – today. Maybe it’s time to produce another “Special Report” dealing with this issue.

11 a.m.-1 p.m. Mingled (a Bill Soberanes word) with a dozen other licensed amateur radio operators from throughout southern Sonoma County. The conversation topics ranged from using satellites to communicate to how to increase the range of a Handy Talkie using a “Tiger-Tail.” (Cost = seven cents.)

1:30-3:00 p.m.  Participated in a public health flu pandemic table top exercise organized by Sonoma County VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters). This exercise brought together approximately 25 representative from groups that ranged from volunteer neighborhood teams (like COPE and NERT) to large non-profit organizations that operate as the county, state and national level (American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Amateur Radio Relay League)

4-5 p.m. Zzzzzzzz (Seniors need naps)

6-8 p.m. Monthly get-together of Petaluma NERT Hams (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team amateur radio operators) who conduct weekly Net Control Check-in drills, as well as share technical information that increases their understanding of amateur radio procedures and theory. Approximately, 14 NERT Hams checked in. Guess what? Everyone received a “tiger-tail” for his/her HT.

How much fun can you have in one day? Just “walk the walk.” Stay tuned.

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By Frank Simpson 

Items from the Argus Courier Online September 25, 2007

• Teen brandishes knife, steals purse–A teenage boy with his mouth covered to hide his identity brandished a knife, grabbed a woman’s purse and then fled from the C Street garage (Basin Street Garage in Theatre District) on Tuesday afternoon.       
• Men arrested after terrorizing woman in wheelchair–Three Petaluma men were arrested Monday after allegedly grabbing the wheelchair of a 72-year-old woman heading to a medical appointment and then refusing to let her leave      
• Man, 44, nabbed for two burglaries--A 44-year-old man was arrested Monday after allegedly entering two homes and consuming alcohol that he stole from them, said Sgt. Marlin Christensen of the Petaluma Police Department.  Police responded to a call at 4:30 p.m. on Monday from a Twin Creeks Circle home reporting that an unknown man — later identified as Richard James Patterson, a transient — had entered the premises and an occupant found him drinking vodka from the kitchen.
• 25 arrested at DUI checkpoints–Twenty-five people were arrested during DUI/driver’s license checkpoints at two locations from 6 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday, said Officer Matt Thomas of the Petaluma Police Department.

In reaction to the above, I received an e-mail from a PINS-List reader…

“Welcome to Clockwork Orange world…are all movies this prophetic?Add in the increasing trash world/graffiti world reported on by Simpson. Are we finally reaching a critical mass in the lowlife arena that society is coming apart but we don’t want to see it?”

Is Petaluma a Clockwork Orange world as the e-mailer suggests? Perhaps. Perhaps not. I would have suggested  “Twilight of the Gods” instead of a movie.

The answer depends on your perspective and worldview.  After giving the matter some thought, I think a more apt response to the question is to say that Petaluma is certainly a Dickensian World. I may have more to say on this later—if I am willing to take the flak.

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Doing the Math on Proposed Big Box Retail

A Community Forum

Tuesday, October 2nd, 6:30-8:30 pm
Petaluma Public Library
100 Fairgrounds Dr.

Panelists:

Sarah Muller, Associate Policy Director, Working Partnerhsips, USA, San Jose

Ken Jacobs, Labor Specialist and Chair, UC Berkeley Center for Labor
Resarch and Education

Vicki Pozzebon, Executive Director, Santa Fe Alliance

Patty Norman, Children’s Specialist at Copperfield’s Books Petaluma.

Moderator, Eileen Morris, Co-Chair, Living Wage Coalition

The forum is free and wheelchair accessible.

Sponsored by the Living Wage Coalition of Sonoma County and New
Economy, Working Solutions (NEWS).

For more information call 707-545-7349 x220 or ben.boyce@sbcglobal.net
and see: http://www.livingwagesonoma.org

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The Petaluma Neighborhood Association is excited to announce the premiere of a documentary film
by H.R. Downs and Paul Francis! LWC coordinator Ben Boyce is one of the contributors. Now on the big screen.

Boulevard Cinema (Petaluma Blvd. @ C St.)
Ticket price $5 This viewing is open to the public so please invite your friends and neighbors!

2 Comments »

By Frank Simpson

Boris, EVEL Twin & Ace PINS Photographer, broke away from the Dynamic Trio of the EVEL Twins (Two Plus One) and decided to go out on his own for the day.  He encountered a very interesting new Bovine resident.  After taking a photo, he briefly interviewed the subject…

QUESTION: I understand you are new to Petaluma. What do you think of our Purdy Little Town?  

ANSWER: You Petaluma Humans are messier than PIGS!

PIGS make better neighbors.

__________________

A harsh judgment from our new Bovine neighbor to be sure…But not an entirely fair one considering that many “humans” work very hard to keep things tidy and many more join volunteer efforts such as the recent clean up of Lucchesi/Lynch Creek and East Washington Creek. 

On balance, I think the community is doing what it can to cope with the debris of our society. Nevertheless, there are a few things I think the City can do to improve the situation:

• The garbage cans in the parks need to be upgraded. The current consumer grade metal or plastic cans are not sufficient and have a very short life cycle. See http://frank-simpson.petaluma360.com/default.asp?item=615499  As funds permit, sturdier containers with hinged lids may help.  I understand that this may be underway.
• The City should regularly monitor park areas that are known dumpsites and clean them out. Prince Park immediately comes to mind. The dump site mentioned on September 21 was still present as of the morning of September 25.  See http://frank-simpson.petaluma360.com/default.asp?item=679302
• Investigate measures that can be taken to discourage homeless camps next to our parks, trails and creeks.

For the most part, the rest is up to us. It is, of course, a ”Sisyphean task” for all concerned.

In addition to organized volunteer efforts, there are individuals who regularly patrol the parks and trails picking up trash. Even I have been known to haul off the occasional car hood, automotive generator, or shopping cart.

It should be kept in mind that an individual can also have an institutional impact on clean up and maintenance issues–if they are persistent. Frankly, persistence is an essential commodity when you are trying to get something done. 

The first trick is finding out whom to contact. In many instances determining which government agency or property owner is responsible can be a bit daunting… 

• Sometimes it is a City responsibility.
• Sometimes it may be SMART or the Sonoma County Water Agency.
• Sometimes it is difficult to find out which department or section in a government body is responsible for taking action. 
• Sometimes  a utility company is responsible. 

When you finally make contact with the party or agency responsible for the property, you must be persistent in your follow up. The two attachments at the end of this post will give you an idea of how involved some of these efforts can be. They are notes documenting the efforts of two individuals to solve neighborhood issues.

There is much to be done… 

In addition to the attention recently paid to Lynch and East Washington Creeks, the creek by the new Kenilworth Junior High School needs some help. A trash and dump situation is rapidly developing in the area.  A collage of pictures will give you an idea of what is going on in the area….

LandScape Maintenance Issue–City of Petaluma

PG & E Easement Maintenance 

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My friend, Eagle-Eyes, blogs for Petaluma360; but he thought this headline and news item was also appropriate for a community web site devoted to NAGs (Neighborhood Action Groups).

On September 16th, an article titled, “Neighbors Come Through” described how  “in the wee hours of Thursday morning, residents of the tight-knit neighborhood knew what to do.” Evidently, one person helped his neighbors escape from their buring home while another neighbor drove up and down the street honking her horn to alert all the other neighbors who were still asleep. It was 3:27 a.m. Everyone got out safely due to the quick response of neighbors “who had banded together to establish its own set of emergency protocols.”

 Sounds like a story from earlier times when neighbors came together to help one anothner raise barns in the 19th Century. A 21st Century version of neighbors helping neighbors is our local NERT initiative. Since September is National Emergency Prepardedness Month, publicizing Neighborhood Emergency Response Team activities and events is in order.

Check out http://www.petalumanert.org for vital information about how to “Be Ready” for a major disaster. Eagle-Eyes doesn’t want to read any articles about you or your family being insured. Stay tuned and continue to visit Petaluma OPEN for addition news items related to Neighborhood Action Groups.

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By Frank Simpson

Petaluma Involved Neighbors (PINS)

______________

The purpose of this article is to address some of the concerns raised in the comments posted to the Pulse of Petaluma Shopping Cart Survey of September 12, 2007. Please note that while I make no mention of the blight factor or the environmental impact of abandoned shopping carts, that is not to say that they are not real costs. 

Survey Link http://pulse-of-petaluma.petaluma360.com/default.asp?item=675264

Background

Any discussion of Petaluma’s abandoned shopping cart phenomenon requires an understanding of who is taking them. There are five categories of people who take carts or who perform additional mischief with carts once they are out in the city environs.

They are the…

• Carless (Those who use carts as car substitutes)
• Homeless (Portable Closets)
• Vandals/Kids (Let’s throw the carts off a bridge)
• Cart Kleptos (Those who regularly take carts for no obvious purpose) &
• Recycle Raiders (Those who use shopping carts to raid the blue cans)

Prior to 2004, we had a wandering cart population due mostly to the homeless and the usual assortment of mischief-makers. Based on my records and observations, the problem really began to take off in 2004. The change was due, in my opinion, to the dramatic increase in the number of people who started using shopping carts as car substitutes…

FOR EXAMPLE

1. Home from the store…

2. Groceries put away and the cart is pushed down

the street…

3. And left half way between the store and

a creek…

Will it make it back to the store?

OR

Will it join this cart in the creek?

We tried at least three times to help curb the problem through private efforts and communications with local stores, regional management and even corporate management.  Our initial efforts did produce some beneficial reductions in the abandoned cart population but the progress quickly disappeared. Each succeeding effort produced diminished returns.

Cart Theft

I agree that removal of a shopping cart from store property is theft and I appreciate the sentiment of many that the solution is to arrest the cart “thieves.” 

In addition…

• I am fully aware of the glaring irony that you can have someone arrested for stealing food or clothing, but no one is going to be arrested for taking a shopping cart. 
• Put another way, it’s OK to “steal” a shopping cart worth $150 as long as you have paid for the merchandise in the cart.

Irony notwithstanding, we have to recognize today’s social reality. Arresting people for taking shopping carts is not a realistic solution. 

No Single Solution is Mandated

A “California-style” shopping cart ordinance does not mandate any particular form of cart management or cart control…

• It does require stores to develop and submit a plan for approval that is designed to control shopping cart inventories.
• It also sets up enforcement procedures to ensure compliance.

Food Prices

For those concerned about the potential of increased food prices due to a cart control ordinance, I must point out that you are already paying for the cost of abandoned carts…

• Don’t think for a moment that stores don’t factor cart shrinkage in their budgeting and pricing. It is just a cost of doing business. 
• Each time a cart disappears, another has to be purchased to take its place. 
• Assuming, for the purposes of this discussion, that each cart costs $150, you can get into some serious money very quickly. 

Even if a cart is recovered, it frequently is not in a condition to be returned to service… 

With effective cart management, stores can maintain a lower cart inventory. In addition, the service life of each cart is longer because they are not being pushed down our streets and sidewalks–a bone-jarring experience for man and cart.

Public Nuisance

It is tempting to say that enacting a shopping cart ordinance is blaming the stores for the theft of their carts. The fact is that many cities in California (not to mention the rest of the United States) have had to deal with abandoned shopping carts as a public nuisance and have passed ordinances to deal with the problem. 

It is time for Petaluma to do the same. Remember, Raley’s is coming to town and other “cart” stores are on the planning horizon.

Based on the precedents and experiences of other California communities, we need to construct an ordinance that recognizes the nature and extent of the problem in Petaluma…

• Such an ordinance is easily drafted with forward effective dates to give stores time to comply.
• Many stores have experience in complying with cart ordinances in other cities so there is little or no learning curve.

Of course, enforcement by the City will be required; however, if properly implemented, the enforcement need will diminish as stores get control of their cart inventories. 

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