Project Open

As stated in Emergency Preparedness Blog #25 … “Stay tuned, the R.Q. averages for zip codes 94952 and 94954 will be released this weekend.” OK, so we a week late; but we wanted to allow time for the “Prepare Petaluma Forum” to be held first … which was last Thursday. Here is the report that was announced at yesterday’s meeting of NERT Sparkplugs. (Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams) 

94952 Zip Code - 26 responses - average score = 6.42 (10 point scale)94954 Zip Code - 10 responses – average score = 4.8  (10 point scale)Totals                   36                                                5.61 

The national average from a telephone survey (a random sample of 1,005 Americans) conducted in September 2007 = 4.41 on the “RQ” Survey’s 10 point scale. Among the key findings at the national level:

• Sixty-five percent of respondents claimed they know how to find the emergency broadcasting station on a radio.
• Sixty-two percent said that their local government had an emergency plan.
• The majority of Americans remain unprepared. Only 4 percent have taken all the preparedness actions recommended in the RQ and 23 percent have not taken a single action.

If you haven’t taken this “Readiness Quotient” survey yet, invest one minute and go to: http://www.whatsyourrq.org

If you have taken the survey and want to improve your score, click on this link:

http://www.whatsyourrq.org/tips.shtml

Speaking of ACTION, stay tuned for a future blog that will offer additional suggestions of what ACTION Petalumans can take to help not only themselves and their family, but their NEIGHBORS as well.

Just like the American Red Cross,

ALERT =

CERT = Community Emergency Response Teams

NERT = Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams

:

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CaliforniaCityNews.org 
 
This is an excellent web site for those wishing to follow local issues in California.  It features blogs and newspaper articles from around the state–a window into what is going on elsewhere and how they are dealing with it.
 
If nothing else, check out the “Gadfly Hall of Fame” tab.  There are quite a few interesting video clips of bizarre happenings during Public Comment at local council meetings in California and elsewhere. My personal favorites are Carson City Smackdown and New London, Old Disputes.
 
The link for the site is–
 
http://californiacitynews.typepad.com/californiacitynewsorg/about.html

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If Bill Soberanes were still alive, today, he would be very pleased with the recent get-togethers of a new community action group – The Sages of Petaluma.  In fact, he would be right in the middle of the group, mingling and having his picture taken with each and everyone. Although there have only been a few get-togethers, about 25 different Sages have participated. A Sage is anyone over 60, who was either born in

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On Thursday, Oct. 18, from 7-9 p.m., at the Lucchesi Community Center,
the “Prepare Petaluma” Forum, sponsored by HC2 will offer an excellent
opportunity for the public to review “Be ready” basics such as:
creating a Family Disaster Plan and preparing a Family Disaster
Suppies Kit.

Then, on Saturday, Oct. 20, the Hagstroms NERT will host an open house
from 2-4 p.m. at the Lieb PEP Apartments, 210 Douglas Street, where
anyone interested in learning more about “How to Organize a
“Neighborhood Emergency Response Team” may meet with NERT leaders.

There will be separate stations where the public may view a CERT video tape,
learn how to set up an “Electronic Neighborhood Conference Board,” how to
earn your Amateur Radio License, and see what an Emergency Supply Kit
contains. There will also be an information display table with handouts, as
well as periodic demonstrations of Ham radio communications.

The open house is free and open to all. For additional information, phone
Bill Hammerman at 762-6593, or e-mail whammer@petalumanet.org

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8th Annual Petaluma Invitational Band Review a ROARING success!

Note: I posted this on my blog on 360, but in the interest of proliferation and getting the news out about music education in as many places as possible, here it is on Petaluma OPEN…

Another October weekend has come and gone and taken with it another annual Petaluma Invitational Band Review. It was another big success this year - our 8th - and if you made it down to 6th and B on Saturday I hope you had a good time. We had a smaller group of bands due to the SAT tests landing on the same weekend, but we heard all good things in spite of it. This has become a competition that band directors from all over the Bay Area say is one of their favorites because of how well they’re cared for by the PHS volunteers and by all of you in the community at large.

This year I was thrust into a much larger role than in years’ past. Ordinarily I’d be out before dawn helping to set up the judges’ stand - a lot of good sweat and manual labor building scaffolding, setting the platform and hanging horizontal stripes of red, white and blue that you can see from far up B Street. This year I was fortunate enough to act as Volunteer Coordinator for the whole shindig, shouldering some of the logistic and administrative work for Review co-chairs Mike and Theresa Haire and Janet Knudson. In years past I’d finish my volunteer task just as many others were just getting started, and already have my spot on the parade route set, video camera in hand.

This year I think I got to see 20-30 seconds of the PHS band (who were fantastic, by the way) and a good dose of the percussion unit from Hayward High School as I was in constant motion. What a treat, and the “why” is the message I’m ramping up to.

I’ve had such a deep amount of admiration for my fellow band parents in general (for supporting arts education), but especially those who put in hours upon hours to make all of our events possible during the school year - competitions, school concerts, band trips, etc.

For the casual observer, the Band Review just happens in spite of them - and it’s been our good fortune to steward this event into something that is fun, simple and accessible to the whole community every year. There’s literally dozens of people who lend their time and enthusiasm to make an event like this come together. From planning and logistics to an insane amount of food prep (for our BBQ and snack bars) to the small army it takes to get our kids into uniform and ready to step off and set the tone for the event…in a word, amazing.

So while I didn’t get my cush spot to watch the whole parade, I did find an even deeper feeling of appreciation for all of those who made the Band Review another great success this year.

So if you had a great time this year, send thanks to the band directors and kids from all over the Bay Area who come to showcase their talent. Give thanks to the City of Petaluma, our elected officials, City Staff and Petaluma Police Department for helping us set the stage for another fantastic event. And. . .give thanks to the many, MANY hands who volunteered to make the whole thing happen.

And…if you weren’t able to make it, good news. There’ll be another one next year. We plan to be around for a long time to come. We hope to see you next year at the 9th Annual Petaluma Invitational Band Review. I’m in the process of collecting photos and video of Saturday’s event that I’ll post soon. In the meantime - PHS music students, directors, and parents ROCK!

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September 2007 was our 4^th National Emergency Preparedness Month. Eighteen hundred organizations sponsored over 1,000 events designed to motivate the American people to “Get Ready” and to prepare for emergencies from natural disasters to terrorist attacks.   Here in Petaluma, our Alliance for Local Emergency Response Teams (ALERT) sponsored or coordinated the following: “Disaster Readiness” information booths at three Farmers Markets; four neighborhood get-togethers, that attracted over 100 people, to promote the formation of Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams (NERT); and the distribution of over 850 Emergency Preparedness pocket guides. In addition, our community’s 6^th CERT course (Community Emergency Response Team) took place at Groverman Hall.. By the end of this month, over 70 citizens will have completed a 24-27 hour course (offered since March 2006) devoted to training people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. Later this month, there will be additional opportunities for Petalumans to learn how to: (a) make a family disaster plan, (b) create an earthquake safe home, (c) prepare a disaster supply kit, and (d) learn what other resources are available. What has been lacking until now, however; has been a “yardstick” or practical “gauge” for individuals and communities to assess their degree of preparedness and to identify what additional steps need to be taken in order to really Be Ready to be on one’s own for 72-hours or longer. The tool that will help you determine your level of readiness and then compare your findings with a national average is called the Readiness Quotient or “RQ.” The Council for Excellence in Government has developed two barometers to help communities and individuals to actually measure readiness and preparedness. One, the Public Readiness Index provides a score for a geographic location, such as: a city, a state, or the nation. The “RQ Test” for individuals and families is a quick and simple one minute test to complete.     Take it now … http://www.whatsyourrq.org/ and compare your results with the national average, as well as other residents living in your Zip Code. 

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By Frank Simpson

There has been a great deal of discussion–online & offline–about the role of bloggers and their impact in the media world.  There are, of course, many types of bloggers covering many topics.  Just look at the variety of bloggers on Petaluma 360 alone.
 
Last week, someone forwarded a blog link talking about the role of “political bloggers” in today’s society. Frankly, it caught me off guard.  Me! A political blogger? Well, what the heck! What’s in a name any how?  I am still mulling it over…not really comfortable with the appellation. On the other hand, I think I described myself as a “Shock Blogger” at a recent Council Meeting.  So much for my sense of decorum and propriety.
 
In any event, for now you can consider the views on this subject as
set out in “Local Political Blogs are Here to Stay” 
 
See  http://californiacitynews.typepad.com/californiacitynewsorg/2007/10/local-political.html

[where: 94954]

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By Frank Simpson

It has been almost twelve hours since I first read the article in this morning’s Press Democrat about Petaluma’s Adobe Creek…

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By Frank Simpson

The first effort of the new City of Petaluma’s Neighborhood Outreach program will be in the Old McDowell Neighborhood. In addition to the work of City employees, there is a need for  volunteers.  Specifically they are looking for volunteers on Saturday, October 20, 27, and November 3 to monitor the dumpsters in the neighborhood. Their duties would include:

1. Checking to make sure the trash is from the neighborhood. ID would be required to show residency.
2. Inspecting that what is dumped is safe to be dumped.
3. Making sure that kids are not climbing or playing in or around the dumpster.

Please consider giving a few hours of your time to help out. Anyone interested in volunteering for dumpster duty can contact Petaluma’s Neighborhood Preservation Coordinator, Joe Garcia  by phone at 707-778-4558 or email at jgarcia@ci.petaluma.ca.us

Additionally, Rebuilding Together Petaluma is looking for volunteers and donations/loaning of equipment on the weekend of October 20, 27, and November 3. If anyone is interested in helping out, they can contact RTP at 707-765-3944 or www.rebuildingtogetherpetaluma.org

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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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