The state of the villages
The president just gave the State of the Union address, and the governor just gave the State of the State address, so we thought we’d give a State of the Villages address. Feel free to stand up and clap when you agree with something, or boo and hiss when you don’t.
On the negative side, our roads are full of potholes, our parks are either closed (Sugarloaf) or closing in July (Annadel and Jack London), Cal Fire is trying to wring extra money out of us (see story page one), and we seriously need rain, as our rainfall totals for the year so far are about half of normal. PG&E is planning to clear cut trees under the high voltage power lines through Oakmont, which could lower property values there. Dunbar School is feeling the impact of reduced state funding. The highway seems to be littered with flags, banners and superfluous signage. Residents are forgetting to bring in their garbage and recycling bins, and the 49ers lost their NFC Championship game. OK, that last one isn’t necessarily a village-specific item, but we’re all disappointed nevertheless.
Enough grousing. On the positive side, the weather has been beautiful, and since we can’t make it rain, we might as well get out and enjoy it. A group call SOS Roads is trying to address the lack of funding for county road maintenance (see story page two). Several different groups are going to bat for all of us by working to find alternative plans to keep the parks open – the Sonoma Ecology Center, Valley of the Moon Natural History Association, Parks Alliance, and Sonoma County Regional Parks, to name a few (see story page five). The Cal Fire fee will probably be challenged in court because it’s actually a tax, which will delay or prevent implementation. The Kenwood Fireman’s Association Crab Feed on Feb. 11 is sold out, and Kenwood School is in good fiscal shape right now. Solutions for many of the problems we face depend on the economy improving, which is happening in other parts of the country faster than in California, but we remain optimistic.
On a personal note, our rat problem seems under control. And, of course, pitchers and catchers report to spring training in mid-February. Again, not a village-specific issue, but it puts a smile on everyone’s face. Go Giants! Go A’s!
