WHY DON'T WE DO THIS?

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Lancaster-CA-Becomes-First-US-City-to-Require-Solar?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily

ARTESA FOLLOW-UP...

Judge Elliot Daum

The Artesa case was heard in Judge Daum's court last Friday morning.  Attorneys for the coalition opposing the Artesa conversion did a terrific job.  CalFire and Artesa attorneys stated their cases, as well.  Judge Daum said he would issue a ruling in approximately 30 days.  

Start the clocks and let friends and allies know that we need to control the increasing pressure on coastal forests AND on Resource and Rural Development (RRD) lands.  

RRD is zoned to protect resources.  Changes to the land and waterways like Artesa and Ratna Ling are not protective of natural resources, nor can they fully mitigate the losses of those lands.  Impacts include decreased capacity for GHG reduction, increased traffic, noise, water use.  Also health and safety risks, such as fire safety and so on.  

In the case of Artesa, Tribal archeological resources are extensive enough that the area including, and surrounding, Artesa is potentially an Archeological District.  The Tribes need (and deserve) protection of their heritage areas.  

We have to educate our neighbors and our leaders to the long term risks, the impacts, and of the precedents this kind of development sets.  

Thanks for caring about our north coast areas.  And thanks for letting others know to spread the word.

Can Sebastopol ban GMOs?

What would Whole Foods do then?

Read the article about Los Angeles' proposition here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/los-angeles-ban-gmo_n_4137166.html

And if you ask me, this is the way GMO labeling will gain traction.

I mean, I saw a sign in Whole Foods stating they will be completely GMO transparent (labeling) by 2018!!!  Are you kidding?!?  Get it done.  We'd all be surprised if we discovered how much of that stuff we actually fed to our families.

ARTESA WINERY CUTTING DOWN REDWOODS...

This is absolutely disgusting.  We need a moratorium on new vineyard development in California.

Please contact our Sonoma County Supervisors.  You can find their contact info in the menu above.

Meanwhile, read the article:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120508/articles/120509563

PLEASE...

Call or write the Agriculture Commission at:

Sonomaag@sonoma-county.org

(707) 565-2371

BARLOW ACTION...

They are finding anyway possible to get to TAMARIND!

TAMARIND is a new clothing boutique that features high end and very cute clothing for the fashionable set.

Please visit their website:

http://shoptamarind.com

And visit the Barlow.  It's starting to heat up.

A NOTE FROM HELEN SHANE...

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

Lest you forget the mammoth, sprawling CVS/Chase project and the congestion it would cause, please spend two minutes to view the video in the previous post.  It was presented by the developer in January 2012. 

This post is to update you on the status of CVS, and to ask you for a contribution to pursue the Small Town Sebastopol lawsuit, if necessary. 

A legal agreement signed by CVS March 2, 2010 indemnified the City of Sebastopol against liability for any award or settlement of the case.

CVS purchased the site from the Pellini’s, so the family is out of the picture.  It’s just we the community vs. CVS 

CVS is dealing with three major unresolved obstacles: 

1)  CVS is suing the City in Federal District Court for violation of CVS’ civil rights by issuing a moratorium on drive thrus.

2)  CalTrans has not approved the permits needed to allow left turns into and out of the project across two lanes of traffic on Sebastopol Ave; more than a year ago, CalTrans requested further information. CVS has not responded.

3)  Our suit, filed in August 2011, charged that the then City Council’s approval for the project was based on a flawed traffic study that did not properly consider The Barlow and the real traffic impact on many streets and intersections in town. We believe that a new traffic study would trigger a full Environmental Impact study that would prove the CVS project would generate unacceptable traffic.         

It is important that CVS know we are not going away.                                          

We need your help to continue the battle.

NOTE: We guarantee that if all of the funds received from this time forward are not needed, equitable refunds will be made.

We’re counting on you.

Please Go to:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=PQP4AS959VZX6

or send a check to:

Committee for Small Town Sebastopol                                                    Exchange Bank                                                                                                        720 Gravenstein Hwy, No                                                                       Sebastopol, Ca 95472

Helen Shane and John Kramer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uzNmTP7h70

IS THIS SEBASTOPOL OR SAN JOSE???

Check out this video re: the CVS plan to develop Pellini's Corner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1uzNmTP7h70

THE GRAVENSTEIN...

Some folks I speak to have told me they weren't aware of some of the features theGravenstein has to offer...

Just take a look at the menu above and you might very well find a solution to what wine to get or what video to rent.  Want to contact a City Council member?  Look no further.  Sebastopol and County official contact info is here.  And if you own a classic car in town, see if we've included you in our Cars around Town section.

And please feel free to contact us with your community events and ideas.  Need more?  Let us know.  The list of Grav readers is growing.

Thanks,

Mangagement

theGravenstein

Effort underway to oust Carrillo...

Saw this item in Sonoma West...

http://www.sonomawest.com/sonoma_west_times_and_news/news/effort-underway-to-oust-carrillo/article_8a2a1b02-2614-11e3-8dd5-001a4bcf887a.html