Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Council Joins Community To Appeal Dutra Approval
Monday, January 16, 2012
STAND UP FOR SHOLLENBERGER RALLY HUGE !
400 hundred people and dogs gathered at Shollenberger Park to protest the approval of the Dutra Asphalt factory across the river from its paths. Oldsters, kids, dogs on leashes, babies in strollers, bikers, Occupiers all heeded the call to STAND UP FOR OUR PARK given by Friends of Shollenberger, Moms for Clean Air, and Occupy Petaluma.
It was a real Petaluma Grass Roots Day – the kind of experience that reminds you why we all love Petaluma and the Park so much and want to live here in peace and good health.
Click here for video
Bug Deakin, Heritage Salvage motored gallantly by in his Cutter, then stopped to read aloud his wonderful poem, “Ode to Dutra!” Poetry to tell Dutra to go way and leave our birds alone!
Hundreds waved from the Viewing Platform shouting DUCKS NOT TRUCKS and SAVE OUR PARK and NO DUTRA NO DUTRA.
The crowd then walked in solidarity together to the dredge spoil pond and stood before the expansive vista of the Measure D Voter Mandate protected wetlands.
“Look south,” Bill Kortum, our much loved environmental leader and former Supervisor, once said to me and then Sup. Candidate Mike Maguire. “What do you see?” “Nothing but wetlands and sky,” we replied. “That’s because the voters wanted it that way .” Open and free of industrial blight and development.
Yes, nothing but birds and blue sky and a view of a cleaner future for our children and their children. Worth appealing and preserving. That’s something.
Photographer Scott Hess captured the inspiring moment of young and old standing together united to save the park. Videographers Sebastian Nau, Kaye Chandler, Beau Bouverat and others filmed the crowd.
Friends of Shollenberger wants to thank Lorna Johnson and Eve O’Rourke for gathering the community together by envisioning this Rally and bringing us all together and giving us this wonderful day.
Also many thanks to OCCUPY Petaluma who kicked off our rally on Saturday with a wonderful street side demonstration at Washington and Petaluma Blvd.
Our message to the City Council:
“Petaluma City Council must join the appeal. STAY THE COURSE.”
Write your City Council this week – AGAIN.
Drop Everything and Come to the City Council Meeting:
City Hall, English St. Petaluma, CA
JAN 23 7 PM MON EVE
Hear their decision face to face.
STAND UP AND BE COUNTED ONCE AGAIN
We will appeal and we will prevail
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Join Us! Sunday, January 15 3:30p to 4:30p At Shollenberger Park!
Sunday promises to be a beautiful warm sunny day! Perfect for being outdoors!
Come join your friends and neighbors on a walk around Shollenberger Park on Sunday, January 15 from 3:30 to 4:30 to show your support for the park and the appeal.
Scott Hess will be there to take a HUGE group photo of us at 4:00.
The photo will be taken at the viewing platform - which is right across from where Dutra is planning to built its noxious asphalt plant.
Stand up for your wetlands and let everyone know you think the sanctity of our Shollenberger Park wetlands and the quality of life in Petaluma are worth saving.
Everyone - parents, kids, elders, runners, cyclists, birders, rowers, Occupiers, teachers, students: walk, run, dance, ride your bike, or paddle your kayak - and bring a friend or two! Bring the whole family! See you there!
Please share this email with your friends!
Thank you!!
Friends of Shollenberger Park
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
SAVE SHOLLENBERGER JOIN THE APPEAL!
Click Here to download the full text of Judge Chouteau's decision.
DONTRA! No Asphalt Plant Next to Our Park!
DONTRA!
NO Asphalt Factory Next To Our Park!
ROUND TWO!
"Stay The Course"
"It Takes A Community" to protect itself. Judge Chouteau's flawed decision needs to be challenged in a higher court. That's why our justice system has an appellate court.
Preserving wetlands for the good of the planet and all of us living beings leads to a healthy future.
Allowing an industrial factory on the banks of the river is going backwards to the bad old times.
Petaluma doesn't want this factory at its Gateway, but Dutra does. Who wins, who loses? It goes against the 2020 County General Plan guiding principle: The County should cooperate with cities when planning for parcels in their sphere of influence, just outside the city limits.
KNOWN IMPACTS OF THE DUTRA ASPHALT FACTORY:
Judge Chouteau's legal ruling doesn't change the DUTRA Asphalt factory. It's still the same noxious factory.
A FUTURE DUTRA FACTORY:
Still Smells like hot asphalt
Still Unhealthy and Toxic Operation
Excessive NOX levels that lead to asthma allowed
2.5 particulate matter causes asthma & cancer - not evaluated
Still Creates traffic jams for commuters using 101
Still Impacts Shollenberger's wildlife
egrets and herons
Still impacts nearby residences and businesses:
noise, dust, smells, and lights
Still lowers housing values
Still an Eyesore at the Gateway to Petaluma:
Still Hurts local restaurant, shopping and tourism businesses
WHY WE CAN WIN AN APPEAL AT A HIGHER COURT:
Legal errors in Judge Chouteau's ruling make it possible to overturn it on appeal for reconsideration by a panel of three judges in a San Francisco higher court. Getting the case out of Sonoma County may help our case.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Are you with us?
Will you stay the course to protect our park and community?
Call, write, and e-mail your Petaluma City Council Members and Mayor:
1. Commend them for standing together to defend the taxpayers' $4 million investment in Shollenberger Park and the Petaluma Wetlands
http://cityofpetaluma.net/cclerk/council.html
2. Subject line for e-mails and letters: "Stay The Course"
3. Ask them to join the legal appeal to this flawed decision
daveglass@comcast.net
teresa4petaluma@comcast.net
tiff@tiffanyrenee.com
councilman.albertson@gmail.com
councilmemberkearney@me.com
mthealy@sbcglobal.net
mike4pet@aol.com
Chris Albertson
councilman.albertson@gmail.com
POB 61, 94953 707.778.4525 12/14
Teresa Barrett
teresa4petaluma@comcast.net
POB 901, 94953 707.953.0846 12/14
David Glass
Mayor
daveglass@comcast.net
POB 61, 94953 707.778.4345 12/14
Mike Harris
mike4pet@aol.com
POB 751361, 94975 707.773.3196 12/14
Mike Healy
Vice Mayor mthealy@sbcglobal.net
304 Kentucky Street, 94952 707.762.8768 12/12
Gabe Kearney
councilmemberkearney@me.com
POB 61, 94953 707.238.2199 12/12
Tiffany Renée
tiff@tiffanyrenee.com
POB 750536, 94975-036 707.776.6214 12/12