Monte Rio Musings by Chuck Ramsey — January 2019

Happy New Year! I never thought we’d ever get done with 2018. I’m looking forward to longer days, more fun, and less stress in the New Year.

Congratulations to Cynthia Strecker as the Monte Rio rep on the MAC, and to Kyra Wink as the alternate. Hopefully our MAC will be a vehicle for needed progress in our communities. Congrats also to other winners, many of whom I know, work closely with on community groups, and am on the same page with on most issues.

I wish the candidates’ full bios and applications had been sent along with the ballots to the voters or at least posted on-line. All Monte Rio candidates have good backgrounds and share some commonalities.

Cynthia has lived in Monte Rio for 41 years. Her professional background is in public education particularly with at-risk youth. She has served on our school board as well. Since retiring in 2013, Cynthia has been actively involved in social change, such as advocating for living wages. I like what she said in her bio: Democracy is not a spectator sport and we need more, not less, participation.

Kyra is a recently retired management healthcare professional who worked for Kaiser for 35 years primarily in the Sacramento Valley and was successful in cost containment (definitely a useful attribute when making our government funding go further). In 2005 she returned to family roots and built a retirement home in Villa Grande where she is active on the FOVG board.

Have any of you used “SoCo Report It” app and find it shows your address as Occidental? What about Apple Maps? The problem is with Apple and hopefully they will be correcting it. Not sure how long it will take after reporting it, but hopefully they will correct it soon. Have you upgraded your iPhone, iPad, or PC recently? The process is certainly easier and more seamless than in the past. Apple in particular involves placing two devices next to each other and pushing a button. The PC is still a little more challenging, but they are getting better too. I was a slow adopter of Air Pods, but once I heard them, I had to pick some up the next day. I’m also impressed with the Ring doorbell. Technology is amazing and getting better every day. It brings people together, provides much information, mobility, and makes one more productive, and secure.

I also recently purchased a “Purple Air” air quality sensor and it should be set up and viewable on-line soon. As our air quality is very localized, the Russian River Alliance has asked our local fire departments to purchase air sensor monitors to be installed at their fire stations. Our fire departments are charged with assisting in the enforcement of our air quality regulations. More neighborhood sensors will mean better data available to rely on and to base decisions on.

Did you know the SCT Bus Route 28 “the River Shuttle” is now free to hop on and hop off? From Guerneville to Monte Rio to Occidental. Give it a try.

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, and bright New Year.

Vacation Wonderland, we just keep getting better.