Santa Rosa Snippets by Elaine B. Holtz - April 2019

Good News from Santa Rosa’s 5th District

Congressman Mike Thompson is now accepting applications for the 2019 Fifth Congressional District Art Competition, open to high school students across Thompson’s District. This annual competition showcases the artistic talents and ability of students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. All winning pieces are displayed in the United States Capitol.

The deadline to submit artwork is Tuesday, April 16, 2019. Artwork can be submitted to one of Thompson’s District Offices, including in Napa located at 2721 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, in Santa Rosa located at 2300 County Center Drive, Suite A100, or in Vallejo located at 420 Virginia Street, Suite 1C. For rules and regulations go to: www.house.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/2019-Rules-for-Students-and-Teachers.pdf

Congressman Thompson is proud to announce the house passage of H.R. 8, his Bipartisan “Background Checks Act of 2019.”This legislation expands background checks to cover all sales and represents the first major House vote on gun violence prevention legislation in 25 years. The bill passed the House with 240 votes, including 232 Democrats and 8 Republicans. “For six long years, we worked on this issue and the previous majority would not even let us have a hearing, let alone a vote to expand background checks. Today is a new day and the show of support on both sides of the aisle for this important legislation is humbling,” said Thompson. He also wants to thank the millions of people who contacted their representatives. The bill still has to be passed by the senate. According to his office H.R 8 has passed the House and been sent to the Senate where it’s up to the Judiciary Committee and the majority leader there to take action on the bill in order for it to move.

More good news from the 5th District, Thompson is an original cosponsor of the Green New Deal, legislation that outlines broad recommendations on how to aggressively address the threat of climate change over the next decade. To read the Green New Deal go to: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5729033/Green-New-Deal-FINAL.pdf “Climate change is the most existential threat we face today. I have long said that if we do not act now nothing else, we do matters because there won’t be a planet to pass on to our children. That’s why I am a proud, original cosponsor of the Green New Deal, a resolution stating the steps we must take to address climate change,” he stated in a recent press release.

I was inspired to write about the positive steps that have been taken by Congressman Thompson, it is so important that we hear the good news these days and acknowledge our representatives when they in my mind do the right thing. I encourage you to write Congressman Thompson and let him know if you support these bills, in hearing from you it lets him know we are paying attention to all that is going on.

Northbay Youth Climate Strike in solidarity with National & Global Youth Climate Strike

OnSaturday March 15 an estimated 200 people of all ages gathered in Courtyard Square in Santa Rosa in conjunction with the 1.6 million young climate change activists in 120 countries who skipped school on March 15 in what may be considered one of the biggest environmental protests in history. Courtyard Square in Santa Rosa was chosen for the event, “Because of the fires to send a message to the community that we are here and fighting to make sure fires like this one do not happen,” said lead organizer Lucy London 18, and a student at Marin schools of the Arts at Novato High School. London is also co-founder and President of the Novato High School Earth Club. The event was co-coordinated by Meredith Patchett, 17, a student at Petaluma High School.

The student movement was inspired by Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, now nominated for a Nobel Prize, who kicked off a global movement after she sat outside the Swedish parliament every Friday beginning in August, 2018. London also emphasized, “We are also here to support the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal is a resolution proposed by congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, building on FDR’s New Deal. It emphasizes the urgency of the climate crisis, while also addressing issues like economic inequality and unemployment. In five main resolutions, the deal takes huge steps in breaking the spiral of silence around climate change in the federal government today,” she said in her speech at the rally.”

Students from Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Novato and Marin attended the rally. Indivisible Sonoma County whose mission is to mobilize and organize people locally by connecting them with the political processes to fight for equality and justice were registering young people to vote and Citizens Climate Lobby, a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change were there, educating and promoting Energy Innovation and The Carbon Dividend Act.

Participants also marched from Courtyard Square to the Santa Rosa City Hall chanting, “What do we want? Climate Justice! When do we want it? Now.” When asked what she gained from the event London said, “I experienced a strong network of individuals that I could lean on and trust for further activism. It was a successful celebration of life and gave me faith that things are going to work out.”

Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) Day Under The Oaks

SRJC annual “Larry Bertolini Day Under the Oaks,” named in honor of the late SRJC trustee and co-founder Larry Bertolini, this year’s theme, “Experience SRJC.”, is a great opportunity for the entire community to reconnect with SRJC’s many offerings. Children will be introduced to the excitement of higher education, adults can learn about new and compelling career paths, and all can explore the college's many academic, cultural and student life offerings. The event will include area building tours, free health evaluations, craft vendors, and a wide variety of demonstrations by instructional departments and student clubs. Attendees can enter classrooms and labs, speak with SRJC’s esteemed faculty members and students can meet with counselors and even register for summer and fall classes.

Sponsored by SRJC’s Career Education department, it takes place on Sunday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at its Santa Rosa campus located at 1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa. Parking and admission are free; no pets are allowed. Further Information available at https://duo.santarosa.edu/

Something to think about:“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”– Alice Malsenior Walker, (born February 9, 1944, Eatonton, Georgia, U.S.), American writer whose novels, short stories, and poems are noted for their insightful treatment of African American culture. Her novels, most notably The Color Purple (1982)