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THE SEA RANCH ASSOCIATIONP.O. BOX 16THE SEA RANCH, CA 95497-0016Address Service Requested

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MEDFORD, ORPERMIT NO. 125

A QUARTERLY NEWSPAPER FOR THE SEA RANCH ASSOCIATION MEMBERS NUMBER 98 FALL 2008

IN THIS ISSUE:

PAGE 2

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NEW SOUNDINGS EDITOR CHOSENBy Nancy Carter, Chair, Communi-cation Committee

After a challenging adventure liv-ing abroad for four months Claire McCarthy has assumed a new and potentially more demanding role as Editor of Soundings. TheCommunication Committee has welcomed her by immediately in-volving her in the finalization of this issue of our members’ publica-tion and plans for the Winter Issue.Claire is a familiar presence in Soundings having written for al-most every issue since 1995. Her very first article, “Internet at Sea Ranch” appeared in the Summer 1995 issue and she has covered most every Sea Rancher of the Year interview since. As Kathi Gordon, former Soundings Editor says “Claire was one of my most talented and creative writers. I could always depend on her!”

Claire and her husband, Bill, have been coming to The Sea Ranch since the 1970s, bought their first house in 1994, built a home here in 2000 and are now lot owners. They have been Association members since 1994. Hel special connec-tion with Soundings continued with additional articles in 1995 and in following years she focused largely on interview articles of outstand-ing individuals who live at The Sea Ranch.

Most of her articles have been about people who have influenced The Sea Ranch community. She tries to humanize the individuals she inter-views as well as highlight their ac-complishments, and her reward has been getting to know her neighbors in our community. When she writes an issue-oriented article the focus is always on how it affects all of us as people, not on the politics of the issue.

Claire sees our Sea Ranch/Gualala communities as one. Along with

her Soundingscontributions she as been a coordinator of monthly art exhibits at the Dolphin Gallery, directed the 2005 NCAG Studio Discovery Tour, edited the Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild Newslet-ter, and coordinated the Community Resources Connection van sched-ule. Occasionally she has authored news articles and play reviews for the IndependentCoast Observer, and tutored elementary school children through Gualala Village Tutors.

Believing that the members’ news-paper is an important communica-tion tool, Claire always took her assignments seriously and believed that the personal benefits of her writing were in getting to know a diversity of individuals. As new editor she will continue to take the community’s pulse, find the people who are passionate about an issue and willing to communicate their

ideas to the entire membership.

Claire will be an ex-officio member of the Communication Committee to ensure that Soundings and its editorial policies are consistent with those of the Committee. She also will interface with the Association’s Director of Communication, Janice Bonora, in her attempt to develop and refine the communication strat-egy and plan that involves all the means of communication between and among the Association staff, Board of Directors, members, and community. Several policies and improvements to Soundings have been examined by the Communica-tion Committee and were awaiting the arrival of a permanent editor for approval and implementation in the coming months.

Claire has a B.A. from Penn State in English and in addition to local edi-torial experiences has professional experiences with in-house newslet-ters, external public relations and publicity, customer service support materials, website design and main-tenance, staff training materials and teaching of English to secondary level and foreign students.

The Sea Ranch members are fortu-nate to find a qualified, dedicated, inquisitive editor who will represent them over the next few years. She will have huge shoes to fill after the retirement of the Gordons. But she will fill them as passionately and fairly as they have and continue and build upon the legacy they have left us. Please warmly welcome Claire McCarthy as she begins her new re-sponsibilities.

SEA RANCH LODGE EXPANSION PLANS UPDATED by Kathi Gordon

A year after their first presentation on July 28, 2007, Peter Heinemann and the Passport Resorts team were again before Sea Ranch members on July 19, 2008 to discuss an up-date on plans for The Sea Ranch Lodge. Heinemann outlined the philosophy behind their approach to the development of The Sea Ranch Lodge. Their goal is to minimize the impact, he said, “I want to cre-ate a sense of ‘Where’s the hotel!’”

Peter Heinemann with Passport Resorts partner Mike Freed co-own Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, the re-cently completed Cavallo Point – The Lodge at the Golden Gate, Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort and Hotel Hana Maui which was put on the market in August 2007 but then withdrawn. The Honolulu Star Bulletin quoted Heinemann, “Obviously the capital markets be-ing where they are today it’s not an opportune time to be a seller.”

NEW PROJECT

What was different from the Lodge project as first presented? New architects had replaced Moore. Ruble and Yudel, whose founding partner Charles Moore was one of the original designers of Sea Ranch. Larry Halprin, landscape architect, and Donlyn Lyndon of the original design team are also no longer in-volved with the project.

The new architects are Bull, Stock-well and Allen (BSA) a San Fran-cisco firm who won an AIA award for their design of the Point Reyes Visitor Center. The BSA portfolio includes resorts, hotels and public facilities such as the Tiburon Town Hall, and the Santa Rosa Jr. Col-lege Bailey Parking Facility. John Ashworth of BSA specializes in the hospitality industry and “could

Claire McCarthy

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speak the same language as the hotel operators,” said Peter Heinemann, “In terms of not only what build-ings look like, but how they operate. From a hotel operator’s perspective, it was very important to have this thing work and function well from the operational side.”

Joni Janecki, landscape architect, sees this project as “a unique op-portunity to follow in the footsteps of a legendary landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin. He has been an inspiration to me.” Her experience is based in coastal California, “It’s a very unique plant community and it’s something that’s quickly disap-pearing.” She served on The Sea Ranch Design Committee for about five years.

SIXTY ROOMS

Another change in the Lodge proj-ect is the addition of 10 more hotel rooms for a total of 60 rooms to make it more financially feasible, said Heinemann. His wife, Dana Kievner, who is Director of De-sign Development, introduced the remainder of the team that will be involved in the project. Craig Nor-dby of Nordby Construction will be the contractor, with Dennis Caldwell as the superintendent on the job. “Get to know them because they have committed to giving tours of the construction site to the commu-nity,” she said.

THE PLANS

The team took turns “walking through the plans.” The original

Esherick post office and store build-ing will be restored and upgraded it so that the retail space will be on one level but they will be “de-constructing the Lodge.” The com-mercial center will remain south of the hedgerow similar to the way it is today. There will be a total of 14 office spaces in the building. Some of the previous units will be moved out of the meadow and into the Lodge, pulling units back away from the bluff. The public trail will be re-routed down and around the barn coming up to the store and post office.

The new Lodge and Fireside Room will be to the north of the store and post office, connected by a board-walk and deck area with a small coffee shop. Another courtyard will welcome guests to the main Lodge and reception area with glass and steel doors opening views to the ocean. The bar has a view out over a dining room that will seat about 120. The upper floor of the Lodge will have three hotel rooms, ser-viced by both stairs and elevators for handicapped access. Below the Lodge is a spa and below the Fire-side room is an audiovisual room. A lap pool will be tucked into the architecture of the poolside clus-ter and the Lodge to provide wind protection. The meadow cluster will be “hunkered down into the ground with, hopefully, sod roofs.” The south cluster will contain some “stacked units” and be grouped to form a courtyard reminiscent in form to Condo 1.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE

As the buildings come down, much of the materials will be reused and the existing building footprints will be preserved. Cart paths carrying guests to the units will be perme-able and water run-off will be contained on site. Also the group is studying how they could reuse wastewater for landscape irrigation. Mike Loomis spoke of using solar thermal panels for hot water for do-mestic use and under-floor heating. “Our initial energy model shows that we will use somewhere around 50 per cent less energy than is used in the current Lodge even though the new facility is more than twice the size of the current one and 70 per cent less carbon emissions be-cause of the use of solar energy.”

CONVERSATION WITH NEIGHBORS

After two hours and fifteen minutes of a highly detailed presentation, time was short for the “conversa-tion with our neighbors” hoped for by Jim Carruthers at the be-ginning of the meeting. Some of the audience had drifted away. Larry Marks, who owns one of the original Esherick homes, observed, “This is a unique community and it’s one that we don’t have an op-tion to move out of into something else because there is nothing else like it.” He wanted “to be sure that everyone understands that Larry Halprin and Donlyn Lyndon are no longer involved in this… The difference between this project and Passport Resorts’ other projects is that this project is being inte-grated into an existing community

of 1500 homeowners plus lot own-ers who have made a commitment to Sea Ranch. “This is a unique opportunity and a unique challenge The economics of this have to work for you… The important thing is that you have a success record but it is important for us here that this proj-ect be successful.”

Editor’s note; The Lodge expansion design team is scheduled to submit preliminary plans to theAssociation’s Department of Design, Compli-ance& Environmental Management (DCEM) on September 17th. prior to review by the Design Commit-tee. Community members interested in commenting on the project can contact the DCEM at 785-2316 after September17th to make an appoint-ment to review the proposal.

For more information on The Sea Ranch Lodge Expansion Project you can visit the Lodge’s website at www.srlep.com.

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

• Will some of us who are close neighbors get a chance to address a long list of questions? We think all neighbors are important and if we talk to one group we want to talk to everybody, and if that’s needed we will certainly do it.

• Aesthetically, I don’t understand the verticality of those windows and I personally think it’s a real mistake in an otherwise wonderful plan. It makes it very industrial.

• Why is the price of Lodge rooms so exclusionary? Heinemann said, “We have a wide range of prices for lodge rooms that vary by time of year… The challenge here is to

LODGE PLANS UPDATE FROM PAGE 1

Page 3

Conceptual drawing of Lodge and Post Office Complex

Conceptual elevation of Lodge and Post Office Complex

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create economics for the success of this project without having to build lots of hotel rooms. Does that translate into higher room rates? Yes it does! “ He added it will be more affordable in the “off sea-son.”

• Where will the cars go? All guest parking will be with the valet park-ing system and cars will be hidden behind the hedgerows.

• Where will the septic system go? Immediately adjacent to the public access parking area but under-ground so you will not see it.

• How far are you in the county permitting process? Our County process goes in tandem with the Design Review process here with the Design Committee. We are in our Coastal Permit application stage, submitting biological re-ports, ecological reports and stud-ies, and we’re looking to wrap that up sometime this fall.

• How many square feet in the South Cluster? There are 13 rooms of approximately 650 square feet each but some are larger size units with two bedrooms.

• What is the proposed driveway adjacent to Condo 1? It is antici-pated for emergency use only. We are required to have fire truck ac-cess and turn around.

• What will go in the northeast cor-ner of the property? Nothing! We’re not going there.

• Have you considered the view from the homes on the hill? You’ll be surprised how little impact on the view there will be.

• Where will the staff live? People already living on the coast will be potential employees with training.

• When will you start? If we have a permit to start this project, we’re hoping to start quickly after the first of the year, depending on weather. We will start with the commercial buildings and the proj-ect will take about 18 months. It’s best to open a hotel prior to the summer season.

• What plans do you have for the post office while the post office is being reconstructed? A temporary post office… We haven’t given it much thought, but we are well aware that we operate the commu-nity’s post office and we will con-tinue to operate it.

LODGE PLANS FROM P.. 2 COUNTY SUPERVISOR CANDIDATES COME TO OCTOBER SEA RANCH FORUM

This November, Sea Ranch resi-dents will elect a new County Su-pervisor for the first time in many years. The winning candidate will represent the County’s Fifth District on the Board of Supervisors, tak-ing the place of retiring Supervisor Mike Reilly. The Fifth District en-compasses the West County includ-ing the entire Sonoma County coast, the lower Russian River area, Se-bastopol and the west and southwest areas of Santa Rosa.

From the perspective of Sea Ranch residents, County government may seem far away, somewhere” over the hill” in Santa Rosa, but deci-sions made by Sonoma County im-pact our lives in many ways.

At the Supervisor Candidates Fo-rum on Saturday, October 4, from 3-5 p.m, Rue Furch and Efren Car-rillo, winners of the Fifth District Board of Supervisors run-off elec-tion this June, will present their views on issues affecting Sonoma County’s north coast and will an-swer questions from Sea Ranch members. Residents of other local communities will also be invited to attend.

How Sonoma County Impacts The Sea Ranch

Sea Ranch property owners are af-fected by County requirements on

started.

The Sea Ranch and Sonoma County have a long history of collaborating in areas such as building permits, security issues, septic system in-spection, emergency management and wildfire protection. In fact, the County has asked The Sea Ranch to consider assuming full responsibil-ity for The Sea Ranch sewer and septic systems. The relationship between the County and the Asso-ciation will undoubtedly continue to evolve as The Sea Ranch reaches buildout and needs and capabilities change.

Residents will select the Fifth Dis-trict Supervisor on Election Day, November 4, 2008.

The Forum on October 4th will pro-vide Sea Ranch members with an opportunity to meet and talk with candidates who may be representing The Sea Ranch when issues impor-tant to Sea Ranchers are decided in the future.Please attend the Forum and bring your questions.,Campaign websites provide further information on the backgrounds of the candidates and their positions on County issues.

Efren Carrillo: www.efrencarrillo.comRue Furch: www.ruefurchforsuper-visor.com/

everything from setbacks to sprin-klers and siding materials. Con-struction projects and sewer and septic systems fall under County regulations. The County decides who gets the franchise for local TV cable operations, issues contracts for local landfill and recycling ser-vices, and authorizes permits for microwave towers. The County makes funding decisions about the level of local fire protection, funds the Sheriff’s deputy for lo-cal law enforcement, and provides the Sheriff’s helicopter (Henry 1) for medical emergency evacuation. Continuance of the Sheriff’s emer-gency helicopter service was threat-ened this year and is always under scrutiny due to its cost..

The County also makes land use de-cisions which range anywhere from the use of the Knipp-Stengel Barn as a meeting place to major deci-sions on gravel mining permits and vineyard conversions, which could impact the volume and quality of water from the Gualala River, The Sea Ranch’s source of water.

The most notable issue right now between the County and The Sea Ranch is what to do about the pub-lic portion of the Bluff Trail, where the steady erosion of the bluff face has reduced or even removed the public easement in several places. There are also upcoming decisions involving water treatment and stor-age, proposals for additional coor-dination of County services with Mendocino County, and concerns about maintenance of county roads such as Annapolis and Skaggs Springs. A local county mainte-nance yard in Annapolis has been considered for relocation to Healds-burg.

Many County programs offered to residents in urban areas, such as library service, senior support pro-grams and animal services, to name a few, cannot be provided economi-cally to residents in remote areas on the coast. A dialogue with the County about how we might narrow these disparities in service has been

Candidate Efrem Carillo Candidate Rue Furch

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FALL EVENTS FEATURE SEA RANCH ARCHITECTUREThis fall, the Vision Interpretive Program (VIP) Committee is hosting three events which will focus on design, past, present and future, at The Sea Ranch.

On Saturday, October 18th, the fifth annual Architects and De-signers meeting with the Design Committee will be held from 1 pm to 2:30 pm at the Knipp-Stengel Barn to provide an op-portunity for design professionals and members of the Design Committee to exchange ideas and discuss current concerns about design submissions and the design process.

On Sunday, October 19th, producer Zara Muren will present her documentary, Dream of Sea Ranch, an engaging look at the creation of the innovative concepts of the Sea Ranch design which have been emulated worldwide.

The Sea Ranch Forum on Saturday, November 8, will feature the premiere showing of “A Virtual Tour of The Sea Ranch” a VIP Committee production which takes the viewer on a tour of homes that reflect the original Sea Ranch design concepts and principles which serve as guidelines for current design. Sea Ranch members, architects, designers and real estate profes-sionals are invited to attend the Forum.

By Martha “Dibby “ Tyler

At the Sea Ranch Forum on Satur-day, November 8, 2008, the Vision Interpretive Program Committee will premiere its newly released DVD: The Sea Ranch: A Virtual Tour. Long awaited by committee members, the slide show features houses exemplifying the most basic Sea Ranch design concept: fitting into the landscape and neighbor-hood.

The project started years ago as an attempt by the committee to cre-ate a docent tour of The Sea Ranch featuring house designs appropriate to this special community. The aim was to reach people with a clear message about The Sea Ranch de-sign philosophy before they became committed to buying property here.

Former TSRA Board chair and VIP committee member Ann Harriman drafted a script and the committee began to work out the logistics of selecting and training docents, ad-

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vertising and scheduling tours, and maintaining a consistent message. The tasks appeared daunting. When Community Manager John Fox ar-rived three years ago, he suggested the committee consider shifting to video instead of offering actual tours. Thus, the “virtual tour” was born.

Sea Rancher Thayer Walker, an award-winning producer of docu-mentary videos, agreed to help the committee and suggested that a dig-itized slide show would be a good way to go. The Committee agreed to write the script and collect the photos and Thayer volunteered to put it all together.

The committee started with Ann’s script and VIP members Dibby Ty-ler, Laurie Mueller, Nancy Carter, Dave Bess, John Raymond, Martha Wohlken, and Scott Smith modified it for the new format. Former direc-tor of Design Review, Dick Whita-ker, and current Executive Director of Design, Compliance and Envi-

ronmental Management, Lisa Scott, both reviewed and commented on the script, as did members of the De-sign Committee.

Dave Bess rounded up relevant pho-tos from the Sea Ranch Archives and Jane Raymond, an artist with a degree in architecture and a flair for photography, took hundreds of new photographs of houses throughout The Sea Ranch. Dick Whitaker, Dibby Tyler, Duane Gordon, Scott Simpson, and Scott Chieffo also contributed digital photos.

Thayer Walker did the narration, selected the background music and artfully assembled the photos into a 30-minute video showing Sea Ranches houses in all the many en-vironments: meadows, blufftops, hillsides, ridges, and forests.

The “tour” starts with the prototype buildings at the south end—Condo One and the hedgerow houses—and generally proceeds north, ending

with houses on the golf course. Issues of house size, landscaping, and building materials are dis-cussed along the way. Through-out the show, the theme is houses that fit well into their landscape and neighborhoods. The empha-sis is more on groups of houses that complement each other and their surroundings than on the in-dividual architectural gem.

The houses depicted in the show are not all architectural award winners. Many are simply pleas-ant and unobtrusive—not small virtues. No community is com-posed entirely of architecturally distinguished houses. As Design Committee member, Dick Whita-ker often notes, The Sea Ranch is not the place for the “grand archi-tectural statement.”

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Condo 1, award-winning Sea Ranch architecture photo by Jane Raymond

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Last March Sea Ranch Community Manager John Fox was invited to attend a special showing in San Francisco of the newly digitized version of Dream Of The Sea Ranch which was attended by some of the architects involved in the development of early Sea Ranch design concepts.

The Vision Interpretive Program (“VIP”) Committee realized that many Sea Ranchers would be interested in this documentary about the origins of The Sea Ranch and has invited Zara Muren to present Dream Of The Sea Ranch to the Sea Ranch community. The documentary was funded by the National Endowment of the Arts and portrays the origins of The Sea Ranch and its then radical principles: nature predominating; emphasis on aesthetics; diversity; modest house size; simplicity. Her documentary describes the vision, the dream, the concept of The Sea Ranch—which one book called “utopian”. The documentary features some of our early architects and founders who created and implemented that vision. The Sea Ranch grew out of the vision of a unique community that would understand, respect and work to protect this remarkable natural environment. “It was a grand experiment that attracted worldwide attention.” Come and see how this vision was documented. This showing is part one of a two-part VIP Committee presentation. Part Two will present the premiere of the recently completed Sea Ranch Virtual Tour at the Sea Ranch Forum on November 8, 2008 from 3-5P.M. at the Del Mar Center.

ATTENTION (not-so-new)

SEA RANCH MEMBERSNew Members Coffee

Save this date: Saturday, October 4, 2008Why?

If you are a not-so-new member, and you missed last yearʼs New Membersʼ coffee meeting, plan on attending this yearʼs meeting sponsored by the Sea Ranch Association and the Com-munication Committee.You may learn some things about the Sea Ranch that you didnʼt know before, plus you may meet some new neighbors. Share some TSRA coffee and Two Fish baked goods.This will be your opportunity to hear about many of the services, activities and community resources available to you as well as an overview of the various Association committees and adminis-trative staff services.We invite you to engage in a lively Question and Answer session with Board members, our Community Manager John Fox and our Association staff members.

Del Mar Meeting Hall Registration at 9:30 a.m. - Meeting at 10:00 a.m.

Please call the Front Desk by Tuesday, Sept. 30 to let us know if you would like to attend. 707-785-2444

show does not generally reveal owners, architects or street ad-dresses, but you can readily find the houses if you pay attention as you walk and drive around The Sea Ranch.

With generous help from Walt and Nancy Custer, the show is available on DVD at The Sea Ranch Office. The VIP Committee hopes the slide show will be incorporated into the new Sea Ranch website. The DVD will be distributed to all the local rental agencies for placement in rental houses and offered to real estate firms to give to clients inter-

ested in the Sea Ranch. All members are custodians of The Sea Ranch design heritage. Sea Ranchers build new houses; re-model old ones and plant trees and shrubs. Owners repair, re-side and re-roof. The character of the com-munity depends on how sensitively all these things are done. Under-standing The Sea Ranch design legacy is an essential first step in protecting that legacy. Please plan to attend the Forum on November 8th at the Del Mar Center from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

VIRTUAL TOUR FROM PAGE 4

SAVE THE DATE Sunday, October Nineteen, 2008

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THE SEA RANCH ASSOCIA-TION ANNUAL MEETING MAY 24, 2008

Mr. Reverdy Johnson, the attorney who participated in the original Sea Ranch development planning group, received a Special Recognition Award at the 2008 Annual Meeting from The Sea Ranch Association in recognition of his work in crafting the Association’s Covenant, Conditions And Restrictions. The Award commended him for “translating the vision of the founders into a legal document that has stood the test of time”. A transcript of his remarks follows:

Thank you, Mr. Jordan. This award, this recognition, has very special meaning to me, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness of the Association in extending it to me.

The Sea Ranch Restrictions were recorded on May 10, 1965, so two weeks ago today they had their 43rd birthday.

To put that age in perspective, in 1965 San Francisco law firms had just eliminated the standard Saturday office hours of 8 am to noon. There were few women lawyers in downtown law firms. Lawyers were expected to keep their suit jackets on at all times. Women wore hats and gloves. The IBM Selectric typewriter was state of the art office equipment. Carbon paper and mimeograph machines had not yet been replaced. And the starting salary for lawyers was $600 per month.

The Sea Ranch Restrictions, as The Sea Ranch itself, represented a new direction in land development. As one who was involved in their drafting, I can say that we were aware that we were in somewhat uncharted waters, but our goal was to be responsive to the needs of the project and its developer rather than to create what became something

of a template for planned unit developments in the next several decades.The Sea Ranch was initiated at a time of cooperative planning between the public and private sectors, a time, sadly, that is long passed. I question whether The Sea Ranch could have come into being ten to fifteen years later in the mid- to late-70’s, when social issues started to dominate planning curricula in the professional schools, resource preservation was expressed in terms of the social goals achieved by it, and the interface between public and private sectors became adversarial. In retrospect, The Sea Ranch was not only conceived in idealism, but also it was executed in the halcyon days when private developers were not suspect.

Oceanic Properties, Inc. was the client of Whit Budge at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison in San Francisco. I had joined the Brobeck office directly from law school. My first assignments were in real estate, and I was smitten. There was no question but that real estate law was for me, perhaps because being a dirt lawyer, one could be close to the land, dealing with a tangible subject matter and addressing practical problems. Oceanic had contracted with the Ohlson brothers for the purchase of what was then Del Mar Ranch in 1962 or early 1963, and planning for its use and development was just starting. In late 1963, Whit asked me to work with him on the project. I was happy to do so, although until I drove up the coast to walk the land the following weekend, I had no inkling of the magnitude of the assignment or the likely creative experience it would entail.

That weekend was when I met Bill Turnbull and there commenced a friendship and bond that lasted until Bill’s death eleven years ago. I parked off the right-of-way, climbed over a red ranch gate, and hiked down to the bluff across land that two years later would

become the Lodge, and confronted another young man sitting on a rock outcropping. Already feeling a strong sense of proprietorship, I inquired as to the justification for his presence. He countered in a similar manner, for he was going to design a condominium for that site. The rest is history.

Al Boeke had put together a planning group of Larry Halprin, Charles Moore, Bill Turnbull, Don Lyndon and Joe Esherick, with an expansion in numbers from their respective firms as the occasion required, along with Walter Brelje from Santa Rosa for input on civil engineering concerns and local political perspective. At Al’s request, Whit and I joined the group, not just as observers, but as active participants, for it was our role to assess how to translate planning concepts into reality from the standpoint of land use regulation, whether public under zoning and subdivision ordinances, or private by way of restrictive covenants. Whit had other commitments on his time, and I soon became the sole lawyer in the group.

By today’s standards, the gestation period of the project was exceedingly short. The purchase of Del Mar Ranch was closed in February 1964. The first lot in The Sea Ranch was sold in August 1965. That 18 months, however, was one of intense activity for all involved.

As I look back on what The Sea Ranch has become 43 years later, that creative effort has indeed stood the test of time. I am honored to have been part of it.

But a constitution, whether public or private, is only as successful as its stewards make it. You and your predecessor owners have made it work, and on behalf of all of those involved at the start, I want to express our thanks for your bringing our dream to fruition.

REVERDY JOHNSON HONORED AT ANNUAL MEETING, RECALLS DEVELOPMENT OF CC&RʼS

present

Sylviaby A.R. Gurney

Diane Boeke, DirectorCarol Emory and John

Wingate, Producers

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September 19, 20, 21 and 26,27, 28

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Bring a picnic to enjoyafter the performance except on the 28th.

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By Jackie Gardener, Fire Safety Task Force Chair

On Saturday, July 12th, nearly 140 people fi lled Del Mar Hall to listen intently to a host of speakers on the timely subject of fi re safety efforts at Sea Ranch. The three-hour event was organized by the Fire Safety Task Force and supported by the Fire Safe Council. DVDs are avail-able through local volunteer Walt Custer at 785-9158, including the entire Q&A period at the end, and an informative 19 minute movie entitled Wildfi re: Preventing Home Ignitions.

At the end of the event, I asked the audience if we were doing too much, too little, or were on the right track, and I was heartened to see the vast majority of hands shoot up in support of our direction. Our Fuel Management Program is working well, and we have augmented the program this year with specifi c high priority projects that are focused and effective. But there is a gap between what we are doing, and what might still need to be done, and our group has struggled to fi gure out how to precisely identify the most impor-tant tasks to continue to reduce our risk.

We are excited by the prospect of using fi re behavior modeling to build our understanding of what a fi re might do, what would cause it to crown or jump the highway and reach a dimension that would be diffi cult to contain or control. I think that is everyone’s worst case scenario, and what keeps some of us awake at night after watching the evening news. And we believe that the modeling software programs of Behave Plus, FarSite and FlamMap outlined in our workshop are key to our future.

Their use, in combination with cus-tomized GIS maps of TSR showing accurate vegetation layers, slope, FMP and grazing efforts, streets, structures and variable weather conditions, will allow us to see what would happen under varying circumstances in different parts of the Ranch if a fi re were to start. This will give us the unbiased, unemo-

tional, impersonal scientifi c data to direct our future efforts. And there must be future efforts. Our goal is to move into a predictive mode from a reactive one, so we can anticipate where the problems might be, and modify our work plans to tackle those areas fi rst, and with continu-ing focus.

I hope one of the messages attend-ees took home from the workshop is that fi re safety efforts will be ongoing and continue to be a ma-jor investment by our Association. The Fire Safety Task Force will be wrapping up its efforts over the next few months, and will make fi nal budget and action recommendations to the Board in October, but there

is a need for review and analysis to continue. The Fire Safe Council will review the details of the highest priority projects already identifi ed in their Project Matrix, which was published in your June Bulletin.

But we must keep fi re safety in our focus both at the Association level, and on a personal level. It was said a number of times in different ways at the workshop that nothing is more important to our efforts than those you make as homeowners in keep-ing your defensible space mowed and free of ladder fuels. When the workshop ended and in the quiet of my home, I thought about all that was said, and wondered how much people really heard and absorbed.

TASK FORCE PRESENTS FIRE SAFETY PRIORITIES Fire has been in my mind for over a year now, and I worry whether we made enough of an impression on folks to continue the work of stay-ing as fi resafe as possible.

Did we put enough emphasis on not just meeting the letter of PRC4291 Defensible Space law, but asking the tough questions of our local fi re personnel when they inspect your property like “will you stand and defend my home?”

For those whose driveways are lined with highly combustible plants like Coyote Bush for privacy, did they understand that a fi re crew will be unwilling to take their en-gine where it will be in danger from that shrubbery?

For those who want to see many trees cut down, did they hear that the shrubs and brush that grow in their place are more dangerous than trees that are limbed up and free of ladder fuels below them?

Did Ranchers understand the fi re safety concepts we outlined that in-form and direct our strategies in fuel reduction and life safety? Did they see that each of us has a responsibil-ity to be prepared and educated and have our own evacuation and disas-ter plans in place?

The Fire Safety Task Force will cease to exist soon, but hopefully we can get the modeling in place on a level of detail that will illuminate what remains to be done, and direct our future efforts. And I hope that each of you will stay alert, educate yourselves and think through your efforts at fi re safety around your own homes. Don’t assume that a tree is always dangerous, and don’t overlook the debris and litter in the midst of tall grasses near your deck. Limb up and mow regularly. And if you didn’t have a chance to attend the workshop, get the DVD from Walt and watch it. Talk about what you can do to make yourself more fi re safe with your spouse and your neighbors, and still keep our natural beauty intact as much as possible. I will sleep better at night if you do.Sea Ranch crews clear out brush and undergrowth and limb up trees along roads as part of their

annual Fuel Management Program schedule. shown here are BEFORE (above) and AFTER (below) photos of work done on Deerfield Road.

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PAGE 9

Sea Ranch & Coastal Property

Jack Vore, Eve Larson, Michelle Berardinelli, Eric Landeck, Toni Wilson, Kris Rose

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SEA RANCHERS CELEBRATE THE 4THOver the years, Sea Ranchers have established several traditions for celebrating the Fourth of July that have faith-fully been continued each year as new residents join with old-timers to commemorate American independence. So mark the date for next year and plan to join your friends and neighbors for a celebration near you.

Sunning at Shell Beach

Later in the afternoon, the festivities move from the redwoods to the seashore as Sea Ranchers gather at Shell Beach to celebrate the Fourth with plenty of food and beverages to share, a splash in the surf, and an-other stirring rendition of the Declaration of Indepen-dence.

Hot Times at the Hot Spot

The celebration of the Fourth of July at the Hot Spot is one of the oldest Sea Ranch Independence Day traditions. Sea Ranchers gather together around noon for rousing music, a red,white and blue potluck feast and a stirring reading of the Declaration of Independence. In years past, the Hot Spot cel-ebration has featured a huge American Flag stretched between two redwood trees. That flag has now been retired, but organizers promise that a new, even larger Old Glory will be on display at next year’s celebration.

Sea Ranchers gather under redwoods to celebrate Fourth at the Hot Spot

Don Kreiger at the keyboard.

Nancy Fox offers a summer bounty of cherries.

Young Sea Ranch guest celebrates the

Fourth with a run through the surf.


BRODIE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

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Sea Ranchers enjoy sun and hear Marty Covington read the Declaration of Independence.

And now for something completely different…..Eighth Annual Wildmoor Reach ParadeBy Collette Coad

Each 4th of July, Wildmoorians, friends and neighbors gather in the early afternoon at the east end of Wildmoor Reach (otherwise known as “upper Wildmoor”) in Unit 24 for a parade. The parade route takes the group west to the end of the street (“lower Wildmoor”) and then proceeds east to the starting point. There is always a Parade Queen and a Grand Marshal who ride in a convertible complete with bunting and John Philip Sousa marches playing on the sound system. This year the honors went to Norm Coad

and John Moelter respectively. Norm was tastefully attired in his gold lame cape, rhinestone tiara and Mardi Gras beads. John wore his Cat-in-the-Hat 4th of July chapeau and played his recorder along with the marching music.

There are many more parade par-ticipants than there are parade watchers. Tarran McDaid usually comprises the reviewing committee while she sits in a well-decorated lawn chair in her driveway. This year other duties took her away so we had to rely on several renters who came out to see who was mak-ing all the noise on an otherwise calm afternoon. All are welcome to march in the parade and generally the people

outnumber the dogs. Many of the marchers wave flags and wear pa-triotic colors. Many dogs are deco-rated in red, white and blue, but none have been observed waving flags.

This longstanding tradition was the brainchild of Joyce George who is responsible for getting the con-vertible and the flag bearer as well

as talking someone into being the queen and grand marshal each year. Please join us as a marcher or a watcher next year on the 4th.

Thanks to Mel Gerst, Col-lete Coad, and Craig Tooley for providing information and photos about Sea Ranch Fourth of July celebrations.

Norm Coad as Parade Queen.

Flag Bearer leads Wildmoor Fourth of July Parade


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Gualala Arts Center 46501 Gualala Road in Gualala

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Friday & Saturday November 28 ~ 29

10:00 a.m. ~ 5:00 p.m.

707-884-1138 fax 884-3038 [email protected] www.GualalaArts.org

9am to 4pm weekdays 12 to 4pm weekends

WhenArtIs your Inspiration Gualala Arts Exhibits

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By O’Brien Young

Thai Issan, 208 Petaluma Blvd. N., parking in the rear, open daily (din-ner only Sun.)Banyan Tree, 20 E. Washington St., in the Golden Eagle Shopping Cen-ter, open daily (dinner only Sun.)Thai Ginger Bistro, 139 Petaluma Blvd. N., street parking, closed Sun.Sea Modern Thai Cuisine, 500 Petaluma Blvd. S., street parking, closed Mon.

A friend of ours once said, “I would never want to live in a town without competing Thai restaurants.” For-tunately for Petalumians, there are six. Four are right downtown, and in the course of trying them, I fell in love with the old part of the town, too. (But more about that later.)

It would be impossible to sample every dish on a typical Thai menu, especially when one’s long-suffer-ing dining companion is not much of a Thai-food aficionado (Why couldn’t I be reviewing steakhous-es? he moaned). When possible, I ordered the Petaluma versions of dishes that we are familiar with from our excellent neighborhood Thai restaurant in San Francisco, Little Thai (at Polk and Broadway). Accordingly, when they were on the menu, we ordered “Thom Kah Gai” (a chicken soup of coconut milk with sliced mushrooms, onions, and tomato, and lemon juice, galangal, and lemon grass); “Larb Gai” (a salad of lettuce topped with ground chicken, mint leaves, cilantro, pur-ple onion, and ground, toasted rice, with a fiery chili/lime dressing); and green curry chicken (chunks of chicken in a rich curry/coconut

sauce, usually with zucchini, green pepper, basil, and bamboo shoots) atop rice.

My rule of thumb with Thai restau-rants has always been, Is the food too sweet? The natural sweetness of dishes containing coconut is to be expected and relished, but I find some Thai food to be overly sugared and cloying. Since we are never in Petaluma at night and therefore could not order any din-ners, what follows concerns lunches only. The first stop was Thai Issan, un-prepossessing from the outside but with an impressive full bar at the entrance and two attractive dining rooms, one of which features Japa-nese-style low tables and floor seat-ing. The table settings were quite elegant, with white tablecloths and folded napkins blossoming from the wine glasses. (In a rather star-tling contrast, our excellent waiter, the only non-Thai server we had in Petaluma, sported a profusion of tattoos up and down both arms.)

The dinner menu offers an almost overwhelming array of dishes, 86 in all — “Finger Foods” (is that Thai?), “Salad,” “Soup,” “Under the Sea,” “Curries,” “To Sauté,” and “Noodles,” ranging in price from $7 to $16 (for the jumbo prawns and soft-shelled crab). The lunch menu presents a more restrained 35 items, divided between “Salads” and “Rice Plates,” reasonably priced from $6 to $8. We started with the “Fresh Rolls” (noodles, bean sprouts, cilan-tro, cabbage, carrot, and mint leaves wrapped in rice paper), which came with a too-sweet dipping sauce. The

serving was so generous and the rolls so thick that we decided to split our second course, “Yum Woonsen,” a mixture of glass noodles, chicken, prawns, onion, carrot, black mush-room, and cilantro, on a bed of lettuce with (too sweet) dressing. Overall, both dishes tasted rather bland, but the dinner menu looked more adventuresome. Grade: B

The Banyan Tree restaurant is lo-cated in a shopping center on East Washington that can also be ac-cessed from the Great Petaluma Mill by a footbridge over the Petaluma River. The sign outside the restau-rant reads “Thai and California Cui-sine,” which would be confusing to anyone expecting a dual menu. The nice mom-and-pop owners (waitress

and chef, respectively) explained that “California” means everything is fresh. The long, narrow dining room is en-hanced with flowing, floor-to-ceiling panels of sheer white fabric. There’s a charming little fountain at the en-trance, and a row of ceiling lights with lovely round shades brightens the room. The dinner menu was more elaborate than our lunchtime bill-of-fare. We ordered the green curry chicken, which turned out to be a different version, with bean sprouts rather than zucchini, all premixed with the rice. While there was not enough of a curry taste, it was not too sweet! The fried rice with chicken, egg, and onion was

restaurant review THAI RESTAURANTS OF PETALUMA

Sea Modern Thai Cuisine on Petaluma Blvd. photo by O'Brien Young

page 11


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nothing special, but the larb gai was absolutely as good as any I’ve had; I would recommend it without reser-vation. Entrees were priced at about $9, and portions are large. Wine is available by the glass from $6 to $8, or by the bottle in the $25 to $35 range. The friendly proprietors have owned the restaurant for a year and a half, and I’d like to see them suc-ceed. Grade: B

I almost didn’t discover the Thai Ginger Bistro because it is situated on tiny Putnam Plaza, a mid-block pocket park between Petaluma Boulevard and American Alley, just southwest of Washington Street. This restaurant wins hands-down for charm, inside and out. Its six outdoor tables, bordered by flow-erboxes and shaded by umbrellas, look out on the mini-park and its lively foot-traffic. The interior, with only nine tables, resembles the in-side of a jewel-box with its deep-red walls and floor, black ceiling, and beautifully framed floral prints. The weather should probably determine your choice of seating area: On a recent summer day, the outside tem-perature was 86 degrees while the interior was comfortably air-condi-tioned. Beer and wine are available inside only, pending a license to serve liquor outside.

Thai Ginger Bistro offers “con-cept” dishes rather than traditional Thai selections — “Eggplant De-light,” for example, or “Great Wall Noodle” (both $8.95). While nicely presented on a handsome, square platter with a fan of apple slices and a scatter of raisins and ground peanuts, the latter proved to be a rather tame combination of a choice of beef, chicken, pork, or tofu, with

strips of colorful vegetables on a bed of noodles with a somewhat sweetish sauce. The “Eggplant Delight” was a much more inter-esting combination of delicious, crisp, deep-fried cutouts of tofu and sautéed eggplant in a black-bean, garlic, and basil sauce. At a nearby table, a young woman was sipping a glamorous-looking drink from an open coconut shell, and she loved her “Thai Bistro Rolls” — deep-fried, crispy rolls stuffed with shrimp and crab, with a plum sauce.

A review posted in the window raved about the “Beef Salad,” but it was not on the menu. The wait-ress assured me that I could order it anyway, and larb gai too, which also wasn’t listed. On a second visit, we requested both of these dishes, and while we were charmed by the restaurant’s cheerful willingness to accommodate our special order, the larb gai had no rice powder, no onion, and no chili-lime zing, and the beef salad, while featuring good beef, came with only carrots and the same bland sweetish dressing as the larb gai — and was also served on too much ice-box lettuce. But you won’t find a prettier restaurant! Grade: B

Sea Modern Thai Cuisine is far and away the most ambitious of these four restaurants, featuring the impressive presentations and higher prices of a big-city establishment. A recent lunchtime special was “Flat iron grilled mushroom with bay scallops, white prawns, but-ter, garlic, and ponzu sauce,” for $22. (The wine-by-the-glass prices are big-city, too: $7 to $10). The restaurant is also very popular and can be crowded and noisy during the lunch hour, with loud, cocktail-lounge-type music and the sound

of banging dishes coming from the open kitchen. The room is beauti-fully painted in red, orange, and yellow. Upscale American decorator touches mingle with a large Buddha head and other Thai adornments. Flames pouf up periodically from the stoves where two chefs and two prep-cooks create very imaginative, if nontraditional, Thai dishes. The owners are clearly interested in taking Thai food in a new direction — Asian fusion, perhaps. The menu lists 14 appetizers, four soups, seven salads (two with seafood, one with filet mignon), seven meat or tofu entrees, seven noodle dishes, five seafood entrees, four vegetable dishes in various sauces, and two versions of fried rice, one with chicken one with king crab. On our first visit, we perched on tall stools at a high table in the front window and ordered the “Martini Crispy Prawns” ($8). A twisted-stemmed martini glass arrived containing four large prawns wrapped in crispy rice paper, deep-fried and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts; the bite of chili in the sauce cut its sweetness. Pan-seared scallops ($11), sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and ar-ranged on a bed of rice with a col-orful medley of sliced vegetables, were presented in a shallow bowl whose rim was gorgeously drizzled with a design made from three dif-ferent-colored sauces. Another day, the “Holy Basil” ($9) with beef and the filet mignon salad ($12) featured good meat, sensationally plated. You should go to this restaurant if only just to enjoy the eye-boggling presentations! Grade: B+

Now, about Petaluma’s historical downtown district. This year the town is celebrating its sesquicen-tennial (1858 – 2008). Long before

the National Egg Day celebrations and chicken rodeos of the 1920s, the original iron-front business buildings and Victorian homes es-tablished the charm of this old town on the navigable Petaluma River. Thirty-five years ago, its quintes-sential hometown look made it the setting for George Lucas’s film classic “American Graffiti.” Today, a “Historic Buildings Walk” and a “Victorian Homes Walk” are fea-tured on the Chamber of Commerce map (I picked mine up in a realty office). I wanted to live in every one of the lovely Victorian homes with their incredible rose bushes and flower gardens, and beautiful old St. Vincent’s Catholic Church has fine stained-glass windows to admire. The two walks, which can be combined, take you through a roughly ten-square-block area, after which, if you find yourselves hun-gry, one of Petaluma’s downtown Thai restaurants is close at hand.

THAI RESTAURANTS FROM PAGE 10

CORRECTION

Apologies to Rob Elder for neglecting to mention his being awarded The Sea Ranch Community Service Award in SOUNDINGS Summer Issue report of the Annual Meeting on May 24, 2008

Rob was recognized "for your creation and execution of the 'Sea Ranch Conversations' column in the Bulletin which has broadened members' understanding of the community and its internal workings, and its relationship to adjacent communities."


DANA ADAMS BLAKEState of California CertifiedResidential Real Estate AppraiserLicense #AR013837Over 15 years experiencein The Sea Ranch

ADAMS APPRAISALSPhone & Fax (707) 824-1039

Cell (707) [email protected]

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LIVINGWELL PROGRAM SUPPORTS FITNESS FOR SENIORSDenny Gold answers questions about her role as Fitness Consul-tant in the RCMS LivingWell Pro-gram for promoting senior health and well-being.

How did you become involved in the RCMS LivingWell Program?

When Kathy Greco and Diane Agee were in the process of apply-ing for the LivingWell grant they approached me with the idea of becoming the fitness consultant for RCMS. I was intrigued by the of-fer because I wanted to be in on the ground floor of a program I knew would enhance the well-being of older adults on our coast. I cared for my Dad during the last year of his life and it is only through the support of RCMS, Hospice and the incredibly wonderful people who live in our community that I was able to work while giving my Dad the quality of life he deserved.

Can you give us a description of the LivingWell Program?

The LivingWell Program is de-scribed as a medical model using a continuum of care by offering a team approach to individuals sixty years and older. It encompasses the healthiest of that age group to the frail as well as those in need of Hospice care. It has been my expe-rience that this approach works ex-tremely well in a remote area such as ours. This was a perfect match for me as you will see.

Tell us about your background and how it relates to working with older adults.

In 1983 I began designing, direct-ing and teaching fitness programs for a health club in Modesto, Cali-fornia. During the years I worked there I found my passion was help-ing older adults overcome the pop-ular belief that after the age of sixty they were destined to be couch potatoes. I knew that more seniors would participate in physical activ-ity but could not necessarily afford a gym membership. Along with a few friends (among them Fred Stange, whom many of you know),

and the support of a grant from the Stanislaus County Area Agency on Aging, we formed a non-profit organization which would provide free fitness programs to older adults in Stanislaus County. Healthy Aging Association received its non-profit status in 1999 and I am proud to report it continues to be very suc-cessful. The fitness programs that fall under the Healthy Aging um-brella are called “Young At Heart”. The first programs I designed were strength training and low impact aerobics. It was expanded later to include Tai-Chi, Qi Gong, medica-tion management, and fall preven-tion education. Also created was a cable television show that Fred and I taught so we could reach the homebound. Re-runs continue to play there as well as in Mendocino and Humboldt counties.

Was it a difficult move from Modesto to Sea Ranch?

Initially upon moving to Sea Ranch, I returned to Modesto twice a week to continue my work with Healthy Aging. During those months I was introduced to Kenny Jowers who had just purchased the gym in Cy-press Village. Kenny encouraged me to bring my skills to the gym and spend less time commuting to Modesto. Physical Gym is celebrat-ing its fifth year this month! We are so fortunate to have such a well-

equipped gym on the coast. This community has been extremely kind to me. While I had a lot of ex-perience working with older adults in Modesto, I had to build the same trust here in this area where I basi-cally only knew one or two people. With Kenny’s faith in me and the community’s willingness to become acquainted with me, my dream to make Sea Ranch my permanent home came true. I continue to work at the gym as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor. I’m espe-cially excited about the new func-tional balance training class Fred and I will co-teach beginning Sept. 4th at 9AM.

Tell us more about your involve-ment with RCMS.

In 2004, I was asked by the RCMS Auxiliary to speak at their monthly meeting about the importance of physical activity, especially for the aging population. It was there that I had the good fortune to meet Pat Romeiro who jumped at the chance to become a certified Young At Heart instructor. Many of you already know that Pat teaches the Young At Heart strength train-ing class at the Del Mar Center on Mondays and Thursdays at 11AM.

When RCMS received the Livin-gWell grant I accepted the posi-tion as their fitness consultant.

The RCMS provider determines if a fitness evaluation is appropriate for their patient. I see them during a follow-up visit at RCMS in Point Arena on Mondays or in Gualala on Wednesdays. The patient receives a balance assessment and a fitness test and, based on the results, we create a realistic plan of physical activity to help them meet their fitness goals. Follow-up assessments are done in sixteen weeks to chart their suc-cess. Often I refer patients to Caren Cramer, the nutritionist for the Liv-ingWell program to make sure they know how to make healthy food choices.

What kind of classes are available through the LivingWell Program?

In addition to Pat’s class we have been able to offer more group classes, including a Young At Heart aerobics class at Sea Ranch (taught in three levels), a Young At Heart strength training class at Equinox Residential Care Facility in Gualala and at the Stella Circle Hall in Point Arena.

How can we obtain more informa-tion on classes and fitness/balance assessments?

For classes you can call either Pat Romeiro at 785-2866 or Denny Gold at 785-2208 during the day and leave a message. We will return your call as soon as we are able. There is no fee for these classes, however donations to RCMS are encouraged.

Any RCMS provider can refer you for a fitness/balance assessment as well as a nutrition consultation. I’m impressed with the LivingWell Medical Director, Dr. Mana Hob-son. I’ve had great feedback on her comprehensive health assessments which she does in Point Arena and Gualala.

My commitment is to help older adults live independently in their homes as long as possible. Don’t wait for the New Year to make your health a priority. Take advantage of the many resources available to you TODAY!

Sea Ranchers participate in a "Young at Heart" exercise class. photo by Rob Diefenbach


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ROOKERY DOCENTS WATCH OVER SEA RANCH HARBOR SEALSExcerpted from the 2008 Annual Rookery Report written by Sandy Bush, Seal Docent Coordinator

The harbor seal docent program has completed its thirteenth year! This year ninety-three docents staffed 86 shifts (172 hours) at Green Cove and 124 shifts (248 hours) at the Tidepool Rookery. Six folks joined us for their first year as docents.

Seal watch started March 29th at Tidepool Rookery, and when the first pup appeared on April 5th., Fa-cilities and Resources staff (F and R) installed the stair closure signs. The first duty at Green Cove was scheduled on April 1, opening day for abalone diving.

By early May, Green Cove had 14 pups and Tidepool 65 before seal moms started moving off to other haul-outs. Last year our dead pup counts were well within the 10% expected fall-out, and this year, with 4 known dead pups in the rookery, we are well ahead of the statistical norm. The last pup was born mid-May and most others were weaned when the access to tidepools and beach were re-opened on May 29th.

Our wonderful band of docents de-serves a huge “thank you!” They monitor, report, educate and gener-ally care about the wild nature that is harbor seal pupping season along our coast. Sleepless nights worry-ing about pups that sometimes die within the rookery is part of the price these docents pay for the time they spend monitoring them. Nature and its natural selection process can often be cruel.

The frequent minus tides this spring added extra shifts to our Green Cove schedules. Rain cancelled only 9 shifts between the two sites this year, but wind also cancelled a few. Security staff visited sites when time and workload permitted and docents are always grateful for their support. They were kind enough to do extra vigilance on days when docent shifts were canceled due to weather.

The sign placed in Unit 18 at Green Cove continues to alert out-of-area divers to respect the Sea Ranch Preserve boundaries when diving. Serious safety concerns in relation to the fencing at Green Cove were remedied before the pups arrived. The fences were moved back from the crumbling bluff edge overlook-ing Green Cove Rookery.

Signage at Shell Beach on the ap-proach to the “boat ramp” warning folks away from nursing moms and pups unfortunately is often ignored. This year there were fewer issues there as fewer seal pairs used that beach. Dogs off leash continue to be a problem. Some photographers also cause concern. Most have backed off from the edges of the bluff and fencing when asked. However, a few have ignored our requests and set a bad example for children and other visitors. One day, before the first docent shift, I spotted a mom and six young girls collecting shells on the closed pocket beach. “We were told it was okay if there were no seals on the beach” she said when asked to come up from the beach. I explained that seals wouldn’t come to the beach to nurse with people there. As I spoke with the girls, three seals made their way into the shallows. I hope it was a lesson learned, and had I been quicker on my feet, I’d have found out who told them it was okay.

Electronic communication during the two-month program keep do-cents informed, however anecdotes shared at the post-season meeting are always interesting. It was report-ed that a man stood on the bluff edge at Tidepool and sang opera arias to seals in the channel. He didn’t seem to be disturbing them, and told the docents that he had been singing to the seals for years and years.

A strange incident involved Security officers, Rookery One Stand-in Rita Peck and docents on duty in the late afternoon of Memorial Day week-end. The docent’s distress call in-volved a visitor who was absolutely convinced that a seal on the beach was about to explode. After some discussion with all parties watching this quiet, fat seal on the beach, the seal woke up, looked up at the group studying it from atop the bluff, rolled over, hunched off into the water, and swam away. Occasionally we get what we call a “super-weaner.” These are lazy pups that would rath-er drink milk than be active foraging and playing with other seal pups. They appear ready to blow up and are so round they are unable to move well on the beach. The sad thing is that later, when all the weaned pups are foraging and doing well, these pups often do not have the skills they need and become skinny as summer progresses.

Late in the season, I get many calls regarding “dead” pups or seals float-

ing in various channels, both at Green Cove and Tidepool. Seals often hunt by floating belly up with their head hanging down to watch beneath them for things to eat. Typically they slosh back and forth with the tidal surges, expending little energy and then quickly dive to catch a meal.

We collected data again this year on seals and pups for Dr. Sarah Al-len, who works with the National Parks system in Point Reyes. Counts were taken at seven haul-outs along our Sea Ranch coast. Additional-ly, counts were taken of pinnipeds hauled-out on California Coastal National Monument rocks as part of the Stewardship agreement that The Sea Ranch Association signed with Bureau of Land Management. Dur-ing the second week in May, 312 seals, a mix of adults and pups, were counted. Counts vary widely depend-ing on diver activity and tidal con-ditions. Haul-outs disappear during high tides and animals move to the beaches where they can be counted. Rookery numbers drop significantly as weaning begins at 4 – 6 weeks of age and the animals spread out along our coast.

Despite major renovation at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), a behind-the-scenes tour as thank you for our new docents was arranged in mid-July. TMMC does such fine

Harbor seals and babies enjoy the protection of Sea Ranch Seal Docents. photo by Bonnie Plakos

Page 14


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We welcome letters to “Sounding Off’ on any matters germane to Sea Ranch. Please sign your name and observe a 300-word limit. All letters must be typewritten (or e-mailed to the editor). Soundings policy does not allow publication of unsigned letters, pseudonyms, or the withholding of writers’ names. Soundings will not publish any letter that is denigrating or libelous in nature and reserves the right to add an Editor’s Note to correct inaccurate statements. Soundings will not accept letters which have previously appeared in other publications. Letters should be submitted to “Sounding Off” P.O. Box 16, The Sea Ranch, CA 95497 prior to November 4, 2008.

SOUNDING OFF

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Quoting from other publications and documents can be mislead-ing if the quotation is without regard to the complete context. Often this leads to “Sound Bites” that promote a specific point of view when in effect the main body of the material has other wordings that provide a broader perspective.

One such quotation that is used in the Soundings and other Sea Ranch publications, references an extract from the Sea Ranch CC&Rs Declaration of Restric-tions, Covenants, and Condi-tions:

“It must be assumed that all own-ers of property within The Sea Ranch by virtue of their purchase of such property are motivated by the character of the natu-ral environment in which their property is located, and accept, for and among themselves, the principle that the development and use of The Sea Ranch must preserve that character for its present and future enjoyment by other owners.”

This is fine as far as it goes and is

a great reminder of Members’ responsibilities. But there is a continuation of this quote in the same paragraph of the CC&Rs that states:-

“It is also assumed that those who are entrusted with the ad-ministration of The Sea Ranch will discharge their trust in full recognition of that principle and, to the extent consistent there-with, will foster maximum indi-vidual flexibility and freedom of individual expression”.

This second half provides Mem-bers with guidelines as to what kind of response to expect from Association Staff, Board, and Design Committee.

Taken individually each half of this total quotation means differ-ent things but taken collectively provides a balanced approach to The Sea Ranch philosophy. I am therefore recommending that, in future, the full text of this state-ment be quoted in any Sea Ranch publications or documents.

Derek Bray

work for marine mammal concerns and already has world-class status as a teaching and rehabilitation facil-ity. Docent Ning Douglas provided a special luncheon after the tour and her support is always appreciated.

The Harbor Seal Rookery Program is successful because of the continu-ing help and time provided by our many volunteers. Special thanks go to Lita Gitt for distributing inserts to rental agencies explaining about closed beach access; Rita Peck and Bonnie Plakos again for yeoman duty being “Rookery One” in my absences; Mike Turner and CeCe Werson for hosting the new docent orientation class; Joan Jordan and Linda Clyne for facilitating the sign-up meeting; Molly Engelbrecht and Bonnie Plakos for helping with the coastal count. A special thanks also to Martin Pena and Bob McCor-mick who scanned the old (13 years) slideshow into digital format to run as a power point slide show. Despite reservations about coming up to the 21st Century, the show ran wonder-fully well on a laptop with the Asso-ciation’s electronic projector.

We continue to learn about these ani-mals the more we watch them. The educational efforts by docents are paying off, as well. We seem to be having fewer incidents of animal ha-rassment. Illegally picked up pups,

misjudged to be orphaned, seem to be mostly a thing of the past, though Fort Bragg did have one this year.

Visitor numbers were about average this season. Many visitors plan to be here for this special time of year and are very supportive of the program. The tolerance and understanding shown the program over the years by the Immels and McChesneys, in whose “front yard” our program un-folds, continues to impress us all. We look forward to docents who sat out this season rejoining us in the future. Already three members have expressed interest in joining us next year as new docents.

New Marine Protection Areas are being proposed for our coastal wa-ters, and the results of those chosen areas on pinnipeds will be interesting to watch. The harbor seals in our lo-cal marine environment seem to be healthy. Though sea lions that cruise along our coast continue to show signs of domoic acid poisoning, the numbers are not those seen in south-ern California waters. As ocean cur-rents and temperatures change, for-age patterns in marine populations, including seabirds, are being affect-ed. By observing indicator species and shifts in food chains, hopefully mankind can protect our ocean and its inhabitants.

SEAL DOCENTS FROM PAGE 13

Seal docents talk with visitors on bluff overlooking the Tidepool Rookery

got a comment?Send articles, questions and story ideas to:

[email protected]

phot

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Display advertising space is also available on a first come basis, limited to camera-ready ads in PDFs in seven sizes, starting with business card size ad 3 3/8" x 2". Costs begin at $33.00 for the business card size. If you are interested, please send for a space request sheet.

Advertising deadline November 4, 2008 for the WINTER issue targeted for mailing early December.

FALL 2008 THE SEA RANCH SOUNDINGS

Classifiedads

THE SEA RANCH SOUNDINGSA quarterly publication for TSRA members

Published inSpring, Summer, Fall and Winter

Editor Pro Tem: Laurie Mueller

Reporters/Contributors: Derek Bray, Sandy Bush, Nancy Carter, Colette Coad, Carol Emory, Jackie Gardener, Denny Gold, Kathi Gordon, Reverdy Johnson, Diane Hichwa, Laurie Mueller, Martha "Dibby" Tyler, Martha Wohlken, O'Brien Young

Photography: Colette Coad, Rob Diefenbach, Laurie Mueller, Mel Gerst, Kathi Gordon, Ron LeValley, Bonnie Plakos, John Prescott, Jane Raymond, Craig Tooley, O'Brien Young

Graphics/Layout: Duane and Kathi Gordon

Advertising: Sandy Sloan Address Correspondence to: The Sea Ranch SOUNDINGS Post Office Box 16 The Sea Ranch, CA 95497 or [email protected]

Telephone Calls to:Advertising: Sandy Sloan 785-2832Editorial: Claire McCarthy 884-3444

Contact by e-mail:Advertising: Sandy Sloan [email protected]: Claire McCarthy [email protected]

NEXT EDITORIAL DEADLINE:NOVEMBER 4. 2008

SOUNDINGS welcomes all submissions of articles by TSRA members. The articles should be 500 to 750 words or less, signed by the author, and submitted electronically, preferablly as a Word document or may be typewritten, double spaced. The SOUNDINGS Editor will determine whether the articles are suitable and relevant to Sea Ranch membership, and whether there is space for their publication. Because of space limitations and when necessary, articles will be subject to editing. ALL ARTICLES ARE WELCOME, subject to the above conditions. If you have questions, please call SOUNDINGS Editor Claire McCarthy. (She is delighted when people volunteer!)

Published by

THE SEA RANCHASSOCIATION

Post Office Box 16The Sea Ranch, California 95497-0016

Copyright © 2008THE SEA RANCH SOUNDINGS

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior, written permission of the editor, excepting the brief quotes used in connection with reviews written specifically

for inclusion in a newspaper or magazine.

Would you like to trade houses? Do you need a house/pet sitter? Are you available to "sit" a Sea Ranch house? Do you have something you want to sell? Or buy? Or rent? Use the Classified Ad section to match your needs with someone's wants. Classified advertising rates: 30 cents a word, $5.00 minimum. Mail your ad, clearly written with payment enclosed, to TSRA, Box 16, TSR, CA 95497, attention: The Sea Ranch Soundings. Make check payable to TSRA.

PAGE 15

ART SUPPLIES at THE LOFT in SUND-STROM MALL, Gualala, 884-4424

CIVIL ENGINEERS & LAND SURVEY-ORS. Dimensions 4 Engineering, inc. 785-2293.1000 Annapolis Rd., The Sea Ranch – Tuesdays by appointment. Also in Santa Rosa at 2952 Mendocino Avenue M-F 8:00-5:00 – ((707) 578-3433.Topographic Maps, Grading and Drain-age Plans, Perc Tests, and Septic System Plans.

Now Available at Sea Ranch Office:Oriental medicine sessions with licensed acu-puncurist, Melinda Mills. 25 years experience in the Bay Area. Call for appointments and to have questions answered. 707-291-5765

SEA RANCH REALTY -- AT THE GOLF COURSE. Our combination of location and experienced full-time professionals, who know the area, with a sincere interest in the community, will provide the service and results you deserve when it comes time for you to buy or sell Sea Ranch real estate. (707) 785-2494

PICTURE FRAMING: Enhance your art work or family photos with custom mats and frames. Elizabeth Langdon 707-785-2628.

PAINTING: Sea Ranch interior specialist, Add color to your home. Painting, wood finishing. TSR references. Lic. 606197Michael Sullens 884-3844

FURNITURE STRIPPING and refinishing. 20 years experience. Bob Shimon (707) 884-4126

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: call 884-1401 for location, day and time of Sea Ranch meeting.

REBECCAʼS HAIR DESIGN38630 Old Stage RoadTuesday thru Friday

Haircuts • Colour • PermsMen • Women • Children

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884-3252Established since 1976

TOO MUCH FAMILY AND NOT ENOUGH HOUSE? -- Rams Head Real-ty s̓ Mid-Week Special (3 nights for 2) con-tinues through May 31. Renters can stay Mon.-Tues. and Wed. nights for the two-night rate. (Not available during holiday periods.} Call (707) 785-2427 or 1-800-785-3455 for conditions and reservations.

The Light of the Coast Science of Mind Center meets on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at 33801 So. Hwy. 1, Gualala (half way be-tween Gualala and Point Arena.) Spiritual counseling, weddings, memorials and classes are available in the Science of Mind teaching. Call Rev. Alyce Soden for information 884-3631

REMODEL, DESIGN, & CREATIVE PROJECTS. Kitchens and baths. General contractor: all trades. Fine craftsmanship in tile, stone, wood, and copper. Excellent Sea Ranch references. 28 years experi-ence. Now taking reservations for 2008. Copper Sky Construction Lic. #868622. Bruce Smith 707-785-2635

SEA RANCH RESIDENTS while selling their home will house sit your home when you are away 785-9265

FABRICS and YARNS at THE LOFT inSUNDSTROM MALL, Gualala, 884-4424

SECRET GARDEN B&BRelaxing, spacious, peaceful, and private atmosphere. Big country breakfast and cheerful, helpful hosts. $100-$115/ night. 707-884-3302. Call for midweek or with-out breakfast rates.

FORMER RESIDENTS, Alan and Rose-mary Cooksey, love to return to Sea Ranch. Available for house-sitting and/or pet-sit-ting. 530-644-1235

NEW BOOK: Legends of Mother Mary is a documented biography revealing her spirituality and many incidents in her life not in common knowledge. Hard bound. 273 pages including six beautiful plates from old master artists depicting her life. Rev. Alyce Bartholomew Soden s̓ latest work of ten years is now available for $29.95 plus tax at the Dolphin, Four-eyed Frog and Fish Rock Publishing Company. Or call Rev. Alyce for information at 884-3631.

KEN BROWNING CHIMNEY SWEEPING

Complete, reliable woodstove/fireplace cleaning and fire prevention service. Safe-ty inspection with every sweep. Caps and spark arrestors installed. 707• 882•2829

HANDYMAN Mowing, Complete Land-scape, Hauling, Pressure Washing and Painting, Small Repairs, Licensed and In-sured. Diego Medina 707-884-1758,Cell 707-372-4536

Coastal Weddings. Rev. Alyce Soden per-forms beautiful non-denominational wed-dings, provides spiritual counseling and referrals to local service. Call Rev. Alyce today to officiate at your memoraable wed-ding. 884-3631

HOWARD E. CURTIS AIAarchitecture & planningpob 675, gualala, ca 95445

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California, Nevada & Arizona License

John H. Bower, Inc. offers complete preparation and installation of asphalt driveways that meet or exceed Sea Ranch, Mendocino County, and Caltrans construction standards. The company also has a full range of equipment and expertise to complete your residential or commercial development needs, including excavation, site compaction, road building, terracing, undergrounding, septic systems, and much more.

Free consultation and estimate.

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Gualala Arts Center 46501 Gualala Road in Gualala

707-884-1138 • www.GualalaArts.org

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Ivan Ili�, piano Sunday, October 12

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Roy Bogas, piano Peter Wyrick, cello Sunday, November 9

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COMMON MURRE CHECKING OUT GUALALA POINT ISLANDBy Diane Hichwa, member of the CCNM Stewardship Task Force

The not so common Common Murre may soon nest on a sea stack near you. Last year, Murres pros-pected among the Brandt’s Cormo-rant colony on Gualala Point Island for nesting sites. This species is recovering in California from past human impacts and the breeding population is expanding in south-ern Mendocino County. It might be easy to mistake this bird for a penguin, with its white belly, dark head, upright posture and short wings, perfect for diving and fly-ing underwater. This medium sea bird with brown-black upper parts, throat, white under parts, and long, dark bill, and short tail spends 8-9 months a year continuously at sea. Outside the breeding season, the chin and lower half of the face are white with a black line descending from the back of the eye through the white area. They dive to an impressive 240 feet to feed on fish and invertebrates.

The Common Murre ranges from coastal islands and headlands in California to Alaska and breeds along the Arctic and sub-arctic coasts south to Central California and east to the Gulf of St. Law-rence preferring rocky coasts like ours. Winters are spent south to

southern California and Massachu-setts, and in Eurasia. They forage closer to rocky shores during the breeding season but further offshore during non-breeding time.

The short wings that serve them well underwater give their flight a labored look. Although silent on the ocean, they emit a soft murr sound in flight. They eat polar cod, capelin, sprat, sand eels, small At-lantic cod, and herring, also marine worms, amphipods, shrimp and mollusks. They forage by diving from the surface, and can remain underwater for a minute. Should Gualala Point Island be blessed with a colony of Common Murres, they will be densely packed nests of 28-34 birds per square me-ter. Incubating adults actually touch their neighbors on both sides. They first breed at 4-5 years, laying one white, green, blue or brown egg directly on rock or rock shelf with no nesting material added. Both sexes incubate the egg for 4 to 5 weeks and feed the newly hatched chick. The male feeds and cares for the chick until it can fly. At two to three weeks after hatching, before it is able to fly, the chick leaves the colony with one of its parents and moves into the water. A murre chick leaves the cliff in dramatic style. Even without proper flight

feathers, it hurls itself off the edge and glides down to sea.

An attempt is underway to reestablish a colony of murres on a small stack called Devil’s Slide Rock, on the San Mateo County coast near Paci-fica. The breeding colony held close to 3,000 murres in early 1980’s but died out from human causes. Tens of thousands of murres in Central Cali-fornia drowned in gill nets between the mid 1970s and mid 1980s. Then in the winter of 1986 the oil barge, Apex Houston, accidentally dis-charged 26,000 gallons of oil while en route from San Francisco to Long

Beach Harbor. About 9,900 sea birds died from the spill, includ-ing 6,300 murres. After the spill, no murres bred on Devil’s Slide Rock and the colony disappeared. In the spring of 1996, six pairs of murres raised three chicks, the first breeding in ten years on Dev-il’s Slide Rock and that expanded to 190 breeding pairs in 2004.

The expansion of the breeding range of this Chaplinesque bird is a drop of good news in an ocean of bad. If it includes Gualala Point Island, we are all that much richer.

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