Fall is almost here! Summer has flown by. What is the state of our happy little hamlet? In some ways, there is good progress. We have some exterior action going on at the Pink and the Rio Theater is making a great comeback. Curtain Call Theatre is showing “Love Letters” Sept 2-24. Walking the Terraces, I see some problem areas have been cleaned up and for the most part it looks better than it has in years. Kudos to Friends of Villa Grande and the tour hosts, for their Terrace Trails open houses meet and greet social last month. The Village Inn has new owners and a new name, Boho Manor. Hoping they are successful. The Russian River Car Show was fun as usual.
In the middle ground or unknown are Verizon and EV Fastchargers. There were many complaints on social media recently regarding the degradation of Verizon service, however it appears that service may have improved, especially in regard to data or messaging. One comment said they had fixed the Siri tower antenna. I was surprised to have Verizon 5G service at the Amphitheater during the Variety Show. AT&T finally got their tower on-line at Neeley which should help cut down on the overall demand. More Wi-Fi in Guerneville also helps. As for EV chargers in the River area, Northwood is still moving forward with 3 Level 2 charging stations hopefully to be operational by year end. With all the new federal funding available it is hoped the county will be proactive in applying for these funds, especially with regards to Level 3 Fastchargers. There are currently zero in the Lower Russian River Area with the nearest one being located in Coddingtown Mall.
On the lower ground, the usual problems are still with us. This month’s theme is supposed to be about Fire Safety and Preparedness. How can we make our homes and neighborhoods safer? Well, I would think a working fire hydrant would be a good start. Due to a storm 5 ½ years ago a retaining wall failed on the Terraces and a black plastic bag was put over the fire hydrant as it was decommissioned. I’m happy to report that my tenants and their neighbors now have some ivy to look at covering the hydrant bag instead of the black plastic bag. According to the county, the retaining wall, and I assume the fire hydrant, is scheduled to be repaired in fiscal year 2024-2025.
There are also comments regarding RVs on Scenic Hwy 116 (with the usual trash/ sewage issues) and wondering why the county isn’t doing anything about it. One surrounded by trash appears to be abandoned. While we’ve had the MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) for several years these issues are still not being addressed. I just read that since it’s so difficult to find people to fill positions on the council that they have changed the rules and have eliminated term limits. They did get some changes to vacation rentals that apparently hasn’t made anyone happy. If the county had just enforced the rules they had originally had, there wouldn’t have been a need for more rules which may or may not be enforced based on past experience. A vacation rental in Monte Rio had to refund another guest’s payment as the guests could not deal with addicts hopping fences and visiting the property at all hours. Apparently, these “neighbors” use the vacation rental property as a shortcut to their illegal shed. Nothing new, and of course the county allows it to continue with agencies either redirecting or blaming other agencies. The agencies are the Supervisor’s Office, the Sheriff’s Dept, and Permit Sonoma. Another person recently bought a house here but after seeing the Moscow Road encampment has decided not to live in the house but to rent it out instead. Who can blame him? Then we have the comments about recent break-ins. How can you expect neighborhoods to improve (for both owners and renters) if the county doesn’t take this up as the priority it needs to be?
If you are interested in a short getaway SMART has some good, discounted fares valid through next June. Weekend travel passes just $10 and $5 for seniors and youth. Happy Labor Day, end of summer and beginning of fall!
Vacation Wonderland: Embracing the past, Welcoming the future.
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