08-28-09
Which environmental group should you join?
by Marvin Sheffield, DVM
Those Americans who think that the exit of the Bush Administration’s anti -environment and anti-wildlife policies have exited too, had better think again.
President Obama’s selection of Mr. Kenneth Salazar as Secretary of The Department of Interior has been a a mixed bag, and a huge disappointment for those of us who have been aware of his friendship with many of the Big Agricultural Industries such as the Cattlemen’s Association, with their inappropriately large lobbying power. Shortly after he took office, Secretary Salazar prematurely delisted the wolves of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem States, from the Endangered Species Act. This has made them vulnerable to the would be copy cats who have wish to emulate Sarah Palin’s directives that she left in place as she resigned from the AK. governorship. “Butch” Otter, Gov. of Idaho vows to be the first one to shoot a Rocky Mountain gray wolf. His fellow travelers in Montana and Wyoming while not as obviously vocal, are of the same mind set.
Defenders of Wildlife is an organization of Americans who believe that our wildlife is a wonderful legacy for future Americans to be able to see and enjoy. This organization, to which I have belonged for at least 3 plus decades, has been noteworthy in depicting the things that humans do which have severely threatened and killed many species of wildlife, and they do their best to inform the public about these vile acts. Their only agenda is to preserve wildlife what we have before it is too late for that species.
The National Audubon Society is not just for the birds. Preserving avian species that are in decline is only one of their missions. Their biologists depict the species losses from agricultural pesticides and loss of habitat. They have extremely talented researchers such as editor-at-large Ted Williams. His thorough column ” Incite,” may take on acts by the Army Corps of Engineers or municipalities that not only cause a threat to citizens, but severely degrade the very environment these projects were proposed to protect. Audubon Magazine also points out that too many Americans are fiscally naive regarding pollution control of wetlands, streams, rivers and larger waterways. Prevention is much less expensive than the costly remedial measures required once pollution creates adverse health issues, property loss, loss of fish, wildlife, and diminished recreational benefits for people.
The Wilderness Society emphasizes the need to keep Wild America intact from the onslaught of ORVs, dams, recreational and Corporate mining with its toxic tailings, which are destroying streams and wetlands In Alaska. Their primary focus is to preserve intact habitats for the many species of wildlife that cannot survive in a fragmented ecosystem.
They also depict the ruinous decapitation of Appalachian mountain tops for the benefits of the coal industry at the expense of the citizens living in the ruined valleys with obliterated streams and once pristine lower forested land.
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is another excellent choice to support with your membership. They too are multifaceted, and tell it like it is.
I mentioned the Nature Conservancy last time, however I wish to illustrate some of the admirable work done in their efforts to restore the diminutive dainty little Island Gray Fox on Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the Channel Islands. European settlers introduced pigs and sheep in the 1850’s which subsequently became feral, and numbered in the thousands.
This eventually destroyed much of the indigenous plant species found no where else; the pigs rooting had caused wide spread massive erosion and gullies. The Channel Islands hosted species of plants unique to their moist environment, plus the tiny four-pound Island Gray Fox was one of the resident mammals. It differs from its mainland gray fox ancestors. From remains that have been found, scientists estimate that it must have arrived 20,000 years ago by drifting on some floating storm debris from the mainland. The feral sheep and pigs reduced the Island to a veritable ecological collapse.
In addition, the resident Bald eagles that had nested on Santa Cruz island for millennia were killed when the Montrose Chemical Co. in Southern California dumped toxic wastewater into the offshore waters. This occurred after DDT was officially banned by our Government.
As the Bald Eagles, which were primarily fish-eating eagles died off, the mainland Golden eagles began to survey the Islands and found a plentiful supply of feral pigs to dine upon.
They also discovered the tiny diurnal gray fox, a species very naive about aerial predators, such as the mammal eating Golden Eagles. The fox population soon began to plummet. Within a decade there were fewer than 100 foxes left, and The Conservancy in conjunction with the National Park Service soon realized that drastic measures were needed to prevent this tiny fox from extinction. A program was devised so that removal of the remaining feral pigs was undertaken. This evoked some controversy by those people who seemed unaware that pigs were plentiful and can be raised anywhere.
At the same time the Golden Eagles were humanely trapped live and relocated to the mainland of California, from whence they came. As the Goldens were removed, hacking towers were built to raise and release Bald Eagles, which had never preyed on the tiny foxes. The towers were artfully concealed, and then remnant numbers of the tiny foxes were humanely live trapped and raised for captive breeding on the Island. It took some watchful waiting, but with veterinary checkups, the little foxes were deemed well enough for release. From a population that once teetered on the brink of extinction, this diminutive little fox has rebounded, though not nearly as plentiful. With careful monitoring, no Golden eagles have returned, and the dominant Bald eagles rule the skies over Santa Cruz Island once more.
2-1-1 Anniversary
2-1-1 is a centralized clearinghouse for information on community services. By calling one number, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, people can find out where to get help, and where they can give help or volunteer. The service is used for the day-to-day community service needs and during times of disaster to help disseminate useful information. But it’s not intended for emergency calls - those are transferred at once, and the 2-1-1 call specialist remains on the line until the crisis agency is reached.)
In the event of an area-wide disaster, 2-1-1, which is connected with the County Office of Emergency Services, will have up-to-date information needed in disaster response efforts, such as locations of evacuation shelters, road closure information, insurance claim processes, and volunteer needs.
In Monterey County, a collaboration of many organizations and government entities worked together to develop 2-1-1. United Way Monterey County has been designated the 2-1-1 Service Provider by the California Public Utilities Commission and has staff dedicated to operating 2-1-1.
Monterey County 2-1-1 had its six-month anniversary on Aug. 11, 2009.
From Feb. 11 through Aug. 7, Monterey County 2-1-1 took 5337 calls that resulted in 9618 referrals to a wide variety of services.
First-time users made up the majority of callers. Most learned about 2-1-1 from local non-profits and government agencies.
“Often people require more than one type of assistance and service providers find it’s most efficient to have their clients call 2-1-1 directly to get the most current information to meet their needs,” said Ronn Rygg, Director of 2-1-1 Monterey County. “2-1-1 unburdens service providers from having to track down information outside their expertise and keep that information continuously updated.”
In addition, 2-1-1 centralizes the collection of data and is helping to identify unmet needs by capturing requests for which there is no appropriate referral.
In times of disaster 2-1-1 relieves the burden on 9-1-1 by providing people with vital information about evacuation sites, temporary shelters, road closures, etc. It’s fast, free, confidential and available in more than 170 languages 24 hours a day.
Results through Aug. 7, 2009
* From Feb 11 through Aug. 7, Monterey County 2-1-1 has served 5337 callers with 9618 referrals. Most requests were from first-time callers.
* The most common requests have been for rental assistance, utility payment, job search, homeless shelters, food bank and community clinics.
* 2-1-1 budgeted for 10,000 calls and is currently tracking at 11,000 calls for the year.
* Services were sought for people ranging in age from infant to 98 years old.
* 27 percent of callers are men and 67 percent are women.
* One out of three calls is conducted in Spanish.
* 15% of the calls come from South County.
* There have been 13 crisis calls, which were successfully transferred to an appropriate crisis service.
* 2-1-1 was the go-to number for the Monterey County Health Department during the spring pandemic flu event.
2-1-1 will start pre-screening of selected callers to determine potential eligibility for the Food Stamp program beginning Oct 1st.
More than 77 percent of the population nationwide now has access to 2-1-1 services, including 244 active 2-1-1 systems covering all or part of 47 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Within California, 2-1-1 services are organized at the county level, and have been established in much of the Bay Area and Southern California. The service is available in more than 170 languages at no charge to the calling party. Many of the Call Specialists speak Spanish and interpretation services are available for other languages. Language Line Services, headquartered in Monterey, provides the interpretation service. The 2-1-1 service is TTY/TDD-capable for the hard of hearing.
Annual PG Birdhouse contest
The deadline for the 5th Annual Heritage Houses for the Birds Contest & Fundraiser is Saturday, September 5, 2009. There is still time to design and build unique a bird house to benefit Heritage Society programs and projects. We encourage bird houses that reflect the builder’s vision of Pacific Grove’s architectural heritage. Bird houses will be judged by the public for awards and be placed on the auction block with proceeds to benefit the Heritage Society of Pacific Grove. Youth builders have their entries returned to them after the presentation of awards.
Volunteer organizer Rebecca Riddell hopes for at least two dozen entries this year. “This is an opportunity to give back to your community with an investment in creativity,” confirms Riddell, “The Birdhouse building contest and auction is a unique event that brings children and adults, artists, craftspeople, and laymen together to support the Society. Although we expect entries from talented local artists such as Ray Magsalay, Murphy Robins, and Snick Farkas, we also have locals such as myself who will be submitting their best efforts to the cause.”
Adult Entry Fee/Sponsorship: $75
Each bird house builder will submit an entry fee or creative builders may request the Society find a sponsor for you.
Youth Entry Fee (Youth up to 16 yrs.): $10
Entry fee includes a pre-cut, press and glue, wood bird house to be decorated in any style or theme. The entry may also be created from materials other than those supplied.
Adult Entry Forms are available at The Works, B’s Coffee Shop, PG Hardware, Trellis Garden Shop, Tides, Ketcham’s Barn in Pacific Grove and The Wild Bird Center in Monterey.
Youth entry forms and accompanied birdhouse kits are available at PG Hardware, Chatterbaux Children’s Shoppe, and Ketcham’s Barn in Pacific Grove.
Entry forms and completed birdhouses must be delivered to the Heritage Society of Pacific Grove no later than Saturday, September 5, 2009.
The Heritage Society’s office, at Ketcham’s Barn, is located at 605 Laurel Ave., and is open Saturdays between 1-4 pm. Call 646-0351 if special arrangements are necessary.
The birdhouses will be placed on display in locations throughout the community from Monday, September 7 through Friday, October 2, 2009. A listing of locations will be announced.
On Sunday, October 4, the birdhouses will be brought to Elmarie Dyke Park (next to Chautauqua Hall) for the final public presentation and silent auction, held at in conjunction with the Historic Home Tour & Artists in Chautauqua. Visitors will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite birdhouse and place their final bids in the auction. The silent auction will close at 2:30pm and auction payment and pick-up will be held from 3pm to 4pm.
The public votes will be tallied and the result will assist in determining a winning birdhouse in each of the design categories below, as well as a People’s Choice Award, a Best-of-Show, a Mayor’s Choice Award (selected by the Mayor of Pacific Grove), and The Best Assessed Value Award (selected by Monterey County Assessor). Category winners will receive an award plaque. Gift awards will be given in the Youth category, and for People’s Choice and Best-of-Show.
For further information contact co-chairs Craig and Rebecca Riddell at 831-646-0351.
Snipped from the station log
Cedrick Hunter
Unlocked safe unsafe
Having reason for her employees to have access to the safe, a proprietor decided to leave the depository unlocked for a week. A short while later, she asked a subordinate to bring her the jewels from the safe. The subordinate returned with a lament. The safe was empty. A police check revealed no signs of forced entry. The safe had evidently been pilfered during its unlocked stint.
What, again?
A would-be motorist flagged down a passing police officer to complain about being stranded. Some unknown someone had removed the valve stems to his auto’s tires. The complainant said that his had happened to him before, but he had no idea who the culprit was, nor why it was done.
Valuables left in view
A health enthusiast parked, locked her car, and entered a spa to exercise. While she was inside, someone else decided on a little workout. This person smashed a car window and removed the woman’s purse, which had been left on a seat of the car.
Is it PG art?
A patrolling PGPD officer noticed something odd about trash cans at the baseball field at George Washington Park. The cans had been classily decorated with … graffiti.
Missing your ATM card?
Some forgetful individual departed leaving an ATM card in the machine at the Wachovia Bank. An investigation by police failed to determine ownership. The card was destroyed and Wachovia notified.
Heck, times are tight all over
PGPD was summoned to the scene of a verbal dispute. A husband and wife had been arguing. The husband explained that the couple were suffering through some “tight” financial times. He had tried to explain to his wife that there was only so much money available to be spent. His wife had protested, not seeing matters the same way. Angry, she had departed before the law arrived. A check of the records revealed that PGPD had been summoned to the same location the day before … for the very same reason.
Something was suspicious to her
He said he worked for PG&E, but the lady he was questioning didn’t really believe him. The man alleged to be canvassing the neighborhood, collecting information. He inquired about such things as whether or not she had a swimming pool, the best way into her house, and the number of rooms in her home. The complainant said that sort of questioning just didn’t seem right for PG&E.
Should have put the brakes on
An officer on patrol observed a person riding a bicycle. A light turned red, but the cyclist ignored it and rode straight through. The officer thought the rider appeared under the influence, so he made a stop and confirmed his suspicions. The cyclist was arrested and booked.
Writers’ Readings
The thought came to us sometime in May: a library fundraiser featuring local writers and poets reading their own work. Seemed like a great idea. And what better premier venue than the library itself? We met with Judy Archibald from Friends of the Library, and senior librarian Lisa Maddalena. After a good discussion, we all agreed on the date of August 13 and “Writers’ Readings” was on.
We started recruiting talent from the Central Coast Writers Club. That netted seven writers for the event. Pretty soon, we had found more writers from around the Peninsula, filling the card at twelve.
Really Big Shew
By the time August 13 finally rolled around, we felt confident that things would go well. We got a boost from Lisa Maddalena and her staff, who already had the audience chairs in place when we arrived at 3 p.m. to do our set-up. Others gave invaluable assistance too. As promised, Linda Pagnella had procured a sound system from Don Mothershead at the rec department. Dave Whittick from Friends of the Library helped move things around. Videographer Hebard Olsen showed up soon after. Things looked good.
Our writers began arriving at 6:30, as the first members of the audience also filtered in. The sight of so many seasoned writers in one place increased our anticipation. Amy Krupski, a well-known local harpist and Friends member came to help. So did CCW member Patricia Hamilton, who owns Park Place Publications in Pacific Grove. CCW writer and webmaster Ken Jones found a spot near the front and took great still photos, some of which are pictured with this article: see the entire set at www.centralcoastwriters.org
At 7:05, Lisa closed the doors: time to start. What followed was more powerful than we had imagined. What an honor that these talented people graced our event with their participation. Here they are, in order of appearance:
- Neal Whitman is a well-published poet and Library Board member. Neal read two wonderful poems: Library Conversation and Tor House Haiku.
- Judy Zhu is a CCW member and winner of dozens of literature awards in her native China. She read the introduction to her latest book, Modern Chinese Cultural Encounters, Vol. I, entertaining us with her delightful sense of humor.
- Harold Grice was a participant in the Thunderbird Bookstore writers’ group and is now president of Central Coast Writers. Harold read clever stories, concluding with Hens, a hilarious interpretation of ladies’ conversation heard through the ears of a man.
- Art Gallegos served as a Marine in World War II. He taught English and journalism at Salinas High and is a member of CCW. He read a rich fiction work titled Change of Course, the tale of an approaching flood.
- Walter Gourlay is a retired magazine editor, labor union organizer, professor and founding member of Central Coast Writers from the days of the Thunderbird Bookstore. He read a haunting, futuristic story about the horrors of war.
- Bill Minor is an animated poet, writer, musician and songwriter, who treated CCW members to a lively talk at a meeting last year. He paid a wonderful tribute to his mother and father.
- Laura Emerson works for the PG Unified School District and serves on the Cultural Arts Commission. She read her article, Gene Roland: Tending the Pastures of Heaven, the story of a Corral de Tierra cattle rancher, which was originally published in Monterey County Magazine.
- Kerry Wood is a retired English teacher and former CCW vice-president. He presented an imaginative view of Pacific Grove’s monarch butterflies, and a haiku about Lover’s Point.
- Jonathan Shoemaker, also of CCW, is writer of self-help books on education and golf. He read poems he had composed: Living By the Railroad Tracks, The Wall and By The Pond.
- Edward Jarvis is a well-known PG poet and physician. Ed’s work has appeared in American Voice, Redrock Review and Poetry Ireland Review. He read several beautiful and image-rich poems.
- Michael Thomas is a freelance writer and editor, and winner of the 2008 CCW short story contest. He read two of his poetic works, Among Sequoias and Curveball.
- Cameron Douglas (yours truly) is a freelance writer, CCW member and regular contributor to local newspapers. He read The Mighty Falcoon, the story of a never-say-die automobile that conquered an Ohio snowstorm.
Incredibly rewarding
We are both so happy and grateful for all the assistance we received from the library staff, Friends of the Library, Fournier’s Bakery, Grove Market, FedEx Kinkos and other local businesses who helped with promotion. To the guests who attended the event and donated to Friends, a warm thanks. To those who couldn’t make it and donated anyway, you are golden. It’s good to see people come out to do what they can and show their support for the things we hold dear.
Darci’s ready to do another one this fall. Cam is still recovering. Stay tuned.