Oakmont’s Semimonthly Newspaper
Board Adopts $3.2m Budget, $4.75 per Person Increase in Dues nAl Haggerty
The Oakmont Village Association adopted a $3,269,734 budget for 2017 and a monthly dues increase of $4.75 per person, or $9.50 per couple, at an Oct. 25 meeting at Berger Center. The $4.75 per person increase raises the monthly dues from the current $53.25 to $58 per person and from $106.50 to $116 per couple. The new dues are effective in January. Only a handful of Oakmont residents were on hand on a bleak, rainy day as the board voted unanimously on the new budget with relatively little discussion and no controversy. See board on page 3
New Group to Focus on Berger Future
www.oakmontvillage.com/oakmont-news
OEPC Volunteers at Work It was a simulated emergency that brought Oakmont volunteers out in the neighborhoods and at key locations for an emergency drill Saturday, Oct. 22. Bright yellow vests set off area volunteers walking their neighborhoods, coordinating with communications volunteers at each of Oakmont’s major venues. It was one of three drills held every year to sharpen volunteers’ readiness to respond to and recover from a major disaster. If a problem can’t be resolved at the neighborhood level, the problem is relayed to operators in emergency centers. Problems that require further help are transmitted to an emergency operations center at the Berger Center. Volunteers there can request help from Santa Rosa Fire Department Station 7, which is part of the Santa Rosa emergency operations system. Photos by Fred Polkinghorn. More photos online at www.oakmontvillage.com/oakmont-news.
nStaff Report
This holiday season, the OVA Board is shining a spotlight on the dedication of Oakmont’s 15 non-management employees. A new employee appreciation fund has been established to show them our appreciation and support. Donations will be distributed at the end of the year. Members who wish to make a donation—however large or small—may contribute via check to the OVA Office, 6575 Oakmont Drive, by Dec. 15. Participation, of course is voluntary. Please make checks payable to the OVA and in the lower left corner check memo write that it is for the EMP APP Fund (OVA Employee Appreciation Fund). Checks can be mailed or hand delivered to a special box located in the OVA Office. We hope the fund puts a little extra cheer into the season for a very deserving group of employees.
nJudy Burness
Mike Noble, left, and Douglas Payne working at the emergency operations center.
LOOKING AHEAD TO ELECTIONS
The board appointed a nominating committee to choose candidates for the 2017 election. Members are Pat Clothier, Alan Scott, Pat Olive, Bev Leve and Jackie Ryan. Director Ellen Leznik sought unsuccessfully to add a sixth member. After a lengthy discussion of proposed new election rules, the board decided, due to how soon the See berger future on page 3
Employee Appreciation Fund New This Year
Dog Walkers: Toxic Mushroom Danger
nMarty Thompson
A new committee of people with backgrounds in construction and project management will take the next steps to plan updating or replacing Oakmont’s prime meeting space, the Berger Center. The five-member Berger Action Committee was appointed by the OVA Board at a Nov. 1 meeting. “This is a hugely exciting project, vitally important to the community,” President Andie Altman said. “It is a phenomenal position for us to have that many good people for the job,” she said. Members are Claudette Brero-Gow, David Dearden, Art Fichtenberg, Bob Jackson and Ruthie Snyder, who is the committee chair. Altman said the committee and the board will probably meet together to get started, in a public session so anyone who’s interested can be there. A date and time will be announced. Herm Hermann, a board member who has headed groups studying the future of the Berger and the use of existing Oakmont facilities, said he expected to be part of the meeting. The Action Committee will pick up where two predecessors have gone. They developed possibilities ranging from simple remodels of the Berger to razing and replacing it.
November 15, 2016 • Volume 54, Number 22
Gary Dion, in back; Terry Leuthner, left, and John Felton. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SANTA ROSA, CA PERMIT NO. 323
With the arrival of rain at last, parts of Sonoma Valley are seeing an eruption in the mushroom population. Since some varieties are both toxic and attractive to pets, pet owners should be vigilant. At the Wild Oak Polo Field, where many Oakmonters exercise their dogs, several varieties of mushrooms are visible in the thousands. A resident recently sent photos of the most prevalent Polo Field mushrooms to Darvin DeShazer, the mushroom poisoning contact at the Sonoma County Mycological Association (SOMA). Based on the pictures, he said these did not appear to be toxic varieties. However, he added, new varieties can pop up any time, and there is reason for concern wherever dogs and mushrooms both are present. This applies to cats, as well. On the encouraging side, DeShazer says he knows of no documented instances of mushroom poisoning by contact without being ingested—e.g, a dog just walking on the Polo Field. If your pet has free access to an area where mushrooms develop, such as your backyard, you might wish to have the mushrooms identified. DeShazer, a volunteer with SOMA, can be reached through the SOMA website, address below. Experts advise contacting your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet has consumed a poison mushroom, or is showing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The North American Myological Association, which tracks mushroom poisonings, reports that “a great many dogs die each year from consuming mushrooms,” but most can recover if they get appropriate treatment immediately. Different varieties of mushroom have different toxins, with different symptoms and treatment. Consequently, when an emergency arises, if convenient it is advisable to collect a specimen of the mushroom for identification. But first of all: (1) absolutely no wild mushrooms for your dog and (2) when needed, get veterinary help immediately. See dog walkers on page 3