PROPOSED: COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE and SUPPORT TEAM MEETING

A small group met at the Mi Wuk / Sugar Pine fire station tonight to consider the formation of a Community Assistance and Support Team, C.A.S.T. for short.

This Team will consist of citizens who are interested in providing assistance and support to the Fire District as directed by the District Fire Chief.  This is a great opportunity to come together and support your community in ways that fit your skills.

Responsibilities could include (with proper training and certification as necessary)

• operating department non-emergency vehicles and equipment---this would include retrieving departmental personnel from out of District locations--such as a firefighter who has accompanied someone down to Sonora to the hospital and now needs a ride back up the hill.  A C.A.S.T. volunteer could pick the firefighter up rather than sending another firefighter and fire truck to bring him/her back.
• retrieve District hoses and equipment from fire and other emergency response sites
• move tables and chairs to event locations
• Other assistance and support could include administrative and clerical duties
• find and write grants
• assist the District Secretary in filing, copying etc
• answer phones when all station personnel are out on a call during time of emergency
• Miscellaneous duties could include
• Fire Station maintenance, construction (new bathroom/tiling), and housekeeping
• be a greeter during a time when the station is being utilized as a warming shelter/center
• prepare coffee, etc. when station is being utilized as a warming shelter/center
• Grounds keeping
• equipment maintenance etc.

During and after emergency situations, CAST could provide Team support through

• establishing communication links by ham radio and telephone
• provide onsite information of road conditions
• checking on stranded residents
• assistance at evacuation and warming centers
• provide coffee, nourishment, water, etc. for fire personnel at or near scene of an emergency

These are tasks that community members can provide in times of need or emergency.  Remember last winter???  This is what we're talking about.  

The next C.A.S.T. formation meeting will be held at the Mi Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Station on Thursday, October 13th, at 7 p.m.  Just show up.  Please.  We need YOU!

In the meantime, you can pick up an informational packet at the fire station (Secretary's office).  If you choose to you can also fill out an interest form, stating your name, email, skills, interest areas etc.  This will be the beginning of a contact list for when C.A.S.T. gets off the ground and is called in to service.

Questions?  Just send me an email, blythek@mac.com , and I'll forward it to Kirk Wallace who is pulling this Team together.  This is an effort whose time has come.

(yes, today is the first day of Fall)

THE "YELLOW" IS BACK IN MI WUK VILLAGE

Once again we can give visitors road directions within Mi Wuk Village like

• follow the broken yellow line to the 4-way stop; then turn right onto the double solid line and ..............
• stay on the broken yellow line until 'xyz' Court/Road/Lane
• follow the solid yellow line to Chief Fuller Road, turn left or right and you'll be at Hwy 108.

Yes, the 'powers that be' came into the village yesterday or Wednesday and finally restriped the naked 'major' roads in Mi Wuk.  I don't know about you, but directions I give to visitors incorporate those yellow road lines.

 

This photo was taken around 6 p.m., Thursday, September 8th, with my iPhone (not hands free!!) through a dirty windshield as I returned from 2 days of babysitting in the Bay Area.  I was so excited to see these fresh yellow lines once again and just had to capture a quick picture to share with you all.

Now hopefully the snow doesn't wipe them out and we have to live another 6-7 months without adequate road lines.  This is cool and I'm a happy camper.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR MI WUK / SUGAR PINE FIRE STATION FUND RAISER

Community participation for our Spaghetti Dinner, put on by the Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Auxiliary, yesterday afternoon so warmed my heart!  It was fabulous.  Tables were FULL, chatter was constant, workers were busy, diners left full........and as always, the committee who pulled it together learned a few things.  If all goes well we'll be presenting another SPAGHETTI DINNER next September, on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

I was chairman of the event and I must thank my awesome committee members:  Margie Bowen, Linda Clark and Alice Smith.  Together we are a real t-e-a-m.  But then we couldn't have made it happen without the super support of Auxiliary Members, women and men.   There were over 25 Auxiliary members helping with set up, cooking, serving and clean up----all those things that just "miraculously happen".  THANK YOU TO ALL for supporting our fire department and our community.

Thanks also goes to the gals who donated items for and then created our great raffle baskets.  They were a hit and they brought in nearly $500 which will be used to purchase necessary safety equipment for our department upon their request.

It takes a VILLAGE to make it all happen!

Below:  The Committee, who put in many hours behind the scenes, ahead of the event:  

Blythe, Linda, Margie, Alice

And finally (woohoo!) thank you to Dave and Cindy Zbin and Monica, faithful blog readers, for finding me and introducing yourselves.  That meant so much and it was just great to meet local part-timers with whom I've exchanged a bunch of emails.  You guys made my day.  And Loretta, you're included in that group as well.

Making it all happen:

Russ Klipple and Denny Bowen (and Blythe) were at the station at 6 a.m. getting the sauce going:  50 diced onions sautéd first:

Above:  the garlic is added.  Below:  diced tomatoes and puree were added, followed by the herbs.

Below:  Firefighter Neil Gamez (new daddy) took care of all of the bread after Jessie, Marti and Karin buttered it.

Below:  Three of my grandchildren plus my son put the ice cream into the cooler.  Thanks Zion, Austin and Nora.  And adult supervisor, Jason.

Thanks again for coming out on this lovely warm September evening.

SPAGHETTI DINNER NEXT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd!

YUM YUM, the Mi Wuk/Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Auxiliary's famous SPAGHETTI DINNER is back.

Saturday, September 3rd 2011

4 - 7 p.m.

Adults $10   Children ten and under, $5

Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad, Dessert, Water/Lemonade/Coffee/Tea

Please join us.  

Proceeds benefit our Mi Wuk / Sugar Pine Fire Protection District.  

Bring the little ones so they can get their photos taken with the fire trucks!  I know my children and grandchildren will be here this year.  It'll be easy cooking for one dinner meal on Labor Day Weekend for the Klipple household.

**IMPORTANT** THIS RELATES TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY

(I have made this post a "sticky post" so it will stay at the top of all subsequent posts until August 8th.  You haven't lost your mind when seeing that date above!)

Have you heard about the "SRA" fee that has been passed by our California State Legislature?  It was signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. on July 7th, 2011.

The SRA fee is a 'fire prevention fee' of up to $150 for each "structure" on a parcel within the "State Responsibility Area".

The bill language defines a structure as "a building used or intended to be used for human habitation" including but not limited to a mobile home or manufactured home.

The bill directs the Board of Forestry to adopt emergency regulations to establish the fee which the State Board of Equalization will be responsible for assessing and collecting.

A lot of details of the bill are still unknown.  (Blythe [BK]--editorial:  "oh really!?") The Governor has asked a working group to address many of the complexities and issues.

The legislature requires the Board of Forestry to adopt emergency regulations to establish the fee in an amount not to exceed $150.

HOW CAN I VOICE MY OPINION ON THIS ISSUE???

The public can provide written comment to the Board prior to 5 p.m., Monday, August 8, 2011

You can also send a letter to your state legislators.  I have 4 letters that you can print out and send to Senator Tom Berryhill, Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, Stan Dixon (Chair of Forestry and Fire Protection) and The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.  Since I can't put an attachment on the blog, please email me, blythek@mac.com, for these letters which I will email back to you a.s.a.p.

Here is what the letter says:

Date___________

Addressee  (see way below for names/addresses)

SUBJECT:  AB 29 - State Responsibility Area Fees

Dear ________,

We/or I live within the Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District (MWSPFPD).  MWSPFPD provides fire service to its rural customers in the Sierra Foothills.  Our full-time, fully staffed and equipped fire and rescue department is experienced in wild fire and structure fire suppression, as well as most type of rescue opeations.  To support this level of fire protection and rescue service, the MWSPFPD Board of Directors, supported by a majority vote of the people within our community, authorized a special assessment of $170 per dwelling unit per year in 2010, and said assessment currently sits at $172.58.  In addition, we have a mutual aid program with Tuolumne County Fire Department and neighboring fire services.

The community was distressed to hear that the Governor signed AB 29 on July 7th, authorizing a $150 assessment to support the California Department of Forestry fire service (CAL FIRE), a service that only operates for a portion of the year in our area.  Our rural community cannot afford any additional special annual assessments for fire and rescue.  We urge you to initiate and support legislation that would exempt rural property owners from this special state SRA assessment when they are currently supporting a dedicated local fire and rescue program, such as that offered here by MWSPFPD.

Thank you for your consideration of my/our concerns.

Sincerely,


You are more than welcome to copy the above letter and send it to the following:

Senator Tom Berryhill
6215 N. Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93710

Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen
3719 Tully Road, Suite C
(State Capital, First Floor   <-- delete this line)
Modesto, CA 95356

Stan Dixon, Chair
Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
PO Box 944246
Sacramento, CA 94244-2460

The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Governor, State of California
State Capital, First Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Be sure to get your letter sent so that it arrives by Monday, August 8th.  This affects us all!!

COMING SOON!!! AUGUST 13, 4-7 p.m., OUR FAMOUS SPAGHETTI DINNER!

The Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Auxiliary will be presenting their now 'famous' SPAGHETTI DINNER, on Saturday, August 13th, 4-7 p.m. 

Same great sauce, pasta and yummy Pugli garlic bread!  Make a note to join us for dinner on the 13th.  Dine in (our lovely tables will be waiting for you in the Bays that normally house our fire apparatus) or take out. 

Price:  $10.  Children 10 and under: $5.

We hope to see you there.  Yes, I'll be there.  (I'm the chairman!!!)  Tell your friends.  Bring your friends. 

 

MI WUK FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT IS NOW ON FACEBOOK!

Check it out by going to MI WUK SUGAR PINE F.P.D (no period).

When you enter MI WUK SUGAR PINE F.P.D it will be just like being 'friended' on FB......you have to be approved.  But, by doing so you will be kept up to date on the latest happenings with our Fire Protection District.  Fire Fighter Neil Gamez is the administrator of the group and will approve you when he is on duty or on line.

I think this is pretty neat and is yet another way to keep abreast of what's happening in our community.

If you have any problems with joining the group, either persist, or let me know and I'll check with Neil.  I know I had a bit of trouble getting to the right place, pushing the right letters and buttons.

Check it out.