I’m lucky to be the harmonica player for the Larry Potts
South County Shrinks and Surfers Band. (This isn’t our official name—I’m not
sure we have one.) Larry’s a long-time Petaluman who, a few years back, became
afflicted with “compulsive songwriting disorder”, and has since been creating
some really fine music. In his CD’s title track, “The Shape of Things to Come”,
he sings “the way the battle’s won / is to do what might be needed / close to
home.”
Yes, the battle…I get the war reports from the mainstream media,
and the KPFA/Internet background on Cheney/Rumsfeld’s “Project for a New
American Century (/Empire)”, and I feel the way my son used to feel when facing
a massive bedroom cleanup –overwhelmed to the point of paralysis. Where do you
go to stop the “war without end”? Must…remember…advice… “Start from where you
are.”
What can one do, close to home? Over the past week, Petaluma
has helped me answer that question. It started on Saturday with Rebuilding
Together. I joined a bunch of my AFC co-workers and *four hundred* locals who
brightened the domiciles of nearly two dozen Petaluma families. Our site had
some awesome contractor types who demolished a rotten deck and built a nice big
new one in less than eight hours. The whole crew had a great time while doing
an incredible amount of work, and the residents prepared a pile of delicious
fried chicken to keep us going. The power of working together, to lift up the
lives of our neighbors.
Two days later, the City Council deferred the expected
gutting of the City’s Campaign Finance Reform ordinance. Good. That gives me a
chance to tell you what I think, and you the opportunity to tell the City
Council. Hey! Let’s value the voter over the dollar. Keep the $200 contribution
limit. Tighten the reporting requirements. Leave the public financing intact--
it’s a cheap way to help level the electoral playing field and ensure that
candidates aligned with big-money commercial interests can’t bankroll-steamroll
their opposition. Since our troops found neither Al Qaida nor WMD in Iraq,
we’re now told they were fighting/dying to bring democracy to the Iraqis. The
question close to home is, will we fight to keep *our* democracy? (Visit and
bookmark the City Council website, www.ci.petaluma.ca.us/cclerk/council.html,
for agendas and contact information.)
The Council on Monday also approved development the Mary
Isaac Center, which will provide year-round shelter for solitary homeless men
and women. Yay! On Wednesday, I joined COTS staff and supporters at a
celebration lunch, where we talked about how we could ensure safe access to the
center via bicycle or foot, and tie it into the City’s growing trail system.
That evening, at the Petaluma Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee
meeting, we finalized plans for this year’s Bike to Work Day (May 15), and
prepared for a public meeting on the Washington Creeks Trail Enhancement
Project. Preventing the next war by ending our addiction to oil-- one step at a
time.
Thursday night, my wife Karen and I visited Copperfield’s
Books’ expansion party, a benefit for COTS. We indulged in tasting some fine
food for the stomach, and for the soul: books, music and conversation with
friends. After the event, we went to Kinko’s to duplicate Karen’s flyer for a
composting class sponsored by the Sonoma County Master Gardener organization.
It’s the first public event at the new McNear Park Community Garden (this
Saturday, May 3, 10-11, 8th and G Sts.) “Composting: feeding the
soil to feed the plant!”
While making copies, we see Suzanne Wibroe-Fost, a
Petaluma-raised monumental sculptor. Suzanne hands us *her* flyer. Working with
our Parks and Recreation Commission and staff, she’s arranged “Lookout West”,
an eight-sculpture display behind the Community Center at Luchessi Park. We
invite you to join the featured sculptors at a May 1 noon-hour inaugural
celebration, complete with lunch and May Pole dance. The Arts: feeding the soul
to feed the planet.
Tonight I got an email from www.moveonpac.org, asking my support for
their 2004 national campaign: “Regime Change Begins At Home”. With a soul
re-filled, I signed up.