wastewater sanitation zone – The Sea Ranch Association

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InfoAlert 12.04.2024

Dear Members of The Sea Ranch Association,

December has arrived with the sound of crashing waves in the night that mark King Tide season. Perhaps their lullaby keeps you up just long enough to peek out and up at the bright stars above – last night certainly was a visual delight!

This Saturday the Finance Committee will take up the Preliminary TSRA Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget for the first time. Consider joining to learn more about this year’s proposal that focuses on reinvestment in the facilities and resources – pools, trails, recreation centers, roads, and more – that many of us love so much about The Sea Ranch.

There is a lot of conversation among members about post office service on The Sea Ranch. See below for information that may be helpful.

Appears the sun will keep us company the rest of the week – and so are the many hawks of The Sea Ranch – red-tails, kites, red-shouldered – above the meadows, tracking cars on Highway 1, perched in trees. Does it get much better? There’s no other place I’d rather be.

Enjoy our paradise on the coast!

Thank you,
Menka Sethi
TSRA Community Manager

Finance Committee Meeting and Budget Process

Date: Saturday, December 7
Time: 9:00 am to 11:00 am

The Finance Committee will be reviewing the preliminary TSRA budget for the coming 2025-26 fiscal year for the first time on December 7, 2024. There will be follow-on meetings among Finance Committee and the Board of Directors in January and February of next year – culminating at the February Board meeting when the Board will take up the budget for final consideration. Consider taking part in the process and stay tuned to further updates on tsra.org and in InfoAlerts.

Zoom login information is available on the Association website.

Wastewater Sanitation Zone

Learn more about the potential transfer or purchase of our wastewater system from the Wastewater Sanitation Zone working group in new article in the December Bulletin on the Wastewater Sanitation Zone page of the TSRA website.

TSR Bird Walks and Christmas Bird Count Events

Get out and enjoy the wonderful fall weather on our upcoming Bird Walks (December 8 & 16). On December 8, we will meet at the Ohlson Rec Center at 9:00 am, with a Christmas Bird Count (CBC) organizational meeting to follow. Open to all levels of birders. Also, save the date for the CBC on December 28 and join us in identifying and counting the extensive birdlife here on the Ranch. All levels of birders are welcome – we need spotters, scribes and leaders. More details to follow.

TSRA and TSR Water Company Offices Closed

Date: Friday, December 13
Time: 10:30 am to 5:00 pm

The Sea Ranch Association and Water Company offices will be closed Friday, December 13 from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm for a staff event.

Trail Maintenance and Closures

A section of Bobcat Trail north of trail post (TP) 202 and the entire Pilot’s Reach Trail are temporarily closed for repairs.

Post and Parcels

The winter holiday season means more cards and packages. Check the Post + Parcels section on the Resources page of the TSRA website for helpful info.

Archives Committee Meeting

Archives Committee Meeting
Date: Thursday, December 5
Time: 3:00 to 4:30 pm
Location: In-person at Del Mar Hall Room 1 or online via Zoom.

Meeting information is available on the Association website.

Utilities Committee Meeting

Utilities Committee Meeting
Date: Saturday, December 7
Time: 10:00 am to Noon

Zoom login information is available on the Association website.

NSCVFA Christmas Tree Sale

North Sonoma Coast Volunteer Firefighter Association Christmas Tree Sale – Noble Firs
Date: December 7, 8, 14 & 15
Time: Noon to 4:00 pm
Location: North Fire Station, Highway One, Mile Marker 55.66

Pre-order and pre-pay on the NSCVFA website. Sea Ranch Supply, south end of Verdant View, will also offer some of the NSCVFA trees for sale.

Holiday Tea with Posh Squash

Date: Sunday, December 8
Time: 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Location: Covered deck at Shindig, 35590 Verdant View (near Sea Ranch Supply)
Cost: $50/adult, $10/children 18 or younger

You’re invited to join Posh Squash for our Mad Hatter’s Holiday Tea. We’re serving English sandwiches, holiday cookies, cider, tea and champagne. Special prizes for wearing creative holiday hats! Come learn about Posh Squash and spend an enjoyable afternoon with your neighbors. For more information and reservations, email Deb ([email protected]) or Cora ([email protected]).

Discus Learning Club

Date: Tuesday, December 10
Time: 5:00 to 6:30 pm
Location: Del Mar Hall

The Discus Learning Club invites you to join the December 10 meeting at Del Mar Hall, 5:00-6:30 pm. Carrol Mills will present “Remembering Port Chicago.”

Carol Sing at the Barn

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 4:00 to 5:00 pm
Location: Knipp-Stengel Barn

Join your friends and neighbors on Saturday, December 21, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm for our Annual Carol Sing. Hot cider and cookies are provided.

Photo Credits:1. Photo by Craig Tooley. 2. Photo by Craig Tooley. 3. Photo by J Kohari. 4. Photo by Craig Tooley.

If you would like your event or activity to appear as an InfoAlert, please submit your information to our online Request Form or email to [email protected].

Sea Ranch InfoAlerts

InfoAlert 10.30.2024

Photo by Craig Tooley.

Dear Members of The Sea Ranch Association,

On this Halloween eve, chill and rain that has come our way hints at winter ahead. While the blue sky, warm weather has been delightful, there is something comforting about the change of seasons as well. Perhaps it is the predictability. Perhaps it is thoughts of cozying up to warm fires and aromas of spices and goodness baking in the oven. Perhaps it is the wonder of Mother Nature’s great spectacle of migration – birds on the move.

In my family, the rain that we expect this week represents abundance and renewal. Top of mind is the great fortune we share in living amidst nature’s paradise and light that buffers us from so much of what is happening in the broader regional, state, national, and global contexts.

On a more tactical level – I hope you will consider learning about the Wastewater Sanitation Zone Workshop that our Board held this past Saturday. Please also consider taking part in the Archives Committee open house this coming Saturday – richness of The Sea Ranch heritage cannot be understated. Learn more below.

Have a wonderful rest of the week. Stay warm. Enjoy it all.

Thank you,
Menka Sethi
TSRA Community Manager

Photo from TSRA Regular Session Board Meeting.

TSRA Board of Directors Regular Session Meeting

The TSRA Board of Directors met on Saturday, October 26, for a regular session meeting. At the meeting, the Board adopted Res. 587 Changes to the Design Manual Sections 1 & 2; tabled Res. 574 Publishing Draft Airstrip Terms of Use and listened to member comments; adopted Res. 588 Changes to Sea Ranch Rule 1.2; amended and adopted Res. 589 Board of Directors Election Calendar; and adopted Res. 590 Approval of O’Toole Rogers, LLC, as the Inspector of Election for the 2025 Election Cycle.

Visit the Governance page to view the recording.

Photo from TSRWC Board Annual Meeting.

TSRWC Board of Directors Annual Meeting

The TSRWC Board of Directors met on Saturday, October 26, for the Annual Meeting. At the meeting, the Board adopted Res. 126 approving the 2025 Water Company Draft Budget; Res. 127 updates to TSRWC 30-Year Plan; Res. 128 pursuing transfer of Sonoma County Water Sanitation Zone; and Res. 129 conversion of the Tank 8 Debt Service Reserve fund into an interest-bearing ICS account.

Visit the Governance page to view the recording.

Photo from TSRWC Wastewater Sanitation Zone Workshop.

TSRWC Wastewater Sanitation Zone Workshop

The TSRWC Board of Directors met on Saturday, October 26, for a Wastewater Sanitation Zone Workshop which included an overview of the project’s history by Directors Plakos and Nevin, and presentation by the Utilities Committee.

Visit the Governance page to view the recording.

Photo by Bill Oxford.

Facilities Winter Hours

From November 3, 2024 – March 8, 2025, the pools and courts will follow winter hours:

Del Mar Pool & Courts: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Ohlson Pool & Courts: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Moonraker Pool: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Moonraker Courts: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Photo by Paul Kozal.

Soundings Fall 2024

In the Fall 2024 issue find interesting articles including:

Hedgerows part II
Keeping Sea Ranchers moving
911 Dispatch
Wandering and wondering
Rescuing Del Mar Schoolhouse
Why radio?

Archives Open House February 2024, photo by Ellen Rosenfield.

Archives Committee Open House

Date: Saturday, November 2
Time: 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Location: Del Mar House

Join us this coming Saturday, November 2, 1:00 – 3:00 pm at Del Mar House for a chance to view artifacts from our collection. Open house will focus on the schoolhouse project, the barn restoration, and pre-Sea Ranch history. Refreshments will be served.

Photo by Bianca Rose.

Voting

Date: November 2-5
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (November 2-4), 7:00 am to 8:00 pm (November 5)
Location: North Fire Station

The Presidential Election is coming up November 2-5. The Voting Center will again be at the North Fire Station on Hwy 1, adjacent to the Chapel. The Voting Center will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm November 2-4, and from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm on November 5. You can drop off your vote-by-mail ballot or vote in person. Please note that Daylight Savings Time ends on November 3. It will be dark in the parking lot after sundown so please bring a flashlight.

December Bulletin Submissions

Next Wednesday, November 6 is the last day to submit your articles for the December Bulletin.

Please submit your Bulletin articles through the Website Request Form. This form is always accessible from the Community page.

Bear Safety and Prevention

Please remind your neighbors and guests to keep compost, trash and recycling as secure as possible. For curbside trash pickup, wait until that day to leave bins outside. Please keep your animals leashed and only call Security in an emergency.

We encourage you to report bear sightings, upload photos, and review reported activity in your area. Bear photos are especially helpful in assisting with identification and tracking. This information is shared with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Del Mar Pool Temporary Closure

Del Mar Center Pool will be closed for regularly scheduled maintenance on November 12 -14. Del Mar locker rooms and saunas will remain open during that time.

Seasonal Hot Spot Closure

On Monday, November 4, the picnic tables, portable toilet and barbecue pits at the Hot Spot will be removed and stored until mid-May. The road will remain open until weather conditions necessitate a full closure.

Recreation Passes and Cancellations

A reminder to all members that a physical pass is required for each party entering a recreation facility. Temporary passes are available at the kiosk for $5 each.

For parties with pool or court reservations that are unable to attend, we ask that you cancel your appointment through tsra.org/book or call the pool kiosk directly.

Pool Kiosk Direct Lines:
Del Mar Pool (707) 785-1914
Ohlson Pool (707) 785-4863

Career Opportunities

The Sea Ranch Association is looking to fill the following full-time roles: Director, Facilities & Resources; Architectural Design Associate; Director of Environmental Planning and Design; and Water Operator. To view other job openings at TSRA, visit our careers page.

Skaggs Springs Road Closure

Stewarts Point / Skaggs Springs Road Postmile 10.00-14.50 will be closed from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm until November 1, as crews and contractors replace culverts, perform spot repairs and overlay the road. Detour is via Annapolis Road. A water truck will be staged on site to allow for quick road opening in an emergency, emergency vehicles will be allowed through. Learn more about evacuation routes on the Emergencies page of the TSRA website.

Archives Committee Meeting

Archives Committee Meeting
Date: Friday, November 1
Time: 3:00 to 4:30 pm
Location: In-person at Del Mar Hall Room 1 or online via Zoom.

Meeting information is available on the Association website.

TSR Bird Walk to Mill Bend

Date: Monday, November 4
Time: 9:00 am
Location: Pullout north of Gualala River bridge

The Sea Ranch Birding group invites everyone for a walk along the river and a visit to the uplands of Mill Bend Conservation Area with birding expert Rich Trissel. Meet 9:00 am on Monday, November 4 at the large pullout immediately north of the Gualala River bridge. Everyone welcome. Wear sturdy shoes and bring binoculars. No dogs, please.

Volunteer Celebration

Date: Saturday, November 9
Time: 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Location: Del Mar Hall

We will announce the 2024 recipient of The Community Spirit Award. This year’s event will include a special recognition for Lu & Maynard Lyndon who have contributed so much to our lives here. Come join us for this catered event for savory and sweet bites, wine and more. There will be a group photo at 3:45 pm.

RSVP to [email protected], deadline extended to Saturday, November 2.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Date: Saturday, November 23
Time: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Location: North Fire Station

Zero Waste Sonoma is hosting an upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Collection on November 23. This event is available to residents of Sonoma County and appointments are required to prevent highway disruption. Visit the Zero Waste Sonoma website to sign up for an appointment.

Pilates Cancelled

Pilates class scheduled for Tuesday, November 5 & 12 from 9:30 to 10:30 am at Del Mar Hall will be cancelled. For more information about Pilates and other groups visit the Special Interest Groups page of the TSRA website.

Sea Rancher(s) of the Year Nominations

Formally established by the Board in 1971 and described in Board Resolution 114 (1997), this long-standing award is typically granted by the Board each year to a Sea Rancher who has made outstanding long-term and diversified contributions that help better the quality of life and the sense of community at The Sea Ranch.

Our preferred method of submission is through the TSRA website Nomination Form.

If you would like your event or activity to appear as an InfoAlert, please submit your information to our online Request Form or email to [email protected].

Sea Ranch InfoAlerts

InfoAlert 10.23.2024

Photo by Colleen Jansen.

Dear Members of The Sea Ranch Association,

Lots of TSRA work lies ahead this weekend including for The Sea Ranch Water Company. I hope you will tune into the Saturday meetings – along with the Board’s workshop on potentially assuming ownership of the wastewater (sewer) system that Sonoma Water currently owns and that The Sea Ranch Water Company currently operates.

It has been a fascinating week of nature-based conversations with members – I’m hearing about porcupines, Japanese mushrooms, gophers, and more. We are truly blessed with abundance here on The Sea Ranch. And fascination with the comet lingers – one member (Larry Anderson) wrote a poem that touched my heart and thanks to Larry for letting me share it with you here:

October Tuesday Night Comet
All the World sees the Same
What Unites us is Greater
Than what Divides Us.

Of course it would be The Sea Ranch – its people and nature – that continually serves as a reminder of all that is beautiful and good in life. Have a wonderful week ahead.

Thank you,
Menka Sethi
TSRA Community Manager

November 2024 Bulletin.

November Bulletin

n our November issue, find interesting articles including:

Community Manager: Our Community Voice
Trails Committee: To Bike or Not to Bike & Prescott Grove Dedication
Archives Committee: Archives Committee Open House
DCEM: State of the Stewardship Program

Photo from Finance Committee Meeting.

Finance Committee Meeting

The Finance Committee met on Saturday, October 19. If you would like to view a recording of that meeting, please visit the Finance Committee page for more details.

Photo by Bill Oxford.

Facilities Winter Hours

From November 3, 2024 – March 8, 2025, the pools and courts will follow winter hours:

Del Mar Pool & Courts: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Ohlson Pool & Courts: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Moonraker Pool: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Moonraker Courts: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Colleen Jansen.

Welcome Colleen Jansen to The Sea Ranch Association

The Association welcomes Colleen Jansen as Senior Director of Services & Communication. With decades of marketing, communications, operations, and leadership experience, she has dedicated her professional life to helping businesses grow by connecting people and ideas.

Before scaling electric vehicle charging infrastructure as the Chief Marketing Officer for ChargePoint, she did tours of duty in both startups and established companies including LinkedIn, Intuit, and Microsoft. Eager to expand her knowledge about what makes our coastal area unique, she looks forward to engaging with the community. When she is not working, she enjoys hitting the trails and spending time with the Harbor Seals.

Photo by Tracey Rose.

Salal Trail Reopened

Repairs to the Salal Trail between Leeward Road and Bluff Top Trail have been completed. The Salal Trail is now open.

Learning Doubles Tennis at the Del Mar Center Tennis Courts, Photo by Tempra Board.

Free Adult and Youth Tennis Clinic

Saturdays from 10:00 – 11:00 am at the Del Mar Tennis Courts, starting this Saturday, October 26. All levels welcome. We have racquets available to use if needed.

Led by Tennis Coach David Yager. Call 530-518-2122 for more information.

The Sea Ranch Water Company Wastewater Sanitation Zone Workshop

TSRWC Wastewater Sanitation Zone Workshop
Date: Saturday, October 26
Time: 9:45 am

Agenda and Zoom login information will be accessible from the Association website.

The Sea Ranch Water Company Board of Directors Annual Meeting

TSRWC Board of Directors Annual Meeting
Date: Saturday, October 26
Time: 11:45 am
Items on the agenda include:

Presentation, discussion and adoption of 2025 Water Company Budget
Presentation, discussion and adoption of TSRWC 30-Year Plan Update
Pursuing transfer of the sanitation zone from Sonoma Water to TSRWC

Agenda and Zoom login information will be accessible from the Association website.

TSRA Board of Directors Regular Session Meeting

TSRA Board of Directors Regular Session
Date: Saturday, October 26
Time: 1:00 pm
Items on the agenda include:

Adoption of Changes to Design Manual Sections 1 & 2
Publish Airstrip User Agreement
Adoption of Changes to Sea Ranch Rule 1.2
TSRA Board of Directors Election Calendar
Adoption of 2025 Inspector of Election Service Contract
Sea Ranch Connect Loan Payment Options
Roundtable discussion of Fire Insurance & Zone 0 Home Hardening
Roundtable discussion of Del Mar Resilience Center

Agenda and Zoom login information will be accessible from the Association website.

Skaggs Springs Road Closure

Stewarts Point / Skaggs Springs Road Postmile 10.00-14.50 will be closed from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm until November 1, as crews and contractors replace culverts, perform spot repairs and overlay the road. Detour is via Annapolis Road. A water truck will be staged on site to allow for quick road opening in an emergency and emergency vehicles will be allowed through. Learn more about evacuation routes on the Emergencies page of the TSRA website.

Come Steward Our Commons

Spring Meadow CLC Maintenance – Remove Overgrown Brush and Tree Saplings
Project ID: 9
Date: Through October 27
Location: Spring Meadow, view Project Map

The Spring Meadow stewardship opportunity will be available throughout October; dates will be scheduled to accommodate volunteers. To sign up, select the project you’d like to participate in from the stewardship map, note the project ID, and click the registration link and you’re ready to join your neighbors!

Volunteer Celebration

Date: Saturday, November 9
Time: 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Location: Del Mar Hall

We will announce the 2024 recipient of The Community Spirit Award. This year’s event will include a special recognition for Lu & Maynard Lyndon who have contributed so much to our lives here. Come join us for this catered event for savory and sweet bites, wine and more. Group photo at 3:45 pm.

RSVP to [email protected], deadline extended to Saturday, November

Sea Rancher(s) of the Year Nominations

Formally established by the Board in 1971 and described in Board Resolution 114 (1997), this long-standing award is typically granted by the Board each year to a Sea Rancher who has made outstanding long-term and diversified contributions that help better the quality of life and the sense of community at The Sea Ranch.

Our preferred method of submission is through the TSRA website Nomination Form.

If you would like your event or activity to appear as an InfoAlert, please submit your information to our online Request Form or email to [email protected].