The work party scheduled for November 21st has been canceled due to covid precautions, but we have a suggested replacement.

In these uncertain times the Firewise Committee is encouraging everyone to participate in a virtual work party by doing Firewise activities on their own property, from now through January. Then you can text your hours worked to Ken Schlief at 509-250-2908. You can also take a selfie of you and the work you did, and add it to the Ponderosa website. This will help us meet our requirements to be a Firewise Community, and make you and your neighbors safer. It will also make your forest healthier. Now is the best time to do thinning, limbing, and brush control without attracting insects to the trees. Rain and snow also make slash burning safer. Just be sure you have a burn permit and notify Rural 7 when you plan to burn. Join in! Be Firewise!

After further input from our members, the board changed the meeting date to the 2nd Monday of each month at 7pm.  Hopefully, more members will be able to attend.  The location will be posted on the bulletin boards and the website the week of the meeting as we find a permanent meeting place.  If you still cannot attend, please convey your concerns to a board member to be put on the agenda.  The annual meeting will still be held on Saturday.

The Board  will be meeting at The Grange, 228 E Darland, Goldendale at 9:00am the 2nd Tuesday of each month until further notice.  Please practice social distancing and wear a mask as required by State mandate.

"Fire In Paradise" is a 54 minute video that Carol Martin of the Firewise Committee got for our Firewise Education Day.  Since we can't have our education day, we found that the video is now available for free on PBS Frontline, at pbs.org/wgbh/frontline.  If you watch it, this will also help us meet our education goal for Firewise.  You can also put your time in the volunteer Firewise hours section on this Ponderosa website.  Now I thought, I've already seen the Paradise stuff.  But this video is very informative about many things including the need to make evacuation in a fire YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!  A great deal of effort and planning went into the Paradise evacuation plan, and it still was a disaster due to many factors including the speed of the fire, communication breakdowns, and choices by residents.  It is a very moving presentation.  I hope you will watch it.

 

I also looked up, and resigned up for Emergency Notifications from the Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management.  You can do this at klickitatcounty.org/249/emergency-management.  Click the red phone icon to register.  This will help you do part of the work to be informed.  Be safe.  Be Firewise.  Tis the season, and there are already major fires burning in the west.

MB