October 18th of 2023, was, and will always be, the worst day of my life. My family and I lost my middle son Robert Sterling, to what was deemed an accidental overdose of Fentanyl. His coroner report showed 10 times the lethal dose of this deadly drug, which is sweeping our country like an out-of-control wildfire.

Robert had been in a dedicated program of recovery for over 4 years and unfortunately had a relapse that would take his life. Robert was a local chef in Healdsburg and was passionate about world politics. He was looking into joining the World Central Kitchen to volunteer overseas helping in war torn Ukraine. Robert had plans, he had goals which will now remain forever unfulfilled.

The current Fentanyl epidemic raging across our country is taking at least 200 lives per day, each and every day.
Robert is one number, one drop in a sea of deaths, ours a family in a vast ocean of heartbroken families. He
mattered to me, he mattered to his brothers and sister. I cannot bring my son back so instead I am on a mission to spread awareness in his honor, to hopefully reach our youth before it is too late.

His face is currently on billboards in Sacramento and Stockton. He is also on a touring van called Angels Across America in the south of our country raising much needed awareness on this crisis. A brief glimpse to strangers driving past into our lives affected by this epidemic.

I will continue to reach out to educate others on this topic, as it is the top on my agenda to help with this very real problem. I can only hope that my efforts can save even one life, as I would not wish this pain onto another living soul or their families.

Please visit www.Robertsterlingfoundation.org for more information and resources on this important issue.
Follow my blog for daily posts on www.AGriefStory.com

Barbara Jane (Tichenor) Talmadge passed away on March 23rd, 2023 at the age of 98. She was born in Southern California in 1925 to George and Huldah Tichenor. In 1943 she married James Talmadge (nee Joseph Keaton) becoming the daughter-in-law of comedian Buster Keaton and spent many evenings playing bridge with him. While her husband was in training in the OSS in 1943 Barbara worked at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. Their first child arrived a few months before the war ended and by 1956, they had four children, Jim Talmadge (Elizabeth), Michael Talmadge (Rosemary), Melissa Talmadge Cox (Bill) and Mark Talmadge. She was preceded in death by her husband, James, her son, Jim and her grandson, Dustin.

Barbara was very involved with community events and her children’s education. Before PonyTail league existed, she was the 1st woman coach in Santa Monica Boy’s Little League. She was Vice President of the Assistance League of Santa Monica in the 60’s. When she and Jim moved to Lake Tahoe, she was the first woman Fire Commissioner and held the post for eight years. When they moved to the Santa Ynez Valley, she became a real estate broker and was president of the Santa Ynez Association of Realtors. This led to a position of State Director of the California Association of Realtors.

She loved the Sierra Nevada mountains and Jim and Barbara ran a resort in Tahoma, Lake Tahoe, for 10 years. Yosemite was also a regular vacation spot where her family camped when she was growing up. When she was 10, she pushed the ball of fire off Glacier Point for the firefall. Barbara loved to cook, and when she was 69, she applied for the position of cook at the May Lake High Sierra Camp in Yosemite and worked there for three summers. There she would live in a tent for 2 1/2 months cooking for 40 people twice a day without electricity and no fresh dairy products. All food and kitchen materials were brought up by mule to the camp at 9200’ in the Sierra Nevada. She spent many summers at Merced Lake High Sierra Camp where she became known as the Maven of Merced. When she made her Fiesta dinner workers from all over the high camps hiked miles to join in the revelry.
Barbara started playing tennis at the age of 11 and won her first tournament at age 13. She rallied with Billie Jean King, Rod Laver and Carol Graebner and was an official umpire for center court at the L.A. Tennis Club. She continued playing competitive tennis throughout her life and at the age of 77 she and her partner won the Super Senior Doubles Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells, CA. She continued playing until she was 86.

For the last 8 years she lived in Cloverdale with her daughter and family and made many friends in the community. She leaves behind her three children, eight grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She was dearly loved and will be missed by all who knew her.

The City of Cloverdale is taking critical steps to protect the Russian River Watershed and its water supply by initiating a Recycled Water Planning Study aimed at assessing the feasibility of producing recycled water for non-potable reuse, not used for drinking but for irrigation, industrial, and commercial purposes.

Improving Water Supply Resiliency with Recycled Water Feasibility Study

Cloverdale aims to improve the City’s water supply resiliency through the recycled water planning study. The project will assess the feasibility of producing recycled water at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant using advanced treatment processes to produce high-quality effluent that can be safely discharged into the environment and reused for non-potable reuse purposes, such as irrigation, commercial/industrial processes, or toilet flushing and thereby offsetting the use of potable water.

What Does the City Currently Do with its Wastewater?

The City currently receives and treats approximately 730,000 gallons of wastewater per day. After treating the wastewater sufficiently to ensure no harm is done to the surrounding environment or human health, the wastewater is discharged to ponds located adjacent to the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The treated wastewater, known as effluent, seeps into the soil and recharges groundwater.

What is Non-potable Reuse?

Non-potable reuse is reclaimed water not used for drinking, but safe for other non-drinking water purposes. The advanced treatment process involves a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes, that typically includes filtration, disinfection, nutrient removal and adsorption. The specific processes used in advanced treatment depend on the desired effluent quality, the type of wastewater being treated, and the intended reuse or discharge destination. Advanced treatment can be a complex and expensive process, but it is an important step in protecting public health and the environment by reducing pollution and conserving/offsetting potable (fresh) water resources.

How is the Recycled Water Study going to be Funded?

The City Council authorized and directed City staff to apply for a USBR WaterSmart Grant to cover a significant portion of the project planning costs. In addition, the City is pursuing a planning grant with the SWRCB. Together, the two grants could pay for most or all costs of studying the potential for recycled water for the City and the region. The City anticipates hearing back from the USBR this summer and from the SWRCB closer to the end of the year.

The City of Cloverdale is collaborating with other Sonoma County Cities through the Russian River Reuse Collaborative to reuse water in the region for resiliency and sustainability. Both Healdsburg and Windsor have already transitioned to advanced treatment processes at their respective wastewater facilities. This partnership helps the City be more competitive for federal and state funding opportunities.

Planning Project Milestones

The planning project is expected to have two major milestones, a Recycled Water Feasibility Study followed by preliminary engineering design.

Recycled Water Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study will include the following tasks:

1. Recycled Water Demand Assessment – estimating recycled water demand by identifying potential recycled water uses.

2. Treatment Facility Recommendations – identifying the recycled water treatment facilities needed to produce recycled water that meets all State standards

3. Distribution System Analysis – evaluating the most efficient layout and sizes of recycled water infrastructure, including pipelines, tanks, and pumps to serve recycled water customers

4. Construction Financing Plan and Revenue Program – determining additional funding sources for the construction and operation of the recycled water project

Preliminary Engineering Design

After completion of the Recycled Water Feasibility Study, preliminary engineering design will begin for wastewater treatment plant upgrades and the recycled water distribution system. During this stage, engineers will determine the appropriate treatment technologies and distribution system components based on the results of the feasibility study. Overall, the preliminary engineering design process for wastewater treatment plant upgrades and the

This is a tribute to our two amazing and beloved feline companions who brought us so much joy over the years. Though sent over the Rainbow Bridge, we honor and miss them and know they will forever perpetuate happiness.

Steele Holmes & Judy Skelton

Cooking with David Maciel

Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza
When the weather turns warm I love to fire up the BBQ. This teriyaki & bourbon marinaded beef flap meat steak tip is delicious and a sweet tangy treat. Even for those finicky eaters. Bon appétit.

Ingredients
• 1 Sirloin Flap Steak cut into 1 inch pieces
(Flank, tri-tip or sirloin steak can used as well)
• 2 Cups of your favorite Teriyaki Sauce
• ¼ Cup of Your Favorite Bourbon
• ¼ Cup of Mushrooms sliced
• 1 Yellow Onion sliced
• 1 Lemon juiced
• Parsley garnish
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Step 1 In a bowl or plastic seal bag, add sliced sirloin steak, teriyaki sauce, bourbon, mushrooms, onions, and squeezed lemon juice. Let marinate for 2-12 hours. Before pulling out to grill, make sure to strain meat & veggies to remove as much marinade juice as possible.

Step 2 Use some Cowboy Southern Style Hardwood Lump Charcoal to light fire and let burn for 10-15 minutes. Once Charcoal is white hot, push into one pile for direct grilling.

Step 3 Place cast iron wok with avocado or corn oil over fire 2-3 minutes before cooking to preheat.

Step 4 Add strained & marinated steak & veggies to wok and cook over high heat for 8 minutes or until the veggies have browned. Pull wok off grill and add steak back to grill grate to finish. Cook the steak until 115F for medium-rare. Let steak rest for 5-8 minutes.

Slice steak & top with salt, pepper, parsley, & grilled veggies.