Neighborhood News News... · buddies. The 70’s saw Marvin in Colorado with his movedpartner...

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Neighborhood NewsThe Burbank Gardens Neighborhood Association encourages neighborhood participation by working to maintain the historic value, beauty, safety and diversity of our neighborhood. We collect, organize and distribute information pertinent to all residents and provide a unified voice to the City.

Burbank GardensBurbank Gardens

Neighborhood NewsSpring 20�4

A Special Thanks to the Peacepipe Smoke

Shop for their generous donation to the Triangle

Park Project.

Do you miss seeing Marvin, thetall, black man pushing a mowerdown the block, jacket, gas can,brownbagontop?Marvindied.HewasamonthinSantaRosaMemorialHospital,passingawayNovember3,2013.Heissurvivedbyhismother,brother, two sisters, four children,nine grandchildren, and one greatgrandchild.Hehadbeenaresidentof Burbank Gardens since the late1990’s. Marvin Butler was a sharp,politicallyastuteman,wholovedtalkradio.Marvinwasalsoanalcoholic.WhatwasMarvin’srealstory?Thatdepended with whom you spoke.

He was a gifted image painter andstoryteller.Eachofustookawayapicturebywhichtorememberhim.Theonepersonthatknewhimwellwas his life-long friend, Mark, aresidentofGualala. MarkandMarvinmetinthe60’sasstudentsatPolytechnicHighSchoolin the Haight-Ashbury district ofSan Francisco. The boys, caughtupinthemoment,becamedrinkingbuddies. The 70’s saw Marvin inColorado with his partner startingand raising a family. Mark joinedthem. Marvin and Mark workedtogether, mostly in the buildingtrades with a cattle-branding event

thrown in. Marvin was skilled incarpentryandelectrical. Inthe80’s,MarvinandhisfamilymovedtoSanClemente.Markhadalready returned to the Pt.Arena /Gualalaarea.Bythattime,Marvin’sdrinking had progressed. He left

www.BurbankGardensNeighbors.webs.com www.facebook.com/BGNApage

The Enigmatic Marvin Butler

Continued Page 3

Triangle Park Project Starts Under Adverse Conditions The goal of the BGNA Triangle Park Project is to create a beautiful, floral-rich, draught-resistant green space on the City property we adopted in 20��. We have two major objectives:• To reduce or eliminate the weeds that grow there naturally due to poor maintenance and to replace them with flowering indigenous plants.•To beautify this half-acre of land

which serves as a major entrance to our neighborhood. The BGNA Triangle Park Committee determined the final landscape design after solicitation of ideas from neighbors and community members. No walkways or benches were included since the ADA requirements were too much for us to address at this time. There is no water or electricity to the land.

We decided that concentric circles of bulbs surrounded by California native shrubs and ground covers were the best choice.

Continued Page 5

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BGNApage

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Burbank GardensNeighborhood AssociationPOB 30��Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Board:Bob Ruiz, ChairDennis Keeffe, TreasurerLaura Fennell, SecretaryMJ MurphyIsaac Kuster

Our Website:BurbankGardensNeighbors.webs.comBob Ruiz, Webmaster

Our Newsletter:Editor Bob [email protected]

Preferences for Submissions to theNewsletter and the Website:Microsoft Word, PC or MacTimes �2 pt.JPG pictures

The Editor and the Board reserve the right to edit articles for content or length.

Newsletter Distributors:Melinda McCullough, Donna Wells, Susan Church, Carrie Kwasnik, Dennis Keeffe, M.J. Murphy, Sonia Torre, Gig Hitao, Sara Ann Larson, Linda Alonso, Pia Hamilton, Laura Fennell, Bob & Kathrun Parker, Bob Ruiz, Calvin Willis, and Isaac Kuster..

Police Non-Emergency(Suspicious Activity): 528-5222Gang Hotline: 543-4264Graffiti Hotline: 543-3499Homeless Center: 525-0226Pet Spay/Neuter: 579-SPAYPot Hole Hotline: 543-387�Public Works (Streets, Lights): 543-388�Animal Control: 565-7�00

Important City Numbers:

The BGNA Board has a Neighborhood News and Information Email List. The List is used to communicate to neighbors about crime and suspicious activities in our neighborhood, as well as community events and meetings that effect us. The List is not shared. To be on the List, please email the Board Chair, Bob Ruiz, at:

[email protected]

Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/BGNApage

Neighborhood E-News and Information

All Official BGNA communications, including, but not limited to, emails, the Website, the Facebook Group, and the Newsletter and other flyers, contain the logo (at left) and the name “Burbank Gardens Neighborhood Association.” Since the BGNA is an Unincorporated Nonprofit Association registered with the State of California, anyone using the name or logo of the Association, without permission,

is subject to legal action by the State under the California Corporations Code and/or civil litigation by the BGNA. Any communication that purports to be from the Association and does not include these, could be suspect. s

Look for the BGNA Name and Logo

The 20�4 BGNA Board Members:

Bob Ruiz: Board ChairTeacher, Photographer

Laura Fennell: Board SecretaryRealtor, Century 2�

Dennis Keeffe: Board TreasurerRetired

MJ Murphy: MemberOwner, Roadrunner Express

Isaac Kuster: MemberConstruction Inspector

There are currently two openings on the BGNA Board. Board positions are volunteer, and we meet 3-4 times a year. Our mission is to distribute information to the residents of the neighborhood through Newsletters, email, our website and our Facebook Group. We sponsor two major events annually: The Community Meeting and the Summer BBQ. In addition, we assist in the distribution of information about the Yard & Plant Sale. Our major project for this year, and probably for a few years to come, is the Triangle Park Improvement Project. If you are interested, please send a Letter of Intent (your reasons for joining the Board) and a brief bio to Bob Ruiz at:

[email protected]

BGNA Seeks Board Members

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Marvin(Continued from Page One)

What You Don’t Know About Your Appliances Could Kill You

his family and joined Mark on thecoast.Duringthelate80’sandearly90’s, Marvin lived near Mark andhad a number of sober years as amemberofAA. Mark’s son, Jake,remembers him fondly as someonefuntobewith,someonewhocaredaboutkids. Mark tells thestoryofMarvintakinghisownkids,baitandcrabnet,downtotheSanFranciscodocks, on public transportation, tocrab. MarvinlovedthecoastandMark’sland, but try as he might he couldnot escape his addiction. In themid-90’s,hecametoSantaRosatoa rehabilitation center and workedwithin that program. In the end,apparently,hegaveup.HecametoBurbankGardensaround that time.He lived at a number of propertiesovertheyearsandworkedformanyofus.Hemowedourlawnsandput

spaces with louvered doors for makeup air. But in our old houses the situation might be quite different. For example, my house is an absolute recipe for disaster. My water heater is at floor level in a powder room in the back of the house. The powder room is connected to a mud/laundry room that was added on to the original house sometime in the 50’s give or take. So in my situation, if I have my dryer running and the door to the outside and

trash out on pick-up day for thosewhopaidhim.Marvin,allthroughhislifehadastrongworkethic.Hecould always find a job or create one.HelovedBurbankGardens. Marvin had a great sense ofhumor. Mark had a card taped onhis refrigerator sent from jailonce:“Love you all – Wish you werehere!” Mark asked Marvin howhewouldknowwhenMarvindied.Hesaid,“WhenI’mdead,I’llwakethe next morning and tell you.” Itdidn’tquiteworkthatway.Marvinwouldhave the last chuckle. Withno contact information available,hisadventuresafterdeathtookonalife of its own. After being shuffled from freezer to freezer, his bodywaspluckedfromacountypauper’sdisposal at the 11th hour, by thelocationofhisfamily. MarkfashionedaredwoodboxforMarvin’sashes.Atthistime,Marvinresideswithhis friend in the forestheloved.Mayhistroubledsoulbeatpeace.s

Most of us probably don’t spend much time thinking about our water heaters or clothes dryers. But they deserve our attention because if not installed properly or in the correct conditions, they could be the deadliest items in your house. Gas fired appliances such as furnaces, water heaters and dryers require a source of combustion air in order to function properly. Providing adequate combustion air is usually not a problem unless the appliance is installed in a small, confined space in tight construction that does not allow outside air

to communicate freely with the space in question. When appliances are installed in these tight spaces, an air inlet needs to be provided through the floor, attic or wall to the outside air. If something causes these appliances to not vent their spent fuel gases to the outside air, the consequences can be deadly. To put it bluntly, spent fuel gases that contain carbon monoxide (CO) can creep inside your house and kill you in your sleep. In modern home construction, water heaters are installed in garages, furnaces are installed in attics and dryers are installed in

by Isaac Kuster, BGNA Board Member

Isaac is a certified building inspector and plans examiner. He currently works as a construction inspector on public school projects under the jurisdiction of the State Architect. Feel free to email him with any permit related or home construction/repair questions you may have: [email protected].

Continued Page 7

We have a gem of a shop in the neighborhood. I recently had a sewing crisis and Jim, at Parkside Sewing Centre, immediately solved it for me. It’s great to have such wonderful people in the neighborhood.

Jeanine Gray - on The Avenue

From the Neighborhood:


TheCityofSantaRosaismovingclosertotakinglegalactionagainst653WheelerStreet.Asreportedinourlastnewsletter,theCityrecentlyreceived a grant to deal with highprioritycodeenforcementcases. According to one source closeto theCodeEnforcementDivision,653 Wheeler is at the top of theCity’s priority list of cases. Thehouse has been uninhabited forconsiderabletimeandhasbecomeahavenfortrespasserswithcriminalintent, an extreme fire hazard and a publichealthhazardingeneral. In as soon as a few weeks,AssistantCityAttorneyMikeCaseywillpetitionthecourtstoplacethe

property into receivership.While itishighlyunlikelythatthecourtwilldenythepetition,resolvingthecasewill likely still take a considerablelength of time. Mr. Casey willrecommend the court assign areceiver to administer the propertytoapointwhereitmaybeauctionedofftothepublic. This won’t happen overnight.Sixmonthsisareasonableballparkestimate for this typeofprocess tobecompleted. It’s important to note that theCityalwayswantsacaselikethistoendwell.Nooneat theCitywantstotakeanyone’srealestatepropertyawayfromthem.

by Isaac Kuster, BGNA Board Member

During the receivership period,the owner of the property willalwayshave theopportunity topayall feesdueandmakeagood faitheffort to restore the property. It’salso important to note that once areceiver is appointed to administerthe property, his/her primary goalwill be to execute all possible duediligence to contact and work withtheownerofthepropertytobringitintocompliance. If and when all efforts areexhausted, thereceiverwillpresenthis/her findings to a judge and the property could then be cleared forsaleatapublicauction.s

City to Move Forward on 653 Wheeler Street

Isaac is a certified building inspector and plans examiner. He currently works as a construction inspector on public school projects under the jurisdiction of the State Architect. Feel free to email him with any permit related or home construction/repair questions you may have: [email protected].

The City of Santa Rosa’s Art in Public Places Program has selected a consultant to develop its Public Art Master Plan. Todd W. Bressi, partnering with Via Partnership and The Planning Center| DC&E, has entered into a Professional Services Agreement with the city for consulting services. Managing the project for the city is Arts

Coordinator, Tara Matheny-Schuster, partnering with the Sonoma County Museum.The National Endowment for the

Arts (NEA) announces 80 Our Town grant awards totaling $4.995 million and reaching 44 states and the District of Columbia. The City of Santa Rosa’s Arts Program is one of the grantees and will receive $50,000 to fund the development of a Public Art Master Plan.

In 20�0 the Santa Rosa City Council approved a new ordinance permitting Street Performers in Santa Rosa! Permit applications are available online and at the Finley Community Center. Permits are free, and you must apply in person at the Finley Community Center with a photo ID. s

Tara Matheny-SchusterSanta Rosa City Arts Coordinator(707) 543-45�2 [email protected]


Triangle Park Project

Thank You to the Volunteers Who Helped with Triangle Park:

Karen & Wesley SummerfieldSteve MillerGerhardt Gasner for the use of his truckTracy Perish, her son and her fatherCarlos and his childrenGloria for the use of her hoseThe BGNA Board

. . . and so many other anonymous neighbors!

14th Annual Burbank GardensYard & Plant Sale

It’s time again for us to do some Spring cleaning, come together as a neighborhood, and make a little extra money selling our wares and plants in the comfort of our own front yards.

Saturday, May 3�, 20�48 am to 4 pm

Save the Date:Annual

Neighborhood BBQ

Sun. Aug. �7, 20�4

From Page 1

Little did we know that the worst frost in 20 years would be accompanied by the worst drought in 30 years. In November, we planted 400 bulbs, enough wild flower seeds for 4 acres on the half-acre plot, and �35 native shrubs and ground covers—most of them Spring flowering. We

watered in November and again in December using garden hoses connected from the houses across the street. But, it was dry. Volunteers pulled or mowed the weeds in January and again in March. The daffodils and tulips bloomed in February and March, and most of the shrubs lived, barely. Some of the

wildflowers, mostly poppies, have begun to bloom, but they struggle among the prolific weeds. It’s a work in progress and a community project that will continue for many years. Thank you to the City of Santa Rosa for their CAB Grant to get it started, and to all of the volunteers. s


Recent Home Sales in Burbank Gardens:636 Pine Street ��66 sq. ft. on .�� acre lot 3 bedrooms, 2 bath $295,000 (sold)626 Pine Street �204 sq. ft. on .�6 acre lot 2 bedrooms, � bath $297,000 (sold)725 Mill Street �036 sq. ft. on .�� acre lot 2 bedrooms, 2 bath $357,500 (sold)628 Mill Street �437 sq. ft. on .�� acre lot 4 bedrooms, 2 bath $38�,000 (sold)

lic#: 833902General ContraCtor

Bobcat Tractor • Dump Truck

Jack Cabot

707.546.1820Cell: 707.548.5200

414 South A. StreetSanta Rosa, CA 95401

[email protected]

Real Estate Report: “Historic” Sells in Burbank Gardens Neighborhood

As the Burbank Gardens top selling realtor, I wrote this article to give you the tools you need to make your home “be all that it can be” and sell for top dollar when the time is right. The past couple of years, Burbank Gardens has become one of Santa Rosa’s most sought-after neighborhoods. Multiple offers are commonplace now and those homes that highlight the vintage feel sell for much more than those homes in which the vintage touches have been removed or modernized. Flooring: Whenever possible, keep those vintage wooden floors. Refinishing is far less expensive than new floors and are far more historically correct. If your floors can’t be saved, check out reclaimed wood option. My floors on Oak Street could not be saved. Heritage Salvage installed wood floors from an 1800’s building. The floors are historic, add real character and were a fraction of what new floors would cost.

Windows: The double-hung wood sash windows are great. If you are worried about lost heat or energy issues with single pane windows, consider storm windows. They

can be built for a fraction of the cost of replacement windows and keep the historic look and feel of these charming homes. Bathrooms: When remodeling think, about the historic-style fixtures and details. Most companies now have product lines based around these historic homes. Even a new, low-flow pull-chain toilet can be purchased as one neighbor on Oak Street has done.

Kitchens: Don’t be afraid to keep those historic wood cabinets. Refinishing and painting go a long way as do very clean lines with your kitchen hardware. Feel free to express yourself with a sunny warm color and tile.

Yards: Keep them clean and manicured. Always look at your home the way a buyer would look at it, even if you are not yet in the market to sell just yet. It increases the value of your home and the homes around yours.

An Oak Street home valued at $340,000 sold for $385,000 last November of all months, traditionally a slow sales time of year. My team came in, refinished the

wood floors, painted the interior, added new bathroom fixtures and subway tile. They pulled weeds, cleaned the yard, we re-grouted the tile in the kitchen and added a vintage black and white checkerboard flooring. Less than $9,000 was spent and yet $45,000 was gained in the sale value of the home. With multiple offers, the home sold for far more than it would have had the home been left in the condition when I first evaluated it. We were able to make small changes that kept the vintage feel and that increased price. Prospective buyers appreciated the “historic” details. If you have questions about your home, feel free to call me 707-327-6708. I can help you choose what will help your home be all that it can be. Even if you’re not looking to sell right now, making the best decisions will help you in the long run. s

by Laura Fennell, Century 21 Real Estate, BGNA Board Member


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Our Website: www.BurbankGardensNeighbors.webs.comOur Facebook: www.facebook.com/BGNApage

the door to the kitchen are closed, the only place for the dryer to draw makeup air from is through the water heater vent. If the water heater is on at the time, carbon monoxide will be drawn inside the room instead of venting to the outside air. Lucky for me this is the kind of thing I think about all day long. The other little secret that makes my situation better than it sounds is that my windows and doors are so old they have gaps that allow air to fl ow freely. But don’t count on your air gaps. Make sure all your fuel burning appliances have adequate combustion air and makeup air for dryers that suck air out of a room. Kitchen stove hood vents also suck air out of your house and if the space is small enough and the fan is powerful enough and you have a water heater inside your house, it too could pull water heater exhaust inside your house. Modern hood vents have back-draft dampers that only allow air to be pushed out but not drawn back in. In my case, not having a back-draft damper is a good thing because it is the easiest place for make-up air to be drawn into the house when the dryer is on (aside from the leaky windows and doors).

On dryers: Be sure to check your dryer exhaust vent outlet monthly. Check it while the dryer is running. Make sure it isn’t clogged with lint. The outlet on the side of the house should have a spring-loaded damper. The damper should open freely while the dryer is running and close completely when not. A broken, missing or loose dryer damper is not good. Animals can enter the vent and make nests. Clogged dryer vents are one of the leading causes of residential fi res each year. Fortunately in our old houses, most dryer vents go directly to the outside air through an exterior wall. That’s good, the shorter the better. Vertical vents and vents that travel through attics or under fl oors are especially dangerous. A good habit to have is to never run the dryer when you’re not home. Don’t ever set the dryer for 50 minutes and go out to run errands. Hundreds of residential fi res in the U.S. start this way. On water heaters and furnaces: It is imperative that fl ue vents on water heaters and furnaces be installed correctly. If you look at the top of your water heater you’ll see an air gap between the water heater and the bottom fl ange of the fl ue vent. This air

gap has to be there in order to allow air from inside to push the exhaust out, but if the vent doesn’t function properly, this is where dangerous fumes will enter the house. The vent termination has a cap on it above the roof to keep rain and birds and the atmospheric pressure out in order to create negative pressure so that the exhaust fumes are forced out by the pressure differential. Do not ever remove a cap from a water heater or furnace vent. With the outside air pressure pushing down the open vent, exhaust will not escape properly and dangerous fumes will seep out into the room. In parts of the country with high snowfall, vents are required to be terminated much higher above the roof because snow build-up can block vent caps from the outside air. This is why free fl ow of combustion air, makeup air and proper installation are crucial. If you do have a furnace or water heater inside your house, buy a carbon monoxide detector/alarm at any hardware store and plug it in somewhere low between the appliance and the bedrooms. You want the detector to alarm before any carbon monoxide reaches the sleeping rooms. s

AppliancesFrom Page 3

For info about what’s happening around the City go to: http://www.srcity.org/communityengagement


Some Agentsmarket to the

Burbank GardensNeighborhood.

Why Not ChooseA Realtor who lives here and

knows the value ofthis great neighborhood?

Why not choose

(707) 327-6708Realtor

Laura Fennell

Callmetodiscussyouroptions.

First-timebuyer?Nowisagreat

timetobuy!

Stoprentingandbuildequity.

CallmetodayforaFREE

HomeEvaluation.

BurbankGardenstoprealtor,yearafteryear.

Resultsdon’tlie!

Thank You for Supporting Our Local Businesses

Volunteer Opportunities:

We invite you to join the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens Volunteer Association. We have opportunities for the Gift Shop and Gardeners. You’ll meet and work with many interesting Volunteers as well as greet thousands of visitors from all over the world. For more information and to apply online go towww.LutherBurbank.org, or call the office at 524-5445.

Luther Burbank Home & Gardens

Tour Season Opens: April 1

Upcoming Events:

Lecture Series:Neighborhood Watch - June �2Prince Memorial Greenway - Aug. �4Container Gardening - Sept. ��

Mother’s Day Plant Sale:Sunday, May ��0:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Midsummer Garden Tea“A Mad Hatter Tea Party”3:00 – 6:00 PMSaturday, July �9Tickets: [email protected]

Plant Cart Dining with Daisies

Neighborhood News News... · buddies. The 70’s saw Marvin in Colorado with his movedpartner...

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