• Joan Riback presented a short history of the FPA, with additions on the FPA Community Fund by Lucy Barnett Hardcastle, and the Website by Janet Zagoria, FPA webmaster. Raynetta also presented new state regulations on volunteers for 501-C-3 organizations to Max Broome.
• We then brainstormed ideas for the FPA moving into 2009. Here are ideas from this session:
• Work on who maintains the town square proposed by Orrin.
• Put bike racks in the new town square ( or at the trailhead) like the ones at the Golden Gate Academy of Science.
• Create more hiking and biking trails in Forestville, to appeal to hikers and bikers. Ex. behind El Molino High School, on Vine Hill Ranch (work with them to promote ecotourism, in their interests as well).
• Promote ecotourism (as Guerneville is doing). Consider bike huts for bikers who want to stay overnight?
• Tie the bike path to the proposed town square.
• Advocate transit pick-up in Forestville for the new smart train that was approved by voters!
• Work with Sonoma Land Trust and Land Paths to negotiate public access and trails. (David Beazlie has connections with Land Paths)
• Work with Rue Furch to help give a voice to West County.
• Involve Efren Carrillo in Forestville Town Meeting soon (to learn about our presence and concerns).
• Involve the Sonoma County Bike Coalition in helping us improve and develop safe bike paths (ex., wider bike lane on Covey, between downtown and the high school).
• Use models of Sebastopol and Cotati in developing a more environmentally and economically sustainable community.
• Develop community gardens and the “eat locally” movement! Apply for grants to become o model for this - tapping into federaL funds.
• Replace roofs with “green roofs,” vegetable gardens, habitat gardens, water-wise gardens, etc. (Ron Mitchell, a friend of Joan’s knows about applying for grants). Become a model for a small community going green!
• Promote local business: ideas for Speer’s to become profitable, support bulk retailing to avoid excessive packaging, possibly develop more “nightlife” in Forestville (since quarry trucks dominate the daytime scene Mon. - Sat.) — like a cafe open the the evening with music, or other venues.
• The Forestville Chamber of Commerce recently generated many ideas for downtown revitalization in a meeting at Mosaic. Address how existing groups can work together, and also involve groups who feel disenfranchised.
• Continue to brainstorm around money available in the Forestville Lighting District.
• Work with Caltrans to install pedestrian crossing with flashing lights downtown.
• Support the idea of moving #116 to River Road to alleviate quarry truck traffic? And still continue to have a county "scenic route" designation.
• Meet with Efren Carrillo on some of these issue to help him learn more about them.

Minutes by Anne Greenblatt, FPA Secretary