REDWOOD NEEDLES

Presented by the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Newsletter, The REDWOOD NEEDLES

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Remembering Moira Chatton

By Warren Watkins, Sonoma Group

Many of us knew Moira through the Sierra Club. In particular she was in our lives as long-time chair of the Land Use Committee of the Redwood Chapter Sonoma Group. As is typical of Sierra Club committees, members of our committee came together from different lives and parts of the county and met monthly or more often. Moira recruited many of these volunteers from individuals who expressed an interest and the time to play a role in improving land use throughout Sonoma County. An important, difficult, and often controversial task, and one that challenged even someone of Moira's strength and knowledge of the political system.

But the interaction of committee members reached beyond just the significant discussions, actions, letters, speakers, paperwork and monthly reporting on the issues of the day. Although Moira was flawless in her agenda and minutes, she allowed just enough personal exchanges and people bonding to allow the individuals to feel for each others' causes and assignments. She was very good, however, at bringing us back to the club tasks at hand. The meetings were very efficiently run, or we would get tired of the often unglamorous land use matters. She knew we would return each meeting knowing this!

We will miss Moira on the Land Use Committee. It was her committee. But even more so, we will miss her fighting spirit and instincts for doing the right thing for Sonoma County. And, in addition to our life with Moira in the Sierra Club, I think we all could relate to her long time struggle for life against her unfortunate medical history.

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