Margaret Pennington
Redwood Chapter Chair

Although you'll be reading this in December, I'm writing as Thanksgiving approaches. In that spirit I'd like to say thanks to the many volunteers who keep our Chapter and Groups humming along. I don't have space to list all the names, but as you flip through the pages of the Needles you'll see many of the people who contribute time to Sierra Club's local efforts to protect the environment. Special thanks to everyone who has offered to run for positions on our Chapter and Group Executive Committees. I hope you will read the candidate statements and then cast your ballot in our local Club elections.

I think you will notice in reading through this issue of the Needles that Sierra Club volunteers have been quite busy over the last few months. The point I'd like to make is that at the local level we really do run on volunteer power. Often when an environmental issue comes to the forefront, people will look around and ask, "Where's the Sierra Club?" Or even say, "Why isn't the Sierra Club doing more on this?" Often the answer is that many volunteers are already doing double time so when a new, often unforeseen, environmental concern turns up our volunteer ranks can sometimes get stretched pretty thin. But, the good news is this - if you ever have those thoughts yourself, that's the perfect time to pick up the phone, call our office or call someone listed in the Needles and say, "Hey, I'm wondering if you need some help. Is there anything I can do?" The answer will undoubtedly be YES!!!!!

National Purpose, Local Action

currently operating with an eye toward determining what is working, what is not, and how best to move forward in 2004 with the strongest grassroots Sierra Club ever. A specific target will be to double the number of active Club members by November 2004. I bet you can guess the significance of November, 2004!

Yes, 2004 will be a critical political year in terms of countering the assault on environmental protections coming most especially out of Washington D.C. Sierra Club will be joining with numerous other organizations to "Stop Bush". You'll be reading more about this campaign in future Needles, but if you're interested in getting involved at the beginning of our Chapter "Stop Bush" planning process please call our office or feel free to contact me.

I'd like to extend one more thank you to our email alerts list members who helped with our get out the vote phone bank just prior to the October election. We didn't turn the tide of the statewide results in the recall, but perhaps we contributed a bit to the North Coast says No phenomenon. Right now it's kind of "wait and see" how the new Governor will weigh in on environmental matters. Bill Magavern's election report gives a rundown of Sierra Club thinking on this. One message that turned up in my email inbox recently contained an apt summary of the new Governor's environmental appointments to head up Cal EPA which include a respected environmentalist, a Pacific Lumber public relations director and a Resources Department appointee under former Governor Pete Wilson. The email read: Looks like "the good, the bad, and the predictable." It's going to be an interesting next year in California.