I'm Still in California in my Mind!

I save up, that's what I do. I head out, have the Adventure, then head home. Inevitably, a week or 2 later I'll say to my husband (or self if I am solo journeying, which I frequently do), "What was that place we saw?" We'll scratch our heads, rack our brains, and if, only if, we are lucky we can pluck some proximity of the relative re-imagining or re-remembering of the place. Sad fact of aging.

But at the scene of the stumbled-upon, the curiosity is so intense, I just have to shout, "WAIT!" Peter knows by now, I am locked-on and despite a tight time table, despite an agreed upon destination, we must stop. Or else I will never, ever know and that would be just down-right cruel to the "Must know me" that the man has learned is what basically fuels my existence. I don't need to keep any of it, I don't own or control it, I just in the moment want to explore and in later moments learn about and know more. I can't help it, I really can't.

So there we were in Sonoma, California, which mostly looks like this:

We didn't have time to find its historic plaza, nor the interest to visit any of the bazillion wine orchards. We were literally driving thru. Unsure where the some 30-40k population is, but they weren't where we were, which was somewhere between here and there. We were hungry and finding food was proving a challenge on the road we were on, which I think was Arnold Dr. or CA 116.

 This little place was an odd duck. A mixture of things: roadside cafe, deli, and whatever else was attached on the side and in the back. Family-owned and hard to tell if they are Chicano or not. There was a mix of Anglo and brown-skinned folks and the food really was good.

Sonoma seemed to be a spread out valley that was filled with orchards, and in between were modest, working class homes and neighborhoods, then interspersed among the orchards= gated and obviously wealthier homes (orchard owners mayhaps). I wondered where the Indigenous peoples were. It was clear to me that the Mission period of conversion to Catholicism from Spanish rule days were observable in the Mexican homes, but I saw nothing that spoke to me of the Miwok, Pomo, or Wappo peoples that once inhabited this area. I know their numbers were severely diminished after the contact period with the Spanish and other European groups. I also knew some of the Mission-gobbling history, but was assimilation so great that they no longer exist? Some questions my curious mind asks just don't get answers and I have to let it go. Where's the historical society is always my next question when I find myself lost in a historical tizzy, but past journeys have proven how unavailable these places often are (operating on shoe-string budgets and open meager hours because there just aren't enough curious people around to fuel the expense of keeping them open).

Next a couple of quick examples of the neighborhood contrasts:

 I thought this was funky cool until you pull back and see...

...that ugly pole on the left that needs a swipe of some secret fob to allow entry in to ONLY the select few. Perhaps there is some sort of compelling reason for this, but I still think is silly and speaks volumes about the owners.

I didn't get pictures because mostly I was sleeping, but perhaps the "gaters" want to keep the race-car crowd away. This Sonoma racetrack is right on 116 and covers over 700 acres! We were just encountering the other-way traffic heading to a Fri. night something as we were heading back out of the valley and over to the Bay area. I direct you to this link for info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoma_Raceway

I also missed a shot of another curious place. It was called Hanna Boys Center and it was also a drive-by on Rt. 116 in Sonoma. It creeped me out, I couldn't figure out why. I wish I had captured the sign, it was something in the wording. Anyways, come to find out it is one of those "saver" places that redeems troubled (read most likely poor and brown-skinned) boys through faith (aka God/Christian dogma). Hanna Boys Center has been saving souls since 1945. Their Mission Statement goes somethng like this: Hanna Boys Center changes the lives of troubled, motivated youth through faith, education and caring.

Of course, once I read boys and faith-based my mind goes to, "Okay when and where was the scandal?" And yes of course there was. Here's the link:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2213641-181/hanna-boys-center-head-john

And if you don't go to the link, then I direct you to this paragraph from the page:

"Santa Rosa Bishop Robert Vasa said the diocese, which has made missteps in handling child sex abuse complaints in the past and paid millions of dollars to victims, followed church and legal requirements in Crews' case."

Creepy, right? I think of the famous CA Missions, and all of the "work" to convert, tame, torture, and bring into the fold they did over a period of hundreds of years (and all the sad stories from the Indigenous peoples told years later of the relocation and re-education schools these missions sent them to), and I think of so many other faith-based groups that are currently "warring" to keep the faith and I just don't get it. I really don't. Never did, never will. Period. Call me a pagan, call me a freak, but I don't need to put my faith into a superstitious box of manipulated stories from the past when I can just look all around me and soak in the beauty of nature and walk amongst the living, shaking hands and giving a smile to another human simply because I find joy in the shared knowledge that we are lucky to be a species capable of complex thought and have the ability to love and be loved back. 

But I digress. Or maybe not. For what happens when we as a a modern species of the genus Homo, or Homo Sapiens sapiens have mutations in our genetic makeup that produce less-than perfect people? A hot topic for a long time. And we know of the evils of Nazi thought or even Eugenics in our own country, but lets move off the malevolent and onto the benevolent. What do we as a society do with folks who are unfit or unable to fend, fight, oand/or adequately care for themselves? Why, of course we warehouse them. Well, we used to. And maybe we still do. Because remember earlier I mentioned making Peter do an abrupt stop somewhere in Sonoma? Well here is what we found:

 The pillar above caught my eye as did this view peeking in. We had already driven by what looked to be a campus and mistakingly thought we were near a college.

 There was this oddly regal approach to a stand-alone brick building at the end.

 The tree-lined Avenue was such a strange sight- a mixture of tall palm trees, with these Joshua tree relatives (they just must be, they look so similar, even though I knew we were not in the desert).

Some of the buildings looked like they should be in Switzerland or some other Nordic Country as a model community.

Others looked institutional chic right out of the 1960's and 1970's. Something akin to Bauhaus for California.

 This sprawling building looked like royalty residences, but the sign said Staffing Services, so it was a head-scratcher. Did they really need all that for staffing? The place must be huge!

So the story of the place that looks like a campus, model town, etc... is that it came here to serve California's "Feeble-Minded" a lovely moniker dolled out in the late 19th century by caring people. After all, that is what they did. They warehoused and cared. This particular warehouse opened in 1891, but the big earthquake took down the original and this one was then built as you can see from the pictures below.

That brick building was quite the monstrosity. When the original center opened it was to house 148 individuals. The origins for this place was from 2 woman who had children with developmental disabilities. The intent back then was to provide asylum and training so that the feeble-minded would have usefulness. Sometimes it was called a hospital, but the patients were sometimes called inmates. This place was the 3rd location of the home/hospital/asylum and it was no small affair: sited on a 1640-acre parcel which featured an ample water supply, drainage, and two railroad lines that passed through the property.

Over the years, the facility has expanded several times, including two major expansions: A thirteen million dollar expansion program was initiated in 1948, and another five million dollars was appropriated in 1956. The most recent renovation took place between 1979 and 1982, during which all the living units were renovated at a cost of about one million dollars per building, primarily to improve safety, privacy and individualized care.

It even has its own fire station! 

The center had at its height in population, 1,191 individuals in 1994 and currently is down to 430.

We saw nary a soul as we drove around the place. It was eerily empty of sound, or humans as far as we could tell, although there were cars parked in random places on the campus. 

Some of the architecture was funky, like this building which I liked.

And just look at the flora here- somebody had to do this upkeep, right?

Other places were showing some wear. This curio for instance, references the Santa Rosa Jr. College's Psychiatric Technician Program, but when I looked for info on it, I  could only find up to the year 2003. Here's a bit that they included: Sonoma Developmental Center has positions starting at approximately $12.00 per hour for students who intend to enroll in the spring class. In addition, they are offering sponsorships to employees of SDC. Licensed Psychiatric Technicians entry level salary is $3,548.00 per month!

Clearly other buildings were from a much older incarnation. I imagine as the doles shrunk, the buildings remained and just stood empty.

and still...some very pretty vegetation was to be found!

and those regal palace-like places. I was just dying to know what they looked like inside.

Now just look at all that they do! Why they even added competency training at the end. What it all meant was lost to me. I think it was lost to others as well. For as I researched, I came upon these headlines:

"Troubled Sonoma Developmental Center loses federal funds"

"Sonoma Developmental Center stripped of federal funding"

Something was fishy here. Stripped of Federal Funds is serious penalties.

Such a pretty building, it was sad to learn of this awful state of affairs. Here is a link to one article:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2435006-181/sonoma-developmental-center-stripped-of

The opening paragraph says it all:

The Sonoma Developmental Center could lose millions more in federal funding for one of the facility’s main care units after state officials Friday announced broader penalties related to the deficient care of disabled clients, including allegations of abuse.

Who cares if it is sort of cool art deco lettering on the modern architecture building, these people are in deep doo-doo.

I somehow don't think sticking one lonely heart out is showing that you care. However, by Aug. 13, 2014 the Center responded as this headline attests:

Sonoma Developmental Center fights decertification plan

Some of this stuff was incredible. State health officials are seeking to decertify seven of the 11 units within the center’s intermediate care facility, where clients are treated for ailments ranging from traumatic brain injuries to disorders that cause them to eat inappropriate things.

BUT says the executive director:

Karen Faria, the center’s executive director, formally notified the California Department of Public Health that she is appealing the agency’s proposed action, stating in an Aug. 8 letter to the state agency that the center has made “major improvements” caring for clients.

In her letter, Faria cited an “extensive retraining program” AHA! That must be the reason for that added sign up above for "Competency Training."

More snip-it's bespoke major problems here:

"Last year, the health department identified numerous threats to patient safety at Sonoma, decertifying four facilities and requiring it to implement a improvement plan or face further decertification."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article2604948.html#storylink=cpy

"...further clouding the troubled institution’s future..."

"failed to meet compliance standards set by the California Department of Public Health in 2013 following a series of published scandals involving patient mistreatment and bungled care."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article2604948.html#storylink=cpy

Just look at that lovely sign, right!?! I don't think so! In fact one of the citations was: 

"deficiencies cited by the review panel ranged from exposing developmental center clients to environmental hazards, such as an overgrown bush outside a day program that swarmed with bees"

After learning all of the aforementioned, it made this sign seem sooooooooo IRONIC!

and this innocuously labelled building seem INCREDIBLY FRIGHTENING!!! 

"State health officials revoked the center’s certification after a 2012 survey and licensing review revealed 57 deficiencies, including four cases of “immediate jeopardy” to patient health and safety. The immediate threats included instances of patients being abused by staff or one another, a staff member exposing himself, and staff allowing a patient to ingest food against medical advice."

So it is in horror that I reflect back on this innocent left turn and that damned curious mind of mine. We were on our way to meet the spirit of another of my long-held oddly compelling idols, Jack London. We were minutes from his ranch, his sanctuary, his death place. He too then must have driven by and had a curious mind. Wondering what he thought, I went to the short stories, of which my husband had dwelled, but I myself had not, I taught his novels, ones that had become classics, "Call Of the Wild," and "White Fang." I was looking forward to collecting London's "The People Of the Abyss" so I could bring it home and set it right smack in the middle of Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives (1890), and Orwell's Down and Out in Paris (1933). Fodder for my fascination on those who walked and talked and lived amongst the poor folk of the world. 

I wasn't expecting Sonoma Developmental Center, The place similar to the one I volunteered in and helped shut down back home.  The place of not one, but four names: In 1909, the name was changed from the California Home for the Care and Training of the Feeble Minded to the Sonoma State Home. In 1953, Sonoma State Home became Sonoma State Hospital; and in 1986, the name was changed to Sonoma Developmental Center. 

I was shocked then when I found London's short story, "Told in the Drooling Ward" written in 1914 as a narrative told from the point of view of a self-styled "high-grade feeb." 

Here it is for you:

http://london.sonoma.edu/Writings/TurtlesTasman/ward.html

Some other day I'll return to Glen Ellen and muse on my muse. But not today. I am drained. I still have California on my mind, but it's now a troubled mind.