Facts, questions and conversations about the community we share

There is always a lot happening in and around Oakmont. Some subjects deserve more than a quick social media post or comment, so I’m going to try something new: Our Oakmont Community Up Close, a recurring Oakmont Observer feature taking a closer look at something that may be interesting, useful or worth discussing.

My plan is to write about one article each week, with a link to the Observer article posted on our independent community social media, Nextdoor, where the conversation can continue on both the Observer and Next . It’s an opportunity to slow things down, do a little more research and put useful information in one place.

Some weeks the subject may come from an OVA Board or committee meeting. What was actually decided? What wasn’t? What will something cost? What alternatives are being considered? How will it be paid for? A major project, financial decision or OVA policy can sometimes make much more sense when we pull together the documents and look at the details.

But Oakmont is much more than meetings, policies and finances.

We might look at wildfire preparedness and evacuation, Highway 12, development around us, health and aging, transportation, technology, caregiving resources, our pools and fitness programs, or something happening in Santa Rosa or Sonoma County that affects Oakmont.

Other weeks may simply be interesting or fun. What activities are residents discovering? Is there a club or program more people should know about? What can we learn from Oakmont’s history? Who is doing something interesting in our community? Where is a great nearby walk or day trip? And occasionally, where can we find a really good lunch?

A Closer Look

Whatever the subject, my approach will be fairly simple: ask questions, do some homework, use original and reliable sources whenever possible, and provide those sources so readers can check the information themselves.

That doesn’t mean everyone will reach the same conclusion. I wouldn’t expect us to.

That’s one reason I think the independent Oakmont Observer can complement official OVA communications. Independent local journalism gives us room to explore a subject in some depth. Independent community social media gives residents an immediate place to respond, add information, share their own experiences, ask questions and offer different points of view.

What Do You Want to Know?

This is the part I’m most interested in.

What would you like to know more about in our Oakmont community?

Maybe you heard something at an OVA meeting and want to understand it better. Perhaps there’s a financial decision or policy you’ve wondered about. Maybe there’s an activity you think deserves more attention, a local issue affecting Oakmont, or something you’ve noticed and wondered, Why do we do it that way?

And it doesn’t have to be serious. If there’s something interesting, useful or just plain fun that you think your neighbors would enjoy reading about, I’d like to hear about that too.

Post your questions, comments and ideas with this Observer article or on Nextdoor. All viewpoints are welcome. Some of those questions may become future Our Oakmont Community Up Close articles. Others may lead to a discussion, an answer from another resident, or a direction I hadn’t considered.

There is a lot worth knowing about the community we share. Let’s take a closer look.

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