Meet Bill Sirvatka!

Bill Sirvatka is a board member of the Bennett Valley Community Association, representing the Bennett Ridge area--and the Voice caught up with him recently to get some back story on his interesting life. You can find him helping out at our BV community meetings, tending his 40 fruit trees or steelhead fishing up on a river somewhere in the back country.

Bill’s love of the outdoors blossomed during his childhood in the South Bay, before there was a Silicon Valley, when the area was covered in fruit orchards. He joined the Boy Scouts, and eventually the youthful pursuits of camping, fishing, hunting, and rafting formed his lifelong love of wilderness.

Although his family wanted him to become a doctor, lawyer or a priest, Bill had different ideas, and obtained his Bachelor's degree in Zoology from Oregon State, and went on to earn his MBA at the College of Notre Dame. He spent 35 years in pharmaceutical sales, having all of Northern California and Southern Oregon as his territory.

In 1994 Bill was living in Rohnert Park. When he went in for a haircut one day, his barber revealed that he had a house for sale in Bennett Ridge. The 3-acre property immediately appealed to Bill and the deal was done—and he forthwith made improvements on the land, by planting a large fruit orchard, and getting his gardens to grow.

Early warning

Life changed for the entire Bennett Ridge Community when the firestorm hit in October 2017. “Like many of us who lost our homes we overcame the tragedy, but not without a lot of hard work and stress.  I’ve learned how to run a backhoe, excavator, swing a chainsaw and design a home.  All of this was on-the-job training” he says. Curiously, the fire took his house (and the homes of ~90 neighbors), but his orchard was spared. Like his neighbors, Bill had a scant 15 minutes to pack up and go, and it was a traumatic time for the entire community as the flames raced up through Annadel Park, and into Bennett Ridge.

The shared tragedy had the effect of uniting the Bennett Ridge community, and in 2018 they decided that an early warning system was needed. There was discussion of a siren, but ultimately with Bill’s able help, they settled on a radio relay structure with a repeater in Bennett Ridge, and individual radio sets in homes. Additionally, the system has a wider reach, being connected to other parts of Bennett Valley, Glen Ellen and Santa Rosa, so that a better, more nimble communication system is in place and at the ready.

Improving the environment

Spare time activities? “One of the joys I have is rescuing dogs.  I’m kinda partial to Great Pyrenees’ and I presently have two that keep me quite busy.  I also want to see the flora and fauna in this area return to normalcy.  I have a degree in Zoology and I’ve been trying to increase the population of butterflies, reptiles, birds and so forth by improving habitat.  When was the last time you saw a monarch?  I suspect the answer is rarely if ever.  Now I plant milkweed and flowers to help them along.  I have bird boxes and hummingbird feeders all over the place. They all need our help these days and humans have not been too kind to them.”

Giving back

Bill is a champion of public service, and feels that helping others is a calling in these times. “I try to give back to the community in some way.  I enjoy helping out the senior population whenever possible.  I get personal fulfillment from lending a hand or helping those in need as often as possible.  I like to share my “limited” knowledge with folks that encounter challenges and help lessen their load.”

As regards the BVCA, Bill thinks of himself as an ambassador for his Bennett Ridge community, a group which he has come to consider an extended family after the shared fire-related trauma and rebuilding efforts.

“I hope to see more folks stepping up to BVCA in some capacity to help out when they can.  We all have very busy lives and not much time to spare. Joining various groups, organizations or local community networks really makes an impact.  I’ve seen a few people who give so much and who carry such a large load these days. Any small gesture or effort goes a long way. I love seeing people jumping in to help.” 

Bill’s philosophy:

“Limit your mistakes, learn by them and try not to repeat them.  Live within your means and take risks when feasible.  I am grateful, content and have few regrets these days.  I live a relatively simple life and enjoy the simple pleasures that I encounter each day.”

Good advice from a thoughtful neighbor--thanks Bill!