The company serves as a non-profit entity with the purpose of operating the water infrastructure that delivers water to each of the 63 members in our community.

A few of the folks who are rebuilding their homes will remember the large sign, made of sections of 4x12 timber, that stood at the entrance to our neighborhood. Next to it was a three-sided log shelter, built by Lee Sheidenberger, as a safe place for the children of "Michele Way Estates", as they waited for the school bus. 
Michele Way was named for Lee Scheidenberger's granddaughter. Lorraine Way was named for his daughter. Eino Way was named for Lee’s father. The subdivision was developed in the late 1950s. One of its first residents was H. Randolph Newman - president of Santa Rosa Junior College. 
Our family moved here and built our home in 1975. We purchased our property, 1.19 acres, for $10,105.00; which was everything we had at the time. We were in our early twenties, with a 2 1/2 year old son and a disobedient dog. The previous owners of the land, Bill and Marilee Hawkins, (who lived a little further down Michele Way) were informed by the building department that this property was 'unbuildable' - it wouldn't 'perc'; and a seasonal stream cut through its heart. We, as purchasers, were not deterred. That's how we began. I'm sure everyone has their unique story of finding their piece of paradise on Michele or Lorraine Way. We have become old-timers in the neighborhood . . . but there are others, too. The Rubins; Lynn Meister; Tania Volhontseff; Sari Schellinger . . . all were here a year or two before us, and will have their memories to share. 
In 1975, Michele Way was a long way from town. Mark West School was the only elementary school. We had Larkfield Market and Cricklewood Restaurant and Cardinal Newman High School. When we built our home, we hired a contractor named Al Sloat to help with the framing. He was nearing retirement, and had recently moved back to town from Michele Way. His wife found life out here too isolating. He sold the home he had built, at the bottom of Michele Way, to the Clayton family. Al helped us with the construction, as did his 'controller', Marion Creager. Marion and his wife, Lucille, lived at the end of our little private road - Eino Way. On a searing August day in 1975, we were here, clearing the scrub oak and planning our home's foundation, when our chainsaw broke. As Gary sat on a rock and labored over it, Ran Newman appeared from across the driveway - bringing watermelon and lemonade. This was the genesis of a lifetime family connection, that brought Eino Way and our neighbors into our hearts. 
Nearly fifty years ago there were few neighborhoods north of Santa Rosa. We were very lucky to find a few families with children our son's age - Jason Creager, Scott Schellinger, Sherri & Melinda Pearce. Our neighborhood 'patriarch' and 'matriarch', Lee and Ethyle Scheidenberger, provided wonderful Halloween memories for our kids. They'd decorate their barn, costume themselves, and welcome the neighborhood for Trick-or-Treat festivities on Halloween. Dunking for apples; games; and piles of candy made for a wonderful holiday. 
I think nearly everyone in the neighborhood spent time at the swimming hole behind and down the canyon from the Schiedenberger property. We also cast our little raft in the creek at the bottom of Michele Way; finding crawdads and turtles and cooling off on hot summer days. 
Ran Newman told me of the 1964 Hanley fire. The SRJC football team came to this home to help evacuate his grand piano. Thankfully, the fire did not reach Michele Way. The scars that showed how perilously close it was were obliterated by the 2017 tragedy. 
Many, many names come to mind as I recall these days gone by, and the beginnings of our life on Michele Way. Leonard & Jane Clayton, Gloria Gardener, Ran Newman, Marshall Plant, Lucille & Marion Creager, the Hawkins, Brian Pearce, Helen Pearce, The Rubins, The Carlsons, Nancy Sekerewitz, The Browns, the Garcia family, Maude Lumpkins, the Constantinis, Enzo Cazazza, The Kleins, the Clark family, Mary O'Brien, the Prouty family, the Witt family, George Frye, George Menchin, Gary & Michele Tobey, the Maloney family, Jeanne & Alan Creager, the Hammiter, Lowell Kunze. Virtually everyone would attend our annual Water Meetings; run by Lee and Ethyle, with refreshments to spare. 
I remember a hot, autumn afternoon, at home in a quiet house. I heard a 'whooshing' noise outside, and when I went to investigate, I was amazed to see a huge surge of water pouring from a pipe at the corner of our little drive. I immediately called the Scheidenbergers - the image of Lee (who was probably 75 years old or more) tackling the pipe and wrestling it to a close - is something I'll never forget. He never lost his cowboy hat!
Somewhere in the early 1990s, we noticed a sign posted on Michele Way. The sign informed us that our road would be closed to traffic for a day the following week. I had no idea what was going to occur, but soon found out that a flatbed train car was going to be delivered, and then put in place, across Mark West Creek at the bottom of Michele Way. This part of our history has its own chapter - but, the ensuing months and months of hearings and proposals and appeals finally resulted in Michele Way NOT being the primary access to the Quietwater subdivision. I testified before the County on several occasions; Sigrid Swedenborg was the person at the county who handled this. Tony Mertes, who, together with Gary Tobey (and Lee Schiedenberger) developed 'Quietwater', forever begrudged those of us on Michele Way who "made him erect a second bridge" to access the development. Hard feelings linger, decades later. 
Those of us who were here prior to 2000 remember how our water would look after the pipes were flushed - a necessary occurrence for a system that was not 'closed'. Every now and then our water would be brown; sometimes even dark brown. Never tasted bad; never appeared 'contaminated' - it would just be discolored with fine sediment. Finally, in 2000, the link that connected our water line was completed - along Eino Way and across Michele Way. Since then, the days of brown water are gone . . . but, as we all know, this 'link' was only a patchwork to mend a system that will be made whole in the coming year. 
These are a few reflections. Living on Michele Way for over 45 years means, to me, that I recognize every tree, every curve in the road, every way, small and large, that this neighborhood has evolved and persisted and become over the years; just as I have, as well. There is so much more. And, many more folks with their perspectives that should be shared.