Along the entire west coast of the United States, this is Tsunami Preparedness Week, a time each year to highlight emergency planning efforts for both the general public, and coastal infrastructure, such as ports and harbors. Today’s Exchange takes a closer look at that process.

The  California Office of Emergency Services has prepared interactive maps of the potential tsunami inundation areas for Sonoma, Marin and Napa and all other coastal counties. Residents and visitors in those zones are urged to know where to go to find safe higher ground, if a tsunami alarm should sound. Learn more about these dangerous waves in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxItCVRd02k

(July 23, 2015)

Dyslexia is more common and more complicated than is usually acknowledged. But there are upsides to the condition, too.

  In the classroom, says Susan Barton, founder of Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, teachers should not press students to do things that expose them to embarrassment or ridicule because of their limitations. Instead she offers a series of modest accommodations that can enable those same students to succeed.

Susan Barton will present a free seminar, “Dyslexia:  Symptoms and Solutions,”  on Thursday evening, March 27 at 6 pm at Sonoma Country Day School. Find out more about the event here.

The SAY Dream Center, a new housing and service center for homeless youth in Santa Rosa’s Bennett Valley, has been controversial in the neighborhood around the former Warrack Hospital site. But it received unanimous support from the city’s Planning Commission two months ago, and further undivided backing from the Santa Rosa City Council last night.  To find out what happens next, KRCB’s Bruce Robinson spoke with the man behind the project.

With spring in full swing, it's time for gardeners to turn their attention to planting. On today's North Bay Report we visit Flatland Flower Farm in Sebastopol, where they're growing a tomato variety that is both brand new and a well loved favorite.  Joe Schirmer of Dirty Girl Produce in Santa Cruz is developing an Early Girl-like tomato. 

"The Early Girl is a great tomato, it's the best one I've ever had," says Schirmer. "And it's not the Early Girl's fault that Monsanto bought the company that grows it out." 

In 2005 Monsanto acquired the seed company Seminis and, with it, the rights to Early Girl. Schirmer, like many in the organic and local farming community, resent the influence Monsanto and other large agri-business companies have on growers and consumers . Schirmer has developed a tomato variety he's calling Dirty Girl that is like Early Girl, but is Monsanto-free. 

Flatland will be one of the first to commercially offer the plant next week.