During the stormy weather last weekend, more than a quarter million gallons of sewage escapedfrom Sonoma County’s wastewater treatment plant just downriver from Guerneville, according to county government officials — an unknown amount of which then leaked into the Russian River. The plant is operated by Sonoma Water, the county’s water agency, and is situated at the end of Neeley Road near the Northwood Golf Club. A power failure overnight at the plant on Friday, March 1, reportedly caused “flows to build up between the second and third treatment phases until the basin overflowed” into the “wet and boggy” land surrounding the plant. It then “traversed approximately a third of a mile through a forested area before reaching the mainstem of the Russian River,” the county says. In interviews with the press, higher-ups from Sonoma Water make it seem like we shouldn’t be that worried about what happened — especially since the river was rushing so fast due the storm that night. Pam Jeane, an assistant general manager at the agency, tells the San Francisco Chronicle: “We are not sure how much of the partially treated wastewater made it to the river. Fortunately the spill happened in the middle of the night when there was nobody out in the river. By the time people were up on Saturday morning the water had already passed through the community.” In addition, a press release issued by Sonoma Water stressed that “environmental specialists” who were “dispatched to the site to assess impacts” found “no effect on aquatic or terrestrial life.” The press release also makes the case that the sewage wasn’t all that sewage-y when it spilled: “Secondary treated effluent has had the large, inorganic material removed, and much of the organic material has been biologically neutralized. Secondary effluent has flowed through clarifiers to remove solids, but some suspended solids can remain that would be removed in the third, and final stage of the wastewater treatment process.” For what it’s worth, though, that same lady from Sonoma Water does add in an interview with the Press Democrat: “It’s still not OK. It’s still not supposed to happen.” (Source: Sonoma County Government & Press Democrat & SF Chronicle; paywall)
Almost 40 years ago, dozens of ’80s icons gathered overnight in a Los Angeles studio to record “We Are the World,” the hit single that has raised more than $80 million to provide humanitarian relief in Africa.
The fundraising vinyl record was the brainchild of Harry Belafonte, who wanted to help fight famine in Ethiopia. The song was recorded on Jan. 28, 1985 because the American Music Awards were held earlier that evening, affording producer Quincy Jones the perfect opportunity to assemble superstars from rock, country, soul and pop in the same studio.
Netflix recently released The Greatest Night in Pop, a fascinating documentary on how the 21 A-list artists, including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder and Marin’s own Huey Lewis, gave life to the song with their solos.
The doc also has plenty of footage of the 23 singers who completed the celebrity chorus, hitting those high and low notes of “We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.”
Among the choir members on the four-level riser, I spied my favorite hometown musician—saxophonist, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Johnny Colla of Huey Lewis and the News. The handsome young Colla stood below Belafonte and shoulder to shoulder with Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters, belting out those now familiar lyrics. The rest of his bandmates were there, too.
It’s not surprising that Huey Lewis and the News, one of the most successful bands to materialize from Marin, was front and center during the recording of “We Are the World.” The group had been a staple on contemporary radio stations since the early ’80s, topping the charts the previous year with “I Want a New Drug,” “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “If This Is It” and “Walking on a Thin Line.”
While Lewis has left Marin for Montana, Colla, a gifted storyteller, still lives in San Anselmo. I called Colla to ask about his memories of what’s come to be known as The Greatest Night in Pop.
The band, nominated for two American Music Awards, would be traveling from Marin to Los Angeles for the upcoming televised awards show, according to Colla. Just days before their trip, Lewis received a demo cassette tape of “We Are the World” and an invitation for the band to participate in the recording session to take place after the awards. Lewis and his newsmen immediately agreed they were in.
First stop, the American Music Awards at the Shrine Music Theatre, where Huey Lewis and the News were honored as the favorite pop/rock video artists. After the show, they went to A&M Studios in Hollywood for “We Are the World.”
“I was thrilled to be a part of the whole thing, and walking into that studio was like something out of a strange movie set,” Colla said. “I’m fully aware that the News, The Pointer Sisters and the Jacksons—other than Michael—were the vocal wallpaper to fill out the riser.”
Johnny Colla holds the gold. “We Are the World” achieved Gold status within the first week of its release in 1985, selling more than 500,000 copies. Later that year, it became the first multi-Platinum song, with sales in the millions. Photo courtesy of Christie-Claire Colla.
The modest Colla said there was a moment that night when he became so excited that a four-letter word involuntarily left his lips—loudly enough to be caught by one of the cameras documenting the production. While he was getting his makeup done, Ray Charles walked by. As a 10- or 11-year-old boy, when Colla thought no one was watching, he’d play “I Can’t Stop Loving You” on his parents’ one-speaker record player and stand on the piano bench to sing along with Charles.
“Now, I am in the room with Brother Ray,” Colla recounted. “He isn’t just my hero; this guy’s a national treasure.”
Other recollections from the recording session also stand out. An Ethiopian woman spoke to the singers about the gravity of the famine in her country, tugging his heartstrings. Another wasn’t quite as touching—Colla’s quick encounter with Waylon Jennings.
“I got to hang out with Waylon for seven seconds,” Colla said. “I introduce myself and tell him that I’ve been a big fan forever. Waylon doesn’t even say hello. He just says, ‘Hey, you know where a guy can get a beer around here?’”
According to The Greatest Night in Pop, it wasn’t just Colla who Jennings slighted. The country singer later walked out of the session never to return when Stevie Wonder brought up adding Swahili lyrics to “We Are the World.” Colla remembers something else said about that situation.
“The conversation lost steam, partly because Swahili isn’t the Ethiopian language,” Colla said. “Stevie came back to it, still trying. I hear one of the Jacksons say affectionately, ‘Aw, shit. Here goes Stevie again.’”
While Colla enjoyed singing the harmony, his cherished hours occurred after the chorus had finished their part and been dismissed. He quietly slipped into the control room with the engineers and news reporters to watch the singers perform their solos.
“I put on a look of importance, like I had business being there,” Colla said. “You know, Quincy and Lionel had started the night with that line, ‘Check your ego at the door.’ Of course, there were a few folks who didn’t. But when I was in the control room, I was taken by how no one tried to be anything but who they were and what they sounded like. I was struck by the professionalism of everybody and how they took direction.”
Colla felt nervous when they gave Huey Lewis his line to sing—a line out of his range because it was intended for Prince, who didn’t show up. But he needn’t have worried.
“Huey nailed it,” Colla said proudly. “My hero pulled it off.”
The conversation about “We Are the World” eventually wound down. With emotion in his voice, Colla talked about the abrupt end to Lewis’ singing career in 2018, caused by hearing loss from Meniere’s disease. Calling Lewis his “fearless leader,” Colla said the band members remain close.
Although the group no longer visits the studio to record new music, Huey Lewis and the News is experiencing a resurgence. Their blockbuster song, “The Power of Love,” is currently featured in the Broadway show, Back to the Future: The Musical. Next month, a repertoire of the band’s songs will be showcased in a new Broadway show, The Heart of Rock and Roll, also the title of the wildly popular song co-written by Lewis and Colla about 40 years ago.
These days, Colla is working on material in his own studio. He just put the finishing touches on Voices Only!!!, the final album in his critically acclaimed trilogy—all three inspired by his love of a cappella. The new release will be out next month.
Voices Only!!!, Johnny Colla’s new album, will be released in April. Photo courtesy of Christie-Claire Colla.
Until then, fans can sing, clap and stomp their feet to the first two albums, I Hear Voices! and I Hear Other Voices!! Filled with cover songs from the ’50s and ’60s,” the rip-roaring collection showcases Colla’s smooth vocals and a chorus of other familiar voices, including Santana’s Tony Lindsay and Gabi Wilson, now known as H.E.R.
While the Voices trilogy is complete, Colla promises there’s more to come. Solo projects and new albums from Huey Lewis and the News.
“I’ve become the gatekeeper to Huey Lewis and the News’ extensive analog library, including live performances from around the world,” Colla said. “We hope to have three to four live releases in the next few years.”
Colla also has at least two records written that he’ll soon be producing. And he’d like to get back on stage.
“I wanna put a local band together so I can open shows for big shots,” Colla said.
Gender fluidity flows like the Russian River after a torrential rain in the Santa Rosa Junior College Theatre Arts Department production of Orlando. Laura Downing-Lee directs the Sarah Ruhl-penned adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel. The show runs in the Frank Chong Studio Theatre in the Burbank Auditorium on the SRJC Santa Rosa campus through Sunday, March 10.
Orlando (Lizzy Bies) is a 16-year-old wanna-be poet whose “shapely legs” catch the eye of Queen Elizabeth I (Jean-Colin Cameron). He’s made a page in the queen’s court and becomes quite the companion to the queen. But, boys being boys, Orlando’s eyes wander. He spots a beautiful Russian girl ice skating and soon becomes infatuated with her. Sasha (Millie Dotta) and Orlando run off together.
But not for long. Sasha betrays Orlando, and after an unwelcome pursuit by a randy Archduchess (Jimmy Toro Ruano), he escapes to Constantinople. After sowing some more wild oats, Orlando falls into a deep, days-long sleep. When he awakens, he is quite surprised to discover that he has become a woman.
And so they shall live as such for the next couple of hundred years, as Orlando searches for their true self and personal fulfillment, regardless of gender constructs.
The audience would do best to throw away their own biases and expectations when it comes to gender roles, as Orlando is the kind of show where anyone can play anything. Theater has long been a place where gender-bending is commonplace, but Orlando revels in it, and gloriously so.
Bies meets the challenge of playing a character of both genders and delivers a committed performance, never more so than when dealing with a significant costume malfunction. Ruano also does double duty as the Archduchess and Archduke, with very amusing results that brought to mind the work of Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. Cameron’s alternately haughty and giddy queen manages not to be overshadowed by their regal couture.
The sheer, draping scenic design by Nathaniel Gillespie and lighting design by Chris Cota brought good technical support to the overall sense of fluidness. Costume coordinator Colleen Scott Trivett had her hands full dressing the cast in a couple of centuries’ worth of costumes.
Beyond the gender issues, Ruhl’s use in Orlando of a mix of third-person narration and dialogue can also be challenging for an audience. But stick with it, as your ear will adjust.
Maybe your thoughts about gender will adjust, too.
‘Orlando’ runs Weds–Sun through March 10 in the Santa Rosa Junior College Burbank Auditorium Frank Chong Studio Theatre, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Weds–Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm. $15–$25. 707.527.4307. theatrearts.santarosa.edu.
Leah Richardson is juggling community college and work, but her job doesn’t pay enough to cover the cost of living in Sonoma County.
Often, she relies on a food pantry, despite receiving thousands of dollars in financial aid from her school, Santa Rosa Junior College.
Now, a new program will pay her for every hour she spends in class and on homework. The $30 million state program, called Hire UP, is an experiment modeled on the state’s many guaranteed income programs. It focuses on students who are formerly incarcerated, like Richardson, as well as former or current foster youth, and those receiving CalWorks benefits, the state’s cash aid program for low-income adults with children. Ten community college districts received the money, and some schools, including Santa Rosa Junior College, are beginning to distribute it now. Others have yet to set a timeline.
Richardson, 37, is one of the first recipients. On a recent morning, she sat at a cafe next to campus, where students hurried by, but she didn’t notice them as she stared at her financial aid statement on her iPhone.
“I’m a little in shock,” she said as she used her fingers to zoom in on the web page that showed her current grants.
She’ll receive monthly payments of nearly $2,000, starting today. Those payments are calculated based on the state’s minimum wage, $16 an hour, for each of the 30 hours she spends every week on school.
Richardson couldn’t afford to attend full-time when she enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in 2021. Then, she was still adjusting to a new routine after spending time in and out of jail and substance use treatment centers. She decided to take classes in the afternoon and work from 4:30am until about 1:30pm at a Safeway store most days of the week. When she wasn’t working at Safeway, she took shifts at bakeries.
“I was exhausted—a lot,” she said. Since then, she’s tried to work less and study more. “Now that I have this money, I don’t have the weight of having to go back to a job that’s going to drain me.”
Gina Browne, an assistant vice chancellor with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, said the office is monitoring how well colleges administer the Hire UP program and how the money affects students’ outcomes.
“Some students who are working now may be able to stop working or reduce their hours,” she said. “We want students to focus on taking those units so they can get through (college).”
Student Aid Offers ‘Glimmer of Hope’
NEXT MOVE Student and Second Chance staff member Matthew Domingos works part-time for SRJC as he finishes an associate degree and prepares to transfer to Cal Poly Humboldt next semester. Photo by Laure Andrillon
Every Tuesday, formerly incarcerated students at Santa Rosa Junior College gather in a multi-purpose conference room on campus, part of a state-funded support program known locally as Second Chance. Men with scraggly beards or neck tattoos wave to younger men and women as they walk in. Some students wear T-shirts, while others are in button-downs or blouses. It’s a cross-section of the college and the city at large. Modeled like a 12-step recovery meeting, students speak up, one by one, sharing their stories about navigating work, school and life after prison.
Matthew Domingos, 42, helps moderate. He works part-time for the college as he finishes an associate degree and prepares to transfer next semester to Cal Poly Humboldt. As a full-time student, his financial aid package totals around $10,000 a semester, but it doesn’t leave any wiggle room, he said. “I feel like I’m one trip to the emergency room away from homelessness,” Domingos revealed. He was selected for Hire UP, but he doesn’t yet know how much money he’ll receive.
Richardson can’t always attend the weekly meetings because of her work and school schedule, though she wishes she could. She pays about $1,100 a month toward rent and hundreds more on utilities, food and transportation. “I don’t spend money,” she said. “There isn’t any to spend.”
There are roughly 160 formerly incarcerated students who enroll each year at Santa Rosa Junior College, all of whom may apply for Hire UP, said Jessy Paisley, a counselor for the Second Chance program on campus.
That money is a “glimmer of hope,” she said. “How do you focus on turning in your Canvas assignment if you don’t even know where you’re going to charge your computer tonight, or sleep, or get your next meal?”
What Happens When the Money Runs Out
The average cost of attending Santa Rosa Junior College, including living expenses, is about $20,000 to $30,000 a year, depending on whether students pay rent, said Rachael Cutcher, the college’s director of financial aid. For in-state students, tuition is less than 7% of their total annual expenses. The rest is rent, transportation, food and books.
Many students at the community college qualify for financial aid. However, the amount of aid typically depends on the number of classes that students take. At Santa Rosa Junior College, most students are part time. Cutcher said the average financial aid package is around $10,000 a year.
The Sonoma County Junior College District, which oversees Santa Rosa Junior College, received just over $2.6 million for Hire UP, but the money can’t help all the students who qualify. The college has roughly 600 students who are formerly incarcerated, current or former foster youth, or CalWorks recipients, according to data from the chancellor’s office. If all of those students were to get a portion, the money would run out in a few months.
“We’re prioritizing our formerly incarcerated students as our first tier,” Cutcher said, later adding that the other populations are already eligible for their own special scholarships or government grants. “Then if we have enough funding, we’ll go to foster youth, then CalWorks. If it’s successful, I’d advocate for it to be renewed and offered more broadly.”
Other schools, such as those in the San Diego Community College District, expect to exhaust most of the money in the first two years, said Susan Topham, the vice chancellor of educational services for the district.
“We want them to run out of money,” said Browne. If community college districts spend it all and the benefits of the money are apparent, she said the chancellor’s office can advocate for more funding, either for this program or for similar ones.
California’s Financial Aid Is Stuck in 1969
Compared to other state and federal financial aid programs, the money from Hire UP is relatively small.
In the 2022-23 academic year, California gave community college students more than $700 million in state aid, according to data from the chancellor’s office. The same year, the federal government gave out nearly $1.7 billion in grants to community college students, including Pell grants for low-income students as well as one-time money from various Covid-19 spending bills. But on a per-person basis, the money doesn’t always go far. For example, community college students typically receive just over $1,600 a year for non-tuition costs from the state’s cornerstone financial aid program, the Cal Grant.
The average cost of attending Santa Rosa Junior College, including living expenses, is about $20,000 to $30,000 yearly, depending on whether students pay rent.
That grant amount was first set in 1969, said Manny Rodriguez, the California director of policy and advocacy at The Institute for College Access and Success. “If it kept up with inflation, it should be worth between $7,000 and $8,000 today.”
For years, advocates like Rodriguez have worked with the chancellor’s office to push the state to give students more cash. In 2022, California legislators passed a new law that would slowly increase the amount of state money provided through the Cal Grant program.
However, the increases to Cal Grant will only go into effect if Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature agree to put the money into this year’s budget. Newsom has until May to release a revised state budget proposal, which includes the financial aid program. But with a multi-billion dollar projected deficit looming, advocates are worried that reforms may have to wait.
The federal and state financial aid programs also come with requirements many students fail to meet. The state’s largest financial aid program for community college students, the Student Success Completion Grant, requires students to take a full course load, typically at least four classes each semester.
Hire UP is structured differently. Part-time students can qualify, as long as they take at least two classes. The money is disbursed and recalculated every month, depending on how many classes the student took.
Domingos is a full-time student, so he qualifies for the Completion Grant. It’s one reason why he receives more financial aid than the average student. However, Richardson has never been able to receive the Completion Grant because her work schedule prevents her from taking more than three classes. While Domingos receives federal aid, Richardson’s income is too high to qualify.
Richardson will receive over $8,000 in Hire UP payments during the spring semester. That will be in addition to the $4,000 in financial aid she was already getting for the same time period.
Santa Rosa Junior College may run out of money for Hire UP, but Cutcher said the financial aid department has budgeted the program so that students who receive initial payments are guaranteed money until they graduate. That means Richardson could receive more than $20,000 from Hire UP before she graduates next year.
“No matter what,” she said. “I’m going to be ecstatic with whatever the state can offer me.”
Adam Echelman covers California’s community colleges in partnership with Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom focused on higher education.
Being a bit obvious, I had to launch this “Locals” column with Janeen Murray, director of Go Local, a cooperative that supports 400 North Bay businesses and nonprofits.
Cincinnatus Hibbard: Tell us something unexpected about yourself.
Janeen Murray: I am an accordion player in the Hubbub Club marching band.
CH: Amazing! Janeen, besides co-branding with the iconic, Go Local logo, what services do you provide to your co-op members?
JM: Advertising, market research, networking lunches, and listing on our website and printed pocket guide. Made Local Magazine highlights the stories behind local businesses.
CH: Though I have been trained to say it, why should we support local?
JM: Supporting local is like planting seeds with rich soil. So that more vibrant things grow in our community. We’re not a monoculture. We’re a beautiful diversity.
CH: That is a lush and poetic vision of our community. Could you bullet point some benefits?
JM: There is the economic multiplier effect. Local purchases lead to local purchases lead to local wealth. Money spent at online mega-retailers shoots up out of the community like a helium balloon and is gone. Also, there is less inequality and inequity in communities with more local businesses. There’s more employment, better jobs. There are ecological benefits to local too—compare the carbon of a light truck driving 20 minutes versus a 16-wheeler truck driving eight hours to deliver the same fruit.
CH: Wow. Those are the great issues of our time, all helped by our local purchases. Janeen, is “Go Corporate” winning?
JM: Yes, for now. Our local economy is severely and dramatically threatened by global corporate companies.
CH: There doesn’t seem to be a week where social media doesn’t announce the closure of an iconic local business. Each hurts our sense of place. Janeen, is there room for hope?
JM: There is! Seventy percent of the local economy is local consumer spending. That means we’re in the driver seat. It’s our choice what future we have.
CH: What is your most important call to action?
JM : Move your money to a local bank. They invest in local businesses. National banks don’t.
CH: What is the motto of Go Local?
JM: “We are stronger together.”
Learn more: This interview is taken from a longer audio interview available at ‘Sonoma County: A Community Portrait’ on Apple, Google and Spotify podcasts. linktr.ee/cincinnatushibbard.
Although summer may seem far away in terms of calendar days, many Sonoma County parents have already started to consider summer camp plans for their children. And though it may still be winter for a few more weeks, children’s summer camp spots fill up fast, so it’s best to get a headstart and reserve a space while there are still plenty of open spots left.
So, where can all these kids go when the days get long and hot and school is no longer in session? Well, Sonoma County is full of perfectly suited summer camps, well-equipped to curate programs with the same engaging atmosphere, social environment and enriching, possibly even educational experiences.
From science and engineering, arts and crafts, theater, sports, nature, animals and oh so much more, it’s hard to walk away from a list like this without wishing (at least a little bit) that adults could attend summer camps as well.
Charles M. Schulz Museum
For those who don’t know about this little tidbit of famous animation history right at the North Bay’s fingertips, consider Santa Rosa’s Charles M. Schulz Museum, built to commemorate and remember the cartoonist behind Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang.
The museum dedicated to Schulz’s illustrative accomplishments opened in 2002 and has since brought millions of visitors and helped make millions of memories. This includes camps, classes and workshops for artistically inclined children to enrich and educate themselves in theater, animation, art exhibitions and more.
Charles M. Schulz Museum is located at 2301 Hardies La. in Santa Rosa. For more information, call 707.579.4452 or visit the website at schulzmuseum.org/classes-camps.
Flynn Creek Circus
For the children who dream of running away with a circus or simply want to have fun and learn a unique skill set that is as fun as it is useful, Flynn Creek Circus is worth considering.
Flynn Creek Circus will see those kids flying, twirling, flipping, tumbling, walking the tightwire, juggling and more—all of these acrobatics are guided under the careful supervision of professional performers and in the best environment for lessons like these…in an actual circus tent. This is one camp that kids will remember for quite some time, especially when sharing what they did over the summer: “I joined the circus,” they’ll say, before backflipping away.
For more information about Flynn Creek Circus, call 707.684.2115, email ci****@**************us.com or visit the website at flynncreekcircus.com.
Farm Camp California
One of the many benefits of going to summer camp in California’s Bay Area is the sheer number of choices for children with all kinds of interests. This extends to STEAM programs, artistic work and, in the case of Farm Camp California, agricultural pursuits too. This coed overnight camp for children aged eight to 17 was established in 1952 and is located on 500 acres of nearly-coastal farmland.
At Farm Camp California, kids can choose five farm chores (in line with their personal preferences) and tend to animals like horses, cows, donkeys, pigs, sheep, chickens and so on, or they may work in the garden, woods, recycling and other more camp-related activities instead. Other activities include arts and crafts, horseback riding, forest exploration, music, sports, drama, water activities and even evening entertainment after all the excitement of the day winds down.
Farm Camp California is located at 34285 Kruse Ranch Rd. in Cazadero during the summer and at 1480 Moraga Rd., Ste C #392 in Moraga during the winter. For more information about Farm Camp California, call 707.847.3494, email in**@********ca.com or visit the website at farmcampca.com.
Hanna Center
For a less conventional, but equally important, children’s camp in the community, consider Hanna Center, which provides trauma-informed services to the North Bay community with a specific focus on providing an environment equipped to care for at-risk youth. Programs at Hanna Center are meant to empower and assist those who need it most by providing summer camps with recreation and education for all.
The summer camps at Hanna Center aim to provide a tranquil, constructive environment to facilitate safe and fun socialization, connection and activities. All-day recreation camp at Hanna Center, which provides that quintessential summer camp experience, is for children aged five to 14. Hanna Center also offers Morning Specialty Camps including Culinary Camp (for ages seven through 11), Soccer Camp, Tennis Camp, Lacrosse Camp, Baseball Camp and Basketball Camp.
Hanna Center is located at 17000 Arnold Dr. in Sonoma. For more information, call 707.996.6767 or visit the website at hannacenter.org.
Transcendence Theatre Company Kids Camp
Transcendence Theatre Company is a well-known epicenter of theatrical spectacle in the North Bay. Most everyone enjoys the performances put on by this popular theater company, a staple in Sonoma County’s artistic community, which is especially beloved for Skits Under the Stars and, of course, summer camps for kids.
For the children out there who have a theatrical flair, Transcendence Theatre Company has the perfect camp led by Broadway artists. Children aged eight through 12 may attend this local theater company as junior artists, while those ages 13 through 17 are grouped separately—both age ranges will be able to enjoy Transcendence’s week-long summer camp program and learn to sing, dance, act, do improv and so much more.
To top it all off, Transcendence Theatre Company is an all-inclusive organization that aims to create an inclusionary space accessible to all who want to participate.
Transcendence Theatre Company is located at 19201 Sonoma Highway #214 in Sonoma. For more information, call 877.424.1414, email in**@*******ma.org or visit the website at transcendencetheatre.org.
Santa Rosa Recreation & Parks
And if this list of children’s summer camp options in Sonoma County just isn’t quite hitting the mark for one’s kid’s specific and unique interests, consider checking out the Santa Rosa Recreation & Parks website.
There, curious parents may peruse a comprehensive summer camp list that includes day camps, adventure camps, art, dance & drama camps, STEM camps, sports camps and even work experience camps. And some of these camps are cool enough to make the parents wish they could join in, with options like a royal ballroom dance camp, fashion design camp, youth yoga camp, hand sewing camp, jewelry-making camp, twilight tennis camp and even a camp about mermaids, faeries and voodoo.
Santa Rosa Recreation & Park’s list of camps also includes camps for special populations, which extends to the Kamp Kennedy day camp for children and teens with developmental disabilities and the UCP Camp Kaos day camp from United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay.
The Santa Rosa Recreation & Parks summer camp offerings can be found at srcity.org/864/Summer-Camps.
Results from the primary election yesterdayare still trickling intoday, so we’re a ways from knowing who and what won — especially in the tight races. Here are some early trends as of Wednesday morning, though. For the statewide U.S. Senate seat left empty when Dianne Feinstein died last year, there are two candidates with a significant lead, which should take them both to the general election this November: DemocratAdam Schiff, a longtime state politician, and Republican Steve Garvey, a former professional baseball player who’s new to politics. For our local seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Mike Thompson and Republican John Munn are leading in the fourth district and Democrat Jared Huffman and Republican Chris Coulombe are leading in the second district. As for that contentious race to replace Jim Wood, who’s giving up his seat in the second district of the California State Assembly (covering much of Sonoma County, and the rest of the North Coast): Republican Michael Greer is in first place, and a few of the Democratic candidates are neck and neck for the other spot. Santa Rosa City Councilmember Chris Rogers is just barely leading the pack Wednesday morning, with California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks right behind, followed by Healdsburg Mayor Ariel Kelley. In the State Assembly’s twelfth district, incumbent Democrat Damon Connolly is way ahead; the two Republican candidates are coming in close for that second spot, but it looks like Andy Podshadley has a slight lead. The race for the third district of the California State Senate is fairly tight, too — with Republican Thom Bogue and Democrat Christopher Cabaldon in the lead, and Democrat Rozzana Verder-Aliga not too far behind. Measure-wise, that statewide one about mental health funding is almost at a dead tie, with a sliver of a lead for “Yes” — and Measure H for more fire-department funding in Sonoma County is more of a landslide “Yes.” Lastly, Biden and Trump will move forward in the race for president, of course. You can click through to the state and county election websites to monitor the results in real time, as well as check out the other races for local judges, committees and measures. (Source: California State Government & Sonoma County Government & Napa County Government & Press Democrat; paywall)
An investigative reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle had the tough gig of heading up to the wine country recently to figure out whether all the cute sheep roaming around our vineyards this winter are a genius farming tool or a trendy PR stunt. In short? Chronicle reporter Esther Mobley found evidence of both. She writes: “Driving around Napa and Sonoma this time of year, you’re bound to see some adorable visitors roaming among the grapevines. Sheep have become an inescapable fixture of Wine Country in the winter, prized for their natural mowing and fertilizing abilities. Instead of running a diesel-fueled tractor through the vineyard or spraying herbicide on sprouting weeds, a vintner can simply let loose a hungry herd. The ecological advantage, compared to these mechanical and chemical methods, is clear. Of course, there’s another advantage, too: The sheep are just so darn cute. And they look great on social media. As their use explodes in popularity, some vintners and herders are wondering whether these animals are being reduced to a marketing ploy.” One sheep herder from Lake County, Robert Irwin of the Kaos Sheep Outfit, tells the paper that he calls this phenomenon “the 50 token sheep” — aka, when wineries “get 50 sheep that aren’t really functionally making a difference in the vineyard, but they put them up by the tasting room for people to look at.” (He’s also reaping major benefits from the trend: The Chronicle reports there’s now “massive demand” for his company’s 6,000 sheep, compared to 10 or 15 years ago. “There’s not enough sheep in California to do the work that people want to be done,” the Lake County sheep herder tells the paper — allowing him to charge up to $300 per acre.) Another skeptic, a “biodynamic farmer” and winemaker in Napa, tells the Chronicle that he’s “concerned about greenwashing” — aka, when wineries use the sheep to “project the image of an environmentally responsible vineyard without committing to it fully.” Another Napa winemaker from Cuvaison Winery observes: “It’s kind of amazing to see how people respond to the sheep.” And yet another Napa winery dude, this one from Jason Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena, predicts: “This is going to be the golden era for sheep.” The herds have pretty important jobs in the off-season, too — spending “summertime in open grazing land, which the sheep mow down for wildfire protection,” and “autumn in row crops… where the animals clean up the unharvested fruit.” You can read the full sheep story in the Chronicle — featuring plenty more passionate arguments hailing these incidental Insta traps as miracle ecology cogs. (Source: SF Chronicle; paywall)
Bacteria and fungi are increasingly evolving into “superbugs” immune to existing treatments. According to the World Health Organization, this phenomenon, known as antimicrobial resistance, is one of the top 10 public health threats currently facing humanity. In 2019, antibiotic resistance was associated with more than 170,000 deaths in the United States and nearly 5 million deaths worldwide.
The U.S. government has a long and mostly successful history of responding to national health crises, from funding Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development of Covid-19 vaccines to establishing the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness in response to the anthrax attacks of 2001.
Better stewardship alone won’t combat the superbug threat. We also need to develop new antimicrobials. Many antimicrobials are often only prescribed briefly, like several days or weeks. Consequently, low sales make it hard for inventors to recoup the significant investments required to develop any new medicine.
As a result, many companies developing new antimicrobials—most of which are small—have been unable to commercialize new products successfully. Eight antibiotics developed by small companies have received FDA approval since 2013. Since their approvals, these companies have either filed for bankruptcy, been acquired or left the antibiotics space entirely.
One fix would be to replace the volume-based sales model with something like a subscription, in which drug developers are compensated for new treatments based on the value of the treatment to public health, regardless of the number of doses patients need.
Legislation that would do this is under consideration in Congress. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the PASTEUR Act. Under the bill, the government would contract with a company for a set amount of funds for reliable access to an effective new antibiotic, essentially stabilizing a return on investment.
Passing PASTEUR should be one of Congress’ top priorities. AMR is a national security threat we know how to prepare for. It’s time our political leaders take advantage of that opportunity.
Phyllis Arthur is senior vice president for infectious disease and emerging science policy at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.
Mr. Dan Savage’s advice for people who attend sex parties (“Savage Love,” Bohemian, Feb. 29, 2024) is to “maybe consider using condoms.”
I’m a semi-retired professional sex surrogate partner and sex educator, and a person who has occasionally attended a wide variety of events like sex parties and sex and tantra workshops. I’m also a polyamorist. My advice for Mr. Savage’s readers is to definitely at all times use condoms and other “safer sex” items and practices.
The only exception would be if there is a “closed loop” of polyamorous people who have been tested for at least the more popular STIs. There are about 30 STIs ready to be transmitted. Most of them are asymptomatic in their early stages.
Barbara Daugherty
Santa Rosa
Burrito Babies
Your readers may by now be aware that the Alabama Supreme Court has issued a ruling that frozen burritos—be they “beef, bean and cheese, chicken, or any combination thereof”— are, in fact, legally recognized as children.
What impact this decision will have on commercial burrito sales in roadside dining emporia in Alabama and across the country is unknown at this time.
What we do know is that “the moment the frozen burrito is placed in its plastic sleeve, it becomes human life in the image of Our Higher Power.”
Stay tuned to your favorite news outlets to learn more about this breaking story.
During the stormy weather last weekend, more than a quarter million gallons of sewage escaped from Sonoma County's wastewater treatment plant just downriver from Guerneville, according to county government officials — an unknown amount of which then leaked into the Russian River. The plant is operated by Sonoma Water, the county's water agency, and is situated at the end...
Almost 40 years ago, dozens of ’80s icons gathered overnight in a Los Angeles studio to record “We Are the World,” the hit single that has raised more than $80 million to provide humanitarian relief in Africa.
The fundraising vinyl record was the brainchild of Harry Belafonte, who wanted to help fight famine in Ethiopia. The song was recorded on...
Gender fluidity flows like the Russian River after a torrential rain in the Santa Rosa Junior College Theatre Arts Department production of Orlando. Laura Downing-Lee directs the Sarah Ruhl-penned adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel. The show runs in the Frank Chong Studio Theatre in the Burbank Auditorium on the SRJC Santa Rosa campus through Sunday, March 10.
Orlando (Lizzy...
Leah Richardson is juggling community college and work, but her job doesn’t pay enough to cover the cost of living in Sonoma County.
Often, she relies on a food pantry, despite receiving thousands of dollars in financial aid from her school, Santa Rosa Junior College.
Now, a new program will pay her for every hour she spends in class and on...
Being a bit obvious, I had to launch this “Locals” column with Janeen Murray, director of Go Local, a cooperative that supports 400 North Bay businesses and nonprofits.
Cincinnatus Hibbard: Tell us something unexpected about yourself.
Janeen Murray: I am an accordion player in the Hubbub Club marching band.
CH: Amazing! Janeen, besides co-branding with the iconic, Go Local logo, what services...
Although summer may seem far away in terms of calendar days, many Sonoma County parents have already started to consider summer camp plans for their children. And though it may still be winter for a few more weeks, children’s summer camp spots fill up fast, so it’s best to get a headstart and reserve a space while there are...
Results from the primary election yesterday are still trickling in today, so we're a ways from knowing who and what won — especially in the tight races. Here are some early trends as of Wednesday morning, though. For the statewide U.S. Senate seat left empty when Dianne Feinstein died last year, there are two candidates with a significant lead, which should take them both...
An investigative reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle had the tough gig of heading up to the wine country recently to figure out whether all the cute sheep roaming around our vineyards this winter are a genius farming tool or a trendy PR stunt. In short? Chronicle reporter Esther Mobley found evidence of both. She writes: "Driving around Napa and Sonoma this time...
Bacteria and fungi are increasingly evolving into “superbugs” immune to existing treatments. According to the World Health Organization, this phenomenon, known as antimicrobial resistance, is one of the top 10 public health threats currently facing humanity. In 2019, antibiotic resistance was associated with more than 170,000 deaths in the United States and nearly 5 million deaths worldwide.
The U.S. government...
Safe Sex Party
Mr. Dan Savage’s advice for people who attend sex parties (“Savage Love,” Bohemian, Feb. 29, 2024) is to “maybe consider using condoms.”
I’m a semi-retired professional sex surrogate partner and sex educator, and a person who has occasionally attended a wide variety of events like sex parties and sex and tantra workshops. I’m also a polyamorist. My advice...
