Gravenstein Apple Fair Celebrates 50 Years

Anyone driving the Gravenstein Highway has seen them: apple orchards. Apples—in particular Gravensteins—have been part of Sonoma County’s roots, growing in orchards and backyards for over 200 years since they were planted at Fort Ross in the early 1800s.

Accordingly, 50 years ago, in honor of the prolific, sweet-tart fruit, Sonoma County Farm Trails established the annual Gravenstein Apple Fair. Locals take note, because in celebration of the beloved fair’s golden anniversary, they’ll be throwing the grandest affair yet during the weekend of Aug. 12 and 13.

“We’re excited to throw the biggest party in our 50-year history,” said executive director and Gravenstein Apple Fair producer Carmen Snyder. “This year, we’re honoring the foresight of our founding farmers and their vision to preserve agriculture in Sonoma County.”

Revelers may join in the festivities at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol to participate in this family-friendly and music-filled milestone celebrating and helping to preserve local farms in Sonoma County.

Over its long history, the fair has shared the delicious benefits of farm-to-table production and sustainability, with a particular focus on the Gravenstein apple, which Slow Food USA named a “heritage food” in 2005, and added to their “Ark of Taste.”

One may go with friends, bring a date or purchase a family or group pass and take the whole crew. VIP tickets are available this year too, and include free drinks and luxury tents, as well as allowing VIP patrons to skip the lines. Highlights of this year’s golden jubilee for all include music, food, drinks, hands-on demonstrations, kids’ activities and of course all things Gravenstein.

Attendees may get into the Gravenstein groove with live music both days from Bay Area bands including Poor Man’s Whiskey, Rainbow Girls and Royal Jelly Jive.

The fruits of the area may be tasted with Sonoma County’s celebrity vintners and chefs. Cider, wine and beer offerings include Slow Food award-winning apple cider from Tilted Shed, award-winning wines from Merry Edwards and Gold-medal lager from Seismic. Offerings from local chefs include pork from James Beard award-winner Black Piglet. And of course, an entire area will be dedicated to Gravenstein products.

Fair organizers know that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Kids aren’t forgotten in this festival for the entire family, with special activities for them including contests, ag activities, art projects, farm animals, bubbles and wandering entertainers.

The sweetest little fair in Sonoma County is dedicated to preserving agriculture for the next generation, with this year’s anniversary festival honoring legacy farmers, today’s producers and farm workers.

“We’re delighted to showcase the next generation of inspiring farmers and ranchers who are meeting the moment and cultivating a more resilient food system through regenerative agricultural practices,” affirmed Snyder.

Regenerative farming goes beyond sustainability leaving the land better than before. Accordingly, regenerative goals extend to the festival itself. Last year’s event was truly green at 95% zero-waste and received the first-ever “Green Resolution” Award by Sonoma County Zero Waste. So what’s next for Sonoma County farms?

“Our north star is to keep ‘farms forever’ in Sonoma County, and we continue to work toward supporting this guiding vision of a diversified and resilient food system in which regenerative agriculture and joyful gatherings are part of the solution to the challenges we collectively face,” Snyder said, “We look forward to another 50 years of serving our farmers and cultivating meaningful connections in our broader community.”

So raise a glass of cider and toast to agriculture and the Gravenstein apple, and to 50 years past and future of the Gravenstein Apple Fair in Sonoma County.

The festival runs 10am-6 pm, Saturday and Sunday, Aug 12 and 13 at 500 Ragle Rd., Sebastopol. Advance tickets: adult $23; child $10; under 5 free. VIP experience tickets: adult $150; minors $75; under 5 free. Family pass: (2 adults, 2 kids) $55. Group pass: (6 adults) $120. For more information, visit GravensteinAppleFair.com, farmtrails.org or call 707-837-8896.

Transcendence takes it off for ‘The Full Monty’

Buffalo, New York, is the setting for Terrance McNally’s 2000 adaptation—with music and lyrics by David Yazbeck—of the 1997 British film The Full Monty. Transcendence Theatre Company is running a Josh Walden-directed production at Glen Ellen’s Beltane Ranch through Aug. 20.

Originally the tale of a group of unemployed English steel workers, this Americanized version is the tale of unemployed mill worker Jerry Lukowski (Michael Burrell) who, desperate to pay back child support and maintain custody of his son Nathan (Zee Hubbard), enlists best friend Dave Bukatinsky (Jason Simon) to join him in a one-night-only male revue to provide financial relief to them and the men they recruit.

There’s Malcolm (Justin Anthony Long), a lonely soul who they save from taking his own life; efficiency-expert Harold (Jesse Swimm), who is more-or-less blackmailed into becoming the group’s choreographer; Noah aka “Horse” (Lee Palmer), an older gentleman who can really dance but has hip issues; and Ethan (Nicolas Garza), a young man who has no gift for dance but is “gifted” in another area.

With pianist Jeanette Burmeister (Mary Stout), a foul-mouthed show-biz veteran, they plan a show that’ll be up against a Buffalo Bills game. Jerry decides the only way to compete is to give the ladies something they’ve never seen before: the full Monty! Don’t ask how a British slang term finds its way into the mouth of an American steel worker.

Of course, all adversity is overcome by the group as they adapt to changing circumstances.

Which, coincidentally, is what Transcendence is trying to do. Having been booted from Jack London State Park, they are presenting this show at Beltane Ranch. It’s a lovely venue, but the positioning of the stage leaves the audience staring into the sun for the first hour, while the permit-mandated height of the stage makes seeing a great deal of the show challenging.

Which is a shame because so much of what you hear is very entertaining. The show is well cast, the singing is terrific and the live orchestra really delivers. Individual moments—usually involving audience favorites Palmer and Stout—stand out, but sightline limitations really hampered the enjoyment of this show.

Perhaps the repositioning of the stage is still possible, and the compacted seating might be spread out a bit to reduce the bobbing and weaving necessary to view the show.

This Full Monty and its artists deserve to be fully seen.

Transcendence Theatre Company’s ‘The Full Monty’ runs Fri-Sun through Aug. 20 at Beltane Ranch, 11775 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen. Ranch opens at 5pm, show starts at 7pm. $45–$180. 877.424.1414. Contains adult themes and brief nudity. www.bestnightever.org.

A Year Later, Questions in David Pelaez-Chavez Shooting Remain

At Santa Rosa’s Courthouse Square last Saturday, July 29, dozens gathered to demand justice and honor the life of David Pelaez-Chavez, who was shot last year in a police pursuit through Knight’s Valley.

In the bright afternoon sun, people prayed. Silent moments became filled with the gusts of wind that rippled off a banner that read, “It’s been 365 days. Justice for David Pelaez-Chavez.”

Pelaez-Chavez’s family huddled together near the front of the crowd wearing shirts with his picture on the back, listening to speakers one by one express condolences and frustration. Then, one of them walked up to the microphone.

“We were supposed to have answers,” Jose Pelaez, Pelaez-Chavez’s oldest brother, said through an interpreter to the crowd. “We were supposed to have more information, and to this day, we don’t know anything.”

It has officially been one year since Sheriff Michael Dietrick fatally shot Pelaez-Chavez, and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office has yet to make a decision to prosecute, making it difficult for the family and community members to move forward.

Last year Dietrick and fellow deputy Aaron Powers chased the immigrant vineyard worker up the yellow, sun-dried hills of Knight’s Valley and into a shallow creek after a nearby resident called 911, saying that Pelaez-Chavez attempted to break into their home. When Pelaez-Chavez stopped to catch his breath near the creekbed, the deputies surrounded him. He clutched a rock in one hand and a garden tool in the other. Dietrick then fatally shot him three times, in the head and the chest.

The Santa Rosa Police department conducted the initial six month investigation and then passed it onto the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office on Jan. 4. There is still a decision to be made to prosecute Dietrick or not. The DA’s recommended guideline for reviewing a case is 90 days. As of Saturday, it had been 206 days.

“It should have been a much quicker turnaround process,” said Joy Ayodele, a member of the North Bay Organizing Project (NBOP) police accountability task force. “[District Attorney Carla Rodriguez] verbally confirmed it would be a three, fourth month process, and now we’re going on six, seven months.”

The delay has caused a ripple effect by holding up other cases, which include a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Pelaez-Chavez family, the Independent Law Enforcement and Review and Outreach investigation looking into misconduct, and the sheriff’s internal affairs investigation.

The family is in limbo, simultaneously experiencing the worst year they’ve ever had.

Pelaez-Chavez’s brothers and sister-in-law are worried about their mom who stayed behind in Oaxaca, Mexico while her seven children immigrated to the United States.

“She’s fallen into depression. She’s out there, by herself; unfortunately, everyone’s over here. It’s hard for us to hear how she’s doing and not be able to do anything,” said Gloria Miranda, Pelaez-Chavez’s sister-in-law.

Jose Pelaez has taken on a lot of responsibility in dealing with his brother’s death. Oftentimes he speaks on behalf of the rest of the family, just as he did Saturday evening. Pelaez is the oldest of the siblings and stepped in to take care of Pelaez-Chavez, the baby of the family, when they immigrated to the United States.

“It is a hurt that lingers with us, and it does not want to go,” Pelaez said. “My brother was a good person; he wasn’t an animal to be hunted down.”

Alfredo Pelaez, another of Pelaez-Chavez’s seven siblings, was the last person to speak with him the day before he died. They talked about visiting Oaxaca that December, Pelaez-Chavez’s two children who live there, and having a beer together.

Going back for him has not been the same.

“It’s hurtful. I go every year to Mexico, and every time David’s son sees me, he says we look alike,” Pelaez said.

The amount of time that has passed while Rodriguez has been reviewing the case has led many to come up with their own reasons as to why it has taken so long.

“I don’t think it’s fair. They’re taking their time to make a decision on how to cover it up,” said Miranda.

According to the family and NBOP, which has been working closely with them, Rodriguez has not been communicative enough, which has led to tension and distrust.

This distrust has been a consistent worry from the beginning, as NBOP has also stated that the body camera footage of the incident has been overproduced by a contracted public relations consultant.

Richard Cieli, the DA’s lead investigator on the case, is a former officer who has also been investigated for fatally shooting two civilians. Ayodele worries that whatever decision they make will be met with bias.

“I think from the jump that’s been a pretty large issue, and that’s something that she hasn’t been super transparent in communicating,” Ayodele said.

Rodgriuez said that they have called in a “use-of-force specialist” to help them make their decision, which they predict to have in two weeks. Based on her track record with the case, members of the community aren’t quick to believe that.

Pastor Lee Turner, who came to show his support and lead the community in prayer, said that the county has not shown up enough for people of color, letting cases such as the death of Georgia Moses go unsolved for decades. “It doesn’t make you feel valued,” said Turner.

The sun began to set on Courthouse Square, and Rev. Lindsey Bell Kerr closed with remarks to remind everyone of Pelaez-Chavez’s value.

“In the presence of David’s family, I invite all of us to commit ourselves again to work for justice,” Kerr said. “This justice will only come from the power of our spirit and the work of our hands. Let’s pray together.”

The microphone was taken away, and the crowd began to disperse. Some dropped flowers, hues of pink and purple, by a picture of Pelaez-Chavez while the family placed two coolers on a table that was draped in a green serape blanket. They plated up those who stayed with home-made tamales of all kinds, including Oaxacan-style tamales, wrapped in banana leaves, to show their gratitude.

The family is grateful for the community support, but Jose Pelaez knows this could’ve been handled differently.

“They had the right to help him; that’s why they’re there, right?” he said through an interpreter. “They had the right to detain him until he was under control.”

Pelaez said that depending on the outcome, the family is prepared to march and continue advocating for Pelaez-Chavez and more accountability from the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Department.

PQ

It’s been one year since Sheriff Michael Dietrick fatally shot Pelaez-Chavez and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office has yet to make a decision to prosecute.

Your Letters, Aug. 1

Transit Woes

It’s heartbreaking to hear that Golden Gate Transit bus and ferry ridership is still at historic lows and revenue is down $1 million weekly. The ferry has long been a staple of Marin with service in Larkspur, Tiburon and Sausalito for commuters and tourists. Losing this mode of transportation would be a big loss for the county as a whole. So try riding the ferry every once and a while.

Adam Abolfazli

Sausalito

Shameful

It is shocking and shameful that our government representatives in Marin County are continuing to neglect, disrespect and abuse the people of Marin City and their legitimate concerns and wishes. It’s no coincidence that Marin City just happens to be home to the only concentration of African Americans in the entire county. The rest of us must stand up against this injustice, by speaking up to the Board of Supervisors and demanding either a course correction or a replacement of them by supervisors willing to stand up for long-denied justice and self-determination for our neighbors in Marin City.

Peter Oppenheimer

Via pacificsun.com

FloraLuna and Crooked Goat Partner on Hard Seltzer Project

Bubble, bubble toil and trouble—something wickedly delicious this way comes!

That’s right, Petaluma’s most powerful alchemist, Phaedra Achor, has paired up with Crooked Goat Brewing to turn water into liquid gold. With the help of friends, some—alleged—sorcery and the bitters and syrups from Achor’s FloraLuna Apothecary & Trading Co., the North Bay is about to experience the unveiling of a new and enchanting alcoholic beverage: the most topical, tropical hard seltzer to sip this summer.

This seasonal seltzer has sugar, spice and, as one might probably expect, everything nice. Pineapple and tangerine serve as the primary ingredients that help to create a fruit-forward flavor that is then supported with a careful selection of alchemist-approved bitters and syrups.

“We thought a tropical island-themed drink for summer sounded perfect,” Achor said. “And so we started looking at warm spices and tropical fruits and decided pineapple and tangerine would go well with my cardamom-and-clove syrup, combined with cayenne and ginger bitters. Together, they have a really cool and subtle spice aroma that rounds out and melds all of the other flavors together to create this amazing complexity and backbone.”

GRADS An archival photo of Phaedra Achor and Jessica Novak-Tiemann—wife of Crooked Goat partner Scott Tiemann—who have been part of the same sisterhood group since age 14. They graduated from Petaluma High School together in 1992.

Achor’s own cocktail lounge is unique in that everything served within the establishment is entirely alcohol-free, which makes this news of collaboration with Crooked Goat Brewing … extra intoxicating. But the drink’s true charm can be found in the extra pinch of magic that comes from the friendship, camaraderie and community collaboration behind this bubbly beverage.

“You can be really creative with making seltzer,” said head brewer at Crooked Goat Brewing, Rich Jeter. “I was thinking of doing something on the tropical side, and Phaedra came to the brewery with a bunch of bitters and syrups, and we basically poured a seltzer on tap and added some various stuff to decide what tastes good. And it turned out really well, essentially a tropical Mai Tai.”

Jeter has been with Crooked Goat Brewing since 2016 and, according to Acher, it was his creativity that catapulted the company successfully through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The process for fermenting the seltzer is, in Jeter’s words, “the easiest brew we do.” By combining sugar, hot water and yeast, and letting it sit for just a few days before dropping the temperature at the end of the fermentation process, Jeter can create the seltzer’s alcoholic base in less than a week.

Then, with a little bit of math—or arithmancy, as the more magical mathematicians might call it—the bitters and syrups and such are added for flavor and, after that, it’s as simple as setting up the seltzer to serve fresh from the tap in both Crooked Goat Brewing locations.

“I’m excited for our two local brands to come together and make something for the community,” Achor said. “And I’m excited to show the diversity of my products; that they can show up so beautifully in so many different applications.”

“Especially within the craft industry, I love it when our local businesses get together to do collabs,” said Jeter. “Everybody really supports each other up [in the North Bay], and there’s no competitive aspect or anything like that.”

This local cocktail-inspired seltzer collaboration has been brewing for quite some time—since the ’90s, to be more specific, when Achor and Jessica Novak-Tiemann, wife of Crooked Goat partner Scott Tiemann, attended high school together in Petaluma and became fast friends at age 14.

“The second connection that made this happen is knowing the head brewer for Cooked Goat, Rich Jeter,” Achor said. “He is married to Kathy Jeter, the woman I sublease my alcohol-free cocktail lounge space from. We are all great friends, and when he took over as head brewer, combined with my friendship with Jessica and the collaboration idea being discussed for a long time, we were able to move forward on the collaboration pretty quickly.”

And by quickly, Achor means a matter of weeks. In fact, it was just early July when the alchemist and brewing board gathered for their first, and last, official taste-test meeting. After that, it was a simple matter of delivering the bitters and syrups, fermenting the base and mixing it all together with enough finesse to impress any winemaker, wizard or witch.

“I’ve been trying out the new seltzer on our staff and so on, and everyone is saying that it’s the best hard seltzer that they’ve ever had,” Jeter said. “I’m expecting it’s going to be received very well. We’re probably going to run out of this first batch in just a week or two, if I’m projecting correctly. With all the flavors we have going on with Phaedra’s syrups and bitters, I can’t see [the seltzer] lasting very long.”

“Bitters … they’re the spice rack of the bar,” added Achor. “They can also be used in marinades, salad dressings, any sauces—my smoked salt-and-pepper bitters have even been used on oysters.”

“I really just have this love of alchemy and flavors and blending and creating flavors,” Achor said. “It comes from a lifetime of creating, as well as comfort in knowing I know how to bring elements together to make things taste good. I just have the ability I call ‘flavor wisdom.’”

As of Friday, July 28, both the Petaluma and Sebastopol Crooked Goat Brewing locations will carry the new summer seltzer on tap. FloraLuna Apothecary & Trading Co. sells bitters and syrups alongside to-go mocktails, infusion kits and more. Though these products are primarily sold as cocktail ingredients, they can and should be used to great effect poured over ice cream.

Future plans for the seasonal hard seltzer collaboration between FloraLuna and Crooked Goat Brewing are still in the works, though there is talk of a possible grapefruit flavor come fall. So, don’t miss out on summer’s hottest seltzer, since it’s bound to be bought out fast. Especially since there will be no canning or distribution initiative, though Crooked Goat does offer 32-oz. growlers.

Crooked Goat Brewery is open seven days a week and is located at 110 Howard St. in Petaluma and 120 Morris St. #120 in Sebastopol. FloraLuna is open Friday through Sunday and is located at 122 Kentucky St. in Petaluma. For more information, visit crookedgoatbrewing.com and floralunaapothecary.com.

Cultivating Farmers

I consider my days in the sun as a young, organic farmer to be the most rewarding work I’ve done. But for young people like me, becoming a full-time farmer is nearly an impossible dream.

According to the USDA, the median age for agricultural producers increased from 56.3 to 57.5 years old between 2012 and 2017—making farmers among the oldest workforces in America. People 35 or younger account for only 9% of the country’s farm producers.

Why are so few young people going into farming? The 2022 National Young Farmers Survey names access to land, funding, health care and the cost of production as the top challenges.

The average net income for family farms in 2023 is expected to be less than $40,000, lower in real terms than a decade ago.

Meanwhile, the costs of agricultural land and machinery have skyrocketed. Even a second-hand John Deere combine can easily run more than $750,000. The average price per acre of cropland reached $5,050 in 2022, nearly double the 2009 rate, according to USDA.

The federal government spends billions every year on farm subsidies, but most of the money goes to the largest and wealthiest operators. And because of systemic racism, Black and Indigenous farmers have faced particular difficulty in accessing these funds.

In 2021, Congress set aside $4 billion in loan forgiveness for minority farmers to address the long history of discrimination against Black farmers. But the courts blocked the program, claiming it would be unfair to white farmers.

If we’re serious about cultivating the next crop of young farmers in America, we need to do much more to clear the roadblocks stopping young farmers from taking their place in the agricultural workforce.

I want other young people to have the opportunity to share in the experience of cultivating the earth, connecting with nature and understanding the true value of sustainable food production.

Danielle Browne is a next leader at the Institute for Policy Studies.

Free Will Astrology, Aug. 1

0

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotions are not inconvenient distractions from reason and logic. They are key to the rigorous functioning of our rational minds. Neurologist Antonio Damasio proved this conclusively in his book Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. The French philosopher’s famous formula—“I think, therefore I am”—offers an inadequate suggestion about how our intelligence works best. This is always true, but it will be especially crucial for you to keep in mind during the coming weeks. Here’s your mantra, courtesy of another French philosopher, Blaise Pascal: “The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The famous Taurus TV star Jay Leno once did a good deed for me. I was driving my Honda Accord on a freeway in Los Angeles when he drove up beside me in his classic Lamborghini. Using hand signals, he conveyed to me the fact that my trunk was open, and stuff was flying out. I waved in a gesture of thanks and pulled over onto the shoulder. I found that two books and a sweater were missing, but my laptop and briefcase remained. Hooray for Jay! In that spirit, Taurus, and in accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to go out of your way to help and support strangers and friends alike. I believe it will lead to unexpected benefits.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Did you learn how to think or how to believe?” When my friend Amelie was nine years old, her father teased her with this query upon her return home from a day at school. It was a pivotal moment in her life. She began to develop an eagerness to question all she was told and taught. She cultivated a rebellious curiosity that kept her in a chronic state of delighted fascination. Being bored became virtually impossible. The whole world was her classroom. Can you guess her sign? Gemini! I invite you to make her your role model in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the coming weeks, I advise you not to wear garments like a transparent Gianfranco Ferre black mesh shirt with a faux-tiger fur vest and a coral-snake jacket that shimmers with bright harlequin hues. Why? Because you will have most success by being down-to-earth, straightforward and in service to the fundamentals. I’m not implying you should be demure and reserved, however. On the contrary: I hope you will be bold and vivid as you present yourself with simple grace and lucid authenticity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1811, Leo scientist Amedeo Avogadro (1776–1856) formulated a previously unknown principle about the properties of molecules. Unfortunately, his revolutionary idea wasn’t acknowledged and implemented until 1911, 100 years later. Today his well-proven theory is called Avogadro’s law. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Leo, you will experience your equivalent of his 1911 event in the coming months. You will receive your proper due. Your potential contributions will no longer be mere potential. Congratulations in advance!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Israeli poet Yona Wallach mourned the fact that her soul felt far too big for her, as if she were always wearing the clothes of a giant on her small body. I suspect you may be experiencing a comparable feeling right now, Virgo. If so, what can you do about it? The solution is NOT to shrink your soul. Instead, I hope you will expand your sense of who you are so your soul fits better. How might you do that? Here’s a suggestion to get you started: Spend time summoning memories from throughout your past. Watch the story of your life unfurl like a movie.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Nineteenth-century Libran physician James Salisbury had strong ideas about the proper ingredients of a healthy diet. Vegetables were toxic, he believed. He created Salisbury steak, a dish made of ground beef and onions, and advised everyone to eat it three times a day. Best to wash it down with copious amounts of hot water and coffee, he said. I bring his kooky ideas to your attention in hopes of inspiring you to purge all bunkum and nonsense from your life—not just in relation to health issues, but everything. It’s a favorable time to find out what’s genuinely good and true for you. Do the necessary research and investigation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I’m amazed that anyone gets along!” marvels self-help author Sark. She says it’s astonishing that love ever works at all, given our “idiosyncrasies, unconscious projections, re-stimulations from the past, and the relationship history of our partners.” I share her wonderment. On the other hand, I am optimistic about your chances to cultivate interesting intimacy during the coming months. From an astrological perspective, you are primed to be extra wise and lucky about togetherness. If you send out a big welcome for the lessons of affection, collaboration and synergy, those lessons will come in abundance.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Please don’t make any of the following statements in the next three weeks: 1. “I took a shower with my clothes on.” 2. “I prefer to work on solving a trivial little problem rather than an interesting dilemma that means a lot to me.” 3. “I regard melancholy as a noble emotion that inspires my best work.” On the other hand, Sagittarius, I invite you to make declarations like the following: 1. “I will not run away from the prospect of greater intimacy—even if it’s scary to get closer to a person I care for.” 2. “I will have fun exploring the possibilities of achieving more liberty and justice for myself.” 3. “I will seek to learn interesting new truths about life from people who are unlike me.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Champions of the capitalist faith celebrate the fact that we consumers have over 100,000 brand names we can purchase. They say it’s proof of our marvelous freedom of choice. Here’s how I respond to their cheerleading: Yeah, I guess we should be glad we have the privilege of deciding which of 50 kinds of shampoo is best for us. But I also want to suggest that the profusion of these relatively inconsequential options may distract us from the fact that certain of our other choices are more limited. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, I invite you to ruminate about how you can expand your array of more important choices.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): My best friend in college was an Aquarius, as is my favorite cousin. Two ex-girlfriends are Aquarians, and so was my dad. The talented singer with whom I sang duets for years was an Aquarius. So I have intimate knowledge of the Aquarian nature. And in honor of your unbirthday—the time halfway between your last birthday and your next—I will tell you what I love most about you. No human is totally comfortable with change, but you are more so than others. To my delight, you are inclined to ignore the rule books and think differently. Is anyone better than you at coordinating your energies with a group’s? I don’t think so. And you’re eager to see the big picture, which means you’re less likely to get distracted by minor imperfections and transitory frustrations. Finally, you have a knack for seeing patterns that others find hard to discern. I adore you!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Is the first sip always the best? Do you inevitably draw the most vivid enjoyment from the initial swig of coffee or beer? Similarly, are the first few bites of food the most delectable, and after that your taste buds get diminishing returns? Maybe these descriptions are often accurate, but I believe they will be less so for you in the coming weeks. There’s a good chance that flavors will be best later in the drink or the meal. And that is a good metaphor for other activities, as well. The further you go into every experience, the greater the pleasure and satisfaction will be—and the more interesting the learning.

Homework: Make up a fantastic story about your future self, then go make it happen. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Soul, Art and a Century Old bar

Napa

R&B for the Soul

One of the most fun live bands in the North Bay plays this week at one of the area’s best clubs. What’s not to like? The Soul Section—multi-time recipient of the NorBay award for Best R&B Band—plays a hard and sweaty, grown-ass version of soul standards that satisfies for every bar of every song. Pete Donery’s flawless big-bottom bass provides the platform for singer Kevin Mulligan’s vocals to rise to the heavens in the glory of this eight-piece band. 8pm, Saturday, Aug. 5. Blue Note Napa, 1030 Main St., Napa. Ages 8+. Tickets start at $12.

 
Santa Rosa

Wild Art

Four local artists celebrate the wonder of the natural world in “Wild Things,” an exhibit at Corrick’s Stationery. Featured artists Stephen Heagan, Diane Schoenrock, Carolyn Wilson and Suki Diamond display original works in different media. Of particular interest is Wilson’s latest mixed-media canvas, “Otto and Eesha,” inspired by the recent baby rhinoceros birth at Safari West. Safari West Wildlife Foundation receives 15% of all sales. Meet the artists and staff from Safari West on opening night: 5-7pm Friday, Aug. 4; and from 10:30am to 5pm every Tuesday-Saturday until Aug. 26. Corrick’s, 637 4th St., Santa Rosa.

Petaluma

Ernie’s Turns 100

Perhaps the most authentic beer hole in the world—band’s play in the bay of the adjoining auto shop—Ernie’s Tin Bar will celebrate its 100th anniversary with three days of jazz, blues, rock and more. And brews; notably, specialty beers brewed just for this event from Pizza Port Brewing Company and Russian River Brewing Company. First-timers, be sure not to use a cell phone while standing at the bar. Enjoy food trucks all weekend. Music starts at 5pm, Friday Aug. 4, noon on Saturday and 11am on Sunday. Ernie’s Tin Bar, 5100 Lakeville Hwy., Petaluma. Free.

 
Larkspur

Musical Masters

A dazzling showcase of songs inspired by American musical masters Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Richard Rod, this live performance features classics including “In the Still of the Night,” “Anything Goes,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “The Man I Love,” “Some Enchanted Evening” and more. Produced by Ellie Mednick in cooperation with The Cole Porter Society, singers Noah Griffin, Désirée Goyette, Bob Austrian and Deborah Winters join musicians Akira Tana, Ross Gualco and Joe McKinley in a show that will delight anyone who has ever belted a show tune. 7pm, Thursday, Aug. 17. Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. Lobby reception after the show. $45.

A Local Remembers Sinéad

She was the tiniest, frailest person of my own generation I had ever met by the time I stood next to her in the rehab room where I was stationed to provide her care during night shifts as she recovered from an undisclosed procedure.

I suppose I could have found out more about her gory details if I’d tried, but her status as a celebrity made me want to protect her, even from my own prying mind.

Once I thought being famous would be everything I ever needed to make me happy. By that time, I definitely knew better. I wouldn’t wish fame on anyone, let alone on anyone with a predisposition to mental health and addiction issues, or a survivor of childhood trauma, both of which she qualified as.The thigh bone is connected to the leg bone. Neither bone does well under public scrutiny.

When I entered her room to sit watch, she was just a small bundle in the double bed against the wall. It was dim, with curtains drawn and all surfaces hushed by carpets, drapes, pillows, clothing, newspapers, towels. I don’t know what I had expected, but it wasn’t this. The punk icon of my youth laid low by who knows what instead of shredding pope photos on late night TV.

It dawned on me I hadn’t really heard much about her recently. I felt bad suddenly, as if I had forgotten to check on a dear friend. What shits we can be, consuming our heroes while they are fresh and vibrant, never giving two thoughts when they disappear from view, or we hear rumors they may be losing their edge.

I realized sitting in her room while she slept, I had no idea what her life was, or what being out there rocking the world on our behalf as a smart, political, outspoken, brave, Gen X woman had actually cost her.

I’d been called earlier that afternoon on an emergency basis, by the friend of a friend, to help provide round-the-clock support to a secret client. I had been working in recovery for a few years at that time, mostly as a provider of transportation and support counseling to in-patient rehab customers at private facilities in the Bay Area, sometimes as an art therapist.

I had been clean and sober myself for 20 years or more. I was a Gen X small town punk rock kid who had become a theater geek, folk musician, art weirdo and then married a Boomer trust fund hippie folk musician, had a baby, and ran screaming into sobriety for my dear life.

In my life as a band bitch, I had rubbed up against so many famous folk by this time, I was pretty immune to the sticker shock of A-List Players. But this was different. The world, rock and roll in general, and punk rock specifically being primarily a boys’ playing field, our roster of Gen X female punk rock role models was limited to begin with. Add spins of riot grrl feminism, addiction recovery, trauma recovery, mental health advocacy… the pool gets even shallower.

Sinead hit all the highlights. First, she had shrugged off the oppressive idealized projections of feminine beauty that we were all slogging through by shaving her head and telling everyone who said shit about it to, in essence, fuck off. Then, in 1992, nine years before anyone publicly acknowledged the institutionalized child abuse inside the Catholic church, when she performed Bob Marley’s “War” on SNL as a protest of sexual abuse of children by church officials, she entered legendary status.

The backlash she received from that point forward was painful to watch. I can only imagine what it felt like to be at ground zero: inside her life. But what it meant to me, and to lots of us I think, was everything. Because of her public actions, among others, when I encountered suppressed memories of childhood sexual abuse that emerged from the darkness between the years of 1992 and 1996, I was able to summon the courage to leave my abusive marriage, find support from a therapist, enter addiction recovery, break silence in my own family, and begin the journey of healing that began to unfold for me from that point.

For better or worse, whoever I became as a trauma survivor, woman, mother, and artist were in part because of Sinead. Now here I was, standing guard while she slept. She was so tiny and frail. This powerhouse. This icon. This leader.

I was humbled more deeply than I knew I could be. It occurred to me sitting in that room, no matter who you are, how powerful and mighty, life can crumble you. But there was a beauty to her that could not be erased by time and tragedy.

She came barely to my shoulder when she finally stood and walked with me. Hair greying, still shaved. Skin aging, tattoos blurring—like me.

Here’s how we do it. No nip and tuck, no stretched face shiny weirdness. No gloss, no glory. Thank gods for middle aged punk chicks. I learned a lot about her through those days. What she shared with me, I don’t share, and stays with me cherished as private conversation.

Each of us, in our vulnerable moments, deserves privacy and dignity. Being a successful artist doesn’t mean the world owns our insides. But much of what she spoke about with me was already out in the public record. I looked up her public interviews, visited her social media posts, caught up on what she was presenting to the world since I had last paid attention. Her life has been filled with so much difficulty, tragedy, struggle, and pain.

My heart went out to her. No amount of success in the world can guard us from what it costs to live in the world as ourselves.In the few days I had with her, I chose to quietly just be there, listening, helping her get back on her feet literally, talked to her like she was any other women in a vulnerable place, trying to get somewhere better.

I never told her what she meant to me. How much I admired her. How much I was rooting for her. It felt like an invasion of privacy to do so. I just tried to transmit my gratitude to her in my actions and leave the rest unspoken. Let her just be another person in need for a while. I don’t know if that was the right thing to do or not. Maybe it would have mattered to her to hear how she had made a difference in my life. How she had made a difference in the lives of so many women I knew of my generation and beyond. How so many of us were rooting for her. How we saw her as beautiful, and cherished, and vital, and irreplaceable.

Regardless, the moments I had with her on those days I cherish and carry with me. They inform how I am aging, how I treat myself, how I see other women at times. Life is going to crumble us all eventually. No matter how bad ass, how important, how amazing. The only thing we need to do in the meantime is keep getting up again, getting to our feet, speaking our truth, being ourselves, keep going on.

A few years after my time with Sinead, we all got to see her live performance from Berlin on world media. It was so glorious, I cried. Risen up from a tiny cocoon of blankets in the dark, that beautiful butterfly again. Never say never. It isn’t over ‘til it’s over.

Go easy, big soul. You blazed a trail for us. I’m here walking behind you, holding a little part of the light you carried maybe a little further down the path, hopefully handing pieces of it to those behind me too.

You changed us, you helped change the world, even if only a little. Change is ridiculously slow, but following your example, I’ll keep getting up, and keeping on.

Originally published at NOVEL atelier | Charissa Drengsen.

No Dice: Sonoma’s ‘Guys and Dolls’ Misses the Mark

0

The name Damon Runyon probably means little to most today. But in the early-to-mid 20th century he was a celebrated journalist, sports columnist and author. His short stories about New York and Broadway contained such colorful characters that the term “Runyonesque” was coined to describe the type of gamblers, gangsters, hoods and show people who populated his stories and the dialect they used.

Runyon stories were frequently adapted for film, including Little Miss Marker, the movie that made Shirley Temple a star. In 1950, Runyon’s characters returned home for their Broadway musical debut in the smash hit Guys and Dolls. Sonoma Arts Live has a production of the multi-Tony Award-winning show running on the Rotary Stage in Andrews Hall through July 30.

Nathan Detroit (Skyler King) is desperate for a place to hold the oldest established permanent floating craps game in New York, but he needs a thousand dollars to book it. He believes that Sky Masterson (Andrew Smith) would be an easy mark for the money and makes him a bet he figures he can’t lose: Take Sergeant Sarah Brown (Maeve Smith), leader of the Save-a-Soul Mission, to Cuba and wine and dine her there. Between avoiding the cops, holding off some anxious gamblers and distracting Miss Adelaide (Jenny Veilleux), his matrimonial-minded fiancé of 14 years, Nathan has his hands full.

Director Larry Williams and the cast try hard, but the essence of Damon Runyon’s New York is sorely missing from this production. Most characters fail to match the color level of their costumes—nice design work by Barbara McFadden and Sylvia Gregory—and the vernacular is delivered with varying degrees of success.

Jenny Veilleux does hit the Runyonesque mark as Adelaide. She gives a full-throttled performance and delivers in both character and voice. Any scene she enters, usually with the very entertaining Hot Box Girls, energizes the show. King’s Detroit only displays about 50% of the charisma he should have, while Andrew Smith’s Masterson is completely devoid of character. He shows none of the rapscallion charm an operator of his caliber should, at least enough to make the audience believe that a reserved, religious person like Sarah Brown would fall madly in love with him. Maeve Smith is fine in what is in essence the show’s “straight” role.

A community theater taking on a large-scale musical is pretty much a crap shoot—especially these days—and, unfortunately, Sonoma Arts Live’s Guys and Dolls doesn’t provide much of a payoff.

‘Guys and Dolls’ runs through July 30 at Andrews Hall in the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma. Thurs–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $25–$42. 707.484.4874. www.sonomaartslive.org

Gravenstein Apple Fair Celebrates 50 Years

Anyone driving the Gravenstein Highway has seen them: apple orchards. Apples—in particular Gravensteins—have been part of Sonoma County’s roots, growing in orchards and backyards for over 200 years since they were planted at Fort Ross in the early 1800s. Accordingly, 50 years ago, in honor of the prolific, sweet-tart fruit, Sonoma County Farm Trails established the annual Gravenstein Apple Fair....

Transcendence takes it off for ‘The Full Monty’

Buffalo, New York, is the setting for Terrance McNally’s 2000 adaptation—with music and lyrics by David Yazbeck—of the 1997 British film The Full Monty. Transcendence Theatre Company is running a Josh Walden-directed production at Glen Ellen’s Beltane Ranch through Aug. 20. Originally the tale of a group of unemployed English steel workers, this Americanized version is the tale of unemployed...

A Year Later, Questions in David Pelaez-Chavez Shooting Remain

At Santa Rosa’s Courthouse Square last Saturday, July 29, dozens gathered to demand justice and honor the life of David Pelaez-Chavez, who was shot last year in a police pursuit through Knight’s Valley. In the bright afternoon sun, people prayed. Silent moments became filled with the gusts of wind that rippled off a banner that read, “It’s been 365 days....

Your Letters, Aug. 1

Transit Woes It’s heartbreaking to hear that Golden Gate Transit bus and ferry ridership is still at historic lows and revenue is down $1 million weekly. The ferry has long been a staple of Marin with service in Larkspur, Tiburon and Sausalito for commuters and tourists. Losing this mode of transportation would be a big loss for the county as...

FloraLuna and Crooked Goat Partner on Hard Seltzer Project

Bubble, bubble toil and trouble—something wickedly delicious this way comes! That’s right, Petaluma’s most powerful alchemist, Phaedra Achor, has paired up with Crooked Goat Brewing to turn water into liquid gold. With the help of friends, some—alleged—sorcery and the bitters and syrups from Achor’s FloraLuna Apothecary & Trading Co., the North Bay is about to experience the unveiling of a...

Cultivating Farmers

I consider my days in the sun as a young, organic farmer to be the most rewarding work I’ve done. But for young people like me, becoming a full-time farmer is nearly an impossible dream. According to the USDA, the median age for agricultural producers increased from 56.3 to 57.5 years old between 2012 and 2017—making farmers among the oldest...

Free Will Astrology, Aug. 1

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotions are not inconvenient distractions from reason and logic. They are key to the rigorous functioning of our rational minds. Neurologist Antonio Damasio proved this conclusively in his book Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. The French philosopher’s famous formula—“I think, therefore I am”—offers an inadequate suggestion about how our intelligence works best....

Soul, Art and a Century Old bar

Napa R&B for the Soul One of the most fun live bands in the North Bay plays this week at one of the area’s best clubs. What’s not to like? The Soul Section—multi-time recipient of the NorBay award for Best R&B Band—plays a hard and sweaty, grown-ass version of soul standards that satisfies for every bar of every song. Pete Donery’s...

A Local Remembers Sinéad

She was the tiniest, frailest person of my own generation I had ever met by the time I stood next to her in the rehab room where I was stationed to provide her care during night shifts as she recovered from an undisclosed procedure. I suppose I could have found out more about her gory details if I’d...

No Dice: Sonoma’s ‘Guys and Dolls’ Misses the Mark

The name Damon Runyon probably means little to most today. But in the early-to-mid 20th century he was a celebrated journalist, sports columnist and author. His short stories about New York and Broadway contained such colorful characters that the term “Runyonesque” was coined to describe the type of gamblers, gangsters, hoods and show people who populated his stories and...
11,084FansLike
4,446FollowersFollow
6,928FollowersFollow