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Forecast: Rain—and Sewage

Culture

Bohemian.com

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08

DELUGE: Does Richardson Bay remain in danger of sewage overflow with the coming rains?

In January 2008, 3.5 million gallons of untreated sewage water slid into Richardson Bay in one week due to overflows and alarm-system failures at Mill Valley’s Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM). The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered SASM and several other sewage-management agencies to repair old and damaged infrastructure, but aside from a few system upgrades and some paperwork, physical improvements have been few. Many system weaknesses that caused the January spills still exist beneath the sidewalks and streets of southern Marin, and a fully reliable system may be years in the future.

According to Bruce Wolfe, executive officer with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board in Oakland, much of Marin’s sewer system was built more than 50 years ago, and the structural integrity of pipes throughout the system has decayed. In an ideal situation, sewage pipes are watertight, Wolfe says. However, cracks and breaches riddle Marin’s aging system, and in January huge quantities of runoff during two large storms gushed into the pipes at many still-to-be-identified leakage points.

The Sewerage Agency receives and processes a dry-season average of approximately 2 million gallons of wastewater daily from some 28,000 locals. The flows in January, however, reached 30 million gallons. The facility could not contain the deluge in its 1.7-million-gallon emergency storage tank, and during the first storm, on Jan. 25, plant managers took action to avoid a flood inside the facility.

“They had no option but divert some of that sewage water around the plant,” Wolfe says. “That was raw sewage, though on the flipside it was diluted with huge amounts of rainwater.”

The day after the spill, an email from SASM to the water board told state officials of the spill, stating that it had occurred weeks prior. Steve Danehy, SASM’s general manager, told the Bohemian that it was an honest typo. Due to the communication error, various health and environmental response agencies did not learn of the spill and the subsequent one on Jan. 31 until Feb. 5, 11 days after the first event.

The EPA reacted in early April by ordering SASM, as well as six Marin County water districts whose sewage pipes feed the SASM plant, to submit drafts by Oct. 15 detailing each agency’s current system management plans. Some have met the deadline with lengthy documents describing their respective emergency procedure plans and maintenance schedules. The Sewerage Agency, though, recently requested an extension on the deadline, which the EPA has granted, and the sewage center now has until April 2009 to file the paperwork.

The water board issued a fine of $1.6 million against SASM on Sept. 2, which the EPA’s division chief of wastewater control, Lila Tang, assures will eventually be paid. However, the cash-strapped SASM may be allowed to complete a “supplemental environmental project” in order to alleviate the financial hardship. Such a project might include funding local residents in repairing their home sewage pipes.

In the investigation following the January spills, officials with the water board discovered that the state emergency notification requirements then in place had been written in the 1970s. The antiquated standards required that agencies report spills by phone within 24 hours and turn in written notification within five days.

“In the age of electronic information, we can do a lot better than that,” Wolfe says. The law was updated this summer to require that accidents be reported within two hours.

Currently, SASM is making several upgrades at its facility, according to Danehy. The 25-year-old alarm system which experienced “a breakdown in communications” on Jan. 31 will soon be replaced by a modern system. He also reports that 30 electronic flow monitors will be in place around the Mill Valley area by December, inserted into the pipes at strategic points to provide SASM staff with constant real-time reports on water volume approaching the facility. Contractors are also expanding SASM’s emergency overflow tank, doubling its capacity to 3.3 million gallons, a job which Danehy guesses should be completed by late November and which he trusts will be capable of handling most wet-season inflows to the plant.

However, the efficiency of a sewage plant depends on the structural integrity of the pipes that feed it. SASM’s facility may be better equipped than it was last winter, but the leaks and breaches that allowed the overflows of January’s storms still exist deep within the subsurface system.

“You can make improvements at the plant,” Wolfe says, “but to actually locate leaks in the system and reconstruct the lines, that’s a multi-year process.”

The EPA has set deadlines for such improvements as far in the future as 2013. Until then, five rainy seasons will pass, and Danehy acknowledges the uncertainties ahead.

“With our improvements, we should be prepared for most storm events. Then again, there’s no guarantee there won’t be problems this winter. You just never know what Mother Nature might deliver.”

In the Realm of Winter

Arts

Bohemian.com

Nov 12, 2008

the arts

Photograph by David Wilson
SPIRITED: Comic Marga Gomez is among the special presenters gathered for ‘Twisted Christmas 6.’

Compiled by Hallie O’Donnell

Bring on the Figgy Pudding: Events

Festival of Lights Yountville is magnificently illuminated as Washington Street is closed to traffic—with the exception of horse-drawn buggies—for this open-air festival. Costumed caroling characters, dancers and food booths complete the evening’s glitter. Friday, Nov. 28, 2–6pm. Downtown Yountville, Washington Street. Free. 707.944.0904.

Heart of Sonoma Valley Open HouseHeart of Sonoma Valley Association kicks off its 25th annual open house celebration this year, showcasing 19 Sonoma Valley wineries. Friday–Saturday, Nov. 28–29, 11am–4:30pm. $30 per person both days; $10, designated driver. 866.794.9463. www.heartofsonomavalley.com.

Gourmet Shopping Walking Tour Explore “hidden” Healdsburg with a hometown guide who will take you to all of the fantastic out-of-the-way places for shopping. Saturdays, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6, 13 and 21; also, Sunday, Dec. 22. 11am–1 pm. $30. 707.484.6249. www.healdsburgwalkingtours.com.

Bob Burke’s Christmas Party Join local volunteer extraordinaire Bob Burke for great food and company as he helps to raise money for children with cancer at annual bash. Wednesday, Dec. 3, 5–9:30pm. The Union Hotel, 3731 Main St., Occidental. Admission for the pasta feed and fun is free; donations appreciated. 707.887.2222.

Sebastopol Tree Lighting Cookie decorating, musical entertainment and refreshments abound when the Sebastopol Area Chamber of Commerce and VNA Hospice Foundation host their annual tree-lighting celebration on Thursday, Dec. 4, 5–8pm. Downtown Plaza, the corner of McKinley Street and Petaluma Avenue, Sebastopol. Free. 707.823.3032.

Zen FestJust when you thought reaching satori in Sebastopol was just an urban legend, the Stone Creek Zen Center helps to make that a possibility this year during its annual Zen Fest. This fundraising event includes items such as meditation supplies, altar materials and other Zen paraphernalia. Sunday, Dec. 4, 10am–4pm. Masonic Center, 373 N. Main St., Sebastopol. Free. 707.887.1514.

Old-Fashioned Holiday Home Tour Catch a glimpse of what the days of old would have looked like in Santa Rosa’s historic McDonald district during a guided tour of select homes on Friday, Dec. 5, 6:30–9 pm, and Saturday, Dec. 8, 10am–5pm. $100 per person; $175 per couple. 707.545.5567.

Light Up a Life St. Joseph’s hospices help to honor lives lost. The hospice of Petaluma has its ceremony on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7pm, Center Park (the strip of trees outside McNear’s and the Mystic Theatre on Petaluma Boulevard South), Petaluma. Santa Rosa tree lighting events will be held at 6pm on Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Lodge at Paulin Creek; Saturday, Dec. 13, at Railroad Square; Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Star of Valley at Oakmont. Events free. 707.778.6242 or 707.568.1094.

Petaluma Lighted Boat Parade Watch as lights combine with water at the annual Lighted Boat Parade in Petaluma, on Saturday, Dec. 6. The parade commences at the Petaluma marina around 6pm and arrives at the Turning Basin around 7pm. (Pssst: the best place to watch is the launch at Papa’s Taverna.) 707.769.0429.

The Blessing of the Olives Blessed be the olives! Olives are sanctified at the Mission San Francisco de Solano, which is open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 10am. Music and refreshments will also be included. East Spain and First Street East, Sonoma. Free. 707.996.1090.

Holiday Celebration Downtown Windsor plays holiday host with its annual celebration, which includes horse-drawn carriage and trolley rides, children’s crafts and a visit from St. Nick, and the woman behind the man, Mrs. Claus, when they light the tree on the town green Thursday, Dec. 6, 5–8pm. Free. 707.838.1260.

Luther Burbank Open House Step into the spirit of famed horticulturist Luther Burbank as his home and gardens are opened up to the public for a two-day holiday event. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 6–7, 10–4pm. Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, Santa Rosa and Sonoma avenues, Santa Rosa. Free. 707.524.5445.

Victorian Tea Slip into character as you imagine sitting among the Victorian era’s most esteemed thinkers, writers and her royal majesty at the Petaluma Historical Society and Museum. Sunday, Dec. 7. Two seatings, at noon and 4pm. $25. 20 Fourth St., Petaluma. 707.778.4398.

Christmas at the Mission Light a candle and sing sacred and secular songs in this charming free event for families that combines the holiday spirit with community history. Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Barracks and the Mission San Francisco Solano, Spain Street on the Plaza, Sonoma. Three programs: 5pm, 6pm, 7pm; 5pm is specifically for little ones. Free, but tickets are required. RSVP at 707.938.1519.

Jangle Jingle Bells: Shopping

Gifts ‘n’ Tyme Holiday FaireNow in its 35th year, the fair features 82 booths and home-baked goodies by the greater Napa Valley Lion’s Club. Start your shopping with handmade craft items. Nov. 14–16. Friday, 10am–7pm; Saturday, 10am–6pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Napa Valley Exposition, 575 Third St., Napa. Free. 925.372.8961.

Dance Palace Holiday Crafts Fair This shopping mecca gathers some 40 upper-echelon craftspeople under one roof for some early-season shopping. Friday–Sunday, Dec. 5–7, 3–9pm. Dance Palace, Fifth and B streets, Point Reyes Station. Free. 415.663.1075.

Holiday Arts & Crafts Boutique The Petaluma Farmers Market hosts a holiday arts and crafts boutique with handmade arts and crafts items, hot foods and drinks, baked goods and live entertainment. Great holiday gift items are for sale on Saturday, Dec. 6, 10am–5pm. Hermann Sons Hall, 860 Western Ave., Petaluma. Free. 707.762.0344.

December in Calistoga Community Christmas bazaar. Santa will also be there for photographic opportunities. Saturday, Dec. 6, 9am–4pm. Crafts fair, Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 Oak St., Calistoga. Parade, down Lincoln Avenue, 6–7pm. Both events free. 707.942.4232.

Alexander Valley Ladies Aid Christmas Bazaar Wreaths, cookies, jams, one-of-a-kind handmade items, hand-painted ornaments and decorated gourds and a raffle enliven this one-day crafts fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, 10am–2pm. Alexander Valley Church, 6650 Hwy. 128, Healdsburg. Free. 707.433.4504.

Muir Beach Quilters Quilt artists and other artisans gather with handicrafts of all kinds and free activities for the kids. Free shuttle from Muir Beach parking lot. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 6–7. Saturday, 11am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Muir Beach Community Center, 19 Seascape Drive. Free. 415.383.6762.

Goddess Crafts Faire Winter solstice Goddess Crafts Faire celebrates handmade gifts by local and regional women, as well as live music, tarot readings and food. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 6–7, 11am–7pm. Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. 707.829.3938.

A Dickens of a Holiday Crafts Faire Over 60 booths of juried handcrafted goodies, jewelry, household goods, ceramics and lots more. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 6–7. Saturday, 9am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa. $2; under 18, free. 707.543.3737.

Holiday Craftacular Petaluma Craft Mafia presents hipster craft show replete with music by Gabby Lala, the Bluebellies and Ted Baggett. Bring new toy for extra raffle ticket. Saturday, Dec. 13, 11am–5pm. Petaluma Veteran’s Hall, 1094 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma. $2. www.petalumacraftmafia.com.

Occidental Holiday Crafts FaireJoin Mr. and Mrs. Claus plus 35 crafters and plenty of fun. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 13–14. Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Occidental Community Center, corner of Bohemian Highway and Graton Road. Free. 707.874.1673.

Away in a Manger: Little Ones

‘A Christmas Carol’ Consider this play a primer for morality for the young ones, plus an introduction to the fine display of a master storyteller’s imagination in Sonoma County Repertory Theater’s production. Wednesday–Saturday, Nov. 21–Dec. 23. 104 N. Main St., Sebastopol. $20–$25; Thursday, pay what you will. 707.823.0177. www.the-rep.com.

Santa’s Riverboat Arrival Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the Petaluma Riverfront on board the town’s eponymous tug to greet the children and distribute candy canes followed by a horse-drawn procession through downtown to kick off the holiday season. Saturday, Nov. 29, at noon. Turning basin, Golden Eagle Shopping Center, on Washington Boulevard, Petaluma. Free. 707.762.9348.

Bay Area Discovery Museum Blizzard of events for the young ones with special activities run almost daily and include Gingerbread Architectural Extravaganza (Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and 13) and The Snow Cat (Dec. 13, 20 and 27). Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito. $8–$10. 415.927.0960.

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Catch a glimpse of Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey reincarnated in a younger version of himself when Cinnabar Young Rep players present a musical version of the heart-warmer. Friday–Sunday, Dec. 5–Dec. 21. Friday–Saturday at 7:30pm; Sundays at 2pm. Cinnabar Theater, 333 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. $10–$15. 707.763.8920.

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater Pets rescued from 26 animal shelters around the country perform amazing and wondrous acts of derring-do with international circus star and juggler Gregory Popovich. Thursday–Sunday, Dec. 11–14. Thursday–Saturday at 7pm; also, Saturday–Sunday at 2pm. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. 707.226.7372.

‘The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe’ C. S. Lewis’ beloved story is presented by the Sixth Street Playhouse’s student thespians. Friday–Sunday, Dec. 12–21. Friday–Saturday at 7pm; Saturday–Sunday matinees at 2pm; no performances Dec. 13 and 20. $10. 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. 707.523.4185.

A Storybook Christmas Marin Youth Performers present Santa’s elves as they prepare for the happy day with Pinocchio, Little Red Riding Hood, the Cowardly Lion and other storybook faves. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 20–21 at 2pm. 142 Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 415.383.9600.

Ghosts of Xmas Present: Stage

‘Posada Navideña’ The Instituto Mazatlán Bellas Artes de Sacramento present a music and dance show celebrating the traditions of a Mexican Christmas, focusing on Joseph and Mary’s pastorela, or journey, before the birth of baby Jesus. Friday, Dec. 5, at 7pm. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. $10–$15. 707.546.3600.

Twisted Christmas Live No. 6 TheBohemian’s own David Templeton assembles a welcome and offbeat alternative to the usual holiday fare. Comic Marga Gomez, NPR’s Sedge Thomson and Reed Martin of the Reduced Shakespeare Company help to craft the evening’s event based on stories having to do with survivalist gingerbread cookies, snowmen from the Twilight Zone and aliens at the Enterprise Christmas party. Saturday, Dec 6, at 7:30pm. The Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. $20–$25. 707.338.6013. www.brownpapertickets.com.

Christmas MemoriesWoman’s Will, an all-female Shakespeare Company, present readings of Christmas classics by Dylan Thomas, Truman Capote and Laura Ingalls Wilder, as well as music and songs and treats. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 6–7. Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm. Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Ave., San Rafael. $10–$15. 510.420.0813.

‘The Night Before Christmas’The Healdsburg Ballet presents a holiday favorite in which Christmas Eve comes to life to the strains of ballet, jazz and hip-hop. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 6–7, at the Raven Theater. Saturday at 7pm; Sunday at 2pm. 115 North St., Healdsburg. $10–$15. 707.431.7617.

Kay Ryan U.S. Poet Laureate and modest Marin resident reads from and discusses her work. Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7pm. Olney Hall, College of Marin, 835 College Ave., Kentfield. Free. 415.485.9648.

The Christmas Rose Harps and poetry coalesce as Patrick Ball creates a tapestry woven out of his harp playing, traditional Celtic legend and folk beliefs, and passages from Yeats, Thomas Hardy and the Bard himself. Thursday–Sunday, Dec. 11–14 and 18–21. Thursday at 7:30pm; Friday–Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2:30pm. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $19–$24. 707.588.3430.

‘The HollyDay Show’ Pegasus Theater Company cooks up some tomfoolery for the holidays. Thursday–Sunday, Dec. 11–21. Thursday–Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm. 20347 Hwy. 116, Monte Rio. 707.52.9043.

‘The Nutcracker’Petaluma City Ballet dances this holiday classic. Friday–Sunday, Dec. 12–14, at the Evert B. Person Theater. Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 11:30am and 3pm. SSU, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. $12–$23. 707.762.3972.

‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet Califia under the direction of David McNaughton, features lavish costumes and reliable spectacle. Friday–Sunday, Dec. 12–14. Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 8pm; Sunday at 2:30pm. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $15–$18. 707.588.3430.

Sing Along Messiah Ever-popular group event raises joyful noise, on-key and otherwise, to Handel’s indelible holiday tone poem. Dec. 13 at 3pm. Sebastopol United Methodist Church, 500 N. Main St., Sebastopol. $6, individual; $15, family. 707.829.4797.

‘The Nutcracker’ The Marin Ballet brings Tchaikovsky’s time-tested and beloved ballet to life once again. An after-show Candy Cane Party will give participants a chance to meet the cast. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 13–14, at 1pm and 5pm; Candy Cane parties follow 1pm performances. Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $23–$35; Candy Cane Party, $10 extra. 415.499.6800.

Rasta Thomas, Bad Boys of Dance Classically trained ballet artist rips it up with blend of Broadway, hip-hop, jazz, tango and ballet that emphasizes the athletic prowess of dancers and the thrill of male bodies. Dec. 19 at 8pm. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. $25–$45. 707.546.3600.

‘The Nutcracker’ Santa Rosa Dance Theater has the sugar plums dancing and the mice stirring under capable hands of artistic director Tamara Statkoun. Friday–Sunday, Dec. 19–21; Friday–Saturday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 2:3pm; also, Saturday at 2:30pm. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. 707.588.3430.

‘The Nutcracker’ Marin Dance Theatre presents full-length, two-act children’s ballet. A cast of 150 performers includes several special guest artists. Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1pm and 5pm; special Teddy Bear Tea Party after 1pm performance. Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $20–$30; Teddy Bear Tea Party, $10. 415.499.6800.

‘Tap Cracker’ Come see an alternate version of The Nutcracker as performed by Dance with Sherry Studio’s version, a jazzier more modern take on the original. Saturday, Dec. 20, at 2pm and 5:30pm. Marin Center Showcase Theater, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $12–$20. 415.499.6800.

‘The Nutcracker’ Rasta Thomas premieres his new dance company performing with professional dancers Adrienne Canterna and Tina Kay Bohnstedt under the artistic direction of the venerable Maria Vegh with live accompaniment by the American Philharmonic Orchestra Sonoma County. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 20–21. Saturday at 2pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 2pm. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. $25–$45. 707.546.3600.

Fa La La La La: Music

Occidental Community Choir This year’s show features new original compositions and guest artist Allaudin Mathieu. Friday, Dec. 5 at 8pm, United Church of Christ (825 Middlefield Drive, Petaluma). Saturday, Dec. 6, at 8pm, Community Church of Sebastopol (1000 Gravenstein Hwy. N.), Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3pm, Glaser Center (547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa). Family-friendly shows, Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7pm and Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4:30pm, St. Philips Church (Bohemian Highway, Occidental). $10–$15; under 13, free. 707.547.0204.

The Christmas Jug Band Stalwart purveyors of the jugabilly mystique present their annual tongue-in-cheek seasonal convergence featuring appearances by such as Dan Hicks, Commander Cody alumni and other San Francisco Bay Area luminaries. Friday, Dec. 5, at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre (142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 8pm. 415.383.9600). Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Larkspur Cafe Theater (500 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. 7pm. 415.460.9127). Friday, Dec. 19, at the Mystic Theater (23 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. 8pm. 707.765.2121). Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 21–22, at the Masonic Hall of Mill Valley (19 Corte Madera Ave., Mill Valley). www.christmasjugband.com.

Chamber Singers Sonoma County Chamber Singers chorale ensemble present work under the theme “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind: Christmas Music Old and New.” Friday–Sunday, Dec. 5–7. Friday at 7pm, at the Glaser Center (547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa). Saturday at 7pm, at the United Methodist Church, (825 Middlefield Drive, Petaluma). Sunday at 4pm, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church (1300 St. Francis Road, Santa Rosa). All performances free; donations accepted. 707.837.8984.

Spencer Day Informed by Harry Connick Jr. and even Norah Jones, Day opened for Rufus Wainwright the last time our boy came through town. A nice way to start the holidays. Saturday, Dec. 6, at 8pm. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. $25–$30. 707.226.7372.

Concerts by Candlelight Stephen McKersie conducts the Marin Symphony Chamber Chorus in an interesting sensorial and aural experience, as chorus members will be situated in various points around the church, creating an antiphonal experience. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 6–7. Saturday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 4pm. Church of Saint Raphael, 104 Fifth Ave., San Rafael. $25–$30. 415.479.8100.

Kitka Eastern European traditional songs as well as sacred and secular holiday tunes inform this spiritual night of sound. Sunday, Dec. 7, at 5pm. Osher Marin JCC, 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. $5–$10. 415.444.8000.

The Irish Show The Blacks are joined by the Celtic Dance Ensemble for a full night of Erin Go Bragh. Monday, Dec. 8, at 7:30pm. Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. $20-$34; traditional Irish “hearth” supper available, $20. 415.388.5200.

Wynonna, Christmas Style Wynonna Judd comes to belt out songs from her new album, A Classic Christmas. Friday, Dec. 12, at 8pm. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. $15–$85. 707.546.3600.

Sonoma Valley Chorale The Chorale performs “A Magnificent Christmas,” performing Magnificat, a piece written by Italian composer, Giovanni Pergolesi, as well as others. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 13–14. Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm and 7pm. Sonoma Vet’s Bldg., 1261 First St. W., Sonoma. $12–$18. 707.935.1576. www.sonomavalleychorale.org.

Oakland Interfaith Gospel ChoirThe award-winning Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir Ensemble perform in the historic Bartholomew Park winery museum. Saturday, Dec. 13, at 4:30pm and 7:30pm. 1000 Vineyard Lane, Sonoma. $45–$125. 707.939.2274.

Cinnabar Choral Ensemble Mixing traditional yuletide tunes with ancient and modern music directed by Nina Shuman. Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8pm. 3333 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. $8–$12. 707.763.8920.

The Sonoma Hometown Band “Holiday Festival of Music,” a family-friendly show offering traditional music from opera to popular holiday tunes. Saturday, Dec. 13, at 11am. Sebastiani Theatre, 474 First St. E., Sonoma. Free. 707.933.8989.

Winter Dance Party A 1950s concert review of some of the era’s most famous and memorable performers such as Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. A special appearance will be made by the Big Bopper’s son, Jay P. Richardson. Sunday, Dec. 14, at 5pm. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Ave., Yountville. $39–$49. 707.944.1300.

New Century Chamber Orchestra Innovative ensemble celebrate holidays with music by Handel and Bach plus songs and chorales by soprano Melody Moore. Sunday, Dec. 14, at 5pm. 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. $32–$54. 415.444.8000.

Angels Are Everywhere Cinnabar Choral Ensemble mix traditional yuletide tunes with ancient and modern music. Saturday, Dec. 15, at 8pm. 3333 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. $8–$12. 707.763.8920.

Piano Bar . . . For the Holidays Interactive cabaret-style performance led by singer and pianist Steve Saari changes nightly. Tuesday–Sunday, Dec. 16–21. Tuesday–Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. $28. 707.226.7372.

A Chanticleer Christmas Medieval and Renaissance works, traditional carols and moving spirituals. Friday, Dec. 19, at 6pm and 8:30pm. St. Vincent Church, 35 Liberty St. Petaluma. $30–$48. 415.252.8589.

‘Tis the Season, Winter Celebration Over a hundred joyful singers from Singers Marin present a holiday choral concert with familiar Christmas and Hanukkah songs. Sunday, Dec. 21, at the Marin Center. 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 4pm. $20–$30. 415.499.6800.

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Museums and gallery notes.

Reviews of new book releases.

Reviews and previews of new plays, operas and symphony performances.

Reviews and previews of new dance performances and events.

First Bite

Dining

Suzanne Daly

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08

E ditor’s note: First Bite is a new concept in restaurant writing. This is not a go-three-times, try-everything-on-the-menu report; rather, this is a quick snapshot of a single experience. We invite you to come along with our writers as they—informed, intelligent eaters like yourselves—have a simple meal at an area restaurant, just like you do.

Restaurant Eloise, Sebastopol’s newest addition to high-end dining, is named after the adventurous and somewhat naughty little girl in Kay Thompson’s children’s books. Eloise travels from New York to Paris, and diners here will vicariously follow in her footsteps. Chefs and owners Eric Korsh and Ginevra Iverson, previously of New York, have established themselves in the comfortable and simple space on busy Gravenstein Highway that previously housed Chez Peyo and Bistro V. With a bright white interior and sparse decorations, the main dining room and its staff welcome diners with a relaxed yet professional air.

Perusing the menu, two things immediately stand out: the eclectic offerings and the extremely high prices. Offered as starters are sweetbreads ($14), headcheese and veal tongue on a charcuterie plate ($20) and bone marrow ($14). I was tempted to try the tall, roasted marrow bones, but the other diners at my table were not enticed into sharing this rich dish. Instead, we started with the amuse-bouche, three small, crisp toasts smeared with a delicious three liver pâté (rabbit, duck and guinea hen).

We followed with a highly recommended—and, I’m afraid, highly overrated—spotted shrimp appetizer ($14). Three hot, whole prawns, one as big as my hand, were wrested out of their shells to yield, well, three very small portions of meat. Perhaps if we were as truly adventurous as Eloise, we would have eaten more than the usual shrimp meat, but instead we washed our hands of it in the fingerbowl provided. By this time, I had finished my first glass of wine, notable only because I am known for nursing one glass of an average pour through an entire meal.

My husband and I each ordered a second glass from the 32 available on the wine list, and moved on to the main courses. The vegetarian at the table hungrily dove into one of two vegetarian offerings (the other being a yummy-sounding French red lentil soup with feta for $9), the ricotta and chard gnocchi ($19). Served in a deep bowl, these tender little pillows had a consistency more reminiscent of ravioli, rather than the usual density of potato gnocchi. Heavily dressed with a brown butter and sage sauce, the flavors popped once salt was added.

Conversely, the small pot of cassoulet ($33), France’s signature dish, was overly salty. A rich blend of fall-off-the-bone confit duck leg, large coins of spicy beef and garlic sausage, a small slab of pork belly, tarbais beans imported from France (perhaps explaining the hefty over-pricing for country fare) and spices, the cassoulet was a satisfying dish for a cold fall evening.

The three of us split dessert, Baba Rum ($9), a pound cake&–like brioche served with a spoonful of sweet Chantilly cream and a small pitcher of warmed rum to pour over it. The meal was enjoyable and the service excellent, but the final tab, $160 (before tip) for two adults and a child, put Eloise in the “special occasion” category rather than the “favorite local eatery” one. Perhaps the lunch special, three courses for $25, including a daily appetizer, dessert and a glass of wine or nonalcoholic beverage, would be a more wallet-friendly way to enjoy Restaurant Eloise in these tough economic times.

Restaurant Eloise, 2295 Gravenstein Hwy. S., Sebastopol. Open for lunch, Tuesday&–Saturday; dinner, Monday&–Saturday. 707.823.6300.

Quick-and-dirty dashes through North Bay restaurants. These aren’t your standard “bring five friends and order everything on the menu” dining reviews.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

Bohemian.com

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08

Alive to Its Beauty

I was so excited to see Suzanne Daly’s photo essay on local cemeteries! (“Death Becomes Them,” Oct. 29.) As a resident of Bloomfield, I loved seeing the beautiful photos of our local haunt. It’s a peaceful spot perched on a hill (which on a windy day can make it reminiscent of Wuthering Heights). It faces west toward Bodega, and it’s the perfect place to watch the sunset and the moon rise. I walk through the Bloomfield cemetery every day, and am so appreciative of the people who take care of it. Our local “Forrest Gumps” are Ed Hansen and Dale Miller. They both grew up in Bloomfield, and Ed still lives here. They maintain our history out of love, since the job doesn’t pay well ($0). There was a time when it was completely overgrown, so thanks Ed and Dale—and all the other men and women out there who are taking care of these special places.

Nancy Etheredge

Bloomfield

Art of Anger

Gretchen Giles neglecting to mention Christian Batteau’s Man Supporting a Cloud—one of the most prominent and important pieces in the Richard Carter Studio show—was a shameful exclusion from her review! (“Form Over Function,” Nov. 5). This work was one of the most difficult pieces in the show to fabricate, being cast bronze and minted nickel, and took over two years to create. It is also one of the most poetic works of the group. Having visited the gallery for the opening reception, I feel this oversight demonstrates a lack of experience reviewing art, particularly group shows. The work was one of only six major pieces in the main gallery—leaving it out of the review was an unfortunate mistake.

Yolande

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Millions, Billions, Trillions

Has anyone ever had the courage to total up all the money spent on elections in the United States? Presidential, congressional, state houses, governorships, mayors, judicial, city and county councils and even school boards. How many millions, billions, trillions of dollars does this add up to? What does it buy? Radio and television advertising; a variety of PR consultants; the manufacture of signs, buttons, bumper stickers; air and land transportation; rental of venues for rallies. Obviously, there are a lot of folks getting temporary, highly paid employment from campaign expenses.

But suppose all campaigns for any and all offices throughout the United States were limited to six weeks. Suppose that all candidates were given free access to TV, radio, meeting halls, etc. And suppose that the federal, state or municipal governing bodies provide the entire cost of these campaigns.

Suppose further that the corporations, industries, organizations and individuals who provide the millions, the billions, the trillions that U.S. elections cost were to put that money into the federal, state or local coffers. With that kind of money, our infrastructure could be repaired; our education system improved from preschool to college; our environment cared for. Full-time jobs would result.

Everybody wins. The campaigns would, thankfully, be short and less stressful on everyone. The economy would bounce back. Life would improve. Maybe the American dream can become manifest for everyone.

More importantly, instead of helping our man or our woman win, all that money will go for the common good—for all the people, for all the country.

Marylou Shira Hadditt

Sebastopol

&–&–>

Nature’s Magical Discovery Hut

Columns & Opinion

Patricia Dines

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08

Entering Spring Lake’s Environmental Discovery Center is like stumbling upon a quirky little forest cottage inhabited by someone who loves sharing his knowledge of nature’s ways, even cheerfully answering your pesky questions. Yup, it’s a dream come true for this “Why is the sky blue?” kid.

Located down a wandering oak woodlands trail, the center seems unlike standard park fare, with its squat cement base supporting a wood lattice pyramid two stories tall. Inside is an unassuming light-filled room, richly cluttered with natural objects. I find myself staring at a casually reclining mountain lion, frozen in time. How often can one examine such an animal’s details?

Looking around, I see a stuffed quail, fox, coyote, otter, skunk, wild turkey and bufflehead duck. A tousled owl peers down. Today’s naturalist, Indio Coffelt, comments that these are all Sonoma County natives, and that mountain lions and coyotes still travel through Santa Rosa’s Spring Lake.

At the “habitat table,” he shows me a tiny bird’s nest, a hornet’s nest and a basalt rock piece. The latter, probably “only” 5 million years old, has holes in which animals make their homes. To inspire children’s connection with these items, he asks such questions as “Can you imagine building your house with your mouth?” The nearby wall holds “Web of Life” posters and a game board where children place animals in their correct habitat.

Next, at the “touch table,” Indio points to a large molten chunk of obsidian, which local tribes mined and traded. He encourages me to try the large, worn stone mortar and pestle, used by natives to make acorn mush. He muses, “How many hundreds, even thousands, of people did this feed?”

Beneath these seemingly casual displays and conversations is an intentional approach called experiential education (EE), which was Indio’s focus area for his Sonoma State environmental studies degree. With EE, he says, people are invited to “do and touch and see and smell,” versus what he calls “chalk and talk,” or worse, “chalk-dust torture.” (I’m amused that even the welcoming of my questions has a technical name: “inquiry-based” or “student-led” learning.)

Feeling my own curiosity stirred, I can see why families, grandparents and scout troops visit here. But one doesn’t need a child to come. Anyone could surely occupy hours exploring this information-lush place. Other treasures include a tide pool touch tank, turtle habitat, frog game board, freestanding tree fort, puppet theater, eco-crafts table, silkworms, informational posters and interactive computer games. I even pick up a self-guided nature-walk brochure, with descriptions of native plants.

However, the experience brings more than entertainment. Indio remarks, “I’m helping students of all ages strengthen their relationship to the natural world. We’re learning and teaching through nature, the way that humans have done forever but have moved away from. We’re all innately deeply rooted in the natural world. It provides anything that you could ever want.” I nod, thinking of how nature profoundly nurtures me physically and emotionally, which is my core reason for wanting to honor and protect it.

The center also hosts morning sessions for elementary school classes, leading approximately a thousand children a month through such activities as storytelling, projects, hikes and a lifecycle theater. Indio says, “We have a great time.” Additionally, the center’s naturalists bring their hands-on science out to classrooms.

My eye is drawn to the new painted lady butterfly habitat. Inside, a moth-sized, monarch-orange butterfly, freshly emerged from her cocoon, dries and stretches her crumpled wings under the “sun” heat lamp. A butterfly lifecycle poster echoes small models on the table. “Butterflies and dragonflies live short, magical lives,” Indio observes. “They fly and spread their magic and good luck around, lay eggs, then pass on. And their offspring will continue to do the same—the big cycle.”

When I smile, he adds, “There’s tons of magic in the natural world.” He tells me of a conversation he once had at Nashville State. Physics professor Art Ward was explaining the technical science of the shimmering aurora borealis when Indio cried out, “Wait, you’re killing it!” Ward calmly replied, “Just because you can explain it scientifically, doesn’t mean it isn’t still magic.”

The Environmental Discovery Center is located inside Spring Lake Park adjacent to the main parking lot, 391 Violetti Drive, Santa Rosa. Hours are Wednesday–Sunday, noon–5pm. Entry is free; parking is $5–$6. The current exhibit, ‘Habitat and Home,’ continues through Jan. 4. More info is at www.sonoma-county.org-parks-edc.htm or call 707.539.2865.

What a Week

Music

Gabe Meline

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08

T hose who noticed that the summertime activity at Petaluma’s Mystic Theatre was a little on the slim side may want to simply camp out in front of the place for the next few days. Thursday, Nov. 13, brings a sold-out show by John Hiatt , who’s always brilliant, funny and charged with the redemptive power of love. Guitar miracle Sonny Landreth isn’t in his band this time around, and Hiatt hasn’t made a grand slam of an album in a while, but he’s still worth lurking on the sidewalk and trying to pick up an extra scalped ticket.

The next night, Nov. 14, Ozomatli returns reunited with the MC who started it all: Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na. Responsible for energizing the band’s vibrant self-titled 1998 debut, 2na brings with him the ability to elevate any recording or performance with his distinctive deep baritone and asymmetric rhyming scheme.

Saturday, Nov. 15, is given over to the all-female cover band, AC/DShe . Forget AC/DC’s long-overdue new album, Black Ice —everyone knows it was all about Bon Scott. That’s the era AC/DShe focuses on, and with a comprehensive set list, they prove the only difference between the Australian originals and their close facsimile is lipstick.

The next night, catch a fire with Groundation , whose long sets and irie vibes are spearheaded by singer Harrison Stafford’s long vocal improvisations. They’ve been around the world, they return to the Mystic on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Take five on Monday night, but return Nov. 18 for Medeski, Martin & Wood , the extremely versatile soul-jazz trio currently on tour honing material for their upcoming album. Though most of their recorded output consists of tight grooves, MM&W get exploratory in concert; jazz fans shouldn’t miss them.

And finally, the next night, Nov. 19, still reeling from his short-lived stint in the re-re-revamped Guns ‘N Roses, it’s the KFC-donning wackjob and shredding guitar wankmeister Buckethead .

For full schedule and details, see [ http://www.mystictheatre.com/ ]www.mystictheatre.com.

Live Review: Bill Cosby at the Lincoln Theatre

BohoBlog

Gabe Meline

Nov 10, 2008

At the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville on Saturday, Bill Cosby made his first public appearance since America elected Barack Obama as its next president. One would hope that Cosby might have come up with some special material, in the three days since the historic election, to mark the occasion.

And yet Cosby never once spoke of Obama from the stage.

On Election Night, none other than Karl Rove had credited Bill Cosby with indirectly steering the American consciousness toward the historic act of electing a black president. Cosby set such a positive family example with The Cosby Show, Rove implied, that it paved the way for Obama’s victory.

And still, Cosby never once spoke of Obama from the stage.

If this stunning oversight felt weird to the sold-out Saturday afternoon audience in Napa Valley, they didn’t let on. Instead, members of the mostly senior-citizen crowd shouted out requests for jokes about ice cream. And, essentially, that’s what Cosby gave them: nearly two hours of tame material about the wackiness of children, the ruthlessness of wives and the mystery of doctors.

You know. The usual Cosby stuff.

“What we need to do is give people more of a confidence that they can. They must realize that the revolution is in their apartment now. The revolution is in their house, their neighborhood, and then they can fight strongly, clearly, the systemic and the institutional racism.” — Bill Cosby on Meet the Press, 2006.

Away from the comedy stage, Bill Cosby is a different man. For the last four years, Cosby has been fighting a fierce cultural war, calling out the black community for poor parenting, for putting up with gangsta rap and for ignoring inner-city drug use. He’s suggested blacks move away from afrocentrism, and that black families need to stop giving their children “names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap.”

On stage, Cosby talked about turkey stuffing.

Cosby has had his troubles with women in recent years; 14 of them have charged that they were drugged and then molested by him. Repeatedly throughout the show, Cosby spat out the word “women” as if it was one of the obscenities he’d promised not to use at the beginning of the show. Nearly all of his riffs, including a long and brilliant retelling of the Garden of Eden story which recalled his famous “Noah,” were either peppered with or served to highlight the theory that women were put on Earth to annoy men.

He then talked about Kleenex.

“We’ve had an African-American first family for many years in different forms. When The Cosby Show was on, that was America’s family. It wasn’t a black family. It was America’s family.” – Karl Rove, Election Night, 2008.

Undoubtedly, Rove is right. By presenting an image of a functional, well-educated, loving black American family on The Cosby Show, Cosby completely changed the national conversation on race. His approach to race relations has always been the polar opposite of Al Sharpton’s or Spike Lee’s; instead of illuminating the differences between whites and blacks, Cosby focuses on what the two have in common. With patience and diligence, he has successfully slipped into the mind of white America a pure vision of equality—the idea that deep down, black people are just like white people.

But on stage, Cosby told stories about Thanksgiving.

“If you’re black and you say to me, because you see me studying, ‘You’re acting white,’ what is it you’re saying about black people? You see, these are things that have to be discussed with, and people aren’t coming up enough to challenge these statements, to do character corrections on these things.” — Bill Cosby on Meet The Press, 2006.

Cosby’s condemnations about the black community come from a place of genuine love for that community. A struggling black artist in the 1970s in need of funding could count on Cosby to flow some financing his way—see Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song. A forgotten black artist in the 1980s in need of recognition could count on Cosby to highlight their talent on the Cosby Show—see Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Ellis Wilson. This falls in line with his latest book telling black people to stop being victims and start being victors, which is a pretty easy thing for someone as wealthy as Cosby to say.

On Saturday afternoon, he joked about exercise.

“Parents need to know all about what their children are doing—they should look under beds, monitor Internet usage, know who their friends are.” — Bill Cosby on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 2007.

Instead of being about Barack Obama, Saturday’s show was all about an 88-year-old veteran in a wheelchair named Clyde. Cosby crawled on his hands and knees to the edge of the stage to chat, but after about 15 minutes of Clyde’s constant commentary during which Cosby went from enamored to exasperated, he finally broke. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to do the show. You are not to yell out any more or you will be sedated,” he said, crawling back to his chair. “I’m telling you something. Let’s just leave it at that. I don’t need you remarking on what I’m telling you.”

He told the crowd about recipes, and bacon, and hotel beds.

It’s easy to agree with Cosby when he talks about personal responsibility. It’s practically impossible to agree with him, however, when he rails against hip-hop music and the names parents give their children. But all in all, there’s no doubt that Bill Cosby has made the world a better place, and that he had a positive impact on a lot of people when it comes to race relations—especially kids who grew up watching The Cosby Show. I know, because I was one of them.

Still, I wanted him to mention Barack Obama. Just once. In such an incredible week, and such a notable time in history, couldn’t he break his no-controversy rule a little and give Obama a quick mention? When his son was murdered on a Los Angeles freeway, he spoke about it on stage. When the financial crisis hit earlier this year, he spoke about it on stage.

Cosby ended the set with the routine about going to the dentist. It killed.

Live Review: Mel Graves Tribute at SSU

Reviews

Nov 10, 2008

When I arrived at Warren Auditorium tonight, there were already more than 20 people standing in the hallway outside the theater, craning their necks to see through the doors. There were additional seats, full of people, placed behind the stage. There were speakers going out into the lobby, where even more people stood.
You shoulda seen it, Mel. You shoulda seen it.
It is unfortunate that one of the greatest listening experiences to be had in Sonoma County all year had to come with a tinge of sadness. Mel Graves, the great bassist and composer, died on Saturday of terminal cancer, just one day before the big farewell concert that he’d organized and looked forward to. The music heard tonight—presented by Mel’s alumni, close friends and colleagues—was so incredible, so blossoming and full of life. It was an utterly fitting tribute for a passionate, funny, smart, brilliant man.
I was lucky to be able to hang out with Mel a couple times in the last year. He was a no-nonsense soul who was at equal ease discussing the difference in the 1964 and 1965 versions of Charles Mingus’ “Meditations” as he was accepting life’s ultimate key change. The last time I stopped by his Petaluma home, his girlfriend Pam was taking care of him with what was obviously a great deal of love. He was surrounded by notes, preparing for this farewell concert, suggested by his friend Jessica Felix and which he himself titled, in pure Mel fashion, “Movin’ On.” He was at peace.
My only wish is that he could have seen the gales of love that were showered on him tonight. Hopefully he felt it.
Among the highlights: Denny Zeitlin, recalling the phone call he received in 1968 from a young Graves who said “I’ve just come out from the Midwest, and I love your stuff on Columbia, and I want to play with you.” (Graves and Zeitlin would go on to play together for 40 years.) Zeitlin sat down, chalked up his hands, and played a commanding, emotionally charged improvisation which led into “What Is This Thing Called Love” before it ended, hanging in air, unresolved.
Mel Martin, recalling the inconvenience of working so often with someone who shared his name. Both Mels eventually discovered that Martin’s Melvyn was spelled with a Y; Graves’ Melvin with an I. “He’d call me up, and say ‘Hey there, Y,’ and I’d say, Hey, I.’ I will miss that.” The band then kicked into “Flamenco Sketches,” and Martin played a razor-sharp cascading solo.
One of Graves’ specific requests for the night’s program was for Zeitlin and guest pianist Art Lande to sit together and play a four-hand piano duet, and he would have been bowled over at the results. Assuming the “missionary position” with crossed arms, the two oscillated from battling each other to cooperating on the keys in what was the night’s most freewheeling and humorous moment.
But most of all, every player on stage seemed to exhibit a certain extra empathy. There was a lot of listening going on between the players, and perhaps this was why they were so wonderful to listen to. During the final number, a solitary chorus of Gordon Jenkins’ beautiful ballad “Goodbye,” each member of the bandstand was united in the cause to properly bid farewell to their friend. The standing ovation from the full theater was overwhelming.
Aw, you shoulda seen it, Mel. You shoulda seen it.

We Did It.

Music

Gabe Meline

Nov 5, 2008

We went to the polls and filled in the small rectangle with the weird purple pen they gave us. Stared at it for an extra second, and then an extra five seconds, just to let the sight sink in and burn in our memory.
We tried to go to work like it was just another ordinary day. Threw the idea out halfway through. Needed to share in the experience. Stopped by the bike shop, the deli, the record store, the coffee stand, anywhere there were other people to see. The buzz. In the air.
We glued ourselves to the news, and we waited. The TV, the Internet, the BlackBerry, the iPhone. Each little drop hitting like an IV drip. It had been years. Years. Years. Years. Years. Years.
We made brownies, cake, pizza. Baked pies. And we watched it come: Pennsylvania first. Then, Ohio. Sweet Lord. Yes we can.
We screamed. We threw our arms in the air. We danced in the streets. We kissed complete strangers. We cried on our couches. We howled at the night. We called our loved ones. We shook with excitement. We lit off fireworks.
We did it. We stood up and said no to the criminal abomination of the Bush presidency. To the war that never, ever made sense. To the damnable offense of torture. To the contemptuous campaign of McCain. To the farce of the Palin pick. To the wrongheaded policies. To the outright lies.
We had a long, amazing night. And then we woke up, lagging a little. Did it really happen? Glugged down some coffee, threw on the new People Under the Stairs record. Opened the blinds. Slowly realized it wasn’t a dream. The world is new. Goddamn.
We did it.

Form Over Function

Arts

Gretchen Giles

Nov 5, 2008

the arts | stage |

‘DESIRE’: The disparate clay pieces that Richard Carter brings together draw from his ‘Life After Life’ series as well as his own personal longings.

By Gretchen Giles

Like drawing, it is possible to see ceramics as a “mother” art, one that is necessary to claim proficiency in before moving on to exploring other media. At least, that appears to be the case at the Quicksilver Mine Co., which is currently exhibiting a show drawn from the workings of a ceramic studio, much of which has very little to do with clay.

Titled “Richard Carter Studio: Past and Present,” this collective exhibit showcases the work of some 20 students who have done residencies with sculptor Richard Carter. Formerly housed along the Napa River, Carter now oversees some 85 acres in the rural Pope Valley area near Angwin, running an in-house residency program centered on wood-fired kilns and community. Students may stay for extended, even open-ended periods of time during which Carter, a former French Laundry sous chef, finds them restaurant work in tony Napa eateries to help pay their artistic stipends, cooks for and with them, and helps them learn to live on his rural ranch.

Carter, 49, estimates that some 30 students have so far passed through his program, a strenuous life experience modeled after the teachings of his own mentor, Kansas City Art Institute instructor Ken Ferguson, as well as the Bauhaus-informed strictures of the late Pond Farm artist Marguerite Wildenhain. During their tenure, students live together, work collaboratively and, most importantly perhaps, tend the wood fires necessary to heat the Korean- and Japanese-style kilns that must burn ceaselessly for seven to 10 days at a time in order to get hot enough that they not only melt their own ash, they also puddle steel.

But to judge from the Quicksilver show, most of what emanates from Carter’s kilns is not adequate to make tea, serve tea or sip tea; few of the artists who train with him end as “functional” ceramicists, those who produce items for the table or hearth. Rather, those such as Brooklyn-based artist Paige Pedri have moved on to create, huge white corporeal figures, abstract and recognizable both, fashioned from burlap, plaster and wire that splay in reminiscence of Rembrandt’s Slaughtered Ox or the biomorphic hanging figures of Eva Hesse.

Needing to complete an apprenticeship under a mentor, German artist Kathinka Willinek came to Carter after finishing a rigorous study in functional ceramics in Berlin. After her time in Pope Valley, she went to Carter’s alma mater in Kansas City, but soon switched from the ceramic department to the sculpture department. The work she sent to Quicksilver consists of long filaments threaded through with short pieces of colored string that when looked at from a small distance reveal a quick sketch of a face and figure.

A current Los Angeles darling, sculptor Nathan Mabry came to Carter when he was still a high school student in Napa. Under Carter’s tutelage, Mabry also went to the Kansas City Art Institute, subsequently receiving his MFA from UCLA and his own show within the month. Mabry takes found objects and ready-mades and alters them with masks and other surprising additions as well as casting his own minimalist molds and models.

Guy Michael Davis, who shows slip-cast tree limbs and faux nests at Quicksilver, has founded a Midwest design firm; the singularly named Granite uses oil paint, garish cartoon figures and plenty of sequins to wreak satiric nudges; Jayson Taylor uses beading and white silk organza to reflect on God.

While many of the artists collected in the Quicksilver show did send functional pottery, as many did not. “I really question college ceramics departments,” Carter says crisply by phone from his Pope Valley ranch, “because if you’re making three-dimensional objects that aren’t functional, you need to be in the sculpture department; otherwise, you need a design education, and that is lacking in most ceramic programs.”

Ken Ferguson, Carter’s mentor, died four years ago after having made a laughable attempt at retirement in 1996, continuing on with KCAI as an emeritus professor and remaining a towering figure both on campus and on the national clay scene. With his passing, Carter also sees the efficacy of a ceramics program having passed, too. “Clay has always wanted to be accepted in the fine art world and it’s so stuck in its past and its function,” he says. “You end up with a teapot that’s trying to be a sculpture that’s not accepted by the fine art world and doesn’t function either. What’s being made is really reflective of what’s happening in that world.”

Carter’s own career is most hugely defined by a mammoth “Life After Life” series he completed in the late 1990s. Returning to the Bay Area from his education at KCAI, he was caught up in a sad swirl of AIDS and HIV-related deaths among his friends and contemporaries. He created a series of ceramic slabs studded with nails that he now says worked as a sort of emotional barrier, the nails a protective artifice. And then a friend stricken with AIDS came to him and asked to be an actual part of Carter’s work. “Troy came to me and asked me if I would cast his body because he wanted to be part of a piece that would help educate, he wanted to be immortalized,” Carter says simply. “He died 10 years later.”

The day after Troy’s death, Carter cast his body, creating a mold. He later filled the mold and recreated Troy’s person, eventually filling the vessel with Troy’s ashes so that it is both urn and testament. For years, Carter made work based on the memory of Troy Simon Burdine III, much of the work eponymously titled. “I did the whole grid series using pieces of his body, and it was compartmentalizing, it was the way that I was processing and then that became much less about him and more about me and my sexuality and fears,” Carter says with characteristic honesty.

After much self-reflection and striving, Carter finished with the series based on Troy’s body and moved back into his own emotional frame, gradually moving to the work he creates today, in which he wood-fires ceramic slabs studded with steel nails until the nails dissolve, informing the surface texture and color of the pieces. “I went back to that nail series [from college],” he says, “and fired those pieces so that they would melt. Now the barrier was gone and love came into my life. The barrier, the nails, were keeping me from what I wanted. It probably saved my life.”

Curiously, stepping back to old work has prompted a fresh vision. “These pieces are not as narrative as the ‘Life After Life’ series,” Carter reflects, “they’re not as content-driven. For me, what I walk away with is what’s most important. Rothko could paint a canvas just red or black and evoke feelings and emotions. It all connects to the feelings. This is a relatively new series, but for me it feels very current, because I think that art and craft need to reflect the time in society that it’s made.”

Having spoken with a very eloquent frankness about his work and his emotional life, Carter sighs. “I hate giving interviews,” he says. “I express myself so much better in clay.”

‘Richard Carter Studio: Past and Present’ continues at the Quicksilver Mine Co. through Dec. 7. 6671 Front St., Forestville. Open Thursday–Monday, 11am to 6pm. 707.887.0799.

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Forecast: Rain—and Sewage

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08DELUGE: Does Richardson Bay remain in danger of sewage overflow with the coming rains? In January 2008, 3.5 million gallons of untreated sewage water slid into Richardson Bay in one week due to overflows and alarm-system failures at Mill Valley's Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM). The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered SASM and several other sewage-management agencies to repair...

In the Realm of Winter

Nov 12, 2008

the arts Photograph by David Wilson SPIRITED: Comic Marga...

First Bite

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08E ditor's note: First Bite is a new concept in restaurant writing. This is not a go-three-times, try-everything-on-the-menu report; rather, this is a quick snapshot of a single experience. We invite you to come along with our writers as they—informed, intelligent eaters like yourselves—have a simple meal at an area restaurant, just like you do. Restaurant Eloise, Sebastopol's newest...

Letters to the Editor

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08Alive to Its BeautyI was so excited to see Suzanne Daly's photo essay on local cemeteries! ("Death Becomes Them," Oct. 29.) As a resident of Bloomfield, I loved seeing the beautiful photos of our local haunt. It's a peaceful spot perched on a hill (which on a windy day can make it reminiscent of Wuthering Heights). It faces west...

Nature’s Magical Discovery Hut

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08Entering Spring Lake's Environmental Discovery Center is like stumbling upon a quirky little forest cottage inhabited by someone who loves sharing his knowledge of nature's ways, even cheerfully answering your pesky questions. Yup, it's a dream come true for this "Why is the sky blue?" kid.Located down a wandering oak woodlands trail, the center seems unlike standard park fare,...

What a Week

Nov 12, 2008

11.12.08T hose who noticed that the summertime activity at Petaluma's Mystic Theatre was a little on the slim side may want to simply camp out in front of the place for the next few days. Thursday, Nov. 13, brings a sold-out show by John Hiatt , who's always brilliant, funny and charged with the redemptive power of love. Guitar...