Left Behind: Lionizing lameness

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By Tom H. Hastings

What could President Joe Biden be thinking, trading a mere basketball player for the “Merchant of Death,” while leaving a Marine behind?

The Trumpy right is ramping up and up, getting all sanctimonious, about trading the freedom of (as the far right puts it) “a Black leftist lesbian celebrity who hated this country” for that of an “ex-Marine.”

So, election denier Daniel Greenfield of the most rightwing fake intelligentsia, what is the worst one of those invective modifiers you attach with such venom to Brittney Griner, a woman who helped win an Olympic Gold Medal for her country, the United States?

Black? Leftist? Lesbian?

The far right is lionizing Paul Whelan, the “ex-Marine.” Um…he’s an ex-Marine because he well and truly earned a bad conduct discharge for being a scammer, a thief and a lousy desk jockey supply clerk “Marine.” The military found him thusly, a military appellate court found the same, yet the ultra-right is selling him as some sort of patriotic freedom fighter held behind enemy lines and deserted by his traitorous government. Look it up. Stop dishing out hooey. We are tired of your gaslighting.

Sorry, it is Whelan who has been the proven traitor.

Brittney Griner had a legally prescribed pain med—some hash oil—in her luggage. For that, she gets a nine-year sentence in a Putin kangaroo court and a one-way shackled ride to a gulag. She is an athlete, not an arms merchant, not a spy, not anyone who is engaged in political connivance at any level. Bring her home from Putin’s thuggish Russia, even if you have to trade her for some dated arms merchant.

Dated? Yes, many logical and realistic analysts are saying that Viktor Bout will have no chance of reassembling his godawful arms dealership after 14 years of imprisonment, a loss of all his assets, and a notorious and known identity.

Brittney, sorry for the way you were treated by the unfair payouts from your pro ball league, from Russian fake “justice,” and now from the MAGAts defaming you with their barking calumny. Welcome home. Really. Welcome. Please focus on the love for you from so many.

Dr. Tom H. Hastings is an expert witness for the defense of civil resisters in court.

Culture Crush, Week of Dec. 21

Napa

‘True North’

The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art presents its inaugural juried exhibition of North Bay art, “True North,” featuring over 40 artists from California’s North Bay counties. Family friendly, this show is on exhibit now through Jan. 15. As di Rosa’s executive director and lead curator Kate Eilertsen explains, “Our aim at di Rosa is to serve as a platform and incubator for art and artists in our region. ‘True North’ is key to this vision. A biennial exhibition of art from the North Bay, it will connect and empower artists across Napa, Sonoma, Marin and Solano counties for years to come.” In keeping with the inclusive incubator spirit of “True North,” the closing reception will be an Art Slide Slam, for artists in the North Bay to share their work in a poetry slam format, from 2:30-4pm, Saturday, Jan. 14. Submission details can be found on di Rosa’s “True North” exhibition page, dirosaart.org/true-north.

Novato

Laugh Trek

Standup comedy is back, as Novato’s Trek Wine pairs wine and wisecracks for an evening of comedy featuring Comedy Central veteran Dan St. Paul. A national headliner, St. Paul has opened for such entertainers as Ringo Starr, Natalie Cole and Vince Gill, and even the San Francisco Symphony (“I knew them when they were just a garage band,” he quips). Upon hitting 50, St. Paul pivoted his act to reflect the changes he was experiencing—“I’m a cylinder now. I can wear a belt anywhere on my body.” Special guest Ian Williams will also provide laughs. The show commences at 7:30pm, Saturday, Jan. 7 at Trek Wine, 1026 Machin Ave., Novato. Tickets start at $20 and are available via marincomedyshow.com.

Petaluma

‘The House on Liberty Street’

Petaluma’s heritage home district is the setting for Sonoma County author Frances Rivetti’s second novel, The House on Liberty Street: Home of Second Chances, now available from Fog Valley Press at local bookstores and online. Rivetti uncovers the dark side of Christmas in a taut, 24-hour-compressed timeline, a compact, deep tale of a resilient, all-female household on the brink of irreversible change. “Local readers will recognize the street that this fictional house is located on by St. Vincent’s Church,” says Rivetti. “While most of the action in the story takes place within the house, there are other familiar downtown and crosstown scenes in several chapters. The house itself, characters, names, incidents, businesses and places are the products of my imagination, or used in a fictional manner, however, and should not be interpreted as real. Certain long-standing institutions and businesses are mentioned, but the characters and action involved are entirely imaginary.” For more information, including upcoming readings, visit Francesrivetti.com.

Santa Rosa

Ice Skating

Downtown Santa Rosa is presently a winter wonderland, and not just because climate change has plunged the mercury well below freezing. “Sonoma County’s Destination for Season Long Holiday Fun” has its own spin on a favorite winter pastime—ice skating—which children of all ages are invited to do at the city of Santa Rosa’s annual Winter Lights Synthetic Ice Rink in Old Courthouse Square. Ice skates and helmet rentals are available through Dec. 31 (though wrist braces and air casts for ankles are available at the discretion of one’s healthcare provider…Just kidding, I’m having a Scrooge moment). For specific times, dates and tickets, visit downtownsantarosa.org/winterlights for links.

Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 21

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Eric G. Wilson has written a book that I might typically recommend to 40% of the Aries tribe. But in 2023, I will raise that to 80%. The title is How to Be Weird: An Off-Kilter Guide to Living a One-of-a-Kind Life. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it will make sense for you to stop making sense on a semi-regular basis. Cheerfully rebelling against the status quo should be one of your most rewarding hobbies. The best way to educate and entertain yourself will be to ask yourself, “What is the most original and imaginative thing I can do right now?”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): One of your potential superpowers is cultivating links between the spiritual and physical worlds. If you develop this talent, you illuminate the ways that eternity permeates the everyday routine. You weave together the sacred and the mundane so they synergize each other. You understand how practical matters may be infused with archetypal energies and epic themes. I hope you will be doing a lot of this playful work in 2023, Taurus. Many of us non-Bulls would love you to teach us more about these mysteries.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here are fun and useful projects for you to cultivate in 2023: 1. Initiate interesting trends. Don’t follow mediocre trends. 2. Exert buoyant leadership in the groups you are part of. 3. Practice the art of enhancing your concentration by relaxing. 4. Every Sunday at noon, renew your vow to not deceive or lie to yourself during the coming week. 5. Make it your goal to be a fabulous communicator, not just an average one. 6. Cultivate your ability to discern what people are hiding or pretending about.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In 2023, I hope you will refine and deepen your relationship with your gut instinct. I will be ecstatic if you learn more about the differences between your lucid intuition and the worry mongering that your pesky demons rustle up. If you attend to these matters—and life will conspire to help you if you do—your rhythm will become dramatically more secure and stable. Your guidance system will serve you better than it ever has. A caveat: Seeking perfection in honing these skills is not necessary. Just do the best you can.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Psychiatrist and author Irvin Yalom wrote, “The question of meaning in life is, as the Buddha thought, not edifying. One must immerse oneself into the river of life and let the question drift away.” But Holocaust survivor and philosopher Viktor Frankl had a radically different view. He said that a sense of meaning is the single most important thing. That’s what sustains and nourishes us through the years: the feeling that our life has a meaning and that any particular experience has a meaning. I share Frankl’s perspective, and I advise you to adopt his approach throughout 2023. You will have unprecedented opportunities to see and know the overarching plan of your destiny, which has been only partially visible to you in the past. You will be regularly blessed with insights about your purpose here on Earth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): As a young woman, Virgo-born Ingeborg Rapoport (1912–2017) studied medicine at the University of Hamburg in Germany. But in 1938, the Nazis refused to let her defend her PhD thesis and get her medical degree because of her Jewish ancestry. Seventy-seven years later, she was finally given a chance to finish what she had started. Success! The dean of the school said, “She was absolutely brilliant. Her specific knowledge about the latest developments in medicine was unbelievable.” I expect comparable developments for you in 2023, Virgo. You will receive defining opportunities or invitations that have not been possible before. Postponed breakthroughs and resolutions will become achievable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Of the 2,200+ humans quoted in a 21st-century edition of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 164 are women—a mere 7%! At least that’s more than the four females represented in 1855’s first edition. Let’s take this atrocious injustice as our provocation for your horoscope. In accordance with astrological omens, one of your assignments in 2023 will be to make personal efforts to equalize power among the genders. Your well-being will thrive as you work to create a misogyny-free future. Here are possible actions: If you’re a woman or nonbinary person, be extra bold and brave as you say what you genuinely think and feel and mean. If you’re a man, foster your skills at listening to women and nonbinary people. Give them abundant space and welcome to speak their truths. It will be in your ultimate interest to do so!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To prepare you for 2023, I’m offering you wisdom from mythologist Michael Meade. Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Scorpios will be most likely to extract riches from it. Meade writes: “Becoming a genuine individual requires learning the oppositions within oneself. Those who fail or refuse to face the oppositions within have no choice but to find enemies to project upon. ‘Enemy’ simply means ‘not-friend’; unless a person deals with the not-friend within, they require enemies around them.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best,” declared Sagittarian opera singer Maria Callas (1923–1977). Many critics say she was indeed one of the 20th century’s best. The consensus is that she was also a temperamental prima donna. Impresario Rudolf Bing said she was a trial to work with “because she was so much more intelligent. Other artists, you could get around. But Callas you could not get around. She knew exactly what she wanted and why she wanted it.” In accordance with astrological omens, Sagittarius, I authorize you, in your quest for success in 2023, to be as “difficult” as Callas was, in the sense of knowing exactly what you want. But please—so as to not undermine your success—don’t lapse into diva-like behavior.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): To inspire your self-inquiry in 2023, I have chosen a passage from Herman Hesse’s fairytale, A Dream Sequence. It will provide guidance as you dive further than ever before into the precious mysteries in your inner depths. Hesse addressed his “good ardent darkness, the warm cradle of the soul, and lost homeland.” He asked them to open up for him. He wanted them to be fully available to his conscious mind. Hesse said this to his soul: “Just feel your way, soul, just wander about, burrow into the full bath of innocent twilight drives!”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Cardiovascular surgeon Michael DeBakey lived till age 99. He almost died at 97, but was able to capitalize on an invention that he himself had created years before: a polymer resin that could repair or replace aging blood vessels. Surgeons used his technology to return him to health. I am predicting that in 2023, you, too, will derive a number of benefits from your actions in the past. Things you made, projects you nurtured and ideas you initiated will prove valuable to you as you encounter the challenges and opportunities of the future.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I decided to divine the state of your financial karma. To begin, I swirled a $10 bill through the flame rising from a green candle. Then I sought cosmic auguries in the burn patterns on the bill. The oracle provided bad news and good news. The bad news is that you live on a planet where one-fifth of the population owns much more than four-fifths of the wealth. The good news is that in 2023, you will be in decent shape to move closer to the elite one-fifth. Amazingly, the oracle also suggests that your ability to get richer quicker will increase in direct proportion to your integrity and generosity.

Wry ‘Ham’ on stage in Sebastopol

North Bay audiences seeking a little lightweight, somewhat-holiday-themed entertainment would do well to head out to Sebastopol and check out Ham for the Holidays. Written by Santa Rosa High School dropout-turned-game-show-contestant-turned-college-professor Shad Willingham, it runs at Main Stage West through Dec. 30.

It’s Christmas Eve, 1939, and the tiny hamlet of Hamlin, GA is buried in snow from an unexpected southern blizzard. Local ham magnate and radio station WHAM owner Cab Hoxton (Dodds Delzell) is in a tizzy preparing for the arrival of the great Orson Welles, who for some unfathomable reason has agreed to do a live broadcast from the station.

Postman Sam Wainwright (Keene Hudson) delivers Welles’ script, but station flunky Timmy Wilkins (Zane Walters) manages to lose it. To add insult to injury, Welles is stuck in a snowbound train, so how in the world will the show go on?

Well, blustery radio actor and playwright Dexter Armstrong (Garet Waterhouse) has an “original” play (Attack of the Space Robots from Outer Space) that with just a little tweaking can be turned into a Christmas show. As far as an actor with the stature of Welles, local Shakespearean-trained ham Dick McCann (John Craven) would be a suitable replacement, as long as he doesn’t have a narcoleptic episode in the middle of the broadcast.

Add an actress who insists on costume changes for radio (Maureen O’Neill), the station owner’s bungling daughter (Dale Leonheart) and a malfunctioning studio heater, and it’s no surprise when everything, of course, goes wrong.

Yes, it’s The (Radio) Play That Goes Wrong, which means lots of slapstick silliness. There’s no great message to be found here; in fact, no message at all. The only things being delivered are good-natured laughs via director Emily Cornelius’ hard-working cast.

They deliver those laughs on a well-detailed but somewhat anachronistically-appointed set by David Lear and in nice period costuming by Tracy Hinman. Keith Baker’s sound design also gives a big assist.

Ham for the Holidays is the type of show one doesn’t want to overthink. It’s very reminiscent of an extended sketch from one of television’s great comedy/variety shows of the ’60s and ’70s. It exists solely to elicit laughs and perhaps fond memories for some days of yore. It’s theater for the MeTV crowd.

‘Ham for the Holidays’ runs through Dec. 30 at Main Stage West, 104 N. Main St., Sebastopol. Thu-Sat at 8pm; Sun, 5pm. $20-$32. Masking required. 707.823.0177. mainstagewest.com.

Letters, Week of Dec. 21

Lesson Unlearned

This week, we mark the 10 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. This was done by a 19-year-old white male with an AR-15. He killed 20 first grade children and six teachers.

The question is, what have we learned from this tragic incident? The answer is absolutely nothing.

When will we learn?

Brian Donohue

Mill Valley

Friends in Wry Places

I have a friend back East whose son was elected to Congress last month. The younger man told his Republican opponent during the last debate of the campaign, “If you will stop making shit up about me, I will stop telling voters the truth about you.”

Craig J. Corsini

San Rafael

Arbitrary

Twitter banned or suspended several high-profile journalists Thursday evening, a move that further reveals the seemingly arbitrary decision-making of Elon Musk, a self-avowed “free speech absolutist.”

I will bet that Joseph Goebbels called himself and other high ranking party members “free speech absolutists” or something similar.

Gary Sciford

Santa Rosa

DeLoach Vineyards is more than just a ‘big winery’

After 20-plus years in the wine industry, I can admit how little I really knew about DeLoach Vineyards, in particular about what has been happening there over the past 10 to 15 years.

DeLoach Vineyards is a part of the Boisset winery family and has been since 2003. While I knew the winery was a part of Boisset’s portfolio of brands, I wasn’t really aware of what that meant for the brand, the quality of the wines, etc., as I hadn’t taken the time to sit down and taste the breadth of DeLoach’s menu of wines since the early 2000s.

Winemaking at DeLoach has been under the guiding hand of winemaker Brian Maloney, an avid believer in site expressive wines, the differences between Russian River Valley’s six “neighborhoods” and highlighting single vineyards, since 2007.

The wines being made are interesting, expressive and multi-dimensional. Also, most of the wines are made in small quantities from as few as 50 cases to a few hundred, in the case of their vineyard designate wines.

Here are a few more reasons to get excited about DeLoach Vineyards and DeLoach’s wines:

Certified

The winery is not just a certified sustainable and certified organic winery but is also one of just a handful of local wineries that are Demeter certified as a biodynamic vineyard and winery.

Iconic Vineyards

DeLoach makes over 20 vineyard designate wines from unique sites that include iconic vineyards such as Heintz, Stubbs, Van der Kamp and Saitone, with a large percentage of these wines coming from cool weather sites in the Green Valley, Petaluma Gap and Sonoma Coast AVAs. A couple of my personal favorites are the Hawk Hill Vineyard Chardonnay and Maboroshi Vineyard Pinot Noir.

Skin Contact

Among their offerings are a skin contact ribolla gialla and carignane that are aged in terracotta amphorae and that are phenomenal (these wines are made in very limited quantities, so they are generally sold out for part of each year).

Varietals Galore

They’ve got a diverse list of wines that includes not just pinot noir and chardonnay but pinot blanc, ribolla gialla, riesling, carignane and zinfandel.

Tasting Experience

The winery offers an appellation-focused tasting experience that draws from different Sonoma County AVAs. They also offer a self-guided tour that allows guests to explore the estate’s 20 acre organic and biodynamic farm, which includes a half-acre culinary garden, and grazing chickens, sheep and goats.

Earth-Friendly

They are actively pursuing more ways to reduce the winery’s environmental footprint, increase their biodynamic and regenerative agriculture practices, and to support their local community. One example is the winery’s “Vinthropic” line of wines that was created to help fight against hunger. One hundred percent of Vinthropic’s proceeds go to benefit Sonoma County’s Redwood Empire Food Bank.

Where to Ring in 2023 on New Year’s Eve

From the oldest societies straight to today, an annual turn toward renewal has been celebrated, and in these challenging times, that celebration is as important as ever.

No need to look far afield to find an event that suits one’s needs. Sonoma and Napa are up to the challenge. Readers may have a look at these wonderful local celebrations of the turn toward good times.

British Dance Invasion

In recent years, the Flamingo—once the favored getaway spot of my mom—has taken its midcentury resort vibes and turned them into an ethos of cool. It is not an aesthetic with this place; it is a way of life. Regular dance nights and chill out events have become a must do experience as the pandemic has waned. So it is fitting that one of the most happening NYE parties would be right here.

Right on point with the retro aesthetic, one can get set for an invasion of favorite British artists and bands, as spun by DJ Armin. It is recommended to dress in British best for a costume contest with prizes. Tickets are limited and on sale now. Admission includes a complimentary glass of champagne for a midnight toast.

8 pm, Saturday, Dec. 31, the Vintage Space at the Flamingo Resort, 2777 4th St., Santa Rosa. $80. Spots can be reserved at tudorrosetearoom.com/nye-british-invasion.

Pop-up ‘Miracle’

Need to get a fix a little earlier in the day to make sure to start New Year’s Eve pre-filled with joy? One could bounce on over to the Napa Yard beer garden at Oxbow Gardens for the holiday pop-up bar, Miracle.

Growing in reputation, Miracle’s xmas-xplosion vibe and wacky cocktails invade choice spots around the Bay, including the Flamingo in Santa Rosa and Brewster’s in Petaluma. This season is the first time the hyper-spirited meta-cocktails will be slung in Napa.

The holiday oasis is overflowing with kitschy festive décor, right down to the glassware and a themed cocktail menu, with fan favorite cocktails such as Christmapolitan, Snowball Old-Fashioned, Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r!, Jingle Balls Nog, Nice Shot and Naughty Shot. On my visit, I had a warm Christmas Carol Barrel while my buddy sipped Grandma Got Run Over By A T-Rex from a ceramic dinosaur.

And for even more motivation, at the end of this year’s season, Miracle will donate 10% of all proceeds from the sale of selected signature glassware to the Seva Foundation, a global nonprofit eye-care organization that works with local communities around the world.

Hours vary, now until Dec. 31, ​​Napa Yard Oxbow Gardens, 585 1st St., Napa. Closed Mondays.

Royal Jelly Jive

In this humble writer’s opinion, there is no dance party like a Royal Jelly Jive dance party. More on this phenomenally fun band in the next issue, but rest assured that the humid-in-one’s-clothes, NOLA-inspired band that puts the fun in funk is one the best tickets around. As keyboardist and band energizer bunny Jesse Lemme Adams said, “Some of our biggest shows have been New Year’s Eve shows.” This band has the big sound for it, and anyone who has been to the Mystic knows that the place knows how to party.

I am sworn to secrecy, but expect some guest appearances by other local luminaries from the Americana+ scene.

Doors 7pm, show 9pm, Saturday, Dec. 31, Mystic Theater, 23 Petaluma Blvd. N, Petaluma. $40. For tickets, go to mystictheatre.com.

Mischief Masquerade

The North Bay Cabaret is always a rollicking good time, a natural fit for the biggest night of the year. Whiskey Tip has ample indoor and outdoor space that allows for different simultaneous activities, like a multi-DJ silent disco dance party and a variety show featuring more than 15 performers, including special guest Jamie DeWolf. DeWolf is a notorious spoken word performance artist whose provocative hilarity has become a signature feature of North Bay Cabaret events.

Live local music will be featured, headlined by The Crux, plus Audio Angel, and Joshua James Jackson & The Dream Team.

The event was canceled last year due to the Omicron surge, so it is especially exciting to see the annual NYE Cabaret back for its sixth year, with its unique twist on art and live entertainment.

Doors at 6pm, variety show at 7pm, live music at 10pm, Saturday, Dec. 31, Whiskey Tip, 1910 Sebastopol Rd., Santa Rosa. Tickets are $85 at the door if available or $75 in advance at the Whiskey Tip, the Next Record Store or online at northbayevents.com.

Dawn Ranch

Those feeling the need for dinner and dancing all in one spot may like to hit Dawn Ranch in Guerneville.

DJs will be playing all night, starting with that dinner music vibe that one has to have to really celebrate. At 10pm, the party switches, the tables get kicked over (please check with venue before any table kicking) and a dance party breaks out with funky, groovy and soulful vibes on the turntables, courtesy of DJ Timote and DJ Bank$hot.

This is a sit down event from 8 till 10pm, followed by dancing until 1am. A champagne toast will be given at the stroke of midnight.

8 pm, Saturday, Dec. 31, Dawn Ranch, 16467 Hwy 116, Guerneville. $150 per diner.
Reservations may be booked at dawnranch.bpt.me.

John Courage Trio

On the other hand, if one is looking for cool-as-hell, no frills rockin’ and clockin’ sweaty night out, they’ll be heading to Healdsburg for John Courage. Called by the Bohemian “one of the most recognizable figures on Sonoma County’s music scene,” Courage’s current musical incarnation might be more down tempo and bluesy than in the past, but one can bet the originals and covers will be steamy, passionate and full of Sonoma verve. It’s recommended to dress in layers, since a lot of the fun space here is out of doors.

9 pm, Saturday, Dec. 31, the Elephant in the Room, 177A Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. $20 at the door.

California gives electric vehicle charging stations a boost

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) advanced actions last week that will help install more electric vehicle charging stations in the state. 

The commission gave Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) a go-ahead to install 2,822 EV charging stations at workplaces, housing complexes and public spaces in California. 

The $52.2 million program will run through 2025 and will require PG&E to use 65% of the funds in underserved communities.

Also approved on Thursday, Dec. 15, a new mandate sets a timeline for utility companies to bring EV charging stations online. Utilities must connect customers with EV charging stations to the grid in 125 days, take steps to make the process easier for customers, and gather data to identify ways the energization process gets bottlenecked.  

A series of mandates from the California Air Resources Board require new vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emission, which also includes buses and trucks. The commission said that it is essential to have EV charging infrastructure in place to make this into a reality. 

“Today’s energization decision takes big steps to speed up the process of connecting new EV chargers to the electric grid and to make sure utilities provide customers information about how that process works,” said CPUC Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen. 

With California taking the lead in electric car sales nationwide, CPUC allowed utility companies to allocate over $1.8 billion in their budgets for EV charging stations, and ensure EV charging rates are significantly cheaper than gas. 

There are currently 80,027 public and shared electric vehicle chargers, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC). Last year, the CEC found that the state will need 1.2 million chargers by 2030 in order to serve an anticipated 7.5 million EVs on the road.

In October, the Governor’s Office announced that electric car sales reached 18% of total new car sales, three times the nationwide rate.

California regulators update metering rules for solar panel

In a long-awaited vote, California regulators last week unanimously approved a policy which critics argue may reduce installation of new solar arrays on homes and businesses throughout the state.

The policy, approved on Thursday, Dec. 15, by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), updates the rules governing how solar owners can sell excess energy back to utility companies. 

Known as “net metering,” the state’s current rules allow roughly 1.5 million solar owners who send their excess power back into the grid to receive credits from one of the state’s private utilities. Customers can cash in their credits at the end of the year. 

The significant financial incentive net metering offered to small-scale customers fueled the uptick in the use of distributed solar throughout California; however, critics argued that the net metering rules needed to be changed to balance the state’s power system moving forward and lower the rates net metering customers received to a level closer to those received by larger producers.

One of the problems at play is a mismatch between supply and demand. Solar panels generate the most energy during the middle of the day, while energy use peaks later, when workers return home. As a result, too much solar energy without enough battery storage can lead to problems.

The CPUC argued that the new policy will encourage more battery adoption by offering new credits to those who own solar and battery set ups. 

“This is a vast improvement on the status quo,” Matt Baker, the head of the CPUC’s Public Advocates Office, told the Los Angeles Times. “For solar going forward, it is targeting exactly what we need to target, which is how do we get solar and battery adoption up to levels like Hawaii has.”

The solar industry and various other groups were not convinced that the changes will offer a net benefit. Protests over the past year led the CPUC to update their original proposal, including removing a “solar tax” included in an earlier version of the proposal.

In a statement, the California Solar and Storage Association (CalSSA), an industry group, warned that the CPUC’s vote would trigger “an expected cliff in the growth of new solar installations.” The industry group has estimated the policy change will reduce the amount of money future solar owners are paid for the energy they send back to the grid by 75% and argues the new policy does not do enough to encourage investments in costly battery systems.

“For the solar industry, it will result in business closures and the loss of green jobs. For middle class and working class neighborhoods where solar is growing fastest, it puts clean energy further out of reach,” CALSSA executive director Bernadette Del Chiaro said.

Existing net metering customers won’t be impacted by the rule change, but anyone who installs solar after April 2023 will be. 

A state law which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020 mandates that all new single family homes and some new multi-family buildings be equipped with solar.

Picture Perfect: The 2018 Ehlers Estate Portrait Red Blend

Dorian Gray has nothing on this fine Portrait — a blend of four red Bordeaux varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot hailing from the St. Helena and Napa Valley AVAs. The 2018 Ehlers Estate Portrait Red Blend arrives with delightfully broad shoulders and powerful hips with a warm mulberry color but that’s deep but not inky. (Take your favorite Prismacolor 995-garnet colored pencil and crosshatch over some indigo blots and you’re close). 

The wine is redolent with the flavors of bramble berries and English rose and arrives with a quiet cedar kiss and a pinch of anise as it rolls over the palate. The mouthfeel is brawny and kicks up a bit of forest floor and a hint of pepper and a bright acidity that adds to its overall balance. 

At around $72, the wine is appropriately priced for the value of its experience and would make a fine gift this season. If you’re going to send a portrait to your holiday card list, make it this one.

Left Behind: Lionizing lameness

By Tom H. Hastings What could President Joe Biden be thinking, trading a mere basketball player for the "Merchant of Death," while leaving a Marine behind? The Trumpy right is ramping up and up, getting all sanctimonious, about trading the freedom of (as the far right puts it) "a Black leftist lesbian celebrity who hated this country" for that of an...

Culture Crush, Week of Dec. 21

Napa ‘True North’ The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art presents its inaugural juried exhibition of North Bay art, “True North,” featuring over 40 artists from California’s North Bay counties. Family friendly, this show is on exhibit now through Jan. 15. As di Rosa’s executive director and lead curator Kate Eilertsen explains, “Our aim at di Rosa is to serve as...

Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 21

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Eric G. Wilson has written a book that I might typically recommend to 40% of the Aries tribe. But in 2023, I will raise that to 80%. The title is How to Be Weird: An Off-Kilter Guide to Living a One-of-a-Kind Life. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it will make...

Wry ‘Ham’ on stage in Sebastopol

North Bay audiences seeking a little lightweight, somewhat-holiday-themed entertainment would do well to head out to Sebastopol and check out Ham for the Holidays. Written by Santa Rosa High School dropout-turned-game-show-contestant-turned-college-professor Shad Willingham, it runs at Main Stage West through Dec. 30. It’s Christmas Eve, 1939, and the tiny hamlet of Hamlin, GA is buried in snow from an unexpected...

Letters, Week of Dec. 21

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Lesson Unlearned This week, we mark the 10 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. This was done by a 19-year-old white male with an AR-15. He killed 20 first grade children and six teachers. The question is, what have we learned from this tragic incident? The answer is absolutely nothing. When will we learn? Brian Donohue Mill Valley Friends in Wry Places I...

DeLoach Vineyards is more than just a ‘big winery’

After 20-plus years in the wine industry, I can admit how little I really knew about DeLoach Vineyards, in particular about what has been happening there over the past 10 to 15 years. DeLoach Vineyards is a part of the Boisset winery family and has been since 2003. While I knew the winery was a part of Boisset’s portfolio of...

Where to Ring in 2023 on New Year’s Eve

From the oldest societies straight to today, an annual turn toward renewal has been celebrated, and in these challenging times, that celebration is as important as ever. No need to look far afield to find an event that suits one’s needs. Sonoma and Napa are up to the challenge. Readers may have a look at these wonderful local celebrations of...

California gives electric vehicle charging stations a boost

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The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) advanced actions last week that will help install more electric vehicle charging stations in the state.  The commission gave Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) a go-ahead to install 2,822 EV charging stations at workplaces, housing complexes and public spaces in California.  The $52.2 million program will run through 2025 and will require PG&E to use...

California regulators update metering rules for solar panel

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In a long-awaited vote, California regulators last week unanimously approved a policy which critics argue may reduce installation of new solar arrays on homes and businesses throughout the state. The policy, approved on Thursday, Dec. 15, by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), updates the rules governing how solar owners can sell excess energy back to utility companies.  Known as “net...

Picture Perfect: The 2018 Ehlers Estate Portrait Red Blend

Dorian Gray has nothing on this fine Portrait — a blend of four red Bordeaux varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot hailing from the St. Helena and Napa Valley AVAs. The 2018 Ehlers Estate Portrait Red Blend arrives with delightfully broad shoulders and powerful hips with a warm mulberry color but that’s deep but not inky. (Take...
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