Holiday Arts Guide

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Holiday Arts Guide

Winter Tradition No holiday season is complete without ‘The Nutcracker,’ which is performed by Napa Regional Dance Company and Santa Rosa Dance Theater among others.

While the sun is setting earlier, the lights are coming out in the North Bay for the next two months, with holiday fun and cheer coming your way. To help navigate the season and keep your spirits bright, we present our select guide to holiday events, shopping, performances and other artsy offerings leading up to Christmas.

Events

Holidays Along the Farm Trails Celebrate the season with the local agricultural community, as farmers and producers offer a view of life on the farm. Find farm-stand gifts, cut a Christmas tree to take home and enjoy DIY workshops. Hosted by Sonoma County Farm Trails. Nov. 14–Jan. 1. Various Locations in Sonoma County. Registration required. farmtrails.org.

Holidays in Yountville Skip the big-box stores this Christmas and join the people of Yountville for six weeks of food, wine and holiday cheer. As the town transforms into a magical winter wonderland with thousands of sparkling lights, visitors can enjoy a full schedule of live entertainment, art shows, workshops and classes, along with unique shopping choices, food and wine tours, carriage rides and more. Nov. 24–Jan. 1. Washington St., Yountville. Full schedule and info at yountville.com.

Healdsburg Turkey Trot Family-friendly Thanksgiving morning 5K run and walk awards prizes for first place and favorite costumes, and benefits the Drew Esquivel Scholarship, which helps Healdsburg high school students and athletes attend college. Packet Pickups happen Nov. 26 and 27. Race takes place Nov. 28. Healdsburg Running Company, 333 Center St., Healdsburg. Race at 8am. $25–$35. Kids 5 and under are free. healdsburgturkeytrot.com.

Winter Lights Santa Rosa’s downtown Courthouse Square shines with the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony that includes activities for all ages like ornament painting, a bouncy jump house, face painting and live performances. Enjoy local eats, see Santa arrive on a fire truck and partake in the Remembrance Candle Lighting. Nov. 29. Third Street and Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa. 4pm. Free admission. 707.545.1414.

Santa’s Riverboat Arrival Santa and Mrs. Claus give the season its start when they arrive by tugboat at the Petaluma River Turning Basin and disembark to hand out candy and take holiday photos with kids. Nov. 30. River Plaza Shopping Center, 72 E. Washington St., Petaluma. 11:30am–1pm. Free. 707.769.0429.

Napa’s Christmas Parade This long-running, family-friendly evening parade features creative floats built by Napans themselves, focusing on the theme “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Nov. 30. First and Second streets in downtown Napa. 5–8pm. Free. donapa.com.

Lighting of the Snowmen Annual tradition lights up Cornerstone Sonoma with decorative snowmen coming to life amid live music and entertainment. Get a photo with Santa and enjoy the seasonal spirit in the picturesque setting. Dec. 7. Cornerstone Sonoma, 23667 Hwy. 121, Sonoma. 4pm. Free admission. 707.939.3010.

Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade Twenty-fourth annual small-town celebration of the holiday season and Calistoga’s agricultural heritage boasts vintage tractors, antique trucks and other rustic autos lit up in dazzling displays. Dec. 7. Lincoln Avenue between Stevenson and Cedar, downtown Calistoga. 7pm. Free. visitcalistoga.com.

Luther Burbank Holiday Open House A popular holiday tradition in its 40th year, this open house features Victorian-era finery and a charming tour of Burbank’s historic home and gardens. Dec. 7–8. Luther Burbank Home & Gardens, 204 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa. 10am–4pm. $3; kids 12 and under are free. lutherburbank.org.

Hands-On Chanukah Join the Jewish Concierge of Sonoma County and the Charles M. Schulz Museum to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Chanukah with dreidel-spinning contests, marshmallow-dreidel decorating, menorah crafting and more. Dec. 8. Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa. 10am. Free admission when you say “Hands-On Chanukah!” 707.579.4452.

Light Up a Life Heartland Hospice honors lives lost with annual candle- and tree-lighting ceremonies. Celebrate the holidays with community, enjoy live music from Michael Brandeburg’s Jazz Trio and create an ornament in honor of your loved one. Dec. 5. Montgomery Village Terrace, 911 Village Court, Santa Rosa. 5–6:30pm. Free. mvshops.com.

Sebastopol Holiday Home Tour & Artisan Boutique Enjoy the holiday lights and décor of several different stylish homes, with cheerful music and festive bites on hand. Then, browse a variety of holiday crafts and decorations for sale at a boutique at Pleasant Hill Christian School, all benefiting the Jacob’s Scholarship Fund. Dec. 13–15. 1782 Pleasant Hill Road, Sebastopol. Friday, 5–9pm; Saturday, 10am–5pm.; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Tours, $35–$45; kids are $10. Boutique, free admission. sebastopolholidayhometour.com.

Ner Shalom Chanukah Party Inclusive Jewish community located at the Old Cotati Cabaret pulls out the stops for this massive holiday fest that is open to all and welcomes a potluck from all who attend. Dec. 22. Congregation Ner Shalom, 85 La Plaza, Cotati. 5:30pm. Free. RSVP requested. 707.664.8622.

Chanukah at the River Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma hosts the fifth annual Grand Menorah Lighting ceremony at the Petaluma River that celebrates the Festival of Lights and includes live entertainment, latkes and other traditional fare. Dec. 22. Water Street Promenade, 100 Petaluma Blvd. N., 4:30pm. Free with RSVP. 707.559.8585.

Shopping

Gifts ‘n’ Tyme Holiday Faire Long-running Napa holiday tradition highlights more than 85 local and regional artists and makers of fine crafts selling everything from stocking stuffers to fine works. Holiday music and aromas like cinnamon-roasted almonds fill the air. Nov. 22–24. Napa Valley Expo, Chardonnay Hall, 575 Third St., Napa. Friday–Saturday, 10am–6pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Free. 925.372.8691.

Holiday Gift Gallery Eighteenth annual gallery show offers an opportunity to find and purchase original, handmade creations, crafts and goods from local artists. Opening Reception, Nov. 29. Show runs through Dec. 30. Healdsburg Center for the Arts, 130 Plaza St., Healdsburg. Reception, 5pm. Free. healdsburgcenterforthearts.org.

Rohnert Park Holiday Arts & Crafts Faire Fortieth annual fair features holiday decorations, gifts, holiday crafts and more for sale. Bring the kids to the Little Elves’ workshop and enjoy caroling and other entertainment as well. Nov. 29–30. Rohnert Park Community Center, 5401 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. 10am–4pm. Free admission. 707.588.3456.

Holiday Crafterino Eleventh annual art-and-craft extravaganza features a curated collection of vendors, food trucks and loads of cheer. Proceeds from sales and a raffle supports the Committee on the Shelterless. Dec. 1. Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building, 1094 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma. 10am–4pm. $1 admission. holidaycrafterino.com.

Fine Art & Craft Holiday Sale Ninth annual sale includes affordable and unique handmade holiday items from several artists who work in Sonoma. Pieces range from decorative ornaments to sculptural works of art. The Ceramics Studio is also open for tours and artist demonstrations. Dec. 6–8. Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma. Friday reception, 5pm–8pm; Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–3pm. Free admission. 707.938.462.

Handmade Holiday Crafts Fair Forty-fifth annual event features 90 local artists selling their quality crafts and gifts, holiday goodies, entertainment, a prize drawing and trolley rides to the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens Holiday Open House. Dec. 7–8, Finley Community Center, 2060 West College Ave., Santa Rosa. Saturday, 9am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. $3; 12 and under are free. 707.543.3737.

Petaluma Merchant’s Holiday Open House Find shopping deals, festive holiday treats, horse and carriage rides, balloon art, face painting and more. Dec. 7. Putnam Plaza, 129 Petaluma Blvd. N. Petaluma. 11am–5pm. Petalumadowntown.com.

Goddess Crafts Faire Women’s art, music, dance and handmade gifts by local and regional women are all part of this 25th annual community holiday fair. Dec. 7–8, Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. 11am–7pm. $5–$13 donation; kids, free. goddesscraftsfaire.com.

Occidental Holiday Crafts Faire See work by more than 35 local and regional artists, grab gift certificates for local restaurants and hotels, enter into raffles for local goodies, hear live music from West County musicians, and enjoy baked goods. Dec. 7–8, Occidental Community Center, 3920 Bohemian Hwy., Occidental. Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Free admission. occidental-ca.org.

Freya Lodge Holiday Arts & Craft Fair The Norwegian cultural center hosts this classic fair. Enjoy a variety of high-quality handmade items made by Sonoma County artists, Scandinavian baked goods, Norwegian waffles, coffee and light lunch available to purchase, and a cozy holiday atmosphere. Proceeds from food sales go to children’s charities. Dec. 14, Freya Lodge, Sons of Norway Hall, 617 W. Ninth St., Santa Rosa. 9am–3pm. Free admission. 707.579.1080.

Performance

Green Music Center Acclaimed Irish ensemble Danú celebrates Christmas and the New Year in an all-new concert for the holidays, An Emerald Isle Christmas Dec. 13. 7:30pm. San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus sings their way into the North Bay with Holigays Are Here, featuring merry renditions of classic seasonal songs Dec. 15. 5pm. A cappella sensation Voctave bring new arrangements to Christmas favorites with The Spirit of the Season Dec. 19. 7:30pm. Spanish Harlem Orchestra presents Salsa Navidad Dec. 20. 7:30pm. All shows are $25 and up. 707.664.4246.

Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater Piano artist Jim Brickman returns to Napa with A Christmas Celebration Nov. 30. 8pm. $40–$65. VOENA children’s choir performs their annual Voices of the Season holiday concert Dec. 1. 4pm. $25. Yountville Holiday Movie Series screens Home Alone on Dec. 6 and White Christmas on Dec. 18. Napa Regional Dance Company’s beloved production of The Nutcracker is back for its 19th season Dec. 21–22. Saturday, 2pm, 7pm; Sun, 2pm. $35-$45. 100 California Drive, Yountville. 707.944.9900.

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts Clover Sonoma Family Fun Series presents A Very Electric Christmas by Lightwire Theater Dec. 1. 3pm. $5–$21. Left Edge Theatre performs playwright David Templeton’s holiday one-man show Polar Bears Dec. 4–15. Times Vary. $28–$42. Posada Navideña returns Dec. 13. 7pm. $5–$10. Carlton Senior Living Symphony Pops concert series gets into the season with the Holly Jolly Pops featuring vocalists Clairdee and Ned Rifken Dec. 15. 3pm. $37 and up. Fiddler Mark O’Connor performs An Appalachian Christmas Dec. 16. 7:30pm. $25–$39. Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker comes to life Dec. 23. 3pm. $35 and up. Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600. lutherburbankcenter.org.

Spreckels Performing Arts Center Holiday theater play Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley—a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice– features light-hearted comedy about the complexities of love. Nov. 22–Dec. 12. Times Vary. $12–$26. Santa Rosa Dance Theater presents its annual production of The Nutcracker Dec. 20–22. Times Vary. $25–$31. 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. Spreckelsonline.com.

Blue Note Jazz Club & JaM Cellars Ballroom at Margrit Mondavi Theatre Hawaiian vocalist Anuhea’s All is Bright Tour comes to Napa Dec. 5. 8pm. $29–$55. The Billie Holiday Project, led by Stella Heath, celebrates the holidays with two sets of music Dec. 12. 6:30pm, 8:30pm. $12–$25. Bay Area French music ambassadors SonoMusette say “Beaujolais Nouveau” with a holiday-inspired show Dec. 20. 6:30pm, 9pm. $12–$20. Jazz singer and composer Jessy J returns with her Christmas performance Dec. 21–22. Times vary. $27–$55. 1030 Main St., Napa. 707.880.2300.

Uptown Theatre An Irish Christmas features an award-winning cast of Irish dancers in a memorable night Dec. 7. $35–$55. Crooning veteran Chris Isaak’s annual Holiday Tour returns Dec. 11. $75–$115. Living legends the Blind Boys of Alabama perform a Christmas concert Dec. 20. $50–$70. New Age music pioneer Windham Hill’s long-running Winter Solstice performance takes place Dec. 22. $35–$50. 1350 Third St., Napa. All events begin at 8pm. 707.259.0123.

Transcendence’s Broadway Holiday Spectacular Award-winning creators of Broadway Under the Stars present this new and reimagined holiday celebration for all ages, with performers from Broadway and an assortment of pre-show activities. Dec.6–8, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. Dec. 14–15, Lincoln Theater, 100 California Dr., Yountville. Times vary. $34–$134. transcendencetheatre.org.

Cirque de Bohème Annual winter circus wonderland is based on the wondrous French tradition. This year’s brand-new original production A Paris tells enchanting tales with an amazing cast of performers who achieve world-class heights. Nov. 29–Dec. 22. Cornerstone Sonoma, 23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. Days and times vary. $27–$55. cirquedeboheme.com.

ArtQuest Dance Company Winter Performance The talented students of Santa Rosa High School’s award-winning ArtQuest program communicate the spirit of the holidays through movement. Dec. 6–7. SRHS Performing Arts Auditorium, 1235 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. 7pm. $5–$15. srhsdance.org.

A Chanticleer Christmas Holiday favorite from the vocal orchestra tells the Christmas story in Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, traditional carols and a medley of spirituals. Dec. 15, St. Vincent’s Church, 35 Liberty St., Petaluma. 5pm and 7:30pm. $35–$79. chanticleer.org.

Fire Fund

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Fire Fund

The 2017 fires displaced thousands of people from their homes. Many were undocumented immigrants who live and work here but unlike others, they could not apply for government aid.

Needs as basic as finding the money for a deposit on a new apartment and restocking the refrigerator were imminent.

“In the first week after the 2017 fire we realized these people aren’t going to qualify, so what will be the remedy for them?” says Omar Medina, coordinator of UndocuFund, an organization created after the 2017 fires to help those who—due to their immigration status—could not apply or were fearful of applying for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—an arm of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

“Financial support offered by UndocuFund provides critical support to our undocumented community members because they don’t have access to Federal funds like FEMA during recovery,” Medina says. “It’s helping a community in need.”

The organization distributed about $6 million to almost 1,900 families who lost homes, possessions, and earnings in the 2017 fires.

Donations to the fund are slower this year. Because fewer homes burned in the Kincaid Fire, the perception may be that the need is not as great. However, the massive loss of wages that a week or more of power outages and evacuations causes is a very real consequence for undocumented immigrants.

“The Tubbs Fire got a lot of attention because of damaged structures,” Medina says. But he emphasizes that this time, “The need is huge. We have a lot of people needing aid.”

An estimated 38,500 undocumented immigrants live in Sonoma County. With wider evacuations and power outages during this year’s fire, the need for aid relating to lost wages is imminent.

As the UndocuFund website states, “Undocumented immigrants predominantly work in sectors that have been or will be hard hit, including service, hospitality, child and elder care, day labor, wine and agriculture more broadly. Many lost wages in the weeks following the [2017] fires and others worked for companies whose operations were affected at varying levels, from temporary disruption to complete loss.”

Assisting with lost wages isn’t as sexy as helping a family into a new home for the holidays. But the need is there.

“We can help our community and ease the stress on people who want to get their rent paid and put food on the table,” Medina says. “Based on the amount of money we have right now, we can’t help everyone.”

Three organizations that understood the need first-hand started UndocuFund. The North Bay Organizing Project (where Medina was first involved), North Bay Jobs with Justice and the Graton Day Labor Center are all co-organizers. Grantmakers Concerned for Immigrants and Refugees fiscally sponsored UndocuFund in 2017; North Bay Organizing Project currently funds it. UndocuFund’s fundraising proceeds directly assist fire-impacted families, with the exception of the small percentage used to cover administrative costs. Donations are accepted through Undocufund’s website.

“The founding organizations of UndocuFund have a long history of working with immigrant communities, so we’ve established a base of trust,” Medina says.

The initial amount of aid distributed to recipients after the Tubbs Fire—about $3,000—was adjusted based on personal interviews with families.

As a former County Human Services employee, Medina trained for seven years to listen closely to case-by-case details. And that’s part of the process. UndocuFund organizers sit down with families and personally interview them. Medina explains that the interview format has a therapeutic effect.

“We wanted to sit down with people, interview them and simultaneously give them an opportunity to share their own experience and hear the details of the impact on them,” Medina says.

Learn more about UndocuFund at UndocuFund.org.

Rainbow Regalia

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Rainbow Regalia

Watching “Two-Spirit Powwow,” one feels a switch from watching something interesting to seeing something you’d like to attend in person.

Emmy-winning producer and SCU alumni Rick Bacigalupi profiles the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit (BAAIT) gathering at San Francisco’s Fort Mason. People who read Thomas Berger’s novel Little Big Man know the term “two-spirited”; it’s a helpful word since many a nation has their own term for an LGBTQ person. Despite how two-spiritedness has been part of Native American life since forever, today’s reservations are conservative places. Evangelical Christianity and close-knit communities make it difficult for someone to come out.

The interviews here include Cheyenne River Lakota Sheldon Raymore who describes rejection after he came out and then, years later, acceptance by his mother; and the facially-tattooed Tongva/Ajachmen L. Frank Manriquez of Rohnert Park, a first woman who fought discrimination and became the Powwow’s MC.

While there are sacred things Bacigalupi declined to film, we do see the meetings to discuss how the event proceeds—the usual protocol issues that emerge when you get a lot of different people together. Much of what goes on is usual powwow procedure, everything from the dance categories to the sizzling fry-bread. Others are new—such as female drummers and the Turtle Nation group.

On the one hand, regalia is never to be called a costume—it’s traditional clothing. On the other hand, BAAITT has a “duct tape” contest wherein dancers make impromptu regalia out of cardboard, paper and whatever else is laying around. Then they twirl around in it to test the willpower of the “Stoic Indian” contest participants, who try to keep rigid faces. While versifying during the drumming competitions is a feature of the powwow circuit, the verse here is more site-specific (“He said he was straight, but when it got late…”). Out for Native American Heritage month, this documentary is good news for a change. The ambient joy at this gathering is a pleasure to watch.

‘Two Spirit Powwow’ airs on KRCB Nov. 18 at 9pm and Nov. 21 at noon.

Queer as Folk

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Queer as Folk

Openly gay country music stars have existed ever since Seattle singer-songwriter Patrick Haggerty formed Lavender Country in 1972. Yet in the traditionally conservative country scene, LGBTQ voices have largely remained on the fringe of the genre.

In the Bay Area, queer voices are gaining ground, and Sonoma County-based group Country Queer is taking the bull by the horns with an online magazine and lifestyle brand celebrating those voices. This month, Country Queer gets into the live music arena with a free concert on Nov. 15 featuring Lavender Country and others at the Starling Bar in Sonoma.

“We have a mission to change the culture of country music,” says Country Queer founder Dale Geist.

Five years ago Geist was working for music magazine No Depression and says he noticed the way artists could present themselves in the Americana world had limits. “I felt like that didn’t reflect the reality of queer people,” he says.

Earlier this year, Geist decided to do something about it, lending his journalism and website design skills towards the goal of increasing the visibility of queer people in country and Americana. He began with the online magazine Country Queer, and soon made and sold merchandise.

“I think the merch is an important part of the visibility because it’s a way for people to say, “I’m a real country fan and I’m queer,'” Geist says.

Geist knew live shows were the next step in lifting up LGBTQ voices; though he didn’t expect it to happen so soon. It just happened that Haggerty reached out to Geist about booking a Lavender Country gig in the North Bay, and Geist jumped at the chance to bring the iconic figure to town.

“As soon as you research the history of queer country music, you are slapped in the face with the album Lavender Country that came out in 1973, which was billed as the first gay country album and in some ways maybe still is the only one,” says Geist. “It certainly was the prototype; and it’s a very foundational record for anyone who is LGBTQ and is playing country music.”

For the Sonoma concert, Bay Area band Secret Emchy Society, fronted by Country Queer editorial director Cindy Emch, and transgender singer-songwriter Mya Byrne join Lavender Country for an eclectic night of roots-rock.

“This show is an important step for us,” says Geist. “We are looking to use this to start the momentum flowing.”

Country Queer presents Lavender Country on Friday, Nov. 15, at Starling Bar, 19380 Hwy 12, Sonoma. 8pm. Free. countryqueer.com.

Working World

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Working World

RAISE UP Local group pushes for minimum wage increases across North Bay as fires cause uncertainty.

Two weeks ago, while thousands of Sonoma County residents fled south in the largest evacuation in the county’s history, hundreds of workers stayed behind harvesting grapes in smoky fields near Healdsburg.

Legally, the workers were not required to work, but, according to several news reports, the workers could not afford to take unpaid time off, especially during the grape harvest. A similar situation unfolded in Napa County during the October 2017 fires, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

The scene highlights an unfortunate reality in the North Bay. With a minimum wage of just $12 an hour in unincorporated Sonoma County coupled with soaring housing prices, many workers are too poor to skip work even if they’re working in an evacuation zone and the air is clogged with smoke.

Under state labor law, businesses are not required to pay nonexempt hourly workers for missed hours due to formal evacuation orders, a gas or electricity shut off, or any other “Act of God,” according to the California Chamber of Commerce.

The events of late October arguably fell into all three categories for large swaths of Sonoma County. PG&E shut off electricity to reduce wildfire risk and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents and businesses across large swaths of the county.

From one perspective, the current law makes sense. After all, employers cannot predict “Acts of God”—or acts of PG&E for that matter—so they should not be required to pay for missed work. Then again, workers are no better equipped to predict disasters or power shutoffs.

The state’s Employment Development Department does offer unemployment insurance in such cases but the check takes several weeks to come through even when the normal one-week wait period is waived during disasters.

As of Nov. 7, 1,233 people had applied for state unemployment benefits due to the impacts of the Kincade wildfire, according to Barry White, a spokesman for the state Employment Development Department. Statewide, only 88 individuals have applied for insurance due to PG&E’s widespread power shutoffs.

Immigrant workers without proper paperwork are not able to collect any unemployment insurance for lost wages at all.

“Individuals who are not U.S. Citizens or Nationals must be able to show that they have authorization to work in the United States both while earning the wages on which their claims are based, as well as while they are collecting benefits,” White told the Bohemian.

Stagnant Wages

Mara Ventura, executive director of North Bay Jobs with Justice, has witnessed the chaos that disasters can wreak on low-wage workers several times over the past two years, as Sonoma County becomes an epicenter of climate change–fueled natural disasters.

During the Kincade Fire and PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs, Ventura volunteered at a Marin County emergency shelter. Some of the recipients lived on such shoestring budgets before the fires that they needed gas money to get back to their homes, Ventura says.

This financial vulnerability is born out in a report published by the Federal Reserve this May. The report concludes that nearly 40 percent of Americans would have to skip bills or borrow money if they were faced with an unexpected $400 expense.

With the track record of natural disasters over the past few years and PG&E’s CEO Bill Johnson acknowledging last month that widespread Public Safety Power Shutoffs may persist for the next 10 years, temporary unemployment due to emergencies may become increasingly common. That’s bad news for low wage workers in the North Bay.

The current minimum wage in unincorporated Sonoma County, where many of the farming operations are located, is just $12 an hour. A 2017 publication by the California Budget and Policy Center estimated the living wage—what it would take to live comfortably—at approximately $21.70 an hour for two parents raising two children in Sonoma County. Of course, housing prices have increased since then.

For years, North Bay Jobs With Justice has pushed for an accelerated increase in the minimum wage across the North Bay to help workers cope with the conditions. Under state law, the minimum wage is set to increase to $15 by Jan. 1, 2023. In its current campaign, NBBJ is pushing for a $15 minimum rate at least two years sooner.

The proposal made some progress in the past year. Santa Rosa, the City of Sonoma and Petaluma have all passed laws speeding up the increase in the minimum wage.

Cotati and Sebastopol are expected to consider similar proposals in the coming months, according to Ventura. After that, the group may take the proposal to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

Ventura says that, while Sebastopol and Cotati are smaller than other cities, the impacts of the minimum wage are generally the same as in the other North Bay cities that have considered the issue this year.

An October 2018 study of the possible impacts of a $15 minimum wage by the University of California, Berkeley, Labor Center found that small businesses would face slight impacts compared to the benefits to workers and their families.

After extensive outreach to the business community by city staff, the Santa Rosa City Council passed the increase unanimously on Oct. 1.

Several council members acknowledged that even a $15 wage is not enough to live on comfortably in a city where housing prices spiked in the wake of the October 2017 fires.

“I’m keenly aware that $15 doesn’t feel like enough,” Santa Rosa Council Member Julie Combs said before the vote.

Even John Sawyer, a longtime council member and business owner who opposed previous efforts to increase the minimum wage, supported the increase this time around.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a teenager or someone in their early 20s trying to make a go of it in Santa Rosa given how expensive it is to live here,” Sawyer said.

I’m with the Brand

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I’m with the Brand

Whether it’s Crane melons, Lagunitas IPA or the North Bay Bohemian, it’s about branding a distinct product. Now, California cannabis farmers want to brand their marijuana. If all goes according to plan, a grower in Fresno will not be legally allowed to sell weed under the “Sonoma” label, but someone in Kenwood or Petaluma will. “Go local” will translate into money.

Former Bohemian editor, Gretchen Giles, jumped on the cannabis-branding bandwagon earlier this year by volunteering with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to develop guidelines for cannabis appellations. She helped move the process along at meetings of the Sonoma Valley Cannabis Enthusiasts, an organization that wants Sonoma Valley weed to be as well-known globally as Sonoma Valley wine.

Giles says appellations are legislatively mandated to be part of the cannabis picture as early as 2021, and that “the state of California is ‘looking forward to the day cannabis is legal nationally and sold internationally.'” She adds, “Italy protects Parmigiano Reggiano and France protects Champagne. California will do the same for Sonoma County and Emerald Triangle weed.”

The label “Grown in Sonoma” will greatly help farmers who cultivate weed in direct sun and good soil, without chemical herbicides and pesticides, and who allow crops to reach maturity.

The Sonoma label will also mean something to consumers such as Paul G. in New York who enjoy Sonoma weed and wine.

“When I smoke marijuana from Sonoma Valley, I think of the landscape, the climate and the farmers—the terroir, as the French call it,” he says. “It’s not from anywhere, but from a specific place I feel connected to.”

Governor Newsom helped overcome some hurdles last month when he signed SB 185, a bill drafted by Senator Mike McGuire who is looking out for some of his own constituents in the Emerald Triangle.

“Customers have come to expect truth in labeling in wine,” McGuire said in a press release. “This bill ensures that manufacturers market products that meet similar appellation requirements with cannabis.”

The California State Association of Counties, the Humboldt County Growers Alliance and the California Cannabis Industry Association have all endorsed McGuire’s bill. “Sonoma Weed” here we come.

Jonah Raskin is the author of “Dark Day, Dark Night: A Marijuana
Murder Mystery.”

Column Alums

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Column Alums

Back in the ’90s, in my early newsroom days, the editors would let us cub reporters stray from our beats into a journalistic DMZ dubbed the “Reporter’s Notebook.” This was where we could write in the first-person, hone our voices and basically indemnify the paper from any of our outré opinions.

Such columns were a sanctuary for those of us, like me, who were generalists and fancied ourselves more “writer” than “reporter.” Sigh. Can your career be summed up by a Kinks’ lyric? Here’s mine: “And now we’re back where we started / Here we go ’round again!” I write that with gratitude, which I’m paying forward by injecting the Reporters Notebook ethos into these pages. Why? Because I still believe in alt-weeklies and the pack of lone wolves who howl their truth at the paper moon to make them.

Yokels like myself hesitate to proceed in this regard without first nodding to Santa Rosa’s own Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe It or Not fame, whose column of cultural curios first dropped 90 years ago this month. That was long before the TV series and the tourist attractions that came to bear the same title—also before he hired Norbert Pearlroth, a Polish-born polyglot, as the sole researcher, qua writer, for
the endeavor.

Pearlroth worked 10 hours a day, six days a week scouring the New York Public Library’s Main Reading Room for the bits that comprised the one-panel strip. Ever hear of him?

Believe it or not, Ripley was neither the first nor the last employer to exploit immigrant labor—but he was the first to do it in print and at scale. By the 1940s, the feature boasted 80 million readers worldwide. Pearlroth went largely unknown and underpaid for 52 years—thus spake Wikipedia. When, a couple of decades hence, this column has 80 million readers worldwide, you can bet every word of it was written by me, or at least an algorithm based on me.

By the time he filed his last edition of three-dot journalism, the Chronicle’s Herb Caen wrote 14,133,000 words worth of columns on his loyal Royal typewriter. I wrote this with my thumbs on a phone. I don’t even know how to type Caen’s trio of bullets without incurring the kind of sprain that would end my thumb-wrestling career. It’s bad enough that autocorrect doesn’t know what the duck I’m writing half the time. Worse yet, when I attempt to dictate to the device, Siri just offers to call me an Uber so I can “go home and sleep it off.”

With or without technology, I’ll persist and “write doodads because it’s a doodad kind of town.” That’s a bit I picked up from Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle a quarter-century ago. Dorothy Parker wasn’t in Kansas any more than she was trapped in some Nietzschean eternal recurrence—the film’s title, of course, a reference to the Algonquin Round Table. But here we go ’round again: I can’t help but think this is a fresh start, not just for me but for you, Dear Reader. I’m no pillar of the community, but I make a decent column. Send doodads.

Rage Rage

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0

Don’t just evacuate and meditate, agitate, it’s nearly
too late,

As my hero, Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, says.

There is no before and no after, only implacable present.

No winners and no losers, only passengers on the arc called Earth,

crossing sea that’s rising, air that’s blackening, temperature that’s soaring.

Homo sapiens, us, created infernos

Hell born in Paradise; no Phoenix rose from the ashes that fell on 14,000 Butte houses, only 14 rebuilt, nor did Phoenix rise on farmers and field workers Sonoma 2019,

swarms of survivors from 2017 fires still suffering PTSD,

though Pollyannas say it’s all good. “Sonoma Strong,” bla bla bla,

insensitive to homeless suffering, and what of toxic air pollution in India now?

Maybe, despite tech, our savvy, humans not savvy survive future winds, fires, droughts, earthquakes, climate change, global warming.

Maybe species doomed like dinosaurs,

only big question now how to make Earth exit less painful not just for moneyed madmen but for all, from Delhi and Cotati to Ojai and Shanghai.

Meanwhile, do not go gently into the dying of the light

Rage, rage; don’t hesitate

Rage, rage against the coming of the night.

We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write op*****@******an.com.

Welcomed Water Coverage

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0

Thank you so much to Alastair Bland (“Saving Salmon,” Nov. 6) and Will Carruthers (“Petaluma

River Waste Deep,” Nov. 6). So appreciative of your investigative journalism on these important issues. Your paper is our watchdog on local resources being pressured by our negligence and a prayer for Jaren Huffman’s challenging dance around water stakeholders.

—Kathleen Needels

Santa Rosa

Dam’d if you Do

Regarding “Saving Salmon” (Nov. 6, 2019), Cape Horn Dam was completed in 1907, not in 1920 as the article states. Cape Horn Dam cut off about 100 miles of stream habitat and Scott Dam cut off about 29 miles of habitat.

The Potter Valley Project Diversion is a major focus of debate, as it provides recreational, agricultural and residential use to parts of South-Eastern Mendocino County and North-Western Sonoma County.

Fish habitat and biodiversity loss on the Eel River has had a negative impact on the environment and local indigenous people. Due to the construction of the Van Arsdale Dam and the Cape Horn Dam, salmon spawning grounds have been adversely affected, resulting in great harm to the biodiversity of the Eel River. Twenty-nine miles of the main stem of the Eel River is completely cut off from salmon habitat. This stream alteration severely damaged the once-thriving fish populations of the Eel River.

With less fish comes a less bio-diverse terrain and a shortage of traditional indigenous food sources. Throughout the past century, logging and ranching created erosion and water pollution issues along the Eel River. In Central Humboldt County, where the Mighty Eel flows into the Pacific Ocean, dairy ranching has replaced the natural landscape. The loss to the Eel River salmon runs are estimated to be “800,000 Chinook, 100,000 Steelhead and 100,000 Coho,” and the disappearance of vast numbers of fish and wildlife has become the norm.

Constructing new fish ladders around the dams or removal of both dams is the second chance this life-giving river needs. The Potter Valley aqueduct tunnel that diverts the river south was likely built before any considerations of the impact on the environment or indigenous people were taken into account. Now, over 100 years later, the liability of this project and the responsibilities of river stewardship are up for review, as the water rights and use permit are set to change hands. Verified historical reports claim a Clear Lake outlet to the Russian River once existed but was blocked by a landslide. The landslides prevented natural water flow from Clear Lake into the Russian River. Now, Clear Lake currently drains into the Sacramento River.

Everyone must have water but the long term health of our environment must take precedence. Ultimately, it is possible to build a new and environmentally friendly water system that satisfies the concerns of each group and helps to restore salmon. As we go forward in planning the future of this critical California waterway, we must work to cultivate a healthy environment that will benefit everyone—and “by way of a river,” as the salmon, whales, birds, wildlife, insects, plants, plankton, minerals and micro bacteria will span out to every natural thing on Earth. It is all connected!

—Joel Thompson

Peace & Harmony Foundation
of Mendocino

Write to us at le*****@******an.com.

Kids Are Alright

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0
Kids Are Alright

Author Roald Dahl’s children’s stories usually feature an exceptional child living in an unexceptional world of abusive adults and oppressive institutions. Whether it’s James traveling in a giant peach or Charlie touring a chocolate factory, the young protagonists usually triumph with the help of a loving grown-up.

That formula is at work in Matilda the Musical, an adaptation of Dahl’s 1988 novel by Dennis Kelly with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. A co-production of Napa’s Cafeteria Kids Theater and the Napa Valley College Theater Arts program, it’s running through Nov. 17 at the College’s Performing Arts Center.

It makes sense that the two entities would join forces, as it’s a humongous show with a cast of 55 performers—ages 7 and up—comprised of kids, college-age students and an adult guest artist. Several of the main roles are double-cast.

Matilda (Sophia Grace Passaris) is the neglected daughter of a shallow competitive-ballroom dancer (Courtney South) and an unscrupulous used-car salesman (Francisco Gutierrez). They mock Matilda’s intellect and encourage her to watch more television. She finds her escape in books and in trips to the library where she regales the librarian (Ashley Zaragoza) with her original stories. She also finds some relief in occasionally being naughty.

Matilda’s days are spent at Crunchem Hall, a school whose motto is “Bambinatum est Magitum” (“Children are Maggots”). It is run by the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull (an imposing Michael Conte in a role traditionally cast with a male). Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey (Maeve Roberts), takes an interest in her and seeks to have her moved to the “top” class. Miss Truchbull will have none of it. She smells rebellion, and soon the children she calls revolting may do just that.

Kelly’s book and Minchin’s music honor the macabre spirit of Dahl’s writing, and co-directors Aimée Guillot and Olivia Cowell show firm hands in steering this massive show. A stronger hand is needed at the soundboard, though, as microphones were repeatedly brought in late—a real problem with a musical. Other technical work is strong with nice set design and shadow-screen work, and the kids look great in their school uniforms.

Eleven-year-old Miss Passaris is an absolute delight as the steadfast little girl coming into her own, and the rest of the youthful cast all get moments to shine.

It’s a fun family show, but parents might want to watch their hats.

Rating (out of 5): ★★★★

‘Matilda the Musical’ runs through Nov. 17 at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center, 2277 Napa Vallejo Hwy, Napa. Fri., 7:00pm; Sat. & Sun., 2pm. $5–$25. 707.256.7500. performingartsnapavalley.org.

Holiday Arts Guide

Winter Tradition No holiday season is complete without 'The Nutcracker,' which is performed by Napa Regional Dance Company and Santa Rosa Dance Theater among others. While the sun is setting earlier, the lights are coming out in the North Bay for the next two months, with holiday fun and cheer coming your way. To help navigate the season and keep...
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Fire Fund

The 2017 fires displaced thousands of people from their homes. Many were undocumented immigrants who live and work here but unlike others, they could not apply for government aid. Needs as basic as finding the money for a deposit on a new apartment and restocking the refrigerator were imminent. "In the first week after...
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Rainbow Regalia

Watching "Two-Spirit Powwow," one feels a switch from watching something interesting to seeing something you'd like to attend in person. Emmy-winning producer and SCU alumni Rick Bacigalupi profiles the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit (BAAIT) gathering at San Francisco's Fort Mason. People who read Thomas Berger's novel Little Big Man know the term "two-spirited"; it's a helpful word since many...
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Queer as Folk

Openly gay country music stars have existed ever since Seattle singer-songwriter Patrick Haggerty formed Lavender Country in 1972. Yet in the traditionally conservative country scene, LGBTQ voices have largely remained on the fringe of the genre. In the Bay Area, queer voices are gaining ground, and Sonoma County-based group Country Queer is taking the bull by the horns with an...
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Working World

RAISE UP Local group pushes for minimum wage increases across North Bay as fires cause uncertainty. Two weeks ago, while thousands of Sonoma County residents fled south in the largest evacuation in the county's history, hundreds of workers stayed behind harvesting grapes in smoky fields near Healdsburg. Legally, the workers were not required to work, but, according to several news reports,...
Read more

I’m with the Brand

Whether it's Crane melons, Lagunitas IPA or the North Bay Bohemian, it's about branding a distinct product. Now, California cannabis farmers want to brand their marijuana. If all goes according to plan, a grower in Fresno will not be legally allowed to sell weed under the "Sonoma" label, but someone in Kenwood or Petaluma will. "Go local" will translate...
Read more

Column Alums

The journalistic DMZ dubbed the "Reporter's Notebook" is alive and well.
Read more

Rage Rage

Don't just evacuate and meditate, agitate, it's nearly too late, As my hero, Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, says. There is no before and no after, only implacable present. No winners and no losers, only passengers on the arc called Earth, crossing sea that's rising, air that's blackening, temperature that's soaring. Homo sapiens, us, created infernos Hell born in Paradise; no Phoenix rose from the ashes...
Read more

Welcomed Water Coverage

Thank you so much to Alastair Bland ("Saving Salmon," Nov. 6) and Will Carruthers ("Petaluma River Waste Deep," Nov. 6). So appreciative of your investigative journalism on these important issues. Your paper is our watchdog on local resources being pressured by our negligence and a prayer for Jaren Huffman's challenging dance around water stakeholders. —Kathleen Needels Santa Rosa Dam'd if you Do Regarding "Saving...
Read more

Kids Are Alright

Author Roald Dahl's children's stories usually feature an exceptional child living in an unexceptional world of abusive adults and oppressive institutions. Whether it's James traveling in a giant peach or Charlie touring a chocolate factory, the young protagonists usually triumph with the help of a loving grown-up. That formula is at work in Matilda the Musical, an adaptation of Dahl's...
Read more
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