The Fine Print

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The Fine Print

Napa’s Bill Dodd says that when he introduced his first bill (SB 33) as a freshly minted state senator early this past month, bankers and businessmen approached him in Sacramento and wondered, what the heck is this former Republican up to?

Dodd is also a former business owner who sat on the board of the Napa Community Bank. He says his bill sprang from the recent controversy at Wells Fargo—and from his own experience as a victim of identity theft. He’s aiming squarely at so-called forced arbitration clauses in contracts that bar consumers from suing lenders in court when there are charges of fraud or identity theft.

The Wells Fargo scandal involved employees at the California-based bank who were caught opening some 2 million bank accounts for existing Wells Fargo customers without their knowledge or consent, and then passing along millions of dollars in fees and charges to the unwitting customers. When customers got wise to the scam, they sued, but Wells Fargo successfully argued that the controversy should be settled through arbitration and not the courts. This “forced arbitration” clause is a standard part of lending contracts designed to protect lenders against expensive lawsuits played out in the courts.

The clause is just the sort of fine-print exercise in bank favoritism that has been scrubbed by multiple Obama-era consumer-protection reforms that pushed back against fees and hidden charges in contracts—where, as is often is the case, says Dodd, “people don’t know what they are signing.”

His bill dovetails with other work he has done on identity theft and consumer-fraud issues while serving as an assemblyman, and also with federal-level efforts to reform the arbitration-clause backstop for banks and lenders through the besieged Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau (CFPB). Last October, the CFPB announced its intention to scrub forced-arbitration language from lending contracts.

“I am not a fan of the clauses,” says Dodd. “In the end, they favor whoever is contracting out for the arbitrator, for obvious reasons. My bill essentially says that if a bank or financial institution [has] either defrauded or perpetuated consumer fraud on a customer . . . the bank would lose the ability to automatically go to the arbitration clause, and the employee or victim could have their claim heard in a court of law.”

Wells Fargo argued that because the defrauded customers had legitimate accounts with the bank, the arbitration clause in the customers’ contracts kicked in when charges of fraud emerged. Dodd says that a Wells Fargo whistleblower discovered the scam but “that person lost in arbitration.”

Dodd says that members of the banking industry have approached him and said, “We can’t believe you are doing this,” as they highlight court costs associated with out-of-contract lawsuits. Dodd’s identity-theft case ended favorably for him and for the bank that had let it happen, but the arbiter, he says, dropped all court and legal fees associated with the case.

Now, he says, when he’s approached by bankers, “I say to them, have you ever seen a time when you or your employee has committed fraud on customers or employees?” Their answer is typically no, to which Dodd responds that they then shouldn’t object to a bill that would adjudicate fraud in court instead of through arbitration.

“I am gong to work on a bill that will make an arbitration system that is more fair,” says Dodd, “and if there’s a solution to arbitration that was equally fair to business and the consumer, I’m all in.” Until then, he says, he’s putting the emphasis on protecting consumers instead of the banks’ bottom line.

“I really do believe that the arbitration system favors the employers, favors the companies,” he says.

Dodd’s bill comes amid intense discussion over the fate of the CFPB, an agency spearheaded
by progressive firebrand
Sen. Elizabeth Warren. A similar attempt to enact Dodd’s proposed arbitration language at CFPB has met strong opposition from Republicans, many of whom
are hell-bent on destroying the agency.

In a recent interview with the Bohemian, Kevin Stein, deputy director of the consumer-rights nonprofit the California Reinvestment Coalition, said potential rollbacks at the CFPB were a “major concern, and an area where we will fight to protect the agency and the rules and access it gives to consumers to complain about unfair practices.”

Dodd says he’s not totally conversant in all the efforts undertaken at the CFPB, but he’s generally a fan of consumer protections, even as he echoes concerns that the agency’s purportedly big-foot approach to regulating big banks and lenders has also put the screws to community lenders.

Senate Bill 33 is the first and only bill that Dodd has introduced in his capacity as chair of the State Senate’s Banking and Finance Committee. The bill has gotten the support of state consumer-rights groups such as the Consumer Federation of California.

Dodd says he’s eager to work as a champion for consumer protections that are fair to consumers and lenders alike. “This is my first foray into this area,” he says as he highlights that the arbitration-reform issue has been editorialized in newspapers ranging from the Boston Herald to the New York Times, and that California Rep. Brad Sherman recently co-sponsored a similar bill in Washington.

But Dodd says he didn’t sponsor the bill to get the positive press or to align with the CFPB.

“I’m doing this on my own,” he says.

Black and White

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Black and White

Where did the light go? Needing the year to turn, you yearn in the dark for our Festival of Lights.

Dead of winter is upon you. Moonlessness. You find yourself losing yourself pitch-black without a search light, search warrant, search party. No reading light, no nook. No flashlight, not even a firefly.

Then, astonishment—the candle! Hope flickers: a great miracle happened here! Finally, promise of sunrise, when baby blue meets princess pink, and lemon chiffon morning bursts through.

Splendor! Day breaks, breaks your fractured heart open. Listen: you can hear it. The thunder crack of dawn splits open that relentless night.

Joy again! Light glitters, sparkles, twinkles, bedazzles. Let there be light, and there was light, a genesis. One random morning, you startle yourself singing in the shower.

But night, that guillotine, can fall again. It will.

Dark behind your velvet eyelids, dark inside your vacant cluttered skull, dark inside your body where only one person gets to live.

Unable to write, absolutely nothing to say, that blinking cursor on that blank page, that poised pen writing nothing. Wordlessness.

It has no name; throw images at it. You, the bulls-eye of the charging black rhino. You, the most wanted on your own black list. You, the boot-black groveling at your own scuffed feet. Divorced from yourself, with no custody of your whimpering inner child. A blackout of the spirit, total outage of spiritual power.

Yet: this human experience truly is black and it is white. Dappled, striped, speckled. Zebras, yin and yang, piano keys, black and white saddle shoes, steaming deer droppings in the snow, your little black dress with white polka-dots, penguins, skunks, black-and-white cows standing drenched in the rain, black-faced white sheep huddling soaked, New York black-and-white cookies. And these ink-black words on this previously white page!

Rita S. Losch is a poet who lives in Santa Rosa.

Open Mic is a weekly feature in the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write op*****@******an.com.

Letters to the Editor: January 4, 2016

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Letters to the Editor: January 4, 2016

Doublespeak?

The late Winsor activist Bill Patterson once told me that politicians these days are trying to get us to believe that black is white and white is black. Nowhere is this more true than on our local board of supervisors. Lynda Hopkins talks about progressivism (“Redwood Empire Fights Back,” Dec. 21) as though she herself demonstrates progressive characteristics. Before we make up our minds on that one, let us talk about money in politics.

Hopkins was quoted in the Press Democrat saying, “I think that the whole idea that money buys influence is a false argument.” Another female Democrat by the name of Hillary Clinton was asked on Meet the Press if she thought Goldman Sachs expected anything in return for the $675,000 she was paid by them for giving three speeches. Her reply was “Absolutely not.”

On the other side of the coin you have David McCuan, political science professor at Sonoma State University. He states quite simply, “Money is influential.” Donald Trump was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying, “As a businessman and very substantial donor to very important people, when you give, they do whatever the hell you want them to do.” At a rally in Iowa last year Trump said, “When I call, they kiss my ass, OK?” Anybody who does not have their head completely buried in the sand knows that on this issue Trump and McCuan are the truth tellers and Hillary and Hopkins are the ones blowing smoke. If telling the truth constitutes a tenet of progressivism, then Hopkins doesn’t quite fit the bill.

How could there be anything progressive about buying your way into office on the backs of the growth machine? Keep in mind here that the growth machine is directly responsible for a large percentage of our environmental problems. Follow the money, people. Contemplate the conundrum of a politician with two degrees in environmental science accepting campaign donations from four of the most environmentally destructive forces in the history of Sonoma County. That would be realtors, developers, the wine industry and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.

So here we have a politician rallying against Trump who is sponsored by a bunch of Donald Trump wannabees. Looks like you were right, Bill! If this demonstrates what neo-liberals are going to look like from now on, then maybe Hopkins could best be described as a “neo-progressive.”

—Doug Haymaker

Santa Rosa

Face the Music

Thank you, Tom Gogola, for your “U.S. Blues” article (Dec. 21) and this one that starts with Jimi (“Trumpets,” Dec. 28). Yes, black lives matter to art and music in America! Thank God!

—MusicLoverRP

Via Bohemian.com

Methinks you are confusing the death of the Democratic Party with the death of democracy (“Trumpets,” Dec. 28). Democracy is alive and well, thank you very much. So sorry that your idea of what democracy is depends on which side wins the election.

—Chris Sholes

Via Boehmian.com

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

Naked Beauty

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Naked Beauty

Julianne Skai Arbor has always loved trees. Growing up in the flat and treeless Midwest, she says she was born with an affection for trees that was just waiting to take root.

When she moved to the Bay Area for graduate art school in 1993 and experienced California’s grand wild places, Arbor’s inner yearning blossomed and she became TreeGirl, her arboreal alter ego.

For 20 years, Arbor has been traveling the globe, encountering majestic trees and photographing nude self-portraits among them. These stunning images are accompanied by revealing personal essays and more in her new book, TreeGirl: Intimate Encounters with Wild Nature.

Arbor releases the book with a launch party that includes a gallery showing, a reading, live music and food and refreshment made exclusively from trees on Jan. 15 at Occidental Center for the Arts.

Arbor’s first transformative experience with trees was on a post-college, three-month walkabout in Australia where she saw two small trees that seemed to be dancing together.

“I wasn’t on anything,” she jokes, “but I saw these trees and was overcome with this need to be part of them, to be with them. I was traveling with a friend. I took my clothes off, handed him a camera, intertwined with the trees and said, ‘Take my picture.'”

That was the beginning. Arbor says in that moment she found her art form, her spiritual practice and her joy. She followed up that first trip by studying the many impressive species of trees in Northern California, from the redwood and sequoia to the oak and bristlecone pine.

“We’re so fortunate to have some of the most amazing trees in the world right here,” says Arbor, who has lived in Sonoma County for 16 years.

Arbor, who is also a certified naturalist and conservation educator, soon started seeking out the biggest, most unusual trees in the world, such as the African baobab pictured on the cover of the new book, a seven-trunked, 2,000-year-old tree known as the “Seven Sisters” by locals in Botswana.

The decision to photograph herself nude with the trees was inspired by artist Georgia O’Keeffe and the nude photography she did with Alfred Stieglitz in the 1920s. “It gave me a place to feel comfortable in my body,” says Arbor.

Arbor says that TreeGirl is her way of showing that there is no separation between human beings and nature. “The message of the book is that we are nature, and we forget that in our modern world,” she says. “I want to remind people about our ancient bond with the wild and invite them to reconnect with it.”

BottleRock’s 2017 Lineup Is Here

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0

9593f0c8-a906-4c71-9e6b-f3ac8a515e4c
The 5th annual BottleRock Napa Valley festival, set for May 26 through 28, 2017, has unveiled its full lineup, including headlining artists Foo Fighters, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Maroon 5.
The three-day event, which also boasts wine, food, beer and more, will feature over 80 bands and musicians performing this year, and the full lineup is below. Festival passes go on sale at 10AM PST tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan 4, 2017 at BottleRockNapaValley.com and eventbrite.com.
ec27205b-9aac-41c0-a55a-547807a4d630

Dec. 29: Countdown to Terror in Santa Rosa

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Dec. 29: Countdown to Terror in Santa Rosa

Seems like every holiday has a slasher film to go with it, from bloody Valentines to black Christmases. While New Year’s Eve typically doesn’t get much attention from horror filmmakers, the Roxy’s CULT film series has dug up two films to ring in the new year. First up, the series screens Terror Train, in which a masked killer stalks Jamie Lee Curtis aboard a train during a New Year’s Eve costume party. That’s followed by New Year’s Evil in which a killer (somehow) strikes at the stroke of midnight in each time zone across the country during a fatal New Year’s. Thursday, Dec. 29, at Roxy 14 Cinemas, 85 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa. 7pm. $10. 707.525.8909.

Jan. 1: Walk It Off Around the North Bay

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Jan. 1: Walk It Off Around the North Bay

One of the North Bay’s most popular outdoor traditions is to start each New Year’s off with the refreshing and rejuvenating First Day Hike in the many parks and wilderness spots the region has to offer. There’s no excuse to not get out and get active this Jan. 1, as the Sonoma Coast, Armstrong Redwoods, Jack London State Park, Surgarloaf Ridge and many other places are hosting docent-led walks. There’s even a Christmas bird count happening on the first, hosted by Madrone Audubon Society for the 50th year in a row. Sunday, Jan. 1, at various locations.

Jan. 2: Beyond Ballroom in Petaluma

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Jan. 2: Beyond Ballroom in Petaluma

Dancing doesn’t always have to be a waltz. If you’ve ever wanted to break out of the mold and try on a new routine for size, Petaluma’s international folk dance class kicks off this New Year with instructor Carol Friedman. The classes include folk dances from all over the world, including Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece and Israel. The evening starts with a beginner lesson so all skill levels can participate and each class promises fun and exercise while you experience an assortment of world music. Classes run every Monday through April, starting on Jan. 2, at Hermann Son’s Hall, 860 Western Ave., Petaluma. 7pm. $65 for all classes, $7 drop-in. carolfriedmanfolkdance.blogspot.com.

Jan. 3-5: Strange Love in Yountville

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Jan. 3-5: Strange Love in Yountville

Playwright Harold Pinter’s dramas are marked by his often understated tension, examining characters on the fringe with provocative and intricate dialogue that reveals deeper motivations than what’s on display. Such is the case with ‘The Lover’, a one-act look at modern marriage seen through the eyes of a married couple openly dealing with extramarital affairs. The Lover gets a limited run from the Valley Players in an intimate theater setting that’s sure to produce laughs and tears on Tuesday, Jan. 3, through Thursday, Jan. 5, at the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive, Yountville. 7pm. $20. 707.944.9900.

Pop It Off

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Pop It Off

Allow us to be the first to say goodbye to 2016. With old acquaintances—both forgotten and remembered—we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, and we’ll start with these New Year’s Eve parties around the North Bay. From delectable dinners to cabaret shows and blowout concerts, here’s a selection of ways to ring in 2017.

Happy New Year,
Charlie Brown

Kids love New Year’s Eve as much as the rest of us, but staying up late is not their strong suit. Instead, take them to the Charles M. Schulz Museum for a fun afternoon of crafts and games, with a big balloon drop and root beer toasts at noon and 3pm. Hey, it’s New Year’s somewhere. 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa. 10am to 4pm. $5–$12. 707.579.4452.

Mischief Masquerade

The North Bay Cabaret never fails to surprise in its eclectic monthly variety shows, and master of ceremonies Jake Ward is pulling out all the stops for this New Year’s Eve spectacular. Attendees to the masquerade are encouraged to dress the part, eye masks included, and the night’s elegance will be matched by the entertainment. Burlesque, belly dance and circus and sideshow acts all come together for a night of dazzling feats, with DJs spinning until 2am and Champagne at midnight. There’s even a raffle with proceeds benefiting Syrian refugees through local nonprofit the Schoolbox Project, which provides education and support to refugee children and families. Whiskey Tip, 1910 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $20–$25 (21 and over). mischiefmasqueradenye.brownpapertickets.com.

Bubble Ball

The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts is getting into the New Year’s Eve game this year, debuting its own showcase of local music, wine, beer and more in the first annual Bubble Ball. Dance the night away with popular local bands like Wonderbread 5, Kingsborough and the Pat Jordan Band, while sipping (or chugging) the best local brews and vino, and tasting local culinary masters. A general admission ticket gets you a little bit of everything, including the Champagne toast. The night
also benefits Greenacre Homes
in its quest to serve Sonoma County youth with special needs. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $95 (21 and over). 707.546.3600.

Rivertown Ball

Each summer, the popular Rivertown Revival turns downtown Petaluma into a wonderland of DIY arts and local music. This year, the folks behind the revival, including the North Bay Hootenanny and Second Octave Entertainment, turn their eyes to New Year’s Eve and premiere the Rivertown Ball. Tobias “the Mystic Man” Weinberger of the vaudeville-on-wheels Traveling Spectacular hosts, San Francisco soul-powered band Monophonics headline, and Marin’s El Radio Fantastique and Sonoma County’s ragtag Oddjob Ensemble fill out the lineup. All the while, aerialists and sword swallowers roam, and libations from Lagunitas and Sonoma Cider fuel the fun. The Rivertown Ball also benefits Friends of the Petaluma River, and proceeds will help keep the watershed vibrant. Petaluma Veterans Memorial Hall, 1094 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma. 8pm. $70; $55 for designated drivers (21 and over). rivertownrevival.com.

New Year’s Eve
at Barndiva

The Healdsburg culinary destination has a motto: Eat the View. For New Year’s Eve, the view is looking particularly delicious, as Barndiva’s restaurant and bistro offer two separate menus of elegant dining in a festive and fun atmosphere. In the restaurant, a six-course meal of classic favorites features scallops and short ribs with special wine pairings available. In the relaxed bistro setting, the music gets pumping as you choose between beef fillets and roasted sole before working off the calories with a dance or two. Reservations are recommended. 231 Center St., Healdsburg. 707.431.0100.

New Year’s Eve at Spoonbar

Whether you want an amazing dinner to start the night’s fun, or a spot for late-night cocktails to wrap up your New Year’s Eve, Spoonbar has what you’re looking for. First up, a decadent four-course meal boasts luxurious caviar, truffle ravioli, seared black bass and roasted lamb loins on the menu. After the meal, DJs get the dance party going while photo booths and other fun activities keep spirits high. If you show up after 10pm, you can still partake in the dessert bar and sip on handcrafted cocktails before a glittering Champagne toast rings in the new year. Spoonbar,
219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 6pm, dinner; 10pm, party. $125 dinner; $55 party. 707.433.7222.

Petaluma Museum’s
Gala Concert & A Night
in Vienna

Sky Hill Cultural Alliance and the Petaluma Museum Association present their eighth annual gala concert and dance with classical flair and marvelous entertainment. First up, the historical museum and library hosts members of the San Francisco Symphony in concert. Violinist Yun Chu, cellist Shu-Yi Pai and viola player Nancy Severance have been performing in the gala since the series’ inception, and this year they are joined by North Bay mezzo-soprano Karen Clark for a program of awe-inspiring artistry and music. After the show, it’s time to dance the night away, as the action moves to nearby Hermann Sons’ Hall for “A Night in Vienna,” featuring many traditional Austrian dishes and desserts, and waltzes performed by a live orchestra. This black-tie-optional event toasts New Year’s in stellar fashion. Gala concert happens at 20 Fourth St., Petaluma, 6pm. $50–$70. “A Night in Vienna” happens at 860 Western Ave., Petaluma. 8:30pm. $150. 707.778.4398.

New Year’s Party
in Sebastopol

After a year of vitriol and anger on all sides of the spectrum, Sebastopol wants to ring in the new year with an emphasis on peace. The party at the Sebastopol Community Center will offer lots of live music and drink, but there will also be thoughtful moments during the celebration to reinforce the feeling of love and togetherness that the west Sonoma County town has come to embody. Onstage, R&B funk masters Soul Fuse and laidback rockers the Rhythm Rangers, winners of the 2016 NorBay Music Award for best Americana and Country band, co-headline the night. Other local favorites like Levi Lloyd, Buzzy Martin, Sarah Baker and Mr. Music and the Love Choir also contribute to the positive vibes. Amid the dancing, a full bar will warm the belly and
a peace ceremony led by shaman and author Francis Rico will
warm the heart. 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. Doors at 7:30pm.
$18–$25. 707.823.1511.

[page]

Ramekins New Year’s
Eve Celebration

The culinary school in Sonoma goes for the Hollywood glam this New Year’s Eve, so dress in your red-carpet best and enjoy an all-inclusive array of delicious bites, beer and wine, Champagne toasts and live music by the French Disconnection.
450 W. Spain St., Sonoma. 8pm. $125. ramekins.com.

Brian Culbertson
at Blue Note

Since opening last October, Napa’s Blue Note Jazz Club, which occupies the first floor of the historic Napa Valley Opera House, has gotten busy bringing world-class talent to one of the North Bay’s most intimate stages. This New Year’s, Blue Note welcomes multi-instrumentalist Brian Culbertson for two nights, including a New Year’s Eve celebration. Culbertson is best known as the founder and champion of the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway. He is also known across the country for his 16 self-produced solo albums and collaborations with everyone from Barry Manilow to Bootsy Collins. Join Culbertson for a jazzy New Year’s on Dec. 30–31. 1030 Main St., Napa. Friday, 7pm and 9:30pm; Saturday, 7:30pm and 10:30pm. $55 and up. 707.880.2300.

Red Tie Affair

The Westin Verasa in Napa is seeing double and throwing not one, but two parties to ring in 2017. First up, a dinner party at La Toque offers a Champagne reception before a sumptuous six-course dinner with a sommelier wine-pairing option. After the meal, the Red Tie Affair kicks off next door at Bank Café and Bar, with dancing and cocktails leading up to the Champagne toast. 1314 Mckinstry St., Napa. Dinner at 7:30pm; after-party at 9pm. $75 and up. 888.627.7169.

Rockin’ Country New Year

If formal attire is not your forte, Napa also has a denim-appropriate affair with a rollicking night of country rock at Silo’s. Live music from the Cripple Creek Band gets the boots stomping for two shows. Special desserts, party favors, bubbly and down-home fun culminate in two ball-drops, one for each coast. 530 Main St., Napa. 7pm and 10pm. $45–$75. 707.251.5833.

A Night in Paris

The Napa Wine Train is a popular attraction for wine and travel enthusiasts, and this New Year’s Eve event travels all the way across the sea for a night of Parisian delights. Sparkling wine awaits you at the station, and a decadent four-course meal is served while the sights of the Napa Valley pass you by during the three-and-a-half-hour ride. Once you return to the station, DJs get a dance party started
and a cabaret club atmosphere brings Paris to California.
1275 McKinstry St., Napa. Reception at 5pm; train departs at 7pm. $299 and up. 800.427.4124.

Speakeasy New Year’s Eve

Wine country public house Goose & Gander’s annual New Year’s bash includes two dinner seatings, cocktails and authentic ragtime music by Bob Ringwald before DJ Rotten Robbie spins vinyl in an after-party perfect for flappers
of any era. 1245 Spring St.,
St. Helena. Dinner at 5pm; after-party at 9pm. $40 admission to the party. 707.967.8779.

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood

A popular sight in the North Bay, the psychedelic rock and roll family that is the Chris Robinson Brotherhood largely operates somewhere in the wilds of Marin County that Robinson has dubbed “Unicorn, California.” This past year saw the brotherhood release their acclaimed roots-rock album Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel, and now the former Black Crowes frontman and his bearded band of merry men take over Terrapin Crossroads on New Year’s Eve, with two nights of jams and joy. The brotherhood flies the freak flag Dec. 30–31, 100 Yacht Club Drive, San Rafael. Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 9pm. $40; $75. 415.524.2773.

New Year’s Eve Stand Up Comedy Showcase

Osher Marin JCC’s seventh annual New Year’s Eve event boasts more laughs than you can shake a bottle of Champagne at. This show always sells out in advance, and for good reason: the stellar lineup of performers and festive atmosphere is the perfect way to countdown to midnight. This year, the showcase outdoes itself with five comedians on the bill. Hosting the show is New York City native Jeff Applebaum, who has spent over 20 years making crowds laugh in his adopted hometown of San Francisco. His clean comedy sets the mood for the night, and the laughs keep coming from comedian and radio/TV host James P. Connolly, New Age optimist Karen Rontkowski, award-winning comedian Lamont Ferguson and the lovely Jason Love. A selection of cocktails, beer and wine start the party,
and a midnight toast wraps it up. 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. Pre-show party starts at 7:30pm. $35 and up. 415.444.8000.

Mademoiselle Kiki’s European Cabaret

The alter ego of Bay Area performer Moana Diamond, Mademoiselle Kiki transports audiences to Paris for a night of sultry entertainment and partying. In an intimate Cabaret-style nightclub setting, the mademoiselle leads the Chez Kiki Orchestra in interpreting the music of Edith Piaf and others while burlesque dancers and others take your breathe away with dazzling performances. There’s also a VIP pre-party for those wanting to get started early, and a Cabaret after-party keeps the dancing shoes on until 2am. Harmonia Wellness & Social Club, 2200 Marinship Way, Sausalito. Pre-party starts at 7pm. $30 and up. 415.332.1432.

The Fine Print

Napa's Bill Dodd says that when he introduced his first bill (SB 33) as a freshly minted state senator early this past month, bankers and businessmen approached him in Sacramento and wondered, what the heck is this former Republican up to? Dodd is also a former business owner who sat on the board of the Napa Community Bank. He says...
Read more

Black and White

Where did the light go? Needing the year to turn, you yearn in the dark for our Festival of Lights. Dead of winter is upon you. Moonlessness. You find yourself losing yourself pitch-black without a search light, search warrant, search party. No reading light, no nook. No flashlight, not even a firefly. Then, astonishment—the candle! Hope flickers: a great miracle happened...
Read more

Letters to the Editor: January 4, 2016

Doublespeak? The late Winsor activist Bill Patterson once told me that politicians these days are trying to get us to believe that black is white and white is black. Nowhere is this more true than on our local board of supervisors. Lynda Hopkins talks about progressivism ("Redwood Empire Fights Back," Dec. 21) as though she herself demonstrates progressive characteristics. Before...
Read more

Naked Beauty

Julianne Skai Arbor has always loved trees. Growing up in the flat and treeless Midwest, she says she was born with an affection for trees that was just waiting to take root. When she moved to the Bay Area for graduate art school in 1993 and experienced California's grand wild places, Arbor's inner yearning blossomed and she became TreeGirl, her...
Read more

BottleRock’s 2017 Lineup Is Here

The 5th annual BottleRock Napa Valley festival, set for May 26 through 28, 2017, has unveiled its full lineup, including headlining artists Foo Fighters, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Maroon 5. The three-day event, which also boasts wine, food, beer and more, will feature over 80 bands and musicians performing this year, and the full lineup is below. Festival passes go on sale...
Read more

Dec. 29: Countdown to Terror in Santa Rosa

Seems like every holiday has a slasher film to go with it, from bloody Valentines to black Christmases. While New Year’s Eve typically doesn’t get much attention from horror filmmakers, the Roxy’s CULT film series has dug up two films to ring in the new year. First up, the series screens Terror Train, in which a masked killer stalks...
Read more

Jan. 1: Walk It Off Around the North Bay

One of the North Bay’s most popular outdoor traditions is to start each New Year’s off with the refreshing and rejuvenating First Day Hike in the many parks and wilderness spots the region has to offer. There’s no excuse to not get out and get active this Jan. 1, as the Sonoma Coast, Armstrong Redwoods, Jack London State Park,...
Read more

Jan. 2: Beyond Ballroom in Petaluma

Dancing doesn’t always have to be a waltz. If you’ve ever wanted to break out of the mold and try on a new routine for size, Petaluma’s international folk dance class kicks off this New Year with instructor Carol Friedman. The classes include folk dances from all over the world, including Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece and Israel. The evening...
Read more

Jan. 3-5: Strange Love in Yountville

Playwright Harold Pinter’s dramas are marked by his often understated tension, examining characters on the fringe with provocative and intricate dialogue that reveals deeper motivations than what’s on display. Such is the case with ‘The Lover’, a one-act look at modern marriage seen through the eyes of a married couple openly dealing with extramarital affairs. The Lover gets a...
Read more

Pop It Off

Allow us to be the first to say goodbye to 2016. With old acquaintances—both forgotten and remembered—we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, and we'll start with these New Year's Eve parties around the North Bay. From delectable dinners to cabaret shows and blowout concerts, here's a selection of ways to ring in 2017. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown Kids love...
Read more
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