Ring in the New!

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Ring in the New!

SONOMA COUNTY

Revelers both married and single can ring in the new year with lots of laughs at the all-comedy cabaret with Sandy and Richard Riccardi at Sixth Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa. The Riccardis describe menopause, social consciousness and their cracked road to marital bliss at 7pm ($25) and 10pm ($40–$50). 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. 707.523.3544.

“Romp with the Beasts” this New Year’s Eve ($100) at Safari West in the wilderness of the Sonoma Serengeti. A festive dinner and dancing are par for the jungle, with wine and beer available for purchase. Also on offer is the option to stay past midnight by booking overnight accommodations in luxury safari tents, with breakfast and mimosas provided on New Year’s Day ($378–$500). 3115 Porter Creek Road, Santa Rosa. 707.579.2551.

For early sleepers, the Petaluma Museum hosts its fifth annual New Year’s Eve gala starting at 7pm. Celebrate with a concert by violist Yun Chu, cellist Shu Yi Pai and pianist Elizabeth Walter, who collaborate on Beethoven; then, Chu and Pai are joined by four members of the San Francisco symphony for a thrilling performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence.” The concert is from 7pm to 9pm, and guests will be provided with complimentary wine, cheeses and refreshments ($35–$45). 20 Fourth St., Petaluma. 707.778.4398.

Festive club goers can join Antix Events—the promoters behind the hugely successful Doubletree NYE parties in years past— at Flamingo Resort‘s New Year’s Eve event to dance the way into the new year. Party at the four stages of music with top DJs from Matt Price to TRUTHLiVE spinning Top 40 and backbeat lounge tracks before the countdown ball falls. The event is 100 percent hosted, so drinks are free all night with admission ($120). 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. 707.545.8530.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve fake-afro-wig–style with Wonderbread 5 at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma ($51–$56). With some crazy antics lined up for the last couple hours of 2013 and the first hour of 2014, the band plays all your favorite and nonfavorite radio hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s to ring in the new year. 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.765.2121.

Those hoping to start New Year’s Day with healthy first steps should look no further than Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen. As a part of the national “First Day Hikes” movement sponsored by America’s state parks, the free, moderately strenuous, eight-
mile hike begins at 10am
through the mixed evergreen forest up to a summit offering sweeping vistas of Sonoma Valley.
2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen. 707.938.5216.

The “Queen of Boogie Woogie,” Wendy Dewitt, plays at Main Street Station in Guerneville ($17–$30). . . . The Thugz play at Redwood Cafe in Cotati’s New Year’s Eve party. . . . Choppin’ Broccoli light up at Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. . . . “Shotgun Harlot” and ADD/C play the Roadhouse New Year’s Eve party at Spancky’s Bar in Cotati. . . . The Alameda All Stars, a midnight toast, and favors fill the bill at the Tradewinds in Cotati. . . . The Smokin’ Aces New Year’s Eve party burns into Mavericks in Santa Rosa ($20). . . . The California Ballroom New Year’s Eve dance waltzes the night away at Monroe Hall in Santa Rosa ($15). . . . A Champagne toast and desserts at Cinnabar Theater celebrate the year after the performance of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris ($55–$65).

MARIN COUNTY

Freefallin’ into 2014 isn’t so hard at the Mill Valley Community Center with Tom Petty cover band Petty Theft. The night includes opening act Fleetwood Mask, a band that recreates the look and sound of Fleetwood Mac at their peak, a full bar and party favors. Reserved table tickets and standing general admission can be purchased online ($40–$55) or on the day of the show ($45), with proceeds to benefit Mill Valley Recreation’s New Music Program. 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley. 415. 383.1370.

A year-end extravaganza with a lineup of talent brings laughter and dancing along with warm soup, salad, farmer’s bread, Champagne and desert. Danny Click & the Hell Yeahs, Mark Pitta, Junk Parlor and other special guests all line up for a night of entertainment at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley at ($60–$80). Then, kick off New Year’s Day with some of the funniest comedians around: Will Durst, Johnny Steele, Debi Durst, Michael Bossier, Mari Magloni and Arthur Gaus ($20–$24).
142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.383.9600.

The New Years’ extravaganza at 19 Broadway in Fairfax is the ultimate funky dance party in Marin ($35–$40) with Vinyl featuring local soul diva “Sweetie Pie,” dancehall legend Bobby Tenna and Soul Pie opening the night at 9pm. Enjoy the show along with Gumbo from Hummingbird Cafe, a Champagne toast at midnight and party favors. 19 Broadway Blvd., Fairfax. 415.459.0293.

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Laughs abound at the Fourth Annual New Year’s Eve StandUp Comedy Celebration at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael ($35). Learn great insights on relationships featuring “the Spouse Whisperer” Mark Cordes, laugh with comedian and actress Cathy Ladman (Mad Men), among others and host Bob Alper. The event benefits the Ritter House, so bring along canned foods, toiletry items, warm lightly used or new coats, blankets, sleeping bags or
grocery store gift cards along.
200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. 415.444.8000.

Lots of laughs ring in 2014 at the Best of the San Francisco Comedy Competition at the Marin Center in San Rafael ($35). Featuring four outstanding alumni of the event, this year’s headliner will be 2008 finalist Tyler Boeh. Boeh’s 2012 CD Carpool Companion beat out even Louis CK’s Word: Live at Carnegie Hall and was dubbed by one review site as the best comedy release of the year.
10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 415.473.6400.

Hot Buttered Rum and Vintage Grass play at Sweetwater Music Hall in Corte Madera ($47–$102). These five best friends have made their way to the most prestigious pop, folk and bluegrass stages in the country, and grace the stage of Sweetwater Music Hall for a night full of sweet music to welcome 2014. Tickets include a Champagne toast at midnight, and VIP tickets include a dinner of locally sourced, seasonally driven and organic foods whipped up by pioneer of the slow food movement chef Gordon Drysdale. 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.3850.

The Miles Schon Band and Fenton Coolfoot play at George’s Nightclub in San Rafael ($30). Miles Schon, son of Journey guitarist Neal Schon, leads the band composed of guest artists Ben Burleigh, Wil Roberts, Erin Greenwall and Mike Wray. Funk-soul-reggae-rock artist Fenton Coolfoot will open the show for a night of music and dancing to start off 2014 the right way. 842 Fourth St., San Rafael. 415.226.0262.

Duran Duran cover band Notorious play at Hopmonk Novato ($30–$40). . . . Beso Negro plays at Peri’s in Fairfax ($20). . . . Left Coast Syncopators play with a Champagne toast at midnight at Station House Cafe in Point Reyes ($20–$65). . . . See the Tom Finch Group at the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax. . . . Tim Hockenberry joins the Fenix in San Rafael ($60–$115). . . . The Zydeco Flames play at Rancho Nicasio in Nicasio ($35–$45)

NAPA COUNTY

Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead in St. Helena celebrates the new year with a special evening featuring executive chef Stephen Barber’s special four-course farm-to-table dinner menu paired with delicious wine, festive cocktails and Long Meadow Ranch’s very own Grappa and live music by the Isaac Carter Band. Join the evening’s delicious events at 5pm ($65) with optional wine pairings ($20). 738 Main St., St. Helena. 707.963.4555.

The Harvest Inn‘s New Year’s package with Goose and Gander brings the Rat Pack to St. Helena. It starts with a bottle of sparkling wine, with accommodations in a king-size room with a fireplace, roundtrip transportation to the Rat Pack party and a sparkling wine country breakfast for two on New Year’s Day. 1 Main St., St. Helena. 707.963.9463

Castello di Amorosa rings in the new year with a Masquerade Ball. Dress in black attire and Venetian masks for a five-course dinner paired with Castello wines, a sparkling wine toast and a balloon drop at midnight in the Grand Barrel Room of the valley’s most opulent castle ($300). 4045 St. Helena Hwy., Calistoga. 707.967.6272.

La Toque‘s five-course “Red Tie Dinner” ($195) is a New Year’s delicacy. At the Michelin-rated restaurant inside the Westin Verasa, enjoy dinner with full access to the Red Tie Party ($75) at BANK Cafe and Bar, enjoy music, dancing and celebratory Champagne at midnight.1314 McKinstry St., Napa. 707.257.5157.

In downtown Napa, a Gatsby-themed New Year’s Eve party gets swinging at 1313 Main. Wear flapper attire and indulge in wine, cocktails and bites from Lulu’s Kitchen along with jazz music and a midnight Champagne toast ($25–$130). 1313 Main St., Napa. 707.258.1313.

Silo’s promises that you will get satisfaction with the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Year’s Eve party. Enjoy Champagne, party favors, a dessert buffet and a performance by the Unauthorized Rolling Stones ($100). 530 Main St., Napa. 707.251.5833.

Enjoy Silverado Resort and Spa‘s New Year’s Eve extravaganza with dancing, party favors, photo booths, light snacks and a midnight balloon drop ($75). . . . Calistoga New Year’s Eve Bash includes a $50 downtown dining voucher with participating restaurants and a party at the Napa County Fairgrounds Events Center with live music, premium no-host bar, late night munchies, party favors and a midnight toast with Schramsberg ($100).
. . . The Meritage Resort and Spa celebrates with a four-course dinner at Sienna, a ballroom party, bites, music and a sparkling wine toast ($125). . . . Wireless headphones pump the live DJ music that only you (and everyone else with headphones in the club) can hear at the Abnormal Formal Silent Disco Party Ball at Bergamot Alley ($60).

Steer Clear!

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Steer Clear!

New California laws for 2014 cover a diverse territory, including but not limited to immigration reform, cycling safety, gun access, abortion, domestic workers’ rights, fracking regulations and minimum-wage legislation.

Guns have been on everyone’s mind this year, especially with a steady stream of shooting tragedies, most recently at a Colorado high school. Gov. Jerry Brown caved to NRA lobbying and vetoed seven gun-related bills, including one that would have outlawed semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines, and another that would have required Oakland residents to register their guns with the city or meet strict new licensing rules. However, Brown did sign a bill that makes California the first state to ban lead hunting ammunition; environmentalists say the lead bullets act as poison for birds, including the California condor. Other new gun laws signed by Brown include a requirement for people purchasing rifles and shotguns to first pass a written safety test; also, AB 1131 lengthens the time from six months to five years during which a person who threatens violence is prohibited from purchasing a firearm.

Cyclists can celebrate the passing of the Three Feet for Safety Act, which requires drivers to provide a three-foot buffer zone when passing a cyclist going in the same direction. It goes into effect mid-2014. Drivers who intentionally drive too close to cyclists will face fines starting
at $35.

After four years of organizing and speaking truth to power in Sacramento, not to mention a tough defeat in 2012, domestic workers finally tasted victory with the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The bill extends overtime protections to workers who spend a significant amount of time caring for children, the elderly or people with disabilities. This predominantly Latina and female workforce will also be guaranteed state minimum wage.

Speaking of minimum wage, as McDonald’s and Walmart workers agitate for a living wage across the nation, on July 1 California will implement a statewide minimum wage hike from $8 to $9 an hour. On Jan. 1, 2016, that number will increase to $10. The California Chamber of Commerce called the bill a “job killer,” but tell that to the family of four trying to survive on the fruits of $8 an hour.

This year, across the United States, 68 abortion restrictions became law. California was the only state to actually protect abortion rights in 2014. Assembly Bill 154, authored by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, allows certified nurse-midwives and specially trained nurse practitioners and physician assistants to perform first-trimester abortion by aspiration (the most common abortion procedure). A study in the American Journal of Public Health found these procedures to be clinically equivalent to procedures performed by a doctor.

Currently, women in many rural areas of the state must travel long distances to obtain abortions at unfamiliar clinics; with the new law, it will be easier for women to access the procedure in their home communities. Also, AB 980 requires the California Building Standards Commission to repeal regulations and sections of the building standards code that treat primary-care clinics differently if they perform abortions.

Environmentalists have criticized the governor’s moderate stance on the controversial practice of fracking. Rather than placing a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing to release oil and gas, Brown instead signed a bill that requires the testing of groundwater around fracking sites. Property owners near sites can now get their drinking water independently tested at the well operator’s expense. In addition, oil and gas producers must report where they source their fracking water. (Critics say the measure allows too much leeway for companies to edge around the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires an EIR before the fracking of a well can begin.)

As federal immigration reform languishes in congressional gridlock, the governor signed into law the third iteration of the Trust Act, which prohibits local law-enforcement officials from holding undocumented immigrants arrested for low-level crimes past their release eligibility and then handing them over to federal immigration authorities. The law doesn’t apply to anyone who has committed a serious or violent offense or have prior convictions for sex crimes, child abuse or drug trafficking.

Another law will allow undocumented immigrants to receive California driver’s licenses. Threatening to report the immigration status of an individual or their family is now considered a form of extortion, thanks to AB 524, a measure authored by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-San Francisco. In a statement, Brown said, “While Washington waffles on immigration, California’s forging ahead. I’m not waiting.”

Jacques and Awe

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Jacques and Awe

‘Jacques Brel was actually Belgian—but many think of him as French,” explains Elly Lichenstein, director of Cinnabar Theater’s upcoming production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. “When he died, the people of Belgium voted him the most famous Belgian of all time,” Lichenstein says of the singer, whose clever songwriting and unsentimental worldview made him one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Among those who count Jacques Brel as a major influence are Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Judy Collins; his songs have been covered by many more, including Ray Charles, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone and Andy Williams.

Debuting off-Broadway in 1968, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris was a huge and immediate hit. Brel himself attended the show’s 50th anniversary at Carnegie Hall. Now, 45 years after its debut, the contagious musical revue comes to Cinnabar Theater, which kicks off its 2014 season with a New Year’s Eve performance of the show (now sold-out, as Cinnabar’s year-end galas are known to do).

“Jacques Brel was a poet of the finest order,” says Lichenstein. “He was a true minstrel, in that he wrote all of his songs himself, and was a consummate performer, very dramatic and theatrical. On the 30th anniversary of his death, all of Europe pretty much shut down to honor Jacques Brel and to celebrate his life. He was a very important figure. Even in France, to this day his music outsells that of Edith Piaf, who is probably better known in America than
Brel is.”

Yes. Ironically, few in the English-speaking world, aside from students of music and those familiar with French popular culture, have any idea who he was. For many, the stage show was their first contact with the man who had such a profound impact on music all over the Western world.

With music direction by guitarist Al Haas and accordionist Robert Lunceford (two members of the popular North Bay French trio, La Guinguette), Lichenstein is excited to be presenting Brel’s music to audiences in the North Bay.

“This is just such a fun, uplifting show,” she says. “Brel’s songs had a great deal of humor, though many were a little dark. But it was always that European kind of dark—always with a bit of a wink.”

Skeeve-O-Rama

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Skeeve-O-Rama

Jordan Belfort was a penny-stock billionaire who squandered his illicitly acquired loot on helicopters, mansions, yachts and prostitutes, and he’s made
Martin Scorsese his most recent mark.

As Belfort, allegedly the Wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio pummels the material like Jake LaMotta. As DiCaprio closes in on 40, he’s trying to fill the place Jack Nicholson once had as kamikaze actor, devil and joker. He goes big—shoving his jaw forward and flipping out like a business-suit-clad Mussolini. What can possibly be next?

Belfort is first an entry-level stockbroker, briefly trying to do it the honest way before becoming a cold-calling salesman selling worthless securities: “garbage to garbage men.” At his side is henchman Donnie (Jonah Hill), a mook with unnaturally bleached teeth and a circular family tree.

There’s room, during Belfort’s climb from obscurity to zillionaire vulgarian, for supporting actors: Matthew McConaughey as a pleasantly cool stockbroker, the genuinely lupine Jean Dujardin
as a Swiss banker and Joanna Lumley as a gracious British aunt
who turns currency smuggler. Kyle Chandler (the drunk father in
The Spectacular Now) does some superb Columbo-ing as a superficially friendly FBI agent investigating Belfort.

Some of this is inimitable Scorsese—extreme, drooling beastliness, Belfort knocking his brains out with ‘ludes, reviving himself with cocaine as the “Popeye” fanfare plays. But this doesn’t seem like ’70s wacky nihilism as much as a man trying to tap into the Frat Pack. Also, this movie just won’t end. The display of tramp-flesh—hundreds of hired nudes—is ultimately skeevy. And the details of Belfort’s scam aren’t diabolical, either. Money is the end-all to him, and it’s expected to be that way for us. The way it’s explained to us, it’s like we’re considered too stupid to care how Belfort got it all.

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ opens in wide release on Dec. 25.

France vs. Cal

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France vs. Cal

Let’s have a toast! Ah, but you need something in your glass. Which do you prefer, Champagne or sparkling wine? I’m sorry, is the question quite absurd? It does seem so.

Sophisticates all, our readers know that Champagne is a sparkling wine product originating specifically from the better addresses of the Champagne region of France, while “sparkling wine” is from . . . everywhere else. What kind of rube would ask, “What is better, Champagne or domestic sparkling wine?” That would truly be the height of naiveté—something that, by the sound of it, we also lifted from the French.

But that’s exactly what we’re doing in this year’s holiday bubbly special: it’s Champagne vs. California. Because everybody says or thinks “Champagne” first—whether from innocence or insouciance—when they mean an elegant, popping, foaming embodiment of celebration, of winning, of party, of love. Before international convention returned the term to its rightful owners, it escaped into our hearts. And it’s from there that a little voice speaks, raspingly, as if through a tiny flute, when we sip our home-grown tête de cuvée: Just an also-ran, my friend, is it not? It is no “real Champagne”—who can say I’m crazy? Would your tongue not dance more joyfully, my amusing American friend, if you showered it with the pure luxury that emanates only from the limestone slopes of the Montagne de Reims?

Pricing favors the home team—yet adds to our insecurity. Entry-level Champagne starts at about $40, while the local product goes for less than $20, a huge value considering all the bottle-fermenting, riddling and disgorging that each bottle undergoes. Even the top cuvées are comparable in price with our best still Pinot Noir, of which winemakers are fond of claiming, “The wine makes itself. We leave it alone, hands-off, until bottling. Seventy dollars, please.”

With just five Champagnes represented—and no Dom Perignon, darn it—surely this is no pièce de résistance on the topic. Perhaps it’s even, if you want to be a Debbie Downer about it, a tad less than meaningful. But who wants to hear that kind of talk at a party? Pop those corks!

Wines were blind-tasted and scored from one to five stars by a group of Bohemian staff. In a few cases, I’ve noted where I disagreed significantly with the group—a truculent lot, hard to please, even on a Friday afternoon with 14 free tastes of fizzy wine. Domestics are listed at official suggested retail price, and are usually available at a discount; Champagnes at approximate list prices from major retailers.

Chandon Étoile North Coast Brut ($40) Because “fluffy,” everyone agreed. Fluffy aromas of cake frosting, marzipan, apple-pie crust lend an inviting nose to this top cuvée from Chandon, founded by Moët-Hennessy and Champagne’s first Napa Valley foothold. It’s both richer and more refined than the brut classic, and while not as lively, earned high marks for easy drinkability. A win for the home team. ★★★★

Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne ($37) Nice yeasty, apple pie crust aromas, and a sort of “correct” Champagne palate. Although a touch sweeter, it’s the better of its Sonoma County doppelgänger in the contest of Piper vs. Piper. ★★★★

Chandon California Brut Classic ($22) Big upset: Chandon’s standard brut didn’t fare well in past tastings. This is by turns floral, nutty, fruity, with hints of Sweet Tart and a lean, citrusy, salty palate, sporting a lively mousse. It all comes together on a reasonably complex, integrated finish. ★★★★

Ayala Brut Majeur Champagne ($50) Distinctive nose of marzipan, apricot kernel, orgeat—sweet, enticing things you might find at a French cafe. The rich palate belies a mere 0.7 percent dosage, while a singular saltiness through the finish hints at melancholy. Bollinger bought and revamped this brand. ★★★½

Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne ($40) The bubbly from Epernay was first blended in 1869. Demure whole grain apple bagel, lean lemon and an austere finish. On second tasting, it seemed more balanced and softer on the palate than its better-scoring Napa sister, above, but by then the horse, of course, had left the barn. ★★★½

Mumm Napa 2006 DVX Brut Napa Valley ($60) Vintage-dated sparkling, held in the embrace of its dead yeasts for several more years, should be the winery’s crème de la crème. This one scores high for spot-on yeasty, “fresh linen” and lemon aromas. One taster says, “The saison
of Champagne.” But it’s challengingly tart, with unripe apple and lemon flavors demanding crab cake or ceviche, the sooner the better. The bottle is accessorized with a tiny flute “charm” that can serve as a memento of the evening, perhaps. Or afternoon. Or morning—have some fun. ★★★½

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige Napa Valley ($22) Fresh, refined, a little salty—reminds me of manzanilla sherry, others of bitter melon and ocean mist. It seems nice. ★★★½

Piper Sonoma Sonoma County Brut ($17) Mixed reactions: high and low. Bit sulfury at first, piney later, grapefruit citrusy, laundry basket; salty, citrusy finish. I thought for sure, this was French; another taster suggested mimosas. ★★★

Korbel 2008 Le Premier Russian River Valley Champagne ($25) With all the resources at their disposal, this is the highest historic Korbel dares to aim in vintage-dated sparkling wine—which they’re allowed to call “champagne” after a California appellation prefix. Still, for 25 bucks, it’s dignified: faint aromas of apple and yeast, aggressively foamy, yet elegant and dry on the finish—like a fine perry cider. (I gave it four stars.) ★★★

Domaine Carneros by Taittinger 2009 Brut Cuvée ($28) The framboise perfume with toasty accents is exciting, and the hint of slightly volatile apple cider, intriguing. Dry and elegant enough on the palate, “Good New Year Champagne,” says one. (I say four stars.) ★★★

Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Champagne ($35) A widely available co-op brand. A fine bead, a creamy, yeasty palate with hints of marzipan, a gentle mousse. Reminiscent of sweet pear juice, yet finishes dry. Nice. Causes some tasters to become obsessed with “fancy cheese.” ★★★

Schramsberg 2010 North Coast Brut Rosé ($43) Like a little puff of eau de strawberry shortcake, Schramsberg’s Brut Rosé dances in the nose, promising blood oranges, raspberry delight, and all the light, dry, creamy flavor that it indeed delivers. Pale pink, it’s delicate, but packs the right amount of flavor. (I have no idea what it’s doing down here—my score is 4.75, rounded to five stars.) ★★★

Korbel 2010 Natural Russian River Valley Champagne ($15) Natty K, how can you fail us? The Natural, so-named for its low dosage (0.75 percent, although a brut natural might really prefer zero added sugar), sports musky notes of cream soda, apple cider and, well, moscato, and sort of carries these themes through on the palate. But it’s just not a success. On retasting, I couldn’t find a reason to change my score. ★★½

Moët & Chandon Rosé Imperial Champagne ($65) A deeper salmon-pink, this delivers deli meat and smoke with red fruit aromas—no wonder, because the blend includes a small percentage of red wine, as does the Schramsberg, but if this is more “serious,” it’s surely less
fun. ★★½

Average domestic score: 3.23. Average Champagne score: 3.29. I’d say that’s too close to call, rematch required.

Letters to the Editor: December 25, 2013

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Letters to the Editor: December 25, 2013

Mushroom
Madness

I live adjacent to Salt Point. The suggestion that the park is somehow overrun with foragers is just absurd—most of them never make it more than a few hundred yards inland from Highway 1, in a park that extends a mile inland and up steep hills (“Capping the Stem,” Dec. 18).

Are more and more people discovering it? Absolutely. Is the forest trampled? Hardly. Wild pigs have a much larger and more negative impact on the park (lately) than humans—period.

This year, there isn’t much to harvest anyway, as we simply haven’t had enough rain.

The idea that other Coastal Sonoma parks should be opened to foraging is brilliant. The larger numbers of people randomly walking the forest will also stem the emergent destructive illegal pot grows on state property as well—something that is a recurring problem in Salt Point (and others) but somehow is not mentioned much in the press.

—Jake Bayless

Cazadero

Who’s the
Jerk Now?

It may feel good to call Marty Bennett and the Living Wage Coalition “jerks”, and marginalize Sonoma State University as full of “eggheads,” yet below-the-belt name calling only camouflages the issues they call out attention to.

Are not workers in Sonoma County deserving of a living wage of $15 per hour, while the stock market soars, real estate corporations buy and rent out foreclosed houses, and income equality expands?

Anyone who has studied the current state of capitalism and the U.S. economy, knows that corporations and their lobbyists rule this country, living standards of the vast majority suffer as the 1% gets richer and richer, and our environment is for sale to the highest bidder.

Thank God for people like Marty and the Living Wage Coalition who wage the lonely fight for the good of all.

—Tomas Phillips

Sebastopol

The Art of
Hanging in There

A lot of people have given up.

My father fell off a barn when I was about 13 years old. He cracked his vertebrae and missed about six months of work. There was no unemployment insurance or federal relief money. Everything became very lean as life was put on hold in hopes of better days.

By Christmas, my father was getting around on crutches. We had a Christmas tree, but I dared not ask for anything for Christmas. I knew we didn’t have any money. On Christmas Eve, we had a family gathering and we had food to eat. There actually was some exchanging of gifts, and my mother handed me a small wrapped box. I was shocked. I anticipated nothing. Opening the present, I found a simple watch. I would guess it cost $8 to $10 at the most. It might as well have been a Rolex. I was so surprised and couldn’t believe my parents had bought me something for Christmas. I don’t know how they did it.

A couple of months later, my father was back to work and times became better as we hung in there and survived difficult times. The Christmas gift is stuck in my head as being one of the all-time best. The gift was simple but great.

Most of us know about a difficult time in life. We’ve all been there in some way. Maybe you are there now. Possibly your heath is not so great and you are hoping for better days. You may be unemployed and you don’t know how you are going to pay all the bills. Often life is never exactly as we had hoped or planned.

Every year of life is a little different, and if you are reading this, you still have hope. One of the keys to a better tomorrow is hanging in there today. It’s easy to give up. Life can be discouraging.

Today . . . hang in there and remember what Christmas is about.

—Glenn Mollette

Newburgh, Ind.

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

Family Ties

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Family Ties

Gio Benedetti had a tough decision to make, one familiar to touring dads. He could stay with the popular band he’d been with for three years, the Brothers Comatose, and maybe ride the folk revival to the top of the charts—but it would mean more time away from his young family, who missed him dearly.

Tours with Devil Makes Three and Yonder Mountain String Band, two groups on the band’s collective “band crush” list, were tough to give up. Fun road trips, exciting food (barbecue in South Carolina, pizza in New York) and the “band family” were tough to give up. But when he returned from a month-long tour in September, his oldest, Stella, asked Mom if Daddy was staying for dinner. Staying home felt like the right choice, affirmed when his second daughter, Emmaline, was born in November.

Even though he’s happy with his decision, it was still tough. “You can prepare for the worst show ever, you can prepare to be international superstars, but you can’t prepare for having five guys in a room and one of them is leaving the band,” says Benedetti. Catch him in one of his three final shows with the Brothers Comatose on Friday, Dec. 27, at Hopmonk Tavern. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. 9pm. $18. 707.829.7300.

Generation Jobless

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Generation Jobless

As of July 2013, the unemployment rate for youth is 21 percent. It’s rising every year, not only in Sonoma County, but everywhere around the United States. Research that I have conducted reveals a picture of unemployment within Sonoma County specifically within youth ages 18 to 24.

I wanted to understand why our youth feel discouraged over the low-wage job opportunities that Sonoma County offers. I conducted a survey of 100 phone interviews and looked at several aspects that may contribute to my hypothesis.

I hypothesized that most of the youth in Sonoma County are unemployed, with few jobs being available for 18–24 year olds, and assumed that if an 18–24 year old were offered a job with hourly pay at $8.75, he or she would take it. According to my research, of those between the ages of 18 and 24 who are employed, 28 percent work full-time, 67 percent work part-time and 5 percent are on-call. Twenty-seven percent of youth in this age bracket are in school full-time, while 60 percent are not in school; 58.5 percent of these youths are employed in Sonoma County.

The last question I asked in my phone survey was “Do you ever feel discouraged thinking about your job opportunities?” Exactly
50 percent answered yes and 50 percent answered no.

After doing more research from the phone surveys, I found that 60 percent of unemployed youth would take a job that paid $8.75 per hour and 40 percent would not. Sixty percent also think our market is discouraging, while 40 percent don’t. Seventy-one percent of youth unemployed in Sonoma County are full-time students,
16 percent of them are part-time students and 13 percent are not in school. Sixty-three percent say they are job searching, while
37 percent are not actively looking.

Even though my phone survey results show that more youth are employed in Sonoma County, the unemployment rate is still rising every year. The “discouraged worker” among youth is becoming more evident in the world.

Frankie Larios is a student currently studying at SSU.

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

Buckle Up

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Buckle Up

It is tempting, amid the ongoing folk-bluegrass-acoustic revival, to submit oneself to the notion that Sonoma County is a mecca for the trend. KRSH-FM has carried the torch of the roundwound string for years, and KRCB-FM’s new format favors a mix of Americana favorites and underground singer-songwriters.

These days, an acoustic band can nearly always find a paying job—be it at a winery, a cafe, an outdoor farmers market or a casual club. Banjos, bandanas, vests and ukuleles are still hot in Sonoma County, so much that members of punk bands have swapped their Stratocasters for dobros.

But what’s important to remember is that Sonoma County has always been a center of this music. From the glee club–style groups like the Saxon Folk Quartet in the ’60s, to the myriad Joni Mitchell and John Prine protégés throughout the 1970s, the area has a rich history of quiet, reflective song. Golden fields of autumn on an album cover call to mind the late local songwriter Kate Wolf, but a new self-titled album by Frankie Boots and the County Line has reclaimed the image and updated the ever-meandering strains of local folk music, current trends be damned.

Boots is an effective singer with just the right dollop of rasp in his inflection; he can be plaintive when required, but excels at bending notes and drawling out vowels for more emotional material. (This is on particular display during “Wolf in Pig’s Clothing,” a minor-key song that lumbers along somewhere between “St. James Infirmary” and “Rain Dogs” and sounds as if it’s sung by a sad, faithless, defrocked preacher.)

Live, Frankie Boots and band have a reputation for being upbeat, but as Boots tells me, many of the album’s songs were written after a failed relationship. As such, they span the wreckage, “from the initial sparks, to the inevitable demise, to the self-destruction that comes in its wake and even the personal redemption you find within yourself once the ash settles.” But what makes the album truly shine is the seven-piece band, especially Sally Haggard on vocals, Andrew Hobbs on pedal steel, and Josh Jackson playing trumpet parts reminiscent of Bright Eyes’ “Road to Joy.”

The band recorded in Santa Fe, N.M., in an adobe structure in the high desert, working and sleeping around the clock. (“The only thing we had to worry about outside those adobe walls,” Boots tells me, “was a beer run every afternoon.”) Such a tight-knit environment shows on the warm intimacy of the music, as well as the band’s countenance on the album cover—bedecked in all white, looking like a mystic cult.

Boots and his band play regularly, and it’s a safe bet they haven’t heard of 95 percent of Sonoma County’s long-lost former singer-songwriters who resonated in the same environs they now inhabit. But they’re pushing our favored local music forward, and they’re among the best doing so.

Student Help

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Student Help

Up to 150 students will be able to breathe a little easier this semester thanks to $52,500 in scholarship money from the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation. The SRJC announced Dec. 18 scholarships in $350 increments for the spring semester to boost enrollment of new and reinstated classes; SRJC Foundation scholarships are usually only awarded in the fall.

The scholarships are designed to cover the extraneous costs of attending the school, like books, parking and health fees. “Affordability should never be a barrier to attending college,” says Dr. Frank Chong, SRJC superintendent and president, in a statement. “These scholarships are our investment in Sonoma County’s future.” The college receives about 2,000 applications for the scholarships annually, and over 950 awards were given out this year from the SRJC Foundation.

The board of governors fee waivers, available to low-income students, covers the total cost of academic instructions (up to 12 units, or $552, per semester) and can be coupled with SRJC Foundation scholarships. Scholarship program manager Rachel Cutcher says over 13,500 state-funded waivers were awarded to SRJC students.

Meanwhile, the Exchange Bank’s Doyle Trust brought in just over
$1 million of scholarship money to the school this year—an increase of more than $100,000 from last year, but a far cry from its peak of $6.4 million in 2004–2005. The scholarship was suspended in 2008 after the bank took big losses from construction loans, but was reinstated last year. Cutcher says 700 Doyle scholarships, given to incoming freshmen, were awarded this year at $700 each. “We awarded [it] to almost everyone who applied,” says Cutcher. “We’re anticipating the number of scholarships and dollar amount of each to increase next year,” she added.—Nicolas Grizzle

Ring in the New!

SONOMA COUNTY Revelers both married and single can ring in the new year with lots of laughs at the all-comedy cabaret with Sandy and Richard Riccardi at Sixth Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa. The Riccardis describe menopause, social consciousness and their cracked road to marital bliss at 7pm ($25) and 10pm ($40–$50). 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. 707.523.3544. "Romp with...
Read more

Steer Clear!

New California laws for 2014 cover a diverse territory, including but not limited to immigration reform, cycling safety, gun access, abortion, domestic workers' rights, fracking regulations and minimum-wage legislation. Guns have been on everyone's mind this year, especially with a steady stream of shooting tragedies, most recently at a Colorado high school. Gov. Jerry Brown caved to NRA lobbying and...
Read more

Jacques and Awe

'Jacques Brel was actually Belgian—but many think of him as French," explains Elly Lichenstein, director of Cinnabar Theater's upcoming production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. "When he died, the people of Belgium voted him the most famous Belgian of all time," Lichenstein says of the singer, whose clever songwriting and unsentimental worldview made...
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Skeeve-O-Rama

Jordan Belfort was a penny-stock billionaire who squandered his illicitly acquired loot on helicopters, mansions, yachts and prostitutes, and he's made Martin Scorsese his most recent mark. As Belfort, allegedly the Wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio pummels the material like Jake LaMotta. As DiCaprio closes in on 40, he's trying to fill the place Jack Nicholson once had...
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France vs. Cal

Let's have a toast! Ah, but you need something in your glass. Which do you prefer, Champagne or sparkling wine? I'm sorry, is the question quite absurd? It does seem so. Sophisticates all, our readers know that Champagne is a sparkling wine product originating specifically from the better addresses of the Champagne region of France, while "sparkling wine" is from...
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Letters to the Editor: December 25, 2013

Mushroom Madness I live adjacent to Salt Point. The suggestion that the park is somehow overrun with foragers is just absurd—most of them never make it more than a few hundred yards inland from Highway 1, in a park that extends a mile inland and up steep hills ("Capping the Stem," Dec. 18). Are more and more people discovering it? Absolutely....
Read more

Family Ties

Gio Benedetti had a tough decision to make, one familiar to touring dads. He could stay with the popular band he'd been with for three years, the Brothers Comatose, and maybe ride the folk revival to the top of the charts—but it would mean more time away from his young family, who missed him dearly. Tours with Devil Makes Three...
Read more

Generation Jobless

As of July 2013, the unemployment rate for youth is 21 percent. It's rising every year, not only in Sonoma County, but everywhere around the United States. Research that I have conducted reveals a picture of unemployment within Sonoma County specifically within youth ages 18 to 24. I wanted to understand why our youth feel discouraged over the low-wage job...
Read more

Buckle Up

It is tempting, amid the ongoing folk-bluegrass-acoustic revival, to submit oneself to the notion that Sonoma County is a mecca for the trend. KRSH-FM has carried the torch of the roundwound string for years, and KRCB-FM's new format favors a mix of Americana favorites and underground singer-songwriters. These days, an acoustic band can nearly always find a paying job—be it...
Read more

Student Help

Up to 150 students will be able to breathe a little easier this semester thanks to $52,500 in scholarship money from the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation. The SRJC announced Dec. 18 scholarships in $350 increments for the spring semester to boost enrollment of new and reinstated classes; SRJC Foundation scholarships are usually only awarded in the fall. The scholarships...
Read more
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