‘Ana From Roseland’: A Politician Emerges

Ana Diaz is an elected member of Santa Rosa’s Roseland district school board and an appointed member of Sonoma County’s Commission on the Status of Women, but as she prefers to say, she is simply “Ana from Roseland.”

A few days out from Roseland’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, as Diaz was assisting with volunteer coordination, I sat down with the 26-year-old emerging politician.

CH: Ana, the annexation of Santa Rosa in 2017 created fears of the gradual gentrification of Roseland and the displacement of its current residents. What can be done to develop Roseland for Roseland?

AD: No new market-rate housing. That would only remove the current people and culture.

CH: What do you think of the county’s centerpiece Tierra De Rosa re-development of Roseland’s unofficial town square?

AD: I think public space for the area’s many children needs to be better represented in the plans. We need a public pool too.

CH: What key Roseland institutions do we most need to protect?

AD: Lola’s Market, the oldest Latino supermarket; Camacho Market; La Fonita, the longest surviving taco truck in the area; Roseland Community Building Initiative; and KBBF, the first bilingual radio station in the whole nation.

CH: Ana, your political career was launched when you spontaneously told Santa Rosa’s City Council that you would one day lead them as mayor in public comment, causing you to be approached by council member Eddie Alvarez with an appointment. What would you do as mayor of Santa Rosa?

AD: As future mayor of Santa Rosa, I would improve council transparency. I would also try to make Cotija, Michoacán a sister city to the City of Santa Rosa, since so many of our citizens have roots there. And more than anything, I would love for citizens of the city to come out and voice any comments and concerns within our city limits and make sure that our students are aware that their voices matter just as much as any elected official. 

This Q&A is part of a longer and deeper conversation recorded with Diaz. In it, Diaz opens up about the personal tragedy that turned her away from youth gangs, her take on the wave of youth violence in Santa Rosa City Schools and her love of Harley Davidson motorcycles. ‘Sonoma County: A Community Portrait’ is available on most podcast platforms.

‘Mindi in the Morning’: A New and Familiar Radio Voice

Listeners to drive time radio in the morning have undoubtedly noticed a new voice on the dial—and it’s female.

In early January, KRSH 95.9 and 95.5 welcomed Mindi Levine to the DJ booth, replacing station stalwart Andre de Channes, who held down the slot for nearly a decade. With her alliteratively named show, “Mindi in the Morning,” Levine has held on to much of the music and guests listeners love, but also added some twists of her own.

“I think I’ve brought a new and different energy, and I’ve broadened the scope of the show to include more local, regional and national guests,” says Levine. “The very first interview I landed was with the writer Fran Liebowitz, and I even made her laugh. I’m pretty proud of that!”

Originally from New Jersey, Levine moved to Los Angeles in the late ’80s before matriculating to Sonoma State in 1989 with an eye and ear towards the local music scene. She joined the SSU student productions board, where she helped book talent at the college and later throughout Sonoma and Marin counties.

On her time at SSU, Levine says, “It was there I started working in events and concerts and fell in love with it all. Through that, I met local legends like Doug Smith, Bill Bowker, Scott Goree, media people, folks who are still colleagues, friends and mentors to this day.”

When Levine left SSU, she moved to Prague for two years to do marketing work for a division of Radio Free Europe. This is where she also caught the radio bug, doing on-air shows in English on legendary Czech station Radio 1.

After a few years, she returned stateside to do more marketing before a four-year stint as an English teacher in East Los Angeles. Through all of these moves, Levine stayed in touch with Sonoma County mentors and friends. Then one day, stalwart music promoter Sheila Groves of Notable Talent reached out to her.

“Sheila called me and asked me if I wanted to be her right-hand woman and to move up to Napa and launch the Uptown Theatre. When the call you’ve been waiting for your whole adult life comes, you follow something like that,” she says with a laugh.

That opportunity lasted over four years and also saw Levine hit the airwaves at Napa’s 93.3 The Vine, where she held down the afternoon drive-time slot for six-plus years, even being voted Best Media Personality: Radio/Print/TV in 2016 by this very publication.

Last year, when de Channes started thinking about giving up his morning slot, Wine Country Radio general manager Melissa Galliani says Levine was sort of a serendipitous and natural fit, having done weekends on The Krush in 2012/13.

“Because of loyal listenership, we wanted to make sure that we had continuity from Andre,” Galliani says from her office on Standish Avenue in Santa Rosa. In addition to KRSH, the office oversees 96.7 BOB FM, Latino 100.9 and Exitos 98.7, as well as their newest addition, 95.5 The Drive, which is the new home to local radio legend Steve Jaxon.

“I met Mindi in 2012 when she conceptualized and executed an event for me that was hugely successful while she was in Napa at KVYN, where I was working,” says Galliani. “Mindi is a great fit due to her love of music and her involvement in the local music scene in Sonoma, Napa and the Bay Area. And she is motivated to help local artists.”

Both on-air and in-person, Levine’s energy is vibrant. With many plans on the horizon, she says she is most excited for the “Women In Blues” show this year, as well as “feeling super stoked” for the “KRSH Backyard” free concert series, which is a hugely popular local summertime event.

Levine hosts her ‘Mindi in the Morning’ show on weekdays 6-10am at 95.9, 95.5 and online at KRSH.com.

Fire Fears: Is Marin Next?

The 2023 Lahaina, Maui wildfires wrought havoc, claiming over 100 lives, decimating thousands of homes and ravaging vast swathes of land, resulting in a staggering $6 billion in damages.

More than 14,000 individuals evacuated the island, grappling with homelessness or temporary displacement, shuttling between hotels in a repetitive cycle. In contrast to fire-resilient regions like Marin County, Hawaii lacks the fire-adaptive landscape of the American West.

Yet, the relentless onslaught of uncontrollable wildfires in states like Oregon and California challenges this perception. Given the difficult task of relocating those displaced by natural disasters, Marin County must prioritize local preparedness beyond wildfires.

While Marin County has been fortunate to evade major disasters (unlike its northern neighbor, Sonoma County), memories of growing up there are punctuated by fears sparked by distant wildfires. Initially dismissed by parents, concerns escalated as smoke blanketed the skies, schools closed and the region awoke to apocalyptic scenes.

With climate conditions worsening, the specter of a wildfire breaching Marin’s complacency looms large. California’s recent history bears witness to the escalation of wildfires, with three of the state’s eight largest blazes occurring in counties bordering or adjacent to Marin.

Despite this, local discourse rarely centers on preparedness for the county’s most imminent threat. Personal experiences fuel apprehensions about the community’s readiness in the face of disaster.

Regardless of existing policies and organizations, doubts persist about families’ ability to cope effectively. The irony is stark: In a county marked by wealth and privilege, many may find themselves unprepared and vulnerable in the event of a natural calamity.

The aftermath of the Maui wildfires serves as a cautionary tale. Temporary accommodations in hotels and condos offered little solace, mirroring the challenges Californians would face in finding alternative shelter.

The housing crunch in the Bay Area exacerbates these concerns, with affordable options scant for those displaced by disaster. Marin’s affluence belies a stark reality: A significant portion of its population struggles with poverty, rendering them particularly vulnerable in times of crisis.

A lack of swift, coordinated action could spell disaster for marginalized communities. It is imperative that Marin County, with its ample resources, formulate comprehensive contingency plans to confront the looming threat of catastrophe.

Adrien Gonthier is a Marin resident currently studying history and global politics at the University of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Your Letters, May 8

Rude Boy

Gosh, you have to feel tremendous empathy for the heroic Rudy Giuliani, who is on the hook, so to speak, for around $150 million in defamation dough, has been indicted in Arizona for trying to swing an election in favor of his NYC buddy and is having a heck of a time living on a monthly budget of $43,000.

Plus, he’s kinda been late on disclosing his living expenses and sources of income to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and, having been disbarred in New York state and the District of Columbia, has to fall back on living off his WABC talk radio program income.

It’s a story of unimaginable suffering, and I’m counting on the Sun to create a fund to help the poor man out.

If all Marin County residents make a one-time one-dollar contribution, that’s $252,660 to get him through his ordeal, at least until he screws up another disclosure and the Feds blow up his bankruptcy deal. We owe America’s Mayor at least that much.

Craig J. Corsini

San Rafael

Black Kite Soars with Freestone Tasting Room

One would be forgiven if, like me, they didn’t know that “kite” is the name of a local bird species. For all my years in this area, I assumed it was, you know, a diamond-shaped aerial toy with a string.

So, admittedly, I was confused by the handsome bird of prey depicted on the wine labels of Black Kite Cellars’ brilliant bottles. Am I bird-brained? Yes. But I also know how to enjoy a good flight. And one of the best places to land is Jasper House in—wait for it… Freestone.

Named for famed local historical figure Jasper O’Farrell, Black Kite Cellars’ newly opened tasting room is the first in the west Sonoma County town’s historic district and a much-welcomed addition, perfectly integrated off a block shared by Wild Flour Bread and Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary.

There, one can enjoy terroir-specific offerings expertly crafted by acclaimed winemaker Jeff Gaffner that serve to remind that world-class winemaking is alive and well in Sonoma County.

The newly opened Jasper House is the brainchild of Tom and Rebecca Green Birdsall, and the perfect complement to their family-owned Black Kite Cellars, which has produced site-specific pinot noir and chardonnay primarily from Sonoma County’s coastal appellations since 2003.

Architect Steve vonRaesfeld (vR|a Architects) and interior designer Julie Hawkins (Hawkins Interiors) created a space that’s at once sophisticated and bohemian. Those familiar with the vibe of Sea Ranch will feel right at home. And those familiar with fine wine will also feel at home and want to reside in the cellar.

Tasting experiences at Black Kite Cellars’ Jasper House include wines from the estate Jasper Freestone Vineyard (literally across a country road from the tasting room), as well as other Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley wines, each showcasing their unique individual terroir.

Some readers may be familiar with the oft-lauded 2021 Black Kite Cellars Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir, a medium-bodied, garnet-hued crowd pleaser with notes of black currant tea, a whisper of nutmeg and undergirded with a dry slate note that balances the cherry Life Savers tease on the tongue…

But do they know it has a sibling? Try the 2021 Black Kite Cellars Jasper Freestone Pinot Noir, which arrives on the palate with bright berry notes, a hint of spice and a gently herbaceous sigh shaded by winking minerality.

And let’s not forget the 2021 Black Kite Cellars Jasper Freestone Chardonnay, which hits the taste buds with a daub of lemon zest, a subtle sea kiss, apple flesh, pear and fresh gingerbread. It’s a beautiful, well-balanced wine and one of the many incentives to visit the Jasper House ASAP. And this is only the beginning. There are many more wines and many more ways to enjoy Jasper House—bring the flock.

Black Kite Cellars’ Jasper House is located at 12747 El Camino Bodega in Freestone and is open seven days a week, 10am–5pm. Tasting appointments may be made in advance or same-day. For more information, to book a tasting experience and to join the wine club with exclusive offers, visit BlackKiteCellars.com.

La Force and More in the North Bay

La Force to Be Reckoned With


La Force, the solo project of Montreal-based songwriter Ariel Engle, appears at the Sebastiani Theatre May 14 in support of her new album, XO SKELETON. The LP has earned praise and support from such outlets as The Washington Post (“lush pop and R&B tunes where warm tones swaddle heavy thoughts”). Engle is perhaps best known as the lead vocalist in Broken Social Scene since 2017 and can also be heard singing on the most recent album from Big Red Machine. She is touring as the supporting act to critically lauded singer-songwriter-filmmaker Caroline Rose. XO SKELETON explores such heady themes as the finality of death or whether another person’s love can or cannot bestow a sense of protection. The show begins at 7pm, Tuesday, May 14, at the Sebastiani Theatre, 476 1st St. E, Sonoma. For tickets and more information, visit bit.ly/rose-laforce.

Petaluma

Too Cool

Cool Petaluma, a nonprofit that inspires local climate action through community building, invites all residents to attend its Third Annual Resource Expo at the Petaluma Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Dr. The event is from 5 to 8pm on Tuesday, May 21. At the expo, local experts will share resources and answer community questions surrounding five main topic areas: preparing for emergencies, rethinking consumption, transforming transportation, improving buildings and restoring nature. “This year will be bigger and better than ever, with a new live stage for demonstrations and mini-workshops,” says Natasha Juliana, co-founder of Cool Petaluma. “Supplied with information and inspiration, we’ll all find it easier to continue on our journey to becoming more resilient and planet friendly—block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood.” More info at coolpetaluma.org/expo2024.

Marin County

Public Works

Marin County hosts its first-ever Public Works Fair on May 18, coinciding with the 64th annual National Public Works Week. This family-friendly affair showcases the vital role of public works in our communities and Marin’s infrastructure (FYI: Marin Public Works oversees 52 public facilities, over 420 miles of roadway, 56 bridges and eight watersheds). The festivities begin at 10am and run until 2pm at the Marin County Fairgrounds, 10 Ave of the Flags, San Rafael, and will feature activities for all ages, including demonstrations and interactive presentations to hands-on experiences and photo ops with heavy-duty machinery. High school students and their parents may explore the various internship opportunities available. Live music, face painting, games and snacks abound—and are completely free. Motorists are encouraged to utilize the Exhibit Hall parking lot at 20 Ave of the Flags in San Rafael. Or hop on the SMART train to the Civic Center station. For more info, call 415.473.6530 or visit bit.ly/marin-pub-works.

Novato

Hypno Comedy

Comedy hypnotist Gary Conrad brings his brand of subconscious satire to Novato’s Trattoria Ghiringhelli for an evening in which “volunteers come on stage, enter a hypnotic state and then experience Lewis Carrollesque scenarios in which they transform into famous singers, dancers, comedians and sports personalities; return to being five years old; switch genders; misplace their body parts,” according to promoters. Conrad has been seen on The View and has shared the air with Danny Bonaduce, FOX-TV’s Mancow Muller, Crook & Chase, Opie & Anthony, Rick & Bubba, Don & Mike and Ed Lover & Dr. Dre. Additional bonafides include stage time with such legends as Tony Bennett, Barbara Walters, Cher, Lenny Kravitz and even the late Tiny Tim. The show begins at 8pm, Thursday, May 10, at Trattoria Ghiringhelli, 1535 S. Novato Blvd., Novato. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit garyconrad.com.

Petaluma’s The SoulShake releases new album

Last year, they were voted the band with the “Most North Bay Vibe” in the Bohemian’s Best of The North Bay readers’ poll. This week, they’re seizing the moment—in both name and deed—with the release of their new album, In This Moment.

Ladies and Gentlemen—there’s no denial, it’s on vinyl!—meet Petaluma’s own… The SoulShake!

A beacon of laid-back charm and infectious melodies, the hometown quintet is comprised of Charlie Sisemore on bass, Matt Katzin on drums, Ross Barbieri on guitar and backup vocals, recently added Tino Molinari on saxophone and Domenic Bianco as the driving force on guitar, vocals and occasionally ukulele.

Together, the band blends the spirited essence of rock with reggae vibes, an outdoor surfer lifestyle infused with wacky humor and a profound message of love, life and the pursuit of a better world (imagine the lyrical acumen of Jason Mraz and the instrumental stylings of Sublime).

Bianco reflects on the band’s journey, explaining, “The creative ideas behind this album have been transpiring for the past—it’s like the culmination of the last three and a half years.” Their latest album, a testament to resilience and growth, encapsulates the essence of their collective experiences, some of which incubated during the pandemic.

“There’s a lot of history on this album,” Bianco shares. “A lot of these songs… they’re going to be brand new. But to us, these are songs that have been written and recorded and worked through for the past two or three years.”

Yet, amidst the challenges, their music remains a celebration of the present moment, as highlighted in their single, “The Present,” a rallying cry to embrace life’s fleeting joys.

For Sisemore, the album represents the band’s evolution and newfound momentum. “It’s the best yet, and there’s still better yet to come,” he enthuses. With an exciting lineup and a fresh perspective, The SoulShake seems on the brink of a major breakthrough.

Bianco echoes this sentiment, expressing his anticipation for what lies ahead.

“It feels like we’re on the precipice of this next great chapter… this album is going to be the turning point,” he predicts. With upcoming gigs at renowned venues like Sweetwater in Mill Valley and the San Francisco Brew Fest, the band’s trajectory is squarely focused on reaching new heights, including in surf-culture-friendly locales from San Luis Obispo to San Diego.

“It feels like we’re about to leap into the unknown, and it’s going to be something special and something pretty remarkable,” Bianco affirms, adding that The SoulShake has been redefining their sound and refining their live performances. “With this new album and the new members, we’re trying to make it the best show we can,” says Bianco. “Now we’re officially a five-piece, and that’s what we’re going to start to showcase to the world.”

The SoulShake performs with Lumanation at 8pm, Thursday, May 16, at the Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave., Mill Valley. $20.

‘Jukebox Empire’ at Book Passage

The truth will out is one of those maxims that puts an asterisk on family lore. The mechanism of its outing can be a commercial genetic test, a lost and found letter, or—in the case of writer and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker David Rabinovitch—his own dogged curiosity.

For Rabinovitch, who lived in Marin County for decades (and now spends his time in Baja and the Pacific Northwest), the story starts with a legendary uncle who was essentially excised from his family history—until now.

There were breadcrumbs, however, and over a period of years, Rabinovitch was able to reconstruct a portrait of his charismatic uncle, Wolfe Rabin, which is captivating and ultimately tragic. The result is Jukebox Empire: The Mob and the Dark Side of the American Dream, an eminently readable accounting of an aspiring tycoon who partners with a racketeer to build a jukebox that makes millions, then takes the fall for the largest money laundering scheme in history.

Caught between the Mob and the feds in a plot to save the casinos in Havana from Castro’s revolution, Wolfe Rabin pulls the biggest money-laundering scheme in history, but his hubris leads to the conspiracy unraveling in a sensational trial.

Rabinovitch will appear at Corte Madera’s Book Passage next Monday.

“I’ve been incredibly curious to have a close relative, my father’s brother, who we never met. So it starts with that. And I have an incredible curiosity in all the work that I do,” says Rabinovitch, who’s no stranger to research-driven deep dives. His mini-series, The Secret Files of the Inquisition, required working with thousands of archival files relating to the Catholic church—in Latin. For Jukebox Empire, Rabinovitch obtained a “huge dump of files” declassified by the FBI. “Journalistically, it was very similar,” he notes.

“I’m like a dog with a bone that way; I can’t let go,” says the author. “But in terms of motivation, the deeper I got into it, the more incredible it became.”

Naturally, as a filmmaker, Rabinovitch initially intended to tell his uncle’s story onscreen. “I was writing a screenplay, and the more I got into it, I said, I can’t do justice to the material, the limitations of a screenplay, because screenplays are about what you leave out,” he recalls.

Now that the book is out and garnering raves (“…A scandalous, entertaining and worthwhile read” –Winnipeg Free Press), Rabinovitch and an entertainment industry colleague are working on bringing the story to a streamer near you.

“I think ultimately he’s a tragic figure. For someone who had so much promise, so much extraordinary ability,” says Rabinovitch. “He was one of those people, I think, that just lit up a room whenever he came into it. He turned his focus on somebody, and he had that charisma and that ability that made people want to believe him and want to buy into what he was promoting. So there’s kind of a turn. It’s a long, slippery slope, and I think he went down.”

When asked how he thinks his uncle would react to the project, Rabinovitch laughs, saying, “He’d probably want royalties from the book.”

David Rabinovitch will appear in support of ‘Jukebox Empire: The Mob and the Dark Side of the American Dream,’ at 4pm, Monday, May 13 at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera.

Free Will Astrology: Week of May 8

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): When my friend, Jessalyn, first visited Disneyland as a child, she was smitten by its glimmering, unblemished mystery. “It was far more real than real,” she said. “A dream come true.” But after a few hours, her infatuation unraveled. She began to see through the luster. Waiting in long lines to go on the rides exhausted her. The mechanical elephant was broken. The food was unappetizing. The actor impersonating Mickey Mouse shucked his big mouse head and swilled a beer. The days ahead may have resemblances to Jessalyn’s awakening for you. This slow-motion jolt might vex you initially, although I believe it’s a healthy sign. It will lead to a cleansed perspective that’s free of illusion and teeming with clarity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keizoku wa chikara nari is a Japanese proverb that means “To continue is power.” I propose you make that your motto for the next four weeks. Everything you need to happen and all the resources you need to attract will come your way as long as your overarching intention is perseverance. This is always a key principle for you Tauruses, but especially now. If you can keep going, if you can overcome your urges to quit your devotions, you will gain a permanent invigoration of your willpower.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do you believe there are divine beings, animal spirits and departed ancestors who are willing and able to help us? If not, you may want to skip this horoscope. I won’t be upset if you feel that way. But if you do harbor such views, as I do, I’m pleased to tell you that they will be extra available for you in the coming weeks. Remember one of the key rules about their behavior: They love to be asked for assistance; they adore it when you express your desires for them to bring you specific blessings and insights. Reach out, Gemini! Call on them.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’m taking a gamble here as I advise you to experiment with the counsel of visionary poet and painter William Blake (1757–1825). It’s a gamble because I’m asking you to exert a measure of caution as you explore his daring, unruly advice. Be simultaneously prudent and ebullient, Cancerian. Be discerning and wild. Be watchful and experimental. Here are Blake’s directions: 1. The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom, for we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough. 2. If the fool would persist in his folly, he would become wise. 3. The pride of the peacock is the glory of God. The lust of the goat is the bounty of God. 4. No bird soars too high if it soars with its own wings. 5. Exuberance is Beauty.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Cosmic energies are staging a big party in your astrological House of Ambition. It’s a great time to expand and intensify your concepts of what you want to accomplish with your one wild and precious life. You will attract unexpected help as you shed your inhibitions about asking for what you really want. Life will benevolently conspire on your behalf as you dare to get bolder in defining your highest goals. Be audacious, Leo! Be brazen and brave and brilliant! I predict you will be gifted with lucid intuitions about how best to channel your drive for success. You will get feelers from influential people who can help you in your quest for victory. (P.S.: The phrase, “your one wild and precious life,” comes from poet Mary Oliver.)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Is it possible to be too smart for your own good? Maybe, although that won’t be a problem for you anytime soon. However, you may temporarily be too smart for some people who are fixated on conventional and simplistic solutions. You could be too super-brilliant for those who wallow in fear or regard cynicism as a sign of intelligence. But I will not advise you to dumb yourself down, dear Virgo. Instead, I will suggest you be crafty and circumspect. Act agreeable and humble, even as you plot behind the scenes to turn everything upside-down and inside-out—by which I mean, make it work with more grace and benefit for everyone concerned.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In my fairy tale about your life in the coming weeks and months, you will transform from a crafty sleuth to an eager explorer. You will finish your wrestling matches with tricky angels and wander off to consort with big thinkers and deep feelers. You will finish your yeoman attempts to keep everyone happy in the human zoo and instead indulge your sacred longings for liberation and experimentation. In this fairy tale of your life, Libra, I will play the role of your secret benefactor. I will unleash a steady stream of prayers to bless you with blithe zeal as you relish every heart-opening, brain-cleansing moment of your new chapter.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the coming months, I will encourage you to keep deepening and refining the art of intimacy. I will rejoice as you learn more and more about how to feel close to people you care for and how to creatively deal with challenges you encounter in your quest to become closer. Dear Scorpio, I will also cheer you on whenever you dream up innovations to propitiate togetherness. Bonus blessings! If you do all I’m describing, your identity will come into brighter focus. You will know who you are with greater accuracy. Get ready! The coming weeks will offer you novel opportunities to make progress on the themes I’ve mentioned.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You could offer a workshop on the perks of wobbliness. Your anxious ruminations and worried fantasies are so colorful that I almost hesitate to tell you to stop. I’m wondering if this is one of those rare phases when you could take advantage of your so-called negative feelings. Is it possible that lurking just below the uneasiness are sensational revelations about a path to liberation? I’m guessing there are. To pluck these revelations, you must get to the core of the uneasiness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): During the last 11 months, life has offered you unprecedented opportunities to deepen and ripen your emotional intelligence. You have been vividly invited to grow your wisdom about how to manage and understand your feelings. I trust you have been capitalizing on these glorious teachings. I hope you have honed your skills at tapping into the power and insights provided by your heart and gut. There’s still more time to work on this project, Capricorn. In the coming weeks, seek out breakthroughs that will climax this phase of your destiny.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Naturalist and author Henry David Thoreau declared, “We need the tonic of wildness.” Amen! In my view, you Aquarians especially need this sweet, rugged healing power in the coming weeks. Borrowing more words from Thoreau, I urge you to exult in all that is mysterious, unsurveyed and unfathomable. Like Thoreau, I hope you will deepen your connection with the natural world because “it is cheerfully, musically earnest.” Share in his belief that “we must go out and re-ally ourselves to Nature every day. We must take root, send out some little fiber.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I have four questions and homework assignments for you, Pisces. 1. Is there a person in your inner circle who is close to ripening a latent talent that would ultimately benefit you? I suspect there is. What can you do to assist them? 2. Is there a pending gift or legacy that you have not yet claimed or activated? I think so. What would be a good first step to get it fully into your life? 3. What half-dormant potency could you call on and use if you were more confident about your ability to wield it? I believe you now have the wherewithal to summon the confidence you need. 4. What wasteful habit could you replace with a positive new habit?

Homework: What’s your favorite subject to fantasize about? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.

Huge St. Helena Winery Proposal Shot Down

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In the Napa Valley, county government officials shot down a massive proposed winery near St. Helena last week after years of planning on the part of winery developers. The Vida Valiente estate, as proposed, would reportedly have boasted an 18,000-square-foot winery and 14,000-square-foot wine cave on an 18-acre plot along Crystal Springs Road, producing up to 30,000 gallons of wine a year and hosting around 120 visitors a week. But last Wednesday, after months of delaying their decision on the project, the county’s planning commissioners blocked it from moving forward with a 2-1 vote. This milestone moment happened after a contentious, two-and-a-half-hour meeting that raked in 350 pages worth of public comments. Commissioners argued they “couldn’t support having a winery with visitors along a narrow, subpar road with blind spots in a wildfire-prone area,” according to the Napa Valley Register. Another citizen at the meeting also reportedly spoke out about how “Bell Canyon Creek near the project site is an important stream for Napa Valley and its fish” and how he didn’t think the water analysis completed for the winery project was legit enough. In the weeks leading up to the meeting, an industry mag called Wine Spectator ran the latest trend piece — in a long line of similar pieces, including a recent one in the U.K.’s biggest tabloid, the Daily Mail — about a “growing number of Napa winemakers” who are reportedly “confused and frustrated at county officials who won’t let them do business — even when they follow the rules.” Vida Valiente starred as the story’s central example. From Wine Spectator: “Hayes Drumwright, founder of Vida Valiente and Memento Mori wineries, has been in a five-year battle with the county over building a winery home for Vida Valiente in rural St. Helena. Drumwright says he’s fulfilled all the required criteria, abided by all the rules and passed every necessary environmental survey, traffic study and more. He’s even received a thumbs-up from a public works official and fire marshal. Yet in a December 2023 hearing, he was still not approved to begin construction. ‘I know other wineries are going through the same thing,’ said Drumwright. ‘Save me my time and money if following these rules doesn’t matter.'” And he said all that BEFORE the actual “No” vote came down last week. County leaders, aware of this building narrative, have been arguing that their position “isn’t about being pro- or anti-agriculture,” the Register reports. Instead, they insist they’re trying to weigh each new vineyard and winery proposal individually, and make the right decision for both the valley’s local industry/economy and its long-term safety and sustainability. For what it’s worth, the county did announce with much fanfare that the “second-ever micro-winery use permit” in the Napa Valley was issued a couple of weeks ago, for the Chaix Family Micro-Winery in Rutherford. Which likely isn’t much of a consolation for the team behind the grandiose Vida Valiente pipe dream. (Source: Napa Valley Register & Wine Spectator & Press Democrat & Napa County Government)

‘Ana From Roseland’: A Politician Emerges

Ana Diaz is an elected member of Santa Rosa’s Roseland district school board and an appointed member of Sonoma County’s Commission on the Status of Women, but as she prefers to say, she is simply “Ana from Roseland.” A few days out from Roseland’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, as Diaz was assisting with volunteer coordination, I sat down with the...

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Fire Fears: Is Marin Next?

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The 2023 Lahaina, Maui wildfires wrought havoc, claiming over 100 lives, decimating thousands of homes and ravaging vast swathes of land, resulting in a staggering $6 billion in damages. More than 14,000 individuals evacuated the island, grappling with homelessness or temporary displacement, shuttling between hotels in a repetitive cycle. In contrast to fire-resilient regions like Marin County, Hawaii lacks the...

Your Letters, May 8

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Rude Boy Gosh, you have to feel tremendous empathy for the heroic Rudy Giuliani, who is on the hook, so to speak, for around $150 million in defamation dough, has been indicted in Arizona for trying to swing an election in favor of his NYC buddy and is having a heck of a time living on a monthly budget of...

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La Force and More in the North Bay

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Petaluma’s The SoulShake releases new album

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‘Jukebox Empire’ at Book Passage

The truth will out is one of those maxims that puts an asterisk on family lore. The mechanism of its outing can be a commercial genetic test, a lost and found letter, or—in the case of writer and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker David Rabinovitch—his own dogged curiosity. For Rabinovitch, who lived in Marin County for decades (and now spends...

Free Will Astrology: Week of May 8

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): When my friend, Jessalyn, first visited Disneyland as a child, she was smitten by its glimmering, unblemished mystery. “It was far more real than real,” she said. “A dream come true.” But after a few hours, her infatuation unraveled. She began to see through the luster. Waiting in long lines to go on the rides...

Huge St. Helena Winery Proposal Shot Down

In the Napa Valley, county government officials shot down a massive proposed winery near St. Helena last week after years of planning on the part of winery developers. The Vida Valiente estate, as proposed, would reportedly have boasted an 18,000-square-foot winery and 14,000-square-foot wine cave on an 18-acre plot along Crystal Springs Road, producing up to 30,000 gallons of wine...
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