Page 2 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2017

Dear Readers,
Because we celebrate our earth in April - the place we all share that supports our lives - we like to keep the focus on what we need to do to PROTECT our home. What we can do, and how we can get involved with others who are taking action...getting things done.
It’s not just creek cleanups, although they help a lot...it’s also setting government policy, participating on projects, and the political side of life that impacts everyone. There’s usually a leader and the team that makes up those who follow that lead. Pick a subject....social justice, political will, environmental consciousness. Someone is taking the lead and others are following.
As always, we have more articles than we can fit in print, so I encourage you to go to our website to read “The REST of the Story.” People who WRITE the articles really want them in print, and we do the best we can to fit everything into these 72 pages. Our website supports our print edition, so visit frequently, and if you want alerts to updates, LIKE our Facebook page.
This issue has a full Earth Day Calendar - and because we want pure fun in this mix , we have our annual Easter Egg Hunt Calendar...and of course, plenty classes, hikes, art, music, theater, film, etc. And speaking of CALENDAR - the calendar functions in our new mobile-friendly website are designed so people can post their events without waiting for us. We’re doing a soft launch with this issue since because we still have features to add, so please take a look at www. S o nom aC o u nt y Ga z e t t e . c om a a n nd d g g i iv ve e u u s s y yo ou u r r f f e e e e d db ba ac c k k . . S S e e n nd d c c o om m m me e n nt t s s t to o vesta@sonic.net...We appreciate anything you have to say.
Enjoy spring - it’s busting out all over!
COVER ARTIST: Julie Higgins: “My work is a constant process of story telling and pushing through the mundane of life into the magic, and the imaginary, which connects me to my sense of nature and how I belong or fit in. It is feeling, emotion, and play set in an ever-nurturing landscape with juicy earthy women, sensual form and lots of color. This whole process is how I have come to understand my self and my life in my community and in the world. The process of working with symbols helps me connect with the spirit, and continue my exploration of life and purpose through my art.”
Julie is a member of The Mendocino Eco Artists: (MEA) a professional painters and sculptors who live, work, and draw their creative inspiration from this beautiful place. Many have also been generous with their contribution of talent and time on projects for the community. Each individual has a keen desire to contribute to the preservation of the Mendocino coastal environment - the mountains, rivers and shores and all the living things which call it home. www.artistjuliehiggins.com
2 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 4/17