Page 32 - Sonoma County Gazette - May 2019

Down Home Day – May 11 The 5th annual family day is Saturday, May 11th, 11am to 4pm. Families will enjoy live music by the Spyralites, a chicken
It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.
~ Dorothy, The Golden Girls
Happy Mother’s Day Sunday May 12th! Go out and make it a fun day. Go for a walk. Pack a picnic and visit a Regional Park like Crane Creek. We usually go on a hike. I like to stay away from crowded places and get some sunshine.
Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn. ~ Thomas Gray
BBQ, and refreshments in the Libation Station. There are plenty of $1-or-FREE parent-and-child activities: Help-Fire-Save- Me, the Egg Toss, Applesauce Challenge, Quest, Cutest Baby, Best Hat, the Hugs & Kisses Booth, and more.
The nonprofit Artful Arrangements finds affordable ways for parents and grandparents to play with their children. Funds raised will support more programs like this one. Visit artfularrangements.org
Monday Poets presents a Poetry Reading, Saturday, May 4th
Details: The event is on the grounds of
a 1915 working homestead at 205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, with free admission/ parking, and pets are welcome – there’s also a Most Amazing Pet Photo Contest, and remember to wear a hat!
Would love to see you at this FREE event supported by a local gardening business. All my favorite poets will be there. Please wear a sunhat. Event hours 2:30 to 5:30 pm at Harmony Farm Supply and Nursery, 3244 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Quad Gate for Downtown Safety Thanks to Chuck Lucas, for sharing this important item from his column in the Spring issue Penngrove Proud:
Open House with Bugs – May 18th - Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District Open House family friendly event is FREE! Lunch will be provided, and there will be hands-on activities for kids AND adults. Some of the activities include: Bug Zoo, Maggot art, and displays with live vectors. The Queen Bee (Ettamarie Peterson) will bring her honey bee observation hive. Winners of the 6th Backyard Bugs Contest will be announced! Kids
in TK through 8th grade find a bug, observe it, draw it, and write about
it. Participants receive a pocket nature journal. All contest details (rules, deadlines, etc.) are on the contest entry form. The purpose of this contest is to encourage students to use their observation and artistic skills, as well as gain an appreciation for bugs. Visit the website to learn more about the Open House and to download the contest form www.msmosquito.com/openhouse Details: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 595 Helman Lane, Cotati
According to Supervisor David Rabbitt, “following approval by a majority of the Board, (on April 2, to approve the agreement with SMART for the installation of the quad gates), Transportation and Public Works will issue the notice to proceed and start construction. Project cost for the supplemental safety measure change is $848,111. The project will include moving the arm at Woodward Ave., installing a new arm opposite Woodward on Main Street. In total, we hope to be under $2.5M for all projects which is good news as this is General Fund revenues.”
Have you visited Acme Burger? I was pleased to see the courtyard with its golden hills of our area still shining from the wall. The ancient wisteria continues to bloom on the pergola. Inside, a wall hosts a North Light Books and Cafe poster. Hard to believe that seven years have passed since NLB&C closed its doors. North Light Books moved to across from Sonoma State University inside Wolf Den Plaza. I still miss the books, the college crown, healthy soups, and open mic events.
The restructuring will provide a safer intersection and allow the county to remove the unsightly ‘candlesticks’ that ruin the beauty of our small town, according to Lewis. “Thanks to the COOPers (Citizens’ Organization of Penngrove) for their hard work the last five years to secure this improvement as well as the work done by Mr. Rabbitt for the town.”
Crane Creek Park in Bloom I enjoyed a deliriously beautiful day up
At Acme Burger, I ordered a Sonoma Mountain Beef burger with yam fries. Relished the perfectly cooked patty, juicy yet crisp on both sides. I rarely eat red meat. The fries came to the table hot and crunchy. Did not order but noted their menu includes an Impossible Burger, veggie, plus plenty of salads, you can add meat. Also, Seared Ahi Tina, and Bodega Bay Rock Cod come pan fried (sandwich options). They offer a soup of the day. Every day they have hot chili con carney by the cup or the bowl.
at Crane Creek Regional Park on a ranger-led tour titled “Can I Eat This?” Ranger Shelley led 15 of us on a slow, 1.5 miles stroll through the meadows. She loaned us wildflower guides and plastic magnifiers to observe flowers named Spotted Dick, Meadowfoam, Fiddlenecks and more.
We learned about Fremont’s deathcamas, also called common star lily or star zigadene. It is found on grassy or woody slopes or rocky outcrops. Its spike of cream-colored flowers blooms from an underground bulb. “Deathcamas” refers to a toxin found in all parts of the plant.
Note: they use local Straus Family Organic Dairy products for milkshakes and soft serve vanilla and chocolate.
The Lewis and Clark expedition accidentally ate deathcamas bulbs ground into a bread, halting the expedition while its members recovered. And, who knew the ominous side of the Fiddleneck? Its seeds and foliage are poisonous to cattle, and the plant’s sharp hairs can irritate human skin. Love your parks and buy a seasonal pass for easy parking all year and other benefits. You can download the Parks’ 23-page Wildflower Guide or hook yourself up to the iNaturalist app. parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov
Patience for Street Improvements At Plaza and East Sierra there are traffic improvements for a pedestrian crosswalk with painted stripes and the three-way stop intersection. Please use caution during these improvements.
Service to Seniors Award Each year, the Petaluma Chamber and Argus Courier join forces to solicit nominations and give awards to people in our community who make the world go ‘round. This year, the Service to Seniors Award went to Anne and Paul Greenblatt, founders of the nonprofit Village Network of Petaluma in 2014.
Anne described the Village this way: “The Village is about revolutionizing our experiences of aging. We are actively building a community that can rely on one another as we navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead. We laugh, learn, and grow with each other. We are expanding choices as we work with others to build a more age-friendly Petaluma.”
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Husband Paul added “Right now, most of you are probably still working. The Village may interest you because you have older parents, or employees with older parents. But believe it or not, there will come a time when you yourself will retire. You may be ready for new connections and new horizons. That’s where the Village comes in.
Research shows that social connections are extremely important in maintaining our health as we age. Volunteering our talents & energy to help others enhances our own well-being. Village volunteers have created many interest groups. & projects. Volunteers meet with our members - for a walk, coffee date, maybe playing scrabble.”
Congratulations to the Greenblatts for starting start their own post- retirement project that serves Penngrove and Petaluma communities. Learn more at a Get to Know the Village meeting, Thursdays May 9 and June 13 at 10 am at the Village office, 955 Petaluma Blvd. South, Petaluma. Contact 776- 6055 or see VillageNetworkofPetaluma.org.