Page 34 - Sonoma County Gazette 12-2019

Starting off the Holiday season is our very own Tree Lighting Sunday, December 1st at the Downtown Oaks Park. Folks start to gather at 4 pm to enjoy homemade cookies, free hot chocolate, cider, and hot dog’s courtesy of our local Chamber of Commerce who underwrites the event. Expect Santa
New Look and Feel for SEB’s Downtown this Holiday Season
to arrive on the firetruck for all the kids to enjoy. Once again the Wood
and Trappe family and friends are going all out to decorate it. Come see for yourself if you get this message in time! Oh yes, if you want to bring cookies, please do so!
Thanks to the advocacy of our Economic Vitality Group, Sebastopol’s Main Street welcomes all shoppers this 2019 holiday season. Shoppers will not need to worry, hurry, and scurry!
The Chamber also hosts a delicious Crab Feed coming up Saturday, January 18th at the Holy Ghost Hall, 7960 Mill Station Road in Sebastopol. It’s $55 per person and well worth it. Live music and raffle too. Lots of fun! Call 481-3565, 887-7595 for tickets.
The Free Friday movie at the Methodist Church this month is Prancer. Show up early since Santa is arriving at 6:15, cartoons start at 6:45, then the movie at 7 pm. As usual popcorn and other goodies are available for sale.
The award-winning drama program at Forestville School is putting on the sweet, funny and touching play called Curiosity Cats. It’s about some clever and charming stray cats, a couple of kids and how together they find loving homes. Catch the show on December 7, 13th and 14th at 6:30 pm, then matinees on the 8th and 15th at 1:30 pm in the auditorium. Our talented middle schoolers perform under the direction of teacher Nichole Huberty, renowned for her vision, patience, and humor. It’s always a treat to see what she doing. The students decided to make it a fundraiser for Forgotten Felines and the Humane Society of Sonoma County as a project to bring awareness to the plight of homeless animals. Tickets are only $7 for adults and $5 for students.
Winter Break is from December 20 through January 3. I’m trusting when you read this we’ll have gotten some rain. The recent evacuation of Forestville, along with 185,000 others in Sonoma County certainly took its toll. We all have stories of how long it took to get out, yet it was orderly and calm and so important to free up our first responders to actually fight the fire, unlike what took place when the Tubbs fire roared through Santa Rosa. And let’s face it, it was exhausting, emotionally and physically, not to mention cold once we returned home to wait for days for our gas to be turned on. But we had homes to come back to, and for that I’m grateful.
I don’t know about you, but I found it very interesting what I chose to pack up and what I said goodbye to as we loaded up our car to comply with the firefighter’s request to leave. Important papers, computers, tax and business files came, but some other rather silly things made it into
our car as well A stuffed animal, Mr. Chicken, got chosen being a favorite of my granddaughters. Photos, of course, and sparkly costume jewelry made the list. What did you choose? Would you have regretted your choices had the fire jumped 101 and the winds tore through the river area as it was predicted? This was a real-time fire drill, one which will prepare us even better once fire threatens us again. Hopefully, your neighborhood, like mine, is connecting with their neighbors to build community. We are finding out who would need help getting out, who has a ham radio, who owns a chain saw or tall ladder, things that might be helpful to know during and after a disaster. Through this process, I’ve met some lovely people who live on my hill, and I feel better off knowing them.
PARKING in the downtown district on city streets will be UNLIMITED and FREE. Holiday shoppers can avail themselves of the opportunity,
from November 15, 2019, to January 5, 2020, because the City Council has unanimously lifted the one-hour time restriction. Shoppers can linger and enjoy the offerings of our small town.
Once again Forest Unlimited has 1,400 redwood tree seedlings
2020 Looking Ahead: The Friendship Dinner for Sebastopol World Friends (SWF) was postponed due to the Kincade fire and will be rescheduled to some time in January 2020. Stay alert for the new date. Please support this long-standing community organization. “Where Sushi Meets Borsch,” the dinner event and silent auction, are intended to benefit our friends in Takeo City who were impacted by flooding that devasted their city last Fall.
they will be planting on January 4th and 5th. They would love to have your help. Grab your kids or grandkids and head on out to be part of a solution to global warming. To volunteer for this outdoor adventure email: harlierankin@ gmail.com.
And finally, may you have a peaceful and loving Holiday whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah or any other winter solstice event. It’s the time of year to come together and appreciate living in this special place.
34 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 12/19
SWF is looking for a new date in January 2020, to provide food, entertainment, and the opportunity for world-wide connection, at the Enmanji Buddhist Temple Memorial Hall, 1200 Gravenstein Hwy. South.
“This holiday season, come escape the hustle and bustle of malls and big-box stores and enjoy shopping at local Sebastopol businesses. Shop your favorites! Many have been on Main Street for more than 25 years, in addition to the newer retail stores and restaurants!” enthuses Rei Blazer, President of the Sebastopol Downtown Association.
Rei continues, “Over 40 retail stores and 35 cafes and eateries! We invite you to enjoy time shopping with friends, doing a little wine tasking, catching an evening theater performance, all the while creating your joyous holiday memories.”
Businesses are extending their hours
to coincide with unlimited parking. Silk Moon
and Funk and Flash will stay open beyond
regular hours (respectively 6 and 7 pm/8
pm on Friday and Saturday) as long as they
have customers. (Hey, keep those doors open!)
Indigo Demin Bar will close later, at 7 pm
mid-month, then 8 pm the week before the
holiday. Cultivate Home will open early at 9
am, instead of 10 am, as well as stay open on Christmas Eve until 4 pm. Milk and Honey
will go to 7 pm, then push to 8 pm the last
week before the 25th. Copperfield’s Books
will keep the lights on for readers during
December from 9 am to 9 pm and until 5 pm
on Christmas Eve for last-minute shoppers.
Create It! (next to the Toyworks) will be open
later on weekend days — Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Please check the businesses’ Facebook pages and websites to confirm. AND remember, if the street parking is full, SEB has free municipal parking lots at the Library/Senior Center just one block west of downtown, at Burnett Street between S. Main and Petaluma in the “heart of downtown,” and at the CVS property, only a block away.
In the Heart of Downtown at The Plaza: On December 5, the Chamber of Commerce will light the official TREE on The Plaza and provide holiday festivities from 5 to 8 pm. There will be carriage rides, children’s crafts, music, and dance. SANTA arrives by FIRE TRUCK at 7 pm. “Enjoy hot chocolate, coffee, cider, and popcorn, and kick off your holiday season!” invites Linda Collins, Executive Director.
2019 in Closing: Heartfelt thanks from our community to all of the emergency responders, public works staff, and volunteers who helped us survive the flooding in February and the fire in October. We owe our safety to all of you! With love, respect, and gratitude.