Page 38 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2018

Get Around Town for FREE this Summer
Summertime!
Summer’s Here!
In the last month, we’ve celebrated our graduates, recognized our young leader who makes a difference, presented awards to our outstanding community members, and appreciated our senior citizen who is aged to perfection. Congratulations again to everyone.
I’ve got a great idea for you. Kick off summertime in Forestville by coming to the 4th of July Farmer’s Market. Think pig roast, beer and wine, yummy food and bands! Joy Ride plays from 1--3, then Dogg Gone Ornery from 3:30-8 pm. Bring enough money to buy the usual fresh produce, gourmet olive oils, breads, crafts and treats.
With summer often comes a transportation challenge for teens and their parents. Now there’s a solution—the FREE Local Shuttle #24.
It’s the Chamber who hosts this Market, giving the rest of us a place to
hang out on Tuesday evenings (ok, the 4th is on a Wednesday, but normally it’s Tuesday.) In fact, attending Chamber Board meetings is a great way to have a voice in what’s happening in our community. They normally meet
the first Wednesdays of the month, 5:30 pm at the Fire Station’s community room. Memberships are $95 for businesses, $75 for non-profits and only $25 for individuals. They are getting us new “Welcome to Forestville” signs and will erect local artist banners soon. Want to get more involved in your town? They are looking for Board Members so come check them out!
This bus completes its loop around town in about 40 minutes and stops at all the important places or very nearby. Hop on and hop off, no exact change necessary.
Teens, middle school and up, can take advantage of the free bus to get out and socialize. They can develop confidence and independence using this limited and familiar loop around town. Parents could be liberated from so much taxi duty. Ah, some time, some space, some friends—nice for summer.
The City Council funded this one-year pilot project based on input from focus groups and a community survey. The hope is to encourage new bus riders of
all ages to “build the bus habit,” take some cars off our congested city streets, and free up some desired parking spaces downtown. New stops at Community Market/The Barlow and Rialto Theater/Transit Hub improve access to downtown hotspots.
Fun news in case you didn’t know. Robert Baba, who I’ve known as Robbie for years, is taking over ownership of Ideal Hardware from his dad Bob. It’s one of my favorite stops. I love the wood floors and you can get just about anything there. I like how they will help you figure out how to use, replace or fix whatever’s wrong, ...well with household things that is. If you’re talking about fixing or replacing a relationship, that may take a different skill set. If that’s the case, perhaps having an ice cream cone will help. That is if you are an emotional eater like me.
So, I can report with confidence that Scoop of Sonoma is now open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1-6 pm through the summer. Owner Alain LeCloux says business is too slow to be open every day so if we want to keep this treasure in Forestville... indulge. Alain in fact was the MC for the Radioland Hour featuring Forestville last month. He’s super cool, and not just because he makes amazing ice cream (try his peanut butter chocolate chip) he also owns the Rio Café and Theater in Monte Rio. It’s a great stop on the way to visit the ocean, which we all should do more often don’t you think?
If you are on Cal Fresh, Singing Frogs Farms is offering local organic farm fresh produce to you at half price, $13 a box. Call the Forestville Wellness Center at 823-3204, extension 6453 to sign up. You can pick up your box right at their office. Remember, “you are what you eat.” All of us could use better nutrition to improve our health so even if you are not on Cal Fresh, you could still get a Singing Frogs box. Check out singingfrogsfarm.com to register for your box, which you can pick up at the Sebastopol and Santa Rosa Farmer’s Markets.
With new weekday hours, the Shuttle starts at 9 AM and closes down at 6:37 PM. On Saturday, it ends at 3 PM. Right now, there is no service on Sunday. But wouldn’t it be great to have busloads of locals ride to our Farm Market to shop for their produce and visit with friends, instead of circling The Plaza looking for parking?
For more details, including the schedule and complete list of stops, visit sctransit.com or download their app. There is a trip planning service available.
New at The Movies
Take the FREE Local 24 to the movies! Early July welcomes the release of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” a documentary about Mister Fred Rogers. This “emotional and moving film takes you beyond zip-up cardigans and the land of make-believe into the heart of a creative genius,” reads the advance.
An enduring presence in American homes for over 30 years on television, Mister Rogers let every child viewer know that s/he was capable of being loved and of loving others. His plainspoken wisdom guided and comforted many.
His message continues to be relevant today, for instance, as captured in his well-known song:
I’ve always wanted to have a neighbor just like you! I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. So, let’s make the most of this beautiful day. Since we’re together we might as well say, Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Over a hundred volunteer hours made this year’s Youth Park BBQ successful. It was an amazing sight to see how it all came together. Thank you, Patti Baxman, and the Youth Park Board, for your behind the scenes orchestration. If you’d like to join these folks having a good time doing terrific things for the Youth Park, google Forestville Youth Park and sign up.
Our Local Fireworks Show
Next on their agenda? The Hot Rod Show and BBQ Competition at
the Youth Park Saturday August 4. Vehicle registration is $25. Find all the information you need by googling Forestville Youth Park. There will be BBQ, Chili and music too.
July 3 marks the 45th Fireworks Extravaganza put on by the Kiwanis Club of Sebastopol at the Analy High School Football Field. Gates open at 5:30 PM and the show starts at 9:40 PM. Admission is $10/adult, $5/children ages 6 to 11, and free/kids ages 5 and younger.
And I’m sure you are curious as to who won first place for the Youth Park Parade. In the Commercial Division it was Rick’s Garage and the Forestville Outlaws Hotrod Crew followed by Canyon Rock and BoDean Quarries. In the Nonprofit Division it was the Sonoma County Youth Wildcats Cheer team followed by Paws and the Methodist Church. The first-place winner
for Musical Group was El Molino Marching Band followed by Guerneville Elementary Marching Band and the Friends of Music Community Band. In the Individual Category it was Vira Fauss followed by Clowning Around and Baby Beluga. Don’t ask. I was too busy setting up the Ticket Sales booth at the BBQ to actually watch the parade, but it sure sounded like fun.
Over the years, the event has expanded to include live music and dancing, along with food and beverages. Spend some of the four hours before the show listening to our own Buzzy Martin and the Buzztones, then Volker Strifler. Enjoy dinner from Martha’s Old Mexico, the Pasta King, or the Boosters’ BBQ, along with coffee from Taylor Maid and ice cream from Screamin’ Mimi’s
for dessert. Or bring a picnic of your own food and drink, mindful of the “no alcohol” restriction. Share the evening with friends, neighbors, and visitors.
There are a few important rules to follow. The only chairs allowed inside are the ones with a bar across the bottom. No four-legged chairs can set up on the field, so they won’t get inside the gate. Nor will any pets; leave them at home along with any private fireworks.
The ticket sales booth is staffed by the Forestville Planning Association, who also do impressive things for our community. They are the ones who put on
the Town Hall meetings. The most recent one in June brought 150 people to the library to hear our own Lynda Hopkins field dozens of questions on how funds collected from Forestville can be used for our purposes.
This is Kiwanis only fund raiser, so come on out and support them. Enjoy a safe holiday.
38 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 7/18
FORESTVILLE cont’d on page 39