Page 32 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2019

Polenta and Stew Dinner—April 13
The Petaluma Pie Company is very proud to announce their first Deaf
Pie Happy Hour, which will be held at their downtown Helen Putnam Plaza location on Tue, April 2, from 4 to 7 p.m., and every 1st Tuesday from there
on after. This is the brainchild of deaf employ Alivia Alberigi-Speicher, who wanted to create a space for the deaf to be able to social over great food. During my recent interview with Alivia, I learned that the deaf face special challenges when dining out. ASL is its own language, so it often isn’t as simple as writing out what they want on a piece of paper. All are welcome, and so I encourage all to come and support this project. Alivia is a true inspiration and what she is doing to give back to her community is commendable. Order in ASL and get a 15% discount. www.petalumapie.com
Roland Mellor and his talented volunteers will cook a special dinner of polenta and stew, with green salad, French bread and dessert. The menu is what old time famers ate, long before our fancy farm-to-table cuisine was invented!
“I got the recipe from an old Italian guy years ago,” said Mellor. “One time, I served up 228 plates of it, and people have been begging me for more.”
The dinner is sponsored by Penngrove Social Firemen at Penngrove Community Clubhouse, 385 Woodward Avenue. Proceeds benefit Penngrove Park and Clubhouse improvements.
Cocktails begin at 5:30 pm, with dinner at 7:00 pm.
The North Bay Bohemian just named “On a River Winding Home” as one
of its writers picks on their Best of 2019 list. A collaboration between Petaluma writer John Sheehy and photographer Scott Hess, the Bohemian called this masterpiece the “best way to experience the Petaluma River without getting wet (or stuck in the mud.)” A top seller at Copperfield’s, only second to Michelle Obama’s book, copies of “On a River Winding Home” have recently sold out, but will be available again shortly. In the meantime, the public is invited to the Petaluma Historic Library and Museum on to the opening reception of “An Exhibit of Scott Hess’ Photography” on April 6, where guest can meet and talk with both John and Scott, and see originals of many of Scott’s prints, including a 10’ long aerial panorama taken from above Sonoma Mountain. The exhibit runs through June 9. Visit www.petalumamuseum.com for more info.
Tickets are presale only (not at the door): $20 or children 12 and under $10. Call for tickets: Kim Hanson, Javamore Café at 794-1516 or Julie Hanson, 546- 6362. See more at PenngroveSocialFiremen.org.
Rancher Lee Brians
Who’s the tall guy with the cowboy hat? You’ve seen him at the post office, coffee shop or at Penngrove Social Firemen events. It’s 5th generation Penngroovian Lee Brians. His great- great-grandfather Jos (John) Barnes settled here from the British Isles in the 1850s. In the late 1870s-90s natural stone on the ranch was cut for paving stones and curbs. The 320-acre ranch has been home
Speaking of the Petaluma Museum, Saturday, April 20 marks
the Fourth Annual History Trails Walk, “With Petalumans of Yesteryear.” Starting at the Balshaw Bridge (where Western Ave meets the River) at 2 p.m., this walking tour of downtown will not only introduce guests to “colorful, influential and fascinating characters, including John McNear, Benicia Vallejo, Lyman Byce (inventor of the practical incubator) and other important Petalumans,” but also see historic sites along the 2 hour tour, before finishing out with light refreshments at the Museum’s garden court on 4th & B Streets. General admission is $20 ($15 for museum members.) Please arrive at least 10 minutes early to check in.
to poultry, dairy, and Lee now has Angus beef and dry land farming of oats and silage.
“I heard a lot of languages
growing up here,” said Lee. “There were people from many heritages: Japanese, Portuguese, German, British Isles, Italian and Jewish settlers from different European countries. Penngrove is a real melting pot.”
Petaluma Drinks was launched year as a festival to celebrate and enjoy
all the great drink makers and mixers in and around Petaluma. This year’s event is back on June 15 and 16 with even more events, including two special “add-on’s” to the standard ticket. First is a pre-event cocktail party called “Wet Your Whistle with the Whisper Sisters” on Friday, June 14 at Whisper Sisters, Sonoma County’s newest cocktail lounge, located kitty-corner from the Shuckery on the corner of Washington and Kentucky. The second add-on is “Petaluma Drinks Paired Dinner” at Stockhome on Saturday, June 15. This is a four-course menu with producers from each label in the house pairing their special selections from Henhouse Brewing Co, Acre & Spade cider, Leghorn Wine Co., and Sonoma Portworks. Base tickets are $50 until April 1, and then $65 there after, or until they sell out, with an additional charge for each of the add-on’s. For tickets and info visit petalumadrinks.com.
One of Lee’s three sisters is Ellen Fisher. She wrote a history of Penngrove as her college project. It’s still in print and available at JavAmore Café.
Lee remembers when steam trains with 90 or 100 freight cars came through. Feed and grain were going north and lumber was going south. The steam era switched to diesel “and now we’ve got SMART”.
Lee rode his bike to Penngrove Elementary School. He took a school bus to Petaluma for junior high and high school. He went to Fresno State to study agriculture, graduating in 1966. He was one of the first Air Force reserve called to active duty “Lyndon Johnson called up 15,282 plus me. I milked in the afternoon and reported in the afternoon,” said Lee.
Butter & Egg Days is finally here! We wait all year for this event because its Petaluma’s biggest weekend and helps kick off our spring, summer, and fall festival season. Although the official parade day is Sat. April 27, the Butter & Egg Days festivities kick off on April 20 with the Opening Ceremonies at the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum, from noon to 1 p.m., where Mayor Barrett will read a proclamation honoring the Grand Marshal and Good Egg. Parade day festivities start on Sat. April 27, with everything from an early morning 7-11 Lions Club breakfast (8 to 11 a.m.) in the parking lot across from Putnam Plaza, to the Cow Pie Throwing Competition in front of McNear’s (post-throw hand sanitizer is available in quantity), to the Cutest Little Chick in Town contest. And that’s even before the parade starts, which kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with the Clover Kid’s Parade, followed by the main event at noon. This year’s theme is “It’s always punny in Petaluma,” which pays tribute to Clo the Cow, the iconic mascot for Clover Sonoma, who made her debut appearance on Sonoma County billboards 50 years ago, and has been delighting locals with her puns ever since. Slowing things down a bit, guest can enjoy the Spring Antique Faire on Sun, April 28, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. along the shutdown streets of downtown Petaluma. We always come across interesting finds at this event, and always enjoy the great food and drink offered by vendors along the route. For more info, visit petalumadowntown.com.
Lee was a volunteer fireman for fifty years, and remembers the sound of the fire siren calling volunteers to Penngrove Fire Station. He is a member of Penngrove Social Firemen, where he pitches in on cooking the deep pit BBQ for the July 4th Celebrations.
Now you know the tall cowboy in town: Lee Brians. Say hello.
Good Eggs
Congratulations to this year’s Good Eggs: historian and author John Sheehy of Penngrove and photographer Scott Hess of Petaluma. The “double yolks” were selected for the honor after publishing their book, a pictorial and history of Petaluma: “On a River Winding Home”. Their stories unite the community’s sense of itself, especially when Petaluma is going through the sort of rapid changes in development and demographics we have been witnessing.
32 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 4/19