Page 31 - Sonoma County Gazette May 2020

Geyserville Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Resource Page
When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity. ~ John F. Kennedy
To keep up on what help is available for our area, the Geyserville Chamber of Commerce has created a special page putting many resources in one
spot, from shelter-in-place orders to help for businesses, seniors, and at-risk individuals - and even social media strategies to help prepare for when things go back to “normal”. You’ll find that there’s something on this page that is helpful for everyone, so give it a click at https://geyservillechamber.com/ covid-19-helpful-information/.
Cloverdale is “sheltering-in-place” which means staying at home except for essential excursions to the bank, grocery store or other necessary trips. And now, cloth face-coverings are mandatory for everyone who is in an indoor space, i.e. the grocery store or the bank (home not included), in an enclosed space of any kind, or an outdoor area where maintaining the six foot distance is not possible. It is smart to wash your hands frequently and hand sanitize handles of grocery carts, gas pump grips, car doors, etc.
Foodie Moments of the Month (and a Word on Saffron) Exploring the take-out options locally has provided a little variety. My top
Of course, the trick is to understand and acknowledge that this disease is something we cannot see or easily identify. You can have it and not know it. This is taking care of yourself and your community.
favorite is Diavola’s this month, where a to-go Dictator pizza and a glass jar holding “She-Devils” made for a pleasant meal slightly over six feet away from the next diner on my back porch.
The City is keeping in close touch with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and other City Council Members and Managers as well as tracking the League of Cities updates. It is minimizing the contact staff has in City Hall and the Police Station by reducing staff to the essential duties with others working from home.
One of Diavola’s signature cocktails, it’s based in part on a liqueur from an ancient Roman recipe containing saffron and other herbs. While we are all adhering to social distancing, masks, and hand-washing, saffron itself is supposed to be remarkably healthy!
Unfortunately, my own personal saffron-growing efforts here in Geyserville these past two years came to nought. While newly-bought bulbs will reliably bloom when planted the first year, it appears that we do not get hot enough here to give the bulbs enough summer heat for them to re-bloom the following fall. We ended up with lots of the stringy long foliage everywhere they were planted, but not a single flower, even from those in full sun. If anyone has some tips on successful saffron-growing here in Sonoma County, let me know.
Schools have switched to distance learning for the remainder of the year. Parks are closed along with many businesses. Some restaurants are takeout only; grocery stores are open as are hardware stores; and gas stations are still pumping. You can order materials from Bolt for doing those sewing projects that can fill time or making face coverings – make your requests 707-894-2658 or info@boltcloverdale.com.
Local food-to-go opportunities include:
The good news in all of this is that Sonoma County statistics (for those who are statistic nuts) are looking very good. Only .03% of the population in Sonoma County have been identified as having COVID-19, while the US is
at .2%. And, of those who have been identified, only 1% of those in Sonoma County have died, whereas, national deaths are at 5.4% and statewide at 3.7% as of this writing. By the way, California’s population is 12% of the nation meaning that California is doing very well and Sonoma County is doing even better. We strongly believe that these statistics are the result of the Bay area Counties and California being proactive with shelter-in-place, personal distancing, and, now, requiring cloth face coverings.
Catelli’s, 21047 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville
(707) 857-3471 - http://www.mycatellis.com/) Curbside pre-paid to-go dishes Wednesday - Sunday, Keep up with them is on their Facebook page
Diavola’s, 21021 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville
(707) 814-0111 - https://www.diavolapizzeria.com/
On-line ordering option and is processing take-out orders only from Noon until 8pm daily. Check their Facebook page for the latest updates.
So now, we are sitting at home reading, watching TV, and conducting as much interaction with others as possible via computer, phone, zoom, etc.
or learning how to connect in these new ways. Carol is also caring for her wife. Reece is quietly working on Library Commission things as her partner alternates between maintaining her everyday telework and working in the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Rustic at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville (707) 857-1445 - https://www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com
Take-put & delivery menu available daily noon to 4pm
Don’t forget quick foods to go from Geyserville Coffee Company,
Geyserville Market, and AJ’s Mini-Mart.
Loving the Labyrinth
Normalcy? Nothing seems normal. But, yesterday Reece and her partner prepared their garden beds, digging, turning soil, adding soil/compost, and planting flowers and veggies - tomatoes, onions, basil, thyme, sage, cucumbers, beets, peppers, zinnias, marigolds, etc. They had made an appointment at the Cloverdale Nursery 707-894-6654 https://www. cloverdalenursery.info, chosen their plants (wearing face coverings), and returned home for a day of peaceful labor.
In the quiet time here, I have been gaining a new appreciation of our ankh-shaped labyrinth for exercise. This was created by our foundress here at Isis Oasis, Loreon Vigne. Right now it’s filled to overflowing with spring wildflowers, some of which have unfortunately taken up residence in the paths of the labyrinth, but they are so pretty we don’t have the heart to pull them out while they are in flower.
The labyrinth takes about 99 steps to walk through in each direction,
or about 200 steps for a full circuit. The ankh is symetrical so there is a “right” arm of it and a “left” arm of it. As I walk through that portion of
it, I contemplate what is “right” for me and worth keeping as I go through that right arm, and what is better “left” and minimized or discarded as I go through the arm of the ankh on the left. The top loop is an opportunity to contemplate how both of these things go together.
A plug for the Library which both of us love! Go to the Library! You can get a card over the computer without leaving your home. Then, visit the Digital Library! https://sonomalibrary.org Usage has jumped enormously. Hoopla – e-books, movies, music, TV, comics, etc. - is up 786%; Kanopy - movies, e-books, etc. - increased 298%; Overdrive – e-books and audio books
Along our roadside, we also posted a purple sign reminding everyone about keeping good social distance. This was explained to me that if you keep the equivalent of a llama between you and the next person, that’s about right.
- 356%; and RBDigital - magazines both current and back issues - up an incredible 2434%. There is also Mango, a language learning platform; Lynda with software courses; Consumer Reports; New York Times; Ancestry.com.
So much, all from home! Stay home and stay safe!
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