Page 41 - Sonoma County Gazette October 2018

The Bodega Country Store is back!
After a whirlwind visit to the land of my ancestors, Scotland, my granddaughter and I returned home with many memories and a greater understanding of the background of our ancestors. Our only problem was getting across the Golden Gate in time to catch an 8 a.m. flight. We loved the royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. What a performance (even if it did rain).
After its 18-month hiatus, Ariel Coddington has taken over our beloved store. She is the sole-proprietress and has been running the place on her own day in and day out since the soft opening on September 1st. She is a kind and gentle Israeli who would love to meet each of you. This is her seventh year
in California and second year here in quaint little Bodega, which she loves.
My granddaughter’s family is from the Stewart clan; mine is from the Grahams. We leaned about the rules of the clans and the conflicts and agreements between them. We spent nearly a full day in Culloden, which is basically where the Scots suffered their biggest defeat and thereafter could not legally wear the tartans or promote their clans. This was a very touching battleground. Never before have I visited a battle site where the soldiers (clansmen, here) were buried right where they fell. It was illustrative to see the epitaphs and be able to find the Grahams who fell trying to protect the Stewarts and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Even today the groundskeepers said
the place and been working through the terribly long permitting procedures. She is grateful to have received help and support from the county and health department in this regard. They have granted mercy so that the beer and wine license is only months away. Come next spring, there will also be a kosher deli - offering sandwiches, salads, soup and chili.
Coddington’s main goals are to have superior quality, local products at affordable prices. She aims to be what neighbors and customers want, offering things that she would buy herself. She focuses on great quality food staples, beverages and snacks along with eco-friendly cleaning products and household supplies. There’s great variety all around. She decorated with squash from the Heirloom Expo, offers produce from Andy’s and meats from Panizzera and Freestone Ranch.
But closer to home, it is one world when we come to fighting fires. When there is a public event, we should all try to spend time at the Bodega Bay Fire Station to learn more about fires, and what we can do to fight them. One of the best things about MACs is that they can work to support individual programs, like our fire department. There is one program that unites almost all of us; support for the Fire Department and the Bodega Bay Fire Department. We buy their pancakes; we work with them on their presentation at Fish Fest; we sell their tee shirts and sweat shirts. We like them...Thanks for all they do.
You all are encouraged to “come over” and see what you like. Our new store- operator is happy to be gradually figuring it out as she goes - week by week. She reported that the easy part was the technicality of putting the physical bits and pieces together. At the shop’s soft opening, it didn’t quite appear open and people weren’t even aware of it. Hopefully by word of mouth, neighbors will flow through and visitors will stop in.
The store has a very bright, open feel. Coddington says “The Birds moved out” as there is no longer a Hitchcock museum, the only birds you’ll find are outside. The goal is to serve the local community, not just seasonal tourists. As for the empty walls, she wants to feature art of the nearby area - it will come. She’ll “mix it up and see what comes.” I can’t wait to see what develops.
This brings up the Grange. We are lucky to have the funds to provide a new surface to our parking lot. The new asphalt is a wonderful addition. Almost every day some group is using the Grange. What most people realize is that
it costs $1500 per month to keep up the building. Each time you support one of the activities in this building which has become a true community hall,
The store structure has been there since 1854. The original owner was McCaughey, who donated the old fire hall across the way. Then the late Milt Cunningham ran the general store for many years. Helen and Joe Bonfigli took over and birthed the Bodega Country Store itself in 1985, who later passed it on to their son Tom, the building owner. It has a long-standing legacy, which we are glad to see continue. Since Coddington is not the most internet-savvy, all the information you find when googling the store, refers to the old business. Bear with her as she navigates the online platforms.
you help keep it up. Some of the most active programs (not including our annual crab cioppino) are the flea market, the food pantry through the Waves of Compassion or the Sanctuary of the Heart Ministry. On Friday nights the youth get together to eat and play games, and share some Christian fellowship. This group, including many of Hispanic background, started as a program at the Bodega Bay Church. They continue their fellowsip and shared friendships because of the work of Christian adults like Maggie, Naomi and Reuben. They foster a happy sharing of friendship and Christian outreach.
Once the bureaucratic waiting game is over and the beer and
wine license is approved, there will be a big grand opening party. 17190 Bodega Hwy, Bodega, CA. She is prepared with amazing local beer and wine offerings. Stay tuned and call her anytime (707)377-4080. Feel free to offer comments, feedback and suggestions. Store hours for now are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days.
We are lucky to live in such a pro-active community, where everybody pitches in to make it a better place to live and where we can reach out to include those who might not have other venues.
So far she’s had great experiences meeting everybody
- most neighbors
are personable and happy to have the store back. The community really came together for her, bringing signs to display in front and attract others.
if John Graham had not been killed the end results might have been better.
The site was much visited and many momentos of the families were still in evidence. What was most interesting to us was the hostilities that remain to
this day against some of the clans who had fought among themselves. The Campbell clan was the most affluent and powerful during this period (Agyle) but the other clans are quick to remind you that they violated the most basic of standards of honor. They invited the MacDonalds to dinner (they were hostile to each other). and then poisoned them. Apparently it is o.k. to kill an opponent in battle but never to violate the unwritten rules of co-existence by appearing to be gracious and violating the rules of hospitality.
In mid-2017, Coddington began the switch-over process from the previous shop, has since renovated
We learned a lot about our ancestors, too. The Scots were feisty (and some would say this attribute followed them to this country) hard working and God- fearing people. They are still proud of their ancestry and when a visitor tells them they are from America they all have cousins, nephews or even children who have come to America. Unlike my travels in the Middle East and other places, there was no hostility when you stopped someone on the street to ask directions (maybe it was because we speak the same language). Everyplace
we went people offered to walk with us to find what we were looking for and offered advice about routes and almost everybody had a brother in California or a nephew in New York. The only negative comments came about our present President’s handling of immigrants, and especially separating children from their parents. It truly is one world these days.
Now if we could just get someone to learn to play the bag pipes.
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