Page 31 - Sonoma County Gazette - January 2020

WHAT A HOLIDAY LIGHTS PARADE! Penngrove Social Firemen’s Holiday Lights Parade was over the top! A huge thank you to Kim Hanson (PSF Board member and owner of JavAmore Cafe) for organizing this amazing spectacle. There was even a Grinch. Don’t miss it next year! The 55 entries outdid themselves. There was an influx of huge trucks, and a combine. Someone found a set of keys near the SMART tracks and turned them into Burr Wilson (parade monitor). Kim’s daughter posted it on FB and someone saw it, who in turn relayed to her friend who’d lost her keys. Talk about a needle in a haystack. Penngrove Market had everyone clamoring for hot chocolate. There were Shout-out of thanks to Sonoma County Supervisor Rabbitt, and the county Public Works staff for pulling together with staging this informal parade. It was an exciting evening for many hundreds of residents, visitors, and their little ones (who saw Santa Claus).
SPEAKING OF SMART: Last month I gave an update on the Quad gate installation, and now that they’re working, be aware of changed conditions. The arms at Woodward Ave. and Main are gone, thank goodness! Many a vehicle got a roof–bashing while waiting to turn onto Main Street. Now, arms block off the tracks on Main St., in both directions. What hasn’t changed: speed limit is still 25 mph. Thank you, locals and pass-through drivers for slowing it down through our little ‘burg.
NEW BUILD IN TOWN: You’ll see chain-link fencing around the lot next to Penngrove Pub on Main Street, soon to be a two-story building. It will have retail commercial (non-food) on the first floor and a residence on the second floor, with on-site parking for both uses, and a private deck for the residence. The owner is physicist Dr. Singh Himansu of Canon Manor, and the architect is Brent Russell of Petaluma. The project is within the boundaries of the Penngrove Area Plan, is subject to the Main Street Design Guidelines, and required a use permit and Design Review Committee review for consistency with the Main Street Design Guidelines.
Kicking off the New Year, The Petaluma Museum presents its opening event of “Beethoven 2020”, a year-long celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday on Sunday, January 12 at 4 p.m. The Trinity Alps Chamber Players (TrinityAlpsCMF.org) will bring Beethoven to life with “First and Last Words”, which will include Beethoven’s First Piano Sonata, Op. 2, No.1, alongside his final work for piano, the Six Bagatelles, Op. 126 and his last major composition, the String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135. Tickets are only $25 for general, $40 for balcony (with special drink service), and students are free.
The 2020 Petaluma Crab Feed Season is Here! The commercial crab season has finally opened up in Sonoma County, which is great news for those that enjoy Dungeness Crab as part of their holiday dining tradition. This also means the Crab Feed season is upon us, which means weekend evenings filled with all-you-can-eat crab feeds throughout the Petaluma area, all helping to raise funds for local non-profits and schools.
A big thank you to Supervisor David Rabbitt, for his advocacy to upgrade the rail crossing. Thanks for your help, Senator Mike Thompson, who was actively in our corner. The fact is that the safety improvements came from the ad hoc group called the “Citizen’s Organization Of Penngrove” or “COOP-ers” -- a group of opposites in many ways that became a strong unit that was not to be denied. We locals had to be vocal, creative, and down-right pains in the a** and push the rock of Sisyphus along an uphill track. Act locally!
1. Nicasio Parlor #183 (Native Sons of the Golden West): Fri, Jan 10 @Hermann Sons Hall. Reservation deadline is Jan 7. $50 advance; $55 at the door. Call Larry (707) 486-6897.
COMING EVENTS
10. Sons and Daughters of Italy (Cesare Battisti Lodge #1518): Sat, Feb 8 @Lucchesi Park Clubhouse. $50. Reservations required by Advance tickets only must be purchased by Jan 26. Call Ernie (707) 585-2928.
Jan. 11 – The Italian Night benefit dinner is generating a lot of buzz.
Penngrove Social Firemen will serve up the beloved Little Hills chicken recipe, a famous dish from Petaluma’s defunct old-time Petaluma Little Hills restaurant. The hallowed spot was at 108 Petaluma Blvd. North, near Western Ave. (present-day Vicky’s Secret shop). You can tell who’s old-time from tantalized taste bud memories that linger all over town. The menu also includes pork scaloppini, ravioli, salad, French bread plus a healthy serving of accordion music by Tony Mustaro. The $25 tickets sell out, so buy them in advance from JavAmore Café or online from www.ItalianNightPenngrove@ brownpapertickets.com Ticket info: Kim Hanson, (707) 794-1516.
11. Shoreline Acres Preschool: Sat, Feb. 15 @Tomales Town Hall (27150 Maine St., Tomales.) $50 adults & drivethru, $25 kids. Two seatings – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 7 to 9:00 p.m. shorelineacrespreschool@gmail.com.
Social hour is at 5:30 pm; dinner is served at 7:00 pm at Penngrove Community Clubhouse, 385 Woodward Ave. Proceeds benefit improvements for the non-profit’s Penngrove Park and Clubhouse. Both properties are enjoyed by our community for celebrations and events.
14. Elks Lodge: Fri, Feb 21 @Elks Lodge. $55. www.elks901.org
15. Petaluma Boys & Girls Club: Sat, Feb 15 @ Clubhouse in Windsor. $80. bgccsc.org 16. Rotary Club of Petaluma: Fri, Feb 28 @Petaluma Vets Hall. $65. petalumarotary.org 17. Waugh School: Sat, Feb 29 @Herzog Hall. $70. wise4waugh.org/crabfeed/
Jan 25 – Crab Feed for Rancho Adobe Firefighters Assoc. at 6pm at Penngrove Community Clubhouse. $60 per person. All you can eat crab, salad and bread. No pasta fillers. Drinks, music, and dance. A few tickets are still available at the RAFD station, Penngrove. Mark your calendar for Feb. 15 – Crab Feed presented by Penngrove Social Firemen, $50.
For those looking for more regular crab “feeds”, Petaluma restaurants running special dishes crab dishes include Fantasy Restaurant Petaluma with both salt & pepper and ginger & scallion style specials, Rosen’s 256 North with an incredible Cioppino (“with Clams, mussels, prawns day boat scallops, in a spice tomato sauce over angel hair topped with a fresh 1/2 of Dungeness crab.”) Petaluma Market and Anna’s Seafood are both great places to pick up fresh local Dungees.
2020 CRAB FEEDS!!!Although several of Petaluma’s crab feed fundraisers have already cleared their tables, here are Petaluma’s 2020 Dungeness Crab Feeds in chronological order. More info can be found on the web and on social media such as Facebook, or by contacting the folks listed.
2. Senhor Santo Cristo Society's Portuguese Crab Feed: Sat, Jan 11 @Petaluma Holy Ghost/Portuguese Hall. $55 ($25 for kids 6-12 years old.) Cindy 707-762-8521.
3. Bases Loaded West Coast: Sat, Jan 18 @431 Payran Street. $75. basesloadedwestcoast.net
4. Petaluma 7-11 Lions Club, Sat, Jan 18 @Petaluma Veterans Hall. $50. brownpapertickets.com or Ron (707-763-0564) or John (707-765-1245.)
5. Duhnam School: Sat, Jan 25 @Hermann Sons Hall. $55. dunhamsd.org
6. Marin Sonoma Italian Club: Sat, Jan 25 @Petaluma Holy Ghost/Portuguese Hall. $45 (kids 12 & under are free.) Tickets must be purchased by Jan 15 from Judy (707)
481-4514.
7. Rancho Adobe Firefighters' Association: Sat, Jan 25 @Penngrove Community Clubhouse. $60. Tickets are available at the Penngrove Fire Station.
8. Petaluma Woman’s Club: Fri, Jan 31 @Petaluma Woman’s Club. petalumawomansclub.com.
9. Pacific Empire Chorus: Sat, Feb 1 @Petaluma Vets Hall. $55 advance ($20 for kids 10 and under); $65 at the door. www.pacificempire.org.
12. Penngrove Social Firemen, Sat, Feb 15 @Penngrove Community Clubhouse. $50. penngrovesocialfiremen.org.
13. Petaluma Holy Ghost Society, Sat, Feb 15 @Petaluma Holy Ghost/Portuguese Hall. $50. Mary (707) 762-4995.
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