A big crowd expected at farewell to Felt

As Mark Felt's daughter and other relatives prepare for Friday's celebration of his life, they're also pondering some sort of lasting local memorial to the keeper of one of modern America's greatest political secrets.

Hundreds of people are expected at the service at 3 p.m. at the Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave. The best place to park is probably the city garage on Seventh Street.

Felt, who lived in Santa Rosa the past two decades and died Dec. 18 at age 95, was deputy director of the FBI when he helped the Washington Post's Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein trace the 1972 Watergate burglary to the Nixon White House.

Friday's crowd will include present and past FBI officials as well as politicians, journalists, even some moviemakers considering a film on the secret source known for 30 years only as "Deep Throat."

Felt's daughter, Joan, said there's a good deal of interest in creating a memorial that will honor her father's service to his country and his connection to Sonoma County.

She said donations to such a memorial and to Friday's service may be sent to the W. Mark Felt Memorial Fund, c/o John D. O'Connor, 1 Embarcadero Center, Suite 1020, San Francisco 94111.

Joan Felt said a sculpture or other monument may be placed at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park in Sebastopol, where her father's ashes will be interred, or perhaps at some pleasant spot in Santa Rosa.

THOSE CYCLISTS! Several suited-up bicycle riders enjoyed refreshments at Graton's Willow Wood Market Cafe days ago when a silver-haired woman approached their table.

Uh-oh, thought the pedalers, part of a group of Santa Rosa Cycling Club members who set out on a 100-mile ride that day. They braced for a complaint about the behavior of cyclists on country roads.

Surprise. Mona Thompson, 76, burst with gratitude as she told the cyclists what several members of their club did for her early that day.

Mona, an interior designer, related that she and her husband, Robert Innes, a copper lamp maker and retired astronomer, had driven their Prius to Freestone that morning to deliver a lamp.

They dropped it off at a country home. As Mona was backing down the slick, steep driveway, the car slid to the edge of a culvert. She was terrified to move even an inch more.

"I was panic-struck because there's no cell service out there," she said. Embarrassed but short of other options, she walked down to Bohemian Highway to try to wave down some help.

Mona said several drivers already had ignored her when she spotted a clutch of cyclists. They glided by, then braked and pedaled back.

As many of them as would fit behind the Prius then pushed it away from the culvert and onto a level spot. Mona felt saved by angels on skinny tires.

EXPECT DIRTY FINGERNAILS in Rohnert Park as all the optimists in the city begin to plant 24,000 bulbs that come March or April will become daffodils.

"The whole town is involved," said mailman Bob Thompson, who instigated the mass planting along with Kathy Chism of Dream One World (www.dreamoneworld.org).

Partners in the community beautification effort include the Chamber of Commerce, Graton Rancheria and city Public Works.

The 2,000-dozen daffodil bulbs arrived days ago from Holland. City workers and volunteers in the Rejuvenate Rohnert Park project will scatter them throughout the city, cover them with topsoil and then, for good measure, toss about some poppy seeds.

"It'll be very cool in the spring," said Jerry Griffin, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Here's hoping that by spring, not only Rohnert Park but all the world will be looking much better.

Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.