Chris Smith: Even in Santa Rosa, a Xebra is as rare as a zebra

Ever drive a Xebra? Have you ever even seen one?

A Xebra is a rarity: a tiny, three-wheeled,?electric-powered half-car, half-motorcycle sold briefly a decade ago by ZAP (for zero air pollution), the former eco-vehicle company of Santa Rosa.

Ginny Medeiros, a local whose passions include dogs and electric cars, owns a 2006 ZAP Xebra pickup that she’s about to part with. She’ll put it up for auction at Saturday’s Paws for Bingo fundraiser.

Ginny will tell you straight up that the Chinese-made Xebra, which theoretically can accelerate to 40 mph and under ideal circumstances has a range before recharge of maybe 20 miles, is not a paragon of practical, reliable transportation.

But she believes hers is a piece of Santa Rosa history and would be perfect for a company or family to use in a display or special event or perhaps as a piece of static art similar to the Peanuts statues.

Ginny hopes to get several hundred dollars or more when her Xebra is sold at auction Saturday afternoon at the benefit bingo fest at the Center for Spiritual Living. Paws for Bingo is sold out, but anyone keen to bid for the Xebra can come in just before 3 p.m. The opening bid will be $420.

Ginny will donate every dollar paid to the Humane Society of Sonoma County and Dogwood Animal Rescue Project.

If you think you have a perfect home for the Xebra but can’t make it on Saturday, give Ginny a shoutout at ginny@whatisnormal.tv.

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THE GRIEF the firestorms brought to Santa Rosa artist Hillary Rose Miller led her to take up her pastels and paint something that might bring a smile, if only to herself.

The painting she created has Snoopy standing near the intact Fountaingrove Round Barn and a sign that bears a firefighter’s helmet, a cluster of grapes and the words, “Sonoma County Strong.” Woodstock and his yellow-feathered friends wield paint brushes and stand in a stack upon Snoopy’s head.

Hillary named the piece, “We Stand Taller Together.” She didn’t intend to do anything commercial with it, but when she shared it on Facebook she was inundated with requests for a copy.

So she asked Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, the licensing agency run by Jeannie Schulz, for permission to sell the painting as posters, with all proceeds going to fire relief. Very seldom does Jeannie and Creative Associates allow anyone to make commercial use of “Peanuts” images not created by Sparky Schulz.

But they said OK to Hillary.

Accent Printing created 11-by-17 posters at no cost to Hillary, who sells them for $20. It astounds her that sales have produced more than $21,000 for the North Bay Fire Relief Fund.

The artist will sell and sign her posters from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Snoopy’s Gallery & Gift Shop, next door to the ice arena that Schulz built.

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THANKS TO PAT: Coming together in Montgomery Village on Wednesday evening is a chance to thank KSRO news anchor Pat Kerrigan and the radio station for their superb, tireless coverage of the firestorms.

All are welcomed to a community celebration at 7 p.m. at Presbyterian Church of the Roses. In addition to Pat, the gathering will honor musician Buzzy Martin for all he’s done to cheer and entertain displaced and homeless people.

Chris Smith is at 707-521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.