Smith: Old Courthouse Square shines when we're all there

It's hard to argue with critics of the reunited and remade Old Courthouse Square who say that day in and day out, it's stark and bland and fairly uninviting.

But were you there for the rededication celebration, the Rose Parade or Ironman festivals, or the first few Wednesday Night Markets? The mended and leveled plaza works wonderfully when it's filled with people, music, food and popular attractions.

The new square is still young, a work in progress. No doubt it will fill out and become more appealing as a place to just sit or stroll or eat lunch.

Right now it's rather stony if we're there alone, but it rocks when we're there together.

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STARR RETIRES: The concluding 2016-17 academic year is bittersweet for several of our high schools. Some game-changing teachers are graduating to retirement.

One is Analy High's theater director, Starr Hergenrather. Perhaps you, too, recall last year's production of “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Sebastopol school and marvel still that the utterly astounding people evoking tears and laughter on the stage were teenagers.

That was just one of the productions Hergenrather directed over the past 16 years that demonstrated to the Analy kids what they're capable of, and blew audiences away.

Her students and her community will say thank-you and farewell to Hergenrather at a musical, theatrical retirement party Sunday afternoon.

Current and past Analy students will sing and act in tribute to her, Jim “Mr. Music” Corbett and the Love Choir will perform Beatles songs and the All-Star Karaoke Players will take on tunes from Broadway. Rounding out the cast of entertainers set to perform are master drummer Sahar, country-rock vocalist Lee Vandeveer and singer-songwriter Kym Trippsmith.

It happens from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Sebastopol Community Center. Donations made at the door will benefit, of course, Analy Theater Arts.

Hosts of the celebration of Hergenrather's career invite guests to bring fresh-cut flowers from their gardens and some baked goodies to share.

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ANWAR'S CAMARO: Six-year-old Anwar Jabbar would be supercharged for us all to come to the Classic Car Show & Cruise in Sebastopol on Saturday and see his choicely restored 1968 Chevy Camaro.

OK, the kid from Rincon Valley doesn't yet own the car, though the custom plates read ANWRS68. His dad, Nezar, tells him he'll get the pink slip if and when he completes college.

The Camaro, black with white rally stripes, was previously owned by an uncle of Anwar who died young. The boy was named for his Uncle Anwar, and his family's plan is for the car to go to him when the time is right.

In the meantime, his dad figures he's got about 16 years to enjoy and pamper the Camaro before turning it over. It'll be in good company at the car show that the Sebastopol Area Senior Center will host from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at O'Reilly Media.

Anwar will be there with his father and also his grandfather, Ralph Harmon, who'll show his weathered and worn but faithful 1954 GMC pickup.

Harmon is in no hurry for his grandson to grow into his Camaro.

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