Chris Smith: Graton sees (road) signs of Mueller and Hicks

In a lovely tradition, Bill Howley and his wife, Cindi, drive to downtown Graton and to Underwood Bar and Bistro for lunch once every week.

This last time, Bill did a ?double-take as he and Cindi passed Mueller Road and, a second later, Hicks Road.

Hicks and Mueller! The names of the adjacent country lanes off of Graton Road didn’t mean anything until, amid the probe by special counsel Robert Mueller, White House communications Hope Hicks resigned just after testifying that she sometimes told white lies for President Trump.

Bill observes that there in Graton, Mueller and Hicks “are pretty darn close but don’t come together.”

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MUSIC LOVERS MIGHT like to know that on April 20, Guitar Player magazine will host at the Luther Burbank Center a fire-relief concert and guitar giveaway.

Money raised at the “Play It Forward” concert will go to the LBC and the Creative Sonoma Recovery Fund and to musicians who lost their instruments to the October fires.

Confirmed to perform, so far, are Jennifer Batten, who accompanied Michael Jackson and Jeff Beck, and Andy Timmons and Mimi Fox. Local acts will take the stage, too.

And how’s this: guitarists whose guitars burned can go onto guitarplayer.com/contest/norcal-guitar-giveaway to register for a chance to receive a free, new guitar at the concert.

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WHAT A SHAME, amid the continuing quest by animal lovers to rescue cats scattered by the fires, that someone stole the pop-up shelter in Larkfield that bore photos of found cats.

“This little kiosk wasn’t much,” said volunteer Suzanne Calloway, “but it was a beacon of hope in our devastated community.” She vows the theft won’t stop the work.

“The cats are still out there.”

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FOR LITTLE PEEPS: If you’ve got young children or grandchildren, or you could just use a smile, head over to Easter Egg Lane in Santa Rosa.

Once again, neighbors on courts near Yulupa Avenue and Bethards Drive have bedecked their yards with colored eggs in the trees and the bushes and everywhere, and all manner of charming cut-out bunnies and other characters, and pinwheel flowers and this and that.

To drive or stroll through, set your GPS to Barona Place. It runs off of Creekside Road, a short hop west of Bethards.

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IN THE RUNNING: Jerry Caine laced up his running shoes here recently and hit the pavement in Rincon Valley for the 10,000th day in a row.

How many years is that? My calculation is about 271/2, but you should check it.

A 68-year-old high school history teacher working now as a sub, Jerry figures that most weeks he averages 60 miles, which means that since his streak began he has run more than 80,000 miles.

His research tells his ?10,000 unbroken days of running is the eighth-longest streak in the state, 71st longest in America.

Jerry aspires to keep breathing and running long enough to become the oldest person to finish the Santa Rosa Marathon. The current record: age 101.

Why does Jerry run?

“I have been blessed with the ability to run not fast, but long,” he replies. “When I run so and exercise this gift I feel the pleasure of the one who has given it to me.”

You can reach Staff Writer Chris Smith is at 707-521-5211 or chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.