Smith: One of the Sonoma Plaza’s brightest lights will be Grace Anne

Saturday’s square lighting in Sonoma, free Saturday morning movies and the big garage “non-sale” in Santa Rosa.|

Expect many Ah! moments Saturday evening in Sonoma, when song and hot cocoa and communal, post-disaster merriment accompany the for-the-holidays lighting of the town plaza.

The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. and will include performances by the aptly named Transcendence Theatre Company. One of its musical selections will be 'Silent Night' and will feature, as a cappella soloist, 10-year-old Grace Anne Doyle.

The child, who fell in love with Transcendence at a performance a couple of years ago, has been through a lot.

Grace Anne has cerebral palsy and in early August underwent corrective leg surgery that I think I'd better not describe. Afterward she was confined for weeks within a cast that covered both legs and connected them with a bar.

Grace Anne wasn't out of it long when the Tubbs fire destroyed her family's home northeast of Santa Rosa.

Ask her how she's doing and she lights up and says she can't wait to sing with Transcendence Theatre on Saturday night.

.....

WHY WATCH CARTOONS when you can take in a free movie on Saturday mornings?

Starting this week at the Tocchini clan's 3rd Street Cinemas in downtown Santa Rosa, a family-friendly film will be shown for free at 11 a.m.

Saturday's feature: The LEGO Ninjago Movie.

The Tocchinis are thinking with all that's going on, this is a good time for family outings that don't cost anything. Through January, tickets to a featured film will be given away free, first come, first served.

Paired with the movie will be a complimentary small bag of popcorn.

.....

THE GARAGE NON-SALE that happens Saturday could be huge, even historic.

The concept by Diane Madero and a company of supporters, you may recall, is for people who lost their homes to the fires to go to houses where all manner of furnishings and personal items are displayed on the driveway or lawn or sidewalk, and take what they need. For free.

It's set to start at 9 a.m. on Saturday. It goes without saying that anyone who is not a fire victim but helps himself anyway will be tormented eternally by the knowledge of what he has stolen from people struggling with great crisis.

Madero and everyone who has collected household essentials for Saturday's giveaway encourages us to spread the word to the people we know who lost their homes.

Here's a list of the locations of garage non-sales. Even if there's no street address, folks shouldn't have trouble finding the goods.

ALL OF THESE STREETS are in Santa Rosa, unless otherwise noted:

Alderbrook Drive, off Sonoma Avenue.

Arista Lane near Pascal Street.

Baja Court, off Monte Verde Drive.

Beaver Street.

Benton Street, between Glenn and Morgan.

Bonnie Lane, off Bonita Vista.

California Avenue near Parker Drive.

Casa de Arroyo Drive, off Casa Grande Drive in Petaluma.

Clark Street.

Crest Drive, off Franklin Avenue.

Evergreen Road, off Creekside Road.

Fir Drive, off Creekside Road.

Fitzpatrick Court, off Chanate Road.

Grand Avenue, near Milton Street.

3524 Hacienda Drive, off Jacqueline Drive.

Hemlock Street, off Dogwood Drive near Coffey Park.

Jack London Drive near Hansen Drive.

Jean Drive, off Montgomery Drive.

Kawana Springs Road near Colgan Park

Kieran Court, off Newanga Avenue.

Lomitas Ave and Lomitas Lane.

423 Lomitas Flats.

Loretta Way and Mary St. in the mobile home park near Piner Road and Range Avenue.

912 Louisa Court.

Lurline Way, off Hacienda Drive and Jacqueline Drive.

Marigold Lane, off Firelight Drive.

2029 Midway Dr.

696 Natalie Dr., in Windsor.

Northstar Drive, off Sonoma Mountain Parkway in Petaluma

Orchard Street, off Spencer Avenue.

Piner Road at Pioneer Way.

Poppy Street, off Franklin Avenue.

Princeton Drive, off Yulupa Avenue.

Putney Dr, off West College Avenue.

Rick Drive, off Badger Road.

Robin Hood Lane, between Sherwood Drive and Shortt Road.

Siesta Lane, off Paloma Avenue.

Spencer Avenue, between North and Wright streets

Stewart Street, between Spencer and Pacific avenues.

303 Talbot Ave.

Vallejo Street, near Doyle Park.

Verbena Drive, off Honeysuckle Drive.

West Third Street, between Stoney Point Road and Dutton Avenue.

Westwood Drive, near Olive Avenue in Novato.

Wheeler Street, off S. E Street.

Yukon Drive, off Mission Boulevard.

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

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.