Sonoma County reflections, April 18-24, 2022

Editor’s note: Each day, The Press Democrat publishes a short essay from one of our staff writers about life in the North Bay, along with a photo submitted by our readers. We compile them Sundays on pressdemocrat.com.

Want your image in the paper and on our website? Submit a photo describing who, what, where, when, author of the photo and where they live. Email JPEGs to pdsights@gmail.com. Low resolution images or photos without the information requested will not be selected.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Petaluma has come a long way

Sonoma County has many events, but Petaluma’s annual Butter & Egg Days parade is my favorite.

Petaluma has come a long way from its ag town days and having the world’s first chicken pharmacy.

It’s a bustling city that’s held onto its small town feel.

Lawn chairs line the streets of downtown the night before the parade as folks claim the best viewing spots. Parade day overflows with the joy of running into friends and neighbors on the street, cheering wildly at the floats (and waving to people you know on them).

It’s a beautiful community celebration of a town’s past, present and everything that makes living in Petaluma amazing.

— Yovanna Bieberich, The Press Democrat

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Stop and smell the fuel

Driving through Sonoma Valley late Thursday afternoon, I entered Oz — rainy darkness shrouding the landscape, a few isolated hills thrown into relief by honey-colored sunshine, and the vivid ends of a rainbow, poking out of a black cloud like roller disco-era leggings.

Mocking the calendar and a prolonged drought, the North Bay is greening up again. But this is 2022. Marveling at 3-foot tall grasses, I now see more than scenery. I see fuel.

Spring’s abundance will be autumn’s fire risk. That’s for another news cycle, I suppose. For now, I’m happy to be somewhere under the rainbow.

— Phil Barber, The Press Democrat

Friday, April 22, 2022

Progress toward skate park

Nicholas Koerner and the Valley of the Moon Park Riders Union has finalized a fundraising partnership with the Sonoma County Regional Parks and the Sonoma County Parks Foundation, in addition to finalizing the skate park’s design plans after a round of community input.

Koerner expects the renovation costs are between $200,000 and $250,000, but added that those numbers are preliminary. The money will be raised between Measure M funds, grants and donations to the Parks Foundation.

“Sometimes the skateboarding community can be underrepresented, but something such as a public skate park can be very essential to the youth in a community,” Koerner said.

— Chase Hunter, Sonoma Index-Tribune

Thursday, April 21, 2022

An extra special delivery

The favor was so outlandish I had to agree.

“So there is this bakery in Duncans Mills,” my friend in Arizona texted me, “and they have the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had.”

“Would you overnight me like three of them?”

I drove out to the Gold Coast Bakery the next morning, thinking I’d make her day, and bought one cinnamon roll to start out with as a sample for myself. It was chart-topping for me, too.

After wiping the frosting off my fingers, I strode over to the post office two doors down to buy a box. Standing in the darkened storefront, I realized it was Sunday.

— Matthew Pera, The Press Democrat

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Starting the night off on the right notes

Among the many highlights of the celebratory night marking the 33rd Community Youth Service Awards on April 12 was the soundtrack.

As hundreds of guests, many a little nervous with anticipation about the ceremony ahead, arrived and mingled in the lobby of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, the Elsie Allen High School Jazz Band set the mood right with their playing.

Under the direction of band teacher Efrain Nava, the band’s renditions of “Funky Town,” “La Bamba” and “James Bond Theme” were tremendous. As the welcome note for an evening that highlighted the inspiring volunteerism and activism among Sonoma County’s high school seniors, the lead-in couldn’t have been better.

— Kerry Benefield, The Press Democrat

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Fire results in long wait for doctor

When my husband and I arrived at a medical appointment the other day, we were shocked to find a fire truck and 30 patients and medical personnel outside.

An alarm was going off and no one could stop it. It turned out there had been a small fire on the second floor. Firefighters strode in and out. Patients had had to run out, some still in medical gowns. I pictured some kind of chemical fire or other catastrophe.

After about 1½ hours they issued an all-clear for the first floor only. The next day I found out the source of the fire: a toaster.

— Kathleen Coates, The Press Democrat

Monday, April 18, 2022

Letting go of stress at Helen Putnam

I renewed my Sonoma County Regional Parks pass last week. Despite living in Sonoma County for most of my life, it took a pandemic and social distancing orders for me to really get acquainted with the natural treasures that our region has to offer. Still, one of my favorite spots is one that I've long visited: Helen Putnam Regional Park. It offers gorgeous views of Petaluma from one end, and the rolling hills that surround it from the other. As I walk the trails that have become all too familiar, I feel my stress dissolve.

— Nashelly Chavez, The Press Democrat