Golis: Ready or not, our annual news junkies quiz

Hoping for the best, we welcome a new year, and say hello to the annual Press Democrat Quiz for News Junkies.

You know the rules. Place your books under your desk. No texting, tweeting or trolling. You are welcome to use a calculator and slide rule (but good luck with finding a math problem).

If you’re tempted to peek at your neighbor’s answers, go ahead. (These days, there’s enough stress in our lives without sweating over a dumb test.)

You may begin.

1. Santa Rosa city planner Shari Meads explained, “We’re trying to make everybody happy, which is probably impossible here.” What’s the subject that leaves people so angry and divided?

A. Masks required in all public meetings.

B. Masks and proof of vaccination required in all public meetings.

C. Short-term rentals.

D. A resolution endorsing Joe Biden for president.

2. True or false, in developing a revised water conservation plan, the Petaluma City Council debated the merits of bathtubs.

3. A local high school hired a New York law firm to investigate allegations against former teachers at the school. Name the school.

4. Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, is leading opposition to a proposed train service on the North Coast. What is this train supposed to carry?

A. Timber workers.

B. Coal.

C. High-grade cannabis.

D. Tourists.

5. The Codding family in 2021 sold the Montgomery Village Shopping Center. Within five years, tell us how many years the family owned the shopping center.

6. Highway 37 in southern Sonoma County belongs on the shortlist of the most congested highways in the Bay Area. As transportation planners consider improvements to the highway, what special concern dominates their conversations?

7. A local official said, “I’m not worried about downtown Santa Rosa. It’s strong enough, it’s organized enough … I’m worried about those that don’t have the ability to defend themselves.” Who is this local official and what was he talking about?

8. Rohnert Park debated a controversial ban on this material. What is it?

A. Coal.

B. High-grade cannabis.

C. Fireworks.

D. Natural gas in new homes.

9. Who told the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors “just because it’s in your legal power to do so doesn’t make it right”?

10. Giants catcher Buster Posey announced his retirement and then won an award. What was the award?

11. True or false, in September, District Attorney Jill Ravitch survived a recall election with support from developer and bank chairman Bill Gallaher.

12. People who signed up for COVID vaccinations in Rohnert Park were later told to stay home. Why?

A. The sponsors ran out of vaccine.

B. State and county governments disagreed on the age criteria for vaccine recipients.

C. The clinic was canceled for lack of interest.

D. Officials feared protests by anti-vaxxers.

13. The San Francisco Giants set a team record for wins in the regular season. Exactly how many regular season games did the Giants win?

14. True or false, as measured by median age, Santa Rosa is the third oldest city in the Bay Area.

15. Why wouldn’t you invite Supervisor Lynda Hopkins and Sheriff Mark Essick to the same party?

16. As 2021 drew to a close, extra attention was given to who was vaccinated and who wasn’t. Within 5%, tell us the percentage of Sonoma County residents who have received two shots of vaccine and the booster.

17. What was the name of the Windsor mayor who resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct and assault?

18. True or false, the public high school in Sebastopol is named Analy High School.

19. As the drought stretched into a second summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Californians to reduce their water use by 15%. In August, state residents responded by reducing water conservation by this amount:

A. 25%.

B. 20%.

C. 15%.

D. 5%.

20. What was the median price of a single-family home in Sonoma County in October?

A. $550,000.

B. $750,000.

C. $950,000.

D. None of the above.

21. The gift that keeps on giving. True or false, after years of turmoil, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors came close to selling the former Sutter Hospital site, but the board changed its mind after The Press Democrat reported complaints from the Las Vegas tenants of the would-be buyer, developer Eddie Haddad.

Answers

1. Shari Meads was talking about the Santa Rosa City Council’s efforts to regulate short-term rentals. In simple terms, owners of rental properties don’t want any regulation, and neighbors don’t want any short-term rentals.

2. False. The Petaluma City Council debated the merits of bathtubs as outdoor art. In September, the council asked the Petaluma Public Art Committee to come up with a new location for the art project, which would feature claw-foot bathtubs on stilts.

3. The elite, private high school, Sonoma Academy, hired the law firm to investigate allegations of abuse and inappropriate behavior. The school response came after a Press Democrat investigation in June.

4. The answer is B. Coal interests in Utah and Montana — McGuire calls them “big coal” — hatched the bright idea that they could ship coal to Humboldt Bay for export to China. One can only say good luck with that. North of Willits, the rail line has always been subject to washouts in the Eel River Canyon, which is why a train hasn’t passed that way in 23 years. It’s estimated it would cost $1 billion to restore the rail line, not counting the annual maintenance costs. Also, people in California hate the idea, which is why plans are in place to transform the rail line into a trail.

5. The late Hugh Codding presided over the construction of the shopping center, which opened 72 years ago.

6. As climate change generates rising sea levels, the concern is that the highway could soon be under water, a condition that won’t make auto travel any easier.

7. Santa Rosa City Councilman Eddie Alvarez said it. He was endorsing a redistricting plan that would add his Roseland neighborhood to the 3rd Supervisorial District, a change he said would strengthen the voice of his Latino constituents. Downtown Santa Rosa, he said, would be OK even if it was divided among other districts.

8. The answer is C. Fireworks, which has remained a hot issue — sorry — because the sale of same became an important source of revenue for local nonprofits. Voters in 2021 decided to ratify a ban on so-called safe-and-sane fireworks.

9. Community organizer Zahyra Garcia of Petaluma was questioning the Board of Supervisors’ decision to reject the plan submitted by the board’s redistricting committee.

10. Buster Posey was chosen the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year. In what became his final season, he hit .304 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs. The Giants wanted to pay him $22 million to stick around for another year.

11. False. Developer and bank chairman Bill Gallaher was the principal backer of the unsuccessful recall effort.

12. The answer is B. The state and county didn’t agree on what was then the minimum age requirement for vaccine recipients. More than 9,000 people had their appointments canceled, and they were none too happy about it.

13. The Giants won 107 regular season games, 19 more games than the Atlanta Braves, who would go on to win the World Series.

14. True. According to data compiled by the San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Rosa — median age 38.8 years — trails only Daly City, 39.9, and Concord, 38.9 among the region’s 15 largest cities. Over the past 12 years, they also happen to be the slowest growing cities in the region.

15. In April, it was revealed that Supervisor Hopkins filed a formal complaint against Sheriff Essick, accusing him of harassment and bullying during a phone conversation that occurred the previous August. An investigation followed, but the findings remain secret while an appeals court weighs the sheriff’s bid to block their release. In September, Essick announced that he would be leaving office when his term ends.

16. On Dec. 17, public health officials said 30% of Sonoma County residents and 57% of residents over 50 had received a booster shot. Last week, health officials said all emergency workers and school employees will be required to have the booster or take twice-weekly tests.

17. Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli announced his resignation in May. His announcement came after six weeks of widespread demand for his resignation from politicians and from Windsor residents.

18. This is, technically, false. The school is currently named West County High School, but it’s scheduled to return to its previous name, Analy High School, later this year. This follows the bitter controversy over the decision to close El Molino High School for budgetary reasons.

19. As compared to water consumption in the same month in 2020, Californians reduced water consumption by a disappointing 5% in August and only 1.8% in July.

20. The answer is B. The median price of a Sonoma County home in October was $750,000, which is $115,000 more than it was at the end of 2019.

21. False. Grateful to be done with the aggravation, the Board of Supervisors went ahead and sold the former hospital property for $15.05 million.

Pete Golis is a columnist for The Press Democrat. Email him at golispd@gmail.com.

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.