Mark Your Calendar For These Upcoming Events & Special Exhibits

Upcoming 2015 Events

12_Mlle-Dembrowska-webop-275x4126/20: Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist exhibit – Get your tickets early for the various event dates as they are likely to sell out.

Peanut Winner of The 2014  World's Ugliest Dog Contest
Peanut Winner of The 2014 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest

 

 

 

6/24-28: Sonoma-Marin Fair – With a very impressive line up of FREE concerts featuring classic artists you won’t want to miss.

 

Wednesday, June 24th, Tower of PowerTower-of-Power-265x265

Thursday, June 25, The Beach BoysThe-Beach-Boys-2651-265x265

Friday, June 26, Rodney AtkinsRodney-Atkins-265x265

Saturday June 27, Tanya TuckerTanya-Tucker-265x265

Petaluma City Proclomation of Annual Bell Ringing7/4:    Annual Bell-Ringing Gather on the Museum front steps for a Helen Putnam tradition. Ring the Korbel Bell, afterwards enjoy cookies and lemonade. Boy Scout Troop 9 will perform flag ceremony. Proclamation read by Mayor/City Council Member. Ceremony starts at 10:30am Bell ringing at 11am

 

images7/4 – City Fireworks & Festivities – Every year the city of Petaluma puts on a great 4th of July fireworks show. $5 admission with free parking.  The show will once again be at the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds. Gates open at 5:00pm with fireworks starting at approximately 9:30pm. Lots of fun activities for kids and adults alike, along with amazing food and drinks. This year’s headlining band is the Killer Queens, an all-female Queen cover band! 175 Fairgrounds Dr, Petaluma, CA. Make sure to bring low lawn chairs, blankets, warm clothes, and flashlights.

 

 

2014-Petaluma-Art-Garden-Festival-4-300x1507/12: Art & Garden FestivalThe much loved Art & Garden festival will return on July 12th, 2015, for it’s 14th year, from 11am to 5pm.  Once again we’ll host fine local crafters, artisans, gardeners, live music on two stages and an array of local wineries, breweries and restaurants will offer tastings. See our post on last year 2014 #Petaluma Art & Garden Festival A Great Success which includes photos and this video:

CLICK PAGE 2 TO SEE CURRENT AND UPCOMING SPECIAL EXHIBITS

What’s Going On In Petaluma? May 30th Through June 5th

Walk Two MoonsPetaluma Kids’ Theatre presents “Walk Two Moons”  – May 29-31: Fri. & Sat. at 7:30pm; Sun. at 2pm.  Clear Hart, 90 Lesse Lane.

Historic Downtown Walking Tour – Sat. 10:30am: Costumed docents stroll downtown. Donations welcome. Free. Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 20 Fourth St. 778-4398.

PofY - CemeterySaturday Farmer’s Market in Walnut Park – Sat., 2-5:30pm: Over 60 booths selling farm-fresh produce and local products. Live entertainment & activities.  Walnut Park. . 415-999-5635.

pvoa-logoIgniting Hope Charity Concert with Larry Gatlin – Sat., May 30, 7:30pm: Benefits Paralyzed Veterans of America.  Held at the Petaluma Community Center, 320 McDowell Blvd.

Beatles Sing-Along – Sat., May 30, 8pm: Sing your favorite Beatles tunes, surrounded by the exhibition The Art of Rock ‘n Roll. Petaluma Art Center, 230 Lakeville St. 762-5600.

Boating at the BarnSundays, 10am-1pm: Pick a rowboat, canoe, kayak or sailboat. River Heritage Center in Steamer Landing Park. Call 769-0910 for information.

imagesStories of War – Sun., May 31, 2:30pm: Veterans will share their stories. Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 20 Fourth St. 778-4398.

Festa Do Espirito SantoFesta Do Espirito Santo – Sun., May 31: Full day with a parade beginning at 9:45am; Mass at 10:30; Lunch at Holy Ghost Society Hall, Live music 3-5pm; Dinner at 7pm; Music & dancing 8-11pm. 4699 Bodega Ave. 707-472-9049.

East-Side Farmers’ MarketTuesdays, 10am-1:30pm: Year-round, rain or shine! Petaluma Community Center Parking Lot, 320 N. McDowell Blvd.  415-999-5635.

Wednesday Evening Farmers Market – Wed., 4:30-8pm:  Theatre District.

SRJC To Host 4th Annual Building Community BreakfastThurs,, June 4 from 7:30-9:00am The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) Friends of Petaluma Campus Trust is presenting the fourth annual Building Community Breakfast at SRJC Petaluma’s Physical Fitness Center located at 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway.

Paulo Bacigalupi, author of “The Windup Girl”Author Meet & Greet – Fri., June 5, 7pm: Paulo Bacigalupi, author of “The Windup Girl” at Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky St. 762-0563.

Can Sonoma County Communicate?

On 10-19-95, a special report TV show by PCMG, raised the question, “Can Sonoma County Communicate?” Now, almost 20 years later, this same question needs to be asked again; because WHEN, not IF a major disaster strikes Petaluma and/or Sonoma County, and all electric power is lost and most regular forms of communication are inoperable, how will Sonoma County communicate and exchange information with its citizens?

Participants in the 1995 TV show, hosted by Brad Bollinger, included the following guests: Christopher Helgren, Sonoma County Department of Emergency Services; Eric Swanson, Auxiliary Communication Services Team Leader for South County; Chris Albertson, Petaluma Fire Chief; and Bill Hammerman, Westridge Knolls Neighborhood Watch Facilitator. The current emergency service operations offered by these organizations and groups may be found by clicking on the following links:

http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/FES/Emergency-Management/

http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/FES/Emergency-Management/Auxiliary-Communications-Service

http://cityofpetaluma.net/firedept/disaster.html

Here is the episode:

PCMG.TV Special Report – Disaster Preparedness, Can Sonoma County Communicate from Wayne Dunbar on Vimeo.

Whether or not any significant changes have taken place to the different communication networks (County, City, or Volunteer Organizations), will be left up to their leaders to answer. The one area I can comment on is what happened at the neighborhood level between 2006-2011. Various acronyms were created as the emergency training programs were initiated and developed:

  •    CERT = Community Emergency Response Team
  •    NERT = Neighborhood Emergency Response Team
  •    CERN = Community Emergency Radio Network
  •    STAR = A “Safe-Trained-Alert-Ready” neighborhood team
  •    ALERT = Alliance of Local Emergency Response Teams

NHW-12-300x293[1]Before municipal sponsorship of the Petaluma CERT courses ceased, the FCC Certified CERT instructor had taught 12-27 hour courses and graduated over 120 citizens, 24 of whom became licensed amateur radio operators. Following Hurricane Katrina, the term “Neighborhood HamWatch” was adopted to identify those licensed Hams who would serve their neighborhood emergency response teams. NHW is a voluntary program all amateur radio operators who want to provide a helpful service to their neighbors during times of extended power outage. These volunteers included those certified ACS, Red Cross, ARES, and SATERN who would serve their neighbors prior to any deployed assignment, following the official declaration of an disaster by their emergency leaders.

There are three main NHW purposes: (1) Get on your radio and talk to other operators from other neighborhoods, and thereby ease tension and isolation associated with an extended power outage; (2) establish a NHW net and communicate with local EOCs through ACS and ARES operators; and (3) send welfare traffic at the request of neighbors to extended family outside the stricken area to relieve concerns and reduce clogging  of any telephone systems that might still be functioning. Hopefully, this blog will attract licensed Hams in the 94952  and 94954 zip code areas, and motivate them to register their name, call sign, and e-mail address with the Petaluma NHW Network. Please e-mail Bill Hammerman at [email protected]

 

#Petaluma’s SRJC to host 4th annual Building Community Breakfast June 4

From the SRJC Website:

collage-friendsThe Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) Friends of Petaluma Campus Trust is presenting the fourth annual Building Community Breakfast on Thursday, June 4 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Business, education, nonprofit and community leaders are expected to attend. The breakfast takes place in SRJC Petaluma’s Physical Fitness Center located at 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway.

Dr. Frank ChongSRJC Superintendent/President Dr. Frank Chong will deliver opening remarks, providing the Petaluma angle on his recent President’s Address to the Community. Dr. Jane Saldaña-Talley, Vice President of the Petaluma campus, will present the “State of The Campus” address including an update on current activities, new and future plans for SRJC Petaluma. Bill White of Basin Street Properties is the featured speaker for the morning. 

SRJC building community breakfast 2The morning will also include student speakers reflecting on their experience at SRJC Petaluma. Earth and Space Sciences faculty member Dr. David Kratzmann will discuss recent projects including construction of a geologic boulder field across campus and two gardens.  The garden project is a partnership with Daily Acts and the City of Petaluma to create a Permaculture/Living Learning Lab Demonstration Garden designed by SRJC Ornamental Horticulture students to reduce water use and serve as a demonstration site for community education.  The second garden project is a sustainable, organic, student-run teaching garden developed in partnership with Petaluma-based Friedman’s Home Improvement and a multi-disciplinary collaborative of students, faculty, and staff.

Tickets are $40 per person and table sponsorships are available. Registration is available at www.santarosa.edu/foundation. Under Register Now, click on “4th Annual Petaluma Campus Building Community Breakfast.” Check-in begins at 7:00 a.m. Parking is free. 

The event is an opportunity for attendees to explore the impact of the Petaluma campus on the surrounding community. It also provides the chance for those unfamiliar with the campus to connect in a personal and welcoming manner. Tours of the campus will be provided upon request.

 

 

VIDEO: Sonoma County Home Brewers Competition

This video The inaugural Sonoma County Home Brewers Competition at the Petaluma Veteran’s Memorial building on Saturday, May 23, 2015 was provided by Petaluma360.com YouTube page.

Also see article in Brewers gather in Petaluma to share their suds.

For more information about this event see our previous related posts:

“I Drink Beer For A Living”: An Interview with Petaluma’s Ken Weaver

Thirst for craft beer drives expansion at Sonoma

VIDEO: The Bohemian Interviews “J.J.” at Petaluma Hills Brewing

5 Tips For Homebrewers Entering The Sonoma County Home Brewer’s Competition

Ken Weaver who was one of the judges at this event also authored the The Northern California Craft Beer Guide. You may want one for your collection.

 

Clover Stornetta – A Petaluma Staple

Clover Logo (PRNewsFoto/Clover Stornetta Farms)
Clover Logo (PRNewsFoto/Clover Stornetta Farms)

Located in Sonoma County, California is the historic Downtown Petaluma with its citizen’s actively contributing to Petaluma’s rich culture and unique community. One of the pioneers in the agricultural industry is positively Clover as a leading and sustainable dairy farm. At the head of Clover Stornetta Farms is the original founder, Gene Benedetti, who is after decades was actively involved in the dairy industry until passing in 2006. Now his two sons and two grandsons are involved at the Clover Stornetta plant in Petaluma.

After Mr. Benedetti started, his career in the dairy industry in 1946, the Clover Stornetta farms was founded in 1977 with Benedetti enthusiastically at the head. The rich natural resources of Sonoma County are the ideal for dairy farming is something he discovered early in his dairy career. With magnificent pastureland for cows to graze and terrific climate, the Clover Stornetta Farms received the county’s first dairy award, the Free Farmed Label for their humane production of animal products.

Clo Cow At Marathon WebBorn in 1919, few realize that Gene M. Benedetti was born in Sonoma County, after his parents left Italy in 1913. At age eight, his parents bought a house in Cotati and he still lives there with his wife. A native from Petaluma, the boy completed his education at Petaluma High School, went to St. Joseph’s Church in Cotati and continue to have his first communion there, got married in the same church. A man with strong roots and christian values, his first job at a Creamery was as a field man, going out to dairy farms to get new business. He continued on to the plant where he learned to make butter, cottage cheese, pasteurization, and bottled milk.

The injection of the advertising legend of Clover Stornetta was to create CLO Cow in 1969, which became the official mascot. The idea of putting together a comical cow came from an advertising company in Santa Rosa when Benedetti wanted to put up a billboard. Although the initial reaction was to change the first cow, it remained with the company which today is the company’s brand.

CLICK PAGE 2 BELOW AND LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CLO COW BILLBOARDS, THE RECENT RELEASE OF THEIR NEW LINE OF ICE CREAM AND A ‘MOO-TUBE’ VIDEO

#Petaluma Help Fill The Boot On Friday May 29

Fill The Boot For MDA-1The Petaluma Firefighters Local 1415  are having their annual “Fill The Boot” fundraiser  for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).  This is a coordinated fundraiser for MDA across the country, however the funds raised stay in the Petaluma area helping local citizens with disabilities.  The Petaluma Firefighters organize the fundraiser but not without the efforts also from Cal-Fire, Rancho Adobe Fire District and San Antonio Fire.

Fill The Boot For MDA-4On Friday, May 29th starting at around 8am the participating firefighters will be at intersection of Petaluma Blvd. North and Washington St.  They plan to be at the intersection until 3:00PM that day.  So if you are driving through town, make it a point to drive your car in that direction and fill a boot for a good cause. While you are there, this is a great opportunity for you to thank these first responders for the service they provide for our city.  While we are running out of a house on fire, these firefighters are running in.

Fill The Boot For MDA-3The Petaluma and area firefighters encourage everyone to help ‘fill their boots!’  They also thank you for your support in their efforts to help people in need.

Positively Petaluma is donating 30-Day small block ad spaces on our website for any businesses that ‘fill the boot’ with $500 or more. We will also mention your company’s donation on our website with a link to your business website AND in our social media feeds.  Your  generous donation will be seen by thousands of potential future customers. Simply send us an email to [email protected] and tell us the amount you donated along with your contact information.

 

Kenilworth Teacher Laura Bradley Wins National Award

Laura BradleyThe Henry Ford and Litton Entertainment recently announced winners for The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards.  A Kenilworth Junior High School teacher, Laura Bradley, was selected for first place.  The award recognizes educators who are using the classroom to inspire innovation, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking among their students.

Bradley decided to apply for the Henry Ford when another teacher sent her the application and suggested she apply.  She tells us the process included making a video, plus a written application that included a description of her program and how it incorporates STEM, creativity, innovation, etc.; plus the standards that are addressed in the class; plus a reference letter.  As part of this, she was very happy a former student Sam Baeza, a 9th grader at Casa Grande, wrote a letter for her to support her application. Also she submitted her application with her Digital Media curriculum and standards. Included in her application was the Digital Media project website she had created so that her students could work independently in her class.

Dr Jessica Parker Sonoma State University
Dr. Jessica Parker, SSU

Bradley gives credit to Sonoma State University’s MA program in Education (emphasis on Ed Tech with Dr. Jessica Parker) for starting her on this path: when she started that program in 2009, she was not tech-savvy at all and her classroom had very little tech. She wrote grants for laptops and pioneered the 1:1 laptop classroom in Petaluma. Then she went to Google Teacher Academy and things developed from there.

Here’s the video she made as part of her application:

CLICK PAGE 2 TO SEE EXCERPTS FROM HER APPLICATION AND PHOTOS OF SOME OF HER 3D PROJECTS

What’s Going On In Petaluma? Week of May 23rd Through May 30th

       Photo Petaluma Memorial Service by Press Democrat

 

Comedian Greg Proops, Photo GregProops.com

Comedian Greg Proops at Cooperfield’s – Fri., May 22, 7pm: Author of “The Smartest Book in the World”. Free. Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky St. 762-0563.

PofY - CemeteryHistoric Downtown Walking Tour – Sat. 10:30am: Costumed docents stroll downtown. Donations welcome. Free. Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 20 Fourth St. 778-4398.

Sonoma Countys Home Brewer's CompetitionSonoma County Home Brewers Competition – Sat., May 23, 11am-4pm: A day full of home brewed craft beer tasting at the Veterans Memorial Building. $25 gets you 20 tastes and commemorative glass.

Donny Edwards West Coast Tribute To ElvisWest Coast Elvis Tribute – Sat., May 23, 11:30am: Elvis Tribute Show starring Donny Edwards.  Raffle, photo booth, door prizes, bar, friends old and new, afternoon schedule, fun for all! Sheraton Petaluma, 745 Baywood Drive

Saturday Farmer’s Market in Walnut Park – Sat., 2-5:30pm: Over 60 booths selling farm-fresh produce and local products. Live entertainment & activities.  Walnut Park. . 415-999-5635.

Boating at the BarnSundays, 10am-1pm: Pick a rowboat, canoe, kayak or sailboat. River Heritage Center in Steamer Landing Park. Call 769-0910 for information.

Petaluma Memorial Day Ceremony, Photo By Press Democrat
Petaluma Memorial Day Ceremony, Photo By Press Democrat

Petaluma’s Memorial Day Ceremony – Mon. May 25, 11am: Traditional Avenue of the Flags, guest speakers and color guard. Cypress Hill Memorial Park, 430 Magnolia Ave.

East-Side Farmers’ MarketTuesdays, 10am-1:30pm: Year-round, rain or shine! Petaluma Community Center Parking Lot, 320 N. McDowell Blvd.  415-999-5635.

pvoa-logoIgniting Hope Charity Concert with Larry Gatlin – Sat., May 30, 7:30pm: Benefits Paralyzed Veterans of America.  Held at the Petaluma Community Center, 320 McDowell Blvd.

PR_JuraMargulis_2Russian Virtuoso Jura Margulis in Concert – Tues., May 26, 8pm:. Petaluma Museum, 20 Fourth St., 778-4398.  See website for ticket info.

Petaluma Historic Downtown Tours

Pictured above, left to right, are: Linda & Steve Buffo (Mr. & Mrs. E.S. Lippett, Susan Coolidge (Clara McNear), Homer Johnstone (Capt. Thomas Baylis),  Sherri Ortegren (Addie Adwater), Marshall West (Isaac Wickersham), Bill Hammerman (William Howard Pepper).

 

Just in case you missed the announcement about the Historic Downtown Walking Tour schedule for 2015, and the fact that several of the volunteer guides are members of “The Petalumans of Yesteryear,” I wanted to share the following information.

The Petalumans of Yesteryear evolved from the original group of volunteers who spent three months studying the history of Petaluma and its downtown area, using the Research Library of the Petaluma Historical Museum at 4th & B Streets. Gradually, several members of the group adopted the persona of an early Petaluma, who contributed to the development of our favorite river town in the late 1880s, with whom they identified. In my case, since I had been a professional educators for 40 years, I identified with William Howard Pepper, a local nursery and orchard owner who eventually founded the first Kindergarten in 1894.  Although some of the original Petalumans of Yesteryear have died or moved away, they have been replaced and currently lead the free downtown walking tours on Saturday mornings, from the Museum’s front steps at 10:30 a.m., May to October.