Author: Wayne Dunbar

Breaking News: #Petaluma #1 Most Caring City in America

In a Movoto Real Estate Blog, they ask if you are searching for Pleasantville? Well, they couldn’t guarantee that, but they think their pick for the Top 10 Cities will certainly welcome you with open arms.

Here is a gallery of the top 10.

Movoto used several sources to determine the Top 10 and goes on to say this about Petaluma:

“Okay, I am not making this up: many scenes from the movie “Pleasantville” were actually filmed in Petaluma, specifically, at the intersection of Petaluma Blvd. and Western Avenue.

It doesn’t just look like a city so caring that it must be fictional either, it actually is. It’s almost too good to be true. Just think about this: out of 140 cities in the U.S., Petaluma had the 12th lowest number of crimes. It also had the sixth highest number of counselors and mental health professionals per capita, and was among the top 30 for its percentage of residents who carpool.

It’s really no wonder this Sonoma-Marin Fair-hosting, Butter and Egg Days Parade-celebrating, Little League World Series-playing small city made the top of our list.”

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New York Life Acquires #Petaluma Land – Cader Commerce Center

On October 31, 2014 The Registry reported New York Life Acquires Land for Industrial Development in Petaluma on October 31, 2014 by the publisher in Commercial, Finance, INDUSTRY news.  Yesterday North Bay Business Journal reports Petaluma industrial buildings planned By Jeff Quakenbush, Business Journal Staff Reporter.

The Registry indicates that New York Life Real Estate Investors has paid around $6 million to acquire 20 acres of land for development. The article goes on to say:

“New York Life believes there is a strong demand for light industrial space not currently met in Petaluma. “We see that the market demographics are very strong for new development. For tenants looking for space larger than 50,000 square feet, there are very limited options. For light industrial space, current vacancy is around 8 percent. Our development will be the first new industrial development in Petaluma since 2001,” said Brian Seaman, a senior director with New York Life.”

The development is being called the Cader Commerce Center. It is located at 1466 to 1490 Cader Lane in Petaluma. The project will involve the development of 250,000 square feet of industrial space over four buildings.

VIDEO UPDATE: Jewish Community of #Petaluma Celebrates 150 Years

A celebration in August 1925 for the opening of the Petaluma Jewish Community Center photo/courtesy b’nai israel jewish center

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY

Posted by the Producer, Director and Editor Mac Weinstock on YouTube on November 3, 2014.

 

An old photo of B’nai Israel Jewish Center’s current building
An old photo of B’nai Israel Jewish Center’s current building

 

We didn’t see this report elsewhere, so we felt it was important to share for its historical significance of our great city. On October 23 the Jweekly.com wrote and article announcing the Jewish community of Petaluma celebrates 150 years by shoshana hebshi , j. correspondent.  The congregation started in Petaluma in October 22, 1864, and they were incorporated as Congregation Society B’nai Israel by the state in 1871.

During our famed “Egg Basket of the World” in 30’s and 40s thousands of chicken farmers were jewish farming families. More came from Russia after WWI in postwar years. The Petaluma Jewish Community Center was dedicated on 740 Western Ave near the downtown in 1925.

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When it comes to fighting Alzheimer’s Disease It’s All About Needing More Benjamins

The Benjamins
The Benjamins

If you missed this year’s Petaluma Walk to End Alzheimer’s at #Petaluma’s Shollenberger Park after watching this video you may decide you want to be a part of next years event. We ran across this video produced and posted by Christine Drew Benjamin (Music by Ingrid Michaelson) covering this event and we are very impressed by it. The YouTube video below is called “It’s All About the Benjamin’s – THANK YOU!” and does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the event and sense of community coming together to help fight such a debilitating disease. Her father who was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 is also on the video as he does a short speech. Notable is the amount of money she helped sponsor for this event with thank you’s to all her donors are provided as credits at the end.

Two #Petaluma Candy Bars Featured In 7×7 for Halloween

A 7×7 article by Alissa Merksamer 6 Local Candy Bars for Halloween featured two Petaluma companies that make candy bars to help sweeten eager trick-or-treaters.
000388Did you know that Amy’s Kitchen made candy? According to their website, Amy’s father Andy loves candy. As the son of a candy maker, he spent his childhood sampling chocolate morsels and chewy caramel from his father’s candy kitchen.  The 7×7 article indicates they launched this past summer adding four candy bars to the Amy’s line of organic, vegetarian prepared foods.
Milk_Chocolate_Bar-large
The other Petaluma company is Sjaak’s Organic Chocolate who are known for their organic chocolates. Owner Jacques Holten trained in confectionery in his native Holland before marrying his Northern California-reared wife Pam. Their small company in Petaluma emphasizes social responsibility, and they craft a variety of vegan chocolates made with non-bone char sugar, meaning sugar that hasn’t been bleached by ground cow bones. They too have bite-size treats appropriate for Halloween.
Click on these links to purchase click on the candy photos below.


 

KQED Bay Area Bites Announces Pop-Up Octoberfest at #Petaluma’s Thistle Meats

Chef Mark Malicki. Photo: Brian Howlett
Chef Mark Malicki Photo: Brian Howlett

KQED’s Bay Area Bites Pop-Up Octoberfest at Petaluma’s Thistle Meats by Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen suggests “Why not have a meat-heavy festival like Octoberfest at a butcher shop?” This will be Thistle Meats 3rd pop-up dinner featuring the same chef Mark Malicki who has built up a following. So what’s different about this one? What’s unique about this one is you usually don’t hear about it until it’s over and you hear people on the streets saying “Hey I wonder what’s going on at Thistle tonite” or “Oh yeah, I saw a bunch of people at Thistle last night – what was going on?”

Previous reports on the first two pop-ups were excellent. Click here for a review on Chowhound posted by tom246.

Here is the information:
Octoberfest Pop-Up, October 27, 6-9:30pm
Thistle Meats
Address: Map
160 Petaluma Blvd North
Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 772-5442
Facebook: Thistle Meats

Thirst for craft beer drives expansion at Sonoma

                    Photo By Crista Jeremiason / The Press Democrat

In a Press Democrat article today, it appears there is plenty of demand for craft beer in Sonoma County.  Being local we often take for granted of how plentiful craft beer is our area and with so many excellent choices it’s like Christmas all year round.  So no wonder we are driving expansion – we have become craft beer snobs. We have Lagunitas Brewing Company, Russian River Brewing Company, Hen House, Petaluma Hills, 101 North, Bear Republic just to name a few.

This article interviews Tony Magee, founder and owner of Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma, and he shares how he intends to play a leading role in this expansion. More great craft beers in Sonoma? You had me at hello.

via Thirst for craft beer drives expansion at Sonoma | The Press Democrat.

Second Look Sunday: A Positively Petaluma Weeks In Review

There are lots of great things going on in #Petaluma, you just have to dig for them.  We search for and collects the positive information about our great city in one place: The Petaluma Magazine.  The Second Look will be a reflection of some of the posts from the previous weeks.

1000’s are enjoying their free subscription with thousands of positive articles including these most recent posts from previous weeks:

Petaluma Celebrates the Centennial of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad

Petaluma’s Alex Tanalski California State Chili Champ

Barich works her way up the cross country ranks

Record-breaking season for the Case Grande HS X-country team

$6 million makeover for Petaluma school

POPULAR: Positively Petaluma Interview with Actor Adrian Grenier

Petaluma’s First Firefighter James Mott Not Forgotten

Petaluma Coastguardsman Honored for Bravery

A motorcycle crew with a heart of gold

“Save Lives Sonoma” helps 13-year Old Lewis Save The Life Of His Father with CPR

Award-Winning Pacific Empire Chorus Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Fleet week with the crew of the Sea Scout Ship Compass Rose

Trojans bounce back for happy homecoming

Rich history of river celebrated in Petaluma

Petaluma Racer not yet out of gas

Petaluma’s Labcon bringing new energy to North Bay

Video Petaluma Casa Grande Matt Abramo: A Bright Light In A Dark Room

From Marketing Executive to Petaluma Farmer: Deborah Walton created Canvas Ranch

Dead Pirates Roberts Day with Actor Cary Elwes

Other posts can be found on in our archives.  Thanks also for “Like”ing us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.