Category: News

#Petaluma Indie band launches new record

Petaluma Indie Band SaffellLocal Vibe Music announced yesterday that Petaluma-based band Saffel released it’s new record The Devil’s On The Radio hit the airwaves and can be played on virtually any device.  Several launch parties have been held to celebrate the new record. Don’t miss their release performance on Saturday, April 4 starting at 2PM at the Last Record Store located at 1899 Mendocino Ave. in Santa Rosa.

Saffell Sproul, the multi-faceted singer and pianist whose band takes on his name is the writer and lyricist on the record, leads the indie rock band. His piano is a Korg SV-1, with a sound that models classic rock keyboards.

SaffelAlthough this three member band has already released a few singles, this is their debut of the full-length album. Produced by David Rubinstein, popular songs on the record include,  American Piano,  We the Blind,  and Back Home.  Devil’s On The Radio. These songs were tracked at Prarie Sun Studios in Cotati and engineered by Matt Wright. They were mixed by Andy Zenczak at Gadgetbox Studios in Santa Cruz and mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Studios in Phoenix.

Other band members are Bill O’Donnell of Cloverdale on drums and Matt Pasquale on bass from Santa Rosa. The group has performed its soulful indie music at night clubs and festivals all over the Bay Area including the Petaluma Music Festival, Zodiacs and at Lagunitas Taproom.

The band is represented by Petaluma’s Second Octave Talent who recently launched their new website SaffelMusic.com. You can purchase their songs on Amazon by clicking on the album titles or individual song titles above.

via Petaluma Indie band launches new record | Local Music Vibe.

#Petaluma’s Moresco Distributing Company Purchases Largest Warehouse/Office Space

#Petaluma Moresco DistributingMoresco Distributing Company is purchasing a 123,600 sq. ft. facility located at 1450 Technology Lane, Petaluma, CA. Moresco was operating out of two facilities, a building it owned and a second building it was leasing. The company will consolidate both locations in the new building, which includes 39,500 sq. ft. of Class A office space for lease plus nearly 200 parking spaces.

“The new facility puts us under one roof,” said Ron Moresco, President & Owner, Moresco Distributing Company. “The building has 39,500 square feet of office space we can rent out, which gives us a real estate investment and additional cash flow. The facility is ideal as a headquarters or satellite office for a growing business.”

Moresco DistributingFounded in 1994, Moresco is a full-service packaging and distribution company specializing in biodegradable and compostable products for regional food distributors, independent grocers, food processors, specialty retail foodservice operators and wineries in the Greater San Francisco Bay, Sacramento, and Portland, Oregon regions including our local Petaluma Market.

Capital Access Group logoThey accomplished this purchase using U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loans through Capital Access Group. The total financing amounts to $10.65 million. The company accessed 504 financing through Capital Access Group for the purchase of its first building, which it sold and reinvested the proceeds in the new building through a 1031 exchange. “Without the 504 program, we wouldn’t have been able to parlay up to buy this building,” said Ron Moresco, President & Owner, Moresco Distributing Company. “The SBA loan was the difference, and Jacklyn Jordan and Dave Simmons from Capital Access showed us the path to justify this move.

 

via press release Moresco Distributing Company Purchases Largest Warehouse/Office Space in Sonoma County with 504 Loan from Capital Access Group.

Interview: Local Girl Makes Good Food! #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone is the World Dessert Champ

Last year Laurie Figone, born and raised on a ranch just outside of Petaluma, was declared the 2014 World Dessert Champion. In the last five years Figone has made a name for herself in the cooking world, where she shows her Petaluma pride by using local products. Figone has also been on the NBC TODAY Show and on TNT with Emeril Lagasse and Ty Pennington. For more information on that see our previous posts about Laurie  VIDEO UPDATE: #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone gets her shot on the big screen on TNT’s “On The Menu” and  VIDEO: #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone Appears on Good Day Sacramento.

Laurie Figone grew up on her family's ranch and always enjoys coming back
Laurie Figone grew up on her familys ranch and always enjoys coming back

Growing up on a ranch and having large weekly family dinners with at least 30 people gave Figone a passion for cooking and food. Figone speaks fondly about these dinners saying, “My grandmother loved doing all the cooking … I, growing up, wanted to be down at the barn feeding calves but my mother kept me in the house. I hated it at the time but now I have to say I thank her because … I’ve just won another World Championship with my cooking and I never imagined any of this, truthfully.”

Taste of Home 2010 is the first cookbook in which one of Laurie Figones recipe’s was published
Taste of Home 2010 is the first cookbook in which one of Laurie Figones recipe’s was published

Figone’s professional cooking started five years ago when a neighbor helped her realize her talent. Figone was baking focaccia bread for one of her neighbors to take to work and soon her neighbor’s coworkers were requesting and buying Figone’s focaccia. Figone then secretly submitted her focaccia recipe to Taste of Home’s recipe contest and won. It was her first published recipe and the start of her cooking career.

The next step for Figone was participating in her first live cooking competition at the Gilroy Garlic Festival where she, again, won. From there things took off and she went on the NBC TODAY Show for their burger battle and to the Annual Bob’s Red Mill Spar for the Spurtle where she won and was sent to Scotland for the Annual World Porridge Making On The Menu Hosts Ty Pennington and Emeril LagasseChampionship. In the last year Figone was on TNT’s reality show On the Menu with Emeril Lagasse and Ty Pennington.

CLICK HERE OR PAGE 2 BELOW TO GET LAURIE’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY BAKED CORNED BEEF WITH A KICK RECIPE AND VIDEOS

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#Petaluma based NewCo Raises $1.7M in Seed Funding (See VIDEO)

What does NewCo do? According to their website, they help you engage with the people behind innovative businesses in their native environment.  You visit companies not stuffy hotel ballrooms which gets you inside to see the engines driving real change in your city.  See more about the company at the end of this post.

Also see TechCrunch article, NewCo, John Battelle’s Event Startup, Raises $1.7M From Obvious, True Ventures And More by Ingrid Lunden.  Also see Newco’s website blog post Newco Announces Seed Financing by JBAT

The founders tweeted this out in the last week:

Backers included institutional investors Obvious Ventures, True Ventures, Bloomberg Beta, Transmedia Capital, Freestyle Capital, and Foundry Fund, as well as angels Chris Albinson, Andrew Anker, Bart Knaggs, Michael Lazerow, Dave Morgan, Dave Morin, Jordan Shlain, Owen Van Natta, and Michael Winnick.

The company intends to use the funds to expand its staff, build the technology platform, and create new products.

CLICK PAGE TWO BELOW TO SEE THE SHORT VIDEO ABOUT THIS NEW AND GROWING COMPANY

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#Petaluma’s Mesa/Boogie® Founder Randall Smith Chosen by Readers for Induction to the Vintage Guitar Magazine Hall of Fame

UPDATE: February 27, 2015 #Petaluma’s Mesa/Boogie releases this video of Andy Timmons who makes his first visit to #Petaluma Mesa Factory and plays a very entertaining and incredible rendition of the Beatles “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” from his from his 2011 release Andy Timmons Band Plays Sgt. Pepper through a Mesa/Boogie Mark Five: 25™ amp.

Original Article:

Mesa/Boogie® is excited to announce Vintage Guitar magazine, the leading publication on vintage and collectible guitars, has inducted founder Randall Smith to its Hall of Fame in the Innovator category. This year’s inductees, as well as winners of this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards, will be featured in the magazine’s April issue. Winners in all categories are determined by a vote of the magazine’s readership.

Mesa Boogie TubesIn the four decades since launching Mesa/Boogie, Smith has refined and expanded the company’s line of amplifiers and accessories to include nearly 20 variants for guitar, seven for bass, and a host of speaker cabinets, effects, tubes, and speakers.

“I never imagined that the little high gain Boogie® would go on to have such a huge impact on the music of the ‘70s as guitarists finally had the ability to hold notes indefinitely with our newfound sustain in the Boogie circuit…and we were just getting started. It’s an honor to be recognized by the Vintage Guitar community. Our goal at Mesa® today remains unchanged from day one: Build the best musical amplifiers possible, and treat each customer, as we ourselves would wish to be treated. We want every musician we serve to become a life-long member of the Mesa/Boogie family,” said Randall Smith, Mesa/Boogie Founder.

Mesa Boogie Mark Five 25In addition to the gain circuit Smith is recognized for, his company would go on to introduce a long list of innovations and patents that have shaped the world of electric guitar tone. It’s nearly impossible to find an amplifier on the market today that doesn’t offer a feature that Randall is responsible for. Other notable accomplishments include the world’s first channel switching amplifier, the MARK II™, which Mesa/Boogie introduced in 1980. In 2014, the company has proven that a creative environment for innovation is more powerful than ever with the release of the new MARK FIVE: 25™ offering many of the innovations Mesa is famous for in a compact 16lb. format.

via Mesa/Boogie® Founder Randall Smith Chosen by Readers for Induction to the Vintage Guitar Magazine Hall of Fame.

VIDEO: Free Bookmobile of Sonoma County is proud to be an integral part #Petaluma Community Foundation Alliance

From the Free Bookmobile YouTube Channel posted on February 12, 2015.  In late 2014, the Petaluma Community Foundation (PCF) created a Collaboration for Youth At-Risk, bringing eight local non-profits together to serve the needs of our children as they learn and grow. The Free Bookmobile of Sonoma County is proud to be an integral part of this alliance, and grateful to share resources and expertise with the other featured partners. Click here to visit the Free Bookmobile website.

Click here to see an earlier post on Glen Weaver of #Petaluma COTS wins Jefferson Award  and appeared on CBS, Sharon Chin reporter.       

#Petaluma’s Rancho Obi-Wan Launches First Book For Celebration Anaheim Exhibit

Rancho Obi-Wan’s 900-square-foot exhibit at Celebration Anaheim April 16-19 will focus on how Star Wars fans through the years have made their own tremendous contributions to that far-away galaxy, and in commemoration the nonprofit museum will make available a limited print-run book, “Inspired by the Force: Star Wars Fan Artifacts & Art.”

The full-color, hardcover 72-page book will act as an exhibit guide, containing photos and stories of scores of the items on display. Written and photographed by Steve Sansweet and Anne Neumann, with design and layout by Stan Stice, the book is intended to be the first volume in a series, “The Treasures of Rancho Obi-Wan.” It also includes a 4-page centerspread foldout that has hundreds of photos of visitors to Rancho and to our exhibits at past Celebration events.  Steve Sansweet has published previous books about his collection including Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection.

LumaCon 2014-4 ResizeSteve Sansweet recently showcased some of his collection at Petaluma’s First Annual LumaCon comic book convention as well.  Click here for more information on the 2015 LumaCon event.

This information is via Rancho Obi-Wan Launches First Book For Celebration Anaheim Exhibit | Rancho Obi-Wan.  Go to their site for more information.

#Petaluma Mother’s Club Presents Preschool Night

Are you a parent or caregiver ready or preparing your young one to graduate to the next level? You will learn about your choices at the Preschool Night hosted by the Petaluma Mother’s Club on Thursday, February 26, 2015 from 6:00-8:00PM at the St. John’s Episcopal Church (Hall next to the Church) located at the corner of 6th & C Streets in downtown Petaluma.

#Petaluma’s Cynthia Ermshar Performs with Napa Valley Duo at the White Barn

Recently a Petaluma resident, Cynthia Ermshar, along with fellow soprano Katie Hopgood performed in front of a packed house at the historic White Barn in St. Helena.  The White Barn is an 1872 Carriage House that was once part of U.S. Civil War General Erasmus Keyes’ home and winery estate. This event benefited the following charitable organizations: RIF (Reading is Fundamental) program, Rianda House, Jewish Historical Society of Napa Valley, St. Helena Preschool.

White Barn 3They were joined by the Napa Valley Duo of pianist Terry Winn and the virtuosity of cellist Jeffrey McFarland-Johnson, they offered a fresh pairing of musicianship in a repertoire that encompasses classical, jazz, and opera, with many pieces that were never before performed in a cello/piano format. True to their mutual love of the music of Paris from 1880-1915, Winn and McFarland-Johnson presented their program as a French-inspired soirée, with an emphasis on musical immediacy in an informal setting. The intimate afternoon featured opera arias, classical repertoire, Gershwin and jazz.

Katie Hopgood and Cynthia sang Barcarolle from the opera “Tales of Hoffman” by Jacques Offenbach, O Mio Babbino Caro “Oh my beloved Father” from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini and Flower Duet from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé, which was first performed in Paris in 1883 together. While Cynthia performed solos of “Mr. Sandman“, which was originally done by The Chordettes in 1958 and “Quando men vo“, also known as “Musetta’s Waltz” from act 2 of Puccini’s opera La bohème.

Click here to view Cynthia’s and Katie’s performances on her YouTube channel at 

Click here to read the article regarding this event in the Napa Valley Register.

Click here to view the history of the White Barn.