This raw cell phone video shows the SMART Train crossing the Petaluma Bridge for the first time.
This video shows the entire journey including a segment through the downtown Petaluma train station.
You may also be interested in an article in this week’s Petaluma360.com about SMART called SMART offering to give away Haystack Landing bridge over Petaluma River.
For generations Legos are very popular with kids growing up and their legend lives on thanks to Petalumans. Our very first post was a New York Times article about Petaluma’s Kevin Tsujihara Warner Bros. CEO Credits ‘Petaluma’ for His Winning Style & Success” who had recently released “The Lego Movie”. 
In that article he credits his ambassadorial style – “behaving like a human being” is how he put it – reflected his unpretentious upbringing in Petaluma, Calif.” The following video shows a project combining software, legos and robotics to solve a Rubiks Cube! It was a father and son project, one that I am sure the son will remember for a lifetime. It’s simple stuff like this that matters. When we saw this we had to share it.
The video was posted on YouTube by the father who said:
“My six year old son and I decided to build this together. It was our first Mindstorms project and loads of fun.”
“ MindCub3r is a robot that can be built from a single LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 home set or from EV3 Education Core and Expansion sets to solve the well known Rubik’s Cube puzzle. All MindCub3r software releases works with LEGO firmware versions.
Please share your father and son projects in the comments below. Also thanks in advance for sharing this cool project with your friends and family by simply clicking on the Social Media icons below.
Over the last few weeks many of the stories below were created by us, or scattered over several different media and social media sources. The Petaluma Magazine was created to collect them all in one place with easy navigation either by a click of a mouse or swipe of your finger on your smart devices. The Second Look will be a reflection of some of the posts from the previous weeks.
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Showing on the River,” 5th Annual Juried Photography Show, through May 3. Riverfront Art Gallery, 132 Petaluma Blvd. North. 775-4ART.
“Focus on Nature” Exhibit through May 3. Four different views of Nature. Gallery One, 209 Western Ave. 778-8277.Mark Your Calendar for these great upcoming events:
4/19: 11th Annual Petaluma Footrace
4/25: 34th Annual Butter & Egg Days Parade
4/26: Spring Antique Faire
5/9: Great Petaluma Chili Cook-Off, Salsa & Beer Tasting
5/14-17: Salute to American Graffiti
Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia” – April 3-19: Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North. $25 adults, $15 ages 21 & under. For tickets & show schedule, call 763-8920.
Easter Eggstravaganza – Sat., April 4, 11am-12:30: Egg hunt, games, giant slide and food for sale. $5 per family. Adobe Christian Center, 2875 Adobe Rd. 763-2012.
20th Annual Children’s Easter Fair at Outlets – Sat., April 4, 12- 3pm: Children’s crafts, games, face-painting, balloon animals, a strolling Easter Bunny and more! Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, 2200 Pet. Blvd. North.
Meet & Greet the Authors – Sat., April 4, 7pm: Brian Murphy and Brad Mangin, authors of “Championship Blood” book about the SF Giants at Copperfields, Petaluma Store.
Boating at the Barn – Sundays, 10am-1pm: Pick a rowboat, canoe, kayak or sailboat. River Heritage Center in Steamer Landing Park. Call 769-0910 for information.
Butter & Egg Days Lagunitas Fundraiser – Mon., April 6, 5:30-8:30pm: Live music by Randy & the Special Agents and Blue Moment. Dinner catered by Lombardi’s BBQ. $20 in advance/$25 at door. Call 762-9348 or go to
East-Side Farmers’ Market – Tuesdays, 10am-1:30pm: Year-round, rain or shine! In the Petaluma Community Center Parking Lot, 320 N. McDowell Blvd. For info call 415-999-5635.
Petaluma Film Alliance’s Cinema Series presents “Under The Skin” – Wed., April 8: Pre-film lecture at 6 pm; Director Jonathan Glazer’s 2014 film at 7pm; $5 general/$4 students & seniors. Carole L. Ellis Auditorium, SRJC Campus, 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway.
Sheep Shearing at the Petaluma Adobe – Sat., April 11, 11am-1pm: At Adobe State Historic Park, 3325 Adobe Rd. 762-4871.
My first foray into Jamison’s Roaring Donkey came one warm and sleepy August afternoon. Barkeep Justin knew his stuff and suggested a Petaluma Hills Porterluma…which scored huge points as it is one of my favorites. But what to call this place? …Jamison’s, JRD, The Roaring Donkey, or maybe just the Donkey? In time, it has become affectionately known as either Roaring Donkey…or to the regulars among my drinking crowd, simply as the Donkey, because nothing piques the curiosity of bystanders more than say, “Who wants to grab a drink at the Donkey?”
Although pleasant and comfortable, when I first looked around I had trouble figuring out what kind of bar Roaring Donkey was trying to be. There are big screens, like a sports bar, but there is also a separate room for hosting bands, open mic nights, or a DJ, like a club. There is a booth in the back, like a lounge, but there are also darts and a pool table, like a pub or tavern. The dual-station bar has a massive list of hip cocktails, serves Jameson’s Whiskey on tap, and has a “shot” counter on the wall, kind of like a college bar, but is complemented by an impressive tap station, like a brewpub taproom, even sporting multiple nitrous taps…one of which is always pushing out Guinness. Topping it all off, the bar has a diverse list of libations, including a “Bling Box” for displaying a variety of top of the line elixirs that are not usually available by the glass, like a classy gin joint. “We will offer shots at our cost,” says co-owner Brian Tatko. “We want to make it easy for people to celebrate their special occasions with us.”
We collected some of the best tips from top local breweries to help homebrewers prepare for the 2015 1st Annual Sonoma County Home Brewers Competition. Here are some tips for creating a winning brew.
It is imperative that you always be neat and clean. Don’t use bleaches on your equipment because it can cause a chemical reaction with the maltose molecules and end in a nasty flavor. Even a slight drop of bleach can destroy an entire batch of a perfect brew. There are so many cleaners and sanitizers available in the market, but you can purchase an inexpensive vodka which does the job just fine as a sanitizer. You can also use vodka in your airlock instead of water. Keep some vodka handy in a spray mist bottle so you can also use it on your equipment on the fly.
To keep your bottles clean use a large cooler that can hold as many as 48 beer bottles. Fill it with 6 – 7 gallons of water with the plug near a drain or sink. Add some no-rinse sanitizer. Sink your bottles neck up until they fill with water to the point they stop floating. You may need to add more water and sanitizer to get larger sized bottles submerged. Leave them there until you are ready for bottling process. Pull the plug to discard the water.
Vinnie Cilurzo, Owner/Brewer for Russian River Brewing Company “At the end of the day sanitation is everything, without good sanitation a brewer cannot make good beer, clean, clean clean. For the advance brewer, don’t overlook how much hop bitterness you will pick up from late kettle and whirlpool hop additions as the wort potentially sits for a while before being cooled down.”
JJ Jay is the master brewer for Petaluma Hills Brewery. My advice is: “A solid recipe, reasonable brewing procedures, and clean and sanitary space and equipment will produce an awesome beer every time!”Bonus tip on bottling from Bob Peak at The Beverage People Santa Rosa: When using a bottle filler without a spring in the tip, put a wooden spoon under your bottling bucket with the handle sticking out over the edge of the counter. Loop the hose over it, hanging the filler in the “off” position while capping a few bottles or getting a new case.
CLICK HERE or PAGE 2 TO SEE ADVICE FROM OTHER LOCAL MASTER BREWERS
Rocky Horror Picture Show – Fri., Mar. 27, 11:30pm: Tickets: $10. Call 762-3565 for details. Held at the Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St.
Petaluma Garden Club Plant Sale – Sat., Mar. 28, 9am-1pm: at 488 Casa Verde Circle. Call 762-4148 for more information.
10th Annual Great Petaluma Egg Hunt – Sat., Mar.28, 10-Noon: Egg Hunt, Face painting & more. Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Dr. For more information call: 773-2273 or visit www.petalumasunrise.org.
Salvation Army 3rd Annual Car Show – Sat., Mar. 28, 10am to 2pm: Food, music and silent auction. Free. At Casa Grande High School, 333 Casa Grande Road.
Boating at the Barn – Sundays, 10am-1pm: Pick a rowboat, canoe, kayak or sailboat. River Heritage Center in Steamer Landing Park. Call 769-0910 for information.
East-Side Farmers’ Market – Tuesdays, 10am-1:30pm: Year-round, rain or shine! In the Petaluma Community Center Parking Lot, 320 N. McDowell Blvd. For info call 415-999-5635.
Petaluma Film Alliance Cinema Series – Wed., Apr. 1: Alexander Payne’s 1999 film “Election.” Pre-film lecture at 6pm; film at 7pm. Carole L. Ellis Auditorium, SRJC, 680 Sonoma Mtn. Pkwy. www.petalumafilmalliance.org.
Copperfield’s Books: Meet the Authors – Wed., Apr. 1: Jacob Rubin, author of “The Poser,” 6pm. Free. Jamison’s Roaring Donkey, 146 Kentucky St. Also, Mac Barnett and Jory John, authors of “The Terrible Two,” 7pm at Copperfields, 140 Kentucky St. 762-0563.
20th Annual Children’s Easter Fair at Outlets – Sat., Apr. 4, 12- 3pm: Children’s crafts, games, face-painting, balloon animals, a strolling Easter Bunny and more! Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, 2200 Pet. Blvd. North.
Most Petalumans have either heard of or been to Petaluma’s annual Butter and Egg Days Parade. Many of us have even participated in it and some have grown up going to it every year. But how many of us know the full history behind Butter and Egg Days?
Drawing nearly 25,000 attendees each year, the parade celebrates the city’s long history of producing eggs and dairy. Since the early 1900’s, Petaluma’s economy has depended heavily on the production of the local agricultural community. Petaluma was home to the largest chicken hatchery in the world by 1906 and by 1923 housed the only chicken pharmacy in the nation.
In order to promote Petaluma and the consumption of eggs, Petaluma Chamber of Commerce Secretary, H.W (Bert) Kerrigan began National Egg Days in 1918. The first National Egg Day parade brought in four newsreel companies who then made films of the parades, which were shown across the nation. Petaluma celebrated National Egg Days through the 1920s with much enthusiasm and support from the local community.
While the tradition of National Egg Days ended in the late 1920s, the idea carried on and inspired Alice Forsyth and Linda Buffo to establish Petaluma’s Butter and Egg Days in 1981. The original egg theme was used, although the egg industry was no longer as prominent as it had been in the 1920s, while the dairy industry had grown. For that reason, the 1983 committee decided to ask local dairies to participate, thus creating Petaluma’s annual Butter and Egg Days.
The parade was brought back in order to celebrate the town’s culture, history, and heritage. This year is our 34th celebration of Petaluma and the farmers whose contributions have made our town possible.
The Petaluma Butter and Egg Days parade and festival is a community event that brings everyone together and displays the best that Petaluma has to offer. The parade and festival celebrate Petaluma’s rich culture and history, bringing together the past and the present, as we join together to look forward with hope.
CLICK ON PAGE 2 TO SEE DETAILS OF THIS YEAR’S PARADE AS WELL AS A COLLECTION OF PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF PRIOR YEARS PARADE
This week the World Dessert Champion, Petaluma’s very own Laurie Figone, hosted a dinner for her friends and family, other World Food Champs, and the CEO of World Food Championships, Mike McCloud.
The night was a celebration of friendship and food, as well as a reunion for the some of World Food Champs. On the menu for the night were two of Laurie’s recipes, PETE’S Grilled Corn Potato Salad and Crowd Pleasing Slaw, Figone’s husband’s prawn risotto, and a whole roasted pig, donated by Pete Langley.
After toasts were given and plates were cleared of food, the guests gathered to see a sneak preview of the reality TV show Pete Stringfellow filmed of Figone and her cousin, Dawn Bettinelli in Las Vegas during the 2014 World Food Championships (WFC). The show features Figone as head chef, with Bettinelli as her sous-chef, and takes viewers behind the scenes of the WFC to see the chaos and humor of cooking competitions.
Guests also had the chance to see a prototype of Figone’s upcoming cookbook, Cooking with Laurie Figone. The cookbook will feature around 30 of Figone’s recipes as well as gorgeous photos of her food and a special interactive element. For those with smart phones, each individual recipe will contain images that can be used to bring up short videos of Figone giving tips for that particular recipe, making it easier to follow along.
CLICK PAGE 2 TO SEE MORE PHOTOS AND A SHORT VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING THE EVENING
