Week of October 12, 2026
I went to the 3rd generation Psychic on Petaluma Blvd
For years I’ve driven past the little psychic storefront on Petaluma Boulevard and slowed down every time. From the street it looks carefully curated, a window display that someone has clearly thought about, and yet I never see anyone inside. With Halloween coming and a ticket to the Petaluma’s Houdini Séance: The Centennial Gathering at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum later this month, it felt like the right time to find out what a psychic reading is like. I called the day before to make an appointment and was walked through the options: palm, tarot, psychic, or all three. I chose all three.
The door was locked when I arrived, so I rang the bell. After a moment the psychic came out from the back, let me in, and locked the door again behind me, which added a little drama. Inside, the room was soft and hushed, with plush carpet underfoot, lots of crystals, and chakra imagery. It wasn’t clear where I should sit. There was a massage table, floor mats, and a couple of white upholstered chairs in the corner with a little side table between them. White chairs it was.
We sat down across from each other. She asked for my name and birthday, then asked me to make two wishes, saying the first out loud and keeping the second to myself. I hadn’t expected that part. Before anything else happened, I had to decide what I wanted. I thought of two things, one a little more obvious and the other a bit more sacred, which is the one I held back.
The reading was presented in three parts. She started with my palm, looking at my hands (not touching them) and talking through what she saw in them. Then she took out her tarot cards and asked me to cut the deck and choose a pile. She laid the cards across a small brass table, overlapping each other. Some were crisp and bright, and others were so worn and cracked that the images had faded into the paper. I counted two Knights of Wands and two Tens of Pentacles, so she clearly works with more than one deck at once. The last part was pure intuition, with no cards or hands, just her describing what she sensed around me.
She toggled between looking me in the eye and looking down at the cards, speaking in a monotone voice with very little expression. I kept a poker face and gave her very little to go on. Some of what she said landed and some didn’t, and I wonder if it’s always like that. The session ended with her recommending additional services. But a couple of times along the way, I found myself wondering whether she was bored, or whether any of this was real, and then my very next thought would be, whoa, how did she know that?
Afterward I asked how she got started. She told me it runs in her family, and she’s the third generation to do this work, along with her mother, grandmother, aunt, and mother-in-law, who reads at the family’s South McDowell location. There’s a third spot at the outlet mall, by appointment. She has been reading for about fifteen years and has been in this storefront for about two and a half.
When I stepped back out onto the sidewalk, the street looked exactly the same. In a couple of weeks I’ll be at the museum for the Houdini seance, and I’ll be walking in with a few more questions than I had before. 🔮...
120
On the House: Caffeine Inc.
This weekend, Caffeine Inc. joins On the House: October Edition! Porches members can head out to the Petaluma Marina on October 17th or 18th for a free El Cubano, the coffee drink that’s become one of the shop’s signature offerings.
Before the weekend, we asked owner Miguel Gutierrez about the neighborhood spots that shaped him, and how they show up at Caffeine today.
Think back to any point in your life. What’s a neighborhood spot you loved, or that had an influence on you?
Growing up, I always appreciated those neighborhood spots where people knew each other, where you could walk in and immediately feel welcome. The funny thing is, it wasn’t just one spot, and it wasn’t about how fancy the place was. It was about the people, the energy, and the sense of community you felt throughout.
What from those places have you brought into Caffeine Inc.?
That feeling of belonging is exactly what we’re trying to create at Caffeine. Of course we care about serving great coffee, matcha and food, but what matters most to me is how people feel when they walk through our doors. Luckily, having tasty food and coffee really helps with that!
I want Caffeine to be a place where our team knows your name, remembers your drink, and makes you feel seen. Even when we get it wrong.
The El Cubano has a following. What’s the story behind it?
The El Cubano is one of those drinks that really represents what we love doing at Caffeine: taking something familiar and giving it our own little twist. It’s our take on a Cuban drink made in Miami. It’s bold, sweet, and has that perfect balance that keeps people coming back. It’s been really fun watching it become one of our signature drinks.
What’s your own daily coffee order?
An oat cortado! Even after being around coffee all day, I still look forward to that first sip.
Caffeine Inc. is open from 7am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend, open your Porches app and show your ticket at the counter to claim your free El Cubano, hot or iced. See you at the Marina! ☕...
122
On the House: The Bagel Mill
This weekend, The Bagel Mill joins On the House: October Edition! Porches members can stop by 212 Western Ave on October 17th or 18th for a bagel with cream cheese, on the house.
Before the weekend, we asked owner Glenda Manning about the neighborhood spots that shaped her, and how they show up at the shop today.
What’s a neighborhood spot from your life that had an influence on you?
When I was at NYU, there was a bagel shop open late called Bagel Buffet. My friends and I would go, and I’d get a late-night poppy seed bagel with scallion schmear. It was delicious.
Another spot was Bagel Pub in Park Slope, when I lived in Brooklyn. I would get an everything bagel with green olive cream cheese and cucumber.
What’s a small detail about it you still remember?
It was just the most satisfying meal to have a fresh bagel, whether it was in the morning or at night. It was so chewy and salty, and filling.
How does that place show up at The Bagel Mill today?
I ate a lot of bagels when I lived in New York. The soft inside with the chewy exterior is something I’ve tried to replicate at The Bagel Mill. And we have green olive cream cheese on the menu because I loved the schmear at Bagel Pub so much.
What’s the perfect bagel and drink pairing right now?
I always tend to keep it classic with an everything bagel with scallion or green olive. But if I’m feeling seasonal, our ham, Swiss and honey butter sandwich with our seasonal delicata cream cheese is perfection. Pair it with a hot apple butter latte or chai for all the cozy fall vibes!
The Bagel Mill is open from 7am-2pm on Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend, open your Porches app and show your ticket at the counter to claim your free bagel. 🥯...
212
“I Wanted to Do Something Good With My Winnings”: Sue Conley's Next Act on Lakeville Highway
Almost everything written about Sue Conley is about cheese, and rightfully so. She is an icon, a real pioneer in the world of cheesemaking in the United States. She and Peggy Smith started Cowgirl Creamery in a converted hay barn in Point Reyes Station in 1997, won a James Beard award for it in 2006, sold the company to the Swiss dairy company Emmi in 2016, and retired in 2021. The founding story has been told in many, if not every, food magazine that covers this part of California and beyond. During our conversation, Sue shared something new: what she is working on next.
"I wanted to do something good with my winnings," she said.
She started by looking for a multi-unit housing property to purchase, and her plan was to subsidize rents for people working in food and agriculture. What she found instead was a farm on Lakeville Highway, across the road from Ernie's Tin Bar, with six small cottages on it and an 1899 farmhouse with six bedrooms. Sue and her partner, Nan Haynes, purchased the property in 2019. It is called Silver Penny, a name that goes back to William Randolph Hearst III's family, who owned the place in the early 1970s.
The cottages are there because the property spent about twenty years as a retreat center after it was donated to the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1986. She describes the six units as very modest, which is the thing that made them fit the plan rather than work against it.
"I thought, this is perfect for cheese makers and, you know, people in the food community," she said.
The business model was such that the farmhouse use would pay for subsidizing low rent on the cottages. Events, meetings, the occasional short term rental, with that keeping rents down in the six long term rental units. The permitting for the proposed project was no quick process. Without getting into great detail, Sue said, "The problem was, it took me three years to get a permit, even though it had been a retreat center. I had to kind of start the process over, do some retrofitting and such."
At the purchase of the property and the start of this new venture, Sue gave herself a timeline with a deadline for moving on. If it was not working in five years, she would sell. By her own accounting the only part that was working was the housing.
"Nobody wants to leave," she said.
The fifth year came and she listed the property. However, sitting across from me over our cortados at Della Fattoria , Sue told me that she has decided to take the property off the market and wants to give it another go, and really try to bring her vision to life with full force.
"I've just now decided to take it off the market and re-energize the effort," she said. She is looking ahead at 2027, and she is inspired by the work that her nephew and artist, Chris Kallmyer is making in his studio there and the community he has built around it. She has hired Kate Larson to help her with bookings.
We talked about the location for a minute. How cool it is that Ernie's Tin Bar is going strong, the new addition of Sundrop Sauna, and the restaurant slated to open in spring 2027 in the former Papa's Taverna location, which the Gilardi family is bringing back under the site's historic name, Lakeville Landing.
What she wants the farmhouse for
Earlier in our conversation I had said that what interests me most about Petaluma politics is the conversation that happens in the middle, and that two sides shouting past each other does not get much done. She picked the phrase up and told me that is what she wants the farmhouse to be for.
"I'm mostly interested in what you call the middle. It's the juncture between ag and urban. It's so contentious."
She means where the agricultural life and the urban life meet.
The groups she named as the ones she wants in that room are Point Blue Conservation Science, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, where she served on the board for eighteen years. She says the Agricultural Institute of Marin is holding its annual meeting at the farm next month, and that the working lands team from Point Blue stayed two nights this week and held a meeting at a farm down the road.
The farms, and the buildings
That juncture is under pressure at the moment. Twelve ranching operations in the Point Reyes National Seashore are winding down under a settlement reached in January 2025, and she says three of those farms were selling milk to Straus Family Creamery.
"That's been really a heartbreaker," she said.
Sue keeps coming back to the buildings and the places of building a business. The Point Reyes creamery she and Peggy built is now a fermentation operation, making sauerkraut and pickles, and their old Petaluma distribution buildings on Lakeville have become Stemple Creek Ranch facilities. Infrastructure like that is expensive and slow to permit, and in both cases it was already standing.
She says the regional cheese world she helped build has contracted. When I asked whether that was because everyone grew and had to focus inward on their own companies, she agreed, and said it came down to each of them working out how to keep making a living. "We all had to scale to survive." She does not know yet what replaces it or what comes next.
"I feel really sad that we've kind of collapsed and consolidated, and people are working on their own," she said. "But I feel like there's something ahead that we don't know."
It's all the same work
The rest of her time goes to mentoring, through Les Dames d'Escoffier and the West Marin Fund, and to raising money for the Mesa Refuge writers retreat in Point Reyes, where she chaired the board. Her partner Nan is seven years into working as a support instructor in the citizenship program at Petaluma Adult School, which Sue describes as where her heart is, along with her garden.
"Hey, it's all the same work," she said. "Just in a different form."
Silver Penny Farm is at 5215 Lakeville Highway. Porchmail Sue Conley if you have a group that belongs in that farmhouse, and thank you Sue for taking the time to talk....
396
Music Report I: Nightspore “PH-Level” CDr (A traveling listening club item)
*(The following is the first in a series of music reviews meant to start a “decentralized listening party”. If you are interested in participating please see the end of the review to get involved.)
Like so many “new sounds” that spread in the last 100 years of popular music, Acid House and its offshoots were not a result of new technology being explored by those fortunate enough to afford it. Rather it was born of people forcing outdated hardware to make novel sounds, usually by leaning into an area that previous musicians avoided. In the case of this music, the style is commonly cited as originating in Chicago around 1986 when some musicians realized that a Roland 303 bass synth with the resonance cranked to self-oscillation levels, something previously considered unpleasant, might actually have a charm all its own. (After the internet shined a light on every corner of music history at the turn of the millennium, an obscure 1982 Raga LP was found to use the 303 in a similar way… musical origin stories seem always to be a bit blurry… but using the Acid label and having the sound catch on seems uncontroversially linked to 1986 Chicago.)
35ish years later, a mysterious project titled Nightspore poked its head out with a series of tapes and eventually a full-length CD release. A brisk discography of 12 or so releases erupted in 2 short years and then… silence. The material all had the signature resonant 303 bass synth, but the similarities seemed to end there. The drum machine used here was clumsy, untreated, and was programmed with a more pagan ritual pattern as opposed to the four-on-the-floor which seemed prescribed across all Acid House releases. That approach, riding alongside whispered vocals and cryptic lyrics, created a much more disturbed, mystical aura than the music that may or may not have inspired it. There are some extra noisy, gritty layers and abstract moments that set the recording apart, but by no means are they a deal breaker in a world after Radiohead, etc. (No sound similarity there, just that 2000s pop would definitely expand people's tolerances for musical use of non-musical sounds.) Finally, the unusual distribution channels (sold mostly in non-techno markets like hip hop, experimental, and metal distributors) were further evidence of the stubborn outsider approach.
No lineup information or biography was available, but a 2023 appearance at The Phoenix Theater would triangulate the project to at least Sonoma County, if not Petaluma precisely. Nightspore opened for Allegory Chapel Ltd along with other support acts Cert and Cloud Fault on an eclectic bill of rhythmic electronic, tape music, and old-school noisy industrial music. The turnout of approximately 50-60 people was actually pretty large for such marginal acts, but of course in the 800 cap venue still looked fairly modest. Nighspore performed a medley of two or three songs using only a tape machine and a floor tom, with face obscured by a scarf wrapped under a hood so only the eyes were revealed. It was well received, minus the abrupt stage exit at just over 10 minutes. Despite the masked performance, keen observers of shoes were able to corner the performer and pry some information. (I actually held back; I love a good mystery.)
During the short burst of tapes released during 2021 to 2023, there was a fractured series of tapes titled PH Level (insert number here) that created a series. The use of PH here seemed the only confession of any awareness of the techno predecessor. To the best of my knowledge, only tapes 1, 3, and 5 were publicly released, leaving fans to wonder where 2 and 4 ended up. It turns out there were actually six tapes in the series, a fact only discovered when Marin-based hip-hop label produced a pro-manufactured collection CDr earlier this year titled PH-Level. Odd Sounds isn’t strictly hip-hop music, a poke around the Bandcamp will also show some odds and ends like the hip-hop-shaded demented sounds of Circus Lurkers, but the Nightspore CDr still stands alone. It takes up very little space too, being produced in a micro edition of 50 copies.
The collection does have a few sharp turns, like the Temple Of Slempy track that includes an intro built from a sweaty and clumsy saxophone number with some whispered female vocals layered in. The second track, The Only Thing That Matters uses the most caustic-sounding white noise bursts found on the disc, breaking up a fairly driving and dark melody. These islands created a nice relief among the other more similar primitive and less human-sounding tracks.
When I listen to this CDr as I finish the review, I can find a kinship in things that nibbled around the first wave of punk as it came and went. Devo, for example, could be a touchpoint in its adventurousness. Maybe even the rigidness of Laibach (but of course not as compositionally rich or conceptually straight face...). I am not a scholar of techno music, but usually people who are deeply embedded in a genre will not accept these half-in, half-out approaches, so I would not push this on that crowd… but for people who miss rule breakers and music content without a home, this CD might be a nice jolt!
You can hear the whole thing for free on Bandcamp, but if you are interested in engaging with the CD itself, let me introduce you to what I hope to be a fun little adventure for this disc. I am looking for a group of people (4-5 tops) who would like to take custody of this CDr, spend some time with it, post their own thoughts here in the comments, and then send it off safely to the next waiting volunteer. But there is a catch… I am really hoping each person is willing to meet the person on either end of the CDr’s journey for an in-person handoff. Make it a 10-second pass-off in a grocery store, or make it a coffee or a meal; it’s up to you. If needed, you can ask me to ferry between parties. In person transfer is not a requirement… I don’t want to exclude shy people, so if you prefer you can have someone drop it off on your porch in a safe place or do the dropping yourself when you release, but why not take the chance to meet a person and grow your own music community in Petaluma? Aside from the reviews, thoughts, impressions, whatever you want to say in the comments, I am hoping each person will also write something inside the release itself during the time they have custody. I will affix a white avery sticker for notes like we do with DJ reviews at KFJC. The last volunteer can drop the item off at Porches HQ where hopefully the team there will be willing to add it to their HQ library for future listening, or lending, or as a conversation piece. (I plan to try to do the above with books as well, so stay tuned for a spooky book review and opportunity to participate later this week if that is your thing.)
Don’t leave me hanging folks! Lend me your ears… post in the comments if you are willing to chip in to this fun game, or send me a message directly. (And as always, please let me know if there is anything you would like to see written up in these features. Bonus points if you will chime in on the writing!)
I can't wait to hear from you....
154
Sundrop Sauna: A New Phase in Lakeville Landing’s History
Heading north on Lakeville Highway, past Ernie's Tin Bar and Tolay Park, I’d recently made a couple of trips to paddleboard on the Petaluma River. Then Fiona Monga shared a Porches post, “An Unexpected Respite from the Heat at Sundrop Sauna,” that caught my attention. I decided it was time to try it.
Recently, I joined some other first-timers for a 90-minute session at Sundrop Sauna. The sauna is hot. The cold plunge is icy. But the space, and especially the views, are stellar. Moving between the heat and cold, then settling into one of the cozy deck lounges to recover, I found myself looking out over the Petaluma River and marshland. My body felt recharged, but the setting and vibe really stayed with me. There’s something restorative about being outdoors, slowing down and sharing the experience with others.
This place reminded me of the weekends we used to go to the Papageorgacopoulos brothers' Papa's Taverna, where Tommy Tranfaglia and I went for Greek food and to watch belly dancing. Back then it was a completely different sort of place: a bit rough, rather unpredictable, and a little like the Wild West.
I realized that even with all the changes, this part of the Petaluma River still brings people together. Lakeville Landing has served many roles over the years, from a transportation and shipping center to a waterfront restaurant, and now a spot for sauna visitors. Each chapter has offered something new, but the river has always been there.
A Place That Has Always Drawn People
Long before Lakeville Landing became a transportation and shipping hub, this was part of the ancestral homeland of the Coast Miwok people, specifically the Alaguali Nation. The land and nearby Tolay Lake held cultural and spiritual significance and served as sites for gathering and ceremony (Sonoma County Parks).
That history also carries a legacy of dispossession. As noted by Petaluma Historian in the 19th century, colonizers took Indigenous lands and converted them through cattle ranching and agriculture. Mexican land grants, including General Mariano Vallejo’s Rancho Petaluma, transferred vast areas into private ownership. Tolay Lake was later partially drained to make way for farming, fundamentally changing a landscape that had supported Indigenous communities for generations. (Petaluma Historian).
According to a blog by Michelle Anne Jordan, by 1852, Lakeville Landing had become an important gateway to Petaluma and Sonoma County. With few roads and no highways, visitors arrived by steamboat and continued into town by stagecoach or oxcart. The landing also became a busy shipping point where farmers brought hay, grain, potatoes, and other produce to be transported by boat to San Francisco. The arrival of the railroad in 1870 further connected Lakeville to the region’s growing agricultural economy. (Lakeville Requiem)
Lakeville Landing has changed dramatically over time, but its connection to people and the river remains.
I first learned about Sundrop Sauna from posts on my social media feed and from an article by Dana Rebmann in Sonoma Magazine. Zelaya developed the concept for Sundrop from his sauna culture experience in Finland more than ten years earlier, which combined intense heat, cold water, nature, and a social environment that made a lasting impression on him. According to Rebmann, Zelaya used his knowledge of architecture, construction, and the glamping industry to create saunas that are designed to help people connect with the outdoors. What started as a mobile sauna eventually became Sundrop, with the company holding pop-up events across the North Bay before opening its fixed location at Lakeville Landing Marina in Petaluma in August 2024.
After my first Sundrop Sauna visit, I reached out to owner Alex Zelaya to learn more about their core tenets and what is to come. Zelaya shared that Sundrop Sauna is about more than alternating between hot and cold; it is about creating a friendly environment where people can come together and connect with nature. Drawing on Northern California's love of nature and its pledge to preserving it, he aimed to keep Sundrop's environmental impact as small as possible. Their first saunas were designed to come and go without leaving any trace behind.
This same philosophy led to the Lakeville location. In collaboration with John Gilardi, the property manager whose family has long been connected to both the land and the water, Zelaya created a space that respects its surroundings rather than trying to compete with them.
For Zelaya, taking part in Papa’s Taverna’s next phase means respecting the spirit of a place that has long been a meeting place.
Before there was a Papa’s, the place was a roadhouse known as Phyllis’s, where groups such as The Grateful Dead and other bands performed and where people came together. Urban legend says Phyllis’s ashes are welded into the mermaid weathervane attached to the dock. Zelaya also remembered stories, including a photograph from the early 1980s of people gathering for a sound-bowl meditation, and earlier references to Scandinavian families mudbathing in the river at low tide to take advantage of its mineral properties. He hopes Sundrop continues to provide a welcoming, accessible venue for people to connect.
Zelaya does not see the sauna experience as something to enjoy only occasionally, but rather as a daily ritual people share rather than do alone. He has designed it as a place where people can come together in nature and build community. In his view, the aim is to retain what has always drawn people to this section of the river.
Sundrop Sauna has a lot in store. Zelaya hopes to expand the experience to other locations, including bringing Sundrop closer to downtown Petaluma. In the meantime, you can catch a pop-up at River Electric through Monday, October 19.
Sundrop will continue operating as Lakeville Landing enters another phase of transformation. John Gilardi, the property manager, has been working to revitalize the property, including building a new 5,600-square-foot structure that will house a restaurant. The restaurant plans have not yet been officially announced, but you can read more in Petaluma Voice’s update, “Talk of P-Town: Lakeville Landing Reborn.”
I left Sundrop thinking that, despite all the changes, this stretch of the Petaluma River still brings people together. Lakeville Landing has served many purposes over the years, from a transportation and shipping hub to a waterfront restaurant and now a place for sauna-goers to gather. Each chapter has brought something new, but the river remains constant, and the history still pulls you in.
So head north on Lakeville Highway and try Sundrop Sauna. Believe me, it’s good for the soul....
142
A call from the Farallon Islands
A few minutes into my phone call with Pete Warzybok, he paused. Someone at the lighthouse had spotted a pod of dolphins, and the update from a researcher was blaring through his handheld radio.
“Stuff like that happens every day out here,” he said.
Pete was calling from Southeast Farallon Island, about 26 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, where he leads a research program for Point Blue Conservation Science. The islands are part of a national wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with Point Blue serving as its science partner.
Point Blue studies wildlife from California to Antarctica and puts that research to work, helping farmers restore habitat, students take part in conservation, and land managers protect ecosystems.
I’d heard a few scientists lived year-round on the Farallon Islands, which are closed to the public, and wanted to know what that life was like, especially knowing that a nonprofit based here in Petaluma runs the research program.
“We’ve had people on the island every single day since April 3rd of 1968,” Pete told me.
Between four and eight researchers live there at a time, sharing old lighthouse keepers’ houses now set up more like bunkhouses. Volunteer boat owners, collectively known as the Farallon Patrol, transport crew and supplies from the mainland. “We wouldn’t be able to do it without that,” Pete said.
Supply boats usually come every two weeks, but rough winter seas can stretch that to a month or more. The crew stocks up on nonperishables and prepares to stay put when that happens.
Pete first arrived as a volunteer research assistant in spring 2000. “I fell in love with it immediately and decided I needed to find a way to stay,” he told me.
Twenty-six years later, he is Point Blue’s principal scientist and Farallon program leader, having spent more than 2,600 nights out there, which is "more than any other living person." He also spent ten years living in Petaluma. Now based in Minnesota, he returns to the island roughly every three months.
I asked what his day had been like so far, around 11:30am on a Wednesday. He’d been up at six to record the weather, then headed uphill for shark watch. Surveys of brown pelicans and migrating birds followed, then maintenance on the crew’s housing. After our call, he said there would be whale watching and a survey of birds passing offshore.
More generally, the researchers follow the animals’ seasons, tracking what wildlife eats, breeding success, and population changes.
Pete said they were already seeing effects of El Niño this year. He is seeing fewer pups born to some seals and sea lions, and an uptick in deaths among young birds learning to feed themselves as food became harder to find. He worries about wildlife’s ability to recover if severe events happen too frequently.
I was curious how those changes connect to everyday life here in Petaluma.
He gave me an example with salmon. Pete explained that a marine heat wave earlier this year had reduced the food available to young salmon heading out to sea. He described this year’s harvest as good, but expects those shortages to affect production over the next few years, potentially making salmon harder to get.
The birds, seals, and sea lions offer clues, he explained: “Through our observations of what they’re doing, we can understand the greater ecosystem and how that’s changing.”
Pete said the loss of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding for the research program put the team at risk of leaving in September 2025. Private funding filled the gap, he explained, and Point Blue is now developing a new funding model. “We hope to stay here for another 50 years or more,” he said.
As we wrapped up, I asked what had made him fall in love with the island. Why does he keep going back?
“It really is wild out here,” he said. “The Farallon Islands belong to the wildlife.”
He described how different it feels to live somewhere nature is in charge, where the animals dictate the day’s activities. More than 440 bird species have been recorded on the islands, Pete told me, including unusual visitors far from their typical range. Even after all this time, there’s still the anticipation of what might appear.
“Every day something new could show up, and there’s an excitement to that.”
♦️♦️♦️
📸: Images 1, 2 &3 by Maps for Good/Point Blue/USFWS, Image 4 aerial view by John Warzybok
To learn more, you can watch the live web camera on the islands and learn more about the program overall on the Point Blue website....
284
The Colorful Victorian on Liberty Street Is Becoming a B&B
If you’ve walked past the brightly painted Victorian at 111 Liberty Street, behind Petaluma Market, you may have wondered what’s going on there. I found out that Laura McMullen and her husband, Tom Bower, are preparing to open Sundial House Inn, a four-room bed-and-breakfast in the home they’ve painstakingly restored. It will be Petaluma’s first new B&B in about 14 years, and from what I can tell, the only one in operation once it opens up.
This is all very exciting, so I called up Laura to hear the full story.
A natural first question is about the colors. I found out they are all in fact historical Victorian colors, and were inspired by a bed-and-breakfast Laura has loved since childhood. She mentioned how the paint job has sparked some debate online, but also that neighborhood children and teenagers stop to tell her how happy they are to see the house. “It makes me smile,” she told me.
Running an inn has long appealed to Laura. “I’ve always enjoyed the idea of hosting people, but I also love decorating and themes and gardens.”
The path to this one began with the loss of the couple’s Santa Rosa home in the 2017 fires. They escaped with about 20 pictures Laura grabbed from the walls. Their house burned in 15 to 20 minutes, she told me. At first, they planned to rebuild. But after waiting for a contractor, they decided to find another home. They had previously restored a Victorian farmhouse in Auburn. When this Petaluma house came up for sale, they liked it immediately.
Built in 1893, the house needed more work than they anticipated. Poorly sealed additions had left rot and mold, and the foundation was failing. “Everything you can think of, it needed,” Laura shared. They rebuilt the back, preserving its layout and porch dimensions, and added five bathrooms. They also brought the Victorian up to modern safety standards, with fire sprinklers, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, safety lighting, and required exits.
Throughout, Laura hunted for materials that would be possible to reuse. Original doors went back into service alongside doors from France and Chicago. Victorian brackets from a carpenter in Milpitas matched the house’s scrollwork. Even reclaimed cedar became garden beds.
“We were trying to use the space wisely and still stay within the architecture of the house,” she said.
Two chimneys remain exposed so guests can see how they turn toward the street. Upstairs, sloping ceilings give the rooms unusual angles. And each room is named after an author. “Our entire family loves to read,” Laura explained.
Tom chose the inn’s name. His interest in sundials began at Stanford, and Laura says he has belonged to the North American Sundial Society for more than 30 years. A sundial he made for their former home was lost in the fire. Now they plan to install sundials throughout the property, including one where visitors’ shadows will tell the time.
Tom also loves cooking. The inn’s kitchen is outfitted with stainless steel, commercial worktables, and more. Their plans include offerging guests weekend brunch, with herbs from the garden and fruit from their trees.
Guests will also have a refrigerator stocked with cold drinks. Laura is putting care into the comforts of each room, hoping to offer “good beds, great mattresses, wonderful linens, and a real homey environment.”
For Laura, who has multiple sclerosis, hosting offers another way to stay connected.
“Bringing people into my world through a bed and breakfast and being able to meet people is also important to me,” she said.
Downtown is within walking distance, and a lift provides access to the back porch, “one of my favorite places in the world to be.”
Their soft opening is planned for November or December, and they will have a modified schedule over the holidays. In the next few weeks, there are still a few final touches, like pictures to hang and curtains to drape. All the while, Laura is thinking about the house’s future.
“It will be here for another hundred years.”
♦️♦️♦️
📸: Courtesy of Laura McMullen
111 Liberty Street, Petaluma. I’ll share the booking details & website as soon as we have them, and add more photos of the house soon....
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Meet Chloe Herdman, the Student Moderating the October 12th School Board Candidate Forum
Chloe Herdman is a senior at Casa Grande High School and this year's student board member for Petaluma City Schools, a one year term she is serving for the first time. Tonight she moderates a forum for the candidates running to join the board she currently serves on. I called her this afternoon. She told me she had her college application essays open on her computer while we talked.
Have you moderated a forum before?
"I have not actually. This is my first year on the board. It's a one year term. And last year I didn't run for the position. So this is my first time getting this opportunity. And I'm really excited about it."
Where did your questions come from?
Her AP Government class. She asked her teacher if she could poll the room, then turned what students said into formal questions and sent them to her co-moderator for the forum, Pamela Granger.
"These board members are gonna be representing us, our interests, putting forward policies that are really important for how our school's going to be regulated. So I had students tell me the issues that were most important to them, and then I wrote those up into official questions."
Six of tonight's questions came out of that class.
Are you nervous?
"I'm definitely nervous to be moderating a big event like this. It's my first time. I'm a little scared, but I think it's going to go well."
What calms her about public speaking is the musical theater she does outside of school.
"I memorize a lot of lines and songs and dances and stuff, and I perform very frequently. So I've gotten to have that opportunity to wash away a lot of stage fright."
Who is coming tonight?
Two of the candidates, Laura Holmes and Sarah Seitchik Sebastian. Chloe says the other three candidate, John La Bare, John Garcia and Brianne Balzarini, are out of town. She has met Sarah before, because she went to elementary and middle school with Sarah's son. She and Laura Holmes have been emailing but have not met in person. As far as she knows there is no second forum, and she is not certain she will get to speak with the other three before the election.
What do you want Petalumans to know?
"Just keep in mind that a lot of these elections are going to directly affect how our education system functions for a while, especially because we've recently gone through six million dollars in budget cuts. So a lot of these policies and efforts that these candidates want to put forward will affect what opportunities our students have, what classes, what extracurriculars, and how our teachers are funded."
The seats are for four-year terms.
About Chloe
Chloe moved to Petaluma at age three with her family, natives of Kansas City. She attended Mary Collins School at Cherry Valley from fourth through eighth grade and has been a Casa student all four years.
"I haven't had another public school experience, but I don't think I could have had a better one than Casa."
Casa feeds into American Legion Auxiliary California Girls State, where she spent a week building a mock government with several hundred other high school students.
"I've gotten a lot of really awesome opportunities because of PCS, and I really want to see those opportunities extended to more students."
Chloe is applying early decision to Brown and plans to major in political science.
"It's been my dream career field for a long time now."
Thank you Chloe Herdman, and good luck tonight! For background on the race, Meet Your Petaluma School Boards and the data dashboard at petalumaschools.com are both up.
♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️
📷 : courtesy of Chloe Herdman...
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Event Roundup: Monday, October 12 → Sunday, October 18
Happy Monday! It's a big week at Porches HQ. On Thursday we're hosting our October Happy Hour with Damien Carney from Avinage - a wine shop pouring a few of his favorite fall wines, and then On the House: October Edition returns this weekend with free breakfast treats at three of my favorite spots in town. Here's what else is on my radar this week:
Tonight! Monday, October 12
AAUW Candidate Forums — Petaluma City Hall, 11 English St (School Board 6pm, City Council 7pm to 9pm · Free) If you're still deciding how to vote, tonight's your chance to hear from the School Board candidates and then the Mayor and City Council candidates, all in one room. Lizzie Wallack shared all the details, plus links to her interviews with the candidates, so you can do a little homework first.
Wednesday, October 14
Brother Verses Brother - Fall Cinema Series — Carole L. Ellis Auditorium, @SRJC Petaluma, 680 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy (Director interview 6pm, film 7pm · $8) This week the Petaluma Film Alliance is screening Brother Verses Brother, a film about family and the healing power of music that was shot in a single unbroken 90-minute take. Director Ari Gold is there for an onstage interview before the film and a Q&A after. Details here.
Thursday, October 15
Porches October Happy Hour — Porches HQ, 11 5th St, Suite 202 (5pm to 7pm · Free) Our neighbors from Avinage - a wine shop are joining us for a special wine tasting. Co-owner Damien Carney will be pouring a few of his favorite fall bottles from small, family-owned producers and sharing the stories behind them. PLUS, we'll have special beverages from Biotic Ferments, courtesy of Ryan Johnston available to try! Please mark yourself as interested on the event page so we know you're coming!
Friday, October 16
Youth Art Exhibition — Cloudland, 900 B Western Ave (3pm to 6pm · Free) Porches Scout Beth Tisthammer is opening up her youth art studio for a showcase of student work from her Upcycle Fashion, Illustration Studio and Upcycle Sculpture Lab classes. You can make something for the Día de los Muertos altar or add a sticker to the studio's Yayoi Kusama-inspired Obliteration wall, then grab dinner next door at Ray's Delicatessen & Tavern (the deli kitchen closes at 5).
Nighttime farm tour @ Umbel Roots — Umbel roots, 3900 Sears Point Rd (7pm to 8:30pm · $10, ages 10 and up) Walk the farm after dark looking for owls, farm cats, opossums and the other night creatures that help (and sometimes hurt) an organic, biodynamic farm. Bring a small flashlight, red if you have one, and wear shoes for uneven ground. Tickets here.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show - FRIDAY 10PM SHOW — Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St (Doors 9pm, preshow 10pm · $15.49) Halloween season isn't complete without a late night of Rocky Horror at the Phoenix, with a live shadow cast acting it out in front of the screen. Can't make Friday? There's a second 10pm show on Saturday. Tickets here.
Saturday, October 17
On the House: October Edition — The Bagel Mill, Caffeine Inc.. and Stellina Pronto (Saturday and Sunday · Free for Porches members) On The House is back, this time devoted to breakfast! Grab a free bagel and cream cheese at The Bagel Mill, an El Cubano at Caffeine Inc. and a pumpkin cinnamon roll at Stellina Pronto. Just open the Porches app at checkout to redeem your tickets, and invite a friend to join before the weekend so they can come along.
Tattoo for Buckelew — Petaluma Tattoo, 406 Petaluma Blvd S (11am to 7pm) Petaluma Tattoo's annual flash fundraiser is back, with guest artists coming in from Los Angeles, Chicago, Eureka and Portland. Proceeds benefit Buckelew Programs and its suicide prevention and mental health services. More info here.
15th Annual Adobe Cup — Petaluma Speedway, 100 Fairgrounds Dr (Gates 4pm, racing 6pm · $25 adults, $12 kids 6 to 11, under 5 free) The Sprint Car Challenge Tour rolls into the Speedway for the Adobe Cup and the Bob McCoy Memorial, one of the bigger nights on the track's calendar. Tickets here.
The Textile Show — @Jess Brown, 144 Petaluma Blvd N (7pm to 9pm) Six textile artists, including @jess brown, Jess Feury, Dalila Acuña, Yuka Hoshino, Anna Simpson and Carrie Crawford, are filling the shop's walls for one evening. Porches Scout Beth Tisthammer talked with Yuka Hoshino about her work ahead of the show, and it's a lovely read before you go.
A little further afield: Stemple Creek Ranch Open House & BBQ — Stemple Creek Ranch, 900 Burbank Lane, Tomales (10:30am to 3:30pm · $50 adults with a $10 farm stand coupon, $25 kids, BYOB) Take a guided ranch tour with the owners, then settle in for a BBQ lunch, tastings from local food makers, live music, games and a raffle. Tickets here.
Sunday, October 18
Boating at the Barn on the Petaluma River — David Yearsley River Heritage Center, Steamer Landing Park, 6 Copeland St (10am to 1pm · Free) Every Sunday morning, Friends of the Petaluma River lets you check out a kayak, canoe or paddleboard like a library book and head out on the river. It's a great way to work off that pumpkin cinnamon roll. Details here....
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On the House: Stellina Pronto
The third business to join our On the House: October Edition this weekend is Stellina Pronto! On October 17th or 18th, Porches members can stop by 23 Kentucky Street for a free pumpkin cinnamon roll with maple cream cheese frosting, a brand-new fall treat that the bakery has been testing just for this occasion.
Before the weekend, we sat down with co-owner Katrina Fried to talk about the neighborhood spot that shaped her, and how it shows up at Stellina today.
What’s a neighborhood spot from your life that had an influence on you?
When I was in high school in New York City, my parents would give me $5 for lunch. I’d go to the corner deli and get the same sandwich every day: roast beef, lettuce and mayonnaise on a kaiser roll for $3.75. With the $1.25 left over, I’d go next door to a mom-and-pop bakery, a classic old New York bakery, and get a black and white cookie.
I loved black and whites, but really I loved the whites. I’d break them in half on the seam of the icing, give the chocolate away to somebody else and eat the vanilla. After going there for months, I got the courage to ask if they’d make one that was just vanilla, for me. And they did! So for years, two or three days a week, I’d go in and have my white cookie.
What’s a small detail about it you still remember?
It was a sweet older couple that ran the place. It was always kind of empty, and you’d wonder, are they going to make it? They had spritz cookies and horns, all the classics. I can’t even tell you if it was Jewish or Italian. It was just New York. By then they knew me. I was a regular.
How does that place show up at Stellina Pronto today?
When we opened, a black and white cookie was a must for me. We make one that I think is worthy. Just not a vanilla-only version, because I don’t think many people are like me in this way! But mostly it shows up in how we treat our regulars. We have a customer who’s obsessed with passion fruit, and we’ve made her a special tart with passion fruit curd several times now. People ask us for cakes that aren’t on our menu, and we’ll always do everything we can. It’s nice for us, too. It’s a way to stretch and learn something new, and to build that special relationship. We want people to walk in and feel like this is their place.
What can you tell us about the pumpkin cinnamon roll?
There’s pumpkin in the dough, which gives the inside this beautiful saffron-yellow color. Then there’s pumpkin spice in the middle. When you think about what you love about a pumpkin pie, I don’t think it’s really the pumpkin. It’s the flavor of the pumpkin spice. It tastes like fall.
Stellina Pronto is open from 6:30am-8pm on Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend, open your Porches app and show your ticket at the counter to claim your free pumpkin cinnamon roll. 🍂...
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Ask Me Anything: Why Friendship Matters
Dear emerging philosopher,
Based on your clear and youthful penmanship, I’m guessing you’re a young person, but your question is ageless (and wise). I still sometimes feel overwhelmed by the complexities of socializing, in the middle of my life! What I'm more certain about is friendship, so how about we start there?
According to oodles of research and all the great philosophers I can think of, friendship and belonging hold the key to human happiness. Who wouldn’t agree that there’s something uniquely awesome about being surrounded by good friends—or even just good acquaintances—who see you and laugh at your jokes and make you laugh? People who get you.
My friendships were my world, as a kid. I always had at least one all-consuming best-friendship or friend-triangle that I obsessively nurtured like a delicate houseplant, hoping it would last forever. It rarely did. Eventually, friends outgrew me, or I them, or someone moved towns or just drifted away. It was never not heartbreaking.
Here’s some good news: sometimes, miraculously, a precious friendship that died and broke your heart will blossom back to life, years later. I love when that happens; it’s one of the great things about getting older. But whether an important relationship lasts a year or a lifetime or somewhere in between, it will most likely make you a wiser, more interesting person—and yes, this is great for your social life!
What I’m trying to say is keep at it. When you meet someone you like and admire, give them your care and respect and something good will come of it, one way or the other.
For the philosopher Aristotle, the most lasting kind of friendship, the “perfect friendship,” was one of virtue: meaning you’re friends with someone because of who they are, not because of what they can do for you (their “utility”), or just because they’re easy and pleasurable to hang out with.
Explains Niklas Göke, author and publisher of Four Minute Books, a free newsletter that summarizes the classics:
“Maybe you love your friend’s dedication to hard work. Or perhaps you deeply respect their courage to step up during conflict. Whatever pleasure and utility you get out of the relationship are merely a side effect of that love. If we never venture beyond utility and pleasure, we’ll miss the relationships that give us real meaning and happiness.
“The only way to build these rare friendships — the perfect friendship — is to spend time together, traverse our ups and downs, and learn to value each other as human beings along the way. It won’t always be easy and it won’t always work out, but if we commit to valuing virtue over comfort and pleasure, we’ll look back at the end of our lives and see the faces of a few people we’ll call true friends.”
May you be blessed with many perfect (and imperfect) friendships in your life, dear emerging philosopher!
Yours in Curiosity,
Genevieve
P.S. Thanks to Maria Popova at The Marginalian for her writing on Aristotle, friendship, and the meaning of life....
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College Application Season!
My job as a high school counselor has me doing multiple things; from working with teenagers on strategies to improve their academics, helping them navigate tough interpersonal conversations with their peers and parents, facilitating meetings between teachers, parents, and students, and helping students self regulate when they are feeling overwhelmed and anxious. One of the biggest parts of my job, especially this time of the year, is college applications. With the costs of four year college continuously increasing, the competitiveness of the “top colleges” increasing, and the uncertainty of what jobs will be around when these teens become adults, I have seen a shift in recent years as they navigate their next steps after high school.
On my own caseload of 77 seniors this year, approximately 50% are applying to four year colleges, with 35% planning to study at a community college and the remaining 15% plan to go to a trade school, military or go right into the workforce. Our school data over the last few years has shown a trend of 36% of students going directly to four year colleges, 34% going to a community college and the remaining 30% doing a combination of trades, technical, military, and workforce. It seems like every 10 years, the pendulum swings in education and the post pandemic years seem to show that.
In talking with students on a daily basis, many are aware of the job market and wonder what majors can lead to careers where they can make money and support themselves, especially if they want to continue to live in Sonoma County or the Bay Area.
For those that are applying to four year colleges, UC costs range from $43K-$49K, CSU costs are around $23K and private schools upwards of $50K-$60K (all these costs can vary depending on if they live at home). Students and parents are asking themselves if the cost is worth the return on investment. A common question I get from families is often - what kinds of scholarships and financial aid are available? Thankfully our local community has a lot of resources, especially with Petaluma Education Foundation (PEF) who distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to graduating seniors in Petaluma each year (their annual awards night is such an inspiration of what youth are up to if you ever want to check it out)!
At Petaluma High School, we have a wide range of CTE (Career Technical Education) classes offered and I have seen a growth in students choosing to go into various trade and technical programs out of school where they can get trained and quickly start making money.
All of these options offer their pros and cons that I support equally because as always it depends on the individual. I tell students that what they choose to do after high school is a personal choice and needs to align with their values, but if they can find a way to go into a program without accruing a ton of debt, then that might be the best choice for them!
Good luck to all the parents and guardians of teens navigating this stage, and to any of these teens out there, know that school counselors are always there to support and listen to you!
(Photo above is the class of 2027 at their senior sunrise earlier this school year)....
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Wonderstump: What is it, and should you take your kids?
If you've been curious about what is happening in the old white Radiator Repair Shop space at 301 Petaluma Boulevard North, you're not alone.
I had heard several months ago that there was some sort of art exhibit and/or maker space happening there. I found my way to the Wonderstump website, but even after watching their intro video, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect.
Well, with my 7-year-old daughter off from school recently, I thought it was time to pay the place a visit.
Note that they aren't open very often. If you want to check it out, you'll need to do so on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays. It seems like a great place to take your kids on a potentially rainy Sunday this winter as well, so let's hope they can expand their hours a bit. I did purchase tickets ahead of time on their website just to make sure everything was set for our arrival, but we probably would have been just fine buying tickets at the door.
My daughter was excited. She's definitely a creative kid who gravitates toward art projects and make-believe scenarios. I tried to temper her expectations, since I wasn't really sure if it was going to be a hit for someone her age. For what it's worth, WonderStump advertises itself as family-friendly and encourages kids to come and touch, play, and learn all about its eclectic exhibits.
And it really is a nice mix of things to see and play with.
There is a childlike whimsy to most of the pieces on display, but I'd say that both my daughter and I were equally intrigued and eager to dive into what Wonderstump had to offer.
We were greeted by a friendly staff member who encouraged us to have fun and "push all the buttons", certainly words that a seven-year-old is eager to hear!
Some of the pieces were relatively self-explanatory: beautiful but simple. Others clearly had depth and meaning that a seven-year-old probably can't fully grasp.
There is a loose, futuristic, space-age, cyberpunk vibe about the place. There is also clearly a lot of thought put into a narrative storyline that I was starting to follow, though I could have used more time to explore it.
The standout pieces for my daughter included a mystifying trunk that you could look into; it appeared to extend deep into the floor. She knew it was some sort of optical illusion using mirrors, but she was still blown away by how it tricked her perception.
We were also encouraged to touch a giant screen mounted on the wall. I had thought it was a passive viewing experience, but I was mistaken. The screen acts as a really fun digital whiteboard for kids and adults to create funky cosmic artwork. I'm sure there were more Easter eggs and plot points buried in the interface, but my daughter was set on creating lots of magenta-colored mushrooms, so that's what we did.
Aside from the screen, we spent the most time in a small room that felt like taking a trip back in time to a spare bedroom in my grandma's basement or a set piece from Stranger Things, and I mean that as a high compliment. My daughter quickly recognized one of her favorite films, Kiki's Delivery Service, playing on an old TV. However, she was not prepared to see that the movie was playing through a Panasonic VCR eerily similar to the one that I (and probably most of us) had in our childhood homes.
While we never fully came to conclusions about what everything in the space was "supposed to be," it gave us a lot of joy to open all the drawers and push all the buttons to see what would happen.
We kept drawing parallels to a fun puzzle book we love called “The Eleventh Hour” by Graeme Base.) In that book, every small detail in the illustrations means something. There are messages to decode, tiny mice drawings to spot, and more. So every minor detail in the room was observed and considered a potential clue to what was going on at Wonderstump. Was it aliens? Ghosts? Or just a creepy story meant to keep you guessing with no definitive answer?
When our brains started hurting from trying to figure out what all the clues meant, we took an energizing break to color at the arts table. Intricate coloring sheets and a variety of colorful markers are too much for a seven-year-old (and her dad) to resist. It's also worth noting that Wonderstump sells some kid-friendly snacks and drinks to help you refuel while you're hunting for clues or creating art.
All in all, we spent about two hours enjoying ourselves in the space, though I feel like we could have spent much less time or much more time and had an equally lovely experience.
It definitely feels like a place to return to when they update exhibits (October had a spookier vibe than other months, it seemed) and to look for new details you may have missed the first time around.
I could also envision it as a very unique birthday party venue for the right kind of artsy, imaginative kid and group of friends maybe between the ages of 6-12. It's a versatile space that could act like a chameleon, changing tone for different audiences with just a few subtle tweaks. The stage and projector screen seem perfect for a rave or horror movie night, but I could also see a setup with kids' movies or pop music videos for a birthday dance party.
I'm really glad we found a Friday afternoon to experience Wonderstump! You should absolutely bring your kids and check it out for yourself....
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JOIN THE CHORUS: Where Do Petalumans Make Music?
My students often tell me they want to learn to sing harmony. That's tough to teach in a one-on-one lesson, so I always give the same advice: join a choir! There's no better way to practice harmony week after week. As a bonus, you'll stretch your range and build your sight reading, ear, tone, and breath control alongside peers in a nonjudgmental setting. I've been singing in choirs since I was 7, and I wouldn't be where I am today without all the hours spent in those groups. My husband reminds me that we first met at a very nerdy Nor-Cal Honor Choir 20 years ago. You never know who you’ll meet…
If a choir sounds right for you, I've spotlighted a few local groups below. And if you'd rather build your musical chops on an instrument, read to the end, because I've featured a community band too!
My hope is that this post helps connect Petalumans with community ensembles where they can make music together and hopefully even make new friends while they’re at it.
Know of another group that's welcoming and open to the public? Tell me about it in the comments!
Petaluma Women’s Chorus
If you're a woman looking for a sweet and inviting group to sing with, the Petaluma Women's Chorus is worth a look. I've heard nothing but wonderful things from friends and students who have taken part over the years. The repertoire is an eclectic mix, ranging from classical pieces in other languages to choral arrangements of popular holiday songs.
The chorus has been around (on and off) since the late 90’s, and is currently directed by Sadie Sonntag. Sadie also teaches music for the Petaluma City Schools so you may have seen her on campuses around town (and your kids may already know her!). By all accounts, Sadie is incredibly kind and welcoming to newcomers. No prior experience is required, and the audition is nothing to be intimidated by (mostly vocal exercises to determine your voice type).
The group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, rehearses right downtown at the Hall of the Above on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. The current fall-winter season culminates with a performance on December 6. The next session begins in January, with a spring concert in May.
So if you want to build new musical skills, find a community of women who love to sing, or both, this might be your calling. I've also heard you can sometimes find the choir ladies cutting loose at karaoke around town after rehearsals!
If you're thinking about joining, you can ask to shadow a rehearsal by emailing info@petalumawomenschorus.org, or learn more at www.petalumawomenschorus.org
Santa Rosa Symphony Chorus
If you’re looking for a more rigorous choral experience this season, and want to be a part of the masterpiece that is Handel’s Messiah, then you should check out the SR Symphony Chorus!
Affiliated with Sonoma State University, it’s an auditioned choir where community members sing alongside music majors, other students, faculty, and staff. This year they’re starting a new annual tradition called Winterlude, beginning with Messiah which their website describes as “uplifting and joyful…this choral masterpiece concludes with the “Hallelujah” chorus, offering inspiring meditation on hope and the promise of a better world.”
The choir is led by Sonoma State's Professor of Music and Director of Choral and Vocal Activities, Jenny Bent. My friend, Arden Kwan, a wonderful Petaluma musician who recently joined, told me that the audition was “very non-stressful.” She just sang “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”!
Rehearsals are on Tuesdays at 7pm and begin tomorrow, October 13th in Schroeder Hall at the state-of-the-art Green Music Center in Rohnert Park, just a quick 15-minute drive from Petaluma. The final performances will be on December 12th at 7:30pm and December 13th at 3pm. They are still looking for members so there’s time to join even if you can't make the first rehearsal.
Learn more at www.srsymphony.org/people/ssu-symphonic-chorus or find Jenny Bent’s contact info on her faculty page: music.sonoma.edu/faculty-staff/jenny-bent
Petaluma Chorale
The Petaluma Chorale is a nonprofit mixed vocal ensemble "dedicated to the art of superior choral singing, including formal, jazz, Broadway and other contemporary styles." Its singers are community members of all ages and backgrounds who share a love of singing.
The Chorale is directed by Linda Evans Manuilow, a longtime teacher and member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the American Choral Directors Association.
Rehearsals run in 16-week sessions each fall and spring, with a performance at the end of each. The group meets on Tuesdays from 7 to 9:15pm at St. John's Episcopal Church near downtown Petaluma (Tuesdays at 7 seem to be a very popular time for choir rehearsals!). New singers do a brief audition, and registration is $164 for adults and $82 for students.
Learn more at thepetalumachorale.com/home.
Pacific Empire Chorus
If tight four-part harmony is your thing, this one might be for you. Founded in 1964, the Pacific Empire Chorus is a women's a cappella group dedicated to sharing the joy of singing and preserving the American art form of barbershop harmony through performance, education, and competition.
Under the direction of Patty Pennycook, the Chorus and its affiliated quartets have drawn members from as far away as Nevada, Alaska, and Hawaii. It's a chapter of SingUnited International (formerly Sweet Adelines International) and competes regularly around the region.
As their website puts it, "Pacific Empire Chorus is more than just an a cappella ensemble...it is a family." The group meets Wednesdays at 6:30pm at First Presbyterian Church (939 B Street, Petaluma).
Email sing@pacificempire.org or visit www.pacificempire.org for details.
Petaluma Community Band
Have an instrument gathering dust in the closet? The Petaluma Community Band might be your excuse to pull it out.
Formed in 1996 by musicians eager to rebuild Petaluma's rich tradition of municipal bands, it's an all-volunteer adult wind and percussion ensemble whose members span a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and occupations.
The band is directed by Arlene Burney, who is also Director of Instrumental Music at Casa Grande High School. An accomplished French horn player, Arlene has taught instrumental music for over 30 years and grown the Casa Grande program from 40 members in one band to more than 120 across two concert groups and two jazz bands.
There are no formal auditions, but the website says participants should have played in an advanced high school or college band, be comfortable sight-reading at that level, and be willing to practice at home. You'll need your own instrument, though percussion equipment and sometimes tubas and string basses are provided. And of course, "an enthusiasm for community music and contributing to the town band tradition is essential!"
Rehearsals are Monday nights, 7–9 p.m., in the Casa Grande band room. The band is now a class through the Petaluma Adult School, and participation costs $40 per semester. Concerts are always free. The next one is Monday, December 14th, at 7:30pm in the Casa Grande High School multi-use room.
If you're interested in joining, email Arlene at: pcband@sonic.net
Did I miss a group? Tell us about it in the comments!...
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