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Point Fire Update: Ag Pass activated, poor air quality expected
photo credit: Cal Fire LNUAerial photo of the Point Fire burning near Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County. Sonoma County officials have activated the county's Agricultural Pass system. The Ag Pass program allows workers to access areas under mandatory evacuation orders. Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner Andrew Smith explained. "The program provides for the potential for a cardholder to seek access to an area of the county that may be subject to an evacuation order," Smith said. "For the purposes of essential or critical agricultural activities." Smith said this isn't the first time Ag Access Passes have been activated. "The Agricultural Access Verification program had...
Food justice group ends boycott of Amy's Kitchen
photo credit: Alejandra Tolley/Food Empowerment ProjectWorkers and advocates gathered for a press conference outside an Amy's Kitchen facility. A squabble between food justice advocates and prepared healthy food purveyor Amy’s Kitchen has reached a peaceful end. The chances are this food fight has flown under your radar, but after nearly two and a half years, the Food Empowerment Project is ending its boycott of Amy’s Kitchen, said Alejandra Tolley. "It was hard for us because we do love Amy’s Kitchen," Tolley said. A food justice organization, the Food Empowerment Project, F.E.P., advocates for fair working conditions, ethical sourcing and labor practices, veganism,...
Sunday turns surreal for some in Point Fire's path
photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCBOne of several spot fires associated with the Point Fire, visible June 17, 2024 from Dry Creek Road, northwest of Healdsburg. As of Monday afternoon, the Point Fire, burning between Lake Sonoma and Healdsburg remains 20 percent contained. No further mandatory evacuations have been ordered beyond the one zone cleared out yesterday, known as 2E2. For those in the evacuation zone, the fire's speed, especially at its start Sunday took some by surprise. Carol Francavilla had just left home midday Sunday for groceries. Driving along Dry Creek road, something suddenly seemed out of place. "There were a lot of fire engines coming the...
Evacuation orders issued for wildfire near Lake Sonoma
photo credit: KRCB's Marc Albert Fire crews continue battling a wildfire that sparked early Sunday afternoon. As of Tuesday morning, overnight conditions helped firefighters get a better handle on the blaze. "So coming in today, forecasted winds are supposed to be less than we experienced yesterday, which should allow the resources assigned for this operational period to build and strengthen the control lines that were put in place yesterday, as well as continuing a tactical patrol and mop up operations in and around the structures that were impacted by the fire yesterday," said CalFire Division Chief Ben Nichols on Monday morning. The Point...
Supervisors considering reducing housing impact fees
photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCBSonoma County Administration Building. Sonoma County officials are looking at rolling back or perhaps entirely eliminating certain kinds of development fees. They're hoping to spur more housing construction. Like the rest of California, there's a housing affordability crisis in Sonoma County. Development and impact fees add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of new housing construction. Under pressure from advocates, county supervisors are studying options for cutting them. It may not be easy. The myriad of fees are also part of how California pays for local government in the wake of Proposition 13. Local advocacy group Generation Housing has...
Innovation and incentives encouraging construction of small affordable homes
photo credit: Courtesy Napa Sonoma ADU CenterOne of many pre-approved ADU plans, that can help control costs. There's a creative but limited program encouraging construction of affordable housing in Napa County. It's popularity is exceeding all expectations and being recognized nationally. Hoping to spur construction of small, affordable homes, Napa County early last year began offering not subsidized or low interest, but entirely forgivable loans for building an accessory dwelling unit. Called ADUs, they are typically a small, second home on a residential property. "We were blown away by how many homeowners were interested in engaging with this, said Jennifer Palmer, Napa County's director...
Sonoma County Artistry: Petaluma Pete moves on
photo credit: Courtesy of John MaherPetaluma Pete entertaining. One of Petaluma’s most recognizable characters is moving on. For nearly 17 years, Petaluma Pete—real name John Maher—was found playing piano on the streets of Petaluma and adding musical color to downtown festivals. In July, he’s hanging up his signature bowler hat and moving with his wife to Orange County to live closer to their adult children. Tina Caputo recorded this audio postcard last spring. (Press play on audio clip above) That was John Maher. Maher hosted a public farewell party on June 2 at The Block in Petaluma, with proceeds benefitting the Petaluma People Services Center Safe Team.
Ukrainian winemakers visit Napa Valley to learn how to heal war-ravaged vineyards
photo credit: Godofredo A. Vasquez/APIvo Jeramaz, second from left, gives a tour to visiting Ukrainian winemakers. A group of Ukrainian winemakers has visited California’s Napa Valley to learn about organic farming and how to heal land scarred by bombs and littered with mines. The six vintners visited the Grgich Hills Estate winery last week to learn about regenerative organic farming. The trip was made possible with the help of Rotary International and Roots of Peace, a nonprofit that helps remove landmines and convert war-ravaged land into vineyards, orchards and vegetable fields.As the head of an association of winemakers in southern Ukraine, Georgiy...
Millions flowing to Klamath region to boost community and opportunity
photo credit: Ellen Joy MercadoThe Klamath River. One of California's least prosperous regions will get a significant amount money aimed at bolstering community and generating financial stability. This week, two North Coast community foundations announced the formation of a new fund---with a specific mission to support communities along the Klamath River. The new Klamath River Fund, with $10 million in seed funding from charitable groups, intends to distribute the money over a decade. Pimm Tripp-Allen is with the Humboldt Area Foundation, which established the Klamath River Fund with the Wild Rivers Community Foundation. "The foundation reached out to us based on our good...
End of an era: famed Napa Valley winemaker Warren Winiarski dies
photo credit: Kent Porter/The Press DemocratWarren Winiarski in his Arcadia Vineyard in Napa County. Acclaimed Napa winemaker Warren Winiarski has died at the age of 95. Winiarski was made famous for his success in the 1976 "Judgement of Paris" wine tasting. In the competition, Winiarski's 1973 Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon emerged victorious in a blind tasting against heralded French wines. Winiarski and fellow Napa Valley winemaker Miljenko "Mike" Grgich, who's Chateau Montelena Chardonnay also claimed victory in the blind tasting, helped launch Napa Valley wines to the top shelves of wine shops around the world. Winiarksi spoke with KRCB following Grgich's passing in December 2023. "Mike and I were both strangers to the Valley," Winiarski said. "And we both over the course of time prospered because of the Valley. Both of us in different ways with the welcome and the opportunities that the Valley provided." Winiarski, who founded Stag's Leap Cellars with his late wife Barbara in 1973, poured some of his focus in later years into philanthropy, conservation, preparing vintners for climate change, and into preserving food and wine history. A private service is planned for Winiarski, who died Friday, June 7th; a public celebration of life is expected in the coming months.
CA gig worker law withstands challenge from Uber
photo credit: Dan Gold Uber on Monday lost its long-running attempt to overturn a California law that would require it to provide employment rights to its drivers and delivery workers. The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could have major implications -- depending what the state Supreme Court decides in a separate but related case.Uber and Postmates, a food-delivery platform Uber now owns, alleged that Assembly Bill 5 violated their rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the state and U.S. constitutions. AB 5 requires ride-hailing and delivery companies to treat their workers as employees instead of independent...
Local libraries bracing for cuts as deficit crisis hits Sacramento
photo credit: Courtesy, Sonoma County Library Typically black and white, now there's red all over. No, it's not the local paper, it's Sonoma County's Library budget. With the shortfall in Sacramento into the billions of dollars, state support for local libraries is on the chopping block, as Governor Gavin Newsom and the legislature finalize a state budget due in 10 days. photo credit: Courtesy, Sonoma County LibraryInside the county library's historic archives In a monthly newsletter, Sonoma County Library Director Erika Thibault said the agency is both bracing for cuts in state support and urging people to contact their assemblymember and state senator and demand the expected cuts...
Raising children in California? They may have college savings accounts you don't know about
photo credit: Courtesy, Sonoma State UniversitySome young people may be saving for higher education without knowing even knowing about it. Nearly 3.7 million students and 667,000 newborns in California have money invested in a savings account to help pay for college. But most families don't know the money is there. Citlali Lopez, a second-year psychology student at Sacramento State, found out a few months ago she had $500 sitting in a California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) account. Although she's been eligible to use the funds since she graduated high school in 2022, she had no idea until her sister, who...
Marin gains more oversight over county-line RV camp
photo credit: County of Marin Marin County was given the greenlight on Thursday by a federal judge to keep managing an encampment of recreational vehicles along Binford Road by removing residents' personal property for storage or disposal.Legal representatives for encampment residents filed a request for a temporary restraining order on Tuesday seeking to stop the county from clearing the area. The county contends it needs to ensure water quality at the Rush Creek Preserve and maintain safe public access to the two-lane road and its unpaved shoulder north of Novato. It runs parallel to U.S. Highway 101, between the preserve to the...
Agreement between Sonoma State students and admin overruled
photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCBStudents dismantle the SSU Palestine solidarity camp following the agreementmade with now-retired President Mike Lee on May 15th, 2024. The controversial "points of agreement" between former Sonoma State President Mike Lee and Sonoma State Students for Justice in Palestine is no more. On May 31st, acting SSU President Nathan Evans sent out a message to the Sonoma State campus community announcing the newly crafted "Path Forward for SSU" In the document Evans announced "the Path Forward supersedes previous university communications in response to the protests so we can reset the dialogue and productively move forward." The new document walks back on...
Rehabilitated pelicans released after weeks of care
Brown pelicans in the aviary at the Fairfield, Calif., wildlife center in an undated photo. The center has been rehabilitating hundreds of starving pelicans since mid-April 2024. (Angie Trumbo/International Bird Rescue via Bay City News) A group of rehabilitated brown pelicans was released Thursday near the base of the Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Baker in Sausalito following weeks of care at International Bird Rescue, a global conservation organization where nearly 340 emaciated and injured pelicans from the greater Bay Area were admitted. Hundreds of these starving pelicans were found in April, with most of the birds coming from the Monterey and...
Marin County considering options as rising seas threaten Stinson Beach
In recent years, Stinson Beach in Marin Co. has experienced more frequent flooding from several atmospheric rivers and storm surges. Jan. 31, 2016 (Marin County Community Development Agency via Bay City News) The landscape of Stinson Beach is going to change in the coming decades. The question is whether that change will be done intentionally by people or chaotically by the rising sea. According to a recent analysis, in the event of a 1.6-foot sea level rise by 2040 to 2050, Stinson's sandy beach and vegetated marsh along the lagoon are estimated to lose 30 to 40 percent of their area. According to...
Impacts of Measure J likely to be far reaching, even without consensus on just how far
photo credit: Darla Schoenrock/flickr Supporters and opponents of Measure J, the contentious effort to ban so-called “factory farming” in Sonoma County, are redoubling efforts as the clock ticks down to November. A pair of recently released reports dig into the potential economic implications of the ballot measure. What Measure J would do concretely concerns CAFO’s, frequently referred to as factory farms or feedlots. Kristina Garfinkel explained what exactly a CAFO is. "Concentrated animal feeding operations shortly known as CAFO's, is an EPA definition that designates a facility as a major water polluter," Garfinkel said. "So this, for example, would be a dairy facility...
Healdsburg: Zen-inspired retirement community leading new wave of more personalized senior housing
Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News--Susan OConnell, Spiritual Director of Enso Village in Healdsburg, Calif., on May 9, 2024. Enso Village is a Zen-inspired life plan community with a focus on mindful aging, the joys of nature, environmental stewardship, contemplative care and healthy life choices for adults 60+. Susan O'Connell brought up an interesting paradox to the enthusiasm surrounding the Zen-inspired Enso Village retirement housing in Healdsburg. She said it's about better spiritual living until you die. Which may or may not be a great slogan, but she knows it to be true. "We know we're going to die," said the founder of...
UC student workers expand strike to two more campuses as they demand amnesty for protestors
By Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters photo credit: Courtesy City on a Hill Press (UCSC student newspaper) Protest signs affixed to campus buildings following a recent rally Nearly a third of the academic and graduate student workers of the University of California are on strike, after the union of 48,000 members escalated its labor standoff by walking off the job at UCLA and UC Davis this morning. With as many as 2,000 UC Santa Cruz graduate students and academic workers picketing since last Monday, today’s job action brings 12,000 more out of classrooms and laboratories, potentially crippling the university’s mission of educating the roughly 80,000 undergraduates...
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