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Santa Rosa firefighters make quick work of blaze at beauty salon
SANTA ROSA -- A fire caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage to a Santa Rosa commercial building on Wednesday morning, according to fire officials.According to the Santa Rosa Fire Department, crews were alerted around 8:10 a.m. Wednesday to a possible structure fire at a beauty salon at 2769 Fourth St. Upon arrival, they found a large two-story commercial building with no obvious disturbance.Upon further inspection, firefighters noticed smoke-stained glass windows and the smell of something burning. Fire officials said crews forced entry into the building and found heavy smoke inside. According to the fire department, the fire was burning...
Department veteran to take on role as chief of Sonoma County Homelessness Services Division
Following a national search, a Sonoma County Department of Health Services staffer has been selected to lead the county’s efforts to tackle homelessness, taking on a critical role at a time when the number of people who are homeless in the county has risen again. James Alexander will start in the role of director of the department’s Homelessness Services Division July 23. Currently, he is the ...
Opioid prevention education coming to Sonoma County schools this fall
Sonoma County teachers, staff and students this fall will learn more about the dangers of opioids and how to assist in overdose prevention following a state mandate passed last year. The Sonoma County Office of Education will develop updated guidelines about fentanyl awareness, overdose and prevention for middle and high schools to be added to existing safety for local school districts, said ...
Double whammy of heat, smoke hit Sonoma and Napa counties
A double whammy of smoke from fires in Northern California — though not in the immediate area — and high temperatures is hitting Sonoma and Napa counties, leading to an air quality advisory and a heat advisory for both on Friday. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory for the Bay Area, especially at higher elevations, and for the North Bay. Residents may ...
Dispute between Sonoma County supervisors stalls proposed ballot measure to widen lodging tax
Division among Sonoma County supervisors has sunk an effort to place an update to the county’s lodging tax ordinance on the November ballot. It has also highlighted a long simmering disagreement inside county government over how revenue from the tax on overnight stays is dispersed among the county’s five supervisorial districts. Officially known as the county’s transient occupancy tax, it is a ...
Outdoor events in Sonoma and Napa counties, July 21-30
Santa Rosa: LandPaths’ summer reading program, Let’s Read Outside, will be held at Bayer Farm for families with children, especially those age 6 and under. A special craft or activity will be planned to go along with the story of the day. This is a bilingual event, with book readings in English and Spanish. Snacks from the garden will be provided, but families are welcome to bring ...
Art Project Chosen for Santa Rosa Fire Station 5
Santa Rosa has chosen its public art project for Fire Station 5. Artist Po Shu Wang and his proposed 8-foot stainless steel sculpture symbolizing a phoenix rising was approved by the Arts in Public Places committee on May 6th. The piece is called ‘Intersecting Infinity.’ As part of his description, Wang says “the new Fire Station 5 embodies both the metaphorical and literal meanings of the phoenix that rises from the ashes.” The original Fire Station 5 on Newgate Court was destroyed during the 2017 Tubbs Fire. The new station, under construction in the Fountaingrove neighborhood, will feature this sculpture, symbolizing the community’s resilience and renewal.
A new, exciting summer season at the Green Music Center
This new season features indoor-outdoor concerts from popular artists including pop music sensations Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw; American music icons The Beach Boys; chart-topping country artist Niko Moon; Reggae/Pop legends UB40; and singer and songwriter; businesswoman, author, television celebrity, and two-time Latin Grammy Award winner, Chiquis. Concerts take place in Weill Hall with seating both in the hall and on the outdoor grass and terraces of Weill Lawn. Lawn tickets for most performances are $30 (kids 12 and under are half off).
Sebastopol mulls several ways to boost revenues, maintain services
It is no secret Sebastopol, like many cities in California, is facing a fiscal crisis. City officials have reached out to the public to keep it informed as to how the financial challenges will be addressed. Rob Korinke, Education and Outreach Spokesman/City Consultant, with support from other city department leaders,...
Before Santa Rosa Plaza, the beloved California Theatre stood in its place
Fifty years ago, a determined group of local citizens formed a committee in an attempt to “save the Cal,” Santa Rosa’s historic California Theatre threatened by the city’s downtown urban renewal. The old theater was built just over a century ago, with construction beginning around mid-1923 on B Street. “It will be one of the finest theaters in any small city in the country,” said general ...
Sonoma County supervisors place Bay Area affordable housing bond on the November ballot
Come November, Sonoma County voters will weigh in on a proposed Bay Area-wide property tax hike to raise money for affordable housing construction. The measure, known as Bay Area Housing for All, could unlock $20 billion from annual surcharges on property tax bills to spur construction of up to 119,000 affordable homes regionwide over 10-plus years. It will appear on the ballot in all nine Bay ...
Wine Country Comedy Fest brings laughs to 3 Sonoma County wineries
In recent years, political comedy — once dominantly popular — has become as strident as the politicians it mocks, but now working stand-up comics are finding grateful audiences for a more personal sense of humor. “With my comedy, I offer an escape. I share silly stories about my life,” said Joel Byars of Altanta, one of three headliners starring this month at the sixth annual Wine Country ...
Windsor ballot measure would trash competitive bidding for garbage contract
In November, voters in Windsor will be asked to get rid of a local law passed by Windsor voters in 1996. That gave ordinary residents more say in local garbage service. Measure is Q on the ballot in Windsor only. It would officially eliminate competitive bidding from the town's waste hauler selection process,
Plans for Planet Fitness gym at Santa Rosa’s Summerfield Cinemas site approved despite community pushback
The days appear numbered for Santa Rosa’s cherished independent film center as the city’s Zoning Administrator on Thursday approved a permit allowing the conversion of Summerfield Cinemas to a Planet Fitness gym. The proposal had been working its way through city planning processes for the past few months over opposition from a growing chorus of film buffs, neighboring business owners and ...
Sebastopol council decides to put sales tax measure on November ballot
After reviewing a proposed $15 million budget with a $669,000 deficit, the Sebastopol City Council on Tuesday decided a 1/2-cent city sales tax offered the best route to fiscal sustainability and voted to put the measure before voters this November. It was a notable turnabout for some on the council. “I have not been willing to approve this and I still have reservations,” said Council member ...
Sebastopol voters to weigh 1/2-cent sales tax increase in November
Following much hemming and hawing late into the night, Sebastopol's city council this week unanimously agreed to place a half-cent sales tax increase before the small city's voters in November. According to city officials, Sebastopol had little choice. Without a bump in revenue, budget deficits would consume reserves in a...
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