Round Up: Keep an eye on spring
Round Up: Keep an eye on spring
A bigger and better Legacy reopens, Andy's 60th, fix-it day at Chimera coming up, more compost and a fond farewell to Steve Fowler
Has there ever been a lusher spring? My mother lived to be 101 years old, and as her world grew smaller, she said one of her favorite things was watching the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees outside her window. I thought of her this week as the wind swirled among the branches of the trees in my back forty—a small forest of California live oak, redwood, and Douglas fir. There were infinite shades of green.
This verdant display (and the photo above) reminded me of that old Chet Baker song, “It Could Happen to You,” a song from my mom’s generation. It was written in 1943 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke.
Keep an eye on spring
Run when church bells ring
It could happen to you
All I did was wonder
How your arms would be
And it happened to me.
For The Legacy, bigger is better
The Legacy, a second-hand sewing and crafts store that supports the Sebastopol Area Senior Center, re-opened on May 1, after being closed for awhile during its expansion and renovation. There was a line of eager crafters waiting at the door at 10 am to see the spacious new digs. The store expanded into two other storefronts, doubling in size from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet.
The expansion was a community effort. Getting the place ready took about 1,000 hours of volunteer time, and the landlord of the property (owner of the little mini-mall in South Sebastopol, where Starbucks is located) picked up a big chunk of the renovation cost. Sebastopol Hardware donated the paint, and Bella Note fabrics paid for dump runs and helped them set up the new shelving. Retrograde provided the coffee and Harvest Cafe the cookies for the grand reopening.
“We've had just a tremendous amount of support from our community and and now we're able to serve them better because what we really realized was we were so limited with our square footage before that we could only make a certain amount of money,” said Legacy Assistant Manager Brittany Roney. “We're now able to offer services like classes and sewing machine repair. All the money goes to the senior center, you know, and we account for a large part of their budget.”
So if you’re feeling crafty (or just need to feel inspired), head on down there check out their new space.
Andy’s 60th Anniversary bash
Despite the rainy weather, Andy’s was mobbed yesterday for its 60th anniversary celebration. Amazing prices on some items—60 cents for a basket of strawberries, for example—and free vendor tastings drew hordes of shoppers. The parking lot was a madhouse.
Sixty years ago, Andy and Katie Skikos opened their small fruit stand on the outskirts of Sebastopol. As Sebastopol grew and changed and as shoppers tastes grew more sophisticated, Andy’s kept pace by continuously expanding its offerings. Over the years, it’s remained a family-run operation, with many family members—sons and daughters, grandkids and great grandkids—working at the store.
Sebastopol Repair Cafe wants you!
Got something that needs fixing? Bring it to the Sebastopol Repair Cafe, Saturday, May 11, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm at Chimera Makerspace, 6791 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. The Repair Cafe is a joint effort by Zero Waste Action, Chimera Arts & Makerspace, and Sebastopol Area Time Bank.
There are three opportunities for participation:
To make an appointment for repair (see flyer below for “Repair Areas”), click HERE.
To volunteer to be a “fixer” (again, see “Repair Areas”), click HERE. (There are all-day or morning/afternoon slots.)
To volunteer to be on the Sebastopol Area Time Bank team to help at the event, click HERE. (There are all-day or two-hour slots.)
Questions? Email Richard events2@sebastopoltimebank.org and David admin@sebastopoltimebank.org.
Compost Giveaway
The next Sebastopol Free Organic Compost Giveaway is Saturday, May 11. The City of Sebastopol has procured certified organic compost for Sebastopol residents. The compost is available to residents for free.
DATE: Saturday, May 11, 9 am-12 pm (or until the pile is gone)
LOCATION: 425 Morris St. (behind the Community Center Youth Annex)
BRING: shovels, buckets or bags, tarps, gloves, pick-up truck
Get up to half-a-cubic yard per household. Compost available while supplies last. People in need of loading help should let the onsite volunteers know they will need assistance. Organizers say that if you’d like to help others shovel their compost to keep the line moving, your helping would be greatly appreciated.
The free compost events are provided by the Sebastopol Climate Action Committee, the City of Sebastopol, Zero Waste Sonoma, and Napa Recycling & Waste Services.
Got questions? Contact: Sebastopolsinkscarbon@gmail.com.
Farewell to Steve Fowler
Longtime Luther Burbank Experiment Farm volunteer Steve Fowler died on April 11, 2024. Here is his obituary.
California native. Resident of West Sonoma County for 56 years. Beamish son of Donald and Carol; doted-upon younger brother of Jane, Susan, and Elizabeth; devoted husband of Irene, who died in 1987; beloved father of their three children, Caitlin, Sarah, and Gabriel; adored and adoring grandfather of James, Samuel, and Frances; cherished and cherishing life partner for over 25 years of Andrea; benevolent uncle and surrogate father to many; true and abiding friend to countless others. He pursued a lifelong curiosity about the nature of soil and water, fire and air, and all that they support—which is to say, all that lives: all that sprouts, grows, flowers, becomes fruitful, withers, dies, and once again returns to the elements. Horticulturalist, humble gardener, compost maker, geomancer, storyteller, singer, poet, thespian, visual artist, avid reader, world traveler, steadfast volunteer, pillar of many communities, gentle champion of peace on Earth. He worked towards a good death, and he got one: playing golf with a dear friend on a soft spring day in Sebastopol, his heart- so boundless and expansive in life, so full of good will and tender affection for so many- finally came to rest.
He was a wise, witty, and deeply purposeful human being. We who loved him will miss him terribly, but we will continue to tend to this difficult undertaking of being fully human, remembering all that he taught us, so patiently, by example.
There will be a memorial service for Steve on June 9 at 3 p.m. at Occidental Center for the Arts. Listen to Dale’s interview with Steve from 2023.
