Roundup: A whale of a zucchini
Smile - you live in Sebastopol where there's a lot going on.
If you have zucchini in your garden, you know that they can grow overnight to an enormous size. My neighbor, Irya Huber, saw one of them in my garden and asked if she could have it. Several hours later, she returned, having turned it into a whale with a wide grin. Her son, Misha, brought it to his second-grade class at Park Side and the whale now resides there.
A trip to the Ukraine
Last Thursday, John Namkung gave a talk about his 2,000 mile trip in Ukraine to an audience of about 125 people at the Sebastopol Community Church. (John is the organizing force behind settling Ukrainian refugees in Sonoma County, some of whom were in the audience; Irya Huber (mentioned above) is one of them.) I wrote about his trip several weeks ago here and John has written extensively about his travels at Bread is Life.
This summer, John sought to raise $6000 to send to several humanitarian groups in Ukraine to buy flour. He was able to raise $13,100, whicb bought 95,000 pounds of wheat. The flour was made into loaves of bread, which John helped to bake and then distribute near the front lines.
John said that one of the motivations of his August trip was to see how the money he raised was being spent. He also sought to have a “one-to-one connection” with the people in Ukraine whom he was helping. Also, he didn’t know what it would be like to live in a country that is in war — and he got closer to the front lines than he expected.
He explained that people were especially appreciative to receive the bread in the cities away from the front line and they hugged him as he handed out bread. Closer to where fighting was going on, people would come and get the bread and other supplies, accepting it with downcast eyes, and then hurry back home, afraid to be away.
While saying that the talk was not a fund-raiser, John nonetheless asked everyone to consider donating to buy more flour for Ukraine, which is considered Europe’s breadbasket. He expressed his confidence that the money would be well spent on relief. More than $2,000 was donated by the audience.
A grand night at SebArts North Star Gala
The second annual North Star Gala for Sebastopol Center for the Arts took place Saturday night. Over 120 patrons came out for the occasion, which raised funds for SebArts.
Awards were given to Jean McGlothlin, Kathryn Davy and Linda Loveland Reid, pictured below.
TLC opens new Farm to Table program
On Tuesday September 12th, TLC Child and Family Services, located on Hwy 116 down from Andy’s Market, celebrated the opening of their new Farm to Table program with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In the beautiful new outdoor amphitheater-like space, Susan Fette, TLC's CEO, thanked the donors present for their support for this culinary program. The new facilities include a renovated gym with an attached commercial kitchen. A nearby garden area has planters placed in a circle for growing vegetables and herbs. See our reporter Ezra Wallach’s story on the program.
This fall, the Farm to Table program will begin for students at TLC's Journey Academy. The small nonpublic school onsite at TLC serves students coming from difficult backgrounds, often with trauma. The principal of Journey Academy, Jennie Clopton, said that this special program will give students skills and direction for their futures in the hospitality and culinary arts.
Next, two students spoke about how much they've gained through their culinary classes. They candidly shared their difficulties with making friends. Working with others in a kitchen gave them a sense of purpose that helped them develop personal relationships. The work boosted their confidence. By learning how to cook, prepare meals, and take care of themselves and others, they also realized that the sharing of food is a way to show love.
PorchFest was massive!
PorchFest Sebastopol’s first annual event was a resounding success. Tons of people of all ages wandered happily up and down High Street between Palm and Calder, going from stage to stage set up on people’s porches.
Final Day to Nominate Sebastopol’s Most Notable
Who should be Citizen of the Year or Volunteer of the Year or Outstanding Youth of the Year? Who besides yourself comes to mind as a nominee for these categories and a dozen others? The Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce wants to hear from you for the 48th Annual Community Awards.
Use the form below.
2024 Best of Sebastopol Community Awards Nominee Form
The deadline for nominations is today, so don’t wait.
CORRECTION: Don’t expect a Part 2
Yesterday’s story, “What Happened at the Sebastopol Candidates Forum?” had “Part 1” accidentally appended to the title. It was a long article, and I (Laura) thought at one point that I’d split it into two parts. Then I changed my mind. Alas, I didn’t change the title. There is no Part 2. But political junkies may want to read the whole transcript of the League of Women Voters candidate forum. Or you can watch a recording of the candidate forum here.
Sebastopol Police Logs, September 2-8
The following are crimes excerpted from Sebastopol Police Department daily crime log entries and listed at the time the alleged violation was reported.
MONDAY
2:49 a.m. Burglary with breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit a crime (felonies) and possession of a controlled substance (misdemeanor) at North Main Street and Wilton Avenue. Suspect arrested.
9:34 a.m. Tampering with a vehicle, parts, and accessories (misdemeanor) at Beattie Lane and Lynch Road. Investigation suspended, leads exhausted.
7:28 p.m. Petty theft (misdemeanor) at Bodega Avenue and High Street. Pending further investigation.
TUESDAY
7:52 a.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol (misdemeanor), and served with a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency, at Gravenstein Highway North and Hurlbut Avenue. Suspect arrested.
5:43 p.m. Grand theft, knowingly receiving stolen property (felonies), possessing a controlled substance and disobeying a court order (misdemeanors) at Sebastopol Avenue and Morris Street. Suspect arrested.
WEDNESDAY
4:19 p.m. Grand theft (felony) at McKinley and Morris streets. Suspect arrested.
FRIDAY
2:08 p.m. Served a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at Petaluma and Abbott avenues. Suspect arrested.
4:14 p.m. Motor vehicle theft (felony) at Robinson Road and Bodega Avenue. Investigation suspended, leads exhausted.
SATURDAY
1:50 a.m. Causing a property fire (misdemeanor) at Bodega Avenue and High Street. Pending further investigation.
4:48 p.m. Shoplifting (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway North and Hurlbut Avenue. Suspect arrested.
5:10 p.m. Vandalism involving property defacement (misdemeanor) at McKinley Street and Petaluma Avenue. Suspect arrested.
SUNDAY
8:02 p.m. Under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of unlawful paraphernalia (misdemeanors) at Covert Lane and Ragle Road. Suspect arrested.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 157 other events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
Quote of the Week
“There is this idea that lots of people have something that they could teach other people…They’re somebody that has something that they could share with somebody else. Something they do is something somebody else would like to learn.”
— Deborah Wiig, organizer of LEARNapalooza
Love the whale! And Porchfest was a lot of fun.