RoundUp: B-dazzled
Beavers, Barlow brushfire, bureaucratic benchmarks, body shop swap, and beans on toast
Return of the Beaver
Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) was in town yesterday at the Atascadero/Green Valley Watershed Council meeting to discuss the beaver restoration bill he passed last year and a ton of other environmental legislation in the works.
Although there are beavers in the Russian River, there are no beavers in the Atascadero/Green Valley watershed, but they were here historically and could be again. Find out more about local beaver restoration projects at the Occidental Arts & Ecology website.
Brush fire in the Barlow overflow parking lot
Sebastopol resident Michael Wilson—who always seems to be in the right place at the right time—was driving through the Barlow when he noticed smoke from a small fire at the edge of the Barlow overflow parking lot.
“Two young men lit off a firework in the ‘overflow’ parking lot, and it got into the brush,” Wilson wrote on Nextdoor. “I was the only one who spotted the suspects running from the scene. I followed them as I relayed the information to the SebPD dispatcher. The two eventually ran across the street in front of "The" Robin, into the lot next to the paint store. One of the suspects was questioned by SebPD. The other suspect was able to get away into the trailer park.”
Wilson, if you recall, is also the guy who caught the runaway piglet (see “Pickles’ Big Adventure” from 2024). He was also on hand to snap that pic of an unlucky wrong turn onto a one-way street. Can’t wait to see what news he captures next. Being in the right place at the right time—a rare form of luck—is an important skill for a reporter. We may have to hire him.
Permit Sonoma cuts the length of time it takes to process a permit by 57%
The recently released Grand Jury report on Permit Sonoma contained a fascinating glimpse into the way governments work. In 2022 the California State Legislature, concerned about the lack of housing in the state, passed AB2234, requiring all county and city permitting agencies to review and issue construction permits on a timely basis. Around the same time, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors hired a consulting firm, Berry Dunn, to conduct a formal assessment of Permit Sonoma.
The Berry Dunn Report included dozens of observations and recommendations. These suggestions fell into three broad categories:
Change the way Permit Sonoma works in ways that benefit the customer.
Establish explicit permit processing performance targets and make sure that hard data exists to measure throughput.
Ask your customers to tell you how Permit Sonoma can do a better job and then do what they tell you.
The Grand Jury report asks, “How well is Permit Sonoma doing toward these goals?” According to an update delivered to the Board of Supervisors in February 2024, Permit Sonoma has racked up some impressive improvements:
Are there still problems? Yes, and the Civil Grand Jury report details those, but let’s give credit where credit is due. Skeptics might ask, “Why did it take a state law and a management consultant to spur this kind of improvement?” That’s a story for another day.
Langermann’s Health Club moves to Redwood Marketplace
Langermann’s Health Club had been at its old location at the corner of Bodega Avenue and Ragle Road for more than 30 years. Now the owner of that building is retiring and selling. He offered Langermann’s a chance to buy the building, but they couldn’t come to a meeting of the minds on the price. So Langermann’s made the move to the former Exchange Bank slot at Redwood Marketplace.
Have you ever heard of Molletes?
By Omar Figueroa
(We noticed this post by Omar Figueroa on Nextdoor. In my 60 years of eating Mexican food in California, I had never heard of molletes—though I am familiar with their British cousin “beans on toast.”)
Molletes are a quick and delicious alternative to the usual quesadillas. The ingredients are simple: baguette, refried beans and shredded cheese, toasted to perfection in an ordinary toaster. Baguette? Yes, because Mexico was invaded by the French, who brought their delicious food to the New World. To this day, French-style bakeries abound in Mexico City.
Basically, you cut a baguette as shown, spread refried beans on top with a butter knife, and sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the beans. Place in a toaster and toast until the cheese is melted and golden brown (about 7 minutes), and voila: molletes. (They are roughly pronounced, moh-ye-tus.)
The recipe is very practical because the refried beans, even when refrigerated, don’t need to be heated before spreading on the sliced baguette. I recommend the baguettes from Sarmentine as they make the tastiest molletes. Cans of organic refried beans as well as shredded cheese are readily available at the supermarket, so give molletes a try. Your taste buds will thank you. P.S. Sarmentine also sells gluten-free baguettes, so these can easily be made gluten-free.
The big picture
Sebastopol Police Logs, June 30-July 6
The following are crimes excerpted from Sebastopol Police Department daily crime log entries and listed at the time the alleged violation was reported.
MONDAY
5:35 p.m. Challenging to fight in a public place and threatening to commit a crime with an intent to terrorize (misdemeanors) at Corline Court. Referred to District Attorney for review.
THURSDAY
7:45 p.m. Driving while under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.08% and without a driver’s license (misdemeanors) at Golden Ridge and Bodega avenues. Suspect arrested.
FRIDAY
1:31 a.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol (misdemeanor) at Petaluma Avenue and McKinley Street. Suspect arrested.
10:54 a.m. Battery on a person (misdemeanor) at Pleasant Hill Road. Suspect arrested.
4:45 p.m. Violation of probation (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway North. Suspect arrested.
4:45 p.m. Possession of a controlled substance with two or more prior convictions (felony) and violation of probation (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway North. Referred to District Attorney for review.
9:15 p.m. Impersonating another person to get money or property worth more than $400 and using false pretenses to swindle (felony) at Bodega Avenue. Pending further investigation.
11:34 p.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol (misdemeanor) at North Main Street. Suspect arrested.
11:55 p.m. Battery on a person (misdemeanor) at South Main Street. Suspect arrested.
SATURDAY
4:29 p.m. Petty theft (misdemeanor) at Sebastopol Avenue. Pending further investigation.
11:46 p.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol (misdemeanor) at South Main Street. Suspect arrested.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 144 events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
I love Ken's photo!!!! Is there a way to get/buy a print?
I do love these postings, sense of humor, and the pic from Goat rock of the sea and heavens!