RoundUp: Beginnings and endings
Rebecca Hermosilla, sad news about Kale, a Grocery Outlet update and much more
Rebecca Hermosilla voted Chair of the Board of Supervisors
Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo was unanimously elected by her colleagues as the 2026 Chair of the Board of Supervisors. She is the first Latina to lead the five-member body in the County of Sonoma’s 176-year history. Born and raised in Sonoma Valley, she is the proud daughter of immigrants from Jalostotitlan, Jalisco, Mexico.
Hermosillo said that counties across California are being asked to do more with less. In her opening comments, Hermosilla said:
“Fiscal responsibility will be essential. We must continue to be careful stewards of our limited public resources so that Sonoma County remains resilient, and prepared for the future. But with uncertainty also comes the opportunity to be problem solvers, to listen more deeply, to strengthen collaboration, to build meaningful public and private partnerships, and to ensure that everyone feels seen, heard, and valued in the decisions we make from this dais every Tuesday.”
The Board of Supervisors elected Supervisor Chris Coursey as vice chair and Supervisor David Rabbitt as chair pro-tem for 2026. Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was Chair for the 2025 year.
While the budget for the current fiscal year is on track, the Supervisors were told that spending cuts may be needed next year. The County staff projected a $4.7 million shortfall in the 2026-27 fiscal year, equal to about 0.6 percent of total General Fund spending. If the local economy slows moderately, the deficit could grow to an estimated $17.3 million.
The projected shortfall is driven primarily by sharp increases in the cost of insurance, an issue facing local governments across California. The County’s share of employee health insurance costs is expected to increase 14 percent next year, while the cost of general liability insurance is projected to jump 23 percent.
A full presentation of the budget can be found online here.
Hard news about Kale Gonick-Hallows
The Sebastopol Times learned yesterday that Kale Gonick-Hallows, who went missing on Jan. 5, was found dead on the Sonoma Coast. His mother, Gail, gave us permission to reprint her Facebook announcement:
I have some difficult, heavy news. My son, Kale, was found in his car off the Sonoma County Coast last night. He likely died late Monday night, 1/5/26. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from our friends and community, both near and far, and so many people who showed up and joined us in searching for him. We will keep you updated as plans unfold for gathering to celebrate his life.
Kale Gonick-Hallows, 06/06/1996-01/05/2026
Grocery Outlet Update
We learned on Friday evening, after our story posted that morning, that Grocery Outlet has signed a lease for the Rite Aid building on Main Street in Sebastopol. Kyle Noble, senior director of marketing at Grocery Outlet, wrote the following:
We are very excited about the opportunity in Sebastopol and have a fully executed lease that is recorded against the property with the County Assessor’s office. We hope to start construction later this year with a target to open in 2027.
Our goal [with the upcoming community meetings] is to listen and engage the community early in the process. Our open houses give residents an opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and better understand who we are and how the store operates on a daily basis especially with our Independent Operator business model.
The company still needs to get a use permit from the city of Sebastopol and check off all the other procedural steps listed in our article.
HOME OR HONE? Speaking of that article, there was a passionate debate on Nextdoor about the title, “Grocery Outlet homes in on Sebastopol.” I’d originally written “hones” because that’s how I say it, but then I remembered that there was some controversy in grammatical circles about that usage. So, I looked it up on Merriam-Webster.com. Their verdict: “Both are used, but 'home in' does a better job of hitting the mark.” I wondered if “hone in” was a California variation, so I asked a rather proper friend from Boston, but she also voted for “hones.” All things considered, I changed it back to “hones.”
Sebastopol Area Senior Center to open on Saturdays for the first time ever
For the first time, Sebastopol Area Senior Center will open their doors on Saturdays, starting Jan. 24. They’ll now be open six days per week. Their Saturday hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
They’re having a party to celebrate on Jan. 24, from 9 am to 2 pm, with tours, live music, game tables, food, henna tattoos and an art gallery reception (12 pm–2 pm) and free mini-rides on the trishaw, great fun for the whole family! All ages welcome at this event.
“This is a big moment for our Center and our community,” said Katie Davis, Executive Director. “Opening on Saturdays allows us to better serve working seniors, families, caregivers, and community members who haven’t always been able to join us during the week.”
The Sebastopol Area Senior Center is located at 167 N. High St., Sebastopol
Nominate the Teacher of the Year
The Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation seeks nominations for outstanding West County Teachers. This year awards will go to teachers in each of the following categories:
NEW TEACHER: This award honors a new teacher (five or less years in the teaching profession) whose efforts and enthusiasm merit recognition and the positive impact they have on their students’ learning.
INNOVATIVE/COLLABORATIVE TEACHERS (Maximum 2 teachers): This award honors a maximum of two teachers who collaborate in innovative ways to impact their students.
CAREER SERVICE TEACHER: This award honors an experienced elementary, middle or high school teacher (with more than five years of service in the teaching profession) and has made a significant impact on the students, school and community.
Nominations can be submitted online HERE before Friday, March 13, at midnight.
Each West County Teacher of the Year will receive a $1,000 cash award and will be recognized, along with their guests, at the Sebastopol Rotary Club Meeting on Friday, April 10. The Teachers of the Year will also be invited to ride in the Apple Blossom Parade on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with the Rotary Float.
Learn about last year’s Teachers of the Year:
Sebastopol Police Logs, Jan. 5-11
The following are crimes excerpted from Sebastopol Police Department daily crime log entries and listed at the time the alleged violation was reported.
MONDAY
10:15 a.m. Petty theft at Pleasant Hill Avenue North. Charges cleared by circumstances beyond police control.
3:23 p.m. Kidnapping, false imprisonment, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or companion (felonies) and violation of probation (misdemeanor). No location reported. Suspect arrested.
TUESDAY
12:24 a.m. Served with a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency and giving a false identification to police (misdemeanor) at Sebastopol Avenue. Suspect arrested.
10:44 a.m. Possession of obscene matter involving a minor in a sexual act (felony) at Frankel Lane. Pending further investigation.
THURSDAY
8:06 a.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol (misdemeanor) at Keating Avenue. Suspect arrested.
SATURDAY
8:36 p.m. Failure to appear in court after promising in writing (misdemeanor) and served with a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at North Main Street. Suspect arrested.
SUNDAY
12:21 a.m. Possession of unlawful paraphernalia (misdemeanor) and served with a misdemeanor arrest warrant at Sebastopol Avenue and Morris Street. Suspect arrested.
11:21 a.m. Served a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at North Main Street. Suspect arrested.
2:21 p.m. Purse snatching (misdemeanor) at McKinley Street. Pending further investigation.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 158 events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
