Roundup: Finding your balance
Roundup: Finding your balance
The Sebastopol balance challenge, Elderberry Commons news, a library quilt, police logs and more
Take the Sebastopol Shoe Balance Challenge
Sebastopol Feldenkrais practitioner Liza Weaver Brickey has a challenge for you. It’s known as the Old Man Test, but Brickey prefers to call it the Shoe Balance Challenge.
It goes like this: Put your shoes and socks on the floor in front of you. Then stand on your right leg and pick up a sock, put the sock on your left foot, then reach down for the shoe and put it on—if it’s a lace-up shoe, this includes tying it—all the while standing on one leg. Repeat for the other side.
Can you do that? Brickey, who’s 73, couldn’t do it when she first tried it in April of this year, but she practiced for a month and now she can, though she says she uses a slip-on shoe rather than a lace-up.
For accountability, she videoed herself and posted her efforts on Instagram. Friends got inspired and sent her videos of their own attempts.
Now she’s on a campaign to see how many of her fellow Sebastopudlians are up for the challenge. She’s asked random folks around town to take the shoe balance challenge, and a surprising number complied, including her acupuncturist, a checker at Fircrest (who manages to do this with a hiking boot!), and the priest at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.
I figured Brickey was doing this with some kind of public health interest in mind—Sebastopol’s aging demographic, blah, blah, blah—but according to Brickey, “Why am I going out into the public with this? Basically, it’s just fun. It’s a really fun thing to do.”
If the shoe balance challenge seems impossible to you, Brickey suggests you approach it slowly by practicing each step—starting with standing on one foot—until you feel comfortable. She also suggested practicing where you can grab onto something solid should things go south.
Correction: How much is “much”?
Sonoma County Library Communications Manager Ray Holley took issue with something I wrote about library administrator Barbara Maes in this week’s City Watch. I described her as crying silently through “much” of the library advisory board meeting, which he said was untrue. He said she’d only briefly teared up. I watched her cry—and visibly struggle to maintain—through what seemed like the last quarter of the meeting. Is that “much of the meeting”? Perhaps not, so I revised that sentence like so: “Visibly shaken, she cried silently through a portion of the meeting and fled the room the minute the meeting was over.” That is more accurate.
Construction on Elderberry Commons underway
Elderberry Commons, the former site of the Sebastopol Inn, has officially been transferred from Sonoma County to Burbank Housing in order to rehab it into Sebastopol’s first permanent supportive housing project. Because the project is using state “Homekey” funds, the construction comes at no cost to the city and will house 29 studio apartment units. Move-ins are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Even though Councilmember Jill McLewis and nearby business owners have expressed concerns about the project, Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins told Sebastopol Times that this news should be well-received by all, given the demand for these services.
“We are in dire need of permanent supportive housing,” she said. “Elderberry Commons will provide 29 newly remodeled permanent supportive housing units, plus a manager unit, within walking distance of shops and grocery stores. This will help vulnerable residents establish homes in town and reduce homelessness in our area.”
Unlike when the property was managed by DEMA, wraparound supportive services and case management will be provided to all residents by West County Community Services.
Quilt raffle benefiting Sebastopol Library's Children's Program
This quilt, called “The Wonderful Wild World of Charlie Harper’s Animals,” was created by local quilter Betty Upchurch and the Persian Pickle Quilting Group. It has been on display at the Sebastopol Library all summer. Raffle tickets to win the quilt can be purchased at the check-out desk. Buy 13 tickets for $10, six for $5, one for $1. The winning ticket will be drawn at noon on Friday, Sept. 20, during the fall book sale.
Volunteer for the Gravenstein Apple Fair!
It takes a lot of volunteers to run the Gravenstein Apple Fair, which happens this weekend, August 10-11. Volunteers receive free weekend admission, an official Gravenstein Apple Fair apron and an invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation Party. Volunteer here.
Double dose of Sebastopol Police Logs, July 15-28
The following are crimes excerpted from Sebastopol Police Department daily crime log entries and listed at the time the alleged violation was reported.
MONDAY, JULY 15
2:48 p.m. Motor vehicle burglary and vandalism of at least $400 (felonies) at Gravenstein Highway North and Hurlbut Avenue. Pending further investigation.
3:06 p.m. Violation of a court order involving domestic violence (misdemeanor) at Norlee Street and Covert Lane. Referred to District Attorney for review.
TUESDAY, JULY 16
9:59 a.m. Vandalism involving defacing property (misdemeanor) at South Main Street and Calder Avenue. Investigation suspended, leads exhausted.
12:55 p.m. Grand theft of wages by an employer (felony) at McKinley and Brown Street. Investigation suspended, leads exhausted.
6:05 p.m. Served a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at Laguna Park Way and McKinley Street. Suspect arrested.
10:35 p.m. Violation of probation (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway South and Hurlbut Avenue. Suspect arrested.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17
11:59 a.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol (misdemeanor) at Sebastopol and Petaluma avenues. Suspect arrested.
THURSDAY, JULY 18
8:12 a.m. Possession of a controlled substance and unlawful paraphernalia, and violation of probation (misdemeanors) at Gravenstein Highway North and Hurlbut Avenue. Suspect arrested.
9:48 a.m. Possession of unlawful paraphernalia and violation of probation (misdemeanors) at High and Burnett streets. Suspect arrested.
FRIDAY, JULY 19
11:12 a.m. Grand theft (felony) at Bodega Avenue and Pleasant Hill Avenue North. Investigation suspended, leads exhausted.
4:08 p.m. Petty theft involving purse-snatching (misdemeanor) at Bodega Avenue and North Main Street. Pending further investigation.
SATURDAY, JULY 20
7:07 p.m. Failure to appear in court after making a written promise (misdemeanor) at Laguna Park Way and McKinley Street. Suspect arrested.
SUNDAY, JULY 21
8:53 p.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol (misdemeanor) at High and Burnett streets. Suspect arrested.
TUESDAY, JULY 23
5:37 p.m. Battery of a spouse or companion, failure to appear in court after promising in writing, violation of probation (misdemeanors), and served with a misdemeanor arrest warrant from an outside agency at Gravenstein Highway North and Hurlbut Avenue. Suspect arrested.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24
4:49 p.m. Child abuse with possibility of great bodily injury or death, evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety (felonies), and resisting a peace officer (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway South, unincorporated area. Suspect arrested.
6:45 p.m. Grand theft (felony) at Jewell and Calder avenues. Pending further investigation.
THURSDAY, JULY 25
2:30 p.m. Served a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at McKinley and North Main streets. Suspect arrested.
FRIDAY, JULY 26
11:39 a.m. Served a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at South Main and Burnett streets. Suspect arrested.
2:49 p.m. Motor vehicle theft (felony) at Harrison Street and Healdsburg Avenue. Referred to District Attorney for review.
SUNDAY, JULY 28
8:21 a.m. Disorderly conduct involving alcohol at Valentine Avenue. Suspect arrested.
8:39 p.m. Trespassing (misdemeanor) and violations of pre-trial release (misdemeanor and felony) at Abbott and Petaluma avenues. Pending further investigation.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 365 other events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
