RoundUp: Happy Easter!
Hunt for chocolate eggs, worship Christ or dance the Rite of Spring (it's all good)
Sebastopol Rotary’s Overcoming Obstacles program
Friday’s Sebastopol Rotary Club luncheon program was truly extraordinary, so much so that I wish I could share every minute of it. Any description cannot do justice to what took place.
Eight amazing high school students from Analy and Laguna got up to tell their very personal story of Overcoming Obstacles, and after each one spoke, each Rotarian in the audience jumped to their feet faster than the next one and applauded with great enthusiasm. For the students at the podium, there were some tears, slow pauses for breath, and a lot of gratitude. For the people gathered to hear these stories, there was nothing but appreciation along with many wet eyes and swelling hearts.
Overcoming Obstacles awards is a fifteen-year-old program of Sebastopol Rotary. One of the co-chairs, Rick Wilson, said that the program was originally a speech contest for seniors in high school. The student with the best speech would get an award. Wilson said that the contest was too hard to judge and took too long to decide a winner. COVID gave them a chance to change the program and now all students win, getting the same award - a $3,000 college scholarship. This year, awards were given to 8 students, up from 6, and each student also received a $200 cash prize from a sponsor.
The students get a lot more than just money. Tom Boag, one of the co-chairs, explained that a group of Rotarians, managed by Wilson, coaches the students in public speaking. “Nearly all of the students have 2 or 3 private one-on-one sessions,” he said. “The first session is often a ‘deer in the headlights’ experience. Either the student has no clue what to say (5 minutes!) or they plan to ‘tell all’ and take on more than they can handle. We teach them that they have to stay in control. They get it after a few sessions. This is, for some, a new life skill.”
In the morning before lunch, David Schreibman, the third co-chair, moderated a panel of three adult speakers who shared the obstacles they encountered growing up. Boag recalls that one student, years ago, said: “No adult, not my parents, or anybody has ever talked to me about obstacles they faced, or what they were like as kids.” This year’s panelists who shared their stories were:
Terrie Wallin, who started her 18-year career in law enforcement as a Police Aide in the Sebastopol Police Department and eventually retired from the LA Police Department. Since then, she has worked in private industry, working in supply chain logistics.
Carson Pforsich, who is confined to a wheelchair, fractured a vertebrae while swimming at a beach near Bodega Bay in 2017 when he was an Analy High School senior. He has since coached JV football at Analy, and he is pursuing his CPA license.
Chris Meredith is the superintendent of West Sonoma County Union High School District. He was the principal of Cloverdale High School from 2017-2021. He was named Superintendent of WSCUHSD in 2022.
The students’ speeches, or stories as they often called them, were exceptional. Many of the students remarked that they appreciated this opportunity to tell their story outside of their circle of friends and family. After the first student spoke, I thought how could anyone do any better? But as each student came forward, I no longer compared one story or one student to the other. Each story, like each individual, was authentic and compelling for different reasons. I can’t summarize or otherwise present their stories, but I wish I could. Here they are again:
The members of the Rotary really did everything possible to show support for these students, their family members and others, including teachers and counselors who helped the students. This was not an audience gathered for an awards show but something much more special—a big, warm community that reached out and embraced these kids and lifted them up.
The program’s printed brochure said:
Perhaps the greatest rewards (for the students) will be seeing what they have in common with others who have struggled to overcome obstacles in their lives and succeeded… They realize they are not alone in their struggles, and they receive tools to help them succeed.
Small Car Show
At Sonoma Pizza in Forestville earlier this week, Chaney Claypool and two other women were ripping open boxes of Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels. They were fitting each car with velcro and then attaching them to belts or sashes spread out on the lunch table. Nowhere were there kids in sight. I had to ask them what they were so busy doing.
Chaney with husband, Les, are the owners of Purple Pachyderm, home of Claypool Cellars, on Hwy 116. She explained that the three of them were making their own hot-rod accessories to wear at their annual event, Vino, Vittles and Vintage Cars, which will be held on June 14th at Holy Ghost Hall in Sebastopol. “We were doing this at the winery, but we got hungry so we brought our work with us,” said Chaney.
The event, held on Father’s Day weekend, benefits for Food For Thought. Note: Vintage Surf Rockabilly, car theme or pit crew attire encouraged but not required. Visit PurplePachyderm.com for more information.
Twin Hills District selects Dana Pederson as new superintendent
The Board of Trustees of Twin Hills Union School District has chosen Dana Pedersen as the district’s next Superintendent. The district, with four schools in Sebastopol, serves approximately 1,000 TK to 12th grade students. Ms. Pedersen will begin work on July 1, 2025, following a formal board vote on April 24th.
She is currently an Administrator on Special Assignment at Guerneville Elementary School District. Previously, she has held roles as a superintendent at the Guerneville Elementary School District for seven years, Assistant Superintendent at Santa Rosa City Schools for one year, principal at Roseland Elementary for eight years, and a bilingual Spanish teacher at Sheppard Accelerated Elementary for 8 years.
Ms. Pedersen has lived in the Twin Hills area for over 30 years and has deep family ties to the district. “Serving the community I call home is an incredible honor,” she said. A board announcement said: “Her love for this community is matched by her proven ability to bring people together, lead with transparency, and make thoughtful, student-centered decisions.”
The Chamber of Commerce gets its own Amiot!
Linda Kelley: A life of service
Linda Kelley, a registered nurse for almost 50 years, former Sebastopol mayor, city council member and planning commissioner, and long-time activist and advocate, passed peacefully in her sleep on March 11.
Sebastopol Police Logs, April 7-13
The following are crimes excerpted from Sebastopol Police Department daily crime log entries and listed at the time the alleged violation was reported.
MONDAY
5:10 p.m. Violation of probation and contempt of court (misdemeanors) at South Main Street. Suspect arrested.
TUESDAY
7:17 p.m. Inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or companion (felony) and violation of probation (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway North. Referred to the district attorney for review.
WEDNESDAY
11:05 a.m. Failure to appear in court after promising in writing (misdemeanor) at Petaluma and Abbott avenues. Suspect arrested.
11:07 a.m. Grand theft from a building (felony) at Petaluma Avenue. Pending further investigation.
3:06 p.m. Obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor) at North Main Street. Referred to the district attorney for review.
THURSDAY
1:59 p.m. Battery of a spouse or companion (misdemeanor) at Robinson Road. Suspect arrested.
SATURDAY
2:33 p.m. Robbery (felony) and assault with a deadly weapon, possibly causing great bodily injury at Robinson Road. Pending further investigation.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 128 other events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
The Week of April 14-19
