Roundup: Ready or not, here come the holidays
Tree lighting, tractor parade, caroling, Mr. & Mrs. Claus plus what the heck is a nyckelharpa?
The tent going up before Halloween at Sebastopol Hardware seems to be the earliest signal that the holidays are coming. On the day after Thanksgiving, the Christmas Tree farms are open, and you begin seeing Volvos with trees tied on top motoring around town. The local shops are eager for your business, hoping this season can sustain them for the rest of the year.
Plus, there’s the annual tree lighting on the town plaza on Dec. 4, from 5 pm to 8 pm. The second annual Holiday Lights and Tractor Parade at the Graton Town Square takes place on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 4 pm to 7 pm.
A Ruby Jubilee for Holiday Music in Sonoma County
By Arthur George
For 40 years, Sonoma County’s Old World Carolers have presented the diverse choral music of Christmas drawn from various European cultures and eras. In tailcoats and ball gowns, they return again this year with a dress-up ball on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Monroe Hall, 1400 West College Avenue, Santa Rosa, and then caroling under the sanctuary dome of Sebastopol Methodist Church, 500 North Main St., Sebastopol, on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.
Waltzes will be on the agenda for the dance affair, commemorating the 200th birthday of composer Johann Strauss. Both events request a $10 donation at the door. The December 6 ball benefits Doctors Without Borders, and the December 14 concert benefits that same group and other charities.
The Old World Carolers have compiled a library of archived music from throughout Europe, going back to medieval periods through the Renaissance and into the Victorian era. They research and sing in many languages, this year from England, Wales, France, Germany, Spain, and Sweden.
“It was sort of a challenge for us to work up songs from a whole region and to have to sing in the language and everything,” Carolers director Rebecca Dwan remembers, “but that built up our repertoire really fast. So now we have hundreds and hundreds of songs.”
An additional offering this year is the Ukrainian carol, Nova radist stala, “Joy on Earth Now Appearing.” The concert includes a singalong portion, with lyrics and sheet music distributed to follow along as songs are introduced.
The Carolers’ music also incorporates some midwinter rituals and traditions, such as the Swedish tradition of Sankta Lucia (Saint Lucy), where a lighted procession with song precedes the coming date of Christmas, also celebrated in other Scandinavian countries, Italy, and the Caribbean, and the French Saint Nicolas, another early arriver in advance of Christmas. Many of the songs connect to historical events in their traditions, as Dwan explains in brief introductions to each piece.
Early instruments are also sometimes featured, such as the nyckelharpa deriving from the 14th century, a violin-like instrument with keys to change the pitch of the strings. This year Tim Rued will play a set of traditional Scandinavian dances on nyckelharpa and fiddle at the December 6 ball, accompanied by Margie Rued on keyboard. Except for the keyboard, all singing and playing will be acoustic and unamplified.
Ball attendees may sit on benches around the 100-year-old wooden dance hall, sing along with supplied lyrics, or try some waltzes (most of the carols sung are waltzes). A simple line dance waltz is another option for those without a partner. Scandinavian dancers will demonstrate some of the romantic, gliding dances from Sweden and Norway.
For questions or information, contact Rebecca Dwan at info@traditionalfun.org. See photos of past balls and listen to samples at http://traditionalfun.org/owc.html.
More Christmas caroling options
Over the next two weekends, Sebastopol Methodist Church at 500 N. Main St., opposite Safeway, is hosting two other singalong programs.
First is next Sunday, Dec. 7, 3-4 p.m., a singalong of traditional Christmas carols, led by Nancy Berger and accompanied by Andy Darrow on piano and 100-year-old pipe organ. Lyrics and sheet music provided. Free, open to all, family-friendly; $10 donation requested.
The following Saturday, Dec. 13, 1 p.m., conductor John Maas returns for his 31st year with his open singalong of Handel’s “Messiah.” Sheet music provided, $10-20 donation requested to benefit charities and music program. Accompanied by a string quartet of Rob Powell, Margaret Thornton, Ellen Watson, and Tom Fatttaruso, with Todd Higgins on trumpet. Vocal leaders are Melina Moreaux, soprano; Sadie Sonntag, alto; Greg Hoff, tenor; and Benjamin Mertz, bass.
Santa and Mrs. Claus
Sebastopol doesn’t have a department store or a mall for Santa Claus, but he can be found outdoors at the Garlock Tree Farm, located on Bloomfield Road, one of many Christmas tree farms that opened on the day after Thanksgiving.
Rod Helvey has been Santa Claus for 11 years at Garlock Tree Farm, and he’s joined by Mrs. Claus, who is Mary Dandridge and married to Rod. Mary said that Friday was very busy — and cold, with fog and temperatures in the 40s.
“There were only two crying babies,” she said. “Most kids ran up and hugged Rod, and I took the family photos on their cell phones.” Rod and Mary think that many who come are yearly returnees to Garlock Tree Farm. “Rod remembers their faces,” she said.
“He has a way with children,” she added. “He’s respectful and knows how to talk to them that leaves an impression. Rod engages with the kids rather than just sit for a picture.”
Mary remarked that the whole crew at the tree farm put in extra hours and worked hard. “Their work was reflected in the smiles and cheerfulness of the customers,” she said.
Rod Helvey wears other hats. He is one of the leaders of the Sebastopol Neighborhood Communications Unit (SNCU), which practices using radios to communicate among neighbors during an emergency. SNCU holds its monthly radio check-in on the first Monday of the month at 7pm on Channel 7, and the next one is this Monday Dec. 1. Most of those who participate in the check-in have GMRS radios. For information on GMRS radios, visit this page on the North Bay Communications Collective website.
And in non-holiday news: The permitting goof heard round the world
Little Caesars opened in Sebastopol this week, and it wasn’t only anti-chain advocates in Sebastopol who heard about it. Something about this story broke into the new cycle around the world. The PD reported on it, of course, but so did the SF Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, MSN, Yahoo News Canada, as well as the UK’s Independent and the Daily Mail.
The Sebastopol Times received this email from the new pizzeria’s owners:
We’re a family-owned small business, and we’re proud to be opening our next Little Caesars in Sebastopol. Our family has lived and worked in this region for years, and we already operate restaurants in Rohnert Park, Windsor, Santa Rosa, among other locations in the area. We are proud to be franchisees for the Little Caesars brand, which is the only major national pizza chain that is still family-owned and operated.
We know how much Sebastopol values its character, and our goal is to contribute to the community, not change it. We followed the city’s permitting process in good faith, are honored that we were approved to join this vibrant community and are focused on serving our neighbors and supporting local organizations. We can’t wait to meet everyone for our grand opening celebration in the coming weeks.”
—Gurdip Pahal & Family
Sebastopol Police Logs, Nov. 17-23
The following are crimes excerpted from Sebastopol Police Department daily crime log entries and listed at the time the alleged violation was reported.
TUESDAY
2:59 p.m. Served a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at Johnson Street. Suspect arrested.
5:21 p.m. Burglary (felony) and vandalism with property damage (misdemeanor) at Petaluma Avenue. Pending further investigation.
THURSDAY
6:42 p.m. Burglary (felony) at Sebastopol Avenue. Pending further investigation.
11:22 p.m. Giving a false identification to police, possession of a controlled substance, violation of probation, disorderly conduct by lodging without an owner’s consent (misdemeanors) with causing a fire and possession of a controlled substance with two or more prior convictions (felonies) at Petaluma and Abbott avenues. Suspect arrested.
FRIDAY
7:29 p.m. Driving with a suspended license and an expired vehicle registration, failure to provide police officer with proof of insurance, and violation of probation (misdemeanor) at Murphy and Washington avenues. Suspect arrested.
SATURDAY
8:27 a.m. Vandalism with property damage (misdemeanor) at Petaluma Avenue. No resolution reported.
10:45 a.m. Vandalism with property damage (felony) at Gravenstein Highway North. Pending further investigation.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 129 events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
Week of November 22-27
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I love this side by side look at local adaptations of what is largely a corporate fueled holiday season, and a blatant corporate brand being anchored by local ownership. Our personal narratives of what is "right" gets tested by what actually happens in our community. Perhaps a gift to ourselves this season is the realization that any binary interpretation of life is likely overlooking something. We are enriched by having a variety of points of view and interests. The Times regularly shows us there is so much to do in West County. Despite your particular set of interests, there will always be something to attend where you can find commonality with the very people you have differences with on other activities. When we play together, we stay together.