Roundup: Sebastopol's Best
Roundup: Sebastopol's Best
Sebastopol Community Awards, FFA Awards, a new local author and more
The Chamber of Commerce’s Sebastopol Community Awards winners were celebrated this week with a ceremony at Russian River Vineyards.
Citizen of the Year — Stan Ramondo
Volunteer of the Year — Cyndi Carter
Outstanding Public Service — Jann Eyrich
Service to Seniors — Tate Birnie
Business of the Year — Silk Moon Gallery
Apple Blossom Volunteer of the Year — Curtis and Rebecca Clemmer
Service to Youth — Nicole Ellwood
Police Service of the Year — Michelle Beckman
Volunteer Firefighter of the Year — Christian Garcia
Outstanding Youth Service — Zoelie Kim
New Business of the Year — Luminarium Curated Goods
A banner month for Jann Eyrich
Jann Eyrich is having a very good month. She not only won a community award for outstanding public service (above), she also launched her new eco-mystery series with the publication of her first book, “The Rotting Whale.” The book was published by Sibylline Press, founded by former West County-ite Vicki DeArmon, longtime marketing director for Copperfield’s Books.
The novel’s main character is named Hugo Sandoval, and he’s a building inspector in San Francisco (an unusual career for an amateur detective).
“I found that the perspective that a building inspector has on the city—especially someone who is as passionate about the city is this character is—is valuable, and the book’s focus is on the waterfront,” Eyrich said. “So the books basically are all about water. They’re all about the collision of our built environment with with nature, primarily in landscapes that are dominated by water. San Francisco, surrounded by water on three sides—you have the issues of sea level rise and storm surge and so on, impacting, in real time, a city that he loves.”
Eyrich worked in the building trades in San Francisco for 20 years before moving to west county, and she says she based her main character on several of the people she met during that time.
Like her main character, Eyrich loves San Francisco, though she didn’t start writing about it until 10 years after she left. The second book in the series, The Blind Key, which hasn’t been released yet, is set in Florida—another place surrounded by water on three sides. She’s currently working on the third book in the series.
Meet Jann in person and say congratulations during her book signing at Copperfields Sebastopol on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 pm.
Speaking of local authors…
Stop by the Sebastopol Senior anytime between 1:30 pm and 3 pm on Monday, Oct. 16, to meet with about a dozen published authors who are also Senior Center members. “Authors will have books for sale and are so eager to meet with you,” said Senior Center director Joan Churchill. “Find out what stimulated them to write, perhaps you’ll find a new read for yourself or for a gift.”
Sebastopol FFA’s winning team
Sebastopol Future Farmers of America (FFA) at Analy High School is on a winning streak. Four of Analy’s alumni FFA students will be awarded the American FFA Degree at the FFA’s national conference this November — something only 1% of FFA members nationwide receive. Analy student and FFA member Jesus Martinez Diaz is serving as president of the FFA’s California North Coast Region, an area stretching from Half Moon Bay to Eureka.
Their teachers have been doing some winning of their own. Congratulations to Analy Ag teacher and FFA Advisor Emily Lokka for winning the FFA’s Sonoma Section Outstanding Young Teacher Award and to Analy Ag teacher and FFA Advisor Heidi Mickelson for winning the FFA’s North Coast Region Teacher of Excellence.
And here’s what their student FFA team has been up to…
Voices of their generation
We couldn’t help but notice an unusual juxtaposition of films at the Rialto this week: two very different women who became voices for their generation. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour landed at the Rialto this weekend for four days and is playing opposite the Joan Baez documentary, “Joan Baez: I Am A Noise.” We are not going to comment on what this says about the generations in question. Because that would be cruel.
The Baez biopic is playing daily, but you’ve got a limited time to experience the Swiftie vibe. Your last chance to see the Eras Tour is today, Sunday, Oct. 15, 12 pm, 4 pm and 8 pm, and Thursday, Oct. 19, 3 pm and 7 pm.
