Roundup: Volunteers and Visitations
The fracas outside Redwood Credit Union, building a fence in Libby Park, the pumpkin fairy, and the return of Sebastobox
All eyes looked skyward
A visitor from space graced our skies earlier this week. Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS (or simply Comet A3) is a comet from the Oort cloud discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China in 2023 and independently by ATLAS South Africa that same year. The comet is 87,090,305 kilometers from Earth, but that didn’t stop local photographers—like our own Mark Fernquest—from taking its picture.
One lucky guy
If you were driving on North Gravenstein Highway near Pacific Market just before midday yesterday, you probably had to take a detour because police and sheriff’s officers with guns at the ready had the area cordoned off. Here’s the word from the Sebastopol Police Department Facebook:
Today, at approximately 11:07 AM, Sebastopol Police Officers were dispatched to investigate suspicious circumstances at Redwood Credit Union, located at 7840 Covert Lane. A caller reported there was a vehicle parked in front of the bank for over thirty minutes and a man sitting inside with a “dual hand,” BB-gun-style firearm within arm’s reach. The bank management learned of the man’s presence and took it upon themselves to lock the business down with customers inside.
Due to the possibility of the man possessing a real firearm outside the bank and his unknown intentions, responding officers requested the assistance of Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies. Multiple deputies responded to assist, including the Sheriff’s helicopter unit, Henry 1.
Upon their arrival, officers and deputies set up a perimeter around the subject’s vehicle. As law enforcement was working to clear the area, officers could see the man still sitting in the driver’s seat and holding a cylindrically shaped item up near his chest. The man appeared to be holding a rifle-style firearm.
As the area was still being cleared, the man exited the vehicle without anything in his hands. When he did so, officers and deputies conducted a high-risk stop and detained him without incident.
The gun in question was determined to be a Bug-A-Salt pump salt shotgun, designed for killing flies. The man was cooperative with officers and explained he was using the salt gun to kill flies while listening to the radio. Since the man did not commit a crime, he was released from the scene.
We appreciate the help from the Sonoma Sheriff in handling this incident and were pleased with its peaceful resolution.
Good fences make good neighbors
Sebastopol’s two Rotary clubs are rebuilding the fence around the duck pond in Libby Park. The plan is for construction teams to gather each Saturday at 9 am for the next few weeks for coffee and doughnuts and then get down to work for the next several hours under the skillful direction of Jim Pacatte.
“Both Rotary clubs have a tradition of building and re-building vital parts of our town’s infrastructure,” said Cindy Carter, president of the noon Rotary Club. “This project is in that tradition.”
Carter said the Rotary Clubs’ efforts are saving the city around $50,000.
Although the work was supposed to go on into November, they’re making such good progress, Carter said, that they expect to be done by the end of October.
The return of Sebastobox…this time from The Livery
Those of you who were in Sebastopol during the height of the pandemic in 2020 may remember Sebastobox. It was a box full of local goodies—Retrograde Coffee, Beekind Honey, Patisserie Angelica scones, Cookie Company cookies, chocolate from Sonoma Chocolatiers, plus a bouquet of roses from my yard—that I dropped off at people’s doors in a “touchless delivery,” as it was called back then.
My son, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend also worked as delivery people for Sebastobox. They’d all lost their jobs due to the pandemic and much to their dismay were living at home again. I created Sebastobox with a three-fold purpose: deliver comforting local treats to people who were stuck at home due to the lockdown, support local businesses, and provide work for my houseful of suddenly unemployed 20-somethings. It was not a money-making venture. I ran Sebastobox for six months and closed it down when things began to open up again.
A couple of months ago, I was approached by The Livery’s Chief Operating Officer Becca Lipski, who wanted to use the name “Sebastobox” for a new online venture of theirs.
When I learned their plan, I readily agreed. Though some of the vendors have changed, the intent—supporting local business—is the same. They just launched their online store, featuring Sebastobox and two Taste of West County gift boxes, ranging from $75 to $150. You can find their offerings at farmtocoast.com
“Although we have not been able to open a physical food hall yet, we still wanted to do our part to support local makers,” Lipski said.
The Pumpkin Fairy Godmother will be at Ives Park on Halloween—and so will we!
We were so intrigued by Kiwanis’ plan to create a little pop-up Halloween experience in Ives Park on Oct. 31, that we decided to join in. The Sebastopol Times team will be there handing out candy. The Pumpkin Fairy Godmother (above) will also be in attendance. Want to join the fun? Contact Natalie with questions and to sign up at 510-778-2591. To participate, you must reach out to Kiwanis by Friday, Oct. 25.
Sebastopol Police Logs, October 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
8:17 p.m. Appropriation of lost property (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway North and Hurlbut Avenue. Charges unfounded.
10:34 p.m. Causing injury to an elderly dependent adult (felony) at Bodega Avenue and Robinson Road. Referred to District Attorney for review.
TUESDAY
8:01 a.m. Battery of a spouse or companion (misdemeanor) and robbery (felony) at Murphy Avenue and Bately Court. Suspect arrested.
WEDNESDAY
9:55 p.m. Obtaining money under false pretenses (misdemeanor) at West Hills Circle and Bodega Avenue. Pending further investigation.
THURSDAY
12:10 p.m. Served a misdemeanor arrest warrant for an outside agency at Laguna Park Way and McKinley Street. Suspect arrested.
10:01 p.m. Possession of a controlled substance (felony) and violation of parole (misdemeanor) at Gravenstein Highway South and Redwood Avenue. Suspect arrested.
FRIDAY
10:22 p.m. Possession of nitrous oxide and violation of probation (misdemeanors) at North Main Street and Healdsburg Avenue. Suspect arrested.
11:08 p.m. Traffic offense and violation of probation (misdemeanor) at North Main Street and Bodega Avenue. Suspect arrested.
SATURDAY
6:20 p.m. Hit and run involving property damage at Healdsburg and Cleveland avenues. Pending further investigation.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 142 other events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
Farewells
Robert Grant Hauge, a loving husband, son, brother, uncle and friend, died peacefully at home in Sebastopol on May 25, 2024, at the age of 76. Outdoorsman, skier, and a lover of nature.
I pulled into the parking lot on my way to the hardware store as this was happening. After reading your account of the fly killing gun, it seems , to me, like the only ones hurt were the taxpayers.