Many Moons rises again
This weekend saw the second annual Many Moons Festival in Ives Park, which was well-attended in spite of the heat. (Thanks to retired Press Democrat photographer Jeff Kan Lee for the photo above!) If you missed it, you can still see the associated ‘Under Many Moons’ art exhibit at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, which runs through Oct. 11. The Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition North Bay (AAPIC) approached SebArts with the idea for the exhibit. SebArts put out a call and got more than 200 submissions. Exhibitions Manager Damian Estrella worked with AAPIC coordinators Amaya Yoshikawa and Erin Masako Wilkins and juror Patricia Wakida to select the artwork. Damien also gave a shout-out to AAPIC’s Laurie Fong, Joey Barnwell, and Lisa Johnson-Foster for their help with making this exhibition happen.
Sebastopol marks the official opening of AmeriCorps Trail along the Laguna
By Rollie Atkinson
When we first posted Rollie’s article about the long road to the completion of the AmeriCorps Trail back in August, we got a message from the city saying that we’d jumped the gun, and that the trail, though walkable, wasn’t quite ready for visitors. It is now.
The seasonal AmeriCorps Trail, along the Laguna de Santa Rosa at the eastern edge of Sebastopol, was the focus of an official ribbon-cutting on Sept. 28 by the city of Sebastopol and its county partners after several decades of planning, trail blazing, environmental reviews and public land acquisition.
The AmeriCorps Trail, which parallels Morris Street, runs from the Sebastopol Community and Cultural Arts Center parking lot at the north to the Ned Kahn kinetic “Sebastopol Spire” installation and Highway 12 to the south.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by Sebastopol Mayor Jill McLewis, was as short and sweet as the half-mile trail itself.
“We’re truly appreciative of all our partners,” said McLewis, nodding toward gathered representatives from the Sonoma County Regional Parks, Open Space & Agricultural Preservation District, city Public Works staff and trail volunteers.
Kenyon Webster, former Sebastopol City Planner, shared stories of the beginning concepts of the trail included in the City’s 1992 Laguna Master Plan. “Some of this land the new trail covers was once part of the old city dump. That tells you what they thought of the wetlands back then.”
County honors land use pioneer Richard Retecki
By Rollie Atkinson
At the end of September, neighbors, friends, former environmentalist colleagues and past and current elected officials gathered in a large circle under the sprawling canopy of a century-old Valley Oak tree to honor legendary land use planner and coastal preservationist Richard Retecki at the end of September at the Ragle Ranch Regional Park.
The brief, fresh-air ceremony was led by West County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, following a recent, more formal indoor presentation at the Sonoma County Supervisor’s chambers in Santa Rosa where the octogenarian was awarded a Gold Resolution for his many decades of work at the county’s planning department and the California Coastal Conservancy.
“I feel so lucky to know we’ve had people like Richard who have worked so hard for so many years to make sure the natural beauty and this sense of place has endured,” said Hopkins. “I honestly tear up sometimes when I am driving around west county and see what we have to enjoy and celebrate.”
Retecki, now 83 and hobbled slightly by ongoing physical health issues, was one of a small team of young and eager workers who drafted Sonoma County’s first General Plan in 1978 that protected hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile farmland, forests, coastal zones and the Russian River watershed from suburban development and urban expansion that was overtaking other parts of the Bay Area.
Besides Hopkins, other circle mates included former county supervisor Eric Koenigshofer, who served during the drafting and adoption of the 1978 General Plan. Former Sebastopol Mayor Una Glass, Caryl Hart, former county parks director and current California Coastal Commission member and several land use planning and Coastal Conservancy colleagues were joined by others who shared words about Retecki’s contributions to the Sebastopol Little League, Sebastopol’s Wall of Peace and his decades of friendship and support to his neighbors and longtime acquaintances.
Learn more about Retecki’s storied career in Rollie's article from this summer.
Scarecrow Walk in Forestville
The Forestville Education Foundation (FEF) is sponsoring its first-ever Scarecrow Walk, which lines the start of the West County Trail through Oaks Park in downtown Forestville. Local businesses sponsor the scarecrows, which are built by students at Forestville School. There are a few more scarecrows still to add. Visitors can vote for their favorite scarecrow at the FEF website.
Meet the candidates in person
Sebastopol Times is organizing two forums for local candidates, prior to the November 3rd election.
City Council Candidate Forum at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Road (Hwy. 12), on Oct. 16, starting at 6 pm.
West Sonoma County Union High School District School Board Candidates at El Molino Library on Oct. 20, starting at 5 pm.
Meet the Sebastopol City Council candidates at Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Road (Hwy. 12), on Oct. 16, starting at 6 pm! Thank you, Sebastopol Times! Sebastopol voters please go and ask your questions. What will the candidates do about the $5.5 million identified by the Grand Jury that needs to go to our Water and Sewer system? When will critical water infrastructure be fixed? How do they feel about local control over development (aka Valentine Development)? What are their concrete ideas to generate more revenue and get the City out of the on-going fiscal crisis? When will your street get paved? When will Ives park get new fencing for the whole park? What happened to the Rotary Club plan to spruce up the area around the Little League Field? Sebastopol voters now is the time to ask your questions about Sebastopol and get answers from your Council Members. Sebastopol Times is hosting and giving voters a chance to hear the candidates speak. Please show up and ask your Sebastopol related questions!