Sunday RoundUp: Looking good

New sculptures in the Sebastopol Sculpture Garden, new fencing in Ives Park, how to run for city council—also, meet Sebastopol Times' new intern, Kavya Krishnamurthy

Jun 28, 2026

“Nox” by Peter and Robin Crompton is one of several new pieces at the city’s Sculpture Garden in Ives Park. (Photo by Laura Hagar Rush)

New sculptures for the Sebastopol Sculpture Garden

Five new sculptures were installed in the Sebastopol Sculpture Garden this week, after the City Council gave the thumbs up to the city’s Public Art Committee’s choices at its June 2nd council meeting. The pieces include Peter & Robin Crompton’s “Nox” and “Faun”; Clayton Thiel’s “Bird Totem”; and Aaron Milligan-Green's “Head Case.” Another piece, Miguel Edwards’ “Cadence”, will be installed soon.

Two of the pieces that were selected are not coming—one because it was accepted in a different show, and another because the artist didn’t consider that she’d have to ship it from Colorado. “That means that we are looking for two more sculptures,” said Public Arts Committee member Robert Brent. “We are not required for that location to do a public call for artists, so we’re going to reach out to some sculptors and see what’s available.”

Clayton Thiel’s “Bird Totem” and Peter & Robin Crompton’s “Faun.”

Check out the new fencing at Ives Park

There’s some nice new fencing along the creek in the southern section of Ives Park—a big improvement from the tattered chainlink fence that’s been there for decades. Lisa and Steve Pierce, who have been pushing for incremental improvements at Ives, are thrilled. “Biggest improvement in Ives Park in 30 years,” Steve Pierce said, while Lisa said, “What a huge upgrade for our park, and it didn’t cost that much.”

Thus far, the new fence is only in the southernmost third of the park, between the baseball diamond and stage.

“Let’s keep it going,” Lisa urged the council earlier this month. “We now have the middle section of the creek—it’s already naturalized and ready and waiting for some love…some boulders, some native, low-maintenance river grasses, and some access.” She urged the council to put in a seasonal gate to that section of the park, which could be locked in winter when the water runs dangerously fast and high.

How to run for city council

City Manager Mary Gourley presented a resolution giving notice of the General Municipal Election to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The three seats that will be open on the Sebastopol City Council at the November election are currently held by Sandra Maurer, Jill McLewis and Stephen Zollman. Maurer has said that she is running again.

Before you buy the lawn signs and sign up for a League of Women Voters candidate forum, there are some basic qualifications you need to have before you can run for city council.

Be at least 18 years of age or older.
Be a citizen of the United States.
Be a resident of the State of California.
Be a registered voter for not less than 30 days preceding the date of filing candidate papers. Registration will be verified before issuance of nomination papers. The candidate shall be and remain a qualified voter in the City from which he/she seeks office from the time of filing nomination papers, as well as, throughout the full term of his/her office.
Have no felony convictions: A person is disqualified from holding an office upon conviction of designated crimes as specified in the Constitution and laws of the state.
If elected, you have to serve: The Declaration of Candidacy, which each candidate must file, states that if elected the candidate will qualify for and accept the office. The affidavit also states that the candidate will not withdraw before the election.

Stilll interested? The nomination period opens on July 13 and closes on August 7. Check out our three-part series from 2024, called “What it takes to run for city council.”

Meet our new intern, Kavya Krishamurthy

You may have noticed a new byline in the Sebastopol Times. This week, our new intern Kavya Krishnamurthy wrote articles about Sarah’s Silks and Marilyn Madrone. She is a recent University of Chicago graduate, originally from Connecticut. She studied literature and poetry through an interdisciplinary humanities program. In the past, she worked at a podcast on modern psychoanalysis and for a Brooklyn public defender—the throughline: a love for writing and talking to people. She is thrilled to try her hand at local journalism. In her free time, she likes to paint, write poems, and make bouquets.