We had our first rain of the fall season this week, just 0.18 inches of rain over two days, which is about the total for the month. The average rainfall for October is 1.80 inches. Fields and flowers soaked up the rain and wished for more.
Rain is expected to return in the middle of next week—the first week in November. May it be so.
Deb Hoadley resigns as branch manager of the Sebastopol Library
We were sorry to learn that Deb Hoadley has resigned her position as the branch manager of the Sebastopol Regional Library. She joined the Sebastopol Library this spring in the aftermath of the firing of longtime Sebastopol branch manager Mathew Rose.
Hoadley, who is also a library consultant, will be pursuing other library positions in northern California. Her areas of expertise include helping libraries with strategic planning, leadership and management training, and other staff-related workshops. In the meantime, she is focusing her attention on her non-profit, Library Leaders in New England.
“Leaving the Sebastopol branch was a difficult one. I love the community and am in awe of how much they love reading and the library! It was difficult, since the branch closure, to have staff scattered throughout the county. I know the staff is adaptable and have accepted their assignments at other branches. The other branch managers have been wonderful, welcoming them to their libraries, and have helped them navigate this difficult time. The Library to Go staff has a lot to deal with; there are only a few of them, and they are working hard to keep up, processing the amount of book returns and holds, and serving the patrons during the four hours [a day] that the library is open Monday-Saturday. As those of you who have left a position know, it is hardest to leave those you work with behind. The staff at Sebastopol welcomed me after a very difficult time, and we had found a way to come together through our common goal of serving the community with compassion, professionalism and enthusiasm as each patron walked through our doors. I am extremely proud of that.”
The Library-to-Go reopened this week on Monday, Oct. 25. The new branch manager is Melanie McCallum, who has worked at the Guerneville, Occidental and Forestville libraries and was recently appointed as Branch Manager at Sonoma Valley. A message from Friends of the Sebastopol Library said of McCallum, “Since she lives in West County, she is happy to come to Sebastopol.”
The Library To Go schedule will be the same as before the recent closure:
Mon., Tues. & Thurs. 2 pm to 6 pm
Wed., Fri. & Sat. 10 pm to 2 pm
Aged to Perfection was the bee’s knees
Photos by Elizabeth Vanden Heuvel
The Sebastopol Area Senior Center held its biggest fundraiser of the year last night at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center. The theme was the Roaring 20s, and some attendees went all out to capture the spirit of the era. The preliminary word is that the organization raised 20% more with this year’s fundraiser than last year’s.
Graton Station hosts an investor party
By Dewey Watson
On Oct. 17, in the spirit of community-investor fundraising that has raised nearly $900,000, the team at Graton Station held its first toast to its community investors, bringing them together to share excitement about the future of The Graton Station cafe.
Before the walls were finished, the team invited everyone to leave their wishes and blessings for the café on little notes of hope and encouragement, which will soon be tucked behind the walls, becoming part of the place forever.
“It felt like the beginning of something really special. The first of many gatherings, shared meals, and friendships to come,” said Tori Immel, one of Graton Station’s four partners.
The Station still has $100,000 to reach its goal of $1,000,000 in community investment. If you’re curious about joining the community of investors, you can find the full offering details on Wefunder.com/gratonstation. This community crowdfunding effort comes to a close this week on Oct. 31.
Corrections and clarifications
Rabbi Zelig Golden had a few corrections and clarifications from yesterday’s story on the forest synagogue, Makom Shalom.
In addition to the four board members you mentioned, Yael Marmar is also a founding board member and was there from the start.
We have not learned from Coast Miwok people; rather, we are acutely aware that we are living on Coast Miwok land, while integrating indigenous wisdom—like sacred fire traditions, learned from Lakota ceremony—from other traditions.
The 24-hour fire was not Sukkot, but rather Yom Kippur. And I do know people praying around a fire for 25 hours; I just simply don’t know of anyone praying around a fire for 25 hours in observance of Yom Kippur specifically.
The week of Oct. 19-24
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The Sebastopol Times is considering accepting some limited paid advertising from local businesses only. We’re trying to gauge how much interest there is. There are 7,500 people in Sebastopol, and more than 5,000 people read the Sebastopol Times every day. If you have a local business or service you’d like to advertise in the Sebastopol Times, email us at sebastopoltimes@gmail.com, or call or text Laura at 707-322-8696.
This is one part of the library snafu that I cannot understand: "The Library to Go staff has a lot to deal with; there are only a few of them, and they are working hard to keep up, processing the amount of book returns and holds, and serving the patrons during the four hours [a day] that the library is open Monday-Saturday"
I have asked the Library Commissioner repeatedly (via email) about the limited hours and the staffing issues. It makes no sense to me why the Library - to - Go is not open for the same hours as the library was in the spring. Obviously there was money budgeted for 2026 for staffing the library. Where the heck is all that money going? Yes, some is going along with the Sebastopol librarians who are serving other communities in the interim but why can't Sebastopol have greater library access and have their librarians provide the services for which we are paying (and remember? we approved further funding via txaes twice in the last ten years)? The library commissioner does not answer my questions.