California Rare Fruit Growers Fall Fruit Tasting at the Sebastopol Grange today
Taste more than 50 varieties of locally grown heritage apples, plus numerous pears and fall-ripening fruits like figs, persimmons, feijoas and more. It’s happening today, Sunday, Oct. 11, from 1 pm to 3 pm at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. Free and open to all, with voting on favorites and tips on growing your own.
Sebastopol Library-To-Go to remain closed until Oct. 19
Bad news regarding the Sebastopol Library — the Sebastopol Library-To-Go will remain closed until Monday, Oct. 19. According to a press release from the Sonoma County Library system:
We are currently waiting on the results of the environmental testing that occurred this past Monday, Oct. 5. We continue to collaborate with the City of Sebastopol as we address the immediate situation and navigate next steps for the overall facility project.
What patrons can expect during the temporary closure:
Holds will be extended, including Bibliobox holds.
Return dates will be extended for checked-out materials.
The Bibliobus will be stopping behind City Hall next week to provide library service on Monday, 2–6 pm and Wednesday, 10 am–2 pm
We know how important library access is to the Sebastopol community, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we take these precautionary steps.
Join Trashlantis festival for pedal-powered fun on October 17
Sebastopol’s free active transportation eco festival, Trashlantis, returns to the grounds around Sebastopol Community Center’s Youth Annex at 425 Morris Street on October 17th from 11am until 5:30pm. Live music includes local favorite Sakoyana, The Pulse and the Poet, If Mars had Waves, and of course the Hubbub Club to start the day right!
Come in costume, ride your bike, and bring your own water bottle. See the Trashion Fashion show, go on a group ride through Sebastopol, enjoy food from Viva Mexicana, or treat yourself to a beverage. Ride a mutant bicycle from Whymcycles and browse local vendors of re-use, upcycling and sustainability. Wander the art installations and ponder our society’s addiction to plastic. AfterTrashlantis is over, you are invited to join in the community cleanup of the venue until 7 or 8.
Organizers Dawn Thomas and Robert van de Walle say that they still have room for vendors. If your company or organization offers a product or service to heal or restore the environment, ourselves, or our relationships, contact Robert at bobpixel@gmail.com for details. Visit Trashlantis.com for more info.
A&M neighbors unhappy with our coverage of city decision to enforce zoning laws
Several A&M neighbors let us know that they were unhappy with our coverage of the city’s decision to enforce the zoning laws and force A&M to move their large commercial smokers offsite. They felt we had left out their experience of dealing with unhealthy, smoky conditions over the last year.
Dear Sebastopol Times:
I am not generally one to complain — and I love the Times — but the article on A&M BBQ issue at Tuesday’s City Council was really disappointing because there was almost no mention of what the neighbors have been experiencing.
The smoke and particulate matter are well-documented health hazards. Living in leaky 100+ year old homes filled with smoke is not tolerable. Even with indoor air filters, the smoke is still prevalent.
I have woken in the night with a house full of smoke and could not open my windows to cool off my house. Even with air filters and fans, it can get up to 85 degrees indoors. This is too much for a 75-year-old woman.
Should I move? My realtor said that the smoke issue would have to be disclosed to prospective buyers and would lower the value of my home.
In short, neighbors have been living with this problem for over a year, and I am so grateful that the Council decided to enforce the zoning.
The Times article focused on A&M, but what about those of us affected by the hazard?
Linda Civitello
Sebastopol gets another Peace Pole
The entire student body of Sebastopol’s Brook Haven Middle School turned out on International Peace Day, Sept. 21, to dedicate the school’s new Peace Pole, an international symbol that is inscribed with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” in eight different languages. The installation was led by the school’s Rotary Interact Club and co-presidents Eliana Terre and Elin Swinburn-Ward led the ceremonies, assisted by adult members of the Rotary Club of Sebastopol and leaders of the Sonoma County chapter of Veterans For Peace.
The Brook Haven Peace Pole is the 88th monument placed at a Sonoma County school and follows the installation last year of identical poles at Twin Hills Middle School and at Analy High School.
Paula Jean Kursh
Walking into Paula Kursh’s home in Sebastopol was like being invited into a kind of living biography — and being given permission to wander through her life, her mind, her sense of humor.
Patricia Ann (Badger) Davis
Patricia Ann (Badger) Davis, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and lifelong resident of Sonoma County, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026, in Santa Rosa, California, at the remarkable age of 100.
Annie Roberts, 10/23/1944 - 4/2/2026
Ceramics wizard, loving wife and mother, beloved teacher, dear friend and a genuine Sonoma County Treasure
John Roberts, 3/1/1950 - 5/7/2026
Carpenter, a pool shark, a whitewater rafter and Russian River kayaker
The reporting on the BBQ smoke was pretty balanced. It was balanced. The BBQ and the neighbors had their points written about so readers could make up their own minds. No one is going to agree with one side universally. I haven’t seen the need for near-complete public validation on both sides. It’s good that the city has a lot more problems for everyone to jump on.