Jack Piccinni named Sebastopol Interim Fire Chief

On Monday, Nov. 14, Sebastopol City Manager Larry McLaughlin announced the appointment of Jack Piccinini as interim fire chief upon the retirement of outgoing Fire Chief Bill Braga. According to the city newsletter, “Piccinini’s first day will coincide with Chief Braga’s last day, December 25. Born and raised in the Sebastopol area, Piccinini began his professional firefighting career when he joined the Santa Rosa Fire Department in 1974, the same year he graduated from Analy High School. His more than four decades of firefighting experience include 32 years as a battalion chief with the City of Santa Rosa from which he retired in 2016. He has also served as interim fire chief for the Central Fire Authority, overseeing the Rincon Valley and Windsor fire departments and has served as a volunteer fire captain for the Sebastopol Fire Department since 1976. City Manager Larry McLaughlin stated, ‘Jack’s experience and familiarity with our department will make for a seamless transition after the retirement of Chief Braga. He’s well known and respected for both his leadership and hands-on experience in Sonoma County and throughout the state in directing emergency operations and fire suppression activities.’”

Make room for another Starbucks

If you’ve been wondering what’s going on with the extreme renovation of the old Burger King in Redwood Marketplace, here’s the answer: it’s going to be a new Starbucks, according to Sebastopol’s associate planner John Jay. No word yet as to the opening date.

Silk Moon brings Christmas early with gifts of shoes and blankets

Andrea Caron of Silk Moon has been playing Santa early this month. In coordination with Naot, a shoe brand they sell, Silk Moon hosted a shoe giveaway on Saturday, Nov. 12. For every pair of Naot shoes that someone bought, Naot donated a pair to The Living Room, a transitional home for women and children in danger of becoming homeless. Together, they gave away 150 pairs of Naot shoes. (In case you’re not familiar with Naot shoes, that represents a lot of moolah: Naots are beautifully made and pricey little numbers, coming in around $200 a pair.)

The giving continues this Saturday, Nov. 19, between 12-3 pm, when Silk Moon is doing a blanket drive for the Sonoma County Animal Shelter. Got any extra blankets you’re not using? Bring ‘em down! The pups (and other creatures) will thank you. Silk Moon is located at 195 N. Main St. in downtown Sebastopol.

Help Your City! Bring your expertise to one of its committees and commissions

City of Sebastopol Planning Commission

• The City has One Opening on the Planning Commission.

• General Application

• DEADLINE: November 28, 2022

City of Sebastopol Climate Action Committee

• The City has openings for the following positions:

  • 1 Business Representative

  • 1-2 Youth Representatives (ages 17-23)

  • 3 Seats - Climate Group/Climate or Sustainability Background

• General Application

• Youth Application

• DEADLINE: November 28, 2022

City of Sebastopol Design Review Board/Tree Board

• The City has Three Openings as Follows (Term Ending Dates: December 31, 2022):

  • One Opening in Category A - Licensed Landscape Architect

  • One Opening in Category B - One person who may be any of the following: architect, landscape architect, building designer, building contractor, landscape contractor.

  • One Opening in Category D - Alternate

• General Application

• DEADLINE: November 28, 2022

Update on Michele Anna Jordan’s GoFundMe

Last week we ran a story about local food writer Michele Anna Jordan, her battle with oral shingles and her resulting GoFundMe campaign. That campaign has now raised $15,530, more than $2,000 over her $13,500 goal. Jordan wrote in a recent update on GoFundMe: “I am deeply humbled and beyond grateful.”

Corrections

In our last city council recap, “Sebastopol City Council takes a stand against the surveillance state,” we inadvertently gave our new chief of police a new name. His name is Ron Nelson, not Ron Wilson. In our article on the Nov. 8 election vote, “Sebastopol City Council race too close to call,” we initially conflated the number of votes with the number of voters. Thanks to former mayor Ken Foley and council watcher Kyle Falbo for pointing this out. In our article on the School Board elections, we identified Lisa Bauman as an incumbent. She is actually a newcomer to the board. These errors have been corrected in the online version.