What's happening this week in Sebastopol?
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, a protest at the Tesla charging station, an important planning meeting about the Barlow Hotel and more
Fall Prevention Series: Peripheral neuropathy and balance
Monday, March 24, at the Sebastopol Area Senior Center, 167 N. High St., Sebastopol. $5-$10.
Allan Bernstein, MD, retired neurologist and lecturer, will be present to answer audience questions and/or elaborate on his pre-recorded presentation on neurological conditions and balance. Video reprise with in-person Q&A. $5 members/$10 non-members. Sign up here or call 707-829-2440 to RSVP.
Film: The Way, My Way
Monday, March 24, 2:30 pm, at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. $15.25.
The Way, My Way is the charming true story of a stubborn, self-centered Australian man who decides to walk the 800-kilometre-long Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain. He doesn’t know why he’s doing it, but one step at a time, it will change him and his outlook on life forever. Based on Bill Bennett’s best-selling memoir of the same name. This is an encore of last week's popular event. Get tickets.
Special Joint Meeting of the Planning Commission and Design Review/Tree Board
Tuesday, March 25, 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol. Free.
A joint public hearing to review the proposal for a Development Agreement for the Barlow Hotel project at 6782 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. The project consists of a hotel with up to 83 rooms and an overall height of up to 55 feet, with a rooftop pool and cafe. The new hotel would replace the existing Guayaki building on the project site and would redevelop the parking area between that building and Community Market. The Planning Commission will consider a proposed development agreement, establishing the terms and conditions for the development of the project. It will also provide a recommendation on the Development Agreement to the city council. See the documentation on this project here.
Sebastopol Grange General Meeting and Potluck
Tuesday, March 25, 5:30 pm to 8 pm, at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy. 12), Sebastopol. $10.
Everyone is invited to join Grangers and friends at their monthly general meeting. Come for social time starting at 5:30 pm, followed by a potluck dinner and music. The Grange will provide an entree. Please bring side dishes or desserts (lovingly labeled) and your own dishes and utensils. Donation: $10. In the presentation for the evening, Jose Arturo Ibarra will discuss immigrant rights and share a presentation: “Know Your Rights,” designed to empower and educate with critical information and tools to advocate for immigrant rights. Please let us know if you need a Spanish interpreter at this presentation at cnlitwin@gmail.com.
The Art of Downsizing
Wednesday, March 26, 3 pm to 4 pm, at the Sebastopol Area Senior Center, 167 N. High St., Sebastopol. $5-$10.
Downsizing (noun): The art of realizing you don’t need three fondue sets and a collection of garden gnomes to be happy. It’s like a treasure hunt, but instead of gold, you find freedom (and maybe that missing sock from 1985). Thinking about downsizing? Join Realtor Brian Ledig in this three-part series, as he shares valuable tips for decluttering, and organizing. Learn how to make the transition smooth and stress-free. Come with your questions, leave with a plan, and start your downsizing journey on the right foot. Sign up here or call 707-829-2440 to RSVP.
Winging It Wednesday
Wednesday, March 26, 8:30 am to 10:30 am, at Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail, Highway 12 entrance. Meet in the parking lot. Free.
Join Regional Parks for relaxed bird walks on the last Wednesday of each month, open to birders of all experience levels. These easy-paced outings are designed to be accessible and enjoyable, offering a chance to connect with nature, meet fellow bird enthusiasts and observe the diverse bird species at each park. Bring your own binoculars or feel free to borrow a pair from us. This is a free program. For more information, contact ParkPrograms@sonoma-county.org. No registration required.
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival
Thursday to Sunday, March 27-30, varied times, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol.
SDFF is an Oscar-qualifying film festival for documentaries in the short form. Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival is proudly progressive, often featuring spotlights on social justice, journalism and current issues. The opening reception is Thursday, March 27, at 5:30 pm to 7 pm. There will be a program and jury awards at 7 pm, followed by the opening night film screening of "The White House Effect." Q& A with directors to follow. Over the next three days, take your pick of dozens of exciting documentaries from around the world. Learn more and get tickets.
Meet The Maker: A Food + Wine Exploration with Winemaker Ryan Prichard
Friday, March 28, 5 pm to 7 pm, at Region, 180 Morris St., Sebastopol. $40.
Spend exclusive time with one of the best Winemakers in Sonoma County--Ryan Prichard of Three Sticks Wines who will be pouring you a flight of four wines. Enjoy this special exclusive flight of wines with local cheeses from Cofield Cheese, bacon-wrapped dates from local beloved Pascaline Catering and fried chicken bites from Fern Bar. It’s the ultimate Friday date night or to just kick off the weekend with friends and family. Get tickets.
Analy High School Theatre Arts presents Mama Mia
March 28,29, 30 and April 4,5,6, varied times, Analy High School Theatre, 6950 Analy Ave., Sebastopol.
The plot follows a young bride-to-be named Sophie wants her father to walk her down the aisle. The only problem? She doesn't know who he is. She invites three candidates to her upcoming wedding. Music from Abba. Get tickets.
Grazing as a Tool for Ecological Benefit and Wildfire Resilience
Saturday, March 29, 10 am to 1 pm, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa. Free. Registration required.
Are you ready to see annual vegetation as a resource, reimagine your relationship with fire, and explore land stewardship for climate resilience through grazing? Have you ever wondered how grazing can be part of a land management solution? Join us for an exciting and informative workshop where we’ll explore how grazing can be used as a powerful tool to reduce non-native plants, restore ecological balance, and bring landscapes back to a healthy fire ecosystem. During the engaging workshop, you’ll hear from a range of experts and organizations about the benefits of grazing ruminants and how they can help your land thrive. Plus, we’ll discuss how to collaborate with neighbors–both public and private–to create sustainable, collaborative solutions for managing your land. Reserve your spot.
Tesla Takedown Protest Movement Comes to Sebastopol
Saturday, March 29, at 1 pm, at the Lucky’s parking lot on Hwy. 116, in north Sebastopol.
From the organizer of this event: “As a result of the destructive actions of unelected billionaire Elon Musk and the Trump Administration, an international movement has organically arisen and is now coming to Sebastopol for the first time. During the Tesla Takedown, on March 29 at 1 p.m., concerned local citizens are invited to show up at the new Tesla Supercharger Station (Lucky Shopping Center) to take part in a “Global Day of Protest” with the aim of reaching 500 sites worldwide. Participants may peacefully protest the actions of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, notably the closure of key federal agencies, the firings of thousands of federal employees including veterans, the stealing of our private data from government servers and the elimination of any legitimate government efforts to oversee the actions of carmaker Tesla. Targeting Tesla is targeting Elon Musk since the vast majority of his wealth derives from the stock price of Tesla, which is still enormously overvalued relative to earnings despite recent losses. This will be a peaceful protest on the public sidewalk intended to allow local citizens to express their displeasure with Musk in a lawful exercise of their First Amendment rights. No vandalism or violence will be tolerated. Participants are encouraged to bring their own protest signs and be prepared to make some noise. This is a family-friendly event.
Documentary Poetry Challenge with Dave Seter
Sunday, March 30, 10 am to 12 pm, at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 South High St., Sebastopol. Sliding Scale: $20-$25.
What is documentary poetry? Documentary poetry, as described by the Poetry Foundation, is usually written to shed light on an issue or injustice. The issue or injustice may be explored firsthand (if directly experienced by the poet) or secondhand (if experienced by someone other than the poet). Oral or written histories, news coverage, and other sources, may be used in providing context to the issue or injustice being written about. Poets from Muriel Rukeyser to Sonoma County’s own Iris Dunkle and Jodi Hottel have written powerful documentary poetry. As is the case with many subgenres of poetry, the definition of documentary poetry is constantly in flux, therefore workshop participants are encouraged to trust their own instincts instead of seeking to conform to any one style or approach. Reserve your spot.
See What’s Happening Sonoma County for more music listings.
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Tesla, ah, the grey areas of life....
1. Don't like Musk? We own Tesla stock, you can too. We're going to vote him off the Board in June, why not you?
2.My wife and I owned a diesel car, but knowing about science, climate change and responsibility, we bought a Tesla Model 3 in 2016. We rationalized that even though we could buy a vehicle with lower initial cost, the long-term cost of ownership would be advantageous AND moving to electric vehicles is the prudent future. Tesla started a new paradigm with their vertical integration, installing a vast charging network before selling cars so people could understand the "possibility" of electric over hydrocarbon. The remainder of the US auto industry was risk-averse, as driven by stockholders and pragmatism. Musk, for all his now apparent flaws, will be shown by history to have broken the inertia of corporate status quo by collecting a team of scientists and engineers to build what today, people rebel about....
But, wait. The current democratically elected fascists didn't just happen over night. For decades this new reality evolved by neglect and malice. Neglect by democrats and malice by republicans.
I am contemplating driving our Cybertruck to the demonstration to broaden the dialog, or perhaps not, as it might be a monologue.
Tesla's team of skilled people have produced batteries that are used world-wide as alternatives for power station load damping. Our three PowerWalls collect energy from our two solar arrays and feed back to the grid. Living in rural Sonoma County, we appreciate PG&E but accept the realities of blackouts. Tesla engineers created a product unavailable a few years ago and it's reliability and utility are beyond this comment.
I'm glad that people are getting involved. But symbolism is easy. Vote Musk off the Board.
We hate what Musk represents, but appreciate the team of people that created a new world.
Of course, if we wait a few years the Chinese will blow this all away with vastly better products, but that's another detail...