Southern Sonoma Country Life

National Book Lovers Day — Tuesday August 9th

Bookworms and bibliophiles rejoice, for today, Tuesday, August 9th, is National Book Lovers Day! It's a great day (or evening) to ditch the phone and the tv remote, pick up a new read or an old favorite and transport into another time, place or culture. Or maybe you, like me, enjoy reading books set in familiar places, that's good too. Books provide us the purest form of escapism. 

It being National book Lovers Day has given me a nudge to update my regular readers on what I've been up to in the writing arena outside of Southern Sonoma Country Life posts and my social media shares. 

I was delighted to attend the four day San Francisco Writer's Conference at the Hyatt Embarcadero in July. This was my first time attending such a full-on event of its kind. Three, almost four books in the world and I've finally discovered that there's something undeniably magical about immersing oneself in the company of a big crowd of friendly and inspiring fellow writers and poets and people whose passion it is in life to help us translate our thoughts into words on page for others to read.

Writing is a solitary affair. It was encouraging to be around so many authors (published and unpublished) who have spent the past two and a bit years like most of us, secluded at our desks far more than we usually would've been if it had not been such an extraordinarily isolating time. Even though we were masked, it was clear from our eyes, head nodding greetings and lightness of step that everyone was just so happy to be dashing around from room to room in person, soaking in speaker-led sessions on everything from technique to publishing options.

Promoting a book in chaotic times is as important as crafting engaging stories with unforgettable casts of characters. I sat in on sessions from dynamic dialog to discovering what's newsworthy about my book. Sessions ran after an early call to breakfast throughout the day and evening and I stayed for a Writing For Change Summit one night and a Poetry and Jazz Party on the last night. It was all such a spirit boost, I'm a convert after making lots of new friends and connections and I can't wait for the 2023 conference to roll around.

There's never been a better time to publish. If you're an aspiring author, take heed. And indie publishing is as respected within the writing community these days as any other form of getting one's work out there in the world. There was lots of talk of authors who have multiple books out in many formats and some with big publishers who opt to indie publish other titles of their own if it makes more sense. 

Some authors are heading straight to ebooks and/or audiobooks. It's a brave new world. 

My second novel, The House on Liberty Street is almost finished. I'm working hard to switch brains into the publishing then marketing side of things in order to launch it into the world this fall. The story is set in Petaluma, CA in a fictional Victorian house in the heritage home district. It is a condensed timeline which means everything happens quite quickly — in this case, within 24 hours or so from Christmas Eve afternoon to Christmas evening 2019.  

Because the story takes place in December, it will make a great read during the festive season. I'm drawn to the darker side of Christmas in my story telling. The House on Liberty Street is a domestic drama — a family on the brink of irreversible change. 

I'm not ready to start pre-orders etc but I will be working it all out for a fall release in the next couple of months. I do have a Reader's Club Newsletter sign up on my author website Francesrivetti.com, which I will be populating with new book related news and cover-reveal fairly soon. If you've already signed up and have wondered if you've missed any newsletter emails over the past year or so, the answer is, no, I haven't been able to activate my brain away from the actual manuscript much. Once the book is ready for formatting I will endeavor to focus on producing a dynamic newsletter!

I read somewhere recently that authors who are building their newsletter mailing lists should think of each person who has signed up as a guest at their dinner table. I thought that was a fun way to visualize the honor of having readers commit to the company of my work. With so many forms of social media awaiting original content, anyone of us who adds a newsletter to our repertoire knows what it takes to keep our connections authentic. 

And at the end of the day, it's about the books. I have two more outlined in folders on my desk and I'm going to have to stuff them in a drawer for a few weeks this fall in order to release The House on Liberty Street. 

To all my writer friends, write on! To all my reader friends, don't stop! As Stephen King says: "Books are a uniquely portable magic."

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”

Toni Morrison

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

Ernest Hemingway

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

Neil Gaimon, Coraline

15th Annual Petaluma Music Festival Saturday August 6th, 2022

The Petaluma Music Festival is a non-profit festival and all proceeds benefit the music education programs in all Petaluma area public schools.

Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult

Students 13-17 may purchase $25 tickets at the door

Ticket prices will increase on the day of the festival.

click here for tix 

Agri-Cultured, Reflections on our Local Food. Community, by Land and by Hand — Petaluma Arts Center AUG 11 TO 24 2022

On August 13, 2022 the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers will be pouring their wines to celebrate the upcoming harvest and another year of award-winning releases. A wide array of wines will be poured, with Pinot Noir being featured, due to its prominence in the Petaluma Gap AVA and in advance of National Pinot Noir Day the following week. VIP entry will begin at 1 PM and General Admission at 2 PM with wine tasting, food, live music and storytelling until 4 PM. Participating wineries include Adobe Road, Brooks Note Winery, Bruliam Wines, Carpenter Wines, Cline Cellars, Dutton-Goldfield, Ernest Vineyards, Guarachi Family Wines, Gust Wines, Keller Estate, Kendall-Jackson, Kendrick Vineyards, Light of Day Wines, McEvoy Ranch, Montagne Russe Wines, Panther Ridge, Ron Noble Wines, Sangiacomo Family Wines, Sojourn Cellars, Thirty-Seven, Trombetta Family and more.

Winemakers will be sharing their most interesting winemaking tales in the “story room” inside the historic barn at the ranch and several pre-recorded interviews from the Petaluma Historical Museum will be broadcast about the history of wine-grape growing in the Petaluma area. Event attendees will enjoy delicious bites from OTL Fine Catering, and a gourmet popcorn booth, featuring flavored popcorn to pair with Petaluma Gap wines, hosted by Presenting Sponsor American AgCredit. For entertainment, guests will be treated to the masterful classical and Flamenco guitar sounds of Bay Area musician Mark Taylor. Lastly, firefighters from the Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department will be on-site to share tips on fire safety and showcase one of their fire engines.

The festival will take place in Petaluma at the historic Gambonini Family Ranch located on Old Lakeville Road #3; the ranch was previously used for dairy farming and includes the historic hay barn and an outdoor patio adjacent to where the Gambonini family plans to plant a vineyard. The barn was built more than 100 years ago and has been restored with its heavy old redwood beams, sliding doors, and expansive windows to take in the spectacular hillside vistas.

Tickets can be purchased online. VIP ticket-holders are invited to enter the festival at 1:00 PM, when winemakers may choose to pour some library and limited-release wines, in addition to current release wines. General Admission ticket-holders are invited to enter at 2:00 PM. The festival ends at 4:00 PM. VIP tickets are $95 and General Admission tickets are $65.

Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino County Partner to Create a Cleaner Coast

Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties are launching a coordinated campaign to provide visitor education and outreach to reduce the amount of litter and waste in coastal regions and watersheds through a three-County memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the non-profit organization Leave No Trace. The ongoing partnership includes coordination with federal and state agencies, federally recognized tribes, non-federally recognized tribes, local jurisdictions and land managers, Sonoma County Tourism, and other community-based groups across all three counties.

Beginning later this month, the bilingual campaign will include a broad scope of messaging that will be used by all three counties to educate and influence visitors prior to and during the summer season. Agencies and organizations partnering with the campaign will be able to share the Leave No Trace-based messaging resources in English and Spanish and take advantage of a new stewardship education series, both of which specifically address visitation impact issues taking place along the California coastline. 

California Coastal beaches and public parks are experiencing rises in visitation year over year as important outlets for mental and physical health. Over 10 million people annually visit the California coastline and adjacent communities across Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties. Even more staggering, over 55,000 pounds of trash were picked up from the sensitive coastal environment across the three counties last year alone.

“COVID-19 pushed more residents outdoors and drew them to the coast as they looked for safe ways to recreate,” said Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who initiated the three-County collaboration in 2020. “This stressed our limited visitor-serving infrastructure, creating an overflow of trash and waste like I have never seen before.”

Sonoma County Tourism, the county’s destination stewardship organization, was instrumental in bringing the Leave No Trace organization into the partnership conversation with the three counties. Sonoma County Tourism has worked with Leave No Trace since April 2021 on the Sonoma County Leave No Trace Initiative. 

Through its Seven Principles, Leave No Trace provides a framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. New education messaging focusing on trash and litter in coastal watersheds is highly relevant due to a surge in visitation to all three counties’ coastlines and adjacent communities.

The new education messaging serves to complement existing Leave No Trace and other trash reduction efforts promoted by state, county and local parks officials in all three counties, as well as the Sonoma County Leave No Trace Initiative. 

“We had a bit of a head start with the successful launch of our Leave No Trace campaign last year, and we are happy to leverage and coordinate our efforts with our neighbors from the north and south,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins. “Visitors don’t stop at county lines, nor does the flow of trash.”

Trash causes major impacts on our enjoyment of creeks, bays and the ocean, and creates significant impacts on aquatic life and habitat in those waters; trash eventually enters the global ocean ecosystem, where plastic persists in the environment for hundreds of years – if not forever.

“We don’t have the resources to launch this effort on our own,” Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Williams noted, “But with the support from our southern neighbors and non-profit partnerships with groups like MendoParks, we are excited to launch this campaign.” Fellow Mendocino County Supervisor Dan Gjerde added, “The key to moving this effort forward was the unanimous decision for all three counties to use a shared MOU and contract with Leave No Trace. We look forward to working together for years to come.”

“Leave No Trace is thrilled to be working with Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties,” said Dana Watts, executive director of Leave No Trace. “With such diverse natural and cultural resources, we look forward to addressing the key issues in the area. Consistent messaging is crucial because there is no differentiation from visitors on what county they are in when they visit the coastline.”

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About Leave No Trace: Leave No Trace is an international movement, program and nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, education and stewardship, to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet. The organization accomplishes this mission by delivering state-of-the-art education and research to millions of people across the country each year. For more information: www.LNT.org.

New Daily Non Sop Flight Service Between Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) and the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS).

Good news for Sonoma County/Reno/Tahoe travelers — aha! Airlines (an acronym for “air-hotel-adventure”), a leisure carrier operated by ExpressJet, launches daily nonstop service beginning July 14 between its hub at Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) and the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS). aha! Airlines will provide service to STS using the Embraer ERJ145 regional jet aircraft which comfortably holds 50 passengers.

How many times have you juggled travel plans with friends and family so as not to drive up to the mountains in too many vehicles? It makes a lot of sense to hop on a plane in Santa Rosa and meet the crew up at the Lake if travel dates are not completely in line. 

aha! Airlines also features a program that allows passengers to check wine at no extra cost. Guests flying to RNO from what the airline describes as “amazing wine destinations” in California (think Sonoma County) may participate. Passengers aged 21 and older are allowed to check one case of wine weighing up to 50 pounds. Wine bottles must be unopened and packaged in a shipper box with protective padding, inserts and labels. The program runs through Nov. 30.

West Sonoma Coast — Another New Sonoma County AVA

 

We love our Sonoma wines, now we can be even more specific when purchasing micro-climate wines from specific regions in our county. Wineries located in the cool coastal reaches of Sonoma County are now able to  feature “West Sonoma Coast” on their labels, with the addition of a new American Viticultural Area (AVA) to the wine industry landscape. West Sonoma Coast is the 19th AVA in Sonoma County. Some background: AVAs are grape-growing areas with boundaries designated by the federal government. A wine's AVA is often listed on its label and can be a marketing tool for wineries. For a new AVA to be approved, petitioners must prove their region is a territory worthy of distinction in terms of its soil, climate, and topography.

With grapes first planted in West Sonoma Coast in 1817, wine growers contended that their region is unique because of the fog that rolls in from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The result, they said, are wines that deliver elegance equivalent to their Burgundian counterparts in Europe, wines that are both lower in alcohol and higher in acidity.

The West Sonoma Coast AVA is a subset of the already-existing Sonoma Coast AVA and covers 141,800 acres, including 1,000 planted grapevines. It encompasses land east of the Pacific Ocean, south of the Mendocino County border, north of the Petaluma Gap AVA, and west of the Russian River AVA.

Asombrosa Farm to Table Dinner With Table Culture Provisions Seasonal Dishes Paired with Barber Cellars Wines — August 27th 2022

If you haven't already checked out all of the new additions to West Petaluma's rural I street ranch lands on recent drives out to San Antonio Road, then you've yet to discover the energy of estate, studio, barn, sunflower field, labyrinth and oak summit Asombrosa  — the exclusive produce provider for Table Culture Provisions restaurant in downtown Petaluma.

At Asombrosa's private garden, it’s all about top-notch crops and impeccable farming practices—and not usually about tours and tastings.

But at this special seasonal dinner, farm tables will be arranged in the barn or among garden beds for alfresco dining as evening falls, with Petaluma's rolling hills in the distance. Custom menus from TCP's renowned chefs include mouthwatering dishes paired with Barber Cellars Wines. Prior to the meal, guests meander through garden beds with a resident farmer, Bryce.

General admission is $175 for one person, $300 for a couple. 

• Saturday August 27th 2022
• 5:00pm-8:00pm
• Purchase tickets HERE 

San Francisco Presidio Tunnel Tops Opening This July

The Partnership for the Presidio has announced its opening season programs at San Francisco's most anticipated new national park destination – Presidio Tunnel Tops.

The slate was co-curated with the community to include experiences that reflect our region's cultural vibrancy and invite communities from around the Bay Area to visit the Presidio. The events, art, and food experiences will complement Presidio Tunnel Tops' spectacular views, picnic sites, and play spaces, which will be unveiled on opening day, Sunday, July 17, 2022.

New experiences were co-curated by the Presidio Activator Council, comprised of Bay Area leaders, activists, and artists representing communities historically underrepresented in national parks.

The council was formed in 2021 by the Presidio Trust, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the National Park Service (NPS). The intent was to use the same community-driven approach used to design Presidio Tunnel Tops to create experiences that welcome all. Feedback was provided through a new Community Experts program, from leaders with deep connections to neighborhoods across the city to offer feedback on how Presidio Tunnel Tops and the broader Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) can be relevant and responsive to community needs. 

“There was a lot of intentionality in having Activators at Presidio Tunnel Tops,” said Kaushik Roy, Presidio Activator and Executive Director of the Shanti Project. “There's a difference between saying everyone is welcome and making those people feel welcome. What we can do is create programming that keeps those communities in mind and makes people feel like they're truly wanted and they're not an after-thought.”

For Presidio Activator and Community Experts bios, visit www.PresidioTunnelTops.org.

Opening Day Events – Sunday, July 17, 10 am to 6 pm

To complement self-guided exploration of this fantastic new park site, opening day activities include a new art installation, some of the best Bay Area talent, Presidio Pop Up mobile food trucks and carts, and NPS Ranger talks at the Campfire Circle. Performances, curated by the Presidio Activator Council, Presidio Community Experts, Hip Hop for Change, and World Arts West, include:

• Community Stage Hostess and Emcee, Grammy-award nominee RyanNicole
• Afro-Latin dance by The CaliDance
• Cuban and salsa music by Rumbache
• Beats by DJ Unlearn the World and DJ Saurus
• Drum and dance processions by Fogo Na Roupa
• Bi-lingual poetry readings by Forced2Fly
• B-Boy Dance by Oakland Originalz
• NPS Park Ranger Campfire Talk

Art in the Park

Building on the long tradition of art in the park, Presidio Tunnel Tops will welcome new audiences through a series of temporary exhibitions. These begin with Ancestral Futurism: Looking Back to Repair the Future, an outdoor art installation by Favianna Rodriguez, social justice activist, and Presidio Activator. The installation honors the diversity and interconnectedness of all humans, land, flora, and fauna that have lived in this ecosystem for centuries. The imagery will uplift the stories, experiences, and images of BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) communities with an emphasis on the Ohlone Ramaytush, the original stewards of the land. Abstract symbols will reflect plants and creatures that were once abundant in the region, and themes of justice, freedom, and belonging will weave throughout. Visitors can discover the art outdoors on the pathways near the Presidio Visitor Center and the Outpost nature play area, with breadcrumb stickers on the walkways leading to them. A third installation by the artist will include a banner at the Presidio Plaza welcoming visitors to the ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone.

Food at Presidio Tunnel Tops

Presidio Pop Up will feature daily mobile food trucks and carts serving up delicious food that celebrates the diverse cultures and cuisines of the Bay Area, seven days a week from 9 am to 6 pm. Details about the opening season vendors will be announced shortly. Il Parco Pizzeria and Café will open inside Presidio Transit Center in late 2022, providing grab-and-go sandwiches and salads, wood-fired pizza, wine, beer, and Italian-inspired cocktails. For a full list of restaurants elsewhere in the Presidio, visit: https://www.presidio.gov/food/restaurants.

Picnic areas at Presidio Tunnel Tops abound, including the new Picnic Place with tables and grills reservable via recreation.gov. The tables range in length from 16 to 23 feet, are wheelchair accessible, and are shaded by Torrey pines. Booking begins Tuesday, July 19 for reservations beginning August 1. Reservations are available 30 days in advance. There are many first-come-first-served picnic areas at Presidio Tunnel Tops, including tables by the Presidio Transit Center, one-sided tables featuring views of the Bay, and countless benches and grassy lawns.

Future Events

The family-friendly fun continues with a regular series called First Sunday Afternoons (1 pm – 4 pm) on August 7, September 4, October 2, and November 6, and community festivals co-curated by the Presidio Activator Council and Community Experts, Hip Hop for Change, World Arts West, and Korean Center, Inc. These include Hip Hop for Change's 6th Annual Environmental Justice Summit, adding color to the green movement, on August 20. “Being outside in fresh air, nature, getting connected to the earth is so important for people,” said Hip Hop for Change's leader and Presidio Activator Khafre Jay. “The day when people of color can feel comfortable in every park in the city, that's a day when we'll be better off as a society.” See event details in the calendar below.

Getting to the Park

There are even more ways to get to the Presidio, car-free. The SFMTA has announced that the Muni 43-Masonic bus line will return to the Transit Center beginning July 9. The 30-Stockton stops along Mason Street and at Sports Basement, adjacent to the Tunnel Tops Outpost, and connects the Presidio to Chinatown and Union Square. The Presidio's Main Post or East Beach parking lots offers ample paid parking. And the free shuttle service Presidio Go enjoys a new name and increased hours of service on the Downtown route from the Transbay Terminal and the Embarcadero BART, as of June 6. Visitors can take advantage of a new rideshare drop-off zone and the new Bay Wheels bike share stations as well. For details on transportation please visit www.presidio.gov/transportation.

 

Agri-Cultured —Reflections on Our Local Food Community, By Hand & By Land — Petaluma Arts Center, California Humanities & Creative Sonoma Call for Poetry & Art Submissions

This one appeals to me so much that I'm going to have a go at penning a poem, an adaptation of my Fog Valley books. I hope this call for submissions also appeals to many of my writer and artist readers and friends in the area. It'll be compelling to see this exhibit at Petaluma Arts Center August 11th through 24th, 2022.

Deadline for art submissions is July 9, poetry August 1st so best get to it! 

Agri-CULTURED explores cross-cultural intersections of food and farming in our region. The project brings together food producers, purveyors, and artists who work locally and align with global concerns of sustainable practice and cultural memory.

It not only bridges art, science, and agriculture but also engages the spheres of hospitality, tourism and the economy of Sonoma County.

Click here for art submissions

Click here for poetry submissions

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and from Creative Sonoma.