Follow us on Sign up for the FREE e-Edition and get the latest local news delivered to your mailbox Quote of the week: “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in our- selves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be Rancho Cotate Credo Technology attained.” Marie Curie Analy Laguna El Molino Guess Who? Special commemorative section I am a singer born in Georgia on inside this issue May 28, 1944. I won a small TV contest as a child, giving my family the confidence to start a music group. I have had many hits through my long career, and won a Grammy in 1986. May 28, 2021 20 Pages (14 Page Main Section & 6 Page Graduation Section) Answer: Gladys Knight Gladys Answer: Newspaper of Rohnert Park-Cotati-Penngrove-Sebastopol Serving Inside Communities of Rohnert Park, Cotati this issue and Penngrove since Mental Health Awareness 2 Letters 2 1993 Library news 4 Friedman’s Home Improvement, Kaiser Permanente Police Logs 4 Fireworks sales 4 Summer reading program 4 Writer’s club 4 Bubbly birthday bash 4 Leadership Rohnert Park 5 Board of Directors 10 Fun facts 10 20 percent reduction 11 DNA leads to conviction 11 Santa Rosa man convicted11 Man sentenced 11 Forum will feature 11 FAIRE closing 12 Anniversary ride 12 Drive in movie 12 Honorary doctorate 12 Bees N Blooms 14 Gardening principles 14 Girl Scouts 14 Otto the Otter 14 Café Espresso Feature of the week Weekly Columns Moving towards normalcy - Sonoma Raceway opens Thomas Elias 5 Darrin Jenkins 5 Sonoma Raceway will welcome back NASCAR the weekend of June 5 and 6 to its way races in a row. No one has ever accomplished this in the previous 31 years that Sweeping up solutions 5 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 the race NASCAR has been racing in Sonoma. Words to ponder 5 was moved to Charlotte Motor Speedway. This year spectators will be allowed to Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Ca. car #42 qualified for the pole with the fastest time History 5 be in attendance in reduced numbers and with Covid protocols in place. The event and it was his third consecutive pole position for the race. He also holds the qual- will take place on just two days compared to the three-day event of the past. ifying record for the NASCAR race at Sonoma. Martin Truex Jr. in car #19 has won the last two races that were held at Sonoma in Cliff Mills 2018 and 2019 so he has a chance to be the first driver to win three Sonoma Race- Fireworks Ban goes to Sebastopol received Rancho lacrosse 3 Rancho girls soccer 3 Rancho baseball 3 voters in Rohnert Park $1.8 million in federal, Sportsman’s Report 3 By Cassandra May Albaugh The Rohnert Park City Council met on Tuesday May 25. Ordinance No. 954, an ordinance that prohibited the sale and use of fireworks was again on the agenda. That county funding ordinance is now suspended and the question of whether to ban the sale and use of Entertainment “Safe and Sane” fireworks is headed to the ballot box. The ban was proposed earlier By Brandon McCapes this year. Multiple council discussions and public comments occurred. Council mem- The City of Sebastopol will receive approximately $1.8 million in public funds bers Susan Hollingsworth Adams and Pam Stafford recommended placing it on the from the county and federal governments, the majority of which is intended for coro- ballot. Their motion failed. On April 27, the ordinance passed on a three to two vote navirus-related fiscal recovery. with Mayor Gerard Giudice, Vice Mayor Jackie Elward and Council member Willy City council members announced the disbursements at a special budget committee Linares supporting a ban. The issue remains divisive in the community. Those in sup- meeting held on May 19. Mayor Una Glass and Council Member Neysa Hinton, both port of fireworks started a referendum petition. On May 11, the petition was submitted members of the budget subcommittee, called the meeting with the full council in to the City Clerk, Sylvia Lopez Cuevas. order to discuss how to use the money given the scarce funding climate. ‘RP Fireworks’ see page 10 Since the pandemic began, the city has had to draw around $2 million from its re- serves, according to Mayor Glass. While the $1.8 million would seem to nearly com- Scott Sheldon 12 pletely compensate for the funding lost during the economic downturn over the past year and a half, the money will not all be received this year. Ken Weise 12 Cotati calls for 20 percent ‘Budget’ see page 2 Health... water use reduction Bike to Wherever Body... By Brandon McCapes water usage across the board from cus- With state and regional declarations of tomers. Mind... a drought emergency in Sonoma County, “The region is experiencing a historical Sprit... the City of Cotati voted to enact the first drought,” Scott said. Day hits Sebastopol voluntary stage of its Water Shortage According to the staff report, the City By Brandon McCapes Julie Ann Soukoulis 6 Contingency Plan at its meeting Tuesday. of Cotati owns and operates the public Sebastopolians left their car keys at home and hopped on their bikes to participate Cotati is one of nine Sonoma County water system serving residents, which is in the Bike to Wherever event put on by the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition May Steven Campbell 6 cities enacting the voluntary reductions supplied by city-owned wells and two 21. George Malkemus 6 per Sonoma Water’s request. Sonoma Water reservoirs within the Rus- Formerly the Bike to Work event, the Coalition rechristened the annual event last Director of Public Works and Engi- sia River Watershed (Lake Sonoma and year when the coronavirus pandemic began so as to encourage cycling as a means of neering Craig Scott explained that the Lake Mendocino). The watershed and transportation even for those not working. city will call for a 20-percent reduction in ‘Cotati’ see page 6 According to a press release from the Coalition, National Bike Month has taken place in May since the League of American Cyclists created it in 1956. The Coalition has been offering activities, classes and challenges to encourage people to take up Kids cycling throughout the month. Observing “Cycling reduces carbon emissions and traffic congestion, improves physical and mental health, and saves money...plus, it’s fun!” the release states. Challenges include pledging to bike to destinations within two miles throughout Memorial the month, although there are some more demanding challenges for more advanced cyclists. Those who complete biking challenges by biking a certain number of days See page 10 or between 100 and 500 miles this month are eligible to draw from prizes. Tea Bag Rockets 14 ‘Bike’ see page 2 Day COMPLETE GLASS g The Community For Over 50 SERVICE Servin Years Pet column 4 Puzzles Arch’s Glass, Inc. Crossword 13 Sudoku 13 FEATURING MILGARD WINDOWS & DOORS, Word Search 13 Horoscope 13 INSULATED GLASS REPLACEMENT, SCREENS, SHOWER Public Notices DOORS & MIRRORS Public notices 7, 8, 9, 10 Avisos Públicos 7, 8, 9, 10 Licensed 795-6976 Contractor Classifieds Stewart • 5725 Redwood Dr. Rohnert Park, CA 94928 M-F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m No. 647838 Classifieds 13 2 - Friday, May 28, 2021 Newspaper of Rohnert Park-Cotati-Penngrove-Sebastopol The Community Voice Established 1993 Member California Printed on 100% Mental Health Awareness month Newspaper Publishers Association recycled paper By Cassandra May Albaugh pulsive disorder, and phobias; was cancelled. According to or- esting take away, is that PTSD passed down from one genera- ©Rohnert Park, California Did you know that May was depression, bipolar disorder, and ganizer Honor Jackson, the pur- doesn’t have to be a result of di- tion to the next. For example, May 28, 2021 Mental Health Awareness other mood disorders; eating dis- pose of the conference was to rect trauma to the individual. having the “talk” with children Volume No. 29, Issue No. 17 Month? Unless you had family orders; personality disorders, discuss how this impacts the Folks can experience it indirectly before they go out about what to or friends who are impacted, Psychotic disorders, including North Bay African American through viewing traumatic do if pulled over by the police. ©Sebastopol, California perhaps not. According to the schizophrenia, and Post-trau- community. He said, “there isn’t events such as the 9/11 attacks or Many of the participants shared Volume No. 1, Issue No. 35 nationaltoday.com website matic stress disorder. Many of us an African American program in the spate of police brutality their racial stories highlighting “Mental Health Awareness have experienced mental illness the North Bay and there is a lack events over the last year. Sanders this type of trauma in the African Published: Every Friday Month was first celebrated in episodes. Who hasn’t had some of African American or non- also talked about Race Based American community. Phone (707) 584-2222 1949.” “The stigma around anxiety hit them before taking an white practitioners in our area.” Traumatic Injury, Historical NAMI’s theme this year is FAX (707) 584-2233 mental health and treatment has important test, or a job interview, Julia Barragan, from the Na- Trauma and Transgenerational “You Are Not Alone.” They want long existed, even though this or perhaps in public speaking? tional Alliance on Mental Illness Trauma. us “to focus on the healing value Adjudication: The Community has started to change.