Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor A 1,250-square-foot multi-unit house built in 1997 has changed hands The property located at 995 Kingwood Street in Santa Rosa was sold on April 17 The $490,000 purchase price works out to $392 per square foot The lot of the property covers an area of 3,410 square feet This automated story was produced for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat using artificial intelligence and data science. Property information is compiled from municipal assessors in Sonoma County. For any errors email info@pressdemocrat.com La Fondita’s Third Street location has been sitting empty for months Dozens of untouched bottles of liquor, colorful chairs and empty tables were still visible Friday behind the windows and locked doors of the empty La Fondita restaurant at 630 Third St For months, questions have persisted about whether the well-known Mexican restaurant, which opened in 2022 Fresh questions arose in the last couple of weeks as a new sign in the window advertised a “restaurant opportunity.” “Business & Commercial,” but there was no contact information available It remains unclear who is occupying the space According to the Sonoma County Health Department the most recent facility permit for the Third Street location — essentially an operating permit — was from July 2024 The owner listed on the records for both restaurant locations was Maria Elena Reyes The Press Democrat has repeatedly reached out to Reyes for a comment but has not received a response and visited the Third Street location on several occasions The Third Street location remained closed and there was no staff available for comment at the Sebastopol Road restaurant according to the Sonoma County Recorder’s Office The Press Democrat also reached out to this company In January, community members speculated about the fate of the restaurant on the Sonoma County Foodies Facebook page “Is La Fondita on 3rd in Santa Rosa closed or are they on vacation I’ve driven by a few times and they have been dark each time.” we went there for lunch and found the doors chained.” read “They have another location on Sebastopol Rd Highly recommend continuing to support them there Downtown is a TOUGH place for business with a lack of parking and such.” the floor manager at Wilibees liquor store at the corner of Third Street said he does not know if La Fondita has permanently closed he has seen many businesses come and leave the storefront at 630 Third St “Downtown is an interesting place right now you walk around and see ‘For Lease’ signs every day,” Arnold said The downstairs restaurant space at 630 Third St. was previously occupied by Mercato Pasta and Produce. La Fondita announced in early 2020 that it would be taking over the space You can reach Staff Writer Melanie Nguyen at 707-521-5457 or melanie.nguyen@pressdemocrat.com Backers describe the project as transformative and say it could create a sense of place in the North Bay’s largest city revitalize the city’s urban core and inject new money into the local economy Santa Rosa officials are exploring one of the city’s most ambitious projects in a generation, a partnership that could bring professional soccer to the city The proposal calls for a new stadium with a minimum of 5,000 seats that would anchor an entertainment district with restaurants Backers describe the project as transformative and say it could create a sense of place and identity in the North Bay’s largest city inject new money into the local economy and boost government coffers Initial conversations about establishing a men’s and women’s soccer team took off last fall between the city and United Soccer League Officials will spend the next year exploring sites for a stadium and financing options as well as engaging with potential investors according to an agreement presented to the City Council recently players could hit the pitch within three years “We’re really excited,” said Justin Papadakis USL deputy chief executive and chief real estate officer “I really think we’re going to do something special here.” United Soccer League operates in more than 200 communities including the second-tier USL Championship league and professional development and youth teams The men’s team could compete in the USL League One or Championship league while the women’s team could complete in the USL W League or Super League Papadakis said there’s an untapped market of soccer fans in Santa Rosa and the broader region whose main interaction with the sport is through the television screen and are eager for a local team to support Talks of a league expansion come as domestic interest in soccer is rising and the United States prepares to jointly host the FIFA Men’s World Cup next summer and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2031 But plans also come as Santa Rosa faces a long-term operating deficit that will require steep cuts City officials say the proposal is worth exploring “We’re always looking at ways to enhance quality of life for Santa Rosa residents and support a thriving local economy,” said City Manager Maraskeshia Smith “Partnering with the USL … reflects our commitment to creating exciting new opportunities for recreation Community members can learn more about the proposal during a forum 4 to 6 p.m Details about the location will be available closer to the date Papadakis said the organization’s market research shows that “by a significant margin across every data point Santa Rosa would be a great soccer market.” There’s a well-established network of youth soccer and limited professional soccer competition The local soccer fan base is made up of a younger aligning with the league’s target demographic which could help create a dedicated sustainable fan base USL revisited the idea of establishing a team in Santa Rosa late last fall who joined the city in September as chief economic development officer The city’s team signed a letter of intent to negotiate a deal with the USL on March 12 the city and USL will scope out sites for a multipurpose stadium with a minimum of 5,000 seats that meets the league’s field and other playing requirements and could also support year-round programming such as concerts and events Santa Rosa officials are examining USL’s partnerships in other similar markets, including Modesto, where city officials and the league have been in talks since September to bring soccer to the Central Valley Papadakis said the site must support a stadium and potentially other ancillary uses like training facilities and smaller fields The sports facilities should anchor a hub with restaurants shops and other development that can draw game day visitors and keep them there throughout the day “We really want to make sure that families in Santa Rosa can go down there but stay here and have a first-class fan experience,” he said “So that’s why we really think about the whole fan journey and programming those other elements around the district are vitally important.” the city and USL will conduct market feasibility studies and analyze demands for residential stadium capacity ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 seats depending on the market and site Some teams have repurposed underutilized facilities or have partnered with local colleges while others have built or are breaking ground on new facilities the Oakland Roots Soccer Club plays at the Oakland Coliseum which has a seating capacity of about 63,000 USL’s club in Monterey Bay plays in the 6,000-seat Cardinale Stadium on the California State University campus and the interest in having a nearby entertainment district facilities such at Santa Rosa Junior College or Sonoma State University are unlikely to meet the needs of a professional team Santa Rosa and USL have begun evaluating sites across the city and league officials have been in town familiarizing themselves with the region One potential site has already emerged: the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Located near Highway 101 and Highway 12 just outside the city center the fairgrounds features an open-air arena golf course and large lawn area across 200 acres During a discussion among members of a city and county group eyeing the creation of a new tax district downtown city planning chief Gabe Osburn said developers the development of sports venues is shifting from city outskirts to more urban areas The fairgrounds are centrally located and would provide the necessary land for a project of this type said the organization is excited about the possibility but has not been formally approached by the city or USL The proposal emerges as the Sonoma County Fair Board announced in April they were canceling the nearly 90-year tradition of horse racing for the 2025 season “We’re certainly curious to hear more about this as it unfolds,” Daly said then it’s something we should definitely consider.” Osburn noted there are other potential locations Two key questions are who will own and manage the site and how will it be paid for Any project is likely to take community buy-in and private investment “These projects can only get done with a private-public partnerships,” Papadakis said “They’re just too big and complicated and require so many different stakeholders to be all private and the size of the projects we want are just too big to do by ourselves.” management structures and financing plans vary across the league In Modesto, city and league officials have identified options, including redeveloping a city-owned property, and estimate a project could cost between $125 million and $150 million, according to an update provided to the council. Potential financing options include bonds or other tax revenues In Boise, one of the other markets Santa Rosa is studying, Boise Pro Soccer broke ground in March on a new 6,200-seat stadium at a former horse racing track at the fairgrounds Construction is being paid for by the team’s investors $150,000 lease with the county for the land Santa Rosa and United Soccer League will explore various stadium ownership management and operation structures and analyze public and private financing options as part of the negotiations The city and USL could tap into local taxes Funding could also come from the proposed downtown tax district a portion of property taxes generated downtown would be used to pay for infrastructure improvements and other projects aimed at revitalizing the city center A preliminary financing plan presented on April 2 to the board of city and county officials set aside a portion of the funds for what planning officials described as a catalyst project like a sports Any public investment could be a big bet for the city at a time of financial uncertainty with declining sales tax revenue and budgetary upheaval at the state and federal levels It also raises questions about who is on the hook if the project is unprofitable League officials will begin engaging with potential investors who would own the team and could secure franchise and stadium rights The proposal has already generated significant buzz said Santa Rosa’s long-term economic development strategy calls for creating a vibrant and economically sustainable city A sports and entertainment hub could play a critical role and we’re looking at other cities where this has been done correctly can help to drive not only business growth but can help to bring community together,” he said New dollars could have a domino effect on businesses beyond the stadium area leading to more travel through the local airport and spending regionwide as teams and fans travel to Santa Rosa for games head coach of the Santa Rosa Junior College women’s soccer team said coaching staff and players are eager to see professional soccer in Santa Rosa Chaidez said local interest has exploded over the years from youth to adult leagues A local team would be a boon to the soccer community and could provide opportunities for local players to continue their career at a professional level at home to Sacramento or the East Bay to watch or play,” she said is a nod to what the soccer community has done for the entire Santa Rosa and Sonoma County area and it would take the soccer world around here to the next level and be really exciting.” You can reach Staff Writer Paulina Pineda at 707-521-5268 or paulina.pineda@pressdemocrat.com A spacious house located at 2621 Sunrise Avenue in Santa Rosa has a new owner The $1,677,000 purchase price works out to $440 per square foot These nearby houses have also recently been purchased: The end of the 2024-2025 school year for students enrolled in Escambia County Public Schools and Santa Rosa County District Schools is just around the corner all school districts must have 180 teaching days according to the Florida Department of Education May 23 is the last day of classes for Escambia County Public Schools students May 29 is the last day of classes for Santa Rosa County District Schools students How did record snowfall impact the school schedule?On Jan. 21, a winter storm dumped an average of 7.27 inches of snow in Santa Rosa County with Milton receiving 10 inches Escambia County received an average of 7.55 inches of the snow which was initially scheduled a professional development day for teachers and staff Santa Rosa Schools also revised its spring semester calendar Students lost a “storm day” (and day off) on March 24 The date was originally a planning day for teachers but students were required to attend classes for half a day May 27 and 28 were also designated full days for Santa Rosa high school and middle school students The two days had originally been early release days because of final exams When do students go back to school?Students in both districts return to classes on Aug KQED Live Events PRX Podcast Garage Events Events Around the Bay Area Member Benefits with KQED Live Videos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events Featured That's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift The newspaper’s ownership picture had been in flux for weeks amid negotiations to sell to media conglomerate Hearst MediaNews Group swooped in and bought the paper a subsidiary of investment firm Alden Global Capital owns more than 100 newspapers across the country The Orange County Register and the Boston Herald but it has earned a reputation among journalists for buying distressed papers and gutting staff This week’s deal was for all of Sonoma Media Investments (SMI) a locally based ownership group that also included the Petaluma Argus-Courier and the Sonoma Index-Tribune a staff representative with the Pacific Media Workers Guild the union representing the Press Democrat’s editorial staff said he was disappointed in the lack of transparency around the sale Employees learned about the change in ownership through an email sent on Thursday “[We’re] disappointed in the way that the SMI owners went about doing business with MediaNews Group to complete that sale doing so without notifying us at all after we had spent months talking with them about the potential sale to Hearst,” he said “Not only are we disappointed in that part of it but also just concerned about what it means to lose local ownership.” The Press Democrat has been owned locally since 2012 As more local papers like it are sold to media conglomerates elected leaders want to put in some guardrails to protect local ownership This year, Assemblymember Alex Lee (D–Milpitas) introduced a bill known as the Keep News Independent Act, which aims to increase transparency around the sale of newspapers. AB 611 would require local media outlets to provide at least 120 days’ notice to staff and subscribers before a transaction is made “Local media outlets are embedded in our communities reporting on local issues that matter most to people,” Lee said in a statement to KQED “The notice will give newsroom staff and local communities the opportunity and time to approach the owners with alternatives to keep the outlet independently owned.” The Santa Rosa paper earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its coverage of the Sonoma County wildfires It previously won a Pulitzer for photography in 1997 said a newspaper’s quality depends on its access to resources He said he has seen the newspaper shrink in its size and scope over the years as people move away from traditional media and toward internet publications “When the current owners bought the paper … it was seen as a good thing because local ownership generally means better local interest in the paper the reputation of Alden is that they don’t have a good reputation for building up newsrooms — in fact Press Democrat reporter Phil Barber told KQED that while his newsroom was “stunned” by the sale staffers were told all jobs at the newspaper were secure and that they would be allowed to maintain current union contracts The union’s current contract is valid through next August Coursey said he hopes that MediaNews Group’s reputation will not dictate how it treats future employees but that he and other readers will remain alert “People expect good local coverage from the Press Democrat,” he said but we’re all going to be watching very closely.” To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. A house located at 504 Heavy Court in Santa Rosa has a new owner The $710,000 purchase price works out to $514 per square foot The lot of the property covers an area of 6,825 square feet Other houses have recently been purchased nearby: A 1,690-square-foot house built in 1973 has changed hands The property located at 5074 Dupont Court in Santa Rosa was sold on Feb The $615,000 purchase price works out to $364 per square foot The lot of the property covers an area of 6,400 square feet Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include: A 2,632-square-foot house built in 1988 has changed hands The spacious property located at 332 Miramonte Way in Santa Rosa was sold on April 16 The $1,425,000 purchase price works out to $541 per square foot The layout of this single-story home includes two bedrooms and one bath The lot of the property covers an area of 0.4-acre These nearby houses have also recently changed hands: The property located at 2015 Bay Meadow Drive in Santa Rosa was sold on April 18 The $695,000 purchase price works out to $535 per square foot has an interior space of 1,300 square feet The layout of this two-story house includes three bedrooms and one bath The property is situated on a lot spanning 4,333 square feet Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include: Activists are coordinating in defense of immigrants For a lineup of local actions and protests, go to www.pjcsoco.org bounced and stretched across the sidewalk Thursday afternoon in downtown Santa Rosa were the same “No hate No fear Immigrants are welcome here” Thursday was May Day. It was also the first day of a five-day nationwide lineup of marches to protest the administration of Donald Trump “The initial impetus is focused on Donald Trump and his policies a member of the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County protests have been staged in cities across the North Bay The idea has not only been to build critical mass but to sustain it — there are three years and eight months left in the Trump administration “This is going to be a really long haul,” said Kim Caldewey, a Peace and Justice Center board member and founding member of CURF — Community United to Resist Fascism “We are going to need an infrastructure to support the community and to resist.” groups like the Peace and Justice Center are playing the long game forming partnerships with other like-minded groups to offer a sustainable presence in the streets and elsewhere to keep the focus on what they say are the Trump administration’s flouting of laws and norms Other local actions have included protests of Avelo Airlines’ decision to fly deportation flights for the U.S Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Control and Enforcement Agency There are regular Sunday gatherings in support of Palestinians on Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa Wake Up Sonoma the grassroots advocacy group formed in Sonoma in opposition to real estate acquisitions by Ken Mattson and his former company LeFever Mattson has expanded its focus of protests to events meant to “resist fascism stop the coup and support immigrant communities.” The Peace and Justice Center is just one of a growing network of nonprofits and political groups that are collaborating on marches and political actions targeting Trump and the policies he’s unveiled in the first 100 days of his second term The feeling of “What can we do?” quickly morphed into the five days in May action said Fagin of the Peace and Justice Center “It’s developed very organically,” he said a march that began at the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office moved to the courtyard outside the County Board of Supervisors’ chambers and eventually made its way down Mendocino Avenue and onto Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa It was one of an estimated 1,000 events that took place across the nation on May Day a day usually focused on pro-labor activities An call hosted by the national organizing group Indivisible at midday Thursday pulled in more than 4,000 people “Democratic movements are going to be a little messy sometimes; that’s OK,” Indivisible co-executive director Leah Greenberg told the group call “Showing up peacefully is what it is about.” Local organizers say one of the aims is to broaden the focus an action for veterans’ rights was planned for Friday the coalition of activists planned four themed marches to all convene for a rally and event from 12:30-2:30 p.m the highlighted event will be a rally in solidarity with Palestinians at 2 p.m Monday will be a celebration of sorts with organizers encouraging participating groups and organizations to attend Cinco de Mayo festivities in Roseland “Our master plan is to build a coalition and determine how and where we go,” Caldewey said there is not one instance of tension or ‘this is my organization I don’t think we can support that thing.’” The same level of action — and cooperation — is happening nationally May 1 protests and events took place in Chicago “My daughter lives in South Dakota,” Joan Mortensson of Forestville said at the May 1 rally in Santa Rosa “There are demonstrations almost every day where 72% of voters supported Democratic candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in November and just 25% voted for Trump and Vice President JD Vance hosting a protest might feel for many like preaching to the choir “It means what everyone here is doing,” she said “We did everything we could for the elections we wrote postcards until our hands cramped,” she said I just think the more people that speak up and are here there is courage in simply showing up to a protest — especially in light of the Trump administration’s push to increase deportations and incarcerations of people who entered the country illegally but have since obtained legal status other people showing up and supporting and fighting for something that maybe right now is not the time for them I feel like it’s really powerful,” she said And all of them showing up represents power.” so she can’t drive to protests unless the van in her senior community is used — which it sometimes is the 94-year-old Santa Rosa woman is out on Range Avenue every Wednesday holding a sign her 10-year-old granddaughter made calling for “Justice for All.” I’m saying no to ignoring the separation of powers in government “I want to show that we can protest in a respectful way I’m so excited about the way the demonstrations have been organized and people have been supportive.” “It’s so inspiring to see this group of people,” said Doty who drives across town to be with Clark-Weaver A lot of people aren’t comfortable doing that and here they are.” Clark-Weaver’s vision not what it used to be Horn calls mean there is support for her weekly protests “I want people to know there are lots of us,” she said I feel good about doing something that matters even though it’s very small “I feel like our generation has benefited from a lot of the economic (policies) that we have had while the gap between rich and poor has gotten larger and I really owe it to them to be here,” she said “It’s paying back a debt on what we envisioned.” And then there’s this: “It’s breaking through the stereotype that we don’t know what is going on or don’t care what is going on,” she said As organizers of the five days of action focus on the long haul there will be days of protest and days of rest according to the Peace and Justice Center’s Fagin Indivisible is planning a nationwide “No Kings” action on June 14 which is both Flag Day and Donald Trump’s birthday To mark the day, Trump has planned a military parade replete with “thousands” of troops and tanks There is too much that needs to be done,” he said “It would be nice to have some democracy in this country.” You can reach Staff Writer Kerry Benefield at 707-526-8671 or kerry.benefield@pressdemocrat.com A house located at 2173 Nectarine Drive in Santa Rosa has a new owner The layout of this two-story house consists of three bedrooms and one bath The property's lot measures 2,800 square feet square feet in area Other houses have recently changed hands nearby: “People must be able to retire with dignity,” said one retiree Retired Sonoma County government employees are asking the Board of Supervisors to consider a cost of living adjustment for the county’s pension system which retirees and pension system officials say is long overdue Sonoma County government retirees have not had a cost of living increase since 2008 they have taken a significant hit to their purchasing power — a cumulative loss of about 47% based on consumer price index according to Sonoma County Employees’ Retirement Association officials The issue came before the Board of Supervisors last week during the county’s informational budget workshops. While the Sonoma County Employees’ Retirement Association Board of Retirement can recommend a cost of living adjustment the final decision rests with the Board of Supervisors but the issue comes as officials brace for tight budgeting amid fiscal uncertainty at the state and federal levels SCERA and county officials would meet annually to decide whether to implement an adjustment and how to fund it Funding mechanisms included using excess earnings realized investment gains or increasing employer contributions The Great Recession in 2008 “shocked” the economy and the county’s pension system disrupting that process and prompting a policy change that “inadvertently killed the COLA (cost of living adjustment) program,” said Wyne “We weren’t thinking about the COLA program at the time we were thinking about survival,” Wyne said said the retirement fund is healthy and amounts to $3.5 billion It places the county in the position to consider an adjustment for “retirees who've been waiting for 17 years,” he said Average annual payments out of the pension system range from $17,074 to $61,345 depending on the type of plan and whether the retiree’s job fell under the “safety” category said 70% of his retirement income is going to his house and medical premiums He said he is now working full time to get by Others noted that their expenses have gone up as they age “Should they be going to the food bank now outlined some options the board could consider One would be adjusting payments for retirees who lost more than 20% of their purchasing power to restore it to 80% — the most expensive option Another included offering a flat 2% increase to all retirees A third option would be offering increases to the most affected groups The board did not make any final decisions but indicated interest in further discussion including Board Chair Lynda Hopkins and Supervisor James Gore said they would like to look at providing a raise at least for the groups of retirees receiving the smallest payouts “The inequity in the system is really galling,” Hopkins said You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com SRJC scored six runs in the seventh inning to rally to a 7-4 win Saturday winning the series and advancing to the NorCal Super Regional round Brice Cox left the field barking at his own dugout as he finished a scoreless sixth inning With the top-seeded Santa Rosa Junior College baseball team trailing 4-1 to No 24 American River and starting to run out of outs the Bear Cubs needed to get something going offensively if they wanted to avoid a sudden-death game in their opening series of the California Community College Athletic Association playoffs Go hit!” Cox yelled at his teammates as he returned to the dugout holding the Beavers scoreless over his last three innings of work SRJC scored six runs in the seventh — highlighted by a go-ahead two-out grand slam from Josh Martin — to rally to a 7-4 win over the Beavers at home Saturday Unreal! @Josh24Martin gives the Bears Cubs the lead with a 2-out grand slam!Bear Cubs have plated 6 in the inning and now lead 7-4. pic.twitter.com/dMw08tRiab SRJC (40-1) was held to just five hits over the first six innings but put together the seventh-inning rally with four hits a hit batter and an error to surge into the lead but all that matters in the postseason is winning and the Bear Cubs’ quest for their fourth CCCAA title is still alive “I wasn’t in love with any part of it,” SRJC head coach Damon Neidlinger said “I’m glad we put up a six spot … but if you’re going where we want to go everybody has got to be competing the right way.” who entered in the second inning with SRJC already down 2-0 pitched 5⅔ strong innings with seven strikeouts and scattered seven hits with two runs to earn the win Those two runs scored in a four-hit third inning that saw American River (16-26) add to its lead at 4-1 He held the Beavers scoreless for the rest of his outing and worked out of several tough situations He bounced back from a leadoff double with three straight groundouts the last he fielded and ran over to first himself “If no one else is going to do it in there try to spark something,” Cox said of his shouts to his dugout at the end of the sixth We had guys in there that were trying to spark it if I can go out and throw a shutout inning and come to the dugout with a bit more energy It didn’t take long for the Bear Cubs to respond Shane Moran and Caze Derammelaere led off the seventh with back-to-back singles and Anane Wilson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs Tyler Nordyke then brought home Moran and Derammelaere with a ground ball that snuck underneath the glove of American River’s third baseman to make it 4-3 The Beavers looked poised to halt the rally in its tracks with two quick outs the second a groundout that advanced Nordyke and Wilson to second and third The Beavers then elected to intentionally walk JT Summers to set up the force with Martin coming to bat Martin took two quick balls and then hammered an inside fastball out into the parking lot beyond the right field fence his fifth and arguably most important home run of the year “It was 2-0 and I was just thinking to myself I’m going to annihilate it and swing as hard as I can,’” said Martin a San Marin High School grad and recent commit to the University of Hawaii He was mobbed by teammates as he made his way back to the dugout after rounding the bases “He’s pulling for us and we have to pull for him,” Martin said of Cox Closer Raul Valdivia then entered with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and finished the job striking out a pair with a walk in 2⅓ no-hit innings earning his CCCAA-leading 10th save of the year The win also sealed the second 20-game winning streak of the year for SRJC which will host a three-team double-elimination CCCAA NorCal Super Regionals series next week but the Bear Cubs will play their first game Thursday afternoon with more games to follow Friday and Saturday If the Bear Cubs are able to continue their historic season by winning again they’ll advance to the NorCal Regional finals and have a chance to advance to the CCCAA state championship “That’ll definitely be the hardest round for us,” Cox said of Super Regionals I think if we can get out of that unscathed Especially if we have two other Big 8 teams You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com The move is part of a family-friendly celebration aimed at giving residents a safe Lea el artículo en español aquí. Fireworks are returning to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds this Fourth of July marking their first appearance since 2019 and the revival of a cherished local tradition Dubbed “Fired up Freedom,” the Independence Day celebration promises a full evening of entertainment and an array of food and drink from regional vendors The fairgrounds’ last fireworks display was held six years ago before the COVID-19 pandemic and financial constraints forced the annual show to pause organizers say they’ve made it a priority to bring the spectacle back “I think there's been a thirst for it in the community,” said Matthew Daly and it's sort of like people are almost sad that it doesn't happen.” Daly said the fairgrounds board intentionally budgeted for the pyrotechnics this year with hopes of reestablishing the tradition ahead of next year’s milestone celebration: the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence “This day is not just about the sky lighting up with dazzling colors; it's about coming together as a community to celebrate our freedom and the joy of summer,” the fairgrounds said in a statement The Santa Rosa Fire Department will be on site to ensure safety public fireworks display could help curb the use of illegal fireworks in neighborhoods — a common concern when there’s no official event Organizers say they’ve worked to keep the event accessible Tickets are $10 per person and include parking though the full schedule is still being finalized You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8531 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter,) @alana_minkler Santa Rosa Plaza officials have so far declined to say why the statue was being removed or whether new artwork would take its place Lea el artículo en español aquí. A 7.5-ton marble hand that has become a defining symbol of downtown Santa Rosa was removed from Santa Rosa Plaza Friday morning after sitting at the mall’s B Street entrance for nearly three decades Crews used a crane and gently lowered the sculpture Agraria onto a large flatbed truck padded with rubber tires at 7:30 a.m Watch video of the removal below: The sculpture is headed north to Geyserville and will be installed at the corner of Geyserville Avenue and Highway 128 president of the Geyserville Community Foundation The foundation will cover the costs of relocation and constructing a new base for Agraria the Geyserville Chamber of Commerce and the town’s Kiwanis Club Read more about the statue’s relocation and its history in downtown Santa Rosa here. It is the largest one-day chicken barbecue west of the Mississippi The Sonoma County 4-H ChickenQue is a long held tradition (64 years and counting) and is the largest one-day chicken barbecue west of the Mississippi It’s not too late to get your meal tickets to this event running from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m Sunday at Saralee and Richard’s Barn at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds along with live music and a must-visit cake table where you can purchase slices or whole cakes made by 4-H members and their families Buy meal tickets online at pdne.ws/4lG1NIr to pick up at will-call You can also purchase tickets at the Sonoma County 4-H office and Lunardi Electric All proceeds benefit 4-H programs for Sonoma County’s 900 youth members Nothing says spring like rosé in your glass which is exactly what you’ll get at Pink Sonoma’s Rosé Fest from noon-3 p.m the event features more than two dozen wineries serving their prettiest pink pours paired with bites from Classic Culinaire catering Guests are encouraged to wear pink attire. Tickets are $93 and can be purchased at pdne.ws/4lMlVcg an organization that advocates for diversity A Santa Rosa family of four was temporarily displaced after their home near Montgomery Village caught fire Thursday night A Santa Rosa family was forced out of their home Thursday night after a fire near Montgomery Village filled the house with smoke where they found smoke coming from the attic Crews put out the fire in about 20 minutes It appeared to have started in the garage and spread to the attic The family was temporarily displaced because of the smoke damage The cause of the fire is still under investigation The Houston-based budget carrier’s pact to do deportation flights from Arizona starts in May the same month it will cut its routes in half into and out of Sonoma County Citing poor financial performance, Avelo Airlines ― which only about a year ago opened base operations at Charles M Schulz-Sonoma County Airport ― says it will cease those operations at the start of May the same month it is set to begin flying deportees under a new deal with ICE The change means Avelo will maintain only four of its current eight daily routes into and out of Santa Rosa Sonoma County Airport Manager Jon Stout said The move also is expected to result in the airline saying “goodbye to some great crew members” in Sonoma County Avelo’s four continuing routes will go back and forth from Santa Rosa to Burbank The Palm Springs and Bend/Redmond routes are seasonal The routes Avelo will cancel fly from Santa Rosa to Boise; Salt Lake City; Ontario and the Ontario route had already been scheduled to pause at the end of this month the airline began notifying customers via text and email of a flight cancellation in late April scheduled for Boise an early sign of the major change to be announced later Tuesday “Avelo has decided to close the base in Santa Rosa / Sonoma County (STS) almost a year after it was opened,” Avelo communications manager Madison Glassman said in a statement A base operation is an aviation industry term that means that an airline stations crew and aircraft at a particular airport for the flights it operates It operates seven other base operations across the country “STS was selected for closure because achieving necessary financial results there has proven more elusive than expected,” she said perhaps our initial hypothesis could be correct but now is the time to utilize our aircraft in the best possible opportunities.” announcing the airline will begin flying next month for the U.S Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Control and Enforcement agency as part of a “long-term charter program” to support deportation efforts The company decided the move would help with expansion and protect jobs “We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,” Levy said in a statement The domestic and international flights will be supported by three Boeing 737-800 planes and based at Mesa Gateway Airport In an online job listing for the Arizona operation Avelo states that the “flights will be both domestic and international trips to support DHS’s deportation efforts.” Avelo employees based at the Sonoma County airport will be given transfer opportunities to stay with the airline inflight and tech ops crewmembers in STS will have the opportunity to transfer to any base where we have openings and we hope they will choose to stay with Avelo,” she said have to say goodbye to some great crew members.” Avelo has base operations at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Burbank Airport Southern Connecticut’s Tweed-New Haven Airport the Philadelphia / Delaware Valley region’s Wilmington Airport Central Florida’s Lakeland International Airport Charlotte’s Concord-Padgett Regional Airport and Coastal North Carolina’s Wilmington International Airport Tom Cartwright, a flight data analyst for the advocacy group Witness at the Border whose social media feeds are closely watched in immigration circles said he isn’t aware of any other commercial airlines that have provided such flights for ICE in the past five years he’s been tracking flights He called the decision by Avelo “unusual” considering charter companies the public likely hasn’t heard of typically make these flights “They may fly a flight with all migrants or deportation flights today and they might fly fans to the Masters golf tournament tomorrow,” he said of the charters “They don’t sell tickets in a retail manner like Avelo does.” where Avelo flies out of Tweed New Haven Airport Democratic Mayor Justin Elicker said he called Levy over the weekend to express his opposition to the arrangement and urged the CEO to reconsider “Avelo Airlines’ decision to charter deportation flights from Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona is deeply disappointing and disturbing For a company that champions themselves as ‘New Haven’s hometown airline,’ this business decision in antithetical to New Haven’s values,” Elicker said in a statement “Travel should be about bringing people together A local immigrant advocacy group called the New Haven Immigrants coalition is urging people to sign an online petition pledging to boycott the airline ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment The Associated Press contributed to this story “They’ll never get another dime from me,” said Lynda Hopkins chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adding that the company has chosen to take part in the “deportation industrial complex” rather than support the local tourist economy Sonoma County officials blasted Avelo Airlines’ decision to shutter its operations base at the county’s regional airport to divert resources to Arizona where the company will provide deportation flights under a contract with the Department of Homeland Security The closure comes less than a year after Avelo opened its base at the Charles M which at the time was lauded by local officials as new era of growth for the airport adding that Avelo’s move would be a blow to the local economy as well as other destinations the airline served Along with the closure of its Santa Rosa hub Avelo also eliminated several destinations to Montana “What’s insane is that the Trump administration is making it more lucrative to participate in the deportation industrial complex than supporting the local tourist economy,” she said When Avelo opened its Sonoma County base last year the airline said it would add 50 new jobs four new markets and two Boeing 737 planes to be parked overnight at the airport That base is now scheduled to close May 1 on the one-year anniversary of its opening The airline will still offer some flights through the local airport Stout notified all five county supervisors of the planned closure in an email Monday night “As a result of this new charter operation mechanics and air crews currently based the Charles M Schulz — Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa will be offered reassignments and closing the base at STS,” Stout wrote STS is the three-letter airport code for Santa Rosa Stout said the airline notified him of its plans for the Santa Rosa hub on Thursday He said first learned of Avelo’s ICE contract Monday through a story published online on airlinegeeks.com A spokesman for Avelo said Tuesday that its Santa Rosa employees would be given transfer opportunities to Mesa The spokesperson said also confirmed that the last remaining Avelo airplane based in Santa Rosa would be transferred to the new Mesa hub In a job listing on recruiting.paylocity.com Avelo states job candidates will be expected to “ensure the safety and comfort” of airline customers and crew members; respond safely to a range of in-flight emergencies Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo said she felt bad for local Avelo employees who might lose their jobs or have to relocate She added that she does not support Avelo’s business decision or its participation in “separating families.” Hermosillo said she hoped the remaining airlines serving the local airport would expand services and that local travelers would give them their business instead “I hope Avelo focuses on staying in Arizona,” she said “I for one know the types of airlines that I’ll be flying on and supporting with my own dollars,” she added Under Avelo’s new contract with the Department of Homeland Security the deportation flights will be both domestic and international It’s unclear whether any of those domestic flights would include Sonoma County airport Some local officials shuddered at the idea I would call against that,” Supervisor James Gore said “I would be out there with many thousands of Sonoma County residents with signs protesting,” she said a community organizer for Raices Collective said Avelo should not be allowed to operate in Sonoma County regardless of whether its deportation operations occur locally or elsewhere in the country “It’s unconscionable that this airline decided it can earn profits by being part of the mass deportation machine,” Saucedo Supervisor Chris Coursey said Avelo may view the DHS contract as “a good decision financially,” but it may hurt the company long-term “They’re not going to make friends in Sonoma County with this decision,” Coursey said Avelo’s deportation flights are scheduled to begin on May 12 and will operate out of the Phoenix/Mesa Gateway Airport in the far southeastern suburbs of Phoenix You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com The Press Democrat’s former printing facility in Rohnert Park on April 11 The sale of the Sonoma County papers to the owner of San José Mercury News and East Bay Times was a surprise twist in a plan to initially sell to SF Chronicle-owner Hearst The Santa Rosa Press Democrat and sister publications have been acquired by the MediaNews Group the nation’s largest private newspaper operator — and not media conglomerate Hearst said the newsroom was “stunned” by the sale which staff learned about in an email from the MediaNews Group — a newspaper publisher owned by investment firm Alden Global Capital — and not from management “We have a lot of questions,” Barber told KQED “We’re a pretty optimistic group by nature and we certainly want to make the most of this and hope for the best but it’s going to open up a period of uncertainty for us.” managing member of Sonoma Media Investments — which owns the North Bay papers — said a viable independent local press was vital to the North Bay community its staff and most importantly the public will be best served under the stewardship of MediaNews Group with the newspaper expertise and financial resources necessary to carry on our mission of delivering the highest-caliber local journalism for future North Bay generations,” Anderson said The announcement was the latest twist in a winding plan to find a new owner for the paper which has been under local ownership since 2012 Earlier this month, The Press Democrat’s staff faced a difficult choice of waiving their union contract in order to make the Hearst deal possible While the union had concerns that Hearst would not recognize their current contract Barber said staff were pressured into signing a memorandum of understanding so that the deal could be made the next communication that we get is that we’re being sold to Alden,” Barber said While it is not clear what happened to the deal with Hearst or why the sale to MediaNews Group went through Barber said that the newsroom was told that all jobs at The Press Democrat and its sister publications were secure and staff would be allowed to maintain their current union contracts While that news was a “great relief,” Barber said which also includes Bay Area papers like the San Jose Mercury News and East Bay Times in its portfolio has earned a reputation among journalists for buying distressed newspapers and gutting their ranks the papers were in local hands for nearly a century “We’ve all enjoyed our independence and our collaboration as a small cluster of publications,” Barber said The Santa Rosa Press Democrat garnered a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its tenacious coverage of wildfires in Sonoma County “We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,” said Frank Pine “We appreciate the importance of local news and information to the communities where we publish and are proud to expand our commitment to Northern California in the North Bay.” KQED’s Natalia Navarro contributed to this report Correction: The description of Alden Global Capital has been updated -- A Freeport man was arrested who was arrested for driving under the influence after a series of disruptive incidents in Santa Rosa Beach on Friday allegedly wiped feces all over a jail cell according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office Deputies say they responded to a call about a heavily intoxicated man harassing patrons at a Grayton Beach restaurant on Friday identified as 47-year-old Jason Lavar Buchanan Deputies say Buchanan was reportedly driving by the restaurant Deputies discovered a firearm within arm's reach in his vehicle Buchanan was confrontational and refused to exit the car leading deputies to use a Taser on him multiple times Buchanan continued his disruptive behavior at the jail smearing feces on the glass window and door Buchanan was charged with driving under the influence and obstruction without violence His criminal history includes a previous DUI conviction and multiple obstruction-related charges He is currently being held in Walton County Jail on a $5,000 bond Here are some go-to local spots for excellent tacos quest fresco chars beans from Cascabel Mexican Bar & Grill in Santa Rosa red onions and cilantro from Cascabel Mexican Bar & Grill in Santa Rosa Family-friendly Mexican classics keep Los Tres Chiles packed The giant bacon-wrapped chimichanga dares you to eat it Al pastor tacos from Las Palmas in Santa Rosa Mushroom tacos from the Lucha Sabina food truck at Mitote Food Park in Santa Rosa Tlayuda from the Maria Machetes food truck at Mitote Food Park includes a giant tortilla topped with chapulines (fried grasshoppers) A variety of Mexican dishes served at the Mitote Food Park in Santa Rosa Ramiro Morales prepares tacos al pastor that was cooked the traditional way on a trompo Molcajete at Taqueria Molcajetes in Santa Rosa Carnitas tacos from Taqueria California in Santa Rosa Tacos al Pastor from Cielito Lindo restaurant in Santa Rosa Caldo De Siete Mares is a seafood soup of scallops and white fish in broth with vegetables from Cielito Lindo restaurant in Santa Rosa (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat) Tacos de Birria con queso with consomme for dipping from Cielito Lindo restaurant in Santa Rosa Enchiladas Michoacan includes five enchiladas filled with quest fresco covered in guajillo sauce with potatoes and marinated chicken from Cielito Lindo restaurant in Santa Rosa pickled onions and avocado from Cielito Lindo restaurant in Santa Rosa Quesadillas are nice, but a machete — a super-sized quesadilla with extra goodies inside — is what you come to El Fogon for. Mexico City street food like pambazo (a torta dipped in red pepper sauce) is also spectacular. (El Fogon) Cochinita Pibil Tacos from Quiote in downtown Petaluma Jalisco-style Chicken Enchiladas with Mole from Quiote in downtown Petaluma rice and organic homemade tortillas at Tortilla Real Mexican Kitchen in Petaluma Chicken enchiladas served with beans and rice at Tortilla Real Mexican Kitchen in Petaluma Tortillas are made from scratch while you wait at El Molino Central in Sonoma Beer-battered fish tacos with avocado lime mayo The chicken mole enchilada by chef Efrain Balmes at Sonoma Eats in Sonoma Tuesday The Baja fish tacos by Chef Efrain Balmes at Sonoma Eats in Sonoma and Baja fish tacos by Chef Efrain Balmes at Sonoma Eats in Sonoma Tuesday November 22 toasted pumpkin seeds and plantains served with mezcal served in a decorated gourd at Agave Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar in Healdsburg The old El Farolito is now Gallina D’Oro with outdoor seating just off the square Friday Flautas Platter has rolls filled with shredded chicken and cheese drizzled with chipotle aioli and a side of jalapeño and pineapple jelly pork ribs in a green tomatillo sauce with nopales A festive lunch is enjoyed at El Milagro in Cloverdale Traditional moles and regional Mexican cuisine from El Milagro Healdsburg Everyone has a favorite neighborhood taco shop and arguing over who has the best burritos Over years of covering restaurants in Sonoma County I’ve collected some tried-and-true spots where you can’t go wrong So the next time you’re haggling with your friends over where to sit down for a Mexican feast Looking for the best burrito in Sonoma County? Click here Cascabel: Elevated Mexican flavors in a welcoming Montgomery Village location. Bite-sized potato pancakes with mole, barbacoa, and conchinita pibil — braised pork marinated in citrus and annatto seed — are top picks. 909 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-521-9444, cascabelbayarea.com Los Tres Chiles: Family-friendly Mexican classics keep this Bennett Valley restaurant packed. The giant bacon-wrapped chimichanga dares you to eat it. 2765 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-304-5724, lostreschiles.com Taqueria Las Palmas: No-frills street tacos and burritos that consistently impress La Texanita: Stellar Mexican antojitos (snacks) like stuffed sopes and the Torta Texana with chorizo made this a Guy Fieri favorite. 1667 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, 707-527-7331, latexanita.com Mitote Food Park: A rotating lineup of food trucks, a mezcal cocktail bar and chocolate-filled churros make this a one-stop shop. Now in a new location. 100 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, mitotefoodpark.com Taqueria Molcajetes: This neighborhood taqueria gained national notoriety after Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives took notice of their sizzling molcajetes carne asada and al pastor tacos have made this humble taqueria a darling of the delivery scene Caramel-filled churros and sweet Jamaica agua frescas end the meal deliciously Cielito Lindo: The list of add-ons to their super burritos is impressive, from al pastor and shredded chicken to soy chorizo, shrimp, potatoes and skirt steak. 52 Mission Blvd., Suite 110, Santa Rosa, 707-978-2070, instagram.com/cielitolindosantarosa El Fogon Taco Shop: Quesadillas are nice, but a machete — a super-sized quesadilla with extra goodies inside — is what you’re here for. Mexico City street food like pambazo (a torta dipped in red pepper sauce) is also spectacular. 623 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-575-0574; 6576 Oakmont Drive, Suite A, Santa Rosa, 408-872-9953, elfogontacoshopca.com Tortilla Real Mexican Kitchen: Hit up the weekend brunch in this adorable downtown Petaluma cafe for chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and tortas. 5 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma, 707-658-1415, tortillareal.com El Molino Central: Tortillas are made from scratch while you wait. Beer-battered fish tacos with avocado lime mayo, ahi tostadas and tamales are best bets. Pick up Mole Enchiladas in the cold case to heat up at home. 11 Central Ave., Sonoma, 707-939-1010, elmolinocentral.com Sonoma Eats: Chef Efrain Balmes makes the best Oaxacan food in Sonoma County using high-quality, locally farmed ingredients at a good price, infused with his heart and soul. The Mole Enchilada is what you’re here for. Other best bets include Baja Fish Tacos and Potato Tacos. 18133 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-343-1141, sonoma-eats.com Agave: Mole, a rich dark sauce made with more than 20 ingredients, is the signature of this family-owned restaurant. A large selection of imported mezcal is also a star attraction. 1063 Vine St., Healdsburg, 707-433-2411, agavehealdsburg.com Gallina D’Oro (formerly El Farolito): Owned by the same family as Agave (and several other great Mexican restaurants), you can get their signature mole Oaxaqueno, tacos ahogados and quesabirria, plus tasty mezcal-infused cocktails. 128 Plaza St., Healdsburg, 707-433-2807, gallinadoro.com Sheldon Flinn planted peanuts on 75 acres in Santa Rosa County's Allentown community April 28 for what he believes will be the last time "This is probably our last year out there," he said "Obviously we're under a lot of pressure from developers It has really impacted farmers and the farming community," said Trent Matthews Santa Rosa's district conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service "It's hard even trying to get down the road in a tractor." He wasn't the first to suggest moving the county's rural protection zone south to help protect farmers from development pressure but this year he has successfully lobbied his fellow board members to bring the concept to a vote A public hearing will be held at the May 8 regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners to consider pushing an existing Rural Protection Zone approximately four miles south from its present location at County Road 182 A new southern boundary will be established along a line that on the west side of the county designates the border between the Pace and Allentown fire districts and the Allentown and Skyline fire districts "This would be more of an actual line," Rowell said who has been critical at times of the arbitrary nature of the existing Rural Protection Zone Plans call for a "transition zone" to be designated to extend one mile below the new rural protection zone to allow a smooth transition from urban to rural space Agricultural experts present annual reports to the County Commission to remind them of the importance of the farmland National Agricultural Statistics Service and University of Florida statistics collected for the County Commission last year showed 752 farms in Santa Rosa County 9,526 people employed in businesses associated with farming and nearly $90 million in annual revenue generated from livestock and crop production Eight row crops make up the county's primary inventory with peanuts and cotton by far the most popular Santa Rosa County battles neighboring Escambia County most years to place second behind Jackson County for the state's highest yields of both peanuts and cotton In 2023 it was estimated Santa Rosa had 17,485 acres dedicated to cotton production and harvested 11 million pounds holding a gross value of $8.9 million Two of Florida's four cotton gins are found in Santa Rosa County There were 21,522 acres used for peanut production that same year and Santa Rosa County farmers harvested 24,406 tons of peanuts and made $12.8 million from doing so "We're approaching a billion dollar industry in the past decade in agriculture in Santa Rosa County," Santa Rosa's Conservation Program Coordinator Levi Blackmon told board members "In every year for the last 10 years we have had an average of at least $90 million in revenue." Ever encroaching developmentFlinn farms about 2,000 total acres with his father and grandfather in the Allentown community and the area around Pond Creek the family owns some of the land they raise crops upon and some of it like the 75 acres he presumes lost to development has gotten "horrible," and the farming economy in general is not good "It's not good and it hasn't been good for several years now," he said He said he could see a time when he is done farming and there is nobody coming along behind him to take his place harvesting the fields While he said he sees the value of protecting the agricultural economy it's hard to look past the lure of the kind of money developers interested in acquiring property are willing to pay "If I have all this land and can make a heck of a lot out of selling it "If you get a chance to make some pretty good money More: Farming in Santa Rosa is nearly a billion dollar industry. So why is it disappearing? Estimates of how much land will be added to the existing Rural Protection District with the proposed expansion range between 70,000 and 100,000 acres Matthews said that as large a swath of land as that seems to be it comprises just one-sixth of the total land area of the county The area brought into the Rural Protection Zone with the southerly slide of its border pushes the boundary into an area Matthews described as "currently rural but in some places on the fringe of where urban sprawl is happening." "There's kind of scattered development where farming is being impacted," he said pointing to 10 Mile Road in Chumuckla as one location where farmers are struggling mightily just to get access to their land but you can't get a tractor through it because people have built right up to the road," Matthews said "It's hard enough to get a pick up truck through there." Can forward thinking save the farmland?Matthews said that establishing and enforcing a rural protection zone will give county leaders breathing room to better plan for future growth and balancing the needs of a growing community and a long established agricultural culture "From my perspective it's really a positive," he said It's hoped we can slow it down and plan for the future what land use might look like in Santa Rosa County." Once the change to the boundary is established the County Commission will begin the process of establishing some framework by which to make the guiding principles for which it was established work in the real world The Rural Protection Zone presently exists as a separate document within the county's Land Development Code and according to County Commissioner Colten Wright Commissioners discussed at length at an April 21 meeting what language they would like to see added to the Rural Protection Zone document to give it some muscle Rowell said it will be important to ensure that no existing zoning will be changed as a result of adoption of the new boundary line and that the document not prevent smart growth and development around "crossroad communities" within the Rural Protection Zone would be based on an existing future land use plan "That's still allowing smart growth while preserving what we have in District 3," he said One thing he and other commissioners agreed they want to see eliminated is 70 foot lot lines Rowell suggested the lot lines within the Rural Protection Zone be extended to 125 or 150 feet Commissioner Bobby Burkett said that seeing an acre of land set aside for development on a lot 70-feet across "gets all over me." "It looks like you're trying to build on a basketball court Wright called the existing Rural Protection Zone "a document that contradicts itself." He said he does not favor rural zoning that limits home construction to one dwelling unit per acre and indicated he could get on board with development that provides for higher density housing but insists that at least 50% of a developed site be devoted to agriculture or conservation much as like was envisioned by the county's since-eliminated alternative subdivision provision Wright also said he wants to see provisions included to protect important waterways such as the Blackwater River and Pond Creek which was a proposal championed by Milton area resident John Szymoniak but this strengthening the Rural Protection Zone ordinances is going to be a very long term thing critical to the watersheds in this county," Szymoniak said A hearing in the case brought by Allred is set for next month Another case against the Santa Rosa private school has settled A high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit against Sonoma Academy two former teachers and a former administrator is still making its way through court more than two years after a dozen female graduates of the school alleged rampant abuse while they attended the Santa Rosa college prep high school The civil complaint, filed in December 2022 by well-known attorney Gloria Allred’s law firm , is the most sweeping detailed and explosive of several civil cases that alleged the campus and its leaders failed to protect female students from staff misconduct over nearly two decades “We are still fighting for justice,” Allred said in an email to The Press Democrat last week The lawsuit accuses former humanities teachers Marco Morrone and Adrian Belic of inappropriate conduct toward students that included grooming Much of Allred’s lawsuit cites findings outlined in a 49-page independent investigation paid for by the school and made public in November 2021 by New York-based firm Debevoise & Plimpton concluded Morrone had acted inappropriately with 34 students during his 18-year tenure at Sonoma Academy The suit alleges additional details that, if true, fill out the investigators’ findings against Belic, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker who taught a film course at the school in 2004. School investigators found he had fostered a sexual relationship with two students educators do not need state licensing to teach at private schools Morrone “self-revoked” his California teacher’s credential in 2022 while the allegations were pending According to Sonoma County Superior Court records the lawsuit has had several “case management conferences“ this spring Another such case conference is scheduled for May 13 with Superior Court Judge Patrick Broderick Attorneys listed in court documents for Morrone Durgin and Dwight did not respond to email requests for comment It’s unclear if Belic is still a defendant in the lawsuit Judge Broderick ruled that Belic was not properly served his lawsuit summons under the state code of civil procedure Though Belic is named in the third amended complaint Allred ― who has brought sex-abuse cases against Harvey Weinstein Sean “Diddy” Combs and others ― declined to comment about Belic Her lawsuit is one of at least filed after abuse allegations became public following a Press Democrat investigation in 2021. A third amended complaint in her case was filed in Sonoma County Superior Court on Aug Her suit cites “repeated failure … to protect underage (Sonoma Academy) students from the pervasive inappropriate mental and physical abuse and sexual misconduct of certain members of its faculty and staff.” It also accuses administrators of engaging in a “cover-up of incidents of sexual assault and sexual harassment of … female students by … faculty and male students.” Current Sonoma Academy Head of School Tucker Foehl could not be reached for comment about the Allred lawsuit said in an email Wednesday “we are not able to comment at this time.” a class action case seeking tuition refunds for alums who felt they were misled about their safety was dismissed by a trial court last summer a San Diego-based attorney representing those student alums Schack said the trial court ruled the parents did not have standing to sue because they were not directly affected by the “pervasive inappropriate conduct.” Schack said his firm appealed a case but got a similar ruling He said he hired a longtime California Supreme Court clerk to review the case and on Tuesday the clerk filed a petition for the state Supreme Court to review the case can happen anytime within the next 90 days,” Schack said in an email Schack is also the attorney behind a separate lawsuit filed in December 2021 the first case brought by a former Sonoma Academy student over staff misconduct and abuse That suit names as defendants Sonoma Academy It was filed on behalf of a former student alleging that the student experienced sexual abuse and harassment in the educational setting among other alleged civil rights violations which initially sought $2 million in financial damages ended with a confidential settlement two years ago Schack said this week he could not comment on the details of the settlement Organizers across the United States have framed this year’s protests as a pushback against what they called a sweeping assault on labor protections diversity initiatives and federal employees Lea el artículo en español aquí. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world turned out Thursday for rallies marking International Workers’ Day many united in anger over President Donald Trump’s agenda — from aggressive tariffs stoking fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns thousands of people joined planned rallies in Sonoma and Napa counties at least 300 people gathered Thursday afternoon outside the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Mexican and state of California flags and toting dozens of signs “Justice for immigrants,” “100 Days of Hell,” “Bring back federal workers,” “No DICtator,” “Abolish ICE,” “Democracy not oligarchy” and “Hands Off our Immigrant Neighbors!” the group then marched to Old Courthouse Square downtown where they joined hundreds of others as they listened to music and planned speakers “America was built on all of us coming from other places,” said Mary Pappas as she made her way down Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa with the procession People with signs lined Third Street on the square awaiting the arrival of the walking masses “The abuse and criminal behavior,” Pappas said “They are pulling people out of their homes members of The Hubbub Club band of Sebastopol played tunes as the marchers approached from the north passing drivers honked in support of protest signs that displayed Trump’s face and called for “No Kings!” Thursday’s action and rally on the square was about building connections to protect vulnerable communities from the Trump administration’s actions whether that is deportations or dialing back long-established LGBTQ+ protections “I’m hoping to get connected to more people to be safe,” she said “You are not safe unless you are connected and plugged in you are not safe and that community needs to stand up for you as a trans woman standing up for immigrants,” she said the usual afternoon traffic flowed along the East Washington Street corridor as more than 70 protesters gathered on the south side of the freeway overpass Passing cars — traveling beneath the Highway 101 overpass and along the east-west city street — honked continuously in support of the group Some of the protesters held signs that read “Tariffs Cause Job Losses,” “Save Social Security,” and “Eat the rich.” said many of the participants are “unhappy” with the current the Trump administration He underscored that “May Day is about workers.” People decried the administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research while still others said Trump’s actions are threatening the U.S "A lot of us have been feeling overwhelmed and wondering what the heck we can do in Petaluma we haven't had any events that we could easily get to so I thought that this would be a nice way for people to be able to express their feelings about the horrible regime in Washington," Little said about 200 people turned up at Veterans Memorial Park to protest sang along to a protest song and marched around the city’s downtown bridges waving signs to passing motorists who honked in support Protester Denise Faciani said she’d been at several major protests recently and the potential loss of due process rights is a huge reason people need to be protesting now She referenced the high-profile abduction and deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador by the Trump administration saying that it was important to stand up for due process rights for moral and constitutional reasons Others spoke to the pressures face by immigrants and immigrant workers Napa City Council member Bernie Narvaez said in a speech that he couldn’t help but think of his own parents on International Workers’ Day who immigrated to the United States from Mexico to build a better future “International Workers’ Day is not just any day,” Narvaez said The Associated Press and Press Democrat staff writers Kerry Benefield Edward Booth and Jennifer Sawhney contributed to this report which owns or manages 68 daily newspapers and more than 300 weekly publications throughout the U.S Lea el artículo en español aquí. Sonoma Media Investments, parent company of The Press Democrat, Sonoma Magazine and five other North Bay publications, is being acquired by MediaNews Group Denver-based MediaNews is part of Alden Global Capital which owns or manages 68 daily newspapers and more than 300 weekly publications throughout the United States The company and its affiliates comprise the largest privately held network of newspapers in the country MediaNews has a wide presence in California including the San Jose Mercury News and the San Diego Union-Tribune New York Daily News and other storied titles Sonoma businessman and lobbyist Darius Anderson did not return a phone call Thursday seeking comment But in a statement Anderson co-signed with former SMI CEO Steve Falk the two said the “economic challenges” facing media companies today are greater than what they were in 2012 when Anderson joined several local investors in purchasing The Press Democrat “This is particularly true for local media like ours,” Anderson and Falk wrote “It has become difficult for a small group of local investors to guarantee the paper’s long-term future.” Sonoma Media Investments’ largest publication when the Sonoma Democrat was sold to Ernest L The company was locally owned for nearly a century before it was sold to The New York Times Company in 1985 The Times sold the newspaper to Halifax Media Holdings led by California businessman Darius Anderson wife of famed “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schulz; former Dolby Labs CEO Bill Jasper; Norma Person widow of late PD publisher Evert Person; former Intel Executive Vice President Les Vadasz; and former Citigroup executive Sandy Weill offering 7-day home newspaper delivery there and changing its tagline to “the voice of Sonoma and Napa counties — and the North Bay.” News of the sale came to SMI employees in an email Thursday afternoon in advance of the formal announcement MediaNews Group said in the email that the purchase of SMI will allow the company to “advance its stewardship in California as the largest provider of news and information across the state.” Besides the Mercury News and Union-Tribune the group also owns the Orange County Register East Bay Times and Marin Independent Journal The purchase came as a surprise to many SMI employees including members of the union representing SMI journalists Pacific Media Workers Guild Local 39621 for weeks had been told that SMI ownership was negotiating a sale with Hearst Corporation a majority of union members voted to waive their collective bargaining agreement to facilitate the sale to Hearst But ultimately SMI opted to sell to MediaNews which will keep the collective bargaining agreement intact Press Democrat visual journalist Christopher Chung noted Alden’s reputation for cutting jobs within its newsrooms The company also has been criticized by media industry observers for its staffing decisions “Clearly money was more important to him than his commitment to local community journalism,” Chung said Press Democrat investigative reporter Phil Barber told KQED he was relieved the collective bargaining agreement will remain but that members “have a lot of questions” about the way the sale to MediaNews came together “We’re a pretty optimistic group by nature but it’s going to open up a period of uncertainty for us,” he said Anderson said that “We believe that the newspaper with the newspaper expertise and financial resources necessary to carry on our mission of delivering the highest-caliber local journalism for future North Bay generations.” a former Press Democrat columnist and longtime reporter expressed hope that MediaNews Group will continue to invest in The Press Democrat and its other publications Coursey was a journalist at The Press Democrat when it was purchased in the mid-1980s by The New York Times which modernized the newspaper and invested heavily into its operations including the construction of a now-defunct printing plant in Rohnert Park who was a longtime president of the paper’s guild face far greater competition and economic challenges now than they did in the 1980s But he said he hopes The Press Democrat will continue to be a “paper that puts a high value on local news and serious coverage of serious issues.” said in the news release that The Press Democrat’s new owners intend to do just that “We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,” Pine said “We appreciate the importance of local news and information to the communities where we publish and are proud to expand our commitment to Northern California in the North Bay.” You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com The joint news release by Sonoma Media Investments and MediaNews Group is below Santa Rosa, Calif., May 2, 2025 — Sonoma Media Investments, owner of The Press Democrat, has reached an agreement to sell the newspaper and its sister publications to MediaNews Group the nation’s largest private operator of newspapers independent local press was vital to our North Bay community with the newspaper expertise and financial resources necessary to carry on our mission of delivering the highest-caliber local journalism for future North Bay generations,” said Darius Anderson managing member of Sonoma Media Investments MediaNews Group has a major Bay Area presence with its ownership of the San Jose Mercury News and the East Bay Times The company owns 68 daily newspapers in major cities across the country Denver and Orlando as well as another seven larger-market dailies through Tribune Publishing MediaNews Group publishes more than 300 weekly papers across the U.S The sale to MediaNews Group includes a provision that honors the existing contract with the Pacific Media Workers Guild the union that represents the editorial staff “We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,” said Frank Pine The Press Democrat is one of the most respected local news organizations in the country The paper’s editorial staff has consistently produced some of the nation’s best local reporting including earning a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2018 for coverage of the Tubbs Fire Anderson formed Sonoma Media Investments in 2012 with local community leaders to preserve and revitalize local journalism in the North Bay at a time when it was uncertain if The Press Democrat would survive The group invested significantly in the newsroom and acquired (and started) other North Bay publications Sonoma County Gazette and the Spanish-language La Prensa Sonoma “This has never been a business venture for me or my fellow investors as much it has been an investment in ensuring there is a trusted voice that informs and reflects the diverse voices of the North Bay,” Anderson said “I am grateful to my fellow investors for putting their resources and reputations on the line to the newsroom staff for their dedication to the mission and to the North Bay community for their support.” “I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished including a Pulitzer Prize – an award that is rarely earned by a publication of our size These results are a tribute to the dedication and hard work of our editorial staff on behalf of the community about which we care so much,” he said The new sandwich and salad shop in Montgomery Village will be the first Sonoma County location for the fast-casual restaurant chain Fast-casual restaurant Mendocino Farms will have its grand opening on May 13 in Santa Rosa’s Montgomery Village, according to its website. Originally started in 2005, Mendocino Farms now has over 60 locations in California, although this will be the chain’s first location in Sonoma County. The restaurant is known for its salads, sandwiches and soups. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Montgomery Village (@montgomeryvillageca) Montgomery Village first announced the restaurant was joining the center in August the shopping center announced skin care bar FACE FOUNDRIÉ and luxury makeup retailer Bluemercury were also coming to the center Several other new businesses are also occupying spots near Mendocino Farms, such as ice cream shop Salt & Straw and Blue Bottle Coffee café Across from the restaurant, women’s clothing brand Anthropologie will open in the former Talbots location Dates for those openings have not been released yet All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway For more information visit the Florida Department of Transportation District Three on the web at www.nwflroads.com Copyright © document.currentScript.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', '' + new Intl.DateTimeFormat(document.documentElement.lang, {year: 'numeric'}).format() + ''); Santa Rosa Press Gazette. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy spiced aroma of daal — a slow-cooked lentil stew — floated through the air as hundreds of people poured into Santa Rosa’s new Sikh temple Sunday praying and celebrating a long-awaited dream fulfilled After years of gathering in a smaller space Sonoma County’s Sikh community officially opened its new home: the 12,000-square-foot Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara located at 792 Todd Road — now the largest gurdwara in the North Bay a kitchen to prepare free communal meals known as langar four classrooms and a backyard area on its 4-acre property it features entrances on all four sides to symbolize welcome to all the Sikh flag known as the Nishan Sahib and its sacred scripture “We built it as big as we could,” said Dilraj Singh Bhadare son of the man who helped finance the project The new gurdwara can fit up to 700 people at a time — a size meant not just to serve the current community “It’s not normal for us to not have a temple nearby it’s kind of the norm for most other towns,” he said “So I think people have been missing this.” paid for by $2.3 million in community donations about $5 million in loans and a significant personal contribution from Ajaib Singh Bhadare and his family he had planned to turn the property into a gas station — until his wife convinced him to invest in the community instead but we got through it with the encouragement from my wife my family and the community,” he said Sunday The opening celebration drew visitors from across California So many people arrived that parking spilled onto neighboring roads attended alongside families who shared free meals of daal chum chum and other foods while listening to prayers and music from the Guru Granth Sahib “A lot of family is new … we are really happy to see them,” said Rajni Thakur who volunteers in the gurdwara’s kitchen and prays there daily “Hopefully we see everybody every Sunday.” Serving and receiving free food is a fundamental practice in Sikhism — symbolizing equality and community the gurdwara’s opening marked not just a place to worship but a cultural homecoming Sonoma County’s Sikh community only had a small gathering place that couldn’t accommodate large weddings or funerals Larger gurdwaras were hours away in cities like Fremont and San Jose said it was bittersweet to leave the old space behind but feels the new temple represents a powerful step forward “That place was such a major part of all of our lives before,” Sharma said “But it also feels like we’re finally here We can respect the community and build as a community in a way we couldn’t before.” The gurdwara’s classrooms will also offer education on Sikhism and Punjabi language Ajaib Singh Bhadare said he hopes to also invite local schools to visit and learn about Sikh traditions — a way to counter misunderstanding and bias that have targeted Sikhs especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks I would like to have schools come visit the temple share the meals with us and tell them about this religion,” Ajaib Singh Bhadare said For community members like Jaskaran Singh Sangha the new gurdwara is about more than worship — it’s about belonging “There’s a religious aspect to it and there’s a cultural aspect,” he said 8 a.m.): This story has been updated to correct the breakdown of the payment for the gurdwara You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com The man was traveling east on Occidental Road in a Honda Accord around 4 p.m Saturday when he veered into the opposing lane and crashing into the front of a Jeep Wrangler traveling west Officials have identified the man killed in a head-on crash in west Sonoma County Saturday according to Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt of Santa Rosa was traveling east on Occidental Road in a Honda Accord around 4 p.m crashing into the front of a Jeep Wrangler authorities with the California Highway Patrol said Herman was pronounced dead at the scene just east of Mill Station Road The Jeep’s driver and a passenger were taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital suffering major injuries according to CHP spokesperson Officer David deRutte Authorities described the area as rural with only a few scattered homes nearby The cause of the crash remains under investigation CHP-Santa Rosa asks anyone with information about this crash to call investigators at 707-806-5600 Contact Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at 707-521-5255 or anna.armstrong@pressdemocrat.com one of the founding members of a group called Save Our Soundside notified county planning officials about the glitch in the proposal put forward by property owner William Coots for Santa Rosa County Zoning Board consideration Coots has subsequently pulled his request to rezone the property from single family residential to highway commercial development from the board's May 8 meeting agenda "The applicant has tabled his request until next month," said County Planning and Zoning Director Shawn Ward Ward said the 4.9 acre easement in question had been identified as a road on county zoning maps and a former owner had wanted the land vacated at that time the District 5 county commissioner representing the Gulf Breeze area called upon fellow board members to support a resolution to establish a permanent conservation easement on the property He received unanimous support to do so with one commissioner absent from the meeting The resolution codifying the easement states that the county "shall prohibit the construction of any structure intended for residential or commercial use." "Any use of the subject property shall be limited to those that protect the environmental integrity of the subject property," it said Ward said paperwork generated through the creation of the easement seemed to indicate Lynchard had determined the vacated parcel to be a wetlands area that the county would be unable to do anything with and had therefore decided to create the easement Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser records show purchased the conservation easement property in April of 2024 for $100 despite it being clearly labeled on the agency's website as such He also bought two other parcels the same month all in the 6100 block of Gulf Breeze Parkway Beckie Cato who was to represent Coots at the Zoning Board meeting said May 2 the existence of the perpetual conservation easement "had just come to light in the last week." "That's the reason for the delay," she said "The county attorney contacted us and we agreed it would be better if we wait for a month." Cato declined to provide contact information for Coots Coots purchased the land protected by the conservation easement from David May In correspondence between Ward and Pavelick Ward responded to a question about whether a seller would be required to inform a buyer of the perpetual conservation easement "But a title search would identify the conservation easement (and) the Property Appraiser’s Office identifies it as a conservation easement as well A potential buyer would hopefully do their due diligence to identify any wetlands or potential stormwater issues." Last year the Zoning Board approved without objection a request from Coots to rezone land on the 6200 block of Gulf Breeze Parkway for highway commercial development His application for the pending rezoning notes that a previous rezoning "straightened out the southern boundary of an area now zoned for highway commercial development." The developer later decided that extending the area zoned commercial down to an existing wetland barrier would be "more amenable for cohesive development" and remove a small area of land zoned residential it would impact the northern 653 feet of three individual parcels and add approximately 3 acres to the existing highway commercial development zoning A wetlands assessment report conducted by Wetland Sciences Incorporated on behalf of the developer states that more than half of the parcel reviewed is comprised of wetlands but makes no mention of the existence of the perpetual conservation easement "the actual area proposed for rezoning to highway commercial development is predominantly upland." "The adjacent wetlands will be protected as required by the county Florida Department of Environmental Protection and U.S Army Corps of Engineers," the application states the senior scientist who signed off on the wetlands report did not return a phone call seeking comment just because it says perpetuity doesn't mean it's permanent," he said Pavelik said she wants to see the entire 4.9 acres protected under the easement remain free from development "I'm not sure how much they wanted to rezone but once you start cutting into it who knows what will happen?" she said "If it's a conservation easement that means there's wildlife on it -- Emotions are still high over on Ibis Road Developers are reporting thousands of dollars in damage to their equipment after a recent development on their project The company was building a connecting road between a new and existing neighborhood. Residents are standing firm saying they have nothing to do with the damage Project manager Cecil Sasser tells WEAR News this damage extends beyond the equipment impacting the livelihood of their employees Sasser says construction could be slowing down over on Ibis Road as Heaton Brothers Construction Company reports thousands of dollars in damage to their equipment "We're real not sure what exactly we're going to be able to fix," said Sasser "And we're not sure exactly what we're going to be able to necessarily do about it yet." The company’s attorney says vandalizers drilled holes into equipment sitting on the developers property The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office estimates more than $900,000 in damage Sasser says the company started working on a new subdivision near the Avalon Estates Community about a year ago He says the company noticed the vandalism after a recent development in the neighborhood "We didn't have any problems or any issues until we broke ground to break through into the Ibis Road section of it," said Sasser The sheriff's office says they received the report of vandalism on Monday telling WEAR News they did not want to make matters worse Multiple people say they had nothing to do with the vandalism they say the did not see any suspicious activity County Commissioner Colten Wright says the vandalism is "disgusting," regardless of who may have done it "If it's truly none of ya'll I would all band together and try to help in every way to find out who did it to prove that someone from your group is completely innocent," Wright said Sasser says the company was within its rights to construct a connecting road Residents say the project violates a long-standing agreement with the neighborhood the county revoked a portion of a development order that allowed the build putting barricades where a connecting road would have been Sasser says the company will move forward with legal action "We're not going to go past our property line but we'll continue the project and the rest of the way," Sasser said "And then we'll cross that bridge when we get there." the sheriff's office says they have not found a suspect related to the vandalism it's unclear how many machines were damaged Sasser tells WEAR News they will continue making progress on the subdivision with whatever functioning equipment they have in the 800 block of Fourth Street near downtown Firefighters battled two different fires in Santa Rosa on Saturday — one at an apartment and one in the garage of a home The fires left both structures uninhabitable and left one firefighter with injuries the interim fire marshal at the Santa Rosa Fire Department The first blaze broke out in the garage of a home in the 1600 block of Ridley Avenue just before 12:40 p.m quickly spread to the roof of the house and partially collapsed the garage A firefighter battling the blaze sustained a minor injury and was transported to a local hospital for treatment Two families were displaced by the fire and the home sustained an estimated $200,000 in damage The second fire happened shortly after 2 p.m near downtown Santa Rosa and left a four-unit apartment building uninhabitable The blaze in the 800 block of Fourth Street The building was tagged “unsafe” at 3:10 p.m. Two of the four units sustained fire damage but the fire caused an estimated $600,000 in damages Investigators are actively working to determine the cause of both blazes Our dining editor shares some of Sonoma County’s lesser-known breakfast spots Brunch items include: GB Cinnamon Babka French Toast with two eggs chicken apple sausage and orange ginger butter along with beverages: a Mimosa and a Weekend at Bubbie’s that has tequila Other plates are: Lox & Latke Benedict Terri’s Favorite containing griddled house pastrami (Photo by Darryl Bush / For The Press Democrat) Lox & Latke Benedict with Caviar from Grossman’s Deli Friday Fresh baked breads from Marla SR Bakery and Cafe November 16 Cappuccino and a scone from Marla SR Bakery and Cafe November 16 a croissant-like muffin covered with with maple sugar and sea salt from Marla Bakery Eggs Benedict at Dierk's Parkside Cafe in Santa Rosa French toast with Sal Do Chenin Blanc from J & M’s Midtown Café Oct Smoked Salmon Hash with house-smoked salmon two eggs any style and lemon horseradish sauce from J & M’s Midtown Cafe New England Red Flannel Hash with country potatoes two eggs and arugula from J & M’s Midtown Cafe North Bay Vegetable Hash with seasonal vegetables two eggs any style and pesto from J & M’s Midtown Cafe Thursday (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat) Poached Egg Salad with a Pineapple Chili Shrub from the new J & M’s Midtown Café October 23 Karina Figueroa arranges a tray of pastries at Tia Maria Panaderia y Pasteleria in Santa Rosa Coworkers Chelsea Zieske and Diego Garcia eat breakfast at Tia Maria Panaderia y Pasteleria in Santa Rosa on Tuesday at Tia Maria Panaderia y Pasteleria in Santa Rosa on Tuesday Rosca de Reyes (Celebrate Three Kings) from Tia Maria Panaderia y Pasteleria in Santa Rosa Mocha Tres Leches cake from Tia Maria Panaderia in Santa Rosa Pumpkin Cheese Cake from Tia Maria Panaderia y Pasteleria in Santa Rosa a German-style pancake with caramelized sugar ginger and turmeric; Prickly Pear Margarita; the Beet with carrot apple and ginger; and a Cafe Mocha on the menu at Brothers Cafe in Santa Rosa Mushroom hash and eggs with organic mushrooms onions and red bell peppers topped with two poached eggs and a homemade biscuit on the side Guy Fieri tries blueberry pancakes at Hank's Creekside in Santa Rosa tomato and Hollandaise sauce on an English muffin Grilled Vegetable Hash at Jeffrey's Hillside Cafe in Santa Rosa on Thursday Chicken-fried chicken with gravy at Americana in Sebastopol French toast on the Early Bird menu at Americana in Sebastopol Chilaquiles at Chila-Killer Cafe in Rohnert Park A selection of dishes from the brunch menu at Sarmentine Bakery in Petaluma Salmon Benedict on the brunch menu at Sarmentine Bakery in Petaluma French toast on the brunch menu at Sarmentine Bakery in Petaluma Avocado toast on the brunch menu at Sarmentine Bakery in Petaluma Counter Culture food story Sax's Joint fried chicken and waffles Open wide for a pancake the size of a pizza at Sax's Joint in Petaluma Pastry case at Stellina Pronto in Petaluma Avocado toast with butternut squash and pomegranate seeds from Baker & Cook in Boyes Hot Springs John and Jenny Purcell at Baker & Cook in Boyes Hot Springs on Wednesday Strawberries & Cream French Toast with ciabatta bread strawberry lemon compote and sweet cream from the The Wild Poppy along the Bodega Hwy west of Sebastopol Friday Emily Wilson delivers morning cocktails to patrons on eating in the back patio and The Wild Poppy Cafe along the Bodega Highway west of Sebastopol Friday 2024 (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat) A brunch spread at Wild Poppy Cafe in Sebastopol scones and other baked items from the The Wild Poppy Cafe along the Bodega Highway west of Sebastopol Friday Dan Talbert grabs a cup of coffee at Lightwave Coffee and Kitchen at Creekside Park in Monte Rio Shakshuka — a Middle Eastern dish of poached egg onions and a side of hummus and puffy pita bread — at Lightwave Coffee and Kitchen in Monte Rio Breakfast sandwich from Lightwave Coffee and Kitchen in Monte Rio Strawberry cheesecake from Lightwave Coffee and Kitchen in Monte Rio Cinnamon French toast made from Village Bakery brioche topped with butter organic raspberries and real maple syrup with orange slices sparkling wine and a cappuccino at Estero Cafe in Valley Ford Breakfast sandwich from Estero Cafe in Valley Ford and apple cider vinaigrette dressing and a mimosa at Estero Cafe in Valley Ford on Wednesday Lemon Ricotta Hotcake with Acorn house lemon curd oat crumble and lemon lavender ice cream from the Acorn Cafe Thursday Tiramisu French toast with whipped mascarpone coffee ice cream and cocoa nibs on Goguette brioche from the Acorn Cafe Thursday ‘Shop Local’ Benedict with Journeyman bacon brown butter hollandaise and Acorn breakfast potatoes from the Acorn Cafe Thursday fresh herbs and Goguette sourdough with a Big Sur juice from the Acorn Cafe Thursday Breakfast and brunch are the focus of Chef Beryl Adler's Acorn Cafe in Healdsburg Amina Syammach and the Quail & Condor bakery team create a mosaic of pastries for the early morning rush Monday The selection of pastries from Quail & Condor bakery Monday Salted Egg Morning Bun from Quail & Condor bakery Monday Shrimp and grits at The Parish Cafe in Healdsburg Breakfast special with poached eggs and hollandaise at Parish Cafe in Healdsburg Rockin' A Adventure Cafe owner Trevor Ambrosini takes down an order as Ashley de Ramus fills another takes a break from selling morning beverages at his drive-thru coffee shop Scrambled eggs and toast won’t get me out of bed but flash a sticky bun and some hollandaise my way In Sonoma County, the breakfast scene runs the gamut, from simple plates of pancakes to fancy caviar-blinged Benedicts to crackly croissants And while better-known haunts get plenty of love you might be surprised by some unexpected breakfast favorites from Petaluma to Cloverdale and everywhere in between Grossman’s Noshery & Bar: Of course, you’ll find great bagels and schmears at this Jewish-style deli, but insiders know to order the lox and latke Benedict with schmaltz hollandaise – because who needs English muffins when you have latkes? Add caviar if you’re feeling fancy. 308 Wilson St., 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com Marla Bakery: Only you can make the decision between the maple sugar and sea salt-dusted crebble (a croissant muffin) or the finger-licking sticky bun. Go for broke and get both — and since you’re there, add a fudgy dark chocolate brownie for later. 208 Davis St., 707-852-4091, marlabakery.com Dierk’s Parkside Cafe: This humble café has reached icon status in Santa Rosa for its chef-driven menu and twist on breakfast standards. The Country Benedict on a crispy baguette with roasted tomatoes will always be my favorite, but the hash and cinnamon-dusted pull-a-parts are a close second. 404 Santa Rosa Ave., 707-573-5955, dierksparkside.com J&M’s Midtown Cafe: Former Ramen Gaijin chef Joel Shaw’s weekly specials (like Hot Cross Bun sliders that sell out in minutes) are always a treat, but for traditionalists, the French toast is a winner — fresh ciabatta baguette dipped in egg, milk and cinnamon batter, leaving the inside soft and custard-like and the exterior crisp. 1422 Fourth St., 707-545-2233, jm-midtowncafe.com Tia Maria: At this neighborhood bakery and cafe, a sweet concha roll stuffed with scrambled egg, melty cheese and thick strips of bacon is pressed in a sandwich grill for a sweet, salty, creamy handheld breakfast sando like no other. Grab a Mexican hot chocolate for the road. 44 Sebastopol Ave., 707-540-9864, tiamaria.world Brother’s Café: Most folks whiz by this setback cafe, located between a motel and a Mountain Mike’s on a nothing-burger stretch of Cleveland Avenue. Seek it out for the sticky-crunchy Dutch baby German pancake with caramelized apples. Also excellent are the biscuits with mushroom gravy. 3135 Cleveland Ave., 707-541-6345, brotherscafesr.com Hank’s Creekside Cafe: Expect to sit around reading the paper on Saturday and Sunday mornings waiting for a table at this quirky Santa Rosa breakfast institution. Fluffy pancakes as big as your head, sausage, eggs and huevos rancheros, all served with a side of local cred and a homemade touch. Biscuits are made from scratch, eggs are fresh and the cottage fries are “Oh, my God” good. 2800 Fourth St., 707-575-8839, hanks-creekside.com Jeffrey’s Hillside Café: Former John Ash & Co. chef brings Wine Country dining to breakfast. Don’t miss their chilaquiles, Southern-inspired biscuits and gravy, sticky bun French toast and cheese blintzes with lemon curd. Lines can get long on weekends, so put on your patient hat — it’s sooooo worth the wait. 2901 Fourth St., 707-546-6317, jeffreyshillsidecafe.com Criminal Baking Co: You can smell the buttery goodness even before you head inside. Sinful Sandos are a must, as is the Fun Guy, with mushrooms, bacon, spinach, goat cheese, basil and arugula pesto, lemon curd and a baked egg. Plus, burritos, granola, quiche and daily pastries. Owner Dawn Zaft and her team also make plenty of gluten-free bagels and vegan pastries. 808 Donahue St., 707-888-3546, criminalbakingcompany.com Chila-Killer Café: The name riffs on the restaurant’s signature dish, chilaquiles, a hearty breakfast (or hangover helper) of fried corn tortillas soaked in red or green salsa and topped with eggs, cheese, crema and pork carnitas. Killer portions will either break you or fuel you. 5979 Commerce Blvd., 707-595-1779, instagram.com/chila.killer.cafe Sarmentine: Brunch with a French accent includes salmon-laden croissants with hollandaise, a side of gratin potatoes that put home fries to shame and bread pudding in a pool of crème anglaise. You’ll also want to leave with a fresh baguette and croissants for dinner. 840 Petaluma Blvd. N., 707-623-9595, sarmentine.com Sax’s Joint: Giant cinnamon rolls and pancakes the size of a small hubcap are the signatures of this 1950s-style café. Run by sassy sisters, it’s raucous fun but can be hectic on weekends. 317 Petaluma Ave., 707-559-3021, saxsjoint.com Baker and Cook: Fresh buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy are legendary at this Boyes Hot Springs café. Originating in 19th-century lumberjack camps, this gut-stuffing breakfast warms the heart and fills the belly for a long day of timbering — or couch rotting. A side salad makes the whole thing almost healthy. 18812 Highway 12, 707-938-7329, bakerandcooksonoma.com Lightwave Coffee & Kitchen: Follow the signs to the Monte Rio skate park, where you’ll find a curious walk-up café. You’ll want to order the warming breakfast shakshuka with tomato-y eggs and whatever pie is on the menu. 9725 Main St., 707-865-5169, lightwavecafe.square.site Estero Café: The “classic American farm-to-table” menu has made it a popular stop for diners headed to the coast. Serving locally sourced breakfast and lunch daily, dishes like chicken-fried Stemple Creek Ranch steak with country gravy and greens, Dungeness crab roll and King trumpet mushroom melt with Estero Gold cheese are local favorites. 14450 Highway 1, 707-876-3333, esterocafe.com Parish Café: Best known for its Louisiana-style shrimp and grits, beignets and po’boys, Parish has a Southern-style breakfast with its standards (yes, you can eat shrimp and grits for breakfast) as well as bananas Foster French toast and a Benedict with fried Gulf shrimp and Tasso ham. Chicory coffee is a staple. 60A Mill St., 707-431-8474, theparishcafe.com You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats one of the county’s largest newspaper publishers the two companies announced Thursday afternoon In addition to its Santa Rosa-based flagship a news release announcing the deal said the Denver-based company also purchased Sonoma Magazine Sonoma County Gazette and La Prensa Sonoma The sale extends MediaNews’ Northern California reach from Santa Cruz to the Oregon border and makes it the publisher of nearly every title in the greater Bay Area Rumors of a sale had been swirling for several months with reports that a sale to the Hearst Corp — owner of the San Francisco Chronicle — was imminent “We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,” Frank Pine said in a news release announcing the sale SMI's sale ends more than a decade of locally based ownership for The Press Democrat had held the newspaper for less than a year after itself buying it from the New York Times Co. Last month, KQED reported that the newsroom’s union voted to waive its contract as part of the Hearst deal in part to stave off a bid by MediaNews — itself owned by Alden Global Capital Reporter Phil Barber told the station at the time that the vote and members felt “we may not have had much real choice but to sign this agreement.” Alden has a reputation within the media industry of making significant cuts of the properties it acquires MediaNews stated it would be honoring the union contract the union expressed disappointment in how the deal came down a representative of SMI presented Alden Capital as a scarier alternative basically using that company as leverage to convince us to sign a memorandum of understanding that waived our current collective bargaining agreement effectively allowing the sale to Hearst to proceed only to find out now that SMI has sold us to what they described as the unfavorable alternative These events leave us deeply disappointed in SMI and its controlling partner Press Democrat employees received news of their newspaper's sale in an email sent by MediaNews at about 2 p.m. "I haven’t talked to any employees who got (early) wind of this," he told the Napa Valley Register on Thursday evening so there was a lot of confusion at the time There was immediately a lot of chatter among employees At first it was about whether the message was real or not (until) the union was able to confirm it was authentic." A companywide online meeting was called at about 3 p.m to share details about The Press Democrat's transition to its new owners who has written for the Santa Rosa paper for 22 years "Alden is promising to retain positions through the transition they have a track record of cutting staff at a lot of their publications and there’s a lot of wariness in the newsroom for sure." "Tomorrow and a week from now and a month from now won’t look any different from today in our newsroom," he continued "We have the same level of commitment we have always had We hope that Alden will retain the resources and the staffing levels that will help us keep on doing this work." led the investor group that purchased The Press Democrat and its sister publications a bit more than a dozen years ago widow of the famed “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schulz; Les Vadasz former CEO of Dolby Laboratories; Norma Person widow of the late Press Democrat Publisher Evert Person; and Sandy Weill All of the investors except for Anderson are in their 70s and age may have been a factor in the sale Anderson could not be directly reached for comment he said the group's purchase was less about a business venture and more of "an investment in ensuring there is a trusted voice that informs and reflects the diverse voices of the North Bay.” including a Pulitzer Prize — an award that is rarely earned by a publication of our size," Anderson said referring to the honor The Press Democrat received for its coverage of the 2017 Tubbs Fire "These results are a tribute to the dedication and hard work of our editorial staff on behalf of the community about which we care so much.” Email notifications are only sent once a day Friends and family of Berryessa's Turtle Rock bar collected the money pined to the ceiling of the cafe to donate to UCSF and celebrate the 15-year 'cancerversary' of Elijah Leung Most of Napa’s River Park Shopping Center tenants cater to locals Now a handful of tenants have left the center The sheriff's office reported seizing 13 roosters from a Carneros site where it said the birds were altered and trained to fight other male birds Take a ride around Napa on these motorized ADA-compliant scooters made to look like various critters and creatures Young denied a bid by Alan Jazeel Martinez to dismiss a second-degree murder charge for the death of 17-year-old Monica Flores after a fentanyl overdose in 2022 Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account United Soccer League has initiated discussions with Santa Rosa officials to establish a professional men’s and women’s soccer team in the city Lea el artículo en español aquí. One of the largest professional soccer organizations in the country is eyeing an expansion into Santa Rosa United Soccer League has initiated discussions with city officials to establish a local professional men’s and women’s soccer team It’s too early to say when the move could happen how much it would cost or who would pay for it but Santa Rosa and USL have signed a letter of intent to enter exclusive negotiations to explore those questions over the next year “We are thrilled to explore the opportunity of bringing both USL men’s and women’s teams to Santa Rosa,” Justin Papadakis USL deputy chief executive officer and chief real estate officer “Santa Rosa is a passionate sports community with the potential to become a thriving soccer market aligning with the USL’s vision of growing the sport at all levels.” Planning and Economic Development officials were expected to provide a first public look at the proposal and outline next steps during a briefing to the City Council on Tuesday Officials with United Soccer League are expected to be on hand to answer questions United Soccer League operates in more than 200 communities including the Super League Division 1 league and youth and professional development teams The organization identified Santa Rosa as a potential market because of high interest in the sport and limited professional soccer competition in the area Which league the teams compete in will depend on several financial factors franchise rights and size and scale of the stadium city and USL officials will explore potential sites for a stadium other potential uses for the site and surrounding area operation and management structures as well as financing options Any local team would join three others in Northern California Sacramento Republic Football Club and Monterey Bay Football Club all of which play in the USL Championship men’s league Prosecutors are moving ahead with charges tied to two Sonoma County teen overdoses while delaying action in a related case involving two suspected fentanyl deaths Lea el artículo en español aquí. Prosecutors delayed court proceedings tied to the suspected fentanyl deaths of two Sonoma County teenagers Monday while a separate overdose case against the accused dealer moved forward Ramon Nunez, 21, appeared briefly in Sonoma County Superior Court to schedule a preliminary hearing for the overdose case involving two teenage girls, ages 14 and 16, who were hospitalized in February Lawyers will return to court July 8 to check if the case is ready to move forward with a preliminary hearing set for July 11 Nunez’s attorney, from the Sonoma County Public Defender’s Office, was expected to ask the judge to set bail The Public Defender’s Office did not immediately comment on why 25 with two felony counts of furnishing drugs to a minor in connection with the two girls’ overdoses Santa Rosa police say Nunez sold drugs laced with fentanyl to the two girls as well as to 16-year-old Gia Walsh and 18-year-old Logan Camp Brandon Matthies said investigators believe all four teens thought they were buying cocaine The two girls were found unresponsive early Feb. 22, revived and hospitalized, and later recovered. Later that day, Walsh and Camp were found dead inside Walsh’s bedroom in her family’s home on Brookwood Avenue Nunez was arrested Feb. 23 in connection with both cases on suspicion of multiple charges The DA’s Office could file a complaint related to the deaths during the July 8 court appearance Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Henning said the two cases would proceed separately unless prosecutors later seek to consolidate them Police are still awaiting confirmation that the drugs involved contained fentanyl The Sonoma County Coroner’s Bureau has completed its investigation detectives are still reviewing the findings so police have not released the information publicly Investigators have also identified another underage person who received drugs from Nunez Matthies declined to provide further details Police say the teens pulled up in a stolen car threatened two boys with knives and stabbed one before fleeing with a stolen hat Lea el artículo en español aquí. Four teenagers were arrested Wednesday after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed and critically injured at a city bus stop in southwest Santa Rosa where they found the teen collapsed with a stab wound to the chest and cuts on his wrist He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries A second 15-year-old boy who was with the victim was not hurt Police said there’s no evidence either teen is connected to a gang Witnesses told police a car carrying four or five people pulled up to the bus stop and the group confronted the two boys shouting gang-related threats and trying to steal their hats while carrying knives Police later confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen A witness gave officers a description of the car and its license plate a gang detective spotted the vehicle parked on Bay Village Circle Officers watched the car until three boys got inside The other was stopped after an officer deployed a Taser twice Menke said the teen wasn’t injured and was medically cleared police found a knife believed to have been used in the stabbing and a piece of clothing belonging to one of the victims One of the teens was also carrying three folding knives A fourth suspect was arrested later at a separate location though police have not released additional details The four boys — three 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old — were booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of attempted murder gang participation and possession of a stolen vehicle Menke said investigators believe they’ve arrested the main suspects responsible for the stabbing The man was found unresponsive inside the RV on Ridgway Avenue and Central Avenue by Santa Rosa firefighters after they responded to a “well-involved” fire just before noon on Sunday Authorities have identified the man who died in an RV fire near downtown Santa Rosa on Sunday according to Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt Santa Rosa firefighters found Timothy Gega of Santa Rosa unresponsive inside the RV on Ridgway Avenue and Central Avenue adding that fire crews had responded to a “well-involved” blaze First responders performed CPR on Gega but they were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes photo credit: Michelle MarquesExhibitor Rayona Lovely Wilson shares a zine at the 2025 Santa Rosa Zine Fest The Santa Rosa Zine Fest is back this Saturday Co-hosted by the Sonoma County Library and the Santa Rosa Zine Collective outdoor fair celebrating the D-I-Y ethos and connecting self-publishing writers and artists of all ages The term zine comes from the word “magazine” and many are made out of a single piece of cleverly folded paper “I think our first in-person event had about 20 zine makers exhibiting About half from Sonoma County and half from elsewhere in Northern California We've grown by about 20 zine makers every year,” said co-founder Chelsea Kurnick. over 80 zine makers will be sharing their work in the parking lot of the Northwest Library in Santa Rosa Kurnick says zines are a great form of self-expression “We have somebody who is a first-time participant who's bringing a zine that is a beginner's guide to mending your own clothes it's instructing on something that's super useful and meaningful to the person who made the zine,” explained Kurnick “Another person who's going to be leading a zine making workshop They're a Latina artist from the Bay Area and they write about being goth they write about their Latina heritage and they've done food zines She says Zine Fest is a great way to connect with other creatives and learn new skills “We always have teen participants and this year we have a workshop from the students who are in Analy High School's Ethnic Studies class who did an identity-focused zine-making project in school,” Kurnick said “They will have a table and be exhibiting at the event with zines made by students in that class And they'll also be facilitating with their instructor a workshop on how to make your own zine about identity.” Kurnick says there’s no gatekeeping to this form of art as more traditional art spaces tend to favor those with art degrees or art that is more mainstream She says it is also a place where marginalized voices can be heard when immigrant communities are under attack when so many identities that our zine community consists of and celebrates are being directly harmed by our government There's definitely a like ferocity that comes out in the political work Just a tighter sense of community,” said Kurnick The Santa Rosa Zine Fest is free and open to all ages. It runs from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3rd at the Northwest Santa Rosa Library. There are also events on Wednesday and Friday leading up to the main event. For more information, visit @SantaRosaZineFest on Instagram The 2025 Santa Rosa Zine Fest took over the parking lot at Northwest Santa Rosa Library this past weekend It was a vibrant celebration of creativity and community self-published work with original or appropriated texts and images often produced in limited quantities using photocopying Melissa Andrade is a member of the Santa Rosa Zine Collective and event organizer She says the annual event is growing larger each year “Every year we are in awe of the artists that show up I saw someone who made like zines and journals using photography Some of which was printed as like cyanotype Amazing political expression,” said co-organizer Chelsea Kurnick One of the highlights of the event was the participation of students from Analy High School who created zines as part of their ethnic studies and global studies classes. the topic is identity and belonging,” said teacher Rachel Ambrose all of the Zines somehow relate to that theme and it's a great way for them to engage in self-expression and kind of teach others about themselves and share a little piece of themselves Ambrose shows me a Zine made by one of her students “This one right here is a student who – This is the way she put it And she said that this is going to be the first of many versions she's going to do one each year from now on for this festival I'm super excited ‘cause she's only in ninth grade,” Ambrose said this will be something she does all through high school and maybe into college and beyond.” I talk with a few Analy High students about their work “I kind of just drew like a representation of my emotions and how they feel up towards me and how I like how I feel personalized and connected with my emotions,” said Theo “I felt really nice like letting it out on paper San Jose artist Julie Cardenas had a selection of zines featuring illustrated recipes “I capture recipes from my parents who are both Mexican and Peruvian Americans,” explained Cardenas “I tell stories about the food that they made us and I try to capture it through watercolor It's kind of a living record of their story into the United States and their legacy in my life.” “My name is Rayona Lovely Wilson and I'm an author in Sonoma County I write a lot of young adult and new adult books about like overcoming trauma or dealing with sexuality or bullying and trying to overcome that with therapy since you know in the black community that was frowned upon as a child but I try to like highlight that and like asking for help,” said Wilson we do have one about my fear of butterflies And this one is about reducing your stress and anxiety I turned some of the writing into blackout poetry and basically you just write something and then you find words that create another poem inside of your writing.” The Santa Rosa Zine Fest featured over 80 exhibitors and hundreds of attendees. Here are links to what's happening RIGHT NOW in Sonoma County Start your weekday mornings with the Sonoma County First News podcast bringing you the top local headlines and a detailed weather forecast to kick off your day Stay informed with the latest breaking news and stories from communities across Sonoma County—from Petaluma to Cloverdale Subscribe to the Sonoma County First News podcast through the NorCal Mobile App Get the latest updates on programs and events -- Firefighters are handling a 100-acre brush fire in Santa Rosa County Wednesday night Fire officials say drivers and nearby residents could see some smoke and fire The proposal’s latest iteration was submitted to the Planning Commission in late 2021 and was exempt from the city’s ban on new gas stations Plans for what would’ve been the last gas station ever built in Santa Rosa — and potentially countywide — were tossed by city planning officials who argued it would pose a health and safety hazard to the surrounding community the Santa Rosa Planning Commission voted 6-0 Thursday to deny a conditional use permit for the project on a vacant lot south of Highway 12 on North Wright Road Commissioners said the project was inconsistent with city land-use policies and climate action goals that call for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions The project had been in the works for nearly two decades and included six gas pumps and four electric charging stations The latest iteration was submitted to the city in late 2021 and was exempt from the city’s ban on new gas stations Commissioners said that while the exemption allowed them to consider the project Approving it would undermine the city’s climate emergency and the ban which is based on a number of public health and environmental dangers associated with gas stations “When I look at (the ban) and I look at the findings we have to make tonight particularly making a finding that this use would not be injurious to the public I can’t do that,” Commissioner Patti Cisco said “It flies in the face of all the evidence to the contrary that we’ve been collecting.” nearby residents and other community members spoke out against the project on Thursday a co-coordinator of the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations said members felt their concerns resonated with the commission “We are very pleased with the outcome,” he said “This was a case where the community rose up in opposition to a proposal that had many significant problems and conflicts with the city’s own rules.” The developer has 10 days to appeal to the City Council Santa Rosa in August 2022 became the largest city in the United States to ban the construction of new gas stations and expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure at existing stations in city limits It would not close any of the 44 operating gas stations citywide Two proposals already under review at the time by planning staffers the North Wright Road project and another in east Santa Rosa In addition to the fuel pumps and electric vehicle chargers as the North Wright Road proposal is known included a 3,448-square-foot neighborhood market and a one-bedroom apartment above the market A smaller retail space and a grassy area with benches and picnic tables were planned south of the market Property owners also proposed adding two connections from the property to the Joe Rodota Trail which runs along the northern property line said Thursday the project would benefit the southwest Santa Rosa neighborhood by adding a community market that sells fresh food Developing the site also would help clean up and maintain the trail and surrounding area The project has fierce opposition from a broad cross section of community members community members said leaks from underground storage tanks can harm soil and groundwater a particular issue at the site because it’s prone to flooding and components of those gasses can cause adverse health effects Those impacts are often acutely felt in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities of color where the fossil fuel industry has long situated stations and refinery operations exacerbating health impacts on already vulnerable people “None of the neighbors I’ve talked to about this project think it’s a good idea,” Laurel Chambers a public health professional and mom who lives in the Vintage Oaks neighborhood across Highway 12 “This project is not needed and it’s not wanted.” Another resident who lives on Miles Avenue said while the neighborhood needs amenities like a neighborhood market electric vehicle charging stations and improved bike paths and green space they shouldn’t come at the expense of residents’ well-being Several speakers raised concerns about the site’s proximity to an adjacent business that sells and dispenses propane and said it posed a safety risk in the event of a fire Community members also took issue with an environmental study conducted in 2013 when the project was approved It found no substantial impacts at the time was outdated and didn’t adequately account for newer research about the health and environmental hazards tied to gas stations Planning staffers determined the project was consistent with the city’s land-use designation and that a gas station is allowed under the property’s zoning with a conditional use permit The plans were reviewed by the California Department of Transportation because of its proximity to Highway 12 Developers also received necessary approvals from the regional Water Quality Control Board and the U.S Planning staffers recommended that the Planning Commission approve the project said they couldn’t make the necessary findings to do so Vice Chair Vicki Duggan said the intersection of Highway 12 and Wright Road is considered a major entry to the city and projects in the vicinity should enhance the area She argued the neighborhood market is prohibited within the planned development zoning district where the property is located and the on-site residential unit also is inconsistent with zoning regulations that prohibit gas stations from being located adjacent to a single-family home or duplex commissioners raised many of the same environmental and public health concerns brought up by community members They found the 2013 environmental study was outdated and that a more recent addendum didn’t adequately study known potential hazards and therefore the project didn’t comply with state environmental regulations “I think the city made its position on gas stations known when it adopted the ban and in good faith told this applicant that it could proceed but I do feel there have been risks identified … that have not been properly addressed,” Commissioner Charles Carter said The commission’s decision to break with staff’s recommendation required planning and legal staffers to call a recess so they could craft a new resolution on the fly denying the approval for the commission’s consideration Commissioner Terry Sanders recused himself because of a personal relationship with a project representative with the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations which emerged in 2019 and has helped push bans on new gas stations across the county said members were grateful for the commission’s “careful consideration.” “We felt that the concerns about risks to public health and well-being were heard,” he said The denial means no additional gas stations will be built in Santa Rosa unless the decision is overturned by the City Council The other project under consideration when the city’s gas station ban went into effect has since been withdrawn by the applicant there are prohibitions on new gas stations in more than half the cities and in unincorporated county Hastings said he’s not aware of any proposals for new gas stations in those cities but the coalition continues to engage officials to push for land-use policies prohibiting construction