INTERVIEW: Petaluma’s Pamela Aares Releases New Book AIM FOR LOVE

Prior to Pamela becoming a romance novelist she had a successful career as an award-winning writer, producer and director of PBS documentaries including the NPR radio series New Voices. She has a Master’s Degree at Harvard University and has helped non-profits that improve the lives of wild animals. This interview is different from others with Pamela because it gives more depth of her local community and the latest information about her new book Aim For Love.

Wayne: You’re originally from Mill Valley, what made you move to Petaluma?

Pamela: My husband wanted to start a big organic garden and wanted flat land and sunshine—not easy to come by in Mill Valley where we had lived for 17 years. Petaluma has wonderful resources for serious gardeners, including the Seed Bank, Cottage Gardens and the many Farm Trails events and tours.

Wayne: I understand you live on a farm and have quite the garden. Tell us about your farming/gardening.

Pamela: We have about an acre in cultivation and eat about 80% of our food from the garden. We have also planted gardens for pollinators (bees and butterflies) and for local and migrating birds. It’s been tons of work, yet living and eating in concert with the land and the seasons has been an amazing experience.

Click here to see the rest of this in depth interview.

Adam Babendir LoveMyLife Interviews #Petaluma's ‘The Random Artist’ George Utrilla

Positively Petaluma is always looking for positive things going on in our town. Today we ran into an interview by Adam Babendir who has a presence on Facebook LoveMyLife.info . It’s his mission to inspire and motivate as many people, on a daily basis, to take action on ALL the things that make them LOVE life! Well I can’t think of anything more positive than that. But what does that have to do with Petaluma? Adam interviewed someone that has been on our radar for some time. George Utrilla The Random Artist. I met George at Zodiacs during the Taste of Petaluma. George was wearing a shirt sporting the 707. I told him he should reproduce and sell them.

Originally from Lima, Peru, George came to the U.S. at the age of 12 and graduated from Terra Linda High School. He eventually moved to Petaluma which he now calls home for his family. He has been passionate about art work for most of his life. It’s his desire to have his own Gallery in Petaluma which he calls his “home base”.

Click here to see the short 4 minute interview and to learn more about Petaluma’s Random Artist.

OMG VIDEO: #Petaluma’s James Kelly – Burning Down The House – Wow!

Arbor Skateboards describes this video as when your heart jumps into your throat, and your nerve endings fire, you realize you’re seeing something memorable.

In this video released today Petaluma’s Longboarder James Kelly cruises downhill at high speeds passing oncoming cars, and yes, filmed wiping out. Ouch! This incredible scateboarder learned his craft on neighborhood hills in Petaluma. This is a commercial for Arbor Skateboards‘ new James Kelly Pro Model Longboard.

His sponsor Arbor provides this about James: Born in Petaluma, CA – James grew up riding with some of downhill’s most influential skaters. For years, he’s been showing that there’s no road that can’t be conquered. He has perfected his abilities to skate anything at speed, while building the discipline required to keep calm when the consequences are high. James is no stranger to the racecourse and podium, yet he’s most at home on the hills surrounding his family cabin in the Western Sierras, where this video was filmed.

Click here to see this amazing video.

VIDEO: P-Town Pond Hoppers Heading To England for Irish Dance Championships

Mayor Glass recently interviewed the P-Town Pond Hoppers as they are representing #Petaluma in an Irish Dance Championships in West Sussex, England this fall.

October 18, 2014 the Keenan Irish Dance School Dancers will be traveling to England to compete in the Great Britain Championships.  Here is the video interview.

Click here to see the video Mayor Glass's interview with Catlin Clarke, Elizabeth Carey, Jacquelin Clarke and Madeline Gamblen.

What The Heck Is An 0+ Festival? Get In The Know Because It’s Comin’ To #Petaluma

O+ Festival is a three day festival where participating artists and musicians receive free medical and wellness care in a pop-up clinic in exchange for their work and performances. Wristband buyers are supporting the delivery of these services and are strengthening the fabric of their community.

O+ Festival Petaluma is where our community comes together as a cooperative on November 7-9, 2014 at the historic downtown Odd Fellows Hall building 111 Petaluma Boulevard North.
It’s success is completely dependent on volunteers, sponsors,
and art-music loving health care professionals

ANOTHER IMPORTANT DATE AND FUN WAY TO PARTICIPATE

Lagunitas Brewing Company will be hosting a fundraiser to support our 0+ Festival. Here are the details:

What? O+ Petaluma 2014 Fundraiser.
When? Monday, September 29th @ 5:30 – 8:30pm.
Where? Petaluma’s Lagunitas TapRoom and Beer Sanctuary.
Playing? Brother Grand and The Highway Poets
Food? Delicious foods from Lydia’s Organics
Cost? $30 and can be purchased here.

Click here to see a video of the first 0+ Positive Festival and how it works.

VIDEO: “The Hole In The Head” by #Petaluma’s Elder Environmentalist Bill Kortum

                      Photo from Sonoma County Library Photograph Collection, Bill Kortum, Petaluma, CA 1955

Bill is a retired veterinarian, former Sonoma County Supervisor and leader of the County’s environmental movement for more than 40 years. He currently serves as a Board of Director for Sonoma County Conservation Action. In the video he tells how different parties including how local scientists and Petaluma Argus Courier played a role in that campaign.

Click here to see the video "The Hole In The Head" and another short video called Elder Environmentalists Speak.

#Petaluma's Bellyfull’s CEO Kelly O’Grady Is Her First Best Customer

The word entrepreneur means a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so. Kelly O’Grady was an entrepreneur way before she cooked up the idea of Bellyfull Dinners. This young self-starter learned the art of feeding many mouths in her youth when her parents would entertain guests. The food however was not her mainstay it was watching her father start new ventures and grow businesses. She credits her father with teaching her business and while growing up Kelly learned how to create a business instead of work for one. She started working at the age of 14 and as a young adult eventually evolved her career into sales. So she not only learned how to get around in the kitchen, but she developed serious business skills.

Bellyfull Dinners was created in October last year and they launched their website in February 2014. Last month Bellyfull delivered their 1000th meal to customers. In this interview you will learn more about this rising star in our community.

Click here to see the entire interview with CEO Kelly O’Grady and their video.

#Petaluma's Rancho Obi-Wan’s 2nd Annual Fundraising Gala September 20, 2014

It’s a party as only Rancho Obi-Wan can throw one, in the midst of the world’s largest collection ofStar Wars memorabilia and hosted by master-collector Steve Sansweet. There will be dinner, drinks and dessert all night, a trading-card bounty hunt and other games, door prizes, a special gala T-shirt and a super swag bag filled with exclusive goodies. Get ready for surprises galore, VIPs to mix and mingle with, Rancho’s incredible live and silent auctions, entertainment, special exhibits…and much, much more.

Click Here is a video that KTVU anchor Ken Wayne did in a recent past, PETALUMA: Largest private Star Wars Collection

#Petaluma’s Grammy Nominated Hollis Wong-Wear Slams Her Way Into Mainstream Music

Hollis Wong-Wear

She made her way from Petaluma to Seattle on an academic scholarship. There she has become part of the local poetry slam scene as a performer-to-watch and youth poet mentor through YouthSpeaks Seattle.

She has worked as a tour manager in the hip-hop scene and appeared in videos like "White Walls"  that has had over a million views and appeared in national morning and late night talk shows.  She is now tour the U.S. with The Flavr Blue.

Click here for the entire article and the video of the NBC televised interview.

North Bay Innovation Week 2014: Come Join Us!

September 18 Work #Petaluma will have speaker from the Buck Institute

#Petaluma's Frances Rivetti Announces Her Soon To Be Released Book “Fog Valley Crush”

One of Positively Petaluma’s favorite blogs is Frances Rivetti‘s Southern Sonoma Country Life. She always has good news to share not only for #Petaluma but also our great Sonoma County. Yesterday she announced on her blog that she will be soon releasing her book “Fog Valley Crush”.

In her blog she states that her book is her “love-letter to this micro-region of farmers, food innovators, artists and dreamers in which I live and work.” She also indicates that her book will be a celebration and a sharing of Petaluma and surrounding countryside, an extraordinary place that is the last secret-corner of wine country. She credits her design team of Petalumans Elaine Silver (Petaluma Readers Theater), Nicky Ovitt and Lorna Johnson‘s as awesome, amazing and meticulous talents.

Click here is her teaser video for the book that was shot by camera man Gilles O’Kane and produced by her son, Rocco Rivetti (Red 14 Films).

VIDEO: #Petaluma High School 1 of 33 Schools Nationwide Selected To Send Science Project Into Space

Help Petaluma High School Students take their experiment into space.  They need to raise $8,500 by Monday next week to be included in this program.

CLICK HERE for more details on this exciting opportunity for our local kids.

Lonestar - Im already there (Live - Petaluma CA)

Interview with #Petaluma's Gary Pihl Guitarist For Legendary Band Boston

Gary Pihl a native of Petaluma is a guitarist for the legendary band Boston and formerly played with Sammy Hagar and Night Ranger. Recently he completed an interview with Rustyn Rose of Axs Entertainment in Examiner article “ Boston brings Life, Love and Hope to Boise: Guitarist Gary Pihl sounds off”.

In this article Gary vividly recalls the first time he heard Boston’s music, and hails that 1976 debut album as life-changing.

Click here to listen to the interview, and see trailer videos of their recently released studio album Live, Love and Hope as well as a live video performance of one of the tracks from their new album.