Schedule: Get Ready For #Petaluma’s Salute to American Graffiti Cruisin’ On The Boulevard

An annual Salute to American Graffiti honors George Lucas’ timeless, coming-of-age film, American Graffiti, most of which was filmed in Petaluma in the early summer of 1972. Grab your favorite squeeze, jump into your hot rod, candy-colored screamin’ machine or the family car for that matter, and cruise on back to the “happy days” of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Here is our video playlist from last year’s event:

Here is the 2015 Schedule For Today's Event.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

• 8:30 am: XERB – Tune your radio to XERB – 88.1FM – DiscJockey and Petaluma Mayor, David Glass, will be hitting the microphone with some great old tunes.
• 8:30 am – 8 pm: Cruiser Retail opens – Get all your American Graffiti merchandise
• 10 am to 1 pm: Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby, Theater Square, C & 2nd Sts
• New in 2015, The Cub Scouts have opened their track pinewood derby car and race it against other cars for trophies.
• 10 am to 7 pm: Visit with the movie stars from American Graffiti. Candy Clark, Bo Hopkins, and Lynne Stewart will be glad to see you and sign some pictures for you
• 10 am to 4 pm: Stop by the American GraffitiDisplay on the corner of Western Ave and Kentucky St. There you will see and meet cars. You will also see a few of the cars and their owners that were featured in the movie.
• 2 – 5 pm: Opening day for the Petaluma’s Farmers Market, Walnut Park, 4th & D St. Enjoy farm fresh produce from some of Petaluma’s local farms
• 2:30 – 4:30 pm: Meet the famous local Clo the Cow and have your pictures taken with her, she’s simply MOOvelous.

• 4-8 pm: Cruise Starts – They’re bringing back the good times you remember from your high school days when the roar of 400 plus classic cars start their engines and take to the streets to do what they were made to do, Cruise the Boulevard.Where to Watch the Cruise: Perhaps the best place to watch the cruise will be along Petaluma Blvd, south of B Street all the way down to the turn-around circle right before the river bridge. Grab you chair, a picnic basket, something to drink, your portable radio (tuned to 88.1fm) and if necessary, jackets and a blanket. Find a spot to watch the action. Be sure to wave and give the thumbs up to all the cruisers.

#Petaluma’s Tolay Creek Watershed Getting Help From AmeriCorps

An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team, known as Blue One, is in town assisting with local watershed protection and restoration. The team, consisting of seven members ages 18-24, is lending a hand to Point Blue Conservation Science from April 1st until May 22nd.

Point Blue Conservation Science is a local nonprofit which serves the community through ecologically friendly and socially conscious wildlife and habitat conservation. The organization’s STRAW program – Students & Teachers Restoring a Watershed- gives participants a hands-on learning experience with ecosystem restoration, while also promoting environmental stewardship amongst its members.

Blue One is assisting Point Blue with the planting of native vegetation – over 1,700 plants in total – as well as installing an in-ground irrigation system at the Tolay Creek watershed. This work is helping to restore the natural ecosystem and encourage native birds and wildlife to repopulate to historical averages.

Kara Peterson, member of Blue One, reflects upon STRAW and its mission: “It is amazing to know that the STRAW program started from one child’s curiosity about helping the environment, and a teacher’s response was to step up and take action.” Furthermore, Peterson stated, “Now, over 35,000 students, 400 teachers and 12 years later, a number of ecosystems have been positively impacted from STRAW’s work and it is an honor to be a part of that legacy.”

The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and its FEMA Corps units engage 2,800 young Americans in a full-time, 10-month commitment to service each year. AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development; FEMA Corps members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery work. The programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). CNCS is the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

For other positive stories on Petaluma visit our web page PositivelyPetaluma.com. 

Get Ready For The Great #Petaluma Chili Cook-Off

On Saturday May 9, 2015 over 1500 people will converge on Behrens Park, Herzog Hall at the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma for the 18th annual Great Petaluma Cook-Off, Salsa and Beer Tasting event starts as usual at 1 pm.. Will you be there too? You will not only experience great food, beer, and entertainment, but you will also be supporting over 1200 kids in the Cinnabar Theater (a non-profit) Children’s Programs. Want to know how to double your donation? Ocean State Job Lot Foundation will match your donation made between now and May (a grant that they have been providing over the past 10 years each year raising the bar). Tickets are free for kids under 5, $10 for ages 5-11, $25 for adults, or $40 with beer. To purchase a ticket, or for more information, call 707-763-8920 or visit GreatChiliCookOff.com. You can also purchase your tickets at the gate on the day of the event.

Entertainment expected this year at the popular Stony Point band with opening act from Don’t Tip The Tweetster (Ska Band) followed by Sister Sirens and Zyphire Belly Dancers, then the Hip Hop Dancers from the Fierce Dance Company. Also The Amazing Caine will be walking around dazzling guests with his illusions and magic.

Click here to see a list of long time supporters and breweries and WHY THE STAKES JUST GOT HOTTER for this year Grand Champion.

#Petaluma’s Kitsbow Chosen 1 of 15 Companies That Make Clothes You Can Feel Good About Wearing

We thought it was appropriate considering in the previous weeks there were thousands of high school mountain bike riders competing in Petaluma this weekend to highlight a Petaluma clothes manufacturer Kitsbow who makes mountain bike wear. They were featured in an article yesterday by Outside Online Magazine highlighting 15 companies they call progressive and making sustainable clothing that looks as great as it wears. We only feature the Kitsbow product below, but if you want to see the other 14 companies highlighted please click on the article link below.

From Outside Online by Will Palmer:

The 21st century seems like a mess so far. Gridlock in Washington. Rising seas. Corporate domination. Kardashians. But if you’ve been paying attention, you know that there are positive things happening all over the place as well, and with accelerating frequency. Consider the clothes you wear. While mass-produced, polluting sweatshop apparel isn’t going away overnight, there are people all over the world—from Portland to Brooklyn to Addis Ababa and, yes, China—who are trying to make style sustainable.

Click here to learn more about what Outside magazine had to say about Kitsbow and its recommended and featured product, and a video recently released #obsessives spotlight on Petaluma bike maker Bruce Gordon.

Find That Perfect Something at #Petaluma’s Spring Antique Faire

“Antique” is of a latin origin “Ante” meaning before, and “Anticus” or “Antiquus” meaning former or ancient. “Antiquing” is action verb for the word Antique and means the process of making something old OR someone who “shops ’til they drop for cool old stuff”, and must find that unique piece that no other store has (not even Amazon or eBay) and must have it for your hutch, nook, porch, garden, entry way or favorite antique collection. As you are aware the high-tech revolution has born with it new words like SoLoMo or De-dupe. We decided to come up a new retro word of our own. It’s “Lumantiquing”. The word “Luma” is the latin word for the coolest historic down town on the west coast, and – – well you know the rest. So Lumantiquing is the process of getting out your sunscreen and tape measure and heading to PetaLUMA for the Spring Antique Faire where thousands will come together on April 26 to shop for antiques in our quaint historic downtown. Why do we call it a ‘Faire’ and not a ‘Fair’? Faire is simply the old fashioned spelling for Fair and pairs well with the word ‘antique’.

The Antique Faire happens twice a year – this year 2015 the Spring Faire is just a day following the Butter & Egg Days parade (See our recent post Which Came First—the Butter or the Egg?) on Sunday April 26 8AM-4PM, and the Fall Faire will be Sunday September 27th (Mark Your Calendar). In past years this event has exceeded 10,000 visitors and shoppers. Marie McCusker, Executive Director of the Petaluma Downtown Association, said this week that the Petaluma’s faire is ranked in the top 100 in the United States for antique faires.

Click here to see testimonials from prominent visitors to this event, photos from last year, and Frances Rivetti reviews what to wear to the antique faire.

Click here to learn more about the great things happening in Petaluma.

VIDEO: Smart Phone Captures SMART Train’s First Trek over the #Petaluma Bridge

This raw cell phone video shows the SMART Train crossing the Petaluma Bridge for the first time.

Click here to see a better quality video of the entire journey including a segment through the downtown Petaluma train station.

What’s Going On In #Petaluma This Week? Through April 25th

11th Annual Petaluma Footrace – Sun., April 19, 8:30am: Family friendly 3 & 5 mile footrace starts and finishes at the Petaluma Marina.

Boating at the Barn – Sundays, 10am-1pm: Pick a rowboat, canoe, kayak or sailboat. River Heritage Center in Steamer Landing Park. Call 769-0910 for information.

Red Hot Chachkas – Sun. April 19, 7:30pm: New world klezmer band performs at Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North. For more info & tickets, call 763-8920 or visit .

East-Side Farmers’ Market – Tuesdays, 10am-1:30pm: Year-round, rain or shine! Petaluma Community Center Parking Lot, 320 N. McDowell Blvd. 415-999-5635.

Screening of “The Celebration” – Wed., April 22: Petaluma Film Alliance’s Cinema Series. Pre-film lecture 6pm; Film 7pm; Held at the Carole Ellis Auditorium, SRJC Pet. Campus, 680 Sonoma Mtn. Pkwy.

Butter & Egg Days Parade – Sat., April 25, Noon: Cow Chip Contest 10am; Cutest Chick 10:15am; Kids Parade 11:30am; Main Parade at 12pm; Kid’s area, music, booths & more!

Petaluma Antique Faire, Sunday April 26, 2015, 8 am to 4 pm in downtown Petaluma.

VIDEO: #Petaluma Father & Son Build Lego Robot That Solves Rubiks Cube Puzzle

For generations Legos are very popular with kids growing up and their legend lives on thanks to Petalumans. Our very first post was a New York Times article about Petaluma’s Kevin Tsujihara Warner Bros. CEO Credits ‘Petaluma’ for His Winning Style & Success” who had recently released “The Lego Movie”. In that article he credits his ambassadorial style – “behaving like a human being” is how he put it – reflected his unpretentious upbringing in Petaluma, Calif.”

The following video shows a project combining software, legos and robotics to solve a Rubiks Cube! It was a father and son project, one that I am sure the son will remember for a lifetime. It’s simple stuff like this that matters. When we saw this we had to share it.

The video was posted on YouTube by the father who said:

“My six year old son and I decided to build this together. It was our first Mindstorms project and loads of fun.”

“ MindCub3r is a robot that can be built from a single LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 home set or from EV3 Education Core and Expansion sets to solve the well known Rubik’s Cube puzzle. All MindCub3r software releases works with LEGO firmware versions.

Please share your father and son projects in the comments below. Also thanks in advance for sharing this cool project with your friends and family on your social media pages.

#Petaluma Current Exhibits and Upcoming Events

Special Exhibits

• “Showing on the River,” 5^th Annual Juried Photography Show, through May 3. Riverfront Art Gallery, 132 Petaluma Blvd. North.   775-4ART.
• “Art Shapes the World: 4^th Annual Youth Arts Exhibition” through April 5.  Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville St.  See website for schedule of events & exhibits: Call 762-5600.
• “The Many Faces of Petaluma” Exhibit, showcasing Petaluma’s Ethnic & Cultural Groups, through April 26.  Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 20 Fourth St. 778-4398.
• “Focus on Nature” Exhibit through May 3. Four different views of Nature. Gallery One, 209 Western Ave. 778-8277.
• “Systems of Constructing” Exhibit, Opening Reception Griffin Map Design & Gallery on Saturday April 11th from 6-10pm and runs through May 2. 405 East D Street Suites D&F.

Upcoming Events

Mark Your Calendar for these great upcoming events:

4/19: 11^th Annual Petaluma Footrace

4/25: 34th Annual Butter & Egg Days Parade

4/26: Spring Antique Faire

5/9:  Great Petaluma Chili Cook-Off, Salsa & Beer Tasting

5/14-17: Salute to American Graffiti

5/23: Sonoma County Home Brewers Competition

5/31: Down Home Day at the Homestead

What’s Happening This Week in #Petaluma April 3rd through April 11th

Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia” – April 3-19: Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North. $25 adults, $15 ages 21 & under. For tickets & show schedule, call 763-8920.

Easter Eggstravaganza – Sat., April 4, 11am-12:30: Egg hunt, games, giant slide and food for sale. $5 per family.Adobe Christian Center, 2875 Adobe Rd. 763-2012.

20th Annual Children’s Easter Fair at Outlets – Sat., April 4, 12- 3pm: Children’s crafts, games, face-painting, balloon animals, a strolling Easter Bunny and more! Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, 2200 Pet. Blvd. North.

Meet & Greet the Authors – Sat., April 4, 7pm:Brian Murphy and Brad Mangin, authors of “Championship Blood” book about the SF Giants at Copperfields, Petaluma Store.

Boating at the Barn – Sundays, 10am-1pm: Pick a rowboat, canoe, kayak or sailboat. River Heritage Center in Steamer Landing Park. Call 769-0910 for information.

Butter & Egg Days Lagunitas Fundraiser – Mon., April 6, 5:30-8:30pm: Live music by Randy & the Special Agents and Blue Moment. Dinner catered by Lombardi’s BBQ. $20 in advance/$25 at door. Call 762-9348 or go to

East-Side Farmers’ Market – Tuesdays, 10am-1:30pm: Year-round, rain or shine! In the Petaluma Community Center Parking Lot, 320 N. McDowell Blvd. For info call 415-999-5635.

Petaluma Film Alliance’s Cinema Series presents “Under The Skin” – Wed., April 8: Pre-film lecture at 6 pm; Director Jonathan Glazer’s 2014 film at 7pm; $5 general/$4 students & seniors. Carole L. Ellis Auditorium, SRJC Campus, 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway.

Sheep Shearing at the Petaluma Adobe – Sat., April 11, 11am-1pm: At Adobe State Historic Park, 3325 Adobe Rd. 762-4871.

Second Look Sunday: A Positively #Petaluma Weeks In Review

Over the last few weeks many of the stories below were created by us, or scattered over several different media and social media sources. The Petaluma Magazine was created to collect them all in one place with easy navigation either by a click of a mouse or swipe of your finger on your smart devices. The Second Look will be a reflection of some of the posts from the previous weeks.

1000’s are enjoying their free subscription with thousands of positive articles including these highlights from the last few weeks:

• #Petaluma Current Exhibits and Upcoming Events
• Petaluma Stay at Home Mom has 500K Instagram fans for surreal photos of her children
• Final Farewell To Mister McGoos
• What’s Happening This Week in #Petaluma April 3rd through April 11th
• Fresh from Our Farmers: Bloomfield Farms becomes Bloomfield Organics
• Petaluma Enters a Tight Industrial Market
• Petaluma Eats! And Drinks at Jamison’s Roaring Donkey
• Can You Say Chevre? Culture Fans Flock to SoCo for 9th Annual California Cheese Festival
• Petaluma Peoples Choice Award Winners
• 5 Tips For Homebrewers Entering The Sonoma County Home Brewer’s Competition
• Which Came First—the Butter or the Egg?
• Petaluma Roads Slated For County Repairs
• World Food Champs Chow Down in #Petaluma
• Lacrosse: The New Kid on the Block
• Devoe All NCL II First Team
• VIDEO: World War II Vet, #Petaluma’s Arthur Wedel, On The Price Is Right Show
• Home on the “Free” Range (Provisions)
• #Petaluma’s CamelBak® chooses Yingo Yango to power its extensive health & wellness program
• History of Petaluma Eggs
• “I Drink Beer For A Living”: An Interview with Petaluma’s Ken Weaver
• Hotel Petaluma Sold Again City’s Iconic Downtown Building

Other posts can be found on our home page. Also check out the sidebar Categories, Archives and Tag Cloud. Thanks also for “Like”ing us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. Thank you for following, recommending and sharing this post and website.

#Petaluma Eats! And Drinks at Jamison's Roaring Donkey

Houston Porter, writer for Positively Petaluma, captures the essence and character of "The Donkey" becoming popular as the neighborhood bar.

My first foray into Jamison’s Roaring Donkey came one warm and sleepy August afternoon. Barkeep Justin knew his stuff and suggested a Petaluma Hills Porterluma…which scored huge points as it is one of my favorites. But what to call this place? …Jamison’s, JRD, The Roaring Donkey, or maybe just the Donkey? In time, it has become affectionately known as either Roaring Donkey…or to the regulars among my drinking crowd, simply as the Donkey, because nothing piques the curiosity of bystanders more than say, “Who wants to grab a drink at the Donkey?”

Although pleasant and comfortable, when I first looked around I had trouble figuring out what kind of bar Roaring Donkey was trying to be. There are big screens, like a sports bar, but there is also a separate room for hosting bands, open mic nights, or a DJ, like a club. There is a booth in the back, like a lounge, but there are also darts and a pool table, like a pub or tavern. The dual-station bar has a massive list of hip cocktails, serves Jameson’s Whiskey on tap, and has a “shot” counter on the wall, kind of like a college bar, but is complemented by an impressive tap station, like a brewpub taproom, even sporting multiple nitrous taps…one of which is always pushing out Guinness. Topping it all off, the bar has a diverse list of libations, including a “Bling Box” for displaying a variety of top of the line elixirs that are not usually available by the glass, like a classy gin joint. “We will offer shots at our cost,” says co-owner Brian Tatko. “We want to make it easy for people to celebrate their special occasions with us.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Readers of this article also liked:

• 5 Tips For Homebrewers Entering The Sonoma County Home Brewer’s Competition
• World Food Champs Chow Down in #Petaluma
• “I Drink Beer For A Living”: An Interview with Petaluma’s Ken Weaver

Which Came First—the Butter or the Egg?

A quick history of our Butter & Egg Days Parade and some recent information shared by the #Petaluma Downtown Association.

Most Petalumans have either heard of or been to Petaluma’s annual Butter and Egg Days Parade. Many of us have even participated in it and some have grown up going to it every year. But how many of us know the full history behind Butter and Egg Days?

Drawing nearly 25,000 attendees each year, the parade celebrates the city’s long history of producing eggs and dairy. Since the early 1900’s, Petaluma’s economy has depended heavily on the production of the local agricultural community. Petaluma was home to the largest chicken hatchery in the world by 1906 and by 1923 housed the only chicken pharmacy in the nation.

In order to promote Petaluma and the consumption of eggs, Petaluma Chamber of Commerce Secretary, H.W (Bert) Kerrigan began National Egg Days in 1918. The first National Egg Day parade brought in four newsreel companies who then made films of the parades, which were shown across the nation. Petaluma celebrated National Egg Days through the 1920s with much enthusiasm and support from the local community.

Click here to read more and see photos and entire playlist of past year video clips of the parade. Also information on the Button Discount Program and the April 6 Fundraiser at Lagunitas on April 6.

World Food Champs Chow Down in #Petaluma

Last week the World Dessert Champion Laurie Figone hosted a dinner for her friends and family, other World Food Champs and CEO Mike McCloud.

The night was a celebration of friendship and food, as well as a reunion for the some of World Food Champs. On the menu for the night were two of Laurie’s recipes, PETE’S Grilled Corn Potato Salad and Crowd Pleasing Slaw, Figone’s husband’s prawn risotto, and a whole roasted pig, donated by Pete Langley.

After toasts were given and plates were cleared of food, the guests gathered to see a sneak preview of the reality TV show Pete Stringfellow filmed of Figone and her cousin, Dawn Bettinelli in Las Vegas during the 2014 World Food Championships (WFC). The show features Figone as head chef, with Bettinelli as her sous-chef, and takes viewers behind the scenes of the WFC to see the chaos and humor of cooking competitions.

Click here to learn more about the sneak preview of the upcoming release Laurie’s cookbook, more photos, a short video highlighting the evening and a clip of KZST’s Nate Campbell’s mention of our article on the air.

#Petaluma Author Reading: 'The Gentleman Bat' and 'Too Many Tables' by Abraham Schroeder

Don’t miss the reading of 'The Gentleman Bat' and 'Too Many Tables' by Abraham Schroeder Petaluma Regional Library Saturday, April 4, at 2PM

Local author Abraham Schroeder will be reading from his first children’s book, The Gentleman Bat, followed by a discussion of bats and some of the hidden details in and inspiration for the book.

Enjoy the story and beautiful watercolor paintings, filled with fun details in a Victorian setting, with an ever-so-slight slight dusting of steampunk.

There will also be a sneak preview reading of Abraham’s second book, Too Many Tables, which will be in bookstores April 28th. However, for this special event, Copperfield’s Books will have BOTH books for sale, and available to be signed by the author at the event.

The target age range for the event is around 3-10, but children and adults of all ages will enjoy the story and beautiful watercolor paintings.

Click here to see more information about the author and about this event.

Did you miss these recent and popular Positively Petaluma posts?

VIDEO: World War II Vet, #Petaluma’s Arthur Wedel, On The Price Is Right Show

#Petaluma’s CamelBak® chooses Yingo Yango to power its extensive health & wellness program

“I Drink Beer For A Living”: An Interview with Petaluma’s Ken Weaver

Second Look Sunday: A Positively Petaluma Weeks In Review

Is Any Publicity Good Publicity for #Petaluma? McDonalds Commercial Revisited

What's Going On In #Petaluma? Week of March 22

Here are local events through March 28 as communicated from the Petaluma Visitors Center.

9th Annual Artisan Cheese Festival – Mar. 20-22: Explore & learn about hand-crafted cheese & more. Tickets available at: . Held at the Petaluma Sheraton, 745 Baywood Drive. For March 22, 9:30 am -12:00pm Cooking Demo and Brunch and 12:00pm – 4:00 pm Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace (Grand Tasting Tent, Sheraton – Sonoma County)

“A Home on the Range: The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma” – Sat. Mar. 21, 3pm:Screening of local film by Bonnie Burt. Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 20 Fourth St. 778-4398.

Improve your Luck Workshop – Sun., Mar. 22, 10 –Noon: Includes materials & refreshments. For more information visit: www.artfularrangements.com

Boating at the Barn – Sundays, 10am-1pm: Pick a rowboat, canoe, kayak or sailboat. River Heritage Center in Steamer Landing Park. Call 769-0910 for information.

Portuguese Heritage Celebration – Sun., Mar. 22, 2:30pm: A festive afternoon of history, customs, dance, music, food & more. Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 20 Fourth St. www.petalumamuseum.com 778-4398.

East-Side Farmers’ Market – Tuesdays, 10am-1:30pm: Year-round, rain or shine! In the Petaluma Community Center Parking Lot, 320 N. McDowell Blvd. For info call 415-999-5635.

Petaluma Garden Club Plant Sale – Sat., Mar. 28, 9am-1pm: at 488 Casa Verde Circle. Call for details: 762-4148.

10th Annual Mad Hatter Ball – Sat., Mar. 28, 5:30pm: Dinner, dessert, wine room, beer garden, dancing to The Grooveline, silent & live auctions & hat contest! Cavanaugh Recreation Center, 426 8th St. 778-4798 www.mentormepetaluma.org

For more positive news for our city please visit PositivelyPetaluma.com and thank you in advance for sharing this on your social media.

#Petaluma resident Arthur Wedel, a USMC WWII Veteran, was on the game show the The Price is Right

The Price is Right game show recently released a video on their YouTube channel featuring a short clip of our very own Arthur Wedel. He was called up by host Drew Carey and the crowd gave stand-up applause cheering USA! USA! USA! As he approach his game panel he answers the call by shouting “United States Marine Corp!”

Click here to see the video now.

"I Drink Beer For A Living": An Interview with Petaluma's Ken Weaver

#Petaluma's Ken Weaver was recently named editor at ‘All About Beer’ Magazine which has been voted "Best Beer Publication" 7 years in a row.

All About Beer president & publisher Chris Rice said “Ken has his finger on the pulse of today’s beer releases,” and Weaver admits he’s tasted many versions of the sudsy beverage.

Before he earned an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland, Weaver earned an undergraduate degree in physics from Carnegie-Mellon and then a master’s in physics from Cornell University. It’s at Cornell where Ken met his wife, a Nicasio native, Anneliese Schmidt.

According to the All About Beer website:

Weaver, who is based in Petaluma, CA, previously served as editor in chief of RateBeer Weekly. He also serves as a regular contributor to FSR Magazine, focusing on improving beer’s presence in the full-service restaurant industry; columnist and reviewer for the Rare Beer Club; and publisher of his beer release newsletter 3 Beer Island. His first book, The Northern California Craft Beer Guide, was named a finalist for an NCIBA Book of the Year Award. In 2013, Weaver earned first-place honors in the North American Guild of Beer Writers’ (earned a total of 3 awards from the NAGB) contest in the Best Beer and Food Writing category.

Petaluma (and Sonoma County) is fast becoming a player in the craft brew industry with companies like Lagunitas, Petaluma Hills, 101 North, Hen House, and Dempseys. Petaluma also has its own wine and spirits association called the Petaluma Craft Guild. They are brewers, distillers & vintners of Petaluma who come together to promote the craft spirit of the city. Each year Petaluma is host to the Petaluma River Craft Beer Festival (mark your calendars for this year its on September 12, 2015). Also Petaluma will host its 1st annual Sonoma County Home Brewer’s Competition (so keep your eyes open for potential new talent coming our way) and that will be held on May 23rd at the Veterans Memorial Building. So naturally after we learned that Ken became editor of the national beer magazine ’All About Beer’, we had to learn more.

Click here to read the interview with Ken and learn about this rising star and voice in the craft brew industry.

Is Any Publicity Good Publicity for #Petaluma? McDonalds Commercial Revisited

This commercial stirred up a healthy discussion and at the same time gave Petaluma national attention. America knows how you feel about McDonalds

We wish to thank everyone for making the comments they did on our post The #Petaluma McDonalds TV Spot Commercial is Released! We have had nearly 40,000 views of our post with 17 comments. We disagree with any of them that are attacks on the Petaluma Downtown Association (PDA). We agree with many of the comments suggesting we should choose local restaurants who use local ingredients, and I can’t think of a bigger supporter for that than the PDA. I have never seen a post from the PDA suggesting to eat your next meal at McDonalds (its always a local non-franchised restaurant). They do a fantastic job for this city and we are absolutely sure that many of the commentators have enjoy the great many events the PDA puts on each year that helps to bolster our local economy. Yesterday NBC Bay Area posted an update on the commercial ‘McDonald’s Commercial Featuring Petaluma Sparks Uproar From Residents’. Does this constitute and uproar? In it they show our website as shown in the photo above. They also used our photo for the icon/thumbnail for it. Most important it included what Marie McCusker had to say to respond to the so called “uproar.”

We were at this McDonalds location in the last six months. There we met a retired Petaluma man who had lost his wife and was on a fixed income. He told me his wife used to do the cooking and he could not afford to eat at other restaurants. This McDonalds location was in walking distance from his house. He seemed to be enjoying his breakfast. We may not identify McDonalds with Petaluma and it may not be the healthiest choice, but he was as much a Petaluman than anyone we have met.

Click here to see the NBC video coverage and a funny video clip of Jim Gaffigan’s comedy bit on McDonalds as we could all use some laughter.

Built by the Hands of Many #Petaluma Volunteers and Artist David Best: Photos of the Temple of Grace

In the summer of 2014 Petaluman David Best and many volunteers, several from Petaluma, helped in the construction of the Temple of Grace.

We previously interviewed Petaluman David Best who is the architect, artist and builder of the Temple of Grace for the 2014 Burning Man on July 12, 2014 called #Petaluma’s David Best Builds 2014 Burning Man Temple In Petaluma. In that article we later added a video that shows the construction in Petaluma. Since then we have been looking for photos of the finished structure to share.
It was not until recently that we found some qualify photos in our Social Media searches by a photographer named Jeff Perkins. We would like to thank him for agreeing to let us use his photos so we could share them with you. We thank him for sharing his work.

Because they only constructed the structure in pieces in Petaluma, and then shipped and assembled them at the venue, not many were able to see the finished product unless you attended the event. This photo here is of the finished structure from a distance.

Click here to see more photos of the structure and a video we previously posted on our website showing the construction in Petaluma.

The #Petaluma McDonalds TV Spot Commercial is Released!

Our great Petaluma Downtown Association does a good job of attracting and supporting business in our town. You may recall the Argus Courier article McDonald’s Brings Hollywood to North McDowell. This article tells about a commercial McDonalds was filming here that included some Petaluma references. In that article Marie McCusker said “Petaluma is the hometown they want to portray. The commercial will show our location and a Petaluma sign, so you will know it was filmed here.”

It has arrived. Click here to see the video.

Built by the Hands of Many Petaluma Volunteers and Artist David Best: Photos of the Temple of Grace

We previously interviewed Petaluman David Best who is the architect, artist and builder of the Temple of Grace for the 2014 Burning Man on July 12, 2014 called #Petaluma’s David Best Builds 2014 Burning Man Temple In Petaluma. In that article we later added a video that we included below that shows the construction in Petaluma. Since then I have been looking for photos of the finished structure to share.

It was not until recently that we found some qualify photos in our Social Media searches by a photographer named Jeff Perkins. We would like to thank him for agreeing to let us use his photos so we could share them with you. We thank him for sharing his work.em with you.
Because they only constructed the structure in pieces in Petaluma, and then shipped and assembled them at the venue, not many were able to see the finished product unless you attended the event. So here is a small picture gallery for you.

Click here to see more photos of the structure and a video we previously posted on our website showing the construction in Petaluma.

Water, water everywhere! An Inside Look at CamelBak in #Petaluma

SF GATE features CamelBak in their Business column Office Space giving an inside look on their Petaluma office.

SF GATE (San Francisco Chronicle) has a segment in their business column each Monday called Office Space which gives readers a glimpse inside a Bay Area company. This week they featured Petaluma’s Camelbak. The following content was contributed by their staff writer Julie Balise, a San Francisco Chronicle Staff writer. Also if you missed a previous interview of CamelBak’s CEO on Behind The Brand I have been waiting to post this as well, because we have seen it come up in our searches again this morning. On November 14, 2014 we reported on CamelBak was recognized by GreatLists at one of the healthiest companies to work for in American. In 2013 Outside Magazine listed them in the 100 Best Places To Work.

As suggested by the headline, CamelBak is obsessed with hydration. So much so that their office is laced with water molecules. Their environment also includes “clouds” or sound panels to absorb noise from their open office space. The company also made their office green friendly and by doing so it became a certified Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) building.

Click here for a complete look at the CamelBak facility and the Behind the Brand video interview as well as a video of Outdoor Gear Labs review of their MULE hydration pack giving it their Editor’s Choice award.

#Petaluma's Minna Stess A Female Skateboarder Changing the Sport for the Better

In 2013, Minna Stess became the first girl to win the California Amateur Skateboard League (CASL) series in its thirty-plus-year history.

From and article in the East Bay Express this morning: She has also won first place in the NorCal competition for street skateboarding, and second place in CASL's State Championships.

Minna Stess is only 8 years old

In 2014, Stess made history again at the national King of the Groms contest in Minneapolis by becoming the first girl to win an event (beginner mini ramp), to win an ATV award (all terrain vehicle/best all around), to make the finals in three events (street, mini ramp, bowl), and to make the top five in street skating. And this year, she placed third in the Vans Girls Combi Pool Classic (a World Cup Skateboarding event). She has multiple sponsors — including BrokinBonz Clothing, Lakai Limited Footwear, Theeve Trucks, Silly Girl Skateboards, Sonoma Old School SkateShop, and Girl Is Not A 4 Letter Word, a brand by one of the original pro girl skaters, Cindy Whitehead — plus thousands of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook fans.

Click here for more information about this incredible youth athlete including a video of her making history as she became the youngest skater ever to drop in on the monolithic 27-foot-tall MegaRamp.

It's Time To Rock N Bowl! Benefits #Petaluma People Services

The 24th Annual Rock n' Bowl is March 27th. Still time to get your lane, come dance, sing, get a little silly and support PPSC.

From the Petaluma People Services website:

• With each roll of the ball you will be making a difference in the life of a hungry homebound senior.
• With each song you will help a teen make good decisions about the path they are on.
• With a crash of the pins you will ensure that a hungry family will be fed fresh and healthy vegetables.
• Sing along, you will be helping a family get the counseling they need to live in peace.
• Cheer for a strike you will know that you have helped someone suffering with Alzheimer continue to live with a loved one.
• A spare gives a teen that has given up on life the opportunity to find a job, continue his education and make peace with his parents.
• Stomp your feet to the beat and a family can get assistance in finding a safe and secure place to call home.
• Even a gutter ball will help a lonely senior find someone to talk with.
• Come bowl with us and add to your list of why YOU want to support PPSC.

It is easy – form a team of 5 bowlers.

• Entry fee is $625.00 minimum per team of five
• This is only the minimum; you can collect as much as possible
• Come up with a great name
• Start asking for sponsors and raising money to help seniors, families, youth and individuals in Petaluma
• Show up at 7:30PM at AMF Boulevard Bowl – 1100 Petaluma Blvd. South, Petaluma
• Strap on your shoes, enjoy bowling alley pizza & nachos and help take care of your community!

Here is the application to hold the lane: 2015 Rock N Bowl Team Registration Form

Here is the form to use to collect donations for your team: 2015 PPSC Rock N Bowl Sponsor Sheet 2015

Click here to see a video of lasts year 2014 event.

You can’t participate and don’t have a team to sponsor but still wish to show your support? No Problem!

Positively Petaluma will be there playing. Simply sponsor us by sending your check made payable to Petaluma People Services Center (or PPSC) with your email address written in the memo section of your check and mail it Positively Petaluma, c/o PPSC, 159 Kentucky St., Suite #2, Petaluma, CA 94952 before March 23, 2015.

You too can contibute to this event to help make it a win-win for the community. PPSC provides these core services:

• Senior Services: Meals on Wheels, Adult Day Care, Case Management, Nutrition Site-Senior Cafe, Counseling
• Homeless Prevention and Fair Housing
• Employment Training: Adult and Youth
• Counseling: For Individuals, Couples & Families, Drug & Alcohol, Youth Intervention & Prevention
• Petaluma Bounty: Creating a sustainable food system with healthy food for everyone, regardless of income level.

#Petaluma Indie band Saffell launches new record

Saffell Sproul, the multi-faceted vocalist and pianist and band namesake, leads indie soulful rock band on the 12-track recording.

Local Vibe Music announced yesterday that Petaluma-based band Saffel released it’s new record The Devil’s On The Radio hit the airwaves and can be played on virtually any device. Several launch parties have been held to celebrate the new record. Don’t miss their release performance on Saturday, April 4 starting at 2PM at the Last Record Store located at 1899 Mendocino Ave. in Santa Rosa.

Click here for more information on this band and the release of their new record with a listing of tracks on their full length debut album.

Artist Andy Timmons visits #Petaluma's Mesa Boogie Factory

From the Mesa Boogie YouTube Channel, Andy Timmons is touring the San Francisco Bay Area in support of a soon-to-be-released Protocol III album with drummer Simon Philips. After an extensive tour of the Mesa factory during the day, Andy played through some amps (new and old) and the Mark Five: 25™ was at the top of the list. For this play through, Andy performed his take on the Beatles “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” from his 2011 release Andy Timmons Band Plays Sgt. Pepper.

Click here to see this video of Andy’s incredible rendition of this timeless Beatles song.

Local Girl Makes Good Food! And Interview With #Petaluma's Laurie Figone

Last year Laurie Figone, born and raised on a ranch just outside of Petaluma, was declared the 2014 World Dessert Champion.

In the last five years Figone has made a name for herself in the cooking world, where she shows her Petaluma pride by using local products. Figone has also been on the NBC TODAY Show and on TNT with Emeril Lagasse and Ty Pennington. For more information on that see our previous posts about Laurie VIDEO UPDATE: #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone gets her shot on the big screen on TNT’s “On The Menu” and VIDEO: #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone Appears on Good Day Sacramento.

Growing up on a ranch and having large weekly family dinners with at least 30 people gave Figone a passion for cooking and food. Figone speaks fondly about these dinners saying, “My grandmother loved doing all the cooking … I, growing up, wanted to be down at the barn feeding calves but my mother kept me in the house. I hated it at the time but now I have to say I thank her because … I’ve just won another World Championship with my cooking and I never imagined any of this, truthfully.”

Click here if you want to see her yummy recipe for her ‘Baked Corned Beef With A Kick’ and ‘Crowd Pleasing Slaw’ just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Also see the rest of the interview with more photos, recipes, and a short video of our afternoon with Laurie.

#Petaluma's Moresco Distributing Company Purchases Largest Warehouse/Office Space

Moresco Distributing Company is purchasing a 123,600 sq. ft. facility located at 1450 Technology Lane for $10.65 Million.

Moresco was operating out of two facilities, a building it owned and a second building it was leasing. The company will consolidate both locations in the new building, which includes 39,500 sq. ft. of Class A office space for lease plus nearly 200 parking spaces.

“The new facility puts us under one roof,” said Ron Moresco, President & Owner, Moresco Distributing Company. “The building has 39,500 square feet of office space we can rent out, which gives us a real estate investment and additional cash flow. The facility is ideal as a headquarters or satellite office for a growing business.”

Click here for more information about this company and the financing surrounding the purchase.

Second Look Sunday: A Positively Petaluma Weeks In Review

Did you miss any of the past weeks good news stories in #Petaluma? No sweat! Here are a collection of the good stuff from the previous week.

Over the last few weeks many of the stories below were created by us, or scattered over several different media and social media sources. ThePetaluma Magazine was created to collect them all in one place with easy navigation either by a click of a mouse or swipe of your finger on your smart devices. The Second Look will be a reflection of some of the posts from the previous weeks.

1000’s are enjoying their free subscription with thousands of positive articles including these highlights from the last few weeks:

• Interview: Local Girl Makes Good Food! #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone is the World Dessert Champion
• Thistle Meats 1-Year Anniversary
• #Petaluma Animal Services Shares Photo of Bottle Babies
• Washington State Cougars Coach Loves His New Kicker Matt Abramo
• #Petaluma Summer Camp
• Petaluma Crowns two SCL Wrestling Champions
• Meet Petaluma Military Antiques and Museum Owners
• Bites, sips and more at Artisan Cheese Festival
• Why Visit Sonoma Portworks
• Cinnabar to Stage Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia 4/3-19
• From Pasture to Cheese Board: How Cowgirl Creamery Cheese is Made
• #Petaluma based NewCo Raises $1.7 Million in Seed Funding
• ORU’s Sequeira named Summit League Player of the Week for Baseball
• New Sports Complex Almost Ready
• Mesa Boogie Founder Randall Smith Chosen By Readers for Induction to The Vintage Guitar Magazine Hall of Fame
• Free Bookmobile of Sonoma County is proud to be an integral part of #Petaluma Community Foundation Alliance
• #Petaluma’s Rancho Obi-Wan Launches First Book For Celebration Anaheim Exhibit
• #Petaluma’s Cythina Ermshar Performs with Napa Valley Duo at the White Barn
• Fuel bolster D-corps, Indy Fuel Hockey signs #Petaluma’s Adam McKenzie

Other posts can be found on our home page. Also check out the sidebar Categories, Archives and Tag Cloud. Thanks also for “Like”ing us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. Thank you for following, recommending and sharing this post and website.

#Petaluma based NewCo Raises $1.7M in Seed Funding

This innovative company is disrupting the event planning model. They will use seed funding to expand staff, tech platforms, and new products

What does NewCo do? According to their website, they help you engage with the people behind innovative businesses in their native environment. You visit companies not stuffy hotel ballrooms which gets you inside to see the engines driving real change in your city.

Also see TechCrunch article, NewCo, John Battelle’s Event Startup, Raises $1.7M From Obvious, True Ventures And More by Ingrid Lunden. Also see Newco’s website blog postNewco Announces Seed Financing by JBAT.

CLICK HERE to learn more and see a video about this new innovative and growing company and see the founder’s tweets announcing the seed funding.

#Petaluma’s Mesa/Boogie® Founder Randall Smith Chosen by Readers for Induction to the Vintage Guitar Magazine Hall of Fame

Mesa/Boogie® is excited to announce Vintage Guitar magazine, the leading publication on vintage and collectible guitars, has inducted founder Randall Smith to its Hall of Fame in the Innovator category. This year’s inductees, as well as winners of this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards, will be featured in the magazine’s April issue. Winners in all categories are determined by a vote of the magazine’s readership.

Click here to see the rest of the story with quotes from founder Randall Smith.

Free Bookmobile of Sonoma County is proud to be an integral part #Petaluma Community Foundation Alliance

From the Free Bookmobile YouTube Channel posted on February 12, 2015. In late 2014, the Petaluma Community Foundation (PCF) created a Collaboration for Youth At-Risk, bringing eight local non-profits together to serve the needs of our children as they learn and grow. The Free Bookmobile of Sonoma County is proud to be an integral part of this alliance, and grateful to share resources and expertise with the other featured partners. Click here to visit the Free Bookmobile website.

Click here to see the Stronger Together Video about the Free Bookmobile's collaboration with Petaluma Community Foundation Partners.