California Coast features piece on “Petalumer’s” American Graffiti

Petaluman filmmaker Ali Afshar releases movie “The Dog Lover”

Opening at Petaluma Boulevard 14 Theater July 8-14, 2016

Petaluma's mandatory water savings reducing and may soon be over

By GUY KOVNER THE PRESS DEMOCRAT 



For most Sonoma County residents, the days of strict water savings mandates could be over by summer, a result of brimful reservoirs and a dramatic shift this week in state water conservation rules.

Santa Rosa and five other Sonoma County water providers should be excused from state-ordered water-saving standards as soon as next month under California’s updated conservation campaign, tailored for the first time to match regulations to the reality of regional water supplies, officials said Friday.

To read the entire Press Democrat article go to http://bit.ly/MandatoryWaterSavingsOver

#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.

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#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.

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#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.

"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.

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.

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 Eats! at Secret Kitchen

  By Petaluma Eats! Contributor Houston Porter 

                   As the first one to post a Yelp reviewer for Secret Kitchen (back in May 2014), I knew Chef Brenda Anderson’s new restaurant would be popular, even though a bit hard to find. Close to a year later and it comes as no surprise that her incredibly diverse and delicious menu chalked full of healthy, locally sourced ingredients didn’t stayed a secret for long. At a recent fundraiser a “Chef’s Dinner for 6” at the Secret Kitchen blew all the other auction items out of the water even though the high bidder hadn’t tasted the food before. This proves that around Petaluma people fall into one of two camps. Either they have been to Secret Kitchen and loved it OR they have heard about Chef Brenda’s food and are dying to try it for themselves.

… the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. – Roald Dahl

                  The quick five minute drive west of downtown Petaluma will take you past the very farms and fields where Chef Brenda sources the fresh ingredients for Secret Kitchen’s menu. Primarily Asian-Latin fusion, her cuisine gives all those fancy San Francisco food trucks a run for their money, especially considering Secret Kitchen is a much shorter drive …and doesn’t require a Twitter account to find out where they will be parked that day. Splashed with colors nearly as loud and bold as her flavorful menu, Secret Kitchen is hard to miss, even though it’s tucked in behind Aguis Market (at the corner of Bodega Avenue and Eucalyptus Road/Skillman Lane.) And like so much about Petaluma, your smartphone will only get you so far, so don’t be afraid to ask a local for directions. …that’s kind of the way we like it.

CLICK HERE to see the entire article on this hidden treasure.

VIDEO: #Petaluma's Laurie Figone Appears On Good Day Sacramento

Dessert World Champ Laurie Figone appeared on Good Day Sacramento sharing secrets on how to make her creamy Mojito dessert.

Our very own Dessert World Champ Laurie Figoneappeared on Good Day Sacramento sharing secrets on how to make her Mojito Marvel Money Bars that give all the flavors of a Mojito in a creamy dessert.

Click here to see the video. 

Also check out her website that has a ‘Recipes’ tab where she shares many of her great recipes. Click here to see her dessert recipes. She will be releasing her cookbook in the near future.

For more on Laurie Figone see our previous post VIDEO UPDATE: #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone gets her shot on the big screen on TNT’s “On The Menu”

#Petaluma Musician/Composer Chooses Chicken Farm Over Big City

Modern Farmer Magazine says Petaluma's William Ryan Fritch composes and creates his music in a century old Petaluma chicken farm.

In a recent article by Chris Martins on January 19, 2015 in the Modern Farmer Country Roads: City Musicians Are Going Rural, he writes about musician and artist William Ryan Fritch who composes and creates his music in a century old Petaluma chicken farm. He and his wife have a master bedroom in a rustic converted water tower.

His talent for creating music is incredible and his collection of music making instruments and toys are impressive. He records his music in a converted tractor garage insulated for heat and soundproofing.

According to his website, he said that in his more recent recordings you might even hear farm sounds like roosters from the next farm which is quit alright with him. He states that he finds those sounds more enjoyable than the ones he creates. While he is not making sound he and his wife garden and grow veggies.

Click here to see other photos and teaser video of how he works in his chicken barn studio and creates his music.

#Petaluma's First LumaCON Youth Comic Convention a Success

Over 1500 attended Petaluma's LumaCON the 1st Youth Comic Convention at Herzog Hall on Saturday, January 17, 2015.

The intention behind LumaCON was to promote reading and literacy for children and young adults. Smiling, Williams tells me, “It’s far exceeded our expectations, it’s made us think about next year. Everybody is having fun … and I know it’s been that way because the artists have such goodwill, good talent, and they’re here because they’re volunteering to do it and I think that shows.”

LumaCON had representations from a wide variety of fandoms, which included Doctor Who, Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Homestuck, among others. Looking around, visitors could see artists drawing, children crafting, and people cosplaying, dressed up in all manner of costume. Attendee Travis, who is decked out in a Star Trek uniform, says he is at to LumaCON, “to show my support for the community and to see what’s going on and to get kids reading and get myself more comic books.”

Visitors had the opportunity to listen to panels and discussions, buy comics and art from local artists, and partake in the live-action role-playing, in which participants battle using padded swords and shields. People had only good things to say about LumaCON and seemed hopeful for a reoccurrence next year.

Click here to see a video showcasing this event. Maybe you will see someone you know.

#Petaluma's Tara Firma Farms Connects With The Community

Opening in 2009 with a focus on rotational grazing and sustainable farming, six years later it is going strong with weekend public tours.

The tour begins at the farm’s small store, which is filled with produce from local organic farms and meat from Tara Firma, before proceeding to walk visitors across the farmland, stopping to see the baby chicks and pigs, while giving the public the opportunity to ask questions about the farm. The baby chicks and pigs are a great draw for children and the information on the tour gives both kids and adults a chance to learn about the process of food and sustainable farming. Visitors also learn that the farm has a membership program, which people can join in order to sign up for various food delivery packages all over the bay area and become more connected to the farm.

After the tour Tara Firma member Jim Bloom tells me, “It’s amazing how much we’ve destroyed our food culture through over-processing and it’s horrible, so finding folks like this is amazing. The tour’s been fantastic. It’s really great property, it’s great seeing how they produce, and getting out here.”

Click here to see more information on Tara Firma Farms with more recent photos and a short video.

“Cheese Factory” Celebrates 150 Years!

When growing up in the area, I always remembered our family visits and school field trips to the “Cheese Factory”. Taking the tour and watching the cheese making process is a lifetime and memorable experience. A great spot to ride your bike on country roads making it your half-way point-rest stop for a picnic with a glass of wine, cheese and french bread while watching the ducks swim in the pond.

This dairy started in 1865 during a time the civil war railroads were lined west to east and western immigrants started settling in Marin County to farm the rich coastal territory.

At his West Marin dairy farm just on the border of Petaluma, Jefferson Thompson built deliciously fresh cheese utilizing the dairy from his cows. Thompson could then deliver it to the dockworkers in the Bay Area by schooner. He soon gained recognition for his European style cheeses – smooth – Camembert ripened Brie and a basic treat named Petite Breakfast cheese – and launched a creamery that would ultimately be called Marin French Cheese.

Click here to learn more about how the Marin French Cheese company will celebrate their 150th Anniversary and see some historic photos of this dairy.

Top Positively #Petaluma Facebook Posts You Made Popular in 2014

NUMBER 10 – Did you see this dinosaur running around downtown ‪#‎Petaluma‬ last night chasing cars down the boulevard?

NUMBER 9 - ABC Channel 7 VIDEO: Rain Is Good News For Petaluma Farmers

NUMBER 8 - ‪Petaluma’s 1st comic convention LumaCon 2015 Sat. 1/17 10am-4pm in Herzogg Sonoma Marin Fair

NUMBER 7 - Need I say More?

NUMBER 6 - NEW: Special Limited Edition Positively Petaluma Shirts - Only $5.00 With $1.00 Going to COTS

Click here to see the top 5 Positively Petaluma Facebook posts.

Things to Do In #Petaluma On New Years Eve

We could not find any one good source of the things going on the eve December 31, 2014 - so we create a list for you.

 The Petaluma Museum hosts its sixth annual New Year’s Eve gala from 7pm to 10pm. Celebrate with a concert by violinist Yun Chu, cellist Shu Yi Pai, pianist Elizabeth Walter and Nancy Severance on viola will perform selected works of Beethoven and Dvorak. Petaluma Creamery and Russian River Vineyards’ fine wines and cheeses will be served complimentary. Guests also have the option to purchase preferred tickets with “elite beverage service.” Prices go up as the event nears. $35–$70. 20 Fourth St., Petaluma. 707.778.4398.

 Get bluesy this New Year’s Eve with Tommy Castro and the Painkillers at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma ($41). This guitar-driven blues band is known for putting on a great show, and there will be a special guest performance with Keith Crossan andNancy Wright. 23 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. Doors at 8pm; shows starts at 9pm. 707.765.2121.

Click here to see six other venues on New Years Eve in Petaluma.