Your Letters, May 21

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Fixing Forests

I just visited the redwood country and wilderness forests that stretch from the cool coastal range to snow-topped alpine ridges in the interior mountains in Northern California. Hiking through groves of redwoods adorned with bouquets of trillium and along clear rivers ringing with birdsong from tiny hidden warblers, I felt at times like I was in paradise.

But then I’d come upon massive redwood stumps that were cut generations ago still standing. Heading into the famed Headwaters Preserve, the newer growth didn’t hide the past devastation. The fragmented groves of ancient redwoods in the national parks often felt like tree museums. In fact, the Tall Trees Grove on Redwood Creek requires a permit for entry past a locked gate.

Heading into the Smith River, Scott River and Trinity Alps, I was taken by the rugged landscapes and powerful waters but overwhelmed by the miles of burned lands. Some places were recovering with green and wildflowers. Other expanses were spoiled by salvage logging where giant scorched logs were abandoned and massive slash piles left behind.

After seeing all this, I realized the urgency of halting the Fix our Forest Act moving toward passage in Congress. The bill authorizes more logging and less environmental protection in our forests and is key to the log-baby-log mantra coming from The White House.

We need our State Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff to oppose this bill and rally their colleagues to defeat it. If not, they will allow the beauty of our forests to be finally and forever turned into the beasts of industry.

Teri Shore
Sonoma

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Mountain Play Takes a Break, Benefit Musical Planned for June

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Mountain Play Takes a Break, Benefit Musical Planned for June

After more than 110 years, Marin County’s beloved Mountain Play Association is taking a short vacation. And as anyone who’s ever attended one of the award-winning productions on Mount Tamalpais knows, a year without a Mountain Play is a big deal.

Apart from a four-year stretch in the early 1940s, when the U.S. Army used the mountain’s Cushing B. Memorial Amphitheatre as a base for World War II operations, and a two-year pause in 2020 and 2021, when theaters large and small closed during the pandemic shutdown, a summer without a new Mountain Play production has been a fairly rare occurrence. A group of local actors first staged the biblical epic, Abraham and Isaac, on the mountain in 1913.

Following last year’s lightly attended production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, the nonprofit Mountain Play Association announced there would be no new full production until 2026. Instead, it would spend those months in deep reflection of how to best serve the community, to potentially develop a new vision for the Mountain Play and to raise the funds required to bring that vision to life.

“This is a critical year for the Mountain Play,” said Eileen Grady, executive director and artistic producer of the association for the last seven years, and a leading participant in the organization since 2006. She quickly pointed out that while postponing a new show for 2025 was certain to raise alarms for those who look forward to taking the trek up the mountain every year, certain murmured rumors of the Mountain Play’s impending demise are wildly premature.

“It was a merely strategic decision to take a break, a deep breath, from doing our signature production on Mount Tamalpais, so we can spend the year doing market research and careful planning, getting out into the community to make sure that the decisions we are making as leaders of the organization are in line with what the community wants from us,” she said.

In a time when arts funding is being drastically cut across the nation, and the NEA is abruptly terminating promised grants for local theater organizations—including Marin Shakespeare Company and the San Francisco International Arts Council—Grady believes that the current public conversation about art’s role in society is only just beginning to heat up.

“I keep reminding myself how important the arts are,” she said. “It’s so easy to be swayed into thinking that the arts are just frosting, because that’s how we get treated a lot. But art inspires change and good things. It’s the reason we have to keep fighting for all of our organizations, and fight for our playwrights and our artists and our musicians, to keep everyone working during this difficult time. Because art is necessary.”

That includes everything from politically charged works by America’s most outspoken new playwrights to splashy productions of frothy musicals like Mamma Mia and Grease, the last two shows to be staged by Mountain Play before the pandemic.

“The important thing to remember,” Grady continued, “is that sometimes we need a break from the harshness of reality, and we need to have a deep breath, because that’s what recharges us to do the hard work. I think that every piece of art, and different type of art, has its place.”

Though the organization is now taking its own “deep breath,” she said that the Mountain Play Association is hardly on vacation. The significant group energy that would normally go into producing a play for thousands of visitors is instead being channeled into a number of other projects.

“We have two big things happening,” Grady said. “As we do the work to come up with a sustainable plan to keep the Mountain Play going through its next 100 years, which is actually incredibly exciting to be thinking about, we are working toward funding those plans in a couple of ways. The first is the $100,000 Challenge Match.”

Thanks to what Grady calls “a small group of legacy donors,” a major fundraising campaign is now under way to collect donations from the community, with those legacy supporters promising to match 100% of that money up to $100,000.

“Those funds are critical to allowing this year of deep conversation and community outreach to happen,” she said. “As we’ve launched that work, the community has been telling us how important the Mountain Play experience is to them. It’s something that Marin is proud of.”

In addition to the Challenge Match, with the potential to raise more than $200,000, the organization has just announced that on Sunday, June 15—the day that would have marked the closing of the show had it produced another musical this year—it will present a major, one-day musical celebration of the Mountain Play.

With a nod to Fiddler on the Roof, which has been staged three times on the mountain, but not since 2006, the event has been dubbed “TRADITION! a Musical Benefit for the Mountain Play.” It is being described as “a tribute to 112 years of the Mountain Play, featuring your favorite actors from past productions.”

Because picnicking on the mountain has always been a major part of the Mountain Play experience, box lunches from Debbie Ghiringhelli Catering will be available for pre-order for $22. The menu will include Ghiringhelli’s classic chicken Caesar salad with fresh berry cup dessert; a turkey croissant sandwich with cranberry mayo, potato salad and berry cup; a honey-baked ham croissant sandwich with potato salad and fresh berry cup; and a vegetarian lavash combo with hummus spread, fresh baby spinach, heirloom tomato, cucumber and avocado, a rice dolma and berry cup.

Parking spaces can be reserved at the nearby Air Force Parking Lot for $40 per car, with free shuttles to and from the theater provided. Shuttles from Mill Valley will also be available for a $10 adult fare and a $5 youth fare, with two pickup locations at Tamalpais High School and the Shoreline parking lot near Highway 101. Shuttles will start at 9am.

As Grady said, “The Mountain Play has rich historical significance for so many of us. It’s a celebration of all that history, a rich example of Marin’s long history of supporting the arts.”‘Tradition! a Musical Benefit for the Mountain Play’ begins at noon, Sunday, June 15. Tickets are $25 to $50 (and will be mailed to purchasers’ physical address). For more information and to reserve tickets, box lunches, etc., visit MountainPlay.org.

Sun’s Out, Fun’s Out, Time for Our Hot Summer Guide

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Sun’s Out, Fun’s Out, Time for Our Hot Summer Guide

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the days are ever longer (and ever hotter too).

And since summer is officially and very obviously right around the corner, it’s time to grab a fruity drink or two and prepare to dive headfirst into this much-anticipated Hot Summer Guide.

To help bring the heat to the temperate North Bay, let’s give this year’s guide a theme: What if this was the last summer … ever? That’s right. What if these three months to come were the final months of summertime to exist? If there were no more summers to follow this one, how would everyone choose to spend the last long days and the final short, cool nights? 

Would they sit inside online or, perhaps, venture out into the world and engage with the community, take in the hot-weather delights and make the most of every last second? There’s no right answer, but I bet most know what theirs would be.

So, on that light, totally non-existential note, let’s bellyflop right into the annual Hot Summer Guide of 2025:

51st Annual Muir Beach Volunteer Firemen’s BBQ
Like food, music, wine, beer and good cheer for a great cause? Well, then the 51st Annual Muir Beach Volunteer Firemen’s BBQ is definitely a destination. One may come on out to Santos Meadow near Muir Beach and Muir Woods from noon to 5pm on May 25 and take in the vibes, bites and various delights. Visit muirbeachfire.com to learn more.

Art, Wine & Music Festival
Novato’s own Art, Wine & Music Festival is back, along with all the wine and art lovers of Marin. This is a fun-filled festival that is a can’t miss in the whole last-summer-ever concept. After all, there’s wine and good vibes—what more could one want? Live music? Food? Community? Well, there’s all that too. So one may come to downtown Novato from 11am to 7pm on Saturday, June 7 and from 11am to 6pm on Sunday, June 8. To learn more, visit novatochamber.com.

CAFILM Pride
The Smith Rafael Film Center is hosting a Pride event complete with screenings, conversations and receptions for this year’s celebration of LGBTQ+ creativity in cinema. From June 13 through 15, select movies and more will mark the county’s pride in LGBTQ+ movie moments. To learn more, visit rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/pride-2025.

Cheese & Greet in Pt. Reyes
It may be cheesy, but it’s hard to call a summer “legendary” without some … well, dairy. That’s why a cheese tasting at Pt. Reyes Cheese Company to help celebrate 25 years of cheese is a must this summer. One may book a cheese-themed anniversary tour for their tastebuds on June 13, July 18, Aug. 15 or Sept. 26. Visit pointreyescheese.com to eat cheese this summer.

Fairfax Festival & Ecofest
One may want to mark those calendars for June 7 and 8, because those are the highly anticipated days that mark the Fairfax Festival hitting Marin. This annual summertime community event showcases everything locals love about the downtown Fairfax strip, from good food to better company and all the expected and unexpected delights in between. So one may come on out to the town of Fairfax to find out more. Go to fairfaxfestival.com.

Friday Night on Main
There are only two opportunities to attend Friday Night on Main—June 13 and Aug. 22. So, one should be sure to mark their calendar for music, food, drinks, a photo booth, games and fun add-ons like face painting and animal balloons. It’s almost time to get ye to downtown Tiburon to get in on the fun. Learn more by visiting tiburonchamber.org.

Jazz and Blues by the Bay
The city of Sausalito sure knows how to smooth the summer over with jazz and blues by the bay (hurray). From June 6 to Aug. 29, jazz and blues shows will play from 6:30 to 8pm and from Sept. 5 to 12, from 6 to 7:30pm. One may come on out to Gabrielson Park in Sausalito to set their summertime vibes with the best soundtrack possible. Go to sausalito.gov to find out more.

KC Turner’s Cookout Concert Series
KC Turner is back at HopMonk this year with a can’t-miss summer lineup. If this were the last summer ever, it would be wise to attend one, two or a few of the outdoor concerts at HopMonk, where a Target parking lot is somehow home to a pocket dimension of good times. So one may come out and see amazing performances such as 13-time Grammy-nominated entertainer Charlie Musselwhite, as he plays along with Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola, with doors open at 4pm and show starting at 6pm on Friday, July 25. Got to kcturnerpresents.com for the full summer concert lineup.

Marin County Fair
I mean, what more is there to say—this is the county fair, and it’s happening from 11am to 11pm daily from July 2 through 6. One may come to the Marin County Fair if they want to have a fun summer worthy of a “last summer ever.” Visit marinfair.org to get all the deets.

Marin Dance Festival
This inaugural dance festival will invite international and local dancers alike to get real footloose with it this summer at Dominican University in San Rafael. From 3 to 4:40pm on Aug. 9, one may watch dancers move better than most of us could do in our dreams. What a wonderful way to move and sway through the hot months. Tickets can be bought on Eventbrite.

Marin Greek Festival
Opa. The Marin Greek Festival is going to take up all of Memorial Day Weekend, from Friday, May 23 from 5 to 9pm to Saturday, May 24 from 11am to 9pm to Sunday, May 25 from 11am to 8pm. One may come on out to the Greek Orthodox Church in Novato to help celebrate 50-plus years of Marin tradition, food, culture, music, dance and more. To learn more, go to nativityofchrist.org/marin-greek-festival.

Marin Shakespeare Company
How can one call a summer a summer if it doesn’t include a night taking in a local production of the most famous bard’s most famous summertime play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Plus The Tempest? Oh, what light through yonder summer breaks … so, one may buy a season pass or some tickets to reserve a seat while they last. Go to marinshakespeare.org for more info.

Mill Valley’s Comedy in the Plaza
Mill Valley’s Comedy in the Plaza returns with a free night of sharp wit and outdoor laughs. This year’s lineup includes Cory Kahaney (Last Comic Standing), Jourdain Fisher (The Tonight Show), Clara Bijl (French cats, English jokes), Jeremy Alder (existential crisis expert) and host Wyatt Cote. One may bring a lawn chair, snacks and a delightfully twisted sense of humor to the Mill Valley Downtown Plaza at 6pm on Thursday, June 26. Visit cityofmillvalley.gov for more info.

Nick’s Cove Puts Cuisine on the Calendar
There’s a lot cooking at Nick’s Cove this summer—literally. This iconic local restaurant just welcomed new chef Matt Alfus and then teamed up with GreenRow (Williams-Sonoma’s new sustainable furniture line) for a fresh design collab. Plus, they’re hosting a two-night Tides of Tomales dinner on June 12 and 13 with guest chef Aiden Owens of Herb & Sea down in San Diego. One may come on out to Nick’s Cove for an unforgettable culinary experience to set the palate for the summer. Go to nickscove.com to learn more.

Oysters & Mead Popup Bar
Heidrun is back at it again with the awesome events, and this summer’s Oysters and Mead BBQ and Raw Popup Bar, open noon until “gone,” is no exception. One may come on out to Heidrun Meadery on June 15 (Father’s Day), July 13, Aug. 17 or Sept. 28 for … well, oysters and mead. What more does one need? Go to heidrunmeadery.com to learn more.

San Anselmo’s Live On The Avenue Music Series
This city knows how to throw a block party (speaking from experience), and the margarita stand and I are old friends by now. If one loves walking through the street with a drink in one hand, company wherever they turn and music to groove all night to, then they may come dine, shop, stroll and dance on out to downtown San Anselmo from 6 to 8:30pm any Friday or Saturday between June 20 and Sept. 27. Learn more at townofsananselmo.org.

Terrapin Roadshow
Music lovers of Marin may not want to miss out on Terrapin Roadshow, hitting the road with performances from artists like Eric Krasno, Pete Sears and Holly Bowling. The Terrapin Roadshow is set to hit the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University in San Rafael on July 18, 19 and 20. Go to sundaydaydream.com for more info.

Western Weekend in Pt. Reyes
Western Weekend returns to Point Reyes Station this summer on June 7 and 8. This obviously isn’t their first rodeo, since the weekend is coming in hot with floats, BBQ, barn dancing and a full-on small town parade. This year’s theme, Honoring Those Who Labor on the Land, hits harder than usual since most Seashore ranches will shut down by 2026, ending a 150-year chapter of local agriculture. One may come for the food, stay for the floats and raise a glass to the folks who made West Marin what it is today. Get the details at westernweekend.org.

While the final weeks of spring slink off into obscurity until 2026, everyone had best wrap up (or give up) those optimistic spring cleaning projects and brace for an unforgettable summer. After all, one only gets to enjoy the summer of 2025 once.

So, what shall fill the 93 days of summer? Have some fun in the sun? Socialize with those near and dear? Something else that’s downright epic, spontaneous and unknown yet somehow also inevitable? Only time (and one’s personal level of enthusiasm, energy and willingness to spend it) will tell. But no matter what, one thing is certain … this is going to be an awesome summer.

Schooled: ‘Matilda the Musical’ Runs in Novato

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Schooled: ‘Matilda the Musical’ Runs in Novato

Honestly, I was skeptical of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. This show has become like Annie, a show every parent has to sit through multiple times, forcing smiles on our faces. After attending the opening night performance of the Novato Theater Company production now running through June 8, I am happy to report that I was wrong. 

For those who don’t know, Matilda is about a little girl who grows up unloved, develops psychokinetic abilities and goes to a school led by a villainous woman, where she meets the caring Miss Honey.

Like all responsible productions involving large numbers of children, the underage roles are double-cast. For this review, Piera Tamer played Matilda, Kylie Cohen played Lavender and Ella Brill played Bruce.

The kids are fabulous. Tamer and Cohen have charisma, presence and talent most adult actors would envy. Brill gives an adorable and talented performance as Bruce. All three are a joy to watch. 

Casting by director Marilyn Izdebski is consistently good. Pat Barr and Melody Payne as Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood are great at the complex physical comedy required of the roles while allowing enough pathos to support Tamer’s sympathetic portrayal of Matilda. Samantha Maas-Baldwin’s Mrs. Phelps is sympathetic and relatable. Andrew Herold’s Rudolpho, while a small role, almost steals the show. 

Anna Vorperian’s empathetic performance of Miss Honey grounds a script prone to silliness. Her singing keeps Miss Honey’s sweetness without losing any of its power. It can be a difficult role, but Vorperian nails it.

It would be easy with such a large juvenile cast to let the singing “slide” as it were, but musical director/conductor Judy Wiesen did a great job at keeping the cast together and in sync without, as often happens, making the children mechanical. 

The tech on this show’s great, too. The set design (consultant: Michael Walraven, construction: Perry Nelson) is fun, adaptable and allows some excellent staging. Lights (Frank Sarubbi), costumes (Adriana Gutierrez) and props (Cindy Morris) also harmoniously support the storytelling with maximum visual impact. 

As I often say, there is no such thing as a perfect show, but shows like this take so many people to pull together that they frequently dissolve into chaos. This show is so cohesive and enjoyable that it might make one believe that some people can move things with their minds.  

‘Matilda the Musical’ runs through June 8 at the NTC Playhouse, 5420 Nave Dr., Ste. C, Novato. Fri & Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 1pm, $25-$35. 415.883.4498. novatotheatercompany.org.

Homeless Shuffle on Gov. Newsom’s Road to Nowhere

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Homeless Shuffle on Gov. Newsom’s Road to Nowhere

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom continued his blustery rhetoric about clearing homeless encampments at the local level. Too bad the hoopla surrounding his new “model ordinance” is all hat and no cattle.

“It is time to take back the streets. It’s time to take back the sidewalks. It’s time to take these encampments and provide alternatives,” Newsom said at a news conference on May 12.

Exactly how does Newsom recommend cities and counties accomplish this lofty goal in a state that has a severe housing shortage and the largest homeless population—more than 187,000 people—in the nation? By “ending the excuses” and forcing homeless people living in encampments on public property to move every 72 hours.

Move where? Well, if there aren’t enough shelter beds, as is the case in Marin, folks can mosey on down the road a piece. To be precise, more than 200 feet from where a person camped the previous day, according to the ordinance that Newsom wants local governments to adopt.

The blueprint doesn’t just apply to those large, visible encampments seen under freeways and in parks around the Bay Area and the state. An encampment, as defined by the ordinance, includes a lone homeless person sleeping outside with a blanket.

Frankly, the plan gave me whiplash. The first basic principle begins with, “No person should face criminal punishment for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go.”

On the next page, the ordinance indicates otherwise.

“It is unlawful to camp on public property, including but not limited to using, placing or maintaining a tent, sleeping bag, blanket, or other materials for the purpose of sleeping, lying, or sheltering one or more persons for more than three consecutive days or nights in the same location,” the ordinance states.

How do local governments enforce laws? Citing, arresting, criminalizing.

Flip-flop. All in a single five-page document.

“You can’t have it both ways,” said attorney Andrea Henson, board chair for Where Do We Go, a Bay Area nonprofit serving the homeless. “Jurisdictions are criminalizing homelessness, and the previous executive order from the governor directed cities to clear homeless encampments.”

Last year, Newsom also demonstrated his support for criminalizing homeless people by submitting an amicus brief in the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson when it came before the U.S. Supreme Court. Indeed, the case turned out as Newsom wanted. The court ruled that regulating camping on public property does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Eighth Amendment, which then paved the way for cities and states to criminalize homeless people for sleeping outside.

Yet, the governor’s model ordinance decries policies banning people from sleeping outside on public property without offering adequate indoor shelter as “inhumane.”

Newsom is either mighty confused or has decided to pander to both sides of the political aisle. Pundits have long predicted that the governor plans to run for president in 2028.

Most California voters believe that Newsom is devoting more of his attention to running for the White House than to helping the state solve its problems, according to a recent poll by UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

While Newsom has certainly thrown money at local governments to deal with homelessness—now $27 billion since 2019—there has been little oversight. A state audit released in April 2024 found that the California Interagency Council on Homelessness had “not consistently tracked and evaluated the state’s efforts to end homelessness.”

In response, the governor expanded the responsibilities of the Housing Accountability Unit to monitor local governments as they address housing for the homeless.

California legislators also remain concerned about non-accountability, and have introduced several bills to ensure oversight. One example, Assembly Bill 750, currently under consideration, would require a city or county to annually inspect every homeless shelter in its jurisdiction and submit a report, even if a facility had no complaints. And this bill has teeth. Failing to comply or to correct a violation would result in withholding state funds.

But Henson, of Where Do We Go, isn’t convinced that enough is being done to protect homeless people.

“The unhoused need independent boards that will monitor how enforcement is conducted by law enforcement, how housing is provided by resource providers, how mental health services are successfully delivered and how subsidies are provided to keep individuals housed,” Henson said in an interview with the Pacific Sun. 

“The governor talks about how money will flow, and resources will be provided, but homelessness is growing despite heavy spending. Criminalization and selective enforcement is growing without oversight. That [oversight] is what is needed now. Not unbridled discretion by law enforcement to sweep the unhoused and money thrown at a problem with no strict oversight,” Henson continued. 

In 2024, Marin County received $18 million from the state’s Encampment Resolution Fund to assist people living in three different areas. The programs here are well-managed and paying off.

Almost $6 million was allocated to serve 65 homeless people living in San Rafael’s Mahon Creek Path area. Currently, 48 people reside in a city-sanctioned camp, with 31 of the individuals on a housing pathway. Fourteen former residents received housing.

A grant of more than $8.6 million has helped 60 people in Bolinas, mostly Latinx farm workers and their families, transition from deplorable living conditions to interim RV housing.

An RV encampment on Binford Road in unincorporated Novato received the remaining $3.7 million. It was the second award for the camp, which once had a high of 117 residents. Marin County has successfully administered the funds and helped place four dozen former residents in permanent housing. The encampment now has 54 residents, with 47 individuals moving through the housing process. 

Perhaps Newsom should look to Marin County as a model, rather than sweeping homeless encampments and displacing people 200 feet down the road. Sure, a few of Marin’s cities and towns could do much better, but we do have some compassionate leaders making good decisions on behalf of homeless residents. Gary Naja-Riese, director of Marin County’s Homelessness & Coordinated Care department, and Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan come to mind.

As for the governor’s model ordinance, Marin Homeless Union president Jason Sarris remains unimpressed.

“I think Newsom’s crumbling under the pressure and trying to sidle up to the right to run for president,” Sarris said. “It’s incredibly short-sighted. Most of California doesn’t have enough shelter beds or housing availability for all the people living outside—and it won’t, not anytime soon.”

Unified Field Theories: Life, the Universe and Anguishing

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Unified Field Theories: Life, the Universe and Anguishing

Like many jacks-of-all-trades, I’ve long yearned for a “unified field theory” of my career. I’m not a Renaissance Man in the conventional sense since the scope of my interests is limited to media, meaning-making and occasionally manipulating both for laughs. Call it a controlled burn with occasional fireworks.

The “UFT” (which, incidentally, is the sound I make when getting out of a chair) is a bit of physics jargon that was the holy grail of gents like Einstein, Schrödinger and probably his damn cat, who had the most to lose (or not lose) in this pursuit. 

The goal was to unify an understanding of everything from gravity to electromagnetism and why traffic slows on the 101 in Novato no matter how many lanes are added. Did they succeed in finding this so-called “theory of everything?” No, but more than a few religions have smugly claimed to have found it millennia ago.

Regardless, the UFT remains a noble if quixotic ambition. And like religion will likely prove to be an answer rather than the answer when and if someone finds it. This is due to a peculiar hiccup in our ability to understand anything as a species. Inasmuch as Einstein posited relativity in terms of space and time, we are likewise conscripted to our own relative perceptions, shaped by our consciousnesses, experiences, and wherever we happen to be and when it is that we’re there. Which is to say, it’s very difficult to perceive objective truth through the lens of our own biases and filters. 

For example, in my youth I was told that my future is so bright, I gotta wear shades—yet, as a consequence I’ve spent much of my life with a dim view of the world. To quote the Huxley-hued line from dance-pop band YACHT’s 2015 hit, I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler, “I thought the brave world would be newer.”

Anyway, does this mean that objective truth doesn’t exist? No, but you’ll never see it, so it’s tantamount to an act of faith to believe that it does. This late night, dorm room-level revelation has made working in news media particularly onerous (how does one fact check “alternative facts?”). 

Like any experiment in unifying forces, my career has had its share of false positives and small explosions—some literal, some figurative. Every detour—from newspapers to novels, podcasts to punchlines—was just another attempt to coax coherence out of chaos. If there’s a throughline, it’s this: I’ve spent my life telling stories in different costumes, hoping one of them might actually fit.

Is it journalism? Is it satire? Is it just me talking to myself with better lighting? Yes.

I haven’t found a theory of everything—but I may have stumbled onto a theory of doing just enough of everything. And relatively speaking, that’s truth enough.

Editor Daedalus Howell is at dhowell.com.

The Face of Hot Yoga & Pilates

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The Face of Hot Yoga & Pilates

Rebecca Pennington loves seeing the transformations of her hot yoga and pilates students. The owner of Energize Hot Yoga Santa Rosa for 14 years, she’s seen participants’ strength, North Bay California, CA local business, Pacific Sun newsposture, muscle tone—and positive attitudes—improve dramatically. Equally important, she says, has been creating a safe, comfortable, supportive environment. “My staff and I always tell everyone, ‘Be kind to your body, take the breaks you need, and breathe!’” she emphasizes. Adding challenging but highly effective Inferno Hot Pilates classes eight years ago, she’s seen even more people recover from injuries and benefit emotionally as well. “It’s about happiness through exercise and movement.”

Energize Hot Yoga Santa Rosa, 522 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-545-9642, EnergizeHotYoga.com

The Faces of Head Start of Sonoma County

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The Faces of Head Start of Sonoma County

Jessica Vega’s connection to Sonoma CAN’s Head Start began in childhood. Her mother, Maricruz Reynoso, worked at CAN and knew how critical preschool was to childhood North Bay California, CA local business, Pacific Sun newsdevelopment. Years later, Jessica enrolled her own son, Roberto. Jessica has now worked at Sonoma CAN Head Start for 14 years and oversees a team of case managers and outreach workers, and Roberto just joined our team, bringing three generation to Sonoma CAN. Since 1965, thousands of children have benefited from Head Start, which offers free kindergarten prep, wellness checks, nutritious meals, and parent education. Maricruz, Jessica and Roberto’s story shows that Sonoma CAN Head Start not only improves children’s lives, but those of their families and future generations. 

Sonoma Community Action Network, 2250 Northpoint Pkwy., Santa Rosa, 707-544-6911, CapSonoma.org/Head-Start/

The Face of Personal Injury Law

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The Face of Personal Injury Law

Even after decades practicing personal injury law, Neal Kuvara still enjoys helping injured people. He calls it “solving cases,” and it typically begins with a one-on-one conversation. “I North Bay California, CA local business, Pacific Sun newstry to talk to the injured party first,” says the founder of Kuvara Law Firm. “You can literally call me up and I’ll answer the phone, unlike most other lawyers.” People who have slipped and fallen, been in a car crash, or suffered other injury should call 1-800-4-INJURY. Then, Kuvara recommends that they check out his firm’s stellar Yelp reviews and A+ Better Business Bureau rating. And Kuvara Law Firm only gets paid when you win your case. 

Kuvara Law Firm, 550 Las Gallinas Ave., San Rafael, CA, 94903, KuvaraLawFirm.com, 1-800-4-INJURY

Summer Concerts and Movies at the Green Music Center

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Summer Concerts and Movies at the Green Music Center

Published in cooperation between Green Music Center and the Pacific Sun

The Green Music Center at Sonoma State University is thrilled to present its new lineup of summer entertainment for 2025, with experiences for music lovers, families and everyone in between. From the exhilarating 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular to the enchanting sounds of Pink Martini featuring China Forbes (Aug 21), this season’s events offer a perfect blend of timeless classics and modern favorites. 

Kicking off the season with a bang, the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular features the Santa Rosa Symphony and the Transcendence Theatre Company, culminating in the largest fireworks display in Sonoma County. Grammy-winning Rhiannon Giddens returns to her roots in her much-anticipated Old-Time Revue, joined by fellow Carolina Chocolate Drops collaborator Justin Robinson (July 18). Funk and soul legends Tower of Power continue their five-decade legacy (Aug 8), followed by the beloved “little orchestra,” Pink Martini, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary tour (Aug 21). Adding a comedic twist, “Weird Al” Yankovic’s Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour promises rollicking parodies, iconic hits and never-before-performed fan favorites (Aug 27). Finally, rounding out the season are family-friendly Movies at the Green, featuring beloved titles and offering fun for all ages.

To purchase tickets to Summer at the Green 2025 visit gmc.sonoma.edu or call 707.664.4246. 

Summer at the Green 2025
Weill Hall + Lawn

4th of July Fireworks Spectacular
Santa Rosa Symphony
Troy Quinn, conductor
Transcendence Theatre Company
Friday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $46-$76

The biggest fireworks display in Sonoma County returns with a bang. Join us for a family-friendly celebration featuring Sonoma County’s own Transcendence Theatre Company and the Santa Rosa Symphony in an evening of show tunes and patriotic classics, followed by a spectacular post-concert fireworks show. Bring the whole family—lawn tickets for kids 12 and under are half price! Families, make sure to arrive early and check out our Kids Zone from 4:30 p.m. –7 p.m., complete with carnival games and bounce houses, plus food, music and more.!

Indoor and outdoor seating options are available. Indoor guests will be given time to relocate outside prior to the start of the fireworks display.

Supported in part by Crumbl Cookies, Exchange Bank and ProSource Wholesale

Rhiannon Giddens and the Old-Time Revue
with special guest Hannah Myree
Friday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $42-$112

Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue is Giddens’ much anticipated return to her North Carolina roots and the old time music tradition that launched her career. 2x Grammy, MacArthur “Genius” and Pulitzer Prize-winner Giddens has pulled together a remarkable band that represents an incredible array of talent and American musical traditions as a way to celebrate her new album What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, a fiddle-and-banjo record made with her old Carolina Chocolate Drop collaborator Justin Robinson. Joining Giddens and Robinson on stage will be celebrated multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell, longtime bassist Jason Sypher, guitarist Amelia Powell and bones player and rapper Demeanor.

Supported in part by Balletto Vineyards

Tower of Power
Friday, August 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $41-$111

For 57 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music. “We were a soul band called The Motowns,” recalls Emilio Castillo. “Rocco was the bass player, I was there, and my brother was the drummer. I met ‘Doc’ Kupka back in 1968 and gave him an audition. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” The reason for the band name change was that they had a specific goal in mind. The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations, traveling the world, enjoying hit singles on their own and backing legendary artists. In the process they’ve defined an “Oakland soul” sound as instantly recognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations like Memphis and Philadelphia. 

The future of Tower of Power is set out to be vigorous and dynamic and will prove to be just that for fans around the world starved for the band’s groove just the way Tower of Power likes it.

Supported in part by Poppy Ban, and Sally Tomatoes

Pink Martini featuring China Forbes
30th Anniversary Tour
Thursday, Aug. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $46-$121

Featuring a dozen musicians, with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages on six continents. After making its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998, the band has gone on to play with more than 50 orchestras around the world, including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the San Francisco Symphony and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London. Pink Martini has released 11 studio albums on its own independent label Heinz Records (named after pianist ThomasLauderdale’s dog), selling over 3 million albums worldwide. 

Supported in part by Clover Sonoma, Oliver’s Markets, ProSource Wholesale, Redwood Credit Union, Sonoma-Cutrer and Willow Creek Wealth Management

“Weird Al” Yankovic:
Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour
with special guest Puddles Pity Party
Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets $46-$121

Weird Al brings his legendary full-production multimedia comedy rock show back to the concert stage with the Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour, playing his iconic hits as well as some never-performed-live-before fan favorites. Al’s long-time band is joined by four additional players to create a super-sized concert experience.

“Weird Al” Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history. A 5-time Grammy Award winner, he is best known for his parodies of the biggest musical artists over the last 4 decades. His many hits include “Amish Paradise,” “Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Word Crimes,” and the platinum-selling “White & Nerdy.” His last album, Mandatory Fun, is the only comedy album in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200. Weird Al’s live shows have entertained audiences across the globe for generations. In 2022, Yankovic produced and co-wrote the Emmy-winning biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe in the title role.

Supported in part by Sally Tomatoes and the Sonoma State University Alumni Association

Movies at the Green
Supported in part by The Press Democrat and Sonoma State University Involvement.
Lawn tickets only $6 per person, 12 and under free.

Shrek – Saturday, July 12, at 5 p.m.
Moana & Moana 2 – Saturday, July 26, at 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Saturday, Aug. 23, at 5 p.m.
Wicked – Saturday, Sept. 13, at 5 p.m.
A Minecraft Movie – Saturday, Sept. 20, at 5 p.m.

CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCE 

WEILL HALL
Sit inside for the most intimate concert-going experience. The back wall will be open for the summer.

TERRACED TABLE SEATING
Sit outside at a table for four and enjoy the views. Ideal for enjoying the music while dining with friends.

WEILL LAWN
Soak in the sounds of summer on the Weill Lawn. With views of the stage amplified by a large video screen, the lawn offers the feel of a summer festival. Bring your own blanket or lawn chair.

About the Green Music Center

The Green Music Center is the performing arts center at Sonoma State University, a regionally serving public university committed to educational access and excellence. As a cornerstone of Sonoma State University’s commitment to the arts, the Green Music Center is a place to witness artistic inspiration through year-round programming, serving as home to the Sonoma State University Department of Music, the Santa Rosa Symphony and Sonoma Bach.

The mission of the Green Music Center is to present the most compelling artists of our time, to investigate ideas and to provide access to diverse artistic experiences that educate, connect and inspire Sonoma State University and neighboring North Bay communities.

Built to bring together artists, students, families, music-lovers and more, the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University is a gathering place for the diverse communities in Sonoma County to explore and enjoy the things that move and inspire. The center includes the 1,400-seat Weill Hall, with a rear wall that opens to lawn seating for a unique summertime experience, and the intimate 240-seat Schroeder Hall. 

About the Green Music Center

Nestled in the foothills of Northern California’s esteemed Wine Country, the Green Music Center (GMC) at Sonoma State University is a focal point for arts in the region. It is comprised of the spectacular 1,400-seat Weill Hall, an acoustically exceptional venue with a modular rear wall that opens to terraced lawn seating, providing picturesque views of the surrounding countryside, and the 240-seat Schroeder Hall, a cathedral-like recital hall designed specifically to accentuate instruments, organ and voice in a small, intimate setting. The Green Music Center presents year-round programming of top classical, contemporary, jazz and world music artists and is home to the Santa Rosa Symphony. 

green music center logo

View a complete listing of the Green Music Center’s upcoming events at gmc.sonoma.edu.
Weill Hall | Schroeder Hall
Green Music Center | Sonoma State University
1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928

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Summer concerts and movies at the Green Music Center, Summer events at the Green Music Center
Published in cooperation between Green Music Center and the Pacific Sun The Green Music Center at Sonoma State University is thrilled to present its new lineup of summer entertainment for 2025, with experiences for music lovers, families and everyone in between. From the exhilarating 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular to the enchanting sounds of Pink Martini featuring China Forbes (Aug...
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