Community Briefs

Holiday weekend suggestions from Sebastopol Police
Department
The following safety tips/ideas for the 4th of July weekend’s
celebrations have been offered by the Sebastopol Police
Department:
• Only Safe and Sane fireworks may be used;
• Fireworks are only allowed within City Limits;
• Safe and Sane fireworks may be used between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
from June 29 to July 3 and from 8 a.m. to midnight on July 4;
• Fireworks of any kind are illegal in City Parks;
• Traffic after the 3rd of July fireworks is challenging, so
walking to the event, if possible, is best;
• It is illegal to possess any alcohol on school grounds, so
folks can’t bring alcohol (including closed containers) onto the
grounds of Analy High School;
• It is illegal to possess an open container of alcohol in
public or consume alcohol in public in Sebastopol. (That law wasn’t
in effect last July 3/4).
 – Jeff Weaver, Sebastopol Chief of Police.
Sebastopol Kiwanis presents 31st Annual Fireworks and
Music Festival
The Sebastopol Kiwanis Club presents the 31st Annual Fireworks
and Music Festival at Analy High School’s Karlson’s Field on
Saturday, July 3. Gates open 5:30   p.m. and fireworks begin at
dusk. This year’s music includes The Mighty Chiplings, The Love
Rustlers, and Buzzy Martin and the Buzztones will round out the
program. There will be free games, relays, prizes, a flag ceremony,
and kids activities including jump houses. Food will be for sale,
provided by Martha’s Mexico, Mary’s Pizza, and the Smokehouse BBQ.
There will also be hotdogs and sausages, popcorn and cotton candy,
apple pie and desserts with coffee and Screamin Mimi’s ice cream.
General admission is $8, youth ages 6 to 11, $4, and children under
age 6 will get in free. Please leave alcohol, pets, and personal
fireworks at home. There will also be a raffle. Grand Prizes are a
$2,000 electric bicycle and an iPad. This event benefits many
non-profits and school groups in the community. Bring blankets and
chairs and come out to support West County youth.
Sebastopol Community Band plays Downtown Plaza July
4
The Sebastopol Community Band will be performing in the
Sebastopol Downtown Plaza on Sunday, July 4 at 10:30 a.m. There
will be a bell ringing ceremony to commemorate the original 13
colonies at 11 a.m. All are invited to bring a hand bell to ring
the 13 chimes, or to simply enjoy music on the Plaza.
July programs at the Sebastopol Senior
Center
On Friday, July 2 and 16, at 1:30 p.m. there will be a bilingual
exchange, helping one another to improve Spanish or or English.
Join this small group of people who want to improve their language
skills at this tea and pastries social. The best way to improve is
to do it. Help will be available in both languages. The lessons
will include fun conversational starters. The program is free. On
Friday, July 2, 9, 16, at 10a.m., author and speaker Terry Reagan
will discuss his book “The Accidental Courts: History of the
supreme court since the early 1970s.” Reagan was a history
professor in high schools and universities for 32 years. He taught
both American and European History and Government. He is the
Founder of the Napa County Mock Trial program in the 1990s.
Questions are welcome, and the program is free. On Tuesday, July 6,
at 12:30 p.m. there will be a Birthday Party Gala for everyone born
in July or anytime. There will be refreshments and fun live music
with the Sebastopol Ukesters (5 spellbinding women who play ukulele
and sing). Please RSVP at 829-2440. The Gala is free. On Tuesday,
July 6, from 1 to 2 p.m. New Beginning Spanish; 2 to 3 p.m. New
Intermediate Spanish; 3 to 4 p.m. New Advanced Spanish with
instructor Cristian Beytia. Beytia’s students are raving about his
classes. The cost is $6. The Sebastopol Area Senior Center is
located at 167 North High St., Sebastopol, CA. For more information
on any of the programs, call 829-2440.
Board openings at Russian River Fire
District
The Russian River Fire Protection District Board of Directors
will have four seats whose terms are ending and up for election on
the November ballot. Nominations open July 12 and close Aug. 6,
2010. Seats currently held by Director Kevin O’Shea, Director Nancy
Jo Wood, Director Thomas Wilkes, and Director Rene de Monchy, are
up for re-election. Papers to run for any of these seats can be
obtained from the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters in Santa Rosa.
You must be a registered voter and live within the boundaries of
the Fire District. Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of
each month. The time commitment is minimal and the benefit to your
community maximum. Please continue participating in your community
politics by running for one of these positions. Please contact
Debbie Miller for more information by e-mail at dm*****@**************re.org
or by phone, 869-9089.
Live model exercise at Art Workshop of Western Sonoma
County
Art Workshop of Western Sonoma County will host a live model
painting session at its regular monthly meeting on July 15. It’s
always a rewarding time when artists of all mediums can enjoy
painting the human figure. While not all artists paint
figuratively, it is a valuable exercise that helps remind the
painter to paint what she/he sees, not what she/he knows. Guests
are welcome to attend the light lunch and meeting that begins at
noon, or come at 1 p.m. when the painting session will start. Bring
materials and easel if necessary. For more information, contact
sh****@***ic.net. AWS meets
at the Sebastopol Veterans’ Auditorium at 282 S. High St. off
Bodega Ave. in Sebastopol.
To submit a Community Brief item: Send an email to ne**@********st.com or drop a
press release at our office at 137 South Main Street, telephone
number 707-823-7845. Items can include local fund raisers, free
community gatherings, non-commerical community gatherings,
workshops or lectures.