Sonoma City Council Selects Interim City Manager

Dave Kiff has been selected as interim city manager of Sonoma, the City Council
decided Monday.

Kiff is currently interim city manager of Healdsburg and will continue in that role until the end of December, when he will replace current Sonoma City Manager Cathy Capriola, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Before taking the interim post in Healdsburg, Kiff was interim city manager of Huntington Beach for four months.

Kiff’s experience includes 20 years with the city of Newport Beach, nine of those as city manager.

Kiff grew up in Healdsburg and recently returned to retire in Sonoma County.

“David Kiff brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table,” said Sonoma Mayor Logan Harvey. “He knows Sonoma County and has successfully led Healdsburg’s COVID-19 response assisting businesses and residents alike. David’s experience and knowledge of the relevant county partners will ensure a smooth and stable transition period as the council works to hire a permanent city manager.”

Capriola said she has worked with Kiff on county issues for the past six months, saying he “knows how to roll up his sleeves and get to work and with his excellent experience, he will be able to take the reins with little ramp up.”

“These are challenging times that require all of us to look at innovative ways to sustain city government, businesses, non-profits and community groups, and all of the programs and activities that make Sonoma special,” Kiff said. “While I doubt any one of us alone has the silver bullet to solve this crisis, if we can work together as residents, the council, the community, the management team, and the business community, we’ll get through this.”

Sedgley Set to Win Napa City Mayoral Race, Unofficial Election Results Say

Napa City Councilman Scott Sedgley appeared to be winning the city’s mayoral race in a rout, according to unofficial election results released Tuesday night.

With all 97 of the city’s precinct’s reporting, Sedgley had garnered just over 64 percent of the vote, with a raw vote total of 16,319 out of the 25,436 votes initially reported in the race.

Sedgley netted three times the votes of challengers Doris Gentry, a city councilwoman and the city’s vice mayor, and Gerardo Martin, the former president of the Napa County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Early results showed Gentry in second with around 20 percent of the vote while Martin mustered slightly more than 15 percent.

Sedgley, 68, entered the race as the longest-serving member of the Napa City Council, having first been elected in 2012 and serving two terms.

Once in the race, he quickly gained the endorsement of Jill Techel, who served four terms as Napa mayor before announcing she would not run for re-election in 2020.

The Napa County Registrar of Voters released some 44,000 votes Tuesday night, with more votes expected to be reported on Friday as well as next week. County Registrar John Tutuer said Tuesday night that he intends to release around 8,000 more votes on Friday.

Incumbent Democrats Claim Victory in Bay Area House Races

By Tony Hicks, Bay City News Service

Unlike the presidential race, which raged on the day after Election Day, there was very little drama in Bay Area congressional races Wednesday.

Incumbent Democrats ruled the day in all 12 House races involving Bay Area congressional districts.

District 2 Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) won his fifth term, beating Republican Dale K. Mensing with 78 percent of the vote.

Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) won his 12th term in Congress, easily defeating Scott Giblin with 78.6 percent of the vote.

The only race in which a significant number of ballots were still being counted 12 hours after the polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday night was in District 9, where incumbent Democrat Jerry McNerney led Republican Antionio C. Amador with 61.7 percent of the vote, to Amador’s 38.3 percent, with 55 percent of precincts reporting.

The closest contest was in District 3 – covering much of Solano County and areas north of the Bay Area – in which John Garamendi defeated Republican Tamika Hamilton with 58.1 percent of the vote.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi easily won her 18th term in Congress, defeating fellow Democrat Shahid Buttar with 79.2 percent of the vote in San Francisco’s District 12.

Contra Costa County’s Mark DeSaulnier breezed by Republican challenger Nisha Sharma with 75.3 percent of the vote, sending him back to Congress for the fourth time.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Eric Swalwell beat Republican Alison Hayden with 72.8 percent of the vote, retaining his District 15 seat, which covers most of eastern and southwestern Alameda County, as well as part of Contra Costa.

Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) dominated Republican Nikka Piterman in District 13, winning her 12th term with 91 percent of the vote. Lee’s district covers western Alameda County, from Albany to San Leandro and includes Oakland and Berkeley.

Democrat Jackie Speier beat Republican Ran S. Petel in District 14, winning her fifth term in the House with 80.5% of the vote. Speier’s district covers San Mateo County and a small part of San Francisco.

Incumbent Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) defeated Republican Ritesh Tandon with 74.1 percent of the vote, winning his third congressional term, representing California’s District 17, which covers parts of Santa Clara and Alameda counties.

Democrat Zoe Lofgren won her 14th congressional term, easily defeating Republican Justin James Aguilera with 74.1 percent of ballots cast. Lofgren represents most of San Jose, Gilroy and Morgan Hill.

Democrat Anna Eshoo won her 15th term in Congress, beating fellow Democrat Rishi Kumar in District 18 with 65.7 percent of the vote. Eshoo’s district covers parts of Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties.

Two Incumbents, Two Newcomers Poised to Win Seats on Santa Rosa City Council

Voters in Santa Rosa appeared ready to elect two new City Council members and welcome back two incumbents based on unofficial vote tallies from the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Wednesday afternoon.

With all precincts reporting on Wednesday afternoon, voters were favoring Eddie Alverez, who was running against three other candidates for the District 1 seat, with 44.68 percent of the vote.

In the District 3 race, incumbent Harrison Tibbetts was leading his opponent Keith Rhinehart, with 9,888 votes to Rhinehart’s 13 votes with all precincts reporting.

District 5 incumbent Chris Rogers was leading his opponent, Azmina
Hanna, with 70.28 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting.

In District 7, Natalie Rogers was narrowly leading her two opponents with roughly 43 percent of the vote. Eric Christensen was keeping the race tight, however, with 39.61 percent of the
vote.

North Bay Organizations Present Fresh Perspectives in Upcoming Virtual Events

If you are able to break from the political news coverage dominating this week’s airwaves and social media, there are several upcoming online events from North Bay groups that will be celebrating the arts and motivating virtual audiences to see things in a new light.

The Marin Art and Garden Center is currently hosting an online art exhibit, “The Mt. Tamalpais Florilegium,” featuring paintings and drawings by members of the Northern California Society of Botanical Artists that depict Mt Tam’s varied flora. In addition to displaying the botanical artworks, the center is hosting a series of online art classes, including this week’s introductory class, “Fall Leaves.” Led by artist Sally Petru, the two-hour workshop is aimed at artists of any skill level and offers basic instruction on painting plants with watercolor and demonstrations and exercises meant to bolster each artist’s botanical knowledge. The online class takes place Friday, Nov. 6. 1pm. $45. Maringarden.org.

Facing his middle-aged crisis head on, Anthony Lee Head gave up a career as a trial lawyer in San Francisco to travel 3,500 miles to Mexico, where he and his wife ran a small hotel and a margarita bar for a decade. Now living in San Rafael, Head collected and wrote his favorite tales from that time in his debut book, Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road. Head reads from the book and tells more stories about Mexico in conversation with author, actor and activist Peter Coyote in a virtual event hosted by Book Passage on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 4pm. Free. Bookpassage.com.

With its annual summer festival canceled, Healdsburg Jazz became one the first North Bay arts organizations to take its programming online with music history classes and virtual concerts. Now, the organization goes all out online for the Healdsburg Jazz Gala this weekend. The event features the group’s new artistic director, Marcus Shelby, laying out his vision for the future, as well as performances by several popular artists and words from other honorees and community leaders. The event also boasts an online auction that is live online now, and the Gala takes place on Saturday, Nov. 7. 6pm. $15 minimum donation. Healdsburgjazz.org.

For nearly 40 years, the nonprofit dance school and pre-professional dance company North Coast Ballet California has performed for Sonoma County audiences and students, with concerts ranging from holiday Nutcracker performances to original pieces that delight and inspire. This weekend, the company goes virtual for a fundraising event, “Dancing in the Moment,” which features appearances by alumni members revisiting works from the company’s archive as well as performances by current company members at all levels. North Coast is also partnering with Petaluma’s Beyond the Glory Sports Bar & Grill for a takeout dinner special to go along with the virtual show, happening Saturday, Nov. 7. 6pm. $35. Northcoastballet.org.

Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winner Lila Downs (pictured) is both a compelling stage presence and poignant storyteller. The bilingual star is also a fierce advocate for social justice, and she often incorporates her activist streak into her lyrics, highlighting issues that face the Latinex community. This weekend, the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts welcomes Downs in a virtual conversation in “The Muse Hour.” Downs will several topics that serve as social-justice muses for her artistry, and she will perform some of her music, which ranges from Mexican and South American folk and ranchera music to North American folk, jazz, blues and hip-hop. “The Muse Hour” commences on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7:30pm. $10. Lutherburbankcenter.org.

Election Night 2020: Live Updates

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Welcome to the Bohemian’s live coverage of the Nov. 3, 2020 elections. Scroll from the bottom up to read in chronological order.

9:05pm: Countywide Ballot Measure Poised to Pass

Three countywide measures appear poised to pass with a strong margin as election results begin to trickle out in Sonoma County. As of 9:00pm, 61.98 percent of Sonoma County’s precincts were reporting.

Measure DD, a proposal to extend a sales tax supporting transportation funding in the county, is ahead with 72.34 percent of the vote. The sales tax needs two-thirds approval to pass.

Measure O, which would raise $250 million for mental health and addiction services over the next ten years, was ahead with 69.3 percent of the vote as of 9:00pm. The sales tax needs two-thirds approval to pass.

Measure P, which would strengthen oversight of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, was ahead with 67.10 percent of the vote. The measure needs a simple majority to pass.

Read our previous coverage of the ballot measures here.

7:48pm: A proposition to consider

While the country tries to glean what they can about who will be America’s President for the next four years, Californians also have a whole slew of critically important state propositions to keep tabs on.

Each will change the lives for some part of the population in big ways in the coming years. The Bohemian will watch closely to see how they fare into the night. Here are the ones we’ll be monitoring most:

Prop. 15: Prop. 15 would mandate commercial properties—but not homes—be assessed every three years and taxed at their current fair market value. Proponents say the measure would generate between $6.5 trillion and 11.5 trillion for local governments and schools. Opponents say the tax increases will trickle down to small businesses and customers. The Santa Clara County assessor is taking a more nihilistic approach: he says none of it matters because it can’t be implemented. Time will tell.

Prop. 16: Prop. 16 would reinstate affirmative action 24 years after it was banned, meaning universities and public entities could factor someone’s gender, race or ethnicity into admissions or hiring decisions. Supporters say that it would level the playing field for people of color. Opponents fear it would legalize discrimination.

Prop. 17: Prop. 17 would restore voting rights for parolees with felony convictions, allowing them to vote after they’ve served their prison sentence, but before they are done with parole.

Prop. 18: Should 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the time of the next general election be able to vote in primary and special elections? The youth’s voting fate is in Californians’ hands.

Prop. 19: Prop. 19 would let homeowners who are 55 or older, disabled or wildfire and disaster victims to transfer their primary home’s tax base up to three times—up from the one-time move allowed today. The lower tax base could also still be passed to children, but only if those young adults plan to live in the home, or if the property is a farm.

Prop. 20: Prison reforms have been on the California ballot for years, often finding ways to help with the overcrowding in facilities across the state. Prop. 20, may do the opposite by allowing some property crimes of more than $250, such as “serial shoplifting” and car theft, to be charged as felonies instead of misdemeanors.

Prop. 21: Prop. 21 would allow cities and counties to pass rent control for more properties than currently allowed, including those built before 2005 and owned by landlords with more than two properties. Single-family homes would be exempt.

Prop. 22: When tech companies spend a couple hundred million dollars supporting an initiative, it’s pretty clear who stands to gain from its passage. In Prop. 22, Uber, Lyft and other gig companies want the state to exempt them from treating their workers as employees instead of independent contractors, which would save them gobs of money.

Prop. 25: If Prop. 25 passes, it would uphold a 2018 California law that would end cash bail and instead use a risk-based algorithm to decide who gets out of jail while awaiting trial.

Read more about all of the propositions on the California ballot in our earlier coverage and check back here to see how these ballot measures fare.

—Janice Bitters

7:24pm: Polling Places Will Close Soon

As election results begin to roll in from eastern states, Sonoma County’s polling places will remain for another 30 minutes.

Similar to other counties, many Sonoma County voters cast their ballots long before Election Day.

The Sonoma County had processed more than 203,000 ballots by Monday, Nov. 2, which accounts for 67 percent of its registered voters, the Bohemian reported this afternoon.

Sonoma County election results for national, state and local races will be posted on the Registrar of Voter’s website as they become available.

Will Carruthers

Two-thirds of Sonoma County’s voters cast ballots in advance


Elections officials say so far, so good at the polls Tuesday, as Election Day 2020 launched in the Bay Area’s nine counties.


Turnout for in-person voting around the Bay Area is down, thanks to the massive push for early and mail-in voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The night before Election Day, more than 2.7 million Bay Area voters had already cast ballots.

Statewide, more than 11.2 million of California’s more than 21 million registered voters already voted. Nationwide, the number was approaching 100 million by Monday evening—almost 70 percent of the 136.5 million people who voted in 2016.

Officials say voters responded to calls for early voting amid speculation it could take days or even weeks beyond Election Day to finalize results for some races.

Sonoma County processed more than 203,000 ballots by Monday, Nov. 2, which accounts for 67 percent of its registered voters.

Sonoma County registrar Deva Marie Proto said there’s been no problems in the county.

“It looks like we’ve already issued about 2,600 in-person ballots,” she said.

“It’s going smoothly here,” said Marin County registrar of voters Lynda Roberts. “Including the early voting days, which started Saturday, more than 6,400 people have voted at our polling places.”

Marin County reported more than 130,000 of its 175,220 registered voters sent in ballots by Nov. 2, “Voters need to remember to sign their ballot envelope, so processing isn’t delayed,” Roberts said. “If voters are mailing their ballots back to the elections department, it must be postmarked today.”

Ballots can still be returned in person at a polling place or the county elections office; or to a designated drop box, the locations of which are specified by each county elections office.

Ballots already mailed must be postmarked by Election Day, and they must be received by the county elections office no later than 17 days after Election Day.

Once sent, ballots can be tracked at https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/.

Anyone who is unsure about their eligibility can go to the California Secretary of State’s web site. Voters can still register for most elections by visiting their county elections office, a vote center or their polling place.

Californians can find answers to most voting questions at the Local News Matters

Voter Information Hub.


Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc.

DIY Culture Gets Virtual Boost at Santa Rosa Zine Fest

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Even in today’s digitally dominant world, many artists, crafters and do-it-yourselfers still make Zines. The self-published art form that often resembles a pocket-sized book can still be seen in local shops or circulated in local libraries, and in the North Bay there is a community of zine artists and admirers waiting to meet each other at the first annual Santa Rosa Zine Fest, now running online Saturday, Nov. 7, from 2–5pm.

Originally intended as an in-person event, the Santa Rosa Zine Fest will still create a space for the arts community during a three-part virtual program that will feature conversations between local artists, a zine-making workshop and an online gallery of art, all offered for free with advance registration through Sonoma County Library.

The Santa Rosa Zine Fest is the brainchild of volunteer organizers Meredith Morgan and Melissa Andrade.

“Melissa and I are both artists, a lot of our friends are artists, and we realized so many of our friends were making these awesome zines about their personal experiences, or their identity, or different kinds of cats they liked,” Morgan says. “It’s such an awesome, wide-reaching genre that people find a lot of freedom of expression with zines.”

Zines can indeed be about anything; they can be informational or personal, and likewise they can be thought provoking or silly. Morgan also notes that zines are not bound by narrative structures the way other literary works may be because zines do not have to go through traditional editorial or publishing channels.

“You can have an idea and get it out there,” Morgan says. “That is what we are seeing with our personal friends and then also with the people who are the presenters and artists in the fest.”

The virtual fest on Nov. 7 will be presented in both Spanish and English. The program begins at 2pm with an artist conversation between RJ Simon and Amanda Ayala, who will discuss what kinds of art they make and how they go from idea to finished art piece. That session will be followed by a panel discussion between Maia Kobabe and Tessa Hulls, who will talk about making protest art in 2020 and fitting self care into personal projects. The fest will then feature a demonstration and workshop led by Leah Yael Levy that is open to artists of all ages and skill levels or anyone interested in zine making.

Registration for each session is open now, and Morgan hopes attendees will join the fest for the entire day and register for all three sessions. The fest also features a pre-recorded showcase of artist’s works on YouTube, and zine starter kits are available for young people age 12 to 18 for curbside pick-up at several Sonoma County library locations (call your local library branch to reserve a kit).

With the history of zines closely tied to social and political movements, the organizers of the Santa Rosa Zine Fest are also using the event to help uplift people of color, queer and trans folks, people of all ability levels and others who feel underrepresented in the Sonoma County arts scene.

“We wanted the inclusivity and the diversity of this event to be baked in,” Morgan says. “Myself and other organizers identify as queer, I identify as non-binary. A lot of our presenters come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and our artists do as well. I thought it was important in Sonoma County to reflect this diverse community. You don’t have to go to Oakland or San Francisco to find a diverse group of artists making incredible art. Those people also exist here.”

Santa Rosa Zine Fest takes place online Saturday, Nov. 7, 2–5pm. Free; registration required. Sonomalibrary.org.

‘Trump Train’ Descends on Marin City Shopping Center

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Days before a contentious election, hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters drove into Marin County’s only Black community, sparking fear and anger among residents.

The Trump Train, consisting of approximately 300 pickup trucks, cars, motorcycles and retired fire trucks, flew Trump flags and rolled down Highway 101 to Marin City.

The motorcade, which started in Santa Rosa and made a stop at the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center in Novato, exited the freeway at about 11:15am and pulled into the Marin Gateway Shopping Center in Marin City as part of a series of Trump Train events across the country Sunday.

Up to 100 people from Marin City came outdoors to watch more than 1,000 Trump supporters take over the center’s parking lot, according to attendance estimates from the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. The cacophony was almost unbearable as the Trump demonstrators honked their horns, ranted through loudspeakers and screamed.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office, Sausalito Police Department and California Highway Patrol were present in the parking area but took little action, except to direct traffic. A sheriff’s deputy on the ground said they were there to keep the peace.

Sergeant Brenton Schneider, a spokesperson for the Marin Sheriff’s Office, said the demonstration did not have or need a permit, because they were exercising their First Amendment rights; however, he did not know whether they were lawfully permitted to assemble on the shopping center’s private property.

“We did not give them [Trump supporters] permission to be on the property,” said Terri Henry, property manager of the Marin Gateway Shopping Center. “They just showed up.”

It was likely illegal to hold a political action within 100 feet of the official ballot box located in the shopping center, according to California state law.

“At vote by mail ballot drop boxes, loitering near or disseminating visible or audible electioneering information” is prohibited, Chapter 806 of Senate Bill No. 286 states.

“‘Electioneering’ means the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate or measure on the ballot,” the law continues.

The caravan of vehicles blocked the area directly in front of the ballot box as the rally bled out the exits of the parking lot, bringing traffic to a virtual standstill. The Trump supporters took this opportunity to taunt Marin City residents lining the streets.

“A voter was trying to use that box and felt intimidated,” said Lynda Roberts, the Marin County Registrar of Voters. “I reported it to the Marin County Sheriff’s Department and the California Secretary of State as soon as I learned about it.”

In interviews with the San Francisco Chronicle, caravan participants denied allegations that they chose the Marin City shopping mall to intimidate Marin City’s Black residents. Some residents weren’t convinced.

“Why didn’t the Sheriff’s Department let the community know the rally was coming?” Damian Morgan, a Marin City resident and board member of the Marin City Community Services District, said in an interview Monday. “When Black people demonstrated recently in Tiburon and Sausalito, the police let their communities know.”

Schneider said the Sheriff’s Office didn’t know until 15 minutes before the MAGA supporters arrived in Marin City, when the Novato police informed them. Morgan disputes the timeline.

“Deputy Josie Sanguinetti told me they had a three-hour heads-up,” Morgan said. “That was plenty of time to email people they know in the community or to alert us on Nextdoor. They could have at least told us there’s going to be 300 cars in our community.”

Though they received no notice, most Marin City residents remained calm, even as the unwelcome rally goers stormed their neighborhood. Racial epithets and curse words were tossed from the Trump supporters. Schneider, the Sheriff’s spokesperson, said counterdemonstrators shot paintballs and threw eggs at the caravan cars.

The Sheriff’s Office received 911 calls about physical altercations; however, law enforcement didn’t observe any physical fights, and no victims have come forward, Schneider said. Marin City residents hope Election Day is calm and peaceful, though there is concern this type of unrest may be a precursor of things to come.

“You can never be too careful,” Morgan said. “I would like to think there’s not going to be any trouble, but we have to be prepared and have our eyes open. We just don’t know.”

Open Mic: Rethinking Halloween

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I’ve long been disturbed by Halloween, and here we are again. Money spent on lights, plastic skeletons, bones and headstones to frighten small, costumed children eager to stuff themselves with sugar. Perhaps a cynical view of the holiday, but one that arises as I walk in my neighborhood during this season.

If the message were, “We’re dying here, death is real, we must do all we can to save this precious planet on which we depend for life.” Then I might get behind it. If we put out bowls of autumn fruit, an offering of the harvest which the season actually celebrates. Then I might get behind it.  If we stopped training children to use sugar to dull fear trumped up by bones, ghouls and skeletons looming at them out of the darkness. Then I might get behind it. If we stopped to consider what else might be done with money spent on decorations, wigs and empty calories. Then I might get behind it.  

I haven’t participated in the ritual for many years. It’s easy to avoid the flow of children at our house, situated on a hill with no street lights and down a flight of wooden steps. But this year I am tempted. I would put out the scariest thing I can imagine: large white letters on a black background, red Christmas lights illuminating the words, CLIMATE CHANGE! Alongside the sign a bowl of crisp apples with an invitation to take one if you’re hungry, give it to someone who is if you’re not. And a parting message, placed so visitors see it as they’re leaving, “Join hands against the darkness.”

Of course, all this is impossible in the year of our frustrated Lord, 2020. We can’t hold hands, we can’t give out apples, fear having long convinced us a potential razorblade is the real enemy. How convenient to focus on razor blades, candy and consumerism instead of what really matters. How long will it be before we heed the voice calling out, “When will you stop destroying Eden?”

Laura Bachman is a writer, retired body worker and library assistant living in San Anselmo.

Sonoma City Council Selects Interim City Manager

Dave Kiff has been selected as interim city manager of Sonoma, the City Council decided Monday. Kiff is currently interim city manager of Healdsburg and will continue in that role until the end of December, when he will replace current Sonoma City Manager Cathy Capriola, who is retiring at the end of the year. ...

Sedgley Set to Win Napa City Mayoral Race, Unofficial Election Results Say

Napa City Councilman Scott Sedgley appeared to be winning the city’s mayoral race in a rout, according to unofficial election results released Tuesday night. With all 97 of the city’s precinct’s reporting, Sedgley had garnered just over 64 percent of the vote,...

Incumbent Democrats Claim Victory in Bay Area House Races

By Tony Hicks, Bay City News Service Unlike the presidential race, which raged on the day after Election Day, there was very little drama in Bay Area congressional races Wednesday. Incumbent Democrats ruled the day in all...

Two Incumbents, Two Newcomers Poised to Win Seats on Santa Rosa City Council

Voters in Santa Rosa appeared ready to elect two new City Council members and welcome back two incumbents based on unofficial vote tallies from the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Wednesday afternoon. With all precincts reporting on Wednesday afternoon, voters were favoring Eddie Alverez, who was running against three other candidates for the District 1...

North Bay Organizations Present Fresh Perspectives in Upcoming Virtual Events

If you are able to break from the political news coverage dominating this week's airwaves and social media, there are several upcoming online events from North Bay groups that will be celebrating the arts and motivating virtual audiences to see things in a new light. The Marin Art and Garden Center is currently hosting an online art exhibit, “The Mt....

Election Night 2020: Live Updates

Welcome to the Bohemian's live coverage of the Nov. 3, 2020 elections. Scroll from the bottom up to read in chronological order. 9:05pm: Countywide Ballot Measure Poised to Pass ...

Two-thirds of Sonoma County’s voters cast ballots in advance

Elections officials say so far, so good at the polls Tuesday, as Election Day 2020 launched in the Bay Area’s nine counties. Turnout for in-person voting around the Bay Area is down, thanks to the massive push for early and mail-in voting due to the...

DIY Culture Gets Virtual Boost at Santa Rosa Zine Fest

Free online event presents program of art, talks, demos and more.

‘Trump Train’ Descends on Marin City Shopping Center

Days before a contentious election, hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters drove into Marin County’s only Black community, sparking fear and anger among residents. The Trump Train, consisting of approximately 300 pickup trucks, cars, motorcycles and retired fire trucks, flew Trump flags and rolled down Highway...

Open Mic: Rethinking Halloween

I’ve long been disturbed by Halloween, and here we are again. Money spent on lights, plastic skeletons, bones and headstones to frighten small, costumed children eager to stuff themselves with sugar. Perhaps a cynical view of the holiday, but one that arises as I walk in my neighborhood during this season. ...
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