North Bay Report

The next time you want to celebrate an important occasion with a gift, give a unique present that won’t end up in the back of a closet.

You’re invited to a birthday party July 14 — and the site is perfect: Armstrong Woods. The celebration recognizes a decade of work by a local company that honors and memorializes friends and loved ones with a unique and sustainable gift. Steve Mencher talked with Kim Isley, “treehugger in chief,” about her brainchild.

More information about the Trees for a Change party July 14, and links to the organization’s unique gifts, are on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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An unusual collaboration between a local sculptor and poet has expanded to also include dance and music.

Sonoma County sculptor Bruce Johnson is known for his massive redwood and metal structures. But he has also been central to some unexpected collaborations with artists from quite different fields.

The events bringing all this together are billed as “from the Poetry House and Into the Heartwood,” happening Saturday, July 15 and 4 and 7:30 pm and Sunday, July 16 at 4 pm, all at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. You can find more details on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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We’ll learn how workers and the environment will benefit from ongoing changes in how the North Bay handles trash and recycling

It’s easy to forget about trash. We bring it to the curb once a week, and it disappears. But trash is becoming an increasingly important subject in our region, as we try to figure out how we can avoid creating ever-higher mountains of garbage near our towns and cities. Steve Mencher reports on a recent gathering where trash and jobs were the central focus.

You can find links to more information about our trash and better ways to dispose of it on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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We’ll find out what consumers need to know about Net Neutrality and how they can influence the ongoing debate.

July 12th is being promoted across the Internet as a “Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality.” The forces on the other side of this issue proclaim their allegiance to what they call an “Open Internet.” But as Steve Mencher reports, these two things are not the same.

You can find links to more information about Net Neutrality on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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A legal document that’s easy to create can help you convey your medical wishes when you can’t speak for yourself.

My Care, My Plan: Speak Up Sonoma County is a local initiative promoting the idea of advance care planning. Reporter Steve Mencher talked with two of the volunteers driving this effort, and learned why everyone over 18 should update their plan regularly to fit changing circumstances.

Find links to My Care, My Plan: Speak Out Sonoma County on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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A return to Lake Berryessa’s heyday could be near if a partnership between the federal government and Napa County comes to fruition.

Lake Berryessa was once a popular destination for boaters, fishermen and families looking for a day of fun at the lake. It brought in millions of annual visitors… Now it attracts just a fraction of that. That’s because several of its resorts were demolished or severely downsized in 2009 by the federal government. But as KRCB’s Tiffany Camhi reports, a proposal for Napa County to take over resort management could bring tourists and revitalization back to the lake.

See photos of the lake and find out more about the existing recreational opportunities there on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Sonoma’s Stone Edge Vineyard is growing micro grid technology alongside their grapes.

Micro-grids are scaled-down versions of the giant network that delivers electricity across huge distances to thousands of customers. They hold great promise for both utilizing renewable power and serving remote or isolated populations. And an important testing ground for this emerging technology is a local vineyard.

See photos and hear more about the research underway at Stone Edge Farm on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Will consumers care if their cannabis is marketed as “carbon free” or “salmon safe?” Some California growers are betting they will.

For wine consumers, Appellations provide useful information about conditions where the grapes in a given bottle were grown. In Mendocino County and elsewhere, cannabis growers are now getting ready to apply the same philosophy to their products, as Steve Mencher explains.

Find links to the Mendocino Appellation Project on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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After years of waiting, some eager North Bay train riders got their first taste of travelling on the SMART train yesterday.

It’s been a long wait for the SMART Train to start rolling through Sonoma and Marin Counties, and while the official launch of the commuter service is still pending, there was a large and enthusiastic turnout for the first day of free preview rides yesterday. KRCB’s Bruce Robinson was aboard with some of them.

There will additional free preview rides Saturday and Tuesday, taking riders to the Marin County Fair both days. You can find details about those trips on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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Beautiful sculptures in steel – some rusting, some gleaming – will be featured on the plaza in Sonoma this summer.

The town of Sonoma will welcome the largest exhibition of public art in its history this summer. As Steve Mencher reports, sculptor Albert Paley will be represented by nine monumental yet fanciful sculptures, installed in locations near the center of town. The exhibition is organized by the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.

The exhibition in downtown Sonoma — including guided walking tours – kicks off with a celebration and unveiling at 2 pm on July 1. The exhibition runs until October 1. Details on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

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