North Bay Report

An 1884 promotional brochure for the town of San Rafael is the basis for a new history exhibit.

A new exhibit mounted by the Marin County Library pairs illustrations of San Rafael from more than 130 years ago with photos of their present-day counterparts. KRCB’s Tiffany Camhi reports the “Then and Now” photo exhibition reveals the city’s similarities and differences over several generations.

The exhibit is on display at the Marin County Civic Center through September. Find 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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Can a kite that simulates a soaring falcon protect vineyards from other problem birds? Initial tests say yes.

Falcons are a proven deterrent to the birds than can raid and damage ripening grapes. Now a North Bay innovator with a background in bird management is promoting a look-alike kite to do the same job.

See pictures and hear more about the falcon “fright kites” 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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Grazing animals were once a key part of the grasslands’ ecosystem here. Now that approach is being tested anew at a Petaluma park.

Sheep can chew down grasses that might later burn, snack on unwanted poison oak, and fertilize the soil as they go. And they can co-exist with human users of parklands while doing all that. Bruce Robinson has more.

You can hear more about the Regional Parks grassland grazing experiment 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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It was THE pivotal event in California history, but not everything you think you know about the Gold Rush is true.

The Gold Rush brought thousands of dreamers, seekers, entrepreneurs and charlatans into California, each, it seems with a story to tell. A new non-fiction book samples dozens of these first-person accounts to create a multi-faceted portrait of a tumultuous time.

Historian Gary Noy will talk about his Gold Rush Stories book at the Sonoma Community Center, Saturday afternoon at 2 pm. You can also hear more from his 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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Find out how the Napa River Flood Control Project kickstarted economic and environmental rejuvenation to the City of Napa on the next North Bay Report, airing at 6:18 and 8:18 am and 5:30 pm. Or find it online at krcb.org

The 55-mile long Napa River runs from Mount Saint Helena south into San Pablo Bay. Along the way it winds through several cities and towns…where it’s been known to flood regularly. KRCB’s Tiffany Camhi reports that a flood control project, more than half a century in the making, has dramatically changed one of those cities.

Find out more about the history of the Napa River Flood Control 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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Record spending by outside business interests dominated yesterday’s special election in Sonoma County, but Santa Rosa’s Measure C was not the day’s only story.

Voter turnout was low yesterday with just 40 thousand ballots cast, nearly three-quarters of them in Santa Rosa.

Find a link to the full election results 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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Rohnert Park’s Jake MacKenzie is now chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. But what does that actually mean?

For the first time in more than 35 years, the head of the bay area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission is an elected official from Sonoma County: longtime Rohnert Park city councilman and current mayor Jake MacKenzie.

Find out more 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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The Sonoma Coast’s “mammoth rocks” got that name from smooth areas possibly caused by big animals rubbing against them. But is it true?

Smooth surface areas on some large rocks on the Sonoma Coast might be a remnant of prehistoric animals rubbing against them, but actual evidence to justify the popular name given to these Mammoth Rocks” has been elusive.

Find out more 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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There’s a cannabis tax measure on the ballot in Santa Rosa next week. But that’s not where the controversy is.

Santa Rosa voters will decide a controversial rent control measure next Tuesday, one that has drawn big spending from the opposition and dominated political dialog for weeks. But there’s a second item on the ballot as well. KRCB’s Bruce Robinson brings us up to speed on Measure D, which would set new tax rates for cannabis businesses within the city.

Find out more 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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Some Healdsburg community members are concerned about the town’s growing tourism industry.

The North Bay is known for its burgeoning food and wine industry – people travel far and wide to get a sip of our local wine or bite into an organic steak. But now some of Sonoma County’s smaller towns are starting to feel crushed by the tourism…like in Healdsburg where some in the community feel the town could lose its small town character. KRCB’s Tiffany Camhi reports.

Find out more about the Healdsburg Community Coalition 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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