Spring 2012 - Penngrove Proud

Volume 5 Spring 2012 Edition Issue 3
FREE -
Thank the Advertisers
Highlights:
Inside Penngrove
Sips, Savors & Sounds
Penngrove Map & Directory
Cotati - In The Neighborhood
Penngrove 4-H
Penngrove Events
Your Community Magazine
Pg. 6
Pg. 7
Pg. 12/13
Pg. 18/19
Pg. 20
Pg. 23
The Civil War In Penngrove
The Blue & the Gray in the land of the Green- Page 4
Locals of Note
Liz Thach, Master of Wine - Page 10
In Their Own Words
Childhood memories of Penngrove - Page 15
Welcome to Penngrove, California
LE E
N
S
FR
EL
O
IZ
FE
EDS
REDWOOD EMPIRE
GYMNASTICS
Frizelle Enos Feeds
A ONE STOP SHOP
FOR YOUR FAMILY PET
AND LIVESTOCK NEEDS
Gymnastics Classes for
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Hay, Straw, Bedding, Pet Food, Pet Supplies, Organic
Feed, Wood-Gas-Pellet Stoves, Wood Pellets, Wood
Bricks, Carhartt, Dri-Duck, Muck Boots, Greeting
Cards, and More, Supplier of Organic Dust-Off
Tumblebugs Program:
Pre-school aged children
Littlebugs: 1 - 3 years
Drop in or enroll
for unlimited access
Busy Bees: 3 - 4
Parent participation required
Grasshoppers: 4 - 5
Children independent
Crickets: 5 -6
More gymnastics and one hour
IT’S SPRING BREAK AT FRIZELLE ENOS
“We have all the supplies and feeds
to make sure your chickens have
a good time this spring.” Coops,
feeders, incubators, egg wash
vitamins, medications, and even
chicken treats and toys.
PENNGROVE
10035 Main Street
(707) 992-0144
Mon-Fri: 8am-6pm
Sat: 9am-5pm
Birthday
Parties
Parent’s
Night Out
SEBASTOPOL
265 Petaluma Ave.
(707) 823-6404
Mon-Fri: 8am-6pm
Sat & Sun 9am-5pm
Now Enrolling!
SPRING & SUMMER CAMP 2012
434 Payran Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
Phone: (707) 763-5010 Fax: (707) 763-5542
www.regymnastics.com
www.Frizelleenos.com
Just 3.5 miles from Penngrove...
Parkway Plaza has it all!
701 Sonoma Mountain Parkway ~ Petaluma
at Sonoma Mountain Parkway and Riesling Road
Beauty Zone Salon & Supply ~ Chunky’s Taqueria & Grill
Exchange Bank ~ Flamze Bar & Grill ~ G & G Supermarket
Great Clips ~ Parkway Cleaners ~ Sonoma Mountain Pizza
Petaluma Valley Dental ~ Pongo’s Kitchen & Tap
Sonoma Bank ~ Starbucks ~ Subway
Summit State Bank ~ Think Biz ~ Yogurt World
PENNGROVE PROUD
2
Spring 2012
It's
been
a
very Welcome from the
unseasonably warm and
Publisher
dry winter so far and to
be honest the fields could
use a little rain. I don't
know if it's global warming but
every year we seem to break more
records for hottest day somewhere
in Sonoma County! Let's hope the
farmers get a little rain soon for a
bumper spring crop.
Index
The Blue & the Gray in the Land of the Green — Page 4
Penngrove Elementary School News — Page 5
Reader’s Comments — Page 5
In recent issues, we have
looked back at the early days of
Penngrove and before; and in this
issue our intrepid reporter Chuck
Lucas delves back into another
interesting period for Sonoma
County - the Civil War. Who
knew that Petaluma and Santa
Rosa were on different sides and
that Penngrove was right in the
middle!
Inside Penngrove — Page 6
Sips, Savors & Sounds — Page 7
Locals of Note, Liz Thach — Page 10
Penngrove Map — Page 12 & 13
Service Directory — Page 12 & 13
Greater Egret enjoying Penngrove
Our Local of Note for this issue
is Liz Thach, a renowned wine-maker, SSU professor and
renaissance lady. We have so many interesting people
in our town! Like lifetime Penngrovian Jan Shaw who
along with her sister Donna Cincera share some of their
recollections of growing up here in their own words a few
of which, going back as far as the post-depression years and
World War II, are excerpted here. PAGE
In Their Own Words - Page 15
We look forward to hearing from any of our readers who
might have interesting tales to tell about our history or
know people of particular interest. Everybody has a story!
Cotati - In the Neighborhood — Page 18 & 19
Penngrove 4-H— Page 20
Lynda Sutton-Smith
Publisher
Hometown & Neighborhood Events — Page 23
Start
Your
Building Blocks Preschool Inc.
Child on
the Right
Track!
Sevall, Thwaites and Soper
MaryJo Thurston
Owner/Director
Insurance Agency
Ray Soper
Providing
Quality,
Educational,
Childcare for
Children Ages Two thru Five Years
Partner/Broker - License 0599302
For all your Farm, Home, Auto,
and Commercial Needs
Before & After Penngrove Kinder Care
P.O. Box 837, 228 Adobe Rd.
Penngrove, CA 94951 • 707-792-2280
Spring 2012
1345 Redwood Way, Petaluma, CA 94954
Phone: 707-794-9950 Fax: 707-794-9973
Lic # 493003701
3
PENNGROVE PROUD
The Blue and the Gray in
the Land of the Green
By Chuck Lucas
Gettysburg, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Chickamuaga,
Shiloh and Bull Run are names synonymous with the great
battles of the American Civil War. Their names are written
indelibly upon the American psyche with the red river of
There were 51,112 casualties on the bloody battlefield
of Gettysburg over the course of three days. In stark
contrast, there were no casualties in the “Battle of the
Washoe House” in Cotati.
Today many Californians hold the misconception
that the war was an East Coast phenomenon with
little historical significance in the Golden State, but
that is not the case. In actuality Californians played
a significant role in the conflict that helped shape the
political genesis of our local communities. Petaluman's
were generally Republican supporters of the Union and
President Lincoln while Santa Rosan's were a hotbed
of Confederate sympathizers. This eventually led to the
forlorn “Battle of the Washoe House”.
The Gold Rush
of 1849 is one
of the seminal
events that forged
the future of
California. When
the news broke
in 1848 of James
Wilson Marshall's
discovery of gold
(his grandfather
was a signer of
the Declaration Miner's - Mid 1800's
of Independence from New Jersey) along the South Fork
of the American River at Coloma, life in California
changed forever.
blood spilled by 623,026 Americans who lost
their lives in the war between the states from
1861 – 1865. For perspective, “only” 580,066 deaths occurred
in World War I, World War II and Vietnam combined.
Historic Washoe House
Cover Photo: Spring Blossoms, Penngrove. CA.
Your Community Magazine
Publisher/Creative Director - Lynda Sutton-Smith
Editorial Director - John Sutton-Smith
editor@penngroveproud.com
Contributing Writers
Chuck Lucas - chucklucas@penngroveproud.com
Lisa Schuldt
Contributing Photographers
Chuck Lucas, Pearl O'Keefe, Lynda Sutton-Smith
Advertising Sales - Debbie Goodier Koos
Continued on page 8~
Published By Penngrove Publishing
P.O. Box 553, Penngrove, CA 94951
707.665.9408 - penngroveproud@sbcglobal.net
www.penngroveproud.com
Published Quarterly - Available via Direct Mail,
Penngrove Merchants and local businesses.
PENNGROVE PROUD
Open Tues.-Sat., Eve. by appoint.
4
Spring 2012
Penngrove Panthers
Reader’s
Penngrove Elementary
School News
Comments
,
Dear Penngrove Proud,
We have the most delightful
memories of our recent visit
to northern California, and in
particular our day in Penngrove
and Glen Ellen. We picked up a
copy of the Penngrove Proud and
very much enjoyed the articles
which helped us appreciate your
lovely town even more. Thank
you for a most thoughtful and
informative magazine.
Yours,
Marge & Henry Shields,
Kansas City
Dear Ms. Sutton-Smith,
I wanted to thank you for the
wonderful series of stories you
have published on the local history
of the area. So many people have
no idea of what has gone before
in the place they live and the
Penngrove area has such a rich
heritage. I hope you will continue
to explore it in the future.
Thank you,
Linda Markham,
Petaluma
Send letters or comments to Penngrove
Proud, POB 553, Penngrove, CA 94051
or email: penngroveproud@sbcglobal.net
A beautiful new tile display was put up outside the multipurpose room late last
year, in memory of Lindsey Brandon, a former school colleague. This was put
together by students and parents who spent many hours working on it under
the organizing effort of Leslie Keating. The
words on the tiles are from the hearts of her
former students and their parents to describe
Lindsey as they remember her. It was standing
room only in Penngrove’s multipurpose room
last December as parents, family and friends
gathered for the annual Holiday concert for
chorus and band. What a delight it was to see
and hear. The chorus opened the show with
holiday songs. Of note was an enthusiastic 5th & 6th grade chorus
rendition of “Frosty Hand Jive” which had been choreographed by the students
themselves. Then came the bands. The 5th and 6th Grade band — the biggest
for many years —filled the stage from wing to wing. They showed off some of
their basic skills and played some holiday pleasers as well. Finally, the advanced
band closed the show with “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” the timeless “Let’s Go Band”!
Ms. Sobhani’s fourth graders wanted to help
other children over the holiday season. It was
decided that the class would buy brand new
books for disadvantaged youth in Sonoma
County. Fourth graders donated gently used
books from their home libraries, then these
books were put into a classroom book sale,
all books were priced at $1.00. The classroom
book sale raised $90.00! They took the
5th & 6th grade Band
money to Northlight Bookstore in Cotati,
and participated in their “Star Kids” book drive. This program puts a star with a
child’s name and age with the hopes of new books being purchased for them. They
were able to buy the remainder of new
books for the “Star Kids,” and had money
Awarded Best Charcuterie
Continued on page 22
2010 & 2011 Harvest Fair
All our sausages
are handmade
with our original,
traditional recipes!
We are the small place
that’s big on taste
Sausage Sandwiches
Grilled to Perfection
Garlic & Greek Fries
Black Angus
Beef Burgers
Thin Crust Pizzas
& More
Wed-Sat: 11-5, Sun: 11-3
10007 Main Street, Penngrove
(707) 795-7088
Spring 2012
5
PENNGROVE PROUD
Inside Penngrove
Passanisi’s Nursery has now moved
all of its operations to the downtown
store on Main Street. You will still find
everything there, all the lovely plants and
accessories you have come to expect, plus
many decorative items. Across the street
at Penngrove Hair Company, Annette
is handing over the business keys to her
associate Mandy. Annette will still be
there Thurs-Sat., so drop by and say hi
to them. Across the street, check out
the great new sign on the front door of
Valkyrie Tattoo (middle photo). Local Girl
Scouts are out and about, including our
own Penngrove Troop, selling delicious
cookies for their annual fund-raising
campaign; please support them if you
can (top photo). The beautiful red rose
garden sculptures that adorn the front of
the school are now available at Double
K Designs on Old Redwood Highway.
The Redwood Montessori School annual
Kindergarten Cookie Sale will be held
May 5th from 12:00 to 2:00pm. The cookie
sale benefits endangered animals, and
each kindergartner
picks an endangered
animal to learn about
and spends about a
month doing research
on the animal. Then
Sophie Makes It Simple
their families make
cookies to sell, with
organizing services
the proceeds going
to an organization
to help each of the
707.971.9257
chosen animals. The
www.sophiemakesitsimple.com
proceeds are divided
evenly for each child.
They learn about the
animals, compassion
and
money
management.
The
s
’
Jeff
Social
Now your local Penngrove
Firemen are putting
Jeff LaGrave
on more of their
Owner
wonderful
events
in
the
upcoming
SPECIALIZING IN HORSE & UTILITY
months, including
TRAILER REPAIR, DIESEL TRUCK REPAIR, the Corned Beef
and Cabbage dinner,
WELDING & FABRICATION
July 4th celebration
5745 Old Redwood Hwy. • Penngrove, CA • (707) 795-4803
and the Hot Rod
Are your files organized
for tax time?
PENNGROVE PROUD
6
and Car Show. See our events listings for
more details. Bauman College located in
The Grove has its Nutrition Essentials
for Everyone™ course starting again on
Tuesday evenings in April, and other
classes and workshops are being offered
by Artful Arrangements and Davis
Publishing, check on page 23 for more
details. As you may have noticed railroad
service has been more active again in
the last few months through Penngrove.
Three round-trip freight runs per week
during the daylight hours started up last
July. Extra safety lessons especially for
children should be practiced, but everyone
should be aware that walking along the
tracks is unsafe and illegal. “Flashing red
lights indicate a train is approaching from
either direction. Never walk around or
behind lowered gates at a crossing, and do
not cross the tracks until the lights have
stopped flashing and it’s safe to do so”.
Additional information can be found at
www.oli.org. Take a moment to visit Frizell
Enos Feeds and see their new selection of
baby chicks, along with many other items
for your livestock and pets needs. There
is a lot of activity going on at Lagunitas
Brewing Company in the next couple
of months including the Beer Circus on
May 20th, which benefits the Petaluma
Music Festival; and the Seva Benefit with
music by Seven Walkers on March 26th.
Go on down and enjoy all the fun under
the new all-weather tent down on North
McDowell and help two very worthy
causes. Don’t miss the beautiful local
flowers and fresh vegetables available at
Darling Farms by Petaluma Hill Road and
Roberts Road. Good to look at and good
for you. And if you like to grow your own,
stop by Penngrove Grower’s Nursery on
Old Redwood Highway at Minnesota for
some healthy starters. With spring break
and summer approaching fast, activities
are sometimes hard to find for your
children. Check out classes and camps
at Redwood Gymnastics and Pecoraro’s
Martial Arts, plus batting practice at
Scandia. With the beautiful weather we
are having, be sure to get out and enjoy
our gorgeous surroundings (bottom photo).
See you around town...
Spring 2012
Sips, Savors & Sounds
Something for Everyone’s Taste
In Your
local Area
Providing the latest information on our local and surrounding area bistros, cafes, bars and other establishments offering
eats, drinks and live music.
JavAmoré Café
Yanni’s Sausage Grill
This is what a local coffee shop should be like everywhere!
Kim and her friendly staff offer a wide variety of quality coffees, teas and pastries, along with a hearty breakfast menu,
lunch sandwiches, soups and salads in a warm and inviting
space. Catering service is also available.
Tucked away behind the blue door is sausage paradise. Eight
traditional, but original flavors are made on-site and they
are fabulous. Served on a grilled roll with your choice of toppings. Also serving beef burgers, thin crust pizza, and breakfast sandwiches. Frozen 4-packs of sausages available to go.
SuperBurger
Full Circle Baking Company
If you want a big, juicy burger or chicken sandwich with fries
and an old-fashioned milkshake, then this is the place for
you. Good selection of cold beer and wine and soft drinks.
Happy Hour Deals 3-6pm, Mon-Fri. Casual dining in or takeout. Children’s menu.
Caprara’s Pizzeria
Baking bread since 2004, the family-run Full Circle has been
milling organic flour and grain for more than a half century.
They pride themselves in carrying on their family tradition,
bringing generations of experience to all of their delicious,
handmade artisan breads and rolls.
Twin Oaks Tavern
Enjoy a tasty lunch or dinner with a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. As well as their excellent signature pizza (also
available in Take n’ Bake), Caprara’s serves up a delightful
assortment of homemade pasta dishes, sandwiches and salads, plus soft drinks, beer and wine. Delivery available.
An old time local gathering spot, with great lunch service,
delicious sandwiches and burgers along with pasta, potato
and green salads as well as daily specials. For gamers, there’s
pool, as well as sports TV. Live music happens Friday night’s.
Enjoy their nice outdoor patio.
Mack’s Bar & Grill
Penngrove Pub
A neighborhood bar and grill on Main St, with a friendly atmosphere, along with refurbished wood floors and redesigned bar.
Serving up cold beer, on-tap and bottled, mixed drinks and a
full food menu, available in the Grill or at the bar. Live music
Friday and Saturday nights.
A local neighborhood pub, with a big screen TV, free pool
Sunday and Monday, and Happy Hour on Monday evenings. Enjoy free pizza on Friday nights. Full bar, plus tap and
bottled beer. Pool table and darts; live music some weekends.
All addresses and phone numbers can be found in the Service Directory on page 12
BAXMAN LIVESTOCK
Baxman
& TRAILER SALES DonOwner
Pizza is not a Luxury
It’s a Necessity!
Trailer Service & Repairs, Accessories & Sales
We sell used trailers on consignment
We strive to provide the BEST in
customer care– Before & After the sale!
Take Out or Dine In
Pasta • Burgers
Ribs • Wings Salads
Beer & Wine
“At The Grove”
610 Pepper Road, Petaluma
(707) 795-4392
707-664-1515
• Open Mon. 8-5-Sat. 9-4
Open Tuesday-Sunday, Closed Monday
www.extendinc.com/baxmantrailers
Spring 2012
Also Available
Take & Bake
10101 Main St. Suite F, Penngrove, CA
7
1OFF
$
Medium Pizza
2 OFF
$
3 OFF
$
Large Pizza
X-Large Pizza
With coupon only.
Cannot be combined
with any other offers.
PENNGROVE PROUD
Continued from page 4~
The Blue & the Gray
over, often without any compensation, by the new arrival
of immigrants from the United States and from around the
world leading to California statehood in 1850.
Before the advent of trains, waterways were the primary
means of transporting people and goods. The Petaluma
River quickly became a valuable asset for merchants and
farmers to get their products to the rapidly growing markets
in San Francisco.
Washoe House - Pre 1900's
Most of the miners were
unsuccessful in their bid for
a glittering fortune of gold
and many found their way to
the fertile valleys and hills of
Sonoma County. After the Mexican revolt against Spanish
rule in the 1821 War for Independence, California became a
Mexican territory until the Bear Flag Rebellion in 1846. The
Mexican-American war ended with the signing of the Treaty
of Guadalupe in 1848 and California became a U.S. Territory.
At that time there were 7,500 Mexicans in California but
by 1850 they only accounted for 10% of the non-native
population of Northern California. The native AmericanIndian groups had been devastated by diseases with the
arrival of the Spanish, killing 90% of the AmericanIndian population. Generous land grants by the Mexican
government of Rancheros to Californios (Spanish speaking
Californians) led to the early settlement by Mexicans. In
1834, General Mariano G. Vallejo's 66,000 acres were
among the largest land grants to be awarded in Sonoma
County by the Mexican government. As the miners left the
gold fields, land speculators and squatters eventually led to
the dissolution of the rancheros and the lands were taken
In general, drawn by the transportation and accompanying
business opportunities provided by the Petaluma River,
Petaluma was settled by Americans from the industrial and
population centers of the Northeast: New York, Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts and the frontier state of Ohio. Santa Rosa, as
well as Sebastapol and Healdsburg, were magnets for farmers
from Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee who were attracted
by the fertile fields of the Santa Rosa plain.
Even before the Civil War began with the Southern attack
on Ft. Sumter in South Carolina in April of 1861, animosity
festered between the two disparate groups.
EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG
We should keep in mind that the political parties of that day
were the exact opposite of today and it can be confusing. At
the risk of oversimplification of a complex issue, Lincoln
was a northern Republican. The Republicans were urban
Industrial Carting and
Global Materials Recovery Services
Open
to the
Public
Recycling today for a better tomorrow
• Construction & Demolition Recycling Facility
• Commercial Recycling • Storage Containers
• Debris Boxes & Clean Up Bins
• Tanker Pumping Services
∫e¢
Penngrove Growers Nursery
The Retail Nursery with the Name of the Town
www.penngrovenursery.com
• We Buy Cardboard, CRV Beverage Containers
Newspaper & Non-Ferrous Metals
Featuring plants selected for & grown in our Sonoma climate
Mon - Sat: 7 am - 5 pm, Sun: 8 am - 5 pm
Family Owned & Operated
▲ Trees
— Flowering, Fruit, Shade & Evergreen
▲ Lawn Replacement Shrubs & Ground Covers
▲ Shrubs, Drought & Deer Resistant
▲ Hedges and Screens ▲ Herbs & Vegetables
3911 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA
707-585-0511 707-585-8246
www.industrialcarting.com
Located on Old Redwood Hwy at Minnesota, between Petaluma and Cotati
9740 Old Redwood Hwy, Penngrove - 707.795.4043
PENNGROVE PROUD
8
Spring 2012
industrialists and led the fight to maintain the Union and
most were against slavery but did not align themselves
with the Abolitionists. The Democrats were the prevailing
party of the agricultural South and represented southern
plantations and slave owners and sought to expand slavery
into new territories as the country expanded west under the
notion of “Manifest Destiny”. Before Lincoln was elected in
1860, seven states had already declared secession. They were,
South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana, and Texas. In the decade after 1850, Sonoma
County grew from 500 Californians to about 12,000.
How did the war effect Sonoma County?
SENSELESS TWADDLE
In May of 1860, a 22 year old
Thomas Larkin Thompson
(1838-1898), hailing from
Charleston,Virginia (now West
Virginia), who had edited
Petaluma's Sonoma County
Journal five years earlier at
the age of 17, purchased the 3
year old Sonoma Democrat. It
is speculated that Thompson
bought
the
paper with
Confederate financial backing as rumors of secession spread
throughout the west and the southerners sought a vehicle to
voice their opinions and gain sympathetic readers to their
cause in the new state.
The inimitable Gaye LeBaron put it this way in a January
2012 article in the P-D, “The Democrat, teetering on
the edge of treason in a Union state, held Santa Rosa,
Healdsburg, Sebastopol and the entire Russian River Valley
for the Southern cause.”
That same month, 30 year old Samuel Cassidy (1830 – 1904),
became the publisher of the Petaluma Argus. Cassidy was from
Ohio and a staunch supporter of the Union and Lincoln.
The Argus newspaper proclaimed it was “without any ifs
or buts” for the Constitution and the Union, and referred
to Santa Rosa’s Sonoma Democrat in the early 1860s as a
“treasonable sheet.”
Samuel Cassiday - 1830-1904
Specializing in
T-shirts, Hats
Clothing, Signs, Banners
A classical newspaper fight ensued between the two
publishers. One of their first battles was over which town
would maintain the County seat. With a population of
2,000, Petaluma was the largest town in the county. Santa
Rosa was a sleepy farming community of 450 people but was
the home to the County seat. An election was held to put
the vote to the citizens. To the chagrin of Cassidy and the
great delight of Thompson, Petaluma lost the election 1632
to 314 votes. The County Seat remained in Santa Rosa.
Although California was far from the fray it was important
to the Union for its wealth of gold that would help fund the
war. According to Major J Norman S. Marshall, “In the first
three and one-half years of the Civil War there had passed
through the Port of San Francisco $173,083,098 from the
California mines and the Comstock Lode of Nevada. This
gold helped fill the Union's treasuries. By contrast it is
estimated that the seven secessionist states had a combined
wealth of $27,000,000. Several ill-fated attempts were
made by the Southerners to wrest the gold shipments from
California and divert the money to the South.
Continued on page 16
Darling Farms
WHAT CAN WE PICK FOR YOU?
Spring Produce
Local Fresh Flowers
Landscape Plants
Vegetable Starts
to 24” Box Trees
Custom Screen
Printing
and Embroidery
Bring this ad in
for One Dollar
off your purchase
Expires May 30th. 2012
Picked and ordered daily to ensure freshness
7000 Petaluma Hill Road - Daily 12-6pm
529-8048 • 774-5754 • www.darlingsfarms.com
5701 Old Redwood Highway, Penngrove, CA
707-529-7292 Petes_ts@yahoo.com
Spring 2012
Darling $
Dollar
9
PENNGROVE PROUD
by Chuck Lucas
LIZ THACH MASTER OF WINE
“Hail Corkmaster, the master of the cork.” Frasier, episode 7.17
Penngrove’s Liz Thach is indeed a “Corkmaster” and she
can tell you a lot more about wine than which one goes with
fish or pork. Put a bottle of wine in front of her, no wait, put
36 bottles of wine in front of her with no labels – a blind
tasting. Then ask her to tell you the variety, where it came
from, how it was made and also the quality and style of the
wine-making and the vintage and she will nail it. Not only
that, but she can tell you how to manage your vineyard,
how to hire your wine-making team how to market it, sell
it and get it into the hands of a distributor.
Liz and "Bubbly" at her home vineyard
A JUG OF WINE, A LOAF OF BREAD AND THOU
Liz has earned the extremely prestigious honor of being
named a Master of Wine. There are only 299 MW’s in the
world and only 27 in the United States. She is one of only
seven women in America and the first from California
to garnish this award. Liz was recognized by the State
Legislature for her accomplishments.
In 1985 Liz married her husband, Michael, in New Mexico
and they began vacationing in the wine regions in France,
Italy, Croatia and Wisconsin, (yes, Wisconsin). Count
Agoston Haraszthy, the “Father of California Viticulture”
was a pioneer wine-maker in Wisconsin before coming to
California. During these trips Liz learned everything she
could about wine, wine-making and vineyards.
Liz was born in Watsonville and is fifth generation
Californian. In 1864 her great-great grandmother owned
a saloon on Shotwell St. in the Mission District in San
Francisco. A peripatetic childhood took her to South
Dakota, Idaho, Texas and New Mexico with her mother,
Vivian Olsen, a professional painter in Oregon and her
father, R.C. Drewien, who is a respected ornithologist in
Idaho where he specializes in the study of Sandhill cranes.
Michael is a petroleum engineer who’s work took them
to Texas, where Liz enrolled in a masters program in
Organizational Management and Communications getting
her M.A. at Texas Tech in 1987 after getting her undergraduate
degree in English in 1983 from Belmont College of Notre
Dame in Belmont, California. In 1994 she received her PhD
in Resource Development from Texas A&M.
Liz initially became interested in wine after a 1982 trip with
a friend to Napa tasting rooms. Like a cormorant to water,
Liz became infatuated with the fruit of the vine.
In 2000, Liz and Michael moved to Sonoma County when
she took a position at SSU as a full-time professor of
Management and Wine Business at SSU’s Wine Business
Redwood
Montessori
School
Celebrating our 10th year in Penngrove
Our
...for the love of coffee
Speciality
Eggs Benedict
A large variety of delicious Coffee & Tea
Enjoy Breakfast & Lunch, including Pastries,
Omelets, Bagels, Smoothies, Sandwiches,
Soups & Salads. Special Children’s Menu
10101 Main St., The Grove
Suite A, Penngrove, CA
707-794-1516
PENNGROVE PROUD
“where
children
love to
learn”
Pre-school & Kindergarten
• Morning, Afternoon & Full Day Sessions
• Ages 3-6 years • Year-round
Catering
Available
Open:
Mon-Fri: 6:30am-3:30pm
Sat: 7am-3pm, Sun: 8am-2pm
Breakfast Hours:
Sat: 7am-12pm, Sun: 8am-1:30pm
$100 off
first month’s
tuition
10
11201 Main St, Penngrove
707-665-9830
Redwoodmontessori.com
Spring 2012
Institute. Before arriving here she worked in management
with major tech corporations for 18 years, working in
organizational development, human resources and global
leadership for telecom, high-tech and banking businesses
that took her to more than fifteen countries around the globe.
One day as Liz was lecturing her undergraduate wine
business class she was discussing Wine Institute’s Master
of Wine program and encouraging her students to consider
making it a personal goal when one student raised his hand
as said, “Why don’t you try becoming a MW?” The notion
struck a note with the professor like a spoon on a crystal
goblet and she soon set out on a quest to become a Master
of Wine.
The Institute of the Masters of Wine traces its origins back
to London and the Vintners Company, one of the Twelve
Great Livery Companies, that received its charter in 1363.
The European wine trade was dominated by London
merchants for most of the 13th and 14th centuries.
LIz in her wine cellar
The test is taken before a panel of the leading wine experts
in the world and consists of three parts: Theory, Practical
knowledge and a 10,000 word dissertation.
In Medieval times wine was the common drink of all the
social classes where grapes could be grown and beer and ales
were the drink of choice in the northern areas where grapes
didn’t thrive in the colder climates. Most of the water
was contaminated with pathogens and unfit for human
consumption but wine, beer and ale were safe to consume.
Huzzah!
The theory part of the examination consists of four three
hour questions on the making of wine, viticulture, the
business aspects of wine. The practical exam consists of
Continued on page 14~
THE MASTER OF WINE EXAMINATION
The first examination to qualify as a Master of Wine was
held in London in 1953. Of the first 21 candidates only
six passed the examination. Despite being open to all
candidates from its inception it wasn’t until 1970 that the
first woman was inducted into the Institute.
Made with
Pride in
Penngrove, CA
The degree of difficulty in passing the examination is
legendary. It is considered the most difficult test of wine
knowledge and ability in the world of wine. It tests both
the theoretical and practical skills of the applicant in the
business, science and art of wine.
Organic Bread,
Baked Fresh
Daily
Now Open to the Public
Monday - Saturday
6 am - 2 pm
Our many varieties include:
Sourdough, Roasted Garlic & Cheese,
Kalamata Olive & Semolina Cranberry
Wholesale & Retail
10151 Main St., Suite 120, Penngrove, CA
707.794.9445
Spring 2012
11
PENNGROVE PROUD
PENNGROVE
H
PENNGROVE
t
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D
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H - FAIRFIELD OSBORN
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PRESERVE
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ov
gr
Oak St.
MAIN STREET
3
8
13 - PENNGROVE HAIR COMPANY
14 - PENNGROVE MOTORCYCLE CO
15 - PENNGROVE PETS
16 - REDWOOD MONTESSORI SCHOOL
17 - SHAWN & PATTY LOUCKS (CALL)
18 - SOPHIE MAKES IT SIMPLE (CALL)
19 - TWIN OAKS GARAGE
20 - VALKYRIE TATTOO
12
21 - YANNI’S SAUSAGE GRILL
Aqua-Teck Pool Service - Penngrove. 707-237-5350. aquateck@comcast.net
Arch’s Glass, 8079 La Plaza, Cotati, 795-6976
Cotati
Azevedo Antiques - 10010 Main St., Penngrove, 792-2733
Bella Ariana - Penngrove. 707-779-9846. www.BellaAriana.com
ROHNERT
Barbara & Joseph Perry Real Estate, Penngrove, 477-9101
PARK
Bauman College - The Grove, 10151 Main St., Penngrove, 794-1284
Brander Veterinary Hospital - 347 Lakeville St., Petaluma, 762-3549
Brodie’s Tire - 1276 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 778-7808
Bud’s Custom Meats - 7750 Petaluma Hill Road, 795-8402
Building Blocks Pre-School - 228 Adobe Rd., Penngrove, 792-2280
CA Audio/Video - The Grove, 10101 Main St., Penngrove - 795-9065
Caprara’s Pizzeria - The Grove, 10101 Main St., Penngrove, 664-1515
Clover-Stornetta Farms - www.cloverstornetta.com
Cotati Chamber, 216 East School Street, Cotati, 795-5508
Cotati Large Animal Hospital - 8079 Gravenstein Hwy. 795-4356
Cotati Small Animal Hospital - 8055 Gravenstein Hwy. 795-3694
Darling Farms - 7000 Petaluma Hill Road, Penngrove, 774-5754
Davis Publishing/Artful Arrangements - 205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 664-8656
Deborah Morris, LCSW, 315 E. Cotati Ave., Suite G, Cotati, 415-383-3469
DK Systems - 1390 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite D Petaluma. 206-9228
Don Baxman Trailers - 610 Pepper Road, Petaluma, 795-4392
Double K Designs - 5701 Old Redwood Hwy. Suite A, Penngrove, 792-2673
Downtown Autobody - 5850 B Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park. 665-9100
PENNGROVE PROUD
12
D
4
The
Grove
10
D
15
L
1 - AZEVEDO ANTIQUE STORE
2 - BUD’S CUSTOM MEATS
3 - BUILDING BLOCKS PRE-SCHOOL
4 - CAPRARA’S PIZZERIA
5 - DARLING FARMS
6 - DAVIS PUBLISHING
7 - DOUBLE K DESIGNS
8 - FRIZELLE ENOS FEED STORE
9 - FULL CIRCLE BAKING CO.
10 - JAVAMORÉ CAFÉ
11 - PASSANISI’S HOME & GARDEN
12 - PENNGROVE GROWERS NURSERY
A
16
13
21
14
O
PETALUMA HILL RD
PENNGROVE
BUSINESSES
11
20
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Ronsheimer Rd
1
2
Santa
Rosa
v
G ro
Woodward Ave
MUSEUM
ADOBE ROAD
5
Robert’s Road
Willow
Farms
Woodward Ct
ADO
A - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
B - FIRE STATION
C - PARK
D - POST OFFICE
E - COMMUNITY CHURCH
F - COMMUNITY CLUBHOUSE
G - POWER & IMPLEMENT
Local
Service
Directory
h
Shop
Locally
Support
Your
Neighbors
Spring 2012
9
eS
t
San Francisco
Ea
S
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St
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Oa
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tat
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W
N
ion
Petaluma
C
Orchard
Valley & Kohl’s
Shopping
Centers
B
19
Ph
p
illi
sD
Denman Rd.
6
7
1
AY 1 0
HIGHW
r
LOCAL
BUSINESSES
1 - ARCH’S GLASS, COTATI
2 - BRANDNER VETERINARY HOSPITAL, PETALUMA
3 - COTATI LARGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL, COTATI
4 - COTATI SMALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL, COTATI
5 - DON BAXMAN TRAILERS, PETALUMA
6 - DOWNTOWN AUTOBODY, ROHNERT PARK
7 - EXCHANGE BANK, COTATI
8 - GLOBAL MATERIALS RECOVERY SYSTEMS, SANTA ROSA
9 - LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY
10 - LARSEN’S FEED, COTATI
11 - MARC MEZZETTA DELI, COTATI
12 - MORE UNLIMITED, COTATI
13 - OLIVER’S MARKET, COTATI
14 - PARKWAY PLAZA, PETALUMA
15 - PECORARO’S MARTIAL ART’S, ROHNERT PARK
16 - REDWOOD GYMNASTICS, PETALUMA
17 - SCANDIA, ROHNERT PARK
18 - SEVALLI, THWAITES & SOPER INSURANCE, PETALUMA
Exchange Bank - 8220 Old Redwood Hwy. 792-4990
Ferina Trucking - Penngrove, 696-5826
Fringe Beauty Salon - The Grove, Main St., Ste C, Penngrove - 792-2444
Frizelle Enos Feeds, 10035 Main Street, Penngrove, 992-0144
Full Circle Baking Co. - The Grove, Main St., Ste 120, Penngrove, 794-9445
Giant Tree Removal Experts - POB 955, Penngrove, 849-2172
Glenn’s Auto Repair - 1309 Ross St. Petaluma, 762-4360
Global Materials Recovery Systems, 3911 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, 585-0511
JavAmoré Café, The Grove - 10101 Main St., Penngrove, 794-1516
Jay-Palm’s Western Store - 5701 Old Redwood Hwy., Penngrove, 795-5189
Ken Giorgi Electric - Petaluma, 766-4721
Ladybug Connections - www.ladybugconnections.org
Lagunitas Brewing Company - 1280 N. McDowell, Petaluma, 769-4495
Larsen’s Feed & Pet Supply Center - 7400 Gravenstein Hwy, 795-4106
Lasley Mechanical - 9555 Main St, Penngrove, 795-5232
Mack’s Bar & Grill - 10056 Main St., Penngrove, 793-9480
Main Street Fitness - Penngrove Station, 11790 Main St., Penngrove, 792-0646
Mama Baretta - Penngrove, www.mamabaretta.com, 292-8958
Spring 2012
13
Marc Mezzetta’s Deli & BBQ - 101 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, 795-3354
Massage Envy - 640. Cotati Ave., Cotati, 795-7700
Massage Inc. - 315 E. Cotati Ave., Suite D. Cotati, 792-0555
Maverick Leather Company - 9550 Main St., Penngrove, 792-2208
Miller Driving School, 8053 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati, 585-1398
More Unlimited, 8282 Old Redwood Hwy. Cotati, 285-3400
Oliver’s Market - 545 East Cotati Ave. Cotati, 795-9501
Palace of Fruit - 8 N. Ely Rd., Penngrove, 795-5311.
Parkway Plaza - 701 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma.
Passanisi‘s Home & Garden Store - 10070 Main St., Penngrove, 793-0100
Pecoraro's Martial Arts - 1300 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, 795-3135
Penngrove Community Club House - 397 Oak St. Penngrove, 795-5958
Penngrove Community Church - 9970 Oak St., Penngrove, 795-5919
Penngrove Elementary School - 365 Adobe Rd., Penngrove, 778-4755
Penngrove Growers Nursery - 9740 Old Redwood Hwy. Penngrove, 795-4043
Penngrove Hair Co. - 10025 Main St., Penngrove, 792-6800
Penngrove Market - 230 Main St., Penngrove, 795-3232
Penngrove Motorcycle Co. 9585 Main St, Penngrove, 793-7993
Penngrove Pet’s - 10035 Main St., Penngrove, 795-2275
Penngrove Pub - 10005 Main St., Penngrove, 664-8018
Penngrove Station - 11790 Main St., Penngrove
Penngrove Station Mini Storage - 110 Woodward Ave., Penngrove, 664-9200
Peter’s Nursery - 10330 Old Redwood Hwy., Penngrove, 795-5959
Redwood Montessori School - 11201 Main St., Penngrove, 665-9830
Reed’s Trailer Sales, 5500-A Old Redwood Hwy, Petaluma, 792-9100
Rejuvenation & Well Being - 315 E. Cotati Ave., Suite A. 795-1063
Roca Construction, Penngrove, 664-8502
Scandia, 5301 Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park, 584-1398
S.C. Phillips Enterprises - Penngrove, 795-7425
Sevalli, Thwaites & Soper Insurance, 1345 Redwood Way, Petaluma, 794-9950
Shawn & Patty Loucks - Penngrove, shawnandpatty.com, 486-4123
Softshell Massage & Spa - 10 Kentucky St., Petaluma, 773-4950
Sophie Makes It Simple - www.sophiemakesitsimple.com, 503-289-7524
STS Transportation - Penngrove, 795-761
State Farm Insurance, Tony Maestri, Penngrove, 585-9931
Stay in Touch Massage, 11790 Main St., Penngrove, 527-7829
SuperBurger - 10070 Main St., Penngrove, 665-9790
Tailwagger Inn - 9239 Old Redwood Hwy, Penngrove, 729-6791
Tech Assist 101, 10010 Main Street, Penngrove, 238-5101
The Grove Plaza - 10101 Main St., Penngrove, 479-4544
True Value Hardware - 7520 Commerce Blvd., Cotati, 795-5456
Twin Oaks Garage - 5745 Old Redwood Hwy. Penngrove, 795-4803
Twin Oaks Tavern - 5745 Old Redwood Hwy. Penngrove, 795-5118
Valkyrie Tattoo - 10002 Main St., Penngrove, 794-9390
Willow Farms - Roberts Road, Penngrove, 793-1003
Yanni’s Sausage Grill, 10007 Main St., Penngrove, 795-7088
Scandia Family
Fun Center
$5.00 OFF
30 minutes of batting
cage practice.
Expires 4/13/2012
5301 Redwood Drive
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
707-584-1398
www.ScandiaFunland.com
PENNGROVE PROUD
Continued from page 14~
author of three non-fiction books, including the text book
for her class, How to Launch Your Wine Career, which tells
you everything you need to know to make a career in wine;
Wine: a Global Business is an overview of how to establish
a thriving wine business; and Wine Marketing and Sales:
Success Strategies for a Saturated Market, an in-depth look
at a successful strategy for marketing and sales and how to
avoid the many pitfalls of the wine industry.
MASTER
OF WINE
“...the beautiful sculptures
the naked branches create”
three ‘twelve wine’ blind tastings that last two hours and
fifteen minutes each. In this part of the test the applicant
must assess each wine for variety, origin, wine-making,
quality and style. This portion is judged concurrently in
London, Sydney and Napa. After passing the first two phases
of the exam a topic is chosen for the 10,000 word dissertation
by the applicant with the approval of the Institute.
Among her vast display of talents Liz is also a prolific
wordsmith of poetic prose. She’s written several books of
fiction and with her friend, Kate Kelly, under the nom de
plume, Kathleen Tosh, wrote Chardonnay Chalice, a wine
travel mystery. She’s written a children’s book called, Tarsi
the Sandhill Crane, a personal story about the three children
of a biologist father who rescued an abandoned chick until
it was ready to be returned to the wild. Her website: www//
lizthach.wordpress.com captures the spirit and pleasure of
living in Sonoma County with the ebb and flow of the
seasons and their relationships to the vine.
Only after passing all three phases of the examination is
the title of Master of Wine bestowed and the title of Master
of Wine (MW) allowed to be used after their name. Liz
was inducted into the membership at the annual awards
ceremony on November 9, 2011 in Vintner’s Hall in London.
“It’s never dull
when Liz is around”
Like a brilliant polished diamond, Liz’ resume and life
reflect light from a myriad of facets. She wrote thirteen
wine articles in 2011 alone. She’s also an accomplished
Liz loves Penngrove for its beautiful vine-covered rolling
hillsides of the Petaluma Gap appellation, but most of all
she likes the people. She is a member of an informal group
of a half dozen amateur wine-making families that call
themselves the “Penngrove Enologists”. They grow their
own grapes including Pinot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
and Syrah. Communally they share wine-making equipment
such as a wine press and crusher/stemmer and all pitch in
with the harvest. But as member Peter Goyton puts it, “More
importantly they share advice, manpower, dedication and
encouragement to the growing of grapes and to the making
of great wines.” This small group has garnered more than a
dozen gold medals in amateur wine competitions. Peter also
states, “Liz, as part of this group, continually demonstrates a
thorough knowledge of all aspects of wine. She has the ability
to communicate that knowledge clearly, and actively works
on bringing our Penngrove wine community together. She
joyfully promotes professional excellence and knowledge,
and puts fun in to the art, science, and business of wine.”
Beekeeper and wine-maker Paul Cowley says that, “It”s never
dull when Liz is around. We all value her sense of fun as
well as her sense of taste. We are very lucky to have a wine
professional of this level in our community”. But their real
raison d’être is for the informal dinner parties that they hold
four times a year to imbibe the wines they produce and to
share wine making experiences.
Broad inventory of Glassware,
Formal & Casual Dishware,
Pottery, Furniture, Paintings,
Jewelry, Buttons, Kitchen Decor,
Children’s Dishware, Cast Iron,
Pyrex & Bakelite Utensils.
We carry: Lenox, Want information on a favorite piece?
We can research background and
Booth, Spode,
market
price information for you.
Franciscan, Minton,
Pacific Pottery,
Mikasa, Catalina,
Jeanette Glass,
Lancaster, Bauer,
Redwing, Viking,
Cambridge and
much more...
Open: 11am-4pm Tuesday thru Saturday
10010 Main St. Penngrove - 707-792-2733
PENNGROVE PROUD
Zia, Liz and Michael’s 15 year old daughter, is a former Penngrove
Panther and attends St. Vincent Academy in Petaluma.
14
Spring 2012
History of Penngrove
childHOOD MEMORIES
in penngrove
“In THEIR Own Words”
In previous issues, longtime Penngrove resident Jan
Shaw shared some of her family history; the Maas
family goes back in Penngrove for more than 150 years.
The Proud sat down once again with Jan along with her
sister Donna Cincera who also grew up on the same
piece of land on Petaluma Hill Road above Adobe Road
that the Maas family owned for several generations.
Here they recall some of their early childhood memories
of life on the farm and the wartime years.
PP: Were you at school together?
Donna: No, there's six and a half years difference.
I was in Junior High when Jan started. Our folks
moved up from San Francisco about '31 or '32, so
naturally I was too young to remember any of that,
but one of my biggest thrills as a child was the
railroad. It was very active in those days and they Family Homestead - late 1800's
used coal so we could see trains coming for a long,
long way. I would run to the top of the hill and wave to the Donna: Definitely not. It was hay fields all the way back.
engineers and they would see me and wave back or toot. We Pasture and hayfield. We had pigs, quite a few cows and we
didn't have a TV or anything to do in those days so that was had three chicken houses. We had to pick up eggs twice a
the thrill, running up the hills and waiting for the engineer. day. We slaughtered for our own meat; we had our vegetable
garden; we pretty much lived off the land. We didn't even
PP: Obviously all the buildings to the west here [from have an ice box for refrigeration. I remember when we
first started getting ice blocks brought in; then we got a
Petaluma Hill Rd. to Old Redwood Hwy.] were not here yet.
refrigerator and we were really living high on the hog. We
had two out-houses. We didn't have a phone in the house
for a long time. In fact, during World War II when we had
to black out all the windows, they'd patrol, and if any lights
were seen, they'd come and knock on your door and you
were fined big time.
Jan: They blew the siren when we were having an air raid.
All the green shades came down in the house. A straight
siren that didn't undulate was an air raid, and if it did it was
a fire. When that siren blew, either you turned your lights
out or you put your green shades down.
Donna: They were afraid of Japanese planes. Our mother
used to go up on top of the Petaluma Hotel and take stands
watching for planes at night.
Jan: That was in the daytime too, because I went with her.
Mom wasn't good at directions and I had my bearings for
that, because any planes that were going trans-continental
we had to report immediately, if it came from the ocean going
inland; anything going north and south was acceptable.
Mom had a pin for so many hours of volunteering. I used
to be so glad when it was a fire, because it's scary when you
think somebody might be coming to bomb you.
Donna: During the night, I had such a fear if I heard a plane
that we were going to get bombed. It really left a mark on me.
Continued on page 21~
Spring 2012
15
PENNGROVE PROUD
Continued from page 9
named Pleasant Linville was charged with the shooting but was
later acquitted of the crime.
The Blue & the Gray
As the war broke out each side began hurling serious epithets
at each other. In a series of editorials Thompson claimed that
the Lincoln administration was forcing the Confederates into
a fratricidal and patricidal war and charged that the Lincoln
administration was guilty of “mismanagement, corruption and
gross imbecility”. Cassidy shot back that it was an attempt to
conceal Thompson's sympathy for treason and he called the
Democrat “as full of treason as a chestnut is of meat”. Thompson
had to be careful of the treason charges and did not want his
mailing privileges revoked as had been the case with five other
California newspapers that lost their permits.
Five days after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee
at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, the effective end to
the Civil War, President Lincoln was assassinated by a Confederate
sympathizer, the actor John Wilkes Booth. He was shot on April 14,
1865 and died the next day.
THE BATTLE OF THE WASHOE HOUSE
In the days after the assassination, while reeling from the news
of Lincoln's murder, San Franciscans attacked and burned
five secessionist newspapers in the City. Fearing an attempt
by Petalumans to do the same to the presses of Thompson's
Democrat, Manville (Matt) Doyle, a man from Sangamon County,
Illinois (he would later become the President of the Exchange
Bank) mustered resistance. His son, Frank, later ran the bank
and became a leading voice for the construction of the Golden
Gate Bridge. Doyle Drive is named after him as well as the Doyle
Scholarship. Doyle was a staunch supporter of the South and kept
a stable of swift racing horses to ride to Santa Rosa to warn of an
attack like a latter day Paul Revere if an attack was imminent.
Major James Armstrong of the Hueston Guard, also known as the
Emmett Rifles, led a group of the Petaluma militia on a mission
to Santa Rosa, possibly to take back the County seat, but more
likely to trash the offices of the copperhead Santa Rosa Democrat
according to Petaluma historian, Adair Heig. Rifles were cleaned.
Horses were mounted. They traveled the dusty stage road leading
to Santa Rosa that is now Stony Point Road. As much as revenge
is a powerful motive, thirst is its equal and the urge for a drink
overtook the group. They decided to stop into the Washoe House
for a quick libation. One lager led to another. The wives went to
The firestorm of charges and countercharges heated up before the
election of 1864. Cassidy railed against Thompson, “Under a less
tolerant government, the vehicle through which he fulminates
his senseless twaddle, so offensive to patriotism and loyalty, would
long since have been suppressed.” Thompson replied, “The time
has come, Mr. Argus, when the application of such terms as
traitor, disloyal, Secesh, etc., cannot deter an independent press
from exposing the rottenness of the Republican Party.” These men
were perhaps the earliest adaptors of tweeting.
LINCOLN LOST SONOMA COUNTY
By the time of the next election in 1864, the Thompson's
Democrat point of view in Sonoma County prevailed, to the
mortification of Unionists. Lincoln, now under the “National
Union Party”, won the national election over his Democrat
opponent General George B. McClellan, the civil war general
of the Union, with a sound 55% of the popular vote. In light of
today's politics it is somewhat surprising that Sonoma was the
only county in California that did not vote for Lincoln. Only the
men from Petaluma and Bloomfield voted for “Honest Abe”, the
majority of men voted for McClellan.
FERINA TRUCKING
There were a few minor pratfalls and skirmishes after the election.
Lemuel Cox, from Sebastapol, was arrested after a drunken rant
when he ran into the streets of Petaluma with a cry, “God bless
Jefferson Davis!” He was arrested, went to trial and convicted. A
group of young men organized as the Washington Guard had the
audacity to take to the streets of Santa Rosa to celebrate Lincoln's
victory. They were confronted by a group of Santa Rosa's fire
brigade made up of Southerners. A few shots were fired in the
direction of the Masonic Hall in which a school class was present
and one bullet took out an eye of a young student. A young man
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PENNGROVE PROUD
16
Spring 2012
Barnes put the Barnes
in the Penngrove “Rock
Ranches” that were
discussed in last winter's
Penngrove Proud. Barnes
was the pastor of the
Petaluma Baptist Church.
The
congregation
consisted
of
both
Union and Confederate
The Vigilante Bell
sympathizers.
The
Unionist majority among the Baptists declared that Copperheads
must roll and Barnes was removed from his pastorate. (Copperhead
is a derogatory term for Southern sympathizers in a Union state.)
This didn't sit well with Messrs. Barnes and Doyle. Doyle had
purchased a bell for the church that he
found in a junkyard in San Francisco for
the princely sum of $550. The half ton bell
had been used by the infamous Vigilante
Committee in SF in the 1850's and Heig
says that Doyle “was excited by the idea of
having a bell that had heralded lynchings.”
The bell was hung in the Baptist church
belfry and also used as a town bell, ringing
at six (!) in the morning, noon and again
at midnight (!). Maybe somebody should
have been hung for coming up with that
schedule. The Unionists stirred up angry
sentiments when they began tolling the
bell after Union victories in the war.
pick up their hungover charges the next morning. The only thing
killed in the “Battle of the Washoe House” were large quantities
of pints of ale.
The Washoe House was built in 1859 by Robert Ayres and served
as a stagecoach stop on the route from Petaluma to Santa Rosa.
It was rumored to be at one time a bawdy house. But the best
rumor was that President Ulysses S. Grant gave a speech from
the balcony. Others have suggested that he was appreciating the
carnal virtues of the ladies and it was more of a drunken, naked
rant than a speech. It didn't happen. Grant had just completed
a two year round the world trip and stopped in San Francisco
where he was hosted by Comstock millionaire James Flood. Grant
was invited to the Petaluma Fair in the autumn of 1879. This
would have been a major event in Sonoma County, but historian
Ed Mannion's account rings true. The Argus was thrilled with
Grant's visit to San Francisco and seriously pursued his visit to
the county. The Courier's editor, W.F. Shattuck, welcomed him
and extended an invitation “with or without a company of pretty
girls as a committee of safety” and that “we will make you feel
like you were back in Galena with your old neighbors.” Mannion
concludes thusly, “Since neither The Argus nor the Courier nor
the Santa Rosa paper mentioned the ex-president further it is
evident he didn't come to Petaluma – or the Washoe House.”
Facts can certainly devastate a good story.
THE VIGILANTE BELL
Manville Doyle had a cousin, Jehu Barnes (1829 – 1897), who
came from Warren County, Tennessee via Missouri and established
himself in Sonoma County and in particular, Penngrove. Jehu
Petaluma Baptist Church
Trouble was a brewin' in the river town. The Unionist members of
the congregation attempted to rid themselves of the Southerners.
A resolution was passed in April, 1864, “Resolved, That as
Christians we cannot have fellowship with those whose sympathies
are with this rebellion and slavery.” The Rev. Barnes was
removed from his position in the Church.
According to Heig, “Doyle was outraged that the bell he'd paid for
was ringing over, “A damned abolitionist congregation.” Doyle,
his cousins, Jehu and Bill Barnes, grabbed a block and tackle and
in the light of day took the bell down from the belfry, loaded it
into a wagon and hid it under potato sacks in the warehouse on
B Street. This caused great commotion among the congregation.
A hearing was held that lasted four days. On May 3rd a group of
forty Unionists strong took back the bell and placed it back in
BBQ & Smoked Ribs, Chicken, Tri-tip & Pork
New Happy Hour Everyday!
Continued to page 22
Join Us 4:30 to 7:00 pm
Special Prices on
Beer and Appetizers
The Team that Moves Sonoma County
Shawn & Patty Loucks Realtors®
Town & Country Properties
Shawn Loucks
Check out our expanding menu
House-roasted Beef & Turkey
BBQ & Deli Sandwiches - Delicious Salads
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101 E. Cotati Avenue, Cotati
707-795-3354
Spring 2012
707.486.4123
Patty Meola-Loucks
707.321.9999
Open Daily
8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Penngrove Residents
Email: ShawnandPatty@aol.com
Visit our website - ShawnandPatty.com
Winter Hours
17
PENNGROVE PROUD
City of
COTATI
In the
neighborhood
Cotati Large
Animal Hospital
Since 1965
Cattle • Horses • Sheep • Goats • Llamas
Drs. Dotti • Harlan • Wood • Wirz
795-4356 • 578-4760
8079 Gravenstein Hwy.
Cotati, Ca.
cotatilargeanimal.com
Cotati has long been considered the
“Hub” of Sonoma County by virtue of
its central location and its distinct and
historic hexagonal plaza. Surrounded by
beautiful vistas of hills, vineyards, majestic oaks and redwoods, Cotati mixes all
the benefits of living in a small city, with
the cultural advantages of being located
near major urban centers and a highly
acclaimed state university. Cotati’s roots
are steeped in agriculture and music,
and our citizens are proud of the diverse
and charming community that has been
shaped by over 100 years’ history.
Family owned
& operated
since 1974
Baby
Chicks
in
stock
Hay & Grain, Dog & Cat Food
Organic Feeds & Pet Food, Straw
Poultry, Bird & Rabbit Feed & Supplies
Rice Hulls & Shavings, Pelleted Bedding
Western Saddles & Tack, Fire Logs & Stove
Pellets, Dog & Cat Vaccines & Supplies
Cotati Small Animal Hospital
Full-service veterinary medical facility with professional
and courteous care for your cherished pet
Spaying, Neutering, General Surgery, Bathing,
Boarding, Dentistry & Vaccine Clinic
Mon-Fri: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Sat: 8:30am - 5:00pm
Sun: 9:30am - 2:00pm
William Cook D.V.M
Frederick Groverman D.V.M.
7400 Gravenstein Hwy., Cotati
8055 Gravenstein Hwy. Cotati
707-795-3694
707-527-7328 707-795-4106
www.larsensfeedandpetsupply.com
Established
since 1984
M-F: 8am-5:30pm, Sat: 8am-12:00pm
18
www.cotatismallanimalhosp.vetsuite.com
Arch’s Glass Inc.
complete glass service
Table Tops • Shelves
Shower Doors • Insulated Glass
Mirrors • Garden Windows
Aluminum & Vinyl Windows
Screens • Plastic
Licensed
Contractor
#647838
Since
1964
Rick
Stewart
Open Mon - Fri 8am-5:30pm
8079 La Plaza, Cotati, CA 94931
707-795-6976 or 707-795-7731
Bob Brooks
707-285-3400 Ph.
707-280-9009 Ph.
707-285-3410 Fax
~ We Offer ~
Copies, Printing & Banners,
FedEx, USPS, Packing Supplies,
Notary Public & Mail Box Rentals
WE BUY & SELL
Paying more for
Gold, Silver, Jewelry
Large & Small Estates
Antiques & Oddities
8282 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati
services@moreunlimited.com
www.MOREunlimited.com
Large or Small...to us you
are just right!
Local Bank. Local Lenders.
www.exchangebank.com
707.524.3000
We have a wide
variety of loan
products available
for a business
your size
19
Photo courtesy of Cotati Historical Society
4-H Penngrove Style
By Lisa Schuldt
Spring time is just around the corner and for Penngrove 4-H
members this means it is time to get into gear and prepare
for a few action-packed months. In February, members will
exhibit their poultry and rabbits at the Cloverdale Citrus
Fair and participate in Livestock Judging at the SRJC Shone
Farms. On March 4th, come enjoy delicious homemade
desserts that you can purchase at the annual Social Fireman's
Corned Beef Dinner. If you happen to be in the Howarth
Park area the first Saturday in April you will find Penngrove
4-H members at the Annual Easter Egg Hunt with a 4-H
Educational Display. This is another opportunity to learn
about 4-H and see demonstrations on how to handle rabbits
and poultry. If you are interested in founding out more about
4-H members in last years Easter Egg Hunt Educational Display at Howarth Park
4-H, there will be information available there. Finally a late
Spring early Summer Event is the 51st Annual ChickenQue
on May 6 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. ChickenQue
is the only fundraiser for Sonoma County 4-H. It is a oneday event: a barbecue with live music and dancing, booths
with 4-H'ers showing off their hard work. There will be
games on the lawn and a chance to visit with 7,000 of your
neighbors. For tickets please email: Penngrove4h@gmail.
com. Pre-sale tickets from your local Penngrove 4-H are $8.
Tickets at the event are $9.
4-H members who helped at the Take Out Booth at last year's Chicken-que
A 4-H member showing his rabbit at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair 2012
are fast, fun and filled with ideas!
Davis The books
Ideas are valuable – use, lose or save
them. But, without them...
Publishing
Medical, Surgical and Dental Services
for all small animals - Puppy & Kitty Packages - Boarding
Diane H. Davis, Publisher
BRANDNER VETERINARY
HOSPITAL INC.
• Self-Help and Insightful Fiction
• Local authors, a local publisher
• Accepting 4,500-word submissions
• A Sonoma County voice since 2008
Barry J. Santero, D.V.M.
Penngrove resident since 1989
Full outlet: Artful Arrangements
Sat 10-2pm 205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove
www.ArtfulArrangements.biz
Mon.-Fri. 8am-5:30pm, Sat. 8am - 12pm
347 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
(707) 762-3549
www.davis-publishing.biz ~ 707-664-8656
www.brandnervet.com
PENNGROVE PROUD
20
Spring 2012
Continued from page 15~
enough and told her that they have little marks that they
leave for each other saying this is a house that will feed you,
so word must have got around.
Jan: I remember going out there, being the foolish kid I was
always out and about in the back field, going over the fence
and up the railroad track. I wanted to see them. I wasn't
afraid, I didn't get in trouble; in those days I think it didn't
matter. I wandered all over this place. I was in the hay barn
or the horse barn or out in the back field on a haystack.
v
930's
thering 1
Family ga
Childhood Memories~
Jan: There used to be what they called tramps up on the
railroad tracks.They weren't bad people, they just lived
along the railroad tracks.
Donna: They were the homeless of the day.
Electrical
Jan: They used to come to the door, and Mom always fed
them. They lived on a train; they'd be on a box car and
there was a trestle back here under the track and they stayed
there and evidently when they were there, they had our
mom nailed as a place to get food.
Do you know What and Where this is ?
Congratulations to Susan Burns
our Guess What and Where #18
Photo Contest Winner. She has
won a $20 gift certificate to Caprara’s
Pizzeria in Penngrove. The photo was of the
Penngrove Pets black dog sign on Main St.
GUESS
what &
where
Penngrove Proud GUESS What & Where photo contest.
Win a $20 Gift Certificate to Caprara’s Pizzeria.
Caprara’s Pizzeria
PENNGROVE PROUD
Email or phone your answer in to: penngroveproud@sbcglobal net
or 707.665.9408. Random drawing from all correct entries received by 2/22/2012
Donna: They would come and ask 'can we do any work?'
And my mother would say 'no but have a seat,' and she'd fix
them a sandwich. One of them must have gotten friendly
Win a $20 Gift Certificate to
Donna: Just to go way back, I remember our Dad talking - this
house was built in 1900, and he was born in '01, and when
the '06 earthquake hit, he was in bed upstairs here and he got
thrown out of bed from the earthquake. He remembered that. ~To be continued
Lighting & Design
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Manufacturers Paint
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Now Servicing
Recreational Vehicles!
Downtown Autobody technicians share a combined 100 years of Recreational
Vehicle collision repair experience. All of our technicians are either I-CAR or
ASE trained and certified.
Our friendly staff is here to assist you with all aspects of the insurance claim
process and factory warranty claims issues.
(707) 665-9100
21
5850 B Redwood Drive
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
www.DowntownAutobody.com
Spring 2012
Continued from page 17
Penngrove Panthers
Continued from page 5
left over. The rest of the money was used to buy pajamas
and other needed items for The Living Room, which
is a day-shelter for women and children in Santa Rosa.
Congratulations to Hayden Dennis and Jacob Anderson,
who were the top spellers at the recent Penngrove spelling
bee. They will move on to participate in the Petaluma School
district spelling bee. This years annual school Talent Show
will be on March 9th. It will be held this year at Petaluma
High School due to the demand for space as this event has
become so popular with parents, families and the community
at large. Come on out and see the amazing efforts of these
children! The ever popular Skate nights continue with the
next one coming up on March 16th and then one on May
4th. The exciting Science Olympiad will be held this year
on Saturday April 28th. Schools from throughout Sonoma
County will compete against each other. Many 4th-6th
grade students from Penngrove School have been working
hard with Ms. Maloney during recesses to prepare for this
event where they will compete in a series of 14 scientific
challenges. The annual Summer Field Days will be held on
May 29th and 30th and is always an enjoyable time for kids
and teachers alike as they get to be outdoors and have fun
and friendly competition with their fellow students.
the bell tower. Many contradictory theories abound as to
how it actually happened. Some said Doyle attacked the bell
with a sledge hammer and another claimed the bell cracked
while ringing out in lamentations of Lincoln's death a year
later. Ed Mannion provided the theory that the bell cracked
either as a result of an internal stress fracture of the metal. In
any case, the town voted to silence the bell. In 1925 the San
Francisco Chamber of Commerce bought the bell for $900.
Eventually the bell ended up in the hands of the Society of
California Pioneers at 300 Fourth Street in SF where it still
resides today.
The next time you read an editorial or letters to the editor keep in
mind where we came from and what we brought with us. If we've
learned anything, it's that history is a reflection of the present and
a mirror to the future.
Community Magazine
Why advertise in
Penngrove Proud?
Debbie Goodier Koos
Advertising Sales
• Directly mailed to all Penngrove residents
• Additional distribution throughout
Penngrove, Petaluma, Cotati, & Santa Rosa
• Beautifully designed, quality publication
• Attractive ad rates with free design & layout
• Online presence
Call or email
18
me today!
707-484-7451 - dkoos@penngroveproud.com
Providing professional, creative graphic design
for your advertising and marketing needs
Logos ~ Brochures ~ Advertising
Flyers ~ Catalogs ~ Direct Mail
Postcards ~ Point of Sale
Now offering a new, affordable Direct Mail
Program to reach targeted mail routes.
Issue 1
ary/Fall
2010 Edition
Third Annivers
Volume
:
HigHligHts
Pg. 5
Panthers
Pg. 6
Penngrove
Pg. 7
Inside Penngrove
& Sounds
Pg. 8
Sips, Savors Words
Pgs. 10/11
In Her Own
Map & Directoryod Pg. 18
Penngrove
The Neighborho
Pg. 19
Cotati - In
Event Listings
4
e
ity Magazin
Your Commun
Give Bees
a Chance every garden - Page 4
A beehive in
ARTIST MATERIALS ANNUAL WAREHOUSE SALE
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, November 17th-19th, 2011, 9am to 4pm
Cotati
SAVOIR-FAIRE
Parade in
Pictures
Memories of
July 4th, 2010
Commun
Business ity Guide &
Directory
2011
Importers of Fine Materials for the Arts
- Page 15
ound Drive - Page 16
equipment
Park Playgr
Penngrove Luau, fundraiser for new playground
Hawaiian
rove, California
Welcome to Penng
FREE - Thank
advERTisERs
ThE
Holiday
2011
POB 553, Penngrove, CA 94951
707-665-9408
October 1st.December 15th, 2011

penngrovepublishing@penngroveproud.com
PENNGROVE PROUD
22
Spring 2012
Penngrove
Hometown & Neighboring Events
~ March ~
~ May ~
Penngrove Social Firemen St. Patty's Day
Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner - 4th
Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Beer Circus - 20th
Benefit for Petaluma Music Festival
Penngrove Community Club House. Call Kim Hanson at 794-1516 for info
1280 N. McDowell, Petaluma, 1-6pm, 769-4495 for more info
Penngrove School Talent Show - 9th
Petaluma High School, Petaluma, 7pm - Call 778-4755 for more info
Artful Arrangements Workshop - Plant a Plant for Dad - 27th
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 10am-noon, 664-8656 for more info
Cotati Pasta & Bingo Night - 10th
Cotati Veterans Memorial Building, 5-8pm - Call 765-3939 for more info
Davis Publishing Workshop - A poem for Dad- 27th
Penngrove School Skate Night - 16th
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 3-5pm, 664-8656 for more info
Artful Arrangements Workshop - Secret Rock Writing - 25th
~ June ~
Davis Publishing Workshop - Renew Faith In Yourself - 25th
La Plaza Park, Old Redwood Hwy. 4:30-7:30pm, 795-5508 for info
Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Benefit for Seva - 26th
Featuring Music by Seven Walkers
La Plaza Park, Old Redwood Hwy. Noon-7pm, 795-5508 for info
Cal Skate, Rohnert Park, 5:30-7:30pm - Call 778-4755 for more info
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 10am-noon, 664-8656 for more info
Cotati Farmers Market - Thursdays Starting 7th
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 3-5pm, 664-8656 for more info
32nd Annual Cotati Jazz Festival - 16th
Artful Arrangements Workshop - A Summer Garland - 24th
1280 N. McDowell, Petaluma, 769-4495 for more info
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 10am-noon, 664-8656 for more info
Davis Publishing Workshop - Independence Day Salute! - 24th
~ April ~
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 3-5pm, 664-8656 for more info
Bauman College Class - Nutrition Essentials for Everyone
Tuesday evenings for 8 weeks - 10th
Rancho Adobe Fire District- Pancake Breakfast- 30th
11000 Main St, Penngrove, 10am-noon, 795-6011 for more info
10151 Main St, Suite 128, Penngrove, 6-9pm, baumancollege.org
Cotati Historical Society
Old-Fashioned Chicken Barbeque - 15th
~ July ~
Cotati Room, 216 E. School St., Cotati, Noon-4pm - 795-0305 for info
Penngrove Social Firemen - July 4th Celebration - 1st
Penngrove Downtown & Park. Call Kim Hanson at 794-1516 for more info
Artful Arrangements Workshop - Make a Trellis - 22nd
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 10am-noon, 664-8656 for more info
Cotati Farmers Market - Every Thursday
La Plaza Park, Old Redwood Hwy. 4:30-7:30pm, 795-5508 for info
Davis Publishing Workshop - A Poem for Mom- 22nd
205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 3-5pm, 664-8656 for more info
Penngrove Social Firemen
2nd Annual Hot Rods/Car Show - 28th
~ May ~
Penngrove Park. Call Kim Hanson at 794-1516 for more info
Penngrove School Skate Night - 4th
~ August ~
Redwood Montessori School Cookie Sale - 5th
Penngrove Social Firemen
3rd Annual Luau in the Park - 25th
Cal Skate, Rohnert Park, 5:30-7:30pm - Call 778-4755 for more info
11201 Main St., Penngrove, 12-2pm - Call 665-9830 for more info
Penngrove Park. Call Kim Hanson at 794-1516 for more info
4-H 51st. Annual ChickenQue - 6th
Cotati Farmers Market - Every Thursday
Sonoma County Fairgrounds - email Penngrove4h@gmail.com for info
La Plaza Park, Old Redwood Hwy. 4:30-7:30pm, 795-5508 for info
Send Event Listings to Penngrove Proud, POB 553, Penngrove, CA 94951 or penngroveproud@sbcglobal.net
Spring 2012
23
PENNGROVE PROUD
POB 553
Penngrove, CA 94951
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PERMIT NO. 553
PENNGROVE, CA 94951
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Supporting
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SR, 707.284.3530
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546 East Cotati Ave
Cotati, 707.795.9501