Election notes, Tuesday fire wrap, and blanket coverage
The new Sonoma County Sheriff will be the force’s Capt. Mark Essick, who had the endorsement of outgoing Chief Rob Giordano, elected Tuesday with 57 percent of the vote. Former Los Angeles police Capt. and station manager John Mutz had 25 percent and Santa Rosa City Councilman Ernesto Olivares logged 18 percent, according to the complete (but officially still unofficial) tally. The last election of a sheriff from outside the department was in 1990… Though Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch ran unopposed, Deputy Public Defender Scott Murray, who withdrew from the race but still had his name on the ballot, got 25 percent.
Blatant rumor department, political division: a current Sonoma city councilmember is thinking of making a run for County Supervisor, which is Susan Gorin’s seat, in 2020. What we know for sure: the council seats of Madolyn Agrimonti, Gary Edwards and Rachel Hundley are up for election this November. Want to run? The filing period begins July 15 and ends August 10. That should be plenty of time to design your lawn signs.
That fire that forced a short evacuation Tuesday afternoon in Schellville started in a stack of wooden pallets and went to three alarms after the explosion of a 1,000 gallon propane tank. Crews from the nearby Schell-Vista fire station were joined by firefighters from Sonoma Valley, Novato, Glen Ellen, and a Cal Fire helicopter, and the CHP closed nearby roads. A mandatory evacuation of all residents within a half-mile of the June 5 fire was in place for about two hours after the first response, at about 12:30 p.m. No injuries were reported. This wasn’t the first big blaze at the Sonoma Pacific Company; its yard at 1180 Fremont Dr. was the site of massive fires in both 2007 and 2013.
Blanket coverage: Sonoma Community Center is launching “The Community Quilt” project, one huge blanket made from fabric squares designed and submitted by locals. The call is for unique 12” x 12” panels that artistically represent each participant and what their contribution is to Sonoma. “Every participant will symbolize the importance of one’s role in making up a tightly knit, or sewn in this case, society,” says Eric Jackson, Creative Projects Manager. “When we come together we are stronger than the sum of our parts — this is how we are #SonomaStrong.” The finished quilt – the symbolic fabric of society, or just the biggest bed cover ever — will be unveiled at the Center’s Open House on September 8.
Cary Leigh Dacy, president & CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, respects the dedication of her board of directors, and those of other nonprofits, who “give their time, their talent and their treasure.” Still, for little kids at least, the job is somewhat mysterious. When she asked kids “what do you think it means to be a boardmember? Answers ranged from being a piece of wood with the word ‘member’ written on it to ‘a bunch of old people who sit around and play bingo.’
— Val Robichaud, [email protected]
