New bike bridge, new pool, old family favorite
Sonoma’s Fryer Creek Pedestrian & Bicycle Bridge Project. It’s been lingering so long that some of the original proponents have aged off bikes and onto walkers. But, progress. Construction is underway to connect Newcomb Street and Manor Drive. Improvements include a new 8-foot wide, 60-foot long paved bicycle and pedestrian path, plus sidewalk and curb/gutters along Newcomb. The bridge should be open to foot traffic “this Fall,” the City promises.
Another long-awaited civic improvement: a Community Pool in Sonoma. The swimming complex is soon to open on the campus of Sonoma Valley High School. Two pools; student activities have a priority, but the public has full access. Hours, prices, memberships? All will soon be revealed, and the ribbons cut, says Jane Hanson, who will manage the operation for Splash, the nonprofit that got the deal done with the School District… Hanson comes from the Sonoma Aquatic Center, which rebranded this month as the Sonoma Fit Pool Club under new owner Adam Kovacs. Hanson –barely time enough to dry off – went straight to work at the new complex. Might she coach the school swim teams when they return to the home pool? Goggle it.
After all the years of cooking for parties and fundraisers as one of the Valley’s best and busiest caterers, Elaine Bell finally got to sit down and enjoy a good meal. She was the honoree of the Sonoma Community Center’s annual Muse gala. One sweet moment: emcee Ellen Toscano upsold an auction item with the promise that if a bid level was reached, she would sing a song. It worked, and she launched into Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina, complete with custom lyrics dedicated to Bell, who teared up at the tribute. Maybe it was the onions.
The Quik Stop Market on Grove in El Verano closed down many months ago, and the locals (particularly the lottery players) wonder what’s going on. No for-sale sign, no County notice, no clue. One popular theory is, it was shut down to deal with a rodent infestation. That’s a lot of rats. Michele Wagner isn’t buying it. “Folks, it doesn’t take six months to rid a property of rats. If that’s the case, everyone who lives close by is at risk.”
Thank you to the Boys of Summer, the college lads that spent the season as Sonoma Stompers and are now heading back to school. The final game was an idyllic Rotary Night at Arnold Field, with Scott Murray, president of the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley, throwing out the first pitch. Rotary promised a $100 donation to Sonoma Mentoring Alliance for every run scored. Though bad for the team E.R.A., it was a good night for the nonprofit: the Stompers and the visiting Knicks combined for 16 runs, resulting in a donation of $1,600… The scouting report on Murray, for the record, a rookie: he did put the ball over the plate – on a bounce. Quipped Mentoring’s Susie Gallo (with Murray), “His new nickname is ‘Skipper.’”
Sonoma’s Swiss Hotel, a family-owned Plaza icon for nearly a century, has been named the Sonoma County Small Business of the Year by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa. “When it comes to Sonoma businesses, the Swiss Hotel stands out for its unswerving quality and longevity,” Sen. Dodd said. “It is simply the quintessential family business.” The award is a nice cap on the career of owner Hank Marioni, who is retiring in October after running the business for 30 years. The Swiss was founded in 1923 by Marioni’s great-grandfather, Mose Mastelotto, who came to Sonoma from Switzerland. “It’s gratifying to know someone thinks you’re doing a job that warrants this great honor,” said Marioni, the fourth generation restaurateur. “I certainly didn’t expect this. It makes me feel really good.” … Circumstantial evidence (and gin) suggest that my daughter, now 21, was conceived after a night of martinis on the Swiss patio. We thought of naming her Sapphire but then sobered up.
