Remember the days of good old-fashioned social diseases, the kind that came with a stubborn rash and a bitter divorce? Back when prevention was as simple as not having sex? Now we’re confronted with an anti-social disease, where the primary prophylactics are gloves and a face mask. Well, it’s time to make a stand. Six feet away, of course.
Perhaps because we can all relate to nervously pacing in a caged space, the sheltered-in-place Netlflix obsession right now is the Tiger King documentary. Here’s a cool Sonoma connection: the director of the series is Eric Goode, son of Marilyn Goode and owner of the property where Roger and Dianne Rhotens (of Sebastiani Theatre fame) hold their Summer Camps. Still with me? Along comes Sarah Summers, a longtime camp attendee, counselor, and performing musician. She interviewed Eric, via Zoom, as an on-demand feature now at Sebastianitheatre.com, as a fundraiser for the otherwise dark theater… Tony Genisi is running with the idea of programming online content. “We decided to put the new films on our site, and then I also went to local filmmakers. We now have Call Of The Valley, Tiny Vineyards, and Haunted Wine Country on our site. We also started creating our own free content. We have a kids show and a behind-the-scenes tour currently on there and we are working on more.”
Helping that cause is a La Luz Center outreach campaign to help business owners establish in-store protocols, including Spanish-language instructional signage. Angie Sanchez, La Luz community liaison, lives in the Springs and says she had noticed a lack of translated, posted messages about social distancing. “We set out to distribute in person, as we know how important the one-on-one support is, in helping businesses remain open and understanding the new orders for essential businesses.”
Sonoma Valley Hospital was having a good financial fiscal year (July-June) until the pandemic hit. The outlook “will not continue to be positive,” reports Board Chair Jane Hirsch. Non-essential surgeries and most outpatient services have been postponed until the end of the emergency, likely cutting monthly revenue in half, to about $1.9 million. Additionally, some expenses have increased due to the necessary preparations for COVID-19. “The hospital will seek funding support from the state and federal sources targeted to keep hospitals alive during this time.”
The pop-up art project Springtime in the Springs; Making the Springs Come Alive, a temporary installation of 10 panel murals, will adorn the outdoor fence just west of the old Church Mouse building. The public show runs through the month of May. (Though some of the 35-member Springs Creatives Group collaborative were out this week on a dry run, measuring and doing some preview hangings)… The Springs Creatives group was launched in 2018 by Brad Maihack, Kendra Rimbach, and Thena Trygstad. “We had always shared a strong belief that a rich and active arts culture can be a powerful catalyst in helping build and sustain more inclusive, engaged, and vibrant communities,” Maihack says. “At the same time, we each knew of many creatives and artists who were living or working in the Springs and were looking to be part of a more organized artist network.”
Coronavirus, they say, is a novel virus. Andy Weinberger, both a bookseller and novel writer, finds this insulting. Regarding personal hygiene, what’s the best way to avoid touching your face, he wonders. “A glass of wine in each hand.”
– Val Robichaud
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