Corner of Main Street and Adobe Road - penngroveproud · Pgs. 10/11 Pg. 14 Pg. 19 Penngrove...

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Volume 4 Spring 2011 Edition Issue 3

Welcome to Penngrove, California

Penngrove’s first inhabitants, the Miwok Indians - Page 8

Earliest Locals of Note

Labors of Love

Listings of the many & varied events coming up - 9

Penngrove & Neighborhood Events

Penngrove PanthersInside Penngrove Sips, Savors & SoundsPenngrove Map & DirectoryCotati - In The NeighborhoodEvent Listings

HigHligHts:Pg. 5Pg. 6Pg. 7Pgs. 10/11 Pg. 14Pg. 19

Penngrove businesses run by couples - Page 4

Your Community Magazine

Corner of Main Street and Adobe Road Circa 1874

PENNGROVE PROUD spring 20112

Experience The Dream Team

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(continued, )

As winter approaches, the real estatemarket will likely slow down. That’swhen it becomes especially importantto have a skilled Realtor on your side.If you are buying, a knowledgeableRealtor will know where to find goodhomes, even if there are fewer homeson the market. If you are selling, agood agent will know how to attractqualified buyers, even if fewer peopleare looking. Are you thinking ofbuying or selling soon? If so, give mea call or send me an e-mail today, andlet’s work together. I offer thoroughknowledge of the local market, friendlyservice, and no sales pressure.

Wishing to save a few bucks oncommission, some adventurous sellersembark on the home selling task withoutan agent. You’ve heard the usualarguments against doing this — thepaperwork hassle, the improper pricing,the legal pitfalls — so I will not talk aboutthose here. Instead, here are the drawbacksof a different kind that are almost alwaysoverlooked — the emotional ones.

That Uncomfortable FeelingTo some people selling is second nature— they easily strike up conversations withperfect strangers and quickly earntheir trust and their business.However, for a larger majority,tr ying to sell something to astranger feels uncomfortable. The“uncomfortableness” is amplifiedif a person has an emotionalattachment to the thing beingsold (as is the case with homes).Hearing negativecomments about one’shome and facingrejection repeatedly is adreadful experience for many solo-sellers.

Those who work with an agent have iteasy. A good agent will gently provide adviceon what improvements are needed and howto best stage the home for showings. Theagent handles the showings, answers theobjections of potential buyers, and is trainedto handle the “salesy” part of guidingsomeone from “just looking” to “I want tomake an offer.” The seller just sits, smiles,and waits for a signed offer to arrive.

AnxietyAs you already know, selling a homeinvolves lots of paperwork, much of it

Do You Really Need an Agent?mandated by law. Forget something, andyou may find yourself in legal hot water.For-Sale-By-Owners may be fairly certainthat they have dotted all the “i”s andcrossed all the “t”s, but many will stillworry: “Did I provide all of the disclosures?Was everything done properly?” Thiscreates anxiety. Then, after the sale, theunexpected call: “Hi, this is the buyer.There’s water in the basement and this wasnot disclosed to me before the purchase.”The seller stutters: “I was not aware ofthat...” “We’ll see,” replies the buyer, “I’llhave someone contact you soon.” Now

the seller has to sweat and worry andagonize and lose sleep waiting forthat call from “someone” whosename is probably followed by“ESQ.” Don’t get me wrong —

many solo sellers complete theirtransactions without any legalproblems. But just thinking, “AmI forgetting something” createsunnecessary anxiety.

How does working with anagent alleviate this? An agentis trained in all the different

legal aspects of selling a home. Not onlydoes this minimize the chances ofsomething going wrong, but it also givesthe seller added peace of mind — one lessthing to worry about. Does this meanthat agents are perfect and never makemistakes? No, but they have Errors andOmissions Insurance if something shouldgo wrong. Hey, even more peace of mind!

Stress and DisappointmentSelling a home takes time. Time to do theadvertising, time to show the home, timeto talk to potential buyers, time to properly

Homeowner NewsNovember 2010

TM

Barbara’sBarbara J. Perry MBA Broker Associate Realtor DRE Licence #01871490

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Community Health & Fitness FairSaturday, April 2nd, 10am-2pm

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PENNGROVE PROUDspring 2011

It’s been a cold and rainy winter and, despite the very real concerns of global warming, we look forward to a sunny spring with the promise of bounti-ful crops for farmers, vintners and gardeners of all persua-sions. Penngrove is never so beautiful as when fields and pastures engender new growth, blooming flowers and fresh vegetables alike, and embrace the magical rites of spring as only our verdant valley of plenty can offer.

One of the Proud’s missions from the very outset was not only to keep people up to date with current events in Penngrove, but also to share some of its remarkable history. Now our in-trepid correspondent Chuck Lucas has come up with what we like to call, with apologies to Mel Brooks, the Complete

History of Penngrove, Part One, an explora-tion into the early days of our region when it was inhabited and nurtured by the Miwok Indian tribe. As you will see, in some respects we’ve come a long way; in others, perhaps we have to look back to the wisdom of our fore-bears to learn how to keep our Mother Earth flourishing and surviving. Without which our social fabric, political leanings or life itself would have little meaning.

Penngrove, though small in size, is made up of many differ-ent peoples, some here for generations, some newly-arrived, and each with different backgrounds, views and outlooks. This issue, we take a look at local businesses started by husband and wife teams, often a formidable challenge in combining personal and professional lives, but seemingly a rewarding one, as you will discover, when love and labor work hand in hand.

We also invite you to get involved in local activities that in turn support community projects like our valiant Social Firemen who put on so many fine events that raise funds for things like the new playground equipment in the park and the 4th of July parade.

Last thought, it’s time to get your garden growing, even the small plot out back can support a small herb or kitchen garden, and there’s nothing like watching those tomatoes, beans or lettuce start sprouting a few months from now; then wait til you get to eat them!

Don’t forget that Penngrove Proud is online, as well as print, to share with your friends and family all around the world at www.penngroveproud.com. Let them know, so they to can keep up with all that’s going on in our town...

Labors of Love: Penngrove businesses run by couples — Page 4

Penngrove Elementary School News — Page 5

Reader’s Comments — Page 5

Inside Penngrove — Page 6

Sips, Savors & Sounds — Page 7

The Earliest Locals of Note — Page 8

Penngrove Map — Page 10 & 11

Service Directory — Page 10 & 11

Cotati - In the Neighborhood — Page 14

Mother Knows Best — Page 18

Penngrove Pantry — Page 18

Community Switchboard — Page 19

Hometown & Neighborhood Events — Page 19

INDEx

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PAGE

Welcome from the Publisher

Eclipse above Penngrove

10070 Main St., Penngrove, CA 707-793-0100

Passanisi’s in Downtown Penngrove

Passanisi’s Downtown With coupon - Expires 5/29/11 $5 off $30 purchase

Treasures for your Home & Garden. Unique, affordable gifts

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Come check out all our locally handmade products

Lynda Sutton-SmithPublisher


Publisher/Creative Director - Lynda Sutton-SmithEditorial Director - John Sutton-Smith

Published By Double S Designs P.O. Box 553, Penngrove, CA 94951

707.665.9408 - [email protected] www.penngroveproud.com

Published Quarterly - Available via Direct Mail, Penngrove Merchants and local businesses.


Contributing Writers - A.R. Amis, Chuck Lucas,

Contributing Photographers - Chuck Lucas, John Sutton-Smith, Lynda Sutton-Smith,

Advertising Executive - Debbie Goodier Koos

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Continued on page 12~

For some couples, the idea of saying goodbye at the front door and leaving for work everyday is an essential part of maintain-ing ones own identity in a marriage or long-term relationship. Yet for others, living and working together is the perfect com-plement of their partnership. It is no secret how hard it can be to start and build a small business in today’s economic climate, and the stresses and strains that come with that can play havoc with even the most stalwart of relationships, but it can also be a joy to build a dream with the one you love beside you during good times and bad.

Here in Penngrove there are far more small busi-nesses than you might imagine in the commu-nity, some more obvious with shingles on Main Street, but many tucked away in the nearby houses and farmlands, and lots of them have been started by husband and wife teams.

One of the veterans of Main Street now, having started in 1994 as a video store next to the Penngrove Market, is Julie and Joe Caprara of Caprara’s Pizza. They moved onto pizza in 1998 when there were no other eateries to be found in Penngrove. Both Joe and Julie dreamed of their own pizza business after Joe complained that there was “no good pizza delivery.” No such complaints now! They opened their new larger space over in The Grove in 2007.

“I should let my husband answer this, better if I get to read what he has to say,” Julie laughed when asked about the best and worst things about working with her spouse. “That prob-ably sums up how we like to work together.”

“You have to always agree to disagree,” she said, “but then you’re always here together, so you know what each other is up to.”

On the other hand, “When we take our holidays, we close. We always do that at Thanksgiving time and that’s been known since we’ve opened. Everybody is always aware of Thanksgiving vacation.”

“I think the best thing is that when you do work together, if you start the business together, I feel you’re more apt to be suc-cessful, because we both put in the same amount of time and the same amount of energy.” “There was a lot of struggles, the hours, and working other jobs,” Joe recalled. “It was very difficult, because the video store wouldn’t support us, so we had to hold our other jobs as well. And we did that for five years.”

“It’s a labor of love, but it’s very tiring,” says Joe. “It’s a lot of long hours, but it is rewarding. The new location really helped and the kids are a huge help. You know I couldn’t even imagine doing this without them. This place is truly a family business, because honestly the girls do so much for us.”

LABORS OF LOVECouples team up for business in Penngrove

Julie & Joe Caprara

PENNGROVE PROUDspring 2011 5

Penngrove PanthersPenngrove Elementary School News

ReadeR’s Comments

,

Dear Editor,I read your magazine frequently. It has had some interesting articles, and I especially enjoy the ones with historical information. However I found the grape article to be incomplete. Far too often history is sani-tized to the point of inaccuracy. For exam-ple, the Spanish Catholic missions became slave camps where local native Americans were forced into, and often tortured.

Also it would be great to point out that there are now some organic wines. Pesticides and artificial fertilizers have been poisoning our air, water and work-ers for many decades.... So we are being continually poisoned by several sources including the wine industry.

Thank you, Barbara Daugherty

Dear Penngrove Proud,Thank you for your beautifully-presented magazine, especially the cover of the last issue which was spectacular. It certainly does Penngrove ‘proud’ to have our own community ‘mag’ and to know who is doing what in town. I have already discov-ered some very useful local businesses here that I didn’t know existed before.

I hope everyone appreciates your work and the opportunity to promote their wares and services to the community at large.

Thanks again, Jessica Kramer

Send letters or comments to Penngrove Proud, POB 553, Penngrove, CA 94051

or email: [email protected]

At the last Dine & Donate of 2010, the patrons of Sally Tomatoes were delight-fully entertained with holiday caroling by our own Penngrove Elementary students. A group of twelve carolers were accompanied by 6th grader Robert Chipman on the electric guitar. These talented stu-dents definitely made everyone’s night merry & bright! Before the winter break, Ms. Rochelle’s class put on the wonderful play Jack and the Beanstalk. The whole class was very excited to share the musical with the audience of families and fellow students. All participants received bou-quets courtesy of LV Flowers in Cotati. A yearbook cover contest is being held again this year allowing students to show off their artistic flair. The theme for the cover is simple: Our school! The contest winner will receive a free yearbook and some colorful pens for autographs! Run,

don’t walk as ‘Girls on the Run’ returns to Penngrove this spring. Using the power of running and being ac-tive, girls learn important life skills such as teamwork, leadership, goal-setting, conflict resolution and healthy decision making. Thank you to all the volunteers who make this program possible. February was the month for the Penngrove Festival of the Arts, starting off with the return of the talent show, going under the new name of Penngrove Idol! This year’s show was once again packed with a variety of acts, from rock-n-roll to tap dancing, singing to original skits and traditional cultur-al dances. For the first time, the show included a panel of ‘Idol Judges’. Simon Cowell, you’ve got nothing on these kids. It was a fun-filled night of talent featuring our very own Penngrove ‘stars’. This year’s event had to

be moved over to Kennilworth Junior High School due to over-whelming response over the years. The 6th grade Outdoor Education Dept. held a very successful bake sale before the show and at intermis-sion, along with a PTA-sponsored Silent Auction. Following this was the Annual Art Show, open to all students to partici-pate in. The display was set up in the main building, transforming the hall into an art gallery. Students brought in all kinds of art works, including photography, painting, sculpture and crafts for display. The first Penngrove Jog-a-thon was held March 2nd. It was a fun and fit activity for kin-dergartners through sixth-graders to help earn money for their school, with all the children striving for their own ‘personal best’. Some of the funds will be used for each teacher to receive a $500 classroom grant to buy classroom supplies. Believe it or not teachers receive only about $100 for supplies per year! Jog kids jog!

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The Retail Nursery with the Name of the Town

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Ms. Rochelle’s class. Photo courtesy of Nicole Whitehorn

Emily Isetta & Natalie Mar at the Penngrove Idol


Inside Penngrove

6

Penngrove will be hosting its first Community Health and Fitness Fair on Saturday, April 2nd from 10am - 2pm. It’s all taking place at the Penngrove Station, just behind the park (see photo #3). A variety of local health-related businesses will be there to share infor-mation and give away samples, including our own Main Street Fitness, Stay in Touch Massage and Tarma Designs. Cindy Tuck of Main Street Fitness is spearheading this event, so stop by and see what they have to help you live a healthier lifestyle! Cindy and Jim Tuck’s daughter, Petaluma High School sophomore Courtney Tuck, placed third in the CA indoor state track meet that was held at the end of February. She broke the 15 year old Empire high jump record from 1996 of 5’, by clearing 5’-4”. Congratulations! Welcome to Frizelle Enos Feed Store that will be open-ing in mid-March in the former Larsen Feed Store down behind the old bank building. This will be a full service feed store, similar to Enos Feed store in Sebastopol. Mack’s Bar and Grill is now open and attracting thirsty locals. Drop in for a cold drink and some lunch or dinner, don’t miss the pulled pork sandwich. Live entertainment on Saturday nights, no cover and open mic on Thursday

evenings. Penngrove Elementary has been keeping busy with its Festival of the Arts, including their annual Talent Show, billed this year as ‘Penngrove Idol’, which had to be moved to a larger venue this year as so many families, friends and community mem-bers come to enjoy this annual event.

Broad inventory of Glassware, Formal & Casual Dishware, Pottery, Furniture, Paintings,

Jewelry, Buttons, Kitchen Decor, Children’s Dishware, Cast Iron,

Pyrex & Bakelite Utensils.

Want information on a favorite piece? We can research background and market price information for you.

We carry: Lenox, Booth, Spode,

Franciscan, Minton, Pacific Pottery,

Mikasa, Catalina, Jeanette Glass,

Lancaster, Bauer, Redwing, Viking, Cambridge and much more...

Open: 11am-4pm Tuesday thru Saturday10010 Main St. Penngrove - 707-792-2733

$3.00 Happy Hour - Mon to Fri - 3-6pm$3.00 Beer, Wine and 1/2 Town Burgers

Sonoma State Students and StaffHappy Hour - All Day - Mon-Fri

10070 Main Street, Penngrove * 665-9790 www.penngrovesuperburger.com

Burgers * Beer * Milkshakes

Penngrove

(with Univ. ID)

The Girl Scouts of Sonoma County held their Thinking Day celebration, once again at Penngrove school this year, with all troops attending. Each troop chose to represent a different country and made displays and food depicting them (see photo #2). There was a great deal of excitement downtown a few weeks ago when a major water main burst on Main Street. Downtown roads were closed until the gushing water could be stopped. Thanks to Tom Richman for sending me the picture (see photo #1). Redwood Montessori School kindergarten class will be having their annual cookie sale on Saturday May 7th, from 12-2pm in front of the school. They are raisng money to help endangered animals. The children will spend the month of April learning all about the animals they chose to support and why they are endangered. When you’re traveling up or down Highway 101 through Novato and you’re hun-gry, or just want some tasty treats to take home, stop at the Rustic Bakery cafe’s new location on Grant Ave. They offer delightful breakfasts and lunches. Try the quiche – yummy! The Penngrove Social Firemen have been putting on some tasty events of their own, including the Sausage and Risotto Dinner, which over 200 people attended, with the the proceeds going towards funding for the July 4th Parade. From the looks of things everyone at the ever-popular annual Crab Feed enjoyed the delicious crab, pasta and salad, and certainly ate their fill. Don’t miss their next event - the annual Corned Beef and Cabbage Feast on Saturday, March 13th. Great food, drinks, games, music and fun! Once the ground dries up from all the rain, the new playground equip-ment that is being purchased from the funds raised by the PSF Luau will be installed in the park. Looking forward to some nice spring weather soon, so get out, soak up some sun and enjoy it! See you around town.


Sips, Savors & SoundsSomething 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.

7

Mack’s Bar & Grill A new neighborhood bar and grill in the old Black Cat location, 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.

superBurGerIf 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 take-out. Children’s menu.

Yanni’s sausaGe GrillTucked 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.

Full circle BakinG coMpanYBaking 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.

pennGrove puB 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.

rustic BakerYWith their organic handmade flatbreads, crostini, and shortbreads, Rustic Bakery is a rising star in the artisan food world. In front of their bakeries in Larkspur and the new one in Novato, are comfy neighborhood cafes with great croissants, pastries, organic soups and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.

caprara’s pizzeriaEnjoy a tasty lunch or dinner with a choice of indoor or out-door 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 sal-ads, plus soft drinks, beer and wine. Delivery available.

JavaMoré caFéThis is what a local coffee shop should be like everywhere! Kim and her friendly staff offer a wide variety of quality cof-fees, 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.

twin oaks tavern 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.

All addresses and phone numbers can be found in the Service Directory on page 10

...for the love of coffee

10101 Main St., The Grove Suite A, Penngrove, CA

A large variety of delicious Coffee & Tea. Enjoy Breakfast & Lunch, including Pastries,

Omelets, Bagels, Smoothies, Sandwiches, Soups & Salads. Special Children’s Menu.

Celebrating our 8th year in Penngrove

open: Mon-Fri: 6:30am-3:30pmSat: 7am-3pm, Sun: 8am-2pm

Breakfast Hours:Thurs.-Fri: 7:30-11am

Sat: 7am-12pm, Sun: 8am-1:30pm707-794-1516

Our SpecialityEggs Benedict

Served Saturday & Sunday only

CateringAvailable


HISTORY OF PENNGROVE, PART ONE

THE STONE AGE PEOPLE OF PENNGROVE

The pungent smoke from the campfire wafts slowly skyward fill-ing the umbrella of oak trees with a fine haze in the warm October sky. The sounds of children laughing and playing can be heard. Women and young girls giggle and gossip as they weave their intricate baskets, but the prevalent sound is from a

group of women relentlessly pounding their stone mortars with basalt pestles while singing the ancient rhythmic ances-tral acorn-grinding songs. These sounds, like the smoke, permeate the air. The women are preparing the dinner meal as they await the return of the hunters. This year’s harvest has been good to them and the mood among the women is

By Chuck Lucas

The Earliest cheerful. The acorn mush they are preparing is a daily staple in the Miwok diet and provides a sense of security knowing their granary baskets are full. This scene was repeated for thousands of years by Penngrove’s earliest inhabitants – the Coast Miwok Indians.

THE COAST MIWOKSFor at least 5,000 years before they first set eyes upon Europeans when they saw Sir Francis Drake’s ship, the Golden Hind, at Drake’s Bay in 1579, (verified by Drake’s Chaplain Francis Fletcher’s diary), the Coast Miwoks (“Miwok” means “People”) lived a life of plenty in and around Penngrove. The Miwok vil-lages ranged from Bodega Bay on the north, eastward towards the town of present day Sonoma and included all of Marin County to San Francisco Bay. Over 600 archeological sites have been found in these areas usually found around small bays, ponds, streams and rivers. Their neighbors were the Pomo’s in Sebastopol to the north and the Ohlones that occupied the San Francisco peninsula and lived in settlements as far south as Point Sur. These tribes lived similar lifestyles consistent with other prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies through out the his-tory of mankind but the mild climate and abundance of food and wildlife gave the Miwoks a lifestyle to be envied.

The Miwoks were a short, stout people with long black hair and dark skin. The men usually didn’t wear clothing if the weather was good. Women would wear skirts made of grass or tule reeds. Young children didn’t wear clothing but older children dressed like the adults. In the colder months they would make capes and blankets out of animal skins. Strips of rabbit skin would be sewn to the skins of dear or mountain lion providing a warm soft lin-ing. Bearskins were used to sleep upon. Piercing of the nose and ears took place at an early age and both the men and women would have facial tattoos. They would adorn their bodies with beads and necklaces made of bone and shells as a fashion statement.

When the weather was good most of the Miwok daily life took place outdoors. The houses (kotcas) were constructed with vari-ous materials that they found locally. Houses were usually made with tule reeds that were bound together and latched to large willow poles. Other materials used were the bark of redwood and cedar trees that formed a teepee shaped domicile. The basic house was ten to twenty feet long and would usually hold one or two families. The men usually built their sweat lodges under-ground with sod covering a large framework of poles. The houses were small and cramped. From the rafters of the kotcas hung many of the families necessities covered with hanging basketry, skins, weapons and traps.

The males spent their days hunting and fishing. When they returned from their hunting they would relax in their sweat lodges (lammas), sweating and conjuring up power and magic to ensure the game was abundant for the next day’s hunt as well as sweating out the human scent. With a bow and arrow (intro-duced around 500 A.D.), they hunted deer, elk, Grizzly bears, brown bears, squirrels, raccoons and rabbits. Deer were valuable to the tribe for their meat and all the parts of the animal were used. The antlers, horns and hoofs were used to make tools and

Miwok Indian Chief


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Building Blocks Preschool Inc.Start Your Child on the Right Track!

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MaryJo Thurston Owner/Director

Lic # 493003701

9

the skin was tanned with the brains of the animal for clothing. Quail, geese, ducks and other small waterfowl were hunted with nets and bolas. Small animals such as gophers (finally a good use for them), insects, lizards and snakes may have been the original fast food and often hunted by young boys with sticks or snares. The next meal was only a short walk away. For the Miwoks eating local wasn’t only a way of life, it was the only way of life.

“ALMOST AMPHIBIOUS”Our region had a lot more water in those days and the land was dotted with small rivers, streams, saltwater marshes and freshwater swamps. Stephen Powers, a nineteenth century ethnologist, said the natives were “almost amphibious”. The Miwoks would often journey from their base camp as they fol-lowed the food chain, traveling long distances on foot as the seasons dictated. A journey to the coast would provide salmon, clams, crabs, mussels, oysters and abalone caught with a variety of tools such as nets, digging sticks, harpoons, and basket traps as well as fish hooks made of stone.

While the men were out hunting, women would do the grind-ing of acorns and collect seeds and grasses. In the fall and winter they would collect shellfish by digging into mud flats to find clams and returning with woven burden baskets filled with mollusks from the bays and estuaries. The mounds of shells were often the clue to finding the settlements by archeologists. Every day women and children would gather firewood for their fires and ovens.

The Coast Miwoks were exceptional basket weavers and their work is highly prized among collectors and museums. They are valued not only for their intrinsic beauty and delicate designs but because they are extremely rare. Made of reeds, fern roots, sedge roots, willow branches and other organic materials they were very perishable and usually left no record of their exis-tence. According to Gene Buvelot, a Miwok council member, (the Miwoks are now known as the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) one of the largest collections of Miwok basketry is in Russia which received them in trade from the Miwoks while the Russians were at Fort Ross. Baskets were

used to store the harvest of acorns, nuts and grasses and were also the main utensil for cooking. They had no kettles, pans or microwaves so they would cook their dinner in one of two ways: one was roasting over an open fire (mmm… BBQ), and the other method was to place very hot rocks in a tightly woven basket filled with water. The rocks would be removedwhen they cooled and more hot rocks would be added until the liquid would come to a boil. It’s fascinating that a mere 200 years ago a Stone Age civilization existed and thrived right in our own backyards.

THE ACORN EMPIREFor millennia before Sonoma County became known as the “Redwood Empire” it could have been called the “Acorn


Sonoma hills


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E - COMMUNITY CHURCH

F - COMMUNITY CLUBHOUSE

G - PENNGROVE POWER & IMPLEMENT & MUSEUM

H - FAIRFIELD OSBORN PRESERVE

PENNGROVE

1 - APPLE CRATE, COTATI 2 - ARCH’S GLASS, COTATI 3 - BRANDNER VETERINARY HOSPITAL, PETALUMA

4 - COTATI CHAMBER, COTATI 5 - FRIEDMAN'S HOME IMPROVEMENT, SANTA ROSA

6 - GLENN’S AUTO, PETALUMA

7 - MILLER’S DRIVING SCHOOL, COTATI 8 - MORE UNLIMITED, COTATI

9 - REED’S TRAILER SALES, PETALUMA 10 - RUSTIC BAKERY, NOVATO & LARKSPUR

11 - SCANDIA, ROHNERT PARK

12 - SEVALLI, THWAITES & SOPER INSURANCE, PETALUMA

13 - WHOLE FOODS, PETALUMA

LOCALBUSINESSES

Orchard Valley & Kohl’s Shopping Centers

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21 - STAY IN TOUCH

22 - SUPERBURGER

23 - TWIN OAKS GARAGE

24 - YANNI’S SAUSAGE GRILL

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2 - BARBARA PERRY REAL ESTATE

3 - BUD’S CUSTOM MEATS

4 - BUILDING BLOCKS PRE-SCHOOL

5 - CAPRARA’S PIZZERIA

6 - DAVIS PUBLISHING 7 - DOUBLE K DESIGNS

8 - FRIZELLE ENOS FEED STORE 9 - FULL CIRCLE BAKING CO.

10 - JAVAMORÉ CAFÉ

11 - MACK’S BAR & GRILL

12 - MAIN STREET FITNESS

13 - PASSANISI’S HOME & GARDEN

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15 - PENNGROVE GROWER’S NURSERY 16 - PENNGROVE HAIR COMPANY

17 - PENNGROVE MARKET

18 - PENNGROVE PETS

19 - REDWOOD MONTESSORI SCHOOL

20 - STATE FARM - TONY MAESTRI

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LocalService

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Shop LocallySupport

Your Neighbors

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PENNGROVE

Apple Crate, 8109 La Plaza, Cotati, 664-1469Arch’s Glass, 8079 La Plaza, Cotati, 795-6976 Avon - Elaine Muller, Penngrove, 364-8724Azevedo Antiques - 10010 Main St., Penngrove, 792-2733Barbara & Joseph Perry Real Estate, Penngrove, 477-9101Bauman College - The Grove, 10151 Main St., Penngrove, 794-1284Baxman Trailers, 610 Pepper Rd., Petaluma, 795-4392Beyond the Glory Sports Bar, 1371 N. McDowell Blvd., #130, Petaluma, 775-3775Brander Veterinary Hospital - 347 Lakeville St., Petaluma, 762-3549Brodie’s Tire - 1276 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 778-7808Bud’s Custom Meats - 7750 Petaluma Hill Road, 795-8402Building Blocks Pre-School - 228 Adobe Rd., Penngrove, 792-2280CA Audio/Video - The Grove, 10101 Main St., Penngrove - 795-9065Caprara’s Pizzeria - The Grove, 10101 Main St., Penngrove, 664-1515Century 21 Bundesen - Martha Cooper, 612 Petaluma Blvd., S. Petaluma, 769-7176Century 21 Bundesen - Georgia Marino, 612 Petaluma Blvd., S. Petaluma, 769-7171Clover-Stornetta Dairy - www.cloverstornetta.comCotati Akidio, 216 East School Street, Cotati, 477-9158Cotati Chamber, 216 East School Street, Cotati, 795-5508Cotati Corner, 1818 La Plaza, Cotati, 793-9357Davis Publishing/Artful Arrangements - 205 Orchard Lane, Penngrove, 664-8656Deborah Morris, LCSW, 315 E. Cotati Ave., Suite G, Cotati, 415-383-3469Double K Designs - 5701 Old Redwood Hwy. Suite A, Penngrove, 792-2673Ferina Trucking - Penngrove, 696-5826Fishman Supply Company - 1345 Industrial Ave., Petaluma, 795-8082Friedman’s Home Improvement - 4055 Santa Rosa Ave. Santa Rosa, 588-7632Fringe Beauty Salon - The Grove, Main St., Ste C, Penngrove - 792-2444Frizelle Enos Feeds, 10035 Main Street, Penngrove, 992-0144


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PENNGROVEBUSINESSES

A - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

B - FIRE STATION

C - PENNGROVE PARK

D - POST OFFICE

E - COMMUNITY CHURCH

F - COMMUNITY CLUBHOUSE

G - PENNGROVE POWER & IMPLEMENT & MUSEUM

H - FAIRFIELD OSBORN PRESERVE

PENNGROVE

1 - APPLE CRATE, COTATI 2 - ARCH’S GLASS, COTATI 3 - BRANDNER VETERINARY HOSPITAL, PETALUMA

4 - COTATI CHAMBER, COTATI 5 - FRIEDMAN'S HOME IMPROVEMENT, SANTA ROSA

6 - GLENN’S AUTO, PETALUMA

7 - MILLER’S DRIVING SCHOOL, COTATI 8 - MORE UNLIMITED, COTATI

9 - REED’S TRAILER SALES, PETALUMA 10 - RUSTIC BAKERY, NOVATO & LARKSPUR

11 - SCANDIA, ROHNERT PARK

12 - SEVALLI, THWAITES & SOPER INSURANCE, PETALUMA

13 - WHOLE FOODS, PETALUMA

LOCALBUSINESSES

Orchard Valley & Kohl’s Shopping Centers

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22 - SUPERBURGER

23 - TWIN OAKS GARAGE

24 - YANNI’S SAUSAGE GRILL

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2 - BARBARA PERRY REAL ESTATE

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4 - BUILDING BLOCKS PRE-SCHOOL

5 - CAPRARA’S PIZZERIA

6 - DAVIS PUBLISHING 7 - DOUBLE K DESIGNS

8 - FRIZELLE ENOS FEED STORE 9 - FULL CIRCLE BAKING CO.

10 - JAVAMORÉ CAFÉ

11 - MACK’S BAR & GRILL

12 - MAIN STREET FITNESS

13 - PASSANISI’S HOME & GARDEN

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15 - PENNGROVE GROWER’S NURSERY 16 - PENNGROVE HAIR COMPANY

17 - PENNGROVE MARKET

18 - PENNGROVE PETS

19 - REDWOOD MONTESSORI SCHOOL

20 - STATE FARM - TONY MAESTRI

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Petaluma

San Francisco

Sevall, Thwaites and SoperInsurance Agency

Ray SoperPartner/Broker - License 0599302

For all your Farm, Home, Auto, and Commercial Needs

1345 Redwood Way, Petaluma, CA 94954Phone: 707-794-9950 Fax: 707-794-9973

Wed-Fri 11-7, Sat 11:30-7, Sun 11-3

All our sausages are handmade with our original, traditional recipes!

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Full Circle Baking Co. - The Grove, Main St., Ste 120, Penngrove, 794-9445 Giant Tree Removal Experts - POB 955, Penngrove - 849-2172Glenn’s Auto - 1309 Ross St. Petaluma, 762-4360JavAmoré Café, The Grove - 10101 Main St., Penngrove, 794-1516Jay-Palm’s Western Store - 5701 Old Redwood Hwy., Penngrove, 795-5189Ken Giorgi Electric - 766-4721Lasley Mechanical - 9555 Main St, Penngrove, 795-5232Mack’s Bar & Grill - 10056 Main St., Penngrove, 793-9480Main Street Fitness - The Grove, 10101 Main St., Penngrove, 792-0646Maverick Leather Company - 9550 Main St., Penngrove - 792-2208Miller Driving School, 8053 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati, 585-1398More Unlimited, 8282 Old Redwood Hwy. Cotati, 285-3400Music Together - www.redwoodmusictogetherOliver’s Market - 545 East Cotati Ave. Cotati, 795-9501Orchard Supply Hardware - N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma, 664-1114Palace of Fruit - 8 N. Ely Rd., Penngrove, 795-5311. Passanisi Nursery - 8270 Petaluma Hill Rd. Penngrove, 792-2674Passanisi‘s Home & Garden Store - 10070 Main St., Penngrove, 793-0100Pecoraro’s Academy of Martial Arts - www. rpdojo.com, 795-3135Penngrove Community Club House - 397 Oak St. Penngrove, 795-5958Penngrove Community Church - 9970 Oak St., Penngrove, 795-5919Penngrove Elementary School - 365 Adobe Rd., Penngrove, 778-4755Penngrove Growers Nursery - 9740 Old Redwood Hwy. Penngrove, 795-4043Penngrove Hair Co. - 10025 Main St., Penngrove, 792-6800Penngrove Market - 230 Main St., Penngrove, 795-3232 Penngrove Motorcycle Co. Shop & Clothing Store - 9585 Main St, Penngrove, 793-7993Penngrove Pet’s - 10035 Main St., Penngrove, 795-2275Penngrove Pub - 10005 Main St., Penngrove, 664-8018Penngrove Station Mini Storage - 110 Woodward Ave., Penngrove, 664-9200Peter’s Nursery - 10330 Old Redwood Hwy., Penngrove, 795-5959Quality Inn - 5100 Montero Way, Petaluma, 664-1155Rafy’s Pizzeria, 1390 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 793-9900Redwood Empire Gymnastics - 434 Payran St., Petaluma, 763-5010Redwood Montessori School - 11201 Main St., Penngrove, 665-9830Reed’s Trailer Sales, 5500-A Old Redwood Hwy, Petaluma, 792-9100Roca Construction, Penngrove, 664-8502Sasee Hair, 70 West Cotati Avenue, Cotati, 793-0811Scandia, 5301 Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park, 584-1398S.C. Phillips Enterprises - Penngrove, 795-7425Sevalli, Thwaites & Soper Insurance, 1345 Redwood Way, Petaluma, 794-9950Softshell Massage & Spa - 10 Kentucky St., Petaluma, 773-4950Sophie Makes It Simple - www.sophiemakesitsimple.com, 503-289-7524Starlight Developing - Penngrove, 479-4544STS Transportation - Penngrove, 795-761State Farm Insurance, Tony Maestri, Penngrove, 585-9931Stay in Touch Massage, 11790 Main St., Penngrove, 527-7829SuperBurger - 10070 Main St., Penngrove, 665-9790Tailwagger Inn - 9239 Old Redwood Hwy, Penngrove, 729-6791The Grove Plaza - 10101 Main St., Penngrove, 479-4544Twin Oaks Garage - 5745 Old Redwood Hwy. Penngrove, 795-4803Twin Oaks Tavern - 5745 Old Redwood Hwy. Penngrove, 795-5118Valkyrie Tattoo - 10002 Main St., Penngrove, 794-9390Whole Foods Market, 621 East Washington St., Petaluma, wholefoods.comWillow Farms - Roberts Road, Penngrove, 793-1003Yanni’s Sausage Grill, 10007 Main St., Penngrove, 795-7088


10151 Main St., Suite 120, Penngrove, CA707.794.9445

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Continued from page 4~

John and Francesca Vrattos make spectacular sausage-based sandwiches at Yanni’s where they have been cooking up their gourmet sausages, pizza and pastries on Main Street for nearly a year. John was the sales manager for large bakeries in San Francisco and Oakland, when he was laid off after 30 years, so this is the first time they’ve really worked together as a couple. “But we’ve been married 32 years, so we know each other pretty well,” Francesca says.

Most couples have either worked together all their lives or not at all, so it is unusual to start working together later in life. As Fran-cesca says, “The best thing is we get to put our ideas together. We have our own talents – John is very good at marketing and advertising and sales, and I do the recipes and come up with the concoctions for all our sausages and pizzas. And he’s got the grill down. He’s kind of a perfectionist with that; he does everything consistently and our main thing is always to be consistent in what we offer to the customers.”

They have a perfect complement of talents. “Yes, exactly. We know each other so well that we know what each oth-er needs. You know what buttons to push and not push and that makes it much easier. When you work with a stranger or someone you don’t get

along with there’s always that conflict, but we don’t have conflict in our marriage and we’re friends, so that always helps.”

The Penngrove Market has been a mainstay of the town for many years and through a succession of owners. Now Tarun Gaur and his wife Prithi have taken over the store. Tarun has owned other markets in the area before he married Prithi. “So I guess you can say she married into it,” he says. “I think some of the best things are that we share not only the headaches, but the benefits of owning a business, and we pretty much know what the other one’s thinking, how we’re going to do things. If I need something done, I can count on her and vice-versa.”

“My wife and I get along so well,” he continued. “I think the bond is stronger for couples that work together, because you

share not only the headaches but also the benefits. And the other person knows where you’re coming from; Oh it was a long day, or whatever. They know because they were right there with you.”

Making good food and selling it is a natural business for married partners – not so different from what they might do at home perhaps, but teaching, real estate and even personal training are also businesses at which Penngrove couples have made a success.

Jeff and Kim Mattison have been together for thirty one years and have run the Redwood Mon-tessori School for ten years. When they found the cute yellow house on Main Street, “it was in bad shape,” Jeff recalled.

“We wanted to be in a kind of one-room schoolhouse,” said Kim, “and I was taking Jeff to work one day and we saw this house with a For Lease sign up, and a bunch of garbage every-where. Jeff said to me, Are you sure?”

“We knew it was going to be a lot of work,” added Jeff. “It took us about eight months to fix up, it had been so neglected. We knew if we were going to do this, we were going to do it with a standard of excellence, both inside the classroom, and in terms of the community. We wanted a place that would reflect well on the community.”

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Welcome to your New Neighborhood Bar & Grill

10056 Main St. Penngrove, CA707-793-9480

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13

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707-665-9830Redwoodmontessori.com

$100 off first month’s

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“where children love to learn”

Redwood Montessori School

You start thinking, Well if they can do it, why can’t we do it?” said Kim who was a veteran Montessori teacher before starting their own school. “We were sitting on the sofa and Jeff said, Why don’t you write up a business plan? And I said, What’s a business plan? When I find out what it was, I wrote one.”

Originally, the idea was for Jeff to continue his day job while they got the school going, and just manage the business for Kim, but they were successful quicker than they anticipated. “It wasn’t designed for me to be in the classroom that soon,” said Jeff, “but it worked and I found it to be a natural thing for me.”

Jeff and Kim had spent a couple of years traveling together ear-lier in their relationship, going all over the world. So as Jeff says, “we had been spending 24 hours a day together before, and we get along pretty well. For us being the owners and liv-ing together, it’s sort of like its school 24/7.”

Cindy and Jim Tuck run Main Street Fitness together. They didn’t plan to start a business together when they first met. “I actually met my husband at a gym,” Cindy told us. “I was go-ing in to sign up as a member and he was a trainer there. And that was 25 years ago.”

Like many couples who start their own business, Jim and Cindy worked various different jobs while setting it up. “He was a foreman for a major con-struction company,” said Cindy, “and I was an accountant for

a big company in Petaluma. His sister owned a gym and he branched out from that and opened his own personal training studio. A couple of years after I had triplets, I just needed to get out of the house, so he said to me, Why don’t you be a personal trainer for a couple of days a week. So I did and in 1997, we got a new home in Penngrove and he left his job for something completely different, completely new with four children.”

“The plusses for us are that we’re literally a block away from our home; we wanted to be in Penngrove, because that’s where we

live and the kids go to school. The downside is that if we want to take a vacation, we’re both gone, so we have to really plan for that and it’s far and few between.” Business is doing so well that they are now looking for one or two full-time trainers to join the team.

Barbara and Joseph Perry run their own real estate company and as Barbara says, “It’s always good to have a partner in case you’re stuck somewhere else, he can get there. He’s also a lot better at computers than I am, and that helps.”

The harsh business climate can also challenge even the closest of couples. “Yes, it can be very stressful with the economy,” Barbara admits, “and you feel that tension when you’re doing it together.” However she said, “I think this year is going to be a lot better.”

Her husband Joe has worked in commercial real estate for many years, while Barbara does residential. “It’s a lot different,” she says. “A commercial deal can take up to a year or so to com-plete.” But it has helped keep the residential side going dur-ing the recent slump and Barbara, now affiliated with Coldwell Banker has already seen signs of movement in recent months.

No matter how hard the challenges of sharing a growing busi-ness in today’s economy, the consensus seems to be that the rewards of building not only a life, but a business together, are worth all the hard work and problems that come with it.

Joe Caprara sums it up thusly. “The great things about it are that we’re together all the time, and the challenges about it are that we’re together all the time.”

Jim & Cindy Tuck

PENNGROVE PROUDFall 2010 14

COTATIIn the neighborhood

Cit

y of Cotati has long been considered the “Hub”

of Sonoma County by virtue of its central location and its distinct and historic hexago-nal 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.

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Baby & Childrens items ~ Home & Garden DecorBath & Body Gifts ~ Purses ~ Jewelery ~ Scarves

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MILLER DRIVING SCHOOLPatient, Courteous Instructors

707-585-1398

Handicap Equipped Vehicles Available

8053 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati, CA

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Arch’s Glass Inc.complete glass service

Open Mon - Fri 8am-5:30pm8079 La Plaza, Cotati, CA 94931

707-795-6976 or 707-795-7731

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Shop Local ~ Dine Local Celebrate Local in Cotati

Cotati Chamber of Commerce216 E. School St., Cotati

707-795-5508 ~ www.cotati.org

Cotati Pasta & Bingo NightSat. March 12, 5 – 8 pm

Cotati Veterans Memorial Building, 8505 Park Ave.

Cotati Farmers Market & Concerts in the Park

Thursdays, June 2 – Sept. 154:30 – 7:30 pm, La Plaza Park

31st Annual Cotati Jazz FestivalSat. June 18, 12 – 7 pm

La Plaza Park, FREE

Cotati Kids Day Parade & FestivalSat. July 16, 10 am – 3 pm

La Plaza Park

~ Upcoming Events ~


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Open: Mon - Sat 9AM - 6PM

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15

Empire”. Acorns (umpa) were the basic dietary staple for the Miwoks like maze was to the Pueblos, potatoes for the Irish or rice for Asians. It was eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The preferred acorns were from the Black Oak, the white oak and the Valley Oak. The rare blue oak was also an acorn of choice and one of the few remaining Blue Oak groves is near the airport in Novato and can be seen from the freeway as you head south.

The acorn harvest marked the beginning of the New Year and the acorn cycle was the measurement of time. Winter was noted by the number of moons since the past acorn harvest and summer was noted as so many moons before the next acorn harvest. The Miwoks would tend and care for the oak trees like we would an orchard. The biological rhythm of the oak tree was the rhythm of the Miwoks. Festivals, dances and feasts marked the stages of the acorn’s development. Harvest time was the best time of the year and they celebrated when the trees were laden with acorns. They partied at harvest time like we did when the Giants won the World Series but without the garlic fries. And much like Giant fans shouting “U…ribe!”, the Miwoks had a chant where they would sing “Acorns…” and answer “Plenty”. The acorn harvest would usually last two to three weeks. Boys would climb the trees to shake out the nuts with sticks. The acorns were gathered in large burden baskets and when they were full they were taken out into the sun to dry. They would then carry the acorns back to their permanent winter camps and store them in large granary baskets (chuck-ah) that were built on stilts to prevent critters from absconding with the goods.

If you’ve ever been tempted to bite into an acorn you know that they are very bitter from the tannin they contain. This is the same tannin that an oak barrel imparts to a fine Cabernet wine. The tannin’s bitterness had to be leached out before it was edible. Every morning the women would gather the acorns from the granaries and they would remove the hulls. Then they would begin pounding the nutmeat with their mortars and pestles.

When the consistency of a fine flour was achieved, it was put in a tightly woven basket lined with fern leaves and the women would pour large quantities of water over the flour which would leach out the tannin. After this was done the flour was put in a watertight basket. With two sticks, the Miwok woman took very hot rocks that she had heating in the fire, and then dipped them quickly in some water to remove the ashes and carefully put them in the basket with the acorn flour. She constantly stirred the contents of the basket with a stick to keep the rocks from burning a hole in the valuable basket adding more hot rocks as needed. The water quickly came to a boil. In a few minutes the acorns would have been transformed into either an acorn soup or, if she boiled it longer to reduce the water content, into acorn bread by heating it on a flat rock over the fire or in a clay oven. Ethnographers have estimated that a large Indian family could consume 2000 pounds of acorns a

year. Although hunting game, fishing and harvesting, grind-ing and cooking acorns was laborious and time consuming it didn’t take the constant effort of an agrarian-based society. With food, clothing and shelter for the taking it is no surprise that they remained in their hunter-gatherer Stone Age way of life for thousands of years, living peacefully among nature, family and other local tribes.

AND THEN THE WHITE MAN CAMEThe early contact with Drake in 1759 went well. They gave and received gifts. They fed the Englishmen. Drake’s men may have given them knives that would be the first iron tools they ever saw. It is said that Drake left an engraved plaque as a monument to the occasion but the plaque and its loca-tion have been a source of much discussion and searching



Miwok Basket


Davis Publishing

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has never been found. Miwoks made their canoes out of tule reeds gathered from the sides of lakes and streams, imagine the awe that must have been inspired when the Indians saw the Golden Hind. After five weeks in the safe harbor of Drake’s Bay, where they repaired the ship and hunted for food, Drake continued his voyage to circumnavigate the globe for the honor of his Queen, Elizabeth I of England. The Miwok’s next contact with whites didn’t go as well.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLEIn 1769 Father Junipera Serra set out from Mexico to establish a series of missions that were spaced one day’s journey apart by horseback. Working their way up from San Diego they founded what is now Mission Dolores in New Albion, now

known as San Francisco, in 1776. In 1823 Father Jose Altimira founded the Mission de Solano in current Sonoma. When the missionaries arrived they changed the lives of the Miwoks forever but not for the better.

Before the missionaries came, Miwoks lived in a virtual Eden. All their needs were provided by nature just for the gather-ing. They lived in peace with other tribes. They shared. They chanted and danced. They worshipped human and animal spirits under the spiritual guidance of shamans. They con-sidered the coyote the origin of cosmogony (a theory that explains the origin of the universe). They didn’t wear much clothing except during the winter. Life was good.

The padres were interested in saving the souls of these “hea-then” peoples no matter how hard they had to beat or whip them. Initially, the Indians were drawn to the missions with gifts of cloth, beads and the miracle of metal. The Miwoks would exchange gifts and a feeling of interest in the Spanish Franciscan monks developed. Soon the missionaries began to baptize the Indians usually trying to have the chief be the first one to go under the Holy water. Once baptized, everything changed. They were made to stay at the mission and families were separated. The padres wanted to create a Catholic utopia whereeach Indian would spend ten years at the mission learn-ing farming, tending and raising cattle, blacksmithing, carpen-try, tanning hides, tallow making and other European trades. During that time they were not compensated for their labors, which is often called slavery. Supposedly, after those ten years, they would be freed to tend small farms in the area only to be replaced by more Indians. Thus were created a small, successful group of farmers whose souls the padres had saved from eternal damnation.

That didn’t work out so well for the indigenous peoples. As a group they became depressed. After they were baptized their freedom ended. They were no longer the free spirits they were just a few short years before. Men would try to escape and if caught would be whipped severally. They were physi-cally abused. Young women, whose chastity must be protected, were separated into their own quarters much like convents (or prisons if you prefer), which of course would prevent any commingling, and the population decreased. But as bad as the beatings and abuse were, the diseases that they were exposed

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to were even more devastating. European diseases such as measles, small pox, syphilis, mumps and influenza decimated the population. A single epidemic wiped out a third of the people. The monks may originally have had good intentions, but they left the Indian population depleted, depressed and wracked by continual illnesses.

THE MEXICAN GENERAL VALLEJOIn 1834 the Mexican government declared, out of apathy and exhaustion after the Mexican War for Independence, that all the missions should be dissolved and should be secularized. At the end of the Mission period, the 27-year-old General Mariano Vallejo, the former commandant of the Presidio in SF, was given a land grant by the Mexican government of 44,000 acres that was later increased to 66,000 acres. Vallejo’s goals were three fold: he was sent to secularize the missions, keep an eye on the Russian settlement at Fort Ross that was established in 1812, and to raise cattle, horses and sheep. He was among the first agrarians in Sonoma County. His rancho at the Petaluma Adobe encompassed a large part of Penngrove, Petaluma and Sonoma. The Vallejo fence, made out of rocks that were cleared from the fields by the natives, can still be traced on Google Maps.

Construction began on the Adobe in April of 1836 and wasn’t completed until 1846. It was twice the size of the restored Adobe seen today. The main economic interest at the Adobe was the hide and tallow trade here in America and Europe. The Indians were taught how to plant crops of beans, wheat,

corn and barley as well as gardens with vegetables.

But by 1846 the end was near for Vallejo’s domain. Anglos began arriving. On June 6, 1846, forces led by John C. Fremont, in what is known as the Bear Flag Revolt, declared that California was indepen-dent and called it the “Bear Flag Republic”. Vallejo was impris-oned at Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento and his wife and family were put under house arrest. Vallejo’s lands were soon over run by Anglos and squatters coming to California for the Gold Rush. He sold off most of the remaining property in 1857. After the rancho take over, most of the Indians fled and never returned.

In Nicasio in 1850 the Indians were given 80,000 acres from land of the mission at San Raphael, but that land too was soon illegally taken from them. In 1920, 15.45 acres were

Miwok shelter



By A.R. Amis

Penngrove Pantry

If you would like to share any of your own family recipes, tips or hints, please send them to [email protected] or P.O. Box 553, Penngrove, CA 94951.

~ Household Food Tips ~

For Virginia Drury

Mother Know’s BestTry this light, but delicious, and healthy salad. Serve with a cup of soup and a slice of French bread for a filling and nutritious lunch or dinner.

Cheese: To easily shred cheese, let sit in freezer for 30 minutes. The firmer cheese is less likely to make a melted mess on your grater. To prevent hard edges from forming on older cheese, lightly oil the outsides OR rub with butter before storing.

Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream & Yogurt: Keep them fresher longer by storing carton in the refrigerator upside down.

Milk: Rinse the pan with cold water before scalding milk to prevent sticking.

Oil For Frying: To effectively strain debris from used cooking oil, use a coffee filter placed in a funnel.

MOTHER

If I could give you diamondsfor each tear you cried for me.if I could give you sapphires

for each truth you’ve helped me see.If I could give you rubies

for all the love that you’ve sharedIf I could give you pearls

for the wisdom that you’ve shown.

Then you’ll have a treasure, mother,that would mount up to the skies

That would almost matchthe sparkle in your kind and loving eyes.

But I have no pearls, no diamonds,As I’m sure you’re well aware

So I’ll give you gifts more preciousMy devotion, love and care.

~Author Unknown~

Warm Snow Pea & Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed1 - 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth3 tablespoons rice vinegar3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided2 tablespoons tahini, or cashew butter1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger2 cloves garlic, minced1 lb snow peas, trimmed and thinly slivered lengthwise2 tablespoons chopped cashews

PREPARATIONPlace chicken in a medium skillet or saucepan and add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until cooked through and no lon-ger pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Shred into bite-size pieces. (Cool and refrigerate the broth, reserving it for another use.)Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and tahini (or cashew butter) in a large bowl until smooth.Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in slivered peas and cook, stirring, until bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the dressing.Add the chicken to the bowl with the peas; toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with cashews.

purchased for the tribe in Graton and the Coast Miwoks and the Pomos became a single entity known as the Graton Rancheria. The land was hilly and steep. Water was limited and home construction was costly. The people often lived in tents (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Most of the people found it undesirable and left the rancheria. Today there is only one small dwelling occupied by an Indian family.

In 1958 the federal government dissolved 41 of the rancherias and included the Miwok land, but the Indians continued to fight. In the 90’s they took their battle to Washington. The tribe then officially became known as the Federated Indians of GratonRancheria (FIGR). By 2000, President Clinton restored the federal status of the tribe.

Today the FIGR is embroiled in a struggle to construct a large gambling casino and hotel resort in Rohnert Park on land purchased by the tribe. The impact upon the area may be sig-nificant but much less so than the impact western civilization has had upon the Miwoks - Penngrove’s earliest locals of note.

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PENNGROVE PROUDspring 2011 19

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Redwood Montessori School Annual Cookie Sale - 7th12- 2 pm, In front of the school, 11201 Main St, Penngrove

Fun Poetry for Father’s Day - 22ndBr creative with your child, Team rate $15, 3-5pm

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Rhyme Time Fourth-of-July Poem - 26thBr creative with your child, Team rate $15, 3-5pm

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Penngrove Fourth of July Parade and BBQ - 3rdParade at 11 am on Main Street - FREE

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Corner of Main Street and Adobe Road - penngroveproud · Pgs. 10/11 Pg. 14 Pg. 19 Penngrove...

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Transcript of Corner of Main Street and Adobe Road - penngroveproud · Pgs. 10/11 Pg. 14 Pg. 19 Penngrove...