THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The heavens are in reach at the Robert Ferguson Observatory To infinity and beyond...
Inside: The Matheson · Only In Marin Agritourism · Tech Talk · Napa Insider Ziplining · Gun-Bun · Loud Budgeting
May Issue 2024
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4 NorthBaybiz
May 2024
49 YEARS OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
May 2024 • Volume 49 • Number 7
LEAD STORY 20 SEEING STARS Bo Kearns Get lost in space at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Kenwood!
WORK/LIFE 13 SPORTS 14 REMOTE 16 BUDGETS 17 CURRENCY
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FEATURE STORIES 28 Agritourism comes back to the land Jessica Zimmer Local farms and ranches lay out the Welcome mat for the ag-curious
44 VIEW FROM THE TOP Judith Wilson North Bay ziplining provides canopy of thrills
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Helping grow your business isn’t just something we do... it’s all we do!
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COLUMNS 11
DEPARTMENTS 8 LETTERS 56 GREAT TASTES Alexandra Russell Gundlach Bundschu in Sonoma 58 DINE WISE Jason Walsh The Matheson in Healdsburg 62 WHAT’S HAPPENING Upcoming North Bay events 64 BIZ SCENE Rohnert Park Chamber lunch and San Rafael State of the City 66 BEYOND THE BOARDROOM Rosie Padilla Eris Weaver, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
PUBLISHER’S FORUM Lawrence Amaturo Best of North Bay leadership
19 ONLY IN MARIN Bill Meagher
Does San Rafael want housing, or an aging mall?
29 ECON 101 Robert Eyler
The increasing chaos of home insurance
GUEST COLUMN Russ Powell Finding opportunities in conflict
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43 VINE WISE Adam Lee James Hall returns to Patz & Hall 53 TECH TALK Michael E. Duffy Is Ai Pin the next ‘smartphone’? 55 NAPA INSIDER Christina Julian All aboard for the new Calistoga Depot
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NorthBay biz (ISSN No. 1542-3549: USPS 097-770) is owned and published monthly (plus three bonus issues annually) by North Bay Media Group, LLC. Editorial offices are at 3392 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95403 USA: (707) 528-4434. Sub- scription price is $35 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Santa Rosa, CA 95402 and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2022, NorthBay biz. Reproduction of this issue in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without written permission by the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NorthBay biz, 3392 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95403 USA.
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May 2024
Letters
Letters to the Editor Someone pop some bubbly!
Publisher
Lawrence Amaturo
Editor-in-Chief
Jason Walsh
Editor: Celebrations are in order! Our very own Penny Gadd-Coster has been named the 2024 “Best Winemaker” in the Best of the North Bay Awards, voted on by readers of NorthBay biz magazine! This isn’t the only news we have to share… Breathless sparkling wines have been awarded 2024’s “Best Sparkling Wine” in the North Bay! These accolades reflect Penny’s incredible skill and passion for her craft. Thank you to everyone who voted. Your continuous support and enthusiasm for our sparkling wines make achievements like this possible! —Breathless Wines Event horizon! Editor: We’re over the moon! Sally Tomatoes has been voted as the Best Catering Service in the North Bay for 2024 by NorthBay biz magazine readers! From orchestrating unforgettable weddings to hosting spirited concerts at our SOMO Village event center, our mission has always been to create unique, stress- free experiences with delicious food at their heart. This recognition reflects our commitment to pleasing you, our amazing clients, who have trusted us with your most important events since 2005.
Associate Editor
Rosie Padilla
Contributing Editor
Bill Meagher
Design Director
Anne Schenk
Administrative Assistant
Jodi Pasquini
Thank you, North Bay, for making us part of your most precious moments. Here’s to more delightful meals and unforgettable celebrations! —Sally Tomatoes Editor: Exciting news! George Petersen Insurance Agency has been honored with the runner-up Best of the North Bay “gold” award for Best Business in Marin County 2024 by the readers of NorthBay biz magazine! We are deeply grateful for this recognition and want to extend our thanks to all who voted for us. Your trust and support have been instrumental in our success. Thank you, North Bay, for this incredible honor! —George Peterson Insurance
Marketing Consultant
Lori Rooney
Writers Bo Kearns Jason Walsh Jessica Zimmer Judith Wilson Rosie Padilla Columnists Adam Lee Alexandra Russell Bill Meagher Christina Julian Jason Walsh John Ash Michael E. Duffy
Robert Eyler Russ Powell
Photographers Duncan Garrett
For more recent NorthBay biz issues, check out northbaybiz.com. Email comments, complaints and witty observations to jwalsh@northbaybiz.com. Please include name, address and phone number. Letters will be edited for length and clarity.
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May 2024
NorthBaybiz 9
Remember being read to as a child?
My mother read aloud to me, and one of my favorite books was Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. But what I remember most was the sound of her voice, the rhythm of the words and what it felt like leaning into her, while she read aloud to me. The pages of those books she read transported us to faraway places—real and imaginary—and taught me about life and opened my mind to all the possibilities. So when I became a mother, I began reading to my kids. And now I’m reading to my grandchildren every chance I get. As for my mom, now a great-grandmother, she still takes great joy in reading to the kids whenever she visits. Remember to take time every chance you get—eat, play, read. Reading helps build language and thinking skills, develops a child’s imagination and empathy for others, achieve better in school, and it’s a great way to spend time together. And best of all, reading aloud to your child makes memories that will stay with you for a lifetime. That’s what my mother was doing years ago when she took the time to read aloud to me.
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Publisher’s Forum
Great leaders need to also innovate in times of crisis and have a consistent vision for their organizations.
I nspiring guides. Empathetic and clear communicators. Men and women who are dedicated to their people and their cause by collaborating with their teams to resolve problems that others could not solve. These are the skills necessary for superb leadership. Others who’ve written on this matter might insist that great leaders need to also innovate in times of crisis and have a consistent vision for their organizations. They, of course, would be correct. These attributes and more were in full view last A night of inspiring leadership By Lawrence Amaturo
to topics around local businesses that draw North Bay residents into the great outdoors. In fact, our cover story brings us into the great outdoors—and beyond. The Robert Ferguson Observatory in Kenwood has been pointing its scopes at the celestial beyond for more than 25 years. This month, writer Bo Kearns aims his lens back at RFO, as the nonprofit’s staff, volunteer astronomers and community stargazers weigh in on the history and legacy of late Petaluma resident Robert Ferguson and the incredible community asset that now bears his name. While RFO is focused on an expanding universe, reporter Jessica Zimmer looks into a growing business closer to home— agritourism.
month alongside 300-plus folks at our 35th annual Best of the North Bay Awards event, held May 23 among the oak trees, fire pits, fine wines, cheeses, snacks and live music at Sally Tomatoes Catering and Events in Rohnert Park. It was, simply put, a spectacular night on a gorgeous evening. Holding court alongside the five- piece Neon Velvet band was the decades-long star of Broadway’s Chicago, Monty Python’s Spamalot and known for the iconic role of “Mr. J. Peterman” of TV’s Seinfeld , John O’Hurley. John graciously entertained and hosted us for the evening, humbly referring to himself as “The Grim Reaper of television sitcoms” for his role in “killing” over a dozen TV shows that viewers would be hard pressed to even remember.
Agritourism is turning into quite a revenue-stream-earning side hustle for farms and ranches looking to take advantage of wine country tourism—and the public’s never-quenching thirst for back-to-the-land experiences—by hosting day tours, ranch stays, fruit-picking experiences and outdoor ag workshops. We may not want to know exactly “how the sausage is made,” but the rest of ranch life is proving pretty popular. Finally, writer Judith Wilson offers a top-down view of Sonoma County and the canopy of ziplining businesses in the 707—
Award hosts John O’Hurley and Debbie Abrams.
offering everything from individual group fun to company retreats to school-kid character building. But making a living zipping people hundreds of feet across deep, rocky crevasses demands its share of business savvy—such as finding the proper insurance, safety training and clearing regulatory hurdles. Running a ziplining business is indeed a hire-wire act. g
Yet the audience knew better, especially the true leaders in attendance. They understood John’s demureness as a technique they might often use with their own in-office “audiences”; a technique to move the spotlight away from themselves and place it over those they seek to guide and influence. And, believe me, the place was chock-full of leaders that evening, led by those from our newly minted class of Best of the North Bay Hall of Fame companies— those businesses that have repeatedly topped our readers’ poll over the years—whose influence within their companies and their communities has persuaded for decades as well! •••••••••• As we kick off the summer months, this issue is dedicated
Always good to hear from you…even when you point out my misunderstandings…. So send me a note at Lawrence@Northbaybiz.com.
May 2024
NorthBaybiz 11
Imagine the possibilities...
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Experience the allure of history and the charm of coastal Sonoma County as the new owner of the Historic Bodega Art Gallery building. Situated in the Town of Bodega—site of Hitchcock’s 1962 classic “The Birds”— this 1880s commercial gem offers a unique investment opportunity to own a piece of what was originally known as “Bodega Corners,” a bustling crossroads where three main roads converged. The building, originally a 19th century blacksmith’s workshop, is 1,320 square feet and features distinctive brick floors and soaring open-beam ceilings. For the last 60 years it has been home to an art gallery. The lot is 5,440 square feet and includes a shed and RV hookup. n There are multiple scenarios for expansion, with the potential to also purchase the adjoining parcel with a building site and sweeping views. n Additional options include a proposed lot line adjustment for additional land above the gallery and a 4-bedroom perc for an eventual septic system. n The upper portion and additional land is not in the historic zone. n An extraordinary opportunity to own a piece of Bodega’s storied history and be a part of shaping its future. n The possibilities are as vast as your creativity and county regulations allow. n Lower-interest owner financing options may be available.
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ALLISON NORMAN / STEPHANIE NORMAN The Norman Home Team • Your North Bay Real Estate Connection
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Residential parcel offers a rare opportunity at the edge of the Mayacamas Mountains. Gently rolling hills, majestic oaks, open pastures, several level/open building sites, and views from the upper portion make this parcel the perfect canvas. Build your estate, family compound, hobby vineyard, horse property/equestrian retreat, or start small and build your forever home later. Just 4 miles from Larkfield/Hwy101, and the Larkfield Fire Station. 15 minutes to Healdsburg and 20 minutes to Calistoga. In the heart of the Sonoma County wine country, just minutes to the Napa valley. 1 hour to San Francisco, or to the Sonoma coast. 20+ GPM well n a previous 5 bedroom septic-perc. n Gated entry n Paved driveway
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Work/Life/ Sports
by Felix Richter Sports betting parlays after legalization—what’re the odds?! F ive years after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), sports betting continues to boom in the United States. According to the American Gaming Association, gross gaming revenue from sports betting, i.e. total wagers minus winnings, amounted to $10.9 billion in 2023, shattering the previous record set the year before. In total, Americans wagered almost $120 billion on legal sportsbooks last year, up from $93 billion in 2022. According to the AGA, last year’s growth was driven by continued maturation of existing markets as well as several new markets, including Massachusetts and Ohio.
Following its enactment by Congress in 1992, PASPA had effectively banned sports betting everywhere except for Nevada (and three other states that had certain betting games grandfathered in). In 2012, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a law allowing betting on professional and amateur sports at New Jersey casinos and racetracks, after which all major sports leagues had sued Christie for violating PASPA. The lawsuit resulted in a long legal battle, which culminated in the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down PASPA in May 2018. “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own,” the court had explained its decision back then. “Our job is to interpret the law Congress has enacted and decide whether it is consistent with the Constitution. PASPA is not. PASPA regulates state governments’ regulation of their citizens. The Constitution gives Congress no such power.”
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Work/Life/ Remote
It wasn’t so long ago lounging around in bed on a rainy Sunday was a rare indulgence—seen in equal parts cozy, stress reducing and a well-deserved break from the pressures of adult responsibility. That was then. These days it’s called “bed rotting,” and its proliferation—egged on by its popularity on TikTok—is an extension of the remote-work trends that emerged from the pandemic. With The rot sets in . . . By Jason Walsh
So what work tasks are bed rotters performing while snuggled up under those down comforters? • Answering emails (78%)
• Reviewing documents (71%) • Working on projects (66%)
work-from-home flexibilities allowing employees to punch in from the comforts of bedroom offices and conduct conference calls in soft silk jammies, the need to throw off the king-sized comforter is all but nonexistent in some work circles. According
• Phone calls (62%) • Reporting (36%)
• Meetings with camera turned on (36%) • Meetings with camera turned off (34%)
to results of a recent survey released by sleep- health site
sleepdoctor.com , 62% of remote workers admit to bed rotting during work hours. And when they do, 40% spend more than three hours of work a day in bed. What’s more, the majority of bed rotters say the practice improves their work performance, and many believe it positively impacts their sleep and overall mental health. Despite how inviting a workday under the sheets sounds, not everyone is convinced it’s a good thing. “Hanging out in bed for extended periods of time is not a great idea,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus. Breus says when people are lying in bed for extended periods of time, it confuses the brain as to whether it’s wake or sleep time. “You really want to only be in bed when you’re getting your seven to nine hours of sleep,” says Breus, adding there’s “plenty” of data to back this up.
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May 2024
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NorthBaybiz 15
Work/Life
Give your budgeting a voice
I f you’re idea of loud budgeting is “show me the money!” from that 1990s Tom Cruise romcom, welcome to the 2020s. These days the concept of “loud budgeting” has taken on new life as a social media money- management trend in which people talk more openly about their financial situations as a way to better establish with friends and family what one’s spending boundaries are. Whether that frugality stems from wanting to save for a special trip, plans to stash away more for retirement, anti-materialistic values or a spending freeze in the face of rising cost of living, experts agree—taking unnecessary spending off the table from the get-go is a great way to save. By Jason Walsh
The concept was initially viewed as being geared toward Millennials and Gen Z, who are at a lower-earning stage of life in a time of high interest rates, rising inflation, student-loan and credit-card debt while seemingly being priced out of home ownership in many areas. But loud budgeting could be useful for anyone not wanting to spend a lot for any variety of reasons. As financial “organizer” Alaina Fingal told CNET recently, “Being authentic and having boundaries around how we are spending our money, along with being able to communicate that message to the world around us, will lead to saving more money and paying off more debt.” Tik Tok comedic personality Lukas Battle is credited with coining the term in one of his 2024-preview posts, in which he described “loud budgeting” as an antidote to the “quiet luxury” trend of 2023, which celebrated subtle ways of showing off perceived affluence.
Others have described it in proactive terms as facing that situation when friends want to eat at an uncomfortably high- priced restaurant—and instead of quietly going along to avoid embarrassment, simply advocating for something more affordable. It’s a refusal to go along with plans and purchases more about social status than need—and placing value in responsible spending. As Battle says: “It’s not, I don’t have enough. It’s—I don’t want to spend.”
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Work/Life/ Currency
All about the Benjamins: The case against $100 bills By Jason Walsh
While the lowly penny gets much of the focus from those who want to eliminate seemingly useless currencies from general circulation, there’s another denomination these days that’s coming under fire: The $100 bill. The C-note has been the target of recent news stories calling out its irrelevance outside of slipping one in with your granddaughter’s high school graduation card. Outside of tax dodgers, counterfeiters and money launderers, it seems few people have much use for $100 bills. Or as the New Republic put it earlier this year, “Benjamins are the favorite currency of criminals and almost no one else.” And it’s no exaggeration. Few Americans would guess the $100 bill represents 80% of the total value of currency in circulation—and it’s largely held as ill- gotten gains in foreign countries. While the Benjamin is the most common note in circulation, it’s the least-commonly used, points out Yahoo News. And it’s no surprise. These days large purchases are generally made by credit card or smart phone. But the vast majority of mom- and-pop retail exchanges are for items less than $50—and using a $100 bill will leave consumers with a load of small-bill change in an era when people prefer to carry less cash, if any cash at all. The New Republic pointed out that some economists have been calling for an end to the Franklin for decades—noting
that economist James Henry was pushing for the cessation of not only $100s, but also the $50 way back in 1976. It’s not
unprecedented by any means. There’s a reason few people know what bills were once graced with the mugs of William McKinley, Grover Cleveland, James Madison and 18th- century Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase— because the $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills, respectively, were all recalled in the late 1960s over concerns they were little more than a tool for, wait for it… money launderers. In his 2016 book, The Curse of Cash , Kenneth Rogoff also calls for phasing out big notes. He suggests the fed could extend a soft deadline for bill holders to easily exchange their currency for smaller notes, then follow with a firmer date for when $100s will officially expire. He envisions criminals scrambling to nervously unload their bills at the local bank before their loot becomes obsolete. That said, denizens of the dark economy have little to worry about anytime soon. At press time, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website states: The government has no “plans to change the denominations in use today.” Sounds like Big Ben will be sticking around a while.
Passing the bucks Here’s a list of obsolete denominations of big-ticket U.S. paper currency (and the historical figure depicted), most of which were discontinued in the treasury purge of 1969. $500 bill (William McKinley) $1,000 bill (Grover Cleveland) $2,000 bill (various figures) $5,000 bill (James Madison) $10,000 bill (Salmon P. Chase, secretary of treasury) $100,000 bill (Woodrow Wilson) Note: Fractional-currency notes (bills worth less than a dollar) were issued throughout the 1860s and 1870s—they’d typically depict a portrait of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
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NorthBaybiz 17
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Only In Marin
“If you find something you like, go back and stock up, it’s unlikely to be there the next time you shop.”
Northgate plan as sticky as newly melted ice cream By Bill Meagher
These days journalism faces plenty of challenges including shrinking resources, splintered audiences and plunging attention spans. You still with me? I’m old school, which means I think readers are well served by tracking ongoing stories. With this in mind, lets revisit San Rafael’s Northgate Mall in its attempt to redevelop the aging shopping center into a new mixed-use neighborhood. Merlone Geir Partners LLC, Northgate’s owner, wants to transform the mall into
Marin City gets a Grocery Outlet The Gateway has a new tenant, Grocery Outlet. Each store is independently owned though it is associated with the chain. The chain is headquartered across the bay in Emeryville and is owned by private equity firms Berkshire Partners and Hellman & Friedman. The chain sells overstocks, discounted and discontinued goods. While it has lots of familiar brands it also has many private label products. On a recent visit, the North Bay’s Straus Creamery ice cream had a number of offerings in the freezer section.
a transit-friendly mix of housing, shopping and dining that would be built in two-phases over a 20-year period. The original plan called for a total of 1,422 housing units including apartments, affordable units and townhomes as well as a rezoning. It’s been through a number of public hearings and the city has considered the project and its design. That process is ongoing. I say original plan because Merlone Geir has put forth a second plan for the 45-acre property. This plan was submitted under Senate Bill 330, aka the “housing crisis act of 2019.” That bill dictates that cities considering a project must review it in an expedient
Having shopped its aisles, I can tell you that if you find something you like, go back and stock up, it’s unlikely to be there the next time you shop. Grocery Outlet is in the space formerly occupied by CVS. Before that it was a Longs. Your Marin moment Last year, in this very column, we looked at Sausalito considering the formation of business improvement district (BID). The city hired New City America Inc. to gauge interest in the project. Since then, the city council decided to move forward. A BID is funded essentially by
An artist’s rendering of a proposed mixed-use Northgate by Merlone Geir Partners.
fashion and limits the scope of standards for the review. SB 330 makes the process faster and more structured as cities or counties are limited in such things as review conditions and number of public meetings. On the face of it, it looks like Merlone has dueling plans, but the San Francisco developer and property investor says it will simply choose the plan that makes best economic sense, dropping the other. Merlone has elected to turn up the heat on San Rafael. Prior to this Merlone had met with the public and conducted a lot of outreach to persuade locals the project would be a positive one for the Mission City. Predictably, the project has met with a mixed reception. Some in the community believe the new housing is preferable to an aging mall. On the other hand, the scale of the redevelopment has been attacked, as well as its potential for added traffic, energy and noise. The SB 330 plan differs in total units, where elements are built and types of housing units. The new plan has 223 more units, including 166 more townhomes, as well as 22 more affordable units. Total housing units are 1,865. The affordable housing units would be spread throughout the project, rather than largely concentrated as in the original plan. The new plan does not ask for a rezoning of the property. Buckle up, it might get bumpy.
assessments on businesses in the district with the funds used to pay for items and services that are either not covered by the city, or that merchants believe will benefit businesses in the district. The district is basically downtown Sausalito. March Li Mandri, president of New City, explained to the Marin IJ the need for a BID in Sausalito. “The property owners clearly want more, the business owners clearly want more, than what’s currently existing within the district,” Li Mandri said. “So, if someone happened to go to the park and they happened to have ice cream and they spilled the ice cream in the summer and it melted all over the place, you wouldn’t have to look at it for a week. It would be taken care of within a day or two. So those are the special benefits that would be provided.” Inspiring isn’t a strong enough word. g
Bill Meagher is a contributing editor at this fine publication and pens this column each month. He is also a senior reporter at The Deal, a digital financial news outlet based in Manhattan. He covers alternative investment, SPACs and the SEC. He lives in a state of siege with his wife Cindy, two dogs named Taylor and Shelby, four cats named Vince, Clark, Tyra and Snoopy Midnight and a feral named Matt. T
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Out o f world a
North Bay residents can reach for the stars at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Kenwood F ifty-five years ago, 600 million television viewers watched in awe as Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. His words—”one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”—still resonate . These days, North Bay residents don’t need a TV and a $500 million Apollo mission to see the moon up close—thanks to the Robert Ferguson Observatory’s powerful, state- of-the-art telescopes atop Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood. Two decades after the construction of RFO, the celestial heavens are more accessible for viewing than ever—just as science reaches further and further into our galaxy and beyond with each passing year. By Bo Kearns
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o f this d at RFO
NorthBaybiz 21 NorthBaybiz 21
May 2024
Taking OMG
to a Higher Power…
ROBERT FERGUSON OBSERVATORY Sugarloaf Ridge State Park RFO.org
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Under the Milky Way Tonight: The Robert Ferguson Observatory was built over a six-year period, with work completed in 2003.
It was Armstrong’s journey into space that launched a plethora of programs that have pushed the boundaries of the cosmos. In 1998, the manned International Space Station (ISS)—a joint project involving NASA , Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and Canada—was launched. ISS can accommodate up to seven astronauts who live and work there for extended periods. Traveling at 5 miles per second the station orbits the Earth 90 times per day and serves as a microgravity lab for scientific research and international cooperation. A powerful successor to Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021. The infrared observatory searches for galaxies formed following the Big Bang, determines how galaxies evolve, and observes stars from their initial stages to formation as planetary systems. Amazing discoveries have already been made using the Webb telescope. An international team of astronomers identified icy compounds in two young prostars. The compounds, composed of complex organic molecules, are similar to ethanol and acetic acid, an ingredient in vinegar. The molecules and others detected represent key ingredients for making potentially habitable worlds. The list of scientific feats and accomplishments in humankind’s ongoing exploration of the universe is impressive. The Voyager I and Voyager II spacecraft were launched in 1977 to explore the outer planets. Almost 50 years later, their travels into interstellar space gathering data continue. The first of five Mars rovers launched in 2004. Three still roam the planet sending back information related to atmospheric conditions and the planet’s composition. And there’s Space X, the company owned by Elon Musk, with four commercial space flights to date. Space X’s mission is to reduce the cost of space travel and ultimately enable people to live on other planets. In addition to these large, significant undertakings, thousands of amateur astronomers scan the skies peering
through telescopes set up in their backyards. They too play a critical role in advancing knowledge of the universe. Some of their recent discoveries include: tracking the remnants of a supernova last observed in 1181, spotting a tiny Jupiter moon and discovering a pair of previously unknown asteroids. Those in Northern California interested in astronomy and outer space are fortunate to have a place to go to view the heavens close up. Perched atop Sonoma County’s Sugarloaf Mountain, the Robert Ferguson Observatory (RFO)—with three powerful telescopes—is that place. …a remarkable man After having lived a full life in Petaluma, Robert Ferguson died in 1993. He was a remarkable man. His daughter Colleen—an RFO volunteer, docent and board member—has fond memories of him. “My father used to say, ‘My love of astronomy began as soon as I could look up.’ He was interested in all of the sciences and enjoyed reading science and astronomy books,” Colleen says. “Dad also loved science fiction stories, including the original Star Trek . He talked about how astronomy put things in perspective—how whatever he was stressed about during the day, melted away when he stargazed at night.” Adds Colleen: “He liked to share his passion with others, children in particular.” Colleen recalls during childhood her dad completed a Dobsonian telescope-making class—named for amateur astronomer John Dobson, who developed an easy-to-build scope for home astronomers—and made a 16-inch diameter scope. “He would set the scope up in our backyard. Every once in a while, we would hear: ‘Kids come look at this!’ We’d all rush out, peer through the scope, be impressed, and return to our studies.” Concerned about the reduced emphasis on science in schools, Robert began making telescopes and giving them away to schoolchildren. Other
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Stephanie Derammelaere, Colleen Ferguson and Michael O’Shea get an eyeful thanks to the 8-inch refractor scope in the observatory’s dome. [Photo by Duncan Garrett Photography]
members of the local astronomy community of the mid-1980s liked the idea and the “Striking Sparks” program was born— providing primary school-aged kids with telescopes. Today,
any Sonoma County students in grades one to eight who are nominated by a teacher or an RFO member are eligible. They’re required to attend at least one RFO event and submit
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May 2024
RFO operations are made possible by a small staff and nearly 200 dedicated volunteers from the Valley of the Moon Observatory Association—some of whom gather here at RFO’s annual appreciation party. [Photo courtesy RFO]
an essay on their interest in astronomy. Nearly 40 years after the Striking Sparks launched, 298 telescopes have been awarded. “RFO and the Striking Sparks program carry on Dad’s passion for amateur astronomers sharing their knowledge, inspiring young people to learn math and science—and become better people by getting out under the night sky and looking up. “He would love what’s going on at RFO and be proud of the observatory that bears his name.” …started by volunteers The nonprofit Valley of the Moon Observatory Association (VMOA), under the auspices of the California State Parks, is responsible for RFO’s operation and maintenance. Approximately 200 dedicated volunteers and professional astronomers, plus a small support staff, provide educational programs about science and astronomy for students, the public and educators. The observatory’s construction, largely done by volunteers, took place over a six-year period from 1997 to 2003. The complex consists of two wings, a dome, a library and a classroom. “Sugarloaf State Park is the perfect setting,” says Stephanie Derammelaere, executive director. “The surrounding hills reduce light pollution providing visitors with a clearer view of the night sky.” On the occasional cloudy evening, visitors can check out the Clear Sky Chart on the RFO website before heading up the mountain. The forecast provided by the Canadian Meteorological Centre is specifically designed for astronomers. The west wing houses a 40-inch reflector scope. It is the largest publicly accessible scope in Northern California. Dubbed “Project 40,” a team of five volunteers constructed the telescope over a 10-year period. George Loyer, founder of VMOA and current vice-president, was one of the team
members. He provided digital illustrations, constructed an interferometer for testing the mirror surface and designed the drive system. The drive keeps the telescope’s altitude and distance between celestial object and observer, or azimuth, constantly adjusted for tracking objects in the sky. Other team members did the rough and smooth grinding, and polishing of the mirror, using a hand-built polishing machine. The observation dome houses a 2-meter-long refractor telescope with a Telrad finder. At dusk on a recent evening, viewers peered through the scope and marveled at the sight of Jupiter and Io, one of its moons. The 20-inch telescope on the roof provides camera imaging of objects hundreds of million light years away. It is used for public viewing and by RFO docents for astrophotography and research. “About 9,000 people visit the park each year,” says Derammelaere. “The observatory is mainly funded through event ticket sales. This year we’ve launched a capital fundraising campaign. The monies will go to replacement of the old exterior decking and expand the observation dome.” …the docents “Our volunteers represent all ages and come from all walks of life and academia,” says Derammelaere. One of those is Michael O’Shea, current RFO board member and former longtime president of Amaturo Sonoma Media Group, which publishes NorthBay biz . “Growing up I was a science geek,” O’Shea says. “After driving up to RFO one evening for a stargazing event, I was hooked.” That was about eight years ago. O’Shea went through the docent training program and eventually joined the RFO board. “I particularly enjoy giving presentations to the school kids” he says. “They’re awestruck on looking through a telescope—many for the first time— and seeing the rings of Saturn, or Jupiter close up.” Those interested in volunteering attend a pair of orientations—one virtual, the other at RFO. That follows with classes in general
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A group of 72 first graders on a recent field trip to the Robert Ferguson Observatory. [Photo courtesy RFO]
astronomy, and training on the use of one, or all three of the telescopes. For those interested in becoming a docent, classes are held two to three times throughout the year.
…the happenings RFO is open for public events, which are posted on its website, rfo.org . Among the more popular events are the Saturday night “Star Parties,” in which docents guide
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26 NorthBaybiz
May 2024
A girl safely views the sun through a solar telescope at RFO. [Photos courtesy RFO]
attendees in stargazing through the three telescopes. Star Parties have hosted as many as 300 stargazers in a single evening and feature ongoing classroom presentations on a variety of astronomy topics prior to viewings. The 20- to 30-minute classroom presentations offer a choice of several topics—black holes, exoplanets, Big Bang, dark matter/ dark energy, the Mars rovers, James Webb Space Telescope, the sun, neutron stars and the Fermi Paradox (named for Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi, who pointed out the contradiction between the high probability of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of evidence to support it). Recently, docent Sam Cena took a poll of those in attendance: “Who would like to hear about black holes?” A few hands went up. “How about neutron stars?” A few more hands were raised. The majority voted for exoplanets, or planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. Sergei and Irina Graff of Los Gatos and their 8-year-old daughter were among those attending. “I was hoping to hear the presentation on the Fermi Paradox. Are there really aliens out there?” she pondered. “Guess I’ll have to come back to find out.” On their way out the family stopped at the RFO store and purchased a telescope. On Monday, April 12 approximately 200 gathered at RFO in anticipation of the solar eclipse. In the classroom viewers watched NASA’s live streaming as the eclipse made its way across the country. Three telescopes set up outdoors offered views of the partial eclipse over Sonoma County. When the total blackout made landfall at Mazatlán, Mexico the crowd cheered. “Amazing!” “Cool!” “Wow!” could be heard throughout the room. And when a flare erupted from the sun’s corona, everyone gasped. Jacopo Soraiano lifted his young daughter up to peer though the telescope. “My wife and I came up from San Francisco with our two daughters for a few days camping at Sugarloaf—our timing was perfect,” he said. “This is so
The 40-inch reflecting telescope in the west wing only uses red light at night to protects viewers’ vision. [Photo courtesy RFO]
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cool! There were kids from all over California and even some from out of state all sharing their experiences.” Her first club presentation was on exoplanets. “They’re planets outside our own solar system,” she says. “Exoplanets were discovered in the 1990s, not that long ago. Now 5,000 have been confirmed and that number is growing daily.” Not only does Natalie enjoy the shared astronomy experience among her peers, but she loves helping the younger kids in the club. “Many of them have never done a presentation before,” about the kids as young as 9 or 10 in the group. “Presenting to a group gives them confidence.” It was Natalie’s mom who discovered the Striking Sparks program and encouraged her daughter to enter. “That was when I was in the seventh grade,” Natalie says. “My essay was about my interest in astronomy and how I would use the telescope to help the community.” With the 8-inch scope she received, she has done just that. She volunteers at RFO and has led viewings and presentations at libraries and elementary schools, as well as at Santa Rosa’s Girls in Aviation Day, the Santa Rosa Farmers Market and North Bay Science Discovery Day. Seems only fitting that Natalie received one of five Youth Volunteer of the Year awards as part of the 2024 Heart of Sonoma County awards. …hike the planets Sugarloaf Park’s “Planet Walk” begins near the observatory at the large sign representing the sun. The 4.5-mile round trip trek takes hikers for an on-the-ground trip though the solar system. Nine signs along the way represent the eight planets, plus Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet
special.” A few, in special attire, attracted as much attention as the eclipse. Justin Incredible (yep, that’s her name) wore an orange blouse with gold-sequined lightning bolts that reflected the rays of the sun. Her pants, with bright yellow suns, continued the solar system motif. Her partner Brettt (yes, three Ts) Roncelli wore a velour tracksuit in psychedelic colors and a fedora. Roncelli is no stranger to RFO. “I’ve held a number of events at the observatory. It’s an amazing place,” he said. “On my 51st birthday I came here and asked the docent to find a star 51 million light years away. He did. And he showed me the number 51 nebula. How special was that?” Onzie Stevens, 95, was there with her hiking poles. “My friend Len is a docent. He brought me. I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “When I lived in Washington state in 1979, I drove to Salem, Oregon to see the total eclipse.” Stevens moved to Petaluma a year ago to live with a daughter, one of her eight children. “One of the things I’ve noticed about Californians is that they are so concerned about the environment. They pass resolutions to protect it. I like that.” …young astronomers A group of kids with a passion for astronomy gather on Zoom once a month on a Friday. Dubbed “Young Astronomers,” the program is sponsored by RFO. A regular participant and frequent presenter is Natalie Burton, a sophomore at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa. “It was my dad who got me interested in astronomy,” she says. “He was into stargazing. When I was around 9 or 10 years old, I joined him. I found it all very interesting and started doing research.” On attending her first Young Astronomers meeting, she recalls, “It was so
in 2006. Hikers are able to visualize the size of the planets in relation to each other and the sun, and the vast distances between them. Fitting a solar system model to the parameters of the park was not an easy feat, particularly as a million Earths could fit inside the sun and the distances between planets is vast. To make it all work, the size of the solar system model was reduced 2.4 billion times. Each step along the way represents a million miles in space. While traversing Planet Walk, hikers can enjoy the flora and fauna of the park and the stunning views. Drive up Sugarloaf Mountain to the Robert Ferguson Observatory and be dazzled by the stars, planets and galaxies in the solar system. Listen to interesting talks by knowledgeable docents about the exoplanets, extra- terrestrials, Big Bang, black holes and so much more. It’s an experience not soon forgotten. One small step, indeed. g
Please email comments to jwalsh@NorthBaybiz.com
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ECON 101
Insurance generally is a market where risk is traded.
A decade of regional fires in the North Bay continues to cast a shadow on these counties (I think of the North Bay as including Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties). Some of the outmigration from our region in net was affected by the fires due to displacement, fear The home insurance maze By Robert Eyler
volume to the detriment of insurance company balance sheets and profitability. The explanation for this is relatively simple: as a financial institution, if costs are rising and we know the genesis of those costs, we reallocate the cost portfolio to reduce those costs and simultaneously focus on generating
more investment revenue. In insurance markets, the complication is both social and economic. Some homeowners, even those that own their homes outright and still demand insurance (a prudent decision for many reasons), may choose not to insure their homes because of rising costs or a belief of relative safety or a mix. Unfortunately, location is a blanket issue (like the driver’s age and where the driver lives are blanket ways to categorize risk in auto insurance markets), so folks that are reasonable risks and live in areas where wildfire is unlikely get included in regional pricing models.
of and actual annual fires, smoke from fires here and elsewhere… and then the pandemic happened. Lake County had a devastating fire in 2015 and has fewer housing units as a lingering effect. The Camp Fire in Paradise (Butte County) and the Woolsey Fire in Malibu in 2018 darkened the shadow effect in ways slowly coming to fruition: home insurance. Insurance generally is a market where risk is traded. As policyholders, we are concerned about the risk to other assets if insured assets are damaged or unusable. Insurance is an asset to policyholders (homeowners,
e.g.) that offsets a low-probability liability but a cost that can be financially devastating. Insurance companies are financial institutions and are much like banks and credit unions. They attempt to profit from outpacing forecasted claims with revenues from investing premium payments and investor capital. In California, primarily as a result of both our recent fire history and other disasters on the West Coast over the last 10 years (fires in Oregon and Washington as examples), insurance premia are more expensive; in some cases, you cannot maintain current insurance because your insurance company has decided to stop covering your home. Wow! For those homeowners that have borrowed to purchase a home, home insurance against a fire (the focus is on fire, but a wide array of additional insurance can be taken) is mandatory based on lenders wanting to offset risk to their shared asset with the borrower (lenders have a lien on your property when you have a mortgage, but you are the owner unlike the auto loan market). However, insurance companies have a slow, regulated process in California to change premium pricing. Much of the recent price surge or removal from the regional market is years in the making, exacerbated by claims locally and in other areas that have experienced fires and other disasters, increasing claims
It will take years for insurance premiums to slow their growth and for the chaos to subside, and that assumes we have stable fire seasons, no major earthquakes or storm seasons. Climate change will not help the long-term outlook either. Financial markets are already looking at rising interest rates over time as risks due to climate change come to fruition in real estate markets and beyond. For many homeowners in the North Bay, the next three to four years is likely a time when the costs of home insurance may lead some homes to come on the market prematurely due to rising insurance costs. Economics suggest (as a point of positivity) there may also be entrepreneurship in a market that has learned lessons from the past and is preparing for a riskier future. . g
Dr. Robert Eyler is professor of economics at Sonoma State University and president of Economic Forensics and Analytics in Sonoma County.
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