LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. On February 22,
Magi Fedorka will be joining us for a presentation on the
activism carried out by Forward Together. Look forward
to seeing you there! Please contact me to enroll in this FREE
class and receive a Zoom invite: [email protected]
The war in Ukraine continues and we must not forget those who have shown such courageous spirit in the face of such horrendous conditions. What better way to connect than with a yoga class dedicated to the indomitable strength shown by our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. On the anniversary of the initial attack by Russia, we will gather together and send our collective positive energy and compassion across the world, a reminder that we are all connected. Yoga for Peace is the culmination of efforts by Vickie Morse and Brenda Flynn, as they felt the need to do more to connect our community with our sister community of Chyhyryn.
Join us on February 24 2023 at 6:00 PM at Wischemann Hall, 465 Morris Street, Sebastopol or live on Zoom.
The carefully chosen yoga instructors that will guide us on this journey are:
Hediyeh Bell has been teaching yoga since 2008, and later added pilates and personal training to her repertoire. Her genuine spirit and unique style engages everyone she teaches. As in instructor, her intention is to help guide you into a strong body as well as into your own heart! She finds great joy in guiding others into the gift of a healthy body, mind and spirit.
Monica Bravo is not only a yoga instructor but Shamanic Reiki Master and Transformational Coach, sharing her love for yoga and breathwork around the world for 18+ years. She is the founder of Rapid ManifestationToday podcast and youtube where she shares meditations and yoga each week.
Vickie Morse has been practicing yoga for over 40 years, and teaching for 17+ years in the community. What started as something to do with her equestrian friends has expanded to an amazing community of dedicated students who have been playing and practicing yoga for many years together (Sova Yoga Sangha). Vickie recently has expanded her teachings with certifications in Yoga for Osteoporosis, Senior & Chair Yoga, Fusion Fitness, and is a Matter of Balance Coach. The vision for this event started with Vickie, who reached out to the community to help create this unique event.
Our Meditation Guide is Kerry Vyner Brooks. Kerry Vyner-Brooks is an experienced coach, and instructor with a background in Qigong, Yoga, Transpersonal Psychology, and the performing, visual and healing arts. She is a lifelong student; curious, about surrendering to the Divine Feminine; finding Inner peace. Karen enjoys the gift of movement, fellowship, and laughter.
Prior yoga experience is suggested. Please bring a mat and any props you may require. Space is limited, but we are also offering the live zoom option. Please, no small children. Young adults with yoga experience are welcome. Doors opening at 5:30 PM.
There are three ticket (donation) options available, please choose the level of support that you can manage. Additional cash/check donations may be made at the event, or on the Sebastopol World Friends website. This is a donation event, no cancellation or refunds.
Your donation is critical in meeting the needs of our friends in Chyhyryn. While no donation is too small, we challenge you to challenge yourself and think big. If you were displaced from your home, how much would you want your friends to pledge to keep your family warm, clothed, and fed, and to ensure that you could communicate with them? Please donate at whatever level you can manage.
TICKET LINK BELOW
This event is made possible with support from:
Redwood Rainbows Square Dance Club, Inc.
Radiate Yoga Studio
Brenda Flynn and the rest of the Sova Yoga Gang
lYou are invited to participate in the 15th Annual Sonoma County Student Film Festival. There are many ways to get involved. Choose one or all three!
The Sonoma County Student Film Festival was initiated 15 years ago by the Student Government President, Amanda Swan, and launched at SRJC Petaluma. The Sonoma County Film Festival (SCSFF) encourages students to build academic and professional connections with their peers and community. The goal of the event is to connect and introduce student filmmakers within the community to our own Film Studies and Digital Filmmaking programs here at SRJC. Featured filmmakers receive passes to attend the Film Fest Petaluma, Sonoma County’s Premiere international short films festival. This program is the result of collaboration between the SRJC Student Life and Communication Studies departments.
Show your support, and/or learn more about the Sonoma County Student Film Festival at studentlife.santarosa.edu/sonoma-county-student-film-festival
Sincerely,
Danni Smith, SCSFF Student Coordinator
SRJC Petaluma Welcome & Connect Center
Santa Rosa Junior College
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. On February 15,
we will be continuing the history of the AIDS epidemic focusing
on Lesbian Caregivers. Look forward to seeing you there!
Please contact me to enroll in this FREE class and
receive a Zoom invite: [email protected]
LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1947-2000.
Wednesdays 1:30-3pm. Online via Zoom. On February 8,
we will be covering the history of AIDS in Sonoma County.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Please contact me to enroll in this FREE class and
receive a Zoom invite: [email protected]
Wobbly-like folk singer, David Rovics <https://www.davidrovics.com/> is
playing at the Peace & Justice Center on Thursday, February 9.
An early show, doors open at 6:30, show at 7pm.
The PJC only holds 45-50 people so you want to be there on time.
There will be wine & beer for sale and
likely some friends you know.
Please share the word. Here is the Facebook event page:
https://fb.me/e/2xXrnWv3g
You can purchase a ticket on the Peace and Justice Center’s SoCo Venmoaccount. Put David Rovics in the note section. Or if you want to reserve tickets, send a message via our contact page to be put on a list to pay at the Door: https://www.pjcsoco.org/contact.html
This is a benefit for Peace & Justice Center, with a sliding scale, of $5
to $20 so everyone can make it. We will also be collecting warm things for
the unhoused, please bring any of the following that you would like to
share with our unhoused brothers and sisters.:
– warm but not heavy clothes
– socks, hats or gloves
– tents, sleeping bags
Trevor Leopold would have turned 22 on Jan. 30. Instead, he’s “forever 18,” his mother says.
When Greenbrae resident Michelle Leopold received the news that her 18-year-old son died in his Sonoma State University dorm room, she didn’t need to wait for the coroner’s report to know what had killed him.
Although it was November 2019, before most parents had heard of the fentanyl crisis, there was no doubt in Michelle Leopold’s mind that this powerful synthetic opioid was the culprit. Sadly, she was well aware of the dangerous drug because her son’s close friend had succumbed to a fentanyl overdose the previous year.
Indeed, toxicology results confirmed that Trevor Leopold died after ingesting a pill laced with fentanyl. One pill.
He thought he was taking the prescription drug oxycodone, Michelle Leopold said. As it turned out, the fentanyl-laced pill contained no oxycodone at all. Similarly, Trevor Leopold’s friend, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2018, believed he was consuming Xanax, a prescription benzodiazepine.
“One of the scariest things about this is that so many who end up overdosing don’t know they’re taking something with fentanyl in it,” Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s public health director, said in an interview. “It’s kind of like drinking punch that’s been spiked at a party—hard to call it abuse when it’s unintentional. More like a poisoning.”
Melissa Struzzo, manager of the Sonoma County Substance Use Disorder & Community Recovery Services, has the same concern as Willis.
“There are naive users, who think they’re getting Vicodin or Percocet,” Struzzo said. “They’re not active users and have no tolerance built up for fentanyl. This group has a higher potential for overdose.”
Marin and Sonoma counties, like the rest of the United States, are experiencing a dramatic surge in drug overdoses. Grim statistics reveal the gravity of the crisis, driven by fentanyl.
Overdoses in Marin County have more than doubled since 2018, said Willis. Today, fentanyl is associated with over 50% of OD cases.
The number of fatal ODs in Marin has also increased significantly—more than 100% in the last three years. Every five days, someone dies of an overdose in the county. During 2021 and 2022, 60% of those deaths were linked to fentanyl.
Sonoma County is faring worse, with someone dying every two days from an overdose death, according to the Sonoma County Department of Health. Even more astounding is that deaths involving fentanyl increased by 2,550% from 2016 through 2021.
This increase is responsible for Sonoma County ranking 14thout of 58 in California for the highest drug overdose death rate. Sonoma County is second in the Bay Area for the greatest increase in the OD death rate, while San Francisco has the dubious distinction of landing in the top spot.
Exactly how did fentanyl, a powerful legal synthetic opioid developed in 1959, cause this nationwide crisis? Fentanyl, used as an analgesic during surgery and as a prescription drug to treat severe pain, is easily produced and affordable.
Unfortunately, fentanyl’s characteristics also make it attractive to the illicit drug market. In recent years, the supply of fentanyl has grown swiftly, with most of it manufactured outside of the United States. The drug’s effect is similar to heroin, and it’s extremely addictive.
“Fentanyl is up to 100 times more potent than morphine,” Struzzo said.
Drug dealers bank on fentanyl’s addictive quality to keep their customers coming back for more. But just two milligrams of fentanyl—a few grains—can kill a person, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, which prompted the agency to issue a health alert: “One pill can kill.”
Without access to the sophisticated and expensive scientific weights and measures used by a pharmaceutical company, it’s almost impossible for dealers to calculate how much fentanyl they’re putting into a pill or powder.
And the guy or gal next door may be making those pills, with pill presses for all budgets just a few keystrokes away on Amazon. The presses allow dealers to pump out counterfeit pills that look almost identical to prescription drugs, such as Ritalin, Adderall and oxycodone.
“Fentanyl is now present in most illicit pills and powders,” Willis said. “People overdose from the presence of fentanyl in what’s sold on social media as prescription pills, cocaine or other powders.”
The opioid drug epidemic affects people of all ages, either through intentional or unintentional use. Even infants are brought to emergency rooms with fentanyl ODs.
The issue is daunting and complex; however, Marin and Sonoma have countywide collaboratives to attack the crisis from all sides.
OD Free Marin has five teams, including intervention, treatment and recovery; youth action; education and outreach; equity action; and the justice system. The Sonoma County Prevention Partnership works on drug policy and advocacy efforts.
Both counties agree that a harm reduction approach is beneficial. For example, many pharmacies in Marin and Sonoma sell Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of fentanyl, without a prescription. Schools have Narcan, and staff have been trained to administer it. Some experts recommend that every first aid kit contain the life-saving medication. Substance abuse programs are also key to addressing fentanyl use.
Law enforcement agencies are working on getting dealers off the streets, but it can be difficult when social media platforms make it easy for them to hide. For example, Snapchat, a messaging app, allows users to determine how long their messages remain visible. In addition, dealers use different emojis for each drug they have available, negating the need to write anything incriminating.
The illicit drug business, especially with inexpensive fentanyl readily available to dealers, is quite lucrative. There’s always a dealer ready to fill the void when another is arrested, according to Willis.
“Public health and law enforcement agree that we aren’t going to arrest our way out of this problem,” Willis said. “Instead, we partner with the justice system using all of the tools at our disposal, including diverting people with low level drug offenses to assessment and ensuring people who are incarcerated have access to addiction treatment.”
Willis, Struzzo and Michelle Leopold say it’s imperative that people understand the dangers of just one pill.
Leopold plans on educating as many people as possible about what happened to her son, with the goal of preventing fentanyl deaths. “People just don’t know,” she said.
Last year, Leopold and her husband hosted Narcan training sessions at the six Ace Hardware stores they own. Although Leopold admits it’s hard, she makes herself available to the media and speaks at numerous public forums.
“When we got the phone calls about Trevor, I turned to my husband and said, ‘We can’t be quiet about this,’” Leopold said. “There are a lot of us speaking out on behalf of our dead, poisoned children. Hopefully, it’s making a difference.”
| Join the Sonoma County Library for in-person and virtual eventsthroughout the month of February, from South African music and storytelling to Korean lantern-making workshops. All events are free and you don’t need a library card to attend; registration is required for select events. See some of our February events below! |
| Kids & Families |
| Learn about local mushrooms and make your own clay mushroom model at Seeds & Reads: Mushroom Models! Advance registration required. At seven library locations: Healdsburg, Northwest Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Roseland, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Rincon Valley, and Sebastopol. |
| Join the fun at the African Music and Arts Village! This family-friendly, interactive program, led by Baba Shibambo, introduces the cultural traditions of South Africa through indigenous music and storytelling. At four library locations: Healdsburg, Northwest Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley, and Sonoma Valley. |
| Teens |
| Experience the history, culture, and societal impact of hip hop at Hip Hop for Change! Join us for live and interactive presentations focused on historic and current examples of hip hop’s founding principles: peace, love, unity, and fun. At two library locations: Rincon Valley and Sebastopol. |
| Learn the basic skills to protect yourself in real life situations at our Intro to Self-Defense for Teens classes. Instructor Lucibel Nunez will teach boundary-setting, personal safety, and physical self-defense skills. At three library locations: Cloverdale, Healdsburg, and Rohnert Park-Cotati. |
| All Ages |
| Join the Korean Spirit and Cultural Promotion Project to create a paper lantern at our Korean Culture & Lotus Lantern Workshops! Registration is required and kits are available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. Limit one per patron. Available at five library locations: Central Santa Rosa (teens only), Cloverdale, Guerneville, Petaluma, and Windsor. |
| Adults |
| What uses the most energy in your home? Join us at the Central Santa Rosa Library on Saturday, February 18, at 11:00 am to find out! We’ll dig into energy-saving tips during this Home Energy Workshop, brought to you by the County of Sonoma’s Climate Action and Resiliency Division. Event also offered in Spanish at the Roseland Library on Tuesday, February 21. |
| Join us at the Rohnert Park-Cotati Library on Saturday, February 18, at 2:00 pm and experience the movement and rhythm of Afro-Peruvian dance! Live performance presented by the Tradición Peruana Cultural Center. |
| Virtual Events |
| Advance registration required for all virtual events in order to receive a Zoom link. |
| Join the Good Citizens Family Book Club, a virtual program designed to give families an opportunity to talk about potentially challenging topics through picture books and storytelling. Club meets on the fourth Friday of each month. |
| January 22 on the Gregorian calendar marks the beginning of the year of the Water Rabbit, year 4721 on the Chinese calendar. What does this mean and how is it celebrated? Join the Asian Art Museum’s virtual lecture on Saturday, February 11, at 11:00 am to find out! |
| Looking for more? Explore the full calendar! Explore the Calendar |
| Thank you for being a member of the Sonoma County Library community. Visit us online or in person at one of our branches. Be sure to check out open jobs at Sonoma County Library here. Questions? Please call your local library branch or click here to send us a message. Eventos de febrero Únase a la biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma para eventosvirtuales y presenciales por todo el mes de febrero, desde presentaciones de música sudafricana, horas de cuentos y talleres de cómo hacer linternas coreanas. Todos los eventos son gratuitos y no necesita una tarjeta de la biblioteca para asistir; sí es necesario registrarse para algunos eventos. ¡Vea algunos de nuestros eventos de febrero a continuación! |
| Niños y familias |
| Aprendan acerca de los hongos y setas locales y hagan sus propios modelos de hongos y setas hechos de arcilla en Semillas y libros: ¡Modelos de hongos de arcilla! Es necesario registrarse con anticipación. Programa disponible en 7 bibliotecas: Healdsburg, Northwest Santa Rosa frente a Coddingtown Mall, Petaluma, Roseland, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Rincon Valley y Sebastopol. |
| ¡Únanse a la diversión con El pueblo africano de música y arte! Este programa interactivo para familias será impartido por Baba Shibambo, quien introducirá las tradiciones culturales de Sudáfrica a través de la música indígena y la narración oral de cuentos. Programa disponible en cuatro bibliotecas: Healdsburg, Northwest Santa Rosa frente a Coddingtown Mall, Rincon Valley y Sonoma Valley. |
| Jóvenes |
| ¡Experimenta la historia, cultura y el impacto social del hip hop en ¡Hip Hop para el cambio! Únete a las presentaciones en vivo e interactivas basadas en datos históricos y actuales de los principios fundamentales del hip hop: paz, amor, unidad y diversión. Programa disponible en 2 bibliotecas: Rincon Valley y Sebastopol. |
| Aprende las habilidades básicas para protegerte en situaciones de la vida real con nuestras clases de Introducción a la autodefensa para jóvenes. La maestra Lucibel Núñez te enseñará cómo poner límites, mantener tu seguridad personal y las técnicas de autodefensa. Programa disponible en 3 bibliotecas: Cloverdale, Healdsburg y Rohnert Park-Cotati. |
| Para todas las edades |
| UPCOMING EVENTSall events are free February 7LGBTQ+ & HIV+ Grief Group **at the Spahr Center and on zoom(see flyer below for more details)7 to 8 pm February 14A Special Valentine’s Day!where we throw away the idea that Valentine’s Day is only about romantic loveSecond Tuesday LGBT Senior Group at Mgt. Todd Senior Center  1560 Hill Road, Novatowatch for details!12:30 to 2:30 February 15Monthly Mixer at San Rafael Joe’s please RSVP to Will: [email protected]4:30 to 6 pm – from 4th Street entranceFebruary 16Death Cafe Conversationled by Patricia Stamm & Jerry Schmitzon our weekly Thursday 12:30 zoom * Social Committee event, RSVP required;to RSVP or get on their email list, write to them at [email protected] ** See flyer below |
| Shirley Pahl, a longtime member of our community, died last month. A memorial for her on Sunday, January 29, has just been announced. Please RSVP by text to 407/509-1366 if you plan to participate. |
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| Be Heard! Join this anonymous survey to make sure Marin County Mental Health and Recovery Services offer what we need as a community. You will enter your name and mailing address separately to get your gift card. |
SAGECents SAGECents is a digital wellness platform made specifically for LGBTQ+ elders to increase financial stability and reduce economic stress. By creating a free account, registrants instantly access tools, information, and resources that are curated for the LGBTQ+ experience to help seniors make the financial decisions that are right for their life. You can learn more and start the process here. SAGE is a terrific national advocacy and services organization for LGBTQ+ elders, offering a wide range of resources for us. More information here. |
To join the Spahr Senior Groupon ZoomMondays, 7 to 8 pm, &Thursdays, 12:30 to 2 pm,click the purple button below the Butterfly Heart or here: |
| New participants are warmly welcomed!If you’re zoom-challenged, let me know and I’ll work with you! |
| Topical Thursdays12:30 to 2 pm January 26Topic: The Best Thing Someone Told MeIt may have come in the form of advice, or a story from someone’s life, or a recommendation that you read a certain author or listen to someone’s music. Perhaps they shared their interest in a topic that became an inspiration for you. Maybe they held a mirror up to you that helped you see yourself in a new way. Most of us remember someone saying something to us that changed the direction of our lives or deepened our understanding of life itself. Let’s remember those moments and share them our community circle. |
Living Room Mondays7 to 8 pm We share with each other about how we’re doing and have unstructured conversations focused on listening from our hearts and deepening community. |
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The Northbay LGBT+ Senior Social Committee has been consistently offering meaningful, fun events for the senior community. Everyone born in any month will be celebrated in that month’s email – including your birthday if you’ll let them know when it rolls around! To sign up for their emails or register for events, click here. Watch here for their February calendar coming soon. |
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| Unity In Marin is a welcoming and inclusive spiritual community committed to individual and collective transformation. Unity offers an open-ended approach to spirituality rather than a closed or dogmatic one. Whatever our race, faith background, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, or culture, Unity’s goal is to have us remember our true divine nature and support & encourage the evolution of our consciousness. Their vision is to realize “a world powerfully transformed through shared spiritual awakening.” You can learn more about Unity In Marin’s commitment to Diversity Equity and Inclusion at https://unityinmarin.org/dei/ |
| Coronavirus Updates A new Bivalent Covid Vaccine is available and it is recommended that most seniors get that shot. Contact your health provider for more information. The Spahr Center has coronavirus rapid home test kits & masks and they are available for free in the office – 150 Nellen Avenue, Suite 100, Corte Madera 94925; 415/457-2487. The office is open 10 am – 3 pm weekdays. Only vaccinated people may come to the office and masks must be worn inside the building. Any staff person can direct you to the kits. This is a great resource we are pleased to offer, please don’t hesitate to get these kits! In order to keep track of new infections, the County asks that we report self-test results here. To see Marin County’s latest pandemic information, click here. The mask recommendations of the Mask Nerd– an aerosol scientist who studies mask effectiveness – are featured in this article and highly informative video. May we all be safe and well! |
| Community Notices |
| The Spahr Center’s Food Pantry is open to seniors who need support in meeting their nutritional needs. We want to help! Items such as fresh vegies, fruit & meats, eggs and dairy, prepared meals, pasta, sauces, and canned goods are delivered weekly to people who sign up. Glen & Robert, our Pantry Managers, do a terrific job in trying to meet the individual needs and preferences of the people we serve. |  |
| Contact The Spahr Center for more information: [email protected] or 415/457-2487Space for your Community Notice here. Email Bill with information at [email protected]. |
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| Vivalon Resources for Seniors Whistlestop, now renamed Vivalon, offers many resources for us seniors, now listed in this easy-to-print one-page guide. Access to rides, food, classes, activities, resources, referrals, and more. Membership not required for most classes and services during the pandemic. Some in-person events are being planned. To get Vivalon’s listings, clickhere. They also provide access to resources including rides for older adults. Please note: there is a 3-week registration process for the ride program so register now if you think you may need rides in the future. Click here for their website. The Jackson Cafe has great specials, a roomy dining room, small tables and big round tables for groups. Open 11:30 to 1:45; $8 for members, $10 for guests, with takeout readily available. You can find their daily changing menu and more information here. |
| Building Community in the Midst of Sheltering-in-PlaceSee old friends and make new ones! Join us!The Spahr Center’s LGBT Senior Discussion Groupscontinue everyMonday, 7 to 8 pm& Thursday, 12:30 to 2 pm on zoom |
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| To Join Group by Video using Computer, Smart Phone or TabletJust click this button at the start time, 6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:Join GroupAlways the same link! Try it, it’s easy! |
| To Join Group by Phone CallIf you don’t have internet connections or prefer joining by phone,call the following number at the start time,6:55 pm Mondays / 12:25 pm Thursdays:1-669-900-6833The Meeting id is 820 7368 6606#(no participant id required)The password, if requested, is 135296#If you want to be called into the group by phone, notify Bill Blackburn at 415/450-5339 |
| California Department of Aging ResourcesThe CDA has a website that is packed with information and resources relevant to the lives of seniors in our state. From Covid-19 updates to more general care for age-related health issues, access to legal assistance to getting home-delivered meals to help with housing, you may well find answers to your questions by clicking: here. |
| Adult and Aging Service’s Information and Assistance Line, providing information and referrals to the full range of services available to older adults, adults with disabilities and their family caregivers, has a new phone number and email address: 415/473-INFO (4636) 8:30 am to 4:30 pm weekdays[email protected] |
Questions? Assistance? Suggestions? We have resources and volunteers for:grocery deliveryfood assistanceproviding weekly comfort calls to check in on youplus more! Bill BlackburnLGBTQ+ Senior Program Manager[email protected]415/450-5339 Funding for this program, at least in part, is made available by the Older Americans Act, administered locally by the Marin Department of Health & Human Services, Aging & Adult Services. |
