Local

/

Pandemic Relief Grant for Ag-Related Businesses

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a Request for Applications for the new Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant program. The PRS Grant program will assist small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers, shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture, and apiculture; specialty crop, meat, and other processors; distributors; and farmers markets.

Small businesses and nonprofits in these industries can apply for a grant to cover COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety, shifting to online sales platforms, transportation, worker housing, and medical costs. The minimum funding request is $1,500 and the maximum funding request is $20,000.

Deadline to Apply: 11:59 pm Eastern Time (8:59 pm Pacific) on Monday, November 22, 2021.
Apply

/

Guerneville residents advised to boil tap water after break in line

,

Cal Water Guerneville customers north of the Russian River are being asked to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, preparing food and brushing teeth until further notice after a water main break interrupted water service Monday.

California Water Service (Cal Water) and the state Water Resources Control Board said customers should continue to either boil water or use bottled water until further notice,

Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness.

Any time water pressure drops below the threshold set by the state, as it does during a water main break, water quality samples are taken to ensure that water quality wasn’t affected.

Crews were making repairs to the water main and will then test to determine if the water is safe.

It wasn’t announced what caused the break in the line or exactly where the break was discovered.

Tap water is safe for showering, bathing and other household uses.

All tap water used for drinking, preparing food, and brushing teeth should be boiled rapidly for at least one minute before use, the agency said. Customers should also discard ice cubes made from tap water or their refrigerator’s water line. If you have pets and are unsure about providing water to them, the agency suggests consulting your veterinarian.

For more information on household water use during a boil water advisory, contact the Centers for Disease and Control and download a fact sheet.

The agency can be reached at 800-220-4299.

If you prefer to use bottled water during this advisory, save your receipts for reimbursement. They can be mailed to 14028 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville, CA 95446, to the attention of: Bottled water reimbursement.

/

The Barlow Presents Under the Stars Halloween Bash

Join us at The Barlow for a 21+ Halloween Bash featuring live music by Marshall House Project (funky soul) and Sol Horizon (reggae), voted Best Reggae Band in the North Bay 3 years in a row.Wear your best Halloween costume and come dance under the moonlight as soul and funk meets reggae in an incredible, open-air venue at The Barlow.Enjoy a full bar with amazing eats provided by Blue Ridge Kitchen, available for additional purchase.Doors open at 5:30pm with Marshall House Project hitting the stage at 7:00pm followed by Sol Horizon at 8:30pm.
Saturday, October 30 | 5:30pm – 10pm

/

10-Digit Local Dialing Arrives Sunday

Starting this Sunday, October 24, you will need to start dialing 10 digits to make a phone call to  the 707 area code. You’ll need to update your contacts to include 1+707+the 7 digit phone number. 

  • Dialing ‘1+ an area code’ does not change what a call costs and does not mean that a call is a toll or long-distance call.
  • Calling areas and rates will not change.
  • What is a local call before the overlay will remain a local call after the overlay.
  • Calls to 911, as well as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 and 811 will not be affected, and will continue to be dialed with 3 digits.

/

LGBT+ & Allies Youth Halloween Social Happens Oct. 28 at Brew in SR

Join Positive Images LGBTQIA+ Center and North Bay LGBTQI Families for a Youth Halloween Social on Thursday, October 28th from 5-7pm at Brew in Santa Rosa!

As some of you know, PI hosts a weekly LGBTQIA+ Support Group online for youth ages 12-18. In celebration of Halloween, PI is inviting all LGBTQIA+ youth 18 and under to gather in person outdoors on the Brew patio. Parents of younger children and siblings are welcome to attend as well.

Wear your costume to this Halloween version of the PI youth group, where we will have a costume contest, games, snacks, and lots of fun! We will also offer some art activities for youth who are feeling creative.

Note that parking near Brew can take some time to find, and many spaces are metered.

We will have $50 gift cards available at the gathering to families for whom financial barriers such as the cost of gas, a meal, or missed work would otherwise prevent them from attending. If you feel your family could benefit from this support, please fill out the form at the following link:

bit.ly/lgbtqia-picnic

We at Positive Images and North Bay LGBTQI Families are still very aware of and concerned about the spread of COVID-19. If you are feeling sick in any way, please stay home and take care of yourself. Masks will be mandatory with no exceptions, but you are welcome to incorporate them into your Halloween costume! We will have masks on hand for those who may need them. We will do our best to maintain a distance of six feet from one another at all times.

/

Happening Now at Face to Face

PrEP Program Update

As Fall comes into view we wanted to update you on our new PrEP Program. We started to prescribe PrEP, the once-a-day pill to prevent HIV in June. As of today we have 18 people who are now on PrEP, meaning 18 people who won’t get HIV! 
And we are just getting started…..If you know of a friend and/or loved one who should get on PrEP, please do give them our information or direct them to this link and they can get started on PrEP in a matter of days. It’s FREE and prescriptions are delivered to your door.
This new program in partnership with Q Care telehealth continues to lead us towards our mission to end HIV in Sonoma County. 
The Holigays are right around the corner!Saturday, December 18 at 5pm The Green Music CenterWe are thrilled that the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will return to the Green Music Center for their annual holiday show benefiting our work. Join us in your festive attire as we gather again in person. Get ready for a joyous, hilarious, and celebratory evening. This event always is a sell-out so get your tickets now. Tickets are available here
We talk a lot about HIV testing and our harm reduction programs but did you know that we also provide Care Services to over 500 clients who are living with HIV in Sonoma County? 
We offer comprehensive support services to people living with HIV disease in Sonoma County. We walk our clients through the maze of health care services and help them address their health and social service needs. We provide benefits counseling, information and referrals, housing and volunteer services. Our team has extensive experience in HIV care and local resources.
All our services are provided free of charge and are completely confidential.
DONATE TO OUR WORK

/

SoCo blood makes are in crucial need of donors

,

Blood banks in Northern California and across the nation are sounding an alarm over a blood and platelet shortage the American Red Cross says amounts to a national emergency, with supplies at their lowest levels in at least six years.

The shortage, now in its third week, is the third and most severe supply crisis at blood banks since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to the Red Cross.

It has spurred blood banks, including those in the North Bay, to plead for donors of all blood types to visit as soon as they can, especially those with O-negative blood, the universal type that can be given to anyone in an emergency.

The Red Cross, which typically experiences a fall bounce-back from summer blood shortages, saw donor turnout drop to 10% of normal in September amid a surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant.

“This is such an unusual situation,” said Justin Mueller, the regional donor services executive for the American Red Cross’s Northern California coastal region. “Throughout this pandemic, it’s been ‘How are we going to make sure we have enough blood products?’ because the need is absolutely still there―and quite frankly, that’s what we’re tasked with each and every day.”

The Red Cross is the nation’s largest supplier of donated blood, providing supplies to hospitals, surgery centers and other health care facilities. They aim to maintain a 5-day supply of all blood types, but report stockpiles of O-positive and O-negative blood have dipped to less than a half-day supply in recent weeks. There’s also been a critical need for platelets, blood particles that help with clotting and have a five-day shelf life.

Upcoming blood drives in Sonoma County

An upcoming Vitalant blood drive: 

Oct. 19 at Sonoma State University at the Bloodmobile in Parking Lot D located at 1801 E. Cotati Ave. in Rohnert Park from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

The Vitalant donation center in Santa Rosa is located at 3505 Industrial Dr., which is open everyday. For more information on times and to make an appointment, visit vitalant.org.

Red Cross blood drives include:

Oct. 19 in Santa Rosa from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the American Red Cross Chapter located at 5297 Aero Drive.Oct. 20 in Petaluma from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Calvary Chapel of Petaluma located at 1955 S. McDowell Blvd.

For more information and to make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org.

/

SoCo to face PG&E power shut offs due to high winds Thursday – Sunday

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is considering a second intentional power shut-off this week in parts of 19 California counties, including portions of the North Bay, the utility said.

The shut-off would start Thursday morning, when dry, windy conditions are again expected to ramp up wildfire danger, the utility said. It would include 1,481 homes and businesses in Sonoma County, 1,774 in Lake County and 3,750 in Napa County.

High elevations may experience gusts of 40 mph, but overall conditions won’t be as bad or widespread as earlier this week, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s not enough to put us in the threshold for a red flag warning or wind advisory, but I can see why (PG&E’s) exercising caution,“ said meteorologist Brayden Murdock.

To check if your address is included, visit pge.com/pspsupdates.

This latest warning of another possible shut-off came as PG&E began restoring power in some areas affected by an intentional blackout that began early Monday.

/

Online event with author Anne Lamont benefits LGBT+ asylum seekers

I hope you will join me and my dear friend, author Anne Lamott, on Oct. 16 at 7pm PT for Love Amidst It All—a special online benefit. 

We will explore together how we can love amidst the beauty and the pain of the world. With humor and heart, compassion and encouragement, Anne and I will share stories, teachings, practices, lessons, meanderings, ancient wisdom and modern kindness.
Our benefit supports LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and Oasis Legal Services, a nonprofit started by my daughter Caroline and other dedicated young lawyers to secure safety and asylum for many whose lives are in danger.

By participating in this event and donating even a modest amount, you can help a group of LGBTQ+ refugees from all over the world who have, because of homophobia and transphobia, been targeted, beaten, raped, and betrayed. Rejected by those closest to them who should have protected them. Your help can make a difference. 

If you can’t attend but would like access to a recording, you must register by 6pm PT on Oct. 16. You will have 30 days from the original program date to view the recording of this event.
«‹ 3 4 5 6 ›»