After growing up in Petaluma, Natalie Vinueza (née Mitchell) left town to pursue a career in acting. But circumstances brought her back in 2020, then steered her toward a new, unexpected, "completely fulfilling" career running a café with her husband, Juan Carlos.
June 10, 2026
The city will seek $70 million in debt financing to replace its aging wastewater system – with a stated intention not to raise customers’ sewer rates. At its Monday night meeting, Petaluma City Council voted 6-0 to approve the issuance of these bonds to help fund “two long-planned essential
June 10, 2026
The Petaluma Police Department is a “true learning organization” that showed declines in calls for service, arrests, citations, and complaints in 2025 compared to prior years, an independent police auditor told Petaluma City Council Monday night. “The role of the [independent police auditor] here is to assess the accuracy, completeness,
June 10, 2026
Public bodies advise council on art, climate, airport, trees, and more
June 10, 2026
When Lamar Shahbazian received a large amount of flowers from her neighbor who is a floral designer, she decided to head down to the United Methodist Church on D Street and begin making small bouquets to give out freely. Passersby got to pick bouquets or make them themselves. What better
June 10, 2026
City staff need your help to name Petaluma’s longest path, running three and a half miles along the city’s eastern edge. This multi-use path paralleling the urban growth boundary – with suburbia and schools on one side and fields, cows, and an airport on the other – spans from
June 10, 2026
River trip boasts beautiful views yet demands careful attention, says Rich Brazil, rear commodore of the Petaluma Yacht Club
June 10, 2026"There is no democracy without journalism," fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley told The New York Times last week. "It can't be done." Last week we voted in the California primaries, and this week the work of democracy continues. As an independent, nonprofit, locally
June 10, 2026
In partnership with local animal shelters, every month we feature different dogs and cats available for adoption.
June 10, 2026
Students, parents, and educators are finding balance in Petaluma’s new Valley Vista Public Waldorf school, which formed last year from two existing schools with very different histories. With declining enrollment at the longtime Valley Vista Elementary School on North Webster Street and growth at Live Oak Charter School, a
June 05, 2026
A visiting delegation of Japanese scientists and a ginger farmer toured Petaluma’s Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility and adjacent Shollenberger Park on Monday, June 1, to learn more about the city’s wetlands and innovative water treatment system. The visit was organized by Masayuki Komatsu, a decorated Japanese researcher
June 05, 2026
Petaluma City Council will hold its next meeting on Monday, June 8. Here’s what’s on the agenda. The meeting begins with a closed session at 5 p.m. to confer on labor negotiations. After the closed session concludes, the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. To start
June 05, 2026New subscribers and loyal readers, thank you. And welcome, all, to our second Re-Fresh Friday newsletter. We publish weekly on Wednesdays, but sometimes you'll see us in your inbox on other days with brand-new content and reminders about past stories. Today we've got three
June 05, 2026
The popular downtown thrift store will not reopen
June 03, 2026
A fawn rests under a parked truck, waiting for its mother to return. Baby wildlife for whom Petaluma is home can be found all over town in spring. If you notice a lone fawn, fear not, said Doris Duncan, executive director of Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue – they aren't
June 03, 2026
Started in 1938, the holiday commemorates Salvation Army volunteers who served donuts to soldiers during World War I
June 03, 2026
Patty Norman knows children's books better than anyone in town. She has run the children's section at Copperfield's since 2003, and even before that, brought her own children to the store. Here Norman reflects on inclusivity, epic book-release parties, and the rock band Night Ranger.
June 03, 2026
Workshops make Petaluma a regional zero-waste hub
June 03, 2026