By Petaluma Voice

Every issue of Petaluma Voice is focused on people. We tell the stories of those who make this city what it is: elected officials, nonprofit leaders, business owners, workers, artists, athletes, students, volunteers, and more. They're also our neighbors. Nearly 60,000 people call this place home, and many more play a part in the community.

This week's stories

Our latest issue, #22, is packed with Petaluma people from all walks of life. A piece on the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum's latest exhibit, "Belongings: What We Bring, What We Leave Behind," highlights local contributors whose families came to town from India, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Japan, and Mexico.

In this week's 5Qs, we profile a particularly well-known Petaluman, downtown Petaluma post office clerk Casey Gemo.

In the third installment of our community-contribution column "Voices," we share a moving piece by Trinity Pellkofer, director of the Georgia Riley Pellkofer Foundation and a teacher at the Mary Collins at Cherry Valley Charter School.

As always, Talk of P-Town, our Herb Caen-style "three-dot" column of Petaluma news, information, and gossip, is full of bolded names: movers, shakers, and regular folks alike. Check out "Beer, bikes, and Burners" and see if you know anyone.

Contributor Chris Samson, himself a man about town, brings us the story of Bob Tuttle, an 80-year-old Petaluman who pedaled nearly 900 miles to San Diego on an electric tricycle with his dog Chula, an 18-month-old Chiweenie, riding in an open-air container behind him. You'll have to read it to believe it.

Finally, Scene & Herd offers another couple looks at (and some vital information about) the massive "blimp" – it's technically a rigid airship – seen floating over town on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

In case you missed it: Voices

"Voices" is our column for community contributions, where guest authors share their insights, expertise, or unique perspective on life in Petaluma. This week we present our third such column, written by Trinity Pellkofer.

Our first "Voices" column was published on June 10. Rich Brazil, rear commodore of the Petaluma Yacht Club, wrote about the adventure and natural beauty of boating from the San Francisco Bay up the Petaluma River to the Turning Basin.

Then on July 3, former Petaluma council member Dennis Pocekay wrote about his and his wife's experience with Medical Aid in Dying, a statewide program that he advocated for as a physician before its establishment in 2016.

If you think you'd like to contribute, please email news@petalumavoice.org.

Oh, and one more thing

Jennifer Sawhney's reporting about the interpreting services offered for one Petaluma commission is now on radio. You can hear her narrate a Spanish version of the story that aired recently on KBBF 89.1 FM, Sonoma County's (and the country's) first public bilingual radio station. Take a listen here.