By Petaluma Voice

I’ve been effortlessly schlepping the kids to school on an electric cargo bike for two years now, and am ready for a third. At first I got funny looks zipping uphill with both boys in back, but with every passing month it seems electric cargo bikes become more common around the 'hood. It’s not just my imagination: Aaron Prentice, owner and manager of Petaluma Motor Wheel, says cargo bikes are a hot commodity at the three-year-old shop, accounting for about a quarter of its business. “Selling cargo bikes and getting them set up with kids’ seats is a big part of what we do,” he said. “If anything, interest has slightly ticked up.” And for good reason: they’re economical, practical, and versatile – like a minivan, but more fun, and you get to skip the drop-off line. – Nate Seltenrich

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Speaking of my electric cargo bike, last Friday morning I rode it a few miles out of town to Tara Firma Farms at 3796 I Street. They’re shutting down their long-running meat CSA program and had lots of product to unload at discount rates. With visions of frozen whole chickens, bone-in pork chops, pounds of ground beef, and pork-sausage four-packs filling my panniers, I pedaled briskly without breaking a sweat … and arrived to find four people ahead of me in line, plus others carrying out boxes of vacuum-packed meat. Imagine my further surprise when I saw that all steaks were sold, whole chickens were gone, ground beef was too, and only two sausage flavors remained. Not twenty minutes in, pickings were slim – and more shoppers were queued up behind me. Tara Firma Farms will continue to operate, but has referred its (clearly avid) meat CSA customers to Stemple Creek Ranch, which earlier this year moved its headquarters from Tomales to Petaluma. – NS

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Some residents of East D Street are hoping to add a permanent parklet to their neighborhood, with a larger goal of helping other residents across the city do the same. Lucy Fairweather and her husband Chris got the idea after Fairweather installed a bench near their house and saw people congregating around it right away. Next they hosted a pop-up parklet on Aug. 2, also a success. “It was a shock that something as simple as a bench could create that much positive change on a residential corner,” she told Petaluma Voice. “So naturally I wondered, how much more benefit would a proper parklet space be?” – Jennifer Sawhney

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Petaluma concrete drivers are grumbling about alleged unfair labor practices by CalPortland, walking a picket line Friday outside Shamrock Materials on Hopper Street. The local drivers are among more than 350 represented by four unions. CalPortland, which acquired Shamrock from Vulcan in June, operates 15 plants in Northern California. Petaluma’s drivers are represented by Teamsters Local 665, which has offices in Santa Rosa and San Francisco. According to a press release, “CalPortland Teamsters will remain on the picket line until the company offers realistic bargaining dates to negotiate a contract that protects the industry standards, working conditions, and pensions they have earned.” – JS

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Blue Zones Project Petaluma – will it continue? That’s still to be determined. During Healthy Petaluma’s Aug. 10 board of directors meeting, CEO Ramona Faith said she needed more information before she could present a recommendation. The board is slated to vote on Sept. 16 on a transition plan for Blue Zones, which was designed to bolster community health outcomes. At the August meeting, Nichole Warwick, director of Blue Zones Project Petaluma, also gave the latest updates: new art in front of Loma Vista Elementary; community cooking classes; and work with Ortega’s Market to beautify the space, bring “healthy foods forward,” and offer less candy. Has Blue Zones achieved its goals, or should it persist? – JS

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… And at that same meeting, Eliot Enriquez, director of government and community relations for the Petaluma Health Center, sounded an alarm when he said the health center is seeing “a sharp increase” in underinsured and uninsured families who can’t afford to pay for their healthcare. He called for a partnership with Healthy Petaluma to help increase access to healthcare. Is this another possible direction the board could take? – JS

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The Spring Hill School has replaced its former head of school, Eric Seibal, after about a year in the role. There will now be two heads instead of one. The private school will now be led by Jen Klem-Clarke, division head of students from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade, and Amy Tanti, director of toddler and primary. – JS

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After a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, Aug. 10, staff and volunteers at Café Puente are gathering items to support rescue efforts. They’re specifically looking for new items in original packing: gloves (latex or leather) sizes M to XL; reflective safety vests; new and sealed first aid kits; 4” x 4” sterile gauze in boxes of 100 to 200 pieces; first aid tape packs; and boxes (18" x 14" x 12"). For those unable to donate these items, they ask for donations to the Fundación Herencia de Timbiquí or prepaid Visa or Mastercard cards to cover the delivery costs from Petaluma to Miami (delivery costs from Miami to Colombia are covered). Café Puente will collect items the entire month of August in preparation for upcoming deliveries. Drop off donations at 610 E. Washington St. Ste C from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. – JS