By Nate Seltenrich, Tobias Young, Jennifer Sawhney, Crissy Pascual

ON THE LOOSE – I came over the hill on Skillman Lane on Thursday, Aug. 20, to find traffic stopped in both directions. A pair of neighbors were trying to herd four furry escapees to safety. I put on my emergency flashers and got out to make sure the sheep were hustling in the right direction. When the flock headed down a paved driveway, I pulled in and blocked the exit ... I introduced myself to Trudy and Michael Thoma and helped steer the sheep into the owner’s yard. The owners, Nicole and Patrick, weren't home at the time. The sheep quickly went to work trimming greenery and eyeing fruit trees. It didn’t seem prudent to leave them in a space clearly not meant for them … For 15 minutes the flock stubbornly avoided an open gate, ignoring their ushers and bolting at the last second in the opposite direction. We finally managed to wrangle the sheep into the pasture. … The Thoma couple aren’t the first neighbors I’ve met while herding cows, sheep, horses, and even runaway teens from the nearby rehab center. “You never know what might happen when you live in the country,” Trudy said, as we congratulated each other on our shepherding efforts. Only too true. My colleague Nate said he’s had to round up four-legged escapees in his own southwest Petaluma neighborhood. These are the moments that give color to life in P-Town … While we were coaxing the sheep to pasture, the owner's curious cat, a white longhair I later learned goes by the name of Keke, abandoned his own adventure in the pasture. He returned home, jumped through the fence into the yard, and trotted over to say hello. After accepting a few pets, and observing what all the fuss was about, he seemingly helped round up the recalcitrant sheep. When they bolted in his direction, he gave up and scurried for cover … The herding reminded me of a time two decades ago, when my wife was driving our kids home after dark in our old Suburban. As she turned onto Pepper Road, the headlights illuminated a stampede of spooked cattle coming her way fast and filling the entire roadway. She stopped as the herd parted and passed around the ‘Burb like a rushing river of pounding hooves, with ranch hands hot on their heels. Our kids loved the late-evening rodeo. – Tobias Young

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100 PLUS THREE – Ernie’s Tin Bar celebrated its fourth-annual 100-year anniversary party last weekend (that’s 103 years, and counting!). And it was quite a party. There was a ping-pong tournament, live music, and, of course, cold beer a-flowing. Its crew doesn’t know the exact date it opened, but they celebrate in August. If you missed it, there’s always next year! – Jennifer Sawhney

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PETALUMA FIRE EXTINGUISHED – The Petaluma Fire began Sunday evening just north of Novato, near Highway 101 and San Antonio Road. The fire, which was first reported after 7:40 p.m., grew to about four acres at its largest and reached a solar facility, according to Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. Firefighters from the Marin County Fire Department, Novato Fire Department, Gold Ridge, and Cal Fire responded. By 11:30 p.m. they had contained the fire. It’s unclear what started the blaze. – JS

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BUILT TO SPILL – They didn’t perform fan favorites “The Plan” or “Goin’ Against Your Mind,” but they did open with a rousing rendition of “Time Trap” and closed their three-song encore with a stretched-out “Perfect From Now On.” Built to Spill, indie-rock royalty from Boise, played to a packed house at the Phoenix Theater on Saturday night. Leading the trio, frontman and songwriter Doug Martsch was as soft-spoken and subdued a guitar god as I’ve ever seen in my decades of attending rock shows in small clubs. But the all-ages audience – including a PTA president, a prominent city staffer, KPCA deejays, and other local movers and shakers – was appreciative nonetheless. – Nate Seltenrich

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JOIN THE BOARD – Speaking of local radio, which I tend to do a lot, Petaluma Community Access – operator of KPCA 103.3 FM as well as a television station and a brand-new podcast studio – is seeking to fill three vacant seats through its 2026 Board of Directors election. Any individual member of PCA in good standing may be nominated by the membership. Nomination petitions are available at the PCA office (205 Keller St. Suites 102, 103, and 203) and online at PCA.tv. Petitions and candidate statements must be signed by 10 members and returned to PCA by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sep. 9. Anyone wishing to vote in this year’s board election must be a member by Friday, Sep. 4. For more information, call 707-773-3190. – NS

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TO OPEN OR TO CLOSE – P-Town is experiencing some changes in the grocery biz, with Raley’s closing in January and a new Grocery Outlet opening on Thursday, Aug. 27 … There’s more to the story, said Bennie Tiapon, the beloved operator of Petaluma’s original Grocery Outlet on Washington Street. Bennie, 63, wanted to open the second G.O. himself. “I thought there was a need there,” he said. He was awarded approval from the headquarters in Emeryville for the second store, despite it marking the first time the 80-year-old company will allow two stores in such close proximity … The problem came a few months ago, when Bennie started carving out more time to care for his elderly parents in Hawaii. At the same time, Bennie’s son, who lives in Martinez, decided the commute to take over the family business would prove too difficult. That’s when Bennie decided to hand over the second Grocery Outlet to his best friend, Petaluma resident Victor Soares, who is the independent operator of the Rohnert Park store. “It’s helpful to have someone running the store who I know and trust,” Bennie said. He expects a quarter drop in his own business, but he thinks the two stores can survive. “We will have to adjust,” he said, adding that his store has a strong following. His crew and customers have been loyal since Bennie bought the store more than 14 years ago … Victor, 55, the son of Portuguese parents who immigrated to South Africa, has his own lifeblood in the grocery business. He started at 13 in South Africa as a bag boy and moved to cashier, meat clerk, fishmonger, stocker, and finally owner. He is bullish on two stores in town. “I’m definitely not concerned at all,” Victor said, adding that Highway 101 essentially splits the customer base in half … Meanwhile, Victor will continue his twice-a-week dinners with Bennie and his wife, and the two owners will help each other out like normal. “Bennie and I are almost family,” Victor said ... Both grocers are unsettled to see the local Raley’s fold. Bennie thinks it was an unpopular design that killed the store, one of seven Raley’s closing in the months ahead. Victor, whose own daughter worked at Raley’s during high school, said corporate grocers look closely at sales per square foot. “I’m sad to see them go,” he said. – TY

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MORE FOOD NEWS – Last Saturday, Blue Plate celebrated its grand opening at the old IHOP location at 5312 Old Redwood Highway N. The diner-style eatery is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Owners Louis and Emily Hoang are longtime California restaurateurs who say they’re excited about bringing breakfast-forward, comfort-food cuisine to Petaluma …  Last call for slushies: Once Upon a Slush (122B American Alley) is set to close on August 30 after seven years in business – the first three as a Wicked Slush franchise, and the last four as an independent spin-off. We wish owners Dave and Juliet Pokorny well, and wonder what’s next for this unique, slightly hidden storefront that before slinging slushies hosted a piercing shop and a bakery … One business opens, another closes, and a third grows: Petaluma “spice enthusiast and culinary adventurer” Wind McAlister is expanding Sonoma Spice Queen to Santa Rosa this month with a new location at 404 Mendocino Ave. A grand opening with treats, giveaways, and more takes place on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m. SSQ’s handcrafted, certified-organic spices are also available in downtown Petaluma at 9 4th St. – NS

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HERE TO HELP – Last week I wrote a story about the impacts of rising costs and changes to food benefit eligibility. For that story, I spoke to Allison Goodwin, CEO and president of Redwood Empire Food Bank, who also shared ways for people to get food. The easiest way to sign up is to visit Getfood.refb.org and pre-register. After filling out the online form (one per household) and heading to a distribution site, people receive something that looks like a grocery store club card, she said. Each time someone visits and their card gets scanned, the organization gathers data about how often a household visits. This helps with planning purposes, she said … They also have a “robust” proxy program where a neighbor or friend can pick up food if someone is unable to. Most importantly, she wanted readers to know “we’re here to help. If they’re inclined to help, they could give time, money or food. They can remind a neighbor that we are a resource,” she said. – JS

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SQUISHY SWAP – If you are a parent of young kids, you probably know all about squishies. They’re cute. They’re colorful. And they’re just soooo squishy! Kneading one in your hand can be satisfying at any age (arthritis, anyone?), like a modern-day stress ball ... But parents, if your kids are asking for more, don’t cave and buy new ones. On Friday, Aug. 28, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Oak Hill Park (1 Parkside Terrace Blvd.) there will be a Fidget & Squishy Exchange. Olivia Garcia, a mom of two, held the first exchange in June. This will be the third, and she expects it will be the biggest yet ... She came up with the idea because her four-year-old is obsessed with squishies and started trading them with her cousins. And now that Nee-Dohs have become a viral trend, they can be hard to find in stores. Some obsessed fans even line up outside the store before it opens ... But Garcia doesn’t have time for that, so she came up with the idea of an exchange. She hopes it continues to grow and helps build friendships; she loves listening to kids bargaining with each other. It’s a fun way to get the kids out, and best of all, no waiting outside a store at the crack of dawn. – Crissy Pascual

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LEAVE OF ABSENCE – Petaluma Voice’s board chair, Elece Hempel, is taking a temporary leave from the Petaluma Voice board as she works on city council candidate Brent Newell's campaign. In a letter to the board on Aug. 24, she wrote: “I care deeply about Petaluma Voice and want to make sure its credibility, independence, and reputation remain protected. Taking a leave seems like the most responsible way for me to do that.” Per the letter, her leave lasts from Aug. 24 through Nov. 4. – JS

Crissy Pascual is a photojournalist and co-founder of Petaluma Voice. She can be reached at photos@petalumavoice.org.

Jennifer Sawhney is a reporter and co-founder of Petaluma Voice. She can be reached at jsawhney@petalumavoice.org.

Nate Seltenrich is an editor and reporter at Petaluma Voice. He can be reached at nseltenrich@petalumavoice.org.

Tobias Young is an editor and reporter at Petaluma Voice. He can be reached at tyoung@petalumavoice.org.