By Petaluma Voice

A RETURN OF TWO ROCK? – Long ago, when Cody Hildreth’s son Jackson was 3, the boy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer that spread throughout his entire body. For three years Jackson lived at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland enduring all sorts of treatments, with family by his side … Thankfully, Jackson survived. “He’s 16, a beautiful young man now,” said Jackson’s grandfather, Petaluma architect Church Hildreth … After working as an intensive care unit tech and EMT, and then being in a hospital during Jackson’s recovery, Cody was ready for a change of pace. Church offered to help build The Block, a popular P-town beer garden that opened in 2017. The business closed in May 2026, along with Two Rock Brewing Co., which Cody brewed in Petaluma’s historic Burdell building … While the business was popular, it was an uphill battle after the owners borrowed $500,000 to get through COVID. Repaying the Small Business Administration loan made survival difficult, on top of some financial discrepancies and other struggles. “We kept trying to pull our heads up out of the water,” said Church … Cody is back to driving an ambulance. He is also helping his dad build a “barndominium,” a barn with two residential units, on a property Church owns near the Washoe House … Meanwhile, income from leasing the former Block space to Old Caz Brewing should pay off the remaining debt in a few years ... Two Rock fans want to know if the beer will make a resurrection. The Hildreths kept the brewing tanks and other equipment, so a revival of Two Rock is not out of the question, he said. – Tobias Young

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HOT PETALUMA NIGHTS – My friend Rich Brazil likes it hot. I like nothing more than a rolling fog to cool a warm day … Rich and I have a friendly 10-year argument about T-shirt weather in Petaluma. I text him at 8 p.m. when the temperature is 70 degrees or warmer. “Just another warm night in Petaluma,” I say. He usually replies, “It’s the first warm night of the year – a miracle.” He insists we get well under a dozen such nights a year. I counter with two dozen or more … Three nights this week, Sept. 8-10, are forecast to be 72 to 74 degrees at 8 p.m. with a low in the mid-60s, downright balmy for P-town ... A high-pressure system is camped out, blocking the Petaluma Gap’s cooling ocean winds, sending temps 20 degrees above average, and triggering a National Weather Service heat advisory for Sonoma County … It probably takes the fun out of our tradition, but I had to take a peek at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration history. Here’s the answer: Petaluma has roughly 23.4 nights of 70 degrees or warmer at 8 p.m. for the past 10 years. A duly impressed god of the internet gave me the win, “Your estimate of 'two dozen' is shockingly accurate," it replied to my inquiry … More fun facts: The 15-mile break in the coastal hills that forms the mouth of the Petaluma Gap, sucking ocean air into the valley, makes it almost impossible for such warm evenings November through April. Most of those nights happen August through October, or during a regional heat wave … The record in the past decade was 34 days in 2022 and the lowest was 14 last year, when a historic foggy chill cast the Bay Area in its coolest June and July on record … Either way I come out ahead, because at 8 p.m. if it's 70 degrees my wife and I often head over to Rich and Laura’s to drink a cold one. – TY

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PUBLIC ART RIDE – Here’s a riddle. What do public art and bicycles have in common? They’re for everyone … About 65 cyclists of all ages and all sorts, on road bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes, mountain bikes, even tricycles – some with little kids in tow – gathered at Walnut Park at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. Among the two-wheeled attendees were city council members Brian Barnacle, Janice Cader-Thompson, John Shribbs, and Frank Quint. Of course Pete Gang and Bruce Hagen were there, too, representing Safe Streets Petaluma, a nonprofit organization that hosts first-Friday rides all year long, including the popular holiday lighted-bike parade … Deb Fox, Melissa Abercrombie, and Bjorn Griepenburg with the City of Petaluma all helped out and rolled out. Petaluma artist Jonny Hirschmugl, who painted a series of “Slough Birds” murals along the Lynch Creek Trail, joined the group as well … The procession departed down D Street toward Mary Fuller McChesney’s “Shape Totem” at the Baywood roundabout on McDowell Boulevard, then swung over to the new bench and sculpture fragments by David Best at “River Arch” on the Lynch Creek Trail, and finally to an unveiling of the “Medusa” sculpture by Fuller McChesney at City Hall … For more on Safe Streets Petaluma and their monthly rides – October’s will be co-hosted by Petaluma Pride – see my article later this month. – Nate Seltenrich

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FILM SCREENING, TAKE ONE: THE WAR BELOW – Thousands of unexploded World War II bombs remain under homes and schools in the Solomon Islands as they continue to kill and injure families. The documentary “The War Below: Restoring Hope in the Solomon Islands” follows the lives of survivors navigating those dangerous war relics left behind by American and Japanese forces. The filmmakers will host the North American premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Boulevard Cinema (200 C St.). The 6 p.m. screening is preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m. For tickets, email bula@fijirunway.com. – Jennifer Sawhney

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FILM SCREENING, TAKE TWO: CAREGIVING – Caring for aging parents is no easy charge, and The Village Network aims to connect people with resources and an acclaimed film on the financial, emotional, and physical toll put on caregivers. On Sept. 26 at the Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma Campus, the network will offer resources followed by a screening of “Wine, Women & Dementia” and a panel discussion. The event at 9 a.m. is free and open to the public, but they do ask guests to register at info@villagenetworkofpetaluma.org or by calling 707-776-6055. – JS

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PCS STAFFERS RALLY FOR NAGLE – A few weeks back I wrote about a letter-writing effort to get Kenilworth Junior High School staffer Annie Nagle through recovery after she went through brain surgery (earlier this year she had a seizure while driving that resulted in serious a car accident) … There have been some new developments with her employment, and some of her colleagues are rallying behind her. The president of the Petaluma Chapter 212 of the California School Employees Association, Patty Pacheco, wrote to me and said the Petaluma City Schools superintendent’s office denied Nagle’s request to extend her five-month leave by three weeks, which will leave her without a job and health insurance during her recovery … … In response to a request for comment, Superintendent Davina Goldwasser said: “Petaluma City Schools cares deeply about the health and well-being of its employees and recognizes the difficulty of navigating a serious medical condition. Because this involves a confidential personnel matter, the District cannot comment on the specific circumstances of an individual employee. Generally, the District administers employee leave in accordance with applicable law, collective bargaining agreements, and established procedures, which must be applied consistently and fairly to all employees” … The next PCS board meeting is slated for Sept. 15. – JS

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SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION – Have you tried to count the number of school districts in the county? The Sonoma County Office of Education partners with the county’s 39 school districts, of which more than ten are in the Petaluma area. With rising costs and declining enrollment, chatter about the hot-button issue of consolidation has picked up, especially after the Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury requested more public discussion about school finances and merging districts … On Sept. 14, a public informational session about district consolidation will be held in conjunction with the Emerzian Law Group, the Sonoma County Office of Education, and the Sonoma County Committee on School District Organization. The meeting happens at 7 p.m. at the Redwood Empire Schools Insurance Group offices (5760 Skylane Blvd., suite 100). To RSVP, complete this form. – JS

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR – There’s always something going on at City Hall! Meetings for seniors, climate, and of course city council are in the pipeline … At its next meeting on Monday, Sept. 14, the Petaluma City Council is slated to vote on approving its new animal services provider, certifying the final environmental impact report and adopting the final General Plan, removing the pool construction prohibition at Scott Ranch, and more … Other upcoming city meetings include: Senior Advisory Committee on Sept. 10 at 9 a.m.; Climate Action Commission on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.; Transit Advisory Committee on Sept. 15 at 5 p.m.; Special Planning Commission on Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m.; Recreation, Music & Parks Commission on Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. – JS

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CLO COW PARTICIPANTS WANTED! – In the Aug. 26 issue I shared the stories of four Petaluma residents who are gearing up for this year’s Clo Cow Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K. Their backgrounds and experience levels vary, as do their goals for race day. What they have in common is a desire to come together with 1,300 other runners, joggers, and walkers from Petaluma and beyond on Sunday, Oct. 11, to toe the start line and go for it. … Now I’m looking for more. Are you participating? (Or know someone who is? Pass this story along!) Send me a note at nseltenrich@petalumavoice.org with your name, age, distance you’ll be running, and hopes, plans, or goals for Clo Cow – whether that means setting a personal record, spending time with family, or sipping a smoothie with friends after the race. … I’ll share your names and goals in a brief article a few days before the event. – NS

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DISPATCH FROM THE PLAYA – It’s no secret that Sonoma County – and Petaluma specifically – has hundreds of Burning Man devotees, including some of its most pivotal artists. David Best pioneered the tradition of building a spiritual temple, filled for a week with Burner memorials before being set afire … My Burning Man correspondent, Petaluman Salvatore Taormina, was on his way back from the festival on Tuesday, Sept. 8, with this dispatch: The weather was unusually temperate, with only a few rain storms. The wet weather was “enough to knock the dust down,” without creating the intractable mucky mess that drenching rains can cause … The temporary Black Rock City of 80,000 Burners is a celebration of creativity, radical acceptance, and radical independence, among other tenets – not to mention a massive, otherworldly party with a skimpy dress code … This was Sal’s 18th consecutive year on the playa, not counting the cancelled 2020 pandemic year. He even went to the unofficial “Rebel Burn” when Burning Man was cancelled the following year. A retired San Francisco fire paramedic captain, Sal has volunteered with the playa’s Emergency Services Department for 16 years. He was off duty during responses to this year’s three fatalities in Black Rock City … Sal was kind enough to invite me along to my first Burning Man in 2025. As we pedaled across the desert at night, we crossed paths with creatures and pirate ships and saloons and sculptures, as music boomed from passing art cars and concert stages. Colorful neon lights and fancy decorations brightened every being and bicycle. It’s like walking into the alien bar in “Star Wars” while surrounded by the glowing forests and bright underwater seas of “Avatar” … One of my favorite pieces last year was a 65-foot dinosaur one could climb atop. The artist who spearheaded the sculpture was high-schooler Harper Clark, the daughter of another famous Burning Man artist from Petaluma, Kevin Clark. You may have seen the dinosaur parked on Copeland Street, where her dad has his Reared in Steel art studio … Two that topped Sal’s list this year were Above and Below Bean Stock and a broken Eiffel Tower. Welcome home, Sal; congrats on surviving another round and taking another first-timer this year. – TY

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.