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

RADIO SPOTLIGHT – Reporter Chris Samson, a regular contributor to Petaluma Voice, tells us that his story on Bob Tuttle, the 80-year-old Petaluma man who rode his electric tricycle nearly 900 miles from Petaluma to San Diego in August, caught the attention of Bike Talk, a syndicated radio show and podcast devoted to people-powered transportation, sustainable urban mobility, and safer streets … Listen to Tuttle’s 16-minute interview with Bike Talk in its latest episode, which aired Oct 2. – Tobias Young via Chris Samson

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MARCH ON THURSDAY – A national day of action to stop sexual violence and show support for Cornell University’s Jane Doe takes place tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 8 … Locally, you can participate in the movement at Walnut Park at 4 p.m. In a show of solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, attendees will march from the park down Kentucky Street to Washington Street and back. Participants are encouraged to wear green. For more information or to RSVP, visit womensmarchcom/stop. – Crissy Pascual

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WALK FOR IMMIGRANT SUPPORT – A three-day walking campaign beginning in Petaluma on Saturday will highlight efforts to create an emergency program for immigrants unable to access government programs or benefits. The walk is organized by the Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition, a grassroots organization that has been pushing back on federal immigration policies and advocating for immigrant rights in Sonoma County …  A kick-off event is slated for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Board of Supervisors Building (575 Administration Dr., Santa Rosa). The three-day walk will begin at 7 a.m. at Petaluma City Hall (11 English St.) on Saturday, Oct. 10, and conclude in Cloverdale on Monday, Oct. 12 … As part of the campaign, the organizers demand that the county financially support an emergency cash program for undocumented immigrants; the Sheriff’s Department stop turning over people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement; cities resolve not to collaborate with ICE; the county and its cities remove all Flock cameras; and General Dynamics, an aerospace and defense company with an office in Healdsburg, leave the county. – Jennifer Sawhney

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CELEBRATION OF THE HEART – Café Puente (610 E. Washington St.) invites the public to join them for a night of celebration and gratitude. All are welcome to the “Celebración del Corazón” on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening includes delicious food from Latino vendors, artistic performances, and a fully bilingual environment. – CP

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GAS MONEY – NoGasHere, the Petaluma grassroots group that successfully challenged the proposed construction of a Safeway gas station in 2019, will present a check for $21,315 to the Parent Teacher Association of McDowell Elementary School on Friday, Oct 9, at 9:30 a.m. during the school’s jog-a-thon event … The funds are from donations collected to cover legal costs to fight the gas station. Safeway was ultimately ordered to pay NoGasHere's attorney fees, so the organization chose to redirect the donations to the local school and child care centers that would have been most adversely affected by the proposed gas station ... In what she describes as a happy ending to the saga, JoAnn McEachin, president of NoGasHere said, “This money began with the generosity of Petaluma residents who believe that the health of our community is worth protecting.” – CP

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BUILD IT, THEY WILL WRITE – “What if Sonoma County became one of the best places in America to be a storyteller?” That’s the question – and the vision – posed by TV writer and showrunner Connor Pritchard, who moved to Petaluma last year, and his dad Michael Pritchard, a comedian and actor who lives in San Rafael but is planning his own move to Sonoma County. At Copperfield’s Books (140 Kentucky St.) at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, they’ll unveil their plans for a new “story economy” built around “craft, emotional impact, and community building” – and, potentially, a new brick-and-mortar right here in town to anchor it all. “The Writers Room will start as a mobile nonprofit story school that offers classes, workshops, and live events for all ages,” Connor wrote in an email. “There's so much talent up here (actors, writers, directors), but there's no infrastructure. We have to build it.” – Nate Seltenrich

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CLO COW GOALS – Back in August, I profiled four people training for Petaluma’s biggest running event of the year, the Clo Cow 5K, 10K, and half marathon, happening on Sunday, Oct. 11. With the event now just days away, I’d like to introduce you to some more participants who have bravely shared their goals and hopes for the race … DJ Gaker, 42, and son Finn, 7, will run the 5K course for the third time this year. “Training for it is a great way to spend some time together and talk about goals and keeping up motivation for things on farther horizons,” DJ said. Their goal? To beat last year’s record of 31 minutes … Lily Kreimer, 45, will take on the half marathon. She said her goal is simply to “finish feeling reasonably good” … Beckett King, 11, has ambitious goals for the 5K. Last year he placed fifth overall in the race out of 611. This year he hopes to run more than 30 seconds faster, says mom Kim King, 42, who will also run the 5K – as will dad Lucas, 42, and older brother Porter, 13. Older sister Malin, 15, will run as well, and help staff the Providence Youth Ambassadors booth to advocate for access to health care in the community … Juan Guzman, 29, will toe the line at the 5K, too. “I’ve been doing the Clo Cow race since 2022 with a group of friends,” he said. “It gives me something to work toward every year, but at the same time it’s really about getting out there with my friends, having fun, and being part of a local event in the town I grew up in” … Finally, Chris Jennings, 41, will run the half-marathon for the fourth time. “I'd love to better my time from last year if possible,” he said. “The Clo Cow race has become a tradition for me. As a runner living in Petaluma, I feel somewhat obligated to participate in our city's annual race.” – NS

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BALLOTS ARE COMING – Keep an eye on your mailbox: the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters announced on Monday, Oct. 5, that it started mailing ballots to voters. They are expected to arrive three to ten days later, so as early as Thursday. Also, as of Monday, registered voters may pick up a ballot in-person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Registrar of Voters office (3880 Brickway Blvd., Santa Rosa). Ballots can be returned at an official drop box (Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building or the Petaluma Community Center in Petaluma), at any open vote center, or by mail. Note that the U.S. Postal Service cannot guarantee a postmark on Nov. 3 for items dropped in mail collection boxes, so the Registrar’s office recommends going inside the post office and requesting a postmark or using a private mail service on Election Day. For more information, visit socovotes.com or read some of my past reporting on how to register to vote. – JS

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THE TALE OF THE FADED PLATES – When I interviewed mayoral candidate John Hanania this week for an upcoming story on the election, he was still heated about getting pulled over by a Petaluma Police Department officer on Monday, Oct. 5, after attending the Petaluma City Council meeting ... Hanania has a history of crusading against double standards in police enforcement and other perceived injustices. In 2010, he made front-page news for hounding city leaders about police enforcement of illegally tinted windows. He documented numerous officers flouting the same law in their personal vehicles while handing out tickets to other motorists. The department eventually gave a deadline for employees to fix their cars … Back to Monday, the officer told Hanania he had been weaving, an allegation Hanania denies, saying he noticed the police cruiser behind him long before he was pulled over and was cognizant of his driving … One thing led to another and the exchange got tense, with Hanania accusing the officer of copping an attitude. Hanania used his mobile to call a sergeant to the scene, and said he was almost arrested for refusing to sign a ticket for fading paint on his license plate – an offense he’d never heard of before – and failing to produce his insurance information … Finally he relented, signed the ticket, and left in a huff, offering a one-finger salute to the cruiser … But he didn’t leave it at that. The next morning, he met with a lieutenant, and eventually talked to Brian Miller, the chief of police – after documenting two police vehicles in front of the station with fading license plates worse than his own … Despite the conflict, Hanania insists he has a respectful working relationship with the police department. “When I see something wrong, I talk to the administration and they try to fix it,” he said. – TY

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

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