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

HELEN PUTNAM AWARD – Petaluma has been awarded – for the first time ever, despite the honor being named after the city’s own late mayor – the esteemed Helen Putnam Award for Excellence at the League of California Cities. Petaluma won for Public Works, Infrastructure, and Transportation, one of 12 categories recognized by the awards. In particular, the city was recognized for citywide efforts to make walking and biking to school safer for students … The league’s awards recognize outstanding achievements made by California's 483 cities, and unique contributions to residents and businesses that result in "lower costs or more effective service delivery,” as embodied by Putnam, who “defined excellence,” according to the league’s website … In addition to being Petaluma’s first female mayor (1965-1978) and a member of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors (1978-1984), the former teacher was also the first woman elected president of the league in 1978 … Council member Janice Cader Thompson, City Manager Peggy Flynn, and City Attorney Eric Danly received the award on behalf of Petaluma at this year’s annual conference in Anaheim last week. – Jennifer Sawhney

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MOREDA VALLEY DAIRY WINS ONE, TOO – Every year, Horizon Organic, the largest USDA-certified organic dairy brand, celebrates and reinvests in some of its farming partners across the country through scholarships and other awards. Among this year’s honorees is Petaluma’s own Moreda Valley Dairy, which received the Farm Partner of the Year Award … The fifth-generation family farm on Chileno Valley Road did not burn in the Sep. 20 Chileno Fire, but nearby grazing land leased by the family did, scorching forage and fence lines but no structures, fortunately. Family member Shelina Moreda is running for mayor of Petaluma … Other organic dairy farms recognized by Horizon this year include Clapper Farms in Pennsylvania, Fair Family Farms in Pennsylvania, Mountain Meadow Dairy in Washington, King Dairy in Ohio, Benuel S. Dairy in Pennsylvania, and Moo Juice Express in Indiana. Moo Juice was recognized for Hauler of the Year – but they also get our vote for Dairy Name of the Decade. – Nate Seltenrich

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INVESTIGATION CONTINUES – Speaking of the Chileno Fire, it remains under investigation as of Sept. 30 … The 340-acre fire, which broke out 10 days earlier and burned much of the Lanatti Ranch and some of the neighboring Chileno Valley Ranch near the Sonoma/Marin county line west of Petaluma, burned grazing lands, fences, and some equipment, but no homes or structures … Investigators determined early on that there were multiple starting points along Chileno Valley Road, but they continue to gather information from the scene and the public to determine the cause, whether it be sparks coming off a vehicle or any other cause … Brianna Rowland, a media specialist for the Marin County Fire Department, said it is common for fire investigations to take weeks, not days. She said the public should not read anything into the fact that the cause has not yet been released. The pace of the investigation does not mean the blaze is suspicious in nature, Rowland said ... “There’s a lot of different factors that go into determining a fire cause, so it typically takes this long,” she said. “Investigations can take several months to complete.” – Tobias Young

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GOODWILL BUILDING LISTED – If you’ve driven by the Goodwill thrift store on Lakeville lately, you may have noticed the big “For Sale” sign out front. I did, and I had to know the story. Was this always-bustling Goodwill store somehow on its way out? … Realtor Steven Leonard of Cushman and Wakefield was named on the sign, so I gave him a call. He said Goodwill rents the building, and its lease runs through April 2030. But after that, its future is uncertain … Leonard said the property’s owners are members of the MacPhail family that also owns the Cotati-based McPhail Fuel Company (same family, different spelling) and used to run an appliance distribution center in the 20,000-square-foot warehouse now occupied by Goodwill. He also said Goodwill declined to purchase the building or extend its lease, putting its long-term presence there in question and opening the door for potential redevelopment of the building, which is listed for $4.3 million. “Everybody that is looking at the property is looking at it from a development potential when Goodwill’s lease expires,” Leonard said … I also reached out to Regine Dunn, vice president of donated goods at Goodwill Redwood Empire, for their side of the story. She said it’s too early to say whether Goodwill will stay or go, and that their preference is for the former. “We love Petaluma, and we’ll do whatever we can to maintain our presence there,” Dunn said. “It’s too early to give an outcome. We’ll do our due diligence to stay in town.” – NS

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AN ALBATROSS RELEASED – The city negotiated a huge break in regards to an overdue $8.4 million debt from the construction of the Petaluma Marina. The City of Petaluma and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, which owns the property and provided a loan for the nearly 14-acre marina, reached a settlement that was approved unanimously by the Petaluma City Council on Sept. 28 … The deal eliminates the $4.4 million current interest and any future interest on the $4 million the city borrowed in 1988 for the original project, as long as future payments – which start at $160,000 and increase annually, hopefully cushioned by an increase in the city’s budget and inflation – are made on time over the 18-year repayment period … The marina has been a fiscal albatross since opening in 1992. The city was way off in estimating how popular it would be with boaters, historically filling only about a third of its 163 slips. Part of the problem is the marina is not included in the federal Army Corps of Engineers occasional dredging of the river, so silt has built up enough to prevent bigger boats from mooring there. Brian Cochran, assistant city manager, said the marina would bring in more income if it was dredged, although the city has not identified a way to pay for it … Council member Janice Cader Thompson congratulated the staff for an “excellent” job in negotiating the settlement. “It’s finally being, you know, put to rest,” she said. “It just feels a big burden off everybody’s shoulder.” – TY

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MASKED INTRUDER – Our dog, Nala, startled me out of a deep sleep at 4:42 a.m. on Sept. 25. Her barking, which is rare, was urgent – far different from when she alerts me to a random opossum walking by the front door. This time, it was more like, “Hey, wake up! We’ve got a problem” … I stumbled out of bed to the front door. Nala was pointing that direction, but unable to get there because she's been confined to a leash due to her recent habit of using the couch as her dog bed. I walked the yard with a flashlight, like a security guard doing his rounds. I found my friend, Theo the cat, behind the pottery studio, calm as can be and happily scratching his nails on an old piece of lumber … I know, we’re not supposed to allow cats outside. They have a terrible tendency to bird hunt, and they risk injury. Theo, however, was rescued as a feral kitten when he was so small he could fit in the palm of my hand, and he would lose his mind if he wasn’t more outside than inside. Besides, Theo is obsessed with gophers, not birds. I’m fond of gophers, my wife the gardener is not, so I turn a blind eye … On my way back to bed, I noticed a trail of suspicious footprints heading from the cat door into the kitchen and back. I checked the footage on my Blink camera … Good dog, Nala! She scared off a legit intruder. The masked bandit cased the joint for 13 minutes, politely washed his hands and feet in our outside water dish, and brazenly stared right into the camera before breaking and entering through the cat door. He was inside for less than a minute before Nala realized it was not the cat, but a resourceful raccoon … The burglar casually left the way he entered. Outside, despite the ruckus, he turned around and boldly returned to the ramp as if he forgot something inside. He was met by Theo, who was awakened from his own slumber and poked his head outside the cat door. Theo and Rocky had a face-off, until Rocky retreated. Theo followed, stalking the raccoon as if he were a mountain lion … So now I have things to worry about. I’ve seen raccoons get the better of German shepherds, leaving them bloodied and traumatized. Nala is a small 30-pound mix of chihuahua, cattle dog, chow, and about a dozen other things, so I’m uncertain how she would fare. And Theo talks a big game at 15 pounds, but he’s no cougar … looks like I need to lock the cat door for now, and hope the burglar thinks twice next time. – TY

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DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS KICKOFF – The city 's ever-popular and growing Día de los Muertos celebrations will begin on Sunday, Oct. 4, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 35 Liberty St. The yearly event, organized by a group of volunteers in the Comité del Día de los Muertos Petaluma (Committee of Day of the Dead Petaluma) will celebrate its 26th year, with new additions to include altar spaces honoring various cultures … Some key dates: Oct. 10, artist’s reception at the Petaluma Museum and Historical Library; Oct. 17, poetry of remembrance at the Petaluma Museum and Historical Library; Oct. 24, candlelight procession and closing celebration. The self-guided community altar walk traversing downtown will be available from Oct. 8 to Nov. 3, with the community altars remaining in place until Nov. 7. For more information, visit https://eldiadelosmuertospetaluma.org/altares-comunitarios. – JS

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PARTY DOWN UNDER – Undercover sources tell me Down Under Industries, the cannabis business that opened its second Petaluma storefront in early September at 191 Lynch Creek Way, is hosting a grand opening party with food, music, and swag from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2 … It’s not a secret that the lineup includes a local favorite, The Happys, from 2 to 4 p.m., preceded by opening act The Joshuas, who recently kicked off the Cotati Music Festival as the opening act … A limited number of goodie bags will be handed out, along with a couple hundred vouchers for a taco truck, dirty sodas, an ice cream from Sonoma Hill Farms, and cookies. When the vouchers run out, food and drink will still be available for purchase … Big Pete’s might be there with non-medicated versions of its cookies, as will Crumbl. Wife and husband co-owners Jamie Reagan and Rod Graf still have their original location at 50 Ely Road just outside city limits. – TY

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TAKE A SEAT – Making friends can be one of the hardest parts of school. But a new “buddy bench” installed at Grant Elementary School and unveiled at their Fall Family Festival on Sept. 11 may make it easier for kids to find a new friend … The bench was a project of Girl Scout Troop 10134 and helped earn them a Bronze Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can earn. With help from Rebuilding Together Petaluma, the troop worked on every stage of development for the bench, from research and design to woodwork and installation … In honor of their favorite Girl Scout song, the troop used the words “Make new friends” on the buddy bench. The fifth and sixth grade Girl Scouts hope to encourage students to feel less alone. So, if you’re at Grant Elementary, take a seat on the new buddy bench and maybe make a new friend. – Crissy Pascual

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VICTORIOUS – Paintball duo Ryan Podesta and his son Niko, 15, who were featured in an article by Petaluma Voice intern Audrey Atiyeh last month, are reigning world champs. They competed in the United Paintball Federation’s Paintball World Championship in Dreux, France, earlier this month, where 25 nations were represented … Ryan said both he and Niko won their respective divisions, Veterans and Under-16. “We didn’t lose a single match all week,” he said. “It was a blast!” – CP

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LAST SLICE – Ralph Dean, owner of Fregene’s Pizza at 356 Petaluma Blvd. N., recently announced he will be closing his pizza shop soon. Without revealing an exact date for closure (his health department license expires in January so that gives you a small clue), Dean is ready to step away from the hot kitchen and cut a new slice in his life. He says he plans to offer private pizza-making classes and hopes to pass down his knowledge and love of pizza to others … Since 2010, Dean has made pizzas in his unassuming eatery and sold them by the slice for $3 with a drink (only raising the price once, last year, to $3.50). He’s taken five days off in 17 years and although he is grateful to every customer and has no regrets, Dean says he is ready to reclaim his free time and enjoy himself … If you haven’t been to Fregene’s and want to give it a try, the clock is ticking. Dean says he may just wake up one day and decide not to open. – CP

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FORCE OF NATURE – The band DRAMA rolled onto the Lagunitas concert stage on Monday, Sept. 28, turning the venue into a high-vibe dance club for the night. Not every act is able to bring the Lagunitas crowd to their feet from start to finish like vocalist Via Rosa and music producer Na’el Shehade. The Chicago electronic-soul duo, along with a pair of groovy and playful back-up singers, captivated their audience. Rosa was a theatrical force of nature, knocking kicks high in the air on some tracks while proudly declaring she would no longer cry during a song about a broken romance. Witty, irreverent, soulful, and reflective, she brought a party to the stage, pulling the crowd in and getting them engaged and dancing. While she lacked the complement of a traditional band, she made up for it with her talented producer, Shehade, who orchestrated the show. – TY

Correction on Oct. 1, 2026 at 12:44 p.m.: The League of California Cities annual conference was held in Anaheim.

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.