By Tobias Young, Jennifer Sawhney, Nate Seltenrich

BREAK THE MACHINE – John Crowley, who we consider the social mayor of Petaluma, was unsettled after reading E.M. Forester’s dystopian 1908 short story, “The Machine Stops” ... The prescient story is set in a future where people live underground, in isolation, due to extreme climate change and toxic air. People worship the Machine and detest human contact, interacting solely through screens and messaging platforms, eerily similar to today’s social media and the “God Box,” the nickname used by my friend Pete Hale for the modern cell phone. The cautionary tale shows how a helpless humanity collapses when the Machine begins to fail ... “It scared the hell out of me,” said Crowley, who still hangs on to a touch of his Irish accent. “So much so, that I realized we needed to really start focusing on community building.” He considers socializing essential to a healthy community and its people, and has built Aqus Community to create real-life connections like community dinners, mixers, and pub crawls ... The next step of the vision arrives on Saturday, Aug. 22, with The Big Social. The inaugural event is at Life on Art (133 Copeland St.), Aqus Community's new home in an industrial brick building that is part gallery and makerspace. The $25 ticket includes background jazz, food, a drink, and – of course – plenty of mingling. ... There's a social twist: each person gets three beads of one color. Drinks cost three beads of different colors. So to get a drink, you must swap beads. It is nearing a sellout, with a cap of 250 tickets ... “COVID did a lot of damage to our society, created a lot of polarization, isolation, and we are now realizing this will have dire effects on society,” Crowley said. “Now is the time to start focusing on the idea of social capital.” – Tobias Young

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IN A PICKLE – Still no opening date in sight for Pig in a Pickle, a new restaurant slated to take over the former Stoneworks Pizza space in the Whole Foods shopping center ... The popular restaurant, with existing locations in Emeryville and Corte Madera, cooks some seriously mean barbecue. A barstool at the Corte Madera eatery made for a perfect place for me to watch a World Cup game in July. However, the Petaluma opening has proven difficult. “We should have opened months ago,” said owner Damon Stainbrook ... The problem? The city required major structural improvements to the ceiling to install hood venting for his smoker: a prohibitively costly remodel, involving electrical and plumbing ... The solution? Use his outdoor smoker instead, which is parked in front of the entrance and is smaller than an average automobile. That places the smoker 82 feet farther from the neighborhood in back of the shopping center, and prevailing winds put it downwind ... Stainbrook is seeking city approval for the revised plan, and he feels the initial reaction was positive. He said city officials have been friendly and straightforward, although meetings take weeks to schedule. Meanwhile, he has bought out the existing business, paid rent for seven months, and his costs are mounting ... He’s not planning on giving up: he loves the city and his odds of success. “I wouldn’t want to walk away,” he said. “I want to open in Petaluma.” – TY

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LEAVE EARLY! – If your Petaluma travels take you along Frates Road, expect a detour for the next month around the one-block stretch between Lakeville Highway and Calle Ranchero. A big PG&E project means the road will have limited access for residents. Through traffic and large trucks will be diverted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Estimated completion is Oct. 19. Residents will have to put up with extra construction noise, as well. – TY

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WELL WISHES – Do you have a moment to write a letter? Annie Nagle, a Kenilworth Junior High School staffer who underwent brain surgery on Monday (to address an underlying condition after she suffered a seizure while driving in April) is asking for a birthday and recovery present in the form of a letter, a photo, or a memory that will be turned into a book. Hurry; the submission window closes on Aug. 20. – Jennifer Sawhney

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PETALUMA TRANSIT UPDATES – As of August 10, the city’s bus service has changed (I wrote about it back in May). Regular weekend bus service has ceased, with fixed route and paratransit service now only available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. But there’s a new on-demand option: Access by LumaGo. It’s available across the entire city seven days a week. With weekend paratransit service now cut, this service prioritizes seniors and riders with disabilities. Petaluma Transit will host a few community workshops to share updates, with the next meeting (co-hosted by Urban Chat) on Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Petaluma Community Center (320 N. McDowell Blvd.). For more information, tap this link. – JS

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PUTNAM PLAZA REDESIGN? – Per an I Love Petaluma post, a group of locals want to reimagine Putnam Plaza, named after Helen Putnam, who was a local teacher, the city’s first woman mayor, and member of the Board of Supervisors. The group will gather at the plaza (129 Petaluma Blvd. N.) on Aug. 22 and Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to gather feedback for the redesign.

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NO NEWS IS BAD NEWS – In late April I reported on the theft of five handmade, life-size steel sculptures from Pronzini Farms in east Petaluma. At the time, Petaluma Police were investigating a couple leads. But I never heard what came of them. I reached out for an update from Jon Pronzini, who’d commissioned the sculptures from artists in Mexico for public display and potential sale. The cowboys and their animal companions are still at large, Pronzini said, and not likely to be returned. – Nate Seltenrich

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FOOD NOT FENTANYL – Prompting my call to Pronzini was a message from Kimberly Saxelby of Sax’s Joint, whose Nextdoor post last April alerted us to the stolen sculptures. This time she was letting me know about an upcoming event on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Pronzini Farms (3795 Adobe Road) designed to raise awareness about the fentanyl epidemic and support life-saving prevention efforts. Presented by Sax’s and benefiting local nonprofit Micah’s Hugs, Food Not Fentanyl will feature music from Wonder Bread 5 and Illeagles as well as food trucks and refreshments, live speakers, information booths, Narcan training, free Narcan, free fentanyl test strips, and more. – NS

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THE GREATEST SALAD – Finally, speaking of local restaurants, a local Redditor recently raved about Cucina Paradiso’s Insalata Paradiso by calling it “the only thing I want to eat.” No superlative was spared in this review of a salad starring fresh greens, crisp apples, grilled chicken, crunchy walnuts, and crumbled cheese: “One of the best meals I’ve ever had, and quite frankly the greatest salad I have yet to consume in my life. I just had it on Friday and honestly it’s all I can think about when it comes to eating since that fateful night. I can’t get enough.” Sufficiently intrigued, I checked Cucina Paradiso’s online menu. But the fabled salad did not exist! So I called the restaurant and learned that Insalata Paradiso is a daily special, and not always available. You’ll have to try your luck. – NS

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.