Hello Sonoma!

Frequent guest DJ Camilla joins us with her guest Rebecca for a short musical interlude to begin the last of the live radio programming. The songs could not be played in their entirely here in their podcast form, but KSVY listeners got to listen to DJ Camilla’s skills on the turn tables.

From making photos with NYC’s first Mexican motorcycle club to capturing a community’s struggle against major urban development in CDMX, Mayolo Lopez Gutierrez uses his camera as a way to see and, potentially shape the world. In this episode we talk with him about how he approaches his art, what he has learned from his experiences and how every day photographers can engage the world around them. You can see his work at mayolopezgutierrez.com

Karen Collins was selected as 2024 Sonoma County’s Woman of the year. But that’s just her latest accolade. She’s been locally engaged in Sonoma since she arrived here, helping lead the charge to establish the Sonoma Overlook Trail, while inspiring others to get outside their comfort zone with global travels. In this episode we talk to her about her journey in Sonoma and beyond.

In this episode, we talk to Wellington Suares, an education reporter for Chalkbeat, Anna Oakes, a freelance journalist and audio producer in New York City, and Edward Lopez reporting from Stockton, California to dive into the process of learning about the space around you – and how journalists find the things they write about. 

Welcome back, Sonoma! 

After a year-long hiatus, we talk to journalists from across the country and around the world about recent stories they've covered, the process behind reporting on them, and a big story where they are. 

Our guests this week (in order of appearance):

Gillian Goodman is a freelance journalist from New York currently in Georgia covering the election at local independent news The Current, where she hosts a weekly political podcast Coastal Navigator.

Karla Marie Sanford writes for The Washington Post Well+Being desk.

Jesse Lin is a reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette covering the community of Green Bay, as well as politics in northeast Wisconsin.

Xiomara Moore is a fellow at the ⁠Texas Tribune in Austin, Texas.⁠

Nic Stevens is the creator of ⁠DrinkingFolk.com⁠, a diverse website covering "the human side of drink."

Natália Silva is the executive editor at ⁠Radio Novelo in Brazil.

Maurice Oniango is a freelance documentarian based in New York City. 

Francesca Maria Lorenzini is a podcast and video producer for the ⁠Amman Center for Human Rights Studies⁠.

Jude Taha is a faculty lecturer at ⁠Jordan Media Institute⁠.

This episode was recorded live from the KSVY studios in Sonoma on October 14th. 

All production, editing, and interviewing this week, including music composition, was done by me. 

Thanks for tuning in! 

Rebecca Hermosillo takes community seriously. As the ED of the Teen Center, she took it upon herself to make dinner every night with the teens as a way to make them feel part of something bigger. Growing up on a farm in Sonoma, she saw how her big family brought people together for tamales, and understood what it meant to have Mexican heritage. And now, as a representative for Congressman Mike Thompson, she sees what representation in the national American community looks like.

In this episode, we talk about Rebecca's role as a local mentor and the people she looks up to, we discuss what Sonomans can expect from their federal representatives, and we learn about how to see the world around you as full of potential friends.

To learn more about Rebecca, you can visit: https://www.votehermosillo.com/

To listen to more episodes or learn about Hello Sonoma, please go to hellosonoma.org

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

What is Washington D.C. like as a Congressman? How does a member of Congress balance living in Washington and their district? What should community members know about the type of partnerships necessary for an idea to become a law? How do members of Congress spend their free (if they have any) time?

Having served our community for over 25 years, Congressman Mike Thompson is an excellent candidate to answer these questions and more. In this episode, we talk about the ins and outs of congressional life, as well as Mr. Thompson's own journey including his time in Vietnam and visits back to the country, the importance of partnership in national leadership, and his love of cycling in our district.

While we don't talk too much about the Congressman's voting record, you can learn all about his political history by visiting:

https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

https://justfacts.votesmart.org/

https://www.c-span.org/person/?57872/MikeThompson

If you want to learn more about the Congressman, you can visit https://mikethompson.house.gov/

To listen to more episodes and learn more about Hello Sonoma, please go to HelloSonoma.org

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

Rev. Dalton brings people together. Literally. He has conducted hundreds of marriages over the course of his life as a catholic priest, and even now as a reverend at St. Leo's and through his own private business. He attended seminary in Ireland, following a path he felt called to, and for 18 years, Rev. Dalton spoke from the pulpit at a Catholic Church in Mobile, Alabama. Eventually, he realized *he* wanted to get married, and with permission from the local Archbishop, set off on his own journey to find a partner. Peadar and Margarita have been married now for 23 years.

In this episode we talk about that path, about what called Rev. Dalton to the cloth, about his time in Alabama, and the things learned from his congregation and from teaching religion in schools.

This online exclusive includes extra moments about his time in Alabama, his relationship to Ireland, and questions asks when talking with a couple who's engaged.

To learn more about Rev. Dalton and Margarita's business, visit: http://yourceremonymatters.com

To hear more episodes or to learn more about Hello Sonoma, please go to Hellosonoma.org

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

At first, Morgan Momsen didn't want to follow in the family footsteps. Both her mother and her grandmother are local teachers, so Morgan chose to blaze her own trail in the photography world. But when the idea of teaching came knocking again, she went for it, and has since found an incredible talent. Plus, her photography background and artistic sensibilities have made her an asset to the culture and fine arts commission, where she tries to bring more art not only to her kids but to the community as a whole.

In this episode we talk more about her journey into teaching, her reflections on her own learning experience, and how photography, art and teaching all fit together.

If you want to:

Listen to more Sade, you can go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzgC6jSwWhc

Learn more about Hello Sonoma, please visit Hellosonoma.org

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

Over the past three years, Dan Kahn has helped serve over 150,000 free meals to the most vulnerable in our community. His work as the food program manager for Sonoma Overnight Support shaped the vision, and his role as head chef shaped the menu. But above either of these, his attitude as a friend, a father, and a Sonoman, shaped the way people feel when they receive a hot, nutritious meal from one his kitchen.

In this episode, we talk about how Dan came to this role and his philosophy as head of one of Sonoma's busiest kitchens. We talk about his time living at SOS's then shelter, his struggles as a young adult, and his challenges with homelessness. We also discuss his hopes for the future, his positive effect on volunteers, and the incredible contribution he's made to make this community a little bit better for everyone who lives here.

If you want to:

Learn more about Sonoma Overnight Support, visit sonomaovernightsupport.org

To learn more about Hello Sonoma, visit Hellosonoma.org

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

Gina Cuclis' journey as an administrator was as winding as the rivers she once defended and rafted down. Though parenthood brought education to the fore of her attention, her own teachers, parents and classmates shaped the way she sees the field of education from a public administration level and her desire to leave an important impact.

In this episode we talk about her experience as President of the California County Boards of Education, her perspectives on school districts throughout the state, and her desire to make things better for the next generation. We discuss her own educational path, her early days defending the Stanislau river, and some tips from her time leading her own PR firm.

If you want to:

Learn more about the California County Board of Education, go to: http://theccbe.org/

Learn more about Hello Sonoma, visit Hellosonoma.org

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

Sonoma's 4th of July parade is one of our town's gems. Of course there are the trucks, the tractors, the floats, but then there are the thousands of locals who line the streets to clap, cheer, and sometimes get sprayed by the firefighters.

This bonus episode takes a peek behind the curtain at some of the people behind making this event possible, including interviews with 14 of the parade entries and one of the organizers. I hope you enjoy.

If you want to:

Learn more about Hello Sonoma, visit Hellosonoma.org

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!