North Bay Report 3

It’s like a game of whack-a-mole – but with people – Santa Rosa has once again closed a major homeless encampment.

Fences went up Wednesday morning on the Joe Rodota Trail between Dutton and Roseland Avenues in Santa Rosa. Over the next week, the trail will be cleared of all traces of a homeless encampment. Felicity Gasser of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission explained who was working the trail Wednesday morning to help with the eviction.

More on homelessness at our website KRCB.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Today, we conclude our interview with candidate for Sonoma County Sheriff, Capt. Mark Essick. He’s the only candidate who’s currently part of the Sheriff’s office. In two dozen years with the department, he’s held a variety of positions – and he has been endorsed by the current sheriff, Rob Giordano. News Director Steve Mencher asked Essick what he expects will be the hardest part of moving from his current role to become sheriff if he’s elected.

In this series, we’ve also heard from John Mutz, a former station commander in the Los Angeles Police Department, and Ernesto Olivares, who serves on the Santa Rosa City Council after a long career with the Santa Rosa Police Department.

Election Day is June 5th, and we’ll offer digital coverage on our website at KRCB.org. Hear all our candidate interviews at KRCB.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Nobody thinks Santa Rosa can arrest or bulldoze its way out of the homeless problem. But there are plans to once more evict the homeless from a large encampment.

An estimated 100 homeless residents camping on the Joe Rodota Trail in Santa Rosa are getting ready for yet another mass eviction. Officials cite the recent assault of a bike commuter as well as other health and safety concerns.

One month ago, the County evicted approximately 120 people living in an encampment in an adjacent parking lot. Critics say the county is failing its most vulnerable residents by simply moving them from place to place. The camp is scheduled to be cleared Wednesday before noon. Corinne Smith reports.

Tomorrow, part 3 of our interview with Capt. Mark Essick, one of three candidates for Sonoma County Sheriff. More at krcb.org/news.

Like the current sheriff, Rob Giordano, Capt. Mark Essick will adhere to the letter of California’s Sanctuary State law if he’s elected sheriff.

Yesterday, we met candidate for Sonoma County Sheriff Capt. Mark Essick. He’s a veteran of two dozen years in the department he hopes to lead. He tells news director Steve Mencher why voters should see him as an agent for change, not an upholder of the status quo.

We’ll hear part three of our conversation with Mark Essick on Tuesday. Hear part one of our interview, plus interviews with the other candidates at KRCB.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Endorsed by the current sheriff. Two dozen years on the force – Capt. Mark Essick is running for sheriff as both an insider and a reformer.

The closest thing to an incumbent running in the Sonoma County sheriff's race, Captain Essick told KRCB news director Steve Mencher what his current responsibilities are in the sheriff's office, and how he will use lessons learned from the Andy Lopez shooting to improve the force.

Hear more form Captain Mark Essick in the days to come. Find interviews with the other candidates at KRCB.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Groups of neighbors are banding together to take collective action against fires.

A few weeks back, we covered a meeting on the Sonoma State campus about our October wildfires and lessons to be learned. Among the presenters in early May was Caerleon Safford, of Fire Safe Sonoma. Her slides included not only burned areas but surviving homes that dodged the raging flames. She explained how.

Find more of our coverage on the North Bay Fires at KRCB.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

As election day approaches, we're talking with candidates for Sheriff of Sonoma County. On the campaign trail, John Mutz frequently cites his experience as a station commander in Los Angeles. Today we conclude our conversation by learning more about how he plans to use that experience to transform the sheriff's office into a responsive and culturally aware organization.

Mutz told KRCB news director Steve Mencher what the department might look like under his leadership.

Find the first two parts of our interview at krcb.org/news, as well as our interview with Ernesto Olivares. Later this week, we’ll hear from the third candidate, Mark Essick. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

If John Mutz is elected sheriff of Sonoma County, he plans to start his tenure by having honest conversations with his deputies and with the community.

After Mutz left the Los Angeles Police Department, he became a consultant and coach – working both with law enforcement and with private business clients to improve their leadership skills, focus and efficiency. He spoke with KRCB news director Steve Mencher about how he plans to turn around the culture of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office by providing leadership to the force.

Hear the third and final part of our conversation with candidate for Sonoma County Sheriff John Mutz Tuesday. Find all our chats with the candidates at krcb.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

Today, we meet John Mutz, a candidate for sheriff of Sonoma County. Mutz is running as an outsider, who can change the culture of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s office. He served for 25 years on the Los Angeles Police Department. There he says he worked to change the culture of several station houses after the Rodney King beating.

As he told news director Steve Mencher, he plans to transform many aspects of the Sonoma County sheriff’s office, starting with training…

Part two of our conversation with candidate for Sheriff John Mutz tomorrow. Find all our conversations with the candidates at krcb.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.

A new documentary about elders who maintain meaningful and rich lives is playing around town. Lives Well Lived director Sky Bergman told KRCB news director Steve Mencher what inspired her to make her first film.

Find show times and locations at krcb.org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.