North Bay Report 3

Volunteers were out in force recently, planting acorns which a pair of nonprofits hopes will grow into mighty oaks.

When the October firestorms swept through Redwood Valley in Mendocino County, the innovative Frey family winery on Tomki Road lost vehicles, equipment, homes, and a barn full of goats. Last month, reporter Sarah Reith watched Katrina Frey welcome volunteers bearing acorns onto the burned land around her dormant vines.

Learn more about the Frey winery, and what it lost in the 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.

With most lots cleared of fire debris, parades of trucks still clog local roads. If you’re wondering which toxic materials are still a threat, we’ll hear from the EPA on the North Bay Report at 6:18 and 8:18 am and 5:30 pm.

With the removal of fire debris moving quickly toward a conclusion, we checked in with the EPA official who’s been helping oversee the cleanup of toxic material. Reporter Sujata Shrivastav has more.

For more of our coverage of the North Bay Fires, the cleanup and recovery visit 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.

Last week in Novato, a father was picked up by immigration officers as he was dropping off his child at school. Events like this rattle the immigrant community which has had to deal with changing policies and more federal activity. But Sonoma County is making its own efforts to help protect families. J. Mateo Baker visited the Office of the Sonoma County Counsel to bring this report.If you’d like to support Sonoma families affected by the changes in federal immigration policy, visit www.sonomacountysecurefamilies.org and click on the “Donate Now” button to make your contribution.Find more information 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 food truck appearing off the Sonoma Highway offers tasty meals. The truck is also an example of a local organization supporting small business with a special kind of investment.

La Luz Center in Boyes Hot Springs offers a variety of programs to help local immigrants. They’re seeking to expand one that shows great promise, as reporter Mateo Baker learned.

La Luz Center is actively seeking more local projects in need of innovative financing, as well as increased support for the program. Find more information 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.

These days our household waste goes in all different directions. And some of the most re-usable material – like the green waste that can be composted - turns into something valuable.

For the past two and a half years, Sonoma County has been trucking roughly 80 tons of compostable materials to landfills in neighboring counties, at a cost of some $4 million per year. A decision on a new composting site is moving closer, as Bruce Robinson reports.

Find more local news and information, 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.

There are lots of reasons to visit the coast. But there’s nothing quite like the visual delight of watching whales go by.

Whale watching season has arrived, and while the peak is still at least several weeks away, this year is already on track to be one of the best. Today’s North Bay Report comes from Bodega Bay, where reporter Mateo Baker joined a group overlooking a popular whale migration path.

Parking is free at Bodega Bay Trailhead, and docents will be available most days through the end of the northbound migration season in June. Find more information 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 revisit two reports from the aftermath of October’s fires. They came to us through our partnership with KQED’s California Report.

First, an independent state watchdog called “the Little Hoover Commission” says California needs to re-examine how it manages the state’s forests to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

One key recommendation? It may be smart to use fire as a tool – with controlled burns helping to avoid firestorms like the ones we experienced last year. Molly Peterson has the story.

Special thanks to our friends at KQED’s California Report for making these stories available to our listeners. For links to the original stories, and to our coverage of the North Bay fires and recovery, visit 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.

What’s happening to California’s middle class? And what are the consequences of the state’s failure to make the economy work for all? We’ll hear more on the North Bay Report at 6:18 and 8:18 am and 5:30 pm.

California prides itself on having the world’s sixth largest economy with a 2 point 75 Trillion dollar G-D-P. But we all know the state’s wealth is distributed unevenly. As part of the Capital Public Radio collaboration looking at the California Dream, KPBS’s Amita Sharma reports on the state’s shrinking middle class.

This story is part of our statewide California Dream collaboration. Find links to more stories 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.

High School students are in the news these days for their increasing activism. And Sonoma County provides a forum for those students to take a role in promoting human rights.

We recently brought you the story of how the Sonoma County Junior Commission on Human Rights had created a survey showing that bullying and racial harassment is on the rise in Sonoma County schools.

We’ve continued to learn more about the junior commission’s work – and wanted to hear from its advisor, Dmitra Smith, who had come to the studio to accompany the students. She talked with KRCB news director Steve Mencher. We’ll also hear about an initiative of the junior commission to present a powerful documentary on the subject of human trafficking.

You’ll find that link to Strong Survival – and to educational materials about human trafficking, 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.

For the first time in decades, a contested election for Sonoma County Sheriff will allow voters a choice of who to lead this department crucial to the safety and well-being of our community.

The Russian River Chamber of Commerce presented a debate among the three candidates for Sonoma County Sheriff Monday night at the Rio Theater in Monte Rio – KRCB News Director Steve Mencher was there and has this report.

Find links to the candidates’ websites at KRCB.org/news and stay tuned to KRCB for more information on the race. 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.