Progress 2019

PROGRESS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS American River Bank is a regional bank serving Northern California since 1983. We give business owners more reach by offering financial expertise and exceptional service to complement a full suite of banking products and services.

Our honest approach, commitment to community and focus on profitability is intended to lead our clients to greater success.

American River Bank Healdsburg 412 Center Street | Healdsburg, CA 95448 | (707) 431-8800 Santa Rosa 90 S E Street, Suite 110 | Santa Rosa, CA 95404 | (707) 528-6300

HopMonk Tavern is proud to be a sponsor of Progress.

We strive to be a creative and forward thinking business for our customers and for our employees.

HopMonk believes in staying true to your mission, but to also know when to make changes to better our dining and drinking experiences. That’s why we offer fun, fresh entertainment, a wide selection of food and drink options, and the best atmosphere in Sebastopol.

We endeavor to be a destination for friends and family to swing in and unwind. We can host your private events, too. So no matter the occasion, HopMonk can serve up the best in beer that the county — and the world — has to offer.

Novato | 224 Vintage Way, Novato, CA 94945

Sebastopol | 230 Petaluma Ave, Sebastopol, CA 95472

Sonoma | 691 Broadway, Sonoma, CA 95476

Twin Oaks Roadhouse | 5745 Old Redwood Hwy, Penngrove, CA 94951

INTRODUCTION A look across time at Sonoma County’s business landscapes Sharing the present, past and future of local ventures and landmarks

The timeline of progress for Sonoma County is not a very long one, dating most significantly from the last days of the Gold Rush when entrepreneurs, traders and westward ho pioneers settled into new towns like Healdsburg and Guerneville or took up farming around Sebastopol or the upper Alexander Valley around Cloverdale. Main streets marked the spines of new commercial markets, usually aligned with a rail line or stage coach crossing.

A century later, Sonoma County was a major agriculture producer served by banking, government and community institutions. Names like Doyle, Burbank, O’Farrell, Guerne, Heald, Shaw and others went up on buildings and local landmarks. The last century of progress in Sonoma County has seen waves of wineries, tech industries, timber and mining operations, modern hospitals, a university and cultural centers. Today, many successful businesses and family names can still be traced backward on that timeline to remind us of not only how we got here, but instruct us in what we need to know to keep building on our successes. This PROGRESS 2019 edition is dedicated to telling those stories and lessons.

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Renner Petroleum #

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enner Petroleum’s roots trace back to 1961 when Larry Renner, a Union Oil distributor in Garberville, Calif., founded the company.

In 1979, Larry’s son Mike became a part of the company and the name was changed to L&M Renner, Inc. Larry and Mike have since retired and sold the company to the Crum family of Valley Pacific Petroleum Services.

The company specializes in providing low cost, quality fueling stations through the use of its 24-hour Cardlock fueling network … as well as bulk lubricants and bulk fuel delivery.

Valley Pacific says it has annual fuel sales in excess of $200 million, and has storage for more than 500,000 gallons of bulk lubricants, state-of-the-art repackaging areas and bulk fuel storage and loading racks.

Valley Pacific proudly delivers high-quality petroleum products to farmers, truckers and retail stations throughout California’s Central Valley, Central Coast and Northern Coast (from the Sierra Mountains to the Pacific Ocean).

Valley Pacific is a family-owned and locally managed business with offices located from Bakersfield on the south to Redding on the north with nearly 50 locations in between, including Cloverdale, Fresno, Paso Robles, Salinas, Garberville and Eureka.

Valley Pacific’s business is based on three credos: 1) PRODUCTS: We sell highquality, competitively-priced fuels and lubricants. Our branded fuels and lubricants are second-to-none in terms of quality and perform-

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ance. Our unbranded fuels and lubricants should be of “good” quality and very price-competitive.

2) SERVICE: We provide safe, clean, dependable, friendly service: No surprises, no disappointments. We sell more than hydrocarbon molecules. We also provide good advice, product-knowledge, encouragement and peace-of-mind; our customers know that we’ll do everything we can to anticipate their fuel- and lube-related problems and to solve those problems quickly and quietly. We act as the diplomatic go-between if there are any problems between our customers, Accounting, Logistics or our suppliers; we are the company’s most-skilled ambassadors and have the finesse to solve awkward and delicate problems.

3) CARE: We sincerely care about our customers’ business success. We know that if our customers aren’t successful, we won’t be either. We focus on “relationship selling” rather than transaction-based selling. Customers become our friends; business becomes personal. We want to really understand our customers’ fuel and lubricant needs and to help them avoid problems and mistakes.

We want to make them look good in the eyes of their customers, vendors and bosses. If our customers like us and trust us, we’ll have extra defenses against aggressive competition.

Valley Pacific is an active member of the California Farm Bureau and the California Trucking Association. It is involved in the local economy, and understands the issues that affect local businesses.

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PROGRESS • April 2019 3

ON THE COVER 1

Jason Smith PumpMan NorCal

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Bob Page Airport Health Club

Jacklyn Wright-Gridley Berkshire Hathaway

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Jill Gaylor Healdsburg Lumber

Ken Rochioli KR Catering

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12

Nathan Andreassen American River Bank

Mei Jung Shih KS Tian Yuen

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13

Cathy Vyenielo American River Bank

Dave Leff Leff Construction

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14

Kim Lloyd Big John’s Market

Dr. Kimberly Lyons Lyons Optometry

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15

Elisabeth Brownstein HopMonk Tavern

Paul Garrett IMS

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Dean Biersch HopMonk Tavern

Index Affordable Dentures & Implants.............Pg. 5 Airport Health Club......................................Pg. 6 Aita & Associates ..........................................Pg. 7 AT&T - Cellular World ..................................Pg. 7 American River Bank...........................Pg. 8, 48 Big John’s Market .........................................Pg. 11 Benedetti Tire Service & Express Lube ..........................................Pg. 13 Boyle Insurance & Financial Services - State Farm.............................Pg. 32 Costeaux French Bakery ..........................Pg. 13 City of Cloverdale........................................Pg. 14 Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce ..............................................Pg. 15 Drive Rite Automotive...............................Pg. 16 Eddinger Enterprises .................................Pg. 16 Scott Martindale Farmers Insurance ....................................Pg. 17 Fircrest Market ..............................................Pg. 17 Fred Young Funeral Home......................Pg. 19 Healdsburg Lumber & Hardware ......................................................Pg. 18 Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center..................Pg. 19 Healdsburg Printing, Inc..........................Pg. 30 Health Action Cloverdale .........................Pg. 15 HopMonk Tavern ..................................Pg. 20, 21 Healthcare Foundation.............................Pg. 22 IMS.....................................................................Pg. 23 Jacklyn Wright-Gridley ............................Pg. 25

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Richard Lester Vanguard Properties

KR Catering............................................Pg. 26, 27 KS Tian Yuen .................................................Pg. 28 K-Tech Automotive....................................Pg. 30 LEFF Construction Design Build...........Pg. 29 Lyons Optometry .......................................Pg. 46 North Bay Credit Union.............................Pg. 31 Parkpoint Health & Swim Club ..............Pg. 31 PumpMan NorCal .......................................Pg. 34 Renner Petroleum .........................................Pg. 3 City of Sebastopol .....................................Pg. 32 Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce .............................................Pg. 33 Sebastopol Community Cultural Center..........................................Pg. 33 The Soil King .................................................Pg. 14 Summit State Bank....................................Pg. 35 Sonoma West Publishers.................Pg. 36, 37 Surface Art Countertops.........................Pg. 42 The Lucero Group & Lucero Kline at Vanguard Properties.........................Pg. 38 Vanguard Properties .................................Pg. 39 Villaggio Dental ..........................................Pg. 40 West County Health Centers..................Pg. 41 The Belli Corporation/Westec Tank & Equipment ..............................................Pg. 42 Windsor Chamber of Commerce .................................................Pg. 43 Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary.............Pg. 45 Sponsor Page..................................................Pg. 2 Ben Stone - Commentary .......................Pg. 10 A look across time at Sonoma County’s business landscapes ..........Pg. 9, 12, 24, 44

Grace Lucero The Lucero Group & Lucero Kline at Vanguard Properties

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Lorene Romero Windsor Chamber of Commerce

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Dr. Robert Leach Villaggio Dental

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Mary Szecsey West County Health Center

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Duffy Conneely Windsor-Healdsburg Mortuary

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Dr. Tad Tesfamichael Affordable Dentures

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Candy Yandell Summit Bank

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Debbie Mason Healthcare Foundation

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Rick Lynch Big O Tires

PROGRESS

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An Annual Review of Business Success Stories & Industry Updates

PROGRESS 2019/2020 is a special advertising supplement to the April 4, 2019 editions of:

The Healdsburg Tribune The Windsor Times All contents are copyrighted by ©Sonoma West Publishers, Inc. PO Box 518, Healdsburg, CA 95448 For additional copies call 433-4451

Publication Staff Administration Rollie Atkinson Sarah Bradbury Jan Todd

Editorial Rollie Atkinson Heather Bailey Laura Hagar Rush Katherine Minkiewicz Production Andrew Pardiac Robby McClellan Zoë Strickland Jim Schaefer

Advertising Sales Teresa Elward Wendy Gilchrist Anika Hillin Brad Schmaltz Circulation Cherie Kelsay

Affordable Dentures and Implants - %#,0 + *.#

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hen it’s time to consider dentures or implants, there are many things to take into consideration: price point, type, warranty and the professionalism of the staff taking care of you.

Dr. Tad Tesfamichael and the staff at Affordable Dentures and Implants can help guide you through the process, making sure you understand the different options, as well as offering a variety of ways to pay your fees in order to make your new teeth fit into your budget.

Your teeth are important, so Affordable Dentures and Implants works with the payment options that work with you. Call or email for more information.

Dr. Tesfamichael works with patients through every step of the process, from extractions to deciding what tooth replacement is best for you. The options can be crowns, bridges, partial & full dentures or implants. Full dentures can come with an up to seven-year warranty.

It doesn’t matter how big or small your need is for extractions, with decades of experience he’s taken care of everything from a single matched tooth implant, to a full set of dentures in one day.

The reasons for needing to consider implants or dentures can be as severe as advanced periodontal disease, or as simple as teeth that have become loose or single teeth that are not salvageable due to gross destruction. If you’ve been thinking about dentures, or

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implants, Affordable Dentures and Implants offers a free consult and X-ray for all new patients.

Dr. Tesfamichael can go through the results to help you decide what the best course of treatment will be, so you can make an informed decision that will result in a set of dentures that can help you look and feel your best.

If time is an issue, don’t worry — Affordable Dentures and Implants

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makes dentures on-site, so if you come in the morning, you may be leaving with your new set of teeth by the end of the day. This makes a big difference; most dental providers need to send their orders to an outside lab, leaving patients waiting for up to a month for their new dentures.

They know that after going through treatment, you don’t want to wait that long to be able to show

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off your new smile, eat the food you’ve been waiting for, and overall be able to put your best foot forward with a dazzling smile.

The team at Affordable Dentures and Implants is dedicated to helping patients every step of the way. From intake to X-ray to going home with your new teeth and a dazzling smile, let the team at Affordable Dentures and Implants in Windsor help you out.

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Airport Health Club #!

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t is hard to believe that we are approaching our 30 year anniversary,” said Bob Page, managing partner. “We have been here for the community through the good times and the bad, and we plan on continuing to be here and serve our area for many years to come.”

That dedication to community and customers is what has helped the Airport Health Club retain their dominant market share throughout the years. The journey began when Page, who had developed the Redwood Health Club in Ukiah, found a new area to expand to in the Airport Business Center. Page says, “I’m proud of what we did and especially proud of how we have served the Sonoma County population. We have played a significant role in the well-being of thousands of people over the years.”

A combination of unique offerings and top notch customer service have been the backbone of the Airport Club’s success and will help carry them into the future.

“We have a full complement of state-of-the-art exercise equipment, including two Cardio Theaters, ‘selectorized’ weight machines, free weights, stretching areas and the largest Pilates program in the county,”

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Page said. “We have a basketball gym (also used for volleyball, pickleball and special events), a climbing wall, racquetball and tennis courts, three pools and two hot tubs.

Our child care program is quite popular with our members, for children from 6 months to 13 years. We have an award-winning 50-plus program that provides not only exercise classes tailored to the population, but also group hikes, dinners and lectures. With over 100 group exercise classes each week, from yoga to cycle, Pilates to Zumba, there really is something for everyone. We’ve tried to create an environment that welcomes all.

“What we really offer more than anything is customer service,” Page said. “Our staff of over 150 employees knows that their major responsibility is to satisfy our members. We recommend that all folks considering joining our club look at all other facilities first before they decide. We are not the ‘end all’ for everyone, and there are other quality clubs out there. Often, they end up choosing the

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6 PROGRESS • April 2019

Airport Health Club.”

It is evident that Bob truly cares about his members and believes that same caring is reflected in his team. When asked about the day-to-day at the Club Bob responds, “We pride ourselves on our customer service; I am sorry when we don’t get it right. However, I try to take that opportunity to turn it around and maybe even create a better situation with that member based on our reaction and resolution to the problem. I’ve made some wonderful friendships with folks that started off with us resolving some issue.”

Page believes that what sets the club apart from others is his staff, “I have a tremendous team who I can count on most always exceeding my expectations. The staff are the heart of the club…those friendly faces that greet you, take care of your kids, make your smoothies, inspire you in fitness and keep the club running and in tip top shape. I owe the success and longevity of the Club to my staff.

We are a family.”

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Aita and Associates ! "

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ita and Associates was founded 35 years ago by Nancy Aita, a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist – Fellow. This is the highest designation in the employee benefits profession. This honor requires an individual to pass a rigorous annual examination requiring extensive knowledge of the benefits market and all current and recently passed legislation pertaining to employee benefits

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and an employer’s responsibilities thereof.

In those 35-plus years it has been our honor to have represented a wide array of companies of various sizes.

Among those have been the cities of Santa Rosa and Petaluma, the members of the North Coast Builders Exchange and, the Marin Builders Association, member firms of the multi-state Western Home Furnishings Association and many other companies of varying industries and professions.

Each client group is assigned a licensed insurance professional as their dedicated account manager.

They are also kept abreast of all legislation and compliance requirements regarding employee

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benefits and related HR responsibilities by our Compliance Officer. One of our unique compliance services is the creation of an “ERISA Handbook”. This is a collection of all employee benefit documentation required by the federal government of every business. Each handbook is specific to each company and collected in a three ring binder for ease of access and reference. We know of no other insurance agency providing this vital service.

The expertise, experience, and knowledge of our staff is what distinguishes us from our competition. For example, recently we were given the opportunity to review and assess the benefits and compliance efforts of a 250 employee, multi-location company.

Upon our review it was discovered that their insurance agency had exposed them to significant financial penalties due to multiple violations of ERISA, HIPAA, and

IRS regulations as well as a breach of contract with their health insurance carrier.

That experience reinforced my belief that we are better prepared and suited to address a company’s employee benefits needs than larger dual license agencies which are typically focused primarily on Property Casualty and Liability insurance.

Shouldn’t you let Aita and Associates review and assess your benefits and compliance procedures? You’ll be glad you did.

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Cellular World - AT&T #(% #

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ellularWorld is an AT&T Authorized Retailer located in Northern California. We have 12 locations and over 30 years experience serving consumers and businesses throughout Sonoma, Marin, & Napa Counties. We are dedicated to being AT&T’s top retailer by providing the best customer experience and hiring employees who are committed to the same standards of outstanding customer service that helped found the company.

Our AT&T store in Sebastopol is your one stop for all AT&T products for home, business, or personal use.

AT&T offers a wide variety of products and services to fit your lifestyle. Whether it’s the latest smartphone or tablet, DirecTV or Internet we enjoy our role as product experts in a wide array of categories.

We also have business experts that can help find the best solution for your business. As a business customer of AT&T we’ll provide you

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a dedicated business manager to work with you on identifying the correct products for your business.

Our Sebastopol store provides AT&T customers with a convenient location, short lines, and outstanding customer service.

Whether you want to upgrade your phone, pay your bill, purchase new services or just have a question we will be here 7 days a week to meet your needs.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

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PROGRESS • April 2019 7

American River Bank .#%',+ )

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Cathy Vyenielo explains American River Bank’s services: What does your business do?

American River Bank is a community-oriented business bank serving Northern California since 1983. We are proud to give business owners more reach by offering financial solutions and exceptional service to complement a full suite of banking products. Our warm and friendly approach, commitment to community and focus on supporting our clients helps the organizations around us achieve greater success.

Who is your target market?

Any small business owner or manager who would like a community partner to support their financial needs.

How did you get involved with your business?

Much of my career has been spent in commercial banking along the North Coast. Over the years I developed expertise in the wine industry and commercial real estate lending. Since joining ARB, I have been given the opportunity to lead our local team.

What is a typical work day for you?

In the mornings I’m generally attending community-based events and then in the afternoons I’m out meeting with clients and future clients at their locations.

What do you wish you had more time to do within your work day?

As Zig Ziglar said about the key to growing a business, “See the people, see the people, see the people.”

Tell us about your team.

Our local team members earned a recent client satisfaction score of 98.3 percent. In 2018, under the new leadership of David E. Ritchie Jr., President and CEO, we re-energized our North Coast operation by expanding our commercial team’s roster with lenders having expertise in the wine, construction, agriculture and hospitality industries.

What nonprofits are you involved in?

Our team members serve in leadership and volunteer for local nonprofits. Through the American River Bank Foundation, $1.3 million has been granted to organizations across Northern California. In 2018,

8 PROGRESS • April 2019

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Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) and Community Action Partnership — Sloan House Emergency Women’s Shelter were local recipients.

Where do you live and what is your favorite thing about your community?

I have lived in Santa Rosa since 1984 and my favorite part has always been the kind and generous people who live here.

What else would you like our readers to know about your business?

The American River Bank Foundation was established in July 2004 to give back in a meaningful way to local organizations that create opportunity, enhance self-esteem and provide physical and emotional well-being for the most vulnerable women and children. It is supported by ARB employees and stakeholders, earning us a spot in the regional Top 10 for Corporate Philanthropy. For information on how to apply for grant funding or donate to the Foundation, visit AmericanRiverBank.com/ -Foundation.

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PROGRESS â&#x20AC;¢ April 2019 9

Ben Stone onoma County’s Economic Development Board executive director Ben Stone is stepping down from his post next month after serving for 33 years. A Washington State native, he arrived at his EDB post in 1986 and has been a participant and witness to the region’s growth and changes across the many sectors of industry, government, tourism and community improvements.

Although he intends to remain very active in county activities, he agreed to offer some reflections and a look ahead on the topic of “progress.”

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Q. You have a unique perspective on Sonoma County’s economic growth and changes over your 33 years in leading the Economic Development Board. Can you share your first impressions of the region upon your arrival in 1986 or your earliest experiences and professional interactions?

Arriving from Seattle, my first impressions of Sonoma County was that it has endless beauty and potential, particularly in the area of wine and agriculture.

Q. Three decades is a long tenure in any career field or public position. What have been your sources of motivation and continued dedicated service at EDB? I always want to make things better and work with the system to accomplish that. I’ve always believed that you should leave things better than you found them.

Sometimes it takes patience and experience to get things done – but ultimately, the reason I’ve been at this so long is that economic development is a never-ending job.

There are always new challenges to face, new partnerships to build, and new ways to make our county more prosperous and competitive.

Q. No doubt the job position you applied for at EDB in 1986 is not the same today. Whether for your direct replacement or for others seeking to get involved in Sonoma County’s economic development and business leadership what would you list as key preparations,

10 PROGRESS • April 2019

training, and focus on the tasks at hand?

Being able to work with people at all levels, and in a variety of positions – and being invested in a variety of projects, “shepherding” them towards success.

Keeping each project moving and productive is a real challenge and requires an ability to keep more than a couple of balls in the air at a time.

Q. Key developments, successes, or missed opportunities, personally and for our local economy, Ben, looking back what is your/our proudest achievements, biggest challenges overcome and, perhaps some second thoughts?

We’ve been fortunate that the Board of Supervisors have allowed us to do strategic planning with the community over the years. It allows us to listen to business needs and then facilitate solutions.

For example, our first strategic plan resulted in the first of its kind agricuktural marketing program for the area.

Additional efforts have resulted in a new School of Science and Engineering at SSU, a unified county-wide tourism program (now Sonoma County Tourism Bureau), and a research and

marketing program that provides local small businesses with the same information a large company might have access to.

And while many of these efforts took time to come to fruition (unifying tourism was a seven-year long process) they have all been great achievements for our county.

Q. With your retirement in mid-2019, where would you place or define today’s Sonoma County’s economic picture and beyond wildfire or natural disaster recover, what challenges or goals would you suggest our business and government leaders keep in front of them?

Strategic Sonoma, finished in 2018 and our most recent strategic plan, prioritizes housing and workforce as the county’s biggest economic challenges and opportunities.

It’s imperative we make progress on creating housing for all Sonoma County residents and we work together to create an environment for maintaining a strong workforce.

Sonoma County is at a crossroads right now, a situation which began before the recent fires and floods – primarily because of cost of living, the county is aging

as its youth move towards more affordable opportunities, and the working class which supports our towns are having to commute from further and further away.

Sonoma County can become a competitive, diverse, thriving community that defines our state.

Q. You have mentioned you plan to remain very active in the community after your retirement. Do you have any specific plans as yet, aside from rebuilding your house you lost in the fires?

I plan on volunteering with a local education institution by providing mentoring and teaching.

I’ll also stay caught up with old friends and colleagues.

Q. Hopefully, the near future will offer you some private time. Do you have travel, relaxation or rejuvenation plans?

I’ll be traveling to Europe in the near future … it’s a big world!

Catch up on some reading and maybe do some exercising.

Basically do things I haven’t had much time to do these past few decades.

Q. What’s on your bucket list?

I’m not a huge fan of bucket lists but I want to continue to serve the community and stay active.

Big John’s Market !

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im and John Lloyd have owned and operated Healdsburg’s premium grocery store since 1994. For the past 25 years the Lloyds have been active community leaders and benefactors to many causes involving youth, education, animal care and agriculture, plus more.

Q. Has your business approach changed since your earliest days in business? How would you define your business philosophy?

A. Our approach to business has not changed since day one. It’s quite simple — pay attention to what customers want and what they say.

Then follow up on how to satisfy them.

Q. What has been the biggest changes in the grocery business over the past 25 years? Do you have any predictions about future changes?

A. Thanks to independent markets, the grocery industry has come around to focusing on customer needs. The future is an Amazon push to control the marketplace by “owning” units in all geographic locations where there are customers.

Q. How many employees do you have? Many of your employees have been with Big John’s Market for many years. How do you attract and retain your workers?

A. We employ 105 people, including one who was here when we arrived in 1994. Many have been with us for 10-plus years. Acknowledging their contributions means everything to our employees.

Q. What does a “best day” at the store look like, and what would be a challenging day?

A. Every day is a “best day.” That

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Q. How do you two divide your business and corporate duties? Do you have any advice for married couples that own a business together?

A. John is semi-retired due to Medicare and Social Security. Our advice to married couples is to hold all business and store meetings at the store and not at home.

Q. Big John’s Market has been one of Healdsburg’s most successful businesses for the last 2 1/2 decades. What would you attribute your success?

A. Success comes with having the wherewithal to be philanthropic and reward patrons and staff Q. Customer service is very important in retail and food

service. What is Big John’s Market’s style of customer service?

A. Customer service is reacting to one shopper’s wants and needs at a time. It really is that simple, we think.

Q. Big John’s Market brought many firsts to Healdsburg, like not selling tobacco products or lottery tickets. You also spearheaded the “Healdsbag” campaign to eliminate single use plastic grocery bags.

A. Our firsts in the store in the local grocery scene have come form simply evaluating what we were doing from the outcomes of those decisions. We literally dumped all

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tobacco products the day after catching two 12-year-old students with 15 cartons of cigarettes in a backpack. The police officer said they were setting up shop at school and receiving their bounty. Single-use bags was another no brainer for us.

Q. What do you, the Lloyds, enjoy doing away from work and the store? Do you share a bucket list?

A. From our first day here in Healdsburg and for many years, a day off was leaving the store at 1 p.m. and returning early the next morning. That’s not the case anymore and we get a fair amount of travel in. We also have an RV that still doesn’t get enough use.

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Benedetti Tire Service and Express Lube ere at Benedetti Tire Service we are proud to be moving into our 42nd year as a thriving Tire and Automotive Service Center along with our two-bay Express lube facility. Serving our community with hassle free service and competitive pricing is what we do every day!

Our community may have noticed that we have added a couple of new words to our monument sign out front! These new words “Tire Pros” explain exactly what we are in this beautiful town. The addition of "Tire Pros" does not mean that there are any changes in our company but rather that addition gives us greater buying power and many more brand options for our customers.

Mark Reece "owner" is still hands on daily and continues to look for better ways to service his loyal customers. Born and raised in Sebastopol, and joining Benedetti Tire in 1980 with then owner Brad Benedetti. Brad groomed and mentored Mark for his eventual purchase of the business. Today after

Brad’s retirement almost 11 years ago Benedetti Tire continues to lead the local community in tire and automotove services with a commitment to hiring local and supporting local!

Through difficult times and thriving times Mark would like to thank his loyal customers for their many years of support.

After our recent flooding and devastating fires that rocked our community and changed our daily routines, Mark is also very proud to see this community near and far band together as one and lend a helping hand where needed as well as continuing to support their local businesses.

We at Benedetti Tire Service are going to make every effort to provide each and every one of our customers with a "hassle-free" experience. We are here for you in any of your automotive needs: auto repair, tire service or just a quick oil change service.

Remember we are not just a tire

store, we also do complete automotive service, mileage interval services, auto, light and large truck and farm tires. We can even repair your commercial or agriculture tires on site with our mobile repair truck services.

Be on the look out in the near future as we are soon to be adding a Express Wash facility with vacuum and drying stations so we can continue to provide our customers with unprecedented quality hasslefree service and repair.

Costeaux French Bakery #

osteaux traces its roots back to 1923 founded as the French American Bakery. In the early days bread was delivered a few times a week to the surrounding valleys. Today the company makes and delivers baked goods daily through the greater North Bay. With over 120 employees, Costeaux continues to transform and adjust to the changing landscape.

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Just a few short blocks from the Plaza, the bakery boasts an open air café. Guests are welcomed for breakfast and lunch. The bakery has a wide range of cookies, cakes, breads and pastries daily. Catering services are available and the café hosts private evening events. There’s also a satellite operation inside Big John’s Market.

Guests can pick up their favorite Costeaux items, order cakes and get

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their daily coffee at this north end location.

Costeaux has been owned and operated by the Seppi Family since 1981. Karl and Nancy Seppi relocated to Healdsburg in the late 1970s and Nancy’s aunt suggested they buy the bakery. Karl learned the art of baking from Jean Costeaux while Nancy sold the finished loaves. Over the years the business has grown. Today, Will Seppi is the second generation running the business.

The company prides itself on its core values — family, community, service and quality. Decisions are made based on these guiding principles.

“Costeaux contributes significantly back to the community that has supported it for nearly 100 years,” according to Will Seppi.

From arts to children’s organizations and everything in between, the bakery supports many such as the Jazz After Party for the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, multigrain

breads for the garden program as Healdsburg Elementary School, high school internships and countless donations of baked goods.

“We aim to hire people based on these core values,” says Seppi. “It’s critical that we have people join our team that are aligned with our values and culture. We can teach them about products and services. Starting with a similar set of values makes a difference.”

Many employees have worked for the company well over a decade.

“When our guests visit and see consistent smiling faces, it creates a sense of place and belonging,” notes Seppi.

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City of Cloverdale #

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loverdale, with a population of just over 9,000 people, is becoming a “go-to” destination for dining, both casual and upscale.

Whether you are looking for a quick bite of “pub grub,” deli fare, or burgers, or trying to satisfy a craving for sushi, pizza, Mexican fare or Thai Cuisine, have a hankering for Kansas City style barbecue, or desire locally sourced farm-to-table, Cloverdale offers something for just about any taste bud.

Alioto’s Pick’s Drive-In, in the downtown core, is Cloverdale’s longest-tenured dining spot serving locals and visitors made-to-order menu items since the early 1920s. The World-Famous Hamburger Ranch & BBQ, just over a mile north of downtown, continues to lure visitors coming from the Mendocino Coast and locals alike as it has for decades.

Postcards from all over the globe decorate its walls. It really is “world-famous.” See for yourself.

Most of our eateries are owned and operated locally. Papa’s Pizza Café

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Owners Mike and Denaire Nixon have been in business for over 30 years. The tradition continues with their sons becoming actively involved. Stop in any evening and you’ll see the crew swirling the dough for their delicious crusts for their varied pizza selections.

Deli-style soups and sandwiches and “grab ’n’ go” lunches, such as a seasonal salad bar, are all within walking distance downtown. Check out MoE’s Eagle’s Nest Deli or Dahlia & Sage Community Market for hand made sandwiches or organic food choices. Railroad Station Bar & Grill, Zini’s Diner and Cloverdale Ale enhance the traditional menu offerings available here. Cloverdale’s three Asian restaurants, Tian Yuen, Thai Spice and 101 ThaiWay offer a wide variety of Asian cuisine, while local Mexican eateries, La Hacienda and El Molcajete offer traditional Mexican fare. Let’s not forget the recently opened Cloverdale Creamery serving delicious ice cream for everything from “comfort

The Soil King

eople are really digging Big Rootz Soil and all the other soil we produce.

As a result, the mix designs created

by Patrick King, aka “The Soil King,” owner of The Garden Center has in the last year spread across the country with distribution.

“We are now in 42 states, and are about to go internationally,’’

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food” like grilled cheese to ice cream cones and panini sandwiches or Plank Coffee with their locally roasted coffee offerings and wide selection of bakery treats.

A new restaurant/tasting room/shop is on the horizon, slated to join the Trading Post Restaurant in the recently remodeled Silverwood Building in late spring/early summer. PARE Bar & Bottle, with its plan for a “tapas” style menu and unique selection of wines, will join Kelley & Young Tasting Room and help to grow Cloverdale’s reputation as a wine and dining destination.

With an emphasis on providing a space for socializing, dining and

enjoying wines without pretension, PARE Bar & Bottle is anxiously awaited.

Whether you are a local or a regional visitor, come and spend time exploring the Culinary Delights Cloverdale has to offer.

In the words of Julia Child, Bon Appétit!

shipped via rail from Tennessee.

“I pay up to three times as much for it, but I feel confident and secure about what I am putting out there for the consumer,’’ King said.

His belief in a healthy soil gained credence two years ago when California’s Proposition 64 stated that commercial cannabis growers in the state had to use tested clean soils free of pesticides, and low levels of heavy metals and King even added GMO free long ago to his requirements similar.

King said, “I was doing this long before Prop. 64 was requiring us to provide clean soils, it was the right thing to do many years ago.”

The Big Rootz products currently include the original Big Rootz soil, the Big Rootz Bloom for the flowering cycle, the Emerald Rootz for indoor growing and Baby Rootz for starting seedlings and he is even launching the Michigan Big Rootz, where he is going to manufacture is in the state of Michigan this year.

“I have more soil SKUs I have been

working on that are to be released this year,’’ King said.

While King’s products are shipping across the United States for use by growers across the country, King is quick to point out that his facility at 320 Santana Drive, The Soil King Garden Center, is his bulk home base facility. It’s open for anyone locally wishing to obtain products that will enhance their growing experience. His manufacturing yard is located in Sacramento with a number of wholesale yards and store across the county.

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King said. “I have contracts signed to expand into Canada and Mexico.”

The explosion of popularity across the United States in the past year is the result of the germination of an idea that King had about 10 years ago.

“My mission statement since 2009 has been ‘Changing the world one plant at a time,’” King said.

“When I started, I wanted to create a soil that was organic, clean, GMO free, pesticide free, tested for heavy metals.

That meant something to me back then as much as it does today.

“I wanted to create a soil that people could grow vegetables, cannabis in and could consume them safely.’’

Through years of testing and experimentation, King has developed a recipe for soil that includes only the best elements he can find. That includes coco coir from Egypt, peat moss from Canada, compost from an organic tomato farm in California, blood meal from an organic pig farm, non-mad cow slaughter house and, yes, even worm casting, verma compost

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business for promotion. An updated website was launched, along with expanding the use of social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook using “Experience Cloverdale” as a marketing and promotion tool. A new map of Cloverdale was produced as well as Dining and Shopping Guides available for local residents and visitors. “Experience Cloverdale” t-shirts, ball caps, banners and window placards were also produced and are available at the chamber office.

We even furnished “Experience Cloverdale” coasters to our local drinking establishments.

The chamber has actively promoted the placement of “Experience Cloverdale” flags in front of local businesses throughout downtown and will '' % ' expand south this spring to the # % Ace Hardware Plaza as well as && &' "' the Furber Ranch Plaza. The

ince mid-2017, the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the city, to promote Cloverdale as a place to live, work, stay and play. Several initiatives were undertaken by the chamber to develop a brand for Cloverdale which could be utilized to attract business, promote the lifestyle here and could be used by any local

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flags were collected in January and will be replaced and set out in time for the newest community event produced by the Cloverdale Chamber; the Cloverdale Spring Festival, which will be held on Saturday, May 4 in the North Marketplace (the vacant lot next to Plank Coffee) and the South Paseo (the new patios and drive between the Silverwood Building and Exchange Bank). The Cloverdale Spring Festival is taking a cue from the wildly successful Winter Festival last December and will include local artisans, comic book characters, music, a Maypole as well as an “Experience Cloverdale” Treasure Hunt, where “X” Marks the Spot at downtown businesses. The festival is from 1 to 5 p.m. and when concluded, people can stay downtown and enjoy the Rotary Club’s Cinco de Mayo event in the downtown plaza which will benefit this year’s Project Grad.

We’ve updated the downtown directional signage and continue to

keep it current with the help of city Public Works employees. We’ll soon unveil a community bulletin board and we’re embarking on the beginning stages of designing and procuring “Welcome Signs” for the north and south entrances to the city.

Stay tuned!

These are just a few of the past successes and future initiatives which we expect will attract visitors, new businesses, support our existing businesses and will reinforce the pride that we feel about Cloverdale.

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Health Action Cloverdale !

ealth Action Cloverdale, more than 10 years in the making, is now providing a vibrant option for those in Cloverdale seeking a long, healthy life.

In August 2007, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors requested the Department of Health Services to convene a health action council (now called "Health Action") to work on improving health and health care for Sonoma County residents. Originally founded by recently retired Vice Mayor Carol Russell with a kick-off meeting in February 2018, the group remains true to form by meeting the second Tuesday of every month at the Cloverdale Senior Multipurpose Center. The group is made up of a wide array of Cloverdale community stakeholders: Alexander Valley Healthcare, The Villas Assisted Living, Boys and Girls Club, Cloverdale Unified School District, Wallace House, City management, Kings Valley Senior Apartments, St. Vincent de Paul’s, St. Joseph’s Health, and many others.

To achieve its mission, Health

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Action focuses on three areas of impact: a long and healthy life, educational attainment, and a comfortable standard of living. The organization raises awareness of key local health issues, addresses social determinants of health and highlights critical disparities within the community.

After a year of convening local businesses, nonprofits, government and individuals at the table, Health Action Cloverdale is off the ground and running, joining Health Action chapters in Healdsburg, the lower Russian River area, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Sebastopol, Sonoma Valley, Southwest Santa Rosa and Windsor. In April 2018, Executive Director of the Cloverdale Senior Multipurpose Center, Becky Ennis, joined Health Action Cloverdale as facilitator.

During the past year, Health Action Cloverdale narrowed its focus to local food distribution at three main sites in Cloverdale – St. Peter’s Church, the local food pantry, and Redwood Empire Food Bank’s distribution site

at the Citrus Fairgrounds.

In January 2019, Ms. Ennis applied to the Vintners Foundation of Sonoma County to fund a community outreach position housed within Health Action. The goal is to create a resource network for low-income and homeless residents in Cloverdale, using the website NorCal Resources.

The objective will be to unite the three food distribution sites with one or two individuals, who will be able to build relationships with the members served and better understand the needs of our individuals.

Health Action Cloverdale is happy to report that this grant application was successful. Health Action Cloverdale received $19,000 to start this endeavor over the next fiscal year. This funding is not only important to the work of Health Action Cloverdale, but it is a landmark in the progress of Health Action Sonoma County, as we are the first chapter to receive funding of this kind from the Vintners Foundation. If you would like to join us as we engage community in other areas of

development, we welcome you to the table every second Tuesday of the month from 1:00-2:30pm at the Cloverdale Senior Multipurpose Center. You may reach out to Becky Ennis at becky@cloverdale seniorcenter.com for more information.

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PROGRESS • April 2019 15

Drive Rite Automotive !

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rive Rite Automotive has been serving locals since 1989 and after 30 years in business, owner Hari Daliwal says he remains committed to customer service.

His dedicated staff has developed into a family with a motto of making customers happy.

“I absolutely believe in that,” he said. “I ask my technicians to do the best job they can. We collaborate with each other as a team and spend

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whatever time and resources are necessary to produce perfection. This formula produces technicians’ self satisfaction for a job well done.”

Hari learned automotive repair in the U.S. Army. After graduating college, he developed a business background through ownership and operation of gas stations. His experience helped him develop a philosophy of customer-first service.

“I always washed windows,

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pumped up tires and filled up the tank. I still believe in the old-fashioned basic service,” he said.

“We believe in top quality work with no compromise at competitive pricing.”

Hari ensures the quality of his team’s work with continued education to keep staff up to date with ever-changing automobile technology. Hari has been teaching automotive technology at the college level for most of his career and said his staff is trained every year on new developments.

“New vehicles are becoming more and more technically advanced, so keeping informed on the latest technology is vital,” he said.

Drive Rite’s commitment to quality was recognized in 2006 when the automotive trade magazine Motor Age named Drive Rite one of the top 10 shops in the country. Hari said quality of service has helped the business flourish after moving to

$ Windsor from Healdsburg in 2002.

“We provide a vital service to communities of both Windsor and Healdsburg,” he said.

Hari said the key to long-term success is to always put the customer first.

“Do your best,” he said. “If you can’t, don’t do it at all. I try to put myself in the customer’s shoes. That way I know that they are receiving the best service I can give them. We really enjoy what we are doing and we invite you to come and visit us some time and experience old time, unhurried personal service.”

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ddinger Enterprises, Inc. has been your community builder since 1968. For over 50 years, the Eddinger family has built a successful business that thrives on old-fashioned values, attention to detail and strong relationships with clients and the community. As a full-service construction firm, Eddinger Enterprises is eager to take on projects of any size,

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16 PROGRESS • April 2019

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commercial or residential.

From remodels, outdoor living spaces and custom homes to wineries, spas and manufacturing facilities, the team at Eddingers can create any structure with a high level of professionalism backed by decades of experience.

Pictured are just few of the key people, including foremen, superintendents and managers that

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make the day-to-day operations run smoothly, whether on a job site meeting with customers, in the office or obtaining building permits.

Along with their 25 dedicated coworkers, they lend their expertise, creative energy and skills to help Eddinger Enterprises grow and flourish and provide the best customer service around.

All employees are well-trained

and experienced professionals, dedicated to quality customer service and sustainable building practices.

Their reputation for honesty and fairness is matched by their commitment to quality craftsmanship. These hardworking leaders in conjunction with their crews create the many beautiful homes and commercial projects built for their customers. Each of them play an important role in the company. They all look forward to building Sonoma County for another 50 years.

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People keep paying but don’t see a payoff, nor do they want one.

Unfortunately, the numerous wildfires in Northern California over the past four years have heightened consumers awareness.”

Martindale is a Sonoma County native, who has lived in Healdsburg with his wife Suzanne and son since 2014. After a seven-year term serving as a District Manager for Farmers Insurance, Scott decided to purchase his own Farmers Insurance Agency and use his

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experience to help protect the assets of his customers, whether Auto, Home, Commercial, or Life Insurance.

“Since 2015 I’ve been through seven wildfires in Northern California, managed a strong group of Agents through the claims, and experienced the good and bad with regard to total-loss insurance claims.”

Martindale takes a consultant’s approach and prefers to deal with people in person so that he can focus on insurance education, rather than a typical sales call.

“The hardest part is the education,” he said. “We don’t learn about coverages and what can happen in the event of a catastrophe or auto accident. Plus, we are bombarded with advertising that paints insurance as a commodity that you should pay as little as possible for. Unfortunately, that’s the opposite thing people need to think about. Sure, you don’t

Fircrest Market ##

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ircrest Market cares about their customers. With owners and twin brothers Mark and David Hoffman committed to quality customer service and the employees of Fircrest dedicated to it as well, the

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want to pay more than you have to, but once you buy the initial policy it doesn’t cost much more to be properly insured. So, if I can educate people on what coverages do, then they can make an educated and informed decision.”

While Scott’s main focus is to be the consultant, the task can be tough. “There are numerous misconceptions about insurance: full-coverage, mortgage protection, etc.,” he said. “The simple fact about insurance today is that it’s there for the big issues such as a total-loss, or major auto accident.

It’s there to protect everything people have and to get them back to where they were.” Scott echoes his underlying philosophy “unfortunately, an insurance policy is not like a box of cereal where you can save by paying less and get the same product.

Insurance needs to be tailored to every specific need of that household and must take into

account current and upcoming needs.

Sounds great but remember, it doesn’t cost that much more to ensure proper coverage. You just need an insurance consultant to walk you through it.”

their customers is paramount and all employees in the store make the time to hear what it is they want or need.

“Our departments really try to keep their ears to the trends in the natural food industry,” David said.

David said everyone working in the store is deep-rooted in natural foods and focuses daily on taking care of their customers.

“We’re really grateful that the people that work for us do such a great job,” David said.

The deli of Fircrest is as close to an old-fashioned meat market as you can get. It is a traditional delicatessen and David said he is happy with the time-honored direction the department has taken.

Fircrest also has a produce buyer for the store who goes to the markets and gets fresh fruits and vegetables. Most little stores buy from a distributer and David said

he is happy that they are able to employ him.

“He handpicks our produce for us,” David said. “For a small independent store, that has really been great for us.”

Mark and David believe in taking care of their employees who in turn, take care of their customers, who then take care of Fircrest.

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market is welcoming and well stocked.

This group effort creates a small family market with quality food at low prices and reliable friendly service. The brothers are now in their 25th year with the store.

David is often on the floor of the market chatting with customers and said it is important to him to be accessible so that he knows what they want in the market. Fircrest often brings in specific items and quantities to satisfy customer demand.

David said the separate departments in the store deliver whatever customers need. Listening to

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PROGRESS • April 2019 17

Healdsburg Lumber # %"

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ealdsburg Lumber Company has been in the lumber industry since 1875 when it was first established as Healdsburg Mill & Lumber. In 1907, the mill burned and was

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rebuilt and renamed as AF Stevens Lumber Company. More than a hundred years and a few name changes later, Healdsburg Lumber Company remains committed to building our community by

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providing access to quality lumber and specialty hardware products.

For the past 40 years, the company has been owned and operated by the Ziedrich family. As times have changed, the company has added goods and services to help their customers with all their needs, whether it be a custom door, locksmith service or windows.

Healdsburg Lumber Company truly is a family-owned company with a family of building material retailers including Hudson Street Design, Healdsburg Door & Sash and Gualala Building Supply.

While the faces have changed over the years, the commitment to providing quality products and superior service has remained the same through the decades. From the smallest do-it-yourself project to a complete tear down and rebuild, Healdsburg Lumber is

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dedicated to helping you see the project through.

In 2004, Hudson Street Design was opened to add even more products to their repertoire. The showroom features specialty windows, doors, skylights, finish hardware and window coverings.

Healdsburg Lumber even has a dedicated Service Department that can come out and fix broken doors and windows — even if they didn't install it! Their work is guaranteed, and they’ll work with you to keep your project on schedule.

If it happens that they don't stock something you need, they'll find it for you. Whether it’s plumbing, garden, decking, doors, electrical and more, they will go the extra mile to find it for you.

The employees aren’t only committed to the job at-hand, they are a strong part of the community; holding public office, sitting on the board at the chamber of commerce, coaching little league and more. They’re always evolving to meet the needs of the changing demographics in Healdsburg, and look forward to another 150 years of serving the community.

Healdsburg Lumber Company is open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hudson Street Design is open Monday through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Healdsburg Lumber Company is at 359 Hudson St. Contact them at 707-431.9663 or visit HealdsburgLumber.com.

Hudson Street Design is located at 434 Hudson St. Reach them at 707-431-3630 or visit HudsonStreetDesign.com.

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Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center !

he Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center is here to help, whether you’re a long-time local or a weekend visitor.

The visitor center is often the first impression Healdsburg has for visitors. They are greeted by a solid staff including dedicated volunteers who are in the know and

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If you’ve ever had to pull off to the side of the road and ask directions, you’ve probably seen how just a simple missed right turn transforms into a great discussion about what you’ll see along the way as you get back on track. Well, the volunteers are like that helpful person on the side of the road, except they can point you where to go even if you aren’t sure where to start.

Through the center, you can get information on tasting rooms, vineyard tours and downtown events. You can learn about hotels and bed and breakfasts. You can even find out what’s happening on our coast and find new adventures

throughout north county. Even if you’ve been here for years, it’s worth checking in to the visitor center to see what your neighbors have to say about the many things to see and do in Sonoma County.

Volunteers are on hand seven days a week to help anyone who stops in. They also field a lot of phone calls, and can direct you to other agencies such as the city if you need help with permits or anything else. During the recent floods and fires, the visitor center was directing people where to find emergency resources and let people know when and if it was safe to travel to specific areas. This was especially useful even for locals who may have planned a day trip to explore more of the county, but were unsure how to check its status.

The visitor center can help grow your business, too. They can get the word out about a new service

Fred Young Funeral Home !

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. Young & Sons, Furniture and Coffins started in Healdsburg in the mid-1890s by Founder John Young and his sons Thomas and Eben. Thomas’ son Fred took over the business in 1919 after his father’s death, changing the name to Fred Young and Company.

Today, 2019, we are still serving our families as Fred Young Funeral Home in Healdsburg and Cloverdale. Whether a quiet visitation for five or a two-day traditional service for 1,000, our highly skilled and trained staff can make your remembrance a proper celebration of a life well lived. We know how to listen and follow your directions making this “your” service.

We offer pre-need and at at-need arrangements; viewings; visitations, celebrations of life, full funerals, cremation, and assistance with military burials. Scatterings and at-sea services are also available.

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you offer, refer people to your doors and offer visitors coupons for your services. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you run, the visitor center brings in customers.

According to the center, many people hop off their flight and head straight into town, stopping there first feeling a little overwhelmed at how much is around them. Let the visitor center narrow it down for them by sharing information about what you have to offer.

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While we look forward to making “Progress” for years to come, we thank and acknowledge the Young family for their commitment to bringing this needed service to the north county area; and our heartfelt thanks to Ernie Frandsen for picking up the mantle and continuing the service for many years prior the current owners.

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Our Cloverdale office is managed

by Kathy Eastman, who has been involved in the funeral industry for many years. Kathy is bilingual and has special experience in ship-out arrangements. She is a member of the Sonoma County Chaplaincy Program and actively involved in her homeowner’s association.

Fred Young is actively in pursuit

of a new and larger location to better serve its families. In 2001, a tragic fire slowed down the operation as the building was a total loss. However, out of the ashes, we have continued to serve the area at our present office location by arranging services at churches and meeting halls. Our Healdsburg office is managed by Patti Foster,

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PROGRESS • April 2019 19

HopMonk Tavern Sebastopol - ' !"' 1(-* ,!"*+, (* *

here do you find the best beer in the middle of wine country? At HopMonk Tavern, of course.

Come to HopMonk for fresh beer, local wines, great indoor tavern atmosphere and our remarkable beer garden. Our moderately priced menu celebrates both traditional and innovative pairings of beer and food.

“Over the years I found I especially loved to literally ‘set the table’ (to steal a phrase from Danny Meyer), for the simple, communal, pure, enjoyment of craft beer. Rustic taverns, beer gardens, intimate music venues — all go better with fresh, quality beer. That’s my dream work environment,” owner Dean Biersch said.

When you step into HopMonk, you can feel the vibrancy and great charm that Sonoma County is known for, all encapsulated in an historic building. So no matter what draws you to our rich region, you can find a slice — or bottle — of it at HopMonk.

Beer is fun; we know you'll enjoy our relaxed and informed service.

Live acoustic music from our beer

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garden stage weekend days and top local, regional and national acts on our Abbey stage several nights a week add to the experience.

We offer 20 types of bottled beer, plus, 16 beers are on tap. In addition to our house beers like Hefeweizen and tavern ale, we’re also pouring drafts from several other Sonoma County breweries including Russian River, Lagunitas, and the thoroughly enjoyed Moonlight Brewing Co. And the draft beers are not restricted to local makers. If it’s delicious, HopMonk wants to carry it, whether it's from England, Scotland or Belgium.

And if you want wine, that’s OK, too. We’ve got a nice selection, and no one will give you “stink-eye” for ordering it.

But don’t let our judgment-free attitude fool you, we have an incredibly knowledgeable staff that has learned from an industry veteran and can help you make the tough call between all our delicious offerings.

“I was lucky to get involved in American craft beer and brewpubs early on. I opened Gordon Biersch in '88 (Palo Alto) with my brewing partner Dan Gordon and we went on to build brewery-restaurants in places like Honolulu, Seattle, San Diego, Las Vegas,” Biersch said.

Now all that experience is instilled in our great staff.

“We work as a team,” Biersch said. “Not surprisingly, we each get tremendous satisfaction doing our part in this certain cultural hub that we create together. We’re all experienced enough to know that this is at all times a group effort — so we tend to attract secure, grounded, fun, focused, collaborator-types.”

And don’t forget we can handle your private events.

Give us a call and we can set your table to please and impress everyone in your party.

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Healthcare Foundation ! &$

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# those residents impacted by Sonoma County wildfires.

Through the Collaborative, residents have access to a variety of free, bilingual mental health services for recovery and resiliency building, such as individual and group counseling, trauma informed yoga, the website www.mysonomatstrong.com and the mobile app Sonoma Rises.

Sonoma Rises is a tool to help people struggling with anger, depression, anxiety and more. It has a robust section focused on teens and their everyday stressors.

These resources and more can be found at healthcarefoundation.net/ fire_recovery.

ince its inception in 2001, Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County has invested in programs to support health access through the local Healdsburg hospital and the FQHC clinics, among others. In 2016, the Healthcare Foundation added the focus areas of mental health and early childhood development.

Since the Sonoma County wildfires of 2017, the focus on mental health recovery has increased significantly. The Healthcare Foundation convened partners to create and support the Wildfire Mental Health Collaborative, an initiative focused on the mental health recovery of

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In the area of early childhood development, the Healthcare Foundation is leading the way to improve school readiness for children in our region. Starting in Healdsburg, where recent K-SEP (Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile) results show serious issues in north county, the Healthcare Foundation is convening other organizations and providing the backbone support to create the Healdsburg Early Childhood Council. The Council brings together organizations and community leaders who understand the value of increasing readiness to learn in young children.

Initiatives like these are made possible through generous donations from individuals and local businesses and corporations.

The Healthcare Foundation’s signature fundraising event, Healthcare Affair 2019 (formerly Wine Women & Shoes) presented by Constellation Brands and hosted by Clos du Bois on May 18th, brings together hundreds of philanthropic men and women. It is the county’s best charitable event; an evening of

fine wine and fantastic Sonoma County foods, while supporting health in our region.

The event begins at 4 p.m. with Moroccan-themed food, top Sonoma County wine parings and a silent auction. Then, guests are treated to dinner and wine and an exciting live auction, followed by dessert and dancing. The funds raised at Healthcare Affair go directly toward creating the Healthcare Foundation’s mission of building a healthier northern Sonoma County.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available and tickets are on sale at the Healthcare Foundation website www.healthcarefoundation.net Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County is the only funder exclusively focused on the northern region of Sonoma County through the lens of health. It is the leading proponent for creating healthier communities and relies on donor contributions to fund its work.

For more information, email: info@healthcarefoundation.net or call (707) 473-0583.

IMS — International Monetary Systems &%+ ,%)& )' $ '' + ( (

What does your organization do?

IMS is a B2B barter organization comprised of 16,000 businesses.

Our clients offer their product or service, earn IMS dollars when sales are completed, then spend those dollars with any of the other members.

What is your service?

Our service is bringing our clients new customers, a secondary stream of income and cash savings.

Who is your target market?

We’re a good fit for most companies looking to grow 5 to 10 percent.

How did you get your name?

Two competitors in the Midwest went through a series of name changes to one-up the other. It started with Milwaukee Barter, so they countered with Wisconsin Barter. Mid-West became America and finally our chairman Don Mardak finished the battle with International Monetary Systems.

IMS didn’t have an international presence in 1985, but we do today.

When Don tells the story, it’s very funny.

What is your mission statement?

To become the market-leading business-to-business barter exchange in North America and to provide our customers with unmatched service of the highest quality.

How did you get involved with IMS? The old-fashioned way, my parents owned a local barter company that started here in Sonoma County in 1981. My first summer job was outside sales, I was 16.

They sold the business to IMS in 2001, I became Regional Manager in 2005.

What is your favorite part of your work day?

Sitting down with a local entrepreneur, sharing with them the financial benefits of barter, that’s the best.

What is a typical work day?

I do a little bit of everything from working with existing customers, finding new opportunities here in Sonoma County and assisting the staff.

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What is your least favorite part of your work day?

Deleting junk email. I’m pretty sure any princess from any nation doesn’t need my help.

What do you wish you had more time to do within your work day?

Visiting clients at their place of business. You learn a lot.

What do you want our readers to know about your business?

The cash in our wallets buys us products and services — so does IMS dollars. If you’d like to see your business grow 5-10 percent ... call me.

Tell us about your team?

Our brokers assist our members with getting new customers and then spending the IMS dollars.

Aldena Garrett (Sonoma County), Aubrie Valle (Silicon Valley), Catie Ferguson (East Bay) and Lisa Ross (Central Valley) are the best team I’ve ever had.

What nonprofits are you involved in?

Toys for Tots & Shriners

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Where do you live and what is your favorite thing about your community?

Been a Rohnert Park resident for 40 years and I love our youth sports programs. Cal Ripken baseball, Warriors football, Rebels softball, some great athletes and coaches live in the friendly city.

What changes would you like to see in our community?

Anything that eases the burden on small business owners.

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What is your next business venture?

Finish my screenplay, and convince Clint Eastwood to direct the movie.

What else would you like our readers to know about IMS? Who couldn’t use an additional 10-20K in sales per year? Call me.

International Monetary Systems is located at 5350 Commerce Blvd.

Suite C, Rohnert Park, CA 94928.

Call them at 707-585-7722 or visit www.imsbarter.com.

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am a third generation Realtor and native to Sonoma County with many deep family roots in San Francisco. I obtained my real estate license in 1987 and since then have worked with several real estate brokerages before joining Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties in 2018.

I have listed and sold, city and country residential properties, 300-400 acre ranch estates, buildable parcels, vineyard and estate land, boutique winery estates and commercial properties.

I have sold properties in Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Jenner, Windsor, Healdsburg, Geyserville, Cloverdale and Sonoma.

Through my years in the business I have been involved with, volunteered and supported various charities. They include Meals on Wheels, Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Village, Wounded Warriors, the Redwood Food

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Bank and Relay for Life.

Healdsburg’s quaint charm in the wine country, and San Francisco, the City by the Bay, are both on most people’s radar in Northern California. Some say you leave you heart in San Francisco and you leave your soul in the country. It would be my great pleasure to help you in either region to give you the immediate attention and service you deserve.

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JACKLYNWRIGHTGRIDLEY . COM JACKLYNWRIGHTGRIDLEY.COM 9243 9243 LAKEWOOD DRIVE

WINDSOR

BUILDERS & DESIGNERS DESIGNERS/APPRENTICE /APPRENTICE ARCHITECTS IN THE FAMILY FAMILY!!

W Wonderful onderful 3 bedr bedroom, oom, 2.5 ba bathroom, throom, 2, 2,099 099 sq. sq.ft. ft. home in the Lak Lakewood ewood Hills ga gated ted c community. ommunity.

De Development velopment has 2 Lak Lakes, es, a S Swimming wimming P Pool ool and Tennis T ennis C Courts ourts ffor or y your our enjo enjoyment! yment!

Call for help with any of your real estate needs in the Northern Bay Area.

OFFERED AT $665,000

RECENTLY SOLD PROPERTIES

GEYSERVILLE

SANTA ROSA

CLOVERDALE

SANTA ROSA

HEALDSBURG

POCKET RANCH

BENNETT VALLEY RANCH

512 512 PORT CIRCLE

784 784 HOEN COURT

1126 1126 RAFANELLI COURT

Sold $1,800 $1,800,000 ,000

Sold $2,600 $2,600,000 ,000

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Spacious Home on a 10 10,000 sq.ft. ft.

L ot. 3-Car Garage G arage and P ool.

Lot. Pool.

R Renovated enovated 3BD 3BD/2.5BA /2.5BA home tuck tucked ed away on a quiet cul-de-sac. away

$2,200,000 Spec Home Built In $2,200,000 2018.

Healdsburg. Sold In 2018.

Healdsburg.

JACKLYN WRIGHT WRIGHT-GRIDLEY -GRIDLEY REALTOR REAL LTOR® | DRE #00968668

7 707.490.5119 07.490.5119 | jacklyn jacklynwg@bhhsdrysdale.com wg@bhhsdrysdale.com 243B Healdsbur gA venue, Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA 95448 95448 243B Healdsburg Avenue, 2425 California 2425 Calif ornia Street, Street, San Francisco, Francisco, CA 94115 94115

LUXURY COLLECTION AN INDEPENDENTL INDEPENDENTLY Y OWNED OWNED AND OPERA OPERATED TED MEMBER OF BHH AFFILIATES, AFFILIATES, LLC. LLC.

PROGRESS • April 2019 25

KR Catering #

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catering business with old school comfort food classics, innovative service ideas and a skilled and experienced staff rooted in community sounds too good to be true, right? Not so fast ... KR Catering in Healdsburg has all of this and more with their dynamic and expanding food services business.

If you’re in need of a lunch or dinner for a wedding, celebration of life/funeral, business meeting or even a winemaker dinner, then KR Catering is the way to go. “We market to pretty much everybody, but so far this year, we’ve already booked more than 20 weddings for this year, and we already put out multiple quotes for 2020. We also do a lot of celebrations of life.

And we do a lot with businesses and nonprofits,” said KR Catering business owner/executive chef, Ken Rochioli.

While KR Catering’s food is geared toward hearty comfort dishes, such as Italian food like braised chicken over creamy polenta or chicken saltimbocca, they are also very dynamic and can create almost anything your heart desires. They’ve even served Chinese food, upon request. “There are many menus and food options available, from all appetizer events, to Mexican food, desserts and barbecue — they can roast a whole glorious and delectable hog. Is your mouth watering yet? The business also relishes in moving forward with new and creative catering ideas such as our new boxed lunch and complete dinner delivery programs. “In the past two years we were working to start our new delivery service. Our new web site should launch in late spring or early summer, Rochioli explained.

With this new site, people will be able to order their lunch or dinner, and pay for it, all in one easy step. And the food will arrive ready to eat, in recyclable containers (minimum 10 people.)

So, what else separates KR Catering from other catering businesses? Their goal to be more

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Rochioli said of his team, “They are awesome. I came to work one day and they set up a meeting and initiated a green team on their own. We’re buying biodegradable gloves for the kitchen and now we use Igloo coolers for water and staff brings water containers instead of using 60 plastic bottles at catering jobs. We also compost on-site.”

“We strive to be a full package caterer. Some catering companies have great food, but not great service or great service, but not the best food, or if you call them, no one returns your call.’ We are

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constantly striving to be the whole package,” Rochioli said.

Raised in Healdsburg, Rochioli started cooking in Sandpoint, Idaho when he was only 17. From there he fell in love with the restaurant business and when his dad opened the Western Boot, he moved back to Healdsburg to help and eventually purchased it from him. The Western Boot Steakhouse was a popular gathering spot and eatery for 25 years. To this day, cooking and working with food is still his passion, driving forward KR Catering and cementing his love of the local community.

Healdsburg has changed. “There is so much talent and so many great places to eat in this town.

“It’s what makes Healdsburg an amazing town and I’m honored to be a part of it,” he said.

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KS Tian Yuen ian Yuen is a pan Asian restaurant serving Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese food in our Cloverdale location. At our Windsor location, we serve Chinese and dim sum.

KS Tian Yuen focuses on serving local families and people looking to explore new cuisine.

Our new location in Windsor is located right next to the Town Green and is ready to serve you.

We have a wide variety of lunch and dinner options for you to enjoy and a friendly staff ready to make your dining experience truly great.

As the weather gets nicer and you feel like dining out on the Green or somewhere else outdoors, remember to call in your pick-up order and we’ll have it ready for you in a flash.

Tian Yuen means garden in Chinese. When my husband and I first visited Cloverdale in 2007, we fell in love with the town and the people there. People were nice and the town was surrounded by mountains. It reminded us of the families and friends back in Taiwan, so we decided to call the restaurant Tian Yuen, like it was our hometown garden.

Our name’s story is one of family. KS was taken from my husband’s name and my last name; K for Ming Cheng Kuo, S for Mei Jung Shih. We wanted to honor our families.

Back in Taiwan, my husband

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and I had a breakfast restaurant and we both enjoyed cooking and sharing the food. That’s why when we moved to America, we decided to open KS Tian Yuen Restaurant.

My favorite part of my work day is cooking in the kitchen. I love to create healthy dishes to share with everyone. As we get older, we need to pay more attention to what we eat and what we drink. In my opinion, we all deserve to be happy and healthy every day!

Our team is our family. My

husband, my kids and my nephews all work here and they all have excellent experience with food and service. We love making natural and healthy food using fresh ingredients and herbs. We never use too much oil or any MSG. We use fresh, local ingredients.

Beyond food, our service work includes helping the CARE foundation, KDFC, local police and fire houses, as well as some local sports teams. We look forward to serving you soon!

Windsor Hours: Monday Closed Tuesday 11AM–9PM Wednesday 11AM–9PM Thursday 11AM–9PM Friday 11AM–9PM Saturday 11AM–9PM Sunday 9AM–9PM

Cloverdale Hours: Monday Closed Tuesday 11AM–3PM, 4–9PM Wednesday 11AM–3PM, 4–9PM Thursday 11AM–3PM, 4–9PM Friday 11AM–3PM, 4–9PM Saturday 11AM–3PM, 4–9PM Sunday 11AM–3PM, 4–9PM

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LEFF Construction Design Build '*"% .&+( !&$

f your family needs to help house elderly parents, grown children or welcome multigenerations to live under one roof, LEFF Construction Design Build may have a solution.

Founded in 1978, LEFF has been bringing efficient, sustainable design-build to Sonoma County for 41 years.

With Sonoma County’s housing shortage, the LEFF team has seen an increase in clients desiring Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), or granny units, which are built structures that are detached from the main residence.

Jr. Accessory Dwelling Units (Jr. ADUs), which are separate living spaces contained within the home itself, are also on the rise and can be achieved with a whole home remodeling project.

For those looking to open their home to loved ones, ADUs or Jr. ADUs are the perfect way to incorporate private space onto a property.

Adding a separate living area for caretakers or elders can provide a quiet retreat from the main house. And for the growing “aging-inplace” population of homeowners, a wholehome remodel with Universal Design features can make a house safer and more accessible for those with limited mobility. Universal Design elements like curbless showers, multi-level counter heights and other design features allow family members of all ages to share a living space comfortably and safely.

Because both ADUs and Jr. ADUs are located inside a homeowner’s property line, they are the perfect way to add space without impacting the look or feel of a neighborhood. With the creation of a dwelling unit, homeowners are adding space to a community without needing additional land to do so. Additionally, both types of dwelling unit can increase the value of a property.

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- ##"% +%"* In a time where housing is limited and rental prices are skyrocketing, people are looking for inventive ways to create space for family members who may be young or on a limited income.

ADUs and Jr. ADUs may help, in a small way, alleviate housing shortages by allowing families to embrace an affordable, multigenerational living environment.

This type of living environment will keep the family together, while allowing young people in the local workforce to be able to afford to live and work locally.

The recent fires and floods have left a gap in Sonoma County’s housing, and adding ADUs or Jr. ADUs can help address the crisis in a family-first way that embraces developing community through housing.

Following the 2017 fires, LEFF increased the design and production teams as a way to meet the demand for new and modified housing.

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— along with a skilled set of interior designers, engineers, craftsmen and architects — are committed to working with clients as they navigate their housing needs.

The LEFF Construction Design Build process is based on a cooperative partnership between the team and the client. Your unique needs, budget and timeline inform the design solutions; the expert construction crew build the beautiful, functional design with quality craftsmanship.

Working with LEFF Construction Design Build will develop creative solutions that maximize your living space — whether you’re looking to bring in family and friends or to “age-inplace.”

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Healdsburg Printing, Inc. !&% ' (

f it’s fit to print, trust Healdsburg Printing, Inc. to get it done right.

Whether you are a business, nonprofit, trade association or newspaper publisher, the quality of your printed materials is one of the most important aspects of showcasing yourself. The owners of Healdsburg Printing, Inc. know this, and put customer service first.

The locally-owned company has a long track record of satisfied customers and business relationships to prove it.

For the last 24 years, owner Joe Vetter and his staff have created long-standing relationships with their customers. They can tailor a project to fit your desires and use the best techniques to make your work shine, glossy paper or no.

“Print is still the most effective medium for presenting information,” Vetter said. “New technology allows for more

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personalized printing and more sophisticated approaches to creating custom products for our clients.”

Using both offset printing and state-of-the-art digital printing, the company can fulfill diverse projects. These range from printing several local newspapers to book projects, pamphlets, newsletters and advertising flyers. Healdsburg Printing also provides mailing services throughout the North Bay. Healdsburg Printing, Inc. takes pride in providing excellent service to every customer.

“We’re such a small group, that we’re all actively involved with our customers. We know them personally, and we try to accommodate their needs whether we can do it in-house or not. If they come up with a project we can’t do economically, I’ll find them somebody who can. It’s all about customer service,” Vetter said.

K-Tech Automotive !

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ate Jonasse tells us, “The automotive business is really about people, not just cars.” K-Tech Automotive is now in its ninth year, having enjoyed modest beginnings in a single bay shop in the old Sebastopol Ford dealership building, with just Kate herself doing everything, from answering the phones to the actual

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services and repairs, a Mercedes-Benz factory training under her belt, ASE Master Technician certification and a California Smog License to go with it.

Fast forward to 2019.

K-Tech Automotive moves to a bigger space — their current location at 198 South High Street in downtown Sebastopol. Fast forward again to 2019. This modest, 4-bay shop, employing six talented people, consistently brings in over a million dollars in sales annually.

Kate Jonasse was the person in her family everyone turned to when something needed fixing. She bought her first car in high school: a 1981 Datsun pickup so undependable that Kate had to park it on hills to pop-start it using

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Vetter recognizes that customers want a one-stop shop. If you’re looking to insert a flyer into a newspaper, the team at Healdsburg Printing can print your flyer and take care of the coordination with the local paper. The company also offers bulk mailing and delivery.

Some say that with the advent of the internet, print is becoming obsolete. Vetter disagrees.

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“If anything, what they’ve come to find out with the internet is that you need both,” he said. “Print is still highly valued and trusted.”

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# the clutch. From the frustration of being saddled with this lemon there emerged a desire to learn about auto mechanics.

In the spring of 2015, Kate Jonasse opened a second location in Sebastopol, Pauline’s Automotive at 6050 Sebastopol Avenue. The shop is doing well in its fourth year in business — enjoying a 5-star rating, making money, and attracting customers.

Kate relies on two extraordinary women to help her run the day-to-day operations of both shops. Monica, shop manager at K-Tech for going on four years now, is a full-fledged auto tech who loves helping people. Jennifer, service manager at Pauline’s has worked in many aspects of the auto service industry and prides herself on being able to explain mechanical problems and solutions in a way you can understand.

Kate is passionate about maintaining an environmentally-friendly business and equally passionate about giving back to the community that helped her succeed. Having just completed its seventh year, K-Tech’s “Good Karma” Free Car Giveaway program, is well known in Sonoma County, as is their annual Chili Cookoff.

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North Bay Credit Union $

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“Unfortunately, banks don’t reward

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financial responsibility. They’re only looking to maximize their profit from every buyer,” said North Bay Credit Union CEO Chris Call.

Call says North Bay Credit Union is different. As a financial cooperative owned by its members, its mission is to

maximize value for members.

NBCU has another big advantage over banks. According to Call, “We are local and understand that cookie-cutter formulas other lenders use just don’t cut it in our housing market. To serve the unique needs of Sonoma County, we offer specialized loans most banks just can’t be bothered to make, such as homes on a vineyard property or with a granny unit, as well as Manufactured Home loans.”

And being local means all decisions are made here in town for faster answers — there’s no waiting for responses from another time zone!

Their experienced staff understands that home buying can be overwhelming, so they guide you through the entire process so you don’t have to stress.

Hector, a member from Windsor, said of his experience: “North Bay Credit Union made my home purchase smooth.

Efrain was easy to work with and kept the process moving. I’ve recommended North Bay Credit Union to friends.”

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itness is an ever evolving industry. We make sure to evolve with the industry to enhance our members’ experiences” says Jennifer Anderson, General Manager.

“We still focus on the core features that our members love — such as the amazing array of classes from Yoga to Zumba (and everything in between) and our exercise floor with the latest equipment and talented, skilled trainers, but we also continue to adapt our programming, as well as the facility overall,” Jennifer adds.

“This year we’ll also be focusing on a facility refresh to continue our recent rebrand project. We’ll be giving the facility some overall TLC, including a fitness floor redesign, new flooring, paint and other fun facility enhancements that I’m really excited about” says Lyndy Durling, Club Manager at

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Parkpoint Health Club in Healdsburg.

After 13 years in the Healdsburg community, Parkpoint still continues to offer other services above and beyond standard health clubs, such as health and fitness assessments, chiropractic services (including Active Release Techniques — ART), free cancer wellness programs, nutrition seminars and more. In addition to

In addition to home loans, the credit union offers Home Equity Lines of Credit, a Platinum Rewards Visa Card, as well as new and used auto loans. The credit union is also the home of 100% free Kasasa Checking, the checking account that pays you back every month. It comes with free Mobile Banking, Mobile Check Deposit and 30,000 free ATMs. As Call says “Our goal is to be a 'onestop-shop' for Sonoma County residents to take care of all their financial business, knowing we’re giving them the best value and personalized service they won’t find at a bank.”

You can learn more and join at www.NorthBayCU.com or stop by one of their branches.

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saunas, steam rooms, and whirlpools, they offer onsite facials and massages. And don’t forget other bonuses like free coffee and Wi-Fi for members to enjoy in the lobby!

“Many of our members say that Parkpoint is their home away from home. That’s what we are going for. We feel we are a big part of community life and our members’ daily routines,” says Lyndy.

Eleanor Gorman, Membership Director, expands on the community feel that members experience: “We believe in balance, so we like to promote people working hard to achieve their goals, but you also have to mix in fun to keep things interesting!

Many of our members really enjoy socializing and appreciate added membership perks such as holiday parties, Warriors game happy hour events, book clubs and more.”

Parkpoint has three pools heated

year-round for lap swimming, classes and general splashing fun.

For families there are swim lessons, onsite child care and camps with fun fitness components.

Lyndy adds, “We have it all, but it’s really the people who make the difference. We are fortunate to have such knowledgeable and friendly staff.”

See for yourself. Stop by and take a tour today!

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City of Sebastopol ebastopol is an inspiration for small cities nationwide with its forward-thinking approach to creating a fun, liveable and sustainable city for all its residents.

In its quest to become a more walkable, bikeable city, Sebastopol installed pedestrian way-finding signs around town this year and established the Sebastopol PedLine, a series of four self-guided walking tours of Sebastopol. Last summer, Caltrans repaved Hwy. 116 through town and, in a deal with the city, added bright green bike lanes.

In December, Sebastopol partnered with Sonoma County Transit to launch the first all-electric bus in Sonoma County.

“The Sebastopol Shuttle” (Route 24) is one of the few all-electric buses in Northern California — and thanks to support from the city council, it’s free to ride for a year.

In another green first, Sebastopol became the first city in Sonoma County to adopt a zero waste

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resolution, embracing the goal of zero waste by 2030.

The city also made strides in its quest to encourage affordable housing. A zoning update passed in 2018 made it easier (and cheaper) for residents to build accessory dwelling units on their properties, while at the same time insuring that those units would be used to house local residents and not visiting tourists.

Sebastopol continues to honor residents who go that extra mile to make their community a better place to live. Last year, Sebastopol introduced “Locals Who Make A Difference,” and since its launch, the program has honored four local heroes: Carson Pforsich, Meg Mizutani and Roger and Linda Collins. Honorees are recognized with banners lining streets in Sebastopol’s downtown.

Sebastopol’s community spirit also shone in the aftermath of the flood in February that inundated

eastern Sebastopol, including The Barlow, one of the city’s main shopping districts. As residents flocked to the aid of those who lost their livelihoods, Sebastopol Mayor Neysa Hinton noted, “This is our opportunity to do what Sebastopol does best, and that is to come together and support one another.”

Here’s to another year of Sebastopol leading by example … on the way to a better world.

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Boyle Insurance & Financial Services ""

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What does your business/ organization do?

We provide Insurance & Financial Services to individuals and businesses.

What is your service or product?

We provide peace of mind and asset protection thru State Farm solutions.

Who is your target market?

The North Bay community.

What is your favorite part of your work day?

We love getting to know our clients because the more we know them, the more we can help them.

Tell us about your team.

Rich Ruybalid is a long-time Sonoma County resident and has lived in Windsor since 2002. Rich spent most of his professional career in the mortgage industry. He brings his lengthy experience in top quality customer service to State Farm and the The Boyle Agency. Rich has two sons. Logan attends school in Santa

32 PROGRESS • April 2019

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Barbara and Jaden is a Windsor High School junior. He prides himself on being a very active member of the community. He is in his second term on the WHS school site council. He is in his ninth year as Athletic Director for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church’s Catholic Youth Organization. He is in his sixth year as President of the North Bay CYO league that oversees over 3,000 kids playing basketball. He has coached numerous Windsor youth basketball, football and baseball teams.

Ken Spath has lived in the North Bay his entire life. He has lived in Windsor since 1997 and has a home with his wife and two children. His two children attend school in Windsor and are involved in sports in the community. As a family, they love camping and enjoy outdoor activities. Ken recently retired from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department after a 24 plus year career. He looks forward to his new

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career assisting the public with their insurance needs and coverage’s.

Where do you live and what is your favorite thing about your community?

Bill and Erika live in Windsor and we love the great community/family environment of Windsor and the North Bay. What else would you like our readers to know about your B/O or your self ?

Bill and Erika love living in Windsor and the North Bay as it has been such a great place to raise our 3 kids. We are very active in their schools and youth sport programs.

Billy, Grace and Colton have attended Windsor schools from pre-school thru High School. We are always looking at more ways

to serve and give back to this great community.

Please come visit us online or in person and allow us to help you stay protected.

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ith almost a century of practice as the hub of community and business life in Sebastopol, the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce is working on fostering new relationships while maintaining programs the community has come to appreciate.

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The highlight of the year is successfully pulling off the 73rd annual Apple Blossom Parade and Festival. Bringing thousands of visitors to town, the chamber coordinates armies of volunteers and the resources and generous donations of local businesses to put on what

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many regard as the best small town festival in the region.

For chamber members eager for an opportunity to network and relax at the same time, the chamber offers “Business After Five” events with wine, appetizers and raffle prizes.

The chamber’s signature event, the 2019 Community Awards, was March 7 at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. This is an annual event in which the chamber honors and recognizes the volunteers, citizens, youth, agencies and businesses that make the community so vibrant.

The chamber has taken a leading role in formulating the Sebastopol Economic Vitality group bringing together efforts by the Sebastopol Downtown Association, The Barlow, Sebastopol Farmers Market, Sebastopol Cittaslow, city government and the local newspaper, Sonoma West Times & News.

The chamber is headed by

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Executive Director Linda Collins and Administrative Assistant Lisa Garcia and has great help from a core group of dedicated volunteers and the business community.

The office at 265 South Main St. has staff that provides locals and visitors with information on wellknown sights and hidden gems, big events and special venues as well as places to eat, shop and sleep.

The visitor center at the office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Along with useful information, the center has t-shirts, wine glasses and coffee mugs that make special gifts as we follow the mission to “Shop Local.”

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The Sebastopol Community Cultural Center he Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, a non-profit organization, brings passionate instructors, dedicated students, musicians from far and wide and concert-goers together, as well as providing gathering spaces for many of the special events that go on in Sebastopol. The long history is powered by passion, momentum, and community values.

The community center supports ongoing programs that have become a part of the cultural identity here in West County. They have instructors who have taught for over 20 years, their students sharing a common experience as a part of growing up here.

The wellness and fitness classes are community oriented, affordable,

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and flexible.

Family traditions like Quinceañeras have been held at the community center for decades, an important part of the local heritage.

The Center’s cherished concert organizers have been bringing bands from around the world for over 25 years. Cloud Moss of Cumulus Presents, Jim Corbett (aka Mr. Music) of Peacetown and Kevin Russell, hold festivals, sing-alongs, and amazing concerts, year in, year out.

Preserving traditions is carefully balanced with incubating new ideas and programs that the community wants and needs, while listening to the needs of the local government (city and county), the local schools, other local non-profits, and service groups.

The Community Center is currently working towards offering more programs supporting the revitalized youth and teen-age group, while still preserving their traditional offerings. An example is the Sebastopol Teen Club project coming Spring 2019.

The Community Center’s Main Hall suffered substantial damage from the flood. We have relocated most of our concerts and classes and have moved our front office to the Annex building.

When we put ourselves back together our focus will be on re-opening more flood resilient, more functional, more comfortable and more beautiful than ever for our wonderful community!

We truly appreciate the heartfelt contributions that will enable us to recover and rebuild.

PROGRESS • April 2019 33

PumpMan NorCal "

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ocal water pump companies Bartley Pump and Groundwater Pump & Well were recently acquired by PumpMan — a leading nationwide provider of water pump system service, repair and expertise. The merging of these providers brings a whole new level of pump system expertise to Sonoma County. The companies have merged to form PumpMan NorCal, located in Santa Rosa, which strives to provide the best customer service to those using or looking to use water pump systems.

PumpMan NorCal provides a range of residential, agricultural, municipal and commercial water pump services. Their services tackle backflow testing, booster pump systems, irrigation filters, solar pumps, well and water testing, as well as a range of other services.

When it comes to residential clients, PumpMan has worked on pumps in single family homes all the way up to apartment buildings.

In the agriculture market, PumpMan NorCal has helped wineries and vineyards with a

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range of water systems and pumps, providing behind the scenes expertise and helping turn water into wine. The company also works with both commercial businesses, as well as cities and towns, to design and maintain efficient pump systems.

“While we have a specialty in wells and the agricultural and municipal markets, the strength of PumpMan NorCal really rests with

our competent technicians and satisfied customers,” said Jason Smith, general manager of PumpMan NorCal. “We strive to make every PumpMan NorCal customer experience a positive one, leading to stable and repeat customer relationships.”

PumpMan’s trained technicians are available around the clock to address any emergency pump needs, and have the ability to repair existing pumps or to design a new system. With the combining of these two companies, customers can expect to continue receiving the same level of exceptional service — but with the added benefit of being backed by nationwide support and increased expertise.

“With the experience and expertise that comes from merging Bartley Pump and Groundwater Pump & Well, PumpMan NorCal assembled a strong organization with the necessary tools needed to be best and most capable provider

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of comprehensive pump services in the Northern California region,” Smith said. “PumpMan has invested time and resources with a goal of outfitting each of its service centers, including PumpMan NorCal, with the necessary tools to meet and exceed customer expectations.”

The acquisition of Bartley Pump and Groundwater Pump & Well have enabled PumpMan NorCal to add new capabilities and resources to their team. As part of their extended range of abilities, the company has invested in a new camera van, which allows them to inspect wells quicker through high-definition video.

For homeowners, business owners and wineries, PumpMan NorCal over 50 years in the water pump industry, and it ready to tackle your water pump needs.

PumpMan NorCal is located at 4000 South Moorland Ave. in Santa Rosa. Call them at 707-584-9191.

Summit State Bank '

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n July, the Healdsburg Branch of Summit State Bank will celebrate its 10th anniversary of serving the Healdsburg community.

Located in the Vineyard Shopping Center, the Healdsburg team, led by Candy Yandell, AVP and Branch Manager, Penny Ottmer, Tori Lewis and Kalie Jones warmly greet their customers and takes care of their banking needs.

The culture at Summit State Bank is to deliver excellent customer service in a friendly atmosphere and genuinely caring about the customer and community.

Summit State Bank encourages its employees to give back to the community it serves through volunteerism and assuming leadership roles on boards for community nonprofits who play a vital role in the overall health of the community.

“Our model for success begins and ends with serving and investing in our community,” says Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager Candy Yandell.

“With that focus, we are humbly rewarded with our community’s support and banking relationships, furthering our ability to grow and give back even more. Healdsburg is a phenomenal community where we really take care of each other.”

Through their Summit Day of Service Program, each employee is granted one paid workday per year to volunteer their time in the community on behalf of the bank with any local nonprofit of their choice.

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Each employee’s charitable passion is different, so you’ll find them volunteering throughout the community in different capacities.

The Healdsburg team has been involved with a variety of nonprofits and organizations to include supporting the annual fundraising event at the Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society, the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce

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and the annual FFA parade, to name a few.

The bank is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of Sonoma County Women in Conversation for the past four years and supports local businesses in Sonoma County and encourages women-owned businesses and women in the workplace.

Currently at Summit State Bank,

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80 percent of management are women and minorities with 60 percent represented on the Executive Management Team.

We invite you to stop by our local branches for all your banking needs: from small business checking and loan accounts to lines of credit. We welcome the opportunity to assist you with your banking and finances.

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PROGRESS • April 2019 35

Sonoma West Publishers

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rogress is a word that does not describe a steady state. It evokes movement, change and growth.

Newspapers, and the people that work for them, know plenty about change and they are seldom standing still. That’s never been more true than in recent times at Sonoma West Publishers, owner of four local community newspapers, Sonoma West Times & News, The Healdsburg Tribune, the Windsor Times and the Cloverdale Reveille.

Last year, Sonoma West Publishers became the first newspaper company in America to successfully launch and complete a Direct Public Offer (DPO), securing $400,000 from more than 200 community investors and readers.

In times when thousands of newspapers of all sizes are facing closure and unprecendented money challenges, Sonoma West Publishers is here to stay, thanks to the trust and belief of the local communities served by the newspapers.

First incorporated in 1995, Sonoma West Pubishers is a small and independent corporation led by publisher Rollie Atkinson and his wife, Sarah Bradbury. Atkinson and Bardbury have lived in Sonoma County since 1981, residing in rural Healdsburg near the Russian River.

“We knew the old business model for newspapers was dying and that progress for us would have to look very different,” said Atkinson. “The DPO has been a big step in a new direction for us to keep our small newspapers alive and moving forward. But some of our biggest challenges are still in front of us.”

A team of 17 reporters, editors, graphic artists, marketing and office staff share the journalism mission at Sonoma West Publishers. Each of the four newspapers has an assigned staff while the entire team share overall resources and talents to provide professional news coverage and award-winning newspaper designs.

Sonoma West Publishers also presents its local news and community features on its group of

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“We are working hard to keep our print versions vibrant for our very devoted newsprint readers as we also have a growing audience on our websites,” said Atkinson.

“That’s part of the problem. Too many people think the news is free and forget that journalists need to eat and get paid.”

Sonoma West Publishers’ core news team is led by managing editor Andrew Pardiac and news editors Laura Hagar Rush, Heather Bailey and Zoë Strickland. Greg Clementi is the sports editor and senior news editor Frank Robertson covers the west county from his residence in Guerneville. Katherine Minkiewicz is a news reporter, based at the Healdsburg office.

The newspapers also publish more than a dozen local columnists and other contributors.

Teresa Elward is the advertising sales manager. She joined the company in mid-2018, during the

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36 PROGRESS • April 2019

DPO campaign. She is joined by Brad Schmaltz and Wendy Gilchrist.

Jim Schaefer and Robby McClellan do the graphics layout and ad desgin for the papers and websites.

Cherie Kelsay is circulation manager, Jan Todd is the bookkeeper and Rose Butterfield handles legal and public notice advertisements.

“We are very proud of all of our employees,” said Atkinson. “They are extremely dedicated and the communities they serve are lucky to have them, in my humble opinion.”

Even as technology and politics change, the biggest challenge facing the local newspapers is the need for more paid local advertising and reader subscriptions.

“Journalism is hard work,” said Atkinson. “It’s hard work for our journalists but it’s hard work for our advertisers, readers and the community, too. Nobody can take the future health of local newspaper for granted. Too many newspapers are dying across America but we

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keep listening to our readers and work hard to grow their support.

We need the support to be mutal and work both ways — that’s how journalism will stay alive in America,” said Atkinson.

Nobody is a bigger champion of shopping locally than Sonoma West Publishers, said Atkinson.

All four of SWP’s newspapers are older than the communities they serve, with The Healdsburg Tribune being the oldest, dating to 1865. That represents a century-plus of all kinds of business challenges, community changes, computer inventions and different news delivery models from horses to smart phones.

“Newspapers really are an amazing business. I don’t know what you could compare us to,” said Atkinson. “All we ask is for reader subscriptions and paid local advertising. Help share our stories and our important fact-finding.

Encourage others, including young people, to read, subscribe and shop with the newspaper.”

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The Lucero Group and Lucero Kline at Vanguard Properties $! !

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% &" her organizational and time management strengths while also providing an outlet to express her creative vision.

Bonnie and Grace teamed up in 2016 to form Lucero Kline, a design-build firm that in partnership with The Lucero Group provides one-stop service for people looking for the perfect home in Sonoma County.

“We have so many clients from out of the area that need help remodeling their newly purchased home, or building from the ground up, that offering construction management services is one of the best ways we can add value and serve the full spectrum of our clients’ real estate needs,” says Grace.

Business is booming, with average annual volumes of nearly $40M in real estate sales and $6M in construction projects.

Construction projects are focused on large scale renovations and new builds typically ranging in value from $500K and up. In one of their biggest projects to date, Lucero Kline recently took on the development of $7M estate in Alexander Valley. Business is driven by word-of-mouth and client referrals.

“We rarely get a weekend to ourselves but it’s a really exciting time; I love to find the diamond in the rough and make it shine,” says Bonnie. “Grace and I make a good team – she loves the big picture, making the deal and creating the larger strategy around a property; I love digging in to the details and bringing that vision to reality.”

“We love what we do,” adds Grace, “we feel fortunate to be able to live and work here, and to help people find the right property and then make it their own.”

race Lucero and Bonnie Kline bring new meaning to the concept of a full service real estate company. The pair not only help clients find the perfect property and negotiate the best possible deal for it, they also take care of all the details of turning that property into the home of one’s dreams.

Grace Lucero, a seasoned real estate professional and licensed Contractor, launched her career in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s helping some of Hollywood’s biggest names – Renee Zellweger, Mike Meyers and Marisa Tomei, to name a few – find and rehab their homes. In 2001 she received an opportunity to work on the Parkland Farms development in Healdsburg and immediately fell in love with the area.

“I grew up in a farming area, and I really appreciate being able to live in a small town that’s also close to a major metropolitan city,” says Grace.

The decision to move north was an easy one, and Grace quickly made a name for herself as a Top Producer in real estate and formed The Lucero Group at Vanguard Properties in 2014.

Bonnie Kline came to Healdsburg from Boston, Massachusetts in 2009 with a desire to escape snowy winters and indulge in California’s wine country lifestyle.

“I love that we have great weather here and still get to enjoy the seasons,” says Bonnie, “and the people here are just as warm and welcoming.”

Having worked in the fast-paced world of Financial Services marketing for over 15 years, she was ready for an opportunity to test her skills in a new industry.

She found that Construction Project Management leveraged

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Vanguard Properties ounded in 1986 under the principle of serving local Bay Area communities, Vanguard Properties agents remain at the forefront of community service. Several of our Sonoma County agents are driven to give back by nurturing the places they call home.

Richard Lester, the sales manager of the Guerneville office, and his business partner and husband, John Genovese, are motivated by ensuring every one of their clients has accessibility to nature. Active members of the tight-knit Guerneville community, Richard and John have a longstanding history of helping others: from founding a volunteer homeless shelter 10 years ago during a particularly cold winter, to connecting with local merchants on a daily basis, to driving social media campaigns to promote Guerneville’s tenacity, beauty and natural diversity, Richard and John are leaders in every sense.

Richard and John believe connection to nature affects lives in many subtle ways; through promoting Guerneville, they ensure the town remains a hotbed tourist destination highlighting the natural environment. John and Richard seek to share Guerneville’s beauty with those who come to explore. They see themselves as the bridge for those in need to get connected with the services they require to live an optimal life in their town and beyond.

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Stephen Pearson is an agent who gives back to Sonoma’s youth through coaching and sports. As a coach at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma and a former professional baseball player, Stephen passes knowledge and opportunities to young baseball players. His life was changed for the better by sports; Stephen is motivated to bring a positive influence to a younger generation.

Don Jaramillo, an agent based in Santa Rosa, focuses his efforts on senior advocacy. He specializes in selling properties of probate and trust administration. Don is a defender for those in difficult situations and is a member of the Sonoma County Bar Associations of Trusts and Estates. Additionally, he volunteers at his daughter’s preschool, driven by a desire to provide holistic service to Santa Rosa.

In Sebastopol, real estate agent Richard Petersen gives back through the Sebastopol Rotary, an important fixture serving the community for over 80 years. He focuses on fundraising, grants for high schoolers and mentorship programs for at-risk high school youth. Richard supports Habitat for Humanity and through the Sebastopol Rotary, he is able to assist clients with remodeling their homes.

For Mike Downes, the sales manager at the Vanguard Properties Healdsburg office, community service is integral to his real estate practice. He and his wife Gina Downes participate in several charities including the Future Farmers of America, the Youth Agricultural Foundation of Sonoma, the Healdsburg High School Boosters Club, the Healdsburg High School Internship Project and the Healdsburg Firefighter’s Association.

Mike supports the Live Like Drew Foundation sponsored by the Healdsburg Sunrise Rotary Club. Mike consistently advocates for under-served members of the Healdsburg community.

With a culture of collaboration, focus on nourishing local community, and support through Vanguard Properties, our agents are able to remain at the forefront of their professional and personal lives. As Stephen Pearson says of Vanguard Properties: “We are leaders in real estate and we are leaders in giving back.”

PROGRESS • April 2019 39

Villaggio Dental !

ealdsburg-based Villaggio Dental strives to provide excellent and personalized dental care. Devoted to restoring and enhancing their client’s smiles, Villaggio works hard to maintain state-of-the-art procedures that result in beautiful, lasting smiles.

Dr. Robert Leach heads the practice, and has been operating in Healdsburg since 1977.

“Skill and compassion go hand in hand when providing exceptional patient care,” Dr. Leach said. “As a dental professional, I stay up to date on the latest advancements in dentistry in order to provide the most current treatment options for his patients. As a doctor, I recognize that my patients are unique individuals who have placed a great deal of trust in myself and my team.”

In addition to offering a variety of dental services, Villaggio also makes a concentrated effort to help patients who may be uncomfortable with going to the dentist. Villaggio wants to help reduce any dental anxiety that patients may be feeling. They

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40 PROGRESS • April 2019

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encourage their patients to talk to them about their concerns, ask about possible alternatives or agree on a signal to indicate when patients are having a difficult time.

What kind of services does Villaggio Dental offer?

We are a general practice, so we offer a little bit of everything when it comes to dentistry. We do routine cleanings and exams, tooth extraction, x-rays, fluoride treatment, sealants as well as cosmetic dentistry like crowns, implants and veneers. We also do orthodontics in our office.

How do you make sure the office works in a cohesive way to provide the best patient care?

Once a week we have team meetings to discuss new issues and new dentistry techniques.

That’s what keeps us bonded together, it’s a great team. Dr. Leach cares for his employees and cares for his patients — the meetings help illustrate that.

What is your favorite part about serving this community?

Once a year, Villaggio Dental works with the American Dental

Association’s Give Kids a Smile program. It’s free for the community. They provide us with the schedule and when kids come in, we screen them, perform cleanings and assess their mouth.

If they need preventative treatment, we do the work. Now they’re talking about doing more in-depth treatment as well.

Tell us about your team.

Dr. Leach has a team of 13 dedicated, hardworking women!

We genuinely love seeing a patient’s health transform right before our eyes, whether we’re assisting Dr. Leach during a procedure or helping our patients understand the ins and outs of

insurance benefits, or apply for financing to help cover costs.

What do you want our readers to know about your business?

Dr. Leach cares for his employees as well as his patients, which benefits all of us! As a practice, Dr. Leach ensures that we have team bonding experiences, like a summer event at his house, to continuing education courses. We are a team committed to the common goal of providing great care.

Villaggio Dental is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Appointments can be made online or by phone.

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hey’re getting good at bouncing back from disaster at Guerneville’s Russian River Health Center. When this year’s flood hit, the center was already recovering from the fire that destroyed its downtown clinic three years ago.

So the deluge of 2019 didn’t really faze the center’s ability to provide medical, dental and behavioral health services to western Sonoma County.

After more than 40 years WCHC is now providing health care to 15,000 patients who receive full-service medical care from clinics in Occidental and Sebastopol and the teen clinic and wellness center in Forestville — all providing medical care regardless of their clients’ ability to pay.

“We’re ahead of the pack as a medical staff dealing with how to recover and rebuild,” said West County Health Centers CEO Mary Szecsey.

When this year’s flood hit WCHC was preparing to break ground on its state-of-the-art Russian River Health & Wellness Center in Guerneville.

With the Wellness Center’s estimated completion figure pegged at more than $14 million owing to construction cost hikes after the disastrous Sonoma Complex wildfires of 2017, fundraising has ramped up.

“Our budget for construction went up about 25 percent,” mainly due to the 2017 wildfire disaster, said Szecsey. “Other increases we hadn’t anticipated are county fees, more like $400,000.”

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Fundraising paused for a while “because it was a little hard to compete with the fires,” said Szecsey.

Since then, “We’ve kicked our capital campaign back into gear,” with a goal to raise nearly $8 million in private contributions from large corporate donors and individual supporters.

“We’re catching up,” said Szecsey.

When completed the new Wellness Center will more than double WCHC’s capacity to provide dental services to anyone, no matter their ability to pay.

“We’ll have two dental facilities, one in Sebastopol and one in Guerneville,” said Szecsey. “It’s been a huge need for us for a long time to have more dental services. Doubling the amount of patients in our dental program is huge, especially for our low-income, Medi-Cal and sliding scale patients. Those patients don’t have anywhere else to go,” said Szecsey. “We have 15,000 patients but we can only serve about 10 percent of those patients with our existing dental service.”

The River Health Center recently expanded homeless health care services offered at Third Street House, its former dental clinic at the corner of Third and Church.

“All of our homeless services are there now, medical, behavioral health, psychiatry and substance use treatment,” said Szecsey. “We’ve co-located housing location services so West County Community Services has two people there doing housing location services and a third person

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working on job readiness, helping people with basic hygiene and getting clean clothing,” said Szecsey.

“It’s important to remember we take care of homeless patients everywhere, in all of our locations, Occidental and our two locations in Sebastopol,” said Szecsey. “Homeless live throughout our service area and get cared for at any of our facilities.”

The Guerneville facility is drop-in, so homeless people “can go there without making an appointment, without scheduling ahead of time,” said Szecsey. “It’s really what we consider a point of entry into our system so that it makes it more user friendly. They can come in anytime and talk to somebody without having an appointment. They can get medical care or see a counselor.

All the WCHC clinics have bilingual staff and offer a friendly, safe and culturally sensitive atmosphere where patients can establish long-term relationships with their doctors and a team of health care professionals.

Services include obstetrics, well-child exams, low-cost immunizations, HIV/AIDS primary care, breast and cervical cancer screening, family planning, dental services and mental health counseling.

The nonprofit WCHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center, which means it offers quality, affordable primary and preventative health care to everyone.

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PROGRESS • April 2019 41

Surface Art Countertops

ounded in 1998, Surface Art Countertops is a familyowned company that specializes in custom kitchen and bath countertops, shower walls, outdoor kitchens and fireplace sur-

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rounds using marble, granite, wood and many of the popular quartz surfaces such as Caesarstone, Cambria, Silestone and Vadara, among others.

In 2019, Surface Art Countertops

is proud to say they’ll be celebrating their 21st year as a local business in Healdsburg, and looks forward to many more.

They have a talented, dedicated group of employees that have worked there for many years. Their staff and attention to detail has paid off. They have received the Houzz Award for Service for the last five consecutive years and been nominated for Best of Sonoma County for the past two years.

Surface Art Countertop’s standard has always been to provide the highest customer service and best quality products in the industry.

Customer focused, their goal is to work closely with each one of

their clients to help them achieve the kitchen of their dreams.

“We look forward to also helping our surrounding fire survivors rebuild, and we are working closely with our suppliers to assist in the process,” said Marc Rumpler, founder and owner.

Surface Art Countertop’s recently expanded showroom, located in the Warehouse District, offers many options for your home, business or vacation rental.

Surface Art Countertops is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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estec Tank & Equipment has been an industry leader in the local and larger regional winery equipment industry for 40 years. Founded by Larry and Wanda Alary, the tank and equipment fabricator has been led by Wanda’s

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son Joe Belli since 2005.

The company has grown at a steady pace, keeping up with the expansion and innovations of the local world-class wine industry.

Today, Westec continues to be in high demand for its detailed and reliable craftsmanship, turning out hundreds of custom stainless steel tanks, catwalks and other necessities of the winemaking process each year.

The facility is located on three acres at Dry Creek Road and Grove Street, in a Healdsburg city industrial zone area that has grown around Westec over the years.

Loyalty – to customers and to family – is a big part of the company’s culture and its success, stresses Joe. Joe credits his employees with making the company successful. “Our dedicated team of employees with top

&$" !! '( & "%!$, notch skills yields great products,” Joe says. “These guys are real artists with their craft and that, in turn, yields repeat customers and the reputation to obtain new customers.”

Many of the employees of the company have been with Belli for years.

Tanks can be produced in many sizes from 3’ to 40’ in diameter holding 10 to more than 350,000 gallons. For field tanks that are too heavy to be trucked, Westec will bring their skills and crew onsite to build the tank.

Belli’s company is part of an elite group of manufacturers who are constantly pushing themselves to excel and serve their customers. The clean, modern shop includes equipment that has been custom-built for Belli and allows the company to work more efficiently and effectively.

The Belli and Alary family – and company employees – support the community in many ways throughout

' each year and over the decades.

“If I’m able to give back, I always do,” Belli says, “especially if it has anything to do with kids.”

Westec and Belli are consistent supporters local 4-H, FFA and local school programs.

Daily pursuit of excellence sets the bar high so investment in training is vital. All welders are certified, including completion of confined space entry qualifications. Jim Belli says, “We work hard every day to pursue excellence and improve our product so that we can offer what nobody else can.”

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indsor is located in the middle of one of the loveliest counties in California. It has that hometown feel for tourists, residents and businesses alike. One of its the greatest jewels is the Windsor Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. It encompasses its own brand of TLC: Tourism, Locals and Commerce. After many productive years setting up processes and systems at the Chamber, Christine Tevini entrusted me with her baby and now I have the honor to say I am the President and CEO of the Chamber, and it is the best job EVER! Thank you, Christine!

One advantage (or disadvantage depending on how you look at it) of being part of a small town is the need for transparency. It requires the ability to work and play well with others whether that means business-to-business, as a tourist, or neighbor-to-neighbor. I have the pleasure of meeting with people every day. As a hugger, one of my favorite things to do (after asking permission) is to give warm hugs to new Chamber members and welcome them to the Chamber family.

Part of the hometown feel includes the activities for which

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Windsor has become known: Windsor Business Expo (April 10), Summer Nights on the Green (May 30 through Sept. 5), the sixth annual Chili Contest (July 13), the movie series at Family Nights on the Green (June 4 through July 30), and the beloved Christmas Tree lighting and the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove which draws people from all over the county.

Another adventure for us is the Windsor Hopper Shuttle. This is an example of a project that help will grow and support Tourism, Locals and Commerce. The new Hopper service is free to everyone, not just for the tourists.

In fact, locals are encouraged to take the shuttle when going shopping or out to dinner. The Hopper makes a variety of stops including local hotels (including WorldMark), Lakewood Shopping Center, the Downtown Green, Russian River Brewery, and the Beverage District. As a rider, you can enjoy an adult beverage and Pure Luxury shuttle, will get you back to home base safely.

The Windsor Chamber provides a warm and welcoming embrace to support both businesses and nonprofits by providing opportunities for community partnering and promotion. These

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And that’s what I do at work all day, serve others.

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n your time of mourning, Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary will treat you like family — it’s just how they operate.

“I try to offer amazing, superior service at an affordable rate — that’s how my grandfather operated,” said Duffy Conneely, owner of the only crematory and mortuary located in the Windsor Healdsburg area.

Conneely’s family has been in the funeral industry for over 130 years in the Bay Area and has operated a funeral home in Sonoma County since 1959, serving all religions and walks of life.

Throughout this time, they have maintained a rich tradition of taking care of people. A fifth generation worker in the funeral industry, Conneely grew up watching his grandfather give people the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones.

“I saw that we’re giving people the opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one, and shining a light on their memory,” Conneely said of his decision to continue the family legacy.

When people go to Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary for services, they can find a host of options to fit what they’re looking for. The mortuary recognizes that people are unique, and that their mortuary and crematory services should be as well. As such, the Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary is committed to offering economical services that are tailored to the specific needs of both the families they serve, and the loved ones they’re honoring.

They work to provide a range of cost effective arrangements that

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embrace the interests and personality of the deceased. If your loved one had a special interest or a special request for their burial or cremation, Conneely and his team will work to cater to their wishes — whether it be through different venues or different memorial service dispositions.

The mortuary also offers a military ceremony of remembrance for veterans who have passed, helping to honor those who have served.

To those looking to plan ahead of time, the Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary is available to help with pre-arrangement needs.

The team at Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary is made up of dynamic people with diverse industry backgrounds who are committed to providing affordable, compassionate services to those who are grieving. “I really love the idea of bringing people in from different industry backgrounds — when you bring people in from different industries, you have a fresh perspective,” Conneely said. “They all share a common interest in wanting to help people and be a pillar of support in a time of need. Our team is wellbalanced with some pretty amazing people.”

The Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary understands how stressful making arrangements for a loved one can be and are available around the clock, near or far, to help in your time of need. They’re there to provide helpful, direct care to those honoring loved ones through funeral or cremation arrangements, and to answer any questions you may have

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about the arrangement process.

They are willing to show you their freshly remodeled facilities or make arrangements in the comfort of your own home.

The Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary also provides shipping out-of-state or to another country in addition to funeral and cremation services.

The staff can assist with the delivery of remains out-of state or out-of-

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country and has a strong knowledge of all consulate and government forms and documentation needed to assist families bring their loved ones home.

The staff at Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary is here to assist you with any questions you may have.

Please stop by and meet with them regarding preplanning or other services they would like to show you the newly remodeled facility.

# %" "$% "( ' ' ( # " * ''' ' "$% "( PROGRESS • April 2019 45

Lyons Optometry / .

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f receiving comprehensive optometric care from a knowledgeable, hands-on provider is important to you, then look to Lyons Optometry, a family eye care facility in Windsor.

What is your Mission Statement My Mission Statement is: great products in a great environment.

You will notice as soon as you enter my office it has a stylish

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professional relaxed vibe.

My staff is here to help each person find products that are smart and meet everyone’s individual’s needs.

We specialize in handmade products that are unique beautiful and high quality. We also have something for everyone on every budget.

One thing that I hear time and again is patients commenting on

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the large inventory of frames and how hard it is to choose just one.

We have so many beautiful fun frames.

What are some of your staffs’ favorite products?

Our newest edition to the office is the DITA collection. We are very excited about this new frame line. DITA is a luxury line with 18k electric gold plated frames.

They are hand made in Japan.

Each frame takes eight months to craft and is touched by over 100 craftsman. Their frames have design that find beauty with purpose. The line includes some famous pieces such as the frame that Robert Downy Jr. wore in Iron Man and the sunglass Cate Blanchett wore in Oceans Eight.

Such a fun line!! You should stop by and see how special this line truly is.

What about your business do you most pride yourself on?

Excellent personal service is the most important thing that each patient experiences.

It starts from the first phone call to the office.

My staff is well versed in most vision plans and can help guide and answer any questions during an initial phone call.

Once in the office my staff will promptly check in each patient.

I take each patient personally and do the exam from start to finish.

I don’t utilize axillary staff to do part of the exam.

This allows me to get to know each patient and their need most fully.

Whether they need glasses, contacts, or medical issues addressed each exam is comprehensive and encompasses all these areas.

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46 PROGRESS • April 2019

to all the participating local businesses and professionals who support and enrich our lives and our vibrant communities.

PROGRESS

PROGRESS â&#x20AC;˘ April 2019 47

(from left to right) Nathan Andreassen, VP, Lead Branch Manager, Santa Rosa Cathy Vyenielo, SVP, Commercial Banking Team Leader Stacey Powers, VP, Senior Relationship Manager Joe Panizzera, Client Service Manager, Healdsburg Becca Hood, SVP, Senior Relationship Manager

Our culture is all about understanding yours All businesses face similar challenges, but no two are exactly alike.

At American River Bank, we take the time to understand what makes yours unique. Not just by the numbers but also by the needs and values of your people. A little insight goes a long way in providing ÷ëè öòïø÷ìòñö ÷ëä÷ Ĥ ÷ üòøõ åøöìñèöö åèö÷

What makes your company special?

If your bank doesn’t know, it should.

AmericanRiverBank.com Share what makes your workplace special on Facebook and LinkedIn using #MyKindOfPlace

Healdsburg 412 Center Street 707.431.8800

48 PROGRESS • April 2019

Santa Rosa 90 S E Street, Suite 110 707.528.6300