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Kitchen Table Kibitzing April 23, 2023 [1]

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Date: 2023-04-23  

KTK

Earth Day ⭐️

In the center of Santa Rosa is an open area we call Courthouse Square. It has quite the history: In 1884 the first Courthouse on this site was dedicated by General Vallejo. The earthquake of 1906 destroyed that building and much of Santa Rosa. Sonoma County gradually outgrew this structure and in 1966 it was demolished. For years it was a comfortable area with trees, some elevation; a nice place to hang out. In 2017, Old Courthouse Square was reunified and reconstructed to create a civic gathering place in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa. This expensive renovation was decried by many citizens, as austere, with cement in place of grass, and removal of some old trees.

It keeps getting better in my opinion. New tree plantings are growing, a nice fountain, with more to come. And the surrounding blocks are thriving, with restaurants, beer halls, and hotels. A few years ago our paper presented five proposals for a large sculpture to be placed in the square. Only one resonated with me, and I crossed my fingers that would be chosen. Unum (the sculpture’s fluid curves are covered with words from 32 languages most commonly spoken throughout Sonoma County and two spoken languages by the Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok communities) is as good as I’d hoped, and perhaps it will become as revered as “The Bean” in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

Courthouse Square is the perfect venue for exhibitions, shows, protests, and other events. There were hundreds of people there for Earth Day, 58 vendors and 6 food trucks, kid’s games, one truck dispensing cold water (it was 80+º). We headed for the stage area, hoping to see the Irish dancers. I asked a woman sitting there if I could use the chair next to her. Click! It was our daughter-in-law’s mother! Also there were her sister and niece. What were the chances in a county of half a million? Then while we were catching up, jck rode up on his bicycle. Shortly thereafter BankShot and his wife strolled up, carrying a stack of Thin Mints.

Family

I love Irish Dancing, and the young group did not disappoint.

Shilo Irish Step Dancers

The tiny gal fourth from the right in the photo was so cute…...and the best dancer.

This was followed by Taiko drummers, a group which has entertained us in the county for many years.

Fire trucks drove by from time to time, lights flashing and the siren going….just to add excitement. And to top things off, all city busses were free for the day.

I have been hearing about Thin Mints forever, but had never tried one. After seeing BankShot’s stash, we found the Girl Scout wagon and bought some. Yum, so good.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/23/2165492/-Kitchen-Table-Kibitzing-April-23-2023

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