Episodes

Host Michelle Marques talks with Andrew Bailey, Founder and CEO of Anova Center for Education in Santa Rosa. Anova is a school serving students on the autism spectrum. In October 2017, the Tubbs Fire swept through large portions of Sonoma County, destroying thousands of structures, including the Anova campus at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. A capital campaign was started in 2019 to rebuild a new center, with over half of the funds collected so far. They have an additional $9-million to $10-million to raise to complete the project. The new campus will serve as a national model for educational and behavioral innovation.  You can support their efforts by visiting rebuildanaova.org

Host Michelle Marques talks with Kevin Wodlinger, President of North Bay Honor Flight, about our new local chapter of Honor Flights. The Honor Flight non-profit organization was established in 2005 with a powerful vision: to fly World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit their memorial and other significant memorials in the city. This is a powerful experience, giving our vets a chance to reflect and share their memories with other veterans, and get the heroes welcome they deserve. Donations and volunteers are needed to help make the first Honor Flight (planned for October 2024) possible, so please reach out to learn more and help if you can!

Host Michelle Marques talks with Terry Sanders, Chair of the Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival Organizing Committee and Cadance Allinson, Organizing Committee Member about the return of the Parade and Festival on Saturday, May 18th in downtown Santa Rosa. The Parade kicks off at 10am and the Festival is in Courthouse Square from 11am to 3pm with lots of family fun! Entries are due by March 22nd, so don't delay! You can learn about the Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival online at lbroseparade.com

Host Michelle Marques talks with artists about SOFA's Newcomer Invite on Friday, March 1st, 2024 from 5pm to 8pm at Backstreet Gallery in the SOFA District. Conceived by artist Nick Mancillas, the show brings together younger artists who may not have had a chance to exhibit their work yet. Seven women will be a part of the show, and have been able to get critique and mentorship from artist Mary Vaughan leading up to the show. Besides showing a selection of their own pieces, the artists are also creating a piece inspired by the Sonoma County street artist known as The Velvet Bandit. If you can't attend the opening of the exhibit on March 1st, the show will be open for the following two weekends (March 2nd and 3rd, and March 9th and 10th) from 11am to 4pm each day. The SOFA Arts Block is in Santa Rosa, just behind Julliard Park along South A Street to Sebastopol Avenue. Backstreet Gallery is located down Art Alley off of 312 South A Street. This exhibit coincides with the monthly First Friday Open Studios event in the SOFA District.

Host Michelle Marques talks with Katie Loomis, ArtQuest Program Coordinator and Bobbi Haislip, Secretary of the Friends of ArtQuest about the upcoming Spring Gala fundraiser on March 2nd from 6:30pm to 9pm! The event is happening at the Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa. Tickets are $75 and include appetizers, beer, wine, and other beverages, live entertainment and a live and silent auction. Learn more at artquestonline.org

Host Michelle Marques talks with Suzanne Harris, Community Impact Director for United Way of the Wine Country about FREE tax preparations services through the Earn It, Keep It, Save It program. This life changing free tax preparation service helps thousands of low income families in the North Bay not only get their taxes done, but also get assistance with other services and learn how to start the habit of saving. Sign up to get your taxes done by calling 211. Learn more by clicking here.

Host Michelle Marques talks with cardiologist Dr. Joanne Tsai about Women's Heart Week. February is Women's Heart Health Month! Each year, the aim is to educate, raise awareness, and teach the symptoms and preventions of serious heart diseases in women. You can attend a FREE Heart Health 101 event on Thursday, February 29th and 6pm at the LBC. Local Sutter cardiologists will talk about heart health, with fun exhibits, heart-healthy food, plus a live Q&A session with the doctors. It's all free and RSVPs are encouraged. Get details and hold your spot at norcal.info/heart.

Host Michelle Marques talks with Patty Pennycook, Melanie Callagher, and Kathy Hebert from the Pacific Empire Chorus about their upcoming All-You-Can-Eat Crab Feed and Live A cappella Show on Saturday, February 10, 2024 from 5pm to 9pm at the Petaluma Veterans Building. Enjoy delicious crab, pasta, salad, french bread, and handmade desserts. There is also wine and beer for purchase, and great auction items. Proceeds support the Chorus and help them compete in events all around the country! Tickets are $80 for adults, and there are tables available as well. Get tickets today online at pacificempire.org. You can join the Pacific Empire Chorus for a try out session on January 31 and February 7th from 6pm to 7:30pm and learn a song with their championship Chorus! This is a great opportunity to experience the fun of singing together with other women and making new friends. Learn more at pacificempire.org.

Host Michelle Marques talks with Jeff Nathanson, Executive Director, and Rena Wang, Director of Development and Marketing for the Museum of Sonoma County. Come to the Museum on Saturday, January 27th for a FREE Lunar New Year Celebration with the Redwood Empire Chinese Association from 1pm to 3pm, featuring amazing performances by the RECA including lion and tiger dances, traditional Chinese songs, and martial art demonstrations. That day you can also see the opening of the latest exhibition called "A Question of Balance: Selected Works from Pacific Rim Sculptors" - which will run until May 26th, 2024. Members can attend the reception with the artists from 5pm to 7pm. "Tilden Daken: The Art of Adventure" is a fascinating look at a landscape painter and friend of Jack London, who lived an amazing life and documented it in oil paintings and sketches. Find out how Daken was nearly killed by a giant octopus while painting in a diving bell underwater! And of course, be sure to visit the Museum of Sonoma County to explore the history of our diverse communities in the permanent history exhibition called "Sonoma County Stories" - featuring at its core the Oral Histories of Gaye LeBaron. Museum of Sonoma County 425 Seventh Street in Santa Rosa Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm