Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a Petaluma kidnapping still haunts one family’s memories

Coming up: Christmas Craft Fair & Market on the Petaluma Patch calendar

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Hello Petaluma! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a Petaluma kidnapping still haunts one family’s memories
  • How a racist vandalism incident is galvanizing youth outreach in Petaluma
  • Which companies are quietly snapping up space around Petaluma now?

Also on today's calendar: Christmas Craft Fair & Market and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Petalumafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I once read a book about anti-gravity. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Petalumafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Areas of fog, then sun; cool, with a high of 52 and low of 39 degrees.
  • Saturday: Fog in the a.m.; mostly sunny, temps: high: 57, low: 39.
  • Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high of 54 and low of 40 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Dark Room: An Inventory (terrain.org) — A writer reflects on growing up amid family turmoil, her mother’s fatal ovarian cancer, and the long shadow of the Polly Klaas kidnapping that shook Petaluma. Her memories weave together the farmhouse near town, San Quentin’s presence, and how women’s pain is often dismissed, showing how one Petaluma-linked crime still shapes her understanding of danger, grief, and anger.
   

2. Former Harlem Globetrotter says his car was vandalized with racist slurs in Petaluma (pressdemocrat.com) — A longtime Petaluma resident and youth basketball coach says his truck was covered with racist slurs and symbols in the garage of his downtown apartment complex, prompting a police hate-incident investigation. He’s using the experience to push for more youth education and safe spaces, including his recently opened Petaluma gym, while community members and local followers rally around him online.
   

3. Businesses on the move in Marin, Mendocino and Sonoma counties: Dec. 11 report (pressdemocrat.com) — A new 1,682-square-foot office lease at 755 Baywood Drive brings Imperial Bag & Paper Co. to Petaluma, highlighting ongoing commercial activity in Sonoma County. The roundup details recent office, retail, industrial, and land deals across Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties, offering a snapshot of regional business expansion and investment.
   

4. Echoes from the Past: Restoring history's missing pages (ca.gov) — A century-old prison register helped researchers piece together the story of Grace Bernice Day, a young woman imprisoned in San Quentin for an infamous acid attack on her husband. Along the way, they unearthed how the Petaluma Argus-Courier and other papers covered her trial, appeals, and eventual parole, revealing how California once reported on crime, punishment, and public sympathy.
   

5. Sebastopol man gets prison after 4th DUI in a decade (pressdemocrat.com) — A Sebastopol man with multiple prior DUI convictions has been sentenced to three years in prison after being stopped at 99 mph on Highway 101 near Petaluma. Prosecutors say his blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, and the judge imposed the maximum term allowed under California law for his latest felony DUI.
   

📸 Around Petaluma

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Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Petaluma PatchAM possible:

  • Hamilton's Smog — (415) 493-8801
    Smog checks available now—always ready when you are

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Español abajo.
    Who knew that picking, placing and lighting your Christmas Tree could mean the difference between having a happy, safe holiday and the other kind… (Nextdoor )
  • Lexi is growing fast!
    She is a sweetheart and loves to be held. PSA- Bearded dragons sold at chain pet stores are often sick and malnourished. NEVER buy them from… (Nextdoor Tri-School Area)
  • Old Navy, Inc. posted a job opening for Seasonal Retail Sales Associate - Petaluma Village Pre in Petaluma. Apply here.
  • InstaSwim LLC posted a job opening for Private Swim Instructor in Glen Ellen. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Petaluma here.

Ok Petaluma! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I couldn’t put it down.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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