This Blog…

West of the Laguna focuses on community life and events in western Sonoma County, California, and in particular, Sebastopol. This area, once a quiet, agricultural region known for its Gravenstein apples (and before that, hops and timber), is now better recognized for its grapes and has, over the past 25 years, undergone significant population growth.

The Author

I am Sonoma County Library’s Cataloging Librarian, hard at work bringing the online catalog into shape after many years of neglect. I grew up in Sebastopol and am once again a resident, having returned to the area in 2003 after many years in the Palo Alto area on the San Francisco Peninsula.

My interest in all things community got a boost in college and I spent many of my years following graduation living in or associating with intentional communities in the Palo Alto area, including Magic, Inc. Since starting a family and settling in Sebastopol in our own home, I’ve shifted my interests towards broader community issues in Sebastopol and Sonoma County.

I also play French horn in the Sebastopol Community Band and Santa Rosa Junior College ensembles, serve on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Trails Council, garden, make apple cider, and spend way too much time thinking about home improvement projects.