Bodega Fire Department's Big Event

The Bodega Volunteer Fire Department is holding their 30th annual Big Event on Sunday, August 15, and it looks like a lot of fun!

Located in the nearby town of Bodega (about 5 miles inland from Bodega Bay), the BVFD is an all-volunteer fire department with no paid staff and operates solely with volunteer firefighters, community support and donations.

These guys have a lot to celebrate his year, they're in the process of building a new fire station! Their current facility is nearly 60 years old and no longer meets modern requirements for equipment, storage and training. For the past 20 years, they've stored their emergency vehicles either outside or in neighboring barns away from the fire station. Firefighters must carry their safety equipment in their personal vehicles, which lengthens critical response time.

Last fall, Bodega broke ground on the new building, replaced and realigned a failing storm drain, and completed the building pad. During the winter months, they finalized the building permits and a successful USDA loan. When the sun came out in 2010, they were able to prepare the building pad for the foundation of the new station. On June 14th the prefabricated metal building arrived and after one month, the building shell was almost complete and ready for roofing and siding. They hope to get the building enclosed and functional by the end of summer, and will continue fundraising to complete the interior. The final new facility will include a 100% emergency standby generating capacity as well as a water storage system.

Here are some photos from Josh Perucchi, firefighter for both Bodega and Bodega Bay Fire Departments, showing the new building under construction. You can check it out for yourself at the Big Event in August!





BVFD is currently looking for donations for the "big raffle" at their Big Event. They're seeking gift certificates to anywhere or donated items. If you can help, please contact Asst. Chief Gary Watts at 8701@bodegafire.org!

Hot Time in Bodega Bay this Saturday Night!

I'm really looking forward to this Saturday night! We're going to our first-ever chili cook-off and country western dance here in Bodega Bay, doesn't that sound like fun? It's a community fundraiser at the Bodega Bay Grange and open to everyone, locals and visitors alike.

The Firehouse Chili Cook-Off will feature mouthwatering recipes from firefighters in Bodega Bay, Bodega, Wilmar, and possibly Tomales. The public gets to taste and vote, and there will be prizes for the winning teams. I hear Bodega has several really good cooks and might bring two or three different chilis. They even had their own chili cook-off to see which one to enter, but then decided they would bring them all!

I dropped by the Bodega Bay Fire Department to see how they're coming along with their preparations for Saturday night's competition and was greeted warmly by the crew.

Bodega Bay Firefighters L to R: Justin Fox (Firefighter), Jason Downing (Fire Captain), Brian Means (Firefighter), and Sean Grinnell (Fire Chief).

Their head cook Justin Fox is still fine-tuning his winning recipe and wouldn't share any of his secrets. Bean or no beans? Hot and spicy, or mellow? I can't wait to find out!

Bodega Bay Firefighter and Head Chili Chef Justin Fox.

There's also a Country Western Dance featuring live music by The Lonestar Retrobates. Don't know how to country dance? They're offering lessons at 6:30 for the entire family! Come with your dancing shoes on, there's no excuse to be a wallflower. I can't wait!

The Lonestar Retrobates.

Tickets are $8 at the door, $2 for kids 12 and under. Proceeds benefit the Bodega Bay Elementary School, Bodega Bay Firefighters Association, Bodega Bay Grange, and Bodega Volunteer Fire Department.

This event is the latest in a series of fundraisers organized by coastal community volunteers including Bob Miller, owner of Bodega Bay Surf Shack and Bodega Bay Kayak, and Abby Myers Killey, owner of Organic Cotton Fabric Shop in the nearby town of Bodega.

Bob Miller and son.

"Surfer Bob" is quite an entertainer in his own right, as anyone who has ever taken his Kayak Clinic will tell you. He's a riot as well as an all-around good guy. His popular Surf Shack is located in the Pelican Plaza Shopping Center on Hwy. 1, across the road from the Grange.

Abby Myers Killey

Abby's lovely Organic Cotton Fabric Shop sells organic cotton linens, local wool, and Peruvian textiles, as well as yarn, roving, batting and felted toys. Her shop is located in downtown Bodega, on Bodega Highway, behind the dress shop.



Other local volunteers include Shona Weir, owner of Bodega Bay's Business Services Unlimited (and very nice lady), and artist Janet Moore. Janet designed the bright red flyers for this event and Shona provided the printing. Shona's shop is next door to the Surf Shack in Pelican Plaza and provides much appreciated services for our business community.

Come join the fun on Saturday night, it should be a blast! Oh I should mention, if the chili samples aren't enough for you, or you're not a chili fan, there will be additional food and drinks for sale.

LATE BREAKING UPDATE FROM ABBY:

Beer and wine will be sold for $3.00 a glass..Desserts for $1 furnished by the Sea Gals (Bodega Harbour)...We will be selling Chili dogs, Chili burgers and chili nachos for $3, $4, $3 respectively...Lemonade for $1.

We are getting room donations for the band and dance instructor from Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa and Bodega Coast Inn...And Joan Price, Sonoma County's most famous line dance instructor will be teaching line dancing from 6:30 to 7:15.

ALSO...Yodelers will get in free (they must sign up and yodel on stage for at least 30 seconds) and will be competing for the Golden Uvula Award at 9:15. Chili winners will be announced at 9:00. It is rumored (actually true) that a real cowgirl and horse will be there - for photos and fun!!!

Saturday, June 19, 2010, 6-11 p.m.
Bodega Bay Grange Hall
Hwy. 1 & Bodega Avenue
Bodega Bay, CA
Tickets $8, and $2 for kids 12 & under

Questions? Call Bob at (707) 875-3944, or Abby at (707) 876-3093.

Fundraising for Bodega Bay Fireworks Show

Tammi Salas is leading the Bodega Bay fireworks fundraising efforts for the fifth year in a row! This spectacular show is free for the public and paid for entirely by donations.

Each year Tammi is assisted by Marty Ruddell who handles the permits with the County. "We're a good team," she says. "I'm the head firecracker and she's my lead sparkler!" Tammi works tirelessly for our community here on the coast. She's Chairman of the Bodega Bay Fireworks committee, she volunteers each year for the Fisherman's Festival and other local events, is married to Bodega Bay realtor and blogger Steve Hecht, serves as PTA President of Tomales Elementary School, and she's a very cool mom! "I do it all for my little guy and last year he told me it was the best day of his life EVER when the fireworks started shooting in the sky."



If you've never seen the fireworks displays over Bodega Harbor, you're in for a treat. They fire them off from Westside Park, behind Doran Beach and the U.S. Coastguard station, and can be viewed from anywhere around the harbor as well as from many of the vacation homes, hotels, and restaurants in town. This year's festivities will be held Saturday, July 3, 2010 at 9:30 pm.

Bodega Bay is the last Northern California coastal town allowed to have legal fireworks over the Bay. Here's Tammi's 2010 fundraising flyer, click to enlarge.



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Bodega Bay Community Benefit for Grandmother Raising Quadruplets

This Saturday night we're going to a wonderful community event here in Bodega Bay. You may have read about Marilyn Collins, a grandmother who is singlehandedly raising eight-year-old quadruplets since the passing of her daughter last October. After the Press Democrat wrote a feature article in January, A Grandmother’s Life Alters Course, a number of locals came forward and planned a fund-raising dinner to help out.

Saturday, March 20, 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Bodega Bay Grange Hall, $10 ($5 for kids under 12) will get you live music, a dinner of clam chowder or pozole stew (spicy Mexican dish) with all the trimmings, and my personal favorite, a silent auction!

According to Deanna Osborne, one of the organizers, the outpouring of community support has been amazing. The event is being sponsored by the Bodega Bay Grange and Rotary Club of Marin Sunrise, and local businesses and residents have donated dozens of generous prizes for the Silent Auction.

Just look at these items, and this is only a partial list to whet your appetite. I can't wait until they open the bidding!

• One Week Timeshare in Las Vegas (Yes!)
• 4 Giants tickets
• Private VIP wine tasting and garden tour plus a magnum of 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (I want this!)
• 2 nights stay at Bodega Coast Inn
• 2 nights stay at Bodega Harbor Inn (my parents stayed here and loved it)
• Stay at vacation rental house, "Bella Casa" (we've stayed there, it's right across from Portuguese Beach!)
• Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa, 1 night stay plus 1/2 hour horseback riding
• Two nights at North Cliff Hotel in Fort Bragg
• 2 rounds of 18-holes of golf from The Links at Bodega Harbour
• Kayak rentals from Bodega Bay Kayak
• Dinner at Terrapin Creek Restaurant plus a bottle of wine (I want this too)
• Lunch from The Dog House (yippee, my daughter will be bidding on this one!)
• Two pizzas from Diekman's Bay Store (best pizza in town, get the garlic sauce)
• Dinner from Dinucci's Restaurant
• Lunch from Island Deli
• Meal at Lucas Wharf Restaurant
• Whale watching from Bodega Sports Fishing Center
• Crab Trip For Two from Fish on Bait and Tackle
• Trip for Two on Miss Anita Fishing Charters (fishing, whale watching, bird watching, eco-tour, or harbor cruise)
• Books from Copperfields Bookstore in Sebastopol
• A series of 3 1-hr massages from Yoga Bodega Studio
• Gift bags from Second Wind Kites
• Autographed baseball, card, & photo by Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, 2005, playing for Cleveland Indians

Plus clothing, fine art prints, paintings, jewelry, handmade dolls and many other exquisite items by local artists!

And if that's not enough to coax you, I should mention that the desserts included with the dinner are being donated by local restaurants including Bluewater Bistro, Terrapin Creek Cafe, The Sandpiper, and Brisas del Mar, plus more baked by talented volunteers. With my sweet-tooth, that alone is worth the price of admission.

Remember all this fun is for an important cause, the proceeds go the Lisa Collins Memorial Fund to help Marilyn raise her four grandchildren. Their mother Lisa was diagnosed with a rare cancer and died suddenly last fall, and the five now live together in the two bedroom house that was meant to be Marilyn and her husband’s retirement home in Bodega Bay.

Dedicated volunteers have been working hard to plan, produce and publicize this event. In fact you can catch Deanna this Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. on KRCB-FM 91.1 spreading the word and drumming up additional support!

Tickets are available in Bodega Bay at Business Services Unlimited, the Sonoma Coast Visitors Center, Bodega Bay Elementary School and Tomales Elementary School. For more information, contact Deanna Osborne at 707-875-2798.

Cabaret in Bodega Bay!

We saw a great show here in Bodega Bay last night! The Cabaret: 2010 A Beach ODDessy was produced and directed by local residents Michael and Diana Bundy and featured local talent lip-syncing to classic hit tunes. Held at the Bodega Bay Grange Hall, the Cabaret benefitted local charities.



We attended the 8:00 p.m. performance, which was sold out. The room was packed with tables of four, each decorated nicely with tablecloths and candles. Refreshments for offered for sale, served by community volunteers including Sophie Powers, owner of The Boat House restaurant. She's so sweet, always has a bright smile on her face.



The show was a huge hit! We took a lot of photos but without a flash, they turned out pretty soft. Steve Hecht, Coldwell Banker realtor and husband of performer Tammi Salas, took terrific, sharp photos during dress rehearsal the night before and was generous enough to share some for this post.


The Master of Ceremonies was the bawdy "Mae West," played by Cathy Wild, a realtor with Prudential in Sebastopol. She gave a lively performance, cracking up the audience all night with her double entendres.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
The first lip-sync act was by Craig Veramay as Elvis. He gave an energetic, gyrating rendition of Heartbreak Hotel.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Tammi Salas had everyone roaring with laughter during her performance of Stand By Your Man, which she sang to "Tiger Woods." Tammi is a prominent community leader here on the coast. She's Chairman of the Bodega Bay Fireworks committee, the former owner of Gourmet Au Bay, wife of the aforementioned Steve Hecht, PTA President of Tomales Elementary School, and an entertaining performer to boot!


These beautiful ladies performed My Boyfriend's Back. I loved their choreography and costumes. All three are local businesswomen, Patty Fata is an investment advisor; Katy Karrenbrock owns TLC Tutoring; and Kathleen Erba owns Coldwell Banker Coastal Properties with her husband Dennis.


This was an amazing puppet performance of Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz by Sue Tichava. Sue lives in nearby Occidental and I heard she's a doll-maker and made this puppet herself!


Molly Schar gave a cool performance of Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made for Walking and I'm so sorry we couldn't get a better photo. They came out so blurry. If anyone has a sharper one, I'd gladly substitute! Molly, who is the editor of BodegaBayCa.org, looked really cute!!!


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Wow, this rendition of Proud Mary was one of the most energetic performances of the evening. Kudos to Bob Brabon and his wife Diane Senia as Ike & Tina Turner. Diane teaches yoga at the Yacht Club, no wonder she's got such great energy. Their back-up dancers were Judi Taubman of Berkeley and Bodega Bay, and Diana Bundy, one of the producers of the show. The wild "Tina" had great moves and the back-up dancers were in perfect sync too. This was one of our favorite acts of the evening!


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Michael Bundy, co-producer of the Cabaret, and Bob Blanchard, co-owner of Gourmet Au Bay, performed Soul Man. We loved it and my daughters were impressed that Michael appeared to know all the moves from the original Blues Brothers movie.

Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Sissy Blanchard, co-owner of Gourmet Au Bay, brought the house down with her performance of She's Got You. Dressed in a cowgirl outfit with a puffy blouse, she proceeded to pull one hysterical prop after another out of the top, corresponding with the lyrics of the song. For example, she pulled out a photo of Brad Pitt (I've got your picture), a number of CDs (I've got the records that we used to share), a feather boa, handcuffs and even a rubber chicken. Truly one of the best acts of the night!


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Diana Bundy gave a sultry performance of Fever, accompanied by her husband Michael Bundy. Together, Diana and Michael founded, produced and directed the entire show. Michael is a local general contractor, and Diana is a local artist and real estate broker/owner of Salmon Creek Real Estate, founder of the Salmon Creek ArtWalk and a prominent community event organizer.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Stan and Judi Taubman of Bodega Bay and Berkeley, were hilarious as Sonny & Cher doing I Got You Babe. They also used props, "And when I'm sad, you're a clown" Sonny dons a clown nose, "I've got flowers in the spring" he hands her a bouquet, etc.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht
Pam Locke and Abby Killey had everyone in stiches, especially the females, when they sang Middle-Aged Woman. I'd never heard the song before and thought it was a riot. Pam owns Ocean Waves Salon in Bodega Bay and also did hair for the show, and Abby is a member of the Bodega Bay Grange and an active conservationist.


Photo courtesy of Steve Hecht

What a blast! The Cabaret's proceeds will go to Bodega Bay Grange, Bodega Bay Fireworks, Bodega Bay School Art Program, and Bodega Bay Community Center. I think they're planning to do this again next year and we want to know when auditions begin!

Click here to view Steve Hecht's complete Cabaret Photo Gallery, Flyer, YouTube video and more!

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