Ben Saari

Supporters of Ben Saari have organized an online petition and letter-writing campaign on his behalf.

Ben Saari talks about his experience copwatching in Sonoma County in the audio clip below.

Fireworks stands like this are legal in Petaluma, Sonoma, Sebastopol, and some other California cities, where they are major money-makers for local non-profits. But firefighters say the potential wildfire risks outweigh the benefits to the community groups.

So far, the North Bay has mostly avoided the spate of wildfires that have flared across California. Santa Rosa Fire Chief Bruce Varner has a suggestion on how to keep that good fortune continuing.

You can see an interactive map of the current fires in California here .

Simply possessing fireworks such as these is illegal throughout California, as Santa Rosa Fire Chief Bruce Varner explains in this audio clip.

When I'm out in the community, I often get asked questions, some variation of "how can I get KRCB involved in my community event?" or "how can I get publicity?" I know it can be difficult to figure out how to approach the station if you don't happen to know someone who works here.

One of the major purposes of this blog is to make the station more transparent to the community. Bruce Robinson, our news director here at KRCB, has been kind enough to compile a quick guide:

How to contact KRCB

Main desk: (707) 584-2000

Fax: (707) 585-1363

Location and Mailing Address:
5850 Labath Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928

Email: listener[at]krcb.org (radio) or viewer[at]krcb.org (television)

Online Community Calendar: Go to the homepage and click on Community.

Newsroom: Bruce Robinson, News Director (707) 584-2012 or news[at]krcb.org

Community Events/Outreach: Cheryl Scholar, Outreach Coordinator (707) 584-2005 or cheryl_scholar[at]krcb.org

Sonoma Spotlight scheduling (FM only): Wendy Nicholson
(707) 584-2016 or Radio Line (707) 584-2020

Sponsorships: Call main desk, ask for sales

Submitting Public Service Announcements:

Information about upcoming events and activities may be submitted to both radio and television. Please fax or mail the information. All PSAs are 30 seconds or under; one page is more than enough information; please do not send photographs. Please submit your information 6 weeks before the date of the event for television, and 3 weeks in advance for radio. Follow-up inquiries are not necessary. Please understand that not all submissions can be used. Those decisions are made at the discretion of KRCB. Community events can also be posted on the KRCB website at the Community Calendar .

Those working to combat human trafficking in northern California find they routinely have to overcome two basic assumptions that are widespread, but wrong: It's all about sex, and it doesn't happen here.

Community members are invited to a free public presentation on this issue, on the evening of July 2 at 6 pm at Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa. Event details are available in English and in Spanish .

Michael Corey Davis is the director of the documentary Cargo: Innocence Lost

Davis also talked about his first film, Svetlana's Journey:

Beer ads on baseball games are one thing, but aggressive marketing of sweet, fruity alcoholic beverages on cable shows aimed at young audiences is quite another. The promotion of these "alcopops" is coming under fire from several directions, and today' s report updates two of them.

A new study from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth points an accusing finger at the alcohol industry, sharing that it is deliberately targeting much of its advertising at underage cable television viewers.

The Marin Institutehas been an active advocate on the alcopop issue in California.