The roots of violent behavior can be traced back to the earliest stages of childhood, even before birth. But steps to shape positive development can also start just as early.

Robin Karr-Morse and her co-author, Meredith Wiley, are now at work on a new book, The Monster in the Closet, that takes a deeper look at the physiology of infant brain development. A key part of the process, Karr-Morse explains, is the gradual maturation of the cortical brain.

When a child’s development is impaired, whether through neglect, abuse, poor diet, exposure to drugs or any other sources, the consequences can sometimes be countered or mitigated if positive interventions become available. But Karr-Morse says their effectiveness varies so widely, it becomes virtually impossible to generalize about outcomes.

Robin Karr-Morse was the featured speaker April 28 at the the annual Blue Ribbon lunch for Child Abuse Prevention month in Sonoma County, an event co-sponsored by the California Parenting Institute and Prevent Child Abuse, Sonoma County.

Climbing up a sheer rock wall just your feet, fingers, and a pouch of chalk may not be your idea of a good time, but that’s what Kevin Jorgeson (above) lives to do.

Bouldering doesn’t require much in the way of equipment. The two essentials, Kevin Jorgeson explains, are the “crash pads” that are laid out at the base of the boulder, and some specialized shoes.

This sort of extreme rock climbing isn’t just about steep, near vertical ascents. Sometimes, as in the picture at the top of this page, the routes become almost horizontal. Kevin explains how that’s done.

In addition to his own exploits, Jorgeson is committed to sharing his interest in the sport, and to that end he has formed a new nonprofit and is working toward creating a climbing center based in Sonoma.

You can find photographs and videos of some of Kevin's more dramatic climbs on his website. You can also see him in the new documentary film, Core, which will have special preview screenings, with Kevin in attendance, Monday evening April 26 at the Sebastiani Theater in Sonoma, and Tuesday night, April 27 at the Rialto in Santa Rosa. See the trailer for Core below.

There were no real “bad guys” loose on the Santa Rosa Junior College campus yesterday, but five dozen real police officers were there to train in tracking and capturing some simulated shooters.

The SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team training exercises took place behind yellow police taped barriers, well out of sight of any members of the public and even the few reporters allowed in. But Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Mike Tosti says the citiznery will benefit from what they could not see.

SRJC Police Cadet Corrine Linder, who volunteers to be part of the emergency response scenarios, said she felt her regular training and experience had equipped her well for the day’s exercises.

Click here to see photographs from the training exercise taken by the Press Democrat's Jeff Kan Lee.

With the US deeply engaged in two active wars in the Middle East, it’s past time for peace activists to revive their opposition, says Visiting Nobel Peace Prize nominee Kathy Kelly.

There are lessons to be learned from the war in Iraq, agrees Peace activist Kathy Kelly, a coordinator for  Voices for Creative Nonviolence, but the purported success of so-called “Surge” is not one of them.

War begets secrecy at the highest levels of government, which  distances national leaders from the citizenry, Kelly cautions.  She’d like to hear the Obama administration clearly and publicly spell out the reasons for our military presence in Afghanistan, but suspects the real rationales are too murky and complex to  meet any tests for transparency.

Kathy Kelly will report on her recent visit to Afghanistan in Santa Rosa tomorrow evening at 7 pm at Christ Church United Methodist, 1717 Yulupa Avenue. Her presentation, co-sponsored by the peace and Justice Center, Sonoma County, is titled, "The Cost and Sorrows of War:  Pakistan, Gaza,Iraq, Afghanistan."  Information: (707) 575-8902.