Oil companies are consolidating and reaping record profits. And that's not a good thing, for democracy or for planet earth.

Antonia Juhasz' previous book was The Bu$h Agneda:  Invading the World, One Economy at a Time.

It's not the cost of oil at the derrick that has been driving up the price of gasoline at the pump, says researcher, analyst and writer Antonia Juhasz. A far more influential factor is the speculative trading of oil price futures, which happens outside the view or regulatory control of this or any other government.

While most big oil companies have recently begun to portray themselves as newly sensitive to the environment and open to alternative energy, Juhasz isn't buying it.

The Petaluma River has a long and interesting history, and some new Friends who want to make that history better known.

David Yearsley is a co-founder and  Executive Director of the Friends of the Petaluma River, which has the following mission and goals:

Mission: To promote stewardship of the Petaluma River. We work throughout its watershed; providing access opportunities, educational materials, and conservation programs. We also provide a voice for the River's inhabitants and resources in public affairs.

Goals: Access, Education, and Conservation

• To establish a permanent presence in the watershed; becoming the first non-government organization to work fulltime for the betterment of the Petaluma River and its inhabitants
• To pursue outreach and educational activities that will foster enthusiasm and commitment in the watershed for long term sustainable stewardship.
• To monitor conditions and engage in activities that will reduce or prevent pollution and lessen other harmful impacts on the River and its wetlands.
• To create a River Heritage Center as a community resource. A place to archive information, host events, administer programs, and coordinate river related activities

 

For people who want to get a close-up look at the Petaluma River,  Dolphin Charters will again offer their 3 hr. River tours on April 5th, 6th, 11th & 12th aboard the Delphinus (seen at left). To learn more about them, visit Dolphin Charters’ website.

To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA looks at the history of Apollo 10 and the Peanuts characters' role in that flight and in the NASA Manned Flight Awareness safety program. It will feature a one-third scale model of the Apollo command module from the Johnson Space Center, an Apollo-era flight suit, the actual image of Charlie Brown that was flown aboard Apollo 10, and a special children's area for creative play.
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Curator Jane O'Cain describes some of the details of the exhibit in this audio clip:

As part of the Apollo 17 mission in December, 1976, Cernan became the last man to walk on the moon (above). He maintains an extensive archive of his experiences as an astronaut at his website , including rare and historic video footage, some of which can be seen here. Below, the crew of Apollo 10, taken shortly before launch: Cernan( left) John Young and Thomas Stafford.

The Sonoma County Economic Development Board hosted the 6^th annual State of the County breakfast Wednesday morning, with Supervisor Paul Kelley delivering the centerpiece address. KRCB was there to record and bring you his talk.

Supervisor Paul Kelley