The man charged with hit and run driving into a much-loved local bicyclist was in court for the first time yesterday, an appearance that shocked and astonished the bicycling community that had turned out in support of the critically injured Steve Norwick.

Gary Helfrick, president of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, offers instructions and guidance to the riders in support of Steve Norwick, as they prepared to depart from Old Courthouse Square Wednesday morning. For cyclists, what happened to Steve Norwick is frightening. For drivers, says Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition spokeswoman Sandra Lupien, it should be a cautionary example.

For many of the riders who turned out Wednesday morning, there was a strong personal element to their involvement. Tom Helm, the Bicycle Coalition's president, explained he thinks of Norwick as both a friend and a teacher.

While Robert Cowart was haltingly making his first court appearance, on a single charge of felony hit-and-run, a number of Steve Norwick's friends and supporters stood quietly outside the courts building, letting their message speak for itself.

(KRCB photos by Danielle Venton)

One of the most unpopular Supreme Court rulings in recent years, the Citizens United decision that defined corporate political spending as a form of free speech, may have a silver lining.

Peter ScheerThe legal distinctions that apply to different kinds of campaign spending may seem arcane and confusing. But Peter Scheer, Executive Director of the First Amendment Coalition, says they are, in fact, the difference between what is legal and allowable, and what comes into conflict with the First Amendment's protections of freedom of speech.

So far in the current election cycle, Scheer observes, the actions of the Super-PACS and the political operatives behind them, have blurred the differences between protected corporate campaign spending and private political donations that are subject to established regulations and reporting rules. He believes there is a clear way to distinguish between the two.

Scheer detailed his analysis of these and releated points in an article published recently in both Huffington Post and on the Coalition's website.

Murals, mosaics and colorfully painted benches don't just happen. In many cases locally, they are the result of an unusual summer arts education program in Santa Rosa.

The Parkside Cafe, on Santa Rosa Avenue not far from the ArtStart building, already features three animal cutouts on its rooftop, each created by a previous ArtStart class. A pig has been commissioned to join the others this summer.ArtStart projects are a combination of commissions from the community and public artworks for the City of Santa Rosa. Creative Director Chandra Woodworth runs down the agenda the students will be developing over the next six weeks.

A second mural project this summer will illustrate a very different cultural experience, Woodworth adds.

ArtStart students work on a mural panel under the guidance of Mario UribeArtStart is not unique to Santa Rosa, although such programs are far from common. Mario Uribe explains that the prototype was first developed in Chicago.

Ever since the Sonoma County central landfill—the dump—reopened, in September of 2010, it has been engaged in a race pitting space against time: Can they get a new permit to expand the facility before the existing legal capacity at the site is filled?

All of this revival of activity at the landfill was possible, explains operations manager Rick Downey, because the previous board of supervisors had suspended deliveries there, but stopped short of officially closing the facility.

Operations Manager Rick Downey stands alongside the access road leading to the nearly filled "cell"  behind him at the Sonoma County Central LandfillAssuming that the new permit is forthcoming, as expected, Downey suggests that the county would do well to begin thinking about further expansion at the Mecham Road site west of Cotati. But they shouldn't wait too long to get started.