Free To Be, a  Santa Rosa-based sex education program, is being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union for violating California's ban on abstinence-only teaching in public schools. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/6-8-09.mp3{/mp3remote}

 Although we were not able to reach a Free To Be representative to be interviewed for this report, their website describes a program that "motivates and equips youth to live an abstinent life-style, encouraging healthy choices for a healthy future." They explain their educational approach in greater detail here.

Prior to 2004, explains Phyllida Burlingame, Sex Education Policy Director for the ACLU of Northern California, the state's rules governing how and what schools could teach as Sex Education were a confusing jumble. That's one reason her organization helped update the California Education Code to the standard that is in place today.

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 One significant difference between the current federal policy, a lingering holdover from the Bush administration, is that while the federal law supporting abstinence-only sex education programs explicitly prohibits favorable treatment of other forms of pregnancy prevention, California's law also requires that abstinence be taught, but as part of a broader array of possible options. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/abstinence.mp3{/mp3remote}

Below is a list, compiled by the ACLU, of Sonoma County Public Schools that have used Free To Be. They have been asked to confirm, before the end of this month, that they will not continue to use the program in the coming school year.

A wealth of local history is buried at the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, along with many other stories that may never be told.

Although it is surrounded by the city now, the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery was at the edge of town when it was established in the early 1850s. But  volunteer and docent Brett Gripe says that's not why it's called the "rural" cemetery.

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 Read a brief history of the cemetery here.

From the war in Iraq back as far as the War of 1812, veterans from every major military conflict can be found in the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. Brett Gripe explains why they are so well represented.

There are numerous ongoing volunteer opportunities, and a regular series of public events are staged at the cemetery throughout the year.

The threat of punishment may deter crime, but when it doesn't, a new model called Restorative Justice works instead to create healing after the fact.

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 There is extensive background information on the basic concepts at the Restorative Resources website,  including an outline of their restorative conference process.  One important outcome of these conferences, says Clifford Amos, can be an opening of awareness and even sensitivity in kids who often have had very little prior experience with such feelings.
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The community circle model that is widely used in restorative justice has its roots in various native cultures around the world, Clifford explains, but New Zealand was the first western culture to seriously attempt to integrate that concept.

 Clifford Amos and Restorative Resources will be awarded the 2009 Sonoma County Peacebuilder Award by the local chapter of the Peace Alliance/Campaign for a U.S. Department of Peace. The presentation will be made at"Creating aWorld Beyond Violence," a wine, cheese and chocolate reception to be held Saturday, June , 2-4 pm at the Power Squadron, 789 Hamilton Parkway in Novato.  Reservations and information at (707) 992-0367, evenings or Saturday morning.

Defenders of California's State Parks say closing them in response to the budget crisis would wind up costing more than it would save. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/6-2-09.mp3{/mp3remote}

The list of popular public parks in the North Bay that are slated for closure under the Governor's proposal includes such popular regional destinations as Armstrong Grove (left) , Salt Point, China Camp, Annadel Park, Angel Island, the Marconi Conference Center, and Jack London State Park, where the ruins of his Wolf House (seen below) remain a strong attraction. Here is a list (pdf, 7 pages) of all the parks throughout California that are facing closure --the official term is "caretaker status"--under the Governor's proposal.   The list of economically self-supporting parks that would remain open is much shorter.

In determining whether or not to close the majority of the state parks, as Gov. Schwartzenegger has proposed, Traci Verardo-Torres, Vice president of Governmental Affairs for the California State Parks Foundation, says it is important to weigh both sides of the economic equation, which the list of cuts alone fails to do.

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California's State Parks (such as Salt Point, left) are an invaluable resource, one that could be degraded or damaged if they are closed, warns Traci Verardo-Torres.