Village Chat for May 1, 2010

Mark your calendar. On Monday, May 17, Café Citti will be featured on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The segment was filmed earlier this year at our famous local eatery, which is Zagat-rated and is also listed in the latest Michelin Guide. Check your local listings and tune in to watch owner/chef Luca Citti in action.

Jerry Fischman alerted us to a great “small world” story. On a recent trip to France, Kenwoodians Nathan and Susan Miron met Alan and Diane Herstrum, a couple from Rocky River, Ohio. The Herstrums mentioned that they had recently visited Northern California. Further discussion revealed that the Herstrums had visited a small town in the Wine Country, where they stayed in a delightful bed and breakfast. As they described the house and grounds their description began to sound familiar. It turned out that they had stayed at Birmingham Bed & Breakfast, which is right next door to the Miron’s house! And not only that. The Mirons happened to have the copy of the Kenwood Press with them, which featured an article about Nancy and Jerry Fishman and Birmingham Bed & Breakfast [Valley of the Moon Villages Profile, March 15]. So, of course, the two couples had their picture taken with said KP in Paris. We look forward to meeting the Herstrums if they ever come back to Kenwood!



From left, Diane and Alan Herstrum, and Nathan and Susan Miron in Paris.


But that wasn’t Jerry’s only news. Two weekends ago San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda was up here for an event at Ledson Winery, signing bottles of “Baby Bull” Zinfandel as a fundraiser for Harmony Foundation for Children and the SF Junior Giants program. Turns out that one of the Giants owners was also in Kenwood for the event, staying at, where else, Birmingham B & B, and he invited Cepeda over for breakfast. Despite the fact that Jerry is a die-hard Dodgers fan (he’s from Brooklyn), he was happy to get his picture taken with the great San Francisco player. But notice the shirt he’s wearing!



Giants great Orlando Cepeda and Jerry Fischman at Birmingham Bed & Breakfast.


The first Open Mic of the season was April 22, and it was a rockin’ good time. People must have been practicing all winter. First off, there’s a “house” band called The Mad March Hare, whose core members include Monte and Renee Hayward, and Guy Slater and his wife Joy Bohlke. They were joined by Hank McLain and Angelo Parisi, and young Chris Hayward on drums. Other acts included Gil Baxter playing very cool jazz/classical piano pieces, and “Sparrow” which is Steve Serra and his loop station. Steve creates a multi-layered sound, singing and playing over pre-recorded tracks. He’s great! Then there was the rock ‘n roll band that can’t decide what their name is – Nigel Hall, Barney Locke and Gary Rosenberg, with singer Paula Behmke. They were either The Earthtones, or The Nigel Hall band featuring Paula Behmke! They were followed by the amazing John Williams who plays guitar and sings original songs. His great voice and guitar playing style sends chills down your spine. John also plays in a local Sonoma band called 10 Foot Tone. Then Judy Williams got the whole room singing with a rousing version of “Don’t Fence Me In.”

The younger set was well-represented, too, with Nelly Serra, Briana Hayward, Chris Hayward and Samantha Bohlke-Slater all taking turns at the mic. Thanks to Guy and Joy and Monte and Renee for putting together Open Mic, which will be on the third Thursday of the month through about October, at the Kenwood Depot. Mark the next one on your calendar, May 20, 6 p.m. (sign-ups at 5:30).

Eric and Yvonne Norrbom went to Washington, D.C. during the Cherry Blossom Festival at the end of March. Eric said that “After the severe weather they had this year, our stay had lovely weather, and the cherry blossoms were everywhere (though not evident in this picture).”


Yvonne and Eric Norrbom visited our nation’s capital in March.


Believe it or not, it’s May, which means it’s graduation time. Please send us your graduation news and pictures. We will run college graduation news as it comes in, and the high school news will be published in the June 15 issue. Let us know what your post-high school plans are, whether it be college, work, travel, the military…inquiring minds want to know! You can email that, or any other news, to ann@kenwoodpress.com or call 833-5155 and chat me up! – A.Q.