Yesterday, the Petaluma Farmers Market and the Petaluma Neighborhood Association sponsored the 6^th Bill Soberanes Memorial Whiskerino Contest in Walnut Park. (Take a look at today's Petaluma 360 video, posted by John Beck.)

Since 2008 is Petaluma's Sesquicentennial celebration year and a series of events have been scheduled throughout the year, I wonder what Bill Soberanes (an Argus-Courier columnist for 49 years, 1954-2003) would have to say if he were still alive, today?

My faulty "memory chip" failed again. In this case, I forgot all about June 2, the day Bill Soberanes died in 2003. I guess I could blame it on "Eagle-Eyes" who didn't mark it on my electronic calendar.

This Sunday, May 6, is "River Cleanup" Day. Hopefully, hundreds of volunteers will turn out to participate in our community's annual event to gather up the debris and trash that has found its way into our original "highway" to San Francisco. It is also a time to look up what Bill Soberanes has written about our "so-called" river.

If Bill Soberanes were still alive, today, he would be very pleased with the recent get-togethers of a new community action group - The Sages of Petaluma.

Whenever I drive by 423 E. Washington Street, I glance up to the porch expecting to see Bill sitting in his chair smoking a pipe and watching the "passing parade" of people. My thoughts go back to the days when I would visit with Bill and his wife, Jane, to mingle and to chat about the people he had interviewed and had been photographed with over the years.