Cooking with David Maciel

Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza
December is always a festive time of the year for me in the kitchen. Christmas & New Years dinners I pull out all the stops to celebrate.

This sweet potato & cranberry dish will pair well with beef ham, turkey & also pleases a vegetarian. It’s a great side dish if you are invited to a potluck party. Trust me, you won’t be bringing leftovers home. ​

Ingredients
• 4 large, sweet potatoes
• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ cup orange juice

Topping:
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons cold butter

Directions:
Place sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-in. slices.

1. Place half in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the cranberries, brown sugar and butter. Repeat layers. Pour orange juice over top. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown, about 10 minutes longer.

Bon appétit

On November 15, 2023, Thelma Groom peacefully passed away three days prior to her 104th birthday. She was surrounded by her loving family.

Thelma was born in Santa Rosa where she lived with her parents until her marriage to Elijah J. (Bud) Groom in 1947. She was a graduate of Santa Rosa High School and Santa Rosa Junior College. In 1948 she and her husband moved to Cloverdale where she spent her remaining 75 years.

She was an avid bridge player, golfer, and bowler, and had many friends. She enjoyed music and dancing. She loved the Sonoma Coast, spending lots of her time there as a child as well as an adult and passed on that love to her children.

She is survived by her children Vicky Groom, Kay Lanier (Bob Gardner), her grand-daughter Amber Lanier, and grandson Olen Wood. At her request there will be no services. If desired, donations may be made in her name to Canine Companions 2965 Dutton Ave. Santa Rosa 95407. The family wishes to sincerely thank Sutter Home Care and Hospice and Vine Ridge Assisted Living for the loving care they provided to Thelma.

Herb Steiner passed away peacefully at his home in Santa Rosa surrounded by family on October 14, 2023 at the age of 85.

Herb, fondly known as “Herbie,” was born on January 26, 1938, and spent his childhood in Galt, California. He was one of five siblings in a close-knit, hardworking family.

Immigrating from Switzerland, his father instilled strong family values, faith, and a passionate work ethic that Herb would emulate for the rest of his life. After graduating from Bellarmine High School, Herb launched into an eventful college life at the University of the Pacific where he met the love of his life, Wendy, and fostered friendships that would last a lifetime.

Following graduation, Herbie landed in Cloverdale to work at Medico Drug. He chose Cloverdale for its charm and its proximity to the Russian River where he furthered his passion for fly fishing. In the next few years, the Steiner family expanded to include son Mark and daughter Karin.

In 1968 Herb purchased his first pharmacy in Healdsburg, aptly named “Herb’s Prescription Center”, and later founded the Bennett Valley Pharmacy and Cloverdale Pharmacy. Soon after, Herb moved his family to Healdsburg where they lived for 42 years and was an involved and vibrant community leader, serving on multiple boards and committees including: Founder of North Coast Bank/Windsor Oaks Bank, Copper Towers Medical Clinic Board, Advisory member of Sonoma County Savings & Loan, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Sonoma County Grand Jury, and Redwood Empire Pharmacy Association.

As a pharmacist, Herb was passionate about establishing rapport, maintaining friendships and building trust with his customers. He would often receive calls in the middle of the night from a physician in need of medication for a patient. After a 12-hour workday he’d quickly drive back to the pharmacy without complaining, and never charge the customer for his late-night trip. Herb was a successful pharmacist not only because of his keen knowledge of the industry, but his genuine care and concern for his customers. Everyone knew Herbie would greet them with a smile, offer to help, and follow up with his witty sense of humor and uncanny ability to tell a great story.

John Ball, born June 2, 1947, lost his battle with cancer on October 26, 2023 at home with his loving family surrounding him. Everyone knows John affectionately as “Pa”. He will be so very missed by his wife of 59 years, Peggy (Ma); three kids – Shawn Ball, LaVon Gambetta (Michael), Rhonda Knowles (Rick Jones), grandkids – Jordan Gambetta (Carla), Sara Zediker (Scott), Derek Knowles (Krysta), Ryan Knowles (Adrienne Harkey), Kelsie Jones, Riki Jones, three beautiful great-granddaughters – Brynn Knowles, Claire Zediker, Mila Gambetta, and Pa’s brother Bruce Ball (Maryanna).

Pa is a long-time Cloverdale resident (1959) who always had a smile and joke ready. He adored his family and loved to sit around the table playing games, a round of pool or video game nights with the grandkids. Anyone lucky enough to hang out with Pa knows his famous junk food runs, rock & roll music, fantastic Christmas displays and his love of dancing.

Please join the family for a celebration of life. Pa’s wishes are for a celebration filled with music, dancing, and love. Saturday, December 9th at 3:00pm at the Cloverdale Grange Hall, 201 Commercial Street, Cloverdale CA 95425.

As we near the end of 2023, the City of Cloverdale would like to inform the community of some significant changes that are set to take place at the Cloverdale Police Department. These changes represent both a transition in leadership and an opportunity for growth within our police department.

Honoring Retiring Police Chief Ferguson
First and foremost, it is with mixed emotions that we announce the retirement of our dedicated Police Chief, Jason Ferguson. After four years of service and commitment to our community, Chief Ferguson will be retiring on December 14th. Chief Ferguson, a beacon of dedication and service, will be leaving behind a legacy marked by outstanding achievements and unwavering commitment to our community’s safety and emergency preparedness. His emphasis on proactive engagement and collaboration with Resilient Cloverdale and the CloveReady Initiative has strengthened the bond between the police force and our community. As Chief Ferguson prepares to embark on this new chapter in his life, the City of Cloverdale expresses profound gratitude for his dedicated service and wishes him a fulfilling and well-deserved retirement. The impact of his leadership will resonate within our community for years to come.

Introduction of New Police Chief Chris Parker
It is my privilege to introduce the new leader who will be taking the helm of our Police Department. Lieutenant Chris
Parker, who has served with distinction in various roles within our department, will assume the position of Police Chief effective December 15th. Chris is a highly experienced law enforcement professional with a career
spanning over two decades. His journey in the field began in 1998 when he started as a police reserve officer for the city of Mountain View. In 2001, Chris was hired as a police officer for the city of Cotati, where he quickly made his mark and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2005.

Throughout his career, Chris has taken on diverse assignments that have showcased his versatility and
dedication to community safety. He has worked on and supervised numerous undercover operations and
probation enforcement operations, demonstrating a keen understanding of addressing quality-of-life issues. In 2015, Chris joined the Cloverdale Police Department, where he was promoted to patrol sergeant. Demonstrating exemplary leadership skills, he was once again promoted in 2019 to the rank of Patrol Lieutenant.

During his tenure in Cloverdale, Chris’s leadership was tested as he served as the acting police chief for nine months during challenging times, including the Tubbs fire, an officer-involved shooting, and various community issues that arose. Chris successfully navigated these situations, addressing them with efficiency and professionalism. Additionally, he took proactive steps to foster community engagement by initiating programs such as National Night Out and Coffee with a Cop, to name a few, further strengthening the bond between law enforcement and the community they serve. Chris’s dedication, experience, and ability to handle complex situations make him a respected and trusted leader in law enforcement and throughout Sonoma County.

Introduction of 10th Officer Marlen Gonzales

In addition to the new dispatcher, we are also welcoming