Guerneville Groove by Beth Udometkin — August 2019

July 25, 2019

August. Where has the summer gone? It seems like the dams were just installed and here we are with school starting on August 15th! Guerneville School has exciting news that Jolene Morasch has been selected as the new Guerneville K-8 Principal! She begins her new role in the 2019-2020 school year and is a current teacher, resident, active parent and educational leader. GATOR NATION congratulates you Mrs. Morasch! Be sure to attend the Back to School Night Welcome Back BBQ on August 13th. For more information, visit

The Rockin on the River’s free music concert series continues to be a success every other Thursday evening, so don’t miss Carlos Reyes & the Electric Symphony on Aug 1st, beginning at 7pm on the plaza, in groovy downtown Guerneville. Enjoy the Paraguayan Harp & Electric Violin Virtuoso while you kick up your heels and enjoy the summer evening! Aug 15th Purple Haze will have their tribute to Jimi Hendrix and Aug 29th groove to the Island Style Funk, Reggae Rock sound of the Un Amour Band! Thank you, Russian River Rotary! Don’t forget to visit the Farmer’s Market beforehand, over on Fourth St behind St. Hubert’s Hall, where you can enjoy the taste of fresh and locally grown fruits and vegetables while supporting your local farmer.

Saturday, Aug 3rd is the El Molino High School Class of ‘79’s 40th reunion, which will be held at Northwood Restaurant; tickets are still available as we would love to see all of our alumni get together to Roar like a Lion once more! Feel free to contact me at Pinnacle Capital Mortgage in downtown Guerneville for more information. 707-604-7542 brudometkin@pcmloan.com . Thank you Garth Getchell and Marilyn (Kelso) Puget for organizing this!

National Night Out will be held at St. Hubert’s Hall on Tues Aug 6th from 6-8 pm. This is a nationwide event designed to build strong community partnerships that promote safe neighborhoods…Come find out about how you can help form your own Neighborhood Watch! There will be food and fun for the kiddos, while having the opportunity to discuss your concerns and show your gratitude to our local Sheriff Dept and Firefighters.

Wed Aug 7th is the Russian River Chamber of Commerce Mixer which will be held at the Rio Nido Roadhouse at 6pm. If you haven’t been to the Roadhouse since it reopened, now is your opportunity to see the result of all their hard work and labor of love since the floods! Speaking of the Chamber, the Executive Director, Elise VanDyne, will be joining Supervisor Hopkins’ office to work as a Field Rep supporting District 5 communities; Congratulations Elise! Elise has been very instrumental in the building of a solid team at the Chamber Office, writing grants, bringing in new members and delivering high quality programs to local business owners. Elise plans on helping in the hiring process and training of her successor; thank you Elise for all you have brought to the Chamber! We will miss you!

Wishes and Secrets Hair Salon will be having it’s Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Sat Aug 10th at 2pm. Be sure to go visit the one, the only, the beautiful Nicky Gibson and see the fabulous remodel of her shop since the floods. Congratulations to you my groovy friend! And, while we are mentioning groovy hair stylists, our longtime friend and resident hair stylist John Bennie has returned to his River home after spending over year in the hospital! John has been battling cancer and has worked very hard with his rehabilitation in order to return home. John needs our help in raising funds for the purchase of a chair lift to give him the ability to safely go up and down the stairs at his home; let’s pull together and support him, by making a donation to the fundraising account established at Community First Credit Union! Let’s show John how much he is appreciated and welcomed home!

Don’t forget that the Monte Rio Beach will be closed to the public on Sat Aug 17th for the Stumptown Beer Revival and BBQ Cookoff! You might want to double check the access to the beach the day before as well, as the event may be setting up at that time. If you were lucky enough to be able to purchase tickets for the annual sold out event, have fun! And remember, the following Saturday, Aug 24th is the annual Monte Rio Car Show which is a MUST attend event! You must go to the Pancake Breakfast before the show and check out the enormous pancake griddle! Come out and enjoy the beautiful cars of yesteryear while supporting your local Russian River Historical Society!

In closing, (I normally don’t do birthdays, but this is an exception), I’d like to wish my best friend and husband Bill Rudometkin and my daughter Crystal Kowal (who just blessed us with our handsome grandson) a very Happy Birthday! I love you to the moon and back, around the world and back again, forever and a day!

Beth Rudometkin’s involvement in the River Community began during her childhood in the early 1960’s and continues to this day. She has served on numerous community & non-profit Boards and has donated countless hours of volunteer work throughout all aspects of the River Community. Beth is a licensed Mortgage Loan Originator for Pinnacle Capital Mortgage, downtown Guerneville. Email Beth Rudometkin at rudometkinbeth1@gmail.com.