ALLES WILKOMMEN ZUM 

Karl Lebherz & his Bavarian Band

COTATI OKTOBERFEST 

Saturday, 10/8, 12 - 6 pm 

     Get out your lederhosen and practice your yodeling for the upcoming 5th Annual Cotati Oktoberfest, with wunderbar German food, fresh craft brews on tap, the requisite oom-pah-pah music of the Karl Lebherz Band, polka dancing, and entertaining contests! 

       Cotati's Oktoberfest will be held Saturday, October 8, 12 noon - 6 p.m. in La Plaza Park, downtown Cotati at the corner of Old Redwood Hwy. & W. Sierra Ave., under a big tent. Microbrews by Lagunitas Brewing Company, grilled bratwurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut, gingerbread, pretzels & more will be available for purchase (vegetarian brats available too). A full German bratwurst meal with one drink (beer, wine or root beer) is $15, collectible glass steins are $5, beers are $4, and admission is FREE.  

The winning dachshund reaches the finish line, cheered on by Gerard Giudice of Sally Tomatoes.

 Contests:  2 pm - Wiener Dog Races (for speedy dachshunds), 3 pm - Tankard Hold (sponsored by Spancky's Bar), and 4 pm - Stein Race (sponsored by Friar Tuck's Pub) - no entrance fee required. Winners for each contest will receive a cash prize of $50. A special silent auction of various beer steins from a private collection will be held from 12 - 5 pm.

       Sponsored by the Cotati Chamber of Commerce, Costco, Friar Tuck's Pub, Lagunitas Brewing Co., Mesa Beverage, Mill Valley Refuse, Redwood Empire Disposal, Saag's, Sally Tomatoes, and Spancky's Bar.      

       For more information or to request an entry form for the Wiener Dog Races, call (707) 795-5508 or email chamber@cotati.org. VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED!   

NEXT QUARTERLY SPEAKER SERIES BREAKFAST MEETING

Program:          

     Cotati Arts Project Sculpture Update        

     Cordel Stillman from the Sonoma County Water Agency will speak on the study      

     underway  to create a Sonoma County utility company  

FREE Breakfast Buffet provided by Friar Tuck's Pub 

RSVP before Mon. 11/14 to chamber@cotati.org or 795-5508

WELCOME NEW MEMBER

PEET'S COFFEE & TEA  

(707) 796-7080  

THANK YOU TO OUR RENEWING MEMBERS  

Arch's Glass, Inc. 

Arianne's Computer Services

Armstrong Chiropractic 

Artful Arrangements 

Carl's Body Shop  

College Car Wash & Mavrik Car Wash 

Conservation Corps North Bay

Cotati Accordion Festival

Cotati Corner  

Cotati-Rohnert Park Co-op Nursery School 

Cotati Small Animal Hospital  

Education Foundation of Cotati-Rohnert Park 

Fairfield Inn & Suites Sebastopol

George A. Malkemus, DDS

Golden State Computer Solutions 

Greg LeDoux & Associates, Inc.

Hines Signs

Industrial Carting 

Klassic Key Properties 

La Plaza Veterinary Clinic

MOXIE Salon

Mulligan Realty 

Oak View of Sonoma Hills  

Oliver's Market 

ProTransport-1  

Redhawk Glass, Inc. 

Redwood Empire Disposal

Rotary Club of Rohnert Park-Cotati 

Sally Tomatoes 

Songbird Community Healing Center

Gary Sterner 

Tiny Thai Restaurant

Westcoast Solar Energy 

COSTUME DRIVE AT MASSAGE ENVY 

Massage Envy of Cotati (and Petaluma and Napa) are starting a costume drive for a free costume store for families in need (or anyone). Costumes/accessories/make up/props can be dropped off at 640 East Cotati Ave. anytime! This is a part of ladybugconnections.org, our community service partner.

All are encouraged to look up our website, or find us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ladybug-Connections/234887303199496 

Thank you,

Gina Drohan and Kristin Williamson

Massage Envy of Cotati

EDUCATION FOUNDATION'S SONOMA MOUNTAIN CAR SHOW

Sunday, 10/9,10:30 am - 4:00 pm

Double Tree Plaza, 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park

Rain or Shine Event, open to ALL cars - $30 Car Show entry fee

FREE EVENT TO THE PUBLIC

Steak Eating Contest!  Special Events! Raffle!!  Awards!!  Goodie bags!!

Music by The Rotten Tomatoes!! 

All proceeds benefit the Education Foundation of Cotati & Rohnert Park

For more information, contact April Nelson at 707-888-0428 or  nelson87@sbcglobal.net 

Linda Ortega at 707-792-1942 or lortega7@msn.com or check out the website at www.efcrp.org.

Economic Update on California, Sonoma County & the Nation

Wed. 10/12, 1 - 3 pm
The Finley Center, Santa Rosa

Robert Kleinhenz, Deputy Chief Economist for the California Association of REALTORS®

and  Robert Eyler, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Economics, Sonoma State University

will discuss the California housing market and the overall health of the economy.

Presented by The Women's Council of REALTORS® and the North Bay Association of REALTORS®

$15 for WCR/North Bay Association of REALTORS® Members
$20 for Non-Members

CLICK HERE to make reservations.

COTATI CREEK CRITTERS NEWS

FALL TRASH PICK UP  

Sat. 10/15, 9 am - 12 noon

Two locations: Falletti Park off Gravenstein Way & Cotati Well Lot #2 on Lakewood Avenue

Help clean up the upper reach of the Laguna de Santa Rosa and stop trash washing downstream into the main part of the Laguna, Russian River, and Pacific Ocean. Wear old clothes, with boots or sturdy shoes to protect you from mud and blackberry thorns. Dress in layers with raingear and/or sun protection. Bring your own water bottle. Gloves and trash grabbers will be provided. For more information, email jenny@creeks.cotati.info or call 792-4422 or visit www.CotatiCreekCritters.info. 

WASHOE CREEK NIGHT GOLF TOURNAMENT

Sat. 10/15, 7:30  pm

Washoe Creek Golf Course, 1475 W Sierra Ave, Cotati

$30 in ADVANCE or $35 day of the event
Your fee includes one LED Night Golf Ball BALL (more available for purchase, just $3), dinner and the 9-Hole Tournament. This will be loads of fun, as always!

Link to our Event Page on Facebook:

 http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=189710311098272  

See you there!

Washoe Creek Golf Course

Call 707-792-7700 or stop by for more details!!

COTATI'S MUSICAL HISTORY

Thurs. 10/27, 7 - 9 pm

Cotati Room, Ray Miller Community Center, 216 E. School St., Cotati

Each fall, the Cotati Historical Society sponsors a History Night with a program illuminating a different aspect of Cotati's past. 

• Come hear about the music scene which started in the 60's
• Learn about the famous Cotati Cabaret and Inn of the Beginning
• Find out how the Accordion Festival got its start

Free admission - refreshments courtesy of Oliver's Market and Starbuck's Coffee. For more information, call the Cotati Historical Society at 707-794-0304 or visit www.cotatihistoricalsociety.org.  

SALLY TOMATOES HALLOWEEN PARTY

SONGBIRD COMMUNITY HEALING CENTER  

UPCOMING CLASSES/EVENTS

8280 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati  94931

Songbird Community Healing Center, conveniently located in downtown Cotati, offers a branch of health care and education that connects the body, mind, and spirit. We are synthesizing the traditional and modern, new and old. Our branch provides a community gathering place for people of like minds to network and share. We offer cost-effective space rental and affordably-priced holistic education and care.

In September, we have our Two for One Special. Bring a friend for free to every class you attend. Purchase a service for yourself and get a free or reduced-priced session as a gift for a friend. This applies only to your first time working with them. Your names and e-mail addresses are required. 

For more information on all events & classes, call (707) 795-2398 or visit www.songbirdcenter.org. 

SPECIAL EVENTS

Wed 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16. 7:30pm  
Relaxation & Stress Reduction

Thu 10/6, 7:30pm
Reading Signs in Nature for Guidance
 
Fri 10/7, 7:00pm 
Embracing Escstasy: A Love Spell Ceremony
 
Mon 10/10, 7:30pm 
Is Your House Haunted?
 
Tue/Thu 10/11-129/9, 4:00pm
Rainbow Children - Learning to Use Intuition

Fri 10/14, 7:00pm
2012 and the Galactic Center
 
Sat 10/15, 10:00am 
Chakra Manifestation Meditation
 
Sat 10/15, 7:00pm 
Film: Spirited Away 

Tue 10/18, 7:00pm 
Toltec Recapitulation Breathing
 
Thu 10/20, 7:00pm
Healing the Heart through Scent   
Sat 10/22, 7:00pm 
Sound in Motion: A Cleansing and Manifesting Ceremony

Sun 10/23, 2:00pm 
Stepping into Fierceness

Mon 10/24, 7:30pm 
Book Discussion: A Manual for the Modern Mystic

Fri 10/28, 7:00pm 
A Night of Evolving

CLINICS 

2nd /4th Tue, 7:30pm 

Hands of Gold Healing Clinic 

4th Sat, 11:30am 

Drop-In ThetaHealing®

ON-GOING EVENTS 

1st Sun, 11:00am + 12:30 potluck 
Sufi-Universal Worship Service

3rd Sat, 2:00pm 
Flowing with the Wave of Change 

4th Sat, 10:00am
ThetaHealing® Practice for Graduates  

MOVEMENT CLASSES 

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER WORKSHOPS  

NEXT STEPS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Tues, 10/18, 9 am - 3 pm

Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club, 333 Country Club Dr., Santa Rosa

COST: FREE 

The Small Business Development Center at Santa Rosa Junior College will host a Next Steps for Small Businessprogram for North Bay small businesses as part of a no-cost, professional development road show touring the state. It includes a complimentary lunch and networking opportunities as well as face-to-face interaction with SBDC business advisors and government and corporate buyers. 

Admission to the event is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To sign up or for more information about the event or to see an itinerary, go to www.californiasbdc.org/nextsteps/santarosa or call (707) 826-3922.

The program features industry insiders with the latest tips and techniques for entrepreneurs to maximize their access to capital, practical social media marketing, international sales and selling to the government. A number of high profile speakers will be featured including representatives from Yelp, AT&T, Vertical Response, the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. General Services Administration.   

READ MORE ABOUT IT 

WEB SITE CRITIQUES -Take Your Web Site from Pitiful to Profitable

Wed, 11/9, 10 am - 12 pm and Wed, 11/16, 10 am - 12 pm

SBDC Building, 1808 Albany Drive, Santa Rosa

COST: $60

If your web site is not contributing to your business success, perhaps it is time for a site makeover! In this 2-part workshop series we will spend the first session reviewing what makes a good web site. We will use the proven SBDC Technology Advisory Program's Web Site Audit process to critique an e-commerce site. You learn specific elements of a site that contribute to success along with pitfalls to avoid and leave with a checklist you can apply to your site. In the second part of the series, we will review the sites of class volunteers and discuss what is working on the site and what isn't. In this fun and supportive environment we will help each class member leave with a makeover action list.

Who Will Benefit From This Workshop: Anyone with a web site and who would like ideas on how to make it more effective-whether you have done your own site development or have hired a web developer. Limited to 6 participants for maximum personal attention.

 READ MORE ABOUT IT  

FROM KITCHEN TO MARKET - How To Successfully Bring Your Specialty Food Products To Market

Tue, 11/15, 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

SBDC Building, 1808 Albany Drive, Santa Rosa

COST: $45

Get the tools you need to honestly assess your risk and opportunity in entering the fresh food industry. Learn the current trends as well as tips on setting up your business. Capitalizing it, and marketing your products in the highly competitive but reliable specialty foods business. Those already in the market will find some ideas on expansion. The insider information packed into this 3-hour workshop has saved countless hours of research and resources for its participants.

 READ MORE ABOUT IT   

REDUCE ENERGY, SAVE MONEY FOR YOUR BUSINESS 

Energy Upgrade California™ in Sonoma County is part of a new statewide program that packages rebates, incentives, and financing together into a "one-stop shop" to help Cotati businesses and homeowners reduce energy use and lower utility bills. The program supports a "whole-building" approach to saving energy because it takes more than switching out light bulbs to achieve maximum efficiency and savings.

Energy Upgrade in Sonoma County guides and assists commercial property owners and building managers through the process of evaluating opportunities for water conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable generation. Approaching your building as a complete system means considering how HVAC, lighting, insulation, cool roof, water, and other systems can work together most effectively to reduce your energy use and help lower your utility bills.

Tax deductions ranging from $0.60 to $1.80 per square foot and utility rebates are available right now for owners of both new and existing buildings who upgrade interior lighting, building "envelope," heating, cooling, ventilation, or hot water systems to reduce the building's total energy.

Energy Upgrade also connects you to commercial project financing options, including the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program. SCEIP can finance energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy improvements through a voluntary assessment, known as Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE financing. These assessments are attached to the property, not the owner, and are paid back through the property tax system over time. SCEIP is a partner in the Energy Upgrade California program in Sonoma County.

The business case for energy efficiency

What is the business case for pursuing energy efficiency right now? Consider the following:

• Lower up-front investment - Energy Upgrade lowers the cost of investing in energy efficiency upgrades because rebates and incentives make your improvements more affordable.
• Lower operating costs - Reducing your building energy use can potentially make a big difference in monthly utility bills, savings that ultimately pay back on your investment. Simple energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings, such as insulating window films, yield $3 in savings on average for every $1 invested.
• Increased property value - Energy efficient buildings retain higher real estate value, commanding higher rents (6-7%) and maintaining higher occupancy rates than less efficient buildings.
• Reduced carbon footprint - Improving your building's energy efficiency is a key way to green your business and directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating your business' compliance with AB32.
• Building energy rating boost - Turn your compliance with AB1103 (the law that requires nonresidential building owners or operators to disclose Energy Star Portfolio Manager benchmarking data and ratings to prospective buyers, lessees, or lenders, similar to a "miles per gallon" rating) into a business asset.
• Improved indoor air quality - Proper ventilation and non-toxic materials creates a healthier environment for your employees and customers.
• Local economic stimulation - Your energy efficiency project will create jobs and support local businesses!

Another opportunity to green your business

Extend your company's sustainability efforts even further by getting on board with the Energy Upgrade Employee Outreach Program, which offers employers tools to educate your employees about energy efficiency services and benefits for their own homes. Up to $4,000 in residential rebates are available now for home energy upgrades, providing homeowners with as much as 40 percent in energy savings on their utility bills.  As of July 1, 2011, all Sonoma County residents are eligible for up to a 75 percent rebate on the cost of a Home Energy Analysis that includes a California Home Energy Rating System score (known as a HERS II Rating).

Joining the Employee Outreach Program also provides your business with marketing opportunities and community recognition for supporting your employees' participation in the residential Energy Upgrade program.

Best of all, residential energy efficiency projects through Energy Upgrade are performed by contactors who are certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI), have met all program requirements, and are part of an ongoing quality assurance program to ensure consumer protection. Making energy efficiency improvements to your commercial property and helping your employees upgrade their home energy performance directly benefits our local economy.

Opportunities to learn more

Visit www.energyupgradesonoma.org for more information about upgrade services, participating contractors, available incentives, financing options, and program details.

Contact Kathy Goodacre, Program Marketing Manager, for more information about the Employee Outreach Program, at (707) 537-1979 or kathygoodacre@sbcglobal.net.

Look for Energy Upgrade CALIFORNIA in Sonoma County at the Sonoma County Fall Home Show October 14-16, 2011 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. For more information, see "events" at www.sonomacountyfair.com.

COTATI CHIROPRACTOR PROVIDES FREE CARE FOR "DOCTORS WITH A HEART"

Dr. Venus Ann Maher, a chiropractic physician, whose clinic is located at 525 E. Cotati Ave. Suite 115 will be proudly providing service free of charge on Friday, November 4th for Doctors with a Heart Day. Traditionally this occurs on one day only, which for existing patients will be November 4th. However due to a need that cannot be met in one day, new patients will receive a  free history, examination and first treatment when they schedule any time in the month of November.

Dr. Maher has been providing service to Sonoma County for 23 years. While all adjustments are free on that day optional donations will be accepted for NOAH, "Neighbors Organized Against Hunger." Doctors with a Heart Day is a day of free health care to members of the community. During regular business hours, on selected days, participating doctors provide service at no charge. Services are by appointment only. An optional donation for a local charity, NOAH, is requested.  NOAH feeds 250 Rohnert Park, Cotati and Penngrove families each week and distributes food on Wednesdays from 4-6pm at Mountain Shadows Middle School. Doctors with a Heart was started by Dr. Duane Schmidt, a dentist, in 1986 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The basic idea of Doctors with a Heart is to do what you do well for free on the chosen day and accept donations for worthy projects.

Dr. Maher states, "Being part of Doctors with a Heart is consistent with my ethical & spiritual beliefs. I know that every person needs full access to health care. I can provide that access to chiropractic services through my involvement in Doctors with a Heart. I delight in helping others, & I can think of no better way to celebrate being a part of this community for 23 years than by serving through chiropractic and supporting NOAH."

Appointments for Doctors with a Heart may be made by calling (707) 792-0202.  (www.maherchiro.com.) For more info about "Neighbors Organized Against Hunger" (NOAH) call 795-7853.

HELP GROW THE CHAMBER & GET REWARDED  

Refer a Business & Get Chamber Cash!           

• For every business, organization or individual you refer who joins the Cotati Chamber of Commerce, you will receive 25% of their first year's membership dues in Chamber Cash.
• You can spend Chamber Cash on anything the Chamber offers for purchase - your own membership dues, merchandise, luncheon or breakfast meetings, or tickets to any Chamber events.
• The amount of Chamber Cash could be anywhere from $13 to $90 (rounded to the nearest dollar), depending on the new member's membership category.
• There is no limit to the amount of members you can refer to collect Chamber Cash.
• Just have the new member write your name on their membership application at "Referred By" and when the business joins, you'll receive your Chamber Cash soon after by mail.
• Chamber Cash will expire one year from the date of issuance.

CLICK HERE for the Cotati Chamber Membership Application, which you can give to all of your business referrals. Any other questions, call the Cotati Chamber of Commerce at (707) 795-5508.