The Buzz: Jim Peak turns 100, PAC to commemorate firestorm with exhibition

News, notes and tidbit from around Petaluma|

Petaluma Arts Center to host exhibit marking anniversary of October firestorms: Renewal through Art is the title of a new multi-media exhibit to run at the Petaluma Arts Center from Sept. 29-Nov. 17. Conceived as a way to commemorate the devastation of the firestorms of 2017, the display will feature Sonoma County and Napa County artists, specifically addressing the fires and their own responses to the immense losses that resulted from the tragedy. There will be a reception to kick things off on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 6 -7:30 p.m. During the six week run of the art show, a number of events will take place to coincide with the exhibit. On Friday, Oct. 12, from 7-9 p.m., there will be a panel discussion at the center, featuring artists sharing their own stories of loss and resilience, and on Nov. 16, from 9-9 p.m., the center will host an evening of dance and poetry on the theme of renewal. Visit PetalumaArtsCenter.org for more information.

Petaluman “Jim the Barber” to turn 100 next week: Jim Peak, originally of Kentucky, will be turning the big 1-0-0 on Thursday, Sept. 27, and some local folks have submitted a request to the City of Petaluma, asking for an official proclamation honoring Peak and his long life of achievements. Born in 1918, Peak is the eighth of eleven kids born to his sharecropping parents John and Virginia. At the age of 18, Peak joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, and for three years served as a cook at the Charleston Mountain camp in Nevada. Afterwards, he worked in a number of silver mines, met and married his wife Belle Boese in 1941, and relocated to Pasadena, California. He later served in the U.S. Navy, at the end of WWII, and with the help of the G.I. Bill, attended Barber School upon being discharged in 1946. Not long after, he and his new family (Jim and Belle eventually had four children) moved to Lancaster, where Peak continued to ply the barber trade, eventually purchasing his own shop, and earning the nickname “Jim the Barber.” After retiring, Peak moved to Palm Springs, where he rode his bicycle daily until the age of 98, and then relocated to Petaluma in 2017 to live with his daughter, Joellen Aymond.

Happy birthday, Jim!

(Have a good idea for a BUZZ item? Drop a line to Community Editor David Templeton at david.templeton@arguscourier.com)

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