We quietly made it through the 4th of July celebrating America’s birthday at home. Things just didn’t feel the same because it wasn’t, but we felt pride in our country as we watched different states sending up to the heavens an amazing display of fireworks.

Every year we put on different events to help raise money for our scholarship fund. This year we did a “Winner Every Day” drawing, which was to take place in May but had to be moved to July. Our lodge president Mark Rossi along with Juanita Stopponi, Don and Jeanne Cradduck and Jerry and Shirley Firpo

Seasons greetings….past is our Christmas not like any other....but did you find yourself happy and content? Somehow being isolated I found a peace in simplicity. Probably you have been reading more books and watching more movies? Hopefully writing letters to family and friends....or perhaps calling on the telephone?

OH! How could I forget to mention, baking!

More loaves of bread have been baked during this time than many years previous.

And such delicious no knead dutch oven sourdough

Greetings from Petaluma!

With all the time we have during this Pandemic, I have had a lot of great things to think about. I think about all our dear members who have passed on, how hard they worked to make the Lodge the success that it has been and is. I think about Leo Lavio, Louis Vicino, John Del Prete, Leonard and Tula Bologna, Vito and Jenny Bologna, the Spagnolas and so many others who helped in so many ways. There are more, but I cannot at this time think of their names. So please forgive me if I left out your names.

I spoke to President Ernie and he said that we have a new location for dinner/ meetings in the future when this stay at home order is ono longer needed. It will be at 5900 Snyder Lane in Rohnert Park. The hall is the club house of the El Rancho Grande Modular Home Park.

There isn’t much more than that at this time except

Into each life a little rain must fall, and in 2020 I think we had a torrential downpour. This year started out as every year, filled with plans and activities for our lodge, such as our Annual Crab Feed (which we were able to do), our Scholarship Dinner, Convention, the Annual Gene Bruno Picnic and so many other projects, but then Covid 19 hit our world with a vengeance and the world came to a screeching halt. It has truly been the year that was bringing on new challenges for not only our lodge, but for all the lodges. We have had to come up with some creative ideas for our activities, a new way of having board meetings, some activities had to be postponed while others had to be temporarily dropped for the time being. So, with that being said, I will attempt to sum up 2020 to the best of my ability.

January started off as usual with our annual Crab Feed, held at the Fairfield Senior Center. We had 250 guests in attendance where we served 48 pounds of pasta, 20 gallons of sauce, bread, salad and 800 pounds of our guest of honor The CRAB. Beautiful gift baskets, good food, good company, I’d say a good time was had by all. In

February we welcomed new members Lauretta Graham,

Despite the pandemic Eureka Lodge #1274 will award the Irene and Paul Pinochi and Frank Stagnoli Scholarships this spring. Please remind your grandchildren or friends with children of Italian descent that application materials are available now from their high school counselors or by calling Dianne Luzzi at 442-8812 tohave an application sent directly to them.

The Eureka Lodge’s activities suspended after March 2020 but up until then 2019 proved to be a banner year for our lodge:

• On April 28th 2019 we held a very successful polenta dinner at St Bernard High.

• John Salizzoni, Joe Bonino, and Jeanne Oneil attended the 2019 state Grand Lodge Convention at Reno, Nevada, in June.

• On September 8th, 2019, the annual Italian Accordion Festival and Bocce Tournament was well attended.