Rohnert Park Throws Itself a Birthday Party, and Everyone Was There

By the time the ended, the morning clouds had burned off and bluebird skies arched over the vendors and crowds at the . The size of the crowd - the parking lots at the Center full well before the parade itself began - seemed to surprise even the organizers, albeit happily so.

"It's an awesome day," enthused Phyllis Transue of Rohnert Park's cultural arts commission at the raffle booth. She added that she thought the weekly might have "conditioned" people to the sort of gathering that brought Rohnert Park together.

The booth sold Commemorative Bricks from $100 and up, to decorate the pathways at the and Library, as well as raffle tickets to win one of the two Patrick Amiot mini-sculptures. "Right now the bricks are outselling the raffle tickets," said Transue. Surprising, since the raffle tickets were $5 or $10, depending on which of the two metal models appealed.

"We're all volunteers," said Aileen Albert of the Mr. Lucky Legs contest, a fun throw-back competition held mid-afternoon. "That's what makes this a community."

The Mr. Lucky Legs contest featured four judges - all female, of course - with Albert as the tie-breaker in case the voting was too close. Categories included Hairiest Legs, Most Muscular, Sexiest and overall winner.

Overall winner was Ralph Knecht, a police officer from Sacramento - but his wife is the former Katie Callinan, daughter of Chris Callinan and a Rohnert Park native. She entered her spouse in the contest because, she said simply, "I believe in my husband's legs."

Another winner, for Hairiest Legs, was Rohnert Park's own police chief, .

Another popular "throw-back" event were the Bed Races, for which there were five entries of four poster beds on wheels. Winner overall was Reed's Hair Barn, which had won the contest the last time it was held - 20 years ago. Their three-wheeled double bed was simply unstoppable, if not altogether street legal.

Highlight of that Bed Races was the face-off between the Rohnert Park City Council and the Public Works department, in which the elected officials drove to an easy victory. The Council failed in their next heat, possibly because Mayor Jake Mackenzie reclined on the bed for that race, instead of pushing the cot down the 100-yard (more or less) course.

Mayor Mackenzie may have been worn out from his enthusiastic engagement in the day's events, including riding his bike the length of the parade, welcoming the city to the party, and being a very gregarious presence throughout.

Or perhaps he was disappointed in his non-placing finish in the Mr. Lucky Legs contest, where he failed to score despite his colorful Hawaiian kilt and bike-toned limbs.

Meanwhile the bands played on, introduced by Cathy Slack and Brian Thomas, including Counter-Balance, Rotten Tomatoes, Wonder Bread 5, Rotten Tomatoes and the Poyntlyss Sistars. The beer glowed in the sunlight, the smells and smokes of barbecue filled the air, and smiles were everywhere. Clearly Rohnert Park enjoyed celebrating its 50th birthday party.

Looking good for the Big Five-Oh, RP!