Free Republic

The kid is back in town. That means long lines outside Russian River Brewing Co.'s downtown Santa Rosa brew pub on Friday and lots of voice mail messages on brewer Al Gorton's phone. “I get a lot of friends this time of year,” Gorton said Thursday at the company's south Santa Rosa production facility. Gorton was in the process of filling kegs with Pliny the Younger, a Triple IPA (India Pale Ale) that is so popular with beer aficionados that people come from all over just to sample it. Last year, that included beer enthusiasts from Japan and Denmark, said...

OK, the end of summer is upon us tomorrow. Another season of mowed lawns, painted fences, visiting relatives and BBQs is in the can. Since Fall signals the start of dank, rainy days, raking leaves and grouchy clients, it's time to relax for a day, crack open your favorite malted beverage, relive your summer fun, and admire the fleeting glimpses of skin that will soon be covered with parkas and polyester.

A chamber of commerce official who served on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's transition team and is legal counsel to the governor's wife is launching a campaign to take redistricting powers away from the Democratic-controlled Legislature. George Kieffer, chairman of the board of directors for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, said the change could reduce polarization, improve California's business climate and better serve mainstream voters. He said he will ask his board when it meets today to adopt a resolution supporting the idea. That could lay the groundwork for a ballot initiative campaign in 2006 - or earlier, if Schwarzenegger...