A2
Globe-trotting cashier makes customers smile
Suzanne Brown, Whole Foods clerk, is
a former travel agent who loves service
By MATT BROWN
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF
W
hen she’s not off
exploring some
far-flung corner
of the world, Suzanne
Brown can be found
behind the cash register at
Your hometown newspaper since 1855
Argus Courier
Volume 161 • No. 27 • 36 Pages • 5 Sections
© 2018 Petaluma Argus-Courier
petaluma360.com
Sonoma Media Investments, LLC
February 1, 2018
PUBLISHER: John Burns,
john.burns@arguscourier.com
EDITOR: Matt Brown
matt.brown@arguscourier.com
SPORTS EDITOR: John Jackson
johnie.jackson@arguscourier.com
NEWS EDITOR:
Hannah Beausang
hannah.beausang@arguscourier.com
FEATURES EDITOR: David Templeton
david.templeton@arguscourier.com
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Petaluma’s Whole Foods,
where regular customers
know her for her genuine
good nature.
A cashier for the past
nine years, Brown also
runs a travel agency with
her boyfriend, helping
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Holly Wick, Mark Albertson, Mary Johnson,
Pedro Toledo
many people take the trip
of a lifetime. While she
loves traveling herself, one
of Brown’s favorite places
is the East Washington
Street store, especially in
the early mornings, when
regulars come in for coffee
and a pastry.
“I’m a morning person,”
said Brown, 65. “It’s the
energy of people when
they are starting their day.
I feed off of that.”
Brown, who is typically
at the store when it opens
at 8 a.m., is the service
person of the week for the
Argus-Courier.
Brown said she likes
getting to know custom-
ers, often chatting them
up about their jobs or
their families. She is also
curious about the foods
people buy, eager to learn
how to make meals with
unique ingredients. (She’s
currently learning how to
make soup from burdock
root).
“I’ve learned a lot about
food,” she said. “I enjoy
asking people what they
are going to make.”
Sue Lassen, who nom-
inated Brown, said she is
always upbeat, friendly
and pleasant to talk to,
even with grumpy cus-
tomers first thing in the
morning.
“She always has sugges-
tions for products in the
store and seems genuinely
interested in how your
day is going,” she wrote.
“When I see she is work-
ing, I will always go to her
line, even if it is not the
shortest.”
Raised in Marin County,
Brown moved to Petalu-
ma 40 years ago after she
studied at Sonoma State
University. She has always
been in customer service,
from her early days in
Petaluma working as a
waitress at Steamer Gold
Landing for 11 years, then
working at Dempsey’s for
another five. She said it
was a wonderful expe-
rience getting to know
families and friends in
Petaluma.
PETALUMA ARGUS-COURIER • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018
Suzanne Brown is the service person of the week.
and she became a grand-
PETALUMA COMMUNITY mother three years ago.
AWARDS NOMINATIONS OPEN A self-described people
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2018 person, she said she likes
Petaluma Community Awards of Excellence, co-sponsored by being able to help people
the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce and the Petaluma on a daily basis.
Argus-Courier. Nominations are due Friday, Feb. 9.
“I like being there for
Award categories include Citizen of the Year; Volunteer of the people,” she said. “They
Year; Service to Youth; Service to Seniors; Excellence in Educa- can come to me and know
tion; Excellence in Agriculture; and Large and Small Business of I will engage with them.
the Year. It’s a two-way street. They
do the same for me. It’s
Call the chamber at 762-2785 for more information or to
uplifting.”
request a nomination form. Forms also are available on the
Brown is the first of five
chamber’s website at petalumachamber.com.
nominees for the Service
Completed nominations may be mailed to PACC, 6 Petaluma Person of the Year award,
Blvd. N., Suite A2, emailed to pacc@petalumachamber.com, or
which will be selected
faxed to 762-4721. by a poll of readers. The
winner will be honored
at the 2018 Petaluma
Community Awards of
“She always has suggestions for products Excellence, co-sponsored
in the store and seems genuinely interested by the Argus-Courier and
the Petaluma Chamber of
in how your day is going. When I see she is Commerce.
working, I will always go to her line, even if matt.brown@arguscouri- Email a nomination to
it is not the shortest.” er.com or write us a letter
—Sue Lassen, who nominated Suzanne Brown to tell us why you think
your nominee should be
considered for the service
She spent years work- and Japan. She’s planning person award (no phone
ing for a travel agency in a trip to Vietnam this year calls, please.)
Nominations can cover
Novato, before staring her and recently visited Cuba.
own business with her “Cuba was amazing,” all aspects of the service
boyfriend, with whom she she said. “I love the people industry, from cashiers
and the color of the faded and clerks to baristas and
lives. They have traveled
the world, including buildings. The old cars.” servers — not business
trips to Europe, Canada, Brown has raised two owners, managers or
Mexico, Turkey, Greece daughters, now adults, directors.
■ NEWS BRIEFS ■
Hwy. 101 crash Police nab suspected
snarls commute car thief
A driver changing lanes A suspected car thief
on Highway 101 during was arrested in Petaluma
Monday’s afternoon com- Tuesday, police said. A
mute north of Petaluma Petaluma Police Officer
struck another vehicle, contacted Jalil Mahmound
causing a four-vehicle Kayed sitting in a vehicle
collision and an evening in the Deer Creek Village
traffic jam. Shopping Center. The
The 5:30 p.m. chain-re- vehicle’s license plates
action crashes happened had been removed and
in northbound lanes at the replaced with paper plates
base of the Cotati grade. from a dealership, police
One driver moved into the said.
fast lane and didn’t see a A registration check
vehicle in his way, hitting
that vehicle. The impact
showed the vehicle had
been stolen out of Sonoma.
caused the initial driver to The victim said the vehicle
swing back and rear end
another vehicle, pushing it
had been parked at Petalu-
ma Valley Baptist Church,
into another vehicle, CHP 580 Sonoma Mountain
Officer Kerri Post said Parkway.
Tuesday. Kayed was also found to
Damaged vehicles and be in possession of drug
car debris blocked two paraphernalia, according
lanes, creating “horren- to police.
dous traffic,” said Rancho
Adobe fire Capt. Larry Mountain lion cub in
Martinez. Firefighters us-
ing extrication equipment Petaluma
popped off a damaged door A burned mountain
trapping one driver inside lion cub rescued from
her car. the Southern California
The four drivers com- wildfire will live out its
plained of pain and two life at the Sonoma County
were taken to area hospi- Wildlife Rescue Center in
tals with what appeared Petaluma, state officials
to be minor injuries, Post said Thursday.
said. A vet caring for the
mountain lion had initially
New editorial board said that the mountain
lion also would be released
members into the wild.
Three new members However, the inexperi-
joined the Argus-Courier ence of the cub — only 5
editorial advisory board. months old when found
The new members are alone, skinny and with all
Mary Johnson, a former four paws burned in De-
Petaluma City Schools Dis- cember — makes it unlike-
trict board member and ly he could survive on his
former business executive; own, said Deana Clifford,
Holly Wick, president of a senior veterinarian with
the Petaluma Downtown the California Fish and
Association and owner of Wildlife Department.
Athletic Soles; and Mark Winston Vickers, a
Albertson, a Petaluma wildlife veterinarian and
architect. mountain lion expert with
They join Pedro Toledo, the University of Califor-
the chief operating officer nia, Davis, said he concurs
of the Petaluma Health with the state decision.
Center, who has served on “We’d always rather
the board for the past six return animals to the wild.
months. Outgoing board But I agree in this case it’s
members are Carol Eber, awfully hard to imagine
Leroy Lounibos and Athe- how it could be done at
na Kautsch. this stage,” he said.
The advisory board Mountain lion cubs
meets regularly to discuss spend upward of 18
the editorial direction of months with their mother
the paper. in the wild.