Arraignments Friday in Miranda shooting
The three young men accursed of fatally killing 17-year-old Luis Miranda last month appeared in court last Friday. All three, Juan Carlos Perez, 24, of American Canyon, Javier Ceja, 19, of Sonoma, and Juan Calderon, 17, of Boyes Hot Springs, are reportedly being held without bail, and charges are expected to be filed against Calderon as an adult. Attorneys for the suspects requested and were granted a one-week extension in the formal arraignments, now scheduled for Friday morning, November 9.
Good news for local Women’s Center
In a press release on Friday, the Sonoma Valley Hospital announced discussions with the University of California at San Francisco to collaborate with the “CJSCWHW” in order to bring UCSF physicians and surgeons to Sonoma for clinics and surgery locally. The acronym stands for the “Carolyn J. Stone Center for Women’s Health and Wellness,” founded in May 2006 and the recipient of over one million dollars in donations and grants in the 18 months since.
Dr. Patricia Brooks, Chief of Clinical Services at Sonoma Valley Hospital and director of the women’s center, met with Ms. Dixie Horning, Executive Director of the UCSF Center of Excellence for Women’s Health, to develop the relationship between the two organizations. “This SVH/UCSF collaboration,” said hospital CEO Carl Gerlach, “is a giant step forward in everyone’s desire to bring quality healthcare to the women of Sonoma Valley.”
That is expected to include a four-part community healthcare educational series in 2008, sponsored by UCSF, which has also offered guidance in the job description and training for a Program Coordinator/Nurse Navigator at Sonoma. The Stone Center plans to purchase digital mammography equipment, a bone density scanner, a portable ultra sound, and several pieces of equipment for the birth center.
Joining Brooks at the meeting were Karen Collins and Donna Halow. They and the 40-member Community Advisory Broad, including Carolyn J. Stone, for whom the center is named, are responsible for having developed the resources for the center.
Pediatric colds and flu: What’s a Dr. Mom/Dr. Dad to do?
Cold and flu season is upon us—but recommendations and therapies for coping with common winter illnesses are ever-evolving. Local pediatrician Dr. Jerome Smith will cover the current cold and flu basics in a free seminar presented by the Integrative Medicine Program at Sonoma Valley Hospital, Monday, November 12 from 7-8 pm at Sonoma Valley Hospital. The informal session will address current age recommendations for flu shots for children, the difference between colds and flu, when to call the doctor, recent news regarding dangers posed by over-the-counter cold remedies, and the latest research on zinc, vitamin C, echinacea and other therapies. Dr. Smith practices at the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center. For more information please contact Renée Ridge-Stovall at 935-5154.
Scouts collect food for FISH
The annual Scouting for Food drive for FISH (Friends in Sonoma Helping) is underway throughout Sonoma. Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts distributed bags and flyers across the valley this past weekend, seeking food donations for FISH, to help stock their Christmas baskets for the needy. If you received one of these bags, please demonstrate your holiday generosity by filling the bag with non-perishable food stuffs such as canned goods, pasta, rice, and beans. Place the bag in a visible location in front of your home, Saturday, November 10. Uniformed Scouts will retrieve the bags between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
If you did not receive a bag, but would still like to donate, please take your donations to the Fiesta Plaza, at the corner of Highway 12 and Siesta Way, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For more information please contact FISH at 996-0111.
