Springs politics, Sonoma weed, and more
Civic minded in the Springs? You now have more ways to get involved in community government. The Springs Community Alliance has been around for several years, holding monthly informational meetings on hyper-local issues and concerns. At the next gathering, on January 22 (6:30 p.m. at Springs Community Hall) the agenda includes a brief on disaster preparedness, and the election of a new executive committee. The current panel has recommended this slate: Veronica Napoles, chair; Jennifer Gray Thompson, vice chair; Bill Hoban, secretary; AnnMarie Miller, treasurer and Joan Lenhardt, at large… Then we have the Springs Municipal Advisory Council. While the Alliance has no formal tie to the County, the relatively new Springs MAC is an official entity, though its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors are non-binding. It next meets January 28, also public and also at Springs Hall. The members of that panel were named (rather than elected, as many community members called for) by Supervisor Susan Gorin… 
Thompson, now the executive director of the Rebuild Northbay Foundation, used to work for Gorin. As for any potential rivalry, remember: fireworks are banned in unincorporated areas.
Susan Gorin, meanwhile, has won the endorsement of the Sonoma County Democratic Party in her re-election bid versus Sonoma City Councilmember David Cook. “Leading the effort to reimagine the use of Sonoma Development Center, building local affordable housing, renewal of the Springs area of Sonoma, building sidewalks, focusing on road improvements, and protecting our precious open space — these are all issues important to all Democrats,” said Party Chair Pat Sabo. The backing comes with more than a nice quote. Gorin will get volunteer help with precinct walking, mailings and phone banking from the group’s Coordinated Campaign Headquarters. The primary is March 5, but because there are only two candidates, the winner earns the seat outright. And saves all that money on lawn signs for November.
The City of Sonoma, having finally settled on a Cannabis Ordinance, has opened its Request for Proposal process. The law allows for one retail location and one non-storefront retail Commercial Cannabis Business within city limits. But don’t indulge before doing the paperwork — you might not have the energy to jump through all the hoops. The deadline is February 3. Details at Sonomacity.org… Watching from afar, with a bemused ‘no comment,’ is Jon Early, whose cannabis ballot initiative long ago qualified for the upcoming ballot. Far more lenient, it would supercede the city’s rules if passed.
And, because all politics is local, particularly when paired with a nice Chardonnay, a word from Rep. Mike Thompson, who has joined fellow members of the Congressional Wine Caucus in “expressing strong concern” over U.S. retaliatory tariffs on European wine. Indeed, the industry is detecting a bitter aftertaste to Trump’s policy. “(Any) new tariffs would come at a time when U.S. wineries are already facing significant retaliatory tariffs in China,” members wrote in a strong letter to the administration. For context, the combined wine trade between the U.S. and EU totaled $4.7 billion in 2018. No word yet from the corkscrew industry.
— Val Robichaud
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