Bikes, boats and automobiles
With a CalTrans work order looming over the re-striping of Broadway, Sonoma’s City Council finally reached a conclusion about what type of bicycle lane (if any) it wanted. The vote was 3-2 in favor of a buffered bike lane running next to the lane of traffic, rather than one placed against the curb, protected by bollards and parked cars. The job is now underway…. But like riding a bike instead of taking an Uber, getting there took awhile. The councilmembers couldn’t agree on a design; then, a procedural question forced another, hastily-convened meeting to discuss whether it was OK to discuss. Turns out, running a city is not just like riding a bike.
There’s only one way to describe the crime perpetrated by a vacationing couple who stole a cat while renting an Airbnb in El Verano and took it back to their SoCal home: cat burglary. As for the unlikely reunion when the cat’s true home was discovered via microchip: happy ending.
In a town where the daily paper comes out twice a week, nearly every day is a slow news day. Even so, there never seems not to be an opportunity to take a shot at the Mattson Properties, with its portfolio of 80+ local, mostly neglected properties. The (empty) Church Mouse building continues to invite vandals, loiterers and litterbugs. Ignoring rules and skirting permit issues would seem to be nothing new, according to public records from Piedmont, Mattson’s hometown. That home, in fact, was under renovation and construction for years with numerous citations for permit violations and un-permitted work. The city referred to the file as “voluminous”… Remember, queries Sarah Elkins, “when Sonomans decided they would rather that building sit empty than allow a local family to operate a Domino’s Pizza franchise there, because I sure do.”
State Sen. Mike McGuire, whose district includes the Sonoma Valley and counties along the northern coast, is the new Majority Leader. It’s the second most powerful gig in the senate. But, says the Healdsburg resident, “My top priority will always be the North Coast. We have been through so much together over the last several years – multiple wildfires, floods, extreme drought and this pandemic. Even through our darkest days, we never gave up and we never gave in.” The Democrat was elected to the Senate in 2014, but won’t be termed out until 2026 because of a change in term-limit rules.
Beachfront property on Atherton Drive. Boat races replacing NASCAR at Sonoma Raceway. Ferry service inadvertently returns to Wingo. The California Department of Transportation warns that nearly the entire stretch of Highway 37, from Novato to Vallejo, could be “permanently submerged” as soon as 2040 due to crazy weather and rising sea levels caused by climate change. Start saving that toll money now.
Impact100 Sonoma is a women’s collective that pools its funds to support nonprofits. This year, with 311 members, the group has its biggest pot ever: $335,000. “For the second year in a row, Impact100 will be awarding Impetus Grants of up to $25,000 to each nonprofit selected,” said Dana Simpson-Stokes. It used to be awarded in one large chunk. But the Impetus Grants model was conceived as a response to pandemic-related obstacles faced by local nonprofits, “and allowed Impact100 to spread out grant funds more broadly.” The application cycle is underway, with Awards Celebration set for April 30.
The City of Sonoma is looking at allowing leashed dogs on Sonoma Plaza, and Bob Edwards, who says “Dog” is a proper noun and should always be capitalized, is all for it. Dogs are already welcomed at establishments around the square, he says, and promoting Sonoma as a Dog Friendly Town would be great for tourism. As for the ducks, “birds would be more fearful of (and harassed by) off-leash kids than the on-leash Dogs.”… As for parsing some kinds of dogs as nicer or safer than others, don’t discriminate. That would be breedist.
– Val Robichaud, [email protected]
