There has long been talk of the potential for Sonoma Square to be refashioned as a European-style plaza. It’s the largest town square in California, after all. Surround it with the energy and beauty of a pedestrian-oriented scene, with outdoor dining and shopping. Not exactly St. Mark’s Square, but hey, a great Instagram post. A bit of that emerged with the advent of Covid and the city allowing restaurants to create outdoor ‘Parklet’ areas. This was a social-distancing loophole of sorts, promoting business by allowing dining on the sidewalks and into the streets. But the reality was pretty awful. Flimsy tents, mismatched fencing, garish orange barriers, ugly plastic netting – the haphazard results look like a CalTrans garage sale… This week, the Sonoma City Council considers not only extending the Parket program but establishing consistent design criteria. It should have happened from the start. But now and finally, the city wants a better look. Seems fair. But at least one restaurant, the girl & the fig, wasn’t happy with the City’s proposed aesthetic upgrade: it dismantled its Parket, in a bit of a huff, before the Council vote. It’s just as well, says the Eastsider. Before all the CalTrans barriers were removed from First Street West, “I couldn’t tell if the restaurant was open or the bridge was out.”
Shake-ups at the Sonoma Index-Tribune, where longtime food writer Kathleen Hill resigned. For the record, it was her decision, and the paper wrote a glowing ‘thanks and farewell’ editorial about her on the way out. (Though somehow omitting she actually started her food column career for The Sun; ‘cut for space,’ no doubt.) But with page-counts dwindling throughout the Sonoma Media empire, perhaps she saw the writing on the wall. Or in her case, the noodle on the refrigerator… More drama above the fold, where publisher Emily Charrier-Botts left around the same time. Word is, she walked out after an editorial she had approved – an endorsement in the June 7 primary – was pulled and replaced by corporate. In protest, she quit. A bold moral stand, in this day and age? In journalism? Impressive! Then again, well-deserved kudos notwithstanding, it’s murky – does she still work for the company, perhaps with a different title?
Speaking of free speech, just how free is it anymore? Subscribing to a newspaper (remember them?) is getting pricey, and digital access adds up as well. The Times, The Post, The Chronicle, Patreon, podcasts, Substack, that woman in Peru with a blog about insects… $1 a week here, $5 there, it all adds up. How long before being truly informed is a luxury, a pricey hobby?… This would be a good time to remind you that there is never a charge to read Sonomasun.com or this very paper. But if you’d like to donate, please do. The news may be free, but newsprint is expensive.
The faster the cars go around Sonoma Raceway, and that’s about 200 mph, the slower the traffic moves on the way to and from the track. Expect an epic NASCAR weekend, and world-class traffic jam, culminating with the Toyota/Save-Mart 350 on June 12. Overall, not a great weekend for gas mileage.
While many of us are underwater metaphorically, the State of California knows we will literally be there by 2040, at least on Highway 37. Sen. Bill Dodd is moving on legislation to protect the doomed span from rising sea levels, accessing about $2 billion funding. “With the highway projected to be underwater in 20 years, congestion and seasonal flooding will only get worse,” without the fix, he says. Oh, and the toll charge, between Mare Island and Sears Point. That’s part of the deal, too.
Like most of us, Springs John is depressed about guns and murder and dead kids and idiots like Ted Cruz. “What’s next for Texas and the NRA? A SWAT Team of heavily-armed history teachers and ladies?”
– Val Robichaud, page3@sonomasun.com
I remember when the square had many/much of it’s side streets done in cobblestones but were taken away due to some state or other reason [remember the bike races].
As a historic area [yes it should be special and only Napa st should be paved aka HY 12] it should be redone back to cobblestones. WHY? Why not. the stones still exist as we even purchased a bunch. But honestly it would be a SUPER attraction. Bring back some of the stones. Look at what Petaluma did bringing back many stones to their streets!!!!!!