When the unthinkable becomes credible
Still no word on who made the “credible threat” that forced a lockdown of Sonoma Valley High School on November 9. A heavy police response – deputies, SWAT, CHP, bomb unit, dog team, helicopter – was deployed after “an email threat of violence to the school campus,” according to Sonoma Police Chief Brandon Cutting. “The threat (was) that the violence was going to be killing with a firearm, and the threat provided a time that this would occur,” he said. “Due to the threat being delivered by email, the person who sent it could not be immediately identified so law enforcement could determine if this was a legitimate plan or a hoax/threat,” Cutting said. Thankfully, a search of every classroom for the firearm was conducted, and nothing was found. The locked classes were then given an all-clear. Detectives are now trying to track down the author of the note. “Today, we do not know if this was a hoax or if the decisive actions of the school prevented a tragic event from occurring. When it comes to the safety of the youth, we will always err on the side of what we know to be true.”
Supervisor Susan Gorin attended Sonoma County’s Fall Economic Perspective, and took notes. The keynote speaker was Dr. William Rodgers III from the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He highlighted the struggles of households, and disproportionately in our Black and Latino households, to meet their basic needs. Gorin explained, “Dr. Rodgers used a term he developed, ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained & Employed, to describe this population that includes teachers, nurses, firefighters, hospitality workers, and more. These households are all essential to making our County run, and are struggling to afford rent, to buy groceries, to pay hospital bills, to fill up their car with gas.” If that’s the forecast, color me Grinch. Oh, by the way, happy holidays!
Santa Claus is coming to town, at least. The jolly one is expected at the Plaza Lighting on November 18, and will sit for portraits on November 25 at Pets Lifeline. The annual Santa Paws afternoon features a pet-friendly photo shoot, plus cocoa and treats, from 9am-4pm. Petslifeline.org.
Wine Spectator is out with its Wine of the Year list for 2023. Though an Italian Brunello ranks number one, wines #2 and #4 were Sonoma Coast productions: a Pinot Noir from Occidental Winery, and a RAEN Pinot. The other American wines were, at #6, a Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa’s Howell Mountain, and Resonance Pinot Noir from Oregon. The others on the list are all of European extraction, equal parts unaffordable and unpronounceable.
With rain in the forecast, the City of Sonoma is telling you to pound sand. Correction: it is offering pounds of sand, for sandbags. Free sandbags are now available to City residents at City Hall during normal business hours, limit 10 bags per resident while supplies last. Free sand is also available to City residents in the parking lot at Depot Park, 270 First St. W. As always, bring your own shovel.
– Val Robichaud, [email protected]
