It was 28 degrees Wednesday morning. Unbelievable. Crisp and cold and a beautiful morning for a quick hike up the Overlook Trail. It was icy in patches but quiet and still. The animals, save the birds, must have been sleeping in as there was simply no activity other than myself and a few other hikers. When I reached the top, I couldn’t help but snap a photo of the sun rising over the hillside. Truly spectacular.
Now would be the perfect time to segue to being trite about all that we should be thankful for. And of course, we do have so much. The place we live, the people around us. Whether or not these folks are your actual family, we come together on so many occasions that it certainly seems as if they are.
In the past month alone I have witnessed and written about an outpouring of support for friends in need. I have also witnessed incredible acts of generosity like a huge donation to our local middle schools to get their gardens up and running as well as the landslide passing of Measure H which will help our local schools tremendously. Last week, the Boys & Girls Club celebrated the five-year anniversary of the Intel Computer Clubhouse, built on donations and supported by volunteers from the community at large. Also notable, a story in this week’s paper about another Boys & Girls Club program, College Bound, funded almost entirely through a $100,000 grant from Impact100 Sonoma, a giving circle started just over one year ago and already raising serious money for our local nonprofits.
At The Sun, we are thankful for our community. Our advertisers keep our ship afloat and running smoothly. Our columnists bring their own perspective and twist on the happenings of Sonoma. As for Val and I, those we write about allow us into their lives for a glimpse of what they are doing, what makes them special. Being curious by nature, my job allows me to ask questions and get information on a myriad of subjects that, as an ordinary citizen, I would seem nosy asking about. We love learning about and reporting the news of our small town. And since we took over the paper from our founder Bill Hammett in February, the almost daily feedback we’ve received is overwhelmingly positive. Of course we have our detractors but by and large, the response to the work we do is supportive and encouraging. It warms our hearts to hear from our readers, whether giving accolades or being critical, because we know that you are reading the paper. As always, it’s free and available throughout Sonoma or online at news.sonomaportal.com.
And now I’m going to ask you to stop reading. It’s Thanksgiving afterall. Put the paper down and go outside and play touch football with your kids. Or sit with Aunt Sally and have a glass of champagne. Or better yet, go help your mother stir the gravy. It’s what I did every Thanksgiving when I was young and now my own daughter has taken over. And damn, we do make some good gravy if I do say so myself.
Whatever you do, make it a great day. Happy Thanksgiving Sonoma.
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