Nora Flood. Photo Submitted
Charter School principal announces July departure
Nora Flood, principal of the Sonoma Charter School, will resign at the end of the school year to join her husband and dog in Colorado. The move is not completely unexpected. Her husband had accepted a position in May as research director for Colorado Children’s Campaign, but she could not abandon her school obligations to move with him at that time. “We had the new playground going up and we’re up for renewal of our charter, so nobody would take my job. They couldn’t pay enough!” she said, laughing, and explained that she and her husband had agreed to “give it six months” and if his job was the “greatest thing since sliced bread” she’d join him; if not, he’d come back here.
Fortunately for her husband, the job is working out, so, after four years here, “Yes, I’m leaving in July.” Her tone suggests mixed emotions. “I love what I do,” she said, “and I think it’s apparent that I really like to be here.” The charter school is to her a source of enthusiasm and even wonder. “This is one of the most loving, caring, supportive communities I’ve ever been involved in. The teachers are fabulous, the office staff is fabulous. The kids respond so well. There’s a culture here. Our motto is Truth, Growth and Respect. And I think the school really lives that motto. Every day, it’s just a joy to come to school.”
The charter school is a part of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District. It is a free school and the enrollment is limited. Kids are admitted not by grades but by lottery. “So we have East Side kids who are having overnights with Boyes Hot Springs kids and Agua Caliente kids; so it’s really a very, very diverse population because it’s a Valley-wide school.”
Flood is highly regarded, and when asked whether her loss will be a shock to the school, she was philosophical. “It was a great school when I came, it’s a great school now, and it’ll be a great school after I leave,” she said. “No organization, school or otherwise, should ever be person-dependent. And I think I would have done them a great disservice if it had become a person-dependent school, and it’s not. It’s a great school. This school is going to be a driving force in this community for years to come.”
Theft alerts
Last week the Sonoma Police Department issued a theft alert for store owners and employees. For the last year, and most recently in December, Sonoma Plaza and Broadway area stores have experienced several incidents in which storekeepers and employees have lost purses and valuables, snatched in broad daylight by seemingly friendly and grateful customers. These incidents, while initially simple cases of theft, then morph into more complex identity theft operations.
Witnesses have described the suspects as two heavy-set, African American women between 30-45 years old, one of whom will distract the employee by asking questions or engaging in conversation while the other one grabs the purse from behind the counter. Victims may not even realize the theft has occurred until they get a call from someone posing as a “bank representative” claiming they are checking on a possible fraudulent purchase on their credit or ATM card somewhere in Vallejo or Napa. The caller assures the employee that the police are currently investigating the matter and then say they are going to “transfer” the victim to the “fraud department.” The next voice the victim hears is a male suspect who asks for their PIN number, maiden name and other identifying information. This, police say, is the tip-off since no bank employee will ever ask for someone’s PIN number.
Police advise that purses and other valuables be locked up in a drawer or cabinet or office, and that PIN numbers or other personal information never be given out by phone. The Sonoma Police Department should be called (707.996.3601) to report suspicious persons or behavior.
“Don’t be afraid to call the police.” That’s what Chief Bret Sackett says. “The most important thing is that the community really needs to get out and call us. ”
Another spate of car thefts
On Friday, Jan. 11, starting at 7 a.m. police received eight car burglary reports from residents on Mitchell Drive, Linda Lane, and Joaquin Drive between Fifth Street West and Junipero Serra Drive. When police arrived on the scene they found car doors open, hatchbacks up, and one car window smashed. Some of the cars, parked in front of homes, had been unlocked, an open invitation to thieves. On Mitchell, thieves took the garage door opener in the car outside, entered the garage, and ransacked the car in the garage. A German Shepherd out in the back yard barked to alert the family, but when they looked out the window and saw nothing, they just went back to sleep. Stolen from the eight cars were an assortment of GPS units, cameras, stereo faces and miscellaneous cash. Police have dusted objects for fingerprints and are investigating further.
Governor slashes funds for schools, parks, health care, prisons
Last week, facing a $14 billion deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger submitted a budget which cuts by 10 percent nearly all General Fund departments and programs. It cuts K-12 school funds by $4.4 billion, $400 million of which would be trimmed from money already promised. More than $1 billion would come from before- and after-school programs for low-scoring students, career and technical classes and the small-class-size programs. Special education would lose $358 million.
The budget would close 48 state parks and beaches, including nearby Tomales Bay State Park, Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, Anderson Marsh State Park, and in the South Bay, Henry Coe State Park. California State Parks Information Officer, Sheryl Watson said that the Parks were asked to prepare a general fund reduction of up to 10 percent and spread that reduction across the state in an equitable manner. They did this by first considering which parks could be physically closed. Then they looked at resources, revenue and attendance. “Closed” parks would be put into caretaker status, so it would be maintained to the degree that it could be reopened in the future.
The budget also calls for release of tens of thousands of nonviolent inmates early, and cuts to health and welfare programs.
