There will be a Cemetery Memorial at SDC – no matter what

The long-sought memorial wall at the abandoned Sonoma Developmental Center cemetery, where more than 1,400 people are buried in unmarked graves dating back to 1892, is moving forward. A local Sonoma County contractor has been awarded the $700,000 contract to proceed with plans for a... Continue

Is County on the hook for massive SDC clean-up costs?

In spite of widespread public opposition, Sonoma County’s Specific Plan continues to call for the development of a 1,000-home subdivision and hotel at the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC). Adoption of this plan would add some 2,500 people, more than doubling the current population of Glen... Continue

Curb the cost of government

After negotiations with the union representatives of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Sonoma’s City Council recently approved an 8% raise for its roughly 25 non-management employees. This is only the first of salary increases totaling 13% over the three years of the agreement. While... Continue

Under the Sun: Roger Rhoten, impresario

The Sun's Anna Pier sat down with the Sebastiani Theatre’s Roger Rhoten to learn the story behind the icon of Sonoma entertainment. Roger will be celebrated with a 30th anniversary roast and concert on Saturday, September 17. As a young man did you ever think... Continue

Hot and cold for the homeless; fading institutional memories; Springs history and more

While 115-degree temperatures were burning this month, city and county officials did a bit of fiddling over dealing with the record-breaking heat. The County announced the opening of several Cooling Centers, public places that were air conditioned, had water, and offered a bit of relief.... Continue

Kitchen confident

Savoring the effort are proud graduates of the Teen Services' Lovin Oven Culinary Academy. Over the span of a week this summer, the aspiring chefs took a deep dive into a variety of culinary practices. Out of the six participants, one was a foreign exchange... Continue

Proposition 30 is a total bait and switch

Before voters get too consumed with the upcoming November election and the myriad of special-interest initiatives on the ballot, let’s take a moment to review a harsh lesson in ballot measure “bait and switch” tactics, specifically Proposition 19 from November 2020. What happened with that... Continue

County’s plan for Sonoma Developmental Center zooms into the spotlight

The Sonoma County Planning Commission will present on September 15 the draft Environmental Impact Report and the draft specific plan for the Sonoma Developmental Center. The initial EIR says that the proposed 1,000 housing units, though not without "unavoidable impacts," is environmentally sound. Public comment... Continue

Witnesses return to knocking on doors

Jehovah’s Witnesses have resumed their trademark door-to-door ministry after a two-and-a-half-year suspension, just in time for a September launch of a global campaign featuring an interactive program for Bible study. The decision to resume their door-to-door ministry on September 1 marks the complete restoration of... Continue

New COVID-19 booster shots available in Sonoma County

Updated COVID-19 booster shots specific to the highly contagious omicron variant are now available in Sonoma County. The new boosters, known as bivalent vaccines, are made by Pfizer and Moderna. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the Pfizer bivalent booster for anyone 12 and... Continue