Parks panel seeks members

To help keep an eye on how dollars from Measure M -- the county’s new ⅛-cent sales tax bump -- are used, the City of Sonoma is looking for two volunteers to serve on Sonoma County’s “Parks for All” Citizens Oversight Committee. It’s the... Continue

Dealing with bigots; golf course woes; Supervisor race and more

José Valdivia, a Sonoma Valley High School student, wrote an excellent editorial for the school newspaper titled “Exposing Hate at SVHS.” In it, he noted threats to LGBTQ students and called for action by the administration. One ugly incident occurred before the raising of a... Continue

Free Market hogwash

Elections have consequences, and the most recent election in Sonoma has resulted in a progressive City Council which, in turn, has appointed a more progressive Planning Commission. As a result, land speculators and commercial developers now find their plans more closely examined to ascertain if... Continue

Developing story: 375 West Napa Street

So what’s going on, and up, at 375 West Napa Street in Sonoma? The project is actually a renovation of an existing eight-unit condominium development that had been vacant and boarded-up for some time. The four structures were originally built in the 1980s. The plan... Continue

Corporate donations undermine our political system

What happened to our political system that officials drag their feet on such issues as opposing war, single payer health care or a Green New Deal? The answer, of course, is corporate donations from weapons manufacturers, drug and insurance companies, and oil companies. These corporate... Continue

No criminal charges against PG&E for 2017 wildfires

The District Attorneys for Sonoma, Napa, Humboldt, and Lake Counties will not file criminal charges against PG&E related to the October 2017 Northern California wildfires. According to Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch, each office determined that there is insufficient evidence – much of... Continue

Hospital Board report: home care, nursing task force and more

By Joshua Rymer, Chair of the Sonoma Valley Hospital District Board of Directors Last week’s board meeting provided updates on several hospital initiatives including the transfer of the skilled home care program to Hospice By The Bay, the Skilled Nursing Facility Task Force, and ongoing... Continue

Tom O’Foolery

Murphy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant salutes St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, with a afternoon celebration on Sunday, March 17 with nonstop music starting at noon, with The O’Hara Brothers, Full Circle, Tim Eschilman and Friends, Irish Dancing at 4 p.m., and Tudo Bem, plus... Continue

It’s Renea Day in Sonoma

Members of the Sonoma City Council – in fact, the entire chambers – rise to recognize the public service of Renea Magnani (center, with certificate) by declaring “Renea Magnani Day." Following an introduction and remarks from Council member Rachel Hundley on March 4, Mayor Amy... Continue

Studio visit: Kirk Hinshaw, collage artist

By Jackie Lee | Sonoma Valley Sun Kirk Hinshaw led an adventurous life during the 30 years he spent in advertising, working for prominent ad agencies, before he began his career as a collage artist. The switch was prompted by a fall from a ladder in 1998. In immense pain, he realized he'd... Continue