Fremont Diner – closed forever?

The Fremont Diner abruptly shut down this morning after letting employees know the restaurant has 'closed forever.' Tearful workers were still reacting to the unexpected news at about 9 a.m. The phone gas gone unanswered and no official announcement has been made by management, The well-reviewed... Continue

All in for England, even at 5 a.m.

Usually, the only way you’d find yourself at a bar at five in the morning is that you never went home the night before. But every four years, there’s a better, slightly saner reason: World Cup soccer. A crowd of about 20 England fans (and... Continue

Vintage Festival picks poster

The annual Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival, held each September, is an annual tradition. So is its accompanying poster, artwork chosen from community submissions to best represent local heritage and history. Jim “Murph” O’Donnell is this year’s winning artist with his poster, “The Last... Continue

A new chapter for departing Teen Services Sonoma chief

By Cristin Felso After almost 20 wonderful years serving the youth of Sonoma Valley through Teen Services Sonoma (TSS), and seven years as Executive Director, I will be moving on from my role here effective August 1. My husband, Paul, and I are moving up... Continue

Clear the (mental) clutter

By Kari Wishingrad / The Clean Sweep Previously, I’ve focused on clearing the physical clutter from your home and personal space. Now it’s time to take a closer look at emotional clutter. The biggest thing many of us need to de-clutter is mind negativity. You... Continue

Plaza protest against Trump’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy

A group of local activists gathered on Sonoma Plaza Wednesday evening to protest the Trump administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy that that has resulted in the separation of some 2,000 children from their parents as they sought asylum at the U.S. border. The peaceful demonstration coincided... Continue

The trail blazers: local eco-pioneers lead the way

By Jonah Raskin Last October’s firestorms stunned Sonoma Valley citizens, though once the smoke cleared and embers were extinguished, families and friends ventured out to see the spectacle of blooming flowers and green trees. Richard Dale, the executive director for 26 years at the Sonoma... Continue

Constructing the future

Business-as-usual practices in housing construction, land and water use, as well as how we define community and what we are working for together, requires fundamental reevaluation as we seek to adapt to the serious challenges created by rapid population growth and human-caused climate change. Here... Continue

Pot fight; whistleblower ruling; and a celebrity look-alike

Jon Early, who submitted to the City of Sonoma signed petitions backing a ballot measure allowing the controlled retail sale of cannabis within city limits, is getting antsy. The city said it had 30 business days, starting with the Early’s formal June 6 submission, to... Continue

Get rid of the Schellville tanker yard

How many warnings do we need before we get rid of the hundred or more LPG tanker cars that sit parked only a few hundred yards from the pallet factory on Highway 121 that burned again recently after two similar fires in 2007 and 2013?... Continue