How the October wildfires are impacting our nonprofits

Last month, the Community Foundation Sonoma County and Napa Valley Community Foundation released a report describing the results of a survey they commissioned to determine the impact that the October wildfires on Sonoma and Napa County nonprofits. The survey, conducted by the Center for Effective... Continue

Cosmic patience

I hadn’t said a word the first three days; I’d nothing to add and was seeing plenty about myself simply sitting on the floor and listening—how I still need to control my environment so I’m not too hot, too cold, or too tired—and how hard it... Continue

The future is certain

The 1978 film "The Dead Zone," an adaptation of a Stephen King novel, stars a young Christopher Walken in the role of an accident victim who awakens from a year's long coma with powers of clairvoyance. Physical contact with another person generates a sudden flash... Continue

Hope is us

Sex and money make the world go round. I don't have either, but just like most things, good sex comes through dialogue – once intercourse meant conversation. And money, well, that's getting tighter and tighter for most of us. But, whether its sex or money,... Continue

The great climate debate

There’s been a lot in the news about Global Warming, also known by the less judgmental term, Climate Change. The former embraces the conclusion that the planet is indeed overheating, while the latter could mean warming or cooling, either of which could (or could not)... Continue

Mother Earth’s message

Mother Earth is sending us messages all the time; it's something she has always done. There are times human beings receive her messages and other times, when we don't. Mother Earth, however, patiently keeps up her end of the conversation whether we're listening or not.... Continue

Passing the torch

In the late 1960’s the world was in turmoil, much as it is today. American’s youth propelled the anti-war movement, marched for civil rights and women’s rights, and formed groups that sought to establish unity and self-determination. One such group was MEChA, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano... Continue

The horror, the horror

The defining youthful event of my generation was the war in Vietnam. For those of us who objected to that war, the horror of guns and bombs and pointless death became a cause celebré, a rallying point that captured the vitality of being eighteen and... Continue

Fire aftermath: what’s happening with our roads and trees?

By Susan Gorin | First District Supervisor -- Since the October fires, everyone in our community has rightly become more fluent in the language of disaster preparedness, response and recovery. As your county supervisor, I have had the opportunity to meet with experts and testify... Continue

Preventing workplace violence

The shocking events that unfolded on March 9 at The Pathway Home social services organization at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville proved that our local nonprofits are not immune to the tragedy of workplace violence. A veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who had... Continue

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