Public Citizen

Larry Barnett lives in Sonoma where he was elected to three terms on the City Council and served twice as Mayor. A thirty-five-year resident, he currently serves on Sonoma's Planning Commission, where he recently was Chair for two years. Until her passing, he was married to his wife Norma for 50 years, has two daughters and three grandchildren.

Beyond Orwell, way beyond

America's political flirtation with a temperamental, impulsive, emotionally undeveloped political leader has blossomed into a full-blown crisis of faith in our systems of government and democracy itself, and comparisons between America in 2017 and George Orwell's “1984” are frequent and often salient. Accordingly, Orwell's dystopic... Continue

Getting the Hispanic community involved in environmental issues

The Sonoma Ecology Center is launching a program called Senderos Naturales -- “Pathways to Nature.” The goal of the program is to involve the Hispanic community in environmental issues. SEC staff commented, “We have always had the hope of interesting the Latino community in our... Continue

Love in an angry age

Relationships and love seem more difficult in this age of divorce, divisive politics, computer reliance and isolation. At the same time, relationships of all kinds are more important than ever before. We simply have to learn to live and work together. I know, I know.... Continue

The IRS dirty dozen tax scams

Not all tax scam are instigated by outsiders. Some normally honest folks succumb to the temptation to falsely inflate deductions or expenses on tax returns. This may be at the top of the list of the IRS’ 2017 “Dirty Dozen” tax scams. Doing so may... Continue

Gaia’s Garden

I live amid an urban oasis, a collection of very tall trees, timber bamboo and Japanese maples. Some of the trees are quite old, and know this tiny piece of Gaia's garden far better than I. In a rainy year like this, the tree's root-hairs... Continue

How the Trump administration is affecting nonprofits

Trump's White House victory has already started shaking up the nonprofit world. As a result of the immigration executive order signed January 27, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) received $24 million through over 350,000 online donations during the weekend -- that's six times what... Continue

We are all immigrants

The history of Sonoma Valley is one of migration from Native Americans and immigration from Spanish, Mexican, European, and American settlers. It is easy to see why this land was highly valued: excellent farming conditions, robust wildlife, ideal weather conditions, amazing water resources with creeks... Continue

A return to the Byzantine

When the Greek city states of Athens and Sparta found themselves allied against the massive armies of the Persian king Darius and his son Xerxes (Circa 460 BC), they established a narrative about the "Barbarian" people threatening Greek society. Later, the very same narrative was... Continue

Post-electile dysfunction

Those reading this survived 2016, ready for the challenges of another New Year. After the last one, however, billions worldwide who’ve been dysfunctional since January 20 may be pouring over encrypted files labeled “How to Make A New President Go Away, Without Getting Caught.” But... Continue

The resistance awakens

The civic response to the dreadful presidential election was an amazing outpouring of cultural solidarity and a roaring assertion of feminine power in nationwide Women’s Marches that surpassed in size and geographic scope any prior public protests in U.S. history. We may not have elected... Continue

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