Increasingly there is talk of passing strong laws to keep guns away from the mentally ill, but don’t hold your breath. Most mentally ill people are not violent. Some may be very troubled, but as a group they seem to present far less danger to... Continue
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When we face a traffic accident or a kitchen fire, who do we call? We have expectations for rapid emergency responses and often, we don’t think too hard about how these services came to be or what is needed to ensure they continue. We know... Continue
At a recent Planning Commission meeting, a proponent of a development project under review dismissively referred to project opponents as a "vocal minority." Another said that the proposed project's neighbors were only selfishly interested in "their own backyards" rather than the good of the community... Continue
The decision by a community to commit itself to historic preservation is a commitment to enforcing rules. Unless rules are created that define what contributes to historic preservation and what does not, the entire effort becomes impossible. Here in Sonoma we use various methods to... Continue
“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” -- George Orwell Scientists are making amazing strides in Artificial Intelligence, but what we really could use is more of the real thing. There seems to be plenty of the artificial stuff around, to the point... Continue
Back in the day, I was lucky enough to play music with some of the best rock and blues musicians in Sonoma County. The Schellville South Side Blues Band, Camp 1, and Sirius hit all the hot spots – Mama’s Royal Café, The Creamery, The... Continue
Oh, the stories we tell ourselves! Some of them are funny, some not so much, and some of them are, well, are downright dangerous. It's not like this is something new. Human beings have been dubbed "toolmakers" but our real and original talent is making... Continue
Dear Bonnie, How does the Earned Income Tax credit work? Is it true that California now has one for low income people as well? Tess, Santa Rosa Dear Tess, The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a method for low income taxpayers to get back... Continue
A newspaper not-to-be-named recently conducted an online survey asking: “Should the city establish, staff and fund a rec department?” Nearly 70% of respondents said “Yes!”
Of course, since the entire globe could take the survey, the 107 respondents may have lived in Beijing or Kirkuk... Continue
My eight-year-old granddaughter and I stopped by Nathanson Creek at the Second Street East bridge yesterday to catch a look after the heavy rains. The water was rushing quickly, having filled the channel halfway up the height of the tunnel under the road. "Papa, why is... Continue