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.

Woe is democracy

There’s a lot of talk nowadays about democracy. The threat of authoritarian government is rising, even in the good ole’ U.S. of A. Much can be said in favor of democracy, but it’s not perfect. While all people may have been created equal, in capabilities... Continue

Sonoma Council re-opens door for hotel developer fee waiver

So what exactly happened at the Sonoma City Council meeting of December 6, to hear Kenwood Investment’s appeal to not pay the required housing impact fees for its downtown hotel project? A lot of complicated talk happened, resulting in city staff going off to work... Continue

Schmoozing for Climate Change

Scientists say that in order to keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C, as called for in the 2005 Paris Agreement, humanity's global carbon emissions must be reduced 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050; otherwise, global warming will be irreversible. Yet after... Continue

How to have a relationship without really trying

Ha! This should be a blank page. Relationships always take some effort. The fine art of getting along with others is a “thing.” Plunged into the holidays after we’ve all gone through so many changes in the last few years can be a mixed bag.... Continue

A little banjo goes a long way

Chapter 66: Summer 1950 • Sonora ~ The family met Jay Bruce and his wife in the summer of 1950 when their car broke down and was being repaired across the way at Kelley’s. Betty was amazed; they were the oldest people Betty had ever... Continue

What new religion awaits birth?

This Sun column, Progressive Majority Coalition, has had a long-standing open mission of converting liberals into progressives. The fact that I am not concerned with trying to convert or persuade conservatives or anarchists is my way of focusing my efforts. At the risk of narrowing... Continue

Rushing towards oblivion

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the endless problems of the world; things always seem to be in turmoil. War, hunger, bigotry, Fascism, economic collapse, political extremism, lethal pandemics, over-population, artificial intelligence; the list goes on and on. Most of the world’s problems are... Continue

A good help nevertheless

At the age of 27 I left Minneapolis for L.A. in my big blue Chevy pickup truck. The road ahead and the possibilities seemed endless. I thought my life would go on and on, forever, no thoughts of death, no thoughts of the end of... Continue

Rise of the machines

Of the elements of the Industrial Revolution (1760-1830), the development of interchangeable parts was among its most significant. Not simply the efficiency of building machines was affected; workers were reduced to interchangeable parts, too, which greatly enabled the growth of capitalism. As economist Karl Polanyi... Continue

Revolving door spun – mom was back

Chapter 65: 1950 • Camp McBride, Strawberry Lake, Pinecrest, California Even though she shunned ruffles and ric-rac, Betty carried a purse wherever she went, typically a small shoulder strap as it freed her hands to climb fences. She had a collection of pocketbooks handed down... Continue

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