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.

The probable uncertainty of being

“It says here that seniors are changing their spending habits due to inflation,” my wife mentioned to me yesterday, “eating out less, just like us,” she added. “Yup,” I replied, “we’re just a statistic.” For many years I’ve said, “I’m just a statistic,” a comment... Continue

No wonder I wonder how I got here

Chapter 48: August 16, 1948 • Sonora ~ I was welcomed into the family two years after Mom’s first breakdown, though not by her. She didn’t want another child, she wanted out. As far as she was concerned, I was a fifth burden tacking on... Continue

2023 — The year in review

The New Year has been here for weeks, so how are things working out so far for you and yours? Notice any improvement from the Old Year, or is everything back there fatter than it ever was? Not to worry. There's plenty of year left,... Continue

What exactly is a ‘plaza’?

If we look at the city of Sonoma’s plaza, we see a lovely park with trees, an amphitheater, city hall, tourism office, rose garden, duck pond, playground, and picnic tables. This lovely plaza was once a dirt parade ground for General Vallejo’s troops. When visiting... Continue

Unionize the hospitality sector, share the wealth

Thursday night, February 9, I attended a rally in support of the workers at the Fairmont Hotel. The engaged turnout, the numbers, and the energy of this mixed assembly of Latino and Anglo workers and community supporters was one of the most heartening public events... Continue

Nature always wins

Simple rules can produce complex outcomes. This is easily illustrated in games like chess, where the rules governing the movement of pieces on a fixed playing board arranged in a grid of squares produces over ten to the one-hundred and eleventh positions, a number greater... Continue

The life and death of a Vasculopath

For reasons not entirely clear to me, I build up gunk on the walls of my blood vessels. My coronary arteries have needed cleaning and repair, and I’ve just been told that my right carotid artery is building up gunk and needs additional examination. “You’re... Continue

Utopian horizons are north stars, not distant shores

The surviving members of the rapidly diminishing founding cohort of the ‘60s great cultural revolution, the consequent modern-day social movements, and the progressive political movement are now beginning to pass into history. This much-maligned demographic I represent, the cursed Boomers, were the generation that helped... Continue

1948 was not an easy year…

Chapter 47: 1948 • Sonora My brother did not keep a diary for much of 1948; between April 2 and December 31 there are only six entries. Our parents were going through difficult times and the household was in chaos. Dad was selling the store,... Continue

Measure P passed four years ago. Why is it being undermined?

Andy Lopez, David Ward, David Pelaez Chavez, have we forgotten their names? Have we forgotten Measure P, passed by Sonoma County voters with 64.7% of the vote in 2020? Forgotten the letters of agreement created by law enforcement unions and the Sonoma County Board of... Continue

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