If you read the recent letter from Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram on “Why He Won’t Compel Deputies to Interview with IOLERO,” it sounds plausible and reasonable. But, after speaking with John Alden (Pictured), director of the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach... Continue

Last night I sat on our back deck long after dinner was over.  The hills to the east are covered in a blanket of green.  The view southwest toward Diamond A is a patchwork of green, gold, and patterned grids of vineyards.  How beautiful our... Continue

As I write my column today about the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC), I am aware that Permit Sonoma plans to publish a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for responsible agencies and interested parties to provide comments on what should be included in the Draft Environmental Impact... Continue

Time passes at a dizzying and accelerating rate as we grow old.  At the Jack London Saloon in Glen Ellen I ran into Caterina Landry, a trustee on the Sonoma Valley School Board.  We talked generally about high school curriculum and I mentioned the contrast... Continue

We are told when we meet someone to be open-minded, to give someone new the benefit of a doubt. Do not judge people on first impressions. When I was young my instincts were not yet formed.  I trusted, unintentionally.  When there were signs that someone... Continue

In late 2024 Susan Gorin announced limited funds to create a Temporary Springs Plaza in the county owned parking lot, adjacent to what everyone calls “the Old Church Mouse Building” at the corner of Boyes Boulevard and Highway 12. In 22 years of living in... Continue

I read George Orwell’s 1984, picked up at the local library in 1965, when I was in middle school. I read it again in 1968 for a high school English class. In the late 60’s we had several young, very progressive teachers.  In one class... Continue

A movie by Paulino Duran, called “Chasing Bliss” was screened at the Sonoma International Film Festival a few years ago. It was described as a search that brings Duran to the happiest country in the world, Finland, where he embarks on a journey to test... Continue

Sometimes, a time past, a memory, sinks to the bottom, is forgotten. Then something happens. It breaks free, floats to the surface and brings back pain, long forgotten. In 1979, I left Minnesota for Los Angeles. Everything I owned was crammed in a camper shell... Continue