Memo to tourists and 2nd-home week-enders: If you aspire to pass as a card-carrying Local in wine country, you’ll need to become familiar with the ins & outs, hints, notes and nuances – the je ne sais quoi -- of wine & food pairings. [The... Continue
Snark Infested Waters
Not only have there finally been several days of rain recently, courtesy of El Nino, global warming and self-radicalized meteorologists, but judging by the pronouncements, actions and inactions of public officials, the drought has been Officially Over for some time. One sign was the official... Continue
For reasons shortly explained, it’s looking like the folks hoping to build a community swimming facility on Verano Ave across from Maxwell park have dived into a public relations swamp of their own making. They are Sonoma Splash, a non-profit which in 2014 announced plans... Continue
At a recent Sonoma City Council meeting, City officials and representatives of the Chamber of Commerce joined together in that most sacred of holiday rituals: Proclaiming the annual Shop Sonoma Campaign. [Not to be confused with the War on Christmas.] This being Sonoma, the Official Proclamation... Continue
Sustainability is all the rage these days. It’s a major marketing job-creator in all sorts of industries striving to convince customers, regulators and the public that what they do makes lots of green money and, in the process, may even increase the wildlife available for... Continue
Of all our holidays, Halloween is arguably the most fun, least controversial and most widely celebrated by Americans, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, Democrat or Republican, natural or brazilian. Some argue Thanksgiving is more universally treasured, but that’s far from certain. For... Continue
There may be a no more decorative deliberating body than Sonoma’s City Council. Its timeless, agrarian pace and capacity for indecision-making make Congress and the UN appear reckless. In recent years, governments have fallen (in Egypt, twice), the Arab Spring came and went, the Greek debt... Continue
I’m no scientist, but despite predictions of the greatest drought-busting El Nino in memory, it seems we’ve haven’t seen spit here in the Valley. Fortunately, courageous winegrowers – the backbone of our economy -- aren’t intimidated by science, and some plan even more vineyards, wineries... Continue
Residents annoyed by battleship-sized tour buses, stretch limos and converted produce vans hauling gaggles of tourists through the Valley should consider that those traffic-clogging monstrosities perform an important public service. Namely, keeping inebriated, cluelessly-lost tourists from getting behind the wheel and becoming menaces to themselves... Continue
Campaign logos that ignite supporters and help win elections are usually carefully crafted after weeks of ferreting out the hopes and fears of voters through scientific polling conducted by highly-paid campaign operatives whose job it is to polir l'étron (pardon the French, but this is... Continue