With Labor Day behind us, the curtain is rising on another season of the award-winning drama series, “City Council Elections.” Candidates and Residents alike may want to take note that City Council’s record of accomplishment periodically attracts the attention of leading academics and Nobel Laureates.... Continue
Snark Infested Waters
It’s almost September and three-quarters of the year will soon be gone. As with any responsibly run enterprise, it’s not too early to ask: How are we doing on last year’s New Year’s Resolutions? Any progress since all that Happy Holidays Hope-y Change-y stuff? Just... Continue
Between breathless announcements of even more winery openings, readers may have missed all the brouhaha in the news about immigration, borders, “illegals,” and people climbing over walls and on the Statue (not ‘Statute’) of Liberty. Even those paying attention could be forgiven for thinking that... Continue
City Council certainly comes in for its share of criticism, but if Council never showed up for work it could not match the ineptitude of North Carolina legislators. Readers may recall that a while back, North Carolina enacted HB2, a law barring transgender citizens from... Continue
Nothing draws crowds like a parade. Bang a drum, toot a horn, wave a flag, fill the streets with orderly lines of people and other people will line up to watch and cheer. Parades laid the foundation for today’s “Look At Me!” culture and were... Continue
With the arrival of Memorial Day, it’s time to get out in the fresh air and sunshine for a nice vacation, work on personal fitness, the garden or a nice deep tan. But therapists recommend that to fully enjoy the summer, it’s important to get... Continue
There’s been a lot in the news about Global Warming, also known by the less judgmental term, Climate Change. The former embraces the conclusion that the planet is indeed overheating, while the latter could mean warming or cooling, either of which could (or could not)... Continue
A few years back, Gov. Brown signed a bill sponsored by Senator Lois Wolk allowing wine sales at Sonoma State University’s Green Center for the Performing Arts. For those not familiar with the Center, its website notes in part: “The crown jewel of the Green... Continue
Fresh off a high of approving a much-needed affordable housing development, the Sonoma City Council pivoted to a more intractable problem: Plaza stench. Specifically, after some 40-50 years, City staff noted that Plaza ginkgo trees produce fruit that litters the area below the trees and... Continue
City Council is often criticized for lack of accomplishment, recently exemplified by its struggle with a moratorium on tasting rooms. As far as can be determined, murky Fair Election Practices laws forced Council to delay work on a tasting room moratorium until the legal parameters... Continue