It’s cold. Reminds me of our sister city, Kaniv, in the Ukraine, only its high is our low. So, if you’re complaining about the weather, think about Kaniv. Our sister city relationship in Kaniv is in slumber and like any hibernating animal, Sonoma hopes that... Continue

Wow, what a wind we had last week.  Fences, trees and garbage cans had a tough go of it, but on the bright side, all those pesky leaves littering my yard were blown into the corner of my yard for easy pick-up.  All those leaves,... Continue

There is more to report this week on our sister city Aswan, Egypt.  I have received endearing emails and texts from friends with simple messages.  Yasser writes on Facebook “I miss you” with a frowning yellow face.  Ahmed writes “how u family,” and Ismail sent... Continue

Today is the day so many have been waiting for.  The thrill of dressing up, applying makeup, transforming oneself into something else altogether, is upon us. As I discussed last week, Halloween has a deeply-rooted and rather ancient history, however, ghosts are not limited to... Continue

Spanish colonial efforts in the Americas necessitated doctrine addressing the relationship between the Spanish and indigenous populations. The welfare of the conquered Natives was addressed by the Laws of Burgos in 1512.  Important to indigenous peoples, the laws attempted to regulate and dictate the interactions... Continue

Understanding the prehistory of any region includes addressing three primary goals. The first goal involves developing a chronology, the second is to reconstruct past lifeways, and the third is an attempt to explain culture change. In other words, how old is it, how did they... Continue

I love this time of year, as the leaves begin to turn and flitter to the rain-soaked soils. We have commemorated this time of year for well over 100 years, and while the Vintage Festival has come and gone, we don’t need such a celebration to... Continue

Each month, various governments, groups and organizations, raise awareness on a variety of issues.  For instance, the month of September is National Yoga, National Fish, National Prostate, National Chiari Malformation, Life Insurance Awareness and National Hispanic Heritage Month.  The focus of this week’s column will... Continue

Dr. Galen Burdell, a noted Marin County dentist, accidentally killed his mother-in-law, Mrs. James Black. The year was 1864. Let’s start at the beginning. The scene is what is now Olompali State Historic Park, located between Novato and Petaluma on Highway 101. In 1843, Mariano... Continue