My neighborhood in Sonoma’s west side has a lot of foot traffic – students walking to and from school, patients going to their medical appointments, pet owners walking their dogs, shoppers carrying their grocery bags. I see them pass daily from my kitchen windows, and... Continue
Voices Of The New Majority
Hey baby, que pasó? Thought I was your only vato Hey baby, que pasó? Won’t you give me un beso This popular 1990 song, written by Freddy Fender and recorded by the Texas Tornados, is among my all time favorite tunes. Its Tex Mex beat... Continue
I believe that every child – no matter their background, income, disabilities, or immigration status – deserves access to a safe, supportive and equitable education. The preceding statement comes from someone with a high position and ability to make it happen – Dr. Amie R.... Continue
By Loretta Carr Let’s see. Now that English has been declared the official language of the United States, how am I going to order food at my favorite restaurant? “May I have two of those round corn things?” “You mean tortillas?” “Yes, yes – stuffed... Continue
“Me llamo Augustina Juarez. Soy de Guanajuato, Mexico, pero ahora vivo en el Valle de la Luna en California. My boss doesn’t like me to speak Spanish, pero no me importa. I don’t care. I need to speak before I run out of time.” Thus... Continue
Deportees The crops are all in and the peaches are rotting, The oranges piled in their creosote dumps; They're flying 'em back to the Mexican border To pay all their money to wade back again Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye, Rosalita, Adios mis amigos, Jesús... Continue
Beep, Boop! Beep, Boop! The street vendor is here! Jumping up like a dog trained to respond to the sound of a bicycle horn, I grabbed a few dollars from my purse and headed out the front door. “Hola. ¿Cómo está?” I had seen this... Continue
With so much uncertainty these days, the passing of local publisher Val Robichaud and the possible discontinuance of his journalistic contribution to the community, the Sonoma Valley Sun newspaper, are distressing losses, both intellectual and emotional. Besides learning about local issues in the Sun’s news... Continue
By Loretta Carr | For The Sun -- I had been looking forward to this trip to Palm Springs for years. Every winter my husband would hear me complain, “I’m so tired of this cold, depressing weather. I wonder what the temperature is in Palm... Continue
By Loretta Susan Carr -- “Hello, Susan? It’s Carmen. Call me back.” That message is saved on my answering machine, and when I can bear to hear her voice again, I will push “play” and get ready to cry. Carmen was my dear aunt, my... Continue