I think about the little 5-year-old walking to the first day of kindergarten at El Verano, hand-in-hand with her mom, new lunchbox, new clothes, all the joys and potential of a world she is about to be exposed to, when they pass by a fence... Continue
Community Voices
As a result of a unilateral action by David Bell, President of the Sonoma Valley School Board, in removing the Pride Flag from the Sonoma Valley Unified School campus in February 2026, a team of people, including parents and students, formed a Pride Flag and... Continue
It’s just time. Right, I mean, we go to school on a schedule, get married on a schedule, have kids on a schedule (sometimes). If you have a crap job, hopefully you quit it on a schedule, and when things line up, you start on... Continue
By Georgia Kelly It seems that most people I know pay off their credit cards in full every month, or their accountant or secretary pays the bills, which means that the debtor doesn’t see the inserts that accompany these invoices. Lacking this information, prompt payers... Continue
By Leigh Cavalier, Founder, Sonoma Schools Alliance The flag is still flying. That is worth saying plainly, because one man already tried to take it down once. In January, Board President David Bell, acting alone, ordered the Progress Pride flag removed from Sonoma Valley High... Continue
Your journey has not been without challenges: COVID; 10 years under the dome of political hate and separation; environmental issues; financial issues; balancing technology and screens and living in a society that prioritizes profits over people. But, it’s time to move past all that and... Continue
By Jim Bohar The City Council election is scheduled for November 3, 2026 to elect one member from districts 1, 3 and 5 for four year terms to 2030. The nomination period for candidate registration is Monday, July 13, 2026 through Friday, August 7 at... Continue
I live in two worlds. One side is pictures of smoldering rubble and bombed out concrete buildings in Iran, Ukraine, Gaza. The other is a 320-foot rocket hurtling into space for a trip around the moon. The first makes me sad, promotes nihilism in my... Continue
By John Staley Sobriety is a pain in the ass – inconvenient in other words. When I decided to quit drinking ten years ago, I just wanted a break from the hangovers. I told myself I just needed a week to clear my head and... Continue
America is in a state of cognitive dissonance. Not familiar with the term? It’s a state of inconsistent attitudes related to behavioral decisions. Still not making sense? How about when you are living one way but thinking you are living another. In my classroom I'm... Continue