At their annual goal setting meeting, the Sonoma City Council once again “reaffirmed its commitment to addressing housing affordability and availability in Sonoma.” For many years creating more affordable housing has been on the City Council’s list of goals, but not much has been done... Continue
Editorials
Over the course of the past 40 years – give or take a decade – Sonoma Valley has been lulled into a false sense of security about its economic future. We were riding the crest of a global love affair with wine, we had become... Continue
We want to add our voice of support for the city’s recent completion of its first tree inventory and urban forest canopy assessment. As reported here in the February 5 Sonoma Valley Sun, these reports are the result of years of advocacy. With this work... Continue
The Pride Flag was first flown at Sonoma Valley High in 2019, hoisted, as an outcome of student advocacy, at a ceremony which students heralded as marking a new inclusivity at their school. It has been proudly flying below the Stars and Stripes on the... Continue
Every city and county is required by state law to have a General Plan, and those General Plans must be updated periodically. Updates include, among other “elements,” conforming plans to state laws put into place, revisions due to changes in technology or scientific understanding like... Continue
While social media and communications technology like ZOOM have mushroomed, the government's attitude towards public comment and participation has worsened. Government repeatedly sends this message: the public is a nuisance. In all fairness, opinion and commentary in the age of social media have become degraded.... Continue
In a ground shaking change, the Trump administration has redefined what constitutes a “profession.” This unexplained and senseless decision not only demeans the work of a whole body of trained professionals, but threatens the potential reimbursement or financial help provided by the federal government to... Continue
Don't Blow It Again Dear Trustees, Sonoma Valley Unified School Board has an abysmal record in hiring superintendents. The last three served only two years each, and two of those three required heavy payouts, then you gifted a bonus to the most recent superintendent after... Continue
Gratitude is a multi-faceted feeling. It can be intensely personal. It can be on behalf of others. It can be about things, and it can be about people. And it can even be about the state of a nation. Historically, America’s Thanksgiving Day has been... Continue
The Sonoma Collaborative’s Housing Affordability Roadmap is a welcome addition to the discussion about affordable housing and the challenge to dramatically increase it. The Collaborative is a project of the Sonoma Ecology Center, focused on the preservation and creation of additional Affordable Housing in Sonoma... Continue