For the past decade the leadership of the City of Sonoma has been living in the land of make believe, largely ignoring the inevitable financial abyss at its feet and pretending that its fairytale will have a happy ending. It's not that there aren't many... Continue
Editorials
The City of Sonoma has a challenging problem; specifically, the city's population is technically about 10,000 citizens, but its influence extends all the way from Kenwood to Schellville. And the same problem exists in reverse; Sonoma Valley residents from Kenwood to Schellville feel they have... Continue
The most essential biological difference between men and women is the womb, and the harboring of life that a womb provides. For most of human history, creating a new life was a mystery; the role of men in fertilizing an egg was misunderstood for a... Continue
Sonoma Valley Hospital lost no time in adding “An affiliate of UCSF Health” to its logo, and why not? This new relationship is something to be proud of. And it is worth noting that ours is the first small independent hospital with whom the prestigious... Continue
The streets surrounding Sonoma Plaza have long functioned like alleyways in a parking lot, but that "parking lot" is now woefully insufficient. Despite this, developers keep bringing forth plans that will make matters worse, driving downtown visitors and business employees ever deeper into the residential... Continue
Several public comments made recently at Planning Commission and City Council meetings, brought our attention to the fact that not everyone understands appeal hearings and their role in the due process of law. The City Council is the only elected body in the City of... Continue
It's said there are two elements of law, the letter of the law and its spirit. The letter of the law refers to the specific meaning of the words used and how to apply them. The spirit of the law refers to law's original intent,... Continue
When asked about the unavailability of City Council minutes a month or so ago, it was surprising to hear City Manager Cathy Capriola report that the city was more than six months behind in posting meeting minutes, and had hired a private contractor at $125... Continue
A generation or two ago, giving your sweetheart chocolate and flowers was a guy's way to a woman's heart. For many men today, it still is (they hope!). And women give Valentine gifts today, too. But our world has become more complex than ever, and... Continue
Studies indicate close to 50 percent of the food grown in America goes to waste, this while millions of people here go hungry each day, including many children. Though efforts are being made to capture and use perfectly good food that would otherwise become garbage,... Continue