The recently released audit of the City of Sonoma by the auditing firm of Richardson & Co. is nothing the City should be proud of. Its conclusions were that financial activity, procedures, and transactions during the 2016-2017 fiscal year were improper, inadequate and, in the... Continue
Editorials
PG&E is planning to shut down electricity to the Sonoma Valley to prevent wildfires in the event of a major wind event that might knock down high-tension power lines. Their advisory says the electricity might be off for as many as four days to a... Continue
Guest editorial by Dean Szanyi | Student Reporter It is no secret that a certain number of young people attending Sonoma Valley High School are affiliated with gangs, and the school district is making clear attempts to curb such affiliations in their students. However, one... Continue
Building a big business requires venture capital, an infusion of wealth that is used to fund a business while it grows. Unlike loans, venture capital is an investment and its payoff is usually in the form of dividends or shares of stock that can be... Continue
Solving the housing problem – too little housing for lower-income residents – requires solving the parking problem – too much real estate devoted to the automobile. The single-family home has a long tradition in America, and as suburbs and commuting established themselves as dominant development... Continue
Democracy is under assault all over the globe, suffering at the hands of a combination of authoritarian, nativist, and fundamentalist movements. In some cases these movements are a reaction to the historical excesses of capitalism, an economic system often allied with democracy and its emphasis... Continue
It’s all too easy to become complacent, and the early high temperatures and smoke from regional fires filling the valley on the first red flag warning day were a needed reminder. Fire preparedness comes to mind: reducing flammables on your property and organizing your resources for evacuation... Continue
We're far from the first to note that "all the world's a stage," but we can't resist bringing attention to the present convergence of social media with entertainment. It seems as if everyone's attention is glued to their smartphones lately; we've often watched couples sitting... Continue
The use of cannabis – pot, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, or whatever you want to call it – is now legal in California, but here in Sonoma the effort to allow a cannabis dispensary is still a battle. Though 64 percent of Sonoma's citizens voted... Continue
First of all, there isn't one. Though it's been talked about for years, the City of Sonoma still has no Parks and Rec Department and relies instead on various nonprofits to offer public programs. The city contributes considerable? funding to the Boys and Girls Club,... Continue