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
Editorials
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
Properties in the City of Sonoma and Sonoma Valley are being bought, sold, and accumulated in unprecedented ways. Recent reports of one couple spending 80 million dollars accumulating 22 properties is a current example, and this follows on the heels of another developer's acquisition and... Continue
The problems facing our community are significant. Regrettably, government is constantly short of funds for activities such as basic maintenance let alone ambitious projects geared to the future, such as improving infrastructure. Since the passage of Proposition 13, the ability to raise taxes or impose... Continue
To say we are a car culture is an understatement; we use our cars so frequently that many people walk less than half a mile each day. Our lack of exercise is so pronounced, even among the young, that obesity rates, type two diabetes, high... Continue
Elections have consequences, and the most recent election in Sonoma has resulted in a progressive City Council which, in turn, has appointed a more progressive Planning Commission. As a result, land speculators and commercial developers now find their plans more closely examined to ascertain if... Continue
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) recently announced the release of a regional Bay Area housing plan called the CASA Compact. CASA is a good faith attempt by a field of public-interest entities to address California's serious housing... Continue
For many years, the Sonoma City Council has talked about addressing the need for more affordable housing, while preserving city character. Somehow nothing seemed to get done, perhaps because a council majority was content with the status quo. Now the city has a council majority... Continue
Mayor Amy Harrington recently raised questions about staff's failure to provide city financial reports monthly to the City Council, as required by Sonoma's Municipal Code. She also objected to her signature being applied by rubber stamp to city checks without her having a detailed check... Continue