It’s not difficult to figure out who our elected leaders listen to; it’s not the public, obviously. The professional class of administrative bureaucrats and “expert” consultants have the greatest influence on decisions affecting the public This reality is easy to observe in the conduct of... Continue
Editorials
Too many unanswered questions On April 22 the Sonoma Valley Unified School Board of Trustees approved a directive to proceed toward the closure of the Flowery Elementary School in June 2026. Trustees are attempting to rectify the near $2 million budget deficit with that proposed... Continue
On April 5, 2025, thousands of people gathered in Sonoma Plaza. What brought them together were concerns about the policies and programs of the Trump administration. Under the banner of “Hands Off," the crowd listened and cheered the remarks of various speakers, including Congressman Mike... Continue
At the top of its goals for 2025, the Sonoma City Council has placed the creation of affordable housing, particularly housing for lower-wage earners. A review of Affordable Housing (deed restricted and income qualified) created during this past year is bleak; only two low and... Continue
Sonoma’s City Council recently confirmed its goals for 2025, and among them they endorsed implementing Greenlinks Infrastructure planning, an approach that places the creation of healthy and public-serving spaces at the center of development. With all that’s going on right now - the uncertainty emanating... Continue
Society creates government to provide what people need: to protect the common good, maintain order, defend against attack and sustain a stable economy. In doing so, governments are imperfect and disappointing, just like the people who create them. We are greatly disappointed in State and... Continue
Some things are so obvious that you don’t have to hire an expert to confirm them. Those of us who were here during the 2017 fire storm know what the road traffic was like. At times, it was a gridlock. The Valley of the Moon... Continue
This is the only way to describe what’s happened in relation to the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) since its closure. The closure alone was the first rock to tumble; disabled residents and their families were relegated to vagaries of care in a harsh landscape of... Continue
The Sonoma City Council will be conducting its yearly goal setting session on January 30. This public meeting will not be held in the usual City Council Meeting room on 1st Street West, but at the Lodge in Sonoma on Broadway. This will be an... Continue
Either by closing shop completely or being gobbled up by publishing conglomerates, independent small city papers are going extinct all across America. A local community newspaper is an endangered species. Either a workable business model must emerge, or printed papers are going to continue to... Continue