Only half of Sonoma Valley’s students can read, write and reason at their own grade level. Half. By federal mandate, we have had consistent testing for almost a decade, and the results are available for review through the state’s Web site, cde.ca.gov. The Obama administration... Continue
Editorials
The buzz about “ObamaCare” continues, as the public grumbles and the administration mumbles. The President, addressing the AFL-CIO in 2003, has made clear his goal: “I [am] a proponent of a single payer universal health care program ... and that’s what I’d like to see.... Continue
We recently accompanied some of our delivery drivers on their weekly routes, and we were surprised how hard it was to locate some residences during the evening or early morning hours when the deliveries take place. Many newer houses have street numbers that are backlit... Continue
SHO ’nuff Is this what we need? A “social host ordinance”? A number of cities are adopting such laws, including Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Rohnert Park in Sonoma County. Some laws even call for criminal penalties – jail time – but all assign liability to... Continue
Party City! Wow! That was quite a party. The Farmers Market on Tuesday evenings in the summer is always a pleasant time. Adding a “City Party” makes the chosen Tuesday truly a remarkable experience. People from all over the Valley came and enjoyed themselves –... Continue
Big and small We’ve driven to Sacramento recently, and to Santa Rosa, of course, very often, and we have seen houses and people everywhere. Yes, there are some open tracts of land not yet filled with cookie-cutter homes or big-box stores, as well as some... Continue
Summertime blues The youth, of course, know best. “Slow-noma,” they moan. “Nothing to do in town.” We remember when there was a bowling alley here. We remember when there was a slot car track. We remember when there was a public pool at the high... Continue
Readers may recall our hearty endorsement of Arnie Riebli for a seat on the Sonoma Valley Health Care District board in 2006, when he ran in a contested election. At that time we wished we could vote for him twice because we thought he brought... Continue
Timing in life is everything. No sooner had we pondered the Ten Commandments in this space last week than the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church reportedly announced that he wants to display the “ark of the covenant,” kept hidden for thousands of years in... Continue
Washington, D.C.’s school voucher program for low-income kids isn’t dead yet. But the Obama Administration seems awfully eager to expedite its demise. About 1,700 kids currently receive $7,500 vouchers to attend private schools under the Opportunity Scholarship Program, and 99% of them are black or... Continue