Test scores for 2008 have been announced, and Sonoma schools are not getting top grades. These are the Academic Performance Index base reports, posted last week on the California Department of Education Web site; they give a composite score for student performance at each school.... Continue
Editorials
Arch to nowhere Remember U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and his infamous “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska, for which he secured millions in congressional funding? That federal boondoggle comes to mind when we read about the Springs Redevelopment Advisory Committee considering the expenditure of yet more... Continue
We suggest voting no on the array of ballot measures in next Tuesday’s election. These are put forward as a part of the messy political machinations last winter when the governor and legislators tried to close the big gap in the state budget. Most of... Continue
The Internet sensation? No ... although we have some charming videos playing on SVTV Comcast 27. A puzzle? Well, maybe ... You have a tube? You are a tube? Oh, you need a tube! That’s right. Starting next week we’ll be delivering your copy of... Continue
May 5 is one of our favorite holidays, as it is for the many here in Sonoma who will join La Luz Center this Sunday on the Plaza for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. A generation ago, it was a minor event. But now, it’s... Continue
That’s right ... Sonoma Valley High School is to become a “flagship” school, and we commend the school board and the superintendent for setting a high goal with the restructuring currently being planned, so that the high school can more fully meet the needs of... Continue
It’s not easy, being an elected official. May look like it is from the outside, as community members generally get worked up only about a single issue, one which looks to them both urgent and simple. But few issues are simple any longer, as one... Continue
We posed that question several years ago, after a local Catholic priest abused his position of authority over children, and it’s sad news again this week to learn of the arrest of a former soccer coach in Sonoma Valley who, if the allegations be true,... Continue
What is it about Sonoma? It seems that in whichever direction we turn, we see young people working hard and achieving. From fifth-grader Gage Osbourne winning the county spelling bee to high school senior Michael Lee having his work accepted into the professional segment of... Continue
Advice is cheap, it’s said, and we acknowledge that we’re not the ones making tough decisions in front of vocal crowds. But the Sonoma City Council is pondering a new measure on which we’d like to offer a little advice. It is the proposal to... Continue