Better that, than the Governor of New York. David Patterson, who holds that position, has proposed a tax in that state on soda pop, with the stated intent to curb people’s intake of that harmful substance. Patterson’s office attributes an epidemic of obesity to junk... Continue
Editorials
We know the prediction thing is not unique, and we accept the fact that we’re not particularly good at it (although we’re claiming a 70 percent success rate on our 2008 predictions). But we have fun! Peace and Prosperity No, unfortunately that’s not a prediction... Continue
We well remember the hard work that the Sonoma City Council expended just a year ago to formalize its process for financial assistance to local non-profits. Many meetings were spent, and much public comment taken, with the council finally deciding on a two-tier approach, looking... Continue
We’re looking forward to the long “weekend” ahead, with Christmas on Thursday and many people taking “Boxing Day” off on Friday. Say, why not have Christmas on Thursday every year? The feds moved Abe’s birthday, and George’s (does that make them twins?), so why not... Continue
Sadness fills us following the death of Craig Von Dohlen, a Sonoma resident. We weren’t there, so we don’t know exactly what transpired, and we didn’t know the family, so we don’t know those dynamics, but the loss of a man’s life is cause for... Continue
You are rich. Yes, you, dear reader, and we, too. Being “rich” meant, in the classic formulation, lighting cigars with $100 bills. That is, having so much wealth we can waste it. While no one really lights cigars that way, consider that we do use... Continue
Deep conversations with an enlightened soul – such as we had one recent morning – can inspire us to step back and ponder the much bigger picture. Is it that we are here on Planet Earth, in the Milky Way Galaxy, by random chance? Is... Continue
We’ve been reflecting this week on Sonoma’s good fortune to have Head Coach Mick O’Meara and Defensive Coach Mike Mulas as our high school football coaches. These men exemplify the values we seek to instill in our youth, and their 25-year, continuing tenure together with... Continue
As we look back on this week, with its extended Veterans Day celebration on both Monday (schools closed) and Tuesday (government closed), we can’t help thinking, too, of the many servicemen and servicewomen who did not come home – those who gave their very lives... Continue
The American Dream, fulfilled in our midst this very week. What a glorious occasion was Election Night 2008. So much commentary by the media in this campaign has been about race, about the racial make-up of our soon-to-be President Barack Obama. We think that what’s... Continue