Plans for a Springs Plaza have been brewing for several decades at least. Whether this idea originated from the desires of Springs residents is unclear. Whatever its origins, our First District Supervisor hitched her wagon to the concept, negotiating with Ken Mattson, owner of not... Continue
Editorials
On December 16, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will vote, for the last time, on the disposition of the Sonoma Developmental Center. It’s been a long, frustrating haul – a three-year planning process demanded of the County by the property owner, the State of... Continue
Sonoma's new city council has its work cut out for it. The new majority – Gurney, Farrar Rivas, and Wellander – joins two other council members who have only two years experience. Add to that the unstable and changing administration in City Hall and you’ve... Continue
As this publication closes in on 20 years serving this community, it’s worthwhile reflecting on the state of local newspapers and journalism. It should be no surprise to anyone how difficult it is to sustain a local paper; across the country, they’ve gone under or... Continue
The City of Sonoma is lucky to have three exceptional candidates for City Council this election: Patricia Farrar Rivas, John Gurney, and Ron Wellander. All three know this town well, and have lived or worked here for many years. John Gurney, past police chief, recent... Continue
The City of Sonoma’s government faces an unprecedented situation: the loss of institutional memory. Institutional memory cannot be found in meeting minutes; it is the recollection of history in the minds of staff and elected officials. That recollection is of events, problems and solutions that... Continue
After negotiations with the union representatives of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Sonoma’s City Council recently approved an 8% raise for its roughly 25 non-management employees. This is only the first of salary increases totaling 13% over the three years of the agreement. While... Continue
When it comes to the imagination, cities are almost magical and their names often evoke visions of romance, beauty, and intrigue. Venice, for example, the Italian city reclaimed from a vast swamp, engenders images of gondolas slowly gliding through bridge-covered canals, costumed gondoliers singing opera... Continue
Concerns about the needs of our area’s young people get considerable attention. Schooling, recreation, and social activities all seem to leap to the forefront when problems arise, but otherwise the youth in our community are largely seen but not heard. It needn’t be this way.... Continue
During the night a few weeks ago in Sonoma, someone with an ice pick punctured car tires up and down Andrieux and Bettencourt Streets, a senseless act of vandalism that cost many people precious time and money. Recently, an elderly resident tripped and fell on... Continue