Life is about much more than politics, business and consumption. Our Valley is blessed with vital and energetic arts organizations that provide public programs to young and old alike. But that’s not all; within our community is a thriving collection of visual artists, performers, writers... Continue
Editorials
This pandemic forced everything and everyone to change. Normal life and all its habits have been overturned, and we’ve been forced to develop other ways of conducting business, meetings, communicating and working together. For many, if not most, the past year-plus has not been pleasant,... Continue
Politics has changed in the 21st century. What used to be an intensely personal, relationship-based electoral process has become disembodied, replaced by cyber relationships on social media. Facebook elected Donald Trump, and Facebook and other platforms now play an integral part in local politics as... Continue
Three members of Sonoma’s City Council have resigned during the past six months, all for personal reasons. From citing displeasure with each other to the pressures of work and family, Rachel Hundley, Logan Harvey, and Amy Harrington appeared to represent a new generation of political... Continue
The opportunity to hit the reset button for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District is here. The hiring of a new Superintendent is an opportunity that can give our education community a new, positive direction. The turbulence of the last five years in the District... Continue
In 1999, Sonoma’s City Council enacted a ban on vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods. This was well before AirBnB began online rentals, and correctly anticipated the oncoming explosion of vacation rental activity in the North Bay. Cities like Carmel, where vacation rentals had widely displaced... Continue
The areas set up by local restaurants in street-side parking spaces around Sonoma Plaza have dramatically changed the appearance of the historic city center. A response to the pandemic, which closed indoor dining, these outdoor sitting and dining areas, called “Parklets,” have provided a safe... Continue
At an upcoming meeting, the Sonoma City Council will discuss “improving” Sonoma’s appeal process. It’s not a problem that needs fixing. And in fact, tinkering with it – which likely entails jacking up the $400 filing fee – will help game the system in favor of... Continue
We are pleased to see Mayor Logan Harvey’s efforts to direct the attention of the City Council to the continuing crisis of affordable housing in the City of Sonoma. At the same time, it is frustrating that our local government has moved so slowly over... Continue
A walk around the Valley reveals just how dry it’s been this year. All the major creeks are running low, and unless things change during a March Miracle, we may have reached our high water mark for the year. Sonoma Creek, Nathanson Creek, Fryer Creek,... Continue