By Tennis Wick, Director, Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department In the aftermath of the fire, Sonoma County faces an unprecedented need for housing and economic development. Permit Sonoma is changing the way we do business to meet this challenge. Please know this profound... Continue
Letters To The Editor
The release of the tax reform plan by the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives has caused the Washington spin machine to go into overdrive. For taxpayers there is much to like, including across-the-board tax rate reductions, doubling of the standard deduction and significant... Continue
The most recent City Council meeting exposed a weakness in local government that may explain why Council seems to accomplish so little so badly: No one knows who is running things, why, in what direction or for what purpose. Specifically, Council apparently lacks a coherent... Continue
Our community has been devastated by the most destructive fire in our state's history and its cost can hardly be defined by numbers on paper. The need for relief is enormous and this is doubly true for our most vulnerable, those without access to private... Continue
As the founder and Director of R.I.S.K. Sonoma (Resources, Information, Support and Knowledge), a parent support network, I wanted to respond to criticism the City Council’s allocation of funds to screen the documentary “The Other Side of Cannabis: The Negative Effects of Marijuana on our Youth.”... Continue
Now that we have a bit of distance from the immediacy of the fires I would like to raise a concern, or two, that may prove useful in future emergency situations of a widespread nature, directly impacting the Sonoma Valley. If anyone was paying attention... Continue
We have seen no coverage of the wonderful and generous work done by Sonoma Raceway during the days of evacuation during the fire emergency. Sonoma Raceway opened their "campground" and hosted about 150 families for about a week. In the field they provided security and porta-potties and... Continue
As I am sure many of you have read or heard, after four years winemaker and Sonoma County resident David Ramey’s proposed Westside Road winery was approved by the Sonoma County Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) on a three to one vote. David has been making... Continue
There are not enough hospital beds in Sonoma County to accommodate the mentally ill. For instance, Napa State Hospital is filled to capacity. And yet the hospital on Chanate in Santa Rosa was closed and the property is being sold to developers at a very... Continue
Which is scarier showing up in your mailbox — Halloween movies from Netflix or your property tax bill? For homeowners, even “The Exorcist” can’t compare in terms of pure fright as the annual envelop from the tax collector’s office. Fortunately, however, homeowners are still able... Continue