The City of Sonoma, in partnership with the Sonoma Community Center, invites photographers of all ages to participate in the 6th Annual Earth Day Photo Contest. This year’s theme, “The Power of Water,” encourages participants to capture the ways water shapes life and landscapes in Sonoma Valley. From... Continue
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by Ben Christopher This article was originally published by CalMatters The apartment building planned on East Morris Avenue in Modesto is exactly the kind of thing that California’s political leaders want to see a whole lot more of: The project promises 44 units of affordable housing... Continue
By David Bolling Have you ever scratched a rhinoceros behind the ear? Probably not. Given the popular perception of rhinos, petting one might sound almost as risky as kissing a crocodile on the lips. But then, you haven’t met Ozzy, a southern white rhino born... Continue
By Anna Pier (Graph shows entry level salary range for teachers) Since the opening of the 2025-26 school year, in August, the approximately 200 teachers and certificated staff of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District have been showing up for work in our four elementary... Continue
Written by Peggy Rubens, with editing by Howard Eisenstark A delegation from the Sonoma Sister City Association traveled to China from October 16-28, 2025, for a twelve-day cultural exchange and diplomatic visit that included attendance at the China-US Sister Cities Conference in Hangzhou. The five-member... Continue
by Jeanne Kuang This article was originally published by CalMatters Last updated: Feb. 24, 2026 At least nine Democrats are competing to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2026 general election, but first they’ll have to get through the June primary. The crowded field has raised fears... Continue
By Anna Pier Impact100 Sonoma has been selected as a 2026 Philanos Spotlight Award recipient in recognition of its transformational support for the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance. Impact100 Sonoma is an affiliate of Philanos, the nation’s leading network of women’s giving circles. The annual Spotlight... Continue
Gary Edwards was recently selected by the City Council and past Alcaldes to be the honorary mayor of Sonoma, the 2026 "Alcalde" (Spanish for mayor). Anna Pier talked with the 66-year-old tireless volunteer about how he got to Sonoma, why he cares so deeply about... Continue
At its meeting of February 19, 2026, Sonoma’s Planning Commission unanimously agreed to recommend a “go slow” approach to the rezoning of the Sebastiani Winery property to Sonoma’s City Council. The City of Sonoma is in the process of updating its General Plan, the document... Continue
The Dangers of Demolition By David Bolling In the enduring controversy over SDC – whether Sonoma County and the State of California should be allowed to shoehorn 2,400 new residents and their personal vehicles, pets, accumulated presence – onto an ecologically fragile, biologically-critical and logistically... Continue