Sunday night, Pamela and I had dinner at the Plaza Bistro, in Sonoma. We were seated by the front window. On the sidewalk, a young man passed by with a violin under his arms. I pointed him out to Pamela. One doesn’t often see such... Continue

The Sonoma City Council certified the results of Measure V, banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in city limits, on December 12, 2016. According to the law, the ordinance will go into legal effect on December 22, 2016. As of that date, complaints about... Continue

Joshua Rymer has stepped down as co-president of the Sonoma Valley Fund. Since it founding in 2007, Sonoma Valley Fund and its parent Community Foundation Sonoma County have distributed over $3 million in grants to Sonoma Valley nonprofits. Rymer joined the board six years ago,... Continue

At a special meeting of December 19th called to designate the composition of a committee to review the Farmers' Market, Sonoma's City Council once again changed direction. Rather than forming a multi-member committee comprised of two council members, two members of the public, two members... Continue

Sonoma Developmental Center residents would receive healthcare "close to home" from a state-funded health center expansion somewhere in Sonoma County, but likely not on the SDC campus, under a plan announced today. With the center slated for closure by 2018, nearly 350 of the most medically... Continue

The recent Farmers Market kerfuffle, not to mention the Presidential election, inclines us to observe the vagaries of social behavior, and the recurrent tendency to look back to the past as the Golden Age of "good ole days," worth replicating and re-establishing. To be sure,... Continue

“You can count on the Board and the cities to be resolute in protecting our citizens.” Susan Gorin made this unequivocal statement to open a December 8 Springs Connect meeting about law enforcement organized by her office. She told the crowd of thirty-five in the... Continue

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for the North Bay valleys tonight and for next few nights. Temperatures will drop into the 20s and low 30s. ... A Freeze warning remains in effect from midnight tonight to 8 am PST Saturday... ...... Continue

On December first the Valley lost one of its brightest lights, Elizabeth Kemp. In a lifetime of service, Elizabeth was not just a tireless worker, but was so in tune with humanity’s needs that she opened the eyes of our community and blessed us with ways... Continue