[caption id="attachment_21719" align="alignright" width="144" caption="Peter Hohorst, an expert in facility planning and relocation, was elected to the hospital board in 2008."][/caption] Peter Hohorst, elected to the Sonoma Valley Health Care District Board of Directors in 2008, was elevated to chairman Thursday in the panel’s annual... Continue

Sonoma City Hall is neatly trimmed in its holiday finest after the annual lighting ceremony Friday evening. Leading the countdown was Santa Claus, who arrived at the Plaza via a vintage fire truck. “The reindeers had the night off,” quipped one young observer as Santa’s... Continue

That smell coming from your mailbox is a higher garbage bill, the fifth rate hike in the past five years. The Sonoma City Council unanimously approved Wednesday a 5 percent increase to take effect immediately. The impact on the typical residence will be 55 cents... Continue

Proudly displaying their handmade wreaths are young Renee Sanders, her mother Joanne Sanders and grandmother Annick Bouldt. The family took part in a holiday workshop Saturday at Sonoma Garden Park lead by floral designer Tasha Drengston. The day was cool and gray for the outdoor... Continue

Rabbi Mendel Wolvovsky of the Chabad Jewish Center of Sonoma County lit the first candle on the menora last Thursday evening, signaling the beginning of Chanukah. The celebration took place in front of Whole Foods in the Marketplace Shopping Center. A crowd of about 40... Continue

In a unanimous vote of her peers including the newly seated Tom Rouse, Sonoma City Councilmember Laurie Gallian was named mayor, replacing Steve Barbose after his one-year stint. The annual transfer of the gavel held to protocol that the post rotates among the councilmembers. Gallian... Continue

Bill Dardon, a.k.a. Mr. Turkey, is out and about, collecting money for his annual holiday turkey giveaway. Started 20 years ago as a way to honor his dad, a man who Dardon says taught him the true meaning of giving, the turkey drive has been... Continue

Two playgrounds in the city limits are getting a facelift thanks to Prop. 40 funding. Pinelli Park on France Street and the Jean K.T. Carter Park in the Fryer Creek neighborhood have been razed and will each be made ADA accessible and receive new playground... Continue

The Valley of the Moon Commute Club once ran a fleet of three full-sized buses weekdays between Sonoma and downtown San Francisco. The service saved the hassle and expense of driving, and parking, in the city. The monthly pass was a deal – and those... Continue