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What’s Happening
Local Sonoma Valley News:

So-so grades for county school performance

While Sonoma County educational performance ranks favorably to comparable regions in some categories, educational trends show that there is still much room for improvement. So says a report by The Sonoma County Economic Development Board, which also concludes that narrowing the educational achievement gaps among... Continue

New moth threatens Valley grapes

Move over, apple moth. There’s a new vineyard pest atop the most-wanted list: the European grapevine moth. One of the grape-threatening insects was found in a trap last week in Kenwood. Agencies including the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office have increased the number of traps... Continue

Springs panel: no stand on pot clubs

Asked to make a proactive statement against allowing marijuana dispensaries in the area, the Springs Redevelopment Advisory Committee decided the issue was not within its jurisdiction. Though there is no specific proposal before the committee regarding a pot club, resident Sioux Messenger requested the committee... Continue

A dumb dog and a fading feline

Dear Dr. Forsythe, My husband insists our dog is the stupidest animal he has ever known. Don’t get me wrong, he loves “Cupid” very much, but he swears he is just not bright. We have had other dogs in the past, but this little French... Continue

Fine Arts Commission announces student award

After Michael Starr finished singing the last note of “On the Street Where You Live” from “My Fair Lady,” the five members of Sonoma’s Cultural & Fine Arts Commission knew they had what they had been looking for in one of the young resident artists... Continue

Clean up a creek for Earth Day

You pick the creek, you pick up the garbage. On Saturday, April 17, the Sonoma Stream Stewardships and Sonoma Ecology Center will stage Earth Day cleanups at three different creek sites in Sonoma. Volunteers will spend the morning removing debris from Sonoma, Nathanson and Fryer... Continue

Emergency Volunteer Center a key to disaster response

In the aftermath of a major disaster, Sonoma would likely be cut off, its emergency services tapped out. One asset in that time of need would be help from local volunteers. To help the area better prepare for disasters by coordinating volunteer help, the Sonoma... Continue

News Brief

Farmers Market opens Tuesday night After a tumultuous off-season in which the city council nearly voted to replace the event’s management, the Tuesday night Farmers Market returns virtually unchanged to the Plaza horseshoe on April 6. The council endorsed the philosophy of a “small market... Continue

County economic indicators a mixed bag

New business is up, crime rates are down and housing prices are more affordable – that’s the good news. On the negative side, or what the Sonoma County Economic Development Board labels “concerning trends,” are unemployment, a lagging tourism industry and adult obesity. Those are... Continue

An impactful lesson at Sonoma Valley High School

I spent Friday morning at a funeral at the high school. It was awful. The only thing that made it less horrible was the fact it wasn’t real. Instead, the drama being played out was “Every 15 Minutes,” whereby students, administrators and a cast of... Continue