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What’s Happening
Local Sonoma Valley News:

Initiative would raise tax on wine, alcohol

A measure that would raise the excise tax on a 750 ml bottle of wine from 4 cents to $5.11 has been cleared for circulation by the Secretary of State. Proponents can begin collecting the 433,971 signatures needed to put the initiative on the November... Continue

Altimira principal steps down

Altimira Principal, Sydney Smith will not be returning to fill the role for the 2010-2011 school year. Smith has served as the principal of the school for the last three years. Over that course of time, Smith has implemented many positive changes at the school... Continue

New life for old fire station

Sonoma’s former fire station along Broadway will be reborn as a restaurant and retail space. Foothill Partners has announced plans to buy the site and develop 10,600 square feet for up to eight businesses in a venture dubbed “Station 1 Sonoma.” No tenants were named... Continue

District alerts parents to changes in summer school program

In a letter sent home to parents this week, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District office detailed changes being made to its summer school program. Recent cuts to the budget reduced funding for summer school by thirty percent. Those cuts will be felt by students... Continue

Get your surf on

With the Beach Boys blaring from the boom box, the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers held up traffic at the top of Broadway as they shot their annual poster photo in the Plaza horseshoe on Friday afternoon. Replete with surfboards, sand chairs and wine glasses,... Continue

Rabbit at Moose

The Easter Bunny makes his first Sonoma appearance for an egg hunt on Saturday, March 27 at the Moose Lodge on Broadway. The hunt will start at 9 a.m. followed by a free pancake breakfast, both free for kids ages 11 and under. Those older... Continue

Bottle shop opener

Sonoma may be the heart of the wine country, but one of its oldest locally owned businesses has been a liquor store. Friday, the storefront at 19 W. Napa Street opens anew as Historic Plaza Liquors under owner Christian Chotkowski. Owned by Dick and Joey... Continue

Of fleas and ticks and strange pet behavior

Dear Dr. Forsythe: I returned my Advantix the other day after I saw that the EPA has come out with a report about so many bad reactions. Apparently the EPA has even recommended changes in labeling and safety monitoring. I don’t want to use any... Continue

Making changes in hospital finance

Financially, Sonoma Valley Hospital continues to be challenged, as all district hospitals are, but current re-focusing efforts are proving successful. The hospital is reporting good news from many quarters. SVH building plans are on course with the selection of a design-build team. Physician recruitment process... Continue

News Briefs

Supervisor Brown honored as “official of the year” An influential Web site which covers local California governments has named Sonoma County Board of Supervisors’ Chair Valerie Brown as the 2009 County Official of the Year. According to publicceo.com, Brown, “a tireless advocate for Sonoma County,”... Continue