Gabriella Villasenor has tried her hand at a variety of jobs and in a variety of sectors in Sonoma Valley, all of them linked with a common thread: customer service. Starting in the 1980s, she found work as a cosmetologist at several local beauty salons... Continue
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Terese Spingola purchased the Briar Patch in June. The shop specializes in locally roasted coffee, which Spingola still purchases from the shop’s original owners. Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley SunFor Terese Spingola, becoming the new owner of the old Briar Patch is a dream come true. As... Continue
In 2006 (the latest year for which data are available) an SBA review reported that women-owned firms accounted for 6.5 percent of total employment in U.S. firms. Between 1997 and 2002, the numbers of women-owned firms overall increased by 19.8 percent. Small firms with fewer... Continue
Becky and Clarence Jenkins are co-owners of Madrone Vineyard Management. Jenkins is a strong advocate for improving worker conditions by making sure they have fair wages, meals and health care. Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley SunOne of ten children, Becky Jenkins was born and raised in West... Continue
Linda Richards, owner of the Jack London Lodge, speaks with Jack London Saloon bartender Matt McDermott about local wines. Ryan lely/EL SOL DE SONOMA“I never in a million years imagined that I’d be in business for myself or own a hotel,” said Linda Richards, “I... Continue
The Sonoma City Council took a major step at its meeting Wednesday night to allow a Christmas creche to be displayed in the Sonoma Plaza during the holidays, a move that represents a dramatic reversal of a policy decision that had divided this community 17... Continue
Race fans and community members helped to save more than 100 lives during the NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive at Infineon Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 15. Nearly 50 people visited Infineon Raceway for the event, which generated 38 pints of blood. Each pint can... Continue
The Sonoma City Planning Commission at its meeting last Thursday considered a permit application by Donna Barton to conduct religious ceremonies in a commercial building located at 725 Broadway. Barton has started a Sonoma Mission for the Church of Scientology and expects up to 15... Continue
The Sonoma Dragons were on fire Friday night, as they smoked visiting Montgomery at Arnold Field in an action-packed home game. With two big plays in the first half that gave Sonoma Valley High School a 10-0 lead at halftime, the Dragons employed a very... Continue
The 15th Annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction two weeks ago was nearly as deadly as last year’s wine-soaked charity extravaganza. The auction’s theme, the Wild Bunch, owed a direct debt to western auteur Sam Peckinpah’s film of the same name, though reverse transubstantiation finds... Continue