Is aging in anyone’s sight?

May 10, 2019

In 2017 the Sonoma Valley Fund published a study called Hidden In Plain Sight, an “in-depth look at our community’s needs and its charitable resources: an integrated view of the demand and supply sides of the Valley’s philanthropy.” The findings were compelling and significant. Katherine... Continue

Meet the MAC — a voice for the Springs

April 25, 2019

[caption id="attachment_56686" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Art by Michael Acker[/caption] The newly-sworn-in Springs Municipal Advisory Council should have the ear of the Board of Supervisors, giving the Springs its first... Continue

What’s with the chaos in Sonoma’s Planning Department?

October 5, 2018

The city is smack in the middle of processing several major project applications -- the Napa Street hotel, the Cheese Factory tear-down and replacement, the Gateway housing and retail project at Broadway and MacArthur, among others. Yet six months after the former Planning Director David... Continue

How the state — and you — will help PG&E pay for the fires

October 4, 2018

By Dan de la Torre At the one-year anniversary of the fires which burned nearly 200,000 acres and claimed the lives of over 40 people in Sonoma and Napa counties, the cost of rebuilding is beginning to take shape -- as is PG&E’s ultimate responsibility... Continue

Water fight: Chris Petlock battles city hall

July 6, 2018

By Jonah Raskin Chris Petlock calls himself a “progressive guy.” He’s also a populist and a reformer who doesn’t believe the old adage that says citizens can't fight and can’t beat city hall. “The city council, city staff and consultants appear more interested in protecting... Continue

Latino Leadership brings new vision to Sonoma Valley

June 9, 2018

By Anna Pier | Sonoma Valley Sun A remarkable collaboration is developing and supporting a new generation of leaders for nonprofits and other entities in the Valley. At the end of May, eleven young Latinos completed a seven-month training to develop leadership skills. La Luz... Continue

 Government employee pensions: Sonoma’s ticking time bomb

May 25, 2018

By Larry Barnett | Sonoma Valley Sun Over the next six to seven years pension costs to the City of Sonoma may balloon by well over 300%, rising from $1,467,041 in fiscal year 2017/18 to a projected $4,827,039 in 2024/25. As a percentage of available... Continue

Pipe dreams: Will Sonoma miss out on the marijuana boom?

February 23, 2018

[caption id="attachment_86442" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Though plans for a cannabis dispensary in the back of the building are on hold, Jon Early proceeds with the remodel of 865-875 West Napa Street, the former sites of the Wine Annex and the Community Café. All city... Continue

Cannabis Capitalism takes California

January 11, 2018

Along with the promise of huge tax revenues, legal weed promises to bring unprecedented economic and social changes. Are we ready? -- By Jonah Raskin | Special to The Sun Lynette Shaw owns and operates the only licensed medical marijuana dispensary in Marin County, California, home to... Continue

In-Depth Report: School District confronts history of buried budget woes

December 7, 2017

In October, a concerned parent filed a records request for September communications between the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) and the Sonoma Valley Unified School District (SVUSD). What this parent learned, and has shared with The Sun, was alarming. A September 29, 2017 letter... Continue

Sun In Depth Report