Under the Sun: John Curotto, Sonoma’s garbage collector

June 18, 2017

Tell me your story, John. My family lived in San Francisco, where my father worked for Sunset Scavenger. In 1949, my parents bought a piece of property on Grove Street here in the valley - a shack really, perhaps 20 x 20 feet. We'd come... Continue

Under the Sun: Esmeralda Sánchez Moseley, Flowery School principal

June 2, 2017

Does the Springs remind you of where you grew up? Absolutely. Woodland was small then. I’ve returned to a small town environment. It gives me a sense of connectedness, I don’t feel isolated. You’re always running into the people you live and work with. We’ve... Continue

Under the Sun: Cynthia Tarr — singer, teacher, music director

May 18, 2017

What brought you to Sonoma, Cynthia? I lived in Los Angeles in the early 80s. I wanted to be an actor or singer! I worked in clubs for quite a while, but it's actually hard to make a living that way. Things got tougher during... Continue

Under the Sun: María Calvillo Moncada, working mother

May 7, 2017

You’re the face of La Luz. Everyone who comes in the door is greeted with your warm smile. I love my job. I think of myself as the “front line.” I find out what people really need, not just what they asked for when they... Continue

Under the Sun: Celeste Winders, advocate for special needs kids

April 10, 2017

You’re on the School District’s new Equity and Inclusion Task Force, and you have a Facebook group for parents of special needs kids. How did you become involved in this? I have two boys with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and my children are my number... Continue

Under the Sun: Kyle Lely, engineer/paramedic

March 28, 2017

How long have you worked for the fire department, Kyle? It's now the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority, a consolidated department. I started in as a volunteer 2002 right out of high school, and became a full-time employee in 2006. And are you a... Continue

Under the Sun: Jerica Tercero, new generation entrepreneur

March 9, 2017

Jerica Tercero, age 26, is co-owner of Peace’n Beauty Salon, and sole owner of Crush Beauty Bar; in high school she was a regular at El Nido, predecessor of Teen Services. I heard about you from the Teen Services’ ED, Cristin Felso, as someone who... Continue

Under the Sun: Cathy Capriola, Sonoma city manager

February 23, 2017

Tell us about yourself, Cathy. Where did you grow up? I was born and raised north of here in Willows, California. I ended up at the University of California, Davis in 1982 where I majored in and received a communications management degree, which at the... Continue

Under the Sun: Jen Demarest, chef and restaurateur

February 13, 2017

Jen Demarest is pastry chef and, with her husband Nick, owner of Harvest Moon Café in Sonoma. Did you always want to be a pastry chef? Definitely since high school. I grew up in a small town in New York state, Clinton Corners, and was... Continue

Under the Sun: Leslie Nicholson

January 8, 2017

The Sun's Sarah Ford recently sat down with Leslie Nicholson, founder of RISK, a Sonoma support group for parents whose kids face substance abuse, bullying, or other challenges. Tell me about RISK and how it got started. The idea for RISK, which stands for Resources,... Continue

Under The Sun: Interviews