Halloween and the Rite of Reversal

By George McKale | From The Sun archives As many residents of Sonoma can attest, hauntings are not limited to Halloween. In this town, the dead can be heard scratching at the walls, howling at the moon, appearing on the darkest of nights as shimmering... Continue

Halloween and the Rite of Reversal

By George McKale | From The Sun archives It’s almost here. The thrill of dressing up, applying makeup, transforming oneself into something else altogether, is upon us. Halloween has a deeply rooted and rather ancient history, however, in Sonoma, ghosts are not limited to showing... Continue

Glen Ellen and the legacy of Charles Stuart

By George McKale -- Visiting the little town of Glen Ellen, just six miles north of Sonoma, has always been a pleasure for me. The town is simple, elegant, small and possesses an air of warmth, especially on these brisk October mornings. On Sunday, October 9,... Continue

Connecting with the Carrillo Adobe

To really have a better understanding of our historic past, one must connect the dots. Sonoma’s unique history did not simply occur in a vacuum. In the early days, the success of our Mission, and later our town, was predicated on the connections we formulated... Continue

Olompali history and free ice cream

What do the Grateful Dead, Bear Flag Revolt, The Chosen Family, an 8,000-year-old Native American site, a Victorian estate, Camilo Ynitia and George McKale all have in common? The answer is, of course, Olompali State Historic Park. Olompali has one of the most interesting histories... Continue

Eating bananas in Isna

In my previous column, I reported upon the death of my father. After having just arrived in Cairo with my son James, I received the news that he was dead. With a little disbelief, after all, I just saw him, we chose to continue with... Continue

Searching for eternal life

My son, James, had raised money for a women’s education program in the Nubian village of Gharb Aswan, Egypt. To hopefully encourage a life-long desire for giving, I have taken him to Gharb Aswan to see with his own eyes, where the money he raised... Continue

Dreaded senior projects

There is an age-old tradition playing out at Sonoma Valley High School. Well, that may be stretching it just a bit, however, as the school year closes in on summer, seniors are in the process of completing their senior projects. The projects have several components.... Continue

A party worth forgetting

Sonoma may be criticized for plenty of things, although none come to mind, however, there is one thing we do better than any other city on the planet – we know how to throw a party. Unfortunately, history tells us that this was not always... Continue

Spring’s bounty, then and now

What a confusing winter. Once again, spring is coming fast and judging from the wildflowers springing up around our hillsides and Valley floors, might already be here. For Native peoples spring indicated a time for a change in diet. As food prices soar, it may... Continue