Broadway trees get reprieve

The trees on upper Broadway were temporarily spared Monday night as the City Council asked for more information from city staff before making a decision on cutting down the 17 mature oaks between East Napa and Patten Streets. Several property owners had asked for the trees to... Continue

In Season: Asparagus

[caption id="attachment_49003" align="alignnone" width="436"] Delta asparagus salad at Santé.[/caption] It's asparagus season in our neck of the woods. It is a vegetable grown by the most patient of gardeners: it takes almost three years for asparagus plants to produce a harvestable crop. Asparagus is growing... Continue

Moment in The Sun: El Verano School Orchestra

The El Verano children’s orchestra performs at the opening of the La Luz Family Resource Center. The group, known as El Sistema, is modeled after the Venezuelan program that for 40 years has taken disadvantaged youth off the streets and into musical ensembles to enrich... Continue

Sonoma man convicted of elder theft in consignment scam

Consignment store owner Dwayne Kershner, 53-years-old of Sonoma, pleaded no-contest today to two felony counts of elder theft and two felony counts of grand theft. The charges resulted from elder victims taking their personal family possessions to the defendant’s consignment store in Sonoma and leaving... Continue

Did Sonoma councilmembers violate disclosure law?

Members of the Sonoma City Council may have violated a state disclosure law when, prior to voting to award a $250,000 contract to the Chamber of Commerce, they apparently failed to announce they were members of that organization. The April 6 decision created the Sonoma... Continue

Removing barriers to quality health care

By Fred Allebach My primary health provider could make much more money in private practice, but has made a principled choice to work at the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center. It’s safe to say that at a non-profit, community health clinic that many are serving... Continue

Food + Drink Bites for April 16

The latest food + drink news, events and calls for your participation in and around Sonoma Valley. As the legendary James Marshall Berry says... "If your gig isn't in my column, you didn't tell me about it." Send your news to our Food + Drink... Continue

Hitchhiking hound reunited with ungrateful owner

Dear readers: While I was down in Westlake Village recently, I came upon a little dog that was trying to merge onto 101 northbound on foot -- dangerously close to my friend’s Subaru -- so I quickly snatched the little hairy pooch up from the... Continue

It’s time to get grillin’

After last time’s “Refreshing Wine Choices for Warmer Weather” it occurred to me that most of you have already reacted to our non-winter and have uncovered, cleaned and fired up that wonderful extension of your kitchen we enjoy so much out here, the outdoor grill.... Continue

An existential threat?

In his March address before a joint session of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of the “existential threat” that Iran posed against his country. In response, Congress intensified its push for military intervention to destroy this enemy. The phrase became a buzz words... Continue