Council kerfuffle over Planning Commission appointment

In what was clearly a frustrating process for Sonoma's Mayor David Cook, at its most recent meeting the City Council was unable to agree on the ratification and appointment of Mike Coleman to the Planning Commission. Up to now, the appointment process has been a review... Continue

School District honors

Four “awesome educators” and a local school have received prestigious honors an recognition, said a proud Louann Carlomagno, superintendent of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Nominees for the 2015 Classified School Employee of the Year, coordinated by the California Department of Education, include: Cyndi Potter... Continue

Food + Drink Bites for April 9, 2015

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

Time to ban leaf blowers

The leaf blower issue is back before the Sonoma City Council because many of us in Sonoma want gas-powered leaf blowers banned in our town. The reasons are obvious. They emit noxious gas fumes, ear shattering noise, and blow dust, pollens, and animal feces into... Continue

Council nixes “Boarding House” idea, delays vote on Broadway trees

By a 3-1 vote (Councilmember Agrimonti absent) the Sonoma City Council ended up in agreement with the Planning Commission to pass on the idea of creating a new, legal vacation rental category called "Boarding House." If passed, the measure would have allowed home owners to... Continue

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend triples local contributions, distributes $3.3 million

A record-breaking total of $3,385,400 in contributions to 84 Sonoma County non-profit organizations was distributed Thursday afternoon from the hugely successful 2014 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. Over 150 guests representing Sonoma County’s wine industry leadership, non-profit organizations, local dignitaries, and top donors celebrated the momentous... Continue

Neighborhood Night at Olive & Vine

[caption id="attachment_47948" align="alignnone" width="420"] View from our table at Olive & Vine's Neighborhood Night[/caption] It must have been in the stars this month, as three things happened that put Olive & Vine on my radar: 1) Sommelier and co-Owner John Burdick won the Concierge Alliance... Continue

Library board seeks youth member

The Sonoma Valley Library Advisory Board is accepting applications for a local teenager, in grades 9-12, to become a member of the board. The deadline for applications is Thursday, April 30. The board is a citizen committee that serves to advise the Library Commission on... Continue

Wanted man surrenders in Glen Ellen after CHP chase

A man driving a motorcycle with stolen plates lead the CHP on a chase late Wednesday night from Rohnert Park to Glen Ellen, a 21-mile pursuit over the winding, narrow Bennett Valley and Warm Springs Roads. Once on Arnold Drive, the motorcycle began to malfunction and... Continue

Scholarships for college-bound Ag Degree students

Sonoma Valley High School students Trevor Welch, Hannah Herrick, Gabrielle Reed and Alexia Carrillo, with, at right, Andrea Davis-Cetina at her Quarter Acre Farm in Sonoma. The teens are finalists for a scholarship program, launched by Sonoma’s HWY 12 Properties (H12P), for college-bound Future Farmers... Continue