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

All Hail!

Pea-sized hail riddled Sonoma Valley on Tuesday during a much needed rain storm. Photo by Deborah Feore, submitted via our Facebook page. Continue

Dogs and deer don’t mix

I want to simplify the dogs on Montini property controversy. It's not about leashes it's about deer. Through building and every expanding vineyards there has been a great loss of habitat in Sonoma Valley. I don't want to live in a valley with little or... Continue

Happy National Beer Day!

Happy National Beer Day! Each year, beer enthusiasts toast a pint to the end of Prohibition, which ended today. I suppose they could rename this "National Booze Day," but, beer will suffice! A rainy day in Sonoma is a perfect excuse to relax in a local... Continue

City to fund Chamber of Commerce business development effort

The City of Sonoma and the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce agreed to a landmark arrangement at last night's City Council meeting which transfers activity previously managed by the city to the Chamber. Specifically, the agreement creates a new entity, the Sonoma Business and Economic... Continue

Obamacare, Form 1095-A, and the premium tax credit

Dear Bonnie, I received a form in the mail called a 1095-A Health Insurance Marketplace Statement. I guess this is for my taxes but what am I supposed to do with it? Stu, Sonoma Dear Stu, You will need this form... 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