Columns

Let There Be Lights!

This morning as I was driving my kids to school I noticed something.  My two teenagers looked like zombies (not to be mean, of course).  They both had managed to groom themselves and put clean clothes on, but they did not look refreshed from the night before. They had dark circles under their eyes, and at best, I got mumbled goodbyes as the car doors shut.  Then I look in my review mirror at my 9 year old. In contrast, she is bright eyed, happy and energized.  And the realization hits me.  My teens stayed up last night....those little buggers didn't get into bed on time and it definitely showed this morning.

See’s Candy Fundraiser and Crafters Nook

This is the month of the Winter Solstice. To ancient people living in the northern hemisphere this was considered the most spiritually important day of the year. It was when the Sun reached the southernmost point of its annual journey. The shortest day, the longest night had been reached and, with the Sun turning and heading back north, it offered the promise of the return of the light. Life would continue for another year. It’s as if our contract with the Divine is being renewed and we can plan for the ways in which we can express our creative energy for another cycle of life.

What makes housing “affordable?” Affordability is defined by state law as meaning housing that is affordable to households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income. In Sonoma County, the area median income for a four-person household is $75,900.  For many in the community, including veterans, seniors, working families, single-parent households and young professionals, the need for housing that is affordable is greater than ever.

Prop 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which passed on Election Day, went into effect on midnight Nov. 9. While it’s still too early to make accurate predictions, the law has clearly made a difference in the lives of local citizens. Indeed, it’s now legal for individuals to grow marijuana for personal use and to posses it and smoke it in the privacy of their own homes, except in Windsor, Healdsburg, Sonoma and other communities that have adopted urgency moratoriums.

Got leftovers?

Throughout the long, grueling months leading up to the presidential election, coast-to-coast we’ve been inundated with news of women in politics and gendered stereotypes of those in power. Fortunately, the wine industry is far more progressive, with many women having broken the glass ceiling throughout the past decades. Contributions of women in Sonoma County wine have been significant, as these visionaries continue to shape our world of wine.

Mark West Citizens Advisory Council