Columns

Merry Christmas to everyone. We all have so much to be thankful for and we welcome this special time of the year to remind ourselves and each other of the many joys, comforts and hopes we share in our  daily, but oh so busy, lives.

It was exciting to see county planning commissioners stepping up to the plate recently to address the county’s booming vacation rental market.

Ever since Hollywood started making movies, they’ve been making them about newspapers and journalists. One of the very best new movies this year is another one about newspapers.

Nearly 75 years ago this week, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing 2,403 U.S. soldiers and citizens. The ensuing war in the Pacific lasted four more years where 110,000 American soldiers would be killed along with more than 1.7 million Japanese.

We don’t mean to wade into the “war on Christmas” so soon after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but the charades and contradictions of too many unwise Christians leaves us little choice.

Body oppression is defined as being treated less well because of something about your body (size, color, age, gender expression, disability).

Submitted by Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood

Donald Trump wants to build a wall across the United States’ southern border and make the Mexican government pay for it. He wants to keep out rapists and illegal immigrants. Others want us to put up barriers and keep Syrian refugees out of the country. Some of our fellow Americans even want to register or deport all Muslims, including those who are American citizens.

Being a part of the news business we are not sure why we have refused to read or listen to the news of the Paris terrorist attacks and killings. We know these horrific events will not rewind in time as if they never happened. We don’t believe the tragedies and losses will lessen or go away just because we’re not watching.

It’s always a challenge to talk about the bounty and beauty of our Sonoma County without bouncing between clichés and hyperbole. Amidst all our affluence and accoutrements, it’s also very easy to forget that not everyone gets to share in all that plentifulness and prettiness.