Columns

Wow, what a year! As things wind down and we are enjoying the holidays, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the actions we took as a council this year.

Looking for a lost pet or a new four-legged friend? See the list of incoming strays and the slideshow of cats and dogs available for adoption from the Sonoma Humane Society, Healdsburg Center.

It is my pleasure to be able to share with you some of the highlights that have been happening at Brooks Elementary so far this year. First and foremost, our wonderful teachers are busy with making daily preparations and plans to address the learning needs of all students, regardless of where they come from, their economic status, race or religion deserves to grow and develop their talents. At Brooks, we embrace diversity and have high expectations for all. 

The holiday season is in full swing, which can be a mixed bag because all that holiday cheer costs time and money that most of us don’t have, but even the Scroogiest person has to admit, there’s something magical about it all coming together.

This past weekend was my Mom’s 72nd birthday. We celebrated with a girls-only brunch and an afternoon of scouting out vintage stores. As we savored our last few sips of coffee after our meal, we got to talking about the world that she grew up in and how much different things are today.

Most of us are of an age where our parents or grandparents grew up as children of the Great Depression, 90 years ago. They learned to be frugal and self-reliant. They hated debt and hardly ever had to deal with leftovers. They were good...

By the quirk of this season’s holiday calendar, we recently made a visit to Washington, D.C., our nation’s capital, while visiting family and friends in nearby Maryland. The visit offered us a chance to affirm that our Republic, in all its manifestations of power, laws and democratic institutions was still standing in upright position and not collapsing under the weight of the current impeachment turmoil. After listening for a week as our highest elected officials ranted, raved and foamed at their mouths during the Congressional hearings, we half expected to see the U.S. Capitol’s dome smoldering in black smoke.

Another year, with 12 months and 8,760 hours, has come and gone. Was it too fast, too slow or something in between?