Columns

It has been four months since the Oct. 8 north bay wildfires, and we continue to look both backward and forward. The very early steps of rebuilding and recovery have begun. Resources and strategies continue to be bundled. And the drastically altered picture that is Sonoma County’s future is beginning to come into focus. It is both daunting and exhilarating.

Like everyone else in this sector of the solar system, I’ve been obsessed with the national elections for the past year, and the results have made me wonder what I believe.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year ...

Finally, a common sense answer to gun violence and the seemingly weekly school massacres.

New person I meet: “Are you from around here?”

I think “toddlerhood” is by far the most fun stage in our kids’ development. They are sponges, always absorbing new information, sights and sounds. The world is exciting and new. A trip to the park is an adventure and making a sand castle is magical. You pick out their clothes, choose their meals and plan their day. Easy right? As their wonderful personalities emerge, you get a glimpse into who they might be, what they might like. After you think you have it figured out, it all starts again because they turn into teenagers.

Once upon a time, back in the 1990s, I was asked an unusual question. A nice fellow named Ben used to dress up in a red suit every year and play the role of a cultural icon. He was the star of an annual parade and he handed out candy canes to hundreds of good little girls and boys.