Editorial

As your elected Representative here in Sonoma County, my highest priority is to make sure that your priorities are my priorities; and that I conduct my work in a transparent arena for you all to help me develop plans and hold me accountable for delivering.

Rollie Atkinson, Publisher of he Healdsburg Tribune, Windsor Times and Sonoma West Times and News was profiled by the California Newspaper Publishers Association in the Summer issue of their official publication "California Publisher".  The magazine covers the news and trends, the buying and selling, the technological developments and the historical events in California's diverse newspaper industry.   Decision-makers in the California newspaper industry look to California Publisher for the latest information to help them run an efficient, profitable and worthy business.  Suppliers to the trade rely upon California Publisher as their connection to all newspaper departments.

As members of the Fitch Mountain Association we recently received two emails from the association’s current secretary Ellen Silge regarding the recent tree and brush removal along North and South Fitch Mountain Road. She refers to the work as a “Roadside Slaughter.” She continues that Laura Tietz of Fire Free Fitch “is close to learning the identity of the PG&E person responsible” and “turning the inmate crew loose on Fitch Mt. Road.” Silge also said that “She (Tietz) has a meeting tomorrow (2/23) in Mike McGuire’s office with county officials who are interested in making the roads on the mountain safer and she’ll bring up this problem, as well as following through with PG&E executives and Cal-Fire. Silge finishes with a request from any property owner who feels that they suffered property damage caused by “the slaughter in progress or aftermath images.”

My Indiana friend sent a photo of her dazzling ruby-colored backyard. For your fall fix, she wrote. A California friend visiting Maine posted golden leaves on Facebook and happily reported it blustery enough for gloves and scarves.

Lack of water availability for our state’s farmers due to the drought is creating unprecedented challenges for winegrowers and all growers across the state. The recently finalized trade pact, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) will make the future of farming in our state even more uncertain.