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A month ago, all of Sonoma County’s “public life” was put off limits. No schools, locked parks, barricaded beaches, no dining out or casual shopping trips. Gathering places where conversations and friendships get shared are taboo. Libraries, coffee shops, brewpubs, art galleries and any space smaller than six feet square, are now officially declared uninhabitable.

AVFilm (previously known as Alexander Valley Film Society), an organization dedicated to the transformative power of film, is actively working to find a way to bring cinema back to Healdsburg. AVFilm has a vision statement that outlines the organization's focus on using film to impact, educate, empower and engage people of all ages in a way that is equitable for the entire community. As part of that mission, AVFilm is currently working on a feasibility study to determine the implications of re-establishing a theater in Healdsburg.

When a dying oak tree branch was removed, the tree worker climbed down from the ladder and asked the owners if they were trying to kill the tree. “He then pointed out drilled holes on the side of the trunk facing our neighbor’s house, originating just over the height of the fence. These holes were overflowing with, according to our tree expert, a form of herbicide intended to poison and ultimately kill the tree.”

At midday, it's raining ash in Healdsburg. There are large, uncontained fires to the north, south, and east. The massive blaze that started in Napa County and roared over the ridges overnight is consuming large areas of Santa Rosa, almost to Windsor's southern border. In North County, a fire that started this morning on the ridges to the east above Geyserville casts a shadow over the area. West County is choking on the wind-driven smoke.

The May 6 council meeting generates instant feedback, with readers commenting on the Growth Management Ordinance and new water rates...

Another view of the Carnacchi issue

Healdsburg High School is once again searching for a new football coach, following an off-season disagreement between Randy Parmeter and the school’s athletic director, Joshua Cavanagh.

On Friday, the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters added around 3,000 more votes to its reporting tally for the two west county ballot measures that were voted on earlier this week. See the updated numbers below.

On April 14, the town council of Windsor convened a meeting to consider demanding the resignation of mayor Dominic Foppoli following allegations of sexual assault. You can read an accounting of the meeting here, but below we have presented, without comment, some of the statements of residents of Windsor and the greater county about Foppoli, the allegations or more. Commenters were not required to provide their full names, so in some cases the person identified will only be a first name or even a pseudonym. Presented below are excerpts from some of over 100 members of the public.

Sometimes it’s good to move at a snail’s pace.