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Sonoma Valley Sun Articles
 Sonoma StoriesCome to the Water in Sonoma once again 8-26-10The year is 1995 and I stand here beside a well, sucking up information like the proverbial sponge. Who knew so many fascinating details could be elicited from Scriptures when one is exposed to the cultural traditions and requirements of ancien... read more… Hot summer day + inviting pool – let’s go! 8-19-10What do you know? What hobby do you like to share? Are you fond of gardening? Hiking? Playing cards or Scrabble?Do you love to read? Take in a movie? Pick up litter as you stroll around town? Feed the ducks? Play a musical instrument or two?Do you da... read more… How to make the world a better place by buying books 8-05-10Most readers of this column understand my impatience with corporate greed. And many of you might be unaware of my excitement over corporate scale and principles put to work for the greater good of humankind. Examples keep popping up while amazi... read more… Some things just change your life forever 7-29-10Nearly four months after its presentation, people are still stopping me on the street to tell of the impact The Vagina Monologues 2010 has had on their lives. Which reminds me of my promise to tell my readers about its impact on the women who h... read more… Time to rethink our understanding of war? 7-15-10After a long career in human resource management, Michael Millerick retired to this town where he’d grown up and one day handed me a book written by Dan Maguire. He had no way of knowing the author was one of my favorite professors when I... read more… “Tit-Bits” + other prostheses = feeling feminine again 7-08-10A Sonoma couple has created a unique project for you and me to have fun with over the next few months while we make a big difference for hundreds of deserving women! Read on.Sandra Dodgers and Rich Howell, retired probation officers, vacationin... read more… Outstanding triple-premiere production in the NEW Andrews Hall 7-01-10Two guiding principles handed on from her mom have helped pave the way as Jaime Love has negotiated life’s highways: “If you commit to something, always see it through,” and “Every day, do one little thing toward your dr... read more… Joyful Generosity supports a grand career 6-24-10Today’s featured volunteer has built a lifetime on Joyful Generosity. And he lives with sweet satisfaction for having made some big differences in the world. Let’s take a romp through this lifetime looking for clues to that satisfac... read more… It just makes good sense to eat locally 6-10-10For a host of reasons that seem altogether appropriate to me, many inspiring individuals and groups are encouraging us to become “locavores,” to consume food and drink from our own – extended – back yards.As a member of ... read more… Profound effects of The Vagina Monologues 5-27-10As audience members strolled out of the Women’s Club after April performances of The Vagina Monologues, they had the opportunity to speak with the actresses if they so chose. In amazing numbers, they so chose.Sue Franklin, in presenting h... read more… Loving the service of driving for F.I.S.H. 5-20-10One thing his many friends in our community know about David McCracken is he loves to give service. This certainly was evident while he served as beloved pastor of the First Congregational Church of Sonoma. Retirement a few years ago did not se... read more… Volunteer Now Sonoma Valley 4-29-10Volunteers are integral to the vibrancy of our wonderful Sonoma, and volunteerism has been the backbone of this nation since its earliest days. Actually, one might wonder whether this country could have lasted without the willing provision of s... read more… Learning to work with your body instead of forcing painful change 4-22-10Ralph Scott is a knowledgeable, caring, highly intuitive and professional healer who helps clients get past pain without inducing more pain in the healing process.At age seven, he knew for certain that one day he’d be helping people get o... read more… Racism – still alive in our world, in our nation, in our valley? 4-15-10Many believe racism in our country to be ancient history, that it was handled in the 60s by Martin Luther King and that it just hasn’t been a problem since. And it’s quite easy to believe that when your life and your lifestyle protect you... read more… Sonoma joins hearts and soles to end hunger 4-01-10Get out your walking shoes, Sonoma. Or support and nurture your walking neighbors. Or open up your pocketbooks to help us fill the coffers of the Redwood Food Bank and Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH). Or bring your employer along on the walk. ... read more… An upcoming benefit performance and a just-past conference 3-18-10Peeking into two extraordinary events: three weeks from today, you can attend opening night of Sonoma’s second annual V-Day production of The Vagina Monologues. Last week, nearly a dozen Sonomans were edified, astounded and motivated by the two... read more… Scraps of paper, bits of the past 1-07-10The hunter-gatherers brought home food, but for just joan it’s all about paper. An entire lifetime I’ve been clipping/saving scraps of paper and filing them away for the day I have some use for each. Oh, I purge those files occasionally, ... read more… Violence comes from thinking you need a bigger share 11-06-09This headline is but one quote from a stunning speech offered here in Sonoma on Oct. 20, 2009. Vandana Shiva, gracefully robed in her traditional Indian sari, held the large audience in the Veterans Memorial Building spellbound with her vast wi... read more… I visited her Bija, she was abroad; now she’ll be in Sonoma 10-16-09Bija Vidyapeeth, an organic farm and learning center situated in the beautiful hills of the Himalayas in northern India, was founded by Vandana Shiva as an international school of sustainable living.Bija Vidyapeeth, translated “School of ... read more… No more enemies! 10-09-09Throughout the many hours I’ve invested during the past three years in intensive training in the process of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), I’ve learned and come to believe that in NVC consciousness, there is no such thing as an enemy. No... read more… To boycott or not to boycott – what do you think? 9-25-09John Mackey is quite a guy. Business Week tells us he “has lived on a vegetarian co-op, he and his wife, Deborah, both practice meditation and yoga, and spend as much time as they can on their 720 acre ranch west of Austin, Texas. He is a ... read more… Two “don’t miss” opportunities in Sonoma 9-18-09Two noteworthy events coming up and I can’t imagine you’d want to miss out on either opportunity.First comes Esperanza, a delightful 6-year-old with a great desire to learn to read. She pesters her papa and her mama and the older children... read more… A Sunday sermon to be savored 9-11-09On Sunday, Sept. 6, Rev. Nancy Taylor spoke courageously from the pulpit of the Congregational Church where she is the presiding minister. As she frequently does, Rev. Taylor began with a couple of experiences from her own life, relating those to the... read more… Many voices spoke passionately in Sonoma on Saturday 9-04-09More than 250 people gathered at Sonoma’s amphitheater Saturday to hear moving talks about health care reform after a short walk with placards and cheer.With pen in hand, I asked questions as we walked to bring you voices other than those disti... read more… Experiences of Sonoma residents with health care in Europe and Canada 8-28-09Tomorrow, Aug. 29, we have an opportunity to publicly proclaim our support for reform of the American health care system. Whatever your personal preference for how that reform might be shaped, please spend just one hour of your Saturday morning in sh... read more… Here’s to very good health the nutritional and natural way! 6-19-09In an overview of their medical practice with Rebecca Porrino, ND and Marcus Porrino, ND, Dr. Rebecca told me, “The cornerstone of Naturopathic Medicine is encouraging the body’s own ability to heal itself. Rather than treat illness, we l... read more… Patrick Garcia has fascinating stories to tell 6-12-09If you’re a “frequent flyer,” perhaps you’ve enjoyed his company, as Patrick Garcia drives you to San Francisco in a Sonoma Airporter. I’ve enjoyed his friendly demeanor, excellent driving skills and caring customer serv... read more… Oh, to be a kid again – I’d sure want to go to this kind of camp! 6-05-09I was one of those really lucky kids who got to go to summer camp for a week or two some of the summers of my childhood, and I loved it. I’m astounded and delighted to learn that Camp Tannadoonah is still going strong on lovely Birch Lake in so... read more… Help save the environment by eating locally 5-29-09Few things are more gratifying to a columnist than measurable response. Though I was in a distant city attending a granddaughter’s graduation from law school and couldn’t be there myself, I’m told cars were parked all up and down th... read more… Flu, flu, go away. Don’t come back any other day. 5-22-09Everyone knows the annual flu season is upon us – old strains, new strains, sniffles, sneezes and coughs. Everyone does not know that one of the most effective means of prevention is a safe and inexpensive over-the-counter product found in your... read more… Nature knows how to cure if we just give it a chance 5-15-09If you read last week’s report about my friend Barbara Long who was given just three to ten days to live because virulent cancer was consuming her, you’ll be interested to know more about the nutritional and natural approach that knocked ... read more… Oh, no, Doctor, don’t tell me that! 5-08-09Today we’re going to talk about the dreaded C-word. I fear, you fear, we all fear a diagnosis of CANCER.Let me begin with a local story I’ve had the inestimable privilege to witness in recent months. Last fall, my friend Barbara, who live... read more… Feel joy and love while being edified and inspired 5-01-09Some of you were swept away by the delightful Margaret Trost when she appeared in Burlingame Hall last October. Her story, documented in her deeply inspiring, quick-read book, “On That Day Everybody Ate; One Woman’s Story of Hope and Poss... read more… It’s up to you and me to demand genuine food safety 4-17-09Alarm bells have been clanging all over my in box for a month. E-mails from around the country raising fear and dread about a proposed piece of legislation. A bill with provisions sounding so draconian I wanted to believe the e-mails were hysterical ... read more… Making your resume stand out among a thousand 3-27-09This much I can say for sure – looking for a job today is nothing like it was last time I put a resume together. Oh, pshaw, it’s nothing like it was even five years ago!I use that antique interjection in consideration of the many who neve... read more… It’s almost like turning my own thumb green 3-20-09Once upon a time, I was offered the opportunity to become a member of a CSA. This was something I had never heard of, but I tend to be open to inspiring new ideas.CSA, it turned out, stands for Community Supported Agriculture and the Community involv... read more… Inspirational story of a Bay area woman 3-13-09The first moment she met the young widow from California, the wizened and wrinkled elderly women gestured toward her open door, saying in English, “Welcome home.” And, although it was only her second time in this country after a two... read more… Celebrating Sonoma’s 2009 Alcaldesa, Elizabeth Kemp 3-06-09For many years Sonoma residents didn’t see much of Elizabeth Kemp unless they were lucky enough to have a child or two swathed in the loving embrace of her day care center. Oh, folks might have caught a quick glimpse of her delivering to a chur... read more… Three great news items in a downturned economy 2-27-09Questions frequently heard around the Valley in recent years: What will they ever do with that place now that the turkeys are gone? You mean I can actually go inside the gates into what was always mysteriously private property? And to a pair of ... read more… African Americans commemorate King in Gandhi's land 2-13-09As you hold this Sonoma Valley Sun in your hands, a number of African Americans of distinction are flying into New Delhi under the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department. Tomorrow, as you and I gather at the Sonoma Valley Library for a concurrent e... read more… India, United States and Sonoma celebrate golden anniversary together 2-06-09Just over 100 years ago, Mohandas Gandhi launched a new way of waging conflict. Non-violence as a strategy for conflict resolution was not new. But Gandhi was the first to apply its power to wide-ranging social change. For the first time in history a... read more… In Sonoma, "new" need not equate with "lonely" 1-30-09The first time I stepped foot on Sonoma soil, it was to enter the home of someone I’d never met to be her live-in caregiver. Nor had I met this woman’s daughter, who had phoned me at my rented room in Washington, D.C. to offer me this pos... read more… Rich opportunities for everyone this week 10-09-08What’s a columnist to do? When four events said columnist considers supremely recommendable are all scheduled in the same week, how can she possibly give each the proper attention? At the risk of reducing any of them to just a sound bite, I th... read more… More about recycling and composting in Sonoma 7-24-08Now I ask you, how many of you Sun readers would enjoy being buried when you still have life in you? So what is it that makes it so okay with us to have our “stuff” buried when it still has life in it? The old adage, “Waste not, ... read more… Sebastian Hall has seen it all … at least a good bit of it 7-17-08Quite a variety of life experiences have filled the first two decades of this young person’s life, and as he approaches his nineteenth birthday, he’s eager to learn what will show up next. Sebastian Hall is open, ready and excited. The... read more… What goes into the Big Blue Bin? 7-10-08Vexing as it may be to see the environment threatened by our persistent consumerism, it’s somewhat comforting to know most Sonomans are using big blue bins to divert waste products from the garbage stream. Recycling results in tremendous energy... read more… We’re all part of a great green adventure 6-26-08What becomes of all the stuff we mix together in those big blue bins next to our garbage cans? I’ve been asking myself this question for some time, with a degree of skepticism, particularly concerning the plastics. Let me tell you where that sk... read more… New Leaders for Sonoma in this new century 5-15-08At my 50th high school reunion, I received stunning surprises. People remembered me as someone they admired in high school, and more than one gentleman said he had never asked for a date because he “knew I was going steady with Paul.” ... read more… Confusion about Measure F 4-03-08Members of the 2008 Leadership Class of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce assembled last week with the brilliant minds that keep our Sonoma Valley Hospital the outstanding institution it is. Our sixth day-long training would explore the Sonoma Va... read more… Life skills training for graduates 3-06-08If you happen to know a young person who’s graduating from Sonoma Valley High School this spring, you might tap that person on the shoulder and ask permission to peek inside the pack over that shoulder imprinted with the slogan, “Hit the ... read more… Is there anything the matter with mattering? 2-28-08What is it that leads a two-year-old, or a six-year-old or a 16-, 40- or 80-year-old to have some kind of “tantrum”? We tend to think of a tantrum in terms of screaming and foot-stomping, yet sometimes an outburst of temper can take the f... read more… What finer gift than the gift of a future? 12-13-07What’s happening with the Valley of the Moon Teen Center? When we drive past the planned location for a new teen center building, it’s hard to celebrate progress. Though it’s obvious there has been some activity to reshape the land ... read more… Would your domestic staff maintain confidentiality and loyalty? 10-25-07How would you survive if you were suddenly thrust into a class of society different from that in which you have functioned well forever? Suppose, for example, you acquired sudden wealth. Great wealth. What a delightful thought! But would you be able ... read more… Sonoma police department under contract to sheriff - Is it working? 6-21-07It says a lot when members of a staff refer to the boss with terms like “authentic” and “integrity.” Especially when the boss is an elected official. Bianca Blengino, administrative assistant to Sheriff Bill Cogbill, used thos... read more… Exhaustive background and dedication an outstanding sheriff doth make 6-14-07The assignment was straightforward: read a book and write a report on it. Not untypical of a seventh grader, Bill perused the shelf holding available books to find the skinniest one. It happened to be about the F.B.I. and it happened to change the co... read more… A little philanthropy never hurt anyone 6-07-07“I love to make something from nothing. My style is to get something started, put the details together and then leave it in the capable hands of others to administrate.” The speaker is known as a developer, with The Mercato and Fryer C... read more… They listened and learned and now collaborate 5-24-07When I learned members of the Sheriff’s Department had recently met with representatives of the Valley of the Moon Teen Center, I knew I’d want to offer my readers an accurate report, so I talked with the Sheriff and with the Center&rsquo... read more… A beautiful focus on successful parenting 4-26-07Ask me if I’d support a program that works to decrease the number of teen pregnancies and dependence on the welfare system, and I’ll give you a resounding, “Yes.” Tell me the program at the same time helps pregnant and lactati... read more… Way to celebrate, Jim Metzger 4-12-07We did some reminiscing when Jim Metzger and I sat down together a few days ago. It was fun to recall the August day of 1997 when he received an unexpected e-mail, facilitated by mutual friend Flora Durfee, from one Joan Huguenard living in Israel. ... read more… Does it take a village to raise a Sonoma teen? 4-05-07I have to tell you, readers, I am jazzed! Things this week are so rapidly coalescing it’s taking my breath away. I’ve been writing about the Valley of the Moon Teen Center and about the Sheriff’s Department’s raid on the Te... read more… Come see what’s happening at teen center 3-29-07When Stefanie Shackelford moved to our paradise four years ago, she was stunned to discover there really is precious little in Sonoma to attract and support our teens. She loves and supports the Boys and Girls Club, but sees a humongous need for supp... read more… Teen center, sheriff’s department working things out after ‘gang’ arrest 3-22-07Art Fichtenberg told me this week, “We’ve had a complete change of staff, a complete change of image, why we’ve even changed the name of the place to better reflect who we are. We are greatly encouraged because now, we and the Sonom... read more… What Sonoma needs is shared housing 2-22-07Ah, the joy of living alone. Eat what you want to when you want to, come and go as you please, keep the place as neat or as messy as you choose. Ah, the joys of sharing a life. Eat in the company of a good conversationalist, share the cooking and ... read more… For Ken Ramirez, it’s one more opportunity to make a difference 2-08-07“When you grow up in a gang-infested ghetto, you always have a sense of who you are and what is around you.” One of Sonoma’s newest residents gave me this perspective of his childhood in “Li’l Valley,” a literal ho... read more… Safari Miracles 1-04-07Amazing “miracles” littered the pathways as the three Sonomans we wrote of on Nov. 30 traveled about eastern Africa last month. For Dr. Linda Lea, it was far and away her most deliriously productive trip to that distant and mysterious lan... read more… Africa’s girl children call, Sonoma women come 11-30-06Three Sonoma women, among 22 Californians boarded airplanes Sunday. Some 22 hours later, they were to touch down in Nairobi, where they’ll be entering into one of the most extraordinary experiences of any lifetime as they attend the Grassroots ... read more… Inspired learnings from Anastasia Encarnacion 11-09-06How many elementary school kids in the world of 2006 actually know where food comes from – other than the supermarket? Thanks to the efforts of volunteer parents, especially Anastasia Encarnacion, students of Prestwood School have had the oppor... read more… Can Sonoma continue to thrive in isolation? 10-12-06When people ask me where I live, my usual answer is, “I live in paradise!” One doesn’t get many arguments from any corner about the singular charm, culture and ambience of our little town of Sonoma. Lately I’ve been wonderi... read more… Sitting in silence, starting Scrabble 9-21-06Rather than a unified topic, today’s column brings you a bit of this and a little of that. A small group of Sonomans has found that a lovely way to start a week is to sit together in silence from 7:30 to 8:10 each Monday morning in Room 203 ... read more… A better way to divorce 9-14-06For several years I spent many volunteer hours each week with a program of healing for the divorced. I remember the disillusionment of so many people, including me, coming through the legal system with a divorce in the hand and unimagined pain in the... read more… Celebration - just joan is two years old 9-07-06It’s time to celebrate! In September of 2004, my occasional commentary in The Sun became a weekly feature; “just joan” came into being. On this second anniversary I give thanks and celebrate my editor and publisher for having faith ... read more… Let’s protect our precious babies beyond infancy 8-10-06He arrived a month early, did little Giovanni, quite fragile. Doctors and nurses “literally swept him into their arms,” says grandmother Cindy Vrooman. “They worked very hard to protect this precious life.” Cindy and her husba... read more… The state of pregnancy – here and there 7-20-06As you know, the state of pregnancy can bring profound joy or debilitating grief. I know a bit about pregnancy having spent more than 72 months in that condition myself. While I lived in Communist China from 1986 to 1989, I became aware of tragic ... read more… Cross-country cancer benefit runner in July 4 parade 6-29-06One step at a time, Christian McEvoy will run from the Pacific to the Atlantic for the benefit of cancer survivors. And Sonoma has the honor of hosting one of his first celebration events along the way. “Why cancer survivors?” I asked ... read more… Sonoma couple inspires others to take action, realize their dreams 5-04-06John and Sara Donnelly knew not one person here when they moved to Sonoma in 1998 to begin the “post-salary phase” of their life together. They plunged into activities to bring them great measures of joy and connection with local folks. ... read more… Sonomans help ‘unwelcome’ G.W. Bush 4-27-06How do we welcome guests to our neighborhood? When the guest is a public servant whose policies have aggravated a whole lot of folks living in the neighborhood, the welcoming committee might actually put together an “unwelcome” demonstrat... read more… Retired Sonoma couple fought against South’s segregation 4-20-06One of the first things to catch John Donnelly’s eye when he arrived for graduate work at Vanderbilt University was the restroom doors in the Student Union. John had felt quite at home at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wis., a small Midwester... read more… Teachers feel lucky to have the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation 2-09-06You are an educator. You feel totally committed to making a difference in young people’s lives and fully understand that your activities in the classroom can have a powerful impact on the future of your community and the world beyond. You br... read more… Ten Extraordinary Peacemakers 12-22-05This was a tough assignment, to choose just ten. But here they are, in random order. Hearing him speak in San Rafael, I felt honored to be in his presence. Here was a doctor who treats AIDS patients back to robust health! In Haiti! In the land of ... read more… |
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