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Sonoma Valley Sun Articles
 Social JusticeErica Goldson, age 18, courageously speaks out 9-02-10It’s my understanding that a prophet is someone who is willing to stand up and speak out against injustice of any kind anywhere in the world. I hereby proclaim Erica Goldson of Coxsackie, New York a prophet of 2010. Graduating from Coxsackie-At... 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… 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… Who was on those boats in the Mediterranean Sea? 6-17-10When you see pictures of folks on those boats approaching the port of Gaza two weeks ago, can you see yourself among the throngs? Embarking on any such mission, activists thoughtfully consider the risks. People committed to standing up for just... 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… Current news about earthquake-devastated Haiti 5-13-10Today we have reports from the beleaguered nation of Haiti.Many of you remember Margaret Trost and her wondrous What If? Foundation. If you’ve missed Margaret on one of her visits to Sonoma, please read her inspiring story in “On Th... 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… The definition of a “settlement” 4-08-10Greatly encouraged by the feedback in response to the “just joan” column of March 25, I offer today some additional preliminary information. In that column, I pondered the feasibility of keeping my commitment to provide readers with refle... 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… To see is to believe. To experience is to understand. 3-25-10Feedback from my March 11 column The audacity of the Haitian populace (read at http://3hmm.com/thesun/?p=16225) has been profound and profoundly one-sided. Not a single person has told me they are angry with me for bringing truths about this little n... 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… The audacity of the Haitian populace 3-11-10To understand why Haiti was so extremely devastated by the 7.0 earthquake while Chile was actually less damaged though its quake was 500 times more powerful requires some knowledge of the history of the past 200 years.Actually, let’s star... read more… Some survived the 7.0 quake of January 12 3-04-10It’s no secret that we live in earthquake territory. Do we sometimes contemplate whether and how we might come through it? Today we’re going to hear from a small number of the people who survived the recent quake in Port au Prince, Haiti.... read more… They REFUSE to hate each other 2-25-10“It is such an important time to gain a better understanding of what is required to create peace in the Middle East,” says Lorin Peters, the Bay Area teacher previously featured in this column who travels to the Holy Land annually for pea... read more… Welcome my guest: Jacqueline Jill-Rito 2-18-10For the first time, just joan is providing space today for a Guest Columnist. Confident readers will support this decision … I’m offering a piece of prose written by a friend in New York.Jacqueline Jill-Rito, a single parent and en... read more… A time for Truth, a time for action 2-11-10Have you sometimes felt confused, overwhelmed or mystified by all the reports of trouble in the “Holy Land?” Have you ever wondered if some personal contact with people having alternative viewpoints might offer clarity and understanding? ... read more… Generosity, outrage, misery, courage and dare we say –“racism” 1-28-10Few in Sonoma will soon forget the intense sense of outrage we felt recently when insult was hideously heaped on tragedy. How could anyone, we wondered, be so callous as to break into the victims’ home after the entire Maloney family was killed... read more… A few bright spots among Haiti’s horrendous devastation 1-21-10While luxuriating in a hot shower this morning, I thought about my cold showers while living in Haiti. About those afternoons I was first to get to our back yard where the generous tropical sun had primed the outstretched garden hose for a hot-water ... read more… The folly of waiting so long 12-17-09“All these bills—and others—will go before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee for evaluation … Then, if usual Congressional practice is followed, selected features of all the proposals w... read more… The remarkable Contagious Love Experiment 12-03-09Having received no intel that day, Conor had led his squad house to house on random searches, looking for weapons or anything else which might suggest trouble or hint at terrorism.Now Conor stood in a handsome courtyard, quite astounded to see ... read more… A good time to think about alternatives for Holiday celebrating 11-26-09Have you ever been in a situation where conversation did not come easily? Perhaps you were with a teenager whose fierce longing for independence had initiated a nonverbal stance, or with an older person with fading short-term memory.On more tha... read more… Enjoy really rich conversation instead of shopping on International Buy-Nothing Day; 11-20-09Have there been conversations in your home, school, and workplace about the “real” story of the first Thanksgiving dinner more than 400 years ago? Some say we’ve based our annual celebration on an event that bears little resem... read more… She started early on a lifetime dedicated to the common good 11-13-09A particular joy in the last half of my long life has been meeting and developing nifty connections with lots and lots of utterly fabulous folks. That has certainly continued as I live in Northern California and in our incomparable city of Sono... 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… Peacemaking through a poignant exchange 10-02-09Loren Peters is one of my heroes. After meeting the Bishop O’Dowd High School (Oakland) teacher, I applied and was accepted to be a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams two-week delegation in Israel/Palestine.When invited by local peace and... 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… 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… Wild Kingdom indeed – in the United States of America! 8-21-09Many of you will remember Stan Brock, often called “the original crocodile hunter.” The popular 1960s television series about wildlife conservation “Wild Kingdom” featured this handsome, talented discovery as guide and sidekic... read more… What they’re saying about health care reform 8-14-09U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders reminds us: Forty-six million uninsured; over 18 thousand people dying every single year because they don’t have access to a doctor when they should; we remain the only country in the industrialized world that d... read more… Global warming on the other side of the world 7-10-09This time it was a short flight to India. Well, virtual India perhaps. Landing at Chicago’s Midway Airport in late June, I was met by the couple who had hosted my visit to their country six months earlier.Who knew that so many thousands have im... read more… Every scream represents an unmet need 7-03-09With the self-deprecating humor of a talented comedienne, Cindi Vian peppered her PowerPoint presentation with remarks that regaled her audience and at the same time established a direct connection among them regarding her very serious topic.I was on... read more… ʻYou’ll see him smilin’,’ but is he really? 6-26-09One of the opening lines in the soon-to-be-released documentary, “The Cove” is chilling: “If these fishermen could catch me, they’d kill me.” The courageous speaker, Richard O’Barry, had a significant role in expan... 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… A day on the streets of the Tenderloin. Say what? 4-10-09Can’t think of a better way to spend April Fools’ Day than with the Faithful Fools of San Francisco, who consider the first day of April to be their “Feast Day.” So I showed up at their headquarters on Hyde Street at 9 a.... 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… Young folks plead for intergenerational activism 2-20-09While we’re awed and thrilled to watch as the presidential campaign of Barack Obama mobilized young people in the political process, we also acknowledge a vital need to find ways to maintain that interest and energy now that their candidate has... 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… How does one imagine peace? 9-18-08The International Day of… We interrupt this column to bring you an important announcement: The Forum Committee of The First Congregational Church is offering Sonomans another opportunity to view the film “Uncounted, The New Math of Am... read more… Get involved: Help protect the right to vote 9-04-08Two days after the Sun published the first of my two-part series on the movie, “Uncounted,” I was approached by a friend of a different political persuasion. “Joan,” he said, slowing his bicycle to pass me near Fifth Street We... read more… “Darryl, Come Home” – World premiere of a very important drama 8-28-08Chris Ginesi has been involved in theater almost from the moment he arrived in Sonoma at age nine. As he quickly made friends in his new home town, he was lured to their excitement about Broadway Bound Kids and almost before he knew what a stage was,... read more… What one person can do 8-07-08Many years ago, probably about 40, I labeled a file folder “What One Person Can Do,” and began inserting clippings of people I read about who’d had an idea and responded to it in a way that made a difference in the world. The folder... read more… Retirement revisited 7-29-08Retirement. It’s something to plan for, look forward to, welcome and enjoy. Fun and freedom are characteristic. While many retirees hire out as part-time consultants, it seems more common to shelve that lifetime of wisdom, experience, and docum... read more… Every item for sale has a person and a story behind it 6-12-08She’d never left this country before. Now she was traveling halfway around the world with 17 complete strangers and feeling a bit nervous. Approaching a Bangladesh airport, Candi Smucker noticed the farmers’ fields came right up to the ed... read more… just 'cause 5-19-08The Sun editorial written by The Sun's publisher and published on 6-19-2008: Joan Huguenard takes us out of our personal comfort zone. And that can be a good thing. That’s the case with the periodic topic for “just joan”: ... read more… You can ‘vote’ for a better world every single day 3-20-08Since they seem to be “flying off the shelf” at Baksheesh, it’s possible you already have your copy of “The Better World Shopping Guide.” If so, you likely carry this handy, pocket-sized manual wherever you go and refer ... read more… Wishing you enough 2-21-08If my neighboring column “Sun on the Street” asked Sonomans, “How much of our Gross National Product (GNP) do you think goes for foreign aid to regions of poverty around the world?” the answers would range from 20 to 25 percen... read more… Our daily bread… 2-14-08In the time it takes you to read this sentence, one or two children somewhere in the world will have starved to death. You can do the math; by the time you’ve finished reading this newspaper, dozens more will have died from hunger. In the Un... read more… We know how to culture yogurt; can we also culture peace? 11-08-07One comment I have frequently heard from people who had taken on a serious study of social justice through the JustFAITH program was, “Now I see people I never noticed before.” The clerk in the convenience store, the person in the toll bo... read more… |
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