Op-Ed Opinion Essay

A recent application for a large commercial cannabis grow and processing facility adjacent to Graton homes and the West County Trail has put a spotlight on the county’s evolving cannabis regulations.

Local environmental groups in the San Francisco Bay area and Sonoma County often point to the successes of this resident-led initiative as proof we in the North Bay are a “Green” community. As a matter of fact, many of the organizations promoting tourism to the North Bay and Sonoma County invoke the natural beauty and conservation as marketing tools to get the visitors to come to the “Sonoma County Wine Country”. Going green has become a profitable approach now.

It is important to first honor the significant hard work that went into seeking community input and writing this strong guiding fire recovery and resiliency framework for action, especially under difficult conditions. While there are more detailed fire recovery recommendations that have been crafted, such as in the recent report from the Alliance for a Just, Equitable and Sustainable Recovery, here are a few of the recommendations to help strengthen this plan.

The County proposed a $300 million bond issue to address the housing crisis. Those funds would have been leveraged two or three times and generate enough funds to make a significant impact. The surveys showed that the vast majority of residents supported the measure. BUT…a few wealthy and well-connected people felt compelled to put their greed and bias ahead of what is good for the county.

Women in the U.S.A. are protesting with all their might against the separation of children from families seeking asylum at our southern border. Compassionate men, including myself, are joining in the protest. Congress seems completely unable to agree onany immigration policy, but one judge has stepped up to order the practice of separation to stop and for re-unification of families to be accomplished swiftly.

Many people have weighed in on the decisions surrounding Cannabis cultivation in Sonoma County. Here are some of this month's opinions...

It’s the last weekend in June and women in the U.S.A. are protesting with all their might against the separation of children from families seeking asylum at our southern border.

Many concerns have been shared by the community in regards to the harmonious setting of the two properties recently sold along theWest County Trail. This space is currently zoned for agriculture and for myself, as a naturalist, is where my concern resides

Anger. Fear. Exhaustion. Jubilation. Relief. A strong desire to rebuild, restore, strengthen, and protect. We who endured the massive wildfires here in Northern California a year ago are still experiencing all of these feelings, and more. As are many of us across the entire nation, in response to what I’ll summarize here as political events during the past 18 to 24 months.

Across Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries, funerals would be graced by a stranger providing one last chance at savings the deceased’s soul. Bread or other simple food would be placed on the corpse, to absorb sin from its flesh, and then it would be consumed by the willing sin eater.

As people begin to live longer, financial planning will become even more important. Many customers have told me that these home loans just aren’t right for them, but the reality is that they can be a major financial windfall for seniors in multiple situations.

Encouraging you to VOTE for what YOU believe is GOOD for YOUR Community

The fire isn’t over though. Far from it. Santa Rosa is no longer like a war zone with hugs, but there is a long way to go. Fire survivors are all different, but one unifying characteristic is that none of us is past the fire.

Every election is important, but this one has serious significance for both local and national elections. Our readers check in with their opinions on who and what they encourage you to vote YES.

The US Supreme Court has rejected Sonoma County’s last-ditch appeal to keep Sgt. Erick Gelhuas from facing trial. The Iraq war veteran has been charged with the 2013 wrongful shooting death of 13-year-old Andy Lopez as the boy walked down a neighborhood street with a toy rifle. This is the fourth failed appeal, which has thus far cost the County some $4 million in taxpayer dollars.