Editorial

I was born and raised in Healdsburg, and still spend most of my time here when I’m not attending college. In the past several months or so, I’ve become directly aware of a disturbing trend towards aggressive policing in this town.

As a new year opens for us, we see lots of evidence about how two major events — our economy and the weather — keep avoiding our best predictions. We know they both run in cycles, but we can never get the timing just right.

As we continue our mission to ensure every animal receives protection, compassion, love and care, the Sonoma Humane Society is proud to announce the final transfer of the unfinished shelter building on Bacchus Landing Way in Healdsburg from the Healdsburg Animal Shelter to the Sonoma Humane Society. With the final paperwork completed to transfer the building and remaining assets, our next steps include ensuring the safety and integrity of the building and developing plans to finish the facility in a manner which pays tribute to the generosity of Rodney and Charlotte Strong, and the generous and caring community who supported the project since its inception.

The Living Room is moving to a new home base in 2015!  We’ve been taking care of homeless women and children for 21 years at space leased from Church of Incarnation, in downtown Santa Rosa.  Sadly, due to the increase of homeless women and children in our community, we’ve seriously outgrown our space and need a new home.  We are glad to announce we’ve purchased a property close by that fits our needs and will allow us to improve our program.  However, in order to make it home, it needs some fixing up and improvement, including a commercial kitchen.  Since we receive less than 15 percent of our funding from government sources, our existence depends on the generosity of others.  In the months ahead, while preparing to move, we are reaching out for support with monetary donations and in-kind assistance to make our new home ready. WILL YOU HELP?

Here’s wishing everyone a fulfilling, prosperous and happy New Year. In this new year, we hope more and more citizens of all ages take more active roles in our many community pursuits, local government actions and our far-ranging series of crucial debates and decisions. It’s a new year for all of us, a year already filled with undone tasks, ongoing conversations and new goals.

T’was the night before Christmas and all things were a Twitter. Yes, the mice, all the other creatures and the rest of the house was abuzz and full of clattering. The stockings were not hung by the chimney with care; they were overstuffed with “stuff.” When was it that getting through Christmas Eve started feeling like making it to the finish line of a race?

Did I read it someplace, or did I just dream it? At this stage of life it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference, but somehow I got the impression that older people are now forming virtual retirement villages. These villages exist on the Internet by means of social media, I believe.

Last week’s rains lived up to their advanced billing. All parts of Sonoma County got a real soaking from a bona fide Pacific storm, the kind of blowing and hard downpours that have always marked our northern California winters. The average annual rainfall over...

Along with the dedication of a new park atop of Fitch Mountain, a community treasure has quietly slipped into the past. On a sunny Sunday in September, Fitch mountaineers gathered for a potluck at Del Rio Beach to share memories of a lake that is no more. Al Pucci, director of the Del Rio Woods Recreation and Park District, Fitch Mountain Association trustee, addressed the group and thanked everyone for their involvement and support. About 30 people came to pay their respects and share stories of their time spent on the Del Rio Woods summer lake.

The holiday season is here with the accompanying shopping, decorating, gift giving, entertaining and feasting. As we celebrate, we also tend to generate lots of waste. Did you know that an extra million tons of waste is generated nationwide each week between Thanksgiving and New Year’s? Here are a few ideas and suggestions on how to have a wonderful, gift giving holiday season and still be earth friendly.