Our next leader
The election is over, the signs are being picked up and James Gore will be on the job. I met with James on Veteran’s Day at the Center Street Café. Knowing Mike McGuire pretty well and now getting to know James I was curious to find out how the heir apparent to Sonoma’s north county supervisorial district will match up to McGuire’s stellar tenure. Although they are both quality people in their own right, I couldn’t help but compare them. A few of their similar trait: they are both extremely intelligent and excellent multitaskers; they are both tireless campaigners; they both have charismatic personalities; they both will take the time to talk to anyone; they both suffer fools graciously; they both put their constituents above special interest groups; and they both absolutely love the flora, fauna and people of northern Sonoma County.
Exploring arts and science at a young age
New children’s museum offers interactive exhibits
Healdsburg on track to explore the creation of a new cannabis ordinance
The City of Healdsburg is in the early stages of outlining a draft ordinance that would allow either for a mix of commercial cannabis uses or for retail use only. There was also the option to consider an ordinance that would allow for various types of cannabis manufacturing within Healdsburg, however, the council was more in favor of looking at the possibility of mixed commercial use or retail.
For fire fuel management LandPaths is letting people harvest their own fir trees
Not many families wade through heavily wooded forests anymore to find that perfect Christmas tree — save for the Griswolds in the “Christmas Vacation” film. Most just go to their local neighborhood tree lots.
Hybrid Bicycle-Stop Sign Sculpture Complete on Foss Creek Pathway
One of the public art projects funded by the city's first round of grants last year, a mashup sculpture called "Adopt-A-Stop" that fuses an old red bicycle frame with a stop sign, was installed in April and is now settling in along the Foss...
Q&A with city council candidate Neysa Hinton
Two seats on the Sebastopol City Council are up for election on Nov. 3. Both of the incumbents, Michael Carnacchi and Neysa Hinton are seeking re-election. Challengers in the race are Everett Fernandez, Diana Rich and Vaughn Richard Higginbotham. Sonoma West Times & News submitted questions to the candidates. Hinton's responses are included here in a Q&A format. The responses have been edited for length in some places.














