Recent Posts

  • The biggest spenders

    Contributed by Insider Opinion

    The state Fair Political Practices Commission released a Top 10 list of sorts today, listing the 10 people who donated the most money to state candidates and campaigns over the past 10 years. The... Read More »

  • Excessive tardies creates need for instant detentions

    Contributed by Teen Life

    It’s a minute to class, but a view of the quad doesn’t show it: students are milling around, joking with friends, and dragging their feet with no apparent intention of arriving to class on time. Excessive tardiness is an increasingly problem. On Wed. Feb. 10, however, the school is taking dramatic action in correcting this problem by enacting a much stricter policy. Each student that is late to class, whether by a minute or an hour after the bell, will receive... Read More »

  • A Warm Petaluma Night

    Contributed by Face the Music

    Last Saturday night (Fe. 8th) was a classic. First, the Petaluma Music Festival held its start up party for sponsors, fans and friends, at the Lagunitas Brewing Company. There was live music, beer... Read More »

  • Analy High honor choir fundraiser is Thursday

    Contributed by Extra Credit

    Analy High School’s Honor Choir will host another fundraiser Feb. 11 as the group tries to raise funds to send the singers to Carnegie Hall in New York this spring. The honor choir has been... Read More »

  • Judges sought for Sonoma County Science Fair

    Contributed by Good Deeds

    The Sonoma County Science Fair, an annual event coordinated by the Sonoma County Office of Education, is seeking volunteers to judge student science projects from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.... Read More »

  • A warm day at Freezeout Flat

    Contributed by Trailhead

    Back in 2005, when a 3,373-acre patch of land near the Sonoma Coast came into public ownership, it was envisioned that it would one day be part of the state parks system. That made sense as... Read More »

  • Watch this (TV for Tues. 2/9)

    Contributed by That Warm Glow

    Turn off your brain and grab the remote. Read More »

  • Pliny the Younger has come and gone

    Contributed by Arts

    An update for those of you who were waiting until the crowds thinned out for a taste of Russian River Brewing Company's once-a-year-beer,  Pliny the Younger: Sorry. It sold out the same day it... Read More »

  • Petaluma Target Approved by Council

    Contributed by California Commons

    Also needed is dismissal of the Regency lawsuit which should include payment to the city of its legal fees and staff costs incurred defending its legitimate interests. Read More »

  • What to play this weekend (Feb. 5-7)

    Contributed by GameWit

    The new "Star Trek" MMO is the lone major release, but you can pick up "'Splosion Man" on the cheap on Xbox Live. If you're a PC gamer who hasn't played the first "BioShock" yet, a couple of sites are giving away the original if you preorder the sequel. Read More »

  • Macworld Expo without Apple

    Contributed by Hot Tech

    Macworld Conference and Expo 2010 opens this week at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Read More »

  • Vizquel to wear Aparicio’s No. 11

    Contributed by Old School

    I have to admit, as an old-school baseball fan, I was ambivalent, to say the least, over the news that the Chicago White Sox are going to un-retire Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparacio’s No. 11 so... Read More »

  • Cook talks about his music and upcoming record

    Contributed by Idol Chatter

    If you are a David Cook fan (which I am), and you enjoy good interviews (which I do) then go to the following link on PopWatch and view the 3-part video interview with Cook conducted by Michael... Read More »

  • Bitter call from a cake shop

    Contributed by Chris Smith

    If we talk a bit about how a Santa Rosa mother was insulted after she phoned a fancy bakery regarding a cake for her daughter’s Quinceanera celebration, maybe the affront will be less likely to... Read More »

  • Final thoughts on SMART column

    Contributed by Golis Being Golis

    Write a column, and people will let you know what they think. This week’s commentary on the mixed messages emanating from the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit board generated two kinds of... Read More »

  • Holiday of love, or of dread?

    Contributed by Wine Country Mom

    When I was a kid, Valentine’s Day was a holiday to look forward to. It was a treat to wake up on Valentine’s Day to see what surprises were left for us at our place on the kitchen table. While most mornings were littered with pleas from us to wait “5 more minutes” before we got up, Valentine’s Day was treated much like Christmas – we were up before the sun. At the table there would be three places set with a little chocolate box, some candy hearts, a Valentine’s Day card, a Pez dispenser, and a new pair of Valentine’s Day socks. Sometimes there would be a little trinket, like a heart shaped glass bead on a chain or a little box with some gold coins on it. But always, there was the surprise of small treats that meant the world for us. After a breakfast of heart-shaped pancakes, we would grab our bag of homemade valentines for our classmates, excited for a day when we received at least 30 new valentines. At the end of the day our bellies would be full of candy and cookies, and our teeth coated with the sugar of little confectioner’s hearts that had messages of “Be mine” and “XOXO”. Then we would read through every single valentine to see if there was some hidden message between the lines of Garfield proclaiming his love for lasagna on a folded piece of pink paper that the cutest boy sent out to every girl in the class.

    As adults, Valentine’s Day gets much harder. (more...) Read More »

  • Ellis passed over for All-Star game again

    Contributed by Warriors Wire

    For the second time since reserves for the Western Conference All-Star team were announced, Warriors guard Monta Ellis has been passed over to join the team as an injury replacement. The first... Read More »

  • Sacramento Poetry Center: Submit to Tule Review

    Contributed by Geri Digiorno and the Petaluma Poetry Walk

    The Sacramento Poetry Center welcomes submissions for the next Tule Review — now 40-50 pages and perfect bound — with an anticipated publication date in June, 2010. We consider poetry of all... Read More »

  • Extended report for Feb. 8

    Contributed by Where are they biting

    NORTH COAST RIVERS CHETCO RIVER, Ore.—The river has been up and down in elevation and flows, and while there are some tough times with a lot of boat traffic and rough seas at the mouth, making... Read More »

  • Washington DC Snowstorm

    Contributed by Drawn and Quartered

    DC Snow plows The seat of our government is snowed under. Yah, yah, we know you've heard this before. But this time it's not due to spurious legislation, rampaging hordes of lobbyists, or lurid scandals. This time it's really snow. Read More »

  • Poisoning the food supply for fun and profit

    Contributed by Book Case

    Food Rules: An Eater’s Handbook by Michael Pollan (New York: Penguin, 2009) Michael Pollan might be saving more lives than the FDA but he is dancing around a big issue: the role of multinational... Read More »