Sonoma Valley Sun

by Democratic California lawmakers are pushing a last-minute bill to ban federal agents from using electric shock gloves, becoming one of the first states in the nation to respond to reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to purchase thousands of gloves next year as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown. Democrats this week advanced Assembly Bill 2760, which would prohibit ICE agents and state and local officers from wearing any device that can deliver electric shocks.

Join the Springs MAC and North Sonoma Valley MAC for a joint community meeting with Caltrans to discuss current and planned Highway 12 safety improvements. Community members are invited to share concerns about pedestrian and bicycle safety, crossings, accessibility, traffic speeds, maintenance, and more. • Wednesday, September 9 • 6:30 p.m. • East Sonoma County Service Center • 19080 Lomita Ave., Sonoma • Attend in person or by Zoom The meeting is open to the public. We hope you can join us!

The City of Sonoma’s updated fee schedule will take effect on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with changes to fees for a variety of City services, permits, and applications. For permits and applications, fees will be based on the fee schedule in effect on the date the application is submitted. Applications submitted before September 1 will be subject to the current fee schedule. Applications submitted after September 1 will be subject to the updated fee schedule.

The temporary “traffic Circle” on Third Street West in Sonoma has been removed. Placed as a test to determine its viability in the creation of a bicycle route that connects to the Fryer Creek Trail and Vallejo State Park, the city will now decide if it was a success or not. Neighbor (and Sonoma Valley Sun columnist Loretta Carpio Carr) documented on video the ways in which the “circle” created problems for motorists and others, and posted them on Facebook.

Deva Marie Proto, Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor, and Erick Roeser, Sonoma County Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, are warning seniors and other property owners about false online claims and scam calls urging them to file a so-called ‘Form 1098-SR’ to reduce or freeze property taxes or avoid school bonds. No such IRS form exists, and these messages are not legitimate. Key Facts There is no IRS Form ‘1098‑SR’.

Hilary Campbell is a New Yorker Magazine cartoonist, humorist and author who just happens to have been born and raised right here in Sonoma.

By Lynne Joiner Three years ago, on August 23, 2023, Maui went up in flames. The old historic town of Lahaina burned to ash in a mere 17 minutes. The slopes of Haleakala around Kula, that were covered in flammable non-native grasses, were also quickly incinerated. Now, as Maui approaches the third anniversary of the devastating wildfires, re-building has barely begun.

The Traffic Safety Committee will receive an update on the Third Street West Bike Boulevard at its August 25 meeting, including a discussion of the temporary traffic circle at Third Street West and Perkins Street and a review of the latest project plans. The temporary traffic circle was installed in July to allow the City, project engineers, public safety personnel, and the community to observe how the traffic-calming treatment functions before the permanent design is finalized.

By Kathleen Hill Vella Cheese Company just announced on social media that they are closing after 94 years in business. As our daughter said, “That’s awful.” And I think lots of people will feel that way.

“Love is all you need,” sang the Beatles, but what is this thing called love? Is love a manifestation of altruism, desire, attachment, attraction, instinct or a combination of all? Love arrives in many forms and many costumes, sneaks up quietly or strikes like a lightning bolt. It softens and intensifies, warms and frightens, deepens and recedes. It’s a crazy thing. Attitudes towards love vary widely.