The Record
Agendas, minutes, election dates and public safety logs, drawn from Tribune reporting. This page is updated as new items are reported.
A school favorite at Sassarini: Christina Dieckmann is Sonoma County's Teacher of the Month
The Sonoma County Office of Education visited the transitional kindergarten teacher in her classroom on Monday morning, October 19, to recognize her with the October honor. The nominations behind it describe past students who still stop by to say hello, and a teacher who makes sure every child in the room is heard.
The picks are in: Sonoma County closes an early, light harvest with high hopes for the 2026 vintage
Sonoma County Winegrowers said Monday the 2026 harvest is complete, one of the earliest and lightest in years at an estimated 35 to 40 percent below average. In the accounts the group collected, from Dutton Ranch's July 16 first pick to the Sangiacomo family's small berries, the growers call the quality of what they picked exceptional, despite the short crop.
Sandbags return to Depot Park on Tuesday as Sonoma gets winter ready
The city opens its self service sandbag station at Depot Park on October 20, earlier than usual, and hands out free empty bags at City Hall. The next evening, the county hosts a Winter Ready town hall online, as the state prepares for a forecast strong El Nino winter.
A raised crosswalk is planned where the Sonoma Bike Path crosses Junipero Serra Drive
The crossing is slated to be rebuilt as a raised crosswalk, and the Traffic Safety Committee hears the next update on November 2. The crossing is part of the Go Sonoma citywide bicycle and pedestrian project, which the May staff report says will be fully funded with the adoption of the fiscal 2026-27 budget, with construction funded by a $1.6 million Go Sonoma award for the project as a whole.
Power is coming back: 1,092 Sonoma County customers still out Friday evening as PG&E crews resume restoration Saturday morning
The fire weather that drove this week's shutoff has passed for Sonoma County. PG&E reported more than 66,000 customers restored by Friday evening, after restoration began Friday afternoon instead of the original Saturday afternoon estimate, and the county's remaining outages had fallen from 2,041 on Friday morning to 1,092 by 5 p.m.
No Kings: Vote Early comes to Sonoma Plaza this morning, 10 to noon, with a ballot drop-off stop at the library
Today's nationwide No Kings action puts the emphasis on voting: organizers list a 10 a.m. to noon gathering on Sonoma Plaza and a same-hours ballot drop-off stop at the Sonoma Valley Regional Library, ahead of the November 3 general election.
The shutoffs are underway: about 2,000 Sonoma County customers are without power as PG&E's fire-weather event runs toward Saturday
What was a map and a warning on Wednesday became an outage on Thursday: KION reported 87,475 customers without power statewide as of 10 a.m., PG&E said more shutoffs were possible Friday morning, and restoration will follow inspections once the wind eases.
One last movie night on the Plaza: Coco and Ghostbusters: Afterlife close the season tonight
The City of Sonoma and the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation end this year's free Movies Under the Stars series on Friday with a double feature on the lawn behind City Hall: Coco at 6 p.m. and Ghostbusters: Afterlife at about 8 p.m., with free popcorn while it lasts.
Sojourn Cellars buys its East Napa Street buildings, putting down permanent roots off the Plaza
The winery announced October 14 that it has acquired 141, 143 and 145 East Napa Street, the buildings housing its Tasting Salon and offices, the first time in its history that Sojourn has owned its own brick-and-mortar home.
Shutoff scope grows in Sonoma County: 2,041 customers now in PG&E's planned outage area
PG&E widened its planned Public Safety Power Shutoff on October 14 to about 88,000 customers statewide, and the Sonoma County figure rose to 2,041 customers, up from the 1,783 in the scope the utility published a day earlier.
City and Highway 12 corridor sit outside PG&E's possible shutoff area, for now: 1,783 Sonoma County customers are in scope
The City of Sonoma says neither the city nor the main Highway 12 corridor is in the potential Public Safety Power Shutoff area as of October 13, while PG&E puts 1,783 Sonoma County customers, primarily in higher ground around the Valley, in its possible scope for later this week.
Clear security at Sonoma County Airport, ride straight to your SFO gate: new coach service starts November 17
Landline's Straight to Gate service lets travelers check bags and clear TSA screening at STS, then ride a secure coach directly to the secure side of San Francisco International.
Ballots are in the mail: three vie for Sonoma's District 1 council seat
The city's first district-based election puts one contested race on the ballot; the Districts 3 and 5 contests were decided by appointment.
Sonoma's history, in draft form: city seeks public corrections through October 19
The public draft of Sonoma's Historic Context Statement is open for review; the city wants corrections, additions and community stories from residents.
Delta will fly a case of Sonoma wine home free, starting today
The airline's new SkyMiles "Wine Takes Flight" program waives the $45 checked-bag fee for one case of wine on Delta flights departing STS and four other Northern California airports.
Heat advisory extended through Wednesday evening
The National Weather Service updated the advisory late Sunday night, pushing the end date from Monday to Wednesday as triple-digit valley heat lingers.
Sutter Health Plan expands coverage into Sonoma Valley
The insurer's service-area expansion adds ZIP code 95476, covering Sonoma and the valley, effective October 1 for small groups; large groups and individuals follow January 1, 2027.
Heat advisory covers Sonoma Valley through Monday evening
The National Weather Service expects highs from the mid-90s to near 103 through 10 p.m. Monday; the city is urging residents to hydrate, limit midday exertion and check on vulnerable neighbors.
Nominations open for Sonoma's 2027 Treasure Artist of the Year
The Cultural and Fine Arts Commission is accepting nominations through November 5; the honor has recognized Sonoma Valley artists since 1983.
Limerick Lane Cellars reaches its 40th harvest in the Russian River Valley
The Healdsburg estate began picking its milestone harvest in August. Its oldest block dates to 1910, and production still runs near 5,000 cases a year.
Big Blue Weekend brings three days of events to Sonoma State
The Oct. 2-4 celebration folds Family Weekend, Discovery Day and SSU Palooza into one weekend, from Harvest Night to a movie under the stars.
Sonoma Garden Park's Harvest Festival returns Saturday, free and full of pickles
Sonoma Ecology Center's annual family festival runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 3: live music, farm games, a quick-pickle competition, a poetry pop-up, and the 6.1-acre public garden at the height of fall.
Gundlach Bundschu files for Chapter 11, and Sonoma Valley watches 168 years of family ownership hang in the balance
The valley's oldest continuously family-owned winery entered bankruptcy court September 23 with more than $37 million in debt. The tasting room stays open, an unidentified new investor is in talks, and the Bundschu family says it plans to remain involved.
Sonoma Hills Farm brings its first indoor-grown harvest to market
The Petaluma Gap farm's wholesale menu now lists indoor-grown Pink Jesus, years after the farm won the county's first legal cannabis cultivation permit.
Sonoma Sundays closes its summer run with an October 4 finale
The free Plaza concert series wraps a four-month season at the Grinstead Amphitheater with a double bill.
The Post is open
A launch editorial from the Editorial Board: brisk, community-close coverage of the plaza town, written at walking speed.
District elections arrive in Sonoma. Meet your ballot.
For the first time, the council is elected by district. Three seats are on the November 3 ballot, and the Post lays out the field.
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art opens a career survey of M. Louise Stanley
The Real-Life Art History of M. Louise Stanley runs September 19 through January 24, with paintings, works on paper and pieces from the artist's archives.
Dead Letter and SMASH bring two new tables to the Plaza
A former post-office building becomes a 65-seat dining room, and a new arrival lands on the square, as the Plaza's restaurant row keeps turning over.
Jack London's 150th birthday year fills the park calendar
Beauty Ranch marks a sesquicentennial with year-long programming, including an October 8 evening on the Sonoma Developmental Center's history.
Slurry-seal work lands September 21-23 after rain delay
The city's preventative street maintenance was pushed back two weeks; the official schedule lists every affected street.
Sonoma seeks a long-term master plan for Plaza Park
The city wants a consultant to write a preservation and use framework for the eight-acre square, a plan that would guide decisions but build nothing on its own.
The Sonoma Developmental Center's next chapter runs through environmental review
The specific plan and program EIR will decide the future of the 945-acre Eldridge campus; 650 acres of open space have already moved to state parks.
Sonoma weighs stronger protections for mobile-home park residents
Draft revisions to the closure and conversion ordinance would tighten relocation reports, notice and assistance for the town's three parks and 450-plus homes.
Inside Sonoma's $46.3 million budget as the fiscal year gets underway
The council adopted the 2026-27 spending plan in June; a September look at the numbers, the General Fund gap, and what to watch.
Fire district pressed the state on overgrown vegetation at the SDC campus
In April, Sonoma Valley Fire said the 15000 Arnold Drive property was out of compliance with defensible-space rules; the state said a maintenance contract was coming.
College advising comes to the Boys and Girls Club
Students Rising Above will place a dedicated pre-college advisor on-site at the Club starting in the 2026-27 school year.
Council selects Cristine Alilovich as next city manager
Alilovich, interim manager since April, was chosen for the permanent post; the council took up a proposed employment agreement on September 2.