Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How could Sonoma Valley High’s flag policy change next week?

Also, don't miss BIG BOOK SALE by Friends of SR Libraries Oct 2-5 on the Sonoma Patch calendar

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Hey there, Sonoma! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How could Sonoma Valley High's flag policy change next week?
  • Don't miss tomorrow's free Oktoberfest-flavored finale on Sonoma Plaza.
  • Where Sonoma's Friday night jazz is moving after venue closures.

Also on today's calendar: BIG BOOK SALE by Friends of SR Libraries Oct 2-5 and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Near-record temperatures, with a high of 101 and low of 58 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Sunday: Near-record temperatures, temps: high: 100, low: 55.
  • Monday: Sunshine and very hot, with a high of 100 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Sonoma Valley Unified board to discuss Sonoma Valley High flag policy again (sonomanews.com) — Sonoma Valley Unified's board will revisit and possibly revise Sonoma Valley High School's flag policy at its Oct. 8 meeting, held at Sonoma City Chambers and streamed on Zoom. Residents can comment during both open sessions, and trustees will also address a Brown Act complaint about earlier meetings, with additional time for public input on future agenda items.
   

2. Sonoma Sundays' swan song ends with a bit of Oktoberfest (sonomanews.com) — Tomorrow's final Sonoma Sundays concert brings a double bill to Grinstead Amphitheater on Sonoma Plaza, featuring the mysterious 30-piece Sonoma Stealth Band and the Joe Smiell Orchestra's Oktoberfest tunes. Music starts at 2 p.m., it's free, and organizers encourage you to bring something comfortable to sit on and thank the Sonoma nonprofit Music in Place for the summer-long series.
   

3. After two Sonoma music venues close, local weekend jazz show finds new home (sonomanews.com) — After Parkside Wine Bar closed and Sonoma Speakeasy temporarily shut down, Sonoma Valley's live jazz scene is regrouping with a new Friday night series at Gehricke Wines on Patten Street. Starting Oct. 9, the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society will host 7 p.m. shows in the old fire station, keeping local musicians working and preserving the "Valley of the Tunes" vibe for residents.
   

4. Lake Mendocino in 2026: 10 inches less rain, five feet less storage (pressdemocrat.com) — Water managers report that despite 10 inches less rain at Lake Mendocino and a foot less at Lake Sonoma, new forecast-based reservoir operations kept regional water supplies stable heading into summer. For Sonoma-area residents, that means slightly lower storage at Mendocino but a small gain at Lake Sonoma, with officials now expecting a wetter-than-normal year thanks to a strong El Niño.
   

5. Sonoma County Tourism's Annual Meeting Encouraged Visitor-Facing Local Businesses to Face Headwinds Through Transformation (wineindustryadvisor.com) — Tourism leaders are sharpening how Sonoma County, including Sonoma and Sonoma Valley, present themselves to visitors amid economic and industry headwinds. At Sonoma County Tourism's annual meeting in Santa Rosa, speakers like Rick Steves urged local businesses to create more memorable, transformative visitor experiences while a new board, including Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn's representative, was ratified to guide strategy and support local partners.
   

📸 Around Sonoma

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Sunflowers
    Luther Burbank Experimental Garden Personal Garden Area October 1st, 2026 Sebastopol, California 2026 (c) Marianne Mabin (Nextdoor Meadowlark Schellville)
  • The loss of nearly three billion birds since 1970 is real, but the causes are more complicated than "poisoned lawns" alone.
    Scientists point to several pressures, including habitat loss, pesticides, declining insect populations, and other environmental changes. Every yard… (Nextdoor Norrbom)
  • O'Reilly Automotive posted a job opening for Parts Specialist in Sonoma. Apply here.
  • SCAN posted a job opening for Health Insurance Sales Representative (Sonoma County, CA) in Sonoma. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Sonoma here.

Ok Sonoma! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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