There is nothing like seeing Santa Claus during holiday time. Whether you are a child or a grown up “kid,” Santa seems to evoke genuine smiles and the idea of hope and faith in something bigger than we are. We delight in seeing kids having their childhood memories being formed right in front of our eyes. We may remember back to a simpler time, when there was an annual tradition of climbing on Santa’s lap and carefully explaining which toys we wanted to see on Christmas morning. Sometimes our wishes were granted, and it would reaffirm our belief in miracles. How DID he do that?! Then there were the times when we didn’t quite get all of the things we asked Santa for, and it was a learning opportunity. We had to learn that we don’t always get what we want, no matter how much we really wanted it.

Programs like Secret Santa are truly making Christmas miracles happen for so many families who are struggling at holiday time. We have an opportunity to change lives and create memorable cherished moments in time. If you would like to help fulfill wishes this holiday season with Secret Santa, click on SecretSantaNow.org to find out how you can make Christmas special for families in Sonoma County.

In the meantime, if you would like to visit Santa this season, here are your opportunities to fully embrace the holiday spirit starting with a kind word to and from The Big Guy!

Ongoing – Montgomery Village 11am – 3pm

Ongoing – Coddingtown

Ongoing – Santa Rosa Plaza 10am – 9pm

Nov 30 – Santa’s Riverboat Arrival in Petaluma 11:30 – 1:30pm

Nov 30 – Santa Pix with Your Pets! At Pet Club, Santa Rosa Ave 10am – 2pm

Dec 7, 14, 21 – Breakfast with Santa at Costeaux Bakery in Healdsburg – 9am – 11am

Dec 8 – Brunch with Santa at Ramekins in Sonoma 10am – 2pm

Dec 14 – Santa Fly-In at Pacific Coast Air Museum

Dec 17 – Petaluma Farmer’s Market – 12pm – 1:30pm

Dec 21 – Santa Rosa Farmers Market – 11am – 12:30pm

PG&E is planning a power shut down that could affect approximately 250,000 customers in portions of 22 counties in the Sierra Foothills, North Valley and North Bay. Other parts of the Bay Area are not expected to be included.
A Fire Weather Watch begins early Wednesday morning at 4 a.m. and last until 7 a.m. Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch that includes the North Bay and the East Bay hills and the Diablo Range in the East Bay.  Wednesday is expected to be the day PG&E is watching for high winds.
The counties are Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba.

Sergeant Joe Friday on “Dragnet” knew what to look for. One of the challenges of writing news stories, is wading through the pool of opinion based sources. Early in the morning, when I crawl into the News Room to begin the process of finding the latest information on the topics of the day, I sort through various versions of the same story, but from very different angles. I’ve come to trust some, and question others, simply because of trial and error. But, it’s all about getting the correct facts.  The more facts you get, the more correct the story becomes, and the more clearly the story is conveyed to the listener. 

Here’s an example of what I teach young journalists.  Let say there’s a report of a violent situation between two people in a grocery store parking lot, where one hits the other so hard that it knocks the other down to the ground. And, that is all you hear about it.  What is your immediate perception of that scene? That the person who hit the other is a criminal and should be arrested? Now, what if more information becomes available on that scene and you find out the person who was hit was actually attempting to rob the “hitter”? Does that make a difference in the way you view the person who did the hitting? Maybe not, because perhaps you’re thinking there could have been a better way to resolve the situation than violence. But, what if the robber was pointing a gun at the other person’s child? Suddenly the idea of a violent confrontation takes on an entirely different weight. 

It is extremely important that both the reporter, and the listener, do everything they can to seek out all of the facts before jumping to conclusions. Knee jerk reactions, from inadequate information, are the cause of many problems within society, from politics to law enforcement, to equality to prejudice, and on and on. Get the facts, and then some more, before forming your conclusion. In the end, truth wins!

1. Try using different spices, citrus, booze, and fruits to give your cranberry sauce a little more flair this year!

2. To make your mashed potatoes stand out this year, try some new add-in’s like chopped ham, bacon bits, cream cheese, or chipotle seasoning!

3. Sangria isn’t just for the summertime! Give your Champagne a little more of a Holiday Spice by adding some nutmeg and apples!

4. Can't go wrong with a classic homemade Mac n Cheese! Try finishing it off with a cheesy topping and pop it into the oven to make it even crispier! 

5. Guests hungry before the dinner is ready? Everyone loves a cheese board! Dress up a typical cheese and cracker board with some meat slices, olives, pickles and honey for drizzling over the cheese!

6. Can’t forget about dessert! Crème brûlée isn’t just for the professionals! Just make sure to make your custard a day in advance and right before serving get your sugar and blowtorch out to finish off the signature crystallized topping!

The focus was on females at the 53rd Annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards last night (11/13) in Nashville. Hosted by the multi-generational power trio of Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, the show featured tributes to and performances by female country artists old and new. If you didn't get a chance to watch or listen, the winners of the big prizes were as follows:

Song of the Year (for the songwriters): Beautiful Crazy, Luke Combs (Combs/Durrette/Williford)

Single of the Year: God's Country, Blake Shelton

Album of the Year: Girl, Maren Morris

New Artist of the Year: Ashley McBryde

Vocal Group of the Year: Old Dominion

Vocal Duo of the Year: Dan + Shay

Female Vocalist of the Year: Kacey Musgraves

Male Vocalist of the Year: Luke Combs

Entertainer of the Year: Garth Brooks