'Blue Line,' Or Crossing a Line?
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Bill Lynch: Tear down this wall School bell blues UGB isn’t what we thought. A6 ■ Groggy students just got a reprieve Sports: Scheduling conflict from the Governor, who signed a bill Power outage cancels games. A8 mandating later school start times. SEE A3 Schools: Homecoming week Siss-boom-bah, Sonoma-style. A9 Tuesday, October 15, 2019 Our 138th Year Serving Sonoma Valley Sonoma Valley, California ■ SonomaNews.com An edition of The Press Democrat Blackout fallout: Shutdown was ‘economic disaster’ 95 percent of businesses closed, estimates Chamber CEO By ANNE WARD ERNST economy. the community’s basic needs and INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER “Obviously, this was an eco- minimize the impact.” The PG&E-imposed blackout nomic disaster for our location,” Jack Burkam, general manager last week affected businesses said Mark Bodenhamer, CEO of the Best Western Inn, said there throughout Sonoma Valley, press- of Sonoma Valley Chamber of hasn’t been a noticeable injurious ing managers and business owners Commerce. “Ninety-five percent fallout from the power outage in into creative-thinking mode – and of our businesses were shut down the short-term. ROBBI PENGELLY/INDEX-TRIBUNE left some wondering what the and those businesses that were Joe Hencmann gave away free ice cream during the outage. long-term effects will be on the open made a valiant effort to serve See Blackout, A5 ■■ CONTROVERSY ■ SDC plant closure puts ‘Blue line,’ or crossing a line? water officials on edge One-day water supply in an emergency, warns VOMWD manager By CHRISTIAN KALLEN INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER First the electrical grid, now the water supply is being identi- fied as one of the necessities of modern life that may be at risk in case of disaster. The 2018-2019 Sonoma Coun- ty Grand Jury report, issued in July, addresses several areas of concern that county residents and governments should be aware of, and prepare for. One of them is found in the “water report,” a 17-page document that poses the question, “Will there be water after an earth- quake?” Though it’s a generalized concern, for engineers in the water industry – including those at the Valley of the Moon Water District – it’s a hair-on- fire worry, especially in light of the unexpected recent closure ROBBI PENGELLY/INDEX-TRIBUNE Jeff Spencer holds a Thin Blue Line flag outside his H&R Block office on Sonoma Highway. See Water, A4 Is altered flag an ‘attaboy’ for law enforcement, or a dog whistle for the alt-right? Council mulls By KATE WILLIAMS sentencing guidelines. INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER Founded in 2014 following the ambush additional he American flag flying outside of ‘As officers, this is our torch, to shootings of two NYPD street cops, Jeff Spencer’s H&R Block office on pay tribute and to never forget ”Blue Lives Matter” was a kind of re- TSonoma Highway has 13 stripes buttal to perceived anti-police sentiment recreation and 50 stars, and looks, at a glance, like those who lost everything in in the wake of the “Black Lives Matter” a regular flag. But closer examination movement of 2013, which grew following reveals that the flag has been altered: a the line of duty. It’s a symbol of a string of acquittals of police officers spending thin blue line bracketed in black runs the everyday dangers we face.’ charged in the killings of non-threaten- ‘Cultural arts master down the middle, bisecting the tradition- -Sonoma Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez ing African American men. The “thin al red and white stripes. blue line” flag has since become the plan’ among ideas for The flag represents a movement symbol of a countermovement. funding known as “Blue Lives Matter,” which tenced under enhanced hate crime stat- Inside the entrance to Spencer’s office, advocates that criminals convicted of utes, allowing judges to tack additional By ANNE WARD ERNST killing police officers should be sen- penalties onto their pre-established See Flag, A5 INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER A pot of unallocated money in the city’s recreation coffers could be used for any number of things, which the council and city staff will mull over this winter and likely make a Zero waste? Nothing to it, says Sonoma woman decision on in January, officials said at the Sonoma City Council Local families and businesses behind,” says Llodrá about their ad- meeting on Oct. 3. venture. “It became about the experi- Mayor Amy Harrington called find creative ways to reduce ences. We found that Europeans live the prospect “exciting” to have consumption in a way where everything is smaller. the opportunity to spend around They have less stuff, smaller homes. $50,000 on multiple projects, or By AMANDA CURRY They go to the markets every day – one major item. INDEX-TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT the meat market, the fish market, the The city sets aside 1.5 percent The year was 2010 when Katherine bakery.” of designated General Fund tax Llodrá and her husband packed up Along with this lifestyle shift, revenue for recreation and com- their three young children – ages 4, Llodrá noticed another glaring dif- munity services programs, an 7 and 9 at the time – and left their ference between her new neighbors amount which was boosted by Sonoma home, to spend a year in and the American life she had been the November 2017 passage of a Valencia, Spain. They used the accustomed to – less packaging and measure to increase hotel taxes. opportunity to purge most of their less waste. City Manager Cathy Capriola household items and each took only As the family embraced a new way and Special Events Manager one carry-on piece of luggage for of life, she noticed they were spend- Lisa Janson presented the JULIE VADER/SPECIAL TO THE INDEX-TRIBUNE their time abroad. Katherine Llodra fills her market basket full of food with no “Pretty quickly, we couldn’t even waste Oct. 1 at Whole Foods in Sonoma. remember the things we had left See Zero, A4 See Spending, A7 INSIDE WEATHER sonomanews.com Classified A12 Public notices A7 REPORTED CONDITIONS FORECAST RAINFALL HISTORY Life Tributes A4 Puzzles A2 Date High Low Rainfall Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Year-to-date: 0 in. Opinion & Editorial A6 Puzzle solutions A2 Fri., 10/11 79 51 0 in. Last-year-to-date: 1.3 in. Sat., 10/12 79 40 0 in. Our Schools A9 Sports A8 Rainfall year calculated from Sun., 10/13 79 41 0 in. Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Mon., 10/14 77 39 0 in. 80°/40° 73°/49° 76°/43° 76°/48° THE SONOMA INDEX-TRIBUNE • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019 A5 but he does feel badly for did stay, or were supposed Blackout his employees who depend to stay, at his Best Western Flag Continued from A1 Continued from A1 on tips. hotel are from the Bay Area “Every single person and were understanding an explanatory paragraph “We’re still maintaining a has dependents,” he said of the power loss situation, is displayed behind glass, good booking pace through of his employees for whom since they were under the suggesting that more than December,” Burkam said. he bought breakfast and same power shutoff. a few people have asked “The pace is really hanging lunch during the outage The general manager about the flag. It reads: in there pretty well.” when they used the time to at Kenwood Inn and Spa, “The Thin Blue Line is a Long-term, he said, “We do some deep cleaning and David Jessup, said that be- symbol used to recognize just don’t know,” if Pacific reorganizing. cause they didn’t have pow- Law Enforcement Officers Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) Joe and Ramie Henc- er they suggested that their for keeping the peace. Public Safety Power Shutoff mann, owners of Sweet guests find somewhere else One Black bar below (PSPS) plan will have a Scoops ice cream shop on to go. A few opted to stay on represents the criminal detrimental effect on tour- the Sonoma Plaza, turned Tuesday night, but without element in society. One ism, the economic engine the shutoff into a moment power folks couldn’t take a black bar above symbol- of Sonoma Valley and its of benevolence. Armed with hot shower in the morning, izes the innocent public. surrounds. enough generator power Jessup said. What stands in the middle For the wine industry to protect most of their ice But the hotel lost revenue is only a thin blue line of ROBBI PENGELLY/INDEX-TRIBUNE business this is a “partic- cream inventory, they took while the power was out; committed Law En- Sonoma Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez with the original ularly sensitive time for to the streets to give away it’s a sacrifice that will have forcement Officers. This Thin Blue Line flag, he says he was unaware it is a favored the 2019 harvest, a trickle-down powerful image can be flag of white nationalists. because without effect as employees proudly displayed to re- power it limits the weren’t needed and member fallen heroes and modate those who might time wineries can ‘This is a disruption of the didn’t get paid for honor those that sacrifice OFFICER DOWN find it offensive. “I would harvest their grapes that time off. every day.” The ‘Officer Down Memorial apologize to them, but I and ferment at the economy. It’s really bad for On the front desk A dwindling stack of Page’ (odmp.org) tracks all would still fly it because appropriate tem- everybody,’ counter a hand- complimentary peel-and- line-of-duty law enforce- I support law enforce- peratures,” Boden- - Csaba Szakal, proprietor and winemaker at En written note told stick bumper stickers of ment deaths, marking each ment,” he said.