Sonoma County’s plan to outsource operations at five of its veterans buildings is supported by some veterans and users, but others are worried about how the halls might be managed by private outfits.

Beyond the dusty homesteads and small fruit orchards that ring the isolated town of Annapolis stand vast forested hillsides that long have been the domain of timber companies. But as logging has waned, the sprawling northwest Sonoma County landscape of second-growth redwood and fir is being eyed for another crop: premium grapes for top-dollar wines.

There have been plenty of potholes of late on Sonoma County roads. Through April, county crews have poured asphalt patches into an estimated 81,175 potholes, 12 percent more than the same period last year. Prolonged periods of wintery weather haven’t helped.

A former mayor is taking over the Cotati City Council seat left vacant by the April 9 death of Councilman Robert Coleman-Senghor. The council appointed John Dell’Osso, a National Park Service ranger, to serve the remainder Coleman-Senghor’s term.

The board of the Marin-Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District postponed a vote on the final contract of the agency’s retiring general manager because it wants to make sure that one-time payouts will not be used to spike his pension. But the board agreed to reduce the amount paid for General Manager Jim Wanderscheid’s unused sick time from 100 percent to 50 percent.

Mountain Shadows, Rohnert Park’s oldest middle school, closed Friday with the graduation of its final class. It joins two elementary schools in Petaluma and Santa Rosa that have also closed for good under increasing budgetary pressure and declining enrollment. It doesn’t get any easier: Sonoma County schools face an additional $17.5 million in cuts in the upcoming school year.

Mike McGuire is crying foul over the latest voter mailer from rival Debora Fudge, or maybe that should be “fowl.” Fudge’s mailer has a photo of a duck, next to a yellow rubber ducky, with the message “Don’t Settle for Anything Less Than the Real Thing.” McGuire fired back with a mailer of his own, asking “Is Debora Fudge Ducking the Truth?” A closer look at the issues each is raising in the final days of the campaign.

First, Jill Ravitch got a booth at the Sonoma County Pride Celebration in Guerneville this weekend. Not to be outdone, Stephan Passalacqua asked to ride in the parade with his family. Ravitch then matched him, responding with a request to march in the parade, too. See how the two candidates for District Attorney are courting the gay community.

(UPDATE 7 PM) Ailing state Sen. Pat Wiggins returned to Sacramento today for a crucial floor vote on legislation that would otherwise die if it doesn’t move out of the Senate. It’s the last day for bills to clear their house of origin. Voting on several bills is expected to be very close.

Orrin Thiessen, the developer who dreamed up the Windsor Town Green, won tentative approval from county supervisors this week to create a town square in Forestville. The development would include 55 townhome-style residences mixed with restaurants, shops, offices and a small hotel on the west side of town. But construction probably won’t start for at least three years.