• Sonja SharpPatch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge

  • Castro Valley, CA

I&#39;m a Bay Area native and a UC Berkeley graduate (B.A. History and Spanish Literature), but I&#39;ve spent most of my career covering culture/immigration, education and crime in New York City, reporting from Brooklyn for Columbia&#39;s Graduate School of Journalism (M.S. 2009) and Queens for the <i>New York Daily News</i>. My work has appeared in the <i>New York Times</i>, the <i>New York Daily News</i>, Los Angeles&#39; <i>Daily Breeze</i>, and <i>Mother Jones</i> magazine. You can reach me at sonja.sharp&#64;patch.com or 510.507.0859.

I&#39;m an energetic writer and a voracious reader—I love all  the Russians, the Wunderkind (Zadie Smith, Gary Shteyngart, Junot Diaz, Shalom Auslander, Aravind Adiga, etc) and Roald Dahl. My husband, Dr. Tal Sholklapper, and I are big nerds who adore Bollywood movies, international travel and anything pickled. I speak Spanish and Russian; my identical twin sister is a professional translator.

POLITICS

<i>How would you describe your political beliefs? *</i><br>I&#39;m what the Soviets called a <i>byezrodnie kosmopolit</i>, a rootless cosmopolitan. I follow international affairs and local politics, but not much in between. Generally, I vote between the <i>New York Times</i> and the <i>Guardian</i>. <br><i><br>Are you registered with a certain party? *</i><br>I&#39;m a registered Democrat. My husband is a registered Republican. We haven&#39;t burned the house down yet.

RELIGION

<i>How religious would you consider yourself? (Ie, casual, observant, devout, non-religious). *</i>

We&#39;re observant, but not always observant as our parents would like.

<i>Do you identify with a certain religion? If so, which one? </i>*

I&#39;m ethnically,  culturally and religiously Jewish—I count both Hasidic rabbis and bacon-eating apostates among my great friends. My husband is Israeli-American and speaks Hebrew as a first language—he studied in a religious school for eight years before transferring to the LAUSD for high school. The two of us are happily <i>frei</i> (secular), but we keep a kosher home, observe holidays and festivals, and attend prayer services regularly.

LOCAL HOT-BUTTON ISSUES

<i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? *</i>

The most important issues facing San Lorenzo seem to be education, economic recovery/development, and immigration issues.   

<i>Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i> *

I taught preschool in the Bay Area and covered education extensively in Los Angeles and New York before coming here, so it&#39;s a subject close to my heart. I&#39;m also a product of California public schools.

Economic redevelopment in the wake of this recession is something everyone is interested in, and we at Patch hope to keep you abreast of the latest developments.

Similarly, immigration is a reality— in San Lorenzo as it is all over California, across the nation and around the world. As a closet immigration law dork, I look forward to new federal legislation that will address some of the more glaring inequities in our system, and build a path to citizenship for hard-working residents who contribute so much to their communities. Growing up, my religious community was very active in resettling refugees from the former Soviet Union, where my family originates, and the process made a lasting impression on me.

Posting Activity

Castro Valley|News|

February 13, 2011

From the Idol auditions to Valentine&#39;s, the week that was.

February 13, 2011
Castro Valley|News|

Community Divided Over Eden Area Chamber of Commerce

After protracted debate, the recently-expanded Chamber has reached three distinct deals with Ashland, Cherryland and San Lorenzo. But the fight is far from over.

Community Divided Over Eden Area Chamber of Commerce
Castro Valley|News|

Q&A: County Supervisor Wilma Chan, District 3

Just more than a month after she took office, Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan is gearing up to tackle some of the biggest problems facing the community. See what she&#39;s planning.

Q&A: County Supervisor Wilma Chan, District 3
Castro Valley|News|

AOL to Acquire Huffington Post

AOL, Patch&#39;s parent company, announced on Sunday that it will acquire The Huffington Post

Castro Valley|News|

Recall Q&A

Patch answers common questions about the recall election.

Castro Valley|News|

The Sign Bearers

Rosa Maria and Marco Ramirez brave the cold, advertising local cookie sales with a smile

The Sign Bearers
Castro Valley|News|

Nov 15, 2010

The county counted its votes, the Feds took on the Insane Viet Thugs, we honored our veterans,and the Dons took the Helmet. The week that was.

Nov 15, 2010
Castro Valley|News|

Introducing: The Citizenship Report

San Lorenzo&#39;s immigrant population has exploded in the past 10 years. This week, we introduce you to a few of your newest neighbors.

Introducing: The Citizenship Report