Cover: The Ties That Bind
Bondage Skate Park is in high demand--and it's 100 percent illegal.

News: At Your Service
A new breed of environmentally and socially responsible post-grad students are pursuing low-paying careers in public service.

The Scoop: Politics, profits, and parasites.

Talking Pictures: Avid hunter and nature photographer Hal Lauritzen searches for the soul of Spielberg's Lost World.

Soft Parade: The Eighth Day offers dull-witted message about life.

Nutty Buddies: They've been hailed as Tommy Dorsey-meets-Sid Vicious--the swinging Squirrel Nut Zippers are marching to the beat of a different retro drummer.

The Lion Roars Again: Sinead O'Connor's anger and skills are undimmed on her new release, Gospel Oaks.

Continental Virtues: The joys of Mes Trois Filles.

Emotional Typhoons: Santa Rosa Players' frayed Connections.

Falling Flatley: PBS cozies up to the Celtic metal of Lord of the Dance.

Please don't forget to write! The Sonoma County Independent welcomes letters commenting on our coverage or other topics of local interest. Please keep all letters at 300 words or less (we reserve the right to edit them for length and style) and sign them (unsigned letters will not be published. A local phone number must be included for verification. Postal: Sonoma County Independent Letters, 540 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Fax: 707/527-1288. Email: [email protected]. Emailers, please include name, city of residence and phone number. Letters printed will list email address unless otherwise specified. Letters to the editor are not currently published in the online version of this paper.