A rare fire-weather warning this week
The surprise closure of Campo Fina’s replacement restaurant
Two wine tasting rooms that just shut down as well
Which election issues are driving the most debate here in town
How one Healdsburg preschool is tackling climate resilience
A bunch of great local Halloween and Día de Muertos pics
All the cool events on the calendar for the first half of November
And so much more... 💫
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SPONSOR SHOUTOUT
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This luxurious vineyard estate in Windsor is now available to rent. Your friends will be clamoring for invitations to sip wine poolside while overlooking award-winning vineyards at this gorgeous property. Not only is it an easy commute to highway 101, Healdsburg or Santa Rosa, it has lots
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YOUR LOCAL WEATHER
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- Today ⛅ Partly sunny and windy. 🌡️ High 76° Low 46°
- Wednesday 🌤️ Mostly sunny and windy. 🌡️ High 72° Low 39°
- Thursday ☀️ Sunny. 🌡️ High 74° Low 41°
- Friday ☀️ More sun. 🌡️ High 73° Low 41°
- Saturday 🌦️ Partly sunny with a chance of rain. 🌡️ High 72° Low 43°
- Sunday 🌦️ Same deal. 🌡️ High 71° Low 45°
- Monday 🌦️ Rain likely for Veterans Day. 🌡️ High 66° Low 43°
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Also, big heads up — it may seem counterintuitive, what with all the cool autumn weather we’ve been getting, but wildfire season isn’t quite over yet. Local weather officials have issued a “Red Flag Warning” for high-risk fire weather in Healdsburg and environs this week, lasting from now til at least 7am Thursday. Forecasters expect “strong offshore winds” up to 55 mph and “critically dry conditions” to develop during this
time.
“The combination of the aforementioned winds and humidity will translate to fires exhibiting a large resistance to control and thereby creating a hazardous and extreme wildfire environment,” weather officials say.
So make sure to stay vigilant, prep your home, watch for wildfire alerts, keep your “go bag” ready, etc. Here’s some more background from our local Cal Fire unit: “This is the first Red Flag Warning issued in our Unit in the month of November since 2020, but it is not all that uncommon to have Red Flag Warnings issued this late in the year. Four consecutive years from 2017-20 saw Red Flag Warnings issued in November or December.”
Oh, and FYI — if you live outside of town and get power from PG&E, they might shut off your supply this week, to reduce fire risk. So a “community resource center” will be open at the Healdsburg Community Church on University during the Red Flag, with amenities like restrooms, bottled water, snacks, device chargers, wifi, etc. More info here.
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The Healdsburg Community Church at 1100 Healdsburg Ave. (Image: Google Maps)
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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Healdsburg Sotheby’s International Realty
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Welcome home to an architectural outdoor oasis.
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At this a one-of-a-kind masterpiece on Coghlan Drive, elegance meets tranquility in an unparalleled landscape living experience. Nestled on a private half-acre oasis just minutes from the Healdsburg Plaza, this stunning 5-bedroom, 4-bath home exemplifies luxurious living with a focus on nature and design. The opulence and natural beauty of the breathtaking landscape and garden was crafted by husband-and-wife duo Lucas & Lucas, a renowned architect
and landscape architect. See more photos and property details here.
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Wanna see your business in this newsletter? Reach out to our team.
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AIR OVER HEALDSBURG
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This is what the sky above Healdsburg looked like this morning, as the sun rose on Election Day. (Photo: Holly Wilson)
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1) Molti Amici, aka the new Campo Fina, is now closed
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You know Molti Amici, the casual Italian restaurant that replaced shuttered community favorite Campo Fina at 330 Healdsburg Ave. in summer 2023? It just abruptly closed its doors for good. “We regret to inform everyone that Molti Amici has permanently closed,” restaurant owners wrote on Instagram over the
weekend. “Thank you to the community, our patrons and employees for the ongoing support.”
Molti Amici owner Jonny Barr opened the restaurant just under a year-and-a-half ago with a couple of his fellow alumni from the Michelin-starred SingleThread empire, to much fanfare and excitement about keeping the Campo Fina spirit alive. (The Italian phrase “molti amici” roughly translates to “many friends.”)
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday that Jonny moved to Indiana with his family this summer, leaving restaurant operations to his CEO, Jason Cutrer. Apparently it was Jason who made the decision to shut down Molti. From the Chronicle story:
Co-owner Jonny Barr said the announcement caught him “off guard” and that he learned of the closing from the restaurant’s Instagram post. ... While Barr maintained an ownership stake in Molti Amici, he has not been involved in the restaurant since, he said. He said it’s been “a whirlwind of a day” and that he still has not been given a reason for the sudden closing.
“I’m heartbroken for the staff and the community deeply,” Barr said. “That’s what’s been troubling me — the staff. They mean the world to me.”
Cutrer said the restaurant “was just not in a good financial position to continue. We are all bummed and wish the staff and everyone who visited us and loved us the best. I’ll be glad when the industry has a bit of a turnaround. We are providing severance for the staff and hate that we had to make such a tough decision.”
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Say goodbye to Healdsburg’s cutest restaurant facade. (Image: Google Maps)
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Molti scored a couple of big Michelin wins over summer: a mention in the Michelin Guide’s list of recommended restaurants for 2024 and a Bib Gourmand designation for “good quality, good value cooking.” (No official stars, but still, pretty big deal. Or “a nice feather in the cap,” in the words of Sonoma Magazine.) But the restaurant hadn’t even been basking in its first Michelin nod for 24 hours when it started popping up in the news for a different reason. A July 12 headline in the Press Democrat read: “Embezzlement alleged — then recanted — at Michelin-recognized Molti Amici: Healdsburg police tight-lipped, top chefs depart.”
Basically, a higher-up at Molti called Healdsburg police in early June to accuse a colleague of embezzling money. According to the police log entry, “the reporting party indicated that his business partner failed to make deposits into the business account between September 2023 and February 2024 totaling $60,000.”
However: When Press Democrat journalists talked to restaurant owner Jonny Barr and CEO Jason Cutrer a month later, they insisted that everything was fine now, and that the complaint was being retracted. Jonny said: “Everything has been resolved. We just found truth to the matter. Everything was accounted for. That’s really it. All it took was digging into the paperwork. Molti Amici will continue to be open and thrive.”
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Molti Amici owner Jonny Barr. (Photo: Suited Hospitality)
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Adding to the trouble-in-paradise factor, the restaurant’s original head chefs — Sean and Melissa McGaughey, the power couple behind the Quail and Condor bakery and its offshoot sandwich shop, Troubadour — told the Press Democrat during the embezzlement controversy that they’re no longer involved with Molti Amici, even though they’re still listed on its website as executive chef and executive pastry chef, respectively.
Asked why they parted ways with Jonny, Melissa told the PD: “Nothing went wrong for us. We are just allocating our time where we need to most. Put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others.”
Time to rewind back to summer 2023, when the trio was getting read to open Molti. Jonny described his vision to the Healdsburg Tribune:
“Campo was a space that I would dine at three to four times a week,” said new owner Jonny Barr, who moved to Healdsburg from New York. “It was one of the first restaurants that really made me feel at home and at ease. The first time I walked through the doors, it felt like a New York restaurant. Narrow, tight, exposed brick, lots of energy.”
Barr, 38, came to Healdsburg to work as general manager at SingleThread, the Michelin three-starred restaurant on Center Street. That put him at center stage in Healdsburg’s rapidly developing haute cuisine trade, where he met multiple restaurateurs and their customers, who form the culinary heart of today’s downtown.
That’s what gave him the idea for the name, Molti Amici.
“Going into Campo Fina meant walking past multiple tables that you would have to say hello to, if it was winemakers or it was a tasting room attendant or an art gallery owner in town that you had some connection with,” he said over a glass of wine at the Troubadour Bakery and Bistro across the street. “It always felt like a modern-day Cheers, where everyone knew your name.”
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Campo’s replacement preserved much of its scene out back. (Photo: Molti Amici)
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Campo Fina owner Ari Rosen, for his part, closed the original restaurant in Fall 2022, after running the local staple for a full decade. At the time, he said there were multiple contributing factors — like the building’s rent doubling, a labor shortage, a lack of housing for staff and a general “need for change.”
In a closing ceremony that October, the beloved Italian spot’s huge fan club joined Ari in marching an actual Campo Fina coffin from the 330 Healdsburg Ave. restaurant space down to the plaza. According to the “Shop Local Healdsburg” blog and Instagram account: “Locals masterminded a funeral procession a la New Orleans style with a brass band, complete with a wooden coffin parading around the Plaza at a word-of-mouth, locals-only-party.”
So yeah, there were some pretty high hopes for Campo’s second coming. “Nooooo,” one customer commented on the Molti Amici closure announcement Sunday. “SO disappointed.” Another chimed in: “Oh no, I had really hoped to go back and try more dishes. Happened so suddenly, can’t imagine why. Hope the staff lands on their feet somewhere else.”
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Wes Anderson vibes abound at 330 Healdsburg Ave. (Photo: Molti Amici)
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2) A few blocks south, “The Wurst” restaurant is getting new owners
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Meanwhile, down at the The Wurst sausage and burger spot at 22 Matheson St., an ownership change is in the works. Founders and longtime owners Melissa and Kevin McDowell are currently in the process of handing off the restaurant to Healdsburg couple David and Elise Baeli, who used to run Southern food joint Hops & Hominy in San Francisco.
It seems to be a harmonious handoff that should benefit all involved. Melissa says: “I will operate as The Wurst Catering Company and continue to participate in the Sonoma, Marin and Napa County street festivals, private home parties and winery events. Running 2 separate crews and operations has been challenging so by splitting the business, I can take The Wurst (pop-up tent) to more places, just like we’ve been doing since 2011.”
And David, a local 42-year-old who’s been working as a private chef for the past few years, says he couldn’t be more excited about getting back into the brick-and-mortar restaurant business. He’s planning on upholding the established The Wurst brand and concept, at least for now, but has near-term plans to make some aesthetic changes, add some healthier food items to the menu, launch a new craft beer and wine program and double down on the kid-friendliness of the place.
David says he and his wife Elise “identified The Wurst as being a super family-focused, approachable restaurant here in Healdsburg, which we don’t have many of right now.” He adds of his own family: “We have a three-year-old, so we wanted to open up a small spot that focuses on community and has a real family-friendly environment.” They might even add a communal kids play area, like the one Brewster’s used to have in Petaluma.
The owner switch should be complete by New Year’s. Stop by and say hi!
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The Wurst at 22 Matheson. (Image: Google Maps)
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3) Williamson Wines just closed its original downtown tasting room
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Also on Matheson! One of Healdsburg’s core family wine brands, Williamson Wines, is getting rid of one of two downtown tasting rooms: the original pink, rustic-looking one behind the former Oakville Grocery space (now Acorn Cafe), off the southeast corner of the plaza.
The building’s landlord is looking for a new renter, according to the LoopNet real-estate site — at a price of just over $12,000 per month, by my calculations. Here’s how the space is described in the listing:
First time available in over two decades! Exceptional opportunity for a wine tasting room in the heart of Downtown Healdsburg! This contemporary property offers a prime location with high visibility and easy access in a vibrant Downtown setting. The 3,036 square foot building is currently set up as a tasting room with a glass-lined storefront and brick facade along popular Matheson Street. The well-designed interior features an open layout, abundant natural light, and versatile space suitable for various business needs along with a small rear patio. Currently holds the coveted wine tasting permit for this block face but could also be a restaurant, retail, or office in this incredible location just
steps from the Plaza!
But yeah, not to worry, Williamson’s other tasting room is still open at 18 Matheson St. — right next to The Wurst, in fact! — as is their mostly private restaurant, Epicurean Kitchen, around the corner at 235 Healdsburg Ave. (The public can lunch there on Fridays.) The Williamson team likewise hosts tastings at their Dry Creek Road winery, called Yoakim Bridge
Estate.
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The original Williamson tasting room at 134 Matheson. (Image: Google Maps)
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4) Bill Foley also shut down his “Wine & Food Society” clubhouse a few blocks north
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Annnd another one bites the dust. This time, it’s the exclusive Center Street wine club belonging to Bill Foley, insurance billionaire and local hospitality magnate. It was called “The Society: Healdsburg,” and it just opened last November where his Banshee Wines tasting room used to be. (Banshee tastings are now hosted the winery’s more rural outpost in the Alexander Valley.)
This was the premise of the clubhouse at 325 Center St., according to a press release when it opened: “The Society celebrates three of life’s greatest passions: world-class wines, exquisite cuisine, and amazing experiences. Club members and guests will have the opportunity to taste Foley Family Wines paired with curated, locally inspired culinary creations.”
A spokesperson for Foley Family Wines now tells me over email that the company has “closed the Society to focus on our estate winery and distillery properties.” She also wants to remind customers that Foley still runs “beautiful hospitality centers at Chalk Hill, Lancaster, Roth and Ferrari-Carano” in Healdsburg, “which are some of the most iconic Wineries in our portfolio.” (Foley’s spokesperson adds: “We rented the Society building in Healdsburg so I don't have any information on future plans for that location.”)
So along with the Williamson closure, it appears downtown Healdsburg now has two less tasting rooms. Which makes me wonder how this shift might play into the big debate about how many downtown tasting rooms is too many...
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The old Banshee and Society space at 325 Center. (Image: Google Maps)
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5) Some of Foley’s vineyard workers just got settlement money for “unlawful retaliation and coercion”
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Speaking of the Foley wine empire. Farmworker advocates at the North Bay Jobs With Justice organization, known for their annual protest during the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience tasting near the plaza, say they won a small victory in a recent local campaign against Foley.
Org leaders issued the following announcement via email last week:
Foley Family Farms has agreed to pay $17,945 to eight former subcontracted employees as settlement of a complaint issued by the ALRB (Agricultural Labor Relations Board) over unlawful retaliation and coercion. A joint press conference with the ALRB and North Bay Jobs with Justice will be held on Friday, November 1 at 400pm in front of Foley Family Farms’ Santa Rosa office.
In May 2023, a crew of eight farmworkers with Dos Vinas Vineyard Management, contracted by Foley Family Farms, successfully asked for and won a $1.00/hour raise. In August 2023, those same workers were terminated after beginning to use their sick days in accordance with company policy. With the support of North Bay Jobs with Jobs, the crew filed an unfair labor practice charge with the ALRB. Foley Family Farms agreed to a settlement after a formal ALRB complaint was issued in July 2024.
Following news of the settlement, Santiago, who was involved in the case, expressed frustration at the company. “We’re not going to stay quiet and satisfied with what we’ve got. We have to take action and unite with all workers to make sure the bosses aren’t able to keep making these kinds of offenses against workers,” he said through a translator.
North Bay Jobs With Justice also staged a protest in late September outside one of Foley’s wineries down in the Sonoma Valley area, during the fancy annual Sonoma County Wine Celebration and fundraiser. Like at most of their recent rallies — including another big one in Healdsburg over summer that shut down Memorial Bridge — local farmworkers and their
allies demanded minimum pay of $25 hour (or $250 per ton of grapes picked), as well as extra pay for working (or not being able to work) during disasters like floods and wildfires.
“In an industry with so much wealth accumulated for those at the top, the workers who make it all possible deserve more!” protest organizers say.
This isn’t the first time the state’s Agricultural Labor Relations Board has forced a Healdsburg winery to settle with disgruntled workers. Back in summer of last year, Mauritson Wines in the Alexander Valley had to pay a whopping $328,077 to workers who claimed they weren’t rehired “because they complained about dirty restrooms, denial of rest and meal breaks and supervisor mistreatment.”
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Performance artist L.M. Bogad starred as a big, bad winery owner at the North Bay Jobs With Justice org’s huge Healdsburg protest over summer. (Photo: Rick Tang)
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6) The Healdsburg Hotel staffer who killed an attacker last year may be off the hook, for now
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Update on the disturbing case in town last summer of Abel Garza, a 41-year-old father of three from Santa Rosa who attacked a group of Hotel Healdsburg staffers on July 3, 2023. The staffer who fought back hardest and ended up killing him, 34-year-old Romario Morga Cisneros — also from Santa Rosa — is no longer being tried for “involuntary manslaughter,” according to the Press Democrat. And the jury in his trial just reportedly deadlocked on his only other remaining
charge, of “assault with a deadly weapon,” which carried a potential prison sentence of seven years. In my understanding, this means Cisneros won’t be facing jail time for that charge anymore, either, unless the Sonoma County District Attorney decides to refile charges.
The PD reported last week:
A Sonoma County jury has failed to reach a verdict in the case of a Santa Rosa man accused of assault after a violent 2023 confrontation at Hotel Healdsburg that left another man dead.
Romario Cisneros was charged with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon in the death of Abel Garza, who had attacked hotel staff before Cisneros fatally stabbed him.
Eleven jurors favored a not guilty verdict, with one holdout leading to a hung jury. The jury, which received the case from Judge Laura Passaglia on Friday afternoon, was dismissed Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear if the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office will refile charges against Cisneros.
Cisneros claimed during his trial that he never meant to hurt or kill Garza, and was just trying to protect his fellow hotel employees. He said he has no real memory of attacking Garza with a metal pole that day — an assault that pierced his lungs and aorta, and eventually caused him to die, according to autopsy results. Police found him dead across the street soon after, in the parking area for the Williamson Wines tasting room at 22 Matheson St.
“The only thing I wanted was to stop him, for him to calm down,” Cisneros reportedly said on the stand.
By all accounts, Garza showed up crazed and aggressive to the Hotel Healdsburg pool area on the morning of July 3, returning twice to swing around a hammer and the same metal stake that Cisneros would eventually use to kill him. Garza’s autopsy later showed he was on alcohol, fentanyl and meth. “The way he was, was bad,” another hotel worker named Maria testified. “I don’t know the word, but it wasn’t right.”
While the trial in county court may be squashed for now, Garza’s family has also filed a civil suit against Cisneros and Hotel Healdsburg management, claiming they should’ve managed the situation better. The next hearing in that case is reportedly scheduled for Feb. 27.
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Crime-scene cleanup outside Williamson Wines on July 4, 2023. (Photo: Christian Kallen/Healdsburg Tribune)
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7) The “Measure O” housing growth debate has been raging in Healdsburg
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Leading up to Election Day, locals have been sparring hard over one particular measure on the ballot: Measure O, which would amend current city rules to allow more housing to be built in Healdsburg.
The measure’s supporters — including all the city leaders who wrote it and put it on the ballot — argue that without it, we’ll never be able to meet state housing goals or accommodate all the local low- to middle-income families trying to live and work here in town. And the measure’s opponents — including a very vocal group of community activists, like former mayor Brigette Mansell and attorney Jon Eisenberg — argue that the way it’s written could allow for rampant, unchecked city growth and a field day for developers that might forever change the fabric of Healdsburg, while perhaps not even serving the lowest-income among us.
“There could be a gold rush to buy and build as much as they can as quickly as they can,” Healdsburg resident Bruce Abramson, who wrote the official Measure O counterargument on the ballot, told the PD.
This debate has reached fever pitch in recent weeks. Warring op-eds have been running one after the other in the Healdsburg Tribune and Press Democrat, from major community players like Brigette and Will Seppi, owner of Costeaux Bakery. And of course, Healdsburg’s online community groups on Facebook and Nextdoor are teeming with the most passionate voices from both sides — some even claiming Measure O signs were stolen from their yards. Things got especially rowdy when Eisenberg, the lawyer, and his friends started arguing that the City of Healdsburg’s mailers on Measure O violate state election law because they
come off as promotional rather than purely informational.
Things have gotten so heated that Measure O sentiments are largely leaking over into the City Council race, where three of five seats are open for four-year terms. The Press Democrat reports:
Challengers Linda Cade and Heather Hannan-Kramer are running against incumbents David Hagele, Ariel Kelley and Ron Edwards.
Cade and Hannan-Kramer say they have unique backgrounds that would benefit the council. But they also, to varying degrees, are drawing battle lines with the incumbents over Measure O, a question before Healdsburg voters on the Nov. 5 ballot which seeks to essentially free three areas of the city from its longstanding “growth management ordinance.” ... “The council has become more of a dictatorship,” said Cade, who is retired from the hospitality and financial services industries.
Anyway, the choice is now in your hands, Healdsburg — through 8pm tonight. I did write up a quick, unofficial election guide on all the local ballot issues and candidates in Healdsburg and Sonoma County, if you want some last-minute help. Good luck and godspeed...
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A mess of election signs at the 7-Eleven intersection. (Photo: Simone Wilson)
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8) Another Healdsburg measure on the ballot would fund elementary-school repairs
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The other Healdsburg-specific measure on the ballot today is a school-bond campaign called Measure R — a big favorite of local education and nonprofit leaders who say the money is needed to fix up school buildings and other infrastructure at Healdsburg’s two elementary campuses.
Corazón Healdsburg spokesperson Holly Fox sent me the following info from the Committee to Improve Healdsburg Elementary Schools:
The main building at Healdsburg Elementary School was constructed in 1935, and there are numerous issues related to its age that must be addressed. To fund these repairs and improvements, Healdsburg voters will see Measure R, a $49.5 million General Obligation elementary school bond, on their ballots this November. Measure R will pick up where the most recent work left off, giving the district financial capacity to give Healdsburg students the high-quality school facilities they need and deserve.
Measure R will not increase taxes. Instead, it would extend the current tax rate property owners are already paying, which has been in place since the 2002 election.
Measure R will enable the district to make necessary upgrades and repairs to elementary classrooms, including the construction of bathrooms in the transitional kindergarten classrooms at HES, modernization of classrooms at both sites, the replacement of deteriorating plumbing and electrical systems and repairs to leaky roofs. These improvements are particularly crucial given the expansion of Transitional Kindergarten for all students aged 4 and up, ensuring our youngest learners have appropriate facilities. It will also provide resources for the district to renovate the HES entrance addressing inadequate ADA access while still working to preserve its historic aesthetic.
Which reminds me of a great article that the KQED news station ran last month on school resilience here in Healdsburg, at our Fitch Mountain Preschool (located inside Healdsburg Elementary’s Fitch Mountain campus). Shall we?
Restructuring play time is just one part of the preschool’s overall strategy to adapt to extreme heat and other climate-driven events that are affecting young children in the region.
Some of their families have had to evacuate from their homes multiple times in recent years, beginning with the destructive North Bay wildfires in 2017 — either to avoid fire danger, unhealthy smoke created by the fires, or power shutoffs meant to prevent high winds from sparking another fire.
“When you look at what these kids have experienced during the first six years of their lives, the world is very unpredictable, dangerous and scary,” said Susan Gilmore, president of North Bay Children’s Center, which operates Fitch Mountain and 13 other preschools in Sonoma and Marin counties.
“It’s really about helping them build resiliency,” she said.
Fitch Mountain operates in a space rented from a local elementary school. About six years ago, it got permission from the school to rip up asphalt in the play yard and replace it with an edible garden. Mulch covers most of the ground except for the tricycle track and the outdoor dining area. The staff repurposed redwood tree stumps to form steps up to a slide and planted willows to create a tunnel-shaped structure.
Keep reading here. And again — go vote already!
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The main Healdsburg Elementary campus at First and North. (Image: Google Maps)
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9) Healdsburg has been named the third best Christmas town in America
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Proof we’re all living in a small-town rom-com: Newsweek just declared Healdsburg to be the No. 3 top “Christmas town” in the U.S., as “selected by our featured panelists and contributors and voted on by readers.”
The No. 1 spot went to Grapevine, Texas, for its “magical rides aboard the North Pole Express” and “life-size village that you can walk through.” And No. 2 is the small Danish town of Solving, California, which hosts “Danish Christmas traditions like hunting for gnomes, taking candlelight tours of the city and shopping at a European-style market” — plus a dramatic and ceremonious Christmas tree burn at the end of the season.
What makes Healdsburg worthy of bronze? Newsweek explains:
From tree lightings and night markets to complimentary carriage rides and photos with Santa, Healdsburg is the perfect place for a Sonoma wine country Christmas. Make your way downtown for the tree lighting ceremony, and then join a holiday wine and restaurant tour that takes you through some of the most festive — and tasty — parts of the city.
For what it’s worth, a travel blog called The Travel also just named us the “coziest California town in winter.” And Condé Nast says we’re the eighth best small city in the U.S., just like in general.
We’ll take it. Here are some of the award-worthy holiday events coming up:
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The city’s big annual “Merry Healdsburg” tree-lighting ceremony in the plaza from 5-9pm on Friday, Dec. 6 — featuring, like Newsweek mentioned, a night market and magical sleigh rides
- “Noche de Paz” at the Community Center from 5-8pm on Dec. 14, where Corazón Healdsburg and friends will hand out presents to the kiddies, serve a giant “pozole” stew and host a classic car show with “impressively decorated lowriders, trucks and more”
- The yearly “Holiday Tea” tradition at Hotel Healdsburg, where you can dress up all fancy, sip seasonal teas and eat “house-made pastries, dainty finger sandwiches and other holiday fare” from 1-2:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays in December
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The annual tree-lighting event on the plaza. (Photo: Will Bucquoy)
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10) We’re a pretty great Halloween town, too
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Another travel blogger over at Livability recently declared Healdsburg the “perfect Halloween destination” — a veritable “Halloweentown in Wine Country,” even. Keep scrolling for a whoooole bunch of evidence.
And because we wouldn’t wanna leave out that great in-betweener holiday of gratitude and gluttony, mark your calendars now for Healdsburg’s famous Turkey Trot on the morning of Thanksgiving. Register here.
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PICS OF THE DAY
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Healdsburg City Councilmember Chris Herrod shared these pics from the big, rainy Día de Muertos celebration in the plaza a couple of Sundays ago, on Oct. 27. “The best!” he says. “A true community favorite.” (Photos: Chris Herrod via Facebook)
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Some more pics of our Día de Muertos event from Santa Rosa resident Rosie Rodriguez, pictured in purple above. (Photo: MsRosie Rodriguez via Facebook)
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Kocal photographer Tenay showed up that day as well — and took some epic shots, of course. “It was AMAZING!” she says. “The ofrenda at the plaza was so touching and informative for people new to Día de Los Muertos, and the trunk or treat and car ofrendas were so cool!” Tenay adds: “I have never seen the plaza so packed, and the blocks surrounding it, not even for the Christmas tree lighting! All the performers were fantastic, and seeing hundreds of locals line dancing and conga lining it at the end was just, chef’s kiss on the fun meter.” (Photos: Tenay Creative)
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The day before, on Oct. 26, the Healdsburg Farmers Market held its annual pumpkin festival at the market. “A wonderful time was had by all!” organizers say. (Photos: Christine Webster/Healdsburg Farmers Market via Facebook)
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Meanwhile, City Councilmember Ron Edwards took some great pics of local Halloween decorations while pulling off his famous feat again this election season of knocking on every single door in town, for his City Council reelection campaign. (Photos: Ron Edwards via Facebook)
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The Bacchus Landing wine-tasting collective on Westside Road got into the spirit, too, by painting some wine barrels like jack-o’-lanterns. (Photo: Joe Nagan)
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And Healdsburg nonprofit Farm to Pantry brought some pumpkins down to El Verano Elementary School in Sonoma, as part of a nutrition education program called Kids Farm Connection. The org’s spokesperson, Kelly Conrad, says: “These ‘pumpkin heads’ had homemade pumpkin butter on mini pancakes, decorated all sorts of squash with edible paint and got to take home pumpkins, along with the pumpkin butter recipe!” (Photo: Kelly Conrad)
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WHAT’S HAPPENING?
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Tuesday, November 5 🗳️
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Election Day in Healdsburg (7am-8pm)
Spanish Music & Movement for Kids Aged 0-5 at the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center (11-11:30am)
Book Club Meeting at the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center: “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” by Gillian McAllister (12-1pm)
Homework Help for Kids in Grades K-12 at the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center (Weekly, 3:30-5:30pm)
Healdsburg City Council Candidate Ron Edwards Hosts Election Night Watch Party at the Elephant in the Room (7pm)
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Wednesday, November 6
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- “Universal Yums” for Teens at the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center: Snacks & Candy From Other Countries (1:30-3pm)
- “Book Buddies” Session for Kids in Grades K-6 at the Healdsburg Elementary School Library (Weekly, 2:45-4:15pm)
- New Hip-Hop Classes for Kids at Top Cheer Elite Gym in the Mill Street Shopping Center (Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-6:30pm)
- “Intercambio” Grupo de Conversación Para Principiantes / Beginning Conversation Group at the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center: Practice English or Spanish (Weekly, 4:30-5:30pm)
Deadline to Apply for a Spot on the City of Healdsburg’s New Arts & Culture Commission (5:30pm)
Singer-Songwriters Abby & Noah Gunderson Play Little Saint & Celebrate 10th Anniversary of Their Album “Ledges” (6-9pm)
Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (Weekly, 7-9pm)
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Thursday, November 7
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SOLD OUT: Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County Hosts Annual Wetzel Awards for Local Health Leaders at Dry Creek Kitchen (8:30-10am)
Singing Bowl Meditation at Dragonfly Farm & Floral (Weekly, 9-9:45am)
Flower Decompression Hour at Dragonfly Farm & Floral (Weekly, 10:15-11:15am)
Healdsburg Tribune Hosts “Best of Healdsburg” Award Ceremony at Lo & Behold (4-6pm)
Alley 6 Distillery & MOWBS Physiotherapy Host “Headlamp Hustle & KettleBell Club” at the Healdsburg Running Company Parklet (6pm)
Trivia Night at the Fogbelt Station Beer Garden (Weekly, 6-8pm)
Wisconsin Band Tae & The Neighborly Play “Soul-Pop R&B” at Little Saint (6-9pm)
French Documentary Film Screening at The 222: “The Gleaners and I” (7pm)
Grateful Dead Bluegrass Band “Grassmoxa” Plays the Elephant in the Room (7-10pm)
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Friday, November 8
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Veterans Day Brunch at the Healdsburg Senior Center (11am-12:30pm)
Healdsburg Museum Hosts History Talk for Veterans Day Weekend at the Senior Center: “History on the Home Front” (1-2:30pm)
“Book Buddies” Session for Kids in Grades K-6 at the Healdsburg Elementary School Library (Weekly, 2:45-4:15pm)
Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Retail Happy Hour: “The Yeti: Good Beers & Bad Chips” (4-7pm)
“Eats & Beats” Party at the Dry Creek General Store & Bar (Weekly, 4-7pm)
Free Organ Concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: “Wunderkind” Organist Henry Webb Plays Bach (6pm)
Healdsburg High School Football Team Hosts Final Home Game of the Season at Rec Park, Vs. Sonoma Valley High (7pm)
“When Doves Cry” Prince Tribute Show at Coyote Sonoma (8pm)
Jam Rock Band “The Melt” Plays the Elephant in the Room (8-11pm)
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Saturday, November 9
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Healdsburg Farmers Market in the West Plaza Parking Lot (Weekly, 8:30am-12pm)
“Smart Cycling” Bike Safety Class for Adults & Teens at the Healdsburg Community Center (9am-1pm)
“Take Time to Read” Community Event at Healdsburg Elementary School: Book Giveaways, Catered Lunch & Storytime (11am-1pm)
Gran Apertura / Grand Opening of Monte Alban Market at 113 Healdsburg Ave. (12pm)
Opening Reception for New Art Exhibit at the Rena Charles Gallery: “Language of Color” by Tiffany Conway (12-4pm)
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The work of Tiffany Conway comes to Healdsburg. (Photo: Rena Charles Gallery)
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Latin Jazz Fusion Band “Papagayo” Plays the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center (2-3pm)
Christian Foley-Beining’s Jazz Trio Plays Furthermore Wines (5-8pm)
- Live Jazz at Hotel Healdsburg (Weekly, 6-9pm)
Alt Jazz Band “Ryan Keberle & Catharsis” Plays The 222 (7pm)
- Dance Band “The Remedies” Play Coyote Sonoma (8pm)
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Sunday, November 10
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Monday, November 11 🎖️
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Healdsburg Library & City Offices Closed for Veterans Day (All Day)
Healdsburg Rotary Club’s Sunrise Chapter & American Legion Host Annual Free Breakfast for Veterans & Their Families at the Villa Chanticleer (8-9:30am)
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Last year’s veterans breakfast at the Villa. (Photo: Healdsburg Rotary Club)
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Tuesday, November 12
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Homework Help for Kids in Grades K-12 at the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center (Weekly, 3:30-5:30pm)
Healdsburg City Planning Commission Meeting at City Hall (6pm)
“Zahn-a-Thon” Finish-Line Film Screening at True West Film Center: “Cowboys” With Actor Steve Zahn (6pm)
Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Ladies Run & Friendsgiving Potluck in Parkland Farms (6pm)
Print-Making Workshop for Teens & Adults at the Mini Healdsburg Library Inside the Community Center (6-7:30pm)
Thom LaFond of the Banshee Tree Quartet Plays “Psychedelic Gypsy Jazz” at the Elephant in the Room (7-10pm)
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That should do us for now! Enjoy your week, everybody, and I’ll be back before you know it with more local news and events for the soul...
💛
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— Simone Wilson
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About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, CA, and have since worked as a local journalist for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and the Middle East. I’m now a senior product manager and staff writer for the Weeklys newspaper group, including the Healdsburg Tribune and the North Bay Bohemian.
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Have any feedback, questions, suggestions or corrections? Or a tip about something happening in town? Hit me up at swilson@weeklys.com.
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