🌱 Homeless Project Approved + Skylaer Speaks + Snow On Fitch

Simone Wilson
Updated ·7 min read

Hello, neighbors! Simone here with your weekend edition of the Healdsburg Daily — one day earlier than usual, because of the New Year's holiday. I hope you all have the absolute best time ringing in 2022 while staying as far away from the COVID monster as possible. To begin the celebration, here's everything you need to know about what's happening these days in Healdsburg. Mazel! :)

First, your weekend weather:

  • Thursday: Frost and fog in the morning, then some sun. High: 51 Low: 34.

  • Friday: Partly sunny and pretty windy. High: 51 Low: 31.

  • Saturday: Mostly sunny. High: 50 Low: 30.

  • Sunday: Some sun again, but very chilly. Chance of rain at night. High: 48 Low: 39.

  • Monday: The rain returns — and is expected to continue throughout the week. High: 51 Low: 48.

Air over Healdsburg:

This is what the air over Healdsburg looked like earlier this morning. (Photo courtesy of Holly Wilson)
This is what the air over Healdsburg looked like earlier this morning. (Photo courtesy of Holly Wilson)

Here are the top 5 stories today in Healdsburg:

  1. It snowed at a much lower elevation Tuesday morning than predicted, so Healdsburg's foothills — including Fitch Mountain — were blessed with a quick flurry. Neighbors uploaded videos of the magical sight. "I was driving and thinking the rain was a bit fat," one said; "It was so light and lovely," said another. (Not so lucky were the unknown number of Healdsburg residents "throughout the city" whose power went out for an hour or two that same afternoon, for reasons undisclosed by local officials.) Meanwhile, way over in the Sierra Nevadas near Tahoe, a much larger snowstorm just helped set the record for the snowiest December in history; they've gotten almost 17 feet of snow so far this month. Unfortunately for us, though, all that snow will only have a very "minor impact" on the Sonoma County drought situation, according to the PD. (Facebook & Facebook & Press Democrat; paywall)

  2. The City of Healdsburg was just awarded more than $7 million by Gov. Newsom to help remedy local homelessness — a considerable chunk, given our size, of the $2.7 billion being dispersed by the state through Project Homekey. The money will be used to "acquire and rehabilitate 22 units of interim housing" in Healdsburg, says the announcement from state officials. In our city's applications for the funds, the proposal was that the L&M Hotel at the south end of town be converted into housing operated by the local Reach for Home organization. Each unit will reportedly "have motel-type amenities, and residents will have access toonsite and offsite support services, including mental health services, gardening therapy andpet support." There will also be a "shuttle service for residents." (CA Dept. of Housing & Community Development)

  3. Healdsburg City Councilwoman Skylaer Palacios, famous around the region now for coming out as unvaccinated, has a column on "vaccines and misrepresentation" in the new issue of the Sonoma County Gazette. She clarifies in the article that "I do not oppose the vaccine, nor did I say my fellow council members are racist" — and that she in fact identifies as Afro-Latina, not just Black. And as a Latina, she says she feels "the sentiment shared at the last council meeting that 'Latinos are proud to be vaccinated' is detrimental." Skylaer continues: "It is an indisputable fact that many people across demographics have been coerced into vaccination. Not acknowledging this is problematic." Read her full statement in the Gazette. (Sonoma County Gazette)

  4. On the complete opposite end of the aisle, a self-proclaimed "diverse ethnic community of Mayors and Vice Mayors in Sonoma County" — including Healdsburg Mayor Ozzy Jiminez — have launched a new video campaign calling for everyone to get vaccinated. This, as COVID cases skyrocket across the county and in Healdsburg in particular. The daily average of new cases in Sonoma County is now double what it was just a week ago — at 150-plus new cases per day — and the 95448 ZIP code has been hit the hardest of any in the county. There are around 132 active cases in Healdsburg right now, according to county health data. And the unvaccinated population is taking a much harder hit. (Facebook & Sonoma County Government & NY Times)

  5. Healdsburg mainstay Douglas Boaz, who established Spoke Folk Cyclery in town with his "best friend and business partner" Jack Wright in 1976, has passed away. Douglas also worked many years for the City of Healdsburg as a water treatment operator, and was "well-known around Healdsburg — his favorite place on earth — for his gregariousness and humor," according to his obituary. Also: "In retirement, Doug discovered a love and talent for growing vegetables, and if you drove past his house on West Dry Creek on any nice day in the summer or fall, there's a good chance you saw him working in his yard or garden." If you would like to honor Douglas, the family asks that you "put on some good music, sit down with your favorite beverage, and take a load off," his obit says. R.I.P. to a real one. (Legacy.com)

Correction: For story No. 4 above, I originally wrote that there are around 740 active cases in Healdsburg right now. In fact, the active case RATE is at about 740 out of 100,000 residents — meaning the total number of cases is actually more like 132. Still, we do have the highest case rate in the county. Sorry if I freaked anyone out with that huge number!

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Healdsburg pic of the day:

Healdsburg resident Ingrid Maltrud took this pic on a recent walk on the Foss Creek Pathway, alongside the railroad tracks. "I call it winter sky birds on a wire," she says. "I love the winter skies in Healdsburg." (Photo courtesy of Ingrid Maltrud)
Healdsburg resident Ingrid Maltrud took this pic on a recent walk on the Foss Creek Pathway, alongside the railroad tracks. "I call it winter sky birds on a wire," she says. "I love the winter skies in Healdsburg." (Photo courtesy of Ingrid Maltrud)

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This weekend in Healdsburg:

Thursday, December 30

  • Virtual Advanced Spanish Conversation at Sonoma County Library (1:30-2:45PM)

  • Healdsburg Running Company "Parklet Series" Run, Ending With Bubbles & Sabering at Breathless Wines (6PM)

Friday, December 31

  • New Year's Eve Rooftop Terrace Dinner Party at Harmon Guest House (3-8PM)

  • Friday Evening Wine & Song at Hudson Street Wineries (5-8PM)

  • New Year's Eve Party at Coyote Sonoma, Feat. '80s Party Rock Band AQUA NETT (9:30PM-12:30AM)

Saturday, January 1

  • Healdsburg Running Company New Year's Day Run at Lake Sonoma, Feat. Breakfast Tacos With Edger (9AM)

  • New Year's Day Dim Sum & Tarot Readings at Breathless Sparkling Wines (1-3PM)

  • Jazz Music Series at Hotel Healdsburg: Neil Fontano Trio (5PM)

Sunday, January 2

  • I got nothin'!

Monday, January 3

  • New Exhibit Opening at Upstairs Art Gallery: "Bold Flavors in Fauve" by Willow LaLand (Jan. 3-30, 11AM-6PM)

  • Healdsburg City Council Meeting (6PM)

From my notebook:

  • Here's the agenda for the first Healdsburg City Council meeting of the new year. (Facebook)

  • In honor of Tuesday's little snow tease, Healdsburg Museum officials rounded up some old pics of it snowing in Healdsburg around the turn of the 20th century. "Anyone have Healdsburg snow memories?" they ask. (Facebook)

  • Want to know what your neighbors were reading this year? These are the top 10 books that people checked out from Sonoma County libraries in 2021. (Facebook)

  • That guy who allegedly stabbed his rideshare driver on Christmas Day, and was said to hang out in Healdsburg, has been arrested. (CBS Local)

  • Through the end of tomorrow, any donations you make to Russian Riverkeeper, an environmental nonprofit based in Healdsburg devoted to protecting the river, will be matched by a local philanthropic fund. (Facebook)

  • The Healdsburg Center for the Arts just announced a new batch of fun-looking art classes being offered in the new year. Offerings include "Creativity as Self-Care," "Graphic Novel and Comic Book Creation," ceramics, quilted collage and more. You can sign up here. (Healdsburg Center for the Arts)

  • There are some cool pics of Healdsburg in this Press Democrat roundup of the "best photos of 2021." (Press Democrat; paywall)

  • A neighbor on Nextdoor just spotted a stray kids' bike "at end of the town trail at Chiquita/ Grove/ Healdsburg Ave." (Nextdoor)

  • The black dog with the orange bandana found more than a week ago near Dry Creek and Canyon roads still hasn't been claimed by anybody. (Facebook)

  • Down at the Soft Paws Rescue and Rehab shelter in Windsor, there are three young "labrador retriever bluetick coonhound mix" puppies up for adoption. The shelter is calling them Charlie's Angels. (Healdsburg Patch)

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Now you're in the loop! I'll be back in your inbox next week with some more updates. Happy happy happy New Year...

— Simone Wilson

About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, CA, where I was the editor of the Healdsburg High School Hound's Bark. I have since worked as a local journalist for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and the Middle East. I'm currently a senior product manager for Patch.

This article originally appeared on the Healdsburg Patch