🌱 New Late-Night Healdsburg Bar + Drought Update + Fast Internet

Simone Wilson
Updated ·9 min read

Morning, neighbors! Simone here with your weekend edition of the Healdsburg Daily. Better bundle up — it's gonna be a cold one. But with lots of cheery holiday events to take the edge off.

First, your weekend weather:

  • Friday: Mostly sunny but very chilly. High: 54 Low: 35.

  • Saturday: Mostly sunny and even chillier. High: 51 Low: 45.

  • Sunday: Cold and rainy. High: 50 Low: 46.

  • Monday: More cold, more rain! High: 51 Low: 40.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Healdsburg today:

  1. A new bar is coming to downtown Healdsburg early next year. A wine bar, that is. It's called the Maison Healdsburg, and it's the brainchild of a trio of Single Thread alums. "Owners Evan and Jade Hufford and Ryan Knowles said diners at the Michelin-starred Single Thread were often interested in having a glass of wine after their meals — sometimes as late as midnight — with little available after hours in town," Sonoma Magazine reports. "They’re banking on that after-hours crowd, with the eyebrow-raising hours of 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. in this sleepy county." One of the owners adds: "I couldn’t tell a group that just spent $4,000 on wine at dinner at Single Thread to go get a shot and a beer at John & Zeke’s." The new wine bar will be located a block south of the plaza on Healdsburg Avenue, right next to Lo & Behold, the new "small-plates and cocktails lounge" opening soon where Mateo's used to be. (Sonoma Magazine)

  2. If you see smoke coming from the top of Fitch Mountain tomorrow, don't fret. The Healdsburg Fire Dept. and the Northern Sonoma County Fuels Crew are planning to do some proactive "pile burning" all day Saturday. "The piles have been curing for months waiting for the right time to burn," fire officials say. "Rains are forecasted to follow the burn to keep any embers from spreading. ... Do not call 911 unless you see the active flames." Also FYI, because of this whole operation, the Fitch Mountain Open Space Preserve will be closed from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. tomorrow for everyone's safety. (Facebook)

  3. With all this rain in the forecast, it's easy to forget we're still facing some grave drought predictions in the coming months. State water officials met this week to discuss new "emergency water conservation rules" for Californians that could go into effect as soon as January. They also gave a scary update on water levels in Lake Mendocino, which feeds into the Russian River and serves as Healdsburg's main source of water. "Gains from a series of record-breaking October storms have quickly disappeared... after a disappointingly arid November," Courthouse News Service reports, and Lake Mendocino "remains on the brink of going completely dry." The director of the state water board says the Russian River watershed situation is increasingly "dire" and that "Lake Mendocino is still at significant risk of running out of water supply over the next year." It doesn't help that the long-range forecast has "third-straight dry year" written all over it. (Courthouse News )

  4. Healdsburg residents could be getting a new high-speed internet option in the near future. A man who appears to be the actual Dane Jasper, CEO and co-founder of Sonic.net, posted in the "What's Happening Healdsburg" Facebook group this week to tell neighbors that "the team at Sonic is building in Healdsburg and will begin delivering service soon."He says the new service will be "10 Gigabit internet, or roughly 10,000Mbps" — and that "that's way, way faster than any other service here or really anywhere." More than 60 comments have racked up on his post, many of them from neighbors who want to know if the service will reach Healdsburg's more rural parts. Dane's answer: "Sorry, not yet! If we get really strong uptake in town, that’d make expansion more likely. So please spread the word." (Facebook)

  5. In case you hadn't heard: The historic Madrona Manor at the intersection of Westside and West Dry Creek roads, known for its "charming Victorian architecture," will "reopen with a more modern look and casual menu" this coming spring, two years after being shuttered. It's being rebranded as "The Madrona." How Nouveau Healdsburg is that! One thing will remain the same, though: Longtime chef Jesse Mallgren will still be in the kitchen. Under Mallgren's watch, the old Madrona Manor reportedly received a Michelin star for 13 years running, but "was bumped off the Michelin guide update over the summer." Guess we'll see if he can earn his spot back. For a sneak peak of the Madrona's new look, check out the renderings over at the Eater SF food blog. (Eater SF & Sonoma Magazine)

Today's Healdsburg Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Healdsburg!

Healdsburg pic of the day:

Evidence of the big Russian River surge in October, just "north of the old train bridge." (Photo courtesy of Mary Ruffatto)
Evidence of the big Russian River surge in October, just "north of the old train bridge." (Photo courtesy of Mary Ruffatto)

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This weekend in Healdsburg:

Friday, December 10

  • West Side Elementary School Winter Market at Felta School House (1-4PM)

  • "Silent Days in Advent" Quiet Retreat at Bishop's Ranch (Dec. 9-12, 4PM)

  • Healdsburg Running Company Critical Mass: Bike Around Healdsburg, Finish at Alley 6 (5PM)

  • REIBT: Healdsburg High School Boys Basketball Game Vs. Ukiah (6:30PM)

  • "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Raven Theater (7:30PM)

  • Healdsburg Community Band Concert at Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Hall (7:30PM)

  • REIBT: Healdsburg High School Girls Basketball Game Vs. McKinleyville (8PM)

Saturday, December 11

  • Healdsburg Running Company Saturday Morning Sobriety Run (8AM)

  • Healdsburg Saturday Farmers Market, Feat. Holiday Craft Market (8:30AM-12PM)

  • Breakfast With Santa at Costeaux French Bakery (9-11AM)

  • Little Saint Career Fair (11AM-2PM)

  • Holiday Pickup Party at Spicy Vines (12-5PM)

  • Ceramics Class at Healdsburg High School: Wheel & Hand Building (1-3:30PM)

  • Matinee: "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Raven Theater (2PM)

  • Healdsburg Jazz Swingin’ Holidays: Stella Health Performs at Healdsburg Plaza (2-4PM)

  • Live Music at Spicy Vines: Le Hot Club Swing (3-6PM)

  • REIBT: Championship Girls Basketball Games at HHS Robinson Gym (3:30PM, 6:30PM)

  • REIBT: Championship Boys Basketball Games at HHS Robinson Gym (5PM, 8PM)

  • Car Light Show & Toy Drive From Windsor to Healdsburg (5PM)

  • Art Exhibit Opening at Stafford Gallery: "Land/Sea/Sky" by Ana Carolina Pesce Imlay (5-8PM)

  • Hotel Healdsburg's Garden Courtyard Jazz Music Series: Rob Fisher Trio (5-8PM)

  • 42nd Annual Healdsburg Rotary Virtual Crab Feast & Live Auction (7PM)

  • Edward Simon Solo Jazz Piano Concert at THE 222 (7PM)

  • Luther Burbank Center Presents: Virtual Posada Navideña by Calidanza (7PM)

  • "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at the Raven Theater (7:30PM)

  • Hey Jude Live at Coyote Sonoma (8-11PM)

Sunday, December 12

  • A River's Journey: Hike & Learn About the Geology of Riverfront Park (10-11:30AM)

  • Holiday Open House at Landmark Vineyards (12-4PM)

  • Corazón Healdsburg COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church (1:30-4:30PM)

  • Matinee: "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at the Raven Theater (2PM)

  • Holiday Jubilation Pickup Party at Alley 6 Craft Distillery (2PM)

  • Free Holiday Organ Concert at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church: "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" (5PM)

  • Healdsburg Community Band Concert at Healdsburg Community Church (7PM)

Monday, December 13

  • Mindful Mondays Virtual Yoga for Teens at Sonoma County Library (4-5PM)

  • Healdsburg City Council Special Meeting: Closed Session (5PM)

From my notebook:

  • The girls and boys basketball teams both won their first games at Healdsburg's big REIBT high school basketball tournament this week, and will be vying for a hometown championship today and tomorrow. Good luck, kids! (Facebook & Press Democrat; paywall)

  • The Healdsburg High School wrestling team is feeling pretty optimistic, too, about a couple tournaments they're hosting at home the weekend after next. However: They're in desperate need of volunteers to help set up, man the snack shack and barbecue, score games, clean up, etc. "These two tournaments are a HUGE undertaking and it 'takes a village' to pull them off successfully," team leaders say. (Facebook & Facebook & SoCoNews Healdsburg)

  • Local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg is also looking for volunteers for a "bilingual holiday sing-along and family holiday party" they're hosting on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 14 at Costeaux. (Facebook)

  • Did you know there are free pipe-organ concerts on the second Sunday of every month at St. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Matheson Street? This Sunday's concert will be holiday-themed. Tunes in the program include “I Saw Three Ships,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Ding, Dong, Merrily on High” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful." The event will also be live-streamed on the church's YouTube channel. (Inbox & Healdsburg Patch Calendar & YouTube)

  • The Dry Creek Valley Association, a residents' advocacy group in rural Healdsburg, is seeking administrative and bookkeeping help. Here's how to apply. (Facebook)

  • A "very sweet" 1-year-old epileptic poodle named Coco is waiting to be adopted at the Healdsburg animal shelter. "Our CVC veterinarians prescribed Coco anti-seizure medication and she has been doing well!" shelter officials say. And they're offering cheap ongoing vet services for whoever adopts her. (Facebook)

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— 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