PROP. 36, LEGISLATIVE POLICIES BRING CHANGES TO CRIMINAL LAW
By Cayla Mihalovich
Voters this November overwhelmingly approved Prop. 36, which both modifies and adds key changes to California law.
That includes prosecutors being able to charge people convicted of various third-time drug offenses with a so-called treatmentmandated felony, which would direct them to substance use disorder or mental health treatment in lieu of up to three years in jail or prison. Under the new law, courts are also obligated to warn people convicted of selling or providing certain drugs, such as fentanyl, that they could face murder charges for later distributing illegal drugs that kill someone. And heavier consequences may also extend to petty theft and shoplifting offenses, including the possibility of up to three years in jail or prison if a person has already been twice convicted for certain theft offenses.
Several district attorneys and police departments announced arrests this month that they planned to charge under the new law, including in San Francisco, Solano and Shasta counties.
The measure partially reversed a different initiative voters approved a decade ago, which reduced penalties for certain lowerlevel drug and petty theft offenses from felonies to misdemeanors.
The initiative, Prop. 47, was intended to develop new public safety strategies and reduce incarceration after the state’s prison population exploded due to tough-on-crime policies dating back to the 1980s.
➝ Legislative Policies, 2
FORGET MICHELIN STARS, GO WITH JOE GOLD AND JIMMY PAYNE
Staff Report
Much has been written about the awarding of culinary stars, ratings of 90-point wines and the ascendancy of the milliondollar, two-bedroom home. But one award made to a Healdsburg business should not slip through the cracks—the naming of the Healdsburg’s location as North America’s “World Gym of the Year.”
“I couldn’t believe my ears,” said Joe Talmadge, 65, manager of the World Gym Healdsburg location since it opened eight years ago.
The award was announced to a packed hall at October’s international convention of World Gym operators in Las Vegas. “Healdsburg?”
There are currently more than 225 World Gyms, most of them in North America. The business has modest roots: Joe Gold founded it in Santa Monica seven years after he sold the first fitness business he created, Gold’s Gyms. So the competition was stiff.
“Obviously there are other gyms that probably are a little bit bigger and more fancier and offer different amenities as well,”
Talmadge said. “But World Gym looks for ‘Key Performance Indicators,’ the things that really matter to them: How good of a job we do serving our specific community, how good we are with our members and of course the cleanliness of the club, the type of equipment we have, being up to date on everything that we offer.”
Talmadge himself has worked in the fitness business for decades, having opened his own gym in San Francisco some 40 years ago.
When the Healdsburg Avenue location became available, he leapt at the chance. “When I first came and saw the space, I fell in love with it immediately,” he said. “I felt the space had good bones, but it was pretty long in the tooth. It was very dated.”
Then known as Healdsburg Community Health and Fitness, the gym had lost a bit of its luster since being founded by the late Jimmy Payne, a Sonoma County competitive weightlifter and trainer who Talmadge called “our local Jack LaLanne.” Payne died in 2012, at 85.
Talmadge took out the racquetball and basketball courts, and added more weightlifting and other fitness equipment, which enabled the gym to serve more customers at any given time. “It’s very simple math,” he said. “You want to be as efficient as possible with the space, where you can get enough people in there to
COUNCIL STICKS WITH 5-DISTRICT, ROTATING MAYOR DIRECTION
LAST MEETING FOR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER STURMFELS
By Christian Kallen
The city’s second of five public hearings on the transition to district elections was held, like the first, in a City Council meeting this Monday. Unlike the first,
be able to utilize it all at the same time.”
While the gym is being upgraded this month with “wellness” features such as an ice bath, infrared treatment and massage tables, Talmadge has no intention of slighting his lifelong commitment to weight training. In fact the gym is open 24/7 to make that level of commitment possible for its members.
“Muscle is the fountain of youth,” he said. “A lot of people are losing weight now with Ozempic and all these different drugs, and a lot of the weight they’re losing is a lot of muscle, too, which is not good. So we are a place where people can come and get the muscle, and keep the muscle.”
World Gym Healdsburg, 1500 Healdsburg Ave. Open 24/7, monthly $60 fee. (707) 385-1142. worldgym.com/healdsburg
virtually nothing else was on the agenda. Nearly everyone in the room showed up to learn more about the inevitable move toward a new model of elections in town—not at-large voting, in which all candidates are voted in (or denied) by a city-wide vote, but in which specific geographic districts will elect their own local choice for the council.
But first, the public comment period heard Tyra Benoit deliver something missing from the night’s agenda: A proclamation of gratitude to Andrew Sturmfels, who is stepping down from the assistant city manager job to take a new position with the County of Sonoma as an assistant county administrator.
“Whereas …” read Benoit, again and again in the manner of official proclamations, while Sturmfels squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. “WHEREAS, Andrew Sturmfels has
Cadillac of Fitness
For those who require a wider list of options than weight training, Parkpoint Health Club offers it all: aerobics and weights, and classes in a multiplicity of modalities—Pilates, yoga, barre, adult ballet and many more—most of which are free for members. It’s one of three Parkpoint clubs in the county, the others being in Sonoma and Santa Rosa. “We have our own personalities,” said Jan Blalock, the Healdsburg club’s programming and operations manager. “But the philosophy and the environment is very similar, and our classes and personal training are quite similar.” As well as the extralarge workout rooms, a mirror-lined spin studio, Pilates and massage, yoga and HIIT (high-intensity interval training), Parkpoint
done an exemplary job of leading city staff and coordinating with the residents of Healdsburg to develop and implement a Climate Mobilization Strategy …
“And WHEREAS, Andrew Sturmfels always kept channels of communication open, even when the conversations were difficult …
“And WHEREAS, Andrew Sturmfels has demonstrated the ability to evaluate the need to redo an exercise that didn’t quite work the first time around,” among others.
District Discussion
That last Whereas, however, was the oft-spoken message of the Jan. 6 meeting, a follow-up to the first public hearing three weeks ago when the council decided to stick as close to the “status quo” as possible and retain five council seats and a rotating mayor. That decision, and the machinations that
➝ Mayor Direction, 7
1)
Photo by Chiristian Kallen
Photo by Christian Kallen
GOINGS ON AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT
Leaving Soon
“Vroom! Toys on the Go,”
this year’s holiday exhibition at Healdsburg Museum, features toy vehicles collected by the late Steve Castelli and a model train display from Wayne Padd. Continues only through Jan. 19 and definitely worth a visit, Wednesdays through Sundays, 11am to 4pm. 221 Matheson St.
Pizza Week
We’re taking a slice from other area weeklies like the Bohemian and the Pacific Sun, and digging into some deep-dish (or thin-crust) pizza. Through Sunday, Jan. 19, area restaurants will craft specialty pizzas in Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, which can mean they can use just about any kind of crust at all. See the list of Healdsburg-area pizzerias at northbaypizzaweek.com.
THURSDAY, JAN. 9
Jimmy Carter
The federal government is closed on Thursday, Jan. 9, for a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter on the day of his funeral. The 29th president died Dec. 30 at the age of 100.
Jean Renoir
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
SATURDAY, JAN. 11
Lobby Jazz Sonoma’s Stephanie Ozer brings back her trio to the Spirit Bar, with Peter Barshay on bass and Kendrik Freeman on drums. The pianist is known for her Brazilian repertoire, but is equally at home in jazz standards, classical and pop. Music 6-9pm, no cover,
The great Italian actor Anna Magnani, the commedia dell’arte and the music of Vivaldi are the highlights of Jean Renoir’s The Golden Coach, called by Eric Rohmer “the Open Sesame of all Renoir’s work.” A movie about stage comedy in which all activity and all space becomes the theater. Thursday, 7pm, tickets free for students 18 and under, $20 general. 222 Healdsburg Ave., the222.org.
given that most California counties lack the resources needed to provide the “mass treatment” promised by the measure’s proponents.
But prosecutors, law enforcement and large retailers who rallied in favor of Prop. 36 said those sentencing reforms went too far and created a revolving door for people to repeatedly commit crimes without being held accountable.
“It’s a clear mandate from the public that we need to take a new approach on public safety issues, specifically hard drugs, retail theft and fentanyl,” said Yolo County DA Jeff Reisig.
Those who opposed the measure warned it will worsen homelessness, drug use and crime by cutting funding for treatment programs and increasing court and prison costs to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Behavioral health experts across the state have voiced concern over the efficacy of a treatment-mandated felony,
“I believe that (proponents) have also received a mandate to embrace problem solving and supportive services for people who are struggling,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California, a nonprofit organization that opposed Prop. 36.
“I don’t believe the mandate was (to) put more people in prison. It was not what people believed they were voting for. I hope that people with the discretion to enforce this law will think very carefully about the communities they serve and what they were asking for in this moment,” she said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to keep Prop. 36 off of the fall ballot, and for a time considered putting a competing crime measure before voters. Instead, he signed a
limited menu available, 25 Matheson St.
TUESDAY, JAN. 14
Commission Meeting
The city’s Planning Commission meets Tuesday at 6pm to consider new and remodeling projects in town. Agenda should be available at the end of the preceding week. Starts 6pm, 401 Grant St. and online at healdsburg.gov/zoom.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15
Intercambio Weekly language “exchanges” at the Healdsburg Library, where learners of
English or Spanish can practice with others in an informal, friendly atmosphere. Practique inglés o español y ayude a los demás que estén aprendiendo en un ambiente amable . Wednesdays at 4:30pm, at 1557 Healdsburg Ave., Room 4.
School Board
The Healdsburg Unified School District’s Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing for community comments and public testimony concerning the composition of potential trustee voting areas associated with the District’s transition to a by-trustee area election
system. The hearing will be at 6:20pm in the HUSD trustees meeting on Jan. 15, 401 Grove St.
THURSDAY, JAN. 16
Districting
Workshops
FRIDAY, JAN. 17
City Hall Closed City offices and the development center will be closed on alternating Fridays throughout the year. Public Works and Building inspections will be available on the closed Fridays. healdsburg.gov.
The first of two community workshops to learn about, discuss and share public feedback on the city’s transition to district elections will be held Jan. 16 at the Healdsburg Community Center, 1557 Healdsburg Ave., 6-7:30pm. These workshops are not the same as the “public hearings” the City Council is conducting as part of the official process. Language interpretation services will be provided. healdsburg. gov/1152/Transition-toDistrict-Elections.
For additional New Year’s Eve and related events, see the accompanying article or visit the Calendar link at healdsburgtribune.com.
package of 10 bills in August that will make it easier to prosecute retail and vehicle theft. Those laws went into effect Jan. 1.
Although Newsom didn’t put any money into fighting Prop. 36, he referred to the
initiative as an “unfunded mandate” that will take California back to the War on Drugs. Indeed, the measure included no new funding streams. But supporters like Reisig voiced optimism that funding opportunities
already exist in the law, pointing to $6.4 billion from the mental health bond voters approved in March.
“I hope that lawmakers and the governor embrace the mandate and work collaboratively to make sure
that we’re successful in delivering the promise of Prop. 36,” Reisig said. Cayla Mihalovich is a justice reporter for CalMatters. This story was originally published by CalMatters at tinyurl.com/4pzu25am.
Photo by Christian Kallen
DOGPATCH USA Daisy Mae and Li’l Abner are among the once-familiar characters on display at the Healdsburg Museum until Jan. 19, in their holiday exhibition of toys and models from the collection of the late Steve Castelli.
CAPITOL The California State Capitol building houses the chambers of the California State Legislature, made up of the Assembly and the Senate, and the office of the governor.
Photo courtesy of Sundry
Photography/Shutterstock
New Year Lights Up Local Stages
RAVEN PLAYERS’ ‘SHORTS’ AMONG SHOWS RAISING CURTAINS IN 2025
By Harry Duke
North Bay theater companies are crossing their collective fingers in hopes audiences continue to come out and support them in 2025.
Holiday-themed shows now give way to the usual mixture of comedies, dramas and musicals, from classics to contemporary works to a short-play festival.
Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse gets things going in early January with What the Constitution Means to Me . Heidi Schrek’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist may take on deeper meaning with the potential Constitutional crises we may face in the coming years. 6thstreetplayhouse.com
For folks looking for something a little sillier, Cinnabar Theater continues taking its shows on the road to Sonoma State University with Gutenberg!
The Musical! Opening Jan. 17, it’s a musical spoof about two hapless friends putting on a backer’s audition with the hopes of raising funds to produce their musical about the creator of the printing press. cinnabartheater.org
Former Bohemian critic David Templeton gets a remount of his one-woman show, Mary Shelley’s Body Originally produced in 2017 at Sebastopol’s Main
Stage West, this show features Spreckels Theatre Company artistic director Sheri Lee Miller reprising the role of Mary Shelley (well, her ghost) as she tells the story of her life. spreckelsonline.com
Sonoma Arts Live presents Six Degrees of Separation in late January. Playwright John Guare based his tale of a young AfricanAmerican conman insinuating himself into the lives of the New York elite on a true story. Jonathen Blue stars as “Paul.” sonomartslive.org
Some may have seen this already, but 6th Street Playhouse’s second stage will be occupied by Groundhog Day: The Musical starting Jan. 31. The 1993 Bill Murray comedy gave way to a 2017 Broadway musical that, while not a smashing success, became a reliable audience-pleaser. 6thstreetplayhouse.com
For folks looking for something on a little smaller scale, Napa’s Lucky Penny Productions will present Love Letters. A.R. Gurney’s two-hander features two actors reading the correspondence their characters have shared over 50 years. Three sets of performers—Taylor Bartolucci and Barry Martin, Daniela Innocenti-Beem and Dennis O’Brien, LC Arisman and John Browning—take on the roles over a threeweekend run starting Jan. 31.
luckypennynapa.com
Theatergoers who like their plays short, really short , might check out the Raven Players’ Raven Shorts. The show is composed of eight eclectic, original 10-minute plays
by local playwrights Dan Stryker, Tony Sciullo, Jacquelyn Wells, Kyle Therral Wilson, Ron Nash, Francine Schwartz, Christopher Johnston and Scott Lummer. The “festival” runs for two weekends starting Jan.
24 in Healdsburg. raventheater.org
There’s quite the variety of live theater from which to choose to warm our hearts and minds, and to escape the North Bay’s cold winter nights.
‘Raven Shorts,’ a collection of eight 10-minute plays, will have performances from Jan. 24-Feb. 2. The Raven Theater is located at 115 North St. raventheater.org/series/ raven-shorts
CHALLENGE Bohn Connor and Rickie Farah in an emotional scene in Francine Schwartz’s ‘The German Upstairs,’ staged in 2024 at the Raven Theater. The playwright has a one-act play in the upcoming group of eight playlettes, ‘Raven Shorts,’ opening Jan. 24.
Photo by R. Mabry
CURATED NEWS OF 50, 75 AND 100 YEARS AGO, FROM THE HEALDSBURG TRIBUNE
100 years ago: January 8, 1925
PIGEON HUNTERS FACE ARREST
Healdsburg hunters who have been taking a pot shot into the large flocks of wild pigeons to be found in this vicinity, are warned that a drive is to be made on those guilty of this illegal practice, Deputy Fish and Game Commissioner Henry Lencioni announcing that he intends to show no leniency toward anybody caught either with birds in their possession or in the act of shooting at them. In addition to a state closed season law, there are several Federal statutes protecting the birds, Lencioni says. The pigeons have been attracted here in great numbers by the heavy crop of acorns about Healdsburg.
75 years ago: January 5, 1950
CHRISTMAS SEAL RETURNS MUST BE SENT IN IMMEDIATELY
Residents of the Healdsburg area who have not as yet acknowledged receipt of the 1949 Christmas Seal Sale letters should do so promptly, W. L. Cook, president of the Sonoma County Tuberculosis and Health Association, urges. Letters
containing the 1949 Christmas Seals were mailed to reach all the homes in Sonoma County by November 22. Cook said that because a large number of people have not made their financial returns so far, cards will be sent out in the next few days as a reminder to do so. “In the rush of Christmas preparations people sometimes overlook acknowledging their Christmas Seals,” he states. “With tuberculosis still the leading cause of death in the age group of 15 to 45, we are very anxious to have all returns in as soon as possible. The tuberculosis control work of the association in 1950 depends upon the success of this Christmas Seal Sale. Your seal sale contributions also finance research on rheumatic fever, the scourge of childhood.” To date seal sale returns have reached the $14,500.67 mark, and $20,000 is needed to put on a complete and effective program for the control of tuberculosis and rheumatic fever.
50 years ago: January 9, 1975
DROP-IN CENTER FOR SENIORS PLANNED BY BOY’S CLUB, CITY
Success has come to several months’ effort to initiate an organized program for senior citizens in Healdsburg. Staff from the Healdsburg Boys’ Club and the city Recreation Department are now formulating a program that will use volunteers from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program to provide drop-in activities and special classes two days a
FLASHBACKS
week for senior citizens at the Boys’ Club.
The Boys’ Club will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for various special classes and drop-in activities. On Tuesdays seniors will be able to attend classes of interest to them, play cards, have a potluck lunch, or a chat. On Thursdays the emphasis will be upon services useful to senior citizens. Assistance with Social Security problems, an explanation of what assistance programs are available, assistance with legal problems, and health care referrals will be given. One course under consideration will deal with stresses peculiar to the aged.
The Flashbackers are docents for the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society, open WednesdaySunday at 221 Matheson St.
The Well-Traveled Road
THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD NOT TAKEN MAY EXPLAIN IT
By Pierre Ratte
It’s said the only constant is change, and it looks like there may be lots of changes in 2025. And yet, in the tranquility of cultivated and natural landscapes in Sonoma County, morning’s rising sun paints a chamberof-commerce, picture-perfect day on the road ahead.
Fun Facts: Macadam refers to a road-surfacing material and a method of construction. Developed
in 1820, it’s named after inventor John McAdam. His method and material was a major breakthrough improving on Roman stone and cobble construction. McAdam’s invention relied on small angular rocks compacted by traffic to create a self-locking stable and relatively smooth surface.
The success of McAdam’s crushed rock surfacing created dust problems. Low pressure under faster vehicles vacuumed giant clouds of dust from McAdam’s crushed aggregate roads. Thus, in 1902 tar was sprayed on top, creating tarmac. Later, tar was incorporated directly into
the gravel mix. This manufactured combination of aggregate and tar is called asphalt, blacktop or simply pavement.
Rock asphalt, or natural asphalt, is distinguished from manufactured asphalt as a naturally occurring petroleum product in solid rock form. Herodotus described Babylonians using natural asphalt in binding roads and fortification walls, Phoenicians used it to caulk shiplaps, and Romans sealed public baths and cisterns with it. The word stems from the Greek asphaltos, meaning “secure.” Gilsonite is a branded name for rock asphalt. In
1860, Samuel Gilson discovered major deposits of natural asphalt in Utah. He retailed products under the Gilsonite name. The Uinta Basin in Utah holds an estimated 28 billion barrels of Gilsonite, and is one of only two places on Earth with economically significant deposits. Mines in the Uinta Basin have operated for 125 years. Comparatively, the world’s estimated oil supply is 1.5 trillion barrels; consumption is 100 million barrels of oil per day, 36.5 billion per year. Theoretically that’s 40 years of remaining consumption under static conditions.
Photos courtesy of Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society
ROOST Storey’s Pigeon Ranch, 1910, for his domestic flock. Wild passenger pigeons, native only to North America, were driven to extinction in 1914.
CHRISTMAS SEALS Locals look over the 1957 Christmas Seal campaign, an important fundraiser for tuberculosis research. Shown here, left to right, are Mrs. Harold Hoskins, Healdsburg Elementary School PTA; Paul Gabriel Jr.; Mayor Arthur Ruonavaara; Bill Hamblin; and Mrs. Norman Taeuffer, PTA Health Chairman.
Photo by Pierre Ratte
SPORTS
Girls Eye Repeat But Winning Comes First
LAST YEAR’S UNDEFEATED LEAGUE SEASON SET A HIGH BAR
By Caleb Knudsen
The Healdsburg’s girls basketball team has been a force to be reckoned with in recent years, and high expectations are inevitable for them this year. After all, between last year’s roster
FIT & OVER 50
➝ Health Clubs, 1
offers men’s and women’s locker rooms and showers to complete the full gym experience. Plus, a lounge with packaged snacks and free coffee, stocked with current newspapers.
The gym further boasts a heated, outdoor 25-meter lap pool and a warmer exercise pool for physical therapy and “aqua aerobics.” Especially since the pandemic, Blalock said, the pools are an increasingly popular feature. “The therapy pool is about 86 degrees, so it’s super comfy. You wouldn’t want to do lap swimming in that heat!” The lap pool is a refreshing 80 degrees. Most of the classes— about 70 are offered per week—are free with membership. “Our trainers have a lot of different backgrounds,” Blalock said. “For instance,
and this they’ve only lost one starter—but that was Hailey Webb, the league MVP and Healdsburg’s alltime scoring champion. But check off the returning players: Allie Espinoza, Ashley Behrens, Ruby Leffew, Hannah Sellards and Claire Berry.
“That’s five players named either to First Team, Second Team or honorable mention. Who wouldn’t want that?” asked coach Greg Marguglio rhetorically.
we have a couple that are triathletes, so they work a lot with people who are trying to prepare for an event of some sort.
“Most of our members are fit and over 50,” Blalock added. “And during the summer a lot more families come hang out at the pool.” More so than most, Parkpoint serves as a social club as well as a health club.
Parkpoint Health Club, Healdsburg, 195 Foss Creek Circle. Open MondayFriday, 5:30am to 8:30pm; weekends, 7am to 7pm. Memberships 70% off until Jan. 15. Monthly dues $157; contact Sheila in Membership at (707) 385-2500 or sheila@ parkpointhealthclub.com.
Fitness in Motion
A tier below Parkpoint or World Gym is Motion Fitness Healdsburg. Smaller and without shower facilities, it lacks a pool. But it does
Still, last year was something special—the Greyhounds raced through Redwood League play undefeated with a 12-0 record, ending the season 27-3. Their streak continued into the semifinals of the North Bay playoffs, when they lost to eventual champion Justin-Siena.
The 2024-25 team is currently 9-4, with all of the full Redwood season ahead of them. Their last few games in tournament play
offer what many in search of health are looking for: a wide array of well-designed, wellmaintained equipment and 24-hour access.
“We’re focused on weight training,” said founder Lori Marioni. “No classes involved. Just mainly strength training.” Though the gym offered more classes before Covid, the pandemic’s limitations on social interaction helped Mariani focus on the core (so to speak) of Motion Fitness.
“When people call up, I always just say we’re a 24-hour gym. So I am focused on people being able to use it 24 hours a day, and having all the weight equipment they need,” Marioni said.
She pointed to three criteria for a successful business in the health industry: Affordability, availability and cleanliness. With modest monthly membership
➝ Health Clubs, 7
gave them a chance to “try some different things we’re looking to improve upon,” said Marguglio, “and give some of the newer players more experience.”
They broke a threegame losing streak by beating Analy 35-24 on Jan. 4. “Analy never let up, and kept us out of rhythm,” Marguglio said. “It was a good challenge as we start league play this week.”
Ruby Leffew scored the most points for the Greyhounds with 11, and Claire Berry backed her up with 8. Although Allie Espinoza is the team’s top scorer so far this year, Marguglio said not to count out Leffew. “You know, Allie probably has the potential to put up the most points in a game, but Ruby Leffew gets hot,” he said. “They could be trading high scores the whole season.”
The 2025 Greyhounds are not overshadowed by the talent that was Hailey Webb—they are all players in the best sense of the word. “I still think the best game I’ve seen this entire
year was Ashley Behrens against Justin Sienna,” on Dec. 14, Marguglio added.
“She matched her opponent’s number or actually beat her by one and scored 17. And she’s absolutely awesome on defense.” That game saw the Braves defeat the Greyhounds, 52-38.
“Between those three, actually those four, and of our five seniors, anybody could show up any day. They all have the potential to really be great,” the coach said.
The recent win over Analy came in Sebastopol, and Marguglio said he’s looking forward to the league season because half the games will be home games, where the team can perform better.
“Just the familiarity with the rims and the lighting, being at home is always better,” he said. “I think that goes for all sports.”
He pointed out that as well as the home games, the team practices in the home gym all the time, and the players become familiar with the space of the room and the background behind
each basket. “You know where you are on the court, and when you turn you don’t have to look for the rim—you just kind of know where it is,” he said.
League play kicked off this week with a Tuesday game at home against Elsie Allen (currently 5-5). Although complete stats are not available, the Greyhounds easily bested the Lobos, 62-9, scoring almost at will and shutting down the visiting team’s offense.
“Our biggest challenge is, first of all, never take anybody lightly,” Marguglio said.
“That’s a recipe for disaster.” A second game against Else Allen will be played in Santa Rosa at their gym in two weeks, on Jan. 23, to start the second series of games between teams in the Redwood conference. By then, Healdsburg’s chances for a repeat title will be more clear.
Home girls basketball games are usually on Tuesdays, at 7:30pm in Smith Robinson Gym.
TAKING AIM Junior Claire Berry (11) can’t help but smile at an easy two-point shot against Marin Catholic. While the Greyhounds lost this Dec. 28 game, they’re now ready to take on their Redwood league opponents.
Photos by Michael Lucid
SHE’S DRIVING Forward Ruby Leffew (5), one of the team’s dynamic seniors, is a leading point-maker for the Lady Greyhounds.
AQUA FITNESS The popular lap pool at Parkpoint Health Club Healdsburg is heated to 80 degrees in winter. Aqua-aerobics is an increasingly popular fitness trend.
Photos by Christian Kallen
Pizza Week Delivers
THE TRI-COUNTY FOOD EVENT UNDERWAY THROUGH JAN. 19
By Isabella Cook
Welcome to the ultimate weeklong pizza party. Starting Jan. 8, select pizzerias across Napa, Sonoma and Marin began participating in the culinary collaboration known as North Bay Pizza Week. After pizza was more or less invented in Naples as a sauced-up flatbread, it took the globe by storm when
American G.I.’s returned from World War II, bringing a fondness for pizza that led to a Cambrian explosion of different forms we know now. These include traditional Neapolitan styles, thin crust in New York, Detroit squares, sheet pans and deep-dish variants in Chicago, to name a few. Then there’s Californiastyle pizza, which features a thin, chewy crust and unconventional toppings that embrace the concept of fresh, local ingredients in a creative twist that’s unique to the state. Which brings us back to the topic at hand:
North Bay Pizza Week.
Pizza, I realized, is the vessel that serves as a reason to gather together. Pizzerias are an integral, irreplaceable neighborhood fixture, a central hub where locals gather and commune over a shared pie. At the risk of sounding cheesy (or maybe saucy), pizza is community. Which is what North Bay Pizza Week celebrates. Of course, it helps that pizza tastes amazing, too.
Slice And Pint Special — $15 Detroit-style square slice, mozzarella cheese, house tomato sauce, pepperoni, creamy ricotta cheese and bold hot honey. 410 Hudson St., Healdsburg, (707) 473-8532
KIN
The Local 10" ( $17) and The Local 14" ($26): Red sauce, fresh mozzarella, spicy sausage, kale, red and green grapes, and red wine and balsamic reduction with
LEGAL NOTICES
registered by the following owner(s): RB WINE ASSOCIATES LLC, 499 MOORE LANE, HEALDSBURG, CA 95448: This business is being conducted by A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: BRUCE LUNDQUIST, CO-FOUNDER & CEO, RB WINE ASSOCIATES, LLC. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on DECEMBER 18, 2024. (Publication Dates December 26 of 2024 and January 2, 9, 16 of 2025 The Healdsburg Tribune)
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403588
name or names above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: CYNTHIA ARIOSTA, MEMBER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on DECEMBER 13, 2024. (Publication Dates December 26 of 2024 and January 2, 9, 16 of 2025 The Healdsburg Tribune) CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HEALDSBURG PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Healdsburg re-scheduled its regularly scheduled meeting of MONDAY, January 20, 2025, at 6:00 P.M., to TUESDAY, January 21, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. due to the Martin Luther King Day holiday. Interested persons are invited to attend. Dated: January 9, 2025 Raina Allan, City Clerk FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403726 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. RUSSIAN RIVER VINEYARDS, 2. BLACKBIRD VINEYARDS, 3. BALLY KEAL VINEYARDS, 4. KOLBIE, 5. JUST ENOUGH WINES, 6. RIDGE VINEYARDS, 7. 1883 RESERVE, 8. HIGH CAMP ESTATE & VINEYARD, 9. LION RANCH VINEYARDS & WINERY, 10. CASA LOCÉ WINERY, 11. VISTA DEL MIRADOR WINERY, 12. SOLIS WINERY, 499 MOORE LANE, HEALDSBURG, CA 95448, COUNTY SONOMA: Mailing Address: SAME: Is hereby
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. NORTH BAY ELECTRIC, 379 SUGAR MAPLE LANE, WINDSOR, CA 95492, COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: PO BOX 977, WINDSOR, CA 95492: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): RICHARD MICHAEL GOOLER, KAREN COLEENE GOOLER, 379 SUGAR MAPLE LANE, WINDSOR, CA 95492: This business is being conducted by A MARRIED COUPLE. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on 2006. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: KAREN C GOOLER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on DECEMBER 04, 2024.
(Publication Dates January 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2025 The Healdsburg Tribune)
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403779 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. SALTY BUILDER, 5400 WILSHIRE DR, SANTA ROSA, CA 95404, COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: SAME: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): RUSS MICHAEL HENDRICK, 5400 WILSHIRE DR, SANTA ROSA, CA 95404: This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: RUSS MICHAEL HENDRICK. This statement was filed with the
County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on DECEMBER 26, 2024. (Publication Dates January 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2025 The Healdsburg Tribune) ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF SONOMA CASE NUMBER: 24CV07724 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS 1. Petitioner (name of each): KYLENA ROSE CARTER, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: a. KYLENA ROSE CARTER to Proposed Name: KYELENA ROSE BARRON 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING FEB 21 2025 at 3:00 PM, in Dept: 18: Sonoma County Superior Court, 3055 CLEVELAND AVENUE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95403. Via Zoom. GO ONLINE TO ZOOM. US/JOIN OR PHONE IN AT Meeting ID Dial 1-669-900-6833, MEETING ID 160 739 4368 Passcode 000169. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in The Healdsburg Tribune, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in the county of Sonoma.
DATED: DECEMBER 23 2024 Hon. Christopher M. Honigsberg, Judge of the Superior Court. (Publication Dates January 9, 16, 23, 30 of 2025 The Healdsburg Tribune)
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202500001 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. NICOLE PURTER ESTHETICS, 547 BLYTHEWOOD PLACE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407, COUNTY SONOMA: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): NICOLE PURTER, 547 BLYTHEWOOD PLACE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407: This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. The registrant commenced to
fresh parmesan. Pizza & Salad Combo ($36): Any 14" pizza and a house or Caesar salad for two.
740 McClelland Dr., Windsor, (707) 837-7546
PizzaLeah
Pineapples on pizza will be available all week, No Chill Mustafa Pizza available Jan. 8-11 only. All proceeds go to Farm to Pantry, a nonprofit dedicated to providing food to those facing food insecurity. 9240 Old Redwood Highway, #116, Windsor, (707) 620-0551
Photo by Isabella Cook
FIT & OVER 50
fees and 24/7 access, how much more available can a gym be? And Marioni and her small crew, including “JP” Garcia, are attentive and responsive.
“What’s made Motion successful for me is being hands-on,” Marioni said. “You know, if anybody wants me at any point in time, they text or call me and I always answer my phone. Unless it’s the middle of the night and I’m asleep.”
The gym features three weight rooms, 25 pieces of cardio equipment including stationary bikes and the like, three universal cable towers, and a stretching and abdominal center where the classes used to
be. As big as it is, as popular as it is, the gym still has room for more members.
“I never want to get where people are waiting,” Marioni said. “Right now my members are totally happy, and they could still accommodate some more and still be totally happy.”
The gym is located at the end of West North Street, at the corner of Moore Lane—still technically “downtown,” but by no means obvious. One has to want to go there, and that may be the reason for its success. There’s that focus again.
“It is self-driven here, but I’ve made it simple in the way I laid out the gym,” Marioni said. “Because they’re independent, our members realize that their health is dependent on themselves and not on a teacher.
“There comes a time when if you’re going to the places that offer classes, they are going to be more expensive,” she continued. “You have to pay for those instructors. So if you can get used to doing it on your own, you take out a level of cost. Motion doesn’t charge any enrollment, either, and I think that helps people out.”
Motion Fitness, 103 W. North St. Open 24/7. Memberships $50/month. Contact Lori at (707) 326-4224 or JP at (707) 293-6238, Español, info@motionfitnesshbg.com.
A number of local health studios are located in Healdsburg as well. The Tribune will cover them in a forthcoming issue.
led up to it, prompted Jon Eisenberg’s lawyer to file a “cure and correct” letter to vacate that decision, and was one among many factors that caused Eisenberg to send a 17-page letter to the city alleging multiple Brown Act violations, violations of state law requiring transparency in government.
Following a brief public comment period, Evelyn Mitchell, installed in the mayor’s seat for her second term (the first was in 2020, a year of Covid drama), opened the meeting by reading a mea culpa of sorts from the council, which had just held a 90-minute closed session on Eisenberg’s complaints. Her statement
was precipitated by widespread discontent with the council’s direction at the Dec. 16 meeting that favored five council seats and a rotating mayor, appointed by the council. In fact the council’s choice to focus on five seats caused that discontent, with several people calling foul over what they saw as the council’s premature, unnecessary decision at that time. Mitchell pushed back. “I want to be very clear: There was no formal vote on Dec. 16th, and that was intentional,” she said. “We were asked for direction and not a final action. We simply provided guidance as requested.”
While technically true, her statement did little to quell public dissatisfaction with that “guidance.” During Monday night’s hearing, 10 people rose to speak in public
comment, the majority of whom asked the council to rescind their recommendation and ask the contract demographer, Redistricting Partners, to amend their mechanism that allows public input in drawing up the council district to allow for more than five.
Drawing the Lines
Liz Stitt, who represented Redistricting Partners at the meeting, unveiled an online tool that allows members of the public to draw their own districts to meet the terms of the California Voting Rights Act. Stitt—whose job title is “Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Line Drawer”—introduced “DistrictR,” a free online tool that allows users to create or evaluate election districts. But the version Stitt presented was based on drawing only five districts,
DEBRA RUTH BARRON
November 21, 1957 – November 23, 2024
t is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Debra Ruth Barron (Ramsdell), a beloved mother, sister, and friend. Debbie, as she was affectionately known, passed away peacefully in Healdsburg, California, on November 23, 2024. She was 67.
Born to Ruth and Royal Ramsdell Jr., Debbie grew up in Connecticut and attended Purdue College. For 21 years, she was the sales manager at Susan Graf, Ltd. in Healdsburg. Debbie was renowned for her deep affection for animals. Dogs, in particular, held a special place in her heart. She was always armed with treats for the four-legged visitors at Susan Graf, Ltd.
Debbie married Chapman Dundas in 1997 and they welcomed their only son, Chapman Dundas Jr., the light of her life. Debbie’s greatest joy and source of pride was her son Chapman. She often celebrated his career path as a fireman.
She was an avid windsurfer, golfer, gardener, and loved the great outdoors. She also had a deep love for the water, especially boating on Lake Sonoma. These passions reflected her adventurous spirit and her pride in her son’s achievements.
Debbie is survived by her son, Chapman Dundas Jr. Her memory will live on in the hearts of her family, friends, and all who were touched by her vibrant spirit and kind soul.
A private service will be held to honor Debbie’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to the Dogwood Animal Rescue.
as the council had recommended, and there seemed to be no easy way for a user to create six, seven or any other number of districts, which many in the community have called for.
When asked directly how difficult it would be, in time or expense, for the contractor to reprogram DistrictR, Stitt was unable to say. Since the expectation for this meeting was a final direction on the number of districts, the council eventually recommitted to five districts and the rotating mayor, their original recommendation.
Councilmember Arielle Kelly outlined the scenario where the rotating mayor position could become occupied by a candidate with fewer than 10% of the city’s votes. In a close election, the winning candidate in a district would
likely receive less than half the total votes. An at-large mayor’s office, elected by a vote of the entire city, would receive a far greater public mandate.
Windsor’s Example
But the case of Dominic Foppoli, elected by the town of Windsor in its first redistricted election, in 2020, loomed over the discussion of an at-large elected mayor. Almost at once Foppoli was charged with multiple sexual misconduct allegations, yet no mechanism existed to remove him from the mayor’s seat short of a time-consuming and expensive recall. (He eventually resigned, and currently lives in Italy with his new wife.)
A mayor appointed by the council could more easily be removed by a simple majority vote, and a replacement selected at once.
That seemed an unspoken factor in the Healdsburg City Council standing firm with its five-district, rotating mayor preference, and Redistricting Partners was directed to continue with its current method of enlisting public input on the districts’ borders. The major opportunity for that public input is next Thursday, Jan. 16, in a public workshop at the Healdsburg Community Center, though any submitted district map will be considered, Stitt said. A second workshop will be held at the Senior Center on Jan. 24 in a “brunch” to instruct the more technically challenged seniors in how to use the redistricting tool. Follow the city’s process and meetings schedule at healdsburg.gov/1152/ Transition-to-DistrictElections.
➝ Mayor Direction, 1
MOTION TWINS Motion Fitness’ JP Garcia, left, and Lori Marioni have built a fitnesscentric gym in downtown Healdsburg.
Photos by Christian Kallen
•
CRIMES & CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE
Residents and others are encouraged to call Police Dispatch as needed at (707) 431-3377, operational 24/7
Monday, Dec. 23
9:17am A 37-Year-Old (YO) woman was cited for reckless driving on Hwy 101 at Lytton Springs Road.
10:38am
12:31pm The RP had a package valued at more than $1,000 shipped to his P.O. Box via UPS. He received confirmation that the package was delivered to the USPS facility on Dec. 17, 2024, at 10:15am. An employee advised that it was never received and the person who signed for it did not work there. The RP wanted to press charges if the suspect was identified. An officer spoke with the RP, an investigation was started and a report was taken.
• 3:29pm The RP on Crofton Court indicated her Citibank credit card was hacked six times in the past three years. The RP filed a report with the Federal Trade Commission and they suggested she
POLICE LOG
file a report with her local law enforcement agency.
Per the RP, every time her credit card was hacked, the issuing company canceled the card, refunded the charges and issued a new card number. The charges were made online and the RP did not know how the suspects obtained her credit card numbers. The RP was provided a copy of the log entry.
4:36pm A man paced the parking lot and wove between cars at Summit State Bank on Vine Street with something that looked like a knife in his pocket. A 40-YO man was arrested for carrying a dirk or dagger and violating probation. He was taken to county jail. The officer spoke to a Safeway employee about the man. The employee said the man paid for the beer he had in his hands at the time of arrest. However, he stole other items and Safeway
wanted to press charges.
8:09pm The RP at Safeway on Vine Street stated a man stole a full cart of groceries valued at approximately $700. The RP wanted to press charges and file trespass paperwork against the man. Officers responded. The suspect was gone on arrival and unable to be located. A report was taken.
Tuesday, Dec. 24
11:56am Graffiti was reported at the 7-Eleven on Healdsburg Avenue in the parking lot in multiple places.
4:10pm The RP indicated that a driver swerved, did not maintain lanes, drove on the shoulder and drove at an inconsistent speed on Healdsburg Avenue at Dry Creek Road. The driver pulled into the Tip-Top Liquor parking lot. Officers responded, contacted the driver and determined the driver had
LIBRARIES ARE FOR EVERYONE
not been drinking. The driver was given a warning.
8:40pm Multiple RPs in the city indicated they heard gunshots or fireworks. One RP stated the sound was by the river, and another stated the sound came from the area of March Avenue and Lupine Court. Officers responded, but did not see or hear anything in either area.
Wednesday, Dec. 25
• 2:32pm An officer cited and released a 44-YO man near Carl’s Jr. on Vine Street on an outstanding warrant regarding petty theft.
• 7:49pm The RP on Healdsburg Avenue stated the RP was harassed and followed by three men. Two men were on foot and one man was in a vehicle. The men stopped following the RP and left the area when the RP called
Thursday, Dec. 26
3:42pm A 51-YO man near Chase Bank on Vine Street was contacted about an outstanding warrant. He was cited and released on the warrant regarding possession of methamphetamine.
10:03pm A vehicle was stopped for speeding and having a defective headlamp on Dry Creek Road at Grove Street. A 22-YO man was
and for violating probation.
Saturday, Dec. 28
12:46pm The RP on Sunset Drive indicated that mail theft occurred in the neighborhood on Dec. 26, 2024. An officer responded and determined that the mailboxes of the
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STATION The Healdsburg Police Department is located at 238 Center St. The lobby is open 7am to 7pm daily.
