The Healdsburg Tribune
EAST-WEST ROUTES IN HEALDSBURG’S FUTURE AS PUBLIC WORKS MAKES ADJUSTMENTS
By Christian Kallen Healdsburg
last week
added an Active Transportation Plan (ATP) to its library of planning documents that outline future projects and growth in the city, after more than a year’s study, conversation and preparation. The final plan ATP was presented by Public Works Director Larry Zimmer and Senior Project Manager Michael Harrigan to the City Council last week, and after some edifying discussion it was unanimously adopted.
Although the ATP was developed as a component of Sonoma County’s own 2025 Countywide ATP, the city’s ATP’s sharpest focus is on improving connections within the city that prioritize bicycle and pedestrian travel over an automotive solution.
Why a Plan?
That’s where the Healdsburg ATP comes in. As an official City Plan, it is a document that Healdsburg can use to guide implementation of local projects and policies, solicit grants and other funding, and keep the goals of a greener Healdsburg at top of mind.
“It guides the public and private investment,” Zimmer said. “It is a reference document that we use regularly… To know what the community wanted, what the council approved, what our stakeholders have said to us in the past.”
➝ Transport Plan, 7
2013 GRAD HONORED AS REMODELED HALL PUT TO GOOD USE
By Christian Kallen
Perhaps for the first time in its young life, the new Drew Esquivel Hall on the Healdsburg High School campus boasted a bleacher full of fans—wrestling fans, drama fans, fans of the school district and of Drew Esquivel himself— all come to recognize the dedication of the transformed indoor gym.
The walls were clean and white, the lighting inspired and bright, the tiered bleachers steep enough to offer line-of-sight to 224 fans and friends of family. All were there last Friday to take part in the ceremonies, meet new friends and reconnect with old ones, and enjoy cookies and other treats from the school’s culinary program.
Though the remodel of the former Frost Hall was
begun in 2017, said HUSD Superintendent Chris Vanden Heuvel, “There was never a question that it would be named” for Drew Esquivel, as approved by the school board last November.
Wrestler, swimmer, actor and valedictorian, young Esquivel left an impact on the kids he went to school with, played sports with and walked with as a fellow student.
To say that Esquivel, who graduated in 2013 and died three years later at the hands of a drunk driver, left an impact on his fellow students, his teachers and his school, would simply be stating the obvious. The full house at the new hall, and open smiles and occasional tears of those who knew him, said it all.
“We are here because of loss,” said Vanden Heuvel, whose own brother died just a month ago. “I’ve learned the best way to keep a loved one alive is to hold on to the good memories.”
That was the formula followed last Friday
night, Jan. 24, as a series of speakers, planned and spontaneous, took the mic and told their stories of Drew Esquivel. They all reinforced the wording on the new plaque outside the gym, with Esquivel’s likeness and the phrase, “What most distinguished him was how he genuinely made everyone around him better through compassion, kindness and joy.”
Among those who spoke in the brief Friday evening program was Brent Morganson, a former drama teacher who bemoaned the absence of coverage of Esquivel’s high school career as a thespian. “Drew didn’t care what part he had, he gave each role 100%,” he said later. “Drew was a pirate in Pirates , a lead in The History Boys , and a lead in Hairspray , just to name a few.”
Esquivel Hall
Wrestling coach Scott Weidemier did double-duty not only by extolling Drew’s time in Healdsburg as an all-league wrestler, but
ITALIAN LEGACY OF MUGNAINI WOOD-FIRE OVENS
HEALDSBURG FACTORY SELLS ‘PIZZA OVENS’ BUILT OLD WORLD-STYLE
By Christian Kallen
The recent North Bay Pizza promotion called attention to many local pizzerias, from Geyserville south to Marin County. But it doesn’t take a promotion to get people to take a slice: According to Food & Wine magazine, Americans eat pizza three
by inaugurating the gym as a home (at last) for the school’s wrestling program.
Weidemier said he would always think of the new gym as Esquivel Hall, “to honor what his parents did after his passing,” in embracing the idea of a Drew Esquivel “Live Like Drew” Scholarship.
When it was their turn for his parents to speak, Susanne and Andy Esquivel briefly but eloquently expressed their love and appreciation of everyone who was there to remember and honor Drew. “Thank you for all of your support—thank you for golfing and thank you for trotting!” Susanne Esquivel said, to laughter.
She pointed out that the town’s Rotary Sunrise Club came up with the idea of the Live Like Drew Scholarship Fund, to provide college assistance for HHS students who deserve it and need it, to continue his legacy of positively impacting the lives of HHS students.
Live Like Drew funds are raised primarily at a yearly
times a month, 288 pieces a year and the most popular day to eat pizza is … Super Bowl Sunday, of course. That’s just over a week away. Surprisingly, several local pizzerias have an unspoken bond running between their kitchens. Geyserville’s Diavola, the Matheson restaurant, Journeyman Meat Co., PizZando … even Big John’s Market. (And, behind closed doors, quiet and cold on the back patio of Molti Amici, the former Campo Fina …) The common element is that they all purchased their pizza ovens from Mugnaini, a wood-fire oven manufacturer in Healdsburg.
golfing tournament at Tayman Park in September, and the annual Turkey Trot downtown. Andy Esquivel gave special props to Healdsburg Running Company for inviting the Drew Esquivel Fund to be part of “the healthiest, happiest, shortest event in town”— the annual 5k fun run on Thanksgiving Day. Andy Esquivel’s voice briefly cracked as he summarized that the scholarship fund “began with a family, but it grew to include our entire community, and beyond.”
The ribbon cutting was, as they usually are, anticlimactic. But after the ceremony the students and parents were invited “backstage” to see the dressing area for the new small stage facility for the drama program that will also be hosted in Esquivel Hall, while some students frolicked and dog-piled on the new 40-foot cardinal red, black and gray wrestling mat.
The popularity of the sturdy, attractive, functional Mugnaini ovens grew, and soon they were found in such esteemed kitchens as the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park and Chez Panisse in Berkeley.
But – Watsonville? In 2015 Mugnaini and her husband moved the operation to Healdsburg, had a factory built on Grove Street and staked their
Ah, the romance of Italy 40 years ago. Andrea Mugnaini so fell for the bright flavor of the food and flexibility of the sturdy wood-fire oven, with its high temperatures and durable heat, that in 1989 she set up an arrangement with the Valoriani family of Florence, Italy, to bring their ovens to America. Their innovation was to make a prefabricated wood-fire oven kit, essentially, of four nesting arcs, with self-supporting domes and other structural innovations to increase stability and simplify the process of assembly. Mugnaini effected an exclusive contract to import the parts, and began building Valoriani ovens in America—using Watsonville as a base.
Photo by Rick Tang
FRIENDS AND FAMILY Familiar faces including Susan and Steve Vargas, front, filled the bleachers at Esquivel Hall for the ribbon-cutting on Jan. 24. Behind them sit, from left, Elaine and Lew Sbrana, Wayne and Pauline Rogers, Andrew Rogers, Doug Pile and more than 200 others.
Photo by Rick Tang PIZZAMAN Jason Clay itemizes the advantages of a wood-fire oven, such as those manufactured at Mugnaini in Healdsburg.
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
GOINGS
ON AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT
OPENING THIS WEEK
‘My Furry
Valentine’
This month’s show at the Upstairs Art Gallery, which features local art by local artists, focuses on domestic felines, canines and other pets. There will be an open house on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 11am to 6pm. Sales will benefit the Humane Society of Sonoma County. The show runs through Feb. 23 upstairs at Levin & Co, 306 Center St., upstairsartgallery.net.
THURSDAY, JAN. 30
More Shorts Theatergoers who like short performances will find Raven Shorts to their liking: eight eclectic, original, 10-minute acts by
some of Sonoma County’s top playwrights, performed by the Raven Players. Shorts runs until Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Raven Theater, 115 North St. Review this issue; details and tickets at raventheater.org.
Winter Festival
Opening of the inaugural Healdsburg Jazz Winter Festival, with daily performances through Feb. 2. Venues include Paul Mahder Gallery, Spoonbar, the Montage Resort and Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate with jazz artists at their peak. The festival is timed to coincide with Black History Month, which begins Feb. 1. Information, tickets at healdsburgjazz.org.
FRIDAY, JAN. 31
‘Mr. Cool’ Ron Burris brings his love of R&B and gospel to Furthermore Wines on Friday, performing with an all-star local trio. The Vallejo-born saxophonist took a break
from jazz to attend divinity school but he’s back performing around the North Bay. 5:30-8:30pm, 328-A Healdsburg Ave. furthermorewines.com/events
SATURDAY, FEB. 1
Crab Feed
Annual Healdsburg American Legion crab feed at Villa Chanticleer, $95. No-host bar starts at 3pm, serving from 4-7pm. “All you can eat” including cracked crab, garlic bread, salad, beer and wine. Call (707) 6952663 or 815-6983 for more information.
Sonoma’s Own
Every Saturday the Spirit Bar at Hotel Healdsburg hosts a trio or quartet to lay down the sounds from bebop to Brazilian with a wide range in between.
This Saturday features Sonoma’s Susan Sutton Trio, playing a mix of original music, treasured standards and unique tunes. Starts at 6pm, runs until 9pm, limited Dry Creek Kitchen
menu available and full bar, 25 Matheson St. Doo-Wop to Yacht Rock
It’s difficult to categorize a cover band like Smoke & Mirrors, a 5-piece ensemble that plays a wide range of genres, but it’s a safe bet many of the tunes are familiar. Doors at 6pm, food vendor on site. It’s free at Coyote Sonoma, 44F Mill St.
SUNDAY, FEB. 2
Moran Plays Ellington
Final day of the Healdsburg Jazz Winter Fest features a solo concert by headliner Jason Moran, current director of jazz for the Kennedy Center and a MacArthur Genius Award winner. At Montage Healdsburg’s ballroom, 7pm, tickets at healdsburgjazz.org.
MONDAY, FEB. 3
City Council
The first of two monthly City Council meetings will
SNAPSHOT
take place on Monday. Among the expected agenda items will be a presentation on the March Avenue Reconstruction & Pedestrian Upgrades Project. Starts at 6pm at 401 Grove St., and streamed live at facebook. com/cityofhealdsburg.
TUESDAY, FEB. 4
Crab Feast for Fire Relief
Local crab season is here, and Spoonbar will hold a special Crab Feed Fundraiser, with proceeds to support Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles and their ReBUILD LA initiative. $65 per person, from 5-9pm at Spoonbar, 219 Healdsburg Ave. stayhealdsburg.com/events/ crack-sip-support-a-crabfeed-for-fire-relief
Food & Film
“Star” chefs Julio Velasquez and Marcos Zamora (El Milagro), Duskie Estes (The Black Piglet), Christian Sullberg (Noble Folk) and Lo & Behold’s own Sean Kelley
will come together to produce an exceptional evening that pays homage to the relationship between food, wine and film. Cost is $300, with proceeds to support the educational programs of True West Film Center. 6pm at Lo & Behold, 214 Healdsburg Ave. Info and tickets at truewestfilmcenter.org.
THURSDAY, FEB. 6
‘Playtime’ The great French filmmaker/comedian Jacques Tati only made a handful of movies. This is one of his best. Virtually wordless (while a bouillabaisse of European languages is spoken, the gags are visual), the film follows Monsieur Hulot as he navigates the modern world with his self-confidence and composure unaffected. It starts at 7pm at The 222, 222 Healdsburg Ave. $20 tickets at the222.org. For additional events, visit healdsburgtribune. com/calendar.
The Strange History of the Grange
CHALK HILL HALL ONE OF CALIFORNIA’S FIRST
By Pierre Ratte Grange
Halls are found in towns all over America.
Healdsburg has a Grange, it’s located at 311 Monte Vista Avenue. Healdsburg’s Grange Hall #400 is much less scenic than the one in Chalk Hill pictured here. Bennett Valley has a Grange; its Grange Hall #16 was established in 1873. Bennett Valley’s is reportedly the oldest continually operating hall in California. Chalk Hill’s Grange was established in 1870, making it one of the first granges in the state, established just three years after the first grange in the country in Fredonia, New York. The first Grange Hall in California, according to California’s Historical Landmark register, was
Grange Hall #1, located in El Dorado County in the town of Cool. (How cool is that?) The Grange in Cool was founded in 1870, but a dedicated building was not erected until 1879. Fun Facts: The Grange’s full name is: National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. Eight individuals sitting around a wooden table started it in 1867. The eight founders of the Grange are memorialized with a marker on the National Mall; it is the only private marker on the Mall. It was started to advance agricultural knowledge and social activities in the wake of the Civil War, and the organization’s political activism increased in order to help protect family farming from larger business interests. So-called Granger Laws in Midwestern states were passed in the 1870s to restrain railroads and grain storage facilities from
overcharging for small farmers’ short-haul and storage needs.
The Grange motto is: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” The Grange declaration of purpose includes these timely words: “We shall constantly strive to secure harmony, good will, and brotherhood ... We shall earnestly endeavor to suppress personal, local, sectional, and national prejudices ... We desire a proper equality, and fairness; protection for the weak; restraint upon the strong; in short, justly distributed power. We propose to develop a better and higher manhood and womanhood...”
The Shed, located at 25 North St., was dubbed Healdsburg’s modern Grange. Built as a cafe/ retail/event space in 2013, it now carries on as Little Saint in a somewhat similar vein with food and music offerings.
by
from
‘Playtime,’ directed by Jacques Tati
‘PLAYTIME’ Jacques Tati’s masterpiece, a funny and insightful look at the modernization of Paris, screens once at The 222 on Feb. 6, part of the venue’s diverse artistic offerings.
Photo
Pierre Ratte
GRANGE A tradition all over the United States, Grange Halls derive their name from an archaic word for a granary or barn. This one shown, Grange Hall #16 in Chalk Hill, is one of the state’s oldest.
Cloverdale Goes Renegade MUSIC
ROCK ORCHESTRA
TAKES THE STAGE FOR THE FUN OF IT
By Don R. Lewis
Describing themselves as an “orchestra for everyone,” the ensemble group Renegade Orchestra is taking the stage at Cloverdale’s Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 1. Renegade Orchestra is led by local musician Jason Eckl, who, when he’s not touring with bands like Dirty Cello, Death and Taxes Swing Band, and the San Francisco Yiddish
Combo, is the leader of the rock band program at Cal State East Bay.
When asked about how the idea for a rock ’n’ roll orchestra for all came about, Eckl dove in on the feeling that orchestral performances can be a bit stiff.
“My wife is cellist Rebecca Roudman, who is a member of a number of Bay Area orchestras [including both the Oakland East-Bay Symphony and the Santa Rosa Symphony], and this means I’ve been to a lot of orchestra concerts,” he said.
“Often, while watching her concerts, I thought about
how many barriers there are to enjoy a standard classical orchestra. These include the formality, the hard-to-enjoy modern pieces, and the unspoken rules about how and when you can applaud,” Eckl continued.
While Eckl is a trained conductor and says his main instrument is the guitar, it’s refreshing to hear a frank answer from someone intricately involved in the orchestra scene.
“With the Renegade Orchestra, we remove all of these barriers—we want people to relax and have fun, perhaps even dance.
The orchestra loves midsong cheering. Our concerts feel like rock ’n’ roll shows, not sleepy orchestral concerts. There is improvisation, joyful playing and some surprises,” he said.
Those who have not heard Renegade Orchestra before might be surprised.
The group covers a variety of rock classics, inspiring the Mercury News to proclaim, “The Renegade Orchestra would rather tackle Hendrix than Handel.”
Indeed, the band’s setlist often includes Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s classic, “Proud Mary,” just to name a few. A real highlight is their rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” as well as local and worldwide faves Metallica, with a cool cover of “Enter Sandman.”
Since Renegade Orchestra is such a large group of working, professional musicians, how difficult is it to get everyone nailed down for rehearsals and shows? Eckl says there is not as much cat herding as one would expect.
“They are tied to their calendars and can tell you
where they will be playing, often over a year in advance. The members of the Renegade Orchestra are also chosen not only for their playing ability and responsibility, but also because they are nice and fun people who rock out on stage,” Eckl said. In terms of what this different style of music means to Eckl and the rest of the Renegades, he said, “One of the best parts of Renegade Orchestra is the diverse and exciting musicians that make up the group.
“These are folks who have spent years and years becoming amazing musicians, and in a standard orchestra they are often treated as interchangeable parts—dressed the same, seldom individually acknowledged and easily replaced. With the Renegade Orchestra, our players finally get the cheers and appreciation they deserve as individuals and as part of the group,” he continued.
“They all went to the top music schools, and everyone has heard them on Hollywood soundtracks, Grammy Award-winning albums and in wedding string quartets. But in the Renegade Orchestra they really get to let their hair down,” Eckl said.
The Renegade Orchestra performs at 7:30 pm, Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, 209 North Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. Tickets are $25 online, $30 at the door and available at cloverdaleperformingarts. com. For more information, visit renegadeorchestra.com.
Photo by Frederic Aube
LISTEN ‘With the Renegade Orchestra, we remove all of these barriers—we want people to relax and have fun, perhaps even dance,’ says conductor Jason Eckl. The group will perform at Cloverdale’s Performing Arts Center on Feb. 1.
Short and Sweet Show on Stage THEATER
10-MINUTE PLAYS AT THE RAVEN RUN THE GAMUT
Vega
By Beulah F.
Now playing at the Raven Performing Arts Center through Feb. 2, Raven Shorts consists of eight plays, five directors and 15 actors. Like all good oneact festivals, this is the definition of community theater, with participants running the gamut from seasoned (and awardwinning) professionals to newbies getting their first taste of the theater world. The stripped stage and basic production values allow the eight scripts and acting to be the focus instead of the normal theatrical razzle dazzle.
Act One starts with The Albuquerque Express (or The Grift of the Magi) by Dan Stryker, directed by Kate Edery and starring Kit Flanagan, Charles Bertram and Jeanette Seisdedos.
The predictable twist and some of the over-the-top characterizations robs some of the charm from what at its heart is a cute story. Bertram plays a grifter like a pro, and Seisdedos’ innocence serves her well.
Intermission by Jacquelyn Wells, directed by Ron Nash and starring Tamara Brooks, Amanda Claiborne, Maggie Belle and Jordan Berby, is an ars theatrica about large theater personalities and backstage drama. The script is fairly tight, but direction and casting do not support the script as well as they could. Belle’s harried stage manager is a bright light in the cast.
My Sunshine by Ron Nash, directed by Neva Hutchinson and starring Ron Smith and Avery Turbeville, uses the premise of an estranged grandfather taking care of his granddaughter. It’s good, but slow pacing hinders the impact. It feels like it’s part of a bigger piece instead of a true one-act.
Act One closes with Wedding Surprise by Scott Lummer, directed by Jenna Vera Dolcini and starring Tamara Brooks and Matt Farrell. Set in an old Blockbuster Video,
this speculative comedy is a great example of Lummer’s humor. Though the audience interaction is odd considering they are supposed to be in a top-secret area, it’s still a strong piece and Farrell is well cast here.
Act Two begins with Newark – Ten Miles by Francine Schwartz, directed by Ron Nash and starring Lisa Erwin and Michael Erwin. A saccharine story about letting go, the script might have had more emotional impact if different choices had been made.
Schrodinger’s Cat Shed by Chris Johnston, directed by Jenna Vera Dolcini and starring Matt Farrell and Maggie Belle, is a play I have seen before. Since I last saw it, the script has been tightened up to the benefit of the play. Belle and Farrell are both well cast. It might be the tightest show in the festival.
Museum Pass by Kyle Therral Wilson, directed by Ron Smith and starring Craig Peoples and Mary DeLorenzo, begins with an American couple having a typical “ugly American” conversation in a European museum. The directing and writing are slow-paced. Much like My Sunshine this feels like it’s taken from a longer piece.
The program ends with another speculative comedy. Her Very Own World by Tony Sciullo, directed by Kate Edery and starring Elizabeth Henry, Kit Flanagan and Charles Bertram, is simply fun. Henry is typecast as the top performing scientist, Bertram is charming as her unserious husband and Flanagan is believable as an overworked assistant.
Is every play amazing? No, but those who don’t care for one of the plays have only to wait a few minutes for the next one to begin. A new works festival is like a good buffet; it has a little something for everyone. Take a chance on something new.
‘Raven Shorts’ runs through Feb. 2 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg. Thu–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $10–$25. 707.433.6335. raventheater.org.
Photos by Raven Players
SHORT STORY Michael Erwin, Lisa Erwin and a dog in ‘Newark - Ten Miles,’ by Francine Schwartz, one of eight short plays performed together as ‘Raven Shorts’ through Feb. 2.
PILE ON Healdsburg High students demonstrate the possibilities for friendly wrestling in the new Drew Esquivel Hall, following the dedication ceremony on Jan. 24.
Photos by Rick Tang
FOREVER PARENTS Andy and Susanne Esquivel share a moment of mixed emotions at the dedication ceremony for their son, Drew, who graduated from HHS in 2013 and died in New York three years later.
TRIO Amanda Claiborne, Tamara Brooks and Jordan Berby discuss the meaning of life in ‘Intermission’ by Jacquelyn Wells, one of eight plays in the Raven Shorts production now on stage at the Raven Theater.
SPORTS
Greyhounds Grapple with Bigger Schools in NBL-Oak Division
NEW HOME FOR WRESTLERS ON HHS CAMPUS COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE
By Caleb Knudsen
Though Healdsburg High School wrestling teams have practiced and competed here since the first of the year, for many local fans the wrestling match with Cardinal Newman on Jan. 15 was an introduction to the new Drew Esquivel Hall, with its dramatic lighting and bright 40-by-40-foot mat.
Named to honor the school’s league champion wrestler of a dozen years ago, the remodeled hall sets a high bar for success. The hope is that the inspiration, and a young roster of talent trying to find their way, will result in more success in coming years.
After all, the young Greyhounds athletes are learning a sport that is new to many of them, and many of them are only in the ninth or 10th grade.
Which means the final result of the Jan. 15 meet was in some sense a victory. Cardinal Newman scored 45 points to Healdsburg’s 24, but the local coach was pleased. “The meet against Cardinal Newman was probably the best team effort we’ve had so far this year,” said Scott Weidemier, who for over 40 years has coached the Greyhound wrestling team.
Even in the sparsely entered girls wrestling
categories, an 18-0 Healdsburg win is decidedly a positive result. Josie Ramirez, Serena Dimas and Adriana Ramos all downed their opponents, while the rest of the weight classes went uncontested.
Add to that the girls who wrestled with boys in the overall JV competition, like Cecile Michener. She won by fall in the 120lb. category over Nathan Funaro of Newman.
Healdsburg’s Alexander Diaz-Cano also won by a fall, in less than a minute, over Shriman Sharma in the 126-pound category.
Other Greyhound JV victories came from 138: Quinn Vallotton (138 lbs) and heavyweight Eli Zepeda Lemus (weights up to 285).
“They are all making improvements, and the intensity they showed that night was impressive,” the coach said at the time.
Road Trips
The following weekend, several of the team placed in a tournament in nearby Windsor, on Friday for JV and Saturday for varsity. First-place medals went to Michener, Alex Francis, Rodrigo Madrigal and Antonio Givens, with Dimas and Vallotton getting silver and Fabian Ortiz a bronze third.
Competing in the right weight class can have an impact on the result, of course. For instance Alex Dimas was at or below 126 pounds for the Cardinal Newman meet on Jan. 15, but competed at the next weight class 132 in Friday’s
JV meet in Windsor. He won against Newman, but split 2-2 in the Windsor tournament.
Weight classes have a meaning, and a strategy, although judges today are pretty strict in their weight calls. The technology of measuring weights is so sophisticated these days, there are few if any ways to “nudge” the scale. “So if you go to a competition and you step on a scale, and you are a 10th of a pound over, you are disqualified” in the weight class, Weidemier said. “There’s no leeway. They’re all digital scales these days, that are certified every year.”
The following Wednesday, the HHS team traveled to Ukiah, and the Mendocino County powerhouse
had little trouble holding the Greyhounds without a point. The rest of the wrestling calendar shows a meeting with Windsor this week (too late for press time), followed by a home finale on Feb. 5, at Esquivel Hall, when Maria Carrillo comes calling.
“They’re pretty decent,” said Weidemier of the Oak division rival. “They’ve got a coach that’s been there a long time. Obviously, being a much bigger school, they have a lot more bodies than we do. And that’s really part of what the problem is.”
Doing the Work
Though the wrestling roster started with close to 30 interested students, it’s been reduced by a number of factors: health, grades, failing
interest. Now about 17 still show up to do the work.
“Honestly, it’s kind of a very young group and most of them have not experienced a long season like this,” said the coach. “Especially the grind of a league wrestling season.”
Looking at the rest of the Oak division, where the Healdsburg team competes against generally large schools, the coach said, “Ukiah and Windsor and Carrillo are all really good teams, and Montgomery has made a lot of improvements. And you know, we were competitive with Newman, but we just didn’t have enough bodies.
“I think it’s hard to get thrown out there against very experienced teams and kind of to keep your enthusiasm up. That’s
kind of what we’re fighting right now,” he said, sighing. “But you know, they’re doing okay. They’re gonna be fine, I think, next year. We’re telling ’em it’s a long-term plan, it’s not just this season.”
There’s little doubt that Weidemier is not only happy with the newly remodeled Esquivel Hall, but may have a hunch it could help the team become better wrestlers. “It is really an incredible space, and I keep telling the kids they need to respect and be proud of it,” he said.
The Greyhound grapplers meet Maria Carrillo in Esquivel Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 5, for their final match this season. The starting time is 6pm.
Lucid
GRIMACE Healdsburg’s Rodrigo Madrigal grapples with his Cardinal Newman foe in the Jan. 15 match in Esquivel Hall.
score an offensive takedown,’ according to coach Scott Weidemier.
Serena Dimas stays focused as she tries to claw Cardinal Newman’s Misty Miller onto her back. Dimas won by fall at 0:43.
PATH FORWARD
Zimmer emphasized, “This is not a plan that is going to sit on a shelf and gather dust.” Its predecessor was the 2013 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, which many thought insufficient and outdated. Work on the ATP began in October 2023, and involved multiple public meetings and study sessions in the meantime. The official decision to locate the SMART station at the site of the historic depot was made during the period when the ATP was in development, and that too has influenced the final plan.
Another suggestion that made it into the final plan is the use of green paint, a widespread means of identifying bicycle lanes but one that Zimmer in the past seemed reluctant to embrace. At this meeting, however, he made no mention of his previous skepticism and accepted it as an element in the “engineering toolbox” for street projects.
“I want to acknowledge the eagerness of the community to get moving, get stuff done. We are, we’re doing quite a bit,” he said, then launched into the big-budget numbers for the active projects and those in the queue.
Key Projects
The closest to realization is the $2.4 million March Avenue Project, which will come before the council at next week’s Feb. 3 meeting. It would upgrade the avenue from the hospital at University Street to the Dry Creek interchange, add bicycle lanes, and provide improved pedestrian crossings at Lupine and Prentice streets. Once the council approves the design contract, work can be sent out for bid, after which construction could begin later this year, Zimmer said.
Another key plan is the most expensive, the $13.4
million Healdsburg Ave -
nue Improvement Project, which calls for reduced traffic on the north-south transit from five lanes to three, with protected 10-foot-wide bike lanes and sidewalks. The extrawide bike lanes will also allow for vehicle use in the event of an emergency requiring large-scale evacuation, a planning consideration that only recently became important.
A number of small parks, paths or waiting stations have been proposed that would dramatically change the character of the current stretch of road from Powell Street to the northern city limits beyond Enso Village.
This is one of the most impactful transportation projects the city undertakes, but one with a large amount of support. As Mayor Evelyn Mitchell enthused at the council meeting, “My feeling is that’s going to change Healdsburg in a very meaningful way when that gets done. We’re going to connect the City of Healdsburg from the north down, we’re going to have bike lanes, we’re going to have pedestrian sidewalks, all of that—it’s going to be really, really nice.”
Improvements on residential Grove Street are also close to implementation, with 90% of the design work done on the $3.27 million project. On the other side of town a pedestrian-focused Ward Neighborhood proposal is being prepared, at an estimated $1.4 million.
Rising in public attention is the South Healdsburg Avenue corridor, specifically from the Memorial Bridge to Adeleine Street, just shy of the intersection with the Central Healdsburg exit off Hwy 101. The uneven development of the corridor—30 new apartments becoming available next year at 3 Healdsburg Ave., continued development in the Kennedy Lane area and a daily traffic
standstill at The Healdsburg School—makes improved pedestrian support necessary here, too.
Getting SMART
The coming of a SMART depot also adds a level of consequence to planning for this area, as does improved connectivity for the Mill District. As Councilmember Ariel Kelley pointed out, “That whole area is going to feel really different than it does now, just in terms of more people using that area of town, more people living in that area of town, the train station being down there and connecting to the businesses on Healdsburg Avenue.”
Also added is a policy to support “quick build” implementation, which uses efficient, fast-toapply elements to achieve traffic solutions, without significant construction or tearing up of the road. Mayor Mitchell suggested a quick-build application at Healdsburg Avenue
claim to the Wine Country experience. It provided a clear competitive advantage to well-to-do foodies, said Jason Clay.
“To be able to come visit the Wine Country, cook with us for two or three days to learn how to use the oven and then just enjoy the Sonoma County area,” Clay said. He purchased the company in 2023; Mugnaini died of cancer in 2021, at the age of 66.
Clay is a big, animated guy from Texas—though he’s sacrificed his Stetson for a Mugnaini trucker’s cap. He worked with Pappas Brothers in Houston for 20 years, one of the
country’s largest steakhouse and barbecue restaurant operators. He looks a bit like Woody Harrelson, but the resemblance probably ends there.
The Grove Street location has a sizable classroom with two ovens to educate new or potential buyers. A large, attractive poster of Andrea Mugnaini still dominates a wall. Her cookbook, too, The Art of Wood Fired Cooking, is available at the shop (or on Amazon).
“The quality of the product, the build of the product, the integrity, has stayed here,” Clay said. “And we haven’t moved on in any way from Andrea’s vision. The brand is intact, and I have no desire at all to ever move away from her vision. The idea is just to continue it.”
Andrea’s World
Inside the expansive, brightly illuminated, highceilinged factory, steel and stone and mortar and tile work together to mold 350 ovens a year, almost one a day. It takes from three days to a week to make a single oven, as it needs time to cure at every stage, but the crew of a half-dozen or so—though small by factory standards—is efficient and practiced.
One employee is employed simply to build sturdy wood boxes to ship the completed ovens across the country and even overseas in, without damage. One crate per oven, 350 of them.
The key to the woodfire oven—or more exactly the refractory oven, which builds heat up inside the
and Memorial Bridge, to accomplish a bike lane turning right off the bridge onto Front Street without undertaking significant construction.
Another added piece of the ATP puzzle: The painting of red curbs throughout town, because of the new state “daylighting” law AB 413, which prohibits parking within 20 feet of crosswalks. Public Works intends to begin such paint jobs this summer, but it will be deliberately rather than quickly rolled out, with priority intersections receiving the first treatment.
“This one isn’t a discussion; this is what we’re doing because this is the law,” Zimmer said.
The emphasis on street names and intersections is used because, given the auto-centric nature of present street planning, they define the geography. But the goals of the ATP are much more visionary. “Creating an environment that accommodates all ages and abilities and makes the first/
dense walls of stone, more like a furnace than a traditional oven—is the floor. Made of a proprietary composite that Valoriani developed, the floor is built onsite, perfectly level, perfectly uniform in density. It holds heat up to 700 degrees or even higher: A commercial kitchen will heat theirs hotter, since every time a pizza goes in or out some precious heat is lost.
The basic idea is probably quite close to the birth of civilization: a pile of stones with a fire. Roast beast followed, then baking bread.
Emission Control
Despite the name, using wood in the ovens is no longer the only possible source of heat. Natural gas or propane elements are also available, though all Mugnaini ovens hold true to the concept by being built for a wood-fire source as well.
“The techniques and some of the technology has changed a little bit, but the overall concept’s been around for hundreds of years,” Clay said. “You know it’s one of those things we just haven’t been able to improve on too much.”
Culinary geeks might swoon over a Wolf or a Viking; but the wood-fire oven has a greater deal of flexibility than just for pizzas. Some restaurants cook almost all their dishes in the oven, from vegetables to main courses to dessert. And bread as well, of course. Remarkably, once the floor and oven are warmed up, a pizza cooks in just 90 seconds. It’s hot enough that
last mile connections to transit is crucial toward promoting and enabling more walking, biking, and rolling for daily travel needs,” the Plan states.
Right now, only 4% of the town’s workers walk to work, and another 4% take public transit or use bikes— while fully 63% use singleoccupancy vehicles.
Public Voice
During the meeting, Judy Fujita of Brown Street offered some endorsements, comments and cautions.
As a member of the Move! Healdsburg group and Climate Action Healdsburg, she has been engaged with the Plan’s development since the outset, and addressed the city’s standing obligation under its own Climate Mobilization Strategy.
“The reality is that there is already a mandate to make Healdsburg more bikeable/walkable,” she said. Two initiatives she emphasized to accomplish those goals are dedicated
the crust gets that perfect char, “leoparding” or spotting of dark, almost burned discs against a paler dough, while the cheese and other toppings are cooked at an intense sear.
Ninety seconds. The wait at Pizza Hut is much longer (although the industry is abuzz with the news that the Domino’s outlets in Dubai are awaiting the delivery of Mugnaini ovens).
But cut to the chase:
The romance of the ovens is their biggest selling point. “It’s because you’re in the back, you’re working
east-west cycling corridors on March, Powell, Grant and Matheson streets; and a standing Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee to oversee the implementation of the ATP.
Another member of the ATP working group, Walter Niederberger, has been following this recent discussion via Zoom, as he is in Switzerland preparing to move there permanently later this year. He called out a couple of council members for being dismissive of the ATP, saying “it appears that the majority of the City Council do not have their hearts in the plan.” He continued, “Especially from a European perspective it is truly bizarre to see that bike and pedestrian infrastructure still has to fight to be acknowledged to be as important as car infrastructure.”
The Active Transportation Plan can be found on the city’s website at healdsburg.gov/1147/ActiveTransportation-Plan-ATP.
with fire, everybody’s gathered around and there’s this kind of festive gravity to it,” Clay said. “You’re doing pizza and then later on you’re bringing out a brick chicken or a roasted duck.” You can even bake a cake for the next night. “And we’ve sold houses because of them,” he added. “If a house has one, it’s more likely to sell. And if it doesn’t, installing one can close the deal.”
Mugnaini Wood Fire Ovens, 1530 Grove St., Healdsburg. mugnaini.com.
➝ Old World-style, 1
TARGET Healdsburg Public Works Director Larry Zimmer focuses on the Depot location in a workshop with SMART on in-town potentials, in an October 2023 meeting.
Photo by Christian Kallen
CONSTRUCTION Jason Clay checks a seam in a wood-fire oven that’s being assembled at the Mugnaini Healdsburg factory.
Photo by Rick Tang
CRIMES & CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE, JAN. 13-19
Residents and others are encouraged to call Police Dispatch as needed at (707) 431-3377, operational 24/7.
Monday, Jan. 13
• 7:33am The Reporting Party (RP) on Prune Tree Drive indicated his car was stolen. One key was in the car and another key was in his house. Officers responded and looked for the vehicle. The vehicle was entered into the stolen vehicle system. Subsequently, the license plates were removed and replaced with stolen license plates. The vehicle was later recovered by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on Hwy 101 at the Central offramp. The vehicle was towed and the RP was notified.
9:51am A 44-year-old (YO) man on Bailhache Avenue at Healdsburg Avenue was stopped for a probation check. He was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of probation. He was also questioned about another crime.
• 11:21am Vandalism occurred at Rena Charles Gallery on Healdsburg Avenue. Someone tore down a metal sign and knocked down a heavy planter causing damage to both. The RP wanted to press charges if the suspect could be identified. A report was taken.
• 5:12pm The RP on Marigold Way saw a man sitting in a chair on the RP’s front porch. The RP yelled at him to leave, but he nodded off and passed out. He had a large number of bags full of belongings. The RP wanted to press charges. An officer responded and arrested the 69-YO man for trespassing and on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding possession of nitrous oxide.
Tuesday, Jan. 14
9:27am The RP’s vehicle on Mountain View Drive was rummaged through. The RP noticed her garage door opener was missing and the garage door was open. She did not find anything missing from the garage. The RP was provided with an incident number.
9:40am The RP on North Street indicated a man was going through the RP’s recycle bin. The RP yelled at the man and the man yelled back. An officer responded and resolved the issue.
• 1:36pm A shoplifter at Big John’s Market on Healdsburg Avenue stole a sushi roll valued at $11.99. The RP wanted to press charges. An officer responded and took a report.
1:44pm A vehicle near the Spoonbar on Healdsburg Avenue was stopped due to violations of vehicle lighting rules. A 40-YO man was cited for driving with a license suspended for driving under the influence (DUI).
3:36pm A man at BMO Bank on Center Street attempted to cash a fraudulent business check. An officer responded and detained the man. Medical assistance was requested because he got his finger stuck in the grill of a car. An investigation revealed that the man was the victim of a scam. A report was taken.
Wednesday, Jan. 15
12:15am A 48-YO man at Carson Warner Skate Park on Grove Street was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia and violating probation.
12:23pm A vehicle at The Lodge at Healdsburg on Grove Street was burglarized and the RP’s tools worth approximately $1,500 were taken. An officer responded and took a report.
• 12:42pm The RP near Outlander Men’s Gear on Plaza Street indicated she was taking a nap and listening to music in the plaza when a man stated she did not belong there and needed to leave. The RP was upset and believed he told her that due to her skin color.
An officer responded and spoke to both people.
• 11:38pm Graffiti was reported on Grant Street at Fitch Street.
Thursday, Jan. 16
12:53am A vehicle was stopped on Hwy 101 at Dry Creek Road for violating registration rules. A 53-YO man was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance. A 51-YO man was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia and destruction or concealment of evidence.
1:58pm The RP on First Street indicated she received an email demanding she send BitCoin or the scammer would leak her browsing history. The RP was provided with the Federal Trade Commission website.
2:24pm A vehicle on Dry Creek Road at Kinley Drive was stopped for having an obstructed license plate. A 32-YO man was cited and released on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding failure to appear in court and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• 3:08pm The RP at L&M Motel on Healdsburg Avenue stated a person was yelling and swearing in the back of the property. The RP stated a dog was left in the man’s room for more than 12 hours and was barking. An employee took the dog for a walk. Officers responded and conducted a probation search of his room. The 25-YO man was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a switchblade and violation of probation.
3:26pm Officers were asked to respond to a possible drunk driving accident on Dry Creek Road due to California Highway Patrol (CHP) being a significant distance away. Officers responded and assisted until CHP arrived.
8:39pm The RP saw a person on the balcony of a unit on Sawmill Court where
the RP thought no one should be. The management of the property confirmed that no one should be there. Officers responded, but the RP subsequently determined the unit was being cleaned.
Friday, Jan. 17
3:57pm The RP on Harold Lane indicated there was damage to the front bumper of his vehicle and that the front emblem was gone. An officer responded and took a report.
5:17pm The RP at Healdsburg General Hospital indicated that a man who went in due to chest pain stated he wanted to kill his coworker with a hatchet. The man was placed on a 72-hour involuntary hold. An officer and therapist responded and took a report.
• 8:12pm The RP near Carl’s Jr. on Vine Street stated her wife’s daughter put her hands on the RP. The RP declined medical assistance and stopped answering questions from dispatch. Dispatch heard a verbal
argument before the call disconnected. Officers responded. The incident had started on Hwy 101, so both the Healdsburg Police Department and the CHP took reports.
Saturday, Jan. 18
11:30am The RP at Metro PCS on Healdsburg Avenue believed that a man who defecated in front of the store in the past was back. Officers responded and spoke with both parties. The man was told not to return to the store. The RP decided not to file trespass paperwork against the man.
Sunday, Jan. 19
1:59am A man at L&M Motel on Healdsburg Avenue was screaming at the gate and throwing rocks at the security guard. Officers responded, but the man had left on foot to nearby apartments. He was gone on arrival and unable to be located. Security agreed to call back if the man returned.
4:15am
The Best Way to Let Everyone
11:36pm
Photo by Christian Kallen