The Healdsburg Tribune
INCUMBENTS, CHALLENGERS FILE TO FILL 4-YEAR TERMS
By Christian Kallen
The application period for candidates to file for public office in Sonoma County ended on Friday, Aug. 9. While several offices were held open for additional candidates to file because only the incumbent was running or no one had applied, locally multiple candidates applied for the available seats.
In Healdsburg, five candidates filed for three fouryear terms that will be on the ballot. They included the incumbents in those seats—Dave Hagele, to run for a third consecutive term; Ariel Kelley, to run to fill a second term; and Ron Edwards, who won a two-year term in 2022 and is running for a full fouryear term this year. Two additional candidates also filed: Linda Cade, who also ran in 2022 but failed to reach a winning threshold; and Heather Hannon-Kramer, a newcomer to Healdsburg politics. While most candidates were issued nomination papers in the first two weeks of the application period, Hannon-Kramer only “pulled papers” on Aug. 8, the day before the application deadline of Aug. 9. Ariel Kelley: Kelley was first out of the gate with a statement about her candidacy, issued Aug. 11. Elected to the council in 2020, she served as mayor in 2023 and stated she “dedicated her tenure to advancing public infrastructure projects such as the new fire
➝ 5 Candidates, 2
LONGTIME TOWN COUNCILMEMBER, ENVIRONMENTAL FORCE NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION
By Christian Kallen
For the first time in 28 years, one name will be missing from the Windsor ballot for Town Council. Councilmembers in most towns and cities, including Healdsburg, generally serve one or two terms, rarely three or four. Debora Fudge has been elected to fouryear terms on the council seven times, served as mayor six times, and is a longtime member of several key regional agencies—the SMART board, Sonoma Clean Power and Sonoma County Zero Waste among others.
Along with Sam Salmon, who has served on the Town Council since 1994, Fudge has played a key role in shaping Windsor. (Salmon will be running for another term this fall.) With Fudge planning to step back from civic life,
and heading out for a vacation in Europe this week, it seemed a good time to learn more about how she became so involved in Windsor and what she thinks of the town now.
When did you first arrive in Windsor, and what brought you here?
The story is I moved to Windsor in 1990, and we weren’t a town yet. And the county was approving a thousand homes a year up here with no real planning. Just, you know, suburban sprawl homes. And it was to the point where if you wanted to go grocery shopping at Raley’s, which was our only big shopping store, you had to go at 10:00 at night so you didn’t have to stand in lines.
There was no city-centered growth pattern to the development. It was just subdivisions. So I have a planning background—I worked as a state planner in the early 1980s, and my master’s degree is in planning [UC Davis]. And so I moved here and thought I could contribute, but I
didn’t really know anybody in 1990.
So in 1994 when Sam [Salmon] was elected, he put an ad in the water bill that said he was looking for a planning commissioner. And I applied, went through some interviews with him and a couple of others, and he chose me. And I was happy to be able to contribute.
I know Windsor was incorporated as a Town in 1992—why is it a “Town” and not “the City of Windsor”?
The original people on Town Council in 1992, and others as well, decided that we always wanted to remain a small town, have a small-town atmosphere. And so if we called ourselves a town and reined in growth as compared to what was happening up here, then we would maintain that small-town quality of life. We didn’t want to be Modesto. We didn’t want to be what Rohnert Park was at the time. We specifically wanted to be different.
NO ON MEASURE J DRAWS A ‘NO’ VOTE
VICE MAYOR
OBJECTS TO WIDER POLITICAL ROLE FOR CITY COUNCIL
By Christian Kallen
Measure J, the initiative on the November ballot to shut down a number of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or “factory farms” in Sonoma County, has encountered widespread opposition among public governing bodies, most recently including the
Do you feel that you, and the others who have worked with you along the way, have been successful in your goals?
We’ve won a lot of awards for what we’ve done. It’s been purposeful development. The City Council and planning commissioners have for over 20 years gone to smart growth conferences so that we could create visions for our town ahead of time. And then when developers would come speak to us, we would say, “Here’s our written plan, here’s our written vision for what we want to become.” And they would need to go along with the program in order to build here.
We planned ahead what we wanted to be. We laid out streets for them in some cases, and we laid out the Town Green ourselves ahead of time, and now we want development around it. We did that ourselves as citizens.
When we go to these conferences, I don’t see city council people and planning commissioners from other Sonoma County cities.
Healdsburg City Council. At its Aug. 5 meeting, the council voted 4-1 to oppose Measure J, joining the City of Petaluma and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in opposition. A similar vote by the Sebastopol City Council is expected in September, and on Aug. 21, the Windsor Town Council will hear a presentation from Supervisor David Rabbit encouraging them to oppose the measure as well. Whatever the merits or problems with Measure J, Vice Mayor Evelyn Mitchell cast the solitary vote against the council’s opposition resolution. But not for the reasons one might think: While Mitchell’s credentials in animal welfare are strong, the very fact that the City Council took a position on the issue is what rubbed her the wrong way. Measure J is usually
It sounds too good to be true, which means it probably is. Haven’t there been some rough patches?
Lynn Morehouse, Sam and I became the environmental majority in November of 1996. And that’s when we created larger change. That’s when we specifically started working on these smart growth initiatives and creating the Town Green. So Lynn was a big part of those days, too. Then Lynn, Sam and I went through a recall election in part over whether to build the downtown Town Green and change the development pattern here. The ’90s in Windsor; it was a Wild West town. I mean, the old-timers that lived here in the ’90s were threatened by change. They didn’t understand what the impact would be. They’re happy now for the most part, but I understand how they felt at the time … Our exclusive interview with Debora Fudge is continued online at healdsburgtribune.com …
cast as an effort to ban factory feedlots in the county, although the county’s coastal zone is excluded (it has specific zoning and development regulations under the California Coastal Act). The initiative gathered enough signatures to be eligible for the ballot in the general election. However, while the Board of Supervisors was obligated to approve it for the ballot in May, it voted 4-0 to submit a letter of opposition to the measure. (North County Supervisor James Gore was unable to attend the meeting.)
So opposed was the board, in fact, that in July it revised the wording of the measure as it will appear on the ballot, excising the phrase, “To promote animal welfare, water quality and other goals,” holding that the phrase was not impartial. The objection of the ➝ Measure J, 6
Photo by Christian Kallen
LANDMARK Debora Fudge, who has served the Town of Windsor for 30 years, at the Town Green. It’s one of many attributes of the town
Fudge, 68, helped move forward.
GOINGS ON AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT
Fitch Mountain
The Healdsburg Museum continues its newest exhibition, “Trails to Fitch Mountain,” about the human and natural history of our local landmarks, the mountain and the river, until Oct. 13. Free admission, Wednesdays through Sundays, 11am to 4pm, 221 Matheson St.
DCVCAC
A regular meeting of the Dry Creek Valley Citizens Advisory Council will take place on Thursday, Aug. 15, starting at 6pm. The agenda includes the swearingin of a new member and the selection of the chair and vice chair for the coming year. It takes place in the Healdsburg Fire Station Training Room, 601 Healdsburg Ave., and can be viewed on Zoom.
Oregon Bluegrass
The Portland bluegrass band Never Come Down performs at Second Story on Thursday, Aug. 15. Doors open 6pm, show starts at 7pm. No cover, get there early or listen from downstairs at Little Saint, 25 North St. Oye Como Va Sacred Fire, a Santana tribute band, brings hot salsa to the Windsor Town Green on Thursday, Aug. 15. The Farmers’ Market starts at 5pm, then the music plugs in from 6-8pm.
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
‘Hi, Barbie!’ Free movie night at the Healdsburg Plaza on Aug. 16 brings Greta Gerwig’s Barbie back to town, with popcorn, candy and soda for sale starting at 7pm. The fun dollhouse movie with Margot Robbie begins after dark. Details at truewestfilmcenter.org/.
Neo Soul
Joslyn & the Sweet Compression play this week at Cloverdale’s Friday Night Live show, Aug. 16. Street fair 6pm, live music 7-9:30pm.
Cloverdale Theater
Our Lady of the Tortilla continues at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm through Aug. 25. Tickets $20 general, $15 students/ seniors at www.cloverdaleperformingarts.com.
Open Studio Jendala Utsch’s last open studio at her 444 Moore Lane workshop will take place Saturday, Aug. 17. The metal artist and community asset will pass the torch to Heartizens, whose arts classes will start there next month. Utsch herself is moving to Tucson after 20 years in Sonoma County, but promises to return to Healdsburg often for summer camps and other arts education programs. All ages free, live music, beer and wine, from 4-10pm.
Darling, Clementine Singer-songwriter Clementine Darling, a Seattle-native-turnedBay-Area-talent, turns up
EXHIBITION The new exhibit at
and history of
at Furthermore on Friday, Aug. 16, from 5-8pm. Never a cover, always cool music and good wine at Furthermore Wines, 328A Healdsburg Ave. Farmers’ Market
It’s the height of harvest at many local farms, so drop by the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market in the West Plaza parking lot on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 8:30am to noon, and/or on Tuesday morning from 9am to 12:30pm in the Plaza for the best local produce in the area.
Vamos!
The third ‘tianguis’ (openair market or bazaar) of the summer for the entire community, on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 6-9pm at the City Hall Parking Lot, 401 Grove St. Food, entertainment and more.
Jazz Trio
Pianist Susan Sutton brings locals Piro Patton
on bass and Kevin Dillon on drums to play original music and standards at Healdsburg Hotel’s Spirit Bar on Saturday, Aug. 17, 6-9pm. No cover, partial Dry Creek Kitchen menu available, 25 Matheson St. Guit-Steel Slinger Guitarist and singer Junior Brown brings his unusual, if not unique, double-neck guit-steel instrument to the Raven Theater Aug. 17 to play a set ranging from trucker songs to surf-guitar instrumentals. See story this issue. Tickets $40-$75 at raventheater.org/.
Festa Italia
One-day celebration of Italian grape varieties crafted by artisan producers throughout California, often undiscovered beyond Wine Country. To be held Sunday, Aug. 18, at Orsi Family Vineyards, 2306 Magnolia Dr. Tickets $95 or VIP $125, more at festaitaliahbg.com.
Surf-Rock Party
The surf theme continues with SPF 85 and the Young Barons from 6-10pm on Sunday, Aug. 18. The pub also has music Fridays and Saturdays, sometimes Tuesdays, maybe Thursdays—check out The Elephant, 177 Healdsburg Ave., www.elephantintheroompub.com.
City Council
Healdsburg’s citizen governing body meets Monday, Aug. 19. Agenda may include Grove Street improvements and formula retail store policy. Meeting starts at 6pm at 401 Grove St., prepare at www. Healdsburg.gov/agendas.
IrieFuse
Gotta love the name of this Marin County reggae group—say it out loud for best effect. The group honed their skills playing behind visiting reggae legends, now they’re on their own and play Tuesdays
in the Plaza from 6-8pm, Aug. 20. Vendors offer locally sourced food for sale starting at 5pm; complimentary bike valet services available.
Blues BBQ The Chamber of Commerce’s annual party is Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 5:30pm at Rodney Strong Vineyards. Rock and Roll “Blues” theme including live music, a wine-bottle pull, exclusive silent auction lots and more. Different shades of blue attire are recommended. Member tickets $95, nonmember $125, includes dinner, dessert, wine and a live concert. Details and tickets at tinyurl. com/2ktycwhm.
Post events on the Tribune’s online calendar at healdsburgtribune.com/ calendar and send special announcements to editor @healdsburgtribune.com.
station, North Healdsburg Avenue streetscape and municipal recycled water pipeline, while also enhancing public safety, and promoting inclusive community engagement.”
and middle-class housing options; supporting Healdsburg businesses and working families; protecting our environment and water resources; and preserving our smalltown character by serving as a voice for all who call Healdsburg home.”
industry impacts while ensuring the Council supports our residents and city finances. I’m a strong advocate for using Transient Occupancy Tax dollars to support senior programs and community services. My interactions with neighbors have shown me that Healdsburg is a vibrant community beyond the downtown.”
came in fourth in a race for two four-year seats. Incumbent Evelyn Mitchell and newcomer Chris Herrod won the open seats.
She added, “I believe in the power of collaboration and open dialogue. Our city has a lot of commitments we owe to the community. Completing projects before we start new ones, ensuring the budget is fiscally sound—these are basic, but not guaranteed in these trying times.”
Last year she ran for the open Assembly District 2 seat, but came in third in the primary election behind Republican Mike Greer and Democrat Chris Rogers, who will meet in the general election in November.
David Hagele: Hagele, currently serving in the mayor’s seat, first ran for council in 2016 and won re-election in 2020.
His official statement begins, “I’m seeking reelection to continue providing experienced leadership on the most pressing issues facing Healdsburg today: expanding affordable
He added, “Serving as Mayor during the Kincade Fire [2019] was one of the most difficult periods during my time on the Council; by engaging with neighbors and first responders to keep Healdsburg safe, we emerged as a more resilient city that’s strengthened our sense of community.”
Ron Edwards: Edwards, another sitting councilmember, is also in the running. Though he won a two-year term in 2022, he had long promised to run for a full term and pulled papers to run on the first day they were available, Aug. 15 (as did Kelley and Hagele).
“I am determined to run extremely hard this time, even harder than I did last time,” Edwards said in a phone call this week.
His campaign statement reads in part, “My focus will be to continue my work to lessen tourism
Linda Cade: Cade also prepared a candidate statement. She said she is a health coach and maintains a fourgeneration Healdsburg connection. Her statement reads in part, “I believe in free market housing, charity, and disallowing vagrancy. I will vote no on funding future climate mobilization strategies because I believe the climate crisis is driven by global elites. I believe staying energy diversified is prudent.”
She also wrote, “I support family farming, and will vote no on Measure J. I also oppose transitioning to Central Banking Digital Currency, and will never agree to mandated health procedures… My goal is to bring leadership and accountability, listen to residents, and make sound decisions that benefit us as a whole.”
Cade ran for City Council previously, when in 2022 she
Heather HannanKramer : The last candidate to pull papers, Hannan-Kramer, did so on Aug. 8 and filed the next day. She said that “for generations my family has rooted itself in Healdsburg,” though she and her family relocated here from Silicon valley in 2021. She and her husband are raising two daughters.
“As a business professional for 20 years, I’ve worked hard from the ground up to perfect my skills in executive leadership support, global operations, and business strategy. That’s translated into practical tools for longterm solutions tackling rising housing costs, climate crisis mobilization, and protecting the financial integrity of our working families,” reads her statement in part.
“As a collegiate athlete, I learned the value of teamwork, the importance of perseverance, and the lifelong gift of sportsmanship. Now I am teaching my daughters how to cherish their community, respect the environment, and help their neighbors.”
Photo by Christian Kallen
the Healdsburg Museum, ‘Trails to Fitch Mountain,’ explores the journey through time, culture
the mountain, centerpiece of Healdsburg’s Russian River. The exhibit continues until Oct. 13, at 221 Matheson St.
MUSIC
Junior Brown Pulls
Up to the Raven
SINGER-PICKER BRINGS UNIQUE
‘GUIT-STEEL’ TO HEALDSBURG
By Christian Kallen
When Junior Brown rolls into Healdsburg on Saturday for his show at the Raven, it will be the first time the performer plays the Raven Theater. That’s a surprise: Like any good ol’ truck driving cowboy, he’s been everywhere. “They say I gotta be half crazy to be doing what I do / I’m a slap-happy, gearjamming, coffee-drinking, truck-driving fool …”
That’s “Semi-Crazy,” his 1996 single and album that went full throttle down the highway toward the niche stardom that has never left the fretboard whiz and baritone showman.
His first album, the nowhard-to-find 12 Shades of
Brown, has attained legendary status as an essential New Wave record. It was released in 1990 in the U.K. by Demon Records, a label co-owned by Elvis Costello. Then his second CD broke through with a remake of Red Simpson’s 1966 “Highway Patrol,” which while not technically a truck song, sure carries the vibe. (“I got a star on my car and one on my chest / A gun on my hip and the right to arrest …”)
So naturally, our first question to him was if he had ever been stopped by the highway patrol. He laughed and said, “Yeah, I’ve been pulled over by highway patrol and then city police and county police and sheriff and everybody else.” Why? One can hear the shrug over the phone. “Just, you know, speeding. Little things like that.”
Guit-Steel
At center stage, along with the cowboy-hatted singer-songwriter whose name is on the bus, is the instrument he plays. Or instruments: Though double-neck guitars are not unheard of—local blues favorite Roy Rogers plays one—this one is something different.
There’s a Fender neck on top and a lap-steel fretboard on the bottom, set on a stand so Brown can play both in the same song. He calls it a guitsteel, pronounced like it sounds. It was fashioned by Michael Stevens of Alpine, Texas, formerly chief design engineer of Fender Custom.
“I came up with it because I played guitar and steel guitar, and I didn’t want to have to unplug one and plug into another one on stage. It’s just a big hassle,” he told the Tribune in a recent phone conversation.
With Junior Brown on his guit-steel, the audience gets two for the price of one.
As prominent as his primary instrument was, the original was nonetheless stolen during a tour stop in Massachusetts, in 2019—along with Tanya’s blonde Martin Shenandoah. Both instruments had their names and personal markings, so they’d be difficult to sell in any legal market. But they
were never recovered. It begs the question, who in their right mind would steal a distinctive instrument from a well-known performer? “Well, there’s a lot of people out there that aren’t in their right mind,” Brown said.
Right Place, Right Time
Brown, now 72, started playing the guit-steel when crafting his own career as a solo artist. He hit his stride in Austin, Texas. “My wife Tanya and I were just kind of moving around. We tried living in several places trying to get a musical thing going,” he said. “I had played in Austin and lived down there for quite a while. So I thought, well, let’s just try Austin.”
In the right place at the right time, they became the house band at the Continental Club on South Congress. Ever since the mid1970s, Austin has been the center of the counterculture country community at loud variance to much of the rest of Texas. And the Continental was the club to play. Brown found that the city offered something rare for a road musician.
“I think because of the intimacy of those clubs, people would come in and they would listen to the songs,” he said. “Singersongwriters were big because people would listen to what the songwriter was trying to say.
“Other towns not so much. You’re more of a dance band or something,” he added, his low voice resigned to a journeyman’s fate.
As Brown built his repertoire, he leaned into one influence that some might find surprising: surf guitar.
The highlight of his set has long been his seven-minute medley of “Pipeline,” “Walk Don’t Run” and, of all things, the “Secret Agent” theme song.
“I like that twangy surf-style guitar and other people seemed to enjoy to hear me do it,” he said.
“I’m thinking, actually, of putting out an album of that style of music. I’ve been enjoying it since way back before the Beatles came along.” Then there’s his voice.
The first track on his first album was “My Baby Don’t Dance to Nothing But Ernest Tubb,” and if that’s true Tanya Rae must be doing a lot of dancing. Tubb (“Walking the Floor Over You”) is a clear influence on Brown’s vocal style, rolling over the lower registers with an easy gait, at once sincere with a touch of wry. Junior Brown is the real deal. A double-threat on guitars, a singer rooted in the classic sound and a performer who delivers. Expect him to deliver Saturday night at the Raven at 8pm.
TAKING AIM Junior Brown single-handedly takes on country, rock and surf guitar modes with his custom-made
ROAD PARTNERS Junior Brown sings and plays his guit-steel on stage while his wife, Tanya Rae Brown, accompanies on guitar.
LIBRARY
Library to Close Aug. 25 for ‘Modernization’
ESTIMATED $3 MILLION WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS AT HEALDSBURG’S 36-YEAR-OLD BRANCH
Staff Report
The top-to-bottom modernization of the Healdsburg Regional Library will begin in September and last through spring 2025, the county’s library system has confirmed. But the library at 139 Piper St. will close to the public a week earlier, on Aug. 25, and remain closed for a week.
A temporary “mini library” at the Healdsburg Community Center that will attend to the community’s needs won’t open until Sept. 3, so one of the system’s BiblioBuses stationed on-site for several days will take care of library essentials, like books on hold and limited browsing.
But inside the library building the whole place will be turned upside down.
“From carpet to ceiling, almost every aspect of the library’s interior will be modernized and improved. The project scope includes an improved entryway, a new teen area, a reimagined children’s area, and new carpet, furniture, shelving and paint. Updated restrooms are in the plan as well as upgrades to the heating and cooling systems,” according to a news release from Sonoma County Library.
For the most part, the books currently on the shelves at the library “will be in deep storage during the closure; we will largely be relying on other branches to supply our requested material,” said Branch Manager Jon Haupt.
“The Wine Library is a little bit different, because many of those materials are unique or very rare—some of that will be somewhat accessible through requests at Central Library,” Haupt said.
‘Wear and Tear’
The Healdsburg branch opened at the Piper Street location in 1988, moving from the aging Carnegie Library on Matheson Street when it outgrew the space. That building has since been renovated and expanded by the Healdsburg Museum.
The library serves almost 2,000 patrons a week, and after 36 years in the same space it’s “showing wear and tear,” said Sonoma County Library Director Erika Thibault. “The library has not had a significant upgrade since it opened in 1988. We are bringing more natural light into the interior, while modernizing everything that the community sees and touches.”
Sonoma County Library is investing $2.1 million from its sales tax funds, and the City of Healdsburg, which owns the building, is investing in its critical infrastructure needs. The
Friends of the Healdsburg Library, in addition to ongoing annual grants and support, has pledged $101,600 for the modernization, funds raised from selling donated books.
At the same time, Sonoma Library is engaged in another modernization effort, this one in Petaluma. That project started at the end of June and is expected to continue for at least a year, with re-opening estimated as “mid-2025.” That branch opened in 1976, and more modernization and upgrades are needed.
Total budget for the Petaluma modernization is posted as $7.4 million, more than double what is anticipated for the Healdsburg project.
Mini Library
While the remodeling is in process, the Healdsburg Mini Library will be open seven days a week at the Community Center, 1557 Healdsburg Ave. It will be located in the Community Meeting Room, which is by coincidence the old library from Foss Creek Elementary School. The room is about 1,100 square feet. It will be open during the same hours as the downtown library is currently.
The Mini Library will offer a collection of books and other materials, plus holds for pickup, public computers and printing. Additional library events will take place elsewhere in the community.
For the interim week, however, between the Piper Street location closing to the public on Aug. 25 and the Mini Library opening on Aug. 3, BiblioBus service will be available from Monday, Aug. 26, through Saturday, Aug. 31, from 10am to 4pm, except for Tuesday, Aug. 27. On that date there will be no in-person service, though holds will be available for pickup by calling (707) 433-3772.
The book drop at Piper Street will remain accessible and operational through Sept. 3, when it, too, will be closed and services transferred to the Mini Library at the Community Center.
Other nearby regional
AFTER SHOT An illustration of what the remodeled children’s room will offer, from the County Library’s ‘modernization’ plan.
libraries include those in Windsor (9291 Old Redwood Hwy) and Cloverdale (401 N. Cloverdale Blvd.) which will remain open during their regular hours. The 24/7 online
library is always open at sonomalibrary.org.
Updated news about the modernization projects can be found at sonomalibrary.org/visit/ librarymodernization.
BEFORE SHOT On a recent Sunday, Library Assistant Zoë Strickland stands watch over the current children’s library, which will be significantly remodeled during a $3 million modernization project to begin in September.
Photo by Christian Kallen
Illustration courtesy of Sonoma Library
SPORTS
Athletes Line Up for Fall Sports
FOOTBALL, VOLLEYBALL, TENNIS, GOLF AND CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS PREPARE
By Caleb Knudsen
As students return to Healdsburg High School this week, five sports programs in the fall season get underway. While football for the boys, and volleyball for the girls, tend to be the most visible to the public and press, all student-athletes deserve equal recognition for their participation and commitment.
Volleyball continues to be a popular and exciting sport for girls in the fall. This year new coach Jonathan Nuttall, an assistant coach at Rancho Cotate last year, takes over leadership for the girls varsity. “We are in an interesting spot because we had a large team last year, 16 girls,” he said. “And of them, 10 were juniors. Not all of them will be returning, but I still expect us to be a very senior-dominant team.”
He continued, “The key factor I’m aiming to take advantage of this season is stellar defense, on and off the net. I see us having the best block in the league, led by seniors Alexandria Espinoza and Ashley Behrens, and supported by junior Tatum Kiff. They’ll be backed by defensive superstar Melissa Casas, who is in the running for best libero in the league.”
The new league configuration means that last season’s Redwood champions, Ukiah, moved to the Oak league, and the graduation of secondplace Rancho Cotate’s star and captain leads Nuttal to say, “I think there might be a big shakeup in league standings this year. Where we’ll fall 12 weeks from now I can’t say, but I see the potential for this team to surprise some people.”
The first few matches
will be played away or in tournaments; the first home game is Tuesday, Sept. 3, against Santa Rosa. “I hope to see the community come out and support us!” Nuttall said.
Football also has changes to the league configuration, to create more evenly matched competition. This year’s new Mountain division will include San Rafael, Novato, Archie Williams, Terra Linda (all Marin County teams), plus Piner, Sonoma Valley and Healdsburg.
Healdsburg’s football team has a new coach as well, former HHS athlete Criss Rosales. He played football and wrestled as a Greyhound, and later at SRJC. For the last couple of years he was the offensive line coach at St. Vincent. He was hired this past spring when previous coach Randy Parmeter had a disagreement with school staff after his first year on the job.
Though this is Rosales’ first year as head coach— a role he finds “different, more demanding”—he believes the Greyhounds can field a winning team this year. Nova Perrill II will return as quarterback, and Rosales is confident he will perform well.
“He’s been having a lot of private QB coaching,” the coach said. “There was a lot to work with, and I think he made a huge leap. I think he’s one of the premier quarterbacks around here for sure.”
A number of other returning players among the pre-season turnout of about 50 should allow for both JV and varsity rosters, giving the untested coach plenty to work with as he strives to bring the first football victory to Healdsburg in three years.
The season begins with a home game against Cloverdale on Friday, Aug. 30, at Rec Park.
Cross country is an
unusual “co-ed” sport, in that both boys and girls programs run (no pun intended) at the same meets. The first of these will be held Friday, Aug. 30— the Rancho Cotate Invitational in Rohnert Park. A large number of athletes from area schools compete, and it’s the first chance most people have to evaluate the field of both boys and girls in the sport.
Top distance runner Kaeden Anderson, who suffered through a broken bone in his foot much of last season, should return to winning form as a senior. Jake McWilliams is back as a junior, and among the girls top finishers, Beatrice Hawkes and Sierra Anderson are back.
Subsequent meets though September are also multi-school invitationals; the first dual that Healdsburg takes part in is on Oct. 2, when it meets
Ukiah at the Hoot Owl Vineyard course in Alexander Valley. Mike Efram and Amy Anderson are returning as coaches.
Tennis is usually a popular sport for both boys and girls, with the girls competing in fall and the boys in spring. “It looks like we have a full team and a demanding match schedule coming up,” said Mary Beth Chandler, head coach of the varsity girls tennis team.
The number of returning players includes last year’s #2 Meher Dhiman, #3 Amelia Wickersham, #4 Claire Berry, #1 Doubles Team Ruby Leffew and Isabel Lickey, and a number of #2 and #3 Doubles players.
“There is such a positive energy with these girls, and no one thinks they can win the day on their own,” Chandler said. “They are made of sterner
Photo by Christian Kallen
SNAPSHOT
Next Level RV Rolls Into Town
MONTANA-BUILT
EXPEDITION
VEHICLE AT HIGH SCHOOL
By Pierre Ratte
The darnedest vehicles roll into Healdsburg!
This bad baby rolled in from Colorado. It’s the Acela Monterra XL 6x6.
The Bozeman, Montanabased company says it is “born from a desire to exceed current industry standards for reliability and durability.” Yup. Probably. Can’t even imagine an
How ’bout this nextlevel RV? Just right for a summer getaway in Sonoma … or Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan!
February 8, 1936 – July 1, 2024
On Monday, July 1, 2024, Edgar Deas died at home, surrounded by his family. He was 88 years old when, after a decades long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease, complications finally took him. Born in Cuba in February of 1936 to Mario Deas and Dora (Caballero), he was christened Mario Edgar Yran Deas but always went by Edgar.
The family moved from Cuba to Nevada for a brief time when Edgar was 7, and his father was asked to help build a refining plant at a manganese mine to support the war effort. In the mid 1940s, shortly after the plant was operational, they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.
In the early 1950s, the family relocated to Willits, California, where Edgar met Judith (Judy) Owen while attending Willits High School. From that point on, they were an inseparable team.
In 1955, shortly after moving to Healdsburg, Edgar and his father, Mario, founded E&M Electric, an electric motor repair company. They primarily serviced the lumber industry, which dominated the local economy at the time. E&M grew to include designing and installing electrical and control systems in many of the lumber mills that dotted the North Coast.
As the business grew, so did the family. Edgar and Judy married in August of 1956 and over the next decade had four sons, who all grew up here, attended Healdsburg schools and “dragged” their very willing parents to all their school, club, and sporting events.
Supporting a family was just a part of the picture. Edgar was also involved in the Healdsburg community at many levels. He was a proud Kiwanian, served on the City Council, supported sports and educational activities, and was available to a wide range of friends and family to give advice and counsel. Along the way, Edgar and a group of local business leaders started a regional bank and Edgar was a board member and served a term as chairman of the board. Today that bank is part of the Bank of Marin. For almost seventy years, Healdsburg was his home. He loved it and it loved him.
The business Edgar co-founded with his father has evolved but continues to deliver products and services with the same professionalism, pride, and integrity: attributes they instilled in the organization and the family. Today, there are third and fourth generation family members steering the company into the future and keeping that legacy alive.
Edgar is survived by Judy, his wife of nearly 68 years, all his sons, Steve (Jane), Bruce (Suzel), Paul (Pamela) and Mike (Jeaneen), twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren as well as his sisters, Marta (Pete) Peterson, Ileana (Jack) Gaskins, and Linda (Dennis) McGinness, and their children.
Edgar’s counsel will be missed, as will his sense of humor and his dedication to everything he loved: his community and his family, above all.
A memorial service to celebrate Edgar’s life is planned for August 18, 2024 at 456 Hidden Acres Road at 3:00pm. Due to limited parking, please carpool, if you can. There was a private inurnment at Oak Mound Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of these charities:
The Parkinson’s Support Group of Sonoma County PSCSG, % Peter Karp, President, 2341 Alvarado Ave Santa Rosa, CA 95401 or Healdsburg Kiwanis, https://www. healdsburgkiwanis.org/donate.html or Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society, https://www.healdsburgmuseum. org/donate
RV class for this thing.
The wheels each have 34 lug nuts, plus builtin air hoses for inflating and deflating each tire. There is a six-step ladder to get into the cabin, which is not handicap friendly for senior citizens cruising national park campgrounds.
Oh, and the cabin? It’s
built in Germany by Boxmanufaktur. Fully fitted out, the cabin is also a nextlevel protocol for comfort and durability. The cabin company claims 40-years’ experience building FRP and aluminum “habitats” for expeditions and overland vehicles.
Fun facts: RVs come in many classes and types.
Types of non-motorized RVs include: truck campers that fit into and on top of a pick-up; pop-up campers; the half-pint towed trailers that pop up and unfold for camping; travel trailers, those cabins towed on a ball and hitch; and fifth-wheel trailers, cabins towed via a hitch pivot in a truck bed or on a “bobtail” truck allowing tighter turns and smoother towing due to weight on the tow vehicle rear-axle.
review.” Two other council members agreed, enough for a majority; but even at that time, Mitchell was a firm “no.”
board, and the cities that have weighed in against Measure J, is that it will affect too many small farms in the county, especially “family farmers” who have been in agriculture for generations.
But proponents of Measure J say that it is very limited. “There are around 700 animal farms operating in the county, and Measure J would only impact the 21 largest ones,” said Kristina Garfinkle, who as a volunteer heads the Yes on Measure J website at endfactoryfarming.vote.
Presenting an abundance of research on the topic of CAFOs, the website details the specific local businesses being targeted.
The Council
Meets
The City Council undertook its recent discussion and vote at the urging of Mayor David Hagele, who in May cited an article in the Press Democrat about factory farming and asked that the council take up opposition to the measure. He asked staff “to craft the letter that’ll be on a future agenda that we can
At the Aug. 5 meeting, City Clerk Raina Allen presented the staff letter, and outlined some of the research used to support a position against Measure J. For instance, the Sonoma County Economic Development Board (now the Economic Development Collaborative) said the measure would impact 60 agricultural businesses, not 21, and 450 employees.
Though the discussion was far down the evening’s agenda, two people remained to offer public comments on it. Sarah Kaybourn, of a small Windsor poultry farm called Kaya Bird, said, “The economic impact is really interesting—but the human impact and the animal impact would go even further. If this measure does pass, it would take out where we get our feed. Hunt & Behrens will go under—they will no longer be able to exist. That will put myself, and Tiffany Hollbrook of Wise Acre Farms, out of business.”
The other speaker at the council meeting, Sarah Van Mantgem, argued in favor of Measure J and against the resolution’s passage. “Like me, most
people care about animals and how they are treated,” she said. “We believe that they deserve more than a life of misery, even if they’ll end up on someone’s plate.”
Van Mantgem said she helped collect signatures for Measure J—37,000 were gathered to get the item on the ballot—and said, “I encountered folks that strongly agree that you cannot justify animal cruelty.” She went on, “If those things were happening to humans, we would call it torture. Sensory deprivation, not being allowed outdoors, being highly concentrated to the point of just being super crowded and not even being able to move around. This is what we’re talking about.”
Discussion
The council discussion proved almost entirely favorable to the resolution opposing Measure J, relying on concern for the agricultural heritage and businesses of Sonoma County, and the sense that this was the wrong place to ban CAFOs in such a “poorly written” measure (though how so was not discussed).
But Mitchell, last to weigh in, said she “struggled” with the resolution but explained her opposition to it, for reasons she reiterated in a message to
Motorized travel trailers fit one of three categories: Class A, B or C motorhomes. Class C are generally the smallest, and built on a light-truck chassis. Class B vehicles are usually built on a van chassis. And Class A motorhomes, the largest, are built on a bus or commercial truck chassis.
There are seven “-stan” countries: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In Persian, “-stan” means where one stands, or settles, or land of. Think: Scotland, Ireland or England in English. These countries are famous for the Silk Road which ran between China, India and Europe, more generally referred to as Central Asia. Although there is debate, the “wheel” may have been invented in Kazakhstan. The oldest wheel discovered comes from Slovenia and dates back to 5200 B.C.E.
Speaking of wheels and chassis, the singular and plural of chassis is chassis. FRP stands for “fiberglass reinforced plastic.” A bobtail truck is a tractor trailer without the trailer.
the Tribune this week. “Having served on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Humane Society for over 12 years, 5 as Board President, I know the animal welfare issues are real and animals do suffer,” she wrote. “I have worked hard for many years with many amazing animal advocate people and groups who have accomplished a lot. But still, there is a long way to go.”
Beyond that, however, it was being asked to vote on it at all that troubled her. “I became very uncomfortable being put in a position of having to take a public position on Measure J and did not want to do so. I don’t think it is good policy for the Council to take a position on issues that don’t directly relate to Healdsburg … I simply don’t believe this is the correct use of our influence.”
The resolution did pass, 4-1, with Mitchell in opposition. Following that, she asked that the council consider at some point— perhaps a goals session—a re-evaluation of the idea of taking positions on political issues that “don’t directly relate to Healdsburg.” And that if the council still wanted to entertain such action, she asked that it require a unanimous vote for passage.
Photos by Christian Kallen
FLOCK Some of the denizens of Wise Acre Farms in Windsor, free-range chickens who help regenerate depleted soil and become dinner for customers.
GETAWAY An Acela Monterra XL 6x6, a fiberglass overland vehicle made in Germany by Boxmanufaktur.
Photo by Pierre Ratte
EDGAR DEAS
CRIMES AND CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE
Monday, July 29
8:45am Two reports of graffiti reported at Badger Park on Heron Drive and near Healdsburg City Hall on the bridge on the Foss Creek trail.
11:12am A driver was stopped near Great Clips on Vine Street for amplifying the noise of the vehicle’s exhaust system. A 52-YearOld (YO) man was cited and released for driving with a suspended license and lacking proof of insurance.
2:10pm The Reporting Party (RP) on Parkland Farms Boulevard received an email which seemed to be people she knew asking her to click a link and listen to a voicemail. When she did so, she was instructed to provide her email account name and password. Then someone unsuccessfully tried to access and empty her bank account. The RP contacted the bank, the Federal Trade Commission and credit bureaus about the incident.
8:20pm The RP at Safeway on Vine Street stated a man and woman screamed at each other. The man stated, “Kill me now.” Officers responded, but the people were uncooperative and left the scene.
8:29pm A man screamed at a woman on Monte Vista Avenue at Healdsburg Avenue. Officers arrived on the scene, but the people were gone on arrival and unable to be located.
11:08pm A car was stopped at Big John’s Market on Healdsburg Avenue for speeding and having an obscured license plate. An 18-YO woman was arrested and transported to county jail for drunk driving.
Tuesday, July 30
2:43am A car was stopped at Chevron
South on Healdsburg Avenue for rolling through stop signs. A 44-YO man was arrested and jailed for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine, contempt of court and violation of probation.
1:20pm A bicyclist was stopped for riding on the wrong side of the road and failing to indicate a turn on West North Street at Vine Street. A 40-YO man was arrested and transported to county jail for resisting arrest, disobeying a peace officer, riding a bicycle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and public intoxication.
1:53pm A report was taken regarding a fraudulent wire transfer of $16,000 at BMO Bank on Center Street.
• 8:21pm The RP on Hemlock Drive confronted his neighbor for construction outside of permit hours. The workers left. The RP called dispatch to share the information.
8:52pm An intoxicated woman backed into a truck at Bank of Marin on Center Street. Officers responded and arrested a 65-YO woman for drunk driving. She was taken to county jail.
10:03pm An officer served a warrant on a 19-YO man on West Grant Street. He was arrested and transported to county jail on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding carrying a loaded firearm; carrying a firearm as a juvenile; unlawful purchase, receipt, disposal, sale, offer of sale or possession of a firearm without identifying information; and possession of live ammunition.
Wednesday, July 31
1:18am A car was stopped for violating registration rules on Dry Creek Road at Kinley Drive. A 45-YO man was arrested and transported to county jail for unlawful use of tear gas and possession of drug paraphernalia. A 46-YO woman was cited and released for
POLICE LOG
possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine and driving on a suspended license.
4:42am A woman was on the ground and appeared unable to walk on University Street. The RP heard people that were with her calling her name. Officers responded with medical help, but the individuals were gone on arrival and unable to be located.
• 10:34am Graffiti was reported near Healdsburg Montessori School on Grove Street on the bridge of the walking path.
1:54pm An unlicensed driver was cited near McDonald’s on Healdsburg Avenue.
6:38pm A 36-YO man on Pozzan Road was arrested and transported to county jail on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding the manufacture, import, sale, transfer or possession of a leaded cane or baton, and drunk driving.
7:34pm Two people, initially identified as two males, stole steak filets valued at approximately $250 from the walk-in refrigerator at Dry Creek Kitchen on Healdsburg Avenue. The RP wanted to press charges.
The following day, at 11:58am, an officer located the two suspects at the Healdsburg Community Center. A 53-YO man and a 32-YO woman were arrested and transported to county jail for burglary, conspiracy to commit a felony and violation of probation.
Thursday, August 1
• 10:16am The RP indicated that an unknown person punched him in the face on the Foss Creek Trail the previous evening. The RP did not want to press charges, but wanted the police to know about the incident and suggested officers ride bikes on the path.
• 10:57am The RP stated that a few days earlier, a large concrete planter from his neighbor’s property fell
down the hill and damaged his property on Maxwell Street. It appeared that his neighbor fixed the damage to the neighbor’s property but did not contact the RP. An officer responded and spoke with the neighbor. The parties decided to sort the issues out privately.
• 1:08pm The RP on Fitch Street stated that her grandmother’s phone was hacked and there was an unknown subject on her Apple ID. The RP was advised to call Apple.
3:36pm The RP on West Grant Street stated that someone texted her mother and was able to hack her mother’s phone and obtain her mother’s contacts. The hacker told her mother’s contacts and friends to send $200 to the hacker. The RP indicated that some of the contacts fell for the scam. The RP was advised to contact the cell phone provider and notify friends and family of the scam.
• 4:12pm The RP stated a vehicle tailgated him and threw something at the RP’s vehicle going northbound on Hwy 101 at Airport Boulevard. The vehicle was not damaged. The incident was logged.
• 11:04pm Graffiti was reported on Healdsburg Avenue.
Friday, August 2
12:42am-1:06pm Multiple reports of graffiti near Healdsburg Community Center, at Alley 6 behind Wine Country Chevron, on Chiquita Road at Grove Street, on the fence near Spruce Way and at Healdsburg District Hospital Outpatient Therapies on Healdsburg Avenue.
• 1:56pm The RP at Enso Village on Boxheart Drive stated a woman at the back of the property was washing herself with a hose. The woman walked away with her pants down, exposing herself. The RP did not want to press charges for indecent exposure, but was willing to file trespass paperwork
against the woman.
2:12pm A woman was lying on the ground on Johnson Street. An officer responded and transported the woman for medical care.
2:17pm The RP on Larkspur Drive stated that sometime on the previous day someone stole her Buddha statue, valued at $200.
2:29pm The RP on Healdsburg Avenue reported graffiti that was previously reported and indicated that a cord was cut for something she owned. The RP agreed to call back if she wanted to press charges.
• 2:48pm The RP at Healdsburg Food Pantry on Healdsburg Avenue stated an angry man yelled in front of the business. The RP was not willing to press charges, but wanted the man to move along. Officers responded and provided the man with a bus pass.
• 3:59pm Petty theft of $240 worth of items occurred at Big John’s Market on Healdsburg Avenue on Aug. 1. The RP was willing to press charges and file trespass paperwork against the thief.
4:54pm The RP indicated that a man was passed out in the bushes near Big John’s Market on Healdsburg Avenue. A 52-YO man was arrested and taken to county jail for public intoxication and violation of probation. The man was trespassed from the property.
• 5:33pm An officer stopped a man on a bike for riding against traffic near Carl’s Jr. on Vine Street. A 35-YO man was cited and released on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding violation of probation and false imprisonment.
8:01pm An officer contacted a 44-YO man near the Dollar Tree on Vine Street. He was cited on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding polluting near water.
10:03pm The RP indicated a possible drunk driver was near Healdsburg Bar and Grill
4:05pm An officer cited an unlicensed driver on Lytton Springs Road at Healdsburg Avenue. Compiled by Carolyn Brenner
• 9:32pm The RP indicated that she was in an altercation with her male partner on Adeline Way. She stated her partner pushed her several times against a wall. Officers responded and contacted her partner in front of the residence. An emergency protection order was granted. A 71-YO woman was arrested and transported to county jail for domestic battery.
