The Healdsburg Tribune
The Healdsburg Tribune
ZONING CHANGES COULD ADD OVER
By Jon Eisenberg
Measure O, which will be on the Nov. 5 ballot, would ease restrictions on new housing construction imposed by Healdsburg’s Growth Management Ordinance (GMO) by creating zones of exclusion from the GMO. But that’s not the whole story.
Separate and apart from Measure O, the City Council intends to increase the city zoning code’s existing density limits once Measure O passes. This density boost—which won’t require voter approval—could expose the city’s downtown core to future construction of up to 404 dwelling units in a part of downtown where multi-family housing developers are already acquiring properties.
The city’s March 2024 Downtown Housing Capacity Study, which carries the names of all five City Councilmembers, recommends a fourfold density boost from 16 to 65 dwelling-unitsper-acre in the city’s Downtown Commercial district. On June 3, Councilmember Chris Herrod said the City Council views such density increases as “an important auxiliary” to Measure O—a “priority” that “we’re hoping to tackle and it may take a year or whatever.” Since then, four council members have refused to commit to rejecting or substantially reducing the recommended 65-dwelling-units-per-acre. Only Councilmember Ariel Kelley has made that commitment. Those refusals speak
LOCAL ARTIST AN INSPIRATION TO KIDS, PARENTS, HEALDSBURG
By Christian Kallen
The Healdsburg Arts Festival is back again this year, pared down to one busy day in the Plaza. Starting Saturday morning at 10am until 7pm, more than 40 artists will sell their personal and unique artwork of every description—from watercolors, oils and acrylics to photography, ceramics, woodwork, jewelry, printmaking, textile arts, sculpture, metalwork and glass work.
Among the familiar artists will be Jennifer Utsch, a.k.a. Jendala. Though the name started as a play on Jen and mandala, like the signature metal chimes she has made her creative outlet, Utsch has morphed Jendala into a magic land of possibilities and optimism.
A large poster in her Moore Street studio
proclaims the Land of Jendala, where people believe in diversity, with an image of cats and dogs on a park bench, peacefully coexisting.
Jendala’s signature artwork—colorful metal charms alternating between symbols and words, affirmations and aspirations—now hang from many Healdsburg porches, eaves and indoor private spaces. They are more than “chimes,” though they all have small brass bells, because “sound creates space,” as she says.
“Each color represents a different vibration or emotion,” says the 55-yearold artist. It’s the sort of statement that the skeptic might find absurd; but upon reflection, and with ears to hear, it makes perfect sense.
The dangling charms use keywords, like Smile … Relax … No Worries … Friends … Respect … Love … Woof and Magic. There seems to be no limit to how a single word or a pair of them can create a positive vibe, if they are infused
with the positive attitude that is ultimately the definition of Jendala.
Jendala’s Journey
A former deputy sheriff in Utah, firefighter in Arizona, Spanish teacher and life-long artist, Jennifer Utsch first came to Healdsburg in 1999, and over the past quarter-century her bright, creative spirit has found a home in Healdsburg. The City Council even recognized her in August with an official Proclamation, expressing “its sincere appreciation, thanks, and gratitude to Jennifer ‘Jendala’ Utsch for sharing her creativity, positivity, and passion for life, and helping to make Healdsburg a better place.”
She’s a regular at the Farmers’ Markets, both Saturdays and Tuesdays, when they are running, as well as other art festivals in Northern California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona.
For the past few months, Jendala has made it known she’s moving to Tucson, which has a thriving artist
TAKING ACTION FOR HARM REDUCTION IN HEALDSBURG
BOBBY
CHOATE, A COUNSELOR AT ALLIANCE, HAS A LIFE-SAVING CALLING
By Christian Kallen
A new metal drop box, gray and orange, has appeared in the parking lot next to the Alliance Medical Center next to Healdsburg Hospital. It’s not a mailbox or a book drop or a bank deposit
community, but she’s adamant she’s not giving up on Healdsburg. “I’ve always been a traveling artist,” she said, as if it’s a line on her business card. But she’s found it impossible to find a place to live in the area that meets her requirements for being in touch with nature—and affordability. She has found such a place in Tucson, where she lived previously and has many friends (which is not hard to believe). Several weeks ago she packed up most of her workshop in a trailer and headed to Tucson, accompanied by fellow cancer-survivor Mark Themig, the city’s community services director.
By all accounts the journey was epic, with a 4am flat tire near Firebaugh, California, among the highlights. “Only Jendala could turn a 14-hour trip into a 36-hour adventure,” Themig said.
“Not only did we have challenges, we also met new friends along the way,” he said—including
box, but it looks like one— aside from the bold phrase, “Secure Sharps.”
Medical personnel understand what that means: It’s a place to dispose of used needles, known in the trade as “sharps.”
But needles aren’t just used in hospitals, and drug addicts are not the only other people who use them.
A large number of people use injected medication in all walks of life, as legal intravenous drugs become more widespread: for self-administered insulin, Ozempric and other medications. So finding a way to dispose of the needles is an increasingly important consideration for the medical community, and an obligation for the community at large. Bobby Choate is the drug and alcohol counselor at Alliance Medical Center, and runs the Medication
Maria, the owner of the hardware store who had the only U-Haul available in a 100-mile radius, and who turned out to be, of all things, a metal artist. Jendala has been afflicted with ovarian cancer for the past five years, and undergone multiple treatments that have yet to end. But her hair (and eyebrows) are back, and somehow the travails did not fully stymy her remarkable energy or creativity. Just as during Covid, the children’s Sparkle Time program wasn’t canceled, but moved online, so she hopes to keep Heartizens alive and thriving even though she’ll only be in Healdsburg part time.
Heartizens
If her charms are the tangible expression of Jendala’s spirit, Heartizens is the community center of her work. She declares she’s not leaving Healdsburg wholly behind, and hopes one particular
Assisted Treatment Program. He also informally chairs the North Sonoma County Harm Reduction Coalition, a task force made up of representatives from most local health care organizations.
A Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, he has worked at Alliance well over two years, helping people navigate appropriate health care and treatment. In the course of his work he’s found not only ways to help at-risk individuals, but shortcomings in the county treatment system itself. We spoke with him recently about the Harm Reduction Coalition and some of its programs in the Healdsburg area. Healdsburg Tribune: What is the Harm Reduction Coalition?
Bobby Choate: It’s basically just the community
➝ Secure Sharps, 4 ➝
Arts Festival, 4
Open Mic, 7
Photo by Rick Tang
MUSICIANS’ LOFT Students in the Heartizens after-school program gather on the ‘treehouse’ level overlooking the Mill Street studio of Jendala Utsch and Heartizens, in February 2023.
GOINGS ON AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT
Homecoming
Healdsburg High’s varsity football team won their first three games, and are now 3-1. The Greyhounds meet their new Mountain League rival the San Rafael Bulldogs at Rec Park on Friday, Sept. 27, for this year’s Homecoming game. Kickoff at 7pm.
Funderburgh
& Hummel
One night only, Texas blues
guitarist Anton Funderburgh with harmonica player Mark Hummel are playing in town. This promises to be the real deal in blues. Friday night at 8pm, $20 at the door of The Elephant in the Room, 177 Healdsburg Ave.
Hearing Double
Two bands on successive nights that pay tribute to two bands each. Friday, Sept. 27, the E Street News draws their inspiration (and arrangements) from Bruce Springsteen and Huey Lewis. The next night, Saturday, it’s the Van Animals channeling Van Morrison and Eric Burdon and the Animals. Must be the latest trend in tribute bands. Both shows start at 8pm, 44F Mill St.; tickets at coyotesonoma. com/upcoming-events.
Farmers’ Market
Do your fall shopping at the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market at North Street and Foss Creek on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 8:30am
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
to noon, for the best fresh local produce in the area.
Healdsburg Arts Festival
The annual Healdsburg Arts Festival is Saturday, Sept. 28. More than 40 artists will be selling their wares, plus music, entertainment, good food and wine. It’s all day, from 10am to 7pm at the Healdsburg Plaza, presented by the City of Healdsburg and the Healdsburg Center for the Arts.
Habitat
Restoration Time for another Foss Creek Cleanup, in the area of the Healdsburg Community Center. It’s Saturday, Sept. 28, and includes breakfast (from the Rotary Club) 8:309am, clean-up crews from 9-11am, awards and lunch (provided by Healdsburg Kiwanis) from 11:30am to 12:30pm. For more information, contact mharrigan@ healdsburg.gov.
Double Bass
Jazz standards and some originals from a two-bass combo, featuring Gary Black and Michael Leal Price (bass), and band leader Jeff Sanford (saxes, flute, clarinet) with Karen Kusanovich (drums). Saturday, Sept. 28, in the Healdsburg Hotel Spirit Bar. Music from 6-9pm, no cover, partial Dry Creek Kitchen menu available, in the lobby at 25 Matheson St.
Coffee & Conversation
Sunday, Sept. 29, from 10am to noon, meet Laura Dave, author of The Last Thing He Told Me (now on Apple+ TV), in conversation with Julia Claiborne
Johnson for her new book, The Night We Lost Him. Tickets are $35 each and include admission for one, coffee, a copy of The Last Thing He Told Me and access to private author signing. (Special discount code for attentive readers of The Healdsburg Tribune , use promo code “BOOKBESTIE” for $45 admission for two, with one signed book.)
Classical 8-String Guitarist Paul Galbraith’s remarkable talent on the 8-string classical guitar makes him a recognizable musician, never more so than hearing him play. On Sunday, Sept. 29, that opportunity will come at The 222 stage in Healdsburg. Tickets $35-$75, at 222 Healdsburg Ave., www.the222.org.
LIBRARIES ARE FOR EVERYONE
Furthermore, in Sebastopol
Healdsburg’s Furthermore Winery (358-B Healdsburg Ave.) not only has music here in town Thursdays through Saturdays, but their winery in Sebastopol has Sunday afternoon performances, too. This Sept. 29 hear vocalist Stella Heath in the verdant vineyard settings beneath the sequoia at 3541 Gravenstein Hwy.
Eyes for Bette
Davis
The Cabin in the Cotton from 1932 was Bette Davis’ breakthrough role, and will inaugurate True West Film’s five-film retrospective at 6pm on Monday, Sept. 30. The series is
programmed by SRJC’s Mike Traina. Screenings in the new Studio at 375 Healdsburg Ave., tickets $20 or $80 for the series at truewestfilmcenter.org.
Candidates’ Forum
The Chamber of Commerce is holding a City Council Candidates’ Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 1, with all five candidates. It’s at Coyote Sonoma from 5:30-8pm. This is a live, in-person event with no broadcast or Zoom. 44F Mill St., doors open at 4pm. School Trustees
There are likewise three seats available on the Healdsburg Unified School District board, and five candidates. Corazon Healdsburg and the
elementary schools’ PTO are holding a free public forum on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 6pm in the Healdsburg High School cafeteria, 1024 Prince Ave. City Council
The next meeting of the Healdsburg City Council is on Monday, Oct. 7. In addition to other city business, expect an Active Transportation Plan presentation. Starts promptly at 6pm in Council Chambers at 401 Grove St., also online at facebook.com/ cityofhealdsburg.
Post events on the Tribune’s online calendar at healdsburgtribune.com/ calendar and send special announcements to editor@ healdsburgtribune.com.
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MIRROR IMAGE The Raven Theater is ready for its close-up this coming weekend, Friday through Sunday, for the return of the Healdsburg International Short Film Festival.
LOCAL
New Child Care in Healdsburg
SPOTS STILL OPEN AT YWCA CENTER FOR KIDS 6 WEEKS TO 5 YEARS
By Simone Wilson
Inside the Healdsburg Community Center near the north end of town, formerly the home of Foss Creek Elementary, two of the school’s old classrooms are newly renovated and filled with children again— this time, even younger. The rooms are “bustling with the sounds of cooing babies, giggling toddlers and active preschoolers,” says Madeleine O’Connell, CEO of the Sonoma County branch of the YWCA.
Why all the commotion?
YWCA Sonoma County just chose Healdsburg as the home of its sixth childcare center in the region—and the first to offer full-time, yearround care for infants and toddlers, from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Half-day options are also available.
The center, which opened quietly over summer and celebrated with an official ribbon-cutting last week, can accommodate up to 53 kids. In one room, staffers care for the very youngest members of our community, ranging from 6 weeks to 2 years old. After that, kids “graduate from the infant-toddler environment into the big-kid world” in the next-door preschool room, O’Connell says. They can stay until they’re up to 5 years old and ready for
kindergarten or first grade.
“It’s the full life cycle,” says Caroline Rodríguez González, 36, early childhood education coordinator for nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg. Her org’s headquarters are likewise located inside the converted Community Center.
In fact, on workdays, Rodríguez González leaves her own 6-month-old son Leonardo in the YWCA’s new daycare room for the full day—only three doors down from her office at Corazón.
“The schedule is amazing for a working parent,” she says. “I can come to work and I know that I’m just a few doors away. I feel so happy being so close.”
She says she’s been impressed by the quality of caregiving at the center.
“I’ve gone into that classroom and I’ve seen my baby crying so loud, and I’ve seen the staff dripping sweat—but with a smile on their face,” she says. “You can definitely tell that they love what they’re doing.”
Staffers also send her regular updates throughout the day about Leonardo’s diaper changes, sleep patterns and more through a special app, which she says gives her peace of mind.
Rodríguez González, who in her role at Corazón spends much of her time trying to find affordable childcare and preschool options for local families, was surprised to learn how inexpensive this new option would be for her own family. The cost of the YWCA
program is flexible based on income level, and public funding programs are available for eligible applicants.
Now, Corazón’s childcare specialist is telling all her clients about the program. “I think it’s a blessing to our town, to our community,” she says.
YWCA Sonoma County leader O’Connell says there are still openings for more kids at the center, as of late September. Interested parents can apply at YWCASC.org/ Childcare-Healdsburg.
Next up for Healdsburg’s newest daycare and preschool: YWCA Sonoma
County is building an elaborate playground outside its Community Center classrooms to “inspire a child’s lifelong relationship with nature and play, creating engagement in their most formative years,” O’Connell says.
Kent Gordon England, owner of Terra Natura Design in town, is designing the outdoor space. And the noontime chapter of the Healdsburg Rotary Club just donated $80,450—“the single largest donation in its history,” according to club leader Tim Mann—toward the project. It’s still not fully
funded, though, and the YWCA is looking for more donors. Anyone who wants to pitch in can reach out to Madeleine O’Connell at moconnell@ywcasc.org.
With the interim Healdsburg Library also situated next door as the downtown library gets some upgrades, all this activity makes for a bustling renaissance at the Healdsburg Community Center.
“We have the library, the YWCA preschool, [the city’s] Building Blocks Preschool, and Corazón, and Alliance,” Rodríguez González says. “There’s definitely a lot going on here. It’s amazing.”
Current designs for the space include play structures, art tables, “a series of musical sound pipes, tubes and wind chimes” for “harmonious noisemaking activities,” theater facades, mud play stations, garden beds with fruits and vegetables, birdhouses, a wildlife rescue area where experts can bring animals for “show and tell,” a “prehistoric forest” full of ancient plant species and life-sized dino sculptures on which kids can climb—and “trees, trees and more trees,” according to O’Connell.
KID PEOPLE From left: The YWCA’s site supervisor in Healdsburg, Blanca Hernandez, a.k.a. ‘Miss Blanca’; Caroline Rodríguez González, early childhood education coordinator at the Corazón Healdsburg nonprofit; and Cheryl Moore, director of childcare services for YWCA Sonoma County.
Photos by Rick Tang
Film Center Gets High-Viz Name CINEMA
TRUE WEST CINEMA AND CAMPUS TO BE NAMED FOR JAMES REDFORD
By Christian Kallen
The name of one of cinema’s pre-eminent modern actors is now mentioned in the same breath as Healdsburg’s own True West Film Center. On Sunday, Sept. 22, the town’s nonprofit film organization broke ground on its new James Redford Campus in downtown Healdsburg.
The three-screen-plusclassroom campus is named for the late documentary filmmaker and environmentalist. The naming signifies a new alignment with The Redford Center, a nonprofit “solely dedicated to environmental impact filmmaking.” The organization was founded in Sundance, Utah, in 2005 by James and his father, Robert Redford. It moved to San Francisco in 2010. James Redford died in 2020, and now his son Dylan Redford occupies the Center’s board chair.
The executive director of The Redford Center, Jill Tidman, was among the group that grabbed golden shovels to make the first dig for the new facility.
When finished, the James Redford Center will include three screening rooms, space for the organization’s media arts education programs and the annual True West Film Festival (formerly the AVFilm Festival).
To date, donors have committed a total of $3.1 million towards the $5.6 million capital campaign, including the anonymous grant of $1 million that came with the naming rights for the James Redford Center.
“The gift and the dedication also memorialize a relationship that we, at True West Film Center, are going to have with the Redford Center in San Francisco, whereby we will premier environmental documentaries throughout the year,” said Hillary Kambour, True West’s board chair.
Film Lover’s
Community Kambour gave up her own acting dreams to work in appellate law in New York and Miami, but was delighted to find a local film community when she retired to Healdsburg. She remembered discovering movies at the Gateway Theater in San Francisco when she was a
“avatar,” a representation who they want to be.
project of hers will continue to thrive even though she won’t be here to see it through on a daily basis.
Her studio at 444 Moore St. will become a full-time home for Heartizens, which started as an after-school program five years ago. Heartizens is an art-andlearning nonprofit, most widely known for its Sparkle Time afterschool program for elementary-age kids.
Children come in after school to mix, play and learn with others. Perhaps they’ve not had a good day, but Jendala’s method is to welcome them in, talk about school, and have a “huddle in a puddle” where they do physical and other exercises to help with their emotional balance.
“It’s OK to have emotions, but you don’t want to stay in that space if it doesn’t feel good,” she said. Art projects follow to help work through confusing emotions. The kids can create their own role model or
DROP BOX
➝ Secure Sharps, 1
agencies in the community that want to promote harm reduction. Most of them are health care agencies: Healdsburg Hospital, Alexander Valley Health Care and the Northern Sonoma County Healthcare District. It falls under the Alliance umbrella. We’re sort of in the early stages, but we meet once a month. And we do projects like Narcan distribution in the community, and we worked to get the needle disposal kiosk here at the clinic.
Why do you have a “Secure Sharps” drop box at Alliance?
If we go to CVS or Rite
But despite endless hours of effort by Jendala to reach both English- and Spanishspeaking families, this year the Heartizens programs are not running. Support from the schools has fallen short, and she’s actively seeking donations (heartizens.org/ sparkle-time).
“When I post something about my health, it goes viral. When it’s about Heartizens …” She shrugged to express her frustration.
“Without more funding, the space and programs I’ve worked so hard to build over the past decade—especially our summer camps for kids— will have to close. Once we have classes, only seven full classes a week will sustain us,” Jendala said. “It’s right at our fingertips.”
Even with her move to Tucson as her primary residence, Jendala hopes Heartizens can become a year-round creative space for children and adults. She believes it will start with the new school year.
Aid, the pharmacy here [at Alliance], they’re giving out a lot of medications that use sharps. Like diabetes medication, Ozempic, insulin; there's a lot of medications that have to be injected.
The problem is they’re expensive to dispose of. That’s why the pharmacy won’t accept ’em. Places don’t accept them because one, they don’t want to. Also they’re hazardous, and also they’re expensive. Once you have a container full, it has to be disposed of by the HAZMAT crew. You just don’t throw it in the trash.
Whose responsibility is it to make sure that syringes are properly disposed of? Is it the user’s?
child. After a day of watching three Fred AstaireGinger Rogers movies in a row, “I was hooked,” she said. “When I learned how to take the bus down there by myself, I went every opportunity. And I really learned the whole classic cinema catalog.”
The True West Film Center, or perhaps henceforth the Redford Center, promises a variety of films, not just environmental documentaries or 1940s Hollywood dance flicks. Two of the three cinemas will screen first-run movies, and the third theater will present independent and arthouse films—or environmental impact documentaries, from The Redford Center.
In keeping with the organization’s stated mission to provide equitable access to cinematic experiences, the theater promises Spanish-language programming, discounted tickets for locals night and senior matinees.
The three new theaters are designed by Tom Rael Architects for seating capacities of about 26, 34 and 56 customers. Theaters will be equipped with Christie Digital laser projectors and Dolby Sound equipment.
Affirmations
Parents of the children who have been involved with Sparkle Time in the past take little prompting to become enthusiastic. Dianna Badalament, herself an artisan goldsmith, said her daughter Selene has been a participant for years.
“We were around early on as Heartizens blossomed at her Moore Lane studio, and it was perfect for my daughter’s exploration into art, and actually, music,” wrote Badalament. “I feel like it expanded her art competency, and had some team building; all things great for growth and development.”
James and Elizabeth Gore’s two children, Opal and Jacob, also have attended the programs.
“Heartizens opened our kids’ eyes and hearts,” wrote their father. “The program focused on bringing out their own inner creativity rather than training them. This is the best of the best here locally.”
Jendala used to handtorch all her work, but now the signs are laser cut which frees her up to circulate
I think it’s the community’s responsibility to make sure there’s a place to put them. And then it’s the user’s responsibility to use it.
I mean, it’s a two-part effort, but our part is to have a place to put them. One of the arguments against syringe disposal is that you’re encouraging the use of illegal drugs. We’re not giving any syringes out. We’re just trying to get the ones that are already out there disposed of carefully. Because if there’s nowhere to put them … Look, people use syringes for medications all the time, and they just put them in the trash can, which is incredibly dangerous for everybody down the line. The sanitation
A lobby and indoor snack bar will service the three screening rooms and a designated patio outside the doors in the currently under-utilized courtyard at 371 Healdsburg Ave. Board chair Kambour, who had just returned from the Toronto International Film Festival, had an unexpected reaction to the glamor. “It was super fun to see all these great movies and see some big stars, but what I didn’t really expect was the thrill that I
had, watching a movie with a ton of people screaming and laughing and, and reacting,” she recalled.
“So many times that feeling of community that comes when you’re experiencing something that moves you, together— that’s what I’m most looking forward to with this film center; going back to that and throwing popcorn at the bad guys,” she said.
Expectations for The Redford Center are high.
True West predicts that
over three years it will “generate $2 million in new economic activity for Sonoma County,” with 43,000 customers. Construction is now underway, with the campus scheduled to open in the summer of 2025. According to the optimistic Kambour, “Nobody has a crystal ball about construction, but we’re hoping we’re going to have 2025 summer blockbusters in our brand-new theater.” Popcorn at the ready.
through arts fairs with her “jingle truck”—a reconditioned hot dog wagon, now outfitted with an electric bike wheel in front and redesigned to resemble a farm truck.
Attendees to this Saturday’s Healdsburg Arts
workers, the people at the garbage company, the people who work at the landfill. Sometimes there’s people who go through the trash cans to get aluminum cans out. That’s the thing with needle disposal, people say, “Well, we don’t need it.” But listen, as a community, we can’t complain. If there’s trash all over the ground, but there’s no trash cans, I’ve got to put out trash cans—then we can get on people about using the trash cans. But if we don’t have anywhere for people to put them, inevitably they’re going to go in the trash or on the ground or in places we don’t want them to go. So where do people go to dispose of their “sharps”?
Festival are sure to find Jendala there, sparkling wherever she is, with her dangling, ringing affirmations. Perhaps some Heartizens graduates will be there too, to parade around the plaza and spread the sparkle that is Jendala.
We have one here in Alliance Medical in the parking lot. You just drive to it and put you sharp into the round hole. You don’t even have to get out of your car. It’s a locked box; someone from Face to Face checks it once a week.
We wanted to put one in town, but it’s hard for us to get the approval from the property owners. Even though there’s a grant that’ll pay for it; it’s completely free.
The City worked with us to get it here; they were very helpful. But the fire department didn’t want one. The police department doesn’t have one, but they do have the medication disposal. But no one wants it down by the town square. We wanted to put one
food, drink and kids’ play areas. It is co-produced by the City of Healdsburg and the Healdsburg Center for the Arts.
over by Rotten Robbie’s. Goodwill’s there, and businesses have asked for sharp containers because they find needles in the area. A lot of the properties are owned by companies like Rite Aid. They’re not owned by a person, they’re owned by a corporation—I don’t know what it’s called, whoever owns commercial property. So they just automatically say, “No.” There’s no benefit to them.
Is this something we should be concerned about in Healdsburg?
I wouldn’t say it’s a rampant problem in Healdsburg. But it’s not a zero problem.
The Alliance Medical Center is located at 1381 University Ave., open 7am-7pm Monday-Friday.
The annual Healdsburg Arts Festival will take place Saturday, Sept. 28, starting at 10am, with 40 artists, entertainment,
JINGLE TRUCK Jendala Utsch creates dangling, ringing metalwork for home mobiles or wind chimes that reflect her creative, positive personality.
Photo by Christian Kallen
Photo by Christian Kallen
MOVIE MOMENT The official ‘groundbreaking’ of the True West Film Center, on Sept. 22, at 375 Healdsburg Ave. From left, Healdsburg Mayor David Hagele; student speaker India Mitchell; Jenny Gomez, Kathryn Philip and Hillary Kambour of True West; Jill Tidman, executive director of The Redford Center; and Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore.
SPORTS
Greyhounds Fall to Visiting Vikings
DIFFICULT LOSS CREATES MOTIVATION FOR 3-1 TEAM
By John Linker
One could feel autumn's cool beginnings last Friday night at Rec Park’s Art McCaffrey Field. Before a sold-out audience, packed student section and the even beats of the Greyhound Band, the explosive Montgomery Knights toppled the Hounds, dropping Healdsburg’s perfect run of 3-0 to 3-1.
This one hurt.
It could have been mistakes made, balls fumbled or penalties called, but in the end, the Vikings proved their strength and quickness throughout the rugged game. Coach Rosales put it bluntly, “It is very difficult to win against any team when we turn the ball over five times and those possessions all lead to scores.”
The Greyhounds had a tough first quarter. On the first play of the game, after a promising return by Frank Rea, the Hounds fumbled on their own 19-yard-line, setting up the first of many touchdowns for Montgomery. Vikings quarterback Thor Boswell found one of his favorite receivers of the night, Jayden Cuellar, in the end zone for a quick 6 points with not even two minutes used up in the quarter.
The fumble seemed to affect the nerves of the Hounds, because on the next set of downs, they were sacked once, fumbled again and punted it away.
Making no mistakes, the Vikings looked sharp, strong and quick as again they marched along. With 4:10 left in the quarter, Boswell found his running back, Jhowens Montoban,
Girls
HEALDSBURG’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM IS FOCUSED ON THE FUNDAMENTALS
By Caleb Knudsen
During the week following the early September St. Helena tournament, where they got their first win of the season, the Healdsburg High girls volleyball team focused on the fundamentals. “I think we made some really important strides during that stretch of practice, and it showed in Novato that weekend,” said coach Jonathan Nuttall, referring to a five-game NorCal Tournament held Sept. 14. The tournament was a full day of volleyball, against four different opponents in the elimination
in the end zone. After a two-point conversion the score was 14-0.
Trouble continued for the Hounds, when after another strong return from Rea, they fumbled on a broken play and turned it over to the Vikings, who wasted no time in scoring again on another pass to Cuellar and with another two-point conversion made the score 22-0.
Get It Going
It wasn’t until the end of the quarter, with their classic mix-it-up offense, that the Hounds got something going. After Rea’s longest return of the night of over 45 yards, coupled with a personal foul penalty against the Vikings, Healdsburg suddenly had the ball on the 30-yard-line in Viking territory. On the very next play, another Viking personal foul put the Hounds in the red zone. The next play Nova Perrill II, with one of his signature fake follow-throughs, handed off to Hayden Mariani who scored, waking up the crowd and bringing the Healdsburg High band to life.
The Hounds settled in, and for a while that magical blend of staunch defense and stellar offense returned to the field. With 1:38 left in the quarter, Nathaniel Rowland made a show-stopping tackle near the 40-yard-line. Next, Rea intercepted a long pass from Boswell, and finally the Hounds looked like a 3-0 team. Then on first down, with 45 seconds left in the quarter, Perrill connected with a 75-yard pass play to Hayden Mariani for a touchdown, and suddenly it was 22-14. The crowd roared; the band played on.
The beginning of the second quarter Healdsburg
continued their wizardly play of defense and offense. After a saving tackle on the kick-off by Andrew Barr, the Hounds stopped the Vikings in their first set of downs and regained the ball on their own 38-yard-line. Healdsburg controlled the clock for the first time, and methodically made their way up field. Rea, who reminds one of a ball in a pinball machine, bouncing off defenders, hurdling and twirling forward, took the ball downfield for a 30-yard-plus run, only to be called back because of a holding penalty.
Still, getting closer to the goal line, they continued to move downfield. Perrill showed great patience with every play, and with 7:49 left on the clock on a fourth down, threw to Max Morris for the Hounds’ third touchdown. After a missed 2-point conversion, it was 22-20.
Yet before the end
of the half, the Vikings answered back with one more score and both teams left the field needing a well-earned rest. In the second half, however, Montgomery reasserted their dominance, scoring. Finally, in the end, the Vikings showed their reserve and resolve with a remarkable display of strong blocking and agile offense. It was just too much for the Greyhounds, who were going up against a school three times their size, and Montgomery scored four unanswered touchdowns, in the end winning the game 50-20.
“We had a legitimate ball game versus a division 3 opponent on Friday; we just kept making costly mistakes and penalties,” coach Criss Rosales said. Perhaps because of that, and the absence of running back and linebacker Alexander Harms, who broke his clavicle during last week’s day game against Berean
Christian, the Hounds could neither make headway nor stop the running game of the Vikings.
Standouts
Healdsburg standouts include the Hounds’ Mariani who had a total of 91 receiving yards with two touchdowns, and Max Morris, who not only scored a touchdown at the end of the half, but also played impressive defense with 14 total tackles, 12 of those solo.
The Healdsburg Hounds varsity football team are a fun bunch to watch. Somehow, coach Rosales has instilled an ethic that evokes both strong performance and enthusiasm.
But more than that, the Hounds seem to play with a lot of love for the game.
And though any player would feel down because of a loss, there were still moments that reminded the crowd that this was a game being played by
teenagers who were having fun on the field. Moments like Dillan Jocius skipping his way to huddle, Frank Rea’s smile after an interception, Perrill’s connection to his head coach with every offensive play, and Rowland’s and Wallace’s exuberance after a tackle. Reflecting on nonleague play, Rosales said, “Going into league play there’s a new confidence the kids haven’t had in years. They have seen their hard work pay off in wins. That is enough motivation for the kids to go into this new league and try to make a statement of the new identity of Healdsburg football.”
The Greyhounds’ first league game comes this Friday, Sept. 27, starting at 7pm at Rec Park. It is also Healdsburg’s Homecoming game, and will include the annual float parade pageantry and celebration of school royalty.
format. Healdsburg, with their 1-12 record at the time, was unranked. “We were the lowest ranked team in our pool on MaxPreps, but we walked out of San Marin High’s gym placed second in our pool, only having lost to Shasta,” Nuttall said.
Ultimately they placed eighth out of 16 teams, adding two wins to their year’s total.
“For a team with only one win in our pocket coming into the tournament, it was a huge success, and I think the girls and parents all agreed,” the coach said. That primed Healdsburg for an at-home meeting with Elsie Allen— oddly a non-league match, although both teams are in the Redwood League. Not only was it a pre-season match, the visiting team was
outnumbered, with only six girls on its roster. And the Greyhound girls were ready to play their best.
“We knew we were the favorites to win the match, but the girls didn’t let that go to their heads and they played clean, dominant volleyball three sets in a row,” Nuttall said. They hit season highs in both aces (32) and kills (28). Senior Sophia Turic alone served nine aces, and libero Melissa Casas Gatica wasn’t far behind with eight.
“It’s a good win to have coming into league play,” said the confident young coach. League play began on Tuesday evening, against Rancho Cotate in their gym, but results come in too late for press time. Rancho had lost two in a row, however, and as the
favorites to take the league this year a Healdsburg win would be surprising.
“I know the team very well from my time with them last year, and I still have a very close relationship to their coaching staff,” Nuttall said. The Cotate Cougars finished second in the league last year, but the first-place-finishing Ukiah has left the league.
“If there was one team I hope we can upset this season it’s definitely the Cougars, and I don’t think it’s outside our potential,” Nuttall said.
The next home game is against Elsie Allen on Sept. 26, this time a league match-up. JV plays at 5pm and varsity at 6:30pm at Healdsburg High’s East Gym.
Photos by Michael Lucid
ACES HIGH One of Healdsburg’s leading servers in the first Elsie Allen match on Sept. 17 was Melissa Casas Gatica, with eight aces. Healdsburg won the match, 3-0.
Photos by Joe Rowland
CUTTING OUTSIDE Healdsburg’s versatile quarterback Nova Perrill II (10) turns upfield carrying the ball in the Sept. 20 game against Montgomery. Perrill completed seven of 13, including 2 touchdown passes. Center Isaiah Robles (59) is at left.
The One-Room Schoolhouse
THE FELTA SCHOOL WAS ONCE THE NORM IN RURAL AMERICA
By Pierre Ratte
See for yourself. View this beautiful building in an early morning mist along Felta Creek and reflect on generations of children passing through its doors. This one-room schoolhouse is a well-preserved symbol of early education in Sonoma County, in California and in the United States. A common room for a common education.
One-room schoolhouses were standard around the turn of the century. This one was built in 1906. There were reportedly 132 other one-room schoolhouses in Sonoma County at that time. Most were built on private land with neighbors donating lumber and materials. Teachers usually boarded with a nearby family. Perhaps 5-30 students were taught in grades one through eight. Older children were expected to teach younger children the Monitorial System.
Fun Facts : The first
MEASURE O
➝ Open Mic, 1
louder than empty talking points like “barely possible,” “worst-case scenario”
OPINION Jon Eisenberg is a former appellate lawyer who has lived in Healdsburg since 2016.
and “extremely unlikely.”
Plainly this recommendation remains on the table, notwithstanding noncommittal reassurances that it has not—which could just mean not yet —been “adopted” or “accepted.”
Added Acres
During the June 3 City Council meeting, the council quickly seized on
school in California was opened in Santa Clara by Mrs. Olive Isbell in 1846. A mere 21 years later, the State of California declared free schooling for all children. In 1910, 72% of America’s children reportedly attended school, with 50% in one-room schoolhouses. The phrase “an eighth grade education” often refers to one-room schooling.
A “common school” is another term for a free public school. Common schools were advocated by Horace Mann as first secretary of education in Massachusetts in 1837. Common schools promoted a “common” education: reading, writing and arithmetic, known as the “three R’s.”
“Normal schools” were created to train teachers in common schools. The first normal school was in Lexington, Massachusetts, in 1839 and it offered a twoyear education. Prior to normal schools, rural districts might select the most promising eighth grade graduate to teach.
Normal schools taught the “trivium,” from Latin (tri-via) three roads coming together: grammar, logic
a last-minute proposal by soon-to-be Planning Commissioner Jonathan Pearlman to add the block bounded by Center, Piper, East and North streets to Measure O’s Healdsburg Avenue North exclusion zone. Oddly, there was no discussion of the potential consequences of this action. No council member asked city staff to analyze potential consequences, and nobody on city staff offered to do so.
A 65-dwelling-unitsper-acre density boost would yield a capacity of 220 dwelling units at 415455 Center St. (the Mitchell Center buildings, from CVS to the former Raven Film Center), 125 dwelling units at 424-450 Center St. (where Casa de Mole and Shelton’s are) and 59 dwelling units at 409-441 East St. (including Redwood Family Dermatology and other businesses)— for a total of 404 dwelling units. Imagine the potential for afflicting the city’s downtown core with overdevelopment and a resulting street-parking crunch. High-density developers have already acquired
and rhetoric, the Art of Words. The “quadrivium”: arithmetic, astronomy, music and geometry—the Art of Numbers—rounds out the seven liberal arts.
Lincoln’s Congress gave federal land to states for
portions of a nearly threeacre swath of contiguous properties east of Center Street. San Francisco multi-family housing developer Urban Green Investments, which is part of a larger conglomerate called Cornerstone Holdings, has purchased the parcel at 436-440 Center St. A San Francisco developer with the opaque moniker “Jo Noe LLC” has purchased the parcel at 450 Center St. Other parcels in that swath have been held for decades by aging local residents and are ripe for the picking.
The Campaign
Meanwhile, Measure O is being touted by a campaign committee called “Yes on O.” Planning Commissioner Alex Wood, whose father is Assemblymember Jim Wood, is assistant treasurer of Yes on O. On Aug. 8, Yes on O received $5,000 from a campaign committee that Assemblymember Wood uses to finance ballot measure campaigns. That committee, in turn, is largely funded by
schools focused on agriculture, military science, science and engineering— practical subjects. In 1890, Congress granted money for institutions now referred to as HBCU’s— Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Trivial Pursuit was trademarked and released in 1981; by 1984 sales reached $800 million.
the California Apartment Association (CAA), which has contributed $43,500 to Assemblymember Wood’s committee since 2020.
The CAA represents developers of, and investors in, multi-family housing—on whom Measure O and the recommended density boost would bestow lucrative business opportunities. In just the past two years, the CAA has spent $64 million statewide on ballot measures that support its agenda.
At the same time, the city has signed a $62,000 contract with public relations firm CliffordMoss to “deliver winning results” by “building the right strategy” for Measure O, including “a listening strategy for opinion leader engagement,” “talking points,” and an expenditure of “up to $30,000” for “two mailers to all voter households” and “digital graphics for City online social media use.”
Look for a coming blitz of city-funded and CAAbacked campaign materials on Measure O.
Strictly speaking trivia doesn’t stem from “trivium,” it derives from Latin
“trivialis,” meaning found everywhere, commonplace, unimportant.
‘Snapshot’ is a weekly column featuring a photo and fun facts by Pierre Ratte, pjratte@icloud.com.
In just the past two years, the CAA has spent $64 million statewide on ballot measures that support its agenda.
A BELOVED PLACE A fitting description for the Felta School, which was under construction when the 1906 earthquake hit Northern California.
Photo by Pierre Ratte
CRIMES AND CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE
Residents and others are encouraged to call Police Dispatch as needed at (707) 431-3377, operational 24/7
Monday, Sept. 9
• 12:24pm The Reporting Party (RP) on Healdsburg Avenue indicated an employee was being harassed via telephone. An officer provided advice.
Tuesday, Sept. 10
• 11:53am A vehicle on Hwy 101 at the Central offramp was stopped for violating rear tail-light rules.
A 59-Year-Old (YO) man was cited and released on outstanding Sonoma County warrants regarding carrying a concealed dirk or dagger, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with an open container of alcohol.
12:50pm An officer contacted a 25-YO man on probation near Tip Top Liquor Warehouse on Dry Creek Road. The man was arrested and taken to county jail for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear in court, violating probation and on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding resisting arrest, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
3:16pm The RP on Healdsburg Avenue heard a couple in a verbal dispute yelling profanities. Officers responded and cited a 53-YO man for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine and violating probation.
3:34pm A vehicle was stopped at the Senior Center lot on East Street for not allowing pedestrians to pass. The driver’s license
was confiscated and the driver was cited for driving with a suspended license.
4:17pm The RP at Healdsburg High School on Prince Avenue indicated her cell phone was physically taken from her by a known person and she was scratched in the process.
Officers arrested a 45-YO man for robbery, domestic violence and damaging a communication device to prevent help. He was transported to county jail.
9:05pm An officer initiated a probation check on Wilcox Road, Windsor. A 45-YO man was arrested and transported to county jail for bringing drugs to a jail or prison, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and violating probation.
Wednesday, Sept. 11
• 8:29am The RP on White Gates Avenue at Bianca Lane indicated that a man “was casing” the neighborhood. An officer responded and arrested a 42-YO man for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and violating probation. He was transported to county jail.
1:11pm An officer contacted a 65-YO woman in the West Plaza Parking Lot on Healdsburg Avenue. She was arrested and transported to county jail for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and failure to appear in court.
3:18pm An officer contacted a 28-YO man on Exchange Avenue at Adeline Way. He was arrested and transported to county jail on an outstanding Solano County warrant regarding failure to appear in court and possession of a controlled substance.
4:06pm The RP on Grove Street said a person violated an emergency protective order by calling the RP two times from jail. A report was taken.
4:39pm An officer made
contact with a probationer near Rotten Robbie on Healdsburg Avenue. A 27-YO man was arrested and brought to county jail for violating probation.
Thursday, Sept. 12
12:18am A vehicle was stopped for following too closely behind another vehicle on Hwy 101 at Limerick Lane. A 21-YO man was arrested and brought to county jail for drunk driving.
• 10:48am The RP was punched in the face on Arata Lane. The Healdsburg Police Department notified the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office about the battery. A deputy responded and Windsor Police handled the incident.
12:31pm An unlicensed driver was cited on Hwy 101 near Arata Lane.
1:27pm Petty theft valued at $23.98 occurred at Big John’s Market on Healdsburg Avenue. A report was taken on Sept.14.
• 1:28pm Two juveniles at Healdsburg High School on Prince Avenue were arrested and taken to juvenile detention for an incident that occurred on Grove Street on Sept. 6. They were arrested for robbery, assault likely to produce great bodily harm, battery, having weapons on school grounds, accessory after the fact, conspiracy to commit a felony, vandalism and brandishing a weapon or firearm.
2:20pm The RP on Arabian Way was falsely told his wife had an unpaid loan since 2013 totalling $4,000, but he could pay only $2,000 if he paid that day.
The RP was advised to contact the Federal Trade Commission for next steps.
3:42pm The RP on Sparrow Court said that a person with a no-contact order texted her. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Rosa Police Department were aware of the situation and were looking for the suspect.
The RP was given an incident number.
4:33pm The RP on Hwy 101 at Arata Lane saw a vehicle go off the road and
collide into trees, which started a fire. Multiple RPs reported the accident. Officers, fire, medical and California Highway Patrol responded to the scene.
• 4:37pm A truck near Jerry’s Valero on Dry Creek Road drove through landscaping. The RP believed he saw the driver and passenger switch spots. An officer responded, but the vehicle was gone on arrival and unable to be located.
8:22pm Petty theft of merchandise worth $260 occurred at Safeway on Vine Street. The RP wanted to press charges. On prior occasions, the thief was aggressive with the RP when the RP asked the man to stop. A 40-YO man was arrested and brought to county jail for shoplifting, destroying evidence and violating probation.
• 10:37pm The RP emailed Healdsburg Police Chief Jenkins about rumors of school violence at Healdsburg High School on Prince Avenue. The information was thirdhand. Rumors included retaliation for an arrest of two juveniles on Sept. 12 and similar threats as those made throughout the United States the previous few days.
Friday, Sept. 13
• 8:48am The RP indicated that her vehicle was hit at Healdsburg District Hospital on University Avenue. The RP did not want law enforcement to respond, but wanted an incident number for her insurance.
• 9:08am Graffiti was reported at Evangel Assembly of God Church on Fitch Street.
• 2:16pm The RP at Enso Village on Boxheart Drive stated that a mower attachment worth $3,000 for a tractor was stolen. An officer took a report.
• 4:56pm A man at Healdsburg District Hospital on University Avenue was discharged but refused to leave. An officer responded and gave the man a bus ticket and a courtesy ride to the bus stop.
7:24pm The RP at H2Hotel
on Healdsburg Avenue stated that his vehicle was hit. A note was left by a bystander with information regarding the suspect. The RP did not want to press charges.
Saturday, Sept. 14
1:05pm A woman at Hotel Healdsburg on Matheson Street refused to leave the bathroom. Her belongings were strung about the stalls. The RP was not willing to file trespass paperwork against the woman. Officers responded and asked the woman to move along.
• 1:25pm The RP reported a reckless driver on Hwy 101 at Independence Lane. The call was transferred to California Highway Patrol.
2:19pm The RP on Kennedy Lane indicated her vehicle was keyed. She wanted to press charges. Officers responded. A 73-YO man was cited for vandalism.
• 2:19pm The RP at Silveira Buick GMC Healdsburg Avenue indicated a man with a large stick yelled at the RP and knocked down signs in front of the dealership. The RP wanted to file trespass paperwork against the man. Officers responded and advised the man to stay away from the dealership.
• 6:06pm There was a suspected drunk driver near Boat Launch Road. The incident was transferred to California Highway Patrol.
6:21pm The RP at Plaza
Park on Healdsburg Avenue stated a man was very drunk and struggling with his pants. The man had a knife in his waistband. A 63-YO man was arrested and brought to county jail for violating probation.
Sunday, Sept. 15
1:35am
Two
FRIDAY,
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 10:30 AM – 12
Photo by Christian Kallen