The Healdsburg Tribune
ANOTHER UTOPIAN DREAM
IN CLOVERDALE
‘ESMERALDA’
Healdsburg Tribune
TECHIE VILLAGE HAS BIG VISION FOR NORTH COUNTY
By Simone Wilson
Remember in June, when 1,000-plus “techno optimists” from around the world convened in Healdsburg for a mysterious month-long series of talks, salons and workshops on how to build a utopian future?
They weren’t kidding. Devon Zuegel of the Esmeralda Land Company, one of two groups behind the Healdsburg event, revealed this month that for the past year she has been in talks to purchase nearly 270 acres of land at the south end of sleepy Cloverdale, current population 9,000, and turn it into a “new town called Esmeralda.”
This former industrial site just east of Hwy 101 and north of the Cloverdale Airport is a classic slice of Northern Sonoma County landscape. After years of environmental cleanup by the landowner and government agencies, it’s now a blank slate of grassy hills, old oak trees and a milelong stretch of coveted Russian River frontage.
“It’s a beautiful location,” said Cloverdale City Councilmember Melanie Bagby. “It has one of our best views south to the Alexander Valley. Absolutely breathtaking.”
Locals might also know it as the site of the wouldbe “Alexander Valley Resort” plan—a.k.a., the cash-strapped City of Cloverdale’s best shot at collecting even a fraction of the tourist- and propertytax money that Healdsburg enjoys. Over the past two decades, at the city’s encouragement, various developers have drawn up
➝ Techie Village, 4
SMART Picks Up Steam
$81 MILLION
TO FUEL EXTENSION TO LYTTON SPRINGS
By Christian Kallen
That big clock is finally ticking for the train’s arrival in Healdsburg—it’s no longer only a memory or a pipe dream. Last week brought the news that the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District had been awarded an $81 million grant from the state to extend the rail service from its current terminus, at the Sonoma County Airport, though Windsor to Healdsburg’s northern city limit by 2028—including construction of a new or remodeled rail bridge over the Russian River.
“This is such a huge victory for the residents of northern Sonoma County,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire,
a Healdsburg native. “We can’t wait to get the shovels in the ground and move SMART full steam ahead into Healdsburg!”
McGuire was one of several public officials crowing about the grant announcement—James Gore, Ariel Kelley and Deborah Fudge all shared the brag, and with good reason given their longstanding service with local transportation agencies.
“Adding Healdsburg to the SMART network builds on investments already made in the system and will help SMART’s ridership reach new heights,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, a member of several Bay Area transportation boards.
Even as the huzzahs and dollars rain down, eyes in Healdsburg are turning toward the two old buildings at the former NWP depot on Harmon Street and wondering what part in the coming drama this location will play.
Lytton Extension
The $81 million from the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) is being matched by $188 million in other secured and pending federal, state, regional and local funds, including two pending grants to build out not only the 5.5-mile rail section from Windsor to Healdsburg, but a littleheralded 3.3-mile segment from the depot to Healdsburg’s northern city limits at Lytton Road as well.
The announcement from SMART’s communications office emphasized that SMART’s goal is to extend the rail line and pathway all the way to Cloverdale, arguing that “SMART’s northern extension will reduce congestion on major roads like Highway 101, offer safe and reliable alternative travel choice, foster economic growth through transitoriented development,
and improve access to jobs, education, and healthcare.”
As well as completing almost nine miles of track between Windsor and Healdsburg, the combined funds will be used to complete critical segments of the SMART Pathway, also known as the Foss Creek Pathway in Healdsburg and the Great Redwood Trail more broadly.
To fully fund the project, however, is conditional upon two current applications for a total of $91 million in additional grants, which will be announced in June 2025.
Julia Gonzalez, SMART’s communications director, said, “SMART is not waiting to hear the results of the two pending grants. SMART is currently preparing designbuild contract documents and expects to select a contractor by summer 2025.”
Construction would begin a year later, with “the goal of launching passenger rail service to Healdsburg by the end of 2028.”
But the artwork is frustratingly difficult. So next time your barista pours a beautiful heart, flower or whatever, don’t take it for granted. If you’ve tried to make latté art, you’ll know it’s a skill not easy to come by. When you know, you know.
TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THE DAILY POUR
By Pierre Ratte
For over 30 years, my daily pour has been a latté. Some years ago, I took a latté art class in Seattle. While it’s not every day that hearts and recognizable shapes like the one above get poured, it’s often enough that it is intriguing. What will my coffee look like this morning? No question, it’s addictive. Trying to get that design shape just perfect— very addictive! Oh, maybe you thought it was the caffeine? Well, there is that!
Fun Facts: Ethiopian goats excited from eating hillside beans are credited with discovering coffee. Interest in coffee migrated from Ethiopia to Turkey. The first café opened in Istanbul in 1475, and coffee culture centered around cafés and conversations ever since. By the 1800s, coffee houses were the rage in Europe and Italy, but brewing took time. Espresso was invented to reduce brew time from minutes to seconds. Pavoni reportedly invented the first pressurerelease valve to safely operate steam-based machines in 1900. Later, Gaggia patented a device that
Depot
Questions
Although it’s unclear how much of the current $81 million award, or the expected $91 million, would go not only to building a new passenger platform but to possibly also upgrading Healdsburg’s historic depot site, currently partially rebuilt in 2011 but once again boarded up. Though the city went through a months-long crisis of doubt, in January 2024 the City Council finally settled on the Harmon Street Depot as the favored location for a SMART station. At one point it was proposed to locate the SMART station itself as close as possible to the Healdsburg Roundabout, essentially bypassing the old depot, to encourage foot traffic downtown. But SMART, which owns the two buildings as part of its acquisition of Northwestern ➝ Area Rail Transit, 4
increased water pressure from 2 to 10 atmospheric bars, thereby discovering “crema”—the light-brown floating foam. Brazil produces more coffee than any other country. Finland consumes more coffee per capita than any other country. Caffeine’s effect begins in 5 minutes, peaks at 30 and remains for hours. Light roasts retain more caffeine than dark. Decaf coffee has 2-10 milligrams compared to 80-100+ milligrams for regular coffee. Starbucks reportedly has over 30,000 cafés in 75 countries. Why is the coffee company called Chock full o’Nuts, if coffee is a fruit? The company started selling nuts to theatergoers in 1926. After 1929, the company changed its nut shops to lunch counters selling a pumpernickel-raisin bread, cream cheese and nut sandwich for 5 cents, including a cup of coffee.
Photo Courtesy of SMART
Photo by Pierre Ratte
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
GOINGS ON AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT
WEEKEND
THE
Finer Things
The annual Wine & Food
Affair Pairing Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 2-3, in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. Some 40 wineries usually participate; pick up tickets at your favorite and go from there. For details and passes, visit wineroad.com.
Tour de Force
“Journalistic theater” is what Dan Hoyle performs in his one-man show, It Takes All Kinds, giving the chameleonic actor a chance to inhabit others’ stories and the people who tell them. Directed by Aldo Billingslea and Michael Moran. Shows Friday and Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 2pm. Tickets from $5-$105. At The 222, 222 Healdsburg Ave., the222.org.
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
Skis & Snowboards
“Warren Miller’s 75,” an anniversary presentation of works from the legendary snow-sports filmmaker (1924-2018) with footage from around the world, is a three-part event on Friday, Nov. 1. Part one is a ski and snowboard gear swap, hosted at the True West Film Center (375 Healdsburg Ave.) from 11am to 4pm. The film screening is at 6:30pm at the Raven (115 North St.), with an afterparty at Craftwork (445 Center St.). Film only: $30 or $15 students; afterparty adds $15.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
Fall in the Air
With the air crisp and autumn in full swing, it’s a good time for a morning visit to the Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market on Saturday, Nov. 2. The market, featuring fresh seasonal produce, opens at 8:30am and goes till noon. Keep an eye out for pumpkin-spice desserts!
Brazilian Jazz
The Ruth Ahlers Trio plays charts from prominent composers including Jobim, Joyce, João Bosco and others, plus other tunes combining jazz and Brazilian rhythms. With Ahlers on saxophone, Ken Cook on keys, Brad Maestas playing the bass and Eric Engstrom on the drums. Music from 6-9pm at the Spirit Bar, Hotel Healdsburg’s fireside
FORMULA BUSINESSES
We know now that those blue and orange signs “Vote yes on local” are misleading. We will not vote this November to preserve the look of our downtown or the number of “formula” businesses allowed to replace locally owned shops. We can speak up.
The City Council must address this issue with a “formula retail ordinance” that expands the boundaries of the retail area and codifies “formula business.” The 2030 General Plan protects businesses directly facing the Plaza, but not those around the Plaza, which explains why Faherty can slip into Ooh la Luxe’s space.
Councilmember Kelly sounded the alarm at the August 19th meeting: If the council fails to enact a retail ordinance to protect downtown businesses, it will be just a matter of time before formula businesses move in and force local businesses out. Kelly can’t act without the other members’ support. But some members are unsure if this is even the council’s job, and some believe this task will require the same “scrutiny and attention” as the cannabis dispensary ordinance. Really?
Mayor Hagele noted that if Measure O passes, more people will live downtown, increasing the retail demand. Yes. What kind of retail? Chipotle?
Hegele’s daughter would be “head over heels” if Chipotle moved nearby. If she gets her wish, will El Sombrero and Taco Grande survive?
Our council can’t be expected to anticipate every economic eventuality and define every exception. However, they can expect that their inaction is a “slippery slope” with anticipated consequences.
Planning Director Scott Duiven and City Manager Jeff McKay explained the issues, defined terms and provided implementation options. A draft “Formula Retail Ordinance” has been ready since 2011. Is this that hard?
Our City Council will address this again on December 2nd. They want community input. They could use direction. Speak up. Pamela Rudd Healdsburg PARANOIA AND WORRY
Last week’s letters in the Tribune brought you a replay of arguments against Measure O—once again selling paranoia and worry. What’s painfully obvious is that none of the writers have presented any actionable alternative to Measure O—though they claim to be “prohousing.” Voters need to understand that a rejection of Measure O will not set the stage
lounge, 25 Matheson St. Gentleman Blues
Matt Schofield comes back to the Raven with his blistering blues band, playing the music that’s earned him international “best blues guitarist” awards for over a decade. He blew the roof off the place early last year; don’t miss the show this time. Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:30pm at Raven Theater, 115 North St. Tickets $25$40 at raventheater.org.
Down & Dirty
Some dance bands say it all in their name. The Down Dirty Shake puts Latin, psych, soul, pop and garagerock in a blender and brings it to the stage, San Francisco-style. The post-psychedelic band Triptides opens; music begins at 8pm. Saturday, Nov. 2, $15, at Coyote Sonoma, 44F Mill St.
Alligator Man
Santa Rosa-born, New Orleans-based Alligator Records artist Eric Lindell pays a return visit to the Elephant in the Room on Saturday, Nov. 2, with the West Side Summer League. It’s the Elephant’s last outdoor concert of the season. Space and tickets are limited, so get them while they last. 8pm at 177 Healdsburg Ave. Tickets $35 in advance, elephantintheroompub.com.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
Wayne Shorter Tribute
Saxophone great’s last backup trio plays with Mark Turner, a present-day sax polymath, in this special legacy show at the Raven Theater for Healdsburg Jazz, 7pm. Read story this issue.
LETTERS
for new policies, but will instead guarantee inaction and exacerbation of Healdsburg’s oppressive housing woes deep into the foreseeable future.
For example, the “guardrails” (incomerestricted housing) they see missing are a proven stonewall to development. And their suggestion of asking the voters to pay for yet another election, this time in support of a smaller version of Measure O, is a pipe dream. Elections are expensive and exhausting, and this version of “Plan B” will never get to the ballot. Voters don’t have the patience for yet another go-round. It’s an ineffectual plan that would be dead on arrival.
The opponents essentially warn us to “beware of hundreds of massive, unaffordable luxury units!” But the numbers they’ve cooked to support their “worst case is inevitable” conclusions about Measure O have been shown to be patently misleading. Still, they parade them out. Another rebuttal does not bear repeating here. They’ve tested your patience enough.
Housing opportunities under O are intentionally limited, modest and workable for Healdsburg’s middle class. There’s no hidden agenda, no surprises and the homework done to back the Measure up was exhaustive—and
NEXT WEEK
City Council
It’s time again for the first Healdsburg City Council meeting of the month, Monday Nov. 4. Planned agenda items include investments and disbursements, Saggio Hills park design and funding the prohousing incentive program. 6pm, 401 Grove St., or at facebook. com/cityofhealdsburg.
Backward Look
Ten years ago Seattle folkie Noah Gunderson and Abby Gundersen created their first album together, Ledges . Now they take a look back to see what that was all about, and where it’s all going. Special Wednesday, Oct. 30, performance at the Second Story stage (Note: The café and lounge downstairs is closed on Wednesdays). Doors at 7pm, show
at 8, tickets $40 plus fees, at Little Saint, 25 North St. Commission Recruitment
The city’s new Arts & Culture Commission is filling its first class of seven members, plus a youth commissioner. “The Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council and the Community Services Director to carry out the vision, goals, and strategies outlined in the City’s Arts and Culture Master Plan,” reads the job description at healdsburg.gov/CivicAlerts. aspx?AID=661. Applicants accepted until Nov. 6. Post events on the Tribune’s online calendar at healdsburgtribune.com/ calendar and send special announcements to editor@ healdsburgtribune.com.
MAILBOX IS FULL Send email Letters to the Editor at editor@weeklys.com. Please limit to 300 words, thank you.
supported by years of public input. Just review the City’s in-depth Housing Element update, for starters. Measure O responds to and incorporates Healdsburg’s concerns about growth, water and preservation of our unique small-town character. Please join Corazón, Healdsburg 2040, Senator McGuire, Sonoma County Democrats and many more local leaders by voting Yes on O! Stephen Barber Healdsburg
HONOR THE GMO
I am a 35-year resident of Healdsburg, and the 2000 Growth Management Ordinance (GMO) has been the one intelligent planning tool that has managed to keep Healdsburg a comfortable and quality-of-life living
environment. Now, the City Council, supporting the wine and tourism industry, which wants a dependable service sector to live nearby, is promoting Measure O to the voters. This Measure would blatantly disregard the 2020 GMO and allow multiple multi-family projects, to include thousands of cars, north to south along Healdsburg Avenue, the city’s only main thoroughfare. Can you imagine that for Healdsburg? They want the voters to “trust” them, yet they do not want to honor the 2000 GMO voters. After surviving two major droughts since 2015 with no rain since April of this year, the climate change advocates are now endorsing Measure O. The U.S. government is $35 trillion in debt,
California is in perilous debt and inflation, which may escalate into a recession, is pushing the working class into unwanted debt. Adding to the dilemma, the wine and tourism industry is experiencing a serious decline in wine consumption. Not the right time or plan. Healdsburg is a working-class town with some paying property tax on a credit card. Measure O is tragically flawed and may be the demise of a once-wonderful country town. The private equity firms, corporations and politicians do not care about your quality of life. In 10 years they will be gone and taxpayers, not renters and tourists, will be left holding the financial debt and headaches.
Kevin J. McCann toHealdsburg
Photo by Rick Tang
CEREMONY A Native-American woman blesses the Dia de Muertos altar with copal incense at the Healdsburg Plaza last Sunday, Oct. 27. In Mexico, Dia de Muertos is a two-day holiday that reunites the living and the dead, usually recognized on Nov. 1 and 2, corresponding to the Catholic All Saints Day.
Reviving a Legacy: Wayne Shorter’s Footprint Quartet
FORMER BACKUP TRIO, SAX DISCIPLE AT THE RAVEN
By Christian Kallen
Sunday evening, area jazz fans have an opportunity to rediscover a music legend, a giant of the sax from the golden age of saxophone jazz. The concert, “Legacy of Wayne Shorter,” presents three men who played with the transformative musician in the late prime of his career, and a present-day disciple, who together create a living legacy of a jazz great.
Shorter leapt into prominence in the late 1950s when he joined Art Blakeley’s Jazz Messengers, and from there his career included playing with the 1960s-era Miles Davis and later forming the influential Weather Report. But he wasn’t done yet—he later expanded his musical expressions with a series of quartet-based projects.
Three of the musicians who will be at the Raven on Sunday night, Nov. 2, include pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. This is the so-called Footprints Quartet, who backed Shorter on four live albums, from 2002 until Without a Net (2013).
If any musicians know the work of the complex Shorter, it’s these men. Much of their decade of work together was a joint adventure of discovery through Shorter’s compositions, often at some remove from the traditional melody-improv-melody structure of classic jazz.
Joining them will be Mark Turner, a veteran of
two past Healdsburg Jazz Festivals and the ideal talent to round out the quartet in its inspired exploration of the music of Wayne Shorter.
Still, while the names of saxophone legends like Lester Young, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane are almost globally familiar, Shorter’s name recognition is a half-step lower than theirs. The best person to ask why Healdsburg Jazz is bringing this “Legacy” concert to town is the organization’s musical director, Marcus Shelby.
We began by asking bassist Shelby, 58 years of age and a professional musician since 1990, if he ever had the opportunity to play with Shorter (1933-2013).
“I unfortunately never played with Wayne Shorter, but consider myself a humble student of his work and legacy,” Shelby replied.
HT: What makes Wayne Shorter an appropriate subject for a legacy concert?
MS: Wayne Shorter is an appropriate and in fact, supremely necessary, subject for a legacy concert. He just passed away a year ago and now is the perfect time to celebrate, elevate and educate on the accomplishments and importance of such a prolific artist.
Wayne Shorter is one of the most influential musicians and composers in the long canon of our art form. The evidence is in his compositions that are a large part of our repertoire. “Infant Eyes,” “Yes or No,” “Witch Hunt,” “Foot Prints,” “Ju Ju,” “Ana Maria,” “El Gaucho,”
“Deluge,” “Speak Like a Child,” “Black Nile” and a treasure trove of other songs are Wayne Shorter compositions permanently etched into the history of instrumental masterpieces.
His approach is a perfect blend of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins, which in turn influenced a whole generation of saxophonists that followed him.
Wayne Shorter was on the cutting edge of various musical movements from bebop to post-pop, fusion and beyond. His associations with Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, and his
own great quartet places him at the center of the foundation and evolution of Black American music. What was his greatest strength—his compositions, his style as a performer or as a bandleader?
His music was sublime, complicated, diverse in harmonic architecture, divergent from traditional forms, and full of Africanisms (6/8 rhythms, blues and swing, melodic shouts and other cultural influences).
Wayne Shorter was thorough, meticulous and scholarly in his roles as music director for Art Blakey and his stint with Miles Davis. Herbie Hancock once
commented that while with the great Miles Davis Quintet in the 1960s, Wayne would bring in full scores and parts for the entire band and Miles never changed, corrected or altered any of Wayne’s work. It was that good. What about the three musicians who will perform next week— where do they fit in his timeline?
Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade were the inaugural members of Wayne Shorter’s final touring group. This band was formed in 2000 and remained with him until his death (in 2023). Healdsburg Jazz is super honored to present
by
this group, in all of its authenticity, without the maestro himself. The saxophone chair for the current Wayne Shorter legacy band will be held by the great Mark Turner, one of the great tenor saxophonists of our era and a master interpreter of Wayne Shorter’s music.
‘The Legacy of Wayne Shorter’ will be presented on Sunday, Nov. 3, at the Raven Theater (115 North St.). Before the 7pm concert, there will be an educational talk about the life and accomplishments of Wayne Shorter at 5:30pm. Tickets at healdsburgjazz.org.
• Crafting comprehensive, transparent housing solutions that are inclusive and sustainable for now and in the future.
• A collaborative, balanced approach to strategies around economic diversification that’s locally focused.
• Providing a pathway for authentic engagement around climate, infrastructure and the arts.
THREE-QUARTERS The Danilo Perez Trio in 2015, with Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade. The three comprised the late-career band of saxophonist-composer Wayne Shorter, and will appear at the Raven on Nov. 2 with Mark Turner.
Photo
Anna Webber
Pacific Railroad assets, has an interest in their fate, and the city and business community are already giving some extra thought to the fate of the Harmon Street Depot.
“We’ve been doing some preliminary brainstorming about those buildings,” said City Manager Jeff Kay, though there has not been any feasibility analysis on the potential for remodeling. He agreed that “a civic-minded use like a visitors center or Chamber office could make sense,” but again the evaluation process is just beginning.
“As SMART’s construction schedule becomes more clear, I expect that process to pick up steam. There will surely be a public engagement process before any decisions are made,” Kay said.
Tallia Hart, CEO of the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, also seemed intrigued by the possibilities. “A remodeled Healdsburg Depot could offer a unique space to welcome and inform visitors, provided there’s alignment and partnership with entities like SMART and the City,” she wrote in an email to the Tribune. “We believe a civicminded use could bring new energy to this historic space,
RICHARD HAUBER
March 10, 1948 – October 25, 2024
Richard Hauber died at home in Geyserville, California on Friday, October 25, 2024 at the age of 76. He was born in Winfield, Kansas on March 10, 1948. He attended Regis College in Denver, Colorado, earning a B.A. in Accounting in 1971. He moved to California in 1972 and settled in the Bay Area. He initially lived in San Francisco, later moving to St. Helena, and finally moving to Sonoma County, where he lived for the rest of his life.
He worked for three decades as a knife sharpener, traveling around to restaurants and wineries throughout Sonoma and Napa Counties. He also made knives, built and restored lamps, worked in the antique trade, and was a capable handyman.
He loved to golf and to cook, he appreciated a good book, and liked to tell jokes.
He is survived by three brothers, a sister, two children, and four grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 9, 2024 from 9am to noon at: The Healdsburg Golf Club, Tayman Park, 927 S. Fitch Mountain Rd. Healdsburg, CA 95448.
benefiting both locals and visitors alike.”
Precedence lies in at least three other historic depot buildings being recycled into other purposes, or perhaps elevated to them. In Petaluma, where SMART has been involved since 2003 in revitalizing the former Lakeview Street Depot, the buildings now serve not only as the location of the passenger platform but as the Petaluma Visitors Center and the Petaluma Arts Center.
In Santa Rosa, the depot built in 1903 has now become the Santa Rosa Visitors Center and California Welcome Center, and the Railroad Square neighborhood has become
a busy antiques and restaurant neighborhood.
Windsor’s former rail depot underwent extensive remodeling several years ago and now serves as the public location of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center, a few steps away from the Windsor Green and Town Center.
On the other hand, Cloverdale made the leap too soon. In 1998 the City of Cloverdale built a new train depot on the east side of town, off the South Cloverdale Boulevard highway intersection. It still awaits the arrival of SMART in town, which is not part of the current $81 million grant package.
HAPPY
‘ESMERALDA’
plans for a fancy hotel, rows of suburban housing, a golf course—even an equestrian center. But nothing has panned out.
Dreams vs. Reality
Enter Zuegel, an energetic young Los Altos native and career software developer in her early 30s with a lifelong dream of creating a walkable, collegecampus-style West Coast community. It’s modeled after Chautauqua, the bohemian hamlet in New York where she spent summers as a kid. And she firmly believes she can drum up enough interest from real-estate investors who believe in her vision to make it a reality.
Indeed, Cloverdale
Mayor Todd Lands said his only real concern about the Esmeralda proposal at this stage is whether it will come to fruition at all.
“I’ve heard this song and dance before,” he said, “and reality is the only thing that scares me.”
as required by the city; venues to host the same kinds of events Healdsburg saw in June; and 60% open parkland, with public trails and river access.
fringe community founded by faith healer Madame Emily Preston, known for her all-seeing “X-ray eye” and witchy tonics. It’s the stuff of local lore.
Andrew Zamberlin, president of Diablo Commercial Properties (which manages the land) and sonin-law of Richard Spight (whose three children now own the land), confirmed that Zuegel currently has an exclusive option to purchase the property. This means she has it on hold right now while she and her team inspect the land and decide if it meets their criteria.
In the meantime, Zuegel has been making the rounds in Cloverdale, presenting initial sketches and getting feedback from local leaders. At this stage, she envisions an ungated neighborhood of family homes at various price points, arranged in a way that deprioritizes cars; a nice hotel,
“I’m super inspired,” Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore said of the plan, which would play nicely with a couple of his pet projects: the SMART train’s northward expansion and the adjacent Great Redwood Trail. Both run right through the Alexander Valley Resort property.
The supervisor said that while other developers might have seen future train and trail traffic, along with airport traffic to the south, as a potential nuisance, they instead serve as assets to Esmeralda’s utopian vision.
Faded Visions Gore himself grew up in Cloverdale, next to the remains of the Preston colony of the late 1800s—a
Also in the late 1800s, a group of French immigrants called the Icarians came to town and attempted to build another commune based on a sci-fi novel about an exotic island nation; a historical plaque still marks the spot.
“Wait a minute,” Gore said during a phone interview. “Have people been coming here for hundreds of years with idealism, and trying to mash that into practical development? Maybe there’s something about Cloverdale that attracts that type of dream.”
Zuegel and the leaders of Edge City, the other group behind the Edge Esmeralda popup village in Healdsburg, will have another chance to play with the concept next summer,
when they plan to bring the event back to Healdsburg for a second year, from May 24 to June 21. Just like in the months leading up to the first popup event, some locals are skeptical about Esmeralda’s plans for Cloverdale. In long threads on Facebook and Nextdoor, neighbors have shared their fears about Silicon Valley techies inundating their small ag town and turning it into a playground for the rich.
“We will become the next Healdsburg,” one wrote. Mayor Lands and other local officials who spoke to the Tribune stressed that if Esmeralda does end up buying the property, there will be a lengthy City review and public-input process.
“If anybody’s concerned and is loud on Facebook, then they should go meet with the team and tell them about their concerns,” Gore said. “These are not big, burly developers.”
QUEEN BEE ‘Esmeralda’ visionkeeper Devon Zuegel is neither an average Bay Area techie, nor an average developer.
Photo by Simone Wilson
ARRIVAL Passengers at the SMART station in Petaluma either board or debark the regional transit service at the location of a former NWP rail depot, much as they will in Healdsburg starting in 2028.
Photo by Daedalus Howell
PAX Passengers on a northbound SMART train give a thumbs-up on hearing that the rail service will soon extend north to Healdsburg.
Photo courtesy of SMART
FACADE Signage on the old 1891 Northwestern Pacific Rail depot, on Harmon Street in Healdsburg. The buildings may be renovated with the coming of SMART to town in 2028.
Photo by Christian Kallen
Seniors Play Final Hounds Volleyball
EARLY-SEASON HOPES DASHED BY UNEVEN RESULTS
By John Linker
This year’s girls Greyhounds Varsity Volleyball team finished with a 7-20 record overall, fifth in their league at 3-7. But that never stopped the team from coming out and playing with a vibrancy that only high school girls volleyball can exhibit.
Melissa Casas Gatica, co-captain with middle blocker Allie Espinoza, was heralded this season for her spirited play at libero. How does a player dig and set up a 40- to 50-mile-per-hour serve, sometimes with top spin on it, so that their teammates can spike it for a point? Ask Casas that question as she led the team with 164 digs for the season. She showed speed and agility, often chasing down balls well out of the court, and made countless saves during games that filled spectators with awe. Espinoza’s strident jump and powerful strike led the team with 71 kills. With just the slightest turn of the striking hand, she can hit the ball in any one direction and avoid the block. Also performing well during the season were junior Josefine Mork and senior Ashley Behrens, who had a season total of 52 and 51 kills, respectively. Espinoza also led the team with an unprecedented 24 blocks. She would often time a block
and turn her palms at exactly the right angle so that the block hit the floor in-bounds. Said coach Jonathan Nuttall about the Oct. 17 match with St. Vincent, “Highlights of the match were easily two monster blocks by Allie Espinoza, who ended the match with four total. I’ve watched a lot of volleyball in the area over the past couple years, but those two blocks were of a different breed [than] the soft ones you tend to see.”
Also notable this season was the power serve of senior Sophia Turic, who led her team with a total of 39 aces. Casas, with her direct low serves, had 30 aces for the year, while junior Hannah Sellards, with her powerful topspin serves, had 22 aces.
One of the highlights of the season was the home game against Analy, where the players honored their favorite teachers by inviting their favorite staff members to come support them, exchanging gifts and taking photos. “It was awesome having such a packed gym,” said coach Nuttall. “Students, teachers and parents, shoulder-to-shoulder cheering the Hounds on. And I think it really helped the girls, too, as we played an incredible fiveset match.
“We may have lost in that final set, but it was easily the most fun I’ve had coaching this team all season,” Nuttall continued. “Games like that make all the late nights and stress worth it. It was simply an incredible experience, and exactly why I love being a part of this sport.”
Season Review
The team’s three league wins included two 3-0 sweeps of Elsie Allen and a forfeit from Piner, which had too many contests scheduled during the season and was forced to forfeit the last three games.
They also had strong showings against both St. Vincent de Paul, the league’s second-place finisher, and Analy, falling short 3-2 in five game sets.
Though they scored hundreds of points and could match any team physically, the team did not make it into the playoff season. Coach Nuttall said, “That was my goal for the year, so it hurts to know we’ll be missing out. But it just means that me and the girls will have to come back stronger in 2025.”
Returning to the Hounds next year will be juniors Lilian Nieto, Siena Sbragia, Josefine Mork and Tatum Kiff, along with sophomore Elizabeth Aleman.
“I’ve learned a lot as a coach this year, and the non-seniors have made their own strides forward,” Nuttall said. “It will be hard losing these seven seniors, but it would be an insult to the girls still here to say that just because we couldn’t do it this year we won’t be able to the next.”
As for coach Nutall’s own future, he said, “I am planning on sticking around. I’ve learned a lot this year, and while I didn’t achieve everything I hoped for this season, Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
Golf Girls Win Redwood Pennant
UNDEFEATED IN MATCH PLAY, HHS TAKES HOME THE FLAG
Staff Report
It’s official: The Healdsburg High girls golf team won the 2024 NBL Redwood division pennant, going undefeated in match play matches.
Senior and league MVP Tehya Mtchell led the Hounds this season. She was medalist in all 12 matches she played in, averaging just one stroke over par this season. “I believe she is a four-time MVP, and easily the best high school golfer ever to attend Healdsburg,” said the team’s coach, Martin Kiff. “She will be a great college golfer.”
Sophomore Siena Yeilding and freshman Amber
Dhiman were named to the NBL Redwood division first team. Sophomores Zella Santana and Roisin O’Herlihy also contributed greatly to the season’s winning scores. Junior Lucy Behrens and senior Lola Hagen, too, posted reliable scores for the Hounds, keeping the team at the top of the division all season.
The season concluded Oct. 28 at Rooster Run Golf Club in Petaluma with the NCS Championships, where Healdsburg finished eighth out of 16 teams.
“The Men’s and Women’s golf clubs and the staff at Healdsburg Golf Course at Tayman Park were supportive in every way possible,” Kiff said. “From donations to lessons and free use of the top-notch facilities, the Girls golf team shares our championship with all involved.”
Photo by Michael Lucid
TEAM REACTION The front line of the Greyhounds volleyball team in action against Rancho Cotate on Oct. 10 includes, from left, Siena Sbragia (number 1, obscured), Liliana Nieto (6), libero Melissa Casas Gatica (11) and Hannah Sellards (3).
Photo by Martin Kiff
PENNANT WINNERS The 2024 Healdsburg girls golf team, from left, included Siena Yeilding, Roisin O’Herlihy, Zella Santana, Lola Hagen, Tehya Mitchell, Amber Dhiman and Lucy Behrens.
LEGAL NOTICES
all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: IVAN ASTUDILLO, OWNER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on OCTOBER 17, 2024. (Publication Dates October 24, 31, November 7, 14 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune).
LADIES AND A DUDE ENTERPRISES LLC, 129 WINDSOR PALMS DR, WINDSOR, CA 95492: This business is being conducted by A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on 7/25/2017. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: MARY HANCOCK, MANAGING MEMBER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on SEPTEMBER 12, 2024. (Publication Dates October 17, 24, 31, November 7 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune). FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403094
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. GOOD KARMA CONSTRUCTION INC, 642 5TH ST, SANTA ROSA, CA 95404 COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: 440 N BARRANCA AVE #4414, COVINA, CA 91723: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): GOOD KARMA CONSTRUCTION & LANDSCAPING INC, 440 N BARRANCA AVE #4414, COVINA, CA 91723, CALIFORNIA: This business is being conducted by A CORPORATION. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: KAMBIZ FAHIM, PRESIDENT. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on OCTOBER 09, 2024. (Publication Dates October 24, 31, November 7, 14 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune). NOTICE INVITING BIDS St. John the Baptist Catholic School is pleased to announce posting of Requests for Proposals for YR 2025 (YR25) E-Rate Eligible Projects: Internet Service. The bids are due no later than 3:00 p.m. on December 3, 2024 at the Main Office, 217 Fitch Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Interested vendors are referred to the St. John the Baptist Catholic School website for details, instructions, bid forms and submittal due dates. St. John the Baptist Catholic School website may be accessed at: http://www.sjshbg.org Thank you please contact me, 707-477-2568 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403189 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. PIRAMIDE FARM, WINE AND SPIRITS, 111 MONTE VISTA AVE., SUITE C, HEALDSBURG, CA 95448, COUNTY SONOMA: MAILING ADDRESS: 421 AVAIATION BOULEVARD, SANTA ROSA, CA 95403: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): PIRAMIDE FINE WINE AND SPIRITS, LLC, 421 AVAIATION BOULEVARD, SANTA ROSA, CA 95403, DE: This business is being conducted by A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: SHAUN YUTAKA KAJIWARA, MEMBER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on OCTOBER 17, 2024. (Publication Dates October 24, 31, November 6, 13 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune). FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403191 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. SANTA ROSA SHIPPING & MAILING, 1040 NORTH DUTTON AVE SUITE A, SANTA ROSA, CA 95401 COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: 1040 NORTH DUTTON AVE SUITE A, SANTA ROSA, CA 95401: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): IVAN ALEJANDRO ASTUDILLO, 1040 NORTH DUTTON AVE SUITE A, SANTA ROSA, CA 95401: This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on 10/17/24. I declare that
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF SONOMA 600 Administration Dr. Room 107-J, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 CASE NUMBER: 24CV06201 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS 1. Petitioner (name of each): FNU RAVINDER KUMAR, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: a. FNU RAVINDER KUMAR, b. FNU SUDESH KUMARI, c. FNU VEER DAVINDER PAL, d. FNU JATINDER KUMAR to Proposed Name: RAVINDER KUMAR, SUDESH KUMARI, VEER DAVINDER PAL,
JATINDER KUMAR 2. THE COURT
ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING 12/18/2024 at 3:00 PM, in Dept: 18: Sonoma County Superior Court, 600 Administration Dr. Room 107-J, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Via Zoom. GO ONLINE TO ZOOM.US/JOIN OR PHONE IN AT Meeting ID Dial 1-669-900-6833, MEETING ID 160 739 4368 Passcode 000169. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in The Healdsburg Tribune, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in the county of Sonoma. DATED: OCTOBER 18 2024 Hon. CHRISTOPHER M. HONIGSBERG, Judge of the Superior Court. (Publication Dates October 24, 31, November 7, 14 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune). FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403213 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1.TEGOOD ENTERPRISES, 1444A GROVE STREET, HEALDSBURG, CA
95448 COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing
Address: 1795 BOXHEART DRIVE, UNIT 329, HEALDSBURG, CA 95448: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): BRADLEY MACLEAN TEBO and , 1795 BOXHEART DRIVE, UNIT 329, HEALDSBURG, CA 95448: This business is being conducted by A MARRIED COUPLE. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: BRADLEY M. TEBO CO-OWNER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on OCTOBER 18, 2024. (Publication Dates October 24, 31, November 7, 14 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune).
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202403205 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. MCCABE CONSULTING, 182 BROAD REACH, THE SEA RANCH, CA 95497 COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: PO BOX 1791, GUALALA, CA 95445: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): LINDA CAROL MCCABE, 182 BROAD REACH, THE SEA RANCH, CA 95497: This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: LINDA CAROL MCCABE, OWNER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on OCTOBER 18, 2024. (Publication Dates October 24, 31, November 7, 14 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune).
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202402900 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. HODGIN AND
SONS TREE CARE, 337 BUCKS RD, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407 COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: SAME Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): MICHAEL GILLEN HODGIN, 337 BUCKS RD, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407: This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious name or names above on 1985. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. Signed: MICHAEL HODGIN, OWNER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on SEPTEMBER 17, 2024. (Publication Dates October 31, November 7, 14, 21 of 2024 The Healdsburg Tribune).
Trustee Sale TS No. 241004660 Notice Of Default And Foreclosure Sale U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development Recorded in accordance with 12 USCA 3764 (c) APN 090-150-026-000 Property Address: 2277 Frei Rd Healdsburg Area, CA 95448 Whereas, on 3/12/2013, a certain Deed of Trust was executed by Ruth Welker, an unmarried woman as trustor in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc (“MERS”) as nominee for First Priority Financial, Inc. as beneficiary, and Fidelity National Title Insurance Company as trustee, and was recorded on 3/19/2013, as Instrument No. 2013027783, in the Office of the County Recorder of Sonoma County, California; and Whereas, the Deed of Trust was insured by the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (the Secretary) pursuant to the National Housing Act for the purpose of providing single family housing; and Whereas, the beneficial interest in the Deed of Trust is now owned by the Secretary, pursuant to an Assignment of Deed of Trust dated 7/16/2018, recorded on 8/2/2018, as instrument number 2018055029, in the Office of the County Recorder, Sonoma County, California; and Whereas, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Deed of Trust in that the payment due on 9/18/2024, was not made and remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this notice, and no payment has been made sufficient to restore the loan to currency; and Whereas, the entire amount delinquent as of 11/22/2024 is $794,087.11; and Whereas, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Deed of Trust to be immediately due and payable; Now Therefore, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, 12 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR part 27, subpart B, and by the Secretary’s designation of Total Lender Solutions, Inc. as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on 9/25/2024 as instrument number 2024044245, notice is hereby given that on 11/22/2024 at 10:00 AM local time, all real and personal property at or used in connection with the following described property will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder: Legal Description: Beginning At A Point Marked By An Iron Pipe Driven On The Southwesterly Side Of An Access Road, 1030 Feet, More Or Less, Northwesterly From Its Junction With The County Road, Leading From Dry Creek To Lytton Springs, In Section 1, Township 9 North, Range 10 West, M.D.M. Within The Sotoyome Rancho, Sonoma County, California; The Said Point Being The Most Easterly Corner Of The Property Of Fred W. Dicke And Mabel Dicke, Described In A Document Recorded In Book O.R. 1225, Page 208, Sonoma County Records; Thence Along The Southwesterly Line Of The Said Access Road, North 47° 30’ West, 285.00 Feet To A Point Marked By An Iron Pipe; Thence South
CRIMES
& CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE, OCT. 14 - 20
Residents & others are encouraged to call Police Dispatch when necessary at (707) 431-3377, operational 24/7
Monday, October 14
11:55am The Reporting Party (RP) on Westmont Court received two different emails with a photo of the neighbors’ residence. The sender of the email attempted to get money from the RP via Bitcoin. The RP was advised to block the sender and not to provide any personal information. The RP was also provided with the Internet Crime Complaint Center website, www.ic3.gov, in order to report the problem.
• 3:07pm A 30-year-old (YO) man was stopped for lacking properly displayed license plates near Otoro Sushi on Healdsburg Avenue. He was cited and released for driving with a license suspended for driving under the influence (DUI), driving with an open container of alcohol, failing to provide proof of insurance and on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding driving with a license suspended for DUI.
4:23pm A 24-YO man was stopped for displaying an altered license plate on Healdsburg Avenue. He was cited and released for driving with a license suspended for DUI, violating probation and lacking proof of insurance.
• 5:07pm A man who may have been drinking fell near St. John’s Church on Matheson Street. Officers and medical responders arrived and provided assistance.
7:35pm The RP on Orchard Street at South Fitch Mountain Road said a driver flashed high beams at the RP and fishtailed side to side at a high rate of speed. The information was logged, and the RP was advised to call back if the vehicle returned to the area.
Tuesday, October 15
• 10:17am The RP on Grandview Court received an ad for an online banking account. The RP signed up and was defrauded of between $7,000 and $10,000. Officers responded and took a report.
10:20am An unlicensed driver was cited near the Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach on Healdsburg Avenue.
• 10:39am A 52-YO man at Railroad Park on Front Street was stopped for driving with a modified exhaust system and lacking proof of registration. He was arrested and transported to county jail for possession of a concealed dirk or dagger and a leaded cane, drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance.
12:53pm A 33-YO woman was stopped on Front Street at Hudson Street for driving without proof of registration. She was cited for intentional non-compliance with registration rules, driving without a license, lacking proof of insurance and driving without registration.
11:09pm A 71-YO man was cited for camping in the West Plaza Parking Lot on Healdsburg Avenue.
Wednesday, October 16
7:49pm A vehicle was stopped on Fuchsia Way at Daisy Street for failure to signal before turning and failure to come to a complete stop. A 33-YO man was cited for driving with a license suspended for DUI and violating probation.
Thursday, October 17
1:09pm A vehicle was stopped on Monte Vina at Prentice Drive for violating registration rules. A 29YO woman was cited and released for possession of methamphetamine, violation of probation and possession of a controlled substance.
Friday, October 18
12:54pm The RP on Rosewood Drive heard shots fired coming from Healdsburg Avenue. Officers responded and conducted an extensive search but were unable to locate the source of the shots.
• 2:39pm The RP said around 12:30am a man stole a plumeria worth
LIBRARIES ARE FOR EVERYONE
approximately $100 from the RP’s porch on Healdsburg Avenue. The RP wanted to speak with an officer, but did not want to press charges.
• 5:41pm The RP at McDonald’s on Healdsburg Avenue saw a possibly drunk driver swerve and fail to maintain lanes. Officers responded, but the vehicle was gone on arrival and unable to be located.
6:15pm A warrant service officer at Healdsburg Food Pantry on Healdsburg Avenue requested to check on a subject known to have an outstanding Napa County warrant. The officer lost sight of the vehicle.
Saturday, October 19
1:11pm One of the owners of Carl’s Jr. on Vine Street indicated that a female employee stole between $4,000 and $5,000 from the safe. The RP stated the woman may have receipts from purchasing crypto. Officers responded and took a report.
• 3:59pm The RP on Hwy 101 near the Central offramp said a vehicle drove all over the road and in and out of lanes. Officers
responded, but the vehicle was gone on arrival and unable to be located.
6:55pm The RP indicated a vehicle without headlights on swerved getting off the freeway near Jerry’s Valero on Dry Creek Road. Officers responded and located the vehicle. A 28-YO man was arrested and brought to county jail for drunk driving.
Sunday, October 20
2:40am The RP on Healdsburg Avenue said that a 26-YO man
2:42pm
• 9:52am An officer initiated contact with a 38-YO man on Healdsburg Avenue at Bailache Avenue. He was arrested and transported to county jail for burglary, receipt of stolen property, possession of tools for burglary, wearing a mask for unlawful purposes, resisting arrest and violating probation. Stolen property
