The Healdsburg Tribune
AT-LARGE MAYOR IDEA REJECTED, 5 DISTRICTS FAVORED
By Christian Kallen
The third public meeting held in the effort to split Healdsburg’s electorate into districts, to satisfy the requirements of California’s Voting Rights Act, led to a general consensus among the council members to stick with their original preference: five districts each to elect a councilmember, with the mayor’s role rotating between them.
Paul Mitchell, the president of the consultant Healdsburg hired to navigate the process, Redistricting Partners, returned to the podium for the first time since the first public hearing in December to walk the council through three proposed maps. Each was a five-district map, with an emphasis on accomplishing the goals of building districts—keeping communities of interest together, geographical contiguity, population balance and various degrees of racial or economic equality.
Redistricting Partners developed the three maps Mitchell proposed by using the same tools and data that Healdsburg’s residents did when they also created maps, using the DistrictR online software. Community involvement in the process was relatively high, with a total of 78 maps produced by the public.
Of those, 39 were fivedistrict maps, as preferred by the council from the first meeting onward. But 26 of the maps proposed four-district divisions, and another 12 maps, six districts (and one for a single district only). The 38 evennumbered districts plans
➝ Maps for District, 4
HEALDSBURG AREA MAN USES HIS BACKGROUND IN TECH TO BUILD WILDFIRE TRACKING APP
By Elizabeth Borelli
When wildfires threaten California communities, a viral lifeline has emerged: the Watch Duty app, which is setting the gold standard for wildfire awareness. Founder John Clarke Mills created his nonprofit company to address a glaring gap in emergency preparedness.
Mills is no stranger to solving complex problems. Working with Silicon Valley startups, he has made a career of building
technology that simplifies life for underserved markets. But Watch Duty stands apart, born not from the boardroom but from the urgency of living off the grid near Healdsburg in Sonoma County, where wildfires are a seasonal reality.
“I experienced a bunch of fires where there was just no reliable information,” Mills recalled. “Some fires are so small they’re handled quickly, but you’re still left wondering, ‘What’s going on near my house? Should I pack to evacuate or not?’”
Frustrated by the lack of clear communication, Mills decided to take action.
“After being evacuated for seven days during one fire, I spent all night listening to emergency radios, trying to figure out how the system worked,” he said. “I realized
no one was addressing this in a meaningful way.”
Community Collaboration
For Mills, the turning point came after the LNU Lightning Complex fires, which burned 192,000 acres in 2020—the same year the CZU fires devastated more than 80,000 acres in Santa Cruz County.
“I discovered people on Facebook and Twitter who were themselves listening to emergency radio traffic and posting updates,” he said. “They were doing incredible work, but it was fragmented.” Mills’ innovation wasn’t in creating new software, but in organizing these citizen reporters into a cohesive network. “I put them in a Slack community where they could collaborate, and the app
HEALDSBURG’S SHORT FILM FEST RETURNS WITH ‘BEST OF’ PROGRAM
POPULAR FALL FESTIVAL EXPLORES FILMMAKERS’ GATEWAY TO FEATURES
By Christian Kallen
Returning this Sunday to the Raven Theater is a program of the best entries of the 2024 Healdsburg International Short Film Festival, which ran in September of last year.
The 12 films will be presented in three identical
became the interface for sharing their work with the world.”
At its core, Watch Duty is powered by first-responder radio traffic. “The magic isn’t in the software,” Mills said. “It’s in the people— volunteers who monitor and relay critical information in real time. Our role is to amplify their efforts and make the data accessible to everyone.”
Despite Watch Duty’s success, Mills was quick to point out that technology alone won’t solve the wildfire crisis. “We need to harden our homes, prepare for fire and support prescribed burns. Software can’t save us from this. We need better firefighter pay, more engines and updated alert systems,” he said.
Mills moved from New York to California in his
screenings, at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm, so audience members need not feel they missed anything. That’s often the feeling at larger festivals, where a plethora of screening times and themes are used to exhibit a multitude of entries.
But this isn’t just the “Best of” the 2024 festival, it includes films from the past 10 years of festivals.
“Next week includes all winning films from the four festivals we have produced,” said Pamela Demorest, who co-founded the Festival with husband Kirk Demorest. “Now that we are annual at the Raven, we expect to present a ‘Best of’ each late winter of the previous year’s winning films.”
The films in this year’s screening are those that received top numbers from the audience and judge voting when they first screened.
Co-Founders
Though their short film
early 20s and spent much of his career in San Francisco before relocating to Sonoma County. He attributes his problem-solving mindset to his childhood. “I spent most of my time building things,” he said, but when his dad wasn’t around to supervise his use of power tools, he worked on his computer. “I was always making and destroying things for fun, and that carried through to my work in Silicon Valley.” Before founding Watch Duty, Mills worked in various industries, including food service technology. “I’ve always been drawn to underserved markets, where people don’t typically get software designed for them. It’s about making technology useful, not cumbersome,” he said.
festival has become synonymous with Healdsburg, the first iteration of Pamela and Kirk Demorest’s festival took place in Bodega Bay more than 10 years ago, and they have produced four short film festivals in all. So it might be said they know the medium: Both have a film background in Hollywood, Kirk as an editor on feature films for studios including Disney and Universal, and Pamela as an acting coach in Sebastopol.
“The great thing about shorts is that the technology today enables anyone with a good phone and editing software to make a decent-looking short film,” Pamela said.
Kirk uses an analogy: “Anyone can afford a paintbrush, but who can actually paint compelling art?” Then there’s the money factor. International features can eat up a $100-million
Short Film, 3
Photo by Noel Rosada
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
GOINGS ON AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT
OPENING
Love vs. Art
The Shape of Things , a play by Neil LaBute, will be performed on stage at The 222 on two successive weekends, Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2. It’s billed as a “fascinating study into the nature of love and art, and what happens when the two collide.” Tickets from free (18 and under) to $105 (gold level seating). The222.org.
FRIDAY, FEB. 21
Royal Purple
SATURDAY, FEB.22
Guitar Duo John Stowell and Randy Vincent, two master jazz guitarists with decades of experience, meet again to perform jazz standards and bossa novas. Expect intimate, finely tuned interplay and conversation. Jazz in the lobby of Hotel
The artist formerly known as Prince Rogers Nelson had a remarkable if cutshort career, spawning hundreds of tribute bands following his death in 2016 at the age of 57 (of a fentanyl overdose). One of these is a multi-talented 8-piece organization called When Doves Cry, which will appear in Healdsburg at Coyote Den on Friday, starting at 8pm. Doors at 6pm, tickets $35, Coyote Sonoma, 44-F Mill St., coyotesonoma.com.
Standing Out
When asked how Watch Duty stands out from other wildfire apps, Mills’ answer was simple: accuracy and immediacy. “We don’t speculate,” he said. “We disseminate information directly from professionals. If a first responder says a fire will reach a community in 17 minutes, we relay that information without delay. That’s our commitment to transparency.” Mills also emphasized the importance of individual preparedness. “Download Watch Duty. It’s free and takes three minutes,” he said. “Beyond that, clear brush within five feet of your home, remove larger trees within 20 feet and prepare a go-bag. Fire is coming back, and we all need to be ready.” However, Mills acknowledged the economic realities many face. “Some people can’t afford to rebuild after losing their homes,” he said. “These aren’t celebrities with vacation properties— they’re second- or thirdgeneration homeowners.
It’s heartbreaking, and it highlights the need for systemic change.”
As wildfires become more frequent and intense, Mills’ mission remains clear: To provide timely, reliable information and empower communities to take action. “I’m not a weather scientist, but the data speaks for itself,” he said. “Fires are happening more often, and they’re more wind-driven. The best we can do is prepare.”
Sitting in his forested Sonoma County home, Mills reflected on the journey that brought him here. “I sold my last company and planned to live off the land, building with my hands,” he said. “Now I’m working 80-hour weeks again, but it’s worth it because I know this matters. No one else was going to figure this out, so I did.”
With Watch Duty, Mills and his team created more than just an app; they built a lifeline for communities facing the growing threat of wildfires. As Californians brace for the next fire season, Mills’ work serves as a powerful reminder: When technology meets community, it can save lives.
The magic isn’t in the software, it’s in the people—volunteers who monitor and relay critical information in real time.”
JOHN CLARKE MILLS
Healdsburg every Saturday, from 6-9pm. No cover, Spirit Bar small plates available plus full bar, at Hotel Healdsburg, 25 Matheson St.
Otis Legacy
One of the giants of R&B was Johnny Otis, a GreekAmerican who led an influential, multiracial dance band in the 1940s and ’50s (and lived out his life in Sebastopol, though he died in Altadena in 2012). One of his sons, Nick Otis, brings his own R&B band to the Elephant in the Room on Saturday, from 8-11pm, 177 Healdsburg Ave.
Rockabilly Rev Reverend Horton Heat, a self-defined legend of rockabilly, arrives at the Raven on Saturday, Feb. 22, with guest openers Black Joe Lewis and Piñata Protest, 7:30pm. Raven
Theater, 115 North St., raventheater.org.
SUNDAY, FEB. 23
Vinyl Sundays Hang out with local musicians as they play their favorite records. Co-owner and guitarist Chad Richard shares his love of jazz guitar this Sunday; Mardi Gras next week. ThursdaySaturday music continues with various artists, free, from 5:30-8pm. Furthermore Wines tasting room address is 328-A Healdsburg Ave., furthermorewines.com/events.
Film Shorts
Winners of previous Healdsburg International Short Film Festival awards will screen three times on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm (same program each screening). Tickets and information
at healdsburgfilm.com. See story this issue. Raven Theater, 115 North St., raventheater.org.
NEXT WEEK
City Commissions
Meetings are scheduled for several key citizen bodies of the City of Healdsburg this week. Included are Planning Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 25 (6pm), Senior Citizens Advisory Commission on Wednesday, Feb. 26 (4pm), and Arts & Culture Commission on Thursday, Feb. 27 (6pm). 401 Grove St. More information at healdsburg.gov/543/ Agendas-Minutes.
Restaurant Week
From Feb. 24-March 2, Sonoma County Tourism touts the variety and quality of local restaurants, with 26 restaurants from Windsor
to Cloverdale participating. They will offer both a la carte and prix fixe options that run the gamut from pasta, seafood and New Worldfare to classic, California-style cuisine. See full list at sonomacounty.com/ restaurant-week.
Jazz on the Menu Meanwhile the Healdsburg Jazz organization continues its decades-old Jazz on the Menu program, this time featuring four restaurants in town (Baci, Goodnight’s, Spoonbar and Valette) donating 25% of their food and beverage sales to help support Healdsburg Jazz free community music education programs. Thursday, Feb. 27, from 5:50-8:30pm.
For additional events, visit healdsburgtribune. com/calendar.
Photo by Felix Pfueger
‘BRAT’ The German short about village prejudices against a boy and his mother is one of 12 films to be screened at Sunday’s Healdsburg International Short Film Festival, at the Raven.
Photo by Jeffrey Packard
MAN OF THE APP John Clarke Mills emphasizes the importance of individual preparedness: ‘Fire is coming back, and we all need to be ready.’
‘T’ That
Rhymes With ‘P’ That Stands for ‘Pool’
BILLIARD
TOURNAMENT IN COTATI PREFIGURES NATIONAL MEET
By Pierre Ratte
Yup, trouble, with a capital “T,” and that rhymes with “P,” and that stands for pool. This weekend Doghouse Billiards in Cotati hosted
an 8-ball tournament. The winning team from the Redwood Empire BCA Division 1 league travels to Las Vegas in May for the American Cue Sports championship to compete with thousands of other players. According to professor Harold Hill, time spent with a cue can be golden. Though he referred to billiards, not pool, which in his opinion any “boob” can play.
budget (though there are a number of economic exceptions in the Oscar race this year). But a short film costs
However, judging by Doghouse’ competitors jumping balls, hitting combinations, running the table on an 8-ball break and leaving devilish safeties, it certainly was not the case that any boob can play. No, the opposite is more true. Northern California has a robust pool scene—winter and summer, pun intended.
Fun facts: The game of pocket billiards started in
next to nothing these days, the most important piece of equipment being the ubiquitous cell phone.
France. Louis XI had the first table built in 1496. It was an indoor version of croquet, also a French game. Dubbed the “Sport of Kings” when embraced by French aristocrats in the 1600s, its popularity spread as billiard tables became standard fixtures in French cafés in the 1800s. A billiard table can weigh up to 1,500 pounds. The surface is a special felt
Despite the opportunity a film festival creates with its potential prize money, recognition and perhaps as a calling card into a feature future, it’s no way to make a living. That’s why many European and Asian countries have strong government support for short films, including funding, distribution and TV broadcasting. In France and Germany, theaters are sometimes required to screen shorts before features.
The practice is optional in the United States, though not unknown. But it’s unlikely additional government funding for the short-film arts will increase soon.
The Medium
A couple of other short film festivals exist in the area, including Sebastopol’s
stretched over machined and polished slate held together in sections by wax. Slate is used because it is easy to machine and has dimensional stability.
Pool tables come in different sizes. A “bar-table,” typically coin-operated, is a 7-foot table, 39 x 78 inches; a standard recreational or home table is 8 feet, 44 x 88 inches; while a “tournament” table is 9 feet, 50 x 100 inches. Tournament billiards tables are also 9 feet, but billiard tables, properly carom billiards, do not have pockets.
Snooker tables are larger still. American snooker is played on a 10-foot table, and English snooker is
Documentary Film Festival in March, and Nevada City’s Wild and Scenic Festival (usually in February).
Their entries however have a specific factual context, often political or ecological; but artistic short films can live entirely in the mind of the creator—and the audience. The 12 films in this year’s collection are as varied as they are brief (the shortest is 1 minute, the longest 19) and include memorable imaginary friends and situations.
On the bill for this year is the return of Wild Salmon, a natural history fantasy following the lifecycle of the wild salmon in human form. Narrated by the late Marianne Faithfull, it closes the first half of the 12-film program.
The award-winning films returning to town give Healdsburgers who may
played on a 12-foot table. To be a regulation table, length must be double width as measured from cushion edges. The Music Man, a stage musical written by Meredith Willson, famously and quaintly saw pool as the first step on the road to depredation in “Ya Got Trouble,” sung by Robert Preston as Harold Hill. The Beatles covered another Music Man song, “Till There Was You,” in 1963. The cast of The Music Man included: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Ron Howard, Buddy Hackett and Hermione Gingold. The movie was released in 1962 and grossed $15 million.
have missed some or all of the films when they first screened in past festivals a chance to catch up. It’s probable the festival will continue in future years: It has the enviable URL healdsburgfilm.com, and in the hyperlinked universe that’s as valuable as real estate. Films are currently being screened for acceptance in the September 2025 festival, with rules and even a video from Kirk Demorest on how best to shape a short for entry.
“So far, we have watched 135 short films of which only 13 have been green-lit,” Pamela Demorest reported. “That gives you an idea of how talented people have to be to make a good short.”
Additional information, including playlist, at healdsburgfilm.com.
Photo by Pierre Ratte
started in France, with the green expanse of the table resembling the green lawn used in a game of croquet.
Photo by Noel Rosada
BLACK AND WHITE Kirk Demorest at a previous festival that was judged by Tom Waits, among others. Evaluation by the judges as well as the public went into selecting films for the Healdsburg International Short Film Festival’s ‘Best of the Festival’, screening Feb. 23.
CURATED NEWS OF
50, 75
AND 100 YEARS AGO FROM THE HEALDSBURG TRIBUNE
100 years ago: Feb. 19, 1925
HEALDSBURG BIRD
CENSUS IN NATIONAL AUDUBON MAGAZINE
Healdsburg, along with three other California cities, gained recognition this month in Bird Lore, national magazine of the Audubon Society, because of the Christmas bird census taken here on December 23, 1924. California listed more species of bird life than any other state in the union, the honors going to San Diego. Healdsburg’s showing was very creditable.
75 years ago: Feb. 24, 1950
START BUYING
VALLEY SCHOOL SITE PROPERTY
Proceedings for the purchase of the Annie Alexander estate property for the site of the Alexander Valley Union Elementary school are now underway, according to Robert Young, clerk of the school’s board of trustees. The site has already been approved by the Sonoma County Planning Commission and tentatively approved by the State Department of Schoolhouse Planning. Moreover, the property has been surveyed by the Sonoma County Surveyors office for the purpose of facilitating the efforts of the architect and other persons in the furtherance of work on this project.
Preliminary plans of the school building are now being drawn up by the architect, C. A. Caulkins, Jr. of Santa Rosa. Site for the school is on the south side
of the Calistoga highway and borders on the Ben Cohen property.
50 years ago: Feb. 20, 1975
CITY BUS SERVICE TO BEGIN MARCH 3
The Healdsburg Intra-City Bus System is expected to begin carrying its first passengers on March 3, City Manager James Stanfield has announced. The new city mini-bus, which can carry 15 passengers, will operate each weekday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., making five complete circuits of the residential districts within the city. The bus will begin the run from the Plaza and make two separate loops back to the downtown business district.
Fares have been set at 25-cents, with a reduced price of 10-cents for the elderly and handicapped. Exact fares will be needed. Special cards to identify senior citizens are expected to be available at City Hall soon, although any valid identification can be used.
The city has purchased two minibuses for the program, with one serving as a back-up while the other is in service. Funds for the buses were obtained from a state Metropolitan Transportation Grant. The driver’s salary will be paid by the federal Comprehensive Employment and Training Act grant for at least 13 months. If the federal employment funds are not renewed under CETA, both state and federal transportation funds are available to continue to pay the driver’s salary. Thus the major portions of the muni system - capital outlay and salaries - have been covered by grants.
The Flashbackers are docents for the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society, 221 Matheson St., healdsburgmuseum.org.
that be have channeled this process to a five-district, rotating mayor” solution.
implicitly prescribe an elected mayor, elected “at large” by the whole city.
Five Districts?
Notably, adding the oddnumbered district maps together indicated the city itself is almost evenly split on the question of an elected mayor (which would be necessary to create an odd-numbered council to prevent tie votes).
But Mitchell presented only the three five-district maps, which focused primarily on accomplishing even population parity, as well as age and Hispanic demographics. However, the council members addressed many of their concerns to preserving neighborhoods, such as Fitch Mountain Villas and along the river. Consultant Mitchell did not seem, however, initially attentive to the location of the Plaza, and didn’t really know where it was.
The 10 people who turned out for the public hearing made only a handful of public comments, though all five of them appeared to favor an elected mayor for a variety of reasons.
“I feel the public has never heard any substantive discussion of four or six districts,” said Merrilyn Joyce, adding that “the powers
FLASHBACKS
Hank Skewis expressed similar concerns. “I have more interest in an atlarge mayor than a rotating mayor, less so the number of districts,” he said.
If that were true, it didn’t change at Tuesday nights’ council meeting. Councilmember Ron Edwards, referring yet again to his practice of knocking on every door when he ran for the seat, observed that while running for a district seat would not be prohibitively costly, running for a onceevery-two-year mayor’s office would be expensive— and potentially preclude lower-income candidates from attempting the race.
Rotating Mayor
“You can be a council member, but you’ll never be mayor,” he said, personalizing the challenge of entering political life for low-income residents.
“Fundamentally I just can’t find myself agreeing with an elected mayor,” said Mayor Evelyn Mitchell, appointed in December for a one-year term. “It would fly in the face of what we’re doing here.” She added that “at some point we need to put this to rest.”
Though Councilmember Ariel Kelley, Zooming from Kihei, Hawaii (just as Chris Herrod likewise Zoomed from Athens, Ohio), had been the most open to the idea of an atlarge mayor, she ultimately supported her colleagues in the five-district, rotating mayor scenario.
“It’s certainly not a hill I want to die on,” she said.
Added to the three maps that Redistricting Partners proposed was a fourth, which Councilmember Chris Herrod dug up from the public submissions and presented as another candidate. After further discussion and tweaking of its districts to comport with the required parameters, it was added to the short list of proposed maps as Map D. The next public hearing of the transition to district elections will take place in one month, on March 17. Additional publicgenerated maps can be submitted until that date, or a week before it to be considered in the fourth public hearing. The fifth and final public hearing, and the council’s decision on a new district map for the City of Healdsburg, will take place on April 7. Information on the process, and a link for the proposed maps and the mapmaking tool, can be found at healdsburg.gov/ districtelections.
Photos courtesy of Healdsburg Museum
INNER CITY Healdsburg Intra-City Bus System started carrying passengers 50 years ago this month, with an affordable, 25-cent fare.
➝ Maps for District, 1
Photo by Christian Kallen
MAP MAN At right, Paul Mitchell of Redistricting Partners presents four 5-district maps to the Healdsburg City Council for their consideration on Feb. 18.
SCHOOL SITE The purchase of the Annie Alexander estate property for the site of the Alexander Valley Union Elementary school got underway 75 years ago, in 1950.
Leffew Leads Lady Greys to Tourney Trophy
SENIOR SCORES 21 POINTS IN 39-33 GAME TO BRING HOME THE WIN
By Caleb Knudsen
Midway through the NBLRedwood season, it didn’t look like Healdsburg was headed for a repeat championship in girls basketball. The team was 4-1 in league at the outset, their only loss coming to Ukiah on the road, 46-42. Three straight wins followed until, on Jan. 21, they suffered a surprise loss to St. Vincent de Paul, Petaluma’s parochial school (and the only school in the league with an enrollment smaller than Healdsburg’s).
Then, two weeks later,
they lost to Ukiah again, this time by a single basket, 43-41. With a record of 5-3, it was more league losses than the team had endured since they finished second in 2022 behind Maria Carrillo. They won their next three league games, and pulled off a revenge win over St. Vincent on the last day of the regular season, 47-26, to seal second place. The Greyhounds ended the season at 7-3, second behind 10-0 Ukiah as the NBL-Redwood division pennant winners. But hold on a minute. The league also has a championship tournament after the regular season, an elimination between the top four finishers. And though it’s rare, it does
sometimes happen that the championship trophy goes to a different team than the pennant.
Tournament
Begins Healdsburg met St. Vincent—for the second time in five days—in the Smith Robinson Gym on Feb. 11 to begin the tourney. The Mustangs were ready to take their own revenge, but Healdsburg had to battle a barrage of questionable foul calls (11 against St. Vincent, 21 against Healdsburg). Thankfully, a 15-point game from junior Amelia Wickersham was what it took for the Greyhounds to pull off the 3935 win to advance.
Meanwhile Ukiah was
unstoppable, easily defeating Santa Rosa in the first round, 50-28. With their two wins over Healdsburg so far this year, it was Ukiah’s hope to take home the glass trophy as well as the flag. But the Lady Greyhounds had other ideas.
The league finals are played at Rancho Cotate’s slick Theater-AuditoriumGym complex, known as TAG. For a few minutes in the first quarter it looked like Ukiah might get the glass, too. Then Allie Espinoza sank a basket just as the first quarter ended, giving Healdsburg the 11-10 1-point lead.
Heat of the Game
After two previous games, these players knew each other’s moves well. It was
FANCY FOOTWORK Senior Diego Rodriguez (21) faces off against two Analy players in Healdsburg’s Feb. 12 game. The teams tied 1-1. In the NCS playoffs, Healdsburg is in Division 4, while Analy is in Division 3.
NCS Tournament Favors Big Schools
BOTH SOCCER TEAMS, GIRLS BASKETBALL IN POSTSEASON PLAY
Staff Report The winter 2024-25 sports season isn’t quite over yet, despite the Greyhound girls’ trophy in the NBLRedwood championship tournament.
The North Bay Section (NBS) of the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) has several subsections, including the Redwood and the Oak divisions. Healdsburg teams generally play in
the Redwood division, but the NCS has the prerogative of moving schools around depending on their record in previous years as well as their size.
The Healdsburg girls
tight, competitive basketball—and as girls basketball games often are, surprisingly combative. Whole minutes went by on the game clock without either team scoring a point but both wrestling for ball control, only to find it stolen away. The fighting for possession was frequent and physical, and beneath the net was no place to get stuck by accident.
Penalties were another matter. There were plenty of foul calls, but this time equally distributed, and often clearly uncontestable. Healdsburg was called for 13 fouls, Ukiah for 16, and jump balls were frequent (possession going alternately to each team).
Healdsburg made their move in the second
basketball team, for instance, has been extremely competitive the past several years, so even though the school technically falls in Division 4 with an enrollment between 400-899 students, it competes this year in Division 2—with larger schools (1421-1899 students) and other highperforming school teams.
Over the weekend the NCS division playoffs were announced, and Healdsburg is seeded #13 out of 15 schools—a seed reflecting their season record of 19-7, 7-3 in the Redwood division. On Wednesday of this week, their first game is in Hayward against #4 seed Moreau Catholic. That school’s overall record is likewise 19-7, but they won their Mission Valley league with a 14-0 record.
The #1 seeded team in the division is Justin-Siena (25-2, 12-0 in the Vine Valley league), which draws a bye on Wednesday. In the NCS tournament last year, Healdsburg defeated Middletown in the first round, but lost in the second round to Justin-Siena, which went on to win the division.
quarter, scoring 14 while holding the Wildcats to 8. Not a big difference, but enough to extend the lead to 25-18, and from there on all the Greyhounds had to do was keep it. A high level of competitive play continued for another two quarters, but the Wildcats never regained the lead. They scored 9 in the fourth quarter to close the gap, but couldn’t quite catch up. As the clock ticked the minutes, then the seconds down, Healdsburg looked more and more like a winner. And a stomping chant, “Let’s Go Healdsburg!” rumbled from the Rancho bleachers. The final score was 39-33, Healdsburg, and the grinning, cheering team gathered around the trophy.
Ruby Delivers
For the Greyhounds, Ruby Leffew delivered when she had to. She played her best game of the year by far, scoring 21 points including four 3-pointers—and five out of six free-throws in the fourth quarter, the only points the team got on the board in the final frame. Center Allie Espinoza scored 6 points, and suffered a black eye in the process. For the Wildcats, high scorer was Lexie Aguilar with 9 points. Samantha Wood was held to just 5 points, missing four free-throws in the crucial fourth quarter while making only two. At the end of the game then, Ukiah gets the pennant to hang on their gym wall, and congratulations to them for a fine season. Healdsburg has a gleaming glass trophy, proclaiming them the winners of the North Bay League Redwood Girls Basketball Tournament Champions, 2025, for the third year in a row.
Soccer Playoffs
Both boys and girls soccer teams are in the NCS playoffs as well, both in Division 4 in line with their size. Both also play Wednesday, and results will be too late for press time.
The 9-4-7 boys (3-0-5 in the North Bay – Redwood) end up with a high #3 seed in the division, and drew a 7pm first-round match against 14-seed Kennedy Richmond (11-9-4). Number 1 seed is Piedmont (7-8-4).
The girls game will be played at 5pm, also on Wednesday. The 14-4-3 girls are seeded #11, and their opponent will be sixth-seeded San Rafael with their 12-8 record. Marin Academy is the #1 seed, with a 17-2-1 record.
The NCS championship tournament began on Tuesday, Feb. 18, and will continue the rest of this weekend with final games to be played either Feb. 18 or March 1.
All-League players have already been selected, but they will be announced only after the NCS playoffs.
Photos by Christian Kallen
THREE-PEAT TROPHY Healdsburg’s Ruby Leffew (5), Hannah Sellards (3) and Allie Espinoza (10) show off the trophy for North Bay League Redwood Girls Basketball Tournament Champions, 2025.
Photo by Michael Lucid
Congrats to our North Bay Pet St rs 2025
Best Puppy
Working Dog
Belly
Best Passenger
Owner Look-Alike Cutest Kitten Best Costume
Coif
Furry Friends Best Senior Pet
Service Dog
POLICE LOG
CRIMES & CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE, FEB.
his arrest. He was taken to county jail.
3 - FEB. 9
Residents and others are encouraged to call Police Dispatch as needed at (707) 431-3377, operational 24/7
Monday, Feb. 3
• 11:23am The Reporting Party (RP) on Healdsburg Avenue indicated that an employee who was employed for three days in December of 2024 used the RP’s signature to create false checks within the preceding month. The RP's bank notified the RP regarding a suspicious $2,712.16 check that was processed. The RP said a different $900 check was cashed from a different person using the same signature. The RP indicated she would call back.
2:11pm The RP’s vehicle was hit at Safeway on Vine Street on Jan. 30 while parked in the parking lot. The RP delayed reporting the hitand-run incident because the RP had been busy. The RP wanted to obtain footage from the business.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
2:11pm The RP on Center Street received a scam email in which a person requested money and threatened to go to the RP’s house. The RP blocked the email address and did not click on attachments. The RP wanted to know if those types of emails were trending in Healdsburg.
• 3:38pm A 49-Year-Old (YO) man was arrested for a previous incident at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach on Healdsburg Avenue which involved burglary, repeat thefts, conspiracy and violation of probation. He was also charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia which the officer viewed at the time of
9:18pm The RP on East Street stated that his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend threatened him multiple times, including telling the RP he would find out where the RP lived and would come and kill him. The Sebastopol police department conducted a welfare check on the children of the RP’s girlfriend. The RP wanted to press charges for the death threats. A report was taken.
Wednesday, Feb. 5
9:30am The RP said his vehicle was stolen from a parking lot near Bravas Bar de Tapas on Center Street on Feb. 4. The RP had both keys for the vehicle and did not give anyone permission to drive the vehicle. The vehicle had been towed by the California Highway Patrol for blocking the road.
11:35am An unwanted person near Great Clips on Vine Street was panhandling. The RP wanted to press charges. Officers responded and discovered the panhandler was outside the Vineyard Shopping Center on Vine Street.
2:54pm A 47-YO man on Spruce Way was arrested and transported to county jail on outstanding Sonoma County warrants regarding possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Thursday, Feb. 6
• 11:46am A woman was sleeping on a bench in front of Dollar Tree on Vine Street. The RP and an employee at the store asked her to leave. Officers responded and she moved along. At 3:17pm a caller reported that the same woman was asked to leave again. A therapist responded and gave advice to the woman to move along. At 1:35am on the morning of Feb. 7, the same woman was sleeping next to the water machine near Dollar Tree. The person refused to leave. Officers responded and advised her to leave.
3:15pm A 42-YO man on North Street was contacted on a probation search. He was cited on an outstanding
Sonoma County warrant regarding violation of probation, driving under the influence of drugs and possession of a controlled substance.
Friday, Feb. 7
• 9:05am A U-Haul truck was reported stolen from the RP’s business on Healdsburg Avenue on Feb. 6. The RP saw the truck when it was returned by the customer who had put the key in the lock box. The truck and the key from the lock box were both missing, and there was no damage to the lock box. A report was taken. At 10:41am, the stolen truck was recovered at the Russian River Covered RV Storage on Healdsburg Avenue.
1:27pm An officer contacted a 51-YO man near the Jon Wright Feed Store on Mill Street. He was cited on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding failure to appear and possession of methamphetamine.
• 1:58pm The RP on March Avenue stated that he received a call from a person who indicated that the RP’s girlfriend hit the caller’s vehicle and that if the RP did not give the caller money, the caller would murder his girlfriend. The RP was told the call was a scam that was circulating. He was advised to block the caller and not pay any money.
8:45pm Reckless driving was reported on Powell Avenue at University Street.
The RP heard two different vehicles with tires burning out and engines revving. Officers responded, but the vehicles were gone on arrival and unable to be located.
10:31pm The RP, an employee of Safeway on Vine Street, said a person with trespass paperwork filed against them was possibly drinking in the parking lot. The trespasser entered the store and subsequently left. Officers responded and contacted the trespasser, who left after being advised not to return.
Saturday, Feb. 8
12:31pm The RP on March Avenue stated she did not receive two packages that, per the tracking numbers,
had been delivered. An officer advised the RP to report the incident to Amazon and UPS and to consider getting a camera to film where packages are delivered.
• 12:58pm The RP on West Plaza Park at North Street stated that two transient men fought by the picnic tables behind the Healdsburg Hotel Spa. The RP stated one of the men had a pipe. Officers responded to the area, but the men were gone on arrival and unable to be located. The area was heavily populated and no one else reported a fight.
3:48pm A 44-YO man near the former location of Healdsburg Auto Wash on Healdsburg Avenue was cited and released on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding failure to appear, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.
4:14pm A 48-YO man near Jerry’s Valero on Dry Creek Road was arrested
Jewish Healdsburg is a vibrant hub for the
We host events throughout the year, including monthly potluck Shabbat dinners. We also operate a Hebrew School that meets weekly on Sunday mornings. In everything we do, Jewish Healdsburg exists to celebrate Jewish identity.
Be a part of our next Shabbat dinner on Friday, March 14. The festivities also will honor Purim, a holiday that commemorates the salvation of Jews from genocide in ancient Persia. Learn more about Jewish Healdsburg at
community of northern Sonoma County. jewishhealdsburg.org
and transported to county jail on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding resisting arrest and possession of methamphetamine.
4:50pm The RP at 7-Eleven on Healdsburg Avenue said two men stole merchandise and ran out of the store. The RP stated that one of the men pushed the clerk, and the subjects left on foot going southbound on Healdsburg Avenue. Officers responded and found out there was only one suspect, who was gone on arrival and unable to be located. A report was taken.
6:12pm The RP heard a vehicle speeding and screeching tires for an hour near Healdsburg Avenue at Dry Creek Road. The information was broadcasted to officers on patrol.
• 7:26pm The RP on Vine Street indicated that a man was in a bakery, bleeding from his hand and acting aggressive. He yelled at people and went towards them. Officers responded and arrested a 40-YO man
