The Healdsburg Tribune
LOCAL ATTORNEY CHARGES A ‘PATTERN OF MISBEHAVIOR’ OVER MEASURE O AND REDISTRICTING
By Christian Kallen
A week ago Wednesday, retired attorney Jon Eisenberg filed civil suit against the City of Healdsburg, charging multiple Brown Act violations in two recent cases that demonstrate what he calls “a pattern of misbehavior that is deeply embedded in the culture of Healdsburg’s city government…” His action focused on what he called the “tainted decision making” in the effort to get Measure O on the ballot and the campaign to get it passed; and the transition to district elections now underway.
The suit could not have been a surprise to the city’s council members or staff, who have been aware for months if not years that Eisenberg has taken a focused interest in the workings of city government.
The filing of Jan. 29 by Eisenberg’s attorneys Christian Baker and Jacob Itzkowitz largely echoes Eisenberg’s own complaints of a month previous, delivered in a Dec. 26 letter and email to the city manager, city attorney and every member of the current City Council. In that message he gave notice that he was preparing to “commence litigation,” though he did proffer a settlement.
Eisenberg’s letter cited several Brown Act violations as well as unlawful expenditure on the Measure O campaign, noncompliance with California Public Records Act and the city’s failure to publish minutes of City Council meetings for the previous 15 months.
Add to these his complaints about the then-recent
➝ Brown Act, 3
PERFECT STORM OF RISING RIVERS, HIGH WIND CONSPIRES TO OUT-SUFFER RUNNERS
Staff Report
Skip Brand had high hopes for the Lake Sonoma 100, or the LS100 as he wanted to brand it (so to speak). It was a natural progression, from the LS50 and the 100-kilometer races he’s organized in the past, in his role as race manager for Healdsburg Running Company and board chair of the Friends of Lake Sonoma.
He saw the epic 100-mile race as a chance for Lake Sonoma, and the Healdsburg area, to launch into the top tier of ultra-runs in the country, if not the world. “We’re trying to punch
above our weight and have a Hardrock qualifier,” he said, referring to the United States’ most celebrated and difficult run, Colorado’s Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, or the Hardrock 100.
That one is almost entirely above 11,000 feet, and the effects of altitude sickness and potential oxygen deprivation must be added to the rigor of running 102 miles.
Almost gleefully describing the LS100 as a “sufferfest”—a term used in extreme sports competition, from marathons to rock-wall climbing—Brand even admitted that the projected rainy weather for Feb. 1 might be an advantage, keeping times down and adding to the race’s reputation. “The reason I don’t mind bad weather, it sounds counterintuitive, but if we have a lower finish rate, the legend of the race, sadly,
will grow,” he said. “If that makes sense.”
He got more than he bargained for. The early February rainstorm dumped on the Sonoma County reservoir, raising its banks by the hour and flooding otherwise passable sections of trail. Though the race got underway on schedule at 6:30am on Feb. 1, 15 hours later it was canceled when a temporary bridge at Mile 75 washed out.
“We had to make a safety call. Without the bridge, there’s no safe way to get across the creek,” Brand said on Sunday afternoon. “The creek is 6-7 feet deep and raging right now. Plus, the wind picked up in the late afternoon and several trees came down, creating additional hazards.”
Putting the best spin on it, as is his wont, Brand added, “It’s really unfortunate because the runners were holding up so
RIVERKEEPER RECRUITS TO MEET NEW CHALLENGES
DIRECTOR HIRED AT RUSSIAN RIVER NONPROFIT AS LAKE SONOMA STEELHEAD FESTIVAL RETURNS
By Christian Kallen
Sharp-eyed motorists have noticed a name change on a long white office building on Healdsburg Avenue, just a quick stroll away from the Quail and Condor bakery. The colors are still blue and white but the Bright Event Rentals sign is gone, and in its place the bold letters
well despite the weather,” noting that 93 of the 106 starters were still in the race after 15 hours.
In the lead were Dennis Boic and Lindsey Dwyer, who “had established commanding leads but were forced to stop at mile 68.5,” said the announcement from Brand and Sam Karthan, both listed as Lake Sonoma Race Series Directors.
The race was dedicated to the firefighters who have worked so hard to save Lake Sonoma’s backcountry and other regions of Northern California. All firefighters were able to enter the race for free (the regular fee was about $400) and the race was scheduled for February, normally the firefighters off-season, to accommodate them. The January fires in Los Angeles, however, reduced the number of firefighters who did enter.
proclaim Russian Riverkeeper, now in its umpteenth home in Healdsburg.
“We’ve been all over this town,” said Don McEnhill, the long-time executive director of the environmental nonprofit. “We’ve been out on West Side Road at Hop Kiln. And on Matheson Street. We were actually right on the other side of the creek at Plum Industrial Park for our last office.”
Although when fully staffed the Russian Riverkeeper office holds 16 or so, it’s quiet this morning. Only five people are in the building, including McEnhill and Rob Schwenker, who steps into the ED role this month.
But the weather proved too much, even for firstresponse firefighters and well-conditioned athletes used to adversity and suffering.
“Safety for runners is our No. 1 concern,” Brand said. “We fully understand the training effort and work put in by our firefighters and runners and are really sorry—gutted, actually— that we had to cancel.”
Despite the cancellation of the 100-mile distance, race managers managed to get officially recorded times for the 100-kilometer distance, which many runners completed. Dennis Boic of Redding led almost from the outset, and his 100k time was registered as 11:56:21, just under 12 hours. Lindsey Dwyer of Larkspur finished in second place but was also the top female finisher, with a 100k time of 12:39:26.
Schwenker clutches a paper cup of coffee—his flight from LAX arrived only an hour or so ago at Sonoma County Airport, and he’s still getting his feet on the ground. His immediate previous position was as executive director of the Santa Monica History Museum, and prior to that he headed an organization that brought guest speakers to schools. His CV in the “sustainability space,” as he put it, is brief.
“One of the things that Don recently said to me was, ‘You are our core demographic,’” the 44-yearold said. “‘You are someone who cares about conservation, cares about the environment, knows that we are collectively experiencing climate change and wants to do something about that.’” But Schwenker acknowledges he’s someone who “doesn't have a tremendous amount of subject-area depth of knowledge.” He admits he’s never been on a river trip, never floated down the Russian from the Alexander Valley Bridge to Memorial Beach or engaged in any of the other aquatic adventures that pulled many into river conservation efforts.
➝ Russian River, 2
MID-STRIDE
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
GOINGS ON AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT THIS WEEK
Modeling Love
Artist Alice Warnecke Sutro
will create a “Couples Column” installation at Harmon Guest House, Feb.
8-14, from 10am to 6pm.
Sutro will sketch couples onto a 50-foot scroll that descends the four-story lightwell of the hotel. The completed installation will remain on display until
Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, after which participants can reclaim their portraits. 227 Healdsburg Ave. harmonguesthouse.com/ hotel/art-installations/ sutro-couples-column.
THURSDAY, FEB. 6
Dad Country Upstairs at Little Saint is the place to hear music from all generations of troubadours, such as multi-instrumentalist Graham Patzner of the Bay Area band Whiskerman, on Feb. 6. A week later catch John Elliott, a self-described Homo sapien, of the group Band of
Survivors. Usually these are free shows, as are these two. Doors at 6pm, music at 7pm, Little Saint, 25 North St.
FRIDAY, FEB. 7
‘Deep Cuts … … from Deep Artists” is how guitarist Glenn Siegel bills his three-hour stint at Furthermore Wines on Friday, from 5:30-8:30pm. Then Stella Heath channels the jazz divas on Saturday, Feb. 8. The tasting room address is 328-A Healdsburg Ave., furthermorewines.com/events.
Art of the Tango Cellist Tommy Mesa is joined by bandoneon
player and composer JP Jofre to combine their talents in a special program of tango music by Astor Piazzola. Transcriptions are by Jofre himself, one of Argentina’s foremost composers and bandoneon players. Time is 7:30pm Friday, at 222 Healdsburg Ave. Tickets at www.the222.org.
SATURDAY, FEB. 8
Steelhead Festival
The longrunning, eversurprising Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival returns to the Congressman Don Clauson Fish Hatchery at the head of Dry Creek Valley. This free event attracts up to 10,000 people to the
visitors center, for natural history education, live music, arts and crafts, and fishing-themed games. From 10am to 4pm, 3288 Skaggs Springs Rd.
Double-Neck Blues
Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings return to the Raven Theater this Saturday for a night of real blues from the slide-guitar master. Doors at 6:30pm, music 7:30pm, admission $25-$45. 115 North St., raventheater.org.
Lobby Jazz
Groove-based jazz from pianist Anne Sajdera’s new release, It’s Here, as well as standards from jazz masters.
With Ollie Dudek (bass) and Kendrick Freeman (drums). Starts at 6pm, runs until 9pm, limited Dry Creek Kitchen menu available plus full bar, at Hotel Healdsburg, 25 Matheson St. Bollywood Blues Aki Kumar returns to the Elephant for another night of eclectic blues, singing, dancing and blues harp like a snakecharmer. He blew the roof off last year, be prepared this time. Saturday at 8pm, tickets only $15. At the Elephant in the Room, 177 Healdsburg Ave.
Super Diamond
The one, the only fivepiece Neil Diamond tribute band plays Saturday night at Coyote Sonoma. Doors at 6pm, food vendor on site. Super Diamond has a three-decade career bringing the Grammy-winning songwriter’s material to life. Tickets $30, show starts at 9pm at Coyote Sonoma, 44F Mill St.
NEXT WEEK
Raven Gala
The Raven Performing Arts Theater throws its second Winter Gala on Saturday, Feb. 15, starting at 6:30pm. The Raven Players will perform songs from upcoming shows The Bridges of Madison County and School of Rock, as well as other selections. Talented youth from the Young at Heart company will also sing; and other surprises from the stage as well. It’s a fundraiser, which means auction items are available and tickets are $25-$50. 115 North St. For additional events, visit healdsburgtribune. com/calendar.
Regardless, the new highly visible space for the Russian Riverkeeper offices is a boost in public awareness of the 30-year-old environmental nonprofit.
“I suspect that when tourist season picks up here, and I don’t really know when that is, I suspect we’re gonna get a decent amount of people who come back here looking for tours,” Schwenker said.
“We’ve already had people thinking we were Russian River Adventures,” McEnhill said. “That’s okay. They’re all looking for the river, and we know the way.”
Riverkeepers
McEnhill, now 61, and the Riverkeepers have plenty of past accomplishments they want to preserve and goals they want to accomplish, so “river miles” was not high on their wish list for a new ED. Bringing in this
energetic younger executive was prompted by McEnhill’s desire to focus on policy and to have a good leadership team into the future.
“Quite frankly I’ve watched a lot of organizations wait too long to implement a succession plan,” McEnhill said. He also gamely acknowledged that because of all his policy efforts, “there was a little bit of a bottleneck. I had just too many things on my plate.”
Among the policy priorities that McEnhill cited are groundwater recharge projects, protecting water quality, protecting flows in the river and making sure water is equitably shared. “It’s pretty clear that our current water rights system over-allocates,” he said. “I mean, when you look at the paper water rights, they equal six to seven times the available water in any given year.”
McEnhill points out that currently, “the way we manage the Russian River, there really is no water right for
the environment.” In other words, the farmers, jurisdictions and agencies all claim water rights, but nothing is left for the river itself.
Russian Riverkeeper is one of about 400 “keeper” organizations worldwide, including the seminal Hudson Riverkeeper, founded in 1983 to keep an eye on river cleanup and sustainability. Now part of the worldwide Waterkeeper Alliance, the “riverkeeper” name has been alternately boosted and tainted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an early supporter in New York (where his father was a U.S. Senator), but who over time lost his luster within the organization.
“He was the bright, shiny object in the organization, and was the president until he got booted out,” McEnhill said of Kennedy. In 2017 Kennedy was fired by an overwhelming majority of Keeper members, McEnhill recalled. “I mean, we are a science-based organization, and to have someone
espousing anti-science views is unacceptable,” he said.
Steelhead Festival
While McEnhill is not Russian Riverkeeper’s first executive director, his 23 years in the post gives him some seniority and, among other things, a direct link to the big water event coming up this weekend, the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival. McEnhill shows off a framed proclamation, decorated by Old English typeface and a vocabulary full of “Whereas… .” It’s an official California Assembly Resolution, recognizing February 2007 as Steelhead Month in Sonoma County and urging “all Californians to join in the celebration.”
“We, along with Redwood Empire Trout Unlimited, actually started the whole thing,” said McEnhill, also acknowledging Hotel Healdsburg’s support. “We held it in the Healdsburg Plaza for four
Photo by Christian Kallen
FISH STORIES Thousands of river-lovers converged on the Don Clausen Fish Hatchery in 2023 for the annual Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival. This year’s free fish festival is Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10am to 4pm.
Photo by Rick Tang
Dec. 16 City Council hearing on the transition to district elections, which he also faulted. “Plainly this misbehavior is deeply embedded in the culture of our city government,” wrote Eisenberg. “The purpose of this letter is to help set the City Council on a law-abiding path,” he concluded.
In that first letter he outlined his case for filing a complaint, but said he would not do so if the council agreed to his proposed settlement, which included the admission of violations of law by each council member, their agreement not to “commit any such violation in the future,” training in Browns Act and other relevant transparency laws for city employees, and the like.
The city chose not to take him up on his offer.
‘Brown Acting’
Many of the specific incidents that gave rise to Eisenberg’s charges pertaining to meetings and communications between council members, the city attorney and/or the city manager, would be violations of the Brown Act. The Brown Act became law in 1953, and applies broadly to local agencies such as city councils, school boards and county boards of supervisors. Such ceremonial meetings as “ribbon-cuttings” or meetings where a quorum is not present do not fall under Brown Act regulation.
That act is generally seen as a powerful requirement for transparency and public knowledge about civic activity, mandating open and transparent government meetings for local legislative bodies.
Among its rules are the timely posting and prepublication of a meeting’s agenda, permission for public comment, restrictions on “closed sessions” and others.
By its own terms the Brown Act explicitly prohibits the use of “direct communication, personal intermediaries, or technological devices that is employed by a majority of the members of the legislative body to develop a collective concurrence as to action to be taken on an item by the members of the legislative body.”
In other words, it is expected that council debate on any item be public, and no backroom deals can accelerate the consideration or passage of a piece of business.
The filing of Jan. 29 largely echoes Eisenberg’s complaints of the previous month, going into detail on 18 different “causes of action,” most pertaining to meetings and communications between council members, the city attorney and/or the city manager, that potentially violate the Brown Act.
The filing itemizes many such possible cases, but evidence for them is more circumstantial than documented. This is the argument presented by the city legal staff in rebuttal to Eisenberg’s charges. In city attorney Samantha Zutler’s response to Eisenberg’s “cure and correct” letter of Dec. 26, she writes: “The City engaged in no illegal or inappropriate conduct. The Council has taken no formal action regarding the redistricting process. There were no secret or serial meetings, nor did the Council meet in closed session to ‘agree’ to positions that they could (and did) articulate on the dais. All of the City’s actions complied with the Brown Act, and there is nothing for the City to cure or correct.”
The Plaintiff Jon Eisenberg moved to Healdsburg in 2016, following a successful career as an appeals court lawyer that included a number of highprofile cases. “Government secrecy has been a focus of my career,” he said, including such cases as a challenge to the second Bush administration’s post-9/11 warrantless wiretapping program and, on the other side of the political divide, a challenge to the Obama administration’s treatment of hungerstriking Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Though he said had no intention of getting into city governance, he did so when a friend of his complained about the required fine on a parking ticket. Eisenberg looked into it, exploring state and local laws, and then pointed out to the city that parking fines in Healdsburg were illegal.
His objections were taken lightly by the city, almost dismissively, a response that did not endear him to the city’s management. “I don’t look for these problems,” he said. “They somehow find me.”
Though he said he had no great familiarity with the Brown Act, in late 2023 he came to suspect that the City Council had violated the Brown Act on recent occasions, “I considered suing but decided not to because I thought those violations might have just been oneoffs. By mid-2024, I was well versed in the Brown Act and watched with amazement as the Measure O debacle unfolded.”
In the Weeds
It’s not the first time the City Council has faced charges of Brown Act violations. Following the choice of Jane and Solful as the city’s first licensed cannabis dispensaries, losing applicant Mercy Wellness took the city to court over perceived Brown Act violations that prevented them from getting the license. The decision was reached by the council in November 2023, which Mercy Wellness (and perhaps others) found to be an
unusually rapid selection in a controversial process.
In February 2024 the company’s CEO, Brandon Levine, sued to void the decision, essentially saying it would have been impossible for the council to reach the decision it did without illegal communications between members. Late in the year, however, the Sonoma County Superior Court ruled in favor of the City’s defense in Mercy’s lawsuit, and Zutler said Levine did not show up at the reading of the ruling to argue against it. (Levine says his response “was completely ignored and we will not let this slide,” and he will appeal.)
Zutler’s response to Eisenberg’s accusations is to be expected from a city attorney whose job it is to help a city navigate legal challenges—or avoid them in the first place. In an email to the Tribune , she put the legal action in a larger context of skepticism, if not anger, directed toward governing bodies.
As city attorney of three cities, and in communication with many others, she said she sees “some version of Healdsburg’s current experience in all of them. Whether it’s a dramatic increase in public records requests, complaints to the FPPC, recall efforts or direct attacks on City staff—something about this political moment has engendered a mistrust of government that is manifesting in all sorts of ways. It’s unfortunate (not to mention expensive and time consuming), but it seems to be where we are right now.”
As Eisenberg stated in his Dec. 26 letter, “I seek no personal gain here. If litigation ensues, I will retain counsel and pursue reimbursement only for attorney’s fees I pay to my counsel and will not seek compensation for my personal expenditure of time. My only goal here is to help improve the quality of local government in Healdsburg.”
At every level of government, misconduct hides behind secrecy and thrives
JON EISENBERG
Sponsored
PANCAKE
CITY ATTORNEY Suzanne Zutler of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, provides legal advice to three Northern California jurisdictions—Watsonville, Capitola and Healdsburg.
Photo by Scott R. Kline
Rockabilly ‘Rev’ Plays the Psychobilly Hits MUSIC
BLACK JOE LOUIS, PIÑATA PROTEST OPEN FOR ALT-ROCK LEGEND
By Dave Gil de Rubio
When it comes to exploring the 1950s roots of rock ’n’ roll, one can do a lot worse than delve into the catalog of Reverend Horton Heat. Singer/guitarist Jim “the Rev” Heath has preached the gospel of that era of music via a slew of albums of original material released by labels both indie and major, and he’ll appear at the Raven Theater on Saturday, Feb. 22.
His music’s been labeled psychobilly, alt-rock and latter-wave rockabilly, and he’s well versed in not only some of the same ground the Stray Cats trod, but also old-school country
RIVERKEEPER
years, and it very much outgrew that little space. We took over Plaza Street, we took over Center Street; it still wasn't enough. And the city said, ‘Sorry, go find a new place.’”
Fortunately a fish hatchery was conveniently located nearby, just 12 miles up Dry Creek Road at Lake Sonoma. Sixteen years after it started, the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival will return this coming weekend.
and blues. Last year’s Roots of the Rev, his 12th studio outing fronting the Reverend Horton Heat, finds the Dallas native and longtime friend/stand-up bass player Jimbo Wallace doing a creative flex thanks to a dozen covers.
Recorded in a super lo-fi manner on an array of vintage studio equipment that constituted a mic for each player, with Heath occasionally dropping in drums for each song after the fact, this collection drew on the catalogs of everyone from Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and Carl Perkins to Conway Twitty, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.
Aside from being a pandemic project when musicians everywhere had a ton of time on their hands, Heath looked at it as a nod to musicians he admired and knew personally or otherwise.
“Especially during the
Between 8,000 and 12,000 people are expected for this one-day, midwinter festival. If tradition and prediction hold true, there should be nice sunny weather on Saturday, after an extended period of rain. But rain is what happens in the house of steelhead, so to speak, and Dry Creek should be flowing with plenty of water so that the steelhead and Coho salmon can return, migrating up the creek toward the hatchery where they were spawned.
early days of our group, there weren’t many rockabilly bands out there,” Heath said in a late-October interview. “The older rockabilly artists were constantly looking for guys that could play that style because a lot of the older [sidemen] were gone or didn’t want to do it.
“I backed up a lot of pretty cool people and then Jimbo backed up some cool people on our own, separately and together. And then we have had some run-ins with some notable people, opening for them or getting to meet them and do shows or recordings,” he added. “I thought we should do a cover song from each one of those people and it would be kind of fun to do. Plus, having worked with all those people, I really wanted the stories to get out there.”
The result with Roots of the Rev is a musical
travelogue of roots music that finds Heath and Wallace serving as the listener’s tour guides. With the former’s twanging vocal phrasing and the latter providing a rock-solid bottom, listeners are treated to an irresistible reading of Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” accentuated by some Jordanaires-flavored harmonies; a snappy reading of Willie’s perennial “Three Days,” and “Rockin’ Bones,” a stomping opener originally cut by rockabilly cultartist Ronnie Dawson.
Elsewhere, Heath tips his cap to fellow Texan Gene Summers with the Jerry Lee Lewis-kissed “School of Rock ’n Roll,” and kicks it into overdrive with some fleet-fingered riffing on Crescent City rocker Jerry Byrne’s “Lights Out.” Expect this frenetic energy to translate on stage when the good Rev and his bandmates plug in.
“While we never had a big hit song, we’ve had some that got a lot of airplay. But never one that was a big enough song that we had to play it,” Heath said. “But at the same time, with our fans, there are certain songs that we almost have to play because that’s what our fans want to hear.”
Among them are “400 Bucks,” “Baddest of the Bad,” “Big Little Baby,” “In Your Wildest Dreams,” “Galaxy 500” and “Bales of Cocaine.” “People get upset when we don’t play one of the Rev’s ‘hits,’” Heath said. “We’re adding in quite a bit more cover songs right now because of the new album.”
With plenty of touring on the books through October of next year, Heath will also squeeze in separate studio dates with fellow revivalists Jason D. Williams and Jimmy Dale Richardson. Having been inspired by what he calls mid-20th century music that runs the gamut from Henry Mancini, Ennio Morricone and movie musicals (The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady were favorites) to surf music and the aforementioned rockabilly, Heath’s passions still run deep and wide. And it’s a big part of the
reason why the 65-yearold rocker is four decades into leading the Reverend Horton Heat. “I found that if you can draw a big crowd playing your own original music in your hometown, then the only thing that’s keeping you from rock stardom is the will to get in a van and drive,” Heath said.
“I tell young musicians to get themselves a really good running van, and if one guy can fix it, that’s even better. You’ve got to get out there. During my whole career, that’s the hardest thing about music of any genre,” he added.
“You’re in a hotel room by yourself. You’re alone and eating truckstop food. You’re getting sick, and you don’t know where to go to the doctor. It’s a hard thing. You want to be a rock star? I guarantee you’ll be a rock star. You’ve just gotta be ready to wash your hair at Burger King and do stuff like that,” he concluded. Rev. Horton Heat, Black Joe Louis and Piñata Protest perform at the Raven Theater on Saturday, Feb. 22, starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are $45, available from raventheater.org.
Most vendor booths were snatched up weeks ago, including 15 food booths from Bear Republic to the Wurst, tour operators from fly fishing guides to mechanical bull rides, and water and environmental agencies throughout the county and state. Plus live music, of course.
The Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10am to 4pm. ➝ Russian River, 2
“You know, we always focus on salmon and steelhead, but those are only two of thousands of organisms that live in the river,” McEnhill said. “They’re all just a giant, interdependent ecosystem.”
More information at russianriverkeeper.org.
Photo courtesy of the Reverend Horton Heat
ROCKABILLY TRIO From left, drummer Jonathan Jeter, guitarist and singer Jim Heath, and bassist Jimbo Wallace make up the basic elements of the Reverend Horton Heat, playing the Raven on Feb. 22.
Lady Hounds Tough It Out With ‘Gritty’ Play
By Caleb Knudsen
The saga of Healdsburg’s basketball seasons, boys and girls, continues to be played out, though hopes for a repeat league championship for the girls have been damaged by the dominance of Ukiah, a new addition to the NBLRedwood division, which remains undefeated in league play.
Little wonder: With their student enrollment of 1,778,
the Wildcats can draw upon a huge advantage in sourcing athletic talent. About 640 students go to HHS, possibly the smallest school in the division—but for the past few yeast the Healdsburg girls basketball program has been a contender. It was first in the league for three years, second for two years before that.
Coach Greg Marguglio worried early on in the season about the addition of Ukiah to the league, although Windsor was moved out to the Oak division where Ukiah had been.
“It’s a much improved team,”
Marguglio said of Ukiah as far back as December.
So it would seem: Ukiah clinched the NBLRedwood championship last weekend when they reached 8-0 in league play, with only second wins over Piner and Santa Rosa standing in their way to an undefeated season.
However this year it’s not only Ukiah but St. Vincent de Paul that has made life difficult for the Lady Greyhounds. The Mustangs worked hard for their 42-37 victory over Healdsburg on Jan. 21, which handed the local
girls their first home loss this year. A 64-20 “comfort win” over Elsie Allen gave the Hounds some confidence back, but the second game with Ukiah, played last Wednesday in Smith Robinson Gym, was a heartbreaker.
The Wildcats had defeated Healdsburg in Ukiah but only by 46-42, and the Greyhound girls thought they had a chance of taking a win at home. For much of the game it certainly seemed like a possibility. Healdsburg leapt out to a surprising 14-6 first-quarter lead, raising
Soccer Teams in Contention in NBL-Redwood Division
BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS TEAMS HAVE A SHOT BUT TIME IS RUNNING OUT
By Caleb Knudsen
The winter sports schedule
is winding down as yet another atmospheric river dumps on Sonoma County, adding a bit of gloom to a season already losing momentum after some preleague success. When last we checked in
with the boys soccer team, they had just begun their league season with a tie game against Piner, 1-1, on the Healdsburg field. The following Saturday, Jan. 19, they headed up to Lake County to meet Kelseyville,
and came home with a 5-0 win in their non-league column.
Another league 1-1 tie against Elsie Allen on Jan. 21 gave them no forward momentum, but backto-back 1-0 victories over
the sound level in the gym considerably, but Ukiah got back on track to make it a 16-16 tie at the half.
As the third quarter went on, the Wildcats took advantage of their momentum and scored 17 more points to just 10 by the hosting Hounds: but that fourth quarter proved a doozy. Healdsburg held Ukiah to 10 hard-earned points while scoring 15 points of their own to get within a single basket.
As the home crowd leapt to its feet, Ruby Leffew’s shot as the game ended arced toward the
Analy on Jan. 23 and Santa Rosa on Jan. 29 put them back on their feet.
Junior Jairo Mendoza made the goal in the Analy game, and Diego Rodriguez, assisted by Mendoza, scored against Santa Rosa.
The two recent wins give them a 2-0-2 record in the league, and a shot at the title. Standing in their way is Piner, whom they met on Wednesday (results too late for press time) and Analy. Both of those teams have won 3 league matches. But the 5-team Redwood standings are close enough that it’s anybody’s guess who gets the NBL-Redwood boys soccer title.
Two home games remain on the boys soccer schedule: Friday, Feb. 7, against Elsie Allen, and a week later against Santa Rosa.
Girls Soccer
The last couple of weeks for the girls soccer team has seen a rude awakening. After going without a loss through the season’s first 15 games, they lost two in
basket, ducked in but then out again for a miss. Final score, 43-41.
“Heartbreaking,” Margulio said.
Ashley Behrens was Healdsburg’s top scorer with 14, Leffew ended with 8, but two Ukiah girls made the difference, sophomore Lainee Delapo with 16 points and Samantha Wood with 14.
Coach Marguglio called it “another back and forth battle with Ukiah. It was a gritty effort to claw back by the Hounds, but they just couldn’t close it out.” As well as Leffew’s final shot, he cited a four-point swing at the free-throw line to go behind in the last minute.
The Greyhounds got their revenge in spirit on Friday night with a 56-21 blowout of Piner, and Wednesday night’s home game against Santa Rosa (4-3 in the league) should favor Healdsburg (5-3), but it really could go either way.
Allie Espinoza continues to lead the team in scoring, but no one player can make up for the impact that now-graduated Hailey Webb brought to the team, which led to two consecutive league titles. Returning players Leffew, Hannah Sellards, Claire Berry and Ashley Behrens keep the games close, and always competitive.
Other players are making their presence known too, like junior Meher Dhiman who hit for two 3-pointers in the Piner game Jan. 14, for 12 points overall, and Ashley Jenkins who is waiting for her chance.
Following Wednesday’s home game against Santa Rosa, the 2025 season draws to a close on Friday in Petaluma with the final game, against St. Vincent de Paul. It’s been a gritty effort all season long, and this team goes down as one of the grittiest.
a row—both to NBL-Redwood division rivals. On Friday, Jan. 24, Piner came calling and shut out the Greyhounds 4-0. Piner’s sophomore Kamila Olvera scored twice, while big sister Sierra Olvera scored one goal and Brenda Crespo also had one. A few nights later, on Jan. 28, Rancho Cotate also took home a 1-0 win, with sophomore Miajane Smith kicking the game’s sole goal in the second half.
This opens the door for the league’s second half, but the Greyhounds have reason for optimism. They defeated Santa Rosa on Jan. 17 with a 3-0 win and Elsie Allen on Jan. 22 by a resounding 6-0. The rematches are Feb. 4 against Santa Rosa and Feb. 6 at home against Elsie Allen (a Senior Night game). That makes their record at this point 2-2, but Piner still sits atop the league with its 5-0 record. The season’s final games before any league playoff will be challenging: Feb. 11 against Piner (5-0), and Feb. 13 against Rancho Cotate (3-1).
Photos by Michael Lucid
UPCOURT Healdsburg’s Ruby Leffew (5), a senior this year and an all-league candidate, brings the ball into play as St. Vincent’s Coco Malvesta (3) moves into position for a blocking foul during the Jan. 21 game in Healdsburg.
Photos by Michael Lucid
FORWARD Diego Rodriguez moves the ball against Analy during the Jan. 23 game in Healdsburg, which saw the Greyhounds eke out a 1-0 win.
FLASHBACKS
CURATED FROM BACK ISSUES OF THE HEALDSBURG TRIBUNE
100 years ago: February 5, 1925
NEW GEYSER WELL EXPLODES – ONE HURT
Exploding with such force as to hurl water, steam and rocks to a height of several hundred feet, the new well at Geysers came in Tuesday night at 5:30 o’clock with such a quantity of steam as to overjoy the promoters of the drilling project at the natural steam beds, 20 miles northeast of Healdsburg. The rocks fell over an area of ten acres, and one
of the missiles, descending from a great height, struck G. H. Humphreys, stock salesman, breaking his arm.
The explosion came as the drilling tools were hoisted from the 150-footdeep bore, as the shifts were being changed, so that damage done was at a minimum. The drillers were at supper when the hole ‘‘shot.”
The well, 451 feet deep, with a 10 inch bore, had been completely full of water during the drilling operations, creating a down pressure on the bottom of about 200 pounds to the square inch. When the explosion came, this column of water was shot out of the well to a great height, together with loose rocks, torn from the well bottom by the force of the steam. There will be no more drilling of this bore, of course.
75 years ago: February 10, 1950
HEALDSBURG AND LYTTON MEET IN ANNUAL BOXING SHOW TONIGHT
Following many weeks of hard training under the leadership of veteran Al Barbieri, the Healdsburg Boys Club members don their gloves in the annual boxing show in their meeting with the boys from Lytton Home, to be staged at the Healdsburg High School tonight, starting time set for 7:30 p.m.
Highlighting the evening’s program will be the meeting of Healdsburg’s Bebe Lara and John Silvia who comes here from Hopland. A1 bouts are scheduled for three rounds with the youngest boys getting the show underway
and working on through the heavier fellows to the final main attraction. In the opening event, 40-pound Greg Albini, age 4, meets 40-pound Skip Atkinson, also age 4. Both lads hail from Healdsburg. Following will be another all-Healdsburg bout between Bobby Atkinson, 5, and Sonny Squires, 5, both lads hitting the scales at 40 pounds. All proceeds received from the sports event will be used to purchase additional equipment for both athletic clubs.
50 years ago: February 20, 1975
BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS AT HES SPAWN FIRST CODE OF CONDUCT
For what appears to be the first time in its history, Healdsburg Elementary School will have a behavior
BOILING A
with a
title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement. Tender of payment by certified or cashier’s check or
Phone: 949-252-8300 Fax: 949-252-8330 SALE INFORMATION
CAN BE OBTAINED ONLINE AT www.insourcelogic.com FOR AUTOMATED SALES INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: In Source Logic AT 702-659-7766 Order Number 109185, Pub Dates: 02/06/2025, 02/13/2025, 02/20/2025 HEALDSBURG TRIBUNE
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202500332
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. QUINONES BRANDS, 980 SPRINGFIELD COURT, WINDSOR, CA 95492 COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: SAME: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): DAN QUINONES, 980 SPRINGFIELD COURT, WINDSOR, CA 95492: 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: DAN QUINONES, OWNER. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Sonoma County on JANUARY 29, 2025. (Publication Dates February 6, 13, 20, 27 of 2025 The Healdsburg Tribune)
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT - FILE NO: 202500373 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: 1. REAGENT MARKETING HOUSE, 1355 MILTON PLACE, ROHNERT PARK, CA 94928 COUNTY SONOMA, Mailing Address: SAME: Is hereby registered by the following owner(s): MONIREED SANDY MOYLAN, 1355
of ‘the
code, elementary school trustees decided last Thursday night. The new behavior code was prompted by a petition from 19 faculty members in December that cites “serious problems” occurring “in the classroom, cafeteria and playground.”
HES Principal Richard Peters testified on Dec. 12 that “concentration levels, noisiness, poling other students, discourtesy and bad language” were the major problems. After a 15-member committee was appointed to study the problems, and the recommendations made to correct them by the school
faculty, it presented rules that are “short, concise, and meaningful to parents and students,” Peters said. He believes it is the first behavior code the school has ever had. The committee consisted of board members, faculty members, the district psychologist, administrators, parents and a representative from the Sonoma County Social Service Department.
Research and materials provided by the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society. The Museum, located at 221 Matheson St., is closed until spring for renovations.
IT’S
photo
Big Steam Well at the Geysers,’
constant pressure of 300 lbs. per square inch.
Elementary school kids line up for lunch at Public Schools Week in April 1966. Nine years later, ‘serious
forced the school to impose a behavior code on the students at Healdsburg Elementary.
POLICE LOG
& CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE, JAN. 20-26
Residents and others are encouraged to call Police Dispatch as needed at (707) 431-3377, operational 24/7.
Monday, Jan. 20
12:08pm A suspicious person was contacted at Simi Winery on Healdsburg Avenue. A 45-Year-Old (YO) man was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia and contempt of court.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
10:36am Graffiti was reported at the Healdsburg Community Center on Healdsburg Avenue along the path.
Wednesday, Jan. 22
2:19pm The Reporting Party (RP) at Tisza on Healdsburg Avenue indicated that a man at a bus stop appeared to have been drinking. He went to Tisza and demanded food and then walked back out. The man returned and got into a verbal argument. Officers responded and
2:38pm A juvenile indicated he was hit by a truck while riding his electric bike near the Dollar Tree on Vine Street. Before leaving, the driver of the truck stopped and asked the juvenile if he was OK. Subsequently, an officer spoke to the juvenile and his mother. The juvenile’s mother decided to call back the police if she wanted to press charges against the driver. A report was taken.
arrested the 22-YO man for resisting an executive officer, criminal threats, carrying a concealed dirk or dagger, brandishing a weapon or firearm, battery on a police officer and violating parole. He was brought to county jail.
3:16pm The RP on Healdsburg Avenue at Lytton Springs Road reported a reckless or drunk driver.
The RP indicated that the driver attempted to enter the freeway heading the wrong direction, but then went back down the onramp. The driver subsequently drove southbound on Healdsburg Avenue at a high rate of speed while swerving. Officers responded, but the vehicle was gone on arrival and unable to be located.
The RP’s call was transferred to California Highway Patrol.
Thursday, Jan. 23
12:10am A vehicle on
Hwy 101 at Old Redwood Highway was stopped for violating vehicle registration rules. A 68-YO man was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia.
• 10:35am The RP on Grant Avenue at the former location of Giorgio’s Restaurant indicated that a man had broken into an old ambulance. The RP saw the man put items into his pockets. The man subsequently left with a woman in a vehicle. The RP wanted to press charges. Officers responded and took a report.
Friday, Jan. 24
1:08am A vehicle on Hwy 101 at Lytton Springs Road was stopped for violating vehicle registration rules. A 35-YO man was cited and released on an outstanding Sonoma County Warrant regarding driving on a
12:19pm The RP, an employee at Antique Harvest on Healdsburg Avenue, received a counterfeit $100 bill earlier in the week. The bank revealed to the RP it was counterfeit and did not give the $100 bill back. The RP wanted law enforcement to follow up with the person who gave the RP the $100 bill. An officer responded and gave the RP advice.
• 2:03pm The
Photo by Rick Tang