Commentary: Rethinking the strategic plan
Though it was only a few months ago, it seems like a lifetime since the city council developed their five-year strategic plan. It was a plan based upon a reality which is no longer relevant, thanks to COVID-19. Epidemiologists suggest that an effective vaccination for COVID-19 will not be available before 2021. Economists, in turn, suggest that the national and international economies will be in a recessionary status throughout this period and beyond. Until we move through this coming period of economic and social uncertainty, we will be subject to outbreaks, spikes and continued disruption to our economy. Some businesses may never reopen and others may go through several cycles of open/close/re-open, dampening tourism. The possibility of another major fire this season is high with the consequent damage to the Healdsburg economy. The confluence of these factors will continue to have a negative impact on the two main sources of city revenues: the Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) and sales tax.
Flashbacks: A look back at local history
The following snippets of history are drawn from the pages of the Healdsburg Tribune, the Healdsburg Enterprise and the Sotoyome Scimitar, and are prepared by the volunteers at the Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society. Admission is always free at the museum, open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Back in the Old Times
These news items are gathered from previous issues of the Windsor Times by volunteers of the Windsor Museum and Historical Society
Market Report: Welcome back
The April 17 opening of our Healdsburg Farmers’ Market this year feels like a reason to break out the champagne for me, for a few reasons.
Guest Commentary: Pension reform is simple
The solution to the county’s pension problem is simple, it’s just not easy to implement. Implementation will require political courage, a commodity often in short supply. The fact there is a serious problem with the county’s pension cost was acknowledged by the Board of Supervisors in 2011. The recent report by the Independent Citizen Advisory Committee on Pension Matters further documented that the problem is far from being solved five years after reforms had begun. More importantly, as a result of the committee’s work, we now fully understand why pension costs are so high, and we know a way to fix that problem.
Decoding Teenagers: Mother’s Day
Happy belated Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I hope your day was filled with love and laughter. It’s truly a day to admire your children and be proud of all the work you do on a daily basis. As moms we wear many hats. My hats range from nurse, to psychologist, chef, confidant and personal assistant to name a few. Children, especially teenagers, don’t really understand all that motherhood entails. As you know, it’s the hardest job in the world. On Sunday, I officially took the day off.
Arts & Entertainment
Return to the Russian River
When Jake Messing stood in front of the mural he had just completed for Russian Riverkeeper on the north side of the nonprofit’s headquarters at 139 Healdsburg Ave., he had finished more than another mural. He had made a return to the source from the sea himself, like the salmon he portrayed.















