Plastic straws, plastic oceans
At the mouth of the Russian River, which defines the watershed in which we all live, there is a mud and sand flat full of driftwood, large rocks and lots and lots of colorful items. These are soda bottles, lost toys, household containers, play balls, boat parts, piles of bottle caps, broken cases, bags, missing shoes and unidentifiable pieces of our modern life. They’re all made of plastic.
Wine Words: Generational dreams
Is Sonoma County losing its soul? What creative new paradigm can we devise to ensure the agricultural integrity of Sonoma County by enabling young, talented winegrowers and farmers to have access to affordable land?
Off the Top of My Head: The year of the woman
Happy New Year. I love the New Year. I love it because I like new beginnings. There is, for me, great hope and optimism when I start anything new, so the New Year excites me greatly.
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. The photos are from the archives of the Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society.
Commentary: What does SDAT really say about the Cerri site?
At a work session on Jan. 21, the council decided to look closer at the options for affordable housing on city-owned sites. This included 3 North St., also known as the Cerri building or the Purity building. While the meeting agenda and staff report were focused on affordable housing, the council was being asked to consider a project last approved in 2017. The last time council was presented with options for this site was August 15, 2016. I am the only member still serving on the council when that vote was taken. Lots of things have happened in Healdsburg since 2016 including fires, floods, housing shortages and the SDAT process. After hearing about the potential for other uses for the site, including affordable housing, I am now open to follow the SDAT team’s recommendation and embark on a thoughtful, inclusive community master-planning effort for the West Plaza area as a whole.
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.
