Columns

How to Shake Your Salt Habit • Wednesday, Oct. 23 • 2 to 3 p.m. • Free

A week ago my dad came to Windsor for a quick visit. I had asked him to help me get some glasses for the computer, and instead of mailing back the glasses, he decided to bring them to me. We didn’t do anything special—just hung out, ordered some Chinese food from Yinking, and then had breakfast the next morning at Omelette Express as he was leaving town to head back up to Magalia.

Approaching the one-year mark since the devastating October fires, I am practicing gratitude. Only last week did I have the heart to venture back to Deer Trail Road.

It was Valentine’s Day, it was Ash Wednesday, and that evening the Golden State Warriors lost to the Portland Trailblazers in an exciting baskeball game. But there was an infinitely greater loss that day — 17 precious ones were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Yes, we had another mass shooting at a school in America.

Most things do not belong in the toilet. In fact, it is easier to list what can go in: water, toilet paper, pee and poo (the three P’s).

The immigration debate in Sonoma County is a real “bread and butter” issue. It’s a food and jobs issue that trumps the controversies over sanctuary cities or building a wall at the Mexican border. At stake is supporting our county’s agriculture workforce, protecting immigrant...

We have enjoyed seeing so many of you lately as our community continues to work through our recovery from the emergency of late October and early November. We continue to stay positive, trying out new ideas every few months as we try to meet our community’s needs.

On Feb. 4, I joined my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors in voting to approve $2.6 million in loans from the County Fund for Housing to support the construction of 135 new housing units. $1.5 million of those loans will fund the construction of affordable housing in the Fourth District — 41 multi-family units at the Mill District. These one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and townhomes will provide critically needed affordable housing in downtown Healdsburg. 

Some folks believe they should talk to their plants. How does one do that?

Ten years ago, the Healdsburg Unified School District (HUSD) became a community funded district, meaning that local property taxes are our primary source of revenue. This funding model, often referred to as Basic Aid, is different from the funding model of most school districts in California, which are funded on a per student basis by the state.