Columns

Dear WUSD Partners,

Five months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Christina Stafford knew people were hungry. As a regular volunteer for Your Tiny Farm, she had a vision to raise money for this local nonprofit whose mission is to turn vacant, plantable city spaces and backyards into vibrant fruit and vegetable gardens. Creativity is second nature to Stafford, who owns Stafford Gallery on the Healdsburg Plaza. She and her collaborators, Doralice Handal and Nicole Rubio, wanted something other than your run-of-the-mill fundraiser — something that would combine farming, harvest and Halloween. So, a “make your own” scarecrow contest seemed like the perfect event.

Sept. 21 through 28 is Creek Week in the Russian River Watershed. Join in with this spirit of environmental conservation and community enrichment by getting educated, invested and involved.

Returning home from the recent Russian Riverkeeper fundraiser, for the umpteenth time I wondered what exactly makes for a successful event. There was so much I appreciated about the Ripp’n River Bash. Let’s begin with the invitation — blue, white and black, the creative artwork screamed “river,” with a mission clearly stated front and center:

Sitting outside with friends last night overlooking the Russian River, my thoughts turned to George Gershwin and Ella Fitzgerald. I began to hum, “Summertime, And the livin’ is easy, Fish are jumpin, And the cotton is high…”

For months I’ve been thinking about community-powered journalism, even more now since Rollie’s announcement last week describing the newspaper’s direct public offer. Grateful for local journalists, I’ve depended upon them as my partners for many decades, weaving story after story about the wine business.

100 years ago – September 9, 1920