Opinion

A noted Dry Creek farmer complains that streambed degradation is evident at Yoakim Bridge as the gravel around the instream pier has been scoured away, resulting in a partial void under the pier footing. ...

It’s been almost nine months since the fraudulent presidential election last November. Things are not looking good that the illegitimate Biden presidency will be overturned. This means all of us in Sonoma County and all other parts of the United States will have to endure the socialist and communist programs the far left Democrats are cramming through Congress. One can hardly wait for the 2022 mid-term elections to replace Nancy Pelosi with Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

This content is provided by Pierre Ratte. That sound heard in the middle of the night? It might not have anything to do with Halloween ghosts or goblins, but rather with trucks and grape-harvesting machinery. It’s a bit spooky to have an 18-wheel tractor-trailer truck...

We live in a world of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ — always have, and probably always will. But the divide between who has the most and who needs just a little bit more has never been greater. People like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg can make millions of dollars a day on Wall Street while neighborhoods of families can’t make ends meet or promise their children a better life.

When the annual “state of the county” economic report and forecast focuses on the 3,600 lost hospitality service jobs instead of the interrupted travels of wine country tourists, we will find ourselves living in a better Sonoma County.

Pantone has anointed its 2026 Color of the Year and, in an act of breathtaking caution, selected white. Well, basically white. “Cloud Dancer” is its official name—a soft, contemplative white-adjacent non-color billed as a balm for our overstimulated moment.

A changing Healdsburg

The COVID-19 pandemic has been cruel to all of us for many reasons. Of course there have been thousands of cases of illnesses in Sonoma County and now 414 deaths, almost all of them taking place unaccompanied by family or loved ones. Jobs and businesses have been lost and all our daily lives have been restricted by ongoing public health rules requiring us to wear masks, get vaccinated and tested and to limit our public interactions.

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.

This Week in H’burg is a weekly column featuring photos and fun facts from local photographer Pierre Ratté. Each week we’ll feature a new photo from Ratté along with a fact about the subject matter of the photo.