Opinion

The oldest people in Sonoma County can remember the days of Prohibition (1920-1933) and we still have a cluster of World War II survivors who can tell stories about food and gas rationing and local coastal blackouts to hide from Japanese submarines. Our most elder Baby Boomers can recall when the county’s population almost doubled between 1950 and 1970, from 103,405 to 204,885. (Today’s population is 486,000.)

Storage not shortage

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.

Guess what time it is? It’s time to dig out that shoebox full of crumbled paper receipts, mysterious and unopened forms from the bank and mortgage companies and also retrieve those annual W-2 statements and other miscellaneous pieces of paper labeled “Important Tax Documents Enclosed.” Hot diggity, it’s tax preparation season again.

Like everyone else, library staff are currently pushing back some in-person programming plans and making adjustments in order to meet the moment and help “bend the curve” of the pandemic. We’re really looking forward to storytimes, meetings, and other community programming inside soon, but in the meantime, we are pushing forward with virtual programs as well as items you can take with you outside. This month, we want to let you know about engaging opportunities on the way for 2022.

Wishing all Healdsburgers a happy and healthy 2022. The recent rain, followed by sunshine has a few, early blades of mustard grass already popping up. In case you didn’t know, “IDlewood 3” (433) was the town’s original telephone exchange and now “Hedda Healdsburg” wants to know all! Please send your newsy items to me in care of The Healdsburg Tribune.

There are lots of big topics dominating the news these days. We’re getting pretty darn tired of most of them, like the omicron variant of the coronavirus, the open-shut door carousel at our local schools, renewed sheltering-in-place orders, a drought that comes with a tsunami warning and muddy feet and distant drumbeats about what’s being called “existential threats” to our democracy. But the biggest — and most real — current news topic is probably inflation, an economic menace we haven’t had to face for almost 40 years. 

When faced with big and nasty challenges like fighting off the current surges of local COVID-19 coronavirus cases there is no better motivator than a promise of a delicious reward just waiting for us at almost arm’s length. It’s like the child’s lollipop a doctor offers after a show of bravery for getting a measles shot.

Ukiah, the city I work in, recently renovated the entire downtown area with new sidewalks, paved road, and all new trees with planter areas. In full transparency, I was involved in aspects of the planning of this project but not the design. When a co-worker of mine made a criticism regarding the new planters at all the street corners, I was excited to actually have some rare insight that I felt was useful in a nerdy sort of way. He complained that the contractor left the planter areas several inches too shallow and made an opening in the curb which will likely flood and dump garbage and dirty water around the new plants just put in. “Exactly the point!” was my response which only made him more confused, and as I presume, makes him not the only one. Let me geek out with you in a science meets nature sort of way.

Last January, now a whole year ago, America may have experienced both its worst and best days of the year.