News

A month ago, all of Sonoma County’s “public life” was put off limits. No schools, locked parks, barricaded beaches, no dining out or casual shopping trips. Gathering places where conversations and friendships get shared are taboo. Libraries, coffee shops, brewpubs, art galleries and any space smaller than six feet square, are now officially declared uninhabitable.

A month ago, all of Sonoma County’s “public life” was put off limits. No schools, locked parks, barricaded beaches, no dining out or casual shopping trips. Gathering places where conversations and friendships get shared are taboo. Libraries, coffee shops, brewpubs, art galleries and any space smaller than six feet square, are now officially declared uninhabitable.

Kiff will assist with COVID-19 recovery 

Some local services — like therapy — moved easily online after the COVID-19 epidemic hit. Others — like massage or spa businesses — have temporarily closed up shop. Fitness clubs and yoga studios might seem to fall in the latter category – what with all the exercise equipment and hands-on coaching — but that hasn’t been the case.

Despite the difficulties that distance learning may bring, several small Healdsburg schools are getting creative with their distance learning plans and are seeing success. Some smaller schools, like the Alexander Valley School (AVS), are reporting a high percentage of student attendance and that students and teachers are starting to fall in line with the new routine of learning at home.

The coronavirus pandemic is taking a devastating economic toll on Sonoma County’s economy: tourism, once a mainstay, is non-existent; 16,000 local workers have filed for unemployment; more than a thousand small businesses have applied for the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) Payroll Protection Plan (PPP). Meanwhile local governments continue to provide essential public health and welfare services, while their normal revenue sources trickle to near-zero.

With the onslaught of the coronavirus and the related shelter-in-place orders, Healdsburg residents may be wondering how this will affect the farmers market pavilion project at 3 North Street, a project that was approved by city council in early March and has received community-wide support.

The Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market is opening its 42nd season two weeks early on Saturday, April 18. Like many essential services around the county, the market is having to navigate a new set of rules and procedures for its opening to ensure that the operation adheres to social distancing and increased health and safety practices.

Back when life was normal, all we had to worry about was a drought and seasonal wildfires. Just because all our attention is now on the COVID-19 pandemic, doesn’t mean the lack of winter rains and approaching fire season aren’t still with us.

Spring is often a bustling time of year for wineries. New and delicate buds break, wine gets bottled and locals and visitors alike spend afternoons tasting and sipping wines at local wineries.