Goats are coming to graze to reduce fire fuels at Fitch Mountain and Healdsburg Ridge
Vegetation management projects made possible by Coastal Conservancy grants
54 miles of county road projects to begin this week
Work is set to begin this week on 54 miles of major roads in unincorporated Sonoma County. Improvements range from rebuilding roads to treatments that keep good roads in a good condition. This work will enhance a total of 255,515 average daily vehicle trips; however the construction will have unavoidable traffic impacts.
Report from the City Council, May 18
Utility Conservation Analyst Terra Sampson presented the council with options to expand rebate programs to encourage electric vehicle (EV) usage. The rebates will apply to new or used electric cars and are limited to qualifying low-income households.
Changes bookend the WUSD meeting
The Dec. 1 meeting of the Windsor Unified School District Board of Trustees started and ended with some monumental changes.
Commentary: Will Healdsburg’s city council lead on climate action?
The Healdsburg City Council adopted a climate emergency declaration in 2019 and has taken some isolated actions since then. However, the city lacks a comprehensive Climate Action Plan with deadlines and staff/budget allocations. Healdsburg 2040, a citizen-led grassroots organization, believes the city council must prioritize climate action in its goal-setting session on March 7, 2022.
The disintegration of the wine tourism economy
The welcome mat for Sonoma County’s wine country was rolled up several weeks ago in the midst of the COVID-19 shelter-in-place, and there is no prediction of when it might be rolled out again. Only a little over one quarter (27.8%) of the county’s 7,000 lodging rooms were occupied at the beginning of this month, down from an average occupancy rate of 78% from a year ago.
Temporary sculpture garden grows on hotel site
Local artist Ned Kahn is building a temporary sculpture garden in the weedy, empty lot just east of Sebastopol’s downtown plaza. The future home of Hotel Sebastopol, the lot has been an eyesore in downtown for years now, although the extensive chain link fencing around the property has proved to be an inviting canvas for both a local homeless artist and political activists, including the local Black Lives Matter movement.
Second Red Flag Warning issued for this week
A second Red Flag Warning was issued this week. The warning is in effect from 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21 to Friday, Oct. 23 at 8 a.m. and comes on the heels of a warning that was issued earlier this week for Monday evening through Wednesday at 8 a.m. The Red Flag Warning is issued for North Bay mountains, East Bay hills and interior valleys, Santa Cruz mountains and the San Mateo County coast.
Arts & Entertainment
Stage face-off: Revenge vs. rivalry
Local audiences seeking a solid presentation of an American theatrical classic have two very diverse options right now. The Raven Performing Arts Theater hosts Stephen Sondheim’s massive macabre musical, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," while The 222 offers Sam Shepard’s more intimate fraternal drama, "True West." Both run in Healdsburg through Nov. 8.
