Healdsburg’s financials are looking good as TOT tax revenue increases
The City of Healdsburg’s budget is looking good and general fund reserves are expected to hit slightly above the 30% city council-mandated reserve requirement thanks to general fund revenue projections that are exceeding expectations. Unfortunately, the budget outlook isn’t too rosy for the water fund, which is suffering decreases in revenue due to water conservation.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge: The California buckeye
On a recent visit to Jon Wright’s Feed Store for chicken feed, I noticed that Jon still has a poster of his customer Joe Montana in his #16 Jersey on the back wall next to the wood burning stove in his office. It brought back the memory of Nicholas Montana, a boy in my fourth grade classroom, who, while reading the book “Ishi: Last of his Tribe” and learning about California botany and the native buckeye tree, asked, “Ms. Kelley, are you talking about conkers? It was what his grandfather called the nut of the buckeye, and in my mind I saw children throwing them at each other in the Mayacamas Mountains. That led to a parallel motion picture where I envisioned children of the Pomo or Wappo people, or Ishi from his Yahi tribe, also collecting and throwing buckeye nuts at each other, in their time and in this place we now call California.
Here’s how state lawmakers want to help Californians facing high gas prices
There’s a collective groan, rippling across California, as drivers pull into gas stations and see prices above $5.
A community’s soul
We often banter about the word and the concept of what we call “community.” There’s probably no single definition we can use. Does community just happen, or does it require some sort of strategic planning? We combine the word when we talk about community policing, community mental health, community economic vitality, community diversity and even community journalism. When we say community, we don’t always mean communal; sometimes we also include conflict.
Oak Grove Elementary students dedicate garden to pandemic retirees
Fifth graders at Oak Grove Elementary School delivered a sunny sendoff for nine former school employees who retired during the pandemic shutdowns of 2020 and 2021. The class dedicated a garden of daffodils, bulbs and other plants to the long timers on Friday, March 4, recognizing their decades of service to the Oak Grove community.
Need a confidence boost? Call Peptoc
A West Side Elementary School art project has taken the nation by storm. Since its launch late last month, the delightful Peptoc Hotline project — a hotline you can call to hear words of wisdom and uplifting messages from kindergarteners and grade school students — has caught the attention of countless news outlets, including CNN and NPR, radio stations and even the Drew Barrymore Show.
River rallying for Ukraine in Guerneville Friday
A "Russian River Rally for Ukraine" is coming to the Guerneville pedestrian bridge on Friday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. According to a county press release, participants are encouraged to bring signs voicing support for Ukraine.
