Hi everyone! Simone here with your Holiday Weekend edition of the Healdsburg Daily. Also here to wish a very happy New Years Eve to all those who celebrate it. And to wish a good day off – and a nice and quick break in the rain! – to everyone in town. Here’s your last drop of local news before the weekend begins. Enjoy …

First, your weather forecast for the weekend:

• Friday: A mix of sun and cloud, with a little chance of rain. High: 52 Low: 43.
• On Saturday: Rain and maybe a Christmas thunderstorm. High: 47 Low: 36.
• Sunday: Very cool and cloudy with a few showers. High: 45 Low: 39.
• Monday: Rain expected in the morning, turning to sun. High: 45 Low: 29.

Air over Healdsburg:

Congratulations to our first local sponsor:

If you still need a Christmas tree and would prefer to find it locally Than going to one of those great pop-ups, Grandma’s Farm at 17740 Healdsburg Avenue, just north of the Alexander Valley Road exit, is your best bet. They have beautiful, fresh cut 6 to 7 foot Noble, Douglas and Nordmann trees, as well as wreaths, garlands and mistletoe. If you want to hang out there are other fun things to do as well – like sitting on tractors, listening to grandma’s wild stories, seeing farm animals, buying eggs, making s ‘mores, sip hot drinks, etc. You can even bring your dog! Come by today before 6 p.m.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. It’s official: “From next year, all Freshmen at Healdsburg High School will be required to complete one-semester Ethnic Studies course, ”reports the Tribune. “The implementation of the course comes after several years of work to address inequalities in the school district. a “Survey of different marginalized groups in the United States” which gives students “the opportunity to explore their own identity”, say school officials. And since over 60% of the high school is Hispanic, kids will “spend more time on the Latinx section of the course.” Next, the Healdsburg School District plans to set up similar programs on other campuses for younger people. (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
2. The number of COVID cases for Sonoma County continues to rise. We are now at a 7-day average of 92 new cases per day – almost double from last week, and higher than we have been since the great delta surge in September. This increase is “expected … as the Omicron variant takes hold and because of holiday gatherings,” county health officials said. “Omicron accounts for 73% of new infections in the United States Last week, up from two weeks ago, the CDC said Omicron only made up 1% of cases in the United States. although you need to call ahead as they are in high demand (County of Sonoma & NY Times & Nextdoor)
3. We have just learned of the existence of a well-known Recently deceased Healdsburgian: John Carriger, a Healdsburg High School graduate and Vietnam vet whose father owned the old Ben Franklin store downtown. John was “very active in the Redwood Empire Council, of which he was president for two years,” says his obituary. Late in life he ended up marrying a former HHS classmate Diane Schmidt Johannsen, after they met at their 40th class reunion. They then spent “many years RVing in places like Ashland, Glacier and Grand Canyon.” May he rest in peace. (Legacy.com)
4. We also lost Nancy Brown Umphenor this month, another HHS graduate – class of 1968 – known for her contagious joy and love of people. She “could strike up a conversation with almost anyone, find common ground and connection, and she had a wide range of friends from all walks of life and all age groups,” according to her obituary. Nancy was big in “the breeding and presentation of registered Black Angus cattle”, and was president of the California Angus Association. She also worked in real estate and in the Benziger Winery tasting room. RIP Nancy, and love to family and friends! (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
5. Good news for local history buffs: The Healdsburg Museum is just digitized the great “Healdsburg Cultural Resources Survey” conducted in 1983. It is now available for online browsing, conveniently sorted by street and address. This inventory “was the City’s first attempt to assess the quality and quantity of historic buildings, structures and sites in the greater Healdsburg community, “say museum officials. It covers nearly 50,000 acres in and around the city, documenting the history of” hundreds of pre-1941 structures. ” see if your home – or some of your other favorites The properties of Healdsburg are in the archives. (Facebook and Healdsburg Museum)

Today’s Healdsburg Daily is presented in part by our friends at Verizon. They are building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G will change lives for you and your community – and to access this amazing technology – click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Healdsburg!

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This weekend in Healdsburg:

Friday 24 December

• Community Posada Navideña at the apartments on avenue March (5 p.m.)
• Friday night Wine & Song at the vineyards of Hudson Street (5-8 p.m.)

Saturday 25 December

• Healdsburg Running Company Christmas morning run on Fitch Mountain (8h00)
• Christmas at the Spoonbar (2 p.m.-8 p.m.)

Sunday 26 December

• Virtual Mindful Mondays Yoga for teens at the Sonoma County Library (4-5 p.m.)

Monday, December 27

• New Years break Basketball camp at Healdsburg Junior High (December 27-30, 9 am-3pm)
• Virtual for children Media Creators Meetup at the Healdsburg Library (6-7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tip: one of the best places to go last minute gift shopping, IMO, is the great Mill Street Antiques warehouse in the mall next to the roundabout, near Coyote Sonoma and Parish. They have the coolest old stuff alleyways and alleyways. I go there every year before Christmas and always find something awesome for every member of my family. This is not an advertisement, LOL – I am really obsessed with this place. They are open until 5pm today if you want to stop by! (Google Maps)
• I don’t know what to think of it, but it says there is possible snowfall in the forecast for the Healdsburg area this Tuesday morning, as overnight temperatures will be below zero and precipitation is expected. Wouldn’t that be crazy? Could call for a trip down Pine Flat Road for some snowball action … (NWS and Google Maps)
• Healdsburg resident Bonnie Stinski and her little turtle figurine with a Santa hat, “directed by a special aunt and introduced to her when she was a teenager” about 70 years ago, are featured in a Democratic press article on “worn out treasures reminiscent of Christmases of the past.” (Democratic Press; paywall)
• The local Sonoma newspaper also just wrote a touching article on Angie Sanchez, Former Head of Programs at Corazón Healdsburg who realized during the pandemic that she was failing to serve her own community in the Sonoma Valley. So she returned home to start her own non-profit organization, VIDA. Here is how it goes. (Sonoma Index-Tribune)
• There are enthusiastic murmurs in the fishing community about salmon and rainbow trout spotted in the Russian River this season. (Ukiah’s Daily Journal and Community Voice)
• Some chic hotels in Healdsburg, H2hotel and Harmon Guest House, welcome the great New Year dinners, if you like that sort of thing. (Pacific Sun)
• A recall of the Healdsburg Nonprofit Farm in the Pantry: “More citrus, persimmons, or winter garden extras than you can use? Call the gleaners! We come, we gather and share your abundance with others so that it does not go to waste! “(Facebook)
• Earlier this week, a the scale was stolen from a local church – the Evangelical Assembly of God on Fitch Street – as handymen fixed a leak in the church roof before the rains, according to Pastor David Royer. He appeals the guilty of please flip the scale, no questions asked. “I just don’t like that happening in our church – or in our wonderful community!” writes the pastor on Facebook. “If they bring him back and leave him on the railing or down the stairs in the basement, even if I see them, it’s okay.” (Facebook Facebook)
• Last week, workers at Healdsburg’s Russian Riverkeeper organization visited Mill Creek to check areas where they had “installed erosion controls after the Walbridge fire” last year – and made a wonderful discovery. “Many areas were blooming again with a diverse plant community,” they wrote. “The burnt redwoods were all coming back. The stream flowed after the rains. The soils here were so dry and absorbent that there was very little mudslides. It’s inspiring to see a sensitive habitat regenerate after a fire… With a little help from our catering team! “(Facebook)
• This guy from Cloverdale, a true local legend, was dress up as Santa Claus and go to holiday events on his Harley for almost 25 years. “I can ride my motorbike in Santa Claus outfit,” he says. “That’s the whole story.” (SoCoNews Cloverdale)

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That’s all for today. I come back with more news next week after the holidays! Hope this is wonderful for you and yours.

– Simone wilson

About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, California, where I was the editor of Healdsburg High School Hound’s Bark. Since then, I have worked as a local reporter for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York and the Middle East. I am currently a Senior Product Manager for Patch.