Healdsburg Tribune
Healdsburg Tribune
ARIEL KELLEY STANDS WITH CORAZÓN
BEHIND ‘MAP A’
By Christian Kallen
Last Monday night marked the conclusion of what City Manager Jeff Kay called “a long and really involved journey” in Healdsburg’s civic history, as the City Council voted to approve a new map for selecting council members by district voting, beginning in 2026.
The meeting was an extra “public hearing” on the transition to district elections, which was supposed to have been decided on April 7 but took a detour when Mayor Evelyn Mitchell pushed for an alternative Map D to simplify the geometry of the city’s five districts.
Two weeks later, the April 21 meeting saw Councilmember Ariel Kelley return to arguments for the more inclusive Map A, which would have created a strongly Spanishspeaking district, avoided a single council member representing the downtown area and created a unified district to give voice to overlooked southend residents.
She was outvoted, however, as the rest of the council—absent Mayor Evelyn Mitchell, who was reported out sick by Vice Mayor Chris Herrod—opted to stick with the Map D plan promoted by Mitchell in the April 7 council meeting.
Time Running Out
The ticking clock surely influenced the city’s vote. As City Manager Jeff Kay mentioned in introducing the topic, the prompt
➝ District Elections, 2
CHAMBER’S ‘STAY HEALDSBURG’
2% ADDS UP TO $95,000
Christian Kallen
By
Jazz will again make itself heard in Healdsburg this June, songwriters will gather in the vineyards in July and Santa will light the Holiday tree—all thanks in part to the Chamber of Commerce’s Stay Healdsburg grants.
Healdsburg Jazz received $20,000 from Stay Healdsburg to help it produce the annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival from June 13-22 this summer, the largest grant this year.
Right behind that is the city’s own Merry Healdsburg event, a one-day holiday extravaganza that’s budgeted for $65,000 but will receive $15,000 from
Stay Healdsburg.
Those are the biggest recipients of Stay Healdsburg “sponsorships” this year, followed by several $5,000 recipients for other events that take place between May and October 2025. These include the projected October opening of the True West Film Center, and a third return of the Songwriters in Paradise “SIP” to Healdsburg.
Notably absent from this year’s list of awardees is the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience. It received a hefty $30,000 in funding last year, but this year Chamber support is more limited, at least on the surface.
“We’re excited to participate in the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience as an exhibitor with a booth, and are sponsoring the event in that capacity rather
than through District Development sponsorships,” said Jessica Bohon, Stay Healdsburg’s director of tourism and marketing.
Then there is the return of Edge Esmeralda, a monthlong extended experience “that showcases Healdsburg’s walkable charm, culinary excellence, and natural beauty while introducing a new type of visitor to the region,” in the words of the application. The application period fell between Feb. 14 and March 7.
A little less “edgy” would be Design Healdsburg 2025, also a $5,000 awardee. The three-day event in October promises to “shine a light on local talent and products, focused on Interiors, Architecture, Landscape, Lighting and Art which will take place in Healdsburg annually.” The event is planning
CITY’S EV PROGRAM CHARGES AHEAD
DEPARTING
UTILITIES DIRECTOR
LEAVES GREEN
LEGACY
Staff Report
Donald Trump may be intent on unplugging the EV industry unless it helps a certain special someone, but the City of Healdsburg is doubling down on its commitment to EV— Electric Vehicles—even as long-time Utilities Director Terry Crowley leaves the city for greener pastures in Palo Alto.
350 participants to eat in various restaurants, gather at assorted venues and, most importantly, stay at local lodgings.
Please, Stay That’s the key to Stay Healdsburg and its sponsorship grants: room stays, or more colorfully, heads in beds. There are 35 member lodging properties in the city limits on the Stay Healdsburg rolls, and even though tourism has been a bit off the last couple years, there is still high demand for Healdsburg stays.
“We are committed to creating these experiences that bring people together to create lasting memories in our beautiful town of Healdsburg, all while supporting those who make a positive impact in our community,” said the Chamber’s
Crowley, who started work with the city in 2010, was acknowledged by a proclamation from the City Council on Monday night that recognized his “leadership, professionalism, technical expertise, and management acumen” in leading the department, with its “compliance obligations for electricity, water, and wastewater.”
As well as overseeing “the water, wastewater, and electric utilities through fires, floods, City-wide evacuations, and pandemics while maintaining the highest level of service available,” Crowley kept an eye on the future to help Healsburg adapt “proactively” to trends and opportunities in utility management, as former mayor Ariel Kelley phrased it.
Evidence of his legacy is found in the parking lot behind the Senior Center, at 133 Matheson St., where several parking slots along East Street are being
CEO, Tallia Hart. Taken all together, this season’s sponsorships total $95,000, a generous figure that’s down a bit from last year. The equivalent funding period in 2024 saw about $120,000 distributed altogether to 13 recipients. This year the 95 grand is spread among 20 recipients, with many smaller applicants who might not have made the cut in recent years being awarded amounts of $1,000 and up.
converted to EV-only parking for charging at the city’s own network of public charging stations. Another installation of EV chargers is being constructed in the long parking lot between Center Street and Healdsburg Avenue, next to the Paul Mahder Gallery.
“Because most downtown parking is owned by the City, the City is in a unique position to transition existing parking to EV charging stations to provide more opportunities and locations for EV charging,” said Terra Sampson, the city’s utility conservation analyst who has worked under Crowley for three years.
A total of 10 new charging stations are being installed, four on East Street and six in the lot between Healdsburg Avenue and Center Street. Their addition will bring city-owned charging stations to 24:
These biannual sponsorships from the Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District or HTID are funded from the local hospitality industry’s annual bed tax receipts. The HTID assessment is 2% in addition to the city’s 14% Transient Occupancy Tax, or TOT. The TOT is currently 14%, ➝ EV Program, 4
Photo courtesy of Stay Healdsburg
EARLY BIRD A solitary wheelman surveys the Healdsburg Plaza before
Photo by Christian Kallen
GOINGS ON AROUND
TOWN THIS WEEK & NEXT
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
Quirky Mandopop
Chinese American Bear is a lighthearted duo from Seattle, “creating fun and eclectic bilingual English/ Chinese ear candy.” Echoes of Dusty Springfield, the B-52’s and Care Bear, their live show has been called “a punk show for toddlers.” Free show 6-9pm on Thursday, upstairs at Little Saint, 25 North St., littlesainthealdsburg.com.
FRIDAY, APRIL 25
City Offices
Closed
Every other Friday, the City closes its offices at the Community Center (1557 Healdsburg Ave.) and City Hall (401 Grove St.). This schedule enables extended customer service hours Monday through Thursday, 7:30am to 5pm, and saves on energy usage and cost. Public Works and Building inspections will be available on the closed Fridays; call (707) 431-3346.
Fridays at Longboard
The local country rock and Americana band Third Rail performs a mix of classic hits and current favorites to dance to, with Longboard wines and food from SoCo Paella. Friday, 5-7pm, at Longboard Vineyards, 5 Fitch St., longboardvineyards.com.
Line Dancing Join friends, neighbors and fellow buckaroos for line-dancing lessons from Grapevine Dance from 7-8pm, then live music from Dustin Saylor & the Stowaways. Tickets $20 at Coyote Sonoma, 44-F Mill Street, coyotesonoma.com.
HEALDSBURG HAPPENINGS
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Farmers’ Market
The 2025 season for the Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market continues at the West Plaza parking lot, from 8:30am to noon. Shop local and keep small businesses and farms thriving (and avoid tariff surcharges). Details at healdsburgfarmersmarket.org.
Healdsburg Chorus
Healdsburg’s community chorus presents its annual spring show, this year on the theme of “Comin’ Home.” Concert includes the world premiere of a new piece by Dutch composer Nico Philipp Hovius written specifically for the chorus. Tickets $20 plus fees, Saturday and Sunday,
3pm at the Raven, 115 North St., raventheater.org.
Soprano and Piano “Dreams, Fantasies and Stupors” is the evocative title of this musical performance by soprano Chelsea Hollow accompanied by pianist Taylor Chan. Featuring works by Debussy, Schoenberg, Weill, Piaf and others. Saturday, 7pm, tickets $35-$85 at The 222, 222 Healdsburg Ave., the222.org.
Jamgrass Anyone?
A double-bill of RnR, from TarWeed and Strawdog, both at the Elephant in the Room, starting at 8pm. Tickets $10, 177 Healdsburg Ave., elephantelephantintheroompub.com.
’80s Hits Relive the 1980s with the
7-piece cover band Tainted Love, always a popular show for time-travelers. Show starts at 9pm, tickets $30, at Coyote Sonoma, coyotesonoma.com.
SUNDAY, APRIL 27
Community Walk
Join Move! Healdsburg for a 4-mile “Community Walk” through Healdsburg Open Space. All ages and paces welcome, shorter options are available. Starts at 9am at Barbieri Brothers Park, 324 Bridle Path.
Pipe-Organ Concert
The St. Paul’s pipe organ gets a workout from Jason Pedeaux, organist and director of instrumental ensembles at First Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa. The one-hour
concert starts at 5pm, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 Matheson St. Barn Dance Local Americana band SoloRio plays at the Ranch at Lake Sonoma from 5:30pm to sunset. The first event in the venue’s summer series, held the last Sunday of every month through September. Always a lot of community fun. Free entry, food provided by Kinsmoke or The Wurst. The Ranch at Lake Sonoma, 100 Marina Rd., Geyserville, theranchatlakesonoma.com.
MONDAY, APRIL 28
Dry Creek Beauty
Opening of the new exhibit at the Upstairs Art Gallery from Sonoma County artist, Donna Schaffer, with Marsha Connell’s plein
air pastels in the Stairway Showcase. Exhibit runs through May 25, 11-6pm daily at Levin & Co., 306 Center St.
THURSDAY, MAY 1
Zero Waste Symposium engages community stakeholders by showcasing zero-waste policies, programs and infrastructure that design waste out of the system wherever possible and divert discarded materials through composting, reclaiming, reducing, reusing and recycling. All day on Thursday, 8am to 5pm, at SOMO Village in Rohnert Park. Information at zerowastenorthbay.org.
For additional events, visit healdsburgtribune.com/ calendar.
for the conversion to district elects came when the city received a letter from Shenkman & Hughes threatening legal action if Healdsburg did not create a district that was not subject to “vote dilution,” defined as “the impairment of minority groups’ ability to elect their preferred candidates or influence the outcome of elections.”
On Dec. 16, 2024, the city began to create voting districts with consultant Redistricting Partners guiding the process. A pair of extensions to move the deadline for compliance advanced that deadline to April 17, and had the council decided on a map on April 7 it would have been well within that deadline.
However, Mayor Mitchell’s displeasure with the proposed Map A moved the council to adopt her favored Map D, as reported
in the April 10 issue of The Healdsburg Tribune. Somewhat reluctantly, the council agreed with Mitchell, necessitating another appeal to Kevin Shenkman on April 8 for a third extension of the deadline, to May 17. So a decision on Monday night seemed imperative; another delay might test the patience of the Malibu lawyer behind the threatened lawsuit.
Although Kelley had agreed with Mitchell and the rest of the council on the Map D option at the previous meeting, in the interest of “harmony” as she said at the time, she expressed second thoughts this week.
Second Thoughts
Motivated in part by articles in The Tribune and the Press Democrat that analyzed the demographics of the competing maps, Kelley reopened the topic in her remarks preceding public comment on the districting issue. Her concerns addressed three factors that
the council had previously determined to be priorities: a strong Latino district, sharing the downtown area between several districts and creating a cohesive southern district, since that part of the city is likely to see significant changes in the coming years with the potential sale of the Syar property and the arrival of SMART.
Map A accomplished all of those priorities, Map D none of them. Map D did however place incumbent councilmembers Chris Herrod and Ron Edwards in separate districts, rather than in the same one where they might conceivably run against each other in time. It would also be the same district that Evelyn Mitchell lives in.
The question of whether the influence of a Latino population would be diluted by the downtown business interests, should both “influences” occur in the same district, was addressed by consultant
Paul Mitchell when he said, “I don’t believe we’ve had any specific testimony that has said, we as the Latino community, or me as a representative of this district on the west side, feel as though the interests of a downtown community would override [ or compete] against the Latino community in terms of candidates of choice …” Ironically, during public comment on this issue a few minutes after Mitchell’s statement, Marcy Flores, the executive director of Corazón Healdsburg, rose to make exactly that sort of statement. “As we transition to district-based elections, we have a unique opportunity to ensure that the voices of our Latino community are not just heard, but empowered at the decision-making table,” she said.
“I do also believe that March Avenue should be with Grove Street to maximize Latino percentage representation, and to not get diluted by heavy-handed downtown interest,” Flores added. “It’s about access
and having a voice.”
Momentum
Her comment however was quickly forgotten by the council, which continued to back Map D over Map A despite Kelley’s objections. Because of Councilmember David Hagele’s own mushy preference for Map A over Map D, which he could barely articulate during a straw poll, the council clearly lacked the motivation to keep the conversation going.
With Mayor Mitchell absent, a 2-2 split only promised to delay a decision further, so that ticking clock of legal jeopardy moved the council to adopt Map D by a 3-1 vote.
“Last night’s vote was a disappointing outcome for those of us who believe in fair and equitable representation,” said Corazón’s Flores the next day. “In my view, the adopted map fails to reflect true equity and continues to leave our most marginalized communities feeling
overlooked from the decisions that shape their lives and their neighborhoods.”
The final element of the transition to district elections was to assign a number to the districts and schedule district elections based on even or odd numbers. The western, eastern and northern areas became Districts 1, 3 and 5, and the two central districts became Districts 2 and 4. The even-numbered districts, 2 and 4, will see district-wide elections in 2026 and 2030, while the odd-numbered districts will elect their council members in 2028. The district boundaries are likely to be changed in a redistricting process to take place following results of the 2030 national census, when some of these arguments and concerns will probably reappear.
The City’s website on this process can be found at healdsburg.gov/ districtelections.
Photo by Christian Kallen
ROAD HOUSE The Ranch at Lake Sonoma has again started its “barn dance” get-togethers on the last Sunday of the month, through September. This weekend the Cotati Americana band SoloRio will play, from 5:30pm till sunset.
Playin’ That Devil Music
‘SINNERS’ SPINS THE TURNTABLE ON VAMPIRE TALES
By Jared Rasic
When people who write about movies come across a piece of cinema that feels monumental, there is always a list of specific words that they use to describe it. Words like “visionary,” “electrifying,” “exhilarating,” “transcendent” and “breathtaking” get thrown around with abandon (by myself included) to describe much lesser films than Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. So I will try not to be overly precious
the performance of his (still early) career as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, newly back in Mississippi in 1932 after seven years of fighting in the Great War and bootlegging in Chicago with the Irish and Italian mobs. They’ve returned to their hometown with a truckload of beer and wine and a case full of cash, ready to immediately open up a juke joint with blues music, corn whiskey and sweaty, dancing folk in desperate need of release. Teaming up with the great Delroy Lindo as piano player Delta Slim, Miles Caton as their young cousin (and guitar prodigy) Sam
Grace the cook and several others, Smoke and Stack launch their juke joint in a town where most people can only pay with wooden nickels made from picking cotton on the local plantations. When three creepy white people (whom the audience knows are vampires) show up at the door asking to be invited in, Smoke, Stack and friends are in for the worst night of their lives.
On its surface, Sinners is a vampire movie set in the Jim Crow South, but Coogler is nothing if not a fiercely audacious and ambitious filmmaker. So what he ended up creating is a staggering
Crossroads legend of Robert Johnson, with a fat helping of Delta blues musical, Southern gothic drama and a fable about humanity’s cultural memory. Coogler doesn’t deconstruct genre films. Instead, he makes films reverent to the genre they play around in. Creed follows the structure of the typical sports movie like it’s gospel, but does it expertly and with so much empathy that the film still feels new. Black Panther doesn’t reinvent the superhero movie; it just tells one with such profound thematic depth as to transcend its own limitations. Sinners
at you, Nosferatu). Instead, it’s simply a great horror movie that deeply respects the history and lore of the creature while also recognizing that the real monsters (specifically the ones from the Jim Crow South) also come out during the day and garlic doesn’t slow them down.
You can watch Sinners and enjoy it just as a horror movie, but there’s so much going on beneath the surface that it’s a disservice not to engage with it on its own terms. Coogler has grounded the film so deeply in the Jim Crow South that we feel the danger inherent in every frame for the primarily Black characters. Stack’s fear of talking to a white woman in public is palpable, leaving the spirit of Emmett Till offscreen to remind the audience about our disgraceful past without invoking his name.
While the cast is uniformly great, the show is stolen by the timeless, grimy blues score by Ludwig Göransson and the lush, yet understated, cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw. So much of the power of the film comes from the quiet beauty of the Mississippi Delta and the timeless importance of blues music that, under Coogler’s steady hand (as well as the film being shot in deeply immersive IMAX 70MM and Ultra Panavision 70mm), Sinners is a thrill ride that is going to age beautifully and eventually be considered one of the finest horror movies of the 21st Century. As a rage-fueled scream at institutional racism and America’s ugly, despicable past, or a period romance with Molotov cocktails and arterial spray, or even a love letter to the life-affirming power of the Delta blues, Sinners defies any attempts to put its genre-fluid insanity into a neat description. Sure, I can use a thousand different adjectives (and a hundred thousand more words) to describe Ryan Coogler’s future classic, but none of them can effectively convey how drunk on the power of cinema you’ll feel after luxuriating in its sweaty, sexy, messy and terrifying world. Being lost in the story of our collective past as we’re spellbound by a team of contemporary filmmakers and artists at the top of their game is one of the myriad of reasons that movies exist in the first place.
MOVIE: ‘Sinners’, starring Michael B. Jordan. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler. 138 minutes, playing at multiple theaters locally.
Wisps of Wisteria Signal Spring
SPRING FEVER IS ONLY NATURAL AFTER ALL
by Pierre Ratte
Fragrant blooms. Fabulous colors. Wisteria signals spring and often brings fond memories. Arbors, pergolas, front porches and garden fences are all candidates for this plant’s
GREEN LEGACY
➝ EV Program, 1
There are currently 12 charging stations in the City Hall parking lot at 401 Grove St. and two more at
twining grip. Perhaps wisteria evokes memories of spring love? Perhaps its fragrant blooms evoke nostalgic memories. Perhaps its magnificent flowering allows us to feel winter transitioning to spring. Wisteria is associated with romance and spring, and it turns out spring love is more than a romantic idea. Longer days and
150 Branch Lane, in the Mill District.
The City Hall EV chargers were first installed in 2013, and the number increased in 2018. “The 10 new charging ports at public parking lots will help meet the need for additional
increased warmth boosts phytochemicals in plants and hormones in animals. Plants transition from vegetative to reproductive growth (blooms and flowers) when Flowering Locus T (FT) is released. It’s a gene that releases a mobile protein that travels the length of the plant to signal production of flowers, the reproductive organs
charging locations for employees working downtown, Healdsburg visitors and local residents who need a place to charge overnight,” Crowley said.
The stations use the ChargePoint app to sell electric charging to drivers.
of plants. In animals, hormones like melatonin, serotonin and dopamine increase during spring. So those who have romantic feelings in spring—spring fever, as they say—are not alone. Fun facts: Japanese wisteria twists clockwise. Chinese wisteria twists counterclockwise. There are four species of wisteria:
It’s free to download, will “recognize” available empty charging stations, and allows a driver to plug in with the cable and begin charging. The app tracks usage and deducts the charge from the owner’s account, which can either be preloaded or charged directly to a credit card.
Japanese ( floribunda), Chinese (sinensis), American (frutescens) and silky (brachybotrys). The world’s largest wisteria, planted in 1894, covers one acre in Sierra Madre, California, and weighs an estimated 250 tons. Wisteria blooms are purple, lavender, pink or white.
Blooms and flowers are, generally speaking, the
from 5pm to 8pm, when there’s peak demand on the grid. The rate drops down overnight to 40 cents per hour from 8pm to 7am. All charging events include a 50-cent fee.
same; however “flower” is also a scientific term specifically referring to the reproductive structure of plants. A flower’s structure includes: sepals , collectively calyx—the protective leafy covering of emerging buds; petals , collectively corolla—showy, often colorful blooms attracting pollinators; stamens, collectively androcium— the male reproductive organs consisting of filaments and anters, stalks and pollen sacs, respectively; pistils or carpels, collectively gynoecium —the female reproductive organs consisting of stigmas, stiles and ovules.
The word flower describes a single flower or a collection of small flowers, the latter known as an inflorescence . Wisteria’s flower clusters are a specific type of inflorescence, called a raceme. Wisteria racemes can extend three feet and each bloom is a separate flower. On racemes, blooms are connected to the central stem by pedicles —short, delicate stems. Panicles, on the other hand, are clusters of flowers where each flower emerges from a central stem without a pedicle. Examples are lilacs and hydrangea. Snapdragons, mustard, foxglove, wisteria and liliesof-the-valley, however, are common racemes.
In locations like Healdsburg, the app’s rate changes according to local rate schedules. In Healdsburg, since September 2024, the city has implemented a new tiered-rate structure of 70 cents per hour from 7am to 5pm, then $1.70 per hour
SCARE income-qualified customers can receive a 50% discount on the hourly user fees at the public EV charging stations, if pre-registered through the ChargePoint app (search for code EVCARE).
Two state programs, California’s Cap-and-Trade program and the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standards program, fund the public EV charger program.
“The public EV charger program does not rely on funds collected from Healdsburg electric customers, nor does it rely on funds from federal programs,” Sampson said. “We have previously applied for federal grants for new EV charger installations; however, the federal grants are highly competitive and Healdsburg was not selected.” EV charger information and user fees are available here: healdsburg.gov/867/ Electric-Vehicles
SHELLEY ROTH, M.D.
September 2, 1951 – April 2, 2025
helley was born in Brooklyn, NY to Elenore and Martin Roth. After a few years, the family moved to Lawrence on Long Island where Shelley attended grade school. During that time, she developed kidney disease, eventuating in hemodialysis and at the age of 19, a kidney transplant from her mother. Through all that, she excelled in her studies, graduated from college, and, due to much exposure to wonderful physicians, aspired to become a doctor. She fulfilled that aim at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC where she also met her husband-to-be Jed Weissberg on the first day of classes. They both trained in Internal Medicine in Boston and then moved to Northern California where Shelley joined the Kaiser Permanente San Jose/Santa Theresa Department of Medicine. She practiced there for many years, respected by her colleagues and beloved by her patients until increasing medical problems pushed her to retire. She spent her early retirement years volunteering for the International Rescue Committee, helping to resettle a Liberian family in Oakland and assisting them in accessing medical care. She then volunteered as an Ombuds for Catholic Charities at nursing homes in Santa Clara County.
Eventually, even that became too difficult and she spent time at home in Fremont, CA with her Vizslas and husband. Shelley and Jed enjoyed international travel and managed to visit all seven continents. Moving to Healdsburg in 2018, they made new friends and discovered the joys of Wine Country.
Shelley’s last few years were challenging but she met those challenges with good humor and stoic resolve. The excellent care rendered by Anchor Health Hospice was appreciated. Shelley is survived by her husband Jed, sister-in-law Lynn Weissberg, nephew Jesse Bensettler and Ridgeback Mos. Donations in Shelley’s memory can be made to the International Rescue Committee www.rescue.org.
JOHN RAY LYNCH
August 17, 1947 – April 20, 2025
John Ray Lynch was born in Banning, California in 1947 and died on Easter Sunday 2025. He is survived by his sons: Riley Glen Lynch and Garth Allen Lynch and their mother Judith Barnes Gilliland, as well as daughter Morgan Rae Barb and her mother Linda A. Lynch. He had four beautiful grandchildren: Zach, Ariel, Elliot and Evie.
John graduated from UC Davis in viticulture and was a successful Sonoma County grape grower for many years. He retired in Grand Junction, Colorado. John was an accomplished musician and an author of several novels. In recent months, he made the move back to his beloved California desert and was surrounded by loving family including sisters Susan Lynch Watkins and Lorna Lynch Willard.
Photo by Pierre Ratte
WALL OF WISTERIA Wisteria’s colors and fragrance spill over a hedge in the Sonoma Valley.
Hounds’ Challenge to Tigers Falls Short
HEALDSBURG PUTS UP A FIGHT IN BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES TO ANALY
By Caleb Knudsen
Last year, Analy High ran up a perfect 0-10 record in league baseball—losing all 10 of its games in the North Bay – Oak division. What a difference a year, and a division, make. Now
the Tigers are sitting pretty atop the Redwood division, undefeated, with a 9-0 record as the spring season nears its close. The Redwood division is made up of smaller schools in the North Bay region, and therein lies the difference.
Until a week ago their strongest competition was from the Healdsburg Greyhounds, at second place in the league standings. Analy had walked all over
Healdsburg at their first meeting on March 26, winning 15-1 in the six-inning contest with a 10-run fourth inning to pull out of reach.
But Healdsburg went back to Sebastopol with a five-game winning streak and a much-improved attitude. “Noah Wong pitched 5 strong innings again filling in for MauroManos,” recalled coach Mark Domenichelli. “Isaiah Robles led the team going 2
for 3 with an RBI, and Nova Perrill had another great game also going 2 for 4.”
In the seventh inning the team finally came alive. “We battled back down 7 - 1 in the 7th, scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the inning,” Domenichelli said. Healdsburg managed to load the bases in that final inning, but with the winning run standing on first, relief pitcher Kyle Russell got the strike-out and the save.
Healdsburg Runners at the Viking Classic
of Healdsburg Greyhounds in the thick of the competition, especially in middle distance running, last weekend.
By Caleb Knudsen
One of the largest regional high school track meets, held every spring at Montgomery High, found a compact but ready cohort
“We brought the intent and spirit of our full team of 42 athletes to the Viking Classic, although only 17 were able to compete due to illness and family commitments over the holiday weekend,” said coach
Kate Guthrie. “Those who stepped on the track or into the field did so with purpose, representing the work ethic and culture we’ve built this season.”
The Viking Classic has been held for over 30 years now, and now some 60 high schools take part in the full range of track and field activities all day long. The sheer number of
competitors means multiple heats in most events must be run, with final standings usually depending on timed results rather than head-to-head competition.
The event is now officially named the Bryan Bradley, after a Montgomery running coach who died working out with his team in 2021. He was 43. Hanne Thomsen, one of the area’s top female runners in this class of athletes, was a freshman when Bradley died; she is now a senior.
Thomsen demonstrated once again that she is currently one of the state’s top runners, delivering a personal best in the 800m race of 2:09.4, a new area
pitcher at 6-0 on the season.
“We scored two in the fifth on two double steals to tie the game, but could never amount anything after that against Bush.”
For the Tigers, starter Wes Bush was commanding, striking out 14 in his 8.1 innings of work. High school baseball usually plays just seven innings; anything beyond that is overtime. It was a low-scoring and tense game all night, not just for seven or eight, but for nine full innings.
“In my 26 years [of baseball] I have never witnessed a league game with that much excitement,” coach Domenichelli said.
“It was two great teams going at it for 9 innings, and it started from the first pitch of the game.”
Tied 2-2, neither team scored in the eight, then what Domenichelli called
“a seeing-eye bunt” from Connor Ipsen gave the Tigers three earned runs to take the lead, 5-2.
“Kids played a great game. We just never could match Analy run for run through the first 6 innings,” Domenichelli said. “In the seventh the boys gave it all they had, but we happened to come up a little short in the end.”
Back Home
“Two of the best squared off Friday night with Eric Nielsen and Wes Bush going head-to-head at Rec Park under the lights,” said an enthusiastic coach of the second game against Analy last week.
“Analy got out to an early 2-0 lead in the third, but after that Nielsen got stingy and didn’t allow another run, going 8 innings and striking out 5 in the no-decision,” he said. That keeps the senior
record, in an exciting twolap race that saw her come from behind to win.
At the Classic
The Greyhounds scored no wins in the crowded Viking competition, but made their presence felt.
Kaeden Anderson, who as a sophomore two years ago burned up the track in the longer races, was a non-factor for much of his junior year due to injury, but has steadily and rapidly improved this year.
At the Viking Classic, he set personal records in the 1600m with a time of 4:24.76, and in the 3200m with a 9:43.36. He finished sixth in both races.
Jake McWilliams, a junior usually just a few steps behind a healthy Anderson, also had a good meet with a 10th-place 2:01.93 in the 800m.
Another very strong local runner was Windsor’s Corbin Post, who finished first in the 1600m with a 4:18.34 and second in the 3200m with a 9:30.32. The sophomore is clearly one to keep an eye on for the next two years in local track.
Other Healdsburg track finishers included Lucas Welty, a freshman, who delivered a 9:43.36 in the 3200m, placing ninth. Guthrie said that Welty “showed growth and maturity in racing strategy. His commitment to racing with poise and patience is paying dividends—and the clock is noticing.”
The field sports saw Jasper Teague, a freshman, clearing 6 feet zero inches in the high jump to take second in the varsity division— ”a fearless performance that
Healdsburg loaded the bases in their half of the ninth with one out, then Damon Smith grounded into a double-play to end the game.
“Greatest loss of my career,” Domenichelli said.
“The players gave it everything they had. The crowd was electric and it was like playing at Yankee Stadium. It was just unfortunate that someone had to lose.” This week Healdsburg plays two games against another division foe, St. Vincent de Paul—the Wednesday, April 23, game in Petaluma, and a Friday game at Rec Park at 6pm. Saturday sees a nonleague meeting with Willits at Healdsburg High, also at 6pm. Two games against Santa Rosa follow on April 40 and May 2.
hints at his future potential,” Guthrie said. Though he came in 10th in the long jump, his 19-foot-4-inch leap was another personal record, 4 inches longer than his winning jump in the April 2 Piner duel in Healdsburg.
Distaff Talent
On the girls team, another freshman making herself seen is Justina Domenichelli, who ran a personal record of 13.17 in the 100m and 28.75 in the 200m, positioning herself well for a run at placing in the NBL Championship. Guthrie also called attention to freshman Delainey Cornilsen, whose 4-feet-8-inches in the high jump was 4 inches higher than the jump that got her second place in the recent meet with Piner. Her finishing time in the 400m race, 1:05.73, marked another personal best.
Jane Perrill, another freshman, is showing improved times in her long sprints of 200m-800m.
“Jane has a finishing gear that turns heads—watch her in the final 100 meters of any race,” Guthrie said. “This group is growing—not just in times and distances—but in confidence, resilience and identity,” Guthrie added. “And we haven’t even begun to taper yet. There is so much more in store.”
Next up for the Greyhound athletes is a competition at Ukiah on Wednesday this week (results too late for press time), followed by an April 30 meet in Healdsburg against Rancho Cotate.
Photos by Michael Lucid
STARTER Eric Nielsen started the April 18 game against league-leading Analy and held them to just two runs in over eight innings of work. The Greyhounds lost the nine-inning battle that coach Mark Domenichelli called ‘the greatest loss of my career.’
Photos by Michael Lucid
PERSONAL RECORD Healdsburg freshman Jane Perrill (508) powers through her 400m heat to set a personal best of 1:05.99 at the Viking Classic in Santa Rosa on April 19.
Schools, Sports and Senior Dining
’HOUNDS CAPTURE
By The Flashbackers
100 years ago: April 23, 1925
COMMUNITY
SCHOOL DAY ON MILL CREEK SCHOOLS
More than 100 children and adults gathered at
a get-together meeting Thursday noon at the Mill Creek school house. The following schools were represented: Junction, Felta, Pine Ridge and Mill Creek. A picnic lunch was enjoyed and this was followed by a program in which every school took part. Several songs were given by the Felta and Pine Ridge schools, the Mill Creek school presented a playlet, a folk and Spanish dance, the Pine Ridge and Felta schools gave some
exercises. Group games then followed, the children being divided into their respective classes, and each teacher taking charge of one group. These community meetings are held once a year under the supervision of Miss Myra Green, director of physical education and Americanization of this rural district.
75 years ago: April 28, 1950
TENNIS CROWN, SWAMP SONOMA
Topping their season play by defeating the Sonoma Dragons last Friday, the Healdsburg High School Greyhound Tennis team brought home another pennant in North Bay League section II play. Led by first singles star Stan Smith, Coach AI Worden’s tennis players made it a clean sweep at Sonoma, capturing all three official
HOSPITALITY
with most of it going to the city’s Community Services department, though 2% goes to Healdsburg Police and Fire Departments and 2% to the affordable housing fund.
Successful Applicants
For the most part the list of
Stay Healdsburg-sponsored events is familiar from years past, with relative newcomers like the Bloodroot Ramble (awarded $4,000) and various events at The 222 ($3,000), as well as the Raven Theater Concert Season ($2,000), the Healdsburg Museum’s upcoming exhibitions ($1,500) and several wine-tasting events.
The traditional recipients of Chamber support have returned in stronger numbers this time, including
Russian River Watershed Cleanup ($1,000) and the Healdsburg FFC Fair and Parade, which is only a month away ($1,000).
Once again Tuesdays in the Plaza is husbanding the glow of another $5,000 sponsorship, the same amount as last year though down from the $15,000 awarded in 2023.
Taken all together, it’s notable that the biggest single day with Stay Healdsburg support is July
matches plus a practice match which followed the regular play.
The win must be some sort of record for Worden’s teams, as very few pennants are missing in the high school gym since Worden took over the coaching of tennis. The local school has always managed to develop a star for each season and this year was no exception when Smith swept all his matches in league play, playing the best that other schools had to offer. According to Worden, there is plenty of good material
the Greyhounds will still be a tough outfit to beat.
50 years ago: April 24, 1975
CITY HELPS FUND DINING CLUB FOR ELDERLY
“This is socialism in its worst form,” one woman protested. Socialism it may be but the City Council agreed to help the Golden Circle Dining Club, a senior citizen’s daily lunch project at 515 Powell Ave. (Trinity Baptist Church) out of an expected $1,890 deficit between May 1 and Nov. 30.
One citizen, who at an earlier meeting had said the elderly could get along on mush if they had to, claimed the dining club, which is one of the projects run by the Sonoma County People for Economic Opportunity, is a “money maker.” Then she decried the council’s support of “deficit spending” in claiming the daily food service for those 60-years old and older is socialistic.
Councilman Doug Badger said diners should be encouraged to pay their fair share, but added that “it sounds to me like an extremely good program.”
City Manager James Stanfield said a visit he made to the dining club showed the food was good and that the biggest benefit may be that the elderly have a place to visit with each other and combat loneliness.
The Flashbackers are docents for the Healdsburg Museum, located at
4: the July 4th Kids Parade, Community Celebration and Duck Dash garnered a $4,500 grant, as did the American Legion and City of Healdsburg 4th of July Fireworks. That’s $9,000 for a single summer day— but it’s in Healdsburg.
Sponsorships for Winter 2025/Spring 2026 will open in summer 2025 and be available at stayhealdsburg.com.
ONE-ROOM
TENNIS TEAM Here’s the 1966 Healdsburg High School tennis team, with coach Steve Caspersen, right.
SENIOR FEAST Planning the Thanksgiving dinner
CRIMES
& CONCERNS REPORTED TO HEALDSBURG POLICE, APRIL 7-13
Residents and others are encouraged to call Police Dispatch as needed at (707) 431-3377, operational 24/7.
Monday, April 7
• 1:10am The Reporting Party (RP) indicated that her friend’s teenage son was assaulted at Giorgi Park on University Street. The RP stated the victim likely did not need medical attention.
The RP wanted to know what steps she could take and what information she could share with the victim and his family. The victim’s parents were concerned about possible gang-related retaliation. Officers responded and checked the area.
1:37am The RP said he was scammed via the internet.
The suspect told the RP to pay to avoid the suspect posting information to the public via Telegram. The RP sent the suspect $300 through PayPal. The RP was advised to contact his bank about the scam and also to delete and block the suspect. The RP was provided with the websites www.ic3.gov and www.ftc.gov. The RP declined to speak with an officer but was told he could request the incident number associated with his report at any time.
2:39am A woman at First American Title on North Street was asked to leave by security. She was inside a red sleeping bag with her belongings around her. Security did not know if the property owner wanted to file trespassing paperwork against the woman. Officer responded and advised the woman that she needed to leave the area.
Tuesday, April 8
8:13am The Flock license plate reader alerted police to a vehicle on Healdsburg Avenue. Officers arrested a 29-Year-Old (YO) man for obstruction of an officer and on an outstanding warrant
for corporal injury to spouse or cohabitant, and robbery. He was transported to county jail.
9:58am The RP went to the Healdsburg Police Department lobby on Center Street to indicate that her license plate was fraudulently copied. She received a notice of toll evasion from Toll Roads indicating that her vehicle passed through a toll booth in Southern California on March 22, 2025. The RP requested documentation of the incident.
11:05am A person who was possibly drunk was in a vehicle at Safeway on Vine Street. A 44-YO woman was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia and a handicap parking violation.
12:43pm An employee at Capital Lumber on Healdsburg Avenue refused to leave. He was not allowed to work because there was a workers’ compensation claim in process. Officers responded and the man left prior to the arrival of law enforcement.
• 10:34pm A vehicle was stopped on Hwy 101 at Old Redwood Highway for violating vehicle-lighting rules. A 51-YO man was cited and released to a responsible party for driving under the influence (DUI).
Wednesday, April 9
9:01am A man at Jon Wright Feed Store on Mill Street was sleeping behind the wheel of a running vehicle. A 51-YO man was arrested and transported to county jail for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft or misappropriation of property.
• 1:36pm A vehicle suspected to be associated with a prior incident on March 29 was seen near the intersection of Grove Street and Dry Creek Road. The earlier incident involved grand theft from the Hotel Trio nearby, in which a surveillance camera was spray painted and tools and equipment stolen. On this afternoon, April 9, a police officer observed the suspect vehicle and pulled it over for search. A 50-YO man and a 43-YO woman were arrested for grand theft, burglary and criminal conspiracy. Both suspects were examined at
POLICE LOG
Healdsburg District Hospital before being transported to county jail.
2:26pm The RP on Plaza Street at Healdsburg Avenue indicated a disoriented man walked around and crushed and threw a disposable cup at the ground. Officers responded and the 40-YO man rushed and attempted to punch an officer. The man was then Tased and arrested for resisting arrest. He was transported to Healdsburg District Hospital for medical clearance before being brought to county jail.
Thursday, April 10
12:22pm The RP, an employee at Big John’s Market on Healdsburg Avenue, indicated a man who had stolen from the store previously returned to the store. Last time, he stole $20 worth of merchandise. This time he put a soda in his pocket. Officers responded and an employee pointed out the suspect in his vehicle. A 51-YO man was cited and released for petty theft, violating probation and driving with a license suspended for DUI.
7:18pm The RP reported reckless driving near the 100 block of Dry Creek Road. The vehicle with Washington license plates ran multiple red lights and a stop sign. Subsequently, the vehicle hit a curb entering southbound on Hwy 101 at Dry Creek Road. The caller was transferred to California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Friday, April 11
9:55am A woman near Healdsburg Elementary School on First Street yelled profanities in front of the children, just outside of the school gates. The woman yelled, “I know what you did, you hit my daughter.” The RP stated that the woman was the parent of a child who made false allegations against the school. An officer provided advice.
6:29pm The RP near a tasting room in the 200 block of Matheson Street was cut off by a golf cart. An officer located the golf cart, which was road legal but unoccupied.
Saturday, April 12
12:18am A vehicle on Hwy 101 at Westside Road
was stopped for violating vehicle-registration rules. A 38-YO woman was cited and released on an outstanding Sonoma County warrant regarding truancy.
1:19am A man, possibly transient, kept entering the lobby of Hotel Trio on Dry Creek Road and yelling at the front desk staff. The man attempted to sleep in the lobby, mumbled to an employee and rifled through his wallet as if looking for a key card, but did not produce one. He also invaded the RP’s personal space.
Subsequently, the man left Hotel Trio. The RP declined to speak with officers but planned to call back if the man returned.
12:25pm A man on Healdsburg Avenue at Matheson Street loudly said offensive things about Hispanics and Jewish people. An officer responded, but the man was gone on arrival and unable to be located.
12:59pm A vehicle near Plank on Dry Creek Road reportedly traveled slowly and was unable to maintain a lane. The information was shared with Healdsburg officers and CHP.
9:34pm The RP said four people drinking and smoking were sitting next to the RP’s home on West Grant Street. The RP requested for the people to be moved along. Officers arrived, but the people were gone on arrival
and unable to be located.
• 9:42pm The RP near Chevron on Healdsburg Avenue believed the driver of a vehicle had been drinking because the car moved slowly and swerved. An officer checked the area, but the vehicle was gone on arrival and unable to be located. The information was relayed to CHP.
Sunday, April 13
• 9:15am Five increasingly aggressive emails were sent to a beverage company on Grove Street on April 12, 2025, and April 13, 2025, via the “Contact Us” page of the business’s website. The emails were directed towards the business as a whole and not towards any specific person. An officer spoke to the RP and took a report. An investigation was started. 10:11am A two-vehicle accident occurred near Chevron on Healdsburg Avenue. One of the drivers had reportedly left the scene, but that driver returned. Officers responded, and the subjects exchanged information through both Punjabi- and Spanishspeaking translators. An incident number was provided. 12:30pm Security at Healdsburg District Hospital on University Avenue requested assistance with getting a recently discharged
Compiled by Carolyn Brenner
Photo Courtesy of Healdsburg Police / Facebook
NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE Police vehicles converge on East Street on Tuesday, April 15, where at about 6pm a physical fight occurred during which it appeared that a firearm was used to strike the victim multiple times. On investigation the department arrested three juveniles who were taken into custody.