LocalLocal newsnews at your at your ngertips everyevery weekweek fingertips $1.00 JustJust $1!.00!
Greyounds sports Greyounds sports section teaser section teaser Sports,Sports, Page XPage X
at the newsstand at the newsstand
$1 at$1the at newsstand the newsstand
TheHealdsburg HealdsburgTribune Tribune The Enterprise & Scimitar Enterprise & Scimitar
Visit for daily updates on local news views www.healdsburgtribune.com for daily updates on local news andand views Our 158th year,Visit Number 52 www.healdsburgtribune.com Healdsburg, California
Our 155th year, Number 00© ur 155th year, Number 00©
BIRD BIKES GETS WINGS CLIPPED IN BANKRUPTCY FILING
December 28, 2023
Healdsburg, California Healdsburg, California
Date, Date, 20202020
COMPANY WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE WHILE RESTRUCTURING By Christian Kallen
Photo by Rick Tang
Rudy Giuliani wasn’t the only one to declare bankruptcy on Dec. 20. Bird Global, the electric scooter and bike company that provides transportation vehicles by the hour in Healdsburg, Windsor and more than 300 other cities around the world, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal court in Florida the same day. The Miami-based company, once valued at $2.5 billion by investors, will use the bankruptcy proceeding to clear the way for the sale of its assets during the next 90 to 120 days. But there’s little indication the action will have any effect on Healdsburg’s Bird Bikes program—at least not yet. “Bird will still be providing our micro-mobility services in Healdsburg and the other communities that we currently operate in,” said Garrett Gronowski, the company’s government partnership manager. “So the Birds will remain on the ground!” Gronowski distributed a message to partner municipalities, including the Healdsburg Public Works department, on Wednesday, indicating that the restructuring was “aimed at strengthening its balance sheet and better positioning the company for long-term, sustainable growth for its US operations …” The message put a positive spin on the bankruptcy. “This announcement represents a significant milestone in our company’s financial transformation. Our company is making progress toward profitability and aims to accelerate
DANCERS The Día de Muertos celebration in the Healdsburg Plaza on Nov. 1 was one of the year’s biggest and most successful events.
Year in Review: Top 12 Months of 2023 A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE HEADLINES AND STORIES THAT MADE UP THE PAST CALENDAR YEAR IN HEALDSBURG Staff Report
End-of-year lists are of necessity subjective, so according to the pages of the Healdsburg Tribune, here are the 12 months of 2023, from January to December, and the top stories they told. January: The weather was news as the year began, with a series of “atmospheric rivers” advancing across the state and within months ending the yearslong drought. The upcoming year, 2024, begins under a cloud as well. Also in January came another bit of news that resonated across the year to reappear in this week’s paper (see page 1): Bird Bikes suspended its local operations because of a labor shortage. While it eventually returned to
just two businesses took up much of the coming months. Eight applicants were accepted for the process, and the two finalists—Jane and Solful— were approved by the council in November. The dispensaries are expected to open in 2024. April saw the move of historic Healdsburg Lumber to its new location up Healdsburg Avenue, and the return of an Earth Day-oriented Climate Fest in the Plaza. That fit right in with community meetings on the Climate Mobilization Strategy (CMS) and another city initiative on Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Both were lengthy endeavors to improve government engagement in their spheres; the DEI was approved by the city council in August, the CMS in October. May marked the city council’s key design approval for the Foley Family Community Pavilion, to be underwritten by a $7 million pledge. It will
service, the year ironically ends with Bird Bikes’ parent company, Bird Global, declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December. February opened with the news that SMART had won a court case allowing it to use state tax money, and a series of grants began flowing toward Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit. The long-promised rail service to Healdsburg became ever more imminent. That led to the city opening discussions regarding where a SMART platform should be located—at the long-assumed Depot on Hudson Street, or perhaps a new downtown location closer to the Plaza area? The decision has yet to be made, but the city council is expected to take it up early in 2024. March brought a vote by the city council to permit up to two cannabis dispensaries in town, and the process of taking applications, reviewing them, interviewing candidates and finally choosing
create a public space for the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market and other indoor/ outdoor community events directly across from the West Plaza parking lot. The contract for the project was approved at the council’s last meeting of the year, on Dec. 18, 2023. May also saw the city council take up a new gunstorage ordinance, requiring residents to safely store personal firearms with trigger locks or in storage lockers to reduce the possibility of tragedy from unprotected firearms. The issue of gun safety became a community concern: The play at the Raven, If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, became an emotional journey, and a Healdsburg High School arts project erected several installations of miniature school desks like headstones, representing gunshot victims. The ordinance was approved six weeks later. June saw the return of the Healdsburg Prune Packers to Rec Park for another season of play with
➝ Bird’s Wings Clipped, 6
the California Collegiate League. The 102-year-old team won the CCL championship for the third year in a row, but rumors of league dissatisfaction persisted all summer—and in December it was announced that the team had joined forces with several other Northern California teams (including former CL partners) to form a new league, the Pacific Empire League (PEL). July brought news of the 25-year lease of the former Raven Film Center by the group that owns SingleThread Restaurant and Farm, which had earlier taken over ownership of the historic River Belle Inn on Front Street. The move raised alarms among locals who felt the community they grew up in was becoming a culinary destination for wealthy outsiders. As if to counter-program the point, the Healdsburg Museum opened “We Are Not Strangers Here: African American Histories in Rural California.” The exhibit included a section ➝ Year in Review, 6
RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR 2024 LOTS OF FUN, LIBATIONS AND GOOD FOOD ARE HARD TO MISS IN HEALDSBURG By Chris Andrews
Photo by Unsplash
TOAST FOR TWO It’s traditional to ring in the New Year with a glass of Champagne, though a California sparkling wine will do.
There’s a lot going on this New Year’s Eve, and it’s not too late to make reservations or snap up tickets. Many local restaurants are ringing in the New Year with extravagant prix fixe menus, specialty drinks and lots of bubbly. Of note are the sevencourse dinner at Chalkboard Restaurant (29
North St.) at Les Mars Hotel and the festive New Year’s Eve tasting menu at Dry Creek Kitchen (317 Healdsburg Ave.), where the evening begins with caviar and Champagne, and ends with a dark chocolate grapefruit torte. If dining at DCK, plan on continuing the evening at the nearby Spirit Bar at Hotel Healdsburg (25 Matheson St.), which will offer specialty cocktails and live music by the Opportunists. Other fine-dining options on the big night include Valette (34 Center St.), with a 6-course dinner that includes an indulgent foray into courses with oysters and caviar, duck and lobster. Spoonbar (219 Healdsburg Ave.) offers a threecourse dinner with grilled swordfish and porcini tagliatelle, plus a jazzy musical backdrop provided
by John Schott, guitarist, and Marc Capelle on keyboards. The Matheson’s (106 Matheson St.) New Year’s Eve Dinner is notable for its six courses featuring winter-rich flavors from start to finish, including a caviar “parfait,” nettles with truffled brie, rabbit confit and a hot chocolate cake. Post dinner, consider visiting the Roof 106 lounge, which will stay open until midnight, with a DJ, dancing and cocktails to round out the celebration. The Second Story Restaurant (25 North St.) offers the perfect fête for vegetarians and those who love them with their plantbased New Year’s Eve dinner, which features addon truffles and intriguing sparkling options. Little Saint Wine Lounge will have a Champagne Happy Hour on ➝ Ringing In the New Year, 4