101 Frontage Death + City Arts Plan + Air Over Healdsburg

Mornin', neighbors! I'm back at last with your Tuesday edition of the Healdsburg Daily. Here's everything you need to know about what's going on in town today.

First, today's weather:

Sunny and clear, with enough heat and wind to prompt a fire weather watch in Sonoma County through tomorrow morning. High: 93 Low: 53.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. A tragic overnight car crash was discovered just south of Healdsburg yesterday morning as the sun rose over the Los Amigos frontage road alongside the 101. A man was found dead in his Dodge pickup truck after apparently "failing to negotiate a curve in the road," crashing through the guardrail and rolling over in the ditch. Authorities haven't released the man's name yet. R.I.P. (Healdsburg Patch)
2. The virtual Healdsburg City Council meeting last night was heavily focused on improving the city's arts infrastructure. Councilmembers spent about an hour listening to Healdsburg's recreation manager pitch an elaborate, years-in-the-works Arts and Culture Master Plan. As far as we can tell — City Hall lingo is weird! — the plan was approved. At Monday's meeting, the council also considered updated designs for the Foley Family Pavilion, the "long-awaited community project at the Cerri site on North Street." That one was apparently approved as well. You can watch the full meeting on Facebook to see all the juicy renderings. (Facebook & SoCoNews Healdsburg)
3. The Press Democrat spent a heartbreaking final evening at Mateo's, the fancy Yucatán-French fusion restaurant that spent a decade on Healdsburg Avenue, before it closed last month due to wildfire and COVID factors. From the farewell piece: "Two small children, whose parents had taken them to the restaurant ever since they were babies, burst into tears and hugged Chef Granados’ legs as they learned this was the last time they would enjoy their favorite meal there: 10 each of Drake’s Bay raw oysters dressed in shallot-cilantro mignonette (these are Wine Country tykes)." (Press Democrat; paywall)
4. Quick update on the owner of Amy’s Wicked Slush by Memorial Bridge, who's been having some legal troubles this summer. Yesterday she made her first appearance in court since being arrested and charged with felony grand theft. In court, Amy declined to enter a plea, and has deferred that decision to mid-September. The case has to do with "about $11,950 she is alleged to have transferred out of the accounts of Pacific Tile last year," according to the PD. The contractor was reportedly hired to "perform work on her house, which she was having rebuilt after a fire." (Press Democrat; paywall)
5. Because of the fire-friendly weather conditions today and tomorrow, PG&E is warning Sonoma County residents to brace for a series of possible "public safety power shutoffs." Healdsburg looks to be just outside the planned shutoff zones for now, but that could change. Enter your address on the PG&E site for the latest info. (Petaluma Patch & Pacific Gas & Electric)

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Air over Healdsburg:

Today in Healdsburg:

• Healdsburg Tuesday Farmers Market (9AM-12:30PM)
• Estate Sale on Matheson Street (August 17-19, 10AM-3PM)
• Root Beer Float Party at Healdsburg Senior Center (1-2:30PM)
• Virtual Pride Club for Teens at Sonoma County Library (4-5PM)
• Westside School Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7PM)
• Tuesdays in the Plaza: Leroy from the North (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Ladies: Magnolia Loop Run, Orsi Winery Finish (6PM)

Healdsburg Patch Notebook

• Don't be alarmed if your phone starts rattling this afternoon. County officials and the National Weather Service say they'll be conducting an "emergency alert and warning exercise on August 17, starting at noon." (Facebook)
• In a bold move, the Santa Rosa JC has informed staffers and students that starting in spring semester 2022, everyone who wants to attend class in person will need to get vaccinated, hard stop. Like many other California institutions, the JC currently offers a backup option of getting weekly COVID tests — but come spring, no more. (Press Democrat; paywall)
• Sonoma County photojournalist Kent Porter just captured some absolutely insane video footage of a "fire tornado at the Dixie fire on Diamond Mountain Road in Plumas County." Dixie is reported to be the largest single wildfire in California history. (YouTube)
• This one's much smaller scale, but here's some more local fire footage from a neighbor on Nextdoor. They captured one of those abandoned-looking buildings along River Road in Forestville going up in flames a couple days ago, licking the redwood branches. Thankfully firefighters managed to put it out quickly. (Nextdoor)
• Brand-new fire info app Watch Duty has gotten way more downloads than expected since debuting last week. "Over 22k devices registered and we are pushing 8k notifications at a time," the app's creators say. Now they're looking for volunteer engineers who know the React coding language. (Nextdoor)
• Check out the PD's super charming photo gallery from the Healdsburg Zucchini Festival last weekend. (Press Democrat; paywall)
• Reminder: Healdsburg nonprofit Farm to Pantry is always looking for volunteers to help pick overflow produce at local farms and deliver it to those in need. There are a few different "gleans" scheduled at Healdsburg farms this week. (Google Sheets)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update! If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors along for the ride. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Simone Wilson

About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, CA, where I was the editor of the Healdsburg High School Hound's Bark. I have since worked as a local journalist for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and the Middle East. I'm currently a senior product manager for Patch.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Healdsburg Daily? You can reach me at simone.wilson@patch.com.