🌱 Big Arrest By River + New Wine & Food Spots + Bear Republic Sold

Hey, everybody. It's me, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter — back in your inbox after a brief hiatus with the lowdown on everything happening in town these days. In this President's Day/Mardi Gras weekend edition of the newsletter, you'll find updates on:

• The dramatic arrest of two young men near Memorial Bridge
• A hoax caller who reported a fake shooting at Healdsburg High
• Thousands of bees taking up residency in Healdsburg
• New restaurants and tasting rooms opening this year in town
• And much more...

Today's newsletter is sponsored by CraftWork Healdsburg

Like or Love?

In the spirit of that time honored holiday that comes every February...when members and guests are asked what they ‘Like or Love’ about CraftWork, here is what they say:

• Like their free, ample parking
• Love their inspired design and high quality work spaces
• Love the comfortable, chill atmosphere – especially the fireplace lounge and backyard patio
• Love their high-speed, dedicated fiber
• Like how much they get done in a focused, supportive atmosphere
• Love the unique hosted events — like the new ‘Crafted Conversations’ series
• Love their free Wolf Coffee and espresso
• Like how fun it is to come to work everyday - in downtown Healdsburg!

But donʻt take our word for it! Visit CraftWork here or come in for a tour — then drop a note and let them know what you 'like or love' about CraftWork for a chance to win two free day passes. (Send your response to kayla@craftworkhbg.com)

Want to share the love with someone you like this Valentineʻs Day? Give them a book of Flex-Five passes or tickets to the ‘Crafted Conversations’. The next event is Feb 15th, so grab your tickets today.

CraftWork. What’s not to love!

Now, your weekend weather:

• Friday: Mostly sunny. High: 66 Low: 30.
• Saturday: Mix of sun and clouds. High: 65 Low: 33.
• Sunday: Frost in the morning, turning sunny and warm. High: 71 Low: 37.
• Monday: Mix of sun and clouds. High: 65 Low: 42.
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy and windy with a chance of rain. High: 57 Low: 34.

Shoutout to our other awesome local sponsors:

• Looking to buy or sell a luxury property in Sonoma County? Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s International Realty is a local firm with global reach that specializes in luxury real estate, vineyards, wineries and land in Sonoma County. Healdsburg's Sotheby's: local expertise, deep market knowledge, and a passion for the community. Whether buying or selling, it pays to work with the best. Call Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s at 707-433-4800.
• Considering a fire-safe metal roof or siding for your home? Metal Roof Company has specialized in metal roofing and wall panels in the North Bay area for nearly 30 years. They work with homeowners, architects and general contractors on everything from single-family homes to commercial installations — and take pride in getting the job done right. To see a gallery of projects or to learn more, visit Metal Roof Company today or email metalroofcompany.com@gmail.com.

• Looking to rent in the Healdsburg area? Stacey Bernd at Healdsburg & Artisan Sotheby’s International is a second generation realtor who has lived in Sonoma County for 50 years. You could say she has real estate in her genes – even her daughter is a real estate agent! Work with a local agent you can trust. Thinking of listing a property to rent? Stacey is a wiz at successfully matching quality owners and tenants. Contact Stacey and work with Healdsburg’s best.

Click here to get your business featured in this spot.

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 5 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. Healdsburg police made a big gun and drug arrest yesterday night in Railroad Park — aka, that strip of grass between Front Street the western bank of the Russian River near Memorial Bridge. Here's their full description of what went down: "On Thursday February 16, 2023 at about 7:55 PM Healdsburg Police received a call of a vandalism in progress on Ward St. The suspects drove away as the caller was on the phone. Officers arrived in the area and started checking other nearby areas with a history of prior vandalisms. An officer checking Railroad Park located two individuals standing in a dark corner of the park. When contacted one of the subjects attempted to run but was detained after a brief struggle with the officer and a back-up officer who had arrived on scene. During a search of the suspect officers located a loaded gun in his pants. During a search of the second suspect officers located several pre-packaged baggies of suspected fentanyl. A 17 year old juvenile resident of Healdsburg was arrested for possession of a loaded firearm in public and resisting arrest with violence. 25 year old Miguel Angel Guzman of Geyserville was arrested on suspicion of possession of fentanyl for sale." (Healdsburg Police Department via Facebook)
2. Healdsburg High School narrowly avoided a lockdown on Wednesday afternoon, local police say, after multiple schools in Napa and Sonoma counties received "hoax" calls reporting an active shooter on campus, according to the Press Democrat. Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, as well as St. Helena High School and Primary School over in Napa County, were both placed on lockdown while emergency responders searched the premises and determined everything was safe. Meanwhile, in Healdsburg, police officials say they got a call on their "business line" just before 12:50 p.m., "reporting a shooting at Healdsburg High School." They add: "Officers responded and the first arriving officers were on scene within 62 seconds. The dispatcher taking the call noticed several things that indicated the report was suspicious, and the first arriving officers quickly determined that the call was a false report and that there was no actual threat" — thus avoiding a lockdown. "Investigators are working to determine the source of the call to hold them accountable," police say. "The Healdsburg Police Department is committed to providing a safe learning environment for students and staff." (Healdsburg Police Department via Facebook & Press Democrat; paywall)
3. Wine Country Travel, the "food, wine & travel" blog run by the folks at Jordan Winery, just posted some interesting updates on new restaurants and tasting rooms coming to Healdsburg this year. First up: That fancy, five-course "Le Dîner" pop-up that the team behind Quail & Condor was testing out at their Troubadour sandwich shop near the square has been turned into a permanent fixture, and can be booked any night except Sunday and Monday. "The space now transforms from morning bakery to café for lunch to an intimate dining room for no more than 20 people five nights a week," Wine Country Travel reports. (Also: Quail & Condor itself is offering baking classes!) Next, in late February or early March, comes the reported opening of Maison Healdsburg — a "wine bar and retail shop that will focus on the wines of Burgundy, Champagne and coastal Sonoma." It will be located next to Lo & Behold near the roundabout, and will also serve light snacks "to complement the wines." The blog describes it as "the dream come true" of local couple Evan and Jade Hufford and their business partner Ryan Knowles, all SingleThread alums. Next up: Later this summer, the Foley wine family plans to open a steakhouse called "Goodnight's" in the old Ferrari-Carano tasting room next to Duke's on the plaza. "Goodnight’s is an homage to [Bill] Foley’s cattle ranching lineage, taking its name from relative Charles Goodnight, a Hall of Great Westerners member who helped establish the foundation of trails to drive cattle across the Western U.S. in the 1860s." And this one's still murky, but Wine Country Travel says "rumor has it that a SingleThread alumnae has secured a lease on the charming, brick-walled space" that used to house Campo Fina. Read the full post for a bunch more insider info. (Wine Country Table)
4. The Bear Republic Brewing Company, which was based in Healdsburg for many years, just got bought up by Drake's Brewing in San Leandro. "Two of the Bay Area’s most recognizable craft breweries are merging," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "San Leandro’s Drake’s Brewing Co. has purchased Sonoma County’s Bear Republic Brewing Co., famous for its Racer 5 IPA, confirmed Drake’s CEO John Martin. The deal includes Bear Republic’s brand and intellectual property, but not its brewing facility in Cloverdale, which will shut down. Martin did not disclose a sale price. ... Going forward, Drake’s will produce Bear Republic’s beer recipes, including Racer 5, its flagship West Coast-style IPA, maintaining the Bear Republic label. Bear Republic makes more beer than Drake’s, and is distributed more widely across the country; Martin said his brewery has the capacity to add the new beers. Drake’s is currently sold only in California, Arizona and Nevada, and Martin said he hopes it will now be able to leverage Bear Republic’s national distributors to get its beers into more states. Bear Republic has long been a mainstay of Sonoma County’s craft beer scene, along with neighbors like Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Russian River Brewing Co. Ricardo and Tami Norgrove started out in 1995 with a modest brewpub in downtown Healdsburg." No word yet on what will happen to the Bear's brewpub in Rohnert Park, which has been closed since December anyway — but Drake's CEO tells the Chronicle that Ricardo Norgrove "is joining the Drake’s team, so he’ll still have his finger on the beer."(SF Chronicle; paywall)
5. Thousands of bees will be moving to Healdsburg this April after Sonoma County government officials inked a deal with a "pollination services" company called Tauzer Apiaries to "store bee boxes near the county's transfer station" just north of town, according to Northern California Public Media radio. More from the story: "Dan Verkstis, a county spokesperson, said officials worked out a deal to park the bees on a spot near the Healdsburg transfer station [at the intersection of Healdsburg Avenue and Alexander Valley Road]. It's a sweet deal for the apiary company, which will pay $5 a year. 'Apparently its not easy to find places to store or to host bee colonies, and it was brought forward to the board, the board decided that because this piece of county land was vacant, it made sense to develop a license agreement and store the bee hives. It's good for the local farms and gardens, it's good for the land and its good to support a business.' Tauzer said those with certain flowering plants may see more winged visitors this year. 'The bees will orient themselves based on what's blooming, so people who are super-close might see a little more activity from honeybees in their garden, but they might not, because it depends on what's blooming and the time of year.'" Click through to listen to the full story on radio. (Northern California Public Media)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Healdsburg Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Healdsburg Patch newsletter possible.

This weekend in Healdsburg:

Friday, February 17

• Bilingual Family Storytime for Kids Aged 0-5 at the Healdsburg Library (10:30AM)
• "Intro to Self Defense" Class for Teens at the Healdsburg Library (3:30PM)
• Community Family Dance at Healdsburg High School (6-8PM)
• Gas Money Live at Coyote Sonoma (7-10PM)
• John Courage Fills in for "the Late, Great Levi Lloyd" at the Elephant in the Room (9PM-12AM)

Saturday, February 18

• Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Santa Rosa Trail Run at Spring Lake & Annadel (8AM)
• Read to a Dog at the Healdsburg Library (11AM)
• Funeral Mass for Healdsburg Resident Dennis O'Neel at St. John's Church (11AM)
• Montagne Russe Wines Hosts "Pink & Paws" Sparkling Rosé Release & Humane Society Fundraiser at Bacchus Landing, Featuring Doggie Kissing Booth (11AM-5PM)
• Sip Wine & Create Mandala Dot Paintings on Recycled Wine Bottles at Comstock Wines (1PM)
• Healdsburg Community Church Hosts Outdoor Adventure: "Mussel Foraging & Dinner"(1:30-8PM)
• Memorial Service for Former Healdsburg Tribune Editor & Publisher Arnold L. Santucci at St. Paul's Church (2PM)
• Brewer’s Dinner at Fogbelt Station (4-9PM)
• 16th Annual Crab Dinner at Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery (5:30-9PM)
• Country Concert & Song Release Party for Nicole Marden at Coyote Sonoma (6-10PM)
• Silent Film Screenings With Live Scores at THE 222: "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" & "Sherlock Jr.", Feat. Backing Music by Pianist/Composer Stephen Prutsman & the San Francisco Chamber Music Society String Quartet (7PM)
• Comedian Ali Wong Performs at the Luther Burbank Center (7PM & 9:30PM)
• Chicago Tribute Band Live at the Raven Theater (7:30PM)

Sunday, February 19

• “Hot Dogs Helping Dogs” Fundraiser at Roadhouse Winery, Feat. Adoptable Puppy Meet & Greet and Hot Dog Feast (1-4PM)
• "Celebrating Women's Music of La Belle Époque": San Francisco Pipe-Organist Joy-Leilani Garbutt Performs at St. Paul's Church (5PM)

Monday, February 20 (President's Day!)

• Sonoma County Restaurant Week, Feat. 9 Healdsburg Restaurants (Feb. 20-26, All Day)
• President's Day Basketball Camp for Kids Aged 7-13 at Healdsburg Junior High (9AM-3PM)

Tuesday, February 21 (Fat Tuesday!)

• Felta Education Foundation (FEF) Meeting (9-10AM)
• Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Celebration at at Parish Café & Elephant in the Room, Feat. Authentic Louisiana Cuisine, Cajun Food Truck, Crawfish Boil & 4 Live Bands (2-10PM)
• West Side School Board of Trustees Meeting (5:30-7:30PM)
• Healdsburg City Council Meeting (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Mardi Gras Run With Hurricanes & King Cake (6PM)
• T-Luke & The Tight Suits Live at Coyote Sonoma for Mardi Gras (6-9PM)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (February 21)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 21)
• Add your event

That's all for today! See you soon...

— 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at simone.wilson@patch.com