🌱 Big Healdsburg Arson Arrest + Historic Inn Sold + Foodie Love Story

Hey there, Healdsburg. I'm back in your inbox today with your abundant weekend edition of the Daily, filled with everything you need to know about what's happening in town. Some of what I've got for you today:

• Finally, a possible breakthrough in Healdsburg's big arson mystery of 2021!
• New owners for the River Belle Inn
• A love story for the ages in the halls of SingleThread
• And more...

But first, your weekend weather:

• Friday: Mostly sunny and pretty hot. High: 92 Low: 53.
• Saturday: Fog in the morning, turning to sun. Cooling down a little. High: 85 Low: 53.
• Sunday: Fog turning to sun again. High: 83 Low: 52.
• Monday: More fog, more sun! High: 86 Low: 51.

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Here are the top 4 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. At long last, local fire officials think they know who set the infamous series of 14-plus fires across town in September of last year. Earlier this week, law enforcement officers for Cal Fire say they arrested two young guys from Healdsburg on "21 felony counts of arson" per person. Their bail is now set at $1 million each. According to a Cal Fire press release: "Upon completion of an extensive multi-year investigation, Estevan Miranda-Silva, 23, and Gabriel Gonzalez-Flores, 19, were arrested in relation to a series of fires in and around the Healdsburg area, including fires ignited during the night of Sept. 6, 2021." Officers also say they found a "ghost gun" in the car that Miranda-Silva was driving when he was arrested. Here's some more backstory on the fires they allegedly set last year, courtesy of the Press Democrat: "The fires came during a dry California year that had already seen massive wildfires across the state, and they sparked fear and outrage from Healdsburg residents. All of the fires came within a period of 2½ hours. Seven of them were along a stretch of Mill Creek Road. Three others were doused on Lytton Springs Road, while more were discovered on lower Westside Road, West Dry Creek Road, Bailhache Avenue south of Rio Lindo Academy, and Healdsburg Avenue near Passalacqua and Alexander Valley roads — the only one within Healdsburg city limits. The largest of the fires grew to just under 2 acres in size. No injuries or structural damage was reported, and no evacuations were necessary." (Healdsburg Fire Dept. via Facebook & Cal Fire via ConstantContact & Press Democrat; paywall)
2. The old, picturesque River Belle Inn at 68 Front Street, a few blocks north of Memorial Bridge, just sold a few days ago for $7.25 million, according to Redfin. The "Shop Local Healdsburg" blog and social media account — which has been getting all sorts of exclusives lately! — was the first one to notice the recent sale of this "historic Victorian landmark and once home of wine pioneer, Isabelle Simi." The inn was originally listed in late February for closer to $8 million. I'm not sure who the final buyer was or what they plan to do with it, but I'll let you know as soon as I do! Check out the Redfin listing for more pics and details on the property. (Redfin & Shop Local Healdsburg via Instagram)
3. AVFilm, the local nonprofit trying to "bring the movies back to Healdsburg" with a new theater downtown, just posted some more details on their vision. They say the Plaza Cinema off North Street will have "state of the art sight and sound, luxury seats, and popcorn (with real butter !)." Also: "We envision great, first-run Hollywood entertainment, plus outstanding art/independent films and film-focused events for all Healdsburg residents and the surrounding towns. We believe that Healdsburg can be the epicenter for a magical culture of film, rooted in community, for all of Northern Sonoma County. We’re thrilled to work with a collaborative, prospective landlord who shares our vision for a diversified city center. Our thanks also go to the City of Healdsburg for proactively moving housekeeping items forward on our behalf through the Planning Commission and City Council to ensure that this project and future small businesses will succeed. And finally, thank you to the residents of Cloverdale for seeding this dream all those years ago. It takes a village!" (AVFilm via Facebook)
4. Annnd the New York Times swoops in to tell the love story of Marley Brown and Akeel Shah, two staffers at the three-Michelin-starred SingleThread institution downtown — aka, Healdsburg's most famous fancy restaurant. Her domain was the kitchen; his was the dining room. She wasn't looking to date; he couldn't get her off his mind. Then one day, at a SingleThread staff cookout down by the Russian River, "Mr. Shah and Ms. Brown placed two chairs in a shallow part of the river and got to talking about how each had developed an interest in the culinary world," the Times reports. Then he took her to dinner at Diavola in Geyserville, followed by "a scenic overlook with a view of Lake Sonoma." The rest was history. The Times also ran a bunch of photos with the story of their beautiful, fancy-food-filled Indian wedding earlier this month in Belleville, Illinois — worth a gander, for sure. Congrats, you two! (New York Times; paywall)

Healdsburg pics of the day:

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This weekend in Healdsburg:

Friday, September 30

• Final Day of Fall Sale at Pricket's Nursery (9AM-5:30PM)
• Friday Brunch at the Healdsburg Senior Center (Weekly, 11AM-12:30PM)
• Final Weekend of "Beauty in the Beasts" Exhibit at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts (Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 11AM-6PM)
• Services & Celebration of Life for Healdsburg Resident Gloria Christensen (12PM)
• After-School Art Start for Kids Aged 3–5 With Teacher Amy Cordtz at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts (Three Days a Week, Sept. 30-Nov. 4, 3-5PM)
• Little Monsters Culinary Kids Cooking Class at Merriam Wines (3:30-5PM)
• DJ Yuka Yu Plays All-Vinyl Set at BloodRoot Wines (4-7PM)
• Friday Evening Wine & Song at Hudson Street Wineries, Feat. Live Music by Adults in the Room (5-8PM)
• John Chevalier Live at Coyote Sonoma (5:30-8PM)
• Wilson Artisan Wines Summer Music Series at Mazzocco Sonoma Winery, Feat. Live Music by Revolver & Food by Nellie's Oysters (6-8:30PM)
• Healdsburg High School Football Game Vs. Irvington at Rec Park (7PM)
• Stand-Up Comic Sebastian Maniscalco Live at the Luther Burbank Center for His "Nobody Does This" Tour (7PM)
• Raven Players Perform "Evil Dead, The Musical" at the Raven Theater, Featuring "Splatter Zone" in Front Row (Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 7:30PM)
• Hardly Strictly Bluegrass "Out of the Park" Series: Aoife O’Donovan & Maya de Vitry Perform at Little Saint (8PM)
• Max Cabello Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)
• Deadline to Submit Grant Proposals to Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District for Events & Projects From November-April (11:59PM)

Saturday, October 1

• Healdsburg Running Company Trail Run at Point Reyes National Seashore (8AM)
• Healdsburg Saturday Farmers Market (8:30AM-12PM)
• Farm to Pantry Glean at the Farm to Fight Hunger (8:30AM-12PM)
• STEAM Festival for Kids in Grades K-12 at Healdsburg High School (9AM-2PM)
• Sonoma County Art Trails Open Studios: T Barny Gallery & Sculpture Gardens, Robert Weiss Ceramics, Nancy Morgan Ceramics, Painter Willow LaLand-Yeilding & Painter Linda Barretta (Oct. 1-2, 10AM-5PM)
• Services & Celebration of Life for Healdsburg Resident James Jay Fagan at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Powell Street (11AM)
• Read to a Dog at the Healdsburg Library (Weekly, 11AM)
• Fall Garden Lunch at Alexander Valley Vineyards (12-3PM)
• Dry Creek Vineyard Release Party for 2019 Endeavour Cabernet Sauvignon (12-4PM)
• Opening Reception for New Exhibit at Erickson Fine Art Gallery: "The Great Oak Series" by Painter Adam Wolpert (5-7PM)
• Fall 2022 Pick-Up Party for Aldina Vineyards at Bacchus Landing (5:30-8:30PM)
• 40th Annual Harvest Dinner at Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery (5:30-9PM)
• Hardly Strictly Bluegrass "Out of the Park" Series: Sarah Shook & the Disarmers Perform at Little Saint (8PM)
• The Happys Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)
• DJ House Sessions at Coyote Sonoma (8PM-12AM)

Sunday, October 2

• 50-Plus Singles Chili Cook Off at Riverfront Regional Park (10:30AM-12:30PM)
• Alley 6 Craft Distillery Hosts Autumn Spirit Club Release Celebration, Feat. Live Music by Bloomfield Bluegrass Band (1-4PM)
• Raven Players Perform "Evil Dead, The Musical" at the Raven Theater, Feat. "Splatter Zone" in Front Row (2PM)
• Conjunto Primavera En Concierto at the Luther Burbank Center (7:30PM)

Monday, October 3

• Healdsburg City Council Meeting (6PM)

From my notebook:

• Quick correction in yesterday's newsletter: The candidate forum at the Raven is on Thursday, Oct. 6 — not Oct. 9. Thanks to candidate Chris Herrod for alerting me to the error. 🙏 (Healdsburg Patch & Healdsburg Tribune)
• There will be a couple of prescribed burns today on a whopping 240 acres out "on the Hillside Ranch approximately halfway located between Lake Sonoma and the coast," local fire officials say. In case you see smoke! (Northern Sonoma County Fire District via Facebook)
• Related: The "ALERTWildfire" cameras that let you watch wildfires burn from various vantage points in our area have a new website. (AlertCA.Live & Press Democrat; paywall)

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Events:

• Greek & Middle Eastern Food Festival (October 1)
• Add your event

Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you back in your inbox next week!

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