🌱 Botched City Meeting + Pacifica Update + New Barndiva Chef

Morning, people! It's me, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Daily. I've got some bittersweet news for you: I'll be on vacation for the next week and a half, through Jan. 23, and will be taking a break from writing the newsletter. There will be someone else filling in, but your updates won't be coming from me during that time. I'll be back soon, though! Will miss you tons while I'm out. Here's my last shot til then...

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 63 Low: 42.

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 4 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. The Healdsburg Tribune just released a followup story on the issues plaguing Pacifica Healdsburg Senior Living’s skilled nursing unit. "A recent survey conducted by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) found around a total of 31 deficiencies in care" in the unit, the Tribune reports. The alleged incidents included one in which "the facility failed to ensure its residents freedom from abuse, neglect and exploitation when a male resident repeatedly exhibited inappropriate sexual behaviors toward female residents," as well as "several instances of inappropriate handling of residents, including being rough with one resident and verbally disrespecting another." They also got cited for the way they handled a COVID exposure. As a result, the unit is closing this Saturday, Jan. 15 and its 12 residents are reportedly "being asked to find alternative facilities." (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
2. Healdsburg city leaders ran into some "technical difficulties" at a pretty inopportune moment last night: During the public Zoom meeting to review a developer's proposal to build 30 new apartments at Healdsburg Avenue and Kennedy Lane, right next to the Memorial Bridge. Whatever the difficulties were, they "did not allow the public to join the Zoom meeting," the city said online. So "the public hearing item for 3 Healdsburg Avenue has been continued to a date uncertain" and "the applicant will be scheduling a neighborhood meeting, making changes to their project, and moving forward to a future Planning Commission Workshop." Renderings on the city's website show the new complex would include a series of modern-looking buildings, a parking lot with 45 spots and some streetside landscaping. Five existing homes on the lot would need to be torn down and "multiple" trees removed, according to the proposal. (Facebook & City of Healdsburg)
3. Healdsburg High School's much-anticipated basketball season is taking a big hit from COVID. Both the boys and girls seasons have been "thrown into a cloud of uncertainty this week as the number of COVID infections sweeps the county, forcing the postponement of dozens of games throughout the North Bay League," according to the Tribune. As of yesterday, both the Healdsburg teams were reportedly "not expected to play any games for at least seven days," and athletic officials were still trying to come up with "contingency plans for the remainder of the season." In the words of HHS basketball coach Kevin Leffew: “I think we're just on a pause right now. I believe we'll get back to playing soon, but given the past few years, I wouldn't bet on anything one way or the other.” (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
4. There's a big change coming to beloved Healdsburg restaurant Barndiva, which just got its first Michelin star last fall. It executive chef, Jordan Rosas, who reportedly "started at Barndiva just as the pandemic took hold in 2020," has been replaced by Erik Anderson. The new chef likewise comes with Michelin accolades. According to Sonoma Magazine, he just left the "recently-opened Truss Restaurant and Bar at the Four Seasons Napa Valley" in favor of taking the helm at Barndiva — "a huge win for Sonoma County’s restaurant scene." And joining him in Barndiva’s new lineup will be mixologist Scott Beattie, coming off "a stint at Montage Healdsburg and a longtime gig at St. Helena’s Meadowood," as well as a couple other big names. (Sonoma Magazine)

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Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, January 12

• Thank You, MLK: Sonoma County Library Bilingual Family Storytime on Zoom with Miss Serena (10:30-11AM)
• Community Zoom Meeting: Proposed Affordable Housing Project on Dry Creek Road (5-6PM)
• "What Moves You?" Spiritual Reflection & Communal Meal at THE 222 Moss Gallery (5:30PM)
• New Virtual Queer Book Club at Sonoma County Library: "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe (6-7PM)

Thursday, January 13

• Healdsburg American Association of University Women (AAUW) Lecture Course: "Interpreting Works of Art - Your 'GPS' for Visual Literacy" (10-11:45AM)
• Teen/Tween Studio at Healdsburg Center for the Arts: Painting and Drawing (Jan. 13-Feb. 17. 3:30-5PM)
• The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) at the Raven Theater (7:30PM)

From my notebook:

• Quick correction: Yesterday, I wrote that Healdsburg city officials would "present their proposal to build 30 new apartments" at the community meeting last night. That was a misprint! In fact, it's a proposal from a developer. The city is just reviewing it. (City of Healdsburg)
• Healdsburg Jazz has organized an awesome-looking "MLK Day Family Concert and celebration" this Friday at St. Paul's church. It will include "a presentation on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the importance of music during the Civil Rights Movement" and a performance from "powerhouse blues singer and bandleader Terrie Odabi," who "will cover a wide range of music from the Civil Rights Movement, including a feature on the songs recorded by the Staple Singers," the Bohemian reports. (North Bay Bohemian)
• At a recent city meeting on "seven strategic initiatives and the corresponding goals" set for the 2021-22 fiscal year, the consensus was that there hasn't been enough focus on climate action. (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
• Medlock Ames Winery in Healdsburg has something new for wine people: A 90-minute "immersive sound experience" developed by local composer and sound artist Hugh Livingston. It reportedly includes "a self-guided audio tour exploring sights and sounds across the 340-acre Bell Mountain Ranch, followed by a guided tasting of six current release wines, paired with local, organic cheeses." Reservations are $75 a pop. (PR Web)
• A slew of Healdsburg businesses star in a recent trend piece by Marie Claire Magazine called "The Instagram Guide to Sonoma, California." (MarieClaire.com)
• A painfully tiny and cute white terrier puppy was found yesterday on West North Street and Moore Lane. Healdsburg animal shelter officials are hoping someone will claim her — and there are plenty of neighbors waiting to snap her up if no one does. (Facebook)
• Also at the animal shelter right now, there's a "sweet, outgoing little guinea pig" named Bon Bon waiting to be adopted. As well as a couple noble gray cats named Obi and Yoda. (Healdsburg Patch)

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Now you're in the loop for today. See you the week of Jan. 24, when I return!

— 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.