🌱 Burn Work On Fitch + Madrona Open + Winery Protesters Lobby Patrons

Hey, everybody! Can you believe it's Friday already? And this weekend's gonna be a stunner, with temps in the 70s and community events for days. Here's what you need to know.

First, your weekend weather:

• Friday: Partly sunny and breezy. High: 73 Low: 50.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with some more wind. High: 71 Low: 44.
• Sunday: Sunny and clear. Warmest day of the weekend. High: 77 Low: 45.
• Monday: Mostly sunny again. A little cooler but still very pleasant. High: 70 Low: 44.

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 5 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. If you see smoke coming from the top of Fitch Mountain at any point today, it's probably the Healdsburg Fire Department doing a "series of pile burns" to "enhance biodiversity and reduce fire risk in the Fitch Mountain Open Space Preserve." While the burns are in progress, according to department officials, the preserve will be open "but the Butterfly Trail and a portion of the Hilltop Trail at the top will be closed." They posted a helpful map to Facebook with red Xs in the exact spots where piles will be burned. "Burning will start early in the morning and continue throughout the day," they say — barring any complications with weather, wind and resources. "You will see smoke and maybe some flames from the valley floor," officials add. "Please do not call 911. ... The park will remain open, but park users may see/smell smoke in the area and parking availability may be impacted due to increased staff presence. We appreciate your patience." (Facebook)
2. The Press Democrat has a great new profile on Samantha Arenas, the office manager for Farm to Pantry, a Healdsburg nonprofit that "aims to support environmental sustainability by rescuing locally grown food and sharing with those in need." And for 22-year-old Samantha, a Windsor resident and the child of two Mexican immigrants, the work is personally "therapeutic" as well. “It’s a way to lose stress and forget about everything," she says. "It’s also a great to hear some of the volunteers talk about how gardening is a way for them to do things they can’t do in their current living situations —things they enjoyed doing when they were younger back in Mexico.” In her position at Farm to Pantry, the PD reports that Samantha has "helped galvanize the local community around issues of food justice, and has contributed positively to the development of a community garden in Healdsburg," Jardín de Brillo, in coordination with Corazón Healdsburg. As Duskie Estes, the leader of Farm to Pantry and a local legend in her own right, puts it: “Samantha has been critical to our team in translating our communications and recipes so all have access to good food and how to land it on the table. I’m not sure we’d be able to connect the people the way we do without her help." (Press Democrat; paywall)
3. The ongoing campaign by local farmworkers and their advocates to demand more natural-disaster protections from winery bosses, led by an organization called North Bay Jobs for Justice, recently made a major strategy shift. "After attempts to contact winery owners and picketing at Simi Winery in November," SoCoNews reports, "North Bay Jobs With Justice changed its strategy and reached out to winery clients last month." On March 26, the group reportedly "visited a total of 15 wineries, speaking directly to customers and handing out flyers that explained... NBJWJ’s '5 for Farmworkers' petition: language justice, disaster insurance, community safety observers, premium hazard pay, clean bathrooms and water." In return, Jobs for Justice leaders claim that winery customers were "supportive and thanked people for their work" — including one at Kendall Jackson who made a direct donation. “It is like when you do not know something," says NBJWJ Vice President Ana Salgado. "All of the sudden the opportunity to learn and educate yourself is presented to you and we are giving them that opportunity." You can read more here about the workers' demands. (SoCoNews)
4. Did you know that the revamped Madrona Manor out Westside Road, now called simply "The Madrona," opened last Friday, on the same day as Little Saint? A contributor to Forbes Magazine took an extensive tour of the property, and was impressed, to say the least. "The Madrona takes its Victorian bones and pushes up into the realm of lush satiation, with gracious views, both inside and out into the surrounding forest, in every visual frame," he writes. "While a Victorian restoration would have been equally appropriate, it would’ve been too prim and proper for [co-owner and designer Jay Jeffers'] vision, which toes the line between elegance and extravagance in surprisingly harmonious ways. If the Aesthetic Movement was Jeffers’ design inspiration, it’s 21st-century hedonism that is its new manifestation — not the superfluous kind but rather an enveloping pleasure." The folks behind the excellent Shop Local Healdsburg account on Instagram likewise stopped by for brunch and a drink-in-hand stroll through the gardens. The hotel is serving "some of the best style and local flavors of today," they say, "while transporting us to the luxe life once lived circa 1881." (Forbes & Instagram)
5. Speaking of Little Saint! Sonoma Magazine has a comprehensive new piece on the purely plant-based menu at our latest downtown foodie destination, and the joys/challenges for the restaurant's chefs of crafting an ephemeral rotation of dishes based on what's ripe in the garden that day. "As chef de cuisine of the much-anticipated Little Saint cafe and restaurant in Healdsburg, Brian Oliver has spent the last seven months studying the subtleties of plant-based emulsifiers," the piece says. "He’s been on a mission to make sure aquafaba (chickpea water) doesn’t taste like beans and has tackled the challenges of creating a satisfying buttercream without butter or cream." Oh, and "you won’t find a fresh tomato on the menu at Little Saint until tomatoes are in season in Sonoma County. Here, the menu is driven by exactly what’s happening on the... 24-acre Single Thread Farm and the nearby Little Saint Farm." Click through for more details on individual menu items, with prices ranging from $5 to $39. Props to my dad for sending me the link. 😉 (Sonoma Magazine)

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This weekend in Healdsburg:

Friday, April 29

• Graveside Service for Joan Bennett at Healdsburg Oak Mound Cemetery (11AM)
• Healdsburg Library Family Storytime at Giorgi Park (11AM-12PM)
• Final Weekend of "Home" Art Exhibit at Healdsburg Center for the Arts (April 29-May 1, 11AM-6PM)
• Sit and Stitch at Purls of Joy Healdsburg (Weekly, 1-3PM)
• Opening Night of Alexander Valley Film Festival (AVFest): "Calendar Girls" at the Clover Theater in Cloverdale, Followed by Block Party on 1st Street (5PM)
• Joshua Martin Live at Coyote Sonoma (7-10PM)
• Mike Saliani Band Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)

Saturday, April 30

• Día del Niño 5K Run From City Hall to Community Center (8AM)
• Healdsburg Saturday Farmers Market (8:30AM-12PM)
• Healdsburg Garden Club's Spring Plant Sale, Next to Farmers Market (9AM-12PM)
• Día del Niño Feria de Educación / Education Fair at Healdsburg Community Center (9AM-12PM)
• Healdsburg High School Auto Shop's 8th Annual Car Show (10AM-2PM)
• AVFest: "White on White" & "(In)Justice & Reality" at Healdsburg Community Center (11AM, 1:30PM)
• Read to a Dog at Healdsburg Library (11AM-12PM)
• Sculpture Exhibit at T Barny Gallery & Sculpture Gardens, Feat. Food & Drinks, Sculpture Bingo, Talk to Sculptors & More (April 30-May 1, 11AM-4PM)
• AVFest: "Chosen Fam," "Framing Agnes" & "The Alternate" at Orsi Family Vineyards (11:15AM, 1:45PM, 4:15PM)
• Hawley Winery Spring Release Party, Feat. Music From the Fitch Mountaineers & Food From El Coronel (12-4PM)
• Design Your Own Charcuterie Board at Rodney Strong Vineyards (1-3PM)
• Jordan Winery 50th Anniversary Release Day Event (1-4PM)
• 13th Sonoma County Horse Council Equus Awards at the Villa Chanticleer (5:30-9PM)
• Healdsburg Chorus Performance at the Raven Theater: "And Nature Smiled" (7PM)
• AVFest: Neighbor Night at Alexander Valley Hall, Feat. Dinner & "Let the Little Light Shine" Film (7PM)
• Burnt Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)

Sunday, May 1

• Fire and Earthquake Safety Expo 2022 at Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds (10AM-4PM)
• AVFest: "Rickshaw Girl," "Wildhood" & "Sirens" at Healdsburg Community Center (11AM, 1:45PM, 4:15PM)
• Sculpture Exhibit at T Barny Gallery & Sculpture Gardens (11AM-4PM)
• AVFest: "Ali & Ava" & "Dear Zoe" at Orsi Family Vineyards (11:15AM, 4PM)
• Sip & Savor Sundays at Bacchus Landing, Feat. Adobos N'More Food Truck (12-4PM)
• Rose Release Celebration at Saini Vineyards, Feat. Lunch Box Sonoma County Pop-Up & Tunes by Nick Foxer (12-4PM)
• Spring Makers Market at Rodney Strong Vineyards (12-4PM)
• Beltane Women’s Networking Festival at CraftWork Healdsburg (12-5PM)
• Healdsburg Chorus Matinee Performance at the Raven Theater: "And Nature Smiled" (3PM)
• Healdsburg Community Band Concert at Healdsburg Community Church (3-4PM)
• Sunday School at Idlewild Wines: Valle d'Aosta Region (4-6PM)

Monday, May 2

• New Exhibit at Upstairs Art Gallery: "Peaceful Edge of Nature" (May 2-29, 11AM-6PM)
• Healdsburg City Council Meeting (6PM)

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Now go enjoy your weekend, K? I'll be back next week with more.

— 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