🌱 Drought Heroes + 'Strange Object' Overhead + HS Ethnic Studies

Morning, neighbors. It's me again, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Daily — here to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on in town today. Thanks as always for following along and staying informed! Here we go…

First, today's weather:

Mix of clouds and sun. High: 66 Low: 42.

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 5 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. Although Healdsburg city leaders are now only asking residents to cut their water use by 20 percent year-over-year, compared to 40 percent during summer, water officials and conservationists throughout the region are still warning anyone who'll listen: The drought is far from over, and extreme water-saving measures are still necessary. A big piece in the SF Chronicle cautions that Lake Mendocino, our main water source (by way of the Russian River), could be "the first major reservoir in modern times to go dry." According to the Chronicle, "While rain over the past few weeks has lifted the lake above its October low, the reservoir... remains at less than 20% capacity" — and "officials worry that the looming wet winter season won’t bring enough inflow to meet next year’s water demands." (SoCoNews Healdsburg & SF Chronicle & Press Democrat; paywalls)
2. While we're on the subject: In a new report called "How one California city cut its water use in half," KQED public radio has an amazing interview with retired Healdsburg couple Merrilyn Joyce and John Diniakos. A sign in their front yard reads "drought proof." Indeed, they've been able to cut down their collective water use to just 24 gallons a day. It's even become "a bit of a competition" between them, KQED reports, aided by "a phone app called Flume, purchased with help from a city rebate, which, through a meter, informs them how much water they use by the minute." Compare that attitude to the rest of California, where residents reportedly "reduced their water use by a measly 3.9% in September." (KQED via WFAE & North Bay Business Journal)
3. The public comment period at this week's Healdsburg City Council meeting was full of angry callers who don't like the new vaccination mandate for attending city meetings. About half a dozen people reportedly called in to tell councilmembers that "their plans to open City Council chambers to anyone who has received their COVID-19 vaccination discriminates against the unvaccinated and, by extension, people of color." The council decided on the mandate a few weeks ago, with one dissenter: Skylaer Palacios, the youngest and only Black councilmember. She revealed during the vote that she herself has not been vaccinated. (City of Healdsburg & Press Democrat; paywall)
4. Healdsburg's public junior high and high school could be getting an ethnic studies program as soon as the 2022-23 school year. School board officials plan to discuss the possibility at their meeting tonight. From the meeting agenda: "In an effort to continue the journey to create a more equitable and socially just school system in Healdsburg we are continuing efforts to include more inclusive curricula and practices in our schools. Historically K-12 curriculum has remained largely Eurocentric, outdated and disconnected from the growing population of students of color in the United States and the need to create more understanding, awareness and collaborative space in our schools and wider community.” (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
5. Healdsburg man-about-town Tom Duryea has been given a couple big executive titles at Exchange Bank, a Sonoma County bank chain with a branch by the roundabout. After spending more than a decade at the head of Summit Bank down in the Bay Area while living with his family in Healdsburg, he says in a press release that he's "excited to transition his professional life back to his home community" and focus on "the finance needs of local business owners as we partner together to create resiliency, growth, opportunity and our shared future here in Sonoma County." (Business Wire)

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Healdsburg pic of the day:

Today in Healdsburg:

• Sonoma County Government Workshop for Local Businesses: How To Be Sustainable (10:30-11:30AM)
• Virtual English Conversation Class for Adults at Sonoma County Library (11AM-12:30PM)
• Healdsburg Fire Department Fall Blood Drive (1-5PM)
• Healdsburg Unified School District Board Meeting (6PM)
• Healdsburg City Parks & Rec Commission Special Meeting (6PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (7-9PM)

Healdsburg Patch Notebook

• If you noticed a "very large, very strange object" flying low over Sonoma County in the past few days, you might have spotted a special helicopter from the state Department of Water Resources "dangling a 100-foot-wide hoop that will send electromagnetic signals into the earth." Its job is to "collect data on the geological structures and characteristics of key groundwater basins around California to enhance sustainability planning and focus future groundwater recharge efforts." Cool! (Press Democrat; paywall)
• The pet food pantry at the Healdsburg animal shelter is running low on wet and dry food for both dogs and cats. You can either drop off donations at their Westside Road location between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, or order from their Amazon wishlist. (Nextdoor)
• Local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg is looking to fill two big positions: associate director of social-economic impact and coordinator of grants and development. Here's how to apply. (Facebook & Corazón Healdsburg)
• The Healdsburg Center for the Arts will be hosting a "Santa's workshop" next month where kids can make holiday gifts and decorations at a handful of "creation stations." They'll go home with stuff like "paper mosaic Christmas trees, tiny wooden villages, collage Santas, printed wrapping paper, eco ornaments and more." (Facebook)
• The Saturday after next, tipsy shoppers will descend on downtown Healdsburg for a 15-stop event called "Sip & Shop Small Business Saturday." The premise: "Start your journey at CraftWork Healdsburg to check in and receive a glass of bubbles, a wristband, a gift bag, and your map to the participating businesses. At each business, you will be able to taste amazing wine while shopping through the deals." Tickets are $20. (Facebook)
• A few Healdsburg High School sports updates! The girls basketball team had a big win at their first (non-league) game of the season, over in Lake County. Freshman Kaeden Anderson finished fourth at our league's cross country championships last weekend. And three girls volleyball players recently made the "all-league teams" — aka, they're considered some of the best players in the region. (Lake County Record-Bee & Press Democrat; paywall)
• There's a trio of little dwarf hamsters up for adoption right now at the Healdsburg animal shelter: Oyster, Button and Crimini. "If you are looking for a nice and easy little pet, then these mushroom-named dwarf hamsters may be the perfect fit," the shelter says. (Humane Society of Sonoma County)
• There was a white lab-looking dog running loose on Fitch Mountain last night, near the Villa Chanticleer. (Facebook)
• A neighbor named Noelle is looking for "a few Peony roots" to "get a plant started in my yard." Anyone got some extras? (Facebook)

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That's all for today. See you tomorrow morning! And remember: If you're feeling these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors into the fold. 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? Reach out anytime to simone.wilson@patch.com.