🌱 Earthquake Stories + See New Frida Kahlo Mural + Free Compost Bins

Well hello there! It's me, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Daily — back in your inbox with a rundown of all the most important things happening locally. In today's issue we'll touch on...

• Two big earthquakes yesterday night
• A colorful new mural along Healdsburg Avenue
• How to get a free compost bin from the city
• Where to watch the local swift migration
• And more 💚

But first, your daily weather:

• Wednesday: Fog and clouds turning to sun. Might be breezy. High: 77 Low: 51.
• Thursday: More fog and clouds turning to sun. High: 78 Low: 51.

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. As I'm sure you know already, a pair of pretty significant 4.4- and 4.3-magnitude earthquakes hit 11 miles south of us, near the border of Windsor and Santa Rosa, early yesterday evening around 6:40 p.m. Many Healdsburg residents reported feeling the tremors pretty strong up here as well. "That was a scary earthquake," one neighbor wrote. "I was driving home from work and thought my car was breaking down." It sounds like Santa Rosa got rattled the hardest, with local officials reporting "gas leaks, fire alarms and stuck elevators" as well as "a few broken water lines." Footage from local businesses showed items crashing down from shelves and walls, and a video of the gym at Cardinal Newman showed kids screaming and running as the lights swung ominously overhead. What was your experience of yesterday's earthquakes? Reach out and let me know. (Healdsburg Patch & Nextdoor & Nextdoor & Press Democrat; paywall)
2. Registration is officially closed for the Healdsburg City Council candidates forum tonight at Coyote Sonoma, as the event is "SOLD OUT and at full capacity for the venue," organizers say. However, the Healdsburg 2040 org — who's hosting the forum along with the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce — will reportedly be live-streaming the event on their Facebook page. It starts tonight at 5:30 p.m., with all seven candidates planning to participate. "Questions will be prepared in advance with the option for open Q & A if time permits," according to the event invite. "The event will not go past 7:30 pm." You can stream it here. (Healdsburg 2040 via Facebook & EventBrite)
3. There's a cool new mural in town! This, according to Healdsburg City Council candidate Ron Edwards, who just posted a photo (see below) of the fresh and colorful art gracing the side of a small apartment building along Healdsburg Avenue, across from the Silveira dealership. It appears to depict Frida Kahlo with a headdress of grapes in front of a classic wine country landscape. "Nice to see new artwork by artist JM Knudsen at 970 Healdsburg ave.," Ron writes. His photo shows Knudsen standing next to the new mural, paintbrush still in hand. According to Ron, "it was painted all last week and finished, I believe Monday morning." (Facebook Groups)

Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, September 14

• Farm to Pantry Veggie Gleans at Noble Goat Farm, Eden West Village & Farm to Fight Hunger (8:30AM-12PM)
• Levi Miller’s Wednesday Art Club at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts (3:30PM)
• Healdsburg City Council Candidates Forum at Coyote Sonoma (5-7:30PM)
• Healdsburg Library Advisory Board Meeting (5:30PM)
• "Antojitos Mexicanos Cultural" at the Healdsburg Senior Center: A Tasty Journey Into the Seven Regional Cuisines of Mexico (1:30PM)
• "What Moves You?" Spiritual Reflection & Potluck in THE 222's Moss Sculpture Garden (5:30PM)
• Canon Book Group at the Healdsburg Library: "Arabian Nights" (6-7:30PM)
• Deadline to Sign Up for 36th Annual Russian River Watershed Cleanup on Sept. 17 (11:59PM)

Thursday, September 15

• Farm to Pantry Veggie Glean at SingleThread Farm (8:30AM-12PM)
• "Universal Yums for Teens" at the Healdsburg Library: Get Ready for Hispanic Heritage Month With Snacks From South America (2:30-3:30PM)
• Teen/Tween After-School Art Studio Program at the Healdsburg Community Center: Painting, Drawing & Printmaking (Weekly, Sept. 15-Nov. 3, 3:30-5:30PM)
• Gillian Grogan Live at Little Saint (5:30PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Thursday Night Run With the Crew to Barley & Bine in Windsor (6PM)
• Comedy Show at Furthermore Wines (Weekly, 7PM)
• Sonoma County Wine Auction at Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery (Sept. 15-17, 7PM)

From my notebook:

• The annual Foss Creek Clean-Up is coming up soon — not this Saturday but next. "This event gives residents and community members the opportunity to volunteer their time to collect trash and litter along Foss Creek," city officials say. Here's how to participate. (City of Healdsburg via Facebook)
• Have you picked up your "free kitchen countertop stainless steel compost bin" from the city yet? The bins are being handed out as part of a local "effort to encourage organic waste recycling which is now the law as of January 1, 2022," according to the city. You should have received a voucher in your latest utility bill — and you can bring the voucher to Healdsburg City Hall to grab your bin. (City of Healdsburg via Facebook)
• It's that time of year when birders come out to watch the thousands of swifts who make their home in the chimney at Rio Lindo Academy migrating out for the season. The academy is located across the river from Fitch Mountain, near Digger's Bend. "The sight of thousands of birds flying in a tornado-like pattern against the dusk sky is simply awe-inspiring," the academy says. You can stop by between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. any day through the end of this weekend. (Facebook Groups & Rio Lindo Academy)

That's it for today! See ya round...

— 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