🌱 Election Update + Winery Founder Dies + Thanksgiving Plans

Hey, everybody! Happy Thanksgiving Eve. It's me, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days. Today you'll learn about:

• The death of an Alexander Valley wine legend
• Where the Healdsburg City Council race stands
• The last month's worth of Healdsburg police logs
• And more...

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Now, your daily weather:

• Wednesday: Mostly sunny and pretty warm for the season. High: 74 Low: 37.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny again for Thanksgiving, with a breeze. Even warmer! High: 77 Low: 38.

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. Sonoma County election officials just released their latest vote count for the open Healdsburg City Council seat — and it looks like Ron Edwards is still ahead of Brigette Mansell, but by a slimmer margin than before. His lead "shrunk by nearly half" in this latest count, the Press Democrat reports. "The political newcomer had 45.9% of the 4,518 votes counted to 44.5% for Mansell, leading by 60 votes, down from 111 last week." Still — and although the county hasn't called the race for sure yet — Ariel Kelley, vice mayor of Healdsburg, seems confident Edwards will win. "With today’s update from the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters, we can safely assume this is your newly elected Healdsburg City Council for the next two years," she wrote on Facebook yesterday, sharing a photo of herself and Edwards with Evelyn Mitchell, Chris Herrod and David Hagele. "While we await the official certification of the vote, I want to thank all of the candidates who ran and look forward to working together for the residents of Healdsburg," Kelley wrote. (Ariel Kelley via Facebook & Facebook Groups & Press Democrat; paywall)
2. Alexander Valley wine legend Richard P. Hafner Jr., also known as Dick Hafner, passed away about a week ago at the age of 96. He died "peacefully... in his home overlooking the Sonoma County vineyard and winery that bear his family's name," his obituary says. He and his wife Mary bought the land out Pine Flat Road, just to the northeast of town, in 1967 and turned it from "a small Sonoma County prune ranch" into what's now known as Hafner Vineyard. "With their four children, they helped create an Alexander Valley wine grape vineyard just as the California Wine Rush began," his obit says. "In 1982 the family winery was built and in 1984 they were among the first to sell their wine by direct mail to patrons at home." During his long and storied career, Dick also "served on the infantry training staff at Camp Roberts," then worked as a journalist and the head PR guy for UC Berkeley. He was "co-founder of the United Press Editors of Northern California, president of the Bay Area Comprehensive Health Planning Council and the Alexander Valley Association," according to his obituary, and "his wife and he were honored by the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Sonoma County and Alexander Valley Farm Bureau for their community work." Also: "He and his family worked together in the vineyard and winery, backpacked in the Sierra and visited Europe. He greatly respected his friends and his co-workers at Hafner Vineyard and UC Berkeley, and fully met his assignments for his country and his state." (Legacy.com & Hafner Vineyard)
3. The Healdsburg Police Department's website is up to date with the past month's worth of police logs. Notable calls to the department since late October, including over Halloween weekend, included: A rock thrown into the Healdsburg Boys & Girls Club overnight; a suspected drunk driver on Fitch Mountain who apparently ran into a fence and set their car on fire; a man wanted for felony burglary found "sleeping in the acorn play structure" at Piper and First streets, which is the address for the Healdsburg Community Nursery School across from Rec Park; a guy near the Bird Courts who claimed someone "ran at his truck and tried to spray his face with Round-Up"; a three-vehicle hit-and-run reported at Dry Creek Road and Grove Street, after which the "driver responsible for the crash" allegedly "fled on foot"; a fight possibly involving a knife outside Starbucks; a caller who reported a "highly intoxicated male" at CVS "punching walls and the building itself" while his female cohort "purchased a half pint of alcohol"; various domestic violence claims, including one where a woman was arrested after her husband claimed she threw a fork at him; a guy at the Russian River Trailer Park who told police he wanted his girlfriend to leave "because she is currently high on fentanyl and they are having relationship issues," but cops couldn't do anything because she lives there; "loud drag racing sounds" reported in the Parkland Farms/Montage area; the usual reports of transients doing things residents and business owners didn't like; and much more. To read through all the reports yourself, click the "Bulletin" tab on the department's website. (Healdsburg Police Department)

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Healdsburg pic of the day, fall foliage edition:

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Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, November 23

• Farm to Pantry Hosts Volunteer Veggie Glean at Noble Goat Farm (9AM-12PM)
• "Universal Yums for Teens" at the Healdsburg Library (2-3PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (7-9PM)

Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving Day)

• Healdsburg Turkey Trot Fundraiser: 5K Run/Walk Through Town (8AM)

From my notebook:

• Healdsburg restaurants offering Thanksgiving dinner menus this year include the Dry Creek Kitchen, The Madrona and Spoonbar — although some may be sold out by now. (Healdsburg Patch & Resy & Spoonbar)
• Looks like there are still around 200 spots left for tomorrow morning's Turkey Trot through town, if you still want to sign up. And you can pick up your packet and bib through 7 p.m. at the Healdsburg Running Company storefront on Center Street. (UltraSignUp.com & Healdsburg Running Company via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Wednesday Holiday Film Series at the Rio! (November 23)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head into the holiday. Enjoy...

— 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