🌱 Fitch Mountain Art + Twist on Pruning Contest + Fishy Paid Parking?

Hey, everybody! I'm here with your rainy weekend edition of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's going on in town. Today you'll read about:

• A new paid parking system that's raising eyebrows downtown
• A public art project taking shape on Fitch Mountain
• An annual grapevine pruning competition held in Healdsburg last week
• And more...

But first, your weekend weather:

• Saturday: Mostly cloudy and windy, with rain and possible thunderstorms. High: 53 Low: 37.
• Sunday: Mix of sun and clouds. More chances of rain. High: 51 Low: 34.
• Monday: Same deal. High: 53 Low: 33.
• Tuesday: Same! High: 54 Low: 31.

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. The Healdsburg Tribune has a spicy scoop on the new paid parking system set up at two downtown Healdsburg lots — and explores whether the system is even legal. "Visitors to Healdsburg are now finding more public parking spots right downtown, in a large central lot formerly reserved for business use," the Tribune reports. "The lot is getting heavy use on weekends, and the competition for those 30-plus slots can be stiff. There’s one catch — it’s not free. The parking is handled by AirGarage, an app that collects a driver’s credit information, license plate and location. Logging in starts the clock ticking on a $3.50 per hour parking fee, up to a $24 daily maximum. In addition to the well-marked AirGarage spaces in the lot, there are several with signs for the exclusive use of nearby businesses." And "recently, a second AirGarage lot has begun operating downtown, at the corner of Center and North streets across from the Raven Theater. A dozen parking spaces facing North Street now sport the white AirGarage signs, with only a QR code to begin the parking transaction — at $3 per hour, $12 max — though another 10 spots next to the building are still reserved for business tenants." Meanwhile, a local activist and retired lawyer named Jon Eisenberg has reportedly raised "several pertinent questions about the two AirGarage-managed lots" — like how they're allowed to operate without a local business license, why the city is letting them do their thing given that "paid parking is not permitted by the city’s General Plan" and how they're getting away with issuing actual parking tickets. "I smell a rat," he says. Click through for the full story; it's a great read! Thank heavens for the Healdsburg Tribune. (Healdsburg Tribune)
2. There's a cool public art project in the works over on Fitch Mountain right now. For the next week, the City of Healdsburg will be taking proposals from local artists that outline how they would "design and implement a permanent (site-specific) public art project on Fitch Mountain in Healdsburg, California, a 991-foot peak that nestles up to the City's eastern boundary." The winning artist will have a budget of up to $100,000. "This public art opportunity is for one artist or team of artists to create an installation that reflects and celebrates the natural landscape and experience of being on Fitch Mountain," city officials say. "The public art may or may not be interactive. Installations integrated with the landscape and/or those with functional components will also be considered." The deadline for submitting art proposals is 5 p.m. on March 10. Also! One of our Parks & Rec commissioners also reached out to tell me that any of you who have hiked the Fitch Mountain trails are encouraged to share your "thoughts about the hike, the trail and Fitch Mountain in general to inform our evaluations of the artists' proposals." You can fill out the quick hiker survey via Google Forms. (Inbox & City of Healdsburg & Google Forms & Healdsburg Tribune)
3. The annual Sonoma County Pruning Championship was held at the Foley-owned Ferrari-Carano Vineyards in Healdsburg this year, on Wednesday of last week — and it featured an exciting new contest for female vineyard workers. From the Press Democrat: "Natividad Santana felt a mix of nervousness and excitement as she stood in a quiet Healdsburg vineyard Wednesday morning. Though she was nervous — and chilled by the brisk morning air — she was sure about one thing: Her pruning skills were top-notch. Santana was one of 62 area vineyard workers who competed Wednesday in the pruning championships at Foley Family Farms Vineyard in Healdsburg. Santana competed in a separate all-women competition with six others — marking the first year for an all-women [contest]. Two winners, a contestant from the all-women competition and another from the all-men competition, took home prizes and the title of best pruner and prizes. ... The longstanding pruning championship began in 2001 and was originally held at Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm. This year drew the most contestants since the contest’s inception. This year, the championship decided to create a separate competition, the Sunni Ashley Women’s Pruning Competition, named after the CEO of a Windsor-based supply company, for women to highlight their skills separately and give them their own platform." (Press Democrat; paywall)

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Healdsburg pics of the day:

This weekend in Healdsburg:

Saturday, March 4

• Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Lake Sonoma Training Run in Oakland (8AM)
• Odyssey Wine Academy at Bacchus Landing: Level 2 Certification From the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (Mar. 4 & 11, 9AM-5PM)
• Healdsburg Preschool Fair at the Community Center (10AM-12PM)
• Celebration Of Life for Mary P. Madden St. John's Church (11AM)
• Read to a Dog at the Healdsburg Library (Weekly, 11AM)
• 45th Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend at Wineries Throughout the Alexander, Dry Creek & Russian River Valleys (March 4-5, 11AM-4PM)
• Jacob Philip Benning Performs Live Music on the Piazza at Bacchus Landing (12-4PM)
• Opening Reception for New "Weather or Not" Exhibit at the Upstairs Art Gallery (4-6PM)
• Alexander Valley School 100th Anniversary Fundraiser: 67th Annual Spaghetti Dinner & Live Auction at Alexander Valley Hall, Featuring Roaring '20s Theme (5PM)
• Poetry Reading at THE 222: "Ordinary Psalms" by Julia B. Levine & Prose Poems by Gerald Fleming (7PM)
• Dry Creek Station Live at Coyote Sonoma (7-10PM)
• Healdsburg Dance Collective Hosts Launch & Dance Party at the Raven Theater, Feat. Performances by DJ Glitterfox, Upside Dance Company, Mr. December Band & Dance Films (7:30-11:30PM)
• SOLD OUT: Hiss Golden Messenger Performs at Little Saint (8PM)

Sunday, March 5

• "Food Fight for Reproductive Rights" at Little Saint (2-6PM)
• World Dance Healdsburg at the Raven Theater, Feat. Ballet Folklorico, Dunsmuir Scottish Dancers, Jewels Of Beladi & Miyabi-no-Mai (2:30-4:30PM)
• Sip Wine & Paint Cherry Blossoms in Bloom at Furthermore Tasting Lounge (3-5:30PM)
• Standup Comedian Brian Regan Performs at the Luther Burbank Center (7PM)
• Spike Sike's First Sunday Jazz Night at the Elephant in the Room (7-10PM)

Monday, March 6

• Healdsburg City Council Meeting (6PM)
• Clover Sonoma Hosts Family Fun Series at the Luther Burbank Center: "The Lightning Thief" Theater Performance (6:30PM)

Tuesday, March 7

• Farm to Pantry Nonprofit Hosts Volunteer Grapefruit & Lemon "Gleans" at Farms in Healdsburg (9:30AM-12PM)
• Spanish Music & Movement for Kids Aged 0-6 at the Healdsburg Library (11AM)
• Healdsburg Brown Bag Book Club: "Still Life" by Louise Penny (12PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company "Trail Sisters" Host Track Workout (6PM)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (March 7)
• Tamarind Annual Warehouse Sale (March 10)
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That's it for now! I'll be back soon 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at simone.wilson@patch.com