🌱 Healdsburg Asteroid Mystery + L&M Shelter Update + Boutique Hotel

Hello, everybody! I'm here on this chilly February Eve with your fresh copy of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter, full of everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Today's issue includes updates on:

• The grand opening of the L&M Village homeless shelter
• A new boutique hotel by the freeway
• A fascinating "asteroid mystery" here in Healdsburg
• And more...

But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High: 61 Low: 30.
• Wednesday: Mix of clouds and sun. High: 59 Low: 34.

Also, heads up: A "frost advisory" from the National Weather Service goes into effect tonight at midnight and lasts through tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., due to the freezing temps expected overnight. "Take steps now to protect yourself if you do not have a way to stay warm overnight," weather officials say. "Protect pets and plants from the cold." (National Weather Service)

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Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. L&M Village, the new homeless shelter run by local nonprofit Reach for Home inside the converted L&M Motel at the south end of town, held its official opening and ribbon-cutting late last week. The Press Democrat's new Healdsburg reporter, Jennifer Sawhney, tells the story of Richard “Ayett” Mayabb, who's been on the streets for 15 years — until now. "Within a month of moving into the new Healdsburg supportive housing site for homeless individuals last year, Mayabb, 58, said he got a job and replacement Social Security and ID cards," the PD reports. "He sat outside his room Thursday at the repurposed former Healdsburg Avenue lodge... where over 100 visitors milled around before he spoke about his experience." Part of what makes the state-funded shelter unique is that its 22 residents reportedly "have a private room with a bed, a bathroom, storage, a mini fridge and a microwave. And, they get support from one of four caseworkers to ease the transition to permanent housing." They can stay at L&M for up to six months. Watch Jennifer Sawhney's video on YouTube for your own virtual tour. (Reach for Home via Facebook & YouTube & Press Democrat; paywall)
2. On the opposite end of the accommodation spectrum, the new boutique hotel-inside-a-hotel at the Best Western Dry Creek Inn, that big hotel right off the 101 near Adel's, is now open and accepting reservations. It's called "The Lodge at Healdsburg," and it's part of Hilton's Tapestry Collection. The 60-villa addition was billed as an "extensive, multi-million dollar interior renovation" of the Best Western's "Villa Toscana building." Confused yet? "Please help us give a warm welcome to Healdsburg's newest boutique hotel, The Lodge at Healdsburg!" say officials from the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. "Inspired by the quaint villas of The Tuscan countryside, this hotel in Healdsburg displays a perfect blend of old-world charm and modern-day conveniences. Well-appointed rooms, leisure amenities, and business facilities altogether make this hotel an ideal choice for all travelers. Stop by and visit their cafe and bar or book a staycation!" It looks like you can get a one-night, two-adult stay in February for a starting price of around $250. (Inbox & The Lodge at Healdsburg & Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce via Facebook & HospitalityNet)
3. Did you think "Healdsburgite" was another name for a local? Think again! Patch reporter Ashley Ludwig published a great piece yesterday on Healdsburg's fabled "asteroid mystery." Here's how the story goes: "Ten years ago, a geologic discovery in Healdsburg changed how Sonoma State University geologists look at the Northern California landscape. A resident donated a box of strange-looking stones, running from palm-sized to pebble-sized, many oval-shaped stones with strange pitting and even charred-looking exteriors. When held to the light, many are opaque, like dark obsidian glass. Sonoma State Professor Emeritus and Geologist Rolfe Erickson discovered that these were not stones but “tektites,” bits of combined meteoric and superheated silica that exploded into the atmosphere following a violent meteor strike, froze, then rained down to the earth by the billions. ... The stones actually formed 2.8 million years ago, according to the Berkeley Geochronology Center. In their quest to find the location of the strike, the SSU geologists interviewed residents, hearing stories of finding the strange stones in vineyards and across area hillsides. By 2013, over 5,000 stones were discovered from the Warm Springs Dam to the Russian River." These stones have since been named "Healdsburgites" — and the precise location of the meteor crater from which they originated is still a mystery. Read the full story here. (Healdsburg Patch)

From our sponsor:

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Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Tuesday, January 31

• Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Petaluma Pub Run (6PM)
• University of California Cooperative Extension Hosts Online Pile Burning Workshop (6-8PM)
• Healdsburg High School Girls Basketball Home Game Vs. Santa Rosa (7:30PM)

Wednesday, February 1

• Sonoma County Government Hosts Home Resiliency Workshop: "Heat Pumps for Residential Heating & Cooling" (11:30AM-12:30PM)
• "Game On!" for Teens at the Healdsburg Library (1:30PM)
• Northern Sonoma County Branch of Communities Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE) Hosts Free Public Webinar: "Wading Through Flood Information" (5PM)
• "Knits & Knots" at the Healdsburg Library: Learn How to Knit or Crochet With Experts From Purls of Joy (6PM)
• Sonoma County Library Commission Meeting (6PM)
• AVFilm Hosts Filmmaking Workshop at New Plaza Cinema Center: "Telling Your Story" With Teacher Colin Stice (6-9PM)
• Healdsburg High School Boys Soccer Home Game Vs. Ukiah (7PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (Weekly, 7-9PM)
• Healdsburg High School Boys Basketball Home Game Vs. Elsie Allen (7:30PM)
• Deadline to Submit Your Answers to the City of Healdsburg's Climate Survey (11:59PM)

Healdsburg pics of the day, Alexander Valley edition:

Wanna see one of your pics in the newsletter? You can submit it here for consideration. Please just confirm in your email that you took any photos you're sending, and that Patch has permission to republish them. Thanks! 📸

From my notebook:

• Watch out — Healdsburg city crews "will be replacing utility poles along Foss Creek Trail this week," officials say, as part of the city's "ongoing preventative maintenance work" to ensure "safe and reliable power" is provided to Healdsburg residents. Here's some more info from their announcement: "Parking on one side of Grove Street in front of City Hall will be unavailable beginning today (Monday) to prepare for the work. Work will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, with both traffic lanes being temporarily shifted in order to accommodate City equipment. The work will require the closure of Foss Creek Trail from Grove Street to Grant Street on Tuesday and Wednesday for your safety, as well as the safety of our team. Please use caution while driving in the area. We appreciate your patience as we complete this preventative maintenance!" (City of Healdsburg via Facebook)
• Also! A quick reminder from Healdsburg city officials that "leaves and other yard waste cannot be left in the street," as per city code. Officials add: "Our street sweepers are not equipped to pick up the volume of leaves often left in the street. If they're not removed, they clog the drainage inlets — and cause flooding." (City of Healdsburg via Facebook)
• Tickets for the 2023 season are now on sale for Healdsburg's collegiate-level summer baseball team, the Prune Packers. (PrunePackers.org & Healdsburg Prune Packers via Facebook)
• Longtime Healdsburg boutique Clutch, which moved to Santa Rosa circa 2017, is now leaving California altogether for Tucson, Arizona, according to the Press Democrat. Meanwhile, the boutique's owners are reportedly planning to increase their online presence "so Sonoma County customers can continue to shop." (Press Democrat; paywall)
• A beautiful white husky was found running loose on College Street near Piper recently, say the folks at the Healdsburg animal shelter. "She was not wearing a collar and is not microchipped," they add. Here's what to do if you know this handsome gal. (Humane Society of Sonoma County via Facebook)
• Another guy says he found a stray drone on Jachetta Court, near Sunnyvale Drive. Look familiar to anyone? (Patch Neighbor Posts)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll see you soon...

— 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