🌱 Healdsburg Ave Closed + Shelter Open + City Rep On Vax Status

Good morning, Healdsburg! Let's start this Wednesday off on an informed note, shall we? Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town today.

First, today's weather:

Mix of clouds and sun. High: 66 Low: 47.

Here are the top 5 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. A two-block stretch of Healdsburg Avenue downtown will be closed between Matheson and North streets from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. today. You also won't be able to park on Healdsburg Avenue between Plaza Street and Matheson Street starting at noon. "The closure is necessary to stage a crane on Healdsburg Avenue," city officials say. "Alternative routes include Center Street and Grove Street. Southbound trucks should detour at Grant Street to Grove Street, and northbound trucks should detour Vine Street to Grant Street." (Facebook)
2. Starting this upcoming Monday, Healdsburg's wintertime homeless shelter at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Matheson "will be open regularly when temperatures are below 38 degrees or there are two days of rain in the forecast," according to local nonprofit Reach for Home. On nights that meet that criteria, dinner will be served at 6 p.m. and check-in will end at 9 p.m. A running schedule will reportedly be posted outside the church. Also: "Anyone who wants to volunteer by providing a hot meal or helping between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. please send an email to info@reachforhome.org." (Facebook)
3. Healdsburg City Councilmember Skylaer Palacios, who famously admitted she's unvaccinated in a recent council meeting, just dropped a personal YouTube video explaining the reasons behind her choice. "My questions related to the vaccine have not been answered," she says, adding: "I question major media, I question the government, I question the pharmaceutical companies — and I believe asking questions relating to personal and public health is important and necessary." Watch the whole explanation here. (YouTube)
4. Healdsburg resident Christine Webster, known for riding around town on a tricycle for the last 11 years — after a stroke made it impossible for her to drive a car — was just gifted a "brand-new, top-of-the-line" electric trike by a kind local couple who learned her old one was wearing out. “I was floored,” she tells the Tribune. “It’s like magic. I’m just so grateful." The new trike, which Christine picked up from Spoke Folk Cyclery in town, reportedly "has a top speed of 20 mph and has a throttle and pedal assist," as well as "specially made pedals... a basket and a handmade sign that a friend had made for her." (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
5. In a somewhat unexpected twist, big home insurance companies are starting to take on new customers again in wildfire-prone areas of California like Sonoma County, according to an investigation by the Business Journal. The catch? They're raising rates as much as they can without triggering intervention from regulators. From the report: "The largest homeowners' insurer in California, State Farm Group, is... planning to offer savings of 5% to 7% for homes with fire-resilient roofs and other safety features. But the proposal is tied to the company's request, still pending, for an overall 6.9% rate hike." (North Bay Business Journal)

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Healdsburg pic of the day:

Today in Healdsburg:

• Drivers Assisting Seniors in Healdsburg (DASH) Volunteer Driving Program Informational Meeting (10AM, 5:30PM)
• North Bay Business Journal's Virtual Impact Sonoma Conference (10-11:30AM)
• Sonoma County Virtual Workshop: Conserving Water to Combat Drought (10:30-11:30AM)
• Sonoma County Zoom Presentation on Resilient Landscaping: Gardening in the Defensible Space Zone (6-8PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (7-9PM)
• Crowbot Feat. Spike Sikes KC Mosso & Levi Miller at Elephant in the Room (8-10PM)

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Now you're in the loop! I'll catch up with you again tomorrow morning. If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors along for the ride. 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? You can reach me at simone.wilson@patch.com.