🌱 Healdsburg FD Helps Fight Vegetation Fire + Hounds Season Opener

Hello and happy Monday. I'm back covering for Simone this week! Please note that your newsletters may be a bit lighter during this time. Now, here's everything you need to know about what's happening these days in Healdsburg.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 84 Low: 53.

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Here are the top three stories today in Healdsburg:

1. On Saturday afternoon, the Healdsburg Fire Department responded to a vegetation fire just North of the city limits. Crews worked with Northern Sonoma County Fire District, CAL FIRE, and the Sonoma County Fire District to contain the blaze to approximately half an acre. The fire department reported that no structures were threatened and no evacuations were required. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. (City of Healdsburg Fire Department via Facebook)
2. Friday night was a mixed bag of emotions as the Healdsburg Greyhounds kicked off their first football game of the season at Rec Park. Though the Hounds lost their season opener 0-37 to the visiting Fort Bragg Timberwolves, Healdsburg students and fans still had a great time and were riding high on the excitement of being back together for a normal football season again. “We could be losing by 100 and we are cheering like this the whole game,” Healdsburg High senior Max Hubbell told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. “I don’t expect to win, but I expect good spirit.” (Subscription: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
3. Remember the kids at West Side Union Grade School who launched the "Peptoc" hotline earlier this year? The free hotline, which offers pep talks and inspirational advice recorded by students, is still going strong nearly six months later. Calls skyrocketed to 60,000 per hour after some viral press coverage, and to date, the line has received over 5 million calls and counting. If you're looking for a pick-me-up message from the kids of Healdsburg, give Peptoc a call at 707-873-7862. (CBS News)

Today in Healdsburg:

• Beauty In The Beasts At Healdsburg Center for the Arts (11:00 AM)
• The Barrel Tasting Experience At Blanchard Family Wines (1:00 PM)
• Community Encuentro At The Healdsburg Library (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• If you want to help shape Healdsburg's priorities around diversity, equity, and inclusion, don't miss out on Community Encuentro, a special event hosted by the City of Healdsburg and Acosta Latino Learning Partnership. The event is happening tonight (Aug. 29) from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Healdsburg Library, where participants can "join the conversations about how we can embrace the voices of all residents who live here." (City of Healdsburg via Facebook)
• Did you attend the Healdsburg Arts Festival this weekend? Check out all the public photos posted from the festivities on Healdsburg Center for the Arts' tagged photos on Instagram and Facebook! (Healdsburg Center for the Arts)
• As a reminder, Healdsburg residents received flyers last week with their utility bills asking for updated contact information. The City needs up-to-date contact information for its residents to communicate effectively during emergencies like wildfires and public-safety power shutdowns (PSPS). If your contact information has changed, you can provide the updated details on the back of this month's bill stub, or email ContactUpdates@healdsburg.gov if you are enrolled in electronic billing. (Ariel Kelley, Vice Mayor of Healdsburg via Facebook)
• The Central Santa Rosa Library wants to help all Sonoma County residents get prepared for any disaster. On Sep. 18 at 2:00 p.m., the library will be hosting a special event to educate the public about go-bags, evacuation planning, signing up for alerts, and local neighbor-to-neighbor groups from the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management. Interested parties can register here. (Sonoma County Library via Facebook)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.