🌱 New Ambulance + Plaza Bench Repair + Student Cooks Compete In ATL

Hello all! Simone here with your Thursday edition of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in our community right now.

Today's newsletter is sponsored in part by Stacey Bernd, Realtor with Healdsburg Sotheby's. Residential property owners — Looking to rent your space? Stacey Bernd at Artisan Property Management can help match you to your perfect tenant. Contact Stacey today.

Now, your local weather:

• Thursday: Clouds turning to sun. High: 74 Low: 52.
• Friday: Clouds turning to sun again. High: 76 Low: 49.
• Saturday: Remaining cool with sunshine. High: 78 Low: 49.

Air over Healdsburg:

From our sponsor:

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Here are the top 3 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. Healdsburg's very own homegrown ambulance service, Bell's, just added another vehicle to its fleet, according to the Healdsburg Tribune. And, as has been tradition for the many decades they've been in business, the company's new ambulance was blessed by a priest outside St. John's Church on Matheson last week. "Father Rafael Karekatt was dressed in his ceremonial finery, offering prayers and shaking holy water inside and all around a brand new Mercedes Sprinter ambulance, blessing it for its coming life-support missions," the Trib reports. "The vehicle is the newest of a fleet of five that Bell’s Ambulance Service maintains in Healdsburg and Windsor, where they have provided emergency support since 1956. Founded by the husband and wife team of Lea and Inez Bell, the company has been a pillar of community health for 67 years. Inez Bell was the ambulance driver, one of only two women doing the job in the state. Current owner is their daughter, Pamela Bell Simmons. She and her brother, Wayne Bell, ran the company together for over 40 years; he passed away in October last year. Now 68, Pamela still has hopes that it will continue to be a family business." You can read more about the company's history and future plans in the Trib. (Healdsburg Tribune)
2. Two culinary students from Healdsburg High School — Hadley Rueter and Alisa Strykowski — are reportedly in Atlanta right now, where they're competing today in the annual SkillsUSA culinary arts and baking contests, respectively. Hadley and Alisa join more than 6,500 other "career- and technical-education" students from across the nation at the larger SkillsUSA conference this weekend, competing in categories from "culinary arts to engineering to web design," the Press Democrat reports. Here's how the two cooking contests work, according to the PD: "One competitor has seven hours to make a cake, a few types of bread, a savory French galette and other pastries. Everything has to be prepped from scratch and each pastry must be served at a designated time. The other will create a multicourse meal in five hours to include baked goods and braised meats. Oh, don’t the forget the clean up, too." Hadley reportedly competed at SkillsUSA last year as well, when she was a sophomore, and brought home the bronze. She credits a lot of her success to her teacher at the high school, Derek Corsino — who once also competed in the Food Network’s "Spring Baking Championship" TV show. He says in a new PD video report that SkillsUSA is a "grueling, punishing competition — but I think our girls are going to do well at it." (Healdsburg Unified School District via Facebook & Press Democrat via YouTube & Press Democrat; paywall)
3. The city appears to be replacing a decrepit bench in the plaza after a neighbor complained in the "What's Happening Healdsburg" Facebook group. A neighbor named Cruz Hip shared some pics in the group last week of one of the metal wraparound benches on a plaza palm tree, which had developed some sharp cracks in the metal. "I believe that this is dangerous especially for the smaller children that play here," Cruz wrote. "One might hit there head and get a bad scrap or maybe worse. It’s also rusty. I think it’s time for an updated bench." And one week later, another neighbor, Teri Lee Fure, shared an update. "How nice to see that after a concerned citizen posted some photos here of the worn & jaggedy benches in the Plaza... they are already in the process of being repaired," she wrote. "I guess it really was something that needed addressing! Well Done City of Healdsburg and kudos to the person who brought it to everyone's attention." In the comments, Healdsburg Farmers Market organizers wrote: "This was an amazing turnaround: from posting images to bench removal, less than 1 week! Anywhere else would have taken months or years. Truly impressive!" And another resident joked: "This page needs more whining. Well, we are in the 'whine country' after all." (Facebook Groups & Facebook Groups)

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Coming up in Healdsburg:

Thursday, June 22

• Trivia Night at Fogbelt Station Beer Garden (Weekly, 6PM)
• Healdsburg Prune Packers Play Home Game Vs. Bay Area Force at Rec Park (6PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Festival: Bill Frisell Trio Performs at Bacchus Landing, Featuring Special Guests Thomas Morgan, Rudy Royston, Camille Thurman & the Darrell Green Quartet (6:30-9PM)
• Jamie Drake Live at Little Saint (7-9PM)
• Karaoke Night at Coyote Sonoma (Weekly, 7-10PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Festival: Amy D. & Dillon Vado Quartet Live at the Elephant in the Room (9-11PM)

Friday, June 23

• Healdsburg Prune Packers Host 2nd Annual Golf Tournament at Windsor Golf Club (1PM)
• Adam Lieb Live at Davis Vineyards (3-6PM)
• "Friday Flicks" at the Healdsburg Library: Family-Friendly Film Screening (1PM)
• Screening at the Healdsburg Library: "Audience Favorites Reel" From the San Francisco Dance Film Festival (4:30-6PM)
• "Art After Dark" Street Fair on Center Street Between Plaza Street & North Street, Feat. Live Music, Performances, Food for Sale, Art Exhibits & Vendors, Interactive Art & Demos (5-9PM)
• Healdsburg Prune Packers Play Home Game Vs. Alameda Anchors at Rec Park (6PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Festival: "Joel Ross’ Good Vibes" Tribute to Pharoah Sanders & Joey DeFrancesco at Bacchus Landing (6:30-9PM)
• Heavy Metal & Mariachi Band Metalachi Live at Coyote Sonoma (9PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Festival: Lorca Hart Bridges Quartet Performs at the Elephant in the Room (9-11PM)

Saturday, June 24

• Redwood Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society Hosts Truck Show on Dry Creek Road (8AM)
• Healdsburg Farmers Market (8:30AM-12PM)
• Healdsburg Museum Hosts Local History Talk in the Plaza (Weekly, 11AM-2PM)
• Food Truck Saturday at The Drink (12PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Festival: The Freedom Jazz Choir & Gaea Schell Quartet Perform at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (1-3PM)
• Katiana Vila Live at Fogbelt Station Beer Garden (5-7PM)
• Class Reunion for Healdsburg High School Classes of 2003, 2004 & 2005 at Pedroncelli Winery (5-8PM)
• Healdsburg Prune Packers Play Home Game Vs. West Coast Kings at Rec Park (6PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Festival: Dianne Reeves & Romero Lubambo Perform at Bacchus Landing (7-8:30PM)

From my notebook:

• There will be a big classic car show on the plaza next Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., organized by the Packard Club of America. "Over 40 Classic cars from all over the country will be in attendance all parked around the square," one organizer says. "The Club will be sponsoring a 'Peoples Choice' award so come on down and vote for your favorite car and learn the history of one of Americas most prestigious automobile manufacturers!" (Patch Calendar)

• Healdsburg's fanciest and most famous restaurant, SingleThread, just scored another accolade: It's the 68th best restaurant in the world, according to the definitive annual "World’s 50 Best Restaurants" list. (Which goes up to 100, confusingly.) SingleThread is one of two California restaurants on the list; the other is Saison in San Francisco. And a restaurant called "Central" in Lima, Peru, takes the No. 1 spot. (Condé Nast Traveler & Bloomberg)
• There are some very sweet-looking kittens up for adoption at the Healdsburg animal shelter right now. Plus a charming mini Pinscher named Tully! (Healdsburg Patch)
• The Healdsburg Prune Packers baseball team, reigning champions of the California Collegiate League, are still undefeated after playing 15 games so far this season. Also: Did you know the team has a special radio network where you can listen to their away games? (Packers Radio Network & Packers Game Schedule & Healdsburg Prune Packers via Facebook & Healdsburg Tribune & Press Democrat; paywall)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Live Music by Adam Lieb (June 23)
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (June 27)
• Packards in Healdsburg (June 28)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop for the day. 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