🌱 New Police Tool + Wino Weekend + 8 Years For Ward St. Gun Suspect

Hello and happy Thursday! I'm back in your inbox this warm spring morning to walk you through everything you need to know about what's happening in town today. Here goes...

First, your daily weather:

• Thursday: Sunny and windy. High: 83 Low: 45.
• Friday: Sunny and windy again. High: 83 Low: 49.

Heads up: Yes, what you're seeing above is fire weather! Local officials are warning everyone to stay vigilant and "do your part to prevent wildfire starts" during these extra warm, windy days. Indeed, a few small fires have broken out this week across Sonoma and Lake counties — but all were quickly put out by firefighters. 🙏 (NWS via Twitter & Press Democrat; paywall)

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 5 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. Healdsburg resident Joahan Maldonado-Nieto, 21, was sentenced to eight years in prison yesterday for two shootings he was allegedly involved in last year. According to the Press Democrat: "In the first shooting, on Jan. 16, 2021, Maldonado-Nieto fired multiple shots at a car and home on Laughlin Road near Windsor, according to court records. However, no one was home at the time. In the second shooting, on Feb. 27, 2021, he fired at three men who approached his apartment complex on Ward Street in Healdsburg, according to court records. One of the men fired at Maldonado-Nieto and another suspect, and the two returned fire, hitting one man in the arm. The man survived. A police investigation showed the shooting was gang related. Authorities were able to recover two firearms and a large amount of cocaine at the scene." He reportedly plead "no contest" to three felonies resulting from his alleged crimes. Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said after yesterday's ruling that "this type of lawlessness simply will not be tolerated in our county. I hope that this eight year prison sentence sends a loud and clear message that my office will vigorously prosecute shootings and other gun-related crimes.” (Press Democrat; paywall)
2. Prepare for a whole bunch of fancy people doing fancy things in town this weekend for the first-ever Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience, which CBS News describes as a "three-day celebration featuring the best of Sonoma County and world-renowned food and wines" and showcasing "the region's makers — farmers, growers, winemakers and chefs — alongside globally recognized wines from the greatest wine regions of the world." All the VIP tickets, which went for $2,500 to $3,700 a pop, are sold out, the event's website shows. "A substantial donation from our consumer ticket sales and sponsorships will go to local organizations that are making a meaningful difference in the lives of farmers and their families," the site says. Remaining general-admission tickets are $200 for one day, or $150 if you can prove you're a Healdsburg resident. The Press Democrat has a helpful guide to the weekend's "head-spinning schedule of down-home barbecues and picnics, chic cocktail parties and dinners, educational seminars and culinary demos" — a total of "28 events held throughout the weekend that will showcase the bounty of Sonoma County and beyond." (Helpful if only so you can avoid the hotspots!) And the CBS team says they will be broadcasting some "star chef demos" live from The Matheson off the plaza Saturday. So yeah, prepare for a whooole scene. (CBS News & Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience & Press Democrat; paywall)
3. Healdsburg police say they're going to start sending feedback surveys to locals involved in situations where cops took a call or responded to a scene, in order to gather community input on how they did. "Soon, we will be sending out text message surveys after certain types of interactions with 911 and the department," department officials say. "Each survey will be just a few questions about how satisfied you are and ask for feedback. This may be after low priority 911 calls or certain types of officer report and may happen a few hours or a few days after the interaction." Police are encouraging people to respond to the surveys, because "we want to know how we are doing" and "we also want to be able to provide positive feedback to officers and to know if something can be improved." However, they stress that this new system "cannot be used to report any type of emergency, criminal activity or make formal complaint with the department." Here's how to learn more or opt out. (Healdsburg Police Dept. via Facebook)
4. There will be construction work happening at the intersection of Grove Street and Dry Creek Road starting June 6 and lasting all the way through the end of July, according to city leaders. Crews will be doing their thing in the intersection from Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. through 6 p.m. The intersection will remain open during that time — but watch out for workers etc. David Hagele, one of our councilmembers, says the project will include "adding a flashing yellow arrow left turn signal in the East/West directions on Dry Creek Road"; a change to the "phasing of the signal timing for North/South Grove Street" so that cars in the north and south lanes are given the green light "separately to prevent the annoying backups we experience now"; and the re-striping and -painting of "new directional arrows" inside lanes. Looking ahead, Hagele says sidewalk improvements at the same intersection could be coming soon as well. (David Hagele via Facebook & Nextdoor)
5. Sonoma Mag has a great feature on the Sonoma County Wine Library, a "fascinating archive of wine history" which if you didn't know is nestled inside our very own Healdsburg Library on Center Street. "The wine library’s collection features 5,000 wine books, including 1,000 that are rare, and one astonishing tome dating to 1514," the story says. "You’ll also find a generous collection of historical wine ephemera, local wine artifacts and a glut of historic photos, maps and posters. The library carries current subscriptions to 40 wine periodicals and trade publications and plenty of current research material." This local institution was founded by wine writer and publicist Millie Howie more than three decades ago. And "perhaps the library’s most valuable collection," Sonoma Mag writes, "is Howie’s brainchild: a compendium of 26 oral histories with Sonoma wine industry pioneers like Davis Bynum, Merry Edwards, Saralee and Richard Kunde, Mike Tedeschi and Howie herself." You can also browse through a bunch of the wine library's digitized contents via the main Sonoma County Library website. (Sonoma Magazine & Digital.SonomaLibrary.org)

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This weekend in Healdsburg:

Thursday, May 19

• Friends of the Healdsburg Library Book Sale (Members Only 10AM-1PM, General Public 1-5:30PM)
• Wildfire Mitigation Fair at Silver Oak Winery (10AM-2PM)
• Beginning Crochet Class at Purls of Joy Healdsburg: Flower Coasters (3-5PM)
• Healdsburg High School Governance Council Meeting (4PM)
• Thursday Sit and Stitch at Purls of Joy Healdsburg (Weekly, 5-8:30PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Wineshine Run With Revel Wine to Limerick Lane (6PM)
• La Familia Sana Ribbon Cutting & Open House in Cloverdale (6-8PM)
• "The Book of Will" Shakespeare Story at the Raven Theater, Featuring Ticket Drawing for Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (May 19-21, 7:30PM)

Friday, May 20

• Spirit Friday at Westside Elementary School: Mustache Day (All Day)
• Friends of the Healdsburg Library Book Sale (10AM-5:30PM)
• Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience: Live Fire BBQ Fundraising Event With Matt Horn, Benefitting Healdsburg FFA (12-3PM)
• Spring Fling & District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) Resource Fair at Healdsburg Elementary's Fitch Mountain Campus (4-7PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Critical Mass Bike Ride to Alley 6, With Finish at The Drink (5PM)
• Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience: VIP Welcome Celebration at the Montage (5-8PM)
• "Visiting Saints" Guest Chef Event at Little Saint: Plant-Based Taco Dinner & Conversation (5:30PM)
• Friday Evening Wine & Song at Hudson Street Wineries, Feat. Tacos San Juan Food Truck & Live Music by Sonoma Shakers (6-8PM)
• Poetry Reading at THE 222: Julia B. Levine, "Ordinary Psalms" (7PM)
• Pat Jordan Band Live at Coyote Sonoma (7-10PM)
• Spike Sikes & His Awesome Hotcakes Live at the Elephant in the Room (8PM)

Healdsburg pics of the day:

Want to see your photo in the Healdsburg Daily? Send it to me for consideration. Please just confirm in your email that you own the rights to the photo, and that Patch has permission to republish it. Can't wait to see what you've got... 📸

From my notebook:

• In anticipation of the FFA parade and fair coming up the weekend after next, Healdsburg High grad and country singer Heidi Newfield is headed back to town to give a free concert next Tuesday on the plaza. (City of Healdsburg via Facebook)
• The COVID case count is still rising across Sonoma County. New cases per day have doubled over the past couple weeks, from an average of around 115 to 230, according to county data collected by the NY Times. And there's another "strange, unseasonal" rise in normal flu cases as well, health officials tell the PD. They're strongly recommending we continue to mask up and avoid crowded places, even though it's not mandatory anymore. (New York Times & Press Democrat; paywall)
• The big, artsy "Christo Voyage" along the Russian River from Healdsburg to the ocean is well underway this week, after kicking off with a "moonlight paddle" last weekend. The closing ceremony will take place Saturday at the Monte Rio Theater, in the form of a screening of the documentary that inspired the voyage, called “Running Fence." (River's Edge Kayak & Canoe)
• A second Healdsburg-based cider company just landed a buyer! After Sonoma Cider sold to a Fresno brewery earlier this year, Golden State Cider was just bought by Chris Jackson of Seismic Brewing Co. From the PD: "Jackson, a proprietor of Jackson Family Wines of Santa Rosa, and his wife, Ariel, announced [last week] they purchased Golden State Cider of Healdsburg from founders Jolie Devoto and Hunter Wade. That duo started the cidery 10 years ago by using apples from the Devoto orchard in Sebastopol." (Press Democrat; paywall)
• The fifth graders of Healdsburg Elementary recently created some gorgeous painted rain barrels as part of their "study on the science behind weather and climate." And now they're auctioning them off to the highest bidder for $100 and up. Models include "koi pond," "under the sea," "water dragon," "fairy houses" and more. (Healdsburg Elementary School via Facebook & 32Auctions.com)
• This year's Healdsburg wine grape harvest may have taken a hit last week from a blast of frost during bloom period. (Press Democrat; paywall)
• Speaking of vines. The Stay Healdsburg tourism group has a very handy explainer on our three big wine-producing regions: The Russian River Valley, the Dry Creek Valley and the Alexander Valley. (Stay Healdsburg)
• The Bohemian gives a glowing review of the new play at the Raven, "The Book of Will." You can catch it this weekend or next. (North Bay Bohemian)
• And the latest iteration of the Cloverdale Sculpture Trail, installed last month, is getting some local love as well. Janet Howell, who runs J. Howell Fine Art in Healdsburg, reportedly just took over as the project's leader. “The satisfaction for me of the Sculpture Trail is seeing families walking down the streets and stopping to admire and discuss the sculptures,” she says. (North Bay Bohemian)
• Did you know Healdsburg is currently home to the largest floating solar array in the U.S.? It floats on top of our wastewater treatment plant and meets roughly 8 percent of our electrical needs, according to ABC7. However: We may lose our national title this fall, when construction on an 8.9 megawatt floating solar installation in Millburn, New Jersey is set for completion. That's nearly double the size of ours. (PV Magazine USA & ABC7)
• A neighbor on Nextdoor is complaining about some goats that keep getting loose near Westside Road and Mill Creek. (Nextdoor)
• Another neighbor is wondering if anyone lost a "large painting" near the Chevron gas station on Healdsburg Avenue. It's apparently "sitting on the sidewalk near the flag at the Chevron station and the utility pole." (Nextdoor)
• This is the first event we've seen planned for the upstairs performance space at Little Saint! It's a Healdsburg Jazz jam on the night of June 15, featuring violinist Mads Tolling & The Mads Men and Kenny Washington. (Healdsburg Jazz via Facebook)
• Healdsburg city building official Steve Buffenbarger is retiring this month. The city says he was "instrumental in ensuring that construction activity in Healdsburg was safe and efficient, training new staff and collaborating very closely with our Fire Department." (City of Healdsburg)
• Update on the ongoing renovation of the old, historic "Honor Mansion" on Grove Street! Healdsburg Museum officials say "the new owners will continue to operate it as a B and B" and "the current work will help this handsome local landmark sparkle brighter, endure longer and contribute to the architectural character of Healdsburg for generations." Some more history from the museum: "This stately Italianate gem on the west side of town was formerly a residence, then a house and doctor's office, turned Bed and Breakfast. Built in 1883, it remained in the Butcher/Honor family for 100 years." (Healdsburg Museum via Facebook)
• It's not too late for local artists to sign up for a booth at the Healdsburg Arts Festival on the plaza this August. (Healdsburg Center for the Arts via Facebook)
• Looks like the Healdsburg Running Company is selling some pretty cool new Lake Sonoma hats. (Healdsburg Running Company via Facebook)

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

— 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