🌱 New Public Park + Cats Rescued + Electric Car Show + Steakhouse?

Hey, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this beautiful spring morning with your fresh edition of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter, full of all the community news you need to know right now. In today's briefing, you'll learn about:

• Why there's a crane in front of Duke's on the plaza right now
• A step forward for the public park being planned next to the Montage
• A bunch of rescued cats who just landed at the animal shelter
• A "Real Housewives of Healdsburg" sweatshirt spotted in the wild
• And more...

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High: 68 Low: 39.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny and warming up. High: 74 Low: 44.
• Friday: Mostly sunny and downright hot! High: 82 Low: 47.

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. Various streets are closed in downtown Healdsburg today. First, through 2 p.m., Plaza Street between Healdsburg Avenue and Center Street is shut down so that a crane can "lift construction material" for 113 Plaza St., according to city officials. That's the storefront reportedly owned by Bill Foley, right next to Duke's — the same one where he's rumored to be building a large, Texas-style steakhouse. Back in October, the Healdsburg Tribune reported that the plans submitted to the city for 113 Plaza show "an 89-seat restaurant, modifications to the front façade of the building, a new 750-square foot mezzanine added to a second floor and a new roof terrace of approximately 150 square feet." Which would explain the crane! And the second set of streets closed off through 4 p.m. today for electricity maintenance are the northbound lane of University from Tucker to Matheson, and the eastbound lane of Matheson from University to First. "Please choose alternate routes and pay attention to signage and the direction of workers in that area during this time," the city says. (Healdsburg Patch & Healdsburg Patch & Healdsburg Tribune)
2. The City of Healdsburg just "took ownership of the ~38 acres of land that will become the new public park in the Saggio Hills development" at the north end of town, next to the Montage resort, officials say. They call it a "monumental step forward that started in the early 2000’s with the first discussions about the potential for a resort on the Saggio Hills project site." They add: "Many people were involved during the past 20+ years to make this a reality. For a community of 11,000 people to receive — at no cost — 38 acres of land for a new public park — plus funding to get it started — is remarkable. There is a lot of work ahead, but receiving ownership of the property is a major task completed. Much gratitude to the visionaries and workers who got us to this point!" You can see plans, maps and renderings of our future public park on the city's website. It will reportedly include stuff like "an improved trail network, sports fields and courts, play areas, a large picnic pavilion, bandshell, open lawn areas, dog play area, community garden, a pump track, picnic grove and special use gardens." If all goes according to the city's plan, park construction will begin in 2024 and the park will open in 2025. (Healdsburg Community Services via Facebook & City of Healdsburg)
3. A huge group of more than a dozen cats rescued from down in Solano County are now up for adoption at the Healdsburg animal shelter. They look like they're mostly black and Siamese. The cats were "found in crates outside the Solano County Sheriff's Office Animal Care Division," shelter officials said last week. "After the cats completed their stray holds, the Solano shelter reached out to our Healdsburg shelter to see if we could assist. The timing was perfect. Our previous group of cats who were living in our communal cat room, Kitty City, had recently been adopted! We had plenty of space to take the first 10 spayed/neutered cats who were ready for transfer. After they arrived, we were very impressed by their outgoing, friendly personalities and once our team finished their intake exams, all 10 cats were moved to Kitty City and began exploring their new space." The Healdsburg shelter has taken in a few more of the Solano crate kitties since. They've got celebrity B names like Bradley Cooper, Betty Boop, Bernie Sanders, Blake Shelton, Brittany Murphy and Barbara Streisand. Check them out on the shelter's website, or stop by the shelter at 555 Westside Rd. to say hi! (Healdsburg Patch & Humane Society of Sonoma County & Humane Society via Facebook & Google Maps)

From our sponsor:

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Healdsburg pics of the day:

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Coming up in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, April 19

• Odyssey Wine Academy Course at Bacchus Landing: Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 Award in Wines (April 19 & 26, 9AM-5PM)
• Sonoma County Government Hosts Virtual Workshop on "Making Improvements for a More Resilient Home" (11:30AM)
• "Game On!" for Teens at the Healdsburg Library (1:30PM)
• Homework Help at the Healdsburg Library (4PM)
• Healdsburg High School Track & Field Team Hosts Home Meet Vs. Cardinal Newman (4PM)
• "Crafted Conversations" at the CraftWork Healdsburg Co-Working Space: "Sustaining Us – Bringing Awareness & Mindfulness To Work" Featuring the CEO of Enso Village, America’s First Zen-Inspired Senior Community (5:30PM)
• "Apreciación de Voluntarios" at Corazón Healdsburg (5:30PM)
• Healdsburg Police Host Community Meeting on Military Equipment Use (5:30PM)
• Healdsburg Unified School District Board Meeting (6PM)
• Healdsburg High School Baseball Team Plays at Home Vs. Lick Wilmerding (7PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (Weekly, 7-9PM)
• West Side School Fundraiser: Dine & Donate at Bollywood Kitchen (April 19-20, Dinnertime)

Thursday, April 20

• Great Redwood Trail Agency Board of Directors Hold Public Meeting at Healdsburg City Hall (10:30AM)
• Homework Help at the Healdsburg Library (3PM)
• Healdsburg High School Softball Team Plays at Home Vs. Elsie Allen (5PM)
• Corazón Healdsburg, Legal Aid of Sonoma County Host Tenant Rights Workshop / Taller Educativo Sobre Sus Derechos Como Inquilino (6PM)
• "420 Party" at the Elephant in the Room, Feat. Live Music by Bossa Funka Nova, Nick Otis & Matt Silva (6PM)
• Marty O’Reilly Live at Little Saint (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Rohnert Park Run to Old Caz Brewery (6PM)
• Copperfield’s Hosts Book Release Party at Thumbprint Cellars: "Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club" by J. Ryan Stradal (7PM)
• Trivia Night at Fogbelt Station Beer Garden (Weekly, 7-9PM)
• Karaoke Night at Coyote Sonoma (Weekly, 7-10PM)

Friday, April 21

• Earth Week Nature Hikes at Jordan Vineyards & Winery, Feat. Mountain Views, Wildlife, Pollinator Sanctuaries & Wine Pairing Lunch (April 21-23, 9:45AM-2PM)
• Bilingual Family Storytime for Kids Aged 0-5 at the Healdsburg Library (10:30AM)
• Super Smash Bros Video Game Tournament at the Healdsburg Library (3PM)
• Pizza on the Piazza at Bacchus Landing (4-7PM)
• Healdsburg Jazz Hosts 25th Anniversary Gala & Multi-Course Dinner at the Montage Healdsburg, Feat. "Swing!" Theme & Live Music by Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers(4:30PM)
• Ricky Ray Plays Roadhouse Blues at Furthermore Wines (5-8PM)
• Friday Evening Wine & Song at Hudson Street Wineries, Feat. Live Music by Youngblood & Company (5-8PM)
• Corazón Healdsburg Committee Meeting (6PM)
• Healdsburg High School Baseball Team Plays at Home Vs. Analy (7PM)
• St. John's Catholic School Students Perform "The Wizard of Oz" at the Raven Theater (April 21-22, 7PM)
• '80s Band Tainted Love Live at Coyote Sonoma (8-10PM)
• Electric Tumbleweed Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)

From my notebook:

• One of the activities at the Healdsburg Climate Fest in the plaza this Saturday (aka, Earth Day!) will be an "electric vehicle car show," according to organizers. They say "car owners will show their cars and answer your EV questions. Show includes a Healdsburg Fire truck, a Sonoma County Electric Bus, Electric cars, scooters and bikes, Bird Bike Demos and more." (Healdsburg Climate Fest via Facebook)
• Fittingly, there will also be a bunch of bike traffic out Westside, Eastside and Chalk Hill Roads for the Levi's GranFondo ride. Here's the full advisory. (Levi's GranFondo)
• Check out this photo of a local woman wearing a "Real Housewives of Healdsburg" sweatshirt, posted in the "Beverly Healdsburg" Facebook community group. Gold! (Facebook Groups)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Passport to Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County's Premier Wine & Food Festival (April 29)
• 5th Annual Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure (April 29)
• Add your event

You're all caught up for today. See you around!

— 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