🌱 Proposed Healdsburg 'Bubble Bar' + New High School Principal

Hey, everybody! It's me, Simone, your regular host of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter — back from my trip to Mexico and ready to dive into all the cool things happening in town. I'll be getting caught up over the next few days, so bear with me. Keep scrolling for everything I've discovered so far. 💙

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Now, your local weather:

• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and hot. High: 95 Low: 52.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny and hot again. High: 95 Low: 55.
• Thursday: Same thing, except even hotter! High: 98 Low: 55.

Here are the top 3 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. A new daytime wine and beer bar called "Healdsburg Bubble Bar" has been proposed for the little office building behind the Valette restaurant on North Street, according to Healdsburg city officials. The building used to house the offices for LIOCO Wines here in town. At the city's planning commission meeting tonight, they'll be considering an application for a "conditional use permit to convert an existing office into a wine and beer bar" at the 134 North St. location. The application was filed by a woman named Sarah Quider; she appears to be listed on the Foley Family Wines website as their VP of winemaking. Here are some more details from the city on the proposal: "According to the applicant, the bar will be open 6 days per week, from the hours of 11am to 6pm (closed on Tuesdays). Interior improvements within the building include a new bar with four seats; a lounge area with ten seats; and an outdoor patio with six seats. The bar will showcase and serve sparkling wines from around the world (Champagne, Crémant, Cava, Prosecco, etc.). The shop will also offer tasting flights, beer sales, and retail sales of bottles of wine served at the bar. Prepared pre-packaged food items will also be offered for on-site consumption. There will be no cooking facilities on-site. The project site is located within a converted single-family residence fronting on the south side of North Street between Center and East Streets. The previous use of the space was an office for a winery. The building is separated into two spaces. The wine bar will occupy a 395 square-foot area where the previous office was. The remainder of the building will be used as a City-approved short-term vacation rental unit. Adjacent land uses are all commercial in nature. Pedestrian access to the site is directly from the sidewalk along North Street." As you can imagine, there's a long thread going in the "What's Happening Healdsburg" Facebook group about the proposal and what it means for the downtown scene. (City of Healdsburg & Facebook Groups & Foley Family Wines)

2. Healdsburg High School just got a new principal! Francisco Manriquez replaces Amy Jones-Kerr after serving as her assistant principal for the last two years. "During this time, he has displayed a firm commitment and passion for working with our students, particularly with those learning English as a Second Language," Healdsburg school district officials say. "He has also overseen our academic testing and worked with our Athletic Director to provide leadership in the Athletics program." When the high school's previous principal, Jones-Kerr, came up from Roseland Public Schools in Santa Rosa circa 2020, she was somewhat of a controversial choice. At the time, according to the Press Democrat, "some Healdsburg Unified parents and students... worried about Jones-Kerr’s ability to foster a healthy environment for students from diverse backgrounds" because of a Facebook thread in which Roseland alumni "described instances of bullying, harassment, racism and other discriminatory behaviors they claimed to have experienced" at school. However — there's nothing to indicate that had anything to do with her replacement this month. Here's some more background from school officials on the new head of HHS: "Mr. Manriquez immigrated to the United States from Mexico with his family as a young child and grew up in Ukiah. ... He is known as a hard-working, supportive, and equity-minded educator at the schools where he has served, including HHS. As a coach, he was always successful at attracting new wrestlers to the sport and won a Div. III North Coast Section dual championship in 2017 while coaching Cardinal Newman. He is certified in AVID, versed in positive behavior practices, such as Restorative Justice, and brings strong expertise in world language curriculum and instruction. Finally, his bilingual/bicultural skills and knowledge as well as a depth of lived experience enable him to uniquely relate to the experiences of many students and families in our community." (Healdsburg Unified School District via Facebook & Press Democrat; paywall)
3. The California Highway Patrol says a woman died in a car crash Friday night just after passing Healdsburg on the southbound 101. Her name hasn't been released yet, but here's what happened to her, according to the CHP: "At approximately 7:25pm, Golden Gate CHP dispatch received multiple calls of an overturned vehicle on US-101 southbound, south of Old Redwood Hwy in Healdsburg. Emergency personnel responded to the scene. Upon arrival, a Toyota Camry was located off the west side of the roadway. Preliminary investigation indicates the driver was traveling southbound US-101. For reasons still under investigation, the driver lost control and the Toyota veered to the left towards the center median. The driver turned to the right but the Toyota continued out of control across both lanes and went off the roadway. The Toyota rolled and both the female driver and female passenger were ejected from the vehicle. We do not believe either occupant was wearing a seatbelt. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene and the passenger was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries. The identity of the deceased is withheld pending family notification, and any inquiries shall be directed to the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office. We ask that anyone with information about this crash to call the Santa Rosa CHP office at (707)588-1400." (Healdsburg Patch& California Highway Patrol via Facebook & Press Democrat; paywall)

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Healdsburg pic of the day:

Note from Simone: Have you taken any great pics in town recently? You can submit them here for possible publishing in the newsletter. Please just confirm in your email that you took any photos you're sending, and that Patch has permission to republish them, K? Thanks! 📸

Coming up in Healdsburg:

Tuesday, July 11

• Corazón Healdsburg Hosts Backpack & School Supplies Drive for Their Upcoming "Back to School Fun Fest" (Weekdays, July 11-24, 8:30AM-5PM)
• Healdsburg Farmers Market on the Plaza (9AM-12:30PM)
• Food Distribution at the Healdsburg Community Center (Weekly, 9:30-10:30AM)
• Brown Bag Book Club at the Healdsburg Library: "Lost Children Archive" by Valeria Luiselli (12PM)
• Gentle Yoga at the Healdsburg Senior Center (Daily, July 11-27, 5-5:45PM)
• Communities Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE) Hosts Taco Tuesday at Agave (5:30PM)
• Local Singer-Songwriter Johnny Young Live at the Luther Burbank Center (5:30-7:30PM)
• Tuesdays in the Plaza, Featuring Live Music by American Soul Band Wreckless Strangers (6PM)
• Healdsburg City Planning Commission Meeting, Featuring Discussion of Proposed Wine & Beer Bar on North Street Behind Valette (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company "Trail Sisters" Host Lake Night at Lake Sonoma, Featuring Run, Swim, Potluck & Drinks (6PM)
• Leslie Mendelson Live at Little Saint (7-10PM)
• Birds of Paradigm Live at the Elephant in the Room (7:30-10:30PM)

Wednesday, July 12

• Art Journaling Workshop for Teens in Grades 7-12 at the Healdsburg Library (1PM)
• Food Distribution at Healdsburg City Hall (4-5PM)
• "What Moves You?" Spiritual Reflection & Communal Meal at THE 222 (Monthly, 5:30PM)
• Canon Book Group at the Healdsburg Library: "The Tempest" by Shakespeare (6PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (Weekly, 7-9PM)

Thursday, July 13

• Mexican Amate Painting Workshop for Kids in Grades K-6 at the Healdsburg Library (11AM)
• "Moroccan Thursdays" at Spoonbar (Weekly, July 13-27, 5-9PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Hosts Run From the Dry Creek General Store Bar & Back (6PM)
• Trivia Night at Fogbelt Station Beer Garden (Weekly, 6PM)
• Documentary Film Screening at St. Paul's Church: "Sabbath" (7PM)
• Karaoke Night at Coyote Sonoma (Weekly, 7-10PM)

From my notebook:

• Did you notice some smoke overhead yesterday? Healdsburg Fire Department officials say they did a controlled burn "on the hillside adjacent to the Fitch Mountain Villa Commons just above March Ave." In an email to Patch, fire officials said weather conditions were "favorable" for a burn. They also said they "spent the last couple of weeks prepping the site for a safe and efficient burn" in coordination with Cal Fire, the Northern Sonoma County Fire District and the Dry Creek Rancheria Fire District. (City of Healdsburg Fire Department via Facebook & Facebook Groups)

• The family of Abel Garza, the guy found dead in Healdsburg last week after allegedly attacking local hotel staffers, is raising money for his funeral expenses on GoFundMe. Their page says Abel had three daughters and "was an amazing Superintendent in the construction industry and rebuilt a lot of the homes that were tragically destroyed in the first fire in Sonoma County." The family adds: "This has had a huge impact on all of our lives in such a short amount of time ! My brothers life was took from us to soon!" (GoFundMe & Press Democrat; paywall)
• Memorial Beach, Healdsburg's main swimming spot along the Russian River, had a pretty massive opening day on July 1, according to the Healdsburg Tribune. This is the first time in four years that the beach has been dammed and opened for swimmers — thanks to all the rain we got over winter and spring. A lifeguard named Kaitlyn Chrisman told the Trib that "we had about 1,400 people on shore, and about 800 people in the water” that day. “I mean, it felt like I was working at an actual beach!” she said. And the folks at River’s Edge Kayak & Canoe say they've been sending around 100 people down the river per day since their season started a couple weeks ago. (Healdsburg Tribune)
• Meanwhile, a big Latino event on the Windsor Town Green last weekend — a combination "Taco Fest and Lowrider Car Show" — drew around 2,000 people. (Press Democrat; paywall)
• It's going to be insanely hot this weekend. From the county: "The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch effective Friday morning, July 14, through Sunday evening, July 16, for most of the Bay Area, including Sonoma County. The hot temperatures (90-100+ degrees) are expected to accompany low humidity during the day with limited overnight recovery. Residents should stay hydrated, take measures to stay cool and do their part to limit the risk of wildfires." (County of Sonoma via Facebook)

You're all caught up for today. I'll see you soon!

— 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