Recycled Water Delivery Update + Smoke Warning + New Raven Show

Hello, hello! Simone here with the latest edition of the Healdsburg Daily. We're another day into what's shaping up to be a fire and drought season for the ages, and we're holding strong. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening today in Healdsburg.

First, today's weather:

It's cooling off a little, after a rough few days of high heat. High: 87 Low: 48.

Here are the top stories today in Healdsburg:

1. Healdsburg city leaders are officially acknowledging the serious bottleneck in recycled water distribution, and are urging their out-to-dry townspeople to sit tight while they make it right. Of the 450 residents who signed up for the program, only around 35 percent have received their first water delivery, the city admitted last night. And that's not including the folks they haven't called back yet. "We haven't forgotten about you! We will respond soon," they said. Meanwhile, a second water truck has been deployed and staff are being brought over from other city departments to handle mounting demand. (Facebook)
2. The number of FAFSA completions at Healdsburg High School this year, a.k.a. the number of college hopefuls who applied for federal financial aid, is reportedly up nearly 10 percent compared to last year — bucking a negative statewide and nationwide trend. Props to whichever HHS elves helped make that happen! (Patch)
3. PSA: If you see some smoke wafting from the direction of River Road in Forestville over the next couple days, it's probably just a live fire training exercise being conducted by CalFire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. Probably. (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
4. The young Windsor man who killed 57-year-old Healdsburg resident Jose Alderete-Beltran in a drunk-driving crash on Old Redwood Highway a few years ago has been found guilty of second-degree murder. He's facing 15 years to life. "This was a tragic incident that was completely avoidable," the DA says. (Patch Press Release Desk)
5. This $13M estate for sale on Westside Road, otherwise known as the most expensive home currently on the market in Healdsburg, makes the Soda Rock Lane estate featured in yesterday's newsletter look like public housing. Among other extravagances, this one has its own miniature lake with a "screened-in floating boathouse." (Patch)

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Today in Healdsburg

• Prune Packers Game at Rec Park (6PM)
• Karaoke Night at Coyote Sonoma (6:30-9:30PM)
• Opening Night of Mamma Mia! at the Raven Theater (8-9:30PM)
• Sonoma County Project Review and Advisory Committee Meeting (9AM)

Healdsburg Patch Notebook

• The worn-down benches in the Foss Creek Parkway rose garden, across from the old SHED building, got a pretty magical makeover this week, courtesy of the Rotary Club of Healdsburg. See the before and after pics. (Patch Neighbor Posts)
• The Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce just whipped up a handy drought-themed graphics package for local businesses. The signs can be printed out and displayed in your shop window to show how you're helping conserve water. Here's how to get yours. (Facebook)
• Whether you're into wine or not, this exhaustive review of every single bubbly wine from Healdsburg, re-branded "Bubble City" by the author, is just plain impressive. By my count — and I kept losing count — nearly 40 wines from more than 15 wineries are included in the roundup. It's a literary feat, if nothing else. (Sonoma County Gazette)
• Elsewhere in the county, PG&E workers are completing the monumental task of burying electrical lines underground for some 11,000 local customers. This will spare them from future fire-related power shutoffs. PG&E is starting with Santa Rosa's Rincon Valley neighborhood this year, and tackling Sonoma Valley next year. Hope it's our turn soon. (Patch)
• Cool local job alert: The Sonoma County Library is hiring book delivery drivers. (Facebook)
• Another romantic downtown gig: Part-time innkeeper at the Grape Leaf Inn! (Facebook)
• Exciting update from Petaluma city officials, especially since we won't have any fireworks of our own this year: Their Fourth of July light show will reportedly be "twice as long, twice as high and twice as spectacular as any in recent memory." (Press Democrat)
• If you can stomach any more expensive Healdsburg restaurant news, the Chamber of Commerce just uploaded a pretty wonderful video spotlight of Carlos Mojica, chef and owner of Guiso Latin Fusion on North Street. Hard to hate on food this beautiful. (Facebook)

That's it for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another update. And if you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some more friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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? You can reach me at simone.wilson@patch.com.