🌱 Rise In Homeless + New Public Art + Seasonal Mayhem At Safeway

Hello, my people! It's me, Simone, back in your inbox with your fresh copy of the Healdsburg Daily. Keep reading to find out what's been happening in town. Today you'll learn about:

• New county data showing a surging homeless count in Healdsburg
• Some pretty bad allegations against the owner of Healdsburg Hospital
• A brand-new sculpture downtown

But first, your daily weather:

• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with some strong winds. High: 84 Low: 53.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny again — and heating up. High: 88 Low: 52.

Shoutout to the awesome local businesses who keep this newsletter running:

• Have you stopped by Amy's Wicked Slush near Memorial Bridge lately? Amy's has Slush in glorious flavors like root beer, mango, and orange cream and soft serve in flavors like Cupcake, Blueberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. Can’t decide? Get the Split — half-slush, half-soft serve layered up like a parfait! Do yourself a favor and stop by ASAP.

• Looking to buy or sell a luxury property in Sonoma County? Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s International Realty is a local firm with global reach that specializes in luxury real estate, vineyards, wineries and land in Sonoma County. Healdsburg's Sotheby's: local expertise, deep market knowledge, and a passion for the community. Whether buying or selling, it pays to work with the best. Call Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s at 707-433-4800.

Want to see your business featured in this spot? Click here to get started.

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. Sonoma County government officials have released their "homeless point-in-time count report" for 2022 — and the numbers for Healdsburg stand out. Unlike nearby Windsor and Cloverdale, which have seen a recent decline in their homeless population, Healdsburg has had steady growth over the past few years — from a count of 73 homeless people in 2019 up to 97 this year. The other Sonoma County communities who have seen a recent rise in homeless, according to the report, are Cotati, Petaluma, Sonoma and Rohnert Park. And overall, the county says it saw "an increase of about 5 percent from the 2,745 individuals counted in 2020" but a "significant decline in numbers for the county over the past decade." This year's count was conducted in late February, when "volunteers and guides fanned out across the County of Sonoma as part of an annual effort to understand the needs, number, and circumstances of persons experiencing homelessness," county officials say. You can read the full report here. (Sonoma County Government & County of Sonoma via Facebook)
2. Providence Sonoma County, the big hospital operator that runs Healdsburg Hospital and a handful of others across Sonoma and Napa counties, is in hot water after the New York Times dropped a big investigation over the weekend. The report accuses Providence of using "aggressive tactics to induce payment from low-income patients who qualified for government health programs." According to the Press Democrat, which has been following up on the Times report, the investigation found that "Providence, one of the country’s largest health care systems, paid millions of dollars to a consulting firm to come up with a strategy to maximize collections from patients." Also: "Some former Providence employees described the strategies as predatory, used at inopportune moments during a hospital visit; staff were expected to repeatedly ask for payment and collect whatever they could, the article said." Providence officials have denied the reports. Now the PD is looking for any "residents who may have experienced something similar at these local Providence hospitals: Santa Rosa Memorial, Petaluma Valley, Healdsburg District and Queen of the Valley (Napa) hospitals." (New York Times & Press Democrat & Press Democrat; paywall)
3. The city just installed a new piece of art in West Plaza Park, the 1.5-acre plot of grass lined with benches and roses between North and Matheson streets, right next to Foss Creek. The sculpture is called "Rounder," and it comes to us from artist Roger Berry by way of the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation. "Over the next few weeks our Park Maintenance team will install new drought tolerant landscaping to finish the project," the city says. Berry has one other sculpture in Healdsburg already — a swirly metal structure on the Foss Creek Pathway near City Hall. I haven't seen any pics of his new one yet, but if anyone spots it, I would love if you could send me the evidence! (City of Healdsburg via Facebook & Roger Berry)

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Healdsburg pics of the day, Safeway edition:

Note from Simone: Want to see one of your pics in the Daily? Send it to me for consideration. Please just confirm in your email that you took the photo, and that Patch has permission to republish it! 📸

Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, September 28

• Farm to Pantry Apple & Veggie Gleans at Olsen Farm & Farm to Fight Hunger (8:30AM-12PM)
• Sonoma County Government Hosts Workshop: "Making Improvements for a More Resilient Home" (11:30AM-12:30PM)
• Bilingual "Community Encuentro" for Youth & Families at the Healdsburg Community Center: City of Healdsburg Hosts Conversation About Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (5PM)
• Westside Road & Friends Meet Up at BACA Wines (6-8:30PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (7-9PM)
• Super Secret Band Live at the Elephant in the Room (7-10PM)

Thursday, September 29

• Lavender Country Live at Little Saint (5:45PM)
• Healdsburg High School Girls Volleyball Home Game Vs. Ukiah (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Magnolia Loop Run, Ending at Westside Sparkling at Bacchus Landing (6PM)
• Raven Players Perform "Evil Dead, The Musical" at the Raven Theater, Featuring "Splatter Zone" in Front Row (Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 7:30PM)

From my notebook:

• Our local library will be closed tomorrow, FYI — along with all other branches across the county. Not sure why. (Sonoma County Library)
• The "Shop Local Healdsburg" Instagram account just polled some locals on what they call themselves: “Healdsburgian" or "Healdsburger." Can you guess the winner? (Shop Local Healdsburg via Instagram)
• More seasonal mayhem in Parkland Farms! A neighbor says she took a recent walk in the park and "discovered some remnants of what appears to be multiple smashed pumpkins in the basketball court." She says "seeds were everywhere." (Nextdoor)
• Two dogs, two Guinea pigs and a whole bunch of cats just went up for adoption at the Healdsburg animal shelter — including the great Babs Babington, pictured below, a "Border Collie Shepherd mix" who "recently came to Sonoma County from up north and is looking for a backyard where she can get her zoomies on." (Healdsburg Patch)

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• Greek & Middle Eastern Food Festival (October 1)
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Alrighty, you're good for today! See you soooon...

— 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