🌱 Senior Care Unit Closing + Water Supply Update + Bye Xmas Tree

Good day, neighbors! It's me, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Daily. I'm here to update you, per usual, on everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Let's dive right in...

First, today's weather:

Fog and clouds, with a small chance of rain. High: 60 Low: 45.

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. Looks like the Pacifica Healdsburg Senior Living facility is in trouble. The Grove Street facility's "skilled nursing unit," which reportedly serves 16 residents, is "losing its Medicare/Medicaid funding... after failing to rectify a situation of immediate jeopardy to residents," according to the Healdsburg Tribune, who reviewed government documents and spoke to "some family members of residents." Pacifica was taken over by a San Diego company a few years ago, and has seen a series of citations and complaints since then, the Tribune reports — but nothing this big. No one from the company responded to the Trib's requests for comment. (SoCoNews Healdsburg)
2. Thanks to these long, slow, sustained rains we've been getting, the outlook is improving for Healdsburg's water supply in the year ahead. The Press Democrat reports that "winter rains have bolstered water storage in the region’s two key public reservoirs," aka Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma, which feed Healdsburg water tanks via the Russian River and Dry Creek. This weather is reportedly "reversing months of decline and starting off 2022 with hopes for a less-uncertain year ahead." Meteorologists tell the PD that there are also "promising signs for normal rainfall later this month into mid-February that could 'lock in some of the early winter gains'" — and that already, "there’s more water in Lake Mendocino than there has been for over a year, while Lake Sonoma has risen to 60% of its water supply capacity." Cheers to that! (Press Democrat; paywall)
3. The PD also has a great little piece this week on the Healdsburg Food Pantry, which reportedly served as "a lifeline for families during pandemic" and now "hopes to expand." Around 130 local families currently rely on weekly food pickups from the pantry. Roger Dormire, president of the Healdsburg Shared Ministries parent org, says that “when the pandemic hit, half of my volunteers decided they didn’t want to come in because they were afraid of getting infected." But "the good news is that within a month and a half we got all new volunteers, so we were able to do our normal operations.” The pantry's goal for 2022? "Become more accessible to Healdsburg and Geyserville residents who may worry about the stigma associated with accepting free services." Because there's more free food to hand out, Roger says — folks just have to come get it. (Press Democrat; paywall)

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Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, January 5

• Sonoma County Library Bilingual Family Storytime on Zoom (10:30-11AM)
• Virtual Teen Anime Club at Sonoma County Library (4:30-5:30PM)
• Healdsburg High School Girls Basketball Home Game Vs. Piner (JV 6PM, V 7:30PM)

Thursday, January 6

• Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce Presents: "Good Morning Healdsburg!" Feat. SMART Train Update (8AM)
• "Creativity as Self-Care" Class at Healdsburg Center for the Arts (5:30-7PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company 4 Mile Run Around Old Town Santa Rosa, Meeting at Russian River Brewing (6PM)
• Healdsburg High School Boys Basketball Home Game Vs. Santa Rosa (JV 6PM, V 7:30PM)
• Documentary Film Screening at THE 222: “Forever” by Heddy Honigmann (7-9PM)

From my notebook:

• Bye bye, plaza Christmas tree! A neighbor caught the painstaking tree removal process on camera yesterday — basically, someone in a hardhat on a crane slowly spinning around the tree as they remove lights and ornaments. God's work... (Facebook)
• There's a new review in the Bohemian of the Art Moura exhibit currently showing at Healdsburg's Hammerfriar Gallery on Mill Street near Center. The artist's haunting paintings and sculptures "truly have souls," the reviewer writes. You can also watch a video about Moura's fascinating backstory and life's work on Vimeo. (North Bay Bohemian & Vimeo)
• Local girl scouts are looking for locations in Healdsburg to set up their cookie booths this year, if any business owners are open to it! "We come with our own insurance," they say. (Facebook)
• The industrial Waterbury's Outdoor Power Equipment store on Grove street has closed, according to various neighbors on Nextdoor. Their phone line appears to have been disconnected. (Nextdoor)
• The Healdsburg High boys basketball team lost by a single point to Cardinal Newman last night, in the first league game of the season. They play again tomorrow night at home. (Press Democrat; paywall)
• A stripey cat without a collar was found in Parkland Farms yesterday, on Canyon Run. It's now being held at the Healdsburg animal shelter. (Facebook & Nextdoor)

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Events:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley 31st annual Crab Feed 2022 (January 22)
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Alrighty, now you're in the loop 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.