🌱 Wine Bottles Litter 101 + Big Cancer Fundraiser + Mayor's Dad Dies

Hello, everybody! It's me, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Let's get right to it.

First, your local weather:

• Tuesday: Cold, rainy and windy. High: 52 Low: 44.
• Wednesday: Warmer with some sun peeking through. Chance of more rain. High: 61 Low: 41.

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Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. In case you haven't heard yet, a big rig flipped over on the 101 just north of Healdsburg yesterday afternoon, at the Highway 128 exit to Geyserville — spilling some 10,000 empty wine bottles onto the highway, according to the CHP. Photos and videos taken at the scene are ones for the books. Luckily, there were no injuries reported — just a gigantic mess. One northbound lane of the highway was closed for hours as responders cleaned up. The Northern Sonoma County Fire District reported that their agency plus Cal Fire and Healdsburg-based Bell's Ambulance responded to the scene just before 1 p.m. Monday. "Big shout out to our friends at Cal Trans!" district officials wrote on Facebook yesterday evening. "They are working diligently to clear Highway 101 of all the wine bottles from the earlier accident. They currently estimate the work will be completed by 9pm." (Healdsburg Patch & Northern Sonoma County Fire District via Facebook & Northern Sonoma County Fire District via Facebook)
2. Healdsburg resident Dr. Steven Ungerleider, a "renowned sports psychologist, author and film producer" and the father of Mayor Ariel Kelley, has reportedly died from cancer at the age of 73. "We are so sad to lose him and struggling to come to terms with it," Ariel shared on social media yesterday. She said that "Steven was an amazing father, grandfather, partner and friend and he touched the lives of everyone who knew him. He will be remembered for his kind heart, generous spirit, infectious smile, and unwavering love and support for his family. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has supported us during this difficult time; his family and friends and the incredible healthcare professionals who cared for him with compassion. We are all taking comfort in knowing that he is now at peace and no longer in pain. He will be deeply missed." More from his obituary: "He dedicated his life to understanding the psychological factors that influence athletic performance and was widely recognized for his pioneering work in the area of anti-doping and combatting the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports, the importance of fair play and fighting for justice for athletes. In addition to his work in sports psychology, Ungerleider was also a prolific film producer, who produced several award-winning documentaries on a variety of topics, including sports, culture, and human rights. He was a passionate storyteller and used the medium of film to shed light on important issues to inspire change." (Healdsburg Mayor Ariel Kelley via Facebook & Legacy.com)
3. The second annual Sonoma Epicurean weekend, held in Healdsburg a couple of weekends ago, ended up raising over $4.2 million for cancer research, according to entertainment mag TheWrap. "It was a four-day long weekend extravaganza of events... created to support the V Foundation for Cancer Research," the story says. "Winery dinners prepared by world-class chefs like Charlie Palmer, Dustin Vallette and Thomas Bellac kicked things off, drawing people like Teri Hatcher, Ciara, Russell Wilson and Jeff Gordon to lend their celebrity to the mix. The partying for the cause went on with The Artisan Series and the Epic Party, held at Mayacama, where top Sonoma vintners shared special bottles from their cellars. Finally, the fundraising extravaganza culminated with the Epic Feast & Gala, held at the gorgeous new Montage Healdsburg Hotel, hosted by Wilson and Ciara and featuring Grammy and Tony winner Christian Hoff. It was quite the rager, as countless bottles of fine wine went down easy; and the result of the long weekend was over $4.2 million raised for more cancer research. We’d say that’s a truly fine way to enjoy a weekend away in wine country." (TheWrap)

From our sponsor:

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Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Tuesday, March 21

• Hiring Fair at Francis Ford Coppola Winery (1-4PM)
• Sonoma County Sheriff Hosts Community Meeting in Windsor on "Law Enforcement Use of Military Equipment" (4-7PM)
• Deadline to Sign Up for Healdsburg Senior Center Trip to San Francisco to See "Pretty Woman: The Musical" (5PM)
• "NOWRUZ" Persian New Year Feast at Baci Cafe & Wine Bar (5:30PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company "Trail Sisters" Host In-Town Loop Run (6PM)
• "Navigating the Cloud" Workshop at the Healdsburg Library: Google Drive Class (6PM)
• Healdsburg High School Baseball Team Hosts Home Game Vs. Clear Lake (7PM)

Wednesday, March 22

• Sonoma County Government Hosts Free Job & Resource Fair in Santa Rosa for "People Experiencing Homelessness or at Risk of Becoming Homeless" (11AM-2PM)
• "Universal Yums" for Teens at the Healdsburg Library (1:30PM)
• Corazón Healdsburg & Side by Side Host Community Support Group / Grupo Comunitario de Consejería at the Healdsburg Community Center (Weekly, 6-7:30PM)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (March 21)
• "NOWRUZ" Persian New Year Feast (March 21)
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Alrighty, you're good for today! I'll 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