🌱 Riverbank Fire Abatement + Healdsburg Fireworks Hiccup + Heat Wave

Hello again! Simone here with your latest copy of the Healdsburg Patch newsletter — filled with everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Today we'll cover:

• A big, expensive project to remove flammable weeds from the banks of the river through Healdsburg
• What really happened during the Fourth of July fireworks show at the high school
• Some exciting new details about the three-screen movie theater being built downtown
• And more...

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Mostly sunny and hot. High: 94 Low: 54.
• Friday: Some fog in the morning, then sunny and super hot. High: 98 Low: 55.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny and even hotter. High: 103 Low: 53.

And a heads up from the National Weather Service: An "excessive heat warning" will be in effect for our area over the weekend. Weather officials are predicting "dangerously hot conditions with temperatures in the 90s to near 110 inland." They warn: "Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. ... In addition to the heat, individuals should be mindful of the elevated fire danger over the weekend, especially inland and at higher elevations where there will be little overnight relief from the marine layer." You can read the full advisory here. (National Weather Service)

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top stories in Healdsburg today:

1. The banks of the Russian River through town will be getting a lot less weedy — and more fireproof — in the coming years, thanks to a new, nearly $1 million grant from the state to Healdsburg river-health nonprofit Russian Riverkeeper. Org leaders announced this week that "the State Coastal Conservancy Board of Directors voted recently to provide a $989,000 grant to Riverkeeper’s Arundo removal project," which "will cover 70% of the project costs over the next 4 years to reduce fire danger and water loss from invasive Arundo donax." They'll now need to raise the remaining 30 percent of funds from local donors; you can pitch in yourself on the org's website. The arundo weed, imported by Spaniards in the 1800s, is extremely flammable — and reportedly guzzles up tons of river water while displacing native plants and animals, to boot. Here's some more info from Russian Riverkeeer on their fight to remove it from our riverbanks: "The Arundo removal project is part of the Healdsburg and surrounding Area Fuel Reduction Project led by the Healdsburg Fire Department to reduce fire danger. Two projects are conducting forest thinning on Fitch Mountain and Healdsburg Ridge and the third is removing arundo from the river corridor. Riverkeeper is managing the arundo removal part of the project, leveraging our decades of experience with invasive plant removal projects. Although this project is occurring in Healdsburg, it will benefit the ecology of the entire river by reducing water losses and the fire potential, which both affect the entire river system’s health. ... The Fitch Mountain and Healdsburg areas of the river were identified as the highest potential fire hazard along the river due to wind patterns and the high density of Arundo coupled with narrow roads and difficult evacuation routes." (Russian Riverkeeper & Healdsburg Fire Department via Facebook)
2. Some of you noticed some apparent weirdness during the fireworks show at Healdsburg High School on the Fourth of July, and have been asking if something went wrong. Mark Themig, head of the city's Community Services department, kindly sent me an explanation over email. He says things went pretty smoothly on the Fourth overall, but that "one item that didn’t go quite as planned was the extended fireworks show." Basically, around 100 of the fireworks didn't go off during the show, so they had to be set off later in the night. Here's what happened, in Mark's words: "During the show there was a misfire or some kind of malfunction that caused a small fire within the show’s racking system. According to the operator who I talked with after the show, the misfire and the associated fire also caused an electrical issue with the firing systems wiring, and at one point the show came to a temporary stop. The operator was able to restart the show. At the conclusion of every show the operator must inspect the fireworks setup to make sure every shell has fired. Unfortunately, the misfire and electrical issue caused nearly 100 shells out of approximately 1,700 shells to not fire during the regular show. (Last year there were just a few shells that didn’t fire, which is more typical.) Once a shell has been loaded into the mortar — a process that involves considerable compression — it becomes hazardous and challenging to attempt to unload. Manual detonation of any remaining unfired ordnance emerges as the primary practical solution to ensure compliance with handling and storage guidelines of the California State Fire Code. National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 1123 guidelines require a 15-minute waiting period before firing the remaining shells to allow residual heat to diminish. The operator was able to successfully detonate the remaining shells, but it took a series of three attempts to fire all of them. Due to the time it takes to inspect and rewire shells that haven’t fired, this work went to almost 11:30 p.m." And in an additional post on Facebook, City Councilmember Chris Herrod says he was informed by city staffers that they believe "the use of illegal fireworks was considerably more prevalent than past years" — which could have also contributed to the ruckus that lasted late into the night. (Inbox & Facebook Groups & Chris Herrod via Facebook)

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Coming up in Healdsburg:

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)
• Singer-Songwriter Leslie Mendelson Live at Little Saint (7-10PM)

Friday, July 14

• 100th Anniversary Bastille Day Celebration at Costeaux Bakery, Featuring Croissant Making & Cookie Decorating for Kids, Live Music & French-Themed Happy Hour (9AM-5PM)
• Healdsburg Library Hosts Bilingual Storytime at Giorgi Park for Kids Aged 0-5 (10:30AM)
• "Friday Flicks" at the Healdsburg Library: Family-Friendly Movie Screening (1PM)
• "World Famous Mama Mia Happy Hour" at West Wines (4-6PM)
• Rootstocks Live at Hudson Street Wineries (5-8PM)
• Healdsburg Prune Packers Baseball Team Plays Home Game Vs. Menlo Park Legends at Rec Park (July 14-15, 6PM)
• Wilson Wines Hosts Summer Music Series at Soda Rock Winery, Featuring Live Music by The Harvest Band & Food From Chad's Soup Shack (6-8:30PM)
• Gay Wine Weekend: Winemaker Dinners at Silver Oak Winery, The Matheson, Little Saint, The Madrona & More (6:30PM)
• Play at the Raven Theater: "Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (July 14-15, 7:30PM)
• The Crux Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)
• Gay Wine Weekend After Party: Pop-Up Gay Bar at Little Saint, Featuring DJ Matthew Giles (10PM)

Saturday, July 15

• Healdsburg Farmers Market in the West Plaza Parking Lot (8:30AM-12PM)
• Corazón Healdsburg Hosts "Books & Roots" Bilingual Reading Program / Programa de Lectura Bilingüe "Libros y Raíces" at the Farmers Market: "Paletero Man" (10AM)
• Gay Wine Weekend: Winery Tours at Macrostie, Gary Farrell, Silver Oak, Stonestreet, Aperture, Lambert Bridge, Rodney Strong, Trentadue & More (10AM)
• Vineyard & Garden Hike With Lunch at Chalk Hill Estate (10AM-1PM)
• Read to a Dog at the Healdsburg Library (11AM)
• Healdsburg Museum Hosts "History Talks" in the Plaza (Weekly, 11AM-2PM)
• Bacigalupi Vineyards Hosts Annual Vineyard Designate Tasting Event & Make-A-Wish Fundraiser, Featuring Food Pairings, Silent Auction & Live Music (11AM-2PM)
• Davis Family Vineyards Hosts Tamale Pop Up With Chef Mateo Granados & Live Music (12-6PM)
• "Music in the Vineyards" Concert Series at Orsi Family Vineyards, Featuring the Unauthorized Rolling Stones Cover Band (12PM)
• Bouquet Building Workshop at the SingleThread Farm (1-2PM)
• Danza Xantotl de Santa Rosa Performs Aztec Dancing & Drumming Ceremony at the Healdsburg Library (2PM)
• "Wine Country to the Rescue" Charity Dinner Dance & Auction at Trentadue Winery in Geyserville, Benefitting Northern Sonoma County Firefighters (4-10PM)
• Summer Concert Series at Rodney Strong Vineyards, Featuring Country Soul Bands The Wood Brothers & ZZ Ward (5PM)
• Gay Wine Weekend: Twilight T-Dance at La Crema Estate in Windsor, Featuring Performances by DJ Ryan Kennery, Debby Holiday & Jamie Hannah (6:30-10PM)
• AVFilm Hosts Drive-In Movie Screening at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds: "Zombieland" (7:30PM)
• Soul Fuse Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)
• Eagles Cover Band Ileagles Live at Coyote Sonoma (8-11PM)
• Gay Wine Weekend: T-Dance After Party at Lo & Behold, Featuring DJ Die Wies (10:15PM)

From my notebook:

• The Healdsburg Tribune has a nice, in-depth story on how two of the tennis courts at the high school were recently transformed into four "brightly colored" new pickleball courts — "a highly visible sign that pickleball has reached a critical threshold in town, with a dedicated city-sponsored center for the ever-growing legion of players in Healdsburg." (Healdsburg Tribune)
• You can also find all the latest details on Plaza Cinema Center, the three-screen indie movie theater set to open in downtown Healdsburg next year, in the Tribune. "The architect’s image of the new theater façade was all it took to sell the concept" at a recent City Council meeting, the Trib reports: "A horizontal backlit marquee, and 'Plaza Cinema Center' in large red and white script on a dark band surrounding the building. White or colored pillars of light mimic the opening-night klieg lights that signaled a special event at theaters during the heyday of Hollywood movies. Wide folding glass doors allow entry to the lobby, where refreshments including beer and wine can be served to customers in as little as a year from now." Click through to be dazzled by the image yourself. (Healdsburg Tribune)
• A neighbor on Nextdoor tells the sad — and smelly — story of a skunk who died recently on Sherman Street. And now there are rumors the skunk left behind three kits "at the corner house that’s under construction." (Nextdoor)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll catch up with you again 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 [email protected]