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REJECTED CANNABIS OPERATOR FILES SUIT OVER LOST BID FOR LICENSE
March 7, 2024
Healdsburg, California Healdsburg, California
Date, Date, 20202020
MERCY WELLNESS CHALLENGES CITY COUNCIL’S DISPENSARY DECISION By Christian Kallen
Photo by Tenaya Fleckenstein
A prominent Sonoma County dispensary operator who failed to earn approval from the city of Healdsburg last November to operate a cannabis business in town has filed suit against the city to start all over—contending they were unfairly excluded from receiving one of the permits. Mercy Wellness operates two dispensaries in Sonoma County at present, in Cotati and Santa Rosa, and has a partial interest in a third. Its application was one of eight received by the city during the 2023 process for permission to apply for a cannabis business permit in Healdsburg. The chosen location was the highly visible corner of Dry Creek Road and Healdsburg Avenue, in the building formerly occupied by Di Vine Pizza but long since vacated. According to a summary that accompanied the court filing, the suit filed on Feb. 8 in Sonoma County Superior Court holds that “the City Council’s decision was tainted by conflicts of interest, violated zoning laws, violated California procurement laws, constituted an abuse of discretion, and violated the Brown Act,” which mandates transparency in decision making by local governments. The city has not commented officially on the suit, with Assistant City Manager Andrew Sturmfels (who oversaw the city’s cannabis selection process) saying the city has not yet been served and has thus
WICKED FIRE A midnight conflagration at the former Wicked Slush in south Healdsburg drew multiple agencies to the historic site. Damage was extensive; the cause is still under investigation.
Blaze Engulfs Wicked Slush LANDMARK RIVERSIDE LOCATION HEAVILY DAMAGED IN SUSPICIOUS MIDNIGHT FIRE By Christian Kallen
Late Tuesday night last week, Feb. 27, a fire erupted at the former Wicked Slush business on Healdsburg Avenue that did considerable damage to the structure—for almost 50 years the location of canoe rental businesses and, more recently, the ice cream café. “Upon arrival, our crews were met with a heavily involved structure. The fire was quickly extinguished, but the building did sustain significant damage,” read the social media post from the Healdsburg Fire Department. Other responding agencies included Healdsburg
to the homeless encampment on Syar Industries property on the other side of the railroad tracks— have little doubt the fire was set intentionally, if not maliciously.
Police, Northern Sonoma County Fire District, Sonoma County Fire District, Dry Creek Rancheria Fire Department, and CAL FIRE Sonoma-LakeNapa Unit. Fire Marshall Lance Macdonald confirmed that the damage sustained during the fire was considerable. “A large portion of the building sustained fire damage, and the entire building has smoke damage,” he said. Continued the social media release, “There were no injuries to either firefighters or the public. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and further updates will be provided as they become available.” Though the cause of the fire is still officially under investigation, most people with an understanding of the building and its history—and its proximity
Canoe Rentals
The structure, an extended mobile home, was moved onto the property in the 1970s, to serve as a headquarters for W.C. Trowbridge, whose canoe rental concession had already become a landmark for locals and tourists. In 2005, Lolly Mercer—a former champion water skier who learned the sport at nearby Memorial Beach when the reservoir from the seasonal dam was larger than it is today—took over the business, changing its name to River’s Edge Kayak & Canoe. First leasing, then purchasing the property, Mercer ran River’s Edge at
that location before she moved the rental business to the nearby beach, on the upstream side of Memorial Bridge. It is still in operation there under different ownership. Mercer sold the property to Amy Colvin in 2016, and the next year Amy’s Wicked Slush was born. The soft-serve ice cream café became a sensation, revitalizing the approach to the bridge and Memorial Bridge. Other Wicked Slush cafés opened elsewhere in the county, not always with Colvin’s approval. But the homeless encampment became an ever-increasing headache, then a burden for Colvin. Her patience wore thin after multiple interactions with the homeless, and minor vandalism occurred.
Fire Sale
After she quit the business last September, the
➝ Cannabis Lawsuit, 4
property was put on the market by Lolly’s sister, Roxanne Mercer, and offered by Luxe Places International, of Healdsburg. But the vandalism continued, growing in both frequency and intensity, Mercer said. The building and the half-acre property it sits upon was listed for sale at $625,000. Though she has shown it several times to prospective buyers, most recently just days before the fire, its value decreased steadily. Mercer said with the building empty, vandalism had only escalated. There were break-ins, and intentional slicing of electrical, plumbing and refrigeration elements. “When Amy moved out she turned off the electricity,” said the realtor. “That didn’t seem to make [the vandals] happy.” The fact that there was no electricity to the building, and a steady record of ➝ Historic Shop Burns, 6
ROGERS HOLDS EDGE IN ASSEMBLY ELECTION PROP 1, MEASURE H AMONG OTHER MOST-WATCHED LOCAL RACES Staff Report
Photo by Christian Kallen
HELPING HANDS Volunteers at the Healdsburg Community Center aided voters in the March 2024 primary election. At left is Cathy Whiteman, with Wendy Birky, right.
The so-called Super Tuesday Election took place on March 5, with races in 15 states across the country. While the results of presidential primaries were the subject of much press coverage, in Sonoma County the most-watched races were much closer to home: the State Assembly District 2 seat, and a county
emergency services sales tax (Measure H). The top two vote-getters in these primary elections, including State Assembly and U.S. Senate, will advance to the general election in November. The preponderance of Democratic candidates suggests that party votes will be split, and a Republican candidate will easily advance to the general election. The Senate race came in two parts—the two-month partial term to fill out the unexpired six-year seat, and a separate ballot line to take the next six years. Laphonza Butler currently holds the seat, having been appointed by Gov. Newsom, but she vowed not to run this year. Democrat Adam Schiff defeated his primary rivals easily in both races. As the only Republican in the
race, Steve Garvey’s overall numbers were on a par with Schiff ’s, and both will be on the ballot in November. The Assembly District 2 race, to take over the North Coast seat from retiring Jim Wood, drew heavy interest in Sonoma County. In district-wide results among Democrats, Chris Rogers of Santa Rosa received almost 20% of the vote, and Rusty Hicks of Arcata was only a percentage point behind. Runners-up included Healdsburg’s Ariel Kelley with roughly 14%, Yurok tribal leader Frankie Myers with 11% and Mendocino County supervisor Ted Williams with 7%. Republican Mike Greer of Del Norte received the most votes, with about 28%. Results will be certified by April 12, to determine whether Rogers or ➝ Rogers Holds Edge, 4