LocalLocal newsnews at your at your ngertips everyevery weekweek fingertips $1.00 JustJust $1!.00!
Greyounds sports Greyounds sports section teaser section teaser Sports,Sports, Page XPage X
at the newsstand at the newsstand
$1 at$1the at newsstand the newsstand
TheHealdsburg HealdsburgTribune Tribune The Enterprise & Scimitar Enterprise & Scimitar
Visit for daily updates on local news views www.healdsburgtribune.com for daily updates on local news andand views Our 159th year,Visit Number 27 www.healdsburgtribune.com Healdsburg, California
Our 155th year, Number 00© ur 155th year, Number 00©
PLANNING COMMISSION ADDS NEW MEMBER AS PARKING LOT CHALLENGE GETS RESULTS
Healdsburg, California Healdsburg, California
July 4, 2024 Date, Date, 20202020
MONTAGE RESORT PULLS PLAN AS APPEAL SUCCEEDS WITHOUT COUNCIL VOTE Photo by Rick Tang
By Christian Kallen
Montage Healdsburg’s plan to remove 107 blue oak trees to build a new parking lot has been withdrawn by the developer. The plan, approved by the Planning Commission at its May 28 meeting, drew immediate appeal from a group of local environmentalists, who took the formal measure of filing an appeal of the approval. The appeal, dated June 7, was filed with the city on June 10 and scheduled to be heard by the City Council when it returns for public business at its next meeting, on Aug. 5. However, on June 27, the developer’s representative Justin Parsons wrote to the city formally requesting that the application be withdrawn. “Based on feedback from the Public Appeal we will be looking to resubmit a scaled down plan to the Planning Department to limit the number of trees that would need to be included in a tree mitigation plan among other considerations,” Parsons wrote. Scott Duiven, the city’s planning director, told the group that filed the appeal that since the city “has not expended any resources on preparing for the appeal hearing we will be able to return the appeal application fee to you.” Members of the local Climate Action Healdsburg
KIDS PARADE A young participant in the 2023 Kids Parade sits comfortably surrounded by red, white and blue balloons.
Independence Day in Healdsburg PANCAKE BREAKFAST, KIDS PARADE, ADOPT-ADUCK AND FIREWORKS TOO By Christian Kallen
The paper comes out a day early this week because Thursday’s news is already settled—it’s Independence Day, the Fourth of July in Healdsburg. Say what one will about longevity, it’s the cyclical things that matter—the dates certain on the calendar when things roll the direction they’re supposed to. From a pancake breakfast at the Villa, a Kids Parade and Duck Dash in the Plaza, and fireworks filling the summer sky, it’s a holiday with all the trappings. Like all the good holidays, there’s something cosmic about it, too, coming a week after the summer solstice and hence a pagan balance to winter’s religious holiday, one pole of a church-and-state dichotomy as it signifies the establishment of a
country tonk band Court ’n’ Disaster, the backporch-style Russian River Ramblers and the Healdsburg Community Band. Enjoy free lemonade, hot dogs, snow cones, popcorn and more.
state, a country that helps make the world go ’round. It all begins with breakfast: an all-you-can-eat eggs, ham, fresh fruit and pancake breakfast, with real maple syrup. Served at the annex at Villa Chanticleer, hosted by Boy Scout Troop 21 and its adult volunteers. From 7am to noon, only $9 adult, $6 child. Then join dozens of families and hundreds of kids for the annual Fourth of July Kids Parade and Duck Dash in the downtown Healdsburg Plaza area, from 10am to 1pm. The annual event continues to be a major attraction for the Healdsburg community to celebrate the founding of our nation, presented again this year by the Rotary Club of Healdsburg, Sunrise, and the City of Healdsburg. Youngsters are encouraged to dress in costume, many arriving on bikes, tricycles and wagons adorned with red, white and blue decorations. There will be live music and activities for all, including games, races and music from the
Duck Dash
What’s a Duck Dash? In the absence of real waterflow, the Sunrise Rotary encourages kids to adopt a rubber duckie and race it to the splash zone. Donations are appreciated and will benefit the good deeds of Rotary in the local community including scholarships, teacher appreciation, Wonder League and other programs. Though the Plaza programs end midday, it’s a safe bet holiday activity will continue in one form or another. Veterans Memorial Beach, the Sonoma County regional park at the south entrance to town, now boasts deeper water thanks to the seasonal dam installed last week. Another regional park at Del Rio Woods is
also likely to have a full parking lot for the remainder of the Fourth. Later that day, the Healdsburg Prune Packers host Athletic Edge Express, a new-last-year, non-league team from Petaluma that gives collegeeligible baseball players a chance to play the sport. They are 0-4 so far this year, and the Prune Packers 19-2, but as the Pack’s recent two-game losing streak shows, anything can happen. First pitch is at 6pm at Rec Park. Come sundown, of course, it’s all about the fireworks. As the long summer day begins to fade, people gather in central Healdsburg north of Powell Avenue to wait for, then watch, the annual fireworks display. It usually begins about 9:30pm, and in the past lasted between half an hour and 40 minutes. However this year, like last, the show may be a bit shorter. “For the fireworks, the cost for the show is $40,000, which is the same amount as prior years,” said
the city’s director of community services, Mark Themig. “The show includes 818 shells, and will last approximately 18 minutes.” The City and Police have cooperated on public notices preparing people for the big show, with color-coded maps of street closures and preferred viewing areas. Once again the show will be launched from the Healdsburg High recreation field, though nobody is allowed on the grounds of the high school, on the advice of city Fire and Police Departments with public safety in mind. Also, the campus of Foss Creek Elementary across the street, which is undergoing construction, will be closed as well. Preferred viewing areas include the parking lot along the west side of Healdsburg High, off the Prince Street entrance, and the playing fields behind Foss Creek at Sanns and Harold. And whatever other public space once can corral or backyard party one can attend.
chargers to operate, including the actual price per kilowatt hour to run the chargers, the city only collects $7,000 in fees. The reason for this mathematical mismatch is that the city only charges 55 cents per hour to the vehicles using them, and that for just 10 hours a day, five days a week. The rest of the time the chargers are free, yet still operable—delivering precious electrical flow to satisfy the hungry batteries of local and visiting EV drivers. City utility conservation analyst Terra Sampson supplied the information during a June 17 presentation, to encourage updating the public electric vehicle charging fees applied at city-owned EV charging stations. The city owns and operates 12 such EV charging stations, administered by the ChargePoint app and
located in City Hall’s north parking lot. A number of privately owned but publicly accessible charging stations exist elsewhere in Healdsburg, at locations such as hotels and shopping areas. EV drivers can use apps such as ChargeHub, EVHype and Plugshare, in addition to ChargePoint, to locate these stations. The shortfall does not equate to a direct budget loss, however. The city’s public chargers are among the programs funded by California’s Cap and Trade program, with the stipulation they be used to benefit electric ratepayers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Other supported programs include EV discounts for lowincome ratepayers, e-bike rebates, energy efficiency rebates and appliance replacement.
➝ Fourth of July, 4
➝ Appeal Succeeds, 4
NEW EV CHARGES PLANNED TO CLOSE THE GAP RATES STILL A BARGAIN, BUT OFF-HOURS CHARGING WON’T BE FREE Photo by Christian Kallen
CHARGER A total of 12 EV charging stations are available at the City Hall parking lot. Right now the rates are a bargain.
By Christian Kallen
Healdsburg has been coming up short some $37,000 annually on its EV charging program, the City Council learned a couple of weeks ago. For every $44,000 it costs for the electric
➝ EV Charges, 6