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OPEN MIC: IS DEPORTATION A CAUSE FOR LOCAL CONCERN?
Healdsburg, California Healdsburg, California
December 19, 2024 Date, Date, 20202020
CORAZÓN HEALDSBURG COMMITTED TO ‘KNOW YOUR RIGHTS’ ACTION By Marcy Flores
➝ Political Concerns, 4
Photo courtesy of Recology
At Corazón Healdsburg, we are deeply concerned about the implications of the recent election and the potential for mass deportations. This is not an abstract issue. It’s deeply personal and acutely affects our neighbors, coworkers, classmates and friends right here in Sonoma County. Since the election, we have been collaborating with partners to develop comprehensive plans to protect and support our community. We continue to make referrals to trusted legal organizations and are actively sharing “Know Your Rights” resources and other critical legal information. As part of these efforts, the Secure Families Collaborative of Sonoma County is offering free immigration legal clinics throughout the county. We supported La Familia Sana at one of these clinics in Cloverdale in November, providing resources and guidance. We have been sharing info for the other upcoming clinics in other locations. We encourage others in our community to get involved. Amplify the voices of those impacted by sharing their stories. Advocate for your neighbors, and connect them with resources. Volunteer your time with organizations like Corazón Healdsburg to provide support to those facing fear and uncertainty. We are committed to ensuring that everyone in our community knows they belong, regardless of their immigration status. We have
RECOLOGY All-electric garbage trucks are going into service for neighborhood collection in Sonoma County. Currently in a test phase, this ‘full route, single charge’ EV was in Healdsburg recently.
Plugging In to Pick It Up ALL-ELECTRIC FUTURE IS STATE LAW, BUT IT WON’T BE CHEAP By Christian Kallen
Early risers on Dec. 3 may have heard an unfamiliar sound outside their homes: A strange whirring noise, not loud, interrupted by the crash and clatter of garbage cans being emptied and replaced to the curb. The crash and clatter were familiar, but not the whir and whine of the garbage truck itself. In fact, the noise the truck made was more familiar to owners of Prius’ and other EVs. The truck was a McNeilus side-load electric vehicle, or EV. Tracking its progress were City of Healdsburg Public Works engineers, evaluating the future of allelectric garbage trucks for
everyday waste hauling. It was the second time a Recology EV truck had run its rounds in Healdsburg, according to Public Works Director Larry Zimmer. “The truck was driven from Santa Rosa, completed more than half of a normal route, and returned to Santa Rosa with 52% battery remaining,” he said. “Recology will continue testing the truck and researching battery performance over time.” Indeed, that’s the point. “We regularly have routes that are running 12 hours from start to finish, where drivers are on the road for 12 hours, sometimes longer,” said Logan Harvey, senior general manager of Recology Sonoma-Marin. “Basically we have to contend with 1,200 pickups and a thousand homes in these routes,” Harvey said. “We’re trying to determine if EV technology is capable of running that route.”
Said the ever-cautious Zimmer, “The initial results are promising and exciting, but there’s still more to learn about long-term performance and feasibility. Even if the truck continues to perform well, it’s unclear when these vehicles might be deployed in Healdsburg.”
Sonoma Connection
David Hagele, still mayor of Healdsburg for the month of December, was likewise enthused about the future of EV garbage trucks. “I’m excited about everything we can learn from Recology deploying an electric garbage truck in Healdsburg,” he said. “There’s a lot of good data related to the range for the truck, as well as the charging infrastructure needs/location to accommodate larger commercial EV’s locally.” Harvey, himself a former Sonoma City Council
LOCAL EYE DOCTOR WITH A GLOBAL VISION DR. BARTH’S MISSION TO RETURN EYESIGHT TO THE BLIND Staff Report Photo courtesy of BBH Foundation
EYE DOCTOR Healdsburg’s Dr. Gary Barth, with one of the ophthalmic microscopes used in cataract surgery.
Healdsburg ophthalmologist Dr. Gary Barth has dedicated a significant portion of his life and career to restoring sight to those in dire need, particularly in developing countries. L ast month, Bar th hosted a screening of Irene Brodsky’s award-winning
member, resigned to move to Seattle in 2011, where he became general manager of Recology King County. He returned to Sonoma County last year with a promotion to Recology Sonoma-Marin general manager. Converting Recology’s local pick-up fleet from gasoline or diesel to all-electric is mandated by state law, and overseen by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). “CARB has an incoming requirement that the Recology fleet, and all heavy-duty fleets, are [to be] 100% zero-emission vehicles, I believe it’s by 2042,” Harvey said. “On the path to that, there are certain targets that we’re required to hit. So we’re looking at different technology, whether it’s electric or hydrogen—they are kind of the main players, because eventually diesel and natural-gas trucks are going to be required to be
documentary, Open Your Eyes, which chronicled the journey of Nepali residents Manisara and Durga, as they confront a world blurred by cataracts due to extended exposure to the unforgiving Himalayan sunlight. The screening took place at CraftWork on Center Street, and fully engaged the attention of many supporters and friends of Barth. Shot in a span of just three days, Open Your Eyes captured the couple’s challenging descent down the mountains in pursuit of a dream—to see clearly once again. Both before and following the screening, guests could dive deeper into the landscapes and tales of Nepal, where Barth has spent years developing an organization and movement to restore eyesight to those whose vision has been impacted by cataracts. A gallery of his photos and those of others lined the CraftWork halls,
phased out,” he added. Recology had the firstin-the-nation EV garbage trucks, in use in Seattle (King County) several years ago. At first they were just rear-loaders, but now side-loaders—such as those seen in Healdsburg earlier this month—are in use as well. Front-loaders, which pick up the large collection containers used in commercial accounts, are still some time away, as the technology to operate front-loaders is still in development. “Right now it’s more the residential side-load collection trucks that you see like in your neighborhoods,” Harvey said.
Obstacles
Despite CARB’s requirements, there’s no clear throughline from the current fleet of gas- or diesel-fueled trucks to a universal EV fleet. One hurdle is money. ➝ Electric Future, 4
providing the context for Barth’s moving tales of his humanitarian efforts. Cataracts are cloudy areas in the eye caused by over-exposure to UV rays, an especially common problem among people who live at high altitudes and in outdoor sports enthusiasts. Surgery is the only effective treatment for cataracts, but surgical facilities and professionals are hard to come by in developing parts of the world. T he e vent brought together 80 guests and has raised over $50,000 to date, with donations still coming in (bbheye.org). These funds directly support life-changing eye-care programs, including cataract surgeries throughout Southeast Asia, and the creation of Primary Eye Care Centers (PECCs) in underserved regions of Nepal. Barth, together with BBH Eye Foundation and partners, has helped restore ➝ Local Doctor, 6