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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 157th year, Visit Number 48 www.healdsburgtribune.com Healdsburg, California 1865 –December 1, 2022
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TASTING ROOM CLOSING SOON ENDING AREA’S LONGEST RUN
Healdsburg, California Healdsburg, California
Date, Date, 20202020
SIMI HOSPITALITY CENTER FACES CLOSURE AS CONSTELLATION CONSOLIDATES By Christian Kallen
➝ Tasting Room Closing, 6
Photo by Christian Kallen
Simi Winery, whose signature wine-barrel tasting room was a landmark on Old Redwood Highway when it served as 101 North, will close its tasting room in February, Constellation Brands announced this month. “As we focus on evolving SIMI into a leading premium consumer lifestyle brand, we have made the decision to cease hospitality operations at SIMI Winery early next year,” wrote Alex Wagner, Constellation’s vice president of communications in the wine division. “We will retain ownership of the property in Healdsburg, and winemaking, viticulture and production operations will continue onsite.” Several other oncevenerable brands have seen their tasting rooms close in the course of consolidation—Clos du Bois, Ravenswood, Sebastiani come to mind. But the changes at Simi seem particularly poignant. “Simi Winery was the second winery in the region—and the first in Healdsburg—to promote wine tourism,” said Holly Hoods of the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society. “Simi’s Montepulciano Winery began entertaining visitors in 1934 in a tasting room made from a 25,000-gallon cask attached to the stone winery.” “Proprietor Isabelle Simi Haigh entertained and educated visitors about winemaking and the pleasures of wine and food…. Old-time locals fondly recall turning 21 and enjoying their first taste of wine with Isabelle at Simi,” added Hoods. Montepulciano was the original name of the
DECORATION Celso Fuentes of Image Tree Service pins a bauble on Healdsburg's Holiday Tree in preparation for the tree's official lighting on Friday, Dec. 2.
‘Merry Healdsburg’ Warms Up City Celebration TREE LIGHTING, HOT COCOA, CAROLS, CUMBIA AND SANTA CONVERGE By Christian Kallen
Healdsburg is pulling out all the stops for this year’s Holiday Weekend, which kicks off with the Lighting of the Tree on Friday night, Dec. 2, at 6:30. Crews have been decorating the tree all week with lights and ornaments, and it will culminate with the dramatic lighting itself. And, if he arrives in time, Santa has promised to throw the switch. But that’s just the beginning. The city promises to turn the Plaza into a “winter wonderland,” complete with carriage rides
provided by the Kiwanis, complimentary hot chocolate provided by Costeaux French Bakery, family activities, food vendors and live music from Rocio y Su Sonora and the Healdsburg Chorus throughout the weekend.
Carriage Rides The carriage rides have been a popular feature of Healdsburg’s past holiday celebrations, as riders in the horse-drawn carriage jingle-jangle ride down Center Street from Matheson to North and back again. A luxe twohorse carriage, frequently used in wine country weddings, will be the vehicle of choice, with capacity for about six inside the enclosed carriage. “We’ll hang a few Christmas things on it to make a
nice picture,” said Kiwanis president Denny Stead. The two-horse “Cinderella” carriage is from The Bridal Path in Santa Rosa, owned by Thomas “Ted” Draper. The team and carriage will arrive at the Plaza in time to start giving rides at 5pm, and continue—aside from a break for the tree lighting—until 8:30pm. Stead said, “We’ll get in as many rides as we possibly can, but there’s going to be a lot of people who are not going to get to ride—I feel bad about that. Maybe next year we can get two teams.”
10 and 11. Their repertoire includes “Carol of the Bells,” “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” “Season of Light” and other songs of the season. The chorus was started 34 years ago, in 1987, by director Betty Zukov and pianist Susan Nelson. Zukov retired in 2013 after 25 years of leadership. Its current director is David Martin, and Stephen Riedel is the accompanist.
La Dama de La Cumbia At 5:45, Rocio y Su Sonoma takes over the stage, taking a break at 6:30 for Santa’s arrival, and the lighting of the tree ceremony. Following that, they’ll pick up the tempo again at 6:45 and continue through the evening until about 8:30.
Community Chorus The Healdsburg Community Chorus will perform from the gazebo stage at 5pm, a week before their annual Christmas Concerts at the Raven on Dec.
SPORTS CAR PLOWS INTO YARD, DRIVER UNHURT MOTORIST LOST CONTROL ON TIGHT TURN ON MASON STREET By Christian Kallen Photo by Christian Kallen
TOW JOB Property owner Claire Savona watches a tow truck extract a late-model
Mercedes from her yard on Mason Street, where it meets Healdsburg Avenue. The car missed a 90-degree turn and drove over a fence into her yard on Nov. 26.
About 3:40am on Saturday, Nov. 26, a driver headed south on University Avenue failed to make the 90-degree left turn onto Mason Street, where it connects to Front Street. Her vehicle, a late model Mercedes E53, hurtled across the opposite lane
Rocio La Dama de La Cumbia, as she styles herself, is a popular Los Angeles-based performer who has been singing professionally since 1994, and recording since 1999. Cumbia is a folkloric music and dance with its origins in Colombia; Rocio herself was born in Guatemala. As well as Costeaux (hot cocoa), other vendors include The Wurst, Rose's Burgers & Brats, Lola's Market (popcorn), Healdsburger, California Funnel Cakes, Crêpes du Jour, Corazon Healdsburg (goodie bags) and Healdsburg Kiwanis. Merry Healdsburg is hosted by the City of Healdsburg Community Services in partnership with the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. and sidewalk, ran through a fence and plowed into a vacant lot, causing extensive damage to the car. The driver was unhurt. The turn is a 90-degree turn marked by a yellow sign with a 15mph arrow. Coming from the other direction, a similar sign indicates the right turn to drivers, but it’s a frequently exceeded speed limit, and dangerous turns are not uncommon, said the owner of the property at 444 Mason St. The following morning, trucks from Cloverdale Tow and AllCity Tow of Healdsburg arrived about 10 to extricate the car. They were able to winch it out of the yard and remove it by 11:30am. Claire Savona, who lives locally but not on the property, purchased it earlier this year and ➝ Driver Unhurt, 7