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The Saturday before the fires, on a balmy October day, the Healdsburg Fire Department held its annual open house. Kids got to ring the bell on the fire truck, attire themselves in (oversized) equipment gear, get stickers, tour the station and greet Sparky the Firehouse Dog. Explorer Scouts acted as crossing guards along busy Grant Street. Genial firefighters offered up a free lunch of hot dogs, burgers and salads. The next day — and beyond — they were working 24/7 on the most unimaginable event in our sweet part of the country. Kudos and a heartfelt thank you to the firefighters, EMTs, police, medical and city workers who are there for us in times both tranquil and turbulent. Jim Gore and Mike McGuire get a special mention.
At the encouragement of the public and the farmers, the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market was open last Saturday amidst the haze, smoke, overhead tankers and uncertainties. It was a way to gather, to check in with neighbors and ask “Are you OK?” The annual Pumpkin Festival is coming: circle Oct. 28 for that beloved event.
The Raven Players have assembled a thought-provoking, eclectic and engaging array of plays for their 2017-18 season. The most recent show, “Accomplice” was a “whodunit” — a play within a play and all bets were off as to identifying the victim and culprit. Look for six more plays in the line-up that goes through July, 2018. Two are performed off-site from the Raven Theater.
Built as a centerpiece to the cemetery and first dedicated in 1876, the fountain at the top of the hill of the “old” Oak Mound Cemetery had fallen into disrepair. Rededicated in 1976, time took its toll. Thanks to the work of intrepid Museum Curator Holly Hoods and a core of dedicated volunteers, it was restored to its former glory, along with a major clean-up of the cemetery itself.
A ceremony was held on a lovely fall evening to celebrate the fountain’s reawakening from its long slumber. Water flowed over its multi-tiers, burbling gently; the rock base held dozens of plants. Holly said, “Katherine Bottini from the Healdsburg Garden Club supplied and planted the plants herself. Her ancestors are buried at Oak Mound. The Garden Club has agreed to keep maintaining them.”
A replacement topper to the fountain (the original was long gone) accurately represents the 1876 version, with its Greek mythological interpretations. Museum volunteers and staff have also been meticulously cataloging the gravesites, so the early settlers are not lost forever. The museum volunteers have been working with the cemetery owners to create a comprehensive digital database of burials at Oak Mound. The early records are in handwritten ledgers and on file cards. “Diane Carriger, Kay Robinson, Meredith and Jim Dreisback, Katherine Bottini, Gary Boylan and Fran Schierenbeck have been the worker bees on this project,” said Holly. Other ongoing project goals include tree trimming, new signage to direct people to the various cemetery sections and some interpretive signage.
Holly is being coaxed to do some more of her popular cemetery tours. While none are scheduled now, if weather permits she will probably offer one in mid-November.
As of this writing, Big John’s Market has taken up the slack leash and will sponsor the Howl-O-Ween Dog Parade and Costume Contest at the Healdsburg Plaza, on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Costumes (for both canines and humans) are encouraged for participants. The cost to enter the contest is $20 per doggie and prizes will be awarded. All proceeds benefit the Healdsburg Center, our local branch of the Humane Society. As you know, this organization is doing its part to care for animals that went missing in the fires, and to reunite them with their owners. Register online at: https://sonomahumane.org/registration/?ee=1464.
While some recent events were cancelled or postponed, many more fundraisers are being planned. Stay tuned on ways to assist our dear community.
Marie Butler is a freelance writer and a full-time Healdsburg resident for over 29 years. Growing up, she spent delightful summers at her family’s Del Rio Woods home and had an Idlewood phone number. She is the author of the children’s book “Herbie – A Toy’s Adventures in Healdsburg,” and has an article in the Russian River Recorder’s Summer 2017 edition.
