Main Street

Do you read the historical tidbits on Page 4 of this newspaper
every week? I do, and I often get a chuckle when I read about a
civic concern that’s come back around again, or that we now see
differently. In last week’s paper, a community leader of 25 years
ago was very concerned about the diversity of shops around the
Plaza. The 1985 chair of the Planning Commission was upset that a
title company had opened an office on Center Street, right on the
Plaza, worried that it would interfere with the flow of
recreational shoppers.
Nowadays, we’re still obsessed with the makeup of businesses on
the Plaza, but I suspect we’d feel differently about a title
office. Now, we’re worried about not enough diversity, worried
about too many tasting rooms, galleries and boutiques, and we wish
we had the variety (and lunch customers) that a busy title office
might provide.
A few steps away from the precious ground floor commercial zone
adjacent to the Plaza, we still have diversity – insurance
agencies, professional offices, a blueprint shop, a barber and a
paint store – but the retail version of gentrification is
spreading. If you like variety and authenticity downtown, vote with
your feet and patronize the businesses that keep us real.
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CASA Update – The plans to create CASA (Construction And
Sustainability Academy) at Healdsburg High are shaping up. This
program is being developed in cooperation with local builders, and
will not only help young people get good jobs after high school,
but will strengthen the local economy by providing Healdsburg youth
with valuable and marketable skills.
CASA is for students who are interested in a well-paying career
in construction, for students who are creative and enjoy working
with their hands, for students who are planning a career in green
building or sustainability, and for students who are independent
thinkers, who can’t face the thought of life in a cubicle.
CASA’s Construction Technology class will teach students to
safely use and maintain tools, and introduce the basics of plan
reading, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, welding and
other basic skills. The companion class in Environmental Science
will focus on a science-based approach to green building, teaching
students about solar power, energy efficiency and the science
behind environmental regulation.
This unique combination of science and building will equip
Healdsburg youth to join local building firms, enter the growing
green jobs market, acquire the practical knowledge to succeed in
the fields of architecture, industrial design, or engineering, or
just learn valuable life skills.
Healdsburg builders and other volunteers are working to renovate
the existing shop and classroom in time for class to begin in
August. Our fund-raising goal for this program is $50,000, which
will help transform the ancient metal shop and provide modern,
useful tools and equipment, along with a computer lab for students
to learn some of the technological aspects of building. We aren’t
building the fanciest shop you’ve ever seen, but it will be clean
and safe, and the equipment will be similar to what young builders
will encounter on the job.
For CASA to succeed, we need contributions of time, equipment
and funds, so think about investing in Healdsburg’s future. For
information on how to donate materials or to volunteer, call me at
206-1867 or email [email protected]. We
especially need someone to underwrite our computer lab; a dozen
workstations with a laptop and projector for the teacher.
The Healdsburg Education Foundation (HEF) is the fiscal sponsor
for this project and will carefully steward all financial
donations. Support CASA through HEF by contacting Pamela Swan,
Director, Healdsburg Education Foundation, PO Box 1668, Healdsburg,
CA 95448, or call 433-1223, or donate online at www.hefschools.com.
Ray Holley is grateful that Healdsburgers are so generous when
it’s time to get behind a community project. He can be reached at
[email protected].