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That big clock is finally ticking for the train’s arrival in Healdsburg—it’s no longer only a memory or a pipe dream. Last week brought the news that the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District had been awarded an $81 million grant from the state to extend the rail service from its current terminus, at the Sonoma County Airport, though Windsor to Healdsburg’s northern city limit by 2028—including construction of a new or remodeled rail bridge over the Russian River.

Remember in June, when 1,000-plus “techno optimists” from around the world convened in Healdsburg for a mysterious month-long series of talks, salons and workshops on how to build a utopian future? They weren't kidding.

The City Council must address this issue with a “formula retail ordinance” that expands the boundaries of the retail area and codifies “formula business.” The 2030 General Plan protects businesses directly facing the Plaza, but not those around the Plaza, which explains why Faherty can slip into Ooh la Luxe’s space.

Two recent arrests in Healdsburg for drug and firearms violations, both publicized by Healdsburg Police on their social media platforms, raised eyebrows among readers and residents as they demonstrate that the crimes of firearms and narcotics are not limited to urban areas, but are present in Healdsburg as well.

INFORMED VOTING Before voting, read the quick page-by-page, or click-by-click look at the issues on the ballot and the candidates for office in the Nov. 5, 2024 general election. Start here...

The 29 pooches that entered in the 2024 Howl-O-Ween pet parade, sponsored by the Humane Society of Sonoma County, showed why they’re beloved by their people as they showed off costumes, wigs, novelty rigs and, in at least one case, their stripes.

"I am an affordable housing advocate, but Measure O and its aftermath are riddled with issues. I see it as a huge, uncertain affordability experiment, not a plan..." So writes a long-time Healdsburg resident about the city's plan to create an exclusion zone from the Growth Management Ordinance...

In a momentous decision that almost wasn’t reached at all, the Healdsburg City Council voted 4-0 to name the Saggio Hills park after Native artisan, historian, linguist and “culture bearer” Laura Fish Somersal - and to rename the Healdsburg Community Center after the first Hispanic mayor, Abel De Luna.

The little store on Powell Street is closed once again. Most recently known as Summer’s Market, it shut its doors for good in early October and has been listed for sale since mid-month. But there's more to the story than just "real estate news" - check it out...

As the first cannabis dispensary opened in Healdsburg, more than one customer observed he was cutting down on VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled), a key metric in the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gasses. The next nearest dispensary is 10 miles away in Larkfield, and beyond that twice that far to Cloverdale...