For future generations

In the past months, much has been written within these pages about who we are as a town and where we are headed with Healdsburg. We’re debating what is sacred about our little burg, what should be protected, and how to continue to thrive as an intimate community, while honoring the benefits that come from being a successful tourist attraction.  
A profound reminder of who we are as a diverse highly integrated and loving community was experienced by many of us recently at the celebration of life for Nate Miller. The celebration was held at Paradise Ridge Winery — the perfect venue at sunset to honor the life of our Nate. Hundreds upon hundreds of our community members gathered. We came together to remember Nate, while supporting his family in sharing the myriad of emotions that come with saying goodbye to a 32 year old in the prime of his life. Nate was well loved as was evident by the stories told by family and friends, teachers, farmers, doctors, nurses, city council members, and scores of classmates who traveled with Nate from grade school through high school, and many of their parents.
Being with my posse of caring, committed people — I was reminded of how we have all raised each other’s children, and one another, throughout many, many years. We know so much about each other’s lives having shared joys and fears, deaths, births, weddings, and thousands of volunteer hours along the path of life.
Our solution for Healdsburg is really quite simple — we must have affordable housing. Healdsburg will change dramatically if young families cannot afford to live here and invest in our schools, hospitals, donate volunteer hours, and care for each other in the raising of the next generation.
This is my plea to our city council.  With each decision you make, question how will it affect future generations?  It is people who maintain traditions of a town like Healdsburg, and our collective memory is the pulse of these traditions. How are we going to preserve the generational aspect of Healdsburg that is necessary for our community to thrive?
Marie Gewirtz is a Healdsburg      resident.