From the wine library

Those touched by the Recession. The homeless are alive and well
in Healdsburg. There are also a fair number of working poor who
have a tough time making their rent or utilities. Some of both
these groups hang out in the library. I like it that the library
can be a refuge for the folks who have fallen on hard times. During
a recession library use increases. People who normally buy books
get them from the library. Families cut back or cancel their
Netflix subscription and discover the library’s great array of
DVDs. People who have lost their jobs come in for help looking for
work, via the classified, checking out Craig’s List or other online
sources, or to polish up their resumes or gain new skills. Many
simply find some solace or escape in reading.
North County Community Services. In addition to the library,
there is another agency in Healdsburg that helps the homeless and
the working poor. That agency, North County Community Services
(NCCS), provides emergency overnight shelter at the Spare Room, a
one room shelter located just off the Parish Hall of St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church. NCCS also provides showers for anyone who needs
one and manages several apartments that provide transitional
housing. These apartments, Victory Apartments, Victory Studios and
Holbrook House provide cheap rent apartments for a limited time.
People who qualify usually get an eighteen-month lease. They pay
rent that’s below prevailing rates. At the end of the eighteen
months, if they’ve been good tenants and paid on time, they get all
their rent money back. This is usually enough for first and last
month’s rent and security deposit in the real rental world.
Occasionally it is enough with some savings of their own to put a
down payment on a condo. It is truly great to see a family struggle
from near destitute on the streets or living in cars through the
transitional housing that NCCS provides and then become home
owners.
Dinner in the Vineyard. I am on the board of NCCS and I
volunteer one night a week to let people into the Spare Room. I
also help put on a fundraiser that is coming up August 20. This
event is called Dinner in the Vineyards, and it is a great way to
help NCCS and have a ball doing it. We put on a fabulous food,
wine, music and auction event at Hoot Owl Creek Vineyard on August
20. Call 707-433-7106 for reservations.
The Meal. Denny Murphy will artfully barbeque butterflied leg of
lamb, and not just any lamb, but CK Lamb, the gourmet locally grown
organic lamb produced by Bruce Campbell, whose generosity makes
this dinner affordable. Even though Bruce has shut down his CK Lamb
operation, Bruce still supplies NCCS with these signature lamb
legs. Roasted new potatoes and a medley of roasted mushrooms,
veggies, and onions comprise the entrée, while a fine salad of
local greens and an array of delicious desserts complete the meal.
There will be plenty of pesto pasta and an array of veggies for
those who stay away from meat. Luscious Sonoma County wines will
provide the perfect pairing for this midsummer gala.
The Music will be provided by Healdsburg musician Floyd Latimer
and a band he has specially assembled for this event. Floyd has
scoured the deep talent pools of the Northern California music
scene, and assembled a great band. Douglas Wilcox plays swing
guitar, fiddle and vocals. Doug played in cowboy and country legend
Roy Rodger’s Horseshow Band in the mid-50s and has performed with
Plowed Under and the Everly Brother. Trading vocals and licks on
fiddle and guitar as well as mandolin will be John Croizat, the
Alligator Man of Berkeley. He wrote words for and recorded
“Midnight on the Water” with Kate Wolf on her second album, Lines
on Paper. Healdsburg resident Ken Carter contributes clean guitar
lines and pristine gospel vocals. Bear Kamaroff anchors the band
with his supple bass. Don Connelly, a superb drummer provides a
steady pulsating beat that anchors the band’s sound and enlivens
the dancing. The band will mix it all up and throw out a little
folk, bluegrass and gentle rock.
The Site. The Hoot Owl Creek dining area is a part of a Russ and
B.J. Green’s private estate and not open to the public. It nestles
among a grove of heritage oaks surrounded by vines up above the
floor of Alexander Valley.
Bo Simons is the Branch Manager of the Healdsburg Regional
Library and the librarian in charge of the Sonoma County Wine
Library, a business and technical and history library serving both
the public and the wine industry.