Lifestyle

When asked how Watch Duty stands out from other wildfire apps, John C. Mills’ answer was simple: accuracy and immediacy. “We don’t speculate,” he said. “We disseminate information directly from professionals. If a first responder says a fire will reach a community in 17 minutes, we relay that information without delay. That’s our commitment to transparency.”

With the onset of spring last week—despite the cold and rain—Healdsburg is beginning to wake up from its sleepy winter months and get back in gear as the food/wine/music destination city it has become, with five significant celebrations coming to town in the coming months.

Mark Themig, a close friend of Jen’s in recent years, was in a position to coordinate both city and community resources for the ceremony. “I think it was exactly what Jen would have wanted and enjoyed herself,” he said of the April afternoon gathering at Villa Chanticleer.

Andy Katz, a lifelong photographer, used the pandemic to hit the road with a camera to capture striking images of natural phenomena from all of the country's 63 national parks, which was published in A Walk in the Park.

Erin Partridge, a board-certified art therapist and Head of Inspirement at Enso Village in Healdsburg, suggests focusing less on generational labels and more on the things that connect us, while embracing curiosity and finding new interests to age better.

More than 100 people with military service during wartime and peace gathered at the Villa Chanticleer Annex for the 17th annual Veterans Day breakfast,. These were the men and women one sees around Healdsburg working in local businesses, shopping at the markets, helping out with civic events and, in general and in private, making Healdsburg a better place.

At the Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market, strawberries are reaching their peak sweetness, their scent lingering in the air before they are even visible in the stalls. Spring onions and green garlic are tender, fava beans are shelled by the pound and sugar snap peas—the kind of bright green that seems to be omnipresent in my life lately—offer that crisp, wet-mouth crunch that makes them an irresistible snack...

Chef Douglas Keane has now written a revealing and insightful memoir, 'Culinary Leverage.' Last week we spoke with the 53-year-old chef about the book, his interest in dog rescue, his opinion of social media, trendy restaurants and even induction cooking. 

Enter the rail trail. The concept developed in the 1980s as railroads across the country were decommissioned and a growing population sought new trails to travel. Thus the Rails to Trails Conservancy was formed out of timely necessity. Nearly 2,500 rail trails nationally now span 25,000 miles, as practical a reuse of a transportation corridor as one could conceive...

So prevalent if under-reported is this latest Covid surge that CVS Pharmacy ran out of Covid test kits, as did other drug stores. Rite Aid in Healdsburg did manage to keep tests on hand, but the fact that some places did not is pretty clear evidence something’s going around...