Editorial

I want to earn your vote! You and I have the great pleasure to live in Healdsburg where, for over 150 years, people have built a great community, come to each other’s aid when required, and looked forward to an ongoing future of growth and prosperity. I believe we are now at a crossroads. One where your future city leaders will decide whether we can afford to do all the great things we want to do.

What seems unignorable amidst all the winegrowers' yelping and

The results are final for the county’s Measure A sales tax increase, purported to be a partial remedy for fixing local roads. The sharp split among voters at Tuesday’s ballot confirmed some serious doubts about county leaders’ tax mathematics.

All of Sonoma County owes its eternal gratitude to Bill Kortum for his five decades of open space preservation, environmental action and community leadership that shaped the land, coastline and our urban-rural land use patterns as we know them.

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.  

The Healdsburg Animal Shelter is in the business of saving lives, and we do it well. National averages show approximately 50% of dogs and 70% of cats entering shelters are euthanized. The Healdsburg Animal Shelter’s rate is 7%. Additionally, in 2011, our dog adoptions tripled; cat adoptions increased by 29%; medical expenses decreased by 75%; professional fees decreased by 53%; income from fundraising events increased by 358%; charitable giving doubled and volunteers contributed 1,500 more volunteer hours. These are amazing accomplishments. Operationally our shelter ranks among the top in the nation.

Saralee McClelland Kunde died this week. She was 66 and had battled cancer for several years. Those who knew her understand what a loss this is for the county. They already know her almost unbelievably important role in creating the myth and magic of Sonoma County.

California’s state government — which controls nearly all of our

Last week, while launching the new Promotions Council, members

This week’s newspaper includes our annual Harvest Edition. For the past several decades we have provided this extended coverage of the year’s growing season, the work and weather, the people and the crops and the other news that are part of the latest chapter of Sonoma County’s agricultural heritage.