Editorial

The future of Healdsburg’s fire fighting services could look very different from what we all have become used to over many previous decades. The fire trucks and the siren alarms will be the same and the volunteer and paid emergency and safety teams will likely remain in place. But who is in charge, and how everything gets paid for could change dramatically.

While some of us long for the days of our younger years, when we spent our summer breaks sleeping in, going to the movies or hanging with friends, we aren’t picturing the realities of hundreds of Sonoma County youth, who have spent the past months raising steer or milking goats, feeding hogs and grooming sheep.

Last week, TV personality and Healdsburg resident Ross McGowan

Rollie Atkinson

Last week’s rains lived up to their advanced billing. All parts of Sonoma County got a real soaking from a bona fide Pacific storm, the kind of blowing and hard downpours that have always marked our northern California winters. The average annual rainfall over...

As a fellow employee and team member of Healdsburg District Hospital, I was saddened by the article that I read in The Healdsburg Tribune (Nurses protest lack of pay parity, April 2, 2015) in regards to the comments quoted by some of our employees.

Two months shy of my 10-year anniversary at the Healdsburg Tribune, I will say goodbye to the job that has transformed me into the person I am today.

What a bunch of baloney! I’m referring to the flyer and the website that was put together by ‘Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions’ (HCSS). Sheesh. Where do these people come from? The gall to take credit for negotiations with recent hotel proponents is incredibly bold and deceitful. The City of Healdsburg has a dedicated team consisting of the City Council, Planning Commission, and city staff  that is quite capable of working and negotiating with prospective developers. They have approved some quality projects that have greatly enhanced the economic and visual character of the downtown corridor, and they have denied some projects that were inappropriate for various reasons. They have done a commendable job, and along the way, public input was always considered at every aspect of the planning process. Truly a transparent process that encourages any and all to participate.

While Healdsburg District Hospital (HDH) appreciates the visibility the Healdsburg Tribune affords us, there were several errors and omissions from the article titled, “Hospital adopts tough budget” (Feb. 11, 2015). I would like to clarify a few of the points I feel may be misleading to both our community and our hospital staff. Some points may seem innocuous, but for those whose daily work revolves around the hospital and those who have lent financial support to our ongoing efforts, clarity is needed.

Healdsburg voters will be asked in the Nov. 6 election to increase the city’s sales tax a half percent “to stabilize city finances, offset declining revenues and the loss of redevelopment funds.” Measure V is unanimously supported by the current five city council members and has been endorsed by the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce directors and the Healdsburg Unified School District trustees.