Good day, fair townspeople. As I write to you, another classic Healdsburg summer is in full swing. The signs are everywhere: Archway jasmine is making its last stand in yards across town, Dry Creek Peach is back with the goods at the farmers market, the sun is setting over high-stakes Rec Park baseball nearly every night and there’s at least one boozy outdoor concert, party or meal happening at any given moment. Here’s what else has been going on in Healdsburg lately, all up for discussion in today’s newsletter:

• Everyone’s fawning over our local library’s $2.3M makeover

• Healdsburg High has its third football coach in as many years

• Hella new businesses are opening in town

• A mountain lion was just spotted running down West Dry Creek Road — and there’s video

• So much other stuff is happening that I can barely keep up! But I’ll try my best 🫡

FIRST, HOW’S THE WEATHER?

Consistent summer heat has been setting in, and the temperature dial keeps turning up slowly. We’ll really start to feel it this coming week, with daytime highs expected to hover in the mid 80s to low 90s. Nights should remain nice and crisp in the 50s, though — so, if your household works anything like mine, you can leave all your screened windows and doors open at night, then hop out of bed in your nightgown before the sun comes up like a crazy person and shut them all real quick, so you can stay cool throughout the day. (Screw AC; I choose door-slamming drama and romance!) Anywhooo… here’s the full National Weather Service forecast:

• Today ☀️ Hot and sunny, with a breeze. High 93° Low 58°

• Tomorrow ☀️ Sunny. High 91° Low 55°

• Sunday 🌤️ Sunny. Some clouds overnight. High 86° Low 52°

• Monday ☀️ Sunny. High 84° Low 53°

• Tuesday 🌤️ Fog turning to sun. High 88° Low 57°

• Wednesday ☀️ Hot and sunny. High 93° Low 56°

• Thursday ☀️ More sun! High 90° Low 56°

And now for our regular wildfire season checkin. Yesterday was an especially big day for prescribed burns in the greater North Bay, according to Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. Among them: Down in Sonoma proper, locals got their own version of the sanctioned burn that turned Fitch Mountain into a total smokestack last week, with a 66-acre burn yesterday that made Sonoma Mountain look quite a bit like a volcano and freaked out some rubber-neckers who weren’t in the know. Closer to home, a two-day, 24-acre burn kicked off east of Geyserville, in an area called Monkey Rock Ranch. Adriane Garayalde, a very in-the-know Geyserville resident who works for the county, gave everyone a heads up on Facebook, and warned that “there will be fire vehicles using the Ridge Oaks Road for access.” She also sent me a couple of burn photos (see below), which she got from the one and only Marshall Turbeville, chief of the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District. So yeah, if you notice some smoke coming from the north country again today, this might explain it. Now you’re the one in the know!

CHECK OUT MY SPONSOR

Little Lambs Preschool

Now enrolling for fall — infant care coming soon!

Looking for the right local preschool to care for your child and help them grow? Little Lambs Preschool at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on University Street is one of the highest-quality, most affordable and best bilingual options in town. The school’s mission is to inspire children both in mind and spirit — through individualized attention, hands-on and play-based projects, kindergarten prep and positive praise in a gentle and fun Christian environment. Little Lambs currently accepts children 2-6 years old and offers half-day and full-day programs. (Infant care is also coming soon; stay tuned for the details.) You can learn more about enrollment and rates on the school’s website. And we recommend you arrange an in-person visit to experience the warm, loving and cozy environment at this hidden-gem Healdsburg preschool to see if it’s the right place for your family. Call (707) 433-5779 or email [email protected] to set up a tour today. (License #493005003)

AIR OVER HEALDSBURG

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