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🌱 Patch AM: Why a Healdsburg winery is replacing grapevines with sunflowers

Coming up on the Healdsburg Patch calendar: 17th Annual Greek & Middle Eastern Festival

Sunday September 6th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Hi there, Healdsburg! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why a Healdsburg winery is replacing grapevines with sunflowers
  • When Russian River beaches near Healdsburg sparked a nudity showdown
  • How Gloria Steinem's legacy still fuels activism in Healdsburg

Also on today's calendar: 17th Annual Greek & Middle Eastern Festival and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Why are elevator jokes so good ? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
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Weather forecast:

  • Sunday: Sunny much of the time, with a high of 84 and low of 50 degrees.
  • Monday: Mostly sunny and very warm, temps: high: 91, low: 57. 🌶 Hot!
  • Tuesday: Partly sunny and very warm, with a high of 95 and low of 63 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• California Winery Ditches Grapes for Unusual Crop in Latest Blow to Troubled Industry (pulptastic.com) — A Healdsburg winery, Chateau Diana, has ripped out over an acre of Zinfandel vines and planted 3,000 sunflowers instead, creating a new draw for visitors while confronting a shrinking wine industry. Co-owner Corey Manning hopes the floral experience will attract younger guests and keep the property vibrant, even as he continues growing thousands of pounds of produce annually for food-insecure families around Healdsburg.
   

• When the Russian River became California's nude beach battleground (pressdemocrat.com) — A look back at the 1970s battles over nude sunbathing along the Russian River shows how beaches near Healdsburg and Wohler Bridge became flashpoints over personal freedom and public decency. Local residents, including a Camp Rose mother, pushed for stricter rules, while nudists and county officials wrestled with access, enforcement, and what kind of community Sonoma County wanted to be.
   

• 'She was remarkable in every way': Sonoma County women remember Gloria Steinem (pressdemocrat.com) — Sonoma County women are reflecting on Gloria Steinem's legacy, from inspiring local educators to energizing activists who still organize today. One Sebastopol organizer was interviewed while protesting outside the General Dynamics facility in Healdsburg, which peace advocates criticize for its role in weapons production, underscoring how Steinem's call to action continues to shape activism across the region.
   

📸 Around Healdsburg

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Historic 1984 Olympic Torch To Lead Rotary World Polio Relay —Marguerite Padovani Read on Patch
  • Has anyone lost a kitty?
    This baby showed up out here a week or so ago. Started out very scared, looked like a house cat that had never been outside before. I've been feeding… (Nextdoor SW Alexander Valley)
  • Hi I have so many boxes if somebody is moving, they are all different sizes and they are still put together.
    They just need to be picked up off my deck. let me know if you're interested. I'd like to see them go today. (Nextdoor Dry Creek)
  • Dollar Tree posted a job opening for Customer Service Associate I in Healdsburg. Apply here.
  • 27North Inc. posted a job opening for Cook - Marla in Healdsburg. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Healdsburg here.

🗞 Nearby News

Windsor

  • Game of the Week: Windsor outlasts Rancho Cotate 28-21 in exciting nonleague battle (pressdemocrat.com)
  • How much were the top 7 most expensive home sales in Windsor, reported last week? (pressdemocrat.com)
  • Día de Los Muertos Celebrations Not To Miss in Sonoma County (sonomamag.com)

Forestville

  • It Takes a Village to Build a Skatepark: Forestville Skatespot (krcb.org)
  • 3-bedroom house sells in Forestville for $750,000 (pressdemocrat.com)

Ok Healdsburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Because they work on so many levels ! (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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