Local Partners, Doing Good
We’ve entered into Month No. 3 of the shutdown related to the global pandemic, and the Healdsburg government and local businesses continue to give back to the community. Here, in no particular order, are some of our neighbors doing things we admire.
Jesse Katz, co-owner and winemaker at Aperture Cellars, has opened his new tasting room just south of Mill District in Russian River Valley for official use and has been hosting regular virtual tastings for people following along from home. Katz is renowned as a winemaker to the stars, having developed wine brands for Justin Timberlake, Tony Hawk, and the Los Angeles Lakers (Aperture wines are featured in our photo below. Photo credit: @kimcarrollphoto).
The City of Healdsburg stepped up earlier this month by unveiling the Healdsburg Small Business Sustainability Program, a $600,000 fund to help the local small business community weather the pandemic. The loan program operates independently from federal programs, and it will dole out zero-interest loans of up to $15,000 to eligible small businesses. Funding for the loan came from the city’s Measure V funds, a half-cent sales tax that pays for key city services. At last check, nearly three dozen businesses were slated to receive funds.
Healdsburg Community Services reopened city parks May 1 and locals were delighted to once again savor the opportunity to get out and about in nature. While playgrounds, picnic areas, and other high-touch portions of the parks remain closed, the open spaces are in fact open—to all of those who practice social distancing and wear masks when necessary.
