Neighbors is a column that I have been writing for the Healdsburg Tribune for several years. Each column is a mini-lifestory of a resident, family, group or organization in Healdsburg or the surrounding area. By mid-2010 I had written approximately 140 Neighbors columns. Some of them are historical in nature, some are humorous, some are group reunions and others inform us of the organizations that Healdsburg is comprised of. All are descriptive of the wide variety of people who either grew up in the area or were somehow drawn to live here.

Here are some samples of Neighbors columns:

"A Tribute to Smith Robinson"
By many accounts, the most beloved Healdsburger of all time. Smitty's face radiates love and pure kindness, perhaps offering some redemption for all of us at a time when the world seems fractured and exploding daily into more broken pieces.
Read "A Tribute to Smith Robinson"

"Dave and Bunny Lewers"
It takes a few minutes to warm up, but soon two very engaging, straightforward and entertaining personalities emerge. I sense a special chemistry--a sympathetic dynamic of telling a story together--so fast paced that all I can squeeze in is a "slow down, stop, please spell that name!"
Read "Dave and Bunny Lewers"

Healdsburg High School Class of 1940 Reunion
For me it all started when Norma Cousins showed me her 1940 HHS yearbook. She told me about the reunion and before you could say 'Sotoyoman', I'd agreed to come.... I learn that the 1940 reunion's been infiltrated by the classes of 1938, 1939, and 1942, among others. Oh, no! How am I going to recognize the class of 1940? Well, we're lucky. I just happen to carry blank name tags around in the trunk of my car. So I grab a handful and start mingling.
Read "Healdsburg High School Class of 1940 Reunion"

The Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society:
Holly Hoods and the Volunteers
If you've got a job to do and need to stay directly on course, you might avoid the downstairs of the Healdsburg Museum. Because you'll get sidetracked. Holly Hoods, Research Curator, and Charlotte Anderson, Volunteer Association Chair, are self-proclaimed co-presidents of the "Sidetrack Association." But they'll give you a warning if they know you're coming. Boxes, files, microfilm, photos, stories and storytellers are waiting. Lots of education and lots of laughs.
Read "The Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society: Holly Hoods and the Volunteers"