Voters should have received their ballots in the mail this past week for the Nov. 8 General Election which features candidates for state office as well as local office, such as the Windsor Town Council and Windsor School Board. Voters may vote in-person, by mail, or drop-off via an official and secure ballot drop box. Here are the closest locations to vote:

Ballot Drop Box - Open 24 hours until 8 PM on Nov. 8
Bluebird Center: 25 Bluebird Drive, Windsor

11-day Vote Center - Open 9 AM -5 PM, Oct. 29-Nov. 7, and 7 AM – 8 PM on Nov. 8
Healdsburg Community Center: 1557 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg

4-day Vote Center - Open 9 AM – 5 PM, Nov. 5-7, and 7 AM – 8 PM on Nov. 8
Bluebird Center: 25 Bluebird Drive, Windsor
A full list of vote centers can be found on the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Website.
 
If you aren’t yet registered to vote and would like to vote in this election, register here: https://registertovote.ca.gov/. Standard voter registration ends on October 24, but conditional voter registration begins on Oct. 25 and continues until Nov. 8 at 8 PM. If you don’t receive your ballot in the mail in the coming weeks and would like to vote by mail, the last day to request a ballot is Nov. 1.
 
For questions regarding your ballot or the Nov. 8 election, contact the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters at (707) 565-6800. 

Oct. 29: Come to Our “Open” Garden 

Check out your neighborhood community garden! Join the Windsor Garden Club on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 AM – 2 PM at the Windsor Town Green Community Garden, for gardening tips, children’s activities, music, and a chance to win an original James Selby garden art sculpture.

In addition, learn about what’s happening in the community garden and how to start your own garden bed. Town water conservation staff will also offer tips and tricks on how to start a butterfly garden in your back yard and answer questions about water conservation programs and rebates. The Windsor Town Green Community Garden is located on the corner of Windsor Road and Joe Rodota Drive, next to Windsor Town Hall. 

Nov. 2: Town Council to Discuss Future
of Parklet Program

The Windsor Town Council on Wednesday, Nov. 2, will discuss the future of the Temporary Parklet Program. Town Staff is seeking input from the Town Council and community on whether to allow the program to expire on Dec. 31 or create regulations so parklets can become a permanent feature of Downtown Windsor.

Windsor currently has nine parklets in public parking spaces downtown, ranging in size from one parking space to four parking spaces and in total, occupy 22 parking spaces, primarily on McClelland Drive and Windsor Road. Created by the Town in July 2020 in response to COVID-19 public health restrictions, the program allows local businesses to use public parking spaces for outdoor dining and commerce.

Nov. 4: Recycled Water Fill Station
to Close for Season

The Town will close the recycled water fill station for the year on Nov. 4. Until then, operating hours will remain the same: Tuesday – Thursday, 9 AM – 2 PM at Keiser Park. The Town of Windsor began offering a recycled water fill station for residential and commercial use in June, but the change of season from summer to fall means that the need to irrigate landscaping is reduced.

If you would like to access this recycled water and haven’t done so yet, please ensure you have a recycled water fill station permit – go here for more info. To learn about the Town's recycled water program, visit www.townofwindsor.com/recycledwater

Voice of America Spotlights Floating Solar Project

Voice of America (VOA) recently highlighted the Town’s innovative and award-winning floating solar array project. Town Staff and members of Town Council were featured in this VOA article and video.

Earlier this year, the Town received the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in recognition of our floating solar array project – read all about it in this Western City magazine story.

Update on Shiloh Crossing Development

On Oct. 11, the Planning Commission approved planning entitlements for the Shiloh Crossing mixed-use affordable housing project on a 5.92-acre site at 295 Shiloh Road. Groundbreaking is anticipated in late 2022.

The project includes 173 apartments and 8,000 square feet of commercial space within two buildings, including a four-story building facing Shiloh Road and a five-story building facing Business Park Court. The units include 15 studios, 70 one-bedroom units, 44 two-bedroom units, and 44 three-bedroom units. Indoor amenities include a community room, fitness center, and technology center/office.
 
Outdoor amenities include a landscaped courtyard, tot lot, BBQ area, bocce court, swimming pool, and community garden. Parking is provided on site in accordance with State requirements for affordable housing projects. Improvements on Shiloh Road will include parallel parking spaces, a buffered bike lane, and wide sidewalks. 
 
Business Park Court will be widened and dedicated as a public street, including sidewalks and parking on both sides, and a planter strip on the project side. The project is designed to be energy- and water-efficient, with the goal of achieving net zero energy and gold-level LEED certification. 

Holiday Celebration Call for Sponsors

The Town of Windsor Parks and Recreation Department seeks sponsors for the 21st Annual Holiday Celebration! This is a great way to promote your business and be a part of this beloved community event. Sponsorship pledges are due on Nov. 3.

For more information on sponsoring this holiday event, please visit https://www.townofwindsor.com/347/Holiday-Celebration or contact Hilary Dunn at (707) 838-5942 or hdunn@townofwindsor.com.

ArtSurround: Downtown Community Gallery
Photo Contest

Creative Sonoma and the Town of Windsor are pleased to announce a joint grant program, ArtSurround, which pairs local artists with local government agencies to encourage more public art and provide creative engagement and placemaking activities across Sonoma County. The Town is working with artist Ann Weber to create a downtown community gallery showcasing Windsor through your photographs!

Ms. Weber is a Windsor resident and an art teacher at The Healdsburg School. She has managed community art projects including a mosaic at the Healdsburg Community Center, a collaborative project with Rainworks on the Healdsburg Plaza, and a mural with Healdsburg Voices.

Photo contest: The Downtown Community Gallery will be a collective gathering of community photos and art curated to tell the human story of Windsor. Community members: If you’re a shutterbug, we welcome you to submit up to eight photos in these categories: Culture, Events, Nature, Learning, Parks, People, Arts, and Food. Please submit only one photo per category. Prizes will be awarded to the top photo in each category and the top 30 entrants will have their images enlarged and displayed in an outdoor, public gallery representing the fabric of our community.

The deadline to submit photos is Nov. 18. More information and the submission form can be found at www.townofwindsor.com/photos.  

Get $100 Rebate on Irrigation Controller

Fall is here and the shorter days and cooler mornings mean it’s time to cut back on your outdoor watering. Simplify your irrigation monitoring and save water and money with the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller. The Town of Windsor is offering residential water customers a $100 discount on the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller.

With personalized water schedules that automatically adjust to the weather, this controller can help you irrigate your landscape more efficiently. :earn more about this sprinkler controller and how to get the Town of Windsor resident discount, by going to https://www.townofwindsor.com/1344/Rachio-Sprinkler-Controller.

Video and Photos: Windsor Day Parade

If you missed the Windsor Day Parade on Oct. 1 or would like to relive it, here’s a short video of some of the parade entries as well as more photos from the event.

The parade, a 40-plus-year tradition held in partnership with the Windsor Kiwanis Club, returned for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. We had great participation at this year's event -- thank you for coming out to support your community! We look forward to seeing you at next year’s Windsor Day Parade.

Walk and Roll to School

From the Windsor Police Department: October 5 was the annual Walk and Roll to School for Cali Calmécac Language Academy, Brooks Elementary School, and Windsor Middle School. The bike and walking "train" departed from the Town Green around 7:45 AM and dropped off students at all three schools. 

Special thanks to Safe Routes to School, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition Member Cindy O’Grady, Olivia Lemen from the Windsor Parks & Recreation Department, and Sonoma County Fire District staff for their support in getting the kids safely to school.

Windsor Police Attend Blue Mass

From the Windsor Police Department: Police Chief Raasch and Sergeant James Percy were among those who attended a special Blue Mass at the Cathedral of St. Eugene in Santa Rosa on Oct. 9 – an annual Catholic mass for workers employed in the public safety field, including police, fire, 911 operators, EMS, and correctional officers.

This annual religious service, which is held across the U.S., intends to bring people together to remember and pray for their fellow citizens in public safety and to ask for God’s blessing and protection for these men and women.

Close Your Door

From the Sonoma County Fire District: Windsor residents, we are asking you to start a new routine, close your doors to stop the spread of fire. This last week we had a home fire in a Windsor residence that proved just this.

Because of synthetic materials, furniture, and construction, fire spreads faster than ever before. Closing doors helps stop the spread of fire. Research proves a closed door can mean the difference between 100 degrees and 1,000 degrees. 40 years ago, you had 17 minutes to escape a fire. Today, you have 3 minutes to escape.

Closing doors limits the spread of smoke and limits the oxygen that is available for combustion. Closing doors saves lives, buying you more time to get out and limiting property damage. 

Just over two-thirds of home fires are caused by electrical distribution, electrical failure, and malfunction. With so many plugged in devices these days, remember to disconnect them when not in use. We also are asking to keep areas around electrical outlets, power strips and extension cords free from clutter.  And as the mom in the recent home fire said, “another good reason to keep your room clean.”

The UL Fire Safety Research Institute has a great closed door vs. open door research video, check it out here: https://youtu.be/bSP03BE74WA 
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