December 25 Issue | Cloverdale Connect

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

vickie — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:53:36 +0000

by David Maciel
Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza
Fresh brussel sprouts are in season and mixing them roasted with dry fruits nuts & cheese makes this dish a winner at the
Christmas dinner.

Ingredients
• 2 pounds brussel sprouts, rinsed, trimmed and cut in half
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Dash of pepper
• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese, (or you can use goat cheese)
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pistachios

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Prepare the brussels sprouts by washing and drying them thoroughly (wet sprouts won’t roast properly).
Trim the stems and remove any outer leaves that are wilted or damaged.
Slice sprouts in half (or quarters if they’re very large) to ensure even cooking and expose more surface area
for caramelization.
In a large mixing bowl combine the brussels sprouts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a large baking sheet (you want the brussels sprouts to have space so if it is too crowded use two baking sheets).
Roast the brussels sprouts for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown around the edges. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your sprouts.
Remove from the oven and return to the large mixing bowl. Toss in the additional 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey.
Add the blue cheese, dried cranberries and pecans. Put on a platter and serve warm.

Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Furber Celebration of Life

vickie — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:44:46 +0000

We will celebrate the life of
Alan Furber on December 13th at 11:00 at the
Citrus Fair Auditorium.
Please join us.

Celebrate Evelyn Sue Dickens

vickie — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:39:39 +0000

October 13, 1947 – November 4, 2025

Evelyn Sue Dickens passed peacefully from this life on November 4th, 2025 no longer facing her day-to-day battle with MSD/Leukemia which she fought for over a year. Her beloved husband of 47 years George “Tex” Dickens was at her side until the very end. Sue was born in Kingsburg, California on October 13, 1947, to Grady and Woodie Wilson. The family, including her sister Annette Magoulas (1945-2023), Inez Tenter and Mervyn Wilson moved to Arcata, CA then to Cloverdale in 1961, where Sue lived until her passing.

A graduate of Cloverdale High School, Sue worked in the Lumber industry as a bookkeeper, and also for New World Mfg., an apprentice for Tex at Dickens Enterprises. Sue also had a Fabric store in Cloverdale in the 80’s. After she closed her shop, she started to work for the County of Sonoma as a filing clerk. She stayed with the County advancing with every opportunity. In 1999 Sue graduated from SRJC with a degree in Accountancy, this advanced her position with the Auditor Controllers office where Sue retired.

Sue played softball, as a catcher, and was also on various bowling teams. As a sports advocate, you would find her at most sporting events keeping score for basketball games, moving the chains for football or simply just watching the games with Tex. Later in her years she began to play golf; she even had the rare honor of hitting a hole-in-one!

Sue was a proud Lioness for the Cloverdale Lions Club. One of the founders of the Cloverdale Boosters Club, Sue also received the Boosters award in 2025. Tex and Sue were honored as Grand Marshalls of the Cloverdale Citrus Fair Parade in 1993 and in February of 2025. A participant and supporter for Relay for Life. Sue was a passionate baker, artist and seamstress. This was Sue’s “love language.”

Sue is survived by her husband Tex, her daughters, Denise (Young) Palmer and Andrea Young, stepmother to Renee (Kirk) Afman, Shelly (Kevin) Mack, Angela (Chris) Ovard. Grandmother to Nathan, Allison, Easton, Karla, Garrit, Jene’, Bethany, Courtney, Sarah, Theresa and Chandler.

Great Grandmother to Mia, Callie, Millie, Bodie, Bannon, August, Holland, Violet and Beckett.
A Celebration of life will be held on December 28th at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair. 2:00-5:00 PM. If you are attending, please wear blue as it is her favorite color.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cloverdale Lions Club on Sue Dickens behalf.

City of Cloverdale 12-2025

vickie — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:45:59 +0000

YEAR IN REVIEW

A lot can happen in a year, and this snapshot offers a summary of what moved our town forward in 2025. It was a year of transition with a mix of returning and newly elected and appointed Councilmembers, a new City Manager, and a few new staff, yet the focus remained on strengthening foundations, improving essential services, and supporting long term stability. We also acknowledge the staff whose steady day to day work keeps the City operating and makes these major achievements possible. For more detailed information, residents can always visit the City’s website and contact their elected officials or department leadership.

Thank you, Cloverdale, for trusting me to be your Mayor. Because of your support, we have accomplished so much! We will continue to work hard for you! Happy Holidays!

Todd Lands

Mayor

Infrastructure, parks, and public spaces saw wide ranging improvements this year as the City continued investing in safety, accessibility, and outdoor amenities. Photovoltaic upgrades at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, a significant repair to Lake Street, ongoing repairs to water service lines across multiple neighborhoods, and airport improvements that included two new portable buildings supported system reliability, while crews responded to 235 community service requests ranging from pothole repairs to graffiti abatement and park maintenance. Survey feedback guided new downtown drinking fountains, planter adjustments, and other enhancements. Routes to schools were improved through vegetation clearing, branch trimming, serviced school zone lights, and refreshed striping at key crossings, and work continues in the downtown corridor to reduce tripping hazards and improve accessibility. The City also participated in the countywide Streets to Creeks trash awareness campaign and contributed to the Russian River Cleanup to protect local waterways. Water system improvements were completed through a turnkey efficiency project that installed a combined 600-kilowatt solar system at the water and wastewater treatment plants and finalized the AMI meter upgrade with Neptune Mach 10 meters and customer facing usage tracking tools. The Wastewater Treatment Plant integrated new SCADA automation and completed a biosolids removal project that cleared more than three hundred dry tons to

support uninterrupted service. Two replacement drinking water wells were also drilled to strengthen system resiliency and ensure continued access to clean drinking water. Parks received major upgrades as well, including the new inclusive playground and scoreboard at Furber Park, expanded recreational amenities, a new gazebo at 2nd Street City Park and the dog park gained improved ADA accessibility. Significant progress continued at the 210-acre Soda Springs Ranch Open Space Preserve, where new multiuse trails, picnic sites, fencing, signage, and a parking area moved the project closer to public opening. Vegetation management throughout the year included prescribed burns and targeted sheep grazing to support habitat health and fire safety. Parks, Public Works, and Water jointly secured more than one million dollars in grants to support these efforts and bolstered their staff with multiple Operator in Training (OIT’s), and expanded maintenance personnel to strengthen ongoing operations and support succession planning. The accomplishments reflect the City’s integrated approach to community improvements, supported by reorganized staff roles that now place the Parks Superintendent in charge of street crews, strengthening coordination across departments.

Public safety efforts remained a core focus this year through continued support of Resilient Cloverdale, FEMA and Emergency Operations Center trainings, and updated EOC preparedness supported by joint simulations with the County. The Police Department strengthened staffing with new trainees, promoted two officers to Patrol Sergeant, and upgraded equipment through

a Homeland Security grant, while continuing its use of body worn cameras and Taser systems. The department purchased two new patrol vehicles, one of which is a four-wheel drive unit that increases access to all terrain areas. Officers expanded community outreach through school programs, events, and a local business mixer, and investigative work led to major arrests in a bank robbery, a retail theft ring, and multiple stolen vehicle cases assisted by the Flock camera system. Participation in drug disposal events and expansion of less lethal tools further supported safe incident resolution. Over the last four years, officer-initiated activity increased by 35 percent, calls for service rose 3 percent, arrests increased 8 percent, and citations grew 27 percent, reflecting a proactive, community-centered approach to public safety. As of November 2025, this year the department handled 8,792 calls for service from dispatch, responded to 14,080 total incidents, and officers initiated 5,288 of those incidents. A total of 237 arrests were made. These efforts highlight the City’s continued commitment to safety, preparedness, and strong community relationships.

Development activity this year focused on long term planning, community investment, and careful review of future projects. The City purchased the lot and buildings next to Plaza Park to support the planned Plaza Expansion and create more space for public use. A major reorganization of City records was completed, including relocating long term files to a new retention site to improve storage and access. The Planning Commission and Council approved the Circulation Element, and Objective Design Standards were adopted to provide clear guidance for future housing and commercial projects. A Vacancy Ordinance was also adopted to incentivize economic development and reduce long-term commercial vacancies. The City also assisted in the sale of the vacant carwash property, moving a long-time blighted site toward renewed use. Work continued on evaluating cost reduction options for the Police Department facility design, and early review began on potential development concepts live and play!

for the proposed Edge Esmerelda site. Together, these efforts reflect ongoing initiatives aimed at improving community spaces, strengthening planning, and supporting responsible
future growth.

Community engagement grew significantly this year as the City participated in and helped coordinate several events, including the downtown Halloween festivities, the Fourth of July parade, a Chamber of Commerce Mixer at the Police Station, and representation at the Citrus Fair and several ribbon cuttings. The new lights and speakers the City purchased for the plaza stage helped elevate the Friday Night Live concert series, and National Night Out strengthened connections between residents and public safety partners; and the Grinch stole Winterfest again! The Police Department also participated in the 2025 Law Enforcement Torch Run, carrying the Flame of Hope through Cloverdale in support of Special Olympics Northern California and amplifying inclusion. Civic engagement expanded through multiple surveys, increased social media outreach, website cleanup efforts, advertised initiatives, press releases, town halls, and outreach campaigns. Residents are encouraged to follow the City on Facebook and Instagram at @cityofcloverdale and subscribe to the newsletter, which shifted to a more photo centered format and

is now published the Thursday after each Council meeting. The City also responded to more than one hundred records requests, supporting public access to information. We assisted the Cloverdale Unified School District by hosting field trips at the Water Treatment Plant and City Hall, promoted community attendance at after school sporting events, and while two Student Liaisons completed their terms, after summer break two new liaisons began representing the Cloverdale student body at City Council meetings. Public meeting accessibility improved through upgraded audio-visual equipment at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, and Council commemoratively named the walkway between City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce Wolter Way in honor of former Councilmember Gus Wolter. Council also led a community initiative opposing the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project to help protect regional water supply. This effort required extensive time and coordination by the Mayor and Council to ensure Cloverdale’s water interests were strongly represented. Councilmembers continued broader advocacy work through their service on multiple regional boards, reinforcing the City’s commitment to active leadership beyond the local level. Council delivered over 20 public recognitions and proclamations, launched a new citizen recognition program, and adopted over 70 resolutions and 6 ordinances that guided City policy. These combined efforts strengthened communication, increased transparency, and helped build a more informed and connected community.

This year, Cloverdale made strong progress on community priorities and essential services. I’m proud of our collective accomplishments and grateful for the continued partnership of our residents, staff, and City Council as we work
toward a thriving future

Kevin Thompson

City Manager

What’s Next in 2026

As we look ahead, the City will continue to strive for community wide connection and growth, supported by Council’s newly adopted Mission, Vision, and Values, which guide long term planning, reflect what the City strives to achieve for the community, and are available for review on our website. Work will begin on the next two-year budget to ensure that community priorities shape financial decisions. The City will continue implementing the recently adopted tax measure funds to support infrastructure, public safety, and long-term resilience. Renovation of the historic Scout’s Cabin in City Park will move forward, and plans will advance for the City Plaza expansion and the remodel of the former Trading Post building. The Soda Springs open space area is expected to open, new lights will be added at the dog park, a new gazebo will be installed at Furber Park, recreation programming will expand, and a new park picnic rental program will launch. The City will also undertake a major transition from a dot net to a dot gov website, a significant project that will update the City’s digital presence. The City will continue its advocacy on regional water issues and pursue options that protect long term supply. With three City Council seats on the November ballot, 2026 will also be an important year for civic participation! Thank you to the Cloverdale community for your support, involvement, and continued spirit. We look forward to serving you in the year ahead!

www.cloverdale.net @cityofcloverdale

December 2025 Events Calendar

vickie — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:39:30 +0000

Cloverdale Connect Community Calendar