Windsor is among the most charming small towns in the state, according to a new study by the travel website Strategistico. Our town placed 6^th on the 2022 list of “Eight Most Charming Small Towns in California.” 

The study looked at California's 1,180 towns with a population of 35,000 residents or fewer and compared data related to cost of living, access to entertainment, number of cultural events, outdoor amenities, safety, walkability, and overall atmosphere.

“Windsor is a vibrant community located right in the heart of Sonoma County. It offers all the beauty and splendor of fellow wine country cities like Napa and Sonoma, but with fewer tourists and a more relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere,” said the website. 

Oct. 1: See You at the Windsor Day Parade 

Come to the Town Green this Saturday, October 1, at 10 AM, to watch the Windsor Day Parade. The parade starts at Windsor High School and travels north on Windsor Road, right (east) on Windsor River Road, left on Market Street and left on McClelland.

The main stage and announcer will be at the Town Green to share details of the groups and floats as they go by. Come celebrate Windsor with your friends and neighbors!

Safety Improvements on Starr Road    

The Town completed the final stage of crosswalk improvements at Starr Road and Stellar Lane in mid-September with the installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs). Prior to this, we reconstructed the curb ramps to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and refreshed all crosswalks, bike lanes and centerline pavement markings. We also installed the Town’s first solar streetlight!

In addition, we installed raised traffic posts (delineators) on the centerline of Starr Road to bar vehicles from turning left into the loading/unloading zone entrance of the Cali Calmécac Language Academy. All access to the south parking lot should be via right turns from the southbound lane of Starr Road. We also installed “Do Not Enter/Wrong Way” signs at the loading-zone exit on Starr Road to improve traffic circulation and safety during school drop-off and pick-up times.

As one Windsor resident whose child attends Cali said: “I want to personally thank you for all the improvements on Starr Rd. in front of Cali! The last couple of mornings I have watched people use the RRFB, traffic see the flashing lights (and not the people) and stop anyways! Just the addition of those lights makes the whole drop off process SO MUCH safer! And the delineators make such a huge difference too. I know that project was a beast, but the immediate changes are so impactful.”

Oct. 5: Town Council to Discuss Parklet Program

The Windsor Town Council at its Oct. 5 meeting will discuss the future of the Temporary Parklet Program, which is set to expire on Dec. 31. This program was created in July 2020 in response to COVID-19 public health restrictions and allows local businesses to use public parking spaces for outdoor dining and commerce.

Right now, the Town has nine parklets located within public parking spaces in downtown Windsor. They range in size from one parking space to four parking spaces and in total occupy 22 parking spaces, primarily on McClelland Drive and Windsor Road.

Town Staff is seeking input from the Town Council and community on whether to allow the program to expire or create regulations to allow parklets to become a permanent feature of downtown Windsor.

Oct. 7-9: Free E-Waste Recycling Event

Zero Waste Sonoma has partnered with Conservation Corps North Bay to conduct a free electronics collection event on October 7-9 in the Windsor Civic Center parking lot. No appointment is necessary.  

Acceptable items for e-recycling include microwaves, electronic cables, cell phones, and video game consoles. Items not accepted include appliances, gas-powered lawnmowers, lamps and lightbulbs. For a full list of acceptable and non-acceptable items, visit Electronic Waste Disposal | Zero Waste Sonoma. 

For more information about the event, visit Zero Waste Sonoma | Zero Waste Sonoma. 

Volunteers Help Protect Urban Wildlife Habitat

A huge THANK YOU to our more than 30 volunteers who picked up 48 bags of trash on September 17 for the Windsor Downtown Trash Cleanup, part of the Russian River Watershed Cleanup.

Volunteers for this annual event, organized in partnership with Russian Riverkeeper, included members from WeAct, students and teachers from Windsor High School, a local Girl Scout troop, two Councilmembers, staff from the Town’s Community Development and Public Works departments, and more.

They picked up a lot of cigarette butts, to-go cups and food containers. Some of the strangest trash items included a kitchen garbage disposal and packaging for face jewels. Thank you again, Windsor! Your efforts help protect our urban wildlife habitat. 

Town Staff Booth on Sustainability at Farmers Market

Thank you to everyone who dropped by the Town’s booth at the Windsor Certified Farmers Market on Sept. 25 to meet Town Manager Jon Davis and members of the Town’s sustainability, storm water and water conservation teams.

We provided information on how to better recycle via game cards that people could match with the correct bin (e.g., greasy pizza boxes, glass, plastic tubs) and displayed sustainability items such as a kitchen organics composting pail from Sonoma County Resource Recovery. We also gave away water conservation tools to about 100 people and held a raffle for two yard-art sculptures, which was a great success. The Town thanks artist James Selby for the generous donation of the art pieces.

For more information about water conservation, composting, or protecting our creeks, visit the Town’s Sustainability page. 

Prepare for Emergencies

September, which is National Preparedness Month, is almost over, but the need to prepare for disasters is year-round. Watch the FEMA video about protecting your home to create a lasting legacy for your family.

For multi-lingual guides and other information on how to create a family emergency communications plan, how to safeguard critical documents and valuables, and more, go to: https://www.ready.gov/be-informed.