This week, Peter Greenberg Worldwide broadcasts from Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg, California. Veteran airline pilot Patrick Smith, (askthepilot.com), joins the program to discuss airline safety and the Southwest Airlines incident (the first fatality in the history of this carrier). George Hobica, Founder of airfarewatchdog.com, also weighs in on the Southwest aftermath and the history (and importance) of onboard safety videos and briefings. Also joining Peter will be Ray Holley, Managing Editor at Sonoma West Publishers, on his 30 years in Sonoma and dealing with growth management and the preservation of Healdsburg. And Julie Pedroncelli, third-generation owner of her family’s Pedroncelli winery, on the history of winemaking in the region as well as her favorite hidden gems in Healdsburg. And Will Seppi, CEO of Costeaux French Bakery, talks all things butter–and how–not surprisingly–he uses more butter than anyone else in town. There’s all of this and more as Peter Greenberg Worldwide broadcasts from the Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg, California.

Patrick Smith, Airline Pilot, Author and Travel Blogger, discusses the first fatality in the history of Southwest Airlines. He talks about the media always needing a hero but that it wasn’t about heroics. It was about a crew doing what it was trained to do. He then discusses whether or not the plane was ever in danger of crashing and what wasthe scariest thing for passengers in that situation.

 

Julie Pedroncelli, Owner of Pedroncelli Winery, joins the program and shares her grandparents’ history of Pedroncelli Winery and how they grew grapes to support the family until Prohibition ended. Julie also shares her favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner spots and wineries around Healdsburg.

 

George Hobica, Travel Expert, Journalist and Founder of  airfarewatchdog.com, talks about the first death on a commercially scheduled flight since 2009: Southwest Flight 1380. He also brings up the point of safety videos on board and offers suggestions for airlines on how to better explain the safety rules.

 

Jason Boaz, Fire Chief of the Healdsburg Fire Department, talks about the Sonoma County fires, the speed of the fire and the department’s number one concern. He also shares that despite the fire’s rapid growth, there were no firefighter injuries or fatalities, adding that there are countless stories of people who were unaware of how close the fire was until authorities came banging on their doors. Fire Chief Boaz then shares his favorite meals in Healdsburg–tapas and ice cream included.

 

Pete Seghesio, Owner of the Journeyman Meat Company, shares the company’s history dating back to when his family arrived in the 1800s. He then gives details of its West Coast produced salami, the 2,000 pound monthly production and the percentage of product it’s losing through dehydration.

 

Ray Holley, Managing Editor at Sonoma West Publishers, discusses living in Healdsburg for the last 30 years and dealing with growth management as a community. Entry-level housing, high cost of living and chain stores are some issues facing Healdsburg today. Ray also speaks about the multi-generational families of the area and how activists are trying to resist change to keep Healdsburg the same.

 

Matt Villano, Freelance Writer for Napa Sonoma Magazine and The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, discusses how he has written about the area for the past decade and comments on the affordable housing crisis in the area. And if you’re looking for a pie bar, Healdsburg has it. Matt shares his favorite pie, cupcake and Thai places in town–and it’s all walkable.

 

Will Seppi, CEO of Costeaux French Bakery, talks all things butter–the importance of water content in butter, how everything is better with butter and that it uses more butter than the average business. Will shares the company’s newest product (there’s Nutella involved) and reveals what it made and thought everyone would love, but no one did.

By Alessandra Taryn Bea for PeterGreenberg.com