photo credit: Kathryn Nelson
Naming of the Abel De Luna Community Center in Healdsburg.

Community leaders and locals gathered on May 18 to dedicate a building to the first Latino mayor of Healdsburg.

“Today I’m receiving the honor to have Healdsburg Community Center be named Abel De Luna Community Center. This belongs to all of us - this is history! This is Healdsburg making history!”

That’s Abel De Luna. He was first elected to the Healdsburg City Council in 1976, and named mayor in 1978 by his council colleagues who saw merit in the projects he spearheaded and in his passion for helping others.

That spirit was celebrated as the former Healdsburg Community Center was renamed in his honor. There were many speakers at the event, including activist Dolores Huerta, who worked with Cesar Chavez to protect workers’ rights.

“He represents to the world what yes, people of color can do. What Latinos can do – because he has given all of his life in service of the community,” said Huerta.

De Luna has had a long career in music, forming his own distribution company and record label to bring Mexican music to communities here. He also was a music promoter and owned multiple radio stations across the country, including two Spanish-language ones he still owns in Sonoma County.

“He made such a difference in the 70s when there was not a lot of Mexican people, a lot of Hispanic, and he’s – he made something wonderful by being a mayor and a councilmember for the City of Healdsburg. And I’m really glad that he’s being recognized,” said Miriam Gomez, operations manager of De Luna’s local stations.

During the celebration, county Supervisor James Gore presented a $500,000 dollar check to Corazón Healdsburg, which is housed in the newly-renamed building.

“The County of Sonoma is here for one reason – and it’s to support what we have here right now,” Gore said.

Corazón Healdsburg is a bilingual family resource center offering case management and education, among other services.

De Luna concluded by urging for more Latino leadership, in getting involved, helping local organizations, and running for public office.

“We gotta get involved. Tenemos que envolvernos con la comunidad. Tenemos que ayudar en organizaciones, tenemos que correr para puestos públicos,” said De Luna.