Community Corner

Joanna and Jesse Whitely voted "Healdsburg's Cutest Couple"

Linda and Brad Cott were close second, will claim part of the prize.

Joanna and Jesse Whitely were voted "Healdsburg's Cutest Couple" by Healdsburg Patch readers in the contest that ended just before Valentine's Day Monday.

The Whitelys, one of eight contestant couples, were the top vote-getters with 19 votes. Second place winners were Brad and Linda Cott, with 15 votes. In third place, with seven votes, was Carl and Carol Finwall.

The Whitelys enjoyed their first place prize -- a special four-course, prix fixe dinner at Healdsburg -- Monday night.

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"It was good food, good time," Jesse Whitely said. "The food was very fresh and had great flavors to it --Joanna had the spinach lasagna, which was probably the best thing of the night.

"What was best of all was the atmosphere," he added. "Sometimes restaurants in this area get too involved with being too fancy and lose any 'family' feel to it, where at Affronti, everyone was very chatty and remembered all of the return customers."

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They waived the other portion of the prize -- a photo shoot with Patch columnist Rika Meyer of Rika Fotografia -- in favor of extending it to the Cotts for their second-place finish.

"This is an amazing community," said Jesse Whitely, 28, a dentist at Villaggio Dental in Healdsburg. "Coming out of the concrete jungle [of Southern California], it's just wonderful to be in a small community, with friendly people -- an awesome place to raise kids."

Jesse Whitely, a Modesto native, said he and Joanna Whitely, who grew up in Healdsburg and who graduated from met in college at Walla Walla University in Washington state in 2004.

Joanna Nicola Whitely, now 27, was studying social work and Jesse Whitely was studying biology. They got engaged nine months later, and moved to Healdsburg after college for about six months before getting married in March 2006.

The family next moved to Loma Linda in Southern California so that Jesse Whitely could attend dental school at Loma Linda University. Their first child, Madelynn, was born on July 21, 2008.

Last June, the family moved back to Healdsburg and Jesse Whitely joined the staff at Villagio. The couple are expecting their second daughter on March 11.

"We feel so lucky to be back in this amazing community and are looking forward to raising our girls here," Joanna Whitely said.

Jesse Whitely said good communication is the best secret to their marital success.

"It goes a long way," he said. "It's not always easy, but it helps if you've got someone you can communicate with."

Brad and Linda Cott, meanwhile, said they celebrated Valentine's Day Monday night as they always do -- together, at home alone, with a special birthday dinner for Linda Cott, born on Feb. 14.

"It is a great day to have a birthday," said Linda Cott, assistant manager of the tasting room at in Healdsburg. "But, poor Brad loses out a bit as Valentine's Day is always downplayed since this day is always all about me!!"

Brad Cott, a freelance graphic designer, also works at the UPS Store in Healdsburg, she said.

"We have lived in Sonoma County since 1978 -- first in Windsor, then moved to Healdsburg in '88," Linda Cott said. "We have been married for 30 years and raised both kids in Healdsburg."

The couple has a Linda Cott said. "Our son, Kyle, will be 26 in a few days."

Both of the Cotts' children live in the Los Angeles area, Linda Cott said.

"But we're sure they will eventually come back to their roots when they realize that there's 'no place like home,' especially when home is the 'Burg," she added.

Thanks to -- all of you were extremely cute. Thanks also to the more than 40 readers who voted either on the comments page or via e-mail, and to Affronti restaurant and wine bar for sponsoring the first-place prize.


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