faces eight criminal counts including attempted murder assault and sexual abuse after a 2024 incident in which prosecutors say he groped a woman during a Jet Ski ride then held her under water on a Lake Berryessa dock arrested last year on suspicion of trying to drown a woman in Lake Berryessa will not see the start of his trial Monday assault and sexual abuse after a June 2024 incident in which prosecutors say he groped a woman Chavez’ trial in Napa County Superior Court had been scheduled to begin on Monday one day after his defense lawyer Vincent Maher sought to introduce evidence of the accuser’s sexual conduct – apparently connected to rape accusations she made against a Vacaville man in an unrelated case – that Maher said would weaken the woman’s testimony in court Chavez has been held without bail in the Napa County jail since June 5 a day after law enforcement and prosecutors say he attacked a woman who had joined him for a ride on his Jet Ski at Lake Berryessa (The Napa Valley Register generally does not identify people who say they were sexually assaulted.) An arrest form by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office states that Chavez made sexual advances to his female passenger when his watercraft returned to a dock at Markley Cove tried to drown the woman – who could not swim – by pushing her into the water several times A husband and wife in a nearby houseboat saw the struggle and pulled the woman from the water according to an April 30 pretrial filing by prosecutor Agnes Dziadour Chavez cursed them and then sucker-punched the husband in the jaw chased him around the dock and threatened to kill him before riding away on his watercraft a man who had traveled to Lake Berryessa with the woman that evening was returning to his parked car when a truck pulled up towing a Jet-Ski the Napa County District Attorney’s Office wrote When he expressed his worry about not seeing the woman for two hours one or two people in the group punched him several times Chavez was detained by sheriff’s deputies after he returned to Lake Berryessa to retrieve his Jet Ski He pleaded not guilty June 17 to all charges which include one count of sexual penetration four of assault and two of making criminal threats Chavez could face state prison terms ranging from five to nine years for attempted murder to as many as three years each on the threat counts Chavez’ lawyer Maher earlier sought to dismiss the attempted murder and sexual assault charges but Judge Rodney Stone rejected the motion Dec Chavez’ defense has sought to put the woman’s credibility in question seeking an exception to restrictions on using an accuser’s sexual history against her during a trial A clause in the state’s evidence code allows a defendant accused of a sex crime to file a sealed motion offering evidence of the accuser’s sexual conduct the defense believes undermines the accuser’s credibility it can hold a hearing – without a jury present – where the accuser would be questioned about the defendant’s claim the court can decide what evidence the defendant can introduce at trial and what kinds of questions are permitted Maher’s April 29 filing cited a report the accuser made to Vacaville Police in December 2021 alleging that a man with whom she had had an off-and-on relationship for about three years had raped her three times in the previous nine months including during a Christmas Eve family gathering The filing does not clearly state what parts of the woman’s earlier accusation it considers to be false or misleading Maher’s filing also sought to block a jury from hearing of previous criminal convictions and domestic abuse allegations against Chavez Prosecutors in their filing cited Chavez’ convictions for burglary grand theft and negligent discharge of a firearm between 2008 and 2020 The report also describes a former girlfriend who accused Chavez of slamming her head against a car window during an argument in 2011 while she was seven months pregnant and trying to strangle her during another dispute in 2019 A defense filing April 30 asked the court to block jurors from learning of Chavez’ past convictions saying the crimes are too far in the past to be relevant and have little or no value in determining his “character traits of honesty and credibility.” Whether the accuser testifies at Chavez’ trial – or appears in court at all – remains uncertain despite prosecutors’ efforts to find her and subpoena her to appear the district attorney’s office said in its brief last week (the accuser) may not appear pursuant to her subpoena,” wrote prosecutor Dziadour prosecutors would seek to admit into the trial her testimony from Chavez’ preliminary hearing which took place in October with witnesses under oath You can reach Howard Yune at 707-256-2214 or howard.yune@napanews.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Friends and family of Berryessa's Turtle Rock bar collected the money pined to the ceiling of the cafe to donate to UCSF and celebrate the 15-year 'cancerversary' of Elijah Leung Take a ride around Napa on these motorized ADA-compliant scooters made to look like various critters and creatures Most of Napa’s River Park Shopping Center tenants cater to locals Now a handful of tenants have left the center The sheriff's office reported seizing 13 roosters from a Carneros site where it said the birds were altered and trained to fight other male birds Take a good look at Napa’s Kohl’s building Developers have asked the city of Napa for permission to demolish the building at 1116 First St Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor More than 5,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Co customers in Napa and Sonoma counties were without electricity Monday after the utility raised the sensitivity of power lines due to 55 mph wind gusts and low humidity Lea el artículo en español aquí. More than 5,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers in Napa and Sonoma counties were without electricity Monday after the utility raised the sensitivity of power lines due to 55 mph wind gusts and low humidity. PG&E activated its fast shutoff system Monday to reduce wildfire risk as strong winds swept through the region. The system automatically cuts power within a tenth of a second when something — like a tree branch — touches a line. When that happens, crews must inspect the entire line before turning the power back on, PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland said. Around 1:20 a.m., a tree fell onto a power line along Highway 128 and broke a pole, cutting electricity to 363 customers from north of Calistoga into Sonoma County. Crews made an emergency repair, and power was expected to be restored by 3:30 p.m. Just before 11 a.m., a separate outage knocked out power to 1,340 customers in Calistoga. The power was restored by early afternoon. Two additional outages later Monday morning affected 302 customers near Lake Hennessy and 548 in the Oakville-Rutherford area, for which power was partially restored by 2:15 p.m. Those customers were expected to see power fully restored by 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively. More than 900 customers around Yountville lost power about 2 p.m. and 2,807 customers lost power in northeast Santa Rosa, mostly around Fountaingrove Parkway. Meanwhile, PG&E shut off power to 133 customers near Lake Berryessa for planned maintenance. You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals. Doumani moved to the Napa Valley in the late 1960s, founded three wineries, sold two of them, and lived the life of a bon vivant and raconteur that amounts to a fading breed in the Valley. Winemaker Stu Smith said he knew Doumani was slowing down when he’d missed a couple of lunch dates with his pals, a standing monthly commitment that he and 11 other friends had kept since the late 1970s. In his later years Doumani showed signs of dementia, a reminder that all of them were getting old. “There weren’t a lot of us left,” says Smith, who with his brother founded Smith-Madrone winery in 1971. Food In a competition to whittle down which U.S wines should compete against their French counterparts in a redo of the 1976 Judgment of Paris here’s what it’s like to taste nearly 400 American wines Doumani was born in Los Angeles to Lebanese parents and raised in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood She says that her father’s uncle homesteaded property in Palm Springs and as a youth Doumani was hired to build “dingbats,” rapid-construction apartment dwellings that soon filled with California newcomers but early in his studies was offered the chance to purchase a bar and restaurant in Westwood Village called Dudes — despite being a few years shy of legal age Eventually this took him to the Napa Valley in 1969 “I think he was looking to buy about five acres,” says Aaron Pott a longtime friend who made wines for Doumani for decades “but the broker was offering about 400.” Those acres were in the heart of the Stags Leap District one of Napa’s most esteemed grape-growing regions The matter wasn’t resolved until 1986, when the California Supreme Court affirmed Doumani could use the name Stags’ with an apostrophe after the “s,” thus ending what came to be known as the Apostrophe War. (The two resolved their differences sufficiently to bottle a joint effort, called Accord, after the settlement.) “We were all quite strong in our opinions,” says Smith, “and Doumani was no shrinking violet.” Lunches routinely ran into the dinner hour; the only forbidden topic was politics and, needless to say, the wine flowed freely — so freely that Doumani eventually bought an Airporter-style van so that all of the ‘NADS could get home safely. Doumani himself was never a winemaker; in 2008, he hired Pott to make the Quixote wines. “He made me a deal,” says Pott. “He said, ‘You can make your wine here, and I’ll give you fruit from one-and-a-half acres.’” As monthly payment, Pott received a piece of art from Doumani’s collection. Pott has artworks from Robert Motherwell, Cartier Bresson, Calder and Cocteau, which speaks not only to Doumani’s largesse, but to the depth of his collection. California’s new wave of sparkling wines is hitting its stride These bubbles are rising to the top not because they taste like Champagne — but precisely because they don’t Pott also lunched with Doumani weekly for more than a decade and heard stories of a well-lived life In the mid-1970s family commitments obliged Doumani to take over the management of the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas decades before that city’s family-oriented “This was the height of the mob era,” says Pott “He had stories that could have been right out of Scorsese’s ‘Casino.’” Doumani sold Quixote in 2014 I got to know Doumani because of his love of Petite Sirah (on his labels he always spelled it Petite Syrah) age-worthy red grape variety well-represented among the older plantings on his original property My book about Rhône varieties on American soil titled “American Rhône” included an entire chapter on Petite Sirah for which I interviewed Doumani He always took the contrarian position that Petite Syrah was better suited to the Napa Valley than Cabernet Sauvignon especially when it had some bottle age — and in this he may be right “He never understood why others didn’t love it like he did,” says Pott which hosted many a Carl Doumani dinner until it closed in 2018 Gianna Lussier and Imogen Doumani; and his sister-in-law A fund has been set up in his memory at Providence Community Health Foundation. Funeral arrangements were private. A celebration of life is planned; more details at www.carl doumani.com. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map NAPA Auto Parts is running a special golden paint scheme on Chase Elliott's No 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for this Sunday afternoon's Wurth 400 presented by Liqui Moly NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway In addition to special paint schemes for NASCAR Truck Series driver Daniel Hemric The "NAPA 100" paint scheme is aimed at celebrating NAPA's 100th anniversary and is the perfect way to honor NAPA’s rich history and impact on the automotive industry NAPA was at the forefront of a transportation revolution creating the roadmap for the automotive aftermarket With the rapid adoption of automobiles well underway a century ago more and more individuals across the country needed reliable repair shops to maintain their cars and NAPA continues to step up by embracing new technologies and advancements to keep drivers on the road Here's a look at the champagne gold and NAPA blue colors for Elliott this weekend at the track where he scored his most recent win back in April 2024 Celebrating 100 years of NAPA in Chase Elliott's 10th NASCAR Cup Series season this weekend at Texas pic.twitter.com/Ru06yT1ouU Elliott spoke to the media on Wednesday about the 100th anniversary of NAPA which also coincides with his own 10th year as a NASCAR Cup Series driver for Hendrick Motorsports "They've been a huge a huge piece of my career, a vital of the puzzle, to truthfully my career even becoming a career," Elliott, who has been partnered with NAPA since 2014 "Really can't say enough about them and what they've done for me and my family and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports as well "We've all kind of become a part of one another's families over the years and it's been a really nice and natural fit And it truthfully wouldn't even feel right to go race without them at this point so that's a pretty cool thing when you have that type of relationship with a partner and the people within the company too I appreciate them and they always treat me like they appreciate me is the fact that this is the 25th year of NAPA's involvement as a sponsor In this day and age, it is becoming increasingly harder to retain some of the sport's long-time sponsors, and we've seen this alarming trend time and time again, even among the sport's top drivers and teams and the fact that they continue to serve as Elliott's primary sponsor in a majority of the 36 Cup Series races on the schedule every year says more about their commitment than most realize and he gave an extremely detailed and passionate answer about its importance when asked about it during his media availability "That's a great question," he stated "I think there are a lot of components that go into a good partnership it's making sure that I'm doing my part for them that's relationships away from the race track and every company's a little different which is the kind of flagship company that is NAPA but then they also have a lot of individual store owners across the country the more I've gotten to know a lot of the people across the country that make NAPA what it is "I think it's just making sure that I'm doing my part for all of them but for the mom and pop shops that carry the NAPA banner whether it be store appearances or whatever it may be It's about the relationships within them just making sure they know I appreciate them I can't be more appreciative of what they have done for me and my career That relationship is healthy because they appreciate me and they make it known that they appreciate me "So all that does is just make me want to go to work harder for them every week and those types of relationships are hard to come by but fortunately they have a great leadership group and people who are bought into racing but they're still involved with Ron Capps over in the drag racing world and they're supporters of motorsports in general and so all those things I think are important We want to make sure that we're doing our part as a team to make sure they're getting the value that we think we can bring them." Sunday's Wurth 400 presented by Liqui Moly is set to be shown live on Fox Sports 1 from Texas Motor Speedway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action Can Elliott defend his 2024 victory in the special new NAPA 100 paint scheme © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"7n","src":"7o","url":"7p"},{"type":"7m","value":"7q"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"7t","url":"7u"},{"type":"7s","value":"7v"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands commitment for granted","relatedPosts",[],[],[],4,0,"",{"next":"er"},["5n"],"semantic",{"articles":"em","articlesQueryURLs":"en","bySearchQuery":"5f","excludeProperties":"67","excludedIDs":"eo","isFullPost":"ef","limit":"ep","offset":"eq","onlyQueryURLs":"ef","organization":"er","pagination":"es","properties":"et","sourceType":"eu"},{"type":"el","value":"ev"},{"postsList":"ew"},"Asher's 2025 work marks 10 years of motorsport coverage and nine for Beyond the Flag 2017 and continues to manage the site after being hired by FanSided as Junior Editor in Oct He has been an officially accredited media member for both IndyCar and NASCAR since Sep Celebrating 100 years of NAPA in Chase Elliott's 10th NASCAR Cup Series season this weekend at Texas pic.twitter.com/Ru06yT1ouU "They've been a huge a huge piece of my career, a vital of the puzzle, to truthfully my career even becoming a career," Elliott, who has been partnered with NAPA since 2014 In this day and age, it is becoming increasingly harder to retain some of the sport's long-time sponsors, and we've seen this alarming trend time and time again, even among the sport's top drivers and teams Two NASCAR Cup races get rare sponsor switch for 2025 Sunday's Wurth 400 presented by Liqui Moly is set to be shown live on Fox Sports 1 from Texas Motor Speedway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action NAPA is celebrating 100 years with a special paint scheme on Chase Elliott's No 9 Chevrolet for this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway Bicycle riders and enthusiasts of all ages filled the parking lot of South Napa Century Center on Sunday for the annual Napa Bikefest Bicyclists ride through Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday navigates the Kids Bike Rodeo Course during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday Mayor Scott Sedgley sits for Tube the Mayor during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday A visitor to Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center tries out a low rider bicycle on Sunday decorates her bike during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday Kids had the opportunity to decorate their bike helmets during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday All types of bicycles could be seen at Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday addresses the crowd during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday Bicycle chainwheels are on display during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday Kids navigate the Bike Rodeo Course during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday Young bicyclists ride through Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday successfully throws a bike inner tube around Mayor Scott Sedgley during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday Representative Mike Thompson recognizes Eric Heitz as a Napa County Bike Campion of the Year during Napa Bikefest at South Napa Century Center on Sunday Young denied a bid by Alan Jazeel Martinez to dismiss a second-degree murder charge for the death of 17-year-old Monica Flores after a fentanyl overdose in 2022 Customers at the new Loose Caboose Hobbies in Napa play table top miniature games on Wednesday Table top game are sold at the new Loose Caboose Hobbies in Napa on Wednesday A brand new board game called Deep Regrets is sold at the new Loose Caboose Hobbies in Napa on Wednesday Model train engines are sold at the new Loose Caboose Hobbies in Napa on Wednesday Customers at the new Loose Caboose Hobbies in Napa play table top miniature games on Wednesday Loose Caboose Hobbies has made a big move -- to the Food City center on Old Sonoma Road Loose Caboose Hobbies has made a big move — to the Food City center on Old Sonoma Road After 20 years at the busy Soscol and Third intersection the hobby/craft store now occupies a cozy spot at the “elbow” of a landmark center that has been redeveloped to meet the shopping/dining needs of locals Loose Caboose was founded at a time when model trains not fantasy board games and radio-controlled vehicles which radically expanded its offerings and added “hobbies” to its name Loose Caboose is the county’s only locally-owned dedicated hobby/craft store attracting customers from nearby counties where brick-and-mortar shopping options are more limited Three generations of Dahlgrens have shepherded Loose Caboose The store was founded by Brian’s grandfather Ray Dahlgren Brian worked at Loose Caboose for five years in the 1990s then left to manage a dental office and work as a sales rep in the music business It’s my family’s living legacy,” said Brian They are joined by the store’s long-time employee Most stores provide merchandise and services for in support of everyday existence while Loose Caboose’s essential mission is to help people have fun “Here you’ll find something to help you relax and decompress something that isn’t just 9-to-5,” he said but radio-controlled cars and boats are bigger sellers and so are modern board games that take players into fantasy worlds that can be enjoyed by all ages Warhammer and Magic: The Gathering are among the games that command popular culture today Loose Caboose hosts free game nights and radio-controlled vehicle races as a way to build community among fans and win their business when they go shopping Friday nights are dedicated to Star Wars card games His customers include fourth graders who are making California missions model plane devotees and folks who just want to fly a kite “These are all creative outlets for decompression,” including people who are into “zucchini racing,” Dahlgren said That's a project some Napa elementary schools participate in using actual vegetables Dahlgren said Loose Caboose and the local Michaels arts and craft store commonly refer customers to each other “Are some of my hobbies crafts and some of their crafts hobbies Loose Caboose Hobbies is located at 1809 Old Sonoma Road Free game and racing events occur all weeknight evenings For more information, go to loosecaboose.com You can reach business editor Jennifer Huffman at 707-256-2218 or jennifer.huffman@napanews.com is about to jump to the other side of the tracks Bell Products of Napa is moving its heating air conditioning and sheet metal business from its longtime Soscol Avenue building Bell Products heating and air conditioning has been on Soscol Avenue for 60 years Now it's in the midst of a move to California Boulevard Bell Products has a “for sale” sign on its Soscol Avenue home of 61 years air conditioning sheet metal business founded by Joe Bell isn’t leaving Napa near Third Street to 3210 and 3222 California Blvd The California Boulevard addresses are for a single The move is underway and could last until July Paul Irwin of Bell Products said the California Boulevard building is farther from downtown traffic with contiguous office space and easier loading and unloading for trucks The Bell Products shop where the business fabricates such things as duct work and gutters is already in the new home The Soscol Avenue site was eyed for purchase last year by the Napa Valley Transportation Authority Agency officials talked of creating high-density affordable housing there with residents able to use transit center buses “Transit-orientated developments are a proven method to reduce driving,” the agency's executive director Kate Miller said last July But a deal for the NVTA to buy the Bell site hasn’t happened The agency's board of directors last held a closed session on potential price and terms of payment in November Miller said that buying the site might cost too much she stopped short of saying a potential deal is dead Someone else buying the site could make use of the "mixed use gateway" zoning which can accommodate everything from housing to businesses The 1.59-acre Soscol Avenue site has seven buildings totaling 28,000 square feet It has two separate yard areas totaling 36,000 square feet Bell Products began with brothers Joe and Vic Bell in 1945 They ran their business out of a wagon wheel barn on First Street near today’s roundabouts connecting to Highway 29 and downtown Napa Joe Bell moved his business to Soscol Avenue in 1964 The main building topped by the "Sheet Metal" sign has long been a familiar sight “I’ve been driving to this building for the last 45 years,” Irwin said Irwin said Bell Products has about 100 employees and 25 service vans and serves customers within about 50 miles “We do this for large wineries and large industrial customers.” Bell Products almost left the city of Napa it secured a design permit to build a two-story warehouse in neighboring American Canyon But then the California Boulevard site option came up the company will remain in the city of its birth The new site is already marked by a sign made by Bell Products You can reach Barry Eberling at 707-256-2253 or barry.eberling@napanews.com Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Uncorking wine and spirits adventures around the world.Follow AuthorMay 05 05:49pm EDTShareSaveComment@font-face{font-family: "Schnyder"; src: url("https://i.forbesimg.com/assets/fonts/schnyders/schnyders-bold-webfont.woff2") format("woff2") 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.bg-accent{background-color: #333333;} #article-stream-0 .subhead-embed.font-accent #article-stream-0 .subhead-embed .font-accent{font-family: Euclid,"Noto Sans","Droid Sans","Helvetica Neue",Corbel,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;} #article-stream-0 .subhead-embed.font-size #article-stream-0 .subhead-embed .font-size{font-size: 26px;} #article-stream-0 .subhead3-embed.color-body #article-stream-0 .subhead3-embed .color-body{color: #333333;} #article-stream-0 .subhead3-embed.color-body-border{border-top-color: rgba(51,51,51 #article-stream-0 .subhead3-embed .color-body-border{border-top-color: rgba(51,51,51 0.8);} .bg-body{background-color: #333333;} #article-stream-0 .subhead3-embed.font-accent #article-stream-0 .subhead3-embed .font-accent{font-family: Euclid,"Noto Sans","Droid Sans","Helvetica Neue",Corbel,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}A QR code marker along the Vine Trail provides visitors with real-time information on nearby vineyards Amid the vineyards and tasting rooms of Napa Valley a new way to move through the region is taking shape—not behind the wheel This isn't a fitness track or a scenic loop designed to reduce car traffic and provide a viable alternative to Highway 29 it will run 47 miles from Vallejo to Calistoga the trail offers a markedly different rhythm executive director of the Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition frames the effort as both practical and cultural you'll be able to go from Vallejo and take the ferry from San Francisco to Vallejo and then bike 47 miles up to Calistoga,” she says “And it'll be the only alternative transportation corridor through the Napa Valley.” Napa County's tourism spending was $1.7 billion Part of the newly completed Calistoga-to-St which passes through vineyards and agricultural preserve land The new section links two northern valley towns via a narrow route of pavers It cuts through agricultural preserve land where construction is limited by law and protected by voter-backed zoning measures including 15 parcels granted through easements The trail’s integration with working land is deliberate signage warns visitors to yield to tractors the surface is designed to withstand vineyard equipment crossing the path six-inch base of gravel—replace asphalt to accommodate farm traffic without compromising stability founder and chairman of the Vine Trail Coalition describes the organization as a rare coalition of competing interests from the Sierra Club to the California Farm Bureau Federation is handled by the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District Funding for that segment is shared between the towns of Calistoga This approach emphasizes long-term stewardship a bridge spans the wettest area to protect the underlying ecosystem Their inclusion makes the trail more than a straight-line route; it becomes a moving link through the valley’s open spaces and protected lands Climatic stability is another reason the region lends itself to this type of long-range outdoor route maybe.” That window not only supports local agriculture; it also favors year-round foot and bike travel As the trail lengthens over the next few years the coalition is counting on continued landowner support the willingness of vineyard owners to open their properties to public use has surprised even longtime residents The Vine Trail doesn’t promise faster travel or sweeping change Each segment adds to a quietly growing network that reimagines mobility in a region shaped by car culture “We all come together with the one goal of making this alternative transportation corridor a reality,” McMinn says 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Chase Elliott will be wrapped with a special scheme commemorating NAPA's 100th Anniversary this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.  here’s where to book brunch in Napa Valley and the whole-roasted orata fish at Scala Osteria in Napa A giant map of the Gulf of Naples at Scala Osteria in Napa Whole-roasted orata fish at Scala Osteria in Napa Fried Rhode Island calamari at Scala Osteria in Napa Lasagna with bolognese and béchamel sauces at Scala Osteria in Napa Chef de Cuisine Eric Zuniga prepares an order of meatballs on a bed of creamy polenta at Scala Osteria & Bar in Napa The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford At The Restaurant at Auberge de Soleil in Rutherford Outdoor dining area at The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford Dining al fresco at The Restaurant at Auberge de Soleil in Rutherford Just in time for Mother’s Day, OpenTable has released its list of “2025’s Top 100 Brunch Restaurants,” and three Napa Valley favorites have earned a spot The annual list is based on more than 10.5 million verified diner reviews and dining metrics collected between Jan Restaurants from across the United States were evaluated using a combination of metrics restaurants also needed a minimum number of brunch reviews and Sunday lunch availability Here’s where to book your next brunch in Napa Valley: A Wine Country institution for nearly 40 years Mustards Grill serves up American regional dishes with global flair Chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s signature brunch offerings include crowd favorites like the Mongolian pork chop Niman Ranch burger and crispy calamari with curried slaw oakwood smoker and the aptly named “Way Too Many Wines” list this Yountville favorite is ideal for a relaxed yet flavorful brunch 7399 St. Helena Highway, 707-944-2424, mustardsgrill.com 1141 First St., 707-637-4380, scalaosteria.com Set on a sun-drenched hillside in Rutherford The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil offers sweeping vineyard views alongside a Michelin-starred brunch experience Chef Robert Curry’s Mediterranean-inspired menu features fresh ingredients paired with wines from the resort’s 15,000-bottle cellar seasonal brunch dishes include cold smoked salmon Maine lobster omelet and blueberry buttermilk pancakes Guests can enjoy a luxurious two-course prix fixe brunch on the terrace complete with elegant service and panoramic scenery 180 Rutherford Hill Road, 800-348-5406, aubergeresorts.com/aubergedusoleil Jetting away to a wine getaway just got easier and funding has sparked concerns over equity and the future of school choice They’re just 2 miles apart — Napa High and Vintage High — the only two traditional public high schools in the city Both are part of Napa Valley Unified School District One school has become increasingly low-income and majority Latino The other just sent its choir to Carnegie Hall Under the district’s open enrollment policy families are voting with their feet — and the impact is visible in ways both subtle and stark Picture this: It’s the night of the Big Game Vintage High has a full freshman squad — suited up standing by through the entire junior varsity game Napa High scrapes together just enough freshmen to field a junior varsity team “The difference was astronomical and it felt like a kick in the chest,” said a Napa High parent of three student-athletes recalling the game during a school board meeting two months later “It seems the well-being of our youth depends on the school that they attend.” Even as Napa High boasts unique strengths — including the only International Spanish Academy high school program in Northern California and the district’s flagship Advancement Via Individual Determination college readiness initiative — supporters worry those offerings The socioeconomic divide between Napa High and Vintage High has deepened significantly over the past decade — reshaping not just test scores extracurricular opportunities and the basic resources available on each campus More than 75% of Napa High’s students are now classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged, up from 51% in 2014-15. That rise — measured as students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch — made the city’s more than 125-year-old “flagship high school” eligible for federal Title I funding For the 2024-25 school year a family of four with an annual income of $40,560 or less qualifies for free meals; those earning up to $57,720 are eligible for reduced-price meals the shift has been less dramatic: The share of low-income students has grown from 44% to 59% over the same period Napa High’s student body is nearly 77% Latino and just under 20% white those numbers are 54% Latino and 40% white English learners make up twice the share of students at Napa High compared to Vintage the percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged students has jumped from about 45% a decade ago to 64% today But the divide between its two largest high schools has grown more sharply The past 10 years have marked a clear trend toward population sorting — one that mirrors housing availability and affordability in the neighborhoods each school serves Napa is a diverse city of about 80,000 people with 51% of its population white and about 40% Hispanic More than 55% of households own their home; the rest are renters Napa’s public schools largely reflect the neighborhoods around them The biggest factor in why one school has more low-income students than another is the availability of affordable housing nearby The growing socioeconomic divide between Napa High and Vintage High hasn’t just changed who attends the school — it’s altering both student performance and opportunity 55% of Vintage students met or exceeded state standards in English the gap was nearly identical: 22% of Vintage students met the benchmark the two schools have traded places academically — with Napa occasionally outperforming Vintage But never in the past 10 years have both English and math scores shown such a wide gap Vintage’s varsity football team ranked 262nd in California this year Napa High’s team ranked 784th — more than 500 spots lower Vintage ranked 711th out of 1,359 schools statewide the gap was even wider: Vintage placed 294th; Napa trailed by over 800 ranks The scandal left the roster diminished and athletes shaken Napa High’s girls basketball team also outperformed Vintage Vintage led then too — but the gap has since doubled said he’s watched the school’s music program shrink during his four years he performed in Palm Springs and joined elementary school tours the music boosters couldn’t even afford bus travel for those local concerts “It’s really sad because those were great experiences,” he said Vintage’s choir recently performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City — a trip funded in part by parents and the school’s booster club But greater disposable income doesn’t hurt At the December school board meeting They said parent fundraisers at Vintage earn twice as much as those at Napa They pointed to Vintage sports teams’ dominance over Napa’s And they said this resource and achievement imbalance is further resulting in Napa High losing athletes band members and dual-language immersion students to Vintage Napa High: 76.4% (up from 51.4% in 2014-15) Vintage High: 59% (up from 44.4% in 2014-15) Districtwide (NVUSD): 63.9% (up from 44.9% a decade ago) Defined as students eligible for free or reduced-price meals English Learners: 24.2% at Napa High / 12.5% at Vintage Napa Valley Unified School District enrollment has dropped by nearly 1,000 students (5%) over the past five years a parent-led nonprofit that supports the school’s sports program said in a written statement to The Press Democrat that part of the problem is the district’s open enrollment policy which allows students to request a transfer to any school in the district said the policy helps balance enrollment across campuses and “maximize efficient use of facilities and resources.” With enrollment declining districtwide — down nearly 1,000 students over the past five years — more seats are now available for transfers most families who request transfers to another school within the district are granted them school districts control their own open enrollment policies According to the California Education Code parents can request a school other than their assigned one and districts must honor that preference if the chosen school has space When a school receives more applications than it can accommodate the selection process must be random and unbiased — and cannot consider a student’s athletic or academic ability Districts also retain the authority to “maintain appropriate racial and ethnic balances” among schools “Data shows that when advantaged parents are given the choice to select a school they follow the advice of other advantaged parents without critically evaluating school quality,” the booster board said “We believe this is the case with Napa High School.” say transfer numbers don’t show a significant imbalance the issue is expected to resurface at a May school board meeting According to UC Berkeley education expert Bruce Fuller the Napa situation is part of a broader pattern playing out in districts across the country “Students who go to school with middle-class kids do better than kids who are concentrated in schools with low-income peers,” he said National research backs that up Studies show that school segregation — economic and racial — correlates strongly with achievement gaps lower teacher turnover and better student well-being The state’s own Quality Schooling Framework echoes that idea emphasizing the need for equity within and between schools Meanwhile, a 2024 report shows that racial and economic segregation among U.S schools has grown steadily over the last three decades even as school choice policies have expanded Fuller outlined several strategies school districts can use to counteract economic segregation One is eliminating school boundary zones entirely Another is developing magnet programs— specialized academic tracks in areas like career pathways STEAM or the arts — designed to attract students from across the district including families who might not otherwise consider a lower-income school Some districts also practice “managed choice,” balancing parent preferences with integration goals district leaders say they’re still analyzing the issue “We have students with amazing potential here at Napa schools,” she said “My job is not to sit around and complain because one cohort is less wealthy than the other Mine is to get moving and improve circumstances for everybody.” That’s the fear voiced by parents and staff at Napa High — that without greater investment in students who need it most the district stands to lose not just talent but the equity and shared spirit that once defined its proud cross-town rivalry You can reach Tarini Mehta at 707-521-5337 or tarini.mehta@pressdemocrat.com we remind the community that pets are not allowed at the Napa Farmers Market I am compelled to talk about pets at the Napa Farmers Market Enforcing the California Health and Safety Code § 114.259.5 which prohibits pets within a certified farmers market (because they are considered a food facility like grocery stores and restaurants) is hands down the most unpleasant part of our job as a farmers market operator however having visited many farmers markets across the state I think they just give up and do not try at all meaning folks have different experiences at other farmers markets and there is no consistency Despite No Pets signs posted at all our entrances (and on our website) this feels like a losing battle because we are in an outside space Staff and volunteers watch people with dogs without any visible indicators of a being a service animal (i.e a vest) either miss the signs or see them and ignore them completely Our tactic is to gently inform folks of the law that pets are not allowed at the Napa Farmers Market unless they are a certified service animal these conversations lead to the most nasty and unkind responses I ever experienced at the farmers market Or people just lie (in my opinion) and say their Chihuahua is a service animal At that point we do not question them and ask that next time they wear their service animal vest we get complaints from folks that do not want dogs at the farmers market Last month we received two emails from a customer who is absolutely furious about the number of dogs at the market on a particularly beautiful Saturday (trust me I’m with you!) and accusing us of willfully breaking the law please know at the Napa Farmers Market we are trying our very best to enforce a law that we did not create and is impossible to enforce perfectly Thank you for your understanding and support You can help us by please leaving your furry or scaled friends at home when you visit the farmers market The Napa Farmers Market is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at 1100 West St. in downtown Napa. For more information, visit napafarmersmarket.org As federal prosecutors close a criminal probe into Napa Valley’s landfill operator residents and former workers say the fight for accountability isn’t over A federal criminal investigation involving the company that owns Napa County’s controversial Clover Flat Landfill has been closed — though prosecutors made clear the case could be reopened at any time focused on Upvalley waste operations now owned by Waste Connections Inc. one of the largest waste management firms in the United States federal investigators contacted Napa County for information related to the Upper Valley Waste Management Agency a joint-powers authority overseeing local waste services agents visited Clover Flat and two other related sites In a March 10 letter to a lawyer representing Waste Connections federal prosecutors confirmed they had ended a probe into potential environmental crimes and obstruction of justice The letter did not detail specific allegations “This letter should not be interpreted as an exoneration of your client or a ‘clean bill of health,’” wrote acting U.S Attorney Patrick Robbins and Assistant U.S this letter does not confer any protection .. against future investigative or prosecutorial action with respect to this or any other matter.” did not name the Clover Flat Landfill or Upper Valley Disposal Service on Whitehall Lane — the two facilities now operated by Waste Connections The company acquired them in 2023 from the Pestoni family Controversy surrounding the landfill has long centered on exclusive decades-long contracts granted by Napa County to the Pestoni-run companies as well as ongoing complaints about water contamination recurring fires and hazardous working conditions Waste Connections said the companies had “cooperated fully” and viewed the closure as confirmation of no wrongdoing “(We) believe this decision is a reflection of .. no evidence of wrongdoing by the companies,” the statement read Environmental advocates and local residents have raised concerns for years about public safety groundwater contamination and labor conditions affecting a primarily Latino workforce Jose Garibay Jr., a former Clover Flat worker has said many of those concerns came to a head after the 2020 Glass Fire He and other employees were allegedly directed to clean up the site without proper protective gear or training Waste Connections has said it plans to close Clover Flat Landfill by 2027, citing economic challenges said the federal investigation’s closure doesn’t lessen the need for public accountability — and vowed to keep pushing for oversight “The intimidation into silence of the primarily Latino workforce about the fires and contamination at UVDS/Clover Flat Landfill,” he said You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com Chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller shares a laugh with a chef at CIA at Copia before a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" on Thursday laughs while answering a question during a Q&A for "Chef’s Table: Legends," which was screened at CIA at Copia on Thursday chat with guests before the "Chef’s Table: Legends" screening at CIA at Copia on Thursday Attendees gather for a dinner after a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday Thomas Keller and Alice Waters chat while Jamie Oliver is interviewed before a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday director and producer of the popular show "Chef’s Table," answers a question during a Q&A for "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday Chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller answers a question during a Q&A for "Chef’s Table: Legends" on Thursday Chef and restaurateur Jaime Oliver laughs while answering a question during a Q&A for "Chef’s Table: Legends" on Thursday Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver talk about their careers during the 'Chef’s Table: Legends' screening in Napa Features Editor and Special Projects Editor these three words are the motto repeated throughout the 2007 animated classic “Ratatouille,” a film that follows a rat named Remy as he navigates cooking in a fine-dining restaurant in Paris director and executive producer of the long-running Netflix series “Chef’s Table,” this film has been an inspiration But after 10 years of working on the acclaimed documentary That is the question that drives his work on the series most recently “Chef’s Table: Legends,” which premiered on April 28 Joined by three legendary chefs featured in the season — Thomas Keller Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver — Gelb provided insight into the show The Culinary Institute of America at Copia partnered with The Napa Valley Film Festival on the event held on May 1 as part of the Reel Taste Film Awards allowed the chefs to talk about their culinary origins The evening concluded with a four-course dinner featuring dishes from the chefs CIA at Copia’s Ecolab Theater was filled with audience members clutching cookbooks and exchanging diet and recipe tips as they waited for the event to start Keller — who leads The French Laundry in Yountville — recalled in his “Chef’s Table” clip which opened with a laundry machine swirling being intimidated by fine dining early in his career Keller’s mission was to “eliminate intimidation” both with his management and with the dishes presented to his guests Macaroni and cheese has long been a staple on the French Laundry menu Keller emphasized the importance of quality service over the food on a plate food activist and the founder of Chez Panisse in Berkeley recalled a trip to New York in her “Chef’s Table” clip On her way to a cooking competition where she was the only woman Instead of sourcing ingredients once she arrived she brought the plants onto the airplane with her But “it was a salad people hadn’t seen before” and stood out at the competition Waters noted that when she thinks about facing the impossible Oliver’s “Chef’s Table” clip included footage from a BBC interview with the young chef the interview that effectively launched his career in television Oliver — who was actually filling in for a chef who called out sick — prepares a Tuscan dish at the River Café called a rotolo A variation on the rolled pasta dish was served later at the dinner portion of the event Oliver said he grew up cooking from a young age but he did not really find his passion for cooking until he was around 16 One of his inspirations was seated to his right He remembers reading one of Waters’ cookbooks which proved difficult due to his dyslexia because “Alice didn’t have pictures,” he said at the forum “I fell in love with Alice before I met her,” he added Asked if because he grew up around cooking if there was some resistance to a culinary career “Cooking saved me.” For a child with dyslexia Cooking allowed him to be good at something because Organizers across the United States have framed this year’s protests as a pushback against what they called a sweeping assault on labor protections diversity initiatives and federal employees Lea el artículo en español aquí. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world turned out Thursday for rallies marking International Workers’ Day many united in anger over President Donald Trump’s agenda — from aggressive tariffs stoking fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns thousands of people joined planned rallies in Sonoma and Napa counties at least 300 people gathered Thursday afternoon outside the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Mexican and state of California flags and toting dozens of signs “Justice for immigrants,” “100 Days of Hell,” “Bring back federal workers,” “No DICtator,” “Abolish ICE,” “Democracy not oligarchy” and “Hands Off our Immigrant Neighbors!” the group then marched to Old Courthouse Square downtown where they joined hundreds of others as they listened to music and planned speakers “America was built on all of us coming from other places,” said Mary Pappas as she made her way down Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa with the procession People with signs lined Third Street on the square awaiting the arrival of the walking masses “The abuse and criminal behavior,” Pappas said “They are pulling people out of their homes members of The Hubbub Club band of Sebastopol played tunes as the marchers approached from the north passing drivers honked in support of protest signs that displayed Trump’s face and called for “No Kings!” Thursday’s action and rally on the square was about building connections to protect vulnerable communities from the Trump administration’s actions whether that is deportations or dialing back long-established LGBTQ+ protections “I’m hoping to get connected to more people to be safe,” she said “You are not safe unless you are connected and plugged in you are not safe and that community needs to stand up for you as a trans woman standing up for immigrants,” she said the usual afternoon traffic flowed along the East Washington Street corridor as more than 70 protesters gathered on the south side of the freeway overpass Passing cars — traveling beneath the Highway 101 overpass and along the east-west city street — honked continuously in support of the group Some of the protesters held signs that read “Tariffs Cause Job Losses,” “Save Social Security,” and “Eat the rich.” said many of the participants are “unhappy” with the current the Trump administration He underscored that “May Day is about workers.” People decried the administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research while still others said Trump’s actions are threatening the U.S "A lot of us have been feeling overwhelmed and wondering what the heck we can do in Petaluma we haven't had any events that we could easily get to so I thought that this would be a nice way for people to be able to express their feelings about the horrible regime in Washington," Little said about 200 people turned up at Veterans Memorial Park to protest sang along to a protest song and marched around the city’s downtown bridges waving signs to passing motorists who honked in support Protester Denise Faciani said she’d been at several major protests recently and the potential loss of due process rights is a huge reason people need to be protesting now She referenced the high-profile abduction and deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador by the Trump administration saying that it was important to stand up for due process rights for moral and constitutional reasons Others spoke to the pressures face by immigrants and immigrant workers Napa City Council member Bernie Narvaez said in a speech that he couldn’t help but think of his own parents on International Workers’ Day who immigrated to the United States from Mexico to build a better future “International Workers’ Day is not just any day,” Narvaez said The Associated Press and Press Democrat staff writers Kerry Benefield Edward Booth and Jennifer Sawhney contributed to this report promises updated infrastructure and programs aimed at reducing repeat offenses Napa County’s long-anticipated new jail is slated to open in June marking a major shift in how the county houses and rehabilitates people in custody replaces the aging downtown Hall of Justice jail modern infrastructure and new resources aimed at improving inmate health and reducing repeat offenses The $133 million project — including $97 million for construction and another $36 million for design planning and administrative costs — has been more than a decade in the making Officials celebrated its completion Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by more than 100 people At 332 beds, the cost comes to about $400,000 per bed — on the higher end for new jail construction in California, but in line with other recent projects that include medical and mental health units. For comparison, Santa Barbara County opened its Northern Branch Jail in 2022 at a cost of about $120 million for 376 beds The new Napa facility adds capacity over the current jail’s 276 beds and features dormitory-style housing two dormitory wings with attached exercise yards substance recovery and faith-based programming Sheriff Oscar Ortiz described the new facility as “a modern jail with modern amenities.” He said while its design helps protect the public from dangerous individuals it also recognizes that people in custody remain part of the community — often someone’s family member or loved one Corrections Director Dina Jose echoed that sentiment emphasizing the facility’s rehabilitative focus “This project represents not just bricks and mortar but a vision for a better future — one where we prioritize rehabilitation safety and community partnerships,” she said Finding funding for the jail was a bumpy process with Napa County voters in 2016 rejecting a quarter-cent sales tax hike that would have gone toward the new building funding came from a combination of state and county sources including $23 million in state grant money that required the county to pony up matching funds of around $95 million the jail is expected to cost about $5 million more per year to run than the current facility and will require 18 additional staff members according to county spokesperson Linda Weinreich Supervisor Belia Ramos said the jail was designed not just for confinement “We’re opening the doors to a new era of correctional justice in Napa County,” she said “We have built a safer environment with meaningful opportunities for change benefiting not only those inside these walls Mendocino and Lake counties is just beginning but challenges of oversupply and cautious market response are prompting growers to “mothball” acres or take other vineyard strategies to limit costs until purchases pick up As the North Coast wine grape growing season gets underway the industry faces significant challenges with oversupply issues changing market dynamics and cautious buyer behavior according to leading wine grape brokers and growers Early season indicators show mixed timing for bud break when the first new growth emerges from vines for the season North Coast grape broker for Turrentine Brokerage Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir) are 10 days early in the southern regions of Napa and Sonoma counties and in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley bud break is a week to two weeks behind schedule The oversupply situation affecting the North Coast wine industry has led to fewer contract renewals and limited buying activity "We've seen some buying interest in the last couple of weeks after a long period of nothing," Beckstoffer said "Premium grapes are selling better than average grapes Napa is more in demand than Lake and Mendocino although we just sold some Chardonnay in Mendocino." This cautious optimism contrasts with the stark assessment from Lise Asimont senior vice president of Foley Family Farms She describes the current market as "the worst in my 29-year career." leading to an excess of planted acreage in California and Oregon After a thorough review from late 2024 through March of this year of Foley’s 5,200 planted acreage in from Santa Barbara County north to Walla Walla the company decided to graft to new varieties or fallow 10% to 12% those acres That would give the Foley organization "a year or two of respite in the market," or as Asimont called it, “pumping the brakes.” She called this kind of business planning “cockroach mode,” drawing from a term that’s been traced back to 2013 Specifically identified as being in excess for Foley’s needs were Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon The market challenges stem from multiple factors Klier attributes the oversupply to "economic factors and shipping issues to Canada," with consumer demand shifting towards younger generations Proctor pointed to recent Nielsen data for off-premise sales (grocery and other stores) was down 7% for the first quarter from a year before then everything kind of comes into question," he said He doesn't expect a normal grape market until the 2026 vintage Asimont is aiming for a market recovery in 2027 The oversupply has led to significant vineyard management changes across the North Coast Klier noted that a number of vineyards are being ripped out or put on pause in Napa County while Lake County has seen over 1,000 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon given similar treatment growers in Mendocino and Sonoma counties are more interested in “mothballing” vineyards rather than tearing them out Beckstoffer explained his approach to vineyard replacement particularly vines whose vitality has been sapped by diseases such as red blotch: "We pull vineyards that need replacement and expand the perimeter (to include vines around that)." His company has pulled a couple hundred acres out of production He pointed to a rule of thumb in grape growing of turning over 10% of planted acreage annually Beckstoffer emphasized the importance of maintaining quality and relationships "even if it means spending a little extra.“ Asimont detailed how Foley Family Farms is minimizing farm expenditures by minimally farming certain acreage to be made into wine to be sold to other vintners in bulk Proctor described how some vineyards are being pruned differently: "A lot of wineries have told me we're going to kind of minimize our tongues and we're not ready to pull these vineyards out.'" The bulk-wine market presents another challenge particularly of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Proctor noted that "the bulk side of the markets definitely more active the first three months of the season of this year than last year," though prices for coastal California areas have become more in line with those from the volume-oriented Central Valley Financial pressures are mounting for growers with some unable to secure operating loans without contracts "Even well-managed operations are facing challenges," Proctor said "Some of the better operators are having issues." Climate-change impacts like heat domes and truncated growing seasons are challenging labor management with limited full-time staff and the need for farm labor contractors and mechanization for tasks like leaf pulling and harvesting For small wine companies like Asimont's personal 800-case-a-year Dot Wine tariff-related cost increases for materials like glass present significant challenges Talk of tariffs after the November election resulted in pricing for bottles for the tiny brand jumping by about 25% in the first quarter She also has had to switch label provider to shave costs Beckstoffer sees the current cycle as unique because "it involves a shift in consumer preferences which requires businesses to adapt" to new realities Some investors see the current market as an opportunity Some are looking at the current market conditions as an opportunity to invest," Proctor said Klier expects that bloom will start mid- to late May for early white varietals and early June for earlier reds and Cabernet Market activity typically increases once wineries have a clearer picture of the crop size wineries may wait for spot market prices towards the end of the season," he said The pricing outlook remains challenging. Klier said "wineries are setting prices well below district averages" in the annual state crush report first released each February Because they reflect the previous year’s harvest and in part the conditions of the season before that those county-by-county pricing data don’t reflect current market conditions Proctor brought back a business catchphrase from the “Great Recession” of 2007 to 2009 in which business planners hoped for nil to no sales growth as an indicator of a market turnaround Reach him at jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4256 Jamie Oliver and Alice Waters celebrated the new "Chef's Table: Legends" series from Netflix during CIA at Copia's Reel Taste Awards in Napa on Thursday in partnership with Napa Valley Film Festival Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver pose with other special guests before a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday Guests applaud while watching a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday Attendees gather for a dinner with after a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday Chefs plate food for a dinner that guests will have after a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday Chef and restaurateur Alice Waters laughs while answering a question during a Q&A at CIA at Copia on Thursday Alice Waters chats with a guest before a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver pose for a photograph before a special screening of "Chef’s Table: Legends" at CIA at Copia on Thursday The Vintage Crushers took both games from Napa in a "Big Game" softball double header on Saturday Vintage’s Noelle Rofkahr (5) congratulates pitcher Angie Rubalcava (3) after a strikeout during the first softball Big Game against Napa on Saturday Vintage’s Angie Rubalcava delivers a pitch during the first softball Big Game against Napa on Saturday Vintage’s Carlee Carter (12) gets a hit during a softball game against Napa on Saturday Napa’s Brooklyn Miller warms up near rally posters after her team's first softball Big Game against Vintage was moved to the Grizzlies' field and re-started on Saturday Napa’s Priscilla Morgado Rodriguez (16) tags out Vintage’s Carlee Carter (12) at third base during their first softball Big Game on Saturday Vintage’s Ryann Chaddock (27) breaks away from second base during the first softball Big Game against Napa on Saturday Napa’s Priscilla Morgado Rodriguez (16) attempts to catch a fly ball during the first softball Big Game against Vintage on Saturday Napa head coach Todd Pridy talks to his softball players between innings during their first Big Game against Vintage on Saturday Vintage’s Ryann Chaddock (27) slides head first into second base during the first softball Big Game against Napa on Saturday Vintage and Napa shake hands after the Crushers won the first game of a Big Game doubleheader on Saturday A scene from a softball game between Napa and Vintage on Saturday Angie Rubalcava and the Vintage softball team defeated host Napa 13-0 and 14-0 Saturday in five-inning games the first of which began at Napa Valley College Louise Owens and Eric Heitz of The Calistoga Riding for Focus Team have been named Bike Commuter/Champions of the Year by the Napa County Bicycle Coalition Hulsey has been Napa County Bike Commuter/Champion of the Year along with Napa County teachers Eric Heitz and Louise Owens have been named Bike Commuter/Champion of the Year by the Napa County Bicycle Coalition have been named Bike Commuter/Champions of the Year by the Napa County Bicycle Coalition The honorees will be celebrated at Bikefest on Sunday The award recognizes individuals for their commitment to cycling as a primary mode of transport Hulsey’s name is synonymous with bicycling He has been riding and commuting by bike for 61 years and has promoted biking throughout his career and retirement Hulsey has volunteered at UCI mountain bike races and the Napa Valley Transportation Authority’s Active Transportation Advisory Committee During his time working at Napa State Hospital he developed and led bicycling groups for patients to enhance their physical and mental health Hulsey’s time and talents have been invaluable to both the Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition and the Napa County Bicycle Coalition He now chairs Vine Trail coalition's Programs Committee where he launched the Trail Ambassador program More than 20 volunteer ambassadors are available to provide assistance and information along all three completed segments of the trail when needed Hulsey doesn’t hesitate to lead by example or to offer his personal background for inspiration “I have been handicapped since I was an infant and have always walked with a very pronounced limp,” Hulsey said it was the first time in my life that I felt like a ‘normal’ kid I hope to be able to inspire other people who may not think they can enjoy the benefits that cycling can bring a middle school teacher at Calistoga Junior/Senior High School became aware of the Outride Foundation’s Riding for Focus program through a friend of his who taught the program in a neighboring county Inspired by seeing how much the students enjoyed the program he teamed with co-teacher Louise Owens to advocate for bringing the program to Calistoga After securing permission from the school district and writing a successful grant application the two brought the program to Calistoga in the summer of 2023 The Riding for Focus team has since been teaching around 120 seventh- and eighth-grade students each year to improve their bike handling skills and their understanding of traffic safety The grant brought Heitz and Owens to a three-day training institute provided them with the 12-lesson curriculum that also emphasizes social and emotional outcomes and allowed them to purchase 34 helmets and Specialized Rockhopper bikes The school district provided a facility to store the bikes “I’ve been surprised that so many students were open to learning new and challenging bicycle techniques," Heitz said “Some students had no riding experience and are now riding independently.” Owens noted how the attitude toward reducing car traffic and using bikes to get to school has improved: “The school now has a secure dedicated space for student bikes with racks for youth who ride.” To learn more about this year's honorees, visit napabike.org nearly 500 of you shared your thoughts on what you want from the Napa Valley Register That feedback helped guide our transition to a weekly print edition and more Napa-centered coverage across the board How are we doing? What’s working? What’s not? Take our new reader survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NapaRegisterSurvey and your input helps shape what we cover next we’ll host an open house to talk through the results in person The Napa Valley Register is your newspaper The Napa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an operation it says trained roosters in the Carneros area to take part in illegal cockfights and its alleged owner faces potential charges of animal cruelty and illegal gun possession Deputies served a search warrant April 18 on a property in the 1200 block of Thompson Avenue where they found two dozen roosters that apparently were being trained and physically altered to attack other roosters and those roosters were taken to the Napa County animal shelter The county district attorney’s office is investigating Arturo Covarrubias Jr. on a possible misdemeanor count of possessing trained birds for fighting purposes Covarrubias also may face a felony count of assault rifle possession after deputies found an AK-47 and an AR-15 at the Thompson Avenue property who said deputies also recovered several hunting rifles and a revolver — all of them unregistered Neither Covarrubias nor any other people were present when deputies visited the site His name did not appear in booking records for the Napa County jail as of Thursday afternoon a member of the sheriff’s office’s problem-oriented policing unit said he began receiving complaints of unusual rooster noise on Thompson Avenue in February When roosters are trained to be aggressive to their peers and to fight them “the crowing will be 24/7” instead of taking place at certain hours of the day “When neighbors were complaining about hearing rooster noise all night long it was an indication to me that something might be going on,” he told the Napa Valley Register Observation of and visits to the Carneros property revealed that male birds were being housed in a way that suggested training for fighting purposes Those signs included housing each bird in a 55-gallon metal drum and tethering the animal with a bungee cord to the ground outside — and spacing the drums to allow roosters to behave aggressively toward other roosters without physically harming them Combs atop the head and wattles at the neck were ground down to lessen the chance of injury from blood vessels massed around the head Spurs were filed and trimmed to allow roosters to hold a blade or another fighting tool The altered roosters that were moved to the county animal shelter appeared to be well-fed and well-kept and may have been raised for sale who reported no signs of a cockfight ring or combat activity on the property Eleven other male birds were not seized because they were physically intact and appeared to be paired with hens for breeding While the would-be fighting birds may not have been deprived of food or shelter “the mutilation of them for fighting falls into the cruelty category,” said Walsh The suspected cockfighting training site is a leased 2-acre ranchette that Walsh said could comfortably be looked after by one person — on a far smaller scale than other operations that have been seized elsewhere in California “Chicken” Joe Sanford received a 16-month federal prison term after the discovery of a breeding operation with more than 2,900 gamefowl on his farm in Ceres which prosecutors said sold birds as far afield as Peru and the Philippines State legislation introduced in February aims to toughen penalties for cockfighting not only to protect roosters from blood sport — cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia — but also to slow the spread of avian flu Assembly Bill 928 would outlaw keeping more than three roosters per acre or 25 total roosters on a property with exemptions for commercial poultry farming You can reach Howard Yune at 707-256-2214 or howard.yune@napanews.com. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Friends and family of Berryessa's Turtle Rock bar collected the money pined to the ceiling of the cafe to donate to UCSF and celebrate the 15-year 'cancerversary' of Elijah Leung. Most of Napa’s River Park Shopping Center tenants cater to locals, not wine country visitors. Now a handful of tenants have left the center, or plan to. What's up at River Park?  The sheriff's office reported seizing 13 roosters from a Carneros site where it said the birds were altered and trained to fight other male birds. Take a ride around Napa on these motorized ADA-compliant scooters made to look like various critters and creatures, courtesy of Napa Valley Rydables. Judge Scott R.L. Young denied a bid by Alan Jazeel Martinez to dismiss a second-degree murder charge for the death of 17-year-old Monica Flores after a fentanyl overdose in 2022. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Receive a daily update, along with our weekly Thursday e-edition. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. Watch All Subscriber Events NASCAR SERIES The No. 9 Chevrolet will feature a champagne gold design for this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series event at Texas. The Dawsonville, Georgia-native will have his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet decked out in a one-of-a-kind paint scheme, which features a healthy dose of champagne gold, guaranteed to turn heads and garner attention from fans in the grandstands and watching on television. The NAPA Auto Parts brand has served as a long-time sponsor of NASCAR National Series competition, beginning in the late 1970s when Janet Guthrie drove the NAPA / Regal Ride Shocks entry in the 1976 World 600. Throughout the years, the company has backed the likes of Buddy Baker, Jimmy Means, Michael Waltrip, Martin Truex, Jr., and now, Chase Elliott. The company also serves as a primary sponsor of McAnally-Hilgemann Racing and Daniel Hemric in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Brad Sweet in his sprint car racing program, and NHRA Funny Car racer Ron Capps. NAPA was at the forefront of a transportation revolution when it was founded in 1925, paving the way for the automotive aftermarket. The quick adoption of the automobile sector meant that people across the United States needed repair shops to maintain their cars, and NAPA stepped up to fill that void. Now, as the automotive industry continues to develop a century later, NAPA is still leading the way by embracing new technologies and advancements to keep drivers on the road. Elliott is the defending NASCAR Cup Series winner at Texas Motor Speedway, which also coincides with his most-recent win at NASCARs top-level. The 29-year-old driver will look to go back-to-back at the Fort Worth, Texas, racetrack with a special paint scheme honoring the illustrious history of NAPA Auto Parts. The Würth 400 Presented by LIQUID MOLI will take place on Sunday, May 4 at 3:30 PM ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Chase Elliott will be running a special paint scheme at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend NAPA Racing announced that Elliott and NASCAR Truck Series driver Daniel Hemric will run a special paint scheme to commemorate the company's 100th anniversary 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports will run a NAPA paint scheme with a fully gold base 9 and a NAPA logo in the middle of a blue "100" on the hood Elliott will also have a special decal with the years that NAPA has been in existence 9 NAPA Chevrolet's special look is a great way to celebrate the company's 100th year which is the site of Elliott's last points paying win in the NASCAR Cup Series as it would be one of the most special wins yet More: Chase Elliott reveals controversial take on Throwback Weekend in 2025 which bills itself as a group of “like-minded frustrated adults who’ve decided to channel our anger about a dozen women gathered at Holly Koford’s west Napa home to enjoy homemade desserts and plot their resistance to President Donald Trump and his policies business women and nonprofit administrators is a retired tech worker who has three kids and seven grandchildren the women wrote their concerns about life in America under the Trump administration on Post-it notes which Koford’s two daughters placed on a poster board for everyone to see The concerns ranged from combating misinformation and the impact of tariffs on the global economy to keeping libraries open and maintaining relationships with MAGA friends and family For many in the group, the April 4 meeting was one of their first real acts of political activism. Several of the women have since participated in public demonstrations, including a national “Hands Off” protest that drew an estimated 1,000 people to downtown Napa the day after Koford’s confab “These ladies are fired up,” she said two weeks after the gathering They want to influence the national conversation They want to see how the Democratic Party can appeal to a broader base.” an untold number of women are being spurred to political activism over what they perceive as an erosion of Americans’ rights and values in the early days of Trump’s second term in office They are hosting gatherings at their homes lobbying elected officials and recruiting like-minded members Another example in Napa is The Hive said the idea for the grassroots organization sprang from conversations the pair had outside Pearce Jeffries’ mercantile store in Napa’s SoFi District “I remember having a conversation about how we both know so many people that are kind of spiraling and saying I don't know what to do,’” Pearce Jeffries recalled recently over coffee like a group of angry chicks that want to at least feel better about how they are feeling.” who owns a Napa massage therapy and yoga studio had any significant experience with political rabble-rousing Shields said her only prior act of political activism was when she attended high school in Massachusetts and demonstrated in support of the American government recognizing the mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide the married mother of one felt paralyzed over whether Her hopes of simply waiting Trump out were dashed when he won a second term in office “Then you go to that helpless feeling,” she said seated next to Pearce Jeffries at the coffee shop Based largely on word-of-mouth, The Hive’s inaugural meeting on March 3 at a downtown Napa tasting room attracted about 50 people, exceeding organizers’ expectations. The group’s second meeting was on April 29 at Decant Bottle Shop and Bar Pearce Jeffries authors a weekly newsletter highlighting upcoming demonstrations and other actions Hive members can involve themselves in to push back on the MAGA agenda Shields includes advice on how members can feel more grounded and calm “There’s this political activist part where we need to be strong and write letters and do things and protest but we also need to take care of ourselves,” she said Pearce Jeffries has also been a visible presence at recent demonstrations in Napa Army jacket she purchased at a military surplus store and used a bullhorn to lead hundreds in loud chants This is what democracy looks like!” she yelled Pearce Jeffries acknowledged the calculated risks she is taking by vocally opposing the Trump administration Information about political activities is prominently displayed on the front windows of her Second Street store books and other items that support progressive causes I've decided that if somebody doesn't want to shop at my shop because of my wokeness it’s OK with me because all I ever care about is taking care of people around me,” she said Pearce Jeffries said business remains good and that she’s actually gained 300 social media followers since she began ramping up her advocacy Shields said she’s also comfortable with taking a public stance even knowing some of her clients hold opposing viewpoints and we don’t need to argue about it,” she said Holly Koford is also sensitive to potential blowback But she said she simply couldn’t remain silent any longer “I have a real fear of us losing our democracy and I don’t want my grandchildren to look back and say ‘What did Nana do to stop this?’ I don’t want them to say ‘Nothing.’ I want them to say she was busy Koford stood calmly amid a boisterous crowd of dozens at a busy intersection Half-a-block away on this Saturday morning held a sign that read “No Kings But Us.” The couple are raising three children in Napa acknowledged feeling nervous initially over taking a public stance she feels a duty to her family to speak out It’s a very dangerous situation,” Healy said of the Trump administration “I think raising children puts into very sharp focus what their future could be like I never want to look back and wish I had done something differently.” More connections are being made as these nascent political movements grow said she meets weekly on Zoom with the local leaders of several activist groups to share information and coordinate strategy “Success to me looks like we made it through however long this administration is in power and that we’re able to make people feel better about being involved in politics and taking a stand,” she said Koford followed up the April 4 meeting at her home with a survey asking attendees to rank their priorities going forward The findings will be presented at the group’s next meeting “I think the biggest change has been within myself,” Koford said “I used to be careful about not saying things in front of groups that would disagree with me But the more we go down the MAGA road and Donald Trump takes the position of autocracy MarketingGolden Rule: NAPA running gold schemes at races to salute a century in businessBrand to run scheme in three races NAPA Auto Parts is running gold paint schemes this weekend on several race cars it sponsors -- including its most prominent with Hendrick Motorsports -- to celebrate its 100th anniversary as a company which is part of the publicly traded Genuine Parts Co. has been a sponsor of driver and fellow Georgian Chase Elliott since 2014 when it also started a major B2B relationship with Rick Hendrick to supply his car dealerships’ service centers with all of its service parts and accessories Elliott won a championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports before he graduated to the Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports in 2015 This weekend’s celebration will include a gold paint scheme on Elliott’s No 9 Chevy at Texas Motor Speedway plus running the same paint scheme in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and a High Limit sprint car race at the same complex About 10-20 company execs and guests will be on site at Texas and are planning a company dinner the night before the race Bespoke Sports & Entertainment works with NAPA Remarking on how Hendrick and NAPA became key business partners away from the race track by finding the common thread of working with Elliott on it HMS Vice Chair Jeff Gordon told SBJ: “I truly do -- and we do at Hendrick -- look at it as a partnership because of how closely tied we are and our businesses rely on one another … It’s probably been for us about a year planning for this event this weekend and every time we’d get on the phone with them you could just sense their excitement for the way this weekend was shaping up.” HMS is one of NASCAR’s two remaining four-car teams and Gordon said the organization has largely filled its sponsorship inventory this year and is seeing positive signs for the sport in that realm The four-time Cup Series champion added: “We’re pleased interest and RFPs going around and people coming to visit our campus that are interested It’s hard to close deals but at the same time when you feel like there’s more activity or interest the deals you’re going to close are also going to increase I think there’s still a little bit of a battle as far as pricing but we are definitely seeing more interest than we’ve seen in a long time.” Its Automotive Parts Group that NAPA is a part of saw a 0.8% drop in same-store sales With 132 locations selling 26 brands of cars Hendrick Automotive Group says it is the largest privately held dealership group in America Angie Rubalcava has saved the best of her four solid varsity seasons for last In her third year as the Vintage High softball program’s primary pitcher the senior came into Saturday’s Big Game doubleheader against Napa High with two one-hitters this season and one-upped herself with a perfect game in the opener as Vintage won 13-0 in five innings Napa also had no base runners in the five-inning second game which the Crushers won 14-0 with their three pitchers of the future — junior Noelle Rofkahr (one inning four K’s) and freshman Carlee Carter (two innings Rubalcava was a combined 3 for 7 with two RBI and three runs scored in the two games That gave the senior the most career RBI by a Crusher since Baylee Robben drove in 91 in 101 games from 2012-15 Rubalcava was extremely efficient in Game 1 throwing just 59 pitches while striking out 14 of the 15 batters she faced “I think it's a very special moment to work for that for four years,” Vintage head coach Megan Lopez said of the perfect game to have that happen is a testament to her work ethic and who she is as a player and also just a special moment for our community Rubalcava said she wasn’t worried about the pitching gem that was on the line I didn't even know I was having a perfect game,” she said “I think I was just going inning by inning and pitch by pitch.” Rubalcava was able to do it thanks to a strong command of her fastball a pitch she uses to get ahead in the count but sometimes my rise balls will get a little flat so it can be more of a fastball,” Rubulcava said That's why I was also working on my pitches mostly but I still need to perfect my movement pitches.” taking away any Big Game jitters and getting the momentum in their dugout the Big Game is emotional and anything can happen,” Lopez said So our goal and our mindset is to take care of business and I think the girls handled that very well.” Vintage scored once in each of the first two innings Rubalcava and Rofkahr reached on errors and Rubalcava scored when Desiree Griffith reached on an error A double to left-center by Carter brought in Rofkahr and Griffith a triple to left-center by Ryan Chaddock plated Carter and a double by Aby Sims brought in Chaddock to make it 10-0 The Crushers started Game 2 with a nine-run explosion in the first They added four more in the second and then one in the fourth 1-9 VVAL) kept it close for most of the first game thanks to the tough effort of senior pitcher Brooklyn Miller The fourth-year varsity hurler also worked in relief in Game 2 and navigated the lineup by mixing up her pitches “What I know about Brooklyn is she's going to show up every day,” Napa High head coach Todd Pridy said “She's going to show up with a smile on her face I don't think as a coach you can ask for anything more than that.” The Grizzlies are a very young group with only two seniors But Pridy has seen improvement since the beginning of the season “While it certainly didn't show up on the scoreboard today and quite frankly hasn't shown up a lot on the scoreboard they are committing to what we're asking of them — especially my hitters We ran into a buzz saw today in that first game and in the second game The day began at the Napa Valley College field which hadn’t been played on regularly since Justin-Siena used it as its home field in 2018 while its current diamond was under construction An issue popped up with the home plate and everyone was forced to move to Napa High where the game restarted nearly a half-hour later While it was something everyone had to deal with no one had ever had a game moved to a field that hadn’t been prepped for play “It was a little hectic on my part,” Pridy said I had to send my son (Jason) ahead to come drag it Yesterday was literally the first time I've left the field without dragging it “What I appreciate is Megan's flexibility — she didn't have a problem with it at all — and the officials willing to extend their day because it was supposed to be at 10 a.m I didn’t hear one grumble from either side.” Lopez was happy to see Vintage play with the same focus after the venue change “I think it has the opportunity to mess with the girls or whatever But I was happy that our girls kind of came back out here and my sister played for Napa High softball and they did a spring tournament there,” Pridy said of NVC “It went from late afternoon to finishing under the lights It also meant a lot for Lopez and Michelle Hobbs Hobbs won 200 games in 11 seasons as head coach at NVC but the program has been on hold since 2016 due to a lack of players “Starting our game over at Napa College was definitely a full circle moment for Coach Hobbs and I both coaching under her and playing under her,” Lopez said “Now with the roles reversed on the coaching end we were trying to find base anchors and line the field ourselves It was just a special moment to see so many people coming on the field and helping line the field I hope these girls recognize how strong the community is and how much the game of softball has brought all of these people together.” Napa was to end its season with a trio of road games — at 4:30 p.m Vintage was to host fourth-place American Canyon in its Senior Day game on Wednesday before Friday’s home game against Petaluma which it was tied for second place with coming into the week Justin-Siena's Jake Fletcher is greeted at the plate after his two-run homer against visiting Napa High on Thursday Justin-Siena's Henry Meyers (44) dives back to second base as Napa High shortstop Mason Bartlett (3) takes a pickoff attempt on Thursday Justin-Siena's Drew Sangiacomo (6) celebrates after his first-inning double off Napa High's Jack Herlax (7) on Thursday Napa High pitcher Jack Herlax winds up at Justin-Siena on Thursday Justin-Siena's Tommy Malloy slides into third base for a triple against visiting Napa High as head coach Jeremy Tayson tells him to stay on the bag Thursday Justin-Siena's Jake Fletcher scores his second run in the third inning against visiting Napa High on Thursday Justin-Siena pitcher Spencer Nelson winds up against visiting Napa High on Thursday looks to turn a double play after forcing out Napa High's Camden Aaen on Thursday Justin-Siena’s Jake Fletcher nearly hit for the cycle while leading the Braves past visiting Napa High in Thursday’s Vine Valley Athletic League game Justin-Siena pitcher Griffin Messenger strikes out Napa High's Ari Massey and Koa Robinson for two of his five strikeouts on April 22 It’s hard to hit for a cycle in a high school baseball game But coming close will certainly open some eyes Justin-Siena’s Jake Fletcher came up only a double short while leading the Braves past visiting Napa High It wasn’t a very surprising line for the fourth-year varsity player who has been quietly heating up over the last few weeks He’s cracked a pair of long balls in that span to give him the team lead in round-trippers “I just stopped putting pressure on myself,” Fletcher said of a change in mindset that has led to him being arguably the best hitter in the league Looking at it from the pitcher's mound when I’m in the box 7-1 VVAL) on the board in the first inning after Drew Sangiacomo (1 for 3) doubled down the left-field line “I think you're seeing a guy who’s really embracing the moment,” Justin-Siena head coach Jeremy Tayson said of Fletcher “We’ve said it every time we’ve spoken about him is that he’s a four-year varsity guy So I think he’s coming to the tail end of his time here and just really embracing it and trying to create as many positive moments as possible not just for himself but really for everyone The Braves added another run in the third when Fletcher tripled into the left-center gap and scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Xiano Ortega (1-for-2 Justin-Siena scored its last two runs in the fifth when Fletcher and Ortega singled to put runners on the corners both scored when Henry Meyers (1 for 3) reached on an error Tommy Malloy (1 for 4) also tripled for the Braves who have swept both of their local rivals for the first time in the seven-year history of the VVAL “I think there’s a lot of pride in all the programs in town here,” Tayson said “So anytime you’re able to emerge with a win you’re feeling a lot of pride for your own deal just because knowing how much respect is shared between all three programs Napa High pitcher Frankie Robinson allows Justin-Siena's Tommy Malloy to get to third on a bad pickoff throw before striking out Drew Sangiacomo on April 22 1-9 VVAL) had a rough day on the offensive side They had only one runner in scoring position all day when Frankie Robinson opened the third inning with a single and got to second on a Gabe Reyes sacrifice bunt Robinson has been a steady presence for the Grizzlies He plays first base and is their Tuesday starter on the mound getting the first of Napa’s two hits off Justin-Siena pitcher Spencer Nelson he had a bases-loaded double that he put basically off the warning track and I think that was the big hit that he needed then to go ahead and get the confidence that he showed now,” Napa High head coach Jason Chatham said “Today he showed that he’s going to give you a confident at-bat He's a big kid and he just kind of dropped his hands down into the zone The Grizzlies’ other hit came from Camden Aaen who reached on an infield single in the fifth and ended the day 1 for 2 Chatham very happy to see his club keep the game close throughout is that we are far more competitive than the way that our record or the scores are ending up,” he said “I felt like we were in that game the entire time Nelson worked six innings for his fifth win of the season striking out 7 and allowing no walks or hit batters The senior right-hander threw a very efficient 72 pitches Connor Zuehlsdorff pitched the seventh and faced four batters Taking the loss despite pitching well for Napa was Jack Herlax The sophomore right-hander worked six innings and struck out 2 He did it by mixing up his pitches to help navigate the loaded lineup on the other side “I thought Herlax really took a step forward today as a pitcher,” Chatham added That was really our focus from the week in practice is we're gonna eliminate the walks and we’re gonna cut down on the errors.” With Casa Grande losing 5-0 at Petaluma on Thursday putting those crosstown rivals in a second-place tie behind Justin-Siena the Gauchos will hungry when they visit the Braves at 4:30 p.m The battle for league supremacy will continue two days later at Casa Grande Tuesday for the first of their two Big Games the other being at the Grizzlies’ Mount Field two days later Those matchups are always important to these clubs Another VVAL game Thursday saw fourth-place American Canyon (9-11 4-4 VVAL) beat Sonoma Valley 7-5 on the road to earn a split Napa County — Caltrans is scheduled to implement lane closures on State Route 29 (SR-29) from Sierra Avenue to Napa River Bridge from Sunday and on Sunday April 27 through Thursday May 1 from 8 p.m The lane closures will allow construction crews to grind away old asphalt and replace it with new pavement Crews will also temporarily restripe lanes and install K-rail Northbound and Southbound SR-29 lanes will be closed at different times and at least one lane will remain open during construction artistic flair and a winemaking career that defied convention Doumani left a lasting mark on Napa Valley’s culture and landscape known as one of the most original and colorful of Napa Valley’s legendary winemakers He had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for the past seven years A larger-than-life bon vivant and art-loving iconoclast Doumani leaves a legacy of enjoying the good life — one that led many to marvel at his longevity His first property in Napa Valley was the historic Stags’ Leap Winery which sparked a court battle over winery names with his neighbor that was famously dubbed “the battle of the apostrophes.” designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser — the only winery in Napa Valley without a straight line the “Gastronomical Order of Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society,” a group of fun-loving vintners in Los Angeles to Peter Khier Doumani and Lillian Abdun-Nur Doumani Doumani became a lifelong risk-taker — beginning when he dropped out of UCLA to buy into a popular bar near campus and we were just planets that orbited him,” said his daughter “But his velocity and personality took us places — and it took us to Napa in 1971 He just decided that Los Angeles was not a good place to raise kids.” his wife and four children moved north to the Napa Valley then a farming region producing mostly nuts a historic 400-acre estate with a stone Victorian manor house that had been abandoned for 17 years He decided they would open an inn and sell grapes from the vineyards they purchased Stags’ Leap — only to learn that county regulations didn’t allow inns on agriculturally zoned land the family renovated the old house and moved in Stags’ Leap’s vineyards were planted to Petite Sirah and Chenin Blanc Doumani took advice from Lee Stewart of Chateau Souverain and began making wine from the estate grapes — even as Napa’s reputation was shifting toward Cabernet Sauvignon Doumani spent a year as vice president and general manager of The Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas The Stags Leap area was named for a local legend of a deer leaping over nearby Palisade mountain When Winiarski founded Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in 1973 “These were not two guys who were going to sit down with a bottle of Jack Daniels and work it out,” Kayne Doumani said By 1986, the case reached the California Supreme Court and that both wineries were entitled to use the name the court ordered Winiarski to use an apostrophe before the “s” — while Doumani’s would go after Doumani sold Stags’ Leap to Beringer but kept part of the original property to launch a new brand: Quixote Wines he persuaded Hundertwasser to design his only North American building — the whimsical “The Ayatollah Doumani — he would love to have that in print,” quipped winemaker Aaron Pott One of the most unique people I ever met — even in the way he hired me.” Pott said Doumani first offered him a winemaking job in 1996 (He said) ‘I’ve fired everyone I’ve ever hired.’” That conversation repeated every year until 2008 I’ll give you an acre of Stags’ vineyard grapes and a piece of art every year.’ I went to work for him — and it lasted 10 years I think I was the only person who lasted more than a couple of years.” He had the greatest stories — and they were all true You could write a whole book about his running the Tropicana Hotel,” Pott said “To me he was one of the most generous people I’ve ever met yet when he learned they were interested in something he would bring them something from his collection of trinkets,” he added he began producing and selling mezcal under the Encantado label — long before the spirit gained popularity in the U.S He also pioneered the use of screw caps for premium wines despite pressure from Portuguese cork producers to stick with tradition He sold Quixote in 2014 but kept 2 acres of hillside vineyard to produce his final label which ceased production in 2018 as he neared 90 “He was a unique — a great friend — and I loved him dearly,” said Stuart Smith owner of Smith Madrone Vineyards & Winery He would go to New York with Leslie Rudd and find all kinds of things Providence Hospice Napa Valley — the organization that had helped care for his longtime partner The hospice also supported Doumani in his final days “He was a character with a capital ‘C’,” Kayne Doumani said He was more up-to-date — but I never minded Even when he was older and dealing with Alzheimer’s A memorial fund has been set up at give.providence.org/NapaValley/carl-doumani-memorial or through Providence Community Health Foundation A celebration of life is planned. More details are available at carldoumani.com The Napa County Civil Grand Jury conducted an eight-month investigation into Pope Valley Union Elementary School District Its report cites years of leadership failures at Napa County’s smallest school — but families say deeper issues remain each county has a civil grand jury made up of everyday residents tasked with investigating how local government and public agencies operate which decides whether to indict someone on criminal charges in some jurisdictions a civil grand jury investigates public agencies and officials — from school districts to cities to special districts — and issues reports with findings and recommendations • Civil grand juries are made up of volunteer citizens selected to serve for one year • They often investigate complaints from the public but can also initiate their own inquiries and those interviewed cannot discuss their participation until a report is released • Agencies named in a report — like a school district — are typically required to formally respond within 60 to 90 days • While grand jury reports don’t carry legal force they can bring public attention to misconduct or long-standing problems — and pressure local officials to act For more information on Napa County’s civil grand jury, visit napa.courts.ca.gov They’ve described a school in disarray: learning setbacks from staffing upheaval decisions made without community input and an increasingly hostile climate especially for Latino families who make up the majority at Pope Valley Union Elementary School Now, a Napa County civil grand jury report released last week validates many of those concerns citing “widespread issues with district leadership and school operations.” The report faults the one-school district which serves fewer than 50 students in a remote corner of northeast Napa County for failing to provide a safe learning environment consistent instruction and reliable transportation It calls for a long-term strategy to improve student outcomes and build a more inclusive culture Many of the issues outlined in the report — from staffing instability to the exclusion of Spanish-speaking families — were already brought to light by parents and previously reported by The Press Democrat While many parents blame Superintendent Kim Kern and the current school board for the school’s turmoil, the report places most of the responsibility on past leadership. It points specifically to the long shadow case by former school employee Benjamin Casas who was convicted last year of sexually abusing five children during his time at the school between 2013 and 2017 but we can shape our future,” school board president Brian Varner said The report attributes “significant rifts” within the school community to the period surrounding Casas’ abuse and conviction recommending that the district rebuild trust and work more closely with the Napa County Office of Education Casas was convicted in February 2024 of four counts of oral copulation on a minor and 18 counts of lewd acts Victims said the abuse occurred both on and off campus during his employment at Pope Valley a period that overlapped with then-Superintendent Ken Burkhart Burkhart resigned in 2022 — after seven years leading the district — shortly before Casas’ arrest The report does not name Burkhart or other former administrators but says prior superintendents failed to ensure student safety and allowed concerning behavior to go unaddressed It notes a former principal permitted Casas to be alone with students in a “concerning” manner The report says the district lacked clear academic standards special education staff and bilingual teachers even though 40% of the students are English learners just 19% of students met the state standard in English and 21.6% in math The school has since been flagged by the state for low academic performance and placed on the Williams Monitoring list for 2025-27 the grand jury expressed optimism about the school’s current leadership It praised Superintendent Kern — who took over in 2023 — for stabilizing operations and said the current board appears committed to improvement the school hired a Spanish-speaking teacher and a part-time special education instructor It has also increased financial reserves and upgraded its website to improve communication with families though the initiatives I’ve introduced are still in their early stages they are critical to improving education and student outcomes,” Kern told The Press Democrat But many families feel otherwise — and say the jury missed the mark The report’s favorable view of Kern stands in sharp contrast to calls for her removal from 14 families — representing about 35 of the school’s 48 students — especially after two popular teachers including the newly hired Spanish-speaking instructor “They’re saying things are fine with the new superintendent but I don’t agree with that,” parent Ofelia Chavez who said her child was repeatedly yelled at by staff things worsened — and her children now attend school in St dozens of families packed a school board meeting to defend the dismissed teachers and to express mounting disillusionment with Kern They questioned how the district will replace the educators particularly given how difficult it is to recruit in remote Pope Valley — a challenge the grand jury report itself notes Middle schoolers — who make up more than a third of the student body — spent much of the 2023-24 year without a consistent teacher was dismissed in December without public explanation the remaining three full-time teachers were reassigned midyear to different grades — changes all had reportedly resisted Parents say these decisions were made without community input the continued absence of bilingual office staff has only deepened their sense of exclusion whose family has longstanding ties to the school said families connected to Casas — including her sister who was once married to him and worked as a school secretary — are now being mistreated by district leadership who have worked in custodial and maintenance roles for more than 20 years and nieces and nephews who currently attend the school “I have seen her do some amazing work at this school,” said Deanna Reister the mother of a second grader and two former Pope Valley students and I’ve seen her bring positive changes to the school.” The eight-month grand jury investigation began with a parent complaint alleging that the district treated Latino families unequally While the report says it found no evidence of discrimination it acknowledged that the district’s lack of bilingual support in the past left Spanish-speaking families feeling disconnected The school still lacks a bilingual office staff member It relies on a contracted interpreter for major meetings and a phone translation service for daily communication One Spanish-speaking parent who filed the original complaint said she felt the investigation was flawed “I don’t think it was investigated correctly,” she said “I’ve been in touch with the witnesses I put down — they were never called It feels like they just took the words of the principal as the truth.” She said her son has been yelled at by the principal and now wakes up anxious Her family does not plan to return to the district next year The parent said she met with grand jury members once during the investigation and an interpreter facilitated the conversation Grand jury foreperson Arthur Roosa told The Press Democrat that interviews must be conducted in English by policy He added that interviewees are barred from sharing details of their meetings with jurors until the report is made public “This might have impacted the reliability of this (parent’s) information,” he said and representatives from neighboring Howell Mountain Elementary and St The grand jury recommends the district develop a long-term strategy to improve student outcome and rebuild trust by the start of the next academic year The district has 90 days from April 23 to formally respond Napa County Superintendent of Schools Barbara Nemko has also been invited to respond within 60 days the next step is filing formal complaints through the district’s Uniform Complaint Procedure process who founded Stags' Leap Winery and others during more than half a century in the Napa Valley who founded and owned a succession of wineries during more than half a century in the Napa Valley who in the 1970s turned 100 acres of decades-old vineyards into the Stags’ Leap Winery He had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for about seven years according to a statement released by his son Jared Doumani and daughter Kayne Doumani leapfrogged from owning a bar to owning restaurants to land speculation before moving north with his wife and four children to Napa County in 1970 Though fruit and nut orchards dominated Napa agriculture at the time the newcomer was drawn to the valley by a 400-acre tract with grapevines and a derelict Victorian manor house he planned to refashion into an inn – until he learned that the then-recent passage of the county Agricultural Preserve forbade such conversions on farmland Doumani bought the property anyway for $525,000 and soon showed a maverick’s streak that persisted through his decades as a winemaker his children said in the statement announcing his death Although Cabernet Sauvignon already was becoming known as the Napa Valley’s preeminent wine grape Doumani left in place the Petite Sirah and Chenin Blanc grapes already on his land producing wines with help from Lee Stewart of Chateau Souverain Despite setbacks like the bankruptcy of his land development business Doumani and his wife Joanne kept Stags’ Leap Winery afloat and it eventually thrived on the tide of a rising Napa wine industry in the 1980s and 1990s He sold the winery to Beringer Wine Estates (now Treasury Wine Estates) in 1997 Doumani battled for more than a decade to keep his right to use the Stags’ Leap name which he shared with the Stags Leap viticultural district – and with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars whose Cabernet Sauvignon’s victory in the 1976 Paris Tasting catapulted Napa Valley winemaking to worldwide renown and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ founder Warren Winiarski spent years maneuvering in court to keep the rights to their versions of the name before each was allowed to use it with different placements of the apostrophe (Other wines can carry the words “Stags Leap District” without an apostrophe if at least 85% of their grapes are grown in the Stags Leap District American Viticultural Area Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau recognized in 1989.) Keeping part of Stags’ Leap Winery’s original land whose Petite Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon won high regard he housed Quixote in a whimsical building designed by Friedrich Hundertwasser – without any straight lines – to house not only the winery but Doumani’s art collection Doumani broke with a tradition far closer to the wine itself – the way its bottles were sealed Eschewing the traditional cork stoppers he said tainted about one bottle per case becoming one of the first high-end wine producers to adopt a feature long derided as fit only for downmarket brands Doumani sold Quixote in 2014 but retained two acres of hillside vines for his final wine label ¿Como No Doumani was a member of the Napa Valley Vintners trade group earlier in his career but later left eventually joining 10 other winemakers in forming the Gastronomical Order of Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society a social group with the cheeky acronym GONADS “They had monthly lunches that would sometimes continue through dinner and created more problems than they solved,” Kayne and Jared Doumani wrote “When the heat from those lunches got to be too much he and some of the other GONADS would head to Zihuatanejo Mexico to avoid any forms of persecution or prosecution This led him to start producing and selling mezcal under the Encantado label in 1995 a time when nearly no one outside of Mexico drank mezcal.” Michael and Peter; and two grandchildren and a sister-in-law which made its longevity a surprise,” the announcement read “His very individual approach was a beacon and inspiration to many in the areas of art His metaphorical voice was unique and powerful and being on the receiving end could be daunting many of his friends recounted how Carl had supported them in life and business as he was a champion for those he believed in Many he knew have and will continue to be guided by his spirit.” A memorial fund in Doumani’s name has been set up to benefit the Providence Community Health Foundation and Providence Hospice Napa Valley, which tended to Doumani and Hunter in their respective final days, according to the statement. Contributions can be made online at give.providence.org/NapaValley/carl-doumani-memorial or to the Providence Community Health Foundation at 414 S Funeral arrangements were private. A celebration of Doumani’s life is planned, with details available at carldoumani.com A new jet service is coming to Napa County Airport — and it could change how locals fly to LA and beyond Napa County is getting a new flight path to Southern California — just in time for summer travel Starting July 3, public charter jet company JSX will offer nonstop flights from Napa County Airport to Burbank and Orange County more relaxed alternative to commercial airports The move comes after Napa County supervisors approved a space license agreement Tuesday with Skyservice Napa JSX will launch service from the airport’s general aviation terminal and move into Skyservice’s new state-of-the-art facility once construction is complete “The introduction of the new public charter jet service marks an exciting step forward offering travelers to and from the region a convenient “It’s a smart and strategic use of the airport space reflecting our ongoing commitment to enhancing the experience and expanding the services available to our community.” JSX is a U.S.-based public charter air carrier that offers a semi-private travel experience Operating out of private terminals rather than commercial airport gates JSX flights typically use 30-seat jets and allow passengers to arrive just 20 to 30 minutes before departure The company markets its service as a “hop-on jet” alternative The announcement marks a rare step for the area where commercial air service is limited — and for travelers shorter lines and more Wine Country weekends It also signals a turning point for Napa County Airport itself which is in the midst of a major facilities and services upgrade Skyservice, based in Toronto, officially broke ground in October on a permanent home at the airport — a 60,000-square-foot terminal and hangar complex that will anchor its private jet operations which arrived in Napa in 2023 and has been operating from a temporary facility signed a 30-year lease with the county and will continue service during construction Skyservice’s new center will include a luxury fixed-base operator terminal office space and a 40,000-square-foot hangar large enough to accommodate top-tier private aircraft such as Bombardier “We are thrilled to begin construction of our new private jet center in Napa,” said Benjamin Murray “Now is the ideal moment to connect the local business aviation community with a private jet center that aligns with the esteemed reputation of this region.” calling the development a key part of the airport’s long-term modernization plan “The fixed-based operator is critical to the redevelopment of the Napa County Airport,” Airport Manager Mark Witsoe said Skyservice is one of two fixed-base operators at the airport — the other, Atlantic Aviation broke ground in September on its own new terminal Both companies signed identical 30-year lease agreements with 10-year renewal options in late 2022 their projects are expected to bring more than $130 million in value to the county over the life of the leases with construction investments totaling at least $27.2 million in the first phase Napa County Airport had just one fixed-base operator That changed in recent years after Atlantic Aviation acquired Lynx FBO Network with new terminals rising and charter service expanding the county’s once-sleepy airfield is quickly gaining altitude Vintage's Travis Larsen pitches to a Napa batter during his first start on the mound Thursday Napa's Matt Hutchinson (14) scores against visiting Vintage on Thursday Napa third baseman Niko Titolo gets ready to tag out Vintage's Blake Porter on Thursday Napa's Jack Herlax pitches to a Vintage batter Thursday Vintage head coach Billy Smith confers with Lucas Henry before he bats against Napa on Thursday Napa shortstop Mason Bartlett snags a line drive as Vintage's John Bullock dives back to second base on Thursday Vintage's Soren DeYoung pitches in relief to a Napa batter Thursday Napa head coach Jason Chatham visits visits the mound against visiting Vintage on Thursday The Vintage High baseball team didn't have much luck against Napa starter Jack Herlax until the sixth inning Thursday Vintage middle reliever Soren DeYoung strikes out Napa's Mason Bartlett before getting Cillian Shannon to ground out on May 1 The Vintage High baseball team wanted to stay in contention for a spot in the four-team Vine Valley Athletic League playoffs Napa looked to finish its season with a Big Game upset on Senior Day and a young pitcher gave the Grizzlies hope by shutting out the visiting Crushers for five innings at Mount Field by getting four solid innings from junior submariner Travis Larsen in his first start on the mound before breaking through against Napa sophomore Jack Herlax in the sixth and rallying for an 8-1 victory Larsen came away with a no-decision after holding the Grizzlies to one unearned run on one hit — senior captain Mason Bartlett’s RBI single in the second — with four strikeouts despite three walks and two hit batters in 79 pitches The right-hander was able to be so effective by throwing his fastball over the plate for strikes right away and getting ahead in counts “I was really just trying to get my fastball in there,” Larsen explained but in the later innings I started to find a lot more.” Larsen said he went out there with a mentality to keep it close despite the lack of run support “Just keep the team in the game and give them opportunities to score.” Larsen has been used primarily as a relief arm and Vintage head coach Billy Smith said the game plan was for him to work three innings and maybe one more but we kept him in when he wanted to go in (for the fourth),” the coach said 5-5 VVAL) scored all of its runs in the sixth Sam Mautner walked and was replaced on the bases by James Neidhoefer When Riley Marek reached on a throwing error Neidhoefer got to third base and Marek went to second Napa pitcher Jack Herlax walks Vintage's Sawyer Carmichael before getting Riley Marek to fly out on May 1 Lucas Henry walked to load the bases for Blake Porter (2 for 4 who reached on an infield single that brought in Dahl and a double by Sawyer Carmichael (1 for 3 The senior righty allowed one hit and struck out two in 25 pitches 1-11 VVAL) scored when Matt Hutchinson and Jake Newman walked and Hutchinson scored on the hit by Bartlett (1 for 4) Niko Titolo (1 for 3) had the Grizzlies’ other hit Herlax took the loss despite a really solid effort allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits five strikeouts four walks and one hit batter in 107 pitches “Herlax has sort of a Tim Lincecum/Pedro Martinez-type quality,” Napa High head coach Jason Chatham said “He’s not a guy that has a lot of physical stature on the mound but you start seeing what he can do when he’s throwing a fastball with a lot of life He’s got a slider that is absolutely nasty “He’s a sophomore and he has a lot of room to grow on the mound he’s already starting at such a high place right now He just pitched extremely well in Big Game and if we hadn’t come up against our pitch-count limit Bartlett and Newman before the final game of their careers “I think that the best way that we could look at the senior group is what happened in our Senior Day introductions,” Chatham said “When you listen to what they had to say for their quotes when you looked at their plans for their life they walk out of Napa High School as men that have a mission with their own lives That's all you could ever expect and want from somebody and they did that Vintage closes its regular season with a series against Casa Grande beginning at 4 p.m They will honor their seven seniors when they host the Gauchos next Thursday It’s the second straight year Vintage has swept the Big Game series Napa Valley is renowned for its exquisite wine Often referred to as the "Napa of the Midwest," this boutique wine-growing region offers so much more than just wine Here's why it consistently tops my vacation wish list the area around Traverse City is full of rolling hills dotted with vineyards Instead of views of distant mountains, Michigan offers a different beauty: the blue waters of Lake Michigan The city is nestled by two wine-growing peninsulas — Old Mission and Leelanau — that jut out into this Great Lake offering a scenic backup for a wine-tasting adventure What makes me prefer these sweeping vistas to the ones found in California is the cost it's not uncommon to find hotel rooms here for under $200 a night Napa prices are easily double (or triple) that amount Traverse City sits on the 45th parallel, just like some of the world's best-known wine regions The unique microclimate of the area creates perfect conditions for cool-climate wine production and other varietals that are surprisingly great Its cozy tasting rooms found here tend to feel less stuffy than the ones I've visited in California I appreciate how this informal style offers more welcoming vibes The craft brew scene in Michigan is similarly booming making this an ideal destination for savoring a taste of hops Michigan is the third largest apple producer in the US and the cherry capital of the world This variety of drinking experiences means there's always something delicious on tap One of my favorite spots is Suttons Bay Ciders, which features idyllic leaf-peeping opportunities in autumn and dog-friendly seating areas that make this a place my whole family can enjoy together Traverse City offers a slice of small-town Americana that I find much more endearing Quirky shops and comfy cafés make me feel as if I've stepped into a Hallmark movie and the pace here feels decidedly more relaxed The city's waterfront locale makes it a fun beachy getaway during the summer and it's just a short drive from other interesting communities like Leland where visitors can learn about the area's Native American history California's national parks are known for their beauty but "Pure Michigan" offers plenty of outdoor opportunities that often feel overlooked and other lake life options found in Traverse City the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features miles of towering sand dunes that feel worlds away from the flat plains most associated with the Midwest or setting off in search of striking lighthouses (Michigan has more than 100) I always enjoy a stress-free and budget-friendly stay in Traverse City 2025) – As part of the NAPA Rewards program or unwanted automotive batteries at participating NAPA stores and receive a $10 NAPA Rewards credit This initiative leverages the extensive networks of both legacy brands making it easier for members to dispose of their batteries sustainably “As NAPA celebrates its 100th anniversary this year we are reminded how important it is to our business to bring convenient solutions to our customers,” said Jason Rainey “Partnering with AAA during Earth Month is the perfect opportunity to reach our customers with a meaningful and environmentally friendly initiative.” This program ensures the safe and sustainable disposal of automotive batteries and aims to break down barriers to recycling by rewarding AAA and NAPA Rewards members for their responsible actions “After 28 years of collaborating with NAPA we are excited to offer our members a safe and eco-friendly way to dispose of their automotive batteries,” said Jody Smith “Our goal is to encourage members to adopt sustainable practices in a simple and accessible manner.” Visit NAPAonline.com to learn more Media Contact – NAPA AUTO PARTS: Sheonny Harrell Started in 1902 by automotive enthusiasts who wanted to chart a path for better roads in America and advocate for safe mobility AAA has transformed into one of North America’s largest membership organizations AAA delivers exceptional roadside assistance helps travelers plan their dream vacations and adventures offers exclusive member discounts and benefits and provides trusted financial and insurance services – all to enhance the life journey of our 65+ million members across North America including nearly 58 million in the United States To learn more about all AAA offers or become a member Some 300 people gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Napa on Thursday as part of nationwide May Day protests against the Trump administration Some 300 people gathered at Napa's Veterans Memorial Park for one of the nationwide May Day protests Thursday opposing Trump administration policies Hundreds marched on downtown Napa streets Thursday evening after a rally in Veterans Memorial Park one of numerous May Day protests across the U.S Downtown Napa's Veterans Memorial Park was the site of a May Day protest by opponents of Trump administration policies taking place nearly a month after a Hands Off Hundreds carried signs and banners opposing the Trump administration on Thursday during a May Day protest at Napa's Veterans Memorial Park Some 300 people gathered at Napa's Veterans Memorial Park on Thursday as part of nationwide May Day protests against the Trump administration Hundreds gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Napa on Thursday as part of nationwide May Day protests against the Trump administration Napa City Councilmember Bernie Narvaez addresses rallygoers Thursday at Veterans Memorial Park where about 300 people gathered for one of numerous May Day protests against the Trump administration's policies More than 300 people gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Napa on May Day as part of a national day of action honoring International Workers Day and protesting the policies of President Trump James Bergsten has taken to the streets of downtown Napa for several weeks now encouraging fellow attendees to raise their voices even louder in opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies “We need to protect the people the government is actively trying to destroy,” Bergsten said Bergsten was one of more than 300 who gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Napa as part of a national day of action on May 1 which is recognized as International Workers Day and the more than 1,000 planned across the U.S. was on how working-class individuals are being impacted by the priorities of Trump in his second term Attendees carried handmade signs with slogans like “No Kings,” “Defend Our Democracy,” “Freedom For All” and “Building Resistance Prevents Parasites.” One sign was a direct response to accusations people are being paid to attend protests all over the country told the Napa Valley Register that the local rally was organized through a collaborative effort from grassroots organizations such as Napa Democrats including Napa City Councilmember Bernie Narvaez Narvaez said he couldn’t help but think of his parents who immigrated to America for a better future and were a part of the “often invisible” labor force that keeps the country going Those gathered should mark May Day by remembering the workers who face hardship even as they contribute to America’s success “May we continue to build a future that’s worthy of the labor that sustains us,” Narvaez told rally participants highlighted the important efforts of teachers and what she said is an attack on public education by Trump a teacher in the Napa Valley Unified School District said local adult education programs would cease to exist without the federal Department of Education and the Napa school district would lose millions of dollars in funding “And why are they targeting the Department of Education?” she asked attendees “Because the more educated society you have attendees left Veterans Park and marched around the block of Third Street You can reach reporter Keith Cousins at 707-256-2213 or keith.cousins@napanews.com.