Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor A spacious house located at 1166 Meadowcreek Circle in St The $1,550,000 purchase price works out to $581 per square foot The layout of this two-story home consists of three bedrooms and one bath The lot of the property covers an area of 8,513 square feet Other houses have recently been purchased nearby: This automated story was produced for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat using artificial intelligence and data science. Property information is compiled from municipal assessors in Sonoma County. For any errors email info@pressdemocrat.com Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon Cassie Premo Steele journals while spending time on Saint Helena Island The Penn Center Bell on Saint Helena Island Spanish moss hangs from live oaks at the Penn Center on Saint Helena Island A woodpecker knocks against a live oak on Saint Helena Island A dock over the marsh on Saint Helena Island A marker honoring Charlotte Forten on Saint Helena Island Cassie Premo Steele reflects on her time introducing a friend to South Carolina by taking her to Saint Helena Island and learning of the history of the Penn Center But when my friend Shirley told me she was coming to visit my wife and me from Vancouver Island I knew where I wanted to take her: Saint Helena Island A place where the depth and best of South Carolina shines through She was part the Gilead Sisters, the name we’d given the writing group we’d formed with other women from the United States and Canada after taking a class with Natalie Goldberg during the pandemic and while we’d been meeting weekly for years online this was the first time we would meet in person I reached out to a couple of our dear friends and asked if we could visit them at their house on Saint Helena Island after laughing that I’m not usually so pushy We visited during the week, so while my wife and our hosts worked remotely from the house, I took Shirley to the Penn Center which I consider the historical heart of the island This historical and cultural institution includes the campus of the former Penn School one of the first schools for formerly enslaved people and is now a National Historic Landmark and part of the Reconstruction Era National Park I’d fallen in love with the place when we first visited our friends years before and I’d headed home with an armful of books from the gift shop The books sat on my bookshelves for years until during the pandemic waits for us patiently like this until we are ready for it What I learned was the larger history of the island first inhabited by the Cusabo Indians and then settled by the Spanish who used enforced Native and African labor to produce rice and other crops This practice continued through the American Revolution and the founding of South Carolina which became the first state to declare itself independent from the nation during the Civil War in April 1861 Saint Helena was quickly occupied by Union forces, and the White plantation owners fled, leaving a population of African Americans who became part of what was called the Port Royal Experiment. The African Americans were declared free and enabled to buy former plantation land and earn wages for their work And the Penn School was founded in the spring of 1862 by two White women from Pennsylvania the school’s first African American educator The Penn Center also holds more recent historical significance as the site is the place where civil rights leaders gathered to discuss strategies and bolster their courage during their long walks to justice Shirley and I walked among the Spanish moss-laden live oak trees on the historic grounds and I shared with her what I had learned from my own reading and research: Laura and Ellen were more than co-founders of the school They were commonly referred to as “longtime friends” and lived together on Saint Helena for the rest of their lives “that two of the most important educators in American history were lesbians?” “Though I don’t know if they would have used that word.” “I don’t even use that word,” I continued. “I love it for its connections to Sappho and the island of Lesbos but what is important are the deeper values of justice and diversity “I just don’t want people to forget the history,” she said “I wanted to show you the deeper beauty of what has happened here that the rest of the world so often doesn’t have the courage to see.” I woke at dawn to reflect on our conversation in the best way I know putting pen to paper long before the rest of the house was awake but the recently blooming controversies around language and history the tense relations between Canada and the United States and our repeated national inability to come to terms with difference were like seeds in my journal that morning And that it’s this both individual and collective responsibility affinity and affection for the land that will shift our relation to it and save it Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' && comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' && comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"> A rendition of Paul Revere on horseback is featured on the reverse side 2025 marks 250 years since Paul Revere’s midnight ride It was on the night of the 18th April 1775 Revere and William Dawes rode from Boston to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the approaching British helping them avoid arrest and sparking the American Revolution With the outbreak of the American Revolution Paul Revere (1735 – 1818) was a silversmith and military officer he is most remembered in American history for his midnight ride on the 18th April 1775 he supported the Patriot cause and played a crucial role when British troops approached The Patriots had learned of planned British actions against the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and revolutionary leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock Revere's mission was to alert them and help them avoid arrest Revere first placed two lanterns on the Old North Church steeple in Boston as a signal then rode out on horseback with William Dawes at about 10 p.m They successfully reached Adams and Hancock in Lexington warning them and the Continental Army’s minutemen of British movements a British patrol intercepted Revere and he was held for some time his horse was confiscated to replace the tired mount of a British sergeant Revere’s advance notice contributed significantly to the Patriot victory in the battles at Lexington and Concord Revere founded the Revere Copper Company in 1801 along with his son Joseph a copper rolling mill which operated as North America's first copper rolling mill in Canton His ride was later immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem published in 1861 Paul Revere's Ride which cemented his place in American cultural memory as a folk hero hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year The reverse side is shared on all gold and silver options and depicts Revere on horseback as he rides through the streets of Boston alerting the townsfolk of the imminent arrival of the British army a full moon in the sky and the Old North Church is shown Above the primary design along the rim is the commemorative text THE RIDE OF PAUL REVERE To the lower right rim is the date APRIL 18TH 1775 The distinctive EIC mintmark is shown just to the right near the rim The obverse side includes an effigy of HM King Charles III created by engraver Glyn Davies The legend surrounding the portrait reads CHARLES III · D · G · REX · F · D · ST HELENA with the denomination and year of issue 2025 placed below the King’s likeness Each encapsulated gold and silver coin is presented in a bespoke display case along with a numbered certificate which guarantees its specification and authenticity. For additional information on this and other coins offered by the East India Company – St Helena, please visit their e-webshop Download the Greysheet app for access to pricing Subscribe to RQ Red Book Quarterly for the industry's most respected pricing and to read more articles just like this The Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda release new silver coins remembering an important step towards democracy The Royal Mint remembers VE-Day with commemorative coins featuring a special design first seen in 1995 The FNMT - Real Casa de la Moneda launch their annual face-value silver commemorative coins Email: support@greysheet.com Keep up with information updates and partner information Enter your e-mail and subscribe to our newsletter Helena Parish inmate was found dead in his cell early Saturday morning Deputies said the man was found dead at the St While an investigation is underway into his death they said it appears to have been a medical episode "I have asked other agencies to assist in the investigation," Sheriff Clay Chutz said The man’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin (WCIV) — The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information regarding two separate shooting incidents that occurred on Saint Helena Island this week The first incident took place on Monday at approximately 7:30 p.m when deputies responded to reports of shots fired on Saxonville Road deputies said they discovered a home had been struck multiple times by gunfire was found to have suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound He was treated at a local hospital and subsequently released The second shooting occurred at about 1:30 a.m on Tuesday when deputies were called to Martin and Phoebe Way where another home had been shot at from the road a nearby residence on Luther Warren Drive sustained damage from gunfire No injuries were reported in this incident Authorities are urging anyone with information about either shooting to contact Staff Sergeant Tunis at 843-255-3426. underwater adventures and the chance to meet the world’s oldest living land animal Here are seven unmissable experiences to have in St Helena Islands don’t get much more remote than St Helena Adrift in the middle of the South Atlantic — 1,200 miles from Africa 1,800 miles from South America — this fortress island is about as far away as one can get from the outside world it’s a miracle anyone found it in the first place Portuguese sailors were the first to land here in 1502 but the island has been British since 1659 when the East India Company installed the first governor — a post that still exists today St Helena’s natural wonders continue to attract intrepid travellers crowned by mountains and cloaked by cloud forest Here are seven ways to savour every second and the island’s 21 post box walks offer an excuse to search out its remotest corners These boxes are tucked away around the island ­— on barren headlands secluded beaches and cloud-shrouded peaks ­— and each has a stamp to prove you’ve found it Ranging from just under one mile to 7.5 miles the walks are graded out of 10: for hikes hitting the mid-level mark it’s a good idea to employ a guide to lead the way Checking off one or two hikes is straightforward enough but only the hardiest hikers complete all 21 The Diana's Peak Post Box Walk in Peaks National Park is one of 21 trails located around the island.Photograph by Ed Thorpe2 Climb Jacob's Ladder from JamestownSt Helena’s capital lined with Georgian townhouses and shaded by jacaranda trees the staircase that climbs almost vertically to Ladder Hill Fort runners race up the staircase as part of the Ladder Challenge; the current record holder reached the top in an impressive five minutes and 4.19 seconds Following Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo, the British decided it was time to be rid of the French emperor once and for all. After a 10-week voyage, Napoleon landed on St Helena on 15 October 1815 and was installed at Longwood House where he remained in exile until his death in 1821 The house contains fascinating Napoleonic memorabilia too — although Boney’s remains were repatriated to France in 1840 Sunken wrecks off the coast of St Helena are home to some of the island's most impressive marine life.Photograph by St Helena Tourism5 Discover shipwrecks on a deep-sea diveSome of St Helena’s most memorable scenery exists below the surface and their sunken remains support a menagerie of submarine life from butterfly fish and blennies to devil rays and green turtles St Helena is also one of the few places in the world where it’s possible to spot whale sharks swimming just off the coast; the creatures take a detour past the island as they migrate across the Atlantic Off-road guides such as Aaron’s Adventure Tours explore difficult-to-reach parts of the island Travellers can find themselves steering up palm-filled jungle valleys juddering down rocky ravines and crawling along wild coastline populated by cacti and prickly pears explorers might even spot the island's endemic bird known locally as the wirebird due to its long Keep an eye out for the animal’s distinctive markings — a black band runs across its forecrown and around the eyes In the grounds of the governor’s official residence visitors may come across an elderly gentleman grazing on the grass he’s a Seychelles giant tortoise and he’s thought to have hatched in 1832 — which makes him not just St Helena’s most senior citizen but also the oldest living land animal on Earth The Industry's Leading Publication for Wineries and Growers Napa Valley – More than 200 people attended Appellation St Helena’s 14th Annual bASH event on April 5 at The Culinary Institute of America Greystone bASH is an annual wine and food pairing competition where the wines from nineteen ASH member wineries are paired with savory bites prepared by teams of ‘rising star’ students at the CIA.  Judges included respected professional chefs Attendees voted for their favorites in several categories.  Participating wineries were Anomaly Vineyards One highlight of the event is how meticulously the food ‘bites’ are presented ‘smoke’ (from dry ice!) and deep spoons with long handles “Our students look forward to bASH every year,” said Chef Daniel Kedan “It is an amazing opportunity for them to challenge themselves This year was one of the best yet,” he added Helena area wines and tomorrow's star chefs draws guests from all over the U.S as well as neighbors from our own community,” commented Lesley Russell “It's one of the most entertaining delicious and inspiring wine and food events I've experienced The CIA students are incredible to work with,” she added CIA Chef Lars Kronmark was the founding chef of the event when it began in 2012 and 2025 is his final bASH The Professional Judges selected these entries as winners: Braised Oxtail with Curtido and Tomato Caviar prepared by Adriel Maravilla (hometown Pinole CA) Brenda Mendina Ruiz (John’s Creek GA) and Emma Rosinski (Gig Harbor WA) The wine was 2012 Young Inglewood Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  Sophia Faucett (Las Vegas NV) and Jose Avila (San Diego CA) The wine was Hall Winery’s 2020 Coeur.  Ana Jimenez-Nava (Burlington WA) and Ayden O’Brien (Ft Jed Anezil (Petaluma CA) and Leah Madrigal (Sacramento CA) The wine was Spottswoode Estate 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Syriana Davis (Tacoma WA) and Hannah Howard (Beavercreek OR) Rosalie Sackett (Benicia CA) and Damariye Daniels (Fairfield CA) The wine was Titus 2022 Cabernet Franc.  ASH partnered with the Culinary Institute of America and the St ASH thanks Sunshine Market and Le Creuset for their generous donations and support Proceeds from the evening go to Appellation St Helena and the scholarship fund of the Culinary Institute of America Helena has the distinction of being the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry with Dr David Fulton’s in 1860 and Charles Krug’s in 1861 was officially approved in 1995 and in 2004 the vintners who had worked together to get the AVA approved established a group to promote the growing region The group focuses on promoting the quality of grapes grown and wines produced in the St Helena is comprised of roughly 12,000 acres of which approximately 6,800 are planted to grapes more than any other AVA in the Napa Valley More than 400 different vineyards are located within the appellation and the Association has 64 members and the middle section represents the narrowest width in the Napa Valley where the Mayacamas and Vaca Mountain ranges nearly meet The AVA is a mosaic of alluvial fans and 21 different soil types The soils here are created from centuries of erosion of run-off from mountain hillsides and the Napa River and its ancient tributaries Helena appellation dates back to the Mexican land grants in the 1840s when General Vallejo gave Edward Bale a wedding gift of property Bale and his bride promptly planted vineyard on their property the most frequently cultivated are Cabernet Sauvignon A recent video from a popular aviation YouTuber has me once again itching to visit one of the world’s most remote airports This is something that has been on my bucket list for years and I can’t help but at least consider this once again and then the challenging logistics of traveling there… Saint Helena is a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean The island is a British Overseas Territory and is known as the place of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile and death Other British Overseas Territories in the area include Ascension and Tristan da Cunha the only way to get to Saint Helena was by ship the island has been very isolated from the rest of the world since travel time to Saint Helena went from several days to just several hours actually operating at the airport comes with some major challenges a lot of precautions have to be taken when flying there The island being in the middle of the ocean means that weather conditions can rapidly change planes always need to have enough fuel to reach their closest diversion point the hope was that it would consistently be able to accept Boeing 737 flights due to strong wind shear plus the short runway that ultimately didn’t end up being the case at least without a major payload restriction That’s why the airport is only served by smaller aircraft It’s worth noting that while Saint Helena is remote, it’s not the most remote airport in the world That title belongs to Mataveri International Airport on Easter Island (IPC) as that’s roughly 2,300 miles from the nearest diversion point the airport isn’t otherwise as challenging to fly to which means that wide body jets can fly there South African carrier Airlink is the only airline operating regularly scheduled service to Saint Helena the airline operates a once weekly service between Johannesburg (JNB) and Saint Helena (HLE) with a refueling stop on the outbound in Walvis Bay This flight ordinarily operates on Saturdays (though sometimes on Tuesdays in peak season) 4Z131 Johannesburg to Walvis Bay departing 9:00AM arriving 11:35AM4Z131 Walvis Bay to Saint Helena departing 12:05PM arriving 1:35PM4Z132 Saint Helena to Johannesburg departing 2:30PM arriving 9:15PM the Johannesburg to Walvis Bay segment covers 883 miles and is blocked at 2hr35min the Walvis Bay to Saint Helena flight covers 1,407 miles and is blocked at 3hr30min and the Saint Helena to Johannesburg flight covers 2,290 miles and is blocked at 4hr45min For those aviation geeks who are looking to take this flight the issue is that you typically either have to do a direct turn or you have to spend an entire week in Saint Helena Fortunately there are two ways you can spend a shorter amount of time on the island the flight to Saint Helena continues to Ascension Island Airport (ASI) The flight from Saint Helena to Ascension is a charter flight so it’s not bookable directly with Airlink The benefit of this route is that the aircraft spends a night on Ascension Island you can fly to Saint Helena for roughly 24 hours there’s a seasonal service to Saint Helena from Cape Town (CPT) which also operates via Walvis Bay in the westbound direction The seasonal service is typically in December through February while the Johannesburg service is moved to Tuesdays Given the risk of bad weather and limited margins for this service it’s not unusual to see flights rescheduled YouTuber Noel Philips recently took this flight and uploaded a great video about the experience including about the flight and his time in Saint Helena He was initially supposed to be there for one day but it ended up getting extended to two days At least I’m crossing my fingers that this becomes possible given the high operating costs of these flights Roundtrip economy fares are typically approaching $1,000 while roundtrip business class fares are typically approaching $2,000 Saint Helena is one of the world’s most remote airports is one of the airports with the least commercial service The airport is served once weekly by Airlink you typically have to do so for at least a week providing an opportunity to visit Saint Helena for one day Anyone else fascinated by these Saint Helena flights Have any OMAAT readers visited Saint Helena Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Helena is one of the most wonderful places in the world I have ever visited That's a bigger issue than points redemption as I'm not very keen on spending too much time in SAR and with the unpredictable nature of these flights it's not wise to self-transfer without a significant buffer time He was blessed with an extra day there and he just slept in?? How did he not go to Longwood House or Napoleon's original tomb The top of Ladder Hill looks to have some amazing views....shoot if you don't want to walk then hire a car to drive everywhere possible on that island Why spend $2k to go there and sit in a hotel room There look to be so many amazing places to see.. How did he not go to Longwood House or Napoleon's original tomb The top of Ladder Hill looks to have some amazing views....shoot Why spend $2k to go there and sit in a hotel room There look to be so many amazing places to see there that it's strange he'd complain about an overnight and then a delay Several of these flights were available through United I was also able to credit the paid flights to United I'm hoping that Airlink will transition to the Qatar Avios system 3-night (Sat/Sun/Mon) trip and I was lucky that the weather cooperated and there was no cancellation But it is definitely a frequent problem and you should also build in a buffer in case it happens A few key lessons learned - 1) The Walvis Bay stop can sometimes be skipped when they have favorable wind condition the flight is only given a go-ahead when they can be sure that the weather is good for the next 5-6 hours (the time it typically takes to fly there) I made the mistake of assuming there sure would be taxis waiting for arriving passengers Fortunately some staff member called a taxi for me from town but I had to wait for an extra 30 minutes Apparently taxi drivers don't just show up without a prior confirmation 4) There are very limited dining options on weekends The weekend I was there the only place open on Sunday was the Mantis hotel I tried to make a reservation at another restaurant but they only serve when enough people (4+?) had reserved And that day there weren't enough customers so they remain closed.. It was a great trip but had I known I'd booked the Tues-Sat flights to avoid being there over the weekend Can't be too hard to pull off if there are outfitters offering regular tours there: and you can definitely redeem UA miles on Airlink for their domestic and regional services I’m not seeing any availability on this route but it should theoretically be bookable if space is ever released Cash fares on this route are many thime those for other routes I don’t think it’s legally doable unless you’re resident to the Falklands or St Helena but you could theoretically take the charter to Ascension Island and continue on to the RAF service to Mt Pleasant and on to Punta Arenas on LATAM Sounds like a very fun southern Atlantic trip Ben writes"since travel time to Saint Helena went from several days to just several hours The mail ship departed about once every two months so it would take much planning to visit I considered it be didn't have a chance at the end The aforesaid YouTuber is despised on St Helena for stressing how horrible it was to have been “stranded” on their island; and rightly so Just trying to drive up “hits” on his YouTube channel and income to himself and I can tell you it deserves at least a week’s stay Would be great to be stranded here for months! I'm not sure I would call him a "prick" but he definitely got what he wanted He booked a ticket hoping he would get stranded he would have went out and above on the island and showed his viewers the island I’ve rewatched the video just now and Noel absolutely did not say that Please tell me at which point he did say it was horrible Are you representative of their population He alluded to sadly being stranded as he had two other flights to take hence risked missing them He was also aware of the fact the flight could be disrupted He alluded to sadly being stranded as he had two other flights to take hence risked missing them He was also aware of the fact the flight could be disrupted He then attempted to climb the steps - Jacob’s Ladder Americans probably don’t understand English humour He’s also one of the most genuine bloggers The amount of wailing on Noel’s comment section about not mentioning poor old Napoleon Saint Helena is very high on my bucket list How does the guy go to Saint Helena and not see the Napoleon house or at least mention Napoleon And he didn't even do a loo review or mention the wine and drinks but how does he not go see that when he's likely never going to go back He didn't even do his signature loo review Either it was a sponsored video by the airline/airport or he's just phoning it in these days because it's just an awful video And there's more on Saint Helena than just Jamestown or just Napoleon Like I don't think he wandered more than 100 yards from the hotel Judging from the Arctic outfit he‘s wearing on the video cover he cannot possibly have gone to a tropical island like St He flies everywhere and almost never bothers to spend time in any city or country he ever stops at In fact Noel is one of the few decent ones that reviews places he visits travels in economy and uses other forms of transport No idea why he decided to relocate to Houston but being there 7+ days is not something I think I could commit to It would be a fascinating place to visit though especially as someone who loves anything Napoleon I spent 10 days on Saint Helena in 2018 - longer than expected because fog closed the airport and delayed my departure Airlink paid for the extra days at the Mantis hotel Can’t imagine how Airlink makes money on this this is one of the best trips I have ever taken The history and the scenery of the island are extraordinary I highly recommend renting a car to roam around the island.. Airlink paid for the extra days at the Mantis hotel Can’t imagine how Airlink makes money on this The history and the scenery of the island are extraordinary I highly recommend renting a car to roam around the island and reach the trail heads for the postbox walks Be aware that there are very few restaurants on the island although the rooms in the historic part of the Mantis (once occupied by the British East India Company) are lovely to look at they are directly above the restaurant and very noisy One further thought: there was no mobile roaming (unless you were a Vodafone UK customer was stuck in the dark ages) or high speed internet back in 2018 I took a satellite phone with me (rented in Jo’burg) as I could not be disconnected from work (though the steep cliffs around Jamestown made it hard to get a line of sight connection except on the waterfront) One further thought: there was no mobile roaming (unless you were a Vodafone UK customer I took a satellite phone with me (rented in Jo’burg) as I could not be disconnected from work (though the steep cliffs around Jamestown made it hard to get a line of sight connection except on the waterfront) With the Equiano submarine cable now connecting Saint Helena Not sure about the current roaming situation you can finally put your Accor Platinum to good use as there is the Mantis St To utilize your hotel status benefit in one of the most remote islands in the world The World's Most Useful Airport is a really nice documentary available on YouTube about everything that went into openning and now operating the airport I arranged travel for a close friend who arrived in St Helena sailing solo and left the vessel there His departure for NBO on SA Airlink was delayed a day but the very expensive flight was otherwise OK He reported being happier on QR J leaving NBO than on the arriving SA Airlink flight ;-) during his multi-week stay at the island (I don't say "on" because he slept aboard his vessel) he got.. His departure for NBO on SA Airlink was delayed a day but the very expensive flight was otherwise OK He reported being happier on QR J leaving NBO during his multi-week stay at the island (I don't say "on" because he slept aboard his vessel) he got to know the air traffic controller there and got informal briefings about expected delays managing his onward Qsuite booking to Montreal There are interesting documentaries about the building of this unusual airport https://youtu.be/5-QejUTDCWw?si=l5qPlrMH7I2infOc Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe The comments on this page have not been provided approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered Apparently taxi drivers don't just show up without a prior confirmation And that day there weren't enough customers so they remain closed.. It was a great trip but had I known I'd booked the Tues-Sat flights to avoid being there over the weekend You have successfully joined our subscriber list Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. See more about our ethics policies here Smiths Pharmacy owners Jeff Hansen and Debbie Hansen with their longtime pharmacy manager Patty Guijosa Smiths Pharmacy owners Jeff and Debbie Hansen pose after Smiths was named Business of the Year in 2021 Arighi's Drug Store and Smiths Pharmacy placed this ad in the St Vasconi’s Pharmacy was the successor to Arighi’s and Smiths Pharmacy still serves St A book at Smiths Pharmacy contains prescriptions from the 1890s Jeff and Debbie Hansen are selling Smiths Pharmacy HELENA — Smiths Pharmacy has been serving St making it one of the city’s oldest businesses Owners Jeff and Debbie Hansen don’t take that history lightly On Thursday they sold the business and retired although they’re confident it will remain in good — and independent — hands The new owners are Bay Area resident and pharmacist Sahini Chidipotu Chidipotu finds Smiths’ rich history “very exciting,” Debbie Hansen said “She wants to be part of a small community,” Hansen said “She very much looks forward to meeting people and serving them.” The Hansens bought Smiths in 1994 after running NuWay Drug from 1988 to 1994 NuWay was in the Main Street building now occupied by Market which had also been home to Smiths before Smiths moved to the Safeway plaza in 1968 Bussenius opened a “Druggist & Apothecary” shop who in 1895 sold it to William Henry Harrison Smith Like Steves Hardware — another historic St Helena business — Smiths has been confounding spell-checkers ever since with its lack of an apostrophe Helena community that at one point supported four drugstores Jeff Hansen remembers what locals call “old St Helena,” when people primarily walked instead of drove and bought their meat from Ernie Navone at Keller’s NuWay had an old-fashioned soda fountain in the back where the Rotary Club met Mayor John Aquila held court a few times a week and Sheana Rombauer picked up a coffee milkshake at 2 p.m Consumers had a direct relationship with drug manufacturers which gave the companies an incentive to keep prices down middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers and vertically integrated companies that no longer bothered to keep prices consumer-friendly The new distribution model squeezed the profit margins of small pharmacies like NuWay Jeff Hansen said he had no choice but to close NuWay offer higher-margin merchandise on the front end “You had to become leaner and meaner,” he said By that point you couldn’t do 80 scrips a day and make any money.” The Hansens say they’ve succeeded thanks to their customers While some locals have chosen the convenience and low prices of online shopping there are still plenty of loyal customers who are willing to pay a bit extra to support a local business “I’ve always felt a deep responsibility to my base of customers because they’ve shown immense loyalty,” Jeff Hansen said “When they can,” Debbie Hansen interjected “Those are the people who can afford to tell the insurance (companies) we’re willing to pay more at the brick-and-mortar.’ People have done that and gone to bat for us.” So did the city when it fought Safeway’s plan to expand and establish a pharmacy that would have put Smiths and Vasconi’s out of business “One of the reasons we’re still here is that the nearest major chain is 20 miles away,” he said Smiths had a somewhat friendly competition with Vasconi’s Hap Vasconi and Jeff Hansen were good friends and would even sell each other drugs when one of the pharmacies was running low on something The rivalry was fiercer on the front end with the non-drug merchandise but Hansen said Chidipotu is better equipped than him to truly bring Smiths “into the 21st century and expand the services offered.” For example she’s talked about offering vaccinations and flu shots whereas Hansen can’t stand the sight of needles Giving shots wasn’t taught in pharmacy school in his day so it’s time for me to go,” he said with a laugh but they plan to travel nationally and abroad and spend more time with their adult daughters in San Diego which is also home to their infant grandchild You can reach Jesse Duarte at 707-967-6803 or jesse.duarte@sthelenastar.com One week after retiring and closing Vasconi's Pharmacy Hap and Patty Vasconi are looking back on 70 years in business 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 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Subscribe: RSS Relevant Radio is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are asking for information in connection to two separate shooting incidents that occurred on Monday the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a report of shots fired on Saxonville Road on Saint Helena Island they found a home had been shot at multiple times deputies learned a 32-year-old male victim had arrived at an area hospital suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound The victim was inside the home at the time the shots were fired from the road the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a report of shots fired this time on Martin and Phoebe Way on Saint Helena Island Deputies found a home had been shot at from the road another home in the area on Luther Warren Drive No injuries were reported in these incidents Anyone with information regarding either shooting is encouraged to call Staff Sergeant Tunis at 843-255-3426. For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be reported to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app, online at www.TIPSBFT.com or by calling 1-844-TIPSBFT (1-844-847-7238) Delayna Earley and Amber Hewitt The Island News Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s Beaufort County By Delayna Earley The Island News A 39-year-old Ridgeland man was killed on Sunday morning after By Mike McCombs The Island News It’s that time of year and I’m in Jasper County Council Chambers in By Delayna Earley The Island News A former Port Royal police officer has been arrested and Helena residents report increased satisfaction with city services and quality of life since 2022 Helena residents are more satisfied with city services and overall quality of life than they were two years ago But familiar concerns — including the city’s water supply and housing affordability — continue to weigh heavily on residents’ minds included responses from 285 residents and aimed to gauge perceptions of quality of life satisfaction with city services and key issues facing the city One area of focus was two ballot measures proposed for 2024 that would have established a real estate transfer tax While the city projected the measures could generate roughly $4.8 million annually Presenting the findings to the City Council on March 25 firm founder Bryan Godbe said 86.4% of respondents reported being very or somewhat satisfied with quality of life — a jump from 78.2% in 2022 He called the increase notable but not unexpected given that the previous survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic There was also a modest increase in those who said St Helena is a good place to raise a family — rising to 78.5% Water quality and supply topped the list again with 37.5% citing it as a primary concern — nearly identical to 2022’s 38.6% Affordable housing and the lack of rent control ranked second followed by road conditions and pothole repairs “Road repairs and affordable housing are a little less important than they were in 2022,” Godbe said The survey also showed a rise in satisfaction with the city’s customer service About 75.1% of respondents said they were satisfied More residents said their issues were resolved or questions answered there were slight declines in ratings for the timeliness of responses and the amount of information provided Godbe attributed much of the improvement in sentiment to a “post-pandemic bump” seen in many other California communities On the topic of the failed real estate transfer tax measures Around 20% either didn’t answer or said they didn’t remember how they voted top reasons included concerns about already-high taxes added costs for new homebuyers and the belief that the city should explore other revenue sources City Manager Anil Comelo said the results give city staff valuable insight into residents’ priorities and how those evolve over time “But it’s generally helpful to understand what the community thinks.” You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com (WCIV) — The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two shootings that occurred Thursday night in the Lands End Road and Scott Hill Road areas of St the Beaufort County Communications Center received a report of a possible gunshot wound Deputies responded to Peaches Hill Circle and discovered a victim inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound The incident was later determined to have occurred near Lands End Road and Scott Hill Road they heard gunfire from the Scott Hill Road area They found a residence that had been shot multiple times Authorities ask anyone with information to contact Sgt Kline at 843-255-3430 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity by calling the non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777 A ballot measure to allow a proposed 56-room resort at Charles Krug Winery in St Helena to bypass the standard city review process has failed by just 32 votes dealing a blow to proponents of winery-related development in the heart of Napa Valley In the final Napa County election results released Tuesday equating to nearly 84% turnout among St.Helena’s registered voters The resort project was proposed for a 8 ½-acre parcel at the winery Critics of the measure argued that bypassing the city’s standard review process would make it so the project isn’t properly evaluated on environmental and other grounds But supporters pointed to the economic and financial benefits of bringing the hotel to the city particularly because the city currently has a $7 million budget deficit And bypassing the city’s normal review process would have allowed that resort to have been built sooner Washington-based Noble House Hotels & Resorts owners of the Napa Valley Wine Train since 2017 and the River Terrace Inn in Napa The project was crafted with input from the Peter Mondavi Sr Noble House in March opted to pursue the ballot measure to fast-track the project. Supporters in May submitted a petition with 775 signatures to qualify the ballot measure which forced the City Council to either approve the project outright or send it to a public vote who ultimately supported Measure B after early skepticism said he was disappointed it didn’t receive more support from the community The city and council members will need to continue educating the community about the city’s financial situation how there’s a need for more revenue to meet high community expectations Helena ballot measures — A1 and A2 — that would have added a real estate transfer tax in the city also failed in the election Helena City Council member Anna Chouteau previously said that should both measures fail the city will need to make budget cuts and continue to search for additional revenue sources Dohring added city staff and council also need to listen to residents so they can better understand both what level of services and programs are expected and how willing the community is to pay for that “I am optimistic that we can reach community consensus and then return to the ballot with a more modest package of revenue options,” Dohring said Dohring encouraged the resort project’s proponents to submit an application through the city’s standard review process He said he’s optimistic that process would yield a positive outcome for the community the project would be subject to review by city staff and ultimately come before the city’s planning commission and City Council for approval It would also go through a full environmental review and be subject to a development agreement through which the city would be able to negotiate for community benefits Customers line up for coffee at Wednesday's soft opening of Sam's General Store in St Former regulars at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company wasted no time visiting Sam's General Store on its first day in business Baristas prepare drinks at the new Sam's General Store in St Merchandise for sale at Sam's General Store in St Sam's General Store began a soft opening Wednesday morning at the corner of Adams Street and Oak Avenue Helena spinoff of a successful coffee shop at Calistoga's Brannan Cottage Inn Sam's replaces the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company which closed in August after 33 years in business NO|MA House Café & Collective announced its closure on Monday after just over a year in business Helena with an immersive Julia Child exhibit as its first course (closed major holidays); Under-Study cafe opening soon How much: Admission to the museum is $25 for adults; $15 for youth (6-17) and free for children (5 and younger); admission is 20% off for Napa Valley Museum members Now on view: Exhibit “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” through March 8 Julia Child was no stranger to Napa Valley in her later years author and television personality — whose culinary awakening in France helped spark a nationwide passion for food and wine — fit right in among the valley’s chefs and vintners who shared her adventurous spirit in the kitchen Her bond with Napa was as natural as Cabernet with a steak sauteed in butter At one of her final public appearances here before her death in 2004 offering critiques and encouragement to rising stars like Thomas Keller — who earned her approval that day someone asked if she had advice for cooking with less butter Now, more than two decades later, Child returns to Napa Valley in spirit — and in full size — as the centerpiece of “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life,” the debut exhibition at St. Helena’s new Museum of Art and Culture The MAC occupies a reimagined space on Highway 29 2,000 square feet of retail space and Under-Study a new cafe from Michelin-starred neighbor Press restaurant The project is the brainchild of Laura Rafaty who took over as executive director of the Napa Valley Museum Yountville in 2017 the museum quietly operated on the grounds of the Veterans Home of California often overlooked by both locals and tourists the museum had been tucked away since its 1998 move to Yountville — known mostly to loyal patrons as a hidden gem Rafaty brought bold new energy to the institution curating unexpected hits — from “Tiki Dreams” to “Dangerous Games: Treacherous Toys We loved as Children.” When a show on Picasso printmaking drew crowds Drawing on a background in law and a deep love of the arts a nonprofit that brought London’s Globe Theatre actors to the valley while maintaining the Yountville location for exhibits and events it had already been leased to New Jersey-based Gary’s Wine & Marketplace But after Gary’s shuttered during the pandemic Rafaty signed the lease in 2023 and launched a grassroots effort to transform the space into a cultural destination With two major grants and significant community support Rafaty not only rebuilt the space — she raised nearly half a million dollars more to bring the traveling “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” exhibit to California — the state where Child was born — for the first time all that remains of the grocery stores is a sweeping curved wine bar — now serving as the museum’s entrance The retail wing includes a gift shop featuring limited-edition prints by “All the Restaurants” illustrator John Donohue giclees by beloved Napa Valley artist Lowell Herrero and exclusive Julia Child-themed merchandise original designs and curated decor from Dave Allen of Artefact Design & Salvage a longtime local go-to for designers and architects seeking unique pieces the new exhibition expands on “France is a Feast: The Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child.” It dives into Child’s culinary and personal evolution — from her early years in France with husband Paul to her rise as America’s French Chef Visitors can walk through a replica of La Couronne the French restaurant where the Childs had their first meal abroad They can recreate the couple’s quirky tradition of sending Valentine’s photos from a bathtub A mock TV studio invites aspiring chefs to try their hand at cooking on camera A special addition for Napa is the demonstration kitchen Child designed, on loan from the family of the late Warren Winiarski of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” runs through March 8 will be “The Wyeths: Three Generations,” a retrospective on the famed American illustration and painting dynasty — N.C. including moderation,’” Rafaty said with a smile while giving The Press Democrat a preview tour That same unrestrained enthusiasm seems to guide her vision for The MAC a $500-per-year membership that offers behind-the-scenes access special events and collaborations with Under-Study which will feature a culinary marketplace and demo kitchen alongside its counter-service cafe “Sophie Alstrom Mitchell: Wildflowers of the Napa Valley,” showcases 19th-century botanical watercolors by the St rediscovered in a New England attic and returned home through museum efforts “It’s doing so well it even surprised me,” she said And despite the challenges many arts institutions face nationwide — from funding cuts to closures — Rafaty remains unfazed “We’ve always been too small for federal funding,” she said Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInST (WAFB) - One person has been arrested following a shooting that left one person dead in St Deputies were sent to a possible shooting on Sawmill Road in Amite The sheriff’s office said the investigation is still ongoing Click here to report a typo Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 2025-05-05T07:41:43-07:00May 5 2025-05-02T09:39:58-07:00May 2 2025-05-02T08:40:53-07:00May 2 2025-05-04T09:32:06-07:00April 30 2025-04-30T17:06:48-07:00April 30 Helena city leaders will decide Tuesday whether to bring back a traditional fireworks show for the Fourth of July or opt for a lower-risk alternative amid rising fire concerns and budget constraints Helena’s Fourth of July celebration is at a crossroads After years of uncertainty fueled by rising wildfire risks and environmental concerns city leaders on Tuesday will decide whether to bring back the traditional fireworks display — or embrace a different kind of show altogether Helena canceled its planned fireworks just two days before the event after the Toll Fire broke out near Calistoga The blaze burned 40 acres and prompted a swift regional response underscoring the fire danger that often shadows summer celebrations in Wine Country face painting and live music filled Crane Park the question isn’t just whether to light up the night sky — it’s whether the cost risk and symbolism of fireworks still fit St that question has prompted a range of responses American Canyon was the only city to go forward with fireworks Yountville skipped nighttime festivities entirely the price tag for a fireworks show — including the pyrotechnics contract security and other essentials — comes to about $55,000 The city has $46,000 in its Fourth of July fund Two council members said they would back fireworks — but only if the community raises the difference but I think I would like to leave it to the community to come up with the remaining funds to have it actually happen,” said Council member Kate Spadarotto A recent city survey found that 61% of 195 total respondents said fireworks were an important part of the celebration Food trucks and local vendors were the only element that ranked higher Mayor Paul Dohring and Council member Michelle Deasy opposed the fireworks “I’m open to all the suggestions in the world I just think we need to move away from fireworks,” Dohring said at the meeting “And as painful as it is for our community that’s just my gut level sense of the whole thing.” A laser light show would cost between $20,000 and $25,000 family-friendly format used last year would come in around $15,000 to $20,000 The City Council is expected to take up the matter Tuesday evening The measure would enable a 56-room resort planned for the Charles Krug Winery to move forward and essentially circumvent the city’s standard review process as voters remain sharply divided over the proposal to allow a 56-room resort at Charles Krug Winery to bypass the typical city review process results from the Napa County Elections Division show 83.7% of the vote counted with 50.5% opposing the measure — just 32 votes more than those in favor The Press Democrat will rely on information from election officials before determining if the measure passes or fails as not everyone who received a ballot will have voted certified election results are scheduled to be released Dec The project — from Noble House Hotels & Resort the owners of the Napa Valley Wine Train — is proposed for an 8 1/2-acre parcel at the winery Supporters of the measure have said that the city would be able to reap the economic and financial benefits — the city currently has a $7 million budget deficit — from the project sooner should the measure pass That’s because the standard city review process can take years to complete those opposed to the measure have argued the normal process is needed to properly evaluate the project on environmental and other grounds (WCIV) — The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help in locating a missing teen who was last seen Wednesday of Saint Helena Island was reported missing by family members around 10 a.m In their report they stated that he left sometime in the middle of the night around 150 pounds and could be somewhere in the greater Ridgeland area Anyone with information on Pope’s whereabouts is directed to call the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office at their non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777 A map of the proposed Spring Grove housing proposal in St James Drive just out of frame to the right This is a preliminary rendering that could change depending on public feedback Opposition is mounting to a high-density housing project on Spring Street Helena officials are sending the message that their hands are tied by recent state legislation but city officials are sending the message that their hands are tied by recent state legislation Bay Area housing developer City Ventures plans to build 41 townhomes in three-story buildings on 2.5 acres which is at the low end of what the city allows under the property’s high-density zoning But neighbors say the density and scale of the project are unacceptable and they’re raising concerns about previous complaints against City Ventures involving water pollution and poor workmanship Opponents are circulating a petition urging the Planning Commission to reject the project citing insufficient affordable housing (only eight units) But city officials have said their hands are tied by recent state legislation that limits the ability of local governments to reject housing projects that comply with city code City Ventures has built housing projects around the Bay Area In 2020 City Ventures paid $199,000 and agreed to implement training to resolve a civil enforcement action by Sonoma County alleging water pollution in connection with the 22-acre Fox Hollow subdivision in Santa Rosa According to the news release issued by Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office City Ventures failed to cover disturbed soil and maintain a culvert at a construction site resulting in the pollution of Peterson Creek during a storm City Ventures has an F rating from the Better Business Bureau based on the company’s failure to respond to four complaints alleging leaky plumbing defects resulting from hasty construction and poor workmanship and a lack of security barriers to prevent unauthorized rooftop access Neighbors are also troubled by one-star customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau website that allege substandard construction at other City Ventures homes “It seems like these guys like to cut corners,” said Spring Grove neighbor David Lattin “Why would the city just take the first developer that comes along Neighbor Susan Calcagno is troubled by City Ventures’ reputation and its proposed design for Spring Grove which looks similar to what the company is building near Interstate 80 in Richmond Calcagno is president of the homeowners’ association for St a subdivision next to the Spring Grove site consisting of 65 units on 29 acres Spring Grove would be eight times as dense they seem appropriate given the (location),” Calcagno said ‘What are you thinking?’ They seem clueless.” Neighbor Pat Friday is worried about drainage possible damage to the root system of a massive valley oak and the loss of privacy and sunlight from 38-foot-tall residential buildings that would loom over her house “The (proposed) units are three stories facing my two stories and my two stories are solid windows,” she said Lattin said a proposal during a Jan. 21 Planning Commission hearing to use landscaping to screen the development seemed “kind of laughable.” Debbie Cossi is concerned about construction-related pollution running off into Spring Creek She also questions whether fire trucks will be able to access the subdivision via the single entryway along Spring Street Nina McDonald said she and her husband lost a home to wildfire in Calistoga so they know firsthand the importance of fire safety plans would have great difficulty maneuvering and turning around on the projects' roads and would also have limited access into individual homes,” McDonald said “Speedy evacuations of a large and concentrated number of residents in such a small neighborhood would also prove extremely difficult.” with a little creek forming during heavy rains Dense construction will produce even more runoff She would prefer two-story apartment buildings to three-story townhomes but why do those have to be three stories?” she said “Three stories there would be heartbreaking “Under state density bonus law the site allows for up to 142 homes with no height limit,” he said “Our proposal includes the minimum density and we are 4 feet below the City’s allowable height limit for the high-density residential zone.” He said the project is designed to cater to young families in the “missing middle” of the real estate market Helena’s City Council and Planning Commission have highlighted this issue for years and we’re looking forward to collaborating with them to deliver the town’s housing goals,” Barnett said He said Spring Grove is consistent with St Helena’s housing element and objective design standards “We have heard a lot of thoughtful feedback but calling this site overly dense and overly tall or pointing to online ratings is manufacturing issues to distract from the reality that the project is not only fully compliant with local and state laws but a much smaller project than what was envisioned here including seven homes fewer than what the City counted toward its Regional Housing Needs Assessment,” Barnett said California laws intended to promote housing construction have significantly reduced the ability of local governments to judge housing projects based on subjective criteria such as neighborhood opposition Planning commissioners Autumn Anderson and Sue Furdek recently attended a Planning Commissioners Academy organized by the League of California Cities “one of the biggest takeaways was how the state is continuing to take a more active role in shaping local housing policy.” “New laws were designed to prevent local governments from rejecting compliant housing projects and to restrict cities’ ability to deny or delay projects based on subjective factors,” Anderson said “The priority is clear: increasing housing production.” “As the state continues tightening control over housing policy it is more important than ever for residents to understand what these laws require and where the city does and does not have discretion,” Anderson said Helena posted a Frequently Asked Questions document on its website explaining how the new legal constraints pertain to Spring Grove The city can’t downzone the Spring Grove site to medium-density residential due to a state law that prohibits governments from amending zoning and land-use designations in a way that would reduce the allowable density that was in place as of Jan The Spring Grove site is subject to that law because it’s been zoned high-density since the 1990s prevents local governments from rejecting projects that comply with the “objective standards” of local general plans and zoning ordinances That rules out personal or subjective judgments by public officials that aren’t based on an “external and uniform benchmark or criterion,” according to the city SB 330 does allow exceptions for projects that violate state or federal law or would impact public health and safety in a way that cannot be mitigated There’s also an exception for governments that have already met their Regional Housing Needs Allocation the state Department of Housing and Community Development has shown that it’s willing to use St Helena’s housing element as leverage to force the city to approve housing projects — especially on properties like Spring Grove that are listed as “housing opportunity sites.” In 2023 during hearings about the 87-unit Hunter project HCD linked the project’s fate with the agency’s consideration of St Based on a letter from HCD supporting the Hunter project city officials got the message that rejecting Hunter could jeopardize the housing element The City Council reluctantly approved the project’s tentative map and the state housing department approved the housing element In 2024 HCD revoked its certification of the housing element when the city missed a deadline to rezone various “housing opportunity sites.” The rezoning of a vineyard on Spring Street — just down the street from the Spring Grove site — sparked objections from neighbors who said it was unsuitable for high-density development but council members said it was the only way to appease the state housing agency Not having a certified housing element can expose the city to lawsuits and allow developers to use the “builder’s remedy” to push through projects that don’t conform to local regulations That “builder’s remedy” came into play in the Los Angeles County city of La Cañada Flintridge a court forced the city to process an application for a high-density housing project and hotel that had been filed before HCD had approved the city’s housing element Even cities that do have a certified housing element can find themselves in court the Housing Action Coalition and the law firm Farella Braun and Martel sued the East Bay city of Lafayette saying its state-approved housing element had proposed “misleading and unrealistic housing sites,” including a CVS pharmacy that was under a long-term lease Helena’s emphasis on the constraints posed by state law is frustrating some neighbors “It feels like there should something we should do,” Cossi said Neighbor Kendra Craven recalled how the city successfully fought Safeway’s plan to move to the Adams Street property in the 1990s “Right now I feel like City Council and planning are all just rolling over it’s only because the city zoned the land to high-density residential without considering the consequences “I’m not opposed to the property being developed for housing,” she said “I wish that (local housing nonprofit) Our Town were developing it This is just an inappropriate project for that location.” The city is still processing the Spring Grove application The project will go before the Planning Commission on a date to be determined Public comments can be sent to publiccomment@cityofsthelena.gov. Comments and questions also be sent to Barnett at kbarnett@cityventures.com Neighbors of a Spring Street housing proposal say it's too big and too dense but the city's hands might be tied by state law A 2,235-square-foot house built in 1954 has changed hands The spacious property located at 116 Pratt Avenue in St The $1,875,000 purchase price works out to $839 per square foot This house offers a roomy layout with four bedrooms and three baths The property is equipped with a heating system and central A/C the home comes with an attached four-car garage allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include: Studio Traverso is at its core a full service viticultural & winemaking consultancy devoted to the crafting of fine wines that tell compelling stories: each glass speaking to vintage - the time the terroir; each bottle conveying the character of its vintner with a few other client labels perpetually in the pipeline mastering a dominant style of a single varietal from a particular plot based in Napa Valley but wandering from the Sonoma Coast to the Sierra Foothills pairing the highest potential of any vineyard with utmost craftsmanship and character 2025) -- Commemorated in wine growing regions around the world each year on January 22nd Vincent is coming to the Napa Valley on Saturday in the form of winemaker Vin Traverso's inaugural "Feast of St A moveable feast in Vin's hometown of St at the heart of one of America's most celebrated wine communities festivities will kick off at 5pm with a short interfaith service in the beautiful sanctuary of Grace Episcopal Church before moving across Spring Street to the historic Native Sons Hall for a feast of the Traverso family's cioppino a fête of Vin's clients' wines as well as a litany of silent auction treasures Pre-Sale and Advance tickets are sold out, but limited individual tickets are still available at studiotraverso.com  VIP Pre-Service Sip & Snack hosted by Lang & Reed at Spring House starting at 4pm pouring their 2023 Mendocino Chenin Blanc paired with Philo Apple Farm Savory Biscuit and 2022 North Coast Cabernet Franc paired with Fatted Calf Pork Rillette on Crouton Popping bottles throughout the feast from 5pm – 10pm food pairings feature selections from Vin's family of wines along with a few other surprises yet-to-be released At the Bar - Studio Traverso's own mulled wine: Vin Brulé & our Signature Cocktail: St Non-Alcoholic Wines & Mocktails by Dry Goods Beverage Company along with Sparkling Apple Cider & Soft Drinks Check out studiotraverso.com for more information www.studiotraverso.com/products/feast-of-st-vin The mayoral seat and two city council seats were up for grabs in St Click here for The Press Democrat’s full voter guide for the 2024 general election Incumbent Paul Dohring has defeated challenger and fellow city council member Billy Summers to retain his position as the mayor of St With 76.7% of the total potential vote counted by Monday afternoon The final certified count will be released Dec Dohring listed the priority areas for his next term: managing city costs advancing wildfire preparedness and creating more workforce housing “and giving me this opportunity to serve.” Dohring was first elected mayor for a two-year term in 2022 after being on the City Council for eight years won his first four-year term on the City Council in 2022 Helena City Council also had two seats up for grabs this election and three new candidates none of whom have prior experience as elected officials With 76.7% of the total potential vote counted Aaron Barak had 36.65% and Hector Marroquin was at 25.34% “I’m thrilled with the results,” said Deasy “and very honored to have received those votes I'm just preparing myself to work hard and listen hard and make good decisions.” has a five-member City Council that is elected at-large A land use and real estate attorney and a longtime Napa Valley resident 63-year-old Dohring describes himself as an “old-school” politician with public service as one of his core values Dohring beat fellow council member Eric Hall by 132 votes to become mayor he wants to see the work he and the rest of the City Council put in over the last two years pay off the council has been working toward eight set goals — including strengthening the city’s fiscal resilience improving infrastructure and pursuing water security But maintaining economic sustainability while continuing to provide the services demanded by the community is difficult and has led to the budget issues the city’s currently facing he said there’s a need to rebuild trust in the community and not overpromise cinematographer and former professional snowboarder He also co-founded The Herbivore cannabis dispensary in Napa Summers’ campaign was largely focused on a need for more transparency To help improve transparency — and counterbalance what he sees as the council’s overreliance on city staff — he advocated for the creation of a citizen-led financial oversight committee and a water and wastewater committee Summers served on the city’s parks and recreation commission Currently the chief technology officer for Solano County he previously worked for Silicon Valley Bank His major campaign planks included working toward greater fiscal responsibility and tackling the city’s water problems he proposed greater operational efficiency and an elaborate means of “sharing the burden” to raise millions in additional funding This included a parcel tax to fund the library 0.25% increments for the city’s sales and business license taxes and a 1% local increase in Transient Occupancy Tax assessed on hotel rooms Barak said in his campaign that he’d like the city to join a countywide water agency to help reduce costs a nonprofit that works to prepare students for workforce employment she is big on attracting jobs and industries to the city that are “future-focused” and provide youth opportunities for upward mobility the city’s budget deficit and water quality cost and sustainability are the most pressing problems that need to be tackled she feels the city needs to be thinking about its declining population Helena Striders walking group and volunteer coaching local youth sports she currently serves as president of the city’s library board and previously served on the city’s parks and recreation commission Helena Masonic Temple Association nonprofit and has a working background in food and wine His election planks included improving the city’s financial stability supporting local businesses and families and building affordable housing in the city You can reach Tarini Mehta at 707-521-5337 or tarini.mehta@pressdemocrat.com A Bay Area development company wants to build 41 townhomes on near Spring Street in St A Bay Area development company wants to build 41 townhomes on a 2.5-acre site near Spring Street City Ventures submitted a preliminary application to the city in November The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a study session about the project in late January so the proponents can get early feedback from commissioners and the public Community Development Director Maya DeRosa said the so-called Spring Grove project will require public hearings in front of the Planning Commission and the City Council because it requests a tentative subdivision map The project site is made up of three parcels bordered by Spring Street Saint James Drive and the Wallis Court subdivision far below the minimum required by the zoning (The site isn’t visible from the street; the existing houses fronting Spring Street are on their own lots and aren't part of the project.) The site is split between high-density residential and medium-density residential zoning City Ventures plans to build the townhomes on the high-density lot and use the medium-density lot for a new road connecting the site to Spring Street The density of 16.2 units per acre is at the low end of the high-density range of 16.1 to 28 units per acre Eight of the proposed townhouses would be deed-restricted affordable housing for households with moderate incomes The 41 townhomes would be distributed among six buildings with each unit ranging from 1,480 to 1,810 square feet Helena's Housing Element lists the property as "underutilized" and one of nine privately owned sites in town that could accommodate more housing This is the biggest housing project proposed in St The council grudgingly approved that project’s tentative map in 2023 citing unprecedented pressure from state housing authorities and new California laws that limit local restrictions on housing Those factors also came into play in April when neighbors objected to the high-density rezoning of a vineyard property on Spring Street City officials said not doing so would jeopardize the certification of St Helena’s Housing Element and expose the city to lawsuits and the “builder’s remedy,” which gives developers broad latitude to exceed local development standards which is owned by a Yountville-based trust City Ventures specializes in market-rate housing for the “missing middle,” including young families and first-time home buyers All public hearings on the project will be announced via legal advertisements in the St Helena Star and by letters to property owners within 300 feet of the site This story has been corrected since the original posting to reflect that City Ventures' office is in San Francisco You can reach Jesse Duarte at 707-967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com Helena voters will elect two new City Council members in Tuesday’s election and decide whether to reelect the current mayor For The Press Democrat’s Voter Guide, including links to stories and endorsements, go to election.pressdemocrat.com/guide Helena voters will determine two new City Council members in Tuesday’s election with no incumbents running for those seats The city’s voters will also decide on whether to reelect its current mayor Aaron Barak and Hector Marroquin are the three newcomers seeking council seats — and none have prior experience as an elected official Voters have been asked to select two candidates and the top two vote-getters will be elected to the City Council for four-year terms He said he’s focused on improving the city’s financial stability as well as supporting local businesses and families He said he thinks his professional background and history in the city would help him make informed judgments about issues facing the city “Challenges and issues that face our community tend to be circular in nature,” he said Marroquin added that building affordable housing in the city is a major goal of his He would like the city to give city-owned vacant land to Our Town St to facilitate new affordable rental housing in the city “That is an immediate first step toward positive progress,” Marroquin said in an email we need a ‘housing strategy’ put down on paper with achievable goals and deadlines We need to work with local property owners who own land within the city limits to be a part of this team and vision.” said she is running for the council because she’s interested in the various problems facing the city and she’d like to contribute to the place where she’s raising her three children Deasy identified the city’s financial issues — the city currently has a structural general fund budget deficit of about $7 million — and water quality cost and sustainability as pressing problems that need to be tackled She said she’d like to see the city explore regional water partnerships to secure sustainable water resources in the long-term along with reducing the high local cost of water Deasy said revenue generation is important but she wants to see more attention paid to delivering city services efficiently Deasy also said she feels strongly that St Helena needs to look beyond its current problems and think about the future — including how the community and school district will remain vibrant given the city’s declining population Deasy — who is executive director of QA Commons a nonprofit that works to prepare students for workforce employment — said she is in favor of attracting jobs and industries to the city that are “future-focused,” allow residents to earn a living wage and provide youth opportunities for upward mobility but we are losing residents and we’re losing school enrollment and those are threats to our community” Deasy said at an Oct said he thinks the city is at a point where the bar needs to be raised on local government particularly when it comes to fiscal responsibility and transparency “We kind of have a bit of a general malaise where we feel a little defeated here in town,” Barak said “We’ve seen Yountville and Calistoga kind of zoom past us and secure their revenue future and their water future we’ve got a problem and we need to get serious about it.” Barak is currently the chief technology officer for Solano County and he previously worked for Silicon Valley Bank he said he’s already well-versed in how modern governments maximize value without imposing additional taxes Barak estimates the council could work to reduce city spending by $1 million through operational improvements and more efficient staffing But he’s proposed a means of “sharing the burden” to raise millions in additional funding Barak also is proposing a reduction in the real estate transfer tax the St expected to raise about $4.8 million annually which he estimated would reduce revenues by about half Barak said he’d like the city to join a countywide water agency an idea being explored by the Local Agency Formation Commission of Napa County to help reduce costs the high cost of water is pushing middle class people out of St which is causing an impact on the community and school district Helena’s mayoral race is between the city’s current mayor who is seeking reelection at the end of his first two-year term and a current council member who is still in his first four-year term served eight years on the City Council prior to being elected mayor in 2022 when he won with 54.16% of the vote against fellow council member Eric Hall — a margin of 132 votes won his first term on the City Council in that 2022 race He received the second-most votes of three candidates with 25.55% well below the 1,269 votes — about 55% of the vote — won by then-incumbent Anna Chouteau but 130 votes above candidate Amy Beaudine a land use and real estate attorney for 36 years and a Napa Valley resident for about 34 years describes himself as an “old-school” politician with public service as one of his core values “The sense of giving back to your community especially folks who come from more humble circumstances.” Dohring added that he believes the city has a “fairly cohesive” City Council that’s been committed to working toward eight set goals — including strengthening the city’s fiscal resilience isn’t long enough to see the work that’s gone into those goals pay off given the extent of services it provides for its population of about 5,000 people But maintaining economic sustainability while continuing to provide the service demanded by the community is difficult “I don’t think folks want to let go of what they have,” Dohring said “And so then the burden falls back on government leaders to try and figure out a way to do that.” Dohring said he thinks the City Council probably underserved the community in the past by underinvesting in areas like water infrastructure that have emerged as major problems in recent years Infrastructure problems tend to be hidden from plain view Helena is certainly not alone in discovering such problems and then needing funds to make repairs or upgrades But there’s a need to rebuild trust in the community “I think I can help bridge that gap in our community,” Dohring said “I’m sure there are folks who look at me and go ‘hey but they know what they’re going to get with me I’m not an empty suit and I don’t make empty promises.” cinematographer and former professional snowboarder who has been a St He also co-founded The Herbivore cannabis dispensary in Napa — his LinkedIn profile identifies him as a “Dream Leader” for the company since 2018 Summers said his campaign is largely focused on a need for more transparency an issue he said connects with the city’s various other problems “We’ve got financial and budgetary issues that are just beyond what’s been held and grasped and watched,” Summers said Summers — who also previously served on the city’s parks and recreation commission — said he’s still new to politics but he’s a fast learner and public service has become his passion To help improve transparency — and counterbalance what he sees as the council’s overreliance on city staff — he’s advocated for the creation of a citizen-led financial oversight committee and a water and wastewater committee “We have to be transparent and honest about what’s going on so that we can fix the problem as a community,” Summers said “We can’t hide behind the old closed doors of governance.” The Saints delivered an early statement win in North Central League I action handing the Eagles their first loss of the season in a run-rule decision Wednesday blew the game open with seven runs in the third Tahlia Smith went 4-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs and struck out 10 with one walk four hits and an unearned run allowed as she worked all six innings in the circle Ada Blanton also tripled with two RBIs and Ellie Carmichael doubled with two RBIs Cloverdale fell to 9-1 on the year and 1-1 in league with the loss The Prospectors rolled to a big win over the Greyhounds on Wednesday in NBL-Redwood action Mialynn Membrilla had a monster all-around game going 3-for-3 with three doubles and three RBIs at the plate and striking out 11 with five hits no walks and one run allowed over all six innings in the circle Genavieve De Mauro also hit a home run in two-hit game with two RBIs and Ava Parra had two hits with an RBI and three stolen bases for Piner (4-7 The Wolves put up a season-high 18 hits as they rolled to another big win in Vine Valley Athletic League play Wednesday against the Dragons with four RBIs and allowed four hits with a run and a strikeout in all five innings in the circle for American Canyon (4-2 Aliyah Harris had two hits with an RBI and Raquel Winterburn and Brianna Velasco each doubled twice The Braves picked up their first win of the season in a run-rule victory over the Grizzlies on Wednesday in VVAL play with five RBIs and Ale Guerrero had three hits with five RBIs to lead the charge offensively for Justin-Siena (1-4 Guerrero also pitched all five innings with two strikeouts Casa Grande 5, Petaluma 0 You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com the new assistant city manager in Healdsburg where she was also the assistant city manager Healdsburg has hired April Mitts as its new assistant city manager nationwide search to replace Andrew Sturmfels who moved to a role in Sonoma County government in January where she is currently serving in the same role .. Helena on April 23 and begin her job in Healdsburg on April 28 starting as the city’s financial director in November 2014 and administrative services director in June 2021 before becoming assistant city manager in June 2022 Mitts was selected as Healdsburg’s assistant city manager from a field of 70 candidates because of her “depth of experience in municipal operations in a city similar in size and demographics,” Healdsburg leaders noted in a press release “April brings an outstanding combination of experience technical expertise and leadership to this position,” Healdsburg City Manager Jeff Kay said “I have been particularly impressed with her community-focused approach to public service and I look forward to her making a very positive impact on the city and our organization.” Healdsburg has nearly three times as many residents as St says the cities are very similar in character and needs including having to focus on fire and drought resiliency “I hope to make a seamless transition this side of the hill.” Mitts also said Healdsburg’s projects are attractive describing the city’s development as “strategic,” adding “There’s a lot of momentum going on in Healdsburg.” Known for her institutional knowledge of St Helena Mayor Paul Dohring praised Mitts’ “strategic thinking “She has been a key player in many of our initiatives and her departure is a significant loss for St Having worked with April for over 10 years I know firsthand that she has been an invaluable member of our city’s leadership team,” Dohring said While she’ll miss the executive team and staff too Mitts says she’s ready to hit the ground running in Healdsburg at the end of April “My goal is to make the city manager look good make the city council look good and to be a utility player.” She’s also ready to focus and bring city departments together for more strategic collaboration but also hold department heads accountable I really like to play that facilitation role,” Mitts said Mitts will start at the top step of the salary schedule the base salary for the assistant city manager position starts at $197,352 Amie Windsor is the Community Journalism Team Lead with The Press Democrat She can be reached at amie.windsor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5218 A house in Saint Helena that sold for $4 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in St five residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past four weeks The average price per square foot was $1,083 The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded from the week of Mar 17 to the week of April 12 even if the property may have been sold earlier The house was built in 1929 and has a living area of 1,260 square feet The sale of the single family residence at 1830 Spring Mountain Road in Saint Helena has been finalized and the new owners took over the house in March The house was built in 1978 and has a living area of 1,630 square feet The 1,818 square-foot detached house at 1665 Sylvaner Ave The transfer of ownership was settled in March and the total purchase price was $2,145,000 The 2,485 square-foot single-family house at 1582 Arrowhead Drive in Saint Helena has been sold The transfer of ownership was settled in March and the total purchase price was $2,500,000 The sale of the single-family residence at 1240 Spring Brook Court in Saint Helena has been finalized The house was built in 1978 and has a living area of 2,288 square feet and other supporters of Measure B look at early returns on his phone during a Yes on B party at Ana's Cantina Measure B trailed by 17 votes and was still too close to call A rendering of the proposed Noble House hotel at Charles Krug Winery Ballot measure proposing a real property transfer tax and a hotel in St Helena ballot measures proposing a hotel at Charles Krug Winery and a real property transfer tax each trailed in early returns trailed with 687 no votes (51.2%) and 656 yes votes (48.8%) according to early returns posted by the Napa County Election Division after 12:30 a.m A1 had 702 no votes (53.0%) and 623 yes votes (47.0%) A2 had 760 no votes (57.1%) and 571 yes votes (42.9%) Becoming a charter city is a prerequisite to St noted that both measures are trailing by a gap that seems insurmountable but confident that as the new City Council is seated and gets to work on the budget that fiscal realities will be addressed in a responsible fashion," Hardy said The next results will be released Friday afternoon according to Registrar of Voters John Tuteur They will include several thousand vote-by-mail ballots returned in the final days via mail and at drop boxes and vote center the company that owns the Napa Valley Wine Train and proposed Measure B hosted an election night party at Ana’s Cantina CEO Jamie Colee and other supporters anxiously checked their phones as they waited for results to be posted “It's early,” Colee said shortly after 8 p.m We had great momentum toward the end of this and we're going to remain positive." The outlook for Measure B got worse as election night continued with the gap growing from 17 votes at 8:01 p.m Colee said the campaign helped him learn "what makes people tick" in St "Sometimes we didn't get our message across the right way," he said "Sometimes our words were twisted we didn't intend In some cases maybe we could have said our message in a different way so it wasn't misunderstood." He said he tried to give people accurate information about a "smart project." "This project is a win-win for so many people and the city itself," Marquez said before the results were announced Helena’s most controversial ballot initiative in recent memory It would approve Noble House’s plan to build a roughly 56-room luxury resort on fallow land at Charles Krug Winery Supporters said the hotel would provide a new revenue stream for a city that faces a substantial structural deficit attract more customers to local stores and restaurants Helena catch up to neighboring cities like Calistoga Yountville and Napa that have experienced the economic benefits of new lodging The hotel would generate $1.8 million a year in transient occupancy taxes for the city during its first five years and the unusual process by which the hotel came before voters The applicants propose using on-site wells to serve the hotel but an impartial analysis by the city questioned whether that was compatible with the county’s groundwater policies Some supporters of Measure B suggested that the hotel should try to hook up to the city’s water system instead Noble House proposes to build at least 50 workforce housing units on land it owns along the railroad tracks at Fulton Lane The city’s analysis questioned the feasibility of housing on that site but Noble House representatives said workforce housing is essential to their business plan The company has built workforce housing near its other resorts in environmentally sensitive places like the Florida Keys and Jackson Hole Noble House collected enough signatures to get Measure B on the ballot instead of going through the traditional city planning process which would require hearings in front of the Planning Commission and City Council Noble House supplied its own environmental reports but opponents said the project should have gone through the city’s usual vetting process That usually involves environmental reports paid for by the applicant but directed by city staff concessions to offset a project’s impact on city services and a development agreement approved by the City Council All five members of the City Council endorsed Measure B Measure A2 would impose a real property transfer tax of 1.5% on transactions between $1 million and $5 million and 3% on transactions over $5 million Transactions of under $1 million would be exempt Helena into a charter city and grant it the ability to impose the transfer tax the city estimated the tax would generate about $4.8 million a year although the amount would fluctuate based on the real estate market The tax would help close what city officials say is a $7 million structural deficit in St Supporters sometimes called it the “least worst” of the various revenue options available to the city Critics questioned the city’s revenue estimate and said the tax would put a heavy burden on a small sliver of the population although the cost could be shifted to the buyer when the sale is negotiated The National Association of Realtors funded a campaign against A1 and A2 Sue Furdek worked on the pro-A1/A2 campaign we'll all have to come together to address the issues and address our budget shortfalls," she said on election night before the first results were announced It will be super-incumbent on the new council to address those quickly and make some tough decisions." according to a note posted at the entrance on Monday Helena announced its closure on Monday after just over a year in business “The original vision and current focus have changed,” according to a note posted at the entrance and on social media “We thank our loyal customers and dedicated employees who contributed to making NO|MA House so special and sometimes life’s circumstances lead us in new directions We promise to keep you updated on whatever comes next.” Ann Backen opened NO|MA House in September 2023 Its concept of food and retail was unique in St Helena: a coffee shop and café combined with artisan goods When NO|MA House – the name is an abbreviation of North Main – opened at 1429 Main St Backen described it as a “living lab” offering “food for nourishment education for knowledge and thoughtful design.” “We’ve mixed all of these things that you generally see siloed,” she told the St “You go to a restaurant and it’s just a restaurant You go to a design store and it’s just a design store You go to the movies and it’s just the movies NO|MA House’s closing coincided with Wednesday’s soft opening of a new coffee shop around the corner at the former location of the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co A Napa Valley 10 Questions: She created a café and retail collective in St Selma Davis checks on a bundle of edible flowers grown within her hydroponics farm on St New Leaf Produce grows the equivalent of two acres worth of vegetables and microgreens at a time Seedlings await transplant to the walls of a hydroponic farm on St The farm is contained within what looks like a shipping container The high tech farming method uses little water to produce high yields Helena Farm can grow the equivalent of two acres of produce at a time The hydroponic farm was begun by Selma Davis in March 2023 Dozens of greens are grown vertically within large shipping container on St the 320-square-foot structure uses water to produce vegetables through a method called hydroponics HELENA ISLAND — A wall of lettuce was rolled aside to make way for rows of colorful edible flowers as Selma Davis looked through her hydroponic farm like a librarian confidently sifting through shelves of books She picked a piece of bright green arugula It is the most unbelievable arugula," Davis said The bushels of arugula are among dozens of greens grown vertically within a large shipping container dropped by a crane on St the 320-square-foot structure is high tech using water to produce large yields of pesticide free greens and vegetables through a method called hydroponics Hydroponic farms grow plants within a controlled indoor environment without the use of soil plants’ roots are submerged in nutrient-rich water and grown beneath LED lights The container would be easy to miss while driving along the rural roads of St. Helena Island. Farmland plowed, planted and harvested for generations surrounds the 10 acre property. There are no permanent buildings on Davis' land, only a shed, an RV and the white container with the farm's logo painted on the side: New Leaf Produce. New Leaf Produce began as a passion project for Davis whose venture into hydroponic farming came at a time of transition in her life She left a 25-year career in education during the uncertainty and stress of COVID-19 Scrolling through TikTok one day, Davis came across a 30-second video from a company called Freight Farms that offered a glimpse at hydroponic farming The Boston-based business specializes in agriculture technology and as of November 2022 had over 600 Freight Farm containers operating around the globe Davis paid $135,000 her own high-tech container the container checked a lot of boxes for the mother of four helped Davis grow her hobby of backyard gardening and helped her to develop food sovereignty during a time of supply chain uncertainty "My reasoning has really changed over time," Davis said "Now I'm leaning in because of the community it brings I've met so many incredible people through this process New Leaf Produce has grown an estimated 14,000 pounds of vegetable over the past two years Davis sells directly from her farm at 119 Scott Hill Road and wholesale to local restaurants like Beaufort based Locals Raw Bar In September 2024 New Leaf Produce was approved for a solar panel grant Davis recently bought a barn that will be shipped in pieces to her farm in coming months She also plans to host educational youth sessions at the farm "It's really all about community," Davis said "I can't wait to see who else this brings into my life." News tips/online questions: newstips@postandcourier.com Delivery/subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com The property located at 1600 Adams Street in St The $1,790,000 purchase price works out to $1,534 per square foot has an interior space of 1,167 square feet The property is situated on a lot spanning 4,235 square feet Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include: Helena Cyclery after it was closed in early July by bike maker Trek keeping the 45-year-old community business running St. Helena Cyclery was closed for just over three weeks as it changed hands between a bicycle manufacturer and longtime owner Jake Scheideman who had sold the store just over two years ago Scheideman in 2022 sold the 45-year-old shop to Trek along with Napa Valley Vello (now Trek Bicycle Napa) When Trek announced June 20 it was closing St Helena Cyclery and consolidating business to the 145 Gasser Drive location in Napa Scheideman saw an opportunity to revive the business and keep it in the community "I called them up and asked if they were interested in me making an offer to keep the assets here and they were receptive to it," Scheideman said Scheideman purchased the shop's assets and inventory Trek helped him get the computer systems and other infrastructure back up and running Helena Cyclery started in 1979 and relocated to a few locations before its current spot at 1156 Main St but it also will be carrying some other upper-end brands but the brand of upscale mountain bikes remains to be determined The timing of the reopening aligns with the upcoming completion later this month of the Calistoga–St Helena segment of the Napa Valley Vine Trail a 47-mile pedestrian and cycling path ultimately connecting Calistoga to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal who has been involved with the Vine Trail project since its inception over a decade ago sees the new trail as a boon for his business and the local community "A lot of people are talking about it from a rental or tourist visitor perspective who have quit riding on the road because they're worried about traffic are just elated and can't wait to kind of use the trail for themselves," Scheideman said The bike shop owner noted that industry conditions have changed dramatically since he sold the business in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic Bikes were just flying out the door as fast as we could buy and build them and then the whiplash effect of COVID affected the bike industry pretty hard." Scheideman is optimistic about the shop's future "I can't imagine how difficult this would be if I was starting from scratch with no knowledge of anything Reach him at jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4256 (WAFB) - An elderly woman was killed in a house fire in St according to the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office The fire happened on Pat Lane just outside of the Hillsdale community The body of the woman was located in a bedroom at the home The identity of the victim and her cause of death have not been released the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office said the victim is believed to have been an 86-year-old Officials said the home where the deadly fire happened did not have a working smoke alarm The median price per square foot for a home in St That’s $406 more than the Napa County median the most expensive community in Napa County is Yountville where the median price per square foot in the past four weeks was $752 The best deal can be found in American Canyon where the median price per square foot of a home sold was $344 a 2,485-square-foot home on Arrowhead Drive in St The figures in this text are based on sales registered during the week of Apr Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deadly shooting that happened Monday evening 10th when deputies responded to a possible shooting at 835 Sawmill Rd Though the address is an Amite address and it’s right on the Tangipahoa/St No further details have been released at this time including what led up to the shooting Helena shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office This deadly shooting took place on the same road where a triple homicide happened on Jan Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.  Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. 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