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Fall is really here - and Lake Hennessey is looking downright wintry. Congrats to our local growers and vintners for making it to the finish line of Harvest 2023! As the days get shorter and the rain moves in, my team and I continue to work on issues like wildfire prevention, broadband access, and also the challenging topic of insurance. With Thanksgiving coming up, it’s also a time for gratitude and thinking about ways to give back. Please read on to learn about these topics and more - including a holiday gathering, some volunteer opportunities, and a snapshot of our Agricultural Commissioner’s work.
| Please join me at my inaugural Holiday Open House on Tuesday, December 5 at Tucker Farm Center in Calistoga! This will be a fun event, and an opportunity to celebrate together and support our upvalley food banks. I hope you will grab a friend or neighbor, and join me on December 5! | |
Congratulations to local legend and choir director Craig Bond, who was honored with a plaque in the St. Helena High School Performing Arts Center. And thanks to Melissa, Angie, Carly and Carolyn for organizing this celebration. Judd Finkelstein (of @thefinknapa ) and I remembered some fun Jazz Choir years with this amazing teacher and director. | Here are members of the hardworking Napa County Library team (and float winners!) in the 2023 Yountville Days Parade in October. Thanks to Yountville Mayor Marjorie Mohler and town leaders, staff and volunteers, and all who walked and rode. It was a terrific event! | |
Thank you to the Napa Valley Community Foundation, Napa Valley Vintners and Napa Valley Grapegrowers for partnering to bring the community the recent Wildfire Resilience Summit.
Congressman Mike Thompson and Senator Bill Dodd spoke about their work on the federal and state level, and guest speaker George Whitesides of Megafire Action outlined the big challenges and some big ideas as to how we respond. And our panel of local experts - representing research, planning, insurance, fire prevention and fire suppression - made it clear how active our community is in working on solutions.
|  | A big thank you to the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) and partner agencies for hosting the ROOTSTOCK event earlier this month. NVG's ROOTSTOCK has been around for more than 17 years. It started as the "Vit Fair" tradeshow, evolved to the "Wine & Grape Expo," and then became what it is today, an end-of-harvest educational conference. This year's program included a presentation on integrated pest management, and data on weed control trends in the valley over the last two decades. Truth be told, we really got into the weeds about historical ag practices! Also, I was happy to hear Dave Whitmer's tribute to his colleague and friend Ed Weber, a key source of vineyard and viticulture wisdom for the Napa Valley community. | |
IN THE (VOLUNTEER) SPIRIT | |
I have heard from several upvalley residents (including Mitzi from Calistoga and Myrna from Yountville) who are looking for ways to volunteer. So I reached out to St. Helena’s own Ines DeLuna, who is with the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL). CVNL works with local nonprofits, leaders, and volunteers to help them elevate their impact. With the launch of volunteernow.org, they are now able to connect community members with important local causes across the North Bay.
Volunteers are a critical part of any organization’s success. I encourage you to visit volunteernow.org and look for ideas, including projects like Secret Santa holiday gift card making or driving for Meals on Wheels. At the Holiday Gathering on 12/5, we will also touch on other local volunteer opportunities. So if you have ideas or volunteer needs, please reach out and share that info.
| ON THE TO DO LIST: CHECK YOUR MAIL! | |
A limited number of qualified customers in Napa County will soon receive a letter from PG&E that offers information about a low-or no-cost home battery program. PLEASE be sure to read the letter and call the phone number for more information.
Eligible recipients will:
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Receive a letter from PG&E about eligibility and/or a phone call from Richard Heath & Associates (RHA);
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Be a Medical Baseline customer, or income-qualified (i.e. on CARE, or self-identified vulnerable customer); and
- Experienced many EPSS outages.
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With Steve Burgess from Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, I toured the roadside clearing work in progress on Kortum Canyon and Franz Valley School roads. This is such important work for residents in Napa County! Learn more about the work of Firewise here.
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SNAPSHOT ON COUNTY SERVICES
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Department Spotlight: Napa County Ag Commissioner
For my fourth “County snapshot” this month, I'd like to highlight the Napa County Agriculture Commissioner, Tracy Cleveland.
Commissioner Cleveland and her staff are tasked with promoting agriculture and protecting workers, the community, and the environment. They work to ensure the implementation of Federal, State, and local regulatory programs in the county. The Ag Commissioner also serves as the Sealer of Weights and Measures, promoting equity in the marketplace and protecting consumers and businesses alike. Napa County has a reputation as a premier wine-producing region, but also has the climate and soils capable of producing many types of exceptional agricultural products.
Commissioner Cleveland has 20 years of experience in the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and became Commissioner in 2021. She holds a degree in Ecology from Sonoma State University. Her experience and leadership have served to distinguish the department in the field. Moreover, having attended several meetings with Commissioner Cleveland, I know how hard she works to provide education about Napa’s agricultural heritage and best practices to our own community and other groups beyond county borders. You can learn more about the programs and services offered by the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s office here. Also, be sure to sign up for news and updates monthly via the Commissioner's Corner e-newsletter!
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