Gourd-eous Legacy of Ready for winter squash FOOD, C1 success Credit squeeze Justin-Siena’s elite baseball history SPORTS, B1 COVID takes toll on financing BUSINESS, A4 VERY HOT 97 • 57 FORECAST, B4 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 | napavalleyregister.com | $1 DISASTER Experts: Trump’s debt a security concern AAMER MADHANI AND DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press WASHINGTON — Revelations that President Donald Trump is personally liable for more than $400 million in debt are casting a shadow over his presidency that ethics experts say raises national security concerns he could be manipulated to sway U.S. policy by organizations or individuals he’s indebted to. New scrutiny of Trump, who claims great suc- cess as a private businessman, comes after The New York Times ADAM HOUSLEY reported that tax records show A fi refi ghter looks on as fl ames engulf the restaurant and grill at the Meadowood Napa Valley resort in St. Helena Monday afternoon. Flames also he is personally reportedly damaged portions of its spa and tennis courts. carrying a stag- Trump gering amount of debt, including more than $300 million in loans that will come due in the next four years. Glass fire wreaks havoc Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was blunt about the potential implications. “He may be vulnerable to fi nancial black- mail from a hostile foreign power and God knows what else,” said Upvalley, slams Sonoma Warren, a frequent Trump critic. The Times said the tax records Fierce winds fan The community of Angwin was also show that Trump did not evacuated, but nearby How- pay any federal income taxes in flames; wineries, ell Mountain and Pacifi c Union 11 years between 2000 and 2018, College were under warnings. As raising questions about the fair- hospitality businesses a precaution, St. Helena Hospital ness of a president, who purports evacuated 55 patients. to be a billionaire, paying less in are casualties The fi re raced across the val- taxes than most Americans. ley and over the Mayacamas The politically damaging reve- REGISTER STAFF mountains into Sonoma Sunday lations about Trump’s tax avoid- Fire exploded across the night, propelled by wind gusts of ance, however, are perhaps less Napa Valley overnight Sunday, 50 mph or greater in the higher concerning than word the pres- prompting evacuation orders in elevations. The area remained ident is holding hundreds of parts of St. Helena and Calistoga, under a Red Flag warning, in- millions of dollars of soon-to- and extending well into Sonoma dicating high temperatures, low mature debt, ethics experts said. County. humidity and high winds, that “Americans should be con- Six thousand people were or- was expected to last through cerned about the president’s debt dered out of their homes in Napa 9 p.m., though fi refi ghters were because it’s a national security County, with another 5,000 NOAH BERGER hoping for a wind break by the risk for our country,” said Donald people under evacuation warn- afternoon. Sherman, deputy director of the ings Monday. Cal Fire said 8,543 Flames from the Glass Fire consume Chateau Boswell Winery in St. “We still have a few more nonprofi t government watchdog structures were threatened in Helena, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. hours of extreme fi refi ght on group Citizens for Responsi- the two counties, but no attempt our hands,” county spokesperson bility and Ethics in Washington has yet been made to count de- Mandatory evacuation orders Creek to Petrifi ed Forest Road Janet Upton said early Monday (CREW). “This is information stroyed structures. were in place Monday for both were under mandatory orders. morning. that the president has aggres- Offi cials said the fi re had sides of the valley, on the east Portions of Calistoga and St. The Glass fi res come six sively and repeatedly tried to keep scorched more than 36,000 acres from Lake Hennessey to well Helena were under mandatory weeks after the Hennessey Fire away from the public.” in the two counties by late Mon- north of Calistoga. On the west, orders, but most of both cities day afternoon. the hills from south of Sulpher were under advisory warnings. Please see FIRES, Page A6 Please see TRUMP, Page A2 GLASS FIRE Evacuees line up for shelter nia wildfi res tears through the and county offi cials expected Told to get out wooded Upvalley. that number to jump sharply. quickly, families And by Monday morning, the More than 6,000 people are un- scope of the evacuation forced der mandatory evacuation orders wait in scorching by the Glass Incident became and 5,000 county residents have as visible as the ever-growing received evacuation warnings. temperatures for aid queue waiting outside a Napa By 11:30 a.m., more than church to learn where they might 120 people were lined up out- HOWARD YUNE spend the night – or the next side CrossWalk Community [email protected] several nights – while waiting to Church, Napa County’s desig- With a text message, a phone learn whether their homes would nated check-in center for those call or a knock on the door, thou- remain safe. seeking temporary shelter in HOWARD YUNE, REGISTER sands of Napa County residents At least 426 people had regis- local hotels. As the temperature The Glass Incident wildfi re raging in the Upvalley has pressed Napa’s have had to briskly leave their tered with Napa County seeking hurtled toward and eventually CrossWalk Community Church into service as an assistance center for homes and seek safe shelter as a hotel room to shelter during hundreds forced to evacuate Deer Park, Angwin, Calistoga and other the latest in a season of Califor- the fi res as of Monday afternoon, Please see EVACUEES, Page A2 communities. OBITUARIES | PAGE C6 BUSINESS A4 HOROSCOPE C3 SPORTS B1 Rebecca (Becky) Wisnoskie COMICS C4 OPINION A5 SUDOKU C4 CROSSWORD C3 SCOREBOARD B3 WEATHER B4 M • • • • Follow us online: 1 $1 D Volume 158, Issue 28 A Lee Enterprises Newspaper Copyright 2020 facebook.com/NapaValleyRegister twitter.com@NapaRegister instagram.com/naparegister A2 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 NEWS NAPA VALLEY REGISTER Get the latest coronavirus updates Get digital! Email: Sign up for alerts by visiting napavalleyregister.com/newsletters. If you love the look of the traditional paper, you’ll love reading our Digital Online: Read a complete roundup of local information and reports at User section online today in your E-Edition. Digital access is included in AT NAPAVALLEYREGISTER.COM napavalleyregister.com/coronavirus. your membership. To sign up, go to napavalleyregister.com/activate today! LOCAL BRIEFS Evacuees How to help Farm Bureau to benefit Glass From A1 Napa Valley COAD (Commu- nity Organizations Active in Fire evacuees and families past 100 degrees, volunteers Disaster) is asking people set up a chain of small can- to make donations for Glass The Napa County Farm Bureau will be enhancing the opies to shade the families, Incident wildfire evacuees in focus of its Annual Ag Fundraiser Drive Thru BBQ Pick couples, seniors and dogs the form of gift cards or cash. Up Dinner on Friday, Oct.2 to assist in benefiting Glass assembled from the church’s fire evacuees and their families. front door to down near a “I think people understand “Given the Glass Fire’s impact and the current situation gymnasium at the end of the that because of COVID it’s we’re dealing with, ensuring that our community is safe property. very difficult for us to accept and well taken care of is a top priority”, said Ryan Klobas, “Just heard my neighbors things in kind,” COAD director chief executive officer of the Napa County Farm Bureau moving about, and then a Celeste Giunta said Monday and Napa County Farm Bureau Foundation. “Placing an siren, and then a neighbor afternoon. “It’s just a chal- emphasis on caring for evacuees and their families right opened the door and told lenge to make sure it gets now is of paramount importance and we will continue to me we had to leave,” said properly quarantined and disinfected.” direct resources to ensure their safety and welfare.” J’nai Gaither, who evacuated HOWARD YUNE, REGISTER The Farm Bureau’s annual ag fundraiser tradition- shortly after 5:45 a.m. but The line for Glass Incident wildfire evacuees to register for Gift cards may be donated ally benefits Napa County’s ag youth through the Napa reached CrossWalk only after shelter at local hotels stretched to more than 120 people by directly at CrossWalk Commu- County Farm Bureau Foundation’s youth programming. road closures forced a circu- midday Monday. Volunteers at CrossWalk Community Church nity Church, 2590 First St., in Residents who are interested in donating to benefit the itous drive through Healds- in Napa set up shade canopies to protect waiting evacuees Napa, which is serving as the Glass Fire evacuees and their families can make a direct burg and Santa Rosa. against 100-degree afternoon heat. main assistance center for financial contribution to the Napa County Farm Bureau “I saw the glow from the evacuees. Cards may be de- Foundation at napafarmbureau.org. balcony, in the hills across heard from his community issued overnight. livered 24 hours a day for the To donate to Glass Fire evacuees and to learn more de- the street – it looked like you since then had been about As of Monday afternoon, time being, according to Gi- tails about participating in the Foundation’s fundraiser for could reach out and touch firefighters’ battle to spare 6,607 people living in 2,643 unta. For more card donation ag youth, please visit napafarmbureau.org/loveoftheland.