Faces & Places Wildcat in Reader submitted photos PAGE C1 1,000 club Week in Review Rojas honored in mid-game, SPORTS, PAGE B1 In case you missed it NEWS, PAGE D4 PARTLY SUNNY 73 • 44 FORECAST, D4 | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2018 | napavalleyregister.com | $2 LAND USE LITIGATION Lawsuit challenges how $92m estate was handled Ed Keith amassed a fortune in Napa real estate, businesses JENNIFER HUFFMAN jhu [email protected] A family dispute is playing out in Napa Superior Court between two daughters of Ed Keith, a Napa landlord, vintner and busi- nessman, over what happened to their father’s $92 million es- tate, including some $38 million earmarked for a foundation in- J.L. SOUSA, REGISTER tended to benefi t The Napa County Ag Preserve is marking its 50th anniversary. It is considered a bulwark against urban growth in the Napa Valley. disadvantaged youth. In 2016, a de- cade after Keith died, Lisa Keith fi led suit to Ag Preserve success touted Keith compel her sis- Valley fl oor. “That’s the choice,” Morrison ter, Celeste K. White, to provide Landmark ordinance “I’m not seeing a whole lot of said. “We either fi ght really hard a full accounting of millions of has kept Napa Valley di erence,” Morrison said as fu- to keep what we have in terms of dollars that White controlled as ture decades zoomed by. agriculture or we’re absorbed co-trustee of the Ed Keith estate. non-urban for 50 years But the rest of the Bay Area into the Bay Area metropolitan In court documents, Lisa Keith sees a huge di erence. If the EPA region.” questions the propriety of a va- BARRY EBERLING growth scenarios are correct, Ag preserve, totalitarian- riety of fi nancial decisions made [email protected] Napa Valley will be a regional ism and ‘slip-shod semi-city’ by Celeste White, including $15 A computerized crystal ball oasis of agriculture 50 years from That’s the same choice the million invested in a for-profi t peers into the Bay Area’s fu- now. county faced at the birth of the real estate company, the pur- ture and shows brown suburbs “We’re going to get squeezed,” agricultural preserve in 1968. chase of a $2.4 million condo in relentlessly gobbling up green Morrison said. “Solano is going At that time, the idea of zoning Santa Barbara, the acquisition of farmland—but not in Napa be fairly developed, Sonoma’s 23,000 or so acres on the Napa a Land Rover for a Chiles Valley County’s agricultural preserve. and Land Use Scenarios map is going to be fairly developed. Valley fl oor as protected agricul- winery and the construction of a The agricultural preserve accurate, the preserve will con- Vallejo is like Oakland-level ture proved controversial. stable for their polo ponies. reaches its 50th anniversary tinue protecting Wine Country density.” “Socialism” and “totalitari- After more than a year of back this year. Passed by the Board farmland for another 50 years. Morrison can envision an anism,” cried some landowners. and forth court fi lings, court re- of Supervisors in 1968 and later County Planning, Building and alternative future for Napa This was before Napa County’s cords for the case now total more strengthened by voters, the pre- Environmental Services Direc- County. Perhaps land grows far future as a prosperous Wine than 2,000 pages. serve is supposed to act as a kind tor David Morrison on a recent more valuable for home building Country was assured, when Lisa Keith, who lives in Wood- of legislative, growth-repelling day looked at his computer as than grape growing, political re- some thought Napa Valley might side, is one of Ed Keith’s fi ve force fi eld. EPA growth scenarios unfolded solve to protect agriculture wains go the way of Santa Clara Valley children from two marriages. If the Environmental Protec- through 2070. He zoomed in on and the agricultural preserve is tion Agency’s Integrated Climate the light-green tinge of the Napa swallowed by development. Please see PRESERVE, Page A3 Please see LAWSUIT, Page A2 Pruning Contest returns Farmworkers portunity to come and join in the cell phones to capture the mo- festivities, said Jennifer Putnam, ment. Rojas hugged each one she compete, showcase executive director of the Napa passed as she walked to take her Valley Grapegrowers. Usually, place on the winner’s podium. vineyard skills she said, the contest bleeds into When she stepped up, she threw the work day. her right arm in the air in cele- MARIA SESTITO “Almost all of the winners bration. [email protected] had their families there cheer- Even though this was her fi rst YOUNTVILLE – Napa Val- ing them on,” Putnam said. Being year competing in the pruning ley farmworkers had the op- able to see the depth of their ap- contest, she knew she was going portunity to demonstrate their preciation was something she’d to win, she said. pruning skills and earn the title never experienced before at the “I’m confi dent in what I do,” of “champion” during the 17th pruning contest, she said. Rojas said in Spanish. And, she annual Napa County Pruning When Fabiola Rojas Marti- said, she had inspiration. Contest at Beringer Vineyard’s nez of Bayview Vineyards was Rojas’ younger sister, Ga- Gamble Ranch on Saturday. named the winner amongst the briela Rojas, died in childbirth MARIA SESTITO, REGISTER This was the fi rst time that the female contestants, her family, two years ago. Gabriela was a Finalist and fourth place winner Ruben Rueda prunes vines while Alejandro contest has been held on a Satur- friends and coworkers cheered Alvarez and Maxime Vandendriessche keep time during the 17th annual Napa day, which gave families the op- with pride and took out their Please see CONTEST, Page A5 County Pruning Contest at Beringer Vineyard’s Gamble Ranch on Saturday. OBITUARIES | PAGE D2 CALENDAR C2 KEVIN COURTNEY C1 SAMIE HARTLEY C2 Myrtle V. Bible, Burton (Burt) Raymond Duncan, Beverly Ann Gallagher-Laurio, Edward Louis CROSSWORDS C3 WEATHER D4 SCOREBOARD B3 Keiner, Sarah Fosters Stephens EDITORIAL D3 NATION & WORLD D1 SPORTS B1 $2.00 • Volume 155, Issue 173 • A Lee Enterprises Newspaper • Copyright 2018 Follow us online: facebook.com/NapaValleyRegister twitter.com@NapaRegister instagram.com/naparegister You’re Invited... OPEN HOUSE LUNCHEON Sunday * Special Day of Open House Offer! Feb. 18th * Personal Tours! * Delicious Lunch! 11AM-2PM * Beautiful Model Rooms! 601 Pope Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 • www.SilveradoOrchards.com • (707) 963-3688 M 1 A2 | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2018 NEWS NAPA VALLEY REGISTER This week at napavalleyregister.com Today Monday Monday It’s getting harder and harder for prose- A winter escape provides ample adventures Nimari Burnett is a team leader at the cutors to prosecute politicians or corrup- on the trail to Tucson point guard position for Napa’s Prolific tion, law professor Randall D. Eliason says. Prep Academy basketball team. NapaValleyRegister.com/opinion NapaValleyRegister.com/travel napavalleyregister.com/sports POLICE & FIRE LOCAL BRIEFS Man sentenced to Aguiar-Curry schedules Company, 1400 Oak Ave., to a time and place, they also that he wasn’t pimping any- in St. Helena. prison for pimping agreed to a price of $500 for one else and that it had only Upvalley ‘Community “This is a great oppor- two hours and decided who been temporary. tunity to voice your views at American would bring the condoms. McCall’s girlfriend said Coffees’ on Friday and share your comments The woman and McCall that she went to the hotel to Assemblymember Cecilia Agu- with your state elected Canyon hotel both showed up at the hotel, “hang out” with someone, iar-Curry will hold two Community official,” said Agu- A 27-year-old Vallejo where surveillance was set up the report says. She said that Coffee events in the Upvalley area on iar-Curry. “Please join man was sentenced to three in the parking lot, in a sedan they would possibly have Friday: the first from noon to 1:30 p.m., Aguiar-Curry me at Calistoga Roastery years in state prison in Napa on the night of the meeting, drinks, possibly go back to at Calistoga Roastery, 1426 Lincoln or Napa Valley Roasting County Superior Court on Nov. 15, 2016. The woman got the room and that if any- Ave., in Calistoga and the second from Company in St. Helena to discuss any Wednesday after pleading out of the car and, minutes thing happened that it would 2 to 3:30 p.m., at Napa Valley Roasting way my office can assist you.” no contest to felony pimping later, knocked on the agreed be between two consenting last year. upon hotel room door. Offi- adults. She told officers that Martin Johnny McCall en- cers stopped her and McCall McCall was not her pimp – tered the plea in November, in their vehicle as they were that he didn’t provide her a year after being arrested leaving the hotel a short time any protection and that she Lawsuit Who got Keith’s money? on suspicion of pimping in later. Officers located three didn’t give him any money. From A1 ‌According to court documents, the Edward A. Keith American Canyon. At the cell phones, a wallet and a She then provided police Foundation and two subsequent trusts using different time of his arrest, McCall was purse containing two con- with the security codes for Her sister, Celeste White, names distributed a total of $38 million. giving his girlfriend rides to doms inside the car. the phones, one of which lives in Napa with her hus- meet “dates” they had setup Both were arrested and revealed evidence of other band, Dr.