Bollen reaches dream race Celebrating poetry Upvalley students pair poetry Local runner in 2018 Boston Marathon SPORTS, PAGE B1 with photography SPOTLIGHT, PAGE B3 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2018 | sthelenastar.com | Published in the Heart of Napa Valley Since 1874 Teaming up with history Soroptimists celebrate St. Helena with photos & annual crab feed TOM STOCKWELL [email protected] More than 250 diners feasted on crab over two evenings as the Soroptimists International of St. Helena presented its 41st Annual Crab Feed last Friday and Satur- day at the Native Sons Hall on Spring Street. A highlight of the event was the vintage mid-century pho- tographs of St. Helena sights as well as live and silent auctions and entertainment. Diners were surrounded by the enlarged photographs that de- picted downtown St. Helena pa- JESSE DUARTE, STAR rades and parade fl oats, marching A bulletin board at the St. Helena Catholic School promises that “The Best is Yet to Come.” bands, bathing beauties, former Governor and President Ronald Reagan, and the sights and mo- tifs of small town St. Helena in the 1970s and 1980s. There was even a photo of the rock ‘n’ roll legend, Elvis Presley. Parents hope to save Some of the photographs, many of which were available for sale in the smaller section of the hall, were the work of Lois Dorn, a former St. Helena reporter from 1969-1971. Dorn donated copies of the photographs to the struggling school St. Helena Historical Society on a visit back to town in 2014. All were presented courtesy of the Catholic school St. Helena Historical Society. Mardi Gras Dorn wrote in an article for needs to raise Seafood the Star that “many of the pho- tos depict a nostalgia. The clut- money, enrollment Extravaganza tered engraving plant. The press wall — looking like an abstract JESSE DUARTE 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16 painting — where the printers [email protected] St. Helena Catholic School wiped their hands. The women’s The last few weeks have seen gym Seafood boil catered by a fl urry of organizing, fundrais- Please see HISTORY, Page A5 ing and strategizing at the St. Sorensen Catering Helena Catholic School, where Dessert auction, parents and faculty are scram- no-host bar, ra e, games bling to form a viable plan for Tickets $75 ($63 for alumni) the school’s future and prevent sthelenacatholicschool.org it from closing in June. Principal Mary Herboth and children at the Catholic school. Father Gordon Kalil sent out a “But within a day, we decided as letter in January announcing that parents that we are not going to the TK-8 school would close at let these doors close.” the end of this academic year, Parents have formed com- after 55 years in St. Helena. At a mittees devoted to boosting the recent school potluck in honor school’s visibility, increasing en- of Catholic Schools Week, par- rollment, stabilizing the school’s ents described how their initial fi nances, and organizing and SUBMITTED PHOTO shock turned into determination promoting the Mardi Gras Sea- This iconic image of Elvis Presley to save the school. food Extravaganza on Feb. 16. SUBMITTED PHOTO was captured by Lois Dorn, a “I sat in my car and cried,” Bishop Robert Vasa meets with St. Helena Catholic School students on reporter from the St. Helena Star said Amy Spain, who has four Please see SCHOOL, Page A5 Jan. 29 as a pancake breakfast kicked o Catholic Schools Week. between 1969-71. Galbraith, critics discuss finances at public meeting JESSE DUARTE zens Pursuing and moderated the fi rst two meet- nancial woes. He said the SHAPE Committee [email protected] Representation ings. “We were really hiring during is working on how to address the City fi nances were the topic of in St. Helena, The city’s basic fi nancial condi- this period of fi nancial doom and poor condition of the city’s build- the second public meeting on Sat- abandoned the tion was one of the fi rst topics of gloom,” Ivano said. ings, which the city failed to invest urday between Mayor Alan Gal- campaign in ex- discussion on Saturday. Lana Iva- Galbraith attributed the in- in for decades. The cost of fi xing braith and the group of residents change for Gal- no noted that St. Helena collects crease in employees in part to fi re- the existing City Hall building has who tried to recall him from o ce braith agreeing more revenue than Yountville and fi ghters being reclassifi ed as part- been estimated at $950,000, and last year. to discuss their Calistoga, and cited a fi nancial time employees instead of paid- reserves don’t help the city cover The fi rst meeting on Jan. 22 fo- Galbraith concerns during diagnostic released in December per-call volunteers, a change that those kinds of expenses. cused on water rate increases, a two to four town that gave St. Helena high marks brought the city into compliance “Yes, we can maintain service topic that also came up on Satur- hall meetings. There are talks of for its General Fund reserve. with tax regulations. He said the levels with our current revenue … day, along with the city’s internal a third meeting, but nothing has She contrasted an increase in city now employs the equivalent but we are never able to address accounting policies. been scheduled, according to re- the number of city employees of 77 full-time employees, which our capital assets,” Galbraith said. The group that mounted the tired Judge Scott Snowden, who with Star headlines from the last is still less than the 82 it employed recall, now calling itself Citi- negotiated the end to the recall few years regarding the city’s fi - in 2008 when the recession began. Please see GALBRAITH, Page A3 AUNT HELENA B4 MARK EPSTEIN A4 POLICE LOG A3 THURSDAY PULPIT B5 OBITUARIES | PAGE B5 CLASSIFIED C1 OBITUARIES B5 SPORTS B1-B2 VALENTINE’S DAY A2 Rebecca Ann Smith JOAN MARTENS A4 ONSTAGE & ONSCREEN B6 SPOTLIGHT B3 WEATHER B4 Volume CXLIV, Issue 21 • A Lee Enterprises publication • Copyright 2018 • To subscribe, call (877) 433-5056 Follow us online: facebook.com/StHelenaStar twitter.com@StHelenaStar 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 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2018 NEWS ST. HELENA STAR Salvestrin retires after 35 years with the post office Many friends, family in 1992. 1200 Main Street, Suite C, P.O. Box 346, St. Helena, CA 94574 members and U.S. Postal After graduating from St. Phone: (707) 963-2731 • Fax: (707) 963-8957 Service customers and em- Helena High School in 1981, Publisher Brenda Speth 256-2234 [email protected] ployees attended the retire- Mark Salvestrin worked for News Content Sean Scully 256-2246 [email protected] ment party for Mark Salves- Steves Hardware for two Editor David Stoneberg 967-6800 [email protected] Staff writers Jesse Duarte 967-6803 [email protected] trin on Jan. 25, who served years, then went to work Tom Stockwell 967-6801 [email protected] the USPS for 35 years, most at the Calistoga Post Office Sports Yousef Baig 256-2212 [email protected] recently serving as post- for 21 years. For the next two Ad director Norma Kostecka 256-2228 [email protected] Class., legals Rodolfo Schwanz 256-2244 [email protected] master in Oakville for the years, he was at the Pope Circulation Call Center (877)-433-5056 [email protected] past 10 years. Valley Post Office. In 2006, Postmaster Subscriptions The party was put on by he was sent to be Office in Send change of address to The St. Helena In County $35 per year the Oakville Vintners and Charge at the Oakville Post Star, P.O. Box 346, St. Helena, CA 94574. Peri- Out of County $52 per year odical postage paid at St. Helena, CA 94574. Call (877) 433-5056 catered by the Oakville Office and was promoted to Subscriptions are nonrefundable Grocery. Salvestrin literally postmaster in June 2007. SUBMITTED PHOTO The St. Helena Star (USPS No. 476020) is published every Thursday by Napa Valley Missed Delivery? followed in his father’s foot- Both Salvestrins were After 35 years of service with the United States Post Office, Publishing, Inc., a member of Lee Enter- The St. Helena Star is delivered to subscrib- prises, a member of the National Newspaper ers via U.S. mail and independent contractor. steps, since Ed worked for born at St. Helena Hospital Mark Salvestrin, left, retired on Jan. 26. He is joined by his Association. www.sthelenastar.com. Please report missed deliveries to the St. the St. Helena Post Office and Ed graduated from St. father, Ed, who retired from the St. Helena Post Office in Helena Star at (877) 433-5056. for 35 years before retiring Helena High School in 1954. 1992, also with 35 years of service. Free Upvalley tax preparation services UpValley Family “In the 2016 tax Centers expands year, our volunteers and staff helped 601 VITA program households receive For 16 years, the UpValley Fam- free tax preparation ily Centers have helped low-in- assistance, which come individuals with free tax preparation service. Since 2010 generated more than over $4.5 million in refunds has $810,000 in refunds, resulted from these efforts. “While the number of individ- averaging $1,348 per uals we help has grown each year, family.” we know there are more residents who qualify for our services,” said Jenny Ocón, executive director, Jenny Ocón, executive director.