Endurance Runner Is New U.S. Citizen
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Saints roll Pirates Annual car show Native Sons show off cars, trucks, St. Helena blanks Drake, 52-0 SPORTS, PAGE B1 Jeeps & tractors SPOTLIGHT, PAGE B3 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 | sthelenastar.com | Published in the Heart of Napa Valley Since 1874 Family seeks help with vet bill after dog hit by car Callie, a 4-year-old German was for $13,200, which doesn’t Vet bill is $13,200; short-haired pointer, is expected include the weekly checkups and Callie’s family asking to recover, having undergone physical therapy she will need to one surgery to repair the inter- recover. drivers to slow down nal damage and another surgery “It’s been an amazing re- to fi x her broken leg. She came sponse,” said Autumn Anderson, JESSE DUARTE home on Saturday, six days after her owner. “I never expected we [email protected] her injury. would have this much help. The A St. Helena family is asking As of Wednesday morning, online German short-haired drivers to slow down and seeking a GoFundMe campaign called pointer community has rallied SUBMITTED PHOTO help with vet bills of more than “Help Callie the Dog, Hit and around her.” Callie, a 4-year-old German short-haired pointer, suff ered major injuries after $13,000 after their dog was se- Run Victim” had raised $6,043 being hit by a driver who left the scene. riously injured in a hit-and-run. to pay her vet bills. The fi rst bill Please see DOG, Page A2 Public to Endurance runner vote on open space, not is new U.S. citizen on cannabis After decades without papers, St. Helena’s BARRY EBERLING [email protected] Juan Sanchez no longer has to hide For two weeks last month, Napa County voters would have JESSE DUARTE had two ballot measures, J and K, [email protected] to consider for the March 3 pri- Even if you’ve never met Juan mary election. Measure J would Sanchez, you’ve probably seen have been a commercial canna- him running shirtless on the side bis citizens’ initiative; Measure of the road or read about his ex- K is the proposed quarter-cent ploits in one of the world’s most sales tax to support parks and extreme footraces. open space operated by the Napa But never before has he gone County Regional Park and Open public with the secret that drove Space District. his almost fanatical devotion to But, in a surprise move, Mea- endurance running. Until a few sure J proponents are pulling years ago, he was an illegal im- it from the ballot in what they migrant. called “a show of good faith” to Behind his laid-back de- the Napa County Board of Su- meanor, the fear that he could pervisors. be deported at any time gnawed On Aug. 28, Measure J backer at him constantly. Eric Sklar said he thinks the leg- “The only time I felt free was islative process results in better when I was running,” he said. laws. He expressed optimism the Sanchez fi nally got his green Board of Supervisors will work card in 2015 and, after years on a commercial cannabis law of paperwork and background for the unincorporated county. checks in the U.S. and Mexico, Sklar made that off er in person became a U.S. citizen on Aug. 24. at the Aug. 27 Board of Supervi- “Now I can look people in the sors meeting. He told supervisors eye and say I’m free. I don’t have if they agreed to make a good- anything to hide,” Sanchez said. faith eff ort to craft a cannabis Born in Mexico City, Sanchez cultivation law, he would pull came to the Napa Valley in the Measure J from the ballot that early 1990s to pick grapes and very day. pursue a better life free of the “We think it complicates it poverty and crime of his home- to have an ordinance and ballot land. Yet his newfound opportu- measure sitting there at the same nities came at a price. time,” Sklar said. “Once you cross the border you The Board of Supervisors voted don’t feel free anymore,” Sanchez on Aug. 20 to place the citizens’ said. “You always live with that initiative to legalize and regulate fear (of being deported).” commercial cannabis cultivation He made St. Helena his home on the March 3 ballot. and worked 16-hour days – gar- But Sklar received a mixed re- dening in the mornings for $7 an sponse from supervisors about hour and washing dishes at night the urgency of working on a for $4.50 an hour. (California’s commercial cannabis law. Im- minimum wage didn’t reach $5 mediately after the meeting, until 1997.) Sklar said that supervisors were At fi rst he lived in a crowded “kicking the can” down the road basement with people who and he didn’t plan to withdraw drank, smoked and did drugs. SUBMITTED PHOTOS the initiative. The clean-living Sanchez hated ABOVE: St. Helena natives Shari Costanzo and Juan Sanchez pose with their medals after fi nishing the 2019 Napa A few hours later, Measure J Valley Marathon. Constanzo fi nished fi rst in her age class with a time of 3:11:50. Sanchez fi nished in 3:18:52. Please see CITIZEN, Page A6 TOP: Juan and Katie Sanchez celebrate Juan obtaining his U.S. citizenship on Aug. 24. Please see VOTE, Page A3 Brown’s Auto Parts celebrates 73 years downtown JESSE DUARTE customer relations,” said owner machines and tractors to clients [email protected] Dan Beltrami. “Even though we with names like Mondavi and Brown’s Auto Parts has been don’t do automotive repair per Martini. Those connections with around since 1946 and just like se, we’re always willing to go a growing wine industry proba- the classic cars of that era, it’s put in a light bulb or a battery or bly enabled Brown’s to outlast taken on a certain mystique – an wipers – help customers get on the three other auto parts stores enduring reminder of the days the road as soon as we can.” Upvalley, Dan Beltrami said. when St. Helena’s Main Street Brown’s was established in Brown and his wife Flora had was all about locals. 1946 by Beltrami’s maternal three daughters: Barbara, Norma At the suggestion of Mayor grandfather, Joseph M. Brown. and Kay. The store was passed Geoff Ellsworth, Brown’s held He worked at Mare Island during down to Norma’s husband, Felix a birthday bash on Saturday. the war and then drove a beer Beltrami, while Norma handled Fittingly for an auto parts store truck before buying the Brown’s the books. Felix’s son Dan bought with a long history and a loyal building, which at the time out his father in 2008. JESSE DUARTE, STAR customer base, the party turned housed a very small machine Dan remembers his high Dan Beltrami, owner of Brown’s Auto Parts, is restoring this 1954 Oldsmobile into a classic car show. shop/auto parts store. Rocket, the same car he learned to drive while back in high school. Brown’s is “We try to be very good at Brown sold parts for wind Please see BROWN’S, Page A7 celebrating its 73rd birthday. AUNT HELENA B4 CALENDAR B3 HARVEST REPORTS B3 SPORTS B1-B2 OBITUARIES | PAGE B6 BOCCE SCORES B7 FARMERS’ MARKET B4 OBITUARIES B6 THURSDAY PULPIT B8 Donald William McGrath Lt. Col. Bernard Joseph Vash CLASSIFIED C1 FIRST THURSDAY A5 POLICE LOG A4 WEATHER B4 Volume CXLV, Issue 51 • A Lee Enterprises publication • Copyright 2019 • To subscribe, call (877) 433-5056 Follow us online: facebook.com/StHelenaStar twitter.com@StHelenaStar M 1 A2 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 NEWS ST. HELENA STAR County won’t need to borrow money for new jail Napa County’s financing progress of the jail replace- 1200 Main Street, Suite C, P.O. Box 346, St. Helena, CA 94574 plan for a proposed $128 ment project. That included Phone: (707) 963-2731 • Fax: (707) 963-8957 million, 304-bed replace- reviewing potential financ- Publisher Davis Taylor 256-2234 [email protected] ment jail along Highway ing sources. News Content Sean Scully 256-2246 [email protected] 221 near Syar quarry no “We’re in a privileged Editor David Stoneberg 967-6800 [email protected] Staff writer Jesse Duarte 967-6803 [email protected] longer requires a multi-mil- position to be able to get to Sports Gus Morris 256-2212 [email protected] lion-dollar loan. this point without mortgag- Ad director Norma Kostecka 256-2228 [email protected] The county in 2017 con- ing the future,” Supervisor Class., legals 256-2244 [email protected] Circulation Call Center (877)-433-5056 [email protected] templated taking out a Alfredo Pedroza said. Postmaster Subscriptions $50 million loan as part One reason the county Send change of address to The St. Helena In County, Out of County $52 per year of a patchwork of funding can erase the loan is a con- Star, P.O. Box 346, St. Helena, CA 94574. Peri- Call (877) 433-5056 odical postage paid at St. Helena, CA 94574. Subscriptions are nonrefundable sources. This potential loan tinued increase in antici- amount shrank to $20 mil- pated excess Educational The St. Helena Star (USPS No. 476020) is Missed Delivery? published every Thursday by Napa Valley The St. Helena Star is delivered to subscrib- lion in 2018 and $10 million Revenue Augmentation Publishing, Inc., a member of Lee Enter- ers via U.S.