St. Helena Star

The White Barn will celebrate St. Helena's 150th birthday by screening a quirky film about a town celebrating its own 150th birthday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Tickets are $10 and are available to purchase at thewhitebarn.org or through the White Barn box office at 415-558-0474. The film will be shown outdoors, so bring something warm to wear. The White Barn is located at 2727 Sulphur Springs Ave.

Twice a week, cars line up outside the St. Helena Community Food Pantry as people wait to receive a few bags of groceries. With need increasing and food costs rising, the nonprofit that serves hungry families is looking forward to getting its own lifeline. Menegon Catering has chosen the nonprofit as the recipient of the company’s annual community lobster boil on Oct. 3 at the Native Sons Hall, 1313 Spring St. This is the business’ second annual fundraiser.

Adult Digital Literacy Learn to use a laptop, the internet, basic computer security, email, and more from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the St. Helena Public Library. Dementia caregivers A dementia family caregivers support group meets at 3 p.m. at Rianda House. Farmers' Market The St. Helena Farmers' Market is open from 7:30 a.m. to noon at Crane Park, 360 S. Crane Ave.

The St. Helena Farmers' Market is offering a chance to win a handmade quilt that carries on a proud American tradition. Quilting has been part of America’s history since colonial days, but it began long before the “discovery” of America. Technically, quilting is the stitching together of layers of padding and fabric, and there is evidence that this technique was used as far back as 3400 BCE to provide physical protection both from the weather and under a soldier’s armor.

Last week some Napa Valley growers found themselves doing something they've never done: harvesting reds in August. Several correspondents report the year's first Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec hitting crush pads. One of the earliest harvests on record is also one of the lightest, especially for white varietals. The light crop puts extra pressure on winemakers, said Tom Rinaldi of St. Helena.

The city of St. Helena is inviting residents and businesses affected by a July 18 fire hydrant incident to submit claims for damages by Thursday, Sept. 10. A tour bus hit a downtown fire hydrant that day, and the resulting change in water velocity prompted widespread reports of discolored water. Customers that suffered damages such as ruined laundry are invited to file a Claim for Damages Form at cityofsthelena.gov/533/claims. According to the city, filing a claim doesn't guarantee payment.

We recently chose a restaurant in St. Helena to celebrate my wife's birthday. We chose St. Helena Bistro on Main Street. We were there promptly at 5 p.m. and were met by the owner as he opened. We were seated. Our server arrived with our menus and asked if we would like our water sparkling or still, and he opened and poured our bottle of Champagne. We ordered the calamari for starters, which was cooked perfectly to go with our Champagne. Our server returned to take our entree.

The end is nigh, Dear Readers – but in a good way. The yearlong celebration of St. Helena’s sesquicentennial is culminating with a community block party from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at the corner of Library Lane and Adams Street. Enjoy music by the Wonder Bread 5, food trucks, kids' activities, wine, beer, and a drone show sponsored by Trinchero Family Wine & Spirits.

I’m not a fan of the word "retirement." On one level, when someone tells you they are retiring, it just means they are leaving their job. I have no problem with that. It’s the other implications of the word that bother me. Maury Robertson A quick look at the dictionary offers the following definitions for the word retire: to fall back or retreat; to withdraw from active service; to take out of circulation; to recede or disappear from view.

The passing of Dolly Parton epitomizes the essence of a Felix Adler aphorism: “The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light.” Dolly was both literally and figuratively an “earth-angel” (messenger from God).