Napa Insider
New year, new attitude
By Christina Julian
T he dawn of a new year is always and unrest that go with it. Then there is my angst over another unwanted milestone as I approach 55 orbits around the sun next month with the same levels of trepidation and annoyance I had when I turned 50, but even more magnified, with more grays, wrinkles and attitude over it all. I celebrated that mega milestone with a trip to Hawaii in 2020, which helped ease my foray into middle age, but only for a hot second because a week after I returned home, the country shut down and the safe and social life I knew and loved imploded. And with the flip of a face mask and hand sanitizer lid, I morphed into the working-from-home, fraught with anxiety for me, but even more so this year. There’s the swearing in of (or is it at) the Trump 2.0 administration and all the unknowns
our rendition is, “To camp or not to camp,” which I counter with "heck no, I won’t go,” every time my husband begs me, instead preferring the quiet and stillness that can only come when he and my tweens vacate our leaning-tower-of-laundry home. However, my tune may soon switch to, “To glamp or not to glamp,” with the proposed luxury campsite named (rather poorly in my opinion) The Grange, which was endorsed by the Napa Planning Commission last fall. If approved, the campground that sits off the Silverado Trail between Hagen and Stonecrest would be operated by AutoCamp, which runs several other plush camping digs located across the country and as close as Guerneville. As appealing as this venture sounds to me and my gal pals, there are many who are not nearly as smitten by the concept as we are. Especially a group of Napans who refer to themselves as
Residents Against Glamping Establishments, otherwise and perhaps aptly known as, RAGE. The group, which boasts more than 100 members, cries foul over traffic safety, fire dangers and environmental concerns. The surly crowd, if in acronym only, garnered more than 600 signatures of other opposers who went as far as starting a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $9,000 and still counting. Funds raised will go toward covering consultant and attorney fees, according to the campaign. The project could include as many as 100 glamping spots that could take the forms of yurts, airstreams and swimming pools, oh my! AutoCamp, for its part, is working to reassure RAGERs that traffic-safety concerns are being addressed and that only eco-friendly Goodwood would be burned in fire pits to mitigate risk. While there are those that oppose, there are others who are in favor of the proposed glamp-ground, including the Napa Valley Bicycle Coalition who view the project as a possible path to a new bike lane and improved facilities. As I look to the year ahead and perseverate over the past election cycle, I find a measure of comfort in knowing that the democratic process can in fact work, without interference or violence, when people get out of the way and let democracy do its thing, And when the votes are tallied, regardless of how surreal the outcome may feel, I remain confident that a key tradition of our democracy—a peaceful transfer of power—will once again be restored, and with it the hope that it will never be forsaken again. u After years in the technology and advertising trenches, Christina Julian traded city life for country and unearthed a new philosophy— life is complicated, wine and food shouldn’t be. Her debut novel, a romantic comedy called The Dating Bender , is now available. Learn more at christinajulian.com . You can reach her at cjulian@ northbaybiz.com.
homeschooling mother I never aspired to be. With all of that baggage behind me, this year I opted for a single resolution this year—to usher in 2025 with less fanfare, though given the level of national and local unrest, it may be yet another declaration that flops on arrival. Park it December marked the onset of the city’s move to dismantle the encampments at Kennedy Park, one of Napa’s more heavily used recreational parks, with the ultimate goal being to move the homeless out of the park and into social services and shelter. The process is expected to take four months, with the unhoused first relocating to an alternative area within the park, beginning this month. While sections of the encampments are dismantled, campers will be provided with weatherproof tents, porta-pots, sanitizing stations and will be given storage for personal belongings. Napa’s homeless-services partner, Adobe Services, began by notifying people in December that the changes were coming, and offering those living in the park assistance in finding alternative housing. In April, campers will no longer be tolerated in the park. The decision to dismantle came down at the September meeting of the Napa City Council and marks one of the first major moves by the city to get homeless off the street and into housing. It comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Grant Pass v. Johnson, which gives cities more leeway to combat homelessness. The Napa City Council is also evaluating a potential ordinance that would prohibit parking more than 72 hours in one spot and oversized vehicles being required to move every four hours.
Glamorous unrest Shakespeare had his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy. In my home,
January 2025
NorthBaybiz 29
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