New Year's Eve party to aid Napa family

The Napa Police Department is inviting the public to a New Year's Eve bash to raise money for one of its own.

Officer Tom Helfrich's wife Wendy, was taken ill last Feb. 24. Her heart spotted beating for 28 minutes, leaving her with serious brain damage. She needs 24-hour care and numerous rehabilitation and therapy sessions. The couple has three young children. Although Wendy has a caregiver four days a week, Tom and other family members juggle their schedules to take care of Wendy.

The expenses to care for Wendy are continually mounting.

That's where Napa residents come in.

A New Year's Eve party fundraiser for Wendy will be held at Silverado Resort on Atlas Peak Road. The festivities will kick off with a no-host cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and raffle. The evening will culminate with dancing to Souza Sounds and a midnight toast to ring in 2006.

The cost is $75 per person, which includes dinner, wine, hors d'oeuvres and a champagne midnight toast.

Checks, which will not be cashed until Dec. 30, should be made payable to Susana Aguilera, c/o Napa Police Department, 1539 First St., Napa 94559.

Information is available by calling Aguilera, 257-9620 or Imelda Preciado, 257-9202./Register

Free sandbags available Saturday

With Napa's quarter-billion dollar flood protection project about half finished, city officials are urging residents to be prepared for possible floods.

On Saturday, firefighters will hand out flood preparedness information to those who live in the Napa Creek floodplain. You can find out if you are in the floodplain by calling 257-9520.

Sandbags and sand will be provided at no charge to residents of the city of Napa and business owners Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the city's corporation yard at 770 Jackson Street, a block west of Soscol Avenue.

Sandbag distribution is a self-service program. That means residents fill their own bags. Bring a shovel and gloves.

Sandbags will again be available on Jan. 7, Feb. 4 and March 4, 2006. In addition to the pre-planned sandbag distribution days, the city will provide sandbags free of charge when a flood watch is posted by the National Weather Service for the Napa River or its tributary creeks.

When an emergency is declared, sandbag operations are initiated at Memorial Stadium on Menlo Avenue.

For more information on preparing for floods and areas vulnerable to flooding, pick up the "Citizens Guide to Flooding and Flood Recovery" at the City Public Works Department at 1600 First Street or by visiting the Web site at www.cityofnapa.org. /Register

NVC blood drive Monday

Blood Centers of the Pacific will be at the Napa Valley College campus Monday for the school's annual Winter Blood Drive.

Most persons over 17 are eligible to donate blood. Minors must have parental permission.

The college drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the campus cafeteria.

Appointments are not required. Donors must have identification. For more information, call Cassie Janiec at the NVC Human Resources office, 253-3366./Register

Sanitation board seeks applicants

Napa County officials have announced an opening for one public member position on the Napa Sanitation District board of directors with the two-year term of office beginning in January. It is expected that incumbent Dennis Scherzinger will seek reappointment.

Applicants must be residents or property owners within the district and may not be an officer or employee of the county of Napa, the city of Napa or the Napa Sanitation District. Applicants should have knowledge or professional experience in public or private engineering, land use, environmental planning, finance or administration.

The Napa Sanitation District is a local special district with the responsibility for the collection, treatment and disposal of public sewage waste. The public member will participate in the review of the various district wide programs including the operation, maintenance and improvements to the district's sewage facilities, setting of annual sewer charges and rates and the administration of the district's affairs including adoption of the district annual budget.

Directors meet the first and third Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at the Napa Sanitation District Office. The application form and instructions are available on the Napa County Web site at www.co.napa.ca.us. and may be submitted directly online. Applications can also be obtained by contacting the County Executive Office at 1195 Third Street, Room 310, Napa, phone 253-4421. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Dec. 23./Register

Light up our pages

The Register is beginning to compile its annual list of houses in the valley with not-to-be missed holiday decorations. If you would like recommend a house for this list, send the address to Features Editor Sasha Paulsen at spaulsen@napanews.com.

Please include any special details and, for houses in Napa, the area of the city where the address is. The list will be published Dec. 17. /Register