Oat Hill Mine Trail heroes

Dear editor, On May 16, 17 and 18, more than 170 volunteers left a little blood, a lot of sweat, and drank a keg of beer (thanks to Downtown Joe's) on the Historic Oat Hill Mine Trail.

The 8.5-mile stretch from Calistoga to Aetna Springs received erosion work, brush-trimming and signs. Overall, volunteers donated more than $30,000 worth of labor. The work could have been performed by paid contractors but community involvement, camaraderie and the sense of accomplishment would have been lost. This form of volunteerism was made possible through a partnership with Volunteers for Outdoor California and the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. In spite of the heat, this remarkable volunteer crew worked for three days with hardly a whimper (except when the keg ran out). The volunteers enjoyed fantastic Napa-produced wines to accompany a gourmet dinner.

All of this would not have been possible without the support of the city of Calistoga and local businesses. A total of 38 businesses and agencies donated supplies valued at more than $8,000. Thank you Chris Canning and Calistoga Mineral Water for the camp site and keeping us hydrated with bottled water. Thank you Jim McCann, Mary Cahill, Charlene Galina, Sue Sneddon, Mayor Jack Gingles and fellow city representatives Steve Campbell, Rex Albright and Frank DiFede for being so supportive through the whole process. Thank you, Joe Russo — slime those tires. Clayton, we owe you a couple of tables.

And the list goes on. Thank you August Briggs Winery, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Dutch Henry Winery, Eddy Family Wines, Envy Wines, Larkmead Winery, Silver Rose Winery, Sterling Vineyards, Storybook Mountain Vineyards, Zahtila Vineyards, Downtown Joe's, Ace Hardware, Calistoga Roastery, Checkers Restaurant, Soo Yuan Restaurant, Puerto Vallarta Restaurant, Buster's BBQ, Sarafornia's, Cal Mart Super Market, Rainbow Ag, Upper Valley Recycling, Paul Crudo of Moresco Packaging, Lindalou and Michael Ryge and Friends, the city of Calistoga, Calistoga Chamber of Commerce, CalFire, and the city of Napa Police Department.

Now get out and hike and ride!!

(This letter is also on behalf of the grateful board and staff of the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District.)

Chino Yip / NCRPOSD

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