" I am a Napa native. I am not bragging that I am 62 years old. But, I have witnessed so many changes in our once beautiful city. On Main Street there were gorgeous gray stone structures that my friends and I could see light passing through the separations in the flooring as we explored what was once the Napa creek that passed under those wonderful historical buildings. Sunday mornings one could smell the doughnuts frying blocks away from the Napa Bakery on the corner of Main and Pearl Street. There was nothing more special than a freshly cooked doughnut given to us by the baker. Woolworth’s was a Saturday morning treat as I would enjoy a BLT and Coke before going to the old library to check out the latest science fiction pocket books. My friends and I would meet at the old seaside oil tank, grab a piece of coal and re-explore the Napa River. We would swing from a tree branch over the Napa River The river was considered unsafe for human use. We would take our rest in the shade and I would take my pocket book from my back pocket and read of things; many of which have become realities today.
I have my own considerations of what changed our perfect hometown that would take too much space here. Napa was taken over by outsiders with delusions of a theme park for tourist snobbery. In my dotage I traverse the streets of what was once my hometown; it still is but it will never achieve what it once was. That is something all of you should consider when another hotel or theme park is constructed. Napa was not on this earth to be anything more than a quiet peaceful and rural HOMETOWN. "

" Vickie .. The mervyns in Vallejo will still be open. "

" Boy Vickie do I hear you. Iam over 60 and have lived all but the first couple of years in Napa. I do remember all those stores you mentioned plus Schallows shoes, Ardens dress shop. How about the fountain drinks at Woolworths? I too like Mervyns I just got my two granddaughters desses for a wedding. Target and WalMart I will go to if I can't find what I want anywhere else, other than that I always go out of town. Iam not a rich tourist so nothing here for me. I would like to see more stores for the local people, but rents are too high and the city probably would say no anyway. We had out of state guests and they had to stay in a American Canyon hotel because all of Napas are too high priced,. "

" Not to ruin everybody's trip down memory lane, but if Mervyn's was such a great store, it wouldn't be closing. Times change, you have to roll with the punches. Cities and towns evolve over time, and talking about the Napa of yesteryear isn't going to bring it back. Sorry. "

" Wow you said it Vickie, I have been here my entire life (38 years) and I can remember the good old days of riding the city bus downtown on the weekend with a friend and we would shop and have a snack at Woolworths. Good times. We took some friends downtown yesterday (they were here from Oakland) thing have changed. We had lunch at Taylors (I have loved that place since I was a kid) however it is completely different. I like some of the changes, although it is getting a bit stuffy. Watch out, cause this little old country town is changing into a slick city. "

" Sorry SouthNapa, but you can go with the new times as long as they are better for the people who made the town the great one it was. Now day it is all about tourists not the local tax paying people. Get a clue "

" I was born and raised in Napa, I go there now and can't belive all of the changes. it is so sad. To bad we can't turn time back and let some of these "new people" see what it was. "

" I've only been in Napa for 15 years (since April '93), but I wish I could go back to the way things were; Napa seems like it would've been a much nicer city 30 years ago than it is now. Too bad I don't have a time machine. "