NOTES AND QUOTES for a Thursday in the Napa Valley:

Jesse West, an assistant coach for San Joaquin Athletic Association champion Lincoln High School-Stockton last year, has been named as the head boys basketball coach at Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep. The announcement was made this week by Crusaders athletic director Bob Greene.

West comes to Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep after an extensive coaching career that began in Virginia in 2000 and led him to Northern California. Lincoln lost to Rodriguez-Cordelia in the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs last year.

West has worked with players between the ages of 6 and 18 with varying ability and experience levels during his career working at or directing camps and coaching at the high school and middle school levels.

Between 2001-2003, West worked with Basketball Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wooten at the Coach Wooten Basketball Camp in Alexandria, Va. During that time, he coached with Morgan’s son Joe, a three-time Virginia Division I state champion coach.

From 2000-2003, West worked as the athletic director and boys and girls basketball coach for Oaktree High School in Chesapeake, Va. He led the boys program to three straight conference titles and helped the teams to over 65 wins during his three seasons with Oaktree.

West takes over a Crusaders team that went 12-11 overall, 6-4 in Northern Pacific Athletic Conference play last year under coach Sal Alvarez.

West will lead the Trinity boys team during their summer program before beginning winter basketball practice Nov. 10.

“Our athletic department is pleased to bring Coach West and his wife, Nicole into our family,” said Greene. “Most importantly, Coach West is extremely enthused about the opportunity to join our community and work with our student-athletes.”

West echoed those thoughts.

“I am very exited to take over the program,” West said. “I am looking forward to starting some new traditions and strengthening some old traditions as well.”

West said the chance to be involved with a school like Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep was what he was looking for.

“I was drawn to the family atmosphere,” he said.

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Lonna Barry was out and about running errands Saturday. When she got home, there was a fire truck and employees of Eagle Vines Vineyards and Golf Club at her house.

Fortunately, Barry’s home, located near the course, was OK.

“It seems as though four young men were on the 17th green and noticed smoke coming by the house,” said Barry. “They jumped the fence, got two hoses and put out the fire.”

Also assisting were Dan Lithgow, Drexel Lawson and other employees of Eagle Vines, a championship course in southern Napa County that was co-designed by World Golf Hall of Famer Johnny Miller and Barry’s husband, Jack Barry.

The fire was out by the time the fire department arrived.

“The only damage was a grassy area between the house and the vineyard,” said Lonna Barry. “The cause of the fire was a glass ornament ball on a stake which ignited the dry Eucalyptus leaves.

“Needless to say, I am very grateful to those four golfers, the staff of Eagle Vines and the Greenwood Ranch firemen who came to my rescue.”

Jack Barry, the general manager of Eagle Vines Vineyards and Golf Club and a former CEO/president/managing partner of the Chardonnay Golf Club, died in December of 2007 after a 71⁄2-year battle with prostate cancer.

In 1992, Barry moved to Napa and was in charge of overseeing development of the Chardonnay Golf Club, which during his tenure hosted the second stage of a PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament and a U.S. Open local qualifying event. He was there for 12 years.

Eagle Vines opened in 2004.

E-mail Executive Sports Editor Marty James at mjames@napanews.com or call 256-2223.