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Glad You Asked by Diane Montanez
Diane Montanez of the Napa Valley Register attempts to answer readers' questions on a wide variety of topics in her Glad You Asked column that appears every Thursday. She is also the Register's Calendar editor. Diane can be reached at 256-2224 or dmontanez@napanews.com. Send your questions to her at that same email address.
November 5th, 2009
Glad You Asked: Tree of terrorEvery time I walk my dog at Fuller Park, I am astounded that “The Wicked Tree” is still standing. This very tall tree is near the sidewalk along Seminary Street, midway between Oak and Laurel streets. During this time of year, the tree sheds a lot of long, sharp leaves. To make matters worse, the tree has “flowers” in the form of large, heavy, round pineapple-like things with sharp spikes. Why do we have such a tree in our park?
October 29th, 2009
Glad You Asked: Wi-Fi not?What ever happened to the citywide Wi-Fi service that was discussed? Or was it just for downtown?
October 22nd, 2009
Street smartsOn the streets around town, I see all these codes spray painted on the pavement: ITS, USA, Republic, PCC, CON, P32, P33, P35. What’s it all mean?
October 15th, 2009
Slaughterhouse rulesI saw a neighbor killing a pig he’d raised in what I thought was a barbaric way. Who controls how livestock are put to death?
October 1st, 2009
Frisky businessIs cat litter toxic? What is the proper way to dispose of it?
September 17th, 2009
Thirsty for knowledgeIn last week’s column, “You can lead a horse to water,” I wrote about the old fountain found outside Third Street Auto Repair. Below is additional information from local historian Nancy Brennan.
September 10th, 2009
You can lead a horse to waterEast of the fairgrounds on Third Street there is a rock wall with an old water spigot embedded in it, a large urn and two plaques. One plaque reads, “Deep Spring 1912” and the other reads, “Public Rest Station Edw. B[ald]win Designer” (part of the last name is eroded). What is this?
September 3rd, 2009
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley...What will Yountville do with the old downtown Napa trolley? Will it charge for rides?
August 27th, 2009
One step at a timeThere are concrete steps leading to nowhere at the corner of First and Seymour streets in Napa. What are they and why are they there?
August 13th, 2009
99 bottles of beer on the street...Why don’t wine bottles have CRV (California Refund Value)?
August 6th, 2009
Home aloneWhat happens to abandoned pets when their owner’s home has been foreclosed?
July 30th, 2009
Birds of a featherThere is a flock of peacocks living out at Napa Valley College, and the birds have become a kind of symbol of the college. I attended NVC back in the late 1980s and I don’t remember there being peacocks at that time. Were they purchased by the college?
July 23rd, 2009
Dishing it outWhat are those huge satellite dishes below and off to the side of the elevated bridge over the old Napa Pipe site?
July 16th, 2009
H2 Uh-ohI received an e-mail message months ago that claimed drinking cold water with or after a meal was actually bad for you, and that it was better to drink warm or hot water for better digestion.
July 2nd, 2009
Pitching a tentIs there any prohibition regarding tent camping or in otherwise non-regulated structures?
June 25th, 2009
Taking addresses at face valueYou wrote a column about why the Fifth Street parking garage was named that way, even though it faces Main Street (“Face off,” March 12). Can you tell me why the Safeway that faces Jefferson Street has a Clay Street address and why the Safeway that faces Trancas Street has a Jefferson Street address?
June 18th, 2009
Happy camperIs there any ordinance against someone sleeping in a vehicle in the driveway of their house or on the street?
June 11th, 2009
Spaced outI live on Piedmont Avenue and drive down Lahoma/La Homa instead of Pueblo Avenue when I need to get on Soscol Avenue. One street sign shows a space between La and Homa. One does not. Both signs have been up for many years. Which one is correct?
June 4th, 2009
Lights, camera, actionWith all the talk of red light cameras, I’ve noticed many Napa intersections have cameras. Are these traffic cameras? If so, who monitors them? Can the public view them online like other traffic cameras?
May 21st, 2009
SpotlightThe city of Napa changed traffic-signal lamps to the low-power LED type. Lately, I have noticed that many of the lamps, particularly the green ones, have developed random dark spots as if parts of the lamps are burning out. I thought that these lamps were supposed to last a long time. Did they switch to LED technology too soon, or is this normal?
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