The driving force behind Napa Valley Features

By Tim Carl

Last Sunday Sasha Paulsen wrote a wonderful piece that was somewhat misleading. She suggested that I was the driving force behind Napa Valley Features. However, she actually deserves that title.

Tim Carl Photo

Paulsen, for the few who might not know, was formerly the features editor at the Napa Valley Register. She's a talented journalist, educated at UC Berkeley's School of Journalism, grew up in Napa, has written two novels and a book about winemaker Mike Grgich, won numerous awards and mentored an army of writers, including me. She has been instrumental in helping illuminate the understanding of modern-day Napa Valley, making it known and understood to locals, visitors and the world at large.

Together with her collaborator and colleague, Pierce Carson, Paulsen delved into the life of the valley, sharing riveting stories that never strayed from the truth and never veered toward the hyperbolic or gossipy.

So when I learned that Paulsen was leaving the Napa Valley Register, I was distraught. For the last eight years she has advocated for my work, as she has done for dozens of local journalists and creators.

Her departure from the Register was significant. Over the last two decades the newspaper industry has been in decline. Consequently, Paulsen was forced to operate with a minimal monthly budget, providing content mostly by herself or with the occasional help of a reporter. In this context she became adept at finding contributors who could provide quality content inexpensively, often even for free. She rallied people, encouraged and inspired them to share their talents with local readers.

This demonstrated a beautiful aspect of our community — individuals contributing for the common good. I also saw it as a tragedy, however, as I believe local news is crucial for everything from fostering community connections to laying the groundwork for democracy. Not compensating content creators for their work is akin to not paying teachers what they are worth. Imagine writing a restaurant review, taking the photos, paying for the meal and then being compensated for only a fraction of your own cost. This is what many freelance contributors have done for years. And they have done so willingly. Why? Because they know that without such content their community is diminished.

When I learned about Paulsen’s departure I was heartbroken and perplexed about a community whose access to local news was at risk of disappearing. This, along with my apprehension about content increasingly being generated by AI, originating outside our region, or being concentrated into a few voices from San Francisco or New York, caused me to realize that I needed to share Paulsen’s voice along with the vast network of local creators she had built.

While I may have set up the framework for the features, Paulsen — with her talent, commitment to providing captivating content and ability to rally a community of collaborators dedicated to local news — is the real driving force behind Napa Valley Features.

While she is in France for a few weeks of rest and recovery from her hectic schedule we will continue providing local content to our subscribers until she returns. We hope, too, that she will share some stories about her French adventures and how they might relate to Napa Valley.

The week in review:

This past week we heard from voices such as Alan Goldfarb’s provocative, “The Next Napa Valley? Napa Valley," and Eduardo Dingler’s vivid recap of BottleRock 2023. We also got an update about one of the valley’s most beloved photographers, Bob McClenahan, and another that explored the geologic wonder found at Calistoga’s own “Old Faithful” geyser. Paulsen told us about how Vida OLE! raised over $1.7 million for OLE Health Foundation. We also learned about Clark-Claudon’s efforts to expand and preserve Napa Valley bird populations.

This next week we are excited to introduce even more new voices (stay tuned!) and hear a story by Dave Stoneberg on a development that has the potential to impact the Napa Valley and beyond. We’ll hear about saké, a profile on another wonderful Napa Valley photographer, Emma K. Morris, and plenty more.

Here are some "breaking" events to check out:

Free cancer screening for farmworkers and firefighters: St. Helena Hospital Foundation and Galleri team up to provide innovative multi-cancer early detection tests for our valued firefighters and farmworkers. The first-of-its-kind tests are set for June 6th (9-11 a.m.) and June 7th (noon-2 p.m.). Firefighters face a 9% higher risk of cancer diagnosis and a 14% higher rate of cancer-related deaths. For more on genetic testing, call 707-967-7550

Tank Garage Winery is hosting The Big Gay Wine Soirée on Sunday, June 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their winery in Calistoga. The event is a Pride benefit raising funds and awareness for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and a release party for Out of the Closet, a limited edition red wine (available June 9) that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and gives to the Out of the Closet Thrift Store. There will be performances, makeup stations, tacos and more.

Mark your calendars for ceramist Ann Hatch's reception at St. Helena’s Carter and Co., on June 10th from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Hatch is a NorCal native and long-time local philanthropist. She will be debuting a new collection of hand-painted porcelain plates from her wild bird series.