The Napa Valley Register from Napa, California • 1

Cherry Treat Desserts galore from red delight See PaaelB Dapper Don Gone Gotti, 61, dies in federal prison U.S. Onen Season a a F0R 956 1 25421 bmi 749 STADIUM LN SACRAMENTO CA 95834-1100 Let the sun shine Sharpshooter fight may face funding cuts By NATHAN CRABBE Register Staff Writer In the heat of the peak plant-selling season for nurseries, a new find of the glassy-winged sharpshooter and potential state budget cuts come at a precarious time for Napa County. The Pierce's disease-spreading pest was found last month for the first time in Cupertino, about 75 miles southwest of Napa. At the same time, the state has discussed whether to lop SI. 7 million from its sharpshooter-fighting program as part of cuts forced by a multi-billion dollar budget deficit.

Still, the news is good inside Napa County lines. As plant shipments to Napa reach a warm-weather crescendo, county inspectors have yet to find the insect or its eggs this year. A vineyard tax to help pay the countys sharpshooter bill is on the verge of enactment. County agricultural commissioner Dave Whit-mer said he hopes the state will acknowledge the importance of Napa's wine industry when distributing budget cuts. Weve already proven we have a higher and greater risk, Whinner said.

See BUDGET, Page 2A Revenues down, hotel space may rise in St. Helena By VIVI STENBERG-WILLIAMS Register Staff Writer A significant dip in revenue from hotel sales taxes last year may lead St. Helena to loosen its tight control on the number of hotels allowed within city borders. The 2002-2003 budget, presented last taxes from fiscal year 2002 to be about 14 percent below estimated revenues. The number of hotel rooms in St.

Helena has not changed in nine years since a city ordinance established a cap of 1 7 1 rooms. Its a philosophical situation that always; comes up, Vice Mayor Frank Toller said. To preserve the quality of life that we enjoy, we need to have the ability to pay for it. In a first step of adding revenues to the citys general fund, the city council is expected tonighi to approve the first new hotel use permit since the ordinance was written. At its May 28 meeting, the city council dis cussed the application for an use permit and amendment to the ordinance, allowing Norman and Yvonne Alumbaugh of Pope Valley to coni vert 12 studio apartments on the second floor of 1420 Mam St.

to a hotel. See HOTEL, Page 2A STEVE KEEGANREGISTER PHOTOS Eclipse spectator Marlene Frost, center, watches Mondays partial eclipse of the sun with her daughter Ashley, 12, and son Derek, 9, and Ann Laning, background, at Napa Valley College. The onlookers used several techniques to safely view the celestial phenomenon including special glasses, filters and pinholes in cardboard, which showed the shadow of the moon moving in front of the sun. Solar eclipse covers Napa Valley By ROSEANN LANGLOIS Register Staff Writer Hey guys, weve got a solar eclipse here if youre interested, John Charlesworth yelled from the balcony of his second-story classroom at Napa Valley College on Monday. About 30 people were interested enough in the partial solar eclipse to gather outside of Charlesworth physical science classroom and wait their turn to safely spy at the moon passing over the lower two-thirds of the sun.

It was the last wonder of its sort until 2012. It looks like a frown! declared 6-year-old Noah Kersting, who was there with his mom and younger sister. Out of the five viewing methods the professor offered, Kersting preferred the eclipse glasses that resemble those worn to 3-D movies. Its better with the glasses; it looks bigger, Kersting advised. Mondays eclipse was visible from the western United States during the early evening hours.

At 5:06 p.m., the moon began to move in front of the bottom-right part of the sun. By 6:16 p.m. the moon was mid-eclipse, with the lower two-thirds of the suns surface hidden. The eclipse ended around 7:18 p.m. Charlesworth warned against looking direct ly at the eclipse with a naked eye.

To safely watch the eclipse, he offered boxes of eclipse glasses and welders filters, two specially-filtered telescopes, pieces of fully-exposed and fully-developed black and white film, and even the hat off his head. Someone just suggested I use my hat for pinhole projection, Charlesworth announced. He removed his wide-rimmed straw hat, turned his back to the sun, and let the light pass through the tiny holes in his hat and onto a piece of paper. The result was hundreds of tiny eclipses. In other parts of the world, Charlesworth said the view was different.

An annular, or ring eclipse, was seen from the center of the eclipse path, which extends from the mid-Pacific to just off the coast of Baja California. The moon passed directly in front of the sun but did not completely cover it. The edge of the sun could still be seen around the moon, creating a bright ring at mid-eclipse. College President Chris McCarthy also joined Mondays group and waited for his turn at the telescope. John does an incredible job of making science come alive, McCarthy said.

This is just another example of how he does it. glasses at Napa Valley College Monday. Flood control project forces; manufacturer to leave Napa squeezed out, Walker said. Lixits misfortune is to be located at one of the rivers hottest locations for redevelopment, said Moira Johnston Block, a leader of the citizens advocacy group. Friends of the Napa River.

She (Parks) is one of the first to be caught in the transitional crunch. The west bank of the Napa River north of Imola Avenue was industrialized in the 19th century. Sawyef and Calnap tanneries turned animal skins into hides for coats, baseball gloves and shoes. For decades, toxic tanning waste was dumped into the river. See LIXIT, Page 4A near the Napa County Airport.

To be honest with you, the city doesnt want us here. We dont fit with their image of the river, Parks said of her companys location along once-gritty tannery row. Getting squeezed out1 While the city hates to lose Lixit and its good-paying, blue-collar jobs, a big manufacturing operation is out of sync with developing plans for the river at what is now dubbed Tannery Bend, said Cassandra Walker, the citys economic development manager. She (Parks) saw the handwriting on the wall. Shes going to be By KEVIN COURTNEY Register Staff Writer Ambitious city plans to turn the Napa River into a focal point for recreation, housing and small employers as part of the flood control project are forcing a successful Napa manufacturer to leave town.

Were at the wrong place at the wrong time, said Linda Parks, president of Lixit Animal Care Products, 100 Coombs St. Because her companys expansion plans are in conflict with the citys new vision for the riverfront, Lixit and its 60 employees will be packing up within a year for new quarters 1 SAMANDA DORGERREGISTER Workers assemble pet watering bottles under the Lixit name and under several other brand names at Lixif factory on Coombs Street in Napa. INSIDE LOTTERY RESULTS TODAY'S OBITUARIES Ann Landers 3C Bridge 2B Business 3B Classified 1-6D Birgit Jaffe Larry Johnson Lydia LaGrave Milton McDermott Tilbert Mersch William Muir Elna Nichols Merlin Sawyer Patricia Conti Joseph Felder Anna Giovanini Phillip Hood Monday Fantasy 5: 1,10, 12, 30, 37 Daily 3: 8, 1,9 01613 Visit us online at: CEDnems.com TO SUBS CRIBE CALL 226-5582 See Page 6C See Page 4B 1 a.