Conversations with Calistoga

Well known within the school district and Rotary Club, Kevin and his spouse Mary have attended and supported almost all Calistoga civic organizations, fundraisers and events over the years.  His dog Cosmo, often seen with Kevin in town, is almost as well known and ... respected...  Stepping out of those well traveled grooves Kevin is now running for Calistoga City Council at a time when many significant debates, events, and decisions will come before the city.  Here, we hopefully learn more about Kevin and what motivates him.

Most people know Calistoga has a famous Fourth of July parade, and another December Tractor Parade.  But "The Horrible Parade" used to characterize the town, and is remembered now for its irreverent, politically incorrect and often raunchy humour.  Paul Ingalls, born in Calistoga, recites for us many of the stories of this seminal period in Calistoga's history, and which even today is woven into the fabric of the town.

After ten long, momentous and often difficult years, Mayor Canning has chosen to not run for re-election.  As he enters the last quarter of his term as mayor, he reflects on the Calistoga of then, and now, the highs and lows of his leadership, and perhaps indirectly what it was that had him regularly re-elected by Calistogans during such turbulent times.

After a Pandemic Podcast hiatus, Season Two begins : Gary Kraus, sitting Calistoga City Council member, is the first to declare candidacy to succeed current Mayor Chris Canning who will not run in the November election.  Gary has been serving the city since 1999 when he arrived in Calistoga, and is widely known across the city.  Here, he addresses what motivates him and why he is running for mayor.

Recorded in May 2020, this episode is the last of Season 1.  Mitch Celaya has  (even now in 2022) headed our Police Department for many years and has provided clear leadership through interesting times.  He speaks of his background, which enables him to view the many constituencies of Calistoga with understanding and empathy.

Wandering the streets of Calistoga you can often hear casual conversation in Russian or another Slavic language. The interesting and unusual history behind that is told by Mother Tabitha of the Holy Assumption Monastery, located in Calistoga. Mother Tabitha also discusses the history of the Monastery itself, whose nuns can often be seen in town.

Julie Garcia is a well-spoken co-founder and representative of the Calistoga ADELANTE group, which in a short time has made quite an impact in Calistoga. Arguing for better education and improved city facilities, the group represents a young, energetic future for Calistoga.

Dateline: Late May 2020, Calistoga, CaliforniaFounder/Publisher of the Calistoga Tribune, Pat Hampton, reflects back on the two months of community and economic shutdown (SARS-COVID). As we are now in late May on the brink of the community re-opening even under strict controls, change is underway, and before our collective memories fade Pat talks of the long, strange trip it's been.

Adela Kras was born Jewish in 1920 in Krakow, Poland. Adela lived in Calistoga for quite some time, and died in 2013. Her story of WW2 survival and how she came to be in Calistoga is told by her then-neighbor, Michael Hicks.

Anne Carver is one of those few people you meet that you listen to carefully from the beginning to the end of the discussion. Anne, her husband Denis, and her two young boys raised in Calistoga believe passionately about contributing back into the community. As the founder of Calistoga's Family Center Anne is well known, but she continues to enrich lives and moments of anyone she interacts with.

Erin Smith-Hagbergs' third year as Calistoga Schools Superintendent definitely has not gone as she or anyone else thought. The onset of SARS-COVID totally disrupted both elementary and high school communities overnight. Here, Erin talks of her youth, family, but mostly about Calistoga education and the community that attracted and retains her.

Sonia Murphy either knows or has been in front of the majority of people in the Napa Valley. From flipping burgers at the old Calistoga Drive-In to catering weddings and parties for hundreds of people Sonia's stories of her life here in Calistoga enrich our history and bring a smile to anyone listening.

Friend to, and resident of, Calistoga for over 30 years, Carlo Marchiori talks of his childhood, schooling, and global journey that brought him to Calistoga. One of the very secret treasures of our town, a summertime tour of the magnificent estate he built largely by himself is mandatory.

How we become the people we are later in life, and the paths we take to get there, are always the most interesting stories. Growing up in the Napa Valley since the age of 13, Peter Kay usually took the path less traveled, but it eventually brought him back to Calistoga. We think we know people, but the backstories add so much color...

Margaux Singleton has mastered the lifetime arts of social interaction, casual and interesting conversation, and for many years now the fine wines of Napa/Sonoma and Europe. She speaks of the characters that convinced her to come to Calistoga, and the wine and winemakers that convinced her to stay here.

Philip Claypool travels a lot but always returns to his "Mayberry of the West" - here, he talks of his childhood, musical history and abilities, and demonstrates his remarkable range of vocal energy. And, his guitar...

The heart and soul of any community is almost always with the young families that establish long term residence and lay the foundation for multi-generational presence. In the early 1990's a local general contractor applied for permission to build 44 single family homes in Calistoga. The fascinating story how that developer chose to build 22 of the 44 homes as affordable, focusing on local residents and discouraging second home/investment buyers, is worth reviewing almost 30 years later.This conversation is with Kevin Eisenberg, who together with his wife Mary Hastings purchased one of the first homes built in the Palisades development and continue to live there today.

The heart and soul of any community is almost always with the young families that establish long term residence and lay the foundation for multi-generational presence. In the early 1990's a local general contractor applied for permission to build 44 single family homes in Calistoga. The fascinating story how that developer chose to build 22 of the 44 homes as affordable, focusing on local residents and discouraging second home/investment buyers, is worth reviewing almost 30 years later.This conversation is with Isidro Guzman, who came to Calistoga as a young man but almost 40 years later has deep roots throughout our community. He and his wife qualified to purchase one of the 22 affordable homes in the Palisades.

The heart and soul of any community is almost always with the young families that establish long term residence and lay the foundation for multi-generational presence. In the early 1990's a local general contractor applied for permission to build 44 single family homes in Calistoga. The fascinating story how that developer chose to build 22 of the 44 homes as affordable, focusing on local residents and discouraging second home/investment buyers, is worth reviewing almost 30 years later.This second conversation of four is with Sharon Carone, co-founder of Calistoga Realty. Sharon adds important perspective and details to the overall development and especially to the program created to allow so many Calistoga residents to purchase a family home.

The heart and soul of any community is almost always with the young families that establish long term residence and lay the foundation for multi-generational presence. In the early 1990's a local general contractor applied for permission to build 44 single family homes in Calistoga. The fascinating story how that developer chose to build 22 of the 44 homes as affordable, focusing on local residents and discouraging second home/investment buyers, is worth reviewing almost 30 years later.This first conversation of four is with Paul and Kate Coates, long established residents and, for many, beloved residents of Calistoga.

Four weeks into the remarkable lockdown, Chris Canning talks about the community, lockdown, the virus, and the steps forward to our future.

Thomas Brown has achieved cult status in a remarkably short period of time, yet retains and celebrates his small town, country roots. He tells his story which, while uniquely interesting, will sound very familiar to anyone that loves Calistoga.

Offering his friendship and services to Calistogans for over 40 years, Joe Schneider is fully rooted in our community. Father, Founder of Pacific Tree Care, and a most fascinating person, he offers a wide ranging conversation on life, family, the forest, and himself.

Gia Nikolova and Kendall Earmshaw recently purchased the delightful Cottage Grove Inn in Calistoga - here, Gia talks about the Inn, her background and vision for a hospitality business in 2020, and her thoughts how to best use the month-long COVID-19 hospitality shutdown.

Jim Flamson's memories reach back to the 1950's when Calistoga was defined by agriculture, High School graduated 36 students, and "Weekenders" were White Russians from San Francisco. In conversation he reflects on that different town and time, with interesting contrasts to today.

Today we have the first of hopefully several interviews with Chris Canning, popular Mayor of Calistoga. Chris talks about the impact of COVID-19 on our town, and then we talk about his accomplishments and the challenge of affordable housing in our town.

For over 30 years Pat Hampton has been the penultimate observer and reporter on Calistoga. A journalist at heart, she passed through several local lives before deciding to found the Calistoga Tribune. Usually a person who listens carefully and asks all the questions, today she offers unvarnished thoughts on everything from her background to Calistoga's Coronavirus anxieties. Part 1 of what will hopefully be a multi-part free ranging conversation with one of Calistoga's most interesting and influential citizens.

Clark Mishler has been taking at least one street portrait photograph a day for over ten years, and for the last four years has been been photographing the young, the old, the workers, the common faces of Calistoga. He has an exhibition currently showing in town, and here he speaks of his passion for faces, the project, and why he and his wife love Calistoga.