The people, the businesses and the activities in the Anderson Valley have changed substantially over the past 25 years. In 1998 more people who were either born here or raised their families here were in residence. Some old time families were still on the land that their families had worked as a ranch or farm in a rural economy. Many of the teachers at the school were able to buy land when it was still cheap and they built houses and raised their families in them. In 1998 many of their kids were still going through the school system. The kids of the “Back-to-the landers” were also making their way through the schools at this time.
The days of affordable housing in AV are long gone, replaced by AirBnB’s, second home owners and wealthy full-time but often traveling or transient residents. Where you have beauty the wealthy will come. Anderson Valley is so very beautiful. This has a very real effect on the community loosening the ties that bind. The aging of the full time resident population is another very big factor in change. Attending the Variety Show at the Grange this year there were very few kids in attendance and lots and lots of silver hair.
Looking at local groups the you can definitely see this aging in the memberships. I.C.W. (Independent Career Women) was founded when most of the members were actually independent career women. Under Peggy Ridley’s presidency at one point there were about 50 active members. It was hard to find a place big enough to meet. The current club which has just regrouped following Covid under Wynne Nord’s creative leadership has closer to 20 members. We miss the large personalities that are no longer with us like Freda Fox, Jeannie Nickless, and Sue Davies to name a few. The Unity Club has also suffered so many losses — so many worthy, caring and active women gone. The Lions, Legion, Fire Department, Ambulance and Grange can say the same.
Taking a mental stroll through the Valley looking for changes the old Cal Fire cabins have been replaced by a very modern and much more fireproof complex of buildings. The Ambulance and volunteer fire department have joined forces. The Ambulance is now housed at the constantly growing AV Health Clinic. The volunteer fire department got a new building and meeting room in downtown Boonville several years ago.
The Anderson Valley Advertiser moved three times. Starting out in editor Brice Anderson’s home they then moved to the Farrer Building then to a modular and finally into part of Bruce and Mark Scaramella’s home. The Horn of Zeese became Alicia Perez’s restaurant which became Aquarelle and it now The Disco Ranch. The Yorkville Market got a big renovation after the sale from the Pickler family to the Walsh family. There were seven years of community building, commerce, and local activities under Lisa Walsh and her parents Mary Lou and Dennis before succumbing, a victim of Covid.
The Sobo Studio built by Anne Bennett and Aaron Weintraub made an appearance and served as “All That Good Stuff” and later a series of Yoga studios etc. John Hanes built a large art gallery downtown to house his work along with other artists. The Philo Pottery Inn passed from Jill Derwinski to Monika Fuchs and Beverly Bennett and then to a woman named Mary Zeeble. The Anderson Valley Inn was managed by Leigh and Troy Kreienhop, then it was sold to Bob Jancula and Lydia Mosk and just recently to some Innkeepers out on the coast. The AV Brewery founded by Ken and Kim Allen is on a third owner now. Happily this owner is putting real energy into local events and has set up a great space for families to relax on their tree shaded grounds.
There were about eight winery tasting rooms in 1998 and now there are about 18. In those days many of the owners were young and living in the valley: Allan Green, Milla Handley, the Husches and Deborah and Ted Bennett to mention a few. Today’s owners are mainly not residents and they definitely are not in their twenties. A certain youthful exuberance has been lost.
Taylor-Roberts, a model home staging company, was a sizable employer until the 2008 housing blow out. They have since shifted their focus to lodging and retail rentals. Pilar Echeverria’s Mosswood Market was previously Sharon’s Mosswood and before that Glad’s. Three different bookstores have come to town; the first specialized in mysteries, the second was run by Loretta Houck and the third is still owned by Dawn Ballantine: Hedgehog Books in the traincars downtown. The Live Oak Building got a big facelift and went from being a church to a tasting room/real estate office.
Beloved local meeting spot Lauren’s which was run by Lauren Keating for 25 years has moved with new owner Natalie Matson from its original location to the old Buckhorn Brewpub building which was once the home of Boonville Beer. Before it was Lauren’s it was the Sound Bite run by Jennifer Schmitt. Wellspring became River’s Bend. Shenoa became the eBay retreat center and then The Land (a controversial sex therapy center of some sort that is now in legal hot water).
The house that Alice Walker wrote the Color Purple in has fallen in on itself and gone back to nature on the road near the airport across from Ornbaun Road. Many of the redwood outbuildings and barns that made the countryside so picturesque have fallen in the past 25 years and few remain. The native redwood fences with split rails woven together at an angle are meeting a similar fate. Along the way Hendy Woods was threatened with closure and the community rose up to protect it only to find that it was only mismanagement by the State that made it seem imperiled.
Also missed are Grange dances where kids were seen sleeping on coats on the chairs ringing the hall. I remember someone names “Bones” (Newstead) doing Brazilian Capoeira onto the dance floor effectively dancing with everyone at the same time. It was enchanting. I haven’t seen anything like that lately.
Also all residents are very afraid of wildfire for most of the year and I don’t remember giving it much of a thought until about 10 years ago.
That said, many thing remain steadfast through it all. Boont Berry Farm. Proprietor Burt goes on and on and on. AV Market is run successfully by three generations of the same family. Lemons. Ditto, Rossi’s Hardware, the AV Clinic, the Boonville Airport and the schools all march on. As do we. Enjoy each day as much as you can because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
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