A Dragon is in the Valley:
Alvin Lee Block releases private memoir about the birth of the Napa Wine Train
TUESDAY FEB. 22, 2011, Napa, Calif.—Dr. Alvin Lee Block, co-founder and inaugural president of the Napa Wine Train, has released a memoir about the infamous railway’s early days, titled “A Dragon is in the Valley.” Drawn from his private unedited diary entries, Block’s memoir is an authentic personal history of a Napa physician caught by the magnetic lure of the railway whistle.
“A Dragon is in the Valley” focuses on the Wine Train’s development from the years 1983-1986.
After four years of negotiations, Dr. Lee Block and a small group of Napa partners acquired the right of way to an 1864 Southern Pacific rail line that ran through the valley that would later become the elegant, passenger-carrying Wine Train.
Vincent DeDomenico took ownership of the Napa railway in 1987, and the Napa Valley Wine Train became operational on September 16, 1989. As of 2011, the train has now carried over two million passengers and counting.
Block, in collaboration with Arts Council Napa Valley, will be hosting a book party to mark the publication of “A Dragon is in the Valley” on Sunday March 6th, 2011, from 4 – 6 p.m. at the Napa Wine Train Station, 1275 McKinstry St. The event will be an opportunity for the community to celebrate this significant page in Napa Valley’s history, and to honor the late Mildred and Vincent de Domenico, “treasured as great community citizens and generous patrons of the arts," says Dr. Block.
Now a passionate advocate for the arts after fifty years of medical practice, Dr. Block will be donating all proceeds from the book and any contributions to Arts Council Napa Valley.
“A Dragon is in the Valley” will be priced as follows: Paperback Version: $14, Hardcover: $20. Block’s memoirs will exclusively be sold at the Wine Train event and via Arts Council Napa Valley. More information about the event and Dr. Lee Block can be found at the Napa Wine Train website: http://winetrain.com/a-dragon-is-in-the-valley, or the Arts Council website: www.artscouncilnapavalley.org.
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