Smith: St. Francis CEO’s journey includes brain cancer

Living in the moment is natural for Christopher Silva, the effervescent and quick-stepping former lawyer and Petrini’s Market bagboy who runs Kenwood’s St. Francis Winery & Vineyards.

Chris is even more attuned to the present now that an onset of slurred speech last week led to a diagnosis of brain cancer.

“Don’t cry for me - not just yet,” he wrote in a Facebook post. The 52-year-old father of two assures us he will fight the disease with everything he’s got.

“I have been so very lucky,” wrote the community dynamo, who two months ago greeted a huge, happy crowd to the annual SRJC Wine Classic that he conceived, and that this year honored Evelyn Cheatham of the Worth Our Weight culinary apprentice cafe and “Pasta King” Art Ibleto.

“The ability to serve others has been my constant passion,” Chris wrote.

“And the travel - oh the travel - I have seen the world and been to the four corners of the earth and back.”

This fine man is accompanied by many friends as his journey enters new terrain.

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A POETIC VIDEO created by Windsor High students who think art is simply essential tied for first in a contest that drew more than 100 entries from up and down the state.

Aliezah Hulett, 17 and a Windsor senior, directed the video that she and the others titled, “These Are the Walls that Speak.” It encourages viewers to find and express their passion.

Hosting the video contest was the California Alliance for Arts Education, which urges students to speak out to keep arts programs at their schools. You can see winning entries at studentvoicescampaign.org.

Aliezah, the Windsor video director, will be busy with the prom this weekend so project partner and poet Erika Stewart will represent their team at the arts alliance’s Student Voices Summit and Screening that happens in Los Angeles on Saturday

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BEER MONEY: If you were at the huge Battle of the Brews beer-fest that the Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa No. 50 hosted at the county fairgrounds early this month, you know it was a benefit for local endeavors that serve kids.

Members of the 20-30 Club heard about the alleged embezzlement that drained the bank account of the parents’ group that puts on Project Graduation safe-and-sober parties for Rancho Cotate High and Cotati-Rohnert Park’s smaller public high schools.

Club members decided to help make sure the Project Grad parties happen this year, and to be bold.

The 20-30 Club is kicking in $10,000.

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THIS CRAB FEED looks to be meatier than most.

Sonoma County fishermen struggling to maintain their livelihood will host the Saturday feed in the town of Bodega through their Fisherman’s Marketing Association.

They’ll serve a Dungeness crab feast from 4 to 7 p.m. at McCaughey Hall.

For tickets, stop by The Dog House in Bodega Bay or send an email to laurinjohnson16@gmail.com.

Lorne Edwards, the association president, hopes the feed will bring in some needed dollars and, beyond that, be pleasing to people who’ve already done much to help the fishermen through a tough time.

Chris Smith is at 707-521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.