I attended UC Berkeley after Cap, participating in the Free Speech Movement and then Anti-Vietnam War protests. Later, I moved to San Francisco, joined a commune and came out as a hippie. I attended the San Francisco Art Institute, graduating in 1969 with a BFA in painting and photography. Shortly after, I was hired to run the food service there and discovered my major life career in the restaurant business.

I moved to the Napa Valley and opened my first restaurant, The Diner, in 1976 and ran it very successfully until 2001.  I realized early on that I was a lesbian, and met my first lover Kay at The Diner in 1976, which was a life changing event. While in Yountville, I was elected to the city council and served 6 years.  
My fondest project was organizing the Napa Valley Women’s Network, a social club for lesbians and their friends, which ran from 1989 until ’96. It’s where I met Judy, my partner during the 90s, and current long time friend. 

I moved with Judy to her hometown, Big Timber, Montana in 1996, (population 1700) keeping The Diner running by visiting every few months for the next 5 years. In 2001, I sold the restaurant and left California for good. I spent a few years apprenticing in a Livingston, MT frame shop and learning the trade. In 2002, I bought an historic building in downtown Big Timber,  completely renovated it and opened The North 40, a bakery cafe with an art gallery/frame shop in back. After about 3 years, I decided to completely retire from the restaurant business, and pursue other interests, such as managing the local food bank and senior pantry programs. I moved the frame shop to my home garage, and still operate the business, although very part time.

After high school, I married twice, first to Kay Frame, an acupuncturist of Oakville, CA and later to Judy Fjell, a singer/songwriter who lived in Berkeley at the time. I moved with Judy to Montana, to live near her ranching relatives in Big Timber. We have since separated, but remain very close friends. I’ve been single for the past 14 years, and pretty much loving it. 

I’ve just moved this summer to Helena, MT, the capital of the state. It’s a bigger, more diverse city (25,000!) and I’m excited to pursue my art passions more seriously, focusing on working in ceramics at the Archie Bray Foundation. I also participate in the Montana Women’s Chorus and am a member of the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. I continue my lifelong interest in dogs, most currently being owned by a Corgi, Rosie.

By the way, I dropped my childhood nickname of “Candy” just after leaving high school. It never felt like a good fit for me. I’ve been called Cassandra ever since, although recently I’ve shortened it to “Cass.”

I’m still connected to family in the Bay Area. My brother lives in SF, running his CPA firm in downtown San Francisco for the past 30 something years. My beloved nephew Dan (and closest thing to a son I’ll ever have) lives in Sacramento with his wife Nicole, and they’re both restaurant professionals. Their only son Roman was born almost 4 years ago, and is a big light in our lives. My folks both died around 2001.

I often visit California, usually in the months of spring to avoid Montana’s mud season. I usually stay in the Napa Valley, at my first wife’s home in Oakville. In the last couple of years, I also starting visiting Santa Barbara for a couple of weeks each year, where one of my best friends from Montana relocated.

Life has been very good to me. While high school was difficult in many ways, I found places where I fit in and thrived all through my post high school life. I’ve been blessed and successful in my career, love life, family and public service time. And there's more to come, with the opening of this new chapter in Helena!

Cass