Destination Nevada County 2023

destination

NEVADA COUNTY CALIFORNIA

GREATER GRASS VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2023

Imagine your perfect escape…. Welcome to Nevada County!

Fill your days with new adventures, unique and unforgettable experiences, find your best self-engage in activities you enjoy. Create memories to last a lifetime and fall in love with Nevada County!

DESTINATION NEVADA COUNTY

PUBLISHER

Robin Galvan-Davies

Greater Grass Valley Chamber

128 East Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-4667

rdavies@grassvalleychamber.com

PHOTOGRAPHER I ADVERTISING Head of Marketing & Sales

Joy Porter (530) 913-6045

joy@wrimagery.com

winding road imagery

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Sherry Sanchez

Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce

sherry@grassvalleychamber.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Contributors Not Pictured

Keoni Allen Sierra Foothills Construction Co. Page 135

Kirsten Casey Nevada County Poet Laureate 2021 Page 50

Robert Wallace Wallis Design Studio Architects Page 141

Jan Arbuckle Mayor of Grass Valley Page 18

Valerie Costa Costa Creative Services - Editor Page 11

Brian O’Brien Beam “Easy Living” Center Page 146

Roseanne Palmer Native American of Navajo Ancestry Page 76

Suzanne Voter Home Heroes Lending, Inc. Page 147

Rachel Rogers New Nevada County Resident Page 22

Stephanie Stadler Stephanie’s Custom Interiors Page 156

Rod Byers Nevada County Wine Expert Pages 98

Mike Byrne Owner Willo Steakhouse Page 36

Lock Richards Sperry CGA-Highland Commercial Page 150

Patricia Rockwell Owner Green Gift Gardens Page 126

Steve Cottrell Nevada County Historian Pages 42, 48, 80

Stuart Baker Executive Director, Nevada City Chamber of Commerce Page 54

Cassie Hebel Executive Director, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association Page 86

Leslie Lovejoy Executive Director, Gold Country Senior Services Page 131

Christine Eschen Tres Jolie Lavender Farm Page 122

Matthew Renda The Union Newspaper Page 70

Maria E. Brower The Union Newspaper Page 106

Dave Brooksher The Union Newspaper Page 91

Cory Fisher The Union Newspaper Page 92

Sachi Borman Realtor Wesely & Associates Page 61

ART & CULTURE

From California’s Gold Country in the west to the High Sierra in the east, Nevada County is also home to the Nisenan Tribe, one of the most endangered in the state, as well as the ancestral homelands of the Washoe. These histories, and the stories of the many cultures that continue to contribute to this place we call home, are a vital part of our daily life.

Today, Nevada County is a haven for art buyers in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Truckee-Tahoe region, and home to some of the best talent in California. The historic twin cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City merge in the Sierra Foothills amidst pristine rivers and picturesque forests, boasting outstanding year-round programming in music, theatre, and dance; a density of artists and makers; a festival culture to die for, and over a hundred arts-related organizations producing upwards of a thousand events a year, including street fairs, art walks and studio tours.

Meanwhile, amidst state and national forests at 7,000 feet, Truckee Cultural District is a stone’s throw from Lake Tahoe and the beautiful Donner Lake. Steeped in emigrant history it is a gateway site of the ill-fated Donner Party, and dotted with stunning interpretive trails, museums, and monuments. Following the Truckee River as it meets America’s first transcontinental railroad, Truckee is home to its famous Railyard Project and Truckee Artist Lofts, themselves symbolic of a quintessentially modern mountain town. Here, adventure and the outdoor life meet public art, galleries, live music venues, and artisan places to eat, drink and stay.

WESTERN NEVADA COUNTY ARTS EVENTS

JANUARY

Visibility Through Art Exhibition ~ Perspectives on Erasure ~

‘UBA SEO Gallery, 225 Broad Street, Nevada City

January 19th - March 5th

Frank Francis & Terence D. Baxter Art Exhibition

Markings along the Pathways of the Yuba Watershed

The Center for the Arts, January 20th - March 4th

FEBRUARY

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, February 11th

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Nevada City, February 16th -20th

Multiple Locations

Mardi Gras Parade & Street Faire

Nevada City, February 19th

MARCH

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, March 11th

Visions in Monochrome – Members of the Nevada County Camera Club, March 10th - April 15th

APRIL

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, April 8

The Union Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show

Nevada County Fairgrounds, April 22nd-23rd

New Songs Fest

The Center For the Arts, April 27th-30th

MAY

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, May 13th

Grass Valley Armed Forces Day

Downtown Grass Valley, May 20th

Strawberry Music Festival

Nevada County Fairgrounds, May 25th-28th

JUNE

First Friday Art Walk

Nevada City, June 2nd

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, June 10th

Grass Valley Thursday Night Market

Downtown Grass Valley

Thursdays, June 8th, 15th & 22nd

Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival

Nevada County Fairgrounds, June 16th-19th

SummerFest

The Center For the Arts, June 18th - July 9th

Movies Under the Pines

Pioneer Park, Nevada City, June 23rd

Nevada City Film Festival

June 23rd-25th

JULY

First Friday Art Walk

Nevada City, July 7th

4th of July Parade and Independence Day Celebration

Grass Valley, July 4th

TRUCKEE ART EVENTS

First Fridays

Every First Friday of the Month

Downtown Truckee

Truckee Thursdays

Dates TBD

7th Annual Maker Show

June 11th

Truckee Roundhouse, 12116 Chandelle Way, Truckee

The Great Truckee Artisans Fair

June 1st & 2nd

Truckee River Regional Park, Truckee, CA

Fall Into Art Festival

Art & Soul Artwalk

October

Downtown Truckee Wine, Walk & Shop

Nevada City Summer Nights

Downtown Nevada City, July 12th, 19th & 26th

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, July 8th

California Worldfest

Nevada County Fairgrounds, July 13th-16th

Deer Creek Music Festival

Pioneer Park, Nevada City, Date TBD

Movies Under the Pines

Pioneer Park, Nevada City, July 7th & 21st

Local for Locals

Downtown Grass Valley, July 29th

AUGUST

First Friday Art Walk

Nevada City, August 4th

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, August 12th

Jerry Bash at Pioneer Park

Nevada City, August TBD

Nevada County Fair

Nevada County Fairgrounds, August 9th-13th

SEPTEMBER

First Friday Art Walk

Nevada City, September 1st

Second Saturday Spotlight

Art Works Gallery, September 9th

Constitution Day Parade and Celebration

Nevada City, September 16th & 17th

Gem and Mineral Show

Nevada County Fairgrounds, September 7th & 8th

KVMR Celtic Festival

Nevada County Fairgrounds, September 30th

OCTOBER

KVMR Celtic Festival

Nevada County Fairgrounds, October 1st

Open Studios Tour

Multiple Locations, October TBD

Hangtown Music Festival

Nevada County Fairgrounds, October 19th-22nd

NOVEMBER

Cornish Christmas

Downtown Grass Valley, November 24th

Country Christmas Faire

Nevada County Fairgrounds, November 24th-26th

DECEMBER

Cornish Christmas

Downtown Grass Valley, December 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd

Victorian Christmas

Downtown Nevada City

December 3rd, 6th, 10th, 13th & 17th

2023

Nevada County

Calendar of Events

The Chambers Project + Chambers Obscura A New Dimension in the Nevada County Art Scene

By Valerie Costa

Get ready for a new, mind-blowing immersive art experience right here in Grass Valley. Brian Chambers and his business partner Travis Threlkel, both internationally known legends in the psychedelic art and events scene, are working together on a cutting edge, next level multimedia art gallery in the Sierra foothills.

Combining Brian’s curation of psychedelic art from some of the best-known artists of the genre in the world, along with Travis’s innovative digital projection abilities, the gallery has the potential to draw visitors from around the world to a one-of-a-kind immersive art experience. Firstly with the mind-bending exhibitions of psychedelic art that are offered in The Chambers Project traditional art gallery side of the building, and on the other side of the gallery walls, a digital immersive art space where Travis is building a projection lab to feature a multimedia element for their new joint venture, Chambers Obscura. They will be hosting events that will blend the audio, visual, and immersive arts into a holistic experience that aims to take the participant to a new level of understanding of art, the world, and themselves.

Brian cut his teeth in the art world by commissioning notable psychedelic artists to collaborate on large paintings, often occurring at live events. Many gallery owners/curators in the field advised him not to do this,

but it paid off in creating unusual collaborations that stimulate the deeper parts of the viewer’s subconscious understanding of what art is, and can be. Chambers Obscura is taking this approach of collaboration and merging it with modern technology, moving into the digital space which allows the art to do things beyond what artists could do within traditional mediums.

HERE THERE BE DRAGONS

Adjacent to the “traditional” side of the gallery, which features a rotating selection of psychedelic art exhibitions from both well established and emerging artists, there will be the Chambers Obscura Projection Lab, an expansive area that will serve as a laboratory where Travis will develop and test the shows before touring them through cities around the world.

Brian and Travis have been developing their first experiential show titled “Dragon’s Dream - The Roger Dean Experience.” Roger Dean is most well known for creating the art for over 120 album covers, including many for the bands Yes and Asia, as well as the logos for Virgin records, and the Tetris video game. He is also the inventor of the bean bag, and is one of the pioneers and source artists for the utopian futurist movement. The Chambers Obscura team has been working on adapting some of Dean’s paintings into 360-degree living worlds. The original paintings are well-known

and have influenced pop culture; James Cameron took a lot of his designs for Avatar from Dean’s work, including the flying islands, dragons, and other elements. This installation is enormous, and will travel for several years, going from city to city for three month runs starting in San Francisco, then to Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York, Chicago, Paris, Berlin, London, and possibly beyond.

a lucrative business venture that has been an inspiring and successful project for all involved.

He feels fortunate to have met many artists that he has looked up to, and was thrilled to host one of his favorite artists, Mars1, at The Chambers Project when the gallery first launched. “The first time I saw a Mars-1 piece, that’s what really pulled me in. It blew me away. This is where my inspiration started. I met Mars in 2008, and his was the first psychedelic painting that I bought. He introduced me to a lot of other artists, which led to the formation of the Furtherrr Collective, which I commissioned many collaborative paintings from,” Brian elaborated.

Over the years while Brian had been working with painters on many collaborative projects and installations, he had always admired the work of Travis’s company Obscura Digital, and had been interested in working together. When they both ended up living in Grass Valley during the lockdowns, he finally had the opportunity to meet him. The two instantly connected over art and shared experiences, and the Chambers Obscura project was born.

ABOUT TRAVIS

“The underlying mission is that the art immersion that we are creating is what Roger Dean wants; to create a utopian future that shows what worlds look like if we take care of them through sustainable living,” Travis explained. “He believes it’s all of our jobs to make the world more beautiful. There’s a blissful beauty to his work, and taking you to his worlds is part of the mission. We want people to walk out saying, “I want to live there, I want that to be our world.” There is an environmental, positive, hopeful energy to it. We want people to leave feeling elated and hopeful. There’s a big international art community, and we’re sending out our vision to it from here in Grass Valley.”

ABOUT BRIAN

Brian has been a collector of psychedelic art since his youth. It started in 1995 as a sophomore in high school, when his science teacher had an Alex Grey poster on the wall, and she told him that the artist was inspired by LSD. Brian had just read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and the poster struck a chord in him. Throughout the years his collecting escalated from baseball cards and comic books, to posters and paintings. He then went on to commission and produce bronze sculptures and paintings from his favorite artists. By paying attention to all of the artists whose aesthetic resonates with him, Brian’s ability to curate unique talent has allowed him to turn his hobby into

Years ago, Travis had a revelation that all media is a series of rectangles; books, magazines, movie and TV screens, paintings…everything was in a box. He sought to expand that vision beyond rectangles to be an immersive experience by first creating light shows for his band in San Francisco, then collecting projectors (he has over 100 of them) and making them work together to create a new, engaging digital art medium, and created his business, Obscura Digital, doing just that. “I was creating immersive environments for myself with a bunch of rectangles. But I thought, that’s not right, we don’t live in rectangles, we live in worlds,” Travis explained.

Travis’s unique approach to art gained quite the audience; he projected a 60 minute presentation at the Vatican for the Pope, has projected shows on the Empire State Building several times, as well as the Sydney Opera House and other notable landmarks around the world. In 2017, Travis sold Obscura Digital to The Madison Square Garden Company, which is focusing on building state-of-the-art music and entertainment venues known as “MSG Spheres.” These venues will enable the creation of immersive, multi-sensory environments that transport audiences and reinvent how a performer, speaker, show or event engages and connects with an audience.

BEYOND THE FRAME

The dynamic art duo of Brian and Travis don’t only want to entertain and provoke art lovers, they plan to use their venue as a way for students of any level to learn about art in a new, holistic way that brings artists and their visions to life. They plan to host programs for the community that will include deep art exploration immersion through notable artists. From artists of antiquity to new artists, they will bring people in for a facilitation of a shared art encounter and lesson. They will

showcase the life and the work of an artist, and really “hang out with” art pieces and artists that are famous in a new way. For example, they could highlight an iconic piece of art, like the Mona Lisa, and show different scales of the piece.

They would like to open this opportunity up to students, the community, and art lovers from surrounding areas in a way that showcases the lives and processes of an artist in a way that becomes a thorough journey presented in chapters. These will be immersive, interactive art classes with an intensely focused curriculum. “It’s not a show, it’s an inspiration” Travis explained of the concept. “There’s a lot of art out there that isn’t known that we will cover, but also artists you already know and love. We will invite you to hang out with those art pieces to connect in a deeper way. This is another way for this gallery to bring even more to the community and ourselves.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Currently, The Chambers Project is featuring a show by Australian artist Leans, which kicked off on September 24, and the plan is to launch a new show every two to three months. Each launch event is an incredible mix of art, music, food,

drink, and revelry that many have come to know as one of the most unique and inspiring events in Grass Valley.

The first five years of Chambers Obscura shows are already planned; they are going to move from Roger Dean into Ralph Steadman, Rick Griffin, Mars-1, and more. One thing that really sets Chambers Obscura apart is the sense of fairness, respect, and collaboration with each artist featured, ensuring that they get as much out of the partnership as the company does.

“We’re going to do things on a higher level. Technically and experientially…but also the spirit behind it,” Travis explained. “Most of our competition are corporate funded and venture capitalist driven; the artists’ relatives have nothing to do with it. We partner with artists and they are a part of our company. We’re about being a living, breathing, actual art group. We’re not a corporate funded cash grab; we’re in it for the art, inspiring and expanding peoples’ imagination and consciousness.”

To learn more about Chambers Obscura and The Chambers Project, or to set up an appointment to view the current exhibit, visit thechambersproject.com

ANTJE DORMEYER www.antjedormeyer.com

DORI GREENBAUM www.dorigreenbaum.com

BETH LEYDON www.fibergarten.com

SUZANNE HIMMLER www.riverwomandesign.com

EILEEN BLODGETT www.eileenblodgett.com

VILINA HUTTER www.minerockstudio.com

CARIANNE JAMES www.cariannejames.com

JAN ANDERSON www.janandersonglass.com

DON AUGSTEIN www.indigowoodandmetal.com

JANE MARKHAM www.mountainexotics.com

CANDY EKSTROM www.candyekstrom.com

JERIANNE VAN DIJK www.jerianneillustration.com

MICHELLE JEWETT www.MichelleJewettArt.com

LIZ COLLINS www.lizcollinsart.com

KRIS JOHNSON www.krisjohnsonartist.com

SUSAN LOBB PORTER www.slporter.com

LIN SCHIFFNER www.linschiffner.com

VALERIE BIRKHOFF www.valsworth.com

LORI HUMPHREY www.nestingathome.etsy.com

DENISE WEY www.denisewey.com

GAIL LIPSON www.photosofoldamerica.com

KATIE WOLFF www.katiewolffstudio.com

GAIL LIPSON www.gaillipsonphotography.com

KATHRYN WRONSKI www.kwronski.com

113 Mill st. in downtown HistoriC grAss vAlley

It is my great honor to welcome you to the City of Grass Valley personally and on behalf of the City Council. We are blessed to live and work here and believe Grass Valley is one of the most unique cities in the state.

Nestled in the hills of Nevada County, Grass Valley is a perfect destination for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life. While growth in a town like ours is inevitable, it is particularly important to me and many of our neighbors that we keep the rural, closeknit, character of our town. Our Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Association as well as numerous other non-profits/clubs work tirelessly to ensure that the City maintains its historical integrity.

By Jan Arbuckle, Mayor of Grass Valley

Grass Valley was incorporated in 1860 at the height of the gold rush and has an incredibly rich history. We are home to the renowned Empire and North Star mines, two of the most successful mines in California’s history. Our city is full of opportunities for entertainment for visitors, whether they want to explore the outdoors, enjoy shopping and wine tasting downtown, see a show at the Center for the Arts, visit a local craft brewery, experience a piece of history at the newly renovated Holbrooke Hotel, or spend time at one of our numerous parks and playgrounds, there is something here for everyone.

In addition to our rich mining history and beautiful downtown, the City has been completing numerous projects renovating our parks, streets, and public spaces. Memorial Park, one of our most historic, was recently updated with new pickleball courts, a basketball court, a turf baseball field, and two completely new public pools. We are currently working on extensive renovations to historic Mill Street, converting the prize shopping strip of Grass Valley into an inviting pedestrian plaza.

Grass Valley has strived to carve out its own identity, separate from the other communities around it. We want to be a unique place that exists first and foremost, to meet the needs of its residents whether that’s top-notch schools, fantastic dining options, unique shopping experiences, or opportunities for recreation. We are striving to foster a family-friendly environment, providing accessible trails along creeks, modern sports fields, newly renovated playgrounds and parks, and many engaging community events that cater to all ages.

I am incredibly proud to serve as mayor of Grass Valley and warmly invite everyone to put Grass Valley on your list of unique destinations, and whether it be your first or your hundredth visit, you will always find something new and exciting waiting in our hospitable City.

Sincerely,

Jan Arbuckle

Mayor of Grass Valley

GRASS VALLEY is OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Inspired by the History and Culture of Grass Valley, Downtown Transformation has Begun with the Goal of Expressing an Authentic Identity.

By Robin Galvan-Davies, Executive Manager, Grass Valley Downtown Association

The pandemic’s mandatory closure brought about changes that were essential to the survival of business in Grass Valley.

In downtown, the Question was: What to put into effect that would allow the restaurants to stay open during the mandatory closure? The Answer: Close Mill Street.

In a bold and heroic move to retain economic stability, the Grass Valley City Council voted to make the Mill Street right of way, from Neal Street to West Main Street, a pedestrian zone.

And for the most part, the community loved it. Having a place to gather that was safe for children, the elderly, and mobility-challenged individuals that created a sense of community was highly appreciated.

With strong community input, and conducting unscientific and scientific studies, both of which produced similar results in favor of the pedestrian zone, the City Staff proposed to Council to permanently transform Mill Street into a pedestrian plaza — in an effort to support local businesses and community activities, while welcoming visitors to experience the heart of Grass Valley in a unique and historical setting.

And Council approved.

Essential underground infrastructure work was completed in 2022, and the transformational work is slated to begin in January.

Elevating the street to produce a uniform promenade allows for safer pedestrian passage, welcoming people of all ages and abilities, and the creation of a cobbled effect on the concrete, reminiscent of old-world cobblestones, will complement our gold rush architecture.

Permanent planters of indigenous rock and some of unique design that includes seating will be interspersed along Mill Street. Planted with shade, ornamental trees, flowers, and shrubs, the streetscape planters will be imbued with beauty and practicality.

Turn-of-the-century lamp posts, beautifully designed outdoor dining patios, public tables, and chairs along with overhead string lighting will add charm and ambiance to Mill. East and West Main Street will have design elements incorporated that complement those on Mill.

So, what about construction — is all of Mill Street closed at once? No. The City and the construction firm have devised a plan to work in sections. As each section is complete, the fence will move down and enclose the next section. Nifty, huh? So only the section being worked on is fenced.

Where does construction start?

At the junction of the T: Mill and West Main Streets. Fences go up on January 9th in the center of the street. Sidewalks are open as usual and we invite you to come down and peek through the fence when you walk your dog, buy a book, sip a latte, or are questing for that perfect gift.

Double shifts promise to move the schedule forward with a nod to completion in early summer, and you don’t want to miss watching the progress!

All stores and restaurants will be open, and access during construction will be, as usual, easy, and unencumbered.

A bit of dust, a bit of noise, some tall fencing, and a few months later, a glorious gathering place will emerge; a wonderful setting for events, an evening out, or just a stroll through downtown on a lovely day.

By Rachel Rogers, New Nevada County Resident

Moving to Grass Valley was one of my life’s most magical, synchronistic moments.

I grew up bopping around from place to place, from upstate New York to San Diego, until my family landed in a small Colorado town where my brother and I grew up. While my heartstrings still play for my hometown and my years spent in the southwest in Durango, something was telling me I needed to look further west almost as soon as I graduated college.

Needless to say, it took some time and patience to find this special spot nestled in the Sierra Foothills. Initially, I had no idea what I was looking for, but I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted it to be: a place where the seasons change, fruit trees grow, in the mountains, where there’s a strong community feel, and somewhere closer to the coast than the 16 hours I was accustomed to driving.

I came across the area after I stumbled upon the Hallmark Movie “The Christmas Card” one day while wrapping presents. I was instantly captivated as soon as there was

a montage of the area, thinking, “THIS is my spot!”. And though my skeptical side argued, the feeling in my bones was undeniable.

As if the stars aligned, my parents moved to Grass Valley when my dad accepted a job offer within three months of my inner-knowing moment. And it was perfect for so many reasons!

It was honestly like coming home for us all. My parents started married life in Quincy, and our close family friends — who set my parents up have lived in Truckee for over 30 years. My brother and his family also lived in Truckee at the time, so I had to follow suit.

It took some time to find my footing in a new community. While I found solace in working in a real estate office and finding new connections, I found myself still longing for more.

I needed to do something that felt more impactful, and I wanted to build a community.

Like most of us, once COVID-19 hit, it forced me into a break I didn’t realize I needed. I took a step back from literally everything in my life at that time. From work I was doing, the relationships I had, and perhaps most importantly, from the person I had become.

It took a 145-mile backpacking trip on the Colorado trail and a month of road-tripping with an old friend to bring me back to my center.

When returning home that year, I took even more time examining what I wanted. At that point, I asked myself, “Am I in the right place?”

As if, once again, all was meant to be I found myself welcomed into the intimate and kind community of Grass Valley. Meeting wonderful people, falling into a work opportunity that was a great fit, and creating a new life with the most kind-hearted, positive, and loving people changed everything.

Suddenly, this area was not only perfect but being in this city, in this region of California, was fulfilling.

What makes it so unique to me is watching how quickly the people here reach out and lend each other a hand. How easily a smile is shared when passing by. How friendly the shop owners are and how easily you can strike up a long conversation with restaurant servers and owners at dinner.

It’s blown my mind to see how something like a global pandemic and market mess can bring such hard times; yet this community felt closer than ever. The friends and network I found now feels like family, and I know I’ve found a home here.

Sure, the scenic drives, twisty roads through vineyards and farms, the rich and palpable history, the outdoors, and access to the coast or mountains are literally a perfect concoction for the adventurous but community-oriented individual. The magic truly happens in the heart of this community. I know I get to see and feel it each day, and I know anyone lucky enough to experience this place will feel it too.

2023 Downtown Events

Heart of the Town Valentine’s Day

Saturday, February 11th • 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Annual St. Piran’s Day Festival

Saturday, March 4th • 9:30 - 11:00 am

Flag raising 9:45 am, Pasty Toss 10:00 - 11:00 am

Foothills Celebration

Saturday, March 18th • 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Downtown Car Show

Saturday, May 6th • 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Grass Valley Thursday Night Markets

Thursdays, June 8th, 15th, and 22nd 6:00 - 9:00 pm

4th of July Celebration

Tuesday, July 4th

Family Pancake Breakfast from 8:00 - 10:00 am

Parade at 10:00 am - Noon

Afternoon Festivities from 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Mill Street 4th of July Celebration 5:00 - 10:00 pm

Local for Locals

Saturday, July 29th

Sidewalk Sale

Saturday, September 16th • 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Brewfest

Saturday, October 14th • 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Safe Trick or Treat

Tuesday, October 31st • 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Downtown Holiday Market

Saturday, November 11th • 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Donation Day Parade - Ladies Relief Society

Friday, December 15th • 10:00 - 11:30 am

Annual Cornish Christmas

Fridays, November 24th, December 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd 6:00 - 9:00 pm

Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 24th • 6:00 - 6:30pm

Celebrating 25 Years and Still Going Strong

Join me in CELEBRATING, my husband James Arbaugh, and his 25 years at Stucki Jewelers. It is a humble moment of gratitude towards fate, our amazing customers, staff, friends, family and our beloved community as we reflect on the past quarter of a century. James and I were Nevada Union High School sweethearts, married young, and most don’t know we have worked together since we were teenagers. His work ethic was obvious at that young age and something I highly respected. Ask anybody who knows James he is a man of his word. A handshake is still a promise. He serves with a gracious heart and loves being a part of the special occasions jewelry allows us to share with our customers. Ironically, we got into the jewelry business by accident. James knew 6 weeks after he was hired he would retire at Stucki Jewelers. I laughed. We were 24 years old at the time and had just returned to Grass Valley as college graduates. He was right. He jumped in, and with a Business degree under his belt, returned to school and got his degree as a Graduate Gemologist from the highly regarded Gemological Institute of America. The rest is history.

Today he is proud to continue to be a big supporter of local nonprofits with his time and sponsorships. His love for this community is contagious and for Stucki Jewelers unrelenting. The 7th owner since 1904, he hopes to put another couple decades in before he retires. You still have plenty of time to come in and experience the legacy he is continuing at Stucki Jewelers and its place as a cornerstone in downtown Grass Valley.

Here at Courtyard Suites, you’ll discover a delightful blend of Bed and Breakfast charm and posh hotel amenities.

Nestled in a quiet neighborhood located only one block from historic downtown; elegance, tranquility and comfort are guaranteed throughout your stay.

State-of-the-art meeting spaces, shaded lawn, and large roof-top patio

Whether you’re hosting a sales meeting, team building event, family reunion or wedding, our unique meeting and conference space combined with our event coordination services are sure to make your event special.

www.gvcourtyardsuites.com

530- 272- 7696

Make Life Delicious!

We have what you need to achieve Culinary Success!

Ki t chen & Culinary

We know that having the right tool for the job makes all the difference. So, whether you’re a beginner, professional, foodie or just love to cook or bake, we carry a wide selection of kitchen tools, cutlery, cookware, bakeware, electrics, tableware, and super cool gadgets. We also offer cooking classes. Stop by, we’re here to help!

Baking Supplies

From mixers to wisks to pastry brushes and beyond!

Fine Cutlery Slice, dice, julienne, chiffonadé, baton & CHOP!

Gadgets Galore

We have a large selection of super cool tools!

Cookware that Performs

From everyday cookware to professional, it’s all here!

TWO LOCATIONS

Tess’ Kitchen Store 115 Mill St., Grass Valley, CA (530) 273-6997

Hours: 10-6 Daily

Tess’ Kitchen & Culinary 2066 Nevada City Hwy., Grass Valley, CA (530) 271-1400

Hours: 9-5 Monday-Saturday, 10-5 Sunday

GRASS VALLEY: We are a beautifully preserved historic 1800s gold rush town on the scenic route, but there’s nothing rural about Grass Valley! Downtown Grass Valley it’s a great place for visitors and locals alike. Our town features unique shops, restaurants, world-class entertainment, a magnificently restored historic hotel, and a robust arts scene. Come, and experience Grass Valley, it is rich with choice and opportunity!

We are a family owned business that has served the community for 46 years!

2023

Annual St. Piran’s Day Festival

Saturday, March 4th

Foothills Celebration

Saturday, March 18th

Downtown Car Show

Saturday, May 6th

Grass Valley Armed Forces Day

Saturday, May 20th

Thursday Night Markets

Thursdays, June 8th, 15th, and 22nd

4th of July Celebration

Tuesday, July 4th

Local for Locals

Saturday, July 29th

Sidewalk Sale

Saturday, September 16th

Grass Valley Brewfest

Saturday, October 14th

Safe Trick or Treat

Tuesday, October 31st

Downtown Holiday Market

Saturday, November 11th

Annual Cornish Christmas

Fridays, November 24th, December 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd

Donation Day Parade

Friday, December 15th

GRASS VALLEY DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION

Great Food

Good Vibes NC des na on ca

When one thinks of the Sierra Nevada Foothill region, amazing dining is probably not at the top of the list. Most folks equate upscale dining to restaurants in larger cities, but honestly, some astounding restaurants are found in smaller towns, with nearly all being family owned and operated. In Nevada County, that’s the case; you’ll find restaurants run by passionate entrepreneurs, who are often the second or third generation, serving (in many cases) family recipes handed down through the ages.

The Town of Truckee that lies to the East, and Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Penn Valley to the West all boast several impressive restaurants. And what do they all have in common?

Culinary thunder!

That’s a powerful declaration, but it’s true; these restaurants can hold their own against the bigcity competition. There’s no lack of farm-to-table, imaginative presentation, and diversity of cuisine. We’re talking cafés, fine dining, bars, bistros, and bakeries... you name it, you’ll find it here in Nevada County.

We’re a county with a farming legacy, continued today by incredible organic, sustainable farms and ranches that serve as a resource for our local eateries. There’s a pride here in serving the best quality, freshest local produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, and wines.

In these pages you’ll find our Local Favorites, meet some of the fun and fabulous restauranteurs, and get a glimpse of why Nevada County is so highly praised as a destination. Not only for its dining, but for its sense of community. Enjoy dining like a local and have a happy culinary journey!

A traditional California roadhouse and a Nevada County institution

By Mike Byrne and Nancy Wilson, Owners, The Willo Steakhouse

Driving from Nevada City on Highway 49, you can’t miss The Willo’s luminous neon sign with its green martini glass and bright-pink olive bidding you welcome. This quintessential California roadhouse is a well patronized local haunt that boasts quite a history.

The Willo. Not, WilloW- it’s Willo, or to be precise, The Willo Steakhouse, but most folks simply call it The Willo. Why no “W?” Here’s the story, but a bit of history to begin:

The Willo started as a bar inside a refashioned World War II-era Quonset hut, purchased by Bill Davis in 1947. The hut was brought from Sacramento and set up at its current location at 16898 State Hwy 49 in Nevada City.

He opened it as Bill Davis’s Hut, a watering hole favored by the lumber and mining workforce. In 1950 Wilma Kenney leased the Hut from Bill and renamed it Wilma’s Hut. Wilma sold sandwiches, hot lunches, beer, and soft drinks to the logging truck drivers as they roared up and down Hwy. 49. Later she purchased the property and leased the hut to a local couple.

Peggy and Bob Tucker bought it in 1963 and called it Tuck’s Hut. With a truckload of lumber from a

local mill, they enlarged the bar and added a covered structure on the east side where they built a grill pit and served hamburgers through the window to the bar patrons.

In 1969, the Tuckers leased the property to a local tavern owner, Frank Williams. Frank owned the Willo Bar on East Main Street in Grass Valley but was forced to relocate to make room for the freeway.

Now, onto the name: The Willo is a blend of Frank’s last name (Williams) and Lola, his wife’s given name. The Willo was expanded to its current size by partners Williams and Veda Folden, who, with the help of her husband and brothers, converted the covered structure into the main dining room, and the Willo Steakhouse was born. They added the banquet room in 1973.

Ken and Jeannie Hiebert bought The Willo in 1976 by combining the bar and restaurant operations and purchased the property (still owned by Peggy Tucker). They operated it for 26 years then decided it was time to sell.

Mike and I had come up from the Bay Area and were looking for some type of business to buy. My parents had a cabin in Colfax, so I’ve been coming to this area since I was a little girl. For more than

three years, we looked all over the foothills, from Truckee to La Porte, at everything from bed and breakfasts to hydro-electric plants. When a friend told us about Ken wanting to sell, we inquired, “How much?”

He named his price and we said, “OK, we’ll do it!” We wanted something outside of town with some historical value; that’s what we loved, the old roadhouse. We just fell in love with it. We’d never been in the restaurant business before but figured we could handle it. Our friends told us, “OH! You’re making a mistake, and you’re CRAZY to buy a restaurant and bar and CRAZY to work together!”

Over the years, we’ve really worked to have The Willo remain “The Willo.” We’ve kept the same flavor but made lots of improvements. Most you can’t see, like to the building and infrastructure, but we’ve really improved the quality of items on the menu. Those improvements and upgrades add to dining enjoyment, and it’s gratifying that the community has shown its appreciation — they’ve

voted us the Best of Nevada County — Best Steak House for twenty-three years running.

This spring, we’ll be unveiling another upgrade to The Willo experience.

During COVID, when we were limited to outdoor dining, we decided to take advantage of the outdoor dining mandate and add a patio. We’re excited that this coming spring you’ll be able to enjoy outdoor drinks and dining on The Patio at The Willo.

And to those friends who scoffed at us buying The Willo and working together — it’s now more than twenty years later, we’re still doing fine, and we still like each other!

The San Francisco Bay Guardian called the Willo a “roadhouse extraordinaire” and rated it as the 2nd best reason to “love Nevada City.” They describe the Willo as “part redneck party in the rowdy bar, part retro dream with neon sign shining like a beacon from the dark...”

Chef Vincent, Lisa, and Ryan Alexander have opened Alexanders Station Steakhouse and Event Center in Nevada City.

Chef Alexander began his culinary career in Hawaii on the island of Oahu working as a pantry cook at the famed La Terrace restaurant in Waikiki. Chef then moved back to his hometown of South Lake Tahoe and began working at The Summit Restaurant at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. After a year in the kitchen, he moved to the Front of House and was promoted to Captain. He then began his formal culinary training at the prestigious California Culinary Academy, where he graduated first in his class, earning the Founders’ Award for Culinary Excellence. After graduating, Chef took on an externship at Fleur de Lys under the direction of the famed Chef Hubert Keller. While working dinners at Fleur de Lys, he also trained under Wolfgang Puck at his restaurant Postrio.

Chef Alexander’s journey then brought him to the Sacramento area, where he joined Slocum House

in Fair Oaks as Executive Chef. After seven years at Slocum House, he opened his first restaurant Alexander’s Meritage, earning a four-star rating for five years straight. Chef then moved to teach at his alma mater CCA in San Francisco, before becoming the Lead Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in Sacramento.

Returning to Hawaii, Chef accepted a position at the world-famous St. Regis in Kauai, later transferring to the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento as Executive Chef.

When Chef and his wife Lisa moved to Grass Valley in 2019 and began searching for a location to start a restaurant, they were ecstatic to find the former location of Trolly Junction in Nevada City. The location was perfect; a park-like setting with a beautiful waterfall and wall-to-wall windows to enjoy the view. In October of 2021, Alexander’s Station Steakhouse and Event center was born.

The Alexander’s have a seasonal farm that supplies produce to the restaurant bringing real Farm to Fork to Nevada County.

The best part of the restaurant is the wedding and special event locations; the property boasts two wedding sites, one can accommodate up to 100 and the other up to 500, and there is lodging on-site. Inside, the restaurant has two dining rooms and two trolly cars off the deck for Private dining.

The team of Chef Vincent Alexander, Lisa, and his son Ryan and their staff are dedicated to hospitality, bringing the residents of Nevada County a first-class dining experience.

There’s just so much here that I’m passionate about — that we’re passionate about — I think all that kind of adds when you’re here as much as I am, and this is basically a child of mine.

My parents moved up to Lake Wildwood in 2015. I came up to this area, thought it was beautiful. We weren’t even really talking about opening a restaurant at that time but had a space become available for us, and we rebuilt up the whole restaurant, so it felt like “us.”

And here we are, coming up on our six-year anniversary at the end of this month.

Twelve 28 Kitchen

This is my 23rd year professionally cooking, started at 15 years old back in Glen Ellen outside of the town of Sonoma where I grew up. Held positions in my life as baker, private chef, morning cook, prep cook, lunch cook, dinner cook, banquets, a sous chef. This will be my first executive chef position here at Twelve 28.

Everything we put out on a plate is what we are excited about. We don’t just throw together a plain green salad, and throw it on the menu just so we can have a “plain green salad,” there’s love in every single dish that goes

“The Hottest Fine Dining in the Foothills”

out, as well as…it’s kind of cliche to say that everyone’s “family” but from the moment you step in, greeted by one of our staff, or usually my father, my mom with all of her own house-made desserts…my sisters are here working, my brother was here working, my fiancé works right next to me. Everyone that’s here is passionate about food, and excited about food, and it really shows in our end product.

I definitely feel like our service here is unmatched with a lot of places that I go. It just goes back to caring, and everyone here does.

We’re in a small area in Nevada County, especially in Penn Valley, or Penntucky as some people call it, but we pull people from our neighboring community in Lake Wildwood, uptown Grass Valley, Nevada City, all the way down to Auburn. We get people come up here from Roseville, Sacramento, Granite Bay, Truckee, Reno, the Bay Area, or San Francisco, or the East Bay, just to dine here.

“We are honored that hundreds of our guests tell us they have eaten at some of the finest restaurants in the world and still feel Twelve 28 Kitchen is better or just as good.”

We’ve pretty much been dubbed one of the special occasion restaurants, fine dining restaurant, but what we try and portray, every day, is that we are a fine dining restaurant, just without the pretentiousness. Just as long as they’re here to have a good time and not worry about using the wrong fork, or if they want to lick the plate, lick the plate! Enjoy yourself while getting to enjoy an amazing product here at Twelve 28 Kitchen.

Experience

I worked my butt off for everybody else for my whole life, and now, that it’s for me and my family, it’s our “everything” so we put our everything into it, and feel that that shows on every plate, every staff member and every experience that everyone gets to have here.

Going out to eat for people is a special occasion for the most part, and we try to make that one occasion be a memorable one.

It’s the little, tiny details that over the course of a night that make the difference. It’s not just going out to eat, sustaining yourself with food, it’s an experience.

You come in here to try something beautiful or different and exciting, it’s like entertainment. It’s like going to a show; going to see a movie, or a concert, it’s an experience here at Twelve 28 Kitchen.

530-446-6534

Sandy Toes, Summer Smiles ~ Life’s a Beach!

SWIM

kneebone pleasure resort

By Steve Cottrell, Nevada County Historian

WHAT? Beaches in Nevada County? You Bet!

In the 1920s, when horse-drawn buggies and fragile horseless carriages were being replaced with Model T’s and other more-reliable long-distance transportation, Nevada County began to shrink. One-lane trails were widened, graded and graveled, and residents of Western Nevada County — especially those who could afford an automobile — were able to get away from their homes and go for a drive.

By 1923, both Grass Valley and Nevada City had auto parks, maintained by the chambers of commerce in each community; places close to town where travelers could spend a few days in small cabins or tents, swimming, fishing and visiting historic sites. The auto camps had gas stoves, showers and bathrooms, but locals weren’t interested in the two handy auto parks — they wanted to venture out to explore new places as much as possible.

People with automobiles soon became known as “motorists,” and a June 12, 1927 announcement in the Morning Union caught their attention: “Alfred Kneebone, a farmer of the lower end of the county, has acquired a natural swimming pond on the South Yuba River at Bridgeport, twelve miles from Grass Valley on the Rough and Ready road, and has built up a resort nearby. A newly constructed road leads to the pool. Bath houses, showers and swimming equipment has been placed alongside the pool, while a banquet hall and dance pavilion are located nearby. All the buildings are lighted by electricity.”

The resort opened June 17, with several Grass Valley and Nevada City residents on hand for the dedication. Admission to the grounds was a dime, which included access to the swimming hole with two diving boards, and attendees paid fifty cents a plate for barbecued beef from Kneebone’s ranch. To help keep people at his new resort following an afternoon or evening swimming, Kneebone hired a small band to play until after midnight at the dance pavilion, with food and beverages available.

He called it the Bridgeport Swimming Resort, but in time it became informally known as the Kneebone Pleasure Resort — run with the help of his wife, Lucy, who Al married in 1918. There were dances at the pavilion beginning at 9:00 p.m. and ending at midnight, sometimes later, and the resort became a popular locale for Grass Valley and Nevada City groups to hold gatherings. The Grass Valley Order of DeMolay, for instance, held annual summer

dances at the resort, (chaperoned by Masons and Eastern Star members), with swimming and picnics for the young men and their dates, followed by a moonlit dance at the pavilion. Also, fraternal and service organizations, as well as schools, often booked the resort for special events, and the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Women’s Civic Improvement Club (among many others) hosted their respective members and spouses on several occasions during the resort’s operation.

The Bridgeport Swimming Resort was an instant success, but a storm in March 1928 caused considerable damage and required costly reconstruction of the dance pavilion and bath houses. Undaunted, Al Kneebone rebuilt everything that had been washed away that winter and reopened June 3 with a dance featuring what was described as a “two-piece orchestra,” along with a special camp stew available at the customary fifty cents a plate.

“Last summer,” reported the May 31, 1928 Daily Union, “Bridgeport was one of the most popular spots of the county, and hundreds visited it each week.” The newspaper advised readers that Kneebone had repaired the winter damage, “with the result that Bridgeport this year is bigger and better than ever.”

Then, in the spring of 1929, Al Kneebone announced that the road leading to his resort from the Grass ValleyMarysville highway had been improved by a county work crew — scraped and leveled — and he had expanded the parking area to accommodate the growing crowds.

Al and Lucy also operated a gas station and general store at Bridgeport and rented a few small cabins for those wanting to stay overnight. On one June weekend alone in 1929, more than 1,500 people found their way to the resort, “mainly local residents,” reported the Morning Union.

The resort would close once winter approached and reopen early the next summer when the water was clear and suitable for swimming. And when it reopened for the 1930 season, Kneebone had public restrooms near the pavilion and electric lights over the swimming area. “This move will be appreciated by local business people

who arrive at the resort in the evening after a busy day of commercial activities,” the Morning Union reported.

The resort was a success by any measure, but in 1931 Kneebone felt compelled to file a lawsuit charging the Omega Hill Mining Company with dumping tailings in the South Yuba River a few miles upstream from the resort, impacting the popular swimming hole and sandy beach — a situation he had been dealing with since the resort’s opening in 1927.

Omega owners responded that they were operating a lawful hydraulic gold mine with a required debris dam to hold back muddy tailings, and Kneebone’s operation “is neither a riparian right nor a beneficial use, reasonable use or reasonable method of the use of water in the interest of the people of the State of California.”

Kneebone claimed the muddy, roiling water discharged

by the mining operation upriver cost him $2,5000 in expected profit for 1930, and also asked for another $20,000 for “the value of the resort rendered valueless by the asserted continued pollution of the stream.” In addition, Kneebone asked that the mining company be required to increase the height of its debris dam in order to prevent continued overflow of muddy sediment into the South Yuba River.

The trial was heard in federal court in Sacramento in October 1932, with the court ruling in Kneebone’s favor and ordering the mine to increase the height of its debris dam. The cash award to Kneebone, however, was only $2,000.

Two years later, Al and Lucy Kneebone closed the resort and ceased maintaining the swimming hole or diving boards, and in 1944 sold the gas station and general store. In 1945, Al (then 52) was killed in an automobile accident not far from Bridgeport. Lucy was 71 when she died in Nevada City in 1963, and both are buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Grass Valley.

The land that comprised the Kneebone/Bridgeport Pleasure Resort from 1927-1934 is now part of South Yuba River State Park, including an area a few yards upriver from the historic covered bridge known today as Kneebone Beach.

For more information about Bridgeport and the Kneebone resort, visit 17660 Pleasant Valley Rd., Penn Valley, CA 95946 southyubariverstatepark.org

(530) 432-2546

Lake Wildwood - A Community Dedicated to Serving Western Nevada County

Nestled in the foothills of Western Nevada County just north of the town of Penn Valley lies the beautiful community of Lake Wildwood, an idyllic setting with nature woven into every aspect of life. With its beautiful lake, pristine 18-hole golf course, elegant clubhouse, and acres of forests and open spaces it is both resplendent and relaxing.

Lake Wildwood is a community which relies on its board of directors, staff, and volunteer committees to provide governance, recreation, and hospitality services to its 2,845 member homes and over 5,000 residents. However, beyond its borders resident members provide the backbone and brawn that moves many community and civic organizations. What sets Lake Wildwood apart is that this volunteer spirit comes directly from its residents. There is no formal program recruiting members to serve and no requirement to serve. Yet, year after year residents give thousands of hours of their own time for the benefit of the greater community. From representation on local Chambers of Commerce, to chairs on nonprofit boards, Lake Wildwood residents have led many of Nevada County’s major charitable groups and it has been home to many Greater Community leaders. Lake Wildwood volunteers are leaders in the fight to end homelessness in Nevada County, feed our less fortunate neighbors, and end hunger. By participating in local programs that feed the underserved, Lake Wildwood residents touch the lives of hundreds of Nevada County’s residents daily. Our dedicated residents serve the greater community by cleaning up trash and recyclable materials along Highway 20—the main thoroughfare between Penn Valley and Grass Valley—the proceeds of which are donated to the local food bank. The community comes out in force for blood drives that are regularly held to help supply local blood banks. In this diverse area there are many opportunities to be active in local churches, synagogues, and other faith and spirituality-based organizations, and many residents not only participate, but choose to lead those groups.

Lake Wildwood and it’s residents personally support charitable events, and several are hosted in Lake Wildwood annually, raising tens of thousands of dollars for local education, support of our local veterans, and care for those in need.

With the serene beauty of Lake Wildwood, it is the perfect locale for any special event. This private gated community offers the opportunity for the greater community to hold golf tournaments, weddings, and business, private, charity, or special events—with several venues to choose from with spectacular views of the award-winning Oaks Golf Course or scenic Lake Wildwood. The team at The Oaks Clubhouse works with clients to design the perfect menu for their special day. The beautiful Cedar Room in The Oaks Clubhouse offers lush Golf Course views and seating for up to 160; the inviting Pine Room is the perfect place for a mid-sized function with a fireplace and views of the 10th and 18th Holes on the Golf Course; the Terrace on the Green, nestled between the Pine Room and 19th Hole Bar overlooking the Putting Green, offers al fresco dining with fire pits, comfortable seating, and a sweeping view of the Golf Course. It showcases the handcrafted woodwork in the Clubhouse and is a beautiful location for a wedding ceremony. Additionally, the Lake Room at the Community Center looks out over the Marina and Lake, and offers seating for up to 100. Commodore Park Pavilion offers outside covered seating with a view of the beauty of Commodore Park and Lake Wildwood. Jacob’s Place (point) a ceremony site with a stunning view of the Lake, is also located within Commodore Park. With all these options Lake Wildwood is the perfect place to host and enjoy an event to be remembered. We welcome you to visit our community to discuss your special event or to meet some of our volunteers. Contact us at info@lwwa.org or visit www.lwwa.org

LWA Volunteers 2022

THE INDOMITABLE BRIDGEPORT COVERED BRIDGE

By Steve Cottrell, Nevada County Historian

It has withstood floods, fires, and threats of demolition. Still, the 161-year-old Bridgeport covered bridge in Nevada County remains standing — a California Registered Historic Landmark, National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It spans the South Yuba River west of Grass Valley and is recognized as the longest single-span wooden covered bridge in the United States, including abutments; it is 233 feet in length with a 208-foot open span.

The first South Yuba crossing at Bridgeport in 1851 was a jerry-rigged ferry secured from each bank by cables and ropes. Then came a narrow wooden bridge, vulnerable to high water during the winter. But in 1862, David Wood headed a partnership that built a covered bridge, elevated from the river and blanketed with more than 25,000 sugar pine shingles designed to protect the wooden deck and trusses from dry rot.

The Bridgeport covered bridge was key to a 14-mile toll road Wood, and his partners maintained that began at Anthony House, (a stagecoach stop and hotel five miles south of the bridge, now covered by Lake Wildwood). Their toll road ended at North San Juan, connecting with a road to Henness Pass, where it crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Prior to completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, general freight and mining equipment shipped

from San Francisco and Sacramento destined for the silver mines in and around Virginia City (in what would become the State of Nevada in 1864) went by steamer to Marysville, thirty miles west of Anthony House, and from there to Bridgeport. A sturdy bridge at Wood’s Crossing ensured that the toll road would be a success, creating the most direct route from Marysville to Virginia City — a distance of more than 150 miles, much of it rugged mountainous terrain.

Tolls collected at the covered bridge soon paid for its $10,000 construction. (More than $300,000 in relative worth today). Tolls were not based on weight, but on who or what needed to make the crossing. Someone on foot paid a quarter; a person on horseback fifty cents; a onehorse buggy a dollar, etc. The lowest toll was a nickel for one hog or sheep, and the highest was six dollars for a wagon with a team of eight or more horses or oxen — a toll equal to half an ounce of gold. In its heyday, dozens of freight wagons crossed the bridge daily.

It continued as a toll bridge until 1901, when it was absorbed into the county road system. At that point, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors considered demolishing the 1862 structure and building a steel bridge at that spot. As reported in the June 19, 1901 Grass Valley Morning Union, the bridge still had a lot of daily traffic, but it was mainly area residents going and coming from North San Juan; freight haulers to Nevada no longer used

the route. “True, the present bridge has always been kept in fair repair,” the newspaper noted, “but long usage has so weakened it that travelers are skeptical as to its safety.”

An engineering report presented to supervisors in July 1901 reinforced the newspaper’s cautionary words: “The bridge is in a very precarious condition and unsafe for travel,” the county engineer explained. “In short, the entire structure is of wood and rotten to the core and liable to collapse from the least exertion.” He urged demolition and a new steel bridge built in its place, but the board opted for repairs.

In 1935, as the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was building a bridge near Dobbins, two miles above Bridgeport, their heavy equipment often used the Wood’s Crossing bridge, and that led to yet

another discussion about a steel bridge at that spot. As in 1901, however, county supervisors favored repairs over replacement. And in the 1960s, when demolition was once again considered, the Nevada County Historical Society stepped in and lobbied for its protection.

Finally, in 1971, the bridge was declared unsafe and closed to heavy vehicle traffic. And in 1973, while a new bridge was being built a few hundred yards upstream, the historic 1862 crossing was given a $95,000 facelift –– sufficient to allow pedestrian traffic, but not vehicles. Then, in 1986, the bridge became state property and today is the centerpiece of South Yuba River State Park.

If you are interested in visiting Bridgeport and walking through the country’s longest single-span wooden covered bridge, visit southyubariverstatepark.org for directions and more information.

On the reopening of the Bridgeport Bridge

By Kirsten Casey, Nevada County Poet Laureate 2021

I was engineered for suspension. My trusses’ angles distribute tension and compression, and my arch keeps me stable. I am always pushing in on myself, this is how I manage stress. I do not mind my immobility, there is nothing but noise and movement surrounding this stationary shake roof; everything I have undergone is far from simply structural. I have a history. I was once part of a toll road, travelled daily by miners, with overloaded mules in tow, and then their wagons rolled through, on squeaking steel and hickory wheels that carved grooves into my floorboards, with their heavy cargo of kettles and canvas, bedrolls and pickaxes, lumber and dynamite, pulled by horses and oxen. Return journeys often included a different weight, bags of gold: nuggets and dust, and silver from the Comstock Lode. Then motor cars billowed black exhaust that hung below my ceiling, trapped soot impersonating storm clouds, and their revving engines always startled the barn sparrows. Decades, sun, and high water weakened my supports and darkened my Sugar Pine shingles, so that only pedestrians crossed: hikers, birdwatchers, fishermen, families with packs they would unfasten, sitting to share hunks of cornbread, peach slices, squares of cheese. Children ran across me, with bright towels over their shoulders, eager to wade, and then jump from warm granite boulders, into the Yuba’s August pools.

I am watchman, covered path, birdhouse, enduring sanctuary. I think some of the gray pines believe I am one of them, just another wide broken trunk, fallen across the river. I have become a part of this habitat, content in this stillness, and all of the months of silent in betweens. The mergansers still flock to my shade, the bats nest in my eaves, the snowshoe hare and mule deer and bobcats and wolves know that I am a part of the trail, no different than the dirt routes they follow through the manzanitas. It is never lonely here. What is left for me, is what was I built for; the source of my joy has always been the crossing, holding up every living thing longing for the other side. This is what it means to be restored: to stand in neglect and then be recognized as worthy of saving. I am still willing to bear the pressure, again endure the extremes of our seasons; fire could consume me, insects might chew my timber to dust, and I know the Yuba may rise again and wash my boards away, like oak branches down the river. Eventually everything rots and falls, goes back to the water, to be polished like stones. So today, I am asking, let me feel the weight of footsteps, test my strength, please let me carry you again.

Nevada City — Something New for Everyone

By Stuart Baker, Executive Director, Nevada City Chamber of Commerce

The changes wrought by the pandemic have been numerous. Nevada City has been fortunate to say that things have only gotten better. There is new energy with transplants from other regions and supported by a new slate of civic leaders.

One of the most pleasant improvements is right in the heart of the downtown: The Communal Café at Broad and Pine Streets. Three co-owners have reimagined this space to become a central meeting point for civic events. The menu is vibrant, sourcing from as many local farmers as possible. They also feature homemade doughnuts and pastries.

The Communal Cafe owners mastered their trade by being part of an epicurean incubator called Mosh Posh, which also started during the pandemic. Mosh Posh, located on York Street, offers a space for food entrepreneurs to learn and establish themselves. Another new food venue,

Delish Bish, started in Mosh Posh and recently expanded, opening its own location on Broad Street.

Two business owners combined forces in the Seven Hills District to create a single destination. The Sunroom offers a unique combination of massage therapy with artisan goods, houseplants, and jewelry. Levity offers a healing center and retreat room for improving vitality with natural therapeutics.

There have been several perennial favorites that have been reimagined. The Fur Traders have been around for almost 50 years. The original owners retired and sold the business to someone who grew up locally, moved away for decades, and then returned. The space has been transformed into a space that is fresh and sophisticated and offers similar items at reasonable prices. The Place on Pine Street is a new version of the perennial breakfast favorite, The South Pine Café. The Outer Realm is a new incarnation of the Foxhound.

Several years before the pandemic, we lamented the loss of our preeminent art gallery. The space was closed for many years but has since reemerged as Uba Seo, the art gallery and cultural center for the local Nisenan Rancheria, the indigenous native Americans who were here for centuries prior to the Gold Rush. Another exciting new addition to the art scene is Brittany Davis Gallery, located two blocks up on the opposite side of Broad Street.

The most stunning space transformation is undoubtedly the National Exchange Hotel, which, after an extensive makeover, opened last year to rave reviews for its accurate renovation and for Lola, its new dining room. When exploring the hotel, don’t miss the bar, which has an impressive collection of martini shakers. If you look closely at the front of the bar, you’ll see that the antique steam heaters recovered from the rooms found a new purpose as part of the design.

No trip to Nevada City is complete without a visit to its environs. The natural beauty that surrounds our town is one reason why Nevada City has been listed among “The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2021” by Smithsonian magazine. This accolade adds to past honors, including Sunset magazine’s “Best Places to Live 2017;” and “The 50 Most Amazing Small Towns 2015” from Outside magazine.

And don’t forget our nationally renowned Victorian Christmas, which Conde Nast named one of the “Most Festive Holiday Markets 2020.” Suppose your opportunity to visit falls in other times of the year. In that case, there are art walks, farmers’ markets, summer festivals, museums, magnificent parks, film festivals, and outdoor dining opportunities to entice you. We are embracing the best of old and new as Nevada City continues its journey as an amazing town, and we welcome your visit.

125 Main Street, Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 265-2692

www.nevadacitychamber.com

Ananda-Crystal Hermitage Gardens, Nevada City

Champions of the Chamber Partners of the Chamber

CHAMPIONS, PARTNERS, and FRIENDS of the CHAMBER are community members who have chosen to support the CHAMBER through their investment and participation.

Left to Right:

Ed & Wanda Mertens, Mertens Insurance Agency

Lynette Lee, Eskaton

KathE Frazer, Gold Miners Inn

Melissa Collins, River Valley Community Bank

Yvonne Harlabakis, Eskaton

Schan Delle Nettles, Stanford Mortgage

Mike Bratton, State Farm, Partner

Robin Galvan-Davies, Sierra Nevada Destination Services

Natasha Georges, Atria Senior Living, Partner

Cale Hoddy, Nevada County Gold, Champion

Bob & Julie Medlyn, Beam “Easy Living” Center, Partner

Jeanine Callinan, Bank of the West

Jamie Puentes, Atria Senior Living, Partner

Mary Gill, Nevada County Habitat for Humanity Restore

Lorraine Larson, Nevada County Habitat for Humanity Restore

Friends who missed the party:

Joe & Edwina Grande, Grande Wood Designs

Kristie Lane, Brunswick Senior Living

Eliza Tudor, Nevada County Arts Council

Michael & Azriel LaMarca, Sierra Theaters

Jerry & Donna Cirino, Cirino’s at Main Street

Kathy Papola, Network Real Estate

Shavati Pearl, Waste Management, Champion

Jeff Waters, Crystal Ridge Care Center

Shannon Buehler, Stanford Mortgage

Connecting East to West

By Bear Yuba Land Trust

Trout Creek Canyon, Donner Lake Rim, Hole-in-theGround, Spaulding Lake, and Pioneer Trails are some of the high elevation trails destined to be connected by a new 80-mile trail linking Truckee to Nevada City called the Pines to Mines Trail.

This trail will encompass the county’s best: Jawdropping views of sweeping valleys and the Sierra Crest, mature mixed conifer forests, historic towns, and high-quality recreation.

Now in the design phase, this legacy trail will offer both single and multi-day excursions by creating a series of smaller loops and point-to-point routes. With its longdistance, varied terrain, unique habitats, and majestic views, the trail has the potential to become a regional and national draw.

Already considered destination hubs, the communities of Truckee in the East and sister cities Nevada City and Grass Valley in the West were recently named among 14 California Cultural Districts in a new state program dedicated to showcasing cultural diversity and unique artistic identities. The towns are known for quality lodging, boutiques, restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, breweries, wineries, and thriving arts and music culture.

Improving the quality of non-motorized trails that connect the sister cities with Truckee will further draw outdoor recreationists to the region while connecting the east and west sides of the county that historically seemed worlds apart.

“I see the new trail as a creation that will allow nonmotorized access into an iconic, stunningly beautiful backcountry where there is currently only poor quality access — horribly eroded Jeep roads, dusty forest roads, and bushwhacking rough country,” said Jane Ragan of Bicyclists of Nevada County. “We’re imagining riding and walking on a beautiful winding trail alongside Old Man Mountain, crystalline lakes, and the wonderful world of big trees and granite.”

TAPPING INTO NATURE

Many people drive through Western Nevada County to travel to Downieville in Sierra County or Lake Tahoe.

Regional trail advocates say it’s time to start tapping into and capturing some of that traffic by giving outdoors people a reason to stay and play in Nevada County. Nevada City and Truckee are positioned adjacent to hundreds of acres of public forest and prime recreation lands. Close to major transportation corridors — Interstate 80 and the Reno and Sacramento airports — Nevada County is easily accessible anywhere.

“Easy access to good trails enhances our quality of life, and well-designed, interesting routes can spur economic activity by attracting visitors, as places like Moab, Utah, and even Sierra County next door have learned to their benefit,” said District 5 County Supervisor Richard Anderson, who spearheaded the Pines to Mines Trail Alliance in 2015 and subsequent series of stakeholder meetings.

Currently, the alliance is made up of Bear Yuba Land Trust, Bicyclists of Nevada County, Gold Country Trails Council, and Truckee Trails Foundation. A capable and committed constituency has formed around the project to seek and administer funding, create a sustainable trail alignment on the ground, provide trail building expertise, exercise land management, and perform ongoing trail maintenance and support going forward.

The group envisions a non-motorized multi-use earthen trail crossing Nevada County’s most beautiful landscapes, providing a rugged backcountry experience for hikers, runners, mountain bicyclists, and equestrian riders. When completed, the 80-mile trail will utilize existing trail segments and approximately 14 miles of newly constructed trail.

“Think of the majestic views of the Sierra Crest from the Donner Lake Rim Trail, Castle Peak from Andesite, Old Man Mountain and the realm of granite in the Fordyce Creek and South Yuba River drainages, Bear Valley from the Pioneer Trail lookout, immense trees along the Pioneer Trail, a National Scenic Trail, bookended by town breweries and restaurants,” said Jane Ragan.

The 80-mile trail will utilize existing trail segments and approximately 14 miles of newly constructed trail when all is said and done.

Yuba Dragon the

an Exhilarating Ride, a Sense of Freedom and Some Sweet Sweepers!

By Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce

Route 49, California’s Golden Chain Highway, originating in Mariposa and concluding in Vinton, is acclaimed for the mining camps and historic sites dotted along its length.

But the scenic drive in our part of the world along Highway 49 between Nevada City and Downieville is known for providing a world of riding pleasure, and much of its stretch parallels the Yuba River.

While this portion of Highway 49 is not as highly curvaceous or concentrated as the infamous Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, Tennessee, motorcycle ride it is in our estimation, a contender; albeit undocumented.

According to MotorcycleRoads.com, “This road (Tail of the Dragon) has become an iconic fixture among motorcycle riders in America and for many riders in the world as a catchphrase has enshrined it for decades that describes very simply, and succinctly why so many riders have come to love the Tail of the Dragon. That catchphrase is “318 Curves in 11-Miles”… that’s all that needs to be said for many motorcycle riders!!! And it is that little moniker that has helped this ride capture riders’ attention and draws them to the relatively short stretch of road in Southeastern Tennessee for decades and giving the 11-mile motorcycle ride essentially a cultlike following.”

“The World-Famous Dragon Motorcycle Ride boasts 318 curves in its concentrated 11 miles, … now has other Dragon pieces being revealed around the country.

The Tail of the Dragon is rated the penultimate ride, recommended for only the most advanced riders. But the romance of the Dragon’s reputation has prompted many spinoffs, including Claw of the Dragon, Head of the

Dragon, Fat Daddy’s “little Tennessee dragon,” Skyway to the Dragon, The Arkansas Dragon, and so on.

So, how does Highway 49 compare? We think it’s a contender, and the stretch of Highway 49 between Nevada City and Downieville might be worthy of adopting the name The Yuba Dragon in recognition of its relationship with the Yuba River. The highway traverses along the Yuba much of its journey; the twists and turns of the river determine the road’s path as it climbs higher into the Sierra Nevadas. Magnificent scenery, wellmaintained roadways, and on a sunny day, it provides one heck of a great open-air ride.

In terms of Highway 49 rating the “Yuba Dragon” moniker, it appears more challenging than many minions spun off of the original Dragon, so who better to ask than the riding enthusiasts in Western Nevada County that seek out the Highway 49 biking adventure?

By Sachi Borman

Vroooooooooooommmmmm! That’s a Harley! You can tell it’s a Harley because those are aftermarket pipes. When you get to a Harley showroom and hear it start, it doesn’t have that sound at all, it’s quieter.

How did I know that? From my favorite job: For years, I had worked for a technology company but later got a job at a BMW Motorcycle shop, selling parts, accessories, and was the liaison between the DMV and a new bike owner processing all the paperwork and was also the bookkeeper.

Here’s a fun story about working at that shop, and one that I love telling because the motorcycle culture is such a man’s world.

One day a gentleman came in and asked, “Are you the only person here?” And I said, “Yep.” “Well, he said, I need a part.” “OK,” I said, “You can talk to me today, or come back tomorrow when the boys are here.” “Well, I need the part…” and we went from there. I went to the back, consulted the part catalogs, and found his part. He would come back, I’d listen to his description of what was happening with his bike, and immediately go get the part he needed. After that, when he came in and the boys asked if he needed help, he’d say, “No, where’s Sachi?” I just loved that switch!

Working at that shop, and getting to know motorcycles, inspired me to buy my first bike, and throughout the years, I’ve owned five. But I need to fill you in on the backstory, as I find that kind of ironic that I bought a motorcycle given my very first biking experience.

Years before Tom and I married, I went on a date and fell off the back of a motorcycle when the fellow decided to pop a “wheelie” without warning me! Luckily, we had just started, so I didn’t get hurt, but got up and said, “OK, this relationship is over, and I’m not sure I’m going to get on a bike again!”

But as noted above, I did ride again!

To go back to the beginning; Tom and I met in the Bay Area, knew each other as friends for years, and got married in 1992. Tom was very into riding and got me involved in motorcycles. We belonged to a motorcycle club. At one point our group rode up to Quincy, and on the way back, a fellow in the group said, “Oh, we have to stop in Nevada City.” And Tom said, “Oh, that would be great!” We stayed at the National Hotel before it was renovated — which looking back was brave — and while we didn’t enjoy the hotel experience, we really liked the area.

In 2000 when we decided it was time to leave the Bay Area, both of us agreed that our first choice was to explore options in Nevada County. My childhood memories of visiting this area, and Tom’s love of Nevada County’s motorcycle-worthy roads drew us back in this direction.

We’re happily settled here, it’s our forever home. Both of us work doing what stirs our passion, and our love of riding

remains constant. We don’t belong to an organized motorcycle club, the Gold Country Harley Riders and the Lake Wildwood Motorcycle Club welcome riders.

Along with riding friends, we participate in motorcycle events, like the Nevada County Food and Toy Run. We love the heart and spirit of this event and supporting those in need in the community.

What’s our favorite Nevada County ride? Definitely up highway 49 towards Sierra City. We turn off and head for Graeagle then wind down Route 89 to Truckee and follow the sideroads along Interstate 80 to highway 20 down to Nevada City. It’s a glorious ride, we love the twists, and turns along the Yuba and long stretches of smooth-as-silk road and through a beautiful landscape. If you’re contemplating riding, I highly encourage you to do so. There are amazing adventures waiting to be experienced, so go, take some time and enjoy the freedom of the open road.

Toy Ride Runs Again

“The Nevada County Food and Toy Run will not continue,” said chief executive officer, and founder Thom Staser in 2021. That news shocked the community; having this beloved annual event cease to exist was unfathomable.

Eric Oliver, a longtime friend of Thom’s stepped in and became part of the new Nevada County Food and Toy Run team. “Eric made it pretty seamless, he pulled everything together, he’s really the one who picked up the baton, and brought many of us together to talk about it and make it happen,” said Shannon Buehler.”

“I didn’t really mean to, said Eric, “but I go way back with Tom. He was kind of a second father to me, and we always toyed with the idea of me taking over the Toy Run, but didn’t commit to it.” After an outreach from Eric, Thom suggested gathering his new dream team which included Shannon Buehler and her daughter Chelci, Tom Grayson, and Ed Peevey. They met, made a plan, and decided they were “doing it together!”

With four weeks to pull the event together, there was some discussion about the format but Eric and Chelci had been attending the Toy Run since they were kids and felt strongly that the motorcycle parade going through Grass Valley was something they and the community came to love. “I think that it would take the gusto out of the event if we were to end that part out,” Eric explained. “For us, watching the motorcycles in the Toy Run was always the beginning of Christmas,” said Shannon.

“Riders come from everywhere, said Eric, “there are toy runs all over the state, but the one that Thom built is one of the largest if not THE largest.” “I was super excited that Eric stepped up, it’s critical that you have someone heading this that’s part of the motorcycle associations up here, so they all feel connected, supported, and heard,” remarked Shannon.

With four weeks to organize this massive event, and with the support of municipal agencies, nonprofits, and the motorcycle community they were able to launch a streamlined event.

“You couldn’t ask for it to be better,” exclaimed Eric, “we had almost 1400 motorcycle show up on short notice. We were originally thinking of starting in 2022 but as different parts started falling in place we thought, “we can pull this off- let’s just do it this year! If we don’t do it this year, we’ll lose momentum and it will take years to get back the support.”

Success was theirs, and the next year was hailed as, “The Toy Run Rides Again!” perpetuating the heart and soul of this beloved event, delivering joy and happiness to Nevada County families in need.

Family Fun Abounds in Nevada County

We’re very often asked, “What is there for kids to do in and around Nevada County?” Our response is “Plenty!”

In and around Grass Valley and Nevada City, the 49er Family Fun Park is a great for all members of the family! Located on 4 acres, there’s unlimited fun: from go-karts, batting cages, and mini golf, and arcade games, there’s plenty of room to spread out and enjoy.

Municipal Parks abound in western Nevada County and both Pioneer Park in Nevada City and Memorial Park in Grass Valley have swimming pools and extensive playground areas for kids. Minnie Park sports two playgrounds, one for 2–5-year-olds and one for 5-12-yearolds and a Trike Track.

The adjacent Condon Park is replete with a BBQ Pavilion Area, basketball courts, ‘Dogs Run Free’ dog park, fishing pond, Little League Baseball Field, a playground (Ages 5-12), Skatepark, Squirrel Creek Disc Golf Course and beautiful trails.

In addition, the State Parks in Nevada County, each unique unto itself, offer unlimited family fun and exploration opportunities. South Yuba River State Park has the oldest longest covered bridge in America, Family Beach, great river sunbathing and swimming, and a multitude of trails to explore. Malakoff diggings offers camping along the river, tours of the North Bloomfield Ghost Town, swimming and fishing in Blair Lake, and Gold Panning! At Empire Mine State Park, while exploring the Mine Yard, you’ll find blacksmithing exhibitions, along with a Mine and Living History Cottage Tours.

There’s Tons of Fun to be found near Truckee: KidZone Museum, Tahoe Vista Treetop Adventure Park, and the nearby North Tahoe Adventures. The Truckee-Donner Recreation & Parks District has an amazing array of activities that include ice skating, swimming, boating, biking, golf, a sports park and art center.

Nevada County is rich with family fun opportunities, and we invite you to plunge into fun!

Malakoff Diggins

State Historic Park

Nevada City

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is nestled amongst the pine-studded chaparral forest of the Sierra Nevada Foothills and is home to California’s largest hydraulic gold mine. The 3,000-acre park encompasses the town of North Bloomfield and the historic Diggins site, which allows visitors to step back in time and experience the boom and bust of the California Gold Rush. Visitors can see huge cliffs carved by mighty jets of water, the results of the gold-mining technique of washing away entire mountains to find gold.

23579 N Bloomfield Rd, Nevada City, CA 95959

malakoffdigginsstatepark.org

Empire Mine State Historic Park

Grass Valley

Empire Mine State Historic Park is the site of one of the oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines in California. The park is in Grass Valley at 10791 East Empire Street. In operation for more than 100 years, the mine extracted 5.8 million ounces of gold before it closed in 1956. The park contains many of the mine’s buildings, the owner’s home, and restored gardens, as well as the entrance to 367 miles of abandoned and flooded mine shafts.

10791 E Empire St, Grass Valley, CA 95945

parks.ca.gov/?page_id=499

South Yuba State Park

Penn Valley

South Yuba River State Park offers many scenic vistas. Visitors can view swift-moving water carving the granitic canyon that is peppered with seasonal native blooms in springtime and experience refreshing swimming holes that dot the 20-mile length of the Yuba River in late summer. Along the length of the park, visitors can see several architecturally different bridges spanning from the Gold Rush era to the mid-20th century.

17660 Pleasant Valley Road, Penn Valley, CA 95946

southyubariverstatepark.org

NEVADA COUNTY

Courtesy of Sparknotes.com

“They were living in a time when expansion to the Pacific was regarded by many people as the Manifest Destiny of the United States.”

WHAT is Manifest Destiny?

Propounded during the second half of the 19th century, the concept of Manifest Destiny held that it was the divinely ordained right of the United States to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean and beyond. Before the American Civil War, the idea of Manifest Destiny was used to validate continental acquisitions in the Oregon Country, Texas, New Mexico, and California. Later it was used to justify the purchase of Alaska and annexation of Hawaii.

Although Manifest Destiny became a rallying cry as well as a rationale for the foreign policy that reached its culmination in 1845-46, the attitude behind Manifest Destiny had long been a part of the American experience.

The impatient English who colonized North America in the 1600s and 1700s immediately gazed westward and instantly considered ways to venture into the wilderness and tame it. The cause of that ceaseless wanderlust varied from region to region, but the behavior became a tradition within one generation.

The western horizon would always beckon, and Americans would always follow.

Settlers of the Far West faced a four-month journey across little-known territory in harsh conditions. They prepared for the rigors of travel in jump-off towns like St. Joseph

and Independence, Missouri, which prospered from the growth of the outfitting industry.

There, settlers purchased Conestoga wagons for the journey and stocked up on supplies like food, weapons, and ammunition. Due to fictional stories about the savage Indians that travelers would face along their way, travelers on the overland trails often overstocked guns and ammunition at the expense of other more necessary items.

Once they embarked, settlers faced numerous challenges: oxen dying of thirst, overloaded wagons, and dysentery, among others. Trails were poorly marked and hard to follow, and travelers often lost their way. Guidebooks attempted to advise travelers, but they were often unreliable.

Regardless of misdirection and hardships, thousands upon thousands of pioneers persevered and reached their destination. Many chose to follow the California Trail across the western half of the United States, with traversing the Sierra Nevadas being their last obstacle before entering California.

By Matthew Renda, Special to The Union

The history of transportation in western Nevada County is, as with any other aspect of the beginning stages of regional development by European settlements, inextricably linked with mining.

The reason for existence, the magnet that brought the adventurers coursing through the hills and the gold-rich valleys of the watershed, mining also sparked the advent of a sophisticated transportation network.

What began as a few hearty prospectors carrying their burdens on their backs, or the more well-capitalized versions with pack mules or other beasts of burdens bearing their equipment, slowly gave way to stagecoaches.

Entrepreneurs such as James Birch began to operate a stagecoach line that connected Nevada City and Grass Valley to Sacramento, with the coach towed by a team of steeds crossing the Bear River at Johnson’s Crossing and through Rose Bar, Rough and Ready and Grass Valley up into Nevada City.

As early as 1849, Wells, Fargo & Co. began delivering letters from the East to miners tucked in the foothills who were ravenously eager for news from their distant hometowns. The express lines would then convey letters bearing news of fortuitous strikes or hard luck toil back over the steep crest of the Sierra Nevada and across the trackless expanse of desert.

In 1850, the discovery of gold-bearing quartz veins in the earth beneath Grass Valley precipitated an explosion of hard-rock mining.

The enterprise, far different from the hands-and-pans self-sufficiency of most of the gold hunters in the region, required extraordinary manpower and large amounts of heavy equipment.

About two years before James Marshall discovered a nugget of gold in a tributary of the South Fork of the American River, Asa Whitney, a merchant from New York, began pushing the idea of creating a transcontinental railroad.

With a clear economic incentive to do so, namely the Gold Rush, the United States Congress introduced a bill in February 1849 attempting to raise capital for the creation of the Pacific Railroad.

In California, a consortium of businessmen from Sacramento, Nevada and Placer counties attempted to build a railroad that went through Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Auburn and over the crest at Henness Pass.

The plan was abandoned due to logistical difficulties, but once the federal government provided funds in 1853, Theodore Judah, an engineer from Connecticut who had built the first railroad in California in the Sacramento Valley, was hired to survey the mountains to determine whether a pass was possible.

Tunneling Into the Past

The now-abandoned tunnels were built for the transcontinental railroad on the route where the first wagon train entered California.

https://californiathroughmylens.com/donner-pass-summit-tunnel-hike/

Exploring Donner Summit Train Tunnels in Truckee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebFkm5sKxAo

The first passengers rode the rails here in 1868, and the last rode in 1996 when this section was ultimately abandoned. The tracks themselves have since been removed, but the four tunnels remain today, covered in graffiti.

Donner Summit

Courtesy of Obscura.com

It’s pretty certain that without Theodore Judah the first of the five principal transcontinental links would never have been completed before 1876-79. Nor would we have had a “Central Pacific Railroad” emanating from, and indigenous to, the west coast.

THEODORE JUDAH WAS A MAN with a dream, and his was to build a railroad through the Central Pacific, routed via the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the mid-19th century, the civil engineer surveyed a large stretch of the route to be used and found funds to make the transcontinental railroad a reality.

A series of now-abandoned tunnels were completed in August 1867, and the first train passed through it in 1868. Unfortunately, Judah did not live to see this happen; he died in 1863 during an eastbound voyage in connection with his dream project.

The tunnels at Donner Pass were constructed by Chinese laborers and took more than 15 months of hard work to finish. A dozen tunnels were some of the most treacherous parts of the transcontinental railroad, linking the rail networks of Omaha, Nebraska, to the West Coast at Oakland. They were constructed through the use of hand drilling, black powder, and nitroglycerin (leading to an untold number of worker deaths).

The tunnels were used by trains for 125 years, until 1993 when the line was rerouted through a new tunnel running

through Mount Judah, named after the railroad pioneer.

The Donner Pass and the tunnels are named after the Donner Party, a group of explorers enroute to California who became stranded in the Sierra Nevada region due to heavy snow and resorted to cannibalism to survive.

The tunnel and snow shed now sit abandoned and, despite being on private property, are a popular place for curious hikers and snowshoers. Tunnel #6, which took tens of thousands of hours to complete, is the most famous of the tunnels. Tunnels #7 and #8, along with the China Wall, which was built to hold up the trains as they transitioned between two tunnels, are the other parts of the system that are commonly visited. A walk through the dark tunnels, with light pouring in only at points where the wall has openings, can be an eerie experience. Ancient petroglyphs can also be found nearby and are marked with a plaque.

This is a popular place to explore but Union Pacific Railroad still owns the property. Although they have been fairly hands-off about enforcement, “no trespassing” signs are said to be up in certain parts of the tunnel.

Explorers should be aware that they may be asked to leave or may be ticketed. If you do explore, please be respectful of the tunnels and their history. Snow sheds and tunnels start near the Donner Ski Ranch. The longer tunnels start at the China Wall, just east of the Donner Summit Bridge.

A rtistic

Conversations My Perspective on Expressions That Span Millennia

By Roseanne Palmer, Native American of Navajo Ancestry

“Donner Summit Petroglyphs of Martis Culture which occupied in summers from about 2,000 B.C. to 500 A.D. Petroglyphs are found in many places and all are of the same style with repeated designs. No one knows their significance. Perhaps they had religious or mystical meaning. Perhaps they were hopes for the future or perhaps they were records of the past. Whatever the case they must have had great significance because granite, onto which they are carved, is one of hardest rocks on the planet and the petroglyphs must have taken a lot of time and energy to create.”

Donner Summit Historical Society

For years, I’ve been going up to Truckee to explore the tunnels. I have always loved seeing and feeling the connections between the train tunnels and the amazing petroglyphs on the massive granite surfaces just below.

When I think about the tunnels and the beautiful art, one might say, “It’s graffiti.” As you walk through the tunnels, you see messages; you see art; you see expressions of a

passing thought. You undoubtedly see items spray-painted on these tunnel walls that you may find offensive. So why would someone paint something on a wall that makes no sense?

The truth is, it makes sense to the artist.

I always giggle when I go inside the tunnels and then exit only to enter another, and right below me is an expression of art or message from my ancestors left thousands of years ago.

Thinking about my native ancestors, I wonder what their reasoning was in creating this vast display of symbols. No one knows why these petroglyphs are there. There’s speculation that they may be religious rituals or notes to family members or other tribes passing by.

The truth is, no one knows for sure.

On a recent visit, I looked at the tunnel walls just a few hundred feet away from the petroglyphs and thought, “these are identical art and expressions.” So, in modern-day terms, could the petroglyphs be called “native” graffiti?

Challenging my own thinking and imagination, I wondered, “could this be a similar expression?” Could it be a right of passage to go and spray paint on a tunnel wall or chisel a message on granite for the passerby to see? The only difference is; one message is present day, and one was put there hundreds of years ago.

Society today doesn’t like graffiti. I don’t justify graffiti; it defaces property. What an artist might seem to think is an appropriate place to put a message, or artistic expression is really an inappropriate canvas. But, as I said, my ancestors put petroglyphs on these beautiful granite stones. I wonder, “were they teenagers, or were they adults rebelliously carving a message to leave behind?” Would these images have been considered rude and inappropriate by an adult chief or elder???

I don’t know the answer to this; I’m not an archaeologist, art historian, or given to studying cultural geographics. But regardless of the intent of the expressions, I love meandering through the tunnels and exploring the petroglyphs below, letting my imagination and thoughts meander creatively through both cultural landscapes in which these two forms of expression reside nearby: wall painting and stone carvings.

In my option, they reflect the same spirit of art and a personal message.

If you haven’t explored the Truckee Train Tunnels and viewed the Donner Pass Petroglyphs, Sacred Symbols from Ancient Times, I encourage you to do so, and perhaps, in conclusion, your perspective will mirror mine.

By Steve Cottrell, Nevada County Historian

The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was built from the Central Pacific Railroad depot in Colfax to Grass Valley and Nevada City. Traveling the roads by horseback or stagecoach could take the better part of a day and importing the heavy timber and mining equipment for the local mines was hard enough when the weather was good, but the dirt roads were near impassable in the winter. Construction was begun on February 11, 1875, and the last spike was driven on May 20, 1876.

The route of the 1869 transcontinental railroad included several miles of track along the southern portion of Nevada County, but a route that would have gone through Grass Valley and Nevada City, crossing the Sierra Nevada range at Henness Pass, had been considered earlier.

Theodore Judah, a civil engineer, and early proponent of a railroad to link the Atlantic and Pacific, came to Nevada County in the summer of 1860 at the request of his friend Charles Marsh, also an engineer, and the two men trekked to Henness Pass to evaluate a possible route over the mountains and into what was then the Utah Territory.

Although it was not as high as Donner Pass, imposing ridges and grades convinced Judah that Henness Pass route was inferior to the route that took the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento by way of Dutch Flat and Donner Pass to the Truckee River.

As a result, the route of the transcontinental railroad bypassed Grass Valley and Nevada City. Instead,

it worked its way up the western slope of the Sierra Nevada through present-day Colfax, crossed the Sierra Nevada and dropped down from Donner Pass in the east to a small settlement that initially served as an advance camp for railroad crews then grew to become the town of Truckee.

The “iron road” was only twenty or so miles from Grass Valley and Nevada City, and the key to connecting our two towns with the Central Pacific Railroad was to construct a line to Colfax in adjoining Placer County. Those discussions began in earnest in 1873.

Since it would be a meandering, twisting line of about twenty miles, a narrow-gauge track with smaller rail width was needed. Narrow gauge trains handled tight turns better than a standard gauge railroad, like the Central Pacific, and, with less steel, the rails were cheaper to manufacture and ship from St. Louis.

For financial speculators, however, cost vs. income for such a line didn’t seem promising. But local leaders — primarily bankers and mine owners — were convinced that freight rates and passenger fares would reward bondholders with a favorable return, so

they began soliciting investors. The nascent railroad company’s board of directors initially estimated that a line from Nevada City/Grass Valley to Colfax would cost about $300,000 (more than $900 million in current relative project worth). Being cautious, directors announced that they would not break ground until at least $250,000 had been pledged.

Although they failed by about $30,000 to reach the desired $250,000 threshold, the board of directors believed more money would be invested once construction was underway. And on August 12, 1874, the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad project went out to bid.

In November, when bids were due to be opened, there was only one proposal to consider, and it was for $500,000 — half to be paid in gold, the other half in bonds of the company. It wasn’t exactly what railroad directors were hoping for, but it was time to build the line to Colfax.

Construction began in early 1875, and the following January the first engine and cars from Colfax arrived in Grass Valley. It was a construction train, absent

passengers, but the link had been made and all that remained was to lay a five-mile track to Nevada City.

The Grass Valley Union suggested that a party be held a few days following the Last Spike ceremony, and that it should double as a reunion of former county residents who, following the gold rush, had scattered to the four winds. Shortly after the newspaper offered the suggestion, a group calling itself the Old Settlers Committee organized and set May 26 as the date for a reunion picnic.

First, however, came the NCNGRR Last Spike ceremony on May 20 — a day described by the Nevada City Transcript as snowy and bitterly cold, but with gaiety that included “the firing of guns, ringing of bells, salutes from military, brass band music, blowing whistles, and the shouts of a thousand or more people.”

Then, once the ceremonial Last Spike had been driven, Judge Niles Searls stood on the cowcatcher

of the engine that had just pulled in from Grass Valley and told the shivering crowd, “Our railroad is an accomplished fact. The last rail is laid in your presence. The connection is made that unites Nevada (City), the queen city of the mineral land, with her sisters of the civilized world.”

Judge Searls, who in 1887 became Chief Justice of the California State Supreme Court, said the new rail line would help advance the economic and cultural interests of the county, and promised that “the ‘old settlers’ who are soon to visit us will again see and feel and realize the same chivalric love of locality which animated us in the olden times, when they were among us and of us.”

Six days later, an estimated 7,000 local citizens and visiting pioneers — more than 600 of whom had taken the narrow-gauge railroad from Colfax to either Grass Valley or Nevada City — cheered the presence of an engine steaming on the edge of the

picnic grounds, its whistle blown at intervals for the crowd’s enjoyment.

In 1877, John Kidder, who engineered the NCNGRR construction, became the company’s general superintendent and, in 1884, its president. Prior to his death in April 1901, Kidder signed over to his wife Sarah more than 1,800 shares of company stock, which made her the majority stockholder. A month later, she was elected president of the Nevada County

Narrow Gauge Railroad, securing all but 157 voting shares out of more than 2,500 shares cast. Sarah Kidder, who became the first woman in the United States to hold such a position, later retired to San Francisco, where she lived until her death in 1933.

The line operated until 1942, but its legacy lives on at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, #5 Kidder Court in Nevada City — a free museum, suitable for kids and adults alike.

Directions and more information can be found at ncngrrmuseum.org

Intrepid pioneers, relentless lawmen, and crookedbut-captivating outlaws. With a history rooted in the best of the Old West and access to some of the best recreation west (or east) of the Mississippi, Truckee, California, is the quintessential mountain town. The gold prospectors came during the mid1800s, and then the Central Pacific Railroad made its push into the area in the 1860s. With all that activity, the town instantly became a bustling lumber center. Truckee sure was dusty, gritty, sinful, and downright dangerous in its heyday.

Nowadays, Truckee has managed to become a major year-round tourist destination while simultaneously retaining the pioneering spirit that fueled it from the beginning.

The Wild Legends of Truckee excerpt courtesy of biglife magazine

Words by John Caldwell

By Cassie Hebel, Executive Director, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association

“Step into any of the stores, bars, and cafes along Truckee’s Donner Pass Road (also known as the main drag) and you’re likely to see a few black-and-white photos hanging on the walls. They’re images of Truckee’s days gone by, a history that locals still cherish, even as their town has grown from being a railway stop to becoming a destination that has graced the pages of magazines touting its connections to skiing, shopping, dining, and life itself.

In fact, the Wall Street Journal recently featured Truckee in an article about, “The Coolest, Under-the-Radar Ski Towns in the American West.” The Matador Network ratcheted up the praise when it named Truckee its “#1 Coolest Ski Town In North America” for 2018. Whether they welcome the plug or not, most locals would proudly nod their heads in agreement.

Truckee has grown up.” Scott

Mortimore, Truckee

Talk of the Town

In “normal” years doing business in Truckee means you are prepared for ups and downs. Big weather events, forest fires, and shoulder seasons in Spring and Fall are challenging for businesses to navigate. Yet, they do, and they do it well.

COVID-19 heightened our need for the private and public sectors to convene in order to provide the financial resources needed to ensure our business community would survive. And it did!

Chambers and Downtown Business Associations throughout Nevada County came together like no other time in our history, ensuring the voice of business was heard loud and clear. To best assist the needs of our business community, the Town of Truckee, Nevada County, Sierra Business Council, the Tahoe Community Foundation, Truckee Arts Alliance, Nevada County Arts Council, and private entities banded together to provide comprehensive resources and financial support.

A common question in business was will you be a “have or have not?” Will you survive?

Business models changed to meet the needs of COVID-19 restrictions. Brick-and-mortar-only businesses created an online presence that continues to support their bottom line today. Social Media became a staple for retail shops that historically did not need such avenues. Virtual Foot Traffic increased.

2022-Post COVID-19 crisis, yet still, the effect of the pandemic lingers as it has changed the soul of our community.

As the gateway to the Sierras, Truckee was perfectly poised to endure the effects of COVID-19 and make a quick recovery. From its inception, Truckee’s business community has provided service that supports industry: Railroad, Lumber, Ice Harvesting, and Tourism. A hardy stock of humans, our Truckee community, survives and grows.

“Historic Downtown Truckee is one of the only places in the world where you can find such beautiful scenery along with friendly people, incredible restaurants, and one-of-a-kind shops. This is a town that visitors keep coming back to and others end up moving to in order to experience Historic Downtown Truckee and this exceptional community.”

Truckee Chamber of Commerce

Lights, camera action!

COVID-19 allowed us to look at business in Truckee with a new lens, pivoting as needed. Closed, partially open, curbside, outside only, and OPEN! Store hours changed, staffing dwindled, and a need to become more efficient with time and money became mandatory. Small businesses run by local humans were required to take inventory of time, space, and the effects of living one’s best life.

Take it slow to assess what is most important, and ensure that the bottom line is our well-being, not just the dollar.

Some businesses scaled back while others expanded. For example, Cabona’s reduced their square footage to provide an open storefront for Bespoke and Atelier to condense their two locations into one. Cornerstone Bakery expanded its square footage by adding a sister business, Cornerstone Kitchen. Mountain Freak Boutique and Mountain Living Home Consignment each added a second location at Truckee’s Pioneer Center.

An influx of new businesses joined the Historic Downtown Truckee community: Fuddism restaurant, RMU Outdoors retail, restaurant, and bar, Drink Coffee Do Stuff coffee house, Tahoe Mountain Life retail, Wild & Ruff retail, Trout Creek Outfitters retail, Arbor Boardhouse retail, Grizzly Menswear retail, Adele’s Attic retail, Juniper Boutique retail, Alpenglow Gallery art, Piper J Art Gallery, Tahoe Mountain Realty, COMPASS Real Estate, and Liberty Bell Smart Home.

Creating its 2022 summer comeback, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association’s (TDMA) Truckee Thursdays Summer Street Fair increased the events’ footprint, vendor participation, and attendance, hosting over 70 thousand attendees.

TDMA’s and Truckee Rotary Club’s Downtown Holiday Festival & Bud Fish Tree Lighting Ceremony successfully celebrated the start of the 2022 Holiday season with over 4000 residents. An inspiring Holiday Lighting event that uplifts our spirits.

The Town of Truckee implemented the Truckee TART Connect during the summer of 2022, running through September 5, 2022. The TART Connect 3-month pilot program evaluated the community’s acceptance and utilization of TART Connect in a fiscally responsible manner and determined the long-term demand and viability of this type of on-demand transit service.

The Town of Truckee is exploring this type of unique transit service as an investment in critical infrastructure and community connectivity for our town as a long-term mobility solution.

The Pilot Program exceeded expectations, carrying just

under 20,000 passengers in the ten and a half weeks of service. TART Connect, as an addition to our currently offered fixed route and Dial-a-Ride services, increased ridership by over 230 percent! In addition, surveys showed that riders were pleased with the service, reporting a 4.9/5 average trip rating, with 90% of passengers picked up in 15 minutes or less.

Given the success of the summer pilot, the Town Council and partners at Visit Truckee-Tahoe, Tahoe Donner Association, Glenshire/Devonshire Residents Association, Tahoe Forest Hospital, and Truckee Tahoe Airport District all expressed their support to launch a winter pilot to start on December 15 through the winter months.

Visit Truckee-Tahoe introduced its Sustainable Tourism Campaign, ensuring our mountain trails and businesses are supported. Through the Shop Local with Sustainable Truckee Gift Card, visitors and residents alike may purchase Truckee Gift Cards redeemable at over 45 Truckee small businesses.

The foundation of our community is built on adapting to the ever-changing “new” normal. Historically, we’ve pivoted as needed to endure the many changes throughout time. And while the 2020 Pandemic tested our foundation…our community persevered!

BREWED IN NEVADA COUNTY

The thirst for small batch local beer is unquenchable across the country these days. The trend is red hot in the Tahoe Sierra, with a new microbrewery opening up seemingly on a regular basis. California is best known for world-class wine, but it also has a history of thirstquenching brew dating back to the gold rush.

In 1849, tens of thousands of wealth seekers invaded San Francisco to find their fortune. Men — and comparatively fewer women — from around the world were hoping to get rich quick, anyway they could.

Most headed into the primitive mining districts opening up in the Sierra foothills, while many others plied their trades in booming San Francisco.

The bustling energy, lack of women, and the general social freedom in behavior gave young men away from their wives or families a chance to party.

Saloons were everywhere, but getting a cold beer was tough at first because any perishable steam or lager beer shipped from the East Coast spoiled before arriving on the Pacific Coast.

Gold rush Argonauts were nothing if not resourceful, and it wasn’t long before Adam Schuppert built California’s first brewery in San Francisco.

It was quickly followed by others, but the quality of these first beers was marginal at best since the process was a quick brew, made in 72 hours. Taste was sacrificed for speed and quantity to meet demand.

During the 1850s, beer crafters began to take more time to create a better product. Nearly all the hops used to make beer came from the Sacramento and Napa valleys.

The demand for locally grown barley skyrocketed and by 1854 more than 83,000 bushels were being produced in Placer County alone. The grain was hauled to mills in Sacramento by mule team. By the 1870s, there were more than 155 breweries in California using 18 million pounds of barley, producing 120,000 barrels of beer and ale.

Nevada County’s love of beer dates back to 1850s

Excerpts Courtesy of Dave Brooksher, The Union Newspaper

Between 1856 and 1880, beer production in Nevada County increased from 44,000 gallons to 500,000 gallons per year — and by the end of that span there were a total of 41 saloons serving in Grass Valley and Nevada City.

According to Thompson and West’s History of Nevada County, this area had more than a dozen breweries during the Mother Lode era.

Grass Valley and Nevada City had four each, Truckee had three, and there were additional brew houses scattered throughout the mining camps in North San Juan, Moore’s Flat, Eureka South, Boca and Washington.

It would be unfair to write that all of Gold Country’s early miners were heavy drinkers. But if they had a problem, the extent of that problem was great enough to inspire a local prohibition movement. And the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had their work cut out for them.

Early front-runners include the Boca Brewery, which reportedly brewed more beer than all the others combined, and the Nevada Brewery — located in the building now known as The Stonehouse.

The Grass Valley Brewery first opened on North Auburn Street in 1856 but shut down during Prohibition. It reopened years later as the Washington Tavern — and that name can still be seen from East Main Street, painted on the red brick wall of the Washington Brewery Building.

According to historical archaeologists R. Scott Baxter and Kimberly J. Wooten, authors of Breweries of the Gold Country, “California’s Gold Country, known historically as the Mother Lode, is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was here that the famous goldfields of the Gold Rush were located. From 1849 onward, thousands of miners flooded into the area. These men brought with them a powerful thirst, which they sought to slake with their beverage of choice — beer.

Fast Forward to Present day: According to Jen Talley, award winning brewmaster and co-owner of 1849 Brewing Company, ”It wasn’t until 2014 that we hit the same number of breweries in America that were in existence prior to Prohibition, which is over 4000. It’s incredible that it’s taken this long, but we’re seeing another extraordinarily huge rise in craft beer right now.

Some think that we have a long way to go, and maybe we do. Hopefully, we do, but now you can go to the shelves and see lots of diverse styles represented, and you can see Small Breweries coming up everywhere.

A Small Brewery makes one, two, three, maybe four or five thousand barrels a year. Sometimes with a Brew Pub or Tap Room attached. Small Breweries, serving their local town, their local communities — our community is a great example — Small Breweries, that’s where growth is today in Craft Beer.

Great options to quench your thirst for liquid gold:

Grass Valley: 1849 Brewing Company, Grass Valley Brewing Company, Thirsty Barrel Tap Room & Grill, Pete’s Pizza and Tap House, The Pour House, and Wild Eye Pub.

Nevada City: Three Forks Bakery & Brewing, Jernigan’s

Elevating Their Craft: BrewBilt Manufacturing’s Evolution in the World of Craft Breweries

By Cory Fisher, The Union Newspaper

equipment was hard to come by in the late 1990s. Having worked as a welder, he realized that instead of buying expensive pots at a department store, he could build his own. Eventually, friends who were also home brewers began to ask him to make their pots and word of Lewis’ welding skills began to spread. That’s when his first big job materialized: a local brewery. From that point on, making brewery equipment became a solid side job while he continued to work full-time at a Portland welding shop.

BrewBilt Brewing grew out of BrewBilt Manufacturing Inc., an iconic company that has been handcrafting custom brewhouses, tanks, and accessories since 2014. We pride ourselves on brewing the beers that we love to drink and like our tastes, this is always evolving.

Jef Lewis developed an appreciation for craft beer at an early age. When he was 20 — still too young to get into bars — his girlfriend bought him a home brew kit, and he quickly got to work rearranging his Portland garage.

“Making beer was fun and adventurous,” he said. “The process would take a couple of weeks. There was always the anticipation of the final product. Sometimes it would turn out horrible, but we’d drink it anyway.”

Lewis quickly discovered that quality home brewing

Then, the economic crash of 2008 happened. Lewis, along with 21 of his fellow employees, were all laid off in a single day.

“My wife and I had a 1-month-old baby, a 2-year-old boy, and I had no job,” he said. “No one was hiring.”

Suddenly forced to work exclusively out of his garage, Lewis tried to scrape up more welding jobs where he could. Advertising on Craigslist, he’d take on any project, such as fixing an old lamp, as well as maintaining sporadic small local brewery jobs — as he tried to make enough to pay the mounting bills.

“But piecing together the small jobs wasn’t cutting it — then I had a vision,” he said. “What if I started a business focusing exclusively on building brewery equipment — putting all of my energy into this one thing?”

NECESSITY, THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

Despite the fact that breweries were rapidly multiplying in Portland, Lewis knew he was a relative unknown and would have to hustle. He got in his car and began knocking on brewery doors. He knew he had the expertise — he just needed a foot in the door. His efforts slowly began to pay off.

“It was just me in my shop taking in small jobs,” he said. “Then a couple of larger welding shops gave me overflow work from larger commercial breweries and that really got the ball rolling.”

Lewis and his wife, Erin, finally had a more steady income, but eventually, they grew tired of the relentless rain of the Pacific Northwest. Both native Californians, they felt as if their children were spending the bulk of their lives indoors. Having spent much of his youth in Nevada County, Lewis was eager to bring his family back home.

RELOCATION, STARTING OVER

In 2012, the couple rented a too-small home on North Bloomfield in Nevada City with one key ingredient: a 2,400-foot shop. Lewis took a temporary job with a local welding company while simultaneously getting his own new brewery business, BrewBilt Manufacturing, Inc., off the ground in an unfamiliar business territory.

“I hit the road, again started knocking on doors, cold calling, hustling and picking up small jobs — anything I could,” he said. “It was like starting all over again.”

Then, he landed first large job: Ol’ Republic Brewery in Nevada City ordered 12 BrewBilt fermenters. It was a $150,000 job. Although the brewery is now closed, one of Ol’ Republic’s craft brews went on to win the winnertake-all Best of Show competition at the California State Fair. Their brewing process attracted the attention of other brewers. BrewBilt was off and running.

Today, BrewBilt builds equipment for highend breweries all over the United States from its 8,000-square-foot Spring Hill Drive warehouse in Grass Valley. This year, the crew of 18 employees is building a system for a brewery in Finland, their first international job. Average orders fall between $350,000 and $500,000, but Lewis says orders can range from “a $1,500 part to a million-dollar invoice.”

With breweries rapidly multiplying and expanding around the country, more companies are doing what BrewBilt does. So why do high end establishments continue to seek them out? Lewis thinks it all stems from his welding skills and aesthetic (“They’re not just utilitarian parts,” he says. “They’re beautiful”). But it

also extends to his obsession with designing and building the finest craft brewing equipment on the market. His equipment is made in the U.S., only with Americanmade 304 stainless steel. And the manufacturing takes place right in his hometown. They also offer a six-year warranty, the longest in the business, said Lewis, who is confident equipment will last much longer.

“We know from experience that realizing a brewer’s dream takes passion, determination, and a good partner,” said Lewis. “We can be with the customer every step of the way — from concept to opening. We’ll work with bankers on financing solutions and with architects and contractors on equipment layout — all the way through to scheduling, logistics and ongoing project management.”

The BrewBilt crew is there when the equipment is loaded onto semi-trucks and they accompany the load to its destination, where they help with installation, working with construction crews, contractors, electricians, plumbers and of course, the brewers themselves.

“We do a lot of custom work,” said Lewis. “These aren’t cookie-cutter parts. We take into consideration a customer’s needs, wants, location, temperature and the building itself. Once it’s up and running, we are also a part of ongoing maintenance.

Locally, BrewBilt’s equipment can be found at Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Co. in Nevada City, the Bullmastiff Brewery in Penn Valley, as well as the Grass Valley Brewing Co. and the 1849 Brewing Co., both in Grass Valley.

BREWING THEIR OWN

So, if BrewBilt knows so much about beer, why aren’t they brewing their own? As it turns out, they are. “BrewBilt Brewing Company” is now up and running with almost five months of sales to the local community.

“We decided it was time to do something we’ve always wanted to do,” said Lewis.

Under the supervision of Bennett Buchanan, the company’s Director of Operations, the brewery is rapidly expanding their footprint. And if that isn’t exciting enough, plans are also in the works for the opening of their very own pub in downtown Nevada City.

Lewis’ sons are now 12 and 14 — so much has changed since the day he first learned he was laid off from that Portland welding shop and was unsure of his next paycheck.

“There’s so much to be grateful for — I’ve been doing

this long enough that I feel as though I have a lot of knowledge to share,” said Lewis. “I’m extremely proud of our crew and the business culture we’ve built. I’d rather train a good person than hire an expert who’s not a good team member. I live there everyday, so we like to make it fun. We barbecue on Fridays. It feels good to be bringing in new money to our community from around the world. Working with brewers and seeing them win awards is also a high point. They tend to be very downto-earth people. Oh, and the best part? I get a lot of free beer.”

Our Brewery Making Great Beers

FROM THE GROUND UP

BrewBilt Brewing brews on a state-of-the-art 20-bbl brewhouse built for us by our sister company BrewBilt Manufacturing. We ferment our lagers in stacked horizontal lagering tanks and give them plenty of cold aging time to achieve optimal taste and clarity. We package our pint cans on a counter-pressure Codi line to ensure the lowest possible level of packaged oxygen, maximizing product quality and shelf life.

WE LIVE BEER

BrewBilt Brewing’s production staff are industry veterans who use American made, professional-grade brewing equipment and ingredients to deliver outstanding craft beer to North America and Europe.

WHERE TIME

The practice of making wine is as old as most ancient civilizations, and wine has played a central role in human culture for more than 8,000 years.

Starting at about 1000 BC, the Romans made major contributions in classifying grape varieties and colors, observing and charting ripening characteristics, identifying diseases, and recognizing soil-type preferences. They became skilled at pruning and increasing yields through irrigation and fertilization techniques. They also developed wooden cooperage which is a great advance for wine storage which had previously been done in skins or jars. They may also have been the first to use glass bottles.

Not much has changed today. The process of contemporary winemaking follows principles established in ancient times, augmented by contemporary knowledge and practices, and is considered by many to be an art form.

The first vineyard planted in California was in 1779 at the Mission San Juan Capistrano under the direction of the Spanish Father Junípero Serra.

Rod Byers, who’s been in the “wine business’ all of his adult life, says, “Nevada County’s original golden age of wine started with a bang with the onset of the Gold Rush. Suddenly the world rushed in. For one brief shining moment in 1851, Nevada City was the largest city in California; Nevada County the most populous county in the state. California itself was 1 year old. When those original intrepid miners came, they brought grape vines with them. Nevada County’s first vineyards date back to 1852.”

Heard it Through the Grapevine: Sierra Starr Winery earns national recognition

By Rod Byers, Nevada County Wine Expert

Fast forward 143 years later.

Phil and Anne Starr bought an existing vineyard in 1995 with the intent of moving their flower-growing nursery from the Monterey Bay area onto the vacant land on the parcel. The nursery didn’t move but Phil felt the challenge of grape growing and making fine wine was one that he couldn’t pass up.

2022

Phil and Jackson Starr, the father and son team behind Sierra Starr Winery, have been on a roll lately. Phil focuses on grape growing while Jackson runs the winemaking side of things. Not only are they producing great wines, but they’re receiving national recognition as well.

They have been earning strings of Gold Medals and 90plus point scores for their wines across the board, and now most recently, for their Cabernet Franc.

Wine Enthusiast magazine, a national publication, just awarded their 2019 Cabernet Franc a 94-point score and a Cellar Selection meaning they think it is delicious now, and they think it will improve and excel for years to come.

While Cabernet Franc remains unfamiliar to many consumers, winemakers know better. At over $9,000 per ton, Napa County Cabernet Franc received the highest average price paid per ton of any wine grape in California,

according to the most recent California Grape Crush report.

I visited Phil and Jackson to discuss their Starr attraction. “We planted Cabernet Franc back in 1997,” Phil recalled. “We thought it might be hard to compete with Cabernet Sauvignon but Cab Franc, there could be a niche there.”

I wondered, thinking about their success, was their high score the result of a maturing vineyard producing increasingly better fruit, or were other things at play as well? Jack and Phil looked at each other in silence. I could see they were communicating without talking. After a long pause Jackson said, “Ya, maybe a couple of things.”

Sierra Starr Vineyard has a significant slope from top to bottom. The bottom collects water, and the ground is too wet. As it turned out, that is where they had planted the Franc. About five years ago they cut off the water and started dry farming the grapes.

“Actually, we tried it throughout the vineyard but the Zinfandel at the top of the hill looked like it was going to die so we had to go back to watering it,” Jackson explained. Then Phil took over, “but the Franc at the bottom wasn’t affected at all. It did better than ever., All the water they needed was already there.”

When it came to changes in the winemaking process, they were more cryptic. About the same time, they attempted

When it came to changes in the winemaking process, they were more cryptic. About the same time they attempted the dry farm experiment they started making some significant changes in how they handled the grapes in the cellar. “Let’s just say we attempt to extract as much flavor as possible without extracting too much bitterness or tannin,” Jackson said. “We’ve hit upon a few things that we think really help the process.”

the dry farm experiment they started making some significant changes in how they handled the grapes in the cellar. “Let’s just say we attempt to extract as much flavor as possible without extracting too much bitterness or tannin,” Jackson said. “We’ve hit upon a few things that we think really help the process.”

“Climate change, warming, is another thing making a difference,” Phil said. “I always thought it was too cold here. There is no doubt harvest is now at least two weeks earlier than it used to be. The grapes are riper, sooner. It may get too hot if it keeps going but for now, for us, we’re picking riper grapes while they are still retaining their natural acidity.”

“Climate change, warming, is another thing making a difference,” Phil said. “I always thought it was too cold here. There is no doubt harvest is now at least two weeks earlier than it used to be. The grapes are riper, sooner. It may get too hot if it keeps going but for now, for us, we’re picking riper grapes while they are still retaining their natural acidity.”

In spite of the recognition by winemakers of Cabernet Franc’s superiority as a premium wine grape, consumers have been less quick to follow. It’s still a hand-sell. Cabernet what? is a common response.

In spite of the recognition by winemakers of Cabernet Franc’s superiority as a premium wine grape, consumers have been less quick to follow. It’s still a hand-sell. Cabernet what? is a common response.

At $9,275 average price per ton, that makes the typical Cab Franc coming out of Napa about $100 a bottle. That makes Sierra Starr Franc, out of Nevada County, at $28, and a 94-point National Cellar Selection, one of those wine gems people dream of discovering.

At $9,275 average price per ton, that makes the typical Cab Franc coming out of Napa about $100 a bottle. That makes Sierra Starr Franc, out of Nevada County, at $28, and a 94-point National Cellar Selection, one of those wine gems people dream of discovering.

Experience award winning Sierra Starr wines at their tasting room

Experience award-winning Sierra Starr wines at their tasting room in downtown Grass Valley at 124 W. Main Street or visit the vineyard, open by appointment. www.sierrastarr.com

THE WOMEN

Some Were Wild • Many Were Just Plain Wicked

Most Were Strong, Determined, Spirited Pioneer Women Who Settled the West

By The Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce

Thinking back to the Wild West, the first images that may come to mind are those that appear on the silver screen; cowboys, ranchers, trappers, miners, and entrepreneurs who came west in the early days of the westward migration to seek new opportunities; to build new lives or their fortunes.

Westward expansion began in earnest in 1803, and the era between 1812 to 1860, the great westward migration, often called the territorial expansion of the United States, is referred to as the “Age of Manifest Destiny.”

George Crofutt, a publisher of a popular series of western travel guides, commissioned Brooklyn-based artist John Gast to create “American Progress” in 1872. Gast creates a “Columbia” in his painting, who appears to be an angel or guardian, carrying a schoolbook in one hand and a string of telegraph wire in the other. The image is meant to convince the hesitant that it was morally just to migrate West.

Lured by romance and promises of cheap land ownership under the Homestead Act and gold rush mining opportunities, eager young men, filled with the thought of striking it rich by mining silver or gold or becoming a cowboy needed little encouragement to head west.

But encouragement came from many sectors. “Go west young man, go west, and grow with the country.” So said Horace Greeley in July of 1865 in the New-York Daily Tribune encouraging young men to leave Washington DC as it was not a place to live in. “The rents were high. The food was bad, the dust disgusting and the morals deplorable. Go West, young man, go West. There is health in the country, and room away from our crowds of idlers and imbeciles.”

And while all of this recruitment was pointedly directed at the men, what about the women?

Thousands of women trekked the overland trail after 1840 when the great westward migration took off.

Most of these women were married, and while somewhere forced to make the move, many others insisted on accompanying their men, for they were determined to maintain family unity, despite the great potential risk to survival.

Many married women were widowed, and some remarried on the trip, or soon thereafter, but many women chose to remain single.

Taken away from civilization female pioneers had to deal with the rigors of the journey while pregnant or caring for young children, but they were determined to take

civilization with them. While the journey was liberating for a few, most battled the constant challenges to their feminine and domestic identities.

Arriving in a new land, one very alien to the landscape of home, with none of the customary or usual comforts, single women, or those whose husbands had perished on the journey and left them single, were faced with many choices and quite often made decisions based on common sense and survival instinct. With sensibility and convention left on the eastern seaboard, some women chose to live by their wits and employ their talents; some traditional and some outside the boundaries of acceptability, and some outside the law; all serving to support a new life.

Nonconformists, Cowgirls, Painted Ladies, and Outlaws.

Arriving in a new land, one very alien to the landscape of home, and with sensibility and convention left on the eastern seaboard, women, regardless of their marital status, were faced with a choice; embrace tradition and build a home and family or live by their wits and employ their talents. Some, freed from convention chose to live outside the boundaries of acceptability; serving to support a new life.

Remarkable women, past and present, have made Nevada County their home. Many have contributed to building the foundation of Nevada County, leaving enduring legacies. Others also left memorable legacies; often scandalous in nature and many of their stories prevail today.

First Female Railroad President in the World

By Maria E. Brower, Special to The Union

She had big shoes to fill. Her husband was a prominent businessman and community leader — a mine owner, land developer, a leader in the Republican party, member of the Yosemite Commission, California Debris Commission, Exalted Ruler of the Grass Valley Elks, and the president of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.

At his burial service he was eulogized as “the most important man to the welfare and progress of Nevada County…” Before his death on April 10, 1901, John Flint Kidder, Sarah’s husband of 27 years, signed over his 1,844 shares of stock by deed of gift, leaving her three-fourths of the capital stock in the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Not quite a month later, May 7, at the annual meeting, Sarah was elected president by a majority vote of 2,345 shares voting out of a possible 2,502.

In the late 1880s, Kidder had built a new house for his family on

Bennett Street. Sarah and John, not being blessed with children of their own, adopted Beatrice, a niece of Sarah’s, who lived in the house along with their servants. The residence was at the corner of Bennett Street and Kidder Avenue overlooking the works and offices of the Narrow Gauge Railroad in Grass Valley.

Sarah was known throughout the county as a gracious hostess, and the Kidders frequently entertained friends as well as dignitaries from around the country in their home on Bennett Street.

It would become known as the Kidder Mansion, and Sarah’s stylish home was one of the last of the Victorian queens of that era of elegance to be torn down in Grass Valley after falling into disrepair due to many years of neglect.

Overnight, Sarah’s daily duties changed from housewife and hostess to being the only women in the U.S., possibly the world, to ever run a railroad.

Although her tenure may have been rocky in the beginning, the years that Sarah Kidder was running the railroad were known as the “Twelve Golden Years.”

She had steadily improved the railroad until it was said to be a showpiece of its kind, and her years of management led the railroad into its greatest prosperity.

Sarah Kidder was one of the most notable women in Nevada County history. She came to California as a bride and died at age 94 in September 1933 in San Francisco.

American Journalist and Essayist Courtesy of Wikipedia

Jennie Carter was born a free person of color in either 1830 or 1831 and is believed to have spent her early life in New Orleans and New York.

Carter moved to Nevada County with her first husband, a preacher named Reverend Correll, around 1860, before the Civil War. Nevada County was pro-Union during the Civil War and held about 150-300 African Americans, who worked in a variety of professions and businesses. Some of them were active in civil rights and had helped to organize the California Colored Convention of 1855. While married to the Reverend, Jennie served as Vice President of the Grass Valley Christian Commission.

In 1866, she married her second husband, musician, and Civil Rights activist Dennis Drummond Carter and began a life with him in a house on Lost Hill then on Green Street in Nevada City.

In 1867, using the pseudonym Mrs. Trask, Carter wrote to

Philip A. Bell, editor of The Elevator, a weekly San Francisco black newspaper, offering to write short stories for children to be included in the paper. Bell liked the idea, publishing her letter and a short essay by Carter about her childhood dog in New Orleans in the following issue. Over the next seven years, Carter published over 70 pieces in The Elevator, her topics expanding to commentaries on California and national politics, racism, women’s rights and suffrage, morality, education, temperance, and many other issues.

Later, she began using the pseudonym, Semper Fidelis. Since The Elevator had a circulation that extended throughout the American West, Carter achieved regional and, in some cases, national exposure for her work. She also published in the Philadelphia paper the Christian Recorder.

Carter’s writings began to receive wider critical and historical attention when they were published in Eric Gardner’s 2007 book Jennie Carter: A Black Journalist of the Early West. A reviewer in American Literary Scholarship wrote that her work “remarkably complicates assumptions about blacks’ access to the middle class in the late-19th-century West even as it adds to and confirms a rich tradition of post-Gold Rush West Coast journalism.”

Gardner speculated that her choice of the pseudonym Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful), suggested that for Carter, “writing is a gesture of faith for the community, in the community, writing about topics that need to be discussed but that might not be discussed”, a way to “push people to be involved and think about the issues.”

Eleanore “Madame Mustache” Dumont

Dumont had now achieved a small fortune and she wanted to leave her profession. Though she knew little about animals, she purchased a ranch in Carson City, Nevada. She soon became taken with a handsome cattleman named Jack McKnight in whom she placed her trust, and she signed her property over to him for his management. Sadly, McKnight was actually a conman and in less than a month he had disappeared, selling her ranch, and leaving her with all the debts. Dumont tracked him down and killed him with two blasts from a shotgun. Although she would much later admit to the crime, at the time of the shooting, there was not enough evidence to charge her.

Lacking any money, she returned to gambling again and in 1861, set up her table in Pioche, Nevada. She followed the gold, moved quite a lot and was a charmer of men.

Eleanore Dumont “Madame Mustache” Eleanor Dumont, also called Eleonore Alphonsine Dumant, born as Simone Jules (1829–1879), was a notorious gambler on the American Western Frontier, especially during the California Gold Rush. She was also known by her nickname “Madame Moustache,” due to the appearance of a line of dark hair on her upper lip.

Dumont was one of the more colorful women of the Old West. Because of her accent, it was rumored that she came from France, but others think New Orleans may have been her place of birth. In either case, she turned up in San Francisco in 1849 where she soon found herself working as a card dealer at the Bella Union Hotel.

Suspected of cardsharping, she was let go from the Bella Union and in 1854, Dumont arrived in Nevada City, California, dressed to the nines. To the curiosity of many, she opened up a high brow gambling parlor, the Vingt-etUn. She served champaign instead of whiskey, permitted only behaved, clean men, into her establishment, and prohibited cursing in her presence. It soon became a quite the happening place! Dumont was witty and charming, appealingly foreign, and knew how to deal cards like a pro. No women were allowed in her establishment, save herself, and women dealers were virtually unheard of.

Her place became so popular, that Dumont took on a partner and opened an even larger place called Dumont’s Palace. They also added the much more popular games of Faro and Chuck-a-luck, and her second venture became equally successful.

Two years after her arrival in Nevada City, she started to develop a pronounced moustache, later earning her the unfortunate nickname “Madame Moustache.” The gold eventually ran out in Nevada, but she would follow the new strikes and she headed to Columbia, California, where in 1857 she set up a table in a hotel.

Over the years, as she aged, and her fortunes diminished, she added prostitution to her repertoire, opening brothels in Fort Benton as well as Bannack, Montana. Years later her luck had run out and her final stop was Bodie, the wildest most notorious town in eastern California to deal cards at the Magnolia Saloon. Losing her gaming ability and a friend’s bankroll, she left the table. Leaving a letter dated September 8, 1879, saying that she was “tired of life” instructing the disposition of her effects, she walked a mile out of town drinking a bottle or red wine laced with morphine and committed suicide; dying as she lived — on her terms.

The Forgotten Tale of America’s First Female Blackjack Dealer

Courtesy of Vintage Everyday

A Wild Legend of Truckee: Carrie Pryor

Courtesy of biglife magazine, John Caldwell

During the 1800s women in Truckee were not usually public figures, but Carrie Pryor a.k.a. “Spring Chicken” was an exception to the norm. Pryor seemed to enjoy stirring up trouble wherever she went and was infamous for having many a love interest.

During the 1870s, she was at the center of a long list of shootouts, stabbings, brawls, and other disturbances that occurred around town. Pryor brazenly defied both local law enforcement and the notoriously powerful vigilante gang called The 601.

Her most notorious incident was a shootout in 1877 on Front Street with a rival “lady of the night” named Lotta Morton. The gun battle ended when Morton finally succumbed to her wounds while Pryor escaped without being hit once. Her fiercely independent lifestyle as woman in a frontier mountain town continues to be the stuff of legend. Her ghost is even rumored to haunt several of the shops on Front Street to this day.

Lola “Notorius Courtesan” Montez

Dancer and actress Lola Montez left a trail of broken hearts — and one abdicated throne — across 19th-century Europe.

Lola Montez led such a colorful life that it’s hard to separate the fact from the fiction. Even her earliest biographies contain various degrees of conflicting information, partly due to the fact that, as one recent and more thoroughly researched biography points out, “the subject was an incorrigible liar.”

But despite all the lies, there are still plenty of truths left over to make the story of Lola Montez, the Irish dancer, and courtesan who made it into some of the great corridors of power in 19th-century Europe, one of the most captivating in modern history.

Although her autobiography claims that her onstage debut as Lola Montez “was a successful one,” the public recognized her as a phony Spanish dancer and she was forced to leave England and seek her fortune elsewhere.

Montez traveled first to Germany, where she made the acquaintance of famous composers and men of wealth. Her contacts in Germany led to her securing a role in the opera in Paris. Her performance was a disaster, but Lola made the most of her time in Paris, leading a bohemian life financed by the wealthy me she seduced.

When one such paramour was killed in a duel, Lola left France and returned to Germany where she caught the eye of Ludwig I, King of Bavaria, who had a love of all things Spanish. Lola became the King’s mistress and during their liaison, she acquired a small fortune and the titles Countess of Landsfeld and Baroness Rosenthal.

Lola being Lola, created a scandal that dethroned King Ludwig I. She fled to London, acquired a new husband then set off for America in 1851. In the New World, she debuted her infamous Spider Dance, which reportedly consisted of her “raising her skirts so high that the audience could see she wore no underclothing at all.”

A Wild Woman of the WestEchoes of the Past

Courtesy of Gina Dimuro

M ayor of Grass Valley

u Jan Arbuckle

D istrict 3 Supervisor

u Lisa Swarthout

D istrict 4 Supervisor

u Sue Hoek

D istrict 1 Supervisor

u Heidi Hall

C ity Council Member

u Haven Caravelli

N evada County Sheriff

u Shannan Moon

V ice-Mayor of Grass Valley

u Hilary Hodge

By Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce

“Robin. Her favorite words begin with “re”, and she put that “re” vocabulary into play the moment she stepped into the Chamber CEO-ship.

From day one she’s re-organized, re-imagined, reinvented, re-established, re-designed, and re-invigorated. Her energy is as boundless as her imagination, and for the past decade, she has applied that energy and imagination to the benefit of our organization.

And we have thrived.

As we enter the tenth year of her stewardship of The Chamber, we celebrate this anniversary by sharing a bit of the story.”

-Greater Grass Valley Chamber Board of Directors

You wouldn’t think the heavy responsibility of saving a century-old organization from impending ruin would have Robin Galvan Davies thinking, “I’m having one heckuva lot of fun!”

Yet after her miraculous feat of resurrecting the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce from imminent doom, fun is what excites Robin most about her 10-year tenure as Chamber CEO.

“It has been so rewarding and fun, despite the fact I parachuted in on January 2, 2013, and it was like diving into a war zone,” Robin recalls. “It was a disaster of the first magnitude; I was dropped into the middle of organized chaos.”

The Chamber was financially insolvent, but the Chamber’s dismal state of affairs was no surprise to Robin. For months, Robin and her husband Keith Davies had been reviewing the Chamber’s finances and business practices. They were hired by the Chamber Board of Directors and arrived in Grass Valley with a vision and plan to restructure the Chamber as a vibrant organization with financial stability and sustainability as the goal.

The Davies immediately loaned the Chamber $55,000 to build out the Chamber’s new location, and moved the Visitors Center from a cramped, one-room corner in the Holbrooke Hotel to its current location at 128 E. Main Street and began an aggressive and appealing membership recruitment campaign to strengthen the Chamber’s income stream.

“I challenged Keith and Robin to come in and turn the Chamber around. They did that, and so much more. At one point, the Chamber was no more than a card table in the corner of a local business. Robin has reinvented the Chamber and made it the healthy, dynamic organization it is today. Today’s Chamber is a reflection of the economic vitality of our community. Robin has stayed the course because the Chamber is her passion and her purpose in life. I can’t think of another person who could have done what she’s done.”

“This was a formidable 100-year-old organization that had contributed to the legacy of Grass Valley and western

-Dan Miller, former Grass Valley Mayor, and Nevada County Board of Supervisors Chair

Nevada County,” Robin says, “but it suffered from a lack of vision.”

The Davies instituted varying tiers of elite memberships, such as “Friends,” “Champions,” and “Partners” of the Chamber. Each tier was offered to a limited number of members, who paid up to $2,500 to buy into that membership level and up to $1500 per year to sustain their membership.

The couple also increased the Chamber’s traditional member totals from about 300 to 500. Today, the Chamber boasts an impressive sphere of influence, with members from Reno to the Sacramento Valley.

The couple didn’t take a salary until the third quarter of fiscal year 2013. The next year, the Chamber was financially able to begin paying back the Davies’ loan. It took four years, and the Davies never charged a penny in interest.

“My great grandfather, Thomas Ingram, was a founder and president of the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce. I am proud to have followed in his footsteps as Chamber president. In 2012, the Chamber board was excited to hire and welcome Keith Davies and Robin Galvan-Davies as Co-CEO’s. The Chamber was struggling with membership retention and expansion of services. The Davies had experience, a vision, and a plan. Under Robin’s leadership, the Chamber has thrived, as has the business community and tourism. We are blessed to have her engagement and

determination continually leading us forward toward a strong economic foundation, regardless of what challenges come our way.”

-Patti Ingram-Spencer, Chamber Past President

“When we hired Robin and Keith, I liked what they brought to the table and that’s what started the comeback. They had a vision that was not the same ol,’ same ol.’ She’s a firecracker. Whatever she wants to do, she gets done. Robin is artistic, methodical, and extremely well organized. She never stops asking, ‘What else can we do to make this better?’ She saved the Chamber with her forward thinking.”

In 2016 Keith retired, and Robin took the foundation she and Keith had laid and continued building a successful, viable organization.

She had already turned her attention with laser-like focus to the Chamber’s membership guide.

“It was a small, newsprint booklet published by The Union that was barely more than a listing of members with a small amount of community information and advertising,” Robin says. “It was not reflective of the story we wanted to tell. We needed to change the look and turn it into a real magazine.”

Its first reincarnation was a publication entitled “Postcards from Grass Valley,” which Robin later rebranded as “Destination Nevada County.” “Destination” is a slick, professionally produced magazine that is now the hallmark of the Chamber’s public outreach.

Initially, Robin created and had printed 20 copies of the magazine she envisioned. She presented the copies to the Chamber Board of Directors and requested authority to become its publisher.

“The City had recently phased out the Chamber’s Grass Valley Visitor Center funding, and I knew we had to create a mechanism to replace that money and boost our bottom line.”

The response from the board was overwhelmingly positive. With Robin as publisher, today’s annual “Destination” magazine showcases Nevada County as a premier foothills’ destination within 180 80-pound glossy pages and a 100-pound cover with gold foil titles. It’s also an online magazine, with links that take readers to Chamber members’ websites and videos.

“People may not want to lug around a magazine, which is why we use QR codes to provide access to the entire magazine,” explains Robin. “We’re progressing with the

-Bob Medlyn, Chamber Board of Directors member and past Chair, Beam Easy Living Center Owner

NEVADA COUNTY CALIFORNIA

GREATER GRASS VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Spring | Summer

times and incorporating technology that supports ease of use and boosts the profiles of our member advertisers.”

In addition to her business-building and publishing acumen which she honed over a long career as an art gallery owner and international promoter, Robin brought to the Chamber her unyielding desire to make work fun.

“Robin’s art, business and finance background has aptly prepared her for her role as Chamber CEO. I enjoy our brainstorming sessions, her exciting ideas, and her incredible energy. She has brought the Chamber to an unparalleled level of operation that benefits all members. Robin’s hard work over the past 10 years has made the Chamber stronger.”

-Julia

“When I first started as CEO, the event roster for the Chamber was lean,” remembers Robin. “Events were a lot of work and not a lot of fun.

“For example, the Chamber booth at the Nevada County Fair was primarily staffed by board members, Keith, and

me taking most shifts. We’ve since made it a fun way for Chamber members to promote their businesses when they work the booth. When you inject fun into everything you do, people want to participate.”

As the Chamber became increasingly accustomed to smooth sailing, no one could foresee the cataclysmic storm about to hit.

When the Covid pandemic unleashed its fury, Chamber mixers and events were cancelled. Robin furloughed all employees, including herself. The Chamber was deemed a nonessential nonprofit and was ineligible for many rounds of government grants and loans.

“I thought, ‘This is going to be interesting. I don’t have a lot to do.’ But that was a fallacy. It turns out I was never busier in my life. It fell to the Chamber to communicate with the community about which business were open or closed, which services were available and when. We updated our website daily. We helped businesses apply for grants. We offered advice during eCommerce workshops.

“We are membership centric, always have been, and we’ve always gone to the mat for our members. But then all

Stidham, The Union newspaper publisher, and Chamber Board of Directors Chair

boundaries evaporated. We worked for the greater good of the community; it didn’t matter if you were a member or not. If you were a business in need, we helped.”

“What makes Robin successful is having a clear and compelling vision for the Community. What allows her to carry that out and make that vision a reality is her ability to connect with people and bring out their best thinking. What also lends to her strength as a leader is she knows when to press forward and also to back out or balance and let people find their own way. Because she has a kind and caring heart, she can recognize that in others.”

-Machen MacDonald, Chamber Board of Directors Member and Founder, Head Coach and ProBrilliance Leadership Institute

Now businesses are once again thriving and monthly Chamber Mixers are making a comeback.

“Mixers are the purview of our Ambassador Committee, whose members make a three-year commitment,” Robin explains. “They are the social ambassadors who are the heartbeat of our Chamber. They organize our Chamber Mixers that check all the boxes: fun, attendance, happy guests, and happy volunteers.”

Unlike the Chamber, the event-dependent Grass Valley

Downtown Association was limping along post-pandemic — until the Chamber and GVDA entered an 18-month management contract in February 2022. Robin called the arrangement “an engagement.” The two entities weren’t ready to marry, but a closer working relationship has proved beneficial to both.

“When we moved forward with the Chamber managing the GVDA, it was not a new idea,” Robin says. “It had been discussed since 1999. The organizations have different mandates, but now both organizations support each other. The Chamber has helped the GVDA complete work that it hadn’t been able to accomplish, restructuring its administrative and financial platforms, and the reinstatement of the Grass Valley Downtown Foundation, which allows them to apply for educational grants.

“It’s working really well; I like being engaged. When you marry, you give up your maiden name, and co-mingle lives and assets. Because the Chamber and Downtown Association are different types of nonprofits — the Chamber is a 501c6, the GVDA is a 501c4, and the GVDA’s Foundation is a 501c3 – there are specific rules that govern the actions of each nonprofit agency. We must proceed with care and caution to ensure we don’t disrupt the status and abilities of those organizations.”

“Robin puts her heart and soul into Grass Valley. Her

vision to establish a collaborative relationship between the Chamber and the GVDA has created a vibrancy and sense of community in the downtown. “

-Jan Arbuckle, Grass Valley Mayor

GVDA events have since blossomed with the infusion of enthusiasm and expertise from the Chamber.

“In 2021, the GVDA’s inaugural Brew Fest downtown netted a very healthy profit. In 2022, in partnership with the Chamber, the Brew Fest netted double that of 2021,” Robin says. “We offered tickets online and eliminated the need for customers to wait in line for tickets. We recruited 17 spectacular craft breweries and great food vendors. We geared up for 720 customers and had that many mini tasting mugs made. We only had five mugs remaining at the end of the day. Downtown merchants did well across the board.”

From car shows to celebrations, Robin and her team analyze each event through the lens of robust attendance, financial success, and most importantly, fun. For example, booths and displays at Cornish Christmas are now juried. Some long-time vendors didn’t make the cut.

Another example of an event reinvented is the Fourth of July downtown celebration.

“When the annual post-Covid July 4th event wasn’t feasible to hold at the fairgrounds, we decided to organize a “dancing in the streets” party downtown,” Robin says. “We had a pancake breakfast in the morning, and in the evening, a couple of bands, dancing in the streets, great festival food, plus beer and wine. The vendors did very well, and the shops that were open did extremely well, and everyone had fun!. What started as an experiment became a home run, and we’ve been asked to do it every year.”

“Robin brings great energy to downtown, and that makes events such as the 4th of July celebration, Brew Fest, and Cornish Christmas all the more exciting and successful. Her focus is always on recruiting the highest quality vendors and ensuring the visitor experience is exceptional. She helps ensure the City receives the input we need to make the right decisions with important ventures, including the Mill Street Pedestrian Project. Robin is an important asset to the Chamber, the Downtown Association, and the City.”

- Tim Kiser, Grass Valley City Manager

Two years ago, Robin led the Chamber in its acquisition of a business that offered welcome baskets to new residents. She renamed it “Welcome Home,” and the swag offered is much more than boring rulers and refrigerator magnets.

“It’s a great fit for the Chamber to introduce new residents to the community,” Robin says. “We replaced baskets with classic black European totes that contain a collection of advertisers’ information cards, coupons, and discounts, plus publications such as ‘Destination,’ ‘Nevada County

Gold,’ and the ‘Nevada County Contractors’ Association Building Guide.’”

Local title companies alert the Chamber about new residents who are then sent an invitation to visit the Chamber office and collect their tote full of fun. It’s an example of how Robin consistently takes a basic idea and makes it brilliant.

“The only time I’m not working is when I sleep, and even then, my brain doesn’t shut off because I’m organizing events or analyzing budgets in my sleep. It’s hard to disengage because I love it.

“We’re not a huge nonprofit organization that can host big galas and make $100,000 in one evening. We put on community events. We promote and market downtown. Our focus is on business development and economic vitality, with an eye toward beautification and design. We dive deep into community affairs, such as broadband access, housing, and transportation — any issue that impacts our community.”

With most pandemic hardships in the past, Robin is focused on a future that promises stronger, more unified relationships between the Chamber, GVDA, and the City.

“I’m excited to see the Mill Street Renovation and Main Street upgrades completed,” Robin says. “The Chamber is working with the City of Grass Valley to embrace and enhance the visitor experience, and those visitors include local residents.

“It’s like a pebble in the pond. The ripples touch all of us. Even though we have foothills between us, we are one county and a unified community.”

Naturally, Robin envisions a future full of fun.

“If you make the work fun, people want to participate and join in. You must always be re-inventing, re-creating, and re-imagining. When you have something that is a success, you need to re-imagine it to make it extraordinary.”

“What I value and appreciate most about Robin is the way her brain works and how she is constantly firing on all cylinders, building maximum capacity with utmost efficiency. It’s like going to the faucet for a sip of water and getting a fire hydrant! When I think about the people who touched this community 100 years ago and founded the Chamber, we don’t remember all their names, but we feel their impact every day. Likewise, Robin’s visionary work will leave an indelible mark not just 20 years from now, but forever. With every breath she improves the Chamber, Downtown Association, City, and our entire community.”

-Joy Porter, GVDA Vice Chair and Chamber Past President

Grape + Fig Summer Salad with Prosciutto and Balsamic

By Eva Kosmas Flore, Adventures in Cooking

My grape vine is bursting at the seams with fresh grapes, so I’ve been making this grape and fig summer salad on repeat for the past month. I love it because it’s so easy to put together, and just involves laying down a bed of ricotta on a big plate, then stacking all the prosciutto and fruits on top, drizzling with honey and balsamic, then finishing with flake sea salt. That’s it! It takes about 10 minutes to make, including slicing up the figs and the pluots, and is worth every brief moment of effort.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces ricotta

• 2 ounces prosciutto thinly sliced

• 3/4 pound grapes

• 6 ripe fresh figs cut into halves or quarters

• 4 ripe pluots cut into sixths

• 1 tablespoon honey (if using thick raw honey, heat it slightly to make it drizzleable)

• 2 teaspoons quality balsamic

• 1 1/2 teaspoons flake sea salt

• 2 tablespoons small fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Evenly spread the ricotta over the center of a large serving platter, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edge of the dish.

2. Roll up each slice of prosciutto individually and set it aside.

3. Arrange the grapes, figs, pluots, and prosciutto on top of the ricotta. Drizzle with the honey, then the balsamic. Sprinkle with the flake sea salt and basil and serve immediately.

Perhaps best known colloquially as a cookie filling, the fig is a much more fascinating plant than many of us give it credit for. Scientists call it a “keystone resource” because of the sheer number of animals — more than 1,200 — that rely on it for nutrients. That includes humans. The fig tree is not one for figging about. The KEAP

Tres Jolie Lavender Farm

Living Our Nevada County Dream

By Christine Eschen, Proprietress

I was born in Minnesota, and my parents grew up on a farm. My mother could hardly wait to get away from the farm and get her education degree. So, we moved to the suburbs of Minneapolis, where my mother was a teacher, and my father was a hard-working cement contractor.

My mother had a cousin, Clarice, and her husband, Ken, who lived in the country and had a farm. We went there quite frequently to visit during my childhood. I loved getting to go out and help collect eggs and look at the chickens. I loved how the earth smelled in the country and how fresh the air was. Uncle Ken even snuck a baby rabbit into the back seat of our car when we were leaving because he knew I wanted it! Boy, did I get scolded when Mom discovered that rabbit in the back seat!!

Those times on the farm were precious to me, and I always dreamed I would someday have my own.

Fast forward to 2013, when my husband Dave and I bought our dream home and 10 acres of property here in Nevada

County on top of this beautiful hill looking straight out at the Sierras! When I stepped out of the car that first day we drove up, I knew I had found my forever place to live.

I have reinvented my professional life several times over the years. I was a Travel Agent for 25 years and then a masseuse in a beautiful spa in the valley, where I fell in love with essential oils and aromatherapy. I loved fitness and taught everything from strength training to aerobics, and now I am formally trained in comprehensive Pilates. I also went back to school and became a Physical Therapist Assistant.

Where am I going with all of this? Put it together, and I guess you have a very interested person in community and agritourism — an idea formed in my head. I love to travel and the idea of having an experience. Somehow, I thought, why not have a lavender farm with a wellness experience?

So, I said to my husband, “Let’s create a lavender farm.” His response to me was, “Let’s not!” Of course, happy wife —

happy life, as the saying goes. And eventually, he saw my sense of purpose was so great that he agreed!

In 2016 after doing extensive research and ordering over 700 starter lavender plants from a farm in Sequim, Washington, we planted seven different varieties. Our first small harvest was in 2017, and I was so excited! I love making essential oil, so in 2019 we planted an additional 130 Grosso Lavender plants in our field.

Although we are not traditional vegetable farmers like my Uncle Ken, I feel that connection to the earth and a sense of community I have always longed for. I love that people are excited when they come to the farm and see the beautiful lavender for the first time.

I also have a Pilates studio at the farm where I teach private Pilates sessions. In addition, I help people maintain their mobility and overall strength, improving their quality of life.

As time goes by, I would like to continue to grow here in this beautiful place. We offer private tours, U-pick, special classes, photography shoots, and personal day retreats. In addition to fresh and dried lavender, we offer our own hand-distilled lavender essential oil as well as body butter and lavender lotions. We are open during the bloom season, June/July, by appointment only.

I am so grateful to have found this beautiful community in the foothills. The people here are so welcoming and

Locally grown Lavender and Lavender Products

Open by Appointment in the Bloom Season

June/July/August for U-Cut, Tours and Photography. Available Year Round for Special Events, Classes and Day Retreats!

Also Private Pilates and Small Group Classes in our New Wellness Studio!

Color of the Year Stimulates the Senses

According to a collaborative report. trends forecasting agency WGSN and colors authority Coloro published in April 2021, Digital Lavender was showcased as the color of the year 2023. In this report, Digital Lavender is defined as “a sensorial shade that connects to holistic wellbeing and digital optimism, evoking stability, serenity, and balance”.

Through time, the purples have been associated with spirituality: linked to the crown chakra, they are believed to bring a sense of balance.

All these benefits related to the lavender color come, not surprisingly, from its therapeutic and curative properties.

Aromatherapy has, for many years, been using lavender oil to promote calmness and wellness. It is believed to help in the reduction of stress, anxiety, and possibly even mild pain.

Lavender essential oil possesses many benefits for physical wellness alongside its well-known calming and soothing psychological effects. It can be used to combat pain as well as inflammation. Its function as a pain reliever comes from linalyl acetate and linalool, which

are powerful anti-inflammatory components found in many essential oils.

Studies have found aromatherapy using lavender essential oil to be an effective remedy for postoperative pain. Inhaling lavender is also effective for headache relief. Lavender also contains polysaccharides which are known to be potent in treating inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism and the pain that comes along with them.

Because of the anti-inflammatory effects of lavender essential oil, it may also help to improve asthma and other inflammatory respiratory issues. A study found that lavender essential oil had a positive impact on respiratory health, helping to relieve allergic inflammation. This also makes it helpful in breaking up coughs and clearing sinuses.

You can also enjoy the anti-inflammatory and healing benefits of lavender essential oil in topical applications. Applying lavender essential oil to the skin may play a role in treating blemishes and easing overall skin inflammation. The antioxidant activity of lavender can help to accelerate wound healing.

By Weedmama.ca

Spotify sent me a song suggestion called “The right to destroy myself” a haunting piece of music. It made me think about that feeling, when we need to fall apart. Those difficult times in our life when we have a crisis of self, a nervous breakdown but that’s exactly what we need. It’s how we evolve. Like the tower card in tarot, we tear down our walls and get back to the foundation to build something better, stronger from a more experienced, wiser place.

Sometimes this is forced upon us by circumstances out of our control, other times we do it to ourselves. Either way is painful, messy and takes great effort and courage to come back again. But come back we do, with resilience coursing through our veins, we’ve survived this dark night of the soul and we know it won’t be our last. Each time we’re stronger, we feel the pulse of everything, this is where great art is born, also where a new part of us is born.

Heal yourself with art

Do not fear the dark places your mind may take you, let it out through art. It doesn’t need likes or to ever be seen to be necessary. Don’t judge it as good or bad, just let all that mess flow out through your pen, or your brush, or your voice, or your instrument, or your body, or your camera, or your food, however which way your turmoil comes to art, let it go freely.

Art is something we all need to create, it’s meaningful, purposeful

for the soul

and gives us some peace, it’s what sets us apart as a species, what makes us human is our ability to create. Art is simply a creative expression, it can take any form.

Art doesn’t have to hang in a gallery, it can be anything

In art school we debated on what is art, “everything” said my instructor, “even the dabs of paint on the back of your pallet.” But that’s not done purposefully, we argued “ah but it was” he replied.

Cannabis can aid you in finding that creative place with less resistance and more abandon, it’s why I love it so.

Research has shown that cannabis can increase cerebral blood flow to the frontal lobe in the brain which enables us to brainstorm, get those creative juices flowing it’s great for out of the box thinking. Like in the TV show “Suits” Harvey Specter uses cannabis when he has a difficult problem that needs a unique solution. However like many things and cannabis, you need to stick with a lower dose, around 5 to 10mg. Getting into higher doses doesn’t have the same creative boosting effect.

Just go create

Whether you use cannabis or not, you’re an artist of some sort and you’ll find wholeness when let you that part of you run wild and free. Create a beautiful mess.

By Patricia Rockwell, Owner, Green Gift Gardens and Member, Nevada County Cannabis Alliance

Tucked away in the hills and valleys of Nevada County, small family farms have been lovingly cultivating cannabis for decades. With a strong belief in the medicine, these farms produced salves, tinctures, and, of course, flowers, and hold a strong belief that cannabis unlocks creative potential and catalyzes the self-healing nature of our bodies. “Coming out green,” for all segments of society that use cannabis to relieve stress, injury, and dis-ease, became the new ethos.

In the ancient tradition of the Vedas (Hindu scripture), cannabis is referred to as a “source of happiness.” In Egyptian mythology, Seshat was the deification of the concept of wisdom. An historical image of Seshat shows a stem from the base of a cannabis leaf connecting to the head of Seshat, symbolizing the ancient link between cannabis and consciousness.

Shamanistic traditions of great antiquity, in Asia and the Near East, have as one of their most important elements, the attempt to find God without a vale of tears and cannabis played a role in this. Whereas Western religious traditions generally stress sin, repentance, and

mortification of the flesh, certain older non-Western religious sects seem to have employed cannabis as a euphoriant, which allowed the participant a joyous path to the Ultimate; hence such appellations as “heavenly guide”.

Present day science is vindicating the strong relationship between cannabis and our physical body — the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the body is literally set up to receive specific healing cannabinoids that promote well-being. Research has linked the ECS to an incredible number of bodily processes.

As one of the legacy farms here in the Sierra Foothills, we understand that cultivating Cannabis is an Art: the bringing together of creative imagination, a deep relationship with the plant, and skill.

Each of our family members brings one of these specific gifts to our venture; and so with our vision to bring this “source of happiness” and present-day science together, we created Green Gift Cooperative as a medicinal farm under California’s Proposition 215 to cultivate this magical plant in order to provide cannabis for healing products such as oils and salves.

Once California legalized cannabis cultivation in 2016,

Green Gift Cooperative became Green Gift Gardens and we began advocating for local regulations and policies that would support the legacy farms, like ours, that had been in operation for years.

The importance of “destigmatizing” cannabis became paramount to changing the perception of who was growing this “evil weed.” Once a tech executive, I was not your normal cannabis farmer. Joining forces with the Nevada County Cannabis Alliance, I became a board member and outspoken advocate for reasonable cannabis policies.

Green Gift Gardens and other local farms now face grave challenges as the cannabis market changes. Large corporate farms are over-producing cannabis and flooding the market at very low prices. Small farms need to diversify to survive, and we continue to advocate for updates to local and state regulations that will be critical to the survival of small cannabis farms in California.

Now, more than ever, we need to recognize the gift our farms are bringing to our local community. “Come out green” and support small cannabis farms, for all segments of society that could benefit from this magical plant, and for every person to deepen their own relationship to this source of joy that is cannabis.

SENIOR SERVICES

Grass Valley, CA • 530-615-4541

Senior Firewood Program Application 2020-2021

Senior Nutrition Program

Providing meals to older adults in Western Nevada since 1987.

Senior Firewood Program was established in 1979 to assist low income households living in Western Nevada County stay warm in the wintertime. provided is split to 16” length and is a mix of pine, fir, & cedar.

LAST: DOB :

Café Meals in a congregate setting that provides older adults an opportunity to socialize.

Meals on Wheels provides homebound seniors with meals delivered by friendly volunteers.

LAST: DOB:

ADDRESS: ADDRESS:

Veteran:

Veteran:

Senior Firewood Program

Since 1979, the Senior Firewood Program has provided extra warmth to low-income seniors by delivering firewood for winter. The group of dedicated volunteers cut, split and deliver the firewood to seniors in need in our community.

CELL#:  SINGLE

 COUPLE

 OTHER

Community Referrals

Assisting older adults remain independent in their home by providing community referrals and application assistance.

CalFresh • Veteran Services • Caregiving Mental Health • Education

Gross Household Income per Month: Type of Home:  SGL  MULT MBLE wood do you need this winter? _____________________________ (up to 1.5 apply as a PICK UP CLIENT $50.00 Suggested Voluntary Donation if enrolled. apply as a DELIVERY* CLIENT $75.00 Suggested Voluntary Donation if enrolled. limited to a case by case basis only available to households living within 10 miles of the GCCS wood yard

GOLD

www.goldcountryservices.org

Pet Food Pantry Program

income senior

The wood

Providing free pet food for seniors who need help for their pets. The program runs by volunteers and generous donors.

Veteran: YES/NO

Veteran: YES/NO

Senior Center (Coming in 2023!)

Gold Country Senior Services purchased a building to establish the long awaited Senior Center in Grass Valley.

231 Colfax Avenue, Grass Valley will be the new location for the Senior Center.

SGL FAMILY MULT- FAM MBLE HOME 1.5 cords). enrolled. enrolled. yard.

Activities & Classes

Staying active and connected are two important ways to stay health. Our goal is to give you ways to do both by offering affordable activities and chasses to help keep your health and wellbeing.

COUNTRY SENIOR SERVICES ensures older adults have nutritional meals, warm homes, social interaction, and a greater sense of security.

“Ageing is just another word for living.” Cindy Joseph

By Leslie Lovejoy RN, Ph.D., Executive Director Gold Country Senior Services

Long-awaited and much-needed, the new Gold Country Senior Center is destined to change the way Nevada County honors its older residents.

Phase One involved finding and purchasing a building that offered a convenient location with easy access, adequate parking, and enough space to house a commercial kitchen, an activities area, plus a coffee shop and outdoor dining.

Phase Two involved demolition and permits for a complete renovation to make the building meet our mission. The 4,503 sq. ft. property, located at 421 Colfax Ave., Grass Valley, will open its doors to a new level of support for local seniors who want to live at home for as long as possible.

Our goal is to create an attractive, welcoming facility — a place where older adults can rely on services that cover many aspects of aging. For over four decades, programs, such as Meals on Wheels and the Senior Firewood Program have supported nutritional and cold-weather safety needs. However, the new Senior Center will offer far more, including ways to enhance physical fitness, as well as mental and emotional health. It will also offer engaging activities, plus advice on topics such as finances, medical insurance and help with tax preparation.

Education is another key element. Information will be

readily available on important issues, such as facing laterlife health challenges, maintaining a medications list, and how to improve balance and flexibility — even what to consider for advanced-care planning. Having a designated center means a wider range of resources will be available, ready to enrich seniors’ lives.

New scope to honor aging.

In addition, the center will have multigenerational appeal, as high school and college students become involved, perhaps as part of their curriculum. Since the coffee shop and dining area will be open to all, we’re likely to see people of all ages engaged in lively conversations.

Greater potential also exists when it comes to developing partnerships with other non-profits. The same applies to expanding relationships with local businesses and private donors.

Since so many others share our commitment, there are numerous hands-on ways to participate, as a staff member or as a volunteer. Some of our Meals on Wheels drivers, for example, have been volunteering for over 25 years. Meaningful opportunities also exist in the Senior Firewood Program, in the kitchen, on the board, and on the Senior Center Planning Committee. Time and talent are always welcome.

Since Nevada County has one of California’s highest senior populations per capita, the need to offer additional support is great. In fact, it’s a need that dramatically increases each year. Remember, many Gold Country clients served in the military or in law enforcement. Many were teachers, medical professionals, or they worked in ways that made our lives better. Each one deserves respect and appreciation from their community.

The new Senior Center is more than a building. It’s more than a dedicated group of staff members, volunteers, partners and supporters. It’s an enduring tribute to maturity and how we value life.

With deepest appreciation to all those who have and will play a part in making this milestone one of Nevada County’s most meaningful amenities.

By Keoni Allen,

Sierra Foothills Construction Company

Hi Folks, there are a lot of great things happening in Grass Valley in 2023. Both the residential/housing sector and the commercial sector are moving forward with several great projects, despite the typical challenges of high cost and not enough available labor to produce the completed projects as quickly as desired.

Let’s start with a brief synopsis of the proposed and underway residential/housing projects in Grass Valley.

Loma Rica Ranch, the 452-acre mixed-use development that includes multiple paved trails, and parks, has been diligently working on its site improvements for the long-awaited 245 housing units on the creeks between Sutton and Brunswick. The underground utilities are essentially complete, and concrete and paving, are underway. The developer is hoping to break ground on the first 60 duplex units after the first of the year.

Adjacent to Loma Rica Ranch is Woodland Heights, a recently proposed 50+ unit project of duplex townhouse units. The developers hope to secure their approvals in early summer and proceed with construction as soon as possible.

Ridge Village is a recently completed site work project for potential 38 single-family homes. The developer hopes to break ground on the new home construction in the new year.

Gilded Springs at the West end of Main Street is a new neighborhood of 26 customizable homes within walking distance of downtown historic Grass Valley. The project has completed its site improvements and is working on permits for its beautifully designed singlefamily homes.

Berriman Ranch by Homes By Towne, a single-family new home community offering 30 homesites, is working towards the completion of the next phase of single-family homes.

Dorsey Market Place has approval for 170 market-rate apartments. The family-friendly, multi-use project is still being held up by a lawsuit over environmental concerns. The developers hope that a resolution is near which would allow construction to begin in 2023.

A total of approximately 550 housing units are proposed, approved, or under construction in Grass Valley. These units would be a great help in alleviating our acute shortage of housing. A shortage that Nevada County has estimated at 2000 units.

The commercial sector in the Grass Valley area is making some significant strides forward, led by the very ambitious renovation of Mill Street into a beautifully landscaped and lit pedestrian plaza from West Main Street to Neal Street. The project construction has been somewhat low-key to date. Encompassing after-business hours

replacement and upgrade of water lines and individual water services and meters. Immediately after the Holidays, the work will become more visible with daytime work, being done in fenced-off sections, which will consist of building new stone landscape planters, street lighting, and new stamped concrete paving. The completed project will be a great addition to the ambiance and experience of being in downtown Grass Valley.

The Mill Street project has motivated multiple businesses and building owners to upgrade their buildings to reflect the great investment into the thriving future of downtown Grass Valley. Retailers, restaurants, shoppers, and diners are all helping and benefiting from the great energy downtown.

The complete upgrade of the former Kmart shopping center on the south end of town is underway, and the anchor Target store is hoping to open in April 2023.

The new West Olympia Hotel on East Main Street near Brunswick Road is proposed to be a two-story, 74-room hotel that will include a pool and fitness center. This much-needed addition to hospitality lodging located between Grass Valley and Nevada City will be

a great addition to our downtowns and the permits are nearly ready to issue.

The coming year is very bright for Grass Valley. The city is doing a fantastic job of planning and leading the way to meet our needs, and everywhere we look, we see the wise and effective use of our taxpayer-approved and supported measure F Funds.

Surround yourself with fresh mountain breezes, natural surroundings and that magical place where the grass is greener. Berriman Ranch in Grass Valley is nestled in the heart of the Sierra Nevada foothills and features four singleand two-story homes ranging from 1,579 to 2,491 square feet in a quaint 30 homesite community. This charming community is an artful blend of modern lifestyle and nature. Welcome to Berriman Ranch.

Surround yourself with fresh mountain breezes, natural surroundings and that magical place where the grass is greener. Berriman Ranch in Grass Valley is nestled in the heart of the Sierra Nevada foothills and features four singleand two-story homes ranging from 1,579 to 2,491 square feet in a quaint 30 homesite community. This charming community is an artful blend of modern lifestyle and nature. Welcome to Berriman Ranch.

Surround yourself with fresh mountain breezes, natural surroundings and that magical place where the grass is greener. Berriman Ranch in Grass Valley is nestled in the heart of the Sierra Nevada foothills and features four singleand two-story homes ranging from 1,579 to 2,491 square feet in a quaint 30 homesite community. This charming community is an artful blend of modern lifestyle and nature. Welcome to Berriman Ranch.

HomesByTowne.com | 915-262-8800, Ext. 5

HomesByTowne.com | 915-262-8800, Ext. 5

HomesByTowne.com | 915-262-8800, Ext. 5

New Construction Homes | Easy Access to Hwy 49

New Construction Homes | Easy Access to Hwy 49 From the $500’s

From the $500’s

New Construction Homes | Easy Access to Hwy 49

From the $500’s

DISPLAY HOME:

166 Berriman Loop | Grass Valley, CA 95949

Christopher Rockey, CA DRE Broker Lic 01499442

DISPLAY HOME:

DISPLAY HOME: 166 Berriman Loop | Grass Valley, CA 95949 Christopher Rockey, CA DRE Broker Lic 01499442

166 Berriman Loop | Grass Valley, CA 95949

Modernizing M ill Street

Civic Design for a Bright Future

Downtown Grass Valley is currently experiencing something of a renaissance. Underway is a cultural and structural revitalization that will modernize the town center, while maintaining its historical gold country charm. Together with recent major renovations to The Center for the Arts and the Holbrooke Hotel, the landmark Mill Street Improvement Project will make downtown Grass Valley a more vibrant place for locals and visitors to gather in the years to come.

The Mill Street project originated in 2020, during the uncertain days of the COVID-19 lockdown. In an effort to support local restaurants, the city issued an ordinance closing two blocks of Mill Street to vehicular traffic, and allowing outdoor dining in the street. People began to congregate again, to stroll and shop and dine in the heart of Grass Valley. The plentiful outdoor seating and freshly installed planters were widely appreciated, so much so that talk of making the street closure permanent began almost immediately.

The City of Grass Valley prepared an initial concept for the closure and put the project out to bid for a design/ build team to complete. A local team comprised of Wallis Design Studio Architects, Sierra Foothills Construction Company, Millennium Planning and Engineering, and C&D Contractors, among others, was selected to complete the design and construction. In collaboration with City

staff, this team has worked tirelessly to achieve the goals of the project, while keeping construction on schedule, in budget, and minimizing impacts to downtown businesses.

Among those leading the effort is Robert Wallis, a Grass Valley-based architect who believes there are social, economic, and aesthetic reasons to give the downtown area a refreshed look. Robert and team have been working since last May to create an updated and inclusive outdoor space that will offer something for everyone. At the offices of Wallis Design Studio Architects, Robert and his staff work to deliver high-quality projects within Nevada County through thoughtful collaboration between the architect, the client, and a carefully chosen team of partners. Their efforts in meaningful placemaking have resulted in a plenitude of local buildings that reflect the look and feel of this beautiful foothill community.

The firm was an obvious choice to help create a contemporary design for Mill Street that preserves the spirit of Grass Valley, while increasing traffic to local businesses, and providing an attractive space for community and cultural activities. When the project is finished, it will feature a cobblestone pedestrian plaza, natural stone planters, seating for open air dining, designated vendor areas for street fairs, and modernized infrastructure — a win for the City, the project team, and the community.

Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional

Buying or selling a home is a complex process involving what is likely to be your most prized financial asset. The transaction requires:

Competence

A REALTOR® offers a trusted guidance and a commitment to a hight level of knowledge, ethics and expertise in an ever-changing real estate profession.

Understanding Current Market Conditions

A REALTOR® helps you understand today’s real estate values when setting the listing price or offer to purchase price.

Property Accessibility

A REALTOR® accesses cooperative Multiple Listing Services to locate and disburse property information.

Documentation

A REALTOR® is familiar with regulations, legal disclosures, contract negotiation and paperwork necessary to help you understand and navigate you through the complexities of the transaction.

Inclusion

A REALTOR® believes in a conscious, persistent effort to embrace different perspectives and further diversity, equity, inclusion in their community.

By Brian O’Brian, Beam

Many years ago, when we started selling whole house fans, the primary motivation was opening a window and getting a refreshing breeze overnight. The process of selling a television was all about size and picture quality. A speaker was sold on its bass and tweeter sound output, and a security system was sold to protect your home, business, and family from intruders.

All remain true, but with the lightning speed of technology, many more components are now at play. They will not only relieve some of the inflationary pressures but also underwrite your purchase completely.

I often say, “you can’t afford not to have this product.”

Customers see the advantages in replacing the old traditional fans, and the investment and return are almost immediate. Areas of the house can be closed off for privacy and still enjoy the benefits of the whole-house cooling.

We have all seen the race to the bottom on television costs and the 55” is the new 32” of a dozen years ago. TVs are thinner, lighter, and much more affordable but the new Smart Technology and ever expansion of streaming options have helped elevate the television to a level once incomprehensible on the list of savings in the family budget.

As internet availability and speeds have increased, we have seen the next generation eliminating the need for expensive traditional Cable and Satellite service packages. The people who take the time to delve into the streaming options aren’t missing a beat in their viewing options either.

A security system is still the best way to actively protect your home, business and family but now can protect your pocketbook as well. Most insurance companies recognize the benefit of a professionally installed and monitored system and most will give you premium reductions based on checking the boxes.

We now have motion detectors that will verify via video which can eliminate false alarms and the associated law enforcement charges that can accompany them. But even more, you can now incorporate thermostats, and lighting into a system that will allow you to create scenes and even making it look like someone is home and provide your house with proper climate control at a minimal cost.

When it comes to access to your home, however, be sure you consult with a local alarm company and understand the risks associated with many mail order systems that do not have the encryption necessary to turn over your family’s security. This has turned into a serious issue and even state and federal governments have banned the use of these systems in any entity they control. A professional security company and preferably local one can guide you through this process and still save you money and provide a safe system with less labor-intensive wireless systems geared for do-it-yourself applications as well.

The Beam Easy Living Center has been in business in Nevada County for over 40 years and evolved through all these changes and continue to be a great resource for determining ways you can utilize technology, provide your family comfort and convenience and above all else save you money

“Easy Living” Center

Mortgage Meltdown 2022 is Proving to be a Boom for Renters

By Suzanne Voter, Mortgage advisor NMLS

Pay attention millennials, this is for you. Beginning January 2023, the mortgage agencies that regulate affordable homeownership mortgage loans are eliminating the addon fees for the HomeReady and Home Possible 1st time homeowner programs. In addition, the maximum income limits are being raised, with lower interest rates and mortgage insurance costs as well.

Already we are seeing signs of improving market conditions for all homebuyers, not just 1st time buyers. Mortgage rates are stabilizing, and home values are flattening in some locations. Gone are the days of competing with multiple offers. The home buying field has evened out giving homebuying shoppers more time and options to succeed.

Experts are factoring all of this into their mortgage rate forecasts for next year. And if we average those forecasts together, experts say we can expect rates to stabilize early 2023. Whether that’s between 5.5% and 6.5%, it’s hard for experts to say exactly where they’ll land. But based on the average of their projections, a more predictable rate is likely ahead (see chart to the right):

We have seen over the centuries; the benefits of homeownership

230270

far outweigh renting for building your net worth. Or as many think of it — renting is making someone else’s mortgage payment for them.

Information found on this page is presented for information purposes only. This is not a commitment to lend or extend credit. Information and/or dates are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to credit approval.

Home Heroes Lending Inc | NMLS # 230270 | CO NMLS # 2126292

www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org | |Equal Housing Opportunity.

Licensed by California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Loans made or arranged pursuant to under the California Financing Law License # 60DBO-144356.

Like working with a local, expert gardener before planting,

Working with a Local REALTOR® Strong Grass Roots Bear Great Fruit

Matters

Serving Nevada County for 48 YEARS

What We Offer

Exclusively Commercial & Investment Properties

• Innovative technologies and cutting edge marketing materials designed to get your property sold or leased fast.

• Proactive broker cooperation to maximize competition for your listing and achieve maximum value.

• Targeted property acquisition services and informed analyses for advantageous decision making.

• Collaborative network of Affiliates working together on millions of dollars of new properties each week.

What It Means To You

The Hangover - Part IV?

By Lock Richards, President/Broker, Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates – Highland Commercial Real

For better or worse “The Hangover” film series may have ended at three, but Hangover Part IV may still be heading our way in the form of economic repercussions caused in large part by governmental overimbibing with the national money supply. While the pandemic and related shutdowns clearly warranted monetary stimulus, as can be the tendency with alcohol, it can be difficult to know when to stop partaking.

The more pleasant effects of this postpandemic “intoxication” have been robust job creation, low unemployment, strong wage growth, increasing retail sales, resurging service/travel sector and strong manufacturing. However, with “last call” now upon us momentary feelings of optimism are being swallowed up by dropping consumer confidence and fears of recession due to soaring inflation and rising interest rates, which are beginning to have a palpable effect on pocketbooks.

The recommended cure for a hangover caused primarily by monetary overindulgence is monetary policy in the form of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes to reduce monetary supply, restrict economic

Estate activity and cool inflation, but likely leading to a recessionary hangover that will not be easy to shake.

While clouds are on the horizon, Nevada County can take solace in the fact that the local Grass Valley/Nevada City region is not overbuilt - as can be seen in the low vacancy numbers in the accompanying chart. The Sierra Foothills are a highly desirable area that will see enduring demand bolstered by “work from home”

trends necessitated by the pandemic but now emerging as workplace norms that are here-to-stay. Financial markets are taking note of these trends and capital is migrating from larger metro areas into smaller tertiary markets like Nevada County. So while economic signals are quite disparate as of this writing, Nevada County commercial real estate does appear to be relatively well positioned to continue the primarily upward trajectory that we have seen in rents and values since 2017.

Commercial Real Estate Report - as of Q3 2021 (Grass Valley/Nevada City)

Purple. A rich and majestic hue, the color purple’s association with kings and queens dates back to the ancient world, where it was prized for its bold hues and often reserved for the elite and ruling class. The Persian king Cyrus adopted a purple tunic as his royal uniform, and some Roman emperors forbid their citizens from wearing purple clothing under penalty of death.

The meaning of the color purple symbolizes magic, mystery, spirituality, the subconscious, creativity, dignity, and royalty, according to Color Matters, and it evokes all of these meanings more so than any other hue. The digital aspect could be escapism, but it is sure to invade fashion collections for the spring summer 2023 collections.

As a need for optimism sweeps the world after a global pandemic, the color of the year 2023 is Digital Lavender, according to trend forecasting agency WGSN and color authority Coloro

The shade is already embedded in digital culture and is expected to converge across virtual and physical worlds.

Commenting on the choice of Digital Lavender, Coloro’s Head of Content, Joanne Thomas, said: “As consumers find solace and comfort inhabiting the virtual space, the influence of video games and virtual realities will become all-encompassing, distorting the boundaries between our online and offline existence.

“Digital Lavender, our Color of the Year for 2023, as reflecting what we are all after in our lives, solace and comfort inhabiting the virtual space. It signifies the stability, serenity, and digital escapism that so many of us have built into our recuperative rituals to both protect and improve our mental health in challenging times.

Digital Lavender extends the blurring of lines between the virtual and physical worlds, increasingly merging the two realities. Digital Lavender is gender-inclusive, while the soft and subtle tints bring point to feminine self-care.

After so much turmoil in recent years, the desire for serenity and calm is anticipated to favor Digital Lavender’s neutral tone that will be readily accepted by all generations and celebrated by Generation Z.

RENOVATE • CONCEPT • REIMAGINE • CONCEPT • REINTERPRET • CONCEPT

By Stephanie Statler, Stephanie’s Custom Interiors

“Two weeks to slow the spread.” I wonder if any of us knew what that meant, nor did we know it would be more than two weeks. We also didn’t realize that many of us would be confined to our homes, working from home, going to school from home, and not entertaining ourselves for more than two weeks.

As a business owner, I knew we were going into uncharted territory. What would this mean for my business and my clients? Interior design is a luxury even though I have tried to make it obtainable for all over my 25 years in business. So, the question arose in my mind with a sharp sting, “who in the world would be thinking about interior design in a time like this?”

On days when I slow down long enough to catch my breath, I answer that question, EVERYONE was interested in their home, how it looked and how it felt.

The interior design and construction industry has changed a lot since March 2020, but the one thing it did not do was stop or even think of slowing down.

The design industry was deemed essential and put into the same category as grocery store workers and mail carriers. People wanted and needed attention placed on their homes. Design was a big priority in their life. Homeowners found themselves shuttered in their homes only to look around and see a need for change. The changes were big and small. For some,

it was something as simple as a new wall color to brighten and update their space. For others, it was that uncomfortable sofa upon which they now spend much more time. Many of my clients were forced to work from home and needed a space they could be productive and feel accomplished. That was true for our kids as well. They needed a desk, a space to continue their education. Other clients just wanted to use this “time off” to get some projects done around the house that they had been putting off. The most significant impact on this industry here in Nevada County was the influx of folks from out of the area who bought homes here and needed help making their new place fit into their lifestyle.

Whether it was furniture, a bathroom or kitchen remodel new paint, or anything else in between, the phone that I thought would be quiet for a while started to ring in early spring 2020. Suddenly we all felt the need to be in an environment we loved. A place that made us feel safe and comfortable, especially since we were spending a lot more time at home. The need for good interior design help skyrocketed. There was only one small problem that would radiate a gigantic kickup in the industry that is still ongoing more than 2 1/2 years later; there were no workers to accommodate our needs.

The factories were closed. There was no one to answer the phone, take an order, check on an order, or ship an

order. Even if one manufacturer was producing goods, the chance of the packaging material or a needed part wasn’t available. My clients who were in the middle of a project when this hit really felt it. Everything stopped. Then there were the shipping delays. We are all familiar with those still to this day.

The understaffed shipping departments needed help to keep up with simply getting the product out the door. There needed to be more truck drivers to get us our goods. How can we forget those ships, stuck with many of our products floating at the docks waiting to be unloaded? That delay was on top of the original production delay; packaging and shipping delays meant waiting months and months for a product. The problem was apparent; not enough people back in the workforce, plus more demand made for the need to be very, very patient.

Our clientele still wanted to start and accomplish a project. They were still at home and still desired a great space. People were not traveling, so they had funds that they were willing to put back into their homes. Their homes were growing in value, so they knew the value would only increase by updating it. Most clients just realized something I’ve wanted to convey to clients for many years, your home is your sanctuary, and it should

Stephanie Harvey-Statler

Interior Designer

feel good to you. It should be fine if we spend a limited amount of time there or all our time; your home should be your favorite place. People were getting that!

Those of us in the industry soon found ourselves the bearer of bad news. We were the ones that had to break the news that their windows wouldn’t be in for nine months, that their refrigerator wouldn’t arrive until the following fall, or that their sofa would be nine months out. And remember that they would have to wait for a qualified contractor for at least 6-9 months.

It took my clients a while to come to terms with this bad news. They just knew there was something out there that they could get sooner, ship faster, and install next week, but there just wasn’t. We also found our workload doubled to do the same job. Ordering, tracking, and schedule changes became the thing that took up most of our time, as it took much longer to do any one of those tasks.

As we sit in the beginning months of 2023 and near the anniversary of the start of this all 3 years ago, I can’t say things are too much different. Clients do realize

and are aware of the delays. They might not like the news, but they do understand.

I might be jinxing the topic, but the industry is seeing a slight uptick in faster turnaround times for almost all products across-the-board. Do I dare say that out loud? I am anxious for 2023 as the importance of our home, where we live, and how we feel is hopefully a part of our culture.

I think a lot more people realize the importance of a home that feels good and functions well. I hope this shift of paying attention to the feel and comfort of our home is here to stay. I hope this period influenced several generations so they can enjoy the benefits of a well-designed home and personal space when they become homeowners. Interior Design IS obtainable to all. The shipping delays and long wait times for contractors will be a distant memory at some point. I want to continue our love for our space. Our home should reflect us and make us feel our best. It should also function well for whatever needs we have individually or as a family. My wish is that this change becomes permanent.

Where Tomorrow’s Dreams Become Today’s Solutions

Worship Centers in Western Nevada County

ASSEMBLY OF GOD

BETHEL CHURCH

530-273-8475

13010 Hwy. 49, Grass Valley, CA

BAPTIST

BIBLE BELIEVERS BAPTIST

530-272-6210

13005 Rough and Ready Hwy., Rough and Ready, CA

GRACE BIBLE CHURCH OF CEDAR RIDGE

530-273-7857

Colfax Hwy. & Brunswick Dr., Cedar Ridge, CA

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH GRASS VALLEY

530-273-7301

1866 Ridge Rd., Grass Valley, CA

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH NEVADA CITY

530-265-4711

300 Main St., Nevada City, CA

NEW COVENANT BAPTIST CHURCH

530-274-8516

12582 Squirrel Creek Rd., Grass Valley, CA

CATHOLIC ST. CANICE

530-265-2049

317 Washington St., Nevada City, CA

ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH

530-273-2347

Church & Chapel Streets, Grass Valley, CA

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST

530-273-9452

375 Crown Point Circle, Grass Valley, CA

CHURCH OF CHRIST

GRASS VALLEY CHURCH OF CHRIST

530-273-0401

670 Whiting St., Grass Valley, CA

EPISCOPAL

EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH

530-273-7876

235 S Church St., Grass Valley, CA

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

530-265-8836

Nevada St. & High St., Nevada City, CA

FOURSQUARE

FOOTHILL COMM. CHURCH FOURSQUARE

530-272-8511

16874 Allison Ranch Rd., Grass Valley, CA

SOLID ROCK FOURSQUARE CHURCH

530-432-1964

11665 Spenceville Rd., Penn Valley, CA

INDEPENDENT CHURCHES

ABUNDANT LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH

530-273-1139

10795 Alta Street, Grass Valley, CA

CALVARY BIBLE CHURCH

530-273-1343

11481 CA-174, Grass Valley, CA

COMBIE BIBLE CHURCH

530-268-0309

22924 W. Hacienda Dr., Grass Valley, CA

CROSSROADS CHURCH

530-268-2539

10050 Wolf Rd., Grass Valley, CA

BETHE'L CHURCH

530-273-8475

13010 CA-49, Grass Valley, CA

PENN VALLEY COMMUNITY CHURCH

530-432-1161

11739 Spenceville Rd., Penn Valley, CA

TWIN CITIES CHURCH

530-273-6425

11726 Rough & Ready Hwy., Grass Valley, CA

WHISPERING PINES CHURCH OF GOD

530-273-1722

680 Brighton St., Grass Valley, CA

WORD-A-LIVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH

530-432-9155

10528 Spenceville Rd., Penn Valley, CA

JUDAISM

NEVADA COUNTY JEWISH COMM. CENTER

530-477-0922

506 Walsh St., Grass Valley, CA

LATTER DAY SAINTS

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF THE LATTER DAY SAINTS

530-265-4554

615 Hollow Way, Nevada City, CA

LUTHERAN GRACE LUTHERAN

530-273-7043

Ridge Road by NUHS, Grass Valley, CA

PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH

530-273-9631

828 W. Main St., Grass Valley, CA

METHODIST

GRASS VALLEY UNITED METHODIST

530-272-1946

236 S Church St., Grass Valley, CA

NEVADA CITY UNITED METHODIST

530-265-2797

433 Broad St., Nevada City, CA

SIERRA PINES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

530-268-6907

22558 W. Hacienda Dr., Grass Valley, CA

NAZARENE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

530-273-9218

10220 Hughes Rd., Grass Valley, CA

PENTECOSTAL

UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH

530-272-6455

1784 Ridge Rd., Grass Valley, CA

PRESBYTERIAN

SIERRA PRESBYTERIAN

530-265-3291

175 Ridge Rd., Grass Valley, CA

QUAKER

RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

530-265-3164

13075 Woolman Lane, Nevada City, CA

SALVATION ARMY

GRASS VALLEY CORPS

530-274-3500

10725 Alta St., Grass Valley, CA

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST

GRASS VALLEY

530-477-5017

12889 Osborn Hill Rd., Grass Valley, CA

PENN VALLEY

530-432-2479

17645 Penn Valley Dr., Penn Valley, CA

Independent Company

DRE #00843903

Resource D irectory 2023

ACCOUNTING & TAX SERVICES

H & R Block

135-B W. McKnight Way

Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 273-4884

McSweeney & Associates, APC

350 Crown Point Circle, Ste. 200 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-5555

Robertson, Woodford & Summers, LLP

1103 Sutton Way Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-6468

Steven Roth, CPA 12282 N. Bloomfield Road Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 478-5600

The Scinto Group 404 Sierra College Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-3200

ADOPTION AGENCY

Stanford Sierra Youth & Families 8912 Volunteer Lane Sacramento, CA 95826 (916) 344-0199

AGRICULTURE

Tres Jolie Lavender Farm & Wellness & Pilates Studio

13956 Sierra View Drive Grass Valley, CA 95949 (209) 969-9815

AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

All Phase Heating & Air Conditioning

731 S. Auburn Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-9955

ALZHEIMERS-MEMORY CARE

Cascades of Grass Valley 415 Sierra College Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-8002

Eskaton Village

625 Eskaton Circle Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-1778

ANIMAL SERVICES

Animal Place 17314 McCourtney Road

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 477-1757

AnimalSave

520 E. Main Street, Ste. A Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 271-7071

Dogs Run Free/Off-Leash Dog Park

P. O. Box 1688

Condon Park; 660 Minnie Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-9268

For the Love of Pets Veterinary Hospital

561 Idaho Maryland Road Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-5683

Mother Lode Veterinary Hospital 11509 La Barr Meadows Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-6651

Nevada County Pets in Need 122 Race Street Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 802-3666

Sammie’s Friends

14647 McCourtney Road

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 471-5041

ARCHITECTS & ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Wallis Design Studio 152 S. Auburn Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 264-7010

ART & CULTURE

Banner Mountain Artisans

12001 Snowbourne Drive

Nevada City, CA 95959

(707) 694-8388

Curious Forge Arts Center

13024 Bitney Springs Road

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 446-2777

InConcert Sierra

P. O. Box 205

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530 ) 273-3990

Miners Foundry Cultural Center

325 Spring Street

Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-5040

Music In The Mountains

131 S. Auburn Street Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 265-6173

Nevada City Film Festival

P. O. Box 2001

Nevada City, CA 95959 (916) 548-7716

Nevada County Arts Council

P. O. Box 1833

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 278-5155

The Center for the Arts

314 W. Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-8384

The Curious Forge

13024 Bitney Springs Road, Bldg. 9

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 277-3319

ART GALLERY

Art Works Gallery

113 Mill Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-1600

The Chambers Project 627 E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 470-3297

The Louvre Gallery

124 E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-3733

ASSISTED LIVING

Brunswick Village/Pacific Senior Housing

316 Olympia Park Circle

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 274-1992

Eskaton Village

625 Eskaton Circle Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-1778

Sierra View Senior Living 120 Dorsey Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-4849

ASSOCIATIONS

Grass Valley Downtown Association

125 Neal Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-8315

Lake Wildwood Association

11255 Cottontail Way

Penn Valley, CA 95946 (530) 432-1152

Nevada County Association of Realtors

336 Crown Point Circle

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-2627

Nevada County Contractors’ Association

149 Crown Point Court, Ste. A Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-1919

Penn Valley Community Rodeo Association P. O. Box 1103 Penn Valley, CA 95946

Sierra Gold Parks Foundation 10787 E. Empire Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (510) 673-3741

ATTORNEYS

Ingram•Brady

110 Bank Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 432-1996

Law Office of Chuck Farrar

101 W. McKnight Way, Ste. B, #266

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 277-4862

Law Office of Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC 420 Sierra College Drive, Ste 140 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 432-7357

Law Office of Joseph J. Bell 350 Crown Point Circle, Ste. 250 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-7477

Law Office of Valerie Logsdon 470 S. Auburn Street, Ste. B Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-7207

Winton Strauss Law Group 336 Crown Point Circle Grass Valley, CA 95945 (415) 265-5555

AUTO-DETAIL & UPHOLSTERY

A Finer Detail & Upholstery 950 Idaho Maryland Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-1455

AUTO-GAS STATIONS

E. Main St. 76 Gas Station 451 E. Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-8738

McKnight Chevron 107 E. McKnight Way Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 272-8815

AUTO PARTS

Riebe’s Auto Parts 126 Idaho Maryland Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-4000

AUTO-SERVICE & REPAIRS

Douglas Automotive 420 Gold Flat Road Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 802-5278

Douglas Automotive 340 Railroad Avenue

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 802-5278

DENTAL SERVICES

Cater Galante Orthodontics

1364 Whispering Pines Lane, Ste. 1

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 274-4411

Grass Valley Periodontics

565 Brunswick Road, Ste. 7

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-3312

The Dental Wellness Center

280 Sierra College Drive, Ste. 240

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-5060

DIGITAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Codi Digital

11486 Ragan Way

Grass Valley, CA 95949 (480) 335-5520

DRILLING & PUMP SERVICES

Peter’s Drilling & Pump Service, Inc.

P. O. Box 1546

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-8136

DRY CLEANER

Mercury Cleaners 986 Plaza Drive

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-1845

Mercury Cleaners

147 S. Auburn Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-1845

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Nevada County Economic Resource Council

336 Crown Point Circle, Ste. D

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 274-8455

EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Nevada County Superintendent of Schools

380 Crown Point Circle

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 478-6400

EMPLOYMENT AGENCY

Adecco

452 Brunswick Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-7633

Express Employment Professionals

870 W. Onstott Frontage Road, Ste. E

Yuba City, CA 95991

(530) 671-9202

ENGINEERING-CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

All About Wells

20405 Farrell Drive

Penn Valley, CA 95946

(530) 210-9508

Cranmer Engineering Inc.

1188 E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-7284

GeoSolve, Inc.

111 Bank St., Ste. 392

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(925) 963-1198

Holdrege & Kull Consulting/NV5

792 Searls Avenue

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 478-1305

Millennium Planning and Engineering

471 Sutton Way, Ste. 210

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 446-6765

Nevada City Engineering, Inc.

505 Coyote Street, Ste. B

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 265-6911

SCO Planning & Engineering, Inc.

140 Litton Drive, Ste. 240

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-5841

ENTERTAINMENT

Rewind

11713 Mathis Way

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 277-9141

ESTATE PLANNING

New York Life Insurance Company

21837 Junebug Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 268-3672

EVENT VENUE

Nevada County Fairgrounds

11228 McCourtney Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-6217

Nevada County Grass Valley

Veterans Building

255 South Auburn Street

Grass Valley, CA 95959

(530) 470-2635

Nevada County Horsemen, Inc.

10600 Bubbling Wells Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-1507

North Star Historic Conservancy

12075 Auburn Road

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 477-7126

Northern Queen Inn

400 Railroad Avenue

Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-5824

River Highlands Ranch

8600 Big Oak Valley Road

Smartsville, CA 95977 (415) 515-9367

Saint Joseph’s Cultural Center

410 S. Church Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-4725

Willow Springs Lodge

29085 State Hwy. 49

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 615-9055

FAIRGROUNDS

Nevada County Fairgrounds

11228 McCourtney Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-6217

FANS-WHOLE HOUSE- SALES AND SERVICE

Beam “Easy Living” Center 422 Henderson Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-5166

FENCING-INSTALLATION & MATERIALS

Nevada County Fence, Inc.

698 S. Auburn Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-3489

FINANCIAL SERVICES & ADVISORS

Apple & Associates

Dean Barda

565 Brunswick Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-1345

Edward Jones

Heather Thorpe

960 McCourtney Road, Ste. A

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 273-8570

Edward Jones

Ryan Meacher 426 Sutton Way, Ste. 102

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-9092

Edward Jones

Tessa DeVere

908 Taylorville Road, Ste. 100 Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 477-7702

ESOP Advisors of California

John Givens

565 Brunswick Road, Ste. 11

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 798-8393

Foothills Financial & Insurance Services

900 E. Main Street, Ste. 203

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 446-6361

Full Circle Financial 260 Colfax Avenue Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-9308

Meyers Investment Group of Baird 360 Sierra College Drive, Ste. 200

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 271-3000

New York Life Insurance Company 21837 Junebug Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 268-3672

Olympia Mortgage & Invest. Co.

1740 E. Main Street, Ste. 102 Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-3030

Ostrofe Financial Consultants, Inc. 420 Sierra College Drive, Ste. 200 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-4425

Owens Estate and Wealth Strategies 426 Sutton Way, Ste. 110 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-7500

Pioneer Community Energy 2510 Warren Dr., Ste. B Rocklin, CA 95677 (916) 758-8944

Wealth Strategies

134 E. Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (800) 603-1393

FLOOR MATS-SALES, CLEANING

Standing Impressions 10246 Kenwood Drive Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 559-8250

FLORISTS

Foothill Flowers 102 W. Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-2296

FRATERNAL LODGE ORG.

Grass Valley Elks #538 109 S. School Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 575-0373

Grass Valley Odd Fellows Lodge #12 113 S. Church Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-9564

Madison Masonic Lodge #23 126 S. Auburn Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-8148

Nevada City Elks Lodge #518 518 California Hwy. 49 Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-4920

FRIEND OF THE CHAMBER Bank of the West 460 Brunswick Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-6777

Brunswick Village Senior Living 316 Olympia Park Circle Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-1992

Cirino’s at Main Street 215 W. Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-6000

Crystal Ridge Care Center 396 Dorsey Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-2273

Eskaton Village 625 Eskaton Circle Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-1778

Gold Miners Inn

121 Bank Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-1700

Grande Wood Designs

110 Spring Hill Drive, Ste. 19

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 274-3301

Mertens Insurance Agency

715 Zion Street

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 265-0621

Network Real Estate

167 S. Auburn Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-8885

Nevada County Arts Council

P. O. Box 1833

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 278-5155

Nevada County Habitat for Humanity ReStore

12359 Loma Rica Drive

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 274-3761

River Valley Community Bank

580 Brunswick Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

530 798-2690

Sierra Heritage Realty

104 West Main Street, Ste. 101 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 615-0111

Sierra Nevada Destination Services

128 E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 913-2399

Sierra Theaters

840-C E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-1100

Stanford Mortgage

1721 East Main Street, Ste. 1

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-7000

The Union

464 Sutton Way

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-9561

FUNERAL HOMES

Chapel of the Angels Mortuary & Crematory

250 Race Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-2446

Hooper & Weaver Mortuary

459 Hollow Way

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 265-2429

GENERATORS-WHOLE HOUSE BACK UP

Beam “Easy Living” Center

422 Henderson Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-5166

Freschi Construction, Inc.

12461 La Barr Meadows Road

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 272-2051

GOLF COUNTRY CLUB

Alta Sierra Country Club

11897 Tammy Way

Grass Valley, CA 95949

(530) 273-2041

Nevada County Country Club

1040 E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-6436

GOVERNMENT

Megan Dahle, Assemblywoman 1315 Tenth Street, Ste. 4208

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 319-2001

Nevada County Board of Supervisors

950 Maidu Avenue

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 265-1480

GRAPHIC DESIGN

IndiVisual Designs

101 Spree Avenue

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 263-3683

Solace Graphics

P. O. Box 1947

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-9966

GROCERY STORE-SPECIALTY

BackPorch Market

135 Colfax Avenue

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 271-7111

BriarPatch Food Co-op

290 Sierra College Drive, Ste. A Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-5333

Save Mart Supermarket

12054 Nevada City Hwy.

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(209) 596-2267

SPD Market & Delicatessen

129 W. McKnight Way

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-5000

HEALTH & FITNESS

Gold Country Gymnastics

900 Golden Gate Terrace

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-3680

South Yuba Club

130 W. Berryhill Drive

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-7676

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Hospice of the Foothills

11270 Rough & Ready Hwy. Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-5739

Hospitality House

1262 Sutton Way

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 271-7144

Neighborhood Center of the Arts

200 Litton Drive, Ste. 212 Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-7287

Pride Industries

12451 Loma Rica Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-1832

Sierra Services for the Blind

546 Searls Avenue

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 265-2121

United Way of Nevada County

P. O. Box 2733

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 274-8111

HANDYMAN

Awesome Handyman

Brian Kennan

360 Bennett Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 368-4986

HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS

Chapa-De Indian Health

1350 E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-8545

Golden Point Acupuncture 421 Broad Street

Nevada City, CA 95959 (415) 730-2465

Healing Light Hypnotherapy 16116 John Way Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 263-8048

Living Waters 1097 E. Main Street, Ste. F Grass Valley CA 95949 (530) 274-9738

Sierra Family Medical Clinic, Inc. 345 Crowne Point Circle Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 292-3478

Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital 155 Glasson Way Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-6000

Western Sierra Medical Clinic 844 Old Tunnel Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-9762

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

California Heritage Indigenous Research Project P. O. Box 2624 Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 570-0846

Nevada County Historical Society 161 Nevada City Hwy. Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 477-8056

North Star Historic Conservancy 12075 Auburn Road Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 205-8793

HOME DÉCOR

Evans Furniture Galleries 161 Mill Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-8400

Budget Blinds of Grass Valley 310 Colfax Avenue

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-1122

Floortex Design/Abbey Floors of Auburn

1775 Grass Valley Hwy. Auburn, CA 95603 (530) 888-8889

Sierra Timberline 324 Idaho-Maryland Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-4822

The Sleep Shop-Auburn-Grass Valley 410 Brunswick Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 271-7099

Young’s Carpet One 330 Idaho Maryland Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-5568

HOME HEALTH CARE

Comfort Keepers 908 Taylorville Road, Ste. 102 Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 274-8600

Pawnie’s Home Care 10042 Wolf Road, Ste. C Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 368-7475

Rondha’s After Care 113 Presley Way, Ste. 9 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 615-1353

HOT TUBS

Sierra Timberline 324 Idaho-Maryland Road Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-4822

ICE CREAM AND CONFECTIONS

Culture Shock Yogurt 851 Sutton Way Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-3444

INDIVIDUAL

Cathy Whittlesey Grass Valley, CA 95945

David Jones Grass Valley, CA 95945

Georgann Russell Nevada City, CA 95959

Gil Mathew Grass Valley, CA 95945

Jon Katis Grass Valley, CA 95945

STOVES-WOOD, GAS, COAL AND PELLET

Sierra Timberline

324 Idaho-Maryland Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-4822

TAX PREPARATION/ RESOLUTION

Patterson’s Tax Practice

312 Colfax Avenue

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 615-4872

TELECOMMUNICATIONSSALES & SERVICE

Absolute Communication Solutions

175 Joerschke Drive, Ste. S Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 271-0332

Telcom Data, LLC

598 Garden Highway, Ste. 18 Yuba City, CA 95991

(530) 674-2590

TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES

Valley Yellow Pages

1850 N. Gateway Blvd.

Fresno, CA 93727

(800) 350-8887

TELEVISION AND HOME

ENTERTAINMENT- SALES AND SERVICE

Beam “Easy Living” Center

422 Henderson Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-5166

TELEVISION STATION

Nevada County Media Center

104 New Mohawk Road

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 272-8862

THEATER-CINEMAS

Sierra Theaters

840-C E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-1100

THEATER-LIVE

Community Asian Theater

P. O. Box 1266

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-6362

Sierra Stages

P. O. Box 709

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 346-3210

TITLE COMPANIES

Old Republic Title 426 Sutton Way, Ste. 108

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 401-4182

Placer Title Company

380 Sierra College Drive, Ste. 100

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-1382

TOURIST ATTRACTION

Crystal Hermitage at Ananda Village

14618 Tyler Foote Road

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 478-7503

Nevada County Fairgrounds

11228 McCourtney Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-6217

TOWING

Advanced Towing and Transport

319 Railroad Avenue

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 477-5400

Triple M Towning

647 E. Main Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-3180

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Paratransit Services/Gold Country Lift

900 Whispering Pines Lane

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-1225

TREE SERVICE

S & S Tree Service

P. O. Box 552

Nevada City, CA 95959

(530) 263-8569

YFR Tree & Land Management

P. O. Box 580

Cedar Ridge, CA 95924

(530) 205-3352

UTILITIES

Pacific Gas & Electric 3301 Industrial Avenue

Rocklin, CA 95765

(916) 531-0230

VACUUM CLEANERS-PORTABLE AND WHOLE HOUSE-SERVICE AND SUPPLIES

Beam “Easy Living” Center

422 Henderson Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-5166

VETERANS ASSOCIATION

American Legion Auxiliary Unit

130

P. O. Box 918

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 272-1716

Frank Gallino American Legion

Post #130

P. O. Box 1113

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 575-7002

Nevada County All Veterans Stand Down

P. O. Box 564 Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-1716

Welcome Home Vets

225 S. Auburn Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 272-3300

VIDEO PRODUCTION SERVICES

Mountain Event Productions 12626 Dobbins Drive

Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 272-6293

WASTE & RECYCLING SERVICES

Waste Management of Nevada Co.

13083 Grass Valley Avenue

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 274-3090

WASTE REMOVAL

Ben’s ZapHaul

P. O. Box 567

Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 428-5530

WATER DISTRIBUTION

River Rats E.R.S 880 Idaho Maryland Road

Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 263-3879

WEB DESIGN-MARKETING & CONSULTING

Amy Halter Designs

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(267)221-9839

WPF Creatives

226 Elysian Place

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(925) 395-1000

WEDDING VENUE

Ananda Church 14618 Tyler Foote Road Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 478-7503

Nevada County Fairgrounds 11228 McCourtney Road Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 273-6217

North Star Historic Conservancy 12075 Auburn Road Grass Valley, CA 95949 (530) 205-8793

Northern Queen Inn 400 Railroad Avenue Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-5824

Schrammsberg Estate 242 Gold Flat Road Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 913-5569

WINERY & TASTING ROOM

Cork 49 142 Mill Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 277-8524

Fawnridge Wine 10024 Linnet Lane Auburn, CA 95602 (530) 906-7239

Lucchesi Vineyards 128 Mill Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 615-4222

Mountain Ranch Winery 14364 McCourtney Road Grass Valley, CA 95949 (209) 747-7733

Nevada City Winery 321 Spring Street Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-9463

Sierra Starr Vineyard & Winery 124 W. Main Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 477-8282