C-2012-05-03 by News & Review

D E G A C RRIORS s r a e WBlA f d n a s r a e t , t a e w s , ood hts

FROM GROUND TO GRILL BAG THE AG GAG See CHOW, page 27

See GUEST COMMENT, page 4

g i f o n i s a c at the EILL BY JAIME O’N PAGE 20

ALEX AND HIS DROOGS See ARTS FEATURE, page 24

WILL PASTOR BOB

GET THE BOOT? See NEWSLINES, page 8

Chico’s News & Entertainment Weekly

Volume 35, Issue 36

Thursday, May 3, 2012

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CN&R

Vol. 35, Issue 36 • May 3, 2012

OPINION

James S. Nagel, MD

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Guest Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 From This Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Streetalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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COVER STORY

ARTS & CULTURE

GREENWAYS EarthWatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 UnCommon Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Eco Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The GreenHouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Arts Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 This Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fine Arts listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Chow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Reel World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 In The Mix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Arts DEVO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

REAL ESTATE

CLASSIFIEDS

BACKSTOP From The Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Fifteen Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Brezsny’s Astrology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 ON THE COVER: PHOTO BY KYLE DELMAR DESIGN BY TINA FLYNN

Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor Robert Speer Managing Editor Melissa Daugherty Arts Editor Jason Cassidy Calendar/Special Projects Editor Howard Hardee News Editor Tom Gascoyne Greenways/Healthlines Editor Christine G.K. LaPado Staff Writer Ken Smith Contributors Catherine Beeghly, Craig Blamer, Alastair Bland, Henri Bourride, Rachel Bush, Vic Cantu, Matthew Craggs, Kyle Delmar, Jovan Johnson, J. Jay Jones, Miles Jordan, Leslie Layton, Mark Lore, Sean Murphy, Jaime O’Neill, Anthony Peyton Porter, Shannon Rooney, Claire Hutkins Seda, Juan-Carlos Selznick, Willow Sharkey, Alan Sheckter, Matt Siracusa, Scott Szuggar, Karl Travis, Evan Tuchinsky Interns Kyle Emery, Dane Stivers Managing Art Director Tina Flynn Editorial Designer Sandra Peters Design Manager Kate Murphy Design Melissa Arendt, Brennan Collins, Priscilla Garcia, Mary Key, Marianne Mancina, Skyler Smith Advertising Manager Alec Binyon Advertising Consultants Brian Corbit, Jamie DeGarmo, Laura Golino, Robert Rhody Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Advertising Coordinator Jennifer Osa Events Intern Alina Chavera

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Send guest comments, 400 words maximum, to gc@ newsreview.com, or to 353 E. 2nd St., Chico, CA 95928. Please include photo & short bio.

The council’s not to blame Chico’s firefighters are understandably upset about the tempo-

An ag-gag law for California? Ugroups like Mercy for Animals have led to landmark corporate animal-welfare-policy reforms, new and improved

tions, and food safety concerns to go unchecked. Finally, and most obviously, rampant animal abuse will continue to happen behind closed doors. laws to protect farmed animals and the environment, felony Politically speaking, Governor Branstad convictions of animal abusers, increased has a lot to worry about. Iowa is a factoryconsumer protection and food safety inifarm paradise. Agriculture representatives tiatives, and the closure of particularly have a lot of pull in Iowa. What about his corrupt facilities. next run for office? With Big Ag backing him Recently, however, Iowa Governor up, I’m sure signing this bill will help him a Terry Branstad has bowed to pressure great deal next election. from “Big Ag” by signing into law a bill Iowa is the largest porkthat makes criminals out and egg-producing state in of undercover investigathe country. California is the tors who expose cruelty to Laws like this will allow by largest milk-producing state animals. Also known as Sarah Downs dangerous working conditions, in the country. Legislation the “ag-gag” law, it’s the first of its kind to pass in environmental violations, and like this has not been introThe author is an duced in California yet, but the United States. Efforts food safety concerns to go what if it is? Will you take a animal-rights activist are being made to pass in Chico. She hosts similar legislation in other stand? Do you want your unchecked. the Sentients show on food protected? Do you states, including New KZFR 90.1 FM. believe in the rights of York, Missouri, Minnesota workers on these types of and Nebraska. Utah’s vermodern farms? What about environmental sion of an ag-gag law is currently sitting concerns? on the governor’s desk. If you believe in the things I just menThere are a few things that are troutioned, the best thing you can do to protect bling about this type of legislation. First, animals, workers, food safety and the envilaws like this take away our rights to ronment is to adopt a plant-based diet. Visit freedom of speech and of the press. Secwww.tryveg.com and www.meatvideo.com ond, laws like this will allow dangerous Ω working conditions, environmental viola- to learn more. ndercover investigations by animal-welfare

4 CN&R May 3, 2012

rary closure of Fire Station 5. That’s why a small number of them picketed in front of the station last week, and why a group is gathering there today (Thursday, May 3) at 3 p.m. in front of the station. But they’re dead wrong in their main complaint—that the Chico City Council caused the closure by cutting their funding. That’s not what happened, and the firefighters look bad when they get their facts wrong. Here’s the true story: For various reasons, including the loss of redevelopment funding, City Manager Dave Burkland needed to cut $900,000 from the rest of this fiscal year’s budget so as not to face an overwhelming deficit starting next July. He’s ordered all his departments to cut but given managers discretion. This week he announced that two people in the Housing and Neighborhood Services department who’d worked largely on RDA projects were That’s not what happened, being laid off, the first employees to be let go and the firefighters look since the recession began. His directive to the Fire Department was bad when they get their to cut $95,000. Fire Chief Jim Beery made facts wrong. the choice to close Station 5 temporarily and shift staff to other stations in order to cut down on overtime pay. He could have reduced the number of people on the fire rigs, as many fire departments have done in response to cutbacks, but he chose not to do so. The City Council was not involved in any of this at any time. These were strictly managerial decisions. For the firefighters—or anyone else, for that matter—to contend otherwise is to distort the truth. If they want to blame someone or something, they should blame the fat cats on Wall Street whose greedy wheeling and dealing brought on the greatest recession since the Great Depression. Ω

Prop. 28 will fix term limits Those who study the workings of the State Legislature, as we

do, know term limits as now constituted do more harm than good, especially in the 80-member Assembly. Limited to just three two-year terms, Assembly members have just begun to learn their way around the Capitol when it’s time for them to leave office. Forced into constant campaign mode, they have little time to learn the intricacies of the system, much less tackle the long-term problems of the state. Meanwhile, the people who wield real power are those there for the long haul—the lobbyists, aides, staffers and bureaucrats who, as the Los Angeles Times recently put it, “guard the expert knowledge of how to get things done and how to drag their feet.” As it stands, about half the termed-out Assembly members go on to the Senate, where they can serve two terms for a total of eight years. That means their total time in the Legislature is 14 years. Proposition 28 is a sensible reform that would establish a 12-year ceiling to a lawmaker’s stint in the Legislature. The time could be served in just one house, or any combination of 12 in the two houses. It’s impossible to say exactly how it would work out, but the likelihood is that more Assembly members would stay put for longer than six years, giving them the experience and expertise—and time—they need to do their job well. We’ve never supported term limits. They’re an emotional reaction to dissatisfaction with the legislative process and have had more negative than positive consequences. After all, voters already had the ability to limit lawmakers’ terms simply by voting them out of office. That said, Proposition 28 will be an improvement, especially in the Assembly, and should be passed. Ω

by Robert Speer roberts@newsreview.com

A familiar name popped up recently, as I was reading a terrific essay in New York magazine by Frank Rich about the “old, white, rich men who are buying this election” by giving bazillions to super-PACs. Its title was “Sugar Daddies.” One of those sugar daddies is a multimillionaire named Frank VanderSloot, owner of an Idaho-based company called Melaleuca. It’s a multi-level marketing organization, similar to Amway or Herbalife, that sells dubious “wellness” products using a pyramid scheme that relies on signing up ever more suckers to sell the stuff. In fact, the average salesperson makes $87 a year. Turns out VanderSloot, a long-time associate of Mitt Romney’s and one of his national finance chairs, has donated $1 million to the candidate’s Restore Our Future super-PAC. I remember VanderSloot from when I was editor of Boise Weekly, a paper similar to the CN&R. In 1999 he was at the center of one of the biggest local stories of the year, a red-hot controversy involving freedom of the press and blatant homophobia that went on for months. It had to do with Idaho Public Television’s plan to broadcast a half-hour documentary about teaching tolerance called It’s Elementary. The film is a modest effort showing how several schools, public and private, were trying to foster tolerance toward homosexuals among students. To VanderSloot this was intolerable. Like many if not most Idaho Mormons—the state is 27 percent LDS— VanderSloot viewed homosexuals as sinful creatures, and he was not about to tolerate a show about them on public television. He put up billboards across the state accusing IPTV of trying to turn the state’s children into homosexuals—a blatant corruption of the film’s message—and began pressuring the legislature to intervene. At one point VanderSloot and a half-dozen lawmakers went to the IPTV offices and threatened to cut its funding if its general manager didn’t agree not to run the piece. Eventually then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne intervened and a compromise was reached: The show would air, but only once—at 11:30 on a Sunday night. Mormons like to pooh-pooh criticism of their long history of not allowing blacks to become priests or participate in temple ceremonies, practices they abandoned in 1978. But their intolerance toward homosexuals is relevant and continues to this day. Led by the LDS church, Mormons were the major backer—to the tune of an estimated $22 million—of Proposition 8 in 2008, which narrowly overturned the California Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage. Just as Frank VanderSloot did in 1999, the church blatantly lied in its pro-8 campaign, running TV ads charging that, unless the measure passed, gay marriage would be taught in schools. Now VanderSloot and other rich Mormons are contributing millions to Mitt Romney’s super-PAC. Makes me wonder: Is Romney as homophobic as they are?

Robert Speer is editor of the CN&R.

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A donation to health Re “Yes on Proposition 29” (Editorial, April 26): Thanks so much for sharing the truth about Proposition 29. You are absolutely correct: Big Tobacco cares only about money, not the lives of people who are addicted or will be addicted to their deadly products. We have the opportunity to save lives, keep kids from smoking and fund research for cancer and tobacco-related diseases. Even if you are currently a smoker, vote yes on Prop 29 and think of it as insurance or even a donation; it might just save your life. CINDY BAHL Chico

Editor’s note: The author is community mission director for the American Cancer Society in Chico.

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RIP, Ray Charles Re “Ray Charles, therapist” (From This Corner, by Robert Speer, April 26): My guide dog, Calhoun, and I had the pleasure of meeting Denise and Ray in Verbena Fields one day this past winter. Ray and Calhoun romped off leash in the tall dry grass and had a blast. Ray certainly touched my heart. The bond between him and his seeing-eye person was as remarkable to me as the bond between me and my seeing-eye dog. I am so very sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, Ray. DEBRA CONNORS Chico

High-speed rail: two views Re “Rice subsidies and high-speed trains” (Guest comment, by Eugenio N. Frongia, April 26): Excellent argument, professor Frongia! It is so discouraging to watch California head toward Third-World status in terms of its public transportation because we are constantly being told that we can’t afford these infrastructure improvements. Yet these same people have no problem using our state and federal budget to support unfair subsidies and unneeded tax cuts for the wealthy and many other wasteful expenditures. Human greed can destroy the good life that we all deserve to have. What they don’t understand is that, in destroying the middle class of our country, they will also destroy themselves. When the middle class is prosperous, the wealthy have many more customers to buy their corporate products. We found relatively more money in the past to build the interstate highway system and the original rail tracks across the country. We even found the money to develop nuclear power and to go to the moon. But now we can’t even build fast trains such are found all over Europe and Asia. Our politicians need to de-emphasize winning and LETTERS continued on page 6

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I think what Sen. LaMalfa is saying is the proposed system is not what the public voted for and it should be put to a new vote to see if the voters are willing to pay for it as it now stands. He, along with all the other legislators, are obligated to follow the law as written in Proposition 1A. It was not written as an open checkbook because the state is already robbing Peter to pay Paul. Also, the proposition promised HSR would be built on existing right-of-ways, not diagonally through prime ag land, and Sen. LaMalfa is perfectly within his rights to protect these farmers. TED CROCKER Burlingame

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if we would be willing to temporarily hold the finances of the Bidwell Mansion Association in trust since that organization has lost its nonprofit status. We agreed to do so and have established a separate bank account at a different bank than the Bidwell Bar Association uses to hold the funds specifically for the Bidwell Mansion project. Our bookkeeper and accountant will oversee the funds, which can only be used for the Bidwell Mansion projects. Our agreement with the state is that as soon as a cooperating association is established or re-established and under contract with State Parks all funds will be turned over to that association. KARROLYNN YELLS, PRESIDENT Bidwell Bar Association Oroville

Editor’s note: Since this letter was written, State Parks and the Bidwell Mansion Association have reached agreement on a new contract. See Downstroke, page 8, for more.

Re “Obese mothers, autism linked” (The Pulse, April 26): Obese mothers giving birth to autistic kids is no surprise; being overweight has always caused “Drugs should medical problems. It takes five to 20 years off a person’s life and never be taken accounts for 9 percent of all medduring pregnancy ical costs in the USA. without a doctor’s In addition, mothers who drink OK. The placental alcohol can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, wherein the child is barrier blocks retarded and has deformities. large molecules Crack babies are a well-known and lets in small problem; drugs should never be taken during pregnancy without a molecules—and NEWS & REVIEW BUSINESS USE ONLY doctor’s OK. The placental barrier drugs are small ISSUE DATE blocksDESIGNER large molecules and lets in ACCT. EXEC. MA 05.03.12 JLD molecules.” small molecules—and drugs are FILE NAME REV. DATE —MIKE PETERS smallHUGHESSKIHUT050312R2 molecules. 07.28.11 But many women don’t know USP (BOLD SELECTION) that smoking tobacco cigarettes is PRICE / ATMOSPHERE / EXPERT / He UNIQUE dangerous to the child: The offspring didn’t say that of smoking PLEASE mothersCAREFULLY have a reduced often quoted statement that is REVIEW The YOUR probability of survival and retardedTHE used ADVERTISEMENT ANDaVERIFY FOLLOWING: to justify war with Iran growth rate; the child may not catch appears to be a lie. As reported in AD SIZE (COLUMNS X INCHES) up to other children until 11. the April 19, 2012, edition of SPELLING MIKE PETERS Democracy Now!, a top Israeli NUMBERS & DATES Chico official CONTACT INFO (PHONE, ADDRESSES, ETC.)has acknowledged that Iranian President Ahmadinejad AD APPEARS AS REQUESTED never said that Iran seeks to “wipe APPROVED BY: Explaining their role Israel off the face of the map.” With all the confusion regarding The falsely translated statement the Bidwell Mansion and State has been widely attributed to Parks being discussed in your Ahmadinejad and used repeatedly paper and other publications, I by U.S. and Israeli government would like to clarify our role: We officials to back military action are the Bidwell Bar Association, a and sanctions against Iran. But not-for-profit, cooperating associa- speaking to Teymoor Nabili of the tion under contract with California network Al Jazeera, Israeli Deputy State Parks and Lake Oroville Prime Minister Dan Meridor N E W SWe & assist R E V I E W Badmitted U S I N E S Ahmadinejad S U S E O N L Y had been State Recreation Area. DESIGNER DATE ACCT. EXEC. State Parks in educational and ISSUEmisquoted. interpretive programs MM at the Lake 04.22.10 Now that is JLD news. FILE NAME REV. DATE Oroville Visitors Center. PYRAMIDFARMS042210R1 NEWCHARLES WITHUHN We were asked by State Parks Chico USP (BOLD SELECTION) PRICE / ATMOSPHERE / EXPERT / UNIQUE

What did he mean? Re “You’rs” (From the Edge, by Anthony Peyton Porter, April 19): I wondered about the stray homonym in this column. It’s possible that some defective computer spell-check program altered “palette” to “palate.” Or maybe the columnist planted it there to see whether anyone would notice. As for the subject of that week’s column, traditionalists can all agree that the personal pronouns in spoken and written American English are getting mixed and mangled beyond redemption. That doesn’t bother the linguistics experts, who remind us that language alterations don’t matter as long as we understand the other person’s meaning. Yet that’s precisely why toorapid change amounts to deterioration, if not outright degeneracy: It’s getting harder to be sure one does actually catch the intended meaning. It becomes hard sometimes to discern any meaning at all. OLIVER STEINBERG St. Paul, Minn.

Meat madness It’s absolutely mad to eat meat— and not just because the USDA recently revealed that a cow on a California dairy farm had tested positive for mad-cow disease. The saturated fat and cholesterol found in cheeseburgers and milkshakes is an even bigger threat to human health than mad-cow disease, which can cause a brain-wasting condition in people who eat meat and dairy products from infected cows. A recently released Harvard School of Public Health study shows that people who eat red and processed meats are much more likely to die prematurely, primarily from heart disease, diabetes or cancer, and research suggests that meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegans are. Don’t wait any longer. Stop eating animal-based foods today. There are plenty of great-tasting vegan options, such as Gardein Beefless Burgers. See www.peta.org or follow @peta on Twitter for more information and product suggestions. HEATHER MOORE The PETA Foundation Norfolk, Va.

More letters online:

We’ve got too many letters for this space. Please go to www.newsreview.com/chico for additional readers’ comments on past CN&R articles.

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CN&R 7

BMA GETS BACK IN ACTION

The Bidwell Mansion Association and California State Parks reached a tentative agreement to continue partnering in their stewardship of the Bidwell Mansion last Friday (April 27), one day before the BMA would have been forced to turn over nearly $140,000 to another organization. The BMA will renegotiate its contract with the state and restructure its board to include members of the Bidwell Mansion Community Project. State Parks terminated its original contract with the organization— which has existed under various names for 56 years—after a clerical error led to a lapse in the BMA’s nonprofit status. That status was restored, but the contract was not; State Parks had ordered the BMA to turn over its funds to the Bidwell Bar Association, an Oroville-based nonprofit. The new agreement was made in mediation talks presided over by Assemblyman Dan Logue.

CRIME DOWN, POLICE SAY

The Chico Police Department’s 2011 crime report shows overall crime dropped 8 percent from 2010, and when analyzed based on population, the crime rate was at its lowest since 1999. According to the report, crimes against people—homicide, rape, robbery and assault—were about the same as last year (276 to 273) while reported crimes against property—burglary, larceny and auto theft— were down more than 200 (2,362 to 2,159). However, there are some particularly noteworthy, and troubling, stats in specific areas: a record-high number of homicides (five) and a 32 percent jump in auto thefts. To view the whole report, go to www.chico. ca.us/police/home_page.asp and clink on “2011 Part I Crimes Report.”

FOX 20 SOLD?

Word has it that Bonten Media Group, owner of Redding-based KRCR Channel 7, is in the process of purchasing Chico’s FOX 20. When asked for comment, Randall Bongarten, the chairman and CEO of Bonten Media, said, “An acquisition by us is officially confidential until such time as an acquisition is completed. That’s not to say we are not in such a process, nor is it to say that we are.” Current FOX 20 owner Sainte Partners II, L.P. did not respond to calls from the CN&R, nor did Andrew Stewart, KRCR’s general manager. Bob Castro, FOX 20’s general manager, could not be contacted by press time. Budd Schwab, owner of Campus Bicycles, which is located in the same building as FOX 20, said he’s heard the sale should take about eight weeks to complete. In recent days, the following was posted on Wikipedia: “In 2012, Sainte Television Group’s stations, including MyTV NorCal, were purchased from Sainte by Bonten Media Group, which owns Redding ABC affiliate KRCR-TV and its Eureka sister station KAEF-TV. The acquisition includes KCVU FOX 20 in Chico…” 8 CN&R May 3, 2012

Religious eviction? Longtime apartment dweller fights his landlord’s efforts to remove him

R ingly model tenant at his apartment in a historic and classic building on The obert Taylor had been a seem-

Esplanade for more than 25 years. Now, apparently because his landstory and photos by lady believes he attracts peoVic Cantu ple who appear unkempt or vscantu@ homeless, Taylor, 75, is sbcg lobal.net being evicted. The divorced father of five and grandfather of nine insists he’s always paid his rent on time and has maintained excellent relations with his landlady, Morgan Grossman. Several times Taylor included notes of well wishes to her with his rent checks, especially after her husband, Dr. Rob Grossman, and their daughter were killed in a plane crash in 2005. “It hurts because my love for her was so deep before this,” said Taylor, a former Butte College custodian and Air Force veteran. “It’s sad she’s taken this position without thorough investigation.” Taylor’s attempts to remedy the situation by talking with Grossman have been rebuffed, he said, leading to protracted eviction proceedings. Neither the landlady nor her lawyer, Dirk Potter, Court date: would comment on the story Taylor’s case is because it is an ongoing scheduled to be case. Taylor said he thinks heard by he is being singled out as a Commissioner host of homeless visitors Leonard Goldkind on May 30 in the because of his 39-year history Chico branch of the as a street minister. Butte County Variously known as Superior Court. “Brother Bob” or “Pastor

Robert Taylor in front of the apartment building he’s called home for more than a quarter-century.

Bob,” Taylor helps the needy around town by listening to their stories and offering rides, small amounts of cash or use of his cell phone. “I live according to the scriptures but don’t evangelize,” Taylor said. “If you help people from the heart, it’s all good.” He said he does this at the down-

cashed, which marked the last of that attempted eviction. He continued to hold weekly social gatherings with friends and neighbors but was adamant that no homeless visit or live there. A year went by without further action, but last August Grossman again appeared at his door, this time with a 60-day eviction notice. Taylor recalls she exclaimed that she was fed up with him, had hired a lawyer and wouldn’t back down this time. As with the first attempt, Taylor said Grossman refused to discuss the matter any further. Two months later he was served with an unlawful detainer, which is the legal term for a demand to leave the residence after the tenant refuses to do so upon expiration of the original eviction notice. This second, more ironclad eviction notice would have meant the end of Tay-

town coffeehouse Has Beans, but never at his Esplanade apartment. “I learned long ago not to allow the homeless to even visit my home,” he said. “My ex-wife and I found out the hard way that, if you do, it can lead to many problems.” Taylor says his eviction began in 2010, when he allowed a friend who worked at Has Beans to move in after she lost her job and boyfriend. The arrangement was temporary, but after a few months his landlady came to his door with an eviction notice. “She was very emotional and “I learned long ago not kept repeating I needed to get out to allow the homeless to but wouldn’t discuss it any further,” he said. even visit my home. My Grossman’s visit was followed by a letter claiming that ex-wife and I found out Taylor associated with people who looked disheveled, which in the hard way that, if turn violated the desired look of you do, it can lead to the complex. Bewildered, Taylor had his roommate move out, but many problems.” submitted his next rent check —Robert Taylor anyway. He was relieved to see it

Split becomes a chasm Liberal council majority prevails on several issues

lor’s long-time residence if not for the fact that his daughter, Jill Harris, had recently become a lawyer. She declined to comment but has taken his case and represented him so far in two appearances, for which Taylor is deeply grateful. “I wouldn’t have been able to afford a lawyer if not for her,” Taylor said. In a written court response to the

unlawful detainer, Harris challenges Grossman’s accusations that he associates with “stray, vagrant, scruffy, homeless men who are losers.” Taylor says Grossman is assuming many homeless who frequent the area are his guests. However, Taylor said, he lives in a complex adjacent to a parking lot notorious for attracting street people. The lot is located a half-block north of Memorial Way and enclosed on three sides. Ironically, the apartment’s back parking lot is directly adjacent to the courthouse where his case is being heard. “For years homeless people have been buying liquor at the downtown 7-Eleven and gathering there at night to drink,” Taylor said. His neighbor, who owns the apartment complex next door, 83-year-old Lois Kloss, agrees. “They say he brings the homeless to his place, but many homeless take a shortcut from The Esplanade through the alleyway between our complexes to drink in that parking lot,” Kloss said. At his second hearing, Taylor had several supporters testify to his good character and habits, including Kloss. She said she feels the attempt to evict Taylor is terrible and says he has always been a wonderful neighbor. “Whenever I call him for help he comes over immediately,” Kloss said. “I’d be delighted if he lived in my house.” Harris will be filing a trial brief this week that will be followed the by the plaintiff’s reply and a final defendant’s rebuttal. A decision will be reached sometime after May 30. “I’d still love to talk to her, and even if she puts me out I feel I deserve a conversation,” Taylor said. “I must echo the words of Rodney King by asking, ‘Can’t we all just get along?’ ” Ω

There are times when the liberal-conservative split on the Chico City Council seems irrelevant because the players aren’t following the script, instead crossing over to vote with members of the other group. Then there are times when the split is like a chasm, with the two conservatives—Mark Sorensen and Bob Evans—being on the short end of the vote every time. The council meeting Tuesday (May 1) was one of those times. On four different matters, a couple of them involving millions of dollars, the council’s liberal majority prevailed. Here’s the rundown: Taking a TRIP: The city has a number of capital projects underway, and two of the bigger ones—the downtown couplet and the widening of Highway 32 between the freeway and El Monte—have received grant funding totaling $5.6 million. The catch is that the city has to match it by this summer. In the past the city would have used redevelopment funds for the match, but that money is no longer available. Without the match, the grants will be lost. What to do? One option, said Capital Project Services Director Tom Varga, would be to participate in the Total Road Improvement Program, or TRIP. It’s a financing pool for public infrastructure created by the League of California Cities and the County Supervisors Association of California. The city could borrow the matching funds from bonds issued to TRIP. The loan would be paid for out of the city’s gas-tax revenues

at an annual cost of about $400,000 for up to 30 years. Currently the city receives about $3 million a year in gas-tax revenues. Sorensen and Evans didn’t want to do it. They thought it was too risky. What if the state hijacks the gas tax funds and the city can’t afford to maintain its streets and roads, they asked. But the four-member council majority (Mary Goloff was absent again), though also worried about going into debt, thought $5.6 million in grant money and the jobs construction would bring were too much to give up. They voted to authorize spending $15,000 from a special transportation fund to take the first step toward participation in TRIP. Phone tax update: The city is worried it could lose as much as $900,000 a year in

SIFT|ER Booted from school in Butte County Last year, 11.4 of every 100 public-school K-12 students in California were suspended; this is down from 13.3 in 2008, but consistent with 2005 rates. In Butte County the figure was 20 out of 100, and some schools reported much higher figures. Here are the reporting schools.

School district Durham Unified Chico Unified Gridley Unified Palermo Union Paradise Unified Biggs Unified Golden Feather Elem. Thermalito Union Elem. Oroville City Elem. Oroville Union High

# of suspensions (out of 100) 6.7 8.6 14.3 17.9 18.7 22.3 37.9 39.6 40.9 60.4

phone-tax revenues if cellular carriers balked at collecting it, as they could do legally under the city’s outdated law, which doesn’t cover technologies invented since 1970. As it stands, only one carrier, Metro PCS, isn’t collecting the tax, but that could change, explained City Attorney Lori Barker. A public vote is required, and city staff was recommending that it be for a lower tax rate (4.5 percent instead of 5 percent) because it would cover more services (text messaging, VOIP, etc.). The goal was not to increase the amount of tax collected, Barker said, but to keep it about the same—and secure. Sorensen and Evans were skeptical. They thought the lower tax rate was “a deceptive measure designed to get a positive vote,” as Evans put it, and that some people—those who used more services—would pay more. “It’s definitely an expansion of the tax,” Sorensen said. The mild-mannered Jim Walker disagreed as forcefully as he could. “The idea is to preserve tax revenue, not expand it,” he said. “For people to pretend this is a huge tax increase and then criticize us for failure to preserve city services is silly. It’s just … silly.” The council voted 4-2 to move forward on the ballot measure, but not before the majority agreed to add language to it explaining which services would be covered by the tax. Other matters: Two other issues illustrated the council split further. One, the deferral of construction loan repayments from the Chico Creek Nature Center for another two years, saw Evans and Sorensen both voting no. They thought one year was sufficient, but the other council members believed the center’s new director, Courtney Farrell, and new board should be given more time. Finally, Bob Linscheid and Jon Gregory had a deal the council majority couldn’t refuse: If the city would give them free rent, their organization, Innovate North State (formerly CEPCO), would use unoccupied space at City Hall to create an “innovation and commercialization center” called ChicoStart that “would function as an all-inclusive office environment designed for new media companies and startup businesses focusing on web, software and mobile applications.” The duo said they would invest heavily in the space and the project would generate new businesses and jobs. The city had tried to rent the space and nobody wanted it, they said, so why not let us make good use of it? Sorensen would have preferred to put it up for rent again at a reduced price, but even Evans liked the ChicoStart idea. “I’m banking the return on this will be worth it,” he said. —ROBERT SPEER roberts@newsreview.com

Sources: healthycal.org, kidsdata.org, California Department of Education

NEWSLINES continued on page 10 May 3, 2012

CN&R 9

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY & SSI “We help YOU through the System” You Pay ONLY when we win

continued from page 9

‘No more hamburgers!’

Burmese students learn American ways

B E T S Y H . A L B E RT S

In early January, four students left The classroom has provided 103-degree weather in Myanmar, more surprises—they’ve been the Southeast Asian nation formeramazed, at times, by the boorish ly called Burma, and after a long behavior of some American stuflight found themselves shivering dents. In Myanmar, Mawi said, on the other side of the world at the “students are very polite in front of Chico Municipal Airport. the teacher.” “We were freezing and shakZaw said he’s puzzled by slang ing!” said Mya Khaing, recalling words in American English. the experience. “In our country, we Zhaing and Mawi concurred. don’t wear the jacket.” “[American] humor and slang Ni “April” Mawi, Than Zaw are some of the toughest things for (who uses his last name as a first them,” Phelps said. name in the States) and Kaung ATMs and online banking were “Keith” Thu share an apartment new skills they had to learn when CHAPTER 7 - Debt Relief with Khaing in southeast Chico. they first arrived, and all they ate in CHAPTER 13 - Payment plan Since none of them has a car, they the beginning were hamburgers, to save your home, car, and business walk to WinCo to buy the rice noo- because that was all they knew to Free Consultation! dles and curry ingredients for ask for. mohingar, their national dish, and “No more hamburgers!” Mawi they ride the bus to Butte College, exclaimed. “I am an Attorney-Debt Relief Agency. where they’ve encountered an I help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.” Phelps said it wasn’t so long array of new experiences since ago that the U.S. State Department leaving their home city of Yangon Law Office Of DaviD fiLLerup issued a travel warning to Ameri(formerly Rangoon). Bankruptcy ServiceS - 20 yearS experience cans not to visit Myanmar. Now, On a recent April afternoon, Chico | 345.4200 | www.bankruptcyattorneydavidfillerup.com however, Americans can more Khaing, Mawi and Zaw (Thu was safely enter the country, and in attending class) met at the Chico home of Butte College recruitment return more opportunities are opening for students in Myanmar to and outreach technician Tim travel and study abroad. Phelps, who helped the students The changing political and get to the United States. All four social climate of Myanmar, Phelps had used the services of a Yangonbased educational placement agent, said, shows in the recent election (by popular vote) to Parliament of who initiated contact after looking Aung San Suu Kyi, an opposition at the Butte College website. The CITY of CHICO RESIDENTS meeting the income requirements below may leader who had been under house agent invited Phelps to Myanmar, be eligible for a refund of the City Utility Users’ Tax. Utility Users’ Tax paid arrest for about 20 years. Aung San and Phelps decided that, since he with public assistance or relief funds is not eligible. Suu Kyi is a national hero, the was already recruiting in Asia, it Household Maximum Annual Maximum daughter of a great Burmese leader, made sense to travel to Yangon. Size Income Refund and she’s a Nobel Peace Prize winAfter eating a mohingar lunch, 1 $32,900 $105 ner, as well. the three students relaxed around 2 $37,600 $120 3 $42,300 $135 the tablen eand w s talked & r e about v i e w their b u s i n e s s u s e o n ly 4 $46,950 $150 adventures so far in 5 $50,750 $162 designer ss issUe dATe 03.03.11 ACCT eXeC amb Chico and at Butte 6 $54,500 $174 FiLe nAMe lawofficesofbh030311r2 reV dATe new 7 $58,250 $186 College. 8 or more $62,000 $198 Phelps said that peoplease carefully review your advertisement and verify the following: ple are “more direct” in The refund applies to City of Chico Utility Users’ Tax on telephone, water, Ad size inChes)than the (CoLUMn UnitedXStates gas and electric bills paid between May 1, 2011 and April 30, 2012. speLLing in Myanmar and that nUMbers & dATes hugging is an American REFUND REQUESTS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY: ConTACT inFo (phone, Address, eTC) custom a visitor has to Ad AppeArs As reqUesTed • City of Chico Utility Users’ Tax Refund Application get used to. ApproVed by: • Proof of household income “In my country, I • Copies of utility bills which include the City tax paid don’t hug other people.” EXEMPTION PROGRAM Khaing said. “The first City residents age 60 and over with a combined annual household income of less time a friend hugged me than $37,600 may apply for an exemption from payment of Utility Users’ Tax. [in the States], I was surprised, but now I’m All applications must be received or postmarked by June 30, 2012. OK. I learned to adapt.”

Attorney at Law Over 18 years of experience

530.893.8387 976 Mangrove, Chico

DEBT RELIEF-WORRY RELIEF BANKRUPTCY SERVICES

CITY OF CHICO Utility Users’ Tax Refund Program

Applications may be obtained as follows:

• City of Chico Finance Office • Call City of Chico UUT Refund Program at 879-7389. • Email ffields@ci.chico.ca.us • Download application from the City of Chico website at: http://www.ci.chico.ca.us/

10 CN&R May 3, 2012

Left to right: Than Zaw, Ni Mawi and Mya Khaing. PHOTO BY TIM PHELPS

Her National League for Democracy party won control of Parliament in the 1990 general election, but the military junta refused to validate the results. This year the NLD, allowed on the ballot for the first time since 1990, won an astonishing 43 of 45 open seats in Parliament but still does not have a majority. The politics of Myanmar are shifting because the nation is resource-rich, Phelps explained, and still developing. Students who go abroad to gain education and experience in business have opportunities awaiting them. Accordingly, Khaing, Mawi, and Zaw—all 18—have declared business as their major. “There’s a lot of incentive for them to go back and help build the new economy,” Phelps said. Now that the international sanctions imposed on the military regime are being lifted, “things are happening, and there’s a lot of growth.” The students don’t know a lot about their own government because until recently it’s been a forbidden topic. “Only now,” Phelps said, “have people started to have conversations about the government.” Mawi said students in Myanmar learn about government in history class, but it’s not about the current government—“it’s long ago.” Khaing, Mawi, and Zaw hope the changes in Myanmar signal good things for their future. “We have a lot of natural resources,” Mawi said, “but the government has been selling them into other countries, and we [haven’t] even [been able to] get [regular] electricity.” —SHANNON ROONEY rooney.shannon@gmail.com

Hot under the collar

Fire station closure leads to protest Chico Fire Department Chief Jim Beery’s decision to close Fire Station 5 for the next two months has provoked some scowls. The CN&R received an emailed press release announcing a scheduled protest for today (Thursday, May 3) at the station beginning at 3 p.m. The press release, submitted by Anna Swenson, blamed the closure on the Chico City Council, which in her words “has decided it’s more important to retain staff from the defunct redevelopment department rather than keep fire stations open, keep fire fighters on duty and keep our city safe.” Actually, the closure is a result of City Manager Dave Burkland’s directive to the Fire Department to cut expenses by $95,000 before the end of the fiscal year, which happens at the end of June. The council had nothing to do with it. The fire chief decided how to achieve the savings, Burkland said. Those savings will be realized by redirecting the three firefighters who operate out of Fire Station 5 to two other of the city’s five stations, where they will work shifts that would otherwise by covered by crew members working overtime. “The chief is very good with numbers and how many shifts are needed,” Burkland said. “Of the three firefighters at the temporarily closed Station 5, one will become available to cover shifts at any other station while the other two will be assigned to cover shifts at Stations 2 and 4. The idea is to cover shifts that would otherwise be overtime.” Chief Beery was unavailable for comment for this story. Burkland said Beery picked Station 5 because of its location at Manzanita and East avenues near the entrance to Upper Bidwell Park. “If he could, the chief would locate Station 5 to another part of the city,” Burkland said. That station was built in anticipation

of the Bidwell Ranch housing project that had been in works for a number of years under different names. Early plans in the 1980s called for 2,900 housing units on the 750 acres of land. The final project, dubbed Bidwell Ranch, was a scaled down to 1,500 units. But the developer went bankrupt and the city purchased the property in 1996 and turned it into open space. Burkland suspects the chief sees the station as the one most justified for temporary closure. “The chief’s spent time in Portland and Denver,” Burkland said. “He believes in putting things in the middle rather than on the edge.” Burkland said balancing the budget is both necessary and immediate. “We need to balance the budget’s general

Fire Station 5 sitting empty on a recent morning. PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

fund,” he said. “We have to make the shifts we can now, before the end of the fiscal year. We can’t go back and do it.” He said that while cutting overtime is a good way to cut costs, overtime does serve a purpose. “[It] provides us with a greater level of service using the same number of people,” he said. City Council candidate and local business owner Toby Schindelbeck is also joining the protest against the station’s closure. He is promoting a petition via Facebook to get the station reopened. The petition notes that the Fire Department is under the budget set up by the city manager and council. “Yet, the Chico City Council and City Manager Dave Burkland cut $95,000 from the Chico fire budget,” the petition reads. It mentions five paintings hanging in the Municipal Building. “Tell the Chico City Council that we should NOT spend $74,000 on 5 paintings for City Hall when we need only $95,000 to keep Station 5 open and the public safer. Tell the Chico City Council that we demand that our tax dollars go to Public Safety before higher salaries for any public employee.” City Finance Director Jennifer Hennessy said Schindelbeck had recently asked her in an email about cost of the art in the Municipal Center. She said those costs, none of which came from the city’s general fund, included the large stained-glass artwork across on the third-floor window called “Chico Foothills.” It was installed during the construction of the building at a cost of $45,000. There is a large mural on the first floor called “Compact Images,” with a price tag of $20,000. The third floor features a couple of sculptures called “Let’s Rock,” which were donated but valued at $6,000. There is also a piece of art called “Rub-ADub,” which cost $1,000. Hennessy said there have been no art purchases in recent years. For his part, Burkland said he had recently met with the firefighters’ union. “The meeting went OK, and I understand their concerns,” he said. “This is what the union does. It fights for the workers.” —TOM GASCOYNE tomg@newsreview.com

Bring the Kids! • Educational booths • Live animals • Music • Crafts • Food

Please walk, ride your bike or take the bus if you can!

FREE

ADMISSION

Saturday May 5, 2012 10am - 4pm Hosted by Butte Environmental Council

FAIRE SCHEDULE 10:00 Jim Brobeck & Friends

Local organic eco-mantras from local organic people. Beautiful music about the things and places we love.

10:45 Whipple

Unique music with recycled items and songs about the earth. Whipple’s musical instruments are creative and fascinating. With them he creates soundscapes of nature, and folk songs about the earth and sustainability.

11:30 Animalitos Fiesta: Music for a Meadow

A collaboration of inspiration from mother earth; Kora, banjo, cajon, guitar, voices, bass, ukulele. Karamo Suso, Gordy Ohliger, Mike Wofchuck, Karisha Longaker, Sarah Nutting

12:30 Live Animal Show

Marilyn Gamette of Bidwell Wildlife Rehabilitation and Jon Aull from the Chico Creek Nature Center will bring live animals for everyone to meet and learn about.

1:15 2:00

Species Procession

A puppet celebration of the critters we are lucky enough to share the planet with. Come walk with us in honor of our neighbors, both human and non-human.

Hooker Oak School

Hooker Oak School K-8 Open Structured Program presents a performing arts show. We strive to keep the arts alive and thriving at our school.

2:30

Los Caballitos

3:15

Local World

Perfect for Cinco de Mayo! Acoustic music and song from the passionate cultures of Mexico and Spain.

Using steel drums, steel guitar, bass, drum, clarinet, harmonica and vocals, these musicians expresses their joy in experiencing life on the planet. Masters of Ceremonies: Stephen & Susan Tchudi

Cedar Grove (Bidwell Park) Chico, CA

www.becprotects.org | 891-6424 | esf@becprotects.org ESF Sponsors: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico News & Review, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Barris Farms, and Friends to Restore Earth’s Environment May 3, 2012

CN&R 11

THE PULSE

HEALTHLINES

TOBACCO TARGETS BLACK TEENS

Cigarette advertising campaigns are targeting low-income California neighborhoods and black teenagers, a study finds. Research conducted by California’s TobaccoRelated Disease Research Program found tobacco marketing—particularly ads for menthol cigarettes—increased at retailers in close proximity to high schools with high African-American student populations, according to California Watch. The study’s authors paid special notice to advertising for Newport and Marlboro cigarettes, two of the most popular brands among underage smokers. Additional research guided by University of Michigan’s Robert Lipton found 38 percent of California’s K-12 schools were within 1,000 feet of a store that sells cigarettes, and stores near high schools displayed an average of 25 cigarette ads. “There is a systematic targeting [of disadvantaged communities] by the tobacco industry, which is an extraordinary public-health problem,” said Lisa Henricksen, who presented the research during a legislative briefing in Sacramento.

SENATE DEADLOCKS ON ABORTION BILL

A bill that would allow nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants in California to perform first-trimester aspiration abortions has stalled in the Senate. A mere two days after the Senate Bill 1338 was introduced on April 24, the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee came to a 4-4 deadlock, according to The Sacramento Bee. California’s Nurses Association objected to the original bill, which would allow 24,000 additional medical professionals to perform the operation, instead signing off on a revision that would grant approval to only 41 people involved in a state pilot program. California’s push for expanded abortion access is in stark contrast to the national trend, as other states pass laws to strip funding from Planned Parenthood and close abortion clinics.

KILLING IN WAR, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS LINKED

Among Vietnam War veterans, thoughts of suicide increased sharply relative to the experience of killing during combat, according to a new study. Research conducted by the San Francisco VA Medical Center and UC San Francisco found veterans with more experience with killing during war were twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts compared to veterans with little or no such experience, according to a UCSF press release. Researchers made a distinction between four variables—killing enemy soldiers, killing prisoners, killing civilians and killing or injuring children, women or the elderly—and produced a combined measure. The higher the “score,” the more likely the veteran had contemplated suicide. The study’s authors adjusted for factors like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and substance abuse. In 2009, the U.S. Army’s suicide rate was 21.8 per 100,000 soldiers, a rate exceeding that of civilians. 12 CN&R May 3, 2012

Leading the way Despite uncertainty at federal level, the Affordable Care Act thrives in California by

Evan Tuchinsky ideacultivators@ aol.com

A Court ruling on health-care-reform legislation, millions of Californians already s Americans await a Supreme

are reaping benefits from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). According to a study by Health Access California, a consumer advocacy coalition of around 200 organizations, state legislators and governmental agencies have moved forward with notable speed since the PPACA became law in 2010. California has passed new laws, established new programs and secured more than $340 million in federal funding. “California has been a leading state in implementing and improving upon the federal Affordable Care Act in the last two years,” Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, writes in a recent essay announcing the research. The study (titled “The Affordable Care Act in California: After Two Years—Big Benefits, More Work to Do”) quantifies the beneficiaries as follows: • More than 8,600 adults, plus tens of thousands of children, with pre-existing conditions have gained access to private insurance coverage. • Hundreds of thousands receive rebates, surpassing $100 million, on their private insurance policies. • More than 319,000 seniors have saved a total of $170 million on their prescriptions. • More than 355,000 young adults (under age 26) get coverage through their parents’ policies. • More than 370,000 Californians now have coverage through Low-Income Health Programs (in 2014, 2 million more will be eligible for Medi-Cal). • More than 6.1 million have preventative care as part of their coverage. • More than 12 million no longer have a lifetime limit on their health insurance plan.

In addition, myriad small businesses qualify for tax credits to help defray the cost of private insurance coverage, and more than 100 large employers and trusts have received assistance with covering early retirees. “The two-year status report identifies California as a leader in taking advantage of opportunities of the law, from enacting over a dozen laws … to applying for federal grant funds to negotiating a new Medicaid ‘waiver’ with the federal government,” Wright writes, referring to the White House-approved expansion of public health coverage in the state. “Millions more Californians will benefit and qualify for direct financial assistance in the next year and beyond, but only if the implementation continues at both the federal and state level. In addition to preventing efforts to repeal or defund the law, California can take additional steps to maximize the benefits.” Toward that end, the Legislature is

slated to consider dozens of bills that either implement or expand upon elements in the PPACA. They include: • AB 714: Would pre-enroll eligible Cali-

The Golden State is moving ahead with implementation of the PPACA.

fornians in subsidized coverage programs ahead of 2014. • AB 792: Known as automatic enrollment, it would ease the process for receiving subsidized coverage after key life events (e.g. divorce, adoption, unemployment). • AB 43 and SB 677: Would change eligibility requirements for Medi-Cal to match the PPACA. • SB 703: Also in sync with the PPACA, would create a “basic health plan” for Californians between 133 percent and 200 percent of the poverty level. • AB 1869: Would require the Office of the Patient Advocate to expand its services to include military veterans. • AB 52: Would authorize the Department of Managed Health Care and the Depart-

APPOINTMENTS RUN FOR A CAUSE Support the Shalom Free Health Clinic by taking part in the Sharing Your Health 5K/10K Fun Run and Walk on Sunday, May 6, at 8:30 a.m., beginning at One-Mile Recreation Area in Bidwell Park. Bring a photo ID to register on the day of the race and a costume (you might win a prize!). Entry fees range from $15 for students to $35 for adults. Email adelfino@mail.csuchico.edu or call 345-7056 for more info.

HEALTHLINES continued on page 14

Straight Talk About Strokes O

roville Hospital is fast becoming a leader in the detection of strokes. We’ve implemented protocols that assure state-of-the-art treatment to increase a stroke patient’s likelihood of recovery. With an increasing number of people overweight and under active, heart attacks, diabetes and strokes are all-too-common conditions seen at hospitals. The results of a stroke can be particularly miserable. Not only can a stroke kill, it can also disable. What’s most distressing is that up to 80 percent of strokes could be prevented with healthier lifestyle choices.

What exactly is a stroke? A stroke — also known as a “brain attack” — strikes when blood flow to the brain gets interrupted by a clogged or ruptured artery.

This denies oxygen and nutrients to brain cells, which soon die, causing brain damage and depriving the body of functions controlled by that area of the brain.

How common are strokes? Approximately 700,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year. Of those, 160,000 prove fatal. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer. “Twice as many women die of stroke than they do of breast cancer,” notes Mary Jarschke, a Registered Nurse who coordinates stroke care at Oroville Hospital. Moreover, Jarschke says, “Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability.” Two-thirds of the more than 6 million stroke survivors in this country are disabled.

What are risk factors for strokes? • High blood pressure • High cholesterol • Diabetes • Smoking and tobacco use • Obesity • Family or personal history of strokes

How would I recognize a stroke? Common stroke symptoms include sudden onset of: • Numbness or weakness in the face or limbs, particularly on just one side of the body • Confusion or trouble speaking • Vision impairment • Dizziness, loss of coordination or trouble walking • Severe headache

What should I do about a stroke? Call 9-1-1 immediately so the possible stroke victim — you or the person you’re with — can get rapid treatment. “Get to the hospital quickly,” Jarschke says, “because there is treatment that can be given within a certain time period. Every minute that treatment is delayed, the patient is losing 1.9 million neurons (brain cells). So the sooner they get here, the better they’ll do, and the better the outcome.”

Reducing your risk factors: •Talk to your health care provider •Good nutrition and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables •Increase physical activity •Follow your Doctor’s orders •Stop smoking •Always take your prescribed medications

If you suspect someone you are with might be suffering from a stroke, think “FAST”:

Face Ask the person to smile; does one side droop?

Arms Ask the person to raise their arms; does one drift downward? Speech Ask the person to speak; do the sentence sound slurred or strange? Time If the person shows any of these signs, act fast!

Mary’s final words of advice: “Be aware of the signs and symptoms of a stroke, like asymmetrical facial weakness, arm weakness, leg weakness on one side, visual disturbances, dizziness, or a sudden onset of headache. These are things that happen quickly and suddenly. When they happen, call 9-1-1 to contact EMS (emergency medical services) and get to the hospital quickly.”

Stroke Support Sponsored by Oroville Hospital: Meet the second Tuesday of each month @ the Family Resource Center, 1720 Daryl Porte Way from 2-3:30. For more information call 534-5519. For more information about strokes, please call 1-800-STROKES or visit www. stroke.org, www.strokeassociation.org Sources: Oroville Hospital; American Heart & Stroke Association; National Stroke Association.

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CN&R 13

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ment of Insurance to approve or deny increases in premiums, copayments or deductibles. • AB 1453 and SB 951: Would require insurers to cover a set of “minimum essential health benefits.” IT IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE • AB 1461 and SB 961: Would prohibit insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions (akin to the PPACA). Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties • AB 1083: Would prevent insurers from raising the rates on small businesses based on the health of their 24 hr. hotline (Collect Calls Accepted) employees. www.rapecrisis.org • SB 1313: Would prevent deceptive REP FILE NAME CNR ISSUE marketing practices. JLD 10.23.08 RAPE CRISIS INTERV. & PREV. • AB 1766: The so-called “Walmart list” bill would create and publicize a list of employers who push employees to public health coverage rather than provide coverage themselves. • AB 441: Would require community transportation plans to incorporate health concerns. • AB 727: Would create nutrition standards for all state agencies, as Health Advice Line well as setting sustainable policies Total Reproductive Healthcare for purchasing from local farmers and vendors. confidential Women’s “California is moving forward compassionate Health full steam ahead to implement the nonjudgmental Specialists [PP]ACA,” Bill Monning (D1469 Humboldt Rd. Suite 200, Chico Carmel), chairman of the Assembly (Across from Chico Police) Health Committee, told Health 1x3 (1/20 V) Access California. “We recognize this unprecedented opportunity to improve and promote the health and wellness of Californians, and

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we are taking full advantage of it.” Changes in California are progressing in conjunction with federal reform, but also independent of it. Thus, it is unclear how the Supreme Court’s pending ruling on the PPACA would affect state policy. (For more about the court case, see the March 22 Healthlines story, “Uncertainty the only sure thing.”) The Supreme Court decision will be significant because the fiscal balance of the PPACA depends on more people paying for private insurance—the so-called “individual mandate.” Yes, insurance companies need to cut their administrative expenses or provide rebates to consumers, both of which they’ve done (the latter to the tune of $1.3 billion, according to a study released last week). The PPACA also contains price controls, such as those embodied in California legislation. But without new customers, particularly healthy young ones to help dilute the “risk pool” that includes patients with pre-existing conditions, the math won’t work. In that case, look for new legislation from both sides of the aisle, as well as a renewed push for singlepayer insurance in California. Ω

WEEKLY DOSE Relief from the “Chico disease” Spring rains have postponed the start of allergy season in California, but with the sun now shining, allergy sufferers can expect their symptoms to intensify as the first wave of pollens begins to make life very uncomfortable in this lush valley town. Most folks have their particular remedies, both natural and pharmaceutical, but there are a few techniques you can employ to help reduce your exposure to pollens.

1. Night showers: Switch to washing/rinsing your hair before bed, to keep pollen off your pillow. 2. Hot-air dry: Clothes on the line are pollen traps. Dry in the dryer. 3. Recirculation: Resist the temptation to blow that fresh outside air into your home and car. Close up windows, avoid the wholehouse fan, turn on the a/c, and use the “recirculate” option in the car. 4. Keep filters clean: Replace your car’s cabin filter and your home’s a/c filter to keep collected allergens from sneaking in. 5. Plan your outdoor time: Check the pollen forecast at weather.com to see what’s in store before you head outside, and try and do your outdoor activities later in the N Eday W S when & REVIEW BUSINE counts are lower. Also, wear sunglasses to keep pollen out of DESIGNER ISSUE DATE your eyes and don’t forget to take your allergy meds. MM 07.30.09 6. Mow wisely: Wear a particulate filter when you mow theNAME lawn, or FILE WOMENSHEALTH073009R1 better yet, get the neighbor kid to mow it!

Source: www.webmd.com 14 CN&R May 3, 2012

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CN&R 15

EARTH WATCH

GREENWAYS

CLEANER AIR IN THE BAY

The Bay Area is no longer on the list of the 25 most polluted areas in the nation, according to a recent American Lung Association report. The study looked at particle and ozone pollution, noting that California in general has reduced car exhaust and soot immensely over the last decade, according to SFGate.com. Three of the nine least-smoggy counties in California are in the Bay Area, with San Francisco County ranking among the cleanest counties in the nation in terms of air quality. Following the implementation of tight woodburning regulations and California Air Resources Board greenhouse-gas emission standards, San Francisco County did not have a single day that exceeded federal ozone-pollution standards in 2011. Annual levels of Bay Area particulate pollution have declined between 15 and 30 percent every year since 2004.

MINING ASTEROIDS?

A group among the wealthiest in the country is investing in the business of space mining— namely, harvesting asteroids for scarce minerals, such as platinum and gold. Director and ocean explorer James Cameron, billionaire Google executives Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, along with Ross Perot, Jr. and others have invested about $50 billion in start-up company Planetary Resources, Inc., according to TIME. The company has employed 25 engineers to oversee three generations of space missions— the first to locate mineral-rich asteroids in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, the second to take samples and a third to harvest the minerals. While transporting a massive payload into Earth’s orbit would be relatively easy in the gravity-free vacuum of space, the biggest logistical hurdle might prove to be re-entering the planet’s atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour.

WIND POWER VERSUS CONDORS

Environmentalists have filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and its proposed 100-turbine wind farm in Kern County’s Tehachapi area, maintaining the installation poses a threat to California condors. The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club cited a neighboring wind farm where turbine blades have killed at least eight golden eagles, according to The Fresno Bee. The proposed area is particularly good habitat for the endangered condor (pictured), leading to fears the 30story turbines that will make up the North Sky River wind project will present a huge obstacle for the birds. Supporters of the wind farm cite new jobs, reduced carbon emissions and clean energy, and say that no condors have been killed by turbines to date. There are only about 200 known condors in the wild, 59 of which live in the Hopper Mountain and Bitter Creek national wildlife refuges in Ventura and Kern counties. 16 CN&R May 3, 2012

Biomass-energy dreams ABC’s Thor Bailey would love to see the trimmings from almond orchards such as this one in Chico used to make biofuel.

The Agricultural Biomass Center offers a forum for small farmers wanting to turn agricultural waste into energy and soil amendments

story and photo by

Claire Hutkins Seda cmh.seda@yahoo.com

Tsays that the agricultural-biomass industry he had hoped to see become a big hor Bailey has a problem. He

player among energy providers over the last 30 years seems stagnant. Generating carbon-neutral energy from agricultural biomass—such as the trimmings of orchards or rice hulls, which are often discarded or burned—seems so progressive, and yet in many ways, according to Bailey, the concept is stuck in the 1970s; many plants have failed to keep up with environmental regulations, while others were shut down because they weren’t financially viable. Infrastructure for new plants to be successful is largely unbuilt. “We’re struggling with how we can take advantage of learning the hard way what didn’t work, and how can we, the industry, [move forward] over the next 30 years, based on what we learned in the last [30],” Bailey said. Thus, he and several colleagues got together to make sure what they’ve learned is passed on to younger North State small farmers interested in the technology via the Agricultural Biomass Center (ABC), the Colusa-based nonprofit he helped form in 2004. As ABC’s website puts it, the

organization aims to provide “a forum of collaboration, education and insight to provide farmers, energy producers, and technology providers the ability to work together.” ABC is currently working with Orland’s T. M. Duché Nut Co. and Premier Mushrooms in Colusa on developing a plan to recycle their agricultural wastes. In the case of orchards, Bailey said, larger producers have machinery to chip orchard trimmings into useful mulch onsite, but smaller farms—40 or fewer acres—often can’t afford to do much else than burn it or send it to the landfill. “[Small farmers are] probably burning 30 to 40 percent of the prunings, throughout the valley,” said Bailey. Primarily, those are small orchards that can’t afford to pay for it to be hauled away or buy chipping machinery. “There’s not enough volume to cover the cost to process it on-site.” ABC’s vision is to help small farmers and energy producers collaborate, to turn those smaller-farm wastes into biogas—a usable gas emitted from the waste when processed—and soil amendments instead, by securing investor funding to build small

Learn more:

Go to www.agbiomasscenter.com for info on the Agricultural Biomass Center and www.cleanworldpartners.com to learn more from Clean World Partners.

processing facilities in strategic locations. ABC recognizes that “there isn’t a one-sizefits-all” in biomass processing. Envisioning future infrastructure has to take into account such things as the types of farms and waste inputs involved, how far the waste would need to be trucked to a facility, and which processing technology would be most viable. ABC is working on finding “innovative ways to help finance smaller projects from the private sector,” said Bailey. Several Northern California facili-

ties already collect farm waste to produce energy. Some are “in-house, closed-loop” systems, said Bailey. A methane digester at Marin County’s Straus Family Creamery captures the methane from cows’ manure to use as energy. In Winters, organic-walnut producer Dixon Ridge Farms uses its walnut shells in a process called gasification, in which the material is burned at high temperatures with a controlled amount of oxygen. A similar method of processing waste through burning called pyrolysis, which uses very low levels of oxygen, however, is the method preferred by ABC, said Bailey. Its byproduct, biochar—charcoal made by the process of pyrolysis—is gaining popularity as a soil amendment. Because of its high carbon content, environmental-

You’ll Leave Relaxed

ists advocate its use for carbon sequestration; when biochar is made and then buried, much of the carbon that would otherwise be burned and sent into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide is instead trapped in the biochar, according to the U.S. Biochar Initiative (go to www.biochar-us.org to learn more). Additionally, it is praised for its ability to filter water, meaning cleaner aquifers. “There’s a bigger market [for biochar] than there is product available,” noted Bailey.

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The folks at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church are hosting their annual garden tour on Saturday, May 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning at the church (2341 Floral Avenue) and stopping at five unique gardens throughout Chico. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Call 894-1971 or go to www.stjohnschico.org for more information and a complete listing of ticket vendors.

natural gas, “stringent, burdensome environmental regulations,” and a lack of infrastructure, he said. “The reality is, if you scale down, the returns aren’t there,” explained Bailey. Larger, collaborative projects have enough input to justify the large initial investment for the processing plant. Clean World Partners (CWP),

a young Sacramento for-profit business specializing in small-scale

UNCOMMON SENSE Spare the air! As gas prices rise ever higher and air quality continues to decline, public transit is becoming a more financially attractive (and ecofriendly) option for commuters. In an effort to promote air quality and give potential new customers the chance to test its transit system, the Butte County Association of Governments is sponsoring free B-Line bus rides on Thursday, May 3. “Spare the Air Day” will extend to all regular fixed B-Line routes in Butte County, including Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Gridley, Biggs, Magalia and Palermo. If that doesn’t convince you, here are some facts that might: • Public transportation saves the United States 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually, or more than three times the amount of gasoline imported from Kuwait. • Households near public transit drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles than households with no access to public transit. This equates to an individual household reduction of 223 gallons per year. • One person switching to public transit can reduce daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds, or more than 4,800 pounds in a year. • A single family member switching to public transportation can reduce a household’s carbon emissions by 10 percent.

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The list of benefits from

agricultural-biomass energy generation is long: It keeps agricultural wastes out of the landfill and lessens agricultural burning, provides an alternative fuel source, decentralizes energy production, creates local jobs and produces a marketable product for soil fertility. “Soil health—soil tilth—is the primary driver for ABC, and renewable energy is secondary,” said Bailey. And yet, while a few companies have their own biomass facilities, smaller-scale projects aren’t profitable, due to competing costs of other energy sources like

Swedish • Relaxing• Deep Tissue

anaerobic digesters, says the opposite—that scaling down is profitable. Anaerobic digestion of biomass is in essence a composter without oxygen, which, like the thermal technologies, produces biogas and a compost-like byproduct. “We have the same challenges,” like lack of infrastructure and the lack of startup money to build facilities, that Bailey mentioned, “but we think we’ve overcome them by scaling down,” said Warren Smith, CWP’s vice president of business development. CWP debuted its first anaerobic digester last month in Natomas, which it claims will turn a profit. CWP’s proprietary anaerobicdigester technology, based on research done at UC Davis, is the better technology, said Smith. “We have no interest in thermal technologies,” like pyrolysis, Smith said. Smith believes the landscape of interest has changed. Just 10 years ago, the motivation to build facilities was “government-directed” with a “public-sector push,” he said. However, “in the last couple of years, we’ve seen private-sector pull,” as a result of companies motivated to find a sustainable solution for their waste stream, and to show off to their investors and customers, who are asking for green change. “We’re starting to see projects that are penciling,” explained Smith. CWP’s partners are not strictly agricultural—its new facility in Natomas, for example, digests corrugated cardboard along with other wastes. For his part, Bailey will continue to work on ABC’s version of the biomass future. “It’s not about us anymore—it’s about our kids and grandkids,” he said. Ω more GREENWAYS continued on page 19

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NEVER TOO LATE National Arbor Day was April 27, but it’s not too late to

learn about planting trees. For a $3 donation, the Arbor Day Foundation will send you a handy tree-care booklet, called Conservation Trees—filled with “illustrations, colorful photos and easily understood descriptions”— aimed at helping people correctly plant and take care of trees. “Conservation Trees is an ideal resource for tree planters throughout the country,” said John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation. “It is important that people know how to properly plant and care for their trees.” Rosenow added that “[t]aking care of existing trees is just as critical as planting new ones. Trees clean the air, keep our water sources pure and conserve energy.” Conservation Trees offers information on pruning trees, as well as tips on using shade trees and windbreaks to save on energy costs, and choosing trees to attract songbirds. To get the booklet, send your name and address and a check for $3 to: Conservation Trees, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410.

COOL STUFF IN TUCSON As I write this column, I am spending my last couple of days in Tucson, Ariz., where I have discovered some interesting things alongside the many smoke shops, pawn shops and “estilo Sonora” hot-dog vendors that inhabit the streets of this sprawling desert city. Two food places so thoroughly caught my attention that I have gone back for more: Mother Hubbard’s Café (14 West Grant Road) and Tazzina di Gelato (5420 East Broadway Boulevard, www.tazzinadigelato.com ). Mother Hubbard’s is a small restaurant located in one of Tucson’s many strip malls that serves what it describes as “Native American comfort food,” made from scratch. On my first visit, I had a savory Pueblo green corn waffle—a cornmeal waffle into which were cooked kernels of yellow corn and pieces of green chile. No syrup, no butter. On the plate next to the waffle were two over-medium eggs nestled in a thick, glorious bed of snappy red-chile sauce. Serious yum! My second visit I enjoyed a Las Cruces—a stack of unrolled asada (beef) enchiladas smothered in spicy green-chile sauce and cheese, with house-made beans. Do check out Mother Hubbard’s if you’re in Tucson. Likewise for Tazzina di Gelato, which serves the best gelato I have ever eaten (and is located in another, newer strip mall). Tazzina di Gelato features freshly made, divinely delicious gelato made by a pair of rocking gelato masters, Leslie and Peter Miller, who learned their craft in Bologna, Italy. So far, I have tried: Mexican Coffee, Salted Caramel Brownie, Key Lime Pie, Pistachio, Chocolate Cake, Cookie Monster, Vanilla Bean, Lemon Sorbetto, Stracciatella and Chocolate Chipotle (my fave). On my horizon: Ricotta with Figs, Gianduja (chocolatehazelnut) and Frutta di Bosco. Also, check out the bike racks (pictured) at Reid Park Zoo (1100 South Randolph Way). A combination of public art and functionality, these racks, which feature metalart depictions of animals and desert plants, are worthy of emulation (Chico Arts ComTucson bike racks: Public art meets practicality. PHOTO BY CHRISTINE G.K. LAPADO mission, take note). MAD COW IN HANFORD If I were a cow living on a factory farm in the San Joaquin Valley, I think I would be driven mad, too.

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CN&R 19

WARRIORS IN CAGES BY JAIME O’NEILL PHOTOS BY KYLE DELMAR

n Saturday night, April 21, I joined a capacity crowd of more than 1,100 fans who turned out at Gold Country Casino in Oroville to watch 20 young men and women as they attempted to kick the shit out of one another. We had come to view the so-called “King of the Cage” mixed-martial-arts event, three hours of fast-paced action, with some of the bouts over almost even before I could see what had happened. And, the lighter the weight class, the faster and more furious the action seemed to be. Going in, I knew almost nothing about mixed martial arts, a hybrid fusion of boxing, jujitsu, wrestling and street brawling that is staged in cages, where there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. I’d pitched this story to the CN&R with a full array of prejudices lined up, ready to write an atmospheric piece filled with sneer and snark about the decline and fall of a great nation now turning these modern gladiatorial combats into the fastest-growing sport on the planet. I was ready to lament the limited number of options for working-class young people in a bleak economy, youths driven to shed their blood for chump change in pursuit of a distant dream of money and fame earned in wire mesh cages for the amusement of yahoos chummed into casinos to be fleeced at the tables after the fights. Al Joslin, the matchmaker for these bouts, had attempted to persuade me to a more benign view of cage fighting in a pre-fight phone interview (see sidebar), but I dismissed much of what he said as self-serving insider hype. I was not yet ready to jettison my view that there was something atavistic, culturally bankrupt, and even barbaric going on whenever large numbers of people turned out to see other people commit acts of violence on one another. Oroville is one of the poorest towns in one of the state’s poorest counties, and some of its citizens wear that poverty where it can be seen—in poor dental health, in sallow complexions, and in barely suppressed anger at the circumstances of their lives. Poverty breeds frustration, and frustration can breed violence, but the crowd I joined in Oroville was exceedingly well behaved, displaying more The fighters bracketing these pages are Marcus Ocegueda and Jeremy “Little Spider” Murphy; Ocegueda won their bout. To the right, Jeana Penelli defeated Samantha Quinn Hester when the latter tapped out after two minutes. To the right of them, Aaron Hedrick, a Maidu Indian originally from Paradise, in a moment of pain—or is it anguish?

20 CN&R May 3, 2012

civility than is sometimes found among parents at a Little League game, and way more civilized than what you’re likely to see in the parking lot after a home team has lost an NFL game. Some of those who congregate at Indian

casinos, or in front of pay-per-view events on television, do come for blood, gathering to watch fighters go at each other with fists, feet, elbows and knees, minimally protected men and women intent on forcing their opponents to surrender to their superior speed, strength and skill. And blood was spilled in Oroville during those three hours of fighting. Taken all together, maybe a half-pint of blood was shed by the five or six fighters who sustained cuts. There were guys hired for the specific purpose of mopping up the blood between rounds. The 10 three-round bouts were divided between amateurs and pros. Samantha Quinn Hester was

among the amateur fighters in the early evening prelims. She’d made the four-hour trip from Eureka with her boyfriend and her coach only to lose her fight to Jeana Pinelli in just under two minutes of the first round. Samantha, who prefers to be called “Quinn,” tapped out after being forced into a hold that put her at risk of having her arm broken. One of the most common ways of losing a mixed-martial-arts contest is by “tapping out,” the act of submission that lets an opponent and the referee know you’re conceding the bout. No one I talked with shows the slightest disrespect for fighters who know when they’ve had enough. Quinn has a smile that could charm the birds out of the trees. Dazzled by that smile, I ask her the vapid question writers always seem to ask when they’re completely out of ideas: How did she feel about her loss? “Shit happens,” she said, “but you learn and you move on. Besides, she was the one bleedin’, not me.” Quinn pointed with pride to some dried blood on her T-shirt, indicating that the blood there had come from her opponent. “I know when to quit, and I wasn’t about to let my arm get broken,” she said. What did she like about a sport many people don’t consider appropriate for women? “I like box-

ing,” she replied, “but this is more exciting. Maybe it’s my fiery Filipina blood, but who doesn’t like a brawl now and then?” Later, in one of the first of the pro fights, Andre “The Fury” Fili beat Matt “The Kamikaze Kid” Muramoto in a minute and 59 seconds of the first round, forcing Muramoto to tap out after getting locked in a choke hold. It was an intelligent and stylish match in which the strategic elements were apparent even to someone like me, ignorant of the finer points of the game. In the penultimate fight of the evening, Zak Bucia defeated Aaron Hedrick in one of the night’s bloodier matches. Hedrick, a Maidu Indian born in Paradise and reared in Oroville, is a local hero. He now lives in Norman, Okla., so if things had followed the arc of triumphal stories, this night would have turned out to be the return of the conquering hero. But Hedrick, a fierce welterweight, sustained deep cuts under both eyes. The cut under his left eye was especially deep. Cecil Peoples, the ref, monitored the cut with eagle-eyed intensity. By the time the fight ended, both fighters’ trunks were pink with blood. Hedrick’s sister, Shatawna Miller, was seated behind me. I asked her reaction to her brother’s loss. “Well, it sucks,” she said, “especially for him. He trained so hard. It’s humbling for him, but he knows he’s not always going to come out on top.” Jamie Lynne was one of the “card girls,” three scantily

clad lovelies who paraded around the cage just before each round, eye candy for the crowd, the “sex” part of the sex-and-

Reflections on blood and brotherhood at the fight club On the cover: Matt “The Kamikaze Kid” Muramoto (left) loses to Andre “The Fury” Fili.

violence pageant being offered, her sexuality amped up with a thong-ish bikini, piercings in her pelvic dimples and high-heel pumps. I asked her if this was just a job for her, or if she also liked the spectacle of cage fighting. “I love it,” she said. “Doesn’t the blood bother you?” “Not at all. I’m a lab tech. I’m around blood every day.” If the blood, the booze and the sweat weren’t enough to jack up a crowd, the monster sound system boomed a bass line straight to and through the heart, rattling bones, shaking dental fillings, and spiking the adrenaline that rose even higher when the featured bout was announced. The night’s biggest draw was Jaime Jara, and if there was a king of the cage in Oroville, Jara was surely that monarch, revered by all the aficionados of the sport, a seasoned heavyweight with dozens of fights under his belt, a figurehead to younger fighters who hope to equal his success one day. But, though he may have been the presumptive “King of the Cage,” he lost the feature bout to Justin Baesman, a younger, less experienced fighter. It was an oddly lackluster performance from Jara, and fans grew impatient at the comparatively restrained action as the fight went on. Someone behind me yelled, “Get a room!” as the fighters worked their way through the desultory third round, with Jara mostly defending himself and his opponent throwing fewer punches, restricting his attack to a series of kicks to Jara’s legs. When the bell rang, Baesman raised Jara’s arm to signal that his opponent had won, though it looked to me that Jara had lost. Baesman then embraced Jara, lifting him off his feet in a gesture of respect. A moment later, he leaped to the top of the cage, yelling to the crowd, “Give it up for him.” I didn’t properly understand what I’d seen until later, when I learned that Jara had suffered a broken left arm in the second round and a torn right bicep early in the first round, though neither I nor anyone near me had seen him react to that punishment. He’d gone on, fighting gamely for the full three rounds, losing in a close decision. Few in the audience knew that Jara was hurt, but the guy who had hurt him knew, which was why he lifted Jara up as the sound of the bell faded. And the kicks to Jara’s legs were, in fact, punishing blows. “Those kicks to the legs and shins are like getting hit with a baseball bat,” Al Joslin told me after the fight. “But fighters develop a kind of armor. The body’s an amazing thing. It adapts to whatever it has to endure, and fighters develop a tough subepidermal layer that offers them some protection other people don’t have.” “WARRIORS” continued on page 22

May 3, 2012

CN&R 21

WARRIORS IN CAGES BY JAIME O’NEILL PHOTOS BY KYLE DELMAR

20 CN&R May 3, 2012

clad lovelies who paraded around the cage just before each round, eye candy for the crowd, the “sex” part of the sex-and-

Reflections on blood and brotherhood at the fight club On the cover: Matt “The Kamikaze Kid” Muramoto (left) loses to Andre “The Fury” Fili.

May 3, 2012

CN&R 21

“WARRIORS” continued from page 21

Violence and opportunity A promoter defends his sport Violence is Al Joslin’s business, and he knows his business. He promoted the mixed-martial-arts matches I describe in the accompanying story, and he’s hardly unaware of the violence at the heart of what he does. But Joslin sees distinct positives in the sport. He believes that, for many kids coming up the hard way, as he himself did, MMA can provide discipline and confidence. Those kids are often lacking father figures, too, a role Al Joslin takes on as a manager, trainer and fight promoter. “I’m 55 now, and I started in martial arts when I was 16,” he said in a pre-fight interview. “I had a troubled youth, and I went through lots of hard times, but martial arts carried me through, which I think you’ll find with a lot of young people these days.” I reminded him of the boilerplate objections to the sport, from bloodthirsty fans to injured fighters. “We can all find things to look down our noses at other people about,” he said, “but this sport gives opportunity to the youth of America. Some of these kids are fighting their whole life, anyway, on the streets or in the bars. The safe place to try it out is the cage, where it’s regulated, and where there are doctors. “I don’t like blood,” he continued. “I see a car accident, I get sick. But I’m a martial-arts guy. I started fighting bare-knuckle, full-contact back in 1972. I’ve had split lips, broken noses, broken sternum, but I’ve still got all my faculties, and I wish I could still be doing it.” Joslin isn’t the least bit defensive about his profession. “Cage fighting is safer than boxing. In mixed martial arts, anytime a fighter feels threatened they can stop the fight by ‘tapping out,’ the equivalent of saying ‘uncle.’ And there’s no dishonor in it. I do this as a living. I don’t want people to think ill of what I’m doing.” Toward that end, he dedicates himself to ensuring that the fighters are well matched. “A fight is a question—can this person beat this person? I’m kinda well known for putting together wellmatched cards,” he said. “My grandkids go to the shows. They see a little blood, maybe, but it’s no big deal. … “Look at Japan. Do you think Japan is a ruthless, terrible society? No. They teach martial arts in the schools, and that imparts a sense of honor. I’m kind of on a crusade for martial arts. I want these kids off their duffs, and to know how to protect themselves and their family, and build confidence in themselves. I’ve instilled these things in kids who had no confidence, no discipline. And that’s rewarding.” —Jaime O’Neill Promoter Al Joslin says he’s “kind of on a crusade for martial arts.” 22 CN&R May 3, 2012

Baesman, the winner, lives and trains in Susanville. In the aftermath of the fight, it was apparent that he’d been confining his late-round attacks to Jara’s legs because he knew his much-admired opponent was badly injured, and he didn’t want to take advantage of that, nor did he want to inflict irreparable damage to those injured arms. After the fights, he wore a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of his two daughters. Under that picture, a caption read: “Fighting For Their Future.” When the amphitheater emptied, I

made my way down the corridor that led back into the casino. I came upon Aaron Hedrick, surrounded by a gaggle of relatives, including his mother, Joannie Swanson. “Aaron got married at 18,” she informed me. “He had his issues when he was young, and he spent his share of time in juvenile hall, but he’s got two kids now, and he’s a great dad and a good husband.” Her son stood off to the side, still bloody but surely unbowed, soaking up the support of friends and relatives. “He always fights with heart,” his proud mother said, amid the hubbub. “There’s a certain discipline that goes with mixed martial arts. We tried to joke him out of it when he first talked about going pro, but when we saw he had a passion for it, we urged him to give it his all.” Though Richard Nixon is almost never my go-to guy for opinions about character, I remembered something Nixon had written as I milled around with Aaron Hedrick’s entourage. “You’ve got to learn to survive a defeat,” Nixon wrote. “That’s when you develop character.” Nixon’s notion fits with what Swanson told me. “Right after the fight,” she said, “Aaron told me, ‘You know what, Mom, I’ll learn from this. I feel like I let people down who came to watch me, but I’ve got family and friends here and that means everything.’” A few days later, I asked my friend, Dr. Richard Josiassen, if he had an opinion of cage fighting. Josiassen is a mentalhealth professional who left his hometown of Richvale for a shining psychiatric career in Philadelphia. “I have been impressed with how deeply motivating a sense of personal honor can be,” he said, “especially for young-adult males. Look at the number who go off to wars they know are based on falsehoods, and yet they line up by the thousands for the

Above: In an upset, Justin Baesman (right) defeated the much-revered Jaime Jara in a surprisingly lackluster bout. Only afterward was it learned that Jara was fighting with a broken arm and a torn bicep. Left: Jaime Lynne, one of the three “card girls,” said the blood spilled during the fights didn’t bother her at all because her day job was as a lab technician. PHOTO BY JAIME O’NEILL

willingness to afford respect to colleagues. As much as anything else, the kinship the fight community displayed seemed tribal, in the best sense of that word. I envied these young fighters for their sense of belonging, a feeling I’d known only in long-ago days when I was active in the peace movement. Perhaps the scorn we felt back then from people who didn’t share our view of things helped us bond more tightly, and perhaps the disdain that people like me so often evince for all these heavily tattooed young warriors enhances the sense of brotherhood they feel. Whatever the reason, that brotherhood is undeniable. And I envied them for it. If I needed someone I could count on, someone to take my back, I’d choose one of these people long before I’d pick any of my former English-teacher colleagues or any current fellow scribbler in the writing trade. The fighters crowded into booths,

sake of honor. I suppose winning a cage match confers a deep sense of honor for some folks.” Envy was the last thing I would

have imagined I’d take away from an evening spent ringside at the cage fights. As I watched the fighters, their families, their trainers and their friends gather in the coffee shop after the fights, I witnessed a real sense of community, people who loved and respected one another, who took genuine delight at holding place in this distinct subculture. Writing and teaching, the two professions I’ve known best, offered nothing like this, no supportive sense of esprit, no shared bond of common identity, little

some of them wearing the oversized championship belts they’d won in earlier contests. Jamie Lynne, the lab tech/card girl I’d talked to earlier, took a table with an older man I immediately assumed was her date. Now, however, she was in flats and jeans and a demure top, and she looked like a middle-school kid, all the overt sexual cues toned down to invisibility. Shelly Matlock, one of the “King of the Cage” promoters working the event, came over and gave her a hug. Jamie Lynne introduced the man she was with as her dad, wiping away all my initial impressions and giving her back her status as a complete human being, a working professional woman who’s also someone’s little girl. Andre Fili,the stylish 21-year-old who’d beaten Matt “The Kamikaze Kid”

Right: After her losing battle, Samantha Quinn Hester was all smiles, happy that she’d known when to quit and hadn’t gotten her arm broken. PHOTO BY JAIME O’NEILL

Muramoto earlier in the evening, slid into my booth to answer a few questions. His favorite writer, he told me, is Chuck Palahniuk, the guy who wrote The Fight Club. I am caught off guard to hear a young fighter talk about his “favorite writer.” I’d spent a lifetime recommending books to community college students who far too often seemed bewildered by the idea that there were people who actually had favorite writers, so it surprised me that this young man with tattoos and earlobe plugs was a reader of real books by real writers. He picked up on my surprise. “Cage fighting goes much deeper than two guys punching each other in the face,” he said. “It’s about being intelligent, using what you’ve got.” The teacher bell in me started going off, and I rattled off some books I thought he’d like—Fat City, by Leonard Gardner, and the short story, “A Piece of Steak,” by Jack London. When I used to recommend books in class, I always doubted my students would actually seek them out, but I have a hunch

that Fili might. “The whole Northern California mixed-martial-arts scene is pretty cool,” he told me. “There’s something in the water, maybe. I partied hard when I was in high school, and I got in my share of trouble, but a guy like Jaime Jara is a figurehead to me, and this sport has taught me so much. You can’t know yourself until you’ve been in a fight, until you’ve trained six to eight weeks for one fight, with one specific opponent. It’s the purest form of conflict between two people, and win or lose there’s no animosity after the fight. You can see that every time. We respect each other. It’s a tight-knit community.” I was surrounded in that coffee shop by kids, few of them much older than 21, all of them pretty sweet, from what I could see, with the same plainly visible vulnerability and desire to please I’d seen in

the students I’d taught in hundreds of college classes. Despite the Maori tattoos and the piercings and the chest-pounding displays of fierceness, these were just kids, fumbling their way along in a society that doesn’t offer much direction or real support. I fully expected to write a piece about my night at the cage fights drenched with disapproval, but I left that event unable to disapprove of what I’d seen. In a country as fucked up as this one currently is, with insane gun laws, out-of-control corporate power, foreign wars without end, millions of children living below the poverty line, a political system corrupted by big money, and a cultural life obsessed with people like the Kardashians, there are far more serious targets for disapproval than a bunch of young men and women chasing dreams of glory, and finding more freedom in cages than many of us find in the various cubicles we construct for ourselves, or in the round of days that now seem stripped of the hope the American Dream once promised. This is a nation that puts a larger percentage of its young men in cages than are under lock and key in any other country on the planet, young men who are in prison because they have no idea of where to channel their youthful energies. So, to be Andre Fili, happy and young, surrounded by friends, with a victory to sleep on and dreams of future nights like this to get him through ’til morning seemed a pretty fine way to be 21 years old on a Saturday night in America in the second decade of the 21st century. Ω

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CN&R 23

Arts & Culture Real ‘horrorshow’ Blue Room goes wild in re-creation of A Clockwork Orange

THIS WEEK

Ikind tick, you can’t be afraid to get a little dirty. In fact, sometimes, you gotta really jam your nose

f you want to get at what makes human-

right up into the ass of humanity and probe those inner workings to figure stuff out. And, oh boy, have the folks at by Jason Cassidy the Blue Room Theatre been gettin’ dirty—very, very dirty. Last jasonc@ Saturday, a huge cast of brave newsreview.com actors threw themselves into the nastiness of a very wild and graphic (and nearly three-hourlong!) rendition of Anthony REVIEW: A Clockwork Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange. I’ve been to a lot of plays in Orange , showing Thursday- Chico over the past two decades, Saturday, and never has a production been 7:30 p.m., through more deserving of the “for mature May 26 (with special showing audiences only” disclaimer: MurSunday, May 13, der, gang rape, hardcore video 7 p.m.) at the porn, torture, sex with minors, Blue Room. full-frontal male and female Tickets: $13-$16. nudity and even some probing and eating of fellow actors’ naked Blue Room Theatre asses. It basically comes across as a 139 W. First St. 895-3749 re-creation of Stanley Kubrick’s www.blueroom film version (though elements of theatre.com the book and the various stage versions may be in the mix as well) and all the scenes of filth and fury therein, right down to the outfits, accents and signature scenes. It is astonishing how completely the cast threw themselves into the fray, going wild in every scene while still nailing the complex dialogue peppered with Burgess’ invented Nadsat language. It’s noted in the program that co-directors Martin Chavira and Frank Bedene just got out of the actors’ way and enabled them to go nuts with the familiar cult classic, and they did go crazy. It was equal parts titillating and disturbing, and very shocking throughout. The play opens with an approximation of the film’s opening tableau, with young Alex and his “droogs,” or friends/gang, sitting still in a milk bar staring blankly as the narrator (Chris Scott, aka “elder Alex,” onstage with a wireless mic) speaks his younger counterpart’s thoughts about what kind of trouble they might get themselves into that night. And the play and Alex and the gang waste no time getting to the mayhem, as a series of fast-andfurious beatdowns ensue, culminating in a drive to the country (in the super-cool motorcar that pulls out from a raised backdrop—best prop of the year!) and a break-in and gang raping that spills into the audience. The mayhem of act one begets the turnabout in act two, where it’s the government’s turn to get cruel via some aversion therapy inflicted on Alex’s brain. And, in the final act, after Alex is released back into 24 CN&R May 3, 2012

THURS

Naughty boy Alex (Stephen Carlson) is tended to by a couple of foxy aversion-therapy nurses, played by (from left) Lauren Kodai and Suzanne Papini.

Special Events

PHOTO BY MATT SIRACUSA

THURSDAY NIGHT MARKET: Downtown Chico’s

a world of bad behavior (at all levels of society), we see whether the “treatment” worked or not. Throughout the performance, the audience was enthusiastically along for the ride. It kind of felt like an exercise in ritual nostalgia—like going to The Rocky Horror Show—as we relived a shared memory. The best performances were by those who tickled those memories best with their portrayals—Stephen Carlson’s studied re-creation of young Alex; Brian Sampson as wild-eyed and vengeful wheelchairbound widower, Mr. Alexander; Emerald Behrens as the defiant and doomed Catlady; and especially Eric Loeffler in his very committed role as the Monty Python-like Chief Guard (going where no man would go without protective gloves). It wasn’t unlike how we now experience Kubrick’s film some 40 years later. We have been largely desensitized to the film’s graphic nature. After repeated viewings, the once-shocking naturally becomes less shocking, and the iconic characters of the cult classic become more “fun” than anything. But, interestingly, while there is much fun to be had in this re-creation, this live-theater version also has the effect of once again rendering the sex and–especially–the violence shocking. Those sincewatered-down components to the film/book are again brought to the fore. There is no nostalgia in seeing a real-life young woman being stripped and fake-raped in the aisle next your seat, and at the other end, it is pretty eye-opening and novel to see two sexy nurses get down and dirty on a Chico stage. There were a few technical snags during this second performance of the run. The changeovers and blocking were rough in spots, and at times the (excellent) background music overwhelmed the actors voices—even that of the elder Alex, whose mic seemed to be peaking just on the edge of feeding back. Overall though, especially considering the scope of the production—25 actors playing multiple roles over three acts for three hours—things flowed well and will hopefully continue to smooth out as the run continues. Ω

weekly marketplace with local produce, vendors, entertainment and music. This week: ReBellyon belly dancers, funk fusion with Gravybrain, solo acoustic pop with Kyle Williams, Spray Fantasy art demonstrations and more. Th, 5/3, 6-9pm. Prices vary. Downtown Chico, www.downtownchico.net.

Music AC SLATER: DJ AC Slater is a rising star of the underground electronic music circuit. K Theory, DirtyRock and M3RC open. Th, 5/3, 9pm. $15. El Rey Theatre; 230 W. Second St.; (530) 342-2727.

Theater A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: A stage adaptation of the controversial novel and film following Alex, a teenager in dystopian future Britain who’s primary interests include “rape, ultra-violence and Beethoven.” Th-Sa, 7:30pm through 5/26. $10-$15. Blue Room Theatre, 139 W First St., (530) 895-3749, www.blueroom theatre.com.

available at Grace Jr., Brambley Cottage, Zucchini & Vine, Art Etc. and Cal Java. F, 5/4, 58pm. $30. Stansbury House; 307 W. Fifth St. On the corner of Salem and 5th street; (530) 8953848.

Art Receptions JURIED STUDENT EXHIBITION RECEPTION: An awards ceremony and reception for the juried art exhibitions on campus. F, 5/4, 5pm. Free. Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall; 400 W First St. CSU, Chico.

Music MUSIC FOR MUSIC: A one-day music festival at The Junction (Broadway and 9th St.) with four stages—one outside and then one each in Bustolini’s, All Fired Up and 1078 Gallery. Proceeds benefit local youth music foundation Music, Movement and More. Go online for a complete festival schedule. F, 5/4, 3-9pm. $10$15. Call or visit website for details; Locations vary; http://musicformusic.weebly.com/ band-line-up.html.

MUYTATOR: Futuristic vaudevillian theater, choreographed dance acts, aerial performance, giant screen visuals and pyrotechnic displays coupled with progressive, electronic art-rock. F, 5/4, 9pm. $13. El Rey Theatre; 230 W. Second St.; (530) 342-2727.

OKLAHOMA!: A lavish, grand-scale musical with a romantic story line, dance numbers, stunning sets, a full orchestra and a cast of Chico State’s most talented performers. Th-Sa, 7:30pm; Su, 5/6, 2pm. $10-$22. Laxson Auditorium, 400 W. First St. CSU, Chico, (530) 898-6333, www.csuchico.edu/upe/ boxoffice.html.

FRI

Special Events COMEDY AT THE LAST STAND: See website for

performers. 5/4-5/5, 7pm; Sa, 5/5, 8:30pm. $10. The Last Stand Comedy Venue, 167 E. Third St. On E. Third between Main and Wall, (530) 3541936, www.laststandcomedy.com.

G HUM PARADE & ART SHOW: 100 people will march from the downtown plaza to Chico State campus holding the chord “G major” on various instruments. Student art, live music and refreshment will be waiting at 3 p.m. on campus. F, 5/4, 2-4pm. Free. Chico City Plaza; 400 Main St.

WINE, DINE & JAZZ: Wine from Creekside Cellars, dinner catered by a host of local chefs and jazz with Holly Taylor and Eric Peter. Tickets

OKLAHOMA!

Thursday-Sunday, May 3-6 Laxson Auditorium SEE THURSDAY-SUNDAY, THEATER

FINE ARTS JURIED STUDENT EXHIBITS RECEPTION Friday, May 4 Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall

SEE FRIDAY, ART RECEPTIONS

visit website for details; Locations Vary in; www.wildoakmusicgroup.com.

ECLIPSE: Not your average Pink Floyd tribute band—Eclipse tours with a mind-bending video/light show. Sa, 5/5, 8pm. $22. El Rey Theatre; 230 W. Second St.; (530) 342-2727.

HARMONY SHOWCASE: An evening of barbershopstyle music with the American River Chorus from Sacramento, Sounds of the Valley, Artistic License and Gesundheit. Sa, 5/5, 6:30pm. $15. Oroville State Theatre; 1489 Myers St. Corner of Robinson & Myers in Oroville; (530) 538-2470.

Theater Theater ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JR.: The Children’s Theater hosts the classic story of Alice and her journey down the rabbit hole. F, 5/4, 7pm; Sa, 5/5, 1pm. $5-$8. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Rd. Ste. F, (530) 894-3282, www.chicotheatercompany.com.

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: See Thursday. Blue Room Theatre, 139 W First St., (530) 895-3749, www.blueroomtheatre.com.

LEADING LADIES: Two actors fall on hard times and attempt to impersonate the long-lost nieces of a dying millionairess. F, Sa, 7:30pm; Su, 2pm through 5/20. $7-$15. Birdcage Theatre, 1740 Bird St. in Oroville, (530) 5332473, www.birdcagetheatre.net.

OKLAHOMA!: See Thursday. Laxson Auditorium, 400 W. First St. CSU, Chico, (530) 898-6333, www.csuchico.edu/upe/boxoffice.html.

SAT

Special Events 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF PIONEER MUSEUM: A dedication ceremony in honor of the Pioneer Museum’s 80th year in Oroville with live music with the Old Time Fiddlers, a barbershop quartet and refreshment from the Las Plumas Culinary Art Class. Sa, 5/5, 11:30am4pm. Free. Butte County Pioneer Memorial Museum, 2332 Montgomery St. in Oroville, (530) 589-2903, http://cityoforoville.org.

BUTTE COUNTY BEERFEST: A kick-off event for Feather Fiesta Days and fundraiser for the Bidwell Mansion Community Project featuring wares from Northern California breweries. Sa, 5/5, 12-5pm. $25. Centennial Plaza, 1800 Arlin Rhine Dr. in Oroville, www.bidwell21nsgw.org.

CINCO DE MAYO PARTY: Booze and mariachi

bands celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Sa, 5/5, 9pm. Free. Rolling Hills Casino; 2655 Barham Ave. in Corning; (530) 528-3500; www.rollinghillscasino.com.

CINCO DE MEOW DINNER & CELEBRATION: A Mexican-themed celebration to benefit TOPCats on the Ridge. Appetizers, dinner, nohost beer, wine, margaritas and raffle prizes. Tickets available at Fir Street Gallery and HeavenScent Candles & More. Sa, 5/5, 5pm. $20-$25. Paradise Grange Hall; 5704 Chapel Dr. in Paradise; (530) 872-8112.

FREE LISTINGS! Post your event for free online at www.newsreview.com/calendar. Once posted, your CN&R calendar listing will also be considered for print. Print listings are also free, but subject to space limitations. Deadline for print listings is one week prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

COMEDY AT THE LAST STAND: See Friday. The Last Stand Comedy Venue, 167 E. Third St. On E. Third between Main and Wall, (530) 354-1936, www.laststandcomedy.com.

ENDANGERED SPECIES FAIRE: Interactive educational activities about animals and the environment, exhibits, wholesome food, local music and stage entertainment all day long in commemoration of Earth Day. Sa, 5/5, 10am4pm. Free. Cedar Grove; Lower Bidwell Park; (530) 891-6424; http://endangeredspecies faire.org.

GARDEN TOUR: A tour of five unique gardens in Chico with a luncheon and plant boutique. Go online for more information. Sa, 5/5, 11am4pm. $25-$30. St Johns Evangelist Episcopal Church, 2341 Floral Ave., www.stjohns chico.org.

GROWING HEALTHY CHILDREN RUN & WALK: A fun run and walk to promote children’s health. After the race, check out an interactive health fair, entertainment, free raffle prizes and healthy snacks. Go online for more information. Sa, 5/5, 8:30am. Free. One Mile Recreation Area; Bidwell Park; (530) 896-7200; www.grow inghealthychildrenchico.com.

PIONEER DAY PARADE: Chico’s annual Pioneer Day Parade—complete with floats and marching bands—with a theme “Celebrating Northern California’s Resources.” Sa, 5/5, 11am-1pm. Free. Downtown Chico.

STONEWALL PROM NIGHT: An alternative prom night for anyone 15 to 20 years old. Go online for more information. Sa, 5/5, 7-10pm. Cafe Flo; 365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre; (530) 514-8888; www.stonewall chico.org.

A TIMELESS TASTE: Silent and live antique auctions, wine and microbrew tasting, live music and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Proceeds benefit free community programs Fridays for Lunch and the Samaritan Medical Clinic. Sa, 5/5, 3-7pm. $30-$35. Paradise Lutheran Church; 780 Luther Dr. Next to Long’s Drugstore in Paradise; (530) 877-3549; www.paradiselutheran.com.

Music ANDRE NICKATINA: A straightforward flow and experimental beats are trademarks of the West Coast rhyme-sayer. His interests include cocaine, blunts, money and booty. Prof opens. Sa, 5/5, 9pm. $22. Senator Theatre; 517 Main St.; (530) 898-1497; www.jmaxproductions.net.

BEACH BOYS IN PARADISE: Mike Amaral’s California Beach Boys Tribute Band plays classic surf rock hits. Sa, 5/5, 7pm. $24. Paradise Performing Arts Center; 777 Nunnelly Rd. in Paradise; (530) 273-5486; www.paradise performingarts.com.

CHICO MUSIC FEST: Wild Oak Music Group and Chico State’s Department of Music host the seventh annual Chico Music Fest, taking over four venues for one night. Some of the artists include The Railflowers (Cafe Coda), Keyser Soze (Origami Lounge), No Requests (Peeking Underground) and Strange Habits (Mountain Mike’s). Sa, 5/5, 7pm-midnight. $5-$8. Call or

ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JR.: See Friday. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Rd. Ste. F, (530) 894-3282, www.chicotheatercompany.com.

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: See Thursday. Blue Room Theatre, 139 W First St., (530) 895-3749, www.blueroomtheatre.com.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, JR.: The Chico Troupers present the story of Tevye, the father of five daughters who tries to maintain his family’s traditional Jewish values despite outside forces. Sa, 5/5, 3 & 7pm. $8-$10. Chico Grange; 2775 Nord Ave.; (530) 895-1976; http://thechicotroupers.com.

LEADING LADIES: See Friday. Birdcage Theatre, 1740 Bird St. in Oroville, (530) 533-2473, www.birdcagetheatre.net.

OKLAHOMA!: See Thursday. Laxson Auditorium, 400 W. First St. CSU, Chico, (530) 898-6333, www.csuchico.edu/upe/boxoffice.html.

SUN

Special Events DANCE 4 LIFE: Dance to live music with Reckoning, an acoustic Grateful Dead cover band and Armadillo, a country and classic rock outfit. Proceeds benefit Relay 4 Life. Su, 5/6, 5-9pm. $10. Chico Womens Club; 592 E. Third St.; (530) 894-1978.

Art 1078 GALLERY: Member Show, an exhibition of wall, sculpture, installation and performance art by 1078 Gallery members. Through 5/12. 820 Broadway, (530) 343-1973, www.1078gallery.org.

ANGELOS CUCINA TRINACRIA: Sal Casa Gallery, some of Sal Casa’s early work depicting classic Sicilian culture. Ongoing. 407 Walnut St., (530) 899-9996.

AVENUE 9 GALLERY: Natural & Crafted Worlds, photography by Michele Miller and Karma Ganzler. Through 5/19. 180 E. Ninth Ave., (530) 879-1821, www.avenue9gallery.com.

BOHO: Stay Up Fly On, artwork by Christian

Garcia. Ongoing. 225 Main St. D, (530) 8953282.

CHICO ART CENTER: Naomi Tatum, large-scale work of Naomi Tatum, a prolific mixed media artist from New Mexico. Through 5/19. 450 Orange St. 6, (530) 895-8726, www.chicoart center.com.

CHICO CITY MUNICIPAL CENTER: Joel Collier

Photography, a display of Joel Collier’s photography on all three floors of the City Municipal Center building. Through 7/13. 411 Main St. City Hall, (530) 896-7200.

CHICO CREEK NATURE CENTER: Dragonflies and Damselflies, a photo exhibit by Robert Woodward. Ongoing. 1968 E. Eighth St., (530) 891-4671, www.bidwellpark.org.

CHICO PAPER CO.: Monuments, works by DiGrazia, who manipulates photographs to detach the structure from recognizable surroundings. Through 6/1.Marilynn Jennings, the qualities of the four elements are captured through color and texture in oil paintings and adjacent fiber cylinders. Through 6/1. 345 Broadway, (530) 891-0900, www.chicopapercompany.com.

HEALING ART GALLERY: Current exhibits, by Northern California artists whose lives have been touched by cancer. Currently featuring watercolors by Amber Palmer. Ongoing. 265 Cohasset Rd. inside Enloe Cancer Center, (530) 332-3856.

HUMANITIES CENTER GALLERY: Make it Work, an exhibition of remade and appropriated

objects produced by Cameron Kelly and Rouben Mohiuddin. Through 5/20. 400 W. First St. CSU, Chico, Trinity Hall.

JAMES SNIDLE FINE ARTS AND APPRAISALS:

Passion: Lois Cohen Art Work, a celebration of the late and great local artist Lois Cohen with a gallery of her lifes work. Oils, watercolors, pastel figure drawings and etching prints. Through 5/31. Free to the public. 254 E. Fourth St., (530) 343-2930, www.james snidlefinearts.com.

TURNER PRINT MUSEUM: Juried Student

Printmakers Exhibition, the best student printmakers and ceramic artist in a juried show. Through 5/15. 400 W. First St. Meriam Library breezeway, CSU, Chico.

UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY: Annual Juried

Student Exhibition, a juried exhibition of ceramics, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, installation and digital media created by students. Through 5/15. 400 W First St. Taylor Hall, CSU, Chico.

Call for Artists ART INSPIRED BY CHICO: The Chico Museum is planning a multi-media exhibit (including poetry, art, videos, sculptures, textiles and music) of original creations inspired by Chico. Go online for submission guidelines. Through 7/1. Chico Museum, 141 Salem St., (530) 891-4336, www.chicomuseum.org.

Museums BOLTS ANTIQUE TOOL MUSEUM: Kitchen

Gadgets, a new display featuring kitchen gadgets past and present. M-Sa, 10am3:45pm; Su, 11:45am-3:45pm. $2 adults/kids free. 1650 Broderick St. in Oroville, (530) 538-2497, www.boltsantiquetools.com.

CHICO MUSEUM: The Bicycle:Life on Two

Wheels, an exhibition that will explore world of cycling, from the history of the bicycle, the science of staying upright and the benefits of riding. F through 6/22. $2-$3. 141 Salem St., (530) 891-4336.

GATEWAY SCIENCE MUSEUM: Toys: The Inside

Story, an exhibit featuring 12 hands-on stations illustrating the simple mechanisms found in most toys. W-Su. $3-$5. 625 Esplanade.

SHARE YOUR HEALTH RUN & WALK: A fun run and walk through Bidwell Park to support the Shalom Free Clinic. Register at the Shalom Free Clinic Thrift Store (250 E. 1st St.) or on the day of the race. Go online for more information. Su, 5/6, 8:30am. $15-$35. One Mile Recreation Area; Bidwell Park; (530) 896-7200; www.shalomfreeclinic.org.

Music CHICO COMMUNITY BAND SPRING CONCERT: A spring showcase of works performed by the Chico Community Band. Call for more info. Su, 5/6, 2pm. CUSD Center for the Arts; 1475 East Ave. corner of East and Ceanothus; (530) 8916977.

PARADISE SYMPHONY CONCERT: The Paradise Symphony performs Carnival of the Animals by Camille St. Saens, Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg and Gymnopdie #1 by Erik Satie. Su, 5/6, 7pm. $5-$17. Paradise Performing Arts Center; 777 Nunnelly Rd. in Paradise; (530) 8728454; www.paradiseperformingarts.com.

Theater LEADING LADIES: See Friday. Birdcage Theatre, 1740 Bird St. in Oroville, (530) 533-2473, www.birdcagetheatre.net.

THIS WEEK continued on page 26

Cinco de Chico Each year, there are more events this first weekend in May than any other. This year, we have everything from two multi-venue music fests to the Endangered Species Faire, plus a couple of fun run/walks, all of the regular rock shows, theater and art openings or the Cinco de Mayo party train rolling from bar to bar all day long on May 5. Chico might need to call in sick on Monday. Here’s a schedule of the highlights (see This Week EDITOR’S PICK listings for full details): • G-hum Parade and Art Show (May 4): Follow the strumming guitarists from City Plaza to a student-arts fest on the Chico State Campus. • Music for Music Fest (May 4): Arts and crafts and four stages of music (1078 Gallery, Bustolini’s, All Fired Up, plus the outdoor stage) at The Junction block. • Pioneer Day Parade (May 5): Floats and marching bands in downtown Chico. • Endangered Species Faire (May 5): Butte Environmental Council’s annual educational faire in Bidwell Park’s Cedar Grove, with exhibits, music, art, food and more. • Chico Music Fest (May 5): Another local, four-venue music fest? Yes, Chico State’s Wild Oak Records spreads the likes of The Railflowers, Keyser Soze and more around town.

—JASON CASSIDY May 3, 2012

CN&R 25

THIS WEEK continued from page 25

BULLETIN BOARD

OKLAHOMA!: See Thursday. Laxson Auditorium, 400 W. First St. CSU, Chico, (530) 898-6333, www.csuchico.edu/ upe/boxoffice.html.

COMMUNITY SAFETY SATURDAY

Antique Auction Wine & Microbrew Tasting

Saturday, May 5 Walmart

MON

SEE COMMUNITY

Music

Saturday, May 5 • 3-7:00pm

DIEGO’S UMBERELLA: A mix of Eastern European

The PLaCe, Paradise Lutheran Church 780 Luther Drive

tradition, pop sensibility and punk rock energy dubbed “gypsy folk.” M, 5/7, 7:30pm. $15. Sierra Nevada Big Room; 1075 East 20th St.; (530) 3452739; www.sierranevada.com/bigroom.

Tickets: $30 advance/$35 door For more information call (530) 877-3549 or visit www.ParadiseLutheran.org

Poetry/Literature

RARE PLANT TREASURE HUNT: A

DAVE EGGERS: Author Dave Eggers will discuss

CHICO ANTIQUES & DESIGN FAIRE

and answer questions from the community about his written works, his commitment to literacy and the unsettling issues raised by his non-fiction novel Zeitoun, this year’s Book in Common. M, 5/7, 7:30pm. $10-$20. Laxson Auditorium; 400 W. First St. CSU, Chico; (530) 898-6333; www.csuchico.edu/upe/ boxoffice.html.

WED

Special Events COMEDY NIGHT: Weekly comedy night on

Saturday, May 12

1038 Midway, Chico - at the Patrick Ranch (530) 893–5534 • $3 Admission Antiques * Retro * Art * Shabby Chic * Jewelry * Garden * Salvaged Treasures!

Wednesdays inside Spirits Lounge at Gold Country Casino. W, 8pm. Free. Gold Country Casino; 4020 Olive Hwy at Gold Country Casino & Hotel in Oroville; (530) 534-9892; www.gold countrycasino.com.

Music RIDERS IN THE SKY: A quartet of musicians dedicated to making cowboy music fun with comedic antics, cornball jokes and vocal harmonizing. The Riders are best known for writing and singing the song “Woody’s Roundup” for the movie Toy Story 2. W, 5/9, 7:30pm. $15-$27. Laxson Auditorium; 400 W. First St. CSU, Chico; (530) 898-6333; www.csuchico.edu/upe/boxoffice.html.

John Bidwell Parlor #21 nSGw PreSentS the annual

Community CHICO BAILE LATINO: MORE THAN SALSA: Latin dancing with Monika Ronquillo. Lessons the first hour followed by open dance. F, 5/4, 710pm. $5. Cafe Flo, 365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre, (530) 514-8888.

CHICO FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE: Chico Friends of the Library weekly book sale. Sa, 9:15-11:30am. Butte County Library, Chico Branch, 1108 Sherman Ave., (530) 891-2762, www.buttecounty.net/bclibrary.

COMMUNITY SAFETY SATURDAY: Public safety demonstrations including child booster seat inspections, examples of 72-hour emergency supply kits, fire safety, boat safety and more. Sa, 5/5, 10am-2pm. Walmart, 2044 Forest Ave., (530) 534-1495, http://brickman@brickman marketing.com.

DANCE SANCTUARY WAVE: Bring a water bottle, drop your mind, free your feet and your spirit. Call for directions. Tu, 6:30-8:30pm. $10. Call for details, 891-6524.

EARTH WALK: An educational stroll through the park, with proceeds supporting the Butte Environmental Council and the Endangered Species Faire. Sa, 5/5, 9am. $10. Cedar Grove, Lower Bidwell Park, (530) 891-6424.

FARMERS MARKET - CHICO STATE: The Organic Vegetable Project’s weekly sale of freshpicked greens of chard, kale, cabbage, flowers, herbs, veggies, farm-fresh eggs and more in the campus plaza. W, 11am-2pm. Chico State, W. First St. Plumas Hall.

YOUTH THEATER: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JR. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, JR.

FARMERS MARKET - FIREHOUSE: Locally grown

SEE FRIDAY & SATURDAY, THEATER

FARMERS MARKET - SATURDAY: Baked goods,

Friday & Saturday, May 4 & 5 Chico Theater Company Chico Grange

fruits and vegetables and resources for better health. Th, 11am-3pm through 8/31. El Medio Fire Department, 3515 Myers St. in Oroville, (530) 592-0889 ext. Message, www.cChaos.org.

honey, fruits and veggies, crafts and more. Sa, 7:30am-1pm. Chico Certified Saturday Farmers Market, Municipal Parking Lot on Second and Wall streets, (530) 893-3276.

Sat, May 5th • 12-5pm

FOLK DANCE PARTY: Folk dancing with live music by the Troika Folk Dance Band and Karamfil Singers. No partners necessary. F, 5/4, 7:30pm. $7. Chico Womens Club, 592 E. Third St., (530) 894-1978.

@ Centennial Plaza 1800 Arlin Rhine Dr. (Downtown Oroville)

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: Free comics, featuring

Sample beerS & aleS from:

characters from Superman to Charlie Brown, will be available as part of the national “Free Comic Book Day.” Sa, 5/5. Bat Comics, 127 Main St., (530) 898-0550.

Feather River Brewing Co. • Lagunitas Brewing Co. • Mendocino Brewing Company Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. • Western Pacific Brewing Co. • AND MORE!

live muSic by:

PARADISE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE:

Used book sale. Every other Sa, 10am-3pm. Prices vary. Butte County Library, Paradise Branch, 5922 Clark Rd. in Paradise, (530) 8726320, www.buttecounty.net/bclibrary/ Paradise.htm.

John Paul Guitierrez • Crashed Giraffe • Furlough Fridays • The Brothers Comatose

TicKeTS:

$25 available at Crown Jewelry 1880 Bird St. Oroville Bustolini’s 800 Broadway Chico & Western Pacific Brewing Co. 2191 High St. Oroville Sponsored by:

For more information go to WWW.BIDWELL21NSGW.ORG or call Kent Fowler at 693-1267 a benefit for the

BIDWELL MANSION COMMuNIty PROJECt

26 CN&R May 3, 2012

PUPPET MAKING WORKSHOP: A series of puppetmaking workshops as part of the annual Endangered Species Faire on May 5. Call for more info. First Tu of every month, 10am-1pm; F, 4:30-7:30pm. Creekside Studio, 1936 Webb Ave., (530) 781-4122.

for more Music, see NIGHTLIFE on page 32

guided tour of the Wurlitzer Unit and the Vina Plains Reserve. Email for meeting location and more details. Sa, 5/5, 9:30am. Call for details.

SAMARITAN FREE CLINIC: This clinic offers free basic medical care and mental health counseling. Call for more information. Su, 2-4pm. Free. Paradise Lutheran Church, 780 Luther Dr. Next to Long’s Drugstore in Paradise, 8727085.

SOUL SHAKE DANCE CHURCH: Drop your mind, find your feet and free you spirit at this DJ dance wave to a range of musical styles. No previous dance experience necessary. Su, 10am-noon. $8-$15 sliding scale. Dorothy Johnson Center, 775 E. 16th St., (530) 895-4707.

THIRD STREET SERENADES MOM: Merchants along Third Street will offer special store offers and raffles specifically for Mom. W, 5/9, 5-8pm. Prices vary. Downtown Chico.

WONDROUS WOMEN: MARVELOUS MEN TELL ALL: A couch conversation hosted by Wondrous Women to help better understand men and why they say (or don’t say) what they do, their perspective and how to improve relationships with them. Includes appetizers and wine tasting. Th, 5/3, 5:30-7:30pm. $25-$35. Chico Womens Club, 592 E. Third St., (530) 5132965, www.eventbrite.com/event/1745760617.

For Kids BIDWELL BAR DAY: Hands-on experience for youngsters interested in the traditional skills of yesteryear. Call for more info. Sa, 5/5, 124pm. Free. Bidwell Canyon Marina, 801 Bidwell Canyon Rd. in Oroville, (530) 538-2219.

CHILDREN STORY TIME SERIES: Reading events

sponsored by Lyon Books. Every other Th, 3pm. Free. Butte County Library, Chico Branch, 1108 Sherman Ave., (530) 891-3338, www.lyonbook.com.

DAY CAMP FOR KIDS: Hosted by Oroville’s YMCA, this day camp is intended to get kids outside and to begin developing healthy life-long habits. Call for more info. M-F, 6:30am-6pm through 8/17. Oroville YMCA, 1684 Robinson St. in Oroville, 533-9622, www.orovilleymca.org.

SEWING, KNITTING & CRAFTS CLASSES FOR KIDS: Classes for kids hosted by Earth Girl Art. Go online for class schedule. Ongoing. Earth Girl Art, 3851 Morrow Ln., (530) 354-2680, www.earthgirlart.com.

Volunteer BIDWELL PARK VOLUNTEERS: Help the park by volunteering for trash pick-up, invasive plant removal, trail maintenance, site restoration, water quality testing and more. Ongoing; check Friends of Bidwell Park web site for dates and locations. Ongoing. Call for location, www.friendsofbidwellpark.org.

MORE ONLINE Additional listings for local meetings, support groups, classes, yoga, meditation and more can be found online at www.newsreview.com/chico/local/calendar.

CHOW

3.99

Mon.-Fri.

ALL DAY!!! 1/4 lb. Jr Grad Burger

Season’s eatings

& fries or salad

H Henri has deep roots in agriculture—and a virtual addiction to fresh fruits and vegetables. And

aving grown up in the rural Midwest,

Grilled vegetables It’s still early in the grilling season, but we’ve already found local broccoli, carrots, parsnips and lots of leafy greens. We throw them in a grilling wok ($22 at Collier Hardware) and then top them with a light dressing. Sometimes I’ll throw some shrimp or chicken meat (cut into bite-sized pieces) in with the veggies. Even better: all mixed together into a grain or pasta salad (couscous, orzo, quinoa, rice, or any small or medium-size pasta, such as rotelle or fusilli)—especially good served cold. Cooking notes: 1) Vegetables should be chopped and then cooked al dente. Overcooked, their individual flavors become less distinctive. If you’re including chicken, begin grilling it about 10 minutes before you add the vegetables; add shrimp toward the end. Stir frequently. 2) For a wonderfully

Come join us for some great specials all season long

4.99

Sunday

1/2 lb. Grad Burger, Turkey or Garden Burgers & fries or salad

Great Deal, Great Burger!

Quick & Cheap ! Lunch or Dinner

Vegetables on the grill, Henri loves them most of all

later, when he was wandering the great cites of Asia and Europe in search of love and by adventure, he always sought out Henri Bourride local products. hbourride@ So, naturally, he is yahoo.com unabashedly enamored of Chico’s farmers’ markets and CSA (community-supported agriculture) networks, including GRUB, where Colette and I delight in picking up what’s Local available and then planning our harvest meals accordingly, instead of For information on menu-planning and then going what’s typically in in search of ingredients. We’re season locally, go to www.chicocertified thrilled that the evenings are getfarmersmarket.com ting longer and warmer and that and click on grilled-vegetable season is here “harvest calendar.” once again. But this year, we’ve taken it a step further. In the fall, we decided to grow our own. We planted cabbage, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, garlic and several different kinds of lettuce. Sadly, much of our little garden turned into a crawl-thru fast-food restaurant for snails and slugs looking for late-night munchies. Fortunately, however, the lettuce—particularly the red-leaf and Romaine—not only survived but thrived (the garlic looks good but is not yet ready to harvest). So these past few weeks, we’ve been enjoying our grilled vegetables complemented with delicious, simple salads made with greens picked 20 feet away 10 minutes before we eat—Colette cuts a few leaves from the outside of several plants, and the heads just continue to get stronger and fuller. Throw on some crumbled feta or blue cheese, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and voila!

BASEBALL SEASON’S HERE!

“Families Always Welcome” 344 W. Eighth Street • 343.2790 • Open Daily @ 11am

Early spring bounty. PHOTO BY EVERETT HARPER, VIA FLICKR

colorful presentation, add a quarter head of red cabbage (shredded). 3) Even with a nonstick grilling pan, I use a spray-on cooking oil and drizzle a bit of olive oil on the vegetables several times while they’re grilling—being careful not to pour on so much that it drips onto the burners and flames up.

Veggie dressings The two dressings below are delicious over grilled veggies, either by themselves or mixed in with various grilled meats and pastas and grains, as well as tofu. Experiment by trying different combinations. Basil dressing: This is a lighter, more liquid version of the classic pesto typically served with pasta and has a tangy, refreshing taste—try it mixed into couscous with red and green bell peppers, red onions and chicken. It’s also very good dribbled over gnocchi. Ingredients: 2-3 cloves garlic, minced; 1-2 cups fresh basil leaves; 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar; 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper. Process the garlic in a food processor, add the other ingredients and process to desired consistency. Add more oil to make it more liquid, more cheese to thicken it up. Transfer to small serving pitcher and refrigerate. Henri’s saffron aioli: The lemon and saffron give this dressing a distinct bite and make it ideal for summer veggies, really bringing out the flavor in bell peppers and shrimp. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons lemon juice; pinch saffron; 2-3 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar. Pour lemon juice into mixing bowl and add saffron (thumb-and-finger crumbled). Allow to steep for several minutes. Add garlic, mayonnaise, olive oil and vinegar and whisk to desired consistency. Note: Ingredient amounts are approximations; add and subtract to desired taste and consistency. Ω

Open at Noon for

MOTHER’S DAY! Treat Yourself to Our Special Mother’s Day Menu

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW Reservations Accepted Sun-Thurs and Friday Lunch

891-6328

345 W. 5th Street • Chico www.5thstreetsteakhouse.com Outside Patio Now Open! Open Fridays for Lunch and Daily for Dinner

May 3, 2012

CN&R 27

6701 CLARK ROAD

872-7800

www.paradisecinema.com

final days

Jason segel • ed Helms

Jeff Who lives at home THurs 7pm • Fri/Sat 8pm • Sun 4pm mon-THurs (5/10) 8pm

starts friday-one Week

Jiro dreams of sushi Fri/Sat 6:30pm • Sun 2pm mon-THu 6:30pm

ALL SHOWS PRESENTED

S HOWTIMES G OOD F RI 5/4- T HUR 5/10

THE AVENGERS

[PG-13]

IN : 1:30 4:30 7:30 *9:15PM IN 2D: 12:30 3:30 6:30 *9:30PM 1:00 3:10 5:15 7:15 *9:25PM

BULLY [PG-13]

CHIMPANZEE

1:00 3:10 5:10 7:20 *9:30PM

THE PIRATES!

IN : 1:15 5:15 7:20PM IN 2D: 3:15 *10:10PM

[G]

BAND

MISFITS

[PG]

THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT [R]

1:30 4:15 7:00 *9:40PM

THE LUCKY ONE [PG-13]

1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 *9:40PM

*L ATE S HOWS

A curiosity, nothing more

F RI & S AT O NLY

A LL S HOWS B EFORE 6PM ARE B ARGAIN M ATINEES INDICATES NO PASSES ACCEPTED

Cinco de mayo special

$6 Margaritas Live All DAY Mariachi

Long!

Band Sunday May 6

Valid 5/5/12 only. Not valid with any other offers or discounts. Banquet Room Available!

John Cusack: weak, weary, pondering other roles.

Novelty of Edgar Allan Poe as a character makes disappointing script bearable

T some intriguing literary and period-piece trappings. It’s got Edgar Allan Poe as its doomed protagonist doing battle

he Raven is a murder mystery/horror film with

2601 Esplanade ~ 345-6053 Mon–Thurs 10am–10pm ~Fri–Sat 10:30–11pm ~ Sun 8am–11pm

FRIDAY 5/4 – ThuRsDAY 5/10 CABIN IN THE WOODS, THE (Digital) (R) 12:50PM 3:10PM 5:30PM♣ 7:55PM♣♦ 10:15PM♦ CHIMPANZEE (Digital) (G) 12:15PM 2:30PM 4:35PM 7:05PM 9:10PM FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT, THE (Digital) (R) 11:00AM 1:50PM 4:40PM 7:30PM 10:20PM HUNGER GAMES, THE (Digital) (PG-13) 12:55PM 4:05PM♥ 7:15PM♥ 10:25PM LUCKY ONE, THE (Digital) (PG-13) 11:35AM 2:10PM 4:55PM 7:25PM 9:55PM MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS (3D) (PG-13) (10:40AM*) 12:30PM 1:10PM 3:45PM 4:30PM 5:20PM 7:00PM 7:50PM 10:15PM MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS (Digital) (PG13) 11:30AM 2:00PM 2:50PM 6:10PM 8:40PM 9:30PM MIRROR MIRROR (Digital) (PG)11:05AM 4:10PM 9:35PM PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS (3D) (PG) 2:15PM 7:00PM 9:15PM PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS (Digital) (PG) 11:55AM 4:45PM

RAVEN, THE (Digital) (R ) 12:00PM 2:35PM 5:10PM 7:45PM 10:30PM SAFE (Digital) (R) 12:40PM 3:00PM 5:20PM 7:40PM 10:00PM THINK LIKE A MAN (Digital) (PG-13) 1:40PM 4:30PM♠ 7:20PM♠ 10:10PM THREE STOOGES, THE (Digital) (PG) 1:45PM 7:10PM (SPECIAL SHOWING) - RING KINGS: MAYWEATHER VS. COTTO (Digital) (PG-13) Sat. 5/5 6:00PM (SPECIAL SHOWING) - WAGNER’S DREAM (Digital) (NR) Mon. 5/7 6:30PM (SPECIAL SHOWING) DAS RHEINGOLD: MET OPERA RING CYCLE ENCORE (Digital) (NR) Wed. 5/9 6:30PM (SPECIAL SHOWING) - This American Life Live! Things You Can’t Do On The Radio (Digital) Thurs. 5/10 8:00PM (MIDNIGHT SHOWING) - DARK SHADOWS (Digital) (PG-13) Thurs. Late Nite 5/10 12:02AM

Showtimes listed w/ (*) not shown Fri-Sun only Showtimes listed w/ ♣ not shown Sat 5/5 Showtimes listed w/ ♥ not shown Mon 5/7 Showtimes listed w/ ♠ not shown Wed 5/9 Showtimes listed w/ ♦ not shown Thu 5/10

28 CN&R May 3, 2012

5/7 Dave Eggers: Zeitoun Book In Common

5/9 Riders in the Sky

with an elaborately fiendish serial killer whose crimes emulate aspects of Poe’s best-known tales of horror— “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Masque of the by Juan-Carlos Red Death,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” etc. Selznick John Cusack plays Poe, and director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) lays it all out in a pulpy, erratically lavish frenzy. The script by Hannah Shakespeare and Ben Livingston plays mainly as a series of spasmodically spectacular set-pieces with only a cursory interest in narrative coherence. Psychological credibility always takes a back seat to sensational and The Raven intermittently gory display. Starring John The Poe angle and the period setting (BaltiCusack, Alice Eve more, 1849) were enough to keep me interestand Luke Evans. Directed by ed most of the time. Plus there’s the offbeat James McTeigue. sort of amusement provided by the kind of film Cinemark 14 and that lurches back and forth between kinda Feather River smart and really dumb. Cinemas. This morbidly fanciful bit of speculative Rated R. pulp fiction actually has two protagonists. Poe, who has a surfeit of reasons for taking this luridly gruesome story personally, is also a Poor frenzied sort of amateur detective in this cinematic phantasm, albeit one who frequently acts against his own interests. Thus it falls to another detective figure, Inspector Emmett Fields Fair (Luke Evans), to bring some professional order and efficiency to the solving of these wildly overwrought mysteries and the unlikely crimes that go with them. Good Evans does, by far, the best acting in the film. Cusack might be too nice a guy for his role here. He seems to zone out on the more convulsive and contradictory aspects of the Very Good character, and I found myself wondering if this might have worked out a little bit better with someone else (Willem Dafoe? Nicolas Cage?) playing this movie’s version of Poe. Excellent

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But the cast is not the problem here. Cusack and Alice Eve (who gamely serves time as Poe’s rather improbable love interest) are both stuck in the kinds of movie roles that actors can only try to endure with whatever face-saving dignity they can muster. Her part is formulaic and his is “high-concept,” but both are at the mercy of this production’s outlandish story dynamics. The villain gets caught, but his character makes little credible sense, and by that point neither does the movie. Still, the fiend’s crimes seem so much like the feverish dreams of a half-crazed hack screenwriter that the filmmakers might include themselves among the villains of the tale. Ω

Trip of fools Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Pageant Theatre. Rated R.

by Juan-Carlos Selznick Jeff (Jason Segel) is a shambling hulk

of a boy/man who takes inspiration from an M. Night Shyamalan film (Signs) and still lives with his widowed mom (Susan Sarandon). He’s a shy goofy giant and, according to his brother Pat (a crass wheeler-dealer played by Ed Helms), he’s also a loser and an embarrassment to the family To Jay and Mark Duplass, the filmmaking brothers who wrote and directed this film, he just might be some kind of holy fool, and so they make him the presiding spirit in an amiable little low-budget comedy/drama. Part bromance, part New Age farce, part domestic

mash-up—the Duplass’ new picture runs off in a number of entertaining directions, without ever losing its deadpan dramatic edge. The storyline starts out small (mom calling from work and trying to get Jeff out of the basement long enough to fix a broken shutter in her kitchen) and charmingly builds its pell-mell way toward a semicomic, semi-melodramatic climax in a traffic jam on a Florida bridgeway. There’s a heroic rescue, a series of eerie coincidences involving guys named Kevin, two kinds of mid-life crisis (with offbeat romantic implications for both), a pick-up basketball sequence, a spec-

“We’re Going to Jon & Bons!”

tacular misadventure with Pat’s new Porsche (which he can’t really afford), and eventually that shutter gets fixed. Segel’s goofy charm is central to the film’s appeal. But the film spreads the love around with its whole ensemble. Mom/Sarandon is a nice study in middleaged longing, and her relationship with co-worker Carol (a still perky Rae Dawn Chong) provides an unexpectedly rewarding turn of comic events. Even better is Pat’s justifiably alienated wife, Linda (dainty but dauntless Judy Greer, who played a similar role in The Descendants). Ω

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Reviewers: Craig Blamer, Rachel Bush and Juan-Carlos Selznick.

Opening this week The Avengers

The latest Marvel Comics-to-film chapter brings together The Avengers, the dysfunctional super-team of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow, to help the U.S. secret military agency S.H.I.E.L.D, and its leader, Nick Fury, save Earth from the wrath of Norse god Loki and his army from space. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13.

Bully

A documentary that tells the stories of five kids and families living through various degrees of bullying. Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Ono, 85-year-old proprieter of the Michelin 3-star rated sushi counter Sukiyabashi Jiro (located in the basement of a Tokyo office building), is considered by many to be the greatest sushi chef in the world. This documentary follows his quest for sushi perfection and his son’s struggles to live up to his legacy. Pageant Theatre. Rated PG.

Now playing

The Cabin in the Woods

So, a Jock, a Dumb Blonde, a Brain, a Virgin and a Stoner check into a creepy cabin in the woods and … wait, you’ve heard this one before? Of course you have, what with the archetypes being the default setting of horror, and the old dark house/cabin being its own subgenre. But what if those archetypes didn’t leave home being so dumb or smart or virgin-y or douchebaggy or baked? Add a shady Umbrella Corporation aspect and layer every moment with nods and homages to pretty much every horror flick that makes a horror movie buff’s eyes light up, and The Cabin in the Woods joins the ranks of such cult items as Shaun of the Dead and The Return of the Living Dead as a rare horror flick that’s able to pull off that very, very difficult balance of humor and horror. Of course, we have Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) producing a script co-written with Lost and Cloverfield scribe Drew Goddard (who also direct), so this deconstruction of ’80s horror is very clever and consistently entertaining. Cinemark 14. Rated R —C.B.

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee chronicles the lives of one African chimp clan, with special focus on a young’un named Oscar. Kenny is the alpha male of the clan, the “large and in charge” boss, according to the not-entirely objective script (narrated by Tim Allen). Isha is Oscar’s mother, who’s killed after a brawl with a neighboring chimp clan. Left as an orphan (a familiar Disney theme), Oscar soon forms an unlikely mentorship with Kenny, who steps in as foster dad. The first half of the movie really tries to build Kenny’s

character as the stereotypical stubborn old man figure, so that it’s extra sweet when he accepts Oscar. And it is sweet. But it’s also a stretch to believe that Kenny is crotchety just because Allen tells us so. For the sake of your enjoyment—and that of the kids in the audience—you have to just go with it. Plus, the movie’s visuals overshadow any criticisms of the content. With the lens under the canopies of the African rainforests, some beautiful stuff starts to show itself. The lush green scenery and quirky chimp faces are fun to watch, and the time-lapse sequences are especially impressive. Cinemark 14 and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated G —R.B.

The Five-Year Engagement

Jason Segel teams up again with writer/director Nicholas Stoller (director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and writer of 2011’s The Muppets), starring with Emily Blunt in this comedy about a couple who keep extending their engagement. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated R.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games commences with a grim vision of a dystopian America a few generations down the road, where proles abide in Appalachian squalor after the world seemingly bankrupts itself during the course of a war on terror. These folks have it bad, and everyone just sits in doorways and looks miserable. Except for Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who stalks the woods hunting for sustenance for her hungry family. To keep the edgy populace in line, the elite aspects of society have provided them with a little circus called The Hunger Games, where contestants set out to kill each other until the last one stands victorious. Guess who ends up as a contestant? The Hunger Games is leisurely paced, allowing its characters to naturally develop, with an eye for the communication of body language and subtextual manipulation. Although, it is a little too sluggish at times and the content has apparently been homogenized for better mass appeal. However, most viewers might find that the biggest downside is having to wait until November of 2013 for the next episode. Cinemark 14 and Feather River Cinemas. Rated PG-13 —C.B.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

See review this issue. Directed by Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus). Pageant Theatre. Rated R —J.C.S.

The Lucky One

A photograph of a young woman becomes a good-luck charm for the U.S. Marine (Zac Efron) who finds it in the sands of Iraq, and when he returns home from his three tours, he sets out to find the real woman in the photo. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Britain’s Aardman Animations, creators of the superb Wallace & Gromit films, have come up with a delightfully comical pirate adventure. The story, adapted by Gideon Defoe from a novel in his Pirates! series, has an amiably hapless pirate captain named The Pirate Captain who, in his ongoing (and mostly hopeless) quest for Pirate of the Year honors, crosses paths with Charles Darwin and the voyage of The Beagle. Darwin is especially impressed by The Pirate Captain’s “parrot,” which the great scientist recognizes as a (supposedly extinct) dodo. That discovery takes the pirate, the scientist and the parrot/dodo into the rambunctiously oppressive company of the Royal Academy and, worst (or best) of all, a farcically tyrannical Queen Victoria. Aardman’s exquisitely detailed stop-motion animation, directed here by Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt, makes for nonstop comedy pleasure throughout nearly 90 minutes of fancifully facetious storytelling. A sterling cast of actors is on hand to provide the animated characters’ voices: Hugh Grant (The Pirate Captain), Martin Freeman (The Pirate with a Scarf), Imelda Staunton (Queen Victoria), David Tennant (Charles Darwin), Jeremy Piven (Black Bellamy), Salma Hayek (Cutlass Liz), among others. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG —J.C.S.

Presented by CSU, Chico’s Department of Theatre 2012 CHICO STATE SPRING MUSICAL Director orr Mike Mazur urr

Music Director Joel P. Rogers

CChoreographer h Sheree S h Henning

CConductor

Kyle Wiley Pickett K Ky

The Raven

See review this issue. Cinemark 14 and Feather River Cinemas. Rated R —J.C.S.

Safe

Jason Statham plays an ex-cage fighter/exNYPD cop who is running around with a gun in his hand trying keep a young Chinese girl safe from the Chinese mob, the Russian mafia and crooked New York cops and politicians who are all after a secret code locked in the girl’s memory. Cinemark 14 and Feather River Cinemas. Rated R.

Think Like a Man

After their female partners begin using the advice of comedian Steve Harvey’s book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, against them four men conspire to turn the tables on their mates. Directed by Tim Story (Barbershop, Fantastic Four). Cinemark 14. Rated PG-13.

The Three Stooges

A Farrelly brothers (Dumb & Dumber) update of the classic slapstick franchise, with Sean Hayes (Larry), Will Sasso (Curly) and Chris Diamantopoulus (Moe) playing the wacky trio. Cinemark 14. Rated PG.

May 2-5 May 6 at 7:30 pm

at 2:00 pm

Laxson Auditorium Tickets available at the University Box Ofﬁce 530.898.6333

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Mirror Mirror

Are evil queens this year’s vampires? Mirror Mirror is the first of two film versions of the Snow White fairytale being released this spring (the second, the darker Snow White and the Huntsman, comes out June 1). This week’s Snow White is played by Lily Collins, and the evil queen trying to rob the young, beautiful princess of her birthright is played by Julia Roberts. Cinemark 14. Rated PG.

More Info: www.schoolofthearts-csuchico.com/press/Oklahomapr.shtml May 3, 2012

CN&R 29

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Travelin’ Machine The Ragbirds Ebirdlove Songs The Ragbirds’ new CD, released the first of this year, got set aside when I first got it in the mail. I just came across Travelin’ Machine a few days ago, listened to it late one evening, and I was very touched by the lyrics, the arrangements, the instrumentation and the fine singing by band leader Erin Zindle. The album would be worth buying for one track alone, “Moribayassa (I’ll Fly Away),” an extraordinary version of the old gospel classic “I’ll Fly Away” interwoven with “Moribayassa,” an African rhythm that is about overcoming hardship, and celebrating that triumph. But the song is a triumph, too, culminating in a drum-circle celebration that melds the two disparate songs into one seamless piece. It’s just brilliant. But there’s other good stuff on this album, too, nine other songs that are richly inventive in their lyrics (all written by Zindle) and adventurously eclectic in their instrumentation, with Ragbird band members supporting one another on glockenspiel, kalimba, dunun, djembe, tabla and didgeridoo, among other exotic instruments. Any local impresarios out there reading these words? If so, book the Michigan-based Ragbirds for their next tour. Chico roots and folk fans will love ’em.

MUSIC

—Jaime O’Neill

illadelph/matic DJ Mick Boogie Mixstream Mick Boogie is mashing up again! This time the gifted celebrity DJ remixes up some flavorful hip-hop gravy combining both organic and nasty ingredients: The Roots and Nas. The title of this sonic symbiosis is a mash-up of the titles of critically-acclaimed albums from each of the hip-hop heavyweights, The Roots Illadelph Halflife (1996) and Nas’ Illmatic (1994), but Boogie’s 27-song barrage of remixes (available at mickboogie.com for free download) utilizes the entire libraries of both artists. He pulls out trusted favorites like Nas’ “The World is Yours,” as well as more rare flavors like the Roots’ cover of Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew’s magnum opus, “The Show.” Boogie’s also included a Me Tienes remix of The Roots’ biographic relationship tune, “You Got Me,” and just for fun, he even tosses in a light-hearted Sprite “Obey Your Thirst” commercial rap highlighting The Roots’ MC, Black Thought. The real gem, though, is “Less Than an Hour” where Nas’ iconic flow is juxtapozed against Cee Lo Green’s soultouching vocals over a cinematic soul beat drenched in bass guitar. I can see your mouth is watering. Here’s a napkin.

MUSIC

—Mazi Noble

Spooky Action at a Distance Lotus Plaza Kranky Bradford Cox may get a lot of the face time in Deerhunter, but guitarist-vocalist Lockett Pundt shouldn’t be overlooked. At the very least he contributed two of the best tracks on 2010’s Halcyon Digest: “Desire Lines” and “Fountain Stairs.” But I also get the sense Pundt should be given credit for keeping Cox’s electronic dalliances from completely taking over. Of course, I’m probably wrong, but it’s nice to think there are checks and balances. But Spooky Action at a Distance—Pundt’s second release as Lotus Plaza—makes a good case for him. The songs on Spooky Action are natural extensions of his Deerhunter contributions, both with the songs as well as the shimmering guitar melodies that run throughout. “White Galactic One” is the standout, with its twisted lead guitar line and Pundt’s echoed whisper. The mechanical beat on “Jet Out of the Tundra” is brought to life by a walking bass line and effects-laden guitars, while closer “Black Buzz” strips away everything except for an acoustic guitar and Pundt’s vocals (bathed in reverb, of course). Overall, Spooky Action at a Distance remains in a sonic state of shoegaze. It also perfectly captures Pundt’s stoic and reliable abilities as a songwriter.

MUSIC

—Mark Lore 30 CN&R May 3, 2012

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UK quartet Allo Darlin’ isn’t trying to break your heart … but it just might anyway

Aof writing pop songs that are overly precious or too “twee,”

llo Darlin’ has been accused

often earning the group comparisons to venerable cuties Belle & by Sebastian and Mark Lore Camera Obscura. mark@ thedaysof lore.com The London quartet (visiting Chico’s Origami Lounge WednesPREVIEW: day, May 9, with Allo Darlin’ UK-mates The performs with The Wave Pictures) Wave Pictures does play music and Gentlemen’s that is at times Coup Wednesday, May 9, 8 p.m., at achingly sentiOrigami Lounge. mental and, yes, Cost: $5. sweet. But Allo Darlin’—led by Origami Aussie vocalist Recording Elizabeth MorLounge 708 Cherry St. ris—present www.origami these tales of lounge.com heartache with such dear-diary candor that it feels more like late-night conversations with a close friend. In other words, Allo Darlin’ offers human stories without allowing melodrama to gum things up. Morris wields the pen behind the narratives on the band’s sophomore release Europe, a record that’s less conceptual in its title than in its assortment of character studies.

“Most of the album is about loneliness—people and places,” said Morris by phone from the band’s tour van. “I always found it interesting when songs sound happy but are quite dark.” That time-tested songwriting device is no doubt a product of Morris’ love for The Smiths. She also cites fellow Brisbanites The Go-Betweens as an influence. The specters of both can be heard throughout Allo Darlin’s first two full-lengths. And while the band’s 2010 self-titled debut also included Morris’ wistful storytelling, Europe is a more assured album musically, relying less on sparse folky arrangements and daring to rock out a little more. Morris’ voice will get you as well on songs like “Capricornia” and especially on “The Letter,” a song originally inspired by her grandparents’ correspondence during World War II. Even Morris conveying the significance of the song is enough to choke you up. “I actually wanted to write a song about my grandparents,” she explained. “In 1942 my grandfather went back to the war, and he would write these letters to my grandmother. She had the letters buried with her, and it was just too emotional to write about.” Instead “The Letter” pines for the days when lovers—one of whom is obsessed with the Silver

Jews—labored over the written word and waited even longer for the response. Album closer “My Sweet Friend” tells of a meeting between friends on the day a famous pop star died. Morris doesn’t reveal who it is in the song, although she explains she’s referring to Amy Winehouse, who died from alcohol poisoning in June of last year. “She used to live a few houses up from me,” said Morris. “She was an amazing person. We were the same age, and I sort of related to her in a way, although I’ve never gone through what she had. I was very sad when it happened.” It might seem hard to believe, but Europe is far from a downer. It’s saved by shimmering guitars, ukulele and just the right amount of handclaps and tambourine. And there’s a comforting warmness to Morris’ voice, which thankfully still clings on to an Australian accent. All of the murmurs of Allo Darlin’ being too cutesy are not completely unwarranted on the surface, but deeper listening reveals that it’s not a sham. In fact, I’m convinced Morris might have been born during the wrong decade. At the very least, she’d be content going back to a time when we weren’t handcuffed to glowing monitors. “Email is cool,” she says, “but the idea of a letter is a special thing.” Ω

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CN&R 31

NIGHTLIFE

THURSDAY 5|3—WEDNESDAY 5|9 $1. Paradise Grange Hall; 5704 Chapel Dr. in Paradise; (530) 873-1370.

MAMUSE CD RELEASE

SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: Acoustic music with Joe Goodwin, Mark Pagel and Michael Mann. Th, 5/3, 7pm. $5. Cafe Flo; 365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre; (530) 514-8888.

Saturday, May 5 Bidwell Presbyterian Church SEE SATURDAY

WILD OAK RECORDS SONGWRITER COLLECTIVE: A celebration of Wild Oak Record’s artist compilation album. Th, 5/3, 7:30pm. $5. Bustolinis Deli & Coffee House; 800 Broadway St.; (530) 892-1790.

HOTFLASH: A party band specializing in classic rock hits. Th, 5/3, 6pm. LaSalles; 229 Broadway; (530) 893-1891.

3THURSDAY AARON RICH & FRIENDS: Country music round-robin. Third and First Th of every month, 9pm. Free. Crazy Horse

Saloon & Brewery; 303 Main St.; (530) 894-5408.

AC SLATER: DJ AC Slater is a rising star of the underground electronic music circuit. K Theory, DirtyRock and M3RC open. Th, 5/3, 9pm. $15. El Rey Theatre; 230 W. Second St.; (530) 342-2727.

BLUES JAM: Weekly open jam. Th, 8pm-

midnight. Lynns Optimo; 9225 Skyway in Paradise; (530) 872-1788.

CHICO JAZZ COLLECTIVE: Thursday jazz.

Th, 8-11pm. Free. The DownLo; 319 Main St.; (530) 892-2473.

JOHN SEID: John Seid and friends,

4FRIDAY lounge. F, 5/4, 8:30pm. Free. Feather Falls Casino; 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville; (530) 533-3885; www.featherfalls casino.com.

guitarist Matteo plays film scores and light classics. Th, 6pm. Free. Angelos Cucina Trinacria; 407 Walnut St.; (530) 899-9996.

OPEN MIC: Singers, poets and musicians welcome. Th, 7-10pm. Has Beans Internet Cafe & Galleria; 501 Main St.; (530) 894-3033; www.hasbeans.com.

OPEN MIKEFULL: Open mic night to benefit Earthdance. Refreshments on sale.

First and Third Th of every month, 7pm.

MUSIC FOR MUSIC AT 1078 GALLERY: One of four Music for Music festival stages featuring The Deaf Pilots, White Russian, The Cause, Furlough Fridays, The Resonators and The Amblers. Go online for a full festival schedule. F, 5/4, 3-9pm. $10-$15. 1078 Gallery; 820 Broadway; (530) 343-1973; http://musicformusic.weebly.com/ band-line-up.html.

of four Music for Music fest stages, including Young Artists for a Better Future and The Troopers. Go online for a festival schedule. F, 5/4, 3-9pm. $10$15. All Fired Up; 830 Broadway; (530) 894-5227; http://musicfor music. weebly.com/band-line-up.html.

MUYTATOR: Futuristic vaudevillian the-

ater, choreographed dance acts, aerial performance, giant-screen visuals and pyrotechnic displays coupled with progressive, electronic art-rock. F, 5/4, 9pm. $13. El Rey Theatre; 230 W. Second St.; (530) 342-2727.

funk, R&B, soul and the blues. F, 5/4, 9pm. Free. The End Zone; 250 Cohasset Rd.; (530) 345-7330.

COLD SHOT: A Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band in the brewery. F, 5/4, 9pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino; 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville; (530) 533-3885; www.feather fallscasino.com.

THE HOOLIGANZ & THE WHAT: Local rap crew specializing in smooth grooves and lyrics. Lynguistix and Tre Jones open. F, 5/4, 11pm. $5. LaSalles; 229 Broadway; (530) 893-1891.

Strange Habits, a funk-injected rock band, headlines one of four venues hosting Chico Music Fest. A Cult Like Vulture and In Case of Karma open. Go

ATOMIKA: Top 40 rock covers in the

lounge. Sa, 5/5, 8:30pm. Free. Feather Falls Casino; 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville; (530) 533-3885; www.featherfalls casino.com.

THE MUTAYTOR

CHICO MUSIC FEST AT CAFÉ CODA: The Railflowers, a harmonious folk quartet,

Friday, May 4 El Rey Theatre SEE FRIDAY

four Music for Music fest stages, featuring Month of Sundays, Jimmy Grant Quartet, The Muddy Sours, J.P. Gutierrez and Urban Acoustics. F, 5/4, 3-9pm. $10-$15. Bustolinis Deli & Coffee House; 800 Broadway St.; (530) 892-1790.

MUSIC FOR MUSIC OUTDOOR FAIR STAGE: One of four Music for Music festival stages (at corner of Broadway and 9th St.) featuring Wolf Thump, The Troopers, The Noetics, Soul Butter, The Melodramatics and The Remainder. Go online for a complete festival schedule. F, 5/4, 3-9pm. $10-$15. http://musicfor music.weebly.com/band-line-up.html.

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CHICO MUSIC FEST AT MOUNTAIN MIKE’S:

5SATURDAY

ACCEPTING NEw mEmbErs

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headline one of four venues hosting the Chico Music Fest. Go online for a complete festival schedule. The Luke Byron Band and Buckeye Knoll open. Sa, 5/5, 8:30pm. $5-$8. Café Coda; 265 Humboldt Ave.; (530) 566-9476; www.wildoakmusic group.com.

MUSIC FOR MUSIC AT BUSTOLINIS: One of

CHUCK EPPERSON, JR. BAND: A mix of

MATTEO PLAYS FILM SCORES: Classical

tion: Friday night happy hour with a traditional Irish music session by the Pub Scouts. F, 4pm. $1. Duffys Tavern; 337 Main St.; (530) 343-7718.

MUSIC FOR MUSIC AT ALL FIRED UP: One

ATOMIKA: Top 40 rock covers in the

featuring Larry Peterson and Steve Cook. This week, the trio is joined by Bob Littell. Th, 6:30-9:30pm. Free. Johnnies Restaurant; 220 W. Fourth St.; (530) 895-1515; www.johnnies restaurant.com.

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NIGHTLIFE

THIS WEEK: FIND MORE ENTERTAINMENT AND SPECIAL EVENTS ON PAGE 24

6SUNDAY JAZZ: Weekly jazz. Su, 4-6pm. Has Beans Internet Cafe & Galleria; 501 Main St.; (530) 894-3033; www.hasbeans.com.

FUNKY KINGS: Live blues rock on the

patio. Su, 5/6, 2-6pm. Park Avenue Bar & Grill; 2010 Park Ave.; (530) 893-3500.

LA FIN DU MONDE Saturday, May 5 Duffy’s Tavern SEE SATURDAY

online for a complete festival lineup. Sa, 5/5, 7:30pm. $5-$8. Mountain Mikes Pizza; 1105 W. Fifth St.; (530) 899-9115; www.wildoakmusic group.com.

CHICO MUSIC FEST AT ORIGAMI: Keyser Soze, a seven-piece ska/rocksteady group, headlines one of four venues hosting the Chico Music Fest. Boss 501 and Funkyskunk Railroad open. Go online for a complete festival schedule. Sa, 5/5, 8:30pm. $5-$8. Origami Lounge; 7th And Cherry Streets; www.wildoak musicgroup.com.

CHICO MUSIC FEST AT PEEKING: DJ No Requests will bust some beats during a headlining slot at one of four venues hosting the Chico Music Fest. Fix-It, Hemey and Lux and Shea open. Go online for a complete festival schedule. Sa, 5/5, 9:30pm. $5-$8. Peeking Chinese

Restaurant; 243 W. Second St.; (530) 895-3888; www.wildoakmusic group.com.

COLD SHOT: A Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band in the brewery. Sa, 5/5, 9pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino; 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville; (530) 533-3885; www.feather fallscasino.com.

LA FIN DU MONDE: The instrumental (and experimental) five-piece is playing a benefit show to support work on their new album. The Shimmies open. Sa, 5/5, 9pm. $5. Duffys Tavern; 337 Main St.; (530) 343-7718.

MAMUSE CD RELEASE: Chico’s beloved soul-folk duo celebrates the release of their forthcoming album, Integration of the Awkward. All-female A Capella group Sirenz opens. Sa, 5/5, 7pm. Free. Bidwell Presbyterian Church; 208 W. First St.; (530) 343-1484.

STEVE JOHNSON: Acoustic Americana with guitarist and vocalist Steve Johnson. Sa, 5/5, 8:30pm. Free. Farwood Bar & Grill; 705 Fifth St. in Orland; (530) 865-9900.

7MONDAY DIEGO’S UMBERELLA: A mix of Eastern-

European tradition, pop sensibility and punk-rock energy—aka: “gypsy folk.”

M, 5/7, 7:30pm. $15. Sierra Nevada Big

Room; 1075 East 20th St.; (530) 3452739; www.sierranevada.com/bigroom.

DINNER & JAZZ SERIES: Featuring the

music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. First M of every month, 78:30pm. Opens 5/7. $10. Café Coda; 265 Humboldt Ave.; (530) 566-9476; www.cafecoda.com.

JAZZ HAPPY HOUR: Carey Robinson hosts a jazz happy hour every Monday. M, 5-7pm. Cafe Flo; 365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre; (530) 514-8888.

365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre; (530) 514-8888.

DON SHERIDAN: Solo jazz piano. Tu, 5/8,

5-7pm. Free. Cafe Flo; 365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre; (530) 514-8888.

9WEDNESDAY ALLO DARLIN: Allo Darlin’ is a femalefronted indie pop band from London (that’s overseas!) specializing in sticky-sweet melodies. The Wave Pictures (also from the UK) and Gentleman’s Coup open. W, 5/9, 8pm. $5. Origami Lounge; 7th and Cherry Streets.

FURLOUGH FRIDAYS: Rock’n’roll with a touch of ’90s alternative influence. Jupiter and Fera open. W, 5/9, 9pm. $3. LaSalles; 229 Broadway; (530) 893-1891.

OPEN JAM NIGHT: Join the jam. Drum kit, bass rig, guitar amp and PA system are provided, bring your own instruments. All ages until 10. W, 7pm. Free. Italian Garden; 6929 Skyway in Paradise; (530) 876-9988; wwwmy space.com/theitaliangarden.

SALSA BELLA: Live Salsa music in the

8TUESDAY AARON JAQUA: An open singer-song-

writer night. Tu, 7-9pm. Free. Cafe Flo;

restaurant. W, 8-11pm. Tortilla Flats; 2601 Esplanade; (530) 345-6053.

SOLO JAZZ: Every Wednesday with Carey Robinson. W, 4-7pm. Free. Cafe Flo; 365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre; (530) 514-8888.

STEVE JOHNSON: Acoustic Americana with guitarist and vocalist Steve Johnson. W, 5/9, 7-9pm. $3. Cafe Flo; 365 E. Sixth St. Next door to the Pageant Theatre; (530) 514-8888.

DJ DANCING

MONTGOMERY ST.: W, F Sa, 8pm. Free. Montgomery St. Pub, 1933 Montgomery St. in Oroville, (530) 533-0900.

QUACKERS: F, 9pm. Free. Quackers Lounge, 968 East Ave., (530) 895-3825.

TACKLE BOX: DJ Shelley. Tu, Su, 6pm. Tackle Box Bar & Grill, 375 East Park Ave., (530) 345-7499.

CRAZY HORSE: DJ Hot Rod and mechani-

cal bull contest. F, 9pm-1:30am. Crazy Horse Saloon & Brewery, 303 Main St., (530) 894-5408.

DOWN LO: DJ Ron Dare. Tu, Sa, 9pm. Free. The DownLo, 319 Main St., (530) 892-2473.

DUFFYS: DJ Lois & DJ Spenny. W, 10pm. $1.

DIEGO’S UMBRELLA Monday, May 7 Sierra Nevada Big Room SEE MONDAY

Duffys Tavern, 337 Main St., (530) 343-7718.

FEATHER FALLS: Su, 8pm-midnight. Free. Feather Falls Casino, 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.featherfallscasino.com.

LASALLES: Th, 10pm: DJ Mac Morris;

Fr, 11pm: on the patio; Sa, 9pm: “That 80s Party”; and Tu, 10pm: DJ.

LaSalles, 229 Broadway St., (530) 893-1891.

MADISON BEAR: Dancing upstairs and on the patio. W-Sa, 9pm. Madison Bear Garden, 316 W. Second St., (530) 891-1639, www.madisonbear garden.com.

MALTESE: Dirty Talk: LBGT dance

Party w/ DJ2K. F, 9pm-2am through 4/6. Free. Maltese Bar & Taproom, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 343-4915.

Philosophy. Fiction. Art. Relationships. Poetry. Sports. Photography. Economics. A literary and current affairs magazine with the openness and pioneering spirit of the Pacific Northwest, Empirical aspires for truth by boldly introducing thought-provoking points of view and new paradigms. A forum for discourse on contemporary issues, the magazine is ‘radically empirical’ in considering the broad range of human experience.

$6.99 print $3.99 digital Available at Lyon Books, on our website, or in our office

Your magazine. Empirical is a Chico-based monthly magazine and will be in all Barnes & Noble stores in June.

ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE CONTRIBUTE READ COMPETE

(Two $1000 writing prizes)

www.empiricalmagazine.com 142 W. 2nd Suite B, upstairs. 530-899-8077 Visit our booth at the Thursday Night Market! May 3, 2012

CN&R 33

"THE ONE" This is the one you've been looking for!

1-800- FOR-BAIL DESIGNER

JEN_PU

REP.

BDC

CNR ISSUE

10.23.08

FILE NAME MCMAINS BAIL BONDS

OPEN Mon-Sat • Dine In or Take Out 240 Table Mt. Blvd, Oroville • (530) 532-9219

TOUCH OF CHINA

MASSAGE OUR LOCATION 2261 St. George Ln., Ste. G

(Behind Best Western Heritage Inn and Kmart)

530.966.4019 Open 7 days

FREE

Pregnancy Tests All services are FREE & Confidential Walk-Ins Welcome! Open: Mon - Thurs 10am-5pm & Friday 10am-1pm Office: (530) 897-6101

115 W. 2nd Ave. (2nd & Esplanade) 24-Hour Hotline (530) 897-6100

BeerFest on the Levee Pancake Breakfast Kiddies Parade Chili Cook-Off Grand Parade Museum Activities Arts & Crafts Faire Music & More!

Think free.

ARTS DEVO Jason Cassidy • jasonc@newsreview.com

ART BY DEVO If I could take any creative class, it would be a sewing class that would teach me how to make my own clothes. Specifically, it would show me how to dissect the few T-shirts and that one pair of khakis that fit me perfectly, and then recreate enough carbon copies of them so that I could have my uniform in place for the next several decades. I wouldn’t be surprised if such a class existed. It seems like the more sunshine there is in Chico, the more classes and other outlets there are for the young and the young at heart to make stuff and perform on local stages. Below are a few of the opportunities for creating that have begun sprouting up: • Where are the Spiders?! Dibs on “China Girl”! Calling all space cadets and glam queens and kings, Café Coda is hosting its annual cover night on May 12, and this year it’s The David Bowie Tribute Show. Contact dan@cafecoda.com to reserve your spot. • Isn’t that Chico? If you’re making art that is inspired by Chico or one of the city’s inspiring iconic features, maybe you should consider contributing to the Ziggy played guitar, and so can you. “art inspired by Chico” exhibition coming to the Chico Museum or this year’s edition of the popular Chico Icons group show at Avenue 9 Gallery. Visit www.chicomuseum for info on the museum’s upcoming multi-media (art, poetry, video, music, textiles, etc.) exhibit. And, visit www.avenue9 gallery.com to submit your local-icon works (this year’s theme: “Endangered Icons”) by June 30. • This one time, at rock-band camp: What’s better than a summer rock camp? That’s right, two summer rock camps! In addition to the Chico School of Rock, another music school, Ascent Music Academy, has just opened. And, they are both having youth, summer-rock camps … the same week? July 23-July 27. It’s a battle of the rock camps! Visit www.chicoschoolofrock.com and www.theascentmusic.com and decide where you want to sign up. • EarthGirl art school: Visit www.earthgirlart.com to sign up for Dorothy “EarthGirl” Vosse’s craft, sewing and knitting classes designed especially for kids. • Get on the Artober calendar: Now is the time to sign up for the annual month-long Artoberfest celebration. The deadline is June 1 for getting your October event listed in the official guide and for getting your booth space reserved for the Chico Palio kick-off event. This year, the kick-off and Palio art-horse race will take place at One-Mile in Bidwell Park. Visit www.friendsoftheartsupstate.org for more information. • Summer Art Academy note: The Janet Turner Print Museum’s annual youth art program will be dark this summer due to construction projects on campus. Check with the museum next spring for details on the return of the program in 2013.

NOW OPEN FOR FUNK! I have yet to set foot in the brand-new Pepper

Grand Coulee’s Funky Trunk (or just Funky Trunk—on the corner of Mangrove and East First avenues), but it looks like one of the funnest places in town. Sharon Nilsson opened the “vintage, retro and quirky used clothing” shop three months ago, and has also hosted two rock shows in the colorful space, highlighting some of Chico’s most fun up-and-comers—including young punks Icko Sicko, young funks Threk and young funkpunks Frankie Doppler’s Nuclear Sunrise (feat. Nilsson’s son, Jonah, on guitar/vocals). The shop is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Nilsson plans on hosting more shows every two or three weeks. Frankie Doppler’s Nuclear Sunrise at Funky Trunk.

34 CN&R May 3, 2012

Find Us Online At:

www.chico.newsreview.com

BUTTE COUNTY LIVING

Now Offering

SmAll, QuieT, Well mAiNTAiNed Complex

1 & 2-Bedroom, 1-Bath Units

Studios, 1 & 2-Bedroom Units

So CloSe To CAmpu S!

Open House Guide | Home Sales Listings | Featured Home of the Week

University terrace Two Story, 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath Townhouses with Small Backyard or One Story, 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath Flats All Units Include W/D, D/W, Central Heat/Air, and More BBQ and Cat Friendly, Off Street Parking, Walk to CSU

542 Nord Avenue Call Today (530) 893-1967 uterrace@rsc-associates.com

Free Real Estate Listings Find Us Online At:

www.chico.newsreview.com

HUNTINGTON Full Size WaSher/Dryer in each unit, SWimming Pool, garageS available too!

2002 Huntington Drive (20th Street near Forest Avenue) CALL TODAY AT (530) 894-2408 huntington@rsc-associates.com

Professionally Managed By rsC assoCiates, inC.

Ceres Plaza

Sizzling DealS & More! Beautiful pool & clubhouse with computer room and pool table 1459 E. Lassen Avenue Call Today (530) 893-3018 cere@rsc-associates.com

Professionally Managed By rsC assoCiates, inC.

QuALity, AffoRDABLe & fRienDLy housing HOUSES

APARTMENTS/DUPLEXES/TOWNHOUSES Location

939 W. East Ave #9 684 E. 12th St. #4, 11 1144 Hobart #2, 3 1149 Olive St #9

Bd/Ba

Rent

1/1 1/1 4/2 2/1

$585 $525 $900 $675

Dep.

$685 $625 $1000 $775

Location

Bd/Ba

709 Flume 2270 Notre Dame Blvd #6 1175 E. 8th St. #3 1245 Esplanade Ave. #1, 12

1/1 2/1 1/1 1/1

Rent

Dep.

$625 $700 $575 $550

$725 $800 $675 $650

Location

Bd/Ba

Rent

2404 North Ave #A 3/1 $1100 9546 Cummings (Durham) 3/1.5 $1250 2320 Floral Ave. 3/2 $1150

Dep.

$1200 $1350 $1250

1382 Longfellow Ave. Chico

RELIABLE

PRoPeRty MAnAgeMent

895-1733 | www.reliableproperty.com Info subject to change. Please do not disturb tenants. We will schedule the appointment.

Amazing Views of Chico

Private setting on 5 acres, just 20 minutes out of Chico. Three bed, two bath. $298,000

Alice Zeissler

www.AtoZchico.com

518-1872

new listing

Steve Kasprzyk (Kas-per-zik)

Homes Sold Last Week ADDRESS

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

3147 Chico Ave 17 Blackstone Ct 25 Hughes Ln 47 Cade Ct 17 Catalina Point Rd 1986 Potter Rd 670 Grafton Park Dr 120 Gooselake Cir 208 Crater Lake Dr 3468 Hackamore Ln 162 Via Mission Dr

Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico

$520,000 $392,500 $385,000 $356,000 $347,000 $345,000 $340,000 $322,000 $315,000 $265,000 $254,000

4/ 4 4/ 2 2/ 2.5 4/ 3 4/ 3 4/ 3 3/ 2 3/ 2 4/ 3 3/ 1.5 3/ 2

35 CN&R May 3, 2012

SQ. FT. 2688 2312 2960 2561 2205 1929 2110 1911 2172 1743 1879

Sweet set up in Butte Meadows. Get out of the heat in the summer or use as base for winter activities. Beautifully redone cabin that sleeps 8 and a bunk house or shop. 7550 watt generator, rv pad with power and dump, 20x8 storage container,and much more. Only $175,000.00. Owner will carry.

Steve Kasprzyk 530-518-4850

Sponsored by Century 21 Jeffries Lydon ADDRESS

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

1529 Ridgebrook Way 3304 Sierra Springs Dr 1524 Gilbert Ln 3483 Hackamore Ln 1460 E 8th St 226 Mission Serra Ter 1161 Viceroy Dr 1191 Gossamer Ln 30 Lacewing Ct 1369 Wanderer Ln 233 W 21st St

Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico

$245,000 $240,000 $235,000 $227,500 $212,000 $203,000 $191,000 $190,000 $185,000 $185,000 $175,000

4/ 2.5 3/ 2 3/ 1.5 3/ 1.5 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2

SQ. FT. 2029 1346 1650 1332 1786 1317 1126 1471 1357 1126 1159

Home Week

Treat yourself to gift certificates up to 75% OFF! Visit www.newsreview.com

of tHe

206 Redbud • PaRadise IN TOWN SECLUSION!, Custom built 3 Bedroom 2 Bath home, 2187 S.F., 1.72 acres, views of the canyons and valley below, large deck on back of home, custom separate “sunset deck” in backyard for entertaining and taking advantage of the spectacular sunset views, aesthetically pleasing custom man-made creek, lush master designed landscaping, split bedroom floor plan, country feeling front porch, tasteful brick accents, two fireplaces one in the living room and one in the Den/family room, soaring ceilings, tasteful colors, updated interior, hardwood flooring, updated appliances, large walk-in pantry, walk-in closets, indoor laundry room, cozy bonus room, three car attached garage, exposed aggregate circular driveway, third private deck off guest bedroom, room for all of the toys, hot-tub, massive under house storage, all located in one of Paradise’s most sought after locations. Call today for your private showing!

RANCHO CHICO REAL ESTATE IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE the newest partner joining the team of experienced and professional real estate agents

Specializing in Residential sales Income properties Short sale negotiations

Dean Gaskey - Realtor Rancho Chico Real Estate DRE# 01335627

Listed at $349,900

1306 Mangrove Ave. (Across from Papa Murphy’s)

Chari Exum Bullock | Broker Associate | 530-872-6818 cexum@c21selectgroup.com | Century 21 Select - Paradise

(530) 519–5610 www.DeanGaskey.com

Country 3bd/2ba on .49 ac $215k 3bd/2.5ba on 1.6 ac Keifer Area $399k!

GREAT PRICE FOR A BUILDABLE LOT IN CORNING... $28,500 All Utilities & Sewer

894-4503

SMILES ALWAYS

Russ Hammer

HAMMERSELLS@SBCGLOBAL.NET

JOYCE TURNER 571-7719

jturner@century21chico.com

The following houses were sold in Butte County by real estate agents or private parties during the week of April 16, 2012 — April 20, 2012. The housing prices are based on the stated documentary transfer tax of the parcel and may not necessarily reflect the actual sale price of the home. ADDRESS 30 Irving Way 2578 E 20th St 826 Alan Ln 894 E 16th St 1425 Almond St 9622 Cohasset Rd 15989 Katydid Ln 1307 10th St 7 Lariat Loop Morrel Cir 4 Vaquero Dr

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Cohasset Magalia Oroville Oroville Oroville Oroville

$175,000 $145,000 $135,000 $125,000 $118,000 $159,000 $225,000 $220,000 $205,000 $191,500 $168,000

4/ 2 2/ 1.5 3/ 1.5 3/ 1 2/ 1 2/ 2 2/ 3.5 3/ 2 2/ 2.5 3/ 2 4/ 2

SQ. FT. 1175 854 1323 1056 999 1410 3050 1742 1858 1750 1530

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

280 Mountain View Ct

ADDRESS

Oroville

$145,000

3/ 2

SQ. FT. 1344

1775 Hammon Ave

Oroville

$139,000

3/ 1

1180

107 Morningstar Ave

Oroville

$114,000

3/ 1

1116

6363 Oak Way

Paradise

$195,000

3/ 2

1521

6154 Tyden Way

Paradise

$185,000

3/ 2

1232

6210 Himmel St

Paradise

$179,000

3/ 2

1883

439 Locksley Ct

Paradise

$162,500

2/ 1.5

1548

509 Montgomery Pl

Paradise

$135,000

2/ 2.5

1300

May 3, 2012

CN&R 36

Online ads are free. Print ads start at $6/wk. www.newsreview.com or (530) 894-2300 ext. 5 Print ads start at $6/wk. www.newsreview.com or (530) 894-2300 ext. 5 Phone hours: M-F 8am-5pm. All ads post online same day. Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Adult line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

JOHNSON HOUSE OF SOBRIETY

Online ads are

STILL

FREE!*

*Nominal fee for adult entertainment. All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. Further, the News & Review specifically reserves the right to edit, decline or properly classify any ad. Errors will be rectified by re-publication upon notification. The N&R is not responsible for error after the first publication. The N&R assumes no financial liability for errors or omission of copy. In any event, liability shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by such an error or omission. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

Men and women, a sober living environment, rooms for rent. $400/month, includes utilities. 647 W 2nd Ave. #4, resident mgr. Stacy 530-520-5248 SHARE LARGE HOME Enjoy large bedroom, large private bath, living room, storage, private entrance, share kitchen & utilities with owner, ret. prof. man at other end of house. $350. Additional small bedroom avail for additional $100. Ideal for single parent and child. 530-566-1092

APARTMENT RENTALS ChicoApts.com Pine Tree Apts 893-8616 Oak Meadow Apts 898-1450 Mission Ranch 892-0400 Villa Risa 636-4622 Built, Owned & Managed by MWSproperties.com

GENERAL $$$HELP WANTED$$$ Extra Income! Assembling CD cases from Home! No Experience Necessary! Call our Live Operators Now! 800-405-7619 EXT 2450 www.easyworkjobs.com (AAN CAN)

INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE Wanted Older Guitars! Martin, Fender, Gibson. Also older Fender amps. Pay up to $2,000. 916-966-1900

more jobs online

www.newsreview.com

1970 MGB Classic Convertible Restored, pristine condition. All records. $8,995.00. 530-345-9373 Days or Evenings.

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Full Body Massage For Men $25 Call Lee CMT 893-2280 Shower Available

Massage By John

Relaxing Massage

in a warm tranquil studio. w/ Shower, $35 deal. Appts. 530-893-0263 11am-8pm

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

HOUSE FOR RENT, 4bedrooms, 2 bath, garage, backyard. Rent $1400. Nice area, north Chico. 530-300-7262

more rentals online

ROOMS FOR RENT

www.newsreview.com

ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM. Browse hundreds of online listings with photos and maps. Find your roommate with a click of the mouse! Visit: http:// www.Roommates.com. (AAN CAN)

BULLETIN BOARD ALAN BROWNPlease pick up your abandoned personal property. You have 30 days to pick it up. 530-514-0054 Call for arrangements.

WANTED TO BUY CASH FOR CARS: Any Car/Truck. Running or Not! Top Dollar Paid. We Come To You! Call For Instant Offer: 1-888-420-3808 www.cash4car.com (AAN CAN)

Seeking part-time

nurse practitioner Growing Doctor’s office in Oroville is looking for a licensed Nurse Practitioner. Part-time (days & times negotiable). EOE.

submit yOur rEsumE tO:

jenniferemerson59@yahoo.com

CAR OWNERS EARN $600/ MONTH. Rent out your car safely with RelayRides.com/ Earn. You control the price, times & people for each rental. RelayRides provides all insurance & support. Free to join. Questions? Email Earn@RelayRides.com or call (415) 729-4227 (AAN CAN)

In-Calls, Out-Calls Now avail. By Appointment. CMT, 530-680-1032

HOME RENTALS

Little House on the Prairie on 22+ fenced acres in N Chico. Property incl 20X40 shop a& 44X48 livestock barn. Owner financing available. Steve Lotti Realtor 530-895-8010

COMMERCIAL

$25 special. Full-body Massage for Men.

HOMES FOR SALE

Career Training: AIRLINE CAREERS - Become an Aviation Maintenance Tech. FAA approved training. Financial aid if qualified - Housing available. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-242-3214 Help Wanted!!! Make money Mailing brochures from home! FREE Supplies! Helping Home-Workers since 2001! Genuine Opportunity! No experience required. Start Immediately! www.theworkhub.net (AAN CAN)

CLASSICS

AUTOS 1983 Full-sized Chevy Blazer.All original. Most factory options. Very well kept condition. 530-895-8171 Audi 1996 A6 Quattro 4WD, automatic, 4door, CC, PW/PD, CD, ski storage, new tires, runs great, $4900. 186K mi. 530-570-5113 New Prius Are Here! 50 MPG, best warrantee, 2 year service free, call Lee McKim, Hybrid Specialist, at 530-354-7782 at Chuck Patterson Toyota.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as NESSERE VINEYARDS at 3471 Durham Dayton Hwy, Chico, CA 95928. JESS PITNEY, VANESSA PITNEY, 3471 Durham Dayton Hwy, Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Husband and Wife. Signed: VANESSA PITNEY Dated: April 5, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000529 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as SFINVEST REAL ESTATE at 813 Nord Ave. Chico, CA 95926. WILLIAM AYER SHERIDAN, 813 Nord Ave. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: William Ayer Sheridan Dated: April 6, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000542 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as ACP CLEANING SERVICE at 208 Main St. #9, Hamilton City, CA 95951. Joseph Raymond Zaragoza, 208 Main St. #9, Hamilton City, CA 95951. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: JOSEPH ZARAGOZA Dated: April 5, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000537 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as CAFFE MALVINA, MALVINA OF CHICO at 234 W 3rd St. Chico, CA 95928. DENISE BELL-CORONA, SALVATORE CORONA, 12 Mefford Way, Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by a Husband and Wife. Signed: Denise Bell-Corona Dated: March 12, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000384 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as LUCID STREET WEAR at 2166 Noel Ct. Chico, CA 95926. SAMUEL GARCIA PERKINS, 831 Alan Lane, Chico, CA 95926. SKYLER MICHAEL SUN, 2166 Noel Ct. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: SKYLER SUN Dated: April 2, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000507 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as SCOTTY’S WATERFRONT GARDENS at 12429 River Rd. Chico, CA 95973. JOHN W SCOTT, 12429 River Rd. Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: JOHN W SCOTT Dated: April 3, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000508 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as LABELZ at 974 Mangrove Ave. Chico, CA 95926. Cynthia Elizabeth Brochheuser 1941 Sycamore Lane, Durham, CA 95938. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: Cynthia Brochheuser Dated: April 4, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000527 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as KIMM’S BIDWELL PARK PEDICAB TOURS at 3 Geneva Ln, Chico, CA 95926. KIMBERLY ANN CRAMER, 3 Geneva Ln, Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: KIMBERLY CRAMER Dated: April 4, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000519 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as QUICK STOP MARKET at 2269 Nord Ave. Chico, CA 95973. JASVIR SINGH, MOHAN SINGH, 25 Ewing Dr. Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: MOHAN SINGH Dated: April 3, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000511 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as ANGIES POKER CLUB at 1414 Park Ave. #114 Chico, CA 95928. ANGIE KAYE HARRIS, 662 E 8th St. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: ANGELA HARRIS Dated: March 20, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000443 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as NORTH VALLEY MASSAGE THERAPY at 75 Oakdale Ct. Oroville, CA 95966. Douglas Edward Lambert,75 Oakdale Ct. Oroville, CA 95966. This business is conducted by

this Legal Notice continues

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an individual. Signed: DOUGLAS E LAMBERT Dated: March 27, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000488 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as SIERRA POOLS INC at 2711 Escallonia Way, Chico, CA 95973. SIERRA POOLS INC, 1 Governors Lane, Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: TYLER MORELAND Dated: April 12, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000567 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as LITHE AND NIMBLE at 2954 Hwy 32 #600, Chico, CA 95926. WHOLE BODY FITNESS INC, 6177 Francis Lane, Orland, CA 95953. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: ASHLEY POLI Dated: April 3, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000475 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as BIDWELL CUSTOM IRON FENCE AND RAIL at 2700 Hegan Lane #110, Chico, CA 95928. PHIL CHARLES ALLEN, 311 Stonebridge Dr. Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: PHILLIP ALLEN Dated: April 6, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000541 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME - STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT The following person has abandoned the use of the fictitious business name HONEY RUN QUILTERS at 1230 Esplanade, Chico, CA 905926. CARMEN G ROLFE, 2 Summer Sky Commons, Chico, CA 95928. This business was conducted by an individual. Signed: CARMEN G ROLFE Dated: April 5, 2012 FBN Number: 2007-0002066 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as COMPUTER MEDIC at 744 Flume St. Chico, CA 95928. ARTHUR DEROSE, 3 Dove Creek Ct. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: ARTHUR DEROSE Dated: March 28, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000495 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as PLATINUM SALON at 407 Walnut St. Suite C, Chico, CA 95926. ABBY COX, 2160 Zuni Ave. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: ABBY COX Dated: March 27, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000485 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as MANIFEST MUSIC PRODUCTIONS LLC at 870 Lynn Lane, Chico, CA 95926. MANIFEST MUSIC PRODUCTIONS LLC, 870 Lynn Lane, Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Signed: AMANDA P HACKNEY Dated: April 4, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000526 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as CHICO BACK AND NECK PAIN CENTER at 2060 Talbert Dr. #150, Chico, CA 95928. MCCOWAN CHIROPRACTIC INC, 649 Coyote Way, Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: MATT MCCOWAN, D.C. Dated: April 9, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000552 Published: April 19,26, May 3,10, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as CLEAR WATER POOL at 3012 California Park Dr. Chico, CA 95928. TOM ESTRELLA, 3012 California Park Dr. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: THOMAS ESTRELLA Dated: April 20, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000613 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as ECOMAX CALIFORNIA at 25 Chaparral Dr. Oroville, CA 95966. BARRY DEDITCH, 25 Chaparral Dr. Oroville, CA 95966. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: BARRY DEDITCH Dated: April 3, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000514 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as GRUB GROWN at 1525 Dayton Rd. Chico, CA 95928. SHERRI SCOTT, 1525 Dayton Rd. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: SHERRI SCOTT Dated: March 23, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000464 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as TACOS TONAYA NO 2 at 244 Walnut #C, Chico, CA 95928. MARIA G QUINTERO, RODRIGO O QUINTERO, 1372 Humboldt Ave. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Husband and Wife. Signed: RODRIGO QUINTERO Dated: April 18, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000602 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SOCIAL SECURITY ADVOCATES at 341 Broadway #405, Chico, CA 95928. MARY MARGARET GALVIN, KEVIN MARK HENDREN, 318 Flume St. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Husband and Wife. Signed: MARY GALVIN Dated: April 11, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000558 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME - STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name EMPIRE COFFEE at 434 Orange St. Chico, CA 95928. ANDREW TERRELL, MEREDITH KELLEY, 454 E 8th St. Chico, CA 95928. This business was conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: MEREDITH KELLEY Dated: April 23, 2012 FBN Number: 2008-0001443 Published: April 23, May 3,10,17, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as NOVA DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES, NVDS INC at 1494 Arch Way, Chico, CA 95973. NORTH VALLEY DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES INC, 1494 Arch Way, Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: GARY GREEN Dated: April 16, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000584 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as EMPIRE COFFEE at 434 Orange St. Chico, CA 95928. LINDSAY BROTHERS, 925 Arbutus Ave. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: LINDSAY BROTHERS Dated: April 23, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000619 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as JACKS FAMILY RESTAURANT at 540 Main St. Chico, CA 95928. MARTIN GARCIA, TELMA GARCIA, MTG MANAGEMENT, 5 Sterling Ct. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: TELMA GARCIA Dated: April 12, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000566 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as IRON HORSE STATION, IRON HORSE STATION AND STORE, IRON HORSE STORE at 3688 Durham Dayton Hwy, Chico, CA 95927. DALE OWENS FREEMAN, 1818 Nord Ave. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: Dale Owens Freeman Dated: April 16, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000581 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as TRUNK INSURANCE SERVICES at 4061 Port Chicago Hwy, Suite H, Concord, CA 94520. ALLIED RISK MANAGEMENT AND INSURANCE SERVICES INC, 4061 Port Chicago Hwy, Suite H, Concord, CA 94520. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: MYSTI MATTHEWS Dated: April 12, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000565 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as BEYOND THE BARN at 2279 Nord Ave. Chico, CA 95926. LAURA MARIE HAZEL, 1785 Heron Lane, Chico, CA 95926 This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: LAURA M HAZEL Dated: April 11, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000561 Published: April 26, May 3,10,17, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as PROSCRIBE MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION at 33 Oropond Lane, Oroville, CA 95966. VERONICA TAYLOR, 33 Oropond Lane, Oroville, CA 95966. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: VERONICA TAYLOR Dated: March 28, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000490 Published: April 5,12,19,26, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as INDAY’S at 1490 Heritage Oak Dr. Chico, CA 95928. ETHEL CABAHIT GEIGER, JOHN DAVID GEIGER, 1490 Heritage Oak Dr. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Husband and Wife. Signed: ETHEL C GEIGER Dated: March 9, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000380 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as IKE’S SMOKE HOUSE at 13670 Anderson Bros. Dr., Chico, CA 95973. ISAAC WARREN ANDERSON, KRYSTIN ANDERSON, 805 Oak Lawn Ave. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a Husband and Wife. Signed: ISAAC ANDERSON Dated: April 27, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000652 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as DELLIPROOF at 1134 W 5th St. Chico, CA 95928. ALEX THOMAS FORTIS, 1134 W 5th St. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: ALEX FORTIS Dated: April 9, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000550 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as AUSTIN BROTHERS at 3217 Cohasset Rd. #120, Chico, CA 95973. CEA INVESTMENTS LLC, 6154 County Road 200, Orland, CA 95963. This business is conducted by a Limited

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Liability Company. Signed: RANDAL W AUSTIN Dated: April 20, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000616 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as SOLID TATTOO MACHINES at 319 Main St. #200, Chico, CA 95928. BEN LUCAS, 31 Dean Way, Chico, Ca 95926. CHRISTOPHER PEPLOW, 985 Salem #1, Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: BEN LUCAS Dated: April 23, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000618 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as FIESTA BELLA at 36 Birdwing Ct. Chico, CA 95973. MARIA DELGADO, 36 Birdwing Ct. Chico, CA 95973. AURORA GUZMAN, 262 Via Mission Dr. Chico, CA 95928 SANDRA C JAUREGUI, 4572 Bell Rd. Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: AURORA GUZMAN Dated: April 2, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000503 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as ZEN BOTANICALS at 84 Via Morro Ct. Chico, CA 95928. JANIE KUOCH, 84 Via Morro Ct. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: JANIE KUOCH Dated: April 5, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000531 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as FINISHING EDGE at 3150 Highway 32, Chico, CA 95973. ROBERT KONECEK, 1218 Yosemite Dr. Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: ROBERT KONECEK Dated: April 24, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000626 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as YOUNG LOVE OUTFITTERS at 2622 Navarro Dr. Chico, CA 95973. KENNETH SWAIN, 2622 Navarro Dr. Chico, CA 95973. DAVID ZOPPI, 1604 Laburnum Ave. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: DAVID ZOPPI Dated: April 25, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000635 Published: May 3,10,27,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as ANGELS IN STONE at 28 Jordans Pl. #600, Chico, CA 95973. LARRY A ATKINS, 28 Jordans Pl. #600, Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: LARRY A ATKINS Dated: April 24, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000625 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as CHICO IT SOLUTIONS at 48 Bellarmine Ct. #80, Chico, CA 95928. PAYDEN WOMACK, 6581 Rocky Lane, Paradise, CA 95969. This business is conducted by an individual. Signed: PAYDEN WOMACK Dated: April 18, 2012 FBN Number: 2012-0000596 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME - STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT The following person has abandoned the use of the fictitious business name CHICO IT SOLUTIONS at 2260 St. George Lane #2 Chico, CA 95926. ESLEY JEROME SHAFFER, 6403 Corning Ct. Magalia, CA 95954. This business was conducted by an individual. Signed: ESLEY SHAFFER Dated: April 18, 2012 FBN Number: 2008-0001099 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012

NOTICES NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE To Whom It May Concern: The name of the applicant is: GARY JAMES JONES The applicant listed above is applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to sell alcoholic beverages at: 3312 Esplanade Chico, CA 95973-0206 Type of license applied for: 47 - On-Sale General Eating Place Published: May 3, 2012 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner JANELLE ST.CLAIR and THOMAS PEET filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Jacob Nathaniel Crosthwaite Proposed name: Jacob Nathaniel St.Clair THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: June 8, 2012 Time: 9:00am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 655 Oleander Ave. Chico, CA 95926 Signed: Robert Glusman Dated: April 20, 2012 Case Number: 156523 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012

PERSOLVE, LLC, A Limited liability company, dba, ACCOUNT RESOLUTION ASSOCIATES. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal

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services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The Court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. The name and address of the court is: BUTTE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 655 Oleander Avenue, Chico, CA 95926 The name, address and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney is: Edit Alexandryan PERSOLVE, LLC dba Account Resolution Associates 9301 Winnetka Ave. Suite B Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818)534-3100 Dated: July 8, 2011 Signed: Kimberly Flener Case Number: 154198 Published: April 12,19,26, May 3, 2012 SUMMONS NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: GINGER A HARLOFF aka GINGER MATHIS aka GINGON

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you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The Court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. The name and address of the court is: BUTTE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 655 Oleander Avenue, Chico, CA 95926 The name, address and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney is: Alaine Patti-Jelsvik PERSOLVE, LLC dba Account Resolution Associates 9301 Winnetka Ave. Suite B Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818)534-3100 Dated: July 20, 2011 Signed: Kimberly Flener Case Number: 154291 Published: May 3,10,17,24, 2012

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): On

the one hand, you’re facing a sticky dilemma that you may never be able to change no matter how hard you try. On the other hand, you are engaged with an interesting challenge that may very well be possible to resolve. Do you know which is which? Now would be an excellent time to make sure you do. It would be foolish to keep working on untying a hopelessly twisted knot when there is another puzzle that will respond to your love and intelligence. Go where you’re wanted.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): From an

astrological perspective, it’s the new year season; you’re beginning a fresh cycle. How would you like to celebrate? You could make a few resolutions—maybe pledge to wean yourself from a wasteful habit or self-sabotaging vice. You could also invite the universe to show you what you don’t even realize you need to know. What might also be interesting would be to compose a list of the good habits you will promise to cultivate, and the ingenious breakthroughs you will work toward, and the shiny yet gritty dreams you will court and woo.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “My father-

in-law was convinced that his sheepdogs picked up his thoughts telepathically,” writes Richard Webster in his article “Psychic Animals. “He needed only to think what he wanted his dogs to do, and they would immediately do it. He had to be careful not to think too far ahead, as his dogs would act on the thought he was thinking at the time.” To this I’d add that there is a wealth of other anecdotal evidence, as well as some scientific research, suggesting that dogs respond to unspoken commands. I happen to believe that the human animal is also capable of picking up thoughts that aren’t said aloud. And I suspect that you’re in a phase when it will be especially important to take that into account. Be discerning about what you imagine, because it could end up in the mind of someone you know!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your right

brain and left brain have rarely been on such close speaking terms as they are right now. Your genitals and your heart seem to be in a good collaborative groove as well. Even your past and your future are mostly in agreement about how you should proceed in the present. To what do we owe the pleasure of this rather dramatic movement toward integration? Here’s one theory: You’re being rewarded for the hard work you have done to take good care of yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A South African biol-

ogist was intrigued to discover an interesting fact about the rodent known as the elephant shrew: It much prefers to slurp the nectar of pagoda lilies than to nibble on peanut butter mixed with apples and rolled oats. The biologist didn’t investigate whether mountain goats would rather eat grasses and rushes than ice cream sundaes or whether lions like fresh-killed antelopes better than Caesar salad, but I’m pretty sure they do. In a related subject, Leo, I hope that in the coming weeks you will seek to feed yourself exclusively with the images, sounds, stories, and food that truly satisfy your primal hunger rather than the stuff that other people like or think you should like.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): There are only a very few people whose ancestors were not immigrants. They live in Africa, where homo sapiens got its start. As for the rest of us, our forbears wandered away from their original home and spread out over the rest of the planet. We all came from somewhere else! This is true on many other levels, as well. In accordance with the astrological omens, I invite you Virgos to get in touch with your inner immigrant this week. It’s an excellent time to acknowledge and celebrate the fact that you are nowhere near where you started from, whether you gauge that psychologically, spiritually, or literally.

Four-wheelin’ champ

by Rob Brezsny LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “When I’m good,

I’m very good,” said Hollywood’s original siren, Mae West, “but when I’m bad I’m better.” I think that assertion might at times make sense coming out of your lips in the next two weeks. But I’d like to offer a variation that could also serve you well. It’s articulated by my reader Sarah Edelman, who says, “When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m batty, I’m better.” Consider trying out both of these attitudes, Libra, as you navigate your way through the mysterious and sometimes unruly fun that’s headed your way.

story and photo by Vic Cantu vscantu@sbcglobal.net Did you know Chico has a world champion racer of four-wheeled, all-terrain vehicles (aka ATVs or quads) who’s in the fifth grade? Yep, he’s 11year-old Kyler Thau. The humble youngster won championships in two classifications last year in his first full year of racing (all at the tender age of 10!). His mother, Michelle, says his biggest race will be in August at the Tennessee ranch of Country Music Hall of Fame singer Loretta Lynn. Gas will cost $4,000, so Thau’s family is looking for sponsors. For more info, call 864-8977.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Weekly

World News, my favorite source of fake news, reported on a major development in the art world: An archaeologist found the lost arms of the famous Venus de Milo statue. They were languishing in a cellar in Southern Croatia. Hallelujah! Since her discovery in 1820, the goddess of love and beauty has been incomplete. Will the Louvre Museum in Paris, where she is displayed, allow her to be joined by her original appendages and made whole again? Let’s not concern ourselves now with that question. Instead, please turn your attention to a more immediate concern: the strong possibility that you will soon experience a comparable development, the rediscovery of and reunification with a missing part of you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Seventeenth-century physicians sometimes advised their patients to consume tobacco as a way to alleviate a number of different maladies, from toothaches to arthritis. A few doctors continued recommending cigarettes as health aids into the 1950s. This bit of history may be useful to keep in mind, Sagittarius. You’re in a phase when you’re likely to have success in hunting down remedies for complaints of both a physical and psychological nature. But you should be cautious about relying on conventional wisdom, just in case some of it resembles the idea that cigarettes are good for you. And always double check to make sure that the cures aren’t worse than what they are supposed to fix.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Outer

space isn’t really that far away. As astronomer Fred Hoyle used to say, you’d get there in an hour if you could drive a car straight up. I think there’s a comparable situation in your own life, Capricorn. You’ve got an inflated notion of how distant a certain goal is, and that’s inhibiting you from getting totally serious about achieving it. I’m not saying that the destination would be a breeze to get to. My point is that it’s closer than it seems.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When

most Westerners hear the word “milk,” they surmise it has something to do with cows. But the fact is that humans drink milk collected from sheep, goats, camels, yaks, mares, llamas, and reindeer. And many grocery stores now stock milk made from soybeans, rice, almonds, coconut, hemp, and oats. I’m wondering if maybe it’s a good time for you to initiate a comparable diversification, Aquarius. You shouldn’t necessarily give up the primal sources of nourishment you have been depending on. Just consider the possibility that it might be fun and healthy for you to seek sustenance from some unconventional or unexpected sources.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You wouldn’t

want to play a game of darts with an inflatable dartboard, right? If you were a smoker, you’d have little interest in a fireproof cigarette. And while a mesh umbrella might look stylish, you wouldn’t be foolish enough to expect it to keep the rain out. In the spirit of these truisms, Pisces, I suggest you closely examine any strategy you’re considering to see if it has a built-in contradiction. Certain ideas being presented to you—perhaps even arising from your own subconscious mind— may be inherently impractical to use in the real world.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny's EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES and DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

15 MINUTES

BREZSNY’S

For the week of May 3, 2012

Which two categories were your world championships in?

How are you doing this year?

One was the 70cc class for 6- to 11-year-olds, and the other was the 90cc class for 8- to 15year-olds. You get them for having the best record all year. The league is called the World Off-Road Championship Series. The trophies are cool; they’re more like signs with erasable backs. During races my mom writes on them and holds them up to show me how I’m doing.

What makes you so good? I guess I like winning a lot. It bothers me to be in second place because I can’t go as fast if there are other racers in front of me. So as soon as I get off the starting line I’m usually in first place. Plus, my dad’s very good at fixing up my ATV.

What got you into racing ATVs? When I was 3 my parents got me a little one. I found out I really liked riding gas-powered

things. They go fast and they’re fun. I won first place in my first race when I was 9 and got a big trophy. Very good. I’m undefeated in the 8- to 15-yearold sport class this year, and it’s halfway through the racing season. In early April in Arizona I won all three classes I raced in. That’s called a sweep. It made me really happy because it was my second sweep this year.

Isn’t racing ATVs dangerous? Not really. I have lots of safety equipment like a helmet, goggles, gloves, boots, a chest protector, plus neck and back braces to keep me from breaking my neck and back. I’ve only had a few crashes, but I’ve never really gotten hurt.

How do you keep up with school when traveling? My mom home-schools me on the road in our 40-foot motor home. It’s hard during traveling because of the bumpy trucking lanes we drive on. But I still do well.

FROM THE EDGE

by Anthony Peyton Porter himself@anthonypeytonporter.com

Jokes Over a month ago I asked you for jokes you personally recommend, and how did you respond? With no jokes, that’s how, unless you’re S.C. in Red Bluff, who sent me several cut out from newspapers. In the words of the immortal Hank Kingsley, get ready to have a good time. I’ve edited all of them. This first one reminds me of the story about the Allies after the Second World War deciding that anything that the Axis had done and the Allies hadn’t was illegal and so inventing the Nuremberg trials: A fellow passing through a small town noticed many bull’seyes with a single hole right in the center. They were on buildings and fences and telephone poles. He asked a policeman who the sharpshooter was, and the cop pointed to a politician crossing the street toward them. The traveler asked the politician, “This is the best marksmanship I’ve ever seen! How did you get to be so accurate? The politician said, “It’s easy—I shoot first and then draw the circles.” “If lawyers are disbarred and clergy defrocked, then it follows that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed.” Of course it does.

I have laughed at blonde jokes, although I suppose they’re vicious slurs on the blonde community. I don’t think I’ve actually known many blondes—or blonds, either—and I don’t expect them to be dimwits. For now I’ve made the protagonist in the next rib tickler a politician. “How do you make a politician’s eyes light up? Shine a flashlight in his ear.” Nyuk, nyuk. For old people: “I have good news and bad news,” the defense lawyer said. “What’s the bad news?” “Your blood matches the DNA found at the crime scene,” “What’s the good news?” “Your cholesterol is down to 140.” This one is paraphrased from the Ozarks Christian News: A man sees a sign on the side of the road—“Talking dog fer sale.” He pulls over, and a beautiful dog bounds up to the fence, wagging its tail and grinning. The man asks, “You talk?” The dog responds, “Yep, since I was a pup. I worked under cover for years for the CIA and the FBI. No one suspected a canine spy, and I was extremely successful. Now I’ve retired out here with my bitch, just taking it easy.” Just then the dog’s owner comes over and says, “Ten dollars, take him or leave him.” The man says, “Ten dollars! That’s all?” The owner says, “Yeah, he’s an awful liar—he’s never been out of the yard.” May 3, 2012

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