c-2023-07-06

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 Jason Cassidy

Editor at large Melissa Daugherty

Staff Writers Ashiah Bird, Ken Smith

Contributors Alastair Bland, Bob Grimm, Ken Pordes, Juan-Carlos Selznick, Robert Speer

Managing Art Director Tina Flynn

Publications & Advertising Designers Cathy Arnold, Katelynn Mitrano, Jocelyn Parker

Sales & Business Coordinator Jennifer Osa

Advertising Consultant Ray Laager

Distribution Lead Wolfgang Straub

Distribution Staff Beatriz Aguirre, Dennis Bruch Jr., Michael Gardner, Jackson Indar, Josh Indar, Linda Quinn, Bill Unger, Richard Utter, Jim Williams

Mailing Address P.O. Box 56, Chico, CA 95927

Advertising Mail PO Box 13370 Sacramento, CA 95813

Phone (530) 894-2300

Website chico.newsreview.com

President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel

Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond

Director of Dollars & Sense Miranda Hansen

Accounting Staff Gus Trevino

System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins

Got a News Tip? chiconewstips@newsreview.com

Post Calendar Events chico.newsreview.com/calendar

Want to Advertise? cnradinfo@newsreview.com

Editorial Policies: Opinions expressed in CN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint articles or other portions of the paper. CN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or review materials. Email letters to cnrletters@newsreview.com. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form and to edit them for libel.

Advertising Policies: All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes the responsibility for

OPINION

System failure

We don’t blame the 36 downtown business owners who signed on to a letter that was sent to city officials and local media in May to alert them to the fact that their customers were frustrated and angry over the new parking kiosks installed downtown in February, and that their businesses had measurably suffered as a result [see Guest Comment: “Parking Meter Fiasco” (June 1, 2023)]. This development comes at a delicate time for local business owners. Many are just starting to see some daylight after living through the nightmare of trying to stay afloat during a pandemic, and they can’t afford a disruption to business let alone lose any customers.

The city’s response to the letter’s plea ranged from various earnest fixes to smooth over the rough transition— issuing free parking vouchers, dispatching kiosk concierges to help navigate the system, removing the 35 cent convenience fee for card transactions (of a dollar or more)—to holding community meetings. Along the way, business owners and the public have been assured that once folks figure out the procedure, especially if they take advantage of the Passport parking app component of the new system, the experience of parking downtown will be more convenient than feeding meters with quarters. Those points may

LETTERS

Parking blues

Re: Guest Comment: “Parking Meter Fiasco” (By downtown Chico business owners)

Thank you for “Parking Meter Fiasco.” The old parking meter system was troublesome, but this new system is terrible. I shop in Chico every Thursday—Tom Foolery and Bird in Hand are two favorite stores—but I shop at many more, including those with western wear and hardware. My downtown usage was limited due to the previous parking regulations and now it has reached a point where I cannot bring myself to endure it. If the city were to return to the old system I will return to shopping downtown.

Ron Anderson Willows

I wonder how many of the parking kiosk complainers have even used it, or

be true, but sticking to that script does nothing to address two untenable realities of the system’s roll out: angry shoppers (a portion of whom left and refused to engage further with the system and vowed not to return) and lost sales. If this was a test rollout (which it still can be), wouldn’t losing customers and their spending money be proof that the new system is failing? Or at least that the rollout failed?

Before anyone reading this starts yelling at the page about how it’s just cranky old-timers who are fighting change, stop and consider who might be spending money at a 150-year-old hardware store, or browsing used books, or ordering a wedding cake, or getting a watch repaired, or buying art and antiques? You might not like their reaction to change, but their support is more crucial to downtown than you might at first believe.

Also consider the fact that the downtown business owners had no say in what a new parking system would look like. Many of them run businesses that have been in place for decades (one for more than a century-and-a-half!). Without them, there would be no need for parking meters downtown. Shouldn’t they get a place at the table when these kinds of decisions are made?

did they just look at it and get so mad they decided to never shop downtown again. People are so extreme these days.

In the time it takes to read this letter twice you can download the app (Passport Parking), enter in your basic contact info, license plate and nickname for each vehicle, and a credit card. Then, through the app, purchase a Chico Card, I did $25. There is no 35 cent service fee for this purchase and it will auto-purchase another $25 when it runs out.

Paying for parking is a breeze, it saves the last used parking zones and vehicles. In four clicks on your phone you’re ready to slide the scale for your desired parking time. You’ll get a notification when your time is running short for an easy add if needed. No more storing or running out of quarters in the car. No more overpaying to

make sure you don’t get a ticket. No more running back to the car to drop in more quarters. It really is more functional and couldn’t be easier. Try it before flashing extreme mode.

John Sprague Chico

Groundwater fight

The Masonic Lodge was full! Many folks who live in the Vina Subbasin area came to the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) fee workshop, including ranchers, farmers, domestic well-users and Chico residents dependent on Cal Water. We came to ask questions about the fee structure being imposed on property owners by the Vina GSA.

Presenters for Butte County were well-versed in water issues, doing

by Jason Cassidy jasonc@newsreview.com

Hire date: July 3, 2003

I don’t think my first day of employment as recorded by the Chico News & Review is correct, but I’m certain about the first story I wrote for the paper. It was an interview with Jimmy Fay and Jerry Morano about the impetus for their long-running local “danceable, groove-heavy” superband Spark ’n’ Cinder, published on June 12, 2003. I was a freelancer then, writing copy for arts editor and lovable cantankerous arts/music critic John Young.

I know my first issue flying solo as John’s successor was Aug. 14 of that year, but I doubt I was on staff for six weeks of training. Whatever the actual start date, this summer marks my 20th anniversary working for the CN&R. [Sound of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale cap popping off!]

As I’ve been looking back at the stories I’ve written and edited—as arts and/or calendar editor for 17 years and editor for the last three—the one that stands out in my mind is a 2005 piece I feared would lead to my dismissal and put an early end to my career in journalism. My copy came in at a mere 51 words, yet I nonetheless managed to get everything in those two inches of print wrong.

The assignment: Take a photo of and write a caption for the man-on-a-bench statue in front of the Chico Area Recreation & Park District building on Vallombrosa Avenue. That’s it. My photo turned out great. My caption? Not so much. For starters, I misidentified the doctor to whom the bench is dedicated. Instead, I named his son, who was also a doctor, and had recently died. In doing so, I also had the wrong doctor’s specialty and date of death (the father had died 8 years earlier).

And finally, I assumed that the statue was fashioned in the doctor’s likeness. It was not. It is a generic old man standing in for the good doctor: Calvin H. “Doc” Layland, M.D., founder of Mangrove Medical Offices. (Yes, this information comes from primary sources—two obituaries, one on-site plaque and one published correction in this newspaper.)

When a polite note from the family arrived, I walked into the office of Tom Gascoyne—my editor, friend and the man who hired me—to meet my fate. Tom shrugged, told me to write a correction, and that was the end of it in his eyes.

Not for me, though. I’ve never forgotten that sinking feeling of putting something in print—something about real people’s lives—that was wrong. It was a powerful lesson. I know I haven’t gotten everything correct in the 1,534 pieces I’ve written (and the thousands more I’ve edited) for this newspaper, but since that day even my dumbest mistakes haven’t been for lack of diligence.

Thank you, News & Review, for keeping me around, and thank you readers and supporters of this newspaper for sticking around—mistakes and all.

Jason Cassidy is editor of the Chico News & Review

A new response to homelessness

As any well-informed resident should know, the issue of homelessness in Butte County is abundant and nuanced. Somewhere between spirited (and at times violent) efforts to remove Chico’s homeless from public parks and spaces and the launching of programs and facilities dedicated to helping move individuals and families into stable housing, there is a common understanding that the problem needs to be addressed. A salient piece of legislation moving through the California legislature aims to provide longterm sustainability for efforts to reaching homelessness and housing goals.

and supportive housing is extremely limited, this is just the surface of the forces working to keep individuals outside. Earth-shattering Adverse Childhood Experiences scores and opioid use rates coupled with limited mental health and substance use treatment create barriers far higher than any shelter’s admission requirements.

by Liv Jolley

The author is a program coordinator for Safe Space Chico who has been a Butte County resident for 14 years and has seen a growing need for come-as-you-are public aide and approachable services.

As a provider of homeless services in Butte County, I have found that the gaps in our continuum are at times unnavigable. While access to shelter

AB-799 (aka the Homelessness Accountability and Results Act) suggests a promising shift toward change. This would be done through ongoing grant funds allocated for service provision, expansion, and development of capacity at every level aimed at addressing immediate barriers to improving rates of homelessness. Access to the funds would require participation in a council formed between agencies on the continuum as well as clearly defined goals and actions and proof of progress toward these goals. These actions must be informed by research and data, reflecting effective service delivery and best practices. This bill provides accountability across all levels of government and a framework for progress.

In the meantime, there is much to be done

by Melissa Daugherty melissad@newsreview.com

Bleeding heart

Were people always so crass?

That was one of my first thoughts when I started seeing memes about the lives of the people aboard the ill-fated vessel attempting to view the wreckage of the Titanic.

To wit: “If I were a billionaire stuck at the bottom of the ocean I would simply pull myself up by my bootstraps.” That one went viral the day before the Coast Guard announced the sub was found in pieces. Ugh.

That’s the world we’re living in today, I thought. Heartless. But then again, the cruelty goes both ways.

As stated, other than an apparent fascination with the famous shipwreck, the passengers of the sub had at least one thing in common. They were extremely wealthy. Each reportedly paid a literal fortune to get a look-see at the giant hunk of decaying metal by boarding what turned into a waterlogged sarcophagus.

Aboard is a loose term in this context. Sardined into a bathroom-size tube seems more accurate, based on videos I watched of the deep-sea craft, the so-called Titan, which lost communication with its operations center shortly after descending.

Over the couple of days various emergency crews searched for the crude submersible, I imagined how terrified its passengers must be at the thought of running out of oxygen. I was especially concerned for the 19-year-old who’d gone with his dad. I couldn’t stop thinking about him—just a kid.

Being stuck next to a century-old underwater graveyard is the stuff of nightmares. In that context, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a billionaire or a pauper. The ocean doesn’t care about one’s power, fame or fortune. That was true when the captain of the Titanic cruised the North Atlantic on a moonless night, subsequently running into a massive iceberg, albeit the majority of rich passengers got the lifeboats. And, sadly, it’s true in the case of the aforementioned mini sub, a vessel of highly questionable soundness, according to myriad reports.

After four days without a trace of the craft, authorities found what was left of the Titan not far from the shipwreck. They surmised that a “catastrophic implosion” had occurred, likely not long after having launched, killing its passengers and their captain instantly.

I wouldn’t think of making light of their demise, and I certainly don’t think they deserved to die, but I get why people are disgusted. The trip cost $250,000 per passenger, a grotesque amount to satisfy morbid curiosity.

Indeed, if you ask me, there’s something a little ghoulish about an obsession with the Titanic. And while I realize people are free to spend their money however they see fit, using obscene amounts for a high-risk adventure is an invitation for criticism.

Thing is, in this time of historic income inequality, the general public is over such displays of wealth. And there are just too many in our faces every day, like American oligarch Jeff Bezos’ frequently photographed $500 million superyacht.

People are fed up with the fact that wages haven’t kept pace with inflation, that CEO salaries are on average 400 times larger than those of their rank and file employees, and that Congress hasn’t raised the minimum wage since 2009. Eventually, something’s got to give in this absurdist neo-Gilded Age.

So, yeah, I can understand how it would be difficult to muster sympathy for a handful of dead billionaires when you’re struggling to put food on your table. Still, the “eff around and find out” mentality—the lack of regard for these people and therefore their grieving families—is just, well, a little too cold for my warm bleeding heart.

Melissa Daugherty is editor-at-large for the Chico News & Review

What do you think of the new downtown parking kiosk/app?

Asked in downtown Chico

to address the immediate needs in Butte County. Safe Space Chico has recently opened a Community Cooling Center to combat the negative impacts of exposure to extreme heat. We have also opened a year-round Street Outreach and Case Management program to keep participants engaged in services throughout the year. To volunteer, make a donation, or learn more about these programs, find Safe Space on Facebook, Instagram, or our website, safespacechico.org.

Julie Holland professor

I really hate them. I just don’t trust them. I think they’re very inconvenient. I also think they’re not accessible for people who are not techsavvy, and I drive downtown and park downtown less and shop less because of them.

To learn more about AB-799, visit the CA.gov or The National Alliance to End Homelessness website: tinyurl.com/ CA-AB-799

LETTERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

their best to answer a variety of questions from the audience. It was fairly obvious from folks who spoke, that there was plenty of concern and no positive feelings about this decision being made for all of us by a small number of people.

Lawrence communications

I like them. I don’t bring around coins as much, and I think it’s a pretty easy app to use. It’s pretty reasonable.

At some point, one county representative told us that a portion of the fee is included because “… we need to pay for potential lawsuits.” She quietly added, “and there is a lawsuit.” No one reacted that I could see. Maybe I’m the only one who heard it.

Megan Best children’s center worker

I’ve never used them. I think it’s dumb. The old system works just fine—coins. You can ask a buddy for a coin.

Brian Yount real estate appraiser

Honestly, I don’t use it. I just buy the yearly parking [permit].

OK. So, let me get this straight. The people who will be charged this fee and who seem overwhelmingly against it are very likely to agree with the lawsuit. So those of us who support or would support the lawsuit are actually paying for the cost to fight against it.

It is very easy to find information on who filed the lawsuit. AquAlliance, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and California Water Impact Network seem to be working in our best interests around our dwindling groundwater.

I prefer to contribute to the lawsuit and not the lawyers for the county who will fight against it.

Kathy Faith Chico

Thomas

BRIEFED

COMMUNITY RESOURCES/ACTION

CHICO PEACE ENDEAVOR VIGIL: Join peace and social-justice advocates at the corner of Third and Main streets every Saturday, 12:30-1:30pm. facebook.com/ChicoPeaceVigil

COMMUNITY COOLING CENTER: Safe Space cooling center is now open daily, 2-8pm. June 25-July 8 at Jubilee Church (1294 N. Cedar); July 9-22 at Trinity Methodist Church (285 E. Fifth St.); July 23-Aug. 5 at Faith Lutheran Church (667 E. First Ave.); Aug. 6-19 at Bidwell Presbyterian Church (208 W. First St.). Sign up to volunteer at safespacechico.org/volunteer.

DIAPER DISTRIBUTION DAY: Fontaine Foundation Butte Diaper Bank is hosting a free diaper distribution outside Pearl Consulting (150 Amber Grove, Ste. 150, Chico), Sat. 7/29, 9-11am. If you are experiencing a diaper need fill out an application at the following link each month: fontainefoundation.org/ diaperapplication

FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION: The SCCAC holds free food distributions every second and fourth Saturday. Sat, 7/8 & 7/22, 2pm. South Chico Community Assistance Center, 1805 Park Ave. southchicocac.org

MAGALIA RESOURCE CENTER: Food, clothes, and household items distributed Thursdays and Saturdays. Donations of non-perishable food and small household items accepted. Magalia Community Church, 13700 & 13734 Old Skyway. 530-877-7963.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

BUTTE COUNTY SUPERVISORS: Meetings are normally held the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Visit site for posted agenda as well as current meeting calendar. Tue, 7/11 & 7/25, 9am. Butte County Board of Supervisors Chamber, 25 County Center Drive, Oroville. buttecounty.net

CHICO PLANNING COMMISSION: The commission normally meets first and third Thursdays. Agendas are posted to the web the previous Friday. Thu, 7/6 & 7/20. City Council Chambers, 421 Main St. chico.ca.us

CHICO CITY COUNCIL MEETING: The City Council meets on every first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video archives are available at chico.ca.us/ agendas-minutes. Tue, 7/4 & 7/18, 6pm. City Council Chambers, 421 Main St. chico.ca.us

CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION: Commission normally meets second Thursdays. Agendas are posted to the web the previous Friday. Thu, 7/13, 6pm. City Council Chambers, 421 Main St. chico.ca.us

Higher fines for water scofflaws?

Lawmakers target California ranchers who intentionally violate emergency water orders

When ranchers violated an emergency order to stop pumping water from the drought-plagued Shasta River last year, state officials fined them $4,000, or roughly $50 each. Now

story by Rachel Becker

photos by Martin do Nascimento

About this story: It was produced by CalMatters, an independent public journalism venture covering California state politics and government. For more info, visit calmatters.org.

California legislators are weighing a bill that would triple fines for such infractions— and could allow the penalty to climb higher than a million dollars.

Authored by Assemblymember Rebecca BauerKahan, a Democrat from San Ramon, the bill cleared the Assembly in a 43 to 20 vote and is now awaiting discussion in

Senate committees.

The proposed legislation aims to give California’s water enforcers more muscle to act swiftly and levy larger penalties for water agencies, irrigation districts and landowners who violate state orders and policies by pumping from rivers and streams.

Bauer-Kahan introduced AB 460 after CalMatters reported in November that the state had imposed minimal fines on about 80 Siskiyou County ranchers—served by the Shasta River Water Association—who had violated an emergency order to stop pumping. The river’s flows plunged by more than half, threatening ecosystems and rare fish such as salmon.

Yet in a public demonstration of the state’s limited powers, the ranchers kept the pumps on for eight days.

“Paying the fines was worth it to them to take what they took, and that shows a real weakness in what we have done,” Bauer-

Kahan said. “It was so clear that our law was not working.”

The State Water Resources Control Board’s maximum fine under existing law is $500 per day. The state also can issue a cease and desist order, which carries maximum fines of $10,000 per day, but it requires a 20-day waiting period and allows the users to seek a public hearing. Such provisions allow the violations to continue for weeks.

“The board doesn’t have the tools to act quickly,” said Michael Kiparsky, water program director at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at UC Berkeley School of Law. “The fish don’t care if the lawyers are trying to figure out who’s right or wrong if they’re dead.”

Rick Lemos, a fifth generation rancher and board member of the Shasta River Water Association, said the ranchers turned their pumps on last August because their

cattle were at risk without more water. Costs from hauling water and buying hay were climbing, and the ranchers faced the prospect of selling off cattle.

“We could have kept going for $500 a day,” said Rick Lemos, a fifth generation rancher and board member of the Shasta River Water Association.

Had the Assembly bill been in force then, the ranchers could have faced daily fines between $1,500 and $10,000, plus $2,500 for every acre-foot of water diverted, which could reach more than $1,000,000.

Lemos said if fines had reached $10,000 per day, “we definitely could have had to rethink it. That’s for damn sure.” Yet, he also added, “I’m not so sure we wouldn’t have done it again. When you got cattle out of water and you have no other options, what are you gonna do?

“If you’ve got 5,000 head of cattle that are worth $1,200 apiece, and they’re starting to die. I mean, how much can you spend for eight or 10 days to remedy the problem?” he said.

The law would target landowners, water agencies and districts that take water from rivers and streams, not individual consumers who turn on their taps.

Sponsored by conservation groups— California Trout, the Planning and Conservation League and Trout Unlimited— the bill is also supported by the Karuk and Yurok Tribes.

“The fine doesn’t fit the crime,” Karuk Tribal Council Member Arron “Troy” Hockaday said. ”What’s gonna stop them from doing it again this year, or next year? Or anytime they want? I mean, you got 80 farmers only paying $50 apiece. They’re gonna keep doing it.”

But water providers, builders and agricultural groups oppose the bill, saying it is so broad that even those diverting water legally could be ensnared in the expanded water board powers.

“If [the bill] did nothing else but raise penalties, that would stop what went on on the Shasta,” said Kristopher Anderson, the Association of California Water Agencies’ legislative advocate. But he said, by expanding other authorities, “this bill systematically stacks the deck against water right holders in favor of the water board.”

One new authority would be issuing interim relief orders to stop diversions or address potential harms. In urgent cases, these

NEWSLINES CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Left: A dried out stock pond on a Siskiyou County ranch on Aug. 29, 2022.

Arron “Troy” Hockaday, a council member of the Karuk tribe, beside the Klamath River in Happy Camp on Aug. 29, 2022.

could take effect immediately “to prevent imminent or irreparable injury to other legal users of water, or to instream beneficial uses,” the bill says. Water users who ignore an interim relief order could face fines of $10,000 per day and $2,500 per acre-foot diverted.

Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of public water agencies, said vague definitions in the bill such as ‘irreparable injury’ create uncertainty over what water would actually be available to suppliers in the future, which could impede development.

Anderson added he would prefer to see enforcement run through the courts rather than state-issued

Now

Manage production and quality, determine most effective ways to create a product/service, increase productivity and efficiency. Bachelors in Mechanical or Industrial Eng or related field reqd. 2 yrs exp in design, manufacturing, and/ or quality-related fields. Exp w/ ISO & GMP. Ability to write professional documents in English. Full-time onsite salaried position $76,253/yr. Requires occasional weekend work and infrequent travel (less than10%) to China and

Resumes: hr2@hbno.com

fines—an avenue that the water board could have but did not pursue with the Siskiyou County ranchers.

But water board officials said in the Shasta River case, seeking a court order would have kicked off a lengthy, resource-intensive battle.

“You’ve got both parties who are going to be subject to extensive litigation and litigation costs,” said Yvonne West, director of the water board’s Office of Enforcement. “We thought we could react quicker… In hindsight, we see that we didn’t gain the compliance we were hoping for from those initial actions.”

Bauer-Kahan’s bill is one of several taking aim at the state’s byzantine, Gold Rush-era water rights system that state analysts warn has

promised more water than is available. The system, which establishes priority among users, is facing mounting criticism for its history of inequality and exclusion of Native peoples and people of color.

Another bill would expand the state’s powers to curtail pumping from rivers and streams even by water users with claims that pre-date the state’s water rights law, enacted in 1914. A third would allow the board to investigate the legitimacy of senior water rights claims.

All three face opposition from builders, water providers and agriculture. So far they have cleared their houses of origin and are continuing through the Legislature.

California water watchers say it’s critical to bolster the state’s power to enforce water laws.

“Is the genie out of the bottle now?” Berkeley’s Kiparsky asked.

“What happens during the next drought now that it’s been very publicly demonstrated that water users can in essence treat the water board’s enforcement actions as an additional, and sometimes very modest, cost of doing business?”. Ω

Jim Scala, a rancher in Siskiyou County, looks out over his dry stock pond in Montague on Aug. 29, 2022. Scala and others defied a state order to stop pumping water from the Shasta River.

The Klamath River flows outside of Happy Camp.

California loses another home insurer

State Farm won’t sell new policies in the state; What happens next?

State Farm made national headlines last month when it said it would stop selling new home insurance policies in California.

by Ben Christopher and Grace Gedye

As California’s largest single provider of bundle home insurance policies—the company had 20 percent of the market in 2021—the news struck some as the beginning of a fresh emer-

gency, with insurers abandoning a fire and flood ravaged state.

But the retraction of California’s biggest home coverage provider is only the latest development in a wildfire-fueled crisis that has smoldered beneath the surface of the state’s insurance market for years.

After the disastrous fires of 2017 and 2018, the number of Californians who were told by their insurer that their policy wouldn’t be renewed jumped up by 42 percent to almost 235,000 households. The two severe wildfire years wiped out decades of industry profits.

Last year, American

International Group let thousands of customers know their home insurance policies would not be renewed, and Chubb, a high-end insurer, said it would continue to non-renew some of its customers.

And late last year, thousands of condo owners also found themselves among the uninsurable as the state’s regulated insurers dropped suburban homeowner association members in droves across San Diego County’s wildfire-prone shrubland.

“State Farm sort of publicly said what they were doing, but I think for the last few years, we’ve all

seen insurers restricting and pulling back their business in California,” said Seren Taylor, vice president of Personal Insurance Federation of California, an industry trade group that counts State Farm as a member. State officials emphasized that State Farm’s current policyholders will not lose coverage.

“It’s important to note that current customers will not lose their insurance,” wrote Michael Soller, deputy insurance commissioner at California’s Insurance department, in an email to CalMatters. This decision will affect people who are shopping for home insurance, in

that they will have one fewer provider to choose from.

State Farm in a press release blamed high construction costs that make it extra expensive to rebuild after a home is destroyed in California, growing natural disaster risk—particularly from wildfires— and “a challenging reinsurance market.”

Insurance companies frequently purchase their own insurance— known as “reinsurance”—to minimize the risk of getting hit with millions of dollars of costs all at once, as might happen during a catastrophic wildfire or a major hurricane.

Reinsurance premiums have spiked in recent years in disasterprone states like fire-ravaged California and storm battered Florida, Louisiana and Texas. California law prohibits insurers from passing along the cost of reinsurance to customers. Industry groups are lobbying to change that.

“This is tough for legislators,” said John Norwood, a lobbyist for independent insurance brokers. “Because the solution is prices going up.”

How California regulates home insurance

High rebuild costs, increasingly severe wildfires and high prices of reinsurance are all risks that insurance companies might be willing to take on.

But only for the right price. Increases in insurance premiums in California are approved or denied by the state’s elected insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara. Industry groups have long argued that Lara’s office has not allowed providers to set prices commensurate with the cost of doing business in fire-prone California.

“We have very inexpensive

About this story: It was produced by CalMatters, an independent public journalism venture covering California state politics and government. For more info, visit calmatters.org.

A property along Bald Rock Road in Berry Creek burned out during the 2020 North Complex fire.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Creating a NEW GENERATION of Doctors

BY ANNE STOKES

Dr. Gerald Maguire, Sr. came to Paradise in 1961. Until the end of his career in 2018, he was instrumental in creating mental health programs for underserved communities in Butte and Glenn counties, many of which are now modeled throughout the state. A long-time president of the State Conference of Mental Health Directors, he worked with lawmakers to create lasting change for patients in the mental health care realm.

“Jerry Sr.’s dream and vision was to develop a psychiatric residency program to attract mental health providers who come, train and reside here in the rural North State long term,” says colleague Dr. Lynne Pappas, director of psychiatric services at Oroville Hospital. “The day before he died, he sent me a video chat saying, ‘We have to get this going. This is our goal, this is our dream.’ I think for his son, Gerry, and I, psychiatric graduate medical education in Butte County has been the long sought solution for providing adequate mental health care to our communities.”

Today, Dr. Maguire’s dream has become a reality. Oroville Hospital recently received its accreditation as a sponsoring institution by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education. This means physicians can complete

their residency programs at Oroville Hospital, where they will hopefully choose to stay, build their practice and bring much needed services and programs to Butte County and the surrounding communities.

“This hospital has been in this region since the early ’60s and has grown with the community,” says Robert Wentz, Oroville Hospital’s president and CEO. “We think that it’s a vital part of health care in the North Valley, and the new psychiatry residency program will greatly expand the quality and availability of mental health treatment.”

According to his son, Dr. Gerald A. Maguire, Jr., psychiatrist and the director of Oroville Hospital’s graduate medical education, the psychiatry residency program—the first of many to come for many different specialties—is planned to begin in July 2024.

“Two things predict where physicians primarily practice: where they’re from and where they finish their training,” explains Dr. Maguire, Jr. “We have way fewer psychiatrists and primary care physicians and specialty physicians to serve our community. Psychiatrists tend to be populated in major metropolitan areas, more affluent areas. … We have great physicians right here in Oroville who can train our next genera-

tion of docs. By creating a pipeline for the best and brightest students from our community to complete their medical training here at home, we will ensure our community will receive the best health care long into the future.”

According to both Dr. Maguire, Jr. and Dr. Pappas, the biggest obstacle to accessing health care in rural communities like Butte, Glenn, Shasta and Tehama counties is a lack of providers, something they know residency programs will alleviate.

“We’ve had a dearth of treatment [and] programs … because we have no providers to staff them. Residency training, in essence, builds a mental health workforce,” says Dr. Pappas. “Not only will patients benefit from this venture. The psychiatric residents will receive a rich clinical learning experience. They are privileged to assess and treat patients who have not had the benefit of psychiatric resources made available to them that are present in urban communities and university settings such as UC Davis and San Francisco.”

Dr. Maguire Jr. agrees, adding: “We are creating the best in academic health care right here in our own community.”

From left to right: CEO Robert Wentz with Dr. Lynne Pappas and Dr. Gerald Maguire at Oroville Hospital. PHOTO COURTESY OF OROVILLE HOSPITAL

New accreditation will make Oroville Hospital a teaching institution

We are creating the best in academic health care right here in our own community.”

Gerald A. Maguire Jr., M.D. Director of graduate medical education, Oroville Hospital

home insurance in California,” compared to other states, said Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy police program at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “But the thing is, five years ago, we realized ‘oh yeah, actually in California you can burn down 50,000 houses overnight.’”

The consequences of a continued dripdrip decline of insurers from California could be far more costly in the long run, warns Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry.

As an illustration, he points to California history. After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake dealt roughly $42 billion in damage across Southern California, many home insurers opted to stop doing new business in California entirely.

Because home insurance is a basic requirement for most home loans, the exodus of insurers caused the state real estate industry to grind to a halt, Dunmoyer recalled.

“The whole world stopped,” he said. “That’s the worst case scenario. We’re not quite there yet.”

Can California block State Farm’s retreat?

There are various ideas circulating about what the state can do to keep State Farm in the market, some more drastic than others.

The advocacy group Consumer Watchdog has argued Insurance Commissioner Lara has the power to order State Farm to reverse its decision. That authority, the group said, comes from Proposition 103, a voter-backed initiative passed in 1988 that gave the department the power to approve or deny premium increases.

Wara, from Stanford Law, said the idea was a “non-constructive approach to this problem.”

He said the entire insurance industry likely would sue the state if the California insurance department were to assert that authority, and the lawsuit would take several years to resolve. He said he finds it “hard to believe” that a court would force the industry to keep issuing new insurance policies during the years the case was in court.

“That is a recipe for the entire market falling apart, potentially overnight,” Wara said. “That would undo not just the insurance market, but everybody that has a home mortgage in California, everybody that wants to buy or sell a home in California.”

Last resort for California homeowners

Another sword hanging over the state’s insurance industry: The possible demise of the FAIR Plan, the limited insurance plan Californians can turn to when no standard private company will cover them. It’s funded by levies on private insurance companies that do business in the state.

“A lot of other insurers have stopped selling,” said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer group. “If you talk to an agent or broker today, they’re going to tell you it can be pretty hard to find insurance” outside of the FAIR Plan, Bach said.

As the risk of catastrophic wildfire ramps up across California, that risk falls disproportionately on the FAIR Plan. And if an especially severe fire season renders the plan bankrupt, the tab will fall on those insurers still doing business in the state in proportion to their share of the market, said Wara, from Stanford.

State Farm, as the largest insurer, would have to chip in the most. That’s one reason the company might have decided to not issue new policies anywhere in California rather than just limiting new policies to places with low wildfire risk. “State Farm is saying ‘we want less of that,’” Wara said.

That problem isn’t unique to California.

In Texas, the increasing severity of Gulf Coast hurricanes has driven tens of thousands of homeowners onto that state’s chartered backstop insurer leading to talk of an inevitable crisis.

In Florida, the crisis may have already arrived. This week, Florida’s insurance commissioner authorized a $1.25 billion line of credit to that state’s insurer of last resort— now the single largest insurer—in preparation for the coming storm season. Ω

State officials emphasized that State Farm’s current policyholders will not lose coverage ... This decision will affect people who are shopping for home insurance, in that they will have one fewer provider to choose from.

Goods & Services

Best Ag/Growing Supplies

Best Antiques Store

Best Appliance Store

Best Attorney

Best Auto Paint/Body Shop

Best Auto Repair Shop

Best Baby/Kids’ Clothier

Best Bank/Credit Union

Best Barbershop

Best Bike Shop

Best Cab Company

Best Cannabis Dispensary (within driving distance of Chico)

Best Car Dealership

Best Car Wash

Best Consignment/

Second-Hand Threads

Best Convenience Store

Best Day Spa

Best Dry Cleaner

Best Esthetician/Waxing Studio

Best Feed Store/Farm Supply

Best Financial Planner (name and location)

Best Florist

Best General Contractor

Best Gift Shop

Best Grocer

Best Hair Salon

Best House Cleaning Service

Best House Painter

Best Insurance Agent

Best Jeweler

Best Landscaper

Best Liquor Store

Best Loan Officer

Best Local Pet Supplies Store

Sample Ballot

PICKING SEASON IS ALMOST OVER!

We need your help to cultivate the 2023 crop of winners for the CN&R’s annual celebration of our local bounty. All you need to do is vote for the people, places and things that make Chico such a great place to live and visit.

HOW TO VOTE:

The polls are still open and FREE voting takes place exclusively online where full contest rules are available. Categories are shown on this page.

VOTING ENDS WED., JULY 26, AT 11:59 P.M.

Best Men’s Clothier

Best Motorcycle Dealer

Best Moving Company

Best New Business (non-food service, open in last year)

Best Nursery

Best Outdoor Living (patios, pergolas, pools, etc.)

Best Pet Groomer

Best Piercing Studio

Best Place For A Mani/Pedi

Best Place For Electronics/ Computer Repair

Best Place To Buy Books

Best Place To Buy Home Furnishings

Best Place To Buy Outdoor Gear

Best Plumber

Best Professional Photographer

Best Property Management

Best Real Estate Agent

Best Reptile Store

Best Roofer

Best RV Rentals

Best Shoe Store

Best Solar Company

Best Sporting Goods

Best Tattoo Parlor

Best Thrift Store

Best Tree Service

Best Video Production

Best Wedding/Event Planner

Best Window Treatments

Best Women’s Clothier

Nightlife & The Arts

Best Art Space

Best Bar

Best Bloody Mary

Best Casino – Regional (Butte/Glenn/Tehama)

Best Dance Company/Studio

Best Happy Hour

Best Local Music Act

Best Local Visual Artist

Best Margarita

Food & Drink

Best Asian Cuisine

Best Bakery

Best Barbecue

Best Breakfast

Best Brunch

Best Burger

Best Burrito

Best Caterer

Best Cheap Eats

Best Chef

Best Craft Beer Selection

Best Delivery Driver

Best Diner

Best Fine Dining

Best Food Server (name and location)

Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

Best International Cuisine

Best Italian Cuisine

Best Local Brewery – Regional (Butte/Glenn/Tehama)

Best Local Coffee House

Best Local Restaurant – Chico

Best Local Restaurant – Oroville

Best Local Winery – Regional (Butte/Glenn/Tehama)

Best Locally Produced Food –Regional (Butte/Glenn/Tehama)

Best Lunch

Best Mexican Cuisine

Best Munchies

Best New Eatery (opened in last year)

Best Patio

Best Pho

Best Pizza

Best Sandwich

Best Street Food

Best Sushi

Best Taco

Best Takeout/Curbside

Best Vegetarian Cuisine

Health & Wellness

Best Acupuncture Clinic

Best Alternative Health Care Provider

Best Boutique Gym

Best Chiropractor

Best Dental Care

Best Dermatologist

Best Eye Care Specialist

Best General Practitioner

Best Gym

Best Gymnastics Studio

Best Hearing Aid Specialist

Best Local CBD Source

Best Local Healthcare Provider

Best Martial Arts Studio

Best Massage Therapist

Best Pediatrician

Best Personal Trainer

Best Physical Therapy Office

Best Plastic Surgeon

Best Veterinarian

Best Yoga Studio

Best Mixologist (name and location)

Best Museum

Best Place To Buy Art

Best Place To Dance

Best Place To Drink A Glass Of Wine

Best Sports Bar

Best Theater Company

Best To–Go Cocktail Or Bar Service

Best Venue For Live Music

Best Watering Hole For Townies

Community

Best Charitable Cause

Best Community Event

Best Farmer’s Market Vendor

Best Festival (Butte County)

Best Golf Course – Regional (Butte/Glenn/Tehama)

Best Instructor/Professor

Best Local Personality

Best Place For Family Fun

Best Place To Pray/Meditate

Best Radio Station

Best Teacher (K–12)

Best Volunteer

Best Youth Organization

LICENSE

What’s up with downtown?

by Jason Cassidy jasonc@newsreview.com

Sinceits inception, the Chico News & Review has paid close attention to the health of this city’s core. A look through the paper’s archives reveals several stories over the last four-plus decades asking slight variations of the question posed in the headline to this feature: “What’s up with downtown?”

The themes from story to story have reflected an ebb and flow of downtown’s fortunes—“constant change,” “rebirth,” “devastation,” “renaissance,” “revival,” “downtown’s changing face”—which have almost always been connected to dramatic events that create another crisis from which to recover. There was North Valley Plaza (the “old mall”), then the Chico Mall (the “new mall,” now Chico Marketplace) siphoning retailers and customers after their openings in 1967 and 1988, respectively. Then came catastrophes such as the Great Recession in 2008 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which crippled businesses in all areas.

It’s worth remembering though that, along with those big hits and the common threads of timeless Chico challenges/complaints (parking, cleanliness, safety, homelessness), there’s an enduring reality running through the all of the above: The city’s core has remained. Even today, with so many pandemicinduced challenges—shuttered businesses, decimated work force, crippling inflation, homelessness/housing issues, declines in Chico State enrollment—the historic buildings and wide open streets connecting to the arteries of old highway 99 and long-gone rail lines remain the heart of this city.

So, how’s business?

Many of the downtown businesses owners the CN&R spoke to for this story (especially those in food service) were cautiously optimistic, saying that things are somewhere between “recovering” and “back to normal.” Additionally, there have been dozens of new businesses that have started up downtown since the state reopened a couple of years ago.

City Manager Mark Sorensen wouldn’t go so far as to say downtown was fully back, only that things are improving. “We see sales tax activity that tells us the amount of commerce that’s going on. We can see that in different sections of town, including downtown as a unit, it’s clearly coming back, but there’s no question it hasn’t come back entirely.” The most recent edition of the Chico Economic Snapshot published by Golden Valley Bank shows that from the second quarter of 2021 to the second quarter of 2022, Chico’s overall economic performance improved by 24.2 percent

The public events hosted by the Downtown Chico Business Association (DCBA) have also returned. According to organizers, the Thursday Night Markets and Friday Night Concerts are attracting more people downtown than ever.

The impacts from homelessness continue to be felt all over Chico, not just in the city center—though the impression that it’s largely a downtown issue has endured.

Irrepressible downtown restaurateur Will Brady’s response to that is: “Open your eyes, go out into the world, Chico is better than almost every other place.”

Though they put it less bluntly, other downtown business owners share the Banshee/B Street Public House co-owner’s sentiment.

“These spaces are really essential to

the social fiber of any community, and they have to be nurtured,” said Muir Hughes about the downtown where The Bookstore, the store she owns with husband Josh Mills, has been a pillar since 1976.

“In general, I feel like there are issues that have to be tackled,” Hughes added, “[but] I think downtown has the capacity to flourish.”

What’s going on with the DCBA?

The DCBA had a rough pandemic. The businesses it advocates for were hit hard; its chief funding source, community events like the Thursday Night Market, were canceled; and longtime Executive Director Melanie Bassett retired.

As everything’s gradually opened back up, the organization that was

formed in 1975 to “preserve, enhance and promote Downtown Chico as Chico’s Historic District and regional destination for shopping, dining, playing and staying” is trying to figure out how to get back to the work of its mission in a post-COVID Chico.

Greg Scott, former owner of Diamond Steakhouse, is the new DCBA president, and he and his colleagues have put together a three-year plan for getting the operation healthy again.

The plan has four areas of emphasis: organizational rebuilding, marketing and communication, events and promotion, and placemaking.

Late last year, it was presented to the city along with a request for $422,400 of American Rescue Plan funds to implement it. The council approved the funding at its Jan. 17 meeting, splitting the money into three installments and includ-

As businesses rebound from the pandemic and face new challenges, Chico’s core remains the center of community

ing requirements for showing progress to get the remaining balance.

The “organizational rebuilding” part of the plan includes saving money by not hiring a new director just yet, and keeping the DCBA staff to just two employees in charge of managing and promoting events.

The rest of the responsibilities are being handled by a newly revamped board, with seven first-time members. Scott said this board will provide oversight and direction to the employees who will manage day-to-day DCBA stuff. The board’s work has been further delegated to newly formed committees (which include others from DCBA membership as well) focused on big picture items—marketing and promotions, events, place development, restaurants, economic vitality, finance and special initiatives.

“They all have roles and responsibilities and goals,” Scott said about the committees. “They’re out doing that part of the work so the DCBA staff can go out and promote their events and do better engagement with businesses.”

A key component that reaches across all the areas of emphasis in the plan is strengthening partnerships, not just with the city and DCBA’s own membership, but with Chico State, various cultural partners/collaborators and the Downtown Chico Property-based Improvement District (PBID). Scott

also sits on the board of PBID, which was formed in 2017 to “enhance safety, maintenance, beautification and economic vitality” of downtown.

“We are working very hard to utilize both [DCBA and PBID] staffs to do what is necessary to improve downtown Chico’s image and ensure it remains the historic, social, cultural and economically vibrant district the residents and visitors expect,” he said.

Alongside the structural work to the organization and improvements and maintenance to downtown, the DCBA is working to ramp up and improve its community events (e.g., getting beer and wine sales at City Plaza). Last year, the scheduling of the Art and Wine Walk in October to coincide with Chico State’s alumni and family weekend (aka Wildcat Weekend) resulted in the biggest turnout ever for the event.

New this year is Chico Live, a Saturday afternoon concert (Sept. 9) in the City Plaza, followed by what the DCBA hopes will be a city-wide afterparty, with businesses staying open late and hosting live music.

“It’s not working as fast as I want it to; I’m one of those kind of guys—I want the end results now,” Scott said before referencing a saying that DCBA consultant Audrey Taylor shared with him about the process: “We’re building a plane while we’re flying it.”

What about this parking kiosk situation?

On April 28, the owners of 36 downtown Chico businesses sent a letter to city leaders and local media regarding the installation of a new centralized “Smart Meter Kiosk” system and Passport parking app that replaced the previous coin- and ATM-operated meters in the downtown core.

It read, in part: “The impact to our regular customer traffic and baseline sales immediately following the February 23rd change has been drastic. Collectively, we have witnessed frustrated customers leaving the shopping district, fielded many complaints (with lots and lots saying they will not return) and have had no relief from these negative consequences.”

Since receiving the letter, City Councilmember Tom Van Overbeek has met with concerned business owners. The Bookstores’ Hughes, who gathered signatures for and sent the letter to the city, attended the meetings with the councilman, and afterward, when asked if the kiosk/customer situation had improved she said, “I would say nothing substantial has changed.

“I have talked to a lot of business owners and they have gone through the

DOWNTOWN CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Muir Hughes, co-owner of The Bookstore, sits in the children’s section of the downtown business she says has been negatively impacted by recently installed parking kiosks.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Downtown Chico Business Association President Greg Scott sitting in the lounge at Hotel Diamond in downtown Chico.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

The exterior of the 121-year-old Morehead Building, home to The Rawbar and the Diamond Hotel expansion, was the final restoration project of longtime Chico developer Wayne Cook, who died June 20, 2022.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

pandemic, they have gone through fires, economic ups and downs,” Hughes said. “Many have been downtown 30-plus years. They’ve said nothing has been as bad as these kiosks. … It’s beyond adapting to a new system. This system, the interface is not functional for most people. That’s a huge problem.”

Van Overbeek told the CN&R that he recognizes that there are issues with the new system. “I think the user interface at the kiosk is clunky and could be better,” he admitted. Though he did praise the Passport parking app component.

In the wake of receiving (and publishing) the letter, the CN&R spoke to many locals—business owners, random folks on downtown sidewalks, etc.—about the new system and there were a fair share who also appreciated ease and convenience of the app. However, far more expressed frustration with the changes.

“Nobody likes change, particularly in Chico,” said Van Overbeek, adding that he thinks that downtown will continue to draw people regardless. “If you like to drink beer in a beer garden, or you like the lasagna at Crush, you’re going to go down there,” he added. “At this point the city is committed to it and we’re not going back.”

The city did implement a few measures to try and smooth out the transition. In collaboration with DCBA, it rolled out a few parking incentives: one free four-hour parking session for downtown shoppers; a 20 percent discount for downtown

employee monthly parking passes (in 10-hour lots); and free parking session coupons for business owners who promote the new parking app. And starting June 19, the DCBA launched a four-week Kiosk Concierge program, with helpers in bright-orange shirts roaming downtown during peak hours and assisting patrons and business owners with the new parking system.

Additionally, City Manager Sorensen lobbied the city council to amend the policy on card transaction fee requirements, which enabled him to address the 35 cent charge for those paying at the kiosk or app with a bank card. Now, those making a minimum one dollar transaction (the cost for one hour of parking), will have the fee waived. Another change that’s been made, according to Sorensen, is the addition of an undisclosed amount of buffer time to allow for payments to be made at kiosks on the app.

Whether these changes will be enough to remedy the situation with customers returning downtown remains to be seen.

“Short term, a lot of businesses have lost money already,” said Hughes. “Long term? I’m way more concerned [about] people who get out of the habit of coming downtown,” Hughes said. “People have to want to come downtown. They can sit at home and shop online. They can Door Dash their food. It has to be a positive experience.”

What’s happening inside all the corner spots?

The eight corners at Second and Broadway streets and Second and Main streets are arguably the most

high-profile commercial locations in downtown Chico, and five of them appear to have nothing going on and have been mostly boarded up for years. Is there anything planned for these desirable store fronts on the ground floors of five historic downtown buildings?

Yes, in varying stages. Inside one of the corners—at Second and Main, in the old Cyclesport location—work is almost done on the latest endeavor of Will Brady. He is in the process of selling his two main businesses—The Banshee and B Street—to his partners, and this fall he plans to open the doors to a bakery/ pizza place (with the working title of Bodega—though he says it will likely change) at the corner in question.

Brady says he’s also making plans to remodel/rename his midblock Bill’s Town Lounge place across the street, with the goal of making it less restaurant/more barlike inside. (“Maybe we should have a bar scene again?” he asked, rhetorically.) The new bar has a working name of “Black Dog,” a reference to the beautiful mural of

his own pets out front.

Three of the corners in question are owned by the one person, David Halimi, local commercial property investor, rodeo/concert promoter and owner of the iconic Diamond W. Western Wear, a downtown institution for 45 years.

For his latest efforts to get his prime corners occupied, Halimi has decided to get into the restaurant business himself. He’s started with the just-opened Meze Moon, a Mediterranean restaurant that he’s put in a mid-block space on East Second street (in the former location of the short-lived French-style bistro, Provencal).

His next project is underway at the Second and Main corner that used to house Peet’s Coffee, where he will be opening his own coffee shop. Upstairs in the same building, Halimi has re-started work on “very high end” lofts. “We need people to live in some of these unused second floors,” he said.

Halimi told the CN&R that his other two corners—the old Oya Mediterranean Grill/Pluto’s spot at Second & Main and the two-space first floor beneath Crush Italian res-

taurant at Second & Broadway— are currently housing place-holders. The former is a temporary woodworking studio of a friend of his and the latter is a storage spot for the DCBA.

After his coffee shop opens, Halimi’s next project is to open another restaurant with his Meza Moon partners in the big space underneath Crush. For the Pluto’s spot, he say “We’re looking hard to find a national tenant.”

And empty corner number five, the Second & Broadway spot most recently home to Beach Hut Deli? No concrete news yet, but word on the street is that it’s been leased by a quick-service restaurant. The CN&R will be keeping its ear to street corner.

What’s new?

Looking past the boarded-up high-profile spots throughout downtown, it might be surprising to see just how many new businesses have opened downtown: The Coin-Op Chico game room, Lili’s Brazilian Bistro, PB & Jimmy’s, Sofi’z Kitchen and Bar, Meze Moon Mediterranean restaurant, Momona Noodle & Bao (in a new, bigger location), Karaoke Television, Ikoda Collective, Men’s Underground clothing (below Urban Couture), Taco El Dorado, Hoff Dogs, Mas Vida Mexican food (in the Phoenix Building),

Add the two soon-to-open

Oshio Teriyaki (in a new brick-andmortar spot) and The Outlet (by Lulu’s).

Three of the four prime corner spaces at Second and Main streets in downtown Chico are currently vacant. If all goes according to owners’ plans, that will soon change.

PHOTO BY TINA FLYNN

Grayson Lobosky poses in front of some of the carnival games inside Coin Op Chico, the game room he opened in May in the space formerly occupied by longtime Chico nightclub/ restaurant LaSalles.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

One of the “Smart Meter Kiosks” installed downtown by the City of Chico earlier this year.

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Brady restaurants (the old-school bar in his former Bill’s Towne Lounge spot, and a bakery/pizza place at Second and Broadway); plus the fairly recent additions of Gnarly Deli, Winchester Goose, Alter Ego Costume and D’Emilios Deli & Bakery; as well as the relocated Sicilian Cafe and The Roost, the reopened Tin Roof Bakery & Cafe, and the soon to reopen Lost on Main nightclub, and the sting of losing Om on the Range, Jamba Juice, Zot’s Hot Dogs & Deli, Ellis Arts & Engineering, LaSalles, Lemonshark Poke, Kona’s, Beach Hut Deli and Magnolia’s downtown gift shop isn’t so harsh.

“I think downtown is coming back,” said Grayson Lobosky, fairly shouting over the clangs of basketball games behind him inside his new business, Coin Op Chico.

Lobosky grew up in Chico, attending Chico Junior and Chico High before leaving for 15 years, moving all over California and learning the restaurant and bar business along the way. Five years ago, he was lured back home to help La Salles re-open after an extensive remodel, after which he also helped open two more local businesses— Strong Water cocktail lounge and Burban Kitchen.

Before he started his own game room, Lobosky had tended bar at the Sacramento location of the small Coin Op chain (there are another three in the San Diego area). “First day I worked there I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this would do so great in Chico,’” he said.

When he agreed to partner on a Chico version of Coin Op, he initially got to work converting a 5,000 square foot warehouse at Ninth and Cherry Streets. However, he said, when La Salles owners Nick Andrew and Kevin Riley approached him about selling their business, he jumped at the chance to go downtown. The old La Salles space was opened up to accommodate a ton of games—

pinball machines, old-school and new-school arcade games, and large carnival-style machines like Skee-Ball—with the intention of bringing something fun downtown for kids and adults (21-over kicks in at 7 p.m. on weekends, and 9 p.m. on weekdays during the summer; and will start a little earlier when school is in session).

“I grew up on East Fifth street,” Lobosky said. “I rode my bike down[town] every day, and seeing the buildings start to fill up is awesome. It makes me happy.”

Are parklets coming back?

Short answer: No.

After COVID-19 restrictions were in place, restaurants all over the world were given wide latitude to make changes that could help them feed people and stay open. One of the most visible was the installation of temporary parklets to allow for socially distanced outdoor dining, often at establishments that had no patio options prepandemic.

In Chico, the parklets were formed by taking over a handful of parking spaces in front of an establishment and arranging a protective border with concrete K-rail barriers. The allowing of parklets—and the loosening of outdoor alcohol restrictions by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)—was a lifeline for places like Duffy’s Tavern, The Bear and The Banshee. And as early shelter-in-place restrictions were lifted, those who were jonesing for, and comfortable with, getting out with others were treated to an inviting, often energized downtown scene of outdoor dining and revelry.

At the end of 2022, as City of Chico’s Local Emergency Order for the pandemic was due to be rescinded, so to was the permission for the parklets. Roughly $300,000 of American Rescue Plan money was allo-

DOWNTOWN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

Momona restaurant has just moved from Third street to new digs on Main street.

PHOTO BY TINA FLYNN

“I have been a regular advertiser in CN&R for 10 years.”

It has been beneficial to the growth of my business. Many of my clients live in the greater Chico area. I always ask them how they heard about my business—Bruce Jenkins Insurance & Financial Services— and I am not surprised when they say they had a copy of CN&R. I highly endorse Chico News & Review and its local coverage, articles and advertisements.

BRUCE JENKINS BRUCE JENKINS INSURANCE & FINANCIAL SERVICES

cated to help businesses with the cost of constructing more attractive versions of the hastily assembled parklets.

However, as City Manager Sorensen told the CN&R, what killed any plans for incorporating street parklets into existing city code was the eventuality (in Feb. 2024) that the state’s department of ABC will lift its temporary allowance of serving alcohol to a detached patio (e.g., across a sidewalk and not connected to a building). That leaves restaurants and bars with the current contiguous options for patio additions (e.g., those attached to the outside of The Rawbar and Tres Hombres).

Could “downtown” really get a new name?

At a March 7 Chico City Council meeting, Councilman Van Overbeek made a request to agendize a discussion to “change references to Downtown Chico in Chico’s public documents and signage to Historic Downtown Chico.”

It’s one of many requests pertaining to downtown that Van Overbeek has brought to the council during his first six months on the dais. Others have included implementing diagonal parking on multiple downtown streets; creating pedestrian-only zones (he gives Third Street between Broadway and Main as one example); and posting monument signs on historic buildings.

“Downtown is a focus of mine,” he said during a recent telephone interview.

In his proposal, Van Overbeek said that Chico’s “unique personality” is largely due to having so many preserved historic buildings in the downtown area. “That creates a differentiation and also some interest,” he added.

Van Overbeek said that the decision on the name will have to be made by the downtown business owners, and DCBA President Scott said that he’ll respond to the City

Council with members’ official position by the end of July.

While Scott says he is in favor the change, ultimately it’s up to membership. “My most important goal as DCBA President is to rebuild the relationship with our shareholders.”

Many downtown business owners the CN&R has spoken to have expressed concerns, saying that a name change isn’t necessary and that adding “historic” could bring with it an “old-timey” connotation (see: Old Sacramento) that is out of touch with the college demographic that so many businesses depend on attracting into downtown each school year.

Hey, what happened to 7-Eleven?

One day the iconic downtown convenience store was there, the next day the Buffalo Chicken Rollers stopped rolling and the tiny speakers blasting classical music to the parking lot went silent.

The 7-Eleven at the corner of First and Main streets was a Chico staple for nearly four decades until late last year, when it was shuttered seemingly overnight. No one who the CN&R has spoken to knows for sure why it suddenly closed. Social media chatter circulating mentions that it was a corporate-, not franchisee-, owned location and employees there say they were told it wasn’t making enough money (emails from the CN&R to 7-Eleven were not returned).

Some have speculated that it was the lack of gasoline sales—apparently a vital part of the company’s business model —that doomed the convenience-store-only location. However, only one of the remaining three 7-Eleven’s in Chico has pumps, so who knows.

Whatever the reason, it’s the end of an era for sure. Let us pour out a Double Gulp in honor of the memories. Ω

Arts & Culture

JULY ONGOING

Galleries & Museums

1078 GALLERY: Ecology interrupted, two-person show featuring works by Zoey Farr and Delaney Cox. Reception: July 30, 6–9pm. Shows 7/7-7/30. 1710 Park Ave. 1078gallery.org

CHICO ART CENTER: New Work, the latest pieces from Nor Cal artists Reta Rickmers and Jamie Albertie. Reception: July 21, 5-7pm. Shows 7/98/13. Free. 450 Orange St. chicoartcenter.com.

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ART: Collage

Deconstruct/Reconstruct, group exhibition featuring original 2D and 3D collage works by more than 60 artists. Through 7/9. Next: Fantastic Scenes in the Galaxy, a solo exhibit featuring the poster art of Carolyn Ferris. Reception: July 14, 6-8pm. Shows 7/13-8/27. 900 Esplanade. monca.org

Markets

FARMERS MARKETS: Butte County’s markets are open and selling fresh produce and more.

Chico: Thursday Night Market (Thursdays, 6-9pm); Downtown (Saturdays, 7:30am-1pm); Meriam Park/Farmers Brewing (Sundays, 9am-noon); North Valley Plaza (Wednesdays, 8am-1pm); Chico State University Farm (Thursdays, noon-4 p.m.). Magalia: Magalia Community Center (Sundays, 10am). Paradise: Alliance Church (Tuesdays, 7:30am-2pm); “Farmers Market Mobile,” 1397 South Park Drive (Thursdays, 2pm).

Open Mics

CASINO COMEDY NIGHT: Live comedy every other Thursday at the Spirits Lounge in the casino. Thursdays, 8pm. Gold Country Casino & Hotel, 4020 Olive Highway, Oroville. goldcountrycasino.com

OPEN MIC AT THE DOWNLO: Hosted by Jeff Pershing. Sign up to perform two songs. All ages until 10pm. Fridays, 6:30pm. Free. The DownLo, 319 Main St.

OPEN MIC COMEDY: Open mic comedy night hosted by Dillon Collins. Wednesdays, 9pm. (Sign-ups 8pm.) Free. Studio Inn Lounge, 2582 Esplanade. (530) 520-0119.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT MULBERRY STATION: Sundays, 6pm. Mulberry Station Brewing Company, 175 E. 20th Street. 175 E. 20th St.

SECRET TRAIL OPEN MIC: Weekly event at the brewery. Wednesdays, 6pm. Secret Trail Brewing Company, 132 Meyers St., Ste. 120.

THU6 Theater

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: The Drama Society prepares to stage a murder-mystery, however, the set is not yet complete and there is no time to finish. The show must go on! Thu, 7/6, 7:30pm. $20-$22. Shows through July 9. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road, Ste. F. chicotheater.com

Music

JACKIE GREENE: Chico concerts brings local fave, Sacramento Americana/roots singer-songwriter Jackie Greene, back to the Women’s Club. Jackie’s brother, Alexander Nelson, opens and the two will perform together. Thu, 7/6, 7:30pm. $60 (tix available at eventbrite. com, and with no service charge at Pullins Cyclery and Music Connection—both locations prefer cash). Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St. chicoconcerts.net

JOEL MARTIN: Live music. Thu, 7/6, 6pm. Free. Allies Pub, 426 Broadway, Ste. 130.

FRI7

Special Events

FIRST FRIDAYS AT CAFE CODA: A monthly pop-up market out back on the patio, plus live music.

Live in July: Reach for the Sky, featuring members of Electric Circus, Swamp Zen and Low Flying Birds. Fri, 7/7, 6-10pm. Cafe Coda, 265 Humboldt Ave.

CHICO CONCERTS PRESENTS:

Jackie Greene (July 6) Albert Lee (July 7) Chico Women’s Club

BASSMINT CHICO: Longstanding bass-party producers bring the fun to the Goose. Sets by 3M, Billy Robot and Gnomad. Fri, 7/7, 8pm. $10. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

DUFFY’S HAPPY HOUR: The Pub Scouts bring traditional Irish music weekly to Duffy’s. Fri, 7/7, 5pm. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St. 530-343-7718.

FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERTS: Live music, beer garden, and activities for kids. On stage this week: the River Road Band. Fri, 7/7, 7pm. Free. Chico City Plaza, downtown Chico. downtownchico. com

LIVING KARAOKE BAND PRESENTS MACCA - A NIGHT WITH PAUL MCCARTNEY: Live local band pays tribute to Sir Paul. Fri, 7/7, 8:30pm. $10. Mulberry Station Brewing Co., 175 E. 20th St.

SILENT DISCO: Put on the headphones and get lost in your own personal dance party. Fri, 7/7, 8pm. $7. The Barn at Meriam Park, 1930 Market Place. meriampark.com

secrettrailbrewing.com

SLICE OF CHICO: Downtown retailers hold a summer sidewalk sale and pass out free watermelon slices at this longstanding community event. Sat, 7/8, 11am-3pm. Downtown Chico. downtownchico.com

Theater

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: See July 6. Sat, 7/8, 7:30pm. $20-$22. Shows through July 9. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road, Ste. F. chicotheater.com

Music

ARENA ROCK TRIBUTE: Tribute act Anthem covers arena rock faves in a program entitled, “Summer Nights ... and my Radio.” Sat, 7/8, 9pm. Tackle Box, 379 E. Park Ave. tackleboxchico.com

STANSBURY ICE CREAM SOCIAL: The annual fundraiser features ice cream with The Bidwells and a tour of the 140-year-old home. Sat, 7/8, 6-9pm. $3-$6. Stansbury Home, 307 W. Fifth St.

Theater

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: See July 6. Fri, 7/7, 7:30pm. $20-$22. Shows through July 9. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road, Ste. F. chicotheater.com

Music

ALBERT LEE: Chico Concerts presents one of the most respected and renowned guitarists in music history. Lee’s worked with everyone from the Everly Brothers to Eric Clapton. Fri, 7/7, 7pm. $35 (tix available at eventbrite.com, and with no service charge at Pullins Cyclery and Music Connection— both locations prefer cash). Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St. chicoconcerts.net.

SAT8

Special Events

COMEDY ON TAP CARLOS RODRIGUEZ: Sac comedian Carlos Rodriguez headlines a night of standup. Sat, 7/8, 7pm. $25 - $80. Secret Trail Brewing Company, 132 Meyers St., Ste. 120,

BOOKED BY MISTAKE, NOT THE SAME, FRIENDS ANONYMOUS AND ENTERNAMAHEREA: Live local music. Sat, 7/8, 7pm. $10. Naked Lounge, 118 W. Second St.

CONCERTS IN THE BREW PUB: This week: Neon Velvet (80s music). Sat, 7/8, 10pm. Free. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville.

COUNTESS, ROYAL OAKS, CLUB PSYCHIATRIST: Three bands, ten bucks. Sat, 7/8, 7pm. $10. Gnarly Deli, 243 W. Second St. gnarlydeli.square.site

GRANGER SMITH: American country music

IS YOUR EVENT ONLINE?

So is the CN&R calendar! Submit virtual and real-world events for the online calendar as well as the monthly print edition, at chico. newsreview.com/calendar

singer-songwriter Granger Smith (of “Backroad Song” fame) has amassed a rabid audience now known as “Yee Yee Nation.” Sat, 7/8, 8pm. $39-$59. Gold Country Casino & Hotel, 4020 Olive Highway, Oroville. goldcountrycasino.com

LANDLINE: Live indie rock. Sat, 7/8, 6pm. The Barn at Meriam Park, 1930 Market Place. meriampark.com

SIT PRETTY & PHANTOM FALLS: Noisy Portland indie-popsters Sit Pretty with locals Phantom Falls. Sat, 7/8, 8:30pm. $10. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

SUN9

Theater

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: See July 6. Sun, 7/9, 2pm. $20-$22. Shows through July 9. Chico Theater Company, 166 Eaton Road, Ste. F. chicotheater.com

MON10 Music

SEAN KINGSTON: The American-Jamaican singer/ rapper known for his hit “Beautiful Girls” comes to The Box. Mon, 7/10, 9pm. $30. Tackle Box, 379 E. Park Ave. tackleboxchico.com

TUE11

Special Events

DOG SOCIAL AT THE BARN: Trailblazer Pet Supply and The Barn present a social for well-behaved dogs and humans. Tue, 7/11, 6pm. Free. The Barn at Meriam Park, 1930 Market Place. meriampark.com

Music

DINNER WITH THE DIVAS: Weekly night of live music featuring female musicians from our community. Tue, 7/11, 6pm. Free. Mulberry Station Brewing Company, 175 E. 20th Street.

JAZZ NIGHT: Live music. Tue, 7/11, 7-9pm. Free. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

KANAKOA: Powered by ukes and exotic rhythms, this quartet plays Hawaiian roots with jam band energy, earning them the nickname of The Hawaiian Grateful Dead. Tue, 7/11, 7pm. $20-$27 (tix at eventbrite.com, and with at Pullins Cyclery and Music Connection— both locations prefer cash). Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St. chicoconcerts.net

FRI14

Music

THE CHEMICALS, SUNNY ACRES, RONI JEAN: All local indie rock. Fri, 7/14, 8:30pm. $10. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

DUFFY’S HAPPY HOUR: The Pub Scouts bring traditional Irish music weekly to Duffy’s. Fri, 7/14, 5pm. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St. 530-343-7718.

FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERTS: Live music, beer garden, and activities for kids. Yhis week: the best 90s rock with Radio Relapse. Fri, 7/14, 7pm. Free.

Chico City Plaza.

OLD SPICE TRIO: A blend of 1950s and ’60s rock, country, blues and folk. Fri, 7/14, 7pm. Free. Mulberry Station, 175 E. 20th St.

SAT15

Music

CONCERTS IN THE BREW PUB: This week: Classic Rock Rebels. Sat, 7/15, 10pm. Free. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive.

HAYSTACK & CHRIS TAYLOR: Tennessee rapper Haystack visits The Box. Chris Taylor opens. Sat, 7/15, 9pm. $25-$30. Tackle Box, 379 E. Park Ave. tackleboxchico.com

PURITY, PHANTOM FALLS, DISCONLOCUS, ELYSIUM: Mini-fest of young, local bands. Sat, 7/15, 7pm. Blue Room Theatre, 1005 W. First St.

WATASHI WA & SURROGATE: SLO rockers

Watashi Wa (Tooth & Nail) are back. Local indie-rock superstuds Surrogate share the bill. Sat, 7/15, 8:30pm. $10. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

TUE18 Music

DINNER WITH THE DIVAS: Weekly night of live

music featuring female musicians from our community. Tue, 7/18, 6pm. Free. Mulberry Station Brewing Company, 175 E. 20th Street. 175 E. 20th Street.

FINAL GASP, CRYO, KNIFES, THE TIGHTYS: Death rock/punk hardcore crew from Boston stopping in Chico to bang heads with Cryo (death rock), Knifes (noise punk) and The Tightys (hard rawk). Tue, 7/18, 7pm. $10. Naked Lounge, 118 W. Second St.

WED19 Music

ROB FORD EXPLORER & HIT ME HAROLD: Reno math wizards (Rob Ford Explorer) and SF indie crew (Hit Me Harold) are joined by locals LDF. Wed, 7/19, 8:30pm. $10. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

THU20

Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: A high-energy dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres and 1990s pop culture that honors the geek and warrior within us all. Thu, 7/20, 7:30pm. $18. Shows through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

FANTASTIC SCENES IN THE GALAXY

Music

CALVIN BLACK & SCOUT: Redding MC/singer joins Chico singer/songwriter/beatmaker Scout. Thu, 7/20, 8:30pm. $10. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

LANGDON KENNEDY: Live music. Thu, 7/20, 6pm. Mulberry Station Brewing Co., 175 E. 20th St..

FRI21

Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: See July 20. Fri, 7/21, 7:30pm. $18. Through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

Music

DRIVER: Live rock covers. Fri, 7/21, 9pm. $5. Tackle Box, 379 E. Park Ave. tackleboxchico.com

DUFFY’S HAPPY HOUR: The Pub Scouts bring traditional Irish music weekly to Duffy’s. Fri, 7/21, 5pm. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St. 530-343-7718.

FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERTS: Live music, beer garden, and activities for kids. On stage this week: island rock with Brittany & The Blisstones. Fri, 7/21, 7pm. Free. Chico City Plaza, downtown Chico. downtownchico.com

SAT22 Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: See July 20. Sat, 7/22, 7:30pm. $18. Shows through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

Music

CONCERTS IN THE BREW PUB: This week: Damage Inc. (Metallica tribute). Sat, 7/22, 10pm. Free. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville.

MCBRIDE TRIO: Live music. Sat, 7/22, 1pm. Free. Allies Pub, 426 Broadway, Ste. 130.

SLICE OF CHICO

July 8 Downtown Chico

SUN23

Special Events

OFF CAMPUS COMEDY: Laugh along with visiting headliners and featured local comedians. Hosted by Jesssy Jaymes. Fourth Sunday of every month. Sun, 7/23, 7pm. $15. Blue Room Theatre, 1005 W. First St. eventbrite.com

Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: See July 20. Sun, 7/23, 2pm. $18. Shows through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

THU27 Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: See July 20. Thu, 7/27, 7:30pm. $18. Through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

Music

BIG MO & THE FULL MOON BAND: Butte County’s favorite blues rocker is back on the Big Room Stage with his big band. Thu, 7/27, 7pm. $25$30. Sierra Nevada Big Room, 1075 E. 20th St. sierranevada.com

FRI28

Special Events

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: It’s raining Aussie men. Two nights, two shows. Fri, 7/28, 8pm. $25-$300. Gold Country Casino & Hotel, 4020 Olive Highway, Oroville. gold countrycasino.com

SHE KILLS MONSTERS

and his own Cali-reggae blend. El Dub opens. Sat, 7/29, 9pm. $15-$20. Tackle Box, 379 E. Park Ave. tackleboxchico.com

ROGER JAEGER: Live music. Sat, 7/29, 1pm. Free. Allies Pub, 426 Broadway, Ste. 130.

SUN30

Special Events

PUPPY PAGEANT: Puppies, judges, drinks. Check with bar for details. Sat, 7/30, 1pm. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: See July 20. Sun, 7/30, 2pm. $18. Shows through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

Music

LUDACRIS: The Atlanta rapper performs in Corning! Joining the show will be his fellow Fast and Furious alumnus, Ja Rule. Sun, 7/30, 8pm. $55-$130. Rolling Hills Casino, 2655 Everett Freeman Way, Corning. rollinghillscasino.com

Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: See July 20. Fri, 7/28, 7:30pm. $18. Through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

Music

DUFFY’S HAPPY HOUR: The Pub Scouts bring traditional Irish music weekly to Duffy’s. Fri, 7/28, 5pm. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St. 530-343-7718.

FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERTS: Live music, beer garden, and activities for kids. On stage this week: man of many musical hats, Thunder Lump. Fri, 7/28, 7pm. Free. Chico City Plaza, downtown Chico. downtownchico.com

PAT HULL & KIRK WILLIAMS: Couple of badass local singer-songwriters take the stage. Fri, 7/28, 8:30pm. $10. Winchester Goose, 824 Oroville Ave.

SAT29

Special Events

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: It’s raining Aussie men. Two nights, two shows. Sat, 7/29, 8pm. $25-$300. Gold Country Casino & Hotel, 4020 Olive Highway, Oroville. goldcountrycasino.com

Theater

SHE KILLS MONSTERS: See July 20. Sat, 7/29, 7:30pm. $18. Shows through July 30. Theatre on the Ridge, 3735 Neal Road, Paradise. totr.org

Music

CONCERTS IN THE BREW PUB: This week: Nirvana Mania (Nirvana tribute). Sat, 7/29, 10pm. Free. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville.

CUT-RATE DRUGGIST, TITE NAUTS: Oakland duo joins Chico hellraisers for summer

partyin’. Plus, Discon Locus. Sat, 7/29, 7pm. $10. Naked Lounge, 118 W. Second St..

FORGIVEN: Live music during dinner on the patio. Sat, 7/29, 5pm. Free. Rock House Dining & Espresso, 11865 State Hiwy 70.

KYLE SMITH: Ventura singer-songwriter Kyle Smith brings together ska, hip-hop, punk

WED2 Music

CHICANO BATMAN: The Los Angeles based psych-soul quartet, will be joined by Cola Boyy in the Big Room. Wed, 8/2, 7pm. $36-$40. Sierra Nevada Big Room, 1075 E. 20th St. sierranevada.com

BIG ROOM IS BACK

More than three years since the COVID pandemic stopped the music at the Sierra Nevada Big Room, Chico’s premier concert venue is once again hosting shows. A couple have already quietly come and gone (comedy with Myq Kaplan, music with Paul Thorn), and in the coming month a couple more are on the calendar, starting with Chico blues-rock faves, Big Mo & The Full Moon Band on July 27. The following week, on Aug. 2, Los Angeles based psych-soul crew Chicano Batman (pictured) will likely pack the dance floor with their funky groove.

caused alien brains to blow up in Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks!) Anderson stalwart Alexandre Desplat supplies the original but rather bland score.

This all results in dull passages with the likes of Schwartzman (looking a little like Stanley Kubrick) and Johansson (doing her best Liz Taylor) doing dry, emotionless deliveries of sparse dialogue— with no music to liven things up. It grates on the nerves.

There are a couple of sequences, like the aforementioned alien visit and a goofy musical hoedown number courtesy of Jarvis Cocker, that pop with vintage Anderson goodness. But most of the film just drones on and on.

Self-parody?

Wes Anderson wastes a great cast in the surprisingly dull Asteroid City

With Asteroid City, writer-director Wes Anderson continues to show he’s lost his way after his first misfire, 2021’s The French Dispatch. He’s suddenly become a boring director of two flat films in a row.

by Bob Grimm

Until Dispatch, all of his films had a stylized sense of adventure, and were full of life and emotional sweetness. They were all undeniably good. In contrast, his latest two are uncharacteristically flat offerings from a normally zestful guy. I was bored to death while watching this one.

A lot of Anderson’s films have been presented almost as if they were plays, with title cards announcing scenes, and tableautype shots with characters breaking the fourth wall. His directorial signature is a kind of cute, intentional staginess—but Asteroid City

takes things a step further. A Rod Serling-type narrator (played by Bryan Cranston) announces that we are about to see a play called Asteroid City. He introduces the cast, and the backstage setting looks like an old 1950s TV show. We then see the play as a Wes Anderson-type movie, with overstylized, cartoonish sets; lots of sweep cuts; and title cards.

We also get glimpses behind the scenes of the play with its creators (played by Edward Norton and Adrien Brody) communicating with the performers and crew. It’s another portal into the filmmaking style of Anderson.

Yeah, OK. Whatever. It’s too much. At this point, it’s almost as if he is parodying himself.

The play presented onscreen looks like the Cars ride at Disneyland, set somewhere in the Nevada desert, with the occasional poofy atomic-test cloud sprouting

up. Visually, the movie is actually quite interesting, but the “play” gimmick grows tired and slows the action down. Just make a movie, Wes!

There’s a willing cast presenting Asteroid City, including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Maya Hawke, Matt Dillon and many others. There’s no Bill Murray this time out; Steve Carell replaced him when he got COVID-19.

The story has something to do with a bunch of young scientists

gathering for a convention in the desert at the time when atomic tests were first being fired off. They, and their parents, witness an alien visit (the best sequence in the movie) … and not much else happens.

There are long stretches of the film that feature no soundtrack music and, quite noticeably, no period pop and rock songs, which Anderson has used quite effectively in the past. (Oddly enough, however, you can hear some Slim Whitman, the artist whose music

This a slight improvement over The French Dispatch, which was a collection of stories that lacked any real focus or reason for existing. Asteroid City feels like it could’ve been something relevant had Anderson provided his cast with more words and a livelier environment. His last live-action triumph, The Grand Budapest Hotel, was the ultimate coming together of his visual mastery and fun storytelling. Now? Well, it’s like he’s just trying to show off his style.

Maybe Quentin Tarantino is right, and some directors should just stop at 10 movies. (Tarantino says he’s going to call it quits after his next film, his tenth.) Asteroid City is Anderson’s 11th, and it’s his second gutter ball in a row.

Considering his amazing career—one that includes masterpieces like Rushmore, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (and brilliant stop-motion films like Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs)—Anderson deserves a pass for making some duds. He’s already distinguished himself as one of the all-time greats. But with he’s found himself caught in some sort of dull rut as of late. I’ll continue to watch his efforts, and I suspect he will create his way out of it—but I won’t be re-watching this boring exercise in futility again anytime soon.

Scarlett Johansson plays actress Midge Campbell in Asteroid City

Meet me at the art bar

repeat whenever the artist feels stuck.

“You make this thing that you don’t plan ahead, and once that’s there, your brain opens up,” she said. “Letting your brain work through drawing can help open it up to the creative process: thinking, looking and doing. And it doesn’t always happen in that order.”

Since Drink and Draw Chico launched in January, about 200 people have attended, with an average of 40 artists at each event, Flynn shared. Meetups are held every first Tuesday of the month at the Winchester Goose (824 Oroville Ave.) 4-8 p.m., with guest presentations/group activities taking place 4:30-5:30 p.m.

ranging topics. Lori Escobar, who spoke at the first event in January, shared tips and tricks for doing art on the go in unconventional places. For example, Escobar used watercolor crayons and a brush while traveling through Europe to create oneof-a-kind postcards to send home. Another presenter, Meadow, spoke in May about how to preserve and respect nature through art. They create jewelry featuring natural materials, including pearls and bones.

Flynn hopes to host more Drink and Draw Chico events at other locales, such as coffee shops and local parks, to include artists under 21. She is applying for grants, seeking funding and accepting donations in order to expand her programming.

Julia Flynn started drawing and painting in public about a year ago. She’d go to local coffee shops and settle in, spreading out her supplies.

At first, it was a bit nervewracking. Flynn was terrified that people would judge her, she said. But she was driven to try something new. “It’s really hard for me to work in solitude alone, because I get distracted,” she said.

Flynn recalled a moment when she heard some folks whispering nearby while she was working. Later, they came up to her and confessed, “We’ve spent this whole time watching you paint and it was so relaxing to us.”

Touched by this moment, Flynn was encouraged to keep creating in public. Sure enough, she continued to receive warm responses from others.

It was these experiences, along with her time spent at previous communal art events, that led her to organize Drink and Draw Chico, a free monthly gathering for artists of all abilities to create together and learn from other local artists.

“It was just such a good exercise for me to do art in public, and I wanted to give that to other people, too,” she said. “It gives people a chance to share ideas, share what they’re working on and connect with their community.”

At the June Drink and Draw meetup, hosted by the Winchester Goose bar and grill, artists chatted, sipped cocktails and worked on different projects. One woman used her finger as a brush, spreading bright hues across a page. Another person sketched a beetle in a spiralbound notebook. One artist worked on a painting of a beautiful woman surrounded by roses. Another brought along a Chill the F*ck Out coloring book.

That day, participants were joined by Jess Cross, an art educator, realist painter and print maker, who provided guidance on how to combat artist’s block. She led everyone in an exercise to create their

own “Picasso dog.” They drew one body part at a time, rotating the page after each was completed to gain new perspectives. The result was an amusing variety of colorful creatures and abstract faces. The artists then roamed around to admire each other’s work, marveling at the differences in styles, colors and visions.

Exercises like these can “jump start” an artist when they are struggling to begin creating, Cross said, adding that they can be useful to

The Winchester Goose held similar events years ago at their former location, which Flynn attended. Owner Rob Rasner and she were chatting one day and expressed a desire to bring them back. Flynn volunteered to facilitate, and knew she wanted to go “all out,” she said, adding an educational component by inviting artists to give brief presentations, demonstrations and talks.

Artists specializing in a variety of mediums have presented on wide-

It’s important to her to keep events free to welcome artists of varying financial means and skill sets, she said, from “napkin doodlers to professionals.” Folks are just asked to bring their own art supplies.

Rod and Mimi Gray have attended every Drink and Draw Chico event. It’s a special date on their calendar that they never miss, they said.

“We have such a great time,” Mimi said. “It’s so fun, it’s so relaxed. Julia’s great. We meet new, interesting people every time.”

During the June meet up, Rod worked on his drawing of an owl, while Mimi used pencil and soft pastels in vivid blues and oranges to create a scene depicting a scrub jay in flight.

“It’s really a gathering of people doing whatever they want to do and creating community,” Mimi said. “Creating art can be so insular, so it can be so nice to see what other people are doing.”

Rod added: “I spend so much time in my shop. Sometimes the dog visits, gets bored and leaves. It’s nice to come out and talk to people and feel the vibe of everybody creating art.”

Indeed, Flynn said the most rewarding part of the experience is being able to witness artists making meaningful connections.

“I think that people have felt seen as artists,” she said. “People will message me and say, ‘Nobody has ever called me an artist before. Thanks for appreciating my art.’”

Chico invites artists of all abilities to gather, create

Lizzie Eickmeyer, a linocut and ceramic artist, and Valeria Cisneros (right), a graphic designer, say that they enjoy Drink and Draw Chico’s fun, low-pressure atmosphere.

Local artist and art educator Jess Cross provides guidance on how to combat artist’s block at a Drink and Draw Chico event at the Winchester Goose in June.

locally.”

This made the Chico News & Review the right choice as one of our partners to deliver our message to the entire community. The staff is always prompt when reaching out and answering all our questions. We think it is great having a printed, physical issue of CN&R, along with the digital copy that can be found on their website, allowing for a broader reach.

The partnership between Heel & Sole Shoes and the CN&R has been vital in our marketing strategy to continue to be Chico’s Best Shoe Store.

“

As a local business ourselves, we knew we wanted to advertise

We need your support

Help us continue reporting on important issues

The Chico News & Review wants to ensure that our team of dedicated journalists can continue working through one of the worst economic and health crises of the past century. With your recurring or one-time contribution, the CN&R can continue our award-winning coverage on the topics that impact the residents of Butte County, including COVID-19, the arts, homelessness, the fight for equality, and wildfire recovery and prevention.

You can make a donation

Online at: chico.newsreview.com/support

Or mail a check to: Chico News & Review P.O. Box 56, Chico, CA 95927

(Please include return address and email, and do not send cash.)

Thank you from your local, alternative newsroom.

Independent local journalism, since 1977. Now more than ever.

CHOW

green beans, papaya and a dressing made from lime, fish sauce and sugar. It was “refreshing,” as Vang promised and an incredible mix of rich and varied flavors. The couple said the Lao style is stronger and more flavorful, and made with more heavily fermented meats and sauces.

kens@ newsreview.com

PB & Jimmy’s

To cope with the isolation and existential dread wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Youa Vang—like many other people—turned to baking. She was already an accomplished, selftaught baker and the go-to person for birthday cakes and other homemade sweets for family celebrations, but the world-wide crisis spurred her to hone in on a few hard-to-master delicacies; namely, Japanese milk bread and French pastries.

119 W. Second St. (209) 349-2241 pbandjimmys.com

Hours: Wed., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Thurs. & Fri., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 5-9 p.m.; Sat., 11am-2pm

Meanwhile, the pandemic wreaked havoc on her husband Jimmy Lee’s thenlatest culinary enterprise Lucky Poke. Lee is the chef at the couple’s other restaurant, Aonami Sustainable Sushi, and he opened the downtown poke bar across the street in 2019 to rave reviews, but the newer establishment was shuttered due to COVID-era lockdowns.

Lee held on to the Second Street storefront with the intention of using the space to open a new eatery focused on Japanese-style sandwiches. “I was taking forever to do it, and then she took over and cleaned up the whole place and put together a menu, and it

P� for lunch

Japanese milk bread, instant noodles and authentic Southeast Asian specialties at new downtown eatery

was going to be all Hmong food. But she’d perfected the bread so we wanted to add the strawberry and cream sandwiches, which aren’t Hmong at all.”

The pair’s separate visions coalesced and expanded into PB and Jimmy’s (the name is a play on “Jimmy’s Plan B,” alluding to Lucky Poke’s unfortunate end), which opened in April. The permanent menu is primarily based on Vang’s Southeast Asian recipes— including Thai, Hmong, Lao and other dishes—while Lee’s Japanese sandwiches appear as weekly specials. It also hosts a build-your-own-bowl of ramen bar, featuring various flavors and brands of packaged noodles, along with other snackables like shrimp chips and corn snacks.

Since its opening, the restaurant has maintained uneven hours, doing business on select weekdays for lunch, and even more rarely for

dinner service. (See column note for the latest info.) Regardless of the irregularity, and with only word-of-mouth advertising, the eatery— and especially the spicy katsu sandwiches, in pork and chicken varieties—has become something of a sensation, with Chico foodies posting raves and delectable-looking pictures to social media when they’re doubly lucky to find the restaurant open and before the specials sell out.

My companion and I were thus blessed one June Friday around noon. To make the most of it, we ordered a little bit of everything to share: a chicken katsu sammie ($10), a Thai-style papaya salad ($12), a half-order of pork belly and rice ($8), and a sweet strawberry cream sandwich ($6).

The papaya salad comes Thai or Lao style, and can be made to order for less adventurous diners. We tried it with everything included: noodles, pickled fermented pork, shrimp, Vietnamese ham, tomatoes,

The pork belly was crispy and also delicious, and the pepper sauce it was served with was among the spiciest and tastiest dressings I’ve ever had (it’s begging to be bottled and sold). The owners say it’s a Hmong staple made with fish sauce, limes, green onion, cilantro, garlic, and Thai chilies fresh from Lee’s mom’s garden. Vang said their home-brewed variety is a favorite among their Hmong regulars, and others have also suggested packaging it for takehome use.

“It’s very common in our culture, pretty much everyone makes their own homemade version,” Vang said. “A lot of customers say we’ve nailed it. … It’s all about the ratios and portions of the ingredients.”

And, oh, that katsu chicken sandwich … It’s worthy of the hype. The soft and yummy milk bread is all it’s cracked up to be, the meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned and covered in a delightfully crispy, fiery outer shell. The heaping helping of cabbage helped mellow out the spiciness, at least until I was done chewing. Then the afterburn, fueled by multiple accelerants, really kicked in. I’d dove in head first while my companion merely sampled some spicy bites, but by that point we were both openly weeping from the heat.

For this reason, the strawberry cream sandwich—made with fresh strawberries, thick whipped cream and more milk bread— is an essential part of the meal. Not only was it tasty, but the cooling effect was much appreciated. It’s kind of like strawberry shortcake served sandwich style, though the bread isn’t nearly as sweet as angel food cake.

The menu also features more exotic fare like deep-fried chicken gizzards and chicken feet, which I may try out on future visits. But really, I just cant wait to get my hands wrapped around another katsu sandwich. Vang said she plans to add more French-style baked delights in the near future, which is yet another reason to revisit this excellent addition to the downtown dining scene.

Check their website and Facebook page for the latest updates, and if you happen to see it open, don’t miss the opportunity to try a taste.

story and photos by Ken Smith

The Pork Katsu Sando on Japanese milk bread.

PB & Jimmy’s owners, wife and husband Youa Vang and Jimmy Lee.

ARTS DEVO

by JASON CASSIDY • jasonc@newsreview.com

MUSIC CENTRAL

As the CN&R asks the question, “What’s up with downtown?” in this issue, Arts DEVO is pleased to report that the music scene in the city’s core is looking pretty good these days. We did suffer the huge loss of Om on the Range and its lively, eclectic calendar at the end of 2022; however, as Chico fades into a long summer, I’m looking forward to once again sweating alongside friends during rock shows at what look to be busy downtown haunts—Naked Lounge, Duffy’s Tavern, Gnarly Deli, Argus Bar + Patio.

The Winchester Goose has also solidified its place in the downtown scene, with a full calendar of local and visiting acts thanks to booker and longtime Chico rocker Aubrey Debauchery. On my radar this month at the Goose is the July 19 triplebill with Reno’s mathy Rob Ford Explorer duo, SF indie crew Hit Me Harold and locals LDF

And this just in: Lost on Main is reopening! Closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chico club known for hosting touring, festival-ready dance bands is putting on its first live party in more than three years. Portland’s Scott Pemberton will christen the newly remodeled club on Sept. 16.

Most pleasantly surprising of all downtown? This year’s Friday Night Concert calendar looks fun! The Downtown Chico Business Association has wisely handed over the planning reins to the very locally engaged folks at Kai Music and Arts, and the result for their first year on the job is a very impressive and eclectic roster for the weekly concerts under the City Plaza band shell. Singer/songwriter Pat Hull opened for the kick off last month, and upcoming shows include man-of-many-musical-hats ThunderLump (July 28); face-melting rock with Tite Naughts and The Chemicals (Aug. 18); and XDS (experimental disco punk) and Sunny Acres (indie-rock fun) on Oct. 6. The concert series runs through Oct. 13. Visit downtownchico.com for info.

BLUE

PEACE

BOOK Though it’s an obvious exaggeration to say that almost everyone in our little town knew, or at least knew of, the Rev. Junkyard Moondog, to those of us in the arts community—and to his university colleagues—he was ubiquitous. Skinny, long-haired, tiedyed outdoor-concert twirler. Poet. Author. Actor. Activist. Bicyclist. Recyclist. Buddhist. Pacifist. Paddler. Deadhead. River rat. Cat lover. Weed smoker. Seahawks and 49ers fan. Supporter of every endangered blue whale, black rhino, brown pelican, orange roughy, golden eagle, old-growth redwood and every hungry child and abandoned dog and cat on the planet.

That right reverend of partying and peace—Rev. Junkyard Moondog, aka Jim Dwyer—is the main subject of Rock my Soul, the latest book by longtime Chico author, musician, English instructor, frequent CN&R contributor and friend of mine, Stephen Metzger. After Moondog’s death in 2015, Metzger bought his tiny blue home in the Avenues (with its unmistakable peace sign that remains on the roof), then restored and christened it the Blue Peace House. Alongside that process, Metzger researched and wrote this book which acts as a posthumous biography of one of this town’s favorite characters, as well a semi-memoir for the author and semi-history of Chico.

I’m just starting to dig in (having mostly skipped around to sample different sections right before my deadline), but as Metzger weaves funny and sad Moondog anecdotes (provided by family and Chico friends, including this columnist) into snapshots of his own life and the history of this area (from the filming of Robin Hood in Bidwell Park to Woody Guthrie’s local summer), he paints a colorful picture of this quirky little town.

The book goes for $19.95 and can be purchased locally at The Bookstore and Made in Chico, as well as via the big online booksellers.

Rock My Soul: A Poet’s Heart, a Brokedown Palace, and a Final Fare-Thee-Well

Lost on Main reopens, with Scott Pemberton, Sept. 16!

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

For

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Genius physicist Albert Einstein said, «The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from new angles, requires creative imagination and makes real advances.”

What he said here applies to our personal dilemmas, too. When we figure out the right questions to ask, we are more than halfway toward a clear resolution. This is always true, of course, but it will be an especially crucial principle for you in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.” So said Taurus biologist and anthropologist Thomas Huxley (1825-1895). I don’t think you will have to be quite so forceful as that in the coming weeks. But I hope you’re willing to further your education by rebelling against what you already know. And I hope you will be boisterously skeptical about conventional wisdom and trendy ideas. Have fun cultivating a feisty approach to learning! The more time you spend exploring beyond the borders of your familiar world, the better.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Hooray and hallelujah! You’ve been experimenting with the perks of being pragmatic and well-grounded. You have been extra intent on translating your ideals into effective actions. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you so dedicated to enjoying the simple pleasures. I love that you’re investigating the wonders of being as downto-earth as you dare. Congratulations! Keep doing this honorable work.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I wrote my horoscope column for over ten years before it began to get widely syndicated. What changed? I became a better writer and oracle, for one thing. My tenacity was inexhaustible. I was always striving to improve my craft, even when the rewards were meager. Another important factor in my eventual success was my persistence in marketing. I did a lot of hard work to ensure the right publications knew about me. I suspect, fellow Cancerian, that 2024 is likely to bring you a comparable breakthrough in a labor of love you have been cultivating for a long time. And the coming months of 2023 will be key in setting the stage for that breakthrough.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Maybe you wished you cared more deeply about a certain situation. Your lack of empathy and passion may feel like a hole in your soul. If so, I have good news. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to find the missing power; to tap into the warm, wet feelings that could motivate your quest for greater connection. Here›s a good way to begin the process: Forget everything you think you know about the situation with which you want more engagement. Arrive at an empty, still point that enables you to observe the situation as if you were seeing it for the first time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are in an astrological phase when you’ll be wise to wrangle with puzzles and enigmas. Whether or not you come up with crisp solutions isn’t as crucial as your earnest efforts to limber up your mind. For best results, don’t worry and sweat about it; have fun! Now I’ll provide a sample riddle to get you in the mood. It’s adapted from a text by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace. You are standing before two identical closed doors, one leading to grime and confusion, the other to revelation and joy. Before the doors stand two figures: an angel who always tells the truth and a demon who always lies. But they look alike, and you may ask only one question to help you choose what door to take. What do you do?

(Possible answer: Ask either character what the other would say if you asked which door to take, then open the opposite door.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I found a study that concluded just 6.1. percent of online horoscopes provide legitimate predictions

about the future. Furthermore, the research indicated, 62.3 percent of them consist of bland, generic pabulum of no value to the recipient. I disagree with these assessments.

Chani Nicholas, Michael Lutin, Susan Miller, and Jessica Shepherd are a few of many regular horoscope writers whose work I find interesting. My own astrological oracles are useful, too. And by the way, how can anyone have the hubris to decide which horoscopes are helpful and which are not? This thing we do is a highly subjective art, not an objective science. In the spirit of my comments here, Libra, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to declare your independence from so-called experts and authorities who tell you they know what’s valid and worthwhile for you. Here’s your motto: “I’m the authoritative boss of my own truth.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is it a fact that our bodies are made of stardust? Absolutely true, says planetary scientist Dr. Ashley King. Nearly all the elements comprising our flesh, nerves, bones, and blood were originally forged in at least one star, maybe more. Some of the stuff we are made of lived a very long time in a star that eventually exploded: a supernova. Here’s another amazing revelation about you: You are composed of atoms that have existed for almost 14 billion years. I bring these startling realities to your attention, Scorpio, in honor of the most expansive phase of your astrological cycle. You have a mandate to deepen and broaden and enlarge your understanding of who you are and where you came from.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I foresee that August will be a time of experiments and explorations. Life will be in a generous mood toward you, tempting and teasing you with opportunities from beyond your circle of expectations. But let›s not get carried away until it makes cosmic sense to get carried away. I don›t want to urge you to embrace wild hope prematurely. Between now and the end of July, I advise you to enjoy sensible gambles and measured adventures. It›s OK to go deep and be rigorous, but save the full intensity for later.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Is there a crucial half-conscious question lurking in the underside of your mind? A smoldering doubt or muffled perplexity that’s important for you to address? I suspect there is. Now it’s time to coax it up to the surface of your awareness so you may deal with it forthrightly. You must not let it smolder there in its hiding place. Here’s the good news, Capricorn: If you bring the dilemma or confusion or worry into the full light of your consciousness, it will ultimately lead you to unexpected treasure. Be brave!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Larry McMurtry’s novel Duane’s Depressed, the life of the main character has come to a standstill. He no longer enjoys his job. The fates of his kids are too complicated for him to know how to respond. He has a lot of feelings but has little skill in expressing them. At a loss about how to change his circumstances, he takes a small and basic step: He stops driving his pickup truck and instead walks everywhere he needs to go. Your current stasis is nowhere near as dire as Duane’s, Aquarius. But I do recommend you consider his approach to initiating transformation: Start small and basic.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author K. V. Patel writes, “As children, we laugh fully with the whole body. We laugh with everything we have.” In the coming weeks, Pisces, I would love for you to regularly indulge in just that: total delight and release. Furthermore, I predict you will be more able than usual to summon uproarious life-affirming amusement from the depths of your enchanted soul. Further furthermore, I believe you will have more reasons than ever before to throw your head back and unleash your entire self in rippling bursts of healing hysterical hilarity. To get started, practice chuckling, giggling, and chortling for one minute right now.