20191212 100127 by news_review

CHICO’S FREE NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY VOLUME 43, ISSUE 16 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2019 WWW.NEWSREVIEW.COM

Witness to the

catastrophe Six journalists share their experiences covering the state’s deadliest wildfire PAGE 16

CUFFED FOR SLEEPING

LAND REGENERATED

RIP SAL CASA

FOR DENTURES WITH EXTRACTIONS ONLY

CN&R

D ec em b er 1 2, 20 1 9

CN&R

INSIDE

Vol. 43, Issue 16 • December 12, 2019 OPINION

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Guest Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Second & Flume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 This Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Streetalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

NEWSLINES

Downstroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

HEALTHLINES

Appointment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Weekly Dose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

GREENWAYS

Eco Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS

15 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

COVER STORY

ARTS & CULTURE

Arts feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 This Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fine Arts listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Reel World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Arts DEVO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Brezsny’s Astrology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

REAL ESTATE

CLASSIFIEDS

ON THE COVER: MANIPULATED DIGITAL PHOTO “CATACYLSM” (2018), BY MICHAEL CARR

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 Melissa Daugherty Managing Editor Meredith J. Cooper Arts Editor Jason Cassidy Staff Writers Andre Byik, Ashiah Scharaga Calendar Editor Neesa Sonoquie Contributors Robin Bacior, Alastair Bland, Michelle Camy, Vic Cantu, Josh Cozine, Nate Daly, Charles Finlay, Bob Grimm, Juan-Carlos Selznick, Ken Smith, Robert Speer, Wendy Stewart, Evan Tuchinsky, Carey Wilson Managing Art Director Tina Flynn Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard-Arthur Ad Designers Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold Publications Designers Katelynn Mitrano, Nikki Exerjian Director of Sales and Advertising Jamie DeGarmo Advertising Services Coordinator Ruth Alderson Senior Advertising Consultant Brian Corbit Advertising Consultants Adam Lew, Jordon Vernau Office Assistant Jennifer Osa Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Matt Daugherty Distribution Staff Ken Gates, Vickie Haselton, Jennifer Jenkins, Bob Meads, Larry Smith, Courtney Tilton, Placido Torres, Bill Unger, Richard Utter, Jim Williams, David Wyles

President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Nuts & Bolts Ninja Norma Huerta Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins N&R Publications Editor Debbie Arrington N&R Publications Associate Editor Derek McDow N&R Publications Writers Allen Pierleoni, Thea Rood, Anne Stokes N&R Publications Editorial Assistant Nisa Smith Marketing & Publications Lead Consultant Elizabeth Morabito Marketing & Publications Consultants Julia Ballantyne, Greta Beekhuis, Chris Cohen, Joseph Engle, Laura Golino, Sherri Heller, Rod Malloy, Celeste Worden Art of Information Director Serene Lusano 353 E. Second St., Chico, CA 95928 Phone (530) 894-2300 Fax (530) 892-1111 Website newsreview.com Got a News Tip? (530) 894-2300, ext 2224 or chiconewstips@newsreview.com Calendar Events cnrcalendar@newsreview.com Calendar Questions (530) 894-2300, ext. 2243 Want to Advertise? Fax (530) 892-1111 or cnradinfo@newsreview.com Classifieds (530) 894-2300, press 2 or classifieds@newsreview.com Job Opportunities jobs@newsreview.com Want to Subscribe to CN&R? chisubs@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, cartoons, 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 the truthful content of their advertising message. CN&R is printed at PressWorks Ink on recycled newsprint. Circulation of CN&R is verified by the Circulation Verification Council. CN&R is a member of Chico Chamber of Commerce, Oroville Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Chico Business Association, CNPA, AAN and AWN.

DECEMBER 12, 2019

CN&R

OPINION

Send guest comments, 340 words maximum, to gc@newsreview.com or to 353 E. Second St., Chico, CA 95928. Please include photo & short bio.

EDITORIAL

Warming center solidarity signals progress Fact: Homeless people are at an increased risk of

weather-related mortality. Another fact: Homeless people are dying on Chico’s streets. The question before the Chico City Council on Tuesday (Dec. 10) was whether the panel should better protect these vulnerable residents by amending the criteria that trigger deployment of a local warming center (also known as Code Blue) at the Jesus Center. One of the backdrops for this conversation is that at least four homeless people have been found deceased outdoors since last March, including a woman who died along Lindo Channel during a cold snap about two weeks ago. That’s according to this newspaper’s reporting over the better part of this year. Thing is, we also know that this doesn’t include the unsheltered members of our community who may have fallen deathly ill and eventually succumbed at a local hospital. Take, for example, Wilson Tyler—aka Grant, a well-known homeless man—who died in June, two days after being rushed from City Plaza to Enloe Medical Center. Few residents who attended the meeting opposed what essentially would be an extension of this safety net program the council established last winter, following

the Camp Fire. One questioned whether warming centers are being utilized, commentary that was answered when the Jesus Center’s executive director noted that 49 people had used the facility on Thanksgiving night. The other detractor couched the council’s deliberation as a choice between the welfare of “everyday citizens who work and shop in downtown”—in other words, people with money—and “transients.” Our response: We’re talking about human beings here—choosing the humane path that almost certainly saves lives is the best approach. To their credit, not one of the members of the panel bought the opponents’ arguments. The council voted unanimously in support of a motion to lower the threshold at which the safety net program would be deployed (see page 8). Solidarity on the issue was a sign of progress. That said, the council has much work ahead to help alleviate the suffering of those on the streets. To wit, as the author of this week’s guest commentary notes, homeless criminalization laws remain on the books. Moreover, based on a 2018 federal appeals court ruling, such ordinances very likely place the city in legal jeopardy. Ω

GUEST COMMENT

No time for incrementalism Shorseright-wing discourse on “public safety” is a Trojan for fascist demagoguery.

ome of us have been trying to raise the alarm that

A few weeks ago, the city’s perennial antihomeless crusaders held a “public safety” event at Children’s Playground. Virulently hypocritical and viscerally disturbing, their political theater attracted demonstrably violent threats to public safety to our community. Attendees of “For the Love of Chico” included camo-clad men with Proud Boys tattoos and III% militia patches. These groups are well-known violent predators by in the ecosystem of reactionary Steven R. politics. The Southern Poverty Law Breedlove The author is a father, Center tracks right-wing extremist violence as, acutely, rage against permaculturist, change. Yet as the old adage goes, veteran and it’s the only constant. social critic. The city faces major problems, no doubt. Homelessness, drug addiction, low wages, high rents, inequality worse than Pharaonic Egypt—none are unique to Chico. Rather

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

than creating a participatory process to guide the transformative changes now necessary, our leaders have chosen an incrementalism that refuses to sever the invisible hand now strangling the life out of our city. Sixty percent of residents are overburdened renters, but basic eviction protections have yet to materialize. The new Climate Action Commission is infrastructure for a casual transition, not the restructuring of our material lives a looming apocalypse warrants. A shelter emergency declaration is insulting when human rights abuses remain codified and the suffering of unhoused people remains a negligible concern. Exposure likely claimed another recent victim—systemic violence they ignore. Pro tip: You weren’t elected to watch people die while you discuss these issues in committee. The council’s failure to advocate for principled change and refusal to reorient its purpose toward human security and justice furrows fertile ground for fascist ideology as economic and ecological crises intensify. Anyone on local social media channels knows these noxious weeds have already taken root. Reactionary forces have risen to deny or delay the work necessary to transform society, but incremental centrists use a similar playbook. While they cling to a dying world, we will build the new. Ω

SECOND & FLUME by Melissa Daugherty m e l i s s a d @ n e w s r e v i e w. c o m

Entrenched I’ve heard dozens of people recount how they escaped the Ridge on the morning of the Camp Fire. I consider each and every account as sacred. One is of a woman who got separated from her family. Her parents and young daughter were in one vehicle and headed down Clark Road, while she ended up driving solo on Pearson, one of the most harrowing routes out of the foothills that day. She recounted the flames closing in and rolling down the windows to have a connection with other people trapped in the gridlock, all of them strangers, because she was certain she was going to die and was determined not to do so alone. The terror she felt wasn’t unwarranted—at least one person perished in a car on that winding stretch near Pentz Road. I steeled myself as best I could while she told that story through sobs—during an interview at the Paradise Starbucks roughly eight months after the fire—and wept over a cup of tea once she left. After the 20 minutes or so it took me to compose myself, I drove down to Chico. Back at the office, I acted like everything was fine—you know, all in a day’s work. But that wasn’t how I felt. Indeed, like others who’ve been entrenched in this disaster week after week for the past 13 months, including when the foothills were ablaze, I was a bit fraught. Still am, truth be told. There, I said it. It’s been difficult for me to admit—even to myself—my struggle processing the apocalyptic imagery of the early days and the secondary trauma stemming from sustained coverage of the wildfire. Consider this week’s cover story one way to overcome that hesitation. It’s a collection of essays written by this newspaper’s reporters and editors, as well as former staff writer Ken Smith, who joined us at the emergency shelters and up on the then-burning Ridge at the height of the chaos. The aforementioned five CN&R journalists are what’s left of the local print scribes who’ve been covering the fire since day one. The Chico Enterprise-Record has seen a mass exodus—nearly full turnover of its reporting staff and editorial managers, including Editor David Little—but this newspaper’s staff has reported on the full length of the disaster. That includes former Chico E-R reporter Andre Byik, who joined the CN&R in May. We have certain overlapping experiences, but each of us has a unique take to share. I focus on my immediate coping mechanism— stepping outside of my job as a passive observer, mainly by feeding stranded pets and livestock when the Ridge was closed to the general public. I also met one particularly lovely human castaway with whom I’ve stayed in close contact over the past year. There is no question in my mind that taking on the role as a helper was the right thing to do, nor would I change the amount of time and resources we’ve put into chronicling the ripple effects of the fire. But it’s also left me with, well, some baggage. Addressing these unresolved emotions is part of my ongoing journey. This issue represents one of the steps.

Melissa Daugherty is editor of the CN&R

LETTERS

Send email to cnrletters@newsreview.com

Ensuring access Re “Up in smoke” (Newslines, by Ashiah Scharaga, Dec. 5): One a recent morning, I ran into a former Bidwell Park and Playground commissioner who expressed disappointment with my amendment to a motion on Upper Park Road, which was passed 6-1 by the City Council, allowing community access to the very end of the road. The person pointed out that the commission had spent a lot of time deliberating and crafting its proposal calling for the road to be closed at Salmon Hole. I understand. I pointed out that the Park Commission has a slightly different mission than the council: “to preserve and enhance … Bidwell Park.” My personal perspective is that while the council also cares greatly about preserving the park, we have an implicit responsibility to assure that all citizens have access to the city’s publicly owned resources. Sometimes that means

compromise—to allow road’s-end access two days a week. We have a thoughtful, proactive and dedicated Park Commission. Those who sit on it made the right proposal based on their mission. All Chico citizens have a right to experience all of their park, but many do not have the ability to walk or bike in order to do so. I believe the council made the right decision based on our responsibility to also consider all community members. Scott Huber Chico

Editor’s note: The author is a member of the Chico City Council.

PG&E’s faiult, not ours Re “Tips from Down Under” (Greenways, by Julie Cart, Dec. 5): While reading this piece, it was obvious that all the wisdom of solving the crisis was directed at fire victims, not those who caused of the fire. PG&E has spent the last few years not doing its job.

Yearly inspections of power lines, transformers, etc., were not done. Paradise is a retirement community. You could educate, cajole, mandate all the emergency procedures known to humankind and the 80-year-olds in town could perform none of it. As of now, 16,000 residences burned down, 700 businesses burned, 85 people are dead, and not a single PG&E employee has gone to jail—a fate I most certainly would have suffered had I started the conflagration. President Trump showed up, called Paradise “Pleasure” and suggested that California needs to rake the forests like Finland does, even though the fire began in Trump’s national forest. He brought no rakes, nor did he offer money to train Paradisians on the proper use of rakes. He also did not give PG&E new mandates for controlling the company’s facilities as guests in LETTERS c o n t i n u e d

o n pa g e 6

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY & SSI “We help YOU through the System” We assist with paperwork! Attorney at Law

LAw OffIC ES Of BETSY H. A LBERTS Over 35 years of experience.

976 Mangrove, Chico • 530.893.8387

Yoga Center of ChiCo

Give the gift of Yoga -- Gift certificates for 5 and 10 class passes. Retail items are available at our retail store “Om Depot”. We’re open during the holidays! 15

yogacenterofchico.com • 342-0100 16 15 250 Vallombrosa #150 • next18to t-bar19 december 12, 2019

CN&R

LETTERS c o n t i n u e d f r o m pa g e 5

Holiday

ServiceS

the primitive areas of California. Perhaps the government should provide severe penalties, rather than rewarding PG&E with dictatorial control over who does and doesn’t get power, for failing to care for the power lines. Jim Smith Paradise

Homeless hostility

Celebrate Christmas!!! Candlelight, Carols & CoCoa

Sunday, December 22nd, 6:30p.m.

1119 Esplanade • 891-4178 www.esplanadechurch.org Church On the Esplanade

Faith Lutheran Church

It’s barbaric we have people locked outside in freezing rain. It’s shady and perhaps illegal that Chico police decided, during the first freezing rain, to institute a zero-tolerance policy on sleeping beneath the awnings of public buildings. It’s outrageous we elected a liberal supermajority on the City Council and still have the laws, police and administration of a government hostile to houseless people. We are in a housing crisis. We need legal camping sites immediately. Harassment and arrests don’t aid the situation and are a drain on city resources; so we need to trade in police officers for social workers. Ultimately, the City Council needs to get out of a backward neoliberal mentality and leverage financial resources to directly provide housing where the private sector has been falling short. Addison Winslow Chico

An Intentionally Inclusive Community

Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Services 5pm family-oriented worship 9pm candlelight & choir service

Dec. 25 Christmas Day Service 9:30am All services include Holy Communion Faith Lutheran Church 667 East First Avenue, Chico (530) 895-3754 chicofaithlutheran.org faithlutheraninchico@gmail.com

supp rt

real

news Donate to ’s InDepenDent JournalIsm FunD:

InDepenDentJournalIsmFunD.org

CN&R

december 12, 2019

Editor’s note: For more on this subject, see Ashiah Scharaga’s report on page 8.

Two on a letter Re “Retort time” (Letters, by Ray Estes, Dec. 5): I couldn’t agree more with Ray Estes’ assessment of the president’s dictatorial tendencies. We are at a tipping point. The current administration represents a distinct threat not just to the United States, but to the habitability of this planet. The corruption that Trump displays, however, should be familiar with anyone following American politics. He has certainly brought it up a notch, stacking his cabinet with billionaire after billionaire. The uncomfortable truth is that Obama did similar things with more subtlety. His cabinet was hand-picked by Citigroup, one of many examples of his capitulation to

the robber barons of the 21st century. Obama did nothing to curb corporate power. He sold out the working class, people like me, who believed in him. This set the stage for Trump, who campaigned as a fake populist. The antidote for this? Nominate a true populist. We will not defeat Trump with another standard, corporatefriendly Democrat. We already tried that, and it resulted in the horrific situation we find ourselves in. If voter turnout is high, we will win. Who can inspire a mass mobilization of voters? Joe Biden? Pete Buttigieg? Amy Klobuchar? Unlikely. Give Bernie a second look. Happy holidays. Patrick Spielman Chico

I can appreciate Mr. Estes’ need to call people names because he lost the election, but I will tell him that he may need to refrain from telling us that we are “poorly educated.” I am beyond baffled that you can honestly say that about millions of people in this great country. The fact is you and the rest of the Democrats are in for another cry fest like the last time you lost. You see, none of your tries to unseat this president has worked and it is really getting to be pathetic that you and your party keep spending money chasing your tail. I, unlike you, can refrain from calling you uneducated. But, who knows, maybe you are. To be honest, that does not mean a thing to me; it does not take an education to see how messed up the Democrats are. I mean, if you have any investments, which I assume smart people do, you will attest that Trump is great for you. Travis Smith Biggs

Editor’s note: Mr. Estes’ reference to “poorly educated” people refers to praise Trump gave to certain constituents during a 2016 rally in Nevada.

More letters online:

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

STREETALK

Nov 7

Give the Gift of Hope

Jan 20

Ring Big in 2019

thru

What’s your Paradise favorite saying?

Ice

Asked during Christmas Preview in downtown Chico Seth Weil martial arts instructor

It’s by Bruce Lee: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” It is rooted in the idea of simplicity and mastering one technique.

Rink

Two Hour Shifts 10am-7pm Mon-Sat Call to schedule a shift: (530) 518-8661 We make a living by what we get... but we make a life by what we gave.

Paradise Recreation & Park District | 6626 Skyway – Paradise 872–6393 | paradiseprpd.com RegulaR HouRS (Subject to cloSeuRe): SunDay - tHuRSDay 12 - 8pm | FRiDay 12 - 8pm & 9 - 11pm teen Skate SatuRDay 12 - 10pm & Skate lessons 11am - 12pm daily admission $12 Private reNtal - Field triPs, Birthday Parties, CorPorate eveNts

Chico.Salvationarmy.org

HAVE LYME? Think you might have Lyme?

Monthly Support Group Monday, December 16 5:30-7:00pm Northwood Commons Clubhouse We Share Facts/Information

Riley Gainza

Help Line: (530) 877-6666

student

When I did gymnastics, there was a poster on the wall that said: “Why set goals? Because if you’re aiming nowhere that’s just where you’ll go.”

www.thelymecenter.org

Mark Michelena land planner

From the movie Annie Hall, when Woody [Allen]’s character says, “A relationship is like a shark: It has to constantly move forward or it dies. I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark.” People often stay in a relationship when they don’t really need to and are afraid to get out of it.

Marcus Hurst student

“Skadoosh” by the Po character in the film Kung Fu Panda. It’s very creative, and I like how Jack Black came up with this slogan, which is like a comeback to the end of a question. You say it like … an exclamation.

show l❤ ve thrift Mon/Sat Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sun

Buy 1 get 1 free (clothing) 50% off 30% off everything 30% off for seniors & students 50% off 30% off everything

Veterans 20% off open 7 days a week | donations appreciated 1405 Park Ave. Chico, (530) 892-9198 www.facebook.com/ShowLoveThrift December 12, 2019

CN&R

NEWSLINES DOWNSTROKE CAMP FIRE SETTLEMENT REACHED

Pending final bankruptcy court approval, PG&E has agreed to pay fire victims $13.5 billion, according to a company press release. This includes payment to survivors of last year’s Camp Fire, the 2015 Butte Fire in Amador County, the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa and the 2016 Ghost Ship Fire in Oakland. Approval of the settlement agreement would “put PG&E on a sustainable path forward” to emerge from Chapter 11 by June 30 of next year, PG&E said, in time to participate in the state’s $21 billion fund to help pay claims from future fires caused by its equipment. (This has been criticized for drawing financing from ratepayers.)

CHICO PD RESTRUCTURING

At a special meeting Tuesday (Dec. 10), the Chico City Council voted unanimously to add a second deputy chief of police position and to reorganize the department’s structure, per a request from Chief Mike O’Brien. There will be a deputy chief of operations (patrol shifts) and a deputy chief of support (criminal investigations and dispatch). Two other positions—for an officer and support operations manager—will be eliminated, saving the department approximately $35,000. This will go toward promoting an information systems analyst position to a senior analyst position, focused on public safety technology needs for police and fire. In a staff report, O’Brien wrote that the need for these positions “has become paramount due to the unplanned impacts related to the Camp Fire.”

NEW MAYOR IN TOWN

On Tuesday (Dec. 10), the Paradise Town Council unanimously selected Vice Mayor Greg Bolin as the town’s mayor. Bolin (pictured) was nominated by Jody Jones, whose term as mayor ended that evening. He will serve a one-year term. Councilman Mike Zuccolillo also was nominated for the job, but his nod failed 3-2, with Bolin, Jones and Melissa Schuster voting against. The council, however, selected Zuccolillo to serve as vice mayor. Bolin is a 46-year Paradise resident and was first elected to the council in 2012, according to his bio on the town’s website. He previously served as a town planning commissioner. “I’m here to serve this town and this council,” he said. “For me, it’s the service more than anything else.”

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

Out of the cold Council unanimously expands warming center criteria shortly after arrests outside City Hall

ORichard was arrested outside of City Hall, Muenzer thought, I’m going to jail n Monday night (Dec. 2), just before he

because I’m homeless and I have nowhere to sleep. He was sitting in a story and well-lit, dry alcove when photo by Ashiah Scharaga he was approached by two Chico Police as h i a h s @ officers. In a cellphone n ew sr ev i ew. c o m video, Muenzer can be heard, frustration in his voice, asking them where he was expected to go, since the Torres Community Shelter was full. An officer responded that he did not know, but Muenzer couldn’t stay there—the city prohibits camping and sitting or lying on sidewalks. So Muenzer said they’d need to ticket him or arrest him. Turns out, he wasn’t the only one handcuffed that night. Two other men seeking shelter outside City Hall were arrested (though their charges also included possession of illegal drugs) and two others were cited. They’d violated a city law related to

civic center hours of operation, adopted as part of the local Offenses Against Public Property ordinance in 2015. Muenzer’s story illustrates Chico’s ongoing homeless crisis, and the recent cold snap prompted the council to respond. On Tuesday (Dec. 10), three progressive council members—Scott Huber, Karl Ory and Mayor Randall Stone—called for a special meeting to revisit the city’s “Code Blue” program criteria for opening a warming center, a service the city currently pays the Jesus Center to provide. While the panel did not bring up the arrests, several of the 17 members of the public who addressed the council on this item did, and nearly all advocated for more frequent warming center nights. In response, the panel voted unanimously to do just that. The current criteria of 32 degrees or lower still will trigger a warming center. The additions, as proposed by Huber: days with temperatures of 45 degrees or lower where three-quarters of an inch of rain or more is forecast, as well as days projected to be 40 degrees or lower with winds of 15 miles per hour or more.

This isn’t set in stone just yet, however. The Jesus Center’s board of directors has to agree to the change in terms. It’s also possible that Safe Space Winter Shelter, a volunteer organization working to open a permanent location with 80 to 100 beds, could take it on. Angela McLaughlin, president of Safe Space’s board of directors, said the group is uniquely equipped to provide warming center services, but couldn’t do so until after Dec. 22, when it will open using its rotating shelter model at various churches. The city currently has a $30,000 memorandum for cooling and warming center services with the Jesus Center in the 2019-20 fiscal year, and has expended about $8,000 so far, according to City Manager Mark Orme. He will bring back a new cost estimate, given the change of criteria, for the council to approve. That night, Huber got choked up when he

mentioned the four homeless people who have died on Chico’s streets this year, including a woman whose body was found the morning after Thanksgiving in Lindo Channel (her name and cause of death have

Richard Muenzer returns to the spot outside the City Council chambers, where he was arrested last week while seeking a safe, dry place to sleep.

yet to be released). Changing the warming center criteria, which he said were adopted “a little hastily” last March, is something the city can do. “We have been and we are a failure,” he said. “And we’ll continue to fail if we don’t make some changes.” Stone told the CN&R via phone that the deaths of homeless people on the streets also weighed heavily on his mind that night, as well as the arrests and citations outside council chambers. Though he said he was not sure changing the civic center’s hours is the answer, he added that rousting folks should be a last resort. “It’s significant. Because this is the place where free speech occurs. This is where we address our government for redress of grievances, and people are sleeping in the alcoves,” he said. “How much more definitive does it get [that] this isn’t working?” Chico’s Offenses Against Public Property ordinance has been criticized locally for years by homeless advocates for being cruel and a violation of people’s civil rights, and similar laws elsewhere are increasingly under the microscope. One in Boise, Idaho, was challenged by homeless citizens, and in September 2018, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment bars cities from criminally prosecuting those sleeping outside on public property when they have no home or other shelter to go to. This case, Martin v. Boise, has advanced all the way to the Supreme Court. It’s Chico PD’s take, however, that the case does not apply in this instance. Chico Police Chief Mike O’Brien told the CN&R that there have been many ongoing issues at City Hall “creating not only an unsanitary condition, but also an unsafe condition for all,” including a fire, a broken window, drug use, defecation and urination. In the past, people typically have moved along after warnings, but everything came to a head that night, he added. “Of course we want people to get help, we want people out of the cold,” he said. “The issue for us is the safety of the building and those who use it, and that’s really the only motivation that we have.” On Tuesday, when the council made the call on the warming center criteria, the crowd erupted into applause, and Muenzer, from where he stood at the back of the gallery, shouted, “Thank you.” Ω

Forward momentum Local, state and federal groups plan the future of Butte County’s forests Several things became clear early on during last

week’s Wildfire Safety Planning Summit in Paradise. Among them: A ton is being done right now to plan for the future of Butte County’s forests, and many groups are working together to make them happen. That’s not always been the case. During a forest health tour through Concow in April, coordinated by the Butte County Fire Safe Council, representatives of several agencies—Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, local parks districts—lamented the lack of cohesion when it comes to forest management. With a checkerboard of ownership and a variety of interests—from living on the land to logging to preserving the environment—putting together a plan that both protects the landscape from further catastrophes and makes everyone happy is extremely challenging. It appears the tides are beginning to turn, however. “As a landowner agency, we’re more fragmented than a checkerboard,” Jeremy Straight of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) told the room full of attendees. The summit, held Friday (Dec. 6) and organized by the fire safe council, aimed to bring all interested agencies together for status updates, as well as some foreshadowing of future projects. “We’re trying to find where other treatments are being implemented and connect those dots.” Straight pointed to a project in Forbestown headed by Gus Boston, Cal Fire battalion chief

of vegetation management, as an example of agencies working together. BLM owns about 100 acres in the area and is coordinating with Cal Fire on a management plan. Likewise, Cal Fire is working with private landowners to do prescribed burns and further reduce fuels. Boston is overseeing projects in the Cohasset and Concow areas as well. “The spirit of the Camp Fire has made us all work together more with the challenges we face,” Calli-Jane DeAnda, executive director of the fire safe council, told the CN&R. “Cal Fire’s vegetation management program is a game-changer,” she added. “Those types of projects weren’t happening five years ago.” While Butte County has long had a unified community wildfire preparedness plan (CWPP)—a collaboration of fire agencies—a

SIFT ER The stress of holiday gifting With the holidays just around the corner, Union Bank set out to gauge Americans’ spending habits and shopping plans this year. The recent poll found that 4 in 10 respondents felt pressure to purchase gifts for people they don’t want to, adding to stress during the holidays. Here are some other key findings.

• Half of couples say they disagree on how much to spend on each other. • 80 percent of people plan to buy a gift for their pets. • 77 percent are worried about overspending. • Over half of respondents said they’d rather have their credit cards paid off than the gift of a new car. • 1 in 5 Generation Zers (born 1995-2015) say they plan to spend up to $500 total on gifts for themselves and their moms.

Cal Fire’s Gus Boston is spearheading several forest management projects, including one in Concow. PHOTO BY MEREDITH J. COOPER

lot of other land-owning entities have tended to work on their own, creating individual strategic plans. That’s no longer going to cut it, several of Friday’s speakers agreed. “We do a lot of planning, but we’ve never had a countywide vision of forest health,” Wolfy Rougle, conservation projects coordinator for the Resource Conservation District of Butte County, told those assembled. “Over time, state agencies are going to be interested in giving more funding to counties and regions that are working collaboratively.” Rougle highlighted the Wildlands Task Force that emerged after the Camp Fire as a good example. It’s a collaboration between her organization and the local fire safe councils. One of its main goals is to create a forest restoration plan, one that doesn’t call only for reforestation. “The consensus is the next forest, in order to be fire- and climate-resistant, needs to be less dense than the forests we’ve come to know in the 20th century. Less dominated by pines, more by oaks,” she said. “That’s the kind of restoration that we want to help deliver to people.” One project that has the potential to further

aid cooperation among agencies and landowners is a data portal sponsored by the Sacramento River Watershed Program and developed by Truckee-based tech company 34 North. The first of its kind, it’s a mapping tool that incorporates fire history, project tracking, topography and even specifics as small as tree height. “We’re bringing together all resources in one place … so people can start communicating across boundaries,” said Amye Rita Osti, NEWSLINES C O N T I N U E D DECEMBER 12, 2019

O N PA G E 1 0

CN&R

NEWSLINES c o n t i n u e D f r o m pa g e 9

Furniture Consignment PLUS

New & consigned dining tables, cabinets, beds, paintings, sofas and jewelry. Vintage glassware includes, crystal and bone china vases, dishes, wine decanters, unique one-of-a-kind items and decorative gifts starting at $10.

2540 EsplanadE (at East avE) • Mon-sat 10–5

Your plumbing

Fixed Right, Right Now!

CEO of 34 North. “We collect information you might need for grants.” The data portal is an exciting development because it incorporates project info from multiple agencies, Osti said. So you can log on and find out what kind of fuel reduction is being done in Concow and where it stops, for instance. It also includes real-time conditions collected from sensors throughout the region. Ali Meders-Knight, representing the Mechoopda Indian Tribe, talked about a project to emphasize traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into local forest management. It was a priority listed in the 2018 Farm Bill, one that extended its conservation stewardship program to 20 years. Because the Mechoopda’s ancestral land encompasses much of Butte County, the tribe is looking to incorporate practices such as prescribed burns and educate people about native plants and forest management from a holistic perspective. “We’re looking at the ecological end results within 20 years,” Meders-Knight said. “Wildfire risk mitigation, fuel reduction … watershed restoration, aquifer recharge, restoration of native ecosystems.” The final presenter of the day was Tracy Hruska, from the Sierra Institute, a newcomer to the region with a base in Taylorsville. His organization, a nonprofit, plans to fund innovative projects that aid the deforestation effort in the Sierra Nevada Conservancy region, which encompasses 25 million acres ,including parts of Butte County. “The problem with overforestation is it’s expensive to deal with,” Hruska said. “You get a lot of slash piles, and the wood tends to get burned in place. Then you’re not recovering any costs. But there are products that can come out of this— firewood, chipping, biomass.” He highlighted some projects implemented elsewhere, like a biomass boiler system that heats an entire building in Quincy, or pellet chippers that can create fuel for home wood stoves. “We want to increase the ability of rural communities to do good work and contribute to forest management,” he continued. “It’s a lack of forest management that’s gotten us here.” —Meredith J. Cooper me r e d i th c @ newsr ev iew.c o m

CN&R

December 12, 2019

Clearing the air Supervisors spar over governance methods, offer long-term priorities post-Camp Fire

The Butte County Board of Supervisors explored governance challenges and priorities for the next two years Tuesday (Dec. 10) at the Chico Elks Lodge. PHOTO BY ANDRE BYIK

In the next two years, the supervisors said the county must prioritize mental health services for county employees; housing availability and costs; technology and customer service; and fire risk mitigation and water policies. County water issues and priorities, it was noted, would be addressed at a workshop scheduled for Tuesday (Dec. 17) at the Board of Supervisors chambers. Paul Gosselin, the county’s director of Water and

Grievances between members of the Board of

Supervisors surfaced Tuesday (Dec. 10) at an hours-long public workshop focused on governance and priorities. In a contentious exchange apparently alluding to the board’s decision to de-fund a feasibility study of a proposed water pipeline from Paradise to Chico, Supervisor Bill Connelly suggested one of his colleagues, Supervisor Debra Lucero, come better prepared to board meetings and seek out relevant information before it becomes time to address items placed on the board’s agendas. “So, don’t ask questions if you could call and ask before the meeting, or go take a class or do something,” he said. “You just can’t play to the camera.” “Go take a class or do something?” Lucero replied. “Play to the camera? Oh, boy. Wow.” She later added that she found offensive the suggestion that she comes to meetings unprepared. “I really take this stuff seriously,” she said. “And I do a lot of homework, and I talk to a lot of people.” Connelly’s barb—one of several pointed exchanges that took place between board members during the four-hour workshop at the Chico Elks Lodge—illustrated the divide in governance methods between first-term Supervisors Lucero and Tami Ritter, and multiterm Supervisors Connelly, Steve Lambert and Doug Teeter. The workshop, which was moderated by Bill Chiat, dean of the California State Association of Counties Institute for Excellence in County Government, began with a public comment period that featured more than a dozen speakers expressing their displeasure with recent treetrimming activities and practices along Bidwell

Avenue in unincorporated west Chico. Lambert, chairman of the board, pointed to the roughly 50-minute comment period as an example of the contrast between Lucero’s approach and his own. It’s about time management, Lambert said, noting that he doesn’t encourage his constituents to show up to board meetings en masse. “I think where we have a downside—for me—during meetings is when we have 27 people show up to say the same thing,” Lambert said. “I could have ... 1,300 farmers come here for every meeting [and] complain about something that the county did. ... I say, ‘No, I’ll take care of that. I hear your point. I hear your problem. I will make sure that that is addressed.’” Speaking to the tree-trimming issue, Lucero noted a previous attempt at establishing an ordinance to protect certain trees was shot down by Chief Administrative Officer Shari McCracken, who said there was not enough time to explore the issue before the end of the year. Lucero, whose district encompasses the west Chico neighborhood, implied she’d had trouble getting answers from staff related to questions about tree-trimming notice and permitting processes. Once she began receiving calls about the recent tree work, she said, there was little she could do but suggest her constituents attend the next board meeting. Ritter, a former member of the Chico City Council, seized upon that sentiment, saying she’s found that people want to be heard, and board meetings are one of the few places where they have the opportunity to address a public representative. Later in the workshop, when the county’s department heads took turns addressing the challenges they continue to grapple with in a postCamp Fire landscape, some consensus emerged.

Resource Conservation, offered a preview of the upcoming water workshop at the Water Commission’s meeting last Wednesday (Dec. 4). The Board of Supervisors, he said, would go over county water policies developed over the last two decades, reaffirming them or offering new direction to county staff. Policies addressing groundwater sustainability, local water supplies, existing water contracts, quality and projects will be reviewed. It’s a discussion that hasn’t been taken up by the board in about 10 years, Gosselin said, and it was spurred by the panel’s recent decision to remove the county from a study assessing the feasibility of an intertie pipeline project between the Paradise Irrigation District (PID) and California Water Service Co.’s Chico branch. It’s unclear whether a study of a possible intertie project, which has been billed as one way to help keep PID financially viable after losing its customer base in the Camp Fire, would be addressed by the board, but Gosselin said once policies are reaffirmed or modified, he expected some discussion regarding application of those policies would take place. Water Commissioner Matthew Tennis had drafted a resolution in support of the pipeline study, and he asked whether the document could be placed on a future Water Commission agenda as an action item. His request was rejected and described as premature by County Counsel Bruce Alpert and Chairman David Skinner. Alpert said that the county currently has no involvement with a PID-Cal Water pipeline study, and specific projects like the intertie concept would not be considered by the Board of Supervisors until the panel affirms its water policies and goals. Taking action on a resolution before then, he said, would be a “futile act.” Alpert further noted that there were aspects of the possible pipeline project that were being discussed without the county’s full understanding of its own potential role. PID’s attorney, he said, had talked about first selling water to the county, which would in turn sell water to Cal Water. “Nothing like that’s ever been discussed by the board,” Alpert said. “Nothing like that’s ever been approved by the board—or considered by the board. [It] came out of the blue.”

Save up to

50% on local dining, shops, & events!

Cnrsweetdeals.newsreview.Com

—ANDRE BYIK a nd r e b @ newsr ev iew.c o m

DECEMBER 12, 2019

CN&R

HEALTHLINES Kris Zappettini, of the Community Housing Improvement Program, is working on developing the nonprofit’s first senior affordable housing project, Creekside Place.

A place to call home City, nonprofit housing developer working on 101-unit, low-income complex for seniors story and photo by

Ashiah Scharaga ashiahs@ n ewsrev iew. com

RChico Creek between Humboldt Road and the Bike Path is mostly empty fields, ight now, the area east of Little Chico

save for a small community garden. But starting in 2021, the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) will begin constructing Creekside Place, its largest affordable housing project in Chico. The project, a collaboration among the city of Chico, Butte County Behavioral Health and CHIP, will specifically serve low-income seniors, with a portion of the units reserved for those with mental illness who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Project leaders emphasized the dire need for affordable housing in general post-Camp Fire, and how having a safe, stable home is imperative, particularly for the aging population.

CN&R

December 12, 2019

Last week, the Chico City Council approved a lease for the city-owned land. When it’s completed (by 2024, it’s estimated), the site will have two three-story buildings with 101 units, 15 of them reserved for those with mental illness (one will be for a resident manager). Eligible seniors include those considered to be extremely or very-low income, earning between 30 percent and 50 percent of the median income for Butte County, or no more than $14,000 to $23,300 for a single adult. Seniors are a particularly vulnerable population, Kris Zappettini, CHIP’s vice president and director of rental housing, told the CN&R. Creekside Place will serve those on fixed incomes who might otherwise “make inappropriate housing choices in order to be able to live,” such as residing in substandard or overcrowded places, she said, or make other sacrifices, such as choosing among power, medical care and/or food to pay the bills. Throughout the planning process, CHIP has focused on providing a safe, comfort-

able place for its future senior residents, Zappettini told the CN&R. “We’re looking for a very well-balanced community—where [residents] say, ‘I feel safe, I feel that it’s well-maintained, I feel that the leadership, the property management is looking out for our best interests’— and they like coming home.” There will be a community center, a computer lab and laundry facilities. And outdoors, residents can enjoy a pet park, community garden and seating areas for relaxation. Creekside Place also will have on-site services. A CHIP service coordinator will be tasked with assessing the residents’ needs and interests to plan recreational, educational and social events.

APPOINTmeNT

This has been successful at CHIP’s three other complexes in Chico, Zappettini said, the oldest of which is a 76-unit complex on East Lassen Avenue, which was completed in 1992. For example, coordinators have planned cancer prevention demonstrations, holiday gatherings, arts and crafts activities and dance classes. They also are there to make referrals and provide assistance with services such as food stamps or health insurance. When it comes to the Behavioral Health aspect of Creekside Place, department case managers and nursing and peer support staff will be on-site to serve those in the 15 reserved units, as well as any other Behavioral Health clients who may live there. They will provide “a whole array of mental health services,” including therapy and substance use recovery, as well as referrals to physical health care, said Don Taylor, the housing and homeless administrator for Butte County. (He began working on this project in his former capacity as Behavioral Health assistant director of Clinical Services.) The emotional trauma that stems from being homeless “really weighs heavily on people,” he told the CN&R, not to mention exacerbates acute and chronic physical health issues. “You can increase anxiety, you can, of course, increase depression the longer you’re on the street,” he said. “So if we can alleviate some of those mental health symptoms by providing housing, that’s part of the treatment plan.”

Celebrate the humanpowered experience “Quiet recreation” refers to outdoor activities that require nothing more than the personal energy expended by the participant—think rock-climbing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking and the like. These types of outdoor sports are good for the body, and this Thursday (Dec. 12) you can get an up-close look at some of the bravest in human-powered backcountry adventure at the Backcountry Film Festival. The event takes place at the Sierra Nevada Big Room and focuses primarily on snow sports, and a speakers panel featuring the filmmakers will take place after the screening. Live vicariously or get inspired!

meet the demand. These barriers can mean that some projects take five to seven years from inception to completion. “One of our frustrations is we can’t solve for ‘X’ overnight just to—boom—have housing,” Zappettini said. “We do our best to accelerate it as quickly as possible.” That’s where partnerships, like the one behind Creekside Place, which involve multiple agencies pooling resources and expertise, are crucial, Zappettini said. “Once you see people moving in and then you get to hear their stories, it validates why you do all that work, and that’s the cool thing,” she said. “’Cause there’s no reason to do all this … without knowing that you’re really touching people’s lives and creating shelter and stabilization, and they’re going to personalize it to be the home that they want.” □

WEEKLY DOSE

Handheld therapy Seeking a counselor for mental health maintenance can be a pricey endeavor—the average cost for an hour-long therapy appointment is about $100. The cost of mental health care can shut out a large segment of the population, but a new trend in therapy might bring change. There are now upward of 10,000 downloadable mental health apps available for users to receive meditation guidance, telepsychiatry, online therapy, symptom tracking and management. This approach to self-care is new, and though experts emphasize that the results have yet to be tested, the potential for these apps to provide effective mental health assistance to those who haven’t had access is hopeful. Because the pool of apps is so large and unregulated, experts suggest looking for clinically backed apps and those that have been well-studied. Apps aren’t meant to replace clinicians as much as work in conjunction with them, so do your research and explore your options. Source: Healthline

CN&R will NeveR CoNtaCt a meRChaNt to puRChase a Best of plaque

get to this point, including a general plan amendment and rezone for the property to be used for affordable housing (originally it was intended for a community park). And Creekside Place, a $47 million project, still isn’t fully funded. Many applications for funding will be submitted in 2020 to amass what’s needed to bring it to fruition, said Marie Demers, the housing manager for the city of Chico. So far, the partners have secured over $4 million from local, state and federal sources. Zappettini said affordable housing projects, like Creekside Place, face many barriers along the way to development, including securing land, highly competitive and restrictive funding and increasing construction costs, especially with the tremendous need to rebuild post-Camp Fire and a shortage of qualified construction workers to

All first place winners of CN&R’s Best of receive a plaque for fRee

It has taken a lot of legwork just to

We’re super into

blonde. PARK PLAZA

680 Mangrove Ave, Chico 530-893-0808 M-F 9–8 | SAT 9–7 | SUN 10–5

PHEASANT RUN PLAZA

2009 Forst Ave Ste B, Chico 530-893-2727 M-F 9–8 | SAT 9–7 | SUN 10–5

December 12, 2019

CN&R

GREENWAYS WAYS

Even flow Researchers, ranchers turn to regenerative agriculture practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by

Andre Byik an dreb@ n ewsrev iew. com

Ahillspurchased their first ranch in the rolling west of Paskenta in Tehama County. The decade ago, Charlotte and Roy Ekland

landscape was degraded, run down by extensive grazing. Perennial grasses and shrubs had all but disappeared. So had the birds that depended on a diversity of plant life in the region. The pastures, beautiful as they were, were unsustainable. Rejuvenation was in order, and the Eklands set into motion plans to restore the landscape using regenerative agriculture practices. On Thursday (Dec. 5), a speaker series on climate-related issues at the Gateway Science Museum concluded with an exploration of the field of regenerative agriculture. It’s a form of agriculture described as farming and grazing practices that rebuild soil organic matter, restore degraded soils, improve water efficiency and result in carbon sequestration—thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Farmers and ranchers are feeling the effects of volatile weather patterns— droughts and floods—because of climate change, while also contributing to carbon dioxide levels that have accumulated in the atmosphere over the last several decades, said Cynthia Daley, director of the Center of Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at Chico State. Not all legacy CO2 levels have been generated by agriculture practices, “but we still have this situation that we need to deal with,” Daley said. “The planet is warming up. We know that to be true. It’s creating a lot of chaos with respect to weather, weather patterns. And no one realizes that more so than those of us in agriculture.” One key component of regenerative agriculture: keeping living plant roots in the soil year-round.

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

Doing so supports soil biology, Daley said, which can be facilitated by planting cover crops, implementing crop rotations and reducing soil tilling or ceasing the practice altogether. Plant diversity is important, she added. A diverse soil biology means more carbon can be sequestered. The goal is to keep soil insulated and cool and mitigate any damage that can be done to underlying fungi, which deliver nutrients to a plant. “Keep the soil covered,” she said. “At no point [in] time should we leave our skin naked and bare.” Reducing the amount of CO2 released by agriculture practices will take time, Daley said, but by focusing energy and resources on solutions, progress can be made toward creating a net carbon flux—or an even flow of carbon moving about agricultural ecosystems. “That’s why we’re using the term regenerative,” she said. “We don’t want to sustain a bad or degraded system. It’s time that we actually regenerate our agricultural landscapes for the longevity of the human race.” Charlotte Ekland, co-owner of C&R Ranch,

which is located about 17 miles west of Corning, says she is putting regenerative agriculture concepts into practice. Speaking at the event Thursday, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Butte County and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Ekland said her land isn’t appropriate for row crops, orchards or grain production. But it’s beautiful, she said, and it’s used for grazing and has become home to a large ecological project she and her husband, Roy, facilitated. Ekland said extensive grazing had degraded the land, ridding the pasture of native perennial grasses that can survive for several

years at a time and whose roots can dive 20 feet underground. Large predators that kept cattle bunched in herds had dwindled to primarily coyotes—not enough of a threat to keep cattle grouped up. Diverse species of shrubs and trees had disappeared, leaving the woodland unhealthy. So how to restore the land? One tool, Ekland said, is the regenerative practice of managed grazing. Over the past 10 years the couple have divided their property into paddocks, thereby encouraging herd formations in contrast to letting the animals freely spread throughout the landscape. Once one paddock is cleared, the animals are moved to another one, and restoration work—including the planting of cover crops—begins behind them. Preliminary results, she said, are encouraging. Soil cover has improved, keeping roots alive and protecting the land from sun exposure and rain. The practices also have supported biodiversity, and Ekland says they are bringing native California grasses back to the landscape as the soils maintain better holding capacities for water. That diversity also supports carbon sequestration. “It’s slow,” she said, noting that the couple have many more annual grasses than perennial ones. “But it is happening.” Roy echoed her sentiments, as well as Daley’s. The hallmark of a viable habitat, he said, is the collection of multiple species of grasses, flowering plants and broad-leaves. Roy added that the couple have undertaken an extra step to accelerate the diversification process. Around 2012, the Eklands started a habitat restoration project focused on riparian areas, reintroducing to degraded lands multiple species of plants. The effort, he said, coincided

with a years-long period of drought, but the results have nonetheless been encouraging. Native grasses have kept their growth, the planting of wildflowers has been both aesthetically pleasing and good for pollinators, and the plants have fed the soil and underlying fungi. “Multiple species … [give] us that range of plant which feed the soil, fungi and support a healthy and dynamic foundation for carbon sequestration,” he said. □

ECO EVENT

Birds and binoculars ’Tis the season for the majestic avian dinosaurs to migrate along the Pacific Flyway, and this weekend brings two opportunities to appreciate the birds in our area. The Chico Christmas Bird Count takes place on Saturday (Dec. 14) from 7:30 a.m to 5 p.m., and all levels of birders are welcome. Meet at the Chico Creek Nature Center and contact Mary Muchowski at 228-0625 for details. You also could join Adventure Quest for Duck Duck Goose, a free birdwatching trek to the wildlife viewing platform out on 7 Mile Lane. The event takes place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS photo by JoSh cozine

15 MINUTES

THE GOODS

All tuned up

rebuilding, reconnecting

Brenden Stevens first started repairing instruments back in 2008, apprenticing under 60-year veteran repair specialist Chuck Madere at a small family music shop in Southern California. In that time, Stevens says he’s worked on literally thousands of instruments. Also an avid musician, he can play every instrument he works on, ensuring they are 100 percent operational before he’s done with them. Early in June, his brother, a piano technician at Chico State, reached out and told him about a specific need for his repair services in the area. He’d heard that Ed Luce, the owner of North Woodwinds, was planning to retire and sell his business, causing some worry in the music community. Stevens, knowing that summer is the busiest season for repairing and maintaining instruments due to school breaks, quickly moved north. After finding his bearings and meeting with locals in Chico’s music and musical instrument repair scene, Stevens first opened up his business out of his home. By Sept. 1, he had opened his current office and repair shop at 574 Manzanita Ave., Ste. 5. Stevens offers free repair estimates on brass and woodwind instruments, as well as evaluation services and even the occasional refurbished instrument for sale. Find Brenden A. Stevens Band Instrument Repair Specialist on Facebook, or call 720-3161 to schedule a time for a repair estimate.

Cnrsweetdeals.newsreview.Com

How was the move?

sionals earn their livelihoods.

I’d been up and visited the area a lot over the years visiting family, and it was one of those places where I could see myself moving if the right situation came up.

How has business been?

Where do you get your tools? It’s an accumulation effect. There are a couple of big manufacturers of band repair tools, and you have to make a lot of the tools yourself or adapt another for the job. My mentor passed on many of his tools to me, which was a big honor to me to continue my career using the same tools he used for so many years in his memory.

What do you like best about your work? One of the reasons I like this business is you really play a role in the musician’s success. It sets students up for success for learning and staying interested in music, and it helps local profes-

With the start of the school year, it was great to get set up in here. It’s off a busy [freeway] exit, and real close to The Music Connection, which makes it easy for them to send people here for repairs, or for me to send them over there for accessories or other purchases. There’s been quite a few people that found out about my location through word of mouth, which has been really huge. With a service, I believe word of mouth is really important. Putting your instrument in the trust and care of someone—it’s not always easy for people. Especially if they’ve had their instrument a long time. You kind of develop a bond with your instrument. So to be new in town, and to make the connections I have, it’s just been awesome. —JoSH CoziNe

Meredith J. Cooper meredithc@newsreview.com

I find myself in Paradise, Magalia and the other areas affected by the Camp Fire less often as the months go by. If nothing else, my trips tend to be more focused— to attend meetings at the Paradise Alliance Church or interview folks at their homes—than exploratory. The transformation, from smoky, ashy ghost town to now has been both sad and inspiring. The spring sunshine that coaxed green to poke out of the otherwise dead landscape provided the first glimpses of hope— for me, at least—that the area could, and would, rebuild. As new businesses open and reopen, I try to stop by while I’m in the area. So, a few weeks ago I popped in to Nic’s, the Ridge’s first completely new restaurant to open since the fire. Longtime businesswoman Nicki Jones already had reopened her popular Bobbi’s Boutique clothing store, in a new space on Skyway downtown, and she decided to transform the old Wine Room, which shares the building, into an eatery/bar. I’ll attest to the warmth of the place—people were chatting, checking in on each other as the town was in the midst of a PG&E blackout (the restaurant was being powered by a generator). Next time I’ll stop in for a meal. Just last week, after attending a morning-long summit on wildfire preparedness, I decided to check out another new business, Jen’s Place, also on Skyway. Opened by Jen White, who’d reimagined King’s Tavern into the White Water Saloon, which burned down, her spacious namesake bar took over space left vacant by a charter school, one patron told me. To look around, one would never guess it. The woodwork is amazing—I love the sliding barn door in the pool table room, and the bar stools are similarly rustic. There’s a large stage and even larger dance floor, plus a second game room behind it. I recognized the bartender, Amy, from her time at Chico’s DownLo. She said she was happy to be back slinging drinks in Paradise, reconnecting with her people. Cheers to that. Driving through Paradise, one only has to throw a rock to hit a food truck these days. Since Jen’s doesn’t serve food, I set out in search of a quick snack to munch on during my ride back to Chico. I almost missed the first one, literally across the street, in the spot previously home to Kalico Kitchen. I felt compelled to stop for two reasons: the angus burgers advertised on the truck and the fact I’d just reminisced in my Camp Fire essay (see page 19) about this very location. Looking up, the melted Kalico sign is still there. So is the oddly intact patio, with new furniture for “dining in.” I ordered a cheeseburger from Robbie’s Paradise Burgers, to go, and while I’d prefer a bigger patty (they serve quarter-pounders), everything was delicious. The fries were perfection.

Shopping in chico Don’t forget, for the next two Fridays (Dec. 13 and 20), meters in downtown Chico are free! So, shop locally. (Time limits still apply.)

DONATE YOUR CAR Cars For A Cause

helps support Arc’s Family Support Programs for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families when you donate your car. * 100% Tax Dexuctible * We accept Vehicles Running or Not

* Free Vehicle Pickup * We take care of all paperwork and DMV

Make a difference in your community, call TODAY!

Call 343-3666 December 12, 2019

CN&R

Witness to the catastrophe

Chico News & Review editors and writers on the Camp Fire beat (from left): Meredith Coooper, Ken Smith, Jason Cassidy, Ashiah Scharaga, Andre Byik and Melissa Daugherty. PHOTO BY TINA FLYNN

One day at a time

veryone on the Ridge had a job to do in the first days and weeks after the Camp Fire, when the smoldering foothills were cordoned off to the public. Firefighters swept pine needles off roofs and out of gutters to keep the buildings left standing from catching fire. Police officers, sheriffs’ deputies and park rangers patrolled for looters. Utility workers picked up what was left of power lines. Forensic teams turned over twisted pieces of metal and other debris, searching for human remains.

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

The task before me was to take pictures and notes—to bear witness to the devastation. At least, that’s what I thought at the time. That’s what I was conditioned to do. Trained to do. But the disaster didn’t resemble anything I’d experienced in my career. I was overwhelmed by its enormity—the thousands of stories of people and places and pain and loss. I could process it only in pieces —snapshots of what I saw, heard and smelled. The shroud of toxic smoke hanging over the ashes of burned houses and the husks of abandoned, charred cars in the middle of the streets. The sound of exploding propane tanks. The smell of burned rubber and leaking gas, its rattlesnakelike hiss warning me to step away. My eyes were drawn to color—to

the few things in the grayness that hadn’t burned. The unscathed red bicycle in the rack at the razed elementary school. The green seesaw on a lot where only a chimney stood. The CN&R’s Meredith Cooper drove me through Paradise the morning after the fire broke out, crossing lanes to dodge low-hanging wires from power poles snapped like twigs. It took hours to survey the major destinations, including the remnants of the Gold Nugget Museum. That night a stranger sent me a link to a video without warning me of its graphic footage of bodies. I realize Meredith and I likely had driven right past them hours earlier. A battle with insomnia hit immediately. The images and sleeplessness haunt me to this day. My coping mechanism at the

Six reporters who chronicled the Camp Fire on day one and beyond share their experiences CN&R Editor Melissa Daugherty and one of the cats she befriended in Magalia while the Ridge was closed to the public. PHOTO BY KEN SMITH

time: looking for animals. Something alive, something to help. Meredith and I had seen deer and a squirrel with a scorched tail during that first trip. We drove home bearing the thousand-yard stare. Arts Editor Jason Cassidy and I drove up there the next day, Saturday. Among our many destinations was a pit stop along a scorched roadway where I jumped out to grab a frightened black cat. Gus was reunited with his people after some veterinary care a few months later. Sunday I returned with former staff writer Ken Smith. Midway into our trip, a big rust-colored chicken ran up to me, close enough to touch. Others in the flock hung back. I retrieved bottled water from Ken’s car and filled up one of the plastic bowls I’d brought. I had cat food, but no chicken scratch. Deeper on the property, I spotted an awning with the sort of container used for livestock feed. This presented an ethical quandary—whether to trespass onto private property or let the hungry birds fend for themselves. I went with my gut—my heart, I suppose. Up in a Magalia neighborhood, we spotted two orange cats. More food, more water. Then solo trips every couple of days for refills until animal rescue groups took over. Each night, as I drove home to my sweet husband and son through what felt like tule fog, the Chico streets I’d driven every day for years suddenly felt unfamiliar. Sometimes I’d miss my turn or a stop sign seemed to appear out of nowhere. The toxic haze still hung thick, but my mind was cloudy, too—overwhelmed by the destruction and trauma happening all around me. In my office in those early days of triage reporting, I struggled with the question of how the team of journalists I lead should tell the stories to help survivors. More than a year later, compartmentalization an ongoing struggle, the same answer reveals itself: one at a time. —MELISSA DAUGHERTY me lissad@ n ew sr ev i ew. com

The in-between woke up on Nov. 8, 2018, knowing I had a big story to cover. Steven Crittenden, the former Chico State football player and death row inmate who was granted a new trial in the high-profile 1987 murder of a Chico couple, had been brought to Butte County from San Quentin State Prison for a pivotal change-of-venue hearing. Exciting stuff for this reporter on the courts beat, then at the Chico Enterprise-Record.

As I drove along the highway from Chico to the courthouse in Oroville, a large column of smoke loomed in the distance. I snapped a photo of the plume with my phone through my driver’s-side window. I’ll follow up on that later, I thought. Inside the courtroom, where proceedings were underway, bailiffs and attorneys began getting pinged on their phones. The judge called for a brief break to gather more information. District Attorney Mike Ramsey turned toward the gallery and mouthed to me, “It’s bad.” The Camp Fire was well on its way to upending life in Butte County. The destruction became clear a day later, when I stood at the empty corner of Skyway and Pearson Road in Paradise. The sky was orange. The smoke was choking. Buildings lay smoldering and cars were burned to their frames. What now? I began taking pictures.

I had stood in a ghost town not long before. During the height of the Oroville Dam spillway crisis in 2017, I sped past oncoming evacuation traffic escaping toward Chico, making it to downtown Oroville in time to be swept away in a flood if the emergency spillway were to collapse as feared. I flagged down the lone vehicle driving the streets—a police patrol unit—and asked the officer, “Did the dam break yet?” “Not yet,” he said. The absurdity of the situation wasn’t lost on either of us. In the days that followed, national and regional reporters descended on the scene. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea led daily press conferences. There was a rush in the newsroom to find out how evacuees—more than 180,000 of them—were faring and what had caused the failures at the dam structure. Turns out, it was a dress rehearsal. Cut to November 2018, and Honea again took to the lectern, this time holding daily press conferences in a smoky hall at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico. Day after day he’d deliver grim news that was carried live on TV. The death toll rose. More victims were identified. Hundreds remained missing. The throng of national and regional reporters stayed longer this time, and nerves frayed. In those early days, the sheriff became confrontational with reporters, answering some questions by asking if they had heard what he’d said just a few minutes earlier. Or telling them to draw their own conclusions about the facts presented, such as why most of the dead appeared to be elderly. Local and state officials in the back of the room appeared to take some delight in his handling

of the press, smirking at Honea’s combative responses. The sheriff later told me that he felt compelled to become more direct at the time. Survivors were watching on social media and television, and they appreciated his willingness to “tell it like it is” without speculation. I didn’t realize then that the Camp Fire would consume my work life for the next year. My to-do list often leads me to heart-wrenching stories that have become so common in this postfire landscape. One that has left an indelible mark on me came a few months after I was hired at the CN&R. I reported a tough piece about fire victims whose remains had yet to be officially identified nine

Staff writer Andre Byik has hopped from disaster to disaster, wondering what comes next. PHOTO BY ASHIAH SCHARAGA

months after they were discovered. Families of the deceased spoke about living in limbo—in the realm of uncertainty between knowing their loved ones were gone and not having confirmation. Under less tragic circumstances, I can relate to the sentiment. Reporting on the fire and its aftermath has felt like living in a suspended state of transition. Is there anything beyond the disaster? —ANDRE BYIK a nd r e b @ newsr ev iew.c o m

WITNESS C O N T I N U E D

DECEMBER 12, 2019

O N PA G E 1 8

CN&R

Two days after the Camp Fire broke out, CN&R Arts Editor Jason Cassidy takes a picture of the address marker at a friend’s destroyed Paradise home. PHOTO BY MELISSA DAUGHERTY

Music doesn’t burn

If you can’t recycle, repurpose. Feel good Recycling.

Chico: 2300 Fair St. • (530) 343-4394 • www.fairstreetsolutions.com Hours: Monday-Friday 8am–5:45pm & Saturday 9am-5:30pm 18

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

aybe Conrad’s bass guitar somehow escaped the flames. The black Fender Jaguar was nearly brand new. My lifelong friend Conrad Nystrom played it with the band we are both in—our fourth project in two decades playing music together. And in the 10 years before those, going all the way back to our teens, our friendship was born through the shared experience of escaping our culturally starved hometown of Redding by getting lost in the world of America’s punk and indie-rock underground. I wanted nothing more than to get to the Paradise home Conrad shared with his father, rescue that symbol of our musical journey, and bring it back to my friend who’d just spent two nights sleeping on my dining room floor. When CN&R Editor Melissa Daugherty and I turned from Pentz Road onto Bille that morning (Nov. 10, 2018), I felt encouraged by many signs of life (a jarring contrast to the still-smoldering moonscape we’d just cautiously navigated). Along both sides of the

road leading to Conrad’s place, the lawns were green and most of the homes appeared intact. At the top of his long, steep driveway, however, my pounding heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. Nothing but rubble smothered in a thick blanket of gray ash. I texted the images to my friend, and like that, he knew he’d lost everything—photos of his sons and his late mother, family heirlooms and, of course, the bass. It might seem shallow to have been so focused on one utterly replaceable material object in the immediate aftermath of so much destruction. But, if you were to ask a musician from Paradise or Concow or the other evacuated communities, they likely would have said that, along with the family, pets and photographs, it was their instruments that they grabbed on the way out. Jazz band leader Alan Rigg told me he saved only his keyboard, an amplifier, a couple of guitars and Maggie, his Australian shepherd. Maurice “Big Mo” Huffman lost more than most—multiple homes, two businesses—yet it was the destroyed 1960 Martin acoustic guitar on which he’d worked out every song he’d ever written that he most wished he’d been able to save. The healing process continues for those whose homes were lost, as well as those of us committed to helping. For my comparatively mild trauma, a little guidance from a

longtime counselor has helped with my efforts at self care and quelling anxiety. For those who’ve suffered so much more, it’ll likely take longer to process. But music can offer a muchneeded release along the way. The songs have survived, after all. One of the first things Conrad spent his insurance money on was a brandnew Fender Jaguar bass, and I can vouch for the fact that, over the past year, it’s provided a great deal of rock ’n’ roll therapy for me, him and the rest of our noisy quartet. Music also can bring a community together for shared comfort. As the CN&R’s arts editor and special events producer, I saw as much roughly six months after the fire, on the stage of the Sierra Nevada Big Room during the paper’s annual CAMMIES Music Festival/Awards Show. The spotlight was on those musicians who were impacted by the fire, many of whom performed that evening. For the show’s finale, fire refugees and regulars of the burnedout Norton Buffalo Hall formed a supergroup and threw themselves into two emotional songs: a fullthroated rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and a rousing post-fire tune called “Just Breathe” that was written and led by longtime local musician Mark McKinnon. The wounds of trauma were still fresh, and it was an inspiring, if emotionally overwhelming, experience to witness the players getting lost onstage in the one thing that remained for them all, and to bring us along for the ride. —JASON CASSIDY jasonc@newsrev iew.com

ppy Ha

Unwavering drive

Year! New

n late 2013, my ex-husband and I moved back to Butte County after a stint abroad, settling in a large room in one of the half-dozen houses on his dad’s “hippie compound,” as I affectionally called it, off of Wagstaff Road in Paradise. It was only home for six months or so, but I’ll never forget the sound of silence amid the pines, the comfort of the wood stove on cold nights, and the slower pace of life outside the “big city.”

On Nov. 9, 2018, while driving up the Skyway mouth agape, windows down with mask pulled down, I, along with CN&R Editor Melissa Daugherty, saw a whole different Paradise. The air was a thick, smoky haze, which, combined with the utter destruction we saw all around us and the emptiness of the roads, created a scene right out of a post-apocalyptic horror film. Except this was no movie. Our only real agenda that first day was to survey the damage and document what we saw. I don’t remember a lot of specifics—my memories from those days, like the air those first few weeks, are hazy. But a few are seared into my brain. The car in the parking lot of what once was Kalico Kitchen, its charred frame resting on the ground, the aluminum from the hub caps having burned so hot it had oozed down the pavement. The rows of abandoned vehicles along nearly every roadway. The power poles hanging like crosses from electric lines, flames still eating away at them from the bottom up. Then we went to Wagstaff. Addresses were hard to find, but strangely the small but colorful flag that marked my former in-laws’ driveway was still there, proof that what I was looking at before me was, indeed, the still-smoldering remains of that old hippie compound. I returned to Chico that night and wept. The tears flowed daily for months. I mostly held it together for interviews, forcing myself to be strong. But I often found myself quietly sobbing at my desk, or in the bathroom at work. And every night when I got home, finally able to shed the day’s distress. Oliver, my trusty Boston terrier, licked a lot of tears last year. I texted my ex-sister-in-law to ensure everyone had made it out—the number of miss-

Make Your New Year’s Eve Reservations with Us

CN&R Managing Editor Meredith J. Cooper at Lookout Point at the tail-end of a long day in Paradise on Nov. 9. PHOTO BY MELISSA DAUGHERTY

ing at that time was staggering. They had. I told her what I’d seen, and I sent her pictures. They’d figured it had all burned, she said, but knowing for sure gave them some closure. Over the next few weeks, I returned to Paradise—and Magalia, Yankee Hill, Concow, Butte Creek Canyon. Many of my trips were missions to check on friends’ homes. Driving through the neighborhoods allowed me to see things I wouldn’t have by sticking to the main routes. A flock of wild turkeys on South Park Drive in lower Magalia; the lone standing homes amid seas of rubble and ash. I’ve written countless Camp Fire-related stories over the past year, and it’s been simultaneously some of the most rewarding work I’ve done in my roughly 13 years at the CN&R and the most emotionally challenging. From covering the vital issue of water contamination to interviewing folks giving of their own meager means to ensure their fellow survivors have food to eat and warm clothes in the winter, this coverage touches my heart in a way few other stories ever have. I don’t cry daily anymore, but I do still break down occasionally. I know I’m not alone. But as journalists, and entrenched members of this community, we march on, our collective drive to do our part for our neighbors unwavering, perhaps even stronger than ever. —MEREDITH J. COOPER m e re d i t h c @new srev i ew. c o m

WITNESS C O N T I N U E D

eet 5th sthrous teak

rd Gift Ca

Fill your loved one’s stockings with 5th Street Steakhouse Gift Cards. Gift Cards Available Online www.5thstreetsteakhouse.com

15 13

17 15

18 16

19 17

345 West 5th Street Chico, CA 95928 (530) 891–6328

Now taking Reservations at 5thstreetsteakhouse.com Open Fridays for Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm Join us for Happy Hour Every Day 4:30–6pm

O N PA G E 2 0

DECEMBER 12, 2019

CN&R

Staff writer Ashiah Scharaga at the Neighborhood Church evacuation shelter on Nov. 9, 2018. PHOTO BY KEN SMITH

join our

team

Cn&r is Looking For • advertising ConsuLtant • distribution driver

the Chico news & review is a family owned business that has been part of the Chico community since 1977. our mission is to publish great newspapers which are successful and enduring, create a quality work environment, and to have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

For more inFormation, visit www.newsreview.Com/ChiCo/jobs 20

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

equal opportunity employer

Secondhand Suffering

knew I had to leave the auditorium of the Paradise Performing Arts Center when I started shaking. Butte County Fire Chief David Hawks was on stage, speaking about the wildfire conditions on Nov, 8, 2018. He calmly went through a play-byplay of how his department responded as the Camp Fire tore across the Ridge. I wasn’t reporting at the time. In fact, I was about to perform at the Joy Will Find a Way variety show—a tribute to the resiliency of the Ridge on the weekend of the one-year anniversary—with my castmates from Theatre on the Ridge’s Bright Star. As we waited for our turn on stage, we held each others’ hands and cried while watching musicians performing moving original songs and then a heartbreaking symphonic memorial performance featuring images of those who died. My reaction to Hawks, however, surprised me. I found myself growing angry. I don’t want to hear this, I thought. Why is he telling us what we already know? Once I reached the lobby, I broke down sobbing in front of strangers. Suddenly, I felt someone gently touching my elbow. Her name

was Sharon, and she was a volunteer therapist from the Camp Fire Long-Term Recovery Group. She embraced me and told me it was OK. In fact, what I was experiencing was a normal, physical reaction to trauma, she explained. But that can’t be right, I thought. You see, I wasn’t there. That fateful morning I was in the CN&R newsroom, trying to quell the fear and dread growing inside of me as I learned more about what was happening. I reached out to my boyfriend’s family, who’d lived in Paradise for decades, and my castmates of Theatre on the Ridge’s High Noon on Wall Street, which was supposed to start its second week of shows that night. It was irresponsible to feel. As a journalist, it was my duty to be calm. And that’s how much of the past year went. Even at home. My boyfriend had just lost his hometown. His mother and grandmother lost everything. They moved in with us temporarily, and we became a household of five people and four cats in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. The last thing I wanted to do was make this about me. So I kept moving. And the stories kept piling up as we hustled to cover the aftereffects of the fire. The enormity of the suffering I’d witnessed secondhand lingered, attaching itself to a darkness within me. Sometimes the grief I felt would escape briefly: I cried after I interviewed a man living in

the RV park at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds who was worried about providing for his family. I did so again after visiting Gridley for a cover story, where I witnessed the compassion of the community first-hand at a donation center for survivors. And the story of the first survivor I spoke to, Anna Dise, has never left me: She last saw her father running into their burning home and then spent the night outrunning the fire with her dogs. The night of the show, I told Sharon a truncated version of this, and I asked her why I was reacting so strongly—it felt wrong. It wasn’t, she told me. After speaking with her and shedding more tears with a couple of my castmates, I composed myself, reapplied my makeup and performed well. Not long after, I attended a free webinar about how witnessing and responding to a disaster can affect people, and it validated so much of what I had experienced over the past year. It’s often the helpers who end up being overexposed to stories of trauma, for example. And that in caring so deeply for others, we often overlook ourselves, which is detrimental to us and to the people we serve. I’m still working on that self-care. But those experiences marked a turning point for me. I realized that it wasn’t selfish to admit that the Camp Fire had traumatized me, too. —ASHIAH SCHARAGA ash ia h s@ newsr ev iew.c o m

Shared pain O

n a dark and smoky morning in July 2018, a friend and I wheeled past a National Guardsman manning a Humvee-mounted machine gun at the last of a series of roadblocks standing at Redding’s western edge, and into the footprint of the then-active Carr Fire. Our mission that day was both professional and deeply personal. We’re both journalists, and both grew up on the rural outskirts of Redding—some of the areas most affected by that terrible fire, which burned nearly 230,000 acres, more than 1,000 homes and took eight lives. Our press credentials came courtesy of my hometown newspaper, the Shasta Lake Bulletin, and en route from Chico we met his parents at the Corning casino they’d evacuated to. His dad asked us to see if their home and a halfdozen other family properties survived, and his mom cried every time she reminded us to check on her chickens. Past the checkpoint, wide swaths of formerly forested areas had been wiped away and replaced with a blanket of still-smoldering ash,

while in other places whole, charred trees—torn from the ground by the fire’s record-setting localized winds (and resulting “firenado”)— littered roadways alongside live power lines. The devastation was even more profound as we came back toward the city on the north side—through the now-incinerated community of Keswick and into the ruins of neighborhoods where I’d attended family barbecues and high school parties. At the end of the day, we were about 50/50 on the properties we checked on, and my companion’s childhood home (and its resident chickens) made it. Miraculously, it seemed, as the ground around the house and coop was covered in charred pockmarks caused by falling embers, and the fire stopped yards from the front door. My own family’s homes also made it through safely, with the only direct damage more symbolic than physical—flames ripped through the Whiskeytown Cemetery, turning a sapling that had sprung from my mother’s grave to charcoal and leaving her headstone covered in ash and soot. I hoped to never see destruction like that firsthand again, but it was far eclipsed in scale, proximity and personal impact a few months later by the Camp Fire. I’d left my job at the CN&R earlier that year to pursue a freelance career, but with the community in crisis I felt helpless

saves you money!

TE A IC IF T R E C GIFT $ 40%

BAKERY MORNING | COUNTRY ICO 95928

27 530-899-05

cash. Not redeemable for DR. ST. A, CH ns 1749.45-1749.6. nia Civil Code Sectio 2625 AZTEC store credit. according to Califor e will be given as

off

Country Morning Bakery & Cafe

Momona Noodle + Bao

Fresh Cove

$5 Value

$10 Value

$20 Value

You pay $6

expire for gratuity. Chang cate and does not This is a gift certifi discounts and offers. Cannot be used other Can be used with

You pay $3

I didn’t have time to process my own experience until I traveled to Santa Rosa for Thanksgiving, as the fire still burned. The rain that helped quell the inferno started falling just as I left Chico, and I was overcome with emotion at the weight of it all. Those feelings returned as I passed through Middletown, still visibly scarred from the 2015 Valley Fire, and other areas affected by that summer’s Mendocino Complex Fire. The reality of recovery sank in in Santa Rosa, where little had been rebuilt in the footprint of the 2017 Tubbs Fire and survivors detailed how their community had changed. Lack of hous-

and was driven—like many other people—to contribute the best way I knew how. In my case, that meant reporting, and I was happy to rejoin my colleagues at this paper. I remember the days following the fire as a blur of activity and anxiety. During the day I dashed between shelters, makeshift settlements, community meetings, the incident command center and the broken Ridge. At night there were more meetings, time spent with friends who’d lost everything, getting to know my new roommate (a displaced survivor), and watching Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea deliver the daily toll of the missing and confirmed dead.

You pay $10

40%

This is a gift cer 1749.45-1749 tificate and does not exp .6. Not red offers. Can eemable for ire according to Cali not be use fornia Civi d for gratuit cash. Can be used with other l Code Sections y. Change discounts and will be give n as store credit.

off

CN&R contributor Ken Smith positions himself to take photos of the charred husks of cars on the Skyway. PHOTO BY MELISSA DAUGHERTY

ing, an insane real estate market, a mass exodus of residents—all the things they mentioned and more have come to pass in Butte County. I am sometimes haunted by things I saw during the Camp Fire, and the trauma of it all still hangs heavy over our community. But perhaps more troubling is the realization that other California communities share some of that pain, and the surety that still more will in the future. —KEN SMITH

OVE FRESHEAC TON RD 14 WEST 95973 CHICO, CA 26 530-774-58

MOMO N & BAO A NOODLE

230W 3R 530.48 D ST. 7.7488

50%

Code Sections to California Civil expire according and cate and does not with other discounts This is a gift certifi cash. Can be used Not redeemable for as store credit. 1749.45-1749.6. Change will be given ity. gratu for used offers. Cannot be

off

Cnrsweetdeals.newsreview.Com

Buy online anytime with a credit card or in person with cash, check or credit card M-F 9am – 5pm at 353 E. Second Street, Downtown Chico.

DECEMBER 12, 2019

CN&R

Arts &Culture Erick Richter’s “Goliathine Scarab Beetle” greets patrons at 1078 Gallery’s Six (for) Stories Eight exhibit.

k c a p x i S

THIS WEEK 12

THU

Special Events BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL: Celebration of backcountry winter sports and outdoor adventure. Screening followed by speaker panel featuring the filmmakers. Thu, 12/12, 6pm. Sierra Nevada Big Room, 1075 E. 20th St. sierranevada.com

CAMPUS TREE AND SHRUB TOUR: Mount Lassen chapter of the California Native Plant Society hosts guided two-hour tour of colorful campus foliage. Meet in front of Bidwell Mansion, call Marjorie for info at 343-2397. Thu, 12/12, 10am. Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, 525 Esplanade.

A rich collection for 1078 Gallery’s annual group show

TParkidentity of its fairly new space on Avenue, but the beloved Chico art he 1078 Gallery is still grooming the

institution has carried over a few annual series from its previous locales. For the story and rest of the month, the photo by eighth installment of its Rachel Bush traditional December exhibit, Stories—which Review: showcases several artSix (for) Stories Eight ists with strong ties to Shows through Dec. 5 Chico—will be on the walls. 1078 Gallery Six (for) Stories 1710 Park Ave. 433-1043 Eight was curated by 1078gallery.org 1078 board member and longtime arts advocate Thomasin Saxe. The six artists featured in the December 2019 lineup include Adria Davis, Kathleen Nartuhi, J. A. Nice, Carla Resnick, Eric Richter and Ruby Rudnick, all of whom have been on Saxe’s extensive art docket for a while. “I love these artists. I always love the artists of Stories,” Saxe said in a recent interview. “I don’t curate the art for this show, but I do curate the artists, and I always love to see what they’ve chosen. If I can live long enough, there will be many more groups of six to come, but I thought these particular six offered a nice 22

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

variety for this year’s exhibit. They’re all different mediums.” Accompanying the exhibit is a small informative booklet that profiles each of the artists. It’s filled with photos and narratives, some of which are fairly literal descriptions of their artistic journeys and inspirations, while others provide more abstract glimpses into their heads. The gallery has kept the layout clean and straightforward for this show. There are no overtly complicated or experimental installations, giving viewers breathing room to take in the works of six unique artists. Starting on the left side of the gallery’s modest-size main room are Rudnick’s playful pen and ink illustrations, a project that was conceived from her personal challenge to draw a new sketch every day. Describing her move from Chico to New Orleans as the perfect chance to “abandon [her] creative zone,” she started creating simple yet detailed cross-hatched illustrations. The result? Humorous interactions between humans and animals, like “Doula,” in which a friendly dolphin supports a woman during her water-birth labor. Turn in to the gallery’s alcove to find Resnick’s acrylic and paper collages, a geometric playground of circles, squares, scribbles and line work that she creates as attempts to “change her internal dia-

logue” in times of distress. Her colorful pieces provide an interesting juxtaposition to Nice’s adjacent historical print etchings, which include four black-andwhite variations of the same location in Westminster, England. Near the edge of the alcove hangs several of Davis’ digital photographs of projections. Her images of Camp Fire ruins overlaid with the victims’ new homes reveal intense, hopeful resilience. In “Adria 95821,” a photo of her own charred former yard is framed by the outline of her new house in Sacramento. In the center of the image hangs the window of her home, which simultaneously peeks into her past and holds space for what’s ahead. The gallery’s main room offers more space for works from each artist, including four rectangular pillars that house some of Nartuhi’s handmade booklets. “If You Find” requires viewers to follow the accordion folds of each page and word until reaching the moral of the book’s humorous, albeit short story. And Richter’s four acrylic and graphite paintings break up the room nicely, especially “Goliathine Scarab Beetle,” which depicts a large-scale image of the Kelly green insect with paint dripping from its shell. Stories manages to provide an extensive and rich variety of work that belies the gallery’s cozy confines. Ω

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION: Santa will be available for pictures, and crafts, snacks and goody bags will be available. Thu, 12/12, 6pm. Free. Dorothy Johnson Center, 775 E. 16th St.

Music THE YULE LOGS: ’Tis the season with the raddest holiday band in town. Thu, 12/12, 8:30pm. Argus Bar + Patio, 212 W. Second St.

Theater THE SANTALAND DIARIES: Celebrate the holidays on this hilarious ride through retail hell with a local production of David Sedaris’ classic essay. Thu, 12/12, 7:30pm. $15. Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. blueroomtheatre.com

FRI

Special Events BIDWELL MANSION EVENING TOURS: The mansion will be decorated in Victorian holiday style and visitors will get to tour all three floors while live music plays on the grand piano. Fri, 12/13, 6:30pm. $10. Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, 525 Esplanade. 895-6144. bidwellmansionpark.com

BIZARRE BAZAAR!

Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 14-15 Chico Women’s Club SEE SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SPECIAL EVENTS

FINE ARTS ON NEXT PAGE CHICO CHAI HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Sunday, Dec. 15 Chico Chai

SEE SUNDAY, SPECIAL EVENTS

CHICO CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT: You will be assigned an area and spend the day counting birds. All levels of birders are welcome. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Chico Creek Nature Center, contact Mary Muchowski at 2280625 with questions. Sat 12/14, 7:30am. Free. Varies, Chico Area.

EARLY DEADLINE

SUNDAY SUPERJAM: Jam with and dance to

Due to holiday scheduling, submissions for the Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 print calendars are due by Monday, Dec. 16, 5 p.m.

Theater

CHICO-CON: The local comic convention is back

FROM DEMOCRACY TO FREEDOM: CrimethInc. action network tour stops at Blackbird to pass out anarchist literature. Fri, 12/13, 7pm. Blackbird, 1431 Park Ave.

DANCE WITH REBELLYON: Participate in belly dance session guided by local dance troupe. Admission is free. Fri, 12/13, 6:30pm. Museum of Northern California Art, 900 Esplanade. monca.org

VOLUNTEER FRIDAYS: Join in picking up litter and pulling weeds. For more info call Shane at 896-7831. Fri, 12/13, 9am. Bidwell Park.

VOOM VOOM VARIETY SHOW: Chikoko hosts local talent showcase and a huge art raffle as a kick-off party for its annual Bizarre Bazaar. Fri, 12/13, 7pm. $5. Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St.

Music BETHEL AME CELEBRATION GOSPEL CHOIR: Local gospel choir gives special performance with guest Webster Moore. Fri, 12/13, 8pm. $7-$12. Tender Loving Coffee, 365 E. Sixth St.

CHICO STATE GUITAR ENSEMBLE FALL RECITAL: A varied program comprised of solos, duos, quartets, and works for a large ensemble. Fri, 12/13, 5pm. Free. Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall, Chico State, Performing Arts Center 134. 898-5152. csuchico.edu

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER & SHAWN COLVIN: Two icons of folk and country music perform a special show together. Fri, 12/13, 7:30pm. $15-$58. Laxson Auditorium, Chico State, 898-6333. chicoperformances.com

NORTH STATE SYMPHONY HOLIDAY CONCERT: Celebrate the season with a festive performance of a variety of sacred and popular holiday music. Fri, 12/13, 7:30pm. $15-$30. First Baptist Church, 850 Palmetto Ave. northstatesymphony.org

TANNER RICHARDSON: Tender-hearted singer/ songwriter performs for happy hour. Fri, 12/13, 4pm. La Salles, 229 Broadway St. lasalleschico.com

Theater ELF THE MUSICAL: California Regional Theatre brings a musical version of the beloved holiday film to the stage. Fri, 12/13, 7:30pm. $15-$30. CUSD Center for the Arts, 1465 East Ave. crtshows.com

GIVE MY REGARDS TO CHRISTMAS: Legacy State presents and new Christmas cabaret featuring new arrangements of classic carols with a live band and professional cast. Fri, 12/13, 7:30pm. $15 - $25. Apollo Piano, 936 Mangrove Ave., Ste. B. legacystage.ticketleap.com

THE SANTALAND DIARIES: See Thursday. Fri, 12/13, 7:30pm. $15. Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. blueroomtheatre.com

SAT

Special Events BIDWELL MANSION EVENING TOURS: See Friday. Sat 12/14, 6:30pm. $10. Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, 525 Esplanade. 895-6144. bidwellmansionpark.com

BIZARRE BAZAAR: Shop local with more than 20 local artists featuring a wide variety one-ofa-kind gifts. Sat 12/14, 10am. Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St.

BUTTE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE: Open house with decorations, quilt drawing and light refreshments. Coincides with Parade of Lights. Sat 12/14, 3pm. Ehmann Home, 1480 Lincoln, Oroville.

and in December. Tons of comics, plus Marvel and DC artists, cosplay contest and more. Sat 12/14, 10am. $5. Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, 2357 Fair St. Find “Chico-Con 2019!” on Facebook.

DUCK DUCK GOOSE: Join Adventure Quest on a free visit to the wildlife viewing platform out on 7 Mile Lane. Bring your binocs! Sat 12/14, 9am. 7 Mile Lane.

EAT FOR THE SEASONS: Learn simple and healthy recipes with a full spread of delicious winter food to eat communally while learning more about eating locally. All proceeds go directly to local nonprofit Seeds of Love. Sat 12/14, 1pm. $30-$60. Hatha House, 707 Wall St.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE WORKSHOP: Ticket includes materials, frosting and decorations for an impressive candy house for up to eight people. Sat 12/14, 10am. $45. Patrick Ranch Museum, 10381 Midway, Durham. patrickranchmuseum.org

HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR: Shop and sip with a variety of local artisans. Sat 12/14, 12pm. The Commons Social Empourium, 2412 Park Ave.

OROVILLE PARADE OF LIGHTS: Winter Wonderlandthemed celebration featuring hometown Christmas in historic downtown with floats, vehicles, horses, music and Santa riding a fire truck. Sat 12/14, 6pm. Downtown Oroville.

TACK AND CRAFT SALE AND SANTA DAY: The Chico Equestrian Association hosts holiday sale with hot dogs, hot cider and wagon rides. Sat 12/14, 10am. Chico Equestrian Association Arena, Upper Bidwell Park.

USMAN VS. COVINGTON: Screening of UFC fight in the lounge with special guest Benito “The Golden Boy” Lopez. Sat 12/14, 7pm. $10. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville. featherfallscasino.com

Music THE CHRISTMAS JUG BAND: Kings of acoustic folk and swing perform at the museum, presented by Norton Buffalo Hall-West. Sat, 12/14, 7pm. $25. Museum of Northern California Art, 900 Esplanade. monca.org

RON BRUDER: Local tunes for brunch. Sat, 12/14, 11am. La Salles, 229 Broadway St.

Theater ELF THE MUSICAL: See Friday. Sat, 12/14, 2pm and 7:30pm. $15-$30. CUSD Center for the Arts, 1465 East Ave. crtshows.com

GIVE MY REGARDS TO CHRISTMAS: See Friday. Sat 12/14, 7:30pm. $15-$25. Apollo Piano, 936 Mangrove Ave., Ste. B. legacystage. ticketleap.com

THE SANTALAND DIARIES: See Thursday. Sat, 12/14,

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER AND SHAWN COLVIN Friday, Dec. 13 Laxson Auditorium SEE FRIDAY, MUSIC

FREE LISTINGS! Post your event for free online at www. newsreview.com/calendar, or email the CN&R calendar editor at cnrcalendar@newsreview.com. Deadline for print listings is Wednesday, 5 p.m., one week prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

The Loco-Motive Band and many of Chico’s best musicians at this weekly pro jam. Rock, blues, country, funk--anything goes. Sign up early, music starts at 2. Sun, 12/15, 2pm. LaSalles, 229 Broadway St.

7:30pm. $15. Blue Room Theatre, 139 W. First St. blueroomtheatre.com

ELF THE MUSICAL: See Friday. Sun, 12/15, 2pm. $15-$30. CUSD Center for the Arts, 1465 East Ave. crtshows.com

GIVE MY REGARDS TO CHRISTMAS: See Friday. Sun, 12/15, 2pm. $15-$25. Apollo Piano, 936

SUN

Mangrove Ave., Ste. B. legacystage.ticketleap.com

Special Events

turing face painting, photos with Santa,

TUE

Lake Drive.

Special Events

AMBER GROVE TOY DRIVE: Annual toy drive fearefreshments and more. Sun, 12/15, 1pm. Peterson Park, Denali Drive & Rollins

BIZARRE BAZAAR: See Saturday. Sun, 12/15, 10am. Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St. CHICO CHAI HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Enjoy free chai samples and treats, plus an opportunity to purchase sweet holiday gifts. Sun, 12/15, 10am. Free. Chico Chai, 1919 Park Ave. 8970822. chicochaitea.com

CRAFT THAT!: A drop-in craft group for anyone who is feeling creative and wanting to meet other crafty folks. Contact Laura at shelovestocraft@gmail.com for more info. Sun, 12/15, 11am. Blackbird, 1431 Park Ave.

FREE MOVIE: Call for movie title (891-2762). Sun, 12/15, 2pm. Chico Branch Library, 1108 Sherman Ave. buttecounty.net

ROTTEN: THE AVOCADO WARS: Film screening about the avocado as well as food scarcity and security followed by discussion. Tue, 12/17, 7pm. Chico Peace & Justice Center, 526 Broadway St.

Music CENTRAL-ISHI MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND: Annual holiday concert with director Ron Wolcott. Tue, 12/17, 7pm. $30. Oroville State Theatre, 1489 Myers St., Oroville. orovillestatetheatre.com

WED

Special Events

Music

HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR: Vendors will be at the

CHICO COMMUNITY BAND WINTER CONCERT: Celebrate the season with full concert band of local musicians, plus additional smaller group performances. Sun, 12/15, 3pm. Free. Lakeside Pavilion, 2565 California Park Dr.

market selling a variety of locally handcrafted gifts for the holiday season including roasted coffee, soaps, ornaments, jewelry and more. Wed, 12/18, 8am. North Valley Plaza parking lot.

SHIGEMI MINETAKA’S MUSICAL CHAIRS: Taking improv one step further by inviting players to rotate and change instruments freely throughout the set. Sun, 12/15, 11am. Tender Loving Coffee, 365 E. Sixth St.

FOR MORE MUSIC, SEE NIGHTLIFE ON PAGE 26

EDITOR’S PICK

BAH, HUMBUG No place threatens one’s Christmas spirit like a mall during the holidays, and David Sedaris’ celebrated “Santaland Diaries” essay describes this merry mayhem in such terrifyingly glorious detail it has become a cult Christmas classic. The Blue Room Theatre is presenting a two-week run of the stage adaptation starting tonight (Dec. 12) as presented by local theater veterans Betty Burns (director) and Delisa Freistadt (Crumpet the Elf). Join the chaos during a hilarious and sad December at Macy’s filled with drunken Santas, annoying kids and pushy parents as the beloved anti-hero tries to survive the season with clever observations and a most acerbic wit. DECEMBER 12, 2019

CN&R

SCENE

FINE ARTS

Smiling’s my favorite Fun musical version of Christmas comedy Elf WONDER AND LIGHT

Shows through Jan. 25 Orland Art Center SEE ART

Art 1078 GALLERY: Six (for) Stories Eight, six artist group show. Through 12/29. 1710 Park Ave. 1078gallery.org

CHICO ART CENTER: The Gift Show, artists sell handmade goods and artwork for the holiday season. Think global, buy local. Through 12/27. 450 Orange St. chicoartcenter.com

HEALING ART GALLERY AT ENLOE CANCER CENTER: Art by Christine MacShane, paintings by local artist. The Enloe Cancer Center, Healing Art Gallery shows work by artists whose lives have been touched by cancer (survivors, caretakers and healthcare givers). Through 1/24. Free. 265 Cohasset Road.

JACKI HEADLEY UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY: To Freeze the Shifting Phantasmagoria, exhibit investigates diverse strategies emerging in contemporary painting, highlighting work by California artists. Through 12/14. Chico State, ARTS 121. headleygallerycsuchico. com

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ART: Reflection and Hope, group exhibit reflecting the experiences of survivors and the community a year after the Camp Fire. And, Bench Press, benches by 13 artists. 900 Esplanade, monca.org

ORLAND ART CENTER: Wonder and Light, featured Artists: Mollie Flack, Jeannie Vodden, and Susan Greaves. 732 Fourth St., Orland.

RED TAVERN: Flora, Fauna and Fields, eclectic exhibit featuring paintings in oils and watercolor by Eva Farley, Candy Matthews and Dolores Mitchell. Through 1/1. 1250 Esplanade.

SIX (FOR) STORIES EIGHT Shows through Dec. 29 1078 Gallery SEE ART

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

SALLY DIMAS ART GALLERY: Home for the Holidays, works by Gary Baugh. Through 12/31. 493 East Ave., Ste.1.

THE TURNER: 3rd Story Prints with Prose, prints alongside Chico State students’ flash-fiction works inspired by the museum’s collection. Through 12/14. Free. Arts & Humanities Building, Chico State. theturner.org

Museums CHICO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: Tons of cool stuff for kids to explore including a miniature city, complete with a junior vet clinic, dentist, cafe and farmer’s market, a giant fish tank, multisensory room, imagination playground and much more. Check the website for hours and admission information. Through 8/3. $7-$9. 325 Main St. chicochildrensmuseum.org.

GATEWAY SCIENCE MUSEUM: Before and Beyond the Moon, interactive multimedia exhibition celebrates the human and technological achievements needed to reach the moon and envisions a future Mars landing. Through 12/15. 625 Esplanade.

VALENE L. SMITH MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY: Unbroken Traditions Basketweavers of the Meadows-Baker Families in Northern California, exhibition represents the culmination of one year of research and collaboration between Mountain Maidu weavers, other tribal experts, museums studies students, faculty and curators. Through 5/15. Chico State.

‘TforChristmas cheer is to sing loud all to hear.” So says Buddy he best way to spread

the Elf, and that’s exactly what the characters in Elf the Musical by do. Robert Speer Those who rob e r t s pe e r@ have seen the new srev i ew. c o m movie Elf, starring Will Ferrell, have a good idea Review: of the story line California regional of the musical theatre presents elf the Musical version. Just friday & Saturday, add songs and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday & dancing, and Sunday, 2 p.m., you’ve got Elf through dec. 15. tickets: $20-$30 the Musical— with music by CUSD Center Matthew Sklar, for the Arts lyrics by Chad 1475 east Ave. 800-722-4522 Beguelin and crtshows.com book by Thomas Meehand and Bob Martin. The play premiered in 2010 on Broadway, and is currently being produced by California Regional Theatre at the CUSD Center for the Arts. Buddy the Elf (played with manic glee by Alex Limper) is an orphan who, as an infant, crawled into Santa Claus’ bag of gifts and inadvertently hitched a ride to the North Pole, where he was raised by elves. As the play begins, he is realizing that he is simply too big and too inept at making toys to be an elf— that he is, in fact, a human being. At Santa’s urging, he sets off for New York City to find his father, Walter Hobbs (Christopher Sullivan), who doesn’t know he has an elfin son and certainly doesn’t want one.

Walter is a workaholic executive who is on the naughty list because he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus (as manifested here by Ron Halvorson, white beard and all). Walter’s wife, Emily (nicely played by Melodie Ellison), and 12-yearold son, Michael (a remarkably talented Nikolas Gephart), are similarly skeptical. Their home is devoid of Christmas decorations. They’ve lost the Christmas spirit. This is where Buddy comes in. At first the people he meets think this weird man in an elf costume is simply nuts, but gradually his unabashed joy in life and determination to spread Christmas cheer win them over. The musical carries a PG rating, primarily because it has a few “potty” words and mild adult jokes that go over the heads of most children. It’s recommended for kids 8 and older. I saw the matinee last Sunday (Dec. 8), and most of the large audience in the Center for the Arts was made up of adults accompanied by children. Both age groups seemed to enjoy the show. As usual for this company, the quality is high. There are six or seven singing roles, and all of the actors are vocally strong, none more

Buddy the Elf (Alex Limper) and Jovie (Anna Calvert) spread Christmas cheer. Photo by Jennifer redeker

so than Limper. As Buddy, he is on stage for nearly the entire play, giving a physically and vocally brilliant musical performance that was one of the best I’ve seen in recent years. The other actors all have smaller parts and fewer songs, but when their times come to shine, they do so. Credit music director Olivia Cerullo for her skillful coaxing of excellent vocals from the cast. The Center for the Arts is the most modern and complete theater space in the North Valley, and CRT knows how to make good use of its lighting and sound capabilities. Sarah Shoemaker’s choreography and Brandon Kuiper-Morgan’s lighting design were both excellent. Director Bob Maness, the driving force behind the CRT, wisely has chosen to purchase a set of rear projection images designed for Elf the Musical that instantly create backdrops for the action happening center stage. The visuals range from a Chinese restaurant, a Central Park scene, a view from the Empire State Building, the North Pole and several more. They gave a welcome depth to the scenic design. □

December 12, 2019

CN&R

NIGHTLIFE

THUrSDAY 12/12—WeDNeSDAY 12/18 BROTHERS OF THE OVEN: Local duo plays bluesy-alternative rock ’n’ roll. Fri, 12/13, 8pm. $5. Argus Bar + Patio, 212 W. Second St.

CHICAGO THE TRIBUTE: The greatest hits of Chicago performed by a full band. Fri, 12/13, 9:30pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville. featherfallscasino.com

HeLLYeAH

GRATEFUL BLUEGRASS BOYS: Grateful

Saturday, Dec. 14 Senator Theatre

Dead tunes and more played

with a bluegrass twist. Fri, 12/13, 8pm. Lost on Main, 319 Main St.

See SATUrDAY

JOHN SEID, LARRY PETERSON, CHRIS WENGER: An eclectic mix of dinner

tunes. Fri, 12/13, 6:30pm. Diamond Steakhouse, 220 W. Fourth St.

12THUrSDAY

DINNER WITH THE BIDWELLS: December residency series with local singer/ songwriter duo. Thu, 12/12, 6pm. Tender Loving Coffee, 365 E. Sixth St.

GENE KELLY AND FRIENDS: Veteran gui-

13FrIDAY

ALEX VINCENT: Live music from singer/

songwriter. Fri, 12/13, 8pm. The Exchange, 1975 Montgomery Street, Oroville. theexchangeoroville.com

BETHEL AME CELEBRATION GOSPEL CHOIR: Local gospel choir gives special performance with guest Webster Moore. Fri, 12/13, 8pm. $7-$12. Tender Loving Coffee, 365 E. Sixth St.

tarist/singer and special guests for an evening of inspired music. Thu, 12/12, 6:30pm. Farm Star Pizza, 2359 Esplanade.

TRIPLE TREE: Sweet reggae jams for dancing. Thu, 12/12, 9pm. $5. La Salles, 229 Broadway St.

BRADLEY AND ZIC: Live music, drinks

and food. Fri, 12/13, 6pm. Almendra Winery & Distillery, 9275 Midway Road, Durham.

LOCALS NIGHT: The Empty Gate, Iver

and WRVNG share the bill. Fri, 12/13, 8:30pm. $7. The Maltese, 1600 Park Ave.

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER & SHAWN COLVIN: Two icons of folk and country music perform a special show together. Fri, 12/13, 7:30pm. $15-$58. Laxson Auditorium, Chico State, 898-6333. chicoperformances.com

OPEN MIC: Bring an instrument. Acoustic/electric guitar and drum set available to use. Sign-ups at 7:30pm, all ages welcome until 10pm. Fri, 12/13, 8pm. $1. Down Lo, 319 Main St.

ROCKHOUNDS: Classic rock ’n’ roll hits with local cover band. Fri, 12/13, 9pm. Tackle Box, 379 E. Park Ave.

cHIcO STeW

SOUL POSSE: Fun dance music and sing-along songs with local cover band. Fri, 12/13, 7pm. Free. The Hive, 736 Sixth St., Orland.

SURROGATE: Local legends commemorate 10-year anniversary of Popular Mechanics release by playing full album live. Bay Area band Oceanography and locals Lish Bills open. Fri, 12/13, 9pm. $10. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St.

So many flavors from the local music scene in one Friday night (Dec. 13) pot at The Maltese: Punk/goth/pop/rock vets The Empty Gate will make you wanna dance, gothy darkwavers Iver will make you wanna dance with your eyes closed, and newcomers WRVNG will make you wanna maybe gently sway with a drink in your hand. An all-killer, no-filler lineup to warm yer belly on a cold winter’s night..

TREVOR WALLACE: LA-based comedian/ actor. Fri, 12/13, 6:30pm. El Rey Theater, 230 W. Second St. elrey chico.com

VOOM VOOM VARIETY SHOW: Chikoko hosts local talent showcase and a huge art raffle to kick off the annual Bizarre Bazaar. Fri, 12/13, 7pm. $5. Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St.

14SATUrDAY

3PINTS DOWN: Good time, sing-a-

long tunes from local three-piece band. Sat, 12/14, 6pm. Farm Star Pizza, 2359 Esplanade.

THE CHRISTMAS JUG BAND: Kings of acoustic folk and swing perform at the museum, presented by Norton Buffalo Hall-West. Sat, 12/14, 7pm. $25. Museum of Northern California Art, 900 Esplanade. monca.org

DANCE NIGHT W/ J-HO AND U-YES!: The

dynamic duo returns to spin some tunes. Sat, 12/14, 9pm. $2. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St.

DEVIN WRIGHT: Live music, food and

beer. Sat, 12/14, 8pm. The Exchange, 1975 Montgomery St., Oroville. the exchangeoroville.com

DUSTBOWL REVIVAL: American roots

on Main, 319 Main St.

HANNAH JANE KILE AND THE CHRISTMAS COOKIES: Singer songwriter debuts special holiday show. Sat, 12/14, 7pm and 9pm. $10. Tender Loving Coffee, 365 E. Sixth St.

HELLYEAH: Heavy metal band featuring members of Pantera and Mudvayne performs. Nonpoint & Deepfall share the bill. Sat, 12/14, 7pm. $32-$37. The

music with a dash of funk and soul. Sat, 12/14, 9pm. $15-$18. Lost

! s l a e M s u io ic l e D Inday’s $10 Value

You pay $3.50

65% off

Tender Loving Coffee $10 Value

You pay $6.00

Pita Pit

In 1043-B day’s Re

40%$ off

by red to abide & Review is requie with California hing dba News accordanc but Community Publisicates do not expire in discounts and offers, t. Gift certif corporation, Chico with other As a CaliforniaCivil Codes and regulations. certificate may be used will be given as store credi ase This . rnia purch 749.6 Califo all ons 1749.45-1 e remaining from Civil Code Secti for gratuity. Any chang cannot be used

$10 Value

You pay $7.50

CN&R

December 12, 2019

LOVING TENDERE COFFE

H ST. OM 365 E 6T OFFEE.C OVINGC TENDERL

25% off

Cnrsweetdeals.newsreview.Com

stau West 8t This is a gift Rant certificate and h st | does not expir 530.52 cash. Can be e according to used with othe 0.2593 California Civil r discounts and Code Sections offers. Cannot be used for grat 1749.45-1749.6. Not rede uity. Change emable for will be given as store credit.

Pita Pit 240 Bro adway St | 530.89 9.2847

As a regulations. GiftCalifornia corporation, Chico certif with other disco icates do not expire inCommunity Publishing dba News accor unts and offer s, but cannot dance with California Civil & Review is required to be used for gratu abide Code ity. Any chang Sections 1749.45-1749.6by all California Civil Code s and e remaining from . This purchase will certificate may be used be given as store credit.

Buy online anytime with a credit card or in person with cash, check or credit card M-F 9am – 5pm at 353 E. Second St, Downtown Chico.

THIS WEEK: FIND mOre eNTerTAINmeNT AND SPecIAL eVeNTS ON PAGe 22

eArLY DeADLINe

Due to holiday scheduling, submissions for the Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 print calendars are due by Monday, Dec. 16, 5 p.m.

present a night of stand-up comedy and roast battles. Tue, 12/17, 10am. $10-$15. Unwined Kitchen & Bar, 980 Mangrove Ave.

MUSIC STUDIO SHOWCASE: A special night of young musicians performing originals and covers. Tue, 12/17, 7:30pm. Blackbird, 1431 Park Ave.

TREVOR WALLACE: See Friday. Sat,

12/14, 6:30pm. El Rey Theater, 230 W.

Second St.

UP TO 11: Your favorite hair band

Senator Theatre Chico, CA, 517 Main St. jmaxproductions.net

HOT POTATO TRIO: Swing music straight from 1930s dance clubs, cartoons, and gypsy jazz. Sat, 12/14, 6:30pm. Wine Time, 26 Lost Dutchman Drive.

JOHN SEID, LARRY PETERSON, CHRIS WENGER: See Friday. Sat, 12/14,

6:30pm. Diamond Steakhouse, 220 W. Fourth St.

PINE DOGZ: Cover band plays jazz, country, R&B, rock and originals. Sat, 12/14, 8:30pm. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville. featherfallscasino.com

RETROTONES: Classic rock and country

tunes for late night happy hour. Sat, 12/14, 10pm. La Salles, 229 Broadway St. lasalleschico.com

VOOm VOOm VArIeTY SHOW Friday, Dec. 13 Chico Women’s Club See FrIDAY

SOUL POSSE: R&B and rock with fun cover band at new spot in Paradise. Sat, 12/14, 8pm. Jen’s Place, 7126 Skyway, Paradise.

TAMMIE BROWN’S HOLIDAY SPARKLE TOUR: RuPaul’s Drag Race all star

brings her holiday show. Sat, 12/14, 8pm. The Maltese, 1600 Park Ave.

TRAP IN THE BACK: Feel the bass with a sweet DJ Grittybones dance party. Sat, 12/14, 10:30pm. Argus Bar + Patio, 212 W. Second St.

hits. Sat, 12/14, 9pm. Tackle Box, 379 E. Park Ave.

ZEPPARELLA: All female Led Zep trib-

ute. Sat, 12/14, 9:30pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge, 3 Alverda Drive, Oroville. featherfallscasino.com

TENDER LOVING TRIVIA: Test your knowledge on a range of topics with Annie Fischer. Prize for first place, a portion of the proceeds go to a local non-profit. Tue, 12/17, 6pm. Tender Loving Coffee, 365 E. Sixth St.

TUESDAY TRIVIA: Show what you

know and win prizes. Tue, 12/17, 6:30pm. Secret Trail Brewing Company, 132 Meyers St., Ste. 120.

15SUNDAY 18WeDNeSDAY

OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT: Working on a bit? See if it’s a hit or heckle-worthy, and enjoy cheap beer specials. Sign-ups start at 8pm. Sun, 12/15, 9pm. The Maltese, 1600 Park Ave. maltesebarchico.com

17TUeSDAY

CRL VS VERBAL INSULTS: The Chico

Roast League and Verbal Insults

BERNIE & THE WOLF: Chicago-based

indie rock duo performs with solid local lineup featuring Viking Skate Country and West by Swan. Wed, 12/18, 7:30pm. $7. The Maltese, 1600 Park Ave.

THE BIDWELLS: Sweet voices and savory guitar stylings from local duo. Wed, 12/18, 6pm. Diamond Steakhouse, 220 W. Fourth St.

DANCE NIGHT: Four lady DJs with

large vinyl collections select a fresh slice of wax every Wednesday for your boogie-ing pleasure. Wed, 12/18, 10pm. $1. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St.

DIAL-UP DAYS: Live music, beer and

food. Wed, 12/18, 6pm. The Allies Pub, 426 Broadway Suite 130.

JAM SESSION: Informal but creative night of improvised music. All musicians and genres are welcome. House band until 8, open jam after. Wed, 12/18, 7:30pm. Tender Loving Coffee, 365 E. Sixth St.

MAGICIAN VS. MENTALIST: Dean Waters and Stephen Chollet entertain and astonish. Wed, 12/18, 7pm. Unwined Kitchen & Bar, 980 Mangrove Ave.

OPEN MIC: Come on down strut your stuff. Andan from the Channel 66 band hosts. Wed, 12/18, 7pm. Apollo School of Music, 936 Mangrove Ave.

OPEN MIC: Everything from poetry and memoir to folk songs and instrumental guitar pieces. Call Katy at 434-3794 with questions. Wed, 12/18, 7pm. Free. Butte County Library, 1108 Sherman Ave.

LOW-KeY rOcK STArS

It’s been a decade since Surrogate, arguably one of the best bands to spring from Chico’s loins, released its acclaimed album Popular Mechanics. This milestone has not gone unnoticed—the band will be performing the album in its entirety this Friday (Dec. 13) at Duffy’s Tavern. Lineup includes a Bay Area-based indie rock band called Oceanography and local crooner Lish Bills.

December 12, 2019

CN&R

REEL WORLD

FILM SHORTS

Reviewers: Bob Grimm and Juan-Carlos Selznick.

Opening this week Black Christmas

A group of sorority pledges is stalked by a stranger over winter break. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas. Rated PG-13.

Black Christmas (1974)

One of the OG slasher flicks (the second big-screen loose remake of which is opening this week) follows a mysterious killer preying on sorority girls. Two 10 p.m. showings: Friday and Saturday (Dec. 13-14). Pageant Theatre. Rated R.

Honey Boy

Actor Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this fictionalized exploration of how his rocky relationship with his father (with LaBeouf starring as one version of his old man) impacted his life. Pageant Theatre. Rated R.

Jumanji: The Next Level

The whole gang is back for this sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan as avatar characters in a video game that takes their real-world players to exotic parts unknown to save a friend. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas. Rated PG-13.

Richard Jewell

Clint Eastwood directs this biopic that tells the story of the security-guard hero of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing who came under heavy scrutiny as a prime suspect. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas. Rated R.

Caught in the undertow One family navigating dramas big and small

aves, the new film from writer-director Trey Edward Shults, is a contemporary family drama in a spectacular and somewhat unconventional form. It’s loaded with character and emotion, and the story it tells proceeds along narrative lines that are sometimes more by circular and/or oblique than conJuan-Carlos ventionally straight. Selznick The family in question is black, middle class, living in a Florida suburb. Ronald (Sterling K. Brown) and Catharine (Renée Elise Goldsberry) set high standards for their high-school-age children, Tyler (Kevin Harrison Jr.) and Emily (Taylor Russell). Waves Starring Kelvin Ronald is an especially tough Harrison Jr., taskmaster for Tyler, whom he’s Sterling K. Brown, grooming for success in athletics Lucas Hedges, (wrestling, in his case) and acaTaylor Russell, Alexa demics alike. The first half of the Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry. Directed film focuses on Tyler’s personal by Trey Edward dramas, including his bristling Shults. Pageant romance with a Latina named Theatre. Rated R. Alexis (Alexa Demie). Those dramas take a devastating turn that might have served as the climax and finish of a more conventional movie, but Waves keeps moving on with the family’s evolving dramas. And in its second half, the film turns its attention to Tyler’s sister, Emily, who has been

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

Now playing

somewhat overlooked both at school and at home, but steps into the foreground in the wake of her family’s increasingly disorienting crises. Tentatively at first, Emily edges into a romance with Luke (Lucas Hedges), a charmingly awkward classmate who is white. The film’s mostly unspoken concern with racism takes its most intriguing form via their relationship, but the most dramatic turn in their romance comes by way of Luke’s reconciliation with his grimly wayward father. Along the way, Waves touches on a large array of potentially melodramatic issues—drugs and alcohol, teen pregnancy, deadbeat dads, overbearing parents, consumer culture excess, etc. But Shults seems less concerned with pointing fingers and passing judgment than with letting us see the humanity of his characters even as he criticizes them. All told, Waves comes on at first with the visual flare and aggressive sounds of a very stylish music video, but soon settles into more delicate and nuanced emotional territories. And the most deeply felt of its many concerns is a matter of recognizing the fraught but crucial relationship between compassion and self respect. □

1 2 3 Poor

Fair

Good

4 Very Good

5 Excellent

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

This is a beautiful film. Whimsical, sweet, complicated and full of warmth, just like that polite guy who used to put on his cardigan and sneakers for his long-running children’s show on PBS. Tom Hanks plays Mr. Rogers in a wonderful tribute to the man. But Fred Rogers is a supporting player (albeit a mighty important and present one) in director Marielle Heller’s heartfelt movie. The main protagonist is Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys of The Americans), a troubled journalist who grumbles upon getting an assignment to do a profile on the guy with a “hokey” TV show for Esquire magazine. The reporter bristles at first, but over the course of the film, the two become friends, and Rogers helps him with stresses

in his life, including the impending death of his father. Heller brilliantly frames the film as an episode of the TV show, starting with Hanks delivering the infamous welcoming song, and then introducing Lloyd as a friend who needs help. The characters travel between different cities that are depicted like the train sets that had a presence throughout the run of the show. Cinemark 14. Rated PG —B.G.

Dark Waters

Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine) directs this biopic about corporate lawyer Robert Bilott (played by Mark Ruffalo), who switches allegiances and begins to defend farmers and others in fighting chemical company—and environmental polluter—DuPont. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas. Rated PG-13.

Ford v Ferrari

It’s the ‘60s, and Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) has had it with Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) and his fast, flashy cars. He and cronies such as Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) and Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) decide to send a message to the world that Ford isn’t just about family cars. The plan is to win races and appeal to a younger demographic by rolling out sporty Mustangs and the like. Enter Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), a former race car driver turned designer and salesman. Ford hires Shelby to come up with a car that can beat Ferrari, namely at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. It’s a tall order, and it calls for a crazy guy behind the wheel. Ken Miles (Christian Bale) is a rule-breaking Brit who can drive as well as provide instant feedback on what alterations need to be made to make the damn thing go faster. His lack of convention causes Ford to bristle, Shelby gets in the middle, and we have ourselves a gripping tale about racing technology, volatile friendships and corporate clashes. Cinemark 14. Rated PG-13 —B.G.

Frozen 2

Queen Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) and her sister Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) and the rest of the gang are back on a journey beyond Arendelle in this sequel to the massively popular animated musical animated flick. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas. Rated PG.

Knives Out

A star-studded black comedy from writer/ director Rian Johnson about a detective (Daniel Craig) investigating the murder of a wealthy author who winds up dead in his remote mansion soon after his dysfunctional family arrives. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette and Christopher Plummer. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas. Rated PG-13.

Midway

A historical drama about the pivotal Battle of Midway between U.S. and Japanese forces during World War II. Cinemark 14. Rated PG-13.

Playmobil: The Movie

An animated feature based on the Playmobil line of kids toys. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas.. Rated PG.

Queen & Slim

A black couple on a date are pulled over for a minor infraction, and after the overzealous white cop escalates the situation to deadly consequences, the couple (played by Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith) are forced to go on the run from authorities as their plight becomes a “symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people across the country.” Cinemark 14. Rated R.

Waves

See review this issue. Pageant Theatre. Rated R —J.C.S.

CHOW Sign up today for Butte County’s First Ever BYOC Cannabis-Friendly Art Classes www.ButteCounty CannabisArtClub.com

SaveS you Money!

Paradise Ice Rink Unlimited Day Pass

The sweet zone

$12 Value

Ice RInk Choosing the right edibles for the holidays

Inibble a few trustworthy edibles to get through it all. A little here and there can go a long way during the n the holiday season, it’s always nice to stock up on

marathon of family functions. But dosing with edibles can be tricky. Finding the appropriate by amount of THC to give you the Jeremy desired level of “high” is enough Winslow of a challenge. Adding cannabidiol (CBD) to the mix only increases the difficulty since ingesting it at the same time can counter the psychoactive effects of THC. While industry trends vary between 5 and 20 milligrams per serving as the recommended amount of THC for safe consumption, it’s not uncommon to encounter higher-dosage edibles at dispensaries. New options come out every day, with each brand boasting its formula is “the best,” or each package claiming to achieve “the perfect high.” So, in a quest for a balanced holiday high (you know, for science), I tried three currently available sweet edibles that offer a range of experiences. Coda Signature’s Coffee & Doughnuts chocolate bar, for example, provides a nice little pick-me-up in the morning. The cinnamon and toasted-milk flavors brought to mind a room full of the aroma of freshbrewed coffee or steaming eggnog. The 5mg of THC in each piece of the 100 mg bar snaps the brain awake. The low dosage is enough to provide the energy and clarity to see tasks through to completion—and then some. In contrast, Big Pete’s Treats’ “10:1” version of

You pay $4.80

Buy online anytime with a credit card or in person with cash, check or credit card M-F 9am – 5pm at 353 E. Second Street, Downtown Chico.

60% off

Cnrsweetdeals.newsreview.Com

its chocolate chip mini-cookies are great just before checking out for the day. Few things provide a better assist for a few hours of relaxation like cannabidiol, and the 10mg CBD to 1mg THC ratio in each tiny cookie sets the body and mind at ease for taking in the evening breeze or catching some Z’s. After one small bite, you’ll feel like you’re floating on a still ocean on a warm night. If you want a combination—an edible that provides both the psychedelic effects of THC and the soothing effects of CBD together in one satisfying package— NUG, one of California’s most popular brands, answers with its matcha chocolate bar. The bar has an equal ratio of of CBD to THC, and the flavor features an interesting contrast of matcha earthiness and white-chocolate creaminess. Though there’s a subtle sweetness, the Japanese-imported matcha is prominent. If you like a matcha latte, you might enjoy this. If not, you might be put off by the vegetal taste. As for the effects, each of the bar’s 16 cubes contains 6.25 mg of CBD and 6.25 mg of THC, and produces a balance between a delicate head high and soothing muscle relaxation. Getting past the incongruous ground-tea-leaf flavor might be a hurdle, but the payoff is sometime in the wonderful “flow state,” where the mind calms down and gets clear. For now, the matcha is the only NUG chocolate bar to bring CBD and THC together. But with other (all-THC) varieties like mocha crunch chocolate, dark chocolate and salted-almond chocolate already on its roster, hopefully by next year there will more flavor options for getting in the zone for the holidays. Ω

DECEMBER 12, 2019

CN&R

ARTS DEVO by JASON CASSIDY • jasonc@newsreview.com

IT RAINS LEE FIELDS Even though we’ve already devoted plenty of ink to soul man Lee Fields in these pages in recent weeks, Arts DEVO would be remiss if he didn’t comment on the concert at the Sierra Nevada Big Room on Monday night (Dec. 9). Briefly, I’ll say it was incredibly fun, made so by the equal energies being traded between the audience and the bandleader and his smokin’ crew, The Expressions (especially the effortlessly in-the-pocket bassist Ben Trokan— damn!). Fields was the ringleader; the old-school showman hit the stage in a sparkling red dinner jacket and charmed the crowd with his crooning and joyful energy. Going in, I wasn’t a big fan of the lyrics on Fields’ latest album, It Rains Love, but hearing his simply stated sentiments of love and connection live—where they were greatly elevated by the dynamic players and their bandleader’s emotional commitment—I was won over. A show for the local history books. TWO THINGS: Chico-Con is back. This Saturday (Dec. 14), at the

Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, the comic convention will feature DC, Marvel and Dark Horse artists, celebrity Lee Fields at the Big Room. guests—including WWE wrestler PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY Booker T—a cosplay contest, game demos and, new this year, a Lego display by ChicoLUG, the Chico Lego Users Group. Find Chico-Con on Facebook or visit Collectors Ink (2593 Highway 32) for more info. And: Since you are probably on Amazon right now, add this to your shopping cart: the Digital Fliers Ominbus by local illustrator, MC, DJ, record nerd and taco critic Aye Jay Morano. It’s 116 pages of Chico-centric art, featuring two years’ worth of local-show fliers (436 in all!) that the artist previously released only in the digital realm. Go analog for a mere $25.

RIP SAL CASA Chico lost one of its icons last week. Painter and teacher Sal

Casa died Wednesday, Dec. 4. He was 91.

The beloved local artist, who worked out of a second-floor studio on Third Street and could often be found strolling downtown between there and the Upper Crust Bakery & Cafe, has been a fixture in Chico for more than 50 years. The son of Italian immigrants moved out west from New York in 1957—first to Capay, then Orland and finally Chico. He began teaching art at Chico State in 1968, even as he was working on his master’s degree from the university (which he earned in 1974). His paintings have shown at least once in every gallery of note in Chico, as well as venues all over North America, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, Sal Casa CN&R FILE PHOTO D.C., the Brooklyn Museum, Instituto Allende in Mexico, Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum, at the National and American Watercolor Society annuals and many more. In addition to his Chico State students, Casa went on to teach artists of all ages at the Chico Art Center—continuing his instruction there all the way up through this past September. The Chico Art Center is planning a retrospective of Casa’s work for early 2020. Visit chicoartcenter.com for updates. Below is an excerpt about Casa from his obituary (visit bidwellchapel.com to view it in its entirety). To say he loved art would be to diminish art’s influence on the boy and later the man. Art was part of him, a way of being that informed everything he would become and every choice he would make. He loved other things—baseball, bullfights, opera—that shared an aesthetic, a symmetry and pageantry disrupted by drama that carried through to his approach to the canvas.

CN&R

DECEMBER 12, 2019

REAL ESTATE

How Much is Your Home Worth Today? Ask the professionals at Century 21 Select 530.345.6618 www.C21SelectGroup.com New ListiNg

Jennifer Parks celebrates 20 years in real estate! Years of experience and recognition as a “Century 21 Quality Service Agent” make Jennifer Parks the perfect choice for your Butte County real estate needs.

8 Dean Way, Chico. 3/2, 1811 sqft, $285,000

Garrett French • 530.228.1305 GarrettFrenchHomes.com • DRE# 01402010 Specializing in residential & agriculture properties in Chico, Orland, Willows.

Jennifer Parks | 530.864.0336 BRE# 01269667

536 Hazel Street Chico 1455 Bel Air Druve e n d in g P Paradise 2210 Cherry Glenn Court n d in g P eChico CalDRE #02056059

Olivia Larrabee l (530) 520-3169 Olivia.Larrabee@c21selectgroup.com

The time to buy is now.

Newer 3/2 North Chico $339,000 3.4 acres, well, septic & power in place $98,500 Duplex! 1 bed / 1 bath each $289,900

Prices have leveled off and interest rates are great. Call me today!

Brad Smith | 530.894.4533

Mark Reaman l 530.228.2229

DRE #02032624

Mark.Reaman@c21selectgroup.com

Building trust one home at a time!

Lic# 01265853

Beautiful California Park home, many updates throughout. 3/2 over 1800 sq. ft

Stunning 3,600 Sq q foot home

with 4 bed/3 bath, open floor plan, d in grooms, RV parking, 3-car attached P e nlarge garage, in ground pool with beautiful grounds! Really nice! $699,000

neW LiSting

Teresa Larson (530) 514-5925 DRE #01177950 chiconativ@aol.com

Brand new carpet, oven/range, dishwasher, fresh interior paint, and new flooring in the bathrooms and kitchen! This condo offers 3 bed/2 bathes, 988 square feet and is ready for a new owner! Located in the Meadow Wood Complex! $178,000

Homes Sold Last Week

5 acres with a home and studio $299,000 Alice Zeissler l 530.518.1872 CalBRE #01312354

Sponsored by Century 21 Select Real Estate, Inc.

The following houses were sold in Butte County by real estate agents or private parties during the week of November 25 - November 29, 2019 The housing prices are based on the stated documentary transfer tax of the parcel and may not necessarily reflect the actual sale price of the home. ADDRESS

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

ADDRESS

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

240 Speedway Ave

Chico

$769,000

4/3

SQ. FT.

3187

478 E 10th Ave

Chico

$250,000

3/2

SQ. FT.

1322

314 Legion Ave

Chico

$650,000

3/2

2518

1158 Lawton Dr

Chico

$157,000

4/2

1446

Durham

$298,000

3/1

1080

905 Filbert Ave

Chico

$560,000

3/2

2116

1606 Garden Rd

272 Saint Augustine Dr

Chico

$525,000

4/2

2086

292 E Gridley Rd

Gridley

$445,000

7/6

3561

576 Desiree Ln

Chico

$490,000

5/4

2287

1763 Riley Rd

Gridley

$427,000

3/2

1230

1366 Wanderer Ln

Chico

$485,000

5/4

2287

1790 Sycamore St

Gridley

$215,000

3/1

1488

1369 Orchard Way

Chico

$460,000

3/2

1834

1053 Jackson St

Gridley

$210,000

3/1

1220

1260 N Cedar St

Chico

$424,500

4/3

3150

1009 Sage St

Gridley

$185,000

3/1

875

2746 Mariposa Ave

Chico

$410,000

3/2

2539

102 Buck Run Dr

Oroville

$309,000

4/2

1622

734 Brandonbury Ln

Chico

$395,000

3/3

1662

10 Shadow Oak Ct

Oroville

$259,000

3/2

1175

29 Delaware Dr

Chico

$365,000

3/2

1393

14 Service Cir

Oroville

$257,500

6/4

3294

5 Greg Ct

Chico

$350,000

3/2

1653

1810 20th St

Oroville

$210,000

3/2

1851

3 Shari Ln

Chico

$346,000

3/2

1337

1360 High St

Oroville

$191,500

3/2

1823

1565 Pine St

Oroville

$185,000

2/1

1384

2057 Marilyn Dr

Chico

$331,000

3/2

1214

Oro Quincy Hwy

Oroville

$170,000

2/1

844

3989 Front St

Chico

$325,000

3/2

1242

11109 Yankee Hill Rd

Oroville

$113,000

3/3

2185

1473 Eaton Rd

Chico

$310,000

3/2

1248

6264 Harvey Rd

Paradise

$231,500

2/2

1053

34 Pebblewood Pines Dr

Chico

$292,500

3/3

1889

8423 Skyway

Paradise

$225,000

3/1

992

2339 Porter Way

Chico

$280,000

3/1

1050

1951 Drendel Cir

Paradise

$165,000

3/3

2376

December 12, 2019

CN&R

CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE E

Call for a quote. (530) 894-2300 ext. 2

95928. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: JANE JOHNSON Dated: November 6, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001261 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

Phone hours: M-F 9am-5pm. Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

For more information about advertising in our Real estate section,

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

call us at

(530) 894-2300

some upgrades.

Need a hand with your home purchase?

bidwell TiTle & esCrOw

With locations in:

Chico: 894-2612 • Oroville: 533-2414 Paradise: 877-6262 • Gridley: 846-4005 www.BidwellTitle.com

saves you money! Sunny Garden Montessori

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled - it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 1-866-535-9689 (AAN CAN) A PLACE FOR MOM has helped over a million families find senior living. Our trusted, local advisors help find solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. 1-855-993-2495 (AAN CAN) Looking for self storage units? We have them! Self Storage offers clean and affordable storage to fit any need. Reserve today! 1-855-617-0876 (AAN CAN)

Claudia’s Relaxing Massage 10am-7pm in cool studio 530-893-0263 by appt. only. You can Google me!

$40 Value You pay $20

50%

off

rden Sunny Ga

Montesso

.343.3101 . 140 | 530 Avenue, Ste

cash. Can Not redeemable for 1749.45-1749.6. for 4 hours. Civil Code Sections store credit. Valid according to California gratuity. Change will be given as e and does not expire Cannot be used for This is a gift certificat discounts and offers. be used with other

n 2801 Godma

Hatha House

$25 Value You pay $12.50

25 50% off

707 Wall St. Chico CA HATHA 95926 | 530 HOUS .884.4130 | hatha-house E This is a gift certificat Not redeemable for e and does not expire .com cash. Can be used accordin with other discounts and

offers. Cannot be

g to California Civil Code Sections 1749.45 used for gratuity. -1749.6. Change will be given as store credit.

Cnrsweetdeals.newsreview.Com

Buy online anytime with a credit card or in person with cash, check or credit card M-F 9am – 5pm at 353 E. Second Street, Downtown Chico.

CN&R

DEcEmbER 12, 2019

Get Rid of your timeshare today! Safely, ethically and legal. Don’t delay call today. 1-844-757-4717 (AAN CAN) PENIS ENLARGEMENT PUMP. Get Stronger & Harder Erections Immediately. Gain 1-3 Inches Permanently & Safely. Guaranteed Results. FDA Licensed. Free Brochure: 1-800-354-3944 www.DrJoelKaplan.com (AAN CAN) One-Stop-Shop For All Your Catheter Needs. We Accept Medicaid, Medicare, & Insurance. Try Before You Buy. Quick and Easy. Give Us A Call 866-282-2506 (AAN CAN)

more services online www.newsreview.com

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as FEGUSON TIMELESS TREASURES at 1280 E 9th St Ste C Chico, CA 95928. KATHLEEN ANN FERGUSON 1998 Potter Rd Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: KATHY FERGUSON Dated: October 31, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001240 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as FIBRENEW CHICO at 1651 Albion Ct Chico, CA 95973. REBEW INC 1651 Albion Ct Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: JOSEPH WEBER, PRESIDENT Dated: November 13, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001291 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as BURRITO BARAJAS at 1013 W First St Chico, CA 95928. KRISTIAN JANET LOPEZ 1975 Bruce Rd #209 Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: KRISTIAN LOPEZ Dated: November 12, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001284 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as CORINTHIAN STERLING SILVER JEWELRY at 1235 Broadway Chico, CA 95928. JANE ANN JOHNSON 1235 Broadway Chico, CA 95928. NATALIE JOHNSON 1235 Broadway Chico, CA this Legal Notice continues

➡

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as PRESTA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT at 1900 Oro Dam Blvd E Ste 12-139 Oroville, CA 95966. PRESTA FINANCIAL LLC 1900 Oro Dam Blvd E Ste 12-139 Oroville, CA 95966. This business is conducted by a Limitied Liability Company. Signed: EFREN ROBINSON, MEMBER Dated: October 30, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001234 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as GREAT CLIPS at 738 Mangrove Ave. Chico, CA 95926. HOPPIN SHEARS, INC. 4650 Northgate Blvd Ste 100 Sacramento, CA 95834. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: MICHAEL WAGNER, CFO Dated: October 7, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001139 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as KAFTANESE, MAHARAJA ME at 892 Naomi Ave Chico, CA 95926. AARON SAUBERAN 892 Naomi Ave Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: AARON SAUBERAN Dated: October 23, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001208 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as SCRY SOLUTIONS at 1066 E 8th St Chico, CA 95928. MATTHEW KELLER 1068 E 8th St Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: MATT KELLER Dated: November 15, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001303 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as K CUSTOM CLOTHIER at 1132 Arbutus Ave Chico, CA 95926. GEORGE KNOX 1132 Arbutus Ave Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: GEORGE KNOX Dated: November 15, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001304 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as ADVANCED PIPE AND LEAK DETECTION at 325 Southbury Lane Chico, CA 95973. ROAN FAMILY COMPANIES INCORPORATED 325 Southbury Lane Chico, CA 95973 This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: CASSIE ROAN, PRESIDENT Dated: October 18, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001198 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as TINAS MINI MART #2 at 1631 Park Ave Chico, CA 95928. TEIG CHICO OIL INC 1248 Franklin Ave Yuba City, CA 95991. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: FARIA ALI, MANAGER Dated: October 24, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001218 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as THE HUMAN BEAN - CHICO at 2805 Esplanade Chico, CA 95973. EDWARD BOOTH 2558 White Ave Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: EDWARD BOOTH Dated: November 8, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001277 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as LONGFELLOW EXPRESS LAUNDRY at 1383 Longfellow Ave Chico, CAL 95926. KIEFER NELSON 1053 Palmetto Ave Chico, CA 95926. ROBERT ZAVALA 1053 Palmetto Ave Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: ROBERT ZAVALA Dated: September 23, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001085 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as PHOENIX PROPERTY MANAGEMENT at 1385 Ridgewood Dr Suite 106 Chico, CA 95973. THOMAS K LEDGERWOOD 1385 Ridgewood Dr Suite 106 Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: THOMAS LEDGERWOOD Dated: September 30, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001104 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as

this Legal Notice continues

➡

COTTONPARTY at 337 Broadway St Chico, CA 95928. ANGELA REBEKAH YOUNGBLOOD 1835 Broadway St Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: ANGELA REBEKAH YOUNGBLOOD Dated: November 19, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001312 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as A TRANQUIL NEST at 1470 Vallombrosa Ave Chico, CA 95926. KATHLEEN K ROBINSON 1470 Vallombrosa Ave Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: KATHLEEN K. ROBINSON Dated: November 15, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001297 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME - STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT The following person has abandoned the use of the fictitious business name COTTONPARTY at 337 Broadway Chico, CA 95928. KAREN DENISE LANGEN 476 East 1st Avenue Chico, CA 95926. This business was conducted by an Individual. Signed: KAREN LANGEN Dated: November 19, 2019 FBN Number: 2018-0000195 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as PROTECH, PROTECTION CONSULTANTS at 3199 Plummers Drive #4 Chico, CA 95973. SCOTT CRAGER 3199 Plummers Drive #4 Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: SCOTT CRAGER Dated: November 22, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001327 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as PARADISE ROOTS, PARADISE ROOTS PRINTING COMPANY at 6225 Kilgord Ct Magalia, CA 95954. BRANDON LEE PARKS 6225 Kilgord Ct Magalia, CA 95954. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: BRANDON PARKS Dated: November 14, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001295 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as INVENTIVE CONSTRUCTION LANDSCAPING at 1078 E 8th St Chico, CA 95928. JOHN PHILIP PURVIANCE 1078 E 8th St Chico, CA 95928. this Legal Notice continues

➡

This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: JOHN PHILIP PURVIANCE Dated: November 22, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001330 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as S AND S PRODUCE AND NATURAL FOODS at 1924 Mangrove Avenue Chico, CA 95926. RICH’S BUTCHER SHOP INCORPORATED 1900 Mangrove Avenue #30 Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: BREIN JONES, SECRETARY Dated: November 6, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001262 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as NORTHWERK CONSTRUCTION at 832 Alan Lane Chico, CA 95926. ALEC MARTIN BINYON 978 Salem St. B Chico, CA 95928. WOLF-DIETER BLESS 832 Alan Lane Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: ALEC BINYON Dated: November 25, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001338 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as OROVILLE TIME SQUARE at 1345 Feather River Blvd Oroville, CA 95965. SIMA SABOURY 1251 East Ave Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: SIMA SABOURY Dated: October 11, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001169 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as THE PAMPERED POOCH at 118 D West East Ave Chico, CA 95926. JILLIAN LYNNAE NOELLE LEWIS 1329 Sherman Ave Apt 6 Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: JILLIAN LEWIS Dated: November 27, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001343 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as JMAXX CONSULTING at 3471 Durham Dayton Hwy Chico, CA 95928. VANESSA PITNEY 3471 Durham Dayton Hwy Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: VANESSA PITNEY Dated: November 26, 2019 this Legal Notice continues

➡

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FBN Number: 2019-0001342 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as TODDCO at 5870 Pentz Rd Paradise, CA 95969. JEREMY TODD 5870 Pentz Rd Paradise, CA 95969. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: JEREMY TODD Dated: October 23, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001214 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as PORCH-TO-PORCH REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES at 2080 E. 20th St. Suite 170 Chico, CA 95928. BCHM CORPORATION 2080 E. 20th St. Suite 170 Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: KAREN MCCOLLUM, ADMINISTRATOR Dated: November 20, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001320 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, January 2, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as WOFCHUCK HONEY CO at 1725 Dayton Road Chico, CA 95928. MICHAEL WOFCHUCK 1725 Dayton Road Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: MICHAEL WOFCHUCK Dated: December 2, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001347 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, January 2, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as FOOTHILL PROPERTIES at 695 E. 4th Street Chico, CA 95928. BLAKE ANDERSON 695 E. 4th Street Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: BLAKE ANDERSON Dated: December 5, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001359 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, January 2, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as PATHOLOGY SCIENCES MEDICAL GROUP at 183 E 8th Avenue Chico, CA 95926. PRISCILLA S CHANG 2962 Chico River Road Chico, CA 95928. HEIDI A JESS 34 Sparrow Hawk Lane Chico, CA 95928. REBECCA L JOHNSON 368 Brookside Drive Chico, CA 95928. NELSON K KANEISHI 979 E 6th Street Chico, CA 95928. ANTHONY NASR 4523 Garden Brook Drive Chico, CA 95973. GEOFFREY T SASAKI 3156 Shallow Springs Terrace this Legal Notice continues

➡

Chico, CA 95928. LESTER K WONG 347 Legion Avenue Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: LESTER K. WONG Dated: October 30, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001236 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, January 2, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME - STATEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL The following persons have withdrawn as partners from the partnership operating under PATHOLOGY SCIENCES MEDICAL GROUP at 183 E 8th Avenue Chico, CA 95926. MARK R CARTER MD A PROFESSION 621 Breanna Lane Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: MARK R CARTER MD Dated: October 30, 2019 FBN Number: 2017-0001599 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, January 2, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as JEANNIE’S, JEANNIE’S CONSIGNMENT at 491 Pearson Rd Paradise, CA 95969. CAROL STARK 5486 Scottwood Rd Paradise, CA 95969. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: CAROL STARK Dated: November 12, 2019 FBN Number: 2019-0001283 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, January 2, 2020

NOTICES NOTICE OF LIEN SALE Notice is hereby given pursuant to the California Self-Storage Self-Service Act, Section 21700-21716 of the Business & Professions Code, the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said stored property. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding at the location where the said property has been stored. DISCOUNT STORAGE 5100 Clark Road Paradise, CA 95969 Butte County, State of California Unit No. #C15 - Jason Edwards - Tag number 6273290 Items: Mattress, box spring, boxes, miscellaneous Date: Saturday, December 20th, 2019 Auction to start at Discount Storage at 10AM located at 5100 Clark Road in Paradise, CA. Successful bidders must present a valid form of identification and be prepared to pay cash for purchased items. All items are sold “as is” and must be removed at the time of sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event that a settlement is reached between the owner and tenant. Published: December 5,12, 2019

NOTICE OF LIEN SALE Notice is hereby given pursuant to the California Self-Storage Self-Service Act, Section 21700-21716 of the Business & Professions Code, the this Legal Notice continues

➡

undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said stored property. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding at the location where the said property has been stored. GRIDLEY SELF STORAGE 1264 Highway 99 Gridley, CA 95948 Butte County, State of California Unit No. #AX330 - Elisa Duenas - Tag number 6273275 Items: Miscellaneous items, firepit, boxes Date: Saturday, December 21st, 2019 Auction to start at Gridley Self Storage at 10AM located at 1264 Highway 99 in Gridley, CA. Successful bidders must present a valid form of identification and be prepared to pay cash for purchased items. All items are sold “as is” and must be removed at the time of sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event that a settlement is reached between the owner and tenant. Published: December 5,12, 2019

NOTICE OF LIEN SALE Notice is hereby given pursuant to the California Self-Storage Self-Service Act, Section 21700-21716 of the Business & Professions Code, the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said stored property. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding at the location where the said property has been stored. G&D SELF STORAGE 2687 Highway 99 Biggs, CA 95948 Butte County, State of California Unit No. #B10 - Mark Patrick Tag number 6273278 Items: Miscellaneous household items, lounger, desk, coffee table Date: Saturday, December 21st, 2019 Auction to start at Gridley Self Storage at 10AM located at 1264 Highway 99 in Gridley, CA. Successful bidders must present a valid form of identification and be prepared to pay cash for purchased items. All items are sold “as is” and must be removed at the time of sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event that a settlement is reached between the owner and tenant. Published: December 5,12, 2019

NOTICE OF LIEN SALE Pursuant to CA Business Code 21700, in lieu of rents due, the following units contain clothes, furniture, boxes, etc. 233ss PAUL JONES 6x12 (Boxes, Bins, Luggage) 205ss CARA MAYS 6x12 (Boxes, Bins) 127cc BOYDEN COURTNEY 6x12 (couch, boxes, house hold items) 426cc CRUMB DOUG 5x10 (instruments, boxes, instrument cases) 504cc DUNCAN DAVID A 6x7 (tool box, pictures, posters) 281ss CARMEN OCHOA 5x12 (Chairs, Camping gear, Boxes) 151cc ORTIZ SALVADOR 6x7 (Boxes, Kids toys, Desk, Computer) 390cc1 SHIRLEY SHERYL 5x12 (Bags, Totes) 084cc SLUSHER EMILY 5x10 (EMPTY) Contents to be sold to the highest bidder on: Saturday December 28, 2019 Beginning at 1:00PM Sale to be held at: Bidwell Self Storage, 65 Heritage Lane, Chico, CA this Legal Notice continues

➡

95926. (530) 893-2109 Published: December 12,19, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner MA DE LA LUZ PADILLA CAMPOS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: MA DE LA LUZ PADILLA CAMPOS Proposed name: MARIA DE LA LUZ GALLEGOS THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 8, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: TAMARA L. MOSBARGER Dated: November 15, 2019 Case Number: 19CV03345 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner WILLIAM MORGAN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: HUNTER LEE BELANGER Proposed name: HUNTER LEE BELANGER-MORGAN THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: December 18, 2019 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: TAMARA L. MOSBARGER Dated: October 18, 2019 Case Number: 19CV01178 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner KAREN R. TRAVERS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: KAREN RENEE TRAVERS Proposed name: KAREN RENEE HALLER THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 8, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: TAMARA L. MOSBARGER Dated: November 6, 2019 Case Number: 19CV03278 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner THOMAS EDWIN HAMILTON filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: THOMAS EDWIN HAMILTON Proposed name: THOMAS EDWIN VIERRA THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 8, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: ROBERT A. GLUSMAN Dated: November 5, 2019 Case Number: 19CV03279 Published: November 21,27, December 5,12, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner LAUREL SAMSON CLARK filed a petition with this court for a decree changing this Legal Notice continues

CLaSSIfIEdS

CONTINUED ON 34

For the week oF December 12, 2019 ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Nobody

knows really what they’re doing,” says Aries comedian Conan O’Brien. “And there are two ways to go with that information,” he continues. “One is to be afraid, and the other is to be liberated, and I choose to be liberated by it.” I hope you’ll be inspired by O’Brien’s example in the coming weeks. I suspect that if you shed your worries about the uncertainty you feel, you’ll trigger an influx of genius. Declaring your relaxed independence from the temptation to be a know-it-all will bless you with expansive new perspectives and freedom to move.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Creativity

expert Roger von Oech tells us, “Everyone has a ‘risk muscle.’ You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.” Here’s what I’ll add to his advice. If your risk muscle is flabby right now, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to whip it into better shape. Start with small, modest risks, and gradually work your way up to bigger and braver ones. And what should you do if your risk muscle is already welltoned? Dream and scheme about embarking on a major, long-term venture that is the robust embodiment of a smart gamble.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many

people engage in laughably feeble attempts to appear witty by being cynical—as if by exuding sardonic irony and sneering pessimism they could prove their mettle as brilliant observers of modern culture. An example is this lame wisecrack from humorist David Sedaris: “If you’re looking for sympathy you’ll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.” I bring this to your attention in the hope of coaxing you to avoid indulging in gratuitous pessimism during the coming weeks. For the sake of your good health, it’s important for you to be as open-minded and generous-spirited as possible. And besides that, pessimism will be unwarranted.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “You can

shop online and find whatever you’re looking for,” writes pundit Paul Krugman, “but bookstores are where you find what you weren’t looking for.” That’s a good principle to apply in every area of your life. It’s always smart to know exactly what you need and want, but sometimes—like now—it’s important that you put yourself in position to encounter what you need and want but don’t realize that you need and want.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Bachianas Brasilei-

ras” is a nine-part piece of music that blends Brazilian folk music with the compositional style of Johann Sebastian Bach. The poet Anne Sexton relied on it, letting it re-play ceaselessly during her long writing sessions. My painter friend Robin sometimes follows a similar method with Leonard Cohen’s album Ten New Songs, allowing it to cycle for hours as she works on her latest masterpiece. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to select a new theme song or collection of theme songs to inspire your intense efforts on behalf of your labors of love in the coming weeks. It’s a favorable time to explore the generative power of joyous, lyrical obsession.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “I’ve spent my

life butting my head against other people’s lack of imagination,” mourned Virgo musician Nick Cave, who’s renowned for his original approach to his craft. I’m bringing this to your attention because I suspect you will be endowed with an extra fertile imagination in the coming weeks. And I would hate for you to waste time and energy trying to make full use of it in the presence of influences that would resist and discourage you. Therefore, I’ll cheer you on as you seek out people and situations that enhance your freedom to express your imagination in its expansive glory.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A scholar

counted up how often the Bible delivers the command “Fear not!” and “Don’t be afraid!” and similar advice. The number was 145.

by rob brezsny I don’t think that approach to regulating behavior works very well. To be constantly thinking about what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about tends to strengthen and reinforce what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about. I prefer author Elizabeth Gilbert’s strategy. She writes, “I don’t try to kill off my fear. I make all that space for it. Heaps of space. I allow my fear to live and breathe and stretch out its legs comfortably. It seems to me the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back.” That’s the method I recommend for you, Libra—especially in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Isaac New-

ton (1642-1726) was one of history’s most influential scientists and a key contributor to physics, astronomy, mathematics and optics. His mastery of the nuances of human relationships was less developed, however. He had one close friendship with a Swiss mathematician, though he broke it off abruptly after four years. And his biographers agree that he never had sex with another person. What I find most curious, however, is the fact that he refused to even meet the brilliant French philosopher Voltaire, who reached out to him and asked to get together. I trust you won’t do anything like that in the coming weeks. In fact, I urge you to be extra receptive to making new acquaintances, accepting invitations and expanding your circle of influence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

How did humans figure out that a luxurious fabric could be made from the cocoons of insect larvae? Ancient Chinese sage Confucius told the following story. One day in 2460 B.C., 14-year-old Chinese princess Xi Ling Shi was sitting under a mulberry tree sipping tea. A silk worm’s cocoon fell off a branch and landed in her drink. She was curious, not bothered. She unrolled the delicate structure and got the idea of using the threads to weave a fabric. The rest is history. I foresee a silk-worm’s-cocoonfalling-in-your-cup-of-tea type of event in your future. Be alert for it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

“It is the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires,” wrote Capricorn author Rebecca West. “It must abandon itself to its master passion.” That’s a high standard to live up to! But then you have substantial potential to do just that: Become the champions of devoting practical commitment to righteous causes. With that in mind, I’ll ask you: How are you doing in your work to embody the ideal that West articulated? Is your soul loyal to its deepest desires? Has it abandoned itself to its master passion? Take inventory—and make any corrections, if necessary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I would

never try to talk you into downplaying or denying your suffering. I would never try to convince you that the pain you have experienced is mild or tolerable or eminently manageable. Who among us has the wisdom to judge the severity or intractability of anyone else’s afflictions? Not I. But in the coming months, I will ask you to consider the possibility that you have the power— perhaps more than you realize—to diminish your primal aches and angst. I will encourage you to dream of healing yourself in ways that you have previously imagined to be impossible.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “You owe it

to us all to get on with what you’re good at,” wrote Piscean poet W. H. Auden. In other words, you have a responsibility to develop your potential and figure out how to offer your best gifts. It’s not just a selfish act for you to fulfill your promise; it’s a generous act of service to your fellow humans. So how are you doing with that assignment, Pisces? According to my analysis, you should be right in the middle of raising your efforts to a higher octave; you should be discovering the key to activating the next phase of your success—which also happens to be the next phase of your ability to bestow blessings on others.

➡ www.RealAstrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES and DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888. December 12, 2019

CN&R

• distribution driver Do you love Chico? Do you want to help local businesses succeed? So do we! the Chico news & review is a family owned business that has been part of the Chico community since 1977. our mission is to publish great newspapers which are successful and enduring, create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow while respecting personal welfare, and to have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

for more information, visit www.newsreview.com/chico/jobs

equal opportunity employer

All first place winners of CN&R’s Best of receive a plaque for fRee

• advertising consuLtant

CN&R will NeveR CoNtaCt a meRChaNt to puRChase a Best of plaque

cn&r is Looking for

names as follows: Present name: LAUREL SAMSON CLARK ILIA SIDHE CLARK DOMINIC HOWARD CLARK Proposed name: LAUREL SUZANNE SAMSON ILIA SIDHE MARGARET SAMPSON DOMINIC BAY EARL SAMSON THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 15, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: ROBERT A. GLUSMAN Dated: November 13, 2019 Case Number: 19CV03384 Published: November 27, December 5,12,19, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner CARSON MEDLEY JULIA MEDLEY filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: EVE CANTRELL MEDLEY Proposed name: BEATRIX CANTRELL MEDLEY THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 8, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: TAMARA L. MOSBARGER Dated: November 7, 2019 Case Number: 19CV03297 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner CRYSTAL JOY SANDBERG filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: CRYSTAL JOY SANDBERG Proposed name: KRISSY JOY TRITTEN THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the this Legal Notice continues

CN&R

December 12, 2019

➡

petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 22, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: MICHAEL P. CANDELA Dated: November 22, 2019 Case Number: 19CV03537 Published: December 5,12,19,26, 2019

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner ERIC ELISHA KNIGHT filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: ERIC ELISHA KNIGHT Proposed name: DAVID ELISHA STOCKTON THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 8, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM Dept: TBA Room: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: ROBERT A. GLUSMAN Dated: November 1, 2019 Case Number: 19CV03107 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, January 2, 2020

SUMMONS SUMMONS NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: CHARISH L BLEVINS YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: BUTTE COUNTY CREDIT BUREAU A CORP NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county library, or the

this Legal Notice continues

➡

courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The Court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. The name and address of the court is: Superior Court of California County of Butte 1775 Concord Avenue Chico, CA 95928 LIMITED CIVIL CASE The name, address and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney is: JOSEPH L SELBY (#249546) Law Office of Ferris & Selby 2607 Forest Avenue Ste 130 Chico, CA 95928. (530) 366-4290 Dated: November 13, 2018 Signed: KIMBERLY FLENER Case Number: 18CV03741 Published: December 12,19,26, 2019, Janurary 2, 2020

PETITION NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE SALLY LEE GAMBOA, aka, SALLY L. GAMBOA, aka SALLY GAMBOA To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: SALLY LEE GAMBOA, aka SALLY L. GAMBOA, aka SALLY GAMBOA A Petition for Probate has been filed by: ANTHONY GAMBOA in the Superior Court of California, County of Butte. The Petition for Probate requests that: ANTHONY GAMBOA be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: December 17, 2019 Time: 9:00 a.m. Dept: Probate Room: TBA Address of the court: Superior Court of California this Legal Notice continues

➡

County of Butte 1775 Concord Ave. Chico, CA 95926. IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: REBECCA YUHASZ McKernan, Lanam, Bakke & Williams LLP 55 Independence Circle, Suite 106 Chico, CA 95973 (530) 877-4961 Dated: November 19, 2019 Case Number: 19PR00525 Published: November 27, December 5,12, 2019

Save up to

50% s on restaurant ! ts and even

Cnrsweetdeals.newsreview.Com

December 12, 2019

CN&R