Upgraded Living Magazine - February 14 by Upgraded Living

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334 Broadway Street | Downtown Chico (530) 809-1839 | FormalEducation.com

L W Y S

edi

LOVE WHAT YOU SEE

Photo taken at Red Tavern Photo by Michelle Camy

s I approach the front counter at

The small town of Sikeston is located in the southeast

Herreid Music, I am greeted with a

corner of the Show-Me State and only a short drive

warm welcome from the nearby

from the Tennessee border and a few counties away

clerk. “So, you’re here to meet the

from Nashville, the perfect distance for young Charlie

kings?” she asks me. The royalty she

to practice guitar licks echoing up Interstate 69. Charlie

is referring to are a pair of men with

and his family lived there until he was nine when they

whom many well-known musicians

decided to pack up and head west. Originally, the

are well acquainted. These guys are

Robinsons chose Central California’s Porterville, a

not only famous to the famous, but are embraced by

neighboring city to Bakersfield, but after spending

our community as a local icons. Soon after my arrival,

most of his adolescence there, Charlie’s family relocated

the doors fly open to the quiet music store and in

to Chico in 1951. The Robinsons had always been a

stroll Charlie Robinson and Mike Dodgen. The two guitar

musically oriented family. Charlie’s mother played

veterans are both wearing bright smiles and begin to

organ for the local church and his father would strum

glow with the excitement to be returning to a world

guitar at neighborhood square dances. Even though

with which they have the utmost familiarity.

he did enjoy the different genres his mom and dad played, when it came down to it, the technicalities in

The attention of the room is directed toward Charlie

the sounds of jazz and blues were where Charlie started

and Mike, as the employees begin to converse and

to feel musically at home. In the later 1940s, as Charlie

ambitious musicians glance from afar. The focus in

began to progress with the guitar, the twang coming

the room is pinpointed on these two personalities as

from of a young Tennessee man by the name of Chet

everyone begins to take mental notes of Charlie and

Atkins began to appeal to the aspiring guitarist.

Mike’s every word and action, hoping to learn something they can apply to their own musical repertoire.

Charlie’s first band was formed when he was only

I could drone on with generic statements such as

twelve years old. Nerves were pounding louder that

“Charlie and Mike have lots of experience” or they

than the sounds coming from his guitar during those

are “very talented guitarists” but these claims would

first couple of gigs. “It may not seem like it now but I

be immense understatements. Between the two, they

have always been a bit of an introvert. I could be in my

hold more than 100 years of musical experience. Playing

room whaling away at full volume but when I would

music is not just a

get in front of people, it was a different story. Very few

hobby or an inter-

people are born with that natural ability to get up and

est. To them it is a

perform, most of us have to achieve it through struggle

way of life, the core

“and hard work,” Charlie explains humbly. Arriving

of their very being.

in Chico as an already proficient guitarist, Charlie remembers the local scene was dominated by country

<CHARLIE ROBINSON A HOMEBODY ON TOUR

music, “I worked so hard learning how to play jazz and blues. I didn’t really like country! But, if you wanna make a dime, you gotta play what the crowd wants.” So he did just that. Charlie resorted to playing country music and rapidly transformed himself into local star

Charlie Robinson

in the surrounding Chico area. The Charlie Robinson

was born in Sikeston

Band could be heard howling away in any Chico

Missouri in 1935.

establishment throughout the 1950s.

After the few years of local success, Charlie decided to

had been sitting in a room with a true legend. So, if

take his skills on the road and begun to experience the

you ever find yourself in Herreid Music on quiet day

life of a touring musician. The Charlie Robinson Band

and hear some guitar licks with a little Chet Atkins

launched a five year long tour in 1960. Charlie would

twang echoing throughout the building, there is good

not only have front row seats to a musical revolution;

chance a local icon

he would be witnessing a great American cultural

is very close by.

shift from within it. Clubs and theaters became Charlie’s home for those five years in the sixties. “Our manager would book us a couple weeks in one state and then a few weeks later move us on to the next. I remember playing shows at a club in Fairbanks, Alaska throughout the whole month of December! Can you imagine?” Charlie reminisces about having a blast on the road with all the experiences meeting new people party after party and all the other perks that go along with being a touring musician. Although he has led the life of a rockstar, he would not trade anything for what he does now; he is happily passing his talent to the younger generations through the art of teaching. He will always label himself as a “homebody.” “The road can get old after awhile and sometimes all you want is a home cooked meal and a good night’s sleep in your own bed,” Charlie admits with a big confident smile. So, upon returning to Chico from the road at the age of 32, Charlie decided he wanted to take an alternate route and began to educate people with his gift. He started giving guitar lessons in 1966 and today he still gives multiple lessons each week. Charlie continues to perform live but his main focus is to pass on his skill to his eager students, one note at a time. When I ask Charlie what kinds of emotions and feelings he gets when he plays the guitar, he pauses for a moment, glances around the room and replies, “The guitar is just a tool, just like a hammer or shovel. Tools are not going to do the work for you, you have to take it upon yourself to put the effort forward to get anything out of it. But, with the guitar you have to put yourself into every single note. Because when you play, your are

<MIKE DODGEN

ALL AMERICAN BOY Mike Dodgen, armed with his trusty Telecaster has stormed across every interstate and shaken the walls of countless nightclubs, auditoriums and honky-tonks dotting the American landscape. Each time Mike would exit the stage, he would leave the audience trembling in their shoes with his searing-hot guitar licks and leads. He has seen it all from the merciless life on the road to looking super-stardom square in the eye. Atlanta, Georgia during the 1950s was a city where electric guitars were being passed around and rock-n-roll could unescapably be heard from every street corner and stoplight. The swinging upbeat city would be the backdrop to Mike’s childhood. Michael Dodgen was named after the TV personality and big band singer Mike Douglas, who Michael’s father knew personally from his years of being a trumpet player in Georgia during the 1940s. Mike remembers acquiring his first electric guitar at the age of 8 for the steep price of five dollars. He soon began to pick up chord changes and lead licks with ease. Within a few years his father realized he was progressing and decided to invest in a red Gibson Les Paul Jr. for his son. Mike remembers, “Once I had that Les Paul, it was on! I was gone!”

confiding a deep dark secret about yourself to your

As the fifties drew to a close, The Dodgen family decided

audience and only you are capable of triggering this.”

to make California their new home. Mike was a freshman

With this eloquently put note of wisdom, I realized I

in high school when he arrived in Saratoga and at this

time he was excelling tremendously on the fretboard

fashion. As the band waited for the engineering and

and began taking interest in artists like Freddie King

production to finalize the album, they played shows

and Ray Charles. “At the age of 14, I was heard playing

in LA landmarks such as West Hollywood’s Whiskey A

at a recital in San Jose and subsequently got hired by

Go Go and Gazzarri’s theatre where many a rockstar

a band by the name of The Enchanters. They were no

began to rise.

garage band. They were a money making group!” says

Mike. The Enchanters played shows extensively two to

The music industry can be cruel, relentless and will

three times a week all over the Bay Area. Mike began

take no prisoners. Shortly after the Enchanters returned

to perform on stage like it was it was second nature.

to the Bay Area, Mike received a heartbreaking phone

The success, money and, of course, the female fans

call from a producer down in LA. Another one of the

could not be avoided by the young teenage guitarist.

other bands who had been in the studio at the same

Upon returning home from a weeklong gig in Squaw

time as The Enchanters had recorded a song that would

Valley, Mike got a call ATCO records (a sub-label of the

become an anthem to the sixties. The band was Buffalo

heavy hitting Atlantic Records at the time) and was

Springfield and the song recorded was “For What It’s

offered a deal for his band to fly down to Los Angeles

Worth.” The Enchanters had been placed on the back

to record. Mike told the record company his band

burner by the record industry. Mike recalls, “Buffalo

would accept, but only under the condition that they

Springfield had gotten the push and we were just left

waited for him to graduate high school which was only

in the dust.”

a few months away. The rest of The Enchanters wanted to carry on with

In the summer after graduation, Mike and his band

the band but thinking of his future, Mike moved to

packed all their equipment in the band vehicle, a hearse

the Santa Cruz Mountains and commuted to classes

complete with a bumper sticker that read “Don’t laugh,

at San Jose State. After Mike graduated from San Jose

your daughter is in here with us,” and took the I-5

State he became a “hired gun,” playing for Bay Area

directly to Los Angeles. It was the sixties and Sunset

based bands throughout the seventies. But, in 1979

Strip and Hollywood Boulevard were surreal and beautiful

he was given another chance with life on the road.

as Mike and his band found their way to the same studio

The Michael Dodgen Band was formed. His new band

that recorded such artists as The Beach Boys and Sonny

didn’t consist of musical mercenaries but featured star

and Cher. The Enchanters studio sessions went just as

players who had performed with popular groups such

planned, fast and to the point, in true rock and roll

as The Doobie Brothers and Moby Grape. R&B and soul

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

music could be heard exploding off the stage as The Michael Dodgen Band would kick off their set list. As the years went by of successful gigging and touring, Mike would eventually receive more tragic news. In the late eighties, Mike began having serious problems with his voice and doctors informed him he would not be able to sing again unless he went through a surgery with little chance of success. Mike declined the procedure, gathered all his things and in 1988, headed upstate to make Paradise his new home where he still resides today. Although his performing days are over, his experience on the scene and passion for music are shared as he encourages and sparks the music within his students. At the end of the interview, I sit across from Mike and he tells me, “When you get some spare time, give this song a listen.” The song was called “All American Boy” written by an Ohio man named Bobby Bare. After listening to the track a few times, it is easy to figure out why Mike suggested it. The song is about a boy who picked up a guitar at a very young age and after that moment his life changed forever. Things came and went very quickly for this young boy, but in his few minutes of fame, he stood on stage and got exactly what he wanted. Matthew Manfredi Michelle Camy

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

BOOK REVIEW

Stoner & Spaz

Ron Koertge Candlewick Press December 9th, 2013

Ben Bancroft has Cerebral Palsy and an overprotective grandmother who takes care of him. He is a “nobody” at his school and always flies under the radar. One day in Ben’s life he runs into a drug addicted girl named Colleen Minou. Colleen is an expert at who making all the wrong choices in her life. Ben tries to help Colleen become sober and as t h ey get to k now eac h ot h e r a n u n l i ke ly roma nce develops bet ween t h e t wo teens . I ’m a ver y pick y reader and I ’ve always had p ro b le ms sta y i n g i n te reste d i n a b oo k , b u t S to n e r & S p a z g ot me to ke e p re a d i n g . I t ’s a car wreck of a relationship that doesn’t stop a n d i t kee p s t h e p a g es t u r n i n g a l l t h e way to t h e a maz i n g e n d . I t ’s o n e sc rewb a l l of a love story. Reviewed By: Noah Thalken

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

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UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

Born and raised in Chico, Alicia Valponi, attended Shasta Elementary School, Bidwell Junior High, and Pleasant Valley High School before departing for Santa Clara University. It was there that she decided to major in Biology with the intent to attend medical school. During her senior year in 2007, Alicia landed an internship at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Gatos, and during her internship realized that the medical field wasn’t the perfect fit that she once expected it to be. She decided to change course and instead begin her search for a career she was truly passionate about. As many who have searched for their true calling in the world have found, the search itself doesn’t tend to pay the bills. To finance her life while the search contin-

ued, Alicia decided to apply for a random job opportunity at a startup company in the Bay Area called Vudu. Responsible for being one of the first-to-market movie distribution companies to deliver movies to tv via the internet, Vudu was about as far away from the medical field as Alicia could possibly get. The random opportunity soon turned into a job offer and she took over as an administrative assistant in their recruiting office. Though not the medical career she once envisioned, the position at Vudu allowed her to accomplish one of the items that attracted her to the medical field in the first place — closely working with others in a way that could better their lives. Not only was she able to help mostly introverted hires find comfort in their new surroundings, but she was also

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

given the ability to wear a fair share of other hats in the tech industry to properly bridge the gap between one department and the other. These dabblings into other areas within the tech world eventually convinced Alicia that it was time to continue her search, and so she did, landing a job at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, CA. As anyone could imagine, a job at Pixar would likely be one surrounded by creativity, and it was this atmosphere that finally gave Alicia a better bearing of what she was truly interested in. While just getting her feet wet at the company, she was recruited away by a financing firm with the promise of a better salary. The creativity began to fade once again, and she found herself hating life, watching an excess of reality TV, and drinking her fair share of wine to forget both. She loved creativity, found solace in writing, and had always indulged in fashion. Alicia discussed her predicament with then longdistance boyfriend, Tanner Lund (also a Chico native), who was living in Sacramento at the time. Tanner suggested that she start a blog to express her creativity through fashion, and having noticed the recent leopard and cheetah-print phase she had embarked on in her own style choices, suggested that she name the blog Cheetah is the New Black. To save her the decision, he registered the name and set up her blog for her at the same time. She began to blog randomly about her fashion musings using the Blogger platform that Tanner had set up for her. A journalistic set of entries about her experiences with style in San Francisco, the blog quickly took off as more and more people became aware of it. The blogging scene was supportive of her efforts and she continued to expand on her blog’s offerings as more and more local fashionistas began following her blog each day. Tanner and Alicia soon married, and moved to New York as Tanner had been accepted to Cornell University. Though it had always been Alicia’s dream to move to New York, her first year in Ithaca wasn’t all she had dreamed New York could be. She put in her time, focused on the blog, and the two soon moved to New York City. About as closely knit of a fashion community as one could hope for, New York City welcomed Alicia with open arms. She began collaborating with other bloggers, designers, and boutique owners to publicize the wealth of fashion that existed all around her, and word continued to spread. She was contacted by ELLE Magazine and began to freelance for them. Her friend Leah was the fashion editor for ELLE.com, and when her friend gave her two week notice shortly after Alicia’s

hire, the magazine quickly offered her the position. Itching to work in the New York Fashion collective, but feeling under-qualified, she took the plunge and committed to continue what she had done previously in her blog. She remained as ELLE.com’s Fashion Editor throughout the following year before she and Tanner moved back to Sacramento for his new job. Though still writing for ELLE, the position gave considerable credibility and an even greater boost to her blog. Now averaging over 300,000 page views per month, it has quickly landed front and center as one of the preeminent women’s fashion blogs online. Her blog’s following also spread to the various social media networks. On Pinterest, Alicia’s page has just over 44,600 followers; on Instagram, over 25,300, and on Twitter over 10,000. The success has not only landed her a significant following, but also the opportunity to work with some of her fashion idols including Alice + Olivia, Dannijo Jewelry, and most recently a set of collaborations with Nordstrom that focused on products with “giftability” during the Christmas season. Though her C.V. continues to grow and the list of names associated with her adventures in fashion has become increasingly noteworthy, it is pleasing to note that Alicia’s passion remains with the small business owner. She continues to spend the majority of her time seeking out local boutiques throughout Northern California that offer a flare for the extraordinary with unique items that one might not find so easily elsewhere. Having visited her fair share of boutiques throughout

her six years of blogging, she is looking to shift her focus slightly in the coming years and start her own personal styling service and eventually open a boutique in Sacramento. The rebirth of CheetahIsTheNewBlack. com was recently launched and as her readers have made the decision to grow up with her, she has decided to do the same for them by providing new sections that are indicative of that maturing process, including a new travel section, home decor, and more. She has also rededicated her blogging efforts to the areas that gave her the initial start: San Francisco, Sacramento, and of course Chico. The site is absolutely phenomenal and as one who has already found himself enamored with its travel offerings, I can only imagine how women will react to the abundance of fashion it provides. Set some time away, grab your favorite espresso or espresso-like beverage, start up your favorite web browser and find out why we agree that cheetah is the definitely new black.

New Again Kitchen & Bath presents:

February 2014: Get a Grip! John and Marie dated through high school and college, then went their separate ways. Years later, after John retired from law enforcement in Palm Springs and his children had grown up and gone out on their own, he made his way back up to northern California. Marie and John reconnected and found new love in each other. They married and now share a beautiful home together in Chico, where they enjoy hosting family, cooking delicious healthy meals and sharing their incredible love story along with their high school prom photo to illustrate!

THE COUPLE:

Twenty-seven years in Palm Springs gave John an appreciation for the bold and earthy hues of Southwestern decor. Although he claims “I’m not an artistic person,” you can see he and Marie share an appreciation for art and color as you walk through the interesting angles of their home. From the vibrant art on their walls to their backyard which is alive with crepe myrtles, roses and water features, there is no doubt that a lot of love goes into their living space.

decided if we would change anything, we’d focus on the kitchen.” Although their kitchen was sturdy and functional, it was lacking in a few areas and needed a lift. “Marie’s issue was the countertops.” John explains, “No matter what we did to the grout, it wouldn’t stay clean and it was beginning to chip.” They also didn’t like their cabinets. The white washed oak was very dated and the cabinets had no handles. Over the years, oil from fingers looking for a place to grip the doors began to wear down the stain and leave grease marks, adding to the less-than desirable look of the cabinetry. The fluorescent box lighting did nothing to help the situation and with the counters, cabinets and lighting as the diagnosed

“Homes are losing value,” says John, “so I didn’t want to put a lot of money into something unless it was really worth it to us. We use the kitchen a lot, so we

THE CALL: 32

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

problems, John and Marie were ready to seek a solution. Before deciding on anything, Marie said “Let’s stop by this place and see what’s available,” and they walked into New Again Kitchen & Bath where they found their designer, Ric, and samples to tempt their every aesthetic inclination. “Ric made us feel very comfortable. He helped us figure out how to work within our budget and focus on the most important things we wanted to change. He was very helpful as far as taste and design go as well. We would question ourselves ‘Are we picking the right colors and styles? Is this outdated?’ He came out personally to our house to

see what colors would work for us. We have a lot of bright colors in our walls and he helped us find something that looked beautiful and pulled from the colors without being over the top or taking away from anything else in the room.”

THE CURE:

Ric was there every step of the way from the granite and backsplash selection and installation to new bright and lighting and, of course, painting and putting some handles on the original cabinetry. “It was a very fun project from the design perspective because the Blachleys’ home was very bright, and they weren’t afraid of bold colors.” With Ric’s guidance, John and Marie said “goodbye” to grout and selected a beautiful White Galaxy granite for their counters and backsplash. They bought their own light fixtures to replace the harsh fluorescent light box and New Again installed the lighting along with an under mount stainless steel sink.

As for the cabinets, they got a full beauty treatment. “I love selling new cabinetry, but there is something very exciting about taking something older and outdated and bringing new life to it,” says Ric. He helped John and Marie stay within their budget by suggesting having the cabinetry professionally painted instead of torn out and replaced. “The cabinets were high quality, but they just needed a facelift and handles for better function. It would have easily been four times more expensive to tear them out and replace them and it is much greener to keep what you have and make it better instead of creating more waste.” The cabinets were professionally painted by local artist and New Again Kitchen & Bath’s go-to painter, John Ferrell. “We always use John Ferrell for our projects. He is an artist so he takes special care in what he is doing” says Ric, and that is important when it comes to any job

New Again takes on. “When New Again Kitchen & Bath paints cabinetry, we don’t just slap on some paint.” Ric explains, “We remove doors, take them to shop, do several coats of cleaning and degreasing before we sand, then do several coats of primer using heavy duty commercial quality primer, then paint the door and drawer fronts in a dust free environment. After the granite and backsplash are completed, we come back and spray the cabinet face frames in place then rehang the doors and add new hardware.” “I had no idea it was such an involved process,” says John, “It was my first experience working with a painter who is also an artist and I was impressed. He was great! Such a perfectionist, and that was a good thing. We were really thankful.” Beautifully updated cabinets with a modern, elegant look and handles that match the sink have brought the Blachleys’ kitchen up to date. Smooth white granite counters and backsplash are flecked with metallic color to pull from the other bright tones in the home and gently reflect new LED lighting. New Again Kitchen & Bath made it

easy for John and Marie by doing it all from demolition to disposal and design to installation. Ric worked out all the details, including a construction schedule and the job was done a week before Thanksgiving so John and Marie could get back to hosting. Another kitchen cured by the crew at New Again Kitchen & Bath! Briana Lindstrom Frank Rebelo

New Again Kitchen & Bath 2502 Park Ave, Chico, CA 95928 (530) 899-2888

day to write this article. They

near Fire Station 5 (East Av-

also a piece of granite honoring

enue at Manzanita Avenue), with the flight numbers of the

the police and military men and are so committed to bringing women who lost their lives that help and comfort to people all

September 11th planes etched

day. Pat Brownfield of Chico

over our area 24 hours a day.

in bright red around the sides.

Granite and Marble Works has

Fighting fires is an important

Two gleaming white granite

put in many volunteer hours

aspect of their job, but help-

towers, cut and sand blasted

in making this sculpture an art

ing people is why they throw

with the letters “FDNY” on one and “Never Forget” on the

piece the entire community can themselves into life and death situations. As fire reaches out appreciate and enjoy. Spend-

other, will stand side by side

ing only a few hours with this

trying to grab them, their eyes

with the steel piece hanging

team of local firefighters and

are only on that person need-

sideways in the middle to give

volunteers brought tears to

ing to be saved. Three hundred

the illusion of it falling. There is

my eyes as I reflected on my

forty-three New York firefight-

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

ers gave their whole selves

anywhere but out to those that

in rescuing strangers. People

fought that day. Families may

they had never once spoken to.

have lost their siblings, daddy,

These are real life heroes.

mommy, or grandparents, that

In regards to the project,

day but our country never lost.

If you would like to donate to our

Dave told me they plan on

We never lost the feeling of pa-

local firefighters,

putting benches surrounding

triotism. That grew. We never

the memorial sculpture so that

lost hope. It only multiplied. We

they have an ac-

anybody can visit anytime. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We

felt loss, the most intense loss

want it to be a place teachers

possible, but the entire country

Valley Community

can come with their students

became one, despite our many

and explain to them what this

differences. Honor those that

Foundation and

day meant to our country. Our

fight. Love your country.

hopes are for the community to come here to reflect.â&#x20AC;? With 7 foot tall towers standing strong side by side on the large base with spotlights beaming up

Alyssa Worley Frank Rebelo and Michelle Camy

count at the North

would love to finish the donation-funded sculpture by this upcoming September!

onto the falling steel, it would be difficult for our hearts to go 37

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

There’s something about

Sherry LandiS “Sherry Landis is by far the best real estate agent in Chico. She is professional, positive, and has incredible follow through. She helped us navigate our way through the sale of two homes and the purchase of another—all at the same time! She never missed a beat. She made sure we understood the process, and stayed in constant contact with us. Even after all three homes closed, she continued to call, email, and text just to make sure everything was going as planned. We could not have done it without her.”

The are bea a ne feat living ceili

— Doug anD CoLEttE RobERtS

(530) 514-4855 | landis4sale@aol.com | www.SherryLandis.com

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This was the model home and only one owner! There have been many upgrades including travertine tiles, upgraded carpets, granite, oversized lot, built in desk in media room, special color paint throughout, draperies, landscaped beautifully with slate water fall, flowers galore and redwood trees. RV Access on both sides of the house and two master suites make this home a must see! Bed: 4.0 Bath: 4.0 SqFt: 3,166 Price: $429,000

A terrific Michael Galli floor plan updated and remodeled from head to toe about a year ago. Stainless steel appliances, granite counters, plush carpets, decorator lighting, exterior and interior painting, lush park like yard, sparkling in ground gunite pool, newer 10x10 outdoor shed, wood stove, shows truly like a model home. Open floor plan with so many upgrades!

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UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

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Bed: 4.0 Bath: 3.0 SqFt: 3,675 Price: $665,000

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Bed: 3.0 Bath: 2.0 SqFt: 1,653 Price: $339,000

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Beautiful home in a great location with lots of upgrades. You will love the soaring ceilings and generously proportioned rooms of this home. Other features include: security system, granite counter tops, formal living and formal dining room, family room with fireplace, gourmet kitchen with island and breakfast nook area, lots of windows throughout the house for ample sunlight, master bed with fireplace, master bath has dual vanity, separate shower and soaking tub. On the 2nd floor you will find an over-sized bonus room that can be used as a game room or media room. This gorgeous home is priced to sell. Bed: 5.0 Bath: 3.0 SqFt: 3,113 Price: $429,950

Beautiful ranchette in a private setting! Sheltered by majestic trees and built in 1987, this immaculate home offers a peaceful warm ambiance, light and airy rooms, large living room with free standing wood stove, tile counters, and wood ﬂooring. 3 bedrooms, indoor laundry, two storage out buildings, a two car garage, plus a darling sunny Florida room with all the windows facing the beautiful 1.75 acres of total serenity. Bed: 3.0

Bath: 2.0

SqFt: 1,852 Price: $364,900

Quaint and Sweet! Situated on a great cul-de-sac location and boasts many great features such as: open ﬂoor plan, formal living and dining room, family room with ﬁreplace, and a breakfast nook facing the darling patio. This home has a light and airy kitchen with granite counters, and is open to the family room. The master bedroom is spacious and the master bath offers a dual vanity for his and hers, and has a large soaking tub for relaxation. The yard is beautiful and you will want to spend many warm spring and summer days just sitting and soaking in the fresh air. Bed: 3.0

Gentleman Ranchette! Build your dream house on this 3.60 acres of prime soil in a fabulous Durham location. The acreage is large enough to have a small orchard on it or enough room for horses. Owner may carry on ﬁnancing on the land for a qualiﬁed buyer.

Bath: 2.0

SqFt: 1,650 Price: $289,900

3 parcels, each with their own AP#. The seller’s house is on one of the parcels, need to be subdivided. Owner may carry for a qualiﬁed buyer Acreage: .14 Price: $69,000

Acreage: 3.6 Price: $179,900

5,000

PENDING The ambiance is warm and soothing in this quaint and sweet home! On cold winter nights you can cozy up around the fireplace and watch the flames dance. The home features large windows which invite ample amount of sunlight into the house. The living room and dining room are spacious and are perfect for entertaining. Other features include laminate flooring, indoor laundry, security system, walk in closet, 220V in the backyard for spa connection, covered patio and a large back yard. Bed: 3.0

Bath: 2.0

SqFt: 1,718 Price: $333,000 Acreage: .20

Lake and mountain view!!! Awesome Kelly Ridge location with a beautiful view of the lake and mountains. This home features 2 master suites, one on each level, and one with a jetted tub. Bed: 3.0 Bath: 3.0 SqFt: 1,663 Price: $189,000

PENDING Bidwell Park is nearby!! Located in a great neighborhood near the park, school and shopping center, this wonderful home offers a large living room with ﬁreplace, open ﬂoor plan, gas appliances, central heat and air, easy care yard, 2 car garage and more. Bed: 4.0 Bath: 2.0 SqFt: 1,656 Price: $255,000 41

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

FEATURE Love Stories

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

Post Procedure Skin Maintenance by Dr. Vimali Paul When you take your car in for servicing, you still have to fill it with gasoline, oil, and put air in the tires to keep you on the road. Skin maintenance also requires some aftercare to keep us looking our best. We use lasers and skin lightening creams to get rid of sun damage, but if we don’t apply a sunscreen (every day!) of SPF 30 or higher, the damage returns or worsens. We get facials or laser rejuvenation, but if we aren’t keeping our skin clean and hydrated with basic skin care products at home, we can still look dull, blotchy, and either too oily or too dry. Any skin care regimen requires a bit of a commitment, but if we are results-oriented, we find time to maintain healthy, fresh-looking skin. Wash your face morning and evening to keep residue from building up and clogging the pores. Skin care products

are type-specific, so read the labels or ask your skin care professional what is right for you. Use active ingredient products (retinol, vitamin C, hydro-quinone, etc.) consistentlyfor best results. While some skin conditions must be treated by a physician with topical or internal medications, we can still be pro-active with our skin care by being educated and informed about the products we use. Put your best face forward and maintain that healthy glow! Call or visit us at the Derm Bar Med-Spa to set up a free consultation with one our licensed skin care professionals and to see which products are available in order to maintain your best skin! 85 Declaration Dr. Suite 100 Chico, CA 95973 | 530.342.2672

Are You a Sensitive Person? by Dr. Dina Rabo, DC Ask yourself these questions: Do you suffer with irritability, nervousness or depression? Have you been dealing with being overweight and struggled for much of your life? Do you reach for carbohydrates over protein most of the time? Do you crave carbohydrates and sugary foods much of the time? Does your diet consist of a lot of processed foods like white bread, pastas, sweets or sugary cereals? Are you a woman and are over forty?

If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, you may be carbohydrate sensitive. Having uncontrolled reactions to foods or even physical reactions to this food group that may cause many adverse health conditions in the future. Such conditions may involve insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and thyroid problems. Carbohydrate sensitivity 2. How often do you stretch your legs can be attributed to an imbalance of and back each week? hormones, pancreatic dysfunction, or even 3. How often do you get a massage? poor learned eating habits over time. 4. How often do you plan and eat a home It’s not that carbohydrates are bad to eat; it’s that we over consume them or certain cooked healthy meal each week? 5. How often do you look in the mirror and metabolisms don’t function as well with appreciate your uniquely beautiful certain types of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are often our “comfort foods” like figure and features each week? chocolate and ice cream or a glass of red If you are unsatisfied with your reflective wine. Ideally, we want to make better answers, let the specialists at Advanced choices with more unprocessed and Body Dynamics coach you through a healthy living/self loving program that natural carbohydrates. Start to replace may include soothing Aquatic Therapy the sugary cookies, cereals, chips, and at our brand new, state of the art hydro- fast food meals with “good” carbohydrates therapy pool, scheduled stretching like brown rice, oatmeal, yams or sweet sessions, and endorphin raising cardio- potatoes, and other natural high-fiber vascular classes complete with fun and carbohydrates. These would be better delicious meal preparation coaching choices as they do not cause high spikes and advice. in your blood sugar thereby helping to Love your body, it’s the only one you get! maintain an overall “feeling of fullness” and even less “mood swings,” yet promote Scott Amick, CPT sustained energy.

Self Love and the Wonka Wash by Scott Amick, CPT

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to step into the Advanced Body Dynamics studio, you will have entered an environment free from harsh self judgement, brimming with positive energy, complete with fresh, empowering quotes on our whiteboard every morning. I like to invoke the memor y of the “Hsaw Aknow ” from the famous Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory film when describing what happens when you walk through the front door of ABD. Hsaw Aknow is the “Wonka Wash” spelled backwards! In this case the threshold of ABD acts as a hsaw aknow in which all negative self judgment is squeaky cleaned from each person that chooses to enter. As Valentine’s Day approaches and we take a chance to show that special someone how much we care for them, I invite you to answer the following “Love Quiz” to find out how much you care for your own body. 1. How often do you raise your heart rate to elicit an endorphin response each week?

advanced-body.com 2201 Pillsbury Rd, Chico, CA 95926 530.781.2639

Dr. Dina Rabo, DC 530.846.6262 rabochiropracticcenter.com

The Retirement Crisis by Renée Michel, MBA Financial Advisor at Asset Management Group $6.6 Trillion is what the Center for Retirement Research has estimated as the gap between what people will need in retirement and what they 1 have saved. There is no magic number that works for every person when it comes to retirement. However, according to research done at MFS Research, the average retirement plan participant expects to need only $515,000. Today, $500,000 might sound like a big enough number but consider the following: If you retire today with a lump sum amount in an IRA or retirement plan of $500,000 and take the 2 recommended 4% annual distribution, your monthly gross income would be $1,666.66. That breaks down to $384.61 a week after taxes.

Michelle Camy contemporary art in repurposed house paint mcamyart@gmail.com

Now, if you are one of the lucky ones who has paid down all of their debt or works for a company that still offers a pension plan, $385 a week may work for you. Those who are not as lucky will either need to change their savings plan now or reduce their expenses during retirement. If you haven’t calculated your retirement income needs you should consult with your financial advisor. You can prevent your own retirement crisis by becoming an informed investor. 1 Source: Investopedia.com, “Retirement in 2014: It’s Your Number that Counts” 2 The 4% rule of thumb withdrawal rate was devised by financial planner William Bengen to determine the amount investors can potentially take from savings each year of retirement without running out of money for at least 30 years.

Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGAN Insurance Agency), member FINRA/SIPC. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. Renée Michel, MBA 2452 Lakewest Drive| Chico, CA 95928 530-342-2900 | 800-333-2901 | (F) 530-342-3925 rmichel@amgchico.com | www.amgchico.com 56

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

A Discussion on Cancer Screening by Dr. Sam Mazj (Continued from January) Screening benefits and risks: Deciding whether to have a screening test is not always as straightforward as it may seem. Screening has potential risks and benefits that a person should talk about with his or her doctor, especially in the context of his or her personal and family medical history. The benefits include a potential decrease in the number of deaths from cancer. The risks include:

False reassurance. Sometimes a cancer screening test will suggest a person does not have cancer when they actually do. As a result, a person may not needed treatment. Screening test recommendations

Overdiagnosis. Cancer screening tests may find slow-growing cancers that otherwise would not have been found or caused harm in a person’s lifetime. The result is that a person may receive potentially harmful, painful, stressful, and/or expensive treatment that the person didn’t need.

Different organizations provide guidelines on cancer screening tests. Recommendations vary on which cancers people should have screening tests for, which screening tests should be used to screen for a particular cancer, and when and how often those tests should be done. It’s important for people to talk with their doctors to determine which tests are appropriate for their age and medical history.

False positives. Sometimes a cancer screening test will suggest that a person has cancer when they do not.

Check back in next month for a look at some of the most accepted screening recommendations.

Increased testing. Both overdiagnosis and false positives can lead to additional tests that a person may not need. These tests can be physically invasive, costly, and cause a person unnecessary stress and worry.

For more information, contact Dr. Sam Mazj at Feather River Cancer Center | 5629 Canyon View Dr, Paradise, CA | 95969 (530) 876-3141

HAVE YOU LISTENED LATELY?

by James S. Nagel, M.D. Quality of Life Medicine

In the healthy female, the desire for intercourse is primarily dictated by how much estrogen is produced. Although biologically, the ultimate function of love, romance, and other courting rituals, as well as sex, is to procreate, the desire to procreate is not the main motivation for sex. Sexual pleasure and the need to form emotional connections, facilitate bonding, to feel desired, and reduce sexual and interpersonal tensions are the main motivators, but without adequate estrogen, a woman perceives little to no need for sex. When estrogen levels are too low, sex is no longer perceived as pleasurable, and for many, the idea of having sex becomes repulsive, leading to the avoidance of sexual intimacy altogether. The loss of sexual desire frequently leads to fractured relationships. Sex and sexual incompatibility was cited as the single most common contributing factor to divorce and is the catalyst behind 43% of all divorces. (1) The ability to produce estrogen is a function of how many eggs remain viable in the ovaries. As estrogen levels gradually diminish over time, 48% of women age 40 and older almost never have a spontaneous sexual thought, reflecting shifting priorities dictated by a woman’s declining egg count. This is a stark contrast to the stereotypical “sex crazed” teenage sentiment and “overly sexed” college years. If your libido and sex life has lost its former vigor, and your relationship needs some revival, hormone restoration is likely to rekindle the spark. (1) PRLog (Press Release) 2008 Sex Is the Most Common Factor In Divorce www.prlog.org/pressleases/ James S. Nagel, MD If you’d like to learn more about your options, call Quality of Life Medicine today for a consultation. (530) 566-9700.

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM

McCloud, CA ALYSSA WORLEY

It’s all in a name. When looking up at those fluffy white clouds in the sky framing a majestic snow-capped mountain, the words luminous and picturesque come to mind. Those same adjectives could be said about the town settled comfortably into the southern side of Mt. Shasta. Waterfalls and crystal clear lakes are calling for exploration, along with the historic downtown. We urge you to visit the Heritage Junction Museum on Main Street that boasts 100 years of artifacts, photography, and exhibits from McCloud’s mill town beginning! Warm welcoming shopkeepers would love to see you browse their plentiful variety of gifts and antiques. After eating at the 1930s inspired White Mountain Café, get lost in the old growth forests of McCloud and relax in the crisp winter sun. Only two hours and 20 minutes from Chico, McCloud is a quaint and welcoming place to stay while using your Mt. Shasta Ski Park season tickets this winter. 62

UPGRADED LIVING | FEBRUARY 2014 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM