Upgraded Living - January 2022 issue

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FROM THE EDITOR January, 2022. It is a bit difficult to believe it has been five years since diversity turned into division. More so, it was just a little over three years that the unthinkable unfolded, leaving us helpless and bewildered. The sting hung on, turning desperation into fear. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, we were thrust into a lockdown. Here, we learned a new vocabulary and fun ways to settle in for happy hour.

January, 2022. With its promise of clear skies ahead or the possibility of looming darkness. It brings with it a different kind of division, leaving us on our own to choose how to approach this New Year. I plan to do so with anticipation and belief. I can’t help but see brighter days, lifting spirits, and a feeling we will see our smiles again. So, if you are someone who greets the year with a resolution, you are in for a real treat. With a little help from The Beatles, we have named our January magazine “The Resolution Issue.”

The theme for this issue is a play on words—“You say you want a resolution.” Our cover obviously coincides with this and brought us joy right from the planning stage. Look closely; there might be some surprises. The cover story uses some beautiful and powerful words from writers across the globe and time. Their words could very well serve as the right way to express our personal resolutions. One of my readers said she wanted to post the quotes all over the house. To go alongside, we asked community members to send us their resolutions. Just like the contributors, no two resolutions are alike. Each is fascinating to read and amazing in its own right.

We paired these with resolutions written by 6th graders. As it goes, it’s always right to follow the babies.

The Backpage bookends the cover by closing the magazine with another Beatles’ ballad. The song, A Day in the Life, or for Backpage purposes, is more like a day in everyone’s life.

The first line reads, “I read the news today, oh, boy.” Many of us do read the news each day and certainly murmur phrases stronger than ‘oh, boy.’ Since this letter came out on January 1st, it will have been about six weeks since the news took me far away from just uttering oh boy. Not surprisingly, I was all set to share my 2022 resolutions on the Backpage. However, the Ouija board was set aside, as the news I read that day sparked me to highlight a block of words on resolutions and delete them, starting again at the beginning, kinda like each day in our lives.

UPGRADED LIVING STAFF AVEED KHAKI Publisher/Owner KEVIN DOLAN Editor-in-Chief JASON CORONA Sales Director BEAU VANDERMATE General Swiss Army Knife

SHELLY BRANDON Writer TIM MILHORN Writer

CONTRIBUTORS DOUG LOVE

SWEENEY & MICHEL

Real Estate

Finance

HRiQ

DERM BAR

Human Resources

Beauty

RYAN STEFANELLI

JESSICA WILKERSON

Tacos

Mental Health

For editorial or general magazine inquiries, please contact: Kevin Dolan kevin@upgradedliving.com

Kevin Dolan Editor-in-Chief

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For sales inquiries, please contact: Jason Corona, 530.591.2634 jason@UpgradedLiving.com

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CONTENTS | JANUARY 2022 COMMUNITY

POTPOURRI

10 Steering herself into a bright future: Hannah Martins and the high stakes of competitive cattle raising

34 Public Service Announcement! A real life tale of how a Home Equity Reverse Mortgage can help someone you know

13 Every town has its quirks as Orland’s own, Tim Milhorn, explains those of the town at 32 and 5 18 Explore the Paradise Art Center: a beacon of light for a community of creative minds 21 Labor of Love: Lonnie Steedman’s ever-growing fascination and education of microgreens

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28 Philanthropy and problem solving.

Realtor Traci Cooper enjoys a new year in a new home 55 From one family to another—Cal Java’s Mike and Kelly Huber spill the beans

50 A trip back in time - Sean Peeler takes us to school on the history of photography 58 And the beat rolled on: Remembering the music legends that visited us from 1969-1982

FEATURE 37 You say you want a resolution; we have them for you. From community leaders to the future leaders of a sixth grade class, we share personal insights and promises (perhaps) that we hope to see through to 2023

FOOD

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48 Unwavered quality, honored heritage and the culinary path of Cocodine owner/operator, Terawat Kulamakin 52 Drinking on the job, all in the name of presenting you our tale of two Bloody Mary’s in this month's foodie featurette 54 Our substitute Taco Tracker, Beau Vandermate, finds Tacos El Lider and the only five syllables that matter, quesabirria 60 Beware! We reveal our most dangerous ingredient ever. Incredibly healthy, just not by mouth

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ON THE COVER: YOU SAY YOU WANT A RESOLUTION

DESIGN BY: ERIK BROWN

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An attainable goal

sophomore years, Hannah has chosen not to play this season. Since it takes hundreds of hours to raise, nurture, and prepare these animals for showtime, she must also sacrifice time with family, friends, and leisure activities. Instead, she will be provisioning the proper feed for her animals, making sure they don’t fall ill, keeping their enclosures cleaned and organized, making certain they get some exercise, and taking care of their hair.

A steer, although smaller when young, matures and ends up weighing as much as 1,200 to 1,300 pounds. This is the very animal Hannah Martins has chosen to raise this winter, and right into next spring, to show at the Glenn County Fair.

However, Hannah has chosen to raise not one but TWO steers to compete in the fair. That’s a combined weight of about 2,500 pounds and a whole lotta beef!

Last year, since her steer was white, Hannah said, “I spent more time on his hair than mine.” So many factors, besides hair, go into what make an animal a winner. First is breeding. Some show cattle are called “club calves.” These are bred for showing and rarely go out on the pasture, thus depending on humans to survive. The other type is a commercial calf. These cost less, and often have fewer inbred attributes, but can survive on their own. This year, Hannah’s calves are half club and half commercial; she feels she can definitely raise the pair to win.

Why would an otherwise “typical” high school junior take on that task? Why is a student with a 4.0 grade point average taking not only agriculture classes, but also Advanced Placement US History, operating as a star volleyball player, a superb softball player, and also involved in both Ag Leadership and FFA? Well, because she has set an attainable goal.

At last year’s Glenn County Fair livestock competition, Hannah placed third overall, and while it was an achievement, it just wasn’t good enough for her.

So let’s double the fun! Two steers instead of one. What type of sacrifice does that take? First of all, after playing varsity soccer her freshman and 10

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What is the reward? Besides the intrinsic value of doing a job well, Hannah can sell her steers for as much as $9,000 each, while her expenses are around $3,500.

That's a hefty profit margin of $5,500. She intends to put that money into her future education. As of now, Hannah says,“I’d like to be an orthodontist or an agriculture teacher. I find both of those interesting.”

Whatever the future holds, we are certain Hannah will definitely achieve her “attainable goals.”

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

A brief lesson for you city slickers out there: those huge animals that supply us with milk, hamburgers, and steaks are called cattle. Breaking it down further, this includes: a cow, a mature female bovine; a bull, a mature intact male bovine; a heifer, an immature female; a calf, a baby bovine; and finally a steer, a castrated immature male bovine. Yes, there are other categories, but we’re sticking with steers for the sake of this article.

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WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN | PHOTO BY TIM MILHORN

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WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN | PHOTO BY TIM MILHORN

Bees, streets, canals, and a square Parking down the center of a street? A square track? Open water ditches all over? Queen Bees? All in one town? Well, yes. Of course. All towns have some idiosyncrasies alongside their twists and turns. Chico used to have railroad tracks through the center of town; a short train ran the line until the 1980’s. Los Molinos used to have a donkey park in the middle of town. People used to pan for gold right in the City of Oroville. At one time, Gridley was a destination and settlement point for Mormons moving to the North Valley.

However, for a town of its size, Orland has more than its fair share of oddities.

Let’s take the whole parking in the center of the street. Driving down Highway 32, also known as Walker Street in Orland, you will pass by Third Avenue. If you glance north or south down either side, you’ll notice how wide it is—really wide— 100 feet wide. When you hit Fourth Street, a main downtown artery, you’ll see it’s just as wide but with a huge difference.

There’s a parking lane right down the middle of the street that runs two blocks south and one block north.

The explanation is quite simple. Back in the last century, horse-drawn wagons

still made their way along Fourth Street.

In order to expedite turning around to make deliveries, the City Fathers made the street 100 feet across. So, when the age of automobiles took charge, and the streets were paved, what do you do with the extra space? Put in parking! Hey, it still works to this day and is easy to do. Best of all, you get to choose your car’s north or south direction.

As noted, when you drive into Orland, you’ll probably notice open water ditches along the 32. If you toured Orland, you’d find these ditches everywhere along the outskirts of town (and some in-andrunning-through housing additions).

These go back to the early 1900’s when Orland had orchards and crops growing in the immediate vicinity of town. The Orland Water Project was developed to provide irrigation to the local ranchers and farmers, through developing the East Park and Stony Gorge Dams while accessing water from Stony Creek.

Eventually, two diversion dams, 17 miles of canals, and 139 miles of lateral ditches provided water for the area. Water still runs through both those canals and laterals to this day.

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The Orland area is now recognized as the Queen Bee Capital of North America.

About 200,000 queen bees are sold every year, and if you rely on food to live, then you ought to “bee” happy about that number. Bees pollinate much of the world’s fruits and vegetables, and each hive colony must have a queen bee in order to ultimately produce bees and honey. The recently opened Honey Bee Discovery Center on Walker Street is open to the public. There will be a town celebration on August 17, which is World Honey Bee Day. Honey bees’ numbers are being greatly reduced because of pesticides, introduced predators, and a reduction of habitat, so we need to be aware of how precious those little winged beauties are when they fly around our yards.

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As for the “square” in the title? One of the most unusual things ever witnessed in the world of high school sports was the track at Orland High School. While it may not have been exactly square, it was definitely a rectangle. When you “rounded” the corner, you had to take a hard left or you’d run into the next lane.

The first turn was the worst. It had a fence next to the track separating it from Vinsonhaler Park. Rose bushes grew on the other side and through the fence.

If you were in lane five, you stood the chance of hitting the thorns if you ran too close.

So what the heck? Why? When was it built? What happened to it? You’ll just have to find out in the next issue.

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Internal Benchmarks

BY RENEE MICHEL, MBA, AND JOE SWEENEY, CFP ®, FINANCIAL ADVISORS AT SWEENEY & MICHEL, LLC

In a world fueled by YOLO and FOMO, setting realistic health, savings, and wealth goals has seemingly gone out the window. The world has glorified and gamified nearly everything, which then gets broadcasted through every newspaper, forum, and social media channel. “Did you hear about the guy who made billions on crypto?” or, “How about that new bodybuilder who lost 100 pounds by only eating avocados?” The problem with paying attention to a global leaderboard is that it takes the focus away from making progress on your own benchmarks.

So, what the heck is a benchmark? It is a measuring stick one uses to evaluate their success relative to their goals. The difference between internal and external benchmarks is simply whether you measure your results against where you started (internal) versus the results of others (external). The most important part of setting a goal is to have stepping-milestones relative to where you start and where you can reasonably end up, given your timeline. Small wins encourage continued progress.

A real-world example is the infamous “I wanna lose weight” resolution. Start by defining what that means to you. Do you want to drop a size to fit in your jeans from last year or lose 50 lbs? Next, and more importantly, decide how you will measure progress.

What exactly is your benchmark? Perhaps, something like this—an unemployed Instagram model who works out 7 days a week and completely cut carbs out of their diet might not be the greatest person for you to compare yourself to. However, a friend with a similar lifestyle and weight loss goals can be a great encouragement and accountability partner as you both lose weight at a reasonable pace.

Whether it’s fitness, finance, family, or faith, I propose we try something different this NEW year. Let’s stop setting unreachable goals measured by unrelated benchmarks, which is a surefire recipe for disappointment. We will start right where we are today, define our personal goals for next January, and what inner benchmark(s) we’ll compare ourselves to along the way. And don’t forget to celebrate progress along the way, as we continue working towards being the best version of ourselves.

Renée Michel, MBA and Joe Sweeney, CFP® | 196 Cohasset Road, Suite 100, Chico CA 95926 (530) 487-1777 | renee@sweeneymichel.com | joe@sweeneymichel.com | www.sweeneymichel.com This is not tax advice. | Sweeney & Michel, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This brochure is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Sweeney & Michel, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Sweeney & Michel, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.

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The Paradise Art Center resides on a one-block left-right zigzag off the Skyway and remains as the most uplifting hidden gem on The Ridge. The separate spaces inside provide beautiful studios to create new pieces of art ranging from pastel to watercolor and a wide spectrum of pottery and ceramics. The Center is a beacon of light for creativity on The Ridge, one that provides an escape for surrounding artists.

It is also a great place to take a class or workshop. From the street view, the building gives the impression of a rather small area inside. A tour of the facility provides a different understanding altogether, with an expanse of rooms set for differing interests. They feature pottery and painting classes, and even teach photography, all led by local artists who have spent decades perfecting their craft. The website clearly outlines times and scheduling options for any class that 18

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piques someone’s interest. On top of that, there are a couple of different clubs, which includes the Plein Air Painters and Photography. It is truly a great place to share common pursuits while creating new meaningful relationships with people who love to create. It warmly welcomes all, from beginners to intermediate, and everything in between.

Creating new art with high-grade equipment has never been easier as the memberships are affordable and won't break the bank. A single membership for a year is $40, and the family membership is $50. Students from 15-to-20 years old are $20. Lab fees are also very reasonable: for 4 hours it's $2 for members and $5 for non-members.

If you want to work for over 4 hours, the price is $4 for members and $10 for nonmembers. There are many benefits to the membership, including the lower lab fees for classes and workshops. In addition,

WRITTEN BY BEAU VANDERMATE | PHOTOS BY BEAU VANDERMATE

A beacon of light

WRITTEN BY BEAU VANDERMATE | PHOTOS BY BEAU VANDERMATE

artists get to promote and sell artwork in both Wheeler Gallery and Nic’s Place on Skyway. The classes and workshops vary in price, while remaining affordable.

Yet another great offering of the Paradise Art Center is the local gift shoppe that features surrounding artists and their pieces created through their involvement with the Art Center. These works include sculptures, pottery, pastels, water color, photography, jewelry, and even local clothing. The gift shoppe is a fantastic option when shopping for a variety of different gifts that will surely leave each recipient feeling loved.

Not only does the amazing group of kindhearted people immediately make you feel at home, they have always stood by the community at large by being involved in differing events to fill necessary voids.

This bright beacon of light on The Ridge joins other local businesses to help ensure the charming ambiance of a tight-knit community. For anyone who is artistically inclined, or desires to find out if they could be, the Paradise Art Center

is the perfect place to cultivate new ideas and share thoughts with members whose passions align. You surely are in for a treat as the entire staff has done a truly amazing job of providing a space where patrons can create art in many different mediums. From beautiful sculptures to detailed pastels, there truly is a niche for any type of art lover. The ardent workers would love to see some new faces in this upcoming new year. So, perhaps, take a moment and adopt one more resolution— “This next year I want to create, move, change, and​​try new things while seeing familiar faces and getting a better sense of community” The Paradise Art Center is open MondayFriday from 9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-4 pm.

They are also open Saturday from 1 pm-4 pm. We hope you get a chance to tap into your creative side this New Year and meet new people. You can find them at 5564 Almond Street, a one block left-right zigzag off the Skyway. They can also be reached at (530) 877-7402 19

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The little seeds that can Lonnie Steedman is no stranger to the Oroville business community. Moving from Gridley to Oroville to work for the Mercury Register in ‘88, Lonnie recalls the day the U2 spy plane crashed into the parking lot, causing them to evacuate the building. She advanced from sales to advertising director, transitioning in ‘98 to CEO for the Oroville Chamber of Commerce, and in ‘07 as a branch manager for Tri Counties Bank. After two neck surgeries, Lonnie left banking and decided to take her love of gardening to the next step, finding a way to supplement her early retirement while offering a healthy, tasty product to her family and beyond. With a knowledge of basic gardening and a fair understanding of microgreens, she ventured out on what began as a hobby but quickly ramped up. Soon, she was selling to friends, then more friends, then neighbors, and then, a few businesses. So, why microgreens?

Lonnie wanted to find a way to get back to her roots and, like so many of us, find a way towards cleaner eating.

Most microgreens have 4-40 times more nutritional value than fully grown veggies. However, an 8-day old broccoli microgreen can have up to 60-times more nutrients than its full-size counterpart, and also includes sulforaphane.

Sulforaphane has the ability to flush cancer causing carcinogens from the body. Essential amino acids that we are born with either are not created again or become depleted. So why not add something as small as a microgreen to your diet especially when it can have a huge impact? Did you know that black oil sunflower seeds grown as a microgreen have every essential amino acid? We are born with it, and it is a complete vegetable protein. This is why so many describe microgreens as the Mighty Micro and Super Foods! The sunflower micro is a two-leaf green that is both juicy and hydrating, with a mild flavor profile and a nutty finish. Lonnie says her sunflower, broccoli, and arugula micros are the most popular among her clients.

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One takeaway she wants to stress is that microgreens and sprouts are not the same. Sprouts are rinsed and soaked with more of an opportunity for contamination while usually seeing very little light.

Microgreens are grown in dirt or on a growing substrate. They are always introduced to light, which gives the tiny plants blood purifying chlorophyll. It is the light that gives plants color, making red-acre cabbage dark green and brilliant violet-purple. Colors complete the growing cycle and add the last of the micro’s nutrients. It is at that time the seed is spent, and microgreen is ready to harvest. She notes, “It’s that little extra something that not everyone needs but is really good for you. In short: they aren’t just pretty garnish.”

Lonnie has set up a shop at the Dove’s Landing Farmers Market, where she started a text list of the folks she noticed were getting the microgreens regularly.

This led to her delivering weekly, at their convenience, to about 60 customers. She has expanded the business to lettuce mixes, pesto, and salad dressing, hoping the next step will allow her to move into a more automated process of fill, drain, repeat. While Lonnie said that COVID-19 cutbacks had taken about 40% of the business, she beamed as she announced that she’s just on the verge of doubling the business again.

The plants grow in a greenhouse with natural light, using all organic soil and seed. She uses no additives to help the little seed along the way, and her growing substrate is hemp for anything that is grown in 14-days or less—coco coir for anything that is grown over 14days. After two weeks, the product is cut into squares, left alive on the hemp 22

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pads, and set into containers. Anything grown in coco coir is sold as cut micros and packaged. The seed germinates on baker’s racks enclosed in black sheeting with continual airflow. She estimates she can produce around 50 trays every few days, rotating the product constantly.

Lonnie says the business is not for the faint of heart, elaborating that unless you have someone you can really trust to care for those little plants like she does, there's no vacation or time off. Keeping the fans operating properly, making sure the product is not getting too much water, and the air quality is perfect in the greenhouse are some of the multiple never-ending tasks.

Lonnie enjoys this opportunity to improve her own health as well as educate others to do the same. “I would really love to get involved with our area high schools’ ROP programs, and possibly offer a student, who wants a future in agriculture, the opportunity to learn about this powerful tiny crop. One day, it will be both vertical crops and tiny veggies that are going to help feed the world. In many areas, this is already happening. Farming and ranching in any capacity should be respected with a reverence of understanding that it actually gives life. She admits, “I would love to be part of passing that knowledge onto younger generations.”

Steedman’s Micro-Meadows Microgreens can be found at S&S Produce, New Earth Market in Chico, as well as the Oroville restaurants Nori, Union, and Purple Line. We hope that you will find a way to incorporate one of her products into your weekly meal plans this year. Just give Lonnie a call at 530.990.0299. Surely, she’ll put you on that list!

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the holiday party hangover Mary was not very proper at the Christmas bash, Randy was obnoxiously inebriated at the Hanukkah festival, and Alan was dressed quite provocatively at the winter corporate dinner.

Why would Walter think it’s okay to touch my husband's rear end? And I’ll never be able to look at Patty again after smelling her flatulence after I brought in homemade fudge for the whole office.

After a solid season of company end of year “celebrations”, we are all struggling with spillover resentment towards our colleagues and employees. Sometimes, after spending a little extra time together during the most “joyous” time of year, we need a long break from our nine to five family, and February 2020 is starting to feel nostalgic after all.

I recently learned of a concept that at first sounded repulsive—counseling with your boss.

It’s hard enough dragging myself to therapy, let alone doing it with my colleagues. I was hysterical at the thought that anybody would feel comfortable sharing their issues with coworkers, and laughing at the notion that it’d ever be a good idea for a company to open themselves up to such a liability. Put together a performance improvement plan, if it doesn’t work, move on.

I was wrong. Not only that, but I was ashamed of myself for not thinking of this concept first.

Reflecting back, I don’t know how I could ever think that two people, from completely different backgrounds, could communicate effectively and resolve conflicts in a healthy manner without any training at all. The majority of people don’t start jobs thinking “man, I really can’t wait to get fired from this place.”, or “gosh, some lucky day I am going to get to resign from here.”. Ideally, the working relationship would be symbiotically beneficial and long term. But we live in a country where over fifty percent of people divorce, so to think we can get along with a business partner forever is absurd.

What are your thoughts on counseling with your boss? Do you have an employee that you would never want to lose, but are feeling resentful after a season of holiday cheer and it’s impacting your business negatively? Let us know by calling us at (530) 680-4747 or writing to us on our website at www.upyourHRiq.com 24

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The Power of Positivity Lindsey approaches every new year with high hopes and a positive, can-do attitude. Her significant other, Bailey, has a viewpoint which is considered more realistic. Bailey regularly tries to bring Lindsey back down to reality by reminding her of the equally plausible ways the plans might go awry.

Lindsey feels really patronized by this attempt toward equilibrium. She is well aware that the world can throw a wrench in the best laid plans, but she is also aware that optimism is more of a driver toward success than skill. Lindsey believes that people can have amazing natural ability or cultivated skill, but if they lack optimism they remain stuck.

She enjoys the positive innerworld she experiences when she looks at goals through her glass-half-full lens. She’s aware of the missing area of the cup, where it’s half empty, but she sees that space as a place for potential rather than an area of lack.

It’s hurtful to her when Bailey points out the empty half of the glass. Lindsey interprets this as Bailey seeing her as half-empty as well: lacking realism or being half-filled with foolishness.

Bailey deeply loves and respects Lindsey. Bailey thinks they’re contributing toward Lindsey’s success by helping Lindsey consider outcomes she might have otherwise missed. Bailey

JESSICA DARLING WILKERSON, MA, LMFT 104464 LICENSED MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST EMDR CLINICIAN

isn’t trying to make Lindsey feel less-than, even though intention doesn’t always equal impact.

Then Lindsey and Bailey started going to couples therapy.

Lindsey realized that Bailey’s reminders were triggering memories of negativity she got during her adolescence when teachers and know-it-all friends acted like she was an airhead instead of the smart, resilient, friendly girl she really was. It was taking her back to feeling insecure for what should have been considered an attribute, and she resented Bailey for it.

Bailey was feeling judged and rejected for trying to be a part of Lindsey’s goals. Bailey’s memories of feeling left out in their family of origin was making them feel insecure, and in turn they were pressing harder to be a part of things by contributing their “realism.” Both people in this relationship were feeling unseen and devalued.

This is what EFT couples therapy works through. What is being activated under the surface, how are these behaviors influenced by earlier experiences, and how are those responses influencing the dynamics of the relationship? It’s not blaming or finding who’s at fault. It’s looking for the tango, and learning new dance steps.

Jessica Wilkerson, MA, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Chico, CA. She is an EMDR clinician as well as the owner/operator and clinical supervisor of Inspired Life Counseling. For more information, visit www.jessicawilkerson.com and www.inspiredlifechico.com. Jessica can also be reached via phone at (530) 809-1702

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achieving their goals. She deeply values connecting with the homeowner and guiding them through the development, and ultimate success of those goals.

A New Year, a new look The new year finds realtor, Traci Cooper with a new brand, a fresh outlook, and a continued commitment to go above and beyond for each client, past and present.

For the past twenty-three years, Traci has lived in Chico where she raised her four children. Her venture into the real estate world began when one of her girls had a dream of attending Chico State University.

Traci’s ambition to finance her daughter’s higher education was her top priority. She worked during the day at the Butte County Courthouse while attending evening classes to earn her real estate license. Traci chose the profession due to her broad depth in sales experience she acquired while working 15 years at Verizon Wireless. Her daily interactions with people looking for real estate is where Traci truly shines. She looks forward to not only connecting with buyers and sellers but, also, and more importantly, making the buying and selling process as seamless as possible.

Traci recently joined eXp Realty of California. This global company offers a unique, cloud-based program, ensuring 28

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agents access to technology, training, and support. This allows them to collaborate with industry experts in order to ensure the highest quality of service for each and every client.

Most people don’t realize how many moving parts are involved in marketing and selling a home. There are at least one hundred steps from the initial listing, to the closing of each home in contract. Traci said, “I don’t want to impact my clients with all the moving parts of what goes on behind the scenes. Having them get the best experience without all the stress is my goal.” In an effort to ensure her clients get this experience, she has procedures in place to streamline the entire process. Traci pointed out how important it is for home buyers to have a plan for the process, while understanding there will be many challenges and obstacles along the way. A current and ongoing challenge is the low inventory in the real estate market. Traci urges buyers to hang in there, and with her expertise in writing creative and competitive offers, they are in good hands. The same sage advice can be said for sellers, realizing they should also have a strategy for

Traci possesses strong communication skills, is extremely organized, efficient, and thorough. Her extensive real estate sales experience and continued involvement in her community has given her a solid array of resources she can rely on for her clients.

This includes electricians, roofers, plumbers, and handyman services. Should obstacles arise during the sales process, Traci goes above and beyond the call to help each client personally. As she always says, “If there’s a problem, I figure out a solution.”

When Traci is not working she is most likely exploring Bidwell Park either on foot or on two wheels. She just bought her first mountain bike at Chico Sports Ltd. If she’s not riding in Upper Park, you’ll most likely find her meandering through Lower Park with her 84-year-old father while he rides his trike bike. Most importantly, Traci delights in spending time with her children and grandchildren. It is a special and sentimental thing for her to watch her grandchildren grow up in the same community in which she raised her own.

If you’re interested in speaking to Traci Cooper at eXp Realty about your home buying or selling needs, you may contact her at 530-520-0227. We wish Traci a wonderful New Year!

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON

While she enjoys all aspects of real estate, working with first time home buyers is one of her favorite experiences. She enjoys witnessing the process from start to finish, and ultimately, to see the joy on her clients’ faces as they receive the keys to their new home. One first-time home buyer in particular impacted Traci. This client lived at the Father’s House in Oroville while recovering from a drug and alcohol addiction. She worked at a fast food chain for years and was able to save enough money to purchase a home for she and her children. Traci was immensely touched by everything her client overcame in her life in order to buy that first home. The Father’s House has impacted lives all across Butte County, and now Traci donates funds to this organization.

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON

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"Sherry Calbert exceeded all my expectations for an agent. Her energy and knowledge of the area and market were the determining factors.

Communication was excellent. If I need another agent, she'll be the first one I'll contact." -Bruce Votaw, Chico

landis4sale25@gmail.com

The open living room and high ceilings connecting to the kitchen offer a spacious floor plan. Kitchen has stunning white cabinets, white granite counters, and a black granite island to add contrast to this perfect kitchen. Three sizable guest bedrooms with closets follow down the hallway. The Master features a glass sliding door to the patio, a walk-in closet, and the master bathroom which is beautifully finished with, wood slab counters, a double sink, dark grey tile floor, and a jetted bathtub/shower combo. This home has so much to see!

Bed: 4.0 Bath: 2.0 SqFt: 2,145 Price: $460,000

Relaxed country living in a friendly community with close access to grocery store, restaurants, wineries, park, sports facility, and public pool! Beautiful 6" thick PECAN hardwood floors throughout.

Covered front porch looing out to front yard and the neighbors orchard. 3 large bedrooms with ceiling fans and large closets. Main bathroom has a shower/tub combination. The 1/2 bath is set off the master bedroom and is tiled and freshly painted.

Bed: 3.0 Bath: 1.5 SqFt: 1,506 Price: $399,900

Celebrating 31 years in Chico Real Estate!

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Spacious home in a great location, open floor plan with a large living room, dining area opens to the kitchen. Nice Private yard with mature landscaping, deck set up for a hot tub.

Master has a walk-in closet. All in one of the best locations in Chico located by restaurants, shopping, school, freeway, and Meriam Park.

Bed: 3.0 Bath: 2.0 SqFt: 1,435 Price: $425,000

Owned Solar! Enjoy the humming birds while eating at the dining table and the natural lighting coming in through the large dual pane windows. The open kitchen to family room makes entertaining easy.

The living room has a wonderful warm and cozy fireplace and is a great place to read a book and enjoy something hot to drink on the cool days! The holidays wouldn't be complete without the Cadillac of Stairlifts!!! Bruno's Signature Stairlift is installed and included in this sale! So, having all the bedrooms upstairs is simply not a problem at all, your guest will ride like a king/queen.

Bed: 3.0 Bath: 2.5 SqFt: 1,965 Price: $469,000 Call or text me

regarding these homes and others

(530) 514-4855 SherryLinnCalbert@gmail.com

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"Effie is the best at what she does. Prior to the camp fire we attempted to start looking at houses and worked with another century 21 agent. He wasn’t very helpful or knowledgeable. Never really felt like he wanted to help us. Effie made us feel welcomed and excited to buy a house. Effie is someone we would recommend our friends and family for purchases. If we were to purchase a house again we would reach out for Effie and only Effie." -Uriel Viramontes, Chico

Here is an opportunity for you to own a piece of Paradise and build your dream home on this one acre lot. Prior to the Camp Fire, the property held a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1500+ sqft home, a detached 2 car garage, a shop, and was in such close proximity to the nearby creek, you could hear the sound of running water. The property previously had electricity, natural gas, and city water. Buyer is advised to verify the availability of all these utilities to their satisfaction.

Price: $59,900

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Bring your blueprint and build your dream home on this 1.5 acre lot! Situated on a quiet cul-de-sac location, it will only take one look to know this is where you want your dream house to be. According to the seller, property is zoned for having horses with a permit from the town of Paradise. Also, prior to the Camp Fire, the property was on septic, well water, and PID water. Buyers are advised to verify this information with the town of Paradise personally. Seller does not have any information regarding if the well or septic are functional presently. Buyer to investigate to their own satisfaction.

Price: $79,000

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Just a short walk to Bidwell Park, great schools and all the conveniences of living in town. There is an attached and completely separate 2 bedroom living space that has a full bath, kitchenette, dining area, a sitting room and separate entrance with its own driveway. It's the perfect set-up to be used as a mother-in-law unit, an in home office, a rental unit or an Airbnb. Upstairs, the extra large master bedroom suite features a stunning bathroom with a separate jutted tub, large walk-in-shower, and dual vanity. You will also find a coffee bar with mini fridge and a lovely balcony off the bedroom with a ceiling fan where you can enjoy sipping your coffee in the peace and quiet of your private oasis. OWNED SOLAR and so much more! See this fabulous home for yourself! Bed: 5.0 Bath: 3.0 SqFt: 2,925 Price: $675,000

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Life Changer Our long-time friend and former neighbor, Janet, called a couple of weeks ago.

“I know it probably won’t work,” said Janet, “but Walter (her husband) has been bugging me for a long time to call and ask you if that Home Equity Reverse Mortgage thing, whatever you call it, would work for us.”

“It’s the HECM,” I said, “the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, for people over 62 years old. It used to be called the Reverse Mortgage. And it might be perfect for you.”

I envisioned the nice little house they built on a couple of acres about 20 years ago, after they left our neighborhood. I helped them work with a lender to finance the project.

“We’ve worked too hard for too many years to live in poverty,” said Janet. “We don’t want to sell. We would like to keep our home and be able to leave it to our son,” she said.

“With the HECM, you can,” I said. “You can live in your home and have no monthly payments. Or you can receive monthly payments. Instead of sending money to the bank every month, they send money to you.”

“But we’ve heard of people who lost their home because of that kind of loan,” 34

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she said. “We know of someone whose husband died, and she lost the home. She got kicked out!”

“Those horror stories are from the days of the old Reverse Mortgage,” I said. “You will not lose your home.”

“It sounds too good to be true. This would change our lives!”

“It’s really true,” I said. “You don’t need good credit and only minimal income to qualify.”

I put Janet and Walter in touch with Big Jim, the loan advisor who knows how to work with people to qualify for the HECM loan. I saw Big Jim today and asked how it was going with Janet and Walter.

“Just as we thought,” said Jim, “they are perfect candidates for this loan, and it is moving ahead nicely. This will change their lives.”

Listen up. If you or anyone you know is 62 years or older, mention the HECM. It’s pronounced “Heccum.” Big Jim and I have info we can send along to get them started.

It could change their lives.

Doug Love is Sales Manager at Century 21 in Chico. Email dougwlove@gmail.com.

Call or text 530-680-0817.

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hether it is spoken, whispered, shared with a friend, told directly to the mirror, or merely formed as a thought—New Year's resolutions have stood the test of time. From losing weight to working out, drinking less or being kinder—the resolutions themselves vary in their common way. We tend to treat the 31st by exploring everything from the timehonored tradition of making temporary resolutions to the importance of beginning each year—and indeed each day— with a fresh outlook on life. It is well-documented that the most popular tradition of each New Year in the United States is that of making resolutions for the year ahead, by promising less of this, more of that, only to break each promise a day, week, or months later.

Oscar Wilde wrote about it with humor by stating, “Good resolutions are simply checks that people draw on a bank where they have no account.” Or, sadly enough, no accountability at all. As the opening quote emphasizes

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‘new days,’ you are invited on a journey where quotes from all walks of life very well may put into words the things you meant when forming your own resolutions.

Many folks believe in the tradition as being a fresh start or a clean slate, and often connect that with being nicer or kinder to people in the year to come. Leo Buscaglia worded this intended promise as “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Easy to see nodding heads and pointing fingers as, ah yes, that kind of kindness. Margaret Atwood took it to another level by writing, ”A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible.

Powerlessness and silence go together.” Truly worth reading this more than once to gain the understanding of how hard being nice might just be.

Time and time again, time, itself, becomes the central target for a resolution. From finding ways to get more of it, or committing to carving out more hours in a day; the resolutions circling around time tend to run the gamut.

Raymond Carver’s beautiful and clear words might be the proper wording to ensure follow through. He relays, “I want to get up early in the morning, before sunrise.

Before the birds, even. I want to throw cold water on my face and be at my work table when the sky lightens. I want to get up early and go to my place with some coffee and wait. Just wait, to see what's going to happen.” Perhaps the thoughts of Lawrence LeShan places a different focus on how time matters, especially how to go about changing one’s schedule. He advises, “Don’t worry about what the world wants from you; worry about what makes you come more alive. Because what the world really needs are people who are more alive.” The sentiment alone certainly points right at

the fact it is time to change.

Barbara Kingsolver introduces the oft admission that many New Year’s revelers wish, that is to completely change their life as it stands at the moment.

Her words breathe calmness as she states, “The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” The last three words are the key. On cue, Shel Silverstein urges, “Listen to the mustn’ts child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... anything can happen, child.

Anything can be.” The two sides of each referenced ‘nots’ cleverly relate the importance of why we need to stop ‘shoulding’ on ourselves.

Kate Light keenly sums the entire notion of complete change by revealing, “There comes the strangest moment in your life, when everything you thought before breaks

free. What you relied upon, as a ground-rule and as rite looks upside down from how it used to be. How many people thought you’d never change? But here you have.

It’s beautiful. It’s strange.”

And for those of us who have witnessed this firsthand, it is so beautiful and, yes, a little strange. Of course there is always someone like James Joyce who gleefully points out, “Chance furnishes me with what I need. I am like a lost soul who stumbles along; my foot strikes something. I bend over, and it is exactly what I wanted.” Resolutions sometimes end in fate.

great pleasures that solitude can afford you. Because it is… the most healing of pleasures.

It returns you to otherness, whether in yourself or in friends, or in those who may become friends. Imaginative literature is otherness, and as such, alleviates loneliness.”

Reading remains as such a beneficial promise to anyone trying their best to celebrate each new day.. And then you might be one of those who, as Hugh Prather relates, looks up and wonders, “If my attention is wandering, there is somewhere it wants to go, so obviously it does not want to be where I am holding it in the name of some self-styled obligation.”

And in the end, it all points By taking it all in, perhaps the back to the top of this piece, best way to follow through with recognizing that “each day” is a self-proclaimed declaration is the absolute key to the success to heed the words of Eleanor of any resolution. Thaddeus Roosevelt, “You must do the Golas frames that, “Inside thing you think you cannot yourself or outside, you never do.” Or, further simplify your have to change what you see, commitment, whether spoken only the way you see it.” Harold or written, by adopting Nike’s Bloom points out the benefits simple phrase—“Just do it.” of those resolutions intending to read more. He unfolds that, Without further ado, “Reading well is one of the 2022's resolutions.

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The word “resolution” can have many meanings. As we approach the turning of our annual calendar, we tend to see the word in the context of promises made to ourselves with the hope of a bright, new year. Another meaning can be that of finding a solution to a problem. Again, in the context of a new calendar year, we often resolve to do something that corrects a perceived problem, like exercising more to lose weight.

This year, I am choosing none of the above. Rather, I am choosing to celebrate the resolve of my community.

Those of us who fled the conflagration that completely changed our lives within hours have been confronted with unfathomable trials. Compounded by the pandemic, weather, lack of resources, and many other outside forces, our resolve to move forward from the disaster has been challenged again … and again. Yet, this remarkable community continues to come together, to bolster each other, to celebrate our wins, and to mourn our losses.

Burnt Barn Distilling Co. and Chapelle de L’Artiste

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Melissa Schuster,

This year, my wish is for all who look upon Paradise to find inspiration and hope in our resolve to continue to move forward toward a future that is bright, beautiful, and destined to provide a legacy of joy!

Resolutions have a bad rap because they are often abandoned and categorized as “better luck next year,” or “I told you so.”

This year, I’d like to take a larger perspective and challenge our community to resolve to be more tolerant of others. To help create a community of including and appreciating everyone.

Little Red Hen serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. We serve people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other intellectual disabilities. However, to us, each person in our organization is a person first, and we hope the greater Chico community sees this too.

Whether you know a child participating in one of our play-based therapy services and learning socialization skills, or if you’re a customer, or have a friend, neighbor, or family member working at one of our eleven locations, we hope you take the time in 2022 to acknowledge them. I know I will, and I know Little Red Hen will resolve to work harder than ever to make sure our community is integrated, assuring everyone experiences the dignity and inclusion they deserve.

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Erika Birkholm, Little Red Hen

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As we say good-bye to 2021, I offer a celebratory nod to Chico State’s many achievements while navigating an unprecedented pandemic and historic wildfires that once again ravaged our region.

Through it all, our dedication to student success and campus wellbeing remains steadfast. With high praise, I thank faculty, staff, alumni, and friends for their unwavering commitment to our irrepressible and extraordinary students.

It is clear that in 2022 we will continue to live with COVID-19 and all its variants, and to work with the Butte County Health Department to monitor the effects of the virus and implement COVID safety practices. My first priority remains the health and safety of students, staff, faculty, and the community.

I welcome the 2022 New Year with a Wildcat spirit of “do and dare.” As a campus, we will keep striving for more equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning communities. We will encourage and enhance community service and civic engagement. And, we will lead the way in combating climate change through the creation of resilient and sustainable systems on and off campus. I hope you will dare to join us.

Gayle Hutchinson, CSU Chico

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My resolutions for 2022 are a distillation of motivational speeches, life observations, and retreat notes. #1) Gratitude: for the big things and the everyday things. Sure, there's life, love, family, jobs. How about for street lights, intermittent windshield wipers, and chocolate? There are thousands of things to be grateful for: I resolve to look for them. #2) Keeping my problems in perspective by remembering at least six billion people on earth would love to have my daily frustrations and irritations. #3) I will practice the advice of a mail carrier: meet someone new every day, particularly those outside my comfort zone. #4) I resolve to look for opportunities to be generous: with my time, treasure or talents. The key is any opportunity to be generous.

Oroville

#5) I resolve to remember forgiveness is only possible when you give up all hope of a better past. #6) Resolve to live the words of George Washington Carver: “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong: because someday in your life you will have been all of those.”

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Jim Moll,

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One night, more than twenty years ago, laying under the sprawling green canopy of the rainforest in Guatemala, I vowed to the Creator to use my life to reduce suffering in this world. I didn’t know how I might be of service, but I knew my heart was ready to serve.

I could never have imagined the suffering that would cross my path in the years to follow. Nor could I have imagined the irreplaceable “helpers” I would find along the way.

My resolution this year is the same as it was that night in Latin America. I resolve to try, and try, and keep trying to reduce the suffering in this world; wherever we can, however we can.

This is a mission I share with many others here, and around the globe. It is a mission I share with the 30 members of the North Valley Community Foundation team. It is a mission I share with my wife and our precious son. And, I would guess, in many ways, big and small, it is a mission I share with you.

Alexa Benson-Valavanis, North Valley Community Foundation

We all do what we can to help. We do it in different ways. We do it with our family, friends and complete strangers.

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You make the world better. And, don’t you dare let the media, or an angry friend, or anyone convince you otherwise. Humans are good.

We are generous. We are kind. If that was my belief before the Camp Fire and Covid-19 then you might as well call it my religion now.

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We will get through 2022 the same way we’ve gotten through 2021 and all the years before that. Together, one day at a time, with big and small acts of kindness and love. And, one day, hopefully soon, we will get to really be together again. I’ve missed you terribly.

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The “melting pot” is at the heart of America. We encourage different cultures to assimilate into our own. We judge by the content of character. We know that one arrow can easily be broken, but many arrows banded together are indestructible. We overwhelmingly embrace the truth that all men are created equal.

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I resolve to dismiss all sources that attempt to divide us from our convictions.

Mark Francis, Golden Valley Bank

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My New Year’s resolution is to be more confident when answering and asking questions. I have to be more confident during class when I am not sure about a subject. I am used to figuring out answers for myself, so I get nervous when I have to ask a question. I want to ask more questions so I can better understand subjects like math. I want to answer more questions in class even if I have the wrong answer. I need more practice at asking questions in math and science class, because for me it is the hardest subject for me.

-Caia Raygoza

My resolution for 2022 is to stop and ultimately reduce eating dairy products.

This is important to me because I've had this sour bother in my throat that causes me much discomfort and influences me in unenjoyable ways. As I stop eating dairy products, I want this bother to go away. Though the ultimate goal of this dairy flush is to reintroduce milk and dairy products to my diet without discomfort.

-Jack Campos

For my New Year's resolution, I’m going to work out more to be able to do at least ten push-ups and have more endurance/stamina by the time I have to take the state fitness test. I came up with this goal to better my push-up, pacer, and mile run scores to get a better grade and to get fit. To accomplish this goal, I'm going to do modified and regular push-ups every day when I get home from school. To train my endurance I’ll be running a mile around my block 3-4 days a week. The last thing I’d do to accomplish this goal is to stop eating unhealthy foods and start eating healthy -Yazmine Lopez

I am resolving to practice more piano, because when learning to play a song I want to be good at it. You can’t get better at something without practicing.

Recently, my dad got us a new piano.

Right now we have to play twenty minutes a day, and every month I could add a few minutes more to play. Before I go on screens or go to a friend's house, I have to play piano. When I have my lesson, I could ask my teacher for a few things to practice instead of just one piece. -Kensington Girt

My New Year's resolution is to get better at focusing. I’ve gotten really distracted during school, and it's hard to really learn anything, and in some classes I don't even know what we're doing at times. In math class, some kids use their chromebooks to play games, and I end up paying attention to that; then the teacher calls on me, and my mind goes blank. Then, since I don't know what we learned in class, the homework is very stressful. After a few minutes I just give up, and it makes everything harder on me. If I start focusing more, then none of this will happen, and I will be a lot more relaxed and calm. -Lucas Isern

My New Year’s resolution is to have a better relationship with my dad. My relationship with him is not that great, but I want to make it better. He is very stubborn, and so am I. How I would accomplish that is by having more father-son time and being more polite to him. I would also be more grateful because my dad’s biggest problem with me is that I am not grateful enough. My biggest problem with him is that my opinion or ideas don’t matter to him, so if we both work on those things, I think our relationship will grow. - Mason Ames

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I resolve not to fall down any stairs..

-Bailey Beacon

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My resolution is to spend $100 every month to purchase books and then read them by the end of each month.

-Low Shetern

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To graduate within the New Year and follow my resolve—“Don't rely on others for your happiness.”

-Sally Vonbargen

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Spend as little time as possible in front of any electronic device, and as much time as possible outdoors.

-Gary Louten

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I am going to make more sense of normalcy by being more social, without the anxiety.

-Patricia Cragar

I procrastinated these resolutions by contemplating a politically-correct list. After being honest, I thought about how maddening it is to read something scribbled in a hurry. Therefore, my actual resolution will be to make my bed every day, within six minutes of getting out of it. I will read an entire book each month. I won't go to bed until the sink is free of dirty dishes. I will vacuum every day until my Dyson battery dies. I will not admit to using the mode that kills the battery the quickest. Lastly, each month, I’ll reach out to someone who has differing beliefs and ask them to have a soda pop with me. For the sake of transparency, I will share the outcome of those sessions. I suspect we'll share more similarities than differences.

However, like I already stated, I’m also going to stop speculating in 2022.

-Shelby Chase

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My resolution for 2022 is to wake up earlier in order to start weekdays more intentionally. Whether it’s exercise, day planning, or reading with coffee, creating time to pursue good habits is important. Getting started before the demands of each day helps me feel more in control of my time and reduces potential stress.

-Joe Sweeney

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My wily old Real Estate mentor, Ken Duvall, shared his resolutions annually. Example from two years before he passed, when he was 78 years old: “This year, I plan to stay above ground, babe. Any day above ground is a good day. I will not be hostile, for love conquers all. I will keep a good attitude, and like a cattle truck going down the highway, I will let the chips fall where they may.”

-Doug Love

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My resolution for 2022 is to slow down and be kinder to myself. I have been a workaholic for as long as I can remember, and tend to forget that there are other areas of my life! I’m determined to spend time on some home projects, hang out with my grandkids, and maybe get some traveling in on those long weekends. Self-care is a real thing, and I want some of that!

-Sue Francis

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My resolution for 2022 is to stop making excuses and take my mom’s advice—“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get done today.” COVID took a toll on my motivation, and I am determined to overcome that battle next year.

-Renee Michel

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New Year's Resolutions have always been weird to me. I think they are things we tell ourselves we should be doing better to actually better ourselves or our circumstances. We do this even though these should be things we do in general, no matter when we choose to make those decisions for ourselves. And yet, it also symbolizes the New Year, and for some, that’s the perfect time to start fresh and keep ourselves accountable for our goals for the year. So, if I were to focus on one thing this year, it would be to stay focused on my mission to be present—to slow down and enjoy this journey called life. We tend to focus on the outcome of our goals and not the journey, and the journey is what we take with us. The destination just gives us another reason to set another goal.

-Diane Nicole

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On a recent walk, I noticed that each person or small group I passed did not acknowledge my existence. I forgot something I learned years ago. “Go first.” We’re wired to respond rather than initiate. We say “You go first.” to each other. So, I addressed each passerby. They responded right back. In 2022, I will resolve to “Go first.” I am determined to do so in situations other than my walks. You, too—go first.

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Kevin Dolan

I was waiting for the start of a Journey concert when I began contemplating resolutions. Should I focus on fitness, healthy eating or….? As the show began, I noticed the crowd ‘watching’ the concert through their phones, scrolling through Instagram to find the perfect filter. Then it came to me. I want to be fully present in each moment, soaking up the wonders of each day’s experience as it happens. 2022, I’m forever yours…faithfully.

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Shelly Brandon

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Just the thought of making a resolution chills my soul.

It’s reminiscent of past failures and a harbinger of future derelictions. My former resolutions have the success rate of the Titanic. Therefore, like Lent, where I eschew self-denial, I make no resolution for 2022, or any other span of time.

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Tim Milhorn

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A close friend and I had the good fortune to spend a number of unexpected hours together in mid-December. We ate, laughed, and pondered the secrets of the universe. It was one of those moments in time where you're simultaneously pushed to reflect on the past, survey the future, and look inward all at once. Though a number of things were gained from our time together, the key takeaway was the importance of being present and thankful for the gift of that time. I naturally have all the standard resolutions of getting back to the gym, eating healthier, and learning a new skill. In 2022, however, I truly resolve to live for the moment and appreciate the beauty that surrounds me each day—rather than living in the past or for the promise of a specific future. You can find me, throughout the New Year, stopping often to smell the roses.

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Aveed Khaki

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I resolve to set goals that have a defined start and finish.

This year, I will unsubscribe from unneeded newsletters and subscriptions to reduce waste from my inbox. Each day with no rain or above 95 degree heat, I will walk a mile. I will also call a different family member each week, just to say hello.

And Monday, you’ve just become family game night. Less clutter, more fun.

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Jason Corona

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Resolutions are like an HBO free trial, you're happy for a month but then soon cancel the subscription. When I was asked to write a resolution, I wanted it to be honest. It seems my fellow writer, Tim, beat me to the punch, so I will say this: This next year I want to stop being afraid of adversity, instead greet these situations with open arms and grace, to understand that you can't control everything, but you can control the way you think about it.

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WRITTEN BY KEVIN DOLAN | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Eat well. Live well.

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This four word title adorns the back wall of Cocodine in Chico. No one understands the truth behind the message better than the owner and lead cook, Terawat Kulimakin.

Thai food tips the scale health-wise, starting mainly at the fresh veggies, some 10-to-15 varieties, in all different colors and shapes.

The menu is also without dairy products.

Terry, as he is widely known, sums it all up by sharing his kitchen’s philosophy of “putting out good, quality food, while having fun doing it.” With a sly smile, he shared that the name of the restaurant is nothing more than a play on words. He strongly feels one should allow the authenticity of the products, not the name, to talk for themselves.

with a degree in hand, he followed the path life took him. It was the path to Chico, his wife’s hometown, and right into the business of owning a restaurant.

Terawat was born and raised in Thailand.

An older brother made his way over to the States, paving a way for sightseeing visits in Terry’s younger years. At 18, he moved to Southern California, completed high school, and enrolled at a junior college. One professor literally steered Terry towards a degree in psychology. He transferred to Cal State Fullerton, earning a B.A. in psychology.

During college, he and his friends “did what Thai students do and found a job at a local Thai restaurant.” It was there, he became enamored by the chef and his wild schedule—12-hour days, six days a week. As life goes,Terry understands he’s “the kind of person who will do whatever it takes.” So,

Terry is a fan of Anthony Bourdain, the American celebrity chef, traveler, and author. He recalls a question Bourdain once posed—“Would you rather be authentic or be good?” How about both? As a 1stgeneration Thai American, Terawat knows how to use authentic ingredients and techniques. His training included all the family recipes. With an awareness of the American palette, Terry strives to make the authenticity accessible to more people. He understands, “Food evolves where it lands.”

Cocodine offers its clientele the opportunity to eat well and, in turn, experience a glimpse in a culture where life is well lived.

Terry turned owner and lead cook as well.

He’s hesitant to use the word chef, realizing he was not professionally trained. He, instead, learned by doing at his mother-inlaw’s business, Grayatip Thai Cuisine. The self-taught cook, under his mother-in-law’s tutelage, familiarized himself with the family recipes. Cocodine opened in November 2004 as the original restaurant’s direct successor, blessed by his wife’s mother with the recipes that made her restaurant famous.

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Photographer, adjunct professor, painter, and artistic interpreter of photographic culture, Sean Peeler possesses a wealth of talent and intelligence which is readily seen through the lens of his camera.

All you need to do is peruse his many photographs to discover the essence of his artistic nature shining through. The lens captures it all, but it is the eye of the photographer that chooses the angle and setting, including the light and the shadow. Be it formal portraits, nature, or the beautiful design and lines of the oak trees in his portrayals, it is obvious Sean has the ability to imbue his medium with meaning far beyond rectangles of shapes and tonality.

Speaking with Sean, his passion and love of photography is evident. It is a singular passion that has influenced his life, especially after he acquired a 35mm 50

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film camera from his mom while attending junior high school. Growing up in Butte Creek Canyon gave him access to the bountiful world of nature right in his backyard. “Photography has always been there for me,” he said. “My relationships with friends and loved ones are typically cultivated through long moments spent around a camera outdoors.” It also helped his relationship with the natural world and the landscape around him. “I’ve grown fonder and more intimate of the natural world through my love of photography, and photography helped me to better understand myself and my surroundings.”

The photographic journey took him through Chico High School, Butte College, and Chico State. He later received a Master of Fine Arts at San Jose State University. This, in turn, prompted a career in education, where

he has taught photography and video at Cabrillo College, Chico State University, Foothill College, and San Jose State University. Along the way, he also delved in painting, exhibiting his art both in school and private galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area. These events guided him to his current specialty, tintype photography. Think Civil War pictures and photographs of that era, and you have the aesthetic element of tintype.

Sean pointed out the misconception people have of the 1800’s, where people rarely smiled in their photographs, which became the catalyst for his research and thesis in graduate school. The common belief is the exposure time took too long, and people couldn’t keep a smile pasted on their faces for that length of time. Not true. “The exposure time for tintype is one-to-six seconds. It’s not that long,”

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN | PHOTOS BY SEAN PEELER

rectangles of shape and tonality

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN | PHOTOS BY SEAN PEELER

he said. So why no smiles? “Smiling in public was actually looked down upon in Victorian society. It was culturally taboo amongst a regal cultural code. It was believed that only the uncivilized smiled in public—children and drunks.”

For example, the word cheese has been used for years as the smile promoter in pictures; back then they instructed you to say prunes, a word that kept your mouth prim and proper. What changed this approach in photographs? The Eastman Kodak Camera Company.

The precursor to dry-plate photography is wet-plate collodion. This is the tintype process Sean uses to create photographs that elicit an old time feel. Because of the process itself, it makes people look “different,” or just slightly off what the reality is. When you look at those photos from the 1800’s, you’re always struck by the difference in people’s faces. In reality, those humans looked just like we do in the 21st century. It was the material’s unique aesthetic which made a difference.

Kodak came about in the 1880’s, when George Eastman developed the dry plate method of photography. This led to the creation of transparent roll film in 1889.

From there, Kodak invented the “Brownie” camera which became insanely popular.

Kodak encouraged people to smile in their marketing and advertising, so that is exactly what we do today. Sean added, “Popular photography in its infancy becomes an extension of advertising culture; embedded in the practice are strategies for selling products, desirable lifestyles, and consumer happiness.”

That aspect of a different look is what’s appealing about sitting down for a portrait session with Sean. It can be a formal, staged setting, outside your house, or in a nature setting. No matter where the photograph is taken, you will experience the process right on site. Sean brings a portable dark room, just as they did in 1851, and develops your tintype on the spot. The wet-plate collodion process takes place as you wait. The process requires the photographic material to be coated, exposed, and developed in a span of about ten minutes. This process is an improvement over the Daguerreotype,

which produced an image that could not be replicated. Wet-plate collodion calls for coating a metal plate with salted collodion, charging with silver nitrate, exposing in-camera, and developing. The result is a positive black and white image on the plate.

The images from this process are amazing. The photographs take on an ethereal and antique look that brings back the days of the gold rush, the Old West, and the straight-faced formal portraits of yore. Take a look at Sean’s incredible work by visiting seanpeeler. com or looking him up on Instagram (@sean.peeler). You’ll find yourself taken back to a simpler, yet also more complicated, world. The photographs lure you in and are mesmerizing.

Sean Peeler’s passion and love for his art come through in every photograph and setting. Check out his work and take a break from the modern world glossies and contrived images you see so much today. One more thing, we give a shout out to Luke Whitfield, a barista at Cal Java, for leading us to this interview.

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Bloody

B Street

Once you open the door and navigate down the hallway, you are instantly transported out of Chico and into any metro's favorite hip speakeasy.

The timeless brick and metal/wood combination goes with anything and everything alike, while the taps and lit back bar can distract you from the televisions glare and constant movement.

We began our liquid lunch with a trio of Bloody Marys, expertly prepared by B-Street bartender Michal. We selected the well vodka that is paired with horseradish-infused vodka. And that brings me to one of the things I admire about B-Street Public House: while some items are their own genius, throughout the menu they take a classic concept and elevate it, ensuring perfection. This is precise craft tastiness.

Thinking of this drink as a basketball team, it is one of the most feared in the league, thanks to its two all-stars, base and mix. The base—the blend of horseradish infused and your choice of vodka ensures an equal heat in every drink. The mix—house-prepared, and still a secret to me, is shaken and placed in 52

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Stor ‘N Pours for easy delivery. It lends a consistency you can count on. The small pepper specs dance through the drink; the ingredients are fresh and deliberate.

You can actually taste the vodka, which I only point out because I know firsthand the number one complaint a patron makes of a mixed drink. Does the drink seem to contain enough of the main ingredient they’re paying for? As we experience, there's so much more to this Bloody Mary. The refreshing sensation of citrus, aided by a splash of orange juice, is a delight. The first sip clears your throat and readies you for the next, leaving the mouth coated in a spice that wasn’t overpowering, but rather intriguing. The garnish selection pairs well with this iconic beverage: citrus from the lemon and lime, saltiness of the brine of the olive, and surprising spice of the lone green bean.

This is a wonderful complement for brunch, although we didn't have the time or right day for it. Still, had we not found another place to complete our research, we could have easily enjoyed a second.

Showdown

Joe's Bar

Joe’s is the type of place stored in your heart as the bar you always come back to when you just want to relax with friends and talk shop with the bartender and other townies. The stockings hung above the backbar, jukebox playing whatever and whenever someone pleases, and sawdust on the floor provide just some of the classic aesthetics of this legendary piece of Chico. As a visitor, you could hide here and not be spotted by clients (reminiscent of Normal St.), and as a regular, you could find a relaxing retreat from the workday. We arrived as visitors, but Maria treated us as fixtures just the same.

This bloody is a meal. No, not one of those shock and awe “how many things can we stuff into this drink turned surfand-turf,” but a hearty-fisted glassful of deliciousness. The large presentation allowed us to sit around the table and just glare, taking in the 36 years of history. Most bartenders have a lovehate relationship with this drink as it takes time from scratch. This was a labor of love. It was mixed before us, also defeating the question of, “Is there any

Vodka in there?” We asked for a medium spice with horseradish, and it stood front and center. Be sure to specify how you’d like yours. I believe you’ll get everything you ask for.

I was shown the secret blend of spices, and so we asked for a shake on a napkin to sample. I won't give it away, but I’m certain we have 4 ingredients dialed in, one keen to anyone who has spent time in a dorm room. The giardiniera blended with pickle, olive, and celery tackled most of what you’d expect as a garnish and could please just about anyone providing salt and vinegar to the concoction. The spices and horseradish were both felt in every intake of the straw, making for a fun textural experience.

This is the drink you desire when you’ve had one or more the night before, that hair of the dog, the meal of beverages.

Not to misread as a recommendation, but be patient when you and two of your coworkers decide to sit down for a drink in the afternoon.

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It's no secret Chico has some amazing Mexican food options, as taco shops and trucks are seemingly ubiquitous on every corner around town. Some continue to stick out year after year, one of these being Tacos El Lider. This truck has an especially sentimental place in my heart as growing up I remember riding my bike down the Esplanade, with the change I scrounged throughout the week, to fulfill my taco addiction.

The street tacos are an absolute classic and an easy go-to option. However, there is another item that will always have my heart—their quesabirria tacos, which from a visual standpoint are nothing short of beautiful. The outside of the tortilla is dipped in their house consommé and then fried with cheese and meat. The result is a mouth-watering taco that will surely leave you happy and full. In my opinion, the highlight is the consommé, as delicious flavors of the dish are perfectly finished off with a slam dunk into the divine sauce.

While the birria tacos are a must try, there are a couple items on the menu you surely won't want to miss. I recommend the hearty ramen-birria soup. It's perfect for those cold days when you just need something to cozy up with. Tacos El Lider has an item for any mood though, including the amazing 54

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horchata that is, of course, homemade with love. Some things don’t change, and it’s what I love most about this truck. Over all the years I've enjoyed their food, they’ve remained consistent—a constant reminder of what makes them such a solid staple in the taco truck community.

I've long waited for an actual brick and mortar location, and that dream is about to come true within the next couple months, as Tacos El Lider will be opening up their first store location. Be still, my beating heart!

Next time you find yourself strolling down Esplanade, pay our dear friends at Tacos El Lider a visit. You surely won't be disappointed, as no matter how particular you are, there will be something to satisfy those taste buds. If you're ever in need of catering services, they’ll be happy to help you out.

We urge you to become a regular at this local gem of a truck and soon their storefront!

You can currently find them at 2819 Esplanade from 11AM-6pm Monday-Friday, 10AM-3PM on Saturday, and on instagram @ tacosellider. We hope you get the chance to indulge and treat your tastebuds to a meal they truly deserve.

WRITTEN BY TACO TRACKER STAND-IN, BEAU VANDERMATE | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Birria Mania

From one generation to the next the hubers, the scherbas, and cal java There are plenty of things to be grateful for when it comes to living in Northern California. Community support ranks at the top of our list. Writing from firsthand experience, this magazine wouldn’t be where it is right now, in your hands, without the connection and support our community members provide to local businesses. Celebrating our fifteenth year in print, we feel like we’ve been around forever, but it takes no more than a quick glance around our county to realize we’re still infants in the grand scheme of things.

Many businesses here have not only stood the test of time, but also flourished with age, thanks to the injection of a new generation’s energy and spirit. Such is the case with Cal Java, a local staple that has provided residents with their much needed morning pick-me-up since 1989.

The original Cal Java location remains where it started, in the once-Alberton’snow-Save-Mart shopping center, on West East Avenue. Nestled away in the southwest corner of the property, it is the longest running coffee shop in Chico and the first roaster north of Sacramento, caffeinating customers for over 32 years.

The business was purchased in 1999 by local entrepreneurs, Mike and Kelly

Huber, and the two set out to expand the business throughout Chico.

“We both had parents who owned their own businesses.” Kelly said, “My parents built and owned the 7-11 and gas station that’s now ampm in Downtown Chico.

They were both entrepreneurs and taught me the value of hard work from an early age. They also taught me there was no such thing as a 40-hour work week when you owned your own business, so it came as less of a surprise when we purchased Cal Java.”

“After moving down from Seattle, I started an ice business in Chico.” Mike continued, “I was constantly driving to Redding for deliveries, and I couldn’t find good coffee in the area. I looked everywhere.

I had just traveled to Asia for six months, where I had excellent coffee, and I had developed a taste for it over my years traveling around the world. I found Cal Java and saw an opportunity to bring coffee from across the world to Chico.

I started visiting the café early each morning, got to know the owners, and eventually offered to buy the business if they were willing to sell it. As it turned out, they were open to the offer, and we

purchased the coffee shop shortly after.”

Mike and Kelly set out to expand Cal Java throughout the Chico area, employing the lessons learned from the success of her parents’ businesses in town. They began sourcing beans from all over the world, utilizing their signature coffee roasting machine to unlock flavors unique to their brand, and using the café to test each flavor and blend with their customers.

Those which performed best eventually found their way into other coffee shops, restaurants, and businesses around town as part of Cal Java’s wholesale delivery service. Continuing with their vertical integration, they converted the coffee shop’s backroom into a full-fledged bakery, allowing them to not only create their own baked goods to complement their coffees, but supply other locations in town as well. During their 22 years running the business, they built a local coffee empire, spanning multiple café locations, drive-thrus, and an extensive wholesale network. They even launched a couple businesses which will undoubtedly deliver a sense of nostalgia to Chico locals—Island Smoothies and Juice Whirled—before opening Beatnik’s Café with longtime friend Mike Cress.

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“We lived two blocks down the road the entire time we owned Cal Java.” Kelly smiled, “Our neighbors were customers, and our customers were family. There was never a shortage of longer-thannormal work days, but it never really felt like work. We had the opportunity to work with so many fantastic and energetic young individuals, watch them get married, start families, and even build businesses of their own. We met people from all over town—and far beyond—that we may not have met if it weren’t for the coffee shops. Truly, we feel blessed to have had this experience.”

One of those happenstance meetings was with Luke Scherba, another entrepreneur who frequented both Cal Java and Beatnik’s. Luke came from a long line of entrepreneurs himself, and owned Studio One Ballroom in Chico along with Scherba Media, a local web development and marketing company with clients all over the world. He was hired to build websites for both Cal Java and Beatniks, finding through the process he too had a passion for the world of coffee.

“I’ve loved coffee as long as I can remember.” Luke said, “Before building Studio One, I was working on another dance studio and planned to open a coffee shop inside as part of the business model. Things went in a different direction, and I ultimately decided to create the dance studio on its own as Studio One. When I started working with Mike on the websites, I learned about the complexities of coffee, and it opened my eyes to so many different possibilities.

It also reignited the fire I had to open a coffee shop all those years ago. Mike and Kelly ran the business for 22 years, and their kids basically grew up there. I saw it as an opportunity for my kids to someday do the same thing and to have a business we could all operate as a family. I felt there was something new I could bring to the brand, so I discussed it with my wife, Kylee, and we offered to buy Cal Java if they were ever interested in selling it. I kept going back and bringing it up until Mike surprised me one day by saying he was open to the idea.”

“Luke had talked about buying us out for quite some time.” Mike laughed, “He was 56

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persistent, and eventually the timing was right for both of us. We think the world of them and love that they’ll be operating Cal Java as a family business. We’re not going anywhere. We’re staying right here in town, and we’re excited to be able to go back to Cal Java and not only see familiar faces, but know the brand is in the hands of people we love, know, and trust.”

Kylee continued, “I absolutely love everything about this. I grew up in Willits and ran the kitchen at the golf course for four and a half years before moving here. I’ve worked in customer service, as a short order cook, and just about everything else. It’s the perfect fit for all of us, and we couldn’t be more excited to carry the business forward and preserve the brand that Mike and Kelly built.”

As everyone mentioned at some point during our time together, Cal Java is more than just a coffee shop, it’s an opportunity to do things better and create positive change. Their tag line, “Think globally; drink locally” has been at the forefront of their decision-making process from the very start. They focus on fair trade wherever possible, source ingredients ethically, and support their community to ensure every cup makes a positive impact. They all agree it should be the cornerstone of any successful business.

Just as Mike and Kelly did 22 years ago, Luke and Kylee are taking the torch and moving Cal Java forward with new energy and the excitement to take the business and brand to the next level. Though they plan on keeping the brand’s recipe for success the same, they look forward to expanding its footprint, opening new locations, growing their wholesale accounts, and delivering as much positive impact as possible per cup. We can’t wait to see where the next 22 years take them.

Drop by Cal Java at 216 W. East Avenue in Chico, order a cup of delicious fair-trade coffee or tea, and congratulate Luke and Kylee on their new family business! You can also keep up on Mike and Kelly’s adventures there, as they’ve promised to always keep the staff updated.

For a sneak peek at Kelly’s newest venture, simply look at the next page.

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And the beat rolled on 1969 to 1983 On March 30, 1969, Deep Purple played in the Chico State football stadium during Pioneer Days for the big finale. I was there, sitting on top of the monkey bars just outside the chain-link fence, up on the cement slab where the visiting stands sat. The music rocked, and my legs were swinging to the beat. To my surprise, my foot connected with someone’s head as they walked under the bars. To my amazement, the victim was none other than Randy Kilpatric, my friend who secured my ticket to The Yardbirds five years earlier! Crazy world, huh?

Once again, Pioneer Days provided the venue for big name groups when Cold Blood opened up for headliner Eric Burdon and War on March 27, 1971 at the Ghost Town Concert. Later in ‘71, on September 25, the Elvin Bishop Group and Delaney & Bonnie played in the North Gym. During those years, Chico State had a football team, and the use of the stadium ceased in the fall.

The king of the performance years was 1972. What a great time to be a college kid at Butte College or Chico State. And if ‘72 was the king, then September was the emperor of the universe. The center of that universe was Chico State’s North Gym. On September 10, Chuck Berry and the Doobie Brothers performed. Dave Mason, who was Feelin’ Alright, played the next 58

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Then came a slow down of big names in 1973, with only a few major acts appearing. Again, using the venue of the stadium, Jesse Colin Young and Curtis Mayfield - Super Fly - performed on January 25. Basketball was in session, and the gyms were in use. Somewhere in the mid-seventies, Blue Oyster Cult, Van Morrison, Loggins and Messina, and Fleetwood Mac appeared, along with Sister Sledge and Boz Skaggs. (Thanks to the members of the Chico/PV High Facebook group for the names.)

After the murder of a young woman at a local fraternity kegger in 1974, the local officials put the heat on Pioneer Week and its activities. Weird as it may seem, I worked with the accused murderer, Trey Miller, who was captured outside of Butte Meadows and hanged himself in the county jail. Strange times and sad.

In 1978, a huge show took place on the football field for Pioneer Week when Santana, Eddie Money, and Norton Buffalo performed on April 27. Rounding out the hit bands of Pioneer Week on April, 28, 1982 were performances by Jefferson Starship, Pablo Cruise, and Krokus.

Did other bands play during these years?

Yes. But we concentrated on what we could for the enjoyment of our readers of a certain age. Hope it brought back some great memories.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

That night, Deep Purple packed the stadium. The band consisted of Rod Evans (vocals), Nick Simper (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards), Ian Paice (drums), and Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), who was the highlight of the show, playing the ax backwards and above his head, something new to many of us in attendance and in awe. But the 1970’s lay ahead, and the lineup of musical acts to appear in Chico really did boggle the mind. Remember, we are dealing with highlights during this time period. It is certain some groups who readers love will be omitted.

night. September 12 saw Albert King and Country Joe and the Fish (And it’s one, two, three..). On the 13th, the Chambers Brothers brought us Time. (I lived just down the street and stood out in front of the doors to hear the last few minutes.)

On September 15, Stoneground and EarthQuake rocked the gym. Finally, on September 18, the magical horns of Tower of Power, and the beautiful voice of lead singer Rick Stevens sang You're Still a Young Man, baby. What a month and what a variety of groups. It is insane to think Chico hosted all those acts in that 10-day period.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

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treetop position to suck up sunlight for its own photosynthesis. Some birds can eat the ripened, white berries and spread the sticky seeds to other trees. As mistletoe grows, it matures in a mass of leaves that resemble baskets, sometimes called “witches’ brooms.” (Please note that another parasite is also called witches’ broom, but it is produced by the host internally.) The berries, as mentioned, are delicious to certain birds. Not so common knowledge is that chickadees, house wrens, and mourning doves are known to nest directly in the mass of leaves.

Ingredient of the month:

Witches' Broom An insidious plot takes place every holiday season in homes across the country. It involves two people, duped into entering a room, not realizing the ominous danger lurking above them. Innocent and unwitting, the chosen couple steps through the doorway or lintel, and they confront the crowded room, noticing all eyes looking above their heads. They glance upward and fix their own eyes upon the ‘thing’ hanging above them. That thing is the dreaded mistletoe! And then they are coerced, nay, forced into the centuries old ritual of kissing each other. This could be good or bad, depending upon whom you are with. If it’s the apple of your eye and your one true desire, the kiss may last for several seconds.

If it’s your third cousin visiting from back east, well, the situation gets tricky.

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Just why kissing under mistletoe is a timehonored tradition is not exactly clear. You could call it the “mistletoe mystery.” One belief is the Greeks celebrated the winter holiday of Kronia, a huge festival, with mistletoe, and kissing under it started there.

Another theory is the Celtic Druids valued mistletoe for its therapeutic qualities, and they were the first to decorate with it, as the plant ripens in December, remains green, and produces white berries, which are associated with fertility. I’m not saying Druid priests clamped on the old lip lock cavorting around Stonehenge, but, hey, don’t knock it ‘til you tried it.

Mistletoe is actually a parasite that draws nutrients from the tree it invades, and since it grows up high, it takes advantage of the

First, there are 1,500 species of mistletoe.

Using the plant topically, and not internally, dates back to Asia and Europe, where it was used to treat skin disorders and make the skin more soft and supple. In modern times, supplements containing mistletoe, while being authorized in Europe, are still being studied in the United States. Overseas, it is used as a cancer fighting agent to treat nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite, which can be caused by chemotherapy.

Other benefits may include preventing diabetes, soothing the respiratory system, calming the nervous system, lowering blood pressure, promoting good sleep, fighting inflammation, and fortifying the immune system. It may even reduce snoring! (I can see the mistletoe herbal extract sites jammed up and crashed after that tidbit.)

Just make sure if you explore the uses of mistletoe, do so from a trusted and trained herbalist or medical professional.

So, beware of what is above you when you walk into a room this holiday season, or plan ahead and have that apple of your yuletide adventures on your arm when you arrive.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

You may be asking yourself, “How is mistletoe an ingredient of the month?”

Let me be perfectly clear and speak in a language we can all understand: DO NOT EAT MISTLETOE! Any mistletoe!

Ever. European mistletoe can be used therapeutically, but American mistletoe is unsafe. Don’t consume raw mistletoe of any variety as it can be poisonous. So how can European mistletoe be utilized?

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By Kevin Dolan I read the news today - oh, boy.

About a lucky man who made the grade.

And though the news was sad…

Never could be any other way.

John Lennon - A Day in the Life

I did not read it in the news. I was sent a text. I recall muttering something stronger than “Oh, boy!” The text message informed me my friend Dave Mettler passed away. Yes, the news was sad, and came with the sudden realization it never could be any other way. Dave was truly a lucky man who made the grade, but also made our lives so much better—in so many ways. We shined a bright light on Dave in a profile, written on February 21st, 2019, and it was included in our March issue. The article was appropriately titled “Safeway’s Savvy Sommelier.” The introduction cut right to the chase, “In the Mangrove Avenue Safeway, on aisle 17, Dave Mettler is both feared and revered.

Myriad Chico shoppers enter the store and do one of two things.

They either glance down the aisle to see if Dave is stalking it and head to produce, or rush right into the teeth of aisle 17, hoping Dave is present with his ever-ready six pack holder.” He loved it. There will never come a time when I turn on to aisle 17 and wish Dave wasn’t present with his ever-ready six pack holder.

On social media, November 30th, 2021 was this reaction to a David Mettler memorial post. “If you have ever been to the Safeway on Mangrove to buy wine, you likely ran into Dave the Wine Guy and know what a loss this is. Whether he recommended a nice bottle for a special occasion or talked you into buying a six pack when you just ran in for one bottle, he was always there with a friendly face and so much enthusiasm.

I will miss turning the corner and hearing about his grandkids or the latest exclusive wine he just put on the shelf, and where we should go on our next Napa trip. Thinking of his family and keeping them in my heart.” In a world where it is so simple to click on a ‘like’ button or find the right emoji, it means something to have this kind of response to a post. Dave meant something.

Enough to be given the sobriquet—Dave the Wine Guy. There remains those who “know” wine, as in being introduced and learning to love it. Then that leaves the Dave Mettler’s of the world, who “know” wine, as in going to grad school kind of education. I will never forget the moment Dave opened his notebook and pulled out the certificate which claimed he had met all qualification requirements to be known as a sommelier.

A sommelier is one who is in charge of wines, the equivalent of carrying the burden. It seems clear to me that Dave’s face should be included in the dictionary definition. And, perhaps, a

full size cut-out of him propped up on aisle 17. Or just change it to Dave the Wine Guy aisle. Perhaps the cut-out should be next to the elegant four-door glass refrigerator, which under lock and key, houses such exclusive items such as a $299.99 magnum of Rombauer chardonnay or a $399.00 bottle of Stag’s Leap.

Dave’s idea. Dave the Wine Guy had an uncanny way of opening a flat six pack holder in a single movement. And, like a magician, the holder would soon be filled with six bottles, all carefully recommended by DTWG. He took to the role of carrying the burden. When not in his home aisle, Dave could be found setting up enormous displays featuring real deals and turning the entire store into a tempting place to purchase wine.

Dave is my friend. When I approached, he dropped everything and the conversation would start. He shared with me on his phone the tracking of all his hikes in Upper Park. A remarkable array of hikes with precise time. He would always offer to go to lunch, or on a walk, or play a round of golf. We managed to sync our calendars enough to have lunch and a single walk. Both, of course, revealed a different side of Dave the Wine Guy. I will forever remember, and surely miss, the phone calls, telling me he had put aside a case of Kenwood chardonnay, and I better hurry because the 20/20 sale was ending soon. I would rush in to find him with the box on a dolly. He would wheel up to the front register, check me out, and wheel it out to my truck. He was so happy every time he was waving goodbye. I would like to think I was not the only customer Dave treated this way. But at the same time, I really liked being so special to him. Dave was special to me, too. I’m going to miss seeing him walk to and from his car in that bent forward, wobbly kind of foot movement.

I’ll miss our chats, our arguments over why I don't want to buy a six pack, and the way he put his hand on my shoulder. I will mostly miss the times I watched him with other customers and witnessed his wizardry way first hand.

I sorely wish I had not read the news that day—oh, boy. I will find joy in the fact the news was most certainly about a lucky guy who made the grade. And though the news was sad, it comes with the memory of my friend, and that it never could be any other way. Would not want to be. I am left with the idea of how any one of us would be having spent a day in the life of Dave the Wine Guy.

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