Upgraded Living May 2022 issue by Upgraded Living

Q&A

WITH DR. HODARI LASER HAIR REMOVAL How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal (LHR) works by using laser energy to damage or weaken the structures around the hair follicles. Because hair follicles grow in different stages from each other, this treatment produces the best results when done monthly for a series of 5-10 treatments.

How long does it take to see results?

Improvement is noted within weeks of the first treatment, but maximum results occur after a series is completed.

Am I a candidate for laser hair removal? Anyone who has unwanted facial or body hair is a candidate for LHR. If you have an active tan or sunburn, you should wait until your complexion returns to baseline before proceeding with LHR. It's also important you go to an experienced provider or clinic, especially if you have olive, tan, or brown skin. These complexions, while extremely prevalent, require special experience and lasers to minimize the risks of adverse events. We have the new Bare It™ system from Sciton® which is great for all skin types, extremely comfortable, and very fast.

What areas can be treated and is there any downtime? While many areas of the face and body can be treated, commonly treated areas include the upper lip and chin, bikini line and legs, and back (in men). 2

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After 4 treatments of hair removal, I am very pleased with my results. The entire staff was friendly, professional, and sensitive to my needs. The treatment rooms convey a feeling of privacy and relaxation. I am a client for life! - Shannon B.

AREAS FOR LASER HAIR REMOVAL Facial Hair Chest

Under-arms

Arms Bikini Line Legs

80 DECLARATION DR. CHICO, CA 95973 (530) 342-8295 rejuvene.com 3

FROM THE PUBLISHER I try my best to refrain from picking favorites when it comes to the magazine. With this being our 177th issue, it would be difficult to point to just one month, over nearly 15 years, and say with any sense of surety it was my favorite. Each issue serves as a bit of a time capsule for me, full of memories and experiences I'll never forget. There are, however, those stand-out issues which test my resolve. Last year's Women in Business issue was certainly one of them. Over the years, we've featured countless incredible women throughout the Northstate who have worked diligently to make our slice of California a better place. We formalized these features while working with Amy Lance, the founder of Wondrous Women, whose organization's name ended up serving as the title of our ongoing feature. These early pieces, and the countless hours spent by staff like Jason Corona, and editors-in-chief like Briana Lindstrom (soon-to-be Clark!), laid the groundwork for our first fully realized Women in Business issue in 2021. If forced to choose a favorite month, the one spent directly before publishing it would have been my choice, as it was full of heartwarming interviews with fantastic women who were as dynamic as they were successful. The month leading to this issue was no different, and I can once again refrain from choosing a favorite, as there are now two. This issue, our second focused totally on Women in Business, is full of remarkable entrepreneurs spanning the gamut of industries and causes. It includes follow-ups on a number of our favorites from last year, alongside introductions to many more, and we hope you use it as a roadmap to help support these women—along with every other woman in our community doing magnificent things. Not one made it to where they are by chance, and we couldn't be more honored to tell their stories.

UPGRADED LIVING STAFF AVEED KHAKI Owner/Publisher JASON CORONA Sales Director BEAU VANDERMATE General Swiss Army Knife

SHELLY BRANDON Writer TIM MILHORN Writer MADDIE RODRIGUEZ Writer ERIK BROWN Cover Designer DIANE CLIFFORD Cover Story Photographer

CONTRIBUTORS DOUG LOVE Real Estate

SWEENEY & MICHEL Finance

HRiQ Human Resources

DERM BAR Beauty

RYAN STEFANELLI Women Restaurateurs

JESSICA WILKERSON Mental Health

For editorial or general magazine inquiries, please contact: Aveed Khaki, 530.519.5683 aveed@upgradedliving.com

Aveed Khaki Owner/Publisher

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

CONTENTS | MAY 2022

COMMUNITY

POTPOURRI

17 The woman behind Concours Elite's success over the past 40 years takes the spotlight.

15 Jessica Wilkerson helps us look inward and discover why our buttons become so easy to push.

27 Tails up! Happy Tails Dog Training teaches us the best way to train man's best friend.

61 Shelby Chase of HRiQ provides insight on creating a healthier workplace.

28 Pure Hydration, Chico's first IV hydration spa, gives us a sneak peek into their upcoming expansion.

64 Dolores Mitchell enchants with her artwork and helps spearhead this year's Chico Arts Festival.

34 New Again Kitchen Remodeling brings the coast a bit closer to home in this month's remodel.

78 Cool kid, Riley Miller, is Montana bound.

47 The sound of the Belle: Michelle Morleys transformation as Magalia’s non-martyr. 51 Jill Schmeltzer invites us to see the world through the eyes of someone with autism. 54 Trading world frame for local hunger, Celia Hirschman opts for small town humility over big city fame.

FOOD

69 Chef Lisa Sereda dishes on the secrets behind Wine Time's success in the kitchen. 70 A GPS malfunction sends our Taco Tracker off course, but to a pleasant surprise at Capay's Harvest. 72 It's all about the Benedicts, baby! We visit Oroville's Ethan's Eatery and Chico's Nash's in this month's showdown. 74 Yogurt? Yoghurt? Either way, it's delicious. Tim Milhorn delivers his first experience with it and how to best enjoy it.

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FEATURE — 43 of our favorite women in business, spanning the gamut of industries, honor us with their stories.

COVER STORY 19 Candi Williamson teaches the art of relaxation at Chico Massage School and helps visitors find the most sustainable version of themselves in this month's cover story. ON THE COVER: CANDI WILLIAMSON & CHICO MASSAGE SCHOOL PHOTO BY: DIANE NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

DESIGN BY: ERIK BROWN

POWERED BY PARTNERSHIP As Dr. Isaac Barthelow of North Valley Eye Care and Ridge Eye Institute said in last year’s Women in Business issue, “From our humble beginnings a little over a decade ago, we have grown from a single location to over twenty and a handful of employees to hundreds. Our growth was, and is, led by an almost entirely female C-Suite and management team. This is a remarkable group of women who do remarkable things. They know, mean, and are our business.” One year later, those sentiments have not changed. It should come as no surprise either, as the women leading this ambitious business continue to deliver incredible results month after month. Their efforts, coupled with those of the doctors and staff at North Valley Eye Care and Ridge Eye Institute, are culminating in a giant expansion into Chico’s Meriam Park—a story you may recall from the April issue of Upgraded Living. Chief Innovation Officer Dottie Anstine and Chief Financial Officer Heather Patton are at the forefront of this expansion and couldn’t be more thrilled to see the project come to fruition.

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PHOTO BY CAMERON FARRELL

“Since Dottie and I have been here,” Heather started, “the company has grown to five times the size we were six years ago. All of that growth requires things we didn’t need in the beginning, and this expansion is going to give us exactly that.” Heather has been with Ridge Eye Institute for nearly seven years and has watched the company grow exponentially through each of them. Originally from the Sacramento area, she majored in business management economics with an emphasis in accounting at U.C. Santa Cruz before working her way through a handful of different accounting jobs which eventually led to Chico. She began working for the Research Foundation at Chico State, assisting in the management of endowments and student scholarships, and remained there for five years before

making the move to North Valley Eye Care. Heather remembered. “I wasn’t interested at the time, as I had a brand new baby. Eventually, I met the doctors, and I really connected with them right away. I knew it was the right move for me, and it has proved to be ever since. I love working with them and really admire their ideals. They’re principled in working with nonprofits and throughout the community. As an executive vice president and the Chief Financial Officer, I oversee financing and medical billing, along with taxes, accounting, and just about anything else finance-driven.”

PHOTO BY CAMERON FARRELL

Dottie continued, “Heather and I are really looking forward to peeling back some layers and maturing the company. It’s been grow, grow, grow ever since we started!” Dottie arrived from the midwest. An Ohio native, she attended college in Indiana and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with an emphasis in global business before going to work for Compulink, an electronic health records software company. Dottie helped run accounts nationally and assisted countless doctor’s offices with practice management and transitioning to digital record keeping. Eventually she began providing consulting services and client seminars and helping them maximize their use of the software. One of those clients happened to be North Valley Eye Care. “They asked if I knew anyone who could help them create a billing team to handle everything, and I jumped right in. That opportunity led to building an internal IT department to deal with daily IT which led to my current position as an executive vice president and chief innovation officer. Now, I spend my time advocating for innovation to make sure the company is going in a direction that embraces efficiency and systematic design.” Dottie just celebrated her sixth year with North Valley Eye Care. To say the two of them are excited about the upcoming expansion would be an understatement. “The Meriam Park project has been a dream of ours for the past three years,” Heather raved. “We’ve grown so much in the past five years, and we were looking for a solution to eliminate the bottlenecks. We found it in Meriam Park.

We’re just a few months away from opening, and prior to the groundbreaking, a lot of the work I did revolved around the expansion. I manage our real estate portfolio and was in charge of finances to make sure the money was in place to do everything we wanted to do. Post-groundbreaking, Dottie has really taken over.” Dottie laughed, “There’s a lot that goes into a project of this size. We’re still working with builders, and now we’re roping in more team members to help with everything. We’re in the crazy thick of it. Everyone is really excited to have patient care that just provides more capabilities as we’ve been a bit confined in our old spot. Parking will be amazing, as we won’t be restricted to a small parking lot. We’ll have lower lead times, a beautiful optical dispensary, and state-of-the-art technology for patient care, testing, and diagnostics. The clinic move is just the first of a few. The surgery center will be next and equally state-of-the-art.” That, too, may be an understatement. The new surgery center will be the only one in the area to own its own LenSx cataract surgery laser. It will be the first to use Argos, an advanced biometer that features imageguided technology for efficient integration with the LenSx, providing better laser cataract surgery results than ever before. The surgery center will also be the only one to own its own lasik machine outright, utilizing the WaveLight—Alcon’s fastest and most accurate total refractive platform in the US—to perform lasik surgeries. Finally, the surgery center will be the only one in the area using an advanced 3D microscope with Callisto, a computer-assisted technology by Zeiss to increase efficiency and reduce residual astigmatism. This is important to note as there aren’t just a few in the city or state, there are only a few available in the entire country. The expansion has been a resounding success thus far, and certainly in large part thanks to Heather and Dottie’s teamwork and ongoing friendship. “We’re pretty connected at the hip,” Heather laughed. “My husband jokes that Dottie is my work wife. Dottie has done a great job of converting us to a lot of Microsoft products. We have

so many ways to get hold of each other between Teams, email, and phone. It’s ironic we work so far apart, but we physically ran out of space. We get along beautifully. I’m lucky to have a partner like Dottie.” Dottie finished, “I have absolutely no expertise with numbers; that’s where Heather shines. She’s realistic and helps balance my excitement and enthusiasm. Having worked in many clinics and seen how they run, that’s where my expertise can help the team. Heather is really good at listening. We both have great ideas and passion. Having someone who really loves the company and where it can go as much as you do really makes a difference. It makes the job not feel like a job so much. When you have a good set of people around you, it really helps. This company has done a great job in finding the right people. Dr. Barthelow and Dr. Rudick are really dynamic and thoughtful people who make it worth working. We’re looking forward to what’s coming down the pipeline, and this company really has excitement inside of it. We have great admins, a great executive team to support us—like Jessica Farrell our Chief Marketing Officer and she does all our design development for the company, our surgery director, Emmy Norton, and our new director of clinical services, Talia Holderman, our Chief Compliance Officer Terri Gradine, and our new director of HR Linda Moore. Having a good team really makes all the difference.” With a fantastic team in place, the sky’s the limit for North Valley Eye Care and Ridge Eye Institute. As we’ve been saying for over a decade, we can’t wait to see where the coming years take them. Keep an eye out for their new campus opening in a few short months at Chico’s Meriam Park. If you’ve experienced changes in your vision, call North Valley Eye Care today and have it checked out. They can be reached by phone at (530) 891-1900 or online at www.NorthValleyEyeCare.com.

The three pillars of beversa

Jessi knows more about fashion than anyone I’ve ever met—she lives and breathes it, at work and after hours. BeVersa is her answer to the growing need for affordable, quality clothing that can meet the demands of the modern woman. BeVersa is short for “be versatile” and versatility is the first pillar on which BeVersa is built. Jessi’s goal is to create a collection of items, called a capsule, which can be built on season after season. For instance, if you buy a BeVersa dress for summer, Jessi might put a jacket in her fall collection that you can pair with the dress to bring it into another season. “We carry essential basics,” she says. “We have a lot of cozy knit tops that are prewashed so they don’t shrink, sweatsuit sets, and flattering dress 12

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silhouettes that can easily be dressed up or down. If you’re going to spend money, especially in today's economy, you want to invest in quality pieces that are going to last. We’re working hard to make those pieces.” Another of Jessi’s pillars is the quality and fit of the garment. Unlike most clothing manufacturers, Jessi doesn’t buy pieces that are already made and then rebrand them. Instead, she is hands-on with the design, the fit, and the fabric from the very beginning, shepherding her designs from inception to creation. Most of the time, the piece she’s creating is a marriage of different style elements that come from trying on many, many items of clothing herself. “If I want to put a wrap dress in the collection for the holidays, I’ll buy a large number of them from different brands. Then, I’ll try them all on and make notes on what I like about them, as well as what I don’t like, and incorporate that into my design for the collection,” she says. “I want our customers to know that I’ve scoured the market, tried on every dress, and done all the hard work for them to find the perfect wrap dress.” Inclusivity is the third and final pillar of Jessi’s trifecta. “We launched in sizes XS to XL initially,” she says. “But every

season, we are adding extended sizing, and we are hoping to go all the way up to 7x. Our mission is to give everyone a special and inclusive shopping experience; no one should ever be body-shamed or categorized because of their size.” From the very beginning of the design process, Jessi is meticulous in making sure that the sizing remains consistent with the fit over time. “We also want to make sure to keep the integrity of the style and its shape, regardless of the size. A size XS will fit just as well as a 4X in the extended sizes”. Jessi does things a bit differently, relying on feedback from her models (she doesn’t use forms) and from her community of followers on social media. “We need more brands that care about the customers, that care about the quality, that care about being inclusive,” she says. “We need to take the pressure off having to be skinny and perfect all the time and get back to enjoying the shopping experience.” Check out BeVersa online and find what’s most versatile for you at www.BeVersa.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @BeVersaFashion

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ | PHOTOS COURTESY JESSICA GITNEY

Fashion, by its very nature, is always changing. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a dramatic shift away from business attire as people have started to work from home and opt for pieces that, though stylish, are more comfortable and utilitarian. Now, wardrobes are expected to meet the myriad demands of a changing workforce on the go: from a Zoom meeting, to the grocery store, to girls' night out. Jessica Gitney launched BeVersa in February of this year to meet that need.

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ | PHOTOS COURTESY JESSICA GITNEY

She is excited to bring in a renowned EMDR trainer to our community to train all the clinicians at Inspired Life with EMDRIA approved EMDR training. “When you do EMDR, it moves memories from the emotion center of your brain and files them away so that going forward, those memories don’t have such an emotional hold on you,” she says. Even if a person doesn’t feel they need EMDR, the clinician has the ability to offer it in a session, which can help a client willing to try it to reach breakthroughs they may not have realized were possible. “The world-at-large thinks EMDR is only for heavy duty, capital-T trauma,” Jessica says. “Lowercase-t trauma, or complex trauma, by itself does not always seem like a big deal, but those little Ts can stack up over a lifetime and have an effect on selfesteem, motivation, relationships and stress management. EMDR is great for that stuff, too.”

a flashlight in the forest Inspired Life Counseling opened in Chico three years ago, and I followed up with owner Jessica Wilkerson to see how she has fared since then. Happily, the boutique therapy practice is doing very well. “I have six licensed therapists and two pre-licensed therapists now,” Jessica says. “I’ve been working hard to grow the business, and I’m even looking for another person to join the team.” Inspired Life is dedicated to providing client-centered care to those with a variety of concerns, though Jessica says the cornerstone of the practice is EMDR. “Four of our therapists are trained in EMDR, and each of them then has a specialty within that,” Jessica says. “One person specializes 14

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in disordered eating, another in postpartum issues, and another in teens. Everyone is trauma informed, but attachment focused, meaning we look at relationships you had when you were younger and how they inform your life now.” EMDR is an acronym that stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is, according to the EMDR Institute website, a “psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.” Jessica says that this type of therapy can speed up the process of healing and help clients to experience relief from their symptoms a little faster than if they participated in talk therapy alone.

At the end of the day, the goal at Inspired Life is always to help clients live their best lives. “People deserve to live good lives and be happy,” Jessica says. “My goal is to help them to heal and to show them how to stand on their own two feet again. I always picture that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is walking through the forest while the trees throw their apples at her. I imagine that I’m standing there with a flashlight, helping my client, who is Dorothy, providing support and showing them the safe space to stand, a new path to take, so they won’t get hit with any more apples. I just think, 'How can we get you to the other side of this forest, now that you’re ready to click your heels and find Auntie Em?' I’m honored to be a part of that journey.” You can reach Jessica and her team at Inspired Life Counseling by calling (530) 809-1702. You can also visit them online at www.InspiredLifeCounseling.com

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ | PHOTO COURTESY JESSICA WILKERSON

The State of California requires therapists to complete thirty-six hours of continuing education credits every two years. Jessica is dedicated to helping pay for her clinicians to get additional training so they can offer more therapeutic modalities to clients. “I really value and impress upon staff to diversify. I want us to do a good job, and I want to set us apart,” she says. “We really value growing our skill set.”

Healing Our Inner Wounds All relationships go through periods of turbulence. Sometimes, it’s bickering and petty annoyances, and sometimes it’s the really big stuff. What I want to talk about today are the small, mundane irritations. The interactions that on their own don’t feel like they warrant intervention, but over time just really grate on your nerves. Have you ever felt like you just want to be alone and without your significant other, not because you don’t love them, but because being alone just feels like it would be easier? This is because we don’t get this far in life unscathed. We have buttons, and the more intimate and vulnerable we are with people, the easier it is for them to press those buttons. They usually don’t know they’re doing it, and aren’t being intentional, but it’s happening nonetheless. Trying to politely and firmly communicate you don’t like what they’re doing can take a lot of emotional energy, so we tell ourselves to just cut-and-run. But that’s the big part of this whole thing: what we tell ourselves. When we say, “It would be easier to be alone,” or “I should just cut-and-run,” then we’re also telling ourselves, “I’m

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

not capable of navigating this” or “there’s something wrong with this person that’s extraordinary.” Both of these statements are usually simultaneously untrue and sabotage you from a peaceful life and joy-filled relationship. Who do those buttons belong to? Who’s ultimately responsible for maintaining them or disintegrating them? It’s us, not our significant other. We may ask them not to use certain terms because they’re sore spots for us, and they may try their best, but if they struggle, then it’s our responsibility to go get healing for those raw places that are still able to be wounded. Many people believe that to heal relationships, they need a willing partner to participate in couples therapy, but I’ve seen individual therapy heal so many marriages and relationships because the person isn’t as susceptible to being as hurt as they used to be by their offending partner. They no longer have the button to push, so their partner is powerless to hurt them. Sometimes the partner was ornery and trying to push those buttons, but usually they were responding from avoidance of their own buttons, and individual therapy might behoove them as well.

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

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ | PHOTO COURTESY JESSICA WILKERSON 15

Carol opened 5th Street Clothing Co. on October 12, 1978, on the corner of 5th and Salem Streets in Downtown Chico. Everyone in her path, from banker to teacher, told her she wouldn’t make it. She says, “Did I have doubts? Absolutely, but was I determined? Absolutely.” Little did she know that 44 years later, her business would expand into more than she ever thought possible, face many obstacles, and grow in her personal faith in God. 5th Street Clothing Co. has had multiple locations. The original, on 5th and Salem Streets, was torn down, forcing the move to 153 East 3rd Street. On East 3rd Street, the store started to grow, eventually encompassing the entire corner of 3rd and Main Streets. 5th Street remained on that corner until 2003, when she was forced to find a new location, again, as a flood decimated the building. Through word of mouth, Carol learned of a new building being renovated by Wayne Cook. It was a perfect match. Her vision and Wayne's coincided beautifully.

5th street clothing co. Grace, not perfection It will always be 5th Street Clothing Co. no matter where life takes Carol Munson and her shop. Through all the twists and turns, she’s always known she’d be led where she was meant to be. Carol started her retail journey first attending Butte College, taking fashion courses and believing she needed an education in order to be successful in business. School was never Carol's favorite thing as she is more of a doer. One day in class, she turned to her textile professor and said, “I don’t want to do this. I just want to do it!” So, she quit school and she went out 16

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into the world to do what she dreamed of. She left Chico, returned home, and started working at a small clothing store in Williams, CA. From there she moved to Minnesota, where she worked in a corporate setting. The corporate model was not Carol's style, so she left Minnesota and went back to Chico to start working at “Jeans and Things,” located on the corner of 5th and Salem Streets, and working there until they closed. That's when 5th Street Clothing Co. was born. At the age of 21, with a start-up loan in hand,

Carol is often asked what is her business model? It's simple: dedication to customer service and wanting customers to leave happier than when they came in. Carol’s model is all about the customer and is dedicated to creating outfits and working wardrobes that fit the customer's body and lifestyle. She has always said she has been blessed with wonderful clientele here in Chico and beyond. 5th Street Clothing Co. carries a wide variety of great clothing lines that Carol has a passion for merchandising in inviting displays, including Nic+Zoe, Eileen Fisher, Habitat Clothing, Karen Kane, and more! 5th Street Clothing Co.’s hours are MondaySaturday from 10am-5pm. Visit them at 328 Broadway Street in Downtown Chico or online at www.5thstreetclothingco.com

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTOS COURTESY JESSICA GITNEY

In 2004, 5th Street Clothing Co. moved to 328 Broadway Street, where it stands today. Through the years of change and challenges faced, it only resulted in 5th Street Clothing Co. getting better. Through every adversity Carol’s business faced, she says, “God took me, moved me, and made it better.” Her strength in God increased, and she looked more and more to God to help her through those trials.

As they opened into the insurance business and started hosting car shows of their own, the business grew, and they quickly made a name for themselves throughout Chico. At that point, Linda took on the role of chief marketing officer, handling all the company advertising and marketing efforts to further their visibility. At the same time, both of their girls were at Citrus Elementary School, so Linda also took on the roles of home room teacher, recess monitor, library assistant, and talent show coordinator. “When they finally entered Tae Kwon Do and basketball, Dad took over, and Mom got a break,” Linda sighed.

The "everything to everyone" woman

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTOS COURTESY JESSICA GITNEY

You’ve likely read her name in Upgraded Living a number of times. Linda Fitzgerald has repeatedly been lauded as the woman who made Concours Elite, the subject of last month’s cover story, the success it is today. As the owner of Concours Elite, her husband Bob Fitzgerald has said and continues to say, “Behind every successful man is a woman who deserves the credit.” Linda, naturally, is that woman. Born in Pleasanton, California to an Air Force family, Linda spent a good deal of her childhood moving throughout the western United States—first to Mission San Jose, then Fremont, Vallejo, and even Anchorage, Alaska, where her sister was born. Eventually she and her family settled back in California when her father was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in 1959. The years that followed were difficult as he was sent out on isolated deployments, first to Iceland for two years and then Thailand. Linda’s mother, a strong and independent woman, cared for Linda and her sister by herself, putting down roots in Vacaville to make sure they never had to change schools again. “Mom could tell I was shy,” Linda laughed. “She did everything she could to make me come out of my shell. She enrolled me in Brownies, then Girl Scouts and Junior

Scouts. I was in the school chorus from third through sixth grade and then again in junior high. Anything she could do, she did. Thankfully, it helped!” Linda met Bob after her 16th birthday, while he was apprenticing at Stith Chevrolet. He showed up at their door to speak with her mother, met Linda, and asked her out a few weeks later. The two went on a date, and the rest was history. “Bob was different,” Linda smiled. “I was immediately into him. I didn’t know a thing about cars, but hanging out with him, I picked things up real quick. I helped him tear down and redo both his GTO and Corvette before we got married and moved to Chico.” Bob opened Concours Elite in 1982 with the vision to turn it into the premier autobody specialist in Chico, but he couldn’t do it without Linda. While he was busy sanding, priming, masking, cataloging, and detailing cars, Linda was the office receptionist, secretary, administrator, payroll specialist, and accountant—all while watching their 6-month old baby. He did all the work on the cars, and she handled everything else. “It was a lot,” Linda recalled, “but I loved doing it.”

“I told him I’d give him five years at the shop,” Linda exclaimed. “Here we are 40 years later! We’ve had so many great people who have helped us with the business, and so many people who have taught me so much over the years. We’ve had one awesome crew after the next, and I did my best to find people to antiquate myself as many times as I possibly could. Unfortunately, every time I would find the perfect person to take over one of my jobs, Bob would steal them away! It’s been 40 years, and Bob and I have survived as a married couple and a business duo. It hasn’t been all cherries jubilee and champagne; there’ve been peanuts and beer in there too, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve always been proud of him, he’s always been proud of me, and we’ve always been there for each other. It’s why we’ve been successful all these years.” Linda continues to fill-in whenever a gap pops up and still helps run Concours Elite, making it the well-oiled machine it is. As Bob is the first to admit, he’s more than lucky to have her, and it would be difficult to imagine otherwise. Linda asked to close her story with a thank you to all of their friends, associates, and community for helping them reach their 40th year in business. “Without all of them, it wouldn’t have been possible,” she said. Linda also wanted to thank her staff, past and present, for giving them the opportunity to give back to their community. Last, but not least, she wanted to thank their daughter Jennifer who made Concours Elite’s 40th anniversary celebration an unforgettable success.

Made for more heartfelt moments

2021

Chest Pain – MI Registry

You were made for more. More long walks. More heart-tohearts. More embraces. And that starts with a healthy heart. So we proudly feature a team of experts at the Adventist Heart & Vascular Institute that offers the widest range of care, from prevention through diagnosis to rehabilitation. If someone you love experiences a severe heart attack, our STEMI-receiving center helps with sophisticated diagnostic technology and the latest breakthroughs in cardiovascular disease, including minimally invasive techniques. And that’s important. After all, when your heart is healthy, you’re always ready for more.

Request your free heart health kit at AdventistHealthRideout.org/Heart today.

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WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTOS BY DIANE NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Your heart deserves the top experts.

Holding Space Creating a Sustainable you WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTOS BY DIANE NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Entering the space, it’s as if the mind, body, and spirit sense they’ve arrived at a center of healing. The breath slows, the muscles unclench, and the mind slowly unfolds. The soft blues and grays, and the sounds of the waves, echo the rhythmic sensations of the ocean, and your journey to a sustainable you begins. Candi Williamson opened Creating A Sustainable You in September of 2019 with the goal of establishing a center with a mix of wellness professionals who would help guide her clients along their path of healing. She says, “Together, we address all aspects in an intelligent and comprehensive approach to make lasting improvement in

your life. I am passionate about this process and would love to hear your story and be a guide on your path to physical and emotional freedom.” Candi’s path to massage therapy began back in Crescent City, CA. As a young girl there, Candi remembers massaging her mother’s back to help relieve pain resulting from breaking it as a teenager. Her innate ability to help others through massage carried over to her friends and teammates as well, massaging members of her dance team in high school. Candi moved to Chico simply because a friend needed a roommate. She says, “Crescent City is a really small town. It’s cold, and it’s beautiful,

and it’s on the coast.” She grins, “But I wanted to be warm, and there are people here, plus everyone is so friendly. I love it.” In college, her high activity level in dance and sports continued alongside her massage work. One of her teammates told her she should really consider pursuing it as a career, and Candi remembers, “I was like, what do you mean? I didn’t know you could do massage as a profession.” Her friend took her to the massage school at Chico Therapy Wellness Center, where she attended and graduated at the age of 20. Candi has now been a massage therapist for the past 19 years. She says part of 19

the draw of massage therapy is her own active lifestyle. She wants her body to work and feel good. This personal perspective translates into her empathy when clients come in with pain. “I really want to be able to help them. I know how uncomfortable this is. I tell them, ‘This is not okay. Let’s help this shift and change.’” Her compassion and dedication drew people in. She became extremely busy as the community discovered her practice and skills, and while she was grateful for her success, she was often booked out four months in advance, doing seven-to-nine massages a day, five days a week. Candi recognized there was such a need for this type of healing and decided to hire her first employee in 2017. With her unique approach to massage therapy, she began hiring and teaching her employees how to do what she does, and with each hire, her business continued to grow and expand. Candi had 20

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friends and colleagues in various healing modalities she would send referrals to often, so she shared her idea of all being under the same roof, and everyone was excited about the concept. Candi and her massage therapists would collaborate with her renters who are specialists in yoga therapy, energy psychology, and colon-hydrotherapy and a mix of other wellness professions. As her business grew, she began looking for a building to purchase to allow for the continued expansion of her wellness center. It was during this time the massage school in town was closing as the owner entered retirement. This presented an opportunity for Candi to open a new school herself. She says, “It just made sense. I was already teaching my staff my approach to therapy, and then I got really excited about being able to teach a lot of people how to do that.” Everything came together in September of 2019. Candi says expanding her business

was the scariest journey of her life. She tackled so many things at once—purchasing her building, working with her husband, a contractor, to truly make it her own, along with starting a brand-new massage therapy school, Chico Massage School, which opened to its first cohort in January of 2020. She shares it took a long time to trust her instincts and to be ok with failure and imperfection in the process. Candi speaks to the fact there’s an idea of how it’s supposed to be, but “that’s just a story.” Struggling with the reality of the process against the story, learning to let go of the story, and surrender to the authenticity as you continue moving forward is such a moment of growth. Research, meditation, therapy, reiki, and the loving support of her husband Bill, all helped her to navigate through the process. She says as much as they prioritize and learn about their clients, they also prioritize themselves, trading yoga classes, massage, and reiki. The fact self-care among the staff is an important piece of their work culture really makes a difference in what they can offer their clients. Candi says the biggest reward to come out of her business has been her team, her clients, and her family. She reveals with such sincerity how fulfilling it is to be able to create a loving space for her staff, for them to be authentic humans, and to help them grow so they can become the best version of themselves while helping others do the same. “I have this crazy belief that I can change the world. Maybe I can do it through massage and helping my clients.” She shares that there is so much stress, suffering, and hurt out there, and how it’s just part of the human condition. “If I can teach others and help others heal, more and more people can find happiness, peace, and comfort in their lives.” The name, Creating A Sustainable You, illustrates what Candi is trying to accomplish with her wellness center. She doesn’t necessarily want clients who must see her every week in order to enjoy life. If people learn how to keep themselves healthy and prevent injuries, they can live a more sustainable and happy life. While there’s a piece of massage therapy that fits with that concept, there are a lot of individuals who perhaps just need to know that because they sit in a chair all day, they should concentrate on stretching and opening the front part of the body to avoid back pain. That’s how she became interested in other healing modalities and other practitioners.

If one type of therapy doesn’t work for an individual, she or her therapists will refer them to another wellness practitioner in search of one that does. Often, it’s a combination of modalities used at once that really makes the difference and offers a breakthrough in getting them to their best possible outcome. The center’s six therapists offer massage therapies including therapeutic, deep tissue, and myofascial tissue release. Clients can meet with an assessment specialist in order to help them determine which massage would be best suited to their specific needs. A lot of individuals may not necessarily know what therapy would benefit them the most, and part of Candi’s job is helping to determine that. For instance, someone may visit for shoulder pain and the massage therapist begins working on the muscles but notices it feels more like a heart chakra issue. They can work on the physical condition but would recommend a reiki session to help shift the emotions and heal that aspect of the pain. All of the massage therapists are also trained in reiki. Reiki is the universal life force that flows through all living things, and the Japanese healing technique centered around it. In addition to these therapies, the center also has a store which carries various reiki tools such as sage, crystals, and pendulums as well as CBD products, self-massagers, and essential oils. Candi believes in the importance of holding space. A space that is held where YOU are allowed to be taken care of, where you are seen, and where your pain is understood. Step into the welcoming and relaxed energy at Creating a Sustainable You and see where your journey to wellness takes you. Creating a Sustainable You is located at 811 East 5th Avenue in Chico and offers both walk-in or scheduled appointments. You can find them online at www.creatingasustainableyou.com or reach them by phone at 530-521-7328. Chico Massage School is located at 809 East 5th Avenue in Chico and offers both day and night classes. You can find them online at www.chicomassageschool.com or reach them by phone at 530-521-9397.

Labelz upscale consignment boutique

Jamie typically stocks items she would buy for herself or her family, searching for brands and pieces that may not typically be found in Chico-area stores, including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, Coach, and Dooney & Bourke. She looks for current trends and curated styles with name brands and is then able to offer them at a fraction of the original

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cost. For example, a blouse from Johnny Was, that may normally retail for $400, could be purchased for around $150 at LabelZ. Customers will often visit requesting certain clothing brands or items, and Jamie puts out the word to her consigners that she’s looking for items from Eileen Fisher, Anthropologie, Chico’s, or whatever the case may be, in order to satisfy their needs. LabelZ keeps a variety of clothing, accessories, and designers out on display by adding almost 40 new items to their sales floor every day, ensuring there’s always something new to be seen. From jewelry to clothing and shoes to brand name purses, whatever you’re looking to add to your wardrobe can be found at the boutique. Tops, sweaters, and dresses led their sales last year with more than 3,000 sold. This was followed up by shoes, jackets, and then jeans. In addition to these everyday items, Jamie also carries formalwear. It’s the perfect place to get a dress, a pair of shoes,

and even an evening bag for that one-of-akind look for a special occasion. They also offer a layaway program on any purchase. Jamie’s dedication to her customers continues outside the store as she works to keep her clientele informed and updated on sales and all her latest offerings through email, Facebook, and Instagram. She says, “I pour all my energy into the store with great passion because it’s been my dream ever since I was a little girl.” Jaime looks forward to going into work each day to see what the seasons bring, and she is eager to share her love of fashion with the Chico community. LabelZ is located next to Unwined Kitchen & Bar at 974 Mangrove Avenue in Chico. Their hours are Tuesday through Friday 11:00am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Follow them on Instagram at @labelz_chico or on Facebook.

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON

Jamie Withrow has owned LabelZ Upscale Consignment Boutique since 2019, but the store has been part of the Chico community for the past ten years. Since taking it over two and a half years ago, Jamie has brought her style and personality to the business to truly make it her own. “Most of my shoppers are on a first name basis with me, and people often tell me they love the vibe of the store,” she says. Her attention to customer care and friendly service is evident in every aspect of the boutique from the moment you open the front door, and her business has grown as a result.

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON

“Your goals become their goals. They work so closely with you and really want to help you succeed in reaching that goal.” Whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, feeling better, or just staying active, it’s a great start to a healthier you. The personal focus is really what sets their gym apart. The trainers know you, listen to your concerns, and develop workouts centered around your body. Terry says over the past 16 years, “My body and my metabolism have changed, and they’ve worked with me to help with that. As you change, they change with you.” In her earlier years, her workouts focused more on weight training as a means to achieve her goals, while today, as her metabolism shifts, the trainers focus on adding in more cardio to accommodate for those changes. Terry has personal training twice-a-week in the gym and then adds additional cardio workouts on the gym equipment during her off days. Terry says she loves weightlifting workouts, and leg days are her favorite. The circuits the trainers put together for her incorporate cardiovascular activity along with weightlifting, which has been pivotal in helping Terry lose weight.

Stronger. It’s the word Terry Andrew uses to describe herself, thanks to Whole Body Fitness. Originally from New Jersey, Terry moved to Chico to attend Chico State and then returned for good in 1990. She first joined Whole Body Fitness over sixteen years ago when it was just starting out in a warehouse space. Terry heard about Whole Body Fitness from a friend, and it ended up that Terry and her friends began working out together. The gym continued to grow and evolve over the years, moving from that warehouse space to the completely renovated and remodeled gym of today.

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During the start of the pandemic, when all gyms closed, Terry says she tried doing Zoom classes and working out on her own, but it was difficult for her to maintain consistency, and her workouts suffered. So, when Whole Body Fitness opened back up, she came in and began working with Veto as her personal trainer. Like many of us during the pandemic, thrust out of our normal routines, Terry told Veto she hadn’t done a lot of working out at home. Having a personal trainer kept her accountable and pushed her to do more than she would have done on her own. Terry says a great thing about the trainers at Whole Body Fitness is,

Terry says, “Anyone interested in personal training or group classes at Whole Body Fitness should go take a look, try a personal training session or an alignment class, and I think they’ll really enjoy it.” The knowledge and the one-on-one training at Whole Body Fitness is exceptional. The trainers develop routines based on the client’s individual bodies, lifestyles, and goals. Whole Body Fitness can be found online at www.WholeBodyFit.net. They are located at 2954 Hwy 32, in Chico and can be reached by phone at 530-487-8123.

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE

stronger through whole body fitness

The personal trainers have also been instrumental in helping Terry develop and stick to a routine. Before, if she was on vacation, she’d forgo exercise, viewing it as a vacation from that as well. Now she works to stay with her routine. Her personal trainers will send her workouts to do during her time away from the gym, keeping her on track and continually pushing her from afar. A couple weeks off of a workout routine can be detrimental, so having that accountability has made a difference in Terry’s health. She shares, “I just got back from skiing, and I can’t tell you how much stronger I am!”

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WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE 25

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Yes, inflation is back. No, it’s not like the 70s. The rising cost of everything seems shocking after the 10-year stretch of low inflation, oil prices, and interest rates. However, President Truman once said, “The only thing new in the world is the history you don’t know.” With familiar headlines, it’s no wonder investors are worried about a repeat of the 1970s economic disaster known as Stagflation. The 1970s is the only decade on record where cash outperformed bonds and the S&P 500. Investors are understandably asking if they’re at risk for another lost decade. Context is key when drawing parallels to the past though. So, cue up the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and we’ll look at what’s the same and what’s a key differentiator between the disco era and today. Inflation just reached a 40-year high at 7.9%. 2022’s rapid reopening accelerated demand for goods and pulled wages, materials, and product prices to new highs. During the 1970s, inflation was 8% or higher four years out of 10. The economy was also in a tough spot as the average

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

unemployment rate remained above 6%, and household net worth fell 10% through the decade. Having low savings and a lousy job certainly makes inflation hard to keep up with. What makes today different is the average American is far better off than they were back then. Current unemployment sits at 3.6% with twice as many job openings (10Mil) as applicants (5Mil). Wages are at all-time highs and rising. Meanwhile, US household assets are at all-time highs, while personal debt is at 20-year lows. Inflation hurts less when people have cash in the bank alongside growing income. Remember—inflation is a feature, not a bug, of a productive economy. As an investor, owning the companies which are raising the prices tends to be an effective way to protect and grow your purchasing power.

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. 26

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happy tails to you WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Dog training has been part of Debra Folsom and Baylie Hughes’ lives for a very long time. For Debra, it began in Canada with a ribbon won by her Labrador retriever puppy at an informal bird dog field trial. Debra says, “After I won that ribbon, I was hooked.” Baylie’s experience with animal training began at home, in a small mountain town, where all her free time was spent training the working dogs, horses, and even an adopted wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management. On training, she says, “I don’t know what pulls you in. It just does!” Debra eventually moved to California and opened a kennel and training facility called Hightest Kennels, which eventually became the largest, full-service, retriever training facility in the western United States. The two’s paths crossed when Baylie began looking for a job other than waitressing and saw Debra’s training kennel was hiring. She says, “I basically begged for the job because I knew that’s what I wanted to do. That was it. I wasn’t going to let it go.” The kennel branched out from retrievers to all-breed obedience training, and Debra mentored Baylie throughout her time there. In 2018, Debra decided to retire, sold the

kennel, and moved to Chico. It didn’t take long for her to discover she missed working with the dogs and people. She felt Baylie had a special knack for the work and asked if she’d like to partner in a new business specializing in in-home obedience, and High Tail Dog Training began. The name, “High Tail”, comes from the philosophy that dogs learn best when they’re in a positive frame of mind. Debra says, “When their tails are up, they’re engaged, and they learn new skills quickly.” When working with dog owners they try to help them really connect with their dogs and to become a working team. High Tail was a new training format for both of them, as the previous business was focused on a board and train program. “We started with the personal in-home lessons, and right away we noticed the results were phenomenal.” What would have taken more than six weeks at the board and train was accomplished in just five private in-home lessons. The personalized owner/dog, oneon-one instruction allows Debra and Baylie to really connect with their clients. The lessons can take place wherever the issues are most prevalent, from the vet’s office to the park, and certainly in the client’s home.

Both partners have years of extensive, professional training experience with all types of dogs. This has provided them with “a pretty big toolbox” of training skills, solutions, and tips, says Debra. “When I see a dog’s problem, I can assess it quickly and intuitively know what might work to overcome it. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try something different.” In addition to private lessons, High Tail offers group classes as well. These classes take place in various parks throughout the area; each park presents different training distractions for clients to practice through. They encourage previous graduates of group or private lessons to drop in on these classes to continue honing their training skills. Debra and Baylie love working with dogs, but they say the real reward is in satisfying their human customers. When they can turn what seem like insurmountable problems into controllable behavior, everybody’s happy, and high tails surround them. High Tail Dog Training can be reached by phone at (530) 433-0040. You can also visit them online at www.hightaildogtraining.com

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PURE HYDRATION Chico's first

IV HYdration SPA Is about to get a whole lot bigger Growth—next to customer satisfaction, it’s the number one thing we as business owners strive to attain, and the two usually go hand-in-hand. Such is the case for Tracy Riddle and her two-year-old business, Pure Hydration. The first IV hydration and therapy spa in Chico, Pure Hydration quickly made a name for itself throughout Northern California, with customers consistently driving from as far away as Yuba City to receive IV hydration services. After

expanding their list of services multiple times and creating a venerable list of clientele over the past two years, Pure Hydration outgrew its original location on Salem Street in Downtown Chico, and Tracy began looking for locations where she could expand. She found the perfect place next to Nutrishop in Chico’s Meriam Park off of E. 20th Street, and the perfect partner in Dr. Isaac Barthelow, Chico’s premier

ophthalmologist and co-owner of North Valley Eye Care. “This last year has been nothing short of a whirlwind,” Tracy laughed, “It’s been one serendipitous event after another! I absolutely loved our old location on Salem Street. After all, it’s where everything started! Our clientele grew so quickly over the first year-and-a-half that it became difficult to satisfy the demand. With only six chairs, it was tough to schedule people at the times they were looking for, and taking walk-ins was nearly impossible. I knew we needed to expand quickly to ensure we could continue helping our clients feel their best with a calendar and availability they could depend on. I looked all over town for the perfect place and found it at Meriam Park. Best of all, it was right next door to Nutrishop! I couldn’t have asked for a better fit—being neighbors with business owners who are also committed to enhancing the health and wellness of their customers! There are so many other self-care businesses within walking distance too, like Pilates Barre, Live Life Juice Co., Meriam Eco Nails & Spa, and Eternal Wellness. It’s quickly becoming a one-stop destination for people to treat themselves.” Tracy signed the lease on the new space, but wanted the expansion to be about more than just moving into a larger building. “Every single day, I would have clients at Pure Hydration telling me how happy they were to find us and how difficult it was to find services around town that really made them feel better—like they had more energy and vitality.” Tracy explained, “Tripling the square footage of our spa not only opened the door for more customers and better customer satisfaction, but it also offered the opportunity to really dig into other services that would help our clients feel even better, not just on the day they visited, but every day. I knew I would need the right partner to help take the business to that level and realize its full potential. As a certified registered nurse anesthetist, I spend my days at the hospital providing anesthesia and working with doctors who are trying to help people feel their best. When I met Dr. Barthelow, everything just clicked. Not only did he get what I was looking to accomplish, but he was actively living it himself—doing whatever he could to unlock the secrets of aging, slow the clock, and discover how to live the healthiest life possible. We spent 29

weeks talking about the business and how we could grow it together, and decided to partner and do just that.”

Living, you’ve undoubtedly read about Dr. Barthelow a number of times before. Besides the partnership in Pure Hydration, he is also opening the gigantic new campus for North Valley Eye Care a few short blocks away in Meriam Park, complete with an expanded clinic, administrative offices, optical dispensary, and surgical center. As it turns out, Pure Hydration is the perfect complement to his work as an ophthalmologist. “There are unique opportunities that exist between eye care and IV therapy,” Dr. Barthelow said. “For instance, there are IV therapies that

Barthelow are busy making sure the spa is as visually appealing as it is beneficial to clients’ wellbeing. “I just want people to walk into Pure Hydration and be amazed,” Dr. Barthelow came onboard and began Tracy said. “We want this expansion to be doing what he does best—stoking the fire perfect, and we’re taking our time to make of creativity and bringing his decades of sure it is. We have a lot of work to do, but experience in running one of the North we couldn’t be more excited to do it! Meriam Valley’s largest medical practices to Pure Park offers so many things we didn’t have Hydration. Operationally, he found areas at the old location, including ample free that could be more effective and suggested parking, 10 zero-gravity IV chairs instead of ways in which they could be so; from a six, and an additional six bar stools at our service standpoint, he brought a number of new oxygen bar. Coupled with our movienew opportunities to the table that could theater setup and refreshment center, it’s not only enhance the going to be a place for people offerings already in to get away from the hustle "IV hydration does an excellent job of helping place, but also provide and bustle of everyday life new means for clients to and truly take some time to individuals recover quickly, especially from live the healthiest and relax and recharge. I am just activities that tend to cause dehydration like sports, most comfortable lives so on fire about it! So much possible. has changed with California travel, and long nights on the town. I believe regulations since I originally adding other services that help to provide a more “When Tracy and I sat opened the business two years down and talked, I just ago, and we’re making sure comprehensive understanding of our bodies, and kept realizing how much we’re going above and beyond ways to maximize their potential, would not only opportunity there was to in every facet of the business. really create something Dr. Barthelow is an M.D. and provide a healthier outlook on the day a client special in Meriam Park. surgeon, I’m a C.R.N.A. who's visits, but for all the days after as well." Taking Pure Hydration certified in IV nutrition, and and turning it into a everyone who starts an IV scientifically-driven is at minimum a registered health & longevity spa nurse, many of which work in had so much appeal to our local ERs, ICUs, etc. We’re “I just want people to walk into Pure Hydration it! IV hydration does an looking to hold the industry to excellent job of helping a higher standard by setting it and be amazed,” Tracy said. “We want this individuals recover right here in Chico.” expansion to be perfect, and we’re taking our quickly, especially from time to make sure it is. We have a lot of work activities that tend to With their grand reopening in cause dehydration Meriam Park set for the very to do, but we couldn’t be more excited to do like sports, travel, near future, we can’t wait to it! Meriam Park offers so many things we didn’t and long nights on see what the second unveiling have at the old location, including ample free the town. I believe of Pure Hydration will be. Keep adding other services an eye on their social media parking, 10 zero-gravity IV chairs instead of that help to provide a channels @PureHydrationsix, and an additional six bar stools at our new more comprehensive Chico and on their website at oxygen bar." understanding of our www.PureHydration-Chico.com bodies, and ways to for more information on their maximize their potential, upcoming grand reopening. As would not only provide a healthier outlook could be beneficial to a number of ocular always, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the day a client visits, but for all the days conditions, reduce inflammation in the eye, right here as well. after as well. I’ve spent my entire career and even provide the vitamins and minerals helping people live better lives through needed to potentially enhance ocular better vision, but it’s always been my goal health. Having the two businesses so close to deliver the complete package. A health to each other will open up another door of and longevity spa provides that opportunity, possibilities for our patients at North Valley and I can’t wait to see just how far we can Eye Care.” go with it.” With the new location locked in, and the If you consistently read Upgraded perfect partnership in place, Tracy and Dr. 30

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Love Beyond Christmas

Putting this into motion for the local Corps are Lieutenants Jeffery and Kristin Boyd who took over last year. Originally real estate agents, they left a lucrative business in Orange County and joined the Salvation Army in part because they wanted to help out their fellow human beings, but also because they felt called upon to make a change in their lives. They had success and now want significance. “We were called by God to be where we are today, and while we lived a different life before, we certainly would not change the decision we made,” said Jeff. Amazingly, he is a fifth generation Salvation Army officer. “We attended seminary school for two years in Rancho Palos Verdes,” she said. “After seminary, we were appointed by the Salvation Army to come to Chico. We could not be more thrilled to be a part of this 32

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incredible community.” Why the army and why the uniform? William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army in 1878 said, “We are a volunteer army.” With an army comes officers in leadership, and the Boyds each hold the rank of lieutenant. They are honored to wear the uniform as an outward sign of their calling, and that is to care for the lost, feed the hungry, comfort the hurting, save souls, grow saints, and serve suffering humanity. The uniforms remind them they are part of something bigger than themselves. They are part of an army on the front lines, and they fight with love. The Salvation Army of Chico serves Chico, Paradise, Magalia, Durham, Hamilton City, Orland, Forest Ranch, and Richvale. The Corps Community Center, where worship, service, and community take place is located at 567 East 16th Street. Also located in Chico, are two Salvation Army thrift stores and a free six-month Adult Rehabilitation Program. Besides worship, the center provides an astounding amount of services, including responding to natural and man-made disasters. The main building houses a huge gym, complete with basketball and volleyball courts. Since the chapel has just about reached capacity on Sundays, the gym will also be used in the near future for

Sunday worship services. The Community Center also offers classrooms used for adult and children education. This includes life skills for all ages, music lessons, crafting, dance classes, Bible studies, financial classes, art classes, and more—all free of charge. The center also has character building programs, and its Christian nondenominational worship services are held Sundays as well as a Recovery Fellowship, and youth and adult ministries, which meet during the week. The Salvation Army is more than a church, however. People can come out, by appointment, and receive emergency supplies to hold them over during a crisis. These include diapers, children’s clothing and jackets, socks, baby food, quilts and blankets, and other supplies. A major goal of the Salvation Army is to stop generational poverty and prevent homelessness, and the Chico Corps is dedicated to that mission. Food boxes are distributed every Tuesday from 2:00-4:00pm. This is designed to help people who may be struggling get through a difficult season. If you want to know more about the Chico Corps efforts and the many volunteer opportunities, please visit the Corps or give them a call at 530-342-1871. It will be a fulfilling and spiritually rewarding experience.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN | PHOTO COURTESY KRISTIN BOYD

When you think of the Salvation Army, two things usually come to mind: Christmas Kettles and thrift stores. However, the Salvation Army (SA) goes so far beyond those two icons, beyond a simple church, a rehab facility, or a community center. Yes, it is all those and more. One of the main tenets of the Salvation Army is “A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out.” This is true of the local Corps Community Center, and if you were to take a tour—highly advisable—your idea of what The Salvation Army provides and its purpose would definitely change.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN | PHOTO COURTESY KRISTIN BOYD

NEW AGAIN: from valley to coast the place, from fresh coats of paint to a number of interior changes. Of course, there were some areas of the remodel requiring extra hands, the first being the kitchen. About six years ago, Vicky reached out to the New Again team to give her kitchen a new and vibrant feel. Happy and satisfied with the results, Vicky felt it was only right to have them back to complete her bathroom remodel.

Right from the approach, Vicky’s home provides an unmistakable northern coast feel, with subtle blues and whites giving off that clean ocean vibe. Like I expected, I was greeted with a coastal theme throughout the house. Vicky was once a professional diver, and her love for the ocean shines throughout the home. This love would inspire her bathroom remodel as well, creating a warm, eloquent, and spa-like atmosphere. It's amazing what a little remodeling can do. In this case, it makes you feel as though you are traveling far away and living in a completely different space altogether. The name “New Again” fits this remodel perfectly.

New Again Manager Ric Powers couldn't have been more pleased to hear Vicky wanted to have more work done and was excited to get started on modernizing the dated bathroom. During the first meeting, Ric suggested removing the tub and installing a full walk-in shower. The bathtub was taking up unneeded space, and its removal would make the area feel considerably more open. She listened, and the change provided exactly what he suggested. It also made it easier for Vicky to get in and out of the shower more comfortably. The new walk-in shower is beautifully filled in with 14x14 Cotto/Cedena gloss tiles that blend perfectly with the Zenith Orion tile accent border. The most striking feature of the bathroom, in my opinion, is the contrast New Again was able to achieve between

Shortly after Vicky moved into her residence, she quickly started revamping 34

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the tiles. The custom-framed niche is complemented by the Eclipse/Tranquility tiles that bring back that ocean feel. Vicky described the tiles as sand and water blending together. To finish the shower off, the floor displays penny rounds that fill the entire area. The bathroom flooring was another task altogether. It was suggested to select something subtle that can easily work with the rest of the house—staying neutral and shying away from any crazy colors. It's no wonder why Vicky decided on the Maderna gray oak luxury vinyl flooring. The scratch-resistant materials look like real wood while not being overbearing in any way. Vicky couldn't be more pleased with the finished product and encourages people to not wait on their dream kitchen or bathroom! After all, you only live once! For all your kitchen remodeling needs and desires, look no further than Ric Powers and the New Again team, as they are sure to not only bring your old kitchen back to life but make it New Again! Contact New Again at (530) 899-2888 or visit them at 2502 Park Avenue in Chico.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Though New Again Kitchen Remodeling’s name would rightfully have you believe they remodel kitchens, it isn’t the only thing they do. This month, we had the pleasure of seeing another side of New Again’s repertoire with a beautiful bathroom makeover. Though it certainly was different from the kitchens we’re used to, its owner, Vicky Dexter Bray, was equally thrilled with the transformation.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY BEAU VANDERMATE

effie khaki & Sherry Calbert

real estate is no laughing matter! Don’t let the picture fool you. To Effie Khaki and Sherry Calbert, real estate is no laughing matter! However, both credit over 30 years of laughter and friendship to their ongoing success in real estate. “Weathermen have come and gone,” Sherry said. “Presidents have too,” Effie continued. “Richard Simmons isn’t on TV anymore,” Sherry reminded. “Wait… are you sure,” Effie questioned. They both shrugged and said in unison, “But we’re both still here!” Per 36

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usual, the agreement was followed by their signature uncontrollable laughter. After 34 years for Effie and 33 years for Sherry, both are still at Century21 in Chico and, by all measures, still killing it. In 1989, after Effie’s kids started school, she decided to try her hand at real estate. Her father was a broker/owner of a real estate business back home, and though she didn’t know much about the work he did, always

felt there was something exciting about the business. She worked at Realty World in Chico for three months before moving to Century21 Jeffries/Lydon (now Century21 Select), and it was there she later ran into her future partner-in-crime, Sherry Linn Calbert. Sherry had sales in her blood too, as her father was a realtor in Illinois. After arriving in Chico, she waited tables at the legendary Casa Lupe Mexican restaurant, before working in medical transcription, and eventually found her way into real estate, working for Drake Homes. “I was with Drake Homes for four years.” Sherry recalled, “I learned so much and had an incredible time

getting to know all of the players in the local real estate community. When Julie Jeffries, the co-owner of Century21 Jeffries/Lydon, told me I should be a realtor, I honestly wasn’t interested, but she had a knack for convincing people. Eventually she wore me down, and I agreed to give it a shot.” Sherry joined Century21 Jeffries/Lydon, and it was there that she met Effie.

to the enormous number of messages they received on their pagers, to being mistaken as robbers by Chico PD while parked in the dark outside someone’s home to present an offer at 11pm, the two have countless hours of stories from that first year that could fill a book far larger than this.

“We clicked immediately.” Sherry said, “Neither of us really knew what we were doing at the time, but we were both so excited to learn the business. I just thought Effie was so tenacious! She wouldn’t take no for an answer, but she could always make people laugh, so it never came off pushy. I remember thinking, I wanted to be like that.”

Effie smiled, “It was always fun and often didn’t feel like work at all. Don’t get me wrong, we were running around all day and all night trying to get listings and putting transactions together, but it was so much fun working with your best friend. The wins felt better sharing them with a teammate, and the challenges seemed like we could conquer them easier together. It was the perfect way to get started in real estate.”

Effie laughed in agreement, “We really didn’t have any idea what we were doing. It wasn’t like it is today—we didn’t have training and skill building. The internet didn’t exist, and we couldn’t just pull up YouTube videos or articles on how to succeed—or even function—in real estate. All we could really do was watch others in our office and see how they did what they did, then try to do it ourselves. Sherry has always had this contagious, bubbly personality, and I always thought she could be forgiven for anything. That was definitely useful considering how likely we were to make mistakes!”

Though Effie and Sherry only worked together as a team for one year, the experience was transformative for both, and they’ve remained sisters ever since. The two shared a private office even after beginning their own separate businesses and have since demanded their offices always share a wall. In their 30-plus years of real estate, they’ve hosted their own radio show, sold haunted houses, brokered deals with international buyers, and each earned every award Century21 has to offer nationally, including maintaining a position as top 1% in the nation.

With total admiration, and realizing how well they complemented each other, Sherry and Effie decided to team up for a year at Century21. “We were the original real estate team in Chico!” Sherry said, “We would spend all night on the phone talking about contracts, listings, schedules, sales, etc. We worked as a team and built each other up. If one of us learned something, we taught it to the other. We cried on one another’s shoulders when we made mistakes, leaned on each other to learn the ropes, and pushed each other to not only be better realtors but better people too. I have so many fond memories from that first year.”

Separately, they’ve each also sold hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate locally and made their names synonymous with the industry in our area. There’s a good chance you may be living in a home they originally listed, as together, they’ve sold thousands of them in Chico alone. Though both have been top producers for decades, they credit much of their success to believing clients should be treated as family rather than a number.

Sherry wasn’t kidding. It’s honestly difficult to imagine all the stories the two share from their first year in business together happened in just one year. Many sound perfectly suited to episodes of Seinfeld. From being mistaken as drug dealers, due

“We’ve received 42 Centurion Awards and still never been slapped,” Effie said, jokingly referring to the Chris Rock and Will Smith Oscar fiasco. “We’ve done tons of transactions together, and we’ve always been each other’s confidant and done whatever we could to help each other, rather than be competitors.”

Sherry continued, “I’ve always said Effie was the best Realtor. She’s an incredible negotiator, and if I wasn’t in real estate myself, I would have had her do all my own transactions. Anytime we would go on vacation, Effie would negotiate our extras at the hotel—free champagne, desserts, etc. We’ve always had healthy competition and continue to be happy for each other’s success.” Effie finished, “Throughout all these years, our friendship hasn’t been broken by working together. In fact, we’re even stronger. We’ve been there for each other’s happiness and sadness, and our friendship has weathered all the cycles of real estate.” Effie and Sherry both wanted to note that neither feels their success is due solely to their own work, but also to the support of those around them. While there’s been a huge shakeup in local real estate, they’ve been loyal to the same company for over 30 years and have nothing but wonderful things to say about the time they’ve spent working there. Each has various people who have positively impacted their lives, but both mentioned their office manager, Doug Love, for the unending love and support he’s shown over the years. They both also mentioned branch leader, Shelinda Bryant, for her tireless efforts in making sure their needs were always taken care of. “Our office has always been one big family.” Effie said, “If someone is down, the rest of the group lifts them up.” Sherry continued, “It’s been over three decades of watching lives evolve. It’s unusual to be in one office for so long, but this is far more than an office to either of us.” Effie Khaki and Sherry Calbert epitomize the strength, friendship, and success we’ve been so honored to discover throughout our women in business issues, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for both of them. If there’s real estate you’re looking to buy or sell, give Effie or Sherry a call! Effie can be reached at (530) 514-3334, and Sherry can be reached at (530) 514-4855.

STRESS Job satisfaction researchers continually list Realtors high on the scale of people who are satisfied with their job and find happiness in the workplace. Since the theme of this issue is women in business, and because women dominate the real estate business (64% of Realtors are women), I sought a Realtor I know to ask about her business. I found her; she was moving fast, and I had to high-step to keep up with her. “So, how’s your job these days?” I asked. “What?” she said. “You know how it is. I have two listing appointments in the next two hours, two escrows that might be falling apart; I have three offers to present on properties with multiple offers already in place, and I have property inspections and appraisals lined up throughout the day. Why?” “So how does that make you feel? Like, satisfied? Or happy?”

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“Well, you said yourself you’re stressing.” She narrowed her eyes and searched me one more time. She turned and sped away. One research group puts it this way: “Realtors have some of the highest scores in job satisfaction. It might not feel like that when you’re working a 12-hour day, but it’s true: real estate agents are reportedly 17% more satisfied in their careers than workers in other professions.” Researchers attribute Realtor job satisfaction to: 1) the ability to help people, 2) a flexible schedule, 3) income potential, 4) on-the-go work environment, and 5) independence. I caught sight of her exiting the office.

She stared into my eyes like she was missing something.

“Just tell me,” I yelled, “what is it about this job you like, even when you’re stressed out?”

“Listen,” she said, “I’m sorry, but I’m really busy. And I’m a little stressed. You’re starting to stress me out a little more.”

She stood at her car door and said, “It’s a beautiful day. Let’s keep it that way. This is good stress!”

She turned to go, and I had to high-step it again to keep up with her.

Another reason for job satisfaction: “good stress.”

“Wait!” I said. “I mean, how do you like your job?”

Doug Love is Sales Manager at Century 21 in Chico. Email dougwlove@gmail.com. Call or text 530-680-0817.

“You’ve known me for 20 years. I love my 38

job. You know better than anyone how much I love my job.”

"Our whole family has worked with Effie on many occasions. She always stays on top of things and looks out for our best interest. She is a wonderful real estate agent and most importantly a beautiful person, inside and out. Our whole family loves her and appreciates her truthfulness and her ability to make things run smoothly during the sale of our homes." -John and Kathy O'Donnell

This home's darling kitchen is equipped with granite countertops, a gas stove and oven, microwave, and a walk-in pantry. The light and airy living room offers gorgeous flooring, a beautiful gas fireplace and sliding glass doors that invite ample natural light into the room. The master suite is conveniently located on the first floor and is equipped with walk-in closet, dual vanity, tile floors and walk-in shower. This home also provides a cozy breakfast nook, indoor laundry, dual pane windows, security system, and a whole house fan. On the second floor you will find the 2nd bedroom, 3rd bathroom, and large office with a closet that can be converted back to a bedroom. The yard is beautiful with its two private patios that are perfect spots for relaxing. So much to see. Call today! Bed: 3.0 Bath: 3.0 SqFt: 1,737 Price: $479,000

Skinny dipping allowed!! The sliding glass doors of the master bedroom open onto a private sparking pool, making keeping fit fun. Here, you will love the rich wood flooring, the light and airy rooms, the freshly painted walls, and its charming vintage bathroom. From its cozy kitchen with center island to its central heat/air and sliding glass windows, this darling home offers everything you have wished to have in your starter home and more. The oversized yard offers a pool, a welcoming dining patio, a fire pit, a chicken coop, and provides a plenty of space for gardening. The single-car garage is equipped with work benches and is perfect for your wood-working hobbies. This home is ready for you to move in and enjoy the hot summer days of Chico in your own private pool! Bed: 3.0 Bath: 1.0 SqFt: 1,192 Price: $399,000

Sheltered by towering trees on over a 1/3 of an acre lot, this home offers beautiful wood floors, a spacious living room, formal dining room, and a separate family room with its own wood stove. From the updated kitchen with its granite countertops, gas cooktop, dual oven, refrigerator, pull-out drawers, and spacious breakfast nook, this home exemplifies the quality of fine homes. You will love the master suite which provides large closets, a dual vanity, quartz countertops, walk-in shower, soaking tub, and a quaint wood decking balcony. This stunning home is also equipped with owned solar, 2 air conditioners, 2 heating units, 2 water heaters, a whole house fan, and security system. The stunning yard offers a gorgeous PebbleTec pool, a spa, and so much more! Bed: 4.0 Bath: 2.5 SqFt: 2,352 Price: $689,000

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The Proof is in the pudding 2021 was a busy year for Realtor® Danielle Branham; a list of her accolades is as long as your arm. “I sold $13 million and then placed in the News and Review’s Best of Chico. I also earned a Masters Diamond Award at Century21,” she says.

Danielle believes in going above and beyond in doing whatever is necessary to make people’s real estate dreams come true. “Right now, you have to have someone who’s willing to make room for you—who will basically camp out on the listing’s lawn— because the market is so difficult,” she says. She’s the type of Realtor® who drives around with a tent in the back of her car. If you’re looking to buy or sell a property, give Danielle a call at (530) 570-8402. 42

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Privately gated 10-acre estate on Chico’s west-side with luxury ranchette. 5-bedroom, 3 bath main home over 3,200 sqft, with features such as cherrywood flooring, high ceilings, and an open floor plan. The first floor features an office, formal dining room, and a great room with a wood-burning stone-stacked fireplace. Granite countertop, gas range, an island, and a baker's dream peninsula all within the stunning gourmet kitchen! All bedrooms and two full bathrooms are located upstairs; the master suite has a tiled shower, jacuzzi tub, and serene balcony. Whole house fan, Ecobee thermostat and owned solar panels help with utility costs! Above the 1,200 sqft shop rests a nearly 1,000 sqft apartment equipped with a full bathroom and kitchen! The commercial height carport is perfect for hobby equipment & recreational vehicles. With roughly 6 acres of newly planted walnuts and solid set irrigation, enjoy additional orchard income or a boutique hobby. Finally, how about your very own swimming pond, filtered with multiple pumps, skimmer and fountains, fully gated, with your own sandy-beach and cabana? It’s perfect for entertaining as the cabana has a television, outdoor kitchen, seating area, firepit, and half-bath. Beds: 5 Baths: 4 SqFt: 4,189 Price: $1,490,000

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

Additionally, Danielle was in the top one hundred at the Select Group, which is a branch of companies all under the same umbrella located in states all along the West Coast and Hawaii. However, she says, her favorite award was the one given to her by her customers. “I received the Quality Service Pinnacle Producer award last year,” Danielle says. “That one is really tough to get because it’s based on reviews you’ve received from your clients. You have to have so many five-star reviews to qualify, and you have to have maintained that rating for a couple years. I love that it’s based on real feedback and real client reviews because it shows me that I did a good job. It’s like, the proof is in the pudding. Receiving the Pinnacle Producer honor means I’ve helped people achieve their real estate goals.”

Stunning Spanish Colonial Revival Mansion directly across from iconic Bidwell Park! Completed in 1930, the home is 4,622 sq. ft. with 6-bedrooms, 4-full and 2-half bathrooms, including a half bath in the three-car garage. Cantilevered balcony, tile roof, picturesque courtyard, wrought iron window work and brick perimeter walls. Through the recessed vintage wooden front-door, you'll see arched entryways, custom tile and a wroughtiron staircase. This home provides a regal, yet intimate, feel with it's hardwood floors, large open rooms and exceptional finishes throughout—the perfect blend of architectural history with modern living & comfort. The gourmet kitchen includes a Viking professional gas range, sub-zero refrigerator and a wine refrigerator. The finished basement is approximately 2,200 sq. ft, with a laundry/crafts room, wine cellar, massage room, large gym and game room! Sitting on over 1/3 acre, this private corner lot has multiple seating areas and brick pathways to enjoy the tile fountain, gardens, jacuzzi and firepit area. This once in a lifetime opportunity could be yours! Beds: 6 Baths: 4.5 SqFt: 4,622 Price: $1,499,000

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

This market is bananas Brandi Laffins was born and raised in Chico, the daughter of Realtor® Julie Jeffries and real estate investor Charles Carroll. She began her career in real estate in 1992 as a secretary at the front desk in her mom’s office at Century 21 Jeffries/Lydon in Chico. In 2002, she obtained her broker’s license, but she has continued to serve as a solo Realtor® until she began building her real estate team in 2012. The Laffins Team now has nine agents, three staff members, and it is still growing. “Right now, our team is all women, though we didn’t intend for it to be that way,” Brandi says. “We feel like a family, and even though there’s diversity in our ages, we all get along really well and support each other.”

Being a Realtor®, is challenging in a way that is different than the crash of 2008. A shortage in real estate and an influx of buyers means the market is more volatile. We’ve all heard about homes selling for tens of thousands of dollars over the seller’s asking price, and we’ve all seen the high prices even small homes are selling for these days. “One reason is the lack of housing inventory. It is a simple supply and demand problem.” For home buyers, Brandi and her team advise unique strategies that help clients lock down their dream home. “Right now, the real estate market is bananas. 44

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WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

On the Laffins Team, culture is more important to Brandi than production. She’d rather see her agents form good bonds with their clients and sell homes for the right reasons than to get into the business solely for profit. “In my team members, I look for hard working people who do the right thing for their client versus always doing what’s best for themselves,” she says. It always comes down to the relationships we have with people, and making the journey of buying and selling homes all about them.”

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

We’re getting five, ten, fifteen offers on one property, so you have to be pretty tactical in your negotiations. We know, based on experience, how to help our clients get through the process by showing them comparable sales and giving them strategies so they can stand out in the sea of other offers. For some buyers, it takes losing two or three homes before they realize they need to be competitive. We’re here to walk them through that process.” When it comes to working with homeowners who are selling their home, The Laffins Team takes it to the next level They see that all the details are taken care of so the client can rest easy. “We are as full-service as possible by helping people prepare their home for the market so they can get the best price,” Brandi says. “There have been multiple occasions where we arranged everything from the moving out process to paint, carpet, yard care, repairs, cleaning, and staging. We have a great crew that helps us with these details. Preparing your home for the market can be time consuming and exhausting. We are here to help! Working in an insane market requires the agents to work harder and smarter to give their clients an edge. In order to maintain a

good work/life balance, Brandi and her team stick to schedules that make time for selfcare. They know their team members will cover them when they need to spend time with their family or get some R&R. They also make their morning routine a priority. The majority of the team meets three times a week for a workout with their personal trainer Leslie. “She kicks our butt.” Recently, Brandi has taken this ethos to new heights by opening a mortgage company, called Motto Mortgage Streamline. A franchise created by ReMax, Motto Mortgage was the perfect answer to providing clients with an alternative to banks or other lenders. “We wanted to better serve our clients. With Motto, we have an additional lending source we can go to so that we are able to get the best prices and best rates for our clients.” Each office under the Motto Mortgage umbrella is independently owned, operated, and licensed. At the helm of the Motto office is partner Bodie Shepherd, a mortgage loan officer with significant experience in the local real estate market. “Bodie and I have known each other for over 20 years. With his 20+ years in lending and my 20+ years in real estate sales, the partnership made sense. Our goal is to streamline the real

estate experience for our clients. Brandi says that real estate is always a sound investment, even in a volatile market. “If you look at the history of inflationary times, real estate has outperformed inflation in most decades. According to Keeping Current Matters, seven industry experts on average forecast a home price appreciation of 6.7% in 2022, she says. You may pay more for rent than you would on a mortgage right now. Another reason real estate will likely be strong for the next couple of years is because we have a supply and demand issue. They can’t build homes as quickly as people want them. Although we may not see the same increase in home values as 2021, we expect to see continued appreciation. The media headlines will say that home prices are falling, but what’s happening is that there’s a decrease in the increase of appreciation, which means they’re not increasing in value as much as they were, and it is unlikely that we will see depreciation. Bottom line, real estate is a great investment. Brandi and the Laffins Team are located at Remax of Chico on Mangrove and can be reached by phone at (530) 809-4594 or online at LaffinsRealEstate.com 45

MAY &

JULY 2022

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About This Seminar May 4 Learn how to reduce your Medicare Part D costs so you don't have to make hard choices. This Workshop will review the Low Income Subsidy Program July 6 Learn how to get $170.10 back into your bank account using California's new eligibility criteria. This Workshop will review Medicare Savings Programs.

For more information please contact us at 530-898-6715 passagescenter.org

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This project was supported, in whole or in part, by grant number(s) 2101CAMISH, 2101CAMIAA, 2101CAMIDR, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy

his

01. Grantees

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON

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warrior woman shell belle Michelle Morley, better known as Shell Belle, has traveled the country but never found a place quite like Magalia in all of her unique experiences. She was born in Los Angeles, raised in Orange County, and then moved up to Oregon later in life. It was around this time the spotted owl controversy crippled the logging industry and caused many small-town economies in Oregon to shut down as they navigated this shift away from logging. Shell Belle’s friends in Stirling City called and told her to come down to Butte County to take advantage of the job opportunities in the area. She says she loves living up on The Ridge now. “I love my little hunk of dirt in the pine trees, where it’s cooler than down in the valley. Neighbors are like lifelong friends around here. It’s a beautiful place with beautiful people.” Shell Belle is a member of the Muscogee

(Creek) Nation and has spent a lot of time on the Pow Wow trail. She would travel throughout the western states selling her craft wares at Pow Wows, regional craft fairs, and mountain man festivals. During one meeting, four of her Lakota friends each had separate dreams on the same night that she should be named Warrior Woman. They met and consulted the Lakota grandfather who took Shell Belle into the sweat lodge and then proceeded to have a naming ceremony for her. From then on, her camp sign proclaimed her new name, Warrior Woman’s Trade Goods. It featured a painting of her old green Dodge pickup truck pulling a ‘tin tipi’ and her crafts included various types of leatherwork, jewelry, and custom war shirts. Traditional war shirts are made from brain-tanned leather and are worn predominantly by Lakota and Dakota 47

men. They are ornamented with the wearer’s horse’s hair, children’s hair, medicine wheels, antique beads, or other items that have personal meaning. Shell Belle says she was working on a custom war shirt when she started thinking, “What’s the modern equivalent to the war shirt?” It was a cool day in early fall, and she noticed all the men at the Pow Wow wearing Levi jackets. She decided she could use a jacket and add the same types of decorations as in traditional war shirts and said, “The rest is history.” Some of her modern war jackets are adorned with buffalo fur, intricate beading along the sleeves, and leather fringe accenting the shoulders. Shell says, “I met all kinds of amazing people on the Pow Wow Trail and the Rendezvous Trail.” Back at home, true to her Warrior Woman name, Shell Belle was instrumental in getting the donation center at The Old Magalia Church going after the Camp Fire. This center became the biggest resource center in Butte County. She says she was devastated because even though her house had survived, her career ended when the building she worked in was lost to the fire. She also felt lost and without purpose, so she started volunteering down at the church. She had been in the ministry for over thirty-eight years, so this was familiar to her. She began getting the word out on social media and local news channels about what was needed at the center, who they were helping, how they were helping, along with how others could aid in their mission. They were able to connect people with what they needed: food, clothing, furniture, and basic household items. Shell says that the town of Paradise has wonderful resources still available to help the community rebuild. She wants people to take advantage of this by contacting the Resiliency Center to get the help they need. The public should know that The Ridge is worth it. It’s worth investing in. It’s worth rebuilding. Whatever happens, Shell Belle is ready. “I am open to what God has planned for me and the adventure that it entails.”

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Turning a corner

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTOS BY JASON CORONA

It’s been almost four years since the Camp Fire leveled the town of Paradise, and people and businesses are slowly beginning to come back, pick up the pieces, and start again. Cindy Dawson, who owns Déjà Vu Gardens Galore Nursery, is one of the many people making The Ridge feel like home again. A resident of Paradise and Butte County since 1975, Cindy feels a certain affinity and closeness to the little town where both of her children were born. “Altogether, my family lost sixteen homes and four businesses to the fire,” she says. It led her to temporarily reestablish her nursery, once located between the Gold Nugget Museum and Izzy’s, to her backyard in Chico. Now operating on the site of what used to be Mendon’s Nursery, Déjà Vu has been a labor of love, but its rebirth couldn’t have happened without fate stepping in and dealing Cindy a sweet hand. “I saw the gate at Mendon’s open when I was doing a delivery one day,” Cindy says. She decided to stop in on her way back to Chico and ended up talking with John Mendon for over an hour. “His wife wanted to move out of state and be with their grandkids, so I said I’d love to talk to him about taking over the property,” says Cindy. They came to an agreement on August 14, 2020, and on August 28, 2020, Déjà Vu Gardens Galore Nursery moved out of Cindy’s backyard and took up permanent residence at 5424

Foster Road in Paradise. As she found, establishing a business in a town just beginning to rise from the ashes came with its own unique challenges. From day one, there was no power, so the nursery was run on generators, and everything had to be hand-watered. There were no buildings left after the fire except for a greenhouse, so Cindy and her team, which included several former Mendon’s employees, worked—and continue to work— out of a small storage shed. After they had been open six months, a temporary power pole was installed by PG&E, and on February 28, 2022, permanent power was finally put in place. Despite the challenges, Cindy says she can’t believe her luck. “I feel really blessed to be in business at all after the fire and in such an iconic location,” she says. “I have an amazing crew. Everything is gone up here: concrete, hardscape, trees, and lawns. I’m really proud to be part of the community and the resurrection; part of people’s feeling a sense of normalcy and the place they come to start again.” Déjà Vu is an excellent place to stroll the grounds, plan your landscape, and create your own sanctuary as it features over 30,000 trees and plants in stock. The nursery has the largest selection of trees in Butte County, including fruit trees such as peaches, plums, pears, and many hybrid varieties. There are over eighty-

one different varieties of roses to choose from, including bare-root roses in the winter, grandifloras, floribundas, ground roses, climbing roses, and hybrid tea roses. Déjà Vu also boasts eighteen different varieties of tree roses, a large selection of Japanese maples, hydrangeas, berries, rhododendrons, fountains, yard art, Master Nursery Garden Center, E.B. Stone & Son products, and so much more. “We still carry the same soil amendments, fertilizers and Monterey Garden products that Mendon’s sold,” Cindy says. A certified Master Nursery Professional, Cindy hopes to one day be able to offer classes on plant health, pruning, and garden tips, “after we get some permanent buildings up around here,” she says. This month will also see the return of the biannual Peddler’s Fair on May 14th. Located at the nursery, the Fair will feature local artisans and vendors. Starting at 8am and running till 5pm, there will be an abundance of food, music, fun, and nursery sales that you won’t want to miss. Stop by to see this incredible business for yourself and say hello to Cindy! We couldn’t be more impressed with the work she’s doing to bring beauty back to The Ridge. Déjà Vu Nursery offers fire survivor discounts on complete landscaping projects, is open 7-days per week, and offers delivery service.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

on our clients and give them the absolute best experience and care that we can.” Lindsey loves being back at work and enjoys getting to know the other sales agents, but the Chico real estate market looks very different now than it did ten years ago, and that has caused her to approach her job a little differently. “It’s a seller’s market, and it’s been a seller’s market for so long now that you have to really put your competitive hat on when working with your buyers,” says Lindsey. “Back when I first began my career, homes were coming on the market in droves, and you always seemed to have a list of homes to show your buyers. Now, inventory is low, and homes are selling so quickly, that you really have to take more of a proactive approach in finding your clients a home; rather than waiting for that perfect property to hit the market, you basically have to go out and find it for them. I cold-call, knock on people’s doors, and send out mailers.”

Lindsey Ginno has been a real estate agent for over ten years, but took a break over six years ago to stay at home with her three children. “I wanted to be focused only on them,” Lindsey says. “But I’m a single mom, so between baseball, tee ball, school, and tutoring, it is just go, go, go all the time. My kids are my priority, but my career has also been very important to me, and I want to show up in all areas of my life—as a mom, a businesswoman, and a friend.” It was time for a change. “It started to feel like Groundhog Day every day, and I felt like I needed more of a purpose, something that made me feel more accomplished and confident. I missed being around grownups,” she says. With renewed vigor and excitement, she decided she was ready to connect with a team in Chico and get back out there as a sales agent. Lindsey started her real estate career at 50

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a different brokerage in 2011, and while she loved the family-like atmosphere and relationships with her mentors, she felt this time around she wanted to explore more of what Chico had to offer. She already knew Marisa Bauer and Lisa Bristow of Platinum Partners Real Estate Team and had heard about their team culture and values, both of which really spoke to her. “They’re a dynamic team, and they’re super driven and successful,” Lindsey says. “I have a close friend on the team, too, so it seemed like a no-brainer for me to check them out.” What she discovered was better than she expected. In team leaders Marisa and Lisa, Lindsey has found an energetic and inclusive pair of mentors who are focused on making their sales agents successful. “They genuinely want us to succeed, so they provide us with a lot of support,” she says. “Everything, all the back end components our clients don’t often see, is completely dialed in so we can focus solely

If you’re looking for a real estate agent who can provide you a competitive advantage in your home search, give Lindsey a call at (530) 570-5261.

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

A proactive approach

The housing market can seem a daunting and frustrating place if you’re a buyer. Not only is inventory at an all-time low in the area, but many sellers are seeing multiple competing offers that come in tens of thousands of dollars over the initial asking price, and most sellers are not accepting contingent offers. Fortunately, Platinum Partners has created solutions to give their buyers a bit of an advantage. “Lisa and Marisa came up with a Platinum Partners package which offers several clear-cut options as a buyer so that your offer is noncontingent, making you a stronger buyer and giving you a better shot at getting your offer accepted,” says Lindsey. “And if you have a good agent that’s really working for you and being proactive, that agent can find their client the right house and write a competitive offer. Our team also has many pocket listings that we offer to our buyers first, giving them a competitive advantage in the marketplace. There are specific things we can do as agents to get our client into the home they want, and we try to offer as many opportunities and solutions as we can. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.”

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

Autism-It isn't a dirty word

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

According to Jillian Schmeltzer, one of the key aspects of autism for the non-autistic is their avoidance of autism. Not only do neurotypicals—people who have no cognitive disabilities or mental illness— often not want to discuss autism, many also don’t want to talk to autistic people. “I’ve been in situations where people are talking about autism but ignoring my presence,” said Jill. “I love it when people come up and talk. I can’t go into their world, but they can learn more about mine,” she added. Autistic people do tend to live in their own world, and to a degree we all do; however, autistic kids often create their own worlds in order to cope with everyday living. For example, Jill utilized music to face the challenge of going to school or simply socializing. As she points out in her book, Blossoming Autism: My Life With Autism and Sixteen Things I Wish People Knew, autistic people can be “normal” in many ways. Each person is unique with their own personality. One thing to remember is there isn’t a blanket approach to autism—what works for one kid will not necessarily work with another. These days, identifying autism in a child is far easier than it was when Jill was young. “No one really knew what was wrong when I was little,” Jill said. “I didn’t even know I was different until I got to school.”

Going to Mill Street Elementary was a big challenge for Jill. Some days, she would not leave her house or get out of the car when they arrived at school. “I’d have a ‘meltdown’,” she said. I just couldn’t face dealing with people outside of my comfort zone. Eventually, this changed. Jill realized she reacted differently, but it took many years to accept who she was. In high school, Jill finally learned to like herself. “As a freshman, I never thought I'd be where I am today,” she said. Today, she happens to be teaching preschool in Orland. She is on track to take this a step further and eventually attend college at Simpson University in Redding to take education classes. As Jill pointed out, “Teaching is such a rewarding experience. You get to plan the lessons, see them learn, and be a part of their growth.” Being in the classroom has also helped Jill’s own self-confidence. She has fully accepted her autism and has quit “masking” her behaviors. If you’d like to learn more about Jill and her personal journey, you definitely need to purchase Blossoming Autism. The Book Authority named it one of the best books to read about autism in 2022. You’ll learn so much and hopefully heed Jill’s advice: “Don’t be afraid to go up to someone who has autism and talk to them. You’ll be surprised.” 51

Room for dessert

The Shoppe has over thirty different kinds of hard-to-find candies, as well as treats from local sweet makers. Currently, they offer beer brittle and Sierra Nevada stout caramels from Joy Lyn’s in Paradise and caramel apples from Corning Sweets. They also offer gummy candies, sour sweets, fudge, and there’s even a taffy bar. “I’d always wanted to open a candy store,” says Panda. “We had an extra room here that I didn’t know what to do with, so we went for it, and it really took off. Customers love it, and we have a couple of families that come 52

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in every week to get treats for their kids after school.” Panda believes in the power of sweet treats and has been instrumental in organizing the Halloween Treat Street event for kids in Downtown Orland each October. “This will be our third year coming up,” she says. Panda and the other downtown business owners take up their posts outside their businesses—in costume, of course—and hand out candy to the youngsters who flock to downtown from Orland and the surrounding communities with their parents. “Last year, we had over 2,000 kids,” Panda says. “I had never seen that many kids in my life. We handed out over 180 pounds of candy!” Panda says the impetus for the event came from COVID-19. “Kids had missed out on so much that year, and I wanted to help provide some normalcy and a safe Halloween event. After the first time, I decided I had to keep it going and make it a tradition.” In addition to being the local candy lady, Panda has also started offering classes on the second Friday of each month at the Mercantile. “We move some of the merchandise around and have the

workshop right in the middle of the store,” she says. “A local lady named Star, who has a business called Cake and Take, teaches cake decorating classes here.” Each month features a different themed cake, and people of all abilities are welcome to participate; no previous decorating skills are required. At the end of the lesson, each student leaves with a beautifully decorated cake to show off and share with family and friends. Once the cakes have been decorated, the workshop attendees are invited to shop the Mercantile’s wide selection of goods, including candles, jewelry, and plants. “The main thing I specialize in is funny and unique gifts,” Panda says. “We have a lot of new lines of things like dish towels and socks that are kind of snarky and sometimes borderline inappropriate. Laughter is the best medicine, though, especially after the last few crazy years we’ve had. It’s nice to escape and just laugh and have fun for a while.” Follow Bless Your Heart Mercantile on Facebook to stay up to date on the latest classes, sales, and events happening both at the shop and in Downtown Orland. You can visit them at 701 4th Street or reach them by phone at (530) 519-9253.

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Panda Mae Bell, the owner of Bless Your Heart Mercantile in Downtown Orland, is really excited to be offering something new in her shop. “We turned the little room at the back of the store into a full-on candy room,” she says. Trading during the same hours the Mercantile is open, The Sweet Little Candy Shoppe, which opened in August 2021, has a variety of sweets and treats to tempt everyone. “We feature a lot of childhood favorites and nostalgia candy you won’t find anywhere else, like Razzles, Abba Zabbas, Neccos, and Big Cherries. It’s been so fun to watch customers come in and hear them reminisce about their childhoods,” Panda says.

Birds of a feather WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Jessica Rowe may be new to Orland, but she’s no stranger to retail. Her first foray into business was over a decade ago, when she opened Bella’s Beads, a joint venture with her mother, in the Mangrove shopping center in Chico. That business stood until 2012. Her current shop, Sparrow and Crow, opened on 4th Street in Downtown Orland in 2021 and was previously The Rustic Nest, which was located on Main Street in Downtown Chico. Jessica describes the style of her shop as “a little bit gypsy, a little bit cowgirl, and a little bit bohemian.” She carries everything from band tees to flannels, festival wear, sundresses, and jeans. An artist for over twenty years, Jessica makes her own line of jewelry, which you can also find for sale in the shop. “I’ve got something for everyone, whether they’re 16 or 60,” she says. Though it’s a little different from what The Rustic Nest used to be, Jessica says the only thing that’s really changed is she now focuses primarily on selling clothes, as The Rustic Nest used to feature apparel, home goods, and whimsical garden items. Her goal at Sparrow and Crow is to have a little something for everyone and to keep things affordable so that she is able to cater to

every budget. Her logo, a large crow flanked by two smaller sparrows, represents her three kids, Lillianna, Isabella, and Jamison. “Orland is kind of being reborn,” Jessica says. “There are a lot of cute shops and a lot of good things going on. Everyone has been super nice and super supportive of me.” Orland puts a lot of effort into making its downtown a destination, and Jessica says she has customers come from all over to shop in her store. “I had ladies from Oregon in my shop today,” she says. “Other customers come from Chico, Paradise, Oroville, Red Bluff, and Redding.” Despite this, Jessica worries that brick and mortar shops are dying in this age of Amazon delivery and online shopping. “After COVID, and with Amazon and everything, I feel like us little guys need to stick together, otherwise everything will be online,” Jessica says. “I want to be able to take my grandchildren shopping in a real store one day, not just pick things out online. It’s worrying me.” Though it is part of our new reality, it’s encouraging to see downtowns in Butte County reviving and going into new phases of life, despite the challenges that online shopping has brought to light. And as long as there are business owners like

Jessica, who genuinely love what they do and care about their customers, brick and mortar will live forever. When I asked Jessica about what she loves most about her shop, her answer came quickly. “I love that I get to help people,” she says. “I try to carry things that people from many different age groups will like, in prices they can afford, in sizes that work for them. Women are sexy in all sizes.” Jessica has a lot of fun with the shop since she’s a naturally aesthetic person who enjoys dressing up and putting outfits together. “My husband says that I’m good at cute,” she laughs. Jessica’s husband is City of Chico Fire Captain Ethan Rowe, and they have three active children, so she appreciates that her business allows her to stay flexible to keep up with their hours. “She’s really in her element when she’s in the shop,” Jessica’s daughter Lillianna says. “She flourishes and always has a smile on her face. Being around people all the time makes her a happy person.” For sizes small to 3X, check out Jessica’s new shop, Sparrow and Crow, at 232 Main Street in Orland. They can be reached by phone at (530) 965-2130. 53

Celia hirschman

large independent promotion company for a few years and then built a highly successful video promotion business.

Celia grew up in Los Angeles, inspired by her mother who started KCRW, which would go on to become the powerhouse LA Radio. The value of hard work was instilled in her from a young age, as her parents taught her that a good work ethic leads to a happy life. The lesson encouraged her to follow dreams and work to achieve them however she could.

While Celia loved helping to manage artists at record labels, her true passion for helping people was still yet to be uncovered. Realizing the difficulties women faced in the music industry, Celia created Los Angeles Women in Music, a non-profit that helped young women in the record industry climb the business ladder with mentorship, education and networking. It's safe to say Celia brought sunshine wherever she landed.

During her teens, Celia was captivated by music; it seemed everything at the time could relate to a certain tune. She had her first experience with the music industry, away from her parents, in the late 70s, during what many call the Golden Age of music. She was working as a store clerk at a record store in Downtown Santa Cruz and decided the work felt right. Availing herself to opportunities, she began meeting influential industry insiders left and right. She worked for a 54

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For the next six years, Celia worked diligently with many of the major labels to promote and sell their artists. The experience was intoxicating. She organized national campaigns for some of the biggest acts in music like: Depeche Mode, Madonna, Paul Simon, and Van Halen, along with newcomers 10,000 Maniacs, Aimee Mann, Tracy Chapman, and A-ha. That was just the beginning. Through the years that followed, more opportunities continued to present themselves on the horizon.

Never at a standstill, Celia yet again found herself wanting to do more. In 1989, she took a position at A&M Records while simultaneously teaching music marketing at UCLA. She would continue to teach and work at A&M for nearly 7 years, until one day she received 3 job offers in New York with other companies. She took the job at Mercury Records, to become the national vice president of marketing,

WRITTEN BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Celia Hirschman is the definition of a “gogetter.” Over her impactful career in the recording industry—spanning a whopping 35 years—she has helped countless artists and record labels promote and sell music. While working in the entertainment industry, it's incredibly easy to lose your head and forget what's important, as there are so many distractions and different avenues to take. Celia stayed grounded throughout the years by remaining engaged in her community. She lived in many different places, but always remained committed to giving back. This passion bled over into many side quests and businesses for Celia over the years.

artist development, and touring, working with artists like Bon Jovi, Joan Osbourne, Def Leppard, and John Mellencamp. Having a corner office suite in Manhattan with 40 employees was wonderful, but she missed working directly with artists and looked to opportunities that gave her more interaction with them. She found that while working as the general manager of Chris Blackwell’s label, Palm Pictures, and for the nine years that followed running the North American operations for the British One Little Indian record label (now called OLI), out of San Francisco.

WRITTEN BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Her journey didn’t end there. When she discovered a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian in Oroville in 2010, she decided to make it her true home. Growing up, Celia always wanted to be involved in a tight-knit community, and Oroville was just that. After purchasing the home on Montgomery Street, Celia began meeting people from all walks of life, and the more she looked around, the more she understood how lucky she had been. One of her first acts was to create a community newsletter that focused on issues in the community, along with calendar events and articles written by the neighbors. It was a great way to interact with the community, hyper-local, and had a hard distribution of 1,000 copies. This brought back a sense of community and joy to the downtown’s Historic District. Throughout her years in Oroville, she has continued to consistently meet with city council members and sit in on meetings. Before the pandemic, Celia had a free library that sat on the corner of her property for the public to enjoy. Unfortunately, under the pandemic, the need for books became less valuable, and the need for everyday food became more prevalent. Celia sought the opportunity to turn the library into a free food pantry that serves her community. Every day, she restocks and makes sure it is full for those in need. Celia is without a doubt one of the sweetest people I've had the pleasure to interview. If you or anyone is struggling in life, Celia is also a certified health coach and would love to help anyone get back on their path. She can be reached at 530-826-6556. 55

UNFORGETTABLE BRIDAL BOUTIQUE

Alyssa Palomino opened Unforgettable Bridal Boutique in 2020, her grand opening coming just nine months after the start of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that threw the entire world into chaos. When asked about her motivation to do such a thing at such a time, she confides that it started out as something of an aesthetic obsession. “I was looking around Downtown Oroville one day, and I saw this building with the most beautiful chandeliers I had ever seen. I couldn’t understand why this building wasn’t already a bridal shop,” she says. Alyssa decided to contact the building’s owner to see about renting it, despite not knowing anything about running a bridal business. However, she had an unexpected mentor. “I am actually good friends with the lady who sold me my wedding dress,” Alyssa says. “I called her up and said, ‘I have this crazy idea. What do you think?’” Encouraged and motivated by her friend’s feedback and suggestions, Alyssa decided 56

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to take the leap, rent the building, and establish her own bridal boutique, calling it Unforgettable in a nod to her beloved grandparents’ wedding song by Nat King Cole. Almost two years later, the business is thriving, and Alyssa has found her footing. When I spoke to her for this article, she had just returned from the Chicago Bridal Market and was bubbling over with excitement about the dresses she had purchased for the shop, including a line of plus-size gowns. “There is such a diverse community in Oroville—size-wise and price-wise—that I try to have something for everybody. I stock a lot of affordable dresses and off-the-rack options so brides can take dresses home that day. I have picked out every dress in the store myself based on the needs of my brides, and it’s just as valuable to me to get a bride that doesn’t find what she’s looking for, so I can make sure to get it,” Alyssa says. A passion for doing business “the right way” is what drives Alyssa. Her grandparents, who owned Marr Dodge in Oroville, were her role models, and she has fond memories of them both; their portraits even grace the walls of her shop. “My grandparents instilled in me how important it is to make a name

for yourself on something of your own,” she says. “Now, I’m making sure the business is being run the way that my grandpa would want me to run it and doing right by the people of Oroville. That’s my intent. For me, it’s not about the money, but the experience for the brides.” Alyssa believes in providing a personal experience to every bride that walks into her shop. She provides champagne and charcuterie and doesn’t set time limits for picking out a gown. Brides are invited to bring as many people as they would like with them and stay as long as they need to. “I didn’t want this to be purely a transactional thing,” Alyssa says. “I’d rather have a bride walk out saying she loved her experience in the shop.” Unforgettable Bridal offers in-house alterations and just started offering a line of tuxedos. “Downtown Oroville totally welcomed me with open arms,” Alyssa says. “There are the coolest businesses coming in here now; it’s nice to be on the ground floor of Oroville getting its groove back.” Unforgettable Bridal is located at 1435 Myers Street in Oroville and can be reached by phone at (530) 764-1772. Stop by and see what they have to offer for yourself!

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

Just a few doors down from the State Theatre in Downtown Oroville is a local bridal shop that does more than just sell wedding dresses; they provide a firstclass boutique experience in a welcoming, compassionate atmosphere for brides of all sizes and budgets.

Vino at the villa WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ | PHOTO BY BEAU VANDERMATE

One of the newest businesses on the Downtown Oroville food and beverage scene is Villavino, a European-inspired wine bar owned and operated by Candy Knauth. Located on Myers Street, Candy is comfortably familiar with the business’ location. “I had my first job in this building,” she says. “I worked in a record store. Later on, I owned a hair salon that was also located here, and still is, actually. I’ve come full circle.” Currently, Candy is a teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School on Bird Street. Each afternoon, she wraps up her day with her students and heads the three blocks downtown to Villavino, where she does a quick about-face so that she can open the wine bar at four. “It’s exhausting, but I love it,” she says. Candy is excited to see the finish line from where she stands. “I’ll be retiring from St. Thomas in June and running the wine bar full time,” she says. “I’ll miss the school, but there’s nothing like owning your own business. The stresses are different, but the rewards are tenfold.” There’s also nothing like putting your heart and soul into something new. Candy feels her customers can sense that about Villavino. “When you do something you love, it just shows. Your customers know it and feel it. They gravitate

towards those kinds of places and those kinds of people. They’re happy to support that, and that’s definitely my goal here,” she says. The vibe of Villavino definitely leans more European, which is a bit of a departure from some of the other bars you might expect to find in Oroville. Candy says she wanted to stay away from the pioneer themes and other kitschy window dressings, keeping the interior of the wine bar warm and classy, reminiscent of an Italian villa in the countryside. “I can wine snob with some of the best of them, but I didn’t want this place to feel like that,” Candy says. “Wine is fun. Friends and wine go well together, and I want people to feel comfortable here.” Candy feels the best part of her job is getting to help those customers who aren’t sure what they’re looking for. “I love walking them through our wine selection. It’s fun to explore with them,” she says. “I’m always surprised by what people like.” At Villavino, there is a beverage for everyone. “I have red, white, pink, bubbly, and everything in between,” Candy says. “I’ve also got beer for those who don’t like wine as much, as well as cool nonalcoholic things for the designated drivers.”

Candy sources her wines from all over the world, and she likes to showcase a local boutique winery once every couple of months. “We’ve got to brag-up our locals,” she says. If you’re hungry, Villavino has a limited selection of small plates and bites to accompany whatever beverage you’ve chosen, including an antipasto platter that features local meats, cheeses, olives, fruit, and nuts along with the classic baguette with balsamic and olive oil to keep things a little old school. Of her future at Villavino, Candy says she can’t wait to have some room to breathe. She’d like to have theme nights and participate in the events that Downtown Oroville puts on. “Our downtown is really the best kept secret,” she says. “This little town has grown, but I’m enjoying that it still feels small, and I know I can count on my neighbors. When I look around downtown, I see so many women business owners and I’m so proud of them and proud to be a part of it all.” Villavino can be found at 1440 Myers Street, Suite A in Downtown Oroville. Stop by and see the lighter side of wine!

Crafting History | Erin Lackey Photography

Erin was born and raised in Oroville and has always been drawn to life in images. “I kind of see things in frames—life is a movie or life is in pictures.” In high school, she worked at the movie theater and later took a photography class which cemented her connection to the field. She says she tends to see moments, and this really shines through in her portraiture. Her love of capturing an individual’s personality on film began in high school by taking pictures of her friends for her film photography class, and that’s when her journey began. Erin’s photography side-business financed her way through X-ray school in 2005. Working with X-rays has some similarities to photography in that it used to involve developing the images with chemicals just like the film cameras Erin originally learned on, and it also captures images through the use of light. However, Erin soon realized her passion was telling stories through her own camera lens. 58

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Erin shares the best advice she’s received is to start before you’re ready. She and her husband, Jaymes, were walking in Downtown Oroville shortly after her sister Shanin passed away in 2017. Erin says Jaymes has always been a source of strength and support, and he urged her to go and open her studio. Erin replied, “What?! I’m not ready! I don’t have clients or funds to do this.” They entered Prospector’s Alley to check out an available storefront, and she immediately felt reminded of something she couldn’t place. Then it hit her—a photo she had taken many years ago of her mom and her sisters building their playhouse. That playhouse façade with its roof and railing echoed the loft of the vacant suite, and Erin knew, “This is my studio.” Erin Lackey Photography moved into the space in 2018, and she has gone full time with her work there. Her business concept is one of a boutique experience. Having come from film originally, Erin feels that photography stands the test of time. It can tell stories from a hundred years ago, and while her camera is digital, her goal is to get everything out and printed. She shares that, “We are a lost generation almost, living in pixels.” She loves the artwork of photos and wants them to live on someone’s wall. “I want you to get goosebumps when you walk through your home and see your family, when you

see your high school senior, or when you see your pet on your wall.” The full-service experience begins with an initial phone conversation followed by an in-person consultation. It’s here that the customer will talk about their vision, their outfits, and locations. The communication continues up to the photo session. These sessions last anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours depending on the client and the shoot. Erin takes hundreds of photos and narrows them down to the absolute best, which she arranges in a slideshow set to music specifically curated for them. The family then comes to the studio to sit and watch the slideshow as Erin guides them through the ordering process—helping them to select their artwork, whether it’s a 40-inch mantlepiece or an acrylic-covered album set in velvet. It's especially fitting that Erin’s studio is found in a building from 1872 with original hardwood floors and timeworn brick walls. History emanates from its walls as she crafts new history to be held or displayed on yours. Contact Erin at 530-370-3597, hello@erinlackey.com or stop by the studio at 1440 Myers St., Suite D, Oroville, CA.

WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTOS COURTESY ERIN LACKEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Remember the days of going to grandma’s and looking through boxes of old photos, holding history in your hands, and sharing memories? Or maybe you’ve read books that talk of family paintings gracing the halls of manors or hanging over mantles and fireplaces. This is what Erin Lackey wants for today’s families. She wants to bring back the legacy of heirloom memories through her boutique photography and signature pieces.

that may come about afterwards. “We’re trying to teach employers that retaining good employees is worth the investment,” Shelby says. “Rupture and repair is a normal part of relationships, and we’re not taught how to effectively communicate. There’s no relationship where you’re not going to disagree or have conflict, so you can either lose employees each time an unavoidable difference pops up, or learn how to have the more difficult discussions and still come out with an employee who is an asset to you and your business.” Often, an employer’s knee-jerk reaction to having a disagreement with an employee is to fire that employee, which doesn’t solve the problem, or eliminate the liability. This is where HRiq comes in. “We help the employer reflect on the employee’s prior performance and ask, why did you hire them in the first place?” Shelby says. “A lot of it is getting people out of the blaming mindset and their assumptions that people want to be bad or lazy, because it doesn’t work that way—different things inspire different people, and most people naturally communicate ineffectively.”

Shelby Chase is the owner of HRiq, a boutique HR firm in Chico. When this magazine last checked in with her, the firm was heavily focused on helping employers navigate myriad challenges and roadblocks that were a direct result of the pandemic. Going above and beyond to help their clients, Shelby and her team put together a handbook to help businesses understand what kind of resources were available to them and helped business owners qualify for over ten million dollars in relief. A year hence, HRiq’s focus has shifted somewhat. “We’ve expanded the services we offer and are using creative approaches to solve the unique issues clients are experiencing,” she says. “Pandemic funding is going away, but labor law updates and staffing shortages are not. Now, it’s about navigating individual preferences and learning how to respect each others’ feelings and opinions on COVID in the workplace. What are ways we can come back to work and respect each 60

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other’s boundaries? Touchier subjects, but extremely important considering a lot of businesses are still only partially open due to a lack of employees and job applicants.” With the flipped power dynamic employers are facing, Shelby and her team are helping businesses figure out how to navigate with the tools they have. “Some people are back in the office, others are still working from home,” she says. “We’re learning to retain employees given the new social norms and finding artistic solutions to get past employer-employee disagreements and employee-employee disagreements”. The firm offers crisis management consulting, which allows the employer and employee to sit down and air their mutual grievances with another person in the room that has no personal or professional stake in the outcome. It allows for complete honesty, and can dissipate some of the awkwardness

HRiq is located in Chico and can be reached by call or text at (530) 680-4747, or email at shelby@upyourHRiq.com

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

retaining etiquette

“HR isn’t just policies and procedures,” Shelby says. “It’s employee culture and human relationships, and policies should translate to a culture change in a good way, not just in a legal or hierarchical type of way. I think some employers tend to forget that these are real people they’re dealing with, and how large of a role someone’s career has in their life. When someone comes to me, and they immediately want to just fire someone, I’m always going to do my due diligence in explaining to them that this is a person who probably didn’t intend to do what they did in the way it was perceived. I want employers to think about how they can save that relationship, because there are hidden costs to turnover, and it doesn’t financially help an organization to have to hire and train another personality. Firing someone without giving that person the option to correct themselves, or without trying to understand your role in the interaction just postpones the inevitable. If a business wants to do things right the first time, I’m their person.”

The "Fall man" Although people despise being blamed, they often insist someone be named “at fault” and do not consider an issue resolved until responsibility is placed on a single individual. Understanding why an issue exists is often confused with identifying culpability, and in order to move forward, the true cause of the problem must be distinguished—or better yet, causes. It is often rare that one person is to blame for an issue, but as humans, we love to believe that it is that simple. Combined with our ability to find answers simply for the sake of having an answer, and our willingness to believe what we want to believe, this behavior comes at a costly price—especially for business owners. Employers are justified in seeing employees for the liability that they are, and it's a natural instinct to want to eliminate a threat when it appears. More often than not, when disagreements come to a boil between employers and employees, the employer feels that termination is the answer and that ending the relationship will get rid of the threat. Unfortunately, most of the time, that is the opposite approach that should be taken. When the employee walks out the door, the solution to the problem is walking out the door with them, and the solution

usually is worth a lot of money. When business owners can let their guard down and do not feel at risk of litigation, mutually beneficial conversations are able to take place between employees and employers. When given proper guidance and reassurance, people want to share their perspectives on problems, people want to feel understood, and people want to work as a team to reduce the same problems from reoccurring in the future. If we want to run successful businesses, we need to normalize our inability to productively communicate, and recognize these skills do not come naturally or easily to anyone. Coming to terms with our deficiencies has a huge return on investment, and in the workplace, will save tremendously in employee retention and turnover costs. For as long as you have employees, people’s personal issues will find a way into your workplace, and having open conversations about those personal issues is the key to solving your organizational problems. If you are ready to take a deep dive approach into the personalities in your business and understand how they impact your bottom line, contact us at HRiq by calling (530) 680-4747. 61

Looking Forward, Giving Back When I spoke with Amanda Bellamy, owner of Bellamy Salon in Chico, she was simultaneously watching her four-anda-half-month-old son, putting together a salon chair, greeting the water guy, and answering my questions about how her business has grown in the last year. To say she is a busy lady is something of an understatement. She began expanding her salon’s footprint during the pandemic, and it’s still a bit of a work in progress, though Amanda and her team have big plans for the space once it's fully completed.

In addition to the original team, or the “Salon OG’s” as Amanda refers to them, Cheryl Martinez, Danielle Diaz, and Tania Perez, Amanda has also begun teaching newer stylists inside the salon, hiring them on as her assistants, and allowing them to work beside her to gain hands-on training. “I love to teach,” Amanda says. “It’s probably one of my favorite parts of the job. I’m always searching for the next driven stylist. There aren’t a lot of opportunities or hourly positions in Chico salons for assisting stylists, so it’s good to 62

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Amanda and her team are close, and she loves the atmosphere in the salon. “I couldn’t ask for a better team of stylists. Cheryl, Danielle, and Tania were the backbone of this business surviving through the pandemic, and it wouldn’t be where it is now without them,” she says. “And now, adding our amazing new stylists to the team makes the salon even more fun and vibrant. I love and appreciate the support here. Every day we build each other up.” Amanda would like to also emphasize how appreciative she and her team are of the support they’ve received from their clients, both during the remodel of the shop and during Amanda’s maternity leave. “Our salon has come so far, and we’re so excited to keep growing,” she says. Bellamy Salon is located at 1450 Mangrove Avenue, Suite 130, in Chico. The salon can be reached by phone at (530) 806-3031.

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

“We’d love to open the space up for events,” she says. “Now that we’re just about finished, we can start being more proactive about that. I’d love to talk to someone involved with charity work to organize events like paint and sips, art shows, or anything really. We have a lot of space here, and we feel really strongly about giving back to the Chico community. It’s been through a lot the last couple of years.”

find the ones that are really hungry and really motivated.” Once assistants have built their knowledge and experience, they move into full time stylists. “They essentially graduate into the position of stylist, where they’re self-employed, building their career, and taking clients, but I’m still always there for them, so if they get stuck on a haircut or color, they can always ask me for advice. They’re never really alone and all of us support each other here.” The newest additions to the salon family since last year are Reese Carter, Kaity Jensen, and Allyson Scarborough.

Technological advances in skin procedures Lasers for use on the skin are high-energy light that is absorbed into tissues to affect collagen, elastin fibers, pigmentation, blood vessels, and hair follicles. Depending on the treatment desired, and the foreseen results, different wavelengths of laser can be used for different functions and characteristics. When light energy is absorbed, it turns into heat to eliminate or modify the targeted tissue or vessels. This tissue needs to sustain a thermal injury to cause it to either destroy or rebuild its target. As laser light is attracted to darker pigmentation, care must be given to adjust the laser settings to skin type and color to avoid a possible burn. No tanning, even self-tanning lotion or sprays, should be used prior to any laser treatment to prevent too much laser energy from concentrating on darker areas. Lasers can be used to treat a wide variety of skin conditions including: acne, rosacea, sun damage, wrinkles, cherry angiomas, spider veins on face and body, pore size, skin tags, birthmarks, and tattoo removal.

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Pigmentation issues, which can be hard to resolve, may require more work, and more than one treatment is usually recommended for best results. Most aesthetic lasers have been around for awhile and can be researched by brand and model. We also have the latest radiofrequency plasma and micro-needling technology to address laxity in the skin. Call to set up your FREE consultation! DERM BAR MED-SPA 85 Declaration Dr. Suite 100 Chico, CA 95973 530.342.2672 63

Oil & Canvas

Dolores grew up in a rough neighborhood with very protective parents, and oftentimes found herself alone with her art supplies and an imagination full of ideas. She had a strong sense of art and understood the techniques at a young age, which would lead to being awarded a scholarship to the Chicago Art Institute for Saturday classes. This experience provided an outlet for Dolores’ talent to shine and is where her true love for art came to fruition. Everyone's journey in life is unique and 64

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beautiful in its own way, and this couldn't be more true for Dolores. At age 30, she found herself going back to school and attending UCLA to pursue her dream of being an artist. Dolores would go on to earn majors in painting and art history. After graduation, Dolores was faced with the reality that being an artist is a very difficult full-time job. She decided to relocate and found herself in the small artsy farming town of Chico. She began teaching art history at Chico State and remained there for 30 years, retiring in 2000.

approach to art can certainly be found flowing through her own.

After retiring, Dolores had tons of free time on her hands. With those hands, she produced hundreds of beautiful paintings depicting local landscapes and her favorite spots around Northern California.

You can subscribe to Dolores' “Art Talk” for free monthly updates about all things local art at https:// lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/5LD8IZs. You can also find Dolores' beautiful paintings at Vagabond Rose Gallery, The Red Tavern, Chico Art Center’s “Open Studios Tour,” as well as the local art festivals and pop-up shows. For those who have a love and appreciation for art, the Chico Arts Festival will be right up your alley as artists from around the area converse and enjoy the day together. We hope you get a chance to expand your palate while engaging with the community!

“Chico has so many beautiful colors,” Dolores exclaimed with excitement! “The fall and spring colors are vastly different. I could paint the same picture, but a different season, and it won't even look like the same area!” Chico has been a great place to derive inspiration from, and she’s found a way to blend it with the inspiration and energy she often gathers from Claude Monet’s work. His whimsical

Today, Dolores is working with local artists in creating the Chico Arts Festival. This festival takes place once a year and highlights some amazing artists throughout Northern California. This year, the Chico Arts Festival will be taking place at St. John's Episcopal Church, located at 2341 Floral Avenue in Chico on Friday, May 6, from 4-8pm, and Saturday, May 7, from 10am-5pm. You will not want to miss this compilation of amazing artists.

WRITTEN BY BEAU VANDERMATE

Dolores Mitchell is an artist in every sense of the word. She has helped curate, paint, collect, teach, and most importantly, produce beautiful works of art with her signature medium of oil on canvas. Throughout the Northstate, Dolores exclaims there is inspiration at every turn, with beautiful landscapes enclosing our community in the valley. The outskirts of Chico, and the farmlands, provide beautiful scenery year-round. The constant change of seasons provides a vast array of colors and visuals to capture. Over her many years as an artist, Dolores has remained thankful to this North Valley community.

Unwined’s beautiful onyx bar and pizza oven are unique design features of the restaurant, and Melinda wanted to establish the natural elements of wood, stone, metal, and earth, that created a warm and inviting atmosphere. The Ready Chef Go space became the event room that now hosts all manner of musicians, comedians, and magic show performers, some from as far away as San Francisco. Melinda and Frank also reengineered the menu to incorporate more eclectic menu options for their guests, such as American Wagyu Kobe Beef, crab bellas, a Thai coconut shrimp bowl, and chicken pot pie. Even better, many of the menu items can be made vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. If you’re feeling adventurous and up for a truly special experience, Unwined offers wine, whiskey, and tequila flights, each of which will transport you to different regions of the world.

WRITTEN BY MADDIE RODRIGUEZ

relax and unwined Melinda and Frank Kennemer are the owners of Unwined Kitchen & Bar located at 980 Mangrove Avenue in Chico. After opening and being the proprietors of Outback Steakhouse in Chico for 18 years, the couple decided to go out on their own, opening Unwined and Ready Chef Go, next door to one another, in December 2015. Ready Chef Go was a to-go restaurant concept developed by the Kennemers that Melinda says was a bit ahead of its time. “It was like a farmers market full of seasonal goods and produce that people could quickly grab on their way to-and-from work or home,” she says. “We desperately needed storage, so we decided to put the inventory on display, and people loved it!” Unwined was just supposed to be the little wine bar adjacent to the main restaurant

offering a couple of small plates, but after half a year it was booming and quickly growing in popularity. Melinda and Frank decided to focus on Unwined as the primary business and expand it into the Ready Chef Go space. “We were nervous, but it opened up so many more possibilities,” Melinda says. “We were able to get out there and touch another part of the community that we wouldn’t have been able to connect with if we hadn’t made the decision to close Ready Chef Go. It was really a challenging, exciting adventure, and we weren’t sure how it was going to go. We just kept pushing through it, and I think that the space has really become a beacon of fun for so many in town, as well as for Frank and myself.”

Melinda is an interior designer, and she takes pride in the atmosphere of her restaurant. “Stepping into Unwined is like stepping into someplace in a big city, just without the high menu prices and difficult parking,” she says. “When people come in to dine, our goal is to give them an experience in a comfortable, warm, lively, upbeat environment, that’s also a bit rustic. A lot of people tell us it feels like their favorite restaurants in Seattle or San Francisco.” Unwined has something for absolutely everyone. Whether you’re looking to impress a date, enjoy a weekend brunch with family, unwind with a coworker at Happy Hour, or revel in an adult night out with friends, Unwined has just what you need. The menu is a seasonal blend of great foods that are sure to delight the palate no matter what you choose. “I just love the roasted salmon,” Melinda says. “Though, it’s difficult to pick just one favorite. Our menu is constantly evolving, which only offers more opportunities to try something new and find a favorite of your own with every visit.” Drop by Unwined and check out their delicious menu and welcoming atmosphere for yourself! They’re open 4-9pm Wednesday through Sunday at 980 Mangrove Avenue in Chico and Happy Hour runs from 4-6pm Wednesday through Saturday.

window and started with a clean slate. There were just a couple of us in a giant empty restaurant running everything, and it gave each of us the opportunity to really prove ourselves. When our general manager, Bill Buxton, needed a second in command, he offered the position to me, and I’ve been the AGM ever since.”

Alyssa Arguello During the early days of the pandemic, only a few brave individuals were keeping things running at supermarkets, utilities, and restaurants. Alyssa Arguello was one of those. As the assistant general manager at Parkside Tap House in Downtown Chico, she was one of a handful of staff who stayed on at the beginning of the pandemic, helping the restaurant pivot to a new curbside model and allowing would-bediners the opportunity to enjoy some of their favorite menu items at home. Alyssa grew up in Brentwood, California. “Not the Brentwood everyone knows from O.J.” She laughed, “Our Brentwood was near Antioch and Livermore in the Bay Area. It was a small town in the middle of corn country. Everything was corn; we even had a festival to celebrate it.” Her parents were in the food business and Alyssa grew up falling in love with it. Alyssa’s father was in food sales and sold food and alcohol to restaurants throughout the Bay Area. He and her mother also started a small catering business during her younger years. The business grew and grew until it eventually became the number-one preferred catering vendor in the Carmel Valley. “They cater the AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm each year along with a number of other high-profile events,” Alyssa said. “They were literally feeding celebrities year-round. I remember thinking 66

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if they can do it, so can I. Their success and encouragement taught me that my options were limitless.” She earned her start in the food industry working with her parents at a number of those catering events in high school before moving to Chico at the age of 18. Alyssa began studying nutrition and food science at Butte College and picked up a job working at Franky’s as a busser. She worked her way up the ladder to server, bartender, and eventually manager, remaining with the company for nine years. During that time, she also transferred to Chico State and earned her degree in communication studies. When she heard Parkside was opening, she knew it would be the right fit for her. “I started working at Parkside on opening day and essentially just worked during the weekend and late night shifts,” Alyssa remembered, “I saw how quickly things were growing and loved the atmosphere, so I decided to move into a full-time position. The banquet manager left shortly after, and they offered me the position. It was perfect, since I already had a ton of catering experience working with my parents. I ran banquets for a year and a half before the pandemic hit, and it literally changed everything. We threw everything out the

Parkside has been one of the big benefactors of the return to normalcy, thanks to a number of factors including their incredible team, giant outdoor patio, and commitment to push through even the most difficult of circumstances. “We’ve been crazy busy,” Alyssa said, “People seem to be happier and appreciative of the opportunity to be out and at a restaurant. I’ve felt like we have a much greater level of freedom here. All of our staff have been so supportive of each other through everything, and they’re all such troopers—they’ve endured quite a bit and worked through it all. I’ve been learning as I go. This is the largest group of people I’ve ever managed and the highest revenue restaurant I’ve ever worked at. I’ve learned so much from Bill and all of our employees, and I couldn’t be more excited for all of this growth—both personally and for Parkside. We have resident DJs, we’ll be introducing late night food and snacks in the near future, starting our offsite catering business with our new mobile pizza oven, building a stage for live music, and so much more. The coming year is going to be big for all of us!” In closing, Alyssa wanted to express her appreciation to Parkside’s owners, Josh Marks and Josh Snider. “I just want to say I’m really thankful that the Joshes trust me to represent and help run their business,” Alyssa said. “They have given Bill & I the reins and let us run with them! They are super helpful, always buzzing around making sure things are going smoothly behind the scenes and stay involved in plans. It’s pretty inspiring to see how much this company has grown in just the last five years, and I’m happy to be a part of it. I can’t wait to see where we’re at in another 5 years!” Stop by Parkside to see what they have in store for you, and don’t forget to congratulate Alyssa on her promotion to assistant manager and all she’s accomplished during her short time in Chico!

promoted to bar manager alongside Colin Jones. She learned the ropes of managing Parkside’s large bartending staff and building cocktail menus with Colin. Together, they made it through the pandemic and came out the other side as better bartenders and managers because of it.

Lizbeth Ruiz Cervantes Lizbeth “Lizzy” Ruiz Cervantes was another committed individual who worked at Parkside Tap House throughout the beginning of the pandemic, ensuring the business continued running smoothly. As bar manager alongside Colin Jones, the two reinvented Parkside’s bar menu, creating new recipes and modifying favorites to travel properly when ordered for curbside pickup. Their efforts helped make Parkside a household name throughout the pandemic and top-of-mind when Downtown Chico opened up once again. Lizzy was born to parents who were both business owners. “They taught me you could do anything if you put your mind to it,” Lizzy said. She got her start in the restaurant business at the age of 15, serving tables at a small Mexican restaurant near her house in Tracy and later found a faster pace working at Olive Garden when she turned 18. Lizzy enrolled at the community college in Livermore and began working in pubs and restaurants throughout the city. At 21, she began bartending at Johnny Garlic’s in Dublin. It was there she learned the art of craft cocktails and perfected her skills as a bartender. In 2018, Lizzy decided she was ready to start a new chapter. She visited Chico and fell in love with it. “I never lived in a town

with so many things to do,” Lizzy said. “When you move from a small cow town like Tracy, you’re surprised to see people out riding their bikes everywhere and hanging out downtown. It was exactly what I wanted!” While dropping off résumés, she stopped into Jamba Juice and noticed a restaurant above it. She walked into Crush, talked with their old general manager, Tom, and he hired her on the spot. “I worked at Crush for two-and-a-half years,” Lizzy remembered. “It gave me the opportunity to learn so much and meet so many new people, which was huge for me since I was brand new in town and didn’t know anyone! People really took their time at Crush, so you had a unique opportunity to have long conversations with customers at the bar and really get to know them. Working with Jason Colabove was really something special—he’s an incredible chef, and he worked to make us the best we could be with wine classes, training, and ongoing education.” After her time at Crush, Lizzy was ready for a new adventure and knew she would find it at Parkside Tap House. “Parkside was where everyone went to have fun,” Lizzy said, “It was a fast-paced environment, and I loved being part of the party.” She started as a bartender, and within five months, was

In February, General Manager Bill Buxton needed a second in command for Parkside’s sister restaurant, Bella’s Sports Pub. He looked to Lizzy to fill that role. “Bill said he needed someone to bring about stronger structure and new ideas for Bella’s while prioritizing relationships with all patrons who walk into the establishment. I was really honored when he asked me to take the position on. I immediately said yes, and the last three months as assistant general manager have already given me such an incredible opportunity to learn the inner workings of the restaurant business. There’s a lot that goes into running a restaurant. You want to keep your staff happy, but you need to enforce structure. Change isn’t always wanted, but it’s necessary at times. The position has really helped me better learn how to manage my time and communicate with others. A lot of people here have more experience than I do, and they’re great at sharing their experience and wisdom. Bill, Josh Marks, and Josh Snider are constantly working towards the future. Complacency can set any person back, and they are always looking for ways to do better and be better. I really appreciate everything they do for us. When I took this role, I knew I was expecting, and I was worried I couldn’t handle everything. I’ve really learned I can trust in myself and lean on others when I need to, especially my fiancée Tom, who is such a boss and always handles everything so well. I want to tell my daughter, Nayeli, that she can do anything she wants, and I want to be proof of it.” As the AGM at Bella’s, Lizzy is hard at work helping to usher in trivia nights and a new cocktail bar with movie nights on the patio. She couldn’t be more excited for her new position and the new offerings Bella’s will provide to Downtown Chico and invites everyone to stop in and watch as the restaurant grows. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for her and Bella’s alike.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

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The mind behind the doors One of Lisa Sereda’s first childhood memories comes from when she was four years old. Her grandma, Lorraine, sat her at the kitchen table with an array of vinegars, oils, and spices and gave the command, “Make a salad dressing.” Her grandma also told her to never be afraid of food and what she could make. This, combined with her Grandpa Bill’s pointers on the eye appeal of plating food, has continued to today where Lisa is the main creative mind in the kitchen at Wine Time in Chico. WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

Let’s face it, while most of us have experience in our own kitchens, it’s often a bit of a mystery as to what happens behind those swinging doors leading into a restaurant’s culinary center. Lisa has spent nearly twenty years learning her craft, and one of the most important aspects of being a chef is the team. “I love my team,” she stated. “Everyone is so important in the preparation and execution of our food.” Currently, the Wine Time backroom crew consists of Lisa, three line cooks, and two dishwashers. Include the waitstaff and the owner, Jasmine James, and you round out the people who create and serve you the delicious food at the restaurant. The Wine Time menu changes four times a year to reflect the seasonally inspired, complex dishes that complement the excellent wine selection. Lisa’s journey in the culinary world began

when she came to Chico from the East Bay to attend college. Eventually, she landed a job as a prep cook at Wine Time, and when the chef departed ten years ago, she took over, and has been there ever since. “I had planned on attending the Culinary Institute in St. Helena, but decided to stay here,” she said. And it’s been a fruitful and interesting journey. “I live, breathe, and love my job,” Lisa added. “Besides the menu changes being a creative challenge, we source almonds, walnuts, and honey from my parents, Bob and Laura.” Those walnuts went into one of Lisa’s signature dishes, the walnut-stuffed Anaheim pepper, that took her to New York City to compete in the International Food Show Competition in 2021. “I did well, and the dish has become one of the favorites on our menu.” Positive Yelp reviews confirm this, and the entrée can be vegan as well. There are many vegan options on the Wine Time menu, even a made-to-order vegan “meat and cheese” charcuterie board. They make their own crackers, flatbreads, and pastas, and grow a garden out back every year. Lisa has no plans to leave Wine Time, and she considers everyone who works there a big family who supports one another every day. You really need to check out Lisa’s brilliant creations and try a glass of the grape ASAP. You can visit Wine Time at 26 Lost Dutchman Drive in Chico.

Capay's Harvest

In the beginning, Amanda used the space as originally intended—as a test kitchen to continue her previous venture. Though perfect for her business, she quickly found the community had needs that weren’t being fulfilled. In no time, she was inundated with customers who were interested in purchasing the food she was experimenting with in her test kitchen. Amanda felt she had no choice but to open the kitchen as a restaurant for the local community. Offering large portions of home-cooked family-style fare, Capay’s Harvest has taken the local economy by storm. Better yet, the food is of incredible quality and offered at a price point perfect for our area. As I spoke with Amanda, early on a Saturday morning, 70

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many customers walked in. She paused and greeted each of them individually with a friendly, “Good morning!” The atmosphere is a blast from the past—a slower time without the distraction of phones, when you started a conversation with the neighboring table while enjoying a peaceful country meal.

Capay’s Harvest is located at 7544 Cutting Avenue in Orland, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday through Thursday from 8:15am to 7 pm, along with Friday and Saturday from 8:15am to 8pm. If you don’t have time to sit down and dine, they also have an amazing bakery and deli case with quick grab-and-go options. One Saturday each month, they even offer an all-you-caneat breakfast. To top it off, Capay’s Harvest provides catering services as well, with menus that can be found at Capaysharvest.com In the spring of 2021, Amanda and her team took another leap of faith and purchased a food truck, naming it The Harvester, with the sole purpose of bringing a taste of the country to you. With a rotating menu of beer cheese bacon burgers, Chicago dogs, veggies, and tri-tip wraps, it’s the perfect way to get your fill of country cooking. Amanda has put full effort into the food truck, just as she did Capay’s Harvest. You will be greeted by smiling faces and amazing food Monday and Tuesday at 1184 East Ave in Chico from 11-2pm (or until sold out) and Monday nights from 4-8pm at Secret Trail Brewing, also in Chico. Stop by and see what all the buzz is about!

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY TACO TRACKER, RYAN STEFANELLI

Capay’s Harvest may be a new endeavor for owner Amanda Metzger, but she has a long history in the food game. Her restaurant was founded in 1936 as a local grocery and hardware store, and quickly made a name for itself in the Northern California community. The building’s reputation for service to the community was not lost on Amanda, as she grew up near the establishment. Having been in the food industry for many years prior to opening Capay’s Harvest, developing recipes and offering cooking classes, Amanda was in the market for an industrial space and approached the owners of the building looking to purchase it to operate her test kitchen. Luckily, they were in the mood to sell, and she was in the right mood to make such a gamble. She ended up taking ownership of the building in 2018.

Caffeinated Chatter Who is your favorite woman in business?

AL AVA H I C O

OFFEE

ROASTERS

Think Global, Drink Local

Eva Cross Perri Chase would have to be my favorite woman in business. One of her ideas is that most businesses in our society are based on a “masculine business model” that has notoriously catered to one side. Perry has helped me understand you can build and operate a business in many different ways, it doesn't have to be cutthroat all the time and grasping our inner truth and what good we can bring to our community is sometimes worth more than a dollar.

Order your beans online! www.caljavacoffee.com

Jess Williams Claire Ramirez Hootman, at Liberty Barber Co., is a constant beacon of light and such an inspiring person day-in and day-out. The level of care she brings to the barber community is truly admirable, not to mention the revival of traditional barbering. While working at the shop as another barber, there is not a single day where I don't learn from, or appreciate, the work she is doing.

Rickey Dean The CEO of the company I am currently working for is a woman, and she started the business herself. Michelle Heuer is her name, and the company is HMA, which is a marketing agency. The respect I have for her is indescribable as she is truly a selfless person. During the pandemic, all employee wages were covered, and she took a pay cut. That's just the surface. The everyday level of care is something I cherish, and it’s the reason why working for them is such a joy.

It's All About the

Ethan's Eatery

As our plates arrived, I can unsurprisingly say they were picture perfect. I could have been full at that moment, considering we eat with our eyes before our mouths. The coolness of the crab, and the warmth of the egg and hollandaise, was divine. Texture plays an important role in the way we perceive a dish; the pillowy-plump egg was perfection, and the welcome snap 72

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of sliced onion and creamy avocado was beyond delightful. The crab was light and fresh. It didn’t compete with any of the saltiness the sauce lent. Everything just played off of each other so well. The patio at Ethan’s is serene, even as it rests along one of the busier thoroughfares in town. You can see patrons enjoying their favorite selection of the 17 juice and nectar options in their mimosa flights. Looking to take your brunch to the next level? Owner, Justine Jacobsen, tells us they are just receiving the new Chambong, and they recently started an 18-egg omelet challenge. If your Sunday has two boxes to check— eat and nap with a smile on your face— Ethan’s has you covered with fantastic fare, an easy-to-follow menu experience, weekly specials sure to please, and terrific drinks to round out your meal. The next time you’re feeling mimosional, head to Ethan’s and see what you’ve been missing.

WRITTEN BY JASON CORONA

For those in the know, Ethan’s Eatery in Oroville is a clear choice for folks who want an elevated breakfast or lunch. From the homey yet contemporary feel, to the unique crafted flavors, it rests comfortably around the top of most everyone's list in Oroville. The kitchen whips up fresh seasonal ranchero sauces, bacon jams, and an assortment of wing sauces—or whatever the heck they want to put together for that week’s specials. For these reasons, the crab Benedict was the first stop in this month’s side-by-side.

Benedicts, Baby!

Nash's WRITTEN BY JASON CORONA

Tucked away just off the iconic Esplanade, in the Avenues, sits Nash’s. Vintage decor, plus a variety of ferns and vines, surrounded us on Nash’s fully enclosed patio. It would make for an ideal rehearsal-dinner site; even a jazz or country music venue, complete with outdoor bar. A generational favorite of townies, and hailed by college students as a go-to for brunch, it was a no-brainer that Nash’s made our list of stops for a Benedict. The carnitas variety caught my attention and did not disappoint. In place of the hollandaise rested a smooth and tangy verde sauce, with a light spice that only the most tame palates couldn’t appreciate, and finished with bright cilantro. There’s no possible thickness of English muffin that stands a chance against the generous portion of tender and juicy carnitas. To add to it, they still somehow manage to soak in the eggs’ runny yolk. Thick-sliced avocado rest

between the meat and muffin completing the southwestern feel. Want to try some of your new favorite hash browns? Look no further, as they have just the right amount of salt and crispness! Hours after eating, my mouth still waters as I convert this meal to print. Nash’s is a crowd pleaser to say the least. Even the pickiest of eaters can have an easy time finding a different and enjoyable meal at each return visit. They have a number of options with half-size portions as well, perfect for a smaller appetite or a busy day where you decide there's still enough time to reward yourself. If you’re looking for bottomless mimosas and a delicious Bloody Mary with your brunch, or a selection from their full bar for dinner, they have you covered. Nash’s boasts a wonderful private dining area and 3 dining rooms, patio included, so you can have the privacy of your liking while experiencing their time-honored excellent service. 73

Ingredient of the month: yogurt

Ron offered us a spoonful. And wow, what a flavor: tart, sweet, tangy, peachy, and dairy-ish. I was hooked. Constant pestering convinced my mom to buy some yogurt, and I’ve been eating it to this day. As it turns out, yogurt is a fantastically healthy snack—if you can tolerate dairy— and it is especially good for women. Yogurt contains high amounts of protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B12. Women who eat yogurt regularly have better overall health according to a study in 2013. It can also help to lower blood pressure, blood glucose, and triglycerides, which will definitely benefit your heart, pancreas, and brain health. Women who routinely consume yogurt also have improved digestive processes and immune systems due to the pre- and probiotics provided by the live bacteria such as lactobacillus bulgaria and streptococcus 74

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thermophilus. However, make sure your yogurt has “live active cultures” labeled on the container. The little critters can also help prevent constipation! That’s a win-win-win right there. Caution: purchasing flavored or sugar sweetened yogurt pretty much defeats the notion of “healthy.” Avoid it. There’s not a huge difference between Greek and regular yogurt, but Greek has more protein. Also, low milk fat is better than whole fat. If you’ve been on a regimen of antibiotics, realize they kill the good as well as the bad gut bacteria. Eating yogurt with live cultures can keep the process at bay or reverse it. Of course, there's a big trend in non-dairy yogurts these days. You can get almond milk, cashew, coconut, and other yogurts. Make sure they, too, contain live active cultures and no sweeteners. If you’re not an eat it by itself type of yogurt person, there’s a ton of options out there. For dessert, you could have grilled fruit kebabs with yogurt and a little honey. Another tasty treat is a yogurt parfait with your choice of fruits, nuts, and flakes. Instead of using sour cream, drain yogurt overnight and add it to tandoori chicken. There’s also yogurt mac and cheese and a very different take: Turkish fried eggs in herbed yogurt. As for yogurt or yoghurt? It’s yogurt in the US and yoghurt in Europe. Très cosmopolite!

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

Way back in 1966, when I was a young lad running amok on the Chico State campus, riding bikes with my buddies until dusk, my parents lived by Rainbo Bakery. Ron Welch, a college student, lived next door. One day, my friend Fred and I were goofing in the front yard, pegging juniper bush berries at each other, hoping for a headshot. Ron observed from his porch, eating from a plastic container. The substance looked thick, rich, and a tad bit orange. Upon inquiring, Ron told us it was yogurt. Being from Rubesville, USA (Northern California), I’d only heard of yogurt.

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playing for the sophisticated crowd “Put a little swing into the music. That’s where the fun comes in,” says The Occasional Swingers singer and guitarist LeAnn Cooley. She adds, “We play music where people can enjoy a good meal and get up and dance if they feel like it.” The band has gained quite a following in the North Valley area, playing at venues like the Red Tavern and LaSalle’s in Chico, Almendra in Durham, and The Union in Oroville.

people you’d ever meet,” she said. “He’s always got the groove going whenever we play.”

“While we have a pretty constant foursome, we often have guest musicians and singers join us,” said Cooley. “That’s where the ‘occasional’ comes in. We’re not always the same group.” However, the mainstays of Occasional Swingers are talented and established musicians in the Chico area and beyond, and LeAnn can’t give them enough praise.

The group plays a variety of styles including vintage jazz, ‘30’s and ‘40’s swing, and classic country featuring Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Willy Nelson. They also throw in a little gospel music which can be great for dancing. It makes you want to get up and move. LeAnn says it’s a built-in beautiful life where, when you are playing, you’re where you want to be. This is the “music zen” so many musicians comment upon when they talk about playing.

Donald Bowman plays the saxophone and flute. LeAnn says he’s one of the best musicians she’s ever met. Bowman came up from San Diego after playing with a popular group there called The Mardells. He can also sing quite well, and this adds to the group’s depth. Don Slater plays percussion, and LeAnn says he adds a big smile and a little sass to the band. “He’s just one of the nicest 76

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The Occasional Swingers often play at private events such as parties and weddings. “There’s something very special about playing during the cocktail hour of a wedding,” said LeAnn. “We play for a sophisticated, older type of audience.” They recently played at the State Theater in Oroville, a classic venue with wonderful acoustics. Keep checking local venues and keep an ear out for the next Occasional Swingers event. You will not be disappointed by their sound.

WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

Eric Peter is a local jazz guitarist who teaches at Butte College, and he is also LeAnn’s duet partner at many events. “He’s so easy to play with,” she said. “He’s smooth and so talented,” she added.

Their sound and lighting guy, Shane Montane, of The Fabulous Montanes, is always there early to set up so everything is ready when the band arrives. Also, Montane sings with the group once in a while, so you could call him an Occasional Singer.

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WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

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Montana bound PV Senior Riley Miller is the California Vice President of an organization with which you may not be familiar: the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). This is a national organization for students in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) education that guides students into careers supporting families. These include hospitality and tourism, visual arts and design, education and training, and human services. Something else you need to know: Pleasant Valley High School had the largest site membership in 2021, with 500 members. Riley said, “Our teacher, Priscilla Burns, has a lot to do with our membership. One of the reasons I'm where I’m at today is because she pushed me to go the extra mile.” Part of that push included improving speaking skills, and enhancing presentation and leadership abilities. These will come in handy when Riley, one of five state officers and last year’s treasurer, will help organize and implement the FCCLA State Conference this spring where over 2,000 attendees will convene in San Diego to experience workshops, attend presentations, and enjoy the positive atmosphere.

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WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN

Riley attributes FCS with helping her focus on her grades and achieving scholar/ athlete status as a member of the Pleasant Valley track team. She has also been nominated for a Presidential Scholar Award and plans to attend the University of Montana Western, an affiliate of the University of Montana, to study for a degree in history. Ultimately, she wishes to follow in the footsteps of her mom, Celeste, and grandmother, Cindy Murdoch, and become a teacher. “Montana Western is known for its teaching credential program,” she said, “and I plan to stay in Montana after graduation and teach there.” Not only does teaching run in Riley’s family, so does involvement in the FCCLA. Her mom was a state officer and her dad, Eric, was a state regional officer. Riley's twin sister, Zoey, is also in FCCLA and is participating in the intern program, where students are placed with local businesses as sort of an apprentice to learn skills which will lead to a regular position. In Zoey’s case, she will be interning at the Pour House in Chico to learn about the restaurant trade. Riley said, “The FCS at Pleasant Valley provides many students with the opportunity to go out into the community and intern in a variety of occupations.” This no doubt will help when students go on to Butte College or Chico State, as they will be trained to work in their chosen field. FCCLA provides that opportunity. The organization has also provided Riley with the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., where she met with Congressman Doug LaMalfa to explain the importance of the FCCLA and the impact it has on local schools and businesses. She also conveyed to LaMalfa what a positive experience FCS has been and how it has helped her in her school and personal life.

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