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FROM THE EDITOR A pandemic is ubiquitous, that is, everywhere at the same time. Our current sweeping virus allows us to share empathy. Those of us in Northern California watching the devastation of the hurricanes can only have sympathy. We are all experiencing COVID-19 together, so empathy reigns. For every cancelled wedding is a graduate without a ceremony. For every sports fanatic is a high school softball player without a season. We share the sad, the unexplainable, and, yes the frustration. Our surrounding area can fool us. Believe there’s nothing to fear. Then the ubiquitous pandemic hits us right in the face. It is hard and we feel powerless. Staying home and helping those who must go out to fight for us gives us power. One area we lack empathy is if we do not own a small business or restaurant. At the magazine, we try to do our part. This month is twofold. We have a Coronavirus guide for small businesses with a wealth of ways to gain the right help and assistance. We also have a list of every restaurant we could find that is open for takeout, curbside, or delivery. We all can do what we can. Go online and buy a shirt, socks, gift card, or whatever. We can also take one or more evenings each week and have a wonderful dinner from a local eatery. Our cover story and its supporting pieces bring uplifting reads centered around education, something that is near and dear to me. Inspire School of Arts and Sciences graces our cover with a revealing look at a cutting edge academic approach that will wow you. It comes along with the inspiring fundraising campaign it just kicked off to assist in getting the staff and students the campus they deserve. In addition, our local spotlight shines brightly on Emily Akimoto and her 4th grade classroom at Sierra View Elementary. Emily's unique approach to learning and its atmosphere reveals much needed food for thought. Emily is utterly amazing and, as a result, so are her kids. Both of these articles will make you smile, will challenge you, and ultimately leave you with a better understanding of academic settings. The Backpage provides a glimpse of my personal feelings about education, my profession for 34 years. It takes you inside 14 of those years and introduces education as authentic, critical as in thinking, and students who grew accustomed to being the worker. I was fortunate to be an integral part of Chico High West, a school-within-a-school on the Panther campus from the Fall of 1995 to the Spring of 2010. Writing it was both cathartic and heartbreaking. Enjoy.
UPGRADED LIVING STAFF AVEED KHAKI Publisher/Owner KEVIN DOLAN Editor-in-Chief
NERISSA QUINN
SHELLY BRANDON
Production Director
Writer
JASON CORONA
FRANK REBELO
Sales Director
Photographer
DARREN MICHELS
JENNY SKIBO
Product Integration & Mobility Strategy
Photographer
ALEX GRANT Writer
MICHELLE CAMY Photographer
BRIAN LUONG Writer
CONTRIBUTORS CALIBER HOME LOANS
KEVIN DOLAN
Home
Backpage
HRiQ
MICAH HANKINS
Human Resources
Health
JASON CORONA
SWEENEY & MICHEL
Cocktails
Finance
JUSTIN PEEK
DR. VIMALI PAUL, M.D.
What Are You Comprised Of?
Skin Care
KATIE COOK Health
On to June, adding heat to the questions and trepidation.
For editorial or general magazine inquiries, please contact: Kevin Dolan, 530.894.8091 kevin@upgradedliving.com
Kevin Dolan Editor-in-Chief
For sales inquiries, please contact: Jason Coronoa, 530.591.2634 Sales@UpgradedLiving.com
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CONTENTS MAY 2020 COMMUNITY
AT HOME WITH KIDS
10 Meet Cool Kid Luca Osak and discover his
21 Ways to entertain your children easing the trials of sheltering in place.
love for the rainforest, water conversation, and his 4th grade teacher.
11 Delight in your invitation to go inside the
44 Sure fire ways to promote positive learning for those facilitating teaching at home.
innovative 4th grade class taught by the remarkable Emily Akimoto.
47 Our Editor-in-Chief reminiscences on a school-within-a-school he loved.
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HEALTH & BEAUTY 14 Finding the roots of grief and ways to deal with it in your daily life.
16 Quarantine life—here are exercises you can do at home.
18 Perhaps it’s time to go green with products used for your beauty regimen.
DWELLING DIY’S 31 Projects to look around your house to tackle during sheltering in place.
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40 Creative ways to use what's in your pantry to the fullest.
ON THE COVER: INSPIRE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES DESIGN BY: NERISSA QUINN RENDERING PROVIDED BY: INSPIRE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
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FEATURE 22 Our cover story takes you deep into Inspire School of Arts and Sciences and its vital need for a new campus.
26 We offer a Coronavirus Guide sure to be an essential tool for small businesses and restaurants in Chico and the surrounding area.
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Cool Kid
Luca Osak is a 4th grader in Miss Emily Akimoto’s class at Sierra View Elementary. He loves Miss Akimoto’s way of bringing in “different techniques” to learn, like, as he puts it, “more hands on” lessons. For him, this way of learning is “easier to understand and not so overwhelming.” A clear example of this came about on February 18th of this year. Luca Osak wrote an email to the Editor-in-Chief of Upgraded Living magazine. He clearly described his class and their participation in the Cal Water Project. Luca went on to say he hoped the project could be talked about in the magazine. He was convinced that by talking about this in Upgraded Living that, “In the end, I am hoping to help the community learn how to stop climate change to save our water.” At the magazine, we agreed not only to make Luca our monthly Cool Kid, but also make his entire classroom be featured as our Local Spotlight. Luca, it turns out, is indeed, a “Cool Kid,” a cool kid who cares. He gets excited about describing their participation in the Cal Water project and its several pieces. The first was a music video the entire class was proud of. It came with the theme of saving water and was put to the tune and music of Old Town Road by Little Nas X. Luca emphasized the fact it was successfully produced syllable for syllable of the original song and became “a clever way to get people to think differently about how to save water.” In addition, the project concentrated on a recycling program at school, spread to handing out free Chico Bags at S&S Produce, and returned to campus having the 10
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kindergarteners understand the importance of adopting reusable lunch boxes. The final piece caused Luca’s excitement to rise when talking about the class search for water leaks on the Sierra View campus. Smiling, he relayed, “We found a lot, wow, so much leaky stuff, wasting so much water.” The students mapped out the leaks and presented it to the custodial staff so they could remedy each. The students discovered that it did save so much water, to the tune of some 3,200 gallons. Luca is also a well-rounded, forward looking person. He really likes basketball, though swimming is his favorite sport, and he also trains in martial arts, practicing jiu jitsu. Luca also is known as an avid reader. Avid readers engulf books and move right on to the other upon each completion. Luca is a huge Harry Potter fan, currently engaged in “Wings of Fire.” As avid readers are acknowledged, he finishes most books in a day. Luca ultimately receives great enjoyment from going to different places where he can see rare things, not found around here but outside of America. He has been fortunate to have had these experiences. As a result, he is deeply fond of, and concerned with, the rainforests. From Miss Akimoto’s class and lessons to leaky faucets and promoting change in this world—Luca is fond of, and concerned with, a great deal of worthwhile things. We celebrate Luca, and wish him the very best in his continued pursuits of doing good for this world and himself.
WRITTEN BY KEVIN DOLAN PHOTO COURTESY OF GINA OSAK
A VERY CARING
Unity in Diversity Finding the Strength
Socrates wisely noted, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” In Emily’s case, the change centered around turning her classroom into a place much more conducive to learning. She believed in the notion of “flexible seating,” but found herself fighting against its stigma as a fad. From the beginning, she brought in a couch, and at the end of her fifth year in the comfortable portable she still calls home, she started to add more elements like arm chairs and a coffee table her students
found in the dumpster. With that move, she became aware it was time to fully commit. High tables with stools, yoga ball chairs, and crates moved the rest of the desks out the door. So did the concern over the “fad,” as she turned to her students and said, “Well, what do you think?” Her 5th graders scoffed and replied, “That’s what you already do!” The result became a welcoming choice where her students would all meet while not being forced to sit in rows of plastic seats while, quite frankly, being stuck next to someone who makes it not so comfortable. One of her students put it this way, “Yes, it is very different, and we get to pick where we get to sit. It does make me feel more free and helps me focus better.” Seating is one thing, the truth is Emily worries about other ways her students can be unnecessarily uncomfortable. Sometimes, testing can look like it is setting up her students for failure. Math tests can appear to be disguised as reading tests. She understands individual subjects “discreetly have their independence, though all subjects are intertwined with language arts.” An example of this is for the past four years, Emily’s delight in her class’s participation in the Cal Water H2O Challenge. In those years, Emily’s classes have won the Grand Prize twice, finished 3rd, and, of course, this year's
announcement is pending. She believes the process of fulfilling the challenge turns into the “purest form of teaching.” After all, she points out, “The kids get to make all the decisions.” This includes all the writing and how it gets edited and revised and approved. They discover the ability to comprehend academic text without the need for a textbook. Ultimately it circles back to students gaining the awareness that all subjects intertwine with, and depend on, language arts. According to Emily, the entire project, “Pretty much sums up Maslow’s pyramid.” The students can reach their full potential through creativity, have a feeling of accomplishment, establish an intimate relationship with classmates, can take risks due to the security and safety of a trusting adult, and ultimately walk away with a higher appreciation of food and water. The innovation is not limited to seating and a single challenge. Emily incorporates differing techniques across the spectrum of the curriculum. Her students are delighted by this approach. One of them chimed in by stating, “Miss A’s does more ‘hands on’ work, not as many worksheets. We like it so much better because it seems more like us and not just school.” We celebrate Emily Akimoto and wish her continued success with whatever she pursues next.
WRITTEN BY KEVIN DOLAN PHOTO PROVIDED BY EMILY AKIMOTO
In a world where there appears a fine line between talking about ‘thinking outside the box’ and actually following through, Emily Akimoto is an outlier. After graduating from Chico High, she did her undergraduate work at Butte College, went on to Chico State earning her bachelor in liberal studies degree, multiple subject and single-subject-English credentials, and a Masters in Education. For the past eight years, she has taught 2nd through 5th grades at Sierra View Elementary School. Emily has a wonderful anecdote she uses to assist in defending her choices, her approaches, and how her philosophy of education was formed. Her grandpa had formal education up to the 4th grade. Her grandpa loved reading and loved learning. As a result, he lived a life which included an Emmy nomination as a writer. She is quick to add the wide variance of development happening at different times across the entire roster of her students. She believes, “If she can make a kid love learning, it will make up for any minor deficits.” Emily lives her philosophy of education which states “unity in diversity keeps us stronger.” When you stop and couple that motto with her venerable mantra, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,” she borrowed from William Butler Yeats, Emily clearly emerges as the quintessential schoolteacher. One who understands exactly what she is looking at. Suffice to say, if the rest of the didactic world could just slightly adjust their lenses, the entire academic world would most assuredly shine a little brighter.
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I am comprised of learning of, and exploring further, student’s FAV O R I T E T H I N G A B O U T T E AC H I N G
interests. I am comprised of Wonder. Productive skepticism. S T U D E N T S R E A C T I O N S T H AT S T I C K T O M E
Discovery. I am comprised of Francis Bacon and his caution A P E R S O N W H O TA U G H T M E A G R E AT D E A L
of “Idols of the Tribe.” I am comprised of knowing it is one thing, communicating it to others is another, but acting on it can change the world. I am comprised of the MOTTO
geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere that envelops each and every cast. WINDING IT DOWN
What are you comprised of? JUSTIN PEEK Inspire School of Arts and Sciences 12
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Beware of Covid-19 Scammers! The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has issued a warning alerting the public about fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Be Prepared and Protect Yourself • Be cautious of unsolicited requests for Medicare or Medicaid numbers.
Scammers are contacting Medicare beneficiaries and offering COVID-19 tests in exchange for personal details, including Medicare information. These services are unapproved and illegitimate.
• Be suspicious of any unexpected calls or visitors who want to provide COVID-19 tests or supplies. If your personal information is obtained by scammers, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
These scammers are targeting beneficiaries in a number of ways, including telemarketing calls, social media, and even door-to-door visits.
• Ignore online offers or advertisements for COVID-19 testing or treatments.
The coronavirus pandemic is being used by these scammers to benefit themselves, and beneficiaries face potential harms. The personal information they're collecting can be used to fraudulently bill federal health care programs and commit identity theft. If Medicare or Medicaid denies the claim for an unapproved test, the beneficiary could be responsible for covering the cost.
• Only a physician or other trusted healthcare provider should assess your health and approve any requests for COVID-19 testing. • If you suspect COVID-19 fraud, or feel you have been targeted for a COVID-19 scam, contact National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline (866) 720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov or locally, HICAP at (530) 898-6716. State Registered Medicare Counselors are available for telephonic appointments Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.
"This project was supported, in part by grant number 90SAPG0052-02-01 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy."
COLLAGEN: THE BUILDING BLOCK OF BEAUTIFUL SKIN
Collagen is one of the principal components of young, healthy skin. Together with elastin fibers, collagen forms the support structure that keeps skin firm and hydrated. It is made up of a chain of amino acids that provides a framework for nerve fibers, hair follicles, blood vessels, and oil, and sweat glands. Since healthy collagen cells are what bind moisture into the skin, the aging process can decrease the ability to stay hydrated, so the skin can become dry, less supple, and dull. We stop producing collagen at about age 35, but technology has brought us ways to rebuild our collagen levels! With the use of lasers, a "wound response" is created to trick our skin into rebuilding and creating new cells. It's like when you scrape your skin- a scab forms almost immediately to protect from further injury and rebuild healthy skin underneath. Lasers and Microneedling introduce a thermal injury to the collagen cells, forcing them to protect themselves by regenerating new and healthy cells. Once collagen is revived, the cells are firmer and plumper, smoothing out surface lines that have formed due to dehydration and lack of elasticity. These treatments are tolerated well by all skin types, but sensitivity to pain is subjective, and there is some down-time with the microneedling procedure. A consultation is recommended to decide your course of treatment. Call the Derm Bar at 530.342.2672 to see if this collagenenhancing procedure is for you! DERM BAR MED-SPA 85 Declaration Dr. Suite 100 Chico, CA 95973 530.342.2672
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YOUR HEALTH GRIEVING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY
As both a therapist and parent, one of the biggest gifts I can impart upon my clients, as well as my own children, is the tool of building an emotional vocabulary. World-renowned child psychiatrist Dan Siegel sums this idea up best in his mantra, “name it to tame it.” When we can identify the emotion welling up inside, we can subsequently take a step towards healing. Naming an emotion allows our amygdala to calm, reducing the limbic response of fight or flight. As a nation, one collective sentiment during this season of COVID-19 is most undoubtedly grief; a deep sense of sadness surrounding a loss. Some have physically lost loved ones, but the vast majority of us are finding ourselves in new territory. We are grieving the loss of events hoped for, from birthday parties to vacations, to weddings to graduations. We are grieving the loss of our economy and jobs. We are grieving the loss of our perceived sense of safety and stability. In the span of weeks, life as we knew it has been replaced by confusion, fear, and a deep feeling of uncertainty. What we are jointly experiencing can often be referred to as ambiguous loss; essentially a loss without closure or a clear understanding of how to move forward. While grief is difficult, we are not without hope. Let the process begin by naming your grief and pinpointing the losses you feel most acutely. David Kessler, an expert on grief, writes “When you name it, you feel it and it moves through you. Emotions need motion. It’s important we acknowledge what we go through.” Remind yourself of
the strengths and coping skills you possess and how you can begin to use your unique skill set to constructively interact with the emotions you feel. Be gentle and give yourself grace to experience all 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Somewhere between the denial stage of “this can’t be happening” to the acceptance stage of “this is my new normal and I can accept it and move forward,” give yourself permission to explore everything in between. The process of grieving will not be linear, you may move back and forth between stages, and that is ok. That is normal. Helpful tools in your grief journey will include staying connected to loved ones, as isolation can exacerbate grief. Even amidst social distancing, you can utilize Facetime, phone calls, and Zoom to connect with friends, family, and even a therapist. Practice mindfulness and deep breathing, choosing to focus on what you can control and releasing what you have no control over. Begin to future-cast ways you can uniquely accept the situation for what it is, and not what you wish it would be. Acceptance begins when we can hold the facts we’ve been given and choose to make a life within them. Build your own emotional vocabulary, breathe, and keep moving forward.
HEALTH ADVICE
VIA
KATIE COOK
Katie (Rystrom) Cook works as a Marriage and Family Therapist at The Growing Place Counseling Center. After years of living and traveling abroad, Katie and her husband finally settled in Chico with their two children. Katie loves dark chocolate, exploring new cultures, and spending time with her family.
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Pulling Together
YOUR HEALTH B AC K TO T H E B AS I C S
TO
Push Forward Here we are in 2020, with a pandemic sweeping the globe. We’re all racing to do anything we can to help. Staying home, social distancing, and wearing masks. Industry, too, is chipping in. Here’s a list of some of those giving back: • Apple has donated 20 million masks and made 1 million face shields a week. • Nike, Peloton, and SoulCycle offer free access to their apps for home workouts. • Zoom, Google, and Ringcentral offer free video conferencing for schools and businesses. • Amazon, LinkedIn, and ABCmouse are offering free learning resources and stories for kids who are out of school. • GM, Tesla, Mercedes, and Dyson have begun producing ventilators to help meet global demand shortage. • Numerous breweries and distilleries, including Almendra, have begun producing hand sanitizers. • Allbirds and Crocs are donating hundreds of thousands of shoes for healthcare workers. • Nonprofits everywhere, including North Valley Community Foundation, are donating billions towards the fight. Today it is a pandemic; tomorrow it may be a fire, a hurricane, or a drought. Life will always present us with challenges, but human ingenuity, perseverance, and kindness will continue to prevail. SWEENEY & MICHEL LLC 196 Cohasset Road, Suite 100 Chico, CA 95926 530.487.1777
Here we are, all of us, in an entirely new place. Never in history has there been such a global pause, or lock-down. Never have we all been forced, all at the same time to be home, to pause. Never had we all had so much stripped away. The simple ability to just go to the gym whenever we wanted to, gone. The ability to work-out with our gym buddies, gone. The luxury of having your trainer hold you accountable, to correct you in person, gone. Right now, fitness is not about looking hot in the summer, or having rad arms, and legs. Right now, fitness is about balance, it is about our sanity, it is about having an outlet, to have a minute not to think. Right now, fitness is truly about the mind body connection, and we all feel it and know it. More now than ever before, we need discipline. Discipline enables us to do what we do not feel like doing. Discipline enables us to maintain positivity through taking action and controlling our health. Discipline is the great neutralizer for procrastination, laziness, and lethargy. So right off the bat, schedule in your workouts. Don’t say, you’ll “try” to workout daily, or if you have time. That’s garbage, schedule it in. With home training, I want to go back to basics, back to a bodyweight training program that is simple.
Monday. Wednesday. Friday. • Squats: 5 sets of 15 reps.
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• Push-Ups: 3 sets, do as many as you can each set. • Bent Over Rows: 3 sets, do as many as you can each set. (Use bag.) • Sit-Ups/Crunches: 3 sets, do as many as you can each set.
Tuesday. Thursday. • Split Squats: 3 sets, ten reps each leg. • Squat Press: 3 sets, do as many as you can with each set. (Use bag.) • Curls: 3 sets, do as many as you can with each set. (Use bag.) • Chair Dips: 3 sets, do as many as you can with each set. This program is scalable, meaning you can do more reps and add more weight as you progress. Remember to schedule in your workouts, and don’t put it off! You will feel amazing when you’re doing it and even better when you’re done. This can be a great time for you to take your fitness and health to the next level. All things take time, so be patient, just stick with it.
HEALTH ADVICE
VIA
MICAH HANKINS
Micah Hankins is the owner of MH Fitness. For more information, visit MH Fitness at 2426 Park Avenue in Chico or contact him directly at micah@mhfitnesschico.com.
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SHADES OF GREEN IN BEAUTY
Let's Eat! There are several restaurants open now offering either takeout, curbside pickup, or delivery. Please support our local eateries!
Chico: 5th Street Steakhouse Aca Taco Ali Baba Amigos de Acapulco Bacio Beach Hut Deli Bellachinos Cafe Bella's Sports Pub Bidwell Park Pizza Bidwell Perk Big Chico Burger Big Tuna Broadway Heights Brooklyn Bridge Bagels Burgers & Brew Burrito Barajas Cal Java Casa Ramos Celestino's NY Style Pizza Chan Pheng's Mandarin Cuisine
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Going green with your beauty routine couldn’t be easier as today’s marketplace shifts its focus towards making natural beauty products more accessible to the everyday consumer. Finding natural versions of the products we use in our daily routine used to mean scouring the shelves at obscure hard to find health food stores. However, as the public becomes more conscious of what we put in and on our bodies, these isolated shops have become more popular and mainstream. Thus allowing natural, organic, green, and eco-friendly labels to become more commonplace and even begin to establish themselves as entire departments in our daily grocers, retail, and specialty shopping stores. Now that you’ve found this treasure trove of products, how do you navigate through all the choices? The first step is to look at the product labeling. While there is no standard regulating what gets labeled as eco-friendly, natural, or green; the ingredient list will give you all the information you need. Ingredients are listed in order of predominance with those used in the greatest amount first followed by those items that make up a lesser and lesser percentage of the product. The exception to this is if the product has an active ingredient then that item is listed first, no matter the concentration. An active ingredient is one that’s been scientifically proven to address the skin issue the product is intended to target. Here are a few ingredients to look for when shopping for products to add to your natural skin care routine.
• Lecithin: It’s a phospholipid usually sourced from soy, sunflowers, or eggs and is super beneficial in restoring the skin’s lost moisture. • Vitamin E: Also known as tocopherol, which acts as a natural preservative for creams and lotions, while its antioxidant properties help to neutralize free radicals. • Essential fatty acids like linoleic acid: Commonly found in plant oils like rosehip, safflower, and sunflower each aid the skin in maintaining its moisture balance as well prevents breakouts. In addition to looking for certain ingredients, you should also be looking to avoid others such as BHAs (a preservative), parabens, and phthalates (which could disrupt hormones by mimicking certain ones our body naturally produces), ceteareth glycol, resorcinol, and sodium lauryl sulfate. The Environmental Working Group or EWG has an extensive website at ewg.org skindeep and an app with a searchable database that ranks how controversial various ingredients are according to scientific studies and gives a score to beauty products based on these rankings. It’s a great resource for checking out your tried and true makeup, lotion, shampoos and more and can also direct you to a more natural alternative. Since your skin is your biggest organ, it gets a lot of exposure to chemicals in our environment, so by changing out your moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens for more natural products, you’re well on your way to shifting to a shade of greener living.
WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON
BEAUTY Q&A
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WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON
What can we take away from working from home during this
Shelter in Place?
A New Focus On Family I was recently reminiscing with a friend about our time in Japan and how we used to plan for activities to do during our mandatory sheltering in; sheltering in not because of a pandemic, but because of typhoons. Living on a military base in Okinawa in the middle of typhoon alley, we were often faced with tropical cyclone conditions and base restrictions during the rainy season. Wind, rain, and floods would swirl around the island for days at a time and families were required to stay indoors. At the time, we were worried, not just about the storms, but also about entertaining our kids as they were cooped up for days. Ironic, how I thought back then we were worried about days of isolation and not weeks. So, how do we keep our family entertained as we shelter in and embrace this opportunity to enrich this focused family time?
Old Is New Again
Grab a box and pick a few toys, books, and games from your children’s collection. Set them aside for a while and then when they get bored with their current ones, pull out the saved box and everything is a little fresher and more fun. Or better yet, if you have a friend with similar aged kids, you could exchange boxes and it's like a little bit of Christmas comes to visit as they get to play with the ‘new’ borrowed items.
Exercise Games
Set up an indoor obstacle course using pillows for jumping, boxes to crawl through, ottomans to climb over, and rugs for sliding down hallways. Demonstrate your technique to your kiddos and then let them at it. Set up
a timer and see how fast they can go. Then, let them design their own course and turn the tables (maybe literally) and show you how it's done.
Hide And Seek
Scavenger hunts are great because they can be set up inside or outside and can be tailored to the age of the child. If the children are younger, you can use pictures to guide them on their hunt and lead them from place to place. Older children can solve riddles to find clues you’ve set around the house or yard. There are a lot of great websites that make this even easier to arrange like kidactivities.net/40-scavengerhunt-riddles-for-kids and scavengerhunt. org. If your older kids are looking for a way to stay connected with friends, they could do a timed photo scavenger hunt and share their finds. Take a look at Pinterest for some photo scavenger hunt ideas.
Virtual Tours And Online Adventures The realm of virtual tours and exploration has opened up and expanded recently. Take advantage and travel the world, right in your own home. Travel to Paris and visit the Musée d’Orsay or head to Florence, Italy and visit the Uffizi Gallery built in 1560. Using the Google Arts and Culture App, you can feel what it’s like to immerse yourself in the experience and visit some amazing locations.
While sheltering in place can be a challenge as we miss friends and extended family, it can also be a time to come together to learn, explore, and create a new focus.
• Whether it be good or bad, the implications of COVID-19 have forced nearly every employer, as a way to get by, to facilitate working from home. Although most people are itching to get out of the house and go back to work, eventually a work from home option might be nice to utilize in the future—even if it’s only part of the time. • We have all had to master our workplace communication skills and retool how effectively we relay our message via email, phone, or video conference. This might have created some difficulties at first, but hopefully by the time we get back into the office, communication will be at an all time high throughout the staff. • A lot of jobs center around customer service and, because of that, involve a lot of face time during the workday. Working from home has caused employees to have to “rebrand” themselves and recognize different ways they can contribute to the workplace in an attempt to compensate for the “free time” they may have now as a result of the remote conditions. It will be exciting to see people’s hidden strengths, and then to discover how they can be utilized to better operations once things reopen. • When you see somebody every day, it can be hard to appreciate or recognize how large a role they play in your life. Most people interact more with their colleagues than they do their own family—which sometimes leads to frustration. Now that we have had some space from our coworkers, it will give us an opportunity to show our appreciation to them once we return. HRIQ–HUMAN RESOURCES + PAYROLL 236 Broadway Suite #B,Chico, CA 95928 Shelby@upyourhriq.com | Upyourhriq.com 530.680.4747
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Nothing is Impossible W E H AV E A V I S I O N ; I T W I L L H A P P E N
Education came into a bright spotlight in the mid-nineties. The thrust rallied around a simple battle cry—schools should not be an assembly line where we send students through their day and hang information on each of them. In 1999, Alfie Kohn published a book titled, The School Our Children Deserve. Not surprisingly, the book challenges “the way the ‘back to basics’ philosophy of teaching treats children as passive receptacles into which forgettable facts are poured.” Ten years later, an inspired group of teachers on the Pleasant Valley and Chico High campus designed and implemented a public charter school with the expressed interest of answering this call to action to give children the school they deserve. The public charter, Inspire School of Arts and Sciences, opened in the 2010–2011 school year. The challenges were huge and the enthusiasm high enough to fend off the resistance surrounding it. In that first year, the paradox became firmly in place that these students were definitely getting the education they deserve. The irony is now they are asking for help to get the matching campus in order to have “the school these children deserve.” 22
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In January of this year, Becky Brown was named principal of Inspire School of Arts and Sciences. At the time, she was confident she knew “how to make decisions which are best for our kids.” Becky was one of the founding teachers of Inspire. Now, she turned around and found herself in the middle of a pandemic. Fortunately she is armed with a pair of truths she knew for certain. First and foremost, Inspire teaches their students to be flexible, fearless, and competent problem solvers. They also are trained to be creative and innovative, leaving Becky with a vision of this unprecedented event unfolding as nothing more than an opportunity for her students to shine by coming up with real results and solutions to help manage the mayhem. Inspire is a noun when referencing the name of the school but actually serves as the right verb when pointing to its diverse educational approach. Becky suggests that true inspiration stems from knowing “students need not be compliant, nor afraid to fail.” All of this represents the beginning of a story, not only how but why the need exists to support and invest in a better world, a better community, for Inspire School of Arts and Sciences.
All of this is literally music to the ears of Ron Pope, the founding father and resident rocker of Inspire, as well as Eric Nilsson, the school’s first principal. Both were involved in a schoolwithin-a-school as a part of a nineties trend of Smaller Learning Communities on the Chico Senior High campus. It was known as ACT—the Academy of Communications and Technology and was widely popular. Ron, and a group of dedicated teachers, created the cutting edge learning environment and successfully earned contributing grants. Eric recalls not only the enjoyment of teaching in such a setting but still marvels at “what it can look like when a team of educators are brought together.” The Smaller Learning Communities flourished for over a decade, but early in the new century, the support diminished from the District and school personnel. Fortunately, Ron Pope and his cast of crusaders were at the ready, spending the entire 2009–2010 school year bringing the vision of Inspire as a public charter into fruition. Realizing how shifts in educational changes often by “throwing out everything that works, turning instead to what may
work.” As a result, Ron spent one period a week talking with a class of ACT seniors about what this school should look like. Not surprisingly, many of the ideas the students wanted were shared with what the adults were looking for. Many of these kids would not have blossomed in a regular school setting. They learned as students in ACT that science supports making connections with what they can do, be it playing the guitar or mastering a computer program, with the standards and requirements placed upon them, everything turns out for the better. The year long banter culminated into sensible additions to the application for the charter along with some insights in jest. One came from a panel discussion with adults in the room. The suggestion was if you want to see change in schools, “have teachers stop making copies.” However, the ultimate paradigm shift occurred during the entire process, and was infused into the essence of the new school in the making. Change the schedule. The antiquated and restrictive six period day would not allow the students enrolling in Inspire to follow their intended path. It did not allow for enough time.
offers majors and multiple majors. The course of these classes included a STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics) capstone project. Lianne partnered up with a senior and they produced an APP raising awareness of recyclability to local areas. In addition, Lianne was able to join the orchestra and found herself in the pit playing the score for the school’s musical, Oklahoma. Two important matters to her were realized through the expanded schedule. The first allowed her the ability to have a foreign language each year and the second, the blessing of having independent study Physical Education which gave her credit for her pursuits outside the school day. For certain though, it is not all about the schedule.
Luciano Castaldo, a 12th grader came to Inspire based on their “great theatre program.” He has flourished in his four year acting stint, culminating in winning the Rita Moreno award for his role in the Addam’s Family. Luciano explains the teachers find a way to help and support anything we want to do, and admits, he, “Loves the staff.” He goes on to say they are not teachers, more like friends. Victoria Nighten, also a 12th grader, came to Inspire to major In dance. She gets excited about accomplishing so much, but is proudest of being, “The first ever mouse queen in the Nutcracker Ballet.” Victoria discovered Inspire was all about pride, learning, and how to persevere. Avery Munson Clark, a 10th grader, could not decide if Inspire was where you
WRITTEN BY KEVIN DOLAN DESIGNED BY NERISSA QUINN
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences opened in the fall of 2010 with a block schedule firmly in place. The schedule allows students to have eight classes, opening doors otherwise tightly shut. Monday through Thursday, four of those classes meet in a ninety minute time frame. Fridays served as a rotating shift between the eight classes. An additional caveat to the block schedule is the half hour advisory, placing a teacher with a group of students for myriad reasons. The same teacher stays with this advisory for all four years, ensuring a lasting relationship and establishing a trusted adult for each student. Ron emphasized the advisory, “gives them a person to go to for anything.” Eric added the importance of the block schedule was the result of “having thinking kids, trained in both the sciences and the arts.” As already modeled by the innovative manner of forming this inspirational learning environment, if you want to really know what is going on, ask the kids. Lianne Huber, an 11th grader, very well may be the poster child for the benefits of the block schedule. She came out of a K–8 charter school in Oroville and discovered both high schools there offered a six period day. Wanting a huge emphasis on both science and engineering, Lianne jumped at the opportunity to attend Inspire and have a double major in both fields. Yes, Inspire
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what makes it great.” But to take music and dance and theatre and art and everything science, and keep it trapped in a village of portable classrooms is one thing. Then placing that village literally in Chico Senior High’s backyard is altogether another. For the entire nine year existence, this has been Inspire’s Achilles heel. Until now. The cover of this magazine and the pages of this article are sprinkled with the renderings of Inspire’s new campus. The Chico Unified School District has paved the way for the new campus to be constructed on the Canyon View site east of Chico. Becky Brown knows how big a challenge this presents, as she understands, “We can’t run an arts school on the revenues from our average daily attendance (ADA).” Big challenge indeed. With the district making the land available and a generous grant from the State, Becky admits, “It gives me so much hope.” What’s left is some good old fashion “Divine intervention.”
Clearly, Inspire School of Arts and Sciences is the school these students deserve. Kohn’s book by the same title, celebrates such endeavors. He suggests, “The features of our children’s classrooms that we find the most reassuring—largely because we recognize them from our own days in school—typically turn out to be those least likely to help students become effective and enthusiastic learners.” Like the students unveiled in this piece. The truth is, whereas, Inspire, the school is what they deserve, Inspire, the campus is woefully inadequate. To maintain a school like this is hard enough. Hard, like the lines from the movie A League of Their Own. “Hard, it’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would be doing it. The hard is
Enter Celeste Cramer and a wonderful Foundation with a plan. Celeste, the Development Director for the Inspire Foundation has both answers and solutions.
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On April 15th, the Foundation launched its campaign, understandably dubbed “It’s time to build them the school they deserve.” It is impressive and well organized, including the search for donors, events, and maybe a miracle or two. This glimpse inside Inspire hopefully served as an impetus truly to inspire donors, inspire people to take action, and actively assist in this unbelievably worthwhile campaign. If you are moved, go to SupportInspire.com or follow the Foundation’s FaceBook page. Celeste, in her informational letter, recognizes the urgency, while at the same time realizes, “I think we all need a little cheer right now, so let's do this together!” During the interview, each student was asked to sum up or define Inspire in three words. As always, it’s right to follow the children, including Lianne Huber, who painted this entire endeavor succinctly. “Nothing is Impossible. We have a vision; it will happen.” FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE INSPIRE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES WEBSITE, INSPIRECHICO.ORG.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY INSPIRE & JENNY SKIBO | ARTICLE TITLE FROM LIANNE HUBER
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“Find your passion or follow your passion?” The smiling film-maker ultimately figured it was both. Munson and his senior partner won a regional competition, advancing to the State and ultimately competed in the SkillsUSA digital arts featuring the making of a five minute film in 36 hours. An alumni from the first four years, Emily Teague, admitted it was kind of a risk enrolling in a new school, but she had heard good things. She now puts it this way, “Inspire formed a group of passionate teachers, who cared so much, and not just about school, but life too—creating relationships that were so important.” She praised Becky Brown as “her favorite teacher ever, a really special person.” Emily believes Inspire “shaped who I am today.” All of these students agree Inspire is a place where students are “free to explore and are allowed to have power.” With a supporting and accepting group of teachers, the students find a balance between both.
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Let's Eat! Chico (Continued):
NAVIGATING THE EFFECTS OF THE
Coronavirus
Cheese Steak Shop Chico Locker & Sausage Coffee Ranch Country Morning Bakery and Cafe El Patron Mexican Cocina Farm Star Pizza Farmer's Skillet Fiesta Taco Foodie Cafe Franky’s Fresh Cove Fresh Twisted Café Great Harvest Italian Cottage Izakaya Ichiban Kinder's Meat & Deli
Though COVID-19 has changed day-to-day life for the majority of us in Butte County, it has been encouraging to watch individuals pivot and find new opportunities. Similarly, though slow at start, economic relief plans are finally taking shape, and funding is beginning to flow into our communities. As we prepare for the gradual reopening of businesses and a return to work, it is important to keep in mind that there is a safety net available for nearly everyone including employees and small business owners. It is important to know what items you qualify for and how to apply for them to better help weather the storm. Currently, the following options are available for economic relief: • Economic Injury/Disaster Loans (EIDL) • Tax filing extensions • Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
• • • •
Individual stimulus checks EDD Workshare Program Covered California extension Expanded unemployment benefits
Over the past few weeks quite a bit has changed, and we hope this guide will provide some insight into what’s available. Please keep in mind that information, availability, and qualifications change often, so visit the web addresses listed in each section for more up-to-date information. Of specific importance is the availability of funds, as many of these programs have exhausted funding faster than anticipated. At the time of this writing, a second wave of funding has been approved and, chances are, it won’t be the last. Even if funding is unavailable at the time, prepare your applications and get them ready to submit when funding becomes available again.
E C O N O M I C I N J U R Y/ D I S A S T E R L O A N S
For Small Businesses
Kona's Lab Bar & Grill
Purpose: To obtain capital for your day-to-day business operations. Max of $2 million
La Cocina Economica La Salles Live Life Juice Madison Bear Garden
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Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance and can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll,
accounts payable, and other bills that can’t be paid due to the disaster’s impact. Many of these loans may be turned into grants and forgiven, so try not to be discouraged by mounting loans. Visit to apply: http://disasterloan.sba.gov
Extension TA X F I L I N G
You have an additional three months to file and pay your taxes from the normal filing date. The deadline to file and pay your state and federal taxes without interest or penalty has been changed from April 15 to July 15. The deadline for both Roth IRA and Personal IRA contributions have also been pushed to July 15. For more details regarding state taxes, visit http://ftb.ca.gov. For questions about federal taxes, visit http://www.irs.gov.
Historic $2.2 Trillion Stimulus Bill The $2.2 trillion stimulus plan is the largest rescue fund created in the history of the United States. The 600+ page bill has provisions for nearly every industry with special provisions for small business owners, employees, and the general public. The bill’s original funding was recently boosted by an additional $484 billion, bringing the total to nearly $2.7 trillion. The bill provides the following opportunities: 1. A loan for 250% of your average monthly payroll that will be forgiven and converted to a grant if spent on rent, employee wages, or utilities 2. A 50% refundable payroll tax credit on worker wages 3. Sole proprietors and other selfemployed workers are eligible for the SBA loan, Paycheck Protection Program, and the expanded unemployment-insurance benefits the bill provides
4. A delay in employer-side payroll taxes for Social Security until 2021 and 2022 5. Looser net operating loss-reduction rules that will allow businesses to offset more expenses STIMULUS BILL
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HOW DOES THE STIMULUS PA C K A G E A P P LY
TO ME?
$3,400. This money is considered stimulus funding and requires no repayment. You can check the status of your stimulus check by visiting https://www.irs.gov/ coronavirus/get-my-payment
For Individuals:
Further Assistance:
Single? Did you make $75,000 or less in 2019? If so, you should be receiving a check or direct deposit for $1,200.
Talks are ongoing regarding just how far and how long this financial relief program may stretch. Currently, the onetime check in April/May has been agreed upon and disbursements have begun, but reports state further discussion is being held regarding a second or even third check to potentially arrive during the summer months.
Married? If, as a couple, you made less than $150,000 in 2019, you will be receiving a check or direct deposit for $2,400. Have Children? Expect a $500 check or direct deposit for each child age 16 or younger listed as a dependent. If you’re a family of 4 who made less than $150,000 last year, which is the vast majority of Chico households, expect to receive
Regardless of whether or not those two checks materialize, the first payment will help keep individuals afloat and provide a considerable monetary injection into the local economy.
W H AT C O U L D T H E S T I M U L U S P R O G R A M M E A N F O R T H E
Local Economy? Dramatic Cash Infusion: Even if we discount everything else above for businesses, & everything detailed on the following page for employees, there is one important takeaway from all of this: Butte County is about to receive a pretty significant cash infusion in the next month. In Chico alone, we expect:
Total Cash Infusion: (conservative estimate)
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EDD WORKSHARING PROGRAM Purpose: To provide a chance for employers to keep their employees on staff while sharing costs with the government.
Let's Eat! Chico (Continued): Mariscos La Costa Mexican Seafood Grill Mi Taquito Grill
Please take a moment to look through this, especially if you are uncertain how to maintain the staff you have worked so hard to train and cultivate. The short version of this is, as an employer, you agree not to cut any employee hours and continue to pay them the same wage. As the employer, you are responsible for 40% of your employee’s earned income, and the government will cover the remaining 60%.
Mom’s Restaurant
Through this program, your payroll liability is lessened considerably, and your employee retains their job. This, with the new stimulus bill, could be enough to cover employee pay in full for 5–6 months, with zero out of pocket cost to yourself, while providing a bit of added headroom for rent. Used properly, these two items could safeguard a number of the most important parts of your business.
Morning Thunder Café
Visit https://www.edd.ca.gov/unemployment/Work_Sharing_Program.htm to apply.
Momona Monstros Pizza
Mountain Mikes Mulberry Station My Oven's Meals Norcal Catering Ojiya Outback Steak House Panama Bar Cafe
COVERED CALIFORNIA Purpose: To provide continued healthcare & health insurance, regardless of employment.
Parkside Tap House Peeking Chinese Pelicans Roost Chowder House Pueblito Rawbar Redwood Sandwich Co
Effectively immediately, anyone who is uninsured or meets eligibility requirements for health care coverage through Covered California can sign up through June 30, 2020. This is an important step to ensure Californians who lose coverage through an employer, or who are otherwise uninsured, have the opportunity to enroll in coverage. During a health crisis, there are few things more important than this as a visit to the emergency room can be a difficult cost to recover from for most. Visit https://www.coveredca.com/ to apply.
Rice Bowl Riley's Bar
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Let's Eat! Chico (Continued): Ritchie Catering Shelley Anderson’s Creative Catering Shuberts Ice Cream & Candy Sicilian Cafe Sin of Cortez Siphos Jamaica Slyderz Grill Smokin Mos Sol Mexican Grill Special Times Catering Spiteri's Deli Substation Deli Sweet Chico Confections Tacos Mari Tea Bar Fusion & Café Tin Roof & Bakery Upper Crust Bakery Wine Time Woodstock’s Pizza Chico Zot's Hot Dogs
Benefits UNEMPLOYMENT
Purpose: To provide security for your employees should layoffs or furloughs be required Prior unemployment benefits provided a maximum $450 per week to any employee laid off or furloughed from their job for a total of 26 weeks. As a result of the stimulus plan, unemployment benefits have been increased by $600 to a total of $1,050/week. These benefits have also been extended from 26 weeks to 39. Any employee with a salary of $50,400 or less per year will have their salary covered in full for just over 9 months through the EDD. EDD provides a variety of support services to individuals affected by COVID-19 in California. This includes Disability Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, and Paid Family Leave. The Governor’s Executive Order waives the one-week unpaid waiting period for Disability Insurance and Unemployment Insurance. For more information on services available through EDD visit,https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_ edd/coronavirus-2019.htm
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WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON
It's Today Spending more time than usual around the house these days may have your eyes alighting on so many possible projects that it’s hard to decide which one to address first. Do you work on that little spot of neglected yard or patio, that messy garage, or maybe that front door waiting to be updated? Whatever it is, now is the perfect time to tackle those projects that have been filed away in the “someday when I have the time” nook, because now…well…you have the time. Do you have a piece of yard that would be a perfect spot for a vegetable garden? Making a raised bed is a relatively easy project that makes the most out of your garden space. It requires minimal tools and supplies and can be completed in just a few hours. You’ll need: • Two 2 x 12 inch planks 4 feet long • Two 2 x 12 inch planks 8 feet long • Twelve 4 inch deck screws • Power screwdriver • Carpenter’s angle square • Measuring tape Measure in 3/4 inch from each end of the 4-foot planks and partially screw in three screws, evenly spaced apart. Then line up the 8-foot plank perpendicular to a 4-foot plank and complete the sinking of the 3 screws. Place the other long plank perpendicular to the free end of the 4 foot plank and use a carpenter's square to make sure it’s a 90 degree corner, then sink those remaining screws. Repeat with the carpenter square on the remaining sides until you’ve formed a rectangle. Now you can either just place a layer
of cardboard or newspaper down to help prevent weeds from sneaking up into the garden or make it even more pest proof by stapling chicken wire onto the bottom. Then fill your new bed with soil and start planting. Maybe you’re looking to grow some veggies on your balcony or porch instead. You could always start a container garden for vegetables and get smaller stockier varieties made for condensed spaces. Northern Star Mills at 510 Esplanade can get you stocked up on Smart Pots (soft-sided fabric containers for plants) and potting soil and even some basic starter plants. The Little Red Hen Nursery on the corner of 8th and Wall streets is open for curbside pick up as well. Just give them a call at 530.891.9100 and order your plants ahead of time and they’ll load them up once you arrive. If it’s that messy garage that’s begging to be cleaned because it’s become a haven for the “I don’t know where to put this” items, stocking up on some inexpensive shelving and Rubbermaid containers can go a long way into organizing the space and making it much more user friendly. Label the containers with what’s inside and stack them on the shelves with similar items and that haphazard garage starts to look a lot more orderly. Maybe you’ve been eyeing those smart home items like camera doorbells or smart locks to update your front door. Both items are relatively easy to install by just following the instructions included with the product. If you get into a bind though, you can always search YouTube for installation videos put out by the companies themselves or just everyday people who’ve done just what you’re doing. The hardwired smart doorbells use your existing doorbell wires to install and the smart locks are battery operated and use the openings already in place in your door. Both upgrades can be completed on your own in a couple of hours. So, why not take advantage of this extra time and check off a project from your to-do list? ‘Someday, when you have the time’ has arrived—it’s today. 31
Let's Eat! Durham:
Almendra Winery & Distillery
Magalia: Hilltop Cafe
Izzy's Burger Spa Pueblito Red Lion Pizza Red Rooster Cafe
Gridley:
Orland: 4th St. Diner
Black Bear Diner Farwood Bar & Grill
Paradise:
I-5 Cafe and Creamery
Maria’s Kitchen
The Hive
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indeed, Jenna found Stacie and was able to fit a much needed niche for both parties.
A Powerful Move
West
Ever the optimist, Jenna exclaims, “Show me a problem and I’ll jump right in the middle of it!” And she did soon after her and her husband were able to move into a townhouse in North Chico. She delivered water, food, along with dog and cat food, to displaced fire victims in Lincoln, Live Oak, Chico, and Redding. As a result of losing the ridge office, Jenna “worked
remotely a lot.” This, too, proved difficult due the loss of her home and all her files as well. Thus, the couple’s townhouse turned into her office and safe haven for family, friends, and clients. By now, her three children were firmly entrenched in their Chico schools, happy and safe. Many of her clients, however, still were not. Jenna discovered that some folks were in a “Just can’t” place. They simply could not go back up to the ridge. Jenna understood she, too, “Could not keep going through this any more, including the instability and, more so, her children’s needs.” So, what a blessing
ensure that every client receives unmatched customer service, knows they have full professional support, and are confident that they can achieve their real estate goals.” Jenna has been in the real estate business since she was “old enough to lick and seal an envelope,” working alongside her grandmother, who was, and still is, one of the most trusted real estate professionals around. Jenna has maintained a strong interest in the real estate industry and, fast forwarding 20 years later, she has become one of the top producing agents in Butte County. With a tenacious work ethic and the uncanny ability to match buyer and seller, she is an expert guide, willing to help her clients make all the right investment decisions. If you are looking for the right agent to advocate for you each and every step of the way, contact Jenna at 530.816.2204, or visit her Power West Realty office at 7 Governors Lane, Suite 8. WRITTEN BY KEVIN DOLAN PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JENNA MURRAY
Jenna Murray has teamed up with real estate attorney and property manager, Stacie Power. Jenna is opening the real estate portion of Stacie’s services in Chico. Jenna’s Power West Realty office will join the other two offices in Santa Cruz. Jenna is not new to real estate. She lost both her home and her real estate business in the devastating Camp Fire. After growing up in Chester, Jenna moved to Redding upon graduating from high school, and, after a short stint there, moved into an apartment in Chico. Ever the entrepreneur, she soon discovered she could purchase a home in Paradise, thus having a mortgage instead of writing a rent check each month. Not long after moving into her home on one acre, she sold it to move into yet another home in the same lovely neighborhood just three houses down. As Jenna puts it, “I lost every home I ever had in Paradise.” All along, she had been developing into a dedicated and successful agent.
Power West Realty’s Chico debut is May 1st, completing a long and arduous journey for Jenna. It is located at 7 Governors Lane, Suite 8 off White Ave one block from the Esplanade. The location of the new office should surely temper Jenna’s wild driving time. After the fire, by the end of January, she had racked up over 7,000 miles. Along with regaining stability, the increased happiness for both her children and clients will make this dedicated real estate agent just that much better. Jenna strives to be more than just an agent to her clients. She places herself in the roles of educator, project manager, and consultant, in order to guide each client throughout every step of the buying, selling, or building process. "I want to
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FORBEARANCE:
The New "F" Word What is Forbearance? Forbearance is an option, where a homeowner and their mortgage company agree to temporarily suspend or reduce the monthly mortgage payments for a specific period of time. This allows a homeowner to deal with shortterm financial problems by giving them time to get back on their feet and bring the mortgage current. Forbearance does not include forgiveness of any amount. As a result of the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), homeowners have been given the ability to apply for up to 12 months of forbearance. Any homeowner claiming a financial hardship related to COVID-19 is eligible—no verifications required. With the relaxed barrier of entry, it is imperative before applying for forbearance that homeowners understand the temporary relief options and re-payment options in advance. Homeowners must continue making their payments until the forbearance agreement is granted. In addition, they should also inquire about the impact on future credit reporting along with responsibilities for ongoing obligations of taxes and insurance for loans with impound accounts. The typical terms of forbearance offered by mortgage servicers range from 90–180 days for an initial period with extensions up to 12 months if hardship continues. Depending on the scale of hardship, the homeowner will choose from two options: 1. Fully suspend mortgage payment amount during the initial forbearance period 2. Reduce mortgage payment amount during initial forbearance period. After the forbearance period has ended the re-payments options begin with one of the following options: 34
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1. Lump Sum: Homeowner repays past due amount from suspended or reduced payment agreement in onetime payment. 2. Repayment Plan: Homeowner is allowed to repay past due balance in installments added to reinstated mortgage payments—ideally over 12 month span—but can vary by the mortgage servicer. 3. Loan Modification: Homeowners experiencing sustained long-term hardship may be eligible. This will result in a change of the original terms—such as payment amount, length of loan, interest rate, etc. 4. Partial Claim: Past due amount can be added as a 2nd lien and recorded on property and remains payable upon sale, refinance or transfer of ownership. Currently only allowed with specific HUD owned loans. 5. Deferment: Past due amount is added to the back-end of a loan balance and remains payable upon sale, refinance, or transfer of ownership. This is obviously a bitter sweet message, as for many of you, the road of forbearance may be inevitable due to the recent pandemic. However, for others, it may be a consideration. So, hopefully the aforementioned information is helpful in allowing you to make the most informed decision for your family. Although we are in unprecedented times, know there are caring mortgage companies and professionals like ours that enjoy helping people buy homes in “good times” and help people keep their homes in “troubled times”.
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A look back at our previous year of remodels! New Again Kitchen Remodeling is here to help you bring your dream space to life. From ideation to creation we have everything you need. A big thank you to all of our customers for their continued to support throughout the years. We look forward to a bright future with more remodels to complete with you! NEW AGAIN KITCHEN REMODELING 2502 PARK AVE, CHICO 530.899.2888
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WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON
Shopping Your Kitchen Gone, for now, are the days of popping into the grocery store whenever you need an ingredient for dinner or swinging by to grab something on the way home from work. Today requires more tactical planning and fewer trips out of the home. Stretching out days between grocery shopping means coming up with creative ways to use up forgotten spices, canned veggies, and bottled sauces hidden in the dark corners of your cabinets, as well as prioritizing the order in which you use them. How can you make the most out of what you already have in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry? Prioritize and determine which items you’ll want to use first. Check out your refrigerator as the produce and other cold stored staples will need to be used faster and will expire sooner than those stored in your pantry. Are there open sauces, dressings or meats that should be finished up? Once you’ve ‘shopped’ your fridge, the next items to consider are the fruit and veggies that don’t require refrigeration but do need to be used before they spoil; like onions, potatoes, or apples. After that, take a look in the pantry at your canned, dried, boxed, and jarred foods. Pantry items are usually shelf-stable for months or even years. Plan to use the oldest of these foods first, followed by the newer ones. Then, open up the freezer and see what items you’ve had in there the longest. Everything will remain safe if it’s been frozen properly, but the freshness will degrade over time. The majority of food date labels aren’t actual expiration dates; rather they indicate when the product is at its prime, flavor, and quality. Most items are still safe to eat after the use-by date as long as they’ve been stored at the correct temperature and humidity levels. ‘Use by’, ‘Sell by,’ and ‘Packed on’ are some of the phrases used to label foods. ‘Use by’ indicates when the item has reached its 40
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peak quality according to the manufacturer. ‘Sell by’ signals to the stores the last date an item can be sold or displayed by that retailer. ‘Packed on’ shows when an item was canned or sealed and aids stores in keeping track of stock as well as helping in the event of a recall. So how do you know if the product is past its prime? According to the USDA, most shelf stable foods are safe indefinitely regardless of the date. Canned items can have years left on their shelf life unless there are areas of rust, cracks, or bulges, in which case they should be thrown out. Packaged cereal, pasta, and cookies will be safe long past the ‘best buy’ date. You’ll know if the quality is off once you open the package, as it will be stale. The USDA recommends the FoodSafety.gov website with a searchable database of all types of food indicating the length of time each product is best used by. Now that you have prioritized the foods you want to use first, it's time to plan some meals. There are several useful apps out there that allow for effortless meal planning. The Supercook app has an extensive list of ingredients. You examine the list and mark to indicate what items you have in your pantry. Once you’ve selected the products you’d like to use, it will generate a list of recipes using those items. After it gives some basic recipes, it will ask, “Do you have__________?,” and offer some other items you may have stocked away. As you choose more ingredients, it will generate more recipes as well as more complex choices. You can narrow your choices down by meal type, video recipes, and cuisines along with several other categories. Once you’ve decided on the recipe you’d like to cook just click and you can begin steaming, simmering, or stewing away. While we may have to limit our excursions to the grocery store for a while, we don’t have to limit our adventures in the kitchen.
10 Ways The Government Stimulus Bills Might Impact Your Personal Finances During the month of March, Congress passed multiple bills aimed at mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19 and putting money into the economy. The stimulus is an effort to provide support for families, individuals, and businesses in order to prevent the economic slowdown from becoming a collapse. The CARES Act, about $2 trillion in total, is the largest economic stimulus legislation in American history since the New Deal back in the 1930’s. Here are some of the highlights: 1. The federal income tax deadline for filing 2019 tax returns has changed from April 15 to July 15, 2020. The deadline for making 2019 IRA and HSA contributions has also been moved to July 15, 2020. 2. The CARES Act includes a provision to send most Americans direct payments of $1,200, or $2,400 for joint filers, plus $500 for each child (depending on your household income). 3. The program provides $250 billion for an extended unemployment insurance program and expands eligibility and offers workers an additional $600 per week for four months, on top of what state programs pay. 4. Required minimum distributions (RMDs) from some retirement accounts for 2020 have been waived.
BY RENEE MICHEL, MBA, AND JOE SWEENEY, CFP ®, FINANCIAL ADVISORS AT SWEENEY & MICHEL, LLC
5. Workplace Retirement distribution rules are relaxed: The 10% early withdrawal penalty will be waived on aggregate distributions of up to $100,000. 401(k) Loan repayments may be delayed an extra year. 6. Paid leave is required for more employees by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. 7. The CARES Act suspends payments on federal student loans for 6 months. The act waives any interest on the loans for 6 months as well. 8. The CARES Act allows for a $300 above-the-line deduction for cash charitable contributions made to 501(c)(3) organizations for taxpayers who take the standard deduction. 9. Small business relief in the form of the Payroll Protection Loan or Tax Credits for Employers who retain staff. 10. Coronavirus testing: All testing and potential vaccines for COVID-19 will be covered at no cost to patients. This list is by no means comprehensive; You can read more about the full qualifications and details on congress.gov under S.3548 CARES Act.
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 Advisory services also offered through Sweeney & Michel, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Sweeney & Michel, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Sweeney & Michel, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.
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WRITTEN BY BRIAN LUONG
An Acerbic Look At
Staying Healthy Growing up, there are certain general rules to life, known as the basics. Every parent has echoed the time honored traditions generations before have instilled in us. I would like to do my part to help impart and display what I have learned. Fellow parents, please let me know if I have missed anything.
Wash Your Hands: There’s nothing like getting dirty hands on your ice cubes or your fresh citrus garnishes that you just put seven layers of facewear to scavenge, and heaven help you if you forget to wash after slicing Jalapeño to mix into your spicy margarita. You want something to cry about? That should do the trick.
Get Your Daily Vitamin C: Next time you’re craving a martini, go healthy and add something else to your vodka. A strawberry, orange, kale, and mustard spinach smoothie with a touch of lemon should do the trick as they all have incredible amounts of the immunity booster. If you are low on vodka, do not worry. You can use tequila, add parsley to your Mojito, or have a thyme Paloma with diced chili peppers, known as “the working man’s" drink. Keep in mind, you’re taking care of yourself!
Drink Plenty Of Water: Any Scotch or Bourbon connoisseur will tell you that drinking the spirit neat at room temperature is not as inviting or as palate stimulating as a glass with a few drops of water added. Also, science has shown that the dilution of a higher proof spirit with water helps keep the scent and flavor at the top of the glass, where the fluid mixes with the air. So please, stay hydrated. I hope this concise guide will help you stay safe. Until next month, cheers! CORONA'S COCKTAL CORNER Jason Corona, Resident Mixologist 530.591.2634
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Add Spice To Your Life Jalapeños are one of the most common peppers, and are considered generally fairly mild on the spice scale compared to others, such as the Carolina Reaper and the Ghost Pepper. Jalapeños are used in a variety of ways, whether smoked over a fire or dried and grounded into a spice, and are even great eaten on their own. They are a great source of Vitamin A and K, and the spice from a jalapeno is a great way to open up your sinuses and allow for clearer breathing.
of organic matter. Jalapeño peppers prefer a soil that is moist but not extremely wet, although they can endure a bit of drought. When the plant grows larger, it may become necessary to support the jalapeños with wooden stakes or other bracing. Typically, the growing time from plantation to harvest is about three months.
The jalapeño is named after its city of origin Xalapa, Mexico, where they were first cultivated. Ancient Aztecs were the first people known to use the jalapeño pepper. Aztecs would leave the jalapeño pepper on the plant until it lost most of its moisture before harvesting and smoking them, often for several days. It wasn’t until Christopher Columbus came to the new world in 1492 that peppers began to be spread throughout the rest of the world. Jalapeños account for roughly 30% of the chile production in Mexico today.
The jalapeño are a staple in Mexican cuisine and are extremely versatile in their use. Jalapeños can be roasted, smoked, dried, or fried. Jalapeños can be pickled in a salty brine along with other ingredients such as carrots, onions, and radish to create a perfect addition to any taco or torta. Jalapeños can also be dried and grinded to be added into any spice blend that can be used to marinate meats and add a kick to any sauce. The great thing about jalapeños is the ability to control the heat. This can be done by removing inner ribs and seeds of the jalapeño. This is where the compound capsaicin lives, the compound which controls the spice of peppers.
Jalapeños grow best with warm temperatures and lots of sunlight, so finding a spot that receives a lot of attention from the sun is best for the peppers. Seeds should be planted about 16 inches apart each in a soil that drains well and has lots
If you’re looking for a perfect way to spice up any dish, jalapeños can be used in a variety of cuisines and provide the perfect kick. Whether you use the pepper dried in a powder or whole, jalapeños should be added to your next shopping list.
School Daze RESHAPING OUR PERCEPTION
Create A Space for Learning:
First, create a space that fosters learning, a place that’s all their own complete with everything they’ll need to succeed at the day; pens, pencils, paper, and whatever other tools they routinely use. Let them help decide how to set it up and organize it in order to make it their personal domain. You can ask them what they loved about their school classroom or what they miss most about the school (besides the people of course) and see if you can recreate some semblance of that feeling at home. The space can be a separate room or maybe just an area in the house. Perhaps they love being able to spread out and use the kitchen table as their command center. If you use a basket or a moveable cart to organize their books and supplies, then you can set it aside once their classwork is done and free up the kitchen table for dinner. Make sure whatever room you choose is bright and free from distractions so that the focus is on the work and not the T.V. or the bin of toys next to them.
Create A Routine:
Creating and maintaining some sort of routine will help everyone stay on track. Waking up a little later is probably a welcome change for most kids, followed by a leisurely breakfast together to get the day started right. The school day doesn’t have to be the same seven-hour day they were accustomed to prior to this new normal and, actually, should not be. Most homeschooling consists of only 44
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two to four academic hours interspersed with breaks, outdoor time, and basic life lessons. Some students may like to set up weekly calendars and plan their assignments and work time for the entire week. Others may prefer to just take their schedule one day at a time, marking only big events like tests or due dates for the upcoming week and planning their study time in smaller increments. It’s important to remain flexible as they ease into this unfamiliar method of learning. Watch and take note of what’s working and what isn’t and tweak the schedule as time goes by.
Create A Sense of Ownership:
This time away from the classroom offers an amazing opportunity for kids to learn a new skill. Encourage them to make a list of things they’ve always been curious about. Maybe they’d like to plant a garden, learn how to make bread, or build a birdhouse. Baking is full of chemical reactions that allow those simple ingredients to be transformed into bread. Planting a garden is a great introduction into the science of botany. Learning about tools and the artistry involved in creating something out of wood may open up a whole new outlet for their creativity. By allowing them to pick and choose something on their own, you’re giving them a sense of control over this time when we’ve had to relinquish control over most everyday occurrences. No matter how you set up the learning environment, it's essential to remember that this is happening to everyone in much the same manner. It’s not just you and your family. We’re all in this together and we’re all working to create the best possible environment to ensure our children’s success. We’ve learned that school isn’t just a place; it’s people, it’s experiences, it’s perception. We need to reshape the way we give our children these experiences and accept that while it will not be the same, it can still be exceptional.
WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON
Today, the sun shining through the windows and the squawking Scrub Jays replace the incessant beeping of a bedside alarm clock. There’s no need to wake up before the sun rises and head off to school. We are learning to bend and reshape our routine and ourselves to meet our new normal. How can we create a positive experience for our children as we navigate through this uncharted territory?
Let's Eat! Oroville: Case Vieja Celestino's New York Pizza Early Bird Donuts Exchange Feather Falls Brewery Foster Freeze Francisco’s Gold City Grill Italian Kitchen Jake’s Burger Mountain Mike’s Pizza Papacito’s Mexican Grill Pho Noodle House Souper Subs Taqueria Maria’s The Boss Burger The Waffle Shop
Thank you again for supporting our local eateries! 45
Although only minutes from North Chico, Christian Sapp’s workshop seems a world away, tucked in the hills of the Rock ‘N’ Oak Ranch. A paramedic by trade, but carpenter at heart, Christian is busy turning his love of woodworking into a thriving business. Christian moved up to Chico from his small town of Benicia ten years ago to attend Chico State and never left. He received his Bachelor’s degree and then went on to complete Butte College’s Paramedic program. His job, at West Side Ambulance in Orland, keeps him busy, but whenever he has a free moment he heads up to his shop and “gets completely lost in the work.” Often it’s 12 hours later before he realizes the day is gone. The shop is large, open, and brightly lit with the familiar smell of fresh cut wood filling the air. Cubbies full of screws, nails, and other fasteners line the wall and a light layer of sawdust coats the surrounding surfaces attesting to the work Christian does here. He is a completely self-taught artisan, sharing 46
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that “the woodworking community is so welcoming and very approachable. All you have to do is ask and everybody is willing to offer advice.” His time away from work and the shop is spent scouring the Internet for woodworking forums, YouTube, and Instagram videos to learn more about the intricacies of the trade. He observes what others in the community are doing and then takes inspiration from their projects. “When you reach out to these people, they remember they were there at one point in time and they’re all willing to help you out.” Christian is constantly thinking about woodworking. An idea will form and he begins mapping it out in his head, contemplating the best joinery and size for the project. He does some rough sketches and perhaps models it on a CAD (computer aided design) program. Then he’ll move on to building a prototype while other times, he just sets right to work on the final piece. The last year and half has seen his woodworking skills evolve and expand,
His style is progressing as his skills and experience continue to grow. He remains focused on hand cut joinery and the finer details of carpentry and is moving into more complex approaches. His joinery of choice, or how wood pieces are connected, is dovetailing. The dovetail joint says woodworking in a way that no other method of joinery does. It’s a solid reliable way to connect wood while adding complex beauty to the piece. Christian enjoys using walnut and cherry wood together because their grains and colors truly complement each other and showcase the art of dovetailing. He uses his favorite tool, a Bad Axe dovetail saw, to hand craft each individual joint with a beautiful fit and finish. These artfully crafted connections are Christian’s signature, and just one of the many details that truly show his heart and soul as a woodworker.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN HAVING A CUSTOM PIECE MADE, YOU CAN EMAIL HIM AT CSAPPWOODWORKING@GMAIL.COM OR CONTACT HIM THROUGH HIS INSTAGRAM PAGE, @CHRISTIAN_SAPP_WOODWORKING.
WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON PHOTOS BY JENNY SKIBO
The Heart of Dovetailing
from working in his garage to working at the Rock ‘N’ Oak Ranch shop. He’s their resident carpenter; creating benches, picnic tables, tack cabinets, or whatever else they might need. Christian’s personal focus is in furniture, “that’s what I really enjoy the most but I can do pretty much anything.” He has a few of his pieces in the shop; a long beautiful live-edge walnut charcuterie board, a key holder with storage shelf, and some cutting boards with pronounced grains inset with a bold turquoise resin. In addition to these smaller pieces, there’s a pair of deep chocolate modern shaker style nightstands and a custom finished media console of Claro Walnut awaiting delivery.
2 20 Looking Through A Cracked Rearview Mirror
We were like a classic sibling rivalry, complete with jealousy, competition, and petty fighting. We claimed to be a family; maybe this comparison is not so far fetched. It was the mid 90’s at Chico High, when a pair of smaller learning communities sprouted up on the campus. ACT, the Academy of Communications and Technology and West entrenched themselves into the campus culture and the gentle banter began. Innocent, yet stinging, the rivalry had its moments. From “They look like a church camp, holding hands and singing,” to a not so subtle war cry, “Act like a Westie.” Yes, we did put that on a T-shirt. After 15 years, the war was over. ACT moved on as a Charter. West was swept away in a single gust of wind. I was privileged to be a part of Chico High West for 14 of those years and simply want to reminiscence. West, the innovative school-within-a-school was the result of a remarkable principal, who took a year off to study changes in the stagnate world of education. Upon his return, he joined up with a curious and distinguished group of teachers, meeting over ‘brown bag’ lunch sessions. Chico High West emerged, basing its philosophy on Ted Sizer’s work at Brown University. Known as the Coalition of Essential Schools, the name Chico High West came from the first Coalition school, Central Park East. Without these educators’ work, I would not be able to wax nostalgic about the best teaching years ever. In the 5th scene of Act 5 in Shakespeare’s MacBeth, a stirring soliloquy is delivered, beginning with, “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…” As freshmen, every West student memorized this soliloquy and recited it to their peers. This soliloquy has been delivered to me in more than one bar by a West alumni. It is one of multiple shared experiences forging more than memories, but rather defining a school as family and the importance of knowing how to defend knowledge. West placed the “student as worker” in a problem-solving arena to hone skills by functioning by themself or in groups. When asked if they would rather have a teacher “cover the curriculum” or “uncover it for themselves,” the answer became— timing. The teacher knows the time to get out of the way and the time to fill gaps, impart information, and point the students in the right direction. The centerpiece of the West learning environment was the students “oral defense of knowledge, known as an Exhibition.” Ted Sizer believed students should participate in deep inquiry and “present and defend” the knowledge acquired. The presentation of each Exhibition took place in front of a class audience and a panel of, either experts in the field of the inquiry, college students, or school
personnel. The panel was provided a rubric, highlighting the requirements. At the end, the Exhibition group would field questions from the panel members. As a result, lessons were in place to demonstrate how to work in groups, what an in-depth inquiry looks like, and prepping for presentations. It is difficult to describe the emotional state of these groups before and after an Exhibition. Positively, a phenomenal example of authentic assessment and the joy of witnessing kids doing things they never believed they could. The “Emotion” and “Music” Exhibitions were among my favorites. The sophomores formed groups of three and went “in deep” into different emotions. Early in the semester, it served as a visual for the freshmen of what an exhibition was. The requirements included what color would this emotion be, an animal that would best represent the emotion, matching a piece of literature or music, and an historical event, all representing the essence of emotion. These presentations were magical and helped our frightened freshmen. Deeper exhibitions, like Music, offered the ability to have cross-age groups. These groups ranged from freshmen to seniors. No group had the same genre and the inquiry ran the gamut. From music that influenced this genre and what genres did this music influence to, historically, did the music deflect or reflect the historical events surrounding the genre’s timeline. In addition, each group must feature the representative song of the genre, breaking down every element, from lyrics to percussion, making it the “one.” The panels were Chico State music students and Chico High faculty resulting in a lively ‘oral defense of knowledge!’ At the end of each exhibition, the students were required to write a detailed reflection. The purpose was to look back and detail how the group worked together, how it failed to do so, including how the student writing the reflection shined and what he or she could have done better. In addition, the students reflected on the exhibition itself and what we, as teachers could have done better. These were time and again reliably and credibly written, leaving both the students and teachers taking away actual things to continue doing and bona fide things that need to be changed. Reflections became a critical mainstay. It’s altogether head shaking how much more could be conveyed. This appears but the tip of an immense iceberg. The Coalition spoke about “essential skills,” such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, computing, analyzing, and others. It went on to emphasize the need for developing “Habits of the Mind, by enhancing one's capacities for persisting; managing impulsivity; creating, imagining, innovating; thinking about thinking; and striving for accuracy.” We discovered that along with these, developing the vital habits of “empathy, humility, communication, and joy” proved paramount to our overall success. I will leave you with this. That gust of wind took the breath out of me for an extended period of time. Chico High West was not at the end of some metaphoric pendulum, waiting for it to swing the other way. No, it was real. I am reminded of that by the amount of random emails, texts, phone calls, and coffee dates from a host of former students who believe West was the best thing that ever happened to them. It most assuredly was to me. I can’t wait until the next time I leave an establishment and hear, “Hey Dolan, Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time.” It just might, but not without a smile on my face. 47