Enjoy Magazine: Northern California Living — January 2026

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

JANUARY 2026

ISSUE 232

FRESH FOUNDATIONS

www.enjoymagazine.com

Enjoy the magazine It’s on the house

YourPath to Health

Valor Oncology is committed to your health, healing, and lifelong vitality. Our board-certified providers deliver patient-centered care that emphasizes compassion, accessibility, and kindness – all while empowering you to live well and live healthy. In addition to advanced radiation therapy, we offer a full range of surgical techniques performed by fellowship-trained, board-certified surgeons. With state-of-the-art technology and world-class treatment close to home, we provide comprehensive cancer care with extensive experience treating both common and rare cancers.

Dr. Matthew W. Allen

Dr. Lauren Strickland

Dr. Douglas Matthews

Dr. Nick Gabriel

Dr. Thomas Guerrero

Dr. Allen is a graduate of Harvard Medical School.

He is a board-certified Radiation Oncologist and completed his residency at the top ranked cancer center in the country, MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He is experienced in the latest radiation treatment modalities.

Dr. Strickland completed her internship and residency at St. John Detroit Riverview Hospital and St. John Oakland Hospital in Michigan. She brings her specialized fellowship training in the treatment of malignant and benign diseases of the breast to our area.

Dr. Matthews completed his residency in General Surgery at the University of Utah and a fellowship in Colorectal Surgery. He continues to support the community as a volunteer firefighter. Dr. Matthews sees patients in the North State.

Dr. Gabriel is a Board Certified General Surgeon by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery with over two decades of experience.

He is an authority in his field, with Ivy League training from Yale University. He has taught surgeons nationally and internationally.

Dr. Guerrero specializes in treating cancer sites with radiation therapy.

He completed his M.D. and Ph.D. (MSTP, biomedical physics) from the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine in 1997 and residency training in radiation oncology at Stanford University in 2002.

VALOR ONCOLOGY F

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LIVING

JANUARY 2026

CONTENTS ISSUE 232

FRESH FOUNDATIONS

—featured stories— 22: 16 Life Hacks for 2026

28: Ritual Sauna Brings Heat, Healing to Community 36: Dr. Chegini Transforms Adversity Into Service 46: Finding the Benefits of Hypnotism with Katy Redmon 52: Inside Fairchild’s New Senior Life Solutions Program 66: Jayme Bottke Guides Tehama County Health Services Forward

GOOD FINDS 58: Hearthmother Goods Created by Laurel Bettinger

LOCALS 78: Three North State Artists Share Why They Create

Photo by Taryn Burkleo

Photo by Seth McGaha, courtesy of Visit Redding

INTEREST 70: How First Fridays Brings Redding Together

IN EVERY ISSUE 18: What I Enjoy: Matthew Allen, MD 84: Recipe: Avocado Chocolate Mousse 86: Enjoy the View: Frank Tona 88: What’s Cookin’: Winter Roasted Veggie Crostini with Whipped Feta & Pomegranate 91: Local Events Calendar 98: Giving Back: Lee Karp, Northern Valley Catholic Social Service

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It’s all about you at Oak River Rehab We’re more than a 5-star Medicare-certified, short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing home.

Our team is committed to providing the highest quality care with the comforts of home.

Proven Excellence in Long-Term Care

Award-Winning Short-Term Rehabilitation

Selecting a skilled nursing facility can be challenging — as they say — pictures can be worth 1000 words. We invite you to stop by and ask for a tour!

This award reflects the commitment our team has to patient care, rehabilitation and overall improvements to patient well-being.

Oak River Rehab | 3300 Franklin Street, Anderson | 530-365-0025 | Oakriver-rehab.com

Grantmaking Highlight THE McCONNELL FOUNDATION

Onica Mello, s, McConnell; rt and ip ill h P n o n a an Steve Lockh From left: Sh r, McConnell; e lt a S lly e K NST; ge. e, NatureBrid Phil Kilbridg

Siskiyou

Trinity

NatureBridg e representa tives and form Yosemite pro er gram attend ees Andrew and Andree Fitzhugh Blanchier.

Modoc

Shasta

Tehama

Yosemite Program NatureBridge in Yosemite, a week-long environmental education program, is a popular and enduring initiative of The McConnell Foundation. Its support has allowed thousands of North State students to participate in this unique learning opportunity. While the Foundation will continue its financial support of the Yosemite Program, its administration is being moved to the dedicated and capable hands of North State Together (NST). NatureBridge representatives visited Redding and met with new Program Director Onica Mello and former program participants. NST is based out of Shasta College’s Community Leadership Center.

To learn more visit: northstatetogether.org/programs/naturebridge

The McConnell Foundation Helping build better communities through philanthropy

YVONNE MAZZOTTA

publisher

MICHELLE ADAMS

publisher

RONDA ALVEY

editor in chief

KERRI REGAN

copy editor

JAMES MAZZOTTA PAUL DAVID

photography website & social media

CATHERINE HUNT

event calendar

MICHAEL O’BRIEN

advertising sales & marketing manager

KEVIN GATES

advertising sales & marketing consultant

CONNIE BLANC

advertising sales & marketing consultant

JEN VERMAAS

advertising sales & marketing consultant

BEN ADAMS

deliveries

DIANE MORGAN

deliveries

PAUL LINDBERG

deliveries

BETH HUBNER

deliveries

KAMALA FLINN

deliveries

www.enjoymagazine.com 530.246.4687 office | 530.246.2434 fax Email General/Sales and Advertising information: info@enjoymagazine.com

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©2026 by Enjoy Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproductions without permission are strictly prohibited. Articles and advertisements in Enjoy Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management, employees, or freelance writers. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If an error is found, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us of the mistake.

The businesses, locations and people mentioned in our articles are solely determined by the editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising.

Enjoy is a trademark of Enjoy, Inc.

JANUARY 2026

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CELEBRATING

YEARS OF

COMMUNITY 1980 - 2025 For 45 years, Plumas Bank has grown alongside the people and businesses that make our regions thrive.

We’re proud to be your community bank and to be HERE. For Good.

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a

note from our

team

For so many of us, the new year tends to usher in a mix of optimism and overwhelm, and this issue focuses on Fresh Foundations, where we lean into building sustainable habits for a lighter life.

True foundation-building starts within, and we’re sharing some simple life hacks to streamline your busy schedule and reduce mental clutter. Scrapping excess paper, organizing your spaces, and even prioritizing a calm demeanor are some ways to make that happen.

Learn how certified hypnotist Katy Redmon helps clients find clarity, control and relaxation by intentionally bypassing the conscious mind. For physical wellness, discover more about the ancient practice of contrast therapy with Ritual Sauna, a mobile service bringing healing heat and invigorating cold plunges right to you.

This theme extends into our community, too. We’re joining Northern Valley Catholic Social Service in celebrating its 40th anniversary of inspiring hope through housing, mental health, family support and more. We also highlight the exciting growth of downtown Redding’s First Fridays, an ongoing success story that connects the community through local eateries, shops and art.

We hope you’re inspired to make thoughtful improvements that stick, from preparing delicious healthy treats to taking time for community connection. Happy New Year, and enjoy Northern California living.

ON THE COVER: Padraic Sullivan

Photo by Kara Stewart

JANUARY 2026

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Happy New Year!

Passages, Area Agency on Aging.

Providing Community Resources for Older Adults and Family Caregivers in Northern California.

Passages 25 Main St. Chico, CA 530-898-5923/800-822-0109 Passagescenter.org

¡Próspero año!

Passages, agencia de área sobre envejecimiento Proveemos recursos para adultos mayores y cuidadores familiares del norte de California.

Passages 25 Main St. Chico, CA 530-898-5923/800-822-0109 Passagescenter.org

WHAT I ENJOY

Matthew Allen, MD Occupation: Oncologist Valor Oncology

Family:

Wife - Janet Carter, PharmD, MSHM and two pups, Lyon and Hugo How long have you lived in the North State? 16 years If you weren’t in medicine, what career do you think you’d be in? A college

professor teaching physics or economics.

What song instantly puts you in a good mood? “Don’t Stop

Believin’” by Journey.

When you travel, do you prefer big cities, small towns, beaches or mountains? Beaches

– especially the beaches along the coast of California and Oregon.

What hobby or pastime brings you the most happiness?

Sailing and photography.

Do you have a favorite inspirational quote or mantra that keeps you grounded? Success is not

final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts – Winston Churchill.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT LIVING IN THE NORTH STATE?

What’s something you learned recently that fascinated you?

The good people, community and the outdoors.

I was fascinated to learn that astronauts actually get a little taller in space—up to about two inches—because gravity isn’t compressing their spine. As a radiation oncologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about millimeters in scans, so the idea of casually gaining two inches

feels almost like science fiction.

Sadly, the effect goes away when they come back to Earth, so I guess I’ll stick to regular shoes instead of space boots.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “Just do the

next right thing.” Medicine can feel overwhelming—you’re juggling complex decisions, limited information and real lives. That advice reminds me I don’t have to solve everything at once. If I can focus on the next conversation, the next decision, the next small act of kindness, things usually move in the right direction.

He He Ha

If you could have dinner with any fictional character (from books, movies, or TV), who would you choose and what would you ask them? I’d

probably pick an unlikely duo:As we age, Dana Scully from The X-Filesdo your bes and Paddington Bear. From interactions Scully, a physician and scientist, I’d want to know how she A key pa walks that line between healthy skepticism and staying open tomental, a the unexpected—something we do often in oncology. From Paddington, I’d ask how he keeps leading with kindness, even Hearin when people don’t make it easy.

All If you could mix Scully’s cleareyed logic with Paddington’s quiet optimism, you’d have exactly the kind of attitude I’d like to bring into the clinic every day.

Start practic

What’s one thing on your bucket list that you are determined to check off someday? Watch an NFL

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JANUARY 2026

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simple solutions

BIG impact 1 6 L I F E H AC KS FO R 2 02 6

he world is a complicated place. Between busy work and school schedules, extracurricular activities, increasing costs and a seemingly endless barrage of responsibilities, only the strong, organized and adaptable come out on top. Enter the life hack: a streamlined process, innovative approach or tool that can help lighten your load. These tips may add some ease to your life in 2026.

Scrap the Paper. Piles of receipts, advertisements and bills aren’t just clogging up your physical space. They’re eating your mental space, too. Just think of what you could accomplish if you didn’t waste precious time staring at that ever-rising pile and wondering what to do with it.

Instead, set up electronic billing, request bank statements and receipts to come via email and sort your junk mail immediately to keep the clutter to a minimum. Create a filing system that makes sense to you for papers that must be kept.

Get Rid of Excess Stuff. Take it one space at a time — a drawer after work, a linen closet over the weekend, your glove compartment on your lunch hour — and sort your life out. Create four piles: “keep,” “donate,” “trash” and “think about it.” Immediately let go of what no longer serves you. If it’s useful or holds sentimental value, keep it

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“Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify.”

— Henry David Thoreau

and find an appropriate place to put it. Not sure how to feel about it?

Put it in the “think about it” pile. Set a calendar reminder for three months or less. If you don’t think about it over the course of the designated time, send it on to the universe. Someone may need it more than you do.

Shave Down That Mortgage. Did you know that making one additional mortgage payment per year can reduce your loan repayment period by several years? An extra hundred or two a month may seem like small potatoes against a mountainous 30-year loan, but it adds up when it comes to making your home “yours” even faster. How? That extra mortgage payment tackles principle only, and not interest. You could whittle four to five years from a 30-year fixed rate loan. If you can throw in a 14th payment per year, you can chop that 30-year period down to around 22 years. (Inspired by C. Boney) Skip the dressing room. Use this simple trick to see if a pair of pants, shorts or a skirt is likely to fit without trying it on in the store. If the waistband can go around your neck and the ends can touch in the back without a gap, it’s likely to fit you comfortably.

Overlapping material means you’ll have some wiggle room.

A gap between the ends means it won’t comfortably fit your waistline. While trying on clothing is the best way to tell a “wow!” from a “what was I thinking?!,” sometimes life moves too quickly to wait for a fitting room.

Organize your closet by color. Color coding can encourage you to wear more of your wardrobe instead of just your trusty go-tos all the time. It’s bound to inspire you to shop more mindfully, too, now that it’s easier to take a mental note of your inventory before you buy.

Warning: this life hack may spark exciting, never-beforetried color combinations and clothing pairings – and it’s quite pretty to look at! ▶ continued on page 24

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taking an exercise class with a predetermined start and end time. Working out with a gym partner can keep you accountable, too. Even if you

prefer a solo workout, add it to your calendar so it’s a dedicated meeting instead of becoming a “maybe I’ll go if I have time” scenario. (Inspired by C. Hemphill) Keep your items where you can see them. Do you find it easier to be able to see your items instead of having them stored in an enclosed space like a drawer or cabinet? Try a cubby system or open shelving. By seeing all your items at the same time, it’s easy to make use of them or recognize when it’s time to filter items out.

(Inspired by N. Lewis) Don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach. Walking into a supermarket hungry is the kiss of death for your budget and your

diet. Shop smart by filling your belly first and sticking to the shopping list. (Inspired by M.D. Woods) Sync your schedules. A Skylight calendar puts your whole week or month into perspective. It’s kidfriendly so parents don’t have to keep answering the persistent question, “What are we doing today?” Kids learn to check the calendar. There’s an app that can sync to your smartphone. A Google family calendar is a free digital-only way to keep everyone

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on the same page. (Inspired by M. Williams) Set your timer. Break up monotonous tasks into timed periods so you stay productive and engaged. Twenty minutes of focused work can go a long way!

Intermingle sit-down tasks with ones that require more movement or activity to keep it interesting.

(Inspired by L. Gaddis) Schedule time to exercise. It’s not enough to simply have membership at a gym. Consider

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JANUARY 2026

Meal prep for the week in a single day. While it’s a great way to eat healthier and save money, meal prepping on a single day of the week also cuts down on dish duty during the busy work week.

Make what you can reasonably eat before your next prep day or make extra and freeze it for a rainy day. (Inspired by C. Blanc and B. Mason) ▶ continued on page 26

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Save at least 10 percent. Whether it’s your paycheck, a monetary gift or the spare change you found lingering under your couch cushion, stash at least 10 percent of any funds you receive in an interest-bearing account that isn’t easy for you to pull from. It’ll be a nice little nest egg when you really need it.

(Inspired by M. Woods, Sr.) The slow cooker is your friend. If there were ever a kitchen gadget that is worth its weight in gold, it’s your slow cooker. It can take a bit of planning ahead, but using it ensures you and your loved ones come home to a hot meal with minimal clean up after a long day at work or school. (Inspired by D. Gray) A flat surface works wonders. Stop struggling to perch your folded laundry piles on the couch and hoping they don’t fall over when the dog or the kid invariably bounces right into the space in which you are folding.

Whether it’s a built-in counter or drop-down shelf in your laundry room or a pop-up table in your living room, having a dedicated flat surface to fold laundry makes the task far less tedious. • Kimberly N. Bonéy, proud wife and mom, is a freelance writer, designer, up-cycler and owner of Herstory Vintage. When she’s not working, she is joyfully wielding jewelry-making tools and paintbrushes in her studio. Antique shops, vintage boutiques, craft stores and bead shops are her happy place.

Add a Lazy Susan to your fridge. It’ll give you easier access to all the condiments and jarred goods that constantly get stuck behind dailyuse items.

Put perishables front and center in your fridge. It seems like a good idea to add your fresh fruit and vegetables to the designated fruit and vegetable drawer, but the adage “out of sight, out of mind” applies.

Instead, consider putting delicate produce into jars and onto the shelf you reach for first. The same goes for leftovers, so they don’t end up mistaken for your child’s science project.

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P H OTO S : M I C H A E L K I L L I N G B E C K

“It just kind of became this dream of how do we make this available to our community where we live? In an accessible way? We really are driven to the idea of providing a community activity where folks can come out and build community with others who are likeminded...”

Mobility is at the heart of the business. One week, Ritual Sauna might be parked at a yoga center.

Next, it might be set up at a Mt. Shasta Ski Park, a downtown winter market or a 10K race. The sauna can even be reserved for corporate wellness days, private gatherings — birthdays, recovery days after athletic events, bachelor or bachelorette parties, or simply a group of friends wanting an evening of heat and cold-plunge therapy. ▶ continued on page 30

RITUAL SAUNA BRINGS H E AT, H E A L I N G T O C O M M U N I T Y

ellness doesn’t always require a spa visit or a drive out of town – it can come right where you are.

Ritual Sauna, a fully mobile, cedar-lined sauna experience, delivers heat, cold plunges and a moment of mindfulness directly to homes, retreats and community gatherings across the North State and southern Oregon. With a simple motto — Sauna Where You Wanna — the company is redefining how locals view relaxation.

The mobile sauna service, based in Lakehead, was created around a simple idea: Bring the sauna to the people, wherever they are ready to slow down, breathe deeply and reconnect.

The owners of Ritual Sauna — Cené Salsedo Bryant and Stephen Bryant, both raised in Shasta County — started the business after years of practicing contrast therapy.

“Stephen and I have a deep connection to sauna practice and contrast therapy ourselves,” Cené said. “Through our experiences in various saunas, we’ve seen many benefits for ourselves and for our community members and family members who have joined us.

“It just kind of became this dream of how do we make this available to our community where we live? In an accessible way? We really are driven to the idea of providing a community activity where folks can come out and build community with others who are like-minded, who are prioritizing their own wellness, their physical health, their mental health,” Cené added.

Ritual Sauna packs the spa-like experience into a custom-built mobile unit that can be hitched, driven and set up almost anywhere.

“We can pop up at local events, retreat centers, wellness spaces and anywhere people gather to move, heal and connect,” Cené says. “The setting changes, but the experience is always rooted in presence.”

JANUARY 2026

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“We can pop up at local events, retreat centers, wellness spaces and anywhere people gather to move, heal and connect,” Cené says. “The setting changes, but the experience is always rooted in presence.” |

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“We really are trying to take it back to the ancestral practices that have lived since the beginning of time, where humans have gathered around a fire to sweat for a lot of different reasons,” Cené explained.

Ritual Sauna taps into a growing national trend. Across the country, mobile saunas have become a way to make traditional sauna culture more accessible. Finland may have more saunas than cars, but in the United States, saunas are usually locked inside gyms or spas — not exactly places where people gather to unplug. A mobile unit changes that.

The North State’s landscape is ideal for mobile saunas. Imagine stepping out of a 190-degree room into crisp evening air. Or pairing a group hike at Castle Crags with a pop-up sauna session. Or ending a day skiing at the ski park with a sauna-and-chill plunge cycle. Ritual Sauna exists to create these moments, not just for individuals but for groups who want a shared wellness experience.

Prices range from a $30 pop-up session to $850 for a fully hosted and guided private event. The company also offers memberships and special packages.

But building a sauna on wheels is not an easy task, Stephen says. “We were certainly worried about this thing driving down the freeway at 70 miles an hour and not rattling itself apart,” he said. “There’s a considerable amount of steel and metal work that we’ve done that was sort of above and beyond our initial plan. It’s a 250-pound stove with 300 pounds of rocks,” he said.

While the focus is on the experience rather than medical claims, there is a substantial body of research showing that regular sauna use can support health in significant ways.

Studies from Finland and the United States have found correlations between sauna use and improved cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation, muscle recovery and stress reduction. Heat exposure prompts the body to release endorphins and increase circulation, which many people describe as a “post-sauna clarity” or deep sense of calm.

Cold exposure, whether through plunge pools or ice baths, activates the body in the opposite direction — stimulating alertness, lowering inflammation, and triggering the release of norepinephrine, a hormone associated with improved focus and mood.

The contrast between hot, then cold, creates

This flexibility is part of what makes Ritual Sauna feel less like a spa service and more like a community ritual that can travel.

No matter where it’s parked, the experience is always the same: warmth, rest, and intentionality.

Participants step into the cedarlined interior, settle onto the benches, and let the heat do its work. When they step out, the cold plunge is waiting — an invigorating reset that amplifies the physical and mental benefits of the session.

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a beneficial cycle that many athletes, physical therapists and wellness practitioners now incorporate into recovery routines.

It’s become popular for good reason: People feel the results immediately. Tension melts.

Mood lifts. The body feels both energized and relaxed.

Ritual Sauna offers this cycle in a way that’s easy, portable and accessible, even for people who have never set foot in a sauna before.

At the core of the mobile experience is the idea of ritual — a pause, a moment of intention, something shared.

Whether guests sit in silence, practice breathwork or simply chat quietly with friends, the heat encourages stillness. Time slows down. The transition into the cold plunge adds a layer of exhilaration that leaves people laughing, gasping or celebrating. ▶ continued on page 32

“Through our experiences in various saunas, we’ve seen many benefits for ourselves and for our community members and family members who have joined us.”

Now Accepting Applications for 2025-26 School Year A California Distinguished School

Phoenix Charter Academy College View offers a chance for students to rise. Our TK-12 site-based/Independent study home school charter in Redding provides educational choice for families who wish to educate their children in a blended educational model.

Brande Moffatt, PT, DPT, PRPC Doctor of Physical Therapy Board Certified Pelvic Rehabilitation

Phoenix Charter Academy College View Let us partner with YOU to personalize YOUR child’s education.

• Robotics • LEGO® Creative Design • Environmental Education • Premier Independent Study Program • Enriching Blended Model • Turtle Bay Docent Programs • Tutoring, Including Reading, Writing & Math • A Personalized Learning • Shasta College Courses Innovative Educational • Site Based A-G Courses Available Charter School • Computer-Based Instruction & Tutorials • Community Service Provider Electives Available

Thank you for supporting Charter Schools and Parent Choice (530) 222-9275 • www.ourpca.org 145 Shasta View Drive, Redding Ca. 96003

I am so grateful Brande Moffatt has her practice open to both men and women. Our culture is loaded with expressions for men like ‘hunker down and deal with it,’ and the myth that those aches and pains are just a permanent part of aging. Brande has the ability to break through the mind and help a patient see the long term corrections that can be made with very focused educated adjustments to your daily exercise. You have to be open to change – and what a difference it can make. I am in my mid-fifties and boy did my body need a tune up, and with the right guide like Brande, I acquired the knowledge of how to do it. ‘Working smarter not harder’ has been a game changer for me. Thank you Brande and your team!”

Inner Strength Pelvic Physical Therapy 2701 Old Eureka Way, Suite 1K • Redding

530.242.1728 • www.brandemoffatt.com

natural extension of the North State’s wellness landscape. It meets people where they already are, physically and mentally. It invites them to slow down without needing to book a spa weekend or travel out of town. And it creates community not through instruction, but through shared experience.

The setting may change — forest, backyard, retreat center, festival grounds — but the core experience does not: a welcoming space, deep heat, a bracing cold dip and a sense of presence that stays long after the session ends.

For those looking to add something special to a gathering — or simply wanting to feel a different rhythm in their own body — Ritual Sauna brings the heat wherever you want it. • Ritual Sauna (530) 500-2832 • ritual-sauna.com Find them on Instagram

Al Olson loves culinary arts, adult beverages and hiking in the North State wilderness. You may find him soaking up the scenery at one of our area’s many state or national parks or sitting in a barstool sipping a cold locally brewed craft beer.

There’s something ancient about these cycles, something that cuts through modern noise.

Because it is mobile, Ritual Sauna can transform a familiar place into a temporary sanctuary. A backyard transforms into a Nordic spa. A retreat center gains a new experience without construction. An outdoor festival becomes a wellness destination.

Hosts can pair the sauna with mindfulness ceremonies, yoga classes, meditation sessions or forest bathing. Others simply let it stand alone as the main event. The flexibility makes Ritual Sauna an easy fit for nearly any type of gathering, wellness-centered or otherwise.

In a region that values nature, movement and intentional living, Ritual Sauna feels like a

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JANUARY 2026

Renewing Well-Being in the New Year

Your health is our priority.

Meet Tamara Yoshida, NP Now Accepting New Patients at the office of Richard Malotky, MD

Tamara is dedicated to helping you feel your best. She specializes in hormone replacement therapy for both men and women, offering treatments including creams, injectables, and pellets. Her own wellness journey fuels her passion for supporting yours.

With extensive experience in emergency care, patient coordination, and family practice, Tamara enhances our ability to deliver comprehensive, patientcentered care.

Call today to schedule.

Start feeling better today!

1800 Buenaventura Blvd., Suite 200, Redding

(530) 244-7707 Richard Malotky, MD

richardmalotkymd-authenticfamilypractice

Fran’s Place

Formerly at Barry’s for 13 years, Fran Clester has been cutting men’s hair for 40+ years! Open Tuesday through Friday from 8-4pm, you will enjoy a clean, comfortable, unrushed environment where Fran practices a one at time, one of a kind service. Fran is fantastic!

3468 Bechelli Ln. Suite D • Tuesday thru Friday 8 to 4.

530-410-3005 || Men’s hair salon || Walk-ins only.

Come see me at my new place!

• Photography • Graphic Design • Adhesive Vinyl • Tshirts

Michael Killingbeck 530.776.4544

killingbeckphotoanddesign@gmail.com

Celebrating Today’s Health Heroes.

Supporting Tomorrow’s.

Celebrating Our 2025 Shasta Health Rock Stars

Back row L-R: Dr. Kyle Patton, Cheree VanEyck, Courtney Crum, Martha Ugbinada, Carrie Guilfoyle, Dr. Josh Kincannon.

Front Row L-R: Alyssa Crowder, Kasey Martindale, Jennifer Jones, Haley Bagnaschi

Each year, we honor exceptional healthcare professionals who elevate the well-being of Shasta County through their compassion and dedication to the underserved in our community. Congratulations to our 2025 Shasta Health Rock Star awardees.

Investing in Future Health Professionals The Shasta Health Rock Stars Scholarship Fund supports students pursuing careers in medical, dental, behavioral health, addiction treatment or public health. Ideal applicants are committed to Shasta County, and have a demonstrated desire to serve the medically underserved.

Eligibility Highlights • Enrolled in a healthcare-related post-secondary education program • Graduated from a Shasta County high school OR currently attending school or working in Shasta County The Shasta Health Assessment and Redesign Collaborative (SHARC), a dynamic group of healthcare leaders, has been working to improve access to quality affordable healthcare in the North State since 2009. SHARC’s Shasta Health Rock Stars program seeks to increase visibility of health career opportunities for area youth and celebrate local healthcare professionals who have devoted their careers to Shasta County’s underserved populations.

• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (last 4 semesters) • Demonstrated commitment to serving underserved populations Application Deadline: February 25, 2026

shastahealthrockstars.org

STRENGTH D R . C H E G I N I T R A N S F O R M S A DV E R S I T Y I N TO S E RV I C E

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BEHIND THE SMILE

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r. Farnaz Chegini, owner of Chegini Family Dentistry, has been through much adversity, but you wouldn’t know it from her beautiful smile and friendly, calm demeanor. Her resiliency, faith and dedication to learning has motivated Chegini to give back to those in need by using her education and experience to give people beautiful smiles by way of compassionate healthcare.

Originally from Tehran, Iran, Chegini was raised in Germany, and went back to Iran as a teenager. She married a man when she was 19 and they went to America on tourist visas, staying with friends in Marin County. Being in the land of opportunity, Farnaz learned English from reading the Bible and became interested in all religions.

Around this time, Chegini had an infected tooth and went to a clinic to have it treated. But instead of fixing the problem, the clinic just gave her antibiotics to numb the pain. What she really needed was a root canal, but the clinic was too understaffed to perform the surgery.

Therefore, Chegini started studying dentistry and found a fellow dental student who gave her a root canal for free.

The experience inspired Chegini to go back to the health clinic and volunteer as a sterile technician. One day when a dentist needed an assistant to help with an extraction surgery, Chegini jumped in.

“I was fascinated by that,” she recalls. Chegini then got accepted into the Western University of Health Sciences in Southern California to study dentistry, one of the hardest schools to get into at the time. However, she failed her Gross Anatomy class and was dismissed. She was told she’d never be a dentist in America, and it didn’t help that her husband was not working, and they were living off her student loan.

While in school, though, a domestic violence support group came and talked to her class. It was the first time she had ever heard that term, which identified what she was experiencing at home. Her ex wanted her to go back to Iran, but she knew it would make her situation worse, so she fled with her son back up to Marin County.

She tried to make the relationship work, but he served her with divorce papers. Her family fully supported the annulment, and two days later, Western University invited her back.

“I looked at it as, I have this second chance; I’m going to make the best of it, be the best I could be,” Chegini says. She graduated from Western University as a Doctor of Medical Dentistry in 2017. ▶ continued on page 38

JANUARY 2026

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I LO O K E D AT IT AS A S ECOND CHANCE; I WAS GO ING TO MAK E

THE BEST OF IT Following her graduation, Chegini decided to do a residency in North Carolina to learn how to do dental implants. She loved surgery ever since seeing that tooth extraction years ago and didn’t like just taking out people’s teeth and replacing them with dentures. “A person with dentures can eat 10 percent of what we can eat; they lost weight, and it makes them unhappy. It broke my heart when I had to remove people’s teeth and put in dentures,” she says.

However, considering bacteria in the mouth can lead to many health issues like colon cancer and diabetes, something had to be done. “So, learning implants was very rewarding. People were driving from all over the East Coast to get this treatment,” she adds.

After completing her residency, Chegini applied for roles at veterans hospitals across the country. A friend back in Marin County told her about an opportunity with a VA in Northern California and encouraged her to reach out.

She flew to Redding for an in-person interview with the VA, and Dr. Rebecca Neill picked her up from the airport and gave her a tour of the area. With its access to the outdoors and slower paced lifestyle, Chegini started her new role with the VA in 2019.

While dental school taught Chegini the skills she needed to perform her job, the VA taught her a lot about managing people. She says she loved her job, but the dynamics between the patients, employees and navigating the governmental healthcare system could be challenging.

Then one of her fellow dentist friends, Dr. Trusas, passed away, and she volunteered to see his patients until someone bought his practice. A friend suggested that Chegini buy the practice, which she had never even considered as a possibility. While someone else bought it, it got Chegini thinking.

Chegini imagined having a dentist practice with a spalike atmosphere, a place people looked forward to going to. Then the Cass Family Dentistry on 3320 Churn Creek Road in Redding came available, with ample space and rooms fully built out with massage chairs, small flatscreen TVs built into the ceilings, and state-of-the-art equipment.

She bought the practice in August 2024 and has been improving it ever since, such as utilizing the ability to do same-day crowns and installing sleep apnea machines to further study the effects of undiagnosed cases. ▶ continued on page 40

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D O N’ T LE T F O OT AND ANKLE PAIN KEEP YOU F R OM WHAT YOU LOVE Specializing in managing complicated foot and ankle problems.

• Specialist in painful arthritis of the foot and ankle.

• Ankle replacement procedure. • Heel and arch pain.

• Minimal pain techniques for bunion and hammertoe repair.

• Ingrown toenails. • Fallen arches. • Nerve pain treatments.

Serving Redding, Chico And Surrounding Areas

www.chicofootandankle.com

DPM-Board Certified Foot & Ankle Surgeon

405 South St. Suite F, Redding 676 E. 1st Ave., Suite 9, Chico 530.342.5621

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“The great thing about going to Western University, doing that residency, and working at the VA is that I learned to really look at the whole health of the patient.

We have access to all their medical history — we can look at their bloodwork, past surgeries, even therapy sessions,” she says. “I want to know how we can make you healthier, not just what’s going on in your mouth,” she adds.

Also, having survived an abusive relationship for so long, Chegini has a lot of empathy for women who have been in similar relationships. Always focused on giving back, in April 2025, she partnered with One Safe Place and gave free dental care to 27 women and children. She is planning a bigger event on February 6, 2026, where she and two fellow dentists will volunteer to treat more children and women who don’t have access to dental care.

Committed to continuous education, serving her community, and helping those around her better themselves, Chegini was a youth leader at Pathway Church and is an active member of organizations such as SPEAR Education and the Christian Medical and Dental Association. At Chegini Family Dentistry, she even created a membership plan to make preventative and proactive dental care more accessible and affordable than navigating the complicated world of insurance.

“I want to give people confidence with their smile and with this membership plan, you save more money than paying for insurance that you’re not getting,” Chegini says.

“I want people to come here and have a team that treats each person like they’re your family,” she says.

Relieving people’s pain as well as restoring their health and confidence keeps Chegini going, and it’s safe to say that she’s succeeded in bringing smiles to many faces in the North State. • Chegini Family Dentistry www.cheginifamilydentistry.com

Kayla Anderson is a freelance writer, marketer and action sports enthusiast who grew up wakeboarding on Lake Shasta and learning to ski at Mt. Lassen. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Chico State University and loves to visit her parents in Redding.

I WAN T PEOPLE TO COME HERE AN D HAVE A T EAM THAT TREATS EACH PER S ON

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America’s Choice IN HOME CARE®

In-home care enables older adults to age in place in their own homes while professional caregivers help them with daily tasks they need to maintain the independence they desire. We can guide you through the decision-making process to ensure you receive the right care for your loved one, allowing them to remain where they are the most comfortable…in their own home.

For more information call 530.223.2400 or visit VisitingAngels.com/Redding.

Each Visiting Angels agency is independently owned and operated. License #454700006. ®2025 Visiting Angels is a registered trademark of Living Assistance Services, Inc.

Here’s to a Healthier You in 2026

A new year brings fresh motivation to take better care of ourselves — and the right support can make all the difference. In this curated Health & Wellness section, we’re highlighting local professionals who help our community feel stronger, live healthier and make lasting changes.

Whether you’re building new habits or looking for trusted guidance, these providers are here to help you start the year well.

Caring for You, Close to Home

easy winter glow routine

Luminous Skin: Fall in Love with Your Luminous Skin

H OW TO P R OT E C T YO U R SKIN THIS SEASON Cold weather, indoor heat and low humidity can leave your skin feeling tight, dry or more sensitive than usual. Winter doesn’t have to be hard on your complexion, though—just a few seasonal adjustments can help your skin stay healthy and hydrated.

Start with moisture, both inside and out. Drinking enough water keeps skin cells plump, while a richer moisturizer or hydrating serum helps restore your skin barrier. Look for ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid and squalane for extra winter protection.

Choose a gentle cleanser to avoid stripping natural oils your skin depends on in colder months. Warm—not hot—water is best for your face and showers, helping your skin retain moisture.

Light exfoliation once or twice a week can brighten dull winter skin and improve product absorption. Just be careful not to overdo it, as cold-weather skin is more prone to irritation.

And even though the days are darker, sunscreen still matters.

UV rays are present year-round and can intensify dryness and visible aging.

With a few intentional habits—and support from a trusted esthetician—your skin can stay nourished, glowing and protected all winter long.•

Luminous Skin Esthetics in Redding, CA, is where brides go for flawless, healthy skin on their big day. Voted Top 3 Best of the North State for Best Facial, their expert esthetician specializes in custom facials and targeted treatments. Get wedding-ready with radiant, picture-perfect skin that shines as bright as your love.

983 Mission De Oro, Suite E, Redding 530.638.0926 luminousskinesthetic.com @luminousskinesthetic

“A few winter adjustments—more moisture, less heat— go a long way in supporting your skin.”

Caring for You, Close to Home Rooted Vitality Cryo & Wellness Center

Just Breathe: Revive Your Body, One Breath at a Time

In a world that never slows down, your body deserves a place to rest, recover and thrive. Rooted Vitality Cryo & Wellness Center delivers next-level healing with advanced therapies that recharge your body from the inside out. Cryotherapy, HOCATT, PEMF, infrared sauna, red light therapy, leg compression and more. Help yourself recover faster, boost energy and reduce stress. Where healing begins at the root.

Walk ins welcome! Stop in today!

Breathe Hyperbaric Chamber Center offers the only hard shell oxygen chambers in Shasta County. These premium chambers deliver up to 99.9% oxygen to every cell, promoting healing, recovery and overall well-being. If you struggle with fatigue, headaches, brain fog, inflammation, injury, joint pain or autoimmune issues, we can help accelerate your healing. We also offer Hydrogen Inhalation Sessions.

Rooted Vitality Cryo & Wellness Center

1619 Hilltop #A, Redding 530.410.8594 rootedvitalitycenter.com Ashlee@rootedvitalitycenter.com

Live & Lead With Purpose Center.

Life has a way of moving us off center, which is exactly why Center was created! Designed to help individuals, leaders and teams analyze their reality and reconnect to core values, Center helps you live and lead with greater purpose. Reach out for a free consultation. 530.945.3643

Breathe H Y P E R B A R I C C H A M B E R C E N T E R

2833 Bechelli Lane, Redding 530.605.5292 breathehyperbaric.com @breathehyperbariccenter

Empower Your Wellness

Exhausted, Bloated or Foggy?

Balanced Health by Ereka.

Ereka Bishop, Registered Dietitian and Wellness Coach, offers personalized coaching focused on whole-body health.

Her specialties include tailored nutrition plans, diabetes, perimenopause and menopause, mindset, career and lifestyle. balancedhealthbyereka.com

Bee Radiant.

Bee Radiant helps women restore hormone, metabolism, and digestive balance using root-cause functional nutrition and insightful iridology assessments.

Magnesium Balm & Nasal Spray • Bee-Radiant.store 916.838.7625

Caring for You, Close to Home Balance Yoga Center: Create healthy change… body, mind, spirit!

FemFit Redding: Fitness & Nutrition Coaching for Women

Open 7 days a week with over 70 classes to choose from, Balance offers traditional yoga for all levels plus a variety of fitness-forward classes. Enjoy two beautiful studios, including one with hot and warm classes and state-of-the-art infrared heating panels. A welcoming environment focused on community health and wellness.

FemFit Redding is a strength and conditioning gym designed for women in ALL seasons of life!

Their classes, personal training and nutrition coaching services offer an educational health experience in a safe, supportive environment.

Their programs bring a unique approach to women’s health including breathwork, pelvic floor exercises, hormone health support and more!

2821 Bechelli Lane Redding 530.262.6298 balance-yogacenter.com

Where Healing Begins

Little Oaks Counseling Center offers client centered therapy for all ages. They feature a full sized play room, art room and sand play room for child therapy and a comfortable private office for adults. They offer a safe and nurturing environment. 530.364.4802

2704 Hartnell Ave. Unit B Redding 530.780.8648 femfitredding.com @femfit_redding

Eat Well. Feel Well.

Wellness grows when we choose it, even in small ways.

When Pie Meets Bread.

Whether you’re navigating food sensitivities, reducing sugar or simply choosing cleaner options, When Pie Meets Bread offers gluten free, dairy free and sugar free choices to support your wellness goals. Eating well can be simple. 530.215.3002

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P H OTO S : M I C H A E L K I L L I N G B E C K

CHANGE FROM WITHIN

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E M N

FINDING THE BENEFITS OF H Y P N O T I S M W T I H K AT Y R E D M O N

hen people hear the word hypnosis, many picture a stage show — someone clucking like a chicken or falling asleep at the snap of a finger. But for certified hypnotist Katy Redmon, who has quietly practiced in Redding for 20 years, the reality of hypnotism is something far gentler, far more collaborative, and for many people, deeply transformative.

“People think hypnosis is unusual,” Redmon says. “But the truth is, we go in and out of light hypnotic states all the time.” She describes the experience of driving home on autopilot or getting so absorbed in a hobby that time slips away. These everyday moments, she says, are examples of the brain moving from the busy, problem-solving beta state into a slower, more relaxed alpha state. Hypnotism simply teaches you how to use that natural state intentionally.

Redmon explains hypnosis as a process in which a person chooses to bypass their conscious mind and work directly with the subconscious — the place where habits, fears and long-held beliefs reside. “There’s a part of us that’s almost like a 3- or 4-yearold,” she says. “It doesn’t filter negativity; it just accepts whatever it gets.”

Advertisements take advantage of this, she notes, but hypnosis allows people to use the same mechanism for their own benefit.

“You’re giving yourself positive suggestions,” she says. “It’s a way of being kinder to yourself.”

What hypnosis is not, Redmon emphasizes, is mind control. “A hypnotist can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do,” she says.

“The movies make it look like someone is being forced into something. That’s just not real.” In her practice, clients stay fully aware, fully in control, and able to stop the process at any time.

For most people, the first experience of hypnosis simply feels like deep relaxation. Sessions begin with physical techniques — tightening and relaxing the muscles, slowing the breath — before moving into imagery. Redmon helps clients pick a setting that already makes them feel calm: a meadow, a beach, a shaded forest path or even floating on a cloud.

“Their face relaxes when they choose the right place,” she says with a laugh. “You can see it right away.”

Once a client is fully settled, she guides them through suggestions that the two of them have developed together — affirmations and messages tailored to the goal they’re working on, whether it’s quitting smoking, reducing stress, studying for an exam, sleeping better or releasing old fears.

Before she was a hypnotist, Redmon spent 20 years as a schoolteacher. Helping people grow, change and move confidently into new phases of life is familiar territory for her, and part of what drew her to a second career in healing work.▶ continued on page 48

“A hypnotist can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do,” she says. “The movies make it look like someone is being forced into something.

That’s just not real.”

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“I approached hypnotism like I approached teaching,” she says. “I wanted rigorous training.” She studied for two years — one weekend a month, all day Saturday and Sunday.

California doesn’t license hypnotists, but Redmon is certified through the National Guild of Hypnotists, and she encourages anyone seeking a hypnotist to check credentials and ask about training.

Asked about the most powerful transformations she’s witnessed, Redmon pauses. Some of the most dramatic, she says, came through past-life regression work, a specialty she offers to clients for whom it makes sense spiritually. But many breakthroughs happen through more traditional hypnosis.

There was the client with debilitating test anxiety who, through hypnotism, went on to ace his exams. Some clients conquered their fear of flying, people preparing for childbirth and individuals who finally quit smoking after years of trying. “It’s amazing what reducing stress can do,” she says. “Stress is a component of almost everything.”

For example, hypnotherapy has been shown to help PTSD patients overcome insomnia.

One 2008 study found that 88 percent of patients who received hypnotherapy twice a week for two weeks reported excellent or good sleep quality, compared with 27 percent of those who received insomnia medication nightly for two weeks.

For Redmon, the reward is watching people gain confidence, clarity and agency. “It’s like teaching,” she says. “You want your students to get to the point where they don’t need you anymore.”

Hypnotism can stand on its own, but Redmon says it also pairs well with other therapeutic practices, including counseling, meditation and medical treatment, especially when stress reduction is the goal. She wishes more healthcare professionals in the North State were open to collaboration, noting that partnerships are more common in larger cities.

If someone is intrigued but unsure whether hypnotism is right for them, Redmon suggests starting small. “Download a general relaxation audio,” she says. “Just see how it feels to listen to someone guide you. It’s like a gentle, guided meditation.” She even offers her own relaxation recording for free so potential clients can see whether her voice and style resonate with them.

As for the biggest misconception she wishes she could erase? That hypnosis is dangerous, controlling or somehow mystical. “I collaborate with people,” she says firmly. “I don’t control

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“I collaborate with people,” she says firmly. “I don’t control them.

Hypnosis is not something scary. It’s simply a tool—one that can help you be more patient and kinder with yourself.”

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them. Hypnosis is not something scary. It’s simply a tool — one that can help you be more patient and kinder with yourself.”

In a region where people often carry their stress quietly, Redmon hopes that gentle tools like hypnosis can help open new pathways to wellness, calm, and self-understanding. “It can be so transformational,” she says. “I’ve seen it over and over again.”• Redmon Hypnosis • (707) 694-2952 www.redmonhypnosis.com

Al Olson loves culinary arts, adult beverages and hiking in the North State wilderness. You may find him soaking up the scenery at one of our area’s many state or national parks or sitting in a barstool sipping a cold locally brewed craft beer.

JANUARY 2026

Antique Cottage

Shasta Lake 10

Palo Cedro

Consignment Corner

Merchant’s Mall

Weaverville 9 Redding

4

Fine Antique Jewelry & Furniture

164 E. 3rd St., Chico | (530) 342-6764 | Tues.-Sat. 10am to 5pm

8

Vintage Treasures 7

Anderson

7

Cottonwood KC Farmhouse

6

20 19

NORTHERN

Red Bluff Red Bluff Trading Post 5

CALIFORNIA

Come to Paradise and indulge yourself in Great Finds

3

A shop full of beautiful things! ★ 202 PEARSON RD., PARADISE ★

— DISCOVER TREASURES UNTOLD. —

Orland Chico

Country Squyres’

Sending Poodle Kisses and New Year’s wishes!

11-4 Tues - Sat closed Sun-Mon Palo Cedro Shopping Center 9384 Deschutes Rd.

5 Over 35 Vendors 5,000 Sq. FT.

WED - SAT 10 - 4 SUN noon - 4

530.727.9272 Open Tue-Sat 10am-4pm Sun 11am-3pm

2

MERCHANT’S • MALL • 18 Vendors!

9

Large Furniture Pieces

Furniture, Jewelry, Antiques, Toys, Kitchen, Clothing & More

1400 Main Street Weaverville

530 623 2475

(530) 874-8503 6118 Skyway in Paradise

707 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA

Antiques • Collectibles Gifts • Musical Instruments

Mon. - Sat. 10am-5pm • Sun. 11am-5pm 7409 Skyway, Paradise • 530.762.0914

OPEN

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

Attic Treasures Mall

1

Front St., Cottonwood ring: 360.789.9097

RED BLUFF TRADING POST

(530) 547-2025

Two Levels // 10,000 Sq. Ft. // 33 Years //

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Paradise 1 Attic Treasures Mall Antique Mall 2 Skyway Paradise Mercantile 3 Oroville

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Antique Cottage and Garden

3270 Cascade Blvd., Shasta Lake City 530.275.4451

Go Redding.

Every. Beat. Matters.

Women’s Heart Health Inspiration, Education Luncheon and Boutique

Friday, February 13th

It’s your lucky day!

Win-River Event Center 10am – 1:30pm Boutique Shopping Enjoy several booths from local organizations and women-owned businesses. Shopping, education and fun! Booths open at 10 am For Sponsorship or Boutique Space, contact Lynnann Foster at LFoster5@primehealthcare.com

“Data indicates that heart disease and stroke are affecting women at increasingly younger ages year after year”

February is Heart Month!

“Losing even one woman to cardiovascular disease is one too many.”

1100 Butte Street, Redding CA 96001 + (530) 224-5400 + SHASTAREGIONAL.COM + Find us on Facebook

Ladies’ Night Out Thursday, February 26th 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Grab your girlfriends and co-workers for some Heart Healthy fun!

Appetizers will be served.

SRMC Cardiac Rehabilitation 1355 East Street, Redding (Across the street from SRMC)

Space is Limited

RSVP by Thursday, February 19th

Lynnann Foster at LFoster5@primehealthcare.com

Join Shasta Regional Medical Center for a fun and informative evening promoting women’s cardiac health.

Receive Heart Health Screenings for FREE. Personalized Health Education

Free Health Screenings ❤ Heart Rate Cholesterol A1c ❤ EKG

❤ Tanita Scale (body composition) ❤ Enjoy heart healthy appetizers, wine and chocolate.

compassion in action

I N S I D E FA I R C H I L D ’ S N E W S E N I O R LIFE SOLUTIONS PROGRAM

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BY M E G A N P E T E R S O N

ccording to the National Council on Aging, nearly a quarter of adults age 65 and older are living with mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. “As we get older, there’s often less family support. Maybe someone is widowed, or there’s just less social support overall,” explains Karmen Bleich, Program Director for Senior Life Solutions, a newer program in Yreka designed to meet the unique needs of this demographic. “In our community, there’s a large population of seniors, so there’s a huge need for services of all kinds, but more specifically, mental health services.”

This necessity prompted Fairchild Medical Center to offer something new. “Senior Life Solutions is an outpatient program designed to meet the needs of older adults experiencing the mental health challenges that come with aging. Such examples could be isolation, living alone or having limited support. It could be financial strain, the emotional effects of a pet passing, being widowed or managing chronic illness. And those are just some of the things people struggle with. The program is designed to give these seniors some support and structure in a group setting, as well as opportunities for individualized therapy.” ▶ continued on page 54

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“I see growth happening all the time with these seniors, and that is incredibly rewarding.

There are folks that desperately need this support, and the fact that we as a team can provide that is really amazing work.”

Bleich says that if an individual’s needs can’t be met by the program, the Senior Life Solutions team can still be of service. “Part of our role is to help patients navigate their challenges. We won’t do things for them, but we can assist and direct them to the community resources that are available.”

Participation is entirely up to the patient, who has the ability to attend group therapy up to three times a week. “Our therapist Monica Cooley, who is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, leads the group. Each day typically follows a theme like gratitude or managing emotions. Then, either Annie Vulyak, who is our office patient coordinator, or myself will also facilitate a group session. We’ve done things like gratitude boards and painting acorns. It all happens during group times, but sometimes those types of activities can help people open up and express themselves even more.”

Bleich’s passion for the program is based on a lifetime of service.

“My background is in education and nursing, and I’ve always loved to facilitate growth in those around me. When I was a nurse working bedside, if someone was really sick and defeated, I would be there to encourage them. If they turned in bed, I would celebrate the win, acknowledging that they’d just turned in bed and were gaining some strength back. So, working in this setting, I see growth happening all

the time with these seniors, and that is incredibly rewarding. There are folks that desperately need this support, and the fact that we as a team can provide that is really amazing work.”

Bleich has also seen the benefits have a ripple effect. “Mental health and the body are connected. When patients are getting support and structure and learning skills, they also learn to advocate for themselves.

The program can be a motivator too, giving someone a reason to get up and get ready for the day. It’s a special thing to see the change when someone starts the program, and they’re not putting a lot of effort into those things. But as they get invested in the program, and they show up, they start taking extra care for themselves. We’ve had several members who have even started showing up in a special outfit or a special shirt.”

Bleich also notes more tangible benefits. “Because many of our patients are managing chronic medical conditions, we can help with medication management and monitoring. Many of them come multiple times a week, so we are in tune with when a patient says something like they’re starting to feel a little sick. That means that we can catch things early on and encourage them to advocate for themselves. That kind of early intervention can help prevent something like a urinary tract infection becoming something far more significant with much higher consequences.”

Greenville HEALTH

WISE

A New Year with Greenville Rancheria’s Community Health Representatives

As the new year begins, Greenville Rancheria’s Community Health Representatives (CHRs) are already out in our communities, embodying the spirit of service, connection, and cultural care.

In January and throughout the year our CHRs hit the ground running with home visits that ensure Elders, Tribal members and patients receive the support they need to live safely and comfortably. These visits include wellness checks, medication reviews, health education, and simple but meaningful conversations that reduce isolation and strengthen trust.

CHRs also play a vital role in helping patients access essential medical and dental care. From transporting individuals to appointments to coordinating follow-up care, they ease barriers

that often prevent timely treatment. Their presence ensures that no one is left to navigate the healthcare system alone.

Our CHRs are active voices in community outreach throughout the year. Whether they are hosting booths at local events, assisting with the Annual Health Fair, organizing Diabetes Day, or sharing resources at farmers markets and gatherings, they bring health education directly to the people. Their outreach focuses on prevention, wellness, and empowering families with the tools they need to help individuals on their wellness journeys.

As we step into 2025, Greenville Rancheria celebrates our hardworking CHRs—their dedication, their kindness, and their constant commitment to improving the health of Tribal members,

Red Bluff *Tribal Health Center 1425 Montgomery Road 528-8600 - Dental Clinic 343 Oak Street 528-3488

Photos courtesy of Karmen Bleich

Six months in, the program is finding immense success. “We took our first patient in July 2025, so we’re a brand-new program. But so far, we just want express our appreciation to the community for the support we’ve had.” Bleich also encourages anyone to reach out, whether it be a prospective patient or someone who wants to refer a patient. “Mental health has long been a taboo topic for all populations.

Certainly when it comes to seniors, it’s not often talked about. So, when I have a patient that calls, I always give them recognition for just reaching out in the first place. That alone takes effort. Then, we as a team get to focus on meeting the patients where they’re at. Sometimes it takes multiple phone calls and speaking to patients before they’re ready to walk through the door. But part of our job is to just keep the

conversation going, letting them know that we’re always here as a resource, and we’re not going anywhere. So, I like to say, ‘when you’re ready, join us.’”• Senior Life Solutions www.fairchildmed.org/services/senior-life-solutions

Megan Peterson is a freelance storyteller who loves her family, her pets, and Northern California. Her favorite part of writing is finding flow, and she always relishes a touching human story.

Aside from Enjoy, she’s typically busy writing and producing for television, having created more than 220 hours of on-air content on networks ranging from National Geographic to Netflix.

Rancheria Elders, and the broader community they serve. Their efforts remind us that wellness grows strongest when it is rooted in culture, connection, tradition, and care for one another.

Neida Chavez Carrillo, Arileni Naranjo, & Lizeth Macias Echeverria

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HEALTH PROGRAMS Family Practice Pediatrics Medical Facilities Dental Facilities Medical transport within Plumas and Tehama Counties Community Health Representatives Indian Child Welfare Worker Diabetes Services Mental Health Services Drug, Alcohol and Family Counselor Addiction and Medication-Assisted Treatment 7 Sub-specialties: Women’s Health, Internal Medicine, Orthopedics, Physical Therapy, Psychiatry, Pulmonology and Pain Management

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Greenville* Medical Clinic 284-6135 – Dental Clinic 284-7045 410 Main Street JANUARY 2026

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GOOD FINDS

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BY M E G A N P E T E R S O N

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P H OTO S : TA R Y N B U R K L E O

m o h

e n d a em

atural r

eme

di

es

Crafted w i t h ca r e H E A R T H M OT H E R G O O D S C R E AT E D B Y L A U R E L B E T T I N G E R

he story behind Hearthmother Goods is really about my family’s health journey, figuring out how to Sabbath, how to rest and how to be just more human. My husband and I have been married for 10 years, and he’s been a restaurant manager the entire time. It’s also been a decade of raising babies and then adoption, taking on the legal guardianship of my two little sisters. So, it’s like we suddenly went to five kids overnight. And that whole time, my husband was working 80 to 90 hours a week. It was a lot. But I think it also accelerated our growth as people,” explains owner Laurel Bettinger, who crafts and sells traditional organic herbal remedies like elderberry syrup and fire cider. “The reason I named my business Hearthmother Goods is because I believe that’s the way God made me, to be that warm fire in my home. That’s where I come alive.”

With five kids, staying healthy can be a challenge. “When you’ve got a toddler, they’re licking the grocery cart. They’re coughing in your face.

They’re just little germ factories. But elderberry is up there with the açai berry in terms of having some of the most antioxidants that God ever put into a plant. It also lowers inflammation throughout the body.

Studies show that it binds to the virus and stops it from duplicating itself. That means your sickness is shorter and less severe. But at the rate I was buying elderberry syrup, it started getting expensive. So, knowing▶ continued on page 60

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where an elder tree grew, I decided to start making it myself. The syrup tasted better, and a fraction of the cost. It just became our routine. I always had elderberry on hand by freezing it and portioning it out through the year, especially in winter.”

A daily dose of traditional tonic fire cider is also required in Bettinger’s household. “The base of fire cider is raw apple cider vinegar. Naturopaths always talk about doing your cider vinegar shot. It’s good for your gut and digestion. But we take the apple cider vinegar and infuse it for a month or so with several antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory medicinal herbs. It’s got all kinds of stuff like jalapeno, ginger, garlic, turmeric, oregano, thyme, horseradish, etc. Cold weather tonic warms up your body, helps your circulation, helps decongest you, and just supercharges your immune system,” explains Bettinger, who adds that her recipe has evolved over time.

“The first time I made fire cider, it tasted horrible,” she says. “It was so spicy. But it was worth it. A sniffle would start coming on, and we’d just suffer through a small dose and be better within a couple hours.

So, I experimented with balancing the flavor so my kids would take it.

Now, the flavor is medium-spice, a little sweet, and goes down smoothly. Even my three-year-old takes it every day. Not that my kids have a choice. It’s part of their daily chore checklist. It’s ‘brush your teeth, scrub your fingernails, brush your hair, and take your elderberry and fire cider.’”

Bettinger’s love of concoctions goes back to childhood. “I was raised homeschooled, the oldest of six kids out in the boondocks. ▶ continued on page 62

Now, the flavor is medium-spice, a little sweet, and goes down smoothly. Even my three-year-old takes it every day.

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Your Talk Radio KCNR1460.com

I just thought that if I could make a little extra money doing something that my kids already needed because the remedies helped my family to stay healthy, then great.

But it just grew and grew.

My first hobby was acting like an apothecary. I would collect stuff that I thought looked like magic herbs in the woods, gather tadpoles and baby fish out of the pond. I would have an aquarium along with little jars of this and that, and I would set up a trading post with my brothers and sisters selling all kinds of tinctures. I was such a wild, little dirty girl, but it was so fun.” Now that hobby is changing her life. “I wanted this little side gig to take a backseat to the important parts of my life. I just thought that if I could make a little extra money doing something that my kids already needed because the remedies helped my family to stay healthy, then great. But it just grew and grew.”

Bettinger is taking the success of business in stride.

“There have been some awkward growing pains because I’m trying to keep up with the opportunities that have been handed to me, while still keeping my priorities straight. I’m not a ‘boss babe,’ or some crazy entrepreneur.

I am a mom first and foremost, but at the same time, my husband has been at my side telling me to do my best because this is a good thing that might take us somewhere, and maybe one day this will get us out of the restaurant business. And sure enough, it has. Now my husband is transitioning to helping me with practical assistance. I’ve taught him all the recipes, and he helps with filtering and bottling. This gives us the ability to do more quantities faster. By the time next fall rolls around, that’s going to be his full-time job, and our family’s bread and butter. It truly feels like a miracle to me.”• Hearthmother Goods www.hearthmothergoods.com

Megan Peterson is a freelance storyteller who loves her family, her pets, and Northern California.

Her favorite part of writing is finding flow, and she always relishes a touching human story. Aside from Enjoy, she’s typically busy writing and producing for television, having created more than 220 hours of on-air content on networks ranging from National Geographic to Netflix.

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Happy New Year!

Here’s to a year of joy, wellness and fresh beginnings.

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BY M E L I S S S A M E N D O N C A

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P H OTO S : B O B M C C O N N E L L

J AY M E B OT T K E G U I D E S T E H A M A C O U N T Y H E A LT H S E R V I C E S F O R WA R D

n an ever-changing landscape of healthcare policies and public health concerns, there’s one assurance Jayme Bottke can offer when she hires new staff at the Tehama County Health Services Agency. “You’ll never be bored,” she tells prospective employees. “There are always so many changes that are coming at us.”

Bottke is just over four years in as executive director at the agency, with more than 23 years dedicated to it in a few different positions. She’s never been bored and says she is energized by the rebounds the agency has made in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Tehama County Health Services Agency has four main components: Public Health, Behavioral Health, Substance Use Recovery and a rural medical health clinic. Services are as vast as primary care, disease prevention and surveillance, medication support for treatment of opioid addiction and other substance use recovery services, and more. As each component strives toward integration and buildings see updates and renovation, “our goal is to have one door for all services,” she says. “We’re really focusing on how to bring overall health to our community.”

While there’s convenience and value in housing all services in one location, it’s not a panacea. A community crisis response network has been activated for mobile response that reaches people where they are. This response to a mental health crisis in the community aims to reduce harm through de-escalation and prevent crime or major hospitalizations.

While internal collaboration is a norm, so too is cooperation among other county agencies and nonprofit organizations. “You know the people you work with. We collaborate on a level that is unmatched. It’s a very caring community,” says Bottke. “It’s a small community all working together to uplift each other.”

One such collaboration is a program called Circle of Hope that supports the mental health of postpartum women of children up to 2 years of age. The combined efforts of First 5 Tehama, Public Health and Behavioral Health identifies and treats women with postpartum depression.

the work of wellness

“We’re going for a national accreditation,” says Bottke, noting that Public Health is going through a series of key informant interviews and assessments in a multi-year assessment process. “The process helps you focus on quality assurance and looking at data to define quality programs. It also helps focus on workforce development.” Key identified issues so far are access to health care, including substance abuse treatment and mental health services, as well as food security and nutrition.

In an area that has struggled to hire qualified professional staff, Bottke says, “We are very much on an upswing as far as filling our vacancies.” A point of pride for her is the many employees who grow into new positions through opportunities the agency can provide for internships and practicums that let them advance their skills.

“I think it comes down to having staff take pride in what they do,” she says. “We’ve seen people come into the organization at lower levels and see and love what they do and want to advance.” Through these growth opportunities they can maintain a livelihood while advancing their skills. “It’s a win-win situation,” she adds.

The challenges of a county health services agency are immense, especially in an area where half the population is Medi-Cal or Medicaid eligible. Supports go beyond basic primary care to the complexities of addiction and mental health challenges, along with food and housing insecurity. The agency addresses the specialized needs of each with an eye to an integrated whole, all in a time of rapidly changing health insurance policies.

“I’m just thankful to be working with a lot of wonderful folks,” says Bottke. “We have a lot of new faces and new staff at the agency. I’m really seeing them come together in an integrated health system as we face these headwinds of significant change. It’s not the work of an individual, it’s the work of a team that moves initiatives forward. In very small or large ways we can make a difference.”

That, of course, will never be boring. •

Melissa Mendonca is a graduate of San Francisco State and Tulane universities. She’s a lover of airports and road trips and believes in mentoring and service to create communities everyone can enjoy. Her favorite words are rebar, wanderlust and change.

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Tehama County Health Services Agency “Keeping Our Community Healthy”

Red Bluff Offices Visit the Health Services Agency website www.tehamacohealthservices.net to read informational updates and health alerts.

Online links to county and regional partners

Behavioral Health

1860 Walnut Street, Suite A  Behavioral Health Screening and Assessment  Individual and Family Counseling for All Ages  Medication Management  Case Management and Rehabilitative Skill Building  Justice Involved Pre and Post Released Services  Resources and Referrals  Assisted Outpatient Treatment  CARE Court

1-800-240-3208 or (530) 527-5631 Mobile Crisis Response Unit Available 24-hours a day 7 days a week

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Photos by Seth McGaha, courtesy of Visit Redding

I N T E R E S T | BY R I C H A R D D U P E R T U I S

friday night lights

Photo by Richard DuPertuis

“Come and park, get out of your car and walk to several places.

Get out and walk around, see what’s down here. Go somewhere you haven’t been before.”

H OW F I R ST F R I D AY S B R I N G S REDDING TO G E T H E R

or five years now, the First Fridays of every month in downtown Redding have filled the streets with vibrant community.

Dozens of participating locations, from eateries to art galleries, stay open up to two hours after normal hours for families to come and sip and shop and support local businesses. To attract and hold the crowd, vendors offer special sales, raffles, sometimes fun activities for the kids.

For example, start with THE first Fridays — that’s Fridays Vintage Clothing, at 1401 Market St. There, Dylan Mosshart invites you to his buy one, get one 30 percent off sale.

Similarly, Cinders offers a discount on a second pizza.

Nearby, the new SpencerJames Confectioners will hand out samples from their full spectrum of gourmet chocolates.

“ There is so much in downtown.

We have shops. We have art galleries. We have restaurants. We have an escape room...”

Also new is the renovated Shasta Historical Society building, featuring a fresh museum exhibit for every First Friday. Hear that music?

Look across the street to the Whistle Stop Park stage where one recent First Friday, performer Damilola unified a lawn full of young folks in dance for IJOYA, demonstrating the nonprofit’s focus on cross-cultural festivity.

Across from the new Redding Public Market stands the core of First Fridays, the historic IOOF Building, now headquarters for Viva Downtown!, the nonprofit that pulled all these festivities together. Though First Fridays started as a way for downtown businesses to recover from the pandemic and major reconstruction, Program Coordinator Blake Fisher credits the downtown community

JANUARY 2026

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response for keeping it going.

“In our wildest dreams, it was not meant to grow this big,” he recalls. “I would say it’s been three years of reorganizing, then in 2025 we partnered with the Arts Council to create an organized format. That’s when it blew up.” He says Racheal Newman, events coordinator at Shasta County Arts Council, set up an online participant application and emailed its link to everyone on the Viva Downtown! business list.

Newman took on publicizing First Fridays as a personal mission.

“There is so much in downtown. We have shops. We have art galleries. We have restaurants. We have an ▶ continued on page 72

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Photos by Seth McGaha, courtesy of Visit Redding

escape room,” she says. “I started making graphics for Facebook. I was releasing them on the Arts Council page and the Cultural District page, and Blake was like, ‘Hey, do you want to partner up?’ So we sat down and we came up with a really good system.”

Newman’s office is also in a historic building, the Old City Hall, a block north of 1401 Market, what you might call an outlier from the cluster of First Friday participants in the central business district. Newman makes sure a new art exhibit opens each month, with a reception for the artist(s) on First Fridays.

From there, it’s one block to Pipeline Craft Taps and Kitchen, which shares the corner courtyard with nonprofit Shasta Bike Depot. Executive Director Anne Thomas invites you to grab a beer and bring it into her place. She might even invite you to climb on an eBike and join her on a tour of our new system of protected bicycle paths that loop five miles, from downtown, across the Diestelhorst Bridge, to Turtle Bay and back again.

Walking one more block west takes you to Woody’s Brewing Company on Oregon Street, where you can sip and sup and sip again, particularly this January, when First Fridays falls on the day after New Year’s. Owner Bart Hauptman says it will also be the day after his company’s 11th anniversary, when they plan to honor the passing of their 10th year and welcome the 11th with their tiramisu stout and chocolate cherry stout. He’s confident these two brews will hold out for First Fridays guests arriving January 2.

Photo by Richard DuPertuis

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Across the street you can visit a picturesque shop signed Just Cuz Marketplace, owned by actual cousins Jessica and Angela, who specialize in gifts for every occasion, delivered in baskets built to your specifications. On the return to central Market Street, take a look around the corner on Tehama and check out Cask & Cleaver Charcuterie, where owner Kaitlyn Rodney will show you cheeses you can’t find anywhere else this far north in California.

Not all First Friday outliers lie north of the Market business core.

South to Placer, you may already know where to go for a Dam Burger, but did you know coowner Julie Malik delights in offering “First Friesday,” a free order of large fries with the purchase of two burgers? And did you know that you just passed Shasta Fabric Boutique, where Jan Kearns is teaching a makers’ workshop?

As the Arts Council Events Coordinator Newman says, there’s so much in downtown. ▶ continued on page 75

JANUARY 2026

“In our wildest dreams, it was not meant to grow this big...”

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—— discover R ed Bluff —— FLOWERS ARE A GREAT START TO A NEW YEAR! Call us today to make someone’s day a little brighter!

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And there’s yet more to take in. Walk the block west to California and around the corner to the upscale drinkery Black Diamond Lounge, which draws its atmosphere from Redding’s history, the Black Diamond Saloon of the early 1900s. For more modern tastes, cross California to The Dip for drinks, games and live music.

From there it’s only a couple of blocks further to where two very different venues stand. On California and Gold you will find an unique cafe called Plantable, where you may experience “A Night at the Nursery,” where owner Kirkwood Hale promises to connect people listening to soft music, among plants. Or across the creek, you can eat and drink at Pourboys Tapyard, a brewery owned by Austin Carter, who considers craft beer to be the universal language of the world.

Returning north on California you’ll find Fratelli’s Pizza, where owner Brandon Smith also offers beer and live music, with works from local artists decking the walls. Looking for a place to eat with outdoor entertainment? Step outside and you stand only one block from The Park, a community hub built by Todd Franklin, who chose furniture designed to seat folks closely as they savor selections from any of a line of food trucks.▶ continued on page 77 Photo courtesy of Plantable

JANUARY 2026

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Where Home Feels Like a Getaway Home is where life unfolds. Picture crisp mountain mornings, days on winding trails and open water, and evenings painted with golden sunsets—waiting in Shasta County.

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And from The Park, it’s only two blocks back to the IOOF Building, where after all that walking you might want to relax at The Art Hunger art gallery and artists social hub, where curator Karlo Henry likely has a new exhibit set up for the new month.

But first, note one more business, a shop normally closed by the time The Park fills with live band music, but not on First Fridays.

Carousel, a women’s clothing boutique, figures heavily on why there are so many people bustling around you this evening. For its owner, Suzanne Russell, was the one who brought the idea for First Fridays to Blake Fisher five years ago. ”We partnered with Enjoy the Store on a flyer, and we started knocking on doors, going around to every business,” she says. “And it was just like, come downtown. Come and park, get out of your car and walk to several places. Get out and walk around, see what’s down here. Go somewhere you haven’t been before.”

All the businesses highlighted do not cover the total number of Viva Downtown!’s list of active participants in 2025. Many more are waiting for you to discover. Come and see! •

Richard DuPertuis is a Redding grandfather who writes. His stories and photographs have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online. He strives for immortality not by literary recognition, but through diet and exercise. He can be reached at dupertuis@snowcrest.net Photo courtesy of Carousel

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the art of expression

LO C A L S

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T H R E E N O R T H S TAT E ARTISTS SHARE WHY T H E Y C R E AT E

hether it’s painting, music, film, dance, the culinary arts, or any of a number of other mediums, the North State has an abundance of dynamic artists. These three artists share what art means to them, why do they do art and what they are trying to say.

JJ Tiefenbach, Cellist

JJ Tiefenbach is 18 years old and started playing cello at age 9. “As soon as I played it, I couldn’t stop.” JJ began playing with the North State Symphony at 14, the youngest person ever to get into the Symphony.

“The reason I have to play cello is there’s nothing else that makes me feel that way,” Tiefenbach says. “It’s like talking about someone I love. My heart gets fluttery and I smile a lot. I definitely get into a flow state; it’s meditative. When I’m playing a piece that I really love, I can pour all my emotions into it. It’s the most I can express myself. It feels really good. I believe in a purpose in life. My purpose in life is to play cello. Everything feels perfect when I do. I feel privileged that I have something that I love doing. After a tough day, picking up the cello, I feel free.

“When I play my cello, I can’t tell where the cello starts and I end. I feel like I’m floating. When performing, it’s an absolute necessity to bare your heart to the world. I love, after I play, when people come up to me and tell me they really felt something from my music. I’m doing what I love and people love what I’m doing. It’s the best gift I can ask for. I hope I can convey what the composer wanted.

“Feeling is the most human thing we can do. If I can make people feel things, that’s just surreal to me. I want others to feel what I feel.” ▶ continued on page 80

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“When I play my cello, I can’t tell where the cello starts and I end.

I feel like I’m floating.

When performing, it’s an absolute necessity to bare your heart to the world.”

JANUARY 2026

THANK YOU! The Shasta County Office of Education and the North State STEM Network offer their sincere gratitude to the generous sponsors and volunteers for the 12th Annual Ignite Opportunity STEM Career Day, held November 21, 2025 at the Shasta District Fair and Event Center. This event was a huge success because of your generosity and commitment to our youth.

SPONSORS:

EXHIBITORS:

Shasta Mosquito & Vector Control District, CalPortland, Anderson Union High School, Grand Canyon University, Women in Aviation International, Northern California Chapter, Frontier Consulting Engineers, Inc., The Trade School at SBE, Shasta Community Health Center, PACE Engineering, GIS Program, Shasta College, Turtle Bay Exploration Park/Turtle Bay Gardens Nursery, City of Redding Wastewater & Industrial Waste divisions, City of Redding, NMR Architects + Engineers, National Holistic Institute, Chico State University College of Agriculture, Caltrans District 2, Beneficial Insectary, Sierra Pacific Industries, Aqueous Vets, Simpson University, Pacific Gas & Electric, Chico State-College of Engineering, Computer & Construction Management, Redding Electric Utility, Dignity Health Mercy Medical Center Redding, California Highway Patrol, Shasta College (Horticulture/Forestry/NR), Shasta College Animal Sciences, Shasta College HEO & HELO, Shasta College Diesel & Club, Institute of Technology, Teach Ag California, Shasta College Health Sciences & University Studies, Jacobs Engineering, Shasta County Bomb Squad, Department of Water Resources, Resource Conservation District of Tehama County, Trinity County Environmental Health, The Energy Coalition, Shasta College Welding Club, Oregon Tech, Shasta County Department of Agriculture, California Land Surveyors Association CLSA, Shasta County Coroner's Office, Science Internship Program, Fortera, Golden State Farm Credit, ACA

Eric Nanson, Writer/Sculptor

Eric Nanson is a multi-talented artist. As a writer, he has published seven books, and as a visual artist he works in wood, metal and glass, primarily in the contemporary style. “I’m always looking for something new, new, new. I can’t not do art,” he says. “I would go bonkers.”

Nanson talked about where he finds inspiration. “For poetry, it might be a phrase I hear. For woodworking, it might be a detail or shape that catches my eye and sparks an idea. I sketch and use computer software to play with shapes. Anything and everything that’s available to me, I cobble together to build on an idea. A lot of it happens when I’m working on a piece. I have a concept, but as I’m working on it, when I get it to a certain stage, I look at the piece and it’s its own self. I know when a piece is 100 percent finished. At 99 percent, it just doesn’t feel right.

There are times it can be a fire of creativity, that feeling just puts me in another realm.”

Nanson reminds people, through his art, to look at the world with a fresh eye. An example in a recent show was a manhole cover with a periscope coming out of it.

“Sometimes you see something so often you no longer see it,” he says.

Nanson has no preconceived notion of what the viewer should get from looking at his work. “They will see whatever they want to see. The highest compliment I can get as an artist is someone who gets down at the level of the piece of art and spends time with it, and you can tell it really means something to them and they understand where I went to do it. It’s the same thing I’m looking for when I look at someone else’s art. Everybody interprets everything differently. It’s fun, to me, to hear what their interpretation is.

“I want to give something special to someone through art – give them an experience that enlivens them,” Nanson says. “It feeds my soul when I see good work. That’s what I want for someone else.”▶ continued on page 82

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“I want to give something special to someone through art – give them an experience that enlivens them,” Nanson says. “It feeds my soul when I see good work.

That’s what I want for someone else.”

JANUARY 2026

SEASON OF

CH INS

Winter roads can be unpredictable—snow, ice, and sudden storms. When chain controls go up, gear up—your safety depends on it.

Chain up. Slow down. Arrive safe.

And always check QuickMap.dot.ca.gov for live highway updates.

VISIT: QUICKMAP.DOT.CA.GOV Caltrans. Keeping California Connected.

FOR ROAD CONDITIONS.

Rich Garcia, Culinary Arts

Rich Garcia and his wife Chris own Rione Italian Restaurant in Chico. They also co-own The Red Tavern, a fine dining restaurant in Chico. “I began working in a restaurant at 14,” Garcia says. “I fell in love with working with passionate people. It’s a very exciting life. I love the smiles, entertaining and going beyond my comfort level to create as much as I possibly can. I love the challenge of doing things you don’t normally see in this area. I wake up early thinking about new dishes I’m working on. I want to bring something special, something different, something new.”

Garcia uses food to create a remarkable event. He talked about the ingredients for creating one of those special “wow” dining experiences – the kind where time gets lost and people have one of those amazing nights they will remember for a long time. He discussed things he has control over and things he doesn’t. “Of course, the food and service have to be perfect.

That’s the starting point.”

Garcia explains that everyone walking in the door is coming in with a different experience – maybe a hard day, an anniversary, maybe they’re bringing in someone they’re falling in love with and how to intuit that. “The best representatives of a restaurant are people with common sense, people who can read a room. They’re looking for behaviors or characteristics of someone having a good time.

Conversations at a table are important. A good server has to be able to read the cues. It begins with bringing in people who have a diverse background in communication. It comes with years. It’s my job to fast forward that learning. Everyone on the staff has to work hand in hand to create that amazing night that we want to provide.

“I try to spend at least two weeks a year in Italy. I have such a passion for the culture, the food, the people over there; it’s just such an amazing place. When somebody says, ‘I was in Rome two years ago and this reminds me of a great meal I had there,’ that connection from us to taking them back to that perfect meal, to that ‘wow’ moment, that’s what I’m in this for. When I can take someone back to another time, trigger that memory of a magic moment when they say, ‘This reminds me of my anniversary in Rome’ (or wherever), it doesn’t get any better than that.”

The common thread from these three artists is that art is a way of moving through the world, a way of inviting us to see things we may miss. Artists say, have you thought of seeing or feeling things from this perspective? Art brings out our sense of wonder and amazement at the world around us, and makes this journey through life a little more fun, a little more playful, a little more inspired. A little richer.

“When I can take someone back to another time, trigger that memory of a magic moment when they say, ‘This reminds me of my anniversary in Rome’ (or wherever), it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Writers use words to open doors to a bigger world, and Bruce Greenberg is honored by the trust people place in him to share their stories. Through his writing, he invites readers to explore the layers of diversity and experience that make our community unique.

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menu on the

AV O C A D O C H O C O L AT E M O U S S E

R E C I P E | BY A L O L S O N

A Sweet Start to Healthier Habits

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f you’re anything like me, the start of a new year brings a familiar mix of optimism and overwhelm. Maybe you’re hoping to eat healthier, move more, or feel a little lighter after the indulgences of the holidays. But this year, instead of diving headfirst into a strict, joyless regimen, I’m trying something different: gentle improvements, not punishments.

Because here’s the truth we so often forget: Healthier eating doesn’t have to mean giving up the foods you love. Especially sweets. If anything, the secret to sustainable change might just be learning how to make the treats your body and your taste buds can agree on.

This Avocado Chocolate Mousse is one of my favorite examples. It’s rich, silky, deeply chocolatey, and yet worlds healthier than the traditional version you might find in a restaurant or cookbook. No heavy cream. No cups of sugar. No saturatedfat bomb lurking beneath the cocoa. Instead, it leans on avocados, one of nature’s great gifts: full of fiber, vitamins, and those heart-healthy monounsaturated fats our bodies genuinely appreciate.

It still feels decadent, but it’s the kind of decadence that works with your New Year’s goals, not against them.

Good Fat Over Bad Fat. Unlike a traditional French chocolate mousse, in which you have to melt chocolate, make a meringue, then carefully fold together the ingredients to avoid deflating the mixture, this recipe is relatively foolproof. The avocado version cuts down the work and the cooking time from nearly five hours to barely five minutes. The avocados work so well because they stand in for both the meringue, which keeps the dessert light enough, and the mixture of yolks, melted chocolate and cream, which lends traditional mousse its rich flavor and texture.

Traditional ingredients deliver a massive dose of saturated fat, which is linked to elevated cholesterol and a greater burden on the cardiovascular system. Avocados flip that equation on its head. They’re packed with monounsaturated fat, which is associated with improved heart health, better cholesterol profiles and long-lasting satiety. It’s still fat, but it’s fat that nourishes instead of harms.

And while you might think using avocados in a dessert sounds unusual, they work beautifully here. When blended, they become unbelievably smooth — almost like custard — giving the mousse its trademark silkiness without a drop of dairy.

A Little Sweetness Goes a Long Way. The other makeover happens in the sugar department. Traditional mousse can easily contain half a cup or more of refined sugar. This version uses bittersweet chocolate plus just two tablespoons of maple syrup — enough to let the chocolate shine without overpowering it or sending your blood sugar soaring.

Sweetness, texture and chocolatey goodness remain, but in a way that supports your goals rather than sabotages them.

New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Need to Hurt. January tends to be the month of extremes. We go from indulging in holiday cookies and pies to imposing rigid food rules overnight, only to feel defeated when the rigidity becomes unbearable.

But food is emotional, cultural and comforting, and removing joy from the equation never lasts.

What does last is moderation: allowing yourself to enjoy dessert, but choosing ingredients that offer something back. This mousse is the kind of treat you can serve on a weeknight or at a gathering without feeling like you’ve undone your progress. It’s nourishing, fiber-rich, made with real ingredients and satisfying enough that a small portion truly hits the spot.

In other words, a perfect way to usher in the kind of New Year’s resolution that sticks, not by deprivation, but by delicious, thoughtful swaps.•

ingredients • 2 ripe avocados (the riper the better) • ½ cup bittersweet chocolate bar melted (I prefer Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chocolate with 60% cacao) • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder • ¼ cup almond milk • 2 T maple syrup • 2 tsp. vanilla extract • Pinch sea salt • Whipped cream for serving • Raspberries (optional) for serving

directions Step 1: In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine avocados, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides.

Step 2: Divide the mousse equally into four small glasses, bowls or jars. Chill for at least 90 minutes to get a more mousse-like consistency.

Step 3: Serve mousse cold with whipped cream and raspberries, if desired.

Al Olson loves culinary arts, adult beverages and hiking in the North State wilderness. You may find him soaking up the scenery at one of our area’s many state or national parks or sitting in a barstool sipping a cold locally brewed craft beer.

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ENJOY THE VIEW

| BY FRANK TONA

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FROSTY ROUGH LEGGED HAWK As general manager of Crown Camera for 30 years, Frank Tona shared his passion for photography by teaching classes and mentoring photographers. Retiring in 2018, he can now be found photographing in Northern California and Oregon with his wife Toni or fellow photographers, still teaching along the way. Find more of Frank’s photography on Facebook and Instagram

JANUARY 2026

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JA N UA RY 2 0 2 6 R E C I P E

WINTER ROASTED VEGGIE CROSTINI WITH W H I P P E D F E TA & P O M E G R A NAT E Servings: Makes 24–30 crostini — serves 12–15 people as an appetizer Prep Time: 20 minutes || Cook Time: 25-30 minutes || Total Time: 45 minutes

W H AT ’ S C O O K I N ’

This winter crostini recipe is the perfect mix of cozy flavors and fresh, bright textures. Creamy whipped feta pairs with roasted veggies and pomegranate for an appetizer that feels special without requiring much effort.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ROASTED VEGGIES:

• 2 cups butternut squash, diced small • 2 cups Brussels sprouts, chopped small • 2 T olive oil • 1 tsp. sea salt • ½ tsp. black pepper • ½ tsp. smoked paprika (optional) • ½ tsp. garlic powder

Step 2: Make the whipped feta by adding feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil, honey, garlic and lemon zest to a food processor. Blend until silky smooth.

Step 3: Brush baguette slices with olive oil. Toast in the oven 6–8 minutes until lightly crisp.

Step 4: Spread whipped feta on each crostini. Top with a spoonful of roasted veggies. Finish with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.

Drizzle balsamic glaze if desired.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS • Roast veggies: Up to 24 hours ahead (reheat before assembly) • Whipped feta: Up to 48 hours ahead • Toast baguette: Morning of party • Final assembly: 15–20 minutes before guests arrive

FOR THE WHIPPED FETA:

• 8 oz. feta cheese • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt • 1 T olive oil • 1 tsp. honey (optional but amazing) • 1 clove garlic (or ½ tsp garlic paste) • Zest of 1 lemon

OPTIONAL VARIATIONS • Swap squash for sweet potato • Add toasted walnuts or pine nuts for crunch • Make gluten-free by serving on cucumber slices instead of bread • Make it a dip instead of crostini — serve whipped feta in bowl, veggies on top, pita chips around

FOR THE ASSEMBLY:

• 1 baguette, sliced into ½-inch rounds • 2 T olive oil (for brushing) • Pomegranate arils • Chopped fresh parsley or mint • Optional: drizzle of balsamic glaze

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DIRECTIONS Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash and brussels sprouts with olive oil and seasonings. Roast 25–30 minutes, stirring halfway, until caramelized.

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local events

CALENDAR JA N UA RY 2 02 6

FEATURED EVENTS

JA PA N ES E WO OD B LOCK PR I NT S HOW

January 2nd

JANUARY 26 - APRIL 16 Shasta College Gallery

anderson January 2 • Retired Employees’ Association of California(RPEA) Meeting, Vittles Family Restauarant, 11am, 2385 North St., www.rpea.com January 1-4 • Synthetic Ice Rink, corner of East Center Street and Ferry Street, www.ci.anderson.ca.us January 23-25 • Shasta Winterfest, Shasta District Fairgrounds, 1890 Briggs St., www.shastawinterfest.com January 24 • Frosty Fun Run, Anderson River Park, 2800 Rupert Road, 7am registration, 8am run, www.midniteracing.net/frostyfun-runs.html

chico January 1-4 • Chico Ice Rink, Chico Plaza, various times, www.chicorec.gov/chico-ice-rink

durham

January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 • Chico Saturday Farmers Market, Downtown Chico municipal parking lot, 2nd and Wall streets, 7:30am-1pm, www.chicofarmersmarket.com

January 22-25 • The 26th Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway, Patrick Ranch Museum, 10381 Midway, www.snowgoosefestival.org

January 7, 14, 21, 28 • Chico Wednesday Farmers Market, North Valley Plaza Mall parking lot, Pillsbury Road adjacent to Trader Joe’s, 7:30am-noon, www.chicofarmersmarket.com January 15 • 26th Annual Economic Forecast Conference, Bell Memorial Union, 400 West 1st St., www. paradisechamber.com January 24 • Frost or Fog Race, 357 Centennial Dr., 9am,www. findarace.com/us/events/ frost-or-fog-10-mile-1-4-marathon-5k

mount shasta January 1-31 • The Siskiyou Ice Rink, 800 Rockfellow Drive, www.msrec.org/ice-rink January 24 • The 12th Annual Shasta Ascension Backcountry Race, Mount Shasta Ski Park, 4500 Ski Park Hwy., 10am-1pm, www.facebook.com/ events/740222582364353 • The 23rd Annuals MSAC Snow Ball, 1315 Nixon Road, 5:30-11pm, www.facebook.com/events/ 1444465270185323

dunsmuir January 10 • Dunsmuir Second Saturdays, Downtown Dunsmuir, 11am-9pm, www.dunsmuirsecondsaturday.com

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red bluff

January 24 • Sausage Making & Savory Feasts: A Hands-On Culinary Series with Furnari Sausage, Sizzle’s Commercial Kitchen and Event Space, 1440 Placer St., 6-9pm, www.visitredding.com January 31 • Frosty Fun Run, Clover Creek Preserve, 3705 Shasta View Drive, 7am registration, 8am run, www.midniteracing.net/frosty-fun-runs. html

January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 • Downtown Farmers Market, River Park, 9am-noon, www.redbluffchamber.com

redding January 2 • First Fridays in Downtown Redding, Downtown Redding stores, 5pm, www. visitredding.com • North Valley Art League Reception, Carter House Gallery, 48 Quartz Hill Road, 5-7pm, www.nval.org January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 • Redding Farmers Market, behind City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave., 8:30am-noon, www.reddingfarmersmarkets.com January 4, 11, 18, 25 • Music Bingo, The Tropics, 2555 S. Market St., 7pm, www.visitredding.com January 5, 12, 19, 26 • Music Mondays, Mosaic Restaurant, 826 Sundial Bridge Drive, 6-8pm, www.mosaicredding.com/events January 6, 13, 20, 27 • Step by Step School of Ballroom Dance, Old City Hall, 1313 Market St., 5:30-7:30pm, www.shastaartscouncil.org/classes • Karaoke Night, The Tropics, 2555 South Market St., 8pm, www.facebook.com/reddingtropics January 8, 15, 22, 29 • Country Line Dancing Lessons, Fall River Brewery, 4001 Eastside Road, 6-7:30pm, www.visitredding.com • Open Trivia Night at the Tropics, 2555 S. Market St., 7pm, www.facebook.com/reddingtropics January 10 • Frosty Fun Run, Lema Ranch, 800 Shasta View Drive, 7am registration, 8am run, www.midniteracing.net/frostyfun-runs.html • Swingin’ into 2026, A North State Jazz Orchestra Launch Party, Saturday, January 10, 6-9pm, I OOF Hall (upstairs) 1492 Calirfornia-Market St. Alley, www.eventbrite.com/e/swingin-into2026-a-north-state-jazz-orchestralaunch-party-tickets-1977458630997 January 18 • 2026 Redding Marathon, Shasta Dam to Sundial Bridge, 8am, www.reddingmarathon.org

jefferson performing arts center www. jeffersoncenterforthearts. com

January 14 • Jason Dea West and the Siskiyou Crest with Julia Fryling, 7pm January 31 • Gareth Pearson, 7:30pm

redding civic auditorium

www.reddingcivic.com

shasta lake January 5-28 • Yoga, Larry J Farr Community Center, 4499 Main St., 5:30-6:30pm, www.enjoylocalevents.com January 25 • Community Ukulele Club Meetup, Shasta Lake Community United Methodist Church, 1509 Hardenbrook Ave., 2-3:30pm, www. cityofshastalake.gov

anderson library

January 11 • Theresa Caputo, 3pm

redding performing arts center www.reddingpac.com

January 19 • Adam Moezinia Folk Element Trio, 7pm

riverfront playhouse

www.riverfrontplayhouse.net

January 10 • The Redding Area Comedy Showcase with Headliner Trent Babb, 7pm January 18 • The North State Chronicles, 2pm January 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 • Drinking Habits, Friday and Saturday 7:30pm, Sunday 2pm

www.shastalibraries.org January 8, 15, 22, 29 • Knitting Club, 10am • Storytime, 3:30pm January 27 • Bookmates, 2pm

cascade theatre

the dip

www.cascadetheatre.org January 21 • Take It To The Limit – Eagles Tribute Show, 7:30pm January 22 • Peking Acrobats, 7:30pm January 29-31 • Matilda Jr., 7pm Thursday-Friday, 2pm and 7pm Saturday

chico performances

www.thedipredding.com January 10 • Not Your Babe, Los Clown Bloods and Ghost Lung, 8pm January 15 • Jim Ward, 8pm January 17 • Alex Skolnick Trio, 8pm January 21 • Constant Smiles, 8pm

www.chicoperformances.com January 23 • #IMomSoHard: The Flashback Tour, 7:30pm January 26 • Ailey II, 7:30pm

chico theatre company chicotheatrecompany.csstix.com January 23-31 •“Holly Dolly!,” 7:30 Frida-Saturday, 2pm Sunday

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turtle bay exploration park www.turtlebay.org

January 1-4 • Redding Garden of Lights, 5-9pm Wednesday-Sunday January 1-11 • Sea Monsters Unearthed, Museum hours • Ancient Seas of Shasta County, Museum Hours

JANUARY 2026

RIVERFRONT PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS

Drinking Habits

By Tom Smith

Directed by Jeffrey Taylor

JANUARY 23 - FEBRUARY 8, 2026 TICKETS @ RIVERFRONTPLAYHOUSE.NET Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. - www.playscripts.com

Billy the Kid January 31, 2026 Laxson Auditorium, Chico | 7:30 p.m.

February 1, 2026 Cascade Theatre, Redding | 2 p.m.

Tickets: $17–$64.50 | Chico State Student: $17

Official tickets only at NorthStateSymphony.org

Give the gift of enjoy with an enjoy magazine subscription

Go to www.enjoymagazine.com to find out how to give or receive 12 months of enjoy.

January 1-31 • Water Wonders, 10:30am, WednesdayThursday January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 • Talon Talk, 2pm January 3 • Charlie Rabbit and Friends, Turtle Bay Nursery, 10-11am January 3, 10, 17, 24,31 • Predator vs Prey Animal Show, 2pm January 4, 11, 18, 25 • Reptiles Alive, 2pm January 8, 15, 22, 29 • Little Explorers, 10-11am January 10 • Family 2nd Saturday, 11am-2pm • Plant Talk: Fruit Tree Selection and Cultivation, Turtle Bay Nursery, 1100 Arboretum Dr., 10am-12pm January 17 • Science Saturday, 11am-2pm January 24 • Art Lab, 11am-2pm January 24-31 • Thomas D. Mangelsen: A Life in the Wild, museum hours January 26-31 • Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits, museum hours January 31 • Guided Garden Walk, 10-11am • Paint Night at the Museum, 4:30-7pm • Famous Artists Student Art Show: A Walk in Nature, museum hours

Discover what’s happening next at

EnjoyLocalEvents.com SCAN THIS TO GO DIRECTLY TO OUR EVENTS CALENDAR ONLINE

GO DIRECTLY TO OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE

REDDING’S #1

GO DIRECTLY TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

win-river resort and casino

HIT MUSIC STATION

winriver.com

January 2-31 • Overtime Live DVJs, 9:30pm, Fridays-Saturdays January 24 • 2026 Burns Night Supper, 6pm January 31 • Slap Wars, 7:30pm

LISTEN

HOW TO GET YOUR EVENT ON THIS CALENDAR If you’d like your event to be listed in this section of Enjoy magazine, please post it on our website www.enjoylocalevents.com by the 1st of the month— one month prior to the next magazine issue. For example, a May event will need to be posted by April 1.

JANUARY 2026

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support, immigration legal services, food security and nutrition education, and disaster services.

ROUGHLY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU ABLE TO HELP EACH YEAR? Each year, NVCSS serves more than 84,500 individuals across the North State, including children, teens, adults and seniors who turn to us for support, stability, and hope.

Most people are surprised by how diverse and extensive our services are. Many know us for one program, such as housing or counseling, but we actually operate more than 60 programs that support the whole person and the whole family. Another thing people do not always realize is that our work is local, driven by the needs of the North State and powered by partnerships with community members, donors, volunteers and local agencies.

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giving back Q & A W I T H L E E K A R P, N O R T H E R N VA L L E Y C AT H O L I C S O C I A L SERVICE 98

WHAT IS NORTHERN VALLEY CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICE ALL ABOUT? Northern Valley Catholic Social Service (NVCSS) is a communityfocused nonprofit dedicated to inspiring hope and transforming lives across the North State. We support children, families and individuals through programs that promote stability, healing and long-term wellbeing. From housing and mental health services to food security, immigration support09 and family strengthening programs, our mission is to walk alongside those facing hardship and help them build a brighter future.

HOW LONG HAS NVCSS BEEN SERVING OUR NORTH STATE COMMUNITIES? We have been supporting the North State for nearly four decades, and we are proudly celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2026.

WHAT AREAS DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION REACH? We serve communities across six Northern California counties: Shasta, Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Trinity, and Siskiyou. Our programs are intentionally designed to meet the unique needs of both rural and urban communities throughout the region.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAIN PROGRAMS OR SERVICES YOU OFFER? NVCSS provides more than 60 programs, but some of our core areas include housing and homelessness services, mental health and wellness, child and family

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WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST GOALS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? Looking forward, NVCSS is focused on bold, meaningful goals that strengthen the fabric of our North State communities. As we approach our 40th anniversary in 2026, we are honored to reflect on four decades of service and celebrate this milestone in the communities we serve.

Our work continues with expanding affordable housing and deepening the support systems that help individuals and families stabilize after homelessness or disaster. We plan to grow our mental health and wellness services, with a special focus on youth and families needing accessible, compassionate care. We are also investing in better data and storytelling, because our donors and community deserve to see the impact their generosity creates. Strengthening volunteer engagement remains a key priority, from CASA advocates to parish and community partners who walk beside us in this mission. And through strategic fundraising and our Community Impact Maker initiative, we are building long-term sustainability so we can continue inspiring hope and transforming lives for decades to come.

HOW CAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS GET INVOLVED AND BE PART OF YOUR MISSION? There are so many ways to be part of the NVCSS mission. Volunteer as a CASA advocate, support events, or lend a hand in one of our programs.

Make a donation and help a family move toward stability. Sponsor an event or program and create impact right in your own community. Attend our events like the Magic of Christmas or Gear Up and Go and join the momentum. Share our story and help others discover the services and hope we provide.

Stay connected by following us on social media and visiting NVCSS.org. Every action moves our mission forward, and together we can transform lives across the North State.

NVCSS.org

JANUARY 2026

Engineered education I was always good at math, so during a high school field trip to Shasta College, I took an aptitude test and met with a counselor, who said, “You should be an engineer.” Being an 18-year-old kid, I said, “Okay.”

My first semester was loaded with engineering classes, and I’m not sure how I passed. The professors were top-notch, and I remember most of them. Dr. Gash, Dr. McMurdo, Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Bush, Dr. Hugo, and Mr. Poland. They were great instructors, but they really worked us hard. Dr. Gash was by far the most demanding instructor I had in my entire college career, but if not for him, I don’t think I would have learned how to dig in and find the answers. In fact, his class was the first one I’d flunked in my entire life!! But, he taught me how to study and how to work toward a solution.

Originally, I wanted to be a chemical engineer. I loved chemistry, and Dr. Hugo was your quintessential chemistry teacher. He would ask me why I wanted to be a chemical engineer. He would listen, and then he would say, “You don’t want to do that.” So, it was really his advice that pushed me into the civil engineering world, and I am so thankful for him sharing that with me.

I learned so much about how to be a student at Shasta College including the opportunity to be challenged and to be tested, literally and figuratively.

In fact, when I went to Chico State, I felt like it was easier than Shasta College for me.

I think one of the things that happens to our local youth is that they think they have to leave to get a great education, and that simply isn’t true. Shasta College and Chico State are great programs and great educational institutions, and you save a lot of money by staying local, too. But you can really set yourself up to go wherever you want by starting at Shasta College. It’s a great, great college. And it was a great launching pad for me!

Barry Tippin Shasta College Knight Civil Engineer

* Please see our website for additional details and to apply for the program.

ShastaCollege.edu Shasta College is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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