C 2014 12 24 by News & Review

g n i v i G k c a B

BEST A R T

PICS See ARTS DEVO, page 29

DIOXINS

IN OUR MIDST See NEWSLINES, page 8

GREAT BALLS OF LEF SE! See CHOW, page 27

CN&R’s Christmas fiction BY ZU VINCENT

Chico’s News & Entertainment Weekly

Volume 38, Issue 18

PAGE

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

ARTS

DEFENSE See EDITORIALS and GUEST COMMENT, page 4

2 CN&R December 24, 2014

Gift certificates to local merchants for up to 50% off

Vol. 38, Issue 18 • December 24, 2014

OPINION Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guest Comment. . . . . . . . . . . . . Second & Flume . . . . . . . . . . . . . Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Streetalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 4 5 5 7

NEWSLINES Downstroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

HEALTHLINES

Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Weekly Dose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

COVER STORY

GREENWAYS Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Eco Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

THE GOODS 15 Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 The Bottom Line . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Music Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . This Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fine Arts listings . . . . . . . . . . . Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arts DEVO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reel World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In The Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brezsny’s Astrology . . . . . . . .

24 24 25 25 26 27 29 30 32 34 35

CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE

ON THE COVER: ILLUSTRATION BY TOM PARSONS “BALLS OF LEFSE DOUGH” PHOTO BY LANCE FISHER

Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Mark Schuttenberg Distribution Staff Ken Gates, Bob Meads, Pat Rogers, Mara Schultz, Larry Smith, Lisa Torres, Placido Torres, Jeff Traficante, Bill Unger, Lisa Van Der Maelen Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor Melissa Daugherty Associate Editor Meredith J. Graham Arts Editor Jason Cassidy News Editor Tom Gascoyne Asst. News Editor/Healthlines Editor Howard Hardee Staff Writer Ken Smith Calendar Assistant Mallory Russell Contributors Catherine Beeghly, Alastair Bland, Henri Bourride, Rachel Bush, Vic Cantu, Matthew Craggs, Kyle Delmar, Bob Grimm, Miles Jordan, Karen Laslo, Leslie Layton, Mark Lore, Melanie MacTavish, Sean Murphy, Mazi Noble, Brian Palmer, Shannon Rooney, Toni Scott, Claire Hutkins Seda, Juan-Carlos Selznick, Robert Speer, Allan Stellar, Evan Tuchinsky, Carey Wilson Interns Hunter Du Puy, Nate Ward, Brittany Waterstradt

Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Design Melissa Bernard, Brad Coates, Mary Key, Kyle Shine, Skyler Smith Advertising Manager Jamie DeGarmo Advertising Services Coordinator Ruth Alderson Advertising Consultants Alex Beehner, Brian Corbit, Laura Golino Junior Sales Associate/Assistant Faith de Leon Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay

Recycling Programs 2014

Chico & Durham Boy Scouts Troop 2 Pick up program: January 10th $10-$35 donation requested. Call 514-9885 to request pickup (Message phone) Leave name, address, ph. #. You can also request for a pickup online at: www.troop2chico.com and use PayPal to donate. You can mail your request to 135 Mission Ranch Blvd, Chico, CA 95926. Have trees on curb by 8am. * Drop-off locations January 10th: – Hooker Oak Park – Oakway Park – Butte Bible Fellowship Church Parking lot

Recology Butte Colusa Counties Curbside: collection for current yard waste customers: Place trees next to yard waste containers on regular yard waste pick up day. Must be cut into 3 ft or smaller sections and bundled. Remove all tinsel and ornaments. No flocked trees. Waste Management Curbside: Cut trees into 3’ lengths and place in yard waste containers for collection on regular yard waste day. Remove all tinsel & ornaments. Drop off: December 26th – January 4th at Chico Compost Facility. Hours 8am – 4pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays Earthworm Soil Factory – Neal Road just east of Hwy 99 Drop off trees for no charge. Remove all tinsel & ornaments. No flocked tress.

353 E. Second Street, Chico, CA 95928 Phone (530) 894-2300 Fax (530) 894-0143 Website www.newsreview.com Got a News Tip? (530) 894-2300, ext. 2245 or chiconewstips@newsreview.com Calendar Events www.newsreview.com/calendar Calendar Questions (530) 894-2300, ext. 2240 Classifieds (530) 894-2300, press 4 Printed by Paradise Post The CN&R is printed using recycled newsprint whenever available.

Curbside: curbside collection for current customers. Place trees next to yard waste containers on regular collection days. Must be cut into 3ft or smaller sections and bundled. Remove all tinsel & ornaments. No flocked trees. Drop-off: Free drop-off at: 2720 South 5th Avenue. M-F 8am-4pm, Sat 8:30am-4pm. Remove all tinsel & ornaments. No flocked trees.

Paradise & Magalia Northern Recycling and Waste Services Call 876-3340 for more info. Drop-off locations: December 26th-January 31st. Paradise Vegetative Waste Yard • Paradise Vegetative Waste Yard: Clark Rd. & American Way, Open Tues thru Sat. 9-4pm • Mountain View Trees: 1986 Mountain View Drive • Curbside greenwaste pickup on regular yard waste day. Remove all tinsel & ornaments. No flocked tress. Cut into 3 ft. sections. Tree must fit inside greenwaste cart.

Gridley & Biggs Waste Management. Call 846-0810 for more information Curbside: Cut trees into 3’ lengths and place in yardwaste containers for collection on regular yard waste day. Remove all tinsel & ornaments. Biggs residents can drop trees off at the Biggs/BCFD station on B Street from December 26th to January 9th.

Oroville & Thermalito Recology Butte Colusa Counties. Contact 533-5868 for more info.

CN&R

Managing Art Director Tina Flynn Editorial Designer Sandra Peters

Christmas Tree

City of Chico Compost Facility Drop off: Free drop off at facility December 26th – January 4th. Hours 8am-4pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Remove all tinsel & ornaments.

President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resources Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Rosenquist Accounting Specialist Tami Sandoval Accounts Receivable Specialist Nicole Jackson Lead Technology Synthesist Jonathan Schultz Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins

Editorial Policies Opinions expressed in the Chico News & Review are those of the author and not Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint portions of the paper. The Chico News & Review is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or review materials. Email letters to chicoletters@newsreview.com. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to edit letters for length (200 words or less), clarity and libel or not to publish them.

Butte County Public Works Department and the City of Chico

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Remember to Reduce, Reuse, and then Recycle! December 24, 2014

CN&R

OPINION

Send guest comments, 400 words maximum, to gc@ newsreview.com, or to 353 E. 2nd St., Chico, CA 95928. Please include photo & short bio.

Take back the Internet It’s strange how something as seemingly trivial as the release of a movie

can trigger a terrorist cyber-attack and worldwide discussion of Internet privacy and freedom of speech. But that’s just what happened last week when, in a second attack on Sony this year, yet-unknown hackers threatened a 9/11-like attack should the film The Interview be released as promised on Christmas Day. (The movie, for those who’ve been living under a rock, stars James Franco and Seth Rogen as TV personalities who, in an attempt to revive their careers, head to North Korea, where they’ve also been tasked with assassinating supreme leader Kim Jong Un.) While we agree with President Obama that Sony should not have cowed to the so-called terrorist hackers and agreed to not release the film, we are hopeful that this event will light a fire in America’s collective belly to take Internet security more seriously. Last week’s cover story (“Hackers gone wild,” by Chris Parker) highlighted some of the cyber-threats we’ve faced over the past few years and exposed our vulnerability when it comes to Internet breaches. Not all of these have targeted large corporations, either. Some are against individuals and because of that we need to start taking these things seriously. In this day and age, many of our health records are now electronic, as are our taxes, bank information, you name it. We should take steps to safeguard our personal data, whether that means saving things on an external hard drive rather than “the cloud” or changing passwords every few months. Don’t become complacent—take control of your cyber-life. Ω

Short-sighted on the arts Why the Arts Commission matters week’s City Council decision regarding the future of the Ltheast Arts Commission was very disappointing. By a 4-3 vote, council decided to reduce the number of meetings the

commission may have to two per year, and also directed the commission to “entertain or look at” creating a stand-alone arts council, which would not be officially affiliated with the city of Chico. As part of its work this year, the Arts Commission considered this option, and rightly rejected it. Why should the city of Chico continue its connection with the arts in an official way, rather than disbanding the 25-year-old Arts Commission in favor of a new, private arts council? by • Because, just like our parks and other Erin Wade public facilities, the arts and culture of our community are shared assets that we The author, president all have a stake in and we can all benefit of 1078 Gallery’s from. For the city to not be connected board of directors, is a Chico resident. with the arts would be a huge missed opportunity. • Because art in the public sphere is one of the foundations of “placemaking”—the things that give our area its unique character. Our city’s general plan recognizes this with the stated goal of celebrating public art and expanding the role the arts play in our quality of life. • Because the arts benefit our communi4

CN&R

December 24, 2014

ty in numerous measurable and immeasurable ways. Economic growth, better school test scores and even reduced crime all have been linked to the arts (see the 1078 Gallery’s website, 1078gallery.org, for links to current research). Aren’t these all things we want in our town? • Because we can’t be an “art town”—one of the primary reasons people like to visit, and companies like to locate here—without a city body supporting the arts in this most basic, fundamental (and very low-cost) way. • Because a private arts council would have the desires of its board, not the entire community (as represented by city government), as its primary driver. • Because we don’t need another arts organization in Chico—we have over 100 of those already. We need a body that helps connect these groups with the needs and resources of the community. That’s an Arts Commission. Cities like ours across the state have arts commissions. Orland and Oroville both have them. To disband the commission would be misguided, short-sighted and foolish. I hope that the four council members who voted to further reduce the role of the Arts Commission will rethink their decision in the coming year. Ω

Last week, during the City Council’s regular meeting, a host of heavy-hitters

in Chico’s arts world, including the director of University Public Events at Chico State and the dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, spoke not only on the vibrancy of our fair city thanks to the arts, but also its economic benefits. One of the speakers, a retired director of Chico State’s Music Industry Program, drove that point home during discussions on whether to support or suspend the City Arts Commission. To dissolve it, he charged, the city would be “biting off its nose to spite its face.” Indeed, Chico’s rich arts identity is a magnet. People come here for workshops, to view public and private art, and to see cultural events not available elsewhere in the North State. Those from afar sleep in local hotels and motels, eat in our restaurants and cafés, and pick up souvenirs and other goods. To be sure, they contribute significantly to the city’s coffers by way of the transient occupancy tax and sales tax—the latter of which is the biggest contributor to the city’s general fund. That’s the fund that pays for operational costs, including our public-safety personnel. Yet, the council—the new conservative majority, anyway, whose members voted ideologically—reduced the number of times the panel meets, from six meetings annually, to twice a year. What those council members aren’t grasping is that civic leadership is about more than filling potholes and public safety. And the fact is, support for the arts also spells support for those things. We’re glad the city didn’t get rid of the group entirely, which would have eliminated a guarantee of public participation in the arts. Still, we think it was a mistake to scale things back. The city is in better shape this year than it has been since the start of the Great Recession, so keeping the status quo would have been wise. Moving forward, when the city has repaid its budget deficit, which staff expects to happen in a year or two, the council must reinvest in the arts. After all, that’s a large part of what makes Chico special. Ω

Chico’s rich arts identity is a magnet.

Send email to chicoletters @ newsreview.com

SECOND & FLUME by Melissa Daugherty melissad@newsreview.com

Poker, SF and Mom I may be an outlier here, but I think that a card room on the so-called derelict block of Main Street, between Third and Fourth, wasn’t a bad idea for downtown Chico. I mean, we’re not talking about an Old West saloon with whiskey-guzzling gunslingers chewing on cigars. From what was presented to the City Council last week, the plan for that poker room and its adjoining restaurant seemed pretty innocuous. In fact, if you walk along that stretch of Main Street, it should be considered a significant upgrade. Parts of the block, the empty storefronts in particular, are an eyesore in an otherwise vibrant commercial district. Last week, I gushed over the things I love about living in Chico. The decision on the card room, however, falls into a category of the things I dislike about Chico—its provincialism. This is especially true in the case of downtown. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city center. Between attending the university and working at CN&R for nearly eight years, I’ve spent a good portion of my life in the region. Even when I worked at the local daily over in bigbox-ville, I headed downtown nearly every day for lunch and then after work for entertainment. Over the years, I’ve watched businesses come and go and been confounded by certain ones that manage to stay. The spot where the card room and eatery would have gone have been revolving doors since the old Gina Marie’s closed. As former CN&R Editor Robert Speer put it the other day when I talked with him about the situation, that location “is where restaurants go to die.” In short, I cannot help but feel that the council’s decision was some sort of classist garbage. I’m not much of a gambler myself and I’ve never played poker at a casino or card room, but even I know that the game is wildly popular and attracts players from all walks of life. Speaking of diversity, my husband and I spent a few days taking in the holidays in San Francisco last week. We ate at one of my favorite restaurants at Fisherman’s Wharf, Scoma’s, spent hours in the mist at Golden Gate Park, and walked giddily in the pouring rain through beautiful Russian Hill on the way back to our hotel after seeing my favorite singer-songwriter, Ryan Adams, who’s on tour. We hadn’t been to the city for quite a while and had never been away from our toddler for more than a night. I have my mother to thank for allowing us this respite. But I owe her for much more than safeguarding my little boy for a few days. That’s because Henry’s a medically fragile kid. He was born with a heart condition that corrected itself over time. But by the time he could walk, he’d already had three surgeries for other issues, mostly respiratory. At 3 years old, he’s battled pneumonia five times. My mom has lent a helping hand far too many times to count. Until our recent trip, we hadn’t left Henry’s side much over his short life. We had a blast in the city. Thanks, Mom.

Melissa Daugherty is editor of the CN&R

Coyotes’ victory Re “Score one for the coyotes” (Guest comment, by Allan Stellar, Dec. 18): I could not agree more. I had the privilege of working for the USDA Resource Conservation Service under direction of the local Resource Conservation District in Yreka back in 1976. I remember in particular going out to advise and assist a sheep rancher in the mountains. The rancher told me how the BLM had come in with helicopters the previous fall and harvested 400 coyotes from the mountain on which his ranch sat. But his problem was that ground squirrels were wreaking havoc with his hillside irrigation ditches. He said he could come out with a whistle and a .22. When he blew the whistle they would pop their heads up and he could shoot a hundred rodents without moving his position—sort of like whack-a-mole on steroids. Well, a coyote will eat about 10 rodents a day. So, 400 coyotes times 10 rodents times five months = 600,000 living, eating, reproducing rodents. A .22 bullet weighs 2 grams. If every shot counted and they stopped having babies, he would need over 1.25 tons of .22 ammo. Killing coyotes is good business for ammo suppliers, not so much good for anything else. RICHARD ROTH Chico

Not his kind of Santa I saw the ad in front of the Down Range shooting club off of Highway 99: “We build AR’s for Santa.” It gives a whole new meaning to the Christmas song, “You better watch out/You better not cry/You better not shout/I’m telling you why/Santa Claus is coming to town.” If I was a kid and I saw this banner, on Christmas Eve I’d light a fire under our chimney.

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Input was given Re “Forced annexation wrong” (Letters, by Jane Dolan, Dec. 18): Ms. Dolan is wrong. Residents of the Chapman/Mulberry district were not shut out of the annexation discussion. The agreement regarding annexation of the Chapman/Mulberry neighborhoods was reached through a negotiating process typically used in such situations. Representatives of the two parties, the city of Chico and LAFCo, worked out a deal privately hoping to avoid a lawsuit. Following that, the agreement was the subject of two lengthy public hearings before the City Council, at which about two dozen people, including Ms. Dolan (twice), spoke on the issue. A notice announcing the second hearing was mailed to every resident of the neighborhoods. Ms. Dolan’s charge that “[t]his process nearly completely shut down public participation in this important issue” is simply not true. Besides, after listening to neighborhood residents, the council voted, 4-3, not to sign the agreement that would have annexed the neighborhoods. Not long afterward, LAFCo sued the city—just what the agreement was trying to pre-

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vent. As many have stated, annexation is going to happen, one way or another. Unfortunately, because of the council’s failure to sign the agreement, it will be more difficult and more expensive for property owners. ROBERT SPEER Chico

Editor’s note: Mr. Speer is CN&R’s former editor.

Demonizing doesn’t help There have been a number of recent deaths of young black men at the hands of police in circumstances that seem very dubious. There have been powerful protests against those deaths—protests that often seemed poorly focused and were sometimes hijacked by nihilistic vandals. Many of those protests have targeted police as a group. Police officers and their unions have responded by closing ranks to defend their fellows even when their actions clearly don’t live up to accepted standards. Now, we have seen the murder of two police officers in New York, by a criminal claiming to be motivated by revenge for the killings of black men by police. It seems to me that reasonable people ought to be able to agree on a few things: Policing is difficult and dangerous work, often requiring critical decisions under great pressure. The vast majority of police officers are decent people doing a job under trying circumstances. A few police officers are sadistic bullies who never should have been allowed to put on a badge. The entire community suffers from the actions of those officers and benefits if they are weeded out. Demonizing whole groups of people—whether young black men or police officers—serves no good end. DAVID WELCH Chico

Discrediting the cause Re “Arrests, not deaths” (Editorial, Dec. 11): It is an ongoing insult to all of us who are interested in the truth to keep equating the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in New York City. Garner died for rather passively resisting arrest for a minor, nonviolent crime. It is absolute nonsense to imply that he died because of a previous medical condition. He truly was an unarmed victim. The only reason that Michael Brown was unarmed is that he was unsuccessful in wrestling away the weapon of a sworn police officer trying to do his job. At the time of

his death, he had just committed two violent assaults, including the one on the cop. Why are progressive people so silent about those unfortunate little details? There are way too many innocent black victims of police violence around the country, and it is obviously a severe and ongoing problem. But I don’t believe that the facts show that Michael Brown belongs on that list. The movement for change discredits itself by placing him front and center. It damages its own credibility, undermines the many good cops who are just trying to do their jobs, and demeans the memory of truly unarmed, innocent victims. DAVE HOLLINGSWORTH Chico

Decisions, decisions Re “Arts identity diminished” (Newslines, by Howard Hardee, Dec. 18): Fear drove the decision to vote against the card room: Attending my first council session, I was interested in the decision-making process of the city and to see it firsthand. I walked away confused and disappointed. While listening to the pros and cons of changing the zoning requirements so a card room could be open downtown, I soon realized that those for it never had a chance. I listened to how the card room did not fit the “culture” of the area. I heard how it would be a “drag” on incoming businesses. I even heard that it could attract “a different client.” It’s natural to be uneasy when change is happening around us, but to judge and make decisions based on fear and “what might happen” holds no ground. The card room could well be a metaphor for anything in society that people don’t understand and don’t want to be associated with (feel free to plug your group in). To come to the conclusion that the location is better off vacant is ridiculous. This county prides itself on the entrepreneurial spirit of having a dream and pursing it. To deny a person the opportunity to at least try is unfortunate. JONATHAN JOHNSON Chico

Herb Caen, the noted San Francisco Chronicle columnist, once described Chico as so lacking in culture as to have Velveeta cheese in the gourmet section of grocery stores. Events of this past week support this appraisal. First, CARD’s delay in moving ahead on the aquatic center was disturbing. This much-needed

facility would enhance the community of Chico whether or not you would use it. Swim events would bring money to our economy. We all prosper from the positive reputation of our city. Then, further delay in establishing the rose garden events center at the CARD Center was discouraging. We should appreciate the benevolent efforts of Marilyn Warrens and the Butte County Rose Society over the last decade. Such an enrichment center would add to the value of Chico. Stakeholders and interested contributors can only do so much. Pitch in, Chico! My final dismay came in reading of the downgrading of the Chico Arts Commission. Have we become so politically correct (conservative?) that we are afraid to support any Chico improvements? Will our community soon deserve the image Herb Caen stated? As a Chico oldster, I should say, “Why worry?” But I do. DICK CORY Chico

Here’s an idea I have a very simple solution for most of Chico’s problems: Tax the rich and vote out the Republicans and let responsible and caring people run the government. ROD CAUDHILL Chico

Listen more, talk less Re “About CUSD’s process” (Letters, by Julie Kistle, Dec. 18): I am hot about a letter I read from a school district construction person arguing why the two gorgeous trees will be removed at a school. Why would that person write instead of the superintendent? I watched the meeting and painfully listened to board members give their opinions, drone incessantly instead of asking questions. Very simple five-word questions like “Can the tree be saved?” were avoided for long stories or lectures from two members. I know board seats are entry-level positions, but these people make the basic mistake of thinking that a mic encourages them to talk. Listen more and talk less. You pay a superintendent a lot of money; ask hard questions of the people we, the taxpayers, are paying! If they can’t answer, find people who can. You have a union leader attending, and you never once turned and asked his opinion. You have an empty room because you don’t allow the community to speak beyond three minutes. If a board member can’t adhere to that, why would you want the public restrict-

ed when they are the ones you represent? Quit the personal comments. Listen more, talk far less, and ask simple questions. Then wait for answers. LANDON JENSEN Chico

Lies and torture Re “Stop torture—all of it” (Editorial, Dec. 18): Vincent Bugliosi, a famous prosecutor, states that we could convict George W. Bush for sending our nation to war on the basis of lies in 2003. Now it’s official: We torture. Mark Twain wrote about just this sort of thing in 1901: “… we cannot conceal from ourselves that, privately, we are a little troubled about our uniform. It is one of our prides; it is acquainted with honor; it is familiar with great deeds and noble; we love it, we revere it; and so this errand it is on makes us uneasy. And our flag—another pride of ours, our chiefest! We have worshiped it so; and when we have seen it in far lands—glimpsing it in that strange sky, waving its welcome and benediction to us— we have caught our breaths, and uncovered our heads, and couldn’t speak, for a moment, for the thought of what it was to us and the great ideals it stood for. Indeed, we must do something about these things; it is easily managed. We can have a special one—our states do it; we can have just our usual flag, with the white stripes painted black and the stars replaced by the skull and crossbones.” A war for oil. Period. NELSON KAISER Chico

Corrections Last week’s Greenways story (see “Bag ban, here we come,” by Evan Tuchinsky) incorrectly stated that city and state codes required plastic bags to have a minimum thickness of 2.25 millimeters. It should have stated 2.25 mils. One mil is equal to 1/1000th inch. Additionally, in our editorial regarding the ABLE Act, we incorrectly stated that the pending legislation would not affect Social Security benefits. Rather, it will not affect Supplemental Security Income—or SSI. Our apologies for the errors, which have been corrected online. –ed. More letters online:

We have too many letters for this space. Please go to www.newsreview.com/chico for additional readers’ comments on past CN&R articles.

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CN&R

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, right, and DA environmental investigator Hal Thomas discuss the state court judgment against the POPI cogeneration plant in Oroville.

LOST IN MIGRATION

Advocates are calling on the California Department of Water Resources and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to clear migratory pathways for salmon in the Sacramento River. For the last several weeks, many salmon have been taking a wrong turn and getting lost in the dead-end Yolo Bypass drainage canals near Woodland, according to a press release from Golden Gate Salmon Association, Cal Marsh and Farm and CalTrout. About 60 salmon were recently found dead in one of the canals, and an estimated 600 winter-run chinook—listed as a federally endangered species—swam into the canals last year. Previously, a small fish trap prevented the salmon from swimming up the drainage ditches, but it was removed after being overwhelmed by high water from recent storms. Stakeholders are now pushing for the installation of gates that would block fish from getting off-course.

DEATHS IN THE FOOTHILLS

A couple from Plumas County were found dead in a vehicle in the Berry Creek area on Saturday (Dec. 20). The victims, Mike and Olga Kroencke, were both Plumas County employees who lived in Cromberg, a small community near Quincy. A relative reported them missing at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday after they did not arrive as planned, according to a Butte County Sheriff’s Office press release. Deputies sent to investigate the report found the Kroenckes in a vehicle on Galen Ridge Road around 2 p.m. Additional details surrounding the deaths have been scarce. While county officials have dubbed the deaths “suspicious,” they’ve yet to indicate whether homicide is suspected. BCSO encourages anyone with information that may aid its investigation to call 538-7321.

HELP WITH A HOMICIDE

The county recently launched a website, Butte Crime Solvers, offering a $1,000 reward for information related to the homicide of Chico State student Marc Thompson, whose death in September shook up the community. On Sept. 3, firefighters found Thompson’s remains inside his burned Ford Taurus on the Oro-Quincy Highway near the rural community of Mountain House, prompting a homicide investigation involving the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Justice and the FBI. No information regarding possible suspects or a motive has been released to the public. Thompson (pictured), a 25-year-old sociology major, was heavily involved with local multicultural groups and an outspoken advocate for the black community and social change. Go to www.buttecrimesolver.com, email infosheriff@buttecounty.net or call Secret Witness at 532-6648 to submit a tip; the reward is specifically “for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the person, or persons, responsible for Marc Thompson’s death.” 8

CN&R

December 24, 2014

PHOTO BY CHRIS SARAGA

Settlement reached in pollution case Butte County’s effort to clean up cogeneration power plants pays off filed against the New Jersey-based Athelawsuit Covanta Energy Co. that for years operated Pacific Oroville Power Inc. (POPI) cogenera-

tion plant in South Oroville has been settled for $825,000, with $136,000 going to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Mike Ramby Tom Gascoyne sey and Hal Thomas, the county’s environmental prosecutor, tomg@ organized and led the charge in newsreview.com filing the suit, which was based on the creation and distribution of contaminated ash from the burning of “urban waste” to create electricity. It was estimated that the POPI plant could create enough electricity to supply up to 20,000 households. When it first fired up in the 1980s, the plant burned timber waste—wood chips created by loggers felling trees. But the timber industry dried up in the 1990s and the plant began burning “urban waste,” which is the remains of torndown buildings that can contain metals, asbestos and other potentially environmentally damaging materials. The DA’s office caught wind of this new practice and tested the resulting on-site ash for toxicity, including heavy metals and dioxins, the latter of which can cause developmental and reproductive problems, as well as cancer. Thomas said at one point the ash tested at the facility for dioxin showed 2,200 parts per trillion. “That is just massive,” he said. “And that ash went off to farms in the region and that went on for a number of years.”

The ash was moved to landfills in the city of Anderson and Placer County. It also was piled in the Glenn County community of Artois and then plowed into agricultural land as a soil amendment, including a corn field whose crop is used as cattle feed. “We said to them early on, ‘Folks, I understand you are desperate for a fuel source and I understand that the problem with the fuel source not being the clean fuel that we had around here. You are obviously being taken for a ride by peo-

ple who are giving you dirty fuel,’” Ramsey said. POPI said the company that was trucking in the urban waste provided test results that showed the waste was clean. Ramsey said that since he had no control in the jurisdiction where the waste was collected he had to insist on testing it locally. POPI argued that it was too expensive to test. “At that point, they were running seven power plants in the state,” Thomas said.

POPI cogeneration plant, which ceased operation two years ago. CN&R FILE PHOTO BY DUGAN GASCOYNE

Ramsey jokingly blamed the fall of the

timber industry, which lead to POPI burning urban waste, on the environmentalists “The damn environmentalist killed the timber industry around here,” he said. “They wouldn’t eat the spotted owl, which tastes just like bald eagle.” Protection of the endangered spotted owl, which was listed as an endangered species in 1990, led to the protection of national forests in the northwest and what some say was the end of the timber industry.

“[It] became clear that they weren’t about to start testing each load of fuel that came in or even sample it. So we said, ‘OK, to the bunkers.’”

–Mike Ramsey

“Remember when California started saying what a great job we were doing as far as recycling?” Thomas asked. “Guess what? That’s [urban] waste that was diverted to cogeneration power plants like the one here in Oroville. And that waste was diverted to our lungs. That’s the part that is so awful.” Ramsey said as they became more aware of what was going on at the Oroville facility, his office began looking for other Covanta plants operating in the state. His office alerted the DAs in those other counties—Sacramento, Fresno, Kern, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne. Those counties joined Butte and Glenn (the latter was involved because of the dump site in Artois) in the lawsuit. The settlement bars the company from transporting or disposing of the ash it creates at its existing plants or contracting it out as a soil amendment for agricultural use. That part of the settlement is moot locally because Covanta shut down the POPI plant operations two years ago and now is reportedly looking to surrender its operating permit to the Butte County Air Quality Board. “They told us to pound sand in mid2011 when they were talking about closing,” Ramsey said. “We would have liked to see them continue operations if they burned clean fuel. We said we’d help them out. But it became clear that they weren’t about to start testing each load of fuel that came in or even sample it. So we said, ‘OK, to the bunkers.’” The DA’s office will now work with a private group called the Oroville Dioxin Education Committee and Chico Environmental Science and Planning to conduct soil tests for dioxin across Oroville. Ω

Age of discovery After 55 years in Chico, Discovery Shoppe stays true to charitable mission ame a household object and it’s probably N come through the red front door of the Discovery Shoppe at some point over the last

55 years. Every so often, donated items are worth a lot of money—like a 14-karat gold watch recently appraised at $1,200—while others are of higher sentimental value. “The personal things some people give you, you’re just amazed,” said volunteer Denise Orr. “It’s sad, when a relative passes, [customers] will bring us a doctorate dissertation or a master’s thesis they’d printed on beautiful paper and bound, and here it is, some amazing work. We get family photos, too; just stuff people don’t want to throw away. It’s heart-wrenching, sometimes.” That’s not to say that working at the thrift store on Flume Street is emotionally onerous—far from it. As longtime volunteer Kay Matzdorff said during a recent interview, many people are initially drawn to working at the Discovery Shoppe “by the idea of giving,” but end up staying long-term because of the friendships they See for yourself: build with co-workers Stop by the shop at and customers. Often, 315 Flume St., call especially around the hol343-1326 or go to discoveryshoppe.com idays, the mood is joyous. to learn more about “Working here, I have the nonprofit thrift to say, we have one heck store. of a good time,” Matzdorff said. “You make 80 or 90 new friends, and I think that motivates people.” That’s no exaggeration. About 100 volunteers—all women—rotate three-hour shifts a few times a month, either working the cash register or sorting through donated items in

the back room. Nobody is paid. Aside from water and electricity bills and maintenance costs, “every single dollar goes to charities,” Matzdorff said. “I think it’s amazing,” she added. “We don’t have anybody who runs the place; we don’t have any big bosses. I’m not sure there’s any thrift shop in town, or maybe the state, that operates this way. “I love the idea of what we do, I love that we do it well, and that we’re having a good time. That’s so special.” Discovery Shoppe has continuously operated

in Chico since 1959, including its current 42-year run at the corner of Third and Flume streets. The store was originally conceived as the fundraising arm of the Family Service Association of Butte and Glenn Counties, a family counseling organization that, as Matzdorff phrased it, “went belly up” in 1993. At that point, a group of women who volunteered at the shop decided to turn the operation into its own entity, an official 501c3 nonprofit, and direct all proceeds to a variety

SIFT|ER The honesty factor Gallup asked Americans how they rated certain professions when it comes to honesty and ethical standards—an annual survey the pollster has conducted since 1990. This year, nurses topped the list. In fact, nurses have made the top spot nearly every year since first being included in the list back in 1999. Meanwhile, members of Congress rounded out the bottom. Here’s how the full list shakes out among the 11 professions included:

Nurses Doctors Pharmacists Police officers Clergy Bankers Lawyers Business executives Advertising practitioners Car salespeople Members of Congress

Very high or high 80% 65% 65% 48% 46% 23% 21% 17% 10% 8% 7%

Average 17% 29% 28% 31% 35% 49% 45% 50% 44% 46% 30%

Very low or low 2% 7% 7% 20% 13% 26% 34% 32% 42% 45% 61%

Denise Orr (foreground) and Linda Lunsford are two of about 100 volunteers who rotate shifts at the Discovery Shoppe. PHOTO BY HOWARD HARDEE

of local charities. Since making that transition in 1996, Discovery Shoppe has donated nearly $850,000 to dozens of fellow nonprofit organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Club, Catalyst Domestic Violence Services, Chico Cat Coalition and the Jesus Center, to name just a few. The shop donated $85,000 this year alone. Every year, members of the Discovery Shoppe vote on which nonprofits to support. “We operate under the theory that we’re doing this to help people in need, and from an educational point of view,” Matzdorff said. “Last year we gave to the Chico Museum, which we feel is necessary for kids— they should know where they came from, and how.” If the volunteers at Discovery Shoppe are on

a mission, the store’s tidily organized shelves and racks are a reflection of that. Along a given wall one might find children’s dolls, fine porcelain and crystal dishware, antique Christmas ornaments, pastel paintings, woven baskets, and even the odd DVD or iPod station. Donated items that can’t be sold, for whatever reason, are never wasted. For instance, ARC of Butte County stops by twice a week to pick up excess clothing, and unusable comforters and blankets go to the Butte Humane Society. And when somebody needs a hand, you can bet the volunteers at the Discovery Shoppe will offer theirs. “Earlier this year, we had a woman come in looking for something to wear to her daughter’s wedding that she could afford,” Matzdorff said. “We outfitted her from top to bottom; she looked like a princess. She will never forget that, and that’s the kind of thing that happens fairly often here.” —HOWARD HARDEE howardh@newsreview.com

NEWSLINES continued on page 10 December 24, 2014

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Tribute to his honor Denny Forland was both a prosecutor and defender before becoming Butte County judge

Butte County Superior Court Judge Denny Forland worked both sides of the bench. CN&R FILE PHOTOS

Chico-area attorney Denny ForLhisongtime land will be remembered for his fairness, willingness to teach others, and for being

a loving husband and father. Forland, who was appointed last year to a Butte County Superior Court judge seat, died Saturday (Dec. 20) at UC Davis Medical Center after a bout with pneumonia. He was 60 years old and had been diagnosed with chronic lymphatic leukemia. His wife, Kim, said Monday that she was still in shock, but that at least she and their three children were with him when he passed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were all together and able to say goodbye,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And, I must say, he was my best friend.â&#x20AC;? Forland was well-liked by his colleagues, and when he was appointed last year by Gov. Jerry Brown to fill the seat of Gerald Hermansen, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d retired a year earlier, fellow attorney Dennis Latimer applauded the move. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked in about every aspect of the law, and that is really a rare balance,â&#x20AC;? Latimer said of Forland at the time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s respected by both prosecutors and defense attorneys.â&#x20AC;?

Forland began his career as a research

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December 24, 2014

attorney at the California District Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association in 1979. He served as a deputy district attorney for Butte County from 1980 to 1984, worked as an attorney in Chico with Joe VanDervoort from 1984 to 1986 and then as a partner with Price, Price, Brown and Halsey until 1990. He began serving in the Butte County Public Defenders Office that year, eventually becoming the lead attorney. District Attorney Mike Ramsey, who had worked with Forland as a fellow deputy district attorney, echoed Latimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thoughts,

adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gone and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge loss to our community.â&#x20AC;? After Hermansen retired, Ramsey said he sent a recommendation to the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office to appoint Forland to the vacant seat and got a call back asking him to verify his intentions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They said it was highly unusual that a prosecutor would recommend a public defender for a judge position,â&#x20AC;? Ramsey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I said that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk about other jurisdictions, but here we get along. In particular, my deputies feel that Mr. Forland will make a very fine judge.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;And as it turned out, we were correct.â&#x20AC;? There was a somber feeling in Latimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office on the Monday following Forlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. Latimer said that, soon after Forland started working in the DAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, he began regularly publishing a legal newsletter addressing the issues of search-and-seizure laws as well as the Fifth Amendment. He made the publication available to local attorneys. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He quickly developed a reputation for his hard work, diligence and knowledge,â&#x20AC;? Latimer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a public defender he was very successful. Then his work in a law firm had broadened his experience and understanding of the law.â&#x20AC;? Latimer said that as a judge, Forland became known â&#x20AC;&#x153;for educating the young trial attorneys, both prosecution and defense, in the practical aspects of trying criminal matters.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was respected by many attorneys and judges when he was practicing law,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was usually the first lawyer I would call when I needed someone to bounce ideas off and discuss strategy because he was so generous with his time and knowledge. He was a wonderful man.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;TOM GASCOYNE tomg@newsreview.com

hen it comes to archaeological W history, Lake Oroville is full of it. And despite the influx of rain

lately, the water level has been exceptionally low this year, exposing acres of sensitive sites that are difficult to patrol and protect from looters. That became apparent last week, when California State Parks rangers and the Butte County District Attorney’s Office served a search warrant on a Feather Fallsarea home and found thousands of artifacts believed to have been gathered from Lake Oroville over a period of 20 years. They allegedly caught the man in the act of looting in late November and built a case around evidence obtained at that time, according to a State Parks press release. “We know these cases are out there, but this is one of the larger ones I’ve seen in forever,” said Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey. “There were a number of rather nice pieces of history and we can’t have those pieces of history, of tribal culture, being

stolen from the public and from the local tribal folks.” Among the artifacts seized during the search were a large number of Native American arrowheads. When Lake Oroville was created in the 1960s, it took over a landscape rich in Native American and early settler history. Many sites of cultural significance lie under water most years, and when the water recedes they become vulnerable. One of the main problems with taking archaeological or historical items from such sites is that it takes them out of context, eliminating the ability to study or appreciate them as they were left. “It will … help protect and deter others from taking these resources, preserving them for all Californians and future generations, to experience seeing these types of items in their natural setting,” Aaron Wright, a State Parks superintendent overseeing Lake Oroville, said in an email. “It will allow archeologists to study these artifacts in context, which will allow better understanding and

The alleged looter, who has yet to

be identified because of the ongoing investigation, was cited by State Parks rangers when he was caught in November, Ramsey confirmed. The suspect will face criminal charges as well, he said, but he wasn’t able to give further information as of press time. He did indicate that the man was being “extraordinarily cooperative,” going so far as to offer up additional artifacts not being kept in his home. Ramsey said the man also told investigators when and where he’d found the items. “He indicated to the rangers that he started to feel as if a burden was being lifted from his shoulders,” Ramsey said. The California penal code has several provisions prohibiting the disturbance of sensitive sites. One states that, “No person shall remove, injure, disfigure, deface, or destroy any object of archaeological, or historical interest or value.” The charges are misdemeanors and can result in a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in jail. Unfortunately, Wright said, he rarely sees people actually prosecuted for these so-called “resource crimes.” Ramsey countered that his office prosecutes these types of crimes “every time we have evidence.” The seized artifacts are currently being held pending the outcome of the investigation and charges. Ultimately, they likely will be turned over to the Department of Water Resources, Ramsey said, before being returned to local tribes. “It’s a cultural and resource crime,” Ramsey said. “I consider it a crime against history.”

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Above: Aaron Wright, a State Parks superintendent overseeing Lake Oroville, stands on site with tools confiscated from a looter. CN&R FILE PHOTO BY MEREDITH J. GRAHAM

Right: Officials found thousands of artifacts in a Feather Falls man’s home. Among them were a large number of arrowheads, including these. PHOTO COURTESY OF STATE PARKS

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THE PULSE

HEALTHLINES

NO POP BY DEFAULT

City officials in Davis are considering a proposal that would require restaurants to make water or low-fat milk—rather than soda—the standard beverages offered with children’s meals. At a Davis City Council meeting earlier this month, staff noted that about one-quarter of Davis students in fifth, seventh and ninth grades are obese, and “sugary beverages play a central and unique role in the obesity epidemic,” according to The Sacramento Bee. Julie Gallelo, executive director of First 5 Yolo, a county organization that advocates for children’s health, said the default beverage that comes with a kid’s meal is typically soda, and if parents want milk or water instead, it often comes at an extra cost. The council instructed staff to draft an ordinance that would require servers in all of the city’s 120-plus restaurants to ask, “Would you like milk or water with that?” If passed, the ordinance would be the first of its kind in California.

Matt York, pictured in India circa 2012, and his associates with One Mobile Projector per Trainer teach relief workers in developing countries how to make video presentations on a variety of subjects.

FALLS DIRE FOR ELDERLY

In California, more than a half-million older adults have fallen more than once over the past year, and the results are often dire, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The study’s author, Steven Wallace, named falls as “the leading injury-related cause of death and of medical care use among older Californians” and urged greater awareness of the risks associated with falling, according to California Healthline. “It’s a bit horrifying when we consider the number of Californians who fall repeatedly every year,” Wallace said. The research found that, among older adults in 2012, falls caused 1,819 deaths, more than 72,000 hospitalizations due to injury and more than 185,000 emergency room visits. The numbers reflect national statistics, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 24,000 people over age 65 died from falls that year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ONE MOBILE PROJECTOR PER TRAINER

Spreading ideas, not disease Local videographers head to heart of Ebola outbreak to help health-education effort by

Evan Tuchinsky evant@newsreview.com

OBAMACARE, ROUND TWO

More than 144,000 Californians signed up for a health plan through Covered California in the first month of the state health insurance exchange’s second open enrollment period. As of Dec. 15, the exchange had received 301,539 applications for private coverage, and 144,178 of those applicants selected a health plan, according to California Healthline. Furthermore, 216,423 state residents have signed up for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15; go to CoveredCA.org for more information.

Send your health-related news tips to Howard Hardee at howardh@newsreview.com.

CN&R

December 24, 2014

bola. What’s your reaction to that word? EEnvision Do you shudder a bit? Recoil in fear? the epidemic in West Africa?

Think about the Americans who’ve been infected, including the two who died? Worry about it spreading to the North State? For Matt York, Ebola is a call to action. The longtime Chicoan and editor of Videomaker magazine is executive director of a nonprofit organization called One Mobile Projector per Trainer, or OMPT, which helps teach relief workers in developing countries how to make, distribute and present informational videos. Early next month, York will travel to the heart of the Ebola outbreak—the African nation of Guinea—for an OMPT project mounted by the U.S. State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There, in the city of Conakry, he and documentary filmmaker Gerard Ungerman will team up with local videographers to

train roughly 40 members of nongovernmental agencies in the art and technique of creating informational videos. (Ungerman, a fellow Chicoan, speaks French, as do many people in Guinea.) OMPT isn’t taking the trip lightly. Even though York expects to be out of the reach of the disease, headquartered at the U.S. embassy and a hotel, there’s a chance he may need to go out into the field to assist with videography, or may come in contact with a patient or infected individual over the course of traveling. He considers the risk serious enough to keep an OMPT staff member who frequently goes overseas, Program Coordinator Claire Pelley, back in Chico. His family reacted with a measure of unease. In the end, though, the need he saw outweighed misgivings about the E-word. “You’d be silly not to be concerned or not experience fear,” he said in a phone interview. “But if no one had the courage to go, then it would cascade across Africa, maybe make its way to the Middle East … [and] get here eventually. “I feel called to the work. I feel this is what I was made to do. If I can stem the tide of the spread of this virus through using

video technology, that’s exactly what I’ve been intending to do for the last seven years. So you muster up the courage to proceed.” OMPT came together in January 2008, after York took trips to Guatemala and South Sudan. York and his associates provide local aid workers with the equipment and expertise needed to make video presentations that educate the public on whatever subject an aid organization wants to convey. Video footage gets shot on cell phones or cameras, then edited on laptop computers. The final product goes onto SD cards that aid workers transport by foot or cycle—York calls this “the sneakernet”— and place into mobile projectors that display a picture large enough to be seen clearly by up to 50 people. OMPT’s projectors do not require electricity; they charge off compact solar units or vehicle batteries. York and Ungerman depart for West Africa

on Jan. 10. The Guinea trip itinerary calls for a four-day training session, but they could be asked to stay longer. They’ll bring 100 projectors, 100 chargers and 20 cameras.

HEALTHLINES continued on page 15

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HEALTHLINES “I’ll bring more luggage than I’ve brought anywhere in my life,” York said with a chuckle. Pelley, recently returned from a trip to Ethiopia, is working on the logistical details. She says the Guinea project is “in line” with others OMPT has undertaken, “just a different subject matter.” But, in a way, that’s the point of going—to reach people with specific, locally relevant material. “We’re never the content experts,” Pelley explained. “We always expect that our partners have the information that they want to disseminate. We just help them improve that dissemination methodology and translate that into video.” Even though OMPT won’t generate the Ebola-prevention content, York has a firm understanding of what the CDC, State Department and aid organizations want to accomplish. The goal is to inform residents of Guinea about how the disease spreads. “There’s a series of really key behaviors that need to be changed,” York explained, noting that some of the practices recommended by health officials “run counter to the cultural norms there.” For instance, when a person dies, family members not only handle the remains, they hold a ceremony in which everyone shares a beverage that they first touch to the lips of their late loved one. “So, their normal practice of mourning and caring for the deceased spreads Ebola,” York continued, “spreads any viruses that might be on the lips of the deceased person.

continued from page 12

Contribute to the cause:

Even if Guinea seems too far afield to go yourself, you can still help One Mobile Projector per Trainer spread education about Ebola by donating to the organization’s crowdfunding effort on Indiegogo.com. Your contribution will help teach West Africans how to adapt their behaviors to prevent the spread of the disease. Go to tinyurl.com/OneMobileTrainer to donate; the campaign will stay open through midnight on Dec. 31. Visit www.ompt.org for more info on the nonprofit.

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Pregnant? Need Help? “Also, like we do, they care for sick infants who have bodily fluids on them because they have diarrhea or are vomiting, and care for elders who are sick. That has to be done in an incredibly fastidious manner.” York, too, will approach the trip fastidiously. He’s been briefed by the CDC on Ebola protocols and We are here. We can help. already informed Enloe Medical Center about his upcoming trip, on FREE Pregnancy Tests the off chance he’ll need treatment after he returns. “If I find myself the victim of fate,” York said, “I may be exposed (530) 345-9711 • (800) 550-4900 to Ebola and may need to be quarantined in Conakry or the Paris airDESIGNER REP FILE NAME CNR ISSUE port or the Newark airport or theJEN_PU AMB 10.30.08 BIRTHRIGHT San Francisco airport—or the quarantine may not work. “This is certainly the most hazardous assignment we’ve ever done…. You couldn’t get a better organization to be connected with [in the CDC], so I feel like I’ll be as safe as one can be, but there’s a level of risk.” Ω

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CN&R

GREENWAYS Lawson in the lab with Chico State’s resident soft-shelled turtle, Pancake. PHOTO COURTESY OF GIN LAWSON

The proof’s in the poop Chico State grad student crowdfunds research in emerging science, hopes to help endangered species

searching a crime scene for DNA,” Lawson began when asked to explain eDNA and its potential role in the research. “This is simikens@ n ewsrev i ew. com lar, because I’m also looking for DNA in the environment—eDNA is targeted toward a specific organism or animal.” ome biologists believe there’s a campaign This comes in handy in several ways, of genocide bubbling in the creeks and she explained. In past expeditions, streams of the Hawaiian islands, where Engstrom and other researchers relied on an invasive species of turtle is suspected setting traps to find turtles to study, but of eating the Hawaiian goby fish toward the animal’s rarity made this difficult. The extinction. process can be expedited by testing waterIf green science was all black and white, ways for DNA evidence that the amphibian the answer might be as simple as setting lives there for certain. some traps for the problem species and Using Lawson’s techniques to locate voilà, fish and turtle soup for everyone. But the turtles should mean more samples with in this case the suspect turtle—the Chinese which to conclusively determine if they wattle-necked variety—is itself endangered. eat the endangered goby. Previous studies Furthermore, both species are endemic to using stable isotope analysis by another the islands of Kauai and Oahu, meaning CSU graduate student determined the turtle they exist nowhere else in the world, with eats fish, but the genetic evidence is needed the fish arriving by nature’s design and the to see what species it snacks on. The turtles at the hands of late-19th century proverbial pudding wherein this proof lies Chinese immigrants. The turtles have since is turtle poop. been eaten out of their “The traditional native China and Vietnam method of studying an “Getting the by human predators. animal’s dietary habits Chico State profesis to induce vomiting,” buggers to throw up sor Tag Engstrom and Lawson said. “We’ve several students have been tried that, but these just wasn’t working, involved with researching turtles have long, telethe fish-turtle conundrum scoping necks. Getting so we figured out we since 2007, and biology the buggers to throw up needed to wait for graduate student Gin just wasn’t working, so Lawson believes she can figured we needed everything to come out we help the process through to wait for everything to the emerging science of come out the other end.” the other end.” environmental DNA, Lawson said eDNA —Gin Lawson known as eDNA. And is fairly new to the she’s going about it in an world of environmental unconventional way—through crowdfundscience, with the first papers published ing her efforts. on its processes and applications in the Lawson explained the first step in estab- last decade. In 2013, the scientific journal lishing a plan for the wattle-necks’ future is Trends in Ecology and Evolution listed it to find out for certain the turtles are eating as one of the top 15 scientific horizons to the fish, and obtain the requisite scientific watch in the near future, particularly for its proof. value in detecting aquatic species. In addi“People who watch cop shows are tion to facilitating the finding of more—and familiar with the forensic process of more precise—data, it is less invasive and by

Ken Smith

CN&R

December 24, 2014

less expensive than traditional methods, Lawson said. Lawson is no stranger to the nontraditional, as evidenced by her life and educational path. She attended Feather River College as a married mother of three in her early 20s and transferred to Chico State in 2005, but her scholastic success was hindered by troubles at home, which led her to spend about a month in a shelter two weeks into starting at Chico State. But Lawson soldiered on, working multiple jobs to care for her children and enduring a two-year-long divorce process. In that same two years, she also earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, which she used to begin substitute teaching. Though subbing kept the single mother afloat, Lawson said she still struggled financially, and believed the ticket to a better life for her and her children was further education. She also decided the best course of action would be to pursue her lifelong love of biology, and began taking advanced science and math classes at Butte College to prepare to re-enter Chico State as a graduate student in biological sciences. This is Lawson’s first semester back at the university, and she’s already made headway by designing primers and otherwise working to fine-tune eDNA techniques to assist in the turtle research. She said her early expertise in the field will be a marketable skill after she finishes her master’s, so she can enable her children—who are now in high school—to attend a university. She said things are better in her personal life now, and that she’s happily remarried. Lawson conducts most of her research

in professor David Keller’s lab, but is concerned that the materials she uses come directly from his budget. To lessen this weight, Lawson is trying to fund her own research the best way she knows how— unconventionally. Prompted by a story she heard on National Public Radio, she’s launched a crowdfunding campaign on

Experiment.com to raise $2,500 for various materials. “I personally wouldn’t post this project on another site, like Kickstarter, because my request would have to compete with multitudes of other projects, and the projects are for everything under the sun,” she said. “You’ve got people saying, ‘I want to start a rock band,’ and ‘I have a prototype that I want to bring to market,’ and ‘I want to attach rockets to a pogo stick and see what happens.’ “I like that Experiment.com is just for scientists.” Lawson’s crowdfunding campaign can be found at www.experiement.com/ invasiveturtles, and runs through late January. □

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Eat, play, learn For a short time longer, the Gateway Science Museum (625 Esplanade) is offering an interactive display aimed at teaching children the importance of exercise and nutrition. The exhibit, called Eat Well, Play Well, is presented in English and Spanish and was designed by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It focuses on healthy, science-based food choices and fun ways to stay active. Catch it before it’s gone through Jan. 4. Call 898-4121 for more information and holiday hours.

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Jolly old St. Nick Throughout his long career, ranging from sainthood in fourth century Greece to gift-giving and good will throughout the Western world, Santa Claus has been a busy man. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s too busy to spend some time with the people of Chico this holiday season. Jolly old St. Nick has been spreading the joy of Christmas throughout the region this year, checking in with the good— and the bad, too!—children to see what goodies they’d like left under their trees and in their stockings. Ho ho ho!

Did you have a good off season? Excellent! However, I never really have an “off season.” Because of the traditions around the world, I deliver gifts on many more occasions than just Christmas Eve! And aside from delivering gifts, I keep busy making toys all year round, and I have to keep the N&N (naughty and nice) lists updated constantly. Then there’s reindeer training, elf practice, sleigh maintenance, not to mention keeping up with new toys and games, which means I watch all the movies too! I particularly liked Sven [from Frozen]. Did you see that jump he made? With a little more practice, he could try out for my team!

What’s new at the North Pole? This year we’ve upgraded the N&N tracking software. We can now update the Naughty and Nice List faster than ever, and it’s uploaded

by satellite to a receiver on the sleigh. I now get real-time updates on which children are being naughty and which children are being nice!

What made you decide to come down to Chico this year? I heard the children of Butte County have been so nice this year, I just had to come and see for myself!

Did you come to Chico alone? Mrs. Claus frequently likes to travel with me. It’s nice to get away and see scenery besides ice and snow all the time. She so loves seeing all the children! She’s a big part of the reason I decided to bring gifts to all the good children of the world.

Are you ready for the big night? What do you still need to do? There are preparations made every minute right up until I launch on Christmas Eve. There

are more good children this year than ever before, so there’s even more to do this year to prepare for the big night!

What have you been up to in Chico, leading up to Christmas? I like to meet and visit with the children as much as possible during the Christmas season, to hear what their wishes are, to hear stories of how they help their Mommies and Daddies, and to see the love they share with their friends and families.

If someone wanted to invite you to their home or event, how would they contact you? I would love to come to your events and parties, and even visit the homes of children whose parents might like to let their children catch Santa as he leaves their presents on Christmas Eve! I can be reached by email, at santa@jollyfolly.net. —HUNTER DU PUY

by Toni Scott tonis@newsrev iew.com

When Andrew Shepherd first started his brick-oven pizza business back in April 2012, he was always on the move. Now, he’s not hard to find. For almost a year now, Shepherd has been hard at work at 2031 Forest Ave., preparing the space to transition his mobile food business to a bona fide restaurant. The long days and nights finally paid off earlier this month, when the brick-and-mortar version of Pop’s Pizza opened its doors near the Old Navy shopping center. Aside from hand-tossed wood-fired pizza, Pop’s offers salads, sandwiches and gelato. Specialty pizzas range from the The Chickalo, which features buffalo ranch sauce, mozzarella, blue cheese, red onion and buffalo chicken, to the Chicken ‘n’ Waffle, with butter, mozzarella, fried chicken, waffles and syrup. Of course, there is the standard combination or veggie or you can make your own custom pizza from an expansive list of topping options. Shepherd noted in a conversation last week that although the shift to a permanent location is a significant investment for the business, it is also a way to ensure more stability in revenues. Inclement weather stifles food truck businesses in the winter, with customers reluctant to battle the wet and cold for lunch or dinner. Now, at Pop’s, they’ll have a roof over their heads, and can catch the game with a beer, while their pizza bakes at 600 degrees a few feet away over almond wood. Shepherd gets the wood locally, from a landscape business that sources it from a green waste facility. Pop’s plans to be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the mobile trailer and truck still out for special events and catering, though the regular visits to Spike’s Bottle Shop on East First Avenue will cease. The business has grown from two staff members to 14 and Shepherd credits his family and team members for helping make the jump into permanency. Pop’s is one of a few mobile food businesses in Chico to move to a stable home over the last few years. Cupcake Crusader, one of my guiltiest pleasures (the Cookies and Cream cupcake, especially), moved out of its food truck and into an East Avenue location (with a drive thru!) in 2012 and Sweet Cottage expanded to a downtown Chico location on Broadway earlier this year. Pop’s isn’t the only pizzeria opening its doors in Chico, either. Across town, on Mangrove Avenue, preparations are still under way for a Pizza Hut location. I had to go my entire college career without stuffed-crust pizza delivered to my front door because the nearest Pizza Hut was in Oroville, but incoming Chico State students won’t have to endure the same tragedy. The signs still say “Coming Soon” and I’ll keep you posted if I hear any news on an opening date.

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CN&R

Giving Back

A bit of Christmas fiction by

Zu Vincent

t had been twenty years. Conner’s long-awaited delivery sat on the seat beside him in the old cardboard shoebox. On the drive from his mother’s, the area across Main had changed just enough that he worried he wouldn’t recognize Mrs. Franklin’s house. But as soon as the streets widened and the homes rose tall, he found his way. After all, he’d spent the first twelve years of his life prowling these streets, crossing the gap between his own sorry neighborhood and this rich old mansion district. And Elm Street was just as he remembered it. The Victorians drawn back from the sidewalks and buffered by the stately air behind their shrubbery. This time of year, their tall porches and bay windows were edged in Christmas lights, gingerbread strings glowing daintily through the fog.

Mrs. Franklin’s house, however, was not lit up, which caused it to look gloomy next to its glittery neighbors. Still, it was the same fine house he’d remembered. And when he stopped the car, he hesitated in the face of that imposing luxury, wondering at his hubris in bringing the thing back at last. But he couldn’t do otherwise; it had come to weigh too heavy in his life. He needed to be free of it. The soft echo of his footsteps followed Conner as he took up the shoebox and headed along the cobbled walk, mounted the steps and paused before the tall front door. A chill climbed his back as he remembered the wreath Mrs. Franklin had once hung there. It had looked huge and preposterous to him as a kid, with its forest of fresh holly, mistletoe and pine cones. Conner had never seen real pine cones before that day, and his finger got pricked when he poked at one, and came back sticky with sap. Funny the things you remember. The door chime was the same, dancing off within the house with an expensive tinkle. Conner

ILLUSTRATIONS BY TOM PARSONS

CN&R

December 24, 2014

shifted the shoebox with its heavy contents into his left hand and waited. The footsteps coming at him from the other side of the door sounded just as Mrs. Franklin’s had, twenty years ago. Merry and light, if memory could be trusted. But the woman who pulled back the heavy wood was not Mrs. Franklin. She was too young, closer to Conner’s age. Conner, who’d become a dentist and usually noted people’s teeth first thing, was taken instead by the part of her full lips and the startled look in her eye. “Yes?” she said, somewhat impatiently, as if to cover up the hope of someone else ringing the chimes. He was disappointed, too, as in all the times he’d imagined this moment, it was always Mrs. Franklin who answered the door. He cleared his throat. “Look—I’m looking—I’m here to see Mrs. Franklin.” “What about?” “It’s personal.” He tried a smile. “Is she in?” The young woman looked him up and down, and seemed to judge him acceptable

from his overcoat and plished leather shoes. “My aunt passed away a month ago. Were you a friend of hers?” Dead? The news hit Conner like a blow. “She can’t be.” He clutched the shoebox and looked out at the fog, the late afternoon gray giving way to darkness. “I’m sorry,” the woman said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It was upsetting to all of us. Were you a friend of hers? She had so many friends.” Her sympathy made him feel foolish. “I didn’t expect—I came to return something of hers. Something important that I—oh, man—” he stopped, embarrassed. She considered the faded shoebox. A car whooshed down the street without stopping, and she sighed. “Do you want to give it to me?” He shook his head. “Not without explaining.” She sighed again, and pulled the door open wide. “Come in, then. I’ve just put on some coffee.” He nodded stepped once again into the great hall, which was as warm and inviting as he remembered. And just as he remembered, gaining entry here under false pretenses filled him with shame, and he felt as if no time had passed, either within him, or in this house. He followed her into the large room with the fireplace, still filled with couches and, he noticed, a halfdecorated tree. He sat where she invited him to sit and waited while she got the coffee, balancing the shoebox on his knees. He thought momentarily of ducking out, but then she returned with two steaming mugs to perch opposite him, and he found himself telling his story.

called Randy a punk, even though Uncle Mac himself was half the time in jail. They were on their way to the food truck to visit Valerie Gonzales, a girl Randy’s age who worked there with her parents and slipped him free tacos when no one was looking. Randy complained of a toothache, which made him testy. It had rained, and cars swam by on the wet streets. Overhead, the sky was larded with clouds hanging heavy atop the bunched-together stores along Main. Randy halted suddenly and stared into one of the shop windows. Behind the plate glass several mannequins were hugging skis, snuggled into coats and hats and planted ankle deep in fake snow. A plastic tree dripped red checked balls, and red and white lights marched around the window frame. Beneath the tree an array of opened boxes offered fancy gift ideas. Leather-bound picture frames, glass trinkets and what looked to Conner like diamond necklaces and earrings. His cousin studied the scene as if those mannequins had come to life and were giving him a message. “You think all that stuff is nice?” He shot Conner a mean look. “All that extra stuff rich people buy at Christmas? When they don’t need any of it?” Randy wore an oversized hooded sweatshirt and jeans whose cuffs bagged down around his ankles, a look that Conner Conner had been ten that Christmas. coveted and tried to match. His pops had run off when Conner was six, “Hell no,” Conner agreed, and hunched so it was just his mom and him. When she into his own sweatshirt, imitating Randy’s was at work, he hung out with his older resentfulness. Then Randy darted across cousin Randy, which Randy tolerated in a Main, zagging through traffic and the bark resentful way. Randy was always resentful, of car horns, and Conner raced to keep up. though. Randy’s dad, Conner’s Uncle Mac, They ended up in the mansion district. Conner was starving by this time and still thinking of those free tacos, but he didn’t dare tell Randy. Randy looked hot despite the cold outside. Sometimes he would press his fist to his cheek and swear. It was raining again but his cousin shook it off like he did the toothache. He was looking for something, and Conner couldn’t tell what until Randy spied the cat. The cat was sitting inside the shrubbery under a redwood tree before the largest house on Elm Street. The big tabby was fat and friendly and rolled over for a belly scratch when Randy sneaked onto the grand lawn. In one swift move his ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Zu Vincent, author of the novel The cousin lifted the Lucky Place and numerous short cat, tucked it inside stories for CN&R, among others, his sweatshirt, and holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Randy was right. Elm Street looked so much finer than the street where they lived ... you knew they had wonderful presents for everyone. Looking in the windows, you knew they were cozy and warm once the door was shut. slipped back to the sidewalk. “This cat was just waiting to be kidnapped,” Randy said. They took it back to Conner’s apartment even though his mom hadn’t paid the electric bill and the gas was turned off, because cold was better than being at Randy’s, where his uncle’s rage could any minute explode and catch you upside the head. Randy had a plan all hatched out for the cat and Conner was at the center of it. “Because it’s Christmastime and you look about eight and have that ‘poor me’ look, that will get you inside,” Randy told him. In the meantime, Conner was to keep the cat out of sight. Randy couldn’t do it

because he had to go home and nurse his toothache. Conner didn’t like Randy’s plan, but he knew he’d do it for a chance at the rough affection Randy sometimes showed him. He found an unopened can of evaporated milk in the cupboard and fed the cat, who started yowling whenever he set him down. The cat’s name, according to its collar, was Demetris. He was vaccinated and belonged to E.F. at number 1919 Elm. Conner was prepared not to like a cat with such a stuck-up name, but in the end he welcomed Demetris tucking up next to him in the icy apartment that night, the cat purring like a small motor. He nicknamed him Taco, since he was still thinking about the food truck, and for once the scrabble of rats on the alley fence didn’t bother him. The next morning was clear and dry. Wind froze the ends of their noses when they went out. Randy made Conner carry the cat. Conner flung his hood over his uncombed hair and zipped Demetris inside his sweatshirt, wrapping his hands in his sleeves to keep his fingers from freezing. He feared his charge would writhe free of his grasp and run off, or be suffocated if he held on too tight, but the big tabby just hugged up against him as if he couldn’t imagine a world where bad things might happen to him, slipping his head out to peer from beneath Conner’s chin. By the time they got to Elm, Conner was shivering despite the bundle inside his sweatshirt. He could tell Randy’s tooth was worse. His cousin’s eyes were as closed as button snaps. “Just look at this place. Why they need all this space?” Randy griped. “With ceilings so high inside you need a twenty-foot ladder to reach them? Just so they can buy useless things to fill it up, that’s why.” Randy was right. Elm Street looked so much finer than the street where they lived. Sometimes a car would pull up to a house and, watching those mansion district people bring their shopping bags in from the trunk, you knew they had wonderful presents for everyone. Looking in the windows, you knew they were cozy and warm once the door was shut. And Conner, who often had a toothache himself, felt as anxious as if he had one now, too. When they got to 1919, Randy hunched in the thick shrubbery while Conner shuffled up the cobbled walk alone. At the door, he shifted Demetris so he could hold him with one arm and push the door bell, and he pricked his finger on a sappy pine cone hung in a giant wreath just as chimes went off inside and footsteps sounded. The tall door opened with a punch of spicy air. The lady who answered looked, as far as he could tell, to be the same age as GIVING BACK continued on page 22 December 24, 2014

CN&R

GIVING BACK continued from page 19

Conner’s mom, but she looked younger at the same time. She was dressed up nice and smelled like something sugary. She spied Demetris right away and when she called his name the cat leapt out of Conner’s sweatshirt to curl around her ankles. “His collar said he lives here,” Conner said like Randy had coached him. “I found him yesterday clear across Main.” “Oh. So far!” She picked Demetris up and the cat melted into her arms. “Demetris, you bad boy. Don’t ever do that again.” She snuggled the cat and smiled at Conner. “Thank you, young man. I’m so grateful.” Conner reached out and scratched Demetris. The cat purred, found his finger where the pine cone had pierced it, and licked away the drop of blood. “His tongue’s like sandpaper,” Conner said. “I gave him some milk. And he likes it if you call him Taco.” He noticed his fingernails were full of dirt and tucked his hand back in his sweatshirt sleeve. “Taco?” She shook her cat fondly. “Big old bad Taco? Young man,” she added to Conner. “Why don’t you come in? It’s freezing out. And I should give you a reward.” “Thank you,” Conner said innocently, seeing he’d pleased her. He stepped into a gigantic hallway wreathed in Christmas boughs, dizzy at the idea of a reward. Two large rooms were to the left and right, and an elegant stairway ahead of him. The door whooshed shut behind him. “I’m Mrs. Franklin,” the lady said. “Emma. Call me Emma. And you are?” “Conner.” “Come this way, Conner.” He followed her past the stairs and down a long hall to a large, shiny kitchen. She leaned over and the tabby leapt out of her arms and headed for a ceramic bowl. She pulled milk from behind a gleaming refrigerator door and filled the bowl. “He’s always hungry,” she laughed. “How about you? Are you hungry? I was just making up my Christmas boxes. There are cookies on the plate.” The cookies were chocolate chip, the chocolate still melty from the oven. She motioned him onto a high stool at her counter, pushed the plate of cookies toward him and filled him a glass of milk. “Go ahead, take two.” Conner nodded and lifted the warm cookies from the plate. He thought of saving the second one for Randy, but decided against it because of his toothache, and ate the second one himself. Mrs. Emma Franklin was probably pretty, for an old lady, but she had a way of smiling when she looked at him that seemed sad. He didn’t know how anyone could be sad in this house. The kitchen was bigger than his whole apartment. He bet she didn’t have rats. He tried to eat slowly. She was smiling and smiling at him in her sorrowful way. He drank his milk. “Where do you live?” “Across Main,” he said. “A house or apartment?” “Apartment.” 20

CN&R

December 24, 2014

The house was full of things she didn’t need, expensive things he could take without her even noticing. He fingered a glass egg with a glass fish swimming around inside it. “I see,” she said, as if she’d figured something out. “Conner, it’s so cold out. Don’t you have a jacket?” He shook his head. Don’t say much, is what Randy warned. It wasn’t hard to do. Her questions had glued his tongue to his mouth like his mouth was full of pine cone sap. She came around the counter. “Maybe we can fix that. What size are you? Stand up, let me see.” He stood and she smoothed her hand down his back. “You know, I bet a have a jacket that would fit you. Would you like to try it?” He shrugged. “It’s practically brand new. What’s your favorite color? Do you like blue?” “May I use your bathroom?” Ask to use the bathroom, Randy had told him. “It’s down that way.” She pointed. “Third door on the left. I’ll get that jacket.” Conner used the bathroom. When he came out he pretended to be lost and wandered away from the kitchen. He headed into a big room with a desk and bookcases. He’d never seen so many books. Before the books on every shelf were glass shapes. Apples, pears, pomegranates, snowmen, penguins, geese and eggs. It was like

Randy said—the house was full of things she didn’t need, expensive things he could take without her even noticing. He fingered a glass egg with a glass fish swimming around inside it. He’d never seen anything like it. He heard Emma Franklin’s footsteps and his heart clattered. Now. Now! He jammed the glass egg in his sweatshirt pocket. “There you are.” She was coming down the stairs when Conner wandered into the hall. “What do you think of this?” She held out a blue, kid-sized jacket. “I dunno.” Conner kept both hands in his sweatshirt pockets, one cradling the glass egg. He looked down at his feet. “I mean, you can have it if you like it. It’s practically brand new.” She hesitated. “It belonged to my son.” Conner looked up at her. “Won’t he need it?” She smiled in that sad way. “No,” she said. “He won’t. In fact, I probably have shoes up there to go with this. If you’d like,” she added, considering. “I don’t suppose your mother would mind? I’d like to find a use for some of his—things. And I just thought—anyway, I don’t want to insult you.” “What kind of shoes?” Conner asked. “What kind would you like?” “Tennis shoes,” he said firmly. He squeezed the glass egg while she checked the size of his feet. He tried the jacket on while she went upstairs for the shoes. It was soft and light feeling. Not anything like Randy would wear. He wandered into another room. This one was full of couches, a fireplace hung with stockings, and a huge, decorated Christmas tree. The tree was real, not plastic. It looked to Conner as if there were a zillion packages piled up underneath. He

imagined all of them being opened, like the ones in the store display window, to reveal expensive, useless things like the glass egg. He stopped at a table full of framed pictures. The pictures were all of the same kid. The kid as a baby boy, a toddler, at five, six, seven and on up until he got a little older than Conner. Then the photos stopped. Emma Franklin was back again. “Is that your kid?” Conner asked about the photos. She bent to set a pair of shoes next to his feet. “These should fit,” she said, straightening. “Why don’t you try them on?” He understood he’d said something wrong, but he didn’t know what. He slid out of his old shoes and carefully tried on the new ones. Mrs. Franklin sat on a couch across from him with Demetris, who had padded from the kitchen and jumped up in her lap. “They’re too big,” Conner said. He put his old ones back on and tied the broken laces. Mrs. Franklin smiled at him sadly. “And they’re not tennis shoes,” she said. “They should be tennis shoes. Why don’t you tell me exactly what brand you’d like and come back tomorrow? I’ll have them for you. Brand new. Would that be a good reward for rescuing old Demetris here?” She tugged at the cat’s ruff and kissed his pink nose. “Sure!” Conner stuck his hands inside the jacket pockets where he discovered a pair of gloves. He didn’t want to tell her for fear she wouldn’t let him keep them. “Can I keep the jacket, too?” he asked. “Of course!” Mrs. Emma Franklin said.

“What’d you get?” Randy looked half

frozen and more resentful than ever when Conner found him. He showed him the glass egg with the fish inside. “What else?” “Nothing else,” Conner admitted. “But she said to come back tomorrow. I get a reward for finding the cat.” “Money?” “Naw. New shoes.” “Anyway, you didn’t find him.” Randy looked disgusted, and worried his aching tooth with his tongue. “I did.” His eyes fell on the blue jacket. “Take that off,” he ordered. Conner stepped back. “She gave it to me.” “I’m the one been standing out here,” Randy said. “It’s too big for you anyway. Give.” The cold felt all the worse for taking the jacket off. Conner watched, miserable as Randy found the gloves in the pockets and tried them on. “These are too big for you, too,” Randy said, cinching them down finger by finger.

Mrs. Franklin kept her word. When

Conner returned the next day, she led him directly into the big room with all the couches, the fireplace and the huge tree. He spied the shoebox under the boughs before GIVING BACK continued on page 22

Keep ChiCo Weird 2015

TalenT ShoW: Jan. 31, at the El Rey Theatre arT ShoW: Jan. 29-31 (reception Jan. 29), at 1078 Gallery LAST YEAR SOLD OUT - BUY TICKETS NOW! at Diamond W Western Wear, Blaze ’N J’s, and www.ticketweb.com (search: “Keep Chico Weird”). $15 in advance ($20 night of).

Guest performances by ChIKOKO and ThE PAGEANT DADS! hosted by Arts DEVO!

SubmiT your aCT, or your arT, Today! The Chico News & Review is now accepting entries of weirdness of all stripes for the second annual Keep Chico Weird Talent Show and Art Show! With prizes, celebrity judges (Sea Monster, Mini Merna, Meg Amor and Linda WatkinsBennet), and featured weird performers.

hoW To SubmiT: Must be 18-over. Email a description of your three-minute act or visual art (and if you have them, include samples—videos, audio, photos— as well as any pertinent Internet links), plus contact info, and the names/ages of all participants to: keepchicoweird@gmail.com. Or mail/drop-off your info (not your artwork) to: Chico News & Review (attn. Keep Chico Weird), 353 E. Second St., Chico, CA , 95928. Deadline for submissions is Thursday, Jan. 8. Selected entrants will be notified the following week.

Sponsored by

Visit us on Facebook at WWW.FACEBOOK.COm/KEEPChICOWEIRD December 24, 2014

CN&R 21

GIVING BACK continued from page 20

she pointed it out, since it wasn’t wrapped like all the others. “Go ahead.” Mrs. Franklin said. “Try them on.” She was watching him strangely. At last she said, “Where’s your coat, Conner?” “I gave it to my cousin. It fit him better,” he added when he saw her frown. “And he was freezing.” “Oh, Conner.” She sounded disappointed, as if she’d given him something really fine, that he should treasure. But hadn’t she said it was just her kid’s handme-down anyway? What did she care who wore it? He took the shoebox to the couch, sat down and lifted the lid. The new shoe smell hit him and he wanted to make the moment last. He spread open the tissue slowly. “They smell really good!” He examined the shoes. Just what he wanted. He pulled more tissue from the toe of each as he slid off his old pair. He bent and put the news ones on. Laced them up. “May I keep the box, too?” he looked at Mrs. Franklin, who was standing over him. “Of course,” she said. “How do they fit?” He stood up, testing the new shoes. “Perfect!” They’d be too small for Randy. Besides, in these shoes he would run so fast Randy couldn’t catch him. “Thank you!” he added, remembering to be polite. “And thank you for rescuing Demetris!” Conner thought she might want to hug him, so he ducked and went over to study the Christmas tree. Mrs. Franklin’s phone rang. “That will be the call I’m waiting for,” she said. “I’ll have to be off soon.” Conner nodded, but her words had seized him stock still. He looked down at the mound of presents waiting under the tree. It irked him suddenly that his box hadn’t been wrapped. That all these wrapped presents were left yet no more for him, and she was busy and he was meant to leave. She hadn’t even let him say goodbye to good old Taco. He listened as her voice rose and fell from the other room. He stalked over to the table with the photos of her kid. How many of those presents were for the boy in the pictures? Probably the whole truck load. Conner bet Mrs. Franklin’s kid never had to wear a too big hand-me-down jacket and cast off gloves. Thinking this, it wasn’t Randy’s resentment that rose up in him now, but his own. He picked up one of the larger picture frames. If you asked him, Mrs. Franklin’s kid looked sickly, especially in the last few pictures. But that’s not what caught his attention. Behind the frame was an elaborately carved wooden box. He hadn’t noticed it yesterday. It had a brass latch with a little lock, and looked very expensive. He tried the lock but it wouldn’t open. The box itself felt heavy when he lifted it. He left the photo and carried the box back to the couch where he kicked his old shoes out of sight. The box was kind of large but it still fit inside his empty shoebox. The wreath on Mrs. Franklin’s heavy 22

CN&R

December 24, 2014

door swayed when Conner tugged it open. He was already on the porch when Mrs. Franklin reappeared. She smiled at him sorrowfully. “Merry Christmas, Conner!” She waved as he tripped down the steps. “Merry Christmas!” Conner yelled back. He clutched the shoebox and ran down her cobbled path in his perfect-fitting shoes.

Back at his apartment, Conner used

an old screwdriver to work the brass lock from the wooden box. Randy, who’d gotten into Conner’s mom’s whiskey to make his toothache go away, sat across from him at the small kitchen table. He was still wearing the blue jacket. Conner hinged the lid open. Inside the lid was another photo, this time of Mrs. Franklin’s kid hugging a big old dog but looking as sickly as ever. Beneath the photo was a little engraved plaque reading, “Our beloved Georgie—1984-1995.” Conner was confused. Why was the box full of what looked like ash? He fished around in the ash to see what was buried there, and lifted out something long and white.

And here he was, sitting in Emma Franklin’s big old Victorian, come to make amends at last. Only too late, he reminded himself, looking across at her niece as he finished his story, the faded shoebox still resting on his knees.

“That’s like, a piece of bone,” Randy said when he held it up. His cousin peered over the box lid. “It is bone. And that’s a bunch of ashes. You stole somebody’s ashes.” “What do you mean?” “I mean that’s somebody’s ashes!” Randy laughed. “Like somebody died and they burned them up and these are their ashes. You stole cremation ashes, you dope.” Conner dropped the bone back in the box. He rubbed at his ashy hand, horrified. “It’s that kid. In the photo.” “What kid?” Randy took another swig of whiskey. “Him. Mrs. Franklin’s son.” Conner turned the box so Randy could see the boy’s sickly face. He felt sick, too. It all made sense now. Hadn’t Mrs. Franklin said her son was gone? Hadn’t she given away the jacket because he didn’t need it anymore? Hadn’t she smiled sorrowfully at him the whole time he was in her house? She had been looking at Conner and seeing her dead kid! “Hey, I’m wearing a dead kid’s jacket.” Randy stared down at the blue jacket and Conner was glad he wasn’t wearing it anymore. “We can’t keep these.” Conner slammed the box lid. “We have to take them back.” Randy tugged the jacket zipper up a bit and laughed a whiskey-drunk laugh. “Go ahead,” his cousin said. “See where that gets you.”

Conner always meant to return those

ashes, but somehow never did. For a couple of years he agonized over it, imagined ringing Mrs. Franklin’s bell and apologizing. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t face what she would think of him, a low little thief, taking advantage of her to steal her dead son’s ashes, at Christmas no less! Then it seemed he’d waited too

long and it was too late to apologize, and he merely tucked the box away in his closet and left it there. But those ashes haunted him, so much so that they caused everything to change. Not that he could have articulated it then, but along the way his theft showed him it wasn’t money that gave you privilege, but life. And he gradually learned to live his differently. He and his cousin grew apart, and Conner got serious about school, graduated with honors and decided on college, dental school. Now here he was, sitting in Emma Franklin’s big old Victorian, come to make amends at last. Only too late, he reminded himself, looking across at her niece as he finished his story, the faded shoebox still resting on his knees. “I hope you’ll take this with my apologies,” he finished, pulling the lid off the faded shoebox to reveal the carved wooden box inside. “I’m sorry,” he paused. “I don’t even know your name.” “Emma,” she said, “after my aunt. But I don’t understand.” She took the wooden box from him. “You must be in the wrong house. My aunt didn’t lose a son. He’s alive and well. He’s a lawyer in Seattle. That’s why I’m here, I take care of the house for him.” “Open the box.” Conner insisted. “It’s inside the lid. His picture. And the inscription. Our beloved Georgie, 1984-1995.” She pulled up the lid. Shook her head as if to choke back a laugh. “You’re wrong. Georgie wasn’t her son. His name is Peter.” “Then who was he?” She turned the box with its faded photo and inscription toward him. “Him. The dog.” Conner gaped at her. “My aunt loved animals.” Emma grinned. “She had a cat once she babied to death.” “Demetris—” “Demetris.” Her grin widened. “But she said her son was gone. She said she missed him. She gave me his jacket.” Conner couldn’t believe this. “She did miss him. Peter spent Christmases with his dad after the divorce. Aunt Emma hated that.” She got up and settled the box in its place among the photos, watching out the window as car lights traveled across the glass and moved on. Perhaps whomever she was waiting for wouldn’t show up after all. She turned back, laughing outright now. He couldn’t tell if she was laughing at him, or with him. “A dog!” Conner took a breath and in the next breath he was laughing, too. What did it matter? “My whole life was changed because I stole the ashes of a dog! This is so, so—” “Unexpected?” He gulped air, agreeing. “I should go,” he managed. You’re waiting for someone, I can tell. And I—I guess I did what I came to do.” Yet he lingered. He was laughing too hard and so was she. And it felt pleasant and he didn’t want to leave. He deserved, Ω as much as anyone, to be here.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! December 24, 2014

CN&R 23

Arts & Culture Typical System

Run the Jewels Sun Club

THIS WEEK

2014: Year in music Three old-school critics with an eye on the new school share their Top 10 lists A mixtape life The Internet has, of course, in many ways changed how we listen to music, one of the bigger of those changes being the decline of the album format in favor of various short-attention-span presentations—Spotify, YouTube, digital downloads, etc. For me, though, this new style has always been my style; mixed tapes and CDs have forever been my jam. Over the course of my music-loving life, I’ve filled my shelves with a succession of vinyl, cassettes and CDs, yet even with those relative long forms at my disposal, I would most often choose meticulously curated mixes to pop into my Walkman, car stereo or lo-fi home system in favor of listening to albums all the way through. So, having a machine that, in a few keystrokes, puts me in contact with obscure tracks from Spanish grrrl-rockers, noisy indie gems from Australia, a perfect noise-pop band from Baltimore, as well as the best rap album of the year, is glorious. It’s the culmination of a life of compiling songs, and these are my top 10 selections (a mix of tracks and albums) for 2014. 1. Dad Claps at the Mom Prom – Sun Club 2. “O’Clock” – ScotDrakula 3. Have You Ever Done Something Evil? – Hallelujah the Hills 4. Let Them Eat Cake – French Reform 5. “History Eraser” – Courtney Barnett 6. “Stay with Me” – Sam Smith 7. RTJ2 – Run the Jewels 8. “Interference Fits” – Perfect Pussy 9. Barn & Demo (two 7-inch singles) – Deers 10. “Slow Motion” – PHOX

—Jason Cassidy

Kickin’ the Year of the Booty in the ass This year has been dubbed the “Year of the Booty” thanks in part to mainstream artists like Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj. Mainstream rap, aka “hippop,” continues to fool the globe into thinking hiphop music is only about clubbing and fucking, choosing as its latest ambassadors a slew of socalled “booty artists”—e.g., 2Chainz, Rick Ross, Bobby Shmurda—who continue bouncing the same big booty. Luckily, the Internet also provides a plat24 CN&R December 24, 2014

form for underground/indie/DIY emcees to plug directly into the veins of true-school fans, and below are 10 of my favorite albums and mixtapes from the year that brought Cosby down. 1. Black Hystori Project – CyHi the Prynce 2. A Thousand Cuts – Locksmith 3. Nobody’s Smiling – Common 4. RTJ2 – Run the Jewels 5. Beauty and the Beast – Rapsody 6. Russian Roulette – Reverie & Louden 7. Piñata – Freddie Gibbs and Madlib 8. A Better Tomorrow – Wu-Tang Clan 9. PTSD – Pharoah Monche 10. Souled Out – Jhené Aiko

—Mazi Noble

Forged in fire There’s a lot of metal on my list this year (I actually made a Top 30, which includes another halfdozen metal releases). Even the names GOAT and Plague Vendor sound kind of metal, though they’re far from it. While I’ve listened to metal for decades, I’ve slowly gone deeper into the ninth circle of hell—frankly, I haven’t been this excited about music in years as I ran far away from the bland indie and garage rock hoards. Bands like Nightfell, Biblical and Helms Alee quietly put out some incredible records. Elsewhere Total Control and The Skull Defekts got arty and weird. And Sturgill Simpson and my beloved Old 97’s cranked out stomping country music the way it should be done. Here’s to the thrill of exploration. Godspeed. 1. Typical System – Total Control 2. Metamodern Sounds in Country Music – Sturgill Simpson 3. Digital Resistance – Slough Feg 4. The Living Ever Mourn – Nightfell 5. Free to Eat – Plague Vendor 6. Monsoon Season – Biblical 7. Commune – GOAT 8. Most Messed Up – Old 97’s 9. Dances in Dreams of the Known Unknown – The Skull Defekts 10. Sleepwalking Sailors – Helms Alee

—Mark Lore

THURS

Special events BAH-HUMBUG KARAOKE & UGLY SWEATER CONTEST: This Christmas don’t turn in early. Come party with us and sing your favorite tunes, drink your favorite booze, and rock an ugly holiday sweater. Th, 12/25, 9pm. Maltese Bar & Tap Room, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 343-4915.

CHRISTMAS DINNER: The Oroville Eagles host their annual community Christmas dinner, with turkey, ham, sides and dessert. Gifts will also be available for kids 12 and under. Th, 12/25, 11am. Donations welcome. Eagles Hall, 2010 Montgomery St. in Oroville, www.oroville foe.com.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!: Happy holidays, from the Chico News & Review!

SAT

Special events DENNIS REGAN AND CHRIS VOTH: Comedian Dennis Regan comes to town and teams up with Chico ex-pat Chris Voth for a nigth of stand up for the holidays.. Sa, 12/27, 8pm. $15. El Rey Theatre, 230 W. Second St., (530) 342-2727.

BAH HUMBUG KARAOKE AND UGLY HOLIDAY SWEATER CONTEST Thursday, Dec. 25 Maltese Bar and Tap Room

SEE THURSDAY, SPECIAL EVENTS

THE ULTIMATE ROBIN WILLIAMS TRIBUTE: A

comedy tribute featuring Roger Kabler. Sa, 12/27, 8pm. $15. Gold Country Casino, 4020 Olive Highway in Oroville, (800) 803-1911, www.gold countrycasino.com.

Music ACHILLES WHEEL: High energy roots and world/rock music, plus funk and grooves from GravyBrain. Sa, 12/27, 9pm. Lost on Main, 319 Main St., (530) 891-1853.

MON

Music ORGONE: Heavy, raw fueled funk and soul from

Los Angeles. M, 12/29. Lost on Main, 319 Main St., (530) 891-1853.

BULLETIN BOARD

FINE ARTS Art 1078 GALLERY: Stories Three, the third installment of local artists Ellen Akimoto, Haley Hughes, Trevor Lalaguna, Sienna Orlando Lalaguna, and Brad Thiele sharing biographical stories. Through 1/3, 2015. 820 Broadway, (530) 343-1973, www.1078gallery.org.

AVENUE 9 GALLERY: A Fond Fairwell and

Holiday Sale, guild artists showcase their works. Through 1/10, 2015. 180 E. Ninth Ave., (530) 879-1821, www.avenue9 gallery.com.

CHICO ART CENTER: Salon d’Art, local artists in one location displaying their work during the holiday season. Through 1/11, 2015. 450 Orange St., (530) 895-8726, www.chicoartcenter.com.

HAS BEANS INTERNET CAFE & GALLERIA:

Flights of Fancy, painting and pastel works from Francis Duty. Through 12/30. 501 Main St., (530) 894-3033, www.hasbeans.com.

IDEA FABRICATION LABS: Transpositions, incubator artist David Cedeño (aka Chocolate David) presents his multilayered stencil-making capturing the raw force and soul of musical experience. Through 1/13, 2015. Free. 603 Orange St., (530) 592-0609.

DENNIS REGAN AND CHRIS VOTH Saturday, Dec. 27 El Rey Theatre

SEE SATURDAY, SPECIAL EVENTS

WED

New Year’s Eve

JAMES SNIDLE FINE ARTS: Watercolors, new watercolor paintings from artist Frences Miller. Through 12/26, 9am-5pm. 254 E. Fourth St., (530) 343-2930.

SALLY DIMAS ART GALLERY: Home for The

Holidays, Christmas paintings, decorations and ornaments from local artists. Through 12/31. 493 East Ave., (530) 3453063.

Call for Artists

act as well as any pertinent links), include contact info and participants. You can also mail/drop-off entries (just info, not art work) to: Chico News & Review (att. Keep Chico Weird), 353 E. Second Street Chico, CA 95928 by January 8. Selected entrants will be notified the following week. Through 1/8, 2015. www.facebook.com/keepchicoweird.

Museums CHICO CREEK NATURE CENTER: Banding by

Day and Night, a close look at birds in hand with incredible detail. Ongoing. $2$4. 1968 E. Eighth St., (530) 891-4671, www.bidwellpark.org.

CHICO MUSEUM: Mik ‘cupu Dy: This is Our

Home, Here We Remain, the exhibit focuses on the tribe’s heritage and history and presented from the perspective of the Mechoopda people using the four seasons to delineate periods of happiness, success and tragedy. Ongoing. 141 Salem St., (530) 891-4336, www.chico museum.org.

GATEWAY SCIENCE MUSEUM: Modern

Farming- Land, Water, People, and Science, explore North State agriculture and regional production practices, agriculture science and the agriculture community. Ongoing: Eat well, Play Well, and Patterns of The Land. 625 Esplanade, www.csuchico.edu/gateway.

GOLD NUGGET MUSEUM: Laundry Exhibit, learn about the laundry devices ranging from the late 1800’s glass washboards to a classic Kenmore winger washer from the 1940s. Ongoing. 502 Pearson Rd. in Paradise, (530) 872-8722, www.gold nuggetmuseum.com.

PARADISE DEPOT MUSEUM: A railroad and

logging museum in Paradise. Ongoing, 79pm. 5570 Black Olive Dr. in Paradise, (530) 877-1919.

KEEP CHICO WEIRD CALL FOR ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS: Email a description of your visual art or three-minute act (include samples—videos, audio, photos—of your

For New Year’s Eve listings, se NIGHTLIFE on page 32.

Community AFRICAN DANCE CLASS: A workout set to the sounds and rhythms of West Africa. Call for info. M, 6pm. $10. Chico Grange Hall, 2775 Old Nord Ave., (530) 321-5607.

AFRO-CARIBBEAN DANCE: Dances of Cuba, Haiti,

Brazil and West Africa with live drumming. Tu, 5:30pm. Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St., (530) 345-6324.

BINGO: Proceeds donated to non-profit. Su,

4pm. $15 per pack. Paradise Elks Lodge, 6309

Friends of the Library weekly book sale. Sa, 9:1511:30am. Butte County Library, Chico Branch, 1108 Sherman Ave., (530) 8912762, www.buttecounty.net/bclibrary.

DANCE SANCTUARY WAVE: Bring a water bottle, drop your mind, find your feet and free your spirit. Call for more info. Tu, 6:30-8:30pm. $10. Call for details, (530) 891-6524.

DANCING FREEDOM: A weekly open dance with

the elements. F, 6-8pm. $6-$12 sliding scale. Subud Hall, 574 E. 12th St., (530) 532-1989.

EVENING DANCE JAM: A weekly meditative dance session. F, 7:15pm. $10. Yoga Center of Chico, 250 Vallombrosa Ave., Suite 150, (530) 3420100.

FARMERS’ MARKET: CHAPMAN: A year-round Certified Farmers’ Market serving as a community forum for healthful-lifestyle promotion and education. F, 2-5:30pm. Chapman Mulberry Community Center, 1010 Cleveland Ave., (530) 680-3217, www.cchaos.org.

Ave., (530) 518-8300, www.shalomfreeclinic.org.

winter runoff at the Sycamore Pool for this New Year’s Day tradison. Th, 1pm. One-Mile Recreation Area, Lower Bidwell Park.

FRIDAY NIGHT WRITES: NaNoWriMo The national

novel writers host a weekly write in. F, 5-8pm. Midtown Local, 365 E Sixth St.

INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCING: All levels wel-

come. No partner needed. F, 7:30pm. $2. Chico Creek Dance Centre, 1144 W. First St., (530) 345-8134.

HOLIDAY-SEASON CALENDAR Due to scheduling changes that may occur around the holidays, please confirm listed events, dates and times with venue.

FREE LISTINGS! Post your event for free online at www.newsreview.com/calendar. Once posted, your CN&R calendar listing will also be considered for print. Print listings are also free, but subject to space limitations. Deadline for print listings is one week prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

PARADISE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE:

Used book sale. Every other Sa, 10am-3pm. Prices vary. Butte County Library, Paradise Branch, 5922 Clark Rd. in Paradise, (530) 8726320, www.buttecounty.net/bclibrary/ Paradise.htm.

O captain! My captain! One of the biggest entertainment news stories of 2014 was the death of beloved actor Robin Williams. Impressionist Roger Kabler (pictured) has been impersonating Williams (as well as other Hollywood figEDITOR’S PICK ures like Peter Falk and Robert De Niro) onstage since the 1990s and is now devoting his abilities to keeping the comedian’s spirit alive with The Ultimate Robin Williams Tribute, which comes to Gold Country Casino on Saturday, Dec. 27.

basic medical care and mental-health counseling. Call for more information. Su, 2-4pm. Free. Paradise Lutheran Church, 780 Luther Dr. in Paradise, 872-7085.

CHICO FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE: Chico

medical ailments. Call for more info. Su, 14pm. Free. Shalom Free Clinic, 1190 E. First

POLAR BEAR SWIM: Take the plunge into the

SAMARITAN FREE CLINIC: This clinic offers free

counter-recruitment meeting for the community’s youth. Fourth Th of every month, 3:30pm. Free. Chico Peace and Justice Center, 526 Broadway, (530) 3433152, www.chico-peace.org.

FREE HEALTH CLINIC: Free services for minor

New Year’s Day

emergency shelter for people in need within our community. Ongoing. Chico Peace and Justice Center, 526 Broadway, (530) 893-9078, www.chico-peace.org.

CAREER BUILDERS: A monthly

community gathering, with fresh produce, crafts, baked goods and more. Sa, 7:30am1pm. Municipal Parking Lot No. 1, Second & Wall Streets.

SAFE SPACE: A winter program to provide

Clark Rd. in Paradise, (530) 877-3977.

FARMERS’ MARKET: SATURDAY: Chico’s weekly

THURS

Three Oaks Ct., (530) 893-8088, www.sky creekdharmacenter.org.

CAREER BUILDERS

Thursday, Dec. 27 Chico Peace and Justice Center SEE COMMUNITY

SOUL SHAKE DANCE CHURCH: Drop your mind, find your feet and free your spirit at this DJ dance wave to a range of musical styles. No previous dance experience necessary. Su, 10am-noon. $10-$15 sliding scale. Dorothy Johnson Center, 775 E. 16th St., (530) 891-6524, www.chicorec.com.

SOUNDS OF THE VALLEY CHORUS: Women singers welcome to sing in four-part harmony barbershop style. Call for more info. W, 7pm. Marigold Elementary School, 2446 Marigold Ave., (530) 343-5183.

For Kids CAMP CHICO FROZEN: Hands on natural science labs, games, art and recreation, up close animal visits, Bidwell park exploration. With Curriculum from: Growing Up Wild. See website for details. Through 1/2, 2015. $25-$250. Chico Creek Nature Center, 1968 E. Eighth St., (530) 891-4671, www.bidwellpark.org.

Volunteer BIDWELL PARK VOLUNTEERS: Help the park by volunteering for trash pick-up, invasive-plant removal, trail maintenance, site restoration, water-quality testing and more. Check Friends of Bidwell Park website for dates and locations. Ongoing. Bidwell Park, Bidwell Park, www.friendsofbidwellpark.org.

PATRICK RANCH VOLUNTEERS: There are multiple volunteer opportunities available at the museum. Call or email for more info. Ongoing. Patrick Ranch Museum, 10381 Midway, (530) 514-3903.

PARADISE ON ICE: The outdoor ice rink returns for holiday activities and seasonal fun.

Through 1/11, 2015. $12. Terry Ashe Center, 6626 Skyway in Paradise, (530) 876-9466.

PEMA CHODRON: A video presentation of Pema talks followed by discussion, meditation and tea. Fourth Sa of every month, 9-11am. Donations. Sky Creek Dharma Center, 120

MORE ONLINE Additional listings for local meetings, support groups, classes, yoga, meditation and more can be found online at www.newsreview.com/chico/local/calendar.

December 24, 2014

CN&R 25

Step back in time to 1929

The author (center) makes some noise in the Chico scene. PHOTO BY MELANIE MACTAVISH

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Home for the holidays After five years in town, CN&R writer finds a new home in Chico

Bhomecoming into a burrito-fueled, hangover-ridden, whirlwind tour of San Diego, rushing about that y this late date in December, I’m usually days deep

great city and its environs in a vain attempt to make all the desired and requisite visits to friends, family and favorite taco by shops, and indulge in other tradiKen Smith tions. In addition to more typical kens @ holiday festivities, those traditions new srev i ew. c o m include a trip to the perpetually sun-kissed beach, a reunion of my old humanist gospel band, and a sordid and horrific-to-behold gathering of dudes called Man Night. This year would also have included the new joy of watching the latest addition to our clan, my great-nephew Holden, celebrate his first Christmas. However, instead of heading south, I’m spending the 2014 season in Chico. Circumstances have dictated this the most prudent option, but it was also a long-pondered personal decision. For the first time since moving here five years ago, my girlfriend, Kate, and I decided to stay home—rather than go home—for Christmas. It wasn’t an easy decision. San Diego is Kate’s real hometown, and my adopted one after living there for a decade. It’s where the bulk of our families and a lot of good friends live, and going back nowadays is at once a comfortable return to the familiar and an exciting immersion into something foreign. When you live your daily life in a town the size and speed of Chico for any real length of time, even the most cosmopolitan person needs a little readjusting to, and finds new wonder in, the urban landscape. It took me a few days to warm to the decision to stay here for the holidays, just as it took a significantly longer amount of time to adjust to the idea of moving here. When we did, in August 2009, it was supposed to be for a short time. I planned to come to Chico, enjoy it for what I imagined it to be, then move along, the few years spent here ultimately

CN&R

December 24, 2014

accounting for a few footnotes in the biographies of our lives. I didn’t know it then, but I needed the move. I was in rut. A crisis of confidence had caused me to stop writing at some point, abandoning what I’d always regarded as a calling and my only ticket outta the muck to work two jobs for which I lacked real passion. A bleak job market, the advice of an old friend and my admiration for the publication you’re holding in your hand conspired until one day I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. Through the course of interviewing people for my job as a reporter, and in making new close friends here, I’ve heard stories similar to mine recounted time and again. The details differ but the main story arc remains the same—a happenstance arrival, a slow seduction, a moment of self-discovery and the eventual revelation that Chico is a very special place. Living here has allowed me the chance to reconnect with the best parts of my Nor Cal childhood—I grew up in Redding, which I called home before San Diego, and didn’t relish returning. I’ve fortunately found Chico to be an entirely different kind of North State community, one that embraces arts and education, encourages community discourse and values the things that make it unique. When those things are threatened, I’ve found in Chico a community worth defending. My bonds to Chico have been forged by a few triumphs, a few tragedies and a million memorable moments: late night swims at One-Mile; playing music with friends on porches, stages and street corners; riding alongside 250 costumed crazies at the Bike Races; meeting a hillbilly who built a firebreathing dragon and a lady possessed by historical characters; spending the day with an armed militia; and biking to work (where I get paid to write!) past a haunted mansion and over a wooden bridge, which is more like a jaunt through an amusement park than a commute. Chico has become my home, and these things make it a happy one. □

CHOW RESERVE NOW FOR CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR’S

Who is that helping make the lefse? A young Henri? PHOTO BY MATTHEW BIETZ (VIA FLICKR)

7 Year Anniversary A Midwestern Christmas Henri shares Ole Oleson’s wife’s lefse recipe on père M late 1950s for a job teaching French film and literature at a small Midwestern college and for the

, Etiene Alain Bourride, left Provence in the

next nearly 20 years tried, mostly in vain, to fit in among his Protestant Scandinavian colleagues and neighbors. by Henri Bourride Christmas was an especially difficult time. He grew homesick henri@ newsreview.com then, missing his own holiday traditions, and though Mother would make a classic French Christmas dinner—terrine à l’Alsacienne, bœuf Bourguignon, gâteau Basque—it just wasn’t the same. Besides, even though he loved good company and holiday cheer, he was also a devoutly religious man—Catholic to the core—and cherished his peace and quiet, turning inward at Christmas. And Ole Oleson’s wife would have none of it. “Dis is Minnesota,” she’d say, “not wherever it is you come from.” Solveig was a large and ungainly woman who, I swore as a young boy, could have set an entire Christmas table atop her ample bosom. Every year, a couple of days before Christmas, she would clomp, fully aproned, up the steps to our front door brandishing a cast-iron skillet and rolling pin as if fending off a home invasion, Ole himself trudging small and apologetically behind her with a sack of potatoes and a bag of flour. Once inside, Solveig would bluster across the front room to the kitchen, where she’d spend the next three or four hours making lefse, my father quietly slipping out the back door, my mother doing her best to act the gracious hostess. By the time Solveig was done, everything in the kitchen was covered with flour, and Ole had given himself over completely to the flask of aquavit in the back pocket of his overalls—becoming virtually lost in the large chair by the fireplace. (One year, about two weeks before Christmas, Solveig came over to the house alone. Ole was gone when she woke up that morning, she said, and would be in big trouble when he got home. Three days later, no Ole. Turns out, he’d caught a late-night Greyhound for Seattle, where he planned to move in with his

brother. Solveig figured out where he’d gone and bought a ticket for the first train west. The two of them were home in time for Solveig’s Christmas lefse.) Lefse is a traditional Scandinavian flatbread made from potatoes and flour rolled around a variety of ingredients. Children traditionally fill it with butter, sugar and jam, adults with meatballs and fish.

Lefse 8 large russet potatoes 1 cup flour 3 tbsp. butter, melted 3 tbsp. milk or half-and-half

The above ingredients are approximate. Solveig did it all “by feel” and would be appalled at the idea of actual measurements. Make a large bowl of mashed potatoes, mashing with butter and milk. Allow to chill. Add the flour, mixing by hand until the mixture no longer sticks to your fingers. Break off walnut-sized balls of the potato/flour mixture. On a floured surface, roll these very thin with a lefse rolling pin. (Lefse rolling pins are grooved to roll the mixture very thin; they’re available online and in kitchen specialty stores.) Carefully transfer the lefse to a very hot ungreased skillet, preferably cast-iron for even heat distribution. Cook until golden brown (2-4 minutes), then turn over and cook the other side. Remove from heat and put onto a plate with a paper towel between each piece to help keep them supple. Fill, roll and enjoy! Finally, Christmas Eve would arrive. I’d put my little shoes out for Père Noël to fill with gifts. Then the three of us would drive, miles and miles through the night—little Henri bundled up in blankets in the back seat of the Citroën—to St. Paul’s Catholic Church for midnight Mass. When we’d get home, we’d turn off all the lights except for the ones on the Christmas tree and sit on the sofa in the near dark munching on my father’s favorite snack: Solveig’s lefse, with French pâté. Joyeux Noël, mon père. Sleep in heavenly peace. And to you, too, Solveig. Gledelig Jul. Ω

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CN&R

28 CN&R December 24, 2014

ARTS DEVO by Jason Cassidy • jasonc@newsreview.com

BEST ART PICS 2014 Arts DEVO doesn’t want to waste too much space on words here, so I’ll just say, “Thank you!” to the photographers who make all of us writers look so good in the paper. Here is the annual showcase of my favorite images of the year from the arts section of the CN&R.

Lisa Marie (left) and Kelly Brown of Bunnymilk in their “bunny fort.”

Resonators DJ and emcee Hap Hathaway rides his bike during the Sacred Movement Festival he helped organize at the Concow Campground in June.

PHOTO BY KELLY BROWN

PHOTO BY ALAN SHECKTER

*PREVIOUS PURCHASES EXCLUDED. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER PROMOTION OR DISCOUNT. DISCOUNT OFFERS EXCLUDE SERTA ICOMFORT™, AND STRESS-O-PEDIC BEDDING SETS, VALUE PACKAGED GROUPS, SALES TAX, FURNITURE PROTECTION PLANS, MONTAGE WARRANTY, DELIVERY CHARGE, MANAGER’S SPECIAL PRICING, ADVERTISED SPECIAL PRICING, AND CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH FINANCING SPECIALS. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. EVANS’ FURNITURE, MANY TIMES HAVE MULTIPLE OFFERS, PROMOTIONS, DISCOUNTS, AND FINANCING SPECIALS OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME; THESE ARE ALLOWED TO ONLY BE USED EITHER/OR AND NOT BOTH OR COMBINED WITH EACH OTHER. ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN, ERRORS IN PRICE AND/OR SPECIFICATION MAY OCCUR IN PRINT. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CORRECT ANY SUCH ERRORS. ADVERTISED ITEMS MAY NOT BE ON DISPLAY AT ALL LOCATIONS. SOME RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. SALES TAX AND DELIVERY CHARGES (IF APPLICABLE) ARE REQUIRED TO BE PAID AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IF FINANCING TERM SELECTED IS GREATER THAN 12 MONTHS. SALES TAX AND DELIVERY CHARGES (IF APPLICABLE) ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE PAID AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IF FINANCING TERM SELECTED IS 12 MONTHS OR LESS. PROMOTIONAL START DATE: DECEMBER 26TH, 2014. EXPIRES: JANUARY11, 2015.

The News & Review office will be

Theater impresario Craig Blamer stands in the doorway at his ill-fated community performance space, The Barn, which has moved out of the former auto-upholstery shop in south Chico and into the hope of finding a new home.

CLOSED at noon, Dec 24.

PHOTO BY MELANIE MACTAVISH

Local thespian Don Eggert plays a drunken zombie clown in Chico-produced short film Dead Drunk.

We will re-open Friday, Dec. 26 at 9am.

PHOTO BY VANGUARD PHOTOGRAPHY

We’re publishing early during the holidays! Look for the newest issue of the CN&R on Wed., Dec. 24 and Wed., Dec. 31

For its Sept. 6 performance at the 1078 Gallery, Sacramento four-piece Exquisite Corps had its psychedelic sound comple mented by a live liquid-light show by Mad Alchemy. PHOTO BY HOWARD HARDEE

Arts DEVO and crew stack up the bottles during a summertime back yard taste test of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s impressive Beer Camp collaboration 12-pack.

One of the “goy boys,” mid-ritual during Mint Shekel’s and the Treif Stars’ performance at the Keep Chico Weird Talent Show, El Rey Theatre, Feb. 1. PHOTO BY MELANIE MACTAVISH

FROM

PHOTO BY AMY GREENFIELD

December 24, 2014

CN&R

REEL WORLD

Hot deals for cool days cn&r readers save up to 60% off gift certificates and more! Black Tie Salon & Boutique: $40 gift certificate for $10 Blue Room Theatre: $15 ticket voucher for $7.50 Boba Tealicious: $5 gift certificate for $2.50 Chico Table Tennis Club: $5 gift certificate for $1.25 Elevate: $100 gift certificate for $25 Exhale Studio: $25 gift certificate for $12.50

The Italian Kitchen: $20 gift certificate for $10 Midtown Local: $5 gift certificate for $3 Naked Lounge: $5 gift certificate for $3 Pita Pit: $10 gift certificate for $5.50 Sacred Art Tattoo: $50 gift certificate for $25 Studio One Salon: $25 gift certificate for $8.75

Gogi's Cafe: $10 gift certificate for $5 Buy online anytime with a credit card or in person with cash, check or credit card, M-F 9am-5pm at 353 E. Second Street, Downtown Chico. Holiday Hours: 9am-noon December 24 and December 31. Closed December 25 and January 1.

Us e pr om o co de X M AS 2 0 14 on lin or in pe rs on to sa ve e ad di tio na l 15 % . Ex pi an re s De c. 31 , 20 14 .

Reese Witherspoon

From lost to found A rigorous journey to self-rediscovery along the Pacific Coast Trail a way, Jean-Marc Vallée’s film version of Cheryl Strayed’s Iisnmemoir of her transformative adventure in the wilderness a companion piece, and lively foil, to his previous film,

Dallas Buyers Club. The new film’s Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) by is more subdued and contemplative than the Juan-Carlos flamboyant Buyer’s Club characters played by Selznick Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, but she has some of the same recklessness and brash desperation. And while Wild has no real counterpart to the Leto character, it does have Laura Dern as Cheryl’s mother, a charmingly erratic figure who both haunts and fuels her Wild daughter’s dreams. Witherspoon delivers a tough, smart perStarring Reese Witherspoon and formance in what for her is a somewhat atypiLaura Dern. cal role. The film holds her star power at someDirected by thing like arm’s length and builds a close-up Jean-Marc sense of its protagonist through a combination Vallée. Cinemark 14, Feather River of cinematic elements, including flashes of a Cinemas and kind of stream-of-consciousness editing. Paradise Cinema Even in the occasional emotional 7. Rated R. eruption, Witherspoon maintains a calm intensity, and Vallée’s film matches that with the cool, rough beauty of its cinematography. Here the central characterization is a matter not only of what she says and does and sees, but also of Poor the tentatively implied insights of those memory flashes and other fleeting associations. Much of the film is a straight-ahead account Fair of the physical challenges of Cheryl’s arduous journey, with her spiritual revitalization portrayed partly through the cumulative effect of small, quietly telling moments and partly Good through deceptively casual gradations in Witherspoon’s performance. A particularly striking example of the latter Very Good comes by way of Cheryl’s brief encounter with a fox. Witherspoon’s wordless reaction to the fox suggests a moment of “wild” recognition, and Vallée uses a couple of remarkable closeExcellent

w w w. n e w s r e v i e w. c o m

CN&R

December 24, 2014

ups to suggest some kind of kinship between the woman and the fox. Nothing ever gets said out loud about this encounter, but the fox reappears along the trail a couple of times as Cheryl reaches the final fulfilling stages of her wilderness journey. Most of the drama in Wild gets expressed in that kind of sidelong fashion. The film seems averse to big dramatic moments, more or less as a matter of principle. It becomes part of the point that even the trailside encounters that threaten to turn nasty or scary fizzle down to the level of everyday nuisances. Even the one gesture toward a climactic “big moment”—a child’s a cappella rendering of “Red River Valley” near the end of Cheryl’s trek—is handled in an emotionally complex way that leaves conventional movie sentiment far behind. Ω

Reviewers: Bob Grimm and Juan-Carlos Selznick. NOTE: Not all film listings were available by deadline. Please check with theater for up-to-date schedules during the holidays.

Opening this week The Gambler

A remake of the 1974 film of the same name, with Mark Wahlberg taking the lead role (previously played by James Caan) of a college literary professor with a gambling addiction who risks everything by borrowing money from family and a dangerous loan shark (John Goodman). Cinemark 14 and Feather River Cinemas. Rated R.

Into the Woods

Director Rob Marshall (Chicago) helms this film adaptation of the popular Sondheim musical that intertwines several popular European fairytales—Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc. Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp.

Unbroken

Angelina Jolie directs this adaptation of Lauren Hillenbrand’s best-selling biography of the incredible life of Louis Zamperini (played by Jack O’Connell), an Olympic runner and Air Force bombardier who, after being stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 47 days, was captured and tortured in a Japanese POW camp. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13.

Now playing Annie

A precocious foster child (Quvenzhané Wallis) is paired with a rich politician (Jamie Foxx starring as Will Stacks, a modern-day Daddy Warbucks) in this contemporary adaptation of the classic 1977 musical-comedy. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG.

Big Hero 6

In Disney’s latest 3-D computer-animated feature, a young robotics genius and his big white inflatable robot team up with a crew of do-gooders to foil a criminal plot. Cinemark 14. Rated PG.

Birdman

An actor (Michael Keaton) is both directing and starring in his stage adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story. The first mysterious details—a levitation, the deus ex machina of a falling stage light, hints of telekinetic powers in Keaton’s character—pass without comment or explanation. But mixtures of realistic grit and occasional tremors of the supernatural are integral to the whole of Birdman, which soon takes spectacular flight in several forms—a bizarre and somewhat convulsive backstage comedy, a high-spirited psychodrama couched in terms of comic-book imagery, a fantasy within a fantasy that is both deadly serious and exuberantly playful. The voice of “Birdman” (a movie superhero he once played) is in Keaton’s head early on and we can hear it too. Eventually, he’s also present as a kind of ogre in a superhero costume. By then it seems fairly evident that he’s maybe the most tenacious and troubling of the several alter egos swirling around the protagonist. All of these elements are seemingly in play as the film reaches its mysterious and multifaceted climax. We’re left to make what sense of it we can, or will. But before you get to that, Birdman is an immensely entertaining film. Pageant Theatre. Rated R —J.C.S.

Dumb and Dumber To

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Ridley Scott’s Exodus functions mostly like a big-budget exercise in grandiose technical display. The script (credited to Scott and four co-writers) does make some scattered attempts at injecting something other than grand spectacle into the proceedings. The subtitle (Gods and Kings) signals the film’s most emphatic theme—men who think themselves kings, kings who think themselves gods. Spiritual struggles are given brief attention and evocations of the supernatural mostly get overwhelmed in the film’s heavy-handed displays of showmanship. The movie’s Moses (Christian Bale) is no Charlton Heston, which probably ought to be a blessing, but there’s little that Bale is able to do with the script’s token, man-of-faith gestures. There are a couple of sweetly oldfashioned declarations of love between Moses and his beloved Zipporah (María Vlverde) that are so out of keeping with most of the rest of the film that they become more interesting than they would otherwise have any right to be. But that too may not be enough to erase the abiding impression that Scott’s Exodus is mostly about militarism and deal-making. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13 —J.C.S.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The third and final installment in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s famed fantasy novel. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13.

Horrible Bosses 2

The gang—Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis—is back and there’s another bad boss and another bad plan to stop him. Also starring Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz. Cinemark 14. Rated R.

The Hunger Games: Mocking jay, Part 1

While it takes a step back overall from the rousing prior chapter, this is still a sturdy installment. After being rescued at the end of Catching Fire, shortly after destroying the Hunger Games for good, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is taken underground to join the rebellion. Rebellion President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) wants to use the reluctant Katniss as a propaganda tool to inspire the masses against the Capitol and its evil leader, President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Katniss is getting a little grouchy at this point, exacerbated by the fact that Snow has imprisoned Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and is using him as a propaganda tool as well. In exchange for their help in rescuing Peeta, Katniss agrees to assist with the resistance and be their “Mocking jay.” Part 1 is obviously the result of taking the final novel in the popular Suzanne Collins series and splitting it in half. Yes, more movies equal more dollars, but I certainly didn’t feel like the material was being stretched out in a detrimental way like, say, what’s happening with the Hobbit movies. This film has plenty moving it forward, and I like where it ends. Cinemark 14. Rated PG-13 —B.G.

Interstellar

Christopher Nolan’s new blockbuster runs almost three hours and feels even longer. Interstellar’s sci-fi plot, exploration of outer space in search of a new and inhabitable home for the survivors of a dried-up Earth, seems to require the long-form treatment, especially when you factor in time-travel aspects, some elemental family drama, and an elaborately detailed preoccupation with the technologies involved. The story, scripted by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, never stops moving, but by the time the time-travel stuff starts coming home to roost, it’s hard not to feel that there’s been an awful lot of wasted motion here. It’s certainly an impressive spectacle, but the things that you could really care about might have been better served in a two-part installment of The Outer Limits. Interstellar also has astronauts and farmers, black holes and worm holes, cryogenics and ghosts, and a robot treated as a fledgling sidekick (and voiced by Bill Irwin). It just may be that the Nolan brothers have tried to put too much baggage aboard their bound-for-IMAX behemoth. Cinemark 14. Rated PG-13 —J.C.S.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Whatever saving “the magic” means, it includes rounding up all the usual historical suspects from the previous installments in this family-comedy trilogy and embarking on an “epic quest.” Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG.

Penguins of Madagascar

A spin-off from the Madagascar animatedfeature franchise, with the four lovable penguins on a world-saving adventure of their own. Cinemark 14. Rated PG.

Wild

See review this issue. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated R —J.C.S.

YOU’RE WELCOME, TREES.

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are back and stupid as ever. Cinemark 14. Rated PG-13.

RECYCLE THIS PAPER.

Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG.

MICHAEL KEATON

BIRDMAN THURSDAY 12/25 – WEDNESDAY 12/31

(CLOSED DEC 24, 25) FRIDAY-SUNDAY 3:30PM AND 6:30PM MON-WED 6:30PM ONLY

Call 343-0663 or visit www.PageantChico.com

Festivus Comedy Show Fri, Dec 26 8pm

ANNIE (2014) (Digital) (PG) 10:50AM 1:40PM 4:30PM 7:20PM 10:10PM BIG EYES (Digital) (PG13) 10:55AM 1:35PM 4:25PM 7:10PM 9:55PM BIG HERO 6 (Digital) (PG) 1:05PM 6:55PM EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (3D) (PG-13) 10:00AM 4:40PM EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (Digital) (PG-13) 1:20PM 8:00PM GAMBLER, THE (Digital) (R) 11:20AM 2:00PM 4:50PM 7:35PM 10:30PM HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (3D) (PG-13) 10:45AM 2:05PM HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (Digital) (PG-13) 1:15PM 4:35PM 5:25PM 7:55PM HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (XD-3D) (PG-13) 12:25PM 3:45PM 7:05PM 10:20PM

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 (Digital) (R) 8:45PM HUNGER GAMES: THE MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 (Digital) (PG13) 10:30AM 1:25PM 4:20PM 7:15PM 10:25PM INTO THE WOODS (Digital) (PG) 10:00AM 1:00PM 4:00PM 7:00PM 10:00PM NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB (Digital) (PG) 12:00PM 2:30PM 5:00PM 7:30PM 10:05PM PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, THE (Digital) (PG) 10:40AM 4:05PM 9:40PM UNBROKEN (Digital) (PG-13) 10:15AM 12:20PM 1:30PM 3:40PM 4:45PM 7:00PM 8:00PM 10:20PM WILD (Digital) (R) 10:10AM 1:10PM 4:10PM 7:05PM 9:50PM

a season for

giving CN&R is taking donations of toiletries for local charitable organizations throughout the community. Help us help those less fortunate this holiday by dropping off any of these items: Deodorant Toothpaste Toothbrush

Floss Mouthwash Shampoo Conditioner

Soap Body wash Lotion Shaving cream

Disposable Razors Nail clippers Chapstick

Donations accepted Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 353 E. Second St. December 24, 2014

CN&R

NIGHTLIFE

WEDNESDAY 12/24—WEDNESDAY 12/31

BRAD PETERSEN AND FRIENDS

Pub Scouts, this week they’re going “electric”. F, 4pm. $1. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St., (530) 343-7718.

NEON VELVET: Dance rock covers. F,

12/26, 9:30pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino

Saturday, Dec. 27 Shenanigan’s Bar & Grill

Brewing Co., 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.featherfallscasino.com/brewing-co.

SEE SATURDAY

OPEN MIC: Singers, poets and musicians welcome. Th, 7-10pm. Has Beans Internet Cafe & Galleria, 501 Main St., (530) 894-3033, www.hasbeans.com.

26FRIDAY

27SATURDAY 80S NIGHT: Wear your best 80s attire and dance the night away. Sa, 8pm. LaSalles, 229 Broadway, (530) 893-1891, www.lasallesbar.com.

AJA VU: Sa, 12/27, 9pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co., 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.feather fallscasino.com/brewing-co.

BASSMINT: A (mostly) weekly electronic

24WEDNESDAY 25THURSDAY Garden, 6929 Skyway in Paradise, (530) 876-9988, www.myspace.com/ theitaliangarden.

BAH-HUMBUG KARAOKE & UGLY SWEATER CONTEST: This Christmas don’t turn in early. Come party with us and sing your favorite tunes, drink your favorite booze, and rock an ugly holiday sweater. Th, 12/25, 9pm. Maltese Bar & Tap Room, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 343-4915.

WEEKLY JAZZ: Cary Robinson and Greg D’Augelli play an eclectic mix of jazz standards. W, 6-8pm. Farm Star Pizza, 2359 Esplanade, (530) 343-2056, www.farmstarpizza.com.

CHICO JAZZ COLLECTIVE: Thursday jazz.

Th, 8-11pm. Free. The DownLo, 319 Main St., (530) 892-2473.

Be SaFe

designate a driver or call us

Liberty Cab 898-1776

Ride to SaC aiRpoRt $150

DJ MACK MORRIS: Live DJ music and

dancing. F, 12/26, 8:30pm. Feather Falls Casino, 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.featherfallscasino.com.

FRIDAY MORNING JAZZ: A weekly morning jazz appointment with experimental local troupe Bogg. F, 11am. Free. Café Coda, 265 Humboldt Ave., (530) 5669476, www.cafecoda.com.

BLACK SLAX: Local cover band covering a wide range of classic rock. Sa, 12/27, 8:30pm. Feather Falls Casino, 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.featherfallscasino.com.

BRAD PETERSEN & FRIENDS: If you like country music. Sa, 12/27, 7-10pm. Shenanigan’s, 3212 Esplanade, (530) 354-2237.

DENNIS REGAN AND CHRIS VOTH:

IRISH-MUSIC HAPPY HOUR: A Chico tradition: Friday night happy hour with a traditional Irish music session by the

Comedian Dennis Regan comes to town and teams up with Chico ex-pat Chris Voth for a nigth of stand up for the holidays. Sa, 12/27, 8pm. $15. El Rey Theatre, 230 W. Second St., (530) 3422727.

Celebrate ChiCo in Style

Us e pro mo cod e XM AS 20 14 onl or in per son to sav ine add itio nal 15% . Expe an ire s De c. 31, 20 14.

Buy online anytime with a credit card or in person with cash, check or credit card M-F 9am – 5pm at 353 E. Second Street, Downtown Chico. Holiday Hours: 9am-noon December 24 and December 31. Closed December 25 and January 1.

wings, FREE SLOT Cash giveaways, prize dra m - Tickets just $20 Doors open at 8:30p

28SUNDAY REGGAE NIGHT: Rise the Vibes with live DJs, pool, and shuffle board. This week Jams from Bay-area’s Rocker T. Su,

PRETZEL LOGICIANS

Between 1974 and 1993—through the peak of the band’s late-1970s popularity—Steely Dan never played a note live. The trio is famous for its perfectionism, and instead devoted the time to writing new music and studio work. Reunion tours are few and far between, but for those who’ve never had a chance to witness the raw power of live, smooth jazz-rock fusion there’s Aja Vu, a Steely Dan tribute band playing Saturday, Dec. 27, at Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co.

w w w. n e w s r e v i e w. c o m

IN OROVILLE

12/20 ZZ Tush Tribute to ZZ Top

530-533-3885

12/26 Neon Velvet New Wave/Rock Rave Favorites 12/27 Aja Vu Steely Dan Tribute 1/2

Strait Country George Strait Tribute

1/3 1/9

Super Huey Huey Lewis Tribute Catch a Wave Beach Boys Tribute with “Pleasant Valley Sunday” Monkees Tribute

Must be 21 or older. $5 cover charge. Shows start at 9:30pm, Blues Jam starts at 8pm. Brewery VIP suites $100 - Luxury seating for up to 10 guests. Includes private server, pizza and beer. ASK ABOUT PARTY PACKAGES - DELUXE LODGE ROOM, FOOD DISCOUNT + FREE SLOT PLAY!

December 24, 2014

A comedy tribute featuring Roger Kabler. Sa, 12/27, 8pm. $15. Gold Country Casino, 4020 Olive Highway in

1/10 Paperback Writer Beatles Tribute

CN&R

THE ULTIMATE ROBIN WILLIAMS TRIBUTE:

Oroville, (800) 803-1911, www.goldcoun trycasino.com.

Get theSe exCluSive, limited edition t-ShirtS and Show your Support for loCal eventS.

15 New Year’s Party 20 PLAY

by local country musicians Rich and Kendall. Sa, 5-9pm. Free. Scotty’s Landing, 12609 River Rd., (530) 7102020.

FEATHER FALLS

CASINO & LODGE Slots • Single Deck Blackjack • Poker Buffet • Restaurant • Brewery Live entertainment every weekend!

Memories of Elvis January 7, 6pm • $35

Dinner Show

tickets, $10 show only

www.featherfallscasino.com

PIANO NIGHT: Live Piano music. W. Italian

dance party with a rotating cast of local and regional DJs. Check with venue for details. F, 9:30pm. Peking Chinese Restaurant, 243 W. Second St., (530) 895-3888.

MUSIC SHOWCASE: An open mic hosted

NIGHTLIFE

BLACKOUT BETTY Wednesday, Dec. 31 Pigg’s Club SEE WEDNESDAY

Garden, 6929 Skyway in Paradise, (530) 876-9988, www.myspace.com/ theitaliangarden.

31WEDNESDAY BLACKOUT BETTY: High octane rock in 8pm-2am. Seeva’s Pub, 6093 Lincoln Blv in Oroville.

SMASHED SPELLING BEE: This adult spelling bee turns a grade-school spelling bee into a riotous drinking game. Su, 12/28, 9pm. Maltese Bar & Tap Room, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 343-4915.

HOLIDAY-SEASON CALENDAR Due to scheduling changes that may occur around the holidays, please confirm listed events, dates and times with venue.

29MONDAY ORGONE: Heavy, raw fueled funk and soul from Los Angeles. M, 12/29. Lost On Main, 319 Main St., (530) 891-1853.

30TUESDAY AARON’S OPEN MIC: Aaron Jaqua is back and hosting a new group of musical misfits for open mic. Tu, 7-10pm

through 12/29. Opens 12/30.

Shenanigan’s, 3212 Esplanade, (530) 809-1088.

BLUES NIGHT: Live weekly blues music from local musicians. Tu. Italian

UR EMAIL YO TO LISTINGS

THIS WEEK: FIND MORE ENTERTAINMENT AND SPECIAL EVENTS ON PAGE 24

celebration of the New Year. W, 12/31, 9pm. Piggs Club, 3070 Myers St. in Oroville, (530) 533-9843.

DECADES: Ring in the New Year with party music from the 1940s to today

on the Brewing Co. stage. W, 12/31, 9pm. $20. Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co., 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville, (530) 5333885, www.featherfallscasino.com/ brewing-co.

DRIVER: A New Year’s Eve celebration with live music by the Paradise crew. W, 12/31, 9pm. $3. Studio Inn Cocktail Lounge, 2582 Esplanade, (530) 3430662.

FUNK INTO 2015: Mojo Green (Reno),

Moksha (Vegas) & Sofa King. W, 12/31, 9pm. Lost on Main, 319 Main St., (530)

891-1853.

IRA WALKER BAND: Local blues/jam/

Americana band in the lounge. W, 12/31, 8:30pm. Feather Falls Casino, 3 Alverda Dr. in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.featherfallscasino.com.

m newsreview.co chicocalendar@IT ONLINE AT OR SUBM

WEEKLY JAZZ: Cary Robinson and Greg

newsreview.c

D’Augelli play an eclectic mix of jazz standards. W, 6-8pm. Farm Star Pizza, 2359 Esplanade, (530) 343-2056, www.farmstarpizza.com.

om/chico

KARMA KINGS: Celebrate New Year’s Eve and ring in 2015 with Karma Kings. The party starts with a gourmet dinner prepared by Chef Jason Shaffer, plus live music and dancing. W, 12/31, 6pmmidnight. $25 includes gourmet dinner, dancing, champagne and celebration,. Paradise Eagles Lodge, 9079 Skyway in Paradise.

NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH: A black and silver

Vegas themed party. W, 12/31. LaSalles, 229 Broadway, (530) 893-1891, www.lasallesbar.com.

DROPPING THE BALL

If you’re looking for opportunities to spend New Year’s Eve with other revelers, there are plenty of Butte County venues throwing parties. Two vastly different options are Lost on Main, which will be funking up the evening with Mojo Green, Moksha and Sofa King, and the Maltese Bar and Tap Room, where Bogg, Wanderers and Wolves and Cities will help ring in 2015.

NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY: A New Years Eve bash with live music from local jazz quartet Bogg, instrumental rock from Cities and just-plain rock from Wanderers and Wolves. W, 12/31, 9:30pm. $5. Maltese Bar & Tap Room, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 343-4915.

PIANO NIGHT: Live Piano music. W. Italian Garden, 6929 Skyway in Paradise, (530) 876-9988, www.myspace.com/ theitaliangarden.

THREE PARTIES UNDER ONE ROOF: A New Year’s Eve party with country from Two Steps Down, party music from Cover Me Badd and live dance music with DJ Dre. W, 12/31, 8:30pm. $35-$60. Gold Country Casino, 4020 Olive Highway in Oroville, (800) 803-1911, www.goldcountrycasino.com.

Wanderers and Wolves

Wednesday and Thursday, December 24 - 25

MERRY CHRISTMAS (closed)

21+

9pm-Close

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229 Broadway, Chico Follow us on @LaSalleBar December 24, 2014

CN&R

“When we advertise With CNr,

people notice aNd Come support ”

Fair street recycling.

Fair Street Recycling has advertised our buyback center consistently with the Chico News & Review for many years. As a non-profit organization, it is important that we invest our dollars wisely. For us, the CN&R is a great investment. It helps allow our organization to continue to support our mission of helping the developmentally disabled acquire marketable job skills. Plus, Fair Street Recycling makes money for the Work Training Center to operate programs that don’t make money—we have severely handicapped people that we serve in day centers along with other programs. We are also helping the environment and reducing its waste.

Demo & Barn Deers www.deers.bandcamp.com After hearing just the four songs on these two singles released this year (the only recordings currently available), Deers is already my new favorite band. Based out of Madrid, the band cites Bay Area garage rockers Ty Segall and Shannon and the Clams as influences. But their delivery here, while fun and energetic, is not so forceful, and brings to mind something more along the lines of the paired-down pop of The Vaselines. It’s a perfect combo of swagger, tunefulness and off-the-cuff lo-fi that kills. All four tunes are wonderful, but my two faves are Barn’s “Between Cans” and Demo’s “Bamboo.” The latter had me hooked as soon as the first tremelo-warped chords rang out and Carlotta Cosials and Ana Garcia Perrote started trading verses with their respective (and complementary) squeaky and husky vocals. Founded as a duo by Perrote and Cosials, the group has recently expanded to a four-piece, with the original two featured on Demo, and all four on Barn (though the sound and vibe are nearly identical on both). Here’s hoping the changes and the rapidly increasing media attention (articles by The Guardian, The Independent and Vice) don’t spoil things by tightening up the loose fun.

MUSIC

—Jason Cassidy

Concept Repos Production Board game As gaming and geek culture continue to run rampant, many new games are relying on increasingly complex game mechanics driven by a series of convoluted rules. And with board games, it’s not uncommon for them to come with hundreds of pieces and require hours of your time, but Concept bucks the trend and focuses on what makes a great party game—a simple concept for a big group just looking to have fun. Akin to charades, Concept tasks twoplayer teams with silently working with their partners to try to get the other players to guess a mystery phrase, but instead of acting out the clues, the team places markers on an icon-filled board to lead guessers in the right direction. For “milk,” players may place markers on “liquid,” “eat,”and “white,” for example. What makes the game so effective is that each icon on the board has multiple meanings, so a “rock” icon could indicate “rock,” “mineral” or “hard,” forcing players to simultaneously think in both a literal and a figurative manner. With secondary and tertiary markers to add meanings, or sub-concepts, the real fun is finding out how your friends think and communicate. Sound simple? Well, then, your phrase is “Allen Ginsberg.” Time starts now!

GAME

—Matthew Craggs

Jugology—Greatest Near Misses –Jerry Morano

ReCyClINg mANAgeR

Fair Street Recycling is one of the largest non-profit buy-back centers in northern California.

Christmas Jug Band Globe Records A compilation of five albums dating from 1986-2009, this 19 track(!), 73-minute “best of” is a real delight. Formed in 1976 in Mill Valley by a group of musical maniacs whose careers include playing in numerous bands with notable performers (e.g., Commander Cody, Etta James, Country Joe & the Fish, Elvis Costello), the Christmas Jug Band plays a variety of “unusual” instruments (jug, kazoo, slide whistle, autoharp, washboard) as well as harmonica, clarinet, guitar, piano, bass and drums. Self-described as “the foremost purveyors of seasonal-skiffle-swing and jugband-infused revelry,” on Jugology the band celebrates the yule season with songs like “Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit,” an uptempo item arranged and sung by Dan Hicks, and “Santa Lost a Ho” (he’s got problems and now stops at “Ho, ho”—“Where’d the other ‘ho’ go?”). Vocalists Angela Strehli and Maria Muldaur join them for a jump-blues “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” and the late Norton Buffalo sings and plays harmonica on the charming “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” which also features a jug solo. Switching musical genres, they pop down to Brazil for “Carolin’,” a lilting samba written by the band’s main man, Tim Eschliman, who, with Paul Rogers, adapted “S.A.N.T.A. (Gloria),” a variation on the Van Morrison classic. —Miles Jordan

MUSIC

CN&R

December 24, 2014

FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 24, 2014 ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Hell is the suffering of being unable to love,” wrote novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. Using that definition, I’m happy to announce that you have a good chance of avoiding hell altogether in 2015. If there has been any deficiency in your power to express and bestow love, I think you will correct it. If you have been so intent on getting love that you have been neglectful in giving love, you will switch your focus. I invite you to keep a copy of this horoscope in your wallet for the next 12 months. Regard it as your “Get Out of Hell Free” card.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Beetles

are abundant and ubiquitous. Scientists have identified more than 350,000 species, and they are always discovering new ones. In 2011, for example, they conferred official recognition on 3,485 additional types of beetles. I’m seeing a parallel development in your life, Taurus. A common phenomenon that you take for granted harbors mysteries that are worth exploring. Something you regard as quite familiar actually contains interesting features you don’t know about. In 2015, I hope you will open your mind to the novelties and exotica that are hidden in plain sight.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Auguste

Escoffier (1846-1935) was an influential French chef who defined and standardized the five “mother sauces.” But he wasn’t content to be a star in his own country. At the age of 44, he began his “conquest of London,” bringing his spectacular dining experience to British restaurants. He thought it might be hard to sell his new clientele on frogs’ legs, a traditional French dish, so he resorted to trickery. On the menu, he listed it as “Nymphs of the Dawn.” According to my reading of the omens, this is an example of the hocus-pocus that will be your specialty in 2015. And I suspect you will get away with it every time as long as your intention is not selfish or manipulative, but rather generous and constructive.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The ento-

mologist Charles P. Alexander (1889-1981) devoted much of his professional life to analyzing the insect known as the crane fly. He identified more than 11,000 different species, drew 15,000 illustrations of the creatures and referred to his lab as “Crane Fly Haven.” That’s the kind of single-minded intention I’d love to see you adopt during the first six months of 2015, Cancerian. What I’m imagining is that you will choose a specific, well-defined area within which you will gleefully explore and experiment and improvise. Is there a subject or task or project you would have fun pursuing with that kind of intensity?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In Don DeLillo’s

novel Underworld, Cotter Martin is a young boy living in New York in the 1950s. The following description is about him. “In school they tell him sometimes to stop looking out the window. This teacher or that teacher. The answer is not out there, they tell him. And he always wants to say that’s exactly where the answer is.” I propose we regard this passage as one of your themes in 2015, Leo. In other words, be skeptical of any authority who tells you where you should or should not be searching for the answers. Follow your own natural inclination, even if at first it seems to be nothing more than looking out the window.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “It is always

important to know when something has reached its end,” writes Paulo Coelho in his book The Zahir. Use this advice heroically in 2015, Virgo. Wield it to clear away anything that no longer serves you, that weighs you down or holds you back. Prepare the way for the new story that will begin for you around your next birthday. “Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters,” Coelho says, “it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “On some

nights I still believe,” said rascal journalist Hunter S. Thompson, “that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about

BY ROB BREzSNY fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.” In 2015, I invite you to adopt some of that push-itto-the-edge attitude for your personal use, Libra. Maybe not full-time; maybe not with the same manic intensity that Thompson did. Rather, simply tap into it as needed—whenever you’ve got to up your game or raise your intensity level or rouse the extra energy you need TO ACHIEVE TOTAL, WONDROUS, RESOUNDING VICTORY!!! The coming months will be your time to go all the way, hold nothing back and quest for the best and the most and the highest.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Twenty

miles long, the Onyx River is the longest body of moving water on the continent of Antarctica. Most of the year it’s ice, though. It actually flows for just two or three months during the summer. Let’s hope that continues to be the case for the foreseeable future. It would be a shame if global warming got so extreme that the Onyx melted permanently. But now let’s talk about your own metaphorical equivalent of the Onyx: a potentially flowing part of your life that is often frozen. I’d love to see it heat up and thaw. I’d love it to be streaming and surging most of the time. And in 2015, I think that’s a distinct possibility. Consider making the following declaration your battle cry: I am the Flow Master!

Print ads start at $6/wk. www.newsreview.com or (530) 894-2300 ext. 5 Phone hours: M-F 8am-5pm. All ads post online same day. Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Adult line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

Online ads are

STILL

FREE!*

*Nominal fee for adult entertainment. All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. Further, the News & Review specifically reserves the right to edit, decline or properly classify any ad. Errors will be rectified by re-publication upon notification. The N&R is not responsible for error after the first publication. The N&R assumes no financial liability for errors or omission of copy. In any event, liability shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by such an error or omission. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

When he was 37 years old, actor Jack Nicholson found out that Ethel May, the woman he had always called his mother, was in fact his grandma. Furthermore, his “older sister” June was actually his mom, who had given birth to him when she was 17. His relatives had hidden the truth from him. I suspect that in 2015 you will uncover secrets and missing information that will rival Nicholson’s experience. Although these revelations may initially be confusing or disruptive, in the long run they will heal and liberate you. Welcome them!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

“Meupareunia” is an English word that refers to a sexual adventure in which only one of the participants has a good time. I’ll be bold and predict that you will not experience a single instance of meupareunia in 2015. That’s because I expect you’ll be steadily upgrading your levels of empathy and your capacity for receptivity. You will be getting better and better at listening to your intimate allies and reading their emotional signals. I predict that synergy and symbiosis will be your specialties. Both your desire to please and your skill at giving pleasure will increase, as will your understanding of how many benefits you can reap by being a responsive partner.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Be good

and you will be lonesome,” said Mark Twain. Do you agree? I don’t—at least as it applies to your life in 2015. According to my understanding of the long-term astrological omens, you will attract an abundance of love and luck by being good—by expressing generosity, deepening your compassion, cultivating integrity and working for justice and truth and beauty. That doesn’t mean you should be a pushover or doormat. Your resolve to be good must be leavened by a determination to deepen your self-respect. Your eagerness to do the right thing has to include a commitment to raising your levels of self-care.

Go to www.RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES and DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.

21): “The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.” That quote is attributed to both Russian authors Fyodor Dostoevsky and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Regardless of who said it, I urge you to keep it in mind throughout 2015. Like all of us, you are trapped in an invisible prison: a set of beliefs or conditioned responses or bad habits that limit your freedom to act. That’s the bad news. The good news is that in the coming months, you are poised to discover the exact nature of your invisible prison, and then escape it.

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BEWARE OF FAKE CHECK SCAMS Fake check scams are clever ploys designed to steal your money. You can avoid becoming a victim by recognizing how the scam works and understanding your responsiblity for the checks that you deposit in your account. If someone you don’t know wants to pay you by check but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware! It is a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars. For more information, go to www.fraud.org/scams. This reminder is a public service of the N&R AIRBRUSH MAKEUP ARTIST COURSE For: Ads. TV. Film. Fashion. 35% OFF TUITION - Special $1990. Train & Build Portfolio. One Week Course. Details at: AwardMakeupSchool.com 818-980-2119 (AAN CAN) $1,000 WEEKLY!! MAILING BROCHURES From Home. Helping home workers since 2001. Genuine Opportunity. No Experience required. Start Immediately www.mailingmembers.com (AAN CAN) Africa, Brazil Work/Study! Change the lives of others and create a sustainable future. 1, 6, 9, 18 month programs available. Apply now! www.OneWorldCenter.org 269-591-0518 info@OneWorldCenter.org (AAN CAN) CARE PROVIDERS NEEDED!!!! Make extra $ and change a life! Adult(s) w/special needs live with you in your home & you mentor them twrds a brighter future. Earn up to $3500/mo. Must hv spare bdrm, clean criminal record, drivers license, vehicle. Application on-site. Meet on 12/30/14 @4PM 35 Heritage Ln, Ste. 5, Chico (530-221-9911) www.mentorswanted.com

ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM Lonely? Bored? Broke? Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at roommates.com! (AAN CAN)

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as INTERCHANGE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, IPM, IPM CHICO, IPM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT at 242 Broadway, Suite 10 Chico, CA 95928. VAUGHT INC 242 Broadway, Suite 10 Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: RYAN VAUGHT, PRESIDENT Dated: November 19, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001417 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as PALETERIA Y NEVERIA LA FLOR DE MICHOACAN HOMEMADE ICE CREAM SHOP at 1354 East Ave. Ste K Chico, CA 95926. ANTONIO ARREGUIN BERMUDEZ at 15 Top Flight Court Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: ANTONIO ARREGUIN BERMUDEZ Dated: November 20, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001426 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as INCREDIBLY BAKED at 1175 East 8th Street #1 Chico, CA 95928. LISA M. KNOWLES 1175 East 8th Street #1 Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: LISA M KNOWLES Dated: November 24, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001436 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as BOB FM 92.7, CHICODATING.COM, KCEZ, NOIZE OF NORCAL, OLDIES 102.1 FM, ZROCK 106.7, CHICO EXPERT ADVICE, HALF OFF CHICO, KRQR, NORCALDAILYDEALS.COM, POWER 102.1, CHICO HALF OFF, KBQB, KTHU,

this Legal Notice continues

➡

NORCALSPOT.COM, THUNDER 100.7 at 856 Manzanita Ct Chico, CA 95926. RESULTS RADIO LLC 1355 N Dutton Ave #225 Santa Rosa, CA 95401. RESULTS RADIO OF CHICO LLC 1355 N Dutton Ave #225 Santa Rosa, CA 95401. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Signed: JACK W FRITZ II, PRESIDENT Dated: November 10, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001381 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as DRJMOBILITY at 4 Cheshire Court Chico, CA 95926. GREGORY R JENKINS 4 Cheshire Court Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: GREG JENKINS Dated: October 24, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001322 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as MARISCOS LA COSTA MEXICAN SEAFOOD GRILL at 1141 Forest Ave Suite 30 Chico, CA 95928. JESUS SANDOVAL 5 Betsey Way Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: JESUS SANDOVAL Dated: November 26, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001448 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as STRAP AND STRAND at 1340 Arcadian Ave. Chico, CA 95926. KRISTINA M BANWELL 1340 Arcadian Ave. Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: KRISTINA M BANWELL Dated: November 14, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001401 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as TONYS FOOD AND LIQUOR at 240 Table Mountain Boulevard No B Oroville, CA 95965. SOUHEL KHALIL 11 Blackstone Ct Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: SOUHEL KHALIL Dated: November 17, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001410 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT the following person is doing business as BREATHE YOGA STUDIO at 2500 Durham Dayton Hwy Ste 1 Durham, CA 95938. MIKAELA ANNE HENGST 9984 Fimple Road Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: MIKAELA HENGST Dated: December 5, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001476 Published: December 11,18,24,31 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as CORAL VIEW, SCUBA HUT at 2343 Holly Ave Chico, CA 95926. DEBRA NOWLING 2343 Holly Ave Chico, CA 95926. This busines is conducted by an Individual. Signed: DEBRA NOWLING Dated: November 21, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001431 Published: December 11,18,24,31 2014

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as CHICO COFFEE COMPANY at 107 Parmac Suite 180 Chico, CA 95926. SHAWN HAMILTON 6 Highland Circle Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: SHAWN HAMILTON Dated: November 24, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001434 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as MAGALIA VALERO at 13990 Lakeridge Circle Magalia, CA 95954. HUNT CONVENIENCE STORES, LLC 5750 South Watt Ave. Sacramento, CA 95829. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Signed: JOSHUA M. HUNT, MEMBER Dated: November 20, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001421 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as FREEWAY 76 at 1330 Feather River Blvd Oroville, CA 95965. HUNT CONVENIENCE STORES, LLC 5750 South Watt Ave. Sacramento, CA 95829. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Signed: JOSHUA M. HUNT, MEMBER Dated: November 20, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001422 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as PV 76 at 1398 East Avenue Chico, CA 95926. HUNT CONVENIENCE STORES, LLC 5750 South Watt Ave. Sacramento, CA 95829. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Signed: JOSHUA M. HUNT, MEMBER Dated: November 20, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001423 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as PARK AVENUE 76 at 1105 Park Avenue Chico, CA 95928. HUNT CONVENIENCE STORES, LLC 5750 South Watt Ave. Sacramento, CA 95829. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Signed: JOSHUA M. HUNT,

classifieds

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CN&R CN&R

D e c e m b e rDecember 2 4 , 2 0 1 424, 2014

ATTENTION SN&R Design Dept: Can you please add the horizontal rule at top, full width of page. And, a vertical rule that separates ASTROLOGY from CLASSIFIEDS?

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as THE SKIN CARE STUDIO at 1324 Mangrove Ave. Suite 215 Chico, CA 95926. JUDITH SOUZA 10003 Cohasset Rd Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: JUDITH SOUZA Dated: December 17, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001521 Published: December 24,31, 2014, January 8,15, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as CO-SHEA at 1566 Hawthorne Ave Chico, CA 95926. ADRIAN ALEX REKDAHL 1566 Hawthorne Ave Chico, CA 95926. MARY ELIZABETH STARK 1566 Hawthorne Ave Chico, CA 95926. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. Signed: MARY STARK Dated: December 9, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001486 Published: December 24,31, 2014, January 8,15, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as THE MIRROR IMAGE SALON AND SPA at 3209 Esplanade Suite 100 Chico CA 95973. CHRISTINA THOMAS 2903 Morseman Ave. #4 Chico, CA 95973. ELIZABETH THOMAS 2930 Morseman Ave. #4 Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by A General Partnership. Signed: E. THOMAS Dated: November 5, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001362 Published: December 24,31, 2014, January 8,15, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as MAGIC LENZ ENTERTAINMENT at 184 Tonea Way Chico, CA 95973. CHRISTOPHER MADRIGAL 184 Tonea Way Chico, CA 95973.

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NOTICES ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner NONAMEGIVEN AQEELA aka FNU AQEELA filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: NONAMEGIVEN AQEELA aka FNU AQELA Proposed name: AKEELA HUSSAIN THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: February 4, 2015 Time: 8:30am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 655 Oleander Ave. Chico, CA 95926 Signed: SANDRA L. MCLEAN Dated: November 19, 2014 Case Number: 162214 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner MARLISA GAE MEYERS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: FELICIA ANN MARIE TEFS Proposed name: FELICIA ANN MARIE MEYERS THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: February 4, 2015 Time: 8:30am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 655 Oleander Ave. Chico, CA 95926 Signed: ROBERT GLUSMAN Dated: November 24, 2014 Case Number: 163435 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner AMANDA EILEEN HAVENS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: AMANDA EILEEN HAVENS Proposed name: ADELIO EILEEN FRAGA THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 14, 2015 Time: 8:30am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 655 Oleander Ave. Chico, CA 95926 Signed: SANDRA L. MCLEAN Dated: December 9, 2014 Case Number: 163472 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner JESSICA ROSE PROVENCIO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: JESSICA ROSE PROVENCIO Proposed name: JESS ETERNAMENTE FRAGA THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed,

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the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 14, 2015 Time: 8:30am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 655 Oleander Ave. Chico, CA 95926 Signed: ROBERT GLUSMAN Dated: December 3, 2014 Case Number: 163471 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

SUMMONS SUMMONS NOTICE TO RESPONDENT PRANAD BANIK You are being sued by plaintiff: JILL V. BANIK You have 30 calendar days after this Summons and Petition are served on you to file a Response (form FL-120 or FL-123) at the court and have a copy served on the petitioner. A letter or phone call will not protect you. If you do not file your Response on time, the court may make orders affecting your marriage or domestic partnership, your property, and custody of your children. You may be ordered to pay support and attorney fees and costs. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the clerk for a fee waiver form. If you want legal advice, contact a lawyer immediately. You can get information about finding lawyers at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp) at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), or by contacting your local county bar association. The name and address of the court are: Butte County Superior Court One Court Street Oroville, CA 95965 The name, address, and telephone number of the petitioner’s attorney, or the petitioner without an attorney, are: JILL V. BANIK PO Box 1792 Chico, CA 95927. (530) 828-4875 Signed: KIMBERLY FLENER Dated: January 22, 2013 Case Number: FL-043090 Published: December 4,11,18,24, 2014

SUMMONS NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: JERAD MARSHALL POTTS; COLE SWENSON; DOES 1-100 YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 calendar days after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for you response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you

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cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible free legal services from a nonprofit legal service program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. The name and address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 655 Oleander Ave Chico, CA 95926. The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: LEE M. MENDELSON (SBN 236819) 2008 Ventura Blvd., Suite 54, Woodland Hills, CA 91364 (818) 575-6822 Dated: March 12, 2014 Signed: KIMBERLY FLENER Case Number: 161586 Published: December 24,31, 2014, January 8,15, 2015

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as GTS ENGINEERING AND CONSULTING at 130 Amber Grove Drive, Suite 134 Chico, CA 95973. GAS TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS, INC. 130 Amber Grove Drive, Suite 134 Chico, CA 95973. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: KATHLEEN B. CLAPP, PRESIDENT Dated: December 3, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001463 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as CHICO SMOOTHIE at 1950 E 20th Street Spc #B205 Chico, CA 95928. RCJP INC. 816 Whispering Winds Lane Chico, CA 95928. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Signed: ROGER A. CLARK, PRESIDENT Dated: December 15, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001502 Published: December 24,31, 2014, January 8,15, 2015

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner JENNIFER C. BLACKWELL filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: JENNIFER CHRISTINE BLACKWELL Proposed name: JENNIQUE ALLYSON LEE THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: January 7, 2015 Time: 8:30am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 655 Oleander Ave. Chico, CA 95926 Signed: SANDRA L. MCLEAN Dated: November 21, 2014 Case Number: 163424 Published: December 11,18,24,31, 2014

YOU’RE WELCOME, TREES.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME - STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT The following person has abandoned the use of the fictitious business name CHARLIE’S SEPTIC SERVICE at 15 Irving Way Chico, CA 95926. DONNIE ABERNATHY 15 Irving Way Chico, CA 95926. This business was conducted by an Individual. Signed: DONNIE ABERNATHY Dated: December 12, 2014 FBN Number: 2012-0000426 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

This business is conducted by an Individual. Signed: CHRISTOPHER MADRIGAL Dated: December 15, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001505 Published: December 24,31, 2014, January 8,15, 2015

RECYCLE THIS PAPER.

MEMBER Dated: November 20, 2014 FBN Number: 2014-0001424 Published: December 18,24,31, 2014, January 8, 2015

butte county living

LOVE’S REAL ESTATE Blue Christmas Every time I hear “Blue Christmas” by Elvis I think of my wily old mentor KDV, when he tricked me one Christmas season. “Hey bro, come with me to Shanty Town and help me take a census,” said KDV. Shanty Town was a group of little run-down houses, more like shacks, on an acre of ground just east of downtown occupied by migrant agricultural workers. KDV had the property listed for sale, and the out-of-town owner never set foot on it. The rent always came every month, though. “I’ve had this junk-heap listed for over a year, and miracle of all miracles, we have a buyer. The problem is I have to come up with tenant information. You with me, babe?” We pulled into the property. December rains had pounded the dirt into gooey mud, which covered every bit of land the houses didn’t. “I hate this place,” he said. “Count heads, babe.”

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We knocked on the first door. “Buenos días,” said KDV. “Cuantos personas occupado aqui? His Spanish was worse than John Wayne’s. A man in cowboy boots and a T-shirt looked back with fear in his eyes. Three kids sat quietly on the floor. The place had one chair. “No se,” said the man. KDV and I appeared so out of place, we could have been from Mars, or worse, the Immigration Department or IRS. Each little house was the same: lots of kids, few possessions and lots of fear. Nevertheless, we

“What a dump,” KDV said at the end of our excursion. I was struck by his lack of empathy. The next Saturday, KDV asked me again to go with him to Shanty Town, because the buyer wasn’t satisfied with the tenant information. The sale was supposed to close before the year-end. “It’s the weekend,” he said. “Better chance to catch them all at home.” We pulled into the mud again. This time KDV opened all his car doors and cranked up the car stereo, blasting out “Blue Christmas” by Elvis. He jumped out and whipped open the trunk, shouting “Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!” The trunk was stuffed with wrapped Christmas presents. On each was written “niña,” “niño,” “señor” or “señorita.” There must have been a hundred wrapped gifts: games, crayons, candy, toy guns, balls, you name it. We all laughed and celebrated. KDV turned to me and shouted over Elvis. “Thought I was the Grinch, didn’t you, babe!” Yes, I had. “Never forget, babe,” he said, “we gotta make people happy whenever we can; especially kids, and especially at Christmastime!”

Got a question or comment? I’d like to hear from you. Email escrowgo@aol.com or call 530-680-0817. DOUG LOVE is Sales Manager at Century 21 Jeffries Lydon.

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were given tamales and hand-made tortillas as peace offerings. Skinny Christmas trees stood in a couple shacks, and some had a few decorations.

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