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AffordAble documents

Vol. 39, Issue 18 • December 31, 2015

25

OPINION Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Guest Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Second & Flume . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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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 Managing Editor Meredith J. Cooper Arts Editor Jason Cassidy Asst. News Editor/Healthlines Editor Howard Hardee Staff Writer Ken Smith Calendar Editor Jace Whatcott Contributors Alastair Bland, Michelle Camy, Vic Cantu, Matthew Craggs, Whitney Garcia, Bob Grimm, Miles Jordan, Mark Lore, Brian Palmer, Ryan Prado, Toni Scott, Juan-Carlos Selznick, Robert Speer, Allan Stellar, Daniel Taylor, Emily Teague, Evan Tuchinsky, Carey Wilson Intern Esmeralda Ramirez Managing Art Director Tina Flynn Editorial Designer Sandra Peters Ad Design Manager Serene Lusano Design Kyle Shine, Skyler Smith Advertising Manager Jamie DeGarmo Advertising Services Coordinator Ruth Alderson Advertising Consultants Brian Corbit, Ron Davidson, Faith de Leon, Laura Golino, Jenni Lee

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Protect thy (muslim) neighbor We were disturbed to hear about the recent arson at a mosque in Tracy,

exxon’s decades-old dirty secret Talternative

wenty-four years ago, I wrote an article on electric vehicles and fuels ignored by the auto and oil industry for the Earth Island Journal. It was selected as one of the top 25 underreported news stories of 1992 by Project Censored. Back then, I figured Exxon just ignored the facts. I was wrong.

Turns out, Exxon knew about climate change decades ago, then turned around and actively supported and funded climatechange denial. The story first came out due to an investigation by students at Columbia University. by Ed Schilling Recent findings reported by The author, a magalia multiple news outlets, including resident, is a former the Los Angeles Times, reveal part-time community that Exxon’s goal was to “turn a college instructor and substantial portion of the public overseas teacher. against their own government,” as the Huffington Post put it. Now, Exxon is demanding that Columbia investigate the students who first broke the story.

Exxon’s scientists did cutting-edge work on global warming and climate change in the late 1970s. But

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December 31, 2015

instead of warning the public about CO2 emissions and climate change, Exxon launched disinformation campaigns.

And that means Exxon has committed the crime of the century.

Automakers have built and showcased hundreds of low-emission vehicles over the years, such as the electric GM Impact in the 1990s, or the nonpolluting 1969 Stirling Electric hybrid. Congress heard testimony throughout the 1980s on alternative vehicles, fuels and plant-based oils. The Department of Energy even built a car with a Stirling engine. The auto industry wasn’t interested. No one tells them what to build. Since taxpayers bailed out GM, maybe we should have a say?

Over a hundred climate-denial organizations, such as the Global Climate Coalition, have been formed over the years by the auto, oil and other industries.

But it all began with Exxon. Bernie Sanders and other senators have called for a federal investigation of Exxon by the Justice Department. Groups like 350.org are waging a huge fossil fuel divestment campaign. It’s time for action. After all, as Tim Flannery, author of

The Weather Makers, wrote, “[I]n the years to come, this issue [climate change] will dwarf all the others combined. It will become the only issue.” Ω

the fourth attack on a California mosque in the month of December.

Authorities in the Central Valley city believe the incident may be a hate crime. Same goes for the fire at a Coachella Valley mosque and vandalism at two Los Angeles County facilities.

This wave of Islamophobia comes in the wake of the massacre of 14 people at a San Bernardino regional center on Dec. 2, brutal murders at the hands of an American citizen and his Pakistani wife, both Muslims.

And, of course, it’s led to some outrageous rhetoric from Republican candidates for president, especially Donald Trump, who’s advocated for establishing a database tracking Muslims and also a religious test for immigrants that would prohibit Muslims from entering the United States.

What the propaganda machines aren’t acknowledging is that the murderers in San Bernardino are no different than the radicalized Christians who kill employees at abortion clinics in the name of some Bible scriptures they’ve bastardized.

It’s sad that this newspaper feels It’s time Americans compelled to write an editorial about the stopped holding fact that most Muslims aren’t terrorists, an entire religion but considering the tenor on the national responsible for stage, it’s evidently necessary. the actions of The next time someone talks to you about the threat of Muslims, ask them extremists ... if they’ve heard about the Muslims in Kenya who, just three days before Christmas, saved a bus full of Christians targeted by Al-Shabaab militants. The Muslims on the bus refused to separate themselves from the Christians, forcing the ISIS loyalists to fall back. Two people were killed during the ambush, but it could have been a massacre; a similar attack last year left 28 dead.

It’s time Americans stopped holding an entire religion responsible for the actions of extremists who pervert the tenets of Islam. We must silence the Islamophobic rhetoric nationally and in our communities. We must stand up to those who would firebomb our Muslim neighbors’ mosques.

We must stand in unity against hate and violence. Period. □

A little respect Every time the Chico City Council met in 2015, the CN&R was there. By

covering those meetings to the (often) bitter end, we have a pretty good feel for how the elected officials who make up the panel interact with the public.

And we can’t help noticing a pattern: When the floor is open for public comment, the council pays speakers varying levels of attention and respect.

When the dais is addressed by, say, Thomas Kelem, the executive director of Stonewall Alliance, or George Gold, president of Atheists of Butte County, certain council members can be seen playing with tablet computers, leaning back in their chairs or whispering to one another—i.e., clearly not listening.

It would be childish if those council members were making a show of their disinterest due to personal beliefs. But whatever the case, it needs to stop.

With a new year comes a fresh start. In 2016, we encourage the council to remember that they were elected to represent Chico as a whole. As such, each and every community member who has the courage to address the panel directly—and often waits all night to do so—deserves equal treatment. In fact, the people council members disagree with most are the ones to whom they should pay the most attention.

We’re not asking for a lot here. Just sitting and listening politely. As elected officials, members of the council owe their constituents that. □

INSURANCE ENROLLMENT

LETTERS Send email to cnrletters@newsreview.com

SECOND & FLUME

by Melissa Daugherty m e l i s s a d @ n e w s r e v i e w. c o m

Fundraising, et cetera The week before Christmas, in that crazy run-up to the holiday, some colleagues and I poured wine at a fundraising event for the CN&R Foundation, our local investigative reporting initiative.

We did so at the tail-end of a long Thursday, which is generally a busy day of editing the next week’s cover story. I didn’t know what to expect when we arrived at Bidwell Park Bar & Grill, but we ended up with a nice little turnout. I felt relieved. At $5 a pop, I figured we’d have a decent haul for a few hours’ worth of work.

Fundraising is a new endeavor for this ink-stained wretch. I’ve written about it here and there in this space since last March, when we launched the nonprofit. But I’m afraid I haven’t been as attentive to the mission as I ought to have been. I get pretty consumed with putting out a newspaper each week and, well, I don’t exactly know what I’m doing when it comes to asking people for money.

So it just about knocked me over when a reader walked through the door at the event and handed me a check for $1,000.

I was stunned. It came from someone who’d been an early supporter of this project and had already contributed $1,000. And with a few more generous donations from other readers that evening, plus the money from the winetasting, we left with more than $1,700.

That brings our total to $18,714, according to the North Valley Community Foundation.

The good news is that’s a whole lot of money. The bad news is we were hoping to raise $25,000 by the end of the year because an angel donor would kick in an additional $10,000 if we were able to hit that mark.

But that’s not the end to this story, because that same anonymous donor is giving us an extension through the month of January. Happy New Year to us. And many thanks to everyone who came out during the busy week before Christmas to support in-depth local journalism.

Special thanks go to Chris Hostettler and his crew (especially “Dan, the wine man”) at Chico Grocery Outlet for supplying and also pouring wine, and Courtney Foster of Bidwell Park Bar & Grill for letting us use that awesome facility. Additional thanks to the CN&R folks who helped with the event: senior advertising consultant Brian Corbit, who is the organizer of monthly winetastings that benefit local nonprofits; Jamie DeGarmo, director of sales and advertising; Howard Hardee, assistant news editor; contributing writer Whitney Garcia; and Ernesto Rivera, who has curated our calendar since last summer. Rivera graduated from Chico State the same week and has moved on. We miss him already.

On that note, there’s a new face around our office. Jace Whatcott, our new calendar editor, comes to us by way of Utah.

He starts in earnest after the first of the year. Whatcott can be reached at jacew@newsreview.com and cnrcalendar@news review.com. When you send him items for our weekly event listings, be sure to welcome him to Chico.

Melissa Daugherty is editor of the CN&R

Calling for oversight

FREE CONSULTATION

Re “Death and justice” (Newslines,

by Meredith J. Cooper, Dec. 24) and “Let’s form a review board” (Editorial, Dec. 24): This letter is in response to the recent protest of the decision made by the district attorney in the latest officer-involved shooting incident.

It’s not the first time citizens have protested a ruling out of the DA’s office, and I wouldn’t say it will be the last.

I admire the folks holding signs in solidarity, frustration and bewilderment of what justice means. This cross-section of people reflects what the county desperately needs—and that’s a change to how cases like this particular one are handled. I maintain confidence that the current DA is acting in the best capacity that his job description dictates, but it appears that further steps need to be taken to ensure due process is handled in the best manner feasible. I’m talking about a citizen oversight committee.

Cases like this one deserve to be vetted to the fullest extent and citizens should be involved. I do not know how one of these committees comes to fruition (or if we have one already and if we do, why isn’t it being implemented?) but hopefully these words will begin a conversation on how to get one in the works.

Mark Herrera Chico

The editor’s take Re “Look in the Mirror” (Letters, by Hendrik Feenstra, Dec. 24): First, to the matter of Marilyn Baker. We do not generally list our volunteers, even for the task of applying mailing labels to newspapers on Tuesday and Friday evenings. Baker was a journalist, educator, Glenn County supervisor and great community advocate and volunteer. She never asked for favors.

We did not list Glenn County Counsel Huston Carlyle when he volunteered. It got him no favorable coverage. Ask him. We did not list Willows Chamber of Commerce Board member Patricia Ireland. It got her no favored coverage. Ask her.

Indeed, Marilyn Baker is Kara Baker’s mother. Kara Baker has never asked for favors.

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In fact, it was the Mirror, through an expansive search of Glenn County emails, that discovered the depths to which the KVB project had been the victim of sabotage. We asked for the op-ed piece, which Mr. Feenstra calls propaganda, to fully explain how KVB’s process works. This is no different than the Wall Street Journal having oil executives explain drilling practices and safety proposals on the op-ed page.

We asked for it because Kara Baker continues to be smeared by false stories being spread by opponents of the project. For instance, “The property is in foreclosure.” It is not. “The taxes are in arrears.”

They are not.

Re “Party foul” (Newslines, by Robert Speer, Dec. 17): Recent City Council actions regarding the homeless and other municipal catastrophes that are contained in such officioussounding decrees as the Disorderly Events Ordinance, which was superseded by the Unruly Gatherings Ordinance—the latter of which followed in the wake of the Offenses Against Waterways and Public Property Initiative—do not seem so far removed from the zany nomenclature of such Monty Python skits as their “Ministry of Silly Walks,” for example.

Miles Jordan Chico

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Water talk Re “Rebuttal on water” (Letters,

by Thaddeus Bettner, Nov. 26): Glenn Colusa Irrigation District recharges deep aquifers? One justification for growing rice in the Sacramento Valley is that clay soils retain water. Either GCID has acres of suitable rice land or they have a large recharge zone, but not both.

In 2008, GCID claimed recharging “180,000 acre-feet [annually] during noncritical years.” In 2014, they claimed “approximately 77,000 acre-feet annually from deep percolation of applied surface water to

Wall Street should no longer be able to practice casino-style operations with the public’s money.

—Linda furr

agricultural land.”

In a letter to the editor, Thaddeus Bettner wrote: “GCID has delivered into this region over the past 10 years in excess of 7 million acre-feet, with approximately 20 percent going directly to groundwater recharge” or 140,000 acre-feet of recharge annually.

An article, “Soil suitability Index identifies potential area for groundwater banking on agricultural lands” was published in California Agriculture (see tinyurl. com/CAagriculture).

“For successful groundwater recharge, soils must be able to transmit water into the aquifer below.” An interactive map is available (tinyurl.com/soilresource).

Where are these extensive soils located that produce “deep percolation” and recharge 77,000-180,000 acre-feet annually? How does the water percolate to the 1,000-plusfoot depth of their wells?

Barbara Hennigan Red Bluff

Bring back protections The American public must demand the return of the Glass-Steagall Act taken from us by a Republican Congress and market-oriented Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Banks should no longer be able to gamble with our money on Wall Street, and Wall Street should no longer be able to practice casinostyle operations with the public’s money. Otherwise, our retirement plans will never be safe. Yes, we could have a return of the middle class when we begin to respect unions again, but all the security unions could bring to us could vanish by whims of the wealthy until banks and Wall Street are forced to follow ethical rules.

Demand a return of the GlassSteagall Act. Linda Furr Chico

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HEALTHLINES Steve Flowers is a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in stress-related disorders. He’s taught mindfulness techniques for about 20 years.

breaking shells How practicing mindfulness can help overcome debilitating shyness

After he dropped out of his second semester “to goof off,” he was promptly drafted into military service during the Vietnam War. He was 19 years old, and he was terrified.

“What was ahead of me was too much, but I had to take care of myself,” he recalled. And so he confronted himself behind the barracks during basic training in Texas. “I sat in the grass and really examined the contents of my own mind. I saw that I was my own enemy; that I was creating this fear with my own catastrophic imagination.”

He began to recognize the repetition of his negative thoughts, and that he could choose whether or not to entertain them.

They always led to the same place—selfdoubt, fear and harsh judgment of himself, which he projected onto others. “Our mind creates our life, in many ways,” he said.

“If that’s off, in terms of the things you’re saying to yourself, it’s very difficult to find your way out of the spell of shyness.”

If shyness is avoidance, then mindfulness is the opposite. “Mindfulness is looking right into the problem, turning toward it,” Flowers said. “It’s investigating with curiosity and kindness and self-compassion.

While you practice, you’re growing in acceptance, and you stop believing the old fear-monger.”

HEALTHLINES c o n t i n u e d

high schools, and spent only one semester at Fairfield High. What’s more, Flowers was cripplingly shy, so he assumed he’d slipped howardh@ newsr ev i ew. com through that semester entirely unnoticed.

“I was invisible,” he said. “I was alone.

Totally alone.”

As it turned out, someone had noticed— the woman on the airplane, his former classbout seven years ago, Steve Flowers had mate. She confessed to having a crush on a chance meeting on a flight back from Southern California, where he’d been lead- him at the time. “But you never even looked at me,” she said, “and I never had the couring a mindfulness retreat. He could sense that the woman in the next seat was looking age to walk up to you.”

Flowers’ eyes welled with tears. He knew in his direction, but whenever he turned to all too well how fear, anxiety and shyness her, she looked away. interweave. Throughout high school and “Finally, after this game went on for into adulthood, he was mired in negative a while, she asked me: ‘Did you go to self-perception; he was too skinny, timid and Fairfield High School in 10th grade?’ I said, ‘Yeah!’ Then she asked, ‘Is your name peculiar. His hair was too curly. With a name like ‘Flowers,’ he was a magnet for bullies.

‘Flowers?’ You’re Steve Flowers, aren’t Luckily, he was a good runner. you?’”

“I spent a lot of time running,” he said, Flowers was dumbfounded. How could laughing, “but I could never run away from she possibly remember him, decades later? the shame of my internal dialogue.”

His father was in the military, so Flowers’ Addressing that sort of problematic introfamily frequently moved to different states version—the kind that ensures long-term and countries. He attended six different story and photo by

Howard Hardee

A

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loneliness and disconnectedness—is the subject of Flowers’ 2009 book, The Mindful Path Through Shyness: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Help Free You From Social Anxiety, Fear, and Avoidance. And it’s an issue common for his patients at Mindful Living Programs, a stress-reduction clinic under the umbrella of Enloe Medical Center, where he practices as a licensed psychotherapist.

During a recent interview at his clinic just off The Esplanade, Flowers explained how shy people limit themselves with negativity, how to recognize harmful lines of thought, and why practicing mindfulness can help.

Not that shyness is easy to overcome. “I was in my early 30s before I really started finding my way out of the labyrinth,” he said.

Flowers was first introduced to the concept of

mindfulness, a state of active attention to the present moment, during his freshman year of college at Fullerton State. But he didn’t practice it until he experienced extreme stress:

o n pa g e 1 1

appointment

FERTILITY FRIENDS A new support group for people seeking comfort and understanding regarding infertility meets for the first time on Thursday (Jan. 7) at Enloe Conference Center (1528 Esplanade) from 6 to 7 p.m. The confidential group will meet at the same time and place the first Thursday of every month. Call Andrea at 517-1447 or Sarah at 519-2268 for more information.

For the Young and the Young At Heart Every week the Chico News & Review reaches nearly 8,000 readers over the age of 55. Many more of our readers have friends and relatives over the age of 55. What does that mean for you? It means the CN&R is a great place to advertise your services to reach the senior populations of Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties.

Guiding your

Healthcare Journey Guidestones have been used since the Bronze Age to show the way to travelers, hint at the terrain ahead, and mark important milestones.

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Our dedicated Young At Heart section specifically reaches out to seniors, and we want you to be part of it!

To reserve your space in this special section, call your News & Review advertising representative today at (530) 894-2300.

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Become a

Part of the Solution

Butte County Public Works Department and the City of Chico

Christmas Tree

Recycling Programs 2015

Singing Christmas Carols, decorating the house, enjoying time with family and continuing on traditions is what the holidays should be about.

Sexual Violence is an issue most of us do not want to talk about, much less remember, during a time of year when Christmas lights twinkle and beautifully wrapped packages are everywhere!

You can be part of the solution by making the decision to “End Sexual Violence” by offering your personal time to volunteer or by donating resources or monetary gifts. You will make a difference!

When you think of giving this holiday season, please remember

rape crisis intervention & Prevention

We Wish you all a very Merry ChristMas!

Chico & Durham Boy Scouts Troop 2 Pick up program: January 9th $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 9th: – Hooker Oak Park – Oakway Park – Butte Bible Fellowship Church Parking lot *co-sponsored by Recology Butte Colusa Counties City of Chico Compost Facility Drop off: Free drop off at facility December 26th – January 9th. Hours 8am-4pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Remove all tinsel & ornaments.

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 9th at Chico Compost Facility. Hours 8am – 4pm.

Closed Sundays and Mondays

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.

Earthworm Soil Factory – Neal Road just east of Hwy 99 Drop off trees for no charge. Remove all tinsel & ornaments. No flocked trees.

Providing services to Sexual Assault survivors, their families, friends and those living within the Communities throughout Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties for 41 years

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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

Happy New Year www.RecycleButte.net Brought to you by Butte County Public Works Department & The City of Chico

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DECEMBER 31, 2015

Remember to Reduce, Reuse, and then Recycle!

WEEKLY DOSE Stay balanced When it comes to your diet, it’s important to mix it up and shoot for a balanced variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein.

Here’s why: • Preventing illness: Nutrition from a variety of sources better equips your immune system to fight off diseases and infections, from cancer to the common cold.

• Controlling weight: Balanced diets decrease the risk of both obesity and malnutrition.

• Promoting physical growth: For children and adolescents, balanced diets help the body function properly as it grows.

• Maintaining mental health: A varied diet promotes brain function, boosts energy, enhances memory and reduces the risk of developing mental disorders.

• Looking better: People who have that healthy glow are probably eating healthy, too.

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man or woman you’re attracted to,” he said. “When you’re being present, darned if you don’t see them as a person rather than as a threat, and then you have a chance to actually connect with that person. … Those people you want “I saw that I was my to love and be loved by, those own enemy, that I was are the scariest of creating this fear with all.”

Through my own catastrophic decades of pracimagination.” ticing and teach—Steve Flowers ing mindfulness, Flowers no longer considers himself a shy person. He’s sights, sounds, smells and thoughts found love and connection many times over through the relationof everyday life, rather than dwellships with his wife, children and ing on the past or what’s anticigrandchildren. But that side of pated in the future. Indeed, fearing him has always been there. That’s what’s to come can lead people to why it’s important to be mindful isolate themselves. of one’s emotions, he said—to “[Mindfulness] changes what recognize them and move forward you think will happen if you go to positively. the party, or if you approach the “I could start indulging in certain lines of thought, but I Mindful Living Programs: know where they lead,” Flowers 6 Governor’s Lane, Ste. A said. “I can recognize the pain, 898-1495 the fear, and the old pathway of mindfullivingprograms.com steve@mindfullivingprograms.com doubt and self-judging. I know how lonely it is.” □ One can cultivate mindfulness with practice, he said. Formal practice involves 30 to 40 minutes of focusing on breathing exercises or sounds in the room. Informal practice is being fully aware of the

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

IN THE NEW YEAR CN&R’s annual Health and Wellness Issue will be on stands January 14.

For more information about advertising in this issue, call your News & Review advertising representative today at (530) 894-2300.

Source: newhealthguide.org DECEMBER 31, 2015

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GREEN

A green (or was it brown?) year A look back at environmental happenings in 2015 by

Meredith J. Cooper me re d i thc @ n ewsr ev i ew. com

was very much dominated Tbysurprisingly, climate change. Pope Francis published his past year’s environmental news, not

his encyclical calling on the world to aid the ailing planet. And speakers flowed through Chico offering varying messages of hope and despair—one of them even touted therapy for those who are grieving over the state of the environment. The Butte Environmental Council, whose mission is to protect our land, air and water, turned 40 in 2015, and continued its many efforts to educate, act and advocate for the environment.

Toward the end of the year, in advance of the Paris Climate Talks, a local chapter of 350.org, dubbed Chico 350, attracted hundreds to march on City Plaza on behalf of climate change.

The CN&R covered many of these happenings and the people behind them in this, our environmental section. Other issues rose to the level of cover story, such as the November publication of Letters to the

Future, a collection of essays from authors, artists and activists that appeared in alternative newspapers across the country but was conceived at the Sacramento News & Review.

Aside from climate change, the biggest sin-

gular issue facing us locally was the drought.

It affected, most visibly, the creeks and rivers, Lake Oroville, agriculture and our lawns. But the implications were greater: We were quite literally forced to pay attention to water usage and take steps to conserve.

Since conservation is one of the cornerstones of the sustainability movement, it’s only fitting that in 2015, the fourth year of an epic drought, the CN&R focused heavily on ways people can cut back on water usage to preserve our local habitats and water security.

In March, we featured the good work of the Chico Permaculture Guild, which provides tools and workshops for people to create sustainable, agricultural ecosystems in their own backyards. At the time, coorganizer Stephanie Ladwig-Cooper told the CN&R that attendance at workshops had gone up, and she surmised that that

may have been due to the drought.

In April, we met Gene Anna and O.J. McMillan, a Chico couple who decided to kill their lawn and replace it with droughtresistant native plants with the help of Oroville-based eco-friendly gardener John Whittlesey. They also got hooked up with a cool sign, courtesy of the Altacal Audubon Society, acknowledging their “Certified Neighborhood Habitat.” Other signs, furnished by Cal Water, started popping up around town to notify neighbors that residents were intentionally killing their lawns.

A hike in June to the headwaters of Big Chico Creek with Butte Environmental Council’s Citizen Science Outings revealed those headwaters to be dry. And wildlife, including bears, started to be sighted closer to civilization, the theory being they were following the water, which was scarcer.

There is usually a spring here. Last summer, it was dry. cn&r File photo

Gene Anna and O.J. McMillan replaced their lawn with native habitat in 2015, with a little help from a local eco-friendly gardener.

File photo by brittAny WAterstrADt

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December 31, 2015

Gerard Ungerman and Stacey Wear, through their Respectful Revolution project, travel the country and document people and groups doing respectful things. photo courtesy oF respectFul revolution

In 2015, the CN&R also highlighted a number

of individuals and organizations that contribute in a positive way to environmental and sustainability causes. Some of the ones that stood out: GRID Alternatives, which helps low-income residents get solar panels to decrease their electric bills and help the planet; 17-year-old Allison Boyer, active in the fight against palm oil because of the harm it does to orangutan habitat, made waves internationally with her nonprofit, Purses for Primates; and Stacey Wear and Gerard Ungerman’s Respectful Revolution project, which uses short films to tell positive stories, got the attention of a national TV station. □

THE GOODS Photo by whitney Garcia

15 MINUTES

THE BOTTOM LINE

Farewell, hello and tea time

Perking up business The new year brings something different for everyone, but for Chico local Michelle Power, coowner of Bidwell Perk, it brings the 20th anniversary of the business, the 10th anniversary of her ownership, and the first full year of her new wine bar, One Mile Wines.

Power, who owns the coffee house with her husband, Gentry, had the idea of opening a beer and wine bar after falling in love with them in Europe years ago. This past fall, the Powerses decided to add wine, beer, cider and champagne to the coffee shop, and at the same time expanded the food menu to include small plates infused with local ingredients. They also expanded their hours and are now open until 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and until 6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Recently, Michelle sat down with the CN&R to discuss the success so far of her new venture. Find One Mile Wines on Facebook, or go down to Bidwell Perk on East First Avenue and visit in person.

What was opening a wine bar like?

There was a huge learning curve with my staff and myself, between understanding the alcohol and creating the new small-plate menu.

But my staff has been amazing; they’ve all done a really great job learning every new thing. And now that we’ve extended the hours, the café changes from the average

by Toni Scott tonis@newsrev iew.com

I knew leaving town during the busiest time of the year would mean returning to a bit of chaos, but I wasn’t anticipating coming back to the sheer upheaval of a Chico institution.

In between karaoke songs during a dear friend’s bachelorette party in Southern California, I checked my phone and saw post after post on my Facebook feed announcing the news: The Graduate was closing after more than 40 years in business, and with little warning.

I wasn’t a regular patron but I still felt sad knowing that I wouldn’t get the chance to say goodbye to the Eighth Street bar and grill. I was nearly 500 miles away.

But it looks as though The Grad had a great send-off even without my one last chili dog and Shirley Temple order. It closed its doors after a kill-the-keg party Dec. 15, with the out-of-town owners citing financial reasons.

hustle bustle of a morning coffee shop to a quiet wine and beer café in the evening.

How did you know what wines to offer?

I had a sommelier come in and we did an extensive tasting. I really tried to pick out flavors that I don’t find very often here in Chico, like the clean, good texture of our French Chardonnay, or the sparkling wine variety like the Arte Latino Brut.

Have you experienced success so far?

Oh, yes. For example, our hot ciders—that’s sort of new for Chico, even though the hot beverage concept isn’t. Those have been a hit. The new menu that includes Brie, Bruschetta and Caprese has done really well. Our regular customers give us great feedback, and we use Facebook to try to bring new customers in.

How do you use Facebook for the businesses?

We recently just did a promotion for finals week for the students. If they showed their student ID, they got $1 off of their beer or wine. We do things like that, just for fun to get people in and keep them excited about us.

Where do you see the businesses going in the next 10 years?

I would love to make One Mile Wines its own café. People don’t quite understand sometimes that One Mile Wines is inside the Bidwell Perk, so I do think separating them would be a good idea. I also envision patio seating for Bidwell Perk.

I really love to listen to the customers, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing to create positive changes.

breakFast at b street I’ve already spent plenty of column inches extolling my love of brunch, and though breakfast typically comes a tad too early for me, I’m still excited to see that one of my favorite weekend brunch spots is expanding its weekday menu to the morning hours.

B Street Public House began opening its doors weekdays at 8 a.m. in mid-December, serving coffee, espresso and breakfast. The shift comes as Alec Binyon joins the geniuses at that bar and restaurant (they have the best spinach fundido and I can’t put words to the tastiness of the trashy chicken tacos) after the unfortunate shuttering of his Great State Coffee Co. in late November.

I’m already relocating some of my out-of-office morning meetings to B Street and can’t wait to try the beignets, which I always feel classy ordering, even though they remind me of grown-up churros. tea time at two twenty Speaking of class, I was interested to see that

Two Twenty Restaurant is offering a high tea service Jan. 17 for $20 per person. One of my best friends is a high tea aficionado and nearly every Christmas we schedule a high tea date. We once had tea at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston and last year found a great little spot in Roseville to get in our cucumber sandwich and scone fix.

I’m looking forward to trying something locally, and as far as I know, Two Twenty is the only place in the Chico area serving high tea. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling the restaurant at 895-1515 or emailing info@twotwentyrestaurant.com.

—WHiTney GARCiA

The News & Review office will be CLOSED

at 12 noon, Thursday, Dec 31st We will re-open Monday, Jan. 4 at 9am.

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The year in review

Top 10 stories of 2015 CN&R editoRs seleCt the biggest loCal stoRies of the yeaR

W

hen we look back on 2015, we’re going to remember it as a pretty momentous time, both from national and international standpoints. It was the year the Supreme Court gave its historic ruling allowing same-sex couples to marry, regardless of what state they call home. It was a time of massive protests in response to the deaths and beatings of citizens at the hands of police. And the presidential election campaigning heated up, taking the rhetoric to new heights.

Farther afield, 2015 was the year of ISIS. In November alone, Islamic extremists associated with the terror group attacked Beirut, killing dozens of people; claimed to have been responsible for taking down a Russian airliner, killing more than 200 citizens; and then came the Paris attacks during which 136 people were killed. Closer to home, in San Berdardino, we were stunned to hear two extremists, including an American citizen, had murdered 14 people during a holiday party at a county office.

In our annual year-in-review issue, however, we focus on the local controversies in our community.

The top 10 stories of the year include familiar subjects to most Chicoans (homelessness is a top story for three years running, for example). We’ve also compiled a list of other notable stories and our popular “What were they thinking?” picks.

Once again, it’s been a hell of a year. And, of course, we’ll be here in 2016 with all the news and commentary you’ve come to rely on.

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December 31, 2015

Still on the streets

A homeless person’s camp under a Forest Avenue bridge crossing Little Chico Creek. cN&r file photo

Homelessness continued to be a front-burner issue that exposed political and ideological divides in the community.

Case in point: the Offenses Against Waterways and Public Property Initiative was introduced to the Chico City Council at the beginning of September. It prohibits the storage of personal property on public land; establishes City Hall and the surrounding area as a “Civic Center” and prohibits a host of activities there; extends the city’s existing civil-sidewalks ordinance to building entrances; and allows police officers to more easily cite homeless people for camping along Chico’s creeks and tributaries.

And those camps do contribute to degradation of the creeks. During Butte Environmental Council’s annual Bidwell Park & Chico Creeks Cleanup on Sept. 19, about 21,500 pounds of garbage and recyclables were removed from the city’s waterways— down from some 30 tons of material in 2014.

But advocates said the law compounds problems for the unsheltered by effectively criminalizing homelessness, with some suggesting that laws targeting vulnerable populations violate constitutional rights. In any case, on Sept. 15, the council approved the ordinance on a 6-to-1 vote.

Meanwhile, organizations providing services to homeless people underwent major changes. In October, the Esplanade House, a transitional facility for homelessness, disability and addiction, lost eligibility for a $150,000 federal grant due to its sobriety requirements. Right around the same time, Bill Such, longtime executive director of the Jesus Center, abruptly left the nonprofit organization. It was announced shortly after that local consultant Laura Cootsona would replace Such.

Other services providers, including Stairways Programming and the Chico Housing Action Team (CHAT), made great efforts to take homeless people directly off the streets. Both organizations embrace the Housing First model, which attempts to remove barriers (such as sobriety and mental health requirements) to place homeless people directly into their own independent living situation.

Not acting can have tragic consequences, as was demonstrated by three deaths during the winter’s first cold snap. On Nov. 2, Edward Louis Doran, 42, was

District Attorney Mike Ramsey at a press conference during which he explained that Paradise Police Officer Patrick Feaster would not face criminal charges for shooing an unarmed DUI suspect.

Mike O’Brien, a longtime employee of the Chico Police Department, is sworn in as chief during a year in which members of the community felt compelled to take public safety into their own hands.

cn&r file photo

cn&r file photo

found dead at Depot Park. On Nov. 4, Colma Roy Youpee, 59, died while bundled in his sleeping bag at the parking lot on the northwest corner of Eighth and Main streets. Then, on Nov. 10, a security guard discovered the body of Sharon Ann Gray, 59, near Evans Furniture and Highway 99.

Violent cops

Butte County contributed its share to the national collection of disturbing videos of law enforcement officers committing acts of violence in 2015, fueling growing national concern over the policies, tactics and accountability of American police departments. One video that people likely will review and talk about for a long time was captured by the dashcam of Paradise Police Officer Patrick Feaster on Nov. 25.

The video shows Feaster pursuing a recklessly driven SUV until the vehicle rolls, ejecting a passenger onto the roadway. As the driver appears and attempts to climb out of the vehicle, Feaster draws his weapon and fires, and the man drops. The video is shocking, and further details were equally so.

Feaster claims to have not known he fired his weapon, though he’s seen searching for shell casings rather than attending to the woman in the road, Darien Ehorn, who died at the scene. He also didn’t tell anyone about the shooting until 11 minutes later, to which a commanding officer incredulously replied— as heard in lapel cam footage released later— “Oh my fucking god, are you serious?”

That was also the collective response from people in Butte County and well beyond on Dec. 10, when Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey declared the shooting “not justified, but not criminal.” Feaster accidentally pulled the trigger, Ramsey concluded, and because Thomas, whose blood alcohol content registered 0.15, had survived the incident, it wasn’t a homicide and therefore there were no criminal charges to file.

All that changed Dec. 19, however, when Thomas, who already was paralyzed,

died of multiple organ failure. Ramsey, who’s waiting on results of an autopsy, said his office will now consider a charge of negligent manslaughter.

That’s not the only local video of police violence that surfaced this year.

In February, footage of a Chico police officer delivering a brutal beating to another DUI suspect—Sean Reardon—went viral when the story was covered by news website TMZ.

City debt handled

The biggest news to come out of the city in 2015 came near the end of the year.

In December, City Manager Mark Orme announced during a City Council meeting that the coffers were flush enough for the city to transfer $4 million from its operating budget to help pay down the deficit fund, and that the effort would bring the municipality’s debt down to about $519,000. He also told the panel that the rest of that debt would be wiped out by end of the 2015-16 fiscal year.

Orme’s good news marked the first time in seven years that the city’s financial state appeared to be on the upswing. It was delivered after two straight years of work to pay down a deficit fund that at one point exceeded $15 million. Those efforts included sweeping layoffs at City Hall by former City Manager Brian Nakamura back in 2013.

When Nakamura departed Chico the next year, Orme, who promoted Administrative Services Director Chris Constantin to assistant city manager, moved the organization forward with a conservative outlook on finances.

The city had gotten deep into the red thanks to years of contracting sales tax revenues in the face of the Great Recession, a time that also led to state take-backs of redevelopment and vehicle-license funding, and drops in property tax revenues. In response, the city borrowed from several special funds to pay for operational costs, rather than eliminating jobs and city services. It caught up with the organization big time; the city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy back in 2013.

Crime response

The staffing levels of the Chico Police Department have long been blamed for everything from slow response times to the inability to effectively patrol downtown. In 2015, all that came to a head, with citizens stepping up in record numbers to take control of public safety.

In the early part of the year, the department was led by Interim Chief Mike Dunbaugh, a former chief who came back following the early retirement of Kirk Trostle, the second chief in a row to retire on his 50th birthday.

In March, 2014’s crime statistics were released and the Chico Police Department— and most local media—highlighted the dramatic increase in crime reports. But thenpolice Capt. Mike O’Brien told the CN&R that a new online reporting system called

City Manager Mark Orme announced in December that the city would be debt-free by the end of the next fiscal year. cn&r file photo

CopLogic may have created the uptick.

That same month, the Downtown Chico Business Association launched the Beautiful, Clean & Safe Community Campaign, an effort to crowdfund $130,000 mostly to fund private security but also the Downtown Ambassador and Cleanup Brigade programs.

The private guards who patrol downtown had been employed for a few holiday seasons, but the group wanted to extend their service year-round.

In April, the City Council approved a new contract for the Chico Police Officers’ Association, the largest and most powerful city union. The three-year agreement includes raises and will cost the taxpayers an additional $1.5 million over its term. It was passed by all of the self-described conservatives on the panel and Councilwoman Ann Schwab, despite the fact that it didn’t put any more officers on the street. What it did was silence the rhetoric from the CPOA, which for years had been bleating about how the city had become a cesspool of crime.

The next month, a group of concerned citizens banded together to start a Facebook page called Chico Stolen Bike. It was in direct response to the increase in bicycle thefts, which had been acknowledged by the Chico Police Department but not addressed by its officers. The page led to several success stories of citizens getting back their stolen rides and is still active.

When O’Brien was appointed chief in June, he finished a reorganization of the department started by the interim chief that adopted a “community-oriented” policing strategy. He brought back the TARGET team, which focuses on crime-prone areas of Chico and works with residents and neighborhood leaders, and also introduced the TOP 10 c o n t i n u e D December 31, 2015

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Nextdoor app, which allows citizens to submit comments via cellphone. The department also began doing stings with so-called bait bikes to finally help staunch Chico’s rampant bicycle-theft problem.

Academic unrest

It was a truly tumultuous year at Chico State—particularly for the university’s top executives.

In February, hundreds of Chico State staff and faculty members rallied outside the Bell Memorial Union to decry longstanding issues such as salary inequity, bullying and intimidation on the part of university officials, and a lack of transparency from upper management. The protesters marched with picket signs past Kendall Hall, the red-brick building that houses the university’s administration.

Later in the spring semester, longtime university President Paul Zingg took a lengthy medical leave as he recuperated from a series of complications related to heart bypass surgery. He returned in June and announced that, due to his ongoing health concerns, this academic year would be his last before retirement.

It didn’t start smoothly. Members of the campus community raised the alarm in late August, when Zingg appointed Susan Elrod provost, the chief academic officer and university’s second-in-command. Faculty and staff weren’t consulted in the appointment, they said, thereby violating the university’s principle of shared governance. Zingg backtracked days later by announcing that Elrod had declined the permanent provost position but would continue serving as interim through the end of the academic year.

Around the same time, the results of the Campus Climate Survey were released, including responses from 55 percent of the university’s employees. The survey reflected the grievances expressed by protesters in February, namely that there’s widespread dissatisfaction among Chico State’s rankand-file.

But the biggest mess came just before

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Thanksgiving break, when faculty members were informed that unexpected cuts to the Academic Affairs budget might cancel some classes next semester. Then it emerged that departments across campus were unexpectedly short on funding heading into spring 2016, despite the fact that the spring budget had increased by $5.1 million compared with last year.

At the Academic Senate meeting on Dec. 3, Elrod explained that rising personnel costs had eaten up the $5.1 million, and then some.

At that same meeting, the Academic Senate introduced a resolution to deliver a vote of no confidence in Zingg, Elrod and Lorraine Hoffman, vice president for business and finance. Despite significant resistance from some constituencies on campus, that vote was delivered by a tally of 24-8 during the senate’s next meeting, on Dec. 10, sending a definitive message to the CSU Office of the Chancellor that something is broken at Chico State—and that the university’s next president will have a lot of work to do.

Drought-stricken

Among the biggest stories of 2015 was the (ongoing) record-breaking drought here in Butte County and throughout California and the Southwest. For the fourth year in a row, snowfall was scarce and the “rainy season” was anything but. So, forecasts for the summer months—when water levels historically reach their lowest—were dismal at best.

As early as March, the state issued regulations including not watering lawns more than twice a week and not at all for 48 hours after a substantial rain; not serving water at restaurants unless requested; and hotels giving guests the option of reusing their linens.

Some people balked at the lawn-watering restrictions and complained about neighbors who let their grass die. That would all soon change.

By April, Lake Oroville was at 51 percent of capacity, rainfall was slightly higher than the previous year, but snowpack, which recharges rivers and reservoirs in the spring,

Lake Oroville dropped to a near-record low in 2015. cn&r file photo

was at a mere 6 percent of normal.

By the first of June, things were looking especially dire. California Water Service Co. implemented further water usage restrictions, setting monthly water budgets for each household that were equal to a 32 percent reduction from 2013. In addition, any lawn watering that caused runoff was prohibited and could result in a fine. Washing sidewalks and driveways was likewise banned.

The summer, especially those water cutback requirements, pushed the majority of local residents to embrace the seriousness of the drought and begin to take real measures to curb usage. More and more landscape companies began offering drought-tolerant plants and native species in lieu of the lush, green lawn. There was grumbling at first, but it mostly died down.

That didn’t stop the state from declaring a drought emergency on July 22, due to the fact that an alarming number of wells had been reported going dry. Rain started to fall this winter, and the potentially strong El Niño year is keeping everyone hopeful for 2016.

Embattled Chico State Interim Provost Susan Elrod and President Paul Zingg (pictured) and Lorraine Hoffman, the vice president for business and finance, received a no-confidence vote from the university’s Academic Senate shortly before the end of the fall term.

The tenor of the City Council changed immediately following the swearing in of incumbent Mark Sorensen (right) and newbies Reanette Fillmer and Andrew Coolidge—all conservatives.

cn&r file photo

cn&r file photo by robert Speer

December 31, 2015

Culture shift

The conservative-majority council was sworn in at the end of 2014, and the four members who have the final say in city deliberations— Mark Sorensen, Sean Morgan, Andrew Coolidge and Reanette Fillmer—immediately gave us a taste their style. They broke from the bipartisan leadership—a liberal as mayor and a conservative as vice mayor—that had steered the city through the previous tumultuous 16 months. Sorensen was voted mayor unanimously and Morgan, who made headlines for dropping an F-bomb from the dais, was voted in as vice mayor on a split vote down party lines.

And that partisan moment has foreshadowed many of the panel’s votes on controversial items in 2015.

As their tenure got started, the conservatives voted to undo some weighty decisions the progressives voted on over the course of their 12 years of power. First, newbie Councilman Andrew Coolidge agendized discussion of Chico Scrap Metal, the polluted scrap metal yard in south Chico that was supposed to move from its home on E. 20th Street, near Chapman Elementary School and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., by the end of 2014 (see more on this move in “What were they thinking?” page 23).

Another polarizing issue the four-person majority brought back was an effort to install banners year-round on utility poles along East Avenue honoring Chico residents now serving in the military. A group called Chico Military Heroes brought the project forward in 2014 and was shot down by the then-liberal majority. To their credit, that majority attempted a compromise that would have allowed the flags to fly for 30 days, but that plan did not mollify the military group, whose organizers wanted all or nothing. No matter. The conservatives gave the project

Ron Angle, pictured in front of the Dorothy Johnson Center, has lived in Chapmantown since 1990. Within five years his neighborhood will become part of the city. file photo bY robert Speer

the green light this year.

As far as the council’s tone goes, we’ve seen a lot of bickering this year among the progressives and conservatives. While Sorsensen, who as mayor leads the meetings, deserves credit for keeping the gatherings running efficiently, capping them at 10 p.m. on most occasions, he’s also let his temper get away from him to score political points.

And junior conservatives Morgan, Coolidge and Fillmer—who whisper to each other regularly—don’t even feign attention when members of the public address them on issues they aren’t interested in or don’t agree with them on.

In other words, this council is as partisan as ever.

Goodbye ‘islands’

After decades of remaining the last “urban islands” of county land surrounded by greater Chico, two residential neighborhoods— Chapmantown and the Mulberry District— are set to become part of the city in the next five years.

Chapmantown lies between Little Chico Creek to the north and East 16th Street to the south, while Mulberry is a smaller area east of Fair Street and north of the fairgrounds.

Together, they comprise 138 acres and about 1,300 residents, and many people who live in the semi-rural settings like things just the way they are. Unlike most of Chico, Chapmantown doesn’t have sidewalks, curbs and gutters, street lights are few, and most homes aren’t connected to the sewer system.

Residents there also can’t vote in city elections, despite being affected by the Chico City Council’s decisions.

In November 2014, the City Council—then made up of a liberal majority—voted 4-3 not

to sign an agreement with the Butte County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) to annex the neighborhoods within five years. But in February, at Councilman Randall Stone’s request, the current conservative-majority council revisited the issue.

At the time, the council faced the threat of a lawsuit from LAFCo, which was demanding full payment for some 60 sewer connections—about half of which are in Champman/ Mulberry—the city had allowed without the agency’s approval, as required by state law. LAFCo offered to settle the issue of the unauthorized sewer hookups separately from annexation, but that likely would have led to piecemeal and faster incorporation of the neighborhoods.

“If we don’t sign the agreement, LAFCo will move within a year,” Stone said during the Feb. 17 council meeting. “This way we have five years to make sense of the process and establish our finances [and] satisfy the public safety needs” of Chapman/Mulberry.

As for the annual cost of providing city services to the neighborhoods, estimates vary from minimal to somewhere between $400,000 and $600,000.

Ultimately, the council voted 5-2 in favor of annexation, thereby ensuring that Chapman/ Mulberry will be welcomed into the city.

Tree troubles

The greatest threat to Chico’s urban forest in recent years has been internal, with the city failing to hire a new urban forester since the departure of the last person to fill that position in 2013, and the gutting of the crew responsible for the upkeep of the area’s trees during massive budget slashes that same year. This year, Chico’s trees and the people who love them dealt with the same issues, as well as external threats.

Chico’s urban canopy is suffering due to a lack of city resources, including the elimination of a dedicated tree crew and urbanforester post. cN&r file photo

PG&E’s Pipelines Pathways project is an effort to remove trees, vegetation and structures along 6,750 miles of natural gas pipelines throughout the state. It started after a 2010 gas line explosion killed eight people in San Bruno, though tree advocates near and abroad have argued trees didn’t play a role in that explosion. Still, the utility claims the goal is to allow better access to safety workers in the event of an accident.

To that end, the company removed more than 200 trees in Oroville in 2014 before the public took notice, and tree advocates rallied early in 2015 to save a row of century-old Sycamores with sit-ins that led to the arrest of some protesters. The trees were still felled.

In order to avoid the same scenario happening at a spot in south Chico, Butte Environmental Council began communicating with PG&E and the city to lessen the damage.

The organization was able to broker a deal that meant fewer trees will be cut. Additionally, the utility is giving money to the city to plant new trees and maintain them for three years. A similar deal is in the works for another batch of trees located on county property south of Chico on the Midway.

The internal struggles continue. There is still no new urban forester, and a draft Urban Forest Management Plan remains in the limbo where it has languished for years. According to the city’s most recent Sustainability Indicators Report, published last May, 209 trees were removed by city workers in 2014, while only 14 were planted.

Record-breakers?

As overused and misused as it may be, the word “epic” is just about the perfect way to encapsulate what transpired last April at the Tackle Box Bar & Grill. From the evening of April 1 through the afternoon of May 5, the stage of the south Chico nightclub/restau-

SUMMER JA M S ’15 STAR TI N G A See ARTS

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FANCY FEAST See CHOW , page 28

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rant/tackle-and-gun shop hosted live music nonstop, for 24 hours every single day, in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record of Longest Concert by Multiple Artists.

Dubbed Chico Breaks the Record, the attempt lasted nearly 35 days, more than twice as long as the previous record of 15 1/2.

The event was the brainchild of local musician Julian Ruck who, along with partner Emily Rose, organized a rag-tag crew of committed volunteers to keep time, do sound and bear “official” witness to the proceedings.

Though the event started off a bit shaky, with big holes in the performing schedule and anxious early morning calls for more bodies in the audience (the rules dictated that 10 spectators had to be in attendance at all times), a power outage the morning of April 6 seemed to galvanize the city. With fears that the brief interruption in the required audio/video recordings and subsequent resetting of the record clock would mean that Guinness wouldn’t recognize those first five days, a wide swath of Chico’s musicians and fresh batches of volunteers started pouring in. “[The outage] was sort of a blessing in disguise,” said Ruck in the weeks after the attempt.

In all, roughly 300 individual acts (900-plus musicians) would take part, playing more than 11,000 songs. When the attempt ended, Ruck and Rose drove the evidence—70 pounds’ worth—across the country and hand-delivered it to Guinness headquarters in New York in June.

Unfortunately, after more than four months of waiting, the initial response from Guinness wasn’t good. At this point the company is saying that the way the evidence was organized doesn’t meet its standards (even though specific methods were not outlined in the guidelines) and that it won’t recognize the record. Ruck says they’re still in conversation, but he’ll stop short of engaging in a big, ugly battle. “We want Chico Breaks the Record to remain a beautiful experience,” he said.

Whatever the final verdict, Chico did come together to create one beautiful, and epic, experience. Ω more

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Other notable stories More headline-Makers in 2015

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Park access granted In recent years, locked gates have blocked vehicular access to Bidwell Park on weekdays, but that changed in 2015 after members of the Chico City Council got fed up.

Some gates at One-Mile and Five-Mile recreation areas were opened only on weekends since the sweeping cuts to the city’s budget and staff in 2013. Dan Efseaff, manager of the city’s Park Division, said he kept the areas closed to vehicular traffic because park rangers weren’t available to patrol.

But after hearing from perturbed constituents, members of the council began to voice their frustration. “It drives me stark-raving nuts to ride my bike through One-Mile and see people fighting for street parking,” said Mayor Mark Sorensen during a council meeting in March.

It wasn’t until June—after nearly two years of being closed Monday through Thursday—that city staff opened the gates at One-Mile and Five-Mile seven days a week.

Fracking setback

For nearly two years, motorists attempting to park at Five-Mile Recreation Area on weekdays were greeted by a locked gate.

CN&R File PHOTO

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The fight against fracking got an early foothold in the North State, with the group FrackFree Butte County informing locals about the oil-extraction process and its detrimental effects on the environment well before it became a national conversation. It initially looked like that early work would pay off, when the Butte County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to craft an ordinance banning the practice in Butte County in April 2014.

Those same supervisors had a change of heart, however, and in February of this

year voted not to adopt the ordinance. They instead directed county staff to craft an alternate ordinance calling for conditional-use permits so each project can be considered on an individual basis. They also approved an ordinance prohibiting the storage of and disposal of fracking byproducts.

Anti-frackers gathered enough signatures to take the decision to local voters next November. The measure would have been on the 2014 general election ballot, but the supes’ review of the initiative delayed a public vote.

New life for downtown Oroville This past year saw the revitalization of a historical landmark, the Oroville Inn. Having sat in disrepair for years, the Bird Street property was finally purchased by local real estate mogul Orville “Bud” Tracy and renovation work began immediately.

The hotel, built in 1929 and turned into low-income housing in the 1980s, was condemned in 2010. Tracy’s plan is to restore it to its former glory, but transform the lodging portion into student housing and make the rest mixed-use commercial.

The Oroville Inn isn’t the only downtown Oroville building being revitalized, however.

Tracy and some other history-minded folks have purchased several other landmark buildings with plans to truly bring life back to downtown. Several, including the one that now houses Miner’s Alley Brewing Co., already look and feel both historic and hip.

In August, Butte County seriff Kory Honea got the green light to seek a $40 million grant to expand the jail.

CN&R File photo

in February. It was promptly thrown out.

As of the last status update in September, the county had issued 503 citations, with a total of $1.14 million in fines, of which only $85,090 had been paid. At that time, there were 700 open cases and 191 closed cases.

It was enough, toward the end of the year, to prompt a new group of medical marijuana advocates calling themselves the Inland Cannabis Farmers’ Association to emerge.

The Oroville Inn has undergone quite a remodel, most recently adding new signage. photo CouRtesy oF oRoville iNN via FaCebook

So long, farewell We’ve said a lot of goodbyes this past year, to prominent locals who died as well as longtime businesses that shuttered their doors.

In March, Rick Rees, a former Chico Unified School Board member and beloved member of the university community who had long worked in the Student Activities Office, passed away suddenly at age 63; in April, longtime and well-respected former Chico City Manager Fred Davis died at the age of 90; Joe Person, well-known and -respected civil rights activist, died in May at 85; Bill Lee, journalist and former editor of the Chico Enterprise-Record, 96, passed away the following month; youth advocate Charlie Preusser, aka “Mr. Chico” or “Chico’s oldest frat boy,” died in October at age 71; Gary Sitton, a former Chico State computer science professor and respected businessman and philanthropist, also passed away in October. He was 70 years old.

On the business front, Chico bid farewell to many longtime staples, including Paradise Post Printing, one of the biggest employers on the Ridge, which, in June, closed its doors after 35 years printing papers including the News & Review. More recently, in November, longtime home décor fabricators Woof & Poof folded (see more RIPs in Arts DEVO, page 34).

‘Stay in the box!’

Anyone who grows pot—or smokes it, eats it, etc.—in Butte County was made painfully aware of Measure A, the ordinance limiting square footage of gardens based on acreage and allowing anonymous complaints.

The law went into effect in January and the county went all in, hiring staff and doing door-to-door education campaigns (and citation sweeps).

Measure A opponents went on the offensive, too, and filed a lawsuit to block it back

A new kind of jail In 2015, Butte County moved to expand and renovate its 614-bed jail, which was constructed in 1963, long before Assembly Bill 109, or the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011, shifted the responsibility for housing and rehabilitating certain nonviolent inmates from state prisons to county jails.

“It was never contemplated that we’d hold the kind of criminals we do now,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea during a Chico City Council meeting in March.

Honea pitched the idea of a new jail as a means to better accommodate inmates with mental illnesses, provide programs to address the underlying causes of criminality and securely house inmates for longer periods of time. The project took a big step forward in August, when, with the support of local cities, the county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to allow Honea to pursue $40 million in state funding for the ultramodern facility.

Racism persists A pair of high-profile local incidents served as evidence that intolerance is alive and well in Chico. In late January, a verbal altercation between a group of Chico High students who parked their Confederate flag-adorned SUV in front of a multiracial family’s home ended with the same symbol planted in the family’s front yard late that night. The students alleged they were assaulted by two black adults following the initial argument, and the family insisted the students planted the flag, but no arrests were made.

On the positive side, the Coalition for Reconciliation and Community Transformation sprang up from the incident.

The group aims to develop protocols for community response to acts of racial violence or prejudice.

Then, on July 2, a fire broke out at Fusion Hookah Lounge on Walnut Street, which owners Jenny and Sam Dahma believe was caused by a makeshift explosive meant to burn the business down. Jenny Dahma said the fire was only the latest act of Islamaphobia directed at the business; she hears racial slurs hurled from passing cars as often as three to four times daily.

The incident was enough to prompt the Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to alert the FBI. NOTABLEs c o n t i n u e D December 31, 2015

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Bidwell Ranch’s fate has been in limbo since the city purchased the property 18 years ago.

CN&R File PHOTO

Stink at Sycamore Pool In July, a big stink was raised about the cleanliness of Sycamore Pool, the iconic concrete swimming hole at OneMile Recreation Area, after a local blogger posted about a family member who’d reportedly contracted skin and eye infections after swimming there.

It then came to light that, for years, the pool was drained and cleaned weekly but had been on a much less regular schedule since July 2011 due to the city’s low staffing levels.

The change was never clearly communicated to the public.

Dan Efseaff, manager of the city’s Park Division, explained that the city removes algae from the pool mostly to minimize the risk of slipping and increase visibility for lifeguards, not for hygienic purposes. (After all, the pool is then refilled with untreated water from Big Chico Creek.) Efseaff also maintained that regular testing of the pool’s fecal coliform levels indicated that the pool was safe for swimming, though some of those samples exceeded standards recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Over the last 38 years, the CN&R has been Chico’s community watchdog.

We’ve advocated for everything from services for mentally ill and homeless individuals to support for local independent retailers and the arts.

But we want to do more. Help us fund a reporter to dig into government records, looking for things like waste and fraud. Help us fund important funding on poverty, homelessness and crime, here in Chico and around Butte County.

Over the summer, some swimmers questioned the cleanliness of Sycamore Pool at One-Mile Recreation Area, though city officials said it was safe.

File PHOTO BY BRiTTANY WATeRSTRADT

Arts Commission lives on

Chico Arts Commission members Muir Hughes (left) and Monica McDaniel lobbied for the city to maintain ties with the Arts Commission.

CN&R File PHOTO

The Chico Arts Commission entered the new year breathing what appeared to be its last gasps, the result of perennial annual defunding by the city coupled with actions by City Council to decrease city staff time allotted toward the group’s meetings.

At one point, the new conservative-majority council seemed eager to put the final nails in the group’s proverbial coffin by cutting that time altogether and disbanding the panel. However, the Arts Commission made an impressive last-ditch rally at the end of March by releasing the results of a study by Washington, D.C.-based organization Americans for the Arts, which indicated that arts-driven nonprofit groups contributed $17.7 million to the city’s economy in 2014.

The council eventually agreed to allow the Arts Commission to continue to operate by changing to a more independent model, similar to that developed in nearby Orland. In September, the panel took action to make changes to the model, with a new ordinance scheduled for introduction during the first meeting of 2016.

Bidwell Ranch High-profile is back … sort of homicides Back in May, there was some movement on 750-acre Bidwell Ranch, the city-owned reserve adjacent to Upper Bidwell Park that developers have long wanted to purchase for construction purposes and conservationists want to remain open space. The city purchased the property 18 years earlier, with the intention of turning it into a mitigation and/ or conservation bank, but those plans stalled, mainly due to the Great Recession.

With little movement over the past decade, six heavy-hitting local environmental groups—including Butte Environmental Council—decided to lobby for the habitat to be officially added to the park. They reached consensus on the issue around the time the city began inventorying its properties, just a few months after the City Council turned to a conservative majority. But some were hesitant to wash their hands of the idea to create a mitigation bank, and so the issue stalled yet again.

Then, in September, city staff suggested that the Butte County Association of Governments may be interested in purchasing the property—for millions of dollars— and turning it into a fee-based mitigation bank. That might be possible after BCAG completes its Butte Regional Conservation Plan, which is expected to happen mid-2016, so the fate of the controversial property is once again on hold.

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See Backbeat, page 20

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THEY’RE BAAAAACK!

Breaking the bank

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This past year saw two high-profile homicide cases that were both surrounded by strange circumstances. The first was that of Cass Edison, a 55-year-old homeless woman who’d once had a full life as a journalist, wife and mother. Alcoholism took its toll, however, and ultimately led her to the streets. Her body was found in March on a truck bed wrapped in blanket. She’d been beaten and strangled. Police quickly arrested Christopher Swihart, who already had three felony domestic violence convictions. When he first appeared in court for the case, he purposely banged his head on the table, knocking himself out.

Then there was the tragic story of 16-year-old Melissa Esquivel-Flores, from Nord. Her body was found on July 4 in a farm worker’s shop in Orland with a gunshot wound to the head. Police arrested the person of interest in the case, Alfredo Rodriguez Ruvalcaba, the next day, but not in connection to the homicide. He’d been found unconscious in a ditch in Glenn County and was arrested on a Butte County warrant for continued sexual assault on a minor—Esquivel-Flores. He’d shown up for court in early 2013 but apparently fled to Mexico before trial.

Both Swihart and Ruvalcaba are charged with homicide and are due in court Jan. 12. □ more

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Vital addition The opening of a new emergency department in 2015 marked the end of major construction in Enloe Medical Center’s Century Project, a $175 million reshaping and expansion of the main hospital that began in 2007. Its completion was a significant upgrade, considering the increased demand for emergency services. The ER saw around 40,000 patients in 2013, 48,000 patients last year, and this year’s final number likely will be even greater.

In addition to the new 39-bed ER, the Century Project includes, among other things, the Magnolia Tower, a fivestory facility for patients that opened in 2012, as well as a parking structure that opened in 2008.

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What were they thinking?

A look A the jAw-dropping things people sAid And did in 2015 by

CN&R staff

The poop-shoe incident Swept under the rug Newbie City Councilwoman Reanette Fillmer really stepped in it during a City Council meeting in September 2015 in which the panel was considering adopting an ordinance that basically criminalizes homelessness.

That law, now in effect, is called the Offenses Against Waterways and Public Property initiative. What it does, among other things, is make it easier for police officers to cite homeless people for camping along Chico’s creeks and tributaries, and also to confiscate their belongings.

Fillmer claimed to have been “teetering” on whether to vote in favor of it until she visited San Francisco and had an unpleasant experience there—170 miles from Chico. Her remarks from the dais, during a public meeting filled with residents, are stunning: “I stepped in someone’s shit, and that pretty much threw me over the top on this ordinance,” she said. “And now I need a new pair of shoes, so in saying that, I support the ordinance.” Wow.

Reanette Fillmer cursed from the dais while justifying her aye vote on Chico’s new ordinance that criminalizes homelessness. cN&r file Photo by michelle camy

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At the end of the 2014-15 school year at Chico State, a female student was walking on campus around 2 a.m. and was sexually assaulted near the Student Health Center. She didn’t know her attacker.

Beyond the heinousness of this crime, the university’s response was less than stellar. It was almost as if the administration didn’t want people to know it had happened. A campus-wide email in legalese was sent out: “The assault consisted of a forcible act of sexual penetration.” And that was it. The Orion, Chico State’s student newspaper, was the only media source to report on it, and even that was only a 100-word brief.

“No college wants to have the reputation that their school is unsafe, but these crimes need to be made known and have a light shined on them, because the danger is out there,” Yvonne Loomis, a sexual assault counselor at Chico’s Rape Crisis Center, told the CN&R at the time.

(See “Safety in the spotlight,” Sept. 3.) Of course, she’s right.

couple Lindy Carter and Jeff Kelly submitted video of someone slashing the tires of three vehicles they owned on July 10. Sgt. Scott Zuschin told the CN&R the footage had fallen through the cracks of the department’s new online crime reporting system, Coplogic. Zuschin admitted the department was still working out the bugs in the system.

Surveillance slips by In September, the whole of Chico became aware of what many residents living between Mangrove Avenue and Highway 99 had known for weeks—the neighborhood was in the grips of a tire-slashing spree. According to data gathered by citizens using social media/virtual neighborhood watch application Nextdoor.com, more than 100 tires were slashed in the area beginning in early August, costing residents tens of thousands of dollars in collective insurance and repair costs.

When the slashings were reported by the CN&R, Councilman Randall Stone— who lives in the target area—revealed he’d known about it for more than a month and organized a meeting with neighbors, Chico police bigwigs and other city staff. He said he’d acted under the radar in fear of causing copycat crimes, and Chico Police Lt. Rob Merrifield seemed baffled that no neighbors had contributed video evidence from surveillance cameras.

The problem was, someone had. Chico

Let’s go ahead and advertise what we just stole.

Photo courtesy of G-riDe via facebook

A dumb thing to steal When one wants to steal a vehicle, it’s generally better to steal something inconspicuous. At least, we’d assume so.

Evidently that was lost on the person who was near the home of Mike “Mike G” Griffith of G-Ride Pedi-Cab one day in July when he left the A/C on in his truck and ran inside for a minute. His truck, unmissable with his huge business logo on the side, was gone when he got back. To make matters worse, his dog/sidekick, Lil G, was inside.

The great wall of Ray Morgan.

All ended well for Griffith after he took to social media to find the truck and Lil G. Within hours, the dog was found at Heritage Inn Express on Broadway—where Griffith used to work—and soon after, Chico police found the truck. They credited an Instagram user who posted a photo of Griffith’s ride with their ability to find it so quickly.

The thief wasn’t quite done yet, though. Griffith says that after he rekeyed his car, he found the locks tampered with.

His theory: The thief tried to get back in with the original key!

Bill Such cut loose On Oct. 12, local media outlets received a press release announcing that the Jesus Center board of directors had booted Executive Director Bill Such. The board cited “a difference of opinion on the future vision and direction of the Jesus Center” as the reason.

In the release, board President Ryan Vaught is quoted as saying, “Bill Such has incredible gifts and a heart for the homeless population that has been evidenced at every turn.”

But when this newspaper contacted Vaught, a local real estate agent, to see what the board’s new vision entailed, he refused comment.

So, there you have it. Such was cut loose unceremoniously after more than 10 years with the Jesus Center, and the organization’s board wouldn’t talk to the media about how they believed this important nonprofit should be run.

Eight days later, they announced they’d found a replacement: Laura Cootsona, a local consultant with a long history of working with nonprofits in fundraising, marketing and strategic planning.

Lawman’s sex crimes On June 25, Butte County Corrections Officer Timothy Hill was charged with sex crimes against a female inmate, including indecent exposure, sexual activity with a detainee in a detention facility and sexual battery. The crimes were reported 11 months earlier, and allegedly included instances of the male officer exposing himself to the inmate as well as fondling her and engaging in “hugging fests.”

Hill was eventually convicted on the charge of sexual activity with a detainee, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation. He quit work the day the charges were filed, and apparently everyone learned a lesson, because the case brought changes to the Butte County Jail, including the addition of two security cameras and the requirement that jail staff and volunteers undergo anti-prison-rape training.

Rookie moves Back in December 2014, the very first motion City Councilman Andrew Coolidge made after being sworn in as an elected official was to agendize discussion of Chico Scrap Metal, a company he had ties to. In 2010, Coolidge did public relations work for a politiCouncilman Randall Stone (left) and Mayor Mark Sorensen pictured here during a City Council meeting without a lot of controversy. cN&r file photo

cal action committee the company’s owners had helped establish to unseat District Attorney Mike Ramsey and replace him with a carpetbagger attorney out of Sacramento. That attempt to oust Ramsey was retaliation for his filing charges against the company’s owners for environmental pollution (the company paid hundreds of thousands in fines).

A previous City Council in 2006 had ordered the scrap yard to vacate its property on East 20th Street within five years since its practices do not fit in with the neighborhood. A series of extensions was ending right around the time Coolidge took office and he wasted no time in reversing course on booting the company.

Problem is, Coolidge didn’t disclose his ties to Chico Scrap Metal. So this newspaper did.

As a result, in January 2015, the freshman council member threatened the CN&R and Editor Melissa Daugherty with a baseless libel suit that he never followed through on.

cN&r file photo

Let’s build here Residents of a handful of houses in north Chico had a rude awakening last spring when the Ray Morgan Co., which owns the property along The Esplanade bordering their Amber Grove neighborhood, decided to expand. And erect a 24-foot-tall building directly behind their fence lines.

But the fault wasn’t all in Ray Morgan, which obtained permits legally through the city. It was the city Planning Department that dropped the ball and didn’t follow its own policies, blindly approving the building permit instead of vetting it thoroughly. Affected homeowner Pat Hurton had it right in May when he said: “The city botched this. What they overlooked was the impact this would have on us and the neighborhood.”

Missing reports debate Back in mid-summer, Randall Stone got a bee in his bonnet after realizing the public could no longer access campaign

finance reports on the city’s website. He posted about the situation on his public Facebook page, indicating that staff had removed the documents, and calling out City Clerk Debbie Presson in particular. That was a bad move, considering Presson, who used to report to the city manager, now reports directly to the council (i.e., a personnel issue should have been handled in private). He also implied that the missing files had something to do with the new conservative majority.

The conservatives didn’t take kindly to that. At the first City Council meeting following the dust-up, Mayor Mark Sorensen accused Stone of trying to score political points and lambasted the first-term councilman for a full 11 minutes over the issue. Stone hadn’t done his research on the missing reports and didn’t know what he was talking about, Sorensen charged.

And then the mayor implied that Presson could sue the city for Stone’s actions and called his comments “lies and slander.”

As this paper opined, both men handled the situation poorly. Stone should have either raised the issue internally or publicly but not in an accusatory way.

And the mayor should not have suggested that a staffer could sue the already financially strapped city. □ December 31, 2015

CN&R

23

Arts &Culture 2015: Year in film

THIS WEEK 31

THURS

Special Events MIDNIGHT IN MONTE CARLO: New Year’s Eve charity ball featuring

CN&R critic sifts through the year’s many cinematic treasures for us at the movies this year. I’m Tpretty sure there was also a lot that was

here was an embarrassment of riches

just plain embarrassing, but it seems I managed to steer clear of most of that. And by Juan-Carlos once I began these Selznick year-end reflections on movie-watching in 2015, the list of films I was very glad to have seen ran to well over 50 titles.

Picking a final top 10, however, seemed almost impossible, or at least unusually difficult: There was no shortage of worthy films, but the great bulk of them seemed to rate as “very good,” but not “absolutely great.” And, at the moment, I’m thinking there were maybe five films that ranked above the rest, while another 20 or so were worthy of places six through 10.

As of this writing (the week before Christmas, as usual), the year’s best shape up like this (in order of preference): Mr. Turner; Two Days, One Night; Jauja; Spotlight; The Forbidden Room; Bridge of Spies; Phoenix; Far From Men; White God; Timbuktu.

I think the first five in that group stand above the rest, while the other five are just a tiny bit better than a dozen or so of the year’s outstanding

24

CN&R

DECEMBER 31, 2015

releases. Those “runners-up” include: Wild Tales, Heart of a Dog, Sicario, Brooklyn, The Homesman, Clouds of Sils Maria, We Come as Friends, A Most Violent Year, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Dope, Mad Max: Fury Road and It Follows.

Nine of the above are foreign films and only a few of the others are American movies that have had the benefit of a nationwide publicity campaign.

(For almost any of the titles that may not ring a bell, you can check on what I had to say about them via Chico News & Review’s online archive.)

Of the three that I haven’t yet had occasion to review in the CN&R, I’ll say this: Far From Men is a French/Algerian production, adapted from an Albert Camus story, with Viggo Mortensen in the lead role; Timbuktu is a French/ Mauritanian drama about a sheepherder and his family besieged by Jihadists; It Follows, an unusually artful horror film, is an indie production from the U.S. For me personally, a big part of the movie year’s special appeal and abundance came from the number of really good, decidedly offbeat westerns that turned up: The Homesman, Slow West, Bone Tomahawk, The Salvation, Echoes of War, The Keeping Room, etc., as well

food, music, games, a photo booth and more. Th, 12/31, 6pm. $45-$60. Chico Elks Lodge, 1705 Manzanita Ave., (530) 966-0778.

NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER & DANCE: Dinner, live music and dancing.

as western-like ingredients of some of the foreign dramas: Jauja, Far From Men, Mad Max: Fury Road, Timbuktu, the Norwegian Of Horses and Men, the Russian Tangerines, etc.

It’s been a remarkable year for biopics as well. In addition to Mr. Turner and Bridge of Spies, the year brought us Steve Jobs, Love and Mercy, Trumbo, The End of the Tour, Foxcatcher, The Imitation Game, Theory of Everything, Experimenter, Suffragette, The Walk, as well as two volatile action dramas with biographical underpinnings: American Sniper and Black Mass.

Several distinctive documentaries, including Lambert & Stamp, Salt of the Earth and Iris, also had strong biographical elements. It sounds as though Amy, which I haven’t yet been able to see, belongs on that list too. But the best “documentaries” I saw in 2015 were two idiosyncratic and very personal film-essays: Laurie Anderson’s Heart of a Dog and Hubert Sauper’s We Come as Friends.

And there is something very charming about a movie year that yields such an array of thoughtful, fresh-spirited romantic comedies: The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Mistress America, While We’re Young and Dope. Ω

Th, 12/31, 6:30pm. Paradise Pines Property Owners Association, 14211 Wycliff Way in Magalia, (530) 873-5266.

NEW YEAR’S EVE ON THE RIDGE WITH BIG MO: New Year’s Eve party with Big Mo and special guest Sid Walker. Complimentary appetizers and champagne toast at midnight. Call for info. Th, 12/31, 8pm-12:30am. $25. Paradise Ridge Senior Center, 877 Nunneley Rd. in Paradise, (209) 981-8398.

FOR MORE NEW YEAR’S EVE LISTINGS, SEE NIGHTLIFE ON PAGE 28

1

FRI

Special Events ANNUAL POLAR BEAR SWIM: Join hundreds of local thrill seekers and plunge into and swim across the frigid waters of Sycamore Pool. F, 1/1, 1pm. Bidwell Park.

KETTIL’S KEEP GRAND REOPENING: Featuring three days of table

top matches and tournaments with prizes. 1/1, 12am-1/3, 8pm.

Kettil’s Keep Table Top Games, 984 East Ave. B, (530) 343-7414.

Music FRIDAY MORNING JAZZ: A weekly morning jazz appointment with experimental local troupe Bogg. F, 11am. Free. Café Coda, 265 Humboldt Ave., (530) 566-9476, www.cafecoda.com.

FREE LISTINGS! Post your event for free online at www.newsreview.com/calendar or email the CN&R calendar assistant at cnrcalendar@newsreview.com.

Deadline for print listings is one week prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

F O R M O R E M U S I C , SEE

STAND-UP STANDISH COMEDY SHOWCASE

NIGHTLIFE O N

PAG E 2 8

Saturday, Jan. 2 Duffy’s Tavern

SEE SATURDAY, SPECIAL EVENTS

STORIES FOUR 1078 Gallery SEE ART

FINE ARTS

2

SAT

Special Events BLOCK PARTY WITH A PURPOSE: Work with neighborhood and community volunteers to pick up trash, prune overgrown vegetation and remove invasive plants from a Chico open space. Visit BEC site to sign up. Sa, 1/2, 9am.

Bidwell Park, www.becnet.org.

KETTIL’S KEEP GRAND REOPENING: See Friday.

Kettil’s Keep Table Top Games, 984 East Ave. B, (530) 343-7414.

STAND-UP STANDISH COMEDY SHOWCASE: Aaron Standish and Roland Allen are back hosting a night of local stand-up, with sets by Chris Bobertz, Mark J Leathers, TJ Hudson and more. Sa, 1/2, 7pm. $5. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St., (530) 343-7718, www.merrystandish.com.

3

SUN

Special Events GARDEN SCIENCE SUNDAY: Join Gateway staff and focus on hands-on activities and learning based on observing the many living systems at work and play at the museum garden. First and third Su of every month, 1-3pm. $3-$6.

Gateway Science Museum, 625 Esplanade, www.csuchico.edu/gateway.

KETTIL’S KEEP GRAND REOPENING: See Friday.

Kettil’s Keep Table Top Games, 984 East Ave. B, (530) 343-7414.

KETTIL’S KEEP GRAND REOPENING Friday-Sunday, Jan. 1-3 Kettil’s Keep Table Top Games

SEE FRIDAY-SUNDAY, SPECIAL EVENTS

Theater AUDITIONS FOR THE LITTLE MERMAID: Come prepared with sheet music for at least 32 bars of music that showcase your vocal range and personality. 1/3-1/4, 6pm. Chico Theater Company, 166-F Eaton Rd., (530) 894-3282, www.chicotheatercompany.com.

4

MON

Special Events YOUR M.O.M. COMEDY NIGHT: Weekly open-mic comedy with 20 open slots. Sign-ups at 8pm.

M, 9pm through 8/29. No cover. Maltese Bar & Tap Room, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 343-4915.

Theater AUDITIONS FOR THE LITTLE MERMAID: See Sunday. Chico Theater Company, 166-F Eaton Rd., (530) 894-3282, www.chicotheatercom pany.com.

6

Art

Call for Artists/Submissions

1078 GALLERY: Stories Four, fourth annual exhibit, featuring five

KEEP CHICO WEIRD SUBMISSIONS: Third annual Keep Chico Weird

artists with strong links to Chico. Featuring David Barta, Steve Miranda Byer, Sandi Escobar, Jeff Rindels and Erin Wade. Through 1/2, 2016. 1/7-1/23. 820 Broadway St., (530) 343-1973.

HEALING ART GALLERY: Fused glass by Northern California artist Dia Kimm. The Healing Art Gallery features Northern California artists touched by cancer. Through 12/31. 265 Cohasset Rd. inside Enloe Cancer Center, (530) 332-3856.

Talent Show (Saturday, Jan. 30, El Rey Theatre) and Art Show (Jan. 28-30, 1078 Gallery). Artists of every style of performing and visual arts are eligible to participate. Visit www.facebook.com/ keepchicoweird for info and guidelines. Deadline: Jan. 1. El Rey Theatre, 230 W. Second St., (530) 894-2300.

Museums

JAMES SNIDLE FINE ARTS: Happy Holidays at James Snidle Fine Arts, a

CHICO AIR MUSEUM: An ongoing display highlighting local aviation his-

group show featuring Francis Miller’s watercolors, David Hoppe’s fantastic mono prints and paintings and Stan Sours’ ceramics, wood sculptures and paper trophy heads. 254 E. Fourth St., (530) 343-2930.

CHICO CREEK NATURE CENTER: Banding by Day and Night, a close look

MCM VINTAGE & WAX MUSEUM RECORDS: Avenue 9 Art Guild Reunion, work by a reunion of former Avenue 9 Art Guild members honoring the death anniversary of Maria Phillips, former owner. Artists include Claudia Schwartz, David Shimamoto, Candy Matthews, Dolores Mitchell, Sheryl Cummings, Jim Woronow, Delbert Rupp, Valerie Payne, Naty Osa and Waif Mullins. Through 1/4. 260 E. First St., (530) 899-8443.

SALLY DIMAS ART GALLERY: Christmas Fantasy, blown glass by Mike Shaw; wood sculpting by Dave Dragamon; jewelry by Misty Leppard; Christmas bird houses by Bernie Vigallon; plus, fine art by Ann Pierce, Carol P. Miles, Amber Palmer and six other local artists.

Through 12/31. 493 East Ave., (530) 345-3063.

tory. Ongoing. 165 Ryan Ave., (530) 345-6468.

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, presented from the perspective of the Mechoopda people, focusing on the tribe’s heritage and history and using the four seasons to delineate periods of happiness, success and tragedy. Ongoing. 141 Salem St., (530) 891-4336, www.chicomuseum.org.

GATEWAY SCIENCE MUSEUM: Masters of the Night, hands-on exhibit exploring bats through photos, models and interactive pieces.

Through 1/3. 625 Esplanade, www.csuchico.edu/gateway.

PARADISE DEPOT MUSEUM: A railroad and logging museum in

Paradise. Ongoing, 7-9pm. 5570 Black Olive Dr. in Paradise, (530) 8771919.

WED

Special Events STAND-UP COMEDY SHOWCASE: The area’s top stand-up comics perform as well as those trying their hand at comedy for the first time.

Sign-ups begin at 8pm. Hosted by Jason Allen.

W, 9pm through 8/10. Free. Studio Inn Cocktail Lounge, 2582 Esplanade, (530) 343-0662.

EDITOR’S PICK

BE A BEAR Whether you’re a born-and-bred Chicoan or a short-timer spending a few years here for college, Rumspringa, or what have you, then an essential local rite is the annual Polar Bear Swim. At 1 p.m. on New Year’s Day, get on down to Sycamore Pool at One-Mile Recreation Area in Bidwell Park and dive into the freezing waters with hundreds of your friends and neighbors. Why? We’re not really sure, but it’s definitely a memorable experience for observers and participants alike.

DECEMBER 31, 2015

CN&R

25

Tickets on sale Jan. 5!

DEADLINE EXTENDED!

ART SHOW

TALENT SHOW

Submit your Keep Chico Weird entries by Jan. 1!

See full submission details at www.facebook.com/keepchicoweird

Jan. 28-30

Jan. 30

(reception Jan. 28) at 1078 Gallery

at the El Rey Theatre

SPONSOR THIS AMAZING LOCAL EVENT!

Limited number of sponsorships available. Call your advertising representative today to get involved. (530) 894-2300 www.facebook.com/keepchicoweird 26

CN&R

DECEMBER 31, 2015

MUSIC Bad Mana: good banda.

PHOTO BY SESAR SANCHEZ

The scene is real

So many good Chico bands in 2015 Arts DEVO, I tally up Emyalterlocalego,favorites and offer awards very year at this time, via my

to the year’s most noteworthy arts experiences in my final column of the year (see page 34). One of the regular features of those annual by awards is “Best Jason Cassidy local music,” a j asonc @ running list of newsrev iew.c om my favorite local acts. The criterion for inclusion is that I’d pay money to see the band even if it was the only one on the bill. And—not trying to be too much of a jerk—the list is usually pretty short. Like everyone else, I have my preferences.

This year, however, I needed the extra room for 2015’s much-longerthan-usual list of Best local music: Michelin Embers, Bad Mana, Mad Bob Howard, The Vesuvians, Teeph, Tri-Lateral Dirts Commission, Skin Peaks, Bunnymilk, Bran Crown, Fera, Michael Bone, She Fetus, The She Things, Severance Package, Hallelujah Junction, Solar Estates, The Yule Logs, Surrogate, Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy, Donald Beaman & The Spirit Molecules, Lish Bills, Sisterhoods, Blaster Dead, John Holmes, The Chrome, West by Swan, The Americas, Team Skins, Trox and the Terribles, Sex Hogs II. (I’d probably throw Panther Surprise and The Empty Gate on there as well, given the

pedigree of the players and the reports I’ve received on their sounds, despite the fact I haven’t had the chance to see them yet.

Both are at the top of my to-see list for 2016!)

That’s about double the size of the normal list, and it features many new (or new to me) bands coming onto the scene—Bad Mana, TriLateral, Skin Peaks, Team Skins, Sex Hogs II, The She Things—and making an impression right away.

It also encompasses a wide range of original sounds—from the high-lonesome giddy-up of The Michelin Embers to the brutal, unpredictably schizoid approach to hecticness of Tri-Lateral Dirts Commission.

I’ve been following the local music scene as some combo of musician, promoter, arts editor and fan since the late-1980s and I’ve seen how the scene rises and falls over time, and I can say we are definitely riding a creative swell. It’s that perfect storm of a large number of original artists realizing Chico is small enough to easily plug into and bring their new ideas to the intimate community, sharing with and inspiring one another while also inviting touring bands that bring even more influence/inspiration before leaving and spreading the good word.

It’s been invigorating to have an overwhelming stream of new ideas and sounds wash over the stages of the handful of committed venues—The Maltese, Monstros, Lost

on Main, 1078 Gallery, Duffy’s Tavern—that have provided the consistency as well as connection to touring bands that are so important to sustaining a scene.

Of course, it goes beyond the local bands at the top of my personal list. There is a wealth of fine music—covering a huge swath of the musical spectrum—doing right

by Chico; talented, innovative, passionate acts like MaMuse, Bogg, Nolan Ford Band, Alli Battaglia & The Musical Brewing Co., The LoLos, Swamp Zen, Furlough Fridays, Garrett Gray, etc. And there’s also the ridiculously active punk scene that I only occasionally dip into, featuring probably a few dozen active local crews that join forces with a constant stream of touring acts that come through Monstros Pizza thanks to the Chico Area Punks.

Then there’s the metal scene, which is probably the strongest in town, with many of the crews— Aberrance, Amarok, Cold Blue Mountain—recording and touring extensively, and energetic fans/ bookers supporting a wide range of subgenres and attracting an impressive list of out-of-town bands for power-packed shows and even a music festival (Epic Fest), making Chico a bright spot on the greater metal map. And it seems like the whole music scene is once again making a case for Chico as a hip music town and a musical destination. □

MARK HuMMEL’S HHuuuMMEL MMEL’’S MMEL 25TH 25 TH ANNIVERSARy ANNIVERSARy HARP BLOW BLOW-OuT BLOW-O OuuT LIVE AT

THE BIG ROOM MONDAy, MONDA y, FEBR FEBRuARy FEBRu uuAR ARyy 1, 2016 AR Mark Hummel’s 25th Anniversary Harp Blow-Out featuring Mark, Curtis Salgado and Jason Ricci with special guests on guitar, Little Charlie Baty and Anson Funderburgh. And yes, the dance floor is open!

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. 1075 E. 20TH ST., CHICO, CA 95928 TICKETS $32.50 IN THE GIFT SHOP OR AVAILABLE AT WWW.SIERRANEVADA.COM/BIGROOM.

TICKETS ON SALE 1/3/16 at 10am.

SierraNevadaBeer

@SierraNevada DECEMBER 31, 2015

@SierraNevada

CN&R

27

NIGHTLIFE

THURSDAY 12|31—WEDNESDAY 1|6 TOWNIE TRADITIONS

A ROARING NEW YEAR’S EVE: All four

WAKE OF THE DEAD Saturday, Jan. 2 Lost on Main SEE SATURDAY

NYE BLOWOUT: A power-packed night of

31THURSDAY

BLACK SLAX: Rock, rockabilly, blues

covers. Th, 12/31, 8:30pm. Free. Feather Falls Casino Bow & Arrow Lounge, 3 Alverda Drive in Oroville, (530) 5333885, www.featherfallscasino.com.

Hills Casino, 2655 Barham Ave. in Corning, (530) 528-3500, www.rollinghillscasino.com.

NEW YEAR’S EVE ON THE RIDGE WITH BIG MO: New Year’s Eve party with Big Mo and special guest Sid Walker.

Complimentary appetizers and champagne toast at midnight. Call for info.

Th, 12/31, 8pm-12:30am. $25. Paradise Ridge Senior Center, 877 Nunneley Road in Paradise, (209) 981-8398.

CHICO JAZZ COLLECTIVE: Thursday jazz.

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

DRIVER: New Year’s Eve show. Live music!

NYE WITH THE MOTHER HIPS: Chico’s

Th, 12/31, 9pm. Free. Piggs Club, 3070

Myers St. in Oroville, (530) 533-9843.

GOOD OLD-FASHIONED NEW YEAR: Champagne or wine dinner, DJ, dancing, photo booth, caricature artists and more. Th, 12/31, 6pm. $50. Rolling

favorite sons blow up their old stomping grounds with a long night of spirited California soul. Th, 12/31, 8pm. $30. El Rey Theatre, 230 W. Second St., (530) 342-2727.

great local music, featuring Skin Peaks (garage rock), Solar Estates (synth pop), Pink Bandana (punk) and NIMH. Liquor and beer for sale (proceeds to KZFR). Th, 12/31, 9pm. $7. Chico Women’s Club, 592 E. Third St., (530) 894-1978.

NYE WITH SPY PICNIC: Live rock covers, plus complimentary champagne at midnight. Th, 12/31, 9pm. $5. Kings Tavern, 5771 Clark Road in Paradise, (530) 877-7100.

NYE: JEFF PERSHING AND CHRIS SCHADT: New Year’s Eve show with funky originals and classic covers from Chris Schadt Band and Jeff Pershing Band.

Th, 12/31, 9pm. The Tackle Box Bar & Grill, 379 East Park Ave., (530) 345-7499, http://tackleboxchico.com.

venues in the casino will be jumping with different parties, headlined by local country-rock faves Northern Traditionz in the Event Center. Th, 12/31, 8:30pm. $30-$50. Gold Country Casino, 4020 Olive Highway in Oroville, (800) 803-1911, www.goldcountry casino.com.

SCOTT PEMBERTON TRIO: It’s going to be a funky New Year’s Eve at Lost with the Portland blues/funk crew. Plus, locals Swamp Zen (jam) and Smokey the Groove (funk). Th, 12/31, 8:30pm. $20-$30. Lost on Main, 319 Main St., (530) 891-1853.

SWEET 16: NEW YEAR’S EVE: Cash drawings, live music and ringing in the new year. Featuring Butte County’s favorite cover band, Decades. Call for details. Th, 12/31, 7pm. Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co., 3 Alverda Drive in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.feather fallscasino.com/brewing-co.

THE KITES: The Kites will fly in the new year and play originals and hits of the 1960s-1970s. Th, 12/31, 9pm-12:30am. No cover. Wine Time, 26 Lost Dutchman Drive, (530) 899-9250, www.winetime chico.com.

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

MOBILE

SWEET DEALS ON APP SWEET ACTIVITIES BOOKING TRACK MY RIDE

CN&R READERS SAVE UP TO 75% OFF SPORTS AND RECREATION!

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The Mother Hips may live in the Bay Area nowadays, but local music folks will never forget where the native Chico band really hails from. Luckily, the band hasn’t either and will be heading home for its annual New Year’s Eve show on Thursday, Dec. 31, at the El Rey Theatre.

Restaurant, 243 W. Second St., (530) 895-3888.

1FRIDAY

BASSMINT: A weekly electronic dance party with a rotating cast of local and regional DJs. Check with venue for details. F, 9:30pm. Peking Chinese

CHICO NIGHT: The Russell Turner Ward (rock), Oh MyLanta (alt) and Devoll (pop punk). F, 1/1, 9pm. $8. Maltese Bar & Tap Room, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 3434915.

Bidwell Park Golf Course: 2 players and a cart ($96 value) for $57.60 FunLand: $20 gift certificate for $14 Morning Sun Martial Arts: one free month + T-shirt ($100 value) for $25 Paradise Ice Rink: unlimited day pass ($12 value) for $7.80

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.

W W W. N E W S R E V I E W. C O M

FEATHER FALLS CASINO & LODGE

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

28

CN&R

DECEMBER 31, 2015

NIGHTLIFE

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

EMAIL YOUR LISTINGS TO

cnrcalendar@newsre MUSIC SHOWCASE: An open mic hosted by local country musicians Rich and Kendall. Sa, 5-9pm. Free. Scotty’s Landing, 12609 River Road, (530) 7102020.

FOREIGNER UNAUTHORIZED Friday, Jan. 1 Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co.

WAKE OF THE DEAD: Grateful Dead cover

4MONDAY

YOUR M.O.M. COMEDY NIGHT: Weekly

WESTBOUND 50: Roseville-based country

open-mic comedy with 20 open slots.

Sign-ups at 8pm. M, 9pm through 8/29.

No cover. Maltese Bar & Tap Room, 1600 Park Ave., (530) 343-4915.

band. F, 1/1, 9pm. The Tackle Box Bar & Grill, 379 East Park Ave., (530) 345-7499, http://tackleboxchico.com.

2SATURDAY

tribute band. F, 1/1, 9:30pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co., 3 Alverda Drive in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.feath erfallscasino.com/brewing-co.

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.

IRISH-MUSIC HAPPY HOUR: A Chico tradition: Friday night happy hour with traditional Irish music by the Pub Scouts. F, 4pm. $1. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St., (530) 343-7718.

STAND-UP STANDISH COMEDY SHOWCASE: Aaron Standish and Roland Allen are back hosting a night of local stand-up, with sets by Chris Bobertz, Mark J Leathers, TJ Hudson and more. Sa, 1/2, 7pm. $5. Duffy’s Tavern, 337 Main St., (530) 343-7718, www.merry standish.com.

STAND-UP COMEDY SHOWCASE: The

area’s top stand-up comics perform as well as those trying their hand at

comedy for the first time. Sign-ups begin at 8pm. Hosted by Jason Allen. W, 9pm through 8/10. Free. Studio Inn Cocktail Lounge, 2582 Esplanade, (530) 343-0662.

band. Sa, 1/2, 9:30pm. Lost on Main, 319 Main St., (530) 891-1853.

SEE FRIDAY

FOREIGNER UNAUTHORIZED: Foreigner

6WEDNESDAY

view.com

5TUESDAY

ACOUSTIC MUSIC JAM: A jam hosted by

BLUES NIGHT: Live weekly blues music

Butte Folk Music Society and led by local musician Steve Johnson. First Sa of every month, 4-6pm. Free. Upper Crust Bakery & Eatery, 130 Main St., (530) 345-4128.

from local musicians. Tu. Italian Garden, 6929 Skyway in Paradise, (530) 876-9988.

MIDWEEK EARLY EVENING OPEN MIC: Sign up starting at 5pm. Music, poetry and spoken word welcome. Tu, 6-8pm through 12/20. Free. Gogi’s Café, 230 Salem St. Next to transit center, (530) 891-3570, www.gogiscafe.com.

MICHAEL FURLONG’S TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY: Tom Petty cover band. Sa, 1/2, 9:30pm. $5. Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co., 3 Alverda Drive in Oroville, (530) 533-3885, www.feather fallscasino.com/brewing-co.

THE LOCAL LIZARD KING Butte College professor Tom Blodget used to front a Doors cover band called Doors Hotel back in the 1990s and even once sang onstage with Robbie Krieger. Nowadays, he gets his musical fix playing with his pals in The Kites, who will play Wine Time on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31.

319 Main St. • Downtown Chico (530) 892–2445 TONIGHT! December 31 DJ Sexual Chocolate at the DownLo TONIGHT! December 31 NYE 2016: Scott Pemberton, Swamp Zen & Smokey The Groove January 2 Wake of the Dead January 12 TSOL, Slay It Forward January 22 Jelly Bread’s Tribute to The Band’s Last Waltz with Moondog Matinee January 25 Kung Fu with Jelly Bread opening: Early Show 8pm January 27 Weird Wednesdays resumes January 28 Lit at Lost resumes February 5 Melvin Seals returns!

/lostonmain DECEMBER 31, 2015

CN&R

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JANUARY 1 - 7

FRIDAY 1/1 – WEDNESDAY 1/6 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP (Digital) (PG) (9:00AM*) 11:30AM 2:15PM 4:45PM 7:20PM 9:50PM BIG SHORT, THE (Digital) (R) (10:15AM*) 1:20PM 4:25PM 7:25PM 10:25PM CONCUSSION (Digital) (PG-13) (10:05AM*) 1:05PM 4:05PM 7:05PM 10:05PM DADDY’S HOME (Digital) (PG-13) (9:25AM*) 11:55AM 2:35PM 5:05PM 7:35PM 10:10PM GOOD DINOSAUR, THE (Digital) (PG) (9:15AM*) 11:45AM 2:20PM

POINT BREAK (2015) (3D) (PG-13) 1:55PM 7:25PM POINT BREAK (2015) (Digital) (PG-13) 11:10AM 4:40PM 10:15PM SISTERS (Digital) (R) 11:00AM 1:50PM 4:40PM 7:30PM 10:30PM STAR WARS: EPISODE VII THE FORCE AWAKENS (3D) (PG-13) (10:30AM*) 2:10PM 5:20PM 8:45PM

JANIS: LITTLE FRI:GIRL BLUE 6PM

Subprimetime players

SAT AND SUN: 1PM AND 6PM MON - THURS: 6PM

THE DANISH GIRL FRI: 8:20PM SAT AND SUN: 3:20PM AND 8:20PM MON - THURS: 8:20PM

Call 343-0663 or visit www.PageantChico.com

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS (Digital) (PG-13) (9:30AM*) 11:20AM 1:00PM 2:45PM 4:30PM 6:10PM 8:00PM 9:35PM

STAR WARS: EPISODE HATEFUL EIGHT, THE (Digital) (R) 11:25AM 3:10PM VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS (XD-3D) (PG-13) (8:45AM*) 6:55PM 10:35PM 11:50AM 3:20PM 7:00PM HUNGER GAMES: 10:30PM MOCKINGJAY PART 2, THE (SPECIAL SHOWING) (Digital) (PG-13) (9:40AM*) 12:50PM 3:55PM 7:10PM♣ – SHERLOCK: THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE 10:20PM (Digital) (PG-13) Tues. 1/5 @ JOY (Digital) (PG-13) 7:30PM & Wed. 1/6 @ 7:30PM 11:05AM 2:00PM 5:00PM 6:30PM 7:55PM 9:30PM (10:50PM*) Showtimes listed w/ (*) shown Fri. – Sun. ONLY Showtimes listed w/ ♣ NOT shown Tues. 1/5 or Wed. 1/6

A rag-tag group of misfit brokers ride against the Wall Street tide seek to give an honest and compelling account of Tdevastating historical events in present-day society.

he Big Short rates very high among recent films that

The subject in this case is the economic collapse of 2008, as seen from the vantage by point of a handful of Wall Street Juan-Carlos misfits who foresee the collapse and Selznick are appalled and/or enraged by the official indifference to the carefully documented evidence of what will soon transpire.

Using Michael Lewis’ book on the subject as their central source, writer-director Adam McKay and co-writer Charles Randolph have The Big Short fashioned a serio-comic drama that Starring Christian serves both as gnarly social satire Bale, Steve Carell, and as a gonzo kind of morality play.

Ryan Gosling and And those misfit brokers are seemBrad Pitt. Directed

by Adam McKay. ingly the rag-tag heroes of a semiCinemark 14. Rated R. comic caper, but they too get their assorted moments of not-so-comic reckoning.

McKay and company do an effective job of presenting the specifics of subprime mortgages, the housing bubble, the delusional enthusiasm of bankers, brokers and the “clients” of both. But the real brilliance of The Big Short resides in the mixed sympathies of its main characters and in its sidelong evocations of a kind of collective insanity in the era of “too big to fail.”

The picture’s “misfit” brokers are played by Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt.

Each has his own alienating flaws, but their respective deficiencies in social skills and groupthink have much

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Using our Powers for Good.

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3 4

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Good

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to do with their determination to do battle against shamelessly predatory business practices.

Bale’s one-eyed eccentric is the best performance in the film, but the most richly developed character is Carell’s Mark Baum, a nervous wreck with a blazingly real conscience that makes him painfully unique in the world of The Big Short. Pitt’s Ben Rickert is profoundly alienated from the market scene, yet he returns to give two would-be protégés a chance to get rich off their own offbeat insights, and to learn a hard lesson or two.

The excellent supporting ensemble includes John Magaro and Finn Wittrock as the protégés, Marisa Tomei as Baum’s very attentive wife, and Melissa Leo, Karen Gillan, Hamish Linklater and Jeremy Strong as bankers and brokers. Selena Gomez and Anthony Bourdain have comic cameos as themselves. □

Blue-collar heroine

4

Joy Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13.

by Juan-Carlos Selznick

It’s a David O. Russell film, yes, but Joy is in a way “all

Jennifer Lawrence, all the time.” It’s a star vehicle, but even more than that, it feels as though it’s written for and around everything she’s been so far in the movies (including Russell’s American Hustle, as well as Winter’s Bone and The Hunger Games).

The moxie, the giddy naivete, the maternal precocity, the off-handed saintliness, the tough-mindedness, the grassroots smarts—it’s all there, in the character she plays (Joy Mangano, the housewife who invented the Miracle Mop) and the movie as a whole (which is also the story of Mangano’s flamboyantly ramshackle family and the business empire she built with them and

for them, and sometimes despite them).

In the film, Joy’s family seems a little too precious in its cutesy, made-to-order weirdness and suburban grotesquerie—the feckless, curmudgeonly, oft-divorced father (Robert De Niro), the reclusive and narcissistic mother (Virginia Madsen), the snidely envious halfsister (Elisabeth Röhm), the crazysmart grandmother/oracle (Diane Ladd) who narrates the story from somewhere beyond the grave.

Joy’s ex-husband (Édgar Ramirez) and her life-long friend

Note: It is possible that not all film listings were posted by the time the cN&r went to press.

Please check with theater to confirm films and times.

Reviewers: Bob Grimm and Juan-Carlos Selznick.

Jackie (Dascha Polanco) match Grandma Mimi in their loyalty and support. The main stand-outs among the secondary characters are a tightly wound TV producer (an excellent Bradley Cooper) and the De Niro character’s businessminded girlfriend (an intriguingly overbearing Isabella Rossellini).

But all the best scenes in the film have Lawrence going strong—Joy’s first appearance on QVC, her various meetings with Neil Walker (Cooper), her showdown with a cowboy-hatted grifter (Bill Thorpe) in Texas. □

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip Installment No. 4 in the animated-film franchise finds the chipmunk trio on a hijinksfilled road trip to Miami to try and stop their mentor, Dave, from getting engaged.

Cinemark 14 and Feather River Cinemas.

Rated PG.

5

The Big Short

See review this issue. Cinemark 14.

Rated R —J.C.S.

Concussion

Will Smith stars as Bennet Omalu in this biopic about the forensic pathologist who fought against the NFL’s attempts to suppress his work showing the connection between concussions and degenerative brain disease. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13.

Daddy’s Home

Will Ferrell plays a stepdad whose efforts to connect with his stepchildren are challenged when the kids’ birth father (Mark Wahlberg) returns to battle for their affections.

Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13.

While biking or hiking, stop

by The Bidwell Bar & Grill

Joy

Point Break

Now playing

h T

4

The Hateful Eight

Exciting archival footage is combined with current interviews and excerpts from Janis Joplin’s personal correspondence in this documentary on the legendary 1960s rock singer. Narrated by Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power). Pageant Theatre. Not rated.

P e

The latest Pixar 3-D animated feature imagines a world in which dinosaurs were not wiped by an asteroid hitting Earth, where a displaced dinosaur and a young caveboy become unlikely friends. Cinemark 14. Rated PG.

See review this issue. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13 —J.C.S.

Janis: Little Girl Blue

k r a

The Good Dinosaur

Opening this week Quentin Tarantino’s latest is a tale of deception and betrayal featuring a couple of bounty hunters, a wanted fugitive and various other dangerous characters seeking shelter during a blizzard in post-Civil War Wyoming. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern. Cinemark 14. Rated R.

s n u n hi i o J unc L r fo

A remake of the 1991 film about an FBI agent who infiltrates a group of surfers (changed to a team of extreme athletes for the current version) moonlighting as thieves—with Édgar Ramirez and Luke Bracey filling the roles originally played by Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Cinemark 14 and Feather River Cinemas. Rated PG-13.

Sisters

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey play two adult sisters who return to their childhood home to throw one big party before their parents sell the place. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated R.

3

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The Force Awakens entertains. It’s a fast, funny, noisy super-spectacle. It’s an armchair version of a theme-park thrill ride that aims to excite and soothe at the same time. Beyond that, let me offer some marginal notes: The key newcomers—Daisy Ridley as Rey, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, John Boyega as Finn, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren—all make strong impressions. Ridley has the best role. Isaac does the best acting, but only in the early parts of the story.

The returning veterans—Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill—seem like guest performers on some kind of reunion tour.

They’ve all outgrown their respective characters (including the aging versions they play here), but they’re all good troupers and they gamely play along with the fun. The story provides a pretext for the spectacular visual displays, but the story and visuals get their main dramatic effects from the grand musical score and the orchestration of those larger-than-life sound effects. Take John Williams’ music away and the film begins to lose its sense of vast expansiveness. Even some of the interior scenes might begin to feel as enclosed and claustrophobic as anything from the cheapie sci-fi of the 1950s.

Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13 —J.C.S.

Open to the public – Daylight to Dark 3199 Golf Course Road • Chico (530) 891-8417 • www.golfbidwellpark.com

IT’S TIME TO

PARTY Invite party organizers to your door with the Chico News & Review’s Party Guide! This special guide features a guide to the full range of parties our readers might want to throw, from milestones to office holiday parties.

Look for it on stands in February.

Call (530) 894-2300 to be part of the guide

December 31, 2015

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DECEMBER 31, 2015

well-made, tasty and—most Fessentially—inexpensive dining, or those who appreciate

the ubiquitous taco trucks and Mexican restaurants that dot every neighborhood in Chico are an epicurean delight and an economic boost rolled into one fat, steaming burrito. But Chico hasn’t always had this embarrassment of riches. Many of story and photo by us old-timers Carey remember the Wilson 1985 arrival on Dayton Road of Chico’s very first taco truck—the ★★★★ now-legendary Cocina Cortes Tacos Cortes. It 1110 Dayton Road was a historic Hours: event.

Tuesday–Friday, The family11 a.m.–7 p.m.; run business, Saturday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; which eventually Sunday, 8 a.m.–7 p.m. grew from the original truck parked on a dirt lot into a cozy sit-down restaurant, became a ★★★★★ EPIC mecca for an endless stream ★★★★ AUTHORITATIVE of chimichanga-, burrito- and ★★★ taco-loving APPEALING Chicoans who ★★ lamented its HAS MOMENTS passing when ★ the original site FLAWED

closed several years back.

So it was cause for celebration when the restaurant—which had recently been serving as a supply depot and cooking center for several taco trucks—reopened as a sit-down diner with food prepared by the original owner, Rodolfo Cortes and family. (Cortes sold the Tacos Cortes brand to other family members, who opened the Park Avenue location.)

My first opportunity to check out Cocina Cortes came on a recent Sunday evening when my companion and I were craving a warm meal but didn’t feel like cooking. So we drove the few blocks to the familiar bend in the road and pulled in when we spotted the small blue-and red neon “Open” signs glowing on the periphery fence and in the restaurant window. Inside, the place looks just as remembered, with dinette tables lining the walls; a clean painted concrete floor; and a cheerful young woman taking orders at the walk-up counter.

For old time’s sake, Missy chose the asada chimichanga plate ($5.75), served with beans, rice, sour cream and a small salad, while I chose the chile relleno plate ($6).

Even though it was nearly closing time, we were brought a bowl of fresh tortilla chips and a generous bowl of chunky, cilantro-infused salsa that included jalapeño slices, tomato and onion with just the right

amount of vinegar and salt to bring out the zesty flavors and whet our appetite for the main courses.

The chimichanga, just as in days of old, arrived with its crispy fried crust of flour tortilla stuffed with slices of flavorful beef, rice, refried beans, cilantro, lettuce and topped with shredded cheese and sour cream. Also, just as remembered, there was enough left over for another meal warmed up for breakfast the next morning. The chile rellenos plate held two large, fresh chiles filled with melted cheese and battered and fried to perfection.

The accompanying warm tortillas, refried beans and fluffy rice, small salad of iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion and cilantro accented with a vinegar dressing, complemented the rellenos by adding a variety of flavors and textures to the meal, which I ate to the last bite.

A few nights later, I returned and tried the carnitas plate ($5.75) and a chicken taco ($1.60). The carnitas came in a generous portion of big bite-size chunks with rich flavor that married perfectly with the same accompanying sides that attended the rellenos. The star of the event was the humble chicken taco—two large corn tortillas filled to overflowing with chicken, beans, onion, fresh salsa and cilantro—enough for a satisfying meal on its own and for the price a very genuine bargain that I’ll be happy to return for again and again. □

New Place 2 Drown Archy Marshall True Panther Sounds/XL recordings

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IN THE MIX

MUSIC

Grant Morrison Dc comics

COMIC BOOK

—Matthew Craggs

JP Lohian & Klonen Klana JP Lohian & Klonen Klana Lohia records Joseba Ponce is virtually unknown in the United States, but he’s a hugely important figure in the music scene in northern Spain’s Basque country. The guitarist played in the notable Basque hardcore band Dut in the 1990s before moving on to rock ’n’ roll punks Kuraia in the early aughts. His latest project, JP Lohian & Klonen Klana, is another guitar-heavy burner, only darker and weirder.

Ponce has made a modern space-rock record that lives up to its sci-fi cover art, with synthesizers streaking in and out of the guitar wash on songs like “Kantu Itsaskorra” and “Hiruki Beltza,” occasionally bringing to mind Superunknown-era Soundgarden. The lyrics are all in Euskara, the Basque language spoken almost exclusively in that region, and in the end it only adds to the record’s mystique. JP Lohian & Klonen Klana isn’t going to make Ponce a household name in the U.S., but it holds up its end by being a supremely otherworldly experience.

—Mark Lore

MUSIC

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If the endless comic-film reboots and their indistinguishable merchandise are to be believed, comic books have only ever featured a couple dozen static characters. In reality, comics have offered hundreds of thousands of characters—refined over decades— that stretch far beyond Batman, Superman and The Avengers. With The Multiversity series, writer Grant Morrison travels between the 52 parallel universes of DC Comics, digging deep to dwell on some lesserknown characters. Across the nine issues collected in the Deluxe Edition, Morrison conducts a gigantic experiment in content and format— pushing both comics’ structure and the reader’s storytelling expectations. Intermittently successful, the experiment is most enjoyable when Morrison and a variety of artists celebrate what makes comics unique: fantastical characters and plots (The Multiversity: Mastermen); an evolving, cultural reflection (The Multiversity: Thunderworld Adventures); and convoluted, mythological lore (The Multiversity: Guidebook). Attending The Multiversity may seem daunting for DC novices, but there’s nothing like a crash course to bring you up to speed.

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CN&R

A New Place 2 Drown is a multidisciplinary work between brothers Archy and Jack Marshall composed of a book, a short film and a “soundtrack” to both. Archy, ever the artistic chameleon, is best known of late as King Krule, the ultra-baritoned experimental English musician whose debut, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, was a critical home run in 2013. On A New Place 2 Drown, Archy exposes the marrow of his more avant-garde muses, fusing trip-hop beats, heavy-lidded poetry and a menagerie of audio samples to cut to the core of his and Jack’s strong familial and artistic bond. Emerging like an aural multimedia sound collage, tunes like “Arise Dear Brother” buoy the best borrowed vibes of his fellow countryman Dean Blunt and splices them with self-aware lyricism. The film follows the Marshalls around the East Dulwich district in London, where they still live a mostly insular life with their mother—Jack as a visual artist and Archy as the new voice of disaffected youth. Through the combined power of the three media, and with the strength of like-minded sibling partnership, this is an impressive project.

—Ryan Prado

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HOT DEALS FOR COOL DAYS

ARTS DEVO

by Jason Cassidy • jasonc@newsreview.com

2015 DeVO AwArDs Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time once again for arts dEVo’s super, somewhat random, local arts-and-culture awards ceremony. The envelope, please … best next-leVel crew: Uncle dad’s art Collective. This

Great Northern Coffee: $5 gift certificate for $2.75

was the year that the busy troupe of wacky arts-and music-makers stepped up to the big time—namely the big stages of the Sierra Nevada Big Room and Laxson Auditorium at Chico State. On July 12, a big band of Uncle Dad’s ringers presented reimagined versions of songs by local songwriters at the Big Room for its grand Small Town, Big Sound showcase; and when the Chico Performances 2015-16 calendar came out this past summer, it featured a very intriguing listing—Queen: A Night at the Opera. On Feb. 13, Uncle Dad’s, with the help of a massive cast of musicians, dancers and multimedia artists, will perform the classic Queen album from start to finish.

Now, that’s some next-level shit.

FunLand: $20 gift certificate for $14

best belly: Pork Belly, as in the insanely good pork-

Bidwell Park Golf Course: 2 players and a cart ($96 value) for $57.60 Broadway Heights: $20 gift certificate for $16 Chico Community Acupuncture: $25 gift certificate for $12.50 Chico Health & Massage: $50 gift certificate for $37.50 Gravity Kinetics with Don Tharp: $50 gift certificate for $5

HAL Thrift Shop: $10 gift certificate for $5

belly bao at the new Momona ramen-noodle and bao restaurant.

Jon & Bon’s Yogurt: $10 gift certificate for $7.50

best week: Chico Beer Week. Not to be a total homer but

Lovely Layers Cakery: $10 gift certificate for $7.50

Needham Stained Glass: $112 gift certificate for $56 Paradise Ice Rink: unlimited day pass ($12 value) for $7.80

best Artist: Ender Mills. The 15-year-old son of The

Naked Lounge: $5 gift certificate for $3.25

The Black Kettle: $10 gift certificate for $6

Bookstore owners, Josh Mills and Muir Hughes, collected piles of owl pellets, dried them, dissected them and meticulously reassembled the undigested skeletal bits into tiny frameworks of new, invented creatures—easily the coolest art I saw all year. Most were sold off during Chikoko’s Bizarre Bazaar, but there are a few still under glass at his parents’ store (118 Main St.).

Vaporall: $20 gift certificate for $4

best hAppening(s): Late nites at the Pageant Theatre.

Pita Pit: $10 gift certificate for $6 Shenanigan’s Bar & Grill: $5 gift certificate for $2.50 Sunny Garden Montessori: $20 gift certificate for $13

stros (twice—April 11 and June 18); she Fetus at 1078 Gallery (July 23); Chico Breaks the Record at Tackle Box Bar & Grill (April 1-May 5); Hallelujah Junction at Winchester Goose (Oct. 17); Brian Wilson at Laxson Auditorium (Nov. 29).

lOcAl sOng Of the yeAr: “Walk, Walk, Walk!” by The Vesuvians.

best lOcAl Albums: Universe sandwich by Touch Fuzzy Get dizzy and donald Beaman by donald Beaman (and the Spirit Molecules).

best lOcAl bAnDs: See Music, page 27.

… c’mon.

best mOVement: dance Chico! Chico Performance introduced this ambitious, lively new annual event, featuring an epic multiday series that showcases and celebrates the art of dance—from visiting contemporary ballet and modern dance troupes to local dancer/ choreographer spotlights to a free community dance in the middle of the street in downtown Chico.

Morning Sun Martial Arts: one free month + T-shirt ($100 value) for $25

best liVe music: Tri-Lateral dirts Commission at Mon-

Cult films, live music and beer!

best liVe theAter: True West and The other Place at

Blue Room Theatre; Peter & alice at Theatre on the Ridge; The Rover, presented by Chico State Theatre Department at Harlen adams Theatre.

Owl-pellet art by Ender Mills.

2015 milestOnes:

Birthdays: Scotty’s Boat Landing turned 60; Theatre on the Ridge turned 40; KZFR turned 25; CAMMIES, the Chico Area Music Awards, turned 10. out of here: The Synthesis weekly entertainment rag shut down after 21 years; Avenue 9 Gallery closed after more than a decade; LaSalles Bar and The Graduate, two local institutions, closed after serving Chico for 40 and 41 years, respectively; Aubrey Debauchery, longtime local singer/songwriter, moved to Portland; “Woody and Friends,” David Guzzetti’s popular KZFR radio show, was retired after 22 years; Los Caballitos de la Canción folded, as bandleader Jo Chavez moved to New Mexico; Great State Coffee Co. (the greatest coffee in town!) went out of business; and so, too, did Pepper Grand Coulee’s Funky Trunk vintage clothing shop. new on the scene: Scott Seaton, North State Symphony’s musical director and conductor; Ha! Fest comedy film festival; Animation Chico animated short-film festival; Chico Comedy Festival; late shows at the Pageant; Ninth Avenue Gallery & Studio (next door to the former Avenue 9 Gallery); Brewfork craft-brew and food-truck festival.

rest in peAce:

• Richard Gibson: longtime local jazz and rock drummer.

• Jim “The Rev. Junkyard Moondog” dwyer: local poet, author, joker, activist, spontaneous dancer, environmentalist, freak, clown, Chico State librarian, notorious hippie, bon vivant.

• Ronald Palmer: aka Roundhouse Ronny the Clown, children’s entertainer and street performer.

• Katie Whitlock: Chico State theater professor and director.

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.

W W W. N E W S R E V I E W. C O M 34

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December 31, 2015

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For the week oF december 31, 2015 ARIES (March 21-April 19): John Koenig

is an artist who invents new words. Here’s one that’s applicable to your journey in 2016: “keyframe.” Koenig defines it as being a seemingly mundane phase of your life that is, in fact, a turning point. Major plot twists in your big story arrive halfhidden amid a stream of innocuous events.

They don’t come about through “a series of jolting epiphanies,” Koenig says, but rather “by tiny imperceptible differences between one ordinary day and the next.”

In revealing this secret, I hope I’ve alerted you to the importance of acting with maximum integrity and excellence in your everyday routine.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The

coming months look like one of the best times ever for your love life. Old romantic wounds are finally ready to be healed.

You’ll know what you have to do to shed tired traditions and bad habits that have limited your ability to get the spicy sweetness you deserve. Are you up for the fun challenge? Be horny for deep feelings. Be exuberantly aggressive in honoring your primal yearnings. Use your imagination to dream up new approaches to getting what you want. The innovations in intimacy that you initiate in the coming months will keep bringing you gifts and teachings for years to come.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In ancient

times, observers of the sky knew the difference between stars and planets. The stars remained fixed in their places. The planets wandered around, always shifting positions in relationship to the stars. But now and then, at irregular intervals, a very bright star would suddenly materialize out of nowhere, stay in the same place for a while and then disappear. Chinese astronomers called these “guest stars.”

We refer to them as supernovae. They are previously dim or invisible stars that explode, releasing tremendous energy for a short time. I suspect that in 2016, you may experience the metaphorical equivalent of a guest star. Learn all you can from it. It’ll provide teachings and blessings that could feed you for years.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be alert

for an abundance of interesting lessons in 2016. You will be offered teachings about a variety of practical subjects, including how to take care of yourself really well, how to live the life you want to live and how to build the connections that serve your dreams. If you are even moderately responsive to the prompts and nudges that come your way, you will become smarter than you thought possible. So just imagine how savvy you’ll be if you ardently embrace your educational opportunities.

(Please note that some of these opportunities may be partially in disguise.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The silkworm

grows fast. Once it hatches, it eats constantly for three weeks. By the time it spins its cocoon, it’s 10,000 times heavier than it was in the beginning. On the other hand, a mature, 60-foot-tall saguaro cactus may take 30 years to fully grow a new side arm. It’s in no hurry. From what I can tell, Leo, 2015 was more like a silkworm year for you, whereas 2016 will more closely resemble a saguaro. Keep in mind that while the saguaro phase is different from your silkworm time, it’s just as important.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “The sky

calls me,” wrote Virgo teacher and poet Sri Chinmoy. “The wind calls me. The moon and stars call me. The dense groves call me. The dance of the fountain calls me. Smiles call me, tears call me. A faint melody calls me. The morn, noon and eve call me. Everyone is searching for a playmate. Everyone is calling me, ‘Come, come!’” In 2016, Virgo, I suspect you will have a lot of firsthand experience with feelings like these. Sometimes life’s seductiveness may overwhelm you, activating confused desires to go everywhere and do everything. On other occasions, you will be enchanted by the lush invitations, and will know exactly how to respond and reciprocate.

by rob brezsny LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the 19th

century, horses were a primary mode of personal transportation. Some people rode them, and others sat in carriages and wagons that horses pulled. But as cities grew larger, a problem emerged: the mounting manure left behind on the roads.

It became an ever-increasing challenge to clear away the equine “pollution.” In 1894, a British newspaper predicted that the streets of London would be covered with nine feet of the stuff by 1950. But then something unexpected happened: cars.

Gradually, the threat of an excremental apocalypse waned. I present this story as an example of what I expect for you in 2016: a pressing dilemma that will gradually dissolve because of the arrival of a factor you can’t imagine yet.

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

longest river in the world flows through eastern Africa: the Nile. It originates below the equator and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Although its current flows north, its prevailing winds blow south.

That’s why sailors have found it easily navigable for thousands of years. They can either go with the flow of the water or use sails to harness the power of the breeze. I propose that we make the Nile your official metaphor in 2016, Scorpio. You need versatile resources that enable you to come and go as you please—that are flexible in supporting your efforts to go where you want and when you want.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

In many cases, steel isn’t fully useful if it’s too hard. Manufacturers often have to soften it a bit. This process, which is called tempering, makes the steel springier and more malleable. Car parts, for example, can’t be too rigid. If they were, they’d break too easily. I invite you to use “tempering” as one of your main metaphors in 2016, Sagittarius. You’re going to be strong and vigorous, and those qualities will serve you best if you keep them flexible. Do you know the word “ductile”? If not, look it up. It’ll be a word of power for you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In

his essay “The Etiquette of Freedom,” poet Gary Snyder says that wildness “is perennially within us, dormant as a hard-shelled seed, awaiting the fire or flood that awakes it again.” The fact that it’s a “hard-shelled” seed is a crucial detail. The vital stuff inside the stiff outer coating may not be able to break out and start growing without the help of a ruckus. A fire or flood? They might do the job. But I propose, Capricorn, that in 2016 you find an equally vigorous but less disruptive prod to liberate your dormant wildness. Like what? You could embark on a brave pilgrimage or quest. You could dare yourself to escape your comfort zone. Are there any undomesticated fantasies you’ve been suppressing? Unsuppress them!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

Frederick the Great was King of Prussia between 1740 and 1786. He was also an Aquarius who sometimes experimented with eccentric ideas. When he brewed his coffee, for example, he used champagne instead of water. Once the hot elixir was ready to drink, he mixed in a dash of powdered mustard. In light of the astrological omens, I suspect that Frederick’s exotic blend might be an apt symbol for your life in 2016: a vigorous, rich, complex synthesis of champagne, coffee and mustard. (P.S. Frederick testified that “champagne carries happiness to the brain.”)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Piscean acquaintance Arturo plays the piano as well as anyone I’ve heard. He tells me that he can produce 150 different sounds from any single key; using the foot pedals accounts for some of the variation.

How he touches a key is an even more important factor. It can be percussive, fluidic, staccato, relaxed, lively and many other moods. I invite you to cultivate a similar approach to your unique skills in 2016. Expand and deepen your ability to draw out the best in them. Learn how to be even more expressive with the powers you already possess.

www.RealAstrology.com for 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 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as

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BIG PICTURE LEARNING at 1752 Walnut Tree Lane Chico, CA 95928.

JOHN LINHARES 1752 Walnut Tree Lane Chico, CA 95928.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: JOHN LINHARES Dated: December 2, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001487 Published: December 10,17,24,31, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as B AND B AUTO SALES at 2426 Park Avenue Chico, CA 95928.

BENJAMIN COBIAN LEPE, JR 307 Saint Michael Court Chico, CA 95973.

GREGORY PAUL NICHOLAS 2299 Blossom Lane Durham, CA 95938.

This business is conducted by a General Partnership.

Signed: BENJAMIN LEPE, JR Dated: November 25, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001472 Published: December 10,17,24,31, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as LOCAL MARKETING GROUP at 2405 Esplanade Chico, CA 95926.

DR. AUTO INC 2405 Esplanade Chico, CA 95926.

This business is conducted by a Corporation.

Signed: ROBERT LUGO, PRESIDENT Dated: December 1, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001480 Published: December 10,17,24,31, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as BURGUNDY AND BRUSHES LLC at 2265 Santa Clara Avenue Chico, CA 95928.

BURGUNDY AND BRUSHES LLC 2265 Santa Clara Avenue, Chico CA 95928 This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company.

Signed: CAIRA HART, CO-OWNER Dated: November 10, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001401 Published: December 10,17,24,31, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as FEATSTER, SKYWAY ADVENTURES at 728 Cherry St Chico, CA 95928.

PAUL GAMACHE 4425 Willow Springs Road Chico, CA 95928.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: PAUL GAMACHE Dated: December 3, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001488 Published: December 10,17,24,31, 2015

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as KING TOWING at 2558 5th Ave Suite D Oroville, CA 96965.

CHRISTOPHER WEST 6971 Lincoln Blvd Oroville, CA

95966.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: CHRISTOPHER WEST Dated: December 11, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001509 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as HARLEY’S SWAG, INTEGRITY MUSIC SUPPLY, OXFORD ST MARKET, PURE AMERICAN MUSCLE at 194 E Shasta Apt 3A Chico, CA 95973.

PAUL FOUNTAINE 194 E Shasta Apt 3A Chico, CA 95973.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: PAUL FOUNTAINE Dated: November 25, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001466 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as ECO BUILDING SUPPLY INC at 275 Sikorsky Ave Chico, CA 95973.

WESTERN WOODS, INC. 275 Sikorsky Ave Chico, CA 95973.

This business is conducted by a Corporation.

Signed: CHRISTOPHER RICHTER, PRESIDENT Dated: November 23, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001455 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as WIXRR at 185 Sycamore Valley Rd Chico, CA 95973.

TRAVIS MARTIN 2780 Pillsbury Rd Apt 215 Chico, CA 95973.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: TRAVIS MARTIN Dated: December 7, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001494 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as NAYELLY PURSUIT at 1521 Nord Ave #87 Chico, CA 95926.

PRESTON LINDERMAN 1521 Nord Ave #58 Chico, CA 95926.

NAYELLY V MARTINEZ 1521 Nord Ave #87 Chico, CA 95926.

FRANCISCO VEGA 1521 Nord Ave #87 Chico, CA 95926.

This business is conducted by a General Partnership.

Signed: NAYELLY MARTINEZ Dated: December 4, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001492 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as ALL FIRED UP HEALTH COACHING at 4669 Angelena Way Chico, CA 95973.

JANICE K HOFMANN 4669 Angelena Way Chico, CA 95973.

This business is conducted by

an Individual.

Signed: JANICE HOFMANN Dated: November 30, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001477 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015 January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as RED EYE SYSTEMS at 10294 Red Eye Rd Yankee Hill, CA 95965.

TIMOTEO MONTOYA II 10294 Red Eye Rd Yankee Hill, CA 95965.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: TIMOTEO MONTOYA Dated: November 19, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001439 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as WHACKER NATION OUTFITTERS at 2384 Sausalito St Chico, CA 95928.

ADAM FORREST THATCHER 2384 Sausalito St Chico, CA 95928.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: ADAM THATCHER Dated: November 19, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001441 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as RIDGE VIEW BUILDERS at 325 Crater Lake Dr Chico, CA 95973.

MATT SADLER 325 Crater Lake Dr Chico, CA 95973.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: MATT SADLER Dated: December 3, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001489 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME - STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT The following person has abandoned the use of the fictitious business name NEXTHOME COMMUNITY REALTY at 9383 Midway Durham, CA 95938.

LEONARD EUGENE STERLING 119 Fuller Ct. Licoln, CA 95648.

This business was conducted by an Individual.

Signed: LEONARD STERLING Dated: December 4, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0000934 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

FICTITOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as ALL CUSTOM PAINTING at 5145 Pentz Rd Paradise, CA 95969.

TERESA CAROL BESNSON 5145 Pentz Rd Paradise CA 95969.

TERRY LYNN BENSON 5145 Pentz Rd Chico, CA 95969.

This business is conducted by A Married Couple.

Signed: TERESA BENSON Dated: November 17, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001416

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Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as DEER CREEK CAFE at 15474 Nopel Forest Ranch, CA 95942.

JASON M BEAUDRY 15334 Forest Ranch Way Forest Ranch, CA 95942.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: JASON BEAUDRY Dated: December 17, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001534 Published: December 24,31, 2015, January 7,14, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as CHICO OROVILLE OUTDOOR ADVENTURERS, COOA at 21 Tarn Circle Oroville, CA 95966.

BETH BELLO 21 Tarn Circle Oroville, CA 95966.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: BETH BELLO Dated: December 14, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001515 Published: December 24,31, 2015, January 7,14, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as GRUB CSA FARM at 3269 West Sacramento Ave Chico, CA 95973.

LEE M CALLENDER 3269 West Sacramento Ave Chico, CA 95973.

MICHAEL KENT SHAW 966 Ohio St Chico, CA 95928.

FRANCINE STUELPNAGEL 3269 West Sacramento Ave Chico, CA 95973.

This business is conducted by a General Partnership.

Signed: FRANCINE STUELPNAGEL Dated: December 8, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001500 Published: December 24,31, 2015, January 7,14, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as MANGROVE MEDICAL GROUP at 1040 Mangrove Ave Chico, CA 95926.

DANIEL A EKKENS, MD 5005 Schott Road Forest Ranch, CA 95942.

KURT E JOHNSON, MD 10000 Brunswick Lane Durham, CA 95938.

HUGO MA LEON, MD 14906 Eagleridge Dr Forest Ranch, CA 95942.

RANDAL S WILLIAMS, MD 4003 Willow Landing Drive Chico, CA 95928.

This business is conducted by a General Partnership.

Signed: DANIEL A EKKENS, MD Dated: November 17, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001422 Published: December 24,31, 2015, January 7,14, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as REJUVENE’ at 251 Cohasset Road Suite 240 Chico, CA 95926.

HODARI MD DERMATOLOGY INCORPORATED 251 Cohasset Road Suite 240 Chico, CA 95926.

This business is conducted by a Corporation.

Signed: KAFELE HODARI, MD, PRESIDENT

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Dated: December 7, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001497 Published: December 24,31, 2015, January 7,14, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as EDWARDS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT at 123 W 6th Street #130 Chico, CA 95928.

TINY TIM EDWARDS 670 E. 5th St Chico, CA 95928.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: TINY TIM EDWARDS Dated: December 21, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001543 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as CHICO CENTER FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY, CHICO CHILDREN’S CENTER at 286 E 4th Street Chico, CA 95928.

AN BULKENS 16 Carriage Lane Chico, CA 95926.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: AN BULKENS Dated: December 16, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001529 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following persons are doing business as LAS TAPATIAS at 1950 East 20th B209 Chico, CA 95928.

KARLA CAZARES 2270 Notre Dame Blcd Apt 3 Chico, CA 95928.

MA GUADALUPE CAZARES 2270 Notre Dame Blvd Apt 3 Chico, CA 95928.

This business is conducted by a General Partnership.

Signed: GUADALUPE CAZARES Dated: December 21, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001545 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as DONE RIGHT HANDYMAN at 1230 Eilliott Road #10 Paradise, CA 95969.

JOSEPH MCDANIEL 1230 Eilliott Road #10 Paradise, CA 95969.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: JOE MCDANIEL Dated: December 1, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001482 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as PREMIER PLUS at 426 Southgate Court Chico, CA 95928.

DENNIS THOMPSON 426 Southgate Court Chico, CA 95928.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: DENNIS THOMPSON Dated: November 18, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001432 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as GRASSHOPPER EXPRESS at

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7707 Skyway Paradise, CA 95969.

ESTEN PIEPER 7707 Skyway Paradise, CA 95969.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: ESTEN PIEPER Dated: December 21, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001541 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT The following person is doing business as MID VALLEY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, MID VALLEY REALTY at 2720 Cohasset Rd Ste B Chico, CA 95973.

LOUISE ELLEN JOHNSON 14445 Essex Ct Magalia, CA 95954.

This business is conducted by an Individual.

Signed: LOUISE ELLEN JOHNSON Dated: December 22, 2015 FBN Number: 2015-0001550 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016

NOTICES NOTICE OF LIEN SALE Pursuant to CA Business Code 21700, in lieu of rents due.

The following units contain clothes, furniture, boxes, etc.

MICHAEL PALOMBO: Unit #444cc (5x5), Unit #143cc (5x7) JOHN SILVERA: Unit #028cc1 (10x12) GINA OSBURN: Unit #237ss (6x12), Unit #252ss (5x10) LEANNE MCDANIEL: Unit #539cc (5x7) SARAH FRATANGELI: Unit #435cc (5x10) LARICCIA GUZMAN: Unit 509acc (5x6) DAVID & LEDON BRANTLEY SR.: Unit #229ss (5x12) Contents to be sold to the highest bidder on: January 16, 2016 Beginning at 12:00pm Sale to be held at: 65 Heritage Lane Chico, CA 95926.

Published: December 31, 2015, January 7, 2016

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner DESIRE DAVIS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: DESIRE DAVIS Proposed name: DESIREE DAVIS 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 22, 2016 Time: 9:00am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: MICHAEL P. CANDELA Dated: November 24, 2015 Case Number: 164100 Published: December 31, 2015,

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January 7,14,21, 2016

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner THERESA OLSON, WESLEY OLSON filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: JASON ALAN GERMAN JR Proposed name: JASON ALAN OLSON 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 8, 2016 Time: 9:00am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: STEPHEN E. BENSON Dated: November 17, 2015 Case Number: 165297 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner CHRISTINA GONZALES HERNANDEZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: CHRISTINA LEANN GONZALES HERNANDEZ Proposed name: CHRISTINA LEANN SMITH 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 19, 2016 Time: 9:00am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: MICHAEL P. CANDELA Dated: December 10, 2015 Case Number: 165410 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

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 5, 2016 Time: 9:00am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: STEPEHEN E. BENSON Dated: December 8, 2015 Case Number: 165348 Published: December 17,24,31, 2015, January 7, 2016

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner BEVERLY BRYANT filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: DEREK LEMONT SIZEMORE Proposed name: SIR EBYNN LEMONT BRYANT 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 22, 2016 Time: 9:00am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: STEPEHEN E. BENSON Dated: November 18, 2015 Case Number: 165313 Published: December 24,31, 2015, January 7,14, 2016

RICHARD ALAN GARSKA filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: RICHARD ALAN GARSKA Proposed name: JACOB ALAN 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 29, 2016 Time: 9:00am Dept: TBA The address of the court is: Butte County Superior Court 1775 Concord Ave Chico, CA 95928 Signed: MICHAEL P. CANDELA Dated: December 3, 2015 Case Number: 165299 Published: December 31, 2015, January 7,14,21, 2016

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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner

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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner RICHARD ASTLEY & DEBRA NOWLING filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: TYLER BRANDON ASTLEY NOWLING Proposed name: TYLER BRANDON ASTLEY THE COURT ORDERS that all

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CN&R

37

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“Our New Year’s resolution came true!” said my buyer-client, Jenna. “We said we would move to a new home by the end of the year, and by golly, we did!”

“Yeah,” said Dave, her husband. “No procrastinators here. We made it by eight hours. It took us 364 and two-thirds days, but it still counts. Now that we made our resolution, I can go back to paving the road to Hades with good intentions.”

Dave was a comedian, literally. He traveled around California, and sometimes Nevada, performing stand-up comedy.

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I, on the other hand, being susceptible to jokes, laughed encouragingly, which seemed to encourage him.

Jenna barely noticed Dave’s joke, and acknowledged it with a distracted smile.

“The thing about New Year’s resolutions,” said Dave, “is they just go in one year and out the other.”

I cracked up, and Jenna walked away.

“One New Year’s Eve Jenna hoped I was going to get her this diamond necklace she really wanted, to snazz up her outfit for the party we were going to. I was downtown and I called her up. ‘Where are you?’ she asked me. ‘Remember that little jewelry store with that diamond necklace you like?’ ‘Yes, yes’ she said excitedly. ‘Well, I’m at the pub next door, I just stopped in for a drink. Be home in an hour.’”

“But seriously,” said Dave, “I see New Year’s resolutions as an opportunity to start fresh with old bad habits.”

“One thing is for sure,” he said, “as we enter the New Year, I’ll remember the Old Year as if it were yesterday.”

Provided by doug Love, Sales Manager at Century 21 Jeffries Lydon. email escrowgo@aol.com, or call 530-680-0817.

Open Houses & Listings are online at: www.century21JeffriesLydon.com Thinking of making a movE in 2016?

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PRICE

BR/BA

853 Whispering Winds Ln 3922 Barbados Ct 9 Veneto Cir 110 Secluded Oaks Ct 675 Eastwood Ave 683 Eastwood Ave 12 Hidden Brooke Way 372 Picholine Way 2661 Hegan Ln 2844 Lucy Way 1483 Kona Dr

Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico

$695,000.00 $587,500.00 $435,000.00 $380,000.00 $350,000.00 $350,000.00 $335,000.00 $330,000.00 $320,000.00 $318,000.00 $299,500.00

3/ 3.5 4/ 3 4/ 2.5 3/ 2.5 2/ 2 2/ 2 3/ 2.5 3/ 2 3/ 1.5 3/ 2 4/ 2

CN&R

december 31, 2015

SQ. FT. 3473 2612 2472 2020 2376 2202 1842 1756 2298 1830 2202

EmmEtt Jacobi

530.228.1305 • GarrettFrenchhomes.com

Specializing in residential & agriculture properties in chico, Orland, Willows.

Homes Sold Last Week

38

happy new year!!!

Craftsman style 3/2 with low maintenance yard. $152,000

Cell 530.519.6333 • emmettjacobi.com

Sponsored by Century 21 Jeffries Lydon ADDRESS

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

2627 Pillsbury Rd 443 Stonebridge Dr 842 Macy Ave 360 E 3rd Ave 357 Chestnut Rose Ln 1 Rugosa Oak Ct 663 Villa Dr 865 Karen Dr 1216 Spruce Ave 8 Cabaret Dr 1 Shari Ln

Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico Chico

$298,000.00 $291,000.00 $290,000.00 $285,000.00 $285,000.00 $282,000.00 $277,000.00 $270,000.00 $252,000.00 $250,000.00 $240,500.00

4/ 2 3/ 2.5 5/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 2 3/ 1.5 4/ 3.5 3/ 2 3/ 2

SQ. FT. 1716 1999 2046 1405 1705 1316 1696 1533 3312 1215 1245

Immaculate

1,934 sq ft 3 bed 2.5 bath custom home on nearly an acre in Forest Ranch, just an easy, scenic drive from Chico. Community pool & tennis courts, two-car garage PLUS 24 x 36 shop! $350,000

More Home for Your Money, on the Ridge in...

CalBRE# 00991783

Heather Jay

Laura Burghardt

Aaron Jay

For all your Real Estate Needs call (530) 872-7653

more photos at www.CityofTreesRealty.com | (530) 864-6632

BEAUTIFUL ONE OF A KIND HOME!

open house Century 21 jeffries lydon

2br/2ba, 1,440 sqft + bonus.

Sun-room. Covered porch. Carport and shed. A simple life if you are ready to relax. $23,000. Ad #794 Sue Mawer 530-520-4094

GREAT WEST SIDE LOCATION

GREAT HOME IN DURHAM!

Sits at end of lane. 2bd/2ba + office. 1,458 sqft. Dual pane windows. Under house storage.

New heat & A/C. Large new deck. $219,000. Ad #737.

Susan G. Thomas 530-518-8041

Triple S style home. Downstairs master. Open beam vaulted ceiling. Balcony. Upstairs bedrooms with J&J bath.

Detached 2 car garage/shop. $239,000. Ad# 785.

Shelinda 530-520-3663

Sat. 11-1 1056 Windsor Way (X St: Greenwich) 3 Bd / 2 Ba, 1,407 Sq. Ft. $259,900 Mark Reaman 228-2229

Teresa Larson (530)899-5925 www.ChicoListings.com chiconativ@aol.com

EASY LIVING IN SENIOR PARK!

3bd + bonus room. Half+ acre private lot. New Paint. Remodeled kitchen. Crown molding. Newer roof, windows, interior doors and flooring. Hot tub. Detached 2 car garage w/ room above. $213,000.

Ad#779.

Amber Blood 530-570-4747

BRE# 01011224

5350 Skyway, Paradise | www.C21Skyway.com | Paradise@c21selectgroup.com

4 bed/2 bth, 1,727 sq ft, new carpet! .................................................... $295,000 Durham schools, 3 bed/2 bth, 1,948 sq ft, 1-ac, ��������������������������������������������������������� $305,000 Forest Ranch, 3 bed/1 bth, 1,580 sq ft, ��������������������������������������������������������������������� $199,900 Rent to own/owc, new manufactured homes in 55 + required community styled Park $99,000-$105,000 In town, 1.21 acs, 3 bed/3 bth, 2,500 sq ft, 720 detached unit, shop ���������������������������������� $575,000 Custompe 3 bed/den, ndin2gbth, 2,308 sq ft �������������������������������������������������������������������������� $379,900 View! 3pe bed/den, 2 bth, g 2,531 sq ft ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ $435,000 ndin Doe Mill, 2nd bed/2in bth, g854 sq ft, 1-car garage ���������������������������������������������������������������� $189,500

pe

Butte Meadows Lot: 21610 Malloy Creek trail $75k Paradise: g ndin peFilbert 5374 st $215k st ChiCo: Chi ChiC Co: o: ing nd pe 83 herlax herlax Cir.....$369,900 where there’s a willman there’s a way!

3/2, 1600 sq ft, new roof. $249,000 4/2 near CSUC! $329,000 3/2 move-in condition NW Chico $259,900 40ac, North Chico zoned AG/Res. $118,000 2ac building lots $57,500 Single suite office space. $265-$450 monthly 5 ac lot. Owner carry $49,000

Laura willman | Bre# 01931080 | office: (530) 899-5969 Cell: (530) 680-8962 | lwillmanchico@gmail.com | willmansway.com

mark reaman 530-228-2229

www.ChicoListings.com • chiconativ@aol.com www.ChicoListings.com • chiconativ@aol.com Mark.Reaman@c21jeffrieslydon.com

The following houses were sold in butte county by real estate agents or private parties during the week of december 14, 2015 – december 18, 2015.

The housing prices are based on the stated documentary transfer tax of the parcel and may not necessarily reflect the actual sale price of the home.

ADDRESS

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

TOWN

PRICE

BR/BA

1030 Southampton Dr

Chico

$235,000.00

3/ 2

SQ. FT. 1220

2637 Nevada Ave

ADDRESS

Oroville

$130,000.00

4/ 1

1544

2574 E 20th St

Chico

$195,500.00

1/ 1

801

3825 Spencer Ave

Oroville

$115,000.00

3/ 1.5

1152

2966 Burnap Ave

Chico

$180,000.00

3/ 1

1300

1279 Grand Ave

Oroville

$107,000.00

3/ 1

1092

997 Flying V St

Chico

$162,000.00

2/ 1

1027

854 Roe Rd

Paradise

$300,000.00

3/ 2

1938

305 Mission Olive Rd

Oroville

$450,000.00

3/ 2.5

2470

5544 Del Monte Ave

Paradise

$212,500.00

4/ 1

1456

248 Canyon Highlands Dr

Oroville

$296,000.00

3/ 2

2309

5907 Crestview Dr

Paradise

$199,000.00

2/ 1.5

1528

1391 Cox Ln

Oroville

$240,000.00

3/ 2

1580

6020 Peck Ln

Paradise

$195,000.00

2/ 1

1662

2145 Hewitt Ave

Oroville

$164,000.00

3/ 2

1828

1130 Bille Rd

Paradise

$185,000.00

2/ 2

1050

5669 Old Olive Hwy

Oroville

$164,000.00

3/ 2

1248

5220 California Way

Paradise

$160,000.00

2/ 2

1482

20 Rosita Way

Oroville

$160,000.00

4/ 1.5

1494

523 Sunset Dr

Paradise

$150,000.00

3/ 1

1065

5367 Farley St

Oroville

$135,000.00

3/ 2

1247

4614 Meadowsong Dr

Paradise

$140,000.00

2/ 2.5

1790

december 31, 2015

SQ. FT.

CN&R

39