News briefs in Grass Valley California
Higgins Diggins Lions Club will host their annual spring wine tasting and sale
March 13, 2016 —Tickets are now on sale for the Higgins Diggins Lions Club’s annual Spring Wine Tasting and Sale, slated for April 16 at Higgins Lions Community Center in Grass Valley. Tickets are $15 per person and include an Italian buffet dinner following the tasting.
Dave Luce of Alta Sierra Wine Shop will provide a variety of wines for sampling, and guests may place orders for pick up one week later. Seats are limited, and no tickets will be sold at the door. The event begins promptly at 6 p.m. — all guests are asked to arrive by 5:45 p.m.
Learn more »Silver Springs High School students hit the slopes at Squaw Valley
Silver Springs principal Marty Mathiesen, far left, back row, took students to Squaw Valley on Wednesday, the fifth trip of the season. Among the adults who tagged along for the day were Nevada County District Attorney Cliff Newell, second from the right, back row, and Clint Lunde, director of ski/snowboard operations at Squaw, second from the left, back row.
Learn more »'Women left out of history' topic of Business and Professional Women of Nevada County meeting
March 11, 2016 —“Women Left Out of History: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due” is the theme celebrating Women’s History Month at the monthly dinner meeting of Business and Professional Women of Nevada County on March 16 at Summer Thyme’s Bakery & Deli, 213 Colfax Ave. in Grass Valley. Members of the public are invited.
Five women who never received recognition for their extraordinary accomplishments and courage will have their stories told by five club members, who will speak, in costume, as the woman remembered. The historical figures are Julia Hurlbut, an American suffragist who was jailed while leading a march for women’s right to vote in 1917; Lise Meitner, an Austrian physicist who co-led a group of scientists who discovered nuclear fission of uranium; Elizabeth Jennings Graham, an African-American woman who refused to get off a New York streetcar in 1854; Ada Lovelace, mathematician and first computer programmer; and Alice E. Kober, a Brooklyn professor whose work led to solving the greatest mystery of antiquity: the Mycenaean alphabet.
Learn more »Live broadcast of political parties discussing Central Valley water
March 11, 2016 —Northern California Republicans, Democrats and members of the Tea Party will discuss in a live broadcast Tuesday the actions needed to solve one of California’s most troubling water issues; refilling groundwater aquifers beneath the Central Valley “breadbasket.”
Operation Unite® and KVMR 89.5 FM have scheduled this one hour “round table” broadcast at 6 p.m. on March 15.
Learn more »Mental health, criminal justice: the cost of homelessness
March 10, 2016 —In January and February, the League of Women Voters of Western Nevada County presented a two-part series on housing and homelessness in Nevada County. At Saturday’s meeting, the League will host a panel addressing the cost of homelessness from mental health and criminal justice perspectives. Speakers will include Judge Thomas A. Anderson, Nevada County Superior Court; Rebecca Slade, Director, Nevada County Behavioral Health; and Katie Bell, RN, Substance Use Disorders Specialist, Chapa-De Indian Health.
The program will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley. Refreshments and coffee service will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Learn more »United Way of Nevada County: Caring power for over 33 years
United Way of Nevada County has been in existence for over 33 years and could not exist if it were not for volunteers that continuously help make it a viable, thriving agency. Last week Seven Hills Middle School students in the Interact Club, above, helped prepare the United Way spring newsletter for mailing. These students spent many hours after school folding and taping to help United Way get their quarterly newsletter ready to be mailed.
Currently United Way is going through its annual allocation process and is recruiting community members to be a part of the Citizen Review Teams. Each year, United Way of Nevada County creates teams of Nevada County citizens to be on Citizen Review Teams. They visit United Way partner agencies as part of a review of the agencies requesting funds and an evaluation of how the agencies are addressing the needs of our community. This is part of the due diligence United Way of Nevada County does for its donors. United Way typically will recruit 25 to 30 individuals to help with this process. These community members help in making the determination of where the funds from United Way’s community Impact fund will be allocated. This year United Way is focusing its funds on the basic needs of the community, in particular food, emergency shelter and access to health care. This project is a fun, learning experience for all who participate. The commitment isn’t a large one; there will be a short training from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on April 14, and then a two week period of agency visits and a final evaluation meeting the end of April (for team leaders only). All in all, a very small commitment to United Way (about six to 10 hours) with a large payoff to Nevada County.
Learn more »Nevada County; be on the lookout for nationwide jury duty phone scams
March 9, 2016 —The U.S. Marshals Service is warning the public of a nationwide telephone scam involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals, court officers or law enforcement officials seeking to collect a fine in lieu of arrest for failing to report for jury duty. The U.S. Marshals Service does not call anyone to arrange payment of fines over the phone for failure to appear for jury duty or any other infraction.
In order to appear more credible, the scammers may even provide information like badge numbers and the names of actual federal judges and courthouse addresses. Victims have been told they can avoid arrest by paying a fine using a reloadable credit card, and were urged to call a number and provide their own credit card number to initiate the process. The Marshals Service urges the public not to divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers, even if they sound legitimate.
Learn more »Music in the Mountains accepting applications for Young Musicians Competition
Music in the Mountains is currently taking applications for its annual Young Musicians Competition. The competition is an opportunity for students in grades 3 through 12 to compete for cash prizes and a showcase performance opportunity. There are five solo and four ensemble divisions which are determined by grade level and instrument group. Participants perform for professional music adjudicators who rank students and provide detailed written critiques of their performances. The top two performers from each division are passed on to a final round where the winners are determined. The Showcase Concert will take place at 2 p.m. May 14 at Peace Lutheran in Grass Valley and is open to the public. Call 530-256-6124 or visit http://www.musicinthemountains.org to get your tickets to hear the most talented young musicians in our region.
Application deadline is April 1, 2016. More details and application forms are available online at http://www.musicinthemountains.org/education/young-musicians. Preliminary auditions will be held on April 30 with the final round taking place May 7. For more participation information contact MIM education coordinator Mark Vance, at mark@musicinthemountains.org or call 530-265-6173.
Learn more »Volunteers wanted for Scotch Broom Challenge at Hirschman's Pond in Nevada City
March 9, 2016 —Local groups and agencies are once again teaming up this year to pull Scotch Broom from various sites around Nevada County. No experience is necessary and equipment and supplies are provided. The next event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Hirschman’s Pond. A reforestation and fuel load reduction project is now underway at one of the first major sites of hydraulic mining in California. Home to a variety of important and sensitive species like the western pond turtle, Pacific Chorus Frog, and variety of migrating waterfowl, volunteers will help clear invasives at Hirschman’s Pond before restoring native plants to the area in the coming years. Some areas are steep and terrain can be uneven. The project site is sponsored by Sierra Streams Institute in coordination with site coordinator Alex Lincoln. For more information or to volunteer please call 530-272-1122 or send an email to info@areyoufiresafe.com
Learn more »Bernie supporters host debate watch party March 9 in Grass Valley
March 8, 2016 —Supporters of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders are hosting a debate watch party tonight at the Foothills Event Center in Grass Valley. The event will include informational videos and election information prior to the debate. Doors open at 5 p.m., with pre-debate programming beginning at 5:30 p.m. A no host bar selling beer, wine, soft drinks and water will be available, in addition to a variety of pizzas and desserts sold by the Events Center. Child care will be provide free, but donations will be appreciated to cover the cost of renting the venue. For more information, call 530-388-0959.
Learn more »Grass Valley Little League Spaghetti Feed
Grass Valley Little League will be hosting their second annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 13 at the Nevada City Elks Lodge, 518 Highway 49 in Nevada City. A silent auction will take place between 4:45 and 6:15 p.m. and “50-50” and “Grand Slam” raffles at 5:20 and 6:50 p.m.
Tickets are $10, or four for $35. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Cash and credit/debit cards are accepted.
Learn more »Tickets on sale for Nevada Union Choir's Equinox Concert in Grass Valley
March 8, 2016 —Tickets are on sale for Nevada Union High School Choir’s Equinox Concert, set for 7 p.m. March 16 in the Don Baggett Theater at Nevada Union High School. Their first concert of 2016, the choir has spent the first half of the semester preparing a wide variety of challenging repertoire. The choir will present pieces from varying styles including music of the Renaissance, spirituals, modern compositions and more. Tickets for reserved seats available only at http://www.NUChoir.org. A very limited number of seats may be available at the box office the evening of the event.
Learn more »Restaurants to support League of Women Voters' voting campaign in Nevada County
March 7, 2016 —In honor of Women’s History Month, two Nevada County restaurants will be supporting the League of Women Voters and its “Get Out the Vote” campaign.
On Wednesday, California Organics in Nevada City will donate all restaurant proceeds earned between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. to LWVWNC. On March 23, Matteo’s Public in Nevada City will donate 15 percent of all gross sales made between 5 and 9 p.m. to the League. Voter registration tables will be available at both events.
Learn more »Adventure/thriller author to speak to Gold Country Writers in Auburn
March 7, 2016 —Paul Landes, author of three adventure thrillers, spent 17 years from the beginning his first novel to polishing it for publication. Landis will be the guest speaker at the Gold Country Writers meeting from 10 a.m. to noon March 16, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1279 High St. in Auburn.
In his talk entitled, “Whatever Else You Do, WRITE,” Landes will provide tips on the discipline of writing, sticking to a writing schedule, working with critique groups and finishing the job. Members are encouraged to bring five copies of five pages double spaced of their writing to share and have critiqued. Visitors are welcomed to the free community event. For more information, email taleteller2@gmail.com.
Learn more »Sierra Writers hosts Open Read March 9
March 7, 2016 —Sierra Writers will host an Open Read at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Madelyn Helling Library Community Room, 980 Helling Way in Nevada City.
All are welcome to submit works anonymously to be read aloud by members of Sierra Writers and critiqued by the assembled group. Submissions of fiction (including poetry) or nonfiction should be made with no name and contain no more than 750 words (two to three pages). Print on one side of the paper and double-space in readable font and type face (such as Times Roman, 12 pt.).
Learn more »On the hunt in Smartsville
A Smartsville cat hunts for birds before the latest storm.
Learn more »Chicago Park Community Charter School accepting applications
March 6, 2016 —Chicago Park Community Charter School is now accepting applications for enrollment for the 2016/17 school year through March 11. Committed to providing a standards-based hands-on curriculum, Chicago Park Community Charter prepares Transitional Kindergarten through eighth grade students for 21st century learning with a strong emphasis in math, science, technology and character development. For more information, or to make a reservation for a school tour, call 530-346-2153.
Learn more »Mother Lode Toastmasters' open house tonight in Grass Valley
March 6, 2016 —Mother Lode Toastmasters’ will be hosting an open house at 6:45 p.m. today The Nevada County Jewish Community Center, located at 506 Walsh Street near downtown Grass Valley. The evening will include presentation by theater instructor Sandra Rockman, who discuss the various ways improvisation training can help in all aspects of life. She will then lead the group through a few exercises. Today, more than half of the top business schools around the world are incorporating improvisation into their employee trainings. Studies have shown that learning “improv” can inspire fresh thinking, creative collaboration, confident communication and adaptive leadership. Rockman has been active in Nevada County theater for over 35 years as an actor, director, and playwright. She currently teaches workshops in acting, performance art, playwriting and improvisation. Mother Lode Toastmasters, one of the local clubs of Toastmasters International, is offering this workshop to the public as part of its Spring 2016 Open House Series. On the first Monday of each month through June, the club will bring in a special guest and invite the public to come learn something new and get acquainted with Toastmasters.
Mother Lode Toastmasters meets every Monday from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. Detailed directions to The Nevada County Jewish Community Center and meeting information can be found on the Mother Lode website at http://motherlode.toastmastersclubs.org.
Learn more »Organized day trips from Grass Valley to Reno's Silver Legacy Casino
March 6, 2016 —The Nevada County Travel Club has organized day trips to Silver Legacy for March 11, April 8 and May 12. This is a six hour stay and transportation is provided. Travelers are served coffee and fresh pastries from Daily Donuts and play bingo on the way. For reservations and more information, call Laura at 530-273-9641.
Learn more »Jerianne Van Dijk is 'Artist of the Month' at Nevada City Winery
Jerianne Van Dijk is the ‘artist of the month’ through March 31 at Nevada City Winery. An illustrator and muralist by profession, Van Dijk turns to the pleasures of small town life for her watercolors. She has been a working artist for 35 plus years for designers, print and textile companies, illustrating a number of children’s books and offering classes when time allows. An artist’s reception for Van Dijk is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. on March 11 at Nevada City Winery. Music will be provided by the Bob Kirkland Trio. The Nevada City Winery is located at 321 Spring St. in Nevada City.
Learn more »Public input sought for forest health project near Foresthill
March 4, 2016 —The Tahoe National Forest is requesting public input for a proposed project that would address trees killed by bark beetles and increase forest health to protect against future insect attacks, with an emphasis on fuels reduction for community protection. The proposed project near Foresthill would remove trees killed by bark beetles, thin at-risk areas to protect them from further damage, plant new trees, and reduce fire danger in the process.
Areas of high tree density, combined with drought conditions, have contributed to increasing levels of tree mortality from bark beetle attacks. Currently in the Foresthill area, there are numerous groups of beetle-killed trees intermixed with live trees at risk of further attacks.
Learn more »New mobile fundraising app for local schools and nonprofits
March 4, 2016 —Sammie’s Friends is now participating in a “new and innovative” mobile fundraising program called Benefit Mobile offered by eScrip. Sammies’ supporters can download the free iPhone or Android phone app and then shop at their favorite participating retailers for purchases such as groceries, clothes, home goods and more. When they use the Benefit Mobile app at checkout, a percentage of each transaction goes to Sammie’s Friends. Not a dime is asked of the user.
Sammie’s Friends has a goal of raising $50,000 for their spay and neuter program in Nevada County. Users can be contributing up to 20 percent of each purchase they make. Retailers include Starbucks, CVS, Staples, The Home Depot, Target and Amazon. More retailers are expected to join Benefit in the near future.
Learn more »Puppy and dog adopathon today at Petco in Grass Valley
“Aspen,” above, will be among the puppies and adult dogs available for adoption between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. today at Petco in Grass Valley. The event is organized by Rescue for Pet Sake. All dogs are spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations and ready for forever homes. Petco is located in the Pine Creek Shopping Center at 672 Freeman Lane in Grass Valley. For more information, visit http://www.rescueforpetsake.org.
Learn more »Sierra Joint Consortium for Adult Education to Hold public meeting in Auburn
The Sierra Joint Consortium for Adult Education (SJCAE) will hold a public meeting from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on March 9 at the Holiday Inn, 120 Grass Valley Highway in Auburn. The public is invited to attend, as there will be opportunities to make public comments and ask questions.
The Consortium, also known as Sierra ASSETS (Adult Student Support, Education & Training Services), was formed in 2014 to develop a comprehensive plan for Adult Education in Placer and Nevada counties. The goal of Sierra ASSETS is to leverage the strengths of members and partners to deliver outstanding adult education programs and services with seamless transitions into the workforce or postsecondary education.
Learn more »'Cup with a cop' in Nevada City
March 2, 2016 —The next “A Cup with a Cop” event is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. March 16 at Java John’s, 306 Broad St. in Nevada City. As part of the Community Connect Program, Nevada City Police Chief Tim Foley and other officers will be on hand to visit with interested community members. In this relaxed, informal setting, Chief Foley and the officers are open to discuss local interests, community concerns, current events or just get acquainted.
Learn more »Scholarship to Air Academy available to Nevada County teens
March 2, 2016 —The Nevada County Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is once again offering a scholarship to the EAA Air Academy in Oshkosh, Wis. The week long camp will include aviation related activities such as a hands-on introduction to aircraft construction, aeromodeling, rocketry, basics of flight, and a tour of the EAA Museum. This opportunity is available to one Nevada County resident aged 14 to 18 with a strong interest in aviation. More information and an application is available on the chapter website at http://www.eaa1175.org. The application deadline has been extended to March 7.
RCA Grass Valley collections agency to celebrate new ownership today in Nevada City
March 2, 2016 —The 90-year-old collections agency, RCA Grass Valley, is now under new ownership and the public is invited to a celebrate the “changing of the guard” at 5 p.m. today in Nevada City.
In 2009, current president Sheila Baker hired local professional coach and consultant Ruth Schwartz to support the direction of RCA. When Baker retired in 2015, Schwartz decided to purchase the corporation.
Schwartz remains a professionally certified business coach,consultant and creator of the Fail Proof Hiring Program. She has added these professional services to RCA Grass Valley’s business collection services. Ruth is also joined by a small, professional group of collectors and legal assistants.
RCA Grass Valley will host a Greater Nevada County Chamber of Commerce Open House with Nevada City Winery and Emily’s Catering at 5 p.m. today at 830 Zion Street in Nevada City. The public is welcome.
Meeting on Saturday to address Grass Valley fire station closures
March 2, 2016 —The Higgins Fire District will be hosting a day of information about the upcoming fire station closures from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Higgins Fire District Station 22, located at 20223 Morning Sun Rd. in Grass Valley.
The event will include hot dogs roasted over an open flame. Fire officials will be answering questions about how the upcoming closure of the fire station will affect a response to emergencies in the Dog Bar Road area. Attendees will get the opportunity to meet local firefighters and take part in fire station tours. In addition, officials will be issuing burn permits and giving equipment presentations and demonstrations.
Democratic Debate watch party this Sunday in Grass Valley
March 2, 2016 —The Nevada County Democratic Central Committee is hosting a ‘Watch Party’ at 5 p.m. on Sunday at Margarita’s Restaurant, 988 Plaza Drive (in Brunswick Basin). Guests are encouraged to arrive early to order snacks and drinks. This is a public event to support the Democratic Party and its candidates for president, not a support rally for a specific candidate. Guests will also have the opportunity to register or re-register for the upcoming June Primary and November General Election.
Sierra sunrise
March 2, 2016 —Sunrise from Lake of the Pines.