Dixie Fix

Message From the "Old 5 Mile House"

The Old 5 Mile House Restaurant Opened this week in Nevada City.

This comes from the owner, Robert Smith

Robert, Doris & Serafina Smith have opened the doors on a beautiful and fun restaurant in the historic landmark building of The Old 5 Mile House on HWY 20, just 5 miles East of Nevada City.

This old stage coach stop built in 1890 has the charm of an old, yet elegant road house and it now boasts an exciting menu theme of "Roadhouse Food From Around The World".

They will start out serving dinner only Tues - Sun from 5-9 PM, with a bar menu from 9pm to midnight.  And they hope to soon open for lunch. The menu includes roadhouse classics like Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Roast Chicken, Great Burgers, as well as Pizza from their warm glowing hearth oven. They also offer culinary delights like their Devil's Prawns Linguini - Bourbon flambeed Prawns served with a spicy, mellow garlic red sauce - Diabloique! Don't miss the Flintstone T-Bone - Yababba Dabba Doo! 16 Ounces of Juicy goodness served with their own home made Bistro fries! Play mix and match with the Tapas. Have a great salad.

The plan is to feature specials form around the world. For instance, July could be "Roadhouse food from Spain". 

Good Value & Good Times is their motto with pizzas and pastas starting at 9.99 and a great selection delicious, fun and affordable treats. Many vegetarian items with organic produce really make it a place where everyone can find something to get excited about. The childern's menu has organic fruit to go with each meal and the dessert menu includes home made fruit pies, the Chocolate Cherry Pot Pie and home made ice creams and sorbettos.

Stop in and check it out. It may be only 5 minutes up the road, but it's a whole other world. Take the break you deserve and get away for a fun, affordable night out. 

Many thanks to the great support from the whole community from The Smith Family.

Please forward this on to your friends and meet them there.

California Organics Expansion Update

Some of us still think of Cal Organics as Earth Song, but you know, the restaurant and health food store in the 7 Hills District of Nevada City. You've probably seen the signs on Broad Street in the old Broad Street Furnishings building that California Organics is coming, but when???

Chris Keysar, the owner, said today that the holdup is the money. He is actually getting economic stimulous funds, which evidently means "government bureaucracy." He has been working on it for more than a year, and one of the documents is 800 pages long!! And people have told him these funds are on a fast track! (Now you know why nothing happens.)

He now thinks maybe February 2010. He's demolishing the tin buildings on the far side of the parking lot and that will be free valet parking for customers. He will also have concierge service for groceries and possible a shuttle to parking lots in Nevada City. The bottom floor (below the Broad Street entrance, level w/ the parking lot in back) with be offices. The grocery store, with gifts, juice bar, coffee bar, etc. will be on the "main" floor -- what you see from Broad Street. The produce will be showcased in the middle of the store.

The upper floor will be the kitchen and restaurant, and he is installing elevators because the building isn't Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.

If you remember, the second floor is open to the third floor in the middle, so there will be abundant light as well as skylights.

It sounds like Chris is doing everything right, and I think his move to downtown is much anticipated!! We'll have to give him a warm welcome when he's finally in the new building.

NCTV Director Resigns

Michael LaMarca has resigned as the executive director of Nevada County Television. LaMarca replaced Lew Sitzer, the station’s founder, on July 1, 2008.

 Here’s a statement released today by LaMarca:

“My tenure here at NCTV is coming to an end. I have resigned my post and will soon be moving on. 

 “NCTV is seeking an energetic person to step in and tackle the development and fundraising challenges of this young organization.  The board and the staff and I are optimistic that this is a great opportunity for NCTV to find a person experienced in developing revenues and securing grants to help our local station overcome its built-in operational handicap. 

“It’s been a pleasure following Lew Sitzer’s footsteps and serving our community here in the capacity of ED. I’m convinced that fine local talent will step up to take my place and drive the station on its steady path to maturity.

 If you know of a good candidate, please pass along the posting below and direct them to our web site for detailed information.”

 Position Available:  Executive Director of Nevada County Television (NCTV).  The Executive Director leads a non-profit community media center with an established public access television station, serves as the chief executive officer and principal spokesperson, and drives NCTV toward becoming a 21st century “new media” hub for Nevada County. Fundraising and revenue generation are the Executive Director’s top priority.  Desirable candidate is experienced with developing revenue streams, a seasoned administrator, and well versed in current community media landscape.  Salary range $28 – 36 K. Hours and salary negotiable.  Visit http://www.nevadacountytv.org/ for application details.  Send letter of introduction and resume to [email protected] by 5:00 pm October 23rd.

-- This was on the NC Advocate's Web site. Good scoop, Pat!

 

Two Respected Journalists Leaving Local Newspaper

And it will be a shame to see them both go. David Mirhadi is doing his 2nd stint at the paper, having left to go to Wyoming and return again to Grass Valley. He is a talented writer, especially features. David can tell a story and paint a picture that puts you right there! He is awesome. And just about the nicest man you will ever meet. I just heard about an "act of kindness" he performed a couple weeks ago, from the surprised recipient. A class act, all the way.

The other reporter is Zuri Berry, who was hired for sports (his first love) and later moved into news when Laura Brown abruptly left a few months ago. Zuri has many talents, including his journalism skills. He is extremely adept at social media, and managed the paper's Web site with style and grace -- not an easy feat in the Wild West of the Internet. Zuri is young and ambitious and I think he will go far and we can say we knew him when he was starting out. He was hired by the Boston Globe (!) to produce sports for the Web.

If you see either of these gentlemen around town, thank them for their hard work and contributions to the community! They will be missed -- but not forgotten. 

Have You Heard of the 'Fat Gap'?

There's a mention of it in the current issue of Time magazine. It's the gap between thinking you are fat vs. other people. I know for myself, I'm not one to spend hours in front of a mirror and once my hair is combed, that's it for the day. But I must say I was still shocked when I saw a photo of myself taken Memorial Day weekend. That was my "ah-ha moment" to know I had to do something about my weight.

I won't belabor the Weight Watchers cheering, but a program that gives you group support while telling you just what to do to be successful has my vote. Follow the instructions, count the points (not that hard) and you lose weight. And, if you exercise, you get more points added to your daily plan. So things like wine and chocolate are OK, as long as you count them.

I'm now at 35 pounds gone and am working on the last 12 or so, which will be hardest, I know. The best part is trying on clothes in smaller sizes, especially jeans!

Have you had an ah-ha moment lately? What was it?

When a Mole Turns Deadly

I recently found out that my ex-brother-in-law was diagnosed with melanoma. He had surgery, lymph node removal and now faces more surgery and a year on interfuron treatment. Not good news. It just brings to mind how your life can change in an instant. This man has 2 kids in college, a good marriage and financial success. He is a good person and overcame some personal demons early in his life. The diagnosis sounded dire because, when we bought our first house in Grass Valley in the 90s, the owner, Don Whitman, had just received a similar diagnosis. He was gone before we'd been in the house on Polaris Drive a year.

Although I have mentioned being treated for breast cancer in 1994, I don't mention my other cancer diagnosis as much. That same year I was diagnosed with a melanoma. I had 2 surgeries and they had "clear margins" so the only other treatment was strict follow up on all suspicious moles.

When I went to the dermatologist with a mole I wanted her to look at, it didn't really look too bad. It was slightly dark, not large, and only worth mentioning because I didn't remember it being there before. The doctor agreed "it looked fine" but had it biopsied to be certain. It came back cancer, which was a shock. But then I thought back to all those days baking on the beach. We slathered our bodies with baby oil to ensure a tan and what little sunscreen that existed in the early 60s was about a 2. The idea was to be brown, and the browner the better.

All that sunbathing had 30 plus years to incubate...no wonder I had a melanoma. And my mother had one too (in the 50s when most people died). She also had breast cancer and researchers now believe there is a connection between the 2 cancers.

If found early (like many cancers) melanoma is easy to cure. So do yourself a favor and check your whole body for anything that looks suspicious and have it checked out! No insurance? Look for free screenings at the hospital and local health fairs. I have a sinking feeling Bryan's mole had been there for some time before he finally had it checked out.

The Lure of Costco & the Mystery of the Missing Music

I know, it's not local, but you can't beat the prices on just about everything! (Even if you have to buy 1,500 of one thing -- the bulk packaging is a riot.) I love to look in people's carts and see what THEY are buying...did we miss a bargain? I saw a guy with a giant dog bed (our dog's size) in his cart and so I went wandering the aisles looking for the dog beds. Not by the dog food, of course, that would be too logical. When I found them, they were stacked in a big box and had a pattern that looked like the upholstery in my dentist's office...a sickly baby blue print. But I started rooting through the box and down toward the bottom were some cool prints in browns and beiges. Into the cart, at a bargain $18.95. When we were in line 2 different people on either side of us asked about the dog bed. One guy said he didn't see that color and I told him he had to dig deep. Both left and came back with brown dog beds. Jackson was a bit reluctant to get on it at first (didn't have his good smells? Even though I wash his other one). So, I laid down on it, and Jackson laid down right beside me and put his paw around my side!

Why doesn't Costco carry CD's any more? Is it because everyone (except me) downloads music? Does anyone know?

What do you buy at Costco? And why?

What Punctuates Your Days?

That's a no-brainer if you work a traditional job...Monday through Friday. When I was working I had NO trouble remembering the day of the week! I would visit my friends Phil & Denise, long retired, and Phil would look at me with absolute sincerity and say, "What day is it?" As you can imagine, I wanted to clobber him every time he said that! I eventually found a "Day of the Week" clock at a garage sale that works and shifts to the day so you at least know what day it is! And it has a prominent place in his house, above the fireplace, close to one of the dozen TVs. (He's a sports nut.)

Now that I'm not working, sometimes I forget what day it is, too. But I have some reminders that keep me in check most of the time: Monday, Wednesday and Friday are neighborhhood dog-walking days, at 8 sharp. If you are 2 minutes late, they have left, and you have to chase them down Pasquale, either running or in your car. Thursday has now become a dog walking day on a canal with other friends. Tuesday morning is Weight Watchers and it's hard to forget a stranger weighing you AND WRITING IT DOWN. That alone has made to more cognizant of what I put in my mouth.

Now that the weather is turning colder, the gym will be a featured destination. I love getting my exercise in fresh air, but rain, snow and freezing temperatures can put a bit of a damper on that -- although we do all still walking the dog. I don't go if it's pouring rain, but hubby will. Dog doesn't know the difference, but LOVES snowballs and making snow angels. The gym will probably be M,W,F as well.

At night, there are a few things that keep a rhythm to my days. "House" is on Monday nights, and I also like "Lie to Me." And on Thursday, we are probably the last people left in the world still watching "Survivor."

Of course there are dinners, and parties, and music events and the like, but those are random and don't count as putting a permanent mark on the days.

How do you punctuate your days? And as Chris Towne has been saying for years, is Thursday the new Friday? Speaking of KVMR, Mondays mean Steve Baker and Fridays mean Jerriann and Thursday afternoons mean Chris and Friday afternoons Hap Hazard.

Tell me...what works for you?

PS- I have a new Yahoo Avatar but can't figure out how to get in on my blog and FB. Anybody know? I did it once, for God's sake!

Odds & Ends

Did you know........

Gil Matthew of the county's ERC is getting married?

The Cascade Shores Boat Ramp is still open?

Someone you know is pondering a bid for a seat on NID's board?

B&C gives senior discounts on Tue, Wed. and Thursday?

Ross in Auburn gives them on Tuesday?

Big 5 has a super discount shelf for men's and women's shoes? (last pairs, etc.)

A small movie theater popcorn has 1,000 calories and trans fat?

'The Help,' Fall's Splendor, Shopping Local...

There are a lot of readers in my neighborhood and we have a book club -- we don't real the same book, we share what we're reading (or have read) and happily loan it to others if it sounds intriguing to them. That's how I started reading "The Help," set in Mississippi during the early days of the Civil Rights movement. A lot of the story is told from the voice of 'the help,' the black maids who cook, clean and care for the white family's children. It's a fascinating book and very well written. I love it when I'm exposed to something I might never have read, and this gem of a book is enriching my life for sure. 

A neighbor and I took his boat out on Scotts Flat Lake yesterday -- a sunny perfect fall day! Aside from one boat with 2 fishermen, we had the entire lake to ourselves and were able to soak up this gorgeous fall weather. It was Jackson's first boat ride and he seemed to enjoy it. Amazing the boat ramp is still open this late in the year. The lake is very low right now, exposing areas you don't normally see.

Recently some newer residents were telling me how they were going down the hill to buy some essentials (and a couple of pricy items as well.) I suggested a couple places where they could shop for the same items locally, only to be met with a puzzled look. What I should have said -- and didn't think at the time  -- was that by not shopping locally, we may not HAVE the convenience of buying those things in town a year from now.

No word so far on what our local Chambers of Commerce will do (or not do) since receiving less money from the Board of Supervisors. Is there a plan?