EYE CANDY DOWNTOWN,  Friday, 05 October 2007 Lois does a good job here in stocking her shoppe with a bright variety of gift items and her window always is a draw.

 GOLD STANDARD SET BY MUSEUM EMPLOYEE,  Friday, 05 October 2007 Michaelyn McKelvey infuses her vitality into this colorful gift shop replete with historical books from local authors including Chris Enss. Tourists and locals alike will be pleased with the alluring selection of books and maps. McKelvey sets the gold standard for those aspiring to effective customer service in Old Town: Friendly nature and informed historical background.

 SUNRISE SHINES,  Friday, 05 October 2007 Sunrise Natural Foods is an anchor in the Bel Aire Center in North Auburn. The Gillespie Family does a grand job of running this well-organized store filled with a wide array of supplements, books and even gifty items. The service is friendly and clerks are ready to answer questions.

 COMFORT FOOD AT ITS BEST,  Wednesday, 03 October 2007 Mary Belle's fits right into Old Town Auburn with its cheery setting and comfort foods ranging from home-style desserts to savory soups and even fish 'n chips. I've always liked the lemony tuna sandwiches and the hamburgers are light and tasty when I do indulge. Owner/cook Gayle Stout sets the pace here with a warm welcome and wide smile.

 TOP DRAWER,  Wednesday, 03 October 2007 Latitudes is an Old Town Auburn treasure from the ever-changing seasonal theme menu to the art on the wall to the friendly, expertly-trained staff. This is the hidden gem in Old Town and I must hurry back.

 LIKING LOU LA BONTE'S,  Wednesday, 03 October 2007 Husband Jack and I frequent Lou La Bonte's about five times a year for the past decade and have always enjoyed the friendly service and tasty food and drink. We enjoy the open surroundings in the main dining room and the cozy comfort in the vintage bar. We will continue to patronize this mainstay.

 DOWN HOME DINER STYLE,  Wednesday, 03 October 2007 This cafe is really the down-home with garage-sale decor. However, there are no frills here and the value is unbeatable featuring stick-to-the-ribs specials such as spaghetti/salad, meat-loaf/gravy/mashed taters. Cook Bessie even offers rice pudding and spice cake. Special of the House: Bessie's Bad Ass Beans provide needed protein and taste to boot. Husband Jack has patronized Granny's for over a decade and enjoys the quiet scene.

 RAZZLE DAZZLE,  Tuesday, 02 October 2007 The Razz is just fine for the beginner or for the solo player or for those of us who want maximum exercise--no electric carts--walking the way. Although there is some deferred maintenance here, the surroundings are lush with those beautiful Wheeping Willows and lush greens. I've always gone right on, never having to wait and I'm off in less than two hours when I play solo. No frills here; but you can sit on the rustic deck and enjoy a cold one and the fee for nine is less than $12 during the week; so beat that with a stick.

 KAHI CONNECTED,  Monday, 01 October 2007 Celebrating SIX YEARS (count 'em) this month. Came to KAHI in 2001 with no broadcasting exprience and launched the HEALTH CONNECTION and have gone through several CONNECTIONS and now am niched with my COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS and GOLF CONNECTION programming. I'm enjoying the ride, connecting with colorful individuals from our own communities, consisting of published authors, entrepreneurs and musicians. What a delight to host my neighbors/friends/associates and make the media connection in a positive light and to connect with our many KAHI listeners. Small towns can offer very big opportunities.

 DAILY PAPER BECOMING MORE COMMUNITY MINDED,  Monday, 01 October 2007 Loyal subscriber I am, having received the AJ for the past 18 years. As a daily newspaper, I believe the AJ has many challenges, as do all newspapers; but I believe the AJ is making some progress by connecting with the community and featuring businesses and individuals within the community. I can read the Bee for big-city news and read the AJ because it is about the community. The AJ needs to raise its bar regarding the editorials because reading about the feuds between writers is off-putting. I have no interest in reading about the political opinions of the locals and these letters, too, are of no interest. Let's have more emphasis on the positive and leave the hard news and sensationalism to the big-city papers.