The Buzz

Food-borne illness is no joke. over 5,000 people die each year from food-borne illness. Do not let common myths make you or your family sick.

Three myths that make consumers sick.

"If it tastes o.k., or smells o.k. it is safe to eat"

Fact : If you trust your taste buds to detect unsafe food, you may be in trouble.

The CDC estimated as many as 6.5 million to 33 million illnesses yearly are food related. Taking even a tiny bite to test the saftey of a questionable food can be very dangerous.

"We have always handled our food this way and nothing has ever happened"

Fact: Many incidents of food-borne illness went undetected in the past. Food-borne illness signs and symptoms of vomiting, cramps,and diarrhea were often still blamed on the "flu." Also, both the nature of our food supply and the virulence of food- borne pathogens has changed.

"I sampled it a couple of hours ago and never got sick, so it should be safe to eat."

Fact:Food-borne illness may develope with-in a half hour to a few days: some may occur as long as 2 or more weeks after a contaminated food is eaten.

Another consideration: While you might safely consume a food, someone with a weaker immune system could be more susceptible to a food-borne illness. Young Childern, older individuals, pregnant women, and persons with an illness are more vulnerable and would be more likely to get sick.

Coming soon highly effective tips for safe handling of food products in the home.

To safe and happy summer,

Lisa Fults,

Special T's and Sports

Custom screen printing

Spotlight on Auburn Businesses Part I: Carpe Vino is No Compromise

This is the first in a Series of blogs where I will be highlighting new and old businesses unique to Auburn. This is my way of supporting our town's "Think Auburn First" campaign, which I read about in the Sentinel and was reminded of more recently in Gary Moffat's column, "Don't Drive to Roseville; Think Auburn First", a few months ago.

In his article, Gary mentioned several reasons why so many of us head down the hill to shop instead of buying locally. He talked about the supposedly lower prices offered by the big box and chain stores and the fact that many of us want what we perceive to be better price/selection/value from the bigger stores. Being a Bay Area transplant myself, I must admit that I used to be one of those weekend mall-goers and monthly Costco shoppers. However, lately the trips down the hill are few and far between for several reasons.

1) The sky-rocketing price of gasoline nullifies the few pennies I might save by driving down the hill to the big box stores.

2) What used to be a "quick trip" is now a bloody nightmare since I must drag four whiney children along. Yes, the exponential growth of my family makes car trips something I avoid at all cost.

3) I simply did not know what shopping opportunities were available to me here in Auburn.

This is a point that Gary also made reference to in his article. "Many Auburn residents are simply unaware of what is available in this town."

Personally, I have found this to be very true. After having lived here for nearly five years, I started making some of my own local discoveries when the AuburnBuzz was launched last year. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many lovely and unique shops and restaurants that I never knew existed. The Longhorn Meat Company, Creative Endeavors, Wild Flower, Winston Smith Books, Ultimate Beauty Supply and La Fornaretta Restaurant to name a few. Over the last year, I have made it a point to cut down on my trips down the hill, and instead take the time to discover more local businesses that can be found in the nooks and crannies of our historic town. I choose to support our local small-business owners whenever possible and I have found it is also a great way of connecting with people and getting to know our community better.

After being so inspired by Gary Moffat's article, which was completely on target in my humble opinion, I would be remiss not to mention the wine bar and restaurant, Carpe Vino, which is owned and run by Gary and his son, Drew, at the top of the list . I just had my first opportunity to check it out a few months ago and was not disappointed. (Yes, I realize it has been open for several years, but pregnant patients and nursing mothers are generally not allowed to partake at the wine bar). The ambiance created by the interior brick walls, low lighting, and local artwork displayed on an impressive cabling system was more than I expected. That is not to mention the terrific selection of wine and the most friendly and knowledgable staff you could ask for. Not being a wine conisseur myself, I rely heavily on the recommendations of the experts behind the counter. I can't wait to go back and try some of the Amador County varieties Gary recently added to his selection. I have been told by many the food is par excellence, but will have to discover that for myself the next time around. As Gary would say, see you in the wine bar!

While I found the service at the wine bar to be excellent, I must say that 'lack of customer service' is one reason that Gary forgot to mention in his previously-mentioned article that drives many of us down the hill. Unfortunately, both my husband and I have experienced sub-par customer service more times than we would like to remember at local Auburn businesses. Without mentioning any specific names, there have been numerous occasions we have felt the customer service was severely lacking and perhaps the help didn't try harder because they thought theirs was the only or best option in town. Au contrare. There is ALWAYS another option. We may give the business a second chance (everyone has an off day, right?), but if the service is bad two times in a row, forget it. We won't go back and would rather drive a longer distance for a better experience. We try to patronize those businesses that seem to appreciate their customers the most. Let me add that we are not extreme picky people, but we do expect common curtesy, friendliness, and just the slightest aire of helpfulness. Cheers to the Auburn businesses that already have this figured out!!!!!!

Bouncing around Old Town Auburn today was pleased to learn about all the changes taking place starting with the Gold Rush Mall where I learned Mimi of  The Silver Store will soon take the best location in the front of the mall; congrats to Mimi who has waited well over a decade for this opp.  Mahogany Gail moves to Tea Thyme up Sacramento Street as TT is now out of business.  Roseanne has opened a boutique in the back of the mall next to the veteran Sharon Stanley of  South of  The Border.  The Brookside eatery appears to be holding its own while Stan of  The Gold store is suffering with a serious injury and the Indian store has folded their tent.  I was very impressed with the scintillating lustre of  The OT Gallery and enjoyed my connection with the always enthusiastic Doreen Kidd who waxed joyously about the success of the Gallery.  Congrats to Kidd and all the creative artists.  Enjoyed a cup with Courthouse Coffee Owner Linda Lareau and daughter Lisa with her fashion-grooved daughter sitting outside on the sunny patio.  Headed over for a visit with good pal Syl Bruce who had her staff re-inventorying at the new location at the end of  High Street where Syl says she is happy in her new digs and will soon advertise a grand opening.   Plan on eating at Pasquale Ts next week at their new location next to the Downtown clock tower.  As a consumer, I'm pleased with all the changes and look forward to my shopping/dining choices in our happy hamlet.

We had a relative visiting from New Hampshire recently, and as good hosts do, we took her all around the area to see the sights. It was during this week-long adventure of daily excursions that I was reminded of what a plethora of wonderful natural sights and adventures Placer County and the surrounding area have to offer. All too often we get tied up in our busy lives and don't take the time to appreciate the beauty in nature all around us. There is truly so much to encounter just minutes from our doorsteps.

In one week's time, we were able to take in the wonder of the Foresthill Bridge along the Foresthill Divide and all the stunning canyon and river views, a closer look at the American River, Upper Lake Clementine and the amazing waterfall created by the dam, Overlook Park with a view to the canyon and dam site, another beautiful canyon view at Canyon View Overlook (off of Maidu), and a gorgeous Sunday drive along highway 49 where we stopped to check out the true heart of Gold Country, Sutter's Mill and Marshall Gold Discovery site. We also squeezed in a stroll in Old Town Auburn where we checked out several of the quaint shops and had a nice meal (along with beer for the men and cider for the ladies) at The Auburn Alehouse. Finally, we took a few hours to check out the museum in the Courthouse building where you can see the collection of Placer County's gold nuggets as well as lots of other items and books about the history of Gold Country.

Venturing outside of Placer County, we continued on 49 beyond Placerville where we eventually ended up in Amador county and (finally!) made it to Daffodil Hill (just outside Volcano, CA) to see the daffodils in full bloom. This was a somewhat long, windy drive to see a "quaint", but not neccesarily "breathtaking" sight. However, the discovery of a daylily flower farm/nursery and more importantly, a dozen or more wineries all nestled in a hilly area of Amador County, was worth the drive. I can only imagine the flower farm will be stunning when all the lilies are in full bloom and the nursery offered all sorts of flower and plant varieties that you don't find at your average box-store nursery. The wineries offer spendid views of vine-covered knolls, one after the other, and at least a day's worth of tasting!

Back in Auburn, we headed North on Highway 80 and up to Meadow Vista where we took a nice drive along Placer Hills Road and eventually down Plumtree Lane where the wonderful views of Bear River awaited us. Down in the canyon along the river, we were surrounded by Pine trees reaching up to the clouds. This is perhaps my favorite spot around here. It is a simple and serene surrounding. The crackling of the river over the rocks and the blue dragonflies dancing over the river always remind me that I am exactly where I want to be; home.

We also took the time to show our guest the lovely communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Both towns offer nice window-shopping opportunities. As a musician, I was especially excited about the World Instrument shop that we discovered in Nevada City as well as a neat little father-daughter art studio offering children's wall art, cards, bookmarks, etc.

After our week of discoveries, our visitor was most impressed by all the breathtaking views just minutes from our home in Christian Valley. She couldn't believe that some of these stops were just "side trips" along the way to a final destination.

If you haven't taken the time to find out about all the wonderful opportunities for outdoor adventure in our little paradise, you might be surprised to learn all that Placer County has to offer. According to the 2007 Placer County Citizens' Report, Placer County...

Has hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding

Has the largest concentration of world-class ski resorts in US

Has many lakes for boating, swimming, fishing and camping

Is home to the Tevis Cup 100-mile Hourse Endurance Race

Is home to the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run

Is in the heart of histroic Gold Rush country

Has 6 museums

In my estimation, everything described above is just a sampling of what the outdoors has to offer in our area . We didn't even make it up to the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe afterall, but that awe-inspiring trip will be reserved for the next visit!

Post-program at Courthouse Coffee I was joined by the returning Liz Pope, golfer Spencer Strand and Diana Farr from The Ridge.  It was good to see Liz and share golf stories with Spencer as we all talked about our golf experiences and ties with the community.  No golf today or tomorrow but I am grateful for the rain and the quenching of the thirsty earth so will look forward to some play next week.  Stopped by the Assistant League Thrift Shop on Hwy 49 in Auburn and was asked to spread the word regarding the shop's need for volunteers.  Monies received go toward a variety of good causes and I always enjoy my treasures from this shop.   Feeling good after a great session of  Reiki with Donna Arz and looking forward to working out the kinks tomorrow with Body Mechanic Gabrielle, she of the nimble fingers and intuitive manner.