Who's Online
We have 3 guests online
|
|
|
Filmmaker Steps in to Get Film Shown in Auburn & Some St. Patrick’s Day Luck |
| Print |
|
|
Written by Don Chaddock
|
|
Wednesday, 11 July 2007 |
Biscuits and Gravy July 13
Filmmaker Steps In to Get Film Shown in Auburn & Some St. Patrick’s Day LuckAROUND TOWN – A few merchants e-mailed or called me last week due to a column item in which I mentioned that retail shops were closed at 9 a.m. while hundreds of walkers from Volkssport (an international walking club) were on the streets of Auburn. My point is that merchants in small towns, because they are mom and pop shops, generally aren’t open when shoppers are available (before 9 a.m. and after 5:30 p.m.). The workforce is usually occupied with their jobs during these hours, meaning shopkeepers are giving themselves only about an hour to get these customers into their stores. I wholeheartedly agree with Ross and Lynn Carpenter, owners of Serendipity and Box Office Candies in Old Town. They’ve been reminding fellow merchants for years to “be open when the customers are here.” The Carpenters keep their stores open later and Old Town as a group will be staying open later on Friday nights. Also, the Volkssport walking tour organizers should have done a better job of alerting local media about their plans so that we could have informed the public (and shopkeepers) before those hundreds of walkers arrived.
FOURTH FESTIVITIES – High temperatures didn’t keep people away
from the Gold Country Fairgrounds on the Fourth of July for the town’s
annual shindig. Live music, children’s activities, the parade and
fireworks awaited those who braved the heat. Mayor Bob Snyder donned
his Uncle Sam outfit (complete with stilts) and mingled with the crowd
for a bit (while his wife Stephanie watched from the sidelines). I also
spotted Nancey Holland (of Harris Industrial Gasses), Michael and Beth
Leydon (of Newcastle), Steve Conklin, Vance Sauter (the guy who chairs
the 4th of July event team), last year’s 4th Congressional District
Democratic nominee Charlie Brown, Jerry Kopp (of Uptown Signs), Leslie
Maita (of Maita Ford), Auburn Chamber of Commerce President Steve
Galyardt, Steve Brown, Sharon Gannon, city finance guru Andy Heath and
his clan, Roberta Lopez Hoskins, Jennifer Richardson (who did a great
job as the emcee of the Little Miss and Mr. Fourth of July Pageant),
Toni Foster Fossum (the lovely lady who organizes the pageant), Linda
Robinson, Casey Conway, banking beauty Jackie Weston, Brad Weston (of
Auburn Printers and a former president of the Auburn Chamber), former
Auburn Mayor Kathy Sands, District Three Supervisor Jim Holmes, Debi
Lawrence, Dr. Bill Kirby, Rudy and Ann Rivero, Auburn Harley Davidson
owner Bob Holmes and his wife Juanita, Auburn Chamber CEO Bruce
Cosgrove, Chamber employee Fred Waters, Placer County Museums
Department chief Melanie Barton (in late 1800s era garb), Police Chief
Valerie Harris making the rounds with her officers, music man Monroe
DeJarnett, Michael and Michelle Barbieri (owners of Auburn Nissan and
all-around nice folks), and former Colfax Chamber of Commerce CEO Brad
Childs (who runs the Wilderness Institute). City Council members Mike
Holmes, Keith Nesbitt and Bridget Powers were also around for a while.
It was nice to see the lovely Tanya Hibbard and her beau Jasen at the
fairgrounds. The two, with son Jake, are our neighbors.
RUMOR MILL – The Trader Joe’s rumor should be dead and buried,
but it isn’t. The Two-Buck Chuck supplier for the area has no plans to
open a store in Auburn in the next five years. That’s what their
corporate office told me when I phoned after the rumors started flying
initially. They are not going into the old Ralph’s store, which is
being carved up into two smaller shops to make the building easier to
lease. That doesn’t mean they will never open a store in Auburn and
when the checkers were getting zip codes from customers, I’m sure they
discovered that many came from this area. We have about four years left
on that “five year plan” I mentioned earlier, so there is still a
chance they could wind up in Auburn by 2011.
LUCK O’ THE IRISH – Herb Grounds, along with others in the area,
tells me that a real St. Patrick’s Day event will be coming next year.
The local service clubs are jumping on board the concept and I know
that my friend Ralph Laird has expressed interest in helping it come
together. I believe with the right people behind this new event, St.
Patrick’s Day will be something special next year.
SILVER SCREEN – The film “Sicko” opened at the Old State Theater
in Downtown Auburn on Friday, but it almost didn’t happen. On again,
off again commitments left movie house owner Theresa Cote wondering if
she’d ever get to show the film. That’s when a relative of the
filmmaker stepped in. After a quick call to Michael Moore, the
controversial director called the distributor and personally requested
the Old State Theater as a venue for his film. Whether you agree with
his politics or not, something like that doesn’t happen very often in
small towns.
WISHING WELL – Wish a happy birthday to Steve Lavoie (July 15),
Al Patrick (July 18), Reene Abbott (July 19), Jim Mallery, Terry Werner
and Don Bovard (July 23), Stewart King (July 28). Don’t forget to wish
a happy anniversary Tom and Peggy Seitzinger (July 10), “Taco Bill” and
Mary Lou Mullin (July 20), Auburn Vice Mayor Keith Nesbitt and his wife
Ann (July 28).
Don Chaddock is the executive editor of the Sentinel. His column,
“Biscuits and Gravy,” publishes every Friday. He may be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by calling 530-823-2463.
 |
|
|
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed