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PIC PICK – John Schmidt, an incoming senior at Placer High, discussed his experiences at Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp with the Gold Country Rotary Club last week. The teen is also the incoming president of the school’s Interact Club (a Rotary sponsored youth service club for those 14 to 18). His dad is Walt Schmidt, owner of Roger’s Automotive and a member of the Rotary club.
AROUND TOWN – I hear Auburn resident Christine Rydell, field rep for
state Sen. Sam Aanestad, took a much-needed break with a trip to Santa
Barbara. ... The Summer Theatre Academy’s production of the “The Sound
of Music” (which was performed for two weeks at Placer High) was a
smashing success. The high school students should be commended. Miccie
McNee tells me they spent months on the production, from rehearsals to
building sets and painting backdrops. ... Linda Robinson is hard at
work promoting the Aug. 25 Sierra Blues Benefest and Crafts Fair. It’s
always a great event and will be held at Auburn’s Recreation Park. For
you blues lovers, they’ve lined up Kenny Neal, Lucky Peterson, Lady
Bianca, Steve Freund Blues Trio, Alvon, Johnny “Guitar” Knox and Ray
“Catfish” Copeland. Gates open at noon and the festivities run until 10
p.m. Admission is $25 per person. Kids under 12 are free. For more
dirt, contact Linda at 530-888-1585. ... Harvey Roper, president of the
Auburn Downtown Business Association, reports that the Michael Kent
Murphy-designed monument sign slated to go at the end of Reamer Court
is moving forward. Construction on the sign should begin in spring
2008. ... Bette Wescott tells me the Sierra Gold Chorus will perform at
Relay for Life on August 18 as part of the entertainment during dinner
hour. The event is held at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn. For
more info, call 530-885-4202 or e-mail
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BUY LOCAL, UNLESS YOU’RE TELLING US HOW –Am I the only one who finds it
odd that there is a “buy Auburn” seminar to be held on August 17 at
City Hall that will be run by someone who doesn’t live here? We
couldn’t find anyone local who could tell us how to shop locally?
Michelle Long, the speaker, is part of a “buy local” group in
Washington, and is coming to teach us how to shop for goods in our own
backyard. The message is one I’ve promoted since the first day I
stepped foot in the Sentinel offices: shopping locally helps our local
economy. The Auburn Chamber, as pointed out by Auburn Journal columnist
Jim Ruffalo, has been promoting a “Shop Auburn First” campaign
(complete with its own logo) for about two years. So I believe in the
message, but I also believe the point gets confused when coming from
someone who doesn’t even live in California. Aside from that, I believe
the forum can only benefit the merchants if they attend, even if they
may take some convincing. Last week, Joanne Neft pitched the seminar to
the Auburn Downtown Business Association, which left many merchants scratching their heads. Preaching to the choir? Perhaps, but Neft makes a good point when she says that the idea of shopping locally must be embraced by the merchants first. “It’s an education effort,” Neft said. “When I was shopping a local store recently, as I left, the person said, ‘Have a nice day.’ Why didn’t they say, ‘Thanks for shopping in my store today,’ or ‘Thanks for shopping in Auburn today?’” Obviously, something needs to be done to stop the financial bleeding and keep shoppers in our local communities, rather than going to the big box stores down the hill. While I do wish we could have found someone from California to discuss the issues, I think the message that will be presented Aug. 17 is a sound one and I encourage business owners and managers to attend.
BLACK & WHITE BALL UPDATE – Rosie Mietzel, chairperson for the 2007 Black and White Ball to be held on Sept. 15, and Auburn Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Cosgrove gave the Auburn Downtown Business Association an update of what’s happening with the James Bond-themed street party. Street closures will begin at noon, except for the area in front of WizWire in Downtown, which will close at 8 a.m. so crews can begin construction of the main stage. Sidewalks will remain open so shoppers can get to their desired locations. That main stage in front of Placer Sierra Bank will feature Casino Royale, the theme band for the evening. Tainted Love (playing hits from the ’80s) will return, performing at the stage in front of Depoe Bay and Bank of America. The VIP sponsor pre-party will happen in the same location as last year (parking lot behind the old JC Penney building) and will feature Mike Branson and friends performing Rat Pack tunes. The sponsor party is always fun and like last year, they will keep the area open throughout the event, giving people a chance to get away from the crowds and put their feet up. Auburn Police Sgt. Dave Lawicka said “Beware the 7” (a cooperative effort between seven local law enforcement agencies, including the US Forest Service, that target drunk drivers) will return that night, so those attending the festivities should arrange a ride home if they don’t want to spend a night in the pokey. Rosie reports that they will have metered pours on all liquor bottles so that the volunteer bartenders don’t over-serve Ball goers. Another change this year? Professional security is being hired to man the gates. They are the same folks who do this sort of thing at Arco arena and the Sleep Train Amphitheatre, so ladies with extra large purses (or guys trying to slip in backpacks) will be stopped and searched. “We’re doing everything within our power to really make sure we take care of the DUI problem,” Rosie said. “We want to keep this as safe and sane as possible.” If you’d like to get a sneak peek at what people will be wearing for the Black and White Ball this year, remember to attend the fashion show on August 18. Contact the Auburn Chamber at 530-885-5616 for tickets.
OLD TOWN TALK – Old Town Business Association President Ty Rowe runs a tight meeting, clocking in at just under one hour last Thursday morning in the back room of MaryBelle’s eatery. Some of the topics up for discussion included traffic signs, moving the Farmer’s Market into the streets and parking lots of Old Town and those pesky neon signs. Doreen Kidd, who is the Old Town representative on the city’s Historic Design Review Commission, asked business owners to remove any banners or neon signs before Code Enforcement gets involved. The historic Mercantile building is still going through renovations after the October 2005 fire. The deck in front of the building has been torn out and a fence has gone up around the area. I was surprised to see City Council members Bridget Powers and Mike Holmes, as well as City Manager Robert Richardson, at the OTBA meeting. Bridget asked the organization to take photos of problem traffic signs, and write down suggestions, so they could be formally presented to the Traffic Committee (on which she is the city council’s representative). It was also reported that the monument sign, now clearly visible on the hillside just before the Maple Street exit on eastbound I-80, should be completed in a month. The main framing is up but construction of the support structure, siding and electrical still need to be done. Auburn Mayor Bob Snyder should be commended for taking the lead on the project. As for the relocation of the bustling Farmer’s Market, we’re told the market’s board of directors is seriously considering moving from the jury parking lot to the streets of Old Town. A decision should be made soon and we’ll keep you posted.
WISHING WELL – My thoughts and prayers are with Cora Zevalkink (also known around town simply as Cora Z) and her family. She’s fighting a serious illness that’s been plaguing her for months. Her hubby, Ron, has been a real trouper, donating a lot of time and energy to the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s remodeling efforts on the historic train depot building and taking care of his wife. ... Retired educator Bill Wharton went under the knife this week at Kaiser in Roseville. My thoughts and prayers are with you my friend. ... On a lighter note, be sure to wish a belated birthday to Auburn Mayor Bob Snyder, who blew out those birthday candles on Aug. 2, Lowell Jarvis (Aug. 3), Monkey Cat owner Jim Bril (Aug. 5) Odile Reid (Aug. 8) and Fred Abbott (Aug. 17). ... Harvey and Brenda Roper celebrated their wedding anniversary on Aug. 4 while Jim and Pat Holmes celebrated their 25th on Aug. 8.
Don Chaddock is the executive editor of the Sentinel. His column, “Biscuits and Gravy,” publishes every Friday. He may be reached at
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or by calling 530-823-2463. Subscribe to the Sentinel for a year by sending a check for $75 to P.O. Box 9148, Auburn, CA 95604.
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