Category Archives: Grass Valley

Grass Valley, nevada county fair

Nevada County Fairgrounds Board Names New CEO

 

The Nevada County Fairgrounds Board of Directors announced that Patrick Eidman has been named the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nevada County Fairgrounds, effective immediately.  

Eidman has served as the Deputy Manager of the Nevada County Fairgrounds since March 2017 and as the acting CEO since July 2018. He brings more than 20 years of management, grant writing, fundraising, event planning, and financial reporting experience to the job, as well as an extensive agricultural background.  

A native of Grass Valley who graduated from Nevada Union High School, Eidman has deep roots in Nevada County and a long history with fairs. He has fond memories of his grandparents bringing him to the Nevada County Fair during his childhood, showing sheep at fairs across the Western United States with his parents and sisters, and exhibiting steers and sheep as an FFA member at the Nevada County Fair.  He was also Livestock Secretary from 2011 – 2016 at the Nevada County Fair.

“To be leading the Nevada County Fairgrounds, a place I love and in a community I call home, is an honor and privilege,” said Eidman. “I look forward to working with our exceptional team and our many community partners to continue the long tradition of the Fairgrounds serving the people of Nevada County in times of need and in times of celebration.”

Eidman has experience in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Before joining the Fairgrounds team in 2017, he worked for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, where he served as the Special Projects and Field Operations Grant Program Coordinator and managed the Conservancy’s local assistance grant program. Prior to that, he worked for the State of Colorado as the Director of Historic Preservation Technical Outreach.

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Grass Valley, nevada county fair, Nevada County Information, Real Estate

Nevada County Fairgrounds Country Christmas Faire Results

Last weekend’s 34th Annual Country Christmas Faire at the Nevada County Fairgroundswelcomed more than 8,000 visitors and 115 vendors, featured 45 gingerbread houses and 75 coloring entries, and hosted a canned food drive.

The 16 th Annual Gingerbread House Competition featured 45 entries. Of those entries, Best of Show ribbons and gift baskets donated by Tess’ Kitchen Store were awarded to Leeam Eaton, Owen Strolle, Johanna Pease, and Avery Lawson/Joanne Perilman. The People’s Choice/Best of Show Winner was Kathy Kinney, who received a gift basket from Tess’ and a cash prize.

First place winners in the Gingerbread House Competition include Charlie McCollum, Breck Lumbard, Emelina Lumbard, Christian Augustine, Lilah Black, Evie Black, Hazel Duran, Annabelle Husak, and Deacon McCollum (age 5 & under); Leeam Eaton (age 6-8); Finn Beckin (age 9 – 12); Jessa Jaskier (Kits); Owen Strolle (age 13-17); Kathy Kinney (age 18 -64);

Johanna Pease (Special Needs); S.S.J. Stalcup and Ramey Cousins (group – children); Avery Lawson/Joanne Perilman, and Margo Murphy (family); and Christie Harris (group – adult). At Sunday’s canned food drive, Interfaith Food Ministry collected more than 578 pounds of food for families in need.

In addition, the Clear Creek School Errand Elves raised funds for science camp; and Big Horse Works, who provided carriage rides at the Faire, donated more than $300 to those impacted by the Camp Fire.

The names of all the Gingerbread House Competition winners can be found on the Fairgrounds’ website at NevadaCountyFair.com

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    Bits & Pieces, Business, Entertainment, Grass Valley, Restaurants

    Review of Bear River Pasta Company

    Bear River Pasta Company Entrance

    Image 1 of 4

    By Judy J. Pinegar, Writer

    Recently, a friend recommended I try the Bear River Pasta Company, it was a little hard to find, at 109 Bank Street. Inside it is compact and very clean. There is a refrigerator full of pre-made pasta dishes with the sauce, along with bread and yummy salads for eating in, or taking out for an easy dinner meal. They also make lots of different sandwiches on wheat or sourdough bread with all the fixings. Owners Carl Brenner and Theresa McGuire have done a nice job of creating a reasonably priced venue for quick meals and take-out dinners.

    If you are eating in, you microwave the dish of pasta, and your choice of salad and freshly toasted bread is brought to you. We tried the Spaghetti and Meatballs, apparently the hands down favorite seller!  It was delicious, and so were the Garlic and Pesto Breads! We also shared a Carmel Balsamic Gelato which was fantastic!  Lots of other flavors of gelato were also available along with Cannoli and Tiramisu.

    A second refrigerator was filled with many different kinds on homemade pasta as well as homemade sauces, enough to serve a family. There is also a supply of Italian specialty items, oils, candies, cookies, beautiful wooden wine stoppers, nic-naks and potholders. The salad items also include many varieties of olives, nicely displayed.

    We took out some fresh made Fettuccini and the Tomato Basil Sauce, along with some nice homemade pot holders. All and all it was a great find, and I am sure we will come again!  Check out the full menu at their website www.bearriverpasta.com. Bear River Pasta also attends local events and street fairs, and catering as requested.

    For their menu and more go to their website Bear River Pasta Company

    Their telephone number is 530.274.1760

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    Business, Grass Valley

    Visit to Olive Vitality, Grass Valley, CA

     

    Matthew & Jeanette Angell proud owners of the Olive Vitality. Photo credit: Jeanette Angell
    Matthew & Jeanette Angell proud owners of the Olive Vitality. Photo credit: Jeanette Angell

    Last Sunday Judy, my daughter Teresa and I walked the streets of Grass Valley like tourist coming up from the Bay Area.  Having not walked down Mill Street for a while, I was surprised at the many new stores that have opened and of course the many that have closed.

    One great new store is the “Olive Vitality” which opened last March. Claiming the freshest olive oils and vinegars on tap, which looking at the inside of the store, I believe it. I counted over 21 different flavors of balsamic vinegar!

    You name the flavor of balsamic vinegar and they seem to have it. For example, flavors of strawberry black cherry, dark chocolate, cinnamon pear, espresso and the list goes on for 21 flavors. It seems like all of their balsamic vinegar is imported from Modena, Italy

    Olive Vitality show room. Photo credit: Jeanette Angell
    Olive Vitality show room. Photo credit: Jeanette Angell

    Besides selling regular olive oil, they like to infuse flavored into olive oil, creating a series of mouthwatering oils to be used for just about every occasion. A few examples, organic basil olive oil, blood orange fused olive oil, organic butter olive oil, and again the list goes on.

    The store is well laid out and the owners Matthew & Jeanette Angell are gracious and eager to give you samples of their many exotic products.  Be sure and visit them when you are in town at 126 Mill Street, Grass Valley, CA.

    For more information, you can go to their website Olive Vitality

    Their telephone number is (530) 273-8336

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    Grass Valley

    City of Grass Valley May Impose a No Smoking Zone Downtown

    The Holbrooke Hotel Eary Years
    The Holbrooke Hotel Early Years Downtown Grass Valley

    Smoking in the public area of the “Downtown Core of Grass Valley will be prohibited if an ordinance is passed by the City Council on September 25, 2012

    The background information and reasoning behind the proposed ordinance is as follows:

    “According to the 2010 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease, even occasional exposure to secondhand smoke is harmful and low levels of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke lead to a rapid and sharp increase in dysfunction and inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels, which are implicated in heart attacks and stroke.

    The Surgeon General’s report, and many others like it, constitute indisputable evidence that establishing 100% smoke free environments is the only effective way to fully protect the population from the harmful effects of exposure to secondhand smoke.  Smoke is not easily contained in designated smoking areas, especially outdoors.  The smoking of tobacco is a form of air pollution, a positive danger to health, and a material public nuisance.  The need to breathe smoke-free air should take priority over the desire to smoke.

    Chapter 8.20 (City Ordinance) currently regulates smoking in a variety of public places. This ordinance would add to the list of places where smoking is prohibited all City-owned property, municipal parking lots, and public streets and sidewalks within the Downtown Core. “Downtown Cores is shown on the attached pdf file.  This proposed amendment would decrease the amount of second hand smoke that travels into public spaces from adjacent areas where smoking is currently allowed, and would further assist peace officers who enforce the smoking ordinance downtown by providing clear direction as to the places where smoking is not permitted.”

    The above information was provided by John Foster, Chief of Police, City of Grass Valley.

    No smoking map

     

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    Entertainment, Grass Valley

    Land Of Nod – Chris Crockett (with Connie Crockett)

    httpv://youtu.be/-_JTE_u3BSA

    I’ve always enjoyed listening to Chris wherever and when ever I get a chance to hear him play in Grass Valley  or  Nevada City. He has a great voice and this is one of his latest videos he posted on Facebook. Here’s  what he has to say about himself on his website:

    Chris Crockett began creating songs at age 13 and has a compilation of hundreds of songs written over the past 44 years. Chris is the 3rd generation of the Crockett family of musicians who were instrumental in bringing country music to California.

    Chris was born in Los Angeles, California in 1943. In the early 1960’s Chris coaxed his brothers Joel and Jeremy Crockett to form The Crockett Brothers trio. During the Crockett Brothers era Chris and the boys recorded two classic surfing/hot rod songs, “Mother Mother May I Go Surfing” and “Fastest Car In Town”. Both songs are highly prized by collectors on 45 rpm, and have recently been re-released on CD by
    Del-Fi/Donna Records    , the label which originally recorded these two classics.

    Chris is a 30 year member of the National Academy of Recording Artists and Sciences (NARAS) and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). He has had several published songs and has written for major artists, motion pictures, independent artists and commercials. In 1975, Chris became a staff writer for music publisher Snuff Garrett (Garrett Music Enterprises, Inc.) During that time, he wrote songs recorded and performed by artists including Brenda Lee, Larry Mahan and several others.

    Since 1979, Chris has been performing in Northern California’s Gold Country, primarily in Nevada City and Grass Valley. He is a traveling minstrel on “The Fun Train” which travels from San Francisco to Reno almost every weekend in January, February and March. Chris also warms up the crowd every Friday and Saturday night at a Nevada County Theater, “Off Broad Street”, where he also performs in several musical comedies written and produced by owners John Driscoll and Jan Kopp.

    Source:  By permission of  Chris Crockett

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    Grass Valley, Restaurants

    Sergio’s Caffe in Downtown Grass Valley

    Sergio Martignago
    Sergio Martignago

    By Sherri L. Reynolds

    One of my favorite places to eat is Sergio’s Caffe, a charming and quaint eating establishment located in downtown Grass Valley. (Yes the name Sergio’s Caffe is spelled with two f’s)

    It is owned and operated by Sergio and his wife Lena , eight years running now and serving up delicious food from salads, sandwiches, soups, grilled chicken, salmon, tri-tip, vegetarian and lasagna ( a homemade specialty) prepared by his head Chef, Troy. All food is freshly made daily and there are local wines, coffee, teas and assorted beverages. Save room for dessert, as there are a variety of melt in your mouth sweet treats to be had.

    Left to right - Rene Medina, Jordyn Chapman, Sergio Martignago
    Left to right - Rene Medina, Jordyn Chapman, Sergio Martignago

    Sergio uses the finest high quality ingredients available, cooking without MSG, margarine and no hydrogenated oils. Lunch prices are reasonable.

    This is one of the most welcoming and friendly places to sit and enjoy a good meal. There is always pleasant music in the background, anything from French, Italian, Russian, Spanish to Norah Jones. The tables are sweetly decorated with fresh flowers, soft light, and the service is always friendly and impeccable, Sergio employs two chefs, Troy and Renee (on occasion his wife Lena cooks too) and waiter Jordan and waitress Jordyn, whom are all very delightful. So, sit and relax under the beautiful green palm plant tree and have a pleasurable experience. As Sergio say’s ” Eat, Drink and Be Merry”…..

    Bon Appetite…

    ” Sergio’s Caffe” a charming and quaint eating establishment is located downtown Grass Valley, Ca on 154 Mill St. ( across from the Del Oro movie theater). 530-274-2600, lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:00 am to 3:30 pm and dinner; Wednesday-Saturday 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm

    Sherri L. Reynolds

    (Just one of the many regular patrons)


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    Grass Valley

    The Ghost at the Holbrooke Hotel, Grass Valley, CA

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    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWjQB-6WNHs

    I’ve moved my office into the Holbrook Hotel and I keep hearing about the ghost that resides in the hotel. Here is a video I found on Youtube describing the ghost.

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    Bits & Pieces, Environment, Grass Valley

    Snow in Nevada County February 25, 2011

    logan-hiking1

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    By John J. O’Dell

    I awoke this morning to having the power go out for the third time this winter. Not only that, but as I looked out my window, there was three feet of snow. Within the next hour, it was about 4 inches over the top of the handrail. Now I don’t have a wood stove so there is no way to heat my house when the power goes out. So needless to say, it was starting to get cold.

    The best thing to do when this happens is to get out of there and go somewhere else.  I thought I could work at my new office located in the Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley, but guess what?  Power was out in Nevada City, the Brunswick Area and Grass Valley. So much for working today.

    I’ve taken a bunch of pictures of my trip from my house in Cascade Shores to Grass Valley.  On the trip down the hill (I’m at the 3,700 foot elevation) there were power lines and trees down again as in the last snow storm.  There was even a power line down on S. Auburn Street in Grass Valley where a tree came down and took the line down from a power pole to a house across the street.

    Hopefully the power will come back sooner than the 4-5 days it took PG&E to restore power in the last snow storm.

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    John J. O’Dell
    Real Estate Broker
    (530) 263-1091
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    Grass Valley

    The History of the Holbrooke Hotel, Grass Valley – Part 1

    The Holbrooke Hotel Eary Years
    The Holbrooke Hotel Early Years

    Imagine a time when horse draw carriages and covered wagons carried hopeful pioneers to the gold country and dreams of striking gold became a reality for many.  The vision of that Victorian Era was for a life of rustic elegance and ease surrounded by majestic pine trees, raging rivers, wide open spaces and picturesque ponds.

    The path to such a life wasn’t always paved with the gold they dreamed of, but rather with the vision and leadership of many hard working pioneers.  Stephen and Clara Smith were among the first to invest in this boom town known today as Grass Valley.  They built the Adams Express Office and the Golden Gate Saloon which sadly, were destroyed by fire in 1855 along with most of Grass Valley.  The Smiths rebuilt the popular saloon as a one story field stone building with a brick facade, making it safer from the threat of another fire.  The Golden Gate Saloon is oldest, continuously operated saloon west of the Mississippi River.  In 1862 a relative, Charles Smith, built the current structure and named it the Exchange Hotel.

    It was noted for it’s convenience to the local Gold Exchange.  When the Gold Exchange closed, 18 ounces of pure gold were found in the carpeting.  Like other local buildings that were constructed, the hotel was fortified against fire damage with heavy iron doors and the roof was covered with a 12 inch layer of dirt and brick.

    In 1879 the hotel was purchase by Ellen and Daniel Holbrooke and was given its current name.  Daniel Holbrooke passed away 1884, but Ellen Holbrooke continued to manage and operate the hotel until 1908.

    More to follow……………..

    Location:


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