Chico basics

OK, so you’ve learned to watch out for squirrels and to carry spare change for the parking meters, but now that you’re in Chico to stay, there are a few more things you should learn. You’ll need to know some Chico basics besides where the parties are on Friday night and where to get the best pizza. From the Thursday Night Market to who to call when you’re stuck in jail, this list has it all.

Hot fun in the summer time
So maybe you’ve heard about Bear Hole. Maybe you’ve even been there. But if you haven’t, it’s time to go. A completely unique spot to Chico, Bear Hole is in Upper Bidwell Park and is just one of the several swimming holes that provide much-needed relief from the heat during Chico’s scorching summer days. Just go to Upper Park and follow the signs. It couldn’t be easier to cool off and have a great time.

Things will be great when you’re downtown
Starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, downtown Chico is the place to be. Experience unique sights, tastes and sounds with the Thursday Night Market downtown centering at Broadway and Third Street. Maybe you should bring your sleeping bag because there’s no sense in going home; the fun is just beginning. Friday night, go back downtown for the Friday night Concert in the Park. The free concerts are held at downtown Park Plaza at Fifth and Main. If you’re interested, call 345-6500. And if you still can’t get enough of downtown Chico, there’s always the Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning. For details call 893-3276.

Where to spend money you don’t have on things you probably don’t need
From unique clothing to buying or selling music to a present for Mom, you’ll have no problem finding what you’re looking for at the locally owned businesses in downtown Chico. Another great place to pick up a present for someone, or yourself, is the A.S. Bookstore. Located on the first floor of the BMU on the Chico State University campus, the bookstore is the perfect place to buy a card or get a nifty new Chico State sweatshirt. If you’re looking to do some shopping that’s a bit more mainstream, you can always head on over to the Chico Mall. You’ll find this array of stores on East 20th Street.

This makes cents
Speaking of money you don’t have, why waste 34 cents on a stamp to mail your electricity bill when you can take a nice little stroll down to the PG&E office at 350 Salem St. and drop it off? You can also pay it at Check-X-Change at 2061 Whitman Ave.; Ray’s Liquor at 207 Walnut St.; or Terrace Pharmacy at 1283 East First Ave.

Write your mother!
OK, now that you know one great way to save a stamp, you might need to know where to get the stamps that you have no way to avoid using, like when you send your parents that lovely letter to let them know you’re still alive and just how much you love them. So when you’re ready to mail that letter back home, head on down to one of two post offices at 141 West Fifth St. and Broadway or 550 Vallombrosa Ave., near Mangrove.

Hook it up
You might have to do without cable TV for now, since you’re probably broke paying for the electricity bill, but if you can afford to get cable hooked up, here’s the place to go: AT&T Broadband. AT&T is pretty much the monopoly in Chico, unless you can afford a satellite or that new digital cable. You can reach them at 427 Eaton Road or at 342-4242.

Trauma in the ER
Mom and Dad will be glad to know that if you should get sick or wind up slipping in your dorm shower, help is just around the corner. The Student Health Center on Warner Street next to Acker Gym can be reached at 898-5241. And if you wake up in the middle of the night suffering from a dire attack of nausea due to a presentation you have to give the next morning, your roommate can rush you to Enloe Medical Center at 1600 The Esplanade. The number is 332-7300.

How to use your “get out of jail” card
If the help you need is more serious than an Ace bandage and some Tylenol, and you need help deciding how to use your one phone call from the slammer (which, by the way, is in Oroville), you’d better make that call to Community Legal Information Center (CLIC) at 898-4354. Now, if the problem can’t be solved with the help of CLIC, it’s time to search the Yellow Pages under attorneys or bail bonds, or suck it up and phone home.

Serious business
You’ve noticed your roommate talking to his or her newfound imaginary friend, and you’re starting to worry. If you think someone you know, or yourself, may need the psychological help of a trained professional, there are options available. The Counseling and Wellness Center located in Meriam Library can help, and it can be reached at 898-6345. You can also call Enloe Behavioral Health Center at 332-5250. For problems from mental health to rape to drugs and alcohol, help is always readily available to you.

Touchy subjects
Well, doing a bit more than touching is probably why you need to know the following in the first place. Here are some numbers and addresses to know in case you need to get tested for any sort of STD or need advice on birth control and other personal matters: Planned Parenthood, 556 Vallombrosa Ave., 342-8367, and the Women’s Resource Clinic, 1601 The Esplanade, 897-6101, can provide confidential information. The Student Health Center is also a good place to go for services of this type.

Men and women in uniform
Sorry boys, there will be no naughty nurses at the University Police station. But you will find plenty of campus police officers at your service in Yuba Hall. Whether you need to be escorted to your car at night or you need to fight a parking ticket, the University Police station is the place to go. It can be reached at 898-5372.

Information junkie
Still need more information about Chico? You can pop into the Chico Chamber of Commerce at 300 Salem St. for a complete listing of community events and everything else you need to know about this town. And for all you computer geeks who would rather log onto a Web site, you can visit the Chamber at www.chicochamber.com. Listings of important phone numbers in the community, including crisis hotlines, can be found on Chico State’s Web site, www.csuchico.edu under student services, or in the University Catalog. For a guide to activities in and around Chico, consult the latest issue of the Chico News & Review’s Visitor Guide, available on news racks everywhere, or the News & Review itself. And if that doesn’t do it, there’s always the good old Yellow Pages.