Coming&going

City

The Chico Area Recreation and Park District has found a new general manager in Mary Cahill.

Cahill comes to Chico from the Sacramento area, where she most recently worked as superintendent of recreation and community services for the 155,000-person Sunrise Recreation and Park District. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Boulder. She’s worked in parks such as Mammoth Lakes and served on a variety of committees dedicated to parks, the arts and children.

Technology

Charles Mohnike, a Chico author and computer consultant, is having his fourth book published next month. The guide will be part of the SAMS series by Pearson Technology Group and is titled SAMS Teach Yourself Macromedia ColdFusion 5 in 21 Days.

Mohnike consults with businesses nationwide on ColdFusion and has written for other publications on Web applications and databases.

Seniors

A new Chico business aims to help the elderly be cared for at home rather than being placed in a nursing home. Home Instead Senior Care, owned by Nathan Vail of Paradise, provides aides for seniors who don’t need “constant care,” but rather help with household chores and meal making. Companionship, too, is an important component of the service provided by the “CAREgivers.”

The Chico-based Home Instead is part of a franchise chain that started in Omaha, Neb., in 1995. There are 302 franchises nationwide.

Awards

Paul Mabie of Chico took home a first-place award from the California State Fair for his homebrewing expertise. His beer, Dus Export, placed in the category of Euro Light Lagers. Seventy-one brewers competed.

Electrical engineering students at Chico State University have won an international design competition. The team worked to reduce electromagnetic interference by computers or digital circuits.

On the team were graduate students Cyndi Abundabar, Richard Chairez and Gaurav Khalsa. Advising the group was Associate Professor Hede Ma. The team received $900, plus Chairez got to pick up the Best Student Design Award at an August symposium in Montreal.

Grants

Several Chico schools have been awarded grants. Marigold Elementary School got $5,500 for Early Intervention for School Success, and Chico, Pleasant Valley and Fair View high schools each got money for Technology Support and Staff Training in the amounts of $86,760, $8,055 and $101,205, respectively. Chico High also got a three-year, $100,000 grant for the Academic Mentor Program.