Editors’ Picks

Best save of 2018

The water towers at Third and Orient streets

The iconic structures are part of the backdrop of the neighborhood just east of downtown. They have been depicted in paintings and other artworks—including this newspaper’s recent Discover Butte County magazine—but based on concerns about seismic safety last year, the structures were going to be dismantled. Thankfully, however, the community rallied. Especially vocal was the Chico Heritage Association, whose members launched a preservation campaign. The towers’ owner, California Water Co., listened and recently announced the structures would stay put. Those of us at Second and Flume streets sure are happy the landmarks will remain in our backyard.

Best fairytale ending

Chico Princess Parties

116 W. Second St., 809-1666

Sisters Kelley Sexton and Shannon Rowley have been on an adventure that’s one for the storybooks. The pair, who each have a performing arts background, relocated to Chico from San Diego last fall and launched Chico Princess Parties, sharing a vision of enchanting children by bringing beloved fairytale characters and superheroes to life. This past year, the princesses of Chico Princess Parties have hosted story and tea time events and dance/gymnastic/etiquette classes, and made special appearances at parties and community events. In fact, they were so successful that by May they had outgrown their first location in north Chico and opened up a shop downtown. And Sexton and Rowley haven’t stopped there. They’ve expanded the business by opening a children’s clothing boutique and party venue, Shells & Fairytales, at the Chico Mall last month. This may just be the first chapter for the sisters, but it’s certainly one happy ending.

Best new green movement

Strawless in Chico

strawlesschallenge.com

Linda Storey was on to something when she decided to remove plastic drinking straws from her restaurants—Hula’s Chinese BBQ. Spurred to action by a disturbing viral video of a sea turtle that had ingested a straw, Storey aimed to broaden the movement locally, starting a website that challenges other local businesses. Several followed her lead and even the Associated Students at Chico State saw merit in going strawless, pulling the single-use plastic from dining halls and offering paper or stainless steel varieties instead. The Sustainability Management Association also joined the movement, launching the Strawless Challenge to garner more support. It’s a small gesture in favor of the environment, and we’re certainly on board.

Best way to get trashed

Trashy Fried Chicken Tacos at B Street Public House

117 Broadway, 899-8203

There’s a particular item on the menu at B Street Public House that is so crave-worthy it’s made an appearance in the dreams of one online reviewer. When we say “get trashed,” we’re not referring to an item with a hangover-inducing ABV percentage; we’re talking about binging on the pub’s Trashy Fried Chicken Tacos. They’re far from traditional, with crispy chicken, plus cilantro, slaw, pickled onions and an impressive cheese skirt, covered in cilantro ranch. Regulars describe them thusly: “Best ever.” “Must have.” “Freakin’ delish.” And “ridiculous indulgence you don’t want to miss.” We couldn’t agree more.

Best reason to leave downtown

Booze District

No area of town has exploded in quite the same way as Chico’s newly developing Booze/Beverage/Fermentation District along South Park Avenue. With two breweries, two cideries, a winery, a distillery and a craft beer bar all within a short distance of each other, it’s become a destination for those seeking something different from the downtown scene. Throw in a rotating schedule of food trucks and live music, plus games for kids and adults alike at most establishments, and you’ve got your evening planned. Plus, have we mentioned that the beers, ciders, honeywine and rum made by local folks are quite good? That’s reason enough to say cheers!

Best armchair travel opportunity

Sons and Daughters of Italy dinners

We can’t all drop everything and hop a plane to Europe. But we can take a little trip while staying right here in Chico, thanks to the folks over at the Sons and Daughters of Italy—and the chefs and restaurants they’ve partnered with. Each month, one of four restaurants—Christian Michaels Ristorante, Grana, Panighetti’s and Sicilian Cafe—puts together a special, prix-fixe menu based on a different region of Italy and the Sons and Daughters write up some information about that region, its food and influences. What a great way to get away without actually going anywhere! Mangia!

Best new claim to fame

Shepard Fairey mural

This one gets added to the list: Bidwell Park, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Aaron Rodgers, that big-ass yo-yo and the “Peace” mural. In August, a crew of hired artists installed the artwork designed by world-famous street artist/graphic designer/activist Shepard Fairey (of Barack Obama “Hope” fame) on the side of the Chico Peace & Justice Center downtown. In addition to the giant words “Peace” and “Harmony,” the striking propaganda-poster-style mural features the artist’s signature image of the giant named Andre. Serious cred points.

Best fusion of art and words

CN&R art boxes

When the CN&R first launched the art box program about a decade ago, it was a ton of fun to see all the local artists’ ideas for painting our newspaper boxes. Each week, we’d receive new ones and get to ogle them as they awaited delivery around town. Well, some of them were the victims of vandalism or just aged over the years and it was time for a fresh coat of paint. So, we relaunched the campaign this year and once again it’s such a delight to see fresh, locally created public art used to disseminate our free weekly. It’s truly great to be alternative!

Best fire in the belly

HeartBurn Records

A new local record label committed to punk-rock music and activism? Yes, please! Founded by local rocker Alex Kokkinakis (bassist for The Vesuvians) and her partner, recording engineer Josh Garcia (of The Electric Plant Recording Studio), the label was christened in February with the release of Out of the Cold—a six-song, three-band compilation that raised money for the Safe Space Winter Shelter. And they followed that up this summer with the much more ambitious Noise for Nor Cal, an 18-band comp that raised money for wildfire recovery in Northern California. Get your credit card out, visit heartburnrecords.band camp.com and do some good rockin’ and some good for the community.

Best public art masquerading as a road improvement

Second Street roundabout

With the chain-link fencing removed, and traffic diversion signs gone, Chicoans finally can see the fully realized vision for the junction of East First, East Second and Flume streets. The middle of the roundabout long has been a mostly flat, dirt-covered disc—drawing attention only when a horn or skid signaled an impending accident. Now, it’s a centerpiece welcoming visitors to downtown, an eye-catching display that ironically seems to have increased drivers’ focus. (Purely anecdotal evidence: We’ve heard fewer screeches.) The art piece comprises brick, metalwork, plantings and a tree. As a bonus, the city laid irrigation lines and relandscaped the surrounding sidewalk strips to match. If you haven’t seen it in person, swing by … safely.

Best food epiphany

Hot dogs are sammiches

Are you just hung up on the shape of the bread? Or is it the fact that the meat is in tube form? It’s still bread with meat inside! Why don’t you just get over your sandwich preconceptions already and give in to the Gnarly Deli mantra: “Hot dogs are sammiches.” The street-food vendor with the offbeat sense of humor has memes for days spreading the gospel on its Facebook page, but the real proof is in the well-conceived dogs, such as the Juan Popper (beef dog topped with cheese, barbecue sauce, sour cream and crispy fried jalepeños) and the Ooo Mommy Dog (beef dog with teriyaki, nori, green onions and wasabi mayo on a sesame bun). Check out the schedule at facebook.com/gnarlydeli and go broaden your sandwich horizons. The Earl of Sandwich would approve.

Best cultural infusion

TOT funding for arts

The transient occupancy tax is the fee visitors pay when staying at local hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts. Back in May, Councilman Andrew Coolidge broke from the conservatives and voted to divert a small portion—1 percent—of that revenue to fund local arts projects. According to estimates, that’s about $27,000 annually, but that number is likely to rise since the city has amended policy to collect those fees from Airbnb-type rentals. That’s a tiny portion of the general fund, but it’s a big deal considering arts funding was gutted during the Great Recession. That wasn’t a wise fiscal move. As we learned from an independent study in 2015, the arts spur the economy. Indeed, the previous year, 54 Chico nonprofit groups spent $8.7 million producing artistic and cultural events, and audiences spent $8.9 million attending them, for a total of $17.7 million. That money supported 451 full-time jobs and generated $519,000 and $1.8 million for local and state government, respectively. We’re looking forward to new projects that buoy Chico’s culture and its coffers.

Best local sports feat

Pleasant Valley High School makes the finals

Reaching state finals in basketball is never easy. That Pleasant Valley achieved this feat with both its boys’ and girls’ teams this past season is remarkable. The boys won the championship, 70-65, over Notre Dame High of Riverside—a year after the Vikings football team won a state title. The boys finished with a 32-2 record. The girls lost to Redondo Union, 57-42, finishing 25-5. Both teams played at the Golden 1 Center, home arena of the Sacramento Kings. Runner-up: The Chico Heat (RIP) won the Great West League title for the second time in its three years of existence as a collegiate wood-bat summer team.

Best democracy resource

League of Women Voters of Butte County candidate forums

The all-volunteer local league of the national organization is a go-to source for voters. Each election cycle, its members organize forums that showcase the folks running for office—from city councils to our District 1 congressional representation. The events are nonpartisan and professionally operated. They are not only open to the public, but also are broadcast by the local public television station, BCAC TV, to allow busy folks to tune into them at their convenience. Hooray to that!

Best use for an old shipping container

Build a bar!

The iconic copper-coated brew kettles at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. came to Chico from Germany in the 1980s. Once the contents were unpacked, the shipping containers that housed them were tucked in a corner of the property and left to gather dust … that is, until someone had a genius idea: Turn them into a bar. This past spring, two of the big, beige metal boxes were plopped down near the brewery’s hop fields, corn hole courts were set up and Sierra Nevada beers were put on ice as the new Hop Yard outdoor bar was born. It’s still a kick to grab a cold one at the bar in the busy pub and let off steam with a friendly crowd of beer-lovers, but having the option to head outside and stretch out in the fresh air with your crew and your dog seems so natural for Chico that the only question is, “Why didn’t they do this sooner?!”

The Best words

“100 percent contained”

Forget “covfefe,” out here in drought-stricken California, the words that offer the most comfort are those that signal the end of whichever record-breaking wildfire has been blocking the sun with oppressive smoke for weeks. Getting smoked out is, of course, of relatively minor concern when measured against the many tragedies suffered by those in the path of the flames. And the real heroes during wildfire season, the ones who deserve all of the awards and gratitude we can muster, are the firefighters and other first responders who risk their lives to protect others. Those brave souls are the Best of the Best.

Best new spot for natural remedies

Hempful Farms

169 Cohasset Road, 592-3900

Earlier this year, Chris and Andi Martin opened up a second branch of their store, Hempful Farms, right here in Chico. Based in Phoenix, the company not only sells CBD products, it also makes and sells them around the country. So, if you’re looking for a tincture, salve or edible—you’ve got to try their honey sticks!—to soothe your aches and pains, this is the place to go. They also have a variety of hemp clothing and other items as well as a line of CBD products specifically for pets, under the brand name Paw Puddy. One thing we find particularly cool about the store is that it’s also an information center of sorts where CBD and hemp newbies can study up on the science behind these natural remedies.