Everybody’s business

Ag is golden
The Chico State College of Agriculture last week celebrated its 50th anniversary, a milestone made all the more significant because 12 years ago the then-president threatened to do away with the program altogether. Man, Robin Wilson did some lame things.

The ag folks had a big party, the Fall Festival, on Oct. 11, with food, music, an auction and reminiscing. Alumnus Bill Lyons, the secretary of the state Department of Agriculture, even showed up. Rancher Myron Openshaw was inducted into the Hall of Honor.

“I’m elated at the community support for our program,” Dean Charles Crabb said later. “The fact that more than 500 people joined us to celebrate our 50-year anniversary is exciting.”

15 seconds of fame
I’d like to give props to a couple of local “appearances” of sorts on cool TV shows.

First off, I noticed a couple of weeks ago that one Janiece Adams of Paradise had her letter featured on Late Night with David Letterman. He gets stacks and stacks of letters, so it was nice to see him address Adams’ query of, “How old were you when you got your first kiss?”

Second, the Work Training Center in its most recent newsletter mentions that Corian cutting boards, made by the WTC’s developmentally disabled workers in Chico, were shown being purchased at a Williams-Sonoma store by Ozzy Osbourne on The Osbournes.

I don’t have what it takes
I flipped on the TV at 1 a.m. to one of those infomercials where they show people who made millions buying and selling real estate with no money to start with. Turned out the guy, Russ Whitney, was sending his “Building Wealth” schtick to Chico, at the Masonic Lodge on East Avenue.

“This could be a cool column item,” I thought, and signed up for the free workshop. Later, I realized that would not be a fun way to spend two and one-half hours of my life, especially when I could be chowing down and chit-chatting at a party for the News & Review’s Best of Chico winners. I didn’t go, even though Whitney’s people called to remind me.

If you went to hear the Whitney word, please drop me a line and tell me how it was. In particular, was it super-cold inside, and did they say there were only a few slots left for the $1,590 “real estate training” program? Are you making tons of money yet? Whitney has more than his share of skeptics and an “unsatisfactory” rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Keep on Truckin’
“Trucker” is set to open Nov. 1 in part of the old Sierra Stationers building.

No, it’s not some ’70s guy bending backward in a lounge suit. The shop will have both men and women’s clothing in a hip, urban style heretofore unseen in Chico.

There will also be several lounge areas and a soda bar, making Trucker quite the potential hangout for the teen and college set.

The venture involves Debra and Colleen Cannon, the mom-and-daughter team of Lulu’s and Gigi fame, but the man running the show is their partner, Luke Winter.

Winter promises that Chico will be excited by the shop’s atmosphere and its unique-to-town offerings.