Goodbye and congrats

Last week, after five days of enjoying mid-60-degree weather, my husband and I packed up our suitcases and said goodbye to the coast. We’d planned a trip to Mendocino County about six months ago, booking a place online. Doing so is a crapshoot, but our destination, a few miles north of the headlands, exceeded our expectations.

When we pulled up to the rental—a yellow two-story, picket-fence-fronted house—I was pretty sure this was going to be a good little getaway. And indeed, though the interior was a bit dated, we could look out at the mighty Pacific from nearly every room in the house, the back of which was wrapped with giant windows and a deck, upstairs and down.

I’ve been on enough trips to know it’s worth that extra little cost to pay for a view. And this particular one—we took it in while lounging 40 feet from a cliff looking out on that gorgeous craggy coastline—was definitely worth it. I only wish we’d been able to stay for another couple of nights. We were there with our toddler son, my brother and his family (a pregnant wife and three little boys), as well as my mom and her husband. It seemed like all of us had just gotten settled in by the time we had to make the trek back to Chico.

Speaking of goodbyes. While I was out of town, I missed the party in celebration of the new ownership of the Naked Lounge Tea & Coffeehouse, a café I’ve frequented for many years. I really wanted to be there.

CN&R General Manager Alec Binyon, our fearless leader on the advertising side of the paper, took possession of the place this summer. You may have already seen him behind the counter. Alec’s hit the ground running at the café, a business he helped open more than a decade ago. He and a partner have big plans for helping it thrive; they’ve already overhauled the inside, which includes an amazing new mural.

Alec grew up in Chico and is an avid supporter of local business. He’s been an excellent spokesman for independent media, but his new venture requires his full attention. Friday (Sept. 13) is his last day at the CN&R. We’re a family in this office, so it’s nice to know he’s just down the street.

Next time you’re out and about, skip that frappuccino at you-know-where and head instead to 118 W. Second St. to support this local coffeehouse. There, you’re likely to find half of the CN&R crew, including longtime sales consultant Jamie DeGarmo, getting a caffeine fix.

Jamie, a Chicoan through and through (DeGarmo Park is named after her grandfather), is taking over the sales-manager role at the CN&R. She’s been a part of our newspaper family for about 6 1/2 years, coming on board about a month after I did.

I’ll speak for the rest of the staff in saying we’re ecstatic such a competent leader is stepping in to fill the void left by Alec’s departure. I’ve been fortunate to work with these two individuals, and I’m eager to see what they do next.