Tag: Fun

Posted on

League of Women Voters Soup Supper at Lema Ranch w/pics

I’ve been called to jury duty today. If you need Real Estate help, Erin’s got it covered.
Soup Supper at Lema Ranch
We attended the League of Women Voters Annual Soup Supper at Lema Ranch last evening. Lot’s of great people and atmosphere.
Soup Supper at Lema Ranch
Plus excellent food was in abundance. Everybody brought an interesting soup.
Soup Supper at Lema Ranch
Erin received an award for her work with the League, seen above with Susan Wilson.
Soup Supper at Lema Ranch
Our speaker for the evening was Mike Chuchel, the Unit Chief/County Fire Warden of CalFire in Shasta County. He spoke about fire safety and about last season’s horrific lightning sparked fire event. People, you need to pay careful attention to the 100 feet of defensible space rule! Mike says they are going to start citing offenders this year, instead of simply warning.
Soup Supper at Lema Ranch

There were hundreds of fires last summer. Thousands of acres burned, but few homes were lost, due to the hard work of our many firefighters from all over the state. Mike had lots of interesting anecdotes and statistics about the season. As he pointed out, you may not think it was such a big deal, but how many other events here can you think of where the President of the United States showed up to look? Plus our Governator came here 4 times in one month. It was a very big deal. I hope we never see its like again, but the warm January evening does not bode well for the dry winter we’ve had so far.
Soup Supper at Lema Ranch
Lema Ranch is as stunning at night is as it is by day. What a lovely resource. It was a terrific evening!

Posted on

Rare historical Drag Racing video from Redding CA 1962 or 63

I posted a very rare short video of a day at the races in either 1962 or ’63 at the Redding Dragstrip in Redding. It’s fascinating to see what it looked like back then. The video appears to a be a dub of an 8mm film titled “Drag Day”, and made by the Sparman family. Shot in “Sparmascope” no less. Really fun to watch:

Our great thanks to the Sparmans for preserving this bit of our history about 45 years ago. I am tracking down another one like this that is also very interesting, and hope to post it soon. If you have any old movies or videos of the Redding Dragstrip, I’d appreciate hearing from you. As of now, it looks like our dragstrip is the oldest continuously operating drag racing facility in California. Redding has always been a big car town, and these images reveal a glimpse of our past.

As an aside, I run the website for the Redding Dragstrip, since a neighbor found out I had the ability, and their previous web person bowed out. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve met lots of nice folks. You can view that website HERE.

Posted on

Greeters at Rivers

Greeters in Redding
Wow, there are not many places I’d rather hold a Chamber of Commerce Greeters Meeting than Rivers Restaurant in Redding. That’s where we were this morning.
Greeters in Redding
There were about 150 people there, despite the dreary weather. That has to rank as one of the largest meetings we’ve held. Little wonder. The food was excellent, and the views, though muted by the weather, are unmatched in Redding.

Greeters in Redding
Greeters in Redding

Chef Cal DeMercurio described the astonishing lengths to which they go to deliver the best food and drink experience in town. They offer a compelling culinary experience, and it has been rewarded with heavy business since the restaurant’s inception a few months back. This is the place to be, and to be seen. As he put it, “there’s no need to ask for a window seat. They’re all window seats. True enough. The design takes total advantage of the blufftop site. Many years ago, Redding turned it’s back on the river that coursed through our town. This restaurant is evidence that those days are gone.
Greeters in Redding
It replaced a restaurant that was burned while remodeling. The total re-build is a smashing success and ranks as one of Redding’s finest amenities.

Posted on

McDonalds rises again

New McDonalds in Redding
New McDonalds in Redding
Here’s a few images of the new McDonalds building on Cypress Ave in Redding, rising from the ruins of the old building. It looks to be very substantial, and much more well constructed than the building it replaces. The old building was destroyed by meteor strike from outer space, as seen below.
New McDonalds in Redding
Okay, just kidding about the meteor. I would imagine the new McDonalds will include a very modern interior, replacing what was a very dated and run-down restaurant. You would imagine there will be the new self-checkout kiosks included. You can see an example of these kiosks at KIOSK, if you haven’t used one yet. They reduce queue times and labor costs for the business using them, so are very useful, and have been a success in McDonalds stores across the world. I am eager to see how this restaurant will look once completed!

Posted on

Redding’s Bug Emporium and Museum exterminated

Bugs in ReddingWhile Christmas shopping, I went to the on Hartnell, only to find it shuttered and empty. Wow, that’s too bad. Where will shoppers find that perfect gift now?
Bug museum in Redding
I wonder what happened? Just over a month ago, I wrote this piece about them for A News Cafe. I hope they just sold out of stock due to unexpected high demand. Then again, perhaps the inventory was trampled in a Wal-Mart like Black Friday incident. Or perhaps they were forced out of business by big-box competition for the erratic bugs-on-pins marketplace. A jealous Turtle Bay Museum conspiracy? Who knows?
Bug Museum in Redding
Seen in happier days, Redding’s Bug Emporium and Museum was a beacon of knowledge and commerce. Hey, check out those gas prices from just a month ago.

Posted on

Greeters

Need 2 Speed in Redding
We’ve been members of the Redding Chamber of Commerce since 2005. I never thought of myself as a “chamber” type person, but it’s actually a pretty good thing, and I’ve learned a lot. Once a week, many members meet for what’s called Greeters. It’s always on Thursday mornings at 8:00 am, and always at a different local business. This week it was at Need2Speed.
amusement in redding
At Greeters we showcase the host business for a few minutes, and then pass the microphone around and greet one another. Just say who you are and a few words and pass the mic. Sounds goofier than it really is. Although it is certainly goofy too… Continue reading “Greeters”

Posted on

City Councilman Unearths Magical Zoning Amulet

ROCHESTER, NY—After years spent poring over mysterious and arcane plat sheets and deciphering long-forgotten building codes, city councilmember Mike LaMere unearthed the mysterious City Zoning Amulet Friday.
From the Onion

Mike LaMere, wearing the Ever-Evaluating Eye of Surr-Vey.

“Behold!” LaMere said, holding aloft the solid-gold amulet, which is emblazoned with the Ever-Evaluating Eye of Surr-Vey, Lord Of Demarcation, He Who Measures And Assesses. “With this sigil, the power of zoning comes. Through me, the power of zoning flows! All will behold my power, and I shall bow to no man when designating matter-of-right developments for major retail and office spaces to a maximum lot occupancy of 75 percent for residential use!”

From the Onion of course.