BEST OF!

THANKS, Chico, for honoring The ChicoLaura Team with #1 Best Real Estate Agent in the Chico News & Review 2009 "Best Of Chico" issue!  What a delightful surprise.

Congrats, too, to my friend and associate Becky Prater and to W. M. Campbell Real Estate, for placing 2nd in Best Real Estate Agent and Best Real Estate Office, respectively.  For an office that has only been in existence for 3 years (but with MANY decades of combined experience!), I think that's pretty awesome recognition by our Chico community!

Just want to congratulate some other local businesses I truly admire for earning their special places in "Best Of":  Bidwell Perk (coffee shop), Karen Escott (chiropractor), Pullins Cyclery (bike shop), Lyon Books (book store), Aqua Azul (day spa), Christian & Johnson (florist), Collier Hardware (hardware store), Little Red Hen (nursery), Nantucket (Home Furnishings), Arc Thrift Store (thrift store), 5th Street Steakhouse (local restaurant), Upper Crust (bakery), Priya (International cuisine), Grilla Bites (vegetarian), Shubert's (ice cream), Blue Room (performing arts), Sierra Nevada Big Room (live music), Christian Michael's (happy hour), and Ken Grossman (Leader in Sustainability--what an incredible attribute to Chico!).

Congrats to ALL!

Fair Trade Chico!

On Valentine's Day Chico, CA officially became a "Fair Trade" town! A hard-working group of folks celebrated their accomplishment at the "Hands" near the municipal building. What is Fair Trade? According to one web site, "At its most fundamental level, Fair Trade is the practice of insuring that farmers and workers receive a fair and stable price for their products and labor." (Click here for a more complete definition of "Fair Trade.")

The first fair trade town in the U.S. was Media, PA (25 minutes west of Philadelphia), which acquired the status in 2006. Their web site states, "If buying a Fair Trade chocolate bar here means that somewhere children are going to school instead of working in the fields, we're taking a small step towards a better world with every bite. In a nutshell, that's what it means to be a Fair Trade town!" Sounds good to me. (Click here to view video.)

Local businesses like Bidwell Perk, Grilla Bites, and Chico Natural Foods (click here for complete list) have pledged to put "People before Profits" and have committed to offer at least two fair trade product lines in their businesses. I'd love to see more local businesses follow suit.

In a related topic, I just watched "The Real Dirt on Farmer John" via a Netflix DVD. Pretty interesting documentary about an individual (and rather eccentric) farmer but also about the plight of the farming industry in general over the past few decades. Obviously, this subject should be a concern to anyone who eats!

Talk About Friends!

In one of those interesting, quirky "coincidences," two days after I wrote my last blog entry about the value of long-term friendships, my son Gabe surprised us with a visit for Easter weekend. Two of his best lifelong friends, twins Shad and Darrell, were in town visiting family as well, and we all met up at Bidwell Perk to sip our java on the patio on a picture-perfect spring day. I'm so impressed with the fine young men these three have become and am thrilled they have maintained their friendship!

Bidwell Perk!

Simply our favorite coffee shop/eaterie/office-away-from-office, BIDWELL PERK! Located in the heart of Chico (on E. 1st Ave., near the corner of Mangrove), this lovely and thriving vendor of fine caffeinated products and delectable edibles offers free wi-fi and plenty of seating in a warm and inviting atmosphere. No wonder the "Perk" enjoys such a devoted clientele!