http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckBlogPage=Blog&sid=sitelife.theunion.com The Union’s City Editor Trina Kleist drops knowledge. E-mail tips to Trina at tkleist@theunion.com.

]]> Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:21:00 GMT http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a0668aa17-8438-4a98-a989-d75c58f383a9&sid=sitelife.theunion.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:21:00 GMT
We made the unusual decision to run this essay above our "The Union" title (we call it a flag in the biz) in celebration of Independence Day. The essay was sent to me by a reader, who had heard it read at the Memorial Day ceremony in Memorial Park earlier this year.

After a little investigating (Google makes many things so easy), I found it was  written by a former U.S. Marine names Howard Schnauber, who served in the Pacific Front — including Guadalcanal — during World War II.

His story was recorded in 1994 during an oral history project in Fort Collins, Colo. The link to the story is below. I hope you enjoy the essay.

http://library.ci.fort-collins.co.us/local_history/topics/WWII/hist3b15.htm

Howard Schnauber, courtesy Fort Collins Public Library


]]> http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a0668aa17-8438-4a98-a989-d75c58f383a9&sid=sitelife.theunion.com http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a56f02520-fb5e-4cf8-a71e-9937c77f38cf&sid=sitelife.theunion.com Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:18:00 GMT
The concert at the Nevada County Fairgrounds featured Hungarian music, especially music based on Gypsy and folk themes. Vajda conducted and brought in guest violinist Lajos Sarkosi Jr., who wowed the crowd.

Jeanne Duerst at MIM said people crowded backstage after the concert to meet Lajos, now 18, and ask him to sign their programs. Jeanne sent this explanation from Vajda:



JD: Gregory, can you please put in your words how you met Lajos Sarkozi in Hungary and why you decided to bring him to the states for his debut here?

GV: My manager, Stephen Lugosi, asked me to check out this "amazing, 17-year-old, multiple competition winner" violin player while in Hungary. I went to meet Lajos and to hear him play at the famous, old Budapest restaurant Karpatia, where his father is the leading violinist of a Gypsy band.
As I arrived, they all tuned, then a young man stepped in front if the band smiling, and with their accompaniment (they all played without sheet music of course) played Ravel's "Tzigane" and Sarasate's "Zigeunweisen" for me. He was amazIng! I immediately knew that I found the perfect soloist for my "Gypsy Fantasies" concert that I was planning for Music in the Mountains.
 
Wouldn't you know — all of this sent from Vajda's iPhone.

]]> http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a56f02520-fb5e-4cf8-a71e-9937c77f38cf&sid=sitelife.theunion.com http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a44fd399f-23fd-4ce1-9ac4-6b343ab63290&sid=sitelife.theunion.com Tue, 05 May 2009 18:03:00 GMT
The link is http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2009-05-03-co-housing_N.htm.

In the article, people including Durrett talk about how older Amricans are starting to try cohousing as a way to prevent the isolation and loneliness that often comes when people get older.

Durrett and wife Kathryn McCamant have McCamant and Durrett Architects in Nevada City. They also run CoHousing Partners, which built the Nevada City Cohousing project on upper Broad Street near Highway 49. Their project in Grass Valley, Wolf Creek Cohousing, was approved by the city but has been stalled because of the international financial crisis.

A few years ago, I wrote a story about the Nevada City project. The link is
http://www.theunion.com/article/20060422/NEWS/104220190&parentprofile=search

At the time, I was impressed with the level of community spirit I saw in the neighborhood. People know each other's names — what a concept! The amount of togetherness isn't for everyone, and it's not the least-costly housing option around, but it's a promising alternative for many of our elders (and youngers - seems like a lot of happy kids in the Nevada City project) and I'm glad to see Durrett getting national attention for it.

The couple had a major role in bringing the cohousing concept to the United States, after studying it in architecture school in Denmark, where it's very well-developed.

ooo

]]> http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a44fd399f-23fd-4ce1-9ac4-6b343ab63290&sid=sitelife.theunion.com http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a55b90da0-9852-4d29-bf84-f7513f768af9&sid=sitelife.theunion.com Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:19:00 GMT
Normally, a Dutch auction is one in which the auctioneer starts at the desired price, and brings the price down until someone makes a bid — certatinly a different kind of excitement, because you don't know who you're bidding against or what price they'll be willing to pay, so you have to jump in there or lose the item.

But the folks in Rough and Ready do their Dutch auction differently.

"You know, we're the Great Republic," auxiliary volunteer Carole Morris said when she called  me this morning. (Rough and Ready folks seceeded from the Union in April 1850 in protest of a mining tax on all claims. That was in the days when 3,000 people lived there. They rejoined in time to celebrate Independence Day that year.)



Saturday's Dutch auction will go like this, Carole says: Folks wanting to make a bid will hold up a dollar bill, and the firefighters will run around picking up the dollars. Meanwhile, the auctioneer (in this case, Chief Don Gannon) sets a timer. When the timer goes off, whoever's dollar has just been grabbed gets the goodie.

"If you really want to get the thing, you keep holding up dollars," Carole explained.

So there you go.

By the way, Carole was in the process of cooking up the vegetarian sauce this morning when she called (the alternative to the meat sauce), and says she's adding lots of onion and garlic, fresh basil and red pepper flakes to the tomatoes.

"And red wine, of course," she added.

So head to the Great Republic of Rough and Ready, where the folks are friendly. Cost of the feed is $7 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and younger.

ooo]]> http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3a55b90da0-9852-4d29-bf84-f7513f768af9&sid=sitelife.theunion.com http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3ad56ac63b-fa58-4af6-9eda-3f10cf9f7a41&sid=sitelife.theunion.com Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:34:00 GMT
With the economy still far from out of the woods and the new menace of piracy front-and-center, you'd think the national press corps would have more important things to focus their cameras on.

Western Nevada County is getting plenty of attention in the story, too, with a leader from the national association of Portuguese water dogs living here. Who'da thunk it. Reporter David Mirhadi is working on the local story, but he had to wait until the gentleman finished with the bevy of network film crews. Look for it in Wednesday's The Union.

I suppose all the hoo-ha points to the need even the national press corps has for something fun once in a while. Do even they get tired of being in "the situation room" all the time? It sure was fun to see the First Family romping on the lawn with their new pup.]]> http://apps.theunion.com/utils/blogs/index.php?id=Blog:4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a4907e9a9-8709-4dac-bcc1-fbca8bb719c1Post%3ad56ac63b-fa58-4af6-9eda-3f10cf9f7a41&sid=sitelife.theunion.com