At one time, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection had as many as 77 fire lookout towers located throughout California. Providing housing and protection for a person whose duty it is to search for fires in the wilderness, fire lookouts provided the first report of smoke on the majority of fires in what [...]

It’s around three o’clock in the afternoon. The hour when the day’s dishes are finally done, laundry is folded at last, and (hopefully) dinner is slow-cooking. My feet ache and I’m exhausted from being a stay-at-home mom, or what I like to call domestic engineering. But before I can even sit down, I hear my [...]

With the tough economy and unemployment at an all-time high, it can be hard for us to stay current on our credit card payments, and we sometimes fall behind. It is then we realize that we cannot make the minimal payments, let alone the interest and fees that come along with falling behind. We then [...]

Fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet, but it can be difficult for families to eat well on a limited budget. This month, the Network for a Healthy California—Sierra Cascade Region is celebrating Fruits & Veggies More Matters Month by providing tips on eating right when money’s tight. With careful meal planning and [...]

The Chico Certified Farmers’ Market and the Network for a Healthy California—Children’s Power Play! Campaign (Network) brought the community together on August 8th, 2009 to celebrate the 10th Annual Tomato Saturday and enjoy a fun day of healthy eating and local buying. Over 1,000 residents flooded the market for Tomato Saturday, a festival that reminds [...]

As we blink away the closing seconds of the year, we naturally become reflective, meditative, and thoughtful. We are quickly approaching the final moments of 2008, and for many of us, this is also a time when we process thoughts of self-improvement.  We enter into the annual ritual of making resolutions.
What would result if you [...]

When it comes to holiday shopping, the the temptation to just “hit the mall” or “go online” to shop at a major chain is definitely hard to resist. But by taking the initiative to shop at locally  owned and operated businesses, you can not only help keep small businesses alive and well in Northern California, [...]

Looking for something fun to do this winter? The “powder days craze” is just about to begin. The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway and its vast snowy-white, volcanic beauty offer ample opportunities for snowmobiling–or as winter sports enthusiasts call it, “sled-heading” or “sno- moin’.”
Spanning the Byways’ two-state designation–through aspen groves, conifer forests, and crystal lakes–you’ll find [...]