Show: Insight Station: KNCO File: 9:24.mp3 Air date: 2026-09-24 Source: OpenAI whisper-1 · shrunk from 98.6 MB to 12.3 MB --- transcript --- advertisers, staff or ownership of Nevada County Broadcasters. Now here is your host, Tom Fitzsimmons. Okay, it's good news time. Just about 906, 70 degrees. Yes, nice sunshiny start. So it's gonna be a pretty warm day. Just a reminder, you know, temperature-wise, even though we officially started fall, it's going to be kind of summer-like today. About upper 80s, the high in Grass Valley today. Low 90s in the lower foothill locations. Low to mid 90s in the valley. So even though it's a reminder that we have been doing all through the summer, just get those errands done early. Make sure you keep the pets at home. The other thing you could do if you're running an errand, you know your neighbors. Your friends and neighbors live in your neighborhood. And if there's some outreach you can do, maybe running an errand for them, I'm sure it'd be greatly appreciated. And some of those errands can be really close to home. I know in my neighborhood, it's a WM day, trash day. So if you could help maybe take that can down to the edge of the driveway. Sometimes bringing it back is also helpful as well for some of the neighbors you have. Might be older, might have some physical limitations, but also there could be a mom with about nine kids like my mom had growing up. All right, so if you could run an errand for them and not have to have them pack their kids up and all that stuff, I'm sure that'd be greatly appreciated as well. Of course, nobody does service like Old Country Senior Services. It is their time of year to shine for a whole bunch of different reasons. And we have the present and past executive directors in the house. How about that? We have Jay Chandler here, the current executive director. Jay, how you doing? Good. How you doing, Tom? I'm doing fine. And Leslie Lovejoy is here, who is beaming because I get to call her the former executive director. But that doesn't mean you're slowing down. You're back on the board of directors, right? I am. It's good to see you. It's good seeing you too. This is a very important time of year. We have a, well probably it'll come on during the show sometime, the commercial we have playing out there trying to get volunteers for the firewood deliveries. Right, yeah. So this is a really busy time of year for us and that's our next major event. It's this Saturday is the first one. We have three separate distribution days for our firewood program. And so we need lots and lots of volunteers. It's out at our wood yard, which is right next door to the county building out on LaBar Meadows Road. And so we can, we need volunteers nine to eleven in the morning this Saturday, the 26th. Next Saturday, the third is the second day. So we're kind of pushing for both those dates at this point. We have a third day in November. Yeah, I think the first Saturday in November. The thing is though, when this date was picked, who picked this date? Was this the lady over there by chance? No, I kind of inherited it. I think it's the firewood volunteers. All right, well here's the thing. This is kind of interesting because for people that have known how the kids have stepped up. Of course, Marty Lombardi is like the Pied Piper for the high school kids and the football players at Nevada Union. They have a bi-week this week. I don't know if you guys knew that, but they are not playing football this week. So they'll probably be in full force. There you go. Saturday morning to be out there and stuff. So if it just worked out, that is remarkable. Extra blessing for it. It just worked out. This happened to work out this year for that. Okay, so what type of volunteers do we need? I imagine you need some people with strong backs and hands and stuff, right? Yeah, we definitely need people to help load up trucks. We're going to deliver a number of cords of wood to seniors each day. So we need people to load, people that have trucks or trailers. We're definitely welcome to come. This is actually my first time. As you know, I'm still new. So this is my first time, but from what I've seen and all the planning, the operation is amazing. Our staff is great at putting that all together. So if you come at 9, they'll direct you where to go. So heavy lifting, stacking, that kind of stuff with wood. Also, there'll be deliveries and then unloading the wood wherever the destination is. It is kind of like an army of people that make this thing happen, Leslie, over the years. It is, absolutely. And it's wonderful how the community comes and supports this. This is really important, as you know, because a lot of our seniors either supplement with fires or they exclusively use wood. Yeah, there's enough that that's their heating source and sometimes even their cooking source. Exactly, exactly. So this is important. It's really important stuff. So again, if you have vehicles that can help, that would be great. As far as what people should bring out there, guys, are gloves provided? Should they bring gloves? Should they bring anything else like that? It's always great to bring your own gloves, but we do have gloves on site. Okay. I would suggest close-toed shoes and long pants. Okay, that's a very good point. And something to wear on your head because it might be warm and there's no shade at the site. That's right. And let's talk about where the site is because that has changed over the years, too. Yeah, so we're out there in LeBar Meadows. Currently, yeah, right next to the government buildings or right on that same area. Is there enough room there for people to park, like Pullen End Park? Yeah, we actually have, and again our volunteers and staff will direct you, but there's kind of a lot above where our firewood lot is that we're going to be able to use for parking. The county's letting us do that as well as parking because the county buildings aren't open on Saturday. So there'll be a little bit of parking as well in their lot there and for transit and stuff. But anyways, yeah, there's plenty of parking and we'll, you know, show up. We will definitely direct you in all the ways that you need to go. Yeah, it's a site that got chosen because there are a whole bunch of reasons it didn't work out on the previous site. One was vandalism, of all things, and some things are being broken into and taken and all that stuff. It seems like the LeBar site has been much more secure. It has been, yeah, absolutely. I mean, yeah, when we were out on the Brunswick site, we lost a trailer. We've lost equipment. Yeah, some equipment, lots of things. Yeah, so yeah, it's a much better site. Yeah, and is the county involved with having that happen, right? Yeah, they definitely partner with us there. We're very grateful for them and the spot that we have now. Yeah, they're a big part of that. All right, so this is again, you know, I found this out under Leslie. This is a pretty darn unique program here in the West. We're the third in California. So there's only three firewood banks in California. We're one of them. Yeah, I mean, that's pretty remarkable for our little community and I know we have a good percentage of seniors, but boy, it is awesome just to see how people step up to do this. Those volunteers that are splitting wood, really all year, they're getting it, they're splitting it and hauling it and then making it available both for resale on the hard wood and then softwood that's going on these deliveries. But how do you get the, when the volunteers, if they're listening right now, if they want to volunteer, what's the process to get them signed up? Do they just go there? Should they sign up in advance or what? Yeah, probably the best way is to call our number 530-615-4541. That's our admin office and you can call there and that's a great way to start. You can go on our website for information. Yeah, so that's probably the best way. All right, and again, we have three distribution dates. First one this Saturday. Right, the Saturday the 26th of September and then we have October 3rd, which is next Saturday. Yeah, next Saturday. Yeah, so two Saturdays in a row, right? And then the third one is, like you said, November 7th. Yeah, like the first Saturday. Yeah, first Saturday of November. All right, this is key stuff. So it's very exciting to have this up and going. I will say this about you, Leslie. When you sat down, as I said, you looked very relaxed, very happy. Is it good to have that done? Because when you became the, quote, interim executive director, it was going to be for a very short time. How long did it end up being? Three and a half years. Three and a half years. Yeah, that's pretty remarkable, isn't it, when you look back at it? Well, you know, it takes a long time to do a construction project, to raise the funds, do the remodel, open a center. So I was under no illusion that this was going to be really short term. Yeah, well, yeah, but I mean, three and a half years was pretty remarkable you hung in there for that long. Well, you know, I loved every minute. I really did. And it's very satisfying to see that there's a center now where seniors can come. And kids, too. Yeah, the whole community. And there's no duress. She came back to be on our board of her own volition. There was no threats, no duress. She loved it. Leslie has been dedicated for years and years and years. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it has to be in your blood, Leslie, at this point. Did you have a chance to travel or do some fun things when you stepped away for this short day? It's been a relatively short time. It has been short. I went to Mendocino to the coast for, you know, a couple of weekends. That's very nice. But you know what? My happy space is in my garden at home. Oh, very nice. So I had a really nice summer garden and I'm in the process of creating my fall garden and winter garden. Yeah. And that's my happy space. All right. Well, I have to ask you, since it's a gardening question, we have the master gardeners around here on the weekend, a matter of fact. How were your tomatoes this year? Fantastic. You were fantastic. I've heard so many people saying they weren't good this year. Oh, mine was so good. In fact, they're still producing. I've got two green ones on the vine and when they go, then they're done. But they're not red yet. What's the secret? Do you have a secret for tomatoes or what? You know, I grew two patio tomatoes and they were incredibly prolific. And you just sit them in the sun and water them and fertilize them. Do you sing to them? Do you hug them? Do you play music for them? I always have an energetic relationship with the plants that I'm in. I know. I mean that sincerely because people at garden really do have a relationship with their plants. Yes, we do. We do. We praise them. We encourage them. We give them lots of nurturing. It's like having a pet. All right. So here's the thing. Jay, do you have a garden? No, I have kids. Okay. I don't have a garden. So I go, wow, that's kind of crazy. But it is the truth. That's how it works. It is. You know, so good for you. So I'm glad that's your happy place. Yeah, that is one thing that we have here. Beautiful weather. And yeah, as long as you don't have a drought, everything's great for gardeners and stuff. So that sounds wonderful. Great tomato crop and all that stuff. All right. We're going to take our first break. Okay. When we come back, I'm going to be going into kind of a different viewpoint, too, because since Leslie Lovejoy is here and she's back on the board of directors, we haven't heard from a board member for a while. Interesting to see the board's viewpoint on Gold Country Senior Services. Of course, Jay Chandler here, executive director as well. So a quick break. We'll be right back. Discover the stories that shaped Nevada County on History Unfolded, hosted by Tom Fitzsimmons and myself, Mike Stewart, with special guests, the second and fourth Mondays at 9 a.m., brought to you by Mowl Paint and Glass, serving Nevada County since 1949, and Smarter Broadband, local, reliable, high-speed Internet. Don't miss the voices, the stories, and the history that make our community unique, right here on KNCO News Talk 830. Ready to check glass flowing off your bucket list? 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Fill out your ballot at home, then bring it to a vote center and watch it be scanned, or use an official county ballot drop box. Have questions? We're your trusted source for election information, and we're here to serve every Nevada County voter. For more information, visit nevadacountyca.gov forward slash elections. All right, KNC News time, 921 71 degrees. Welcome back to KNC Insight, highlighting Gold Country Senior Services. Jay Chandler here, Executive Director, and Leslie Lovejoy's here, Board Member, and a whole bunch of things are always going on at the center. As a matter of fact, I think they just got, or about to start, Aging Backwards program that's going out the center today. Their senior lunch today at two o'clock. There's hand and foot, it says card. I don't know if it's hand or foot care. It's a card game. It's a card game? It's a card game, never heard of it. It must be a western thing. Wow, I hate to think what happens if you lose. And then at 5 p.m. it says there's a private event, so are people renting the place for like a private event? Is that what's going on there, do you know? Probably. All right, that's kind of exciting, too. See, I had no idea that, but that's, again, when you build it, they will come, right? You have a facility, and that's another way that Gold Country Senior Services can exist and make programs happen for everybody, is maybe even the rental of the facility over there. How are things going, Jay, as far as numbers of people coming for things like the senior lunch and activities? Good, going very well. So we've been, you know, our senior center's a little over, I think, about two and a half years now that we've been there, and, you know, things take time to grow, but I think this, you know, last number of months that I've been around, not just because of me, of course, but it's been growing. Both the activities have been, I think, well attended, even more and more, and then also the community lunches that we do, the congregate lunches that we do at the senior center as well. Now, your mom and dad, if I recall, your mom and dad, if I recall, weren't they checking it out recently, or? I've told them, yeah, they actually, well, they came and volunteered for us at the fair, but they, yes, at this point, I don't know that they've, I've told them about it, but I don't know if they've been. Okay. Because that's always the thing, we're trying to get people to get their butts out there, even if it's for the first time, just to check it out. Absolutely, yeah, yeah, it takes time. Yeah, yeah, it really, though, you go by it every day, because it's not a very, I think, a great spot right there of Colfax Avenue there, near the bowling alley, I guess is the best way to put it, where summer times used to be. It's there, it's been there for a while, but it's still, it's like turning left, parking, and just going inside and saying hi. If they go inside and say hi, what can they expect? Is there somebody to greet them, or how does that work? Yeah, we have volunteers that do guest services type things, so there'll be someone to greet, but also our operations manager, Susanna, is always really happy to show people around if they're new. I can still remember when I came in as part of the interview process, getting the tour the first time of our facility, and it really is impressive. We have that commercial kitchen, we have the different, so it's really great. Awesome. So yeah, you'll be greeted, and everybody's invited. It's not just for seniors, it's a community center, so yeah, come and check it out. Yeah, and Leslie, I know one of the goals was to get the youth involved as well, and is that something the board still wants to see happen, to get that outreach for kids to get over there? Yeah, I think so. It's really important to make this a multi-generational center, so it's on the back burner. We have kids come over from the charter school. One incidence where they came and they sang and danced for the community. Oh, very nice. Yeah, it was really very, very nice, and so it's slow. It'll take time. How do you coax the kids that are waiting for their parents to pick them up from school into the center to sit out of the rain while their parents come? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So how do you do that? Just kind of welcoming and offering, and eventually people will, the kids will walk in and maybe sit down, get on their phones or whatever they need to do until their parents come pick them up. Yeah, I think the ultimate senior, and we talked about him already today because of the firewood program, is Marty Lombardi. Marty is not a young guy, but he is as popular as any kid on that NU campus has ever been, and because there's something that seniors give, it's like that looky-in-the-eye old school, hi, how you doing, and saying hi to somebody by name. It's a great feeling for a kid. Right, right. Yeah, just to have somebody be interested in you and how your day's really doing. Definitely. Yeah, and stuff. Now, as far as the board goes, you know, I was wondering about this, Leslie. How is the board doing? Do you have the ideal amount of members involved with the board now? Are you light? Are you too many? Or how's that number? There are six now. I'd like to see a few more come on board. It is a working board, so it's really important to have people who can have the time and the energy to want to see this organization thrive. So it's not a board that you come and you come to a meeting and then that's it. So yeah, we're always looking for board members who will come with particular skills or just a desire to support. Do you guys meet once a month as a board, or twice, or what? So the full board meets once a month, the fourth Thursday of the month. We have a fundraising governance committee that meets the second Thursday, and then we have a finance committee that meets the fourth Monday. So depending on their desires and interests, they could be on two or just one. It depends. All right. Are you on finance committee? Which one are you on? I'm the board treasurer. You're the board treasurer. All right. How's the coffers look? It's looking okay. Yeah. Could be better. Always. Yeah, that's a standard yes. Always can be better, right? Yeah. Yeah. So how's it looking from the executive director's point of view? Because the world isn't easy out there, and heaven knows grants that you might have had, and we've talked about this, you can't count them on anymore because a lot of them have gone away, and the current climate doesn't look like they necessarily be coming back as well. Yeah, and that's an interesting thing. I'm talking to a lot of nonprofits, but also people at the county, and just kind of getting a feel. I don't think we're done with that. I still think there's this uneasy period of time right now where grant funding is kind of, a lot of it's up in the air. So yeah, I think the most important thing we've talked about a lot is we want to kind of spread out our funding. We obviously need grants from the government, from the federal government, state, local, but also we need, and then we find private grants as well, but we also need fundraising. So we've been kind of pushing that this year, in fact, quite a bit recently with the fair and with the draft works. But yeah, I mean, we're just trying to find new ways to bring in revenue because that way we're not always just relying on grants. So that's always a goal to try and continue to fundraise like that. All right, Leslie, were you out there for the treat street at all? I did prep in our kitchen. You did? I did. I didn't go to the booth. All right. I thought that was an exceptionally smart idea to prep in your kitchen before you sent stuff out there, and hopefully that worked out fine. And you guys did have a unique thing here. Not everybody does it on treat street, but you did the fair and then came back for the draft horse. We did. So was it a little bit less stressful, shall we say? It was. Yeah, the draft horse actually, and again, of course, our first time, the first time at the fair, and then, you know, about a month later, I guess it is this year, first time through draft horse. There was actually six other, I believe, nonprofits out there, which is not even probably half of what do the fair. And then there were some private vendors as well. But yeah, it was interesting because the whole vibe of the event was so much more relaxed. A lot of families. It was great to see lots of even like little babies coming out with their families, kids. It was really fun. Yeah, and so was there a good opportunity to kind of, after having the stress of putting on your first one during the fair, get things that you thought might work better a certain way? Did you get to try them out at all? A little bit, yeah. I mean, there's definitely things that we learned on the fly at the fair. It was such a whirlwind. It started really, really late June with getting excited or applying for that. And then finding out about a month before the fair, and then the whole thing was just a whirlwind. It's hard to even remember all that happened. We had committee meetings. We had people running here and there. But anyways, so the fair, we did still learn a lot in practice. You know, we learned a lot of things to do and a lot of things not to do next year. So which is, you know, I think that's kind of standard the way it works. But yeah, I think we were able to look at the draft horses kind of, yeah, this is easy because it's not as busy, not as many people. And everything we learned, we were able to put in practice. I think the lessons learned, Leslie, it still makes for a tremendous opportunity for fundraising with the fair. It does. Because it's healthy food. I can't say enough to have those wraps out there. And it is a nice alternative. We all love our corn dogs. We all love the fried this and fried that. But really, especially for, you know, get older, we need some healthier options out there. We do. We do. Yeah. Yeah. And basically, I think the one of the challenges always is with anything new is just people finding us. So I really believe that the next few years and hopefully we will be out there next year, we have a plan on it, as long as the fair brings us back, which I think they will. But yeah, we're, you know, getting the word out, but also just simply people finding us. And I think that's going to, I think that'll grow every year for a while. All right. I'm just kind of curious in the kitchen, because you guys still, as you're doing this, you're still doing your regular stuff, even doing these special events, right? So was there a stress for the prep staff and the kitchen staff too? I think the kitchen staff did a lot. But also there was a core set of volunteers that came in and volunteered three hours to cut chicken or do lettuce or do condiments or whatever, getting all that stuff together before it actually went over. So yeah, I mean, it, I think I was there for Wednesday through Saturday, three hour slots each day. Yeah. Just prepping. That's a lot. It is. But you know what? It's air conditioned. It is air conditioned. That was the key was, yeah, for those volunteers, like, yes, that's a good point. And I can't say enough about doing stuff there away from doing in the back room, like almost every other nonprofit does with their facilities. So that's a very, very cool thing. That's a nice thing. Yes, it is. All right. So let's see. Let's get a news break in here. I better do that right now, since I'm two minutes late. We'll get a news break. We'll get a weather forecast and we'll be right back. Good morning. I'm Paul Haas with a KNCO local news update. Alex Gamblegard has a six-year contract and officially became Grass Valley's permanent city manager at Tuesday night's city council meeting. Among the features of the agreement that the council approved was a starting annual base salary of $279,500. He's been the town's police chief for the last 10 years. A few members of the public also commented on the selection that included local businessman Cameron Brady. Selecting a person to lead our city is an important decision, perhaps one of the most important decisions that a council could make. And your efforts resulted in an exceptional choice. And I'm thinking that the future is bright here in the city of Grass Valley. Gamblegard took over for Tim Keeser with an interim title in March, and the city then conducted an extensive and time-consuming search process, interviewing 73 applicants from across the country. He thanked the council for having their faith in him. Thank you first to the city council, who has the confidence in moving forward with me. I look forward to the future and the things that we have both in front of us right now and the things that are yet to come and with new city councils coming. Council members Haven Caravelli and Hillary Hodge are leaving at the end of the year with replacements being elected in November. And Community Beyond Violence has recently moved to a new client service center. It's in Nevada City instead of Grass Valley. Executive Director Allison Bishopberger says one of the biggest benefits is that it's a little bit closer to public transportation to provide better access. It's also close to a lot of other non-profit organizations, social service organizations that are helpful to the clients we serve. It's also just a really peaceful location, and I think that's a huge thing for someone who's in crisis or experiencing violence in their home to have access to a space that feels peaceful and where they can access services and just feel cared for. And Community Beyond Violence has also established ownership of its own emergency shelter in the last year, which is at the same location. Meanwhile, Bishopberger says she hasn't seen any notable increases in domestic violence in this area or clients, but she says arrests are up significantly thanks to a recent change in the law. Join us for our next local news update at the bottom of the hour for news traffic and weather. Anytime visit knco.com. I'm Paul Haas, KNCO News Talk 830. Escape the everyday and enjoy a little more time to relax with a weeknight getaway. Because this year, Stellar Rewards members of every tier can enjoy 50% off all suites and 30% off all standard rooms Sunday through Thursday. Settle in and relax in our luxurious rooms and enjoy everything the resort has to offer, from casino excitement and free live entertainment to award-winning craft beer and delicious dining at the brewery. The Lodge at Feather Falls Casino Resort, your place to stay. Must be 21 or older. Blackout day supply, management reserves all right. All-you-can-eat prime rib and crab legs? Oh yeah, this is not a drill. Feather Falls Casino Resort's Dream Catcher Buffet is serving up the ultimate surf and turf. Slow-roasted prime ribs, sweet buttery crab legs. Pile your plate high, then go back for seconds or thirds, maybe fourths. Hey, we don't judge. Join us Friday and Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m., just $34.99 for all-you-can-eat prime rib, crab legs, and all your buffet favorites. Dream Catcher Buffet, come hungry. Leave impressed only at Feather Falls Casino, your place to feast. Great, now I'm hungry. This from the KNCO B&C ACE Home and Garden Center Weather Center. ACE is the place. Here is your forecast on KNCO News Talk 830. Hazy conditions from time to time, sunny with a high in the mid to upper 80s and a light easterly wind. It'll be clear overnight, tarlow in the upper 50s near 60, sunny and not as warm on Friday with a high in the upper 70s. Friday night's going to be clear and 55 and sunny and 76 on Saturday. For weather anytime, click on the weather center at knco.com. I'm meteorologist Ann Holliday on KNCO News Talk 830. All right, KNCO News Time, just about 937, 72 degrees. Welcome back to KNCO Insight, highlighting Gold Country Senior Services. As Jay Chandler here, executive director. We got board member Leslie Lovejoy here, a former executive director, which is not lost on me. You know, a lot of places, it could be kind of stressful to have the current and previous executive directors in the same room. So it is nice you guys get along and it's been such a good transition. Yeah, we do. You know, it's funny, I always joke a little bit, but when I interview, one of the interviews was with Leslie and I jokingly said, you know, when they offered the job, I'll take it as long as Leslie comes back. She was going to take a break and we knew that and that was important. But I jokingly say, yeah, if she wasn't coming back, they'd have to find somebody else. But that's not, but anyways, but no, Leslie's great. Leslie has a wealth of knowledge, not just, I mean, not only in the, for our organization, but also just for like in the health realm, different areas that she has such a wealth of knowledge. So I would have hated to have, you know, lost that. So yeah. Well, it is a incredible organization in that it already has dynamic things like Meals on Wheels. It has the firewood program that we started our conversation with, but also a building that's still evolving and still growing and stuff and still hopes to have growth. So as executive director, do you have a certain timeframe that you're working with the board of things you want to get accomplished at certain times? I'm sorry, I spaced a little bit. Oh, just about say, you know, which with a building evolving the way it does because you have so many programs that are so dynamic. Oh, right. Yeah. Are there goals set that you'd like to see like the cafe up and running? Definitely. Yeah. I mean, yeah, that's a big one, a future goal. We still, you know, have that on our radar as far as the future. But yeah, I mean, there's lots of things that I've talked about that we've talked about doing. And, you know, one of the things you mentioned a little earlier about renting our space, we want to build that. We also are talking about renting our kitchen out to, you know, local entrepreneurs that want to start up cottage type businesses. So that's something we're looking at. In fact, we're looking at, right, and that's one of the current things that I'm working on, that we're working on. So yeah, there's always, you know, there's this idea. I mean, obviously, we need to always focus on our core, which is the Meals on Wheels and the firewood, those things that help out our seniors, especially the homebound seniors. That's always going to be our main mission, our main goal. But that being said, there's a lot of things we believe with our building we can do to continue to reach out to the community and seniors as well. All right. So Jay inherited a strategic plan through 2027. So typically, we do our strategic planning sometimes in March or April. So that's a good time to go through what our goals were and to update it. I don't believe in five-year strategic plans. Things move too fast. So every two years. Things change too fast. Yeah. So I anticipate that we'll probably go back and do that. And then Jay will have had enough background and experience to begin to lead that. Now, I love the ideas of things like having a kitchen that entrepreneurs might be able to use as for their, say, cottage industry and stuff. Did that come up in a discussion? Or did somebody approach you guys? How did that all work? So this was part of early discussions with Sarah Common. Sarah Common, sure. That's what I was just thinking. Robert Trent. When it was a totally shelled building, he and I talked about creating ghost kitchen opportunities for entrepreneurs. And then that kind of dissipated for a while. And then we got the Community Resilience Grant through the county, which part of the goal is within the next three to four years, we're going to enter into an MOU with some entrepreneurial organization to come into ghost kitchen work. So it's been a kind of a long-term vision that is now starting to take place, which is really exciting. That's very exciting. Yes. So if somebody's listening right now, Jay, and they've had this dream, they have the perfect Mrs. Field cookie recipe. She always comes to mind as like that entrepreneur that made it. But if they have something like that, did they contact the center and start the conversation? Either the center or admin office. Eventually, it's going to be myself and talking with them. But yeah, people can always talk with, again, Susanna is there at the senior center. So depending on where you're at, but you can contact our admin as well. And I'll definitely, I'm happy to talk to anybody. All right. Now, of course, fundraising is a big thing. I just had, was the draft horse actually, I didn't even cover that. Did it make enough money to make it worthwhile for next year's draft horse? That's something we're going to be evaluating. Yeah. It's obviously a lot less sales than the fair. I mean, there's, and they had, they kind of, the fair or maybe some nonprofits that kind of told us kind of maybe 10 to 15% of the total sales from the fair would be. And that's about where we fell. We fell about, I think about 15% of our sales. Actually pretty good. So yeah, it wasn't bad. It is, again, it's a four-day event. It's the biggest thing really is volunteers and just, just not, I mean, we have a lot of volunteers and we, and all the community is great with that, but it is a lot of work and it's a lot of, you know, hours to cover. Exactly. So, so we don't want to burn out our volunteers. We don't want to overdo stuff like that. So we'll be evaluating kind of all of that with the, with the draft horse for sure. All right. And I noticed the pumpkin race is not on this year, correct? That's right. Yeah. We had, unfortunately we, we had to cancel that just, just this week for many reasons, but yeah, that, that one's not going to happen this, this year. So yeah. Okay. And you got a sad look in your eye there, Leslie, you just had a little, you know, last year was such a blast, you know, but it, for whatever reasons, it just doesn't, didn't go this year. Yeah. Now maybe we decide to do it next year. I don't know. Maybe it was a one-off. I think last year people were looking for, to have some fun because things were pretty intense. Yeah, they absolutely were. And yeah, we'll have to see, hopefully it will be a more joyous time next year. I think just putting on these big events is a lot for the volunteers to come back and do that too. Yeah, that was one of our considerations for sure. Yeah. So, all right. So are you happy with the way the fundraising is going? Do you have other things planned that are coming up? So, you know, we just had our last, well, besides the draft torch, we had our, one of our bingo nights. We have about four of those a year. The next, the next planned fundraiser event is the holiday bingo, which is a family bingo night, and that's in December. December 4th. Okay, I was going to say, I don't remember the exact date right now. But anyway, so those bingo nights are really fun for, I think, I mean, it's been fun for me. I think the staff has fun, the volunteers have fun, but those that attend, I think it's a great. And there's prizes to be won, right? Prizes, there's dinner, there's, yeah, all kinds of fun stuff there. So that, we'll be, you know, kind of pushing out some information about that. You can always go to our website that has, that has all of our fundraisers for the next, you know, almost a year, I think, on listed there. So you can kind of see information about all those. All right. And we'll also be sending out our annual letter with an emphasis on, you know, Christmas time is a time where we give gifts, but sometimes we don't know what to give. So maybe we give to a nonprofit in honor of somebody instead of buying the token gift. Yeah. So that will be coming out as well in October. Yeah. And also, isn't it right after Black Friday that they have the Giving Tuesday? Right, Giving Tuesday? Yes, they do. Are you guys involved with that, like automatically, or how does that work? You can advertise that Giving Tuesday is something that you're doing or accepting donations for. I find that with the annual letter going out and Giving Tuesday and the Christmas dinner project all at the same time. It hasn't been that effective for us. Yeah. Okay. But, you know, we're open. We're always open. Yeah. We love new ideas. Yeah. Yeah. And so, well, that's the thing about volunteerism, isn't it? That people have different skills. If there's somebody who's listening to me at home that maybe has time, maybe they're retired, but have put on events or have thought about these things. I laugh at myself because I'm the guy that always comes up with an idea. I have no idea how to execute. I'm famous for that. I have no idea how to execute, even though I've been at the station for 31 years. But yeah, those volunteers can be out there and I can step up and help. Absolutely. All right. Yeah, definitely. I think the other thing is trying to get people, again, their butts in there to get a tour, but also be a regular donor. I know you push for that, Leslie and Jay yourself, just to have that regular income that comes in from people. Yeah, there's many ways that people can give. And as you mentioned, one of them is our GEM program. So it's the monthly giving, but there are a lot of ways to be able to give. Yeah, sure. Yeah. And so hopefully that's something people can do with their planning. As the board, does the board have any initiatives as far as increasing revenue and stuff? The board actually oversees fundraising in all its capacity. Yeah. So basically we work with Jay to create a plan and then we go out there and execute or we search for new ideas, as you said and Jay said, to figure this out. I think, Tom, people are feeling the economy very tightly right now. Yeah, absolutely. And so I think one of the things that we've been talking about is maybe collaborative fundraising with other groups. Like, for example, we're doing the Food Expo, right? Oh, Food Expo, okay. And working with IFM and Nevada County Food Bank and Sierra Harvest and Common Spirits. Oh, Common Spirits. No, Common Spirits is the hospital. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Sierra Roots. Sierra Roots and United Way coming together and saying, how can we work together around, like, say, food, but also how can we support each other and begin to mobilize fundraising that way? All right. It does seem I'm already feeling the same pain. Not only our listeners and people I would love to give, but all the nonprofits feel it as well. So yeah, there's something to be said about coming together. And a lot of times people think they have to give a lot. Five dollars a month that we can count on matters. Yeah, it absolutely does. So it doesn't have to be a lot. Yeah, in our annual letter, we ask for more. But, you know, a Starbucks coffee is what? $4.50, $5? Nowadays? Yeah, it's probably $5. And then if it's got the flavors in there, it's probably closer to $10. So give me a Starbucks coffee once a month. Yeah. You know, I heard that Starbucks gift cards, they have to start at $10 because that's where you get something. Right. Definitely. That's how it is for even coffee at this point. It's true. It's very true. Yeah. And is everything good for Meals on Wheels? That's one thing we've talked about over the years because the funding and stuff has always been kind of tough. You know, it is good. I mean, I think we're right now have about 240 seniors that we're delivering meals to each week. And then what we were just talking about, it's amazing, is that we always have kind of a waiting list of getting people on. But it just kind of ballooned to 40 people that are waiting. I mean, within like a week or two, it just really jumped up there. So, you know, part of the process is we need to, I mean, we have the capacity as far as kitchen. We can always order the food and stuff. And we have the staff and we have the volunteers and stuff. But the funding to get to cover the extra 40 is something that we have to find. We have to find it. That's one of our jobs is always trying to, as much as we can, make sure the waiting list is as small as possible by moving people off of that. And that, you know, again, that's our mission is to do that. So, yeah, so funding is needed for that. And there's also if a business or a community member wants to provide meals for a year, there's our Nourish a Neighbor program. It's $2,250, I believe. And you pay for a whole year, five meals a week for a whole year. That's wonderful. And we've had a couple of organizations do that. So, there's lots of different ways that we can do this. No, it's important for people to know that number. Because when you, you know, it takes your breath away a little bit that 40 seniors are waiting to get on the program. And I think that's about 10,000 meals a year. I mean, there's just, there's, yeah, there's a definite need. And we want to meet that. That's what we're here for. And the thing is, Tom, people need to understand that the people that come into Meals on Wheels, yes, they're 60, but they're homebound. They have very little support. They have multiple physical illnesses. They can't cook for themselves or access themselves. So, they have to have a microwave. So, these are the at-risk, the most vulnerable and at-risk seniors in our community. Oh, and as we found out, your program during snowmageddon times became like a welfare check and a lifeline in a lot of different ways. Yes. You know, so. That's good. We're continuing. I mean, that's us as well for this, for coming years. We're a resource for when there's emergencies in our center in Orlando. Well, we have to take our last break. Let's get that in here right now, because we're going to come down the homestretch here at KNSU Insight. So, a quick break. We'll be right back. Hi, this is Eli Bacon with Sierra Harvest with delicious news about your local food system. Food Fight 2026 is this Friday, September 25th at the stunning Costello Vista Estate, hosted by Sierra Harvest. Food Fight is one-of-a-kind fine dining experience celebrating the incredible food grown right here in our region. Top local chefs will go head-to-head creating inspired dishes made with 100% locally sourced ingredients. And you can get the best job of all, tasting them. Enjoy unlimited bites, discover just how delicious local can be, and then cast your vote to help crown this year's People's Choice winner. It's great food, talented chefs, a beautiful setting, and a delicious way to support Sierra Harvest and our local food community. Come hungry to Food Fight 2026 this Friday night, September 25th. Get your tickets today at sierraharvest.org. We hope to see you there. What if you could spend less time on chores and more time doing what you love? At Eschaton Village Grass Valley, that's everyday life. 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The Stunning Tour. Come on. Like there's some people, they're ugly. I'm not saying they're a bad person. It's not their fault. I mean, it's their parents' fault for being cousins or something, but it's not their fault. Nikki Glaser. Friday, September 25th. The venue at Thunder Valley. Tickets on sale now at thundervalleyresort.com. Don't miss Nikki Glaser, The Stunning Tour. Hi, I'm William Pace, owner of Junk King Gold Country. My family and I are proud to call this community home, and as a first responder-owned business, service is at the heart of everything we do. Whether you're downsizing, renovating, or have yard or construction debris at your home or business, our team makes it easy. We do all the heavy lifting, loading, and dumping, so you don't have to. Give Junk King Gold Country a call today at 888-888-JUNK or go to junk-king.com. Thank you for supporting local business, and we look forward to meeting you. We'll see you soon. All right, King and City's time, 955, 74 degrees on the home stretch here. Got a few minutes left here to talk Gold Country Senior Services, and again, as Leslie Lovejoy said, the hand and foot is a card game. Uses five to six decks of cards with jokers. Object of the game, be the first, get rid of all your cards. There you go. How about that? Now you can come and play at our senior center. Yeah, and what's nice, if you want to have nothing to do, you're at home, especially you men out there, you retired men that are just sitting in your little man cave, you get out there and socialize. I think it's good for your mind, it's good for your spirit, it's good for your physique to get out there and do these things. They have that aging backwards class that was going on out there. It says here, a dynamic workout combines ballet, tai chi, physical therapy for improved agility, flexibility, mobility, and strength. So you get out there, become a member, take part in these classes. That's another way it helps out the center as well. Yeah, there are a lot of opportunities for activities. There's all kinds, there's lots of different kinds of exercise, yoga, different things, Zumba, I believe. Then there's activities like games. Mahjong has really been big and growing out there at our center. Then there's also informational classes that are put on. Yeah, and Susie over at Tuffin Alley is really big for bridge. She was like a bridge fanatic, right? Yeah, definitely. They do bingo every Friday, I believe. There's all kinds of stuff there. Then we started our stress clinic. Stress clinic? Yes. Really? That's Leslie's. So on Mondays for eight weeks, I do an eight-week intensive stress management class teaching stress tools and building people's... Well, we could all use that. My goodness. You'll see, I've got to join that real soon. Wow, that just shut me right up right there. I think we could all use that. All right, but the big thing that's happening really this weekend, this Saturday, is the first of the firewood distribution dates. There's one the following Saturday. Exactly. So again, before we leave, I want to make sure we get the information back out there for people just joining us. There's still time to volunteer. Definitely. We need people that have the physical ability to do it, but also the vehicles to make this thing happen, right? Right, yeah. Especially if you have vehicles or trailer and or truck to bring, give our office a call. Again, it's 530-615-4541. You can talk, you know, he kind of gives a heads up. But yeah, we always need... I mean, you can't have... almost can't have too many volunteers because there's... it's a lot that's going on tomorrow... or Saturday, sorry. All right, and it's something that we invite families to do. But no, if you bring your kids out there, it's not a goofy thing to do, okay? Because it is. It's lifting firewood. It is, yeah. We'll put them to work. I think Leslie put it correctly. You have closed-toed shoes, and if you have steel-toed shoes, that's even better. There's nothing like dropping one of those on your toe. Exactly, right? Yeah, right up. Anybody that... anybody that's stacked wood before, you know, literally, yeah, the wood hits your foot, it's going to be painful. But it is something to be said of taking that younger generation, getting involved with this, and even if they could do the deliveries as well, because you get to see these people that are your friends and neighbors that you might not see because they're homebound or they might be out of your neighborhood, but this is their heating source. This is their cooking source. So, yeah, it's life and death when you get the middle of winter here and there's a snowstorm and that's their only heat they have. Absolutely, yeah. So, yeah, we... and that's... and then also the... it's even, you know, just the visits of our volunteers going out and delivering, whether it's meals or it's firewood, that's important too. People don't always think about that, but there's... it's like a well... not only a wellness check, but it's just a connection that's made. And one of our main goals is promoting connections. All right, so what time should they get out there on off of Labar Meadows Road? So, nine o'clock a.m. this Saturday and or next Saturday. You could do both if you want. That'd be great. Okay. It's nine to twelve, so it's not that long of a commitment, but yeah, just come out at nine and, like I said, we'll do the rest. We'll show you where to go. And I always assume that people haven't been down there. Will there be signage and stuff, you know, like to... Yeah, there's... we put out signs, yeah. This is a well-oiled machine. It really is. It's been... we've been doing this for a lot of years. Our firewood program has been doing this for a lot of years. The guys out there and the gals out there, they know what they're doing. They're really great. Yeah, and the guys that actually split the wood, are they out there too? Because, again, for the volunteers out there, maybe you want to get involved with that. You could talk to some of those guys. Absolutely. Yeah. See what's involved being part of that team. Well, Leslie, you're beaming. It's great to see you here and you're back on the board here, so that is great to have you with Gold Country Senior Service. And Jay, great job. Keep it going, my friend. We plan to, but thank you, Tom. Oh yeah, and get involved. Check out goldcountryservices.org to find out how you can get involved for everything from volunteerism to donations. That does it for us. We got ABC News and Swap Shop coming up next. --- end of transcript ---