Month: March 2025

Chico’s Bonfire storytelling is defined by diversity

Changemaker: Bonnie Pipkin will tackle language barriers in next week's program
by Leslie Layton | Posted March 29, 2025

photo by Karen Laslo
Bonnie Pipkin was thoughtful during an interview in her downtown Chico office.

This is ChicoSol’s third monthly profile in our Changemaker series that features people whose work benefits or brings together the community.

Bonnie Pipkin has resurrected the spirit of what some people call “old Chico”: During a couple of recent decades, Chico, to many of us, felt like a city that was big enough to value artistic freedom and small enough to feel like a friendly rural town.

Pipkin accomplishes this every other month when she stages her multi-generational storytelling program “Bonfire” at the Chico Women’s Club. For a couple of hours, an audience of 180 people sits spellbound listening to a 10-minute story from each of six storytellers that will somehow relate to the evening’s theme. read more

Stonewall Alliance of Chico encourages allyship

LGBTQ resource center plans rally to support trans community
by Natalie Hanson | Posted March 28, 2025

Chico’s Stonewall Alliance is pushing back against nationwide anti-trans rhetoric by bringing together allies and LGBTQ people to stand by their trans neighbors, culminating with a rally Sunday.

The nonprofit organization, which provides resources to LGBTQ people and their families, organized special programming throughout the last week of March, such as workshops and training sessions.

Executive Director Justina Sotelo led one of these sessions March 24, one of several workshops designed to train people on being bystanders prepared to handle escalating incidents where an LGBTQ person is targeted with threats or worse. read more

Protest outside congressman’s office grows

Federal workers brace for downsizing; infrastructure cutbacks will affect District 1
by ChicoSol staff | Posted March 25, 2025

photo by Karen Laslo
Lyndall Ellingson

More than 200 people attended a weekly protest near 1st District Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s Chico office on March 21, demanding in-person town halls that haven’t taken place since 2017 and urging the Republican congressman to defend federal programs threatened with huge funding cutbacks.

The turnout was more than twice that of the protest a week earlier. Some passing cars honked in response to show support. There were few young people participating in what has been dubbed in some social media posts as the #FindLaMalfa protest, and has been organized by a coalition of activists from several groups.

(LaMalfa has since announced a “telephone town hall” to be held at 6 p.m. March 26. His office has told reporters that a phone conversation with the congressman will be open to registered voters with valid phone numbers in Butte, Glenn, Yuba, Sutter and Colusa counties, but there will be no call-in.) read more

Chico PD says officers returned fire, killing suspect

Two SWAT sergeants were involved in previous fatal incidents
by Dave Waddell | Posted March 22, 2025

photo by Leslie Layton
Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge called the shooting that killed Michael Oxley a “traumatic incident.”

While few details have been disclosed about the fatal shooting March 2 by Chico police of 43-year-old Michael Oxley, quite a lot is known about two SWAT team sergeants who fired their assault rifles.

The sergeants, Alex Fliehr and Nick Bauer, were each involved in a previous fatal shooting incident, while Fliehr’s unorthodox use of a taser in yet another case led to a civil rights trial in federal court.

Police say Oxley was killed after four SWAT team members returned his fire. In addition to Fliehr and Bauer, officers Tyler Hernandez and Gabe Durney shot at Oxley, said Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge. read more

Homelessness complicated by shortage of services

Accessing mental health services a challenge for the homeless
by Melissa Herzstein and Amy Ballard | Posted March 18, 2025

photo by Karen Laslo

“I never know what day it is. I only know the time based on whether the sun is out.”

I (Melissa) was alarmed by this statement from an unhoused individual I interviewed as I helped with Butte County’s 2025 Point in Time (PIT) count, the biennial study that measures the number of unhoused persons through observation and response to a survey about their needs. This man was describing the challenges he faced in seeking mental health services at a walk-in facility. He was given an appointment for months out, making it impossible for him to attend because he had no reliable way to tell time.

Based on the accounts of this individual and others, it is common for unhoused people to be unable to access critical mental health and housing services due to overcrowded facilities. As social work students, we are concerned about this issue because it negatively impacts not just the unhoused population, but our community as a whole. read more

Paradise symphony rehearsal moves Ukrainians to tears

Ukrainian delegation visits to learn about Camp Fire recovery
by Yucheng Tang | Posted March 15, 2025

On a rainy afternoon, the Paradise Symphony Orchestra and dancers from Northern California Ballet performed for six Ukrainians who were visiting this past week to learn about Camp Fire recovery.

At the end of the March 14 performance, the orchestra played the Ukrainian National Anthem. Most people watching in the Paradise Performing Arts Center stood while the song played, and the Ukrainian guests placed their right hands over their hearts. After the song finished, some of them wiped tears from their cheeks.

Trudi Angel, the former artistic director of Northern California Ballet, is hosting three Ukrainians and invited the group to the symphony rehearsal. read more