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This is what happened to my neighbors house last night.
This is a really clever marketing idea...



YOU'VE BEEN FLAMINGOED!

One of your friends has paid a donation to the Ashland Christian Fellowship Youth Group in order to have this flock of flamingos come live at your house for a while.

If you ignore them, they will fly away (eventually). However, if you would like to see this flock "fly" to someone else's yard (of your choosing) then please call us.

We will come and pick-up your donation and the flock will "fly" where ever you want.

Name: Casey Bonsi
Company: Origami Catering Company
Web: Origamicatering.com

Can you tell me a little bit about what your company does?

Origami Catering Company offers two services. We are a sushi wholesaler that provides grab-n-go sushi boxes to grocery stores, coffee shops and cafeterias; and secondly, we are a sushi catering company that provides sushi for catered events. In the mornings we produce fresh sushi on a daily basis. We package our products, and deliver them to retailers. In the afternoons and evenings we cater sushi parties--everything from potlucks to weddings. At catered events we set up a sushi buffet and can provide flower arrangements and dj services. This year we will be a food vendor at the Summer Solstice Reggae Festival in Selma. With the help of our main sushi chef, Markos Photinos, we are becoming more involved with festivals,  concerts and outdoor markets. Keep an eye out for us next year at the farmers' market in Ashland and Medford.



When and Where did you learn to make sushi?

I started making sushi 15 years ago at Shoji's, a sushi bar in Eugene. A Japanese woman, Yoshi Gillespi, introduced me to the trade. Five years later I developed a menu for a friend of mine who opened Oh's Osaka in Medford. I worked at Oh's and the Kat Wok for a number of years, but it wasn't until I moved to Seattle that I really honed my skills. I was the only non-Japanese sushi chef working for Seattle's sushi legend, Shiro Kashiba. Shiro was the first person to bring sushi to Seattle in the late 60's and soon became an international restaurant consultant. My apprenticeship with Shiro put my skill level into perspective. Although I'd been making sushi for ten years prior to working at Shiro's, I was an amateur. I had yet to comprehend the mastery of this trade.


What's your favorite roll?

My favorite roll is the Kimbab. It is a Korean sushi roll made with sesame oil. The oil mixed into the rice dramatically changes the flavor and the consistancy. The rice becomes less sticky so the roll must be rolled with the seaweed on the outside. Inside the roll are a number of vegetables with or without fish or meat. I like using shitakes, spinach, carrots, green onions and tamago (omlette). We'll be adding the Kimbab to our selection this summer.

What was the inspiration behind the name Origami Catering?

I decided on the name Origami because of the similarities between the art of paper folding and the art of rolling sushi. Both mediums involve bright colors, a delicate size, an intricate craftsmanship and an attention to detail. Both disciplines create something complex out of something quite simple: a square piece of paper; fish and rice. With origami, if the paper isn't perfectly square, it creates problems. With sushi, if the rice isn't perfect, the sushi fails. With only a few ingredients in sushi, flaws are more easily detected and demands a higher level of perfection.


What is the most interesting Sushi roll you have ever heard of being made?

The most interesting kinds of sushi are usually not the rolls. Some of the more interesting sushi dishes I've seen are ones served alive or ones that are dangerous to eat.  Whenever the element of death is introduced at the dinner table, yours or the fish's, people's interest peaks. Lobster, spot shrimp, geoduck and abalone are often served alive. In Korea, the live baby octopus which is notorious for suffocating people while climbing out of their throats is an interesting dish. Shirako, the fish sperm sack is a sushi favorite in Japan, and so is Fugu, the poisonous blowfish. However, the most interesting dish I've seen is one Shiro discovered in Alaska. Each year Shiro harvested herring eggs with the Yup'ik Eskimos. When the herring came to spawn, pine branches would be placed in the surf to collect the eggs. Shiro would then marinated the branches covered with fish eggs in a brine. It was a dish that Shiro believed captured the flavors of region--a flavor of the ocean and the mountain and the season.


Where can locals buy your product and find out more about you?

Our sushi is available at the Ashland Food Co-op, Shop'n Kart, and SOU. This summer our sushi will also be available at the Extreme Juice Bars in Medford and Food 4 Less. Locals can find out more about our business in the 2008 Rogue Flavor Guide and on our website at www.origamicatering.com.

Tags: Sushi

We are needing some more content in this months issue which covers your favorite place to eat breakfast and why?

Though we had quite a few great reviews submitted.... a few of the dining experiences were less than great.

Please tell us where you like to eat and why.

Also big thanks to everyone who participated. It was great!

Name: Pete Wallstrom - Age: 35
Nickname: Project Pete
Special Talents: Very good at crab soccer
Place of Birth: Vermont
Company Name: Momentum River Expeditions
Website: www.MomentumRiverExpeditions.com

1. When did you take your first rafting trip and what got you hooked?
I was working for a restaurant in college and they took us on a trip. I was a horrible paddler, my guide was constantly telling me to listen and I was grinning the whole time. I was immediately hooked. I asked the guide how he got started as soon as the trip finished. I went through guide school; the guide became a very good friend of mine, and that was it. Guiding opened up a lot of doors for me, gave me a ton of opportunities to travel and allowed me to meet some amazing people –- but I had no idea I would still be doing it.

2. What’s the biggest difference of rafting in the country as opposed to abroad?
The biggest difference is definitely that you are in another culture. But a difference that many don’t think about, is the process of actually getting to the river! We have a very good transportation infrastructure here. Many of the countries I have traveled to don’t. I have used boats, buses, porters and oxen. Sometimes the highlight of an international river trip is the journey to the river.

3. What is your most favorite rafting trip to do?
Abroad, it is definitely the Rio Futaleufu in Chile. The combination of being in Patagonia, the beauty of the river and the HUGE whitewater is hard to beat.
Here in the U.S. it is the California Salmon right here in Northern California. It is kind of like a mini Futaleufu. It is an amazing river in a spectacular setting. It is a really special place to me and one of the reasons Momentum is here.

4. You travel in the winter, is that to escape the cold here in Southern Oregon? Where do you usually go and what do you do?
No, I actually like the cold. I grew up skiing. Also, the more snowy and cold the weather is now, the better the spring rafting is! I go to South America a lot – Patagonia and the Fu (Futaleufu). When you run rivers all over the place, you tend to chase the spring and summer because that is when rivers are usually at their best. This year I went to Panama to surf.

5. What is your favorite run in Southern Oregon? Why?
This place is a river runners paradise. So many rivers: It all depends on what you are looking for. The Rogue and a one-day summer trip on the Upper Klamath, is hard to beat for pure fun. But my favorite is probably the Illinois River. It is the classic wilderness journey. Remote, beautiful, amazing rapids –- there are not many multi-day wilderness trips anywhere in the U.S. or abroad that can compare. We are lucky to have it so close.

6. What is your funniest moment while running a river?
Hmm...This one is more of an outdoor moment. I was backpacking in Glacier National Park and was sleeping outside of the tent. In the middle of the night I woke up because something was pulling my hair. I was still asleep and disoriented so I jumped up and forward. Unfortunately, I was still in my sleeping bag, so I just fell over again. As I was trying to get up I heard this crazy screaming. I stumbled up and turned around to see this little thing run at me and head-butt me. I fell down again, still tangled in my sleeping bag and wondering what the hell was going on. At this point the person I was backpacking with had woken up and was laughing hysterically. Then I finally realized what was going on. It was a female mountain goat and her baby. They must have been licking the salt out of my hair. When I woke up I freaked them out –- baby goats sound crazy when they scream, and the mom was probably trying to protect her kid so she butted me.

I recently met with Claudia Alick.... osf.. here is the interview.. But I am really curious.. DO YOU GO TO SEE PLAYS? Is So why or Why not? Post below

 This months cover shot is of Claudia Alick: Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s new associate producer of community. I recently met with her at the Roasting Company in Ashland to discuss her job at OSF. Claudia previously lived in New York City where she ran her own production company called ‘Smokin Word’; a hip hop and spoken word theatre group.

1. Can you tell me a little bit about your job, with a specific focus on how OSF is reaching out to build community?

As associate producer, I act as community and education department liaison, collaborate with the Artistic Office in season planning as well as short and long-term artistic goals and plan, curate and produce our pre-show outdoor performance series “The Green Show”.  This years Green Show has been expanded and will include many different acts.  As a liaison to the community, I acted as artistic director to the Ashland Community Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, programming the talent as well serving on the planning committee and helping to produce the event. With The Mobius we are sponsoring a poetry slam and open mic on the first Monday of the month in their new space at Mojo Rising. I also support community arts events as an audience member.  I’ve seen some amazing local artists performing theatre, dancing, poetry and singing. 

Bill Rauch has a passion for connecting to the community and my projects are just a small part of what the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is doing. Alison Carey is participating on conversations with historians and community members about the US History Cycle.  The Festival Latino in July will help connect us to the Latino community throughout the Rouge Valley.  The Green Show is a free show for everyone in the area. We are offering free tickets to veterans with our production of “Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter”.  We also have restructured our price structure to make more affordable tickets available.  People should email or call the Box
Office at (800) 219-8161 or email us at boxoffice@osfashland.org.

2. How does your background in hip-hop & spoken word enhance your work with OSF?

In New York I produced theatre projects that mixed genre, audience and performers to create spaces where new work and new communities were built.  For instance, we had a project called the Smokin D’bate that combined Lincoln Douglas debate and freestyle rap battles to provide a space where dynamic political conversation could take place.  The audience was a mix of hip-hop and poetry lovers, as well as a more traditional theatre audiences. In today’s media saturated market I think the future of all live performance is connecting audiences and expanding aesthetic palates.  My work with Smokin’ Word was to demystify theatre for hip-hop practitioners and audience, and to demystify hip-hop for theatre practitioners and audience.

Part of my work at OSF included helping us develop work in new language based structures such as the ever expanding genre of hip-hop theatre. We produced a project called “Mixing Texts: Hip-hop Boot Camp” where we brought together eight internationally recognized hip-hop theatre practitioners with eight OSF company members to explore the conjunction of nexthetics (hip-hop and spoken word aesthetics) and classical theater.  In addition to developing original work, we held a workshop on improvisational performance based in hip-hop and an open mic for community members.  It was such a successful project it’s resulted in the project we’re producing with The Mobius.  We also taped and transcribed round table conversations as well as performances which will be placed on the OSF website and serve as a resource for artists and academics nationally.  This was a powerful and continuing project that connected us to the local community as well as an international community of artists.

3. What similarities do you see between the Rogue Valley and NYC?  You had mentioned that you see Ashland like a
borough would be in NYC. Can you tell me more about this? 

I was raised in Missoula, Montana and lived in both Washington DC and New York City.  I recently relocated here from Brooklyn, and I would always say that New York was like a small town because you couldn’t go through the day without running into someone you knew.  I’ve worked with many communities both rural and urban.  I’ve found the Rouge Valley to be diverse culturally and economically.  The population is invested in the area and connected in unexpected ways.  People live in Talent or Phoenix but work in Ashland, artists live in Ashland and participate in events in Medford. There are things I can’t get in Ashland and can only get in other towns, and the opposite is true too.  Each of these towns has a reciprocal relationship which is challenging, dynamic and potentially very deep.

5. How do you see technology playing a roll in OSF’s community outreach;both present and future? 

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is already working within the vanguard of electronic community building.  We communicate with audience through email notices in a variety of formats; we blog, we have audio and video material on the website and we have localsguide and facebook pages.  The people who participate with this technology are diverse in age, sex, and cultural background.  I think we are always passionate about connecting with young audiences, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that older audience
members too use computers and appreciate our rich content.

8. What’s your favorite aspect of your new job?

I love working with such a talented and professional group of artists. The administrators, actors, designers and directors here are among the best in the business.  I think people like working here because of the environment.  Ashland is attractive, full of friendly smart people and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has fabulous resources.

9. Any message or invitation you would like to extend to the community via LocalsGuide?
I would like to invite people attend our plays, outdoor entertainment,and education events.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.


A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.


Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.


A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.


Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.


Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.


Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).


Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.


Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.


Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.


Grapefruits,   Oranges , and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.


Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

"The news isn't that fruits and vegetables are good for you, it's that they are so good for you, that they can save your life."   David Bjerklie,   TIME Magazine,   Oct. 2003

THE RAT

An opportunist with an eye for a bargain, Rats tend to collect and hoard, but are unwilling to pay too much for anything. They are devoted to their families, particularly their children. Quick-witted and passionate, they are capable of deep emotions despite their cool exteriors. Their nervous energy and ambition may lead them to attempt more tasks than they are able to complete successfully. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going.

The sign of the Rat is the first one in the cycle giving Rat people exude great leadership qualities and are good at taking the lead. They don't mind a lot of responsibility and they demonstrate a strong presence that other people respect. For those with the Rat nature, status and monetary satisfaction are the greatest motivation.

The affect of the sign of the Rat is energetic, and demonstrates enough endurance to fight most any sickness. Yet, all Rats tend to be tense, full of nervous energy, and prone to stress. Yoga and meditation would benefit Rats by calming their aggressive natures and helping them manage stress.

Rats make good homemakers who are always willing to do household chores. Because this is a sign of acquisition, the Rat person's house is presumably bursting with various knick-knacks collected over the years. Most Rats are cheerful, domesticated individuals who find happiness at home with their family.

The Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of the Rat. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, Rat people possess prudence and perception. They can anticipate problems, and are always able to see the big picture. Status, money, title and recognition are important to the Rat. They have keen sense of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. The Rat makes a better boss than an employee. Rats work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.

Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to make things advantageous for himself.

Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the 12 Animal signs. They have a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive. Although Rats like to be in the driver's seat, they do need partners who can keep up with their active lifestyles. Rat people are romantic, and are always happier to have someone to share with.

Famous Rat People

Alyssa Milano, Cameron Diaz, Charlotte Bronte, Daryl Hannah, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennie Garth, Kristen Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Lucrezia Borgia, Margaret Mitchell, Margot Kidder, Mata Hari, Nancy Wake, Olivia Newton-John, Sinead Cusack, Stevie Nicks, Toni Collette, and Tracy Pollan.

Tags: Jacksonville Chinese New Year

Here is a cool idea for Tonights Dinner

 

Tags: Pizza Love

 

ok... ok... YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!

Of course you know at LocalsGuide we promise to only connect you with the coolest stuff in the valley.

Well, while in Jacksonville today I stumbled up on

Jazushi..
Alternative Japanese Cuisine & Jazz

How can I tell this is going to be a kick A$$ place to eat...Just check out the sign (GREAT DESIGN)

oh, and BTW this weekend on Saturday is the Chinese New Year Celebration in J-Ville.

 

Tags: Jazushi Jacksonville Sushi

LocalsGuide gets you upclose and personal with the movers and shakers who make it all happen. This is my promise to you as a reader, because I believe that you, like me, want to know just a little bit more about the community and people that surround you.

This month ‘s feature is on Richard Jarel. Richard (shown on this months cover) is the sculptor and artist behind Medford’s latest and greatest work of art, “Salmon Flight”. The new kinetic sculpture is now prominently displayed on the corner of 8th and Oakdale, right outside of City Hall. It is the result of over seven years of work and the support of the Medford Arts Commission. (Go Medford Arts Commission!!!)

On January 18th , Richard, Mayor Gary Wheeler and the Arts Commission unveiled the new sculpture. As to be expected, the mainstream media rushed in to capture their 30 second spots for the evening news... only you probably didn’t hear about it… because you were picking your kids up from the Y, or stepped into the kitchen for a quick snack.
Never fear though...because we got the story...both online and in video episodes. We thought you would like to learn just a little bit more about the story behind the story.
The story behind the story really is that you already know Richard Jarel, only you haven’t met him in person. Odds are however, that not only have you seen one of his creations, but you have directly experienced the effect of his work. Richard has been a primary creative force for such global companies as Mattel, Universal Studios. Paramount Pictures and Disney, creating some of the most well known cultural and commercial iconography of our time.

From the Batmobile to the Power Rangers helmets; the flying police cars in Fifth Element to the bicycle sculptures out in front of Science Works, somewhere, sometime, you have seen his work.

Richard is probably one of the most creative people on the planet, and he lives right here in the Valley, exporting his creations around the world for children and adults alike to enjoy. What Richard brings to the equation however, is a unique knack for figuring difficult things out, and finding ways to make them work: Like when he built the world’s fastest hand powered bicycle. He never had a background in aerodynamics or engineering...he just figured it out. (Figure that out.)

The “Salmon Flight” kinetic sculpture in downtown Medford is yet another example of ingenuity and genius all in one. Standing over 20 ft Tall, the sculpture depicts three large salmon swimming in a river. Because it’s kinetic, it moves with the wind and is delicately balanced using over 100 bearing points to shift it’s 13 separate components with the slightest breeze. A wonderful new fountain (also designed by Richard) surrounds the bright red sculpture, and is well worth a trip downtown to see the full effect.
Of course you always hear the stories of how the person behind the worlds greatest inventions had a difficult time in school, but it did surprise me to learn that Richard had failed at art. How could he have failed at art?

But it ‘s true, Richard Jarel received an F in art on his high school senior report card. Instead of participating in class activities, he was attempting to build his own human powered flying machine--which was towed behind the school maintenance cart. Crashing in front of 600 classmates did not stop him. Laugh they did, but three attempts later he would soar into the air taking flight and a hold of many more dreams yet to come.

Richard’s Rogue Valley studio is an archive of his creative journey. Hundreds of pencil sketches, molds and prototypes line the walls of his pond-side home...and “Oh. you made that...too!?!” is a common phrase. Nothing is a surprise to discover. Why federal agents showed up at Richard’s studio one day to question him about why his new model airplane looked just like one of the governments own top secret jets...nobody will ever know.

Richard Jarel can make literally anything you could think of. Given enough time, he can concept it, design it and build it. If he couldn’t do it himself, he would get help. If he didn’t understand the process, he would learn. If he needed tools, he would find them and if they didn’t exist, he would make them. It might take him millions of dollars, time and materials, but in the end, if I was stuck on a island with the promise of an escape only by space ship, I would choose Richard to be able to build it...after all he did make Super Man fly. (Richard built the first ever remote control Flying Superman!)

 

See It On LocalsGuide
PREMIER Video Cast
February 21st. 2008

The list goes on and on and on... but what I really want to know is...HOW? How does he do this, and how did he learn to do it?
And here is the secret: “I can’t” never enters his mind!
...and that my friends is the billion dollar answer to living a life which is not just ordinary, but one that is simply extraordinary.
So I asked him a few questions about this :

Is it scary? “Hell yes ...”
is it stressful? “Often.”
Is it painful? “It can be.”
Do you crash and burn? “Many times.”

The reward for sticking it out? “The confidence that comes from knowing that you stood up to the challenge. That you faced the fear and lived your life at its potential. “
I didn’t totally understand Richard’s immense capacity of creative vision until I overheard him describing it to someone: “ When I see a block of clay I not only see the clay, but I see the completed shape within it and I focus on removing the unneeded parts around it. I used to spend hours and hours planning and making sketches on how to do the work. Then I realized that this was an exhaustion of my creativity and an expression of my fear to risk beginning the work. Now I jump in feet first. Sure it’s scary but I let go and trust. The rest just happens.”

WOW !
I get it, the potential is always there. We just have to be able to see it and then set it free.

---------------------------------------------------------------

This month we begin a unique series of LocalsGuide media coverage. We start with this feature article on Richard.Radio news updates will direct Southern Oregonian’s to view the new sculpture while an online series of video casts will be launched.

LocalsGuide site member: Jamie

created a documentary of Richard’s interesting story, how he actually got his big break.

 

Then on February 21st, we will be launching our first LocalsGuide video cast up close and personal with Richard in his studio. This will lead to a series of ongoing monthly shows! (You can even create your own)!

Tags: Richard Jarel Creativity Bat Mobile Kinetic

It looks like word is getting out on the update of our website. Hang in there a few more days and it will totally be ready to go. At this time we will send out a big members newsletter. Here is a list of a few remaing issue to fix.

- Member Store (Earn cool stuff for activity)

- User name Changer

- Classifieds Subcategory mod (In Process) this is why it is a mess

- Enable Bug Tracker (You can Report Site Issues)

- Restaurants (Update Section)

Dear Friends,
I wanted to take an opportunity to blog a little note of appreciation and thanks for your support in this past year of 2007. I also want to wish you a very prosperous and happy new year.

This past year was a very active year for us as we lay the foundation for LocalsGuide both in print and online. With our online community nearing 400 members we are distinguishing our selves as a powerful and viable media source here in the Rouge Valley.

The publication is now printing at 18,000 copies per month and we have reached 28 pages per month....easily.

We have also developed a real following of loyal fans who look forward to receiving our publication in the mail and around town every month. Putting a name and face with many of our regular contributors.. proving the model that there are Celebrities that live around us in our own little community!

Upcoming in 2008 I am going to place my attention on dialing in the day to day aspects of LocalsGuide, while developing and launching a series of  website upgrades. My plan is that these upgrades will invite and share the Web2Print model with the community at large.

Here's to a great new year!

Shields 

Tags: New Year Happy Change

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