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Nevada City Nugget

❦  Covering the Richest Gold Area in California  ❦

Complete coverage of all local happenings. If you want to read about your town, read The Nugget.
Vol. 1, No. 6The County Seat Paper Tuesday, October 27, 2026Nevada City, California Elev. 2,477 Ft.The Gold Center
The WeatherSunny and cool, high near 60°, low 44°. Dry and a touch milder through Friday; cooler and unsettled Halloween weekend, with showers and mountain snow possible AlmanacSunrise 7:26 AM · Sunset 6:08 PM · Waning gibbous moon, two nights past full AlertsNo PSPS, red flag warning, or active local wildfire in this morning's sources

Evening update, 5:00 PM — Tahoe National Forest will burn 185 acres off Madrone Springs Road starting Wednesday with smoke visible in town, The Union details the council's proposed four-day City Hall week and 6 PM meetings, and the weekend storm is now forecast to arrive later and lighter.

City Hall & Politics

Election · Deadline Today

Mail Your Ballot Today; Measure Q Is The City's Question

Elections officials advise mailing ballots by today, Tuesday, October 27 · Drop boxes, including Nevada City Hall's, take ballots through Election Day · Measure Q decides the city's short-term rental rules

Today is the last day Nevada County elections officials advise putting a ballot in the mail for the November 3 general election. After today, voters can still use any official drop box, including the 24-hour box at Nevada City Hall, or vote in person at the Rood Center vote center, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM through November 2, and at polls and vote centers on Election Day from 7 AM to 8 PM.

Nevada City voters have one city question on the ballot. Measure Q would repeal the voter-enacted short-term rental registration rules and replace them with a permit system: whole-home rentals and hosted rentals at a host's primary residence, a 300-foot spacing rule between permitted properties, and a cap that stops new whole-home permits at 2 percent of the city's main-residence housing stock, which the city attorney's impartial analysis expects to block new whole-home permits for now. Permits would end at sale, a local contact would have to answer around the clock, and the council, not only the voters, could amend the rules later. A yes vote adopts the permit system; a no vote keeps today's rules.

The ballot rebuttal in favor, signed by Mayor Daniela Fernández and Council Member Adam Kline, says the measure follows nearly three years of workshops and "is not a ban on short-term rentals." Critics quoted by The Union say the cap leaves no workable path to a new permit. City staff told the council the count of whole-house rentals would fall from 53 to 43 over time. Monday's edition carried the full rundown.

Sources: Nevada County Elections; City Attorney's impartial analysis of Measure Q; Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure Q; The Union; The Nugget, Oct 26

Tomorrow · City Hall (updated 5 PM)

Council Takes Up Dispatch Deal And Its Own Meeting Hours Wednesday

The City Council meets Wednesday at 6:30 PM at City Hall, 317 Broad St. The biggest business item is a Regional Public Safety Dispatch Services Agreement among Nevada County, Grass Valley, Truckee, and Nevada City; Grass Valley's council takes up its version tonight at 6 PM. The council will also discuss changing its regular meeting start time and City Hall's public hours, hear from county transit staff on the Reenvisioning Transit study, and consider backing Nevada Irrigation District's Proposition 4 dam safety grant application. On consent: final adoption of the water-efficient landscape ordinance and the cannabis business tax amendment, a $125,971 sewer-plant controls contract, and SYRCL's fee-waiver and street-closure request for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Written comment goes to publiccomment@nevadacityca.gov until 3 PM Wednesday. The full item-by-item digest is in The Docket below.

Hours on the table. Per the staff report as summarized by The Union this afternoon, staff proposes moving City Hall from a Monday through Friday week to Monday through Thursday, open either 8 AM to 5 PM or 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with a target start of December 4 if the council agrees; council meetings would move from 6:30 to 6 PM, likely beginning in December. The cannabis tax ordinance on consent is a cleanup: the city cut the medicinal cannabis retail tax to zero effective October 1, but the August revisions unintentionally narrowed which sales qualify, and the amendment restores eligibility with a valid medical marijuana ID card or a physician's recommendation paired with government ID. The general retail rate stays at 4 percent of gross receipts. Grass Valley's vote on its version of the dispatch agreement tonight: outcome not yet confirmed.

The city's town hall on the Deer Creek Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project, about 174 acres of mechanical treatment on the canyon's south side planned for October through February, was held last night at the Miners Foundry. No account of the meeting had been published by the city or local outlets as of this morning; the Nugget will report what was said when one is available.

Sources: October 28 agenda, City of Nevada City; The Union, Oct 27; The Union, Oct 24; City of Nevada City via The Union

Election · Federal Demand

No Public Word Yet On The County's Reply To The Justice Department

Four days after the U.S. Justice Department's letter naming 10 Nevada County voters as "likely non-citizens" and demanding their ballots be set aside, the county has not posted its formal response. Its only public statement remains the October 24 release, in which the Elections Office said it reviewed the names, is confident state and federal laws are being followed, and is preparing a response with county counsel and guidance from the Secretary of State's office; Registrar of Voters Armando Salud-Ambriz said the office "will respond accordingly." The county's elections news page, checked this morning, shows only a vote-center staff profile since then.

Sources: Nevada County Elections, Oct 24; Nevada County Elections news; YubaNet, updated Oct 24

Conditions · Halloween Weekend (updated 5 PM)

Dry Through Friday, Then A Cooler, Showery Weekend

The National Weather Service in Sacramento's most recent guidance relayed by YubaNet calls for highs slightly below normal through midweek, then well below normal late in the week, with a storm track from Thursday through Sunday bringing unsettled weather, wind, showers, mountain snow, and isolated thunderstorms to interior Northern California. Forecast highs for Nevada City run near 60° today, reach the mid 60s Wednesday and Thursday, and drop to about 55° on Halloween, with lows in the low 40s. No watch or advisory was in effect this morning. It remains Flood Preparedness Week; the county asks residents to sign up for Nevada County Alerts at ReadyNevadaCounty.org/EmergencyAlerts and clear gutters and culverts before the rain. PG&E reports no power shutoff since October 17.

This evening's revision. The Weather Service's Tuesday morning highlights, relayed by YubaNet at 6:09 AM, keep the weather dry through Friday, with a brief warm-up Wednesday and highs well below normal by the weekend. The weekend system is trending slower with lower precipitation totals; the best chances are in the mountains south of I-80, with some accumulating snow above 5,000 to 6,000 feet. Light north and east winds Wednesday and Thursday; frost in higher mountain valleys. Ensembles hint at a brief dry spell early next week, then a wetter pattern, with high uncertainty.

Sources: NWS Sacramento via YubaNet's Happening Now log, Oct 26 and Oct 27; temperatures via OpenSnow, Oct 27; Nevada County via The Union; PG&E newsroom

Roads

Highway 49 Night Work Continues Through Thursday

Caltrans' Highway 49 Corridor Improvement Project between McKnight Way and La Barr Meadows/Allison Ranch Road keeps one-way traffic control and ramp closures nightly from 9 PM to 6 AM through Thursday night. On Highway 20, one-way control between Lowell Hill Road and I-80 runs 7 AM to 6 PM through Thursday and 7 AM to noon Friday. No full closures are scheduled. In town, the city's Searls Avenue closure between Sacramento and Valley streets was posted to end Monday, October 26.

Sources: Caltrans via YubaNet, Oct 26; City of Nevada City alert

Evening Update · Smoke

Forest Service Underburn Off Madrone Springs Road Starts Wednesday

Tahoe National Forest plans a 185-acre prescribed underburn off Madrone Springs Road near Nevada City, with ignitions planned Wednesday, October 28 through Sunday, November 1, depending on conditions, across four units of 85, 20, 25, and 57 acres. The forest says ignitions may continue for several days and smoke will be visible from Highway 20, Madrone Springs Road, Washington Ridge, and the greater Nevada City area.

Smoke seen today had a different source: an 8-acre permitted burn on Excelsior Ditch Camp Road, Nevada City, run 9 AM to 4 PM by First Rain Land Stewardship Services with CAL FIRE and air quality permits to cut hazardous fuels and Scotch broom. Also on YubaNet's log today: a solo vehicle went down the embankment on Dog Bar Road at Lorie Drive shortly after noon, and a morning PG&E outage left 573 customers in south county and Meadow Vista without power, with restoration estimated at 11:15 AM. PG&E's shutoff page still shows no event since October 17.

Sources: Tahoe National Forest via YubaNet, Oct 27; YubaNet's Happening Now log, Oct 27; PG&E newsroom

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From the Record

The Nugget · Catching up on the August 26, 2026 City Council meeting

Council Puts Entheogens At The Bottom Of The Police To-Do List

Resolution 2026-29 passed unanimously · Covers personal, noncommercial use by adults 21 and over · Sales and businesses are expressly left out

At its regular meeting on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the Nevada City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-29, declaring certain adult personal, noncommercial conduct involving naturally occurring entheogenic plants and fungi among the city's lowest local law enforcement priorities, The Union reported two days later. The Nugget records the meeting here, two months on, at the publisher's request, because what the resolution does and does not do is likely to matter in the months ahead.

What it covers. According to the staff report as summarized in The Union's meeting preview, the policy applies to adults 21 and older and covers personal planting, cultivation, possession, and transportation of naturally occurring entheogenic plants and fungi, along with giving them away without payment. The preview named psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline. Investigating, citing, or arresting someone solely for that conduct becomes one of the city's lowest enforcement priorities. The policy binds only Nevada City's own public safety personnel, does not limit outside agencies or the courts, and leaves officer discretion in place. Per the staff report, Councilmember Doug Fleming and Vice Mayor Gary Petersen brought the item forward after requests from community members and local practitioners.

What it does not cover. Commercial activity is carved out: sales, paid delivery, paid administration, compensated services, and any conduct tied to a business arrangement. So are synthetic analogs, anything involving minors or schools and youth facilities, public use or intoxication, impaired driving, hazardous processing, and environmental harm. The resolution does not legalize or decriminalize anything barred by state or federal law, creates no immunity or legal defense, and does not authorize any commercial activity. Police Chief Dan Foss said at the meeting that these substances "remain illegal per state and federal law," according to The Union, and spoke of a chief's need to understand the values of the community the department serves.

Who spoke. The city's public comment file for the meeting holds seven written comments on the item, all in support, from residents and practitioners in Nevada City, Grass Valley, and beyond, most describing personal experience with depression, anxiety, trauma, or addiction. At the meeting, The Union reported, Nevada County Entheogenic Association CEO Shaun Robinson and Vice President Aaron Lane spoke in favor, and support also came from the Nevada County Cannabis Alliance and local health practitioners. The Nugget found no written comment opposing the resolution in the city's file.

Business and zoning items on the same agenda. The council also had on its consent agenda the second reading and adoption of Ordinance 2026-04, a cannabis business tax, and Ordinance 2026-05, governing cannabis dispensaries and other cannabis businesses and activities. The Nugget has not confirmed that vote: the meeting's action minutes went to the council for approval on September 9, but that packet could not be retrieved for this report. The cannabis tax returns on the October 28 agenda as Ordinance 2026-06, a second reading amending Section 5.06.050.

The rest of the evening, per the agenda: a closed-session performance evaluation of the City Manager; a proclamation for Penzance Twinning Day; consent items awarding a paving repair contract to PSCE (up to $75,020), a street striping contract to Traffic Limited (up to $32,825 a year, 2026 to 2029), and a Miners Foundry sound system contract to Cameron Professional Audio (up to $74,000); a request that NCTC allocate $115,768 in Local Transportation Funds for public transit; ratification of a $50,000 National Forest Foundation grant; approval of the Superior Court's Law Day event application; and a call for applicants to fill Fire Safety Advisory Committee vacancies. Outcomes on those items await the minutes.

The Nugget will keep following how the resolution plays out in town, including any business licenses, use permits, or zoning questions that reach City Hall.

Sources: City of Nevada City, August 26, 2026 council agenda and public comment file; official meeting recording (not transcribed for this report); The Union, "Psychedelic mushrooms to be considered as low-priority..." (Marianne Boll-See, Aug. 26) and "Nevada City Council unanimously approves resolution..." (Natalie Hays, Aug. 28); October 28, 2026 council agenda.

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The Docket

Every published City Council and Planning Commission agenda, digested item by item the morning after it posts, and held here until the meeting. Items touching downtown or the commercial district are marked ❖.

Regular Meeting

Nevada City City Council

Wednesday, October 28 at 6:30 PM · City Hall, Beryl P. Robinson Jr. Conference Room, 317 Broad St. · Posted Friday, October 23, per the Deputy City Clerk's certification · Agenda · Agenda with attachments

Presentations. Update on the Nevada City–Penzance sister city relationship and next steps.

Consent Agenda. 1. Approve action minutes of the October 14 regular meeting. 2. Award a construction contract to Telstar Instruments, not to exceed $125,971 plus a 10 percent contingency of $12,597, for the wastewater treatment plant's SCADA hardware and software upgrade. 3. ❖ Second reading and adoption of Ordinance 2026-07, adding water-efficient landscape and irrigation requirements (Chapter 17.83) citywide to match the state's model ordinance. 4. ❖ SYRCL's request for a $2,500 sponsorship or fee waiver, a $525 facility fee waiver, and a special-event street closure for the 2026 Wild & Scenic Film Festival. 5. ❖ Second reading and adoption of Ordinance 2026-06, amending the cannabis business tax (§5.06.050).

Business. 6. Approve a Regional Public Safety Dispatch Services Agreement among Nevada County, Grass Valley, Truckee, and Nevada City. 7. Resolution 2026-35 supporting Nevada Irrigation District's Proposition 4 dam safety and climate resilience grant application. 8. Presentation from the county's Transit Services Division on the Reenvisioning Transit comprehensive operations analysis. 9. ❖ Discussion and direction on changing the council's regular meeting start time and City Hall's public operating hours.

To attend or comment: in person at the meeting, three minutes per speaker, item by item; in writing to publiccomment@nevadacityca.gov until 3:00 PM on meeting day; watch live on the city's YouTube channel or cable channel 17 or 18. Zoom comment is no longer offered. Adjournment is set for 9:30 PM unless extended.

No other city or county agenda carrying Nevada City items has posted, per this morning's check of both Agenda Centers (Tuesday, Oct 27); the county's newest posting is a November 6 behavioral health advisory board agenda. The city Planning Commission's next regular date is Thursday, November 19.

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Legal Notices & Permits

Public hearing. Nevada County Zoning Administrator, Wednesday, Oct 28, 1:30 PM, Rood Center: map amendment with steep-slopes and floodplain management plans to expand a building envelope for a future ADU and residential addition at 10772 Boulder Street, about 1.3 miles east of the city limits (PLN25-0162); staff recommends approval, CEQA-exempt. Agenda, Nevada County.

Request for proposals. CHAMP Gallery exhibition partners: the city and its Public Arts Commission seek arts organizations to mount shows at City Hall's gallery; proposals due November 19 at 3 PM to the Deputy City Clerk. The Union, Oct 23.

Election notice. Measure Q, the Nevada City Residential Short-Term Rental Measure, appears on the November 3 ballot. Notice of Measure, Nevada County Registrar of Voters.

No new city public notices, planning applications, business license filings, or ABC postings turned up in this morning's check of the city's site and both Agenda Centers.

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Police Blotter

On the Tribute Trail, a walker told Nevada City police that a husky and a pit bull mix, regulars of the loose-dog circuit, had charged her and her dog again.

A Railroad Avenue tenant reported to Nevada City police that her landlord had let himself into her home several times in one day, unannounced.

A Combie Road man reported that unknown teenagers had taken down his campaign signs; deputies checked with Lake of the Pines security and came up empty.

Deputies were asked to have a word with people building a bike ramp on federal land off Rough and Ready Highway.

A late-night call about neighbors fighting on Joerschke Drive in Grass Valley ended with three men arrested, all of them, per the log, named William.

The Union has posted no new blotter column since October 24's. Drawn from police logs via The Union's Nevada County Police Blotter (Oct 24), retold in the Nugget's own words; YubaNet's Happening Now log showed no newer local incidents when checked this morning.

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Arts & Culture

By Todd Wahoske · The Publisher's Interview

Sparky Parker Goes Big On Broad Street

The Big Works show fills the brick wall at 316 Broad St. · Five decades of painting, now at full scale · Open Friday through Sunday, wine at hand

David "Sparky" Parker has wanted his paintings on the long brick wall of the Szabo Vineyards tasting room for years. Now they are there. His new exhibition, the Big Works show, hangs at the tasting room at 316 Broad Street, and Parker is plainly delighted with the fit. "I've wanted to show on this wall for years, and this work is just magic on it," he told the Nugget. "I am so excited about that."

David “Sparky” Parker, in red glasses and a purple fleece, outside the Szabo Vineyards tasting room sign.
Parker outside the Szabo Vineyards tasting room, 316 Broad St.
Parker standing on a wood floor beneath three large, brightly colored abstract paintings hung on a brick wall.
Parker beneath works from the Big Works show
Parker behind the tasting room bar, with large abstract paintings on the brick wall behind him.
At the bar, with the paintings behind
Four large abstract canvases in reds, yellows and blues hung along the tasting room's brick wall.
Big canvases on the tasting room's brick wall
The long tasting room, with the bar and stools on one side and large paintings along the brick wall.
The show runs the length of the room
A row of large, colorful abstract paintings above stacked wine boxes along the brick wall.
Dramatic color, splashes and lines, wall to wall

The show's name is a fair warning. "They're all large pieces, so maybe they won't fit over your couch," Parker said. "It might be a little bigger than that." What fills the canvases, in his words, is "my use of dramatic color and a few splashes and lines and things like that." His verdict on the result: "I'm very pleased."

Asked what inspired the work, Parker pointed to a long career rather than a single spark. "I've been painting for five decades, so it's an evolution, and I decided that I hadn't painted big for a while and I needed it," he said. "I just needed to paint big."

If an artist learns from life experience, Parker came well supplied. He has been a forest firefighter, a recreation advocate and coach, a Sierra College trustee, and mayor of Nevada City, and he has founded numerous community initiatives, some serious and some just for fun, which makes him one of the more colorful characters in a town that does not lack for them. His invitation to readers is simple: come down, see the paintings, "and then have some wine!"

See it: Szabo Vineyards Tasting Room, 316 Broad Street, downtown Nevada City. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, afternoons and early evenings. More on the artist at his Facebook page; the tasting room's page is at Szabo Vineyards.

Reported by Todd Wahoske, the Nugget's publisher, from his interview with David "Sparky" Parker. Photos used with the artist's permission. Szabo Vineyards is a separate business next door to The Hat Store, the publisher's own shop. Links: David Sparky Parker on Facebook; Szabo Vineyards Tasting Room.

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Amusements

Advertisement · The Hat Store, 314 Broad St. · The Publisher's Own Haberdashery

The Onyx

107 Argall Way · Two Screens, The Magic & The Dream

Today Is $8 TuesdayEvery Tuesday, every film and every showtime is $8. Seats remain today for every Wicker showing and the 11:00 You Can See Everything.

Wicker

Daily through Thu, Nov 5: 11:30, 3:35 & 7:30Fantasy comedy, rated R, 1 hr 45 min. Colman orders a husband woven by the village basketmaker, and village life comes apart.

You Can See Everything

Daily through Thu, Nov 5: 11:00, 3:00 & 7:00Documentary, 2 hr 54 min. Elizabeth Holmes lets a film crew follow her before she reports to prison.

Wild Horse Nine

Daily, Nov 6 through 12: 11:30, 3:30 & 7:30Martin McDonagh comedy, 1 hr 58 min. Malkovich and Rockwell as CIA agents in Chile, 1973.

Onyx Downtown Specials

Sun, Nov 1: 7:00 Victor VictoriaOne night only, on the big screen at the Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad St. Julie Andrews musical, 2 hr 12 min.

Sun, Nov 8: 7:00 CatVideoFest 20261 hr 10 min of cat videos; a share of ticket sales goes to Sammie's Friends, which funds care at the Nevada County Animal Shelter.

Later on the Downtown slate: Blue Heron (Sun Nov 22), The Daytrippers (Sun Dec 6), Gremlins (Sun Dec 13), Playtime (Sun Dec 20), and Wallace & Gromit: The Classic Shorts (Sun Dec 27). Times at theonyxtheatre.com.

Showtimes may change without notice. (530) 265-8262. Tickets at Atom Tickets. Times per the Onyx's own published schedule through Nov 12, Oct 27. No showing is labeled sold out. Atom Tickets could not be read this evening; times stand as published.

Nevada Theatre

401 Broad Street · California's Oldest Theatre Building

Opens Thursday, Oct 29

Shakespeare's Hamlet: Thu & Fri 7:30Paul Emery presents; directed by John Deaderick. Matinees Sat Oct 31 & Sun Nov 1 at 2:00; then Thu Nov 5, Fri Nov 6 & Sat Nov 7 at 7:30, Sun Nov 8 at 2:00. Tickets.

Wednesday, Nov 11

Arms and the Man: 7:00Sierra Theatre Company presents. Tickets.

Dark tonight and Wednesday. Full listings at nevadatheatre.com, Oct 27.

Miners Foundry (325 Spring St.). Night of the Rolling Dead Fri Oct 30, 6:00 PM; SooHan, Beatkitty & Nadi Halloween Sat Oct 31, 9:00 PM; The Foundry Sings: From Roots to Rock Wed Nov 4, 5:30 PM; Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference Thu Nov 5, 9:00 AM; An Evening with Jonny Houlihan: Coming Home Wed Nov 11, 7:00 PM; Nevada City Winter Craft Fair Sun Nov 29, 10:00 AM; Desert Dwellers Fri Dec 4, 8:00 PM. Listings via minersfoundry.org, Oct 27.

Crazy Horse Saloon & Grill (230 Commercial St.). Nothing listed tonight. Wednesday: Trivia Night, 7:00 PM, free. Thursday: Smokey the Groove w/ Low Flying Birds, 9:00 PM, $15. Friday Oct 30: RAYO! Happy Hour Dance Party, 5:00 PM, free, then the Dessert Boys Halloween Ball, 9:15 PM, $15 to $20. Halloween night: Tim High & The Mighty Play the Songs of 1973, 9:00 PM, $20. Fri Nov 6: Pushloop, Roommate, LB & Konfusion, 9:30 PM, $10 to $15. Sat Nov 7: RonKat Spearman's Katdelic, 9:30 PM, $20. Thu Nov 12: Greg Koch & The Koch-Marshall Trio, 9:00 PM, $20 to $25. Fri Nov 13: The Geezer Gig, 5:00 PM, free, and Suika T. w/ DJ K. Bueno, 9:45 PM, $20. Sat Nov 14: Shakedown Citi, 9:00 PM, $20. Listings via crazyhorsenc.com, Oct 27.

The Fern (235 Commercial St.). Pub Quiz every Monday; Open Mic Comedy every other Tuesday, and the site does not say whether tonight is one. The dated calendar is posted as an image and could not be read this morning; check thefernnevadacity.com.

Hadestown: Teen Edition (Grass Valley Elks Lodge, 109 S. School St.). Lyric Rose Theatre Company with a live orchestra: Fri Oct 30 at 7:30, Sun Nov 1 at 2:00, Fri Nov 6 and Sat Nov 7 at 7:30, Sun Nov 8 at 2:00. Tickets, per YubaNet, Oct 23.

More listings. KVMR keeps a community arts calendar of area events.

Radio Log

KVMR 89.5 FM · Nevada City · Tuesday's Programs

▸ Listen Live · KVMR 89.5 FM

This paper's publisher on the air: Under the Influence, playlists and air dates on Spinitron · Local news: KVMR News (latest: X Fest returns to the Foundry, Oct 20)

  • 12:00 AMAnyway The Wind Blowswith BobB · every other week; aired overnight per its playlist
  • 2:00 AMDog Bar Dreamsvarious hosts · every other Tuesday; on cycle today per its recent playlists
  • 5:00 AMHeavy Earlywith DJ Kev · weekly
  • 7:00 AMTuesday Morning Showwith Paul Emery · weekly
  • 10:00 AMAlternating slotBear Flag Radio with Chris Towne airs every other week and played Oct 20, so is off today; this week's program not confirmed
  • 12:00 PMAlternating slotThe Groove Cafe with David James airs every other week and played Oct 20, so is off today; this week's program not confirmed
  • 4:00 PMTuesday Music Magazinewith Johnny Gallagher · weekly
  • 6:00 PMZenTechwith Glenn Far and Paule Castro · 2nd, 4th and 5th Tuesdays; today is the 4th
  • 7:00 PMDemocracy Now!syndicated · weeknights
  • 8:00 PMUndertowwith Suzanne · every other week, alternating with From the Sublime to the Ridiculous; on cycle today per its recent playlists

Today's lineup per each program's own Spinitron page; slots that rotate by week are marked. Soundings and People Planet Progress (1st and 3rd Tuesdays) are off this week. Full schedule at kvmr.org; listen at 89.5 FM.

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Elected Officials

Who holds office in Nevada City, and what they've said publicly. Roster confirmed October 22, 2026 from the city's October 14 agenda and meeting recording.

Updated 5 PM: City Manager Wright's forum remarks, as reported by The Union today. No other new public statements turned up; other entries stand as last dated.

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Here & There

Argall Way · Arts

The Onyx Joins The Film Festival's Nonprofit

The Onyx Theatre will become part of The Magic Lantern, the nonprofit that runs the Nevada City Film Festival, by the end of 2026, according to an announcement published in The Union. The two-screen cinema keeps its current management, staff, and programming; as part of a 501(c)(3) it can seek donations, grants, and memberships. Owner Jeff Clark, a festival co-founder, said a convergence with the Onyx "was always a hope of mine." Festival Executive Director Jesse Locks called it a step toward the long-term sustainability of both organizations. No financial terms were given.

Source: The Union, Oct 24

Downtown · Friday

Spooktacular Friday, 3 To 5 PM

Downtown's safe trick-or-treat is Friday, October 30, 3 to 5 PM, at downtown shops and the Eric Rood Center; the Chamber's Spooktacular page and its member-events listing now agree on the date. Park at the Rood Center; a free Nevada County Connects shuttle runs to City Hall every 15 minutes until 7 PM.

Sources: Chamber Spooktacular page; Chamber member-events listing, both checked Oct 27.

Broad Street · Theatre

A Final Bow For John Deaderick

Paul Emery's production of Hamlet opens Thursday at the Nevada Theatre, and The Union reports it is longtime local director John Deaderick's final production before he takes his last curtain call. Eight performances run through November 8; times are in Amusements.

Sources: The Union; Nevada Theatre

County · Board Of Supervisors

Harmony Ridge Hearing Delayed

At the developer's request, supervisors on October 20 continued a hearing on amending the development agreement for Ridgetop at Harmony Ridge, near Nevada City, which also seeks a ten-year extension of its tentative map to January 2039; it will be rescheduled once late comments, chiefly from air quality staff, are addressed. The board also accepted the draft Housing Element for unincorporated Nevada County and sent it to the state for review; the county's 2027 to 2035 housing allocation is 3,712 units, with adoption due by May 15, 2027. The Union did not report vote counts.

Source: The Union, Oct 23

Grass Valley · Sunday

Four Hundred Dogs In Costume

The 12th annual Howl-o-ween Dog Mob Parade drew more than 400 costumed dogs and an estimated 3,500 spectators to downtown Grass Valley on Sunday, organized by PAWS'itive Pals Dog Training and the City of Grass Valley. One costumed cat rode along on its owner's shoulders.

Source: YubaNet, Oct 26

Chamber · Nov 12

A Ribbon For The Pearl

The Nevada City Chamber of Commerce lists a ribbon cutting for The Pearl on Thursday, November 12, 4:30 to 5 PM, with no further details yet.

Source: Chamber member-events listing, Oct 27.

Activism · Outside Press

Quiet On Both Fronts

This morning's searches found no rallies, marches, petition drives, or public-comment campaigns newly announced for Nevada City or western Nevada County, and no fresh Nevada City coverage in the Sacramento Bee, SFGate, CapRadio, the AP, or the Los Angeles Times.

Sources: searches of The Union, YubaNet, KVMR News, and regional outlets, Oct 27.

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The Back Page

From the Nugget's Morgue

The Morgue is dark this morning: no legible Nevada City paper from near October 27 could be retrieved from the public archives, and the publisher's 1945 Nugget items begin running here November 16. Clippings from the old Nugget are welcome through the house channel.

This Day In History

1682. William Penn founded Philadelphia. 1904. The New York City Subway opened to riders, two years after construction began.

Source: timeanddate.com, On This Day

Hey Good Lookin', Whatcha Got Cookin'

Hard Rock Potato & Parmigiano Skillet (a Nugget original). Slice two pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes about an eighth of an inch thick and toss them with two tablespoons of olive oil, two minced cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary, a teaspoon of salt, and plenty of black pepper. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, layer in the potatoes in overlapping rings, and scatter a cup of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano between the layers, saving a handful for the top. Pour in a half cup of chicken or vegetable broth, cover with foil, and bake at 400° for 30 minutes; then uncover, add the last of the cheese, and bake another 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are crisp and a knife slides through without argument. Rest five minutes, cut into wedges, and serve with a green salad and, today only, an American beer. Serves four, or two prospectors. Readers' own recipes are welcome through the house channel and run with credit and permission.

The Stars Over Deer Creek

A Horoscope Composed Fresh Each Morning In Nevada City

Aries. Today is the last advised day to mail a ballot. You will remember this at 4:58 PM. The City Hall drop box forgives you.

Taurus. National Potato Day and National Parmigiano Reggiano Day fall together. The universe has never been this clear with you.

Gemini. The council will discuss changing its meeting start time. You have opinions about 6:30 and also about 6:31.

Cancer. Rain is due Halloween weekend. Your costume should be waterproof, or at least a convincing sponge.

Leo. Big paintings hang on a brick wall on Broad Street this week. You relate to anything that fills a room.

Virgo. Cranky Co-Workers Day arrives. Today you are the steady one. Tomorrow, no promises.

Libra. To be or not to be on time for Hamlet on Thursday. The stars recommend the first option.

Scorpio. It is National Black Cat Day in Britain. In Nevada City, every black cat considers every day its day.

Sagittarius. Four hundred dogs paraded Sunday. Your dog has seen the photos and is drafting a complaint.

Capricorn. The Onyx is going nonprofit. You, on the other hand, are going to the matinee anyway.

Aquarius. Wednesday reaches the mid 60s. Wear the hat you have been saving; Broad Street will notice.

Pisces. The moon is waning. So is your patience with the parking on Commercial Street. Both will return.

For entertainment purposes. The stars are not registered lobbyists.

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Civic Calendar

Coming Attractions

The big ones, counted down. Dates from the organizers' own announcements.

Sources: Nevada City Chamber, Spooktacular; Thanksgiving Weekend; Victorian Christmas.

Meeting Watch

How this works: the morning after each City Council and Planning Commission meeting, this paper carries a dedicated summary built from the meeting recording and agenda packet, covering votes, public comment themes, and anything affecting downtown. Next: Thursday, October 29, following the October 28 council meeting. The Fire Safety Advisory Committee's special session (the city's postings dated it Oct 22 or 23) still awaits minutes, as do the Planning Commission's October 15 and Public Arts Commission's October 7 meetings; outcomes will be reported when they post. No county Board of Supervisors agenda had posted as of this morning's check of the county's Agenda Center; the Board last met October 20.

Corrections

Onyx showtimes, this morning's edition (No. 6). The Amusements listing gave You Can See Everything only 11:00 and 3:00 shows on Tuesday and Wednesday and placed Victor Victoria at the Onyx. Per the theater's own schedule, the film also plays at 7:00 both days, and Victor Victoria screens Sunday, Nov 1 at 7:00 at the Nevada Theatre. The listing has been fixed.

Previously