Ken Smith, Author at Chico News & Review

Big top terror

Though commonly advertised as “wholesome fun for the whole family,” there’s an air of spookiness surrounding the circus. For one thing, clowns. On a deeper level, mystery, a touch of the supernatural and a peculiar […]

Nursing in Nigeria

As a Chico State nursing student, Kristina Chesterman dreamed of traveling to developing nations where she could use her skills to help those in desperate need. Sadly, while biking home from a marathon study session […]

Lifelong love and learning

After six years spent sailing down the coast of Central America and around the South Pacific, Mike and Mary McCluskey considered three different cities—the homes of their children—to (figuratively) drop anchor and call home. The […]

Ice cream dreams

This feature is part of the CN&R’s 2023 Entrepreneur Issue. In 2013, Shenlyn and Martin Svec’s lives were changed by, of all things, a few scoops of ice cream. The couple were vacationing in Texas […]

From the ‘Shed of the Dead’

On June 4, 2021, after suffering a series of mysterious and increasingly concerning medical episodes, Maddie Quillin had a massive seizure in her car on the side of Interstate 5, an experience she refers to […]

New flavor on the block

With the recent opening of Pakistani restaurant Sofi’z Kitchen and Bar, it is now possible to sample food and culture from around the world within just a few steps along the 100 block of Broadway […]

Mission of mercy

A few pieces of clothing; family pictures; important documents. A reality of living in Northern California, especially in recent years, is that most residents have a mental list of what to grab in case of […]

‘Just play music’

In 1945, Charlie Robinson scored his first guitar gig, playing Saturday night dances at The Diamond Springs Hotel, in the heart of California’s Gold Country, for $5 a week. “The band was booked to play […]

Skate season

The Chico Ice Rink in the Plaza (pictured) is returning for its second year. The City of Chico is again partnering with the Downtown Chico Business Association, which will manage the temporary rink in the […]

A beautiful nightmare

One of infamous/legendary filmmaker Ed Wood’s many contributions to the horror-camp canon is the screenplay for 1965’s Orgy of the Dead. In the movie, a couple of squares crash their car near a graveyard, and […]

Bem-vindo a minha casa

Step into Lili’s Brazilian Bistro most any time when the doors are open, and there’s a good chance you’ll find the restaurant’s proprietor and namesake, Lili Da Silva, somewhere within. If she’s not at the […]

It has to be Shasta

This feature is part of the CN&R’s Oct. 6 Election Issue. For more stories on the 2022 general election click here. Democratic challenger Max Steiner’s strategy to unseat long-time incumbent Doug LaMalfa for his seat […]

Mechoopda land restored

Chico State has returned 93 acres of the Butte Creek Ecological Reserve to the land’s former Native American inhabitants. Chico State Enterprises and the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria completed the transfer Sept. 26. […]

The Empire dives back

The roughly six-mile stretch of The Midway between Chico and Durham is a scenic short drive—or moderate-length bike ride—at any time of the year. In spring, the surrounding almond orchards bloom with pink-tinged white blossoms, […]

Tour of duty

Since forming more than 15 years ago, Ukrainian avant-folk group DhakaBrakha has served as cultural ambassadors for that country. The band was born in Kyiv’s Dakh Contemporary Arts Center, a world-renown experimental theater, and its […]

Chico News & Review

Articles by Ken Smith