Show: On The Town Station: KNCO File: 9:1.mp3 Air date: 2026-09-01 Source: OpenAI whisper-1 · shrunk from 30.5 MB to 6.1 MB --- transcript --- It's 1133, 66 degrees, and time for us to head on out to downtown Grass Valley where we'll find Tom Fitzsimmons at Toffanelli's. Good morning, Tom. Well, good morning, Moe. It's always great to be at Toffanelli's Gold Country Bistro in downtown Grass Valley. And, as a matter of fact, Brett Bentley, one of my guests, since we're not too far from Paul Haas's house, or even Brett's because they're neighbors, and I apologize for Paul in advance, those guys are going to have a very exciting weekend for our listeners out there. We wish Paul and Tammy a very safe trip. He's about to become a bard, join the College of Bards over there, complete with a medieval ceremony. He goes back to the 1200s and all that stuff with capes and pageantry and all that stuff. Little Ashley is hosting us here on The Town. And when Little Ashley hosts, she has about 10 different jobs. You could be cooking. You could be waiting. What are you doing today? I get the joy of seeing all my beautiful customers, and I get to bring you the food that my kitchen staff is working really hard. Is it a joy seeing your customers? I love it. It's my favorite part of cooking. I enjoy cooking because I get to see people's face at home, like how good the food is. And being my job here, I get to cook the food, prep the food. A lot of times when it's really busy, I'll even cook the food and bring the food out to the table just to help everyone out. Just to tell our listeners how psychic you are about the food, one of your co-workers just walked by and told you some type of meat that was coming out, and you were so excited that you were just jotting it down and getting all excited about it. Oh, yeah. Jody just came by. We're ordering top sirloin Wagyu baseball cuts. Wagyu is a very high marbled beef. It's very, very top dollar. All right. A baseball cut. I play baseball. I used to play hardball. All right. They're pretty tough. All right. Well, we're not talking about the toughness. We're talking about the size. The size, like baseball size. Yes. It looks like a filet mignon, but it's much bigger. We have 8-ounce filets here, and I'm pretty sure these baseball cuts are at least 10 ounces. They're very, very big. I don't know exactly what we're going to do, specialize with it, because I just got told about it not even five minutes ago, but it's going to be so good. At Arizona State, we had in the refrigerator about a half dozen cuts of beef that if we got hit with a baseball, we'd actually put that on the bruise. Oh, I'm sure. I got a big old bruise from being at the river this weekend. Wild woman. Okay. So what's the specials today? Oh, so lunchtime specials today, we have a Western prime rib sandwich. It is a thin-shaped prime rib with barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, and an onion ring, and we're serving it on a grilled ciabatta roll. We also have a sweet sesame lunch wrap today. It's got mixed greens, crispy noodles, cucumbers, green onions, peanuts, chicken, and carrot shreds, nice and thin. We are tossing that in the sweet sesame dressing that we use on our Chinese chicken salad. It's going to be very, very good, nice, light, refreshing. We got a little bit of his and her action going on our special board today. Soups, we have a lobster bisque, which I actually have a lot of our regulars who have been asking for it, because we didn't have it for a little bit, and then we have a chicken gumbo, another classic that we're bringing back. We also have full bar. Please come in. If you dream it, we can probably make it. So that's what I like to tell them. If you dream it, you can make it. Most likely. We have most all options, call, make reservations. We love reservations. If you make reservations online, there's only a 36-hour window that we don't take them online, because it takes us time to get online, put it in the books, make sure everything's good. So if you can't get one online, give us a call, 530-272-1468, and if we say we're all booked up, that's only because we're leaving room for walk-ins. We never fully book our restaurant with all reservations. So please come in and try us anyways, because we can usually get you sat in 30 minutes or less if we're extremely busy. Perfect patio weather right now. Oh, yes. It's cooling down this week, so we have the entire patio open. We're willing to open the upper if need be with customers coming in. We are staffing for it. We are ready for all of us, all of the locals. Now that school started, please come in and see us when the kids are away in school. Come have fun. It looks like Mom and Dad are sending their kids off to college, maybe, to get that last dinner out. Absolutely. And we are dog-friendly on the patio. So I actually just got rid of my last puppy yesterday. Thirteen puppies, finally gone, but they had a blast coming out here on the patio and seeing all the customers. You seem like a very fertile person. If you're not having a baby, you're having puppies, for Pete's sake. Oh, I know. Please, no more babies in my house for a while. Thanks for hosting here, Ashley. I appreciate it. You bet. Okay, we're here at Toppen Alley School, Country Bistro. We're going to take a quick break, check in on Wall Street, then we're talking Food Bank in Nevada County. An early visit with them this month. We'll be right back. It is 1138 and 66 degrees, and time to chat with Nathan Leishman, financial advisor with Ostro Financial Consultants, LPL Financial, member SIPC. Hey, Nathan, do you have any dogs at home? I do. I've got a golden retriever and an Australian shepherd. Okay. We have a golden retriever here, I believe, that hangs around Ranger. Yeah, so you could take your doggie with you to Toffin Alley. They're dog-friendly. Yeah, that sounds great. If it comes up. How about Wall Street? What's it looking like today? Yeah, so we're seeing a little bit of a pullback in the markets today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 0.8% at 52,740. The S&P 500 is down also 0.8% at 7,620, and the NASDAQ down 1.2% at 26,060. Taking a look at commodity markets, oil is up $4.50 a barrel at just over $90. Gold is down $96 an ounce at $4,385, and silver down just under $2 an ounce at $65.05. Lastly, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yields at 4.8%, which is up from yesterday's close. And we'll get an update from you right after the 5.30 newscast this afternoon, and I will talk to you tomorrow. Have a great rest of your day. Thank you. Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA SIPC. Investment advice offered through Ostroff Financial Consultants, Inc., a registered investment advisor, and separate entity from LPL Financial. We all know that feeling of smelling smoke in the air and immediately looking outside to see where it's coming from. You refresh the fire map, check your phone, and hope the wind doesn't shift your direction. When wildfire season arrives, your roof becomes your home's first line of defense. At Home Hardening Solutions Roofing, we help homeowners prepare before smoke appears on the horizon. With Class A fire-rated roofing systems and attention to details that matter, we build roofs designed for life in fire country. For over 25 years, we've been building and protecting homes right here in our community. We're not just contractors. We're your neighbors, and we're committed to helping keep the place we all love safer. Mention KNCO when you schedule a full roof replacement and receive a gutter-topper system on us to help keep flammable leaves and debris out of your gutters. 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And we're excited to be launching a new campaign coming into the fall. And this is a big part of it, is really bringing awareness and shining a light on hunger and food insecurity. You know, it's been so tough for the last number of years for those that are food insecure with different changes and different rules and programs going away or getting modified. You think people are getting the grasp that this is a major problem in Nevada County? Because sometimes people live in their own little bubbles and don't quite see it. I think that Nevada County is more aware than most communities. The CalFresh crisis that hit last November really shed a huge light on it. And it's continued since then. Just because people got back on benefits didn't mean that there aren't more challenges. We are losing funding at the federal and state level year over year for supporting programs. And we are the food bank of Nevada County. We are the major food hub that distributes food out to, not just directly to clients, but also to other organizations. We support a lot of organizations in this community and provide food to them. So it's a big deal. A lot of business models are shifting. We're having to buy more and more food than we've ever had to buy in the past. And I don't know if people fully realize the scope of it. We've been publishing some social media posts recently that are trying to shed a light on what that means. What does it look like? For a single person in Nevada County, you have to make at least $21.95 an hour to barely survive. And that's a startling statistic because the minimum wage rate is $16.90 an hour. And there's a lot of people in this town that don't make that. And they have families they're supporting. It's a hard statistic to look at and know that plenty of people try to make due on that. And that's what we're here for. We're a safety net. We're here to help support people when they need to stretch their budget. Daphne Borgens here. Daphne, we met at Community Involvement Day at the fairgrounds. You're Development Manager for the Food Bank. So what does that mean? That means I am in charge of fundraising and donor relations and also sharing the story of what we do and what's behind the Food Bank in Nevada County. When ideas come up about going on social media and posting stuff, is that stuff you kind of spearhead and make that happen? Yep. So I have been working on our social media, really trying to bring in more of the stories around who and what the Food Bank is. And that's one of the exciting things about being in the 40th year is we're really getting to dig deeper and learn more about our past and our history and share that with everyone and learn about it at the same time. And share the experiences and stories of the people who volunteer, our clients, people who are our partner, our community agencies, the farmers that we get to work with every month, every day. Yes, I get to be a part of that. That's a great relationship with the farmers and such. And of course, that's one of the programs that always comes to my mind, how that's kind of changed as far as having stipends. Would that help out farmers? And you get local vegetables to our food insecure people and stuff. How's the relationship going in these changing times? Well, we love our farmers and we love being able to support our farmers. And we have, with the support of that funding, been able to buy directly from local farmers or farmers at least within the region. And that's something that's going to be changing drastically, it already is. Our funding has not been extended and so we're waiting to hear from the state about what that might look like moving forward. But right now that means that we're not able to buy as much fresh produce and that's hugely impactful because we love to be able to purchase locally and be able to have that be reflected in our distribution so that people are getting really nutrient dense, healthy, and local food. Would it be worthwhile for people that are listening right now to contact the Kevin Kiley's of the World representatives, both the national level and state level, and try to get this thing re-established? Always. I think it's always a good idea to understand what's happening locally, to ask questions, to really see how it's affecting people on a local level, how it's affecting your neighbors. And absolutely, wherever possible, speak up and take action and support the people who you believe are going to have the best of intentions for all of us here in this community. So where did you find her? Where did you find Daphne, by the way? She is like a ray of sunshine. She is, isn't she? We're very fortunate and we are happy to have her on our team. I got lucky about a year ago. She came into our lives. We got a nice recommendation from one of our volunteers who knew her and that's the story. It's a very emotional thing to do for both you ladies, doing your respective jobs. Did you have an interest in working with those that are food insecure or this type of work? Yeah, absolutely. I've always worked in, I've worked in non-profits for a long time. I've worked in the humanitarian sector. No matter where and what I was doing, I found that food was always at the base of everything that I was working towards. So whether I was working with young people in different programs and realizing that in order to do those programs, we needed to have food and snack programs and really to be able to build a healthy community and to be able to address so many of the other issues that might arise, we have to address it at the root cause, which is keeping people safe, keeping people sheltered, making sure that people have adequate food. The ripple effect of having access to nutritious food is massive. We all know that having access to healthy food affects so many different components of our lives and I think it's something that we don't talk about enough. It's not just having access to a nutritious meal. It's really looking at how, we're talking about mental health, we're talking about, we're talking about overall health and well-being and I think that's something that is, it's really important and we really care about that at the food bank. Two of you were at Community Involvement Day at the fairgrounds and granted people got two-for-one fare tickets, but people really have come through the last few years in particular with nice donations, haven't they? Oh, they absolutely have and it makes a big difference because as Daphne mentioned, we are losing some significant grants that we've had in the past few years that have made a big impact. We were able to provide up to 60-70% of our grocery is fresh local produce and that means something to us, so we're committed. We have it in our budget. We are actually spending money out of pocket now to continue to provide from our local farmers because it means something to us and our budget next year, we have done the same. We are committed to providing at least 40-50% fresh local produce and that's a big deal because with all these produce recalls going on at the FDA and the federal level, we don't have that. We don't have that problem. We're not providing any produce that isn't already vetted. It's from within 50 miles or within the watershed, so we get it from local farmers and then local distributors. We know where it comes from and we know that it's safe, that what we're providing to our clients is safe. Right now, with food insecurity, it's out there and it's food action month, do you guys have special events planned for this month in particular? Right now, we're just doing a whole lot of communication. We don't have any events planned in particular outside of our distributions. We're just trying to reach out to all our partners. We're trying to reach out through the media to let people know and just to bring awareness to what goes on in our community and to let people know. Any one of their friends or neighbors is just one incident away, one increase in gas prices again, one increase in grocery bills, one flat tire that can just sideline them and in their budget because people live on such tight margins. Just bringing light to what does happen in our community and looking at the cost of living and understanding what that means for a family who's living on one income or a very tight budget, even two people, if you don't make that much money. It doesn't take much. For the USDA guidelines, I believe a family of four who makes under $75,000 a year qualify for our services. That's not a lot of money for a family of four. Anyway, we're going to take our one break. We're going to do that right now. We're on the town here at Topnelli's Gold Country Bistro talking to Food Bank of Nevada County. So a quick break. We'll be right back. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the ... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double arm kid carry. Looks like dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter who looks to be about 9 or 10 has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed, and they're off. Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car. And there it goes. Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff, like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at NHTSA.gov slash the right seat. Visit NHTSA.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Air Council. For any plumbing emergency. And electric. With professional quality. For friendly service and reliability. It's as easy as ABT. Hi, it's Andrew Twidwell, owner of ABT Plumbing, Electric, Heat, and Air. You know, we've been fixing things around Nevada County since 2001. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that home repairs never happen at a good time. Maybe your water heater just quit, your drains are backed up, the lights are flickering, or your furnace is acting up when you need it the most. Whatever the problem, my team and I are here to help. Fast, reliable, and done right the first time. So if something goes wrong at your house, don't stress. Just give us a call. Plumbing, Electrical, Heating, and Air. It's as easy as ABT. Call us at 530-230-9092. Or visit us at abtplumbing.com. That number again is 530-230-9092. We're your hometown team, and we've got you covered. It's as easy as ABT. You said it's getting physical. All right, hopefully you didn't catch that. Welcome back on the Town Conference. It's here at Toffnelli's Gold Country Bistro. Sometimes I just get frustrated by food insecurity in a nation that has so much wealth in a state that feeds the entire nation that we have people that are food insecure. That's the nature of the beast. You don't have to ask these two ladies. That's Brett Bentley, Executive Director of the Food Bank. Daphne Morgan is in charge of Development, Development Manager for the Food Bank in Nevada County. It is Food Action Month, so we want people to take action, Daphne. So what can people do? What are some concrete steps they can do today, this month, to make sure that they kind of meet the needs that you have trying to feed these people? I think the first thing is informing yourself. I think listening to this is a great way to start. I think understanding that people who are hungry aren't necessarily elsewhere. They're here in our county. They're your neighbors. So I think the first step is acknowledging that it's happening right here, in the place that we love, that we call home. There was a really big statistic that I posted today, and it was 48 million people in the United States are facing hunger, 14 million children, and 48 million, yeah. And so I think that's hard to grasp, but understanding on a smaller level that here in our community, there are people and children and seniors who are in need of food and need food assistance. So informing yourself, I think, is a big part of that, informing yourself. And then how can you be involved? There's so many different ways of being involved. Perhaps it is financial. Perhaps you are able to make a donation. Perhaps you're able to host a food drive. If you check out our website, we have a little kit for people who would like to be a part of that. You can host an in-person food drive or a virtual food drive, which is a great way to, if you're wanting to do something even in honor of somebody, or you would like to do like a birthday gift or an anniversary gift, and you feel like you have everything you could possibly need, then ... Sounds like you, Daphne. Yeah. Host a virtual food drive instead in honor of somebody or as a gift to somebody. Wouldn't that be like a lovely thing to receive, is knowing that you've been able to donate to the food bank and do something amazing in their honor? That would be a total fair question for you, it might be for both of you, but have high school kids, like for their senior projects, reached out about food drives and stuff? Yeah. Yeah, we do. We've had, yeah, we've definitely had people come and volunteer also. We have actually some Nevada Union Hill students volunteering right now at our distribution who showed up and are out there working with all the volunteers, helping to pack bags for our distributions. Yeah, you are always invited to come and volunteer. You can check out our website and look at all the different volunteer opportunities. There's so many different ways to volunteer. Some are a little more time intensive, but not really. There's some that really, really require a brief amount of time. And then just spreading the word. If that's what you're able to do, spread the word. We have social media. Like our posts, share our posts, talk about it with your family, talk about it at school. And I think like you suggested also, if you feel so inclined, contact local representatives and speak up when you have space to do so. We invite you also to contact us any time if there is a way that you feel like we could all work together or to come up with some type of a food drive that works specifically for you or a way that you want to maybe bring in your team of folks that you work with and do some type of a team building volunteer work at our warehouse. Are you still doing a turkey drive this year? Oh, yes, please. I can't miss you in a turkey suit. Come on now. I've become a very gamey bird. I really, I mean, my giblets aren't as what they used to be. You don't mind me saying? It'll still be fun. I love spending all day out in that parking lot with you, Tom. You know what I love about it is that people step up and there's two types of people. People that kind of come every time. And then there's those that have been on assistance that come by and as a thank you, make sure they stop by and contribute. Even if they're not doing that great, you can tell some of them aren't, but they still want to contribute. The energy out there on that day is so incredible because you're right. People will just drive up because they heard you on air and donate. And then there are people that will hear it and go in and buy food, any kind of food, and just bring it out and say, and we find that. We found that at Community Involvement Day. We had at least three people who walked up to us and donated and said, thank you for everything you do. This made such a difference in my life. I want to try to give back a little bit. And that touches us more than, more than anything. It's just seeing that we have an impact on people and they want to try to find a way to give back as well. All right. Bethany has a little kid. You've got a big kid that's working for us part-time that's about to go to school. So what's the emotions like there, mom, because that's only a couple of weeks away or so? I think I'm about two weeks away from tomorrow. So I'm trying to contain the emotion for now. It is starting to become very real. I'm enjoying every minute I have while I have it. And, you know, I just, I'm darn proud of that kid. She's done some really amazing things and she's going to go places. And even though it's hard for me, I know that it's a really great next step for her. It's really wonderful how you've raised her because you've been a very giving person for our community and that kind of goes down through, Daphne's going to be doing it with her little ones too, that there's something to be said about these kids having that idea of giving and looking out for those in need. Absolutely. And we've talked about it a lot on air. What a great group of kids are in the high school system right now. And they do give. We've had the Nevada County Youth Commission out, Nevada Union Interact Club. We did have a North Point senior last year who did our senior project with us. And we're open to that. We love that. This week, I actually have the privilege of going to Grass Valley Charter School, and I will be talking about civic engagement with a couple of their classes. And I'm really excited about that because they're younger classes. And I think it's a great chance to bring people in and see the impact it makes. The website address? www.foodbankofnc.org. That doesn't bring you to North Carolina. It brings you to our food bank? That's right. It doesn't drive you crazy and all that stuff. But thank you so much, Daphne, for the energy you bring. And again, I really want to stress to people, when they have the tools there, maybe you can put on your own food drive. This works for your office. This works, obviously, for any place you work. It could be just a jar on the counter. As adults with little kids, you throw change in there. It would be a trip to Disneyland. You know what? You could do one for the food bank as well. And all your co-workers. Throw in some loose change. You'd be surprised how it adds up. And it would be a great thing to drop off at Thanksgiving time, which is only a couple of months away. So again, Food Action Month. Take the action this month to help out the food bank in Nevada County. And again, I want to thank Toph Nellie for hosting us here for On the Town. Appreciate Ashley and the entire crew here. That does it for us. We've got ABC News coming up right now. We'll see you next time. --- end of transcript ---