Show: Insight Station: KNCO File: 9:16.mp3 Air date: 2026-09-16 Source: OpenAI whisper-1 · shrunk from 98.6 MB to 12.3 MB --- transcript --- Welcome to KNCO Insight, Nevada County Action, KNCO's local issue talk show. This is your chance to gain insight into issues affecting Nevada County. Be a part of the show. Call with your questions or comments. The number, 477-5626, that's 477-KNCO. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts and callers, and do not reflect the opinions of the advertisers, staff, or ownership of Nevada County Broadcasters. Now, here is your host, Tom Fitzsimmons. Yeah, I'm here, KNCO Newstime, just about 907, 67 degrees, yeah, kind of sunshiny, a little breezy out there today, but that's all right, you know, it is fall, just about, fall is less than a week away now, and so days get a little bit shorter, still some warm days, still very much fire danger out there, so, you know, it's a cool attempt, might want to take on some land clearing and the like, just be cautious out there, make sure you have a water source available, because with a breeze like this, you know, a spark can still take off, a lot of dry brush out there, so just be very, very extra cautious. We have an interesting show, as I told you at the end of our news hour, we're going to be talking about the Trades Expo, that's coming to the Nevada County Fairgrounds, it's the 2026 version, got three great guests here, and they include Luke Browning, Luke, let me get this straight now, you're the assistant superintendent in the Nevada Joint Union High School District? Yeah, good morning, Tom, thanks for having us. Good morning to you, how did that happen? I think they didn't have anybody apply, so they just, I don't think that's right, you've been on this meteoric, what am I saying here, Jeff? Meteoric? Meteoric, rise, rise, yeah, yeah, that's it, are you enjoying yourself as assistant superintendent? Very much so, yeah, I love the district, love the county, it's a lot of fun. Well, I love the kids, that's for sure, nobody loves kids more than Jeff Dellis, who's one of the guests here as well, Jeff, did they boot you out of the district at this point? They did, as a matter of fact. So, you're at the county, you even brought in a county hat with you. You noticed. Yes, it's like a fire, a ready set go, what hat is that? That is a ready Nevada county hat, for sure, oh yes. Alright, being fire safe? For sure. Alright, and then he's known as Savannah's dad, also Russell's dad, Jeff Hanson in the house from Hanson Brothers, Orson's kid, Jeff, how are you doing? Great, glad to be here. Great to have you here, the Trades Expo is something you have, I don't know if you, did you spearhead it when it first started, because you seem to be involved with it from day one. Yeah, I've been involved with it from day one, but it was a lot of community leaders, business leaders and schools coming together to say that there is a need to put this event on for the community and the kids. Yeah, it's run by the Nevada County Contractors Association, big mover in Shaker and that, I think Tom Last as well, is it a whole group of contractors that are coming together for this thing? Yeah, contractors, suppliers, vendors, anything kind of to do with the construction, trades industries, engineers, design folks will all be there. Yeah, what I love about the two guys next to Mr. Hanson is that Luke Browning, CTE guy at the high school district for lots of years, those kids are a pretty remarkable group of kids and this is an incredible opportunity to kind of see what's involved with some of these trades. It really is, I mean, it's the reason why we all love living in this county, the work that the Contractors Association has done to bring employers into one spot and then have our students walk through and get to do, it's not just a booth or a career fair, they're actually sitting on excavators, they're operating, they're getting hands on, they're hammering nails and so for our students to get that experience and to meet future employers, it really is creating that pipeline to employment in the community and it's a ton of fun. The kids love it. Alright, now that I think about it Jeff Dulles, county involved with this too, right? We are, absolutely, as a sponsor and certainly a strong supporter and so building department, public works, even the sheriff's office will all be there as participants and to Luke's point, the interactive nature of it, the hands on nature of it really works well with kids and they're super excited every year and they walk away, when we do exit interviews, I think interest in the trade spikes every year. Alright, now here's the thing that everybody might take for granted, Jeff Hanson, is that you growing up, you know, with the Hanson Brothers legacy and all that stuff, were you going to be involved with that legacy right away or did you have plans at one time to be a ball player or to be like a songwriter and singer on the range or anything like that? I'm definitely not a songwriter and singer, I don't think that that would have flown well for me. No, I've always had an interest in the company business, I had considered some other things at a very young age but it was always kind of intriguing to me and always wanted to learn more about it so I've been here with the business and I'm glad that I took that avenue. I think I asked your daughter, Savannah, years ago if she had an interest in doing this and she kind of did if I recall. Yeah, you know, she's still young, we'll see where the road in life takes her but yeah, she's had some interest in it and we'll see where she lands at and the same with Russell, my son. Yeah, so I imagine you got introduced to all the equipment and all that stuff at an early age, you know, the first age you were when you hopped on a backhoe or a tractor or something like that? Yeah, I was really kind of being exposed to the world's biggest sandbox, you know, at a young age, an awesome opportunity and there's a lot of opportunities for the youth of Nevada County to have that same opportunities out there. Alright, how old were you though? That's what I want to know. We won't go there, OSHA wouldn't like that answer. Were you in school, like kindergarten or something like that? Probably. Okay, good. Preschool. I can see he's probably a big guy from the A1, he's probably, the one thing, Luke, last year I was doing on the towns over at the high schools with CTE, you know, once a month. One thing about the kids that have an interest in doing trades and they would be, you know, interviewing with me, it could be say the FFA program they're working on, you know, welding projects and things like that, is that they seem really focused on what they want to do compared to some kids going a more traditional college route. Did you see that too? Yeah, I think it does help students focus and, you know, there's a lot of students that do both, so their trade's focused and they're going to college to pursue a degree to help them in that trade, but yeah, they're super focused because it gives them the why, it gives them the hands-on experience, they're able to see math come to life in a classroom, it's education beyond the book, right? And that's where you see our CTE programs really make a difference in kids' lives and yeah, it was fun, on the town was fun, it was fun to highlight those students each month because from auto shop to construction trades, they're doing some really cool things as students in high school. Yeah, and of course, you've been involved with leadership as far as students go as well. These kids that are doing trades seem to have, you know, really that focus for the future. Yeah, I think they do and I think part of the commitment the high school district has made in altering the bell schedule to allow kids who maybe 10 years ago, before the bell schedule change, had to commit to either a CTE route or an academic route, now kids can do both. There's enough room in their schedule that they can take an auto shop class and take an AP government and politics class or some variation thereof, so they're not closing doors as early, kids can explore all their options. All right, so how did the kids, I guess this is for the assistant superintendent when I think about it, how do kids get chosen to be part of the expo, to go out there? Yeah, we have a really stringent interview process, no, what, so... I'm saying this because when I was a kid, I might do it to goof off a little bit. I don't think I'm going to goof off. You know, and I think students may have in their own mind what they think it's going to be like, but gosh, when the bus pulls up to the fairgrounds and they walk off the bus and they go through those gates into the fairgrounds and see all of the equipment and all the booths set up, those kids are engaged. They're going from booth to booth with their passport, they're checking in, getting signed off, their operating equipment, and then at the end they're coming and taking part in a big raffle. Whatever their reason is, their why for wanting to go, when you're there, 99% of them are just hooked and they're going from booth to booth interacting with those employers. But at Bear River, they're presenting in the classroom, so all the CTE teachers are presenting the opportunity. We have a promotional video that we made with the Contractor's Association from last year so that kids can see what it looked like, and then they fill out a permission slip and turn them in. And then at Nevada Union, which is a little different scale, so we run some, we run all the students that have a CTE class through the theater, and we do a presentation there, and so they get hyped up and get to see the video, and we shoot some t-shirts out of cannons and that kind of thing. So a good percentage are going to this thing. Yeah, it's a good percentage of our CTE students. So what type of number are out there, Jeff Hanson, for you guys to talk about? We don't have the final numbers quite dialed in yet, but there's somewhere going to be 550 to 650 kids will go through that event on October the 7th out at the fairgrounds. Wow, that's an awesome number. Yeah. All right. The thing is, you're a contractor, you know, you run your business and such, and as I said off the air, great job with the sidewalks, great example of what you guys do around town and stuff with infrastructure and that. How important is it to have this future workforce get introduced and stuff for you as a contractor? It's really important for the kids to have the opportunity to go out there and to be exposed to all different facets of the construction and contracting industry all in one place. It really gives them the opportunity to see if they are truly interested in that avenue. It may be that they're not, and that's a good thing for those kids to find out, too. On the other hand, they may really get engaged in one of those vendors or companies that's out there and decide that that's their future and help build upon that and not flounder as they get out of high school. Yeah. And Jeff, there's going to be boys and girls out there? Oh, without a doubt. Yeah. Absolutely. One of our best welders are young ladies. Yeah. I have to admit, looking at the ag mechanics projects these past few years, they've been doing an incredible job. For sure. Yeah. I think they're a little bit more tedious, shall we say, putting down good beads and stuff. Anyway, we're going to take our first break here. We'll be back when we talk about the trades at the Trades Expo and who's going to be representing them and what it's going to be like for these kids in the future. So a quick break. We'll be right back. Before you guess, redo, or regret, start where the pros start. Since 1949, Mal Paint and Glass has helped Nevada County homeowners and contractors get it right the first time. This isn't a big box aisle and a shrug. It's expert guidance, premium paint, and custom glass that works in our Nevada County homes and climate. Visit Mal Paint and Glass at 700 East Main Street in Grass Valley, or give them a call at 273-4643. Life doesn't stop when you need surgery, but the right care can help you get back to it sooner. Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital offers robotic-assisted procedures that can improve accuracy and may reduce disruption to your body, which can help you heal faster to get back to living fully. Because progress in the operating room should mean progress in your life. Learn more at DignityHealth.org slash Sierra Nevada Surgery. Dignity Health. Hello, humankindness. You know the songs, Where Have All the Cowboys Gone, I Don't Want to Wait. Now experience the voice behind them live. Grammy Award winner and Lilith Fair icon Paula Cole brings the unforgettable sound of the 90s to the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley, October 6th. Powerful, personal, intimate. Spend an evening with one of the defining voices of a generation. Paula Cole, October 6th at the Center for the Arts. Get your tickets now at thecenterforthearts.org. Ready to brighten your day? Grass Valley Provisions is where you'll find a wide range of products designed to support your well-being. From stress relief options to healing topicals, enjoy a welcoming, relaxed space where you can browse, learn, and find what helps you refresh and recharge. At Grass Valley Provisions, they believe in giving back. Every month, a portion of their Sunday sales supports a local Nevada County nonprofit organization. September proceeds benefit the Rudiger Foundation that provides canine resources, funding, and support to local law enforcement agencies to foster community safety and connection. Visit Grass Valley Provisions' beautiful showroom on Idaho-Maryland Road in Grass Valley, open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., or shop online at gvprovisions.com. And remember to shop on Sundays to support our local nonprofits. Grass Valley Provisions, lift up your day the Grass Valley way. The Nevada Union Miners return home to Hooper Stadium to battle antelope Friday night. Hi, I'm Tom Fitzsimmons inviting you to join Jim Adams and Andrew Jackson for the best high school football on KNCO News Talk 830. Miners lost to Christian Brothers last week and want to turn it around against the Titans before they have their bye week. Nevada Union football is brought to you by the Utopian Stone, by Zion Capital Wealth Management, and by Trips Auto Body and Paint. It's Nevada Union and Antelope Friday night at 7 on KNCO News Talk 830. KNCO News Time, 920, 67 degrees. Welcome back to KNCO Insight, highlighting the Nevada County 2026 Trades Expo. All the trades are going to be on display October 7th at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. That's a Wednesday as high schoolers will be stopping in from the Nevada Joint Union District and under the tutelage of their assistant superintendent, Luke Browning, they're going to have a heck of a time out there. I love that they get to play with the tools, I don't know if play is the right term, but it kind of is. It is the right term. Right? It is kind of the right term. Yeah, and we run three different sessions because we have so many students, so they'll run through, we'll run three different sets of buses, three different groups, rotate through, we serve lunch out there, but yeah, they get to go booth to booth and try it out. So instead of just learning about a career, they're meeting the folks doing it and they're getting to experience just a little taste of it. Whether they're hammering nails or sitting on a piece of equipment or looking at, we had a really great model of a house that was framed last year, but yeah, they get an opportunity to do it. We even had some newscasters out of the valley that were on some equipment trying to put a ball on top of a cone with a mini excavator, so it's a pretty big and fun event. How'd they do? Did they do okay? I think they're learning, so hopefully they'll come back. Jeff Hansen has a smile on his face. They probably did okay, huh? We all started somewhere and it's a great place to start. I will say it's wonderful. Okay, let's go through the trades, if you don't mind, Jeff. Are all trades pretty much represented in the construction industry? Is that a good way to put it? We have a vast array of trades and businesses out there and that's what makes it so dynamic for all the kids is, I mean, there's companies like ours, Heavy Civil, Trucking Ready Mix down to architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians, roofers, tree guys, landscapers, and I'm sure I missed a whole bunch in there, but it really does cover the vast array of the trades that are associated with the construction industry. All right. To you, what's the best part about working a trade for the men and women that want to check this out? What's some of the highlights of that opportunity? I think it's just important to let those kids have an opportunity to see all the trades and find out one that fits them and interests them. So five years, 10 years down the road, they're happy in the industry that they're working in and they know that they had the opportunity to go to trades day and decide they wanted to be a landscaper, that it really intrigued them. Or they thought they wanted to be a landscaper, but man, you know, really electrical is more their cup of tea and interests them, and they have that opportunity to experience that. Yeah. Running a general contracting place like yourself, when you were growing up as a kid, is there some trade that you didn't want any part of? You said electrical, and right away I go, oh, just got shocked a few times. Electrical and I, we have a really good understanding. I don't mess with it. It doesn't mess with me. I'm right with you. See, I am right with you. So that is something when a kid decides to do that. Did you have any interest in doing any trades when you were a kid, Jeff? None. Absolutely. My wife always says that I obviously didn't get a chance to play with Legos enough as a kid, because if it weren't for people in the trades here, our house would be an absolute train wreck, but we have such a vibrant trades community that I don't have to know how to wire or build a deck or anything like that. I can reach out to Tom Last and people in the Contractors Association, and they will provide names of local trades people who can do that for me. And you've always stayed disciplined that way? You've never taken on a project you thought you could do? We don't have enough time to go into... Because we've all done this. Absolutely. So I subscribe to the rule of four, which is if the project should take an hour, it's going to take me four hours, and then I'm going to end up writing a check anyway to somebody that fits my goof. And so it's just simpler at this time in my life to just break out the checkbook and say I need this done, and they'll get it done the first time, right? Yeah. Much better than I would have. That is something to be said for that. It's interesting about Luke and your family up there, you know, you've had that ranch for a hundred something years, right? Yeah. 1866. 1866. A newcomer family. I guess the Nissan beat you here, that's about it. That's true. That is true. You learned some traits probably just working that ranch, right? Even at a young age? Yeah. You're growing up. That's what you do. I mean, in terms of having to maintain and fix fence and build pens and work on the barn and work on electrical. And we didn't have a lot of money growing up either. So we had to do it ourselves, right? I mean, that is what you do when you own property or you have something, and yeah. But it's also fun. And that's where you start to get appreciation for it. I'll tell you, as a parent now, and I look at kids going out of high school, I think for me, the trades are really, really attractive because they can get into a great career that has a great salary, and in a lot of cases, a pension, and they're able to do it without going into debt, right? And that's where we've all lived long enough to see the trends in education. But gosh, I'm so glad we're beyond the no child left behind and the push every kid to college just to go to college, because there's no reason, right? When you can make a great living doing something that you really enjoy every day and working outside and doing those things. So yeah, that's part of why I love it and want to make sure my kids have that opportunity too. Yeah, it was a noble idea years ago to do that, and I was kind of caught up in that, like going to college. Of course, I wanted to be a baseball player too, but here I am, that didn't work out. I will say this in my family though, I'm one of nine kids. My brother Jimmy became a heating and air conditioning guy. He's doing very well living in Essex County, New Jersey, and raising a family of six on that. My brother-in-law, Maureen's husband, Kenny, Kenny the plumber, used to join me on my sports talk show radio many years ago. He lives in Bergen County, just hoity-toity type of guy, because he's a plumber and he makes a great living at it, and always in demand, always has side jobs. And the other thing, Jeff Hansen, again, these people seem happy. You know, there's something to be said about putting in a hard day's work, as they say, as old-fashioned as it sounds, kind of like an honest day's work, and feel good about yourself at the end of the day. Yeah, it's a great opportunity if that's where you excel at, is doing some of the physical work and the mental work mix. And the one thing with the trades, many of them at the end of the day you can look back and see exactly how much you've accomplished for that day, and that's really fulfilling for a lot of people, including myself, is you can see the progress you've made every day. Yeah. That's one thing I always tell people when I know your crews are out here, say, doing like the latest thing with the sidewalks around the fairgrounds, great safety improvement out there for the pedestrians and such, is that your men and women work here. And so they go to the fair, they have pride in what they did over there. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? It looks good, and it works well. That's what it's all about. Yep. All right. You were given the layout for the trades expo, Luke. When you guys arrived, do you guys come in like gate one, all the students come in gate one? Yeah. So the buses, and I think actually the buses come in right there by the arena. It's not really gate eight, but that kind of gate on the corner by the horse. And then they line up, we jump on the bus, because we're bussing from at least three different schools, and so we'll jump on the bus, give them kind of an overview of the actual event, tell them, okay, you're going to get off, you'll go through a safety talk. Jeff leads a great safety talk at the beginning, because there are, I mean, students are walking around, there's equipment. Where's Jeff? Jeff Hanson. Sorry, good point. Okay, good. Well, I was worried about this one. Yeah, not Jeff Dulles. We keep him far away from the safety talk. He's more on the fun experience talk, that's later in the day. But yeah, we give them a talk, they get off the bus, and then they're given a bag and a passport, and then they're off, and they're exploring on their own, they're going to different contractors, they're checking in, they're asking questions. The contractors, and hats off to the Contractor Association, because over the years, the contractors have gotten more competitive amongst themselves of how do we have the most interactive booth. And so they're looking at what booths were interactive last year, why do kids like those booths over this one, and then every year they up their game. And so, yeah, it's super fun to watch. And kids are just going. And then they get the chance to, they'll see everything, but then they get a chance to circle back and spend more time if they want to learn about landscaping, or they want to learn about architecture, they want to learn about construction, they have time to do that. And a lot of these actually turn into internships or partnerships down the road, too. Yeah, we'll get the internships with Jeff Dulles, because you've been lining those up with the business community. The heavy equipment, is that in the big green area that's out there, outside the main building and stuff? Yep. So when you walk through the gate, and I should know this, I've been here a little while, but the name of the building on the right, when you walk through, between there and Treat Street, that's all filled with equipment. Well, they keep calling it something different. For a while, it was like the Admiral Family Center, and it's like the Main Street Center, maybe now. Yeah, sure. Sure. The grassy area is filled with equipment there on the right, just where the Ferris wheel was this year. Yeah. So that's all filled up with equipment and booths. And it's packed. And to be honest with you, we're probably outgrowing that space. But it's packed from the sidewalk all the way to the arena. All right. And Jeff Hansen, I mean, you don't have to vet the contractors and such, but do the contractors know what group of contractors are really good at interacting with kids? Because they're a different type of beast, as far as keeping their attention and stuff. Who, the contractors are a different type of beast? Well, they're a different type of beast, but the kids, the students. Yeah, probably more of the students. Again, there's so many different types of contractors and related industries out there that there is really something that should grab every student's attention. Or in some cases, they're going to say, this is not for me. And they're going to go and look at a different avenue in life, which is fine. That's what it's all about. Yeah. But I think this year we've got about 38 different companies out there with booths and displays out there. So that kind of gives you an idea of how many different types of contractors are out there and the diversity that's offered to the kids. Yeah, and I know this whole idea of internships, Jeff Delge, you've been working real big with the business community out there. This is obviously a great avenue for that, too, to get a list of possible places where kids can go. Yeah. Every year, local businesses will approach me on Trades Expo Day and say, hey, how do I get into this internship business? And so we sign up a couple of new internship opportunities every year. And it's really a testament to the commitment that Jeff and Tom Last, Bob Zucca, and the Contractors Association have made to the students of Nevada County and the growth of Nevada County. They're all locals. They're all people that want to see this community thrive and stay robust. Yeah. And it's great opportunities for these kids. One thing I worry about, and I think we all kind of worry about this thing, we have spots from Jerry Serino talking about kids that go away to learn something, even a trade for that matter. Because we have a bunch of kids, CTE kids going up, say welding up in Montana. It seems like that's a place that's really kind of a hotbed right now. I don't know what else you do in Montana. Exactly. That's what I even told them. It's a good way to keep warm in the winter. Yeah. And I always hope they're going to be coming back for the great opportunities here, too. Is that part of the thing, too, that we want to make sure these kids know that there's a place they can be here, as well, with these great people? Well, as Jeff and I were talking earlier, and as a long-time teacher at Nevada Union, my experience is it's really interesting that kids, they hit like 26, 27, maybe they moved away for college or for jobs. And then they start having kids, and they think, geez, Nevada County was really kind of a cool place to grow up. And you start to see this migration back. And so I think Jerry Serino is really on to something with this Bring Them Home program. I think it's going to resonate, and I think there's opportunity to make a more coordinated effort to bring people back and provide them with opportunities for business or housing or whatever the case might be. Was there anything like this, Jeff, when you were a kid, trades expos, or did everybody just learn from families that kind of stayed with that same trade? Yeah, I don't believe there was anything like this, and it certainly wasn't at this scale if there was. I mean, there was the ROP programs. I'm dating myself now. Oh, ROP. Oh, no. I can't remember that. Yeah. But there wasn't a trades expo or fair type of a setup. I mean, it was just word of mouth and talking to a school counselor and parents and friends and stuff in the community. So this really opens up the kids' eyes to be able to see all the different or a lot of the different facets of the construction industries. All right. Very good. Well, we're going to take our news break here about in the hour, and then, yeah, I think this is an event that we should broadcast, I think, somehow, get out there and do that on October 7th. It's a Wednesday at the fairgrounds, so we're going to take a quick news break and weather forecast. Good morning. I'm Paul Haas with a KNCO local news update. A 17-year-old Grass Valley area youth has some explaining to do to his parents after being pulled over last weekend for driving at an extremely excessive speed in a family Corvette. CHP officer Sean Omaker says the boy, whose name is not available because of his age, just happened to be observed by a patrol officer at around 11 o'clock Sunday night when traffic is pretty sparse. It's on Highway 49 north of Lime Kiln Road in the South County. And he was able to lock in a speed of 123 miles an hour as the vehicle was coming up on him. And he made a U-turn after the car turned around, and he finally caught up to it. The actual traffic stopped with that little valley road, but caught up to it right about Alta Sierra. So it took him some time to catch up to it. And luckily, the young man decided he was actually going to pull over for the officer. Omaker says the speed the boy was driving at was 68 miles an hour over the speed limit. And he says the boy wasn't given a warning due to the extreme rate of speed, and he says penalties are now even more severe due to a change in state law. What used to be a judge's discretion as to your license being suspended for 30 days, California this year has initiated a law that getting caught for doing over 100 miles an hour, it's automatically sent to the DMV, and your license will be suspended for an amount of time. And people looking for an opportunity to meet a possible new forever friend are invited to attend what sounds like story time, but Information Officer Taylor Wolf says it's really about a different type of tale. Tales of Nevada County provides the public and county staff members an opportunity to pet and play with adoptable dogs from 1130 a.m. till 1230 p.m. today. Friends can stop by to meet an adoptable dog or two from Sammy's Friends. Sammy's Friends will also be on site to talk about fostering, adopting, and volunteering if you're interested in any of those opportunities. They also have a book of all the adoptable animals that you can flip through to kind of see who needs their home right now as far as our furry friends. Previous Tales of Nevada County events have led to multiple adoptions. Join us for our next local news update at the bottom of the hour. For news, traffic, and weather anytime, visit KNCO.com. I'm Paul Haas, KNCO News Top 10. Ready to check glass blowing off your bucket list? At Bear River Glassworks in Grass Valley, their three-hour intro classes let you create something truly unforgettable. Make a hollow-blown jellyfish using gold and silver fuming to create beautiful shimmering colors, or create your own hollow-blown glass pumpkin just in time for fall. Get hands-on, play with fire, and take home something amazing you made yourself. Book your class today at BearRiverGlassworks.com. That's BearRiverGlassworks.com. Every single day, thousands of distressed cats are sitting alone in shelter cages, forced to endure the intense fear and loneliness of abandonment as well as the risk of being euthanized. At Golden Paws Society, we are dedicated to the rescue of shelter cats and giving them all they need to be adopted into their forever homes. To find out more about our life-saving mission, go to GoldenPawsSociety.org. That's GoldenPawsSociety.org. Sponsored by Golden Paws Society. This from the KNCO-BNC ACE Home and Garden Center Weather Center. ACE is the place. Here is your forecast on KNCO News Talk 830. Mostly sunny with a high and a low to mid-70s today and a light south wind. It'll be clear overnight and cooler, our low 49. Then sunny and not as warm on Thursday with a high in the low 70s. Thursday night's low in the low 50s and warming on a Friday with a high in the upper 70s near 80. For weather anytime, click on the weather center at KNCO.com. I'm meteorologist Dan Holliday on KNCO News Talk 830. All right, KNCO News Time, 938, 68 degrees. A little guitar work by Luke Browning bringing us back to KNCO Insight. Browning family, very talented. Harper, we've had Harper actually sing on this radio station before. Getting ready for the Nevada County Fair. Your daughter Taylor, she's almost like a tradesperson yet is going to be going to a traditional college because she wants to be a marine biologist. She does, yeah. She is exactly what Jeff talks about with our schedule, right? She is an AP student, takes all the AP classes and also takes multiple CTE classes. It's a perfect combination because you get the academics and the hands-on, so you know what the academics are actually talking about. She gets to do both. I don't know if you heard part of the conversation I had with her and some of her classmates, but AI came up. I said it makes sense that even CTE programs, FFA probably has got AI going on and stuff. They kind of had this odd look on their face, and they actually were talking about animal husbandry and artificial insemination. Yeah, you got to be careful when you say AI around those kids. It has a whole different meaning. I said, is it referred to as AI? And it is in that. It's the original AI. Long before AI. Yeah, I moved into this CTE world coming from athletics, where CTE is about concussions and concussion protocol. So, yeah, I had to make that pivot. To show you about athletics, the first Hanson family member that I met and covered for sports was a Carrie Hanson. Yeah. A good basketball player in her day. A really good basketball player. A really good basketball player, Lady Meyer. Is Carrie still around? What is she doing? She is down in the Sacramento area. Yeah. What is she doing? Is she doing anything in particular? In the medical industry. She is? Yeah. All right. I should have called her the doctor then. The doctor is right here to my right. Yeah, I know. That's true. That's true. And then we had, you brought up Bobby Zuka's name. I thought of Susie Zuka, I think it was, the sister, who was a great skier in her day. Yeah. From the Nevada Union Ski Team. Man, that's like a long time ago, like in the 80s. Man. I've been around a few years, I guess, just covering sports. And, you know, it's a great outlet. You know, a lot of people think sports is an easy thing. A lot of people think learning a trade is an easy thing. It takes dedication, Jeff, to learn these trades and do them well. Correct? It takes dedication, but more so the desire. You know, if they're in the trade that they want to be in, they have the desire to succeed and move up and move through those and master those trades. Yeah. I know one thing, I like the idea of trades with a lot of them being outside and working outside. That seems like a wonderful thing, especially when you live here in our area of the world in Northern California, it's a great opportunity. Yeah. Do you see contractors having a good go of it out there, Jeff? You know, because it's been tough, you know, as far as building goes, as far as restrictions go. I mean, California is not the easiest place to have a business and run a business. You know that probably more than anybody, doing it for this many years. Yeah, it's challenging anywhere in the nation, but especially in California. But no, contractors have learned to live with those restrictions and those rules and regulations and how to be successful. And that's why you see 38 different businesses, you know, out at Trades Expo next month. All right. How anxious are some of these trades in particular to get new talent in there? You know, whether it seems like, I know plumbers are always looking, it looks like for good guys and electricians, you brought those up too? Across the industries, of all the construction industries, there is a shortage of labor force. It's getting a little bit better. We're starting to see some of these young men and women coming back into the trades and helping to offset that. It's not offset at some, but there's still tremendous opportunity for those kids to make a good living in the trades. All right. One way you can make a living and get great benefits, I imagine, is the county and some of those opportunities there. Yeah. I think that just trying to broaden kids' perspectives and to see that there are a variety of different opportunities in private industry and also working for the county. One of the great things about county or even high school district employment is there's not just your salary, but there's pension plans built in and there's health coverage. We had a kid who's now working for the county that started off as an intern with wastewater facility, and now he's full-time with the county with a wastewater treatment facility. It started off with an internship. We're hoping to continue to build that pipeline. Wow. He was just mentioned, I think, by Taylor Wolf the other day when she was on. Was he like the Rookie of the Year? He was. Yeah. I got an award just recently. Yeah. Bradley was just named Rookie of the Year for the County of Nevada in their annual awards. Wow. That's awesome. Yeah. It's fabulous. He's a real success story. Yeah. There's lots of opportunities in the County of Nevada. Are there always openings? Is it like a lot of contractors? We still need people to step up and get into the trades? For sure. When you have 1,000 employees, there's always going to be opportunities. The county website has its HR and job opportunities, and there's always job opportunities available. It kind of ebbs and flows, obviously. Generally speaking, there's always going to be opportunities in public works and related fields. All right. Have you been surprised, Luke, in the years you've been doing the work with the CTE program, some of the kids that maybe picked a certain thing they wanted to go into and said, I don't know if this is going to be a fit for this kid, and it ends up being a fit? Yeah. I don't know if surprised is the right word. I've been around long enough to know that kids need to try. They need to get out. They need the experience. They need to see, you know, when you're in the classroom and you're learning about careers, but you're not doing it, man, it is not the same. They have to go. They have to get their hands dirty. They have to try it. And students who never thought they would love one thing will love it. Some that thought this was the direction they're going to go will say, no, I want to go a different direction. And that's what we can provide. And I think the other piece just to highlight is that what I hope you're hearing is that you have the county of Nevada partnered with the Contractors Association, partnered with the high school district, and all three are trying to work together to create this pipeline to employment in every area of trades in the county. And that's a model, and that's not something that has been done all across the state. As a matter of fact, Jeff and Kimberly Parker and I were invited to speak in Sacramento on the Capitol Mall about the partnership because it really is three big entities coming together saying we care about this county and we care about making sure that we have a pipeline to employment. And so that's the part where getting into this business that I wasn't surprised, but I was more impressed by the amount of coordination between a private sector, the county sector, and the school district. I mean, we've got two big bureaucracies and then a whole bunch of independent contractors. So that's something that I've been really impressed by and just excited to be part of. Yeah. I always wonder if it's because some of the leadership there have gone through the high school kid age and know what the world is out there. It'd be nice to kind of get some type of, like you said, a pipeline to maybe keep people here, let them learn a trade here, and just have success here. Yeah, I think so. And I also think there's an element, and Jeff Hanson and I, we haven't talked about it, but Jeff grew up here, I grew up here. We do care about the community, and we do want to see it be successful. And so there is a thread of a little higher moral imperative for us to get it right. And I think that shows through in the work that's happening is that it's bigger than just making sure that one industry has an employee or that I can tout that we have 200 interns. That's not what it's about. It's about making sure that this community is thriving and playing our role in that. And that was something that was instilled in me by my parents, I'm sure by Jeff, your parents, and just making sure we're doing our part to give back there. Yeah, that's a good point. When the kids are going through Jeff Hanson and trying out different trades and such, is there any embarrassing things that you've seen happen? Like a kid that's trying to drive a nail, he can't drive a nail? And I'm not bringing up Jeff Dulles at all. Oh, I thought you were talking about Dulles. No, I understand. This guy can hit jump shots on a basketball court, no problem. No, you're always going to see the kid that struggles at driving the nail or whatever the activity is out there, and they might get ribbed a little bit by their friend or something, but that's what it's about is to go out there and realize that, you know, I thought I really wanted to be a carpenter, but this is not my cup of tea, but, you know, I really want to be a draftsman. And I fell in love with that. It's super intriguing to me. And they can go that avenue. And like Luke said, it teaches them that, hey, all of these opportunities are here in Nevada County. And they can choose to stay here and work or go off to school and come back and get into these industries or go experience life for a few years, you know, outside the community, but they have these opportunities here with all of these different trades that are represented out there. All right. I know you're a jack of all trades, shall we say. I mean, you know a lot of trades. Are there certain trades that you could have easily gotten into, like if you, you know, concentrated more on that away from the family business? I suppose possibly if I had the interest in them, but that wasn't where my interest lied, so I didn't pursue those. But, yeah, I'm sure if it's something that interests you and you want to put in the time and you're devoted to it, most people can learn nearly any trade other than maybe Mr. Dulles. I'm the asterisk. I think there's trades for you. See, you can nail jump shots. That's the reason I brought up nails. No, no. I meant within construction. Yes, in construction. Yeah. Not athletics. Putting in hardwood floors. That's gymnasiums. Maybe. Maybe. I like that. All right. One thing. How do you – okay. Roofers are going to be there. Roofing contractors. I believe there is a roofer or two out there. All right. That's a tough one to me wrap my head around because I did that as a kid. Boy, I don't think there's anything I've ever done that beat me up more than roofing, it seemed like. Yep. That was a long day ago when I had a handful of nails. You didn't have a nail gun back then. No. All the trades have evolved just in my lifetime. It's just phenomenal how they've evolved. They're still hard work in a lot of them, but it's a lot easier than it was 15 years ago, 20 years ago. Technology is often wonderful at making life easier. What was interesting, too, the way you just said being like a draftsman and stuff. Are they at this Trades Expo as well as far as that type of thing? Yeah. There's engineer design people there. Engineers. That's awesome. I believe there's an architect or two out there. Yeah. Yeah. There is just a huge variety of trades people out there. That is awesome. Talk about opportunities for these kids just to find out about that stuff. I never had anything like that when I was a kid. Really, college was like that. Like I said, I tried to get into sports and do that. It got me to a radio station. That's about as close as I got. Just to have the Trades Expo is just a wonderful thing. What a great opportunity. The public is not really invited to this, though. This is a kids-only event. Am I correct on that? For the most part, yes. You are correct. That's why I think maybe presenting it on the radio. I think people would be excited what the school kids are doing, what the Contractors Association of the county is doing. It's going to be a great collaboration. We're down the home stretch here. A quick break. We'll be right back. Why is my lawn still drinking like it's July? Good question. Even when it's still hot outside, it's a good time to check your water use. Check your irrigation timer. Look for leaks, broken sprinkler heads, and don't forget to check faucets and toilets for leaks around the house. A small leak may not seem like much, but over time, those drops add up. Take a few minutes to make sure you're using water wisely. Nevada Irrigation District, serving our community since 1921. Why suffer through slow, spotty internet, or worse, no internet at all? At Smarter Broadband, we believe fast, reliable internet isn't a luxury. It's essential. 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When you know, you know. Get ready to win the prize of the day. Perhaps cupcakes, maybe a pasty, it could even be a Bloody Mary mix, or something totally different. Each weekday, late in the 7 a.m. hour, Tom and Paul present You Make the Call, a contest for which you do not need to know the answer, you just need to know if Paul knows the answer. Join us for a great opportunity at an incredible prize with You Make the Call, a part of the morning show for as long as I can remember. Each weekday, with Tom and Paul, on KNCO News Talk 830. And KNCO News Time, 954-68 Degrees, down the home stretch here of KNC Insight. Been talking about the Trades Expo, that's at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. It is October 7th, Wednesday, and the kids will be out there from the high school districts learning trades and getting introduced, having some fun, and getting the excitement, I guess, Jeff Dell, that's what happens with kids. I don't care if they're playing a sport, I don't care if they're in a play, there's some type of spark that happens when people get turned on to something that's really their fit, and that could happen very easily at this thing. No, for sure. When you have 500 kids in one location, and just to Luke's point earlier, the enthusiasm that the vendors and the contractors bring to the event is contagious, and the kids are engaged, and you talked earlier about potential behavior issues and whatnot. We don't have those because kids are so engaged, and it's a result of the enthusiasm and the opportunities that the contractors bring. Oh, great. That's my dog saying hi to somebody out there. Ranger. Yikes. Anyway, that was startling, to say the least. I apologize. Over there. Come here, dog. Okay, I lost my total trade. I think you were going to ask about scholarships, Tom. I think that's where you were going. Yeah, that's where I was going. Well, yeah, thank you, because the one thing I forgot to mention, and hats off to the Contractor Association for leading this way, too, is that we think a lot about trades, but we don't think about the money that it involves for a student to enter those trades. And so one thing that, and I'll let Jeff Hansen talk more about it, but they started pioneering these trade scholarships and giving students scholarships to either go to a trade school or to enter into the industry, and that had a trickle effect that led into our, we have a huge scholarship foundation and people donating to the high school district, and they started to see that, and they started to say, hey, we also want to support kids going into the trades. So because of the Trades Expo and the Contractor Association, they were able to create some awareness that these students need some funding, and we've been able to create that. Yeah, so where does the funding come from? Is it coming from contractors? Great question, Tom. It's coming from the Contractors Association, from its members, from donations. It's really the community coming together to make it possible. So if somebody's wanting to support this program and these scholarships, call Tom up at NCCA, Nevada County Contractors Association, and make a donation to the Trades Expo Scholarship Foundation and help that program out. But like Luke said, it's a great program, and it's not just money to go to school. It's literally money for tools to get these kids started because some of the trades do require a pretty heavy investment in tools and stuff. So, yeah, and without the help of the fairgrounds out there. That's a very good point, yeah. It wouldn't be possible, and all the local contractors, NCCA, the high school, and the county all coming together to make this happen, it wouldn't be what it is. So we really need to thank all those people, and if there's people out there or companies that want to help out but don't want to do a booth, help donate to that scholarship foundation. Looking at the website at NCCA, there's a lot of businesses that have stepped up to help sponsor this thing. Oh, absolutely. That's what makes it all possible. It is not cheap to put on, but it's very worthwhile for the kids. And you guys, by the way, are fairgrounds royalty when I think about it. Fair Family of the Year a few years ago, right? Yep. You just had Dad go into the Hall of Fame. Yeah, I'm just riding on his coattails. Doesn't everybody? Yeah, he's Hall of Fame. I think he was there when it opened. Yeah, grand champion multiple years in a row. He's got some fair history. Have you guys been Fair Family of the Year yet? No. I don't know if we're good enough for that yet, but we'll keep working at it. Yeah, I think you might be, but it is something to be said. Fairgrounds making this thing possible, it is a very important thing. And again, the school district making it possible to kind of get the logistics all settled out as well. I mean, this is a big-time event, getting the county involved as well. I have to thank Allison and the staff over there because she has really taken it upon herself as CEO over there to really make things happen, whether it's the Youth Commission, CTE programs, and all these opportunities for kids. She's demonstrated over and over her commitment to youth, and even the position that I currently hold is her vision along with Dan Frisella to put a commitment in dollars and cents to the youth of Nevada County. I was hoping some way you'd be involved with the maintenance staff over at the county, but that's not the position you hold over there. Not yet. Who knows? We're going to work on it. What an incredible community we have all coming together with businesses and industry and the public sector. And the biggest key of it is our youth. They're going to be highlighted by being involved and learning about the trades at the Nevada County 2026 Trade Expo. Again, it's at the Fairgrounds October 7th. I want to thank all three of these guys for bringing their energy to the table today, and I'm going to talk to my dog. We've got ABC News coming up next. [♪upbeat music playing♪ --- end of transcript ---