A10 | Saturday, June 16, 2012 | The Union | Section A

Tickets at:The Center Box Office - 530-274-8384

314 W. Main St, Grass Valley, CA 95945The BriarPatch Coop - 530-272-5333

www.thecenterforthearts.org

Friday, June 22, 8:00PMVETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM

INDIGO GIRLSWITH FULL BAND

Shadowboxers opening$35 members, $40 non-member

Wednesday, June 27, 8:00PMIN THE INTIMATE MAIN STAGE THEATER

NEW WAVE LEGENDS

SQUEEZE$50 members, $55 non-member

Dance Concert - Limited Theater Seating

THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

FEATURINGMIM FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA & INTERSTELLAR LIGHT SHOW

8:00PM, Tickets available from $15 child to $65 adult premium, $100 Family Pass – 2 adults, 2 childrenMusic in the Mountains Box Office - (530) 265-6124 • Center for the Arts Box Office - (530) 274-8384

Concert at 8:00pm, Gates open at 6:00pm, Festival seating on the lawn. Bring chair or blanket.

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NEVADA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS SATURDAY, JUNE 23

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LOVE PIANO!

The KNCO & Kane’s Restaurantfifth annual Penny Pitch will beheld at Kane’s Restaurant on June23.

The fun begins at 11:30 a.m. andthe games begin at 1 p.m.

“The mission of the PennyPitch is to provide a unique andfun promotional event for NevadaCounty Broadcasters and Kane’sRestaurant’s friends and valuedcustomers,” Penny Pitch founderJoe Hevia Jr. stated in a news re-lease. “Secondarily, our mission isto provide an event and venue for anonprofit organization, such as Do-mestic Violence and Sexual AssaultCoalition, to raise money by solic-iting donations and contributions.And it is just a ton of fun.”

Kane’s Restaurant will offer a spe-cial Penny Pitch menu of deliciousentrees at great prices, live enter-tainment, and special drink prices.

Raffle prizes are won throughoutthe afternoon.

“We are thrilled to have DVSACchosen this year,” said DVSACExecutive Director Niko Johnson.“My family and I attended thePenny Pitch last year and my nine-year-old daughter nearly won thething! It was a great time with greatfood and raffle prizes. We can’t waituntil the pitch this year. I encour-age everyone to form a team, comeon out and pitch a penny for a greatcause.”

The KNCO & Kane’s Annual Pen-ny Pitch is designed to provide afun and entertaining afternoon forindividuals, groups, businesses andfor friends and family of all ages.Register teams of 6 or get more in-formation by visiting www.pennyp-itch-nevadacounty.com. Registra-tion is also available at www.dvsac.org or by calling the DVSAC offi ceat (530) 272-2046. If you or yourbusiness is interested in sponsor-ing this year’s Penny Pitch, contactJoe Hevia Jr at (530) 272-3424.

The Domestic Violence and Sex-ual Assault Coalition was foundedin 1978 and has been serving survi-vors in western Nevada County for32 years. DVSAC mission is to offerresources for building healthy rela-tionships and to work with commu-nity partners to provide services forhealing the effects of interpersonalviolence. Visit the website www.dvsac.org for information.

Submitted photo John Kane, left, of Kane’s Restaurant; Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Coalition Director Niko Johnson; and Joe Hevia

Jr., founder of the Penny Pitch; are getting geared up for the fifth annual event — slated for June 23 — which will

benefi t DVSAC.

Penny Pitch supports DVSACWho: KNCO Radio and Kane’s

RestaurantWhat: Fifth annual Penny PitchWhen: 11:30 a.m. June 23Where: Kane’s Restaurant, 120

E. Main St., Grass ValleyWhy: To benefit the Domestic

Violence Sexual Assault Coalition

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an early-bird walker or someone seekingthe morning mail, but those pajamas inthe brisk wee hours of the morningmade her circle back.

“It just didn’t look right,” said 24-year-old Savannah. “I just thought, ‘Youknow what? I’m going to go back andmake sure she’s OK.’”

In a day when most folks won’t getinvolved, it’s a very good thing she did.

"I asked her, ‘Are you OK?’”“No, I’m lost,” the woman

answered.She said she was visiting her daugh-

ter but couldn’t find her way back to thehouse.

Realizing this might take a while,

Bandy unloaded her hundreds of copiesof The Union from the passenger seatand helped her new friend, dressed onlyin silk pajamas and socks, into her car toget warmed up.

Not knowing where to start thesearch, Savannah took the most logicalcourse of action: She called Mom.

“She said, ‘Mom, this little old ladyis out here in her pajamas!’” saidSavannah’s mother, Heather Noe, whotold her daughter that she’d have to startknocking on doors, no matter how angryit might make the folks answering them.

“She was always raised that way. Ifyou find somebody needing help, youdon’t pass them by.”

Fortunately, the first door belongedto Mike and Judy Rath.

“Mike and I went outside and she

said she was there visiting her daughter,but didn’t know which home was hers,”Judy said. “But this was a woman I rec-ognized.”

Once they got the woman to herhome, no one was answering the knockat the door. But while they were on thephone with police dispatch, the woman’shusband finally answered at the door.

Judy said the man was quite sur-prised to see his wife had been outside.

“He asked her ‘What were youdoing out there?’ and she looked at himand asked ‘Who are you?’”

Wondering whether the woman isdealing with dementia or was just out ofher sorts so early in the morning, sheshuddered to think what could havehappened to the woman, considering themobile home park is surrounded by for-

est and the Highway 49 freeway.Judy considers the woman fortu-

nate to be found and she set out to thankSavannah for her random act of kind-ness — despite the not-so-welcomedwake-up call — in a “Kudos” letter toThe Union:

“I didn’t get her name,” Judy Rathwrote, “but I wanted to express my grat-itude to the young newspaper carrierthat rescued my elderly neighbor lastnight. This young woman found herwandering in the street, stopped, put herin her car to warm her and drove aroundtrying to find her home. The elderlywoman was disoriented and couldn’tcommunicate well.

“This young woman stayed withher until we found her home, woke her

husband and got her inside. I know thatshe was late with her deliveries, but shedidn’t hesitate to stay. What a wonderfulperson you are. Thank you.”

Savannah, though, seemed sur-prised by anyone drawing attention towhat she did.

“It’s just who I am,” said Savannah,a mother of “two small babies — a littleboy and a little girl.”

By writing the letter, of course, JudyRath returned one act of kindness withanother.

“It was just wonderful to see some-one that caring and kind,” she said,explaining why she took the time towrite the letter to the paper. “I mean,that’s just above and beyond to me.”To contact City Editor Brian Hamilton, emailbhamilton@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4249.

BANDY:Continued from A1

town,” Whittlesey said.While it is difficult to quantify,

Strawser said various market estimateshave indicated that between $200,000and $500,000 comes to Nevada Citythrough the race directly.

He estimated that as much as $1million or more comes in throughoutthe rest of year, based on studies ofcomparable events in similar communi-ties, he said.

“The regular merchants don’t seemuch that day,” Strawser said.

“But we see people coming backcontinually for the rest of the summerand all fall for a full weekend and stay-ing at hotels and shopping because theygot exposed from the race.”

As for the race day, in addition tothe historic setting, the crowds thatcome year after year are an attractiveelement to racers, Strawser said.

Like the chicken and the egg,Strawser said he isn’t sure if the tough

route has attracted the big nameswhich in turn attracted the big crowds,or if the big crowds attract the bigname riders.

Either way, thousands of spectatorsand national media outlets convergeonto the little mining town every year.

“Year after year, racers are alwaystalking about how electric the crowd isin big magazines,” Strawser said.

The race route is a 1.1-mile loopwith a 120-foot stair-step climb fromYork to East Broad streets and an addi-tional rolling hill along East BroadStreet that allows racers to reach speedsof up to 50 mph, Strawser said.

“The setting is huge,” Strawsersaid. “That is what makes us one of thehardest and most unique races.”

Last year Ian Boswell was the firstcompetitor in 30 years to win the mainmen’s race back-to-back. Boswell isscheduled to return for this year’s race,although he has reportedly come downwith an illness last minute and whetherhe will recover by race time remains to

be seen, Strawser said.Truckee resident Katerina Nash,

racing for the Luna Chix Pro Team, isset to return to defend her own back-to-back titles in the Women’s Pro race.

“There is nothing like this raceanywhere,” Strawser said. “It’s one ofthe reasons it has had the longevity andendurance.”

Parking

With the tight race route throughthe small downtown’s narrow streets,parking is something worth planningahead and allotting extra time for, raceofficials caution.

Broad and Union streets are closedafter noon for the race.

For parking south of the course,take the Sacramento Street exit andturn left over Highway 49. Continue upSacramento Street and park in thestreet around the Tour of Nevada CityBicycle Shop in the Seven Hills neigh-borhood.

For parking just east of the racecourse, or on streets surrounding thecourse, take the Broad Street exit off ofHighway 49 and turn right to publicparking or turn left to public parkingand streets surrounding the course.

For parking north of the course,turn left on the Downieville/Highway49 exit and turn right and drive 1/4mile to the Nevada CountyGovernment Center (the Rood

Center), located at 950 Maidu Avenue.This huge parking lot is less than a milewalk from the top of the race course.

Pre-race party

Starting at 5 p.m. today, racers,fans, volunteers and even some soapboxderby folks will be at the ‘ol RepublicBrewery located behind SPD Marketat 124 Argall Way in the Seven Hillsbusiness district.

The event itself is free to all ageswishing to attend, while food and bev-erages will be available for purchase.

In addition to spaghetti served inthe brewery at a cost starting at $6, ahandful of food venders will set upbooths in the parking lot.

Live music from Achilles Wheelwill play.

The event is put on by the brewery,Tour of Nevada City Bike Shop, theChamber of Commerce and RealWheels Bicycle Studio.To contact Staff Writer Chris Rosacker, email cro-sacker@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4236.

CLASSIC:Continued from A1

KNOW & GO

WHAT: 52nd Annual Nevada City BicycleClassic

WHEN: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, June17 (Father’s Day)

WHERE: Downtown Nevada City

RACE ROUTE: Course starts at the inter-section of Broad and Pine streets andcontinues counterclockwise to Union,Commercial, York, North Pine, Cottage,Main, East Broad streets, before headingback down Broad Street. For a copy ofthe course map, see today’s Sportssection, page B4.