Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

“Saxophonist Clarence Clemons, an indispensable part of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band both for his full-throttle tenor sax work and his larger-than-life onstage persona as ‘the Big Man’ died Saturday. He was 69.

“Clemons, who put his stamp on such Springsteen staples as ‘Born to Run,’ ‘Jungleland’ and ‘Rosalita,’ died in a Palm Beach, Fla., hospital of complications from a massive stroke he suffered June 12 at his Florida home, a spokeswoman for Springsteen and the E Street Band said.

“‘Clarence is his sax’ Springsteen told Peter Gambaccini, author of the 1979 biography “Bruce Springsteen. ‘Sometimes you can’t tell where Clarence ends and his sax begins.”‘

The rest of the article is here.

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Here’s some photos from the Nevada City Soapbox Derby this weekend, thanks to Tom Dalldorf, publisher of Celebrator Beer News and a regular reader. The next to last one is from regular reader and photographer Doug Keachie. Both sent them to Sierra Foothills Report.

“This is a Droid X pic of the final heat, showing Team Telestream in first, Mountain Recreation in second, and The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum in third,” Keatchie writes.

The last photo is from the KNCO/Kane’s Penny Pitch in neighboring Grass Valley, which attracted more teams than last year —and from outside the county. It was shot by Julie Jordan of the Downtown Association.

We attended the opening of the Nevada City Farmers Market and the KNCO/Kane’s Penny Pitch in Grass Valley. We visited with former KTVU-TV news anchor Dennis Richmond, whom I knew when I worked at The Chronicle and was on his show from time to time as a business commentator. Dennis was pitching pennies.

Lots going on this weekend.

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An executive office of Swift Communications in Reno is up for sale for $2.2 million, according to real-estate postings. Here, here and here.

The building currently houses Swift Marketing Partners, Swift Digital and Clear Sky Ventures, also a Swift Venture. Swift lists its main office in Carson City. The main office used to be listed in Reno. Swift’s longtime chairman and former CEO — a friend of The Union’s editor/publisher — has worked out of the Reno office for years.

The two-story standalone building, at 12,192 square-feet, is at 500 Double Eagle Court, visible from Hwy. 395 with a “Reno.com” sign.

“High-end Class A finishes and exceptional views of the Sierra,” the listing reads. I can attest to that, having been there. Also well-appointed bathroom counters — looked like granite.

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Long after the statement below appeared on The Union’s website, the newspaper — and others in the Nevada-based Swift chain — are polling online readers (poll questions further down).

“Dear Readers,

We are working to make this feature of our website better meet the preferences and standards of our readers and our publication. In the interim, we are pausing commenting on our website. We continue to encourage emails and letters from you to our staff and editor.

Thank you!”

The poll questions are here:

1. I consider reader comments to be an essential feature of this website: 

•Strongly Agree

•Agree

•Neither Agree nor Disagree

•Disagree

•Strongly Disagree

2. The quality of the comments from readers on this website in general:

•Entice me to read more articles and the comments on them

•Discourage me from reading articles and sharing articles with friends and family

•I do not read the comments to articles on this website
Other (please specify)

3. How often do you leave a comment on this website?

•Daily

•Once a week

•Once a month

•A few each year

•Never

4. Please provide any additional feedback on the role of comments on this website and/or your experience with the commenting tool.

Please provide any additional feedback on the role of comments on this website and/or your experience with the commenting tool.”

In the era of Facebook and booming social media, I find it odd that you would question the value of interacting with your readers. As for monitoring the comments and assigning a policy, that’s the responsibility of media outlet.

I’m proud to say we do not have any such issues on Sierra Foothills Report, though I did see “dirtmover” commenting on Russ Steele’s blog.

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Crazy Cow Yogurt, which I first wrote about here, is open in downtown Nevada City.

“It is yummy,” said Chamber Executive Director Cathy Whittlesey in an email. “I tried the strawberry — no sugar added. Delicious.”

The yogurt shop used to be the Crazy Horse salon.

With a tagline “Your twist on frozen yogurt,” Crazy Cow offers self-serve frozen yogurt and treats, a popular idea as proven by Culture Shock Yogurt in Grass Valley. It also will offer snacks, prepared sandwiches and salads from deli cases.

The location is at 230 Commercial St. in the historic downtown.

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The Nevada City Council will consider options for expanding downtown parking spaces, as well as an ordinance to ban smoking in additional outdoor public places, according to the agenda.

The meeting is on Wednesday.

The Council also will set a date for it to consider the appeal of Planning Commission approval of a permit for a meditation center to operate at 710 Zion Street.

Other items:
•Fiscal year 2011-2012 budget hearing
•Updated fee structures for City Planning Department.
•A resolution establishing a 1.4 percent reserve in the general fund for 2011-2012.

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“Leaving the Legislature behind to stew over his budget veto, Gov. Jerry Brown touched down in the California desert Friday for the ceremonial groundbreaking of a solar power plant,” according to the Sacramento Bee.

“It was Brown’s second straight day away from Sacramento, and he appeared to appreciate the space.

‘”I came out here from our state Capitol at a time when lots of fur is flying, and lots of howls of execration: ‘Oh no, you can’t do that,’ Brown said on a sun-soaked site near the Arizona border.

“‘Well, yes, I did veto the budget, and yes, we are going to have fiscal discipline, and yes, we’re going to be the world leader in solar energy and all the jobs that that can create.

The rest of the article is here.

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