Melia Campbell

This coming weekend has a few community events to ring in the holidays. We start on Thursday evening at 6:00 pm with the Christmas Tree lighting in downtown Marysville. They have a beautiful live tree and we are treated to holiday songs sung by the local Master Chorale. We are also served complimentary hot chocolate from The Brick restaurant, located on D Street in Marysville. The next evening is the Christmas Stroll in downtown Yuba City, located just across the bridge, and it will be on Plumas Street. There will be local vendors with crafts, food, and information. One year you could even buy roasted chestnuts. This event runs from 5-9 pm. Bundle up though, it is still our version of a cold, winter's night. Saturday night we go back to Marysville for the annual Christmas Parade down D Street, where Santa will make an early appearance. The parade kicks off at 5 pm and boasts over 75 entries.

This weekend will be a busy one, but it is sure to put you in the holiday mood. Don't miss out on the fun!

I live in a small town, and I work in an even smaller town. My office is in Yuba County, CA, in the county seat of Marysville. I live across the river in Sutter County, in a small town called Yuba City. I have lived here nearly 22 years and have come to appreciate the small town atmosphere, the small town conservatism, and the small town friendliness. My kids marvel that every time we go out to run errands, we see someone we know.
And of course this means we stop and talk.

My office is located in historic Marysville, CA, in the downtown area. I bought the building in 2008, and it has offices downstairs, and 5 apartments upstairs. The downstairs houses Campbell Realty, my coin shop W.S. Coin, as well as a paralegal and a medical consultant. Sometimes I wish it housed me too. I love going to my office. I love the way it feels when I walk in to the nearly 100 year old building. I love the fact that there are tenants upstairs in the apartments, watching over things. I love that we can walk to the local coffee shop called The Brick, and that the local gym, The Yuba Sutter Training Zone, is literally around the corner. Our bank is around the corner, there are small restaurants that dot each block. There are parades at least 3-4 times a year that march right down D street, a half-block away. The library is 2 blocks away, and I can select from an array of printers, attorneys, accountants, antique shops, photo stores, and soon an art gallery, all within walking distance. Marysville isn't Tiburon, or San Francisco, or Grass Valley, but it is small, friendly, quaint, and affordable.

I am so grateful to live and work where I do. Marysville, CA is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. You should check it out, it's hard to beat.

Friday was a great day in historic Marysville, CA. We had our annual Vetera's Day parade down D Street. What a great event, as always. There was a local Pearl Harbor survivor that participates every year who led the parade again. There were local High School bands, military divisions from Beale AFB, local Army personnel, and local elected officials that marched in honor of our Veterans.

The highlight of the parade for me was the young Air Force airman who was marching in the parade from one of our local units. He spotted his wife and baby daughter and was able to hurry over and plant a kiss on the forehead of his little girl, and give his wife a quick hug, then get back into the parade with his group. What a sweet moment, and a reminder of just what these families sacrifice to serve our country.

Of course they had some of our U-2 pilots, a large contingent of equipment from our local Museum of the Forgotten Warriors, with men in uniform driving the vehicles. They even had an old jeep from WWII that was used as an ambulance. Wow, what an experience. I am posting a large number of photos from the parade on my website at www.CampbellRealtyCa.com. Check them out, and see the spirit of Marysville, CA, and our appreciation for our Veterans.

I live near a miltary base. Beale AFB to be exact, in Yuba County, California. Each year on Veteran's Day we hold a parade in our small town of Marysville, CA. The parade doesn't have vendor booths, there is no charge to enter the parade, and I don't believe there are any awards for the participants. The parade is filled with our local military personnel, local service clubs, local leaders, and local families, all paying tribute to those who have served our country over the years. The usual "Grand Marshall", is a man who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. Last year was the first time I have attended. The parade is a half-block from my real estate office, and I took my husband and children on a day we would normally be closed, and I opened my doors and talked to my friends, my neighbors, and our local military members. That parade is one I won't forget.

I remember the two little girls, probably around 5 or 6, who were holding a sign that said, "Bless our Daddy". I spoke to the mother and she said her husband was deployed. She had come with her girls to the parade to honor her husband, and all those he serves with. I admit I got a little emotional as I spoke with this woman. How could I not? She was there with her children, her husband far away risking his life for his country, and she was smiling, happy, and grateful for the honor that was being paid for what he was doing.

I watched the units of Army and Air Force members marching down the street at strict attention. I listened to our local school bands as they marched along. I saw the volunteers on horseback, part of our local Sheriff's Posse. There were nearly 7000 people there watching the parade, standing at attention as the flags went by, cheering for those who serve and sacrifice. My personal favorite, the members of the U-2 squadron were on a float of their own. You see, my best friend's husband was a U-2 pilot. He too was stationed at Beale AFB. I will never forget the day he came home from work grinning from ear to ear. He walked through the door and practically shouted, "I can't believe they pay me to do this! I love this job!". That is what I think of when I think of those who serve. They do it because they love this country. Yes, the risks are high, the pay can be low, and they sacrifice much, sometimes their very lives. As the scriptures say, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). I am so grateful, especially on Veteran's Day, for those who loved this country, and me, enough to give their very lives. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!