On Monday, May 12, 2014, at 1:30pm, the Chico Friends of the [Saturday] Farmers’ Market held a press conference outside City Hall before submitting a stack of petitions that measured almost 3 ft. tall to the Chico City Clerk.  Spokesperson for the group and former Chico mayor, Karl Ory, said, “. . . the voters of Chico are turning in over 9,352 signatures to keep the Saturday Farmers’ Market at the same site it has served the Chico Community so well for 21 years with 12,000 customers a month.  We would urge Councilmember Sorenson to stop using city staff and taxpayer funds to try and block a voters’ initiative.  This will be on the November 4th regular ballot.”

Karl Ory

Chico Friends of the Farmers’ Market.

“When the City of Chico decided to evict the Saturday Farmers’ Market, our Board of Directors voted unanimously to endorse the initiative as we believe the voters, not the City Manager or the politicians, should decide this.  The CCFM is composed of more than 100 small businesses that pay taxes and bring economic activity to downtown Chico,” said Richard Coon, President of the Chico Certified Farmers’ Market Board of Directors.

Farmer and CCFM Board President, Richard Coon.

Here’s the story in photos. ( Click on the image to view larger.)

Friends of the Farmers’ Market and supporters carry petitions upstairs to City Clerk

Waiting for City Clerk

Cheryl King, Friends of the Farmers’ Market, stacks petitions on Clerks counter.

Forrest adds more.

Petitions stack almost 3ft tall.

City Clerk, Debbie Presson accepts petitions.

Karl Ory signs petitions over to the City Clerk.

The familiar sign.

Friends of the Farmers’ Market, Karl Ory and Cheryl King look pleased.

The next day, Luann Mann, Friends of the Farmers’ Market and Dani Brinkley, assistant City Clerk, watch as City Clerk counts the petitions.