>Disney and Broadway favorite returns to Cache Creek

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BROOKS, Calif. – Filipina singer Leah Salonga has had a long history in show business. At age 7 she made her professional debut in Repertory Philippines’ production of “The King and I.” At age 10 she began her recording career, eventually receiving a gold record for her first album, “Small Voice.” At age 13 she won three Aliw Awards – an award for Filipino live entertainers – for Best Child Entertainer during the years 1981, 1982, and 1893.

As an adult Salonga played the role of Kim in the critically acclaimed production of “Miss Saigon” with performances in London, where she won the Laurence Olivier Award. From London she went to Broadway where she garnered the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards.
On Friday, Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 17 at 8 p.m., this award winning singer, actress, and performer will bring her talents to Cache Creek Casino Resort’s Club 88 stage.

Her other notable theater performances include “Les Miserables,” “Grease!,” “Into the Woods,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Fantasticks,” “Annie,” “Paper Moon,” “The Goodbye Girl,” “The Rose Tattoo,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof,” performing in Manila, London, Singapore, and New York City.

She also recorded the singing voice of Jasmine for the Walt Disney animated hit, “Aladdin.” Among her special appearances was one and at the 65th Annual Academy Awards where she sang “A Whole New World,” the title song from that feature, which won an Oscar.

Throughout her career, she has remained true to her roots. “Through whatever I’ve done,” she says, “the image of the Filipino was made a little more positive, and that somehow, the Filipino was given the chance to smile and be proud. Hopefully, the world’s awareness of the Filipino artist remains.”

Tickets are available for $99/$89/$75/$65 through Tickets.com on the web: http://www.Tickets.com, phone: (800) 225-2277 or at http://www.CacheCreek.com and Cache Creek Casino Resort guest services.

Contact: Cean Burgeson, Communications Manager: (530) 796-5333; cburgeson@cachecreek.com

>Cache Creek embracing the sweet island sounds of Na Leo

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BROOKS, Calif. – Cool breezes, fresh island air, and warm sun come to mind when listening to the unique sounds of the music from our neighbor state to the west – Hawaii. One practitioner of this unique brand of musical entertainment is Na Leo Pilimehana, which in Hawaiian means “the voices blending together in warmth.” This three woman singing group, coming to Cache Creek Casino Resort on Oct. 24 at 8 p.m., is the most popular, most award-winning and biggest selling female Hawaiian group in the world. Known as Na Leo for short, the trio consists of childhood friends, Nalani Choy, Lehua Kalima Heine and Angela Morales.

Angela and Nalani met in the first grade and six years later both met Lehua in the seventh grade. They found that all three shared a love of music and became members of the concert glee club. Their first hit came as high school seniors when they entered Hawaii’s youth talent contest, “Brown Bags to Stardom” in 1984 with their original song, “Local Boys.” The tune, “an ode to the bronzed and buffed,” as local writer David Choo says, blasted onto the charts and ruled at #1 for months. Stoked by the favorable response, they put out their first hit album, also entitled “Local Boys,” which included three other original compositions. The next year, the hit single “Local Boys” won the prestigious Hoku Music Award (Hawaii’s version of the Grammys) and became the best selling single in Hawaii’s history — a record that still stands today.

Despite the mega success of that first album, the trio didn’t make a dime. Discouraged about music as a way to make a living, they decided to get on with other things, like college, jobs and marriage. That all changed about eight years later when a producer dangled the idea of making another album. The girls missed performing together, so in 1993, they released “Friends,” another Hoku-award winner and a huge hit — so much of a hit that Attorney General Janet Reno had to weigh in when the Hawaii Department of Education tried to ban students from playing the tune at their proms and graduations because it made reference to “God.”

Since 1982, they’ve released 18 CDs, won 22 Hoku Awards, been in the top 20 Adult Contemporary charts nationally, and made music that’s become an important part of the lives of their many fans. In 2005, Na Leo celebrated their landmark 20th anniversary with their first DVD release, titled “I Miss You My Hawaii” and a new studio album produced by legendary record producer Keith Olsen entitled “Feel the Spirit.” Their latest project “Where I Live, There Are Rainbows,” is enjoying successful sales.

Tickets are available for $69/$59/$49 through Tickets.com on the web: http://www.Tickets.com, phone: (800) 225-2277 or at http://www.CacheCreek.com and Cache Creek Casino Resort guest services.

Contact: Cean Burgeson, Communications Manager: (530) 796-5333; cburgeson@cachecreek.com

>Promotions at Cache Creek

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The Good Life can be yours in September

During the month of September you can live “The Good Life” at Cache Creek during The Good Life Giveaways. In some cultures, the number 9 symbolizes long life and longevity, and means “long life forever.” That’s why September is a particularly lucky month this year when the stars align and the number 9 occurs three times, on 9-9-09!

To celebrate, we’re giving away $999 every hour throughout the month of September. Cache Club members can earn three drawing entries each day by swiping their card at the Cache Club. Additional entries are earned with the purchase of a Harvest Buffet meal, round of golf at Yocha Dehe Golf Club, hotel night stay, with each hand paid slot jackpot, or by playing table games and being dealt one of the 9-9-09 special hands:

• A pair of 9s on the Player’s first two cards in Blackjack
• All suited Blackjacks
• A hand with 9 and Gong or better in Pai Gow Tiles
• Winning tie wagers with 9s in Baccarat and Min-Baccarat
• $10 or higher winning bet with 9 in Casino War
• Straights or better for winning Bad Beat Jackpot wagers in Three Card and Four Card Poker
• Pai Gow Poker hands with three 9s
• Any hand dealt Pocket 9s in the Poker Room
• All Poker Room promotional wins and Poker Tournament wins.

Cache Club members can drop their entries into the drawing drum located in front of the Cache Club to qualify to win $999 in cash every hour. Winners must be present to win, so cash prizes not claimed within one hour of the drawing will be rolled into the following drawing — so the opportunity to win big if you stay and play are outstanding! Come to Cache Creek and experience The Good Life!

Cash Blitz Jackpots in October and November

Football fans — it’s first and goal at our Cash Blitz Jackpots every half hour at Cache Creek during the months of October and November. The clock is ticking down and the action will be fast and furious. The Cash Blitz kicks off October 1st and runs through the end of November. That’s when Slot and Table Games players will be hit every 30 minutes from 4 p.m. until midnight with the Cash Blitz, awarding players with cash windfalls of $1,000 each.

All you need to do in order to join the team is become a Cache Club member, and then you’ll be eligible to score big during the Cash Blitz. ANY player in table games OR slots could go the distance and win some big cash! Cache Creek’s Cash Blitz Giveaway, where you could be a $1,000 winner twice an hour every day!

Double Point Fridays

Every Friday Cache Creek’s guests continue to earn double points when they play their favorite slot machines. These points show up automatically while playing with a Cache Club card inserted into any machine and are instantly added to each player’s account.

>Featured Event: Taste of Capay – October 25

>The Taste of Capay is a special meal featuring food grown on various farms and ranches in and around the beautiful Capay Valley. Guests can enjoy local wines, live music, and bid on auctions to raise money for the non-profit organization Capay Valley Vision.

Capay Valley Vision, a community based organization established to help preserve and promote the Capay Valley, is the host of the sixth annual Taste of Capay benefit dinner and auction. The annual gathering takes place at Taber Ranch, a family-owned business set on an expansive working ranch in the valley.

Taste of Capay is catered by Cache Creek Casino Resort chefs using the best local ingredients. “We are thrilled to again have Cache Creek Casino generously donate their time and talents to the Taste of Capay,” said Capay Valley Vision Executive Director Sue Heitman. “The Taste of Capay is an event we all look forward to each year.”

The event began as a small group of neighbors coming together to showcase the bounty of the local area and has now developed into a grand production with a guest list of over 350. This is the third year Cache Creek Casino Resort and the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians will cater the entire event with Executive Chef Stefan Cheng and Chef de Cuisine Ryan De Guzman.

“On behalf of the casino and the Tribe it is our honor to support such a wonderful event, “ said Marshall McKay, Chairman of the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians. “The Taste of Capay is truly a showcase of all that our community has to offer.”

“Buy local, buy Fresh” is one of the mottos of Capay Valley Vision. Organic farms and fresh produce thrive in the valley and are in high demand from restaurants all over Northern California, including Sacramento and San Francisco. This is a great opportunity to sample some of this high quality organic fare. The event will be held from from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. on October 25th. Tickets are available for $55. For more information please visit http://www.capayvalleyvision.org or call (530) 787-3353.

>Guests are safe and sound at Cache Creek

>Employee Focus: Director of Security Mark Longshore

Mark Longshore, Cache Creek’s Director of Security, is a California native with a long history of working in the casino security business. Sixteen years of that time he’s been with Cache Creek Casino Resort, starting as Assistant Director of Security in 1993 when the property was a humble bingo hall.

Today, he’s built up his department to provide security services in a number of different ways. “It’s a 24 hour a day business, so there’s always something going on,” says Longshore. “The entertainers who come in to perform here don’t travel with a lot of security, so we handle it for them. We also do all of the security for the casino and the hotel, as well as for the Tribe. We do executive security too. My job is not just focused on one thing, and that’s what I like.”

Cache Creek’s security staff also coordinates with other law enforcement agencies like the California Highway Patrol and Yolo County Sheriff’s Department during the performance of their duties. “We have a great working relationship with Yolo County’s Sheriff Department,” says Longshore. “We even do training with their department, and work closely with their CAP deputies (Capay Augmented Patrol).” These are Sheriff’s Deputies who are funded by Tribal money who are specifically assigned to patrol the area surrounding the casino and the Capay Valley.

In order to provide the wide variety of security services for the resort, Cache Creek Security staff takes part in constant, ongoing training, sometimes cross training with groups such as the FBI, Homeland Security and Secret Service. Longshore, who also holds a Criminal Justice degree with a minor in Psychology, participates in all of this training as well. “We train in a number of areas, including the laws of arrest, search and seizure, and firearms,” explains Longshore. This training is certified by the state and is used when security staff must detain suspects and make arrests. “We need to know about the law in order to do our job,” he says.

Security staff also takes part in executive protection training, arrest and control, defensive tactics, ground fighting, first responder, combat shooting, CPR/First Aid, and other training typical for a peace officer of the highest caliber. “We do a lot of law enforcement or military type training,” says Longshore. “It instills confidence and gives our officers the ability to act quickly and effectively to any real life situation that might arise.”

What all of this training and experience boils down to is a highly skilled force that is specifically designed to maintain the safety and security of patrons to the casino, its staff, and the members of the Tribe. “Our primary goal is to make sure that everyone who comes onto the property is in a safe and secure environment,” says Longshore.

>Youth hockey is a constant learning process

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Parental Guidance
By Cean Burgeson
for California Rubber Magazine

As hockey parents with a son entering his sixth year of playing, I can safely say my wife and I have evolved from “greenhorns” into fairly educated hockey folk with experience in four hockey associations covering two different states. As such, there are opinions we hold now that are very different from when my son was in learn to play hockey, mini-mites, mites, and squirts. Now that those days are behind us, we have the benefit of time and experience. Each year we learn a few new things and change our perception of what hockey means to us and our son, as well as how we approach the sport. That’s one of the exciting aspects of youth hockey – it always seems to present something new for the families who become involved with the sport.

With the benefit of this hockey hindsight, there are two topics I wrote about last year that I’d like to re-address, as my opinions and insights have sharpened a bit over the course of the last year. The first topic is changing hockey programs. At the younger levels of hockey, it seemed to me that changing programs didn’t make a whole lot of sense. If you can keep the same group of players together year after year, hockey associations and programs benefit, and the development of each individual player and their team performance overall increases. This opinion has not changed.

That being said, I feel the need to add one small addendum. Every hockey program has their own distinct offerings which differentiate them. Some programs are run by rinks, while others are run by associations. Some field teams at every level, while others do not. Because of these types of differences, you may find yourself changing teams more than once during the course of your player’s hockey career. There are also factors such as program cost, rink distance, the ability to play up a level, and whether or not the player actually makes a given team. All of these affect where your player laces up for the season.

The second topic is the ability to play up a level. I said in my previous column that I don’t think kids should play up unless it’s an exceptional case. I still believe that is true. However, I’ve modified my opinion a little. I’ve found there are times when it just makes good sense to move a player up if they are performing well enough to do so or if a team is having trouble fielding the required number of players without moving someone up. I must add that this determination should not be made by parents, but by the coaches.

I think it’s valuable to reassess the hockey experience each year. One of the great things about youth hockey is that not only are the kids constantly learning new things, but so are the parents. I encourage all of you to look for ways to improve your own “hockey IQs” this season along with your player.

>The many hats of a hockey parent

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Parental Guidance
By CEAN BURGESON
for California Rubber Magazine

Hockey parents fulfill many roles for their youth athlete. First and foremost, we are parents; nurturing our children and making decisions that are in their best interests. These decisions include which teams our kids should play on, how we’ll get them to practices and games, and how we’ll pay for their season, equipment, tournaments, and other hockey related expenses. At times, it seems like chauffer and financier are the only roles we play in our hockey players’ lives. But don’t underestimate your influence.

Some parents are also coaches or assistant coaches. With this comes the added responsibility of the welfare and development of not only our own player, but an entire team full of other players. But even if you don’t coach your son or daughter’s team, there’s a good chance you’re coaching your child at home, by playing street or inline hockey and going to sticks and pucks sessions. This type of involvement has an incredibly large impact on your child’s growth and abilities as a hockey player.

Another hat we wear as hockey parents is that of trainer. We have to make sure our athletes get enough sleep, eat the right foods, and stay healthy. Part of this may involve helping a child recover from an injury by taking them to doctor’s appointments and supervising rehab exercises. And after the healing process is over, taking the proper steps to prevent further injuries.

An additional role that all hockey parents fulfill but may not think about is that of sports psychologist, especially with younger athletes. We have to keep them mentally prepared and prop them up a bit when they get cut from a team, take a tough loss, or perhaps don’t perform on the ice as well as they had hoped. Goalie parents are probably the best amateur sports psychologists on the planet.

We are also agents, managers, and public relations staff. I’m not saying we should be grooming our kids for the NHL. I’m talking about being an advocate for your young athlete. This means being involved with their development in an active and constructive way by maintaining a good relationship with the coaching staff.

This doesn’t mean arguing ice time or telling the coaches how much better your kid is than the rest of the team. Instead, carefully watch their development and pursue a healthy dialogue with the coaches as to what your player needs to work on in order to develop most effectively. And lastly, we are public relations specialists, sending out relentless emails, Facebook postings and pictures to grandparents, friends and family members, probably to the point that they think we’re mad for spending so much time on hockey. It’s great, isn’t it?

So, as we set out on yet another hockey season, I’d like each one of you to pat yourselves on the backs for successfully wearing all of these hats during the course of this season. You deserve it, and probably don’t get praised enough for all that you do.

>SF Comedy competition launched a bevy of stand up’s greatest stars

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For Immediate Release
Sept. 10, 2009

Annual San Francisco contest comes to Cache Creek in October

BROOKS, Calif. – Hundreds of comedians audition each year to compete in the Annual San Francisco International Stand Up Comedy Competition – but out of this group of talented comics, only thirty are chosen. More than just a run of the mill comedy contest, over the years many now famous performers have taken part in this renowned competition. In 1976, the first year it was held, Robin Williams came in second place.

And in the years since, many other talented comedians have emerged from the competition as well. 1977 Comedy Champ Dana Carvey went on to fame on Saturday Night Live and several feature films. Marsha Warfield won in 1979 and went on to star as everyone’s favorite Night Court bailiff. Two first runners up — Ellen DeGeneres and Mark Curry — landed their own TV series. 1993 Crown Prince Patton Oswalt has appeared on a number of television programs as well as serving as a regular on King of Queens and the voice of Remy in the successful animated feature “Ratatoullie.”

Other entertainment industry notables followed. Carlos Alazraqui, 1993 winner, was the voice of several animated characters in addition to the Taco Bell Chihuahua and is now a regular on “Reno 911.” Well known actor comedians Kevin Pollack, Sinbad, and Rob Schneider have all become successful stars on both the big and small screen.
Some non-winners also achieved fame. Roseann Barr, Janeane Garofalo, Steven Wright, Bobcat Goldthwait, Christopher Titus and DL Hughly all competed in the San Francisco International Stand Up Comedy Competition despite never making it to the finals.

Comedy fans interested in seeing tomorrow’s stand up stars before they make it big can catch all the action at Cache Creek Casino Resort’s Club 88 on Oct. 3 at 8 p.m., hosted by Northern California comedian Jack Gallagher. Tickets are available for $35, $25, and $19 through Tickets.com on the web: http://www.Tickets.com, by phone: (800) 225-2277 or at: http://www.CacheCreek.com and Cache Creek Casino Resort guest services.

Press contact: Cean Burgeson, Communications Manager: (530) 796-5333; cburgeson@cachecreek.com

>Blackjack at Cache Creek is always a good bet

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By CEAN BURGESON
for Destination Cache Creek Magazine

One of the most popular casino table games is Blackjack. It’s an easy game to learn and play with several exciting variations, as Cache Creek’s Vice President of Table Games, Bill Harland, explains. “At Cache Creek, we offer a variety of Blackjack games to satisfy any player’s appetite, including six deck shoes, double deck and single deck games.”

Once you decide how many decks you prefer to play with, there are a few rules at Cache Creek’s Blackjack tables that you may want to know before you head out onto the gaming floor. For instance, on all Blackjack games, the Dealer must stand on cards totaling a hard 17 or greater but must hit a soft 17 (an Ace and 6).

There are also rules that players need to follow with respect to touching the cards at the Blackjack table, which vary depending on the number of decks being dealt. “The main difference between the games is that the cards are dealt face-up out of a six deck shoe,” says Harland. “And because they’re face-up, the player does not need to touch the cards. On the double and single deck games, the cards are held by the Dealer and dealt face-down. Because they’re face-down, the player is allowed to handle the cards.”

There are slight variations in the rules for each Blackjack game, too. “In six deck shoe games and double deck games, Blackjacks (an Ace and a ten or face card) are paid at 3 to 2 odds,” explains Harland. “For example, a $10 wager is paid out $15 for a Blackjack. On single deck games, the payouts are different. Blackjacks are paid at 6 to 5 odds, so a $10 wager pays $12.”

“Another feature on our six deck shoe games is an optional proposition wager called Lucky Ladies. The customer wagers that their first two cards equal a card count of twenty. Any Unsuited Twenty pays the customer 4 to 1, a Suited Twenty pays 9 to 1, a Matched Twenty (same card, same suit) pays 19 to 1, a Queen of Hearts Pair pays 125 to 1, and if the Queen of Hearts Pair is dealt when the Dealer has a Blackjack, the customer receives a 1,000 to 1 payoff.”

Betting on each different Blackjack games varies. On shoe dealt games and double deck games, the players may double down on any two of the first cards dealt, but on single deck games the player is only allowed to double down on two cards totaling 10 or 11. Be sure to check the rules posted at each table or ask one of the dealers if you are unsure of the rules at a particular table.

No matter which variation of Blackjack you choose, there’s plenty of exciting action at Cache Creek’s tables. “We’ve got every type of game a Blackjack fan could want,” says Harland. “Come on out and give us a try.”

>Los Lobos ‘La Bambas’ their way to Cache Creek

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For Immediate Release Contact: Cean Burgeson(530) 796-5333

BROOKS, Calif. – Over the past 35 years, East L.A. band Los Lobos has assembled a body of work diverse enough to captivate fans world wide. Along the way, they’ve redefined how a rock band and rock music can sound. The band has notched a number one single, won three Grammys, and sold millions of records. They’ve also shared the stage with acts as varied as Dylan, The Clash, and U2. And their debut album, “How Will the Wolf Survive?” made Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Fans of the group will be able to catch them on Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. at Cache Creek Casino Resort.

Los Lobos’ journey started in 1973, when David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, and pretty much anything with strings), Louie Perez (drums, vocals, guitar), Cesar Rosas (vocals, guitar), and Conrad Lozano (bass, vocals, guitarrón) were still roaming the halls of East L.A.’s Garfield High. After graduation they made their bones playing souped-up Mexican folk music in restaurants and at parties. By the early eighties, however, they’d tapped into L.A.’s burgeoning punk and college rock scenes, landing on bills with bands like the Circle Jerks, Public Image Ltd., and the Blasters, whose saxophonist, Steve Berlin, would eventually leave the group to join Los Lobos, cementing the line-up that still holds today.

In 1987, with the release of the Ritchie Valens bio-pic, “La Bamba,” Los Lobos achieved massive commercial success. Their version of Valens’ signature song climbed to the top of the Billboard singles chart, and suddenly five guys who saw themselves as “just another band from East L.A.” were superstars.

Many of their peers have since called it quits, but Los Lobos has continued to write and record and tour like a band that’s got 35 more years in them. As Rolling Stone writes, “With the exception of U2, no other band has stayed on top of its game as long as Los Lobos.”

Tickets are available now through Tickets.com on the web: http://www.Tickets.com or by phone: (800) 225-2277 or at: http://www.CacheCreek.com or Cache Creek Casino Resort at the guest services desk for $59, $49, and $39.
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