First, glance over at the right-hand column. You’ll find a new NorCal Fire scanner link that allows you to listen to scanner chatter on your computer. We hope this will help those of you in the fire zones keep up with what’s going on.

Second, I know how popular MarketFest is, and how much everyone was looking forward to its opening day today.

Bad news: The first MarketFest has been postponed due to the smoke. However, if all goes as planned, MarketFest will open the following Thursday, July 3.    

Third, I just returned home from my third Dancing with the Stars -Shasta County Style rehearsal.

I’m getting better, not at dancing, but at repressing the sensation to throw up on the way home from practice.

All six dancing couples practice at the YMCA, normally cooled by swamp coolers, except when there’s smoke in the air. So no air conditioning. Major bummer for heat weenies.

Heat aside, dance practice is far more difficult than I expected. Gosh, was it just two lessons ago we first learned the waltz, which I remember describing to my husband as kind of a boring dance? ONE two three, ONE two three, ONE two three.

Yawn.

Now I’d give almost anything for a boring waltz. My partner, Jake Carver, is also our choreographer. He’s quite creative and has pulled out all these dancer tricks from his waltzing tool box. The thing is, I’m no dancer. I can barely walk without spraining my ankle.

My and Jake’s waltz number lasts exactly 1 minute and 45 seconds. Sounds short, doesn’t it? It’s an eternity. Actually, the last time I felt this uncomfortable in such a short amount of time was when I was in labor. 

I enter the YMCA gym sweating and it goes downhill from there. Sometimes literally.

I look around see how graceful and elegant Chita Johnson and Tracy Edwards look. Even Kurt Starman looks more graceful than I do.

Tonight after class Les Baugh, my fellow star dancer said, “No offense, Doni, but I think you or I will come in last place.”

No offense taken. He’s probably right. I never said I could dance, especially not some of those wild and crazy moves Jake performs so beautifully, such as this groovy, undulating number with his head and shoulders. Waaaavy.

When I do it, I look like I need neck surgery. I’m serious.

But guess what? Even if I do end up being chosen as the most horrible dancer - even if I totally botch my waltz and disco, even if I have a wardrobe malfunction, even if I do as I did the other night in rehearsal and drop to the floor …

Jake and I could still win. Pretty cool, huh? See, the beauty of Dancing with the Stars - Shasta County Style is that although the dancing is the main event, when it comes to choosing the winner it’s really all about votes, not necessarily about the best dancer.

Everyone who buys a ticket to enter the Cascade gets one vote. Once inside the theatre, people can buy more votes. (It’s a fund-raiser, remember.)

With that in mind, if you attend Dancing with the Stars, I’ll understand if you cover your eyes when I’m on stage. Really, that’s OK with me.

Just remember to vote for Doni and Jake.