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The Santa Rosa Basque Club from Paradise Valley, Nevada celebrated on March 28th its annual Spring Mus Dinner. Around 80 people gathered, with seven couples playing as “three teams cancelled last minute.” Martin Bilbao and Tyler Navarro Smith, from Boise, Idaho got first and will, therefore, represent Santa Rosa at the NABO finals, to be celebrated in Homedale, Idaho on May 31.

AEBB/Paradise Valley, NV. Unlike last year, this past weekend, the Basques from Paradise Valley could not celebrate their annual dinner at the Stonehouse Bed and Breakfast, that it is now managed by new owners. Nonetheless, the Community Hall seemed to be “a good place,” to organize the event that was celebrated in a “great atmosphere,” in the words of Santa Rosa Basque Club member and organizer Susan Gavica.

Although most of the players were from Idaho and there were two couples that drove their way from Winnemucca, Nevada: Nekane Gavica and Ana Marie Smith, and Jerry Etcheverry and Mike Gorgari.

“We had a lot of fun. Everybody loved it,” said the organizer. The bar opened at 6:00 p.m., but some people arrived earlier; and the dinner was served at around 7:00 p.m. “A bunch of people were working in the kitchen,” admitted Gavica. But she was the main cook –along with mother and daughter Joni and Delfina Krakau, that arrived from Boise two days before− and the one that put the menu together, with the aid of Jesus Alcelay, also from the City of Trees, who helped her figuring out the amount of food needed.

They had a salad and a garbanzo soup as a starter, followed by pickled tongue, loin with peppers, paella with chicken and txorizo, and a piece of cod. As a desert, attendees brought rice pudding and cakes from home. “People loved the food, they were coming back to ask for more, I was very pleased,” stated Gavica.

People enjoyed the game and visiting. The annual dinner lasted until pretty late. Gavica herself worked and stayed at the Community Hall until passed midnight, “almost 1:00 a.m.” “I guess that’s a good sign,” she finished, with a smile.

Congratulations to the Club and to Martin Bilbao and Tyler Smith. Good luck in May in Homedale!