​Despite its rough and tumble image in the 1860’s, the Comstock and those that worked it made huge efforts to bring some culture to where they lived. Even then, they saw the value in spending an evening enjoying the arts, be it opera, stage performances or orchestral presentations. Although Plumas County may not be as “raw” as it was a century and a half ago, its residents still long for exposure to the great art of the world. At least that’s the way some feel, and the PSCF Foundation has decided to do something about that. “Plumas Goes Pops!” is a series of concerts, held at the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, featuring musicians from the Reno Pops Orchestra. These performances will bring popular and exciting orchestral music to our rural county that is on par with much larger cities.
The Reno Pops is conducted by Chester/Lake Almanor product; Jane Brown. Jane graduated from Chester High School and earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University. She has taught music for the Plumas Unified School District and began conducting symphonic music in 2001. She was appointed to conduct the Reno Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra where she inspired hundreds of young musicians in Northern Nevada for four years. In 2004, she was selected to conduct and serve as musical director for the Reno Pops Orchestra. Through her many concerts over the years, a following has developed in Plumas County and a Reno Pops performance is always worth the trip to Reno. In 2013 she was also appointed the conductor of the Ruby Mountain Symphony in Elko, Nevada. Her career goal, as well as the Reno Pops’ goal, is to “seek to help children and adults in our community explore a wide range of orchestral music”. They do this through innovative educational programs and offering as many accessible performances as possible. We are fortunate to have them willing to make Plumas County part of that goal.
The Reno Pops is a wonderful amalgamation of musicians, from working professionals to advanced high school artists. It includes music teachers, hobbyists and retired folk. They perform works by the world’s greatest composers, both old and new. From a Bach fugue to a John Williams Star Wars symphony, listeners are delighted by the variety and familiarity that is offered. Brown has put together a series of four concerts, each one presenting a variety of works guaranteed to please veteran concert goers, and inspire novices and youngsters. Forget about any stereotypes you may have about sitting in concert hall listening to a one hour symphony of melancholy notes. When these performances are over, you will definitely want more.
The series kicks off on the evening of Saturday, March 14 in Serpilio “Concert” Hall on the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds. This event will be a String Orchestra with piano and percussion, performing the works of Vivaldi’s first movement of his piece; Four Seasons. Other works by Joplin, Strauss, Tchaikovsky and even Gershwin, to name a few, will be presented.
The second concert will feature a Woodwind Quintet and piano on Saturday, April 11. This performance will include Prokofiev’s wonderful “Peter and the Wolf” and works by Mozart. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce our youth to this sort of music and build an appreciation that will only serve to  enhance their lives.
The third in the series will feature the Sierra Brass Quintet; the Faculty Quintet of the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Music that is sure to bring people to their feet. Works will range from the classic; Gabrieli’s Canzona Per Sonare no. 4, to the contemporary; You’ve Got A Friend In Me by Randy Newman. The performance will also include selections from West Side Story. It will take place on Saturday, May 9.
The climax of the Plumas Goes Pops series will happen on Saturday, June 13 with the entire Reno Pops Orchestra performing works by Rimsky-Korsakov, John Williams, a medley from “Chicago”, all highlighted by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Each performances begins at 7pm
The PSCF Foundation is hoping to raise enough money to not only break even on the series, but to generate additional funds to continue it’s work in improving the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds. Part of that mission is promoting the fairgrounds as a vital part of Plumas County, and by offering programs like this, the Foundation feels it is accomplishing it’s goal. The cost of this series is not small, and the Foundation hopes to sell at least 200 season tickets to cover most of the expense. Tickets are available at Plumas Bank branches and the Fair Office in Quincy.
Individual performance tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for students, 18 and under. Feather River College students with college identification are included in the $10 price. Season tickets, including all four concerts, are $70, with discounts available for members of Plumas Arts, Friends of the Library, Plumas County Museum Association and the PSCF Foundation. There are special offers for those wishing to show greater support of Plumas Goes Pops; including special seating, receptions and promotional opportunities. Details are available by calling 530-283-6272.
Organizers hope the community sees the value in this sort of performance and shows its support by purchasing tickets or a sponsorship. Obviously, without that support, it is impossible to bring this caliber of presentation to our County. While that is not the end of the world, it is certainly one less thing that could make our world a better place.

​SACRAMENTO -Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) introduced a measure to protect driver's information collected by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

In 2018, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) that created rights for consumers, protecting them from unscrupulous businesses collecting and sharing their private data.
Despite these new regulations, a recent media investigation showed that the DMV generates over $50 million annually selling data that drivers are required to provide in order to receive a license or register a vehicle.
SB 1121 will prohibit the Department of Motor Vehicles from selling or allowing access to driver's license or vehicle registration information, which exposes Californians to infringement of their private information.
For Californians to obtain a driver's license or register a vehicle, they must provide the DMV with private and personal information, especially since the introduction of California's new Real ID, which requires additional personal documents to verify someone's identity. The information is provided to the Department on the assumption that it will remain confidential.
"It is a legitimate fear that someone may steal your identity, hack your accounts, stalk you, or just make your life miserable," said Senator Brian Dahle. "The government that you entrust with your personal information should not add to that fear and then profit from it."
As a government agency utilized by nearly all Californians, the Department of Motor Vehicles should not be able to sell this personal information to anyone outside of law enforcement for any reason. This breach of data is now a concern for everyone who uses the DMV, but especially for victims of robocalls, scams, stalking, harassment and assault.
Senator Brian Dahle represents California's 1st Senate District, which contains all or portions of 11 counties, including Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Siskiyou, and Shasta.

​Nevada City, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service will handsomely reward up to $500 for the recovery of stolen U.S. Forest Service firefighter equipment and / or any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft of the government property.
The equipment and other stolen items were taken from Tahoe National Forest Headquarters in Nevada City, California during late December 2019 to early January 2020.
Anyone who is able to provide any information about this incident, may contact the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations Office at Tahoe National Forest Service Headquarters at: (530) 265-4531.
For more information about the Tahoe National Forest, go to www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe. Join the conversation by following us on Twitter at twitter.com/Tahoe_NF and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TahoeNF.

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb 17 -- Giving voice to the majority of Americans who want price transparency in healthcare, the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] has joined other patient advocacy groups to jointly submit an Amicus Brief to support the Department of Justice's motion for summary judgment in American Hospital Association (AHA), et. al., v. Azar.

At the heart of the case is a disagreement over whether the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) overstepped its authority when it issued a regulation last November that would compel hospitals and other health providers to disclose their cash and negotiated contract prices to patients in a clear, easy-to-access format. The AHA and a cohort of hospitals sued to block the requirement, which was set to go into effect January 2021.

PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) led the coalition of transparency supporters in filing the brief, which was prepared and filed by counsel Jeffrey Harris, a partner with Consovoy McCarthy PLLC, in Arlington, Virginia. 

In addition to AMAC, PRA is joined on the brief by Independent Women's Law Center, (IWLC), and the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF).

Amici argue that many American workers have high-deductible plans, which make negotiated prices part of their “out of pocket” costs and rebut AHA claims that forcing disclosure violates the parties’ First Amendment rights. As amici notes, hospitals and insurance companies routinely disclose prices in their explanation of benefits statements. Their rates are not secret, just revealed after it’s too late for patients to choose more cost-effective care. 

According to a Harvard-Harris poll, a bipartisan 88 percent of Americans support government mandates for hospitals and insurance companies to show their prices.

“America’s seniors are among the most vulnerable,” said AMAC Action Senior Vice President Andrew Mangione.  “Although those over age 65 make up only 15 percent of the population they account for more than a third of health care spending. Opaque prices can be especially devastating to them. We hope to extend these transparency rules beyond hospitals to include prescription drug prices as well.” 

The AHA and a consortium of other hospital groups filed suit against HHS in December 2019 to stop the Trump Administration's price transparency rule requiring hospitals to disclose their negotiated rates and cash prices. 

The hospital lobby maintains that HHS exceeded its statutory authority under the Administrative Procedure Act and violated the First Amendment by mandating speech in a manner that fails to directly advance a substantial government interest. 

However, no court has ever invoked the First Amendment to invalidate government efforts to provide truthful, accurate information to consumers about marketplace transactions.  Furthermore, as the Amicus Brief argues, the Supreme Court has emphasized that “[s]o long as we preserve a predominantly free enterprise economy, the allocation of our resources in large measure will be made through numerous private economic decisions.”

If the Court sides with the amici and grants HHS's motion for summary judgment, the case will be dismissed, and the rule will stand. The Court is expected to hand down a decision in the coming weeks. ​

(Chico, CA) – Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) released the following statement after helping secure $500,000 for Chico from the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP), allowing for Chico Municipal Airport (CMA) to partner with an airline to create a route to Los Angeles (LAX).  In 2018, LaMalfa sponsored and amendment to the FAA reauthorization removing a longstanding prohibition that kept Chico Airport from receiving commercial air grants.  The work was part of a year’s long effort with Jet Chico to return commercial air service to the Chico Municipal Airport.
 
LaMalfa said: “Today’s grant announcement is great news for our region and will help provide the backing needed to return commercial air service to Chico. For many years major companies have looked to expand into Butte County due to our great atmosphere, quality university educated students, and relative affordability. One major hurdle has held them back – a lack of commercial air service. A change in the 2018 FAA reauthorization in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was required to make Chico eligible for the grant. It’s been years in the making and I’m happy to have helped make this a reality. With a direct route through LAX, anyone in the world have direct connectivity to our area and see how much opportunity there is for prosperity and growth.”
​

​From March until mid-May, census takers will be conducting special operations and hand-delivering paper questionnaires to many rural and remote households for an accurate and complete count. This process started in January in remote Alaska. 
 
State, local, and federal lawmakers use statistics from the once-a-decade census to determine how hundreds of billions in federal funds will be allocated every year for the next 10 years for critical public services and programs such as Water and Waste Disposal for Rural Communities, Rural Business Development Grants, and Rural Housing Preservation Grants. Responses to the census also determine how many seats a state gets in Congress.  
 
The Census Bureau recently published a story explaining the importance of counting rural and remote populations, which may be helpful for residents in Sierra to understand why some of your surrounding communities will be one of the first to be counted in the 2020 Census this spring. 

​FARM BUREAU OPPOSES ‘SPLIT-ROLL’ TAX INITIATIVE
 
Warning that an initiative on property taxes threatens harm to rural communities, the California Farm Bureau Federation has voted to oppose it. Known as Initiative 19-0008, the measure would establish a split-roll property tax that would reassess commercial and industrial property, including agricultural facilities. Backers are collecting signatures to qualify the initiative for the November ballot.
 
“It’s unusual for Farm Bureau to oppose a measure at this early stage, but our board of directors is very concerned about the impact this initiative would have on rural California,” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said. “Although its backers claim agricultural land would not be affected, the initiative would trigger annual tax reassessments at market value for agricultural improvements such as barns, dairies, wineries, processing plants, vineyards and orchards.”
 
Johansson said Farm Bureau opposes efforts to weaken Proposition 13, the 1978 tax-reform measure that limits property tax increases.
 
“Proposition 13 protects California farmers by giving them certainty about their property tax bills,” he said. “The split-roll measure would increase the tax burden on California farmers at a time when family farms and ranches already face threats to their water supplies and rising costs to comply with the state’s employment and environmental regulations.”
 
Johansson said measures that increase costs for family farmers and ranchers undermine their ability to supply jobs, especially in rural California, and their ability to supply food and farm products for customers in California and worldwide.
 
“The split-roll tax initiative would add more economic pressure on rural areas that are already under strain, and that’s why we oppose it,” he said.
 
The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 34,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 5.6 million Farm Bureau members.
 

 
Campground hosts needed for 2020 season-Little Grass Valley & Sly Creek Reservoirs-
 
QUINCY, Calif – Volunteer campground hosts are needed for several Plumas National Forest campgrounds located at Little Grass Valley and Sly Creek Reservoirs near La Porte, California. The volunteer positions will likely begin in late May and last into September or October, depending on the weather.
 
“If you’re enthusiastic about camping and like people, this may be a perfect summer activity,” said Dave Brillenz, District Ranger for the Feather River Ranger District. Host duties may include welcoming visitors, sharing news and information about recreational opportunities in the area, and light campground maintenance. Hosts must provide their own self-contained RV or trailer and personal vehicle.
 
If you are interested in hosting at Little Grass Valley Reservoir or Sly Creek Reservoir Campgrounds, contact the Feather River Ranger District at 530-534-6500.
 
Additional forest information is available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/plumas/home and www.Facebook.com/usfsplumas.
      
 

Lee Anne Schramel
Public Affairs Officer

Forest Service
Plumas National Forest

p: 530-283-7850
c: 530-616-1175
elizabeth.schramel@usda.gov

159 Lawrence Street
Quincy, CA 95971
www.fs.usda.gov/plumas


Caring for the land and serving people

 
 




This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Plumas County Sheriff’s Office 1400 East Main Street Quincy, Ca. 95971
***NEWS RELEASE***
CIRCUMSTANCE:
Date of release: 02/18/2020
Agencies involved: Plumas County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol
On 02/18/2020 at approximately 1000 hours, California Highway Patrol air operations, H-14 located footprints believed to be made by Caleb Wilson. The area where the footprints were discovered is a remote, forested area with approximately two feet of snow and located between Johnsville and La Porte, Ca.
Plumas County personnel checked the area on snowmobiles and located Caleb approximately four miles north of La Porte. Caleb was found to be in good health and was given a ride to the Plumas County Sheriffs Office.
The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the California Highway Patrol for their efforts in helping finding Caleb.
Thank You Todd Johns Sheriff/Coroner
By Sergeant Clark
​

THE ISSUE OF SEASONAL ROAD CLOSURES for certain county highways due to rescue calls and also significant road damage that occurs because of the increasing volume of traffic was discussed during the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting held Tuesday in Loyalton. Sierra County Planning Director Tim Beals stated this issue seems to be misunderstood and there’s always strong sentiment against gates and closures. He said an ordinance was authorized in 2017 but added, a lot has changed since then. Beals stated the roads that seem to be attractive to motorists wanting to get stuck are Gold Lake Road, Henness Pass Road from Verdi to Long Valley, portions of Henness Pass from Kyburz into Smithneck, and Antelope Road. He said these roads seem to have a lot of appeal to 4-wheelers, which are destroying the county road service and causing the Road Department to adjust priorities to fix the damage. The primary concern is a lot of vehicles aren’t equipped for this type of travel and immediately get stuck which drains County resources. Beals stated they had four events this past weekend where motorists were stuck and needed assistance. He felt the Board needed to come up with an ordinance that allows discretion to seasonally close roads when conditions are optimal, adding it would take a lot of monitoring because as the snow melts they don’t want close up roads to the public that would normally have access. Beals said they are trying to eliminate damage, the drain on county resources for search and rescue calls, and increase public safety. Supervisor Sharon Dryden felt a lot of the problem stemmed from people getting lost using GPS. Beals said absolutely, and they have put up signs in areas stating not to use computer-based GPS and people just drive on past them. He said it was “a circus on Gold Lake Road last weekend” with the amount of vehicles getting stuck.
Supervisor Lee Adams was supportive of physical barriers but wanted to still allow snowmobiles and OSV can get through during the winter. Beals felt if there was a consensus he would put more time in on the issue and bring in maps and give some optional language as well as discuss having a public hearing. A unanimous consensus was made.


AN AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES between DUDEK and the County of Sierra for additional Environmental Consulting Services for the Sierra Hot Springs Masterplan Project was discussed during the Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday, February 18th in Loyalton. Sierra County Planning Director Tim Beals stated this was an amendment to the existing agreement that increases the scope of work. He said this was taking a project that he and his staff felt very comfortable with in supporting a mitigated negative declaration, but due to public comments he didn’t think they could avoid an Environmental Impact Review (EIR) at this point, which would cost $173,000 on top of what they’d already spent. Beals said the scope of work was very detailed which includes additional biological studies, noise studies, groundwater supply studies, and a series of public hearings. He said from what he’s seen, there’s a fairly strong sentiment against the program, which Supervisor Paul Roen stated is consistent with the General Plan. Beals felt Sierra Hot Springs has been very cooperative and mitigated impacts, but there are some lingering issues like noise, visual issues, and some think the project is too big. He said the only way to proceed at this point is to do an EIR. Roen stated this request came from the applicant. Supervisor Lee Adams asked if they voted this down, does that kill the project. Beals stated they could proceed with the negative declaration or potential option to deny the project, but it would put them in a tough spot, and the EIR is the process Sierra Hot Springs is willing to take. Adams said he wanted to vote no as a protest because he sees this as CEQA was developed as a tool and now it is being weaponized. He added that people complain that we don’t have a bank, service station, restaurants and this is why.
The agreement was approved unanimously but most with a protest and disgusted yes.


A PRESENTATION by Wendy Jackson, Sierra County Schools for Adults, on starting a Fire Basics Academy in Sierra County was held during the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday in Loyalton. Superintendent of Schools, James Berardi, introduced Jackson, stating he was excited they were implementing adult education and looking at different ways to educate our community. Jackson stated she met with CALFire and unfortunately they don’t have the resources to support a full-blown fire academy, but are able to support us in a variety of different chunks. She has been meeting with fire chiefs of our districts who shared with her their training needs and so the fire academy will now be a combination Fire/EMS. Jackson stated adult education would be providing a variety of the different trainings local fire districts need to stay in business. These trainings will be S130, S190, Hazmat, and low angle rescue.
She stated another meeting is scheduled on February 25th at 4 pm in Sierraville with all the fire chiefs to put together a must do list for this year with contact information to start scheduling these trainings.
Jackson announced adult education has now extended into Pike and Alleghany. She said it has a robust English as a Second Language (ESL) program with 13 participants to start that evening.
She stated they are a post secondary institution and now accredited, recognized state and nationally, and working on becoming a training facility for up scaling our community.
She invited the Board to their first high school graduation on March 20th from 6-7 p.m. at the District Office, Room 4.


SIERRA COUNTY LIBRARY SERVICES and the proposed contract with Plumas County was discussed during the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday in Loyalton. Sierra County Auditor Van Maddox told the Board it appeared Plumas County was in agreement on everything except who was responsible for payroll and the employees. He said there are three employees which work in Loyalton, Alleghany, Downieville and Sierra City and would be considered extra help in the County system. Maddox stated they’d already agreed for the volunteers to come in under Sierra County’s volunteer program to have them come to all the needed trainings. He was hoping Plumas County would keep the actual paid employees mainly because we don’t know anything about running a library. Plumas County’s concern is these libraries are very far from them and they don’t feel comfortable since they don’t touch base on a regular basis. Maddox stated if the County took these on he sees very low liability so long as they have someone who is actually being the manager, seeing them every pay period, to help with safety issues, harassment issues and make sure everything is going alright. He just doesn’t know who that would be. Maddox’s concern is, this seems to be a big deal for Plumas County. Plumas County has been paying for them and taking care of them since 1995. Supervisor Sharon Dryden stated they’ve had two adhoc meetings on this and taking on the payroll isn’t the problem. Plumas County employs the licensed librarian and somebody has to be responsible for the training and management of these employees. Sierra County has no department head, and Dryden felt the employees needed to stay a Plumas County employee so they have a direct supervisor to make sure they are doing their duties. She was fully supportive of Plumas County providing library services, but didn’t see how Sierra County could manage librarians, adding they needed to be accountable to somebody. Maddox said Plumas County was concerned about the risk, and didn’t know the exact risk, but thought maybe facilities in Downieville and Alleghany were part of it, adding the County was looking into these concerns. He suggested offering to take them as employees but ask Plumas County to manage them, adding if liability was their only issue, this may take care of it. County Counsel stated she would help with the language but told the Board they need to figure out what to do if Plumas County won’t accept the offer. 
Direction was given to communicate with Gabe and a couple supervisors from Plumas County to engage in conversations on this and report back.

LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPTS. and Forest Service responded early this afternoon to a fire along Hwy 49 at what old timers remember as the Don Vanetti property. At 2:25 p.m. Loyalton is being reassigned and getting the water tender.

 
                                                               - Community invited to provide comments-
 
QUINCY, Calif. – The public is invited to an Open House on Monday, Feb. 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to provide comments and ask questions on the grant applications that the Plumas National Forest will be submitting for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Cooperative Funds through the State of California State Parks 2019/2020 grant cycle.
The OHV Grants Open House will be held at the Plumas National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 159 Lawrence Street. Quincy, CA 95971.
The Forest is in the process of developing preliminary proposals for the California Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division with an emphasis on road and trail maintenance, development of an OHV trailhead, and restoration of both non-system and system roads. Public input is welcome to help the Forest develop these proposals.
Road and trail maintenance proposals consist of maintaining and managing approximately 220 miles of National Forest System (NFS) roads and trails which provide OHV opportunities for all vehicle types, and year round access to public lands across the Forest in the areas of Granite Basin, Snake Lake, Diamond Mountain, Antelope Lake, and portions of the Plumas National Forest Backcountry Discovery Trail. The proposal also includes support for the over snow program at Bucks Lake on the Mt. Hough Ranger District. For more information on these proposals, contract Craig Kusener, Plumas National Forest Roads Manager at (530) 283-7895, or by email at craig.kusener@usda.gov; or Leslie Edlund, Mt. Hough Ranger District Public Service Staff Officer at (530) 283-7620, or by email at leslie.edlund@usda.gov.
A Forest Restoration Project proposal would close and obliterate approximately 31 miles of unauthorized non-system routes and seven miles of system roads that are currently open to motorized use by full-sized 4WD vehicles. The non-system roads are located on Beckwourth and Mount Hough Ranger Districts within the project areas for four recent forest health projects (Cradle Valley, Mohawk Vista, Hayden, and Franks Valley). The seven miles of system roads are located within the Storrie Fire Watershed Improvement Project area. For more information on this proposal, contact Joe Hoffman, Forest Hydrologist, at (530) 283-7868 or by email at joseph.hoffman@usda.gov.
An OHV Development proposal would include development of a popular OHV trailhead at the top of the Mt. Hough Trail, just below Mt. Hough Lookout. Trailhead development would consist of adding an informational kiosk, a restroom facility, and picnic tables for all users to enjoy.
Once completed, the preliminary grant applications will be available on the OHMVR website on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 through Monday, June 1, 2020 for review and comment. Review the applications submitted, athttp://olga.ohv.parks.ca.gov/egrams_ohmvr/user/ReviewProjects.aspx.
The public may provide electronic comments to the Plumas National Forest (applicant) by e-mailing Erika Brenzovich, Recreation and Lands Program Manager, at erika.brenzovich@usda.gov and carbon copying (cc) the OHMVR Division at ohvinfo@parks.ca.gov.
Written comments, suggestions, or letters of support for the applications can be sent to Ms. Brenzovich, at erika.brenzovich@usda.govor 159 Lawrence Street, Quincy, CA 95971.
For more information about the Plumas National Forest see http://www.Facebook.com/usfsplumas or http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas .
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        - College students capture images of the natural world-
 
QUINCY, Calif. – The Plumas National Forest is pleased to present photography of local Feather River College (FRC) students Elizabeth Ramsey and Meggin Poh in the lobby of the Mt. Hough Ranger District, through March 14, 2020.
Meggin Poh’s love for photography began when she began taking photographs of the natural world in Plumas County.  Meggin likes her photos to reflect intimate spaces within life, whether it be a personal or family portrait, the beauty of nature, or the extraordinary. 
Elizabeth Ramsey hopes to combine her talent for photography of nature with her passion for conservation and art, in the form of scientific photojournalism.  She is currently pursuing a career in Environmental Studies at Feather River College.
Both of these outstanding photographers are involved with the Feather River College Studio Arts program.
Artwork may be viewed during regular office hours (8:00 am to 4:30 pm) at the district office located at 39696 Hwy 70, Quincy.  For further information contact Kathy Powers at               530-283-7630.
For information about the FRC Studio Arts program and photography classes contact Josh or Jay at 530-283-0202, ext. 240 or email Jay: jdamron@frc.edu.
For more information about the Plumas National Forest see http://www.Facebook.com/usfsplumas or http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas .
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Despite its rough and tumble image in the 1860’s, the Comstock and those that worked it made huge efforts to bring some culture to where they lived. Even then, they saw the value in spending an evening enjoying the arts, be it opera, stage performances or orchestral presentations. Although Plumas County may not be as “raw” as it was a century and a half ago, its residents still long for exposure to the great art of the world. At least that’s the way some feel, and the PSCF Foundation has decided to do something about that. “Plumas Goes Pops!” is a series of concerts, held at the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, featuring musicians from the Reno Pops Orchestra. These performances will bring popular and exciting orchestral music to our rural county that is on par with much larger cities.
The Reno Pops is conducted by Chester/Lake Almanor product; Jane Brown. Jane graduated from Chester High School and earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University. She has taught music for the Plumas Unified School District and began conducting symphonic music in 2001. She was appointed to conduct the Reno Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra where she inspired hundreds of young musicians in Northern Nevada for four years. In 2004, she was selected to conduct and serve as musical director for the Reno Pops Orchestra. Through her many concerts over the years, a following has developed in Plumas County and a Reno Pops performance is always worth the trip to Reno. In 2013 she was also appointed the conductor of the Ruby Mountain Symphony in Elko, Nevada. Her career goal, as well as the Reno Pops’ goal, is to “seek to help children and adults in our community explore a wide range of orchestral music”. They do this through innovative educational programs and offering as many accessible performances as possible. We are fortunate to have them willing to make Plumas County part of that goal.
The Reno Pops is a wonderful amalgamation of musicians, from working professionals to advanced high school artists. It includes music teachers, hobbyists and retired folk. They perform works by the world’s greatest composers, both old and new. From a Bach fugue to a John Williams Star Wars symphony, listeners are delighted by the variety and familiarity that is offered. Brown has put together a series of four concerts, each one presenting a variety of works guaranteed to please veteran concert goers, and inspire novices and youngsters. Forget about any stereotypes you may have about sitting in concert hall listening to a one hour symphony of melancholy notes. When these performances are over, you will definitely want more.
The series kicks off on the evening of Saturday, March 14 in Serpilio “Concert” Hall on the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds. This event will be a String Orchestra with piano and percussion, performing the works of Vivaldi’s first movement of his piece; Four Seasons. Other works by Joplin, Strauss, Tchaikovsky and even Gershwin, to name a few, will be presented.
The second concert will feature a Woodwind Quintet and piano on Saturday, April 11. This performance will include Prokofiev’s wonderful “Peter and the Wolf” and works by Mozart. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce our youth to this sort of music and build an appreciation that will only serve to  enhance their lives.
The third in the series will feature the Sierra Brass Quintet; the Faculty Quintet of the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Music that is sure to bring people to their feet. Works will range from the classic; Gabrieli’s Canzona Per Sonare no. 4, to the contemporary; You’ve Got A Friend In Me by Randy Newman. The performance will also include selections from West Side Story. It will take place on Saturday, May 9.
The climax of the Plumas Goes Pops series will happen on Saturday, June 13 with the entire Reno Pops Orchestra performing works by Rimsky-Korsakov, John Williams, a medley from “Chicago”, all highlighted by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Each performances begins at 7pm
The PSCF Foundation is hoping to raise enough money to not only break even on the series, but to generate additional funds to continue it’s work in improving the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds. Part of that mission is promoting the fairgrounds as a vital part of Plumas County, and by offering programs like this, the Foundation feels it is accomplishing it’s goal. The cost of this series is not small, and the Foundation hopes to sell at least 200 season tickets to cover most of the expense. Tickets are available at Plumas Bank branches and the Fair Office in Quincy.
Individual performance tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for students, 18 and under. Feather River College students with college identification are included in the $10 price. Season tickets, including all four concerts, are $70, with discounts available for members of Plumas Arts, Friends of the Library, Plumas County Museum Association and the PSCF Foundation. There are special offers for those wishing to show greater support of Plumas Goes Pops; including special seating, receptions and promotional opportunities. Details are available by calling 530-283-6272.
Organizers hope the community sees the value in this sort of performance and shows its support by purchasing tickets or a sponsorship. Obviously, without that support, it is impossible to bring this caliber of presentation to our County. While that is not the end of the world, it is certainly one less thing that could make our world a better place.

The Barbed Wire - February 14, 2020
​

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that it is expanding insurance options for hemp farmers, launching two programs that protect the crop from natural disasters.  To be eligible, growers must have planted hemp for at least a year and have a contract for its sale.  There also is a minimum requirement of five acres for hemp grown for CBD and 20 acres for hemp harvested to be used as grain or fiber.  These new programs will reduce some of the risks of farming a brand-new crop.  
As part of the same announcement, the USDA also announced that it will not be amending its proposed rules for hemp to increase the allowable THC limit, arguing that only Congress can change that specific policy.  Lawmakers and industry stakeholders have made numerous appeals to the USDA to change its regulations on how much THC is allowed to be present in the crop.  As it stands, hemp is defined under the 2018 Farm Bill as having no more than 0.3 percent THC, with a negligence threshold of 0.5 percent.  The USDA will also be opening a second public comment period following the 2020 harvest season to solicit more input on the current interim final rule before issuing final regulations.

By Craig Alexander
February 10, 2020

The economy has been booming over the last decade, which has provided local governments with a windfall in sales and property taxes. Despite the economic fat times, California cities have been complaining about their dire economic straits, with some of them even fearing insolvency unless something is done to change the financial trajectory.
What explains this dichotomy? The answer is simple. The costs of public employee compensation, especially pension and retiree-medical benefits, continue to climb exponentially and are consuming ever-larger portions of local general-fund budgets. One need only look at the Transparent California website to get a sense of the eye-popping levels of pay and benefits.
Instead of addressing this well-documented problem, state and local leaders have relied on a tried-and-true method: asking local taxpayers to increase taxes on themselves. California voters will see the latest evidence of this at the ballot box during the March 3 primary. The California Taxpayers Association (CalTax) recently published a list of more than 230 tax increases that will be on local ballots.
These increases include school bonds, general-obligation bonds, parcel taxes, sales taxes and transient occupancy taxes. The proposed hikes all have limits on how the money can be spent, but money is fungible. If cities and school districts spend too much on pensions and employee compensation, that means they need to find money elsewhere.
Local governments and school districts always tout these measures as necessary expenditures to rebuild crumbling schools, maintain overused parks and provide better police services, but don’t be fooled. Every new local tax these days is, essentially, a pension tax. These governments write the ballot summaries and provide “voter information,” so they are able to sway the discussion away from the true causes of their fiscal peril.
To make matters worse, a March statewide ballot measure – known as Proposition 13, but it has nothing to do with the original tax-limiting Proposition 13 from 1978 – has a problematic provision that significantly raises the debt limits for local school districts. If it passes, local voters will see even more property-tax-raising school bonds on future ballots.
“Pension costs have crowded out and will likely to continue to crowd out resources needed for public assistance, welfare, recreation and libraries, health, public works, other social services, and in some cases, public safety,” warned former Democratic Assemblyman Joe Nation in a 2017 report for the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
The picture hasn’t gotten any better since then. State Sen. John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, released a report last month on the financial health of local governments and found that California municipalities have gone “from $22.7 billion in the red in 2017 to $31.5 billion in 2018. That is a 39 percent increase in these unfunded liabilities in just one year. It is also like the 40 percent increase in one year in unfunded liabilities for the state’s 944 school districts.”
No wonder local governments and school districts – backed by public-sector unions that want to keep funds flowing to benefit their members – are always pushing so many tax hikes. Nothing will force these agencies to spend their budgets more wisely, to get public-employee compensation under control or to pressure the state government for serious pension reform as long as voters keep handing them more of their hard-earned money.

 *   *   *
Craig P. Alexander is an attorney and former U.S. Marine who serves as general counsel to the California Policy Center. His office is located in Dana Point, California and his practice includes insurance, commercial leasing, business contracts, the California Public Records Act and HOA law and litigation. He can be reached at Craig@CraigAlexanderLaw.com. This originally appeared in the Orange County Register. 

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  Californians face a wave of local tax hike measuresBy Craig Alexander
  February 10, 2020
  
  The economy has been booming over the last decade, which has provided local governments with a windfall in sales and property taxes. Despite the economic fat times, California cities have been complaining about their dire economic straits, with some of them even fearing insolvency unless something is done to change the financial trajectory.
  What explains this dichotomy? The answer is simple. The costs of public employee compensation, especially pension and retiree-medical benefits, continue to climb exponentially and are consuming ever-larger portions of local general-fund budgets. One need only look at the Transparent California website to get a sense of the eye-popping levels of pay and benefits.
  Instead of addressing this well-documented problem, state and local leaders have relied on a tried-and-true method: asking local taxpayers to increase taxes on themselves. California voters will see the latest evidence of this at the ballot box during the March 3 primary. The California Taxpayers Association (CalTax) recently published a list of more than 230 tax increases that will be on local ballots.
  These increases include school bonds, general-obligation bonds, parcel taxes, sales taxes and transient occupancy taxes. The proposed hikes all have limits on how the money can be spent, but money is fungible. If cities and school districts spend too much on pensions and employee compensation, that means they need to find money elsewhere.
  Local governments and school districts always tout these measures as necessary expenditures to rebuild crumbling schools, maintain overused parks and provide better police services, but don’t be fooled. Every new local tax these days is, essentially, a pension tax. These governments write the ballot summaries and provide “voter information,” so they are able to sway the discussion away from the true causes of their fiscal peril.
  To make matters worse, a March statewide ballot measure – known as Proposition 13, but it has nothing to do with the original tax-limiting Proposition 13 from 1978 – has a problematic provision that significantly raises the debt limits for local school districts. If it passes, local voters will see even more property-tax-raising school bonds on future ballots.
  “Pension costs have crowded out and will likely to continue to crowd out resources needed for public assistance, welfare, recreation and libraries, health, public works, other social services, and in some cases, public safety,” warned former Democratic Assemblyman Joe Nation in a 2017 report for the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
  The picture hasn’t gotten any better since then. State Sen. John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, released a report last month on the financial health of local governments and found that California municipalities have gone “from $22.7 billion in the red in 2017 to $31.5 billion in 2018. That is a 39 percent increase in these unfunded liabilities in just one year. It is also like the 40 percent increase in one year in unfunded liabilities for the state’s 944 school districts.”
  No wonder local governments and school districts – backed by public-sector unions that want to keep funds flowing to benefit their members – are always pushing so many tax hikes. Nothing will force these agencies to spend their budgets more wisely, to get public-employee compensation under control or to pressure the state government for serious pension reform as long as voters keep handing them more of their hard-earned money.
  
   *   *   *
  Craig P. Alexander is an attorney and former U.S. Marine who serves as general counsel to the California Policy Center. His office is located in Dana Point, California and his practice includes insurance, commercial leasing, business contracts, the California Public Records Act and HOA law and litigation. He can be reached at Craig@CraigAlexanderLaw.com. This originally appeared in the Orange County Register. 
  
  
  MORE GREAT ARTICLESFEBRUARY 11, 2020Teachers unions lose it over State of the Union address
  FEBRUARY 4, 2020Los Angeles School District Needs a Hard Reset
  JANUARY 28, 2020How California embraced Corporate Socialism
  
  

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About Craig AlexanderThis author has yet to write their bio.
Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Craig Alexander contributed a whooping 11 entries.



ENTRIES BY CRAIG ALEXANDERCalifornians face a wave of local tax hike measuresFebruary 10, 2020 in 2020, LATEST CALIFORNIA NEWS, Unions /by Craig Alexander
Support our troops? Support education choice for their kidsApril 4, 2018 in 2017, Education, LATEST CALIFORNIA NEWS /by Craig AlexanderAmong the many burdens we place on military families, there’s frequent re-location from one military duty station to another – one year you’re in North Carolina, the next in Southern California or Norfolk, Virginia or even Germany or Japan. These are not combat zones but some of the places the military send both the military […]

Transparency: The Legislature Giveth and the Legislature Taketh Away – Simultaneously!June 5, 2017 in Finance /by Craig Alexander
Unions trying to kill government transparencyMay 1, 2017 in UNION WATCH, Unions /by Craig Alexander
Court sides with parents in battle with district over lousy schoolApril 28, 2017 in 2017, Education /by Craig AlexanderOfficials fought parents for years to keep children in a failing Anaheim school In 2015 parents at the Palm Lane Elementary School of the Anaheim City School District turned in far more signatures than needed under the Parent Trigger Law (authored by former State Sen. Gloria Romero as Ed. Code sections 53300-53303). The goal of the […]

On One Day in Two Decisions, Courts Reaffirm Californians’ Right to KnowMarch 16, 2017 /0 Comments/in 2017, NEWSLETTER /by Craig Alexander
Freedom and Liberty = Public Charter SchoolsMay 6, 2016 /0 Comments/in Education /by Craig AlexanderAs a follow up to my post of last week (Anti-Choice Teachers Unions Want to Take Control of O.C. Board of Education), former State Senator Gloria Romero has penned another excellent op-ed piece in the O.C. Register. In Celebrating National Charter Schools Week Senator Romero not only noted that this week is a time to […]

Anti-Choice Teachers Unions Want to Take Control of the OC Board of EducationApril 28, 2016 /0 Comments/in Education /by Craig AlexanderEveryone agrees that education for our children is a critical pathway for those children to grow into adults who are ready to earn a living and become responsible members of our society. Unfortunately labor unions including teachers unions have a different focus – to benefit their union bank accounts with your tax dollars more than […]

Los Angeles Could Use a COIN Ordinance – But That Will Only Come When Its Voters Demand ItSeptember 3, 2015 /0 Comments/in Unions /by Craig AlexanderWe in Orange County have seen several versions of the COIN Ordinance (Community Openness In Negotiations). COIN ordinances provide for more and earlier disclosure to the taxpayers during and in the run up to the final approval of a contract between the public entity employer and a government employee union. This allows the citizens to […]

Parents and Children Win The Right to Start a Public Charter School at Palm Lane ElementaryJuly 17, 2015 /0 Comments/in Education, Unions /by Craig AlexanderYesterday (July 16, 2015), after a seven day trial, Superior Court Judge Andrew P. Banks issued his decision awarding the parents and children who wished to convert their failing public school Palm Lane Elementary into a public charter school under the Parent Empowerment Act (also known as the Parent Trigger Law). To read the Court’s ruling […]

Harris v. Quinn, an Important Limitation on Forced UnionizationJuly 1, 2014 /0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Craig AlexanderOn Monday, June 30, 2014 the United State Supreme Court issued its ruling in the important case of Harris v. Quinn.  While the case is limited in its ruling and scope, it is a critical one where the Court boxed in the ever expansionist reach of government employee unions.  Background: Mrs. Pamela Harris is the […]


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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Valentine’s Day is a great reminder to prioritize heart health and recognize the signs of an emergency, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

One of the most common reasons people visit the emergency department, chest pain, can take a variety of forms and is not always associated with a heart issue. Heart disease is the most common cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. 
“Heart attacks can be difficult to recognize but it’s important not to ignore the warning signs,” said William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP. “Often, time is the most valuable resource a doctor can have when treating a heart issue. Symptoms like chest pain should always be taken seriously, if you think you are having an emergency it’s important to know the warning signs and act quickly.”
People having a heart attack may experience some or all of these symptoms:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing sensation or pain in the center of the chest, lasting more than a few minutes, or it goes away and comes back.
• Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, jaw, arms or back.
• Chest discomfort accompanied by lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.

Some less common warning signs of heart attack that should be taken seriously — especially if they accompany any of the above symptoms — include:

• Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
• Abnormal chest pain, stomach or abdominal pain. Symptoms may feel like indigestion or heartburn.
• Nausea or dizziness.
• Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue.
• Palpitations, cold sweat or paleness.

If you think somebody is having a heart attack, call 911. “One of the primary reasons to call an ambulance rather than drive somebody yourself is that emergency medical service (EMS) professionals are able to provide medical attention on the way to the emergency department,” said Dr. Jaquis.
If a person loses consciousness, make sure they are on their back, loosen clothing at the neck, chest and waist then check for breath and pulse. If absent and somebody nearby is trained to do so, begin CPR.“A person experiencing a heart attack does not need CPR unless they lose consciousness and go into cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Jaquis. “If that happens, CPR can keep blood flowing while waiting for an ambulance or defibrillator.”
Anyone can learn CPR through the ACEP Until Help Arrives program.
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org. 

​

A biweekly feature courtesy of
The Grateful American Book Prize
Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future 

 Media Contact: John Grimaldi, 917-846-8485, jpgrimaldi@verizon.net

February 15 to February 29

On February 15, 1898, the U.S. battleship, Maine, blew up, and sank in Havana Harbor. Two hundred sixty of the nearly 400 American soldiers aboard perished. The ship had been dispatched to protect U.S. interests during a time when Spanish rule was being challenged by Cuban rebels. A U.S. Naval Court ruled that a mine had caused the explosion. The aftermath of rage connected to the incident, and the suppression of the Cuban freedom fighters escalated into war.
 
Seventy-eight years later, naval investigators revamped their conclusion: the disastrous explosion was not from a mine; it was likely caused by an on-board fire which ignited a stockpile of ammunition.
 
The Grateful American Book Prize recommends The Sinking of the USS Maine: Declaring War Against Spain by Samuel Willard Crompton.
…
 
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and America was pulled into World War ll. Two months later, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which required all Americans of Japanese descent living on the Pacific Coast, to report for mandatory relocation to a detainment camp.
 
The prisoners were not released until December 17, 1944. 
 
For more information about the controversial decision, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends Monica Hesse’s novel, The War Outside.
…
 
America’s first spaceship was Friendship 7; John Glenn was the first astronaut to experience the void of space. He was launched into orbit February 20, 1962, circled the planet three times, and returned to earth approximately five hours later.
 
America became quite taken with Glenn, and his six Project Mercury compatriots, and, soon, President John F. Kennedy was moved to “promise” a U.S. moon landing within a decade.

Seven years later-- on July 20, 1969-- NASA’s Apollo 11 spacecraft entered lunar orbit with Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and "Buzz" Aldrin. Armstrong boarded his Lunar Module, the Eagle, and the country watched, transfixed, as he became the first man—ever-- to set foot on the moon.
 
For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends We Seven: By the Astronauts Themselves by NASA’s seven original astronauts: John H. Glenn, M. Scott Carpenter, Gordon L. Cooper, Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Alan B. Shepard, Donald K. Slayton.
…
 

A new initiative bringing world-class performances and music education to the Lost Sierra

February 14th - University of Nevada, Reno - Workshops and Concert - Hall Recital Hall - 7pm
($5 per ticket sold in Reno donated to support wildlife following the Australian bushfire crisis)
February 15th - Launch Concert and Reception - Loyalton - Milton Gottardi Museum - 5pm
February 16th - First5Sierra Infants Performance
Info and tickets: www.musicasierra.org
Facebook events: Loyalton, Reno, Babes Concert

This February sees the launch of Musica Sierra, a new arts organization with the goal of creating a sustainable, cultural treasure for Sierra County and surrounding areas. Founded by Lindsay McIntosh, a Truckee-born oboist, and her collaborator, cellist Anthony Albrecht, these two Juilliard graduates are keen to introduce Musica Sierra to the community with a series of unmissable events.

Musica Sierra will host an outstanding Ensemble-in-Residence for a series of projects throughout the year, offering an exciting calendar of world-class performances in community venues around the region, as well as developing a presence in local schools. Students will have the opportunity to experience interactive music workshops of the highest calibre. Music education has proven benefits for children's learning capacity, focus and mental health. Musica Sierra intends to make these experiences accessible for all in an area that lacks musical opportunities in many of its schools.

The inaugural Ensemble-in-Residence is New Vintage Baroque, an ensemble praised by the New York Times for its “buoyant pulse...appealing energy” and “thoughtfully conceived” programming. Founded at The Juilliard School in 2013, the group has gone from strength to strength, with a membership of some of the country's finest musicians who work across a multiple of musical genres and styles. February will see performances of Where Song Began, a stunning multimedia work which tells the story of the evolution of songbirds with live music, projected visuals and an immersive soundscape. It's been hailed as "a work of art".

It will be an action-packed week, with schools workshops, including an event open to the public at The Yuba Theatre in Downieville on Tuesday the 11th, a performance at the University of Nevada, Reno Hall Recital Hall on Friday the 14th, and the official launch in Loyalton at the Milton-Gottari Museum on Saturday the 15th. Wine and canapes will be served, and speeches from supporters, including the Sierra Schools Foundation and the Sierra County Arts Council, will be followed by a performance of Where Song Began.

Come and experience the extraordinary talent of our musicians and learn all about the plans and goals of Musica Sierra. Please visit www.musicasierra.org for more information.


About the Performance
'Where Song Began is a musical celebration of Australia's birds and how they shaped the world.
www.wheresongbegan.com (Press kit) 

Inspired by leading ornithologist Tim Low's award-winning book, this 50-minute performance explores the Australian origins of song, the birds that can sing. Such is their evolutionary significance, one may ask whether human music would have reached the heights it has, had the first songbird not sung in an Australian rainforest.

Accessible for all ages, this work encourages the audience to contemplate the origin of song and the importance of Australia's rich and colorful bird history, as well as their evolutionary and cultural influences in Europe and North America. The program includes music spanning 300 years, from Johann Heinrich Schmelzer and J.S. Bach to Arvo Pärt and new Australian works, enhanced by a film of evocative visual projections, and an immersive soundscape.

Where Song Began has been performed over 60 times across Australia, as well as in New York and London. It has been hailed in the press as “...a work of art; a transfixing soundscape that embraces cultures and ages, the composed and the improvised, the indigenous and the stylised and which highlights the utterly unique birdsongs of Australia.”    

About the performers: Simone Slattery was a 2018 Churchill Fellow, received a Ph.D. in Music Performance from the University of Adelaide and performs regularly with Australia's finest ensembles. Anthony Albrecht is an Australian graduate of The Juilliard School's Historical Performance program and enjoys an international career.

Performance length: 60 minutes without interval, including a Q&A

Program:
Arvo Pärt - Fratres for solo violin, 1977
Sarah Hopkins - Reclaiming the Spirit, 1993
Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending, 1917
Chris Williams - bird, songs, seas, 2017
Ross Edwards - Ecstatic Dance No.2, 1990
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer - Cucu Sonata, 1664
J.S. Bach - Prelude from Cello Suite No.1, c.1720
David Lang - Anthochaera carunculata (Red Wattle Bird), New Commission, 2017
Ngarra Burra Ferra - Traditional Indigenous hymn 

Good morning,
 
A friendly reminder to our customers to use metallic balloons safely this Valentine’s Day to avoid being left in the dark. Metallic balloons when released into the air can come in contact with power lines and cause outages. Below is more information about balloon related outages in 2019. Please let me know if you have any questions.
 
 
 
 
Division/System               
​Year     
# of Outages (SO)  
# of Customers Impacted (CESO)
# of Customer
Minutes Lost

SACRAMENTO (Yolo, eastern Solano, Yuba, Sutter, Colusa)
2019
18
5,252
602,934

SIERRA (Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado)             
2019
4
272
34,831

STOCKTON (San Joaquin, Amador, Calaveras)              
2019
34
14,059
682,159

 
 
 
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.— With Valentine's Day fast approaching, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds customers that sparks – and not just the romantic kind – can fly on February 14 if improperly secured helium-filled metallic balloons come in contact with power lines. Metallic balloons have a silvery coating, which is a conductor for electricity. If the balloons float away and make contact with power lines, they can short transformers, melt electric wires and cause power outages, all of which pose public safety risks.
In 2019, metallic balloons striking electric lines caused 376 power outages in PG&E’s service area alone, disrupting electric service to more than 179,000 homes and businesses.
“What’s the single worst thing that can happen on Valentine’s Day? Getting dumped. But a close second is a widespread power outage. We encourage our customers to celebrate Valentine’s Day responsibly by securing metallic balloons with a weight that’s heavy enough to prevent them from floating away,” said Walt Posey, Director, Electric Operations Safety.
In order to significantly reduce the number of balloon-caused outages and to help ensure that everyone can safely enjoy their Valentine's Day, PG&E reminds customers to follow these important safety tips for metallic balloons:

• “Look Up and Live!" Use caution and avoid celebrating with metallic balloons near overhead electric lines.
• Make sure helium-filled metallic balloons are securely tied to a weight that is heavy enough to prevent them from floating away. Never remove the weight.
• When possible, keep metallic balloons indoors. Never permit metallic balloons to be released outside, for everyone's safety.
• Do not bundle metallic balloons together.
• Never attempt to retrieve any type of balloon, kite or toy that becomes caught in a power line. Leave it alone, and immediately call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to report the problem.
• Never go near a power line that has fallen to the ground or is dangling in the air. Always assume downed electric lines are energized and extremely dangerous. Stay far away, keep others away and immediately call 911 to alert the police and fire departments. Other tips can be found at pge.com/beprepared

 
About PG&E
 
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 24,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visitwww.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.