The annual trip to Mt. Rose Ski Park's Ropes Course for Loyalton Junior High School 7th and 8th graders was a fun day yet had a late ending.
Coming down out of Incline, there was a brake issue on the bus so Sharon, the bus driver, pulled over. Someone called 9-1-1 and paramedics and emergency crews responded. Due to smoke, two students were nauseous and with parent approval, were taken to a hospital where they were checked out and immediately released, according to School Superintendent, Dr. Merrill Grant, who called it "very precautionary."
Another bus was dispatched to get the kids home. A letter was sent home with kids the next day about the incident from Principal Tom Jones.
The busses are leased from Plumas County and Dr. Grant said Plumas is going through the bus concerning the brake issue. 
Dr. Grant said he is happy with the personnel and the chaperones were outstanding. He noted this is the first break down of a bus in a year a half.  

 


For Immediate release:  September 24, 2015




Contact: Kelly Boyles 916 448 3444




The Valley Fire that began burning on September 12, 2015, is now officially the third most destructive fire in California history.




Governor Brown has said that these kinds of fires are the new reality for the future.




CAL FIRE Local 2881 agrees.

CAL FIRE Local 2881 is releasing this week a review of wildland fires and how we prepare and respond. A Comprehensive View on the Future of Fighting Wildfire by a Team of Experts is the result of experts throughout the country gathering in Sacramento to discuss wildfire issues. The results of this symposium were recently published.

The observations and recommendations are timelier than ever, highlighting something that our firefighters already know: California’s landscape has fundamentally and profoundly changed and we are not prepared. Standing at the threshold of what is arguably one of the most violent fire years, our ability to respond to this unprecedented risk was encumbered by rapid growth, poor land use decisions, environmental change, budgetary constraints, and politics.

The 2014 Symposium had several notable observations:

1)     Despite our best efforts, wildland firefighting is easily decades behind urban strategies for fire suppression and response. This risk has not received the attention it demands, particularly with regard to research and education.

2)     The expression “Fire Season” is an antiquated term that refers to annual discrete periods where patterns of temperature, precipitation, and humidity facilitate conditions for wildfires; modern trends indicate that the nomenclature be changed to “Fire Year”

3)     The term “Wildfire” has similarly become a misnomer. Fire is rarely isolated to wildland areas; fires now impact highways, houses, businesses, etc. collectively referred to as a “Wildland Urban Interface” fire, or WUI Fire.

The conclusions of the Symposium cannot overstate the obvious need for a change in how we deal with WUI fires in California and the United States:

1)     A change in the frequency, intensity, and distribution of wildfires has, and will continue to occur throughout California. It is imperative that we acknowledge this change and identify ways to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the risk and impacts.

2)     We need to create a comprehensive wildfire/WUI research, education, and training program that meets the diverse needs of urban and wildland fire agencies with an emphasis on providing new tools, technologies, and operational strategies to meet the evolving risks and demands.

3)     We must create a “Blue Ribbon Commission” on Wildland/WUI fires that follows in the spirit of the work done in 1973 (America Burning). The results of that work significantly reduced the risks of fires in our cities, businesses, and homes. America is still burning, worse than ever, and we need a paradigm shift that fundamentally changes how we deal with wildland and WUI fires in California and the US.

4)     We need to develop a long-term firefighter health study that addresses key factors associated with exposure and injuries and better understand the short- and long-term consequences.

            Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the dangerous wildfires burning in California and called on Congress to pass the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act:

            “California is suffering from one of the worst fire seasons in decades, intensified by the most severe drought conditions in 500 years. More than 7,000 fires have burned this year to date, consuming more than 740,000 acres of land. Fire chiefs say they’re seeing some of the most dangerous fires ever, fires that move faster and are more intense than past years. 

 

            “Two firefighters have been killed, and four firefighters remain hospitalized. Today, there are more than 8,600 firefighters battling active fires using 1,500 fire trucks, 90 helicopters and 15 air tankers.

 

            “One civilian has been killed and tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate. According to the U.S. Forest Service, 756 homes have been destroyed by the Butte and Valley Fires alone, and thousands more homes and businesses are currently threatened.

 

            “Unfortunately, the way we pay for firefighting activities worsens the situation. The Forest Service this year will borrow $700 million to fight current fires—money that was intended to prevent future wildfires by removing brush and dead trees. This approach means California and other Western states will be even more vulnerable to devastating wildfires next year as vital prevention programs are delayed, sometimes indefinitely.

 

            “The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, a bill introduced by Senator Wyden that I strongly support, would help solve this problem.  Once fire spending exceeds a certain threshold, firefighting would be funded through a separate, disaster account.

 

            “The bill would fund wildfires the same way other natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes are handled—through disaster funding. No one should have to worry about getting an appropriation of additional funding to fight fires in the driest conditions in 500 years.

 

            “I applaud the administration for supporting this proposal and am hopeful the Senate will act on this bill as soon as possible.”

On September 9, 2015, Leonardo Perez, Jr., 40, of Portola, was driving a propane delivery truck southbound on Gold Lake Highway at approximately 55 mph. As the roadway curved to the left, Perez allowed the truck to drift off the roadway onto the right dirt shoulder. He then swerved to the left in an attempt to get the truck back on the roadway. The truck skidded back onto the roadway then overturned. No propane was released from the tank. He was taken to Renown.

On September 14,  Jerad M. Potts, 38 of Paradise, CA was driving his Pontiac Grand AM, northbound on State Route 89 south of Stamphfli Lane. Potts observed a deer jump from the east shoulder and made an unsafe turn towards the left to avoid colliding with the deer. The Grand AM drove across both lanes of traffic and onto the west shoulder into a ditch. Potts continued driving down the ditch and collided into a tree. Both front airbags deployed. Potts was wearing his seatbelt and suffered a minor abrasion to the left side of his face.

PORTOLA’S FORMER BOWLING ALLEY caught fire August 28 at about 10:30 a.m. Heavy smoke engulfed Commercial Street and gusts of wind wiped out visibility. 
Thirty-eight firefighters from Portola Fire, Eastern Plumas, Beckwourth, Graeagle, Plumas Eureka and Sierra Valley Fire responded to what is now called the “Ponderosa Fire.” Forest Service personnel patrolled surrounding streets for flying, burning embers. 
According to Portola Fire Chief Henry Johnson, the concrete walls of the structure helped contain the fire but didn’t help on the inside.
The space that once occupied the bowling alley had recently been worked on to house a proposed hostel. Residents living in the building lost everything and collections were taken up at the football game that night.
There was some water damage to the building next door but by late last Friday, the laundromat, Diversities, Toland, a photo studio, Stay ‘n Fit were all back open again, according to the building’s owner, Jan Breitwieser, although Portola Plaza which housed some of the businesses was posted as having “Restricted Use” earlier in the day. EPCAN may be operating out of a different location. Jan was singing praises to the local fire departments, to Swann Engineering, Liberty Power, Grizzly Electric, her insurance company and others for the speed in environmental testing which she said tested good with no environmental problems.
On Tuesday, according to Portola City Public Works Manager Todd Roberts, the city hadn’t heard from the owner of the bowling alley property and the City was having to start the abatement procedure against the property owner. Todd explained the procedure takes time and is very hard. The property owner is reportedly very ill and not able to communicate directly.


COMMERCIAL STREET MEMORIES
By M.J. Keogh - Photo courtesy of Carrie L. Neely

MANY OF THE VACANT LOTS you see on Commercial Street in downtown Portola once held a thriving business. 
The Ayoob’s parking lot once held a rooming house, a bar, grocery store, shoe repair shop a Portola Reporter newspaper - and perhaps a few more that I can’t recall.
Also comes to mind, a bar. The large space between the “now gone” bowling alley and Alderman’s Hardware once was occupied by the Grand Cafe, the Elkhorn club, a small “Rooms for Rent” parcel, before the Alderman’s building and Snap’s “33” Club which was on the very corner of Commercial Street and California Street. 
Now for the many businesses that occupied the old bowling alley space: a beautiful drugstore maybe “Lloyd’s Portola Drug,” a large fountain area with swivel stools with backs you had to step up to, large fans at the ceiling which also housed the old fashioned lighting system. The back of the drug store was the drug and medicinal prescriptions area. The front rack contained the latest New York magazines, funny books and Hollywood’s latest stars. My favorite magazine was the Song Book with pictures of The Four Aces singing Tell Me Why. The drug store was a favorite of mine, especially I have to mention an article from the November 16, 1937 The Pine Needle which was a weekly printed newsletter at the Portola High School. It read “Stock Jobbers Worry,” Cries of “Oh, I’m Worried.” 
Members of the “American Problems Class” at the high school were scanning the morning papers and buying and selling of stocks which began on November 5. 
A conservative fellow named Ted King was leading the market financially and his stock was going up a bit - even as the stock was plummeting in the death spiral. 
The HM&J was well known by my family as my mother was the head waitress and Johnnie the Greek was head chef. It was a great place to eat - open 24 hours a day. 
The Gilda theatre was about where the bowling alley sat.
Here come the businesses that once graced the burnt block: there was a bank on the corner of Nevada and Commercial; HM&J Bar and restaurant which also featured gaming tables, and a dance hall; a post office; long hallway to the alley had a barber shop and a shoe repair business. A bigger barber shop was up front of the building. 
The S.L.Lung Building on the central building featured the Gilda Theatre (1938), the R&T Market (Ross and Townsend), the Portola Drug Store, a jewelry store, Polar Bear Ice Cream & Company owned by Howard Joy (very popular eatery) - phone 80 - Grand Cafe, Elkhorn Club, Ed Alderman’s hardware, Snap AppleGate’s 33 Club.
The taxi worked out of HM&J. Orville and Mary Musser were owners of Greyhound bus service at HM&J.
The bowling alley building had apartments up stairs which were always full of working families, a dance hall at HM&J also had a stage for performers, singers, large bands, etc. with gaming tables and slot machines until the county sheriff buttoned them up around 1945 or 1946.
There were once lots of happenings on that section of town, even a murder or two at the back door of HM&J! 
That’s a story for another time!