RECREATION ENTHUSIASTS crowded around The Drifter’s Table and Gilded Drifter’s patio area September 29th to hear the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship’s Connected Communities Project update.
Trinity Stirling, Connected Communities Project Coordinator brought her colleagues and gave history of the Stewardship, having started in 2003.
The Connected Communities Project is planned with 15 towns from Tahoe to Susanville with 600 miles of single track being dubbed the Lost Sierra Route. Trinity told about four big projects in the Loyalton area; 1) East Zone Connectivity Project closer to Truckee Boca and Stampede which is an approved and shovel ready trails project and SBTS is seeking funding to construct the 15 miles along the Verdi Ridge to start in 2023; 2) a planning project for segments of the Lost Sierra Route in Sierra Valley connecting Loyalton to Sierraville for 66 miles; 3) planning project funded by NV OHV to connect these projects to the Reno Peavine trail network; 4) SBTS is working to complete needed maintenance project on the Badenaugh trail which has “spectacular views"
She told of plans to be out in Badenaugh for trail reconstruction the following day and make it bikeable by the end of the week.
From the audience, Trinity was asked how to volunteer and she answered to give their e.mail to be entered into the data base.  Sierra Valley Rancher Rick Roberti asked how close the trail was to town and was told the Smithneck Picnic zone and west Smithneck Road would make a nice connection and was “as close as can possibly be on public lands,” with a similar distance to Sierraville. Sierra County Supervisor Sharon Dryden wondered about the use of the Boca Loyalton Railroad but was told no, that trail is not being promoted as part of the route as it is a non-motorized trail and the Connected Communities Project is proposing single track motorized trail use. The Badenaugh trail is also a non-motorized recreation trail, allowing for hiking, biking and horseback riding and similarly, no change to recreation use type is proposed through the project. 
Sharon called the Smithneck bike lane, in the works,  a "top priority" for Sierra County and is moving out of the planning stages with environmental review from the beginning if the pavement all the way to Highway 49, widening shoulders for a bike lane.
​Under question, Trinity stated 600 miles are single track and they may create suggested routes for more remote recreation. There was talk of huts and rehab of fire lookouts and Trinity stated, “We’re not experts in lodging and are recommending users book stays at existing establishments in town.” She stated winter usage was possible but snow grooming is not part of the project as it is focused on summer and shoulder season recreation opportunity.
Asked how they got the lines, she told of gathering community input and generating routes with USFS resource data, trying to keep them reasonable with grade balancing.


 

A CANDIDATE’S NIGHT was held Monday, October 10th at the Loyalton City Center, sponsored by Sierra Booster. Candidates for Loyalton City Council and School Board positions were introduced by moderator for the evening, Tom Archer. 
The City of Loyalton has two 4-year term positions and three candidates: Dorie Gayner, incumbent Sarah Jackson and Nancy Rogers. Jerry Gerow is running unopposed for the 2-year term.

SARAH JACKSON is the incumbent in the 4-year term and currently sitting as Mayor. She was raised in Truckee, joined the Army for six years and moved to Loyalton in 2003. Sarah has locally volunteered with 4-H and many other community service organizations. She previously served as an appointed Loyalton City Council member from 2007-2009 and did not run again when her term was up. She was again elected in 2018 for her current term and is employed full-time at Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee. Since she has been on the Board she has implemented budgets every year when there previously hadn’t been annual budgets. Sarah was excited about the audit being on track as it was 3-4 years behind when she started. Regarding challenges, she said money is always an issue and the City has very little of it. Other challenges were ancient infrastructure, and past due water and sewer accounts. 
Sarah gave a current update on the water issue: at the end of June the 10” main line had a small leak which increased to a large leak and then grew significantly within a couple weeks. They’ve been in contact with the state and finally put the fix into place about 10 days ago and have been experiencing significant bumps in the road in finding very aged systems. The first part of the fix was the Willow Street leak fixed and is holding. The major six-inch line on First and Church Street has been fixed and is holding. On this day they repressurized Mill Street and will see a lot of excess water so they don’t blow the line and cause more leaks. Testing would resume Tuesday. Currently the City is on a Boil Order until clear with the State with no positive tests. She spoke of great support from Farr West Engineers, RDC, Sheriff’s Office, Sierra County OES and Tim Beals with Planning and Public Works has been great. State OES has been involved. Leonards have been getting extra water, and Grocery Outlet in Truckee with delivering bottled water. She’s hoping to recover some costs through a disaster recovery grant.

DORIE GAYNER moved here in 2020. She stated even though she hasn’t been in the City of Loyalton very long she has seen some issues that she could help manage with a good City Council team. Dorie has a Masters degree in administration and a degree in education. She did 30 years in the educational arena. She and her husband own G-4 Environmental which does forest maintenance and restoration and watershed protection. Dorie has seen some of the issues after coming to City Council meetings and believes the town needs more businesses and jobs to increase the tax base. She has a broad knowledge in business and service and is interested to listen to people and what they want. Dorie will look to experts to find what an answer is if she doesn’t already know. Priorities would be to fix the infrastructure that is so old and bring in jobs as well as community events would be important. Dorie feels she brings fresh eyes to the City, and as an educator has worked in teams and done a lot of strategic planning. 

NANCY ROGERS was not present at Candidate’s Night.

The City Clerk position has two candidates: incumbent Kathy LeBlanc and Bill Mertton.

KATHY LeBLANC was not present for Candidate’s Night.

BILL MERTTON is relatively new, buying his home in Loyalton in 2018. He was born in Canada, naturalized when he was 21. Bill was educated in the Bay Area, went to UC Berkeley, got a Bachelors Degreee, did some post graduate work at Hayward State in order to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist. He thinks he could be a fit for the City Clerk as a scientist in the lab they have to keep records, and procedures that have to be up to date. They get inspected every couple years and have to be able to find info at any time. He’s always wanted to do some elected office and been very interested in the water here for drinking and firefighting and discovered records are not always available. Bill would like to do this job and organize those records so City Council has them. He is impressed with what the council has been doing and would like to do anything he can to help. Bill is retired from his Bay Area job and works night shifts at Truckee Forest Hospital laboratory but available in Loyalton daily. He has ideas and would like to be a support and has been attending the Council meetings for 4 ½ years.
It was clarified during discussion that Kathy LeBlanc holds two positions: Deputy City Clerk and elected City Clerk. Kathy would not lose her job if Bill is elected.

Sierra Plumas Joint Unified School District has two district vacancies: District 2 has two candidates, Annie Tipton and Adrienne Anila. District 4 has two candidates, Kelly Champion and Jesse Whitley.

ANNIE TIPTON grew up in Sierraville and graduated from LHS. She went to Chico state and got degrees in education and ag business. She has a multiple subject credential and been in education for over 10 years. She currently works for Long Valley Charter School in Portola. Annie is very vested in the community and has a 2nd grader and a kindergartner in Loyalton. She has coached, is involved in the local church, and served in many offices and on local boards. What motivated her to run was seeing the Board pitted against teachers and parents. She felt it was not a cohesive unit and leadership on the Board is something desperately needed. Annie also stated Loyalton has had some of the biggest incoming kindergarten classes and worries how they will be accommodated as they grow into the high school. She would like the junior high to be separate from the high school. Annie stressed the need for facts behind decisions made on the Board. On learning problems caused by COVID, Annie stated they were very lucky schools have focused on the gap made through COVID. She stated there were a lot of testing tools school districts can use and look at utilizing money for intervention teachers and programs. Annie recognized Downieville has its own set of needs and help for their teachers and the principal position needs to be filled. 

ADRIENNE ANILA grew up in Santa Rosa and has been in the area since 2012. She’s been a teacher since 2005, mostly middle school and some high school. Adrienne taught in Quincy, Loyalton, Downieville and is currently teaching in Portola. She would like to see teachers and principals get the support they need from district admin to be able to do their jobs for kids. On COVID and distance learning, Adrienne stated school is not just the content kids learn and need intervention to fill gaps and build skills. They need District oversight that is putting resources where they need to be in teacher’s hands and would help with that oversight piece if elected. On school security, Adrienne stated research shows active shooter drills are great at giving kids nightmares. They have gates at C. Roy Carmichael school in Portola that are locked during the school day; in Loyalton she stated there are “certainly things to address.” 

KELLY CHAMPION moved here from Truckee in 2001 and bought a home on Mill Street. She has an 8-year-old and a kindergartner and volunteers a lot has an athletic instructor. Kelly coached volleyball and basketball in Portola and in Loyalton. She’s a self-employed accountant, works part time for Sierra County Children and Families Commission and is the District Clerk for Sierra County Fire Protection District #1. Kelly has also assisted the City of Loyalton in 2010 on fiscal needs. She felt a lack of leadership and unity on the Board. Now that there is a vacancy she is excited to run. Kelly doesn’t have an educational background but studied human development in college and taken a lot of courses as an athletic instructor. If elected she feels she can bring her background and experience in government agencies and public transparency. Kelly is also versed in small county funding issues and would like to see more communication on the Board. She spoke of Downieville’s and Loyalton’s very old facilities and stated they need to create a long-range plan so there’s a bright future for students. Kelly said they have a lot of challenges but also sees a lot of opportunity. The purpose of the board is to represent the public and Kelly did not see the public represented well. COVID was really hard on the students and staff and there is a lot to recover from. She felt the board needed to react better to that type of crisis. 

Jesse Whitley was sick and did not attend.

BELLE STARR SANDWITH, candidate for Assembly District 1 is running against Assemblywoman Megan Dahle. She grew up at Donner Summit and went to Truckee High School. She has a Bachelors of Science from UNR in Public Health Education. She is running because no one else would and is “tired of getting burned out of the forest.” Her biggest concern is fire and forest health where we have a million acres of burned forest. She stated a need to keep firefighters here and would like special funding for firefighting. Belle stated most of the water comes from our mountains and we are the “blood and lungs of California” in caring for  this land. She’s driven enough miles in the last two weeks to go to Kansas City and said most of it was through fire scar. “We have to protect our water,” she urged. She felt redistricting has been crazy all throughout the state. Her passion is mental health and the need to do something about it. She felt rural districts need a team of grant writers at the state level. 

THE GENERAL ELECTION is Tuesday, November 8th.








 

 
The California Highway Patrol starts regional effort to make highways safer

QUINCY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Quincy Area office will use grant funding to implement a regional traffic safety campaign in Plumas, Sierra, and Lassen Counties to encourage safe driving behaviors and help to deter dangerous driving habits.  This one-year project ends on September 30, 2023. 
 
The Quincy Area will deploy officers to conduct enforcement on United States 395; State Routes 49, 70, 89 and 284; and on unincorporated roadways where the CHP Quincy Area has jurisdiction.  The safety campaign will also include a community-based task force to raise awareness about the dangers of speeding, impairment, unsafe turns, and other risky driving behaviors.
 
“We are taking a proactive approach to keep our roadways safe throughout Plumas, Sierra, and Lassen Counties,” said CHP Lieutenant Commander Chris Parent of the Quincy Area office.  “This grant will build on the momentum achieved from past education and enforcement efforts in the CHP Quincy Area.”
 
 
 
 

According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, five people were killed and 126 people were injured in crashes on state highways and unincorporated roadways patrolled by the CHP Quincy Area between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020.  The leading primary crash factors were improper turning, speeding, impaired driving, automobile right-of-way, and wrong side of road violations.  Officers will also focus their efforts enforcement efforts on distracted driving and seat belt violations.
 
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

​It’s time to gather names & addresses for our Military Cookie boxes that will be packed November 14th. What a blessing to send our men and women in the military a little taste of home for the holidays. We normally send 50+ boxes each year. If you have previously given an address, please confirm it. 
You are invited to bake cookies, help pack boxes, or just add names. Please call Bonita Wallace @ 916-704-3822 or send addresses to ccloyalton@gmail.com. 

PHAT MAN & ROBIN Friday October 14th at 7 p.m.
COFFEE & CARS Sunday, October 16th at 8 - 10 a.m.
RENEGADE Friday, October 21st at 7 p.m.
​
FREE CONCERT: Sat., October 22nd Bullet Train Hobos at Loyalton Sq downtown 5 p.m.

Sierra County Schools for Adults is celebrating the receipt of an award for 2022 as (The BEST In Schools) category for small towns and rural communities from Awards USA. This is a national agency that reviews small town business marketing strategies and community partnerships in selecting the awardees.
 
The Sierra County Schools for Adults came to be part of the SPJUSD in 2019.
Wendy Jackson, the Director and Principal for the Adult Education School has a passion for all adult learners to attain their goals of higher learning and improve upon their employability skills.  
 
Partnered with the community, SCSA held “Town Hall” meetings to hear what the needs were in our county from our residents, businesses and agencies.  From those meetings several courses were developed.  Across the county, the communities and business owners identified several areas of need that included training for the Hospitality Industry, Early Childhood Development, Emergency Services and High School Diploma options. 
 
For hospitality services SCSA partners with Lake Tahoe Community College and FRC and hosts Guest Service Boot Camps, where employees learn many different skills to serve their customers.   Coming soon, we will have our new building complete, which will have several cook stations and classes offered on food safety, prep cooking, and chef level training!
 
SCSA currently offers CPR/First Aid classes for the Health Care Providers, Community members, and a special course for babysitters.  Along with EMR, EMT, and Advanced EMT courses.  These courses are certified through NorCal MT and NREMT (National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians), and taught by Corina Tidwell, who is a Paramedic and assisted by Leah Turner.  We also provide professional development courses for the Health Care Providers in partnership with EPHC. 
 
SCSA has ongoing enrollment for High School Diploma and GED courses. Open to all potential students 18 years up.  It is never too late to finish what you started!
We have three teachers on staff to bring our students current with the credits that they need to complete:  Wendy Jackson, Amber Williams, and Niecea Freeman.
 
SCSA offers Basic Computer Classes as well; where you can learn to use any device, learn computer terminology, to help you navigate technology, stay connected to family and friends, assist with identifying scams and much more.  We are partnering with Sierra County Department of Health to expand these classes to our community seniors and disabled through a grant that is targeted for reducing isolation and increasing interactions with family and friends and connections to businesses and services outside of the community.
 
We have also partnered with First 5 and Sierra Nevada Children’s Council, in offering support through coaching and professional development, for anyone interested in entering the Early Childhood Development Profession.
 
Our Work Space is open to the public:  Make copies, scan-fax by email, shred documents, use computers.  Free to retired seniors and Veterans.  (With the exception of copies)    
 
You are invited to our open house, Open to the public:
 
Come join us November 16, 2022 6-8 PM
605 School Street Loyalton CA.
 
Meet our partners and staff. Come see what is on the horizon for your school!
​

​The League of Women Voters of Plumas County hosted the candidate forum on October 4th at Portola Veterans Hall. All candidates are running for a four-year term for Portola City Council, SIerra-Plumas Joint Unified School District-Trustee Area 4, and Plumas Unified School District-Trustee Area 5. The candidates for Portola City Council are Phil Oels (Incumbent), Bill Powers (Incumbent), and Leah Turner. The Candidates for Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified School District-Trustee Area 4 are Kelly Champion and Jesse Whitley of Loyalton. The candidates for Plumas Unified School District-Trustee Area 5 are Leslie Edlund (Incumbent) from Quincy and Coby Hakalir from Blairsden.
 
Each candidate was given 2 minutes for opening statements. Kelly Champion was the first to present her opening statement. Kelly moved to Loyalton from Truckee in 2001 at 24 years of age, where her children attended the schools. She is a self-employed accountant and also works for Sierra County Children and Families Commission as a Business Manager. She is also a district clerk to Sierra County Fire Protection-District 1. She has been an active advocate for students, parents, and teachers throughout the pandemic and regularly attends school board meetings. “What I’ve realized is that we need some restructuring here at the board level, and I see the superintendent there doesn't have the best leadership, and I see a huge need to improve the facilities, and do some upgrades, and we need to find funding sources. As an accountant I’m very familiar with small county funding issues and resource obstacles. I’d also like to improve our transparency to the public and our functionality.”
 
Jesse Whitley followed stating that he moved from Oregon and has 4 children. “I would like to see a bigger voice for parents and children. I would like to see a bigger focus on education. More like welding classes and stuff, and getting involved in trade schools as well as universities.” He expressed concern with the politics involved in the school systems.
 
The first question asked was, “What are three major roles of being a trustee member? What are they?” Jesse responded, “I don't know what the book says but me, personally, I think a trustee's position is to advocate, again, for the voices of their constituents to protect the children, and to see that everything runs smoothly both economically and structurally.”  Kelly responded, “one of the main goals is to establish the mission, or vision, of the community. They are also there to manage the superintendent. They are also there to maintain the budget and strategic planning, and long term, long range planning.”
 
The next question was, “What has been the most important issue in the school district in the past two years in your opinion?” Kelly responded, “I think it was a lack of leadership and unity within the board.” She expressed challenges with staff and finance issues. Jesse responded that due to the pandemic there was a shortage of staff and about the concerns of students and parents being heard. When asked about social emotional learning Jesse said he felt parents don't get the opportunity to know what's going on in school due to lack of transparency. Kelly said she has seen a lot of social, emotional challenges, most within students and teammates. She expressed that the school has a duty and obligation to adapt to the quickly changing social climate.
When asked, “How much, and in what way, should board members seek out abusive teachers and other school staff?” Kelly responded that there should be constant surveys to everyone to gather the proper knowledge in order to have a clear goal. Jesse responded that through technology and phone calling, different forms of communication should be sought in order to connect and talk with people.
 
When asked how he would respond to parents wanting to remove books from a library or classroom, Jesse said he would have to be versed on the legal laws regarding removing literature, and get a clear census on why someone would want it removed. Kelly replied that depending on the content, if it's offensive, or causing an issue, discuss it with staff, and put the topic on the agenda and open it to the public.
 
When asked what techniques should be used to evaluate teachers properly and thoroughly, Kelly replied that evaluation should be unbiased and standardized. Jesse agreed about standardizing, and respecting the opinions of students and teachers, and depending on the situation may require a “closed session” environment for evaluation.
 
When asked, “If elected, what are your top two priorities as a trustee?” Jesse replied it would be respecting the parents’ schedule regarding school events, and scheduling around parents work hours whether it be school board, sporting events, etc., Kelly replied that one is to improve the functionality of the board, and to improve leadership with having the superintendent being held accountable. Improving transparency and working with parents and the city in order to have facilities properly maintained, and replace old facilities that need to be built and improved. She emphasized better management of funds.
 
“How many school board meetings have you attended in the Plumas Unified School District and have you asked any questions in those meetings?” Kelly responded that she has attended at least 20-24 and has been attending every month for the past few years, and expressed how she always has questions to analyze the board's decisions, and feels sometimes decisions are made without thoroughly viewing all angles. Jesse responded he has been to about 5 meetings, saying he usually goes “directly to the source,” going directly to the individual he wants to speak with.
 
In closing, Jesse re-emphasized regarding the politics in the schools. He is a registered Republican, but wanted to mention, “if you look up conservative, the synonym for conservative is stability, and the synonym for liberal is benevolence, and I think in our schools and in our country we need to see more stability and benevolence.”  Kelly gave thanks to the opportunity and emphasized how she works well in group environments, likes to get things accomplished, and her heart is in the school district and communities. She mentioned the schools have a lot to recover from, and have been through a lot the past few years, and she would like to give them the best opportunity to recover and feel safe at school.  “I do not believe that our government, especially in Sacramento, needs to be directly controlling what we do in our local schools, and I don't believe that our politics, and our individual healthcare is a politician's decision, and I’d like to shield our students from that division, and get back to educating our kids.” She said she's seen many areas of strength, and that we can build on and do, and would like to see it be the very best it can be.
 
Moving onto questions for the candidates for Trustee Area 5, Coby began with opening statements. He thanked the League of Women voters and the public, and Leslie for her service to the school board. He moved to Quincy from Chicago three years ago, in Chicago he spent over ten years working for the Chicago Association of Realtors under education foundation. They worked with public, private and charter schools throughout the city, seeing how efficient schools prepared their students for success, and how poor schools failed their students. His daughter is in the third grade, and he has gotten to know the CRC staff and others throughout Plumas County. “I can't deny that there are systemic problems in our school system. A viable and flourishing community requires a viable and flourishing school system, where our children show up to school every day, have access to both after school and extracurricular activities, and can easily acquire the help they need in order to accelerate their studies.” He continued saying kids deserve the same chance as a kid in Orange County to continue their studies beyond high school.
 
Leslie opened by stating she has been on the school board for ten years, and that her kids were born and raised here. “I am running again because I am passionate about Plumas Unified School district, I am passionate about public education, and I believe in the mission and vision in Plumas Unified School District, and I get super excited to watch our kids as they develop and go through the system, and how they interact with their teachers.” Her vision going forward is regarding recruiting and retaining staffing, and her concern about kids returning from distant learning. She also wants to continue to provide a warm, welcoming school environment for the kids.
 
 The first question asked was, “How has the current board made decisions on how to spend Measure B money and what’s the protocol?” Leslie responded that the current board has made those decisions based on taxpayer input, when they went out for Measure B in 2016 they did many community forums asking people what the needs were, and identified those needs, many being safety concerns about making the schools to be secure facilities. Major structural issues were also concerns for taxpayers. When Measure B passed they were no longer in crisis management mode, and sought consulting for priorities among the community to address those needs.
 
When Coby was asked if he was on the Board how he would support spending Measure B money, he agreed that taxpayers should have input. He said making sure the schools are getting what they need when they need it, and having a balance between what the kids need and what's viable.
 
When asked if they win the election what changes they will seek to implement, Coby replied he would like to focus on truancy rates giving an example that in Portola the 8th grade has around ⅓ kids missing. He emphasized the importance of making school a place kids want to go, and look at issues at home. He also mentioned student performance needs to be at acceptable levels, for example Chester High School, 93% of students have not met the state level standards. He also emphasized housing for teachers and retention of them.  Leslie agreed with replying the importance of teacher retention and staffing issues needs to be addressed as well as a good working environment and pay structure. Additional support for students, and course offerings for students. Provide more opportunities for students with trade skills, advanced placement, and online options.
 
When asked how they would address the teacher shortage issue, Lesie re-emphasized the pay structure, and housing issue for staff. She mentioned, “We recently purchased a four-unit duplex in Quincy,” that she said one teacher is already living in. She brought up the idea of doing something similar to the hospital with rotating staff and having “traveling teachers.” She also brought up marketing our community better, and recruitment events. Coby agreed about the housing situation needing to be addressed, and also bringing more local businesses into the community for the spouses of teachers to be able to have jobs. He said the problems have been known for years, these issues are just now “popping up and becoming important,” and must have been there prior to now, which is why he thinks change is important.
 
When asked what ideas they have to meet the needs of students, such as those looking to attend a trade school versus a four year college, Coby replied that now more than ever many children will have better opportunities going into a trade like welding as opposed to a four year college, and getting a liberal arts degree they can never use while accumulating excessive debt. He said almost 80% of students aren't attending four year colleges and asked what the board has been doing to help students, and find ways to make sure they are viable, important members of the community. Leslie replied there is a robust career technical education program including culinary, fire science, auto mechanics, and a new welding class.
 
When asked about their opinion on policies regarding teachers' pay being evaluated on standardized tests, Leslie does not agree with it. Coby felt that everyone should be evaluated on performance, and a teacher's performance should be based on how the students perform. He said from experience working in the private banking sector for 25 years, that if you're not performing your job correctly you cannot benefit the customers, “If we're not making money for the shareholders, then we’re not doing a good job, likewise with our schools. If we are not giving our children every chance to succeed, if we’re not putting them in a position to be successful in life, then what are we doing? So not evaluating teachers and not evaluating staff based on the performance of our children is just as bad as graduating kids who don't deserve to graduate.”
He stressed the need for accountability between students, parents, and staff and working between all parties to find something that works instead of how things have been running. Leslie agreed there needs to be accountability within teachers.
 
When Coby was asked about an argument he was involved with on Facebook about the 8th grade curriculum, and what the issue and solution was, he didn't recall the situation.
 
When asked about critical race theory, Coby replied that what works for other counties may not work in this county, and that students need to be taught history, but whether a single theory should be taught is uncertain. He said as a parent he wants to be consulted about what is being taught, and that the consultation of the parents is essential. Leslie’s response was that they do not teach critical race theory, and she believes they should be teaching an accurate, factual, and culturally sensitive curriculum.
 
When asked if elected, what their top two priorities would be for the term, and why they think they would make a good school board member, Leslie’s first priority is staffing and teacher support systems for long term retention. The second was providing support for the students, and mentioned that with COVID relief funds they have been able to add many teachers aides to classrooms, and she aims to maintain that support. Coby is concerned about student truancy rates, and believes that the 30-35% absentee rate is unacceptable, and wants to figure out why students aren't attending, and how to improve math and English scores.
 
When asked how they would respond to controversial issues being addressed that the State of California is trying to mandate as the curriculum, Coby re-emphasized that parents need to have a voice and ability to reach out with concern to the staff, and some are adapting to the new curriculum. Leslie mentioned that part of being a governmental agency is adapting to the master schedule with the mandate and agreed about talking with parents. She said a lot of those classes have value, it’s a matter of adding it to the curriculum.
 
The last question was for Coby, asking how many school board meetings he has attended. He answered he attended a number of them on Zoom, but not the recent one in Chester, or on Oct 4th, but he says he keeps in touch closely with staff and has a good grasp on problems and solutions for issues going on.
 
In closing statements, Leslie spoke about her commitment to the district, from being a school volunteer, working with the parent cooperative organization, and after working with the school for so many years was asked to be on the board and continues to support the district. She volunteers in two second grade classes, attends sporting events, and does classroom visits being fully involved in the school district. She is a member of the California School Boards Associations Delegate Assembly and enjoys going and speaking on behalf of school district legislation and how it affects our schools, stating “this is something that drives me because I want what’s best for our kids.” Coby, in closing, thanked the league and Leslie, and said he recently met with the new superintendent. He said it is time for a change, and every decision will be about what's best for our children. He encouraged anyone to reach out for any questions or concerns.
 
Phil Oels began the opening statements for the City of Portola Council candidates. Born and raised in Portola, Phil is a veteran who served in the Army. He sees himself as a servant over being a politician. Bill Powers is a graduate of Chico State where he got his teaching credentials. He enjoys volunteering and serving the community and the city council. He also represents Portola in transportation, and serves on the General Justice Coordinating Council, the Forest Service Research Advisory Committee, Sierra Nevada Connections Foster Agency. He is currently involved in two grants, one for Nervino airport, and the other to help Plumas County kids. He is a substitute teacher at Portola Jr/Sr High School and assistant Soccer coach. Being a native from Portola, where he graduated, he served for 11 seasons as a wildland firefighter.  He taught at Jim Beckwourth High School for 23 years and was elected County Supervisor in 2004.
 
Leah Turner has lived in Portola for 14 years, and moved from Burney, California. She currently works at Eastern Plumas Health Care, where she’s worked for 12 years. Previously she was a community service officer for the City of Portola for seven years. She said the number one question she has been asked is, "Why doesn’t the city repair the roads?"  “In order to accomplish this we need to replace our aging infrastructure, of sewer and water lines, some of which are probably more than 50 years old.” She is currently a volunteer for Eastern Plumas Fire Department, and is the medical training officer. She was with the City of Portola Fire Department for 6 years.
 
When asked what procedures the City Council should use to find a qualified city manager, Phil replied, “Well, all I know is what we’ve been doing, it’s really difficult to put it out to people who are interested in it, you interview them, sometimes even going to weird places like Greenfield,” which he said he did. He also said since he’s been on the City Council, for the last ten years, there have been four of them. “I don’t know, it’s just really hard to do.”
Bill responded there is usually a three part system, first is the national level, then a written screening, then we invite a group to interview in person, then a second interview. He said last time they hired them they had a group of five. Leah agreed you have to advertise nationally for a City Manager, and “have a criteria for a small rural area.” She said she believes good advertising, proper interviews, and background checks are necessary.
 
When asked if locals will be able to burn pine needles this season, and if there can be a class to provide to residents for safe burning procedures, Bill responded that the answer will most likely be no, and emphasized the continuing to try to work with Intermountain Disposal for yard waste removal. He also mentioned the city is working with the Air Quality District for safe and effective burning. When Leah was asked if she was in favor of burning lessons, she mentioned that she does not condone burning, but that proper burning lessons is a good idea. Phil mentioned that the burn ban was coming from the Air Quality District, and said he believes if people are going to burn they should be doing it right.
 
“What's the biggest problem faced by Portola and how would you solve it?” Leah responded the biggest problem is the infrastructure and road conditions, and the solution is to seek monies to get in grants and through the government, and to start planning for use of our own funding through our budget. Phil agreed that the pipes are “old and rusty,” and that the roads need improvement, but expressed concern about fixing pipes underneath newly paved roads, as well as funding issues. Bill replied, “We’ve swung and missed a couple of times in the last couple years,” mentioning a team from Chico State’s proposal to the city which was not fulfilled because the students graduated. The amount asked for was around $35 million dollars for sewage and water systems. He agreed there “wasn't much sense,” in paving if they are minus the funds to fix pipes underneath the road.
When asked what the city is doing to procure grant funding, and money available for rural communities, Phil replied, “I do believe that’s a job for the City Manager, we can try, I did get a grant for fireside work, so maybe I should be looking at it. I don't know, it's a hard question.” Bill referred back to the swing and miss comment, saying when they applied for a previous program, they were accepting ten communities, and we were number 11. He says they will continue to apply and search for grants. Leah’s solution was to hire a grant writer if we don't have one, and a committee to work with the grant writer and city manager. She said because of her experience with working in the fire department she knows a grant writer is essential. She agreed the pipes need to be repaired before the roads so newly paved streets don't have to be torn up.
 
When asked what the city council can do to help job prospects for Portola residents. Bill said perhaps it’s the city’s job to help to get residents to look at jobs at businesses. He suggested a vocational program for career preparation for local businesses. Leah suggested the city develop their own employee development program, as well as work with the schools for open job listings, and even go to each business to get info on opening. She expressed concern with age limitations for certain jobs. Phil replied he finds it important to attract more businesses and industries.
 
“What can the city council do to attract more businesses to Portola?” Phil responded about bringing tourism with more events like the recent Gravel Grinder bike race, and the idea of adding a fishing derby to Lake Davis. Leah said the biggest problem is the housing market, and having places for people to live. She said there should be a program to help bring in new industries, and that it's not necessarily the city's job to attract more business. Bill responded with ideas regarding finding uses for biomass like sawdust.
 
When asked what their vision is for Portola ten years from now, Phil said he would like a clean town, solid structures, good roads, and a reasonable amount of tourism. He would also like to see it having water rights, have clean water, and be fire safe. Leah agrees with Phil and envisions a clean city with water rights and fire safe also. She wants residents to have community pride, for it to be more family oriented and safer for kids, addressing the drug and homelessness problem. Bill expressed confidence in getting the infrastructure problem solved, fire safe, and clean water. 

The pictures are of black bears which range in color from all black to blonde and various combinations in between. ​

The yaks are always popular!

 
October 6, 2022

            
Instances of felled branches or trees onto powerlines increased this year
 
OAKLAND, Calif.—Fall is here! ‘Tis the season for Veteran’s Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Many people are also thinking about cleaning up their yards before the weather changes to make room for holiday decorations by trimming bushes and removing dead trees. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has seen more than 100 incidents where trees or tree limbs have fallen into powerlines by either the homeowner conducting tree work or by the homeowner’s hired tree crew. These incidents are the type of situation that can cause outages and lead to ignitions.
 
“We are seeing an increase in tree branches coming down onto powerlines during tree work and whether you’re a licensed tree crew, logger, harvest plan owner or landowner, we encourage you to call us before you trim or fell trees near powerlines,” said Andrew Abranches, Senior Director for PG&E’s Wildfire Risk Management Team.
 
The phone number to call is (800) 564-5080. Here are additional tips for residential and business customers to practice safe tree trimming and removal.
 
BEFORE WORKING NEAR POWERLINES:
 

• Call PG&E to request a safety evaluation of the area. PG&E will ensure it is safe to fell a tree in that area, either by de-energizing the line or it might be a situation where PG&E will schedule its contractor to do the work.
• It is unlawful to work within 10 feet of a distribution or a transmission line without calling the utility.
• If a tree or limb contacts the power line, stay away and immediately call 911 and then call PG&E. Do not attempt to remove the tree or limb from the line.

 
PG&E follows all applicable federal and state vegetation clearance requirements by performing regular trimming and removal of approximately along its 100,000 miles of electric lines. That includes inspecting and monitoring every PG&E overhead electric transmission and distribution line each year, with some locations patrolled multiple times.
 
For information about safely planting and trimming trees, visit www.pge.com/powerlinesafety.
 
About PG&E
 
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California.  For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

The Halloween season is here! And all that Halloween candy is front and center in every grocery store you walk in… just begging to be put in your cart. 
So which sweet treat are you reaching for? The dentists at Byte wanted to see the Halloween candies Americans crave the most and which is the favorite in each state. California's favorite candy is nerds! Do you agree? 



Overall America’s favorite Halloween candies were Reese’s, Kit Kats and M&M’s. And the most hated were candy corn, Hot Tamales and Dots. Californians don't seem to love candy corn. Los Angeles and San Diego both landed on the least candy corn-obsessed list. Other survey highlights include: 

• Americans plan on buying 2 bags of candy, spending an average of $23 
• 1 in 3 end up eating a lot of the candy they planned to give away! 
• 52% are not planning to give candy out this year, citing inflation as one of the main reasons (24%) 

Take a look at the survey which includes more insights from Byte's dentists about which sweets you should avoid during the Halloween season. Let me know if you have any questions! 

​

 
 
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will continue to expand lifesaving Spanish-language traffic safety outreach with its second El Protector – Spanish Traffic Education Program (STEP) grant from the Office of Traffic Safety. 
 
More than a quarter of California’s approximately 15.6 million Hispanic residents speak limited English or solely Spanish. The El Protector program is designed to help bring traffic safety education directly to the Spanish-speaking population to reduce crashes and save lives. 
 
Spanish-speaking officers will share traffic safety tips on Spanish media outlets and conduct traffic safety presentations with community partners at a variety of venues statewide, such as health fairs, migrant camps, businesses that employ a high number of Spanish-speaking employees and Hispanic/Latino cultural events. 
 
Topics include the importance of seat belts/child safety restraints, the dangers of driving under the influence or being distracted behind the wheel, the primary causes of crashes, defensive driving techniques, teen/parent safe driving, driver’s license requirements, and other educational subjects.
 
“Making California’s roadways safer is our top priority,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray.  “The El Protector program strengthens the CHP’s presence with our partners in California’s Spanish-speaking communities and provides every resident with traffic safety knowledge and resources to reduce crashes and save lives.”
 
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

 

QUINCY, Calif. – A public meeting to discuss the North Quincy Wildfire Resiliency Project will be held Thursday, October 13 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Quincy Public Library, located at 445 Jackson St. in Quincy.
 
The meeting is being held by the Feather River Resource Conservation District and the Plumas National Forest Mount Hough Ranger District to discuss the proposed fuel reduction and forest resiliency project.
 
The project area includes approximately 9,000 acres of National Forest System lands north of American Valley, from Snake Lake to Chandler Road.  Most of the project is within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) defense zone and is intended to improve forest health and reduce hazardous fuels through forest thinning and prescribed fire.
 
Employees from the Feather River Resource Conservation District and the Plumas National Forest will be available at the meeting to discuss the project, answer questions and accept comments. 
 
Project comments are being accepted through November 7.  They can be emailed to Monika Richardson at mrichardson@frrcd.org or mailed to Feather River Resource Conservation District, P.O. Box 3562, Quincy, CA 95971, ATTN: Monika Richardson.

​Wednesday night, Oct 12th (this week!).
 
Loyalton High School is having a “Cash for College” night for all seniors and parents to learn about paying for college, the financial aid process and how to fill out the (somewhat complicated) application.  I’ll be helping to facilitate it, as part of my new job, which is helping our Loyalton and Plumas County high school students to learn about careers and colleges and make good plans for after graduation!

The records show that in 1980, about 42 years ago, the first “Christmas Faire” was organized by Leah West and Beth Reid.  It was the beginning of the Mohawk Valley Artists Guild.  The forthcoming Mohawk Community Art Fair is a direct descendant of this holiday tradition.
In 2004, then supervisor Don Clark convinced Plumas County that the area needed a resource center and that they should financially support it as they had in the other four districts. It was organized as the Mohawk Community Resource Center (MCRC) and located near the corner barn in Blairsden, at the intersection of Highways 89 and 70.
  The mission statement of the Center reads as follows:
The Mohawk Community Resource Center serves to enrich the lives of residents and visitors of the surrounding communities in a friendly atmosphere.
MCRC volunteers are dedicated to make this a reality in a very challenging environment.
In 2014 the MCRC began its sponsorship of the Mohawk Community Art Faire. (MCAF) Except for a pandemic break in 2020, it has sponsored a craft fair each year since then. Proceeds from the faire are a major financial contributor to the MCRC. The venue and dates chosen was the Graeagle Fire Hall, in downtown Graeagle, on the two days following Thanksgiving. Doors open at 10 am on both days. This traditional holiday event is the perfect place to find the perfect Christmas gift while supporting local artists and the Resource Center, which is such an important asset to the community.
As the event date approaches a featured artist will be selected.  Artists and crafters wanting to participate should contact Holly Johnson, coordinator, at 530-293-7172 or at mcrc96103@gmail.com. 

 
"Women should not take chances. Every woman should get an annual breast cancer screening and because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to schedule an exam," said LaSalle Medical Associates CEO Dr. Arteaga.
 
REDLANDS, CALIF. LaSalle Medical Associates encourages women to come in for breast cancer screening during October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. " October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer.," said the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc
 
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network says mammograms should start at 40 for women at average risk, but before40 for women with a higher risk profile, such as a genetic mutation, family history, a benign breast disease diagnosis, or radiation therapy to the chest at a young age. 
 
"Women should not take chances. Every woman should get an annual breast cancer screening and because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to schedule an exam," said LaSalle Medical Associates CEO Dr. Albert Arteaga.
 
Dr. Arteaga himself lost a younger sister to breast cancer when she was in her 40s. "There were three of us," said Dr. Arteaga. "Our youngest sister never opened up to tell either me or her older sister—both of us being doctors—that she had a lump on her breast. Later we learned that she kept making excuses about it, 'I bumped myself' or 'It's just a bruise' and she basically ignored it for over six months.
 
"She was in her early 40s and unfortunately, the disease spreads more rapidly in younger women than it does in women who are past menopause, due to female hormones that promote growth. Our family had no history of cancer, and she was otherwise healthy. But at the age of 48 years, six months, and 28 days she died.
 
"Once she was diagnosed, she was a good patient and followed her doctors' orders and participated fully in her treatment. The cancer metastasized to her brain, and she was able to beat that. But in the end, it spread to her liver, and that was the end."
 
When asked what he would say to women about this tragic disease, Dr. Arteaga said, "Stop living in denial! At the first sign of a lump, make an appointment to see your physician. And make it a habit to get screened every October when breast cancer awareness month comes around, which is a good way to remember it's time for a routine mammogram."
 
LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc., clinics accept Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Molina, Care 1st, Health Net, and Inland Empire Health Plan coverage, as well as Medicare Medi-Cal and cash.
 
For more information or to make an appointment call the office closest to you: Fontana (909) 823-4454; San Bernardino 17th Street (909) 887-6494; San Bernardino Mt. Vernon Ave. (909) 884-9091; Rialto (855) 349-6019; and Hesperia (760) 947-2161.
 
—30--
About LaSalle Medical Associates
LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc. is one of the largest, independent, and Latino-owned healthcare companies in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The corporate office is in Redlands.
 
LaSalle operates six clinics employing more than 100 dedicated healthcare professionals, treating children, adults and seniors in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. LaSalle’s patients are primarily served by Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. LaSalle also accepts Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Molina, Care 1st, Health Net, and Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) coverage.
 
LaSalle is also an Independent Practice Association (IPA) of independently contracted doctors, hospitals, and clinics, delivering high quality patient care to approximately 380,000 patients in Fresno, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin and Tulare counties.
 

Say California Policy Decisions are to Blame for High Gas Prices

SACRAMENTO- Today, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) and Assembly Budget Vice Chair Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) called on the Governor and Democrat leaders to take immediate action to lower gas prices in California. In a letter sent Friday, the Republican leaders urged the following immediate actions:


1)  Suspend the state’s gas tax, which is adding 54 cents a gallon to the cost of fuel. 

2)  Retract the proposed Special Legislative Session to increase taxes. 

3)  Conduct a full and immediate audit of gas tax expenditures.

“The tax increase Democrats are proposing is insulting,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher. “They need to face reality…it’s their policy decisions that are driving up the cost of fuel in California. With record high inflation and $7 a gallon gas prices, the last thing struggling families need right now is another tax. Policymakers should be solely focused on ways to lower gas prices. More taxes are not the answer.”

"Californians are hit hard by soaring gas prices," said Assemblymember Vince Fong. "The only reason to call a special legislative session would be to suspend the gas tax, reduce the fees and regulations that make California gas so expensive, and allow permits to increase production to lower gas prices."  

Read a copy of the letter sent to Governor Newsom, Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon, and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins here.


 ###

Say California Policy Decisions are to Blame for High Gas Prices

SACRAMENTO- Today, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) and Assembly Budget Vice Chair Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) called on the Governor and Democrat leaders to take immediate action to lower gas prices in California. In a letter sent Friday, the Republican leaders urged the following immediate actions:


1)  Suspend the state’s gas tax, which is adding 54 cents a gallon to the cost of fuel. 

2)  Retract the proposed Special Legislative Session to increase taxes. 

3)  Conduct a full and immediate audit of gas tax expenditures.

“The tax increase Democrats are proposing is insulting,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher. “They need to face reality…it’s their policy decisions that are driving up the cost of fuel in California. With record high inflation and $7 a gallon gas prices, the last thing struggling families need right now is another tax. Policymakers should be solely focused on ways to lower gas prices. More taxes are not the answer.”

"Californians are hit hard by soaring gas prices," said Assemblymember Vince Fong. "The only reason to call a special legislative session would be to suspend the gas tax, reduce the fees and regulations that make California gas so expensive, and allow permits to increase production to lower gas prices."  

Read a copy of the letter sent to Governor Newsom, Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon, and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins here.


 ###

​Residents met the leadership team and found out more about their local Sierra County Office and services on Thursday, October 6th!

 
SACRAMENTO, Calif. –The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will implement a yearlong federal grant to help save lives and reduce the risk associated with riding a motorcycle.
 
The goal of the Get Educated and Ride Safe (GEARS) V grant is to decrease the number of motorcycle-involved crashes and victims through education and enforcement efforts across California through September 30, 2023.
 
From October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, there were 7,078 motorcycle-involved crashes resulting in 354 deaths and 6,400 injuries within CHP jurisdiction, an increase of 3 percent over the previous 12 months.
 
“Motorcycle riders are statistically more likely to be injured or killed when involved in a crash,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray.  “In an effort to ensure every motorist reaches their destination safely, the CHP will continue to use enforcement and non-enforcement strategies, including education and community engagement, to target the leading causes of traffic deaths.”
 
During the grant period, the CHP will participate in traffic safety education efforts, such as
“May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.” These campaigns will promote the use of U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant helmets for all riders and raise driver awareness of sharing the road with motorcyclists.  The CHP will also increase enforcement in areas with a high number of motorcycle-involved crashes, which resulted from speed, improper turns, and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
 
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
 
# # #