By Melinda Myers
As garden catalogs are piling up and online versions fill your inbox, your thoughts may turn to the growing season ahead. With so many choices of beautiful flowers and scrumptious vegetables it can be overwhelming and hard to resist buying more seeds and plants than you have space to grow and time to tend. 
Start by flipping through the pages of various catalogs and searching gardening websites and online catalogs to gather ideas and inspiration. Narrow down your search by selecting plants suited to your climate and growing conditions. 
Quality catalogs will list the cold hardiness zone of trees, shrubs and perennials and often include the Plant Hardiness Zone Map developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These hardiness zones are based on the average minimum winter temperature. The lower the number, the more cold-tolerant the plant.
Sunset Climate Zones for North America may be new to many gardeners. A variety of factors beyond high and low temperatures were considered when the 45 hardiness zones were created. Microclimates, growing season, rainfall, humidity, wind patterns, and ocean currents were some of the other factors that went into defining these zones.
Read the plant description and select plants that match the light, soil and moisture in your garden.  Make sure annual flowers and vegetables you select have time to flower and produce before your season ends. Those with a longer time to harvest than your growing season allows will need to be started indoors. You will need time and indoor growing space to start your own long-season plants from seed indoors.
Select the most disease resistant and low maintenance varieties whenever possible. Make sure you have enough space in the garden or containers for all the plants you select and for each of them to reach their mature size. Overcrowding plants increases the risk of disease and can reduce flowering and productivity.
Look for award-winning plants when reviewing the catalogs.  All-America Selections’ winners (AAS) are tested nationally and selected for improved growth habit, flowering, pest resistance or some other unique feature for the home garden. Perennial Plant, Hosta and Daylilies of the Year are selected by members of the various organizations for their outstanding performance.
Consult your local University Extension service. Most create lists of plants and varieties that are best suited to your region. They often recommend planting dates based on the average local soil and air temperatures.
Your next step – inventory any leftover seeds saved from last season. When properly stored in a cool dark location many seeds can last for years.  Longevity does vary with the type of seed, but you may be surprised to find you can get years of planting from one packet of seeds. Onions, parsley, verbena and salvia usually last about a year, whereas properly stored Brussels sprouts, cabbage and zinnias can last an average of five years.
Create your list and set it aside for a day or two before placing your orders. A bit of planning can save you money and increase success as you grow plants best suited to your climate and gardening space.
Melinda Myers has written numerous books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

SUSANVILLE, Calif., December 30, 2019 -- The Almanor Ranger District on the USDA Forest Service’s Lassen National Forest (LNF) is scheduling its Annual Guided Snowshoe Tours for this winter season with the first tour scheduled for Jan. 17.  These tours are open to the general public, community, and school groups.
The tour covers a variety of topics during the one to two-hour program. Some of the topics covered are basic winter survival skills, environmental education, and local history. The Tours take place in the surrounding LNF, but locations vary depending on current snow conditions.  
Snowshoes for these tours are provided free of charge and are geared for beginners but can be strenuous depending on terrain and snow powder conditions. There is the option of tailoring the tour program to include the California State Standards for environmental education by request. 
This is a great way to enjoy this winter season on the Lassen National Forest and to explore the forest while on snowshoes,” said Deb Bumpus, forest supervisor.  “There’s the magical experience of floating over the snow on snowshoes among snow-laden trees, animal tracks to follow, and the quiet of the snow-hushed forest.”
Upcoming 2020 Winter Snowshoe Tour Schedule (Times to be announced)

• Friday, Jan. 31
• Saturday, Feb. 8
• Friday, Feb. 22

All tours require reservations. To reserve your spot, schedule your school, or get more information about our snowshoe program, contact Carlos Holguin, Visitor Information Services, at (530) 258-2141 or by email at carlos.holguin@usda.gov.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

Mark Gaston
Public Affairs Officer

Forest Service
Lassen National Forest, Supervisor's Office

p: 530-252-6604
c: 530-257-2151
mark.gaston2@usda.gov

2550 Riverside Drive
Susanville, CA 96130
www.fs.fed.us


Caring for the land and serving people
​

Date: January 1, 2020
 
For Immediate Release
 
Anyone who has taken the time to pay attention to themes of the Plumas Sierra County Fair, would see that they have been all over the map. Some have reflected the point in time of the Fair; like “150th Anniversary” in 2009 or “Come Alive in ‘75” for 1975. Others were calls to action; the first modern Fair in 1940 was based on the theme “It’s Your Fair, So Be There”. After that, it would appear organizers didn’t feel the need for a theme until 1952. At that time, there was a close connection between the Fair and the Plumas Chamber of Commerce, the former led by the legendary Tulsa St. Elmo Scott and the latter by Chet Peckinpah, both members of the Western Fairs Association Hall of Fame. 1952 features the first of several themes that promoted the economy and attractions of the County; “Lumbering Progress”. Although the use of themes was still sporadic, later years had similar motives; “Outdoor Glory”, “Natural Resources….Plumas County’s Wealth” and “Progress’n Plumas Style”.
 
History had its turn on many occasions. 1976 featured “Plumas Pride In Our Past, Faith In Our Future”, followed in 1977 with “The Old West At Its Best”. 1983 made a nod to agriculture and history with “Harvest of History”. And of course, the old faithful rhyming and word play themes seemed to be popular since the 80’s. “A Family A-Fair” in 1985, and “Bales, Tails & Happy Trails” in 2010. The past few years though, the Plumas Sierra County Fair Board has made choices that have given the Fair an opportunity to address issues that can educate and inspire our community. The 2017 theme of “Art to Ag” was awarded First Place among fairs with attendance of 100,000 or less on the West Coast, as well as being nominated as one of the top 5 outstanding programs of fairs of all sizes.
 
The 2020 fair theme is “Young At Heart”. The road leading to that theme began with the idea of how the Fair could showcase the talent and deep resources of our youth in Plumas and Sierra Counties. The Fair Board wanted to celebrate the knowledge and accomplishments of the young people in our community. Then it was asked; “What do we consider young?” Just because someone doesn’t know how to operate a cell phone beyond answering a phone call, doesn’t mean they don’t FEEL young. So, after discussing and considering these deep rhetorical thoughts, the Fair Board found the obvious phrase we all know; “Young At Heart”.
Everyone knows people that, despite their age, are truly young at heart. These are the people, along with the youth of our two counties that the 2020 Plumas Sierra County Fair is built around. Plans to do just that are in the works, but the Fair invites anyone who has an idea, or maybe knows someone that exemplifies the theme, to contact the fair office and share their thoughts. Look for activities that will help us all discover how young at heart we really are.
 
Getting back the youngsters, the Fair is planning a Kiddie Land featuring bounce attractions, activities and games. This concept is centered around the idea of creating a fun, safe place where our younger visitors can hang out throughout the Fair.
 
The 2020 Exhibit Guide is scheduled for release around the first week of February. “The exhibit guide is the portal to a successful fair,” declared the Fair Manager. “Last year saw a significant increase in entries and contributed to one of our best Fairs ever.” Steffanic emphasized that the more entries, the stronger the fair.
 
The 2020 Plumas Sierra County Fair will take place August 12 – 16, 2020. It always begins on the second Wednesday in August.

PHOTOS COURTESY MARY DAVEY
A CHRISTMAS EVE FIRE Sierra City Fire had Chief Adam De Burg respond along with Firefighter Rich Teisso, and son David,
 They where first on scene after the UPS driver Kevin noticed the house on Main St. Highway 49 was on ablaze and he went to his delivery to report it.
It was reported around 7 pm. Christmas Eve.
The other Sierra City Fire Fighters where Michelle Anderson, Arron Stringer, Conrad MCually,
 Bryan Davey, Cadet Miller, John L. .
Downieville Fire firefighters also responded with Chief Hall, FF Mike Galan and FF Folsom.
 Mary Davey states, "We are so grateful these folks showed up on Christmas Eve.
.A catastrophe was avoided the tenants of the house who were away for the Holiday."
The Red cross is assisting the tenants.
  No cause yet to what started the fire we are thankful no one was hurt..

Ventura, CA – According to California’s Department of Finance (DOF), the state grew by “only” 141,300 over the last year, but that was only because of a net outflow of almost 200,000 Californians to other states. The official state estimate for July 1, 2019, puts California’s population at 39.96 million, a growth rate of 0.35 percent, the lowest recorded rate since 1900.
 
The DOF estimate indicates that the net domestic outmigration of 198,000 was offset by foreign immigration of 158,000 and natural increase (births minus deaths) of 181,000. Immigration drives population growth in the U.S., and even more so in California. According to the Pew Research Center, “Future immigrants and their descendants… are projected to account for 88 percent of the U.S. population increase,” between 2015 and 2065.
 
Californians for Population Stabilization Executive Director Ric Oberlink responded:

“It’s good news that California’s growth rate is slowing. Decades of unsustainable population growth have resulted in crumbling infrastructure, massive traffic jams, increased air pollution, and the destruction of large swathes of California’s precious ecosystems. The fact is, California is already overpopulated; it is why we’re seeing Californians leave the state in record numbers. Overpopulation leads to reduced quality of life.
 
“We think of Europe as the crowded Old World and think of America, especially the West, as the land of wide-open spaces, yet the population density of California already exceeds that of Europe by one-third… and is still increasing.
 
“Population growth drives up the cost of housing and increases the cost of living. These contribute to our crisis of homelessness.
 
“While this exodus slows our increase, it is a sad commentary on conditions in California. Where are the leaders who recognize that we should stabilize our population to regain the high quality of life that used to be the hallmark of California?”

WASHINGTON, DC, Dec 27 -- There’s no toast like the ones we raise a glass to during the holidays but the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] suggests its members -- and senior citizens in general -- need to be careful not to overdo it. 

Senior advocate and AMAC president Dan Weber notes that Americans increase their use of alcohol exponentially between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. “It’s bad enough when youngsters drink to excess, but it can have particularly critical effects on older folk.”

Studies have shown that Americans double their intake of alcohol during the holiday season, starting on what has been called “Blackout Wednesday,” the day before Thanksgiving Day and continuing through New Year’s Day. The publication, Beverage Daily, says that on average most of the year we consume about four drinks a week, but during those festive days from Blackout Wednesday to January 1 we can down eight drinks a week or more.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI], “In addition to the psychosocial issues that are unique to older adults, aging also ushers in biomedical changes that influence the effects that alcohol and drugs have on the body. Alcohol abuse, for example, may accelerate the normal decline in physiological functioning that occurs with age. In addition, alcohol may elevate older adults' already high risk for injury, illness, and socioeconomic decline.”

The NCBI also suggests that the older you are friends and family are likely to ignore excess drinking, so you can’t necessarily rely on them to keep track of your intake. “Therefore, it is up to you to drink responsibly, which means taking it easy as you pour and limiting your intake,” says Weber. 

“Thus, in preparation for an impending holiday party, you should prepare yourself to be a ‘responsible’ drinker, one who plans ahead before heading out for a night of festivities.” 

Weber offers a few tips when planning for an evening of “fun, food and frivolity” during the season:

-Pace yourself. Limit your drinking to a lightly poured cocktail an hour.

-You’ll consume less alcohol if you have a non-alcoholic drink between boozy drinks.

-Don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

-Most important is to trust your own instincts by not letting a party pal determine that you “need” another drink.

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The 2 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://www.amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at https://amac.us/join-amac.

QUINCY, Calif. - Plumas National Forest officials remind the public that there are several important dates to remember in order to purchase a Christmas tree permit, cut a tree, obtain  a personal fuelwood permit or visit forest offices.
Christmas tree permits:

• Christmas tree permits are available for purchase through Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019
• Christmas trees can be cut any day of the week through Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019

Fuelwood permits:

• 2019 personal fuelwood permits expire Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
• 2020 fuelwood permits available Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020

Office closures:

• Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019 (Executive Order dated Dec. 17, 2019)
• Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019 (Federal Holiday)
• Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 (Federal Holiday)

Whether heading out to the forest to cut a Christmas tree, gather firewood or enjoy some snow play, please check the weather forecast and be prepared for changing weather and road conditions. Carry emergency equipment in vehicles and remember there may be no cell phone coverage. Please call 530-283-2050 for more information.
 
For information about the Plumas National Forest visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas and www.Facebook.com/usfsplumas.