Last Year in Review — April, May, and June of 2024

April

Larry (“Moe”) Allen, Sierra County’s the longest (2003-2019) serving District Attorney, who also served on the Sierra County Planning Commission, was President of the Western Sierra Medical Clinic for many years, acted as President of the Pliocene Ridge Community Services District, and was a member of the California Turn In Poachers and Polluters Board, died peacefully at his home in Alleghany.

A “Gone Fishing” memorial gathering was held in Downieville for Ed Sanderson and a plaque was mounted in his honor on the Grocery Story bench, the spot where Ed and his dog Finn loved to spend their time.

Loren Kelly was ordained Pastor of the Downieville Assembly of God church during a ceremony held at Trinity of Life Center in Sacramento on the 22nd of the month.

The Yuba River was running high and fast on opening day for the fishing season, but Jim Lunetta’s traditional return to Downieville for the event paid off when he caught a 23-inch German Brown at a never-to-be-revealed location.

May

The Plumas National Forest began prescribed burning operations near LaPorte, Forbestown, and Challenge.

Despite miserable weather, the third annual Sierra Timberfest drew a healthy crowd on the first weekend of the month to watch lumberjack competitions.

Eastern Plumas Health Care opened a new medical clinic in Loyalton.

A column (“Pretend It’s a Forest”) written by a recent transplant to Downieville, Susana Hernández, began appearing in The Mountain Messenger.

The California Public Utilities Commission rejected AT&T’s request to forgo Carrier of Last Resort obligations, so landline telephone service will continue to be available in the rural areas served by The Mountain Messenger.

In the “interest of public safety”, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office, with “deep regret”, euthanized a bear in Downieville after the critter unsuccessfully attempted to enter Downieville School gymnasium and then proceeded to invade a nearby, occupied, home.

In our online edition first, The Mountain Messenger broke the news about a Placer County pathologist determining Patrice Miller, found dead in her Downieville home in November 2023, had been mauled to death by a black bear - the first such event recorded in California history. The webpage has seen over 15,000 visitors since its publication.

June

E Clampus Vitus 1849, the local chapter of Clampers, installed a plaque in Forest City to commemorate the use of a steam locomotive to extract ore by the Bald Mountain Mining Company.

The Sierra County Board of Supervisors scheduled a public meeting for early July about proposed revisions to their short-term rental ordinance.

In Sierra City, Jessica Morse, the Democrat running for Congress who worked for the US Agency for International Development in Iraq and was the deputy secretary for California’s Natural Resources Agency, gave a 40-minute speech focused on forest fire prevention measures.

Since the early 1970s, Feather Publishing printed The Mountain Messenger in Quincy every Thursday. However, this month, Feather Publishing put their old press to bed. As a result, the paper is now being printed at the Appeal-Democrat in Marysville.

A book release reception was held at the North Yuba Hall in Downieville for “The Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin: Protecting the Sierra, One Place at a Time.” This high-quality volume, the product of a collaboration between the Sierra County Land Trust, the Sierra County Historical Society, and the Sierra County Arts Council, features works created by local artists and writers in celebration of the region’s stunning landscapes, pristine waters, and diverse set of flora and fauna.

Katie O’Hara Kelly continued to keep readers abreast of our feral friends, providing great pictures and information about local shorebirds, baby birds, and reptiles.

Two fuel reduction projects in eastern Sierra County were halted by the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife due to the impact of the work on nesting birds and the grey wolves who have recently moved into the area.

With forest fuels drying rapidly due to unseasonably hot temperatures this month, the Plumas National Forest entered Stage 1 Fire Restrictions six weeks earlier than last year. Thus, campfires became allowed in the PNF only within established campfire rings in designated recreation sites.

To help familiarize locals with their setting and the wide variety of courses open to the public, the Sierra Nevada Field Campus, founded by San Francisco State University 75 years ago, hosted an open house near the end of the month.