Last Year in Review — October, November, and December of 2024

October

Over 100 people attended the Forest City Historical Association’s annual AppleFest festivities to enjoy a potluck lunch, music by “Captain Kitten and the Chicken Fried Cats,” fresh-pressed apple cider, hand-cranked ice cream, and a raffle for a home-made quilt.

Sierra City held another Oktoberfest where attendees were treated to live music and food and the opportunity to purchase items displayed by local artisans and vendors.

The Big Springs Retreat Center presented Range Rider, a movie documenting the plight of wolves and rural communities while proposing a method for protecting both livestock and wolves from predation.

A man who was experiencing hallucinations was arrested before dawn at the site of a small fire in the forest on Merrill Peak, north of Stampede Reservoir.

The Sierra County Sheriff donated an out-of-service patrol vehicle to the Pliocene Ridge Community Service District.

Thanks to $1.7 million in funding from California’s Department of Health Care Services, Eastern Plumas Health Care began renovation of its office space and acquired the resources needed to pay for a third Enhanced Care Management case worker.

Historian and archaeologist Hank Meals hosted an event entitled “Native American Bedrock Milling Stations: What Are They? Why Are They Important?” at the Madelyn Helling Library in Nevada City.

The Plumas National Forest began fuel reduction and reforestation work on 700 acres of land surrounding Taylorsville and Greenville, which were significantly impacted by the 2021 Dixie Fire.

Stargazers were treated to the appearance of the C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) comet in the western sky shortly after sunset.

In Downieville, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office hosted a “Living with Black Bears and Mountain Lions in Our Communities” town hall meeting. Speakers at the event included game wardens and biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

November

Fire restrictions were lifted by the Tahoe National Forest and Sierra County following cold and rainy weather over the previous few weeks.

The results of the 2024 General Election saw Donald Trump garnering 54.7 percent of the votes cast for President within Sierra, Nevada, Plumas, Yuba, and Lassen counties. In the region, only Nevada County gave Kamala Harris more votes (54.3 percent) than Trump (42.1 percent).

Rae Bell Arbogast’s Southwest Sierra columns provided readers with stories about the Underground Gold Miners Museum in Alleghany, Learning to Drive, and a chimney sweeping Red Shafted Northern Flicker.

Veterans Day ceremonies were moved to the recently renovated Downieville Community Hall to avoid the wet weather conditions outside. Besides hearing speeches and the tolling of a bell in remembrance of local veterans who have died, the attendees were provided a delicious lunch by Sabrina’s at the Forks.

The Trust for Public Land, in partnership with the Truckee River Watershed County, announced the transfer of nearly 600 acres of land within Sardine Valley to the Tahoe National Forest to safeguard the water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities of the area “for generations to come.”

Gold Lake Highway was closed for the season after significant snowfall arrived above 6000’, and several rockslides closed CA-70 between its intersection with CA-89 and a couple of miles east of Big Bend Road, near Paradise.

In the aftermath of the Bear Fire, which threatened Sierra Brooks early this past fall, the California Insurance Commissioner issued a moratorium on fire insurance policy cancellations or non-renewals for six ZIP codes in eastern Sierra County.

December

A combination of private donations to the Sierra County Historical Society and public funding from the Sierra County Board of Supervisors allowed the County to finance the reconstruction of the trestle bridge at the Kentucky Mine Museum.

The Plumas County Audubon Society held bird counting events in Sierra Valley, American Valley, and Lake Almanor.

The Feather River Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and the Northern Sierra Partnership celebrated the grand opening of the new Sierra Valley Nature Center, a net zero energy facility open to the public for the viewing of exhibits on wildlife, water, geology, and natural ecological systems in the area.