Plumas County Libraries Open For Service
All Plumas County Library branches are open for curbside service and minimal browsing/computer usage service starting Mon Feb 22 2021.
We are happy to let you know that all Plumas County Library branches will be open for minimal browsing/computer usage service starting Monday, February 22. Appointments will not be required. There is a maximum capacity allowed for each branch, so patrons may be asked to wait outside to match this as needed. Curbside service will continue to be offered for both item checkout and printing/copying services for those patrons who do not feel comfortable coming inside. You must wear a mask both to enter the library and for curbside service. Please follow the instructions on the signage at your local branch when visiting.
If you have any questions, please call or email your local branch. Also, as a reminder, we do now have the 1040/1040SR, 540, and 5402EZ tax forms available.
Lori Metcalf, Plumas County Library, Chester Branch
210 First Ave. Chester, 530.258.2742
pclibc@psln.com
Hours:
Mon – Wed: 10am – 12pm & 12:30pm- 5:30pm
Thurs: 10am-12pm & 2pm-5:30pm
Sat: 11am-3pm
Town Trivia
For the next three weeks, we have a new sponsor, Tami De Jong, owner of Ace Hardware who is offering a $5.00 coupon for the winner. Please go to Ace to pick-up.
Town Trivia
Congratulations to last week’s winner, Karl Tippets, who had the right question: What is Lake Almanor?
Last week’s answer: It is the coined name of Alice, Martha and Elinor, the three lovely daughters of Guy Earl, an Oakland attorney who helped organize the Western Power Company.
This week’s answer: 52 Miles
Please send your question to Trivia@lakealmanorarea.com
For anyone interested in prize sponsorship for Town Trivia, please contact katherine@sansoneplus.com
About Us
Chamber Board Meetings are at 8:30 am on the 2nd TUESDAY of each month in the Chamber office at 278 Main Street. All are welcome. Zoom is available.
The Chamber's Community Calendar is open to all. CLICK HERE. Go to the bottom of the page and look for SUBMIT HERE.
Lake Almanor Area Chamber
530.258.2426
278 Main St., Chester
P.O. Box 1198 96020
Info@lakealmanorarea.com
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Bits & Pieces
Community Supper
The next Community Dinner is Thursday, February 25 from 5:00 to 6:00. Dinner is old-fashioned meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, honeyed carrots, gelatin fruit salad, and apple crisp pie. The drive-thru is located in the parking lot of the Memorial Hall on Gay Street in Chester, down from the Corner Store. Please stay in your car and your hot meal will be brought to you. Sponsors are the Almanor Basin Food Pantry and the staff of Carol's Café.
FedEx Offers Grant to Small Business
A grant is being offered by Federal Express for businesses that “adapted” during COVID to remain operational. Those who like making videos... this is a perfect opportunity to apply your video skills. FedEx Small Business Grant | FedEx Small Business Center
Almanor Fishing Association Newsletter Opportunity
AFA is wrapping up their annual newsletter. Its not too late to become a member and get your business listed in the Newsletter. Business listings are free! Deadline, February 28, 2021. Click Here to become a member.
Plumas County Public Health Vaccine Update
https://www.plumascounty.us/2761/COVID-19-Vaccine
Youth Judo and Adult Jujitsu Back in Chester
The popular classes of youth judo and adult Jujitsu are again being offered by the Almanor Recreation and Park District. For more info click here.
Seneca Healthcare District Vaccine Progress Please see attached release regarding the progress being made with vaccinations. (link)
Visit California's 2021 Outlook Forum Available to View On-Line
This year's Outlook Forum featured two packed days of travel & tourism sessions across four focused content tracks. You can view sessions you missed during the live event, re-watch your favorites or share with your team — all on-demand at OutlookForum.com. But don't wait — sessions are only available until March 31.
Regional Chambers Met with Public Officials
Clint Koble Thirty-six engaged community leaders attended an Area-Chamber of Commerce meeting on Thursday, February 18, 2021 via ZOOM. Representatives from the Quincy, Indian Valley, Lost Sierra, Chester-Almanor Area, and Loyalton Chambers met to establish lines of communication, develop strategic plans, build Value for Chamber members, bring resources, share ideas, and discuss challenges/opportunities. Facilitator Clint Koble, a resident of Lake Almanor and Advisor for Sierra Small Business Development Center (Sierra SBDC), described the meeting as “long overdue”. He challenged Chambers to redefine the role they play in their communities and to focus on economic development.
Also in attendance were Plumas County staff, BOS Greg Hagwood, personnel from Plumas and Lassen Forests, field reps from Congressman Doug LaMalfa, Senator Dahle, Assemblywoman Dahle, Sierra SBDC, Senior Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE), Feather River Tourism Marketing District (FRTMD), and other current and past Chamber members.
Koble opened the meeting with effects COVID-19 has had on small businesses and in particular very-small businesses, non-profits, and ultimately the Chambers that he called the “economic engine of each community”.
Challenges for Chambers discussed were funding, staffing, lack of resources, and how to create value for Chamber members. Some called for past County support for Chambers to be renewed to put “gas in the tank of the chamber economic engine” to keep the engine running strong, and to create liaisons with all the Chambers. Koble asked “Who else is going to pick up the pieces of shattered communities and shuttered businesses, breathe life back into economic development, and promote local entrepreneurship?” It will be your local Chamber.
There was considerable discussion on the fear of growth that hampers economic development in rural communities that are actually losing businesses and population. Another message was for tourism to not only attract people to our communities but to also encourage them to relocate their businesses and families. Those discussions led to future investments of high-speed internet and also charging stations for electric cars to accommodate both tourist and local needs.
Leslie Edlund (Plumas Forest Public Service Staff Officer) made a presentation on new voice mail recordings and lists of links to better serve tourists and residents for the upcoming season that was well-received. Russell Nickerson, Lassen County District Ranger, promised the same service and added “The Lassen Forest wants to be your partner in Economic Development”.
Suggestions included Chambers working better together by sharing strategies and funding models, develop better-trained Board Members, implement short-term and long-term Strategic Planning, synching events calendars, and using the FRTMD as a partner and tool in economic development.
A follow-up, working-meeting is planned for late April. Contact Clint Koble at clint.koble@gmail.com or (775) 843-4081 for more information or a link to review the recorded meeting.
Crab & Go A Big Success
Crab was enjoyed by 150 locals this past weekend at the Firemen’s Association Annual Crab Feed, or as it was called this year, “Crab & Go” with pick-up hosted by Tantardino’s Pizza & Pasta.
Over 600lbs of Dungeness Crab purchased from Tides Wharf was served along with savory bread, fresh green salad and homemade cookies. “Though many missed seeing one another at this annual event that we have been hosting for over 25 years, the dinner was truly enjoyed by all,” says Association President, Bruce Sherod. “From the support of the community, donations, ticket, raffle and t-shirts sales, we raised $5,517, which will go for much needed equipment for the department,” adds Sherod.
A big thank you goes to the following for their generous donations:
- Almanor Brokers -Jay Sabelman
- Sierra Rental and Transport Company Inc- Al & Susan Casci
- Tantardino’s Pizza & Pasta
- The Giggling Crow- Brenda Sherod & Erica Pilgrim
- Lake Almanor Ace Hardware – Tami & Duane Dejong
- Dollar General
- Farmer's Insurance- Linda & Bob Rouland
- Holiday Market Chester- Emily Rice
- Knotty Pine Marina & Resort – Tish & Brett Womach
- Almanor Girl
Also, special thanks to:
- Stacy & Dennis Mannle – Tantardino’s Pizza & Pasta
- Jessie King
- Katherine Sansone
- Holly Coons & John Price
- Jane Hillyard
- Pat Roarty
- Maggie & Steve Fleming
- Chief Courtright and the on-duty crew
- Captain Duff
- Captain Campbell
- Firefighter, Paramedic Tremblay
- Firefighters Curtis & Machado
Almanor Fishing, Weather & Lake Report
John Crotty, Almanor Fishing Association 
2/22/2021
Lake level is unchanged from last week at 4480’ down approximately two feet from last year on the same date. Clarity remains 5-8’ and water temps are ranging between 36-39 degrees. There is snow on the ground at lake level and it is melting quickly. We are not expecting any additional precipitation through the month of February. Overnight temps will drop into the low 20’s, we are expecting to see sunny spring like temperatures reaching into the low 50’s over the next ten days.
There were 13 people fishing from shore around the coves of Canyon Dam this morning with mixed results. Hamilton Branch was depositing murky water into Almanor earlier this week limiting success. As Hamilton Branch clears fishing should improve. Check with Mark at Sierra Fly & Tackle for up to the minute conditions.
We are seeing an increase in boats on the water, trolling was slow yesterday, that said the fish caught were fat and healthy with an equal mix of Browns and Bows. We caught our fish slow trolling gulps with the bows coming in the top 15’ and Browns deeper. The bite around the dam is slowing; it will soon be time to branch out. I have heard reports of fish being caught fast trolling hardware, ripping flies and going slow. Pick the method your comfortable fishing and find bait and you have a great chance of catching a quality fish.
March Free Webinars with the Sierra Small Business Center
Clint Koble - advisor 
The Sierra Small Business Development Center (Sierra SBDC) is located in Truckee, CA. As a small business Advisor for the Sierra SBDC, I service Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc Counties. The SBDCs provide FREE one-on-one counseling, business plan development, workshops and webinars every month. For FREE counseling, please visit www.sierrasbdc.com; open the Home Page, click on the ‘Apply Now’ on the upper right, and then complete the information boxes about your business for a client profile. All information is kept confidential. You will then be routed to me and we can start working together for your business.
For the FREE workshops and seminars, go to www.sierrasbdc.com; click on Calendar at the top, then scroll down to the session of your choice. You must register to get entry. Following is the schedule for March 2021:
March 1: Your Customer Experience in the New Dine-In Reality. How to merge COVID-19 gov’t guidelines with best hospitality practices.
March 4: Social Media Tips & Tricks for Food Businesses. Everyday Social Media: How to keep the posts coming and the customers engaged.
March 9: Owning and Investing in Real Estate for Small Business Entrepreneurs. Information to secure your long-term future by owning property, company plants, and equipment.
March 10: Webinar: Digital Marketing Hour: Instagram Stories.How can my company develop meaningful marketing strategies with limited resources?
March 10 & 17: Disaster Relief Loan Updates and Caseforce. Answers how small businesses can prepare and apply for an SBA Economic Injury Loan and PPP Forgiveness. Also: Provide information on any new loan options.
March 10, 17, 24, 31: Restaurant Financial Bootcamp – Four Part Series. Intensive four-part bootcamp series on restaurant financials.
March 24: Webinar – Digital Marketing Hour: Digital Marketing Tactics as You Continue to Pivot and Recover. Embracing digital technology as an effective way to communicate with customers, promote your business and services, and sell products online.
Feel free to contact me for information on our FREE services at clint.koble@gmail.com or (775) 843-4081. The Sierra SBDC also has experts in International Trade, the Food Industry, Marketing, Financing and more.
California Grant Relief Program
Lendistry-SBA Loans 
We recognize the challenges that so many small businesses have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need and impact have been significant, and there has been a huge demand for grants.
California is home to over 4 million small businesses, and we have received more than 350,000 successfully completed applications from so many impacted small businesses.
On February 17th, Governor Newsom and Leadership of the California State Legislature announced an Agreement to allocate more funds to the CA Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant program. Pending final legislative approval of this additional program funding,many applications have been waitlisted.
If you have applied, no further action is needed from you at this time, but please be sure to monitor your email for critical updates.
With such great demand for assistance, we would also like to share other programs and resources for your business.
State Resources:
California Office of the Small Business Advocate – CalOSBA, which administered this grant program, serves as the voice of small business and offers information and direct support to help you better navigate resources and programs available to start, manage, and grow your business. Get assistance and/or stay connected HERE.
Small Business Center Network - California supports a network of small business technical assistance centers that provide free one-on-one consulting and no-cost or low-cost trainings to help businesses get funded, enter new markets, strengthen operations, build resiliency and more. Get help adapting to the new marketplace with digital tools, finding loans and other grant programs, or learning how to improve your operations. With over 30 languages available, click HERE to find your local advisors today.
California Rebuilding Fund – The State invested in the California Rebuilding Fund to help impacted and underserved small businesses who have had difficulties accessing capital rebuild from the economic crisis and keep local economies strong. The Fund is an innovative public-private partnership that provides free support and services and affordable loans to small businesses as they navigate the challenges of COVID-19. Visit CALoanFund.org for information and to apply.
Small Business Loans - The State of California also supports loans to small businesses through a network of lenders at IBank and the Treasurer’s Office as follows:
- Disaster Relief Loan Guarantee Program: The State of California has allocated $50 million to the Small Business Finance Center at California’s IBank to support small business access to capital for those small businesses (1-750 employees) that may not qualify for federal funds (including businesses in low-wealth and immigrant communities). Click HERE for more information. Loans up to $50,000 are prioritized for underserved businesses. Find a participating lender HERE. To access the program, visit above link or contact IBank at: IBank@IBank.ca.gov
- Small Business Loan Guarantee Program: IBank’s Small Business Finance Center features a loan guarantee program that encourages lenders to provide funds to small businesses and encourages investment in low- to moderate-income communities. Click HERE for more information.
- California Treasurer’s Office has a small business loan program with special disaster assistance that is used by CDFIs, banks and other lenders. CalCAP’s Covid-19 considerations are HERE. To apply, find a lender at: http://go.pardot.com/e/748173/cfa-calcap-sb-institutions-pdf/9z5qj/308104299?h=ze1c9n-5ezF6knmcqhej-5vKSQ0M38v52oouCYwyHK8
Federal Resources:
U.S. SBA PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) – The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Learn more HERE.
U.S. SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): The U.S. SBA is accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications from all qualified small businesses, including agricultural businesses, and non-profit organizations. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation to health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. Read more HERE. |
