Thank You Erica! 3x Years of Chamber Board Service
Matt Staggs, Account Executive, CBS TV Stations & Lake Alman  Erica Sherod is a well-known face and member of the Lake Almanor Community. Not only is she the owner of a popular boutique store, The Giggling Crow, but she has also served tirelessly as a Board Member of the Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce.
With Erica’s heavy involvement in the Lake Almanor Community, I sat down with her for coffee to learn more about her upcoming plans.
Tell me about your background and how you got involved with the Lake Almanor Chamber.
“I grew up in the Chester area my whole life, but I really got involved with the Chamber when I moved back as a way to get connected with other businesses.”
What upcoming Chamber projects are you looking forward too?
“Holiday Shopping Tour! This event is the main reason I joined the chamber. In years past, we would connect the businesses throughout the Lake Almanor basin over the course of Veterans Day weekend. With the changes to our community, this year might look different, but I am still excited! to see how its going to look this year.”
What is your favorite part about living, working, and being involved with the Lake Almanor Community?
“Everybody knows everybody, I love the small-town feel. This is one of the reasons I moved back after college.”
For your chance to come say hi to Erica and learn more about the Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce, stop by The Giggling Crow, a fabulous specialty store in Old Town Chester that features a wide array of Apparel, Clothing, and Home Décor.
Giggling Crow
131 Main Street Chester, CA 96020
Tuesday – Saturday
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
(530) 258 – 3010
thegigglingcrow@hotmail.com
www.facebook.com/thegigglingcrow
@thegigglingcrow
Disaster Relief & Dixie Fire Information
Plumas County Dixie Fire Resource List
Click Here.
Disaster Resource Center (DRC)
Where: Almanor Recreation Center, 101 Meadowbrook Loop, Chester, Ca.
When: 11:00am to 6:00pm daily from September 14th to September 18th.
For those of you affected by the Dixie Fire, come register with FEMA to see how they can help you recover.
Dixie Fire Clothing & Supplies Distribution Center in Chester
Sponsored by Elks Lodge 2626 in collaboration with The Almanor Foundation. 164 Main Street, Chester. New items only. Opens for the first time this Saturday 9/11 and will be open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 3 - 6 pm through the end of September.
Plumas Crisis & Intervention Resource Centers
Quincy: 175 Main St, (530) 283-5515: Resource mitigation
Portola: 165 Ridge Street, (530) 832-1827: Resource mitigation
Loyalton: 513 Main Street, (530) 993-1237: Domestic violence help
24/7 Crisis Line: (877) 757-0029
Mental Health Crisis Line: (530) 283-6307
Alliance for Workforce Development, Inc. Resources
If you were affected by the Dixie Fire and are displaced from your job or need help with employment, training, or assistance applying for unemployment, call (530) 283-1606 or email afwdcontact@ncen.org
Samaritan's Purse U.S. Disaster Relief
Samaritan's Purse is working with homeowners in the area. This is a free service provided to homeowners who have little or no insurance. Requests are handled upon need and volunteer availability. For assistance with the Dixie Fire or to volunteer, please contact (530) 855-0426. Lake Almanor Community Church, 2610 Plumas County A13.
Chester Wellness Center Open for Wildfire Victims
The Chester Wellness Center is full and no longer accepting donations for wildfire relief. Hours of operation for distribution are 10:00am-3:00pm Monday-Friday.
Damage Assessment Maps
Dixie Fire Structure Status Map (CAL FIRE)
https://tinyurl.com/2m9en9t4
Recovery Information
Plumas County Recovery Information
https://tinyurl.com/c8c8s5rd
Plumas County Resources:
Town Trivia
Last week’s winner to answer: In 1925, Great Western Power Company announced its intention to enlarge Lake Almanor, thus having to move this cemetery, was Amy Hutchinson (a regular player!) who won a $10 gift certificate from B&B Booksellers with correct question: What is the Prattville Cemetery?
This week’s Answer:
Please send your question to: Trivia@lakealmanorarea.com.
Need sponsors! If interested, please contact katherine@sansoneplus.com.
Please note: only emails received after release of Town Chatter Wednesday am will be considered.
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Disaster Assistance Center in Chester
Bits & Pieces
Beware of Frauds and Scams
FEMA urges survivors to be aware that con artists and criminals may try to obtain money or steal personal information through fraud, scams and identity theft. In some cases, thieves try to register with FEMA using stolen names, addresses and Social Security numbers. FEMA encourages survivors to watch for and report any suspicious activity READ MORE HERE
 25% Off Sale at the Candy Shoppe in Chester
Dixie Fire Blowout Sale - stop by for 25% off all candy during the entire month of September. Free truffle while supplies last.
 Lake Almanor Farmers Market Thursday, September 16
Join us tomorrow from 4-7pm at Chester Park.
Westwood Farmers Market Friday, September 17
Support our neighbors as they restart their Farmers Market on Friday from 4-7pm at the Walker Mansion Inn.
 Clothing & Supplies Distribution Center for Dixie Fire Relief Chester, M,W,S 3-6 pm
Elks Lodge 2626 will operate a Distribution Center of relief supplies for those who have been affected by the Dixie Fire.at the lodge on 164 Main Street, each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday through the rest of the month, 3 - 6 pm. Donations will not be accepted at this time.
Plumas Pines Resort Rib Cook-Off October 2nd. Save the Date. Information coming soon. Proceeds to benefit The Almanor Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund.
 For daily (and sometimes hourly) news and information, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lakealmanorarea
Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Relief Funds
Clint Koble, Advisor - Sierra SBDC Following are links and information about various disaster relief funds currently available. Please visit the SBA booth at the Disaster Assistance Center, 101 Meadow Brook Loop, Chester. Even though you may not be sure you want to avail yourself of a loan, it is worth finding out what is there, what the low interests rates are and how to qualify.
Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans to repair or replace private and business property as well as economic injury from the Dixie Fire are described in t his straight-forward FACT Sheet to disaster assistance from the SBA.
The State of CA has authorized $1.5 billion in additional funding for the CA Small Business COVID-19 Grant Relief Program to cover COVID-related financial losses in 2020 vs 2019. There are two grants to apply for:
Non-Profit Cultural Institutions: Must be a 501 (c) 3 non-profit in the business of Art Dealership; Dance Company; Performing Arts Center, Museum; Historical Site, or Dinner Theater. Applications from August 27, 2021 - September 8, 2021. Https://carereliefgrant.com. See Round 8.
CA Small Business COVID-19 Grant Relief Program for small businesses that suffered financial losses in 2020 vs 2019 due to COVID-19. Https://carereliefgrant.com. See Round 9. Applications begin September 9, 2021 thru September 30, 2021. This will most likely be the last round; please apply on the starting date.
Please contact Clint Koble for more information or assistance. Clint lives in Lake Almanor and he serves Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc Counties. The Sierra SBDC offers free one-on-one small business counseling, assistance in getting financing, and assistance in writing your business plan. Go to sierrasbdc.com; open the Home Page; click on Apply Now and fill out the appropriate information boxes.
For FREE seminars and class sessions, go to sierrasbdc.com; open the Home Page; click on Trainings; register for the session of your choice. Sessions are FREE. For any questions or assistance, call Clint Koble, Advisor - Sierra Small Business Development Center; Clint.koble@gmail.com; (775) 843-4081.
7th Annual Courage Triathlon
Katherine Sansone  “We race so they don’t have to”
A perfect day was enjoyed by over 80 athletes who ran, biked and kayaked at the 7th Annual Courage Triathlon, a benefit to raise money to help sex trafficked children. “Though a smaller turnout in years past due to the Dixie Fire, we decided to hold the event and we are so glad we did since all had a great time,” says Dawn Herschberger, Ambassador for Courage Worldwide.
The event was opened with a prayer, the national anthem sung with the crowd waving their American flags and a moment of silence was held to honor the 20th anniversary of 9-11-21. At 10am under the Courage Worldwide arch, the horn was blown and the runners began a hilly 2.9-mile course. Once runners completed their run, bikers were off for 5.6-miles and then the race was in the hands of the kayakers who paddled 3.1-miles and then ran up the beach of Rec I to the finish line.
Winners in the men’s overall Pierre Redmond of Genoa at 1:29:56; ladies’ overall winner was Lisa Williams, Chico, with a time of 1:48:04; and team winner, Keep It Movin’, Katherine Sansone, Randy McCrimmon and Mary Austin coming in at 1:49:34.
With music playing from the band Forgery, pizza and beer from Tantardino’s Pizza & Pasta were served by Peninsula  Fire Department and Chester Elks, always helping their community, grilled hamburgers. All was enjoyed by hungry participants, volunteers and guests.
“Our goal is to raise money to aid sex trafficked children,” says CEO/Founder, Jenny Williamson. “I know this community has been through a lot and ‘showing up’ demonstrates their spirit, generosity and resiliency. We thank our hosts, Lake Almanor Country Club and all who participated, our volunteers and guest who joined the festivities.”
Exemplifying the spirit of the Courage Triathlon . . . (see more)
“After cycling along with runners, Jo ran into me and needed an additional volunteer to man one of the road intersections to keep cyclists heading in the right direction. Nearing the end of the bike course, I was told by two riders that there was a boy who was dragging his bike after his rear tire blew out. I started to backtrack to look for him. As I was riding, someone asked me if I was looking for a boy with a broken bike. I said yes, and he said, “That’s me. A lady gave me her bike so I could finish the race.” I rode on and found the woman carrying his bike. I asked if she wanted me to call for a pickup, and she just said, "No, it's fine. I can do this." It was the boy's first time to do the race and having done it many times, she wanted it to be a positive experience for him and give him a chance to finish, so she swapped bikes with him.
I kept her company as she carried the bike.
As we rounded a corner here comes the boy on the bike riding back toward us! He hopped off and said, "I finished, now it's your turn." He gave her back her bike so that she could ride to the kayak handoff location. The boy picked up his bike and started to carry it again, his eyes sparkling, talking about training for next year, the challenge of the hills, so happy and pleased that he was able to finish his leg of the race. The pickup arrived, he hopped and went to the finish line to cheer in the last member of his team.
Courage, compassion, taking care of one another, even though they were complete strangers, this is in the spirit of the Courage Triathlon.
(Susan Espana)
Former Local 'Hosts' Virtual Concert
Katherine Sansone  The Dixie Fire has reached many of our residents . . . even those who no longer live here. Paris Morrill Johnson is one of those. A local transplanted to Nashville, upon hearing of the devastation to our community, Paris reached out to the Almanor Foundation to propose doing virtual concerts to raise money for the Wildfire Relief-Fund. . . true to her word – she pulled it off.
The first of these is September 16 from 7:00 to 8:00pm to hear artist, Leilani Hollywood. PLEASE NOTE: Check into this LINK at 6:50 to attend the virtual concert. The second concert is featuring Joshua Martin who is performing in Petaluma this Saturday from 7:00 to 10:00pm at the Washoe House. Check the Almanor Foundation Facebook page for more details.
Please spread the word and pass along links to friends and family who can listen to some great music and raise money for those affected by the fire.
The Almanor Foundation News
Susan Bryner  A Long-term Recovery Group has begun meeting from across the region. Participants include state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations from across the nation, local organizations, agencies and leaders. News of the group meetings and progress will be posted here as it comes out.
Two streamed concerts have been planned with funds raised to go to The Almanor Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund. The first is with Leilani Hollywood. See article and information in this newsletter
An October 2nd Rib Cook-Off has been planned to raise funds for victims of the Dixie Fire. Todd Geer, Plumas Pines Resort, has planned the October Rib Cook-Off to take place at the resort. Information on tickets and how to take part will be out in the next few days on our facebook page.
A Funders Roundtable is slated to meet to discuss collaboration with funding for Dixie Fire relief and recovery. Those coming to the table are The Almanor Foundation, North Valley Community Foundation, Plumas Bank, Community Foundation of the North State, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Northern California United Way.
To make a donation or learn more about The Almanor Foundation and our Wildfire Relief Fund, Grant Programs and Donors go to https://almanorfoundation.com/wildfire-relief-fund
This Week's Farmers Market
Jennie Mathews  Thursday Farmers Market 9/16
At the Market this week, the bar cart’s signature cocktails will be Lemon Drops and Vodka Tonics as a salute to the changing of the seasons. They will be accompanied by Sincere Cider, the official hard cider of the Lake Almanor Farmers Market, as well as an assortment of beers.
 Our featured musical entertainment will be Christi Chase and Jason Judy. This melodic duo from the Lake Almanor Basin compliments each other’s sound with Christi’s strong, raw voice and Jason’s soft and intentional acoustic guitar. Feel free to stop by and hear for yourself!
This Weeks Vendors include:
Kona Ice
Merry Morsels
Road Roaster Coffee Co.
Alldrin Alaskan Salmon
Jeffroe’s Produce
Lake Almanor Life
Baja Vaca Beef / Almendra Winery
Diamonds & Dirt
Rejoicing Recycler
Almanor Fishing Report
Captain Rob Ayers  9/13/21
Today we started with the same temperature as last week, 52 degrees. Instead of a high of 86 we made it to a high of 79 today under clear skies and light wind. The Almanor basin is forecast to have cooler starts in the morning and moderate afternoon temperatures through the week. Of notable news, we did get measurable precipitation this last week. There is a possibility we will see more towards the end of this week. If you are traveling into the basin this week expect morning temperatures to be as low at 45 degrees to start the day.
Water surface temperatures are holding steady around 67 degrees in the morning. The skies for the most part have become clear. The clearer skies have pushed water temps up into the low 70s by mid day. Clarity has reduced about a foot down to 10’ or 11’. Algae is still accumulating on surface lines and the lake is a dark green. Lake level dropped just over 4.5 inches this week, a welcomed decrease from the 6 inch loss last week.
Driving into the Almanor basin on highway 32 is clear and open. 36 is reported to have controlled traffic from Mineral almost all the way to 32. Highways 70 and 89 are still under controlled traffic. Highway 36 west from Susanville also has road construction delays. Highway 44 west out of the Almanor basin is under hard closure.
National forests as well as all public boat launch access is still closed at the time of this report. I have heard people saying there is a possibility that these restrictions will be lifted for this weekend. I recommend calling ahead if you hope to utilize the public boat ramps. The general area of both Canyon Dam and Forest Service West have been impacted by fire. Also be aware of dredging operations by PG&E to clear the channel from the Butt Reservoir pumps. I hear they will be dredging the area all the way to the feather river channel over the next couple of months.
Fishing has slowed for both trollers and bank fishermen. We continue to target the east shore from the dam on up and around to Big Cove. Boats are beginning to scatter earlier as the bite continues to trend more difficult. Jigging around Recreation Area 2 on the peninsula remains good. I’ve continued to fish the Hamilton Branch area and work pockets of fish when I find them. Fish can be found throughout the water column. Bank fishing is limited at this time mostly to the Hamilton Branch. If they open Canyon Dam this weekend I would expect the fishing in Geritol Cove to be good.
Good luck. As always, please practice catch and release and support our amazing community and wonderful fishery.
Seneca Healthcare Updates
Date: 9/14/21
For: General Information
The last few months have been busy for everyone including Seneca Healthcare District. As part of Project Bullhorn communication internally and externally is a high priority of Seneca Healthcare District, as such the following information has been gathered to be shared in order to keep the community informed of things big and small within their hospital.
Seneca Welcomes New Staff: 
Seneca Healthcare District has officially welcomed Judy Cline to the team! Judy has joined the Seneca Executive Staff as our Chief Nursing Officer and will be responsible for the overall strategic and operational leadership of our Care Division.
Judy comes to Seneca from Enloe Medical Center in Chico with an impressive resume and experience involving the development and sustainability of clinical care programs.
Judy established multiple programs over her tenure and most recently served as the Nursing Administrator responsible for a multitude of service lines including; Trauma, Emergency Services, Urgent Care, Specialty Clinic, and Enloe’s Flightcare. She brings experience in critical care and is committed to the highest level of quality in care delivery.
We are pleased that Judy has joined our team as our organization transitions and grows to provide a more comprehensive and quality-based healthcare delivery model.
Seneca Says Goodbye:
Seneca Healthcare District’s HR Manager James Kooyman will be retiring. Jim has been with Seneca Healthcare for five years as the Human Resources Manager. It is very often a thankless job but also critical to an organization. Seneca would like to wish Jim well and thank him for being a part of the Seneca Healthcare Team. Good luck in retirement Jim… Well deserved!
Seneca looks forward to Changes within:
Current clinic Manager Ann Holt will be assuming the responsibilities in Nursing Leadership as Seneca Hospital Nursing House Supervisor. The executive team is excited to have Ann transition into a new role. Congratulations Ann.
Seneca progresses on Project Botox:
The hospital roof is scheduled to be replaced this coming month and the repainting of the entire campus is scheduled to resume as well. Please beware when visiting the hospital or clinic that there are several projects in progress.
Seneca Hospital Build Campaign:
Seneca Hospital Build Campaign is anticipated to start soon. This campaigned is designed to give the community information on why a hospital has to be build, how Seneca plans to build, where in the process the team is, when Seneca plans to build and what ways the community can be involved and support the new build of the hospital. More information will be available at Senecahospital.org soon.
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