Read Past Town Chatters

Chester Jr./Sr. High Bulletins/ Newsletters

Sierra Small Business Development Center Free Trainings & Workshops

Community Meeting Times

Plumas News 

Plumas County Health COVID Updates

New Year's Eve Fireworks
12/31/2021

Lake Almanor Community Supper
01/13/2022

Jeff and Dianne Benedictson, Lake Almanor Dental

Lisa Forcino, Crescent Country, Crescent Mills

Mark Lilley, Antlers Motel, Chester

Dana Mollison, Another Man's Treasure, Chester

Suzette Reed, Quarter Circle OS Bookkeeping, Taylorsville

Jennifer Ayres, Mountain Ayres Garden, Taylorsville

Cassandra Barr, Indian Head Properties, LLC., Greenville

Laura Briggs, Coldwell Banker Kehr/O'Brien, Lake Almanor

Last week’s winner with correct question: What is the Chester library to the answer: This Chester landmark was built in the late 1920s and continues to serve our community in the same manner as it did when built was Lori Metcalf. She wins a $10 gift certificate to Forever Home who is also our sponsor this week.

Answer this week:  For 38 years this was a well-known resort in Big Meadows that later was set ablaze for demolition in 1914. 

Please send question to Trivia@lakealmanorarea.com.

Need sponsors! Please contact katherine@sansoneplus.com to support Town Trivia and get your name in Town Chatter for four consecutive weeks.  We have a great following!

The Lake Almanor Area Chamber welcomes new member, Crescent Country

Crescent Country has been a part of the landscape of Plumas County since 1984. A drive through Crescent Mills included a stop to shop for many residents and visitors, and was a beloved destination during the holidays. Lisa Forcino, 2nd generation owner, is making some changes to the store and building to meet the changing needs of the area due to the Dixie Fire.
Lisa's Christmas magic was a part of Indian Valley merchant's open house tradition in early November for over 25 years with neighboring store, Sterling Sage that was lost during the fire. Lisa's hospitality and flair for merchandising made it a favorite spot on the Lake Almanor to Indian Valley Holiday Tours as well.  


What's new for 2022
The Crescent Country Gift Store will continue, but with a smaller footprint. And, we are told the Saturday markets will continue as well. However, the building will also be upgraded to allow room for new ventures such as an office for massage therapy and space for 3 more offices or businesses. 

Lisa's continued presence in Crescent Mills is a welcome site for this person. Her welcoming smile and cheerfulness is what always drew me to her store. And, if I needed to connect with someone in the community, Lisa was the person I would go to. We wish her well with her new venture and welcome her to our Chamber.


Lisa posing with my grandchild, Dane, during the 2014 Lake Almanor to Indian Valley Holiday Tour.

Dec. 20– Alliance for Workforce Development, Inc. (AFWD) is proud to announce the  opening of our newest fire recovery office in Chester located at 328 Main Street, Suite 3 to  better serve our area. This new office will primarily focus on the recovery initiatives for the  Dixie & Sugar (Beckwourth Complex) Fires and assist with navigating the impacts these wildfires have had on our communities. 

This new office will serve both Lassen and Plumas County residents impacted by those fires. We  encourage clients to visit us as we provide no-cost resume development, unemployment  application assistance, community referrals, training and job placement support. Businesses can  also utilize our resources to support their workforce needs; recruitment assistance, training  support and On-The-Job Training funding to alleviate strain while recovering. 

Four experienced AFWD Team Members make up our new office and are eager to assist our  community– Jerri Nielsen, Business Services Representative; Josh Bradley, Career Center  Advisor; Pamela Sylvia, Career Center Advisor; and Valerie Bourque, Resource and Referral  Coordinator.  

Visit the office today if you have any questions or need assistance. If you cannot make it into  our office you can also chat directly with our AFWD Staff on our website or find us on Facebook. 

Chester Recovery Office 
Address: 328 Main Street, Suite 3, Chester, CA 96020 
Phone: 530-258-3866 
Website: www.afwd.org 
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3pOF40X 

If you would like your church to be featured here, please email info@lakealmanorarea.com

Lake Almanor Community Church
2610 Hwy A-13 Lake Almanor, CA 96137
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: 5:30pm

Mt Lassen Community Church
200 Main St, Chester, CA 96020
Christmas Eve and weekend Candlelight & Communion Church Services with kids Christmas drama and kids Christmas church & ornament craft!
Christmas Eve: 2pm, 4pm and 6pm (onsite and online)
"Christmas Country Church" on Sunday, Dec. 26, at 9:30am

Our Lady of the Snows Parish
220 Clifford Drive, Lake Almanor, CA 96137
There will be no morning/daily Masses from Dec. 27- Dec. 31, 2021. 
Friday, December 24th - Vigil Mass at 5:00pm
Saturday, December 25th (Christmas) - Mass at 9:30am and 5:00pm
Sunday, December 26th - Mass at 9:30am
Saturday, January 1st - Mass at 9:30am and 5:00pm
Sunday, January 2nd - Mass at 9:30am

St. Andrew's Church & Academy
174 Melissa St. Chester, CA 96020
Lessons & Carols Dec. 24 at 5:00pm
Midnight Mass Dec. 24 at 11:00pm
Christ's Mass Dec. 25 at 12:00pm

Chester Library
210 First Avenue
(530) 258-2742

Winter Hours of Operation (November- March)
Tuesday-Friday: 10am-12pm, 12:30pm-5:30pm
Saturday: 11am-3pm
Closed Sunday, Monday and major holidays.

Services Offered
Copies and prints are 20 cents each, black and white only. Free public computers and WiFi.

Plumas County Library Winter Book Giveaway Ends Dec. 30
This year the library is asking patrons to decorate a snowflake, return it to the library (during open hours) and receive a free book. The theme is “Books are unique just like Snowflakes.” You can pick up a blank snowflake at any branch or print them at  www.plumascounty.us/593

Collins Pine has many positions currently available in our Chester location offering competitive wages, on the job training, and full benefits: 
    Entry Level Clean-Up       $16.70
    Common Labor                $16.70
    Electrician                         $26.95
    Millwright                          $26.95   + .75 for certified welder, + 1.00 for certified crane operator
    Mechanic                          $25.95
    Sawfiler                            $27.70
    Dry Kiln Operator             $22.60
    Lumber Grader                 $24.20 with 1 certificate
    $24.95 with 2 certificates
    $25.70 with 3 certificates
    $26.45 with 4 certificates
   Additional $0.60 per hour for 2nd shift (all positions).

The Town Chatter is made possible through the funding of our Community Partners:

Collins Pine
Coldwell Banker Kehr/O'Brien Real Estate
Rouland Insurance
Seneca Healthcare District.

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.

Christmas Community Supper Feeds 240
Last week, 220 community members showed up for a delicious meal at the Memorial Hall . A big thank you to the sponsor Celebrate Recovery and all the volunteers including Chefs Carol Franchetti & Brittney Peltier for making it happen. The next Community Supper will be held January 13th. Happy Holidays!


Elks Crab Feed, January 8
The Annual Crab Feed at the Almanor Elks Lodge in Chester will be held on January 8. Proceeds from the Crab Feed go toward Elks scholarships to high school students across the area. Tickets are available at Rouland Insurance and Edward Jones. Seating is limited and tickets are going fast.


Indian Valley Bits & Pieces with Chamber Director, Suzette Reed.

For daily (and sometimes hourly) news and information, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lakealmanorarea

When you donate to the fireworks shows, your dollars go directly toward the cost of the fireworks. Please visit the link below to donate. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your donations! DONATE TO THE 2021 SHOW NOW ON PAYPAL

Special THANKS to our sponsors!

Chester Fire

Community Partners:
Collins Pine
Coldwell Banker Kehr/O'Brien
Rouland Insurance
Seneca Healthcare District

Platinum Members:
Ayoobs Intermountain Hardware
Lake Almanor Ace Hardware
Olah Construction
Tantardino's

Business Gold Members:
Antlers Motel
Bailey Creek Golf Course

Business Silver Members:
Almanor Girl
Another Man's Treasure
At The Branch
Cravings
Eric S Dunbar DDS/ Peninsula Family Dental
Five Star Bank
Lake Almanor Brokers
Mill Creek Resort
Plumas Bank

Open Daily Through Winter Break

Coppervale opens to clear skis and a 5 foot base. With a base elevation of 6,200 feet and a peak elevation of 9,050 feet Coppervale packs enough groomed snow for some terrific downhill fun and features eight spectacular trails, a terrain park, a half-pipe and more than 700 feet of vertical drop. Poma Lift. Rope Tow.  Season passes and punch cards are available. Cash only. There are no credit or debit card services at the resort. Located 6 miles east of Westwood. Snow phone 530-251-8841. Follow them on Facebook. 

12/19/2021

Last week produced some much needed snow here in Northern California. Reports range from 2-3 ½ feet at lake level. We are getting a break before we see another round of snow beginning on Monday evening lasting through the rest of the week. There is ice forming in the North/West section of the lake and water temps are in the high 30’s low 40’s. Lake level continues to inch up, currently sitting at 4477.1 we have seen a slow but steady increase  since our season low of 4474.8 on October 21rst.  

Highway 70 was opened for a couple of days last week and has since closed, chain restrictions were in place for most of last week on all roads in Plumas County and you should expect the same  beginning Monday evening  lasting through at least Saturday. The Canyon Dam boat ramp remains the only public ramp available. 

Fishing pressure was minimal this past week and I would expect that trend to continue for the next few weeks. Bank fishermen are concentrating their efforts around the dam; the trail at Hamilton Branch is treacherous at best. Trollers willing to chance the elements can be rewarded with big fish this time of year. When/if we get breaks in the weather the East Shore, Dorado, Big Cove, A-Frame to Rec#1 and the towers off Prattville are all good places to begin your day.

The Feather River Tourism Association (FRTA), Plumas County's destination marketing organization, represents over 200 lodging providers across 2500 square miles. Following the 7-year effort to garner public support, disseminate accurate and meaningful information to lodging providers stakeholders, the organization formed the district as a 501.c6 in 2020.  The FRTA Board of Directors is eager to move  forward with the strategic plan that was built with input from local lodging providers, restaurateurs, and representatives of the arts, recreation, and retail sectors. The goal of the plan is to promote visitation to Plumas County with an emphasis on the shoulder seasons. 

Social Media
Discover Plumas County launched on Facebook and Instagram posting a range of scenery, terrain, recreation, activities and events in and around Plumas County as well as professional travel and tourism videos produced and distributed in collaboration with the Lake Almanor Area Chamber of Commerce (#discoverplumascounty). Images and videos have been curated from local photographers and videographers and posted regularly to attract and sustain a growing audience seeking the experience of our unique landscape. Coming soon are stories and reels capturing personal stories of lodging providers featuring their properties and facilities.  

Web Presence
A major directive of the strategic plan includes an upgrade to the DiscoverPlumasCounty.org site (formerly known as PlumasCounty.org) entailing a detailed analyses of website traffic and user patterns.  Analytical tools are being employed to provide valuable insights into how users find and use our website and an ability to track return on investment (“ROI”) for online marketing investments. With analytical tools, we can track “dimensions” like where visitors come from, and associated “metrics” like what page they clicked on once inside the site, all providing valuable marketing data used to direct investments of time and money.  To assist in execution of these strategies the board hired Lisa Kelly, for administrative coordination.  With a background in hospitality, tourism and education, her role will liaise with stakeholders, the board and outside contractors. 

FRTA Board of Directors, meetings and information
The FRTA Board of Directors includes Karen Kleven and Janice Haman representing Quincy/Bucks Lake;  Sharon Roberts, Todd Geer and Susan Bryner representing the Almanor Basin; and Josie Litchfield, representing Indian Valley/Feather River Canyon.  Board meetings are open to the public and are typically held monthly on Zoom, for the time being. Meeting times and additional information about FRTA can be found at www.FeatherRiverTourism.com or by inquiring via email:  lisa.kelly@discoverplumascounty.org. Sign up to receive the newsletter by opting in at www.discoverplumascounty.org.

Follow Discover Plumas County on Instagram and Facebook and make sure to share it with your friends!  

Thank you to Sheryl Hart Langrehr for this spectacular photo of the Feather River's journey through Chester after a recent storm.

Advanced Geologic Exploration, Inc.
December 20-23: 9:00am- 3:00pm, by appointment until 5:00.
December 24: 9:00am- 12:00pm.
December 25-26: Closed
December 27-30: 9:00am- 3:00pm, by appointment until 5:00.
December 31- January 2: Closed
January 3: 9:00am- 3:00pm, by appointment until 5:00.

Almanor Girl 
Closed Dec 17-30; Open Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm-4pm pending traffic or by appointment. Please call (775) 934-3590.

Another Man's Treasure Thrift Store
Open Tues-Thursday from 10am-4pm. Friday-Saturday from 10am-5pm. 

At the Branch
Normal hours: Monday-Wednesday 10:00am-8:00pm, Thursday-Sunday 10:00am-9:00pm; Call for winter/holiday hours (530) 596-4505

Ayoob's Intermountain Hardware
Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm
Saturday 8am-4pm
Sunday 8am-3pm
Holiday Hours:
Open Christmas Eve (12/24/21)  7:30am-1pm
Closed Christmas Weekend (12/25/21 & 12/26/21)
Open New Year's Eve (12/31/21) 7:30am-1pm
Closed New Year's Weekend (1/1/22 & 1/2/22)

B&B Booksellers 
B&B Booksellers will be open Thursday Dec. 23 from 10am-4pm; Christmas Eve 10am- 2pm. Closed Christmas Day through the new year. Complimentary coffee available.
Open for the winter season Thursday-Saturday 9am-3pm, Sunday 9am-2pm.

Blue Goose Gallery of Artists
Monday-Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm; Call for winter and holiday hours (530) 258-2600

Coffee Station
Monday-Friday 7am-2pm
Saturday 7pm-1pm
Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day 

Cravings
Closed to the public thru the new year. Serving New Year's Eve dinner. 

Crescent Country
Closing on Christmas Eve at 2pm through the new year; Open Wed-Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 11am-4pm; closed Mon-Tues. Treasures and a few stocking stuffer ideas 50% off with some exclusions. Cash/check only. There will be a smaller Crescent Country with a healing room, gathering room for therapy/groups and office spaces for rent. Call Lisa for more information: (530) 927-7082

Five Star Bank
Call Jon Gregory at (530) 518-5733

Forever Home & Outdoor
Wed 12/22 10-4pm
Thurs 12/23 10-4pm
Friday 12/24 10-2pm
Sat 12/25 CLOSED
Wed 12/29 10-4pm
Thurs 12/30 10-4pm
Friday 12/31 10-2pm
Saturday 1/1 CLOSED
Normal hours: Wed-Sat 10am- 4pm

Gather Home
Wednesday-Thursday: 9:00am- 4:00pm
Christmas Eve: 9:00am- 12:00pm
Christmas Day: Closed
Normal hours: Wednesday- Saturday: 9:00am- 4:00pm

The Giggling Crow
Dec. 22-24 10:00am-4:00pm
Closed Christmas Day
Tue-Sat 10:00am-4:00pm
Open New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

Highlands Ranch Resort
November 1 – May 23
Open Thursday 5pm – 9pm
Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday 11am – 9pm
Closed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
Call for holiday hours: (530) 595-3388

Holiday Market
Normal hours are every day 7:00am-10:00pm
Christmas Eve 7:00am-7:00pm
Christmas Day 9:00am-3:00pm

Koninkrijk Koffiehuis
Open Tuesday-Saturday 8am-4pm

Lake Almanor Ace Hardware
Christmas Eve - 8:30am-2:00pm
Christmas Day - CLOSED
New Year's Eve - 8:30am-2:00pm
New Year's Day - CLOSED
Normal Hours:
Mon-Sat: 8:30am- 5:00pm
Sundays: 10:00am- 4:00pm

Lake Almanor Fitness Center
Monday-Friday 5:00am-9:00pm
Saturdays & Sundays 5:00am-12:00pm
Call for holiday hours (530) 258-3900

Lassen Gift Company & Soda Fountain
Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm, Call for holiday hours (530) 258-2222

Legacy Heirlooms Antiques and Gifts
Open Dec 22- Dec 23: 12pm- 4pm
Dec 24: 1pm-5pm

Mauro Archer and Associates
Closed Dec. 22– 27 and Dec. 30– Jan. 2
**If any of our Chamber Members have suffered property damages of 25k in an addition to revenue loss we would love to help them recover. Please reach out to (530) 539-3020 or (707) 536-8379**

Mill Creek Resort
The restaurant is fully closed for the season and cabin rentals will be closed after January 3rd. We plan to reopen in April. 

Mountain Ayers Garden
Please call (530) 394-7845 for more information.

Olah Construction
Call for more information: (530) 258-4810

Pizza Factory Chester
Closed Friday and Saturday (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) to be with our families. Open New Year's Eve and New Year's Day! Winter hours starting January 1st are 11am-8pm daily! 

Quarter Circle OS Bookkeeping
Closed December 24-26 and December 31-January 2
Normal hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm, closed on Sundays 

Rouland Insurance
Normal hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm

Sage Creek Insurance
Normal hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-2:30pm; Call for holiday hours (530) 258-9992

Seneca Healthcare District
The Almanor Walk-in Clinic will close on Wednesday the 22nd of December, through Christmas. We will reopen on Monday the 27th of December. The Emergency Room is open 24/7 for all emergent needs.

Sierra's Fly & Tackle
Open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

Slusher Plumbing
Normal hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm; Call for holiday hours (530) 258-3474

Sports Nut
Mon-Sat 8:00am-5:00pm
Sunday 8:00am-2:00pm
Call for holiday hours (530) 258-3327

St. Andrew’s Gift Shop & Coffee Bar
Wednesday, December 22: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Thursday, December 23: 9:00am - 3:00pm 
Friday, December 24: 10:00am - 12:00pm Last Minute Gifts!
Monday, December 27: 9:00am - 3:00pm 
Tuesday, December 28: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Wednesday, December 29: 9:00am - 3:00pm 
Thursday, December 30: 9:00am - 3:00pm
After that: Generally 9am-3pm Monday through Saturday

Sunshine Flowers
Normal hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm, Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm
Call for winter/holiday hours: (530) 258-4543

Tantardino's
Open Tuesday-Friday (Christmas Eve) from 11:30am-8:00pm.
Closed Saturday Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)
Open Tuesday-Friday (NYE) from 11:30am-8:00pm
Closed Jan. 1- Jan. 31 
Reopen Feb. 1 to normal business hours

Tom Wallick Pottery
Open every day but Christmas from 10am-5pm

Turner Excavating, Inc.
Closed December 18-January 3

Walkins Pet Supply
Tuesday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm