This week all students and staff received a Plumas Strong hooded sweatshirt. This was made possible due to the generosity of Redding Christian High School who raised over $3,000 for our school as a result of the Dixie fire. The Chester Jr. Sr. High School Booster Club also donated funds so that they could provide a hoodie for every student and staff member. The cool logo, which incorporates the Greenville and Chester logos, was designed by our registrar, Katie Vaca. 

The Chester PieceMakers held their monthly meeting Jan. 10. The guest speaker was Natalie Caldwell, a very talented quilter from Red Bluff. The PieceMakers meet the second Monday at 1 p.m. at the Almanor Recreation Center in Chester, which is located behind the Antlers Motel. All are welcome at the meetings.

Red Bluff quilter Natalie Caldwell, left, is shown with one of her quilts that she shared with the Chester PIecemakers. Photo submitted

Read Past Town Chatters

Plumas News 

Chester Jr./Sr. High Bulletins/ Newsletters

Sierra Small Business Development Center Free Trainings & Workshops

Plumas County Health COVID Updates

Enjoying her first week as a full time resident, Terra caught and released this beautiful trout.  After being displaced by the 2018 Campfire, she feels like she has finally found a home at Lake Almanor.  If you see her about town, please join me in welcoming her to the community.

Ginger Gamble, Gigi's Market, Crescent Mills

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

Lake Almanor Community Supper
01/13/2022

Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers Race
01/15/2022 - 01/16/2022

Chowder Cook-Off
1/15/22 - See article this Town Chatter

Popsapalooza 2021
01/22/2022

Lake Almanor Community Supper
01/27/2022

Popsapalooza 2021
02/05/2022

Peninsula Fire Crab Feed
02/05/2022

Lake Almanor Community Supper
02/10/2022

Lake Almanor Community Supper
02/24/2022

Last week’s winner was Annette Cahoon winning a $10 gift certificate from Watkins Pet Supply who is also this week’s sponsor.  Correct question was: What is Lake Almanor to answer: In 1902, Julius Howells recorded the creation of a new reservoir to be named Lake Earl. 

This week’s answer: The abundance of wildlife was a sportsman’s dream but by the 1880s, fishermen at Eagle Lake waged war to get rid of “as many as possible” of this pesky breed. 

Please send response to trivia@lakealmanorarea.com

This week’s sponsor is Watkins Pet Supply with a $10 gift certificate. Thank you! 


Watkins Pet Supply is located at 607 Main Street Unit C in Chester, CA (Behind Blue Goose Gallery); Phone number is (530) 258-2525.

If interested in being a sponsor, please contact katherine@sansoneplus.com

Please note:

1. Only emails received after release of Town Chatter Wednesday am will be considered.
2. Person can only win once a month and not to exceed six times a year.

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).


Full Time Firefighter EMT
Job Announcement
The Chester Fire Department is seeking a full time Firefighter / Emergency Medical Technician to work a 48/96 work period. The position will serve an 18 month probation. A full time job description is available upon request. Full time employees are eligible for membership with IAFF Local 5317. Any qualified candidate interested in this opportunity must submit an application and resume to Fire Chief Brian Layne prior to the close of business February 14, 2022.
Base Salary range $56,842 - $64,188
CAL-PERS 2.7% @ 57
Family paid medical, dental, vision.

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 Zip Book Program
Beginning Jan. 3, patrons will once again be able to request print and audiobooks through the Zip Book Program. Zip Books is a way for you to request books that our library currently does not own. It is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California and administered by the California State Library.

Visit www.plumascounty.us/2842 for more information or to print out the form. You can also pick up the form at any Library Branch or Station.

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.

Lake Almanor Area Chamber Board Meeting Today at 8:30am
Feel free to join us at our monthly Chamber Board Meeting today, Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 8:30am at the Chamber office located above Cravings. Or join us on Zoom using the following link. Public comment will be at the end. 
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87449204502?pwd=UXVJckg4VHFuWk5vMytkTDN3ZGM5dz09

Advertising in the Town Chatter
Would you like to advertise your business or event in the Town Chatter? Email info@lakealmanorarea.com for more information. 

Long Live Longboards: First race of the 2022 season is Jan. 16 
See Plumas News Article Here

Connected Communities Through Trails makes Yahoo Life
See Article Here

Holiday Market Temporary Store Hour Change
Jan 9 - Feb 10 - 7 am - 9 pm







Jr. High Girl’s Basketball Team Win at Loyalton
Great job Volcanoes!



Peninsula and Hamilton Branch Fire Protection District Tests
Emergency evacuation siren tests will be at 1pm on the first Tuesday of each month.


Seneca Healthcare District Visiting Requirements
Click on the link below for requirements for visiting hospitals and nursing homes. 
Requirements for Visiting Hospitals and Nursing Homes - Seneca Healthcare District (senecahospital.org)

Indian Valley Bits & Pieces by Suzette Reed
 

The Lake Almanor Elks Crab Feed this last Saturday was a resounding success with all proceeds going toward Elks Scholarship funds for students in the Chester, Westwood and Indian Valley areas. Pictured here is Linda Gillam, real estate agent with the Lake Almanor Brokers, Chester and Abby Nashlund CHS sophomore, whose class worked the event. Gillam bid fiercely on this locally made wooden flag, driving the price up in a good natured competition among the guests..
  For daily (and sometimes hourly) news and information, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lakealmanorarea

Photo of skiers at Coppervale in 1960; provided by Judy Atkinson


Have a photo to share? The Lake Almanor Area Chamber and DiscoverPlumasCounty.org are seeking photographs to be used in marketing and promotion of the area. Send your photos to info@lakealmanorarea.com with your permission for either organization to use the photo. If your photo is chosen, you will receive a gift certificate from one of our Photo Contest Sponsors.

Shasta Lake Business Owners Association (SLBOA) is going to have a booth at the Travel & Adventure Show in Los Angeles March 12-13, 2022.  They are offering to take brochures from local businesses to the show at a cost of $100 for 100 brochures.  If you are interested in having your business promoted at this event, please mail your flyers/brochures and payment to SLBOA. For more information, please see the attached flyer.

Check or Money Order only (no cash, no credit card, no debit card)  

Made out to: SLBOA or Shasta Lake Business Owners Association 

Mail to: SLBOA, c/o Lake Shasta Caverns,
20359 Shasta Caverns Road, Lakehead, CA 96051 

Deadline: Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 
For more information call: Ron Harrington 530.275.1716
email: SLB@shasta.com or Matt Doyle 530.238.2341 ext. 111 email: mdoyle@lakeshastacaverns.com

Almanor Recreation and Park District is a special district composed of five board members whose mission is to provide and support recreation in the Almanor Basin.  Our summer events raise the funds necessary to run our district, maintain our parks for use by Chester Little League and CHS Girls Softball, and organize and operate Youth Soccer and Youth and Adult Judo.  

Three iconic summer events – the Mile High Century Cycling Event, the 4th of July Fun Run, and the Poker Paddle/Kayaking Event – provide great recreation for our community while promoting tourism and economic activity. 

In addition,  ARPD has received grant funding that will enable us to build an exciting new recreation center in Chester.  The plans are to break ground in late spring on new facilities that will include a family recreation center with outdoor all weather game tables, new picnic shelters, a community garden and a wellness tot playground.  

And finally, we have an amazing crew of volunteers who are making great strides in developing a regional trail system. This effort began with the reconstruction and maintenance of the Collins Nature Trail, a 2.1 mile loop trail behind the Chester Park that skirts the Feather River, and leads to peaceful meadow and wildlife vistas .  

The major thrust of this committee over the last five years has been to develop a regional trail system.  A comprehensive overview of the effort can be found by going to Yourarpd.org (from here you can click on https://yourarpd.org/trails-committee-705248.html.)

We are currently seeking two new board members who are interested in supporting our community recreation. If you are interested in becoming a part of this organization,  you can email ARPD at arpd01.frontier.com or contact Susan Espana, Board Member, at sjespana@gmail.com

Attached is a listing of the board positions and their general responsibilities.

$4,420.00 Donated to The Almanor Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund

Josh and Christa Herman of Forever Home and Outdoor had a vision last November to make ornaments commemorating the Dixie Fire and then contribute to the hope for recovery across the Greenville and Canyon Dam communities. 

"Our goal was to make and and sell 200 ornaments." said Christa. "We would have been pleased to be able to contribute $2,000 to the Wildfire Fund. Then, beyond our wildest dreams, we not only sold the first 200, but made another 220+ and sold those as well! People came from all over to specifically purchase the ornaments, Susanville, Doyle, Chico.  And, we shipped ornaments as far as Japan, from a mother to a young man there who had attended Copper Creek Camp in Greenville as a youth."  

Pictured here from left to right are Josh and Christa Herman, Forever Home & Outdoor, Julie Childers and Carla Parsons, Directors of The Almanor Foundation and Moorea Stout, Executive Director.

The Plumas County League of Women Voters has announced the winner of its 2021 essay contest: Ava Lorraine Helling, a junior at Chester High School, is the grand prize winner.

The three other winners are also from Chester High School. They are:

Honorable Mention – Jacklyn Zuniga

Honorable Mention – Sophia Arredondo

Special Recognition for Creativity – Leah Luther

This year’s subject was: Vaccinations: Should They Be Mandatory? Essays were judged on theme development, originality, clarity, writing technique and manuscript appearance. The grand prize winner received $250, with $75 for each of the honorable mentions. 

Read the winning essay here. 

Quarter Circle Bookkeeping is owned and operated by Suzette Reed, a born and raised resident of Indian Valley who has a rich history in the area. In fact, Suzette’s family has over a century of history and tradition connection to the Indian Valley area in Plumas County. 

One of the longer reoccurring traditions that Suzette and her family have maintained over the years is delivering mail throughout the Taylorsville, Greenville, and Indian Valley region. Suzette’s Grandma established this mail route in 1965 which was then continued through her Mother and currently operated by Suzette herself. 

With this deep of a connection with her local community, one could almost expect for Suzette to go above and beyond for her community in any way possible. She certainly showcased this desire by developing a book donation program to help benefit the youth in her area after the Dixie Fire. 

While continuing to deliver mail and packages after the Dixie Fire tore through her community, Suzette began donating and delivering books to any kid in need. Suzette loves children and feels that some people do not realize the trauma that can occur to a child after a natural disaster and she feels that if a child receives a book during a traumatic time, that can make all the difference to them. 

Suzette’s passion for the community translates over into the services she offers Quarter Circle OS Bookkeeping. Not only has Quarter Circle OS Bookkeeping donated over $350 worth of books to her book donation program, but she also offers a wide variety of bookkeeping services. These bookkeeping services have been available to the community for past 3 years and ever since 2019, Suzette has been offering mobile notary signing services as well.  

To learn more about Quarter Circle OS Bookkeeping, please visit quartercircleosbookkeeping.com or call  (530) 375-0464.

1/9/2022

There has been little change since last week’s report. Water level is up a half foot, water temps remain 36-38 degrees and the predicted storms this past week didn’t materialize as advertised. The positive news is we have received more precip for the current weather year than we have for each of the past two years annual totals. We will see spring like conditions for at least the next seven days with cold morning’s and daytime highs reaching into the low 40’s. 

The USFS has plowed both the Canyon Dam boat ramp and the over flow parking lot, there were eight or ten vehicles there today, half with trailers. As is typical for this time of year fishing pressure is concentrated to the south end of the lake. Shore fishermen are picking up some quality fish around the dam using crawlers and power bait. Trollers are targeting fish in water 30-50’ deep, slow trolling plastics and crawlers at one mile an hour will catch fish. Find bait to find fish.