Lassen County Times Makenzie Davis

News. Yikes, right? Imagine trying to report all the facts of any given story, putting your name on it and having your entire community read it. Sounds pretty scary to me. That is exactly what Makenzie Davis at Lassen County Times and many other locals do. Maybe not heroic in everyone's eyes but as someone who writes a little note every week about food or locals or the great place we live, it sure sounds brave.



Makenzie grew up in Paradise and Quincy so she is a small town girl through and through. Her college major was broadcast journalism but she quickly chose to get behind the camera instead. Some times her job leads to a sleepless Monday night but it's clear to me Kenzie loves what she does. She told me she is "keenly aware of how her articles can affect people" so she tries to always be respectful. I really like knowing that we're all taken into consideration. That's what makes a community. 
                          
                                   
I asked how we can help our local paper, Kenzie said their job is to tell our stories so if you have a good one let them know. Those are the articles we all really love! AND with that in mind here's a pretty sweet story that fits right into a Final Four ad...Lassen College Basketball coach Will Freedman used to occupy the desk facing Kenzie's at the Times. They became friends and now are a great couple. Kenzie gets to go to away games on the team bus with Will which is always fun but says the energy HERE for our LoCaL games is amazing! One more SUPER fun thing I gotta go see!


Thank you Makenzie Davis and everyone at the Times for keeping us informed! Thanks to Will and the Lassen College Basketball team for all the Hometown Proud FUN!

                     

Sheet Pan Meals

My friend Ronnie Chandler posts the MOST delicious, nutritious, soul satisfying food. It’s freezing cold out and she’s baking pies or a whole turkey in a wood cook stove. But vegetable roasts are where Ronnie really knocks it outta the park for me! Sheet pans filled with bright collections of cut fresh veggies with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Ronnie will roast enough to last her a few days and sometimes even sprinkle with a little parmesan.

       

I had to try this. When I did a quick recipe search I discovered sheet pan meals are like a BIG thing. It’s like the casserole age reimagined! Protein, veg and (sometimes) carb all in one pan but without the heavy sauces from the 70s. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore a heavy sauce now and then. First I tried chicken thighs with hard squash, brussel sprouts and shallots roasted at 350* for about an hour. Just keep checking until the squash is tender and chicken cooked through. YUMMO!
                           














Then I found a bunch of versions of a Jambalaya-ish dinner, throw in sliced turkey kielbasa, dump one container of our Fresh Cut Pepper and Onion mix, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil then cook 10 minutes at 425*. Add shrimp tossed in cajun seasoning, halved cherry tomatoes, 2 cups cooked brown rice, mix it all up good to soak up the accumulated juices and sprinkle entire dish with cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Bake 10 more minutes. Stir again and top with green onions. So far my favorite. The hotter roast will kind of carmelize everything, so good. 
                             
Our Produce department offers heaps of Fresh Cut options so MY prep time is shortened and a healthy meal is a cinch, even after working all day. I’m loving topping my veggie roasts with Gia Russa Balsamic Glaze (aisle 9 :). Tons of flavor without a lot of calories. Oh and the sheet pans are also found on aisle 9. If you can’t find an item just stop by my office, I’ll be glad to help!
                              
We wish Ronnie and her team the best in the Courage Triathalon their training for, all those healthy dishes are sure to help!
                             
Hometown Healthy in a hurry!

Susanville Dairies

On this very spot we now know as Susanville Supermarket, or at least right beside this spot, Cy’s Dairy had cows grazing in 1933. Local Historian Tim Purdy still has a milk bottle perfectly preserved. How cool right? Milk was still delivered to porches back then. Today’s dairy business is a bit less personal but fortunately for us it’s still local.


Morning Glory Dairy is 98 years old. As long as I’ve been here it was owned and operated by Mike O’Kelly. Mike, a third generation milk man, and his father purchased Morning Glory from a co-op of farmers in 1975. They grew the business and Mike bought out his father in 1981. Last year he sold the dairy to Josh McKernan.


                         

Josh was hired at minimum wage in 2011 and worked his way up, gaining the trust of Mike as he went. Josh would work all day at the dairy then go do yard maintenance, I know because I was a customer of both Morning Glory and his landscaping. He was so talented when it came to making my yard beautiful and served all our dairy needs. Josh’s wife, Kimber McKernan, was born and raised right here in the Ville (her bestie is our own Kailie and their little girls are besties too!) and she remembers shopping in our store since she was 4. Taking on the dairy is definitely a family affair for the McKernans. Kimber says when she was in school, like a lot of small town kids, she couldn’t wait to go somewhere bigger but now there’s no where she’d rather raise their children. With the whole ‘save the dairy’ movement she has felt so much Hometown LOVE, seeing so many people come together to help. “It’s incredible” Kimber says.
                   

Sometimes we all think of businesses as these entities 'out there' and forget the faces and families on all sides. What we have right here is a little slice of heaven, mountains, wildlife, fresh air, clean water and countless people serving their community and caring for one another. It’s a beautiful thing.

                          

Modoc Line

The outdoors is my happy place. I start to get a little stir crazy if I’m stuck inside too long but just ever so little bit of sunshine can restore me quickly. One winter day when the sun was shining and the sky was that incredible blue we have here Rick and I set out for the Modoc Line. Stan Bales with BLM has been telling me to check this out for awhile now (Thanks Stan, it is a blast). The Modoc Line is an 89 mile portion of railway that has been converted by BLM to recreational trail. Beginning at Wendel road you can take this all the way to Likely. Rick and I covered about 30 m

                                                       

Rail grades are always gradual and I was surprised how fast we climbed to Viewland summit. However my previous experience was always going up 395 on a bike. MUCH slower :) We ambled through the desert for a bit before the landscape changed, valleys, rivers, rock walls, so beautiful and tucked right alongside 395! Local Historian Tim Purdy had asked us to get a photo for a ‘then and now’ piece he was writing about Horse Lake Station. At first look I totally missed it then Rick pointed the remaining foundation out. There were also rails off to the side of the trail that were dug out in the middle. Jim Chapman told me you had to have what was called a siding so the train could pull off the track and the opening was for getting underneath to work on the cars. I freaking love history. Especially ours! We didn’t make it over to Horse Lake which is just 5 or so miles, next time for sure. 

                                                                                          

                               

                           
Keep your eyes peeled, cuz you never know what you’ll find in the desert. Like a skeleton in a bathtub.


Hometown History with a side of sunshine please!

Happy Valentines Day~

I was in elementary school in the '60s. Back then a week or so before Valentines Day we would get a list from the teacher of every student in our class so you could make a card for each one. Including the teacher. We would make an envelope of pink and red construction paper cut into heart shapes decorated with white doilies for our classmates to fill with the cards. I remember reading each one when I'd get home. Lovely tradition. It left me with a real fondness for this day. 

I asked a few people I ran into if they'd like to write a short Valentine to someone. I kinda expected 'roses are red' stuff. What I got was so much sweeter than that.

"Terra Lynne, (Officer Avilla 😁)

I wanted to take this time on Valentine’s Day to let you know how proud I am to be your husband. You’re an amazing woman, wife, mother, daughter, Police officer, friend and member to our community. Peach, Pearl, and your husband wouldn’t know what to do with out you. Happy Valentines Day. I love you. Peach and Pearl love you. Susanville loves you. You’re the best! Have a great day!"
Frankie ;)

"To Jams~I love you for all that you are, all that you have been and all that you have yet to be"
Kailie Shoemaker

"Happy Valentine's Day to my best friend! I'm so lucky to be spending it with my favorite person, my husband. I love you more than words can say!"
Jessica Miller

"Joyce, when I first met you I thought you were absolutely beautiful. As I got to know you I found you to be amazing. As I fell for you I felt my life changing but I had no idea of the life I would share with you. Together we added two daughter I couldn't be prouder of. I look forward to every day because I get to share it with you!! Happy Valentines Day"

Todd Eid

"Ricky~ My heart still melts when you look at me, just like when I was 16. You ARE my heart. I remain forever crazy mad about you! Happy Valentines Day."

Anna Stewart

"Happy Valentines Day to Candice, the most amazing person I could ask for. You are my rock and I love you most."

John Whitby

Super cute that when I went looking for photos of each couple all I had to do was steal their profile picture on Facebook. Why not take a second to dash off a note to someone special and keep that cherished tradition alive!

Happiest of Valentines Day everyone!

Show Your RED!

The American Heart Association has declared February 1 'Go Red for Women Day' as a reminder that Heart Attack can happen to ANYONE. Take Lassen County's own SuPeR athletic Camille Buehler, here's her story in her own words:


April 21 2017~


"So this has been an interesting week. I'm 42 years old, a lifelong athlete. I work out four mornings a week and more when I can fit it in. On Wednesday I went for a walk with a friend and had a heart attack. A walk. On a flat grade. And had a HEART ATTACK.


I was incredibly fortunate in that I recognized the signs and for once in my life did what I was supposed to do. Ladies listen up - KNOW THE SYMPTOMS. For me, I had chest pain that wasn't too severe, nausea, shortness of breath, and the big clincher of jaw pain. Not just some weird pain. Serious band of pain that stretched ear to ear and wouldn't stop. My poor friend didn't know how bad it was - I didn't want to freak her out. (I really do hope she will go on a walk with me again someday) After it happened we stopped because I needed to catch my breath - I said we should go another half mile and then turn around so we could get four miles in. I should have said to just turn around. I got home, looked up the symptoms and had every single one. It said take aspirin so I did. It also said if you feel you need to take aspirin you should also call 911. I, of course, decided to drive up to the ER. Shouldn't drive yourself either. Long story short, I was flown to Reno once it was confirmed that I had a heart attack. Good news is there is no damage, no plaque, and only a narrowing of an artery on the left side that seems to have always been that way. All the other arteries were larger than normal and clear. Basically, we don't know why it happened. I have a new life of some meds, and have now seen my children and husband's faces as they look at me wondering if it will be for the last time. I was lucky. I am writing this because I have always felt we learn so much from hearing other people's experiences. I have a friend who just had a heart attack and I asked him what made a difference for him. He said aspirin - it's what convinced me I needed help. Thank you Caleb. The new tip I also learned was you should chew it so it gets in your system faster. I knew I had no risk factors, but I also really didn't want to die just because I thought it would be inconvenient for me to go to the hospital."




If we all share the symptoms, the best action to take and stories like Camille's, who knows how many lives might be saved. Won't you join the AHA on the 1st by wearing red to raise awareness?





HUGE Hometown thanks to Camille for sharing your story!

Hometown Om.

One of the very first articles I wrote for our ad was showcasing the health benefits of Yoga with Prairie Burt of Lotus Path Yoga. That ran in the ad on January 21 2015, here we are almost exactly 4 years later. Seems like a great time to catch up with Prairie. Today she is Managing Partner of our newest LoCaL studio, Mountain Yoga! This place is seriously cool. When I first entered there was a room full of people hanging from the ceiling in pods, soft music and Prairie's guiding words added to the overall feeling of calm. This aerial yoga class is the latest addition to their schedule. BUT WAIT. There is so much more going on here. How about Cycle/Om? 1/2 hour of spinning followed by a 1/2 hour of yoga! Or just spinning. Or just Yoga, gentle, aerial, or restorative. Or high intensity interval training. Or PiYo. She's even adding a kids yoga class. 
                               


                                   


In that original article the instructors each gave their personal benefits; flexibility, well-being, balance, decreased stress, but with all the classes at Mountain we gotta add endurance and heart health to that list! 
                                   

Plus they have an adorable little boutique so you can show everyone your 'spiritual gangster' side!
                Thank you Prairie for all these years of keeping us Hometown Healthy!

Hot Lunch isn't what it used to be...

Elementary School 'hot lunch' program conjures images of fish sticks, sloppy joes and pigs in a blanket for me. So just imagine my surprise when Susanville School District Nutritional Service Coordinator Angie McCabe was in buying all the best and brightest produce. Angie told me they set up a salad bar every day at the schools she serves (McKinley, Meadow View and Diamond View)! Fresh fruits and veggies are practically part of the curriculum at the elementary level.  

                    

SSD has also partnered with Public Health for a Harvest of the Month where students are presented with a seasonal item they may have never tried before. For instance, blood oranges. Some of the younger kids wanted to know if it was real blood in there making them red :). They were amazed to learn Pumpkin was for more than just carving! When Angie brought in Persimmons some of the adults admitted they'd never tried them. Confession- until recently I'd only had Hachiya Persimmons in cookies then I tried the Fuyus which are so delish to just eat. Or put in salad. Or in overnight oats. Or whatever! All of the produce for the Harvest program is purchased right here at Susanville Super. Thanks SSD, Angie and Public Health!

                                  

For "Lots 2 Love" National School Lunch Week Angie was tasked with finding a different theme every day. I think she hit it out of the park:

Monday~ Around the World. Asian, Mediterranean and South of the Border salads were served.

Tuesday~ Local Heroes. Students got to have lunch with LoCaL Police, Sheriff, Fire and even the LCC Baseball team!

Wednesday~Teachers and Administrators joined in.

Thursday~ LoCaL Sports with LCC Basketball Team.

Friday~ SSD bought every student in their 3 schools lunch!

                           

Angie McCabe dream is to put a student garden on the grounds of Diamond View! All the plans are drawn up, everyone is on board but resources are needed. That's where we all come in and no community is better at this. Hmmm. I wonder if Mr Somerville's Ag Welding would like to take on a project...

If you can help with donations, supplies, time, contact Angie McCabe at 252-6001

Thanks Angie for helping us raise Hometown Healthy Kids!

Joanne's Uncle Dan

On December 7 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. We all know that. But one day scrolling through my Facebook ’news’ feed, I came across something that WAS real news to me. Some of the Japanese planes split off to take out the Navy’s Patrol Wing One in Kaneohe Bay. The first man to die on that legendary day was Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel T Griffin. Griffin enlisted in 1930 and served on a few battleships before entering flight school where he was trained to pilot the Catalina Flying Boat, one of the Navy’s most advanced planes. At this time both Officers and Enlisted men flew. There are conflicting reports of exactly what happened but according to family members he was flying when his plane was shot, Griffin bailed out and then was shot in the water.
                     
That last piece of information came from a woman that was my neighbor for years, Joanne Sturgeon. To her he was known as Uncle Daniel. Griffen was her maternal grandmother’s brother. Joanne had shared an article about her uncle on Facebook that I found so intriguing. The point the author stressed is, these stories get lost and graves of heroes aren’t recognized for the individual sacrifice each made. On February 25 1943 the Navy named a 306 foot destroyer escort The Griffin. The ship ran many missions before it was decommissioned in 1946. Now it’s up to us to pass his story along.
                                                                                  
                            
                   

Please share the story of this hero who was the first to make the ultimate sacrifice at Pearl. Thank you to Joanne for this history lesson and the connection that makes Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel T Griffin one of my Hometown Heroes.
                            

Joanne’s Granny and Grandpop are also in the funeral photo. Here's a link to the original story~

https://gazette.com/military/navy-s-first-casualty-on-dec-was-colorado-springs-man/article_83752f56-74b1-5bd3-87c0-dd6602a0631d.html?fbclid=IwAR0xyOBypH13gTVHEwerXxkRuCDLsVFy8qi3ghpB3bWKPcjqBJxxFIE3NlQ