Now that’s a Christmas Skyline!

I still don’t have a picture of the tree, which would be amazing to see, but here is a newspaper article from the December 2nd, 1949, edition of the Reno Gazette talking about plans for the upcoming Susanville Christmas Party where “Susanville volunteer firemen are going to erect a giant Christmas tree Sunday at the intersection of Main and Lassen Street.”

The article goes on to explain that the volunteer firefighters would be going out into the woods to get a tree that would be donated by the Paul Bunyan Lumber Company.

Can you even imagine? I really want to see a picture of this. If anyone, in some old trunk or box, has a photo of this ‘Giant Tree’ from 1949 please send it my way!

The newspaper article mentions the big annual Christmas party where students from the local schools went to the Sierra Theatre to watch movies. Do they still do this?

I hazily remember (because it was a long time ago) riding the bus there in first grade from McKinley School right before Christmas vacation for a party.

We watched a bunch of the classic 1930’s and 1940’s Disney Christmas cartoons. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto. It was really neat for a first grader in 1977 because at that point I had only ever seen cartoons on a tiny television screen. Here they were, bigger than life on the screen at the Sierra Theatre.

Back when there was a balcony! Are you old enough to remember that? The Sierra Theatre brings back a lot of memories for a lot of people.

Speaking of Christmas Parties



If you want to experience an utterly unique, small town Christmas experience, there is absolutely nothing that compares with Susanville’s Magical Country Christmas Celebration. Nothing.

It has everything you could possibly want to get into the spirit… singing, dancing, hot chocolate, a parade featuring a thousand twinkling lights, Santa’s big entrance on a sleigh, the lighting of the community Christmas tree and fireworks launched from the lawn of the Elk’s Lodge. Real fireworks too! Like the Fourth of July!

This one event has it all and, according to the weather folks, this year it should be snowing in uptown during the celebration, which makes it simply perfect.

Every year Marshel and I go and take pictures or shoot video, and there is always this moment – right as the fireworks come to an end – where the echoes of the fireworks die out and there is a brief pause before all of the people filling up Main Street go wild with applause. That moment is when Susanville’s holiday season begins in earnest.

The Chamber of Commerce sponsored event begins at 4:00 Saturday and the Christmas Parade starts at 6:00.

From one end of town to the other, these guys made

everything festive. – photo appropriated from the City of Susanville



Decorating Main Street for the Holidays

Just in time for Saturday’s big uptown party the City of Susanville’s Public Works Department, with the assistance of Lassen Municipal Utility District, spent the day Tuesday decorating town from top to bottom, hanging those festive decorations that span Main Street every few blocks.

Did you know? Those big decorations are called “Christmas Skylines” in the professional holiday decorating business. And they really do make an enormous difference each December when they go up.

The Public Works guys have made an art out of the hanging of the skylines each year. They work their way up Main Street from the east end of town until they get to the last one, just down from the Elk’s Lodge.

Looking down Main Street early Wednesday morning

Cody Loflin



Cody Loflin is just awesome. The reason I bring up young Mr. Loflin is that just yesterday he was one of three people recognized by Lassen County District Attorney Melyssah Rios for his work with the Susanville Police Department. Mrs. Rios was honoring individuals from partner agencies who have stood out in either their case work or other prosecutorial assistance.

Here is a picture of Cody in the middle of Main Street keeping an eye on the uptown Halloween event. Congratulations Cody!

Best of Broadway

The Cast List for the upcoming 2023 Best of Broadway performances has been posted. A much-anticipated event in some circles around town.

I failed to make the cut again this year. It might be that my rendition of Maybe from the musical Annie wasn’t the strongest piece to audition with.

Hopefully, we will see all of you tomorrow night at the uptown Christmas event! Have a wonderful weekend everybody and stay safe out there in the wintry weather.

Photofeature: Lassen Senior Services Turkey Trot

A SusanvilleStuff Photo Gallery

by Marshel and Jeremy Couso

Lassen Senior Services held their annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot on a beautiful, clear Thanksgiving morning, with hundreds of runners showing up at Riverside Park and the Senior Center on Sunkist to help stuff the LSS Food Pantry for low-income seniors.

More than 200 runners and walkers, some in costume, with family and pets in tow, took to the 3.1 mile course which winds down the Susan River parkway, crossing Riverside Drive and following the walking path along the river.

According to organizer Charlotte Roberts the fundraiser brought in a little over $800 for Lassen senior services plus food donations.

The prize for the largest group of participants went to a group of 19 people who call themselves The Crew.

Costume contest winners were Melanie, Debbie, Shirley, and Jenna who arrived dressed as the Turkey and cooking team.

Noah Jackson from Reno was the fastest male runner and Lisa Urquizu from Susanville was the fastest female.

We have more photos in our photofeature over at SusanvilleStuff. Click here to see them all!

We have more photos in our photofeature over at SusanvilleStuff. Click here to see them all!

Goodie bags will be handed out during the parade by Santa’s helpers from the Westwood Chamber of Commerce.

The Calvary Chapel ladies will be serving up tasty and warm soup.

Westwood One Stop will be giving away books.

There will be festivities to watch, participate in, or buy, to keep you entertained.

Contact 1.530.256.2456 or wacc1@citlink.net for more information, or stop by the Visitor Center, at the corner of Ash and Third Street in Westwood.

“Staff quickly responded, first issuing verbal orders to stop and get down, which were ignored. A warning shot from a Mini-14 rifle was fired, which had no effect. Staff then fired additional rounds when the attack continued. Chemical agents were also deployed. Both Nanez and Cuen sustained gunshot wounds. No other incarcerated people or staff members were injured. The inmate manufactured weapons were recovered.”

Medical staff responded and provided first aid to Aguilera, Cuen, and Nanez. Aguilera was transported to a local hospital for further treatment. He is still hospitalized in serious condition.

“Both medical and custody staff performed CPR on Cuen and Nanez; however, Cuen was pronounced deceased at 11:37a.m., and Nanez was pronounced deceased at 11:44a.m.

“The officers who deployed the Mini-14 rounds are currently on administrative leave consistent with CDCR policy. Their names are being withheld due to the ongoing investigation.”

Officials have limited movement on the yard where the incident happened to facilitate the investigation. The Office of the Inspector General was notified and the Lassen County Coroner will determine Nanez’s and Cuen’s official causes of death.

CDCR also sent the Deadly Force Investigations Team (DFIT) to HDSP assist in the investigation. DFIT is a team of trained CDCR investigators that conducts criminal and administrative investigations into every use of deadly force. A deadly force review board will conduct a full and complete review of the incident as well.

Raul Cuen, 48, was admitted from Tulare County on January 27, 1994. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, with an enhancement for use of a deadly weapon.

Frank Nanez, 32, was admitted from Tulare County on February 2, 2012, to serve seven years to life without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, with multiple counts of an intentional discharge of a firearm.

Anthony Aguilera, 68, was admitted from Santa Clara County in March 2007 with a life with the possibility of parole sentence for attempted first and second-degree murder, intentional discharge of a firearm, inflicting great bodily injury and committing a street gang act in the commission of a violent felony.

HDSP opened in 1995 and houses approximately 1,700 incarcerated people. It is located near Susanville, in Northern California. HDSP offers academic classes, vocational programs, rehabilitative programs, medical services, and mental health services, religious services, work assignments and self-help groups, and employs approximately 1,000 people.

A snapshot view of Lassen High School in 1941

Night School for Lassen Aliens to Start Next Month

December 2, 1936

A night school for Lassen county aliens who desire to apply or have applied for United States citizenship will be started in January, with classes being held two evenings a week in the Lassen Union high school under the direction of E. A. Hansen.

Plans were inaugurated recently at a conference attended by W. J. Kane of Reno, acting inspector in charge of immigration and naturalization services; Judge Gladys S. Burroughs, Lassen county superior court; W. C. Mass, county superintendent of schools, and I. V. Funderburgh, principal of the Lassen Union high school.

Judge Burroughs has conducted two naturalization proceedings during her period of office on the bench and she stressed the great need for a citizenship school in this district.

Thirty pupils are available at the present time and it is believed that the number will increase before the school gets underway.