I really like going and covering the county’s swearing-in because of the very real sense of continuity and history there. The same ceremony has been performed year after year, at the beginning of January, for at least a century and if you go back through old Susanville newspapers, the front-page picture in the first or second issue of each new year is usually the new county officials with their hands in the air, taking the oath.

I imagine the ceremony was roughly the same when my grandfather was sworn in as County Supervisor in 1960 and most likely for the one hundred years of Lassen County history preceding that. The atmosphere is very solemn, but abuzz with excitement, with friends and family showing up and packing the tiny board chambers on Nevada Street.

It was a good group of people getting sworn in, most of them seasoned veterans at their elected positions. I am not sure I have ever seen anyone who looked as excited or enthusiastic about being a new board member as third district Supervisor Tom Neely.

On the same day as the ceremony all-around good guy Gary Bridges was named as the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Congratulations Gary!

Outstanding in Her Field

One of my favorite people in the world, Lassen Probation Chief Jennifer Branning, is serving this year as President of the Chief Probation Officers of California. She is the first Lassen Chief to serve as the CPOC President, which is a really big deal. The organization has representatives from all fifty-eight counties in the state and under Branning’s leadership will help guide statewide policy and practice.

The stated goal of CPOC is to prevent crime and delinquency, reduce recidivism, restore victims and promote healthy families and communities.

It’s True I Tell You!

I mention this because when I brought it up at a meeting on Wednesday everybody was shocked, and I felt incredibly old. Do you remember when there was a long-distance charge to call out to Janesville or Standish from town?

Kids today will not believe me, with their fancy cell phones and such, but when I was in school it actually cost money to call a 253 or 254 number from town.

I don’t remember when this changed. Sometime in the early 90’s I think. Sometime around the great Shoe Tree tragedy. What? You haven’t heard of the Shoe Tree massacre?

The Night They Cut the Shoe Tree Down

Catastrophe struck along Highway 395, south of Ravendale at around 3:20a.m., on May 15th, 1994, when someone took a chainsaw and cut down Lassen County’s first true roadside tourist attraction – the Shoe Tree.

This tree had been around since the 1940’s and had been filled with shoes, tossed into the tree by travelers on the highway over the decades. Pair after pair, hanging by their laces. Like a festive, footwear Christmas Tree. And suddenly one night it was gone.

Trust me, that was the talk of the town for a good two or three weeks in the spring of 94.

Another Shoe Tree, one that paled in comparison, sprung up afterwards north of Hallelujah Junction but it just wasn’t the same. That tree, I believe, was eventually cut down by CalTrans as part of a project to widen the road.

And alas, our chance to market ourselves to the world as “Lassen County – Home of the Shoe Tree” slipped away.

Have a wonderful weekend everybody and watch out for all of that wet stuff falling from the sky!

Police Officer Cameron Monahan with Lassen Family Services Executive Director Angela Reed.

Lassen Family Services Honors ‘Officer of the Year’ Cameron Monahan

To celebrate National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on January 9th, and to show their gratitude to local law enforcement, the nice folks at Lassen Family Services put together a fantastic luncheon and honored Susanville Police Officer Cameron Monahan as their ‘Officer of the Year’ Monday at the Monticola Club.

Lunch was served up for the LEO crowd by barbecue connoisseur Joe Comino and Justin Cadili, owner of Lumberjacks Restaurant in Susanville.

Lassen Family Services Executive Director Angela Reed gave a short presentation and honored Officer Monahan with a plaque that reads, “With great appreciation for your dedication and commitment. Thank you for going above and beyond serving the citizens of Susanville.”

Lunch was served to past and present LEO’s from agencies across the county including, among others, Lassen County Probation, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office and the Susanville Police Department.

The Purpose of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

LEO’s of every rank and file have chosen a profession that puts their life on the line every day for their communities. They’ve answered a call to public service that is demanding and often unappreciated.

From local, state, and federal, their duties command dedication. The jobs are often thankless and take them away from their families for long hours. Rarely do they know what their days have in store for them.

Often law enforcement is the only paid emergency resource a community has. More often they work in coordination with other local, state, and federal organizations to make communities safer.

Elected County Officers Get Sworn-In at Oath of Office Ceremony

A short ceremony in the Lassen County Board of Supervisors’ chambers Tuesday made it official, as seven recently elected county officers were sworn-in by Lassen County Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Michele Yderagga.

The swearing-in, which was well-attended by family and friends of the officials despite the inclement weather, officially filled the following positions:

County Supervisor, District 3, Thomas Neely; County Supervisor, District 5, Jason Ingram;

Assessor Nick Ceaglio; Clerk-Recorder Julie Bustamante; District Attorney Susan M. Rios; Superintendent of Schools Patricia Gunderson and Treasurer-Tax Collector Nancy Cardenas.

Sheriff Dean Growdon was sworn-in early last week in a ceremony held at the Hall of Justice.

An undated photo of Fruit Grower’s Mill in snow

48-Hour Week is Announced

January 13, 1946

The Fruit Growers Supply Company, starting January 17, went on a 48-hour week basis instead of the former 54 hours.

The mill will work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., six days a week, the change being due to winter conditions.

In the six days ending January 12, the local branch of the company shipped to southern California, 60 carloads of box shook, setting up a weekly record.