Gold Trader Flat Comes Alive

Forbestown, Ca.

Gold Trader Flat will open on June 2, 2012. The gold rush era town, located in Forbestown, California, is part of the Yuba-Feather Museum. 

The town is a very detailed replica of the mining and logging towns of the early 1870's. 

When walking the dirt streets of Gold Trader Flat you will be truly transformed to the days of the wild west. You will witness outlaws, and gun fights from the past. Also nominations are open for the election of the Sheriff of Gold Trader Flat. The election is determined by the number of votes. Votes cost $1.00 (actually a fundraiser). The results will be announced at Forbestown Daze.

Along with the old west activities there is a Chili Cook-Off, and contestants are still needed. Contestants should prepare and bring their favorite Chili Recipe to Gold Trader Flat to compete with the other contestants. Call Patricia Shields at 530 675 9549 to get the details and registration information.

Museum member Elden Fowler said," He always enjoys opening day, I can get reacquainted with old friends and meet lots of interesting people from out of the area." 

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The 23rd Annual Street Fair

Marysville, Ca.

The 23rd Annual Antique & Collectible Street Fair will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2012. 

Time's  Passing Antiques and the Marysville Business Improvement District are collectively presenting this event for the benefit of The Museum of the Forgotten Warriors Northern Recon Group.

The street fair will begin at 8:30 and go to 4:00 p.m. at D street from 1st. to 3rd street in historic downtown Marysville. 

There will be fifty dealers offering antiques, collectibles, shabby chic, food and a display of vintage military vehicles. 

Well known appraiser, John Humphries, will be on site.
  

For more information contact Ron Russell 530 743 7309 or marysvillestreetfair@hotmail.com

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WILD HOG GLORY DAZE

by Susie Trundy

Foothill Lions Club will be hosting their 18^th annual Wild Hog Glory Daze on Saturday, June 9^th, from 11 am to 4 pm, at their beautiful park, 5667 Fruitland Rd, Loma Rica.

This is the Club’s annual tribute to the local community and the wild pigs that once freely roamed the foothills.  It is also the Club’s annual membership drive, so if you have an interest in becoming a Lion or finding out what Lionism is all about, this is the perfect opportunity.  

All profits from this event are distributed back into the local community for youth and adult programs; such as scholarships, boy scouts, 4H groups, Canine Companions, sight and hearing loss and family disasters, and to help upgrade the existing playground equipment.

The day is a family country fair event and includes; live music in the gazebo by local classic rock musicians; many crafters and vendors; playground and bounce house for the kids.  

A special treat, just for the kids this year, is a creative play area called “Children’s Play Museum on-the-go”; it’s educational and fun, with hands on activities, and a real delight for the kids.  

Also, many raffle prizes with a 50/50 drawing; in-ground BBQ Rib lunch available for purchase; hot dog bistro; beer garden; competitive horseshoe tournament with cash prizes; pie eating contest; and the highlight of the day is the lawn mower races beginning at 1:00 pm, $5.00 entry fee which is returned as cash prizes (only allowed are stock mowers with deck intact) the more the merrier.

This is a fun time for the whole family and admission is FREE.  Any and ALL parking donations will be greatly accepted and appreciated with ALL donations going entirely into the playground fund to replace the existing outdated equipment.

For more information contact the Foothill Lions Club at 742-5466 or Co-Chairman Lion Susie Trundy at 742-3041 or Co-Chairman Joni Patterson at 742-3265 or  the website @ www.foothilllions.net. 

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3rd Annual Hot Linda Nights "If it Rolls, Bring It"

Linda, Ca.

The Linda Lions Club is again hosting the 3rd annual Hot Linda Nights car show and family day. The festivities begin at noon on June 2nd at the old Peach Tree Mall located at North Beale Rd. and Lindhurst Ave.

“If it rolls, bring it” is the auto show theme. Whether you have a prize winner, an odd vehicle or a project in the works, you are welcome to bring it to the car show. You can roll into the event and register the same day or print out a registration form at www.hotlindanights.com.

 There will be an awards ceremony and on the very same stage a full day of entertainment and live music is planned. This year the featured bands include McBride Brothers (start at 12:30 pm), Ritmoz Latinoz (start at 3:00 pm), Vintage Vandals (start at 5:30 pm) and Super Elektra (start at 8 pm). Throughout the day, you will hear from the event DJ, Twighlight Productions, children’s dance troupes will perform and awards and prizes will be announced.

While parents are browsing the car show, children can spend the day at the carnival. Rides, games, cotton candy, face-painting, mechanical bull rides and other activities will be available for family fun. Zippy pet rides were a big hit last summer and they are returning!

There’s quite a choice of international flavors at this year’s fair. Who doesn’t love the food vendors who work so hard at presenting and serving their delectable dishes? The variety

of vendors and tasty treats come from right here in our culturally diverse neighborhoods.

The family will be offered information on numerous subjects. From current elections and issues, to medical screening by Sutter Health and a chiropractor, there is something for everyone.

Don't forget Chicken “Plop” Bingo? It sounds silly, and it is. Last year this fun game was so popular they thought they’d try it again…and even added a few games and chickens. You can participate by feeding the chicken and cheering him on to one of our purchased squares. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at Pack and Post Centers, Cycle Service, Pena Insurance and Tax Service and Rick Brown Propane – or purchase your squares at the event.

All proceeds from this festival are given directly to the local communities. Lions clubs worldwide are dedicated to raising funds for eyesight care and scholarships just to name a few goals. Recently Linda Lions awarded a scholarship to a worthy high school student. We also assisted Yuba City Lions with transportation for a local man that needed eye surgery that Lions International paid for. Local residents and businesses are getting excited as they look forward to the only festival/car show held in Linda. Many people are working hard to welcome everyone to Linda for a free, family day and to help benefit those in our communities that need assistance.

If you would like to be a sponsor, vendor or register your car for the show, visit www.hotlindanights.com for  more information and forms.

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Classifieds: May 30, 2012

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Relay for Life

Nevada Co.

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

The Nevada County Relay will have teams of people camping out at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, Saturday June 2^nd and Sunday June 3^rd. 
 The teams take turns walking or running around a track or path. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length. Relayers do not have to walk all night, but each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

What to expect at Relay: 9am, Saturday June 2^nd, will start the opening ceremonies, followed by the “Survivors lap”. Then the caregiver lap and the opening lap shortly follow. 

The Luminaries’ Ceremony is another fundraiser within the event, that is a breath-taking way to honor current cancer fighters or loved ones that have passed. Individual walking continues through-out the evening and the fight back ceremony is the final lap to take action and spread the awareness of cancer research.

It’s not too late to participate. Teams are still forming – donations are still accepted and luminaries are for sale. In addition to this 24 hour event, you may also utilize the free web portal through M3 Mall by purchasing items at: www.marketamerica.com/Relay4LifeNevCo - use referral email: relay_geek@comcast.net when prompted. 

For more information about the portal, contact Melisa@m3mall.biz. For more information about Nevada County’s Relay, go to: www.relayforlife.org/NevadaCountyCA
 

Attached Photo provided by M3 Mall, survivors lap 2011 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds – even rain didn’t dampen the mission! An entire album of photos of previous relay’s are available at: www.facebook.com/M3Mall

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Rare Plant Treasure Hunt with the California Native Plant Society

The California Native Plant Society is hosting a Rare Plant Treasure Hunt weekend on June 9 & 10 at several botanical hotspots in the Plumas National Forest near Quincy, CA. Beginning and experienced botanists are welcome and will spend time searching for rare plants, geo-caching, and photographing/documenting discoveries. Activities include:

Saturday, June 9: Carpool to the Butterfly Valley Botanical Area (10 mile drive from Quincy) and search for rare carnivorous plants including the California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica), English sundew (Drosera anglica), and other unique plants. Following lunch, search for the pointed broom sedge (only two known populations in California!) in the Snake and Smith Lake areas nearby.

Sunday, June 10: Carpool to Bucks Lake (20 mile drive from Quincy) and search for the only known CA populations of a rare orchid called northern coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida). Other interesting rare plants nearby include the buttercup-leaf suksdorfia (Hemieva ranunculifolia) and closed-throat-beardtongue (Penstemon personatus).

Drivers and riders will meet at the northwest corner of the Safeway parking lot in Quincy (20 East Main Street, Quincy, CA) at 9:30am each day for carpooling, returning to Quincy around 5-6pm both days, although some drivers may choose to leave earlier. Bring a lunch, plenty of water, sun protection, and any fieldtrip supplies desired (cameras, GPS units, etc.). Send RSVPs and questions to Danny Slakey at dslakey@cnps.org. 

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Shawne Corley Appointed Interim Sutter County CAO

The Sutter County Board of Supervisors appointed Assistant County Administrative Officer Shawne Corley as interim CAO, effective with the retirement of CAO Stephanie J. Larsen on July 6.

The announcement came following a closed personnel session on May 22.

Ms. Corley, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from CSU Sacramento, has worked for Sutter County since 2003.

In addition to managing the County’s budget under both Ms. Larsen and former CAO Larry Combs, she has served as the County’s Risk Manager while the position was in recruitment and in key roles on the County’s Emergency Management Team.

“With her knowledge of County operations, she’ll ensure a smooth transition,” Ms. Larsen said of Ms. Corley’s appointment.

Before joining Sutter County, Ms. Corley held a number of executive level positions for various non-profit, health and human service agencies on California’s Central Coast.

Ms. Corley’s salary will be determined by the Board at a later date. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, Human Resources Director Karen Ropp was directed by the Board to commence recruitment for the permanent position.

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POW WOW

The 31st annual Yuba-Sutter POW WOW will be held on June 2, 2012 at the Marysville Joint Unified School District Park Lawn. The Park is at 1919 B Street in Marysville. The POW WOW will be open between 11 am and 9 pm, the public is welcome and there is no admission fee.

This is an American Indian Educational Program of the Marysville Joint Unified School District. All drums and dancers are welcome. There will be  team dance, hand drum and flute contests. The theme of the POW WOW is "Honoring our Youth". This event does not support the recreational use of tobacco. 

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Brownsville Farmers Market Opens for 2012

The Brownsville Farmers Market is set to open Saturday, June 16^th, and run from 9:00am until Noon. We will be open every Saturday morning until Labor Day. Our market is situated in the fire department parking lot between the thrift shop and the fire department, across the street from the Gold Eagle Market. There is plenty of free parking and vendor space.

We will offer fresh fruits and vegetables, culinary herbs, cut flowers, fresh country eggs, specialty breads, hand-made crafts, and much more! This is the place to be on Saturday morning this summer! You will love the morning market and the fresh produce.

In our fifth year, we have learned the secret of being a successful local outdoor market. We believe that our customers know what’s best, and we strive to grow and offer the popular items that are requested by our customers. We support the locally grown movement, and farmers that work and grow their fruits and vegetables in our area. We offer both organic and conventionally grown produce, because we believe in letting the customer decide what’s best for their diet and pocketbook.

A highlight of our market, we will feature the Whitehorse Ranch and Feed Lounge. Pull up a hay bale and have a rest! Take a moment to chat with a neighbor during your shopping experience. It’s the old fashioned way of shopping. Thanks to Alan of Whitehorse Ranch and Feed for sponsoring our rest area.

We will continue our weekly raffle with prizes from all of your favorite local merchants. Raffle tickets will be $1 each or 7 for $5. Many families have enjoyed a Sunday outing at Lake Francis or Collins Lake after winning gift certificates in our raffle. In addition to recreational fun, sponsors include Ace Hardware, Books and More, Gold Country Bank, High Sierra Beef, Ray’s Hardware, Ray Bradley Feed, Video Busters, Willow Glen Restaurant, and Whitehorse Ranch and Feed. Be sure to enter the raffle!

New vendors call Gary at 530-692-9006 to arrange for your booth space. The booth fee is $10 each week. We have a big parking lot, so there is plenty of room. Vendors usually appear at about 8:30 for setup.

The Brownsville Farmers Market benefits the Brownsville Senior Center and the Senior Meal Program of Yuba Feather Communities Services.

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Fishin' Talk: May 30, 2012

By Boots Johnson

As we stated last week, the striper run has slowed down to the point of changing to shad lures and flies. The Shad are in the rivers in force and should be one of the best runs for this ocean going fish in years.  There are still stripers in the rivers, especially in the Sacramento River, but you will need to put up with the little guys (shakers) stealing your bait to catch a legal fish. Best way to avoid losing all the bait is to troll with lures or cast flies.

We hear from Lake Tahoe. Mackinaw Lake Trout were plentiful last week and were being caught from 50 feet on down to below300 feet. Now catch this one…………..the big macks were feeding on the smaller kokanee salmon in addition to other live baits. Good time to go now. Best way is to troll and think big.

Steve Bell, a resident of Loma Rica, and his friend rambled up to Collins Lake last week. They rented a boat and got about 20 feet from the dock when the engine refused to fire. After drifting across the lake, with paddle in hand, they were finally rescued and towed to shore. Refusing to give up, they were given another boat and succeeded in catching a nice rainbow trout and an aggressive bass. Steve advised,” The fish fry was excellent and we both enjoyed the feed, but next time we go to Collins we will have power bait in hand. “ You guess which color…..Congrats, Steve!

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) have been working overtime planting trout for your enjoyment. The following waters have received catchable trout, with a few larger fish, in the past week:

EL DORADO  COUNTY:  Jenkinson Lake; PLACER COUNTY: Sugar Pine Reservoir; PLUMAS COUNTY: North Fork of the Feather River, Almanor and the North Fork of the Feather at Beldon; SHASTA COUNTY: Sacramento River; TEHAMA COUNTY: South Fork of Battle Creek, Deer Creek and Gurnsey Creek.  Other than Lassen County in Northern California, the rest of the fish went south.

Bass fishing at Lake Oroville has been good to excellent this past week up in the West Branch of the reservoir.  Spinner baits did the trick and boats were catching lots of bass, with lots over the 15 inch slot length. Do you want to get tired of catching bass? Go to Oroville Lake and have fun.

And away we go again at Lake Almanor……The trout are hungry and the bass are also on the bite.  In addition the salmon in this lake are on the prowl.  The east side of the lake is best for bass.

Enjoy the summer to come……and don’t forget to show a child the wonders of fishing.

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Summer Stage Special

Tickets for The Acting Company performances of the plays “Vincent” and “Stones in His Pockets” are just $10 – a $5 discount off the regular price!

   Directed by Pat Hill, "Vincent" is a one-man play based on letters written by Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo. Chris Collier stars as Theo, who engages the audience in an examination of the tortured artist’s life. “Vincent” will be staged the weekends of June 8-10 and June 15-17.

  "Stones in His Pockets," directed by Lori Moye, will be staged the weekends of June 22-24 and June 29-July 1. “Stones” is a dramedy set in a small Irish town. The locals are cast as extras in a Hollywood production, and as the two cultures meet on the movie set the misunderstandings ensue. Two actors perform 15 characters in this offbeat and fast-paced show.

   Performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. For tickets, go to actingcompany.org or call 751-1100 between noon and 2 p.m. Monday-Friday.

  The Acting Company is a volunteer-run, nonprofit community theater. The theater is located at 815 B St., Yuba City. Upcoming shows include “Snoopy: The Musical” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”

   For information on The Acting Company, go to actingcompany.org. Keep track of The Acting Company on Facebook.  

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Food & Farm News: May 30, 2012

Cantaloupe farmers report improved demand Cantaloupe growers report consumer confidence and demand have improved, after sales dropped last year following food-borne illnesses linked to Colorado-grown melons. California cantaloupe farmers have taken additional steps to assure food safety, by voting to start a new certification program. The program will set production and handling standards and include inspections. The California cantaloupe harvest began earlier this month and will continue through November. Cherry harvest begins With harvest under way in the San Joaquin Valley, cherry farmers keep a watchful eye for pests such as the Oriental fruit fly. Part of San Joaquin County—known for its many cherry orchards—remains under a quarantine for the pest. Farmers located near Stockton must take extra precautions when preparing to harvest fruit and move their crop off the farm. The cherry harvest is beginning a few weeks later than last year, with early varieties ripening now. Warm weather benefits field crops Dry, warm weather benefits hay and corn growers. In California, these crops will often be used to feed livestock on ranches and dairies. The U-S Agriculture Department reports that farmers are cutting oat hay and taking a second cutting of alfalfa, which can be harvested multiple times in one year. Cotton also benefits from the warm temperatures and observers say the crop is progressing nicely, although it will be months until the harvest. Skin specialists promote Don’t Fry Day Farmers and others who work outside know the importance of protecting their skin from sun damage. This Friday, to kick off the Memorial Day weekend, groups will observe “Don’t Fry Day.” The goal is to increase awareness of skin cancer prevention and general sun safety awareness. Organizers of Don’t Fry Day encourage everyone to generously apply sunscreen, wear sun-protective clothing and seek shade often, especially during mid-day hours.

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EARLY HISTORY OF GOLD IN THE NEVADA CITY/GRASS VALLEY AREA

By Henry Delamere

The first find of gold-bearing quartz was the discovery at Gold Hill in June, 1850 by George McKnight. The quartz in this outcropping was literally filled with gold demonstrating clearly the source of the rich nearby stream deposits. The richness of this find created a tense prospecting flurry of miners which in October, 1950 led to the discovery of gold-bearing ledges ill- Massachusetts Hill, Ophir Hill, Rich Hill and other nearby areas.

These discoveries marked the beginning of new mining methods for California miners and in spite of all the difficulties the Sierras held the promise of a lot of wealth and it was not long before the communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City flourished like mad.

During the American Civil War gold from California and particularly Nevada County was a big help in the preservation ofthe Union. All this gold was shipped east to Washington and helped pay the enormous bills of maintaining the Northern armies.

For a long time after quartz mining began, steam engines were used to supply power to the mines and the fuels that ran the steam engines came from the forests. It turned out that a man by the name of Lester Pelton invented his famous Pelton Wheel. This wheel was highly efficient and enabled the mines to use water power under pressure to rotate the wheels. By the end of the 1880's nearly all the quartz mines used water wheels of the type invented by Pelton.

Other innovations were hand drills and black powder which were used entirely until 1868 when air drills and dynamite were introduced. Another innovation was a Cornish Pump. This pump was developed in Cornwall, England and was used to clear the water from tin, copper and coal mines. The first Cornish Pump in the west was built and installed at the Gold Hill Mine in Grass Valley in 1855. A similar pump was developed and used in the Comstock Mines in Nevada. Water had to be removed from the deep shaft mines. The pump rod of the Cornish Pump used at the Empire Mine was about a half a mile long, had an eight foot stoke, and operated and nine strokes a minute. This pump removed as much as 18,'000 gallons of water per hour. The pump at the North Star Mine was of similar length and operated twenty-four hours a day for forty years.

For their day, these pumps were a marvelous invention and so reliable that it was a long time before they were replaced by submersible electric motors. Now the question is why was the Grass Valley area so rich in gold that it helped save the Union during the Civil War.

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The major theology of the Grass Valley area was a body of early gold-bearing material five miles long from north to south  and from a half  mile to two miles wide which in prehistoric times had been intruded into much older rocks. This material is referred to as gold-bearing quartz. These quartz veins occur in or associated with all the rock formations in the area. After the gold-bearing veins were formed, the area experienced a huge uplift that created the Sierra Nevada ranges. Most of these veins of quartz strike north in direction and parallel to the long axis of granite bodies with shallow dips averaging 35 degrees. The most productive of these veins dip into the granite from both east and west sides and tend to converge way down deep.

Once again, the Grass Valley/Nevada City area produced so much gold that the heavy drain on the United States Treasury to pay for the Civil War effort was somewhat taken care of by the supply of the gold out ofthe Sierras around Grass Valley and Nevada City.

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Best Book Signing at Museum

The Community Memorial Museum will feature a book signing for the new book Making Tracks, the amazing story of C.L. Best and the beginnings of the Caterpillar Tractor Company.  The booksigning and a program will take place at the Museum on Friday, June 8^th at 2:30 p.m.  Ed and Sue Claessen are the authors of the book that has a strong Sutter County connection. 

            The central figure of Making Tracks is C.L. Best whose father Daniel Best was an inventor and designer of tractors and farm equipment with a manufacturing plant in San Leandro.   Several of Dan Best’s early prototype machines were tested on his brother Henry Best’s ranch, just a few miles southwest of Yuba City.  Henry Best was an early settler to this area, arriving in 1862, and the large Best family spread throughout Sutter County.

            Making Tracks centers on the exciting story of how the Best and Holt tractor companies merged and evolved to become the iconic Caterpillar Tractor Company.  The story follows C.L. Best from working for his father, through starting and operating his own company, to being chairman of the board for the Caterpillar Tractor Company for 26 years.  It encompasses fistfights in the boardroom, lawsuits and hostile takeovers, California to Cuba, Russia and beyond, designing and building tractors to raising cattle and mining gold. 

            The book will be available at the book signing and program for $34.95 and also available in the Museum Store.  The event is free of charge.  Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County is located at 1333 Butte House Road in Yuba City.  Museum open hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m.  For more information, call the Museum at 822-7141.

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