THANKSGIVING offers us the opportunity to thank you, Dear Reader, for your continuing support and dedication to reading. We thank you for affording us a chance to write our opinion and we are truly thankful to those of you who differ in peaceful manner. We especially appreciate those of you who challenge us rather than slew hurtful words and cut off communication. We cherish those kind words written across renewal forms, e.mails and faxes. In spite of budget deficits, shuttered businesses and increasing unemployment, we love the fact you continued to make the Sierra Valley elk your top priority. I’m thankful to Mayor Pat Whitley for her negotiating spirit and to the Council members for their long hours paid just $49.50/month; to hospital CEO Tom Hayes and his staff who work tirelessly to keep our health care; for the innovative plans by our school administration and staff; to all the many volunteers who keep the lights on and the fires lit and I offer special thanks to those of you who sign petitions, call, write and e.mail our elected officials, all for the betterment of our communities. Keep up the good work! This is a great time for heros! * * * * * THERE’S A GREAT NEW CONCEPT for Loyalton’s bio mass plant as a non-profit. Keith Logan of Logan Associates told County Supervisors of an aggressive plan, only aspirations until the complete sale yet which would have world class companies coming to Loyalton’s business park from all over the world. And Planning Director Tim Beals told of how one cur-rent business at the local park, KJL, is moving from the business park to Plumas County. It should be mentioned KJL is one world-class company we’ve had all along, as a hub-zone company which supplies NASA fastener parts and we’ve had NASA officials in and out of Loyalton. It currently employs 11 local residents and would be great to keep it in Sierra County. Yet the business is in escrow for the former Yamaha building in Chilcoot. It’s a great boost for Plumas County for employment, traffic and more frequent use of UPS and Fed X, all losses for Sierra County. * * * * * ON THAT SAME NOTE, it was talked about using chips at the bio mass plant. But it continues to make little sense that we truck in somebody else’s green waste when our forests are littered with dead and dying timber and even burn piles. Take a drive along Highway 49 to Sierra City and see the neatly piled debris which should be ready to be trucked yet may well be burned. I posed that problem to Supervisor Peter Huebner who in turn, said to tell that to the Fire Safe Council. Executive Director Cindy Noble verified the plan for Yuba River District to burn “these MANY, MANY, MANY piles,” and wrote, “This depends on many factors, to start ‘the contract for the tonage’ , the distance from the site to the plant and how much is piled on site and being used at the plant.” In answer to the above, Supervisor Huebner wrote, “It looks like it is going to be a heavy snow winter, and comes spring with the co gen plant open, we will see again many bio mass Trucks heading to Loyalton, and all the rest will follow.” He adds, “I will again be representing our board on all bio-mass meetings in our region, getting fuel from Nevada, Placer and Sierra County, just as before the trucks will be coming to Loyalton in early spring.” * * * * * THE GOOD NEWS out of that conversation came from Sierra Pacific Industries Manager Jim Turner who said that SPI is still accepting green waste at the Loyalton Sierra Pacific Industries bio mass site Monday - Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. That’s only for clean green waste; please, no processed wood or old cabinets, etc. IT’S NOT GOOD to hear how Loyalton may be dying. Instead, I’d like some focus on what’s going on, what’s new and what to look forward to. Granted, we have lost many businesses. But there are some new ones in place which deserve our trade. We have a new clothing store and anticipate a new hairdresser, tucked inside Loyalton Spa on Main Street in the big yellow house. With the biomass plant closure and Royce Stevens’ loss of salvage of aluminum and glass, it seems there would be a great opportunity for similar jobs in this “green environment.” The Loyalton Rotary Park up Smithneck Road has a new pavilion and many new improvements, including connecting sidewalks, attractive rock around the restrooms and a nice stage area and new tables - all set for the annual 4th of July barbecue and auction. Rotary members will be in high mode with all that new area! And it’s hoped more improvements are forthcoming at the City Park under the Prop. 40 funding, originally scheduled for the swimming pool. Now that swimming pool building is targeted as a community hall with more grant funding. With more emphasis on our music program in the schools, there’s a greater need for that community hall. And perhaps the most important feature to hit this area will be Plumas Sierra Rural Electric’s anticipated broadband, which will attract more home-based businesses on high speed internet. One of those businesses Loyalton lost in the red brick building was over lack of internet. Did you know we have three realtors? With no store fronts, they are not as visible but they’re here. And please don’t forget those faithful businesses who do have store fronts and open every day, particularly Golden West Saloon and Leonards, who provide rare daily service and are “always there.” In addition to our businesses, we have a wonderful museum, Senior Complex with sweeping views of Sierra Valley, lively Senior Center and transportation system, efficient health care clinic and a caring skilled nursing facility, library services and child care. The only sure way to assure they remain in tact is for us to utilize them. Make “Shop Local” a way of life! And to assist those businesses, the City Council has frozen current water and sewer rates and approved zoning to make downtown more friendly as community/commercial and allow housing among businesses. So there you have it. We aren’t dying. We’re changing. We have businesses. You just don’t see them all to know they’re here. LOYALTON RESIDENTS: Did your property taxes rise? Mine did. Following an article in the July 21st Sierra Booster issue on “A Decline in Value Review” by the Assessor’s Office, I noticed my Loyalton property taxes had increased despite the fact the assessor stated 838 properties reviewed by hand and 649 which qualified for a further decline. In a call to Assessor Laura Marshall, she stated Loyalton’s commercial properties hadn’t been reviewed by hand and advised me to go on the County website under the Assessor’s office and print off Decline in Value Request Forms. Simple as that. Do it. * * * * *  HIGHER TAXES? NOT! A week ago Tuesday the Sierra Valley Hospital District Board met for discussion of a shortfall for the bond payment for the upcoming year and discussion of the short fall on general fund from property tax revenue drop. As unbelieveable as it is, those of us in the former hospital district continue to pay taxes on the bond for the hospital which no longer exits. In its place we were given the “Advanced Life Support ambulance. Any argument against taxes could follow what was said against a swimming pool assessment last year. We have rising unemployment, loss of jobs and loss of homes. This will be on the next Loyalton Board of Supervisors’ meeting agenda on September 13th. Now is not the time for higher property taxes; especially on a service we no longer receive. THOSE MASSIVE MEDICAID CUTS as requested by California were approved by the Obama administration on Friday, October 27th. Known as California State Plan Amendment 11-010 it allows cuts to MediCal payments for its hospital skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) by 10% of 2008 rates in effect, a 23% cut. Cuts will be retroactive, causing Eastern Plumas Health Care to have to underwrite care it has already given back to June 1. Since a staggering 93% of its Skilled Nursing Facility patients are on MediCal, this amounts to a $1.1 million hit per year. A news release from The Department of Health Care Services “DHCS” (reprinted on sierrabooster.com) talks of “value of our provider partners and looking forward to continuing our service to our most vulnerable populations”...........”a unique monitoring plan....to ensure access to care is not compromised as the reductions are implemented,” yet EPHC CEO Tom Hayes states that as “false.” He has heard nothing from anybody at the State over concern and it’s been “quite quiet.” Hayes said on Monday they will work in filing a plan with the State to meet its standards in transferring patients. On Monday, he met with families of Portola Skilled Nursing Facility residents and on Tuesday, he met with Loyalton families to provide information. Sadly, he stated statistics show those transferred will die within three months. Hayes stated they are looking at both Loyalton and Portola Skilled Nursing Facilities and can’t survive as a hospital with as many skilled nursing facility residents. They have to figure at what point to reduce patients to break even and to run at a reduced level. All employees have taken a 5% pay cut. Outpatient charges have been increased 20%. Various services are being looked at as to which ones can continue. The hospital is working with the USDA on its loans and if it doesn’t “really work with us,” Eastern Plumas Health Care may have to default. It is asking to waive, restructure or delay payment on USDA loans. Hayes stressed all costs are being looked at and even the Christmas party has been cancelled! Hayes did state they are not terminating any ambu-lance services in Loyalton and will keep the clinic open. As for the skilled nursing facility, they are looking at any private company to take it over. Facility issues make it difficult in Loyalton, Hayes said and they need to come up with heating, air and seismic modifications which are very expensive. * * * * * THOSE USDA LOANS are not only being looked at by Eastern Plumas Health Care but by the City of Loyalton as well. While the health care has a number of USDA loans, Hayes said he is asking for relief because of cash flow and the issue is having to make payments with government cuts. With the City of Loyalton, it’s making payments on a wastewater project which is proving defective and which was approved by USDA. The liner at the wastewater plant has leaks. The City was delinquent on one payment yet approved a partial payment during a special meeting held November 1st. The City Council held a meeting November 3rd with USDA representatives trying to iron out some issues, according to Mayor Pat Whitley. It seems USDA would prefer to work out a plan rather than have a city and health facility default on payments. We need our elected leaders to make sure we get relief. * * * * * RESIDENTS are urged to use their local health facilities and take advantage of all they have to offer. In an article by By Margaret Moslander on Health care for Remapping Debate, it states “Long wait times, rushed appointments, and the failure of doctors to be forthcoming with important information lead patients to feel devalued, overlooked, frustrated, and disrespected." Patients, as observed by Julia Hallisy, founder of the Empowered Patient Coalition, “are already stressed…often they have to get back to work, and can’t afford to take 2 extra hours out of their day, especially in this economy.” Cut extra time by using local health care. Eastern Plumas Health Care has clinics in Loyalton, Portola and Graeagle where health care providers know your name. “When you choose EPHC for your health care needs, you're helping to make sure we'll be here to serve you in the future. “We have 250 employees--we are your neighbors, your friends, your family--we are your community hospital,” as stated on its website. It is a non-profit, rural healthcare provider, where your tax dollars help keep it alive. And you should use it. AFFECTS OF A CLOSED BIO MASS (Co-gen), other than what most call a “dying town,” were well explained by Timothy Evans, Tahoe National Forest Natural Resource Officer at the Loyalton Rotary Club’s noon meeting last fortnight. Timothy reported on a $20 million Castle Timber Sale that didn’t sell with no bids due to the closure of the Loyalton biomass plant. In addition, he stated all the timber sales will now be bid through the Quincy Sierra Pacific Industries’ plant because of the closure of the Loyalton plant. This is not to mention the loss of reliability in electricity with the plant off-line and the possible unplanned outages we could be facing. On the flip side, Timothy reported there are plenty of chips for the Loyalton biomass plant if it does open up. With the growing emphasis on “green” energy and the surging price in oil and gas, it only makes sense biomass should be in huge demand. According to Sierra County Supervisors Chairman Peter Huebner, there is a lot of competition now with biomass. We’ve previously written about the new plant Nevada County is planning to open and it’s yet to be seen if it will further affect Loyalton’s plant. WHAT A CONTRAST IT IS between this year’s winter and the winter of 1952 when storms started in late January and dumped 5 to 6 feet of snow. With crude snow removal back then, the area was snowed in for days. Hal and Sweetie Pie had published the Sierra Booster just four years and Hal had a deadline to meet. Never having skied, he decided to learn on a trip over Yuba Pass once the storms ceased. The late Attilio Genasci told me he was feeding cows when he looked up to see a lone figure approaching on skis and Hal asked about cutting across the valley. Attilio gave good advice against it and here’s Hal’s 1952 version of his trip: “So many have asked if I was going to write about my ski escapade in this issue that I feel sort of obliged to do so. Here goes: Unaccustomed as I am to public skiing - when I showed signs of getting cabin fever in Loyalton a couple of weeks ago and had need to go to western Sierra County, I skied to Sierra City because the roads were snowblocked. I took five spills learning to ski the first day and wound up in good fettle at the Frank Turner Ranch in Sattley - hosted by Bill Borges. Leaving up to 15 inch trenches behind, it took me 7 hours and 20 minutes of steady plugging to make the top of Yuba Pass and another three hours to reach the Fred Cooks at Pioneer Lodge. The snow storm that day did not help much but I came to the conclusion that 7 foot skis in soft snow were entirely wrong. The Cooks were glad to get some mail and see some passing traffic. Their lodge was in a bad way with one wall being pushed in by snow more than six inches. I hope they get help before the place collapses. That night it took two more hours of floundering in the storm and getting almost lost in the dark to reach Bassetts Resort where I stayed overnight. Irene and Red Smith were snowed in with Aide Joe and guest Red Mottini, the mail man. Starting from Bassetts with another foot of snow on top and more coming down I reached Sierra City in a little less than five hours on the third day. It was a lot of fun considering it was the first time I had skied and I was amazed to learn that some folk expressed the opinion to wife Allene that I’d never make it. Don’t they know I had it figured out that if I got half way and found I couldn’t make it - I’d turn around and go back?”

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