Liz Writes Life - 2-2-2022 - Energize the Avery Theater and update on fire ISO ratings in Scott Valley

Feb. 2, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Energize the Avery Theater

Etna’s Avery Theater has hit upon hard times and needs an infusion of energy and new ideas.

The Scott Valley Theatre Company is holding a “stakeholders” meeting on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022 at the theater on Etna’s Main Street. Time is 10:30 a.m.

The Avery Theater is under the auspices of the Scott Valley Theatre Company, which is registered as a non-profit, 501 c (3). The Theatre Company has produced a variety of performances each year for several decades – before the Covid pandemic shut things down. Etna High School students were also holding modern musical and improv shows.

It is time to re-energize the Theatre Company and its possibilities of utilizing the local theater. Those who enjoy performing or aiding performances are invited to attend this organizational meeting on Saturday. According to a press release, the theater needs potential board members, producers, grant writers, technicians, benefactors, ideas for children’s activities and the ever-needed funding ideas.

Contact Madeleine Ayres for more information at 530-598-9157.

So, I will add my two-cents by sharing a few memories. The Avery Theater holds a dear place in my heart. Don Avery opened a theater in Etna in the 1940s – likely after World War II. His family staffed the theater with a local teenager sometimes hired to take tickets and sell the popcorn and candy – which were much cheaper than by today’s standards. Yep, I remember nickel candy.

Walt Disney movies were popular with the queue line all the way down past Ray’s service station to Corrigan’s Bar. When I was growing up that is what we did on weekends – went to see the movie that was playing. When teens started dating, we went to the movies. I remember watching “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” with my boyfriend. You guess the year? Oh, Paul Newman and Robert Redford were heart-throbs!

Technical advances were changing by the late 1970s and at some point the theater closed. I remember someone who managed or owned the movie theaters in Mt. Shasta and Weed tried to make a go of opening the Etna theater. I recall watching “Man from Snowy River” there in the early 1980s and a good-sized crowd cheered around 1983, when the third Star Wars movie “Return of the Jedi” ran opening credits. (Guess you can figure out my taste in movies!)

Soon, the theater was closed again. I bet there are folks that have this info specifically written down. I am just going on a somewhat faulty memory, here! I am not sure of the timeline, but a local theater group (may have been the Scott Valley Theatre Company) decided to build a stage and got the community involved. About 80 or so front-row seats were removed for the building of the stage. Individuals donated cost for re-upholstering of the remaining 300 chairs.

Etna barber, Buzz Helm, and his beautician wife, Jeanne, were leaders at the time and I think Delta Christ was as well. Through the 1990s, a variety of productions were held, including melodramas. Yep, I played the heroine in one and Buzz, as the villain, blew me up – but I survived! (I was a terrible actress.)

Lots of fun times were enjoyed because of the Avery Theater. I hope that new energy will be brought to Saturday’s meeting to save the building and provide entertainment for Scott Valley and the younger generations.

ISO rating for home insurance

Several weeks ago, I included the Scott Valley Fire Protection District’s letter to the public that explained why some home owners are finding their fire insurance skyrocketing or even canceled. The District does have a good group of volunteers, but not enough volunteers who live near all seven of its engine stations that are located strategically throughout the valley. As a result, three stations are no longer in operation and residents in these areas have found their ISO rating -- that insurance companies use to set premiums -- are affected.

Dawn Schott, who is a volunteer for the Fort Jones Fire Dept., called me to say that residents living in Fort Jones have a pretty good ISO rating and I should talk to the Fire Chief Joseph Hess.

Chief Hess did say that the city now has a rating of 4A, which is good for rural areas.

In speaking with Hess and other fire people, I learned there are three main things that affect the ISO rating. They are: Hydrants within 500 feet of each other; at least some paid staff; and consistent documented trainings for volunteer and paid firefighters. Fort Jones fits these three criteria.

“Being within the city limits is a big deal,” said Chief Hess.

Oh, insurance companies do not set the ISO ratings. It is a private organization that does the ISO ratings and provides the information.

I also spoke with Alan Kramer, Fire Chief for the Etna Volunteer Fire Dept. He said that the City of Etna has an ISO rating of 6. He mentioned that gauging the risk and “high hazards” near homes also affects the ISO ratings.

“It is a multi-faceted evaluation,” said Chief Kramer. “We are served by volunteers that are dedicated and trained. We need more of them.”

So, there you have some additional information on the ISO rating situation. The three fire departments in Scott Valley, SVFPD, Fort Jones and Etna Volunteer Fire Depts., also coordinate and support each other in responses to fires and emergencies.

A big “thank you” goes out to all the firefighters and emergency personnel!

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life 1-26-22 -- Mike Hunt and Etna meeting on Bigfoot

Jan. 26, 2022

Liz Writes Life

There is some follow-up on Mike Hunt, the Etna Police Chief who died Sept. 8, 1972. Etna resident, Ryck Kramer, called and suggested that I contact someone who was working on the Etna Ambulance during the time that Mike was killed. I was able to talk with this person and apparently, Mike was driving the ambulance and turned from Main Street to the left onto Highway 3 and rolled the ambulance. The other person with him was not injured much and survived.

I didn’t learn if he was wearing a seatbelt. I have had discussions with folks my age about the “old days” when as kids we rode in cars and pickups without seatbelts and how, as young moms, we tried to strap-in flimsy car seats for our infants and toddlers.

At 10 months of age, my youngest could escape those child car seats as fast as I put him in. No wonder, as a grandma, I have trouble getting all the straps and buckles right in the complex modern versions!

I think that is the end of the discussion on Mike Hunt.

Bigfoot meeting

In another Etna-related story, but jumping forward 50 years, what started out as a fairly low-key meeting to share information regarding local sightings of the mysterious Bigfoot, saw the meeting grow and include a famous Bigfoot researcher from Oregon.

Dennis Jensen called and invited me to a meeting held Jan. 15, 2022 at the Pay Streak brewery in Etna. Dennis has spent much of his life riding horses in the backcountry, living in Trinity and Siskiyou Counties and has had several experiences with Bigfoot. He has cast giant footprints he found in several different areas and finds it interesting that people often share their encounters with him. Dennis told Deb, the owner of Pay Streak about his idea to hold a local symposium and she offered the brewery as the meeting place.

Then, Deb put the meeting on social media and interest grew with eventually Cliff Barackman being invited. Cliff has produced a program on Animal Planet called “Finding Bigfoot.” He amassed so much information, foot castings and specific sightings, that he and his wife, Melissa, recently opened a Bigfoot Museum in Boring, Oregon – near Portland.

Cliff did arrive at the Etna meeting with his film man and shared a slideshow with specific sightings. Dennis said local experiences were shared including some new ones.

 

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, so didn’t get to hear the experiences firsthand. Some people don’t believe in Bigfoot and other folks have had encounters and experiences that make Bigfoot real to them. I understand the skeptics, but find that I believe in Bigfoot – even if I have not had a personal experience.

 

Cliff became well-known as the evidence analyst on the four-member “Finding Bigfoot” team that searched for Bigfoot in 100 episodes from 2011 through 2017 with a final 100th episode that aired on Feb. 8, 2028 titled “Return of the Legend.” 

 

While they have not yet filmed actual proof of Bigfoot, the team uses new and advanced technologies at areas of known sightings. And on Feb. 8, 2021, the series returned for a two-hour special entitled “Finding Bigfoot: The Search Continues.” This has been made available exclusively on the streaming service Discovery-plus. 

There are a number of groups and researchers that study and document the locations of Bigfoot sightings and encounters – throughout the world. 

In a quick search on the Internet, I found an article that appeared in the “Siskiyou Daily News” back on Dec. 3, 2009 and was updated on July 1, 2012. It was written by Charlie Unkefer and discussed a map published by North America Bigfoot Search, which is an organization based in Los Gatos, CA. Like Cliff and the “Finding Bigfoot” television show, the goal is to develop scientific proof that the animal does exist. 

I found this NABS website interesting, because the group has written a book called “The Hoopa Project” with the testimony of 45 “solid” witnesses. Research groups investigate and scrutinize encounters and experiences with Bigfoot and document them on geographical maps. At the time of the 2012 SDN article, the NABS listed 47 locations throughout Siskiyou County, where Bigfoot had been encountered.

One of the first experiences recorded and mapped is from 1850, when a miner observed a huge hairy creature walking on two feet break a sluiceway against a tree. A Bigfoot or two have been seen crossing highways, I-5 and county roads during the past 100 years. The Klamath River and Happy Camp have a number of encounters.

According to Dennis, another local Bigfoot symposium may be held. I will share that date with you, if and when it is set. 

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life 1-19-22 Scott Valley Fire Protection District discusses ISO ratings for home insurance

Liz Writes Life

January 19, 2022

Last week, I was contacted by the Scott Valley Fire Protection District and asked if I would include its most recent public announcement in my column. Sure thing!

As you all know, the catastrophic wildfires threatening communities throughout the West are affecting insurance policies and premiums as well as the volunteer fire departments. These rural fire departments are a life saver in a variety of instances, especially fires.

I remember back around the early 1980s, when several Scott Valley residents decided to form the Scott Valley Fire Protection District to not only provide faster response times to fires, but to provide support for obtaining fire insurance and lower premium costs on homes and ranches. It was a big deal! Several property owners donated the use of their land and even a barn to house an engine or water tender. Grants and fund raisers brought-in needed equipment, especially as the SVFPD was able to expand coverage throughout the valley.

I want to thank the many volunteers that have continued to support, served on the board and fight fire for the SVFPD during the past 40-plus years. They also work in cooperation with the Etna and Fort Jones Volunteer Fire Departments, Cal Fire and the USFS.

News Release from the Scott Valley Fire Protection District – Dec. 14, 2021

The Board of Commissioners, and Chiefs Paul Buchter and Steve Poling, are issuing this update on operations at Scott Valley Fire.

As you know, California continues to experience extreme fire conditions and catastrophic fires. In Scott Valley, our calls for service have risen considerably.

Historically, Scott Valley Fire District had seven stations, strategically placed every five miles from Masterson Road southeast of Callahan to Scott River Road, five miles west of Fort Jones. Our service area covers 842 square miles, with mutual aid provided by Etna and Fort Jones fire departments. Due to circumstances beyond our control, three of those stations were recently closed: Masterson, Eastside, and Scott River. Four remain: Greenview, Moffett Creek, Callahan, and French Creek.

The closure of the Eastside and Scott River stations has sparked concern. For one thing, residents report that their homeowners’ insurance costs are skyrocketing. A local citizen reported to SVFPD Board Chair Larry Alexander that his insurance “increased from an ISO rating of 4 to a 10 because SVFPD no longer has a station on Scott River Road.”

So, what is an ISO rating? The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is a private corporation that evaluates entities for insurance rating purposes. This rating system considers available water supply and pressure, equipment, driving time, and number of trained personnel. Neither SVFPD nor any other fire department in the Valley has ever qualified for a 4 rating (that’s a Big City paid fire department rating with lots of hydrants!)

Scott Valley Fire currently has an 8B ISO rating. Not bad, considering we’re an all-volunteer rural department—with no hydrants. Oh, and don’t forget the 842 square miles. Some areas of the district, for various reasons, primarily location, still have a 9 or 10 rating. Historically, most of the District was a 10. Throughout the state, insurance companies are raising rates due to increased fire danger, recent catastrophic fires, and high insurance payouts. Scott Valley Fire will continue working hard to improve our ISO ratings.

The citizen reporting to Larry Alexander was accustomed to having a fire station within one-half mile of his property. Now the nearest is 5.5 miles away in Ft. Jones. Of course, SVFPD would like to have another station on Scott River Road—we have an engine and water tender available. If you would like to join, support, or learn more about your local Scott Valley Fire Department, please contact any of your neighbors listed below. Thank you for your continued support. We greatly appreciate it.

Larry Alexander, Board Chair -- 530 468-2888

Scott Frick, Commissioner -- 530 643-1413

Paul Buchter, Chief -- 530 598-7249

Steve Poling, Assistant Chief -- 530 340-3245

 

Bottom-line (from Liz):  So that these three stations can be reopened, residents need to step up and become volunteers for the SVFPD. As Uncle Sam posters during World War II stated: You are needed! Well, I just Googled World War II posters and found they really said: I want you! Oops I got it wrong. Either way, to make our community safer, more volunteers are needed. Thanks for thinking about it!

Nothing on Mike Hunt

Last week, I said I would report any info learned about Etna Police Chief Mike Hunt. I did make contact with several people to see what they recalled about his accidental death, while testing a new ambulance for the city on Sept. 8, 1972. Neither could remember if he was driving or how the accident happened. Mike is on the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department list of “Fallen Peace Officers,” so that is a good thing.

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life - 1-19-22 Scott Valley Fire Protection District needs volunteers; insurance premiums are increasing without them!

Liz Writes Life

January 14, 2022

Last week, I was contacted by the Scott Valley Fire Protection District and asked if I would include its most recent public announcement in my column. Sure thing!

As you all know, the catastrophic wildfires threatening communities throughout the West are affecting insurance policies and premiums as well as the volunteer fire departments. These rural fire departments are a life saver in a variety of instances, especially fires.

I remember back around the early 1980s, when several Scott Valley residents decided to form the Scott Valley Fire Protection District to not only provide faster response times to fires, but to provide support for obtaining fire insurance and lower premium costs on homes and ranches. It was a big deal! Several property owners donated the use of their land and even a barn to house an engine or water tender. Grants and fund raisers brought-in needed equipment, especially as the SVFPD was able to expand coverage throughout the valley.

I want to thank the many volunteers that have continued to support, served on the board and fight fire for the SVFPD during the past 40-plus years. They also work in cooperation with the Etna and Fort Jones Volunteer Fire Departments, Cal Fire and the USFS.

News Release from the Scott Valley Fire Protection District – Dec. 14, 2021

The Board of Commissioners, and Chiefs Paul Buchter and Steve Poling, are issuing this update on operations at Scott Valley Fire.

As you know, California continues to experience extreme fire conditions and catastrophic fires. In Scott Valley, our calls for service have risen considerably.

Historically, Scott Valley Fire District had seven stations, strategically placed every five miles from Masterson Road southeast of Callahan to Scott River Road, five miles west of Fort Jones. Our service area covers 842 square miles, with mutual aid provided by Etna and Fort Jones fire departments. Due to circumstances beyond our control, three of those stations were recently closed: Masterson, Eastside, and Scott River. Four remain: Greenview, Moffett Creek, Callahan, and French Creek.

The closure of the Eastside and Scott River stations has sparked concern. For one thing, residents report that their homeowners’ insurance costs are skyrocketing. A local citizen reported to SVFPD Board Chair Larry Alexander that his insurance “increased from an ISO rating of 4 to a 10 because SVFPD no longer has a station on Scott River Road.”

So, what is an ISO rating? The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is a private corporation that evaluates entities for insurance rating purposes. This rating system considers available water supply and pressure, equipment, driving time, and number of trained personnel. Neither SVFPD nor any other fire department in the Valley has ever qualified for a 4 rating (that’s a Big City paid fire department rating with lots of hydrants!)

Scott Valley Fire currently has an 8B ISO rating. Not bad, considering we’re an all-volunteer rural department—with no hydrants. Oh, and don’t forget the 842 square miles. Some areas of the district, for various reasons, primarily location, still have a 9 or 10 rating. Historically, most of the District was a 10. Throughout the state, insurance companies are raising rates due to increased fire danger, recent catastrophic fires, and high insurance payouts. Scott Valley Fire will continue working hard to improve our ISO ratings.

The citizen reporting to Larry Alexander was accustomed to having a fire station within one-half mile of his property. Now the nearest is 5.5 miles away in Ft. Jones. Of course, SVFPD would like to have another station on Scott River Road—we have an engine and water tender available. If you would like to join, support, or learn more about your local Scott Valley Fire Department, please contact any of your neighbors listed below. Thank you for your continued support. We greatly appreciate it.

Larry Alexander, Board Chair -- 530 468-2888

Scott Frick, Commissioner -- 530 643-1413

Paul Buchter, Chief -- 530 598-7249

Steve Poling, Assistant Chief -- 530 340-3245

 

Bottom-line (from Liz):  So that these three stations can be reopened, residents need to step up and become volunteers for the SVFPD. As Uncle Sam posters during World War II stated: You are needed! Well, I just Googled World War II posters and found they really said: I want you! Oops I got it wrong. Either way, to make our community safer, more volunteers are needed. Thanks for thinking about it!

Nothing on Mike Hunt

Last week, I said I would report any info learned about Etna Police Chief Mike Hunt. I did make contact with several people to see what they recalled about his accidental death, while testing a new ambulance for the city on Sept. 8, 1972. Neither could remember if he was driving or how the accident happened. Mike is on the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department list of “Fallen Peace Officers,” so that is a good thing.

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life 1-12-2022 -- Policing issue in The Siskiyou Pioneer

Jan 12, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Last week, I mentioned Mike Hunt who was the Etna Police Chief in the late 1960s up to 1972. He is the only officer from the Etna police department (that I know of), who was killed while serving as a police officer. It was a freak accident. Chief Hunt was trying out a new ambulance and it became involved in a single-car accident in which he died. I don’t recall who was driving.

Mike was also a local butcher and owned the Etna Meat and Ice Company on the Main Street business block.

I was a senior at Etna High School, when the accident happened. Much like the community, we students were shocked. Chief Hunt was well liked. Our “Nugget” yearbook staff dedicated the 1973 yearbook in his honor.

I made several phone calls to friends who I thought would recall some of the details about the accident and no one answered. Oh, the frustrations of writing my column when the deadline is looming! I did find him online. His real name was Everett and he died Sept. 8, 1972.

Because I am curious about what I do and do not recall about Chief Hunt, I will try to find answers this week and report them. Guess I might try sending emails or texting!

So, the history bug has hit me again. I think it is the winter months of cold that many of us turn to doing genealogy or writing about family. I will confess the garlic still needs to be planted in the garden and the rain has melted the snow, so I should do that – soon! I do like my homegrown garlic. But, it is so hard to get motivated to garden in the winter!

Thinking about Chief Hunt got me to remembering the 1993 law enforcement issue of “The Siskiyou Pioneer” book. Anita Merrill Butler served as editor and asked me to write up my grandfather, George “Dad” Dillman. He served as Etna Town Marshal from 1943 to 1959 and died in late Nov. 1960 at the age of 75. I will likely write about him in the near future, but wanted to pay tribute to Anita and the fine job she did of sharing stories about various aspects of law enforcement. She divided the book into sections called “The Enforcers” and “The Crimes” and “The Criminals”.

Interestingly, Anita wrote a bit about herself. Her father, Floyd Merrill, was elected to the office of Siskiyou County District Attorney in 1951 and served two terms ending in 1959. During D.A. Merrill’s first term, he also held the offices of Public Administrator and County Council (attorney to the Siskiyou Co. Board of Supervisors).

During his first term, Merrill was paid $300 a month and was allowed to keep his private law practice. This changed during his second term, when and he was told to terminate his private practice. But his monthly salary went up to $600 and he was given the use of a county vehicle.

Part of the Public Administrator job was to inventory public estates. As a youngster, Anita accompanied her parents on their weekend excursions to fulfill that need. She said that many of the estate cases were like tumble-down shacks. It wasn’t until years later that she realized most people thought of an “estate” as a palatial mansion. Her image and description was much different!

After graduating high school, Anita went to work for the FBI in Los Angeles under J. Edgar Hoover who was the director. It was a turbulent time period in the late 1960s with the unpopular Vietnam War and Selective Service cases (draft board bombings and “draft dodging”) made up much of the FBI’s case load. During this time, Dr. Martin Luther King and U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy were assassinated. The FBI was busy. Anita must have worked in the clerical offices, because women were not allowed to be agents she said; and the agents were required to be either attorneys or accountants.

In 1975, Anita returned to Siskiyou County with her husband, Dave, and two children. They lived near Etna. She volunteered to type (the old-fashioned way – on a typewriter) the 1983 “Siskiyou Pioneer” for editors Ernest Hayden and Wally Trapnell. She volunteered and worked with Siskiyou Museum Director Mike Hendryx, served as executive secretary for the Siskiyou Co. Historical Society and co-edited “The Siskiyou Pioneer” in 1986 with Sheila Meamber and Velma Nelson on the Montague Centennial Issue.

This 1993 issue of “The Siskiyou Pioneer” holds some pretty interesting stories. So, in the near future I will likely write a bit about Macdoel’s Lady Judge and Ruth Markon, who was a Justice of the Peace in Sawyers Bar. Then, there is George Wacker’s story about a leading Yreka citizen who helped outfit a pirate ship to aid the Confederates during the Civil War. Yep, pretty fun stuff!

Have you written or recorded a few of your life stories? Yep, I will keep prodding!

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life - 1-5-2022 Snow comes down and explaining redistricting congressional boundaries

January 5, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Happy New Year! Hard to believe we are in the year 2022. Time just keeps moving along!

Christmas snow (and now rain) has caused turmoil, but we certainly need the moisture. The south end of Scott Valley didn’t receive nearly the amount of snow recorded by folks in Etna, Greenview, Fort Jones and especially in Quartz Valley. The snow settled between each storm, but some residents reported nearly three feet. One friend that lives in the pines near Kellems Lane said he had 28 inches; and he also mentioned that those who have been praying for snow could stop now! Yep, seems like it is feast or famine.

Here near Callahan, we only received three to four inches at a time and it never built up over five or six inches. But, luckily the mountains are getting hammered. Yay! Skiers are happy.

UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported the December totals surpassed the last snowiest December ever recorded in the Lake Tahoe area, which was 173 inches in December 1970. By comparison, the lab reported 202 inches on Dec. 29, 2021. Its records date back to 1879.

I remember that 1970 winter in Etna. During Christmas vacation, after dinner, I met with friends up at the top of Woodland Street in Etna and we would sled down to Wagner Way and, hopefully, make the turn onto Diggles Street. It was a blast! I think the Etna Police Chief, (who I believe was Mike Hunt), ignored us because there were few vehicles driving after dark and we were not drinking -- just wanting to have some fun. Snow was packed making several inches of ice on the pavement, cuz it also stayed below freezing for days. I remember that Mrs. Fleck even brought out hot chocolate for us one night, so we must not have been too much of a nuisance.

Notice to teens: Probably not a good idea to try this nowadays!

Redistricting

There has been drama, this past month, regarding a little-known or understood legal process called redistricting. Most of the drama has played-out behind the scenes, but some Siskiyou County residents were concerned enough to weigh-in.

The issue that saw a spotlight was the potential of Siskiyou County being split – literally in half – by I-5 with Western Siskiyou being put into District 2, which includes coastal counties from Del Norte south to Marin. The Eastern Siskiyou portion would have stayed in District 1.

The biggest reasoning to keep Siskiyou whole and in District 1 was that I-5 is the life blood for transportation and the economy. Most residents don’t travel to the coast through the rugged mountains for shopping or medical needs. Politics was not necessarily part of the equation, but many conservatives feel Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa has been quite involved in supporting Siskiyou County especially in trying to save the Klamath hydro-electric dams, water issues and exposing the huge illegal cannabis grows by cartels. They didn’t want to lose him as their Representative.

There were some people that wanted Siskiyou to be moved to the coast into Democrat Congressman Jared Huffman’s District. Emails, letters and phone calls were made by both sides up until the deadline on Dec. 20^th. Ultimately, the 2020 California Redistricting Citizens Commission left Siskiyou County whole and in District 1. Yay, something I totally agree with. We are inland agricultural county.

The drama of moving boundary lines has been vicious in other areas of the state. Redistricting is done every 10 years after the U.S. Census count has been accomplished. In the 2020 census, the population in California diminished by nearly 190,000 people. As a result, the state lost one House of Representative (congressperson). There are 39.5 million people in California. Approximately, 770,000 population was the goal for each U.S. Representative District.

Siskiyou County is in the largest congressional district in land mass. It includes ten counties besides Siskiyou. They have been Butte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, Nevada, and parts of Glenn and Placer.

With populations moving about during the last 10 years, Nevada, Placer, Plumas and Sierra Counties have been removed from Dist. 1 in the finalized 2020 map.

In contrast to the rural and sparsely populated Northern California, the Los Angeles area boasts nearly 4 million people and has 20 U.S. Congressional Districts! Currently, there are 53 districts throughout the state that elect a congressperson to the U.S. House of Representatives. No wonder rural areas are under-represented.

According to several articles I have read, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission is defending their work claiming there were multiple factors for boundary changes and also included a rise in the Latino population. Both Democrats and Republicans have complained as well as community neighborhoods and ethnic districts. Lawsuits are expected. Also, the issue of an alleged poorly conducted 2020 U.S. Census will likely be a major complaint in a lawsuit.

The statewide map of the new district boundaries should have been “certified” by the Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber by the deadline of Dec. 27, 2021.

To the issue of political bias, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission is made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and four non-affiliated individuals. The Commission is tasked to redraw district boundaries according to population, so each congressperson represents about the same amount of citizens. So, politics is not supposed to be brought into consideration. But, others may disagree.

May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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