Greenville Rising Jan. 27: Gas station almost ready
By Meg Upon
This weekend my aunt in Loyalton gave me an afghan my nana had made for my grandmother, and five years ago when we were moving my grandmother from southern California to Loyalton, I grabbed it from the old house so grandma would have something familiar in her new place.
One square is completely torn up and it’s a little softer and faded. I washed it last night and will repair it this weekend. It won’t look exactly the same but it will stand in for many memories and I will feel less destroyed. My aunt gave me a handful of photos I don’t recall ever seeing before either. They don’t replace my own, but tell a different part of the story of us than maybe I knew before.
That’s where I am this morning, hunting down scraps of yarn that will be a close proximity, thinking of the promise of the [Re] Build Greenville Gathering last Saturday and figuring out goals can be met whether I’m in the mood to meet them or not.
I remain open to the possibility of new. I went over the grade to downtown Greenville this morning, where the sky was a stark blue and there are pockets of bustling activity around lots being cleaned up and the gas station almost ready. In this spirit, I offer up what I know from our week.
I stopped to talk to some cleanup crew here from Louisiana who normally work on hurricanes. Even in our wreckage, one man told me that our little valley was a beautiful place and he’d been in awe of the area as he drove from where he’s staying in Susanville to Greenville each day to work.
Gas
The other moment we’ve all been waiting for: gas will be in Greenville any moment now! I imagine people doing a circle dance around Nellz Towne Pump soon. It will be automatic and unstaffed so you’ll have to have a debit or credit card, but somehow this feels like the biggest accomplishment. Thank you, Pete.
Clean Up
Looks like many of those 45 cars tagged and left on county roads have been removed. Every little bit helps. A hearty thank you to all involved in that clean up effort.
IVCSD
There will be a separate article about the IVCSD meeting on January 26, but here is the news we’ve all been waiting for: the now full board of the Indian Valley Community Services District operating between the proverbial rock and a hard place voted to cut the fees for its district customers (owners, technically) from $78 a month to $39 a month. For those who disconnect from the service the reconnection fee will no longer be $6,500, but $3,250, which is more in keeping with other district reconnection fees. The district’s $1.9 million dollar loan with Umpqua Bank is backed by its ability to sell its water. But for now, residents paying the base rate for water and sewer on their burned lots have more wiggle room despite the detriment to the district.
Showers
For those still needing a hot water shower source in Greenville, showers are still available at Greenville Elementary School, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There’s a sandwich board at the street by the school that says to call Alicia Hammerich of Indian Head Properties for more information.
Quilts
Quilters from across the country have donated quilts to fire survivors—now it’s just a question of getting those quilts into the hands of survivors. There is a group from the Taylorsville, Susanville, and Crescent Mills areas who are ready to connect a quilt with a Dixie Fire survivor from Canyon Dam, Greenville and surrounding areas to distribute them.
Call or text Debbie Reynolds at (707) 845-2493 or email [email protected] to claim a quilt.
The group will also be at Plumas Bank in Chester on February 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to hand out these quilts. Organizers wish to thank Laura Roberts of Country Pines Quiltshop in Susanville and many other volunteers for coordinating this effort to distribute over a hundred quilts.
Big Donation
It’s hitting the social media circuit already but The Collins Company donated $100,000 to the Almanor Foundation to support recovery efforts to Plumas County communities effected by the Dixie Fire. Collins Pines suffered its own severe losses in the fire.
Indian Valley Hospital
It’s come up again: What to do with the Indian Valley Hospital building. Plumas District Hospital, which is determining the building’s future, is now taking comments regarding it. Indian Valley residents can write to [email protected] or [email protected] with comments or suggestions before the board’s next meeting on February 10.
Speaking Through Fire
Pachuca Productions is teaming up with Plumas Arts and other entities to be announced to have a spoken word event for students K-12 to tell their stories. This spoken word and storytelling event will take place memorial weekend in Indian Valley. Details to come in February but if that’s already gotten your interest, write to [email protected] for more details to get started. Pachuca is teaming up with Dixie Fire Stories Project for a pop-up art gallery installation that weekend so residents can view the photos from the project in person.
As usual, if you have an event, concern, announcement or anything related to Indian Valley, please write to us at the above email and we will be happy to include in the following week’s Greenville Rising column.
