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Vol. 81,
3na[ian
No. 23 •
": : ...... " " d all of the Indian Valley Area
Feather Publishing Co., Inc. • ,530-284-7800 • Wednesday, April 27,2011
50¢
Fire districts
a hot topic
for supervisors
Dan McDonald
Staff Writer
dmcdonald@plurnasnews.com
Still smarting from a 2009 -
10 grand jury report that
blasts the county for leaving
nearly a fifth of its full-time
residents without fire pro-
tection, the Board of Super-
visors held a forum with fire
chiefs and concerned citizens
last Tuesday.
"We need you to solve this
problem," Charles Plopper,
speaking on behalf of the
former grand jury, told the
board.
The objective is to make
sure all 20,007 Plumas County
residents fall under the pro-
tection of a fire district. More
than 4,000 residents do not.
The board voiced its com-
mitment to solve the problem
as soon as possible and
agreed to put the issue on the
agenda, possibly before the
end May.
"I'll keep putting this on
the agenda for the next two
years if that's what it takes to
get this done," Supervisor
Lori Simpson said.
Some grand jury proposals
discussed during the stand-
ing-room-only meeting in-
cluded:
• Formation of new dis-
tricts.
• Annexation to existing
districts.
• Expansion of responsibili-
ties of existing community
service districts to include
fire protection.
• Contracting with CalFire
in adjacent counties for local
service.
A proposal that generated
the most discussion was the
idea of instituting a county
fire warden to oversee
expanded fire districts.
"The concept is existing
fire districts would be re-
sponsible for providing fire
service for those unprotected
• areas of the county," said
Larry Walker, president of
the Plumas County Special
Districts Association. "It
would be done by increasing
spheres of influence, redevel-
oping spheres of influence
and taking in all those unpro-
tected areas into an existing
district."
See Fire, page 5A
I00'eekend fun
65 years and counting.
Chief Jim Hamblin of the Indian Valley Fire Department checks under the hood of the 1937 Ford that the department uses for
parades. It sits out of the weather in Bob Murray's carport, where Hamblin keeps it shiny and ready for community events.
Read more about Hamblin's 65-year career -- a milestone that makes him one of the longest serving volunteer firefighters in
the nation -- on page 6B. Photo by Tom Forster
Little League ,and Easter ey00ds
The Nationals T-ball team
members wiggle while they
wait for their turn to line up
for the opening ceremony,
which includes recitation of
the Little League Pledge. Their
coaches are Alicia Carmichael
and helper Destiny Lyman.
Ashlyn Heard scores a
basketful of eggs on her way
to the opening day of the
2011 Greenville Little Leag0e
season. She had plenty of
eggs to share with the other
kids when she got there.
There were more than 600
eggs gathered from friends of
the Indian Valley Chamber of
Commerce hidden around the
elementary school.
For more photos,
see page 4A.
Photos
by
Alicia Knadler
00ccident injures family
Dan McDonald
Staff Writer
dmcd°nald@plumasnews'c°m
Two people are hospital-
ized with critical injuries and
four others suffered minor in-
juries after a single-vehicle
accident involving six family
members from Taylorsville
Sunday evening, April 24.
To subscribe to the Record,
call 530-283-0800
Sesha Putnam, 30, and Mia
Harris, 10, were life-flighted
to Renown hospital in Reno.
Their official condition is
unknown.
According to a family
member, Putnam suffered a
broken back and was being
prepared for surgery Monday
morning.
I'rris underwent surgery
On her leg Sunday night,
according to the family
member.
Four other family members
in the vehicle -- Paul Harris
Jr., Dominique Potts, Darian
Potts and Andrew Putnam --
sustained minor injuries, ac-
cording to the family member
and the California Highway
Patrol.
The CHP reported the acci-
'dent happened on Highway
89 near Forgay Road on a
stretch of road known as the
Crescent Grade about 7:50
p.m. The driver of the 2001
Chevy Tahoe lost control of
the vehicle while traveling
south at approximately 50
mph.
The report stated that the
driver "jerked the steering
while to the right to scare the
passengers."
The driver lost control and
the Tahoe veered off the
edge of the road and began to
fishtail.
The driver then "over-
corrected" and the vehicle
See Accident, page 5A
Districts push for taxes
Dan McDonald
Staff Writer
drncdonald@plumasnews.com
The special districts in
Plumas County want to insti-
tute a 7 percent property tax
exchange with the county to
help fund the services they
provide county residents.
Larry Walker, president of
the Plumas County Special
Districts Association, asked
the Board of Supervisors to
endorse such a resolution at
its April 19 meeting.
The board agreed to return
the item to its agenda as soon
as possible, likely by the end
of May.
"I think there's an opportu-
nity here to get everybody
pulling in the same direction
and really accomplish some
things for Plumas County,"
Walker said.
The master tax-sharing
plan would give a district 7
percent of the total property
tax increment for any annex-
ation by any special district
in the county.
The tax exchange would
help the special districts pay
for providing fire protection,
emergency medical services
and other vital services.
Walker said the other vital
services include water, sewer
"and any other service
provided by districts that is
considered a vital service."
"People say, 'Yeah, I want a
fire truck,' but they also say
they want their toilet to
flush," Walker added.
He said the plan would give
the districts incentive to
annex properties that are not
in a district, which need
those services.
Former supervisor Don
Clark, who spoke on behalf of
the special districts, said he
realizes the county is facing
difficult financial times. He
said that is why the plan
doesn't suggest tapping into
the base revenue.
"For now we are talking
about increment, which is
new revenue for (the county)
and new revenue for the
districts," Clark said. "And if
See Districts, page 5A