Dixie Fire Community News
The month of May is off to a strong start with a lot happening in and around Indian Valley. To help you navigate all of the events this month and beyond, we have created a new feature, the Dixie Fire Community News. Our hope is that this new email newsletter format will be able to provide you with more information and a better reading experience. If you have any questions about this newsletter please email DFC Digital Outreach Coordinator, Brooke Rahn, at brahndfc@gmail.com.
And now, on with the news!
Greenville Rising
Local journalist Meg Upton has written a heart felt piece on her experience of seeing lots being cleared in Greenville. As wonderful as it is to see progress being made in town, her story is a reminder of the trauma fire victims will carry for a long time. You can read her story here:
Speaking of Plumas News, the hard working staff keeping our local news alive deserve a round of thanks and gratitude. đź‘Ź Throughout the Dixie Fire and in the aftermath, they have been tirelessly working to bring vital information to the community. A visit to Plumas News online is always a good idea if you are looking for the latest happenings and local news. This week's online publication features stories about the effort to save Greenville's historic Main Street, as well as a celebration of Greenville's own, John Banks, as the state Rotarian of the Year. Well deserved, John! Check out these stories and more:
Plumas Wildfire Recovery Newsletter
There are also a lot of great things happening in the world of fire recovery. Plumas County has started publication of a bi-monthly newsletter with information for fire recovery and the status of debris removal. They have also redesigned their website to further assist people with the rebuilding and recovery process.
For a better viewing experience, you can also read this newsletter on the DFC website at:
Visit the newly updated Plumas Wildfire Recovery page to read more:
Crisis Counseling Program
Plumas Rural Services has hired Jake Fender, who is with Cal Hope, to provide emotional counseling for fire victims. Trauma is still a major issue for many survivors, so we’re excited to add Jake to the recovery team. Anyone affected by the fire will qualify for Jake’s services whether or not they have a case manager. Read more about the counseling program below:
Crisis Counseling Program is Available for Dixie Fire Survivors
Plumas County welcomes Jake Fender with North Valley Catholic Social Services (NVCSS) and his team of Crisis Counselors who will be in our community to support Dixie Fire survivors with mental health services. California Hope is the NVCSS-administered, state managed and federally funded program to provide emotional and material support for the recovery of Dixie Fire survivors. The NVCSS Cal Hope program began in 2018 in response to the Carr and Camp Fires, and over the last four years the program has served fire survivors in all six counties NVCSS serves – Butte, Glenn, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity for nearly a dozen wildfires since our programs first started. Cal Hope teams will work in the community to provide and support community outreach, emotional support, public education and resource and service referrals for fire survivors at every stage of recovery. Workers are trained to be trauma informed and solution focused to motivate and support survivors working to rebuild their lives. Outreach workers will work closely with the Disaster Case Management Programs of NVCSS and St. Vincent DePaul, the Dixie Fire Collaborative and their Emotional & Spiritual Wellbeing Committee, in addition to supporting community partners, public and private, to further the recovery goals of individuals, families, and the communities affected by the Dixie Fire. The public will have the opportunity to meet Jake and his team at the monthly Dixie Fire Collaborative community meetings, and many community events going forward. Cal Hope will initially focus on support for those experiencing anxiety around the upcoming anniversary and other common triggers for emotional distress as we roll into fire season. Counselors will also be available to provide presentations to community groups on disaster reactions, coping skills, stress management, and determine and provide appropriate service referrals and program information for families and individuals. They can also help assess people who require traditional mental health or substance abuse treatment, and make referrals to those agencies and programs. NVCSS is currently reviewing applications for crisis outreach workers to support fire survivors across the footprint of the Dixie Fire, and they hope to be fully staffed by the end of May. The federal grant for Cal Hope provides funding for the program from May-October 2022, with the possibility of a three month extension. Please feel free to send questions and client referrals to Jake directly at jfender@nvcss.org, or (530) 864-8856.
Greenville Pop Up Business District
Regarding the Pop Up Business District, Rachael Goings’ Valley Grind coffee trailer and Samantha Prior’s Crush-a-Bowl food trailer are planning to open within the next eight days. Other businesses are waiting anxiously to have the rest of the Pop Up property returned so they can open. This is going to be an exciting and much needed addition to Greenville!
Indian Valley Innovation Hub
Last Saturday, April 30, the Indian Valley Innovation Hub, led by John Steffanic, met with interested residents at Greenville Elementary School. The goal of the Hub is to support businesses in making, raising, or growing products to export out of Plumas County. The Hub will now form a board of directors and a review team and invite people to present their ideas to the review team. The Hub will help them flesh out those ideas and support innovators with legal, developmental, marketing and distribution help. Contact Kest Porter at kestporter@gmail.com with ideas or questions.
Internet in Indian Valley
We all want fiber optic cable in Indian Valley, and we hope it will happen next fall. Meanwhile, an Internet trailer provided to disaster areas free by the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center and T-Mobile has arrived in Greenville and is being prepared for operation to improve Internet in the downtown area. Even better, they are planning network improvements that will offer significant benefits and opportunities for the entire community by increasing data speed and throughput. It is hoped that it will satisfy Plumas Banks’ Internet needs for a local ATM.
Sprinkler Requirement
Finally, we discovered that there is a way to provide a Title 25 ordinance to waive the sprinkler requirement for qualifying new buildings. We are requesting that the County pursue this issue and will update the community as we learn more.
Greenville Library
Looking for a quiet place to read, study, or write? The Greenville Library is open and provides not only books for all, but a quiet space to enjoy them. Support your local library and keep these services going in Indian Valley. Summer is a great time to encourage your kids to read!
Music on the Green
Fun times are to be had on May 15th at Greenville High School from 2 - 5 pm!
Riley's Jerky
In rebuilding news, Riley's Jerky is making a lot of progress on their new facility. The best place to follow their rebuilding progress is on their Facebook page:
J&C Enterprises Sawmill
Exciting day for Indian Valley! The Sierra Institute is hosting a sawmill ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration that is open to the public on Wednesday, May 18, from 1-4 pm. You can read more about the sawmill project, the ceremony, and more at:
May is Wildfire Prevention Month!
Join others in your community for two important wildfire prevention events taking place May 13th at Feather River College and May 14th at the Plumas County Fairgrounds. Both events are free.
You must pre-register for the May 13th event at FRC to order a complimentary lunch, confirm your seat (space is limited to 60 participants), and be eligible for door prizes! For the agenda and to register visit:
Still Swimming!
Before we go, I wanted to report on some happy news regarding Plumas County wildlife. Indian Valley locals, Tom and Maggie Rahn, hiked out to one of their favorite spots outside Greenville to check on a unique population of native trout. To their delight, the trout seemed to have survived the impacts of the Dixie Fire quite well. They spotted several nice sized trout in the waters of the creek as it continued to flow through the charred landscape. Can you spot the happy trout below? If you have pictures of local wildlife making a comeback, please send them to brahndfc@gmail.com so we can feature them in our next newsletter.
DFC Community Meeting
Don't forget to mark your calendars for the next Dixie Fire Collaborative community meeting on May 21st from 11 am to 1 pm in the Greenville Elementary cafeteria. Look for more information about this meeting in our next newsletter.
We hope you enjoyed this first edition of the Dixie Fire Community News! We are always looking for stories of rebuilding, community events, and other news to feature in our newsletter. Reach out to Brooke at brahndfc@gmail.com if you have something you'd like to share. Until next time, stay strong and support each other. 🤝
