Rough and Ready Fire Station Fully Staffed

Starting July 1st, Station #59 will be jointly staffed full-time by Penn Valley and Nevada County Consolidated with two firefighters daily.

Penn Valley Fire Protection District Chief Don Wagner and Nevada County Consolidated Fire District Chief Jason Robitaille, whose districts surround the Rough & Ready District, have partnered to ensure the Rough & Ready Station #59 remains open to serve area residents. However, the cost to operate a 24/7 fire station exceeds $1 million annually and, with Rough & Ready’s revenues under $500,000, the chiefs requested County assistance in closing the gap.

In February of this year, the Rough & Ready Fire Protection District (RRFPD) faced a turning point due to its increasingly dire financial situation. The parcel assessment for the Rough and Ready Fire Department—just under $500,000 a year—is enough to run the building, the equipment, and the firefighting. It is not enough to pay the salaries for the station’s four full-time firefighters. READ MORE

Phase-Out of Traditional Wireline Service

Over the next six to seven years, AT&T will be discontinuing their traditional wireline phone service. This service is provided via an outdated copper-based network that is difficult to maintain and cannot simultaneously deliver high-speed internet, the way a more modern IP-enabled network can. By transitioning away from the underutilized landline phone network, AT&T can invest more resources in high-speed broadband infrastructure to expand access and adoption.

AT&T has asked the County to help them identify and connect with any of their traditional wireline phone customers who have no other voice service alternatives (including mobile phone service). They understand the public safety hazard of having no phone service and want to maintain service for households in that situation. If that describes your household, please send an email to [email protected]. In your email, please provide us with your street address and your landline phone number and information about your lack of other voice service options.

Burn Ban in the South Yuba River Corridor

The South Yuba River Corridor Burn Ban took effect for the 2023 fire season beginning at 8:00 am on Monday, June 26, 2023. Annually, the ban begins when CAL FIRE declares fire restrictions and prohibits burning on private property within the lower 39-mile stretch of the South Yuba River from Lang’s Crossing to the confluence with Kentucky Creek below Bridgeport in Nevada County. 

The purpose of the burn ban is to mitigate severe high-fire risk from human-caused fires. The river corridor contains thick dry brush and flammable vegetation along steep slopes as well as limited and restricted access. The topography and the potential for high wind make it very difficult to fight fires in this area. READ MORE

Free Loaner Life Jackets at the River

There are free loaner life jackets, in a range of sizes, available to river visitors at the 49 Crossing and Hoyt's Crossing on the South Yuba River. Please return the life jackets at the end of your visit so other visitors can take advantage of them. And if you see a stray life jacket lying on the river bank, please help out by returning it to the loaner station. Teamwork!

Ice Cream Social Tuesdays at the Penn Valley Library

The Penn Valley Library currently offers special extended hours from 11am to 6pm on Tuesdays during our Summer Learning Program. Every Tuesday this summer, stop by for free ice cream for all ages! Extended summer hours run through Tuesday, August 8th.

New Budget for Nevada County in 2023/2024

At our June 27, 2023 meeting, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the County budget for fiscal year 2023/2024. Nevada County’s $367.8M budget represents the County’s mission in action, reflecting community priorities and services essential to residents’ health and safety.

“Fiscal stability has remained our top priority while I’ve served on the Board of Supervisors over the last 15 years,” said Board Chair Ed Scofield. “This has allowed us to make great progress on what matters to the community most, from wildfire to economic development and broadband. I have tremendous pride in the accomplishments of our County team and feel confident in saying we are one of the best rural counties in the State of California.” READ MORE

Free Summer Youth Bus Passes

Nevada County Connects offers a Summer Youth Bus Pass for kids ages 6 -17 with proof of age. The Pass provides unlimited rides on all Nevada County Connects fixed routes, including Route 5 to Auburn, Route 6 to Penn Valley – Lake Wildwood, and Route 7 serving the South Yuba River and North San Juan.

The Summer Youth Pass sells for just $25.00, a savings of $42.50 over the regular pass pricing, and is good from June 1 – August 31, 2023. 

Passes may be purchased at the Nevada County Transit Services office located at 12350 La Barr Meadows Rd., Grass Valley (the Nevada County Operations Center) between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM Monday – Friday.

To find bus schedules and routes and learn more about Nevada County Connects, visit www.nevadacountyconnects.com.

Nevada County Fair

The Nevada County Fair has five days of excitement and fun planned for fairgoers of all ages. Buy tickets online today for advance gate admission, country singer Tyler Rich, and all arena events!

Fair entries are open now - click here for more information, links to the Competition Handbook, and to enter. Entries close on July 24 at 4 p.m.

Injured Veterans Golf Tournament

For the tenth year in a row, the military veterans of Lake Wildwood will partner with Welcome Home Vets to sponsor the Lake Wildwood Injured Veterans Golf Tournament on July 26th. The tournament was created to provide financial support for disabled veterans who have suffered wartime injuries. 

The Wildwood Vets are an all-volunteer veterans’ group, which focuses on providing returning vets with life enhancements for their enjoyment and needs. This group has helped past recipients pursue their goals of higher education, accomplish work tasks by providing modified farming equipment. They’ve also furnished recreational vehicles altered to accommodate physical injuries sustained in combat. 

Funded by generous donations and the monies raised by the golf tournament, many individuals have also received counseling and life-enhancing assistance in pursuit of a productive life after serving their country.

Over the past several years, nearly $400,000 has been distributed to these deserving wounded warriors to achieve these goals. 

When: July 26, 2023 at Lake Wildwood Golf Course.  

Register at: https://www.ivgt.us Team Registration is encouraged. Singles will be paired with others.  

Cost: $135 per player and includes green fees, golf cart, refreshments, lunch and dinner

For more information on sponsorships or contributing call Dan Pray @ 530-300-6565 or Brad Crumpley @ 530-548-6902.

Summer Learning: Find Your Voice

Our voices have power. We use our voices to share stories, express ourselves, and spark change. Our voices include not only the sounds we make, but the words we write, the art we create, the movements we perform, and the actions we take each day to impact our world. With this year’s Summer Learning theme, Find Your Voice!, the library encourages participants to embrace reading and find inspiration for self-expression. 

This year’s Find Your Voice! Summer Learning program will include events and workshops at all Nevada County Library locations. From Wild Things’ amazing and inspiring animal rescue program, to fun hula hoop workshops by Shyhoopz, the library has got you covered with free and family-friendly activities! Other highlights include Musical Mondays with InConcert Sierra, instrument petting zoos with Music in the Mountains, the Smoothie Bike from Nevada County Public Health, poetry workshops with Nevada County Poet Laureate, Kirsten Casey, and farm fresh food tastings with Sierra Harvest! 

For a complete calendar of events and full program details visit nevadacountyca.gov/summerlearning.  

Upcoming meetings of the Board of Supervisors (BOS): 

• July 25, August 8, and August 22 (in Truckee)
• BOS agendas posted here 72 hours prior to the meeting date.

Food bank, Thursdays 9:30 to 11:30 am, Penn Valley Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Penn Valley Library events: 

• Lunch at the Library, every weekday (except for June 22, July 4, and July 27), 12-1 pm
• Story Time, every Tuesday at 10:30 am
• LEGO Club, every Wednesday at 3 pm
• Penn Valley Page Turners Book Club Meeting, August 3 at 1 pm
• Sierra Harvest Farm-to-Table Tasting, August 6 at 11 am
• Ukulele Strum Along with Troubadour Terry, August 10 at 2 pm

• Free skateboard camp, hosted by Nevada County Probation, every Monday and Wednesday, 2-4:30 pm through August 2, Seven Hills School
• National Night Out, August 1, 6-7:30 pm at Memorial Park in Grass Valley
• Kids Color Run
• Live music, food, games, snow cones, police and fire exhibits, animal adoptions
• Nevada County Fair, August 9-13
• Penn Valley Community Rodeo’s Summer Fun Gymkhana Series, Aug. 19, Sept. 16, and Oct. 21
• 60s Dance Party Fundraiser for the Penn Valley Community Foundation, Sept. 16 at Western Gateway Park
• Live music, cars, food trucks, silent auction, dessert auction and more 
• Draft Horse Classic, Sept. 21-24

Sunday Brunch at the North San Juan Community Center: 

• Come join us every Sunday from 11-2pm, rain or shine, for a fabulous brunch featuring the delicious creations of local Chefs John Finnegan, Garth Melendez, and Evan Gibbons. We have lots of indoor seating and plenty of parking. When weather permits, you can enjoy our outdoor seating area and check out the vendor offerings at our outdoor Swap Meet! 
• Menu items range in cost from $10 to $18. Veterans and members of the Fire Department get 2.00 off meals. There is also a reduced cost children’s menu for those 12 & under.
• On clear weather days, we also host an outdoor swap meet from 9am to 4pm featuring local artisans and vendors. Vendors interested in reserving a 10’x10’ booth space can contact the NSJ Community Center at [email protected] or (530) 522-8205. 
• All proceeds from the swap meet and brunch support the warming shelter and other community programs hosted by the NSJ Community Center.

North San Juan Ridge Health & Happiness Clinics: 

• Every Tuesday, 6-7 pm, NSJ Community Center, 29190 State Highway 49 North San Juan, CA 95960.  
• Hosted by the Yuba Harm Reduction Collective (YHRC), this clinic offers free training and supplies on the use of Narcan (an overdose reversal medication) and fentanyl testing strips. We also offer other harm reduction supplies, overdose prevention techniques, access to treatment for those who are interested, and a needle exchange program. Can't make it to the clinic? Text or call the warmline at 530-362-8163 for anonymous delivery or pickup.
• Representatives from StreetCARE, a provider of peer support services, and Community Beyond Violence (cbv.org) will also be available to provide support and services as needed.

2nd Tuesday of each month, 10 am - noon, NSJ Library Annex (behind the drive-thru food bank): 

• Hosted by Nevada County Behavioral Health, this clinic offers free training and supplies on the use of Narcan and fentanyl testing strips, as well as other harm reduction supplies, overdose prevention techniques, and access to treatment for those who are interested. Nevada County Social Services is also on hand at this clinic to offer Medi-Cal and food stamp sign-ups and renewals. Feel free to drop in after cruising through the food bank - no appointment needed!

Both services above coordinated by the North San Juan Ridge Community Coalition. Email them at [email protected] or call 530-303-6610.