I am taking this week to highlight one of my newly founded “favorite people ever” Casey Lee.

Casey grew up in Susanville, so I am sure, many of you already know him, and I’m sure if you know him, you probably also adore him. I, however, met him through Lassen College Baseball.

To this day, I’m not actually quite certain how Frankie even knows him (Casey very bravely and honorably served in our military for over 8 years.) He recently returned from active duty, back to Susanville. Somehow or another through the community that is baseball, I’m sure Frankie heard Casey was very talented and somehow conned him into volunteering to coach with him.

All I know is that I started seeing this fella in the dugout, with his iconic grin (like he is about to do something he shouldn’t) from ear to ear. I just remember instantly liking him, and thinking he was a really good fit for the team.

He is old enough that he is not the player’s peer, but young enough where he is still very much a role model for them, and “cool enough” they will listen to him.

My husband gives speeches upon speeches to the team; however, Frankie repeatedly will say that Coach Casey provides some of the best motivational speeches. After all, Casey has had a LOT of life experience in a very short time.

Casey is always in a good mood, and never complains. I fell in love with him, watching how he is with my middle child. Pearl is a strong-willed firecracker, and boy does she love her some “Coach Casey”. He is never too busy or too “cool” to play with her, and he is perhaps one of three people in the world that she will listen to.

You can just tell through their interactions the type of person that he is. He is kind, and sweet. I have also had the pleasure of having numerous conversations with him and he is incredibly funny. Like, no wonder Frankie loves having him around. (To be fair, all the coaches crack me up, but Coach Casey is hilarious.)

When Casey is not volunteering with the college, he works full time as a bartender and is on his way to completing his schooling to be a teacher, another occupation that I think he is very well suited for. I have watched him teach/instruct and he has a very innate ability that is hard to describe.

Casey is the epitome of a doting boyfriend, hence why I got to meet another gem of a human, his girlfriend, Nicomi. (The way he talks about her, melts my heart.)

He is a caring son, and brother, oh and don’t let the man fool you, not only is he incredibly athletic, but he is also incredibly artistic. Those awesome LCC baseball pictures showing up on Facebook – they are captured by Casey himself.

He is a great new addition to my life, and I am sad that I had to wait ten years of living here before I got to meet him. He is proof that we have a huge pool of fantastic people, which compile a multitude of reasons why I love where we live.

Lassen Community College issued a brief statement Monday, hoping to clarify the details of the college’s relationship with the Marina and campground operation at the south shore of Eagle Lake.

“Lassen Community College has been made aware of some erroneous information that has recently been released to the public with regard to the operational activities for the Eagle Lake Campground and Marina,” explains Julie Johnston, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent/President, who also said that Lassen College is not responsible for these operations.

“The Lassen College Foundation holds the permit for the facilities at Eagle Lake and have subleased the facilities to Lassen Cougar Enterprises. Neither of these entities are under the purview of Lassen Community College. The Lassen College Foundation is an independently operated auxiliary organization.”

“Lassen Community College has no authority and will not be taking over operations of the Eagle Lake Marina and Campgrounds. Please bear with us as we try to sort out the intricacies of this situation as quickly as possible.”

The LCC Board will meet in special session tonight, April 27th at 7:15 in the boardroom at the college. The agenda includes a vote to decide the disposition of the Lassen College Foundation and Cougar Enterprises. ​Here is a link to the agenda.

April is sexual assault awareness month, and Denim Day, April 27th, is noted by an international campaign to raise awareness and support survivors of sexual assault. Today, community members, elected officials, businesses and students all take a stand by wearing denim as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.

Millions of people across the world will wear jeans today to support survivors and to educate themselves and others.

Why denim? In Italy in the 1990’s, a young woman was raped by her driving instructor. The assailant was convicted and sentenced to jail, but on appeal the Italian Supreme Court dismissed all charges on the grounds that “because the victim wore very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them… and by removing the jeans… it was no longer rape but consensual sex.”

Women of the Italian Legislature protested the decision by wearing jeans to work. As news of the decision spread, so did the protest. In April 1999, a social service agency in Los Angeles established the first Denim Day in the United States.

Locally, Lassen Family Services is asking community members to post pictures of themselves wearing denim accompanied by the hashtag #lfsdenimday to be entered to win a prize.

For more information call 1.530.257.4599.

In recent takeback events Americans turned in nearly 469 tons (more than 937,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 17 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 11.8 million pounds – approximately 5,900 tons – of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 30th Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com.

Directors of the Susanville Memorial Park board at their last regular meeting allocated $1,000 from the general fund for maintenance of the ball park until the next fiscal year. In the next budget $2,500 will be allotted to the ball park in a special fund.

Chairman Don Cady instructed City Engineer Glen Thompson to select a site for a temporary tennis court and to proceed with construction.

At the next meeting action will be taken on the proposed well and pump irrigation system for the park. Unanimous approval was given to a Request for the purchase of more trees be expended for the park.

Members present at the meeting were Don Cady, Mrs. J. W. Crever, Glen Thompson, Prentice Holmes, Asher Hoffman and George A. Farris.