Tag Archives: California

California Wildfires 2012

September 14, 2012 jd

httpv://youtu.be/asA_MGOQK24

No Time To Burn

This video shows breathtaking images of several of this year’s wildfires, including point-of-view aerial footage from specially-equipped California National Guard Blackhawk helicopters dropping hundreds of gallons of water on flames. It also takes viewers along with Cal EMA Secretary Mark Ghilarducci, California National Guard General David Baldwin and CAL FIRE Director Ken Pimlott as they visit a special “helitack base” near the massive Ponderosa Fire in Tehama County. There’s also footage from a strategy session with federal and state coordinators at a regional emergency operations center in Redding, Calif. Officials also included an interview with two residents of Manton, California who were evacuated from their homes, expressing the grim reality of destruction caused by the Ponderosa Fire.
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Government, Nevada County Information

Resources for Current Fire Information

September 13, 2012 jd

Resources For Current Fire Information

CAL FIRE Recorded Information Line For Nevada County, Yuba County and Placer County 530-823-4083

North San Juan Recorded Emergency Service Information 530-470-9713

Yubanet’s Fire Information Page Click here

CAL Fire’s Incident Information online Click here

InciWeb Incident Information System Click here

National Interagency Coordination Center Click here

Wildlandfire.com – A blog and information site updated by dispatchers and fire fighters on scene. Click here

Listen to KNCO live at 830am or on their website Click here
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Real Estate

Pending Home Sales in California Decline

July 31, 2012 jd

The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported this week that contracts signed for previously owned homes in California took a dip in June. The decline in pending sales can be attributed to a lack of housing inventory.

C.A.R.’s Pending Home Sales Index declined 3.8 percent in June compared with May but posted a 4.7 percent increase compared with a year earlier.
Pending home sales are an early indicator of where sales are headed. Sales often close six to eight weeks after contracts are signed so a decline in June could mean weakness when July and August sales statistics are reported.
C.A.R.’s report also showed a decline in the number of foreclosed homes selling. Last month, foreclosed homes accounted for 20.2 percent of all pending sales, a decline of 22.6 percent from May and 29.2 percent in June 2011.
The share of equity sales – or non-distressed property sales – rose to 58 percent in June, up from a revised 56 percent in May. Equity sales made up 50.5 percent of all sales in June 2011.
The share of short sales edged up in June to 21.4 percent, up from 21.1 percent in May and from 20 percent a year ago.
The available supply of REOs for sale tightened slightly in June, with the Unsold Inventory Index declining from a 1.5-month supply in May 2012 to 1.4 months in June 2012. The June Unsold Inventory Index for equity sales stood at 3.7 months and was 5.3 months for short sales.

Read the full story
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History, History of Nevada County

The History of Nevada County

June 26, 2012 jd

By Judy J. Pinegar

The earliest settlement in Nevada County was made in the summer of 1848 at a place called Rose’s Corral which was located between the Anthony House and Bridgeport. Early in the spring of 1849 a group of mountaineers from Oregon known as the Greenwood Company mined for gold at Illinois Bar on the South Yuba River. They were followed by emigrants from Indiana. In the fall of 1849, the Greenwood Company made winter camp at Jefferson, and the Indiana group moved further upstream to Washington. In that same autumn that Captain John Pennington’s party struck rich diggings on Deer Creek and built the first cabin on Gold Run, the site that was to become Nevada City.

Originally a mining camp founded along Deer Creek in 1849, Nevada City rapidly became the largest and wealthiest mining town in California. At one point, Nevada City was the third largest city in California with a population of 10,000. Nevada City’s good fortune allowed miners and settlers to enjoy plush gambling establishments, hotels, saloons, and stores. However, like many big cities that sprang up quickly during the rush for instant wealth, early Nevada City shared a darker side of claim jumping, murder, brothels and opium dens.

By the 1850’s Nevada City’s wealth began to wane, and as miners moved on in search of new claims and stories of gold and riches, a quiet and quaint city emerged. Two fires in 1856 and 1863 raced through Nevada City almost completely wiping out the town. The beautiful architecture that stands today is testament to the will of the people of Nevada City who rebuilt the town completely not once, but twice.

Hydraulic mining, Nevada County, CA, 1866 Photo courtesy of http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com

Nevada County was created in 1851 from parts of Yuba County because of the increase in population in the area and the distance to travel to courts which made it necessary to create a new county. The county was named after the mining town of Nevada City, a name derived from the term “Sierra Nevada.” The word nevada in Spanish means “snowy” or “snow-covered.” Nevada City has carried many monikers through its history; Caldwell’s Upper Store, Coyoteville, and Deer Creek Dry Diggings, but Nevada was chosen in the 1850s to give the town a cultured name.

English: Nevada City, CA, USA — Nevada City, CA, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1851 the newly formed Nevada County copied the name. The State of Nevada used the name 10 years later in 1861. The region came to life in the gold rush of 1849. Many historical sites remain to mark the birth of this important region in California’s formative years. Among them are the Nevada Theater in Nevada City, which operates to this day and once hosted Mark Twain among other historical figures. The gold industry in Nevada County thrived into the post WWII days.

The county had many firsts and historic technological moments. The first long-distance telephone in the world, built in 1877 by the Ridge Telephone Company, connected French Corral with French Lake, 58 miles (93 km) away. It was operated by the Milton Mining Company from a building on this site that had been erected about 1853. The Pelton wheel, designed to power gold mines, still drives hydro-electric generators today. Nevada City and Grass Valley were among the first California towns with electric lights.

World’s First Long-Distance Telephone Line in French Corral, California — Commemorating World’s First Long-Distance Telephone Line. Monument located in French Corral, California. Picture courtesy of http://www.noehill.com

The Olympics, NASA, and virtually every television station around the country utilizes video/broadcasting equipment designed and manufactured by Grass Valley Group, founded in Grass Valley. Electronic medical dosing equipment was first developed and manufactured in Nevada County. The first commercially viable picture-phone was developed in Nevada City. More than fifty high tech and applied tech companies, and more than one thousand hardware and software design and development professionals.

Judy J. Pinegar is a writer and her articles have appeared in many publications.

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Uncategorized

Kickstarter Campaign: The Art Docent Program Goes Digital

May 16, 2012 jd

The Art Docent Program has a great history with Nevada County Schools… Since the program was founded twenty-five years ago, eighteen of our schools have adopted the program. Thousands of Nevada County kids have enjoyed it, and refrigerators of proud parents throughout the county have been decorated with their brilliant art.

Today, The Art Docent Program™ of Gold River, CA is launching a campaign on Kickstarter.com, the revolutionary website for funding art, music, film and tech projects. The project is called “The Art Docent Program Goes Digital!”

View the Project on Kickstarter.com

The Art Docent Program provides a sequential, interactive education in art history and artistic skills for K-6 grade children, which can be taught by volunteers called “docents”, and are led by coordinator; the “head docent”. The program is available for schools, after-school and summer programs, or any occasion where creative kids can make art.

Once the children see great works by famous artists on subjects such as “Mothers & Children”, “Pets”, or “Musicians” in various styles and periods, they can try their own hand, with age-appropriate materials and guidance.

View the Art Docent Program website at ArtDocentProgram.com

Initially developed in 1984 by art educator and author Barbara Herberholz, the Art Docent Program has been periodically updated. It has a proven track record of over 25 years in hundreds of schools using binders of training materials, and posters of famous works of art.

But the art posters were large, came in over 50 portfolio cases, cost a small fortune, and over years they took a beating in the classroom. When Barbara’s daughters, Amy Scherschligt and Heidi Grasty took over managing the program, they began modernizing it. For the last year, a beta-version of the digital program has been enthusiastically adopted by thirteen schools in California, Utah and Washington.

California Wildfire Awareness Week

May 7, 2012 jd

httpv://youtu.be/7d-pm5FLa-k

With fire season coming up, California declared May 6-12, 2012 “Wildfire Awareness Week.” During the week, CAL FIRE urges homeowners to take the necessary steps to prepare their family and their homes from potential wildfires. Wildfire Awareness Week is designed to not only remind Californians of the dangers that wildfires pose, but also to educate them on how to prepare. This year’s theme is “Ready, Set, Go!” Being “Ready” for a wildfire starts by creating 100 feet of Defensible Space and hardening your home with fire-resistant building materials and being prepared. “Set” is getting set as the fire approaches. “Go” is leaving early to avoid being caught in the fire, smoke or road congestion.

Where there’s smoke there’s fire!(pieforensic.com)
Oklahoma City Fire Department offers safety tips for wildfire season(newsok.com)
What to do Before, During, and After a Wildfire / Colorado Wildfire / Residents Return(jansurvivalgear.wordpress.com)

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Nevada County Information

Wineries of Nevada County – Sierra Vintners

May 4, 2012 jd

Old Vine cabernet from Chateau Montelena, (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sierra Vintners is located in Nevada County, California between Sacramento and Reno/Lake Tahoe with easy access • off I-80.

Sierra Vintners wineries and tasting rooms are located throughout the Sierra Foothills and within the towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City, California.
Sierra Vintners is part of the Sierra Foothills American Viticultural Area (AVA), which was established in 1987 on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada: Roughly 160 miles long, stretching from Yuba County in the north to Mariposa County in the south.
Wine grapes were first planted here during the California Gold Rush, but like in so many California regions rich in wine history, serious wine making reemerged and flourished only within the past thirty years.
Sierra Vintners is a region of contrasts with dense forests, snow-capped mountains, golden valleys, and spectacular rolling vistas.
Like much of Northern California, the area has a classic Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and rainy winters that often include snow in higher elevations.
The characteristic cold winters are in fact quite conducive, allowing vines to go dormant, to rest and conserve energy for the coming season.
In the summer, the warm days and cool nights provide ideal growing conditions—producing grapes with ripe, concentrated flavors and balanced natural acidity—resulting in wines of distinction.
Vineyards are planted at elevations as low as 1,300 feet all the way up to 2,600. The region boasts over 60 miles of terrain between vineyards and as a result, the grapes display a diverse array of varietal characteristics.
Sierra Vintners produces an unusually wide variety of vines, boasting over 45 planted varietals. •

Nevada County’s four distinct seasons, and its range of elevations and landscapes, makes it a fertile home for more • than forty varieties of wine grapes, ranging from Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon to Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Sangiovese and Tempranillo.

PO Box 1552 • GrassValley, CA 95945 • 530.205.3016 • www.sierravintners.com

Nevada County History, California(nevadacounty.com)
‘Earthday 2012’ Wines: 0 Tasted of 14(grapes2u.blogspot.com)

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Real Estate

Bidding Wars Are Back

May 1, 2012 jd

Picture courtesy of Arlington Real Estate Scoop

Home buyers are unexpectedly finding more competition this spring in landing their dream home. Bidding wars are increasingly being reported in markets across the country, from California to Florida, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“It’s a little surprising because we thought bidding wars were done with,” Andy Aley, a home shopper in Seattle, told The Wall Street Journal. Aley says he was outbid on a home earlier this year, even though he offered to pay $23,000 above the listing price and also waive inspections and other closing conditions.

Home buyers are frustrated and caught off-guard about the bidding wars re-emerging, real estate professionals report.

“We’re writing a record number of offers, but we’re not seeing a record number of closings and that’s because it’s so competitive,” Glenn Kelman, chief executive of Redfin Corp., told The Wall Street Journal.

Why are things getting so competitive? Many housing markets are seeing a drastic decrease in the number of homes listed for-sale, leaving home buyers with fewer options and more bidding on the same house. Housing analysts say the shortage in supply is from sellers unwilling to take much less for their home than what they originally paid for it and pulling their homes off the market. Also, a surge in investors has made the market more competitive, as investors snatch up homes in bulk in all-cash deals.

“The bidding wars caused by tight inventory provide the latest evidence that housing demand is starting to pick up after a six-year-long slump,” The Wall Street Journal reports.

Indeed, the National Association of REALOTRS® reported late last week that pending home sales in March reached their highest level in nearly two years and are up 12.8 percent from a year ago.

Source: “Stunned Home Buyers Find the Bidding Wars Are Back,” The Wall Street Journal (April 27, 2012)

WSJ: Stunned Home Buyers Find the Bidding Wars Are Back (woodonfire.wordpress.com)
Bidding Wars Reflect Housing Market’s Confused State (blogs.wsj.com)
Bidding Wars for Housing is Back (johnodellrealty.com)
Bidding War Catches Buyers Off Guard (maverickrealestate.wordpress.com)
Yet Another Housing Bear Turns Bull (szerlip.wordpress.com)

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Uncategorized

Landscaping With Firewise Plants in Western Nevada County

April 17, 2012 jd

Gaillardia 'Goblin' offers multicolored blooms for the fire safe border

Fire is a Fact of Life in the Sierra Nevada Foothills

California is home to some of the most scenic vistas in the world. The natural beauty and mild, Mediterranean climate [Sunset Magazine Zone 7, USDA Zone 8] have attracted millions to settle in the foothills. Living in Nevada County means learning to live with fire. That’s because our scenic vistas are fire-dependent. Fire cracks seed casings, allowing our native plants to thrive. And it clears out dead brush that can choke living plants and cut off food for wildlife.

Work with nature and choose plants that are climate and soil adapted. Incorporating fire safe concepts into the residential landscape is one of the most important ways you can help your home survive a wildfire. Creating an area of defensible space does not mean you need a ring of bare dirt around your home. Through proper planning, you can have both a beautiful landscape and a fire safe home.

Vegetation Arrangement

The general concept is that trees should be kept furthest from your home, shrubs and trees may be closer and bedding plants and lawns may be nearest to the structure. From a wildfire fuel perspective, vegetation is often described in terms of its vertical and horizontal arrangement. The vertical fuel continuity is also referred to as “ladder fuels.” Laddering arrangements of fuels enables fire to climb neighboring vegetation like a ladder. Reduce the chance of fire climbing into trees by removing the lower tree limbs from 6-10 feet from the ground (or the lower third of branches on smaller trees.)

Fire spreads on the ground from plant to plant and then onto your home. To reduce the chance of fire spreading horizontally, space or group plants in clumps for visual screening while providing enough space between plants to reduce the fire spreading. Individual spacing needs depends on the height and width of the plant, but generally a three times height for vertical separation is a good rule of thumb.

Vegetation Zones

The home defense zone is within 30 feet of the house. The reduced fuel zone lies beyond the home defense zone and extends out to 100 feet from the house or the property boundary. Greater defense zone widths are necessary when your home is sited on a steep slope or in a windswept exposure. The most intensive vegetation management lies within the home defense zone. Objectives for the home defense zone include:

Remove any combustible materials (such as needles, leaves, dead twigs, firewood, dry grasses, recycling, and building materials) from within 30 feet of the home, garage, outbuildings, and propane tanks.

Reduce the ladder effect between plants.

Replace any flammable plant species (such as juniper, cypress, or broom varieties) with fire wise plant selections.

Maintain high moisture content in the vegetation

Where to Plant

Avoid putting plants in the following locations to minimize the movement of fire from the vegetation to the home: immediately adjacent to the siding; underneath vents or eaves; tree limbs over the roof; and underneath or near the deck.

Mulching

Mulch conserves moisture, but also burns. Carefully choose the location of plants or garden beds that will need mulch. Mulches greater than 2 inches deep tend to smolder and are difficult to extinguish. Do not use wood or bark mulches within 3-5 feet of the house. Instead consider colored rock, pea gravel or other less flammable materials. Having a “hardscape” immediately adjacent to your home will help harden the structure from flying ember intrusion.

Maintenance

Maintenance is critical to fire safety. Over time, plants grow both vertically and horizontally, mulches dry out, leaves and needles accumulate within and around landscape vegetation. All of these fuels may help feed a fire. Remember to conduct annual cleanup of your established vegetation to ensure a fire safe condition during wildfire season.

Remember that no plant is completely resistant to fire. Plants with low fuel content can be the difference between safety and destruction. You will find that a fire safe landscape can increase your property value, provide wildlife habitat and conserve water while beautifying your home.

Download your Copy of the Firewise Plants for Western Nevada County Plant Guide complied by: Lynn Lorenson, Landscape Consultant & Master Gardner; Karen Callahan, CA Native Plant Society; and the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County.

Visit the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County’s Firewise Landscaping webpage for additional information.

Mulching Tips for Your Garden (proflowers.com)
Make the Most of Mulch (mgnv.org)
How To Use Newspapers To Kill Garden Weeds (edshort.wordpress.com)
Consider Wildlife When Creating A Firewise Landscape (nevadacounty.com)
Volunteer To Remove Scotch Broom In March 2012 (nevadacounty.com)
2012 Firewise Living Award Winners (yubanet.com)

For all your real estate needs:
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John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
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History of Nevada County

Rough & Ready, California

April 13, 2012 jd

Picture courtesy of the Rough and Ready Chamber of Commerce

By Judy J. Pinegar

The first established settlement in Rough and Ready was made in the fall of 1849 by a mining company from Wisconsin known as the Rough and Ready Company. Their leader, Captain A. A. Townsend, named the company after General Zachary Taylor (nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready”) who had recently been elected the 12th President of the United States. Captain Townsend had served under “Old Rough and Ready” during the U.S.-Mexican War.

Gold was easy pickings, and by the late 1840s, the population of the town of Rough and Ready had exploded to over 3,000. The town had plenty of uncontrolled lawlessness and a growing resentment of the government which had imposed a Mining Tax on all claims. On April 7th, 1850, a mass meeting was called to propose seceding from the Union.

The Great Republic of Rough and Ready was formed that day as a free and independent republic. The townspeople elected Col. E.F. Brundage as President, and Justice of the Peace Hans Q. Roberts as Secretary of State, who then signed a constitution similar to that of the United States.

The Republic of Rough and Ready lasted only three months as the world’s smallest nation. It came to a halt when preparing for a fourth of July celebration, it was realized as an independent country it had no reason to celebrate. A popular vote restored the new Republic to the United States followed by the most riotous Fourth celebration ever held anywhere. An alternate story for the reason Rough and Ready rejoined the union is that Nevada City refused to sell the “foreign” miners liquor!

In 1859, a devastating fire destroyed most of Rough and Ready as shown in the photo.

Picture courtesy of the Rough and Ready Chamber of Commerce

Rough and Ready is located west of Grass Valley, California, on State Route 20 at the junction of State Route 49, approximately 62 miles (100 km) from Sacramento. The post office at Rough and Ready was established in February 1851. Among the oldest buildings are the blacksmith shop (1850s), the Grange (1850’s), the Odd Fellows Hall (1854), and the Old Toll House. The population was 963 at the 2010 census.

The Rough and Ready Calendar of Events includes the following. It is a great place to visit on a weekend…come for a drive!

Weekly

Every Sunday

The Fruit Jar Pickers

10am to Noon at the Grange in downtown Rough and Ready

Monthly

Every 2nd Saturday

Breakfast at the Grange

8am to 10 am at the Grange Hall. Great food and entertainment for $5.00

Annually

Last Sunday in June

Secession Days in downtown Rough and Ready. 7am to 3pm.

Annually

Last Sunday in September

Chili Cook-off in downtown Rough and Ready. 10am to 3pm.

Additional information about Rough and Ready and these events may be obtained from the Rough and Ready Chamber of Commerce webpage

Judy J. Pinegar is a writer and her articles have appeared in many publications

For all your real estate needs
Email or call today:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
Civil Engineer
General Contractor
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

DRE#00669941

Market Statistics for Nevada County Real Estate Sales February 2012 (johnodellrealty.com)

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