At the McKinley Park Rose Garden in Sacramento, the first rose of 2024.
We have a slightly humorous tradition in our family: At the beginning of every season, one of us will say something like, “Winter in California is amazing, and I’m going to miss going up to the snow—but spring really is the best season.” Or "yeah sure summer is fun with the swimming and all, but ahhh the colors of fall—obviolusly the best season."
I realize this is not all that funny, but what makes it a little bit funny (to us) is that we say it at the beginning of every single season, and have been doing so for many years. And we kind of mean it every single time. Because every new season holds the promise that it'll be better than the last.
This winter, as you know, was cold and wet. I am a nature-worshiping Californian who’s been living through a deadly drought, so I stopped complaining about the rain more than a decade ago … until this year. Last week’s warm sun and long evenings made me feel better than I have felt in months.
So: In this week’s edition of The Newsletter, four things, all related to the very best season: Spring!
Product Launch from Hilltromper: BloomTracker
As you may have noticed, we do not tire of singing the praises of California, and Hilltromper (which is kind of CALocal's sister-site) focuses on our state's awesome natural beauty. For our final piece of appreciation today we present the coolest wildflower-finding tool you've ever seen, which was launched last week by our friend Mike Kahn.
BloomTracker: Wildflower Finder & Protector from Hilltromper
Over at Hilltromper, “The Nature-worshiping, Fun-Loving Adventure Guide” that serves the South Bay Area, Santa Cruz County, and anyone who visits these beautiful places, our friend Mike Kahn has just launched a new product he named BloomTracker—“an online resource that helps you find the best places to see wildflowers, in real time, and helps reduce impacts on parks and other open spaces.”
• Nevada County Reports on Community Resiliency Grants
A report on how Nevada County allocated $5.8M of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for Community and Economic Resiliency projects.
(03/22/2024) → YubaNet
• Grass Valley Considers Decrease in Cannabis Tax
The City of Grass Valley is in discussion to lower the cannabis tax as its first dispensary prepares to open in the coming weeks.
(03/22/2024) → The Union
• Capital Improvement Plan to be Released
Nevada County staff have prepared a $56M+ Capital Improvement Plan to be presented to the Board of Supervisors with a focus on maintenance of local bridges and roads.
(03/22/2024) → The Union
• PG&E Repairs Lead to Emergency Water Measures
A 20% water use reduction by Nevada Irrigation District customers is requested as a result of PG&E repairs which have cut off the water supply at the headwaters.
(03/22/2024) → YubaNet
• Snowplow Naming Contest Winner Announced
With 3,000 Californians submitting entries, the winners of the CalTrans snow plow naming contest have been announced.
(03/21/2024) → YubaNet
• Potential Courthouse Locations Narrowed Down
The new Nevada City Courthouse Project Advisory Group has agreed on the top three potential sites for the location.
(03/21/2024) → YubaNet
• Public Comments Opened for Proposed Event Center
Public comments are open for a proposed event center in Penn Valley as it goes through its Environmental Impact Review process.
(03/19/2024) → The Union
• Nevada County Investments in Wildfire Mitigation
The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services outlines their ongoing work in reducing and mitigating wildfire risk.
(03/18/2024) → YubaNet
At the McKinley Park Rose Garden in Sacramento, the first rose of 2024.
