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Dispatches from the Lucky Land of Lassen

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Now that’s a Christmas Skyline!

By Jeremy Couso
SusanvilleStuff Publisher and Editor

In last week’s column we talked about a newspaper story I had once read about the Susanville Fire Department setting up a giant Christmas Tree in the intersection of Main and Lassen Streets.

There was quite a bit of discussion about this on social media and nobody could remember this ever happening. If for no other reason, the safety hazard of having a huge, colorfully lit tree smack-dab in the middle of a state highway would seem to make it unlikely. And yet…

I still don’t have a picture of the tree, which would be amazing to see, but here is a newspaper article from the December 2nd, 1949, edition of the Reno Gazette talking about plans for the upcoming Susanville Christmas Party where “Susanville volunteer firemen are going to erect a giant Christmas tree Sunday at the intersection of Main and Lassen Street.”

The article goes on to explain that the volunteer firefighters would be going out into the woods to get a tree that would be donated by the Paul Bunyan Lumber Company.

Can you even imagine? I really want to see a picture of this. If anyone, in some old trunk or box, has a photo of this ‘Giant Tree’ from 1949 please send it my way!

The newspaper article mentions the big annual Christmas party where students from the local schools went to the Sierra Theatre to watch movies. Do they still do this?

I hazily remember (because it was a long time ago) riding the bus there in first grade from McKinley School right before Christmas vacation for a party.

We watched a bunch of the classic 1930’s and 1940’s Disney Christmas cartoons. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto. It was really neat for a first grader in 1977 because at that point I had only ever seen cartoons on a tiny television screen. Here they were, bigger than life on the screen at the Sierra Theatre.

Back when there was a balcony! Are you old enough to remember that? The Sierra Theatre brings back a lot of memories for a lot of people.

Speaking of Christmas Parties
If you want to experience an utterly unique, small town Christmas, there is absolutely nothing that compares with Susanville’s Magical Country Christmas Celebration. Nothing.

It has everything you could possibly want to get into the spirit… singing, dancing, hot chocolate, a parade featuring a thousand twinkling lights, Santa’s big entrance on a sleigh, the lighting of the community Christmas tree and fireworks launched from the lawn of the Elk’s Lodge. Real fireworks too! Like the Fourth of July!

This one event has it all and, according to the weather folks, this year it should be snowing in uptown during the celebration, which makes it simply perfect.

Every year Marshel and I go and take pictures or shoot video, and there is always this moment – right as the fireworks come to an end – where the echoes of the fireworks die out and there is a brief pause before all of the people filling up Main Street go wild with applause. That moment is when Susanville’s holiday season begins in earnest.

The Chamber of Commerce sponsored event begins at 4:00 Saturday and the Christmas Parade starts at 6:00.

From one end of town to the other, these guys made everything festive. – photo appropriated from the City of Susanville

Decorating Main Street for the Holidays

Just in time for Saturday’s big uptown party the City of Susanville’s Public Works Department, with the assistance of Lassen Municipal Utility District, spent the day Tuesday decorating town from top to bottom, hanging those festive decorations that span Main Street every few blocks.

Did you know? Those big decorations are called “Christmas Skylines” in the professional holiday decorating business. And they really do make an enormous difference each December when they go up.

The Public Works guys have made an art out of the hanging of the skylines each year. They work their way up Main Street from the east end of town until they get to the last one, just down from the Elk’s Lodge.

Looking down Main Street early Wednesday morning

Cody Loflin
Cody Loflin is just awesome. The reason I bring up young Mr. Loflin is that just yesterday he was one of three people recognized by Lassen County District Attorney Melyssah Rios for his work with the Susanville Police Department. Mrs. Rios was honoring individuals from partner agencies who have stood out in either their case work or other prosecutorial assistance.

Here is a picture of Cody in the middle of Main Street keeping an eye on the uptown Halloween event. Congratulations Cody!


Best of Broadway
The Cast List for the upcoming 2023 Best of Broadway performances has been posted. A much-anticipated event in some circles around town.

I failed to make the cut again this year. It might be that my rendition of Maybe from the musical Annie wasn’t the strongest piece to audition with.

Hopefully, we will see all of you tomorrow night at the uptown Christmas event! Have a wonderful weekend everybody and stay safe out there in the wintry weather.

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