Photo of the week

This brilliant #PlacerLife image of the sunset in Tahoe City was taken by @mansfieldrayy on Instagram.

Featured story

New fire station to receive World Trade Center beam as a memorial

A beam from the World Trade Center will be installed as a memorial in front of the soon-to-be-constructed Bickford Ranch Fire Station in west Placer County. The CAL FIRE/Placer County Fire Department was awarded the beam for demonstrating leadership, courage and professionalism.

The memorial program is being run by Sims Metal of Richmond, California, which held the contract to clear the World Trade Center site and recycle all the metal. This is the final beam in its memorial program to honor heroes of 9/11 and our first responders who risk their lives daily. Construction of the new Bickford Ranch Fire Station is slated to begin in mid-to-late 2026. The beam will remain in storage until then. Watch video

Public works

North Auburn Wastewater Pipeline construction project begins March 10

Initial work beginning March 10 is focused on locating underground utilities, followed by pipeline construction, which is scheduled to start at the corner of Park Drive and Quartz Drive and move southeast toward state Route 49.
Read more

Public safety

Meet our new Chief Probation Officer Brian Passenheim

Congratulations are in order for Assistant Chief Probation Officer Brian Passenheim, who has been promoted to probation chief ahead of the retirement next week of Chief Probation Officer Marshall Hopper.
Learn more about Chief Passenheim

Public safety

Proposed release of sexually violent predator may be revoked

In a March 3 update, the Department of State Hospitals indicated its intention to file a report requesting the revocation of sexually violent predator William Stephenson’s pending release. The next court date is set for March 17.
Read more

Women in leadership

Celebrating our region’s female leaders of today and tomorrow

This month in Comstock's Magazine, Placer County's Women in Leadership take center stage. All over the county, visionary women in local government, education, business, housing and nonprofits are making a positive impact. Read more

In other news

PG&E warns customers to be wary of scammers

Supervisor Gustafson to host virtual town hall March 10 to discuss Lake Tahoe Basin housing amendments

Placer emphasizes the importance of submitting grading and digging permits for the Lake Tahoe Basin area early

Placer County firefighters take part in truck operations class to brush up on skills

Read & subscribe: New Placer County Fire Safe Alliance newsletter

This week in Placer County history

On March 1, 1940, Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Frank of Dutch Flat were presented with a brand new 1941 model Buick automobile and 1,000 gallons of Texaco gasoline as winners of a Procter & Gamble radio contest. According to the March 7, 1940, Auburn Journal: “The company had been presenting ten Buicks every week to the persons who finish the sentence, ‘I like Ivory Soap because –’ in the best 25-word slogan.”

Mrs. Frank submitted three entries in mid-February and was notified by Western Union Telegram that one of her entries was selected as the winner. Bud Duncan’s Buick Motor Company in Auburn provided the car to Mr. and Mrs. Frank with Bud himself making the presentation. John Swan, the local Texaco dealer, provided the certificate for 1,000 gallons of Texaco gasoline. Unfortunately, we don’t know what Mrs. Frank submitted as the winning entry.

It appears that Procter & Gamble ran this promotional giveaway in 1940 and did not continue into 1941. Of course, after the United States entered World War II on Dec. 7, 1941, there would be no new cars until late 1945. 

Photo: Bud Duncan posing with a new 1953 Buick automobile

Did you know?

Placer County is home to approximately 25,000 veterans. Our free help netted them nearly $15 million last year. Don't let the veterans in your life fall prey to ‘claim sharks,’ or companies that charge veterans for help filing disability claims without Veterans Affairs accreditation. These companies often use aggressive or misleading tactics. By contrast, Placer’s Veterans Services Office is free of charge, accredited and all staff are highly experienced. 

The VSO offers free help with claims, healthcare, education and other benefits. This team is helping more veterans than ever, handling a record 21,491 requests last year. 

Veterans working with the VSO received $14.8 million in VA benefits last year, a 26% increase from 2022. Compounded, the economic impact of benefits attained through the VSO is $142 million since 2020.   

Learn more about the VSO's recent work, and make sure the veterans in your life are connected with their team: placer.ca.gov/Veterans.

Advisory committees and commissions

Whether it’s representing your community or sharing your expertise on topics like agriculture or parks, there are always opportunities for you to help advise county leaders on the issues that matter to you most. Recruitment is open now to fill seats on the following committees or commissions, among others. Learn more and apply

Current recruitments include:

• Area 4 Agency on Aging Advisory Council
• Auburn Cemetery District
• Building Board of Appeals
• Colfax Cemetery District
• Civil Service Commission
• County Parks Commission
• Economic Development Board
• First 5 Placer Children & Families Commission
• Fish & Game Commission
• Flood Control & Water Conservation District Board
• Gold Run Cemetery Committee
• Greater Lincoln Area Fire Safe Council
• Historical Advisory Board
• Housing Development Advisory Taskforce
• In Home Support Services Advisory Committee
• Juvenile Justice / Delinquency Prevention
• Library Advisory Board
• Donner Summit Municipal Advisory Council
• Foresthill Forum
• Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council
• Horseshoe Bar-Penryn Municipal Advisory Council
• Newcastle Ophir Municipal Advisory Council
• Sheridan Municipal Advisory Council
• Placer County Behavioral Health Advisory Board
• Placer County Charter Review Committee
• Placer County Child Care Advisory Council
• Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission
• Placer Resource Conservation District
• Placer Sierra Fire Safe Council
• Planning Commission
• Solid Waste Local Task Force
• Tahoe Cemetery District
• Wastewater Advisory Committee

Fun things to do this week

Don’t miss the fun coming this next week in...

Roseville: Food Truck Mania

Lincoln: Protect Your Pets: FieldHaven Feline Center’s Vaccine & Microchip Clinic Loomis: Preschool Storytime, UC Master Gardeners Presents: Starting Your Summer Vegetable Garden, Puzzle Swap, Kids Creative Writing Club

Auburn: *Waitlist* March 8 – Lay of the Land: Geology Hike at Big Hill Preserves, Pie Party on the Preserve, Farmers’ Market, Celebrating 110 years, FOL Used Books Donation Days

Colfax: All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast

North Lake Tahoe: North Lake Tahoe SNOWFEST 2025, Aprés in the Village at Northstar California, Tail Wagger Dress Up Your Dog presented by Kristen Pepin, Kings Beach SnowFest Parade, Tahoe Backyard hosts Kings Beach Snowfest Parade After Party

...and many Placer County Library and Placer County Museum events.

Visit our regional partners to discover more of the fun happening right here in Placer County!

Placer County Visitors' Bureau
North Tahoe Community Alliance
Tahoe City Downtown Association
The Arts Council of Placer County
Placer Valley Tourism
PlacerGROWN
Placer Wine Trail

Upcoming public meetings and events

CANCELED - Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council, March 6 Information
Olympic Valley Municipal Advisory Council, March 6, 6 p.m. Information
Virtual town hall - Tahoe Basin Area Plan: Phase 2 Housing Amendments, March 10, 6 p.m. Information
North Auburn Municipal Advisory Council, March 11, 6 p.m. Information
Sheridan Municipal Advisory Council, March 12, 6 p.m. Information
Planning Commission, March 13, 9 a.m. Information
North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council, March 13, 6 p.m. Information Placer 2050 Visioning workshop in-person open house, March 13, 6 p.m. Information

To learn about other Placer County committees and commissions and current opportunities to serve your community click here.

List of active projects throughout Placer County

Projects are listed alphabetically and by Board of Supervisors districts. A hard copy of the list is available at the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, 3091 County Center Drive in Auburn. 

Active Projects

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