The Local Blog Scene

A sad and, I think, rather pathetic result of budget shortfalls in our county has been the cutting off of funding for our Plumas County Visitor's Bureau. The Visitor's Center on the outskirts of Quincy has a black sheet hanging ominously over its roadside sign. The county website sits unattended and outdated for the time being.


But on the upside (isn't there usually an upside somewhere?) I see a grassroots "Quincy Pride" movement taking shape in our super-awesome, righteous, gorgeous, best-town-ever. (See?!!) If there will be no county resources provided to help promote our area, we will have to do it ourselves. A local woman has started a new website to inform locals and potential visitors about our vibrant regional scene. New features are being added weekly and I see its potential to be a real internet hub for the area. Check it out here: QuincyCa.us

There are several blogs being written for the site itself which are evolving nicely. I volunteered to compile a list of other local blogs of interest to link to through this new website. It was a pleasant little journey of discovery. When I began, I knew only of my own. I ended up with a list of seven blogs, all very different. Here are the other six:

Margaret Elysia Garcia, local writer, blogs about the joys and challenges of mountain living at:  http://taleasofasierramadre.com/

Julie Hatzell, Quincy Café and Coffee Shop owner, blogs about eco-ethical business practices and issues at:  http://alleycatcafe.net/

Sierrosmith describes Quincy as a quirky quixotic bit of Utopia lost in the Sierras. He offers an eclectic mix of snapshots reflecting the local scene at:                         http://q-topia.blogspot.com/ 

Greg Williams of Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) maintains a blog about Plumas and Sierra County trails and trail projects at: http://sierratrails.org/blog

Joe Willis loves natural history and blogs in hopes of inspiring others to get outside and discover the wonderland called Plumas County at: http://blackoaknaturalist.blogspot.com/


I am familiar with all of these people, except Sierrosmith, but their blogging life was heretofore unbeknownst to me. Joe Willis is particularly prolific, logging a whopping 384 posts in 2011. I know! More than there were days!


Also, continuing in the vein of shameless self-promotion and touting the merits of our exceptional area (see, I can't stop), Carrie Hawthorne, the woman who started the new website, is hosting a video contest. In her words, "In order to promote our region and foster economic development through awareness and tourism, we're hosting a video contest on QuincyCa.us. The goal of the contest is to encourage the production of short videos that reflect the natural beauty and vibrant community that exist in our area."  


I've never gotten into making videos. The only videos I've ever created are unedited snippets of our son doing interesting and not-so-interesting things. But for fun and to contribute to the cause (go, Quincy, go!), I pulled together snapshots taken in and around the Quincy area over the past several years, created a slideshow, and uploaded it to YouTube. You can view my video entry here: 

That's all for now.
Enjoy.