By Terra Avilla
I love me some Christmas time in Lassen County. The ringing of the Salvation Army Bells, the lights and the Christmas music on the radio. It really is my favorite time of the year. And this time of year just wouldn’t be complete without the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce’s parade. It’s just one of those things that makes me feel better. Every year I look forward to the Christmas Tree lighting, the floats and the community together to see the lighting of our iconic Christmas tree. All organized and planned by Patti Hagata.
Now, obviously this year there will be no parade, however, Patti still made sure the tree is up, and glowing, shining its beautiful lights down the main street of Susanville.
Those lights are like Patti, beautiful and vibrant. I first met Patti when she brought in quite possibly the largest gift basket I have ever seen to the police department. She wanted to thank us for working a Chamber event. I still remember her warm smile and soft tone as this little petite woman hoisted up a gargantuan basket onto our counter.
As someone very active in our community – I can tell you without hesitation that as a community we should be very thankful for the work the Chamber does for our community. The sole goal of this non-profit is to support and promote the regional business community. In essence, they are our community’s biggest fan and consistently think of ways to draw tourists (and capital) to our town.
Year after year I would see Mrs. Hagata at the events she coordinated. Always composed and organized. (Of note, I do not look like that during the execution of any events that I help with).
I’m sure many of you have attended ‘Chamber Mixers’ and if you haven’t, when they resume, you should definitely attend. They are a great resource to support local business but also upcoming local events. Plus, you probably will get to see Ms. Patti and that in and of itself is worth it.
From parades, to mixers, local shopping contests, coffin races, wine walks, and tree lighting, the Chamber does a lot for our community. So much of what makes our small town feel like home is due to the sense of community fostered by this great organization.
So, I know many of you are saddened like me, that there is no Uptown Christmas this year. However, I know that we still have amazing people, like Ms. Patti who are working very hard to still bring light and joy to our community. So this holiday season, when you see that beautiful tree sitting at the top of town, let it be your reminder of great people and organizations like the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce, and let it remind you of why you love the place you live.
