A behind-the-scenes STORY from investigations in Lassen County:
A behind-the-scenes STORY from investigations in Lassen County:
While walking through a neighborhood in Susanville I heard a deep voice holler at me: “Hey! Would you help a disabled senior unload some boxes for $5?” I looked over and saw a mildly fat man with bulging eyes and a sly little grin staring at me through a car window. That’s how I first met Bobby. When I completed moving the boxes into his new funky one-bedroom cottage, I declined a rum and coke, but we sat and chatted, Bobby in his wheelchair. Bobby had a wheezy laugh and when he laughed his eyes bulged even more. And somehow we kept making each other laugh.
I ended up stopping by every evening for a week, doing tasks and having a little chat. Doing things like hanging art, re-lighting the heater's pilot light, fixing shelving, and installing wall handles in the bathroom, which he uses everyday and says he thinks about me every time he uses them. One day I happily mopped up dried diarrhea liquid from the kitchen floor while we played Bobby's Drifters CD.
When Bobby found out I was Jewish by blood but didn't often tell people, he said, "Crow that shit." Bobby said he loved Jewish people and that they've always been a friend of the black man. He started affectionately calling me Jew, which I was enjoying, in the way that only a big black man can do.
Bobby kept telling me that he really enjoyed my company, and started calling me everyday. His daily voicemails were a little much, but I still enjoyed visiting him each day around sunset. He kept trying to pay me for the various handy-man/caretaker tasks I was performing. However, it felt so good to leave money out of it, and perhaps that’s the basis for deep, true, friendship.
Often I'd come into Bobby's house and there'd be an offensive kind of B.O. & urine odor in the air, but we'd talk about it, laugh about it, and I'd aggressively flap the front door open and closed like fireplace bellows to freshen the place up.
One night Bobby suddenly opened up about his past and told me stories about his life before Susanville. He was surprised he told me, and said he never tells anyone about it. The history was wild and I was fascinated. All I will say is that Bobby was a ladies' man. I'd love to share some riveting details here, but I promised him I wouldn’t. And I realized when someone trusts you and share's their secrets, it's a priceless gift.
Bobby needed a part-time caretaker. Before I left town I happened to meet some high school seniors selling Christmas trees in a parking lot. One of them seemed like he could be a good fit for working with Bobby, and I hooked them up. The teen was able to help him for a few months, and wrote to me saying it was a good experience.
Some names and details in this story were changed for privacy reasons
VIDEOS created in Lassen County, along with accompanying notes:
Herlong, CA
Herlong, CA: it may be mostly known for a federal prison and an Army depot, but there's also a pristine caboose.
Herlong, CA
Celebrate H20, in Herlong.
Doyle, CA
I was curious about Doyle. There's not many services/businesses there, mostly just a Dollar Tree, a gas station, and a bar. It sounds like many locals drive to Reno (45 minutes away) to buy food and supplies. The bar turned out to be an delightful place, the kind of community gathering spot where locals BBQ and have relaxed potluck dinners, as well as weekly Karaoke. I met an energetic older woman nicknamed "Tye-Dye Grandma," who takes it upon herself to be the bouncer of the bar (if guests become too unruly, she pulls out an iron pipe).
I also met a skinny man at the local park with his dog who told me, "This is rural America. We don't clean up dog doo." He also told me that Doyle was a thriving town many years ago when the Army Depot in nearby Herlong was more active.
Susanville, CA
The power of street art. What a thrill to discover this magical, unique feature in Susanville. Also, the nearby park is great. Many Susanville locals told me how the town's biggest employers were the mill (located next to the avocado) and the two prisons. The mill was closed years ago, though there's still activity there with a company that produces pre-fabrication building components, called Nobles Construction Components. One of the prisons closed in 2023.
Susanville, CA
Life in the Ville is a Susanville swag store and hype team for the town and its surrounding outdoor splendor. They also do custom apparel jobs, and seem to be a small distributor for cut flowers and almond milk.
Susanville, CA
The Bizz Johnson Trail elevates Susanville, providing an easily accessible recreation trail for miles and miles along the Susan River. There's also the caboose.
Susanville, CA
Colorful, rectangular murals. It's the parking lot of Lassen High School, in the center of Susanville. It's a delight to see people take ownership of a space, and see how they decorate it.
Susanville, CA
Helicopters on poles capture the attention for a moment. But the modest picnic table provides opportunities for a lifetime. Welcome to the Susanville Airport.