Welcome to the Ridgecrest LIFE Newsletter! ------------ NOVEMBER, 2025
Ridgecrest LIFE
Ridgecrest LIFE - Your Community Connection
Ridgecrest LIFE is a newsletter designed to help the residents of the RidgeCrest Condominiums Community stay connected and informed. This community-focused publication provides updates, news, and resources to foster a stronger sense of community among the residents.
A Look Back
How a Railroad Forged Our City
Did you know that before it was "Redding," our area was known by the less-than-flattering name "Poverty Flats"? While the surrounding hills bustled with Gold Rush fever in towns like Shasta (then the "Queen City of the North"), the land where Redding now stands was largely overlooked.
Everything changed in 1872 when the Central Pacific Railroad laid its tracks through the valley, choosing this spot as its northern terminus. The new settlement was named "Redding" by the railroad in honor of its land agent, B.B. Redding. This sparked a local controversy, as many felt it should be named "Reading" after Pierson B. Reading, the area's first pioneer and the man who discovered gold on Clear Creek in 1848.
The railroad's arrival was the beginning of the end for the fading boomtown of Shasta. Redding, with its prime position on the tracks, rapidly grew. In 1887, Redding was officially incorporated as a city, and just one year later, it won the vote to become the new Shasta County Seat, cementing its place as the region's new economic hub.
"The Ridgeline Telegraph" - Info from the Property Manager
Q & A For New Residents...
Hello, residents!
There’s a wonderful crispness in the air, and the holiday season is just around the corner. November is a month centered on gratitude, and on behalf of our entire management team, I want to express our sincere thanks to all of you for making our community a fantastic place to live.
As we all settle in for the cozier months, we’re working hard to prepare our shared property for winter. To help us keep everything running smoothly, here are a few key partnership reminders for the season.
Preparing Our Homes for Winter
A few moments of prevention can save a lot of trouble later. We're doing our part to winterize the community-owned property, and here’s how you can help protect your own home:
- Heaters & Safety: Before you rely on your heat 24/7, please take a moment for safety. Test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. It's also the perfect time to replace your furnace filter. A clean filter helps your system run efficiently and improves your indoor air quality.
- Crucial Reminder: Disconnect Hoses! This is our most important seasonal request. Please disconnect all garden hoses from your exterior faucets (patios, balconies, etc.). If left connected, trapped water will freeze, expand, and can burst the pipe. This can cause severe water damage to your unit and your neighbors' homes.
- Secure Your Patios: With autumn storms comes wind. Please secure any lightweight patio furniture, umbrellas, or decorations that could be tossed by strong gusts, which could cause damage or injury.
Happy Holidays & Healthy Plumbing
Thanksgiving is this month, which often means a full house and a big meal. Let’s keep our community running smoothly with two simple reminders:
- No "FOG" Down the Drain: Please never pour Fats, Oils, or Grease down your kitchen sink. Items like turkey drippings, butter, or cooking oils solidify in our shared pipes and are the number one cause of major, costly plumbing backups that can affect the entire building. The best method: pour cooled grease into a disposable container (like an old coffee can or jar), let it harden, and throw the entire container in the trash.
- Trash & Recycling: Holiday meals and early Black Friday shopping create extra waste. Please help our maintenance team by ensuring all trash is securely bagged. Most importantly, please break down all cardboard boxes flat before placing them in the recycling bins. This saves an enormous amount of space.
We're Here for You
We are proud to serve this community and are here to help. If you have a non-emergency maintenance request, the most efficient method is to email our office, at monica@hignell.com. Or you can submit a work order in the Appfolio portal and include photos too.
For any after-hours plumbing or heating emergencies, please call the emergency line at 530-241-3500 after hours, listen to the recording when it says, "If this is an after-hours HOA emergency, please press 2." Then our answering service takes the call and will address the emergency and pass it to a manager to resolve.
We wish you all a safe, warm, and wonderful Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
- Monica Gale, Property Manager,
Call for more detailed information. - (530) 241-3500 x 501
Redding news you can use
Daily Redding - A great up-to-the-minute source for local news
Did you know there is a free source for local news? Wake up every morning with Daily Redding, a local newsletter that's anything but snooze-worthy, packed with positive, impactful local news + events across the Redding community.
Click HERE to check out dailyredding.com
And Now... The REAL pets of Ridgecrest CONDOMINIUMS
Our pets are a big part of our lives. Each month our featured Ridgecrest Pet will receive a $10.00 gift certificate to Petco here in Redding (Paid by an anonymous contributor - NOT an HOA expense.) Send your photos and a brief introduction, then check back in the next edition to see if your pet (and you) are winners!
Next Up...
This adorable kitty cat is enjoying a morning stretch. We can all appreciate that, but this photo was received with no accompanying information, so we are not sure who this is, or who their human might be. And we can't share the $10.00 Petco Gift Certificate until we do, so feel free to email the editors using the link below so we can find out more about your pet (and you)!
-Editor
From the (E)Mailbag... Messages to the Editor
"Thank you so much for starting this awesome newsletter resource! Sharing valuable information in one place is so helpful especially to new owners. I also love that you are helping to create a valuable sense of community at Ridgecrest. Having relationships with others is so important and I appreciate all your efforts! Thank you!"
-CS
8/25
