Sporting a natty, turn of the 19th century bowler hat, Supervisor Jim Holmes stylishly showed his support Tuesday for California Museum Month in Placer County.

Chairing Tuesday’s session, Holmes joined other supervisors in lauding local museum efforts to educate adults as well as children in the county’s colorful past.

Board members were presented with replica fruit crates holding homemade biscuits, a button spinner and a doll during a short ceremony after voting to proclaim May as California Museum Month in Placer County.

Docents and students from Skyridge Elementary School teachers Nan Jacobson and Beth Schools’ third-grade classes were on hand, representing the more than 800 elementary school students a month this spring taking living history field trips to Auburn’s Bernhard Museum complex.

Melanie Barton, Placer County Museums administrator, said that the history of the county is the common denominator that joins people together.

“Members of families that have been here for five generations and new transplants find common ground – I feel strongly that it’s a unifying force,” Barton said.

Barton said that docents who arrived in the board chambers in 19th century costumes were representative of 150 volunteers who assist at the county’s six museums.

“Without the volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to do 95 percent of what we do,” Barton said.

In other business, the board heard a presentation from Brad Harris, chief of the Nevada-Yuba-Placer Calfire Ranger Unit.

Harris said that the unit could gain an extra 24 to 30 firefighters because of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s executive order. The extra personnel would be employed in home inspections to help focus homeowners’ attention on clearing defensible space around structures to protect against fires, he said.

“It’s their role to provide defensible space around their homes,” Harris said. “It’s a valuable role.”

The area could be in for an extended season of fires, Harris said, pointing to below-average rainfall and snowpack this year. That follows similar conditions in 2007.

“We’re seeing things that lead us to believe that we’re going to have another long fire season,” Harris said.

Questioned by Supervisor Bruce Kranz about the possibility of a backyard burn ban, Harris said that he couldn’t see that taking place because burning has served as a valuable tool in reducing fuel loads near homes. He added that the burning by homeowners has to be undertaken responsibly and that there is a chipper program available as an alternative.

A burning shutdown in unincorporated areas of the county is expected to be put into effect July 5, Harris added.

“I see nothing in the offing to change that,” he said.

Supervisors also accepted the gift of a snow cat from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to be used by the sheriff’s search and rescue group and approved a road-seal contract for $883,000 with Valley Slurry Seal Company of Sacramento.

The Journal’s Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.