We return to our recap of the meeting with ...
FINEMASTER JESSICA
Jessica's first order of business was to award a "Bold and Gold" pin to Scott Heller. This signifies that he has been fined within an inch of poverty (or at least to his limit for the year).
For her sixth anniversary, Rebecca Crow had her wedding ring resized. She and her husband, Abe, also celebrated the occasion with a trip to Las Vegas, a somewhat different venue from the site of their elopement - Mt. Shasta.
Mark Bruce was spotted in a new vehicle recently. This was in response to an accident that occurred in late December. Although he has been tooling about in a 1995 Escort, he purchased a new PT Cruiser with the insurance money. The Escort will be bequeathed to Mark's son, Adam ... but all in good time. When Mark was asked whether Adam is "a new driver", he replied, "No, he usually drives fully clothed."
Jacqueline Debets had some "very exciting news" - Humboldt County has been awarded $2.5 million that will be used to create 12 new certification programs at the College of the Redwoods. Jacqueline wrote the grant request in November, and the grant came in at over half a million more than requested! She said that the programs will help create jobs in areas that the Workforce Investment Board has identified as targets of opportunity.
PROGRAM: CalTrans on the Richardson Grove Project
Charlie Fielder is the District 1 Director for CalTrans, and he came to discuss the proposed realignment of Highway 101 at Richardson Grove.
Charlie noted that CalTrans is a big part of the community, and that they want to work to address the concerns about the project. The goal of the realignment is to modify the narrow passage through the grove to allow STAA (Surface Transportation Assistance) trucks to pass through. These trucks have become the new standard for the trucking industry for their greater capacity and fuel efficiency.
The current alignment is dangerous for large trucks that are currently allowed to pass through the grove, such as cattle haulers and moving vans. Studies including videos show such trucks crossing the center line, and there have been trees that have been "clipped".
The public comment period for the project has been extended through March 12th. More information can be found on the CalTrans website.
