"Caltrans Project Engineer Eric Lund (center) was the guest speaker at last week’s meeting of the Garberville Rotary Club. Lund spoke about the Richardson Grove road widening project. He told the club that in the past, there was a vision that Highway 101 would eventually become four lanes from San Francisco all the way to Oregon. However in 2000, it became apparent that a bypass around (or the alternative of a tunnel below) Richardson Grove was not feasible. He also said a common misconception about the project is that the road will be straightened. In reality, the road will be “curvier” but wider. The project will minimize damage to trees and root systems in the surrounding ground by using “hand methods” instead of heavy equipment. Shown here with Lund are Caltrans Design Engineer Eric Shada (right) and Rotary club president Peter Connolly." Redwood TimesIf Caltrans is concerned about the fragile and ancient ecosystems contained within Richardson Grove, why are they proceeding without wildlife surveys?
Do
WE want "Four lanes from San Francisco all the way to Oregon", even outside of Richardson Grove, along "Scenic" Highway 101?
What is the grand vision of Caltrans for us here on the North Coast...to pave paradise?
The 101 is a path through Nature's splendors, not a thoroughfare...
Please sign the below petition and help save Richardson Grove...
Mr. Muskrat,
ReplyDeleteWhy do you consistently lie to readers. Are you afraid that the truth of the circumstances would only validate your REAL motive?
Examples please, Mr. or Ms. Anonymous. How do you expect me to address you anonymous question? I appreciate the transparency in your identity...a lie in itself?
ReplyDeleteMy only motive is to protect Richardson Grove and to keep Humboldt free from Southern Californication. I have always been up front with this.
Caltrans is proceeding without wildlife surveys. Is this a "lie"? Do you feel that the State agency should be exempt from it's own laws? Exempt from Federal protections? Will this set a precedent for private industry(such as timber) to skate on these protections?
What about the Headwaters scam? If the project has the support of the local community, why were six people paid with Headwaters funding to write op-eds to the Times-Standard? What about the avalanche of op-eds in the Times-Standard and the North Coast Journal opposing the project? Are six(6)paid endorsements an honest reflection of our community's desires? Or is the countless and continually increasing public opposition to the project a better representation of public opinion?
It is more than apparent that the "liars" are project proponants. Who has the most to gain from this project? What fuels their de$ire$?
No one is paying me to do this. As in the past, I am selflessly dedicated to protecting what is sacred.
Save Richardson Grove. Save Humboldt County!
I will give you a specific example of a lie, Jeff - its the whole Walmart Bogeyman argument you make, trying to say it will make it easier for big boxes and punish small local businesses to have the road realigned.
ReplyDeleteThe absolute fact is (which has been echoed many, many times by local businesses) that big boxes such as target and costco can better afford to offload in Ukiah to the smaller trucks than small locally owned businesses. They are already doing it.
To use MuskratLOGIC, Jeff is a proponent of Big Boxes and is proudly paving the way for Walmart to come to Humboldt County!
Anonymous(If that is his/her real name says):
ReplyDelete"The absolute fact is (which has been echoed many, many times by local businesses)that big boxes such as target and costco can better afford to offload in Ukiah to the smaller trucks than small locally owned businesses. They are already doing it."
Echoed by a couple of not so small or ethical local businesses: http://saverichardsongrove.blogspot.com/2009/09/glass-hidden-in-grass.html
"Cypress Grove is a local business and a vocal supporter of the RIP. Why? Because the goat milk(curds) used for their cheese is trucked in all the way from Mexico. I suppose that there are not enough goats in the County to fill their order for their locally crafted but not so locally produced cheeses. Sun Valley Floral Farms? Not a very ethical or sustainable company to begin with. Unethical practices such as exploiting undocumented workers. Non-sustainable practices such as herbicide use. Remember, the sprays that Sun Valley utilizes drift right into an "organic" Humboldt Creamery supplier just East of Sun Valley, as the wind carries."
If you are correct in stating that I am proponent of Big Box's, then I would be FOR the project, correct? I'm not sure if I understand your logic on this issue.
But what I do understand is the fact that our community has taken a stand against Wal-Mart in the past, and won! It is also apparent if you do the research on the ground that STAA trucks already move freely(and illegally) through Richardson Grove. Humboldt Grass "finished" Beef carriers already have an exemption.
I must question who is promoting this project and why. It is an absolute certainty that greed is pushing this issue forward. For example, Cal-trans project manager Kim Floyd and her husband and local election big-time loser Bryan Plumley's connection to Goldman-Sachs:http://humboldtherald.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/bryan-plumley-stop-the-inbreeding/
An investment firm that was bailed out when the working class is who needed and deserved the help. What would Goldman-Sach's interests be in regards to developing Humboldt County?(I'll give you a hint, it has to do with more resource exploitation and corporate greed)
Why should taxpayers foot the bill for an unnecessary $10 million dollar project for a two mile stretch of highway?
Furthermore, local businesses don't need STAA trucks for the current local demand for cheap plastic crap from China, already supplied by non-local businesses such as Costco, Target, and K-Mart. I don't see any mom and pop shops needing or wanting cheap plastic crap from China, it would be impossible to compete with Costco-Mart. This is the core issue, Anonymous. Thank you for making it easier for people to understand.
If you do the research, the issue that started the whole mess was with Humboldt Grass "Finished" Beef.
The lack of an adequate slaughterhouse to handle the demand not only from local and legitimate Grass Fed Beef, but also for the newest ploy of trucking feed lot cattle from the central valley, and "finishing" them off on some good old Humboldt grass, to gain the Humboldt "Grass-fed" label. All those cows moving up and down the highway have a current exemption.
Someone or something else is still pushing this unnecessary and expensive project forward. But they failed to consider the fact that we won't allow it happen.
You dont address the indisputable FACT that big box stores are ALREADY able to ship their goods here, and more easily than local small businesses, Jeff (if that really is your name)...
ReplyDeleteTarget, Costco, heck throw in Winco and Safeway as well....