BRYAN PLUMLEY: Stop the inbreeding
Former candidate Bryan Plumley deploys dire warnings for the county he once hoped to supervise in today’s Times-Standard.
As the theory goes, unless we make the highway through Richardson Grove “curvier” we will suffocate in a shallow genetic pool.
Plumley wrote in response to an op-ed by McKinleyville resident Dr. Ken Miller, who opposes the highway project. Plumley scolds Miller for calling the project a “thoroughfare” (hey, it’s a highway) but then ditches the semantic high road by saying Miller only wants a “scenic preserve.”
Do preservation authorities allow commerce and industry in a scenic preserve? Miller called for “local food production, local manufacturing…high-value specialty agricultural and timber products [and] innovative architectural solutions to our diverse housing needs.”
Not very preserve-y.
Meanwhile, Plumley makes the incredible assertion that “it was these very transportation improvements that made Humboldt County accessible and threw open the shades to expose to the world the environmental destruction that was happening behind the Redwood Curtain.”
Huh? What road projects, and what environmental destruction is he talking about? Would Maxxam have gotten away with such a blatant boom-and-bust rip-off of natural resources without presence of Highway 101? Oh, wait! They did! Good thing Plumley eschews detail or his theory would fall apart.
Oddly, such environmental destruction will continue if all of Plumley’s desired “transportation improvements” get the go ahead — especially the railroad. With mining interests lining up behind such *cough* improvements *cough* the tradition of foiling Humboldt’s environment will keep rollin’ down the track.
Finally, Plumley says we can boost our neck of the woods by exporting “ideas instead of natural resources.”
FYI: Ideas don’t require a railroad, container ships or STAA trucks.
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Plumley’s piece was quite a stretch, to say the least.
I’m with Miller on that topic- don’t cut those redwoods in Richardson’s Grove to shave 2 min off the drive. I think it’s ridiculous. I’m not with him on the topic of 215 prescriptions though. I would like the MDs to be much more narrow in their prescription writing for medical marijuana.
We have to stop those guys from fucking up those trees.
I’m all ears
I admit that I’ve never read Ken Miller’s pieces before, but his use of the word “modalities” made my bullshit meter go off.
I’m not saying that arguments can’t be made against the “improvements” at Richardson Grove, but he’s not the guy to make them.
Someone noted in the T-S comment section that Plumley’s wife, Kim Floyd, is the project manager for the Richardson Grove project. Funny there’s no mention of that in Plumley’s op-ed.
Who is making that argument? Mr. Plum? That’s never been among the arguments I’ve read.
I support most environmental causes. I love Richardson’s Grove. I grew up next to there, wandered through chest high ferns and explored chimney trees with my friends Syd Setterlund and Carol LaVine who’s fathers were rangers but the reality is that the largest redwood tree proposed to be taken is seven INCHES in diameter at breast height. My hand is 8 inches from tip to tip. Unless you live in a tent, you are responsible for bigger trees being harvested.
I have heard people express worry that the tree roots will be damaged by spreading the asphalt a little wider. However, the roots of current Redwood Giants have been under asphalt for upwards of fifty years with no ill effects discernable.
I love the Grove. But it can be dangerous to drive through. STAA trucks sneak through there and even normal trucks have difficulty staying on their side of the road.
CALTRANS has done real damage to the environment over the years– I understand the trust issues. But I think this road change will allow more gas efficient trucks to replace older models and make the road safer. I would love to see the current park roads connected to make a bike lane to improve safety and access to beautiful back area but, if CALTRANS does what it is proposes, and I believe the vast amount of attention they are receiving guarantees they will, then this alteration will save lives, gas, air quality and not appreciable damage the environment.
Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure my grandfather helped design much of Highway 101, my dad was a Cal Trans heavy equipment operator and my husband is a project manager there.
And I’m an English major who should know how to spell appreciably!
Kym, very well-stated.
Mark Lovelace is the winner here. He can sleep tonight secure in the knowledge that the Republicans will never be able to unseat him with the likes of Plumley.
I wonder, did Plumley’s wife Kim ghost write this mess?
“I wonder, did Plumley’s wife Kim ghost write this mess?”
Why don’t we debate the merits of the arguments instead of making personal attacks?
I am not aware of the construction specifications for the project, but bet that it results in safer conditions for cyclists. I ride through the Grove quite often, and its very dangerous, particularily when the summer tourists are in full swing. You just gotta take the lane, and very few motorists have the patience for that! I hope that they make the improvements but don’t increase the speed limit.
Yeah, ‘specially since you use such a lame name. Oops, sorry CPR.
Is that a picture of Ken and his younger brother? sorry I couldn’t help myself.
I’m with Kym on this one.
Ahem…
funny how everywhere else in the world, enviormentalist love trains! I think widening the grove will be good for our economy witch needs anything it can get right now! To build a true local economy we need a good method of exporting our goods and we need small industry! Only in humboldt do people get freaked out and start screaming when someone talks about improving something! OH NO i like humboldt the way it shitty is!
The thing is — some people don’t see it as an improvement. Everybody wants to make Humboldt better, but there’s disagreement on how to go about it.
Drop a tree across one-oh-one and be done with it. We have community currency.
The pictures reminded me of the Farm owner/character in the movie “Men in Black” after his body was taken over by an alien being. Sugar, give me some sugar now.
Seriously though, it seems like many of the politcal power players are related; Husbands and wives that is – serving on planning commissions and school boards; Supervisor or State Parks; Supervisor and former District Attorney; Supervisor and Health Care; County Administrative Officer and Employee Contract negotiator; etc….In all fairness, singling out Mr. Plumley does not at all explain the detail of political inbreeding.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Wait until you get plan “A” and concentrate the growth in the cities. We will then have the population densities required to make many more national franchises work. Just what we all want.
Anonymous suddenly doesn’t want a Home Depot? Go figure.
We can be nice and say all Ken wants is for this to be an Amish community. Forgoing all advancements of previous centuries as well as any to come.
So turn in your cellphones (can’t have those ugly towers), take your computer to the dump (blogging takes up too much of a carbon footprint you know, and besides, the pot growers need the watts). I don’t know what he wants you to do for heat because you certainly can’t cut any trees.
Pleasantville, that’s it, just live on/in celluloid. Purely cerebral, Take another puff.
And think Amish – only without the ethics, the religion, the tools or the skills.
Oh IMAGINE! what a lovely place it will be.
“We will then have the population densities required to make many more national franchises work.”
Density is not a requirement for big box stores, if that’s what 4:21 meant by “franchises,” but urban density remains more ecologically efficient than the tedious, empty “beige urbanism” that most of the US has adopted.
Yeah, rose, he must have been talking about the Amish when he talked about “[n]ew energy, transport and other technologies and modalities on the horizon, including short-sea shipping and electric vehicles.”
Clearly he’s looking for horse and buggy technology. What a detective you are.
Someone should come up with an accident report for that area for the last twenty years. Someone should count the bark scrapings and notches cut by vehicles. You could not pay me to bicycle through there. I drove it for ten years to and from town. It is not a safe area of 101. When large vehicles (motorhomes!) and trucks meet in those tight areas, you just hold your breath if you are watching. Make it safer, yes. Slowing traffic (and making a separate bike lane for God’s sake) might be the alternative as annoying to speed addicted humans as that might be.
What I have learned from my contact with Caltrans (Kym) is that there is a new improved Caltrans with regard to environmental awareness. So, if this is done, it seems like it will be done to higher standards than Caltrans has a reputation for.
It seems to me from my blogreading that the bulk of the project annyoyance and alteration is to be a bank shearing and retaining wall across from Singing Trees. The size and length of the wall has grown, and the time frame with it.
Some thoughts to consider.
“Oh IMAGINE! what a lovely place it will be.”
It would be more lovely if people would assert their positions without personally attacking people they disagree with.
I heard somewhere that many caltrans projects are being put on hold because of the state fiscal crisis. Does anyone know if Richardson’s Grove even made the cut?
If Kym is correct in that they won’t be taking down the huge redwoods along the narrow parts of the road, I’m also with her. I want our community to have transportation to and from that is as easy as possible, to encourage transport of people and goods. II love the journey, as much as the destination, and want to preserve both.
General Plan Alternative “A”, “B”, or “C”?
Infilling is a step to set society up for totalitarian socialism. In Stalin’s 1930’s Soviet state, Russians lived with the pitfalls of a forced and planned economy. Lack of food created a survivalist mode. Stalin’s collectivization of the farms and his heavy handed attempts on creating a heavy industry almost completely destroyed agriculture in the former Soviet Union state of Russia. The survivors of this collectivization process FLED TO THE URBAN CENTERS and emptied the food shelves. The Soviet state’s answer was to establish a network of closed distribution shops (open to certain groups only), thus forming a rationing system. Black-market activities grew enormously, and so lasted for decades.
Collectivism is not stable. The promises of liberation and equality to the worker is a dream that does not deliver. In the final days of the former soviet block states, people realised that a voluntary exchange of goods and services guided by a market based economy with protection of personal property was more successful than allocation forced upon the citizenry by POLITICIANS and PARTY MEMBERS. Social Engineering is the TOOL that Socialist reformers use to brainwash minds that are already suffering and looking for anything as a scapegoat to better their lives; however, in the end, as already stated, these same citizens realise their mistakes in thought.
Remember, the first to be exterminated by totalitarian socialist practitioners are the so-called enemies of the state – peasants or poor people, the intelligentsia, non-conformists, etc….
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
And another thing, I keep looking at the picture of the two guys and wondering what are they thinking? No really, do they even know why they’re being lined up like that? I feel sorry for them because it isn’t their fault their parents were siblings or whatever. Are they still living? Do they have sisters? Do they have children? Grandchildren? What about RoevWade? I need help here.
I must say “Ed”, I find your comment offensive. It’s obvious these men have a thing or two on their minds. It would be much more illustrative to inquire as to their Alma Maters’ or their portfolios than to delve willy nilly into their family trees.
Oh, Carson, you naif. You know that an argument cannot be made without attacking the competence, morality, breeding, and etc. of those with whom you disagree. Why, that would be so intellectually challenging.
As for Richardson’s Grove, well I know a lot of local businesses, those that we all know and love, that make locally produced products, and give generously to lots of our environmental friends, that need and support this project. I only hope that they will have the courage to publicly stand up for what is needed here.
Standing by for the personal attack…
Humboldt Fog supports the project. So does the recycling center.
Goat cheese and garbage.
It is scary driving that part of 101.
Yeah, rose, he must have been talking about the Amish when he talked about “[n]ew energy, transport and other technologies and modalities on the horizon, including short-sea shipping and electric vehicles.”
That’s the one side of his mouth, heraldo.
He also touts our wonderful timber industry as an asset. The guy should be a comedian.
You mean there is something wrong with having a timber industry? Or do you have to support residential conversion of timberland to express positive sentiments about the actual industry?
Humboldt Creamery, Cypress Grove Chevre and Sun Valley Group are in favor of the Richardson Grove modifications. As I understand it, the requirement of smaller-than-standard trailers is, apparently, a hardship and the problem is worsening as these smaller trailers are phased out.
Do I have this right?
I said franchises, not big boxes. Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, Trader Joe’s for example. With the population spread out the way it is now these type of places do not consider Humboldt. They need a lot of people in a small area. When the density increases and the numbers start hitting their marks, these type of retailers will have enough people in their proposed store radii to make their business plans work.
The cattle ranchers also have trouble with the trailer length. They have had to ship using trailers that don’t fit the regulations for years, but now the regs are getting more stringent, rules are going to have to be followed.
Maybe the fate of this unique grove should be decided by popular vote, rather than by business ventures. That is of course if the government is still capable of funding it.
I’ve heard the difference is one head per truckload.
You nailed it CPR. It’s about helping these locally owned businesses.
Anony.Miss, the cattle haulers have an exemption. I’m a little unclear why. Sorry.
Moving vans etc. though do not and must drive up to Oregon and come down 101–several hundred miles and gallons of gas out of the way.
Ed, you asked, “I heard somewhere that many caltrans projects are being put on hold because of the state fiscal crisis. Does anyone know if Richardson’s Grove even made the cut?”
This is a high priority project, I believe, and wouldn’t likely be cut although in the current economic climate funding for any project is at risk.
Thanks Kym.
And Heraldo, where did you get that picture of the two men with kind of long faces and exaggerated features? I have seen it before and can’t help but think it might have been in a medical journal.
I’m all for helping the local economy, but there are businesses and then there are businesses. Sun Valley was just raided for employing dozens of non citizens. Do you think they were paying taxes? I’m just saying that business ventures alone should not justify a project. If that were true, maybe we should ask the cultivators, they represent the county’s biggest ag. block no?
Nothing about Richarson’s grove will be decided on this blog. I’m not sure whether that’s good or bad, but maybe I should mention some history of the 101 Highway to help people understand how far we have come, and how far we have to go.
Like Kym’s grandfather, my grandfather also worked to scout out the route for highway 101. Previous to the 1920’s there was no highway up the South Fork of the Eel River. The only way to get from San Francisco to Eureka was by ship, or Highway 1 up the coast thru Usal, or the route over the Bell Springs ridge, through Bridgeville, Rohnerville, Springville, and into Eureka. The dream of the early road builders was to build an all season road in the lower elevations to avoid the other treacherous and sometimes impassable routes of the day. My grandfather, and I guess Kym’s Grandfather, and the Bowmans took their horses and pack mules and brushed out a passable trail through the Cummings area, so the surveyors could move in and survey a route for the highway. There was much angst over the route that was chosen up the South fork of the Eel. Many people thought that the route was impossible to build. Indeed after the road was build, many city people still thought that it was impossible to travel, but it was a road, and It was open year around.
The curves in Cummings were so sharp that a semi truck could not get around them without taking up both lanes of the road. The ’64 flood took care of that problem, it took out the whole highway. A trail was punched through while they built a new freeway, the one that is there today. It was proposed that Highway 101 would be a freeway from Mexico to the Oregon border. The freeway was well on it’s way to being built, and it was well financed. There were a few humps and bumps along the way, like what to do about the Richardson’s Grove bypass, and it seems that there was much grunting and squealing in Eureka, because nobody up there wanted a freeway through their town. Caltrans surveyed and offered Eureka three different routes, which only added to their confussion, and then Caltrans told them to forget ever having a freeway through Eureka, and if they ever wanted one to go ahead and build it themselves. They skipped Eureka and built the Arcata bypass. Can you believe that could happen by Humboldt State? It was a forestry and teacher college at the time, so I imagine it was different then.
The highway project all came to an end when Governor Jerry Brown was elected, and he appointed Adriana Gianturco as his Director of the California Division of Highways. He and Gianturco soon abolished the Division of Highways, and adopted the California Department of Transportation. (Caltrans) The reason for the change was to free up money collected from gas and fuel taxes, to be spent on mass transit, like trains and buses. He and Gianturco had a great vision of trains and buses to everywhere, and there would be no reason for the highly inefficient automobiles. Their goal was to be just like Europe.
The train up the Eel River canyon was soon to become a high-speed passenger and freight route. A “Bullet Train” was to be built connecting Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Bay Area Rapid Transit was funded in part by your gas tax dollars.
The feds were so angry over Brown and Giaturco hijacking the highway tax dollars that they refused to give California over Three Billion dollars in matching transportation funds. That didn’t seem to bother Brown and Gianturco, because they felt that they were in the right, and the people that wanted highways were wrong. Brown and Gianturco gave us the diamond lanes in the more populated areas that punishes people that have less than two people in there car. The diamond lanes have been the subject of endless controversy.
Like Kym, I also knew the Setterlunds, and I grew up in Richardson’s Grove and French’s Campground. The place used to be like the summer resort in the movie “Dirty Dancing”. The people would come up here and camp for a couple of weeks in the summer and bring their whole families with them. We would live in the river and the dance barns. The city girls seemed to like the county boys, and vice versa. I’m not sure what Kym was doing down there, she was always such a sweet kid! We were all young and looking for summer romances. Romances that were harder to avoid than find. Yes, I’m fond of the Grove myself.
Now we are arguing over a redwood tree, and whether or not we should allow clean burning highly efficient modern trucks into Humboldt county. I remember when we had big issues to argue about. I would ask for more Redwood trees to be planted to take the place of the trees that are cut, but that’s just me… I like trees, not controversy.
I don’t think it’s about a few trees, but about whether or not to adopt the business and transit values we see in the rest of California. I for one am thankful for those past encumbrances to the kind of runaway development that have plagued the rest of the state.
When I used to live in Piercy, the family who lived in our house before us had recently lost a child in a terrible car accident in Richardson Grove, car vs. semi. I drove to and from town with my own babies in the car and experienced dread every time I drove past the spot where it happened. Bottom line: it is unsafe as it is.
Just do a Google image search on the word “inbreeding” and there you have it.
I drive through there all the time and never feel that it’s unsafe. Just beautiful.
We ordered some chairs on the Internet. The delivery truck was a standard STAA tractor-trailer. The poor schmuck was from North Carolina, and apparently didn’t know that you can’t get these trucks into Humboldt County. So … he tried. It didn’t go too well for him. He ended up having to get the CHP to escort him the rest of the way through. It was a miracle he didn’t cause a serious accident. He was angry and rattled by the time he showed up at our house.
Think of how often this happens, and think how dangerous it is. I also cycle thousands of miles per year. Richardson grove is a nightmare bottleneck for cyclists heading south. These problems are in addition to the problem of our local shippers having to pay to off load small trucks once they get out of the area, and re-load freight to STAA trucks.
If Caltrans were proposing to take out a bunch of old growth trees and punch a four lane highway through Richardson grove, I’d be opposed. But if it is a few small diameter redwoods and a few tanoaks, I think it is worth it.
CPR now opposes personal attacks!
Does the project include a bike path or are cyclists expected to share the lanes with I 5 size trucks?
Ed
I can set you mind at ease about “Runaway Development” in Humboldt County. I’ve lived in this canyon for 63 years, and the only thing that I’ve ever seen “runaway” is unemployment. I’m happy that you are not concerned about your job, your employment, or your future. But, many people are without work, and soon will not be able to feed, clothe, or house their children.
The pulp mill is closed, and has been for some time. When they sold the headwaters forest, a fund was set up to take care of the workers that lost their jobs. The fund was so small that they just decided to keep it in case they needed it someday. The fishing is shut down, and we aren’t doing that much farming around here, we exist because the people that grow marijuana spend a little money with us, and you are worried about runaway development??? My God man, have some compassion. We are on the edge of disaster. Nero hasn’t even started to fiddle yet, he is still stringing the violin and setting rosin to his bow. When its all falling apart, do you think that anybody is going to worry about Humboldt County but us?
Possibly that sounds dramatic, but several years ago when some very wise people were predicting that we were headed for disaster, they laughed at us and said that “America has too many safeguards for an economic disaster to happen”.
Tell me, are you feeling safe???
Isn’t that already the case?
I remember Dad driving the DeSoto through Richardson’s Grove. It was the gateway to Humboldt County. Magical. Our whole family was filled with awe every year when we came through.
Then one time, many years later, as I was driving south through the grove, I came upon a sight I will never forget. At the base of a big Redwood tree situated at the right side of the roadway, the back half of a Volkswagen “Bug” was pushed up against the trunk. There was no front half of the VW. It took a moment to realize the front half of the car had been smashed flat against the tree.
Maybe realigning the roadway, in the seemingly competent and caring hands of the people who are in charge of the project, will ensure that more people who travel through Richardson’s Grove will be able to remember more of the Magic and less of the Horror.
Safer than I did when I lived in Mendo. or Lake, or Butte, Or Plumas, or Santa Cruz Ernie.
I see way more accidents on 101 in the north county.
“Does the project include a bike path or are cyclists expected to share the lanes with I 5 size trucks?”
To my understanding, the bike path is not CALTRANS but there is a move to do one by connecting existing roadways and paths within the park. The reason that there is no bike path included in the CALTRANS project is that no one wants to lose one of those big beautiful trees. To put in the bike lane they would have to remove some of the giants. I hope the Parks does this. Every time I see a bicyclist in Richardson’s Grove, I imagine a semi passing and sucking them under its wheels.
The size of the STAA trucks is about five feet longer than the regular trucks which gives them about 10% more capacity but they aren’t allowed to haul any more weight than the standard ones. My husband, Kevin, brought in an STAA truck and a standard truck to a demonstration in Del Norte County. Almost no one could perceive the size difference.
(I hope I’m accurate on all this. I’m doing it from memory.)
“do you think that anybody is going to worry about Humboldt County but us?”
Isn’t that already the case?
Very cryptic Heraldo. My point was, that wall street is busy sucking up the “Bail-out funds”. Nobody but “us” is going to be taking care of us, and it’s time that we get started. Fix the road a little, it’s not that big of a deal. Most of you have never seen why they restrict trucks going through the grove, it’s not a pretty sight when they don’t, as the poster above can attest to.
Of course any improvement will result in our immediately becoming the next California megalopolis. I remember when we were working on an airport expansion project that we were accused to trying to create the next LAX. Not quite there yet.
I hear those concerns, Ernie. They’re an important part of the conversation.
And I agree we’re the only ones taking care of us.
Zeno, thou art an ass!
I mean really, I feel sooooo bad for you and your poor North Carolina driver trying to deliver your designer chairs you bought off the internet.
You cycle thousands of miles a year.
Why not cycle yer ass down to North Carolina and strap those worthless chairs on your back for the return trip.
or…..
buy local.
Let me guess, these were REALLY SPECIAL chairs.
Anon,R.mous had all the details on the trucks, Kym – here are some of his links:
Word of the day: OFFTRACKING with diagrams of turning radius…Richardson’s Groves low-speed causes more offtracking problems, one because of it’s tight corners, and two, it’s low speed. What it means it the corners need to be wider, and gentler so you don’t have people sharing the same lane. You ever see the sign on the back of the trailers that say “Wide Right Turns?” That’s offtracking.
Links about STAA trucks and Richardson Grove, a year in review.
GCWR and Oh, only one problem with the story though, the new trucks have new engines which already meet the new standard (2007) there was a major change at that time, the next major step is in 2010, where the big trucks will most likely be cleaner then your Pruis…
STAA trucks mean more protection for the drivers, legally.
Bigger STAA trucks mean less truck traffic.
Most of the items getting trucked in and out of Humboldt County are under 80,000 pound gross. Sun Valley would have a hard time stuffing enough flowers in the back of a trailer to try and overload a truck. They would, and have said, that they could use 160 trucks less per year with the longer trucks. Why is this? It’s because they are using more space than weight. I’d be surprised if the trucks leaving Sun Valley had more than 10,000 pounds in the box.
Anon.r.mous’ helpful picture guide to STAA trucks.
yeah, that one has links, so it went into moderation.
Anon.R,mous’ helpful picture guide to STAA trucks, for Kym
It’s a bit disturbing to see Sun Valley in the same category as Cypress Grove and Humboldt Creamery. Sun Valley is a multi-national corporation with operations in South Africa…they use more pesticides on their 1 square mile in the Bottoms as all of the timber industry in the county combined. Many of their trucks are hauling in bulbs from the Netherlands. Why people would want to do anything to help them expand this travesty is beyond me.
“Of course any improvement will result in in our immediately becoming the next California megalopolis”
I like your sense of ironic wit!
“Build it and they will come”. But of course it depends on what you build and where it is. Like the old real estate thing, Location, Location, Location. Humboldt county will always be isolated.
When my wife and I first opened an appliance store in Redway, we were moderately successful for a few years and we were really impressed with ourselves. We took on a line of microwave ovens when they were first being presented to the world. We put an ad in the papers that we were having a microwave demonstration, and we offered a free hot dog, and a free cupcake to anyone that came in. We would cook the cupcake in just one minute, put a dollop of frosting on it and serve it. Same with the hot dog, one minute and it was done. Microwaves were really quite impressive for us back then, they were like magic or something.
We ran the store by ourselves and we started worrying about all of the people that were going to show up. So every time I thought about it, I would go to the store and get more hot dogs and more cake mix, because we were just sure that we were going to be too busy to go to the store during our “Grand Presentation”. well… we had four people come by for our demo, and I think that was because they felt sorry for us. We had hot dogs and cupcakes all summer.
I think the Richardson’s Grove Bypass is much the same. I don’t think that it’s going to make Humboldt County that much more popular, it will just help us keep pace with what is around us. Just like the computers that we have, or the other conveniences. They just help us keep pace, we haven’t out competed anyone.
Thank you, Rose. Those links from Anon.R.Mouse were what first got me thinking about this subject.
Ernie, I loved your story and I agree.
I love Humboldt Co. I love the rural smallness. Respectfully disagreeing with Dr. Miller (whom I often agree with) I don’t think a safer pass through the Grove is going to bring in hordes of people to the area. I agree that we should, as often as possible, choose local. We can still choose to do that but I also choose safety and what I believe is the most environmentally sound solution of using less gas by using the higher capacity STAA trucks.
Redway in the seventies? Successful microwave oven salesmen cooked bacon for demonstration. The smell of cooking bacon sold the hungry after work crowd.
haha, ernie nice story about the cupcakes and hotdogs. its made me laugh. On another note tho. I think the one thing that will turn humboldt into the next santa rosa is the new general plan with is emphasis on urbanization. Eureka area already has about 40,000 – 50,000 people. Humboldt is a really big place, we have plenty of land, i dont see why there isnt enough room for more development in the country. If eureka, mckinleyville, fortuna did not exist, then all the smaller towns would have a more balanced economy, centeralization is what is needed for big box development. Humboldt does not need to worry about growing much, we are one of the slowest growing countys in california. The thing that brings people in humboldt would be good jobs and affordable housing. something that we have neither of. The college will continue to bring new blood into the area long enough for them to get a degree and leave or a few will like the area and make it home but besides that not much is likely to change. We have a huge buffer zone, trinity, del norte and mendocino have NOTHING in them. You can barely get yuppies to move to mendocino, sonoma is about as north they will go! People if eureka blows it up into a big city it will only be after ukiah turns into the next santa rosa. Humboldt types live here cause we love to live here not cause its affordable or because theres great jobs, this alone makes us somewhat diffrent than most people who want excitment and people, culture and fun! Something better suited for them in the bigger citys. The problem with us is that we love humboldt so much we want to protect it like our hidden valley, little do we know that when others see us they laugh because we are all trying to protect this wonderland that most people view as a rundown shithole! now we should take pride in knowing that we are native now when we dont care how crappy the area is its home and we like it!
Humboldt Pride!
Ernie’s Place (Branscomb)
Truly that is the most touching post I’ve ever read on this website…
Agree or disagree, for or against, you described with great simplicity a part of Americana soon to be history.
Thank you.
STAA trucks already can hit Humboldt county, just can’t go though Richardson’s Grove.
All this talking about something we should be seeing.
Anybody got a picture/drawing of the planned improvement?
Maybe with all the restrictions this isn’t a project that would
make enough of a difference to make it worthwhile.
Maybe we shouldn’t spend our money on this right now.
Ernie B. thanks for the history, I love history. Here is some history, One of my best friends was hit in the grove by a semi that crossed the line in 92. He died shortly after arriving at the G-Ville hospital. His name was Jack, he is buried in the Briceland cemetery. He left a wife and kids behind.
If we are living in a culture that worships rapid travel from here to there, it has to be safe. Cut a couple of trees, or enforce a 25 MPH speed limit through there!
Ghost of Mabel: You have very elegantly revealed your true nature by your personal attack against me, and your ill-informed assumptions about my lack of buying locally. How does that troll suit feel?
I really appreaciate Mr. Branscomb’s stories of the history of Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. Thank you, Ernie!
299 Opine used the same photo for a blog post once. I was told to google ugly twins to find it and I did find it!
The birds in the forest aren’t singing,
they are screeching in pain!
what is that picture? who are those people?
who am i? what am i doing here?
They are Afrikaner brothers, photographed many years ago.
Now, back to the discussion:
So far, the pro-improvement folks are making the more compelling arguments. Let’s hear more reasons for not improving the Richardson Grove passage.
Cal-Trans projects
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Link
Cal-Trans projects
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Sorry, forgot a quotation mark in first attempt to link.
Anyhow, Jan. 30th is the deadline to relay any public comment directed toward the Richardson Grove project.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
I had a nice conversation with a Schmidbauer driver. He delivers lumber to the bay area. They have no need for the larger trucks.
with the expense of simply maintaining the existing infrastructure, maybe money could be better spent elsewhere.
So if a bike lane is already being planned to run in a different right of way through the park (excellent idea thank you Caltrans), and larger trucks aren’t needed for hauling, and strict speed enforcement seems to help with safety elsewhere, let’s study on this awhile longer.
But the larger trucks ARE needed for hauling; just because Schmidbauer doesn’t need them doesn’t need others do.
Plus, on safety issues alone, the realignment is needed, Ken Miller, and his pothole issues notwithstanding.
my sympathies to the folks there at singing trees who are going to suffer greatly with noise, difficult access, and general annoyance for some months should ‘progress’ proceed.
i am glad to hear that the park is cooperating with a safer way for bikers…may that money be there!
i have stated elsewhere that there is an unstable area just north of the park and mostly on the south side of the bigfoot giftstore that has required many patches from multi-inch slumps and cracks over the years. should mother nature return to giving us rain some winter, increased truck flow over that spot will be something to watch.
does anyone know if the Caltrans plans account for, or estimate how many more trucks will able to use the road?
great effort from our historian Ernie! thank you.
I’m sure the driver is well versed in the inner economic workings of the company. Maybe he/she doesn’t mind the extra 10% truck trips per year.
I’m sorry if I gave you a wrong impression. The Parks are responsible for the bike and pedestrian path IF it happens. I personally think that it will but current financial conditions could hinder the project.
The Schmidbauer driver hauls lumber which is heavy. Both STAA and current semis can’t carry any more than 80,000lbs Thus, current trucks who already are at weight limit will not get a huge advantage from a change to the STAA trucks (though they are more gas efficient).
A large portion of the current businesses, however, are for making the changes. I assume they are pro doing so because the STAA trucks work better for them. Businesses that ship lighter but bulky goods ie plants, groceries, furniture, etc. would benefit from the STAA trucks.
Currently, there are STAA trucks going up to Oregon and down to Humboldt. This wastes gas, time, and money.
Richardson’s Grove currently has low speed limits. Unfortunately, we all know they aren’t followed. A great deal of time and money has been spent on this already.
Ed, I’m sorry. I don’t agree with you. We can study ideas forever. That might eventually kill this project. If we as a community don’t want it, let’s just decide and quit wasting money studying this. Studying something that hasn’t been thought out is a great idea. But eventually, studies are just an excuse not to do something. Let’s either do the project or not do the project and quit wasting money.
Unfortunately, I believe if we don’t carefully change the road through Richardson’s Grove, we’ll continue to waste gas and we’ll have to watch more people die there.
“Maybe he/she doesn’t mind the extra 10% truck trips per year.”
It was more a matter of load size. Having a truck with trailer was more efficient for their deliveries. I’m not the expert but he talked about “roll-offs”. BTW – he also said the business was doing quite well with lot’s of demand.
And they return full.
Olmanriver, I don’t think (though this could change) that there would be a huge increase in truck traffic. Remember, those STAA trucks carry more than the normal trucks so this would somewhat offset the increased traffic from letting trucks go through instead of around. And the STAA trucks don’t weigh any more than the others.
I don’t know if that study was done. I’ll try to find out.
the HREF=”http://www.northcoastjournal.com/issues/2009/01/08/drive-thru-redwoods/”>northcoast journal article was a pretty good intro to those new to the subject.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist1/d1projects/richardson_grove/reports.htm is where you will find the pdf layouts and graphics.
northcoast journal article
sorry
why can’t Caltrans take the money they would have spent killing trees and widening for a bike lane and give it to the parks for that bike trail?
or a grant from the save the redwoods league to hire the local unemployed to build it through the park.
Another post said fishing is done – if that is so why is City of Eureka getting a $500,000 grant from Headwaters Fund for an ice machine for the fishing industry? See this coming Tues. Board of Supes Agenda.
Olmanriver, there has been a study about increased truck traffic and, as I thought, they believe it will be negligible because the STAA trucks can carry more. This can be found on the EIR (Environmental Impact Report.)
Rather than point you to it. I’m giving a link to Continental Shelf, a newer local blog, that has an excellent if somewhat unfavorable analysis of the project. However, she excellent links and, as always, she deals with techie points clearly and simply. The Richardson’s Grove analysis by Sophie Laglace can be found here.
thank you!
The information concerning the proposed project’s economic justification and impacts appears to be drawn exclusively from the March, 2008 report “Realigning Highway 101 at Richardson Grove: The Economic Impact on Humboldt and Del Norte Counties” prepared by Dr. David Gallo. In order for Dr. Gallo to arrive at the conclusions that he presents in his report, the data that he has applied to his analysis would have to be drawn from statistically significant sampling. The Gallo Report attempted to do this, but its assessment is based almost entirely on the Humboldt County Economic Development Division’s online survey which was inadequately designed and poorly implemented by any acceptable standards of sampling. For example, you will find that conclusions concerning the “Effect on Annual Truck Traffic” is based on only 14 responses. Page 9 “Annual Impacts” admits to being weighted and states that costs are based on only 19 online responses.
The “Quantifying Impacts” (Gallo report, page 6) attempt to justify the survey results, but acknowledge that they are limited to only a few sectors. Footnote 1 on page 1 states that the survey was confidential and that “none of the responses can be released to the public”, thereby making further scrutiny of the data impossible.
We could put eight traffic lanes through Richardson Grove State Park and we will be no closer to major hubs and markets. Freight rates are based primarily on weight, distance shipped, class (type of product or merchandise shipped), volume, and frequency.
Where is the survey of common carriers asking what this will mean to them and by what percentage they expect their overall freight rates might be reduced, if any?
What about the multiplier effect for local compared to out of area businesses? If the Richardson Grove 101 widening project results in greater cost savings for “big box stores” on the incoming side, then the 20 percent multiplier for dollars spent at local businesses will decrease, while the six percent community multiplier for out of area corporations will increase. However, since there are only so many retail dollars to be spent, the net result over the long term could be a significant reduction in local economic activity over the “no project” alternative. Why isn’t that range of possibility included in the “Multiplier Impacts” on page 10 of the Gallo Report?
The Confusion Hill Bypass project is a good example of a Caltrans project that makes a lot of sense: benefits go to all users, carriers and businesses equally. In addition, significant economic and environmental gains are evident and can be tracked. There was nothing but support for that project.
For what it’s worth, I will be recommending that Caltrans initiate an independent assessment of the statistical validity of the HCEDD Survey; the effect of that validity – or the lack of it – on the Gallo report’s conclusions; and the related implications for the rationale of Caltrans’ proposal to widen Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park. Safety issues at Richardson Grove can be more effectively and economically addressed by other methods. If a more accurate range of future economic impacts were calculated, the cost of the Richardson Grove Operational Improvement Project could most likely not be justified.
Watch out Dave, Rose is on her way to discredit you. Soon, you will be linked to all things evil!
thanks Dave!
I noticed CPU considers it a “personal attack” to suggest that Brian Plumley’s wife, who not only works for Caltrans but it is in charge of the EIR for this project might have had a little input into this piece Brian wrote. It seems like a legitimate question to me, and not personal at all.
I do believe these longer postings are very informational. Good job folks!
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
I hear all this talk about how this four lane road will make it possible for large trucks to drive through Richardson Grove. The people saying this must not ever drive on the current road. Those who do drive down 101 on a regular basis can attest to the fact that these trucks already (illegally) travel through this two-lane death trap and drive way the hell over into oncoming traffic far beyond the proposed four-lane road’s size.
It is a complete pain in the ass to stop and wait for these trucks as it is. If Richardson Grove becomes a four-lane road, it will make it supposedly safe for these trucks to come through and thus people who drive on Highway 101 will encounter trucks encroaching upon oncoming traffic lanes on a regular basis.
The tourist industry will take a hit once word spreads that driving here requires competing with bigass trucks swinging into oncoming traffic. I don’t care how much beer, cheese, or flowers that we export as those export dollars will not replace the money spent by people coming here to look at birds and hike in the woods.
Mr. Nice
They don’t want to make the road any bigger, or wider, just easier for the trucks to get through, plus making a legal route for modern trucks.
Also, thanks for being nice, and not calling people names. I like that.
mr nice, i think that ‘four lane’ has been used in hyperbole, but is not in fact what is being created through the grove. and that swinging into traffic is just what the improvements are designed to prevent.
i love the quiet secret of the northcoast and hate to see it grow, as i have seen every other beautiful place i have lived. but i do not think that the richardson grove project is the environmental thermopylae for our lifestyle that some think it is.
Four lane is indeed hyperbole. This realigns the current two lane road to change the angle you enter into the curves, and while it does build a retaining wall that will be hard to miss you will probably not notice the difference if you drive a car. The trucks will, however, and that is what all the fuss is about. But I agree with oldmanriver, this is not the end of life for us in Humboldt County that love it the way it is.
No, that happened in about 1968.
Not “life”. I mean the “way it is” that we love. Ah, ferggedit.
Yeah, Humboldturtle, you had to go and fill in those pot holes, didn’t you…and look what happened.
I say, let’s go back to the time before Richardson Grove. I’m putting in a gas station/convenience store on Bell Springs Road this summer and can use all of the customers I can get.
cue the historian…Ernie Branscomb? paging Ernie Branscomb to heraldo’s blog again!
if we are going back to pre-64 and the four lane “improvement” to the south of the grove…wahoo. few people realize the scale of what was cut down…the Devoy grove was magnificent. caltrans would not get away with that in these times…i have always wondered how much money the state made on that harvest. i have seen some of the oldgrowth stumps down by the river along 271. it was a large oldgrowth grove as i recall reading.
as a more recent emigre to the area, i can understand why you are fond of back then humboldturtle. i liked the area better in 88 than in 08.
Wondering Why originally said, “…did Plumley’s wife…ghost write this mess?” That’s a far cry from wondering if she “might have had a little input into this piece.” My point is that this sort of gratuitous speculation is meant to cast aspersions and adds nothing useful to the debate.
As for the debate: put yourself in the position of say, a local brewery with lots of sales in the bay area. The expense of finding and maintaining trailers which are pre-STAA sized will eventually take you out of the running for that huge market.
It kind of stuns me that folks are still thinking this project will cut down the grove, or will be a four lane highway, or will straighten the highway. All of these are false. Where do you guys get your information?
Where do we get our information? Right here. Where else is there?
Obviously I don’t have the facts straight about what the plan is. Sorry about that.
My point was that it is already a messed up area for driving because of big trucks. No matter what caltrans does, it is going to be very bad to have bigger trucks attempting to drive through Richardson Grove. It is illogical to increase traffic on an already dangerous section of road and call that a safety improvement. I don’t care if the millions of dollars spent on this lowers the price of gasoline by 5 cents. If slightly cheaper future landfill products means killing tourism figuratively and literally in the form of fatal accidents, then it is not worth the trouble or our tax dollars.
This is yet another bridge to nowhere project. Please stop thinking it is 1950 and that Humboldt has a chance of becoming the rural version of Martinez. If the local and state governments want to help us with business and the cost of living, perhaps they should lower taxes. Lowering taxes is a lot easier than fixing a road flanked by 500 ton trees.
Perhaps begin by cutting the ridiculously high (sucker) voter-approved sales tax increase in Arcata.
How will it increase traffic? The same goods need to get up here (this project will not increase demand for goods, nor do I see any way it will cause increased demand), now it’ll be easier for shippers to get them here. This will benefit the small businesses much more than the big ones, since shipping is a much larger percentage of their expenses.
This idea that this project will cause radically increased truck traffic kind of stumps me. Maybe I’m dense…I just don’t see how it’ll increase demand for goods up here.
The larger trucks are not that much bigger – a few feet – but they are more fuel effecient, quieter etc.
No one wants Humboldt to be a rural Martinez or anything like that. It’s about our local businesses being able to compete on equal ground with businesses from out of the area. In the end, it’s just about sustainability.
It will radically increase truck traffic for the trucks that are currently not supposed to use the road.
The drive is already terrible and it doesn’t make sense to make the drive worse for people who travel through the area.
Any increase in traffic would cause more accidents, especially if the increase was in the size of trucks.
I could give a crap about slightly cheaper shipping. Cheaper shipping may boost certain segments of the local economy but this roadwork fiasco will inevitably have a larger negative effect on money entering the economy in the form of tourists.
I also don’t understand why people care about the extra money some businesses will eventually make from cheaper shipping considering the devastating amount of money businesses in the area will lose while the construction is happening. Bankrupting an entire area is not what I’d call sustainability.
“It will radically increase truck traffic for the trucks that are currently not supposed to use the road.”
No. Some percentage of goods that are currently shipped using the old standard trucks would be shipped using STAA trucks. A more likely scenario would be slightly less traffic, because assuming the amount of goods we need remains constant, it will require fewer trucks to ship it.
Park officials want to put a bike lane through the Richardson Grove park, it has been through the cultural review process and the environmental study is currently underway.
Please not a reference in the T-S story below:
http://www.times-standard.com/ci_11294363?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com
Full disclosure: I have been working on behalf of the county to help get the business perspective out to the public. Regardless, I personally believe that the fix along Richardson Grove is a necessity in terms of local small manufacturing and small and mid-size business sustainability on the North Coast.
I meant please note a reference in the T-S story.. excuse the typo
Darn, Ann corrected her own typo. Lost opportunity, there.
There is no new Caltrans, but there is much greater public scrutiny and a lot of distrust by other agencies, so the locals have had to start making a lot of concessions on most big projects. Reluctantly. Sometimes angrily.
I’m not sure about this project. I really want success for the local industries that are supporting it, but I also think that the route might become an alternative for big trucks that are on their way elsewhere.
If you support it, you really should send a letter to CT, as it seems like the opposition is more motivated.
big trucks are coming from the east as well, another caltrans project 197/199 Safe STAA Access
Hey! I know that guy in the picture! It’s Heraldo!
Thank god this blog is dead. What a load of crap.
149 min. Abundância a Janeiro: Zahar. Brasília: Autor,
2012. http://www.peterboekholt.nl/atelier/index.php/gastenboek?10/RK=0