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MINERAL Lassen Volcanic Na- tional Park Superintendent Steve Gibbons announced he will retire Saturday after a career spanning five decades, 34 years of National Park Service experience and 28 parks. After a four-month acting as- signment in 2014, Gibbons be- came the superintendent of Las- sen Volcanic National Park in 2015. Gibbons started his career in 1978, as a seasonal hydrologic technician at the South Florida Research Center in Everglades National Park. After multiple sea- sons in hydrology research and one in the field of Interpretation, he secured a year-round position as a hydrologic tech at Everglades in 1983. Gibbons resigned in 1984 to fol- low his future spouse, Gina Ro- chefort to Mount Rainier National NATIONAL PARK Lassen's superintendent an no un ces retirement Staffreport RED BLUFF Environmental cleanup is slated to start Monday at the site of a former Pacific Gas & Electric Co. manufactured gas plant along the Sacramento River in downtown. Under the oversight of the De- partment of Toxic Substances Control, PG&E will clean up site soils impacted by historic gas making activities at 600 Pine St. From 1874 to 1947, a manufac- tured gas plant operated at the site burning wood, shale, coal and crude oil to produce gas. The by- products of gas-making opera- tions were tar, light oils, sludge and lampblack, which is a fine black soot-like material. PG&E sold the property in 1959 and a motel was built in 1962 and operated until 2010 when PG&E repurchased the property to fa- cilitate investigation and cleanup ENVIRONMENT Cl ea nu p to begin at former gas plant By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter RED BLUFF The newly estab- lished Tehama County Jobs De- velopment Standing Commit- tee spent its first meeting Thurs- day night learning what has been done regarding economic devel- opment in 2016 and setting goals for the year ahead. Top priorities included staff working on an economic devel- opment strategy plan, figuring out what a business retention plan might look like and creat- ing quarterly newsletters to keep residents and prospective busi- nesses apprised of what is going on in Tehama County economic development. Direction also in- cluded looking into attending trade shows to learn what others are doing and at which to eventu- ally market Tehama County. In the report on 2016 was a re- curring theme that economic de- velopment takes time, sometimes 10-20 years before substantial impacts are seen, said Tehama County Jobs Development Coor- dinator Caylyn Wright. Tehama County is consulting with Rural County Representa- tives of California (RCRC) look- ing into federal funding opportu- nities for infrastructure, particu- larly in the South Avenue area of Corning, an area in the northern half of the county and near the Walmart Distribution Center. "Infrastructure development is the most fundamental part of eco- nomic development," Wright said. Supervisor Burt Bundy said, while infrastructure is a key to development, more important is planning when it comes to zon- ing. The staff was directed to work on the need to craft new definitions under the categories of commercial and industrial. Several properties were men- tioned. The economic develop- ment team has begun looking at one on Diamond Avenue, another by Jellys Ferry and a third around the Distribution Center. Nine- Mile Hill in the northern end of the county and properties near Gyle Road were also mentioned. Attendees received a memo re- garding whether or not an en- hanced infrastructure financing district would be a good model. While it is feasible it is not nec- essarily the "be all end all miracle ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Jobscommitteesets2017priorities By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter CORNING Following the certi- fication of meeting minutes in early January, Corning City Man- ager Kristina Miller is planning to submit an item to Wikipedia. com to recognize recently retired Corning Mayor Gary Strack as the longest standing mayor in California. Stepping down at the Dec. 6 meeting, Strack has more than 40 years of public service. "Gary Strack has in an incredi- ble level of dedication to the com- munity," Miller said when pre- senting him with a plaque for his service. "A man with this level of integrity doesn't come around often. I did a little research and learned he is the longest stand- ing mayor in the state of Califor- nia. He's going to be famous on Wikipedia as well once the min- utes are published." The plaque, which has a clock on it, lists the 46 years Strack spent on the Corning City Coun- cil with his time as mayor run- ning from October 1972 to De- cember 1986 and February 1996 to December 2016. Strack served as councilman from April 1970 to October 1972 and again from March 1987 to February 1996. When Strack first arrived in Corning at four years old, it was only supposed to be a short visit, but 70 years later he is still in Corning and has no plans to leave it, he said. "My dad was discharged from the service at Fort Lewis and we were on our way to Texas where he was doing to find work," Strack said. "We stopped to see relatives in Corning and just never left." Graduating from Corning Union High School in 1959, Strack married his high school sweetheart Clara and has only lived in two houses in town. He worked for Rainbow Bread for 38 years and Clara has been at Ol- ive View Elementary School for 43 years. CORNING MAYOR MAY BE LONGEST STANDING IN CALIFORNIA PHOTOSBYJULIEZEEB—DAILYNEWS Corning Mayor Gary Strack signs his final paperwork following the Dec. 6council meeting, where he officially handed the title of mayor over to Doug Hatley. Corning Mayor Gary Strack enjoys a moment with his great- grandchildren and family following his final meeting as mayor a er 46years of public service. Have a great day, Linda Coon GOOD MORNING U DowJonesIndustrial 19,963.80 (+64.51) U Standard & Poor's 2276.98 (+7.98) U Nasdaq 5521.06 (+33.12) BUSINESS Rep. Duncan Hunter finds painting inspired by police shooting in Missouri to be of- fensive, takes it down. PAGE B4 WASHINGTON Lawmakerremovesart showing pig in uniform War veteran suspected of shooting spree in airport a er retrieving gun from checked luggage. PAGE B6 CRIME Five dead in Florida airport shooting Community.....A3 Lifestyles........A6 Farm ................A5 Sports.............. B1 Opinion............A4 Faith ................A8 INDEX Check out what's going on in your neighborhood and the community. PAGE A2 LOCAL CALENDAR Web bonus More news and opinion. redbluffdailynews.com Focustobeon strategic plan and business retention JOBS PAGE 9 GAS PAGE 9 RETIRE PAGE 9 MAYOR PAGE 9 Rain High: Low: 48 44 PAGE A10 530-366-3166 www.redbluffdodge.com 545 Adobe Rd., Red Bluff » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, January 7, 2017 $1.00 AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD JEAN BARTON Winter Dinner and Bull Sale history Farm A5 BASKETBALL Tournament roundup for both boys and girls Sports B1 Volume132,issue34 7 98304 20753 8