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THURSDAY JULY 28, 2011 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 4B RED BLUFF Reader Photos Swim Results SPORTS 1B Sunny 103/68 Weather forecast 8B DAILYNEWS Pool aid TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Collision leads to fire, outage A single vehicle that crashed into a power pole Tues- day afternoon on St. Marys Avenue just north of Mar- jie Avenue sparked a vegetation spot fire. Cal-Fire responded to the crash around 6:30 p.m. but was unable to put out the fire until about an hour later. The fire department had to wait for PG&E to de-ener- gize the downed power lines that caused the fire. Driver, Breanne Houghtby, 20, of Red Bluff was trapped in the vehicle but was uninjured. Her 2006 Honda Civic received moderate left side damage. Houghtby was reportedly southbound on St. Marys Avenue when she let her car veer off the left side of the road. She over corrected and crashed into the power pole, according to CHP. Staff report State examines practices at charred plastics plant Photo courtesy of Debbie Carlisi Workers start on a the McGlynn Pool facility renovations funded by the Crowley Charitable Fund. By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer When McGlynn Pool closes in about two weeks, men in cargo shorts with tool belts will replace the boys in swim trunks with floaties. Facilities at the pool are getting a makeover, at no cost to the city, thanks to a donation by a Red Bluff High School alumna and her husband who continue to ride the wave of support for the pool that surged during the River Park Festival in June. Karra Crowley, a 1979 Red Bluff High graduate, was first contacted early on by a member of the festival committee to help with plans for the three-day event that was aimed at raising money to keep the pool open. At the time, Crowley was in Texas and unable to make a “hands on” contribution, so she and husband Chris Crowley made a monetary donation of $20,000. They did, however, get back in time for the June fes- tival. During that weekend, the Crowleys were given a tour of the pool and adjoining facilities by Parks and Recreation Director Debbie Carlisi. For Karra Crowley the tour was a flashback to more than 30 years ago when she used to spend her summer hanging out at the pool. It was sad to see the state of the deteriorating facilities, she said. There are bathrooms and showers that do not work. The entire plumbing system needs to be redone. The Crowleys worked with Carlisi to identify other areas of need and together created a list of about 10 items that will be fixed or replaced. To do all of that, the Crowleys donated another $80,000 to the city. While their first donation will be used for pool operation costs, the second will be for restoration projects. Tired drive cause of three-vehicle crash Tuesday on 99E A sleepy driver on Highway 99E reportedly caused a near head-on col- lision around 2:45 p.m., Tuesday but escaped with only minor injuries. Dominic Cresci, 63, of Redwood City, was south- bound on the highway when he reportedly fell asleep and drifted over the double yellow lines, strik- ing a northbound Peterbilt semitrailer almost head on, according to CHP. Cresci’s 1996 GMC Suburban and the semi- trailer both spun, and the SUV struck a 2007 Toyota Camry in a glancing blow. The Camry, being dri- ven by Cecilia Campos of Madras, Ore., had been northbound, directly behind the semitrailer. It received minor left side damage. The SUV had major left side damage while the semitrailer had major dam- age to the entire vehicle. Cresci was taken to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital with minor injuries. Campos did not report any injuries. The driver of the semi- trailer, Roy Nash, 63, of McArthur, had minor cuts but opted to seek his own aid. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff Outdoor Power To ensure the donation is not swiped into the Gener- al Fund, they have established the Christopher and Karra Crowley Fund with the city to oversee the pro- jects. All the costs for labor and material will be paid for through the charitable fund with the Crowleys hiring their own workers to do the job. They also will be on site to offer guidance once the project gets fully underway. Work has already begun on projects that do not directly impact the swim area, such as putting a new roof over the filter room and setting a new fence around it. Once the swim season is over, crews will start on the bathrooms and the rest of the projects. “It will be almost like a new building when this is done,” Crowley said. “This is going to be something that I hope everybody in Red Bluff will be proud of.” The goal is to have all the projects completed by the time the pool reopens next summer. Carlisi said she overjoyed and speechless by the Crowleys’ donations. “Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for what the Crowleys are doing for our community,” Carlisi said. The impact the Crowleys are making could very well be community wide. Aside from the $100,000 they have donated to the pool, the Crowleys, about four months ago, made a $40,000 donation to Red Bluff High. They are working with Principal Patrick Gleason on how best to spend the money. Crowley said the donation has been tentatively set to go toward a scholarship that would benefit multiple recipients and an electronic bulletin board. ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527-2153, Ext. 110 or by e- mail at tlor@redbluffdailynews.com. SACRAMENTO (AP) — State regulators opened a workplace safe- ty investigation on Wednesday at a Northern California plastics factory where a fire raged a day earlier. Investigators with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health will look into prac- tices at Macro Plastics Inc. of Fairfield. Cal/OSHA wants to be sure workers were follow- ing safety regulations, said agency spokes- woman Erika Monterroza. No serious injuries or building damage were reported from the six- alarm fire. An initial investigation suggested that Tuesday’s inferno, which sent black smoke billowing into the sky, was caused by an employ- ee working with an open flame in a storage area. Telephone messages left Wednesday for plant officials were not returned. Inspectors tested water from storm drains around the fire site and air sam- ples taken during the blaze, but early indica- tions showed that the fire was no more hazardous than a typical summer wildfire in California, said Terry Schmidtbauer, envi- ronmental health manager for Solano County. Macro Plastics makes bins used for harvested grapes and other agricul- tural products, as well as other types of containers, made largely from poly- ethylene and polypropy- lene. When those com- pounds burn, Schmidt- bauer said, they produce carbon dioxide and car- bon monoxide along with volumes of black smoke, but not the complex toxic compounds associated with some plastics. ‘‘As far as plastics go, it’s about the best you could hope for,’’ he said. The Bay Area Air Quality Management Dis- trict expects to have the results of air samples this week, said spokeswoman Kristine Roselius. The district had no record of complaints or violations against Macro Plastics for the past five years, she said. Cal/OSHA records showed four minor viola- tions at the company since 2006. All were in 2008 and all were resolved within 30 days, Monter- roza said. The blaze broke out in a storage area that held about 15,000 bins behind Macro Plastics’ headquar- ters and plant in Fairfield, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacra- mento. At the height of the fire, flames swirled 100 See PLANT, page 7A County health urges mothers to breastfeed As mothers, we want the best for our children. We search for ways to protect our babies from respiratory and ear infections and diarrhea. We look for the best doctors, the best medicine, and the cleanest and safest environments. What if someone told you that you don’t have to search so hard? That scientists have already found some- thing that could do all this and the benefits would last into the teen years, as well as reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, allergies, asthma and high blood pressure. Wouldn’t you just have to have it? If that same "some- thing" might also boost your baby’s IQ, wouldn’t you rush out to get it? It’s free, available anywhere you are, sterile, always the right tempera- ture and a time and energy saver. It’s one more miracle produced by moth- ers – breast milk, according to a release issued Wednesday by the Tehama County Department of Health. Breastfeeding benefits mothers, too. The short-term benefits are the hormones released during breastfeed- ing that curb blood loss at post deliv- ery and help the uterus shrink back to its normal size. Breastfeeding also helps burn calories, the release said. Long term, the breastfeeding mother has a lower risk of pre- menopausal breast cancer — before age 50. This benefit begins at three to six months of breastfeeding and increases the longer the nursing con- tinues. The risk of ovarian cancer is reduced for women who breastfeed. The Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding babies for at least six months. However, the AAP encourages at least 12 months and even longer if the baby is willing and the mother is able. The decision to breast or formula feed is a very personal one. There are some things to consider before you decide. Studies show that making a commitment to breastfeeding during pregnancy will increase your chances of providing your baby with the best possible nutrition and disease-fight- ing factors, the release said. Scientists have discovered more than 200 compounds in breast milk that fight infection, help the immune system mature, aid in digestion, sup- port brain growth and help to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breast milk decreases the occurrence of respiratory and gas- trointestinal infections. With the enormous benefits of breastfeeding in mind, the Surgeon General’s call to action in 2011 is to support breast- feeding. Although experts believe that breastfeeding is best for your baby, it is not always possible for all women. Formula is one alternative for those who cannot breastfeed. It provides many of the nutrients needed for your baby. Feeding is an important time of bonding for parent and baby – breast or bottle fed. For those who choose to bottle feed, hold your baby and feed on demand. Try to formula feed as if you were breastfeeding. The Tehama County Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) has professional lactation educators to support WIC participants in mak- ing the breastfeeding commitment to their baby. Should you encounter any difficul- ties in the first weeks of nursing, don’t give up. You and your baby will benefit greatly. Call WIC at 527-8791 for more information and support. For those who are not eligible for WIC, you may find local support for breastfeeding through the La Leche League 527-6818.