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TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 8A RED BLUFF Reader Photos U.S. Open SPORTS 1B Sunny 101/66 Weather forecast 8B By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer A Tehama County Interstate 5 pavement and bridge rehabili- tation project could be at risk of DAILYNEWS 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 I-5 project at risk of losing funding losing funding if it isn't finished by the September deadline. Started in August 2009 and running from 5.3 miles south of the Adobe Road Interchange to the Adobe Road Interchange the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of Sep- tember, Caltrans Public Infor- mation Officer Denise Yergen- son said. The project has roughly Can you dig it? Special to the DN WILLOWS – For a week, from Aug. 22-26, 32 volunteers, 11 archae- ologists and two tribal representatives from Round Valley lived on the Mendocino National For- est to work on a Passport in Time (PIT) archaeolo- gy project. The project partici- pants were working on sample excavations across a site believed to be a pre- historic hunting base camp. Findings included stone flakes from making and maintaining projectile points, partial and nearly whole projectile points, as well as other stone tools. Projectile points are most- ly large specimens used on spears, rather than associated with bow and arrow, a technology that came later in time. "It's kind of unusual at this elevation to find a lot of ground stone – we're at 6,200 plus feet," said For- est Archaeologist Mike Dugas. "There are quite a few pieces including a small pestle, an anvil stone and various milling stone fragments typically used for processing plant foods. These implements suggest families were at the site, as plant process- ing was typically done by women." Most projectile points found at the site appear to be 3,000 to 5,000 years old. "The early component is most likely representa- tive of the Yuki tribal ter- ritory," Dugas said. "The presence of artifacts Courtesy photo Lowell Thomas (left), an archaeologist for the Mendocino National Forest Grindstone Ranger District, records data in one of the units while Jim Blaes of Atascadero looks for artifacts in the screen. which appear made from northeast obsidian sources suggest the Nom- laki were here at some point also. Obsidian analysis will tell us more about who and when the site was occupied. The bulk of tools we're find- ing here are from the early period." PIT participants started 15 excavation units to sample across the site. Working in teams of three, they excavated square holes, digging Lawmakers focus on jobs as session draws to an end SACRAMENTO (AP) — State lawmakers have addressed circumcision and foam takeout contain- ers this year, but the state's backsliding econo- my and dismal jobs out- look are dominating the end of the legislative ses- sion. Creating greater scruti- ny of business regulations and keeping a surcharge that allows investment in alternative energy projects are included among the roughly 250 bills lawmak- ers are hurrying to finish before their Friday dead- line for sending legisla- tion to the governor. Democratic lawmakers have formed a rare alliance with business leaders to push a last- minute package of bills designed to make Califor- nia's regulatory environ- ment friendlier to busi- nesses. Gov. Jerry Brown, meanwhile, is proposing a tax plan in SB116 and AB1x40 that would close a corporate tax loophole on out-of-state companies while offering incentives for businesses to hire workers in the state. Even a late proposal to expedite potential envi- ronmental challenges to a planned $1.2 billion NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles is being promot- ed as a way to create more than 23,000 construction and full-time jobs. ''Jobs, jobs and jobs,'' said state Sen. Alex Padil- la as he introduced the stadium bill, SB292, with Assembly Speaker John Perez, a fellow Los Ange- les Democrat. Among the most watched legislative battles is a Democratic attempt to strengthen a law enacted earlier this summer that forces online retailers such as Amazon.com to collect sales tax. The Internet retail giant is gathering signa- tures for a 2012 ballot ref- erendum seeking to over- turn the bill, but Democ- ratic leaders hope to head off the challenge before 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See JOBS, page 7A across each layer a cen- timeter at a time and col- lecting the dirt in 5 gallon buckets which were poured through screens to filter out cultural artifacts. Each layer was carefully documented, including what items were found. The unit concludes when sterile soil is reached, with no cultural evidence. On average, this was approximately 16 inches deep. "I've gotten to do every job," said PIT volunteer Desiree Scott, who came to the project from San Rafael. "I can screen, I can dig, I can help out with paperwork." This is Scott's second PIT project. Her first was a survey done on the Pike National Forest in Col- orado, which was differ- ent from the hands-on experience she has had working on an excavation project. Among her favorite See DIG, page 7A $200,000 left on the contract, which was a total cost of $42.9 million for the project, Yergen- son said. Of that, $41.6 million American Recovery and Reha- bilitation Act funding, she said. However, if not finished on time, it is one of several pro- jects, estimated at a valued of $23 billion statewide, that Cal- See I-5, page 7A Woman injured in rollover By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer A Red Bluff woman was trapped beneath her 2006 Chevrolet Pickup and had to be extricated following a crash Friday evening on Lowrey Road, one mile south of Red Bank Road. The driver, identified by CHP as Eleanor Farrar, 73, was flown to Mercy Medical Center in Redding with major injuries after she was freed by firefighters using handtools, CalFire Capt. John Wilson said. Farrar was driving south on Lowrey Road when due to her level of intoxication and her unsafe speed she allowed her vehicle to run off the west road edge, Cal- ifornia Highway Patrol Officer Ken Reineman said. The pickup traveled onto the dirt shoulder where Farrar lost control of the vehicle, which came back onto the road before overturning, Reineman said. Farrar was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, but was released to Mercy Medical Center in Redding to be treated for her injuries, he said. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com. Weekend fires thought to be arson CalFire and Tehama County Fire responded to two fires over the week- end that have been deter- mined to have been the result of arson, including one that led to an arrest. A debris fire was reported at 3:19 p.m. Sun- day in the area of Hatfield Road and Rawson Road. The responsible party was arrested by a CalFire Pre- vention Officer, a CalFire spokesman said. Nothing further was available on the arrest Monday. The fire caused $500 damage with a $10,00 save before it was con- tained at 3:32 p.m. Sun- day. Several hours later a series of vegetation fires broke out about 11:38 p.m. Sunday on Moon Road in the Corning area. The fires, three fires totaling one acre burned, were determined to be arson, the CalFire spokesman said. The fires were contained by 12:13 a.m. Monday by CalFire and Tehama County Fire with assistance from Corning Volunteer Fire Department. Man spreads happiness wherever he goes By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Wherever he went, Edwin Edebiri had been asking people how happy they were, on a scale from 1 to 10, and what they were happy about. True to form one day, Edebiri stopped a man coming toward him in a hurry in Jack London Square in Oakland. The man told him he didn't want to answer any questions. Edebiri, who'd promised himself to try at least three times before giving up, petitioned the man again. Finally, the man answered. He wasn't very happy at all. Edebiri began to tell the man a story. When he saw the man start to calm down, he continued. A half-hour and nine stories later, the man wouldn't let go of Ede- biri's hand and asked for his name. The next day, the man called him on the phone to say thank you because in Jack London Square, the man had been on his way to commit suicide. It was after that Edebiri founded the I Am Happy Project in 2009. "It dawned on me - now, I could save a life," Edebiri said. A Corning resident and professional speaker, Ede- biri saw people he knew to be positive and happy starting to become fearful and negative as the econo- my suffered, he said. He had been meditat- ing and asking what he could do to shift people's minds to have happiness, he said. After meeting the man at Jack London Square, he started meeting with groups to talk about hap- piness. Now, the project is in 55 cities and sev- eral countries, he said. A group in Red- ding has 67 members, some from Red Bluff. A group in Chico has 80 mem- bers. Edebiri The groups are now taking on the task of hap- piness in schools. Happy children, in general, are hard to bully, do better on tests and stay away from drugs and other negative things, Edebiri said. They don't see doing those things as a way to be happy anymore, he said. The I Am Happy Pro- ject has set a goal to visit 100 classrooms this school year. Gearing up for that, Edebiri, known as the Chief Happi- ness Officer, has been visit- ing service organizations all over the North State searching for sponsors. The target group is 6th to 8th grade students, and some high school classes, he said. Run entirely by volun- teers, the group provides happiness journals and buttons that say, "I am happy." "I am happy" is a posi- tive affirmation, Edebiri said. It reminds people to think about what they are See HAPPY, page 7A COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Smog Inspection $ 2595 + cert. (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) Pass or FREE retest 195 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530 527-9841 Unemployed due to a closure or major layoff? Have lunch and learn about a special grant opportunity, offered for a limited time through the Job Training Center Call 529-7000 or visit www.jobtrainingcenter.org to learn dates and times.