Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/41330
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 – Daily News 7A DIG Continued from page 1A experiences with this PIT project was learning new skills, as well as the diverse group of people working on the project and camping out all week. "At night we talk about what everybody found," Scott added. Each morning, the group goes over safety and the plan for the day before travelling from the Mas- terson Group Camp- ground to the project site, which Scott said was help- ful. Christa Westphal, an archaeologist from the Plumas National Forest Feather River Ranger Dis- trict and Chico State Uni- versity student, said her favorite part was "learning more about prehistoric archaeology." Wesley Thomas of Par- adise came to the Mendo- cino National Forest for his first PIT project. He joined his son Lowell Thomas, an archaeologist from the Mendocino National Forest Grind- stone Ranger District. "I love it. It's wonder- ful to be around all these intelligent, nice people who love what they're doing with a lot of patience and a lot of knowledge that they share," Wesley Thomas said. "If they had these going on for a month at a time I would do them all summer." This is Lowell Thomas' third PIT Project working as an employee. He said his favorite part of the experience is, "seeing how much the volunteers enjoy the experience for the first time and seeing the cultur- al material that they didn't know was on the Forest." The PIT project on the Mendocino National For- est was the fourth this sea- son for Jim Blaes from Atascadero. He is sched- uled to participate in another project next month in Markleeville, south of Lake Tahoe. "I've enjoyed all of it … all I've been privileged to do," Blaes said. "I like working with these two guys, too," Blaes laughed, nodding to Wesley and Lowell Thomas, who were work- ing in the same unit. The PIT Project site this year was first identi- fied during the Keeran Timber Sale in 1976. Artifacts have been found at the site for decades and the site is in an area where there is a lot of distur- bance that has brought items to the surface. "We look around more (here) and find more and more each time," Dugas said. At the conclusion of the project, the units were filled in and Forest archae- ologists will process the information gathered. The units loop down towards a watering hole, which Dugas speculated was the draw to the site as a base camp. The diverse group of PIT volunteers included students, professors, retirees, and working pro- fessionals who wanted to learn more about archae- ology and prehistoric cul- tures. "We appreciate all the help from the PIT volun- teers," Dugas added. "It's been a great week and we are glad we were able to share the experience and have a safe and successful project." PIT is a volunteer pro- gram with the Forest Ser- vice that provides an opportunity for the public to learn more about archaeology and historic preservation working side-by-side with Forest Service archaeologists and historians at sites across the United States. For more information on the PIT program, or to apply to participate on a PIT project, please visit www.passportintime.com. Caltrans begins highway repaving binge SAN JOSE (AP) — California drivers will see fewer potholes and bumps as state highways see a burst of new repaving projects. The San Jose Mercury News reports that nearly $11 bil- lion in federal stimulus funds, state bonds and millions of extra dollars due to savings from low bids on projects has resulted in a repaving binge. Russell Snyder, executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, says savings of 30 percent on bid prices have resulted in many projects on waiting lists getting green-lit. Right now, only 28 percent of California's highways are rated in good condition. Paradise to vote on medical pot club ban PARADISE (AP) — Officials in Paradise will decide whether to ban pot collectives and limit the size of personal medical marijuana gardens in an attempt to regulate medical marijuana through zoning changes. The small northern California town in January passed an emergency ban on pot collectives and coop- eratives, and on Tuesday will vote on a new ordinance that would ban collectives outright and limit medical pot gardens to 50 square feet. The town's law seeks to balance the rights of patients with public safety and neighbors' concerns. The medical use of marijuana was legalized in Cali- fornia under Proposition 215. Concerns were raised after a home-invasion robbery and murder in 2008 at a home where the victim and others' medical marijuana was stolen. Officials toss scores after LA teacher cheating LOS ANGELES (AP) — California education offi- cials have tossed out the test scores of two Los Ange- les-area schools after several teachers were found to have doctored student test results. The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that three teachers at Short Avenue Elementary in Del Rey and a science teacher at an Inglewood charter school are accused of fixing wrong answers or coaching students to give the correct answers. John Deasy, superintendent for the Los Angeles Uni- fied School District, characterized the actions as gross misconduct. Located in Chico, CA Red Bluff Simple Cremations & Burial Service Family owned & Operated Honor and Dignity 527-1732 722 Oak Street, Red Bluff, FD Lic. 1931 529-3655 www.affordablemortuary.net I-5 Continued from page 1A trans Acting Director Mal- colm Dougherty said is in jeopardy in a press release sent out Sept. 1. On Aug. 29, Dougherty sent a letter to the Califor- nia Congressional Delega- tion that said the end of the federal fiscal year, which is Sept. 30, would result in the "expiration of HAPPY Continued from page 1A already happy about. One class at a time, Edebiri hopes to teach youth what he's learned about being happy, he said. Sponsoring a class of 25 to 30 students costs $150 for supplies. Some organizations have already signed on, such as the Redding JOBS Continued from page 1A they adjourn. Their bill, AB155, would nullify the Amazon referendum by making the Internet retailers' tax an urgency measure taking effect immediately. A two- thirds majority vote in the Legislature is required to do so, but it's unclear whether enough Republi- can lawmakers in either house will support it. Brown and his fellow Democrat, Senate Presi- dent Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, also are negotiating SB126 to help the state's farm workers in the Legis- lature's closing hours. Earlier this year, Brown vetoed a Steinberg bill that would have made it easier for unions to organize farm workers but which growers had characterized as a union power-grab. The alternative, which gets its first Assembly committee hearing on Tuesday, would punish election misconduct by growers with sanctions that could include an auto- matic certification of the farm workers' union. Brown also is pushing lawmakers to reauthorize federal transportation authorization and funding for all current and future transportation projects." "Existing projects would be shut down and new ones would be delay or shelved," said Caltrans Public Affairs Officer Matt Rocco. "Essentially what happens is, if Con- gress does not pass this legislation within weeks, Caltrans will be phased to shut down some of its pro- Lions Club. Edebiri has also worked with Richfield schools and wants to expand in Tehama County. Over last weekend, the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Chico was help- ing raise money for the group through a book fair fundraiser. When someone made a purchase and mentioned the project, the store gave a portion of the proceeds to the project, Edebiri said. Supporters may go online and what is known as the Pub- lic Goods Charge, a sur- charge on utility bills that raises $400 million annu- ally for clean-energy pro- jects. The administration is pitching the reauthoriza- tion in SB1x28 and SB1x29 as ''a vital job- creating tool.'' Despite the focus on jobs, Republican lawmak- ers and business leaders are critical of several bills sponsored by Democrats and say much more needs to be done to help busi- nesses. The state's job growth remains weak, with unem- ployment rising to 12 per- cent in July for the first time since March. The California Cham- ber of Commerce is fight- ing legislation that seeks to ban plastic foam take- out food containers throughout the state, label- ing it as one of several ''job-killer bills'' remain- ing before lawmakers. The chamber says the pro- posed first-in-the-nation ban would threaten manu- facturing jobs and increase costs for restaurants that would have to spend more money on alternative, biodegradable containers. Republicans also say regulatory reforms pro- posed in two Democratic bills, SB617 and AB29, jects, if not all of their pro- jects. I can't speculate on what will happen on each individual project, but even a short disruption in funding or certainty on if that funding will be avail- able could really impact projects." Contractors may chose to have to shut down, pull their equipment off the road and lay people off, Rocco said. "Even if funding is restored, it takes time to ramp back up again at con- siderable cost and time," Rocco said. "The effects will be significant if this does happen and that's why the director has urged congress to act swiftly on this legislation so we don't get to that point." ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews. com. contribute through the Barnes & Noble website through Friday. Pur- chases made online at bn.com/book- fair, with the identification number 10538916, will benefit the project. For more information about the project, go to www.iamhappypro- ject.org. ——— Andrea Wagner can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or awagner@redbluffdailynews.com. don't go far enough, even though they adopt some long-standing Republican ideas. ''The business commu- nity, the people that want to invest in California, are holding back because they keep getting mixed sig- nals: Is California going to really be open for business or is it going to just be the same old thing?'' said Senate Minority Leader Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga. He said it probably is too late to create enough economic activity and rev- enue growth to avoid auto- matic spending cuts built into the state's budget. Bil- lions of dollars more will have to be cut from schools, universities and other programs at the start of the year if tax revenue continues its slide. Dutton also criticized Democrats for delaying until next year reforms to the state's public employ- ee pensions, a system both parties say threatens the state's long-term financial health. Also stalled at least until next year is AB52, which would have given California regulators the power to reject health insurance rate increases. But after years of failed attempts, lawmakers this year sent Brown two bills, AB130 and AB131, which will let students who were brought to the country ille- gally apply for public and private financial aid. Brown previously signed the bill allowing them to apply for private aid and has indicated his support for the other legislation. Lawmakers also are on the verge of sending him AB768, a bill that would prohibit local govern- ments from banning male circumcisions. The measure, which so far has received unani- mous support, responds to a ballot measure in San Francisco that would have prohibited the practice for most boys under age 18. A judge has since blocked the measure from this fall's local ballot. Less assured is a bill that would give state prison inmates who were sentenced to life in prison as juveniles a chance to have their sentences reconsidered after they serve 15 years. The Assembly is set to reconsider its rejection of SB9 this week after the bill was amended to say that inmates who had killed public safety work- ers or had tortured their victims would not be eligi- ble for a reduced sentence. Parched conditions fuel California wildfires LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tinder-dry conditions provided ample fuel for at least three wildfires burn- ing across Southern Cali- fornia on Monday as fire- fighters launched a mas- sive aerial assault to try to halt the blazes' spread. The largest fire was the so-called Canyon Fire, burning near Tehachapi in Kern County. It was sparked a day earlier when a single-engine Cessna plane crashed. As of Monday night, the blaze had chewed its way through more than 4,700 acres of rugged brush and pine, said Tom Piranio, a California Department of Fire and Forestry Protection spokesman. Firefighters were ini- tially aided by calm winds, though these picked up in the after- noon, he said. About 600 firefighters, backed by a DC-10 jumbo jet tanker and more than a dozen other aircraft, were battling the fire and about 5 percent of the blaze was con- tained. Kern County fire department spokesman Cary Wright said at least 650 homes in three rugged communities were ordered to evacuate. At least one structure was destroyed, but that num- ber was expected to go up. Ground crews were focused on creating a break between the fire and the trailer, ranch and vacation homes in com- munities south of Tehachapi, a city of 8,000 south of Bakersfield, Wright said. Firefighters were also working to pro- tect the nearby wind farms threatened by the blaze. Authorities did not know how many people were on the plane that crashed, but two people have been confirmed Today's Burning Issue Doesn't The Lint Trap Keep The Dryer Vent Clean? (No!) A partially plugged gas dryer vent may back carbon monoxide into your home. Symptoms may include headache, achiness, nau- sea, brain damage and death. Lint is flammable. Longer cycles are a waste of energy. We test the sys- tem before and after service so you know what we accomplished. 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The fire was burning near the Vasquez Rocks county park, whose other-world- ly, slanting rock mono- liths have served as the backdrop for many Hol- lywood film and TV shows including ''Star Trek.'' County fire Capt. Mark Savage said the biggest unknown was the weather. Around this time of year, fast and hot winds can blow in from the desert and wreak havoc on any fire contain- ment plans. ''Winds could be the X-factor,'' he told KABC. ''We just don't know what could happen.'' Independently owned Telephone: (530) 824-3792