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The old ladder, which has already been destroyed, did work to a degree, be- cause schools of spring-run salmon can be seen in the pools upstream from the lower falls. But the old ladder was too steep for most of the fish. It rose more than 15 feet in seven steps over the course of about 15 yards, be- fore turning through a tun- nel bored through the rock to bypass the falls. Parker said replacement of the ladder was at the top of Fish and Wildlife's to-do list when she started work- ing in the area in 1998. Funding didn't become available until just this Feb- ruary. The new ladder will have 15 steps. The smaller jumps will allow more fish to get upstream. It also will be about three times as long, starting at the same place as the old ladder, then taking a 90-de- gree turn in a downstream direction, then doubling back 180 degrees to reach the tunnel. The $2 million cost is be- ing split between the fed- eral Bureau of Reclama- tion's Central Valley Project Improvement Act funds and drought aid money from the governor's office, according to Parker. Thesite Last week at the remote site several miles down- stream from the orange Highway 32 bridge across Deer Creek, the crew from Meyers Earthwork of An- derson and Dyer All Ter- rain Excavation of Truckee were using the spider exca- vator to drill along an or- ange line painted on the bench below the big rock. Rock dust drifted in the breeze, though water was sprayed regularly to keep the dust down. Baffles lined the creek edge and barriers floated in the water to keep debris out of the stream. A metal storage building stood near the creek, pro- tecting supplies. "The bears chewed on our gas cans on the last job," Parker ex- plained. Nearby there's a porta- potty of a sort, a vertically elongated dome tent, with a seat under which you slide a bucket filled with absor- bent. Downstream in the creek, a weir has been erected to keep fish away from the work. There's a lot of stuff out there in the middle of no- where. The heaviest gear was lifted into the remote site by helicopter. More was brought in by mule team. A lot was carried in on the backs of the work crew. The excavator actually crawled 800 yards down the steep side of the canyon from a logging road, earn- ing its spider name by ma- nipulating its two claw feet and its working arm to nav- igate the slope. The site — owned by the Northern California Land Trust — has been trans- formed by two months of work into a ledge of shat- tered rock. Project super- intendent Rory Brinkman stepped away from his work briefly to make sure an old newsman knew how to move safely across the scree. The shape of the upper leg of the ladder could be made out, cut from the can- yon side and running to the tunnel cut through the rock. There was still plenty of work to do though, an- other two months worth, according to Brinkman. It took longer to get the environmental permits than it will take to com- plete the work, according to Parker. "Sometimes we're harder on ourselves, so we lead by example." The reason Deer Creek is one of three creeks in the Sacramento Valley that host significant wild populations of spring- run chinook salmon, the other two being Butte Creek and Mill Creek. Smaller runs survive in Big Chico Creek, Antelope Creek, Bat- tle Creek and Clear Creek. The fish move upstream in the spring and need deep pools of cool water to spend to summer. They spawn in fall, then die. When the new generation is born, it moves down the creek to the Sac- ramento River and out into the ocean, returning in two or three years to repeat the cycle. Butte Creek has the healthiest population of spring-run fish after mil- lions of dollars were spent to ease fish movement up- stream to Butte Creek Can- yon, where they spawn. Deer Creek is second, but the drought has reduced the population to perhaps 300 fish, down from the 600- 800 that were normal. "If we'd done this project 15 years ago," Parker mused, "maybe the population doesn't collapse and is able to survive the drought." There are actually more of the kind of pools the spring-run needs above the lower falls than below it. But the fish need to be able to get to them. There is also an Up- per Deer Creek Falls, just off Highway 32 east of Po- tato Patch Campground, and a fish ladder was built there in the '40s too. It also doesn't work very well, and while a replacement might be on the Fish and Wild- life wish list, it's far down the list. Deer Creek is shallower above the upper falls, with few of the deep, cool pools the spring-run adults need. There are far more proj- ects that could bring far bigger results, according to Parker. A project with the Deer Creek Irrigation Dis- trict in the first few miles of the creek near Vina is prob- ably next. Parker finds it remark- able that back in the '40s people were already looking out for the fish. She doesn't call the old ladders mitiga- tion, as that concept was foreign then. People just cared. They still do, it appears. ReachCityEditorSteve Schoonover at 896-7750. Route FROMPAGE1 labor work force. Of those 18,234,000 are employed and 1,135,400 are unem- ployed with a total of 5.9 percent of people in the state unemployed. That unemployment rate had decreased by 0.6 percent in a year and has gone up 0.2 percent in a month. In the United States the unemployment rate has stayed the same as in June at 5.1 percent. The unemployment rates in the counties near Tehama County are Glenn County at 9.1 percent, up 0.5 percent in a month, and Butte and Shasta counties at 7.4, both up 0.2 percent. The counties with the highest employment rate are Imperial at 24.2 per- cent, Colusa at 12.5 per- cent and Tulare County at 11.3 percent. The counties with the lowest unemployment rate include San Mateo at 3.4 percent, Marin at 3.6 per- cent and San Francisco County at 3.7 percent. In the 49 areas or re- gions in the state the Northern Rural Training and Employment Con- sortium, which includes Butte, Del Norte, Las- sen, Modoc, Nevada, Plu- mas, Shasta, Sierra, Sis- kiyou, Tehama and Trin- ity counties combined, have 308,500 people in the labor force. Of those, 286,600 are employed and 21,900 are unemployed, totally 7.1 percent of peo- ple in these counties un- employed. Jobless FROM PAGE 1 the Corning community step up to say thank you. Corning Patriot member Jerry Lequia and Tehama Patriot member June Coo- per presented the plaque to Fears. Lequia also said at a time when there is so much dis- trust of police, he and the other patriots wanted to let Fears know that they do not feel that way and do appre- ciate everything the depart- ment has done for the com- munity. As Lequia said this to the council and Fears an audi- ence member spoke up and said "Amen" to the com- ments. The patriots groups also wanted to let the commu- nity know that they will be signing paperwork Wednesday to get a K-9 account for the Corning Police Department open at the Corning Rabobank, where anyone can go in and donate. The bank is at 950 99W. The estimated cost of a police K-9, including the training needed, is about $20,000. The K-9 program is close to Fears' heart, he said, so he really appreciates the efforts that the patriots are making to bring a new po- lice K-9 to the department. Corning Police K-9 Oso retired in October of 2015 with an emotional send off from Fears, who was his handler. Police FROM PAGE 1 gine fell through when the section gave way. Antone said the bridge was safe for the weight of the fire engine and the collapse was a re- sult of damage from the ini- tial crash. During the initial crash, a pickup became airborne and struck the metal sup- port pillar of the bridge, knocking it off its con- crete footing. The section was further damaged by the first engine on scene and the responding law en- forcement units, who did not have time to warn the second engine on scene of the compromised integrity of the bridge. The section of the ap- proach that collapsed was not over the river and no portion of the collapse landed in the river, Antone said. The fact the damage is on the land side helped speed repairs. Repairs to the collapsed section and the weakened sections on either side of it, which run about 60-70 feet long, were expected to take about a month to 45 days, Antone said. The cost was expected to be about $332,000. The bridge replacement project is expected to be put out for bid around the first of the year and could start construction in late winter or early spring, An- tone said. During the three-year re- placement project, the ex- isting bridge will remain in use. Antone urged residents to stay away from the dam- aged portion of the bridge, but said most of the park- ing area and boat launch are safely accessible to the public. While the bridge has been closed, area residents have been forced to use a detour south on Jellys Ferry Road or north to Cotton- wood for access to Inter- state 5. Inquiries regarding the bridge and project can be made by calling Tehama County Public Works at 385-1462 or visiting www. tehamacountypublicworks. ca.gov/. Bridge FROM PAGE 1 PHOTOSBYSTEVESCHOONOVER—ENTERPRISE-RECORD Dust rises as the spider excavator digs last week into the rocky ledge below Lower Deer Creek Falls. In the foreground, Jeremy Keen and Toby Rodriguez of Meyers Earthwork spray water to keep the dust down and operate the joystick box that actually operates the drill. In the excavator cab, Stephen Glander of Dyer All Terrain Excavating holds the working arm in position. Project superintendent Rory Brinkman moves last week through the tunnel at the top of the fish ladder at Lower Deer Creek Falls. The tunnel was dug in the 1940s, but the recent effort has deepened it about a foot and a half. RICHARD"GREG"HASSAY October 3, 1941 ~ August 18, 2016 Richard "Greg" Hassay (Oct 3, 1941-Aug 18,2016) was born in Corning, CA to George and Geraldine Branham Hassay. He attended Corning Union High, and was an ac- complished athlete. Greg lived life with an infectious quality about him that made you want to be a better per- son & enjoy the moment. To Greg, there never was a stranger. He believed in working hard, and in enjoying life, balancing the two like few can, living each day to its fullest. He believed family and friends came first, and that you shouldn't try to change people but accept them for who they were. He was an avid fisherman, hunter, and golfer. He loved his ranch in Richfield, from his walnut orchard to the massive garden he planted each year. Greg loved to do community service and found his love in the volunteer fire department, serving 42 years of dedicated service. He was always ready to respond to a fire whether local or out of county, loved doing the yearly Christmas toy drive distribution, and treasured the friendships he built with his comrades in uniform over the years. Greg is preceded in death by father, George Hassay, his brother, Mike Hobgood, & mother, Jere Hobgood. He is survived by his life partner of 27 years, Rusty (Lola) Wil- liams of Richfield, CA; his sister, Cheryl (Leslie) Sutfin of Corning, CA; stepmother, Patty Hassay of Corning, CA; as well as his children from his marriage to Bonnie Hassay: daughters Shannon Hassay Ortland of San Francisco, CA, and Shaunna (Corey) Rossman and their children, son Chase and daughters Mia and Maddux of Redding, CA; son Rich (Diane) Hassay, and his son Kaiden, daughter Kylee and stepdaughters Sosie and Abby O'Sullivan, of Red Bluff, CA; two nieces and one nephew, as well as his life partner's numerous children and grandchildren who adored him. Burial will be a private family service. The family wel- comes all to Greg's viewing, which will be held on Fri- day, August 26th from 4 -7pm at Hall Bros Mortuary, 902 5th St. Corning, CA as well as to a Celebration of Life Me- morial, to be held Saturday, August 27th at 11 a.m. at Corning Fire Dept., 814 5th St. Corning, CA. Please bring your stories and memories to share. In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the CVFD (Corning Volun- teer Fire Dept.), 814 5th St. Corning, CA noting in memo- ry of Greg Hassay. RICHARD EARL DUGGER February 15, 1923 ~ August 19, 2016 To everyone he met, Richard Earl Dugger, was know as a truly great fellow and a real gentleman. On August 19, 2016, he passed on to be with his dear late wife, Reva, leaving us all a little bit richer for knowing them both. He was 93. Richard, "Dick" to many, was born on February 15, 1923 in Sterling Kansas. He also lived as a child and young man in Colorado, Arkansas, and Missouri with his parents Raymond and Minnie and his brothers Jim and Harold. He graduated high school in Lewis, Kansas and moved to Gerber, California to join his Dad working for the South- ern Pacific railroad. He continued to work for the Southern Pacific until he was drafted into the Army during WWII. On the way to New Guinea, his unit stopped in Hawaii. He was fortu- nate to be pulled out and assigned to a logistics com- mand, keeping him in Hawaii during the war. He said it was due to a clerical error in his records that stated him as a high-speed typist. He often joked that he had to learn fast and that a clerical error saved his life. His old unit went on to New Guinea and experienced heavy cas- ualties. He achieved the rank of Tech Sergeant in his serv- ice from 1943 to 1945. After the war, he returned home to Gerber and resumed work for the railroad. There he met and married Flor- ence Coulter. They had three sons, twins Larry & Gary and younger brother Tim, in the twenty-five years they were together. When the kids were young, Dick went to work for the U.S. Postal Service as a Rural Route Carrier in Gerber. He was promoted to Gerber Postmaster in 1968. He held that post until his retirement at the age of 65. He ran the Gerber Junior Rifle Club for many years where he taught gun safety and marksmanship to many Gerber kids. He also belonged to the Elks and Odd Fellows. He was in- volved with the Gerber Elementary school and Gerber Cub Scouts. He also had a small business as a television repairman. Dick was always intelligent and interested in new technologies. He continued that way, becoming quite computer literate later in life. He learned to use a spreadsheet to manage his golf scores and played card games long distance, via the internet, with his grown sons in Bayside, CA and Alaska. On June 22, 1973, Dick married the great love of his life, Reva, acquiring another son, Phil Mackey and a daughter, Margo (Mackey) Singleton, in the union. Dick and Reva settled in Red Bluff where they were active community members. Avid golfers both, they were long time members of the Wilcox Oaks Country Club, where Dick served as Presi- dent in 1979. They travelled to play golf all over the West and had a fondness for regular holidays at Pismo Beach. At the end of life, the Brookdale Assisted Living environ- ment was loving and nurturing for both of them. When Reva died, he was still among friends, family and neigh- bors also in residence or visiting. The family is very grateful to the wonderful staff and management for the care they gave in those final years. Dick was preceded in death by his parents Raymond & Minnie, his brothers Jim & Harold, daughter Margo, and wife Reva. He leaves his sons Larry, Gary, Tim and Phil, daughter-in-laws Christy, Mary and Nancy; former wife, Florence; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces, especially nieces Barbara Hurst and Marjorie Mackey. All remember him with love and re- spect. Memorial Contributions may be made in Richard Dugger's name to Hospice of Red Bluff or the Red Bluff Cemetery District. A Celebration of Life will be held 2 PM Sunday, August 28, 2016 at the Hoyt-Cole Chapel of Flowers, 816 Walnut St. Obituaries ToplaceanobituaryintheRedBluffDailyNews please call (530) 737-5046 Combining Quality and Low Cost is what we do. www.affordablemortuary.net•529-3655 FD1538 LocatedinChico,CA R ed Bluff Simple Cremations and Burial Service FD1931 527-1732 Now open longer hours 722 Oak Street, Red Bluff THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 7 A