Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/733686
Youthful energy met public need as dozens of college and high school students converged on the Mendocino National For- est to complete mainte- nance projects to the pop- ular Red Bluff Recreation Area. Forest Service staff hosted a National Public Lands Day event, Sept. 23- 25, which brought together partners from the Bureau of Land Management, Gener- ation Green and Califor- nia State University, Chico. Some 100 volunteers and Forest Service staff com- pleted nine labor-intensive projects over the three day event. "We could never get all this done on our own," said Shannon Pozas, forest en- gineer for the Mendocino NF. "(National Public Lands Day) is my favorite day of the year." The event started on Fri- day evening with career night. Eight guest speakers from the Forest Service provided insight into their unique specialties, which included: forestry, public services, fishery biology and more. The group then shared a meal prepared by the CSU students. Saturday morning the volunteers split into eight groups, each with a For- est Service team leader, to complete large tasks in numerous recreation areas. The projects included: Replacing wooden boards on two boardwalks lead- ing to trails, replac- ing sprinkler heads in a camping area, assem- bling shutters for a fire lookout, painting shut- ters and signs, building a pump house, installing 30 signs around the camping areas, and replacing tops on picnic tables. While the Forest Service staff were thrilled by the maintenance being com- pleted, the students were excited about the experi- ence. "It was awesome to see everyone come together to do this work," said Kelsey Wade, a parks and recreation major at CSU. "This gives us a sense of pride and ownership of our public lands, and provides an opportunity to work with profession- als in the field." In addition to the work, the group offered interac- tive displays for 4th-grad- ers and their families to at- tract attention to the Ev- ery Kid in a Park program. Firefighters from the for- est brought an engine and let kids operate a hose line, while Latinas in Action, a student organization from CSU, presented an envi- ronmental education pro- gram on reducing plastic pollution. "This is part of our mis- sion to provide our mem- bers an opportunity to learn more about environ- mental issues and Forest Service careers," said Les- lie Garcia, president of La- tinas in Action. "We had a good time, es- pecially our newer mem- bers because this was their first time camping out with their fellow students." The student volunteers departed the Red Bluff Rec- reation Area Sunday eve- ning, having completed two days of much-needed work on the national forest and receiving valuable volun- teer experience. The event was an exam- ple of the mutually ben- eficial partnerships the Forest Service seeks with its surrounding commu- nities. For more information, visit https://www.facebook. com/MendocinoNF/ and Flickr https://www.flickr. com/photos/usfsregion5/ for photos. Studentshelpwithforest maintenance projects Dear Mary: Thank you for your column, I really enjoy it! We went with your rec- ommenda- tion and purchased your "best inexpen- sive stroller," hoping it would stand up against the cobblestones of Rome, Italy. Well, after three months of living in Rome with our 2-year-old lit- tle girl, I can tell you the stroller has done fantasti- cally! It has held up great over miles and miles of walking and cobblestones, it's simple for travel within airports, and it's perfect for tight squeezes onto buses, trams and trains! It was an ideal investment, so thank you for sharing your wisdom. You truly bless the lives of those you reach. — Barbara Dear Barbara: I'm both excited and jealous — ex- cited that you love that stroller as much as I do, and jealous because I would love to spend three months in Rome with my grandsons, walking miles and miles of cobblestones. Did you notice? I said grandsons! Seven-year- old Eli is now big brother to 1-year-old Sam. The fun on my Fridays has dou- bled since Sam has joined us. To catch up recent readers, I've cared for Eli on Fridays since he was six weeks old. My intent was to gift my Fridays to my kids to give them a day to rest. But as it turns out this has become the greatest gift they could have ever given me. This also means that my transportation needs have doubled. We cover a lot of territory on Fridays, so I need to have both boys safely in tow. I'm not the only one with this growing need, as evidenced by the following letter that just showed up in my inbox. Dear Mary: I really appreciate your recom- mendation on the baby stroller. I love the Sum- mer Infant 3D lite Con- venience Stroller (your pick for the best inexpen- sive stroller). I just found out we will be adding two more grandbabies to our family. Do you have a rec- ommendation for the best inexpensive, lightweight stroller for two children? — Pam Dear Pam: Two new grandbabies? How won- derful. I'm not sure whether you are looking for a stroller to accom- modate one baby and one older child (which is my current situation) or two babies. So first, let me tell you what I have done. I recently purchased the Graco Roomfor2 Click Connect Stand and Ride Stroller (about $140), which is just perfect for one baby to sit and ride and an older child to stand and ride. I can't tell you how perfect this is for my current needs. Eli can hop off so easily, and then get back on board. We call it our "bus." Your mention of two new babies leads me to believe that you want a double stroller for two newborns. I have two rec- ommendations for you, depending on your needs and budget. The Delta Children City Street Side by Side Stroller is fan- tastic. It folds up so eas- ily, and it has big, sturdy wheels and sunshades. Both seats have three- point harnesses. The stroller fits easily through a 30-inch door open- ing. The one drawback, which may not be a draw- back at all for you, is that the seats do not recline. Both babies must remain seated upright. At $60 this is a fantastic bargain, and in my opinion an ex- cellent choice that will provide years of joy. If reclining seats are a must-have (I can under- stand how that could be very important transport- ing two wee ones), take a look at the Baby Trend Ex- pedition Double Jogger Stroller (about $180). It's a bit heavier and bigger, but it collapses easily. Both seats have five-point safety harnesses and accommo- date kids up to 50 lbs. each. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Best inexpensive double stroller CONTRIBUTED California State University, Chico students volunteer on National Public Lands Day on Saturday at the Red Bluff Recreation Area. NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY Wheelchairs and recre- ational vehicles with wheel- chair lifts will abound at the Durango RV Resort in Red Bluff during the Hand- icapped Travel Club's rally Oct. 5-8. The club, formed in 1973 in Arcata to encourage RV travel for disabled people, has more than 250 members nationwide and holds an an- nual national rally, this year in the west. Last year the club met in New York and in 2014 in the Black Hills. Members from as far away as Massachusetts, Il- linois, Colorado, Arizona and Washington will be at- tending. The club's motto is fun and fellowship. It reaches out to people with a wide range of disabilities to share in the joy of accessi- ble travel with their fam- ilies and learn about the travel experiences of oth- ers and about the equip- ment available to help ac- complish that. A presentation will be given on disability equip- ment at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8 and an open house will be held 10 a.m. to noon that day for members and others to view other rigs. Interested members of the public are encouraged to at- tend these sessions. Moreinformationisavail- able on handicappedtravel- club.com or call (916) 709- 3757. TO DO Handicapped RV owners to gather in Red Bluff Mary Hunt wwwnortherncountiesroofingsystems.com FreeEstimates 530-356-0686 Owner on site Bonded & Insured Lic# 955662 • Residential • Commercial • New Construction Save the Date! Nu-WayMarket's Annual Fall Meat Bonanza Saturday,October8th 8am-3pm Limited to stock on hand Watch the Daily News for more info or call 384-1563 8049 Hwy 99E, Los Molinos, CA (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff Water Aerobic Classes Monthly Special $ 28 00 a month No Enrollment Fee Stop by or call for information Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. starting at $ 29 95 + $ 8 25 certificate Shop Equipped With 4SmogMachines For Fast Service No appointment Needed LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, September 30, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5