Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/7656
Group says federal status is still likely for the Bend Area By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer The head of the group that first pitched the idea of turning 17,600 acres of public land — the Sacra- mento River Bend Area — into a National Recreation Area believes success is just around the bend. "I'm confident it will get through," said Bob Warren, general manager for the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association and Red- ding's Tourism Bureau manager. The differences between a bill written by Sen. Barbara Boxer and a similar bill proposed by Rep. Wally Herger are minor enough that the two may be able to put aside their differences and get something passed by the end of the congres- sional session. Warren, along with Bureau of Land Management officials, headed up a tour of the area Wednesday afternoon for the visiting Sierra Nevada Conservancy. The visit, part of a larger tour that included a visit to Sierra Pacif- ic Industries, was meant to familiar- ize conservancy board members with local issues, Executive Officer Jim Branham said. As a state organization, the con- servancy is prohibited from lobby- ing or otherwise trying to influence the debate over whether to create the NRA. It can issue grants to local governments or give advice when asked, but has no authority of its own, Branham said. Those lobbying restrictions do not extend to Warren's non-profit group, which first pitched the idea of a National Conservation Area almost two decades ago. Try, try again When the Wonderland Associa- tion approached Tehama County and Shasta County supervisors with a bill drafted by Boxer in 1993, it was rejected unanimously by both boards, Warren said. Supervisors in both counties opted in 2006 to support a bill writ- ten by Herger, which, among other things, changed the term "conserva- tion" to "recreation." This version died in Congress. In December 2009, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted to support the project and recom- Branding is the key word of the decade. Much more than a logo or a slo- gan, branding is the image your community or busi- ness creates in a variety of ways and done correctly, it leads to customer loyal- ty. Branding for a New Decade is the theme of Seeds of Opportunity III, Tehama County's Eco- nomic Forecast event tak- ing place Monday, March 15 at Rolling Hills Casino in Corning. Community and busi- ness leaders are invited to attend and hear from keynote speaker Roger Brooks, founder and CEO of Destination Develop- ment International, which specializes in community branding, development and marketing. Brooks has worked with more than 800 com- munities throughout North America over the past 25 years. His experi- ence includes all aspects of developing destinations — product development, planning, recruitment of resorts and businesses, feasibility studies, brand- ing and marketing. Brooks is the author of "Your Town: a Destina- tion." The event also will fea- ture Audrey Taylor and Dr. Robert Eyler. Taylor is the president and founder of Chabin Concepts, Inc., which has completed an economic development study for Tehama County, and will be sharing her findings. Eyler is a professor and the chairman of Econom- ics at Sonoma State Uni- versity and will present on the North State economic outlook for 2010. Sponsors of this event include the Job Training Weather forecast 8B Cloudy, rain possible 55/36 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ MONDAY MARCH 8, 2010 Brain growth, change, healing Mercy JV wins Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 See Page 4A SPORTS 1B Vitality 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Gerber Park project moves forward By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer GERBER — Basketball, vol- leyball and soccer may be coming to Gerber Park this summer. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 23 approved plans for long-awaited improve- ments to Gerber Park and put the project out to bid. The plans call for the construc- tion of basketball and volleyball courts, soccer goal posts, an ADA compliant bathroom, barbecue pits and drinking fountains — ideas developed in collaboration between engineers and a commit- tee of Gerber residents. The improvements may be complete in time for June, as the winning bid will be given 85 days from March 16 to complete the project. Changes to the park would mark the end of what has been a long, complicated saga for Gerber residents. Gerber Park hosted the sole community pool, but it was shut down in 2004 when paint began to chip off the pool's interior walls, catching under the fingernails of swimming children. The pool and its bathrooms were so dilapidated that neither could be brought up to code, and would have to be demolished. Replacing them would have cost around $1.5 million. When the county obtained about $1.2 million in bond money in 2007, it was only willing to des- ignate about $450,000 to the park. That was enough to cover the pool's demolition and for improvements to the park, but the design was set back six months when the state issued a freeze on bond spending in December 2008. By the time the pool was demolished and covered in June 2009, it had become a site for unwanted garbage covered in slip- pery algae. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.co m. Round the bend Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association General Manager Bob Warren stops by the Sacramento River Bend Area Wednesday. Warren's group introduced the idea of a National Recreation Area and Warren still backs the idea. Superintendent: District staff hit by budget cuts By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer The Red Bluff Union Elementary School District's decision to cut a number of staff for the upcoming school year has several people accusing the school dis- trict of cutting from the bottom up. During the Feb. 23 special school board meeting, Superintendent William McCoy said, "I will not and have not asked teachers to take reductions that I or any of my (district) staff would not take." Since the cuts have been announced, accusations continue to flow, but McCoy stands by what he said. Earlier this week, McCoy reiterated that he and other administrators continue to work alongside teach- ers, taking the same cuts teachers do. "Everyone has been working hard to save money," he said. "As an administration team, we are looking at ways that we can participate in any cost-savings mea- sures alongside all of the other employees. If there are changes in the number of days worked, or the health and welfare benefits, the administration team will will- ingly participate in those changes as well." The California Teachers Association and the Cali- fornia School Employee Association agreed to forfeit three days of pay that had been set aside for in-service and professional development. The administration, dis- trict office staff and management will do the same, McCoy said. The district will be completely dark dur- ing those three days, with no one working. "All administrators and district office staff will par- ticipate in any cost savings plans that are approved by the associations," McCoy said. "I have been saying that from the beginning, and I think that it is absolutely the most fair way to address the problem. I would rather everyone give a little, than a few giving a great deal." Following the Feb. 25 meeting, Assistant Principal Julie Van Dyke pointed out that administrators have taken cuts as well. "We have no lunch in our contact. We're taking cuts as well as the teachers," she said. "All we ask is, we take cuts together." She pointed out that the least senior administrators make less than the top teachers do, even though admin- istrators have more education and work more hours. At the meeting, several who addressed the board referred to administrative salary increases that occurred RBUHS grad helps in Haiti Special to the DN JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. — When a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti Jan. 12, it was the son of a Red Bluff couple who stepped in to help rush medical supplies, food and water to the region. Air Force Airman 1st Class Skye T. Thompson, son of Brent Thompson and Shelley Cole of Red Bluff, is a C-17 Globe- master III crew chief with the 437th Aircraft Main- tenance Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., who worked tirelessly to make sure the people of Haiti received the assis- tance they needed. "I maintain the C-17s here to ensure they are prepared for whatever mission they are needed for," said Thompson, a 2007 graduate from Red Bluff Union High School. During the relief mis- sion Thompson helped deliver more than 50,000 gallons of water, 375,000 meals ready to eat, 700 container delivery sys- tems for air deliveries and 200 pallets of supplies to Haiti. "I think that what we do is a big help to the peo- ple of Haiti because, with- out aid, thousands more people could have died," Thompson said. Photo Courtesy of Michael Tolzmann Air Force Airman 1st Class Skye T. Thompson, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., helped to prepare needed supplies that were shipped to Haiti after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake left tens of thousands of people without food, water and shelter. Local economic forecast event set See BEND, page 7A See CUTS, page 7A See HAITI, page 7A See LOCAL, page 7A