Trash, illegally dumped, can be seen along a bike trail located just off Maidu Drive in Auburn.
It’s surprising how quickly one can become addicted to hiking the trails. With last week’s fires blanketing the foothills in thick smoke, Placer County issued a warning to its residents advising them to stay indoors and run the air conditioning. Even the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run was called off last Saturday due to the poor air quality and threat of fires overtaking the trail area.
Prior to the health advisory warnings, I managed to get a few hikes in and this week we’ll look at a short bike trail off of Maidu Drive located just before the turnoff for the Canyon View Community Center. As you’re driving, if you look to the right of Maidu as you approach the dead end, you’ll see a metal handrail and stairs. That’s the entrance to one of the Endurance Capital of the World bike routes, according to the signs located on either side of the roadway.
It was late in the day (about 6 p.m.) and still very hot. I didn’t want
to hike too far but I wanted to explore some new territory, so, in my
mind and with no real research to back up my assumption, this seemed
like the perfect spot. I had seen this entrance from the road
previously and was always curious about what was beyond the stairs. I
didn’t notice the path on the new Protect American River Canyons trail
map, so it would be an “adventure.” With my pack loaded with water
(about three liters) and my iPod belting out tunes by “The Eagles,” I
set off.
Just about every Sunday morning, I have at least one “head-shaking moment.” The ritual begins when I’m comfortably ensconced in my favorite chair with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and the big Sunday edition of the newspaper strategically scattered around me. It usually takes less than seven minutes and thirty seconds for me to find a strange or outrageous article, read it, shake my head from side and side in puzzlement, and call out to the wife, “Hey, honey you won’t believe what I just read!”
Last Sunday, I had two “head-shaking moments.” The first one concerned a new law in the Netherlands that will ban the smoking of tobacco cigarettes in bars and restaurants but not marijuana cigarettes, which are technically illegal. Trying to figure out the logic of this new law will bring on a migraine faster than watching cage fighting.
He was a quiet man. Some said shy, others said strange — aloof, unwilling to enter into conversations. But in our many encounters, first as neighbors, then landlord and tenant and finally as friends, we explored all manner of things.
He loved to travel and often took me with him:
back to the stream running in the ravine beyond the grammar school where he and boyhood chums leapt from rock to rock when the water was high—and caught frogs when it was low.
back to when East Placer Street was an unpaved lane down which townspeople went to buy hay from the farmers out beyond the Old Cemetery.
or back to the hill above Crutcher Court where an ancient mansion stood deserted, filled with antique furniture and unmatched allure for the brave school boys who found a way into its cobwebby interior.
Placer, Lincoln officials believe program works, disagree with findings
The recycling programs implemented by two cities – Lincoln and Auburn – may be doing more harm than good, according to a report recently released by the Placer County Grand Jury.
The Western Placer Waste Management Authority’s Material Recovery Facility is so efficient at extracting recyclables and processing “green” waste for compost that cities with a blue bag recycling program are actually adding more waste from the bag alone, according to the report.
California should be run like household
Dear Editor,
A message to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger regarding your budget expenditures: May I respectfully suggest that you levy a 1 cent sales tax; eliminate unnecessary boards, commissions and unnecessary salaried positions; and curtail legislature salaries as well as car allowances and living expenses.
Get the outflow to equal the income as most families do.
Good luck.
Gary Todd, a businessman heavily involved in the Colfax community, passed away on Monday. Todd was 69 years old.
He helped form Colfax Pride, a group of community volunteers who took over many events in the town when the Colfax Chamber and the city could no longer afford to fund them.
Ken Delfino, of Colfax Pride, wrote that the town lost a “pillar of society (and) its greatest supporter.”
Todd was well known in the town, and beyond.
Early last year, the Colfax Chamber of Commerce held a community forum titled “Colfax: Ghost Town or Not?” as a way to kick-start an open dialogue between the residents, businesses and city government.
Todd was not shy about making his opinions known at the meeting.
“There’s nobody in town,” he said last year. “Locals are great, but they don’t keep the businesses going. (If something isn’t done,) this town is going to be a ghost town.”
Todd was involved in the restoration of the historic Freight Depot building as well as the Colfax Motel.
At a Colfax City Council public hearing on Tuesday night regarding a proposed sewer increase, a moment of silence was observed in memory of Todd, who was involved in fighting the increase.
Saturday’s Independence Day celebration (Colfax traditionally holds its bash on a day other than the fourth of July) will be dedicated to the memory of Todd.
For the first time in the 35-year history of the event, the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run has been canceled. Citing poor air quality and wildfires burning near the course, organizers took the unprecedented step to cancel the run.
Athletes from around the world were to compete in Saturday’s event. The following letter sent out to runners and supporters on Wednesday night:
Dear Western States Runners,
It is with deep regret that we announce today that the 35th running of the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run has been cancelled, due to the unprecedented amount of wildfires that have struck northern California in recent days and the health risks that have been associated with these wildfires. The Board of Trustees of the Western States Endurance Run has consulted with many of our local and state race partners, including the U.S. Forest Service and the Placer County Air Pollution Control District, in coming to this decision. We apologize to our runners for any inconvenience this decision has created.
Gordon Ainsleigh signs autographs for fans at a rally held the day before the run at Squaw Valley last year. In 1974, Ainsleigh became the first man to run the Western States Trail from Squaw Valley to Auburn. He is scheduled to run again this year.
Endurance athletes from all over the globe will see if they have what it takes to complete 100 miles in one day, all on foot. The Western States 100-mile Endurance Run kicks off at 5 a.m. Saturday morning at Squaw Valley and ends at the football stadium at Placer High School, with the first runners crossing the finish line as early as 8:30 p.m. the same day.
Meadow Vista resident Gordon Ainsleigh was the first man to run the entire course, which had previously been the domain of the equestrian set. All that changed in 1974 when Ainsleigh decided to run the course with the horses during the Tevis Cup ride. He reached Auburn in 23 hours and 42 minutes.
Other runners followed Ainsleigh’s lead. In 1975, Ron Kelley attempted the run, only to withdraw within two miles of the finish line. The next year, Ken “Cowman” Shirk finished the run in 24 hours and 30 minutes.
The Auburn City Council approved 4 -1 the first reading of an ordinance regulating the use and operation of city recreational facilities and authorizing penalties for non-compliance. The ordinance’s creation is due largely to the eventual opening of the school park preserve, and is designed in part to protect the paths from damage caused by bicycles and skating devices.
“Right now, the skateboarding ordinance does not apply to the school park preserve,” said Police Chief Valerie Harris.
Mayor Keith Nesbitt objected to the language of the ordinance, specifically, the prohibition of not only the use but also the possession of skateboards within the park. “I can guarantee you that I’ll be the first one cited,” said Nesbitt. “I’ll walk around the park with a skateboard under my arm.”
Councilman Kevin Hanley agreed. “The park is right next to the police department,” he pointed out. “We should be able to look down and see who is actually using the skateboard inside the park rather than who is just carrying a skateboard.”
He made a second motion, which passed, that the ordinance not include as an offence the possession of skating devices within the park.
Bicycle possession within the park’s boundaries was not a concern, as bicycle racks will be provided around the perimeter of the facility. The second reading, and subsequent enactment of the ordinance if passed, will occur at the next city council meeting on July 7.
Melanie Barton, the Placer County Museums Director, said the rumors surrounding the temporary closure of Historic Courthouse in Old Town Auburn are all wrong. The upper floors of the courthouse are scheduled to be closed for up to three months for renovation work, but the first floor, housing the museum and the visitors center, will remain open.
Courts to return to historic facility during finishing work
While rumors persist that the Courthouse in Old Town Auburn will be shut down for six months beginning in August, one county official is trying to dispel those myths.
“While it’s been reported the total work on the building could take up to six months, the courts will only be closed for 30 to 90 days,” said Placer County Museums Department Director Melanie Barton.
She said she has met with the state and county regarding the temporary closure of the courts while the historic building goes through renovations and all agree that the courts are expected to return in one to three months.
“Renovation of the second, third and fourth floors will start Aug. 1 and take 30 to 90 days, which is far shorter than people imagine,” she said. Work on the dome will begin July 1, with scaffolding to be constructed on the back side.
Barton assures residents and businesses located in the Old Town district that the museum and visitor center, located on the first floor, will remain open during the work.
“We’ll be conducting business as usual and doing events to encourage people to come to the courthouse,” she said.
One of those events is The Heritage Trail Placer County Museums Tour, to be held on the weekend of Aug. 9 and 10.
“It’s a countywide event to promote local history. There will be 18 museums participating from Roseville to Tahoe. Admission will be free for those two days and the event is open to the public,” she said. “We’ll have special activities, including something for children.”
