PARKING PROBLEMS – I hear that parking in Downtown Auburn will be discussed at the next general meeting for that district’s business association. Should parking be changed from three hours to just one? In my opinion, no. It will undermine the work the city is trying to do with its Streetscape plan to get visitors to “stop, shop and stroll.” There won’t be much strolling if they can only park for an hour. One visit to a restaurant and they’d need to move their car. I can see changing the parking to two hours, but, like a potato chip, one simply isn’t enough. The next general meeting of the business association will be Sept. 6 at 6:15 p.m. at the State Theater building on Lincoln Way in Auburn. The public is invited to attend.
AROUND TOWN – Downtown Auburn has been without the Open Door Café for
months now and it appears that Eric Erickson is willing to sell his
shuttered eatery. He’s been using the space for his catering business,
but it hasn’t been open to the public since he injured his leg in a
skiing accident last winter. This turnkey cafe was a popular place, so
give Eric a call at 530-887-0289 if you’re interested in owning a
restaurant. ... Welcome Salvation Army majors Ed and Joyce Loomis to
town. The dynamic duo spent the last five years at divisional
headquarters in San Diego and requested the appointment in Auburn after
Bill and Mary Dickinson retired and moved away. While you’re saying
howdy, be sure and wish Ed a belated birthday. He turned another year
older on August 23.
COPPING OUT – It seems that Auburn will be losing more of their police
force by the end of the year and the issue revolves around pay. One of
the lowest paid forces in the area, many of the officers are trading in
their APD badges for those in Elk Grove, Roseville or Sacramento, and
considering that many of Auburn’s finest can’t afford to live in the
town they’re sworn to protect, it isn’t surprising. I hear two more
officers are on their way out soon and by the end of the year, the city
will probably be down another three. To add fuel to the fire, the
posted job openings at the City of Auburn’s website only lists openings
for police officers. Public safety personnel should come first in any
budgetary discussions at the city.
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS – The Sierra Business Council is hosting a
“Sustaining Sierra Forests” event in Grass Valley on Sept. 6 from 1:30
to 4:30 p.m. in the Nevada County Irrigation District Conference Room.
The informational event is free and open to the public, but organizers
are asking attendees to reserve space because seating is limited. For
directions and to RSVP, call 530-852-4800 or e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Topics covered will include “challenges and
opportunities for a new forest economy, such as catastrophic wildfire,
rapid residential development, climate change, carbon sequestration,
stewardship contracting, sustainable forest management for timber,
small diameter wood utilization, local branding and marketing of
timber, biomass, and much more,” according to the press release. ...
Our friends at CIMBL (Citizens Involved Means Better Living) have
joined forces with the American River Watershed Group, the California
Welcome Center and Keep California Beautiful to curb the county’s
cigarette litter. Due to a generous grant supplied by the national
organization Keep America Beautiful, cigarette butt receptacles will be
placed at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn and near the American
River Confluence. The groups will also be handing out pocket cigarette
butt receptacles at public events. With my recent explorations of the
river, I’m struck by the amount of litter strewn everywhere, especially
cigarette butts. “Cigarette butts are the number one littered item in
the nation, and can do lots of damage to the environment,” said Dave
Albright, director of CIMBL. “Plus they look terrible, so we’re happy
to participate in this program to curb littering.” According to Keep
California Beautiful, cigarettes make up over 35% of the litter found
in California and can take as long as 12 years decompose. For more
dirt, go to www.CIMBL.org, or call 530-886-5250. Here’s a Sentinel
cheers to those working on this project.
Don Chaddock is the executive editor of the Sentinel. His column,
“Biscuits and Gravy,” publishes every Friday. He may be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by calling 530-823-2463. Subscribe to the
Sentinel for a year by sending a check for $75 to P.O. Box 9148,
Auburn, CA 95604.
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed