Truckee Varsity Football Games return to TTCTV beginning August 23

TTCTV kicks off 2019 coverage of Truckee High School Varsity Football, Friday August 23, when the Wolverines travel to Grass Valley for a non-league opener against Bear River.

“The Voice of Truckee Sports” Keith Thomas will handle the play-by-play, and viewers can tune in the Friday Aug. 23, 7pm coverage on TTCTV Suddenlink Channel 6, and the live-stream at www.ttctv.org

Week two of the season will see the Wolverines travel to Fernley as “KT” calls his 100th broadcast of Truckee High Football on Friday August 30.

Businesses wishing to support the telecasts on non-profit, educational TTCTV, should lock-down their season sponsorship packages now by contacting Keith Thomas at (530) 448-0744 or atlaketahoe@aol.com

A complete season schedule, plus archived games from previous seasons can be viewed at ttctv.org/Truckee-Football

Truckee Tahoe Community Television continues to expand its coverage of local sports and other events, with plans to televise its first coverage of North Tahoe High School football and other TTUSD sports like soccer, volleyball, basketball and more this fall.

​

Greg Palmer has been leading Donner Party Hikes for twenty-six years . . . exactly the same number of years that these history hikes have been offered.  Greg retired to Truckee, California in 1988 after a career in medical sales.  In 1992 someone recruited him for a new event being offered in Truckee, the Donner Party Hike.  Greg said “yes”, read some books on the Donner Party, and led a successful hike.  Now 26 years later, he hasn’t missed a hike.  For his historical interpretation over the years, Greg has received awards from the Truckee Chamber of Commerce, been given a key to the Town of Truckee by the mayor and has been recognized by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors.  More importantly he has turned into an avid local historian and shares his knowledge and presentation skills with groups at various state parks in the north Lake Tahoe area including Donner Memorial State Park.  He has also expanded his historical expertise to include construction of the transcontinental railroad, the first transcontinental automobile road (the Lincoln Highway) and historic Donner Pass Road (Highway 40.)
 
During the sesquicentennial (150 year) Donner Reunion at Donner Memorial State Park, Greg suddenly saw a face he recognized.  It was a nurse whose office he had called on for over twenty years as a medical supply representative.  He asked her how she came to attend this Donner event. She said, “My husband is a Donner descendant.  He’s the great grandson of George Donner Jr!”  Greg has met many descendants of Donner Party members over the years and these encounters continue to motivate him.
 
Besides the Donner Party Hike, Greg has been fortunate to attend major historic events in the Donner Summit area.  In 1994, he was present for the naming of “Mount Stephens” just north of Donner Summit.  Elisha Stephens had successfully led the first wagon party over Donner Summit in 1844.  Yet this pioneer achievement was the “forgotten journey” as all of the fame and notoriety became attached to the Donner ordeal, two years later, in 1846.  Greg was also present for the centennial celebration of the Pioneer Monument at Donner Memorial State Park this past summer in 2018.  The monument (40 feet tall) was built to honor all of the hardy pioneers who traveled by wagon to California, including the Donner Party.  Greg was very excited that in the commemorative poster, there is a picture of his father and grandfather standing in front of the Pioneer Monument in 1922, just four years after the construction of the monument.  As a historical note, the Pioneer Monument was built on the site of one of the cabins used by the Donner Party, but the cabin had burnt down.
 
A pioneer that Greg has come to greatly admire is Caleb Greenwood.  Caleb was a mountain man and fur trapper.  He hired on as a guide for the wagon party led by Elisha Stephens in 1844.  Most likely, Caleb did the majority of the route finding over rugged Donner Summit . . . and he was 81 years old!  Caleb and his two sons were part of the rescue efforts to save the Donner Party two years later.
 
On Donner Party Hike day, Greg leads the Summit Canyon hike.  The participants walk in the footsteps (and wagon wheel routes) of the early pioneers crossing Donner Summit.  They also learn about the construction of the transcontinental railroad as well the Dutch Flat commercial wagon road that was in operation at that time.  Participants walk on the abandoned Lincoln Highway and learn about the story of historic Donner Pass Road as well as the iconic Rainbow Bridge.
 
The Summit Canyon Hike is just one of seven guided hikes that depart on Donner Party Hike weekend (September 14th & 15th).  In addition to the history, all hikes take place in the beautiful high Sierra of Donner Summit.  Hikes vary in length from three to four hours and finish with a great lunch at Sugar Bowl ski area.  Ethan Rarick, author of the Donner Party history book, “Desperate Passage” will be the lunchtime speaker.  For more information on the 2019 Donner Party Hike offerings, visit the website at www.DonnerPartyHike.com.  The Donner Party Hike is sponsored by the Donner Summit Historical Society.

​From: Merrill Grant
Subject: Superintendent Transition

 
Dear Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified Staff Member:

 

It is with bittersweet emotion that I announce to you that I am the finalist for the position of superintendent in the Fall River Joint Unified School District. The Board in Fall River will hopefully take action on our negotiated contract at their June board meeting; until then, this appointment is unofficial. 

 

In all sincerity the past six years have been the most rewarding in my 30 year career in education. I feel that I have made many enduring friendships and have left a positive impact on a District with great employees that make a difference for children. You are all doing great work and that will continue.

 

This is as much a personal shift for me and my wife Katie as a professional opportunity. My family has owned a cattle ranch in the Intermountain Area for six generations and in a way my roots are in eastern Shasta County.

 

The Board here in SPJUSD is already conversing about how to proceed in the interim period from my departure on June 30 to when a full-scale search is conducted for your next County and District superintendent. There is no reason a permanent superintendent cannot be seated by the start of school in late August, if not before.

 

My memories both personally and professionally of Sierra County will always be with me. Thank you!

 

Yours in education,

 

Merrill

By Jack Trout
May 25th, 2019
 
If God had his own personal lake it would be Eagle Lake in Northern California and he would be sure that the trout that resided in his playground were unique and humongous. Eagle Lake is located above the town of Susanville in Lassen County in what has been described as “top of the world California,” this lake exemplifies the two-fisted spirit of America because of its great trout fishing and great cattle ranching for over a century.
Eagle Lake is the 2nd largest lake in California that is entirely formed within its boundaries, Tahoe and Goose Lake doesn’t count. Home of the Eagle Lake Trout, as a kid I remember hundreds of people lining the shorelines and boating in its waters in hopes of catching a native indigenous Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout, some averaged 12lbs. I used to go to youth camp there and have many fond memories of friends I grew up with fishing there as a child as well as life lessons we learned along the way. The most famous fishing guide of California who ever lived Jay Fair, made Eagle Lake his home waters even though he lived 2 hours away in Portola.  This was a pinnacle lake that brought tremendous resources to the region and was a raw diamond for the town of Susanville for recreational income and tourist who would come year around to enjoy its boon. In the mid 60’s there were two lakes well known for trophy trout fishing in California, Lake Davis and the other, like it stood alone on its own cloud nine was Eagle Lake. I remember in 1983 when a banker in the town of Portola who won the fishing derby at Lake Davis by catching an Eagle Lake Trout and bringing it to the judges for his 1st place trophy. We all gasp in awe, wish I didn’t know now, what I didn’t know then as Bob Seger once sang.
But in recent years the lake has gone unnoticed and its fishing both fly and spin has plummeted way down, many that would frequent lake and drive any distance needed are not coming anymore. The lake just isn’t the same, algae blooms are keeping fish that would cruise shorelines away and deep. The numbers and size of trout have declined in recent years and this is got some locals up in Spaulding Tract on Eagle Lake and the fishing community statewide up in arms about the lake’s overall health. Many others have decided to fish Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada because of its huge Lahontan Cutthroat which in recent years have produced larger and more trout than any lake in California. Over the past 20 years the Pyramid Lake 1st Nation People have been better than California in managing their lakes and it has paid them dividends in the silver state.
Recently the Lahontan Water Board, Lassen Forest & BLM who exercises authority over the lake has been receiving so many complaints about the algae blooms and cows that lines its shorelines on the north side of the lake that a decision was handed down in May 2019, that would require a 300 foot buffer for the cows near any Eagle Lake shoreline. 5 Dot Ranch of Standish, California with restaurants & stores in Napa was sent a letter that executed this decision that they have 30 days to move their grazing cows to areas that don’t impede shorelines as well as important feeder and spawning creeks that are the lifelines for the Eagle Lake Rainbow.  
Valerie Aubrey, a fishing guide and President of the Eagle Lake Guardians who lives in Spaulding Tract on the west side of Eagle Lake says it’s much more than the public realizes, “Since 2013, the lake has become extremely green and cloudy unusual for Eagle Lake where seeing the bottom at 16 or more feet was normal?” “That when the DFW does its annual checks on the lakes dissolved oxygen down to the 50 foot levels, oxygen is tanking in the lake at 20 feet and in the summer temps averages 70 degrees. The trout are heading down to levels that are unprecedented and many anglers are not figuring out why they are not catching trout anymore between 24 to 34 feet which was the norm historically. Shoreline fishing has become non-existent and unproductive and the winter tourism for fishing doesn’t even have a pulse anymore.”
“The thermal cline between the surface and 50 feet is an 8 to 10 degree difference, which has the trout moving in the wrong direction according to Valerie.” “Eagle Lake has hit rock bottom as far as the fishing industry knows, who would drive all that distance for marginal fishing?” “This is in addition to the brackish waters on the north side of the lake being caused by the cow’s nutrients (crap) has hurt spawning trout in Eagle Lake’s most important spawning grounds Pine Creek.”
When she explained this to me, I started to think of it like the part in the movie Shawshank Redemption when Andy Dufrense climbed though that tube of feces to freedom, that’s what the trout are going through on their annual spawn to the north side of Eagle Lake thanks to 5 Dot Ranch and their grazing cattle. Valerie went on to say, “ I know up at Lake Davis reservoir, areas that have cattle are fenced off, but if this same practice was initiated up at Eagle Lake the general public would suffer from a lack of access on a natural lake not a manmade reservoir like Davis. The only answer is to have those cows moved away from the Eagle Lake shorelines, far from any tourist and fishermen’s eyes.”
I called Todd Swickard of 5 Dot Ranch but have not received any call back as of yet?
When I called Ben Letton of the Lahontan Water Board in South Lake Tahoe, he said, “We will do our part to make sure that water quality and the resources are protected. It probably won’t be an all or nothings solution, as these politically charged issues are virtually never black and white.”
 
We all realize any pending judgement or action relies on the commitment of those who are serving the message, the trout live and breathe whatever is decided in the long run and that can be good or bad depending. I always kept Eagle Lake high on my list of places I have ventured to during my lifetime and seeing its recovery will be a lifetime endeavor for me. This is rare to have a lake of this size where it produces its own large species of trout known nowhere else on the planet as this is the source. I remember once hooking a 10 lb. trout in the tullies in shallow water, I saw the fish take the fly, a memory I will never forget as a child and another reason to keep cattle away from its shorelines. Another example of the few impacting a public resource owned by many.


 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WASHINGTON, DC, May 24 -- On Monday, May 27, the nation will celebrate Memorial Day. “And, while it marks the unofficial start of summer and the promise of much summertime sun and fun, it is also an opportunity for a moment of reflection on what Memorial Day is all about,” says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].

The barbecue grills will be ablaze this weekend as family and friends come together for a celebration. But Weber urges us to take a moment to reflect on what we are celebrating, namely that our nation’s citizen soldiers -- men and women -- have been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their homeland.

We remember the veterans who fought and died for our country on Memorial Day. But, says Weber, we should be grateful for all of the men and women, alive and dead, who chose to put their lives on the line for their country by serving in the military. As General George S. Patton put it: "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived."
 
The original “memorial day” was first celebrated on May 5, 1865, and it was called Decoration Day. It was established so the nation could pay its respects to the soldiers who lost their lives in the Civil War. Relatives, friends and neighbors would “decorate” their graves with flowers. Many years and too many wars later, the day was renamed, and in 1971 Congress turned Memorial Day into an official national holiday -- to be celebrated on the last Monday in May -- to pay tribute to those soldiers, sailors and air men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. 

The Civil War was the bloodiest war fought on American soil. Some 2.4 million Americans fought each other in the War between the States and 620,000 of them -- nearly 25 percent of them lost their lives in the conflict. The Second World War was the bloodiest war of all time. Tens of millions of civilians and soldiers were killed, including 417,000 U.S. soldiers who were part of our country’s Greatest Generation. 

“But we mustn’t lose sight of our fellow countrymen who are putting their lives at risk to protect us right now in far flung places around the world,” says Weber. “Most of us will be out playing with our kids and grandkids this weekend. We’ll probably eat a little too much. We’ll catch up on the latest doings of our neighbors, friends and family members. We’ll be busy celebrating the non-official beginning of summer.  Is it too much to ask that we take a few minutes to bow our heads in tribute to the men and women who gave their lives for us? And, perhaps, you may want to say a little prayer for the safety of those who are in service today.”

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_______________________________
The 2 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://www.amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at https://amac.us/join-amac.

By Harold Pease, Ph. D



As urban areas are pushing for more gun controls rural areas are mounting an equal amount of resistance, citizens even posting “we will not comply” signs.  So far the battle is largely confined to western counties but spreading eastward as at least 179 counties now designate themselves as Second Amendment sanctuary counties.  State sheriff associations are driving the issue for four primary reasons: its unconstitutional, violates due process, is unenforceable and does nothing to protect law abiding citizens.  Most probably see it also as a back door to eventual gun confiscation.
So what does it matter what sheriffs think?  Sheriffs are the only elected law enforcement agents in the United States and each must swear an oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution to hold that trusted office.  They understand that Congress has sole authority to make law, that law must originate with and be approved by both the House and Senate (535 individuals), and that the only power belonging to the President is to execute that law, suggest, through his state of the union address, and/or sign or veto, which can be overridden.  
These 535 make federal law, not just a single person, as was the case with kings and now with dictators.  All executive orders that have the effect of law are unconstitutional.  Presidents doing so undermine the relevancy of the Congress and is a form of tyranny.  Moreover, it is well to remember that a law cannot undo an amendment to the Constitution—only another amendment and that requires the support of 3/4ths of the states, so Congress is restricted also.
Presently 29 out of 33 counties in New Mexico have opted for Second Amendment sanctuary status together with a majority in Colorado 38 of 64, Illinois 64 of 102. and Washington 24 of 39.  States with fewer sanctuaries counties include: Oregon with 13 of 36, Maryland 3 of 23, Nevada 5 of 16, North Carolina 1 of 100, Rhode Island 5 of 31, and Tennessee 2 of 95, thus totaling 179.  In New York an additional 52 of 62 counties officially oppose the state’s SAFE Act (Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013) but they have not yet sought Second Amendment sanctuary status.  
And there exists three Second Amendment sanctuary states: Alaska, Idaho and Kansas so a proper tally would include all counties in these states.  Moreover, Missouri is poised to become the fourth.
These came into existence from the Sheriff’s Rebellion of 2013 when President Barack Obama, failing to get Congress to initiate his anti-Second Amendment agenda, signed 23 executive orders on January 16, by-passing Congress.  By February 14, 2013 nine state sheriff associations, and 336 elected county sheriffs had signed pledges to defend their citizens from either Barack Obama’s unconstitutional executive orders or any gun legislation coming out of Congress that, in effect, damaged this constitutional amendment. The states refusing to comply were, as they came on board: Utah, Florida, Georgia, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Wyoming, Indiana, and Illinois. 
Even the California State Sheriffs Association’s letter to Vice President Joe Biden was stronger than expected, putting him, and the federal government, on notice. “It is the position of CSSA, in accordance with the Constitution of the United States and the statutes of the State of California, that law-abiding persons who meet the established requirements have the right to acquire, own, possess, use, keep and bear firearms. This right shall not be infringed.” 
The Utah Sheriff’s letter, aimed directly at President Obama, was the most blunt.   “We respect the Office of the President of the United States of America.  But, make no mistake, as the duly-elected sheriffs of our respective counties, we will enforce the rights guaranteed to our citizens by the Constitution.  No federal official will be permitted to descend upon our constituents and take from them what the Bill of Rights—in particular Amendment II—has given them.  We, like you, swore a solemn oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and we are prepared to trade our lives for the preservation of its traditional interpretation.”
Wyoming made it clear what would happen to federal agents attempting to enforce their alterations of the amendment.  It passed the“Firearm Protection Act,” which threatened federal officials with up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines if convicted of attempting to enforce unconstitutional statutes or decrees infringing on the gun rights of Wyoming citizens. Reportedly, Missouri and Texas had similar legislation pending.
The Obama Administration backed down.  
As mentioned, in 2013 the states of Kansas, Alaska and Idaho declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuary states.  These are some of the words Kansas passed into law.  “Any act, law, treaty, order, rule or regulation of the government of the United States which violates the second amendment to the constitution of the United States is null, void and unenforceable in the state of Kansas.”
Today’s threat to the Second Amendment is not presently coming from the federal government but from state governments and politicians largely from urban areas.  The Sheriff Rebellion of 2019 is county against state.  Sheriffs are once again placed in the position, “Will I obey the law when such violates the Constitution which I swore, by oath, to defend.”  “NO!!!”  Thank God they see, and understand, their duty.




Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College.  Newspapers have permission to publish this column. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.

 

Copyright (C) 2019 LibertyUnderFire.org All rights reserved.

Paws of War is seeking help to make a soldier’s dream come true
 
SMITHTOWN, New York – (May 22, 2019) – May is Military Appreciation Month.  What better way to wrap up the month, then by helping our heroes overseas? Morale can be tough to keep when you are a soldier stationed in the Middle East. Each day brings challenges and often despair. For one soldier and his crew stationed in Kuwait, that all changed when one, tiny puppy entered their camp. 
 
Before the tiny stray made his way into the life of 21-year-old SPC Dakota J. Campbell and his crewmembers, morale was at an all time low. Then one day, the soldiers witnessed a puppy run by their site, being chased by a larger dog. The men proceeded to scare off the dog, and the puppy scurried to hide and got his self stuck in a cement barrier.
 
As the soldiers saved the puppy from near death, it didn’t take long before they realized that the puppy actually saved them. They named this little guy Bucky and he lifted their spirits, gave them hope, and helped inspire them each day. With Bucky around, they felt a sense of home. 
 
“We can only imagine the difficulty these soldiers in war torn areas face on a daily basis,” explains Robert Misseri of Paws of War. “The fact that this dog helped our heroes get through some of the darkest days in their life is testament to the abilities of a dog. We must try to get Bucky to the United States.  It is the least we can do for SPC Campbell and the crew.” 
 
Now Campbell is heading back to the states, where he will be stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. Rather than leave Bucky in Kuwait, where his fate would be certain death as a street dog, he is reaching out to us all to get Bucky to America, where he can live his life in security and peace with SPC Campbell, and they can both have a genuine, true sense of home.
 
“Bucky may have saved us, but I can’t bear to leave him behind, it’s time for me to once again save him,” added Campbell. “I have one dog at home, which is like my only son, and I can’t wait for Bucky to meet him. It will be a dream come true for me to be able to bring Bucky to Texas.”
 
Bringing a dog back to America from the Middle East is no easy task, and it’s a costly process. Paws of War is supported solely by donations and has helped numerous soldiers to bring their rescued dogs back from the Middle East. To help make the mission possible, they are asking everyone to pitch in and thank this Army team for protecting our freedom by donating toward Bucky’s journey to the U.S. Every dollar makes a difference.  To learn more about Campbell and Bucky’s story and to make a donation, log online: https://pawsofwar.networkforgood.com/projects/74734-saving-bucky.
 
About Paws of War
Paws of War is a non-profit 501c3 charitable organization that provides assistance to military members and their pets, rescues and trains dogs to be service dogs, and provides therapy dogs to veterans. To learn more about Paws of War and the programs provided or make a donation visit its site at: http://pawsofwar.org. 
 
 

Location of occurrence:  118 Pine Street, Greenville, CA.
 
 
Type of call: Butane Hash Oil lab (BHO lab)
 
Agencies involved: Plumas County Sheriff’s Office,
 
Offenders:  O/1 Travis Fairbanks  DOB 03/01/1997
Charges:  11379.6 (a) PC- Manufacture a controlled substance.
 
O/2 Steven McIntire DOB 08/31/1993
Charges: 11379.6 (a) PC- Manufacture a controlled substance.
 
 
Synopsis: 
 
On 05/19/2019 around 1745 hours, a Plumas County Deputy Sheriff was flagged down by a Citizen on Main Street in Greenville, Ca.  The Citizen complained of a chemical smell coming from a residence at 118 Pine Street in Greenville.
 
The Deputy responded to the residence and determined the occupant, Steven McIntire was on current probation with search terms.  The Deputy also located Travis Fairbanks inside the residence.  The Deputy searched the residence and located the ingredients and equipment to manufacture BHO.  The Deputy also located a pyrex type dish containing the finished product.
 
After further investigation, Steven McIntire and Travis Fairbanks were arrested for manufacturing a controlled substance-11379.6 (a)PC.
​

$100 Million Also Added to Major Damage Restoration and Preservation
 
SACRAMENTO – The California Transportation Commission allocated more than $402 million for 74 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) projects throughout California, including $320.2 million for 29 fix-it-first projects funded by Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
 
“Almost half of the SB 1 funded projects in this round of allocations are bridge projects,” said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. “Caltrans is committed to repairing and replacing more than 500 bridges by 2027 to extend their service life.”
 
The SB 1 funded projects will improve more than 60 bridges and 244 lane miles of pavement, upgrade 608 congestion reducing devices, and repair eight culverts to prevent flooding on highways.
 
Area state highway projects allocated SB 1 funds include:
 

• Paving and Accessibility Project on State Route 99 in Sacramento County: $50.9 million pavement project will install rumble strips, upgrade curb ramps and sidewalks, and improve 70.5 lane miles of State Route 99 at various locations from the Sacramento/San Joaquin County line to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the city of Sacramento. The project was allocated $47.9 million.

 

• Bridge Replacement Project on State Route 70 in Yuba County: $88.6 million bridge project will replace the Simmerly Slough Bridge on State Route 70 north of Marysville. The project was allocated $82.8 million.

 

• Traffic Management Systems Project: $15.5 million traffic management systems project will install electrical cabinets, guardrail, construct maintenance vehicle pullouts, and repair and install permanent Automatic Vehicle Classification data collection stations at various locations in multiple counties including: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba. The project was allocated $13.3 million.

 

• Seismic Retrofit Bridge Project on Interstate 5 and State Route 160: $38.7 million bridge project will modify the existing structures at the Sacramento River Bridge and North Sacramento Undercrossing on State Route 160 in Sacramento County, and Mokelumne River Bridge on Interstate 5 in San Joaquin County. The project will make the bridges more resistant to seismic activity, soil failure or ground motion due to earthquakes. The project was allocated $30 million.

 
After a year full of storms, flooding and wildfires, the CTC also approved Resolution G-19-09, which will increase the SHOPP Major Damage Restoration Reservation by an additional $100 million to meet the current level of emergency contracts being received. The increase will change the reservation fund from $540 million to $640 million for the fiscal year 2018-2019. To date, Caltrans has 179 emergency contracts totaling more than $625 million, and there are still 26 pending emergency contacts that amount to more than $80 million. The work done under these contracts are focused on reopening the roads and other facilities as safely and quickly as possible.
 
Other SB 1 funding included nearly $17.5 million for the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, which is dedicated to projects that will improve truck corridors, border access, the freight rail systems, the capacity and efficiency of ports, and highways to better handle and move freight.
 
More than $5.3 million of SB 1 funding was also allocated to the Local Partnership Program (LPP) to help match investments that local communities have made in their region through voter-approved transportation tax measures.
 
In addition, the CTC approved an allocation of more than $11.3 million in SB 1 funds for 12 locally administered Active Transportation Program (ATP) projects, which range from improving sidewalks and bicycle lanes to creating safer routes to school for children who ride their bicycles or walk to school.
 
For a complete list of the ATP, LPP, and SHOPP projects allocated funds, among other items from the May meeting visit:http://catc.ca.gov/meetings/2019/2019-05/Yellows/Revised_Complete_Book(1452).pdf.
 
SHOPP is the state highway system’s "fix-it-first" program that funds safety improvements, emergency repairs, highway preservation and operational highway upgrades. A significant portion of the funding for this program comes from SB 1.
 
Since SB 1 was signed into law April 2017, Caltrans has repaired or replaced 109 bridges and paved more than 1,300 lane miles of the state highway system.
 
SB 1 invests approximately $5.4 billion per year to fix roads, freeways and bridges in communities across California as well as strategically investing in transit. These funds are split equally between state and local projects and will allow Caltrans to fix more than 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts on the state highway system by 2027.
 
More information and updates on these and other projects can be found on Caltrans’ social media channels:http://www.dot.ca.gov/paffairs/social-media.html.
 
Caltrans is committed to conducting its business in a fully transparent manner and detailing its progress to the public. For complete details on SB 1, visit http://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.
 
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By Glenn Mollette

May 30, 1868 was the first official Decoration Day. The day was declared by General John A. Logan and observed at Arlington National Cemetery. Volunteers that day decorated the graves of more the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.

During World War II, Decoration Day was expanded and renamed Memorial Day to honor all Americans who died in military service. The day became a national holiday in 1971.
Almost 500,000 military personnel died during the U.S. Civil War.

About 1.1 million service members have died in all the wars combined.

If you know someone killed in any of our wars then every number is very personal to you. We know 90,220 of our service members died in Vietnam. If one of those was your friend, sibling or child then that war has a face that is personal to you.

Four thousand four hundred and twenty four died in Iraq. I'm not sure how many have died in Afghanistan but the last statistic I can find is 2,372 but I'm sure it's several more now.

War is bad. I don't like the idea of war and yet every service member died fighting for you and me. They died for our country.

Every time you have a casual moment to do anything you want to do then stop and thank God for our service members. We have so much freedom in America. We have to pay some taxes if we work and own property. We have some laws we have to obey which pertain to treating each other in a civil manner. After this, you are free to go to the ice cream shop anytime you want. You can work hard and buy whatever you want or if you are content and want to do little to nothing you can even do that in our country.

The bottom line is America is still the greatest country in the world. We aren't perfect and we have problems but we still have freedom and we need to respect and give thanks to our past and present soldiers.

Take a moment at the cemetery and walk around. It won't take you long to find a grave stone of someone who served our country. When you do give thanks for their lives and the life you are enjoying today.

Memorial weekend is America's weekend to travel our highways vacationing or resting at home. As you travel, or hopefully relax, thank God for our soldiers - past and present. 
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