It’s dangerous work
We appreciate the effort
If you don’t need to travel the Feather River Canyon, you probably shouldn’t — not just to avoid the myriad delays that exist, but to give workers more time to complete their projects.
Along the Highway 70 route there is the usual anticipated spring road work, but at the base of the canyon — where crews are dealing with the aftermath of the Camp Fire — the delays are long and the work dangerous.
On a recent trip, we watched as workers scaled the hillsides and sought to remove the hazard trees before they fall onto the highway below. It is dangerous and painstaking work. There is little margin for error and as strings of cars maneuver around the idling equipment, it’s apparent that letting traffic through and getting work done is challenging.
Farther east in the Canyon, there is a stretch of roadway that is familiar to regular canyon drivers. The north side of the highway is bordered by a steep hillside covered with rocks and is known for rockslides. The goal is to get through it without a rock falling on or in front of the vehicle. On this same recent trip, Caltrans workers were precariously perched on that hillside amid the rocks, apparently trying to stabilize the area. They spend their days working in this hazardous area that the rest of us simply want to get through as quickly as possible. In an editorial not too long ago we lauded the work that Caltrans does to keep our mountain roads safe and in good shape. This time we want to thank the men and women out there getting the job done.
Every day should be Earth Day
Last week we devoted a good deal of the Regional Section of this newspaper as well as the editorial to Earth Day. While the actual day was April 22, there are more events this week including a movie and awards at the Town Hall Theatre on Thursday.
It’s important to remember that the effort to preserve our planet isn’t limited to just a day or a week. It’s something that we must be cognizant of every day and each of us must do what we can. We found the following quotes provide a little extra inspiration:
A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children. — John James Audubon
The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. — Lady Bird Johnson
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. — Jane Goodall
Man is still the greatest miracle and the greatest problem on this earth. — David Sarnoff
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. — John Muir
