Liz Writes Life
Published in Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA
June 9, 2021
Greyback Road is closed
Happy Camp residents are frustrated and concerned, because
the paved Greyback Road has, recently, been closed by the USFS. Greyback is the
shortest route into Oregon and is used as a seasonal summer road by locals and
tourists. In past weeks, many vehicles, some pulling boats or rafts and groups
of bikers were seen traversing the road. But near the bottom of the road, on
the Oregon side, there is a new sign that states only those with a “permit” can
use the road.
Several folks have called me wondering about this situation
and how to obtain a permit. Like them, I checked the Rogue River-Siskiyou
National Forest and the Klamath National Forest websites and I can’t figure out
how to obtain a permit or what kind of permit it would be. Someone wondered if
a fire wood permit could suffice? Hum? In Happy Camp, the USFS ranger station
remains closed because of Covid-19.
When looking at the USFS websites, it shows that both local
Forests have issued Forest Orders for closure of the Slater Fire area. The
Rogue NF’s closure began on May 1, 2021 and runs through July 31, 2021. The
Klamath National Forest’s closure is longer and extends from May 1, 2021
through September 30, 2021. Greyback Road is in this area.
I checked with Siskiyou Co. Dist. 5 Supervisor, Ray Haupt,
who represents the Happy Camp area. He said residents had told him the road was
closed; and on June 1, 2021, the Siskiyou Co. Supervisors voted 5-0 to send a
letter to the supervisors of both the KNF and Rogue NF requesting Greyback Road
should “be immediately reopened.” Those letters were sent electronically and by
US mail.
Ray said Greyback Road is an important emergency egress
route. The residents of Happy Camp rely on the road as an “essential evacuation
route.” Ray and CA Dist. 1 Congressman Doug LaMalfa told FEMA and the USFS last
September, after the Slater Fire, that Greyback Road must be open for emergency
and safety purposes.
Now, it looks like the Rogue NF is getting tough. I received
a phone call on Sunday night stating that USFS officers or Park Rangers are stopping
vehicles, but so far have only issued warnings. Some vehicle drivers and a
motorcycle group have been turned back, when found on the road by these
officers.
The question is: Why after all this time is the road being
closed? There has been sufficient time to get dangerous snags removed.
The county wants the road open and is working to that end.
I was not able to contact either USFS Forest Supervisor for
comment, because of my weekend deadline for this column. I hope to contact them
for next week’s column.
Newsom on hook for $2 million
Under terms of a court settlement regarding California
Governor Gavin Newsom’s shut-down of churches during the Covid-19 pandemic, the
governor and his administration can no longer place pandemic restrictions on
houses of worship.
The settlement was issued two weeks ago in a California District
Court on behalf of Pasadena’s Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International
Ministry; and is the first statewide permanent injunction in the United States
against Covid-19 restrictions on churches and places of worship.
Newsom’s administration will have to pay the church’s
attorney’s fees to the tune of $1.6 million to settle the lawsuit; and will also
pay another $555,000 toward the lawsuit filed by Catholic priest, Fr. Trevor
Burfitt, who oversees mission churches in the counties of Kern, San Bernardino,
San Diego and Los Angeles.
Yep, this is good news for the First Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution and a huge win for religious freedom.
Walking
Tours in Yreka
The
Siskiyou Co. Historical Society is holding three walking tours this weekend.
They all start at 5 p.m. and cost $5 each. On Friday, June 11, 2021, the group
will learn about Miner’s Street. On Saturday, June 12, 2021, the tour will be
at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. And on Sunday, June 13, 2021, Evergreen Cemetery will
be toured. Call 530-572-1099 to reserve your spot and get more info.
2022 campaign starts
The Siskiyou Co. Republican Central Committee is sponsoring a
Meet and Greet with Eric Early, who is running for California Attorney General
in the 2022 Election. Early earned a B.F.A degree from New York University in
1981 and a J.D. degree from Southwestern Law School in 1993. His career
experience includes working as an attorney and managing partner of Early
Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP.
The Meet and Greet will be held at Mount Shasta Community
Center at 621 Alder St. in Mount Shasta City at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 17,
2021. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. The meeting is free to the public. Also, Siskiyou
Co. Kirk Andrus, Mount Shasta Police Chief Robert Gibson and Siskiyou Co.
Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue have been invited to attend and speak. Refreshments will
be served.
Garden
Two weeks ago, I couldn’t stand it. The rhubarb plant that I
harvested looked very bedraggled, so I harvested more stems. It actually made
it much happier. A nice circle of new leaves are already up over a foot tall.
Of course, it gets soaked every day, especially during last week’s heat wave.
I froze eight bags and then took rhubarb up to Shirley
Gilmore, who lives behind Callahan. Over the past several decades, she (with
help) has rock-terraced her steep hillside with a variety of perennial flowers
and plants. It is beautiful. But, keeping it irrigated is work even with a system
of hoses and timers. I can’t believe at 86 years of age that she still hikes
the paths up the hillside every day! She also had roses, iris, peonies,
poppies, and (I think they were) clematis blooming along with other spring
plants. Yep, Shirley has created a gorgeous landscape!
My baby pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini and cantaloupe plants
made it through the 100 degree heat last week. The six tomato plants are happy
and the zinnias are already starting to bloom in a variety of colors. Whew! So
glad it will cool down this week, but hoping it doesn’t frost!
May peace
and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!
Liz Bowen
began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a
native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past can be
found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.
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