Ski Park set to open on the 20th!

This is big news. Especially since the park was only opened for a few days last year due to the drought.
Ski Park 12-17-14Readers note that we always keep a link to the park’s webcams at the Local NEWS tab, above.
Winter sports, that’s ReallyRedding.

2 days left for your comments on Moody Flats EIR

As noted by the editor in today’s Record Searchlight, you have only 2 days left to register your comments about the EIR for proposed large quarry at Moody Flats. I noted my opposition to the Project (as currently proposed) in a prior post. Here’s a quote from the EIR report Part 2 page 17:

“As a result, over the 100–‐year life of the Project the site would be transformed from wooded open space of high scenic and visual quality to views of mining benches, exposed dirt and rocks, industrial equipment, access and haul roads. Viewers travelling along the Interstate 5 corridor may experience views of a disturbed mine slope of 400 – 600 feet high, which would be visually prominent when compared to the surrounding hillsides. The existing quality and character of the site would be dramatically changed by the proposed Project. This is considered a Significant Impact.

Emphasis theirs. Likely everyone reading can imagine what such a large quarry will look like.

“As shown above, maximum predicted 24—hour PM10 concentrations would exceed California AAQs (both scenarios) and federal standards (Scenario 1), even before consideration of appropriate background concentrations and therefore predict a Significant Impact.

Emphasis theirs. PM10 is tiny particulate matter that gets in your lungs, and won’t come out. Readers should consider that we already have elevated PM10 in the basin from (among others) existing operations at the Lehigh HeidelbergCement Group quarry, and the Knauf Fiberglass facility in Shasta Lake City.

Knauf Fibergass, a German owned company manufacturing in Shasta Lake City
Knauf Fibergass, a German company manufacturing in Shasta Lake City
Lehigh HeidelbergCement Group quarry as seen from Redding  on Shasta View.
Lehigh HeidelbergCement Group quarry as seen from Redding on Shasta View.

The draft EIR pulls few punches, but really doesn’t have to because chances are most of you probably won’t read it. Even so, I think the report is still inadequate.

1. No attempt is made to simulate the visual impact to Redding.
2. No alternative energy resource is explored except diesel electric generation. What about the potential for solar or wind power on the 1800+ acre site?
3. No contingency plan is explored for an extended drought. Water use is high.
4. Insufficient categorization of air pollution from other existing and expanding mines and manufacturers in the area compounding to the Project.
5. No contingency plan for possible bankruptcy of mine owner affecting reclamation completion. 100 years is a long time.

Resource exploitation corporations trade jobs for environmental impacts. Emphasis mine. We need the jobs and materials, but must judge carefully the balance. We are acting on behalf of our yet unborn descendants on a planet we do not own, but simply borrow. We have seen huge environmental impacts from mining operations in Shasta County, so have no excuse for glossing over another one.

You can read all 4 parts of the Moody Flats draft EIR report at the link. You can comment on the document until Dec. 18 at:
Written comments can be emailed to bwalker@co.shasta.ca.us or mailed to the attention of Bill Walker, AICP, senior planner, Shasta County Resource Management — Planning Division, 1855 Placer St. Suite 103, Redding, CA 96001.

Cutting the cord in Redding

It just wears you down.

The cable bill was really high every month, but our actual time spent watching TV was shrinking. Every month, paying for channels we never watch. It was like going to a restaurant and being forced to buy everything on the menu, even though you were only eating a little.

It finally wore me out. We shut off the cable TV.

Cut the cord antennaWe still watch TV. Mostly KRCR (ABC- channel 7) and KIXE (Public TV – channel 9), with an occasional KHSL (CBS – channel 12) and even FOX on broadcast channel 38. We don’t seem to get NBC. We also could not receive broadcast TV inside the house due to the thermal roof sheathing we have installed to lower energy use. So we called B&T Satellite of Redding (530 241 3474) and they installed an exterior antenna to serve 2 TVs, for $300. It’s aimed west, at Shasta Bally. Fast and courteous work.

We still love Charter for the internet. Well, perhaps love is a bit too strong. They seemed bitter about letting us keep the internet, while pulling the plug on the TV service. When the tech cut the cable, it changed something having to do with my router. I had to call Linksys and install new firmware. That’s an afternoon spent on the phone I’ll never get back. I’m starting to think it might be time to start exploring other providers, such as ATT-Bundles. We’ll see.

But in all, it’s been a welcome change. KIXE actually has 3 different programs broadcast simultaneously, so that’s been an upgrade. Almost everything else we watched, like Comedy Central and the like, is online somewhere. We are still exploring a bunch of online sources like HULU, Netflix, and even Amazon Prime. We love that websites like Likewise often provide up-to-date lists of everything that’s coming to Amazon Prime, it gives us so many new things to watch. The best part about all of this? Our Charter bill is now less than half what it was.

Thinking about cutting the cord? Or wondering what took us so long?

Highly recommended.

On driving a zero emissions vehicle

We have had our Nissan Leaf over a year, and driven more than 15000 miles, or 24,000 kilometers, if you prefer. We like the Leaf very much.
CoffeeBarLeaf
You get used to driving past gas stations pretty easily. When I wake up in the morning, the car is fully charged.  Kind of like a smart phone. According to our Kill a Watt energy usage meter, the car takes about $5 a day to charge at a regular 110 volt plug.  But it’s only plugged in about half the time, so about $2.50 to drive.Energy usage Leaf 1280

Leaf Plug
Leaf in French Gulch 2

The Nissan Leaf crossed a big milestone recently, and produced a nice video about it.


Produced for folks who think of distance in kilometers, evidently. It’s not a car for every driver, but if it fits your individual needs, it works very well. And is very pleasant to drive.

Leaf on Vermeer

Cafe Paradisio in Redding

The Paradisio Experience: Simple food prepared extraordinarily well, served in a casually elegant atmosphere.”

That description from their website is quite accurate. This downtown Redding restaurant is remarkably good.Cafe Paradisio 2

Cafe Paradisio 4The walls are lined with art from local artists that you can peruse and purchase. Nice.

Cafe Paradisio Food2
For a late lunch, we shared a Chicken Bacon sandwich and the Baked Brie Platter with roasted garlic cloves, olive tapenade, and crostini. That was no rubber chicken sandwich! Tender and moist. The soup of the day was an outstanding East Coast style Seafood Chowder. The Paradisio menu is online at the link. They have a number of dishes we’ve yet to try, but which sound really good, and reasonably priced.
Cafe Paradisio 3

Cafe Paradisio 1Seen here on a blustery Winter day, the Cafe Paradisio lives up to their promise. Located at 1270 Yuba Street, 530-215-3499.
You can check the Cafe Paradisio website for upcoming music events, too. On Dec. 22, they are featuring Redding musical treasures Bernie Baker and Stephanie Foos. Try a taste:

Reservations recommended, It’s Really Redding.

In opposition to the Moody Flats Quarry

Every citizen of Shasta County should read the draft  Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Moody Flat Quarry north of Shasta Lake City. They are taking written public comments until December 18, and you need to voice your opinion. You, and every individual currently tasked with making the decision whether to move forward will be long dead by the time this project is in full production over the next 100 years.

Imagined view of the  Moody Flats quarry as seen from Redding.
Imagined view of the Moody Flats quarry as seen from Redding.

Moody Flat Quarry EIR document can be found at this link. The project proposed to turn a 1380 ft and 1950 ft peak into 2 deep pits (pg 89). At peak, hauling 2 million tons of aggregate a year in a 24 X 7 operation, using rail and 560 truck trips each day (pg 90). Starting about page 20, the report outlines impacts to air quality, noise pollution, and visual degradation it labels as “Significant and Unavoidable.”
The impacts are entirely avoidable, at this point.
Mt Shasta from Redding
We’ve seen these companies and schemes before in Shasta County. With the (not insignificant) promise of some middle-class jobs, they exploit our local natural resources for profit that wont stay local. Millions, perhaps Billions in today’s dollars worth of gold and copper were taken from the hills surrounding Redding, leaving only hundred year old scars and polluted Superfund sites. Anyone in Redding can look to the northwest and see the actual and present legacy of the Iron Mountain Mine. Where did all those mining profits go? To Lord Keswick? Evidently not to the town of Keswick.

Shasta County has long played the foolish virgin. Too eager to give up her natural resource charms for plunder with little to show for it later. Our virginity in these matters is long vanished, and we should take heed of our own mining history. There may well be a need for the jobs and products this project will provide. But on balance the tradeoffs are simply too great, the impacts too substantial to permit the Moody Flats Quarry under the current proposal.
Moody FlatsYou can find a website opposing the Moody Flat quarry at the link. From my perspective as a local real estate agent, there is no upside to this project. I suspect the project is crucial to raising Shasta Dam, but will ultimately have a much larger impact on Redding area property values.
Unless there is “Significant and Unavoidable” impact to 3M in the form of leaving a big portion of our mineral wealth profits local, I oppose the project.
Moody Creek Bridge