Chain-reaction occurs as she responds to call

A Del Norte County sheriff’s deputy crashed her car while responding to a call Monday.

Deputy Easter Lara was traveling north on Nickel Street with her lights flashing when a car she thought was yielding made a left turn in front of her, said California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Brown.

A Crescent City resident lost control of his vehicle as he was traveling north on Highway 101 at the S curve and took out a light post at about 7 p.m. Wednesday.

 “He must have been traveling pretty fast,” said volunteer firefighter Dana Reno. “He completely tore the light post out of the ground.”

BID members meeting to eye possible solutions

Photo courtesy of BID

The crimes have included graffiti on buildings, overturned flower barrels, broken windows and stolen merchandise.

The most recent incident happened last weekend along a stretch of 3rd Street from Chere’s Boutique to the Chase bank branch, said Billie Kaye Gavin-Tygart, BID president.

1,500-lot development never did take shape

The Pacific Shores water district, which for decades has charged customers monthly fees despite a lack of providing any utility services, will remain dissolved.

In a ruling filed in Del Norte Superior Court this week, Judge John Morrison upheld an August 2008 decision by the Del Norte Local Agency Formation Commission to disband the water district and revert control of its affairs to the county because there were a number of procedural missteps by attorneys who challenged the dissolution on behalf of a Pacific Shores property owner.

The Yurok Tribal Council voted late last week to approve signing two agreements that will remove four PacifiCorp-owned dams on the Klamath River and bring a basin-wide approach to ecological restoration.

An official signing by all the various parties involved in the negotiations to dismantle dams, including American Indian tribes, fishermen, farmers, irrigators and government agencies, is expected later this month.

Klamath stretch due for upgrade in 2013

While the $6.4 million Caltrans project at Last Chance Grade on U.S. Highway 101 nears completion, a new project to improve a 5-mile stretch of the highway through Klamath is in the works.

The Klamath Grade Raise Project is scheduled to begin in summer of 2013.

A public scoping meeting on the future project will be held Feb. 10 at the Yurok Tribal Office, 190 Klamath Blvd., in Klamath, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Chamber hands out its annual 4 awards at Cultural Center

Mark Lee, left, owner of Good Harvest Cafe, was awarded the Del Norte Pride Award at the Chamber of Commerce dinner Saturday. His wife is the bookkeeper, and sons Ryan and Chris, right, are the day and night managers, respectively. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Outgoing president Brent Hoskinson told a packed house at the Cultural Center that the Chamber made significant strides last year, including adding 59 members and strengthening its ambassador program, an accomplishment he credited to incoming president Lisa McKeown.

Hoskinson noted enhancements that are being made to the Chamber’s Web site this spring, and the Chamber’s efforts in conjunction with the medical community to recruit and retain health care professionals.

Legal action likely, city manager says

Crescent City Councilwoman Donna Westfall’s attempt to lower sewer rates to October 2007 levels is moving forward.

The Del Norte County Clerk/Recorder’s Office verified last week that Westfall’s initiative petition had enough valid signatures to be placed on the November ballot, but fell short of forcing a special election.

Westfall needed 171 verified signatures from registered voters in the city to have the sewer rate initiative placed on the next municipal ballot. Though she submitted more than 300 signatures, only 178 were confirmed by the Clerk/Recorder’s Office.