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April Brings Fast Cars, Slow Food And More

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The wildflowers are blooming, the songbirds are singing and nesting, the snow-covered peaks are glistening in the sun, you can hardly steer a garden cart around the jammed nursery, the cold wind is blowing, and the allergy medicine display at the drug store has become prominent. Yes, it must be April in Shasta County.

It’s a great month around here. Quite possibly the biggest community event of the year, Kool April Nites, brings out hot rides by the hundreds for formal car shows and informal gatherings. The Saturday morning farmers’ market begins its annual run next to Redding City Hall. Mountain bikers gear up (and down) for the Lemurian, the infamously difficult race at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

We’ll be writing about all of these seasonal events and many more in coming weeks at A News Café. So much to do.

Unfortunately, we’ll also be saying goodbye to The Dance Project, which is shutting down after its performances this month of “The Sound of Music.” I don’t care much for musicals and I don’t know a thing about dance, but I recognize a valuable cultural institution when I see one. That’s what The Dance Project became in a short period of time. And we need all the cultural institutions we can get.

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Quit foolin’ around … My thanks to everyone for being a good sport about our little Sundial Bridge April Fool’s joke. I promise I won’t be fabricating any more stories. Real life is interesting enough.

Free bicycle … This Sunday, April 10, is the deadline to submit an essay on how a new bicycle would change your life. Healthy Shasta is scheduled to award one kids bike and one adult commuter bike next month. See my earlier story for details.

Highway 99 construction … Construction has begun on a major pavement and bridge deck rehabilitation project on State Route 99 between Los Molinos and Red Bluff. Knife River Construction of Chico has the $11.2 million contract to repair the 12.4-mile stretch of pavement, including 10 bridge decks. The improvements are good news for those of us who travel regularly between Redding or Red Bluff and Chico. The bad news is that we should expect delays of 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Crews are getting started this week just south of the Highway 99-36 junction.

Friends and fans … Social media for small business is the topic of a workshop scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. this Thursday, April 7, at the Center for Economic and Workforce Development classroom, 2990 Innsbruck Drive, in Redding. The workshop will cover ways small business owners may profit through use of Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, Yelp, Groupon and other electronic tools of the age. The class costs $25, and you may register on the Shasta College Small Business Development Center website under “workshops.” Am I the only one around here who remembers direct mail and cold calls?

Shasta County’s finest … The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office recently honored five staff members as employees of the year. Sgt. Lisa Sherman, Deputy Tom Fleming, Correctional Officer Kevin Stewart, Service Officer Emily Pevehouse and Executive Assistant Becky Wilson received recognition for jobs well done.

Drop us a note … Redding Police Department Captain Scott Mayberry is headed to Fort Bragg, where he is scheduled to become police chief on April 18. During his 17 years with the RPD, Mayberry worked his way up from corporal to become the captain in charge of the investigations division. Mayberry is returning home to the coastal city where he grew up. With Mayberry’s departure, Capt. Roger Moore will assume responsibility for the investigations division.

Running around … A tip of the sweat-stained cap to the organizers of last weekend’s Run for the Wild, who had to cobble together a course at the last minute because the very high Sacramento River flooded portions of the normal course at Anderson River Park. The improvised routes used a lot of single-track trail through the park and even a couple freshly mowed cross-country detours. This runner thought it was a lot of fun. About 200 people turned out for the event that benefited Shasta Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation.

shigley-mugshotPaul Shigley is senior editor of California Planning & Development Report, a frequent contributor to Planning magazine and is ready for strawberry season. He lives in Centerville. Paul Shigley may be reached at pauls.anewscafe@gmail.com.

A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment.

Paul Shigley

has been a professional journalist since 1987. For 12 years, he served as editor or senior editor of California Planning & Development Report, a statewide trade publication for land use planners, real estate development professionals and attorneys. Prior to that, he worked as a reporter or editor at newspapers in Redding, Grass Valley, Napa and Calistoga. Shigley's work also has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Planning magazine, Governing magazine, California Law Week, National Speed Sport News and elsewhere. In addition, he is co-author of Guide to California Planning, a college text and reference book, and is currently working on a book for the American Planning Association about the Bay Delta and California water resources. A graduate of California State University, Sacramento, Shigley has contributed to A News Cafe since 2009. He and his wife, Dana, live in western Shasta County.

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