Plans are reportedly in the works to add signs to the Noyo River Bridge that would be aimed at detering suicides. On Friday Caltrans announced that they are looking at installing what they call crisis prevention signs on the bridge that would offer help to those experiencing a mental health crisis. Caltrans says they are doing it in partnership with the City of Fort Bragg and Mendocino County in conversations that started after the death of a Fort Bragg teenager. While the cause of death for 15-year-old Roy Mora will not be available for several weeks, his body was found under the bridge. Fort Bragg’s Mayor tells Mendo Fever that since Mora’s death he has gotten a lot of input from the community. Caltrans says in addition to signs they are exploring other safety measures.
The Ukiah City Council has said yes to adding a Volunteer Coordinator to the city staff to lead teams in cleaning up public parks and other areas. The Daily Journal reports the Council has greenlit a plan to, temporarily at least, add a Volunteer Coordinator and create a volunteer corps called the Friends of Ukiah Parks. The City Manager said despite the name the volunteers will not just clean up trash and graffiti from parks but also public right of ways, creeks and other areas. Currently officials say the budget for the Volunteer Coordinator will come from the Solid Waste Abatement Fund. The position will be listed as a one-year temporary position that will work about 30 hours a week.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Sonoma County Water Agency $15 million toward implementing the Two-Basin Solution for changes to the Eel and Russian Rivers to restore the salmon fishery there. In a statement, Rep. Jared Huffman says the money will fund a major Eel River estuary project supported by the tribes and start the work on a new wintertime diversion to the Russian River following the removal of two salmon-blocking dams on the Eel. Pacific Gas and Electric plans to remove the Scott and Van Arsdale dams that no longer produce electricity but prevent salmon from reaching 200 miles of spawning habitat.
Public bathrooms are on the agenda for the Lakeport City Council when they meet today. The Council is set to introduce an ordinance amending the city code in order to tackle what officials say has been a spike in loitering over the past year-and-a-half. Also on the agenda, the police chief will present the annual crime statistics report and the city clerk will present an update on the Silveira Community Center, a building that was gifted to the city in 2019 by Bank of America but has issues including plumbing and ADA compliance. The Lakeport City Council meets today at 6pm.
A group that wants to change the name of Fort Bragg is continuing to do work around the town to educate residents about why they want the change. Non-profit organization Change Our Name Fort Bragg is hosting an event Wednesday at the Fort Bragg Library to talk about the history of the town which was named for Confederate Army General Braxton Bragg was used by the US military to relocate local Indigenous groups onto a reservation. Organizers tell the Mendocino Voice there was never a vote on what to name the town and he feels it should be discussed. The event they are holding is called a “teach-in”. It’s at 7pm Wednesday in the Fort Bragg Library’s Community Room.
Two water towers in Middletown have a vibrant new look. The two towers on Rabbit Hill have been painted in the style of Pomo water baskets in a project created by the Middletown Art Center to unite the community following the Valley Fire. Lisa Kaplan of MAC tells the Record Bee she went to the Middletown Rancheria with the idea and when they said yes MAC sponsored a design competition and a community vote. The winning designs are by Trelasa Baratta and Lorraine Triana Rueda. Last week the community held an official dedication of the towers.
