HIT — We begin today the way any great day should begin: With a good cup of coffee.
Specifically, this one is hoisted in the direction of our veterans — along with an invitation for each of them to join in.
As noted in a letter to the editor this week by Mike Halldorson, past commander of VFW Post 1555, every Wednesday morning is Coffee Time for veterans at the Chico Veterans Memorial Hall from 7 a.m. until noon.
Free coffee and doughnuts are provided for any veteran — and veterans only. No family or friends. These brave men and women relied only on one another during their years of service, so they’ve more than earned the right to enjoy fellowship among themselves over coffee.
The program is supported by funds from various veteran organizations which use the hall. Donations are accepted, but not required.
Our thanks to everyone who continues to make this possible.
MISS — The Highway 70 corridor through Butte and Plumas County continues to be a dangerous one on many fronts. Winter closures because of mudslides and rockslides are practically becoming the rule rather than the exception.
Unfortunately, train derailments remain too common as well.
We got another reminder of that this week when an incredible 2.47 million pounds of coal was spilled into the middle fork of the Feather River after a 15-car Union Pacific train derailment at Blairsden in Plumas County.
The cars were transporting the coal to Portola at the time of the incident. No hazardous materials were released, and teams from Fish and Wildlife were on the scene for cleanup and to assess potential impact on the environment.
A 2014-15 Plumas County Civil Grand Jury report offered a scathing indictment of the dangers of transporting hazardous materials through the canyon. This report came after 11 railcars full of corn went off the tracks and down a steep embankment, noting they had “dodged a bullet” with that one.
Sometimes, the bullet isn’t dodged. We’re reminded of the 1991 Southern Pacific Railroad derailment that spilled 19,000 gallons of the herbicide metam sodium into the Sacramento River, basically killing everything in the water between that site and Lake Shasta.
Accidents happen. But usually, they’re preventable.
HIT — We were glad to see the Butte County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopt the Butte County Recharge Action Plan in an effort to help bolster groundwater reserves throughout the region.
As of the presentation on Tuesday, the Vina Subbasin has a water deficit of roughly 550,000 acre-feet for its storage. Christina Buck, assistant director for Department of Water and Resource Conservation, said the subbasin also faces a yearly decline of about 20,000 acre-feet on top of an increase in demand for the area serviced.
“The plan identifies five main actions with accompanying implementation steps that the county will pursue in partnership with the groundwater sustainability agencies and other agencies and organizations within the county,” said Department of Water and Resource Conservation Director Kamie Loeser.
On a somewhat related note, we’ll pass along this, from a Sites Project Authority news release issued Wednesday: “With the recent storms, Sites Reservoir could have diverted and captured 1.2 million acre-feet of water in 2023 and 2024 to date. Based on 2023 flows and significant storms this January and February, it is estimated that Sites Reservoir would be 80 percent full today following the critically dry prior years when Sites water would have been depleted.”
MISS — It was a thrilling Super Bowl and we wish the worst news we had to report was that the 49ers lost in overtime. Instead, we got another horrific example of what happens when angry idiots get their hands on guns.
A day that should have been among the most joyous in the history of Kansas City turned into a nightmare scenario of the worst order Wednesday when more than 20 people were shot at the end of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade and celebration. One woman died and most of the shooting victims were children.
Also shocking was the fact the alleged shooters were basically children too. Police have two juvenile suspects in custody and reports indicate the shooting occurred because of some sort of personal dispute.
Really? A personal dispute led to kids with guns firing bullets at one another with more than a million innocent people in the area? The sheer stupidity and callous disregard for life are equally stunning.
This all comes just a few months after a celebration of the Denver Nuggets’ NBA championship in June was also marred by a shooting. In that one, at least 10 people were injured, and that altercation began with what police believe was a drug deal gone bad.
Has our society sunk to such a lawless level that it’s not even safe to come together for a large celebration anymore?
Hits and misses are compiled by the editorial board.
