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Wonder on the River - Stream Team cleaning up the northside of the Sacramento River trail Oct 2010
By Randy Smith, Stream Team Leader
Battle weariness precludes complete coverage of this morning's conquest along the Sacramento River. All that can be expressed is sincere thanks. So many came, worked so hard, achieved so much in such a short time; words are far from adequate. Those not present may consider all this verbiage as pandering hyperbole, but if they have occasion to visit the North Sacramento River Trail between Market Street Bridge and the Sundial Bridge, they will know the truth. The Preston/Haynes Embankment, Ball/Franco/Gifford Clearing, Williams/Nowak/Seamans Land Between, Farquhar/Malotky/Warren Entrance, Burkhalter/Fry Trail of Mystery, Maurer and Son Victory, Wyatt/Zanni/Marlow View are all new place names purchased with unbelievable toil, dedication, speed and skill. "Brush" Lenroot denied a persistent rumor. Preston's Brigade ordered reinforcements in the form of the Simpson R. O. T. C. Platoon. This was done so the average age of Preston's forces would be lowered below 70 years. "Brush" said that even with the new troopers, the average stayed above 70. No matter, you should see what they accomplished downstream of the Market Street Bridge.
"Chipper" Fitzpatrick was described by a seasoned R. E. U. employee as the hardest working chipper feeder on earth. "Techie" Gaston encouraged Dick Roseberry whose wife Francie Sullivan was the only candidate partially present except for always there Ken Murray who started Community Creek Clean Up in 2006. With wonderful support from Mrs. Niemer and an allied City Crew including "Steno" Auckland and "Trail" Hanson, "Techie" at the single Command Center processed more people than went through Ellis Island in a day at its height of operation. "Black Bear" Dean and "Woody" Wulfestieg know the meaning of Stream Team Adventure. "Blood Source" Meyer and "Commercial" Haynes made it four local Rotary clubs involved today. PDG Gerard and "Smiley" Fisher were as she said "walkie talkies" in a world of dusty noise from four chippers and twenty chain saws. Tell them what you needed and they would deliver the message along the mile of combat. "Blower" Wright did such a good job cleaning the asphalt at the end that even "Neatnick" Burroughs could find nothing to sweep. "Wounded" Stubblefield escaped injury this year as did virtually everyone else. A couple of yellow jacket stings were all that were reported at three nursing stations. Pretty tame considering the hundreds of volunteers present. "Photo" Tam was there to record everything as it happened.
President Greg worked with an amazing cohort of Scouts, C. C. C. members, Simpson students and their President Larry, Mission Regulars, citizens of our town from all age categories. He came to help and better understand that his Rotary was an important part of this project. Recovered views, an enhanced natural resource, fire safety improvement, litter abatement, non native plant removal and camaraderie were experienced and shared by all. Old fashioned hard work in a matchless setting compressed the hours to fleeting minutes.
Many are left as unknowns, faces bent in a struggle never to be forgotten. It wasn't possible to be everywhere, to know everyone present in the secret places this morning recovered for our community. Yet it is a very good feeling to know that these things improve with age, that there is such a well spring of feeling for our precious, shared public property, that such numbers share a genuine wish to return something to a beautiful place.
The General,
Private Creeky
“We do not inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”…Native American Proverb
To view a photo gallery of this event, please click Reddingrotary/Photogallery