Big Sur Health Center will reopen Monday morning at 10 am. We finally have power and water. Yeah! We hope to have phones by Monday.
Until then, for any medically-related concerns or requests, please continue to contact our answering service through our main number, 667-2580, and someone will be available to help you.
Specialized Helicopters will be running shuttles in and out of Big Sur this weekend from Monterey Airport. Each leg, in or out, is $375 each way for the flight or $125/seat. You can carry a small amount of luggage on your lap but if your luggage needs takes up another seat you will need to buy that seat. Please call Specialized Helicopters so that we can optimize each flight and to keep the flights full and affordable for you and make it possible for Specialized to run these shuttles for us.
Flights are limited.
Call Specialized Helicopters at (831) 763-2244 to reserve a seat.
http://www.specializedheli.com
Subject: Nacimiento-Fergusson Construction to Begin 2/27/2017
Dear local residents and cooperators,
The anticipated construction to repair the failing section of Nacimiento-Fergusson road at MP 4.2, will begin the week of February 27, 2017.
Construction Schedule
· February 27 (Monday), the contractor will move in, set up traffic control and start construction.
· Construction will take place Monday – Saturday, weather and conditions permitting.
· This contract is for 30 days, however if conditions are right, it may take less than 3 weeks.
Road Closure
o This closure begins Monday morning February 27, 2017. The road will be open and closed during the following times:
o Open from 6:00 pm – 07:00 am and from 11:30 am – 12:00 noon. The road will also be open on Sundays.
o Closed 7:00 am – 11:30 am and from 12:00 noon – 6:00 pm. Monday through Saturday.
The contractor and the Forest Service are striving to have this project completed as soon as possible and allow traffic to safely resume use of this important road. Thank you for your patience and understanding through this challenging period.
If you have any further questions, please contact me.
Thank you,
Forest Service Shield
Debbie Evans
Roads Program Manager
Forest Service
Los Padres National Forest
As I sometimes do, when I make a town run east, I stopped outside the FHL main gate yesterday at the old Jolon Store, and contemplated how difficult life was for the original settlers of the South Coast – you know, the Plasketts, the Prewitts, the Mansfields, and the Harlans. They made their trip across the Santa Lucias by horseback and mule, and eventually wagon. It took 3 days. They camped out on the way. They didn’t have propane to run out of, but cooked with wood. They didn’t use gasoline for generators, but used kerosene lamps and candles for light. They made a “town trip” once a year to get some basics like coffee, salt, sugar, flour, and beans. The rest they raised, forageaged, or bartered for with neighbors. Today, life is easier and for many, “town trips” are considered a necessity and are way too frequent. I surmise that one of the reasons we go through these fires and floods (besides Mother Sur taking care of herself) is to remind ourselves of why we are here and what we love about being here. It is our opportunity to allow the land to refresh and for us to reconnect with it. We can discover that many of us sit no more lightly on the land than do our visitors. I learned to cook on my wood stove to conserve propane. It works very much like a crock pot – just make sure to have lots of liquid and a tight fitting lid. I have candles and oil lamps galore and the glow of them, vs. electric lights makes for a very different feeling and ambiance. I have reconnected with my library and my dogs. It can be a joyful time, if you let it be.
The Jolon Store, photo by bigsurkate, taken 2/23/17.
SMI conducted an inspection of Br 44 0035 Castro Canyon (05-Mon-001-43.12) [ed note: MM 43.12 is near Deetjen’s] on February 22 in response to reports of a slide near Abutment 1 on February 20.
ABMEs Nick Semander and Justin Alamares found no bridge damage and only minor damage to the crib wall retaining the southerly approach roadway. The crib wall damage does not affect the approach fill at this time. The slide wiped out the southern approach MBGR and knocked a couple of pieces of the PCC cribbing from the top of the crib wall as shown in the attached photographs. (There were no photos attached.)
Nick reported that access to the site from the North was facilitated by a local landowner who met and assisted our team in getting to the bridge over private property with their private vehicles. Please extend our appreciation and thanks to the local community for being so helpful and supportive.
Please let me know of you have any questions.
EROL
EROL C. KASLAN, P.E.
Chief, Structure Investigations – North
Caltrans Division of Maintenance
Structure Maintenance and Investigations
