The Colusa County Air Pollution Control District (CCAPCD) is now accepting applications for the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (Carl Moyer Program). We invite any company, fleet, operator, and/or individual in Colusa County who is interested in replacing existing diesel engines with new low emission engines and/or motors to apply for the Carl Moyer Program. The program is designed to provide grant funding for cleaner-than-required irrigation pump engines and/or motors. The exhausts from diesel engines are a significant source of smog-forming emissions. The CCAPCD is implementing the Carl Moyer Program for the 2016/2017 fiscal year to improve the air quality in Colusa County. All interested parties are invited to pick up applications at the Colusa County Air Pollution Control District Office located at 100 Sunrise Blvd, Suite A in Colusa. Applications can also be obtained via email or faxed upon request.

Applications must be submitted no later than May 31, 2017. Due to limited funding, the funds will be awarded only to projects that yield the best cost-effective result. If you have any questions please contact Casey Ryan at (530) 458-0583.■

Employee Patty Finks rings up a customer Monday morning as Chevron is open for business.

It’s been two months since Maxwell took on flood waters. Local businesses such as Hydro-Ag, Chevron, Troughtons Auto Repair, Kim’s Deli, and Caldwell’s Mini Mart each experienced closures from water damage.

The damage varied at each business, as did the time that they were closed. Caldwell’s had their doors open almost immediately after the floodwater subsided. Hydro-Ag and Kim’s Country Cafe were both shut down for a little over a week.

“We were closed for a week. Just a lot of clean up, not too many repairs. Mainly items that needed replaced was the feed. We will be re-stocked again this week,” said Kyle Miller.

Repairs at Kim’s Country Cafe were more extensive than most around town.

“We replaced the sheet rock from windows down, the compressor in the walk-in, and water heater. The building also received a fresh coat of paint,” said cafe owner Kim Troughton. The cafe now offers a community board for residents to share events and announcements plus a kids’ area with chalkboard paint to keep kids entertained.

“The community support was just overwhelming,” said Troughton.

Troughton’s Auto Repair is back in the swing of things after being shut down for almost a month. Jessie Troughton, Kim’s husband whose business is just north of hers on Old Highway 99, said that the clean-up efforts at the shop were labor intensive.

“All the tools had to be cleaned and oiled, the carpet in the office was torn out, and I am still finding things that need repair. The mud was the worst part of the clean-up, taking several washes to finally clean it up,” said Troughton.

The last affected business to re-open for Maxwell residents was Davies’ Chevron. Several inches of flood waters swept through the mini-mart causing such significant damage. They were closed for seven weeks. Repairs involved new flooring, sheet rock, new bathroom, electrical replacement, and fresh paint.

“New cabinets are set to come this week. We are open and expect to be back in full service in the next week or so. Our food service will return but will take a while longer. We opened last Friday with snacks, drinks, coffee, and some tobacco products and are back to our full hours of operation 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. I enjoyed the vacation and helped with clean-up when I could, but happy to be back to work,” said employee Patty Finks.

As for the community, locals are happy to have their town back up and running again.

“It was rough for awhile with no cafe and a choice of what mini-mart to use. It seems most residents are back in their homes and have made needed repairs. I feel the community really pulled together to get our businesses affected back into commission again,” said Maxwell resident Kerri Purvis.

Also affected were a pair of government buildings in the Sites Joint Powers Authority headquarters (owned by Colusa County) and Maxwell Elementary School. The school suffered loss and damage from the muddy flood waters but has been able to allow all classes back into their assigned rooms for the past three weeks.

Colusa County CAO Wendy Tyler said it could still be some time before the old Wells Fargo Building is occupied again, but she was aiming to have an item on the next Board of Supervisors agenda (May 2) to put out a request for proposals and move forward with the competitive bidding process.

“We’re probably several months out, to be honest. I’m hoping we can get a contract in there quickly, when we get a RFP (request for proposals) out. But then we have to bring that back before the board for approval,” Tyler said. ■

What to plant?

In a shady spot early in the month you can still plant pansies, violas, and primroses.

You can plant dahlia tubers and transplant most perennials.

As a temperatures warm (nights consistently over 55 degrees) you can transplant tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.

You can still plant seeds of cilantro, radishes, beets and chard. (Cilantro) will go to seed quickly as the weather warms up.

Chores in the garden:

Fertilize shrubs and trees once this spring.

Watch azaleas, camellias and citrus for yellowing between the veins in the leaves. If the leaf is yellowish, apply chelated iron to the plants.

Trim the dead flowers but not the leaves from spring bulbs. The leaves restore the bulb; so wait to remove them until they turn yellow. To keep the garden tidy, you can braid the leaves together and hold with a rubber band. Fertilize the bulbs after the bloom is finished with bone meal.

Apply organic mulch to all beds to keep the soil cool and enrich the soil.

— For more gardening information go to cecolusa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardeners.

The Colusa County Arts Council and the Pacific Flyway Quilters will once again participate in the annual May Surprise.

Held at the Will S. Green Park on Saturday, May 6, the two groups will provide a great opportunity to the community while showcasing their organizations.

“For the past three years, and again this year, we are having an Artisan Faire featuring local artists,” said Susan Woods, an Arts Council member. “We felt this would be an opportunity to reach out to local artists and give them a venue to present and to sell their work.”

The Artisan Faire will be held from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Scout Cabin and will feature jewelry, soaps, ceramics, sewn items, paintings, and so forth.

“Since this is the weekend before Mother’s Day, it would be a great opportunity to pick up a special gift for mom,” said Woods.

Those interested in showcasing or selling their works of art, tables are available. The deadline for Artisan Faire vendors is April 18; for information call (530) 458-2222 or email ccac@frontier.com.

The Pacific Flyway Quilters will provide lunch during the May Surprise activities from 11 AM to 2 PM in the Scout Cabin.

“The quilters will be serving pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, chips, water, and a slice of homemade pie. All for $10,” said Yvonne Phenicie, PFQ President. “Items will also be priced individually.”

Phenicie added that the proceeds from the lunch will help the quilting group to continue with their community service projects.

“The guild is very active in supplying a variety of items to local agencies. We make small quilts that go with a stuffed animal toy that can be given to a child who is in need,” said Phenicie. “We also make wheelchair and walker bags that go to the veterans home. These are just a few of the items that we work on year round.”

Before you have lunch, visit the Garden Club, who will be selling plants beginning at 9 AM at the Pavilion on 10th Street. At 10 AM, you can enjoy the Arts Council “Artisan Faire” in the Scout Cabin. At noon, the Friends of the Library will begin serving wine for their wine tasting, held in front of the Scout Cabin; and the Colusa City Heritage Preservation Committee will give out the Merit Award at 1 PM. So make your plans to have a fun filled day, while supporting these local nonprofits.■

Click to view slideshow.

At the end of March the City of Williams and local government representatives celebrated the opening of Marguerite Street.

“This is a big moment for the City of Williams and the County of Colusa,” said County Supervisor Kent Boes and former Williams City Council member as he opened the ceremony.

Williams City Administrator, Frank Kennedy commented that the project took a lot of people, and was a collaborative effort between the City of Williams, the City of Colusa, the County of Colusa and CalTrans.

“It feels so good to finally have the street open,” said Kennedy. He also thanked about a dozen of individuals who worked to see the project through.

The project which kicked off in the Fall of 2014 after receiving $3.5 million dollars from the California Transportation Commission.

“This is going to be a huge financial benefit for our community. It will bring jobs to our citizens, and tax dollars for infrastructure improvements,” said then Mayor, Pat Ash back in 2014.

Funding for the project was made possible through Traffic Improvement Fund dedicated to the City of Williams from the County of Colusa, the City of Colusa and Cal Trans.

“When people work together, great things happen,” said Boes.

The project was finalized in July of last year.

Kennedy said that now the street was open that the City could expect Love’s Travel Center to begin construction in the next few months. ■

The wife of a convicted sex offender will face a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment when she next appears in Colusa County Superior Court.

Rachel Wolfenbarger, whose husband William was sentenced last month to two years in state prison for possessing more than 4,000 images of child pornography, appeared in court Tuesday with attorney, Sukhraj S. Pamma at her side.

Pamma told Judge Betsy Olivera that he hopes to resolve the case entirely with the Colusa County District Attorney’s office by May 9, or his client will be prepared to stand trial.

Olivera confirmed the child endangerment charge stemming from the case has been reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor.

If convicted, Wolfenbarger could still face up to one year in county jail and $1,000 in penalties, according to state law.

Rachel Wolfenbarger was arrested Sept. 21, after cell phone records alleged she allowed her husband access to her home and children after learning that he had images of child pornography on his cell phone and computer, and that he had secretly recorded a minor under the age of 18, in a state of undress, according to court documents.

She has pleaded not guilty.

Rachel Wolfenbarger maintains that even though she did not contact authorities after learning of her husband’s apparent predilection to child pornography, she had asked him to leave their home, and did not allow him direct contact with any of her children.

William Wolfenbarger, a former special education paraeducator with the Colusa County Office of Education, was arrested and convicted on the child pornography charges after someone from a self-help online website alerted authorities that Wolfenbarger has recorded a minor.  ■

Effectively a boating license, only those 20 years old and younger will have to obtain one in January; requirement extends to older boaters in subsequent years.

New regulations are coming for California’s boaters in January, as the first phase of a law passed in 2014 is finally set to go into effect.   

Beginning in 2018, under California Harbors and Navigation Code Section 678, California will begin phasing in by age the requirement that residents who operate a motorized vessel on state waterways carry a California Boater Card. The card will be issued by the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways.

When it is implemented in January, the law will require all boaters 20 years old and younger to pass a boating safety exam and apply for a California Boater Card if they plan to operate a motorized vessel on a California waterway. Over the course of the following seven years, boaters of all ages will be required to do the same. A California Boater Card will be valid for the lifetime of the person it is issued to.

According to previously existing law, children from ages 12-15 can operate a boat under the direct supervision of someone 18 years of age or older. Under the new law, the supervising adult will have to be the owner of a Department of Boating and Waterways-issued vessel operator card.

Failure to carry a California Boater Card is an infraction, is punishable by a fine upon conviction: $100 for the first offense; $250 for a second offense; and $500 for a third offense. The fine can be waived if the vessel operator provides proof that they had a valid California Boater Card at the time of the citation. A judge will also order a person convicted of violating the new law to take an approved boating safety course.

The law, as written in 2014, caps the fee the Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) can charge for the initial license at $30 (and $10 for any duplicates). After meeting with a Technical Advisory Group, the DBW released a FAQ document on their website that indicated the cost of the initial license will be no more than $10, and the replacement fee will be $5.

If by Dec. 31, 2017, an individual of any age has completed a DBW approved boater education course, they are eligible for a grandfathering exemption, and not required to take an additional course. While there are a number of paid courses available that satisfy the requirement, the DBW currently offers a free home study course that and can be ordered on their website, or downloaded as a PDF. Those choosing to download the PDF can obtain a scantron form for the test via mail by sending a request to Sara Schlussler (Sara.Schlussler@parks.ca.gov). Once completed, the answer sheet can be forwarded to the division for grading. Those who pass will receive a certificate of completion in four to six weeks.

The course should take no more than eight hours to complete, and – provided the course is taken and passed before Dec. 3 – will prequalify an individual for their California Boater Card. Anyone who has passed this or any other approved examination before Dec. 31 will have a year from Jan. 1 to apply for their California Boater Card to qualify for the grandfathering exemption, regardless of their age.

There is a fairly long list of people exempt from needing a boating license in general, which can be found on the Department of Boating and Waterway’s Facts and Questions page: http://bit.ly/2oK6uoO

The full text of the law is available at http://bit.ly/2o0oYUK

Boater Card Phase in Schedule

• January 1, 2018 Persons 20 years of age or younger

• January 1, 2019 Persons 25 years of age or younger

• January 1, 2020 Persons 35 years of age or younger

• January 1, 2021 Persons 40 years of age or younger

• January 1, 2022 Persons 45 years of age or younger

• January 1, 2023 Persons 50 years of age or younger

• January 1, 2024 Persons 60 years of age or younger

• January 1, 2025 All persons regardless of age

Click to view slideshow.

The Colusa County Community Advocates for Parents and Children and community members from all over the county have stepped up child abuse prevention efforts by participating in a broad range of local events during the month of April.

Saturday’s Color Run in Colusa drew more than 100 people to walk or run a 1.8-mile road course as a stand against child abuse, and to raise awareness and take action to support children who have been abused or neglected.

The inaugural 3K event fell between the Family Fair, held earlier this month during Western Days, and the third annual Community Baby Shower, which will be held Saturday in Williams.

Organizers said they plan to make the Color Run an annual event.

“April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month,” said Carissa Bowers, CAPC coordinator. “It’s our busiest month.”

The annual observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month is dedicated to raising awareness and preventing child abuse. It’s been designated in the United States since 1983, and activities are typically organized to promote community involvement in preventing child maltreatment, to promote well-being, and to recommit resources to prevention.

“There is no excuse for child abuse,” Bowers said.

Men, women, and children from all over Colusa County came out for the event.

Starting off at Memorial Park, participants were doused with environmentally friendly blue powder throughout the run, before ending up back at the park for refreshments and a number of activities for children.

Krystal and Ricardo Cardona of Williams strolled the course with 16-month-old daughter Abigail as a way to support the cause.

Coming away blue, the signature color of child abuse prevention activities, the Cardonas said the event was a wonderful way to support the community.

“It was a lot of fun, and the baby enjoyed it,” said Krystal Cardona. “It’s a great family day.”

With the first Color Run falling on Easter weekend, Ivan Rodriguez, a CCAP core member, said he was pleasantly surprised with the high turnout.

“Hopefully, we will get even more next year,” Rodriguez said.

At the park, kids enjoyed a wind tunnel, play stations, face and hand painting, rings, puzzles, a mud kitchen, and a bubble machine.

“The event is something different, something new for Colusa County, “Rodriguez said.

Baylee Guizar, 8, participated in the event after first hunting Easter Eggs at the Fairgrounds.

“The run was something I wanted to do with my mom,” Guizar said. “We had fun.”

Child Abuse Prevention Month activities will continue Saturday when CAPC and other county agencies present the third annual Community Baby Shower as a way to provide the community a wealth of information on prenatal care, birthing information, breastfeeding, children services, school readiness, the CalFresh Program (formerly SNAP), W.I.C. and other programs.

The Community Baby Shower will be held from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Education Village, multi-purpose room, located at 101 Marguerite Street in Williams. ■

Now that the Easter bunny has hopped home, what will you do with all of those left over hard-boiled eggs?

In our household, I don’t think it would be Easter if it wasn’t for the tray of deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches.

“My mom used to make pickled eggs and beets,” shared Diana Sneddon-Lytal of Hawaii. Maryann Diaz added that her mother made the same recipe.

Marcie Voorhees of Williams shared that her favorite leftover recipe was Egg Salad and deviled ham sandwiches: “Spread a tad of the deviled ham on one slice of bread, and the egg salad on the other. Yum!,” she said. “My mom uses white and brown bread, so they’re two toned.”

Arbuckle resident Tina Phelan said that there was nothing better than deviled eggs.

Now that those colored eggs are staring at you from the refrigerator, don’t let them go to waste. Eat them. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite recipes.

Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients

■ 2 tablespoons plain Greek (or regular) yogurt

■ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

■ 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

■ 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh minced herbs (such as parsley, dill, chives, etc.)

■ 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

■ freshly ground black pepper, to taste

■ 6 hard-boiled eggs, chilled and diced

■ 1 large avocado (or two small avocados), diced

Instructions

In the bottom of a large bowl, prepare dressing by whisking together yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, herbs (if using), salt, and pepper. Stir in diced eggs. Taste and, if desired, season with additional salt and pepper. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, stir in diced avocado. Serve on sandwiches, crackers, or a bed of lettuce.

Baked Scotched Eggs

Ingredients

■ 5 hard boiled eggs

■ 1 lb. sausage of choice

■ 2 cup Corn Flakes (or bread crumbs)

■ 1 cup flour

■ 2 eggs

Instructions

1. First thing you need to do, is hard boil eggs. Place eggs in sauce pan with cold water at least one inch above eggs. Bring water to a boil, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse in cold water and peel. Best to hard boil older eggs for better peeling!

2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Prep all ingredients before building scotched eggs. Place ingredients in separate bowls. If sausage is in a casing like mine was, remove casing. Finely crush cornflakes. Measure out flour. Whisk 2 eggs together.

3. Time to build the scotched eggs! Take one sausage link (or 1/5 of sausage) and flatten into a wide pancake and place a hard boiled egg in the center. Carefully wrap, and pinch the sausage so it creates a seal around the egg. Then dip into flour, then egg, and lastly the crushed corn flakes. Make sure each dip coats all around the egg. Place on a cookie sheet, evenly spread out in between scotched eggs. Once all eggs are ready, place in oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until sausage is brown and fully cooked.

4. After finished baking, let sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Slice each one in half, or quarters, or just leave as whole. Serve immediately with mustard, sriracha, maple syrup, or whatever you’d like!

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients

■ 4 pounds russet potatoes

■ 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

■ 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

■ 1 cup mayonnaise (I use olive oil flavor)

■ ¾ cup sour cream

■ 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

■ 1 pound bacon, cooked, cooled and chopped

■ 6 green onions, chopped

■ 1½ cups medium cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the cleaned potatoes on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and pierce 4-5 times with a fork. Lightly coat with olive oil and cook for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the skins and cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the apple cider vinegar and let rest for 15-30 minutes.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet, drain, and let cool. Crumble into bite-size pieces.

Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl and season with the kosher salt and pepper and then add to the potatoes. Stir in the bacon, green onion, and cheddar cheese and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 3 hours up to overnight before serving.

British Pub Pickled Eggs

Ingredients

■ 12 eggs, hard boiled and peeled (see Kittencal’s Technique for Perfect Easy-Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs)

■ 4 cups malt vinegar (no substitutions for authentic pub flavor)

■ 1 hot pepper, minced

■ 10 black peppercorns

■ 10 whole cloves

■ 3 cinnamon sticks

■ 2 teaspoons allspice

Instructions

Peel the hard-boiled eggs, allow to cool and place them in a large clean jar.

Heat remaining ingredients in a saucepan until the liquid begins to boil (caution: it’s a sinus-clearer).

Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat; allow to cool to about room temperature.

Strain the liquid and pour over the eggs, covering them completely.

Seal and store in refrigerator for about 10 days prior to consuming.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

White Sauce:

■ 2 tablespoons butter

■ 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or all-purpose flour

■ 2 cups milk 2% or higher

■ ½ teaspoon salt

■ ½ teaspoon pepper

■ 1/2 teaspoon ginger

■ 1 teaspoon sage

■ dash of paprika

Other Ingredients:

■ 30 ounces (about 7 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

■ 6 large hard-boiled eggs peeled

■ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

■ 12 ounces bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions

Pour the frozen shredded potatoes into a large bowl.

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the tapioca flour and whisk until clumps are gone. With the saucepan over medium heat, add 1 cup of milk and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and heat until slightly thickened, whisking often so the milk does not scorch. With tapioca flour, this only took 3-4 minutes. (If you use all-purpose flour, it will take longer.) Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper, ginger, sage and paprika. Pour the white sauce over the shredded potatoes, mix and set aside. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Pour and spread half of the shredded potatoes on bottom of the baking pan. Slice each hardboiled egg lengthwise, making 4 slices for each egg, equaling 24 slices. Lay the egg slices down flat, covering the potatoes. Pour and spread the remaining potato mixture over the eggs. Sprinkle the cheese overtop the potatoes. Then sprinkle the cooked & crumbled bacon over the cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Cobb Dip

Ingredients

■ 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

■ 1 c. sour cream

■ 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix

■ 1 c. chopped Romaine lettuce

■ 1 Roma tomato, chopped

■ ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

■ ½ c. grilled corn

■ ¼ c. bacon, cooked & crumbled

■ ¼ c. blue cheese crumbles

Instructions

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and Ranch Dip mix and mix until smooth.

Spread into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate or other similarly sized pan.

Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, corn, bacon, and blue cheese.

Eat with your favorite tortilla chips, crackers, or pretzel flats. Enjoy!

The Williams Yellowjackets softball team won last  Wednesday’s home non-conference game against Los Molinos by a score of 12-6, improving their record to 4-7 of the season.

What looked to be another slow start for the Yellojwackets – after an early 2-0 lead by the Bulldogs – but it was very much the opposite last Wednesday as Williams answered back with five total runs in the second and third, holding the Bulldogs

Marlen Salazar laid down a hard grounder that got through the gap for a double in the bottom of the fourth, bringing Barbara Bledsoe in for the run. Crystal Garcia doubled on a full count pitch allowing for two RBI. Molina’s single down third base for the RBI continued the Yellowjackets lead at a  9-3 score.

Caroline Molina struck out four batters in the sixth and seventh innings, and allowed only four hits. Williams added three more runs in the sixth with a double to center-field by Paniagua and Molina’s single.  Los Molinos added two runs in the top of the seventh but couldn’t hold the Jackets down as Williams ended the game with a 12-6 score, giving them their fourth win for the season.

“This was an exciting game. The girls started off slow but quickly regained momentum. They were successful with big hits with runners in scoring position. It was nice to see their hard work pay off with another win,” said Williams head coach Kristi Hill.

Williams followed up the win with a game against Hamilton, and although they ultimately lost 14-11, Williams actually out-hit Hamilton 20-13, and stormed back from a 14-4 deficit in the bottom of the seventh to bring themselves within three runs.

“Almost all of those runs came with two outs,” Hill said. “I would have to say that it made them feel a little more confident in themselves, and made them realize that if they limit their mistakes, they’re capable of playing great softball.”

The top hitters for the Yellowjackets were freshmen Crystal Garcia and Kayla Perez, who finished 3-for-5 and 3-for-4, respectively. One of Garcia’s three hits was a double, and each girl had a steal. Sophomore Barbara Bledsoe was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI to go along with two steals.

The Williams Yellowjackets softball team has a home Mid-Valley League game against East Nicolaus on Wednesday, April 26 at 4 p.m.■

Click to view slideshow.

Colusa County Rugby Football Club (CCRFC) defeated the Redwood Empire Rugby by a score of 55-14 in front of a sizable crowd of County Rugby fans in Colusa on Saturday, April 15, 2017.  With the win CCRFC earned itself a spot in the Northern California Rugby Football Union Division III Championship Game for the third consecutive year.

CCRFC’s starting side got on the board first, jumping out to a 3-0 lead at the 5 minute mark when Michael Dopson kicked a penalty for Colusa County. Redwood’s Mike Ohumukini answered back quickly, scoring a try in the 7th minute, with Levani Dominiko converting on the attempt to put Redwood ahead 7-3.

Colusa scored two more times in the first half, once in the 27th minute on a try by Ardy Farhangdoost, again in the 39th minute on a try from Juan Loza, with Dopson converting on both attempts to put the score at 17-7 heading into the half. CCRFC’s starting side played the entire first 40 minutes, until Connor Herrick was replaced by John Davis heading into the second half.

After the intermission, at the 52 minute mark, Dopson kicked another penalty for CCRFC, and Lucas Polit and Dopson each scored a try at the 55 and 58 minute mark, respectively, to put CCRFC up 35-7.

Dopson got three more points for CCRFC when he kicked another penalty in the 62nd minute, and converted the attempt after Gerardo “Grandma” Parra scored a try three minutes later to put Colusa up 45-7. Dopson kicked one more penalty to bring the score to 48-7 at the 69th minute.

Redwood finally broke the second-half drought by scoring a try and converting the attempt in the 76th minute, but Mitch Barsotti scored the game’s final try and converted the attempt in the 79th minute, bringing the final score to 55-14.

“This was one of the best rugby games this team has played in a long time. It was a great team effort, and we are going to go out and hopefully play another game like that next week against Chico,” said CCRFC President Cody Beckley.

Colusa will travel to SFGG Ray Sheeran Field on Treasure Island to face an undefeated Chico Side for the NCRFU D-III Championship. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.

“This one is going to come down to focus and fitness,” said CCRFC’s Paul Santinelli.■

Maxwell Unified School District officials said they will not make changes to the high school’s sideline cheer program unless students and parents who want cheerleading declared a club instead of a sport can find solutions to obstacles like transportation, practice schedules, money, absenteeism, and the fact that changing the program to accommodate volleyball players would result in losing longterm, dedicated coach Lori Costa.

“I have no objection to creating new opportunities, but I don’t know that you blow up an existing program to do that,” said school board member Cristy Edwards.

Having cheerleading declared a club would allow girls the opportunity to cheer at football games and play volleyball, currently two sports that occur simultaneously.

Kaylie Qwinnup, one of several girls requesting the change for the next school year, said she has always wanted to be a cheerleader and grew up hearing wonderful stories from her mom, her aunt, and her dance instructor – all Maxwell alumni who were allowed to cheer and play volleyball at the same time.

School Board member Kelly Haywood is also an alumna who did both, and agreed issues could probably be worked out.

“We practiced during the summer; we practiced on weekends; we practiced at 8 o’clock at night,” she said. “We practiced a lot.”

However, sideline cheer at Maxwell High School is currently a single-season sport, with high-level skills and choreographed routines, officials said.

Cheerleaders practice two hours a day, four days a week each afternoon, and cheer at football games on Friday.

Costa said she would support whatever the board decided, but said she would be concerned for the girls’ safety, should the program revert to having less than disciplined practices under the guidance of a cheer coach.

Changing the program to accommodate volleyball players would require changing practice to times other than afternoon, times when Costa is unavailable, the board said.

The school board said changing the program to a club would also result in lost financial support from the high school’s Booster Club, which provides in excess of $2,000 each year, as well as financial support from the school district.

The loss would likely cause a cheer club to struggle raising money for uniforms, as well as struggle to find transportation to games, the board said. Cheer Club would also become a year-round activity, requiring the group to cheer during basketball games, officials said, and would likely have a tremendous impact on academics, since athletes and cheerleaders miss afternoon classes on game days.

Even Haywood said that during her tenure as a cheerleader and athlete, core classes were not held in the late afternoon, unlike today.

“Things were different then,” she said.

School Board President Kim Giffin said unless students come up with a workable plan, she would not support changes that would result in greater student absenteeism.

“Our focus should be, as a board, ultimately on academics,” Giffin said.

Giffin added that the board wants students to have opportunities, but felt that students should not be stretched so far that it affects learning and disrupts the classroom.

“When half the class is gone, it’s not fair to the students who are there, and not fair to the teachers who are unable to prepare a lesson plan,” Giffin said.

The school board said they would like students wanting the opportunity to cheer and play volleyball to consider forming a separate cheer program for basketball, with it’s own coach and practice schedule, or possibly create a song leader/dance club, which would allow students to perform routines at games and rallies.

“We’re not saying no, we’re just saying ‘give us a solution,’” Edwards said. ■

Panthers down Spartans 27-14

The Maxwell Panthers descended upon the Esparto Spartans Friday for a Mountain Valley League win, with a final score of 27-14.

Maxwells offense came out strong in the first inning with doubles by Hannah Azevedo, Audrey Pearson and Brenda Cano. Tiffany Jenkins also bunted in Megan Dunlap during the first to help the Panthers jump out to a 6-0 lead.

Esparto answered back with an offensive flurry of their own, thanks in large part to multiple hit batters and walks issued by Maxwell.

Spartans pitcher Jaicey Pate walked three of the Panthers batters before allowing a hard line-drive double by Azevedo, giving Mathis and Jenkins a chance to add two runs to the board for a 8-8 tie. Singles by Madison Miller and Cano added two more runs for the Panthers, and Makayla Mitchell’s single accounted for the fifth run of the inning, giving the Panthers their second lead of the game, 11-8.

Esparto answered back with one run in the bottom half of the second inning, but Maxwell held the Spartans scoreless in the third and fourth innings with three strikeouts by Mathis and two by Pearson. The Panthers were able to add six more runs during that stretch to jump out to a 17-9 lead.

The Panthers put two to the board with runs from Jenkins and Azevedo, who reached home on wild pitches by Pate for a 23-14 score. A final four runs by the Panthers in the seventh and back to back outs by at home plate by Azevedo assisted by Waddell, gave Maxwell the victory, 27-14.

“This was a very long game but we were able to get all the girls in to play and have a little fun in the process,” said Coach Miller

The Maxwell Panthers have a home conference game vs, Esparto Wednesday, April 26 @ 4 p.m.■

Click to view slideshow.

The Colusa RedHawks baseball team played four games in the Sutter Spring Classic Tournament from April 10 through April 14, all of which they played from the comfort of their own home diamond. The RedHawks looked to be at ease, taking a trio of wins against Colfax, Delta, and Rio Vista, to open the tournament. Colusa was eventually upset by the Durham Trojans 6-4 in a game that went all seven innings on Saturday, to finish the tournament 3-1.

Colusa 4, Durham 6

Down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning, the Trojans – playing as the de facto home team – tied the game and had the bases loaded with just one out. Durham Senior Wyatt Watts stepped up to face Colusa’s pitcher Raymond Frias, and Watts singled into left field and plated two runs to put Durham ahead and keep the pressure on Frias. A sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third base, but Frias struck out the next batter to end the inning and limit the damage.

Colusa Coach Eric Lay put Christian Lyss in the game to pinch hit with two outs and a man on first in the top of the fifth inning. As the sophomore has done with some frequency this year, Lyss came through and singled to put runners on first and second, before Frias replaced him to run the bases. Durham responded with a pitching change, brining senior Braden Delcarlo to the mound. Before he even threw a pitch, Delcarlo picked off Bryant Goebel at second base to end the inning.

After surrendering a lead-off single and hitting a batter in the bottom of the fifth, Frias was replaced by Goebel on the mound. A wild pitch put runners at second and third base with just one out, but Durham’s ensuing attempt to put on the squeeze and score the runner at third backfired two pitches later. Colusa catcher Nan Rodriguez ran down the runner at third, and nearly threw out the runner retreating to second base for an unconventional double play. Another wild pitch put the runner at third, but the next Durham batter would pop out to end the inning.

Colusa couldn’t produce at the plate in the top of the sixth. Durham loaded the bases with singles from Shane Scott, Trae Slightom and Hunter Polk, and a two-out, two-RBI single put the Trojans up by four, 6-2.

In the top of the seventh inning, the RedHawks nearly walked their way to tying the game. Alec Bailey led off with a four-pitch walk, followed by Rodriguez with a five-pitch walk, and then Clayton Angus, who also walked on just five pitches. Durham pulled their pitcher and stuck Joe Thorpe in the game,who promptly walked Bryant Goebel – and a run – in four pitches. With the bases still loaded, Raymond Frias followed that with an RBI, reaching base on a fielder’s choice to bring Colusa within two runs, but the RedHawks would ultimately fall two runs short.

Colusa 9, Rio Vista 0

Junior Ben Davies pitched a two-hit gem for the RedHawks against Rio Vista on April 11, earning the win while fanning five and walking just two in the process. Bryant Goebel finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with two RBI and a run scored. Nan Rodriguez finished 2-for4 with a triple and three RBI and a run scored.

Colusa 11, Delta 1

Clayton Angus earned the win from the mound, striking out six and allowing just one earned run against Delta on April 11.  Lucas Davison was 2-for-3 with a triple and a RBI, Goebel was 2-for-3 with two RBI, Justin Davies was 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, and Clayton Angus was 2-for-2 with 2 RBI.

Colusa 3, Colfax 1

Colusa’s first game of the tournament was their tightest. RedHawks’ ace Christian Lyss had a solid complete game outing, allowing just five hits and no earned runs. He struck out three batters and walked one, while hitting another three. Lucas Davison led the RedHawks with a pair of RBI, and Nan Rodriguez finished 1-for-2 in three plate appearances, plating the RedHawks other run with an RBI double. ■

Recent Maxwell High School graduate Nilah Pearson has developed a passion for a sport with which many aren’t acquainted.

“I am on the Sonoma State Rowing Team. It is club-based and has helped me stay active my first year at college,” said Pearson.

Pearson, who was a tri-athlete at Maxwell High, excelled in volleyball, basketball and softball. Looking to enjoy a sport never offered to her before and try something new upon entering college life, she chose the rowing team. “My desire to continue playing a sport drove me to try something new, like rowing, and it is a year-round club sport on campus,” Pearson said. “I am a part of a new type of family. It truly is the definition of a team sport because the whole boat has to work in synchronicity in order to achieve our goal as a team.”

Pearson had lived in Maxwell her entire life up to becoming a full-time student at Sonoma State University. “I am a full-time student taking on 14 units this semester. My classes are a mix of easy and difficult, but my desire to achieve good grades has not diminished as I currently hold a 3.5 GPA,” said Pearson.

The change from small town living in Maxwell, to Rohnert Park wasn’t that big of a culture shock as some may have expected. “Rohnert Park is larger than Maxwell but not that big of a shock coming from a small town. College is so much more free. Living here gives you more options for activities to do off campus and the campus itself provides a wide variety of activities as well,” Pearson stated.

Pearson visits her hometown of Maxwell as frequently as she can, typically on weekends and holidays. She deems the Maxwell Rodeo to be her favorite hometown event. “My favorite Maxwell event is the Maxwell Rodeo. It truly is the main event of the year and brings the community together for a good time.”■

The Sacramento River is teeming with striped bass near Colusa, and last week the annual spring striper run began in earnest.

The reports from fishing guides and from Kittle’s Outdoor & Sport last week were positive, indicating a consistent bite and large numbers of fish moving through.

Rising river levels and increased sediment in the river slowed the bite down over the weekend. The expectation is that the fishing will heat back up as the river level stabilizes.

“To give a rundown of the valley’s rivers, fishing has been good this past week on both the Feather and the Sac. Today, the water peaked on both rivers,” Scott Feist, of Feisty Fish Guide Service, said on Saturday. “It’s going to become a little bit challenging until it calms down. I fished the Sac today, caught fish, a couple nice ones, but it was definitely brown and dirty.”

While water levels will remain high, Feist said that the sediment in the river would clear up in the short term and result in better fishing conditions.

With light rain forecasted upriver through this afternoon, and releases from Shasta Dam increasing to accommodate the new runoff, anglers may find the fishing challenging until tomorrow. Feist said he wouldn’t be taking clients out until at least Wednesday, when the river was projected to start coming down, and canceled his trips on Monday and Tuesday due to the river conditions.

Outflows from Shasta Dam began ramping up last Wednesday, and reached just over 22,600 cfs on Saturday, 22,800 on Sunday. On Monday, outflows were 25,000 cfs, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation was scheduled to further increase that number to 30,000 cfs by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Deputy of Public Affairs Officer Louis Moore said. According to the National Weather Service’s forecast for the Sacramento River at the Colusa Bridge, the river was projected to rise by about a foot from yesterday to today, peaking at 62.9 feet this afternoon before it starts to go down.

Although the increased releases from Shasta Dam and the runoff from the recent spring rain resulted in less-than-ideal fishing conditions last weekend and the early part of this week, the high water should play a part in a prolonged and successful striper run for the balance of the season.

“The bright side of the high water is it’s really filling the system full of fish. There are reports coming in from the Delta about how they’re slaying them down there, too. It shows the fish are really spread out right now,” said Pat Kittle, owner of Kittle’s Outdoor & Sport. “It’s going to do nothing but fill the boats in our river with striper. It’s a big turnaround from the last six years. There’s no lack of fish.”

Feist, too, was optimistic about the season as a whole.

“Being the middle of April and this high of water, going to have a sustained season,” Feist said. “Water temperatures are in the 50s in both rivers, and the striper won’t spawn until the water gets into the 60s. We should expect solid fishing all the way into May, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t good into June.”

Before the river went up, Kittle said that anglers were catching striper on the Sacramento River using a variety of different setups, including minnows, cut bait, pileworms, and nightcrawlers, along with swimbaits and plastic worms. He also said that there were reports of large numbers of fish being caught near and north of Princeton. ■

Deke Dormer, a Colusa County farmer, finds himself in unfamiliar territory this year: For the first time since he took over Keller Farms in Grimes, he won’t be farming in a drought.

Instead, he’s got another problem, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. He and other rice growers in Colusa County are facing the consequences of now having too much water – particularly from the recent spring rain.

“I’m kind of a newbie at this, because I’ve basically only been a drought farmer,” Dormer said on Monday. “Right now, we’re looking at mud, water, and roads where you can’t get to your fields. We haven’t started any rice ground, and that’s a big stress point. Last year, everyone around me had thousands of acres planted by May 1. We’re usually on the later end of planting, usually in May. The problem now is we haven’t started (field preparations), and it’s already April 17.”

This water year, as a whole, is without precedent: Northern California is already experiencing its wettest year on record, having surpassed the previous record of 88.5 inches -– set in 1982-83 – earlier this month. According to the California Department of Water Resources’ eight-station precipitation index for the North Sierra region, the north part of the state has received 91 cumulative inches of precipitation since Oct. 1.

The recent spring rains that have dampened the area’s soils have set the timetable back for planting rice, and some growers are already playing from behind after heavy rains in October, during which northern California had more than four times the amount of precipitation as an average year.

“It doesn’t just go back to March and April, it really goes back to October. That’s when it started, with those 20-something inches of rain. With weather like that, you just can’t do the post-harvest work you need to do in order to get ahead of the game,” Dormer said.

Rice farmers who were praying for rain a little over a year ago are now hoping for a spell of dry weather so they can begin seedbed preparation in fields -– including disking, leveling, and fertilizer applications – before they ultimately plant their rice.

Provided NOAA’s weather forecast pans out, a dry spell is on its way. They are predicting that showers are likely today, with another storm slated to bring showers through Colusa next Monday. After that, sunny skies and near 80-degree weather is forecasted through next week. If, for some reason, the rain continues, it may mean pushing back planting. Delayed planting doesn’t just make for a delayed harvest, but also results in diminished yields.

“It’s kind of counter intuitive: Because rice is under water, you assume there is no problem with planting on wet ground, but it’s actually critical for the ground to be dry in order to capture dissolved oxygen. It’s a fact if you don’t dry it up down to a foot, that the yield is reduced,” said J.J. Gross, a crop advisor for Wilbur-Ellis. “With rice, anything that gets planted after May 20 loses yield potential. The date is even earlier than that for a  number of premium rice varieties. Growers will need at least a week or two to open it up and let it dry out before they plant. In an ideal year, some people start planting before May 1. That’s basically been missed already. They would have had to start (field preparation) a week ago.”

According to Randall “Cass” Mutters, a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Butte County, it’s difficult to quantify the effects that the late spring rains will have on rice yield, but the potential consequences are apparent.

“The wet spring is problematic in that it’s delaying the field preparation,” Mutters said. “Two things go into the mix. First, it’s important for stand establishment to dry the soil out… The other, which is another big point, is that we have research at the University of California that shows that delayed planting reduces the yield potential by five sacks per acre less when rice is planted in late May or early June, as compared to early May.”

Mutters added that, because of the wet spring weather, he estimated that growers are already between three and four weeks behind schedule in getting their fields prepared for planting.

“If it stopped raining today, and we got good, warm weather, a grower is not going to be able to get a disc in that field for a week at best… It will be a really compressed season,” Mutters said.

While Gross pointed out that every case would be different based on a grower’s cost situation, he said, “You can definitely say that there are going to be cases where guys are going to be better off not planting.”

“If this is the last storm, there’s probably guys that aren’t able to get all their rice in in time. There are guys that have all the equipment to get their rice in in three to four weeks. They will have time to get some of it in, but won’t be able to get it all in and have an optimum yield potential,” Gross said.

“What growers are going to look for is where they can trim off operations in order to get everything done in a timely manner. It’s not as bad over there on the west side, but at this point it wouldn’t surprise me if there were some areas, like the Sutter Bypass, that won’t get in if it continues to get wet,” said Mutters.

If worst comes to worst with continued rain, Mutters said that growers can plant rice into first week of June, but that would be “stretching it.”

“It really becomes a gamble when you start getting into that June timeframe for planting. But there are numerous examples of growers successfully planting in June and getting a good crop,” he said.

For Dormer, it’s just a game of hurry-up-and-wait at this point. He said that all of his rice ground implements were ready to go as soon as the weather and soil permit.

“Whatever we can do to get ahead, and when we get a window where we can go, we’re going to go. I don’t know if we’re going to need a night crew to get caught up. It’s going to be tough,” Dormer said.

If the wet spring weather continues, it will become a matter of prioritization, he added.

“Basically, you have to prioritize your fields, what you think you have to take care of first. If you lease a field, want to take care of your landlord first and foremost. Probably doing best fields first, if they’re ready… If you have a good field that struggles in a good year, it’s really going to struggle this year. It’s going to be one of those tough calls where you are going to look at whether it’s worth planting.”

In that way, it’s not so different than the drought, he added. The difference is that during the past few years, the limiting factor was the lack of water. This year, it could come down to a lack of time.

“It depends on everyone’s situation… You gotta make everyone happy, and do what’s best for the ground as well. A lot of the older guys I’ve talked to, this is how winters used to be. You just have to be a good farmer.”

A challenging year for management

From fertility management to weed control to considering different varieties, a wet spring and late planting would present those and other challenges to rice growers in the area, Mutters said. He said that the UC Cooperative Extension had plenty of resources available online for other points and special circumstances on their rice website, www.rice.ucanr.edu, and that they would soon have an FAQ section posted there.■

Click to view slideshow.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) speaks to members of the Indivisible groups and residents of Colusa and Glenn counties at a town hall meeting in Williams on April 12.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi on April 12 held his first town hall meeting in Colusa County since the November election.

Although the northern part of his district, which includes Colusa and Glenn counties, is largely conservative, Garamendi, a Democrat from Walnut Grove, received a warm welcome in Williams.

Attendees at the meeting were mostly members of the Sutter, Yolo, and Colusa Indivisible groups, whose primary focus is to resist Trump Administration policies they believe undermine democracy and constitutional rights.

“There are about 6,000 Indivisible groups across the country,” said Jennifer Roberts, of Arbuckle, co-founder of Indivisible Colusa, who organized Garamendi’s visit.

Garamendi spoke of and answered questions related to immigration enforcement, ObamaCare, North Korea’s nuclear war threat, Trump’s taxes, and the alleged Russian conspiracy.

Garamendi said he has been pushing for an independent, non-partisan commission rather than the FBI to investigate possible involvement between the Trump campaign and the Russian government prior to Pres. Donald Trump’s election.

Garamendi said he had no “inside information,” but felt there was a “lot of smoke and some indication of fire” that the Trump campaign, or Trump himself, colluded with Russian prior to the election, a claim the White House vehemently denies.

“If it comes to that, and it is in fact collusion and Trump is engaged, I am confident there would be an impeachment,” Garamendi said.

Garamendi also spoke on his effort to introduce legislation that would eliminate funding for military operations in Afghanistan, unless Congress approves continued military operations there.

Garamendi said presidents from both parties have used the 2001 authorization from Congress to use military force in Afghanistan to continue and justify military action throughout the world, and that the 2001 open-ended and virtually unlimited AUMF could allow Trump to usurp Congress and use force as he deems appropriate.

The notion worried some of the anti-Trump activists at last week’s Town Hall, who said they believe Trump already has his “finger on the button” in dealing with ISIS and North Korea.

Although the majority of attendees at the meeting shared the same political view as the congressman, Garamendi received push-back on his blanket statement that the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws is “racist.”

Melissa Baikie-Rick told Garamendi that he is doing a disservice to the country by continuing the rhetoric of the far left because it further divides people who want open borders and the majority of the people who want illegal immigration curtailed.

“How can our wanting our communities to be better places to live be called racist?” Baikie-Rick asked.

Although political viewpoints at Garamendi’s town hall were divided, the meeting ended on a positive note, with both sides agreeing that all people need to be engaged in the political process, and that people need to question their representatives.

“There is plenty of information out there that is not correct: fake news, alternative facts. It’s on both sides,” Garamendi said.

Following the town hall, attendees said they were generally pleased with the discussion, although some said they would have liked the congressman to spend more time discussing local issues.

Glenn County Supervisor Keith Corum said that while national issues are important, he had hoped Garamendi would have addressed proposed budget cuts that could affect local housing rehabilitation programs and “Meals on Wheels.”  ■

City not expecting significant delays for project

Construction on the new boat ramp in Colusa may be set back after the Army Corps of Engineers requested additional documents from the city, but City Planner Bryan Stice said he remains hopeful that the project will be completed by the end of the construction window on the Sacramento River.

Within the past couple weeks, Stice said, the city received a request from the Army Corps of Engineers asking the former to provide a two-dimensional model of the river currents at the launch site.

“It’s a big blow in a way, but I think we can overcome it if we can get it back soon enough,” Stice said. “We’re reacting to that, and they’re going to need it have that. We’re going to need to get one prepared ASAP and get it into their hands to review.”

Originally, the city submitted a model that provided a more general, broad overview of the Sacramento River’s current in the area, Stice said. Now, the Army Corps is requesting a more site-specific model for the area immediately around the proposed boat ramp. The new modeling will take approximately four weeks to complete, and it is Stice’s hope that the entire process will take no longer than six weeks, which shouldn’t interfere with the time-line for the project’s completion.

Still, Stice said that would ultimately be in the Army Corps of Engineers’ hands.

“It’s a fair concern. They’re dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s,” Stice said. “I think with the recent high water, there is a heightened level of concern for the river. It is a little odd to me that this comment came along so late in process… Given the late time at which this request arrived, we’re hoping they will review the modeling we provide as expeditiously as possible.”

Stice said that the city would have to front the cost of preparing the model, which he guessed would be less than $10,000, but that it would ultimately be reimbursed through a California Department of Boating and Waterways construction grant.

In the meantime, the city is working to have everything in place when they finally get the green light from the Army Corps on the current modeling.

“We are allowed to start construction on June 15 – that’s the soonest we’re allowed to touch water. We don’t have to start then, but it would give us the most time to operate and construct – and we don’t want to have to rush it,” Stice said. “We are hoping that during modeling, the preparation period, and time that they’re reviewing the modeling, that we’ll have enough comfort level to solicit bids for the project.”

On the biological and cultural resources aspects of the Army Corps permitting process, Stice said that the city had concurrence with the appropriate agencies. In addition to the remaining issues with hydrology, the city still requires a permit from the State Lands Commission. That permit would grant the city permission to operate the boat ramp on state owned lands, and a hearing before the State Lands Commission is scheduled for June 22.

If the approval of the current modeling takes longer than expected, there isn’t much work the city can do, Stice said.

“I don’t believe that we can (do any work while we’re waiting) because if it’s inside levee, it’s Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction,” Stice said. “What we can be doing is finalizing construction plan, getting lined up for contractors and having council prepared to approve a bid.”

Stice said that bid documents would be going out within the next two weeks, and that bids would start coming in over the next month. City staff will then pour over the bids and “hopefully” bring a suggestion before the council sometime in June.

“It will be 45 days or so, plus or minus, when we’ll have a picture on who we’re recommending to the council for the project,” Stice said. “We believe, and we haven’t seen a proposal yet, but that if it’s started in July (construction will be finished by the Oct. 15 deadline) – and it might even be able to be done if it starts in August. It shortens the window we have, but I don’t see it taking all summer. It might be more expensive, and it might need more manpower to get it in before the Oct. 15 deadline, but that can also be extended (weather permitting).” ■