December 19, 1973 (8 pages)

2 The Nevada County Nugget Wed., Dec. 19,1973 INotes Off The Cuff By P. 1. There’s a new book on the market that I feel worth a good publicity blurb for free. Simply because it is all about California and that is it’s title, by the way.‘‘California’’. by a writer who knows very well whereof he speaks! For Leland F. Cooley is a native of this State and a fifth generation one at that.whose roots lie in the early and honorable family Robles.who landed on our shores with Gaspar de Portola. Smith my 10th Christmas. A ‘‘community tree’ had been longplanned for my little hometown. If memory serves, the Masons and Rotarians had joined forces to purchase a 40-foot cedar from “way up North’ and were organizing a community sing, Santa’s appearance and many other goodies for the children for several miles around town. The platform for the little brass band had been erected about a week before the great Cooley’s grandmother-wasthe—day.right in the center of the fabulous beauty, Maria Anita Robles born in Monterey in 1839, just a decade before the Gold Rush. Her tales of those early days were to serve as part of the background used to display -Cooley’s many characters at their best or worst.however and wherever the plot ‘took them. His full research took nearly five years and was undoubtedly the most comprehensive job of its nature ever undertaken by a “‘story teller”. The story line runs thru three full generations of one family.a family which not unsurprisingly bears a strong resemblance to the author’s own. Published by Avon Books of New York, ‘‘California’”’ will provide lots of good, solid and yet exciting reading for a pittance.$1.75. This avid California history buff really enjoyed every word and page of the book. One of the characters in ‘California’ was trying to arouse a friend from a depressed state, over a political matter hounding some of. our early settlers, and told him, ‘‘Donde una puerta se cierra, otra se abre’’.which translates, reassuringly, ‘‘Whenever a door closes, another door will open.’’ A nice little “proverb” which can easily be applied to a number of situations right now.if one believes strongly enough. I shall not likely ever forget ] NEVADA COUNTY NUGGET: 301 Broad Street Nevada City, Ca. 95959 Telephone 265-2559 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY’BY NEVADA COUNTY PUBLISHING CO. Second class postage paid at Nevada City, California. Adjudicated a legal newspaper of general circulation by the Nevada County * Superior Court, June 3, 1960. Decree No. 12,406. Subscription Rates: One Year. $3.00 Two Yeors . $5.00 _ Member of CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION town’s main intersection. A situation tending to confuse traffic no end. Local merchants had combined resources to provide a “Christmas treat” of candies, oranges, apples and token gifts for approximately 300 kiddies.which was the head-count more or -less established.by an unsuspecting committee. Then everyone prayed for a clear, rain-free evening on December 22nd. Rain-free we got.I distinctly recall that night as being one of the warmest in several weeks. Children we got, also.something like 700 of them! Advertising certainly did it’s duty and managed to throw the whole thing into one big state of confusion. By 6 p.m. (the affair started at close of business at 5 p.m.) the treats had all vanished, and children and their parents who’d been left out were making their indignation loudly known to the committee. The one candy store in town was cleaned out as were the three tiny grocery stores.and two of the committee were racing to a nearby town to obtain more ‘“‘treats’’. It was a mad mob scene of irate adults, crying children and several sadder but much wiser committee members! The little band played on and on and‘ on..the choir leader from the First Presbyterian Church attempted to work up some enthusiasm for “Jingle Bells’’.but to no avail. Oh’ it was something to see! I do not recall any later attempts to hold a Community Christmas, and perhaps it was just as well! Banner Grange elects officers At a November meeting of Banner Grange, the following ' officers were elected for the 1974 term: Ernest Mason, master, Dave Pettigrew, overseerClyde Stowell, lecturer Howard Serran, steward Ed Morgan, assistant steward Delores Butler, lady assistant stewardMadge Cummins, chaplainAileen Struckman, treasurerEdna Cook, secretary Bette Pettigrew, Ceres-Wanda Sayed, Pomona Jahna Woods, FloraClarence Cook, three year committeeman Eddie Sayed, two year committeeman Erol Richards, one year committeeman and Annabel -Hardison, Musician. POSTAL WORKERS in Grass Valley are geared today for their largest amount of mail for the Christmas season. The first class mail standing on end stretched 120 feet when 30 feet of standing letters is usually a normal day's work. As usual the mail must go through and residents of the area are receiving their Christmas cards. Speed reduction may not affect number of accidents Forecasts that traffic accidents and deaths will fall dramatically . when the maximum speed limit becomes 55 mph brought-.a word of caution from California Highway Patrol Commissioner Walter He said that ‘several factors indicate the accident decline could be slight or even nonexistent but the most damaging aspect may be that drivers hearing these optimistic statements will be lulled into a false sense of security.” Pudinski cited the following: The vehicle mix is shifting. The small-car population is increasing, and accidents involving small cars tend to be more severe. The expected trend toward car pooling, putting more people in each vehcile, can result in more injuries when a car is involved in.an accident. Fatigue, a major cause of single vehicle crashes, will be increased on longer trips have because the lowered maximum speed will extend travel times. And single vehicle accidents already represent nearly 40. percent of California’s accident problem. The new 55 mph limit will “little impact on offfreeway traffic because most of that travel is at 55 mph or below right now. On freeways, the potential for more severe rearend accidents may be increased. The speed differential between the willful violator-the driver who operates far above the legal limit and the 55 mph traffic flow will be that much greater, meaning rear-end and sideswipe accidents could be more serious.”’ The Commissioner said his conclusions are baséd_ on “traffic volumes approximately equivalent to current flows. A volume drop of more than 15 percent would change the picture, since greatly decreased exposure might produce a numerical decline in accidents. However,experience also shows that as volume drops, accident severity increases, meaning that even though less accidents are occurring, they could more frequently result in serious injury or death.” He emphasized that the Highway Patrol is ‘‘not distributing gloom. — simply realism. Improvements in highway construction and design, more far-reaching safety education measures, and vastly refined enforcement techniques have already cut California’s mileage death rate to 3.9 per 100 million miles of . travel, one of the nation’s lowest. “The 55 mph maximum, while necessary for energy conservation, may have a less demonstrable effect on accidents. No unqualified predictions are supportable right now; experience with the new 59 mph limit will be required first,”’ he said.

2 The Nevada County Nugget Wed., Dec. 19,1973 INotes Off The Cuff By P. 1. There’s a new book on the market that I feel worth a good publicity blurb for free. Simply because it is all about California and that is it’s title, by the way..‘‘California’’.. by a writer who knows very well whereof he speaks! For Leland F. Cooley is a native of this State and a fifth generation one at that..whose roots lie in the early and honorable family Robles..who landed on our shores with Gaspar de Portola. Smith my 10th Christmas. A ‘‘community tree’ had been longplanned for my little hometown. If memory serves, the Masons and Rotarians had joined forces to purchase a 40-foot cedar from “way up North’ and were organizing a community sing, Santa’s appearance and many other goodies for the children for several miles around town. The platform for the little brass band had been erected about a week before the great Cooley’s grandmother-wasthe—day..right in the center of the fabulous beauty, Maria Anita Robles born in Monterey in 1839, just a decade before the Gold Rush. Her tales of those early days were to serve as part of the background used to display -Cooley’s many characters at their best or worst..however and wherever the plot ‘took them. His full research took nearly five years and was undoubtedly the most comprehensive job of its nature ever undertaken by a “‘story teller”. The story line runs thru three full generations of one family..a family which not unsurprisingly bears a strong resemblance to the author’s own. Published by Avon Books of New York, ‘‘California’”’ will provide lots of good, solid and yet exciting reading for a pittance..$1.75. This avid California history buff really enjoyed every word and page of the book. One of the characters in ‘California’ was trying to arouse a friend from a depressed state, over a political matter hounding some of. our early settlers, and told him, ‘‘Donde una puerta se cierra, otra se abre’’..which translates, reassuringly, ‘‘Whenever a door closes, another door will open.’’ A nice little “proverb” which can easily be applied to a number of situations right now..if one believes strongly enough. I shall not likely ever forget ] NEVADA COUNTY NUGGET: 301 Broad Street Nevada City, Ca. 95959 Telephone 265-2559 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY’BY NEVADA COUNTY PUBLISHING CO. Second class postage paid at Nevada City, California. Adjudicated a legal newspaper of general circulation by the Nevada County * Superior Court, June 3, 1960. Decree No. 12,406. Subscription Rates: One Year.. $3.00 Two Yeors .. $5.00 _ Member of CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION town’s main intersection. A situation tending to confuse traffic no end. Local merchants had combined resources to provide a “Christmas treat” of candies, oranges, apples and token gifts for approximately 300 kiddies..which was the head-count more or -less established..by an unsuspecting committee. Then everyone prayed for a clear, rain-free evening on December 22nd. Rain-free we got..I distinctly recall that night as being one of the warmest in several weeks. Children we got, also..something like 700 of them! Advertising certainly did it’s duty and managed to throw the whole thing into one big state of confusion. By 6 p.m. (the affair started at close of business at 5 p.m.) the treats had all vanished, and children and their parents who’d been left out were making their indignation loudly known to the committee. The one candy store in town was cleaned out as were the

three tiny grocery stores..and two of the committee were racing to a nearby town to obtain more ‘“‘treats’’. It was a mad mob scene of irate adults, crying children and several sadder but much wiser committee members! The little band played on and on and‘ on...the choir leader from the First Presbyterian Church attempted to work up some enthusiasm for “Jingle Bells’’..but to no avail. Oh’ it was something to see! I do not recall any later attempts to hold a Community Christmas, and perhaps it was just as well! Banner Grange elects officers At a November meeting of Banner Grange, the following ' officers were elected for the 1974 term: Ernest Mason, master, Dave Pettigrew, overseerClyde Stowell, lecturer Howard Serran, steward Ed Morgan, assistant steward Delores Butler, lady assistant stewardMadge Cummins, chaplainAileen Struckman, treasurerEdna Cook, secretary Bette Pettigrew, Ceres-Wanda Sayed, Pomona Jahna Woods, FloraClarence Cook, three year committeeman Eddie Sayed, two year committeeman Erol Richards, one year committeeman and Annabel -Hardison, Musician. POSTAL WORKERS in Grass Valley are geared today for their largest amount of mail for the Christmas season. The first class mail standing on end stretched 120 feet when 30 feet of standing letters is usually a normal day's work. As usual the mail must go through and residents of the area are receiving their Christmas cards. Speed reduction may not affect number of accidents Forecasts that traffic accidents and deaths will fall dramatically . when the maximum speed limit becomes 55 mph brought-.a word of caution from California Highway Patrol Commissioner Walter He said that ‘several factors indicate the accident decline could be slight or even nonexistent but the most damaging aspect may be that drivers hearing these optimistic statements will be lulled into a false sense of security.” Pudinski cited the following: The vehicle mix is shifting. The small-car population is increasing, and accidents involving small cars tend to be more severe. The expected trend toward car pooling, putting more people in each vehcile, can result in more injuries when a car is involved in.an accident. Fatigue, a major cause of single vehicle crashes, will be increased on longer trips have because the lowered maximum speed will extend travel times. And single vehicle accidents already represent nearly 40. percent of California’s accident problem. The new 55 mph limit will “little impact on offfreeway traffic because most of that travel is at 55 mph or below right now. On freeways, the potential for more severe rearend accidents may be increased. The speed differential between the willful violator-the driver who operates far above the legal limit and the 55 mph traffic flow will be that much greater, meaning rear-end and sideswipe accidents could be more serious.”’ The Commissioner said his conclusions are baséd_ on “traffic volumes approximately equivalent to current flows. A volume drop of more than 15 percent would change the picture, since greatly decreased exposure might produce a numerical decline in accidents. However,experience also shows that as volume drops, accident severity increases, meaning that even though less accidents are occurring, they could more frequently result in serious injury or death.” He emphasized that the Highway Patrol is ‘‘not distributing gloom. — simply realism. Improvements in highway construction and design, more far-reaching safety education measures, and vastly refined enforcement techniques have already cut California’s mileage death rate to 3.9 per 100 million miles of . travel, one of the nation’s lowest. “The 55 mph maximum, while necessary for energy conservation, may have a less demonstrable effect on accidents. No unqualified predictions are supportable right now; experience with the new 59 mph limit will be required first,”’ he said.