February 25, 1965 (16 pages)

NEVADA COUNTY NUGGET mirttmiaelY se Sede A deine Scres! i Ate ry Vnest wadnfud oan teense parry inest rednhateae Tes Reh te ee GlT ne 3 eal EDITORIAL February 25, 1965 NOW IS A GOOD TIME 10 LOOK AT UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE IN THE COUNTY Nevada County Board of Supervisors has been faced with and has dealt with a variety of problems this year, but one problem in our county life for some reason has been largely overlooked by the supervisors at a time when it is most advantageous to correct it. Weare talking about Nevada County's chronic unemployment problem. While the state unemployment average is about six per cent of the total work force, Nevada County averages 12 per cent during the best seasonand goes as high as 20 per cent in the winter. Fur ther more, Nevada County's average pay per capita income is one of the lowest in the state. ' The nation is now going through a massive program toaid poverty stricken areas. Part of this program is the aidWhile there are many reasons for the unemployment situation in the county, the really important thing is that the problem does exist and it is not getting better. As more peoplecome into the county without any appreciable increase inthe number of jobs, the problem gets worse. During this time when the federal government is making available millions of dollars through a variety of programs tocorrect unemployment and aid in bolstering the economy, it seems to us that it would be a good time for the county to find out what help is available to us. Undoubtedly, Congressman Harold Ya (Bizz) Johnson would willingly cooperate in this matter. Weare not advocating any particular program. We do feel that a definite problem does exist in the county and there are indications that solutions may be available to aid in correcting this problem. This seems like reason enough for the county and the two cities and private enterprise as well, to take the initiative to find out if this is true and then do something about it. IN THE FOOTHILLS VEIN GRASS VALLEY CHAMBER JOINS THE “SPLIT THE STATE’ GROUP We were happy to hear the early pronouncements of new Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce president Earl Covey. At his installation he proposed an energetic and far _ sweeping program to widen the scope of the chamber and make it a more effective group. Last week the chamber came out with another set of pronouncements and these were also far sweeping. On at least one of the chamber's announced goals, we feel the president has perhaps swept too far. The chamber, : the president told the gathering, will back moves to split the state rather than face state-wide reapportionment, ~ The proposal to split the state in half is ridiculous, but to have it endorsed by the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce, which in the past has made a studied avoidance of taking stands on almost everything, it is absurd. The Grass Valley Chamber, by announcing its stand, becomes a late comer in the vast group of Northern Californians that de plore the Supreme Court ruling on reapportionment and fear its consequences in California. The Chamber does join a rather small group which is supporting Senator Dolwig's silly bill to split the state. We are all angry about reapportionment, but doing silly things as a method of reprisal will not. solve the problem. fit +4 + + bot + + THE. ANNUAL ball of the Grass Valley Volunteer Fire Department is always one of the big events of the year for that city This year was no exception. The only difference with this year's edition of the annual frolic was that it was bigger, better organized and in general more pleasant than some-of the past balls. For one thing there was an absence of unpleasant people around the door. Perhaps this is partly due to the fact that the organizors of the event went out of their way to cater to all tastes by providing a band for the teenagers as well as thé older members of the community. The Grass Valley fireman have been praised many times in the past for the fire fighting abilities. Now they should be given a pat on the back for their abilities at organizing dances, teeter eeeet THE NEVADA CITY Chamber of Commerce-is, and has been for several weeks, looking for a place to set up their office. The Chamber was notified some time ago that City Manager Henry Roese needed the office upstairs now being occupied by the Chamber. Roese had been directed by the city council to start a crash program of getting the city’s freeway utility relocation bills itemized so that the money the city has sunk into the job can be refunded by the state. Roese wants to use the Chamber office sohe can go ahead with this project uninterrupted . This leaves the chamber without a home, There seems to be two problems holding up the hunt for new quarters --finding a place that people seeking the Chamber of Commerce office will also be able to find and also digging up the money to pay the rent on an office. As of this week the Chamber had been unable to solve either of these problems. ---Don Hoagland CALIFORNIA , KUCHEL SHOULD BE PRAISED FOR SCENIC EASEMENT BILL “I want to make sure that the America we see from these major highways is a beautiful America." These words of President Johnson in his State of the Union Mes‘sage signalize a new era. They may indeed mark the beginning of the end-of the shameful conditions giving rise to the term,. “God's Own Junkyard”. From the time, long past, when President Theodore Roosevelt encouraged conservation and National Park development, to the time, 4 half century later, when President John F. Kennedy renewed that theme and set up civic beauty as a national goal, beauty in all its forms in the official world had languished. Some of the best legislation for the conservation of scenic values met scornful opposition, and measures whose aims could be designated as “esthetic” diedas a result of that designation. We who fought for beauty, in our legislative halls, were ridiculed as "pansy -planters”. Today, a change! “We are building highways for people, not for vehicles," Federal Highway Administrator Rex M. Whitton stated recently. (Letall highway builders take note.) President Johnson's State of the Union Message has been accompanied by action. He has directed the Secretary of Commerce to require the landscaping of all highways built wholly or partly with federalfunds. He has urged the Bureau of Public Roads to give all possible encouragement to the states to preserve roadside and streetside beauty, especially by the acquisition of scenic easements. He has sanctioned a study, now _wellunderway, leading to creation of a national system of scenic roads and parkways. He has asked that roadbuilding agencies work closely with civic groups and garden clubs("pansy-planters", no less!) for the purpose of fostering highway and roadside beauty. Specifically he has called for the screening of junkyards and other eyesores, and for better billboard control. Responding to the administration's appeal, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin has introduced a bill which proposes matching federal funds to states for the purchase of scenic easements. Our own Senator Kuchel has signed the billas co-sponsor. (Scenic easement acquisition precludes undesirable roadside uses, without changing the title to the land or removing it from the tax rolls, ) In stating the purpose of the bill, its author said, “Tourism brings annually $2 billion into Florida, and more than $1 billion into California", and he added that tourists are seeking relief from “shabby roadside business and a jungle of signboards”. We suggest that letters of commendation be sent by Californians to Senator Thomas H. Kuchel, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C, , commending his cosponsorship of Senator Gaylord Nelson's “scenic easement bill", and requesting that he engage actively and vigorously in its support. ToCalifornia, thisnational movement means... (1) Substantial encouragement to our own State Scenic Highway Plan; (2) Higher priority for esthetic and human Vv alues in highway planning; (3) Encouragement to our Division of Highways to make use of scenic easement acquisition rights (heretofore neglected); and (4) Recognition of the need for more and better roadside conservation legislation at state and local levels, ---California Roadside Council Bulletin >) *3933nN AlunoD epeAeNn’” s96t ‘9% Aleniqed**

NEVADA COUNTY NUGGET mirttmiaelY se Sede A deine Scres! i Ate ry Vnest wadnfud oan teense parry inest rednhateae Tes Reh te ee GlT ne 3 eal EDITORIAL February 25, 1965 NOW IS A GOOD TIME 10 LOOK AT UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE IN THE COUNTY Nevada County Board of Supervisors has been faced with and has dealt with a variety of problems this year, but one problem in our county life for some reason has been largely overlooked by the supervisors at a time when it is most advantageous to correct it. Weare talking about Nevada County's chronic unemployment problem. While the state unemployment average is about six per cent of the total work force, Nevada County averages 12 per cent during the best seasonand goes as high as 20 per cent in the winter. Fur ther more, Nevada County's average pay per capita income is one of the lowest in the state. ' The nation is now going through a massive program toaid poverty stricken areas. Part of this program is the aidWhile there are many reasons for the unemployment situation in the county, the really important thing is that the problem does exist and it is not getting better. As more peoplecome into the county without any appreciable increase inthe number of jobs, the problem gets worse. During this time when the federal government is making available millions of dollars through a variety of programs tocorrect unemployment and aid in bolstering the economy, it seems to us that it would be a good time for the county to find out what help is available to us. Undoubtedly, Congressman Harold Ya (Bizz) Johnson would willingly cooperate in this matter. Weare not advocating any particular program. We do feel that a definite problem does exist in the county and there are indications that solutions may be available to aid in correcting this problem. This seems like reason enough for the county and the two cities and private enterprise as well, to take the initiative to find out if this is true and then do something about it. IN THE FOOTHILLS VEIN GRASS VALLEY CHAMBER JOINS THE “SPLIT THE STATE’ GROUP We were happy to hear the early pronouncements of new Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce president Earl Covey. At his installation he proposed an energetic and far _ sweeping program to widen the scope of the chamber and make it a more effective group. Last week the chamber came out with another set of pronouncements and these were also far sweeping. On at least one of the chamber's announced goals, we feel the president has perhaps swept too far. The chamber, : the president told the gathering, will back moves to split the state rather than face state-wide reapportionment, ~ The proposal to split the state in half is ridiculous, but to have it endorsed by the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce, which in the past has made a studied avoidance of taking stands on almost everything, it is absurd. The Grass Valley Chamber, by announcing its stand, becomes a late comer in the vast group of Northern Californians that de plore the Supreme Court ruling on reapportionment and fear its consequences in California. The Chamber does join a rather small group which is supporting Senator Dolwig's silly bill to split the state. We are all angry about reapportionment, but doing silly things as a method of reprisal will not. solve the problem. fit +4 + + bot + + THE. ANNUAL ball of the Grass Valley Volunteer Fire Department is always one of the big events of the year

for that city This year was no exception. The only difference with this year's edition of the annual frolic was that it was bigger, better organized and in general more pleasant than some-of the past balls. For one thing there was an absence of unpleasant people around the door. Perhaps this is partly due to the fact that the organizors of the event went out of their way to cater to all tastes by providing a band for the teenagers as well as thé older members of the community. The Grass Valley fireman have been praised many times in the past for the fire fighting abilities. Now they should be given a pat on the back for their abilities at organizing dances, teeter eeeet THE NEVADA CITY Chamber of Commerce-is, and has been for several weeks, looking for a place to set up their office. The Chamber was notified some time ago that City Manager Henry Roese needed the office upstairs now being occupied by the Chamber. Roese had been directed by the city council to start a crash program of getting the city’s freeway utility relocation bills itemized so that the money the city has sunk into the job can be refunded by the state. Roese wants to use the Chamber office sohe can go ahead with this project uninterrupted . This leaves the chamber without a home, There seems to be two problems holding up the hunt for new quarters --finding a place that people seeking the Chamber of Commerce office will also be able to find and also digging up the money to pay the rent on an office. As of this week the Chamber had been unable to solve either of these problems. ---Don Hoagland CALIFORNIA , KUCHEL SHOULD BE PRAISED FOR SCENIC EASEMENT BILL “I want to make sure that the America we see from these major highways is a beautiful America." These words of President Johnson in his State of the Union Mes‘sage signalize a new era. They may indeed mark the beginning of the end-of the shameful conditions giving rise to the term,. “God's Own Junkyard”. From the time, long past, when President Theodore Roosevelt encouraged conservation and National Park development, to the time, 4 half century later, when President John F. Kennedy renewed that theme and set up civic beauty as a national goal, beauty in all its forms in the official world had languished. Some of the best legislation for the conservation of scenic values met scornful opposition, and measures whose aims could be designated as “esthetic” diedas a result of that designation. We who fought for beauty, in our legislative halls, were ridiculed as "pansy -planters”. Today, a change! “We are building highways for people, not for vehicles," Federal Highway Administrator Rex M. Whitton stated recently. (Letall highway builders take note.) President Johnson's State of the Union Message has been accompanied by action. He has directed the Secretary of Commerce to require the landscaping of all highways built wholly or partly with federalfunds. He has urged the Bureau of Public Roads to give all possible encouragement to the states to preserve roadside and streetside beauty, especially by the acquisition of scenic easements. He has sanctioned a study, now _wellunderway, leading to creation of a national system of scenic roads and parkways. He has asked that roadbuilding agencies work closely with civic groups and garden clubs("pansy-planters", no less!) for the purpose of fostering highway and roadside beauty. Specifically he has called for the screening of junkyards and other eyesores, and for better billboard control. Responding to the administration's appeal, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin has introduced a bill which proposes matching federal funds to states for the purchase of scenic easements. Our own Senator Kuchel has signed the billas co-sponsor. (Scenic easement acquisition precludes undesirable roadside uses, without changing the title to the land or removing it from the tax rolls, ) In stating the purpose of the bill, its author said, “Tourism brings annually $2 billion into Florida, and more than $1 billion into California", and he added that tourists are seeking relief from “shabby roadside business and a jungle of signboards”. We suggest that letters of commendation be sent by Californians to Senator Thomas H. Kuchel, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C, , commending his cosponsorship of Senator Gaylord Nelson's “scenic easement bill", and requesting that he engage actively and vigorously in its support. ToCalifornia, thisnational movement means..... (1) Substantial encouragement to our own State Scenic Highway Plan; (2) Higher priority for esthetic and human Vv alues in highway planning; (3) Encouragement to our Division of Highways to make use of scenic easement acquisition rights (heretofore neglected); and (4) Recognition of the need for more and better roadside conservation legislation at state and local levels, ---California Roadside Council Bulletin >) *3933nN AlunoD epeAeNn’” s96t ‘9% Aleniqed**