May 27, 1965 (20 pages)

ee ae a @ NUGGET SPECIAL REPORT City Will Ask The State To Pave A Portion Of The Plaza And To Cover D by Bob Paine The Nevada City Council Monday night directed the city manager to ask the state to pave over Deer Creek and the lower end of Broad and Main Street for a parking lot. The action was taken after Broad Street merchant John Sbaffi presented'the parking proposal backed with a petition with some 60 signatures, Sbaffi told the council that a new bridge would be built on Broad Street as part of the freew ay work and the plaza area which had caved in during the winter storms would be repaired. He pointed out that there would be about 35 feet on the north side of Deer Creek which would be declared surplus by the state. He asked that the city request the state to pave this north side area and cover the Deer Creek between the new bridges for parking. Sbaffi pointed out that the newly-appointed parking committee of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce endorsed the proposal and he also presented the petition, Properly landscaped, Sbaffi noted, the area could become a tourist attraction. It could become a tourist overlook area and could be done-entirely at state expense if it-was integrated now into the total project. The council agreed to that it would not hurt to try out the plan’ and passed a motion to authorize city manager Henry Roese to set up a meeting with District III Highway Engineer Williard Warren, Roese, Sbaffi, Councilman Ben Barry and other members of the parking committee will sit in on the session when it is set up. Two important things seem to have been overlooked in the merchant's zeal to find more parking spaces and the council's wish to achieve the same aim. First, there are a lot of people in town who spent a good part of their life fighting the state division of highways to make sure that the freeway through town w ould be properly landscaped, In the back of their minds was a gtander plan tobuilda park along Deer Creek to commemorate the city's gold mining past and at the same time make a place to draw and hold visitors in town. Secondly, the question of paving the area at the end of the plaza with blacktop is one matter and the state might be convinced to do this perhaps as a gesture toward salving some of the freeway haters, but covering the area of some 35 to 40 feet between the two bridges is another matter. In effect, the proposal would be the same as asking the state to build another bridge of such. strength that it would be able to support the weight of several cars, With the freeway designs completed, the contract let and the Project already under construction, it ishighly unlikely that the state would agree to such: an extensive project change, What is perhaps more important inthe matter is the apparent abandonment of the idea of a _cogtrnet cout THIS IS T Deer Creek walk and park in favor of blacktop. A look back might bring the current proposal into sharper focus, Fifteen years ago the citizens of Nevada City were in a dither. There had been promises from high state officials that a four lane freeway would connect Grass Valley and Nevada City, Local promoters envisioned an influx of tourists and a business boom resulting from this super highway. They planned special ‘hips. » sf Omega, French Corral, Rough and Ready, Granitev Serving the communities of Neveda City, Oresy Valley. Dog, You Bet, Town Talk, G Little York, i en ee North Bloomfield, H.: ug, Ri Cedar Ridge, Union Hill, Peardale, Summit City, Walloupa, G Selby Flat, Grizzly Hill, Gold Flat, Soggsville, raed bo Hi illow il, Wi Valley, Newtown, Indian Flat, Bridgeport, Birchville, Volume 39 Number 21 at HE way former Nevada City artist, George Mathis, envisioned a Water Wheel Park on Deer Creek at the plaza several years ago, Supervisors Pass Ordinance Creating New County Department Of Public Works The Nevada County board of Supervisors Monday voted to create a county department of public works. Such a department was recommended in the report of the 1964 county grand jury and has been recommended by grand juries continually for the past several years, The latest grand jury recommendation w as presented to the Supervisors at their meeting May 10. The grand jury also recommended that the county hirea qualified civil engineer to head the new department. The supervisors ordered controller John T, Trauner to prepare a feasibility report on creating such adepartment. Trauner presented his report two weeks ago and the board deferred action until Tuesday. This week the board gave unanimous approval toan ordinance creating the new department, In the brief discussion before the vote, Supervisor Don Blake said he thought the new department would pay its own way. Supervisor Henry Loehr noted the move was a step in the right direction. Road Commissioner Bob Graham told the board he did not think it would be advisable to havea civil engineer heading thenew department. He said the engineer would become so bogged down in ad-' ministrative tasks that he would have no time to take care of the county engineering tasks, What the new department needs is a businessman to head it, Graham said, Who will head the department (Continued on Page 20): 10 Cents a Copy attractions for the expected visitors, High on the list of attractions were the Deer Creek Trail and Water Wheel Park at the Plaza, Funds and support were solicited and obtained,Then came delays. Citizens could not decide where they wanted the freeway and neither could the division of highways. There were mass meetings, staw #otes and broken lifetime friendIn the heat of battle the => 0, ( . oore’s Flat, Orleans Published Thursdays, York, Cherokee, Mooney B , Relief Hill, Washington, Blue ‘old Bar, Lowell Bout etbgn Hi, Seo Hite Nord ae Colesha ill, B Flat, Sebastopol, > 5 ta ile, Flat, Rentingion’ Hill, Anthony Tetergy Tico dog Tremens. eer Creek For Parking Deer Creek Trail and Water Wheel Park were almost forgotten---but not quite. According to the plans for the water wheel park there would be working examples of every known contrivance in which water power could be converted to horsepower. Both the undershot wheel and the overshot would run during the tourist months. Artist George Mathis, then a Nevada City resident prepared mechanical draw(Continued on Page 18) KT Meadows, Hill, Sailor Flat, Lake City, Nevada City May 27, 1965 Henry Roese Oul. City Manager Plan To Be Put Nevada City Manager Henry ‘Roe: formed the eity council Monday night that he planned to resign from his post as soon as it was practical, Roese, who was appointed to the job in September of 1964 and took over in October, has had several run-ins with members of the council and with other members of the city staff and has indicated in the past that he intended to resign. Still, his calm resignation announcement made near the end of the adjourned session Monday took the council by surprise, It also raised doubts about the future of the city manager form of government for the city, Roese told the council members he would like toresign as soon as it was practically possible. He said there would be a transition stage when the new man took over and he would make every effort to help. He indicated he now felt that the budget study was in good hands under the guidance of part-time accountant Stan Howard, He gave no reason for his resignation. Councilman Dan O'Neill said, “I for one can only hear this with extreme regret. We have a lot of troubles, but it could have been worse had they not been found in time. Much of the credit for finding these troubles is due to Henry and Stan, " O'Neill then moved that the hiring of any new city manager be done on a temporary basis with the understanding rhat the question of the city manager form of government be put .to a vote of the people, He said this question of accountant Stan Howard and To Vote had been hanging over the heads of the city council fora long time and this would be a good opportunity to give the people a chance to‘decide, O'Neill's motion was approved, Councilman Beryl Robinson asked Roese for a more definite time limit on his stay as city manager, Roese said he would like to be out by July 1, but was willing to cooperate with the council to help out, O'Neill noted that he had been impressed with the performance Henry Roese asked “why don't we limp along with a city administrator system?" He was informed that the ordinance setting up the city manager form of government would have (Continued on Page 20) aa Ss eo _— 7 ~ 2 a @ 3 M7 cP ct Co BS co oo @ 4 > pe So wo ey -_ @ Le he . ° & UOT3999 ST eDTPoTues

ee ae a @ NUGGET SPECIAL REPORT City Will Ask The State To Pave A Portion Of The Plaza And To Cover D by Bob Paine The Nevada City Council Monday night directed the city manager to ask the state to pave over Deer Creek and the lower end of Broad and Main Street for a parking lot. The action was taken after Broad Street merchant John Sbaffi presented'the parking proposal backed with a petition with some 60 signatures, Sbaffi told the council that a new bridge would be built on Broad Street as part of the freew ay work and the plaza area which had caved in during the winter storms would be repaired. He pointed out that there would be about 35 feet on the north side of Deer Creek which would be declared surplus by the state. He asked that the city request the state to pave this north side area and cover the Deer Creek between the new bridges for parking. Sbaffi pointed out that the newly-appointed parking committee of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce endorsed the proposal and he also presented the petition, Properly landscaped, Sbaffi noted, the area could become a tourist attraction. It could become a tourist overlook area and could be done-entirely at state expense if it-was integrated now into the total project. The council agreed to that it would not hurt to try out the plan’ and passed a motion to authorize city manager Henry Roese to set up a meeting with District III Highway Engineer Williard Warren, Roese, Sbaffi, Councilman Ben Barry and other members of the parking committee will sit in on the session when it is set up. Two important things seem to have been overlooked in the merchant's zeal to find more parking spaces and the council's wish to achieve the same aim. First, there are a lot of people in town who spent a good part of their life fighting the state division of highways to make sure that the freeway through town w ould be properly landscaped, In the back of their minds was a gtander plan tobuilda park along Deer Creek to commemorate the city's gold mining past and at the same time make a place to draw and hold visitors in town. Secondly, the question of paving the area at the end of the plaza with blacktop is one matter and the state might be convinced to do this perhaps as a gesture toward salving some of the freeway haters, but covering the area of some 35 to 40 feet between the two bridges is another matter. In effect, the proposal would be the same as asking the state to build another bridge of such. strength that it would be able to support the weight of several cars, With the freeway designs completed, the contract let and the Project already under construction, it ishighly unlikely that the state would agree to such: an extensive project change, What is perhaps more important inthe matter is the apparent abandonment of the idea of a _cogtrnet cout THIS IS T Deer Creek walk and park in favor of blacktop. A look back might bring the current proposal into sharper focus, Fifteen years ago the citizens of Nevada City were in a dither. There had been promises from high state officials that a four lane freeway would connect Grass Valley and Nevada City, Local promoters envisioned an influx of tourists and a business boom resulting from this super highway. They planned special ‘hips. » sf Omega, French Corral, Rough and Ready, Granitev Serving the communities of Neveda City, Oresy Valley. Dog, You Bet, Town Talk, G Little York, i en ee North Bloomfield, H.: ug, Ri Cedar Ridge, Union Hill, Peardale, Summit City, Walloupa, G Selby Flat, Grizzly Hill, Gold Flat, Soggsville, raed bo Hi illow il, Wi Valley, Newtown, Indian Flat, Bridgeport, Birchville, Volume 39 Number 21 at HE way former Nevada City artist, George Mathis, envisioned a Water Wheel Park on Deer Creek at the plaza several years ago, Supervisors Pass Ordinance Creating New County Department Of Public Works The Nevada County board of Supervisors Monday voted to create a county department of public works. Such a department was recommended in the report of the 1964 county grand jury and has been recommended by grand juries continually for the past several years, The latest grand jury recommendation w as presented to the Supervisors at their meeting May 10. The grand jury also recommended that the county hirea qualified civil engineer to head the new department. The supervisors ordered controller John T, Trauner to prepare a feasibility report on creating such adepartment. Trauner presented his report two weeks ago and the board deferred action until Tuesday. This week the board gave unanimous approval toan ordinance creating the new department, In the brief discussion before the vote, Supervisor Don Blake said he thought the new department would pay its own way. Supervisor Henry Loehr noted the move was a step in the right direction. Road Commissioner Bob Graham

told the board he did not think it would be advisable to havea civil engineer heading thenew department. He said the engineer would become so bogged down in ad-' ministrative tasks that he would have no time to take care of the county engineering tasks, What the new department needs is a businessman to head it, Graham said, Who will head the department (Continued on Page 20): 10 Cents a Copy attractions for the expected visitors, High on the list of attractions were the Deer Creek Trail and Water Wheel Park at the Plaza, Funds and support were solicited and obtained,Then came delays. Citizens could not decide where they wanted the freeway and neither could the division of highways. There were mass meetings, staw #otes and broken lifetime friendIn the heat of battle the => 0, ( . oore’s Flat, Orleans Published Thursdays, York, Cherokee, Mooney B , Relief Hill, Washington, Blue ‘old Bar, Lowell Bout etbgn Hi, Seo Hite Nord ae Colesha ill, B Flat, Sebastopol, > 5 ta ile, Flat, Rentingion’ Hill, Anthony Tetergy Tico dog Tremens. eer Creek For Parking Deer Creek Trail and Water Wheel Park were almost forgotten---but not quite. According to the plans for the water wheel park there would be working examples of every known contrivance in which water power could be converted to horsepower. Both the undershot wheel and the overshot would run during the tourist months. Artist George Mathis, then a Nevada City resident prepared mechanical draw(Continued on Page 18) KT Meadows, Hill, Sailor Flat, Lake City, Nevada City May 27, 1965 Henry Roese Oul.. City Manager Plan To Be Put Nevada City Manager Henry ‘Roe: formed the eity council Monday night that he planned to resign from his post as soon as it was practical, Roese, who was appointed to the job in September of 1964 and took over in October, has had several run-ins with members of the council and with other members of the city staff and has indicated in the past that he intended to resign. Still, his calm resignation announcement made near the end of the adjourned session Monday took the council by surprise, It also raised doubts about the future of the city manager form of government for the city, Roese told the council members he would like toresign as soon as it was practically possible. He said there would be a transition stage when the new man took over and he would make every effort to help. He indicated he now felt that the budget study was in good hands under the guidance of part-time accountant Stan Howard, He gave no reason for his resignation. Councilman Dan O'Neill said, “I for one can only hear this with extreme regret. We have a lot of troubles, but it could have been worse had they not been found in time. Much of the credit for finding these troubles is due to Henry and Stan, " O'Neill then moved that the hiring of any new city manager be done on a temporary basis with the understanding rhat the question of the city manager form of government be put .to a vote of the people, He said this question of accountant Stan Howard and To Vote had been hanging over the heads of the city council fora long time and this would be a good opportunity to give the people a chance to‘decide, O'Neill's motion was approved, Councilman Beryl Robinson asked Roese for a more definite time limit on his stay as city manager, Roese said he would like to be out by July 1, but was willing to cooperate with the council to help out, O'Neill noted that he had been impressed with the performance Henry Roese asked “why don't we limp along with a city administrator system?" He was informed that the ordinance setting up the city manager form of government would have (Continued on Page 20) aa Ss eo _— 7 ~ 2 a @ 3 M7 cP ct Co BS co oo @ 4 > pe So wo ey -_ @ Le he . ° & UOT3999 ST eDTPoTues