October 1, 1969 (12 pages)

is CE ot oe € ea «g \. 2 eS ee a The Nevada County Nugget Wednesday, October 1, 1969 Supervisors to do all necessary to get Perimeter Road opened A debate over the policy action stating that Spenceville will be Nevada county's major road to open up the Beale area overshadowed part of the discussion concerning opening of Perimeter Road Tuesday. Acting Chairman Dean Lawrence noted an article in last Friday's Union said official county policy now is to have Spenceville become the major route. She did not recall the policy being made and wanted to know when and how it was. brought before the board. Supervisors William Thomas said he didn't remember the date, but the policy was raised by him and Supervisor ‘Willie Curran as the road committee and was adopted by the full board. He said the matter had been referred to the committee by the late Lou Hartman, then chairman. "The road committee has no authority to act unless the matter is referred by the board, not the chairman," Mrs. Lawrence replied, "The road committee can recommend anything, anytime," Thomas contended. Thomas said he and Curran flew over the two potential road sites with Public Works Director Harry Hider one Tuesday morning, then made their recommendation later the same day. He asked that the flight records.. be.. checked..so.the.date could be found and the minutes of that meeting checked, Mrs. Lawrence added that "when we are businesslike and refer things properly, no one is suspicious," The she asked Thomas why the county "can't. be interested in both Perimeter and Spenceville. Thomas laughed and replied: "I think all members of the board are interested in both. If we are talking about opening Perimeter, Spenceville is not in competition at all. If we are talking about the county spending money to develop access for Camp Far West recreation and Capehart housing to expand Nevada county's economy, we have to consider both routes." Mrs. Lawrence then asked, for a recess to determine the date the policy was made so the simplicity .. BERGEMANN & SON Funeral Chapel] ready to serve you] day or night Call 265-2421 BOST AVE. OFF LOWER GRASS VALLEY ROAD, NEVADA CITY tape could be played. However, because of the press of other agenda items, the determination of when the policy was made and what it said was left for the end of the afternoon session. No one ever did find the proper reference in the minutes. The confusion was cleared in the afternoon in any event as the board formally recommitted itself to making Spenceville the major route. The motion was part of one recommitting the county to opening Perimerter Road (see other story) and was adopted 3-1. Mrs. Lawrence voted no, saying. she wanted the Spenceville part separated from the other and studied later. She said the economics involved in the two routes should be studied thoroughly. : Public Works Director Harry Hider replied that he appeared before the board last December, before ‘Mrs, Lawrence took office, and proposed that "the logical route" for a major road was Spenceville. Hider contended it would be shorter, more direct and more economical than Perimeter. Later, Mrs. Lawrence chastised the road committee, Supervisors William Thomas and Willie Curran, for allegedly providing The Union an article explaining the Spenceville policy without first providing the details to the board. Curran denied such a meeting, and The Union's managing editor, Joe Bigham, who wrote the article, said there was no such meeting and the road, committee did not approach him. Bigham. said he interviewed Thomas and Hider to obtain a detailed analysis of the action taken some time ago. He had planned for several weeks to do an investigative piece on the Perimeter-Spenceville policy changes, the editor said. Mixed into the meeting was a ‘ court order from Superior Court Judge Vernon Stoll _ that didn't directly involve the Spenceville or Perimeter cases, but could have far-reaching ramifactions. There was a disagreement as to. just what the ruling, which involves a civil case, meant, but it was indicated the result may be to reestablish public roads along routes that were public roads before the Army took over this southwest territory in 1943, If such roads are public, Spenceville --the proposed major route--would be in public ownership now. The county had assumed it was owned by adjacent property owners. The case would not cover Perimeter, however, as it did not exist in 1943, Perimeter was constructed later by the Army. SPENCEVILLE ROAD through the southwest part of Nevada county has been a topic of much talk — at the board of supervisors of late, so The Union dug deep into its old pictures for these World War II Vintage shots of the old town of Spenceville. The supervisors are considering whether Spenceville Road should’ become a major route between Beale AFB and western Nevada county but during the war the area was used for maneuvers such as shown here. Above, a group of soldiers looks over the town. The photo below is not the board of supervisors considering the Spenceville situation. It is a group of soldiers pretending to attack a German building.

is CE ot oe € ea «g \. 2 eS ee a The Nevada County Nugget Wednesday, October 1, 1969 Supervisors to do all necessary to get Perimeter Road opened A debate over the policy action stating that Spenceville will be Nevada county's major road to open up the Beale area overshadowed part of the discussion concerning opening of Perimeter Road Tuesday. Acting Chairman Dean Lawrence noted an article in last Friday's Union said official county policy now is to have Spenceville become the major route. She did not recall the policy being made and wanted to know when and how it was. brought before the board. Supervisors William Thomas said he didn't remember the date, but the policy was raised by him and Supervisor ‘Willie Curran as the road committee and was adopted by the full board. He said the matter had been referred to the committee by the late Lou Hartman, then chairman. "The road committee has no authority to act unless the matter is referred by the board, not the chairman," Mrs. Lawrence replied, "The road committee can recommend anything, anytime," Thomas contended. Thomas said he and Curran flew over the two potential road sites with Public Works Director Harry Hider one Tuesday morning, then made their recommendation later the same day. He asked that the flight records... be... checked...so..the..date could be found and the minutes of that meeting checked, Mrs. Lawrence added that "when we are businesslike and refer things properly, no one is suspicious," The she asked Thomas why the county "can't. be interested in both Perimeter and Spenceville. Thomas laughed and replied: "I think all members of the board are interested in both. If we are talking about opening Perimeter, Spenceville is not in competition at all. If we are talking about the county spending money to develop access for Camp Far West recreation and Capehart housing to expand Nevada county's economy, we have to consider both routes." Mrs. Lawrence then asked, for a recess to determine the date the policy was made so the simplicity .... BERGEMANN & SON Funeral Chapel] ready to serve you] day or night Call 265-2421 BOST AVE. OFF LOWER GRASS VALLEY ROAD, NEVADA CITY

tape could be played. However, because of the press of other agenda items, the determination of when the policy was made and what it said was left for the end of the afternoon session. No one ever did find the proper reference in the minutes. The confusion was cleared in the afternoon in any event as the board formally recommitted itself to making Spenceville the major route. The motion was part of one recommitting the county to opening Perimerter Road (see other story) and was adopted 3-1. Mrs. Lawrence voted no, saying. she wanted the Spenceville part separated from the other and studied later. She said the economics involved in the two routes should be studied thoroughly. : Public Works Director Harry Hider replied that he appeared before the board last December, before ‘Mrs, Lawrence took office, and proposed that "the logical route" for a major road was Spenceville. Hider contended it would be shorter, more direct and more economical than Perimeter. Later, Mrs. Lawrence chastised the road committee, Supervisors William Thomas and Willie Curran, for allegedly providing The Union an article explaining the Spenceville policy without first providing the details to the board. Curran denied such a meeting, and The Union's managing editor, Joe Bigham, who wrote the article, said there was no such meeting and the road, committee did not approach him. Bigham. said he interviewed Thomas and Hider to obtain a detailed analysis of the action taken some time ago. He had planned for several weeks to do an investigative piece on the Perimeter-Spenceville policy changes, the editor said. Mixed into the meeting was a ‘ court order from Superior Court Judge Vernon Stoll _ that didn't directly involve the Spenceville or Perimeter cases, but could have far-reaching ramifactions. There was a disagreement as to. just what the ruling, which involves a civil case, meant, but it was indicated the result may be to reestablish public roads along routes that were public roads before the Army took over this southwest territory in 1943, If such roads are public, Spenceville --the proposed major route--would be in public ownership now. The county had assumed it was owned by adjacent property owners. The case would not cover Perimeter, however, as it did not exist in 1943, Perimeter was constructed later by the Army. SPENCEVILLE ROAD through the southwest part of Nevada county has been a topic of much talk — at the board of supervisors of late, so The Union dug deep into its old pictures for these World War II Vintage shots of the old town of Spenceville. The supervisors are considering whether Spenceville Road should’ become a major route between Beale AFB and western Nevada county but during the war the area was used for maneuvers such as shown here. Above, a group of soldiers looks over the town. The photo below is not the board of supervisors considering the Spenceville situation. It is a group of soldiers pretending to attack a German building.