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FIRST; A big thank you for the things we have been able to REMOVE from the need/want
list. Specifically -
1. Thank you Dave Koehler and the San Joaquin River Parkway for sending in a chipper and crew and removing
the majority of the brush piles of giant reed.
2. Thank you Carl Johnson for your help in repairing the ramp to the river.
3. Thank you Sy Allen, Rods Power Bait, and the Douglas brothers for assisting in the proccurring, welding,
and erecting of our flag pole.
4. Thank you to Randy Middleton of Middleton Signs for your outstanding work in providing the new signs
up on Avenue 9. Way cool, brother!
5. Thank you to Brian Johnson (not related to Carl) for helping renovate the Bait Shop into a room that
is public-friendly and pretty cozy.
6. Thank you to Valley Irrigation and Pump for your donation of parts and your consulting in repairing
and maintaining the well pump. Without this we would have nearly 200 acres of dead or dying trees.
Why do we need volunteers on SJRC property?
The San Joaquin River Conservancy is the State Agency that administers this area and many others. Falcontail
Enterprises is the onsite operator/manager. As many of you know, the State budget was non-existent or frozen for many
many months. Even with a budget, parks, in general, are low on the totempole for money. Eventually some will trickle
down. In the meantime, your $9 gate fee and $5 launch fee pays for everything. Most of it goes to PG&E to
power the well and for the various insurances needed to allow public access. The third biggest expense was a surprise
- repairs, maintenance, and replacement costs due to vandalism. The access fees allow this to be a sustainable
enterprise open to the public, BUT doesn't create a lot of extra money to build and do the things many of you want to see
here. That's where creativity and volunteers come in..........
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What the Island Needs
1. Litter pick up. I can supply the trash bags. It would require a lot of walking.
2. Indiana Jones Crew. The scarlet wisteria, aka Chinese Rattlebox, has been running
amok and eating up the banks and ravishing the access to the water. As this is a noxious, non-indigenous, invasive plant,
aka WEED, please feel free to pluck it, hack it and pile it roadside. I repeat, PLEASE ENDANGER THIS PLANT. This can be picked up later and trucked to the brush pile in the back.
3. Camp Sites We can have camping here again once we have "designated campsites".
What this translates into is park-style grills concreted into place so that coals cannot be tipped onto the ground.
These can be seen at Lost Lake and Millerton Lake camping areas.
(I will add a picture here as I get one.). The State may or may not be able to fund this - SO,
if we want camping we have to handle it. Any welders/ contractors out there with ideas?
WHAT WE REALLY NEED
a GOOD RAIN DANCE!
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