Arroyo Grande gets brickbat for closing Hwy. 101 ramps at Brisco Road
Like several of our readers, we, too, were scratching our heads over why the city of Arroyo Grande has to close the Highway 101 ramps at Brisco Road for more than two months while it conducts a traffic study.
It would be one thing if the city needed to close the ramps while it does actual construction, right? But to close them for a traffic study doesn’t make much sense unless it’s trying to figure out just how fed up motorists will get if they close the ramps altogether, rather than relocate them.
Turns out that’s exactly what the city has in mind.
The City Council directed staff to shut down the ramps to “simulate the post project condition if Alternative No. 1 is implemented.” Alternative No. 1 consists of closing the Brisco Road ramps for good and possibly widening the Grand Avenue bridge and road to accommodate increased traffic.
To add to the outrage, the temporary closure — which runs from Tuesday to Dec. 7 — will cost taxpayers an estimated $100,000. Most of that — $45,000 — will be for “traffic handling implementation,” whatever that means. (Maybe they will handle traffic by paying South County residents to stay off the freeway?)
We’d be the first to admit the Brisco Road interchange is a bit of a mess, but shutting it down and forcing motorists to use other ramps means some drivers will have to go out of their way. It could also transfer the traffic mess to other locations. It shouldn’t take a two month traffic study to figure that out.
For turning South County drivers into guinea pigs for this extended “experiment,” the city of Arroyo Grande gets a big honkin’ brickbat.
Bouquets for Templeton community
The community’s outpouring of love and support for injured Templeton High School football player Isaac Lindsey is amazing — a touching reminder of what it means to live in a community of people who care deeply for one another.
This comment, posted on GoFundMe, is typical of many: “There is a special bond within the extended families of the community of Templeton. People from everywhere are rallying for you Isaac, may your journey to recovery be speedy. You’re an amazing young man with so much character.”
As of Thursday afternoon, nearly $88,000 had been donated to the family via the GoFundMe account — that’s in less than a week. And it isn’t just Templeton rallying for Isaac’s recovery from the head injury he sustained during a game last Friday night. Here’s another comment posted online: “My son is on the SLO JV Team and he requested last night at dinner that we donate. Healing prayers going your way!”
The Templeton Eagles take the field Friday night against Cabrillo High School — something Isaac’s mother, Jenny Lindsey, stresses on her Facebook page.
“Please bring your Eagle spirit to the field Friday night, and let’s lift these boys up,” she wrote.
In that spirit, we offer 32 bouquets — the number on Isaac’s jersey — to all the Templeton Eagles, their families, their friends and their fans. Not everyone can make it to the stadium Friday night, but we have a feeling that many people will be cheering for Isaac and the Eagles, even if they can’t be there in person.
1 million bouquets for 1 million raised
The Women’s Legacy Fund deserves a standing ovation and a roomful of rose bouquets for reaching the awesome goal of raising $1 million for local organizations and programs that benefit women and girls.
WLF began fundraising in 2003 and made its first grants the following year. It concentrates on six broad areas: basic needs, education, self-esteem, economic independence, personal safety and mental health.
WLF focuses on a different need each year; this year’s recipients were awarded grants to assist with mental health programming. Nearly $32,000 — the most ever distributed in a single year — was distributed to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Counseling Center, Latina Empowerment Program, RISE and Women’s Shelter Program of SLO County.
Next year’s focus will be on basic needs. The group also has a new goal: reaching the $2 million mark.
This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 4:33 AM with the headline "Arroyo Grande gets brickbat for closing Hwy. 101 ramps at Brisco Road."