Re: ‘History in flames: Chico’s founding icon destroyed’ by Ken Magri (News)
If proper security was installed with surveillance cameras it is quite possible this could haven been avoided. Someone in the State Parks administration should answer for this. The Chico City Council should hold public hearings and invite all parties involved to further explore this absolute failure in protecting the public’s trust.
-Seth Derish
Re: ‘A stroll through Chico love and ‘bigger things’: My walking tour with muralist Jedrek Speer’ by Helen Harlan (Arts & Culture)
Love his work and especially the logo he produced for our business, which others seem to love too. He’s putting good stuff out there into the world and that’s really good. We could use a lot more of it.
– Matt Gross
Re: ‘A literary inspiration for students, a writer of stories for hard times, Chico’s Rob Davidson discusses his new book and why fiction matters’ by Samin Vafaee (Arts & Culture)
Great job. It’s a wonderful surprise to find out you are the love of your students. Wonderful — Haven’t started to book – looking forward to it.
-Liz Daniels-Currey
Re: ‘Chico Velo’s Trailworks to the rescue’ by Ken Magri (News)
I love the flavor of the quiet well-written, local articles. They share great examples of Butte County people helping people and places locally and reaching out to collaborate with other small communities not so local. Locally we are a stronger community and we are giving back by giving others stronger communities. This holiday season, I toast these persons who actively engage to make our world a better place. Thank you.
-Adele
Re: ‘Chico Velo’s Trailworks to the rescue’ by Ken Magri (News)
So glad to see work continuing. In 1990-91, Bobby Seales instigated the first effort to restore and re-route the trails. He lived on Highway 32 above the park and saw the damage that was being done by trails running straight downhill. I worked with him every weekend. Neither one of us were that susceptible to poison oak so we made it our job to cut it out and move it off the new trails we cut. We were awarded the first commendations for volunteer work in the park by the city. They put 3 L’s in Bidwell on the certificate. The coordinator came to us after the awards and said she would get us corrected ones. Bobby and I both said in two-part harmony, “No You Won’t Then”. I guess we have the first only two miss-spelled ones. Thirty-plus years later, it’s still on my wall.
-Michael Hagen
Re: ‘Many Happy Returns’ by Henri Bouride (Arts & Culture)
So glad to see you writing in the CN&R and blessing us with your presence again Henri! You’re a welcome sight in Chico and I’m happy for your take on life in this little burg. Merci!
-Genevieve Smith
Re: ‘Many Happy Returns’ by Henri Bouride
I have missed your unique, elegant and entertaining style. You are making us hungry again. Thank you.
-Michael
Re: ‘My drive back to Chico with Blind Uncle Ernie’ by Ken Magri (Opinion)
Thanks for sharing and documenting his stories. I sometimes wish I had with my grandfather.
-Robert Murphy
Re: ‘My drive back to Chico with Blind Uncle Ernie’ by Ken Magri (Opinion)
Great article! I knew Uncle Ernie and he was a great guy.
-Brian Mancarti
Re: ‘In Chico, shopping in the past helps give nonprofits a future’ by Helen Harlan (News)
Outstanding, always. And thank you for the grant to BJHS music department!
-Pamela Louise Beeman
Re: ‘Can Bidwell Mansion in Chico be rebuilt?’ by Ken Magri (News)
I have a good feeling Bidwell Mansion will be rebuilt as it deserves to be, it must be, it’s our history, so thank you upfront. We also deserve to see the perpetrator caught and tried and serve some serious time.
–Carolyn Lindsay
Re: ‘Can Bidwell Mansion in Chico be rebuilt?’ by Ken Magri (News)
CSUC’s older brick buildings were retrofitted to meet current earthquake standards years ago. It was a big undertaking, requiring carving into the bricks and installing steel beams. But they did it, and restored the look of the bricks too. The Mansion doesn’t require restoring the look of bricks. The bricks were plastered over to protect them since they were soft unfired bricks. The outcome of the structural investigation will decide the way forward. In the meantime, maybe the brick shell could be sprayed with one of water sealants for brick, concrete, or tiles. That’s not a huge expense.
-Michael Hagen
Re: ‘Can Bidwell Mansion in Chico be rebuilt?’ by Ken Magri (News)
I went and surveyed the mansion after seeing the devastating story on the Sacramento evening news … That history is irreplaceable. The masonry frame still appears to be in relatively sound condition, from what I can see from the behind the yellow tape barrier …. I am a semi-retired trim carpenter with extensive experience on high level trim and historic restorations. It’s salvageable! It’s going to take a lot of money, skill, and effort.
-Mark Rutherford
Re: ‘Can Bidwell Mansion in Chico be rebuilt?’ by Ken Magri (News)
Oh of course it can be rebuilt … sorta. The old growth wood is unobtainable, the new will always not be the original, the expense would be shocking. Stunning. And you really can’t, actually. Because there’s a patina, there’s graceful aging, and I’m not really truly certain the craftsmen exist who could duplicate so much.
It would never be the original.
Too clean, too perfect, too fresh (think Colonial Williamsburg.) it would always only be a pretender.
Here’s what I think should be done:
1. Learn. Learn how to monitor and secure a historic property, especially one as central and iconic. Call it “finger pointing” if you will, but why didn’t this have perimeter fencing while it was being restored? Every job site is prone to theft of tools, for instance. Look around Sacramento at the many apartment projects going in. They’re all secured. Plus they have cameras and, often, on site security officers.
2. Estimate what it might cost to reconstruct the home and, instead, devote that to whatever remains in Chico. Find the next best endangered treasure and get it what it needs. A new roof, or upgraded electrical, for instance.
This sweetheart is gone. The only thing that we can salvage are lessons about job site security, and greater vigilance for what remains.
-Michael J. Young
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