continued from previous page
MOTHER’S DAY SALE May 7th - 12th 20% OFF
• Bedding Plants 4” and 6 packs • Flowering Hanging Baskets • 1 gallon Perennials • Pottery • Adult Size Adirondack Chairs • Hydrangeas 1 and 5 gallons • Concrete Benches • Bistro Tables • All Windchimes
Solar Garden Stakes
$5.99 each Reg. $9.99
SATURDAY, MAY 11TH at 10am
join Giselle Schoniger aka
THE GARDEN GODDESS
of Kelloggs and learn about Growing Organically. There will be an herb container planting demonstration and free giveaways. FREE workshop!
FREE Planting Day
with Duncan McNeill of Kelloggs
All Weeks Roses
20% off
SATURDAY, MAY 11TH FROM 10-4 Bring in or buy your pot (24”x 24” maximum) and plants. Soil and Fertilizer provided for FREE!
NAME THE FARMER CONTEST Win a Special Prize
AUG. 3rd
www.millerfarmsnursery.com 1828 Central Ave. McKinleyville 839-1571 x5 Mon-Sat 8:30-5:30, Sun 10:00-4:00 (Nursery Only)
8 North Coast Journal • Thursday, May 9, 2013 • northcoastjournal.com
heritage.” While it’s too new to qualify for historic preservation, the bridge adds character to the neighborhood (it’s helped sell more than one property by some accounts) and it’s a destination for sightseers, she said. The bridge is featured on the Humboldt County Film Commission website and has been the backdrop in a few commercials. Brides-to-be, wedding parties and graduating seniors drive to the bridge to pose for photos. “Sweethearts are on the bridge — and you can tell that by lots of carvings,” Dixon said. She recalled German tourists who visited and told her the bridge had been used in the online treasure hunt known as geocaching. Charming as the bridge may be, the county has concerns about paying for a deteriorating wooden structure. Whitworth was reluctant to talk at first — he said public backlash quashed a county project in McKinleyville without enough discussion — but he said the county is far from firing up the wrecking ball in Brookwood. Whitworth and 3rd District Supervisor Mark Lovelace planned to meet
with Brookwood residents this week to explain the county’s position and options. Foremost, Whitworth said, there is an opportunity for the county save quite a few tax dollars. Wood doesn’t last as long as steel and concrete, and there’s more than just the main supports: The county is responsible for reroofing, painting and sheathing — “because it’s essentially a house,” Whitworth said. “The siding right now is riddled with powder beetles. There’s more than just the structural member of the bridge.” Lovelace said it’s not a case of the county picking on this particular bridge. “Every bit of infrastructure requires maintenance, upkeep and eventually replacement,” Lovelace said. “Public works tracks all of those things constantly, and they also track funding sources for opportunities to do those kinds of things.” Public Works Director Tom Mattson said a concrete bridge is the county standard because it’s the cheapest to build and maintain. In Brookwood’s case, the county secured $170,000 in federal funds, which could cover the costs of designing a new bridge and putting it through environmental and public review processes — but not actually building whatever comes next. “The bottom line is this bridge is a very