Santa Cruz fire victim says give residents space to recover, rebuild
Q Can you put out a plea to your vast audience in the Bay Area?
We live in the fire area in the Santa Cruz Mountains and have not been able to return home.
Each day we make a trek to the closure site to see if there is any information about when we can repopulate. This is a very difficult time for us.
But each time I drive up to the Highway 35 closure, I am amazed at the number of cyclists.
Would you ask the cycling community to be respectful and avoid Highway 9 and Bear Creek Road as people begin to return to see what is left and try to work through this disaster?
This is not the time for recreational riding in this area.
Residents will require many trips into the valley for supplies and to start work to rebuild from the damage and devastation. It is often difficult navigating this road with cyclists.
The sheer numbers make this more treacherous and difficult, not to mention curious lookyloos causing problems. We will all be a little off our best driving game as we venture back to find how our homes and neighbors have survived the fire.
Please give us some space for a bit before returning to this area for recreational purposes. — Linda M., a CZU fire victim
A This is a plea I hope people will follow. Keep your bikes off these roads for all the reasons Linda describes.
If you do venture out, no racing, no passing on curves, go single file, no gawking at burned-out areas.
One way you can help people who have lost so much in these fires is to make a donation to the Red Cross. Also, expect traffic delays on Highway 1 this week to keep emergency crews moving.
Q Any idea why gas prices are so high when a lot of people are working from home these days? The stocks of oil companies have tanked due to lack of demand. — Maurice N.
A The national average gas price spiked by a nickel last week to $2.32 a gallon and $3.24 in California, but it is expected to go lower in days ahead.
Pump prices jumped as a result of Hurricane Laura and an increase in demand in all but five states.
It’s typical to see more expensive prices ahead of a storm, especially one that threatens rigs and refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.
Q Following up on your suggestion that a reader might be wise to get a transponder for even occasional use on the freeway, I think that maybe the state should rename “freeways” as “payways.” — Bill Chase, Martinez
A Don’t be a cynic now.
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