and draining efforts eliminated

most of the offending conditions.

Now that the worst is behind us,

we are focused on finally resolving

the problem and preventing its

reoccurrence.

NOVEMBER 16,2015 WWW.TOWNOFSCOTIA.COM VOLUME I, ISSUE XXIII

Be part of a rewarding and

valuable way to serve your com-

munity. The Scotia Volunteer

Fire Department is accepting ap-

pl icat ions for f iref ighters

(minimum age 21). Contact Chief

John Broadstock at (707) 764-

4322, or come by the station for

an application and information.

Volunteers must show cour-

age, strength, bravery, heroics,

diplomacy, and good judgment.

The rate of pay is as much as you

can take away in your heart.

Good deeds include various com-

munity fire safety outreach pro-

jects. A, recent event involved

partnering with the Scotia Union

School PTA for their school car-

nival. SVFD Members demon-

strated specialized rescue tools

and provided the community in-

formation about the SVFD, go to

-1-

SCOTIA PROJECTS PROGRESSING washing and vacuuming its raw and

finished water tanks, and flushing,

repairing or replacing water treat-

ment components. In connection

with Water Board staff, we also

engaged consultants to design and

implement water sampling and lab

testing protocols, engineering de-

sign and planning, etc.

* As a consequence of all this ef-

fort, TOS is now poised to begin

several new water system projects

which you will see in action very

soon.

*

Our testing and monitoring ef-

forts have helped us understand the

cause of the reddish color and re-

lated issues, as described below.

Very briefly, we believe the influx

of iron, manganese, tannins and lig-

nin from the non-storm water dis-

charge to our intake field caused

the formation and deposition of an

iron film at locations throughout

the system. Over time our cleaning

In presentations to local ser-

vice clubs, and at the recent Rio

Dell Scotia Chamber of Com-

merce Mixer at the Winema The-

ater, we’ve been updating our

friends and neighbors about the

long planned Scotia subdivision

infrastructure improvements. That

construction is now completed in

Phase I and will soon commence

in Phase II of the Scotia Project.

Here we’ll provide a more de-

tailed review of several other

planned works of improvement,

which you might notice through-

out Scotia.

*

TOS is still actively engaged to

address recent water quality is-

sues. As residents will recall, as a

consequence of a non-storm wa-

ter discharge from an adjacent

industrial property onto the Eel

River gravel bar, beneath which

Town of Scotia has its drinking

water intakes. Our system ab-

sorbed iron and manganese, tan-

nins and lignins at levels exceeding

the clean, gravel-filtered, Eel River

water we usually draw. These ele-

ments pose no health risks but did

create aesthetic problems -- taste,

odor, and color -- that affected

the entire Scotia water system.

*

In the ensuing weeks and

months, TOS incurred tremen-

dous effort and expense, among

other things emptying, pressure-

Continued to “Projects,” page 3

RECRUITMENT FOR SCOTIA VOLUNTEER FIRE

Frank

Talk

with Frank!

Overview of Phase I Completion via Drone.

h t t p : / /w ww . f a c e boo k . com/

ScotiaFire/.

Annual Drive

As a reminder, the Annual

Drive letter was sent out re-

cently to residents and busi-

nesses of Scotia. This drive

enables the Fire Department

to purchase special emergency

equipment. Previous dona-

tions and fund raisers pur-

chased an off road rescue

unit, Polaris UTV with capabil-

ities to transport the injured

from remote areas serving

our river bar, logging roads,

etc.; a thermal imaging camera

to see hot spots in structural

fires, through smoke-filled,

low light environments; video

equipment for fire training

classes; and highway safety

equipment.

The Scotia independent

Scotia’s

Latest

Drinking Water

Consumer

Confidence

Report

and Notices

are available at

www.townofscotia.com

-1-

Discover the role model in you….

through

Dedication Courage Goodwill

The SVFD thanks you for your gift of support.

FERNDALE DANCE ACADEMY PRESENTS ANNUAL HOLIDAY DANCE FESTIVAL

One of Humboldt County’s

most respected dance academies

will present their annual holiday

recital at the Winema Theater

on Friday, December 11 at 7

p.m. and again on Saturday De-

cember 12 at 5 p.m. Tickets are

$10, children under 4 are free.

Founder Laura East trained

with the Joffrey Ballet and Pitts-

burgh Ballet Theater and danced

with the Westchester Ballet. She

studied dance and musical thea-

ter at the University of Arizona

then apprenticed as a ballet in-

structor in New York City.

Instructors Kelsey Snyder and

Stephanie Carter both have de-

grees in dance and choreography

and trained with various ballet

and dance companies across the

U.S.

For information call (707) 496-0805.

Tickets will be sold at the door thirty

minutes prior to each performance.

-2-

generations can connect with the

past and weave their own memo-

ries into history.

There is a standard rental/

deposit agreement and prices are

more than competitive with other

local venues. If you are looking to

throw a party with character and

a nod to the past, the Winema

Theater is a great choice and will

make unique memories for years

to come.

1918 design concept sketch by architect A.H. Jacobs of San Francisco

To book Scotia’s historic Winema Theater call (707) 764-4211

al and social life.

Restored for use in 2002, the

unique ambience of the Winema

Theater offers a heritage venue for

live performing arts, musical con-

certs, rehearsals, films, seminars,

even weddings. It was recently the

scene of a ‘steampunk’-themed

wedding, showing off a style mix of

modern technology and aesthetic

design inspired by 19th-century

industrial steam-powered machin-

ery. Think Neo-Victorian or an

alternative history of British Victo-

rian or American Wild West eras.

According Jayce and Roxanne

Darby who rented the facility for

their wedding and reception, the

everyth ing-o ld- i s -new-aga in-

Winema completely set the stage

for their vision.

The interior of the multi-

purpose facility has been carefully

preserved in its original state and

is now equipped with a state-of-

the-art sound system, a full-size

movie screen, DVD video projec-

tion capabilities, stage curtains,

lighting and new theater-seating

for 280 guests. It even boasts a

tuned piano. Other amenities

available for events are cabaret

tables, chairs, a wet bar and a

2,000 sq. ft. dance floor, offering

the public an opportunity to pro-

duce a modern event in an elabo-

rate antique setting.

The iconic building, maintained

and managed by the Town of Sco-

tia, is available for community

bookings year-round. Over the

past few years, it has hosted sever-

al large service club dinners and

other receptions and is a still a

showcase for Scotia Union

School’s music recitals and the be-

loved Scotia Band. According to

Frank Bacik, Town of Scotia’s

CEO, himself a musician in the

popular classic rock band Doug Fir

and the 2x4s, the Winema has ex-

cellent acoustical qualities for live

music. The natural redwood inte-

rior seems to provide a sweet

spot for the notes to land with

very little bounce-back.

The Town hopes to attract

Everything old is new again at the Winema Theater The historic mill town of

Scotia has much to offer. Well

known for the Scotia Inn, a

logging museum, uniquely de-

signed shopping center and

charming craftsman-style

neighborhoods, the town has

another beautiful, functional

resource. The Winema Thea-

ter, one of Scotia’s most fa-

mous architectural gems, was

designed in the early twentieth

century as an entertainment

venue and operated as a single-

screen movie house for many

years.

The Winema Theater is

considered a significant histori-

cal structure and is featured

prominently in the list of

‘Cinema Treasures’, an online

site celebrating over 31,000

historic movie houses across

the planet.

The late film critic Roger

Ebert said the site performs an

invaluable service. “In the pre-

vious century the movie thea-

ter was often, in smaller towns

and cities, the only grand archi-

tectural statement, save per-

haps for a church or court-

house,” he wrote. “They una-

shamedly provided a prosceni-

um for our dreams.”

Completed in 1920, the

Winema was designed in a

Greek Revival style very popu-

lar at the time. The builders

gave it a flourish by substituting

natural redwood trunks for

classically smooth Greek col-

umns and leaving a rustic, natu-

ral-aging wood façade. The

iconic building still stands in

glory and remains a valuable

part of the community’s cultur-

more live performance bookings

aiming for smaller to mid-size ven-

ues, along with other local special

events.

There are in-town accommo-

dations at the historical 22-room

Scotia Inn and in neighboring Rio

Dell and Fortuna for those who

wish to stay late or make a week-

end of an event.

Today, the old Winema Thea-

ter means even more to the

Town of Scotia and its neighbor-

ing communities. It is a historical-

ly treasured place where new

Winema Theater design concept sketch by San Francisco architect

A.H. Jacobs, done in 1918 before construction.

-3-

Continued from “Projects,” page 1

Water Distribution

System Flushing to

Remove Iron Film

Over the course of the last

several weeks, we have all no-

ticed a significant reduction in

the incidence of iron film

buildup affecting our water

systems. We’ve had no tenant

issues for approximately 2

weeks or more, and fewer

tenants have elected to re-

ceive bottled drinking water.

That is not to minimize the

significance of these events

when they do occur.

First, as mentioned, we’ve

completed clean-out, wash-

down and vacuum of our raw

water and finished water

tanks. Currently, that means

that the water drawn from

beneath the Eel River, deliv-

ered to our treatment system

and held in storage is all clean.

The final and more elusive is-

sues actually reside in the dis-

tribution system which is com-

prised of miles of pipes and

lines.

With the guidance of our

consultants and engineers, we

have conducted a broad sam-

pling and testing plan to assess

water chemistry and to find

telltale markers of the pres-

ence or potential of iron film,

even where it can not be seen.

The best approach, for our

unique distribution system,

seems to be to implement a

carefully designed flushing pro-

gram to remove the precur-

sors to iron film before it can

collect within pipes and re-

lease to appear randomly in

locations throughout town.

The most apparent part of

the flushing program involves

installation of wharf hydrants

or “blow off” valves at key

points in the water distribu-

tion system. For example, at

low points in a long run of

pipe, iron film might collect at

an area of low use and volume.

This might occur in a neigh-

borhood with vacant homes,

or at end of the water distri-

bution loop, for example. A

blow-off valve or wharf hy-

drant placed in or near this

location of sufficient size/

diameter will allow a con-

trolled volume of water to

escape the line at sufficient

pressure to evacuate any iron

film before it can accumulate

or release as visible color.

Residents will notice both the

installation and the discharge

from these hydrants. Once the

flushing system has been in-

stalled, and after some addi-

tional tests, TOS staff will im-

plement the flushing program

throughout Scotia, probably

on a weekly basis. Flushing

duration will typically be about

15-30 minutes for each locat-

significantly limit disruption to the

community whenever leaky pipes

are replaced an/or the system is

generally being upgraded. Most

of the water lines in the area will

be replaced when subdivision

Phase IV infrastructure improve-

ments are installed, but in the in-

terim, service may be improved

significantly.

Priority Improvement to

Water Pumping and

Treatment Services

As a result of comprehensive

investigation, analysis and water

quality monitoring, several addi-

tional improvements to water dis-

tribution and treatment facilities

have been identified as priority

projects. These will be under-

taken in the next several

months to insure consistent

water quality and delivery.

While still in the design and

permitting stage, the projects

will be undertaken as soon as

practicable by TOS, and we can

share some of the concepts

now.

We’ve elected to acquire

and incorporate into our sys-

tem, continuous recording

equipment which can assess wa-

ter clarity and send out a re-

mote alarm in the event of any

problem. We plan to institute

similar sensing and alarm sys-

tems for waterlines and tanks as

well. Additionally, we plan to

install equipment capable of au-

tomatic and continuous decon-

tamination, chlorination analysis

and monitoring.

Plans are also being drawn

to improve the water filtration,

settlement and filter backwash

systems. We have determined

that one of our filter vessels at

the water treatment plant

should be rehabilitated, so we

plan repair and replacement of

filtering media.

Another even larger job that

may be visible to residents will

be the replacement of the exist-

ing distribution line from the

finish water tank on the hill

above Hwy 101 with a larger

pipe that will pass under the

highway and connect to the wa-

ter distribution system to im-

prove system volume and pres-

sure throughout town.

Continued to “Projects” page 4

tion. This activity will be quite

obvious, but it should not ad-

versely affect water supply or

pressure to residents and busi-

nesses.

TOS will continue to monitor

water quality and conduct water

chemistry tests until it’s deter-

mined that the weekly flushing

can be scheduled on a bi-weekly,

monthly or other reduced basis.

Finally, it bears repeating that

the TOS drinking water supply

always has been, and remains, in

compliance with safe drinking

water standards. If at any time

you notice a reoccurrence of the

issue at your rented premises,

please call the TOS offices, and

we will send a water operations

staff person to investigate the

water quality and condition at

our properties. This information

will assist us in finally bringing

these issues to a close as soon as

possible.

Repair and Replacement

in the Williams Street,

Pond Avenue

Neighborhood

In a situation indirectly relat-

ed to the flushing program, resi-

dents of the Williams Street,

Pond Avenue Neighborhood will

notice crews from Wahlund

Construction, engineers from

SHN, and our own TOS opera-

tors at work digging trenches,

replacing and reburying water

pipe and patch paving the sur-

face. This work reflects tempo-

rary replacement of pipes, par-

ticularly the older iron pipe, in

certain areas in order to reduce

maintenance demands and pro-

vide leak free and reliable ser-

vice.

This work is actually an inter-

im solution; for the final infra-

structure design has not been

completed for this area, so per-

manent pipe replacement can

not be assuredly installed until

those steps are taken. In due

course, the Williams Street/Pond

Walk area will be Phase IV of the

subdivision infrastructure work,

and it’s very likely that the inter-

im repairs and replacements cur-

rently underway in that area will

themselves be upgraded, relocat-

ed, or replaced in a few years.

However, it’s essential to take

on the work now as some of the

old pipe in the area has failed or

leaked repeatedly. In a way, this

interim repair effort presents an

opportunity as well as an ex-

pense. While we are replacing

lengths of iron pipe, the crews

can locate and install valves

which will permit TOS to close

off various smaller “circuits” of

the water distribution system

whenever repairs are required,

instead off shutting of the entire

neighborhood. These valves,

strategically located, should help

Log Pond Today

Water Saw at Log Pond

GOT any SCOTIA NEWS?

Send info and photos to kmajor@townofscotia.com

-4-

This will also result in a

more secure and reliable distri-

bution source and improve the

effectiveness of the flushing pro-

gram described above. Reloca-

tion and enlargement of the

main water line has been

planned for some time, and per-

mitting is now underway and

should be completed in the

months immediately ahead.

Utility Corridor

Improvements

Also, planned for some time

are several improvements to

water, waste water, and storm

drainage facilities in the industri-

al “corridor” west of Main

Street between the saw mill and

the power plant. While not

technically part of the subdivi-

sion, the water, sewer and

storm drain lines through this

area serve and support the

whole community. Corridor

improvement plans include

some very significant projects,

from enhancement of the Eel

River water pumping system to

new sanitary sewer collection

lines to the waste water treat-

ment plant and new storm drain

lines to the Eel River.

Some of this work, that

which neither impacts the Eel

River nor affects wildlife habitat,

for example, could be com-

menced almost immediately.

While it is not located in the

residential neighborhood or

within any particular “phase” of

the subdivision, the corridor

improvements are important to

both the full functioning of the

new subdivision infrastructure

and operation of the adjacent

industrial facilities.

Continued from “Projects,” page 3

THE SCOTIA INN Invites you to join us for

Thanksgiving Day Dinner

A 3-course meal with a choice

of Soup or Salad, Entrée and Dessert

Lobster Bisque

or

Butter Leaf Lettuce with Bay Shrimp

and Louie Dressing

Roasted Turkey with all the Trimmings

Honey Roasted Ham

Smoked Prime Rib

Braised Lamb Shank over Creamy Polenta

King Salmon poached in White Wine and Garlic

with fresh Lemon Caper Dill Sauce

Pecan or Pumpkin Pie

Served from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Please call (707) 764-5338 for reservations

Holiday Open House

Scotia Shopping Center

Prizes

Givaways

Sale prices all day

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Live Music

Drawings

Refreshments

And a special visit From SANTA!

Scotia’s own EEL RIVER BREWING COMPANY

20th Anniversary, December 5, 2015

Celebrate all day long at the at the Fortuna ERB Tap Room.

There will be a release of their new Anniversary Bourbon Bar-

rel-Aged Beer, music, dancing, all day merchandise giveaways,

a 90s costume contest, and items and prices from the original

menu.

Come party like it’s 1995!

Here in the Eel RiverValley, our

local butchers still carry on a tradi-

tion of smoking turkeys for holiday

parties, gifting and just plain scarf-

ing. We have been lucky enough

to win a couple at local volunteer

fire department fundraisers and

have happily parted with cold, hard

cash for the dear birds when our

luck ran out.

Our favorite thing to do is to get

some fresh small rolls and serve

them accompanied with real may-

onnaise with a little curry powder

and Sriracha if you like… and this

great chutney. It’s like Gran’s cran,

but with a little kick and a bit of

bite. You’ll never look at a smoked

bird the same again. Go ahead, try

something new for the holidays…

and please support your local vol-

unteer firemen, whatever they’re

selling.

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

3 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Sultana raisins

2 ribs celery, finely diced

1 tart apple, peeled and finely

diced

1 Tbsp. minced candied ginger

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp minced onion

1/2 cup water

one stick cinnamon

½ Tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tsp.

fresh

¼ Tsp red pepper flakes

(optional)

pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients and bring

to a boil. Simmer 40-60 minutes or

until it reaches desired consistency.

Cool to room temperature. Cover

and refrigerate for at least 1 day.

Store in half pint jars in fridge or

process like jam in your favorite

canner. Make enough to keep and

give away. It’s great for sandwiches

or as a side spark for fresh roasted

turkey, chicken or ham.

I’m not trying to set

the world on fire...