Thank you to Ricky, Gordy, Vinnie, Drew, George, John & Monica for your careful and responsible work on the sheet pile installation. We appreciated your caution, and bemused curiosity about us crazy beaver supporters. The shirts look great on you

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ADDENDUM:

So the city must have issued an “Alls Well that Ends Well” press release, because in addition to the merry KCBS report that says as far as we know the beavers are fine (never mind mom’s eye injury or the fact that she hasn’t been seen since last Thursday) a major media outlet checked the blog and was interested in the photo and post. They followed up with Ross for comment, who said the photo changed nothing because it was the other bank that was of concern, not the Bertola’s wall.

The mind reels. The jaw drops.

Never mind that the Cal Engineering report specifically describes the “broadening gap” between the bank and the Bertola’s wall as the emergency change that justifies exemption from CEQA. Never mind that there is video available of him testifying as much at the Council meeting. (Go to 52:30)

Never mind two city attorneys marched into Superior Court and persuaded Hon. Zuniga that the Bertola’s wall separation from the bank could result in imminent collapse and cause a domino effect flooding for the entire downtown.

This is not about what’s true. It never has been.

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So Tuesday Jon spent a very interesting day at the Martinez Museum and Martinez History Site. He was looking for a particular photo printed in the “Images of America: Martinez” of the creek next to Bertola’s. The picture was taken nearly ten years ago, during the flood project, when the creek was “de-watered” and work was done in the area.

The photo clearly shows the same wall and solid concrete footing which our expert identified and the city denied. Note that if the wall had a concrete footing the threat of the sagging bank would be rendered meaningless. The wall existed before the bank, and is not dependent on the bank. This is why there were so many snickers on the bridge when the sheet pile hit concrete.

Looking at the photo the footing is obvious. The picture also shows the central crack in the firebrick above, which has been blamed on beaver damage. These photos were taken during the Clinton Era - way before beavers. At the museum they found a whole folder of creek photos, two of which show the area in question much more clearly. In conversation with our attorney and the fluvial geomorphologist involved, they both expressed that these photos could have changed the CEQA ruling.

One intrepid beaver friend saw Mark Ross with Skip Lisle Tuesday night enjoying a farewell dinner. She showed him the image and he reacted without surprise. “I’m aware of that photograph” was his response, along with the recognition that this could be used to blame him later.

I have no wish to blame him personally. This photo is an albatross I want hung around the necks of the entire council and director of public works. Each one knew there was no need for this action. They had the perfect rebuttal to any legal threat. They had options, and even if they feared for their election chances or worried about opposing their colleagues they could have privately “leaked” reference of these photos to Worth A Dam, allowing us to serve as the bad guy and stop the project in court.

Instead, they met in secret, voted in secret, omitted in secret, and lied in public. They spent nearly half a million of your tax-payer dollars on a Faustian contract that had nothing to do with public safety. Don’t be fooled by the spin that this is money from the Texaco settlement and therefore not depleting Martinez coffers. It was money we had, and now we don’t, and it was spent for nothing.

They knew it at the meeting. They knew it during apologetic phone calls to beaver supporters. They knew it in court. They knew it every minute they had city staff uselessly poking through the soil to find beaver tunnels.

They knew. Now we know too.

Ah ! well a-day! what evil looks

Had I from old and young !
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

This morning saw the dregs of the project and the tying together of loose ends. The crane was disassembled, and the beaver-watch brigade officially retired. The gravel is being raked around, and cement will eventually be poured atop it. I’m thinking maybe we should stick in a quick time capsule. Maybe a list of all the misrepresentations and not-so-white lies that have been spread by the city to maneuver this project? No, there isn’t really that much room. Maybe something smaller.

A list of the number of times our city has told the truth.

So today we were waiting for the “last pile” to be delivered and installed. It arrived this morning, but upon installation it became clear that they need another half pile to close the gap to the concrete. Still, we’re darn close to being finished. Watchers were on the bridge as usual. Skip was there. The Hess-ians all enjoyed the video and we saw a juvenile otter this morning.

So far, so good.

There were several developments today on beaver watch. First, a large beaver (probably a yearling) emerged twice during the work, downstream of the dam with a crabby tail slap when the pile driving resumed. Hopefully he went to sleep somewhere else.

Second, Skip Lisle is back through tomorrow, and was on site for the work. There are approximately three sheets remaining to install.

Third: tonight Jon met a very enthusiastic beaver supporter at the bridge who oohed and ahhed about the four kits. Why is this news you can use? She was Bradly Jackson’s wife. Worth A Dam has had consistently good contact with Jackson, and we support his replacement of Janet Kennedy on the council. Last night let’s just say we got the definite impression that things will be uncomfortable in the Jackson home if he doesn’t do right by the beavers.

Frogard Butler, the woman who is chronicling our beavers with painting, spent the day on the bridge sketching the old lodge site. We are happy for her support, and for the other faithfuls on the bridge who keep an eye out.

One of the nicer surprises of our watchdog endeavors has been the cordial interest and respect shown by the the Cooper Crane workers on site. While they are clearly befuddled by our presence (one asked if we were paid for by the city. Ha!) they are nevertheless interested in the famous furry residents and ask about them every day. From ditch digger to crane driver they have been cautious about causing harm and nice to the crazy beaver watchers. There has been a general greeting and information swapping between us, and it reminded me of the friendly Sam and Ralph sheepdog cartoon. Forgive the quality, as I needed to edit this on Kaltura to get it working. Still, as we wind down in the final days of pile driving, I thought a retrospective was in order.

Video documenting Mom’s injuries observed last week is available here. If you are able to see or photograph her this week it would be helpful.

Today the long awaited turn east was successfully added to the piling wall. Supporters watched anxiously as the line of sheet pile headed closer to the dam. Then after lunch a piece was placed perpendicular to the line and followed by a second. After all the hard work of digging out rocks they pierced the soil easily, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Things grew somber when one of our friendliest workers was injured today after he cut his finger on an old sharp fence post in the dug out area. He went to the hospital for treatment and hopefully will be getting the mother of all tetnus shots and not too many stitches. The rest of the day passed without incident, although rumor has it that the election building is rattling too hard to safely house our new expensive voter equipment, and there were several truck trips today to haul it away.

If the remaining sheets go in like the first one in this last section, they could be done driving on Monday or Tuesday. There are still miles of gravel and concrete to pour behind the area, but the most impactful work will be completed. The need to extend out from the wall resulted in a 15×15 box at the end of Bertola’s property. I wonder what that space will be used for? It’s hot tub shaped. Since the taxpayers bought it I’m thinkin’ maybe public bath?

Funnest news of the day. Guess what’s atop that old mangled lodge that they drove steel through and shoveled out? New mud. The beavers have started repairs already.

Tonight we were able to catch photos of mom beaver’s eye injury. Remember that Tuesday night her eye was puffy and swollen so that the eye itself was barely visible. Now she appears to have the furry equivalent of a black eye. We are encouraged that this has grown less swollen since tuesday, but still concerned. I have sent pictures to beaver experts and the Lindsay Museum for advice, and hopefully the healing will continue.

Todays news came in the form of a decision from Hess that they can’t turn at the edge of Bertola’s to follow the wall as planned. There is too much concrete and they are afraid if they remove it the existing wall will collapse. This would mean the wall will continue some distance out from the bank, into the creek and through the dam. When I heard this I contacted Igor Skaredoff who was concerned especially by the narrowing of the creek channel. He contacted Dave Scola who assured him that the wall will turn east soon, and the dam will not be harmed. The pile driver boss wasn’t so sure, as he still thinks there is too much concrete to penetrate, but we will see. In the meantime, come keep an eye on our beavers this weekend and see if mom’s eye improves.

So jon and I waited for mom tonight until after eight, hoping to see the injured eye and get a photograph. She didn’t show and we gave up and drove home feeling worried. Just got a call from Linda and Moses who went down to the dam tonight and filmed mom. Saw clearly that her eye was a little crusted, perhaps recovering from something, but definatly better than last night. They took video and I’ll have it tomorrow. Thanks so much stellar beaver caretakers for helping us keep track of this.

Mom, for all you do, this buds for you.

These photos from todays work show the increasing distance between the concrete wall and the sheetpile. This has been explained as necessary to allow the hammer to turn, but there were repeated “concrete” shudders today that seemed to guide the work further into the creek. No delivery of sheetpile came yesterday and they have been moving quickly through this next phase. Without Skip on hand to caution them, they snapped down a few branches from the willow over the lodge, and were observed walking on it at one point. The big boss is on sight today with plans and charts and everyone is working faster and tenser.

No site of mom this morning, but the beavers are piling willow onto one of the lower baffles, starting a formal dam across what was left. Two passers by told us they had seen our beaver election video on the news: one on yahoo local and one on channel 2.