Highway 36 Association gathers Alan French named new president

Mary Bullwinkel

Beacon Correspondent

A small group of Humboldt County residents traveled to Red Bluff in Tehama County recently to give input on a transportation plan for state Highway 36, and to attend the annual meeting of the Highway 36 Association. this annual gathering has been taking place for almost 60 years, possibly more, meeting every other year in the Fortuna area.

The annual gathering began with a meet and greet at the Red Bluff home of the “Eastern side” Association President Leland George, followed by dinner at the Red Bluff Elks Club. during the dinner gathering, Caltrans officials made a presentation and accepted comments on a 20-year planning document now being compiled for State Highway 36.

The Fortuna area contingency included “Western side” Association President Allan Baird and his wife Cricket, Doug and Marilyn Strehl, Cliff and Lee Chapman, and Alan French. French will be taking over the presidency from Baird, who said it was time for him to move on. Baird has held the presidency of the group for approximately 30 years. during the gathering in Red Bluff, Baird told some of his best memories of his association with the group.

Over the years, the group has helped bring about improvements and repairs to the 154-mile route, which stretches from Alton in Humboldt County to near Susanville in Lassen County. it was designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway in 1983, as part of the program which honors servicemen and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Among its successes over the years are the defeat of several attempts to remove the State Highway status from Highway 36, and the construction of bridges over several troublesome spots.

In the beginning, the major concern of those involved was to provide access for the logging industry to get timber to the local lumber mills and processing plants in Fortuna, as well as the mills and shipping lines in Tehama County.

It appears the group also got a boost from the publishers of two northern California newspapers, Dwight O’Dell from the Humboldt Beacon and Marion Walker from the red Bluff Daily News. back in the day, Humboldt State and Chico State were territorial rivals, and the two newspaper publishers were avid football fans. according to history, O’Dell and Walker traveled to many of the games via Highway 36, so their interest in and leadership of the group was well known.

Mary Bullwinkel/Beacon

1. Allan Baird will step down as president of the Highway 36 Association.

2. Sitting at the Humboldt County Highway 36ers table at the dinner are: (from left) Cricket Baird (back to camera), Allan Baird, Doug Strehl, Marilyn Strehl, Lee Chapman and newly named president, Alan French.

<a href="http://www.humboldtbeacon.com/ci_16525106tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.humboldtbeacon.com/ci_16525106Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:06:37 GMT 00:00″>Highway 36 Association gathers Alan French named new president

humboldt county residents, lee chapman, presidency