Fund-raiser kicks off to fix Jenner bridge

A money-raising campaign to fix the bridge that’s needed for the
Jenner town fire truck got under way this week hoping to raise
$50,000 by Labor Day.
When the bridge over Jenner Creek washed out during heavy rains
five years ago it deprived the local fire department’s truck from
safely accessing Highway 1, the main road for Jenner and the Sonoma
Coast.
“There’s a creek-sized gap in our community that feels as wide
as a canyon,” said a fund-raising mailer sent out this week to West
County residents.
“We need our bridge,” said David Kenly, president of the Jenner
Community Club where the fire truck was stationed.
With the bridge closed, the only access to the highway from the
Jenner Community Club annex was through a dangerous blind curve
onto Highway 1, so the fire truck is now stationed east of Duncans
Mills, adding 20 minutes to fire emergency response time to
Jenner.
“In those 20 minutes a small fire can engulf a home,” says the
fund-raising message that went out this week.
The town has raised money with community events and bake sales
and now hopes some cash donations from everyone who loves the
Sonoma Coast and the Russian River estuary will help save the
day.
“The bridge over Jenner Creek represents more than a necessary
construction project; it’s a symbol of our ability to pull together
and assure ourselves that no matter where anyone resides in our
community, we’re there for each other, and for the millions of
visitors who come to visit one of the most beautiful places on the
planet,” says the fund-raising message.
“It’s imperative to have the annex accessible and operating so
volunteers can respond rapidly to emergencies, said Kenly. “It
can’t happen with the bridge out.”
The Jenner Volunteer Fire Department has been part of the Monte
Rio Volunteer Fire Department since 2000, so the Monte Rio Fire
Services Foundation is helping to raise the funds.
The total project costs are $435,000, with $371,000 pledged from
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
So far $32,000 has been raised, but the project needs to be
funded and under way by September before a U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers permit expires, triggering what could be a cumbersome new
permit process, said Kenly.
For more information or to make a donation online Google: Jenner
Community Club.