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November 5, 1998

 

Lights on for safety on 101

Old Navy and more at mall

Trustees back salary increase

 



Lights on for safety on 101

A national study shows that daytime use of headlights increases motorists visibility and reduces traffic accidents something that Caltrans is hoping will happen on U.S. Highway 101 between Arcata and Eureka.

Signs designating the stretch of highway as a "Daylight Headlight Section" were installed adjacent to the southbound lanes Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. The northbound signs will be put up, weather permitting, this weekend, said Caltrans Public Affairs Officer Debra Ginn.

This is the only section of highway in Humboldt County requiring drivers to use their headlights during the day, Ginn said. However, motorists are required to turn on their headlights on a small section of U.S. Highway 101 south of Crescent City.

The intent, in part, is to increase driver awareness of other vehicles particularly in times of fog and rain, Ginn said.



Old Navy and more at mall

Eureka's Bayshore Mall won't look quite the same this holiday season.

A slate of changes are in store for the regional shopping mecca including the planned opening of Old Navy, a division of The Gap clothing chain. The expansive shop, some 15,000 square feet, is scheduled to open Nov. 18, followed with a grand opening Dec. 5.

"It is the lower price line of The Gap clothing store," said Royal Nelsen, Bayshore Mall general manager.

In addition to adult and children's apparel, the store will stock footwear and accessories. Most Old Navy items are priced less than $25 and the majority are manufactured specifically for the chain. The stores provide grocery carts for shoppers' purchases.

The Old Navy chain, just 4 years old, has spread through 41 states with 240 outlets. The closest store is in Santa Rosa. The Gap corporation also operates The Gap, Gap Kids and Banana Republic.

Meanwhile, a Redwood Coast Cellular outlet will open Friday just off the central Food Court, Nelsen said. And plans are in the works to expand Walden Books. That expansion, however, won't be complete until after the first of the year.

Seasonal outlets are already setting up shop for the Christmas rush. Santa's Closet and San Francisco Music Box are up and running, with Hickory Farms and Arcata Pickle, among others, are preparing to open soon, Nelsen said.

Bayshore Mall, one of 129 malls owned by General Growth Properties of Chicago, has been doing very well for its stockholders. On average malls of a similar size nationally earn $176 per square foot in sales per year. Bayshore, which opened in 1987, tallies $240 per square foot in sales, Nelsen said.



Trustees back salary increase

The California State University Board of Trustees last week voted to request a 6 percent average pay raise for all faculty including those at Humboldt State University.

CSU faculty salaries currently range from $40,000 for newly hired assistant professors to $95,000 for full professors at the highest level.

The local chapter of the California Faculty Association, whose members had been working without a contract since July, were threatening to set up informational pickets during CSU Chancellor Charles Reed visit to the campus Monday.

The protest did not materialize. Reed met with the entire Academic Senate and later appeared in an open forum on campus.

"With the trustees' action, we are confident we can close the faculty salary gap," Reed said in a press release. "Combined with the 5 percent average raise offer this year, that will provide an average of 11 percent over the two-year period."

The faculty gap refers to a California Post Secondary Education Commission study accepted by both the CSU and the CFA.



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