Richmond – After a long time of flooding, a chaos for the people within the Rollingwood district, a recently restored restoration of Rheem Creek promised to bring relief throughout the rainy season. The residents hope that the improvements will last.

Since the Fifties, Rheem Creek has acted as a very important drainage ditch for a community that was built on a flood level and a tidal sharpness. It drives about 3.4 miles through Richmond, San Pablo and the non -legal contra Costa County and empties about 2.8 square miles of water into the Bay of San Pablo.

Over time, sediment and debris began to accumulate, since overgrowns which have not overgrown plants the quantity of water that might flow through the canal reduced rather a lot, which led to water scattered in nearby districts for greater than 20 years.

The floods destroyed the fundamentals of homes and garages, damaged buildings and overall cars, said Sarah Puckett, program director for American Rivers, a company that focused on reducing the threats from rivers and water channels.

“There was no way to maintain the stream,” said Puckett. “The canal was so full of garbage, but also invasive vegetation. It was so thick that you couldn't put yourself back in order to maintain it. “

That was until that Rheem Creek Restoration projectenables California Natural Resources Agency and the cooperation between numerous agencies, including the city of Richmond, the Wildcat-San Pablo Creek Watershed Council, the Watershed Project and Urban Tildth.

About 900 cubic meters of dirt were pulled out of 1,200 linear foot of the stream, where it runs between the backyards of houses on the Richmond's Moyer Road and the Greenwood Drive in the district. More than 650 native plants were added to the area by the Watershed recovery crew by Urban Tildth. Garbage collection events took place. Informative posters have been installed that aim to educate the public about the long history of the area and the value of protection.

“In addition to the reduction of the flood risk, which is obviously of great importance for the residents, this project has contributed to reviving this narrow Creek ecosystem in a strongly urbanized area,” said Nathan Bickart, director of Watershed restoration programs by Urban Tild. “This stream will continue to need care and support, and we are happy to be part of the team and the community that make it happen.”

From the start of the project to the end of the building, Rheem Creek restored about three years. For the first time in years it was not flooded when the Schauer soaks the Bay Area this winter.

“When I saw this big excavator behind the house, I thought, Wow, that's great, it actually happens,” said Juan Perez, a resident of Rollingwood. “We are very grateful.”

Perez and his wife Laila Schepps have been raising their three little children on the Greenwood Drive for six years. The couple knew that there was a gorge behind their property when they bought them. What they didn't know was how easy water from the stream and through drainage trenches would flow and flood the surrounding area of ​​their house.

The couple had a small child with another and strived to invest in their new home. These dreams broke at the beginning of the first rainy season.

“We got this house with the idea that we would invest money in the removal and make it ours. The floods really changed, ”said Perez, a carpenter who was excited to quiet down locally by which he grew up.

Water basin surrounded her home and flooded her creeping room, which explained the form that that they had just left. Other parts of their property were damaged, one among their vehicles, and it was a small visit to make even a small visit through the cloudy water filled with garbage from the stream bed and the road.

Over the years, around 35,000 US dollars have been thrown onto the issue, adding recent drains, putting cement and temporary obstacles installed with the intention to try to stop as much damage as possible. This number doesn’t explain that the working days that were missed to remain at home and monitor flood conditions, or the early morning in order that they’ve lifted sandbags.

“To say the least, it was turbulent. It was pretty terrible, ”said Schepps and noticed that every one of this happened throughout the height of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Perez and Schepps determined to alter their lives and the broader neighborhood positively, turned to their local officials to ask for help. Each call led to jurisdiction that identified the finger on the opposite.

Perez and Schepps shared their miracles about those that have been living within the neighborhood for a long time, though they were a chronic problem. Many are tenants, immigrants, older or low -income earners who’re either too busy with their day by day life with the intention to repeatedly contact local civil servants to demand changes or are concerned about “rattling” theorized Perez.

Regardless of this, Perez and Schepps said that the neighborhood and others earn their homeland of predominantly under -provisioned communities from their local government.

“We think about the aspect of environmental justice. We think about why the neighborhood had to fight, ”said Schepps. “It is a bigger thing in neighborhoods with low incomes, quarter with low incomes and the services you receive or not even though you pay taxes.”

Puckett recognized the complicated questions of responsibility behind the administration of Rheem Creek. While many of the floods occur on the district, the stream bed falls into the property boundaries of the Richmond page, which maintains its responsibility.

Now that the difficult part is over, Puckett, Perez and Schepps said that they hope that the community will protect the harbor tirelessly.

“This kind of things take more when it comes to stepping out of our bubbles and life because it affects all of us and we will all get the problem to combat,” said Perez, and shared concerns that folks proceed to throw garbage illegally into the stream.

After years of the victim, Schepps and Perez should not sure that they may stay of their current home, but they now don’t have any problem to offer the following buyer. In the meantime, Schepps said that she has a vision that she has transformed her garden right into a secure place where her children can play.

Puckett said her organization observed more projects within the region and can proceed to tell the general public concerning the value and importance of the care of streams, streams and water meters in an environmentally conscious way, a very important practice, since extreme weather events increase attributable to climate change.

“This project is a model for how communities, cities, counties, residents and project partners can work together in order to increase resistance to climate change,” said Puckett. “We cannot prevent rain and we cannot prevent floods, but we can reduce the risks of the community through these atmospheric rivers.”

Originally published: March 8, 2025 at 6:15 a.m. PST

By THOMAS ADAMSON

PARIS (AP) — Five years after a devastating fire reduced Notre-Dame Cathedral to a smoldering shell, journalists got their first have a look at the fully restored interior of the Gothic masterpiece during a visit with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The transformation is nothing in need of breathtaking: light dances across radiant stone, gilded accents shine anew, and the majesty of the enduring monument is reborn. From December eighth, visitors can once more marvel on the cathedral's mixture of history and craftsmanship.

Here's a reporter's perspective:

Nave: sensible stone

The nave, once darkened by soot and rubble, now radiates a heavenly glow. Visitors can see the true color of the cathedral's partitions: a lightweight Lutetic limestone – named after the Roman word for Paris, Lutecia – that glows in the daylight streaming through restored stained glass windows. The newly discovered blonde tones accentuate the tall Gothic columns and ribbed vaults, making a brilliant and uplifting atmosphere. Restorers say it’s the primary time in centuries that the true stone has been exposed in this manner.

The polished checkerboard marble floor, which shines underfoot, is so smooth it seems like you possibly can glide across it – and communicates with the choir area's gilded gold lattice partition.

Glowing chandeliers hang majestically from each vaulted arch, stretching from west to east, casting a warm, golden light across all the nave.

The meticulous restoration process included cleansing over 42,000 square meters of stone – an area such as about six football fields – using modern latex scrubs to remove centuries-old dirt without causing damage. Restorers discovered masonry marks engraved by medieval builders – intimate traces of the craftsmen who designed Notre Dame within the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

This sensible transformation stands in stark contrast to the rubble of 2019, when the nave was suffering from charred rubble.

Altar: Lead melted into the hand of Christ

The altar within the cathedral's choir bears a poignant symbol of the fireplace's devastation. The Pietà by Nicolas Coustou, a part of the ensemble “Vœu de Louis” The restorers decided to preserve this as a subtle but powerful reminder of the tragedy.

The ornate inlaid floor surrounding the altar, long hidden beneath layers of dirt, was assembled from fragments salvaged after the fireplace.

Nearby, the polished Cross of Glory, which famously glowed – literally – amid the flames, now shines in its full glory. Framed by the radiant blonde masonry of the nave, the cross serves because the centerpiece of the cathedral's rebirth.

Organ: A Complex Revival

The large organ, which is certainly one of the biggest and most traditional in France, has undergone an in depth revival. Spared from the flames but covered in lead dust, the 8,000 pipes, which ranged in size from that of a pencil to over 10 meters (33 feet) tall, were fastidiously disassembled, cleaned and retuned. Over two years, this work was performed with precision within the quiet, cavernous interior of the cathedral, where harmonization was done entirely by ear.

Now the majesty of the organ is unmistakable. Its soaring picket casing, decorated with carvings by earlier craftsmen, shines in the daylight streaming through the restored clerestory windows. Even in silence it inspires awe.

Chapels: murals rediscovered

The 29 chapels surrounding the nave and choir burst with color and detail previously dulled by dirt and neglect. Restorers revealed intricate murals, gilded stars on the ceiling and vivid motifs originally created under the direction of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Each chapel tells a novel story through its design and themes.

A masterpiece is the Chapel of Saint Marcel, whose wall painting with the saint's relics has been vividly restored. The brilliant colours enchant visitors and create an effect comparable to the Sistine Chapel in Rome – a visible fireworks display. In other chapels, traces of paint samples from Nineteenth century painters hidden in niches provide insights into their artistic creative process.

Transept crossing: reconstruction under pressure

The transept crossing, where the unique tower collapsed, presented certainly one of the best challenges of the restoration. Above, soaring latest vaults of Lutetic limestone reproduce the medieval originals with remarkable precision.

Beneath the crossing, archaeologists uncovered a treasure trove of history: fragments of Notre Dame's medieval jubé, or choir cabinet, buried within the rubble. These intricately carved stones, a few of which still show faint traces of polychrome painting, offer a rare glimpse into the cathedral's vibrant decorative history from the thirteenth century.

Roof, spire and security measures

The newly restored roof looks skyward, where medieval woodworking techniques have been faithfully recreated. The intricate picket framework often known as “the forest” stays hidden beneath the roofline, but a glance into the rafters reveals the precision of each ancient and modern craftsmanship.

Outside, the tower rises 96 meters and is a faithful replica of Viollet-le-Duc's Nineteenth-century design. It is paneled in oak and lead and topped by a gilded rooster containing relics of St Denis, St Genevieve and a fraction of the Crown of Thorns, alongside a scroll listing contributors to the restoration.

The tower also honors the late General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who led the project until his death in 2023. His name is now engraved on the bottom.

There is more to this restoration than meets the attention. Notre Dame now has unprecedented, state-of-the-art fire protection systems to stop future disasters. Thermal imaging cameras monitor the roof and a high quality mist system designed to extinguish flames at their source is seamlessly integrated into the structure. Fire barriers divide the roof into sections, stopping flames from spreading.

Reinforced water supply lines can deliver 21,188 cubic feet of water per hour, ensuring the cathedral is healthier protected than ever before.

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For more on AP's coverage of Notre Dame, visit https://apnews.com/hub/notre-dame-cathedral

Originally published: November 29, 2024 at 8:56 am PST