Free Workshop on California High Speed Rail |

Citizens for California High Speed Rail Accountability (CCHSRA) will host a free educational and informational workshop concerning the proposed Fresno-Bakersfield section of the California High-Speed Rail at First Baptist Church of Hanford from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 25th. The church is located in Hanford, California.

This is the second Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) workshop the Kings County-based nonpartisan advocacy group has hosted. Last September’s event was held at Kit Carson School in Hanford which is in the proposed Eastern alignment. First Baptist Church of Hanford is in the proposed Western alignment. CCHSRA members include those who reside in the city and rural areas in both proposed routes.

Concerned individuals in Fresno, Kings, Kern and Tulare Counties are all welcome and encouraged to attend. The workshop will detail how the EIR/EIS process works along with providing the tools to provide effective comments to the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) both in-person and via mail.

Those in the Fresno/Bakersfield section’s proposed routes will have a chance to publicly testify before the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) along with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) at public hearings on Monday, August 27th in Bakersfield; Tuesday, August 28th in Hanford and Wednesday, August 29th in Fresno. Meanwhile, the postmarked deadline for sending in written comments to the CHSRA is still currently Thursday, September 20th, 2012.

CCHSRA Co-Chairman Aaron Fukuda encourages everyone to take advantage of the EIR/EIS workshop to provide his or her feedback and impacts. “This workshop provides a unique opportunity for everyone in the Fresno-Bakersfield alignment to participate, learn and be prepared,” he said. “It will be too late after September 20th.”

Citizens for California High-Speed Rail Accountability (CCHSRA) received the Kings County Farm Bureau’s President’s Award for 2012 this past June forthere work in advocating for local agriculture. The group has and continues to work with both agricultural and non-agricultural interests throughout the Central Valley and California.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. and is limited to 400 persons. If you would like to reserve a space, please RSVP. Interested parties can email their RSVP to cchsra@gmail.org.

Those attending should bring a writing tablet and pen, as attendees will be guided through the exercise of writing individual comments. Water and light refreshments will be provided.

First Baptist Church of Hanford is located at 9125 13 ½ Avenue. The cross streets are 13 ½ Avenue and Grangeville Boulevard.

For additional information about CCHSRA, please visit the website http://www.cchsra.org/

They’re also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-California-Residents-Against-High-Speed-Rail/229122757101563 and Twitter: http://twitter.com/cchsra