January 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jeff Schwilk
Founder, San Diego Minutemen
760-525-1655

SDMM Notified Adopted Highway Being Revoked

The San Diego Minutemen were notified by email last night that the Caltrans Director in San Diego is trying to revoke our five year permit which was granted in November 2007 to clean a two mile stretch of I-5 in the statewide adopt a highway program. Caltrans also reportedly removed our courtesy sign at around 10pm last night.

The attached letter cites safety concerns as the reason for revoking our freeway, however when questioned by phone both last night and this morning, Mr. Delgado could not cite any specific incidents that would create a safety hazard at that site. Also, the local Carlsbad office has expressed no special concerns for our past and future litter events, including our next one scheduled for this weekend.

SDMM is frankly dumbfounded by this sudden concern for this stretch of highway which has been in the Caltrans Adopt a Highway Program for at least several years.

Our large, multi-ethnic group of grass roots volunteers has had excellent relations over the past two and a half years with all law enforcement including the Border Patrol and CHP. There is absolutely no reason to fear that our occasional litter removal details would be anything other than orderly, law-abiding and completely safe.