State’s Motorists Face a New Year with New Laws
Posted: 1/19/2012
SACRAMENTO REGION – As we begin a new year, California motorists should be aware of some of the new laws going into effect this past January 1, 2012. These new traffic laws were passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor earlier in 2011, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is asking the motoring public to familiarize themselves with the changes before they take effect.
“Our hope is by educating the public of these new traffic safety laws in advance, more lives will be saved in the new year,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
The following are highlights of a few of the significant changes for the upcoming year:
- A change to California’s Child Passenger Safety Seat law will now require children to ride in either a car seat or booster seat until the age of eight, or until they reach a height of 4 feet 9 inches. This law also requires children who do not meet the age or height requirement to ride in the rear seat of a vehicle unless the vehicle has no back seats, the restraint system cannot be properly installed or the rear seats are already occupied by children under age eight. However, the law still maintains that a child may not ride in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger airbag if they are under one year of age, less than 20 pounds, or riding in a rear-facing child safety seat. (SB 929, Evans)
- Drivers are required to stop and submit to a sobriety checkpoint. However, peace officers will be prohibited from impounding a vehicle for 30 days out of a sobriety checkpoint if the only offense by the driver is failing to hold a valid driver license. The new law requires that the officer make a reasonable attempt to identify the registered owner in order to release the ehicle. (AB 353, Cedillo)
- Anyone who is convicted of reckless driving under Section 23103.5 of the Vehicle Code can apply for a restricted driver license prior to the completion of their one-year suspension, provided they meet specified conditions, including the installation of an Ignition Interlock Device in their vehicle. (AB 520, Ammiano)
- Vehicles will be prohibited from crossing double parallel solid white lines except where permitted. (AB 1105, Gordon)
- Electric Vehicles (EV) must now be plugged in for refueling when occupying an EVdesignated parking space, otherwise they may be towed. In addition, the law prohibits a person from obstructing, blocking, or otherwise barring access to an EV-designated parking space. (AB 475, Butler)
- Local governments can now regulate advertising signs on any motor vehicle parked or left standing upon a public street, except for signs painted directly upon or permanently affixed to the vehicle for permanent decoration, identification, or display that do not extend beyond the overall length, width, or height of the vehicle. (AB 1298, Blumenfield)
- A law dealing with repeat driving under the influence (DUI) offenders that was passed in 2010 also goes into effect on January 1:
- Section 23579 was added to the Vehicle Code, which authorizes courts to revoke a driver’s license for 10 years if a person is convicted of three or more DUIs. Under this law enacted in 2010, a motorist may be allowed to apply for reinstatement of his or her driver’s license with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after five years, if the person installs an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) in their vehicle. The law allows the DMV to terminate this restricted license if the IID requirements are not met. (AB 1601,Hill)
The points above are only a synopsis of the new laws listed here and only a partial list of California’s new laws adopted for 2012. For complete information on chaptered bills enacted in 2011, please refer to the Legislative Counsel website at www.LegInfo.ca.gov.
Placer County Fair Names New GM
Posted: 1/4/2012
New Placer County Fair General Manager John Javidan. Placer County – John Javidan has accepted the General Manager position at the Placer County Fair Association and will coordinate, promote and manage the Placer County Fair and Events Center. He will also be working with the new Speedway manager Jeff Munro to help promote the All American Speedway.
Javidan will continue to coordinate and promote Roseville’s Downtown Tuesday Nights every Tuesday in May, June and July beginning on May 1, 2012 through Johny 5 Productions.
Javidan will also continue to coordinate BerryFest on Mothers Day Weekend May 12 and 13, 2012, though during his employment at PCF the event will be coordinated through the Placer County Fair and Events Center office in Roseville.
The Placer County Fair will be held from June 21st through the 24, 2012 in Roseville.
Mr. Javidan envisions a traditional Fair with all the agriculture and contests the fair has offered in the past. He plans on lowering the cost to vendors to bring a better shopping experience. The new vision includes booking all local entertainment and acts.
The Fair admission for this year will be $5 General Admission and $3 for children and seniors.
For more information see www.PlacerCountyFair.org.
California DUI Deaths Drop to Record Low
Posted: 12/28/2011
SACRAMENTO – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today that California’s DUI deaths reached their lowest level ever in 2010. This also signifies the largest single yearly drop of DUI deaths in the past 14 years. A record low of 791 persons were tragically killed in DUI crashes on California roadways last year, compared to 950 in 2009. DUI deaths in California increased yearly from 1998 to 2005, but have decreased every year since 2005.
“This marks a huge milestone in the fight against drunk driving,” said California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Director Christopher J. Murphy. “While we are elated by these figures, there were still 791 lives, futures, and dreams that will never be fully realized. We cannot back off from our ultimate goal – toward zero deaths.” The Office of Traffic Safety credits the record number of DUI checkpoints conducted in 2010 as partly responsible for the sharp reduction in DUI deaths. OTS allocated $16.8 million in federal funds to law enforcement agencies to conduct 2,553 DUI checkpoints in 2010, up from the $11.7 million allocated to 1,740 checkpoints in 2009.
According to NHTSA, checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent. In addition, 88 percent of Californians surveyed report they support the use of checkpoints. Other contributing factors include countywide Avoid DUI Task Force operations that saw the California Highway Patrol (CHP) team up with police departments across the state to arrest impaired drivers, the widespread recognition of the “Report Drunk Drivers Call 911” message promoted by CALTRANS through their changeable message signs, the many action items addressing DUI developed and implemented by state departments such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and local agencies through the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, the successful programs aimed at keeping alcohol from minors implemented by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), and the great work done by advocate and educational organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at U.C. Berkeley, and RADD – the entertainment industry’s voice for road safety.
“Preventing these tragedies remains our top priority,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “By combining DUI enforcement efforts of the entire law enforcement community, with the support and dedication of our traffic safety partners and the motoring public, we will continue to make strides toward reducing DUI fatalities.” The announcement comes just days before the December 16 start of California’s December DUI Crackdown and NHTSA’s nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
The increased enforcement campaign ends January 2. Statewide 2010 DUI arrest numbers have been consistent with the past five years and higher than any year between 1997-2005. “California has taken a comprehensive approach to reducing drunk driving including aggressive use of sobriety checkpoints” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “We commend California for its commitment to highway safety and efforts by its law enforcement officers to keep drunk drivers off the roads.” “The people of California are to be congratulated along with all those who actively worked to avoid these tragedies,” said Murphy. “They see that not only is drunk and drugged driving a serious crime affecting the lives of so many, it is now seen as a socially unacceptable behavior for everyone.”
Six Year-End Tips to Reduce 2011 Taxes
Posted: 12/28/2011
The Internal Revenue Service today reminded northern and central Californians that there is still time to take action to lower 2011 federal taxes.
“In order to claim certain benefits on your 2011 taxes, you need to take action no later than Dec. 31,” said IRS spokesman David Tucker. “Taking steps now could save you money when you file your taxes next year.”
Here are six steps that you can take before the year ends to save on your 2011 taxes:
Make Charitable Contributions – Donations must be made to qualified charities no later than Dec. 31 to be deductible for 2011. Taxpayers must have a canceled check, a bank or credit union statement, a credit card statement or a written statement from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Donations charged to a credit card by Dec. 31 are deductible for 2011 even if the bill isn’t paid until 2012. Clothing and household items donated to charity must be in good used condition or better to be deductible.
Install Energy-Efficient Home Improvements – Homeowners still have time this year to make energy-saving and green-energy home improvements and qualify for either of two home energy credits. Installing energy efficient improvements such as insulation, new windows and water heaters can provide up to $500 in tax savings. Homeowners going green should also check out the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit, designed to spur investment in alternative energy equipment. For details see Special Edition Tax Tip 2011-08.
Contribute the Maximum to Retirement Accounts – Elective deferrals to employer-sponsored 401(k) plans or similar workplace retirement programs, such as a 403(b) plan for employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations, a governmental 457 plan for state or local government employees, and the Thrift Savings Plan for federal employees, must be made by Dec. 31. However, taxpayers have until April 17, 2012, to set up a new IRA or add money to an existing IRA and still have it count for 2011. A taxpayer normally can contribute up to $5,000 to a traditional or Roth IRA, and up to $6,000 if age 50 or over.
Consider a Portfolio Adjustment – Check investments for gains and losses and make sales by Dec. 31. Taxpayers may normally deduct capital losses up to the amount of capital gains, plus $3,000 from other income. Net capital losses that are more than $3,000 can be carried forward and deducted in future years.
Make a Qualified IRA Charitable Distribution – The qualified charitable distribution allows individuals age 70½ or over to exclude up to $100,000 from gross income that is paid directly from their individual retirement accounts to a qualified charity. The excluded amount can be used to satisfy any required minimum distributions that the individual must otherwise receive from their IRAs in 2011.
Don’t Overlook the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit – Small employers that pay at least half of employee health insurance premiums may qualify for a tax credit of up to 35 percent of the premiums paid. An employer with fewer than 25 full-time employees that pays an average wage of less than $50,000 a year may qualify. For more information see the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit page on IRS.gov.
A Thousand Paws of Light
Posted: 12/22/2011
Roseville – At the Placer SPCA, staff and volunteers are gearing up to find homes for 300 animals this month, a record for the organization for the month of December. Roseville – At the Placer SPCA, staff and volunteers are gearing up to find homes for 300 animals this month, a record for the organization for the month of December.
“In December 2010, we adopted 275 animals, meaning 1,100 paws crossed the threshold,” said Placer SPCA CEO Leilani Vierra. “This year we would like to see 1,200 paws walk out of our center on their way to permanent homes in time for the holidays.”In an effort to encourage adopters, the adoption fee is waived for all cats over four months of age.
For dogs, the adoption fee is reduced by $10 for every year of the animal’s age. “We hope this may make someone take a closer look at dogs like Lani, who is eight years old. A lucky adopter will receive $80 off her regular adoption price of $125 and bring home a fabulous companion for the holidays.” All adoptions from the Placer SPCA include spay or neuter surgery, microchip, vaccinations, and a voucher for a free veterinary exam. Special adoption pricing is in effect at the Placer SPCA at 150 Corporation Yard Road in Roseville, and also at the Auburn location, at 1482 Grass Valley Highway, Auburn. For more information, please contact the Placer SPCA, your local companion animal welfare experts, at (916) 782-7722 or (530) 885-7387, visit www.placerspca.org, or email customercare@placerspca.org.
Local Animal Welfare and Sheltering Organizations Join Forces
Our Animals Need a Home for the Holidays!
Posted: 12/8/2011
Placer County – During the month of December, animal rescue and sheltering organizations from throughout Placer County will work tirelessly toward finding permanent loving homes for the animals in their care.
Placer SPCA, Placer County Animal Services, Friends of Placer County Animal Shelters, Angels Rescuing Kritters, A New Hope Animal Foundation, Humane Society of the Sierra Foothills, Auburn Area Animal Rescue Foundation, and Field Haven Feline Rescue will offer adoption fee rebates for specially selected adult cats and while funding is available. This is possible thanks in part to a grant from the Placer County Animal Trust Fund.
“We have many wonderful animals available for adoption and our collective wish is they all have a home for the holidays,” states Placer SPCA CEO Leilani Vierra on behalf of these groups. These Placer County organizations know that acquiring the right pet can be an uplifting and magical experience and encourage residents to make a difference in the life of a homeless animal right here in their own community.
Vierra adds, “Certainly, there are some folks who aren’t in a position to adopt but there are other ways to support the efforts of these local groups, consider donating, volunteering or temporarily fostering an animal.”For questions about Rebates for Rescues, please contact (916) 782-7722, ext. 106, (530) 885-7387, ext. 106, or administration@placerspca.org.
Pancake Lovers Stack Funds for ‘The Soldiers Project’
TSP to Provide Confidential Mental Health Treatment to Soldiers, Families in Sacto Area
By Becci Angell
Posted: 11/6/2011
A color guard from the California National Guard’s 115th Regional Support Group in Roseville prepares to raise the American flag on a new pole that was dedicated prior to the pancake breakfast. The flag was first flown over the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 1. Photos courtesy Becci Angell Placer County – The humble, unassuming pancake can be a mighty catalyst for change when it becomes part of a fundraiser, as it did Oct. 8 at St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church.
A pancake breakfast spearheaded by volunteers from the Roseville church generated more than $1,100 for The Soldiers Project-Sacramento, which provides free, confidential psychological treatment for active-duty military and veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as their family members and loved ones.
An additional $1,000 came from ConocoPhillips as part of its volunteer grant program, made possible by Mike Dindio, a church member who recently retired from the energy corporation. Dindio acted as volunteer chair for the pancake breakfast.
Carolyn Fink, left, clinical director and outreach coordinator for The Soldiers Project-Sacramento, and Becca Bettis, program coordinator, present Mike Dindio with a certificate of appreciation at the pancake breakfast Oct. 8. Dindio chaired the event which brought in more than $1,100 for TSP.
“We just can’t say enough about Mike and the church’s efforts to help The Soldiers Project,” said Carolyn Fink, clinical director and outreach coordinator for the Sacramento office of TSP. “It was the first time any community organization approached us and offered to put on a benefit event for The Soldiers Project.”
Fink, who presented Dindio with a certificate of appreciation at the breakfast, said the money would go toward publicizing TSP and its need for additional volunteer therapists. “More than 30,000 discharged veterans are coming home to California every year and at least one-third is estimated to be suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
“The need for mental health services among this population is literally exploding,” she said.
In addition to St. Anna’s church, other local organizations that made donations to the pancake breakfast included: Brookfields Restaurant, Carlson Insurance Agency, Costco (Roseville, Folsom and Citrus Heights), Denny’s-Roseville, Home Depot-Roseville, Lowe’s-Roseville, Mikuni Restaurant, Nugget Market-Roseville, Raley’s-Roseville, Safeway-Roseville, Sam’s Club, Starbucks-Roseville and Walmart.
The California National Guard’s 115th Regional Support Group in Roseville sent a color guard to help dedicate the church’s new flagpole and Chaplain James Collins, who serves with the unit, gave the dedication. The Rev. Dr. Christopher Flesoras, who is St. Anna’s pastor and also a chaplain with the California Military Reserve, also spoke during the ceremony.
For more information about The Soldiers Project-Sacramento and its programs, call 877-557-5888 or e-mail Sacramento@TheSoldiersProject.org.
Placer County Gets Grant to Fight Underage Drinking
Posted: 11/6/2011
Placer County – The Placer County Sheriff’s Office now has more resources in the fight against underage drinking and alcohol sales to minors, thanks to a grant from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
This growing problem was made apparent during a recent Sheriff’s Office decoy operation in the Lake Tahoe area, where 40 percent of the businesses visited by decoys sold alcohol to them.
The $40,000 grant will assist in providing awareness and training in alcohol-related crimes and their impact on schools, parents and students countywide. Anyone who sells or furnishes alcohol to a minor faces a fine of $250 and up to 24 hours of community service. If it is a business, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control can take administrative action on the business’ alcoholic beverage license, impose a fine on the business or both.
During the recent minor decoy operation, underage decoys were sent into 15 businesses to see if any of them would be sold alcohol. As a result, employees at Tahoe City Shell, Tahoe City Chevron, Lake View Wine and Spirits in Tahoe City, Lanza’s Restaurant in Tahoe Vista, Sandy’s Pub in Squaw Valley and The Slot Club in Squaw Valley received citations for selling alcohol to a minor. The Sheriff’s Office will aggressively continue these types of enforcement projects in the future.
The Sheriff’s Office will be offering Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs, or LEAD, classes throughout the year for retail licensees, their employees and applicants. The classes are a free, voluntary prevention and education program. Anyone interested in participating in the classes and can call (530) 308-1552 or e-mail lbettenc@placer.ca.gov.
Commercial Thinning on Foresthill Divide Road
Posted: 10/5/2011
Placer County - The American River Ranger District will conduct thinning and fuels reduction on approximately 700 acres in the Sugar Pine area this fall. In order to ensure public safety, temporary closures or re-routes on some roads and trails may be necessary. Closures and re-routes will only occur in treatment areas that are actively being worked. Regularly updated public notices will be posted at the Sugar Pine, Parker Flat, and China Wall Staging Areas if OHV traffic will be affected. Signs will be posted at access points of the affected trail sections while work is in progress. Road traffic signs will also be placed where work is actively occurring.
Forest users may be affected by increased logging traffic on Sugar Pine Road (FS 10), Foresthill Divide Road (Placer County 88 road), and spur roads in the area. While traveling or recreating in these areas, please stay alert for signs warning of the activity, turn on headlights, reduce speed, and watch for personnel and logging trucks.
For more information contact the American River Ranger District at (530) 367-2224 or view the Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/. Updates will be posted on the ARRD District office recreation recording at the phone number listed above.
Pacific Avenue Pipeline Project Set for October Completion
Posted: 10/5/2011
Auburn -- The difficult Pacific Avenue Pipeline Project is back on track and scheduled for completion by late October, the Placer County Water Agency reported on Monday, September 26th.
The pipeline work was delayed by wet weather last winter and then slowed this summer when underground rock formations proved more difficult than expected. To avoid extensive rock excavation, the pipeline alignment was adjusted, resulting in further delays during the manufacture of additional sections of 54-inch pipeline.
PCWA project engineer Ken Powers said Thursday that project contractor, Marques Pipeline, Inc., of Sacramento is remobilizing at the job site and that pipe installation is expected to commence this week (Sept. 26).
Pipeline installation work is planned to continue through mid-October. Road restoration along Meadowlark Court, Pacific and Sacramento streets will be the last major item of work before the project is complete.
Traffic controls will continue in the project area. Some road closures and detours will be needed and are being posted on local neighborhood message boards.
The large pipeline project replaces a section of PCWA’s Boardman Canal that runs through an old pipe beneath the adjacent Pacific Heights Apartment complex. The canal is a key PCWA conveyance facility, carrying water to and through wide areas of central and western Placer County.
The old pipe was installed many years ago by a developer who wanted to make full use of the property. It does not lie directly beneath any of the apartment buildings but runs through the complex and is failing and inaccessible for maintenance purposes.
“This has been a lengthy and difficult project for the neighborhood, our contractor, and the water agency,” said Powers. “We apologize for the delays and inconvenience and thank everyone for their patience and support.”
Questions about the work should be directed to Ken Powers in the PCWA Engineering Dept. at (530) 823-4950. The water agency will continue to post weekly project updates every Friday on its website at www.pcwa.net.
Commercial Thinning on Foresthill Divide Road
Posted: 10/5/2011
Placer County - The American River Ranger District will conduct thinning and fuels reduction on approximately 700 acres in the Sugar Pine area this fall. In order to ensure public safety, temporary closures or re-routes on some roads and trails may be necessary. Closures and re-routes will only occur in treatment areas that are actively being worked. Regularly updated public notices will be posted at the Sugar Pine, Parker Flat, and China Wall Staging Areas if OHV traffic will be affected. Signs will be posted at access points of the affected trail sections while work is in progress. Road traffic signs will also be placed where work is actively occurring.
Forest users may be affected by increased logging traffic on Sugar Pine Road (FS 10), Foresthill Divide Road (Placer County 88 road), and spur roads in the area. While traveling or recreating in these areas, please stay alert for signs warning of the activity, turn on headlights, reduce speed, and watch for personnel and logging trucks.
For more information contact the American River Ranger District at (530) 367-2224 or view the Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/. Updates will be posted on the ARRD District office recreation recording at the phone number listed above.
Sierra Nevada Conservancy Announces $5 Million Available for “Healthy Forests” Projects
Posted: 10/5/2011
Auburn – The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) has announced it has opened the solicitation period for its $5 million “Healthy Forests” grant program. Applicants have until October 21, 2011 to submit their pre-application documents. All projects must be designed to benefit Sierra Nevada forests and associated meadows, either by reducing the risk and impacts of large, damaging fires or by preserving or restoring ecosystem function.
All application materials and the grant guidelines, which were recently approved by the SNC governing board, are posted on the SNC Web site. Public agencies, eligible non-profit (501(c)(3) organizations whose charitable purposes are consistent with the mission of the Conservancy, and federally recognized tribes are encouraged to review the guidelines and apply. After an initial review period, applicants with viable projects will be issued an invitation to submit a full application.
Funding for these projects is provided through Proposition 84, the Safe Drinking Water Bond Act, passed by voters in 2006. In its first five years, the SNC, which receives no general fund tax dollars, has authorized approximately $40 million in Prop. 84 grants for more than 220 projects throughout the Sierra Nevada region. These projects include fuels reduction, conservation easements and acquisitions, and watershed and habitat restoration.
The SNC governing board is scheduled to take action on this round of grant awards at its regularly scheduled meeting in June, 2012. The SNC has approximately $10 million remaining from its original Prop. 84 allocation. These remaining funds will be evenly allocated over the current and next fiscal years, with a specific focus area assigned for each year.
The focus area for fiscal year 2012-13 funds will be for projects on ranching and agricultural lands. Guidelines and criteria for these project types will be issued in 2012.
Created in 2004, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy is a state agency whose mission is to improve the environmental, economic, and social well-being of the Sierra Nevada region.
The SNC Governing Board meets quarterly around the Sierra Nevada region, which spans 25 million acres, encompasses all or part of 22 counties and stretches from the Oregon border on the north to southeast of Bakersfield.
Firehouse Renovation Celebration Embraces The Spirit of Amanda Barnes
By Reene Abbott
Posted: 8/9/2011
During her recovery time in the hospital, Amanda Barnes gets a welcome visit from her 5-year-old niece Alexia. Auburn – Old Town Auburn’s historic Firehouse #2 has been renovated and is being considered for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. August 5th was the date of the meeting of the State Historical Resources Commission to determine the nomination of this oft-photographed building, but the important date to remember is August 15th. The re-dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for that date has been expanded to include a street party, dance, barbecue and fundraiser for Amanda Barnes, the young Auburn woman paralyzed by a hit-and-run driver July 12th in Emeryville, California.
The free festivities in Old Town Auburn will begin at 7pm, and the 49er Lions Club is manning the barbecue, providing hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings, and have generously agreed to give back a portion of their proceeds to the fundraiser. The Sugar Plump Fairies and Linda Robinson of Sun River Clothing will host the fundraiser along with Jackie Weston of Auburn Printers & Integrated Marketing, who has gathered generous donations for a raffle and silent auction from the community.
The extraordinary spirit and determination of Placer High graduate Amanda Barnes has been an inspiration to those caring for her at Highland General Hospital in Oakland. She was quoted in an interview, saying, “I have a ton of cards and flowers. I’m glad they’re in my hospital room and not on my grave. I definitely feel blessed.”
The Barnes family and Auburn Mayor Dr. Bill Kirby have established the Amanda Barnes Reward Fund at Community 1st Bank, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver causing the accident. When the initial goal of $5,000 is reached, any additional donations will be used to aid Barnes’ recovery. There has also been a second “fund” set up with all proceeds from this event going directly to Amanda.
For further information about this important event, call organizer and President of the Old Town Business Association, Linda Robinson at 888-1585 or Jackie Weston at 885-9674, or check www.oldtownauburnca.com.
DWR Announces Results of Final Snow Survey of 2010-2011Season
Posted: 5/4/2011
SACRAMENTO – Manual and electronic readings today show that California’s near-record snowpack is slowly melting with warming spring weather.
But snowpack water content is still 144 percent of the April 1 full season average.
Today's readings will help hydrologists forecast spring and summer snowmelt runoff into rivers and reservoirs. The melting snow supplies approximately one-third of the water used by Californians.
“All indications are that we’re moving toward summer with a good water supply for our farms and cities,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “We must be aware, however, that California can quickly turn from wet to dry, and we can’t afford to forget the lessons of conservation that we learned in the 2007-2009 drought.”
Snowpack water content is measured manually on or near the first of the month from January to May, and in real-time by electronic sensors.
Electronic readings indicate that water content in the northern mountains is 159percent of the April 1 seasonal average. Electronic readings for the central Sierra show 144 percent of the April 1 average. The number for the southern Sierra is 127 percent. The statewide number is 144 percent.
The first of April is normally wnen snowpack water content is at its peak.
California's reservoirs are fed both by rain and snowpack runoff.
A majority of the state's major reservoirs are above normal storage levels for the date. Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project's principal reservoir, is 112 percent of average for the date (93 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity) Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project's largest reservoir with a capacity of 4.5 million acre-feet, is at 108 percent of average (94 percent of capacity).
DWR estimates it will be able to deliver 80 percent of requested State Water Project (SWP) water this year.
In 2010, the SWP delivered 50 percent of a requested 4,172,126 acre-feet, up from a record-low initial projection of 5 percent due to lingering effects of the 2007-2009 drought. Deliveries were 60 percent of requests in 2007, 35 percent in 2008, and 40 percent in 2009.
The last 100 percent allocation -- difficult to achieve even in wet years due to pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish -- was in 2006.
The SWP delivers water to more than 25 million Californians and nearly one million acres of irrigated farmland.
Statewide snowpack readings from electronic sensors are available on the Internet at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/DLYSWEQ
Historic readings from snowpack sensors are posted at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/rpts1/DLYSWEQ
Electronic reservoir level readings may be found at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action
The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning,and plans for future statewide water needs.
Contact the DWR Public Affairs Office for more information about DWR's water activities.
Congressman Denham Responds To CA Gov. Brown Cancelling Plans to Build New $356 Million Condemned Inmate Housing Facility at San Quentin
Posted: 4/28/2011
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jeff Denham (CA-19), today released the following statement in response to California Governor Jerry Brown’s announcement that he is canceling plans to build a new $365 million housing facility for condemned inmates at San Quentin.
"San Quentin Prison is a prime example of how resources have been mismanaged and millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted for numerous years. In the State Senate, I pushed to relocate death row inmates and allow for the land where San Quentin State Prison currently resides to be sold. I am glad to see that Governor Brown has made the right choice to save millions of taxpayer dollars instead of wasting money to expand upon the prison.” – Congressman Jeff Denham
As a former State Senator, Congressman Jeff Denham, has seen first-hand the costs that poor management of public buildings has on a budget. The waste is significant. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, Denham is working to identify unused properties that could be sold to reduce the debt.
Congressman Denham is working on legislation to create a bipartisan civilian BRAC commission to reduce our federal footprint and save taxpayers billions of dollars. The independent process for identifying consolidation, realignment and disposal opportunities for federal agencies would take politics out of the process and identify real savings for taxpayers.
Governor Brown Cancels Plan to Build New $356 Million Condemned Inmate Housing Facility at San Quentin
Posted: 4/28/2011
SACRAMENTO – Acting to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today canceled plans to build new housing for condemned inmates at San Quentin.
“At a time when children, the disabled and seniors face painful cuts to essential programs, the State of California cannot justify a massive expenditure of public dollars for the worst criminals in our state,” said Brown. “California will have to find another way to address the housing needs of condemned inmates. It would be unconscionable to earmark $356 million for a new and improved death row while making severe cuts to education and programs that serve the most vulnerable among us.”
Planning for a new condemned inmate housing facility at San Quentin was initiated in 2003, during the administration of Governor Gray Davis, and was continued by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration. The project was designed to house 1,152 inmates and provide for future growth of California’s condemned population. California currently has fewer than 700 inmates awaiting death sentences.
This project would have added another $356 million to the state’s debt, at an annual cost of $28.5 million in debt service that would have come out of General Fund dollars.
NID Board Updated on PG&E Canal Repair Plans
Posted: 4/28/2011
GRASS VALLEY - Directors of the Nevada Irrigation District on Wednesday (Apr. 27) received an update on the Apr. 19 failure of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Bear River Canal that has limited water flows to NID irrigation water customers in Placer County.
NID General Manager Ron Nelson said the incident is affecting deliveries of raw water to about 800 Placer County customers and that as the weather warms and demand for water increases, customers may see only 30-40 percent of the water they have ordered.
He said the district may employ rotating canal outages to keep some water flowing to customers until a temporary bypass and permanent repairs are made. He said the district will use direct mail to notify affected customers and will post information on its website at www.nidwater.com.
Nelson emphasized that no Nevada County customers would be affected and no impacts are expected for NID’s treated water users in Placer County. He urged all NID water users in Placer County to use water efficiently during the water supply shortage.
Attending the meeting was Bill Williams, PG&E’s regional generation superintendent, who said his company is a water supply partner with NID and the neighboring Placer County Water Agency, which is also impacted, and that PG&E has made the repair a top priority. “We understand the urgency. We’re moving as fast as we can,” Williams said.
The incident occurred at 1:20 a.m. on Apr. 19 when the earthen berm beneath the canal gave way and slid down a steep canyon wall above the Bear River, about a mile below Rollins Reservoir. The canal is a major supply artery for Placer County and was carrying about 400 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) when the break occurred.
Williams told the NID board that crews are still working to stabilize the site and make it safe for repair work. “It’s very unstable at both ends of the slide,” he said.
Site access and survey work are under way and test drilling should begin next week, he said. Studies are under way on a method of temporary bypass that might be used while temporary repairs are made.
Williams said the permanent fix could involve re-routing the canal back into the hillside, which may involve considerable rock excavation. In any case, he said, a permanent repair would probably not be completed until sometime this summer.
“We expect to know our options for a permanent fix by about mid-May,” he said.
Williams said “every option” for the temporary bypass is under study and that he hopes to have a plan in place within the next few weeks.
Nelson told the board that he has been pleased and impressed by PG&E’s response and commitment to a rapid solution. “PG&E has been very sensitive to the needs of the district,” Nelson said.
Entry Fees Waived for Placer County Fair Exhibitors
Posted: 4/28/2011
Whether your talent is hand-stitched quilts, plump produce, or digital photography that captures your world, there is a category for competition in the Placer County Fair. Exhibitor Handbooks are now available on-line at www.PlacerCountyFair.org, where you will also be able to submit your entry forms. There will be no fees for entering the still exhibits competition this year.
Entering your projects in the County Fair for the chance of earning a blue ribbon is an American tradition. In the early years, the men brought their animals for boasting and sales, while their wives competed with baking, preserves and sewing skills. Today both men and women enter all categories. Children are encouraged to enter also with classes designed just for them such as Lego creations, or classroom projects.
The Fair is “Goin’ Hollywood” this year so watch for categories featuring this theme and for the first time artists and photographers will have the option of selling their piece during the Fair.
Entry Forms and fees for most categories must be received by the Entry Office before 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 27, 2011. Exceptions are noted in the handbook. Submitting entry forms in advance allows building superintendents to plan for the exhibit space required. Most actual entries are not due until just prior to the Fair.
A judging and arrival schedule is also included in the handbook for both livestock and still exhibits.
The Placer County Fair is “Goin’ Hollywood” June 23-26 at the fairgrounds in Roseville. Admission is free until 3:00 pm this year. For more information about the Fair or to view the Exhibitor Handbook visit www.PlacerCountyFair.org.
NID Water Project Aids Fish Migration
Posted: 4/28/2011
GRASS VALLEY - A fish passage project that will allow fall run Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Trout to migrate farther upstream on Auburn Ravine Creek was approved Wednesday (Apr. 27) by the Nevada Irrigation District Board of Directors.
The project, planned for late summer, will be located below NID’s Auburn Ravine water measurement station, west of Highway 65 in the City of Lincoln. NID uses the station to measure flows to Lincoln, the Placer County Water Agency and South Sutter Water District.
NID Maintenance Manager John Kirk said the work will restore a 200-foot stretch of Auburn Ravine that is eroded and overgrown. The creek banks will be tapered back and transitional pools will be built into the creek bed. Gentle one- and two-foot steps will ease the upstream transition to the station’s existing eight-foot barrier.
Carrie Monohan, Ph.D., NID’s consulting scientist on the project, said the project will open more than a mile of suitable upstream habitat to migrating fish.
Believed to be the first of its kind in the area, the project is a collaborative effort of Placer County, CALFED, the Bella Vista Foundation, Granite Bay Flycasters and NID. NID is the lead agency and will contribute up to $250,000 to the project.
“Watershed protection is an important part of the district’s mission and we want to do our part to make sure we have clean and healthy watersheds,” said NID General Manager Ron Nelson. The work will be funded through the district’s designated watershed improvement fund, he noted.
The district is already looking into a second project that would modify its upstream Hemphill Diversion Dam to allow fish passage through an additional seven-mile stretch of Auburn Ravine.
As part of their consideration, NID Directors approved environmental studies and a mitigation and monitoring program for the fish passage project, which is located in a City of Lincoln greenway near a residential area.
Directors expressed enthusiasm for the project and wondered how successful it might turn out to be. A committee review was scheduled for this time next year to see how the fish passage is working.
Placer County Youth Commission Applications Released
Posted: 4/26/2011
Do you feel like adults make decisions without asking your opinion? Do you have something you want to say? Do you want to create positive change? Are you and your friends looking for a fun and exciting way to get involved in the community? If you answered yes, the Placer County Youth Commission is looking for you!
The Youth Commission is an Advisory Board to the Placer County Board of Supervisors. The Commission also works with others in the community to create change and make Placer County the best possible place for youth.
The Commission aims to represent a wide diversity of youth – so we hope you apply!!!
Applications can be found at http://ucanr.org/pcyc/apply. Applications are due May 20, 2011
For more information visit http://ucanr.org/pcyc or contact us at placercoyouthcommission@gmail.com or (530) 889-7386.
Spring Into Safety
By Sheriff Edward N. Bonner
Posted: 4/26/2011
Law enforcement and fire agencies in the Foresthill community are keeping the “public” in public service by hosting “Spring Into Safety” next Thursday, April 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Foresthill Veteran’s Memorial Hall.
Information on “pharm” (pharmaceutical) parties for teens, cell phones and 9-1-1, defensible space, fuelwood season, Foresthill traffic issues, and an explanation of the new Motor Use Vehicle maps will be provided.
Representatives from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Foresthill and Iowa Hill Fire Protection Districts, California Highway Patrol, US Forest Service, and California Department of Fish and Game will be conducting presentations and providing a variety of safety literature for reference.
Rescue vehicles and special equipment will be on display outside of the Memorial Hall beginning at 6:00 p.m. Child care for kids over the age of five will be available on-site, by prior appointment only. Each family in attendance will receive a prize ticket entering them in a free drawing to win a ride in a sheriff or fire vehicle and to be taken out for dessert with a public safety representative. Light refreshments will also be provided.
For more information, and child care reservations, please call Community Services Officer Amanda Rogers at (530) 889-6922
State Water Project Allocation Increased to 80 Percent
Posted: 4/20/2011
SACRAMENTO -- The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today , April 20th, increased the 2011 State Water Project (SWP) water allocation to 80 percent of contractors’ requests, up 30 percent from last year’s final allocation.
“This is very good news,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “Near-record precipitation and water content in our mountain snowpack have given us a good supply year. We should not forget, however, that this state can slip back toward drought conditions any given year and conservation needs to be a lifelong habit.”
This year’s allocation is 3,337,701 acre-feet. In 2010, the State Water Project delivered 2.086,000 acre-feet, 50 percent of a requested 4,172,126 acre-feet, up from a record-low initial projection of 5 percent due to lingering effects of the 2007-2009 drought.
Many local agencies are taking steps to improve their ability to store water during wet periods. This year serves as an example of how enhanced local groundwater and surface water storage could allow for additional deliveries during short term high flow conditions and thereby improve local water supply reliability.
Precipitation to date is over 116 percent of average for the water year (October 1-September 30). Runoff into streams and reservoirs is 165 percent of average.
Statewide, snowpack water content is 167 percent of average for the date and 152 percent of the average, April 1 seasonal total. Most of California’s major reservoirs are above average levels for the date despite making flood control releases to make room for inflow from melting snow this spring and summer.
Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project's principal reservoir with a capacity of 3.5 million acre-feet, is at 109 percent of normal storage for the date. It currently is holding 3,126,941 acre-feet, 88 percent of its capacity. Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project's largest reservoir with a capacity of 4.5 million acre feet, is at 103 percent of normal storage for the date, also at 88 percent of its capacity.
The State Water Project delivers water to more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of farmland.
Projections of SWP deliveries are adjusted through the winter and early spring as hydrologic conditions develop. DWR is conservative in its projections since farmers and others can suffer if expected amounts cannot be delivered.
DWR's first estimate for 2011 was that it would be able to deliver 25 percent of requests.
SWP deliveries were 60 percent of requests in 2007, 35 percent in 2008, and 40 percent in 2009.
The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.
The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Contact the DWR Public Affairs Office for more information about DWR's water activities.
Community 1st Bank Names New VP of Business
Posted: 4/20/2011
Gretchen Eischen, the new Vice President/ Business Development Officer for Community 1st Bank. Auburn – Gretchen Eischen has been named Vice President/ Business Development Officer for Community 1st Bank. She will develop and manage consumer and business relationships.
Eischen has more than three decades of experience as a specialist in business banking and is highly respected in the industry throughout the Sacramento region and Placer County.
Community 1st Bank has branches in downtown Auburn, 649 Lincoln Way, and in Roseville at 2250 Douglas Boulevard.
“I’m extremely excited about joining the team at Community 1st Bank,” Eischen said. “Top to bottom, the Bank has a very high level of experienced people. Our management team is exceptional in all areas – lending, business development, and personal banking. We have a very strong culture and a real commitment to our clients and the communities we serve.”
As a Business Development Officer, Eischen will use her knowledge, experience and business acumen to find the appropriate products and solutions that are the “right fit” for a company’s needs. She says one of her biggest roles is being an “advocate for the client.”
Eischen has considerable experience as a Vice President/ Business Development Officer. She held that same position for the previous five years with North Valley Bank in Roseville and from 2001-2006 at Calnet Business Bank in Sacramento.
“Community 1st Bank takes great pride in developing and managing consumer and business relationships. We’re elated to have Gretchen, with her depth of experience and knowledge, on our team,” said Mark A. Lund, Community 1st Bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “She is the ideal person for this position.”
For much of her 31 years in the industry, Eischen has worked at community banks. She enjoys the deep commitment a community bank can provide its customers, the personal level of service that is offered, and being able to share in the success of the businesses she represents.
Eischen also has a deep commitment to community service. She has been a longtime volunteer for the St. John’s Shelter for Women in Sacramento and a member of the Rotary Club of Sacramento. Eischen is also a member of the Roseville Chamber of Commerce and is currently enrolled in the chamber’s Leadership Roseville program.
For more information on Community 1st Bank, visit www.community1bank.com or call its Auburn downtown branch at 530-863-4800 or its Roseville location at 916-724-2424.
County Sheriff Honors Dispatchers
From the Office of Sheriff Edward N. Bonner
Posted: 4/20/2011
 Kelley Rogers
Placer County – Two Placer County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers were given top honors by their peers in recognition of National Telecommunicators Week, celebrated this year from April 10 to April 16.
Rachelle Youngman was selected as 2011’s dispatcher of the year for the second year running. Nominations for the honor were solicited department-wide. Rachelle has been a dispatcher with Placer County since 2007.
Kelley Rogers was selected by her peers as shift partner of the year. Kelley, a 5-year veteran, was selected for her “positive attitude, being a team player, being flexible, and an overall joy to work with.”
“We are very proud to have both of these professionals working with us,” said Sheriff Ed Bonner. “Rachelle continuously exceeds expectations in the performance of her duties. Field Operations staff appreciates her calm demeanor, which in turn helps to keep them calm in stressful situations. Kelley is the first to answer a ringing phone; she volunteers to help her coworkers and gets things done without being asked. She can be relied upon to help the team work well together when critical incidents occur.”
Rachelle Youngman In times of personal crisis and community-wide disasters, the first access point for those seeking emergency services and homeland security information is 9-1-1. The local and county public safety communications centers that receive these calls have emerged as the first and single point of contact for persons seeking immediate relief during an emergency as well as those seeking to report suspicious behaviors, unusual incidents and responding to the now common plea for citizen vigilance and attention in the wake of homeland security concerns nationwide.
Placer County Sheriff’s 9-1-1 dispatch center joins the numerous law enforcement and fire department communication centers in celebrating the second full week of April (April 10-16, 2011) as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This week, celebrated annually, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the citizens of the United States.
Businessman who Terrorized Two People in Placer Gets Five-Year Prison Sentence
From the Office of Placer County District Attorney
Posted: 4/20/2011
Udi Fishman, 60, a Los Gatos businessman, was convicted of first-degree residential burglary and various felony crimes. A Los Gatos businessman’s elaborate plot to seek revenge over a perceived wrongdoing by a contractor who built a retaining wall for him has landed him in prison for five years.
Udi Fishman, 60, a mechanical engineer and rental property owner, disguised himself as a PG&E worker, drove to the Placer County home of the contractor and used bear spray on the man’s wife and her brother-in-law. He then physically fought with the brother-in-law before being stabbed with a knife by the female victim.
“This was a violent incident,” said Supervising Deputy District Attorney Garen Horst, who prosecuted Fishman. “He invaded a home and attacked people. The crime had a high degree of planning.”
Imposing the five-year prison sentence last Friday was Placer County Superior Court Judge James D. Garbolino, who denied Fishman’s request to be placed on probation rather than be sent to prison.
He noted that more than 30 people attended the sentencing to support Fishman and that the court received more than 60 letters on his behalf.
But in the end, Garbolino concluded that a prison term was merited.
“This was a very serious crime,” he said.
The incident involving Fishman occurred Sept. 16, 2009. Posing as a PG&E worker and driving a borrowed van with magnetic signs on the side to falsely identify it as a PG&E vehicle, Fishman approached the front door of the Auburn-area home belonging to Juan Trejo, who had done construction work for him in the past but who wasn’t home that day.
When Trejo’s wife was at the door, Fishman sprayed her with powerful bear spray, causing her to become disoriented and barely able to see. He forced his way into the home where he encountered the woman’s brother-in-law.
He sprayed the man in the chest with the bear spray and the two men began fighting before Trejo’s wife went to the kitchen for a knife and stabbed him several times, injuring Fishman and ending his attack. The woman then ran outside and drove away in Fishman’s van to seek help.
In the van were items that indicated a sinister scheme, according to prosecutor Horst.
These included rolls of twine, a homemade billy club, a roofing hammer with a sharpened edge, a large sheet of plastic, a blanket, a large flat piece of cardboard, duct tape, a fake mustache, makeup and numerous maps of foothills areas in Placer and other counties.
In Fishman’s tool box in the van were the vehicle’s regular license plates. On the outside of the van, stolen license plates were discovered on the front and back ends.
In addition to the bear spray, on Fishman’s person during the attack were a canister of pepper spray, a pocket knife, a stun gun and more twine. The victims testified that he arrived at the home wearing a dark wig, a hat, dark glasses and a reflective vest. The items were found strewn in the house after the attack.
Fishman was convicted by a trial jury on Feb. 1 of first-degree residential burglary with a finding by the jury that people were present in the home during the commission of the crime.
He was also convicted of attempted false imprisonment, possession of a deadly weapon – the billy club – and two counts of illegal use of tear gas. All are felony crimes.
Fishman was acquitted by the jury of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping.
At sentencing, Fishman’s wife, two stepdaughters and several friends spoke to the judge, telling him about the defendant’s kind and caring nature and saying that a prison term for him would jeopardize his businesses and ability to support the family.
Fishman also spoke, asking for leniency and saying he had no intention of harming anyone when he went to Trejo’s home in the 2009 incident.
“I came to the house uninvited and put them under stress,” he said. “I take full responsibility for my actions.”
Juan Trejo also spoke to the court. He said his family was “devastated” by the incident.
“He was fully armed to carry out a crime against my wife,” he said. “Had my brother-in-law not been home, my wife would probably not be with us.”
He said Fishman needed to be locked up — “not out on the street believing he is above the law.”
Trejo’s wife did not attend the sentencing, but she provided a written statement.
She wrote that she once considered her home a safe haven but that now it is the place where she was “brutally victimized.”
She wrote that she has gone from a confident and independent person to one who is now “anxious, hypervigilant and dependent on people to be at my side.”
“My sense of security has been shattered,” she wrote.
Garbolino said the decision to send the defendant, who had no criminal record, to a state prison was a difficult one because of the impact it would have on his family and his businesses.
But he could not overlook that Fishman had made preparations for the crime, caused bodily harm and carried weapons to the scene.
“Certainly, this is a huge fall for him,” the judge said.
Victory for Small Business
Congress Passes Form 1099 Repeal
From NFIB
Posted: 4/14/2011
Small business owners can smile and relax at the defeat of the unpopular 1099 mandate. It was time to see it go. In a win for small businesses, the Senate today (April 5th) passed a bill to repeal the onerous IRS Form 1099 reporting requirement. The same bill was passed in the House earlier in March, and the measure now awaits action by President Obama, who has shown support for repeal. The National Federation of Independent Business led the repeal effort on behalf of over 350,000 member businesses.
“Small businesses have been struggling to come up with a way to account for this burdensome tax reporting mandate, and it has been the top priority of NFIB to see it repealed,” said John Kabateck, NFIB/California Executive Direc-tor. “NFIB and its members are glad to finally see this ill-conceived rule removed from the books by Congress.”
The Senate repeal bill mirrors legislation which passed in the House of Representatives on March 3 to repeal the 1099 tax reporting rule, H.R. 4. Congressman Dan Lungren was instrumental in the bill’s passage last month.
“NFIB thanks Congressman Lungren for bringing this repeal first to the House floor for a vote,” added Kabateck. “No other rule or regulation has been as widely unpopular as the 1099 mandate, and it was past time to see it go.”
The 1099 tax reporting rule was included in the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act last year. Almost immediately after it was put into law, it was criticized by lawmaker from both parties in both chambers of Congress and the White House as being an over-burdensome paperwork mandate placed on small businesses.
It would have required small businesses to file Form 1099 for every business-to-business transaction totaling over $600. The requirement, intended to capture lost tax revenue, would have placed the burdensome requirement on small businesses of not only reporting on their own income, but also the income of their vendors.
NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.
Tea Party Patriots Holds Rally April 16th
Posted: 4/14/2011
Last Year's Rally
Photo Credit: David Rowen Sacramento – Join Tea Party Patriots at Cal Expo Sacramento, on April 16th, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They will be honoring our veterans and hard-working American people as they come together to celebrate our country’s heritage. They are planning a pre-concert rally with Jeremy Hoop singing the Tea Party Patriot song, Rise Up. This will be followed by a Freedom Riders entrance, a 10-cannon salute, a parachutist falling from the sky with a 30-foot American flag. Many educational and informative displays will be available for the public. There will be a number of special guests speaking on issues concerning our countries future.
Speakers will include; Brent Bozell from Media Research Center and a Fox News Contributor, Congressman Tom McClintock, Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute, Constitutional Scholar, Bill Norton, Mark Meckler, LastCo-founder Tea Party Patriots, Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Tax Payers Association, Sam Parades of the California Gun Owners Association, Hugh Hewitt, Radio Talk Show Host and Jack Armstrong, Armstrong & Getty Radio Show.
Patriots’ Day – April 19 – To Be Celebrated in Downtown Auburn
Posted: 4/12/2011
AUBURN, CA - It’s a state holiday in Massachusetts and Maine and is widely celebrated in many other states and cities in the eastern United States, but Patriots’ Day goes unnoticed in California. That will change on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 when the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will mark Patriots’ Day at Central Square in downtown Auburn.
Patriots’ Day commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution, which took place in Lexington and Concord, MA on April 19, 1775. The “shot heard round the world” on Lexington Green that day, and subsequent battles at Concord Bridge and on “Battle Road” leading back to Boston, took place 15 months prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“Without Lexington and Concord the United States as we know it today might not exist,” said Dave Gilliard, President of the Gold Country Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. “The American patriots who battled the British Army on April 19, 1775 changed the world forever and their heroic actions deserve to be recognized.”
Gold Country SAR members and associates, in historically accurate uniforms and costumes, will display a collection of Revolutionary War flags and answer questions from the public between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM on Tuesday, April 19. The event will be held at the new flag pole in Central Square, corner of Lincoln Way and High Street in Auburn.
The Sons of the American Revolution are lineal descendants of an ancestor who rendered active service in the cause of American Independence, either as an office, soldier, seaman, marine, militiaman or minuteman, in the armed forces of the Continental Congress, of any one of the several Colonies or States, as a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as a member of a Committee of Safety or Correspondence, as a member of any Continental, Provincial, or Colonial Congress or Legislature or as a recognized patriot. The Gold Country Chapter of the SAR was founded in 1924 in Auburn, CA. For more information, please visit www.GoldCountrySAR.com.
GAS STILL CLIMBING AS SUMMER APPROACHES
State Average at $4.17 Per Gallon; Up 26 Cents from Last Month, Says AAA
Posted: 4/12/2011
Northern California, April 12, 2011 – Even in the face of eroding demand for gasoline nationwide, all of the metro areas tracked by AAA Northern California have climbed past the $4 per gallon mark for regular, unleaded. California now has the second highest state average gas price among all 50 states.
According to AAA, which tracks gas prices as a service to consumers, every Northern California metro area tracked by the organization saw an increase of at least 24 cents at the pump over the past month. The Golden State’s average for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $4.17, up 26 cents since last month’s report on March 8. For perspective, that’s $1.06 higher than California’s average price on this date last year.
Northern California gas prices are now averaging $4.17, up 27 cents from last month. In the San Francisco Bay Area, motorists can expect to pay an average price of $4.22, which is a 26-cent increase. The national average price of $3.79 is up by 27 cents, which is 93 cents more than the national price on this date last year, when it was $2.86.
“Investors continue to be the largest force driving the market price for oil. Instability in the Middle East and North Africa still has them concerned about the world’s supply of crude, which has helped to keep oil prices on the rise,” explained AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “Domestically, weakness in the U.S. dollar has also contributed to rising crude prices. When the dollar weakens, investors, including those holding foreign currencies, are more likely to invest in U.S. commodities, including crude, which pressures the prices upward.”
For the second week in a row, demand for gasoline has dropped across the United States. However, this has not had a huge impact on prices at the pump, given the global nature of the crude oil market. With violence continuing in Libya, as well as concern about unrest in Syria and Yemen, crude oil prices saw sustained upward momentum throughout last week because of investors’ concern over impacts to the world’s supply. Investors are currently betting that oil prices will move higher. This was reflected by a huge jump recently in the amount of money going into crude oil futures. The current rate is about ten times the amount of speculative dollars that were in crude products on exchanges in 2003. This illustrates that speculation is currently one of the primary drivers of crude oil prices.
The least expensive average price in Northern California can be found in Marysville, where regular is $4.09. Of all the metro areas in Northern California where gas prices are tracked by AAA, Eureka’s average price of $4.34 is the highest. It’s also the highest price reported by AAA in the lower 48 states. The least expensive gasoline in the country is found in Casper, Wyoming, where for the second consecutive month the average price of gas is $3.37. Wailuku, Hawaii, holds the dubious crown for the highest average price in the nation, at $4.76 per gallon.
Why Credit Access is Critical to the Economic Recovery
By Steve Caldeira and Chad Moutray
Posted: 4/12/2011
Most Americans understand that small businesses -- not massive corporations -- generate most new U.S. jobs. And when these enterprises hurt, they likewise lose jobs in similar proportions.
As influential financial analyst Meredith Whitney observed last May, "Small businesses created 64 percent of new jobs over the past 15 years, but they have cut five million jobs since the onset of this credit crisis. Large businesses, by comparison, have shed three million jobs in the past two years."
Like Whitney, the National Small Business Association believes the situation is dire. NSBA's 2010 Year-End Economic Report found that "fully one-third (36 percent) -- which translates into more than 10 million -- of the nation's small businesses are not able to get adequate financing." Consequently, the NSBA added, "small-business owners continue to be financially stymied and unable to grow their business, thereby restricting their ability to create jobs."
The Milken Institute's Managing Economist, Kevin Klowden, on March 21 lamented "the bleakest hiring outlook since early 2008."
While the entire small-business sector gasps for credit -- the oxygen of free enterprise -- the situation is both troubling and promising for franchisees. Essentially, these are small businesses that compose much larger companies.
Consider 7-Eleven. Franchisees run some 5,000 of the company's 6,100 U.S. outlets. They, in turn, are part of a worldwide, 36,000-store network that produced $58.9 billion in sales in 2009.
Small business franchises face many of the same headaches as other small companies, but they also potentially could catalyze job creation and the economic recovery when America needs them most.
From 2001 to 2005, before the Great Recession began, franchised small businesses populated one of America's most rapidly growing sectors. Their direct economic output expanded by more than 40 percent versus only 26 percent for other businesses. In those years, the franchising industry created jobs at more than three times the rate of other non-franchised business segments. All told, more than 825,000 franchise small businesses in 300 different industrial sectors yielded $2.1 trillion (with a T) in direct and indirect economic output. Franchisees also created one of every eight non-farm, private-sector jobs in America.
This solid record shows that, with sufficient access to capital and a stable public-policy and regulatory environment, franchised small business can be a job-creating locomotive that pulls the rest of the economy forward.
But, once again, the recurring problem is a lack of coal to shovel into that mighty engine's boiler. In a recent survey, fully 55 percent of the International Franchise Association's members called themselves "moderately" or "significantly" affected by tight credit. This stunts their growth. While 2011's stronger overall economic outlook encourages franchisors and franchisees, a lingering lack of credit sinks their spirits and smothers a broader recovery.
For their part, lenders have their own cows on the tracks. Banks face sharp declines in the value of their borrowers' collateral. A much more rigid regulatory environment has bankers looking over their shoulders like never before. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has hovered near 10 percent, limiting the income that the jobless otherwise would deposit in banks and lowering their demand for lucrative banking services. Many banks' business customers have watched sales volumes slide, forcing them to live with lower profits, if any.
The Obama Administration, to its credit, recognizes the importance of credit for small firms. Thus, Small Business Administration chief Karen Mills has worked to raise federal guarantees on SBA loans to 90 percent. She has reduced or eliminated fees on such loans and lifted the maximum amount that a business may borrow from $2 million to $5 million. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury has shown a flash of creativity with a new plan to spur state-level lending to small businesses.
To find even more solutions to these problems, the International Franchise Association, in cooperation with the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, the Consumer Bankers Association, the National Restaurant Association, and other leaders from the financial and small business communities recently convened at a Small Business Lending Summit in Washington, D.C.
Participants -- including entrepreneurs, financiers, and regulators -- discussed the establishment of a franchise registry that would streamline loan approvals and provide a pipeline of qualified borrowers, eager to be financed.
All of us - including franchisees, franchisors, lenders, policymakers, and taxpayers - have a stake in igniting the economy by giving entrepreneurs the tools to create jobs and grow. Small business franchising can contribute the missing spark.
Steve Caldeira is the president and CEO of the International Franchise Association (IFA). Chad Moutray, a former chief economist of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, serves as a senior advisor to the IFA.
New Veterinarian Brings Shelter Medicine Expertise to Placer SPCA
Posted: 1/11/2011
 Dr. Barbara Jones, DVM, MS Roseville, CA – Placer SPCA proudly announces that Dr. Barbara Jones, DVM, MS, has joined the organization as an onsite veterinarian.
After receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Atlantic Veterinary College in 2004, Dr. Jones received her Certificate of Residency Training in Shelter Medicine from the innovative Koret Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis in 2008, the third person to graduate from the elite specialty program. UC Davis’ Shelter Medicine Program was the first of its kind in the nation, with an emphasis on the veterinary issues specific to animal shelters, including high-volume spay and neuter, disease prevention, nutrition, and stress reduction.
As a Shelter Medicine Specialist, Dr. Jones is on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine, and has delivered lectures on shelter medicine topics at veterinary and shelter conferences. She also provided hands-on training to veterinarians and animal care workers across the United States and in Israel, Jordan, Brazil, Romania, Mexico, Samoa, and Peru.
“I am pleased to be part of the team here at Placer SPCA,” said Dr. Jones, a charter member of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association Leadership Council. “I look forward to contributing to the good health of the thousands of animals cared for every year at this facility.”
Dr. Jones’ addition to the staff of Placer SPCA means the organization will be able to perform more procedures in-house at the United Auburn Indian Community Spay and Neuter Clinic, opened at the Placer SPCA Companion Animal Care Center in January 2007.
“This is another important step in our organization’s growth,” said Placer SPCA CEO Leilani Vierra. “We will be able to increase the number of spays and neuters of our shelter animals each week, and in the future we plan to add community spay and neuter days for Placer County residents.”
About the Placer SPCA
Placer SPCA, a four star charity as rated by Charity Navigator, is located at 150 Corporation Yard Road in Roseville and offers programs and services to the pets and people of Placer County. Local companion animal welfare experts, Placer SPCA staff can be reached at (916) 782-7722 or (530) 885-7387 or at customercare@placerspca.org. Placer SPCA is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, not affiliated with any other entity, and does not receive donations through the ASPCA or HSUS.
Roseville Arts Invites Artists to Enter its Juried Member Exhibition Opening at the Blue Line Gallery in March
Call To Artists - Deadline Extended!
Posted: 1/11/2011
ROSEVILLE, CA, January 11, 2011—Roseville Arts invites visual artists to enter its 2011 Juried Membership Exhibition, scheduled to open at the Blue Line Gallery on March 1, 2010.
The deadline has been extended to January 29, 2011, for new and renewing members of Roseville Arts Blue Line Gallery to enter the exhibit for FREE. Juror Elaine O’Brien, professor of modern and contemporary art history and criticism at California State University at Sacramento, will select artwork for the exhibit, which will open to the public on March 1. Membership options and the complete exhibit prospectus with online submission are available at www.rosevillearts.org. Questions call 916.783.4117.
With membership the Blue Line Gallery offers its artists exciting benefits, including free exhibiting opportunities; a webpage on the online Directory of Artists; higher commissions on sales; discounts on national juried show entry, workshops, lectures and programs; monthly artist e-news and more.
WHO: |
Visual Artists |
WHAT: |
CALL TO ARTISTS – Juried Membership Exhibition at Roseville Arts Blue Line Gallery |
WHEN: |
Entry deadline extended to January 29, 2011. Exhibiting March 1 - April 2, 2011 |
WHERE: |
Blue Line Gallery, 405 Vernon Street, Roseville, CA 95678 |
WHY: |
To offer exhibition and sales opportunities for Roseville Arts Member Artists |
FEE: |
FREE to member artists |
ABOUT ELAINE O’BRIEN
Elaine O’Brien has served as professor of modern and contemporary art history and criticism in the Art Department at California State University at Sacramento since 1998. She earned her Ph.D. in Art History at City University of New York in 1997 and holds B.A.’s in studio art and art history and her M. A. in Art History from San Diego State. O’Brien taught contemporary art history and criticism at New York’s School of Visual Arts and City University before arriving at CSUS. She is currently editing a non-Western modern art anthology textbook and lectures widely on subjects in her area of expertise. She has served as director of the CSUS Festival of the Arts annual art history symposia since 2004; has been awarded multiple research grants; and has served as juror for the California Art Council Fellowship Award, Humboldt State University Student Exhibition and the California State Fair.
ALSO AT THE BLUE LINE IN March
2011 High School Student Show opens March 15
Roseville Arts’ Blue Line Gallery is a non-profit community center for the arts. Further information can be found on the website: www.rosevillearts.org or by calling (916) 783-4117.
Peace Love Swap
CA Mom's start ongoing baby/kid clothing and gear swap and giving to local charities
Posted: 1/11/2011
Grass Valley, CA – Local moms start an ongoing children's clothing & gear swap & launch website and program to help moms across the US get their own swaps started locally, earn extra income, be able to stay at home with their kids, while at the same time, giving large amounts of baby, kid & maternity items to charity.
Just over a year ago, Meg Franz, mother of 4 began thinking of a way to put together a local swap, where moms could get together and recycle their gently used baby, kid & maternity clothes and gear, and donate the leftovers to moms and families in need. Because kids grow out of stuff every 3-6 months, she didn’t want to do just a once in a while swap, but rather create an ongoing swap where moms and their kids could get together on a monthly or bi-monthly basis in a family friendly venue, socialize with other moms, get rid of the stuff that isn’t being used anymore, and pick out “new” items to take home. Going to the consignment stores, posting things online and trying to use online “swap” websites were all proving to be tedious and unproductive.
In July 2009, the first kid’s swap – then called the tot swap – was held in Grass Valley, CA. It was a huge hit, and by the second swap there were about 70 moms that showed up. The biggest question from eager moms was “when is the next one?” Soon, moms were emailing from all over asking when one would be in their city. So, in August “the tot swap” became peace. love. swap & Meg started doing the swaps in other areas. In February 2010, Meg realized in order to take p.l.s to the next level she would need help. Enter Elle Beyer- mom of 4. Elle found peace. love. swap while posting her children's clothes online, loved the idea and became a regular swapper. After the first swap, she was addicted as well, and wanted to help take p.l.s to the national or even worldwide level.
Today, peace. love. swap has swaps going on in 12+ cities, and they are growing every month. By the end of 2010, they plan on having at least 25 locations throughout the US. If you get a few minutes you can get more info, read their mission statement & see what moms are saying at: peaceloveswap.com. In this economic climate & in a time when recycling and keeping stuff out of our landfills is so important, we need to make families aware of something so unique. Swaps are catching on fast, however, when it comes down to it, the moms that attend a p.l.s event just want to be able to show up bring the stuff they want to get rid of and take the things they need; let their kids play while they get “offline” & socialize with other moms- all the time knowing when the swap is over, they are helping families in need. Plus, as an added bonus for the moms that start their own p.l.s event – they also get to make a little extra income on the side.
Meg Franz says “it’s green, fun, affordable and catching on fast – we hope to see a peace. love. swap event going on at least every other month cities all over the place. The events really are a win win for everyone involved- the moms, the communities, the venues that host and the charities that get stuff afterwards. How could you not love these swaps?” peace. love. swap can be found on the World Wide Web at http://peaceloveswap.com/home.html.
For information: megfranz@peaceloveswap.com. Phone: 530.913.6848
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