May 12, 2008
Upcoming Forums
The League of Women Voters of Butte County has organized the following slate of candidate forums in anticipation for the June 3 primary election. I've added a few editorial comments.
May 15th from 7-8:30 pm
Supervisor District 1: Bill Connelly, Gordon Andoe
Media Panel: Roger Aylworth, Matt Ray, Mary Weston
Location: County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 25 County Center Drive, Oroville
The race between Connelly and Andoe pits "city" versus "county" interests. Connelly has upset a significant City of Oroville constituency with a few votes, but it's unclear whether that's enough to swing the election to Andoe, who previously lost his re-election campaign for Oroville Mayor.
Continue reading"Upcoming Forums"
Posted by dan_nt at 06:28 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2008
Pedestrian
These boots are made for walking in downtown Chico.
Alan Chamberlain and many other individuals should be applauded for continuing to move forward with ideas to enhance the downtown experience.
Posted by dan_nt at 01:20 PM | Comments (1)
May 10, 2008
Bertagna Poll
Continue reading"Bertagna Poll"
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
May 09, 2008
Episcopal Church
This is St Augustine of Canterbury Church, which was formerly located on 5th and Broadway. In 1912 the church building was moved to 3rd and Salem.
Image Courtesy of Dorothy Hill and Special Collections Dept. Meriam Library, CSU, Chico.
Today's Scrabble word is neve, a granular snow.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)
Dog Bite
This photo was taken at a Rose Parade in Germany earlier this year. The Germans already knew the Democratic primary outcome before most Americans.
I'd like to see more creative floats like this one in our local Pioneer Day Parade, but that takes a lot of effort.
It's much easier just to drive a fire engine or tractor pulling a trailer.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2008
Charlie Brown
While Republicans Doug Ose and Tom McClintock battle in the Republican primary in the 4th Congressional District, Lt. Col. Charlie Brown released his first ad for the 2008 general election.
The good news for Republicans is that Congressman Wally Herger's good friend and incumbent John Doolittle is not in the race.
Today's Scrabble word is cony, or a rabbit.
Posted by dan_nt at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)
May 07, 2008
No 98, Yes 99
There's been many state propositions on the ballot over the years, but Proposition 98 is one of the worst in recent history.
Proposition 98 was supposed to be about eminent domain and removing rent control, but it's so badly worded that the measure significantly affects agriculture and water districts.
Proposition 98 is so bad that the measure has brought together one of the broadest coalitions to defeat it.
The coalition includes California Chamber of Commerce, California Building Industry Association, Housing California, California League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club California, American Civil Liberties Union, California Labor Federation, League of California Cities, and California State Association of Counties.
Read the facts and vote No on Prop. 98 and Yes on Prop. 99.
Today's Scrabble word is aniline, a chemical compound.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
May 06, 2008
Sewage Plant
A joke started in a bar in San Francisco will likely become reality if 10,000 registered San Francisco voters sign a petition by July 4 to place the following question on the local San Francisco ballot in November:
"Should The City And County of San Francsico Rename The Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W Bush Sewage Plant?
Ballot proponents, under the auspices of the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco, are making the following ironic case:
"As we near the end of George W Bush’s presidency, we think it is important to select a fitting monument to this president’s work. On matters ranging from foreign relations to fiscal and environmental stewardship, no other president in American history has accomplished so much in such a short time. To honor George W Bush for his eight years of honorable public service, the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is sponsoring a ballot initiative this November."
Continue reading"Sewage Plant"
Posted by dan_nt at 09:51 AM | Comments (2)
May 05, 2008
McSame
Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton continue to fight in the Democratic primary.
While they battle in Indiana and North Carolina, some groups like MoveOn.org are already trying to paint John McCain as a continuation of the Bush administration.
You can even take the McCain-Bush challenge.
Today's Scrabble word is sward, or to cover with turf.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
May 04, 2008
Impact Fees
As the E-R reported, development impact fees are set to increase on new construction.
Jurisdictions typically raise development impact fees to cover higher costs associated with providing services and infrastructure to support new growth.
”Development impact fees are one-time charges applied to offset the additional public-service costs of new development. They are usually applied at the time a building permit is issued and are dedicated to provision of additional services, such as water and sewer systems, roads, schools, libraries, and parks and recreation facilities, made necessary by the presence of new residents in the area….They are essentially user fees levied in anticipation of use, expanding the capacity of existing services to handle additional demand.”
Posted by dan_nt at 08:15 PM | Comments (3)
May 03, 2008
Gas Tax
Hillary Clinton and John McCain are pushing a gas tax holiday. This is another reason why I think Barack Obama is the better candidate.
Most economists, including Republicans, know a gas tax holiday is a bad idea.
This policy is not the way to reduce consumption to reduce demand pressure on gas supply. And there are better ways to directly provide financial relief to working families instead of a gas tax holiday.
Posted by dan_nt at 08:19 AM | Comments (6)
May 02, 2008
Six
The E-R reported that six people have filed to run for Chico City Council – Councilor Larry Wahl, Mayor Andy Holcombe, Vice-Mayor Ann Schwab, Park Commissioner Jim Walker, Mark Sorensen, and Ali Sarsour.
The E-R failed to report a seventh candidate - Tom Gascoyne. I hear Gascoyne plans to change his name to DNA for this year's election. Okay, there's no declared seventh candidate so far.
City Councilor Steve Bertagna, however, has been lobbied strongly by his supporters to run for re-election for a fourth term, but he’ll likely step away from the public limelight.
If this is Bertagna’s last year on the City Council, he deserves thanks for his years in public service.
He’s certainly felt the highs and lows of public service. He’s mostly handled his public service with humor and respect for other points of view - two qualities important to maintain sanity in the middle of ongoing contentious issues.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (7)
May 01, 2008
30 Seconds
MoveOn.org's fifteen "Obama in 30 Seconds" finalists were announced.
Once again, I'm amazed by the creativity demonstrated in many of the videos.
Here are some of my favorites:
Posted by dan_nt at 01:32 PM | Comments (0)
April 30, 2008
High Above
The view of Chico from high above isn't so bad. You can click on the image for a bigger view.
Today's Scrabble word is druse, a crust of small crystals lining a rock cavity.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2008
John Garamendi
Lt. Governor John Garamendi is in Chico today.
Garamendi will be speaking at 1:30 pm at a press conference in the Free Speech Area near Meriam Library on the Chico State campus.
According to a press release:
“...Garamendi, and California education leaders representing nearly 10 million students, educators, and educational staff, will join forces to highlight the devastating effects of more than $5B in proposed state budget cuts for education. In Butte County, the current budget as proposed would translate into $628 less per pupil in the public school system and would restrict enrollment at CSU campuses at a time when the state is already struggling to meet workforce shortages.”
Continue reading"John Garamendi"
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (9)
April 28, 2008
Downtown Art
Mayor Andy Holcombe will officially dedicate the public art in the City Plaza this Thursday, May 1 from 5-6 pm.
The public arts work of Owen Gabbert, Elizabeth Devereaux and William EverOne will be recognized.
Gabbert created the copper and elm sculptures near the game tables. Devereaux designed the mosaic map and game tables. EverOne painted the trolley mural.
Downtown Chico is a much better place to live, work, and stroll because of its public art - whether our murals, downtown benches, or COBA-art pieces.
Today's Scrabble word is mense, or to do honor to.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:15 PM | Comments (4)
April 27, 2008
Passing Stansbury
This photo is a Chinese funeral procession passing the Stansbury house on 5th Street.
Image courtesy of James Snidle and Special Collections Dept. Meriam Library, CSU, Chico.
Today's Scrabble word is oyez, a cry used to introduce the opening of a court of law.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:03 PM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2008
Colbert Report
Stephen Colbert's show is the best on television.
Today's Scrabble word is glime, or to glance slyly.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:54 PM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2008
Critique
This is the current national Democratic Party ad critiquing John McCain.
People can debate the statistics, but overall the November election is about whether more American voters feel better about Iraq and the economy than they did four or eight years ago.
Will change continue to be the operative national political mood?
Posted by dan_nt at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2008
Tough Decisions
The City’s Finance Committee continues to grapple with potential budget cuts.
As I’ve written before, I support an across-the-board reduction in all City departments as City Manager Dave Burkland recommends.
Since police and fire departments represent the biggest share of General Fund personnel and operating costs, a 7.5% across-the-board cut represents the largest absolute dollar budget reduction.
It’s not an easy decision, but if police and/or fire department reductions are lessened – and for a good reason since public safety is paramount in the public eye – then bigger cuts must be made in other City departments to make up the difference.
Continue reading"Tough Decisions"
Posted by dan_nt at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)
April 23, 2008
Pledged Delegates
This is not a new explanation for any Barack Obama supporter or realistic Hillary Clinton supporter, but at least Chuck Todd does a good job explaining basic pledged delegate math.
I guess the battle moves on to Indiana, North Carolina, Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and others.
Clinton continues to hold hope that uncommitted superdelegates will overturn Obama's almost insurmountable pledged delegate lead, a move which would basically implode the Democratic Party.
Today's Scrabble word is crepy, or crinkly.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:17 AM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2008
E-Waste
This Friday and Saturday (April 25-26) you can take your electronic waste to the Silver Dollar Fair from 9 am-4 pm.
You can drop off the following items for recycling free of charge near the main entrance: TVs, monitors, computer towers, mice, keyboards, LCD screens, plasma screens, laptops, printers, copiers, faxes, calculators, speakers, and cell phones.
Items not accepted are batteries, light bulbs, microwaves, rubble from university building construction, and Mike Huckabee presidential campaign signs.
Okay, you can probably recycle the Huckabee campaign signs on your own.
Today's Scrabble word is et, the past tense of eat.
Posted by dan_nt at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2008
BikeChico!
This coming Sunday is the annual Chico Velo Wildflower Century.
Among non-university events, I believe the Wildflower Century probably attracts the most visitors from outside the region for one single weekend. It's an unbelievably popular event bringing lots of tourist dollars to the region.
By the way, this year's Bike Chico! Week is May 11-17. Here is the BikeChico! Calendar.
You can also find an online listing here for Bike Chico! Week.
Today's Scrabble word is rex, an animal with a single wavy layer of hair.
Posted by dan_nt at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2008
Eco-Friendly
These "pundits" are masterfully dead panning their suggestions on how to wage a more eco-friendly war in Iraq and to fight terrorists.
Today's Scrabble word is equites, a privileged military class of ancient Rome.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2008
$5
The cost of a gallon of gasoline is moving closer to the retail cost of a ChicoBag.
Local company ChicoBag continues to receive great national media coverage. ChicoBag was highlighted in a recent NPR story.
And someone pointed out that ChicoBag was shown in April 21, 2008 edition of People Magazine in a story about the plastic bag ban that several cities have implemented.
Posted by dan_nt at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2008
Baracky
This is a hilarious and entertaining video by filmmaker Michael Fox in support of Barack Obama.
The best grassroots videos during this Presidential season are the pro-Obama videos.
I watched some of this week's debate and I wholeheartedly agree that it was awful in terms of format and questions.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2008
David Letterman
Last night's Late Show with David Letterman cited the Chico E-R.
In Letterman's small town news segment, Letterman noted:
"The Enterprise-Record (Chico, California): 'A woman stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence badly failed a field sobriety test. She asked friend Jon Akerson to pick up the passengers from her vehicle. Akerson allegedly showed up inebriated and was also arrested.'
The Letterman citation apparently comes from this E-R local news brief from Hamilton City, which got picked up by a few other outlets.
I'm still disappointed the terrorizing goose story didn't get more widely circulated.
Today's Scrabble word is blet, a decay of fruit.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:14 PM | Comments (0)
April 16, 2008
Green
The Chico Beat broke an interesting story about the university possibly losing its LEED-certification for its new activity center due to the practices of one of its contractors.
This issue involving a contractor is certainly a wake-up call for all agencies to pay closer attention to contractors. I applaud Chico State's commitment to sustainability, especially initiatives launched over the last five years.
I think this issue is one setback among many good efforts by the university.
Today's Scrabble word is jink, to move quickly out of the way.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:32 PM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2008
PiratePalooza
This year's PiratePalooza ’08 will take place on April 18 at Manzanita Place (Elks Lodge). The event starts at 6 pm.
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by calling ILSNC at 893-8527 or at the Independent Living Services of Northern California (ILSNC) office.
Continue reading"PiratePalooza"
Posted by dan_nt at 02:39 PM | Comments (0)
April 14, 2008
Foundations
It's great news about the new PVHS Foundation.
There's already a Chico High School Foundation established in 2003. And the Bidwell Jr. High School Foundation formed in 2005.
All of these foundations benefit from using the North Valley Community Foundation's fiscal and organizational umbrella.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2008
Delegates
Today Democrats throughout California participated in caucuses to determine pledged delegates to the national convention for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Supervisor Jane Dolan and former Chico Mayor Mike McGinnis were selected as Clinton delegates with Redding Mayor Mary Stegall as an alternate.
Stegall deserves extra accolades since her supporters mainly came from Redding to Chico to vote.
Kim Durso and Ryan McElhinney were selected as Obama delegates. Durso has been incredibly active organizing for Obama in the region and McElhinney has been leading efforts to organize campus student chapters.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)