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July 31, 2008
Federal Leadership
Wally Herger's Democratic opponent, Trinity County Supervisor Jeff Morris, presents an articulate, reasoned alternative to Herger.
Here's an op-ed piece Morris recently wrote:
Federal Leadership Would Be A Breath of Fresh Air
July 29, 2008
- Jeff Morris
Traveling to Sacramento last week for an Air Resources Board meeting reinforced for me the extreme conditions we in the North State have been dealing with this summer. According to the North Coast Air Quality Management District, Trinity County -- my home -- is currently experiencing the worst air quality in the state due to forest fire smoke, and it looks like it won't be letting up any time soon.
But as bad as the air quality in Trinity has become, the loss of homes and lives in the rest of the North State has been even more catastrophic.
State and federal forest lands are one of our biggest assets if managed well, and one of our biggest liabilities if managed badly or not at all. But the bitter political battles between industry and environmental groups have brought the situation to a stalemate. Rather than working toward a solution that would create truly healthy forests, we have a political atmosphere that's as clogged with dead brush as our backcountry.
Something's got to change -- but as things currently stand in Washington, nothing will.
President Bush's latest proposed budget for the US Forest Service includes massive cuts to vital programs, including approximately $90 million less for staffing and training firefighting teams and clearing hazardous fuels. So even as the president was putting on a show of support for our situation during his July 18 visit, his administration was busy cutting funding for the resources that would help prevent these kinds of fires in the future.
The citizens of the North State realize that a presidential visit by itself won't fix our problems. Real help would entail real changes in policy, budgeting and operations -- but instead, the administration and its Congressional allies have simply stuck with their usual approach to natural disaster prevention: pursuing their own agenda, cutting funds for everything else, and hoping nothing bad will happen. Unfortunately, something bad did happen, it happened here, and it will happen again unless all the stakeholders in this issue come together and work toward real solutions.
If they'd listened, they would have known this was coming. Northern California counties have known it for more than a decade. Trinity County was the first in California to develop a county-wide fire safe plan. In 2006 we passed an ordinance declaring heavy forest fuel loads on private and federal lands a public nuisance. Our town of Hayfork hosts one of ten nationwide locations that are a part of The Nature Conservancy's Fire Learning Network, which fosters innovation in fuels reduction and fire regime restoration strategies. The Weaverville Community Forest, a stewardship agreement with the Bureau of Land Management, is a nationally recognized example of sustainable forestry that also provides lumber-grade timber and implements fuels reduction strategies. We are committed and we are doing our part.
On February 5th of this year, with two feet of snow on the ground, I and the other members of Trinity County's Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution declaring an ongoing state of emergency with regard to extreme wildfire risk. The Board sent a letter to select members of the US Congress and other federal public officials listing priority actions that need to take place to mitigate this risk. Part of the letter reads, "Trinity County has been a leader in Fire Safe Planning and collaborative forest restoration. We have worked successfully with the environmental community, forest industry, the Forest Service and BLM, and, indeed, the whole community to be proactive in restoring the ability of our forests to be fire resilient. We know that it is the only way to drop costs, protect the communities, and protect the environment."
Unfortunately we have also been subject to political processes that have been out of our control. Local outcry and action have either been dismissed, ignored or usurped by the power brokers from all points in this process.
Currently, 47% of the entire United States Forest Service budget is spent on fire suppression. By comparison, forest fuels reduction budgets are a pittance. That's backward thinking. While putting out fires is certainly important, this kind of budgeting is like a patient who never receives any preventative health care and instead uses the emergency room as his primary physician. To extend the metaphor, our national forests have now skipped right past the emergency room into intensive care. It's time to get a checkup and get healthy before our state and national budgets pull the plug on our life support. We're down to that basic choice.
Trinity County's February letter to our representatives included the following priorities:
1. Re-direct all possible non-fire suppression budgets of USFS, BLM, BIA, Parks Service and Fish and Wildlife Service to hazardous fuels management.
2. Priority 1 areas for treatments should be those areas described in Community Wildfire Protection Plans – areas identified by the communities themselves as most at risk.
3. Priority 2 areas should be high-value resources like threatened and endangered species habitat, fishery habitat, old growth and high recreation value areas.
4. Initial funding should be for projects that will pay for themselves. There must also be thinnings to reduce fire effects, provide defensible space, and create anchor points for fire suppression adjacent to communities.
This is just the beginning of what we need to do. In addition, I would also recommend that funding for limited-use escape routes from specific risk-identified communities be included in the upcoming federal transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU), which is reauthorized every five years. These escape routes would need to be identified by updated community wildfire protection plans and local municipalities and would be implemented based on assessments of current infrastructure/transportation corridors and wildfire risk. Simultaneous with the development of these corridors, other local, state and federal agencies should be concentrating on fuels reduction projects.
The catastrophic wildfire situation in the United States, like so many of our current national challenges, transcends political parties. It transcends environmental and industry jousting. It transcends geographic location. It is also inextricably tied to other community needs. Our economies, school systems, quality of health, quality of life and long-term environmental sustainability are all related to resource management and inclusion of all community members in a solution-building process. We need leaders who understand that long-term solutions require a willingness to take heat from both industry and environmental groups, bring all players to the table, and hammer out a middle ground that produces real, constructive results.
Electing those kinds of leaders is our only hope of moving forward to flexible, long-term solutions that can adapt to changing conditions. Real leadership is not just zipping in from Washington and doing a flyover. Real leadership requires work, relationship building, sacrifice and an ability to be a strong voice for all the people you represent. It is not for the faint of heart -- and it is the kind of leadership we deserve.
Jeff Morris is a Trinity County Supervisor and a candidate for US Congress in California's 2nd District
To contact or for more information please call (530) 313 - 5525 or email info@jeffmorrisforcongress.com
Posted by dan_nt at 10:49 AM | Comments (3)
Herger on McCain
Congressman Wally Herger rationalizes his support of John McCain as a "blessing" even though he didn't support McCain in the primary.
Herger thinks McCain is the only Republican candidate who could help make California competitive for electoral votes, but the reality is that California is most certainly going to vote Democratic this fall.
Today's Scrabble word is funest, portending death or evil.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
July 30, 2008
Reversal
Four more years! Four more years!
Today's Scrabble word is cere, to wrap in a waxy cloth.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 29, 2008
Land Alternatives
Next week on August 5 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers will be an important joint study session on the General Plan with the City Council and Planning Commission.
The joint session will focus on "Land Use Alternatives" - in other words, what are the viable options for adding new growth areas in and around the Chico Urban Area?
It will be interesting to see which people advocate strongly for adding growth areas outside the Greenline since some of the alternatives will inevitably break the Greenline.
As background to this discussion on land use alternatives, it's important to read the "Existing Conditions Report."
Today's Scrabble word is eidos, an essence.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:44 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2008
Skin Care
Local dermatologist Dr. Donald Richey and some of his local patients are featured in the NY Times article "As Doctors Cater to Looks, Skin Patients Wait":
"Dr. Donald Richey, a dermatologist in Chico, Calif., has two office telephone numbers: calls to the number for patients seeking an appointment for skin conditions like acne and psoriasis often go straight to voice mail, but a full-time staff member fields calls on the dedicated line for cosmetic patients seeking beauty treatments like Botox."
Richey is extensively quoted throughout the article.
Today's Scrabble word is crinum, a tropical herb.
Posted by Ryan at 06:23 PM | Comments (2)
July 27, 2008
$6 Million
Local Chico company UVaCide, headed by serial entrepreneur John Strisower, announced a $6 million investment from Boston-based Nexus Medical Partners.
Nexus Medical Partners, a very reputable private equity firm investing capital from its second fund, specializes "in making private equity investments in and providing strategic assistance to medical technology and selected life science companies."
A $6 million investment will likely allow UVaCide to expand its management team and hire additional staff for research and development.
It will be interesting to see whether UVaCide continues to grow in Chico with this capital infusion, or whether a move to a larger medical technology device market like Boston or Silicon Valley is in the works.
I think the answer depends on the company's ability to attract and retain the most talented people to execute its business plan.
In addition to Strisower, the UvaCide team includes several locals, including Skip Pharais, a talented high-tech executive who moved to Chico a few years ago, and Brian Pierce, a local inventor with Advanced Light Technologies.
Today's Scrabble word is ulu, an Eskimo knife.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:26 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2008
Charger
If you ever can't find an electrical outlet for your cell phone or MP3 player charger, I guess there are other options.
Today's Scrabble word is jumbal, a ring-shaped cookie.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:37 PM | Comments (2)
July 25, 2008
Special Olympics
Special Olympics Butte County is hosting its "Hearts of Gold Benefit Dinner" Saturday on July 26.
Tomorrow night's event is at Bell Memorial Union at Chico State. There will be a torch ceremony at 5:45 pm, followed by dinner, raffle, and lots of auction items.
The excellent local band Mossy Creek will be performing.
You can purchase $50 tickets at University Box Office by calling 898-6333 or at the door.
Today's Scrabble word is fun, an old-fashioned person.
Posted by dan_nt at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2008
Osama or Obama
I'm Osama bin Laden and I approve this message. Now that's a line very few satirical shows except The Daily Show and a few other shows can pull off.
By the way, this opening paragraph in this SF Chronicle article cracked me up:
"Democratic Sen. Barack Obama delivered a soaring call for international unity to a cheering, flag-waving crowd of 200,000 in Berlin on Thursday while Republican Sen. John McCain battled for attention by talking kitchen-table economics in a German sausage house in Ohio."
Despite my love for German sausages, it doesn't take a genius to realize that addressing a crowd of 200,000 people in Berlin will draw more positive media attention than hanging out at a German sausage house.
Today's Scrabble word is benthic, pertaining to oceanic depths.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2008
War Talk
John McCain has made a lot of wrong and different statements about Iraq over the years.
Today's Scrabble word is ajuga, a flowering plant.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2008
Artistic Bicycle
\
I can't do bike tricks like German artistic cyclist Ines Brunn. Can you?
Today's Scrabble word is ail, to cause pain or discomfort to.
Posted by dan_nt at 02:53 PM | Comments (1)
July 21, 2008
Allegations
Until I receive more facts about the situation with Councilor Mary Flynn, I don't intend to comment too much given the sensitivity and uncertain facts around this issue.
I will, however, comment that either Police Chief Bruce Hagerty irresponsibly opened his mouth too wide, or the E-R misreported a comment he may have made to the newspaper.
In the print version of the front page news article, the E-R attributed that Hagerty said Flynn was arrested allegedly for driving under the influence because of "prescription medication and possibly alcohol."
The "possibly alcohol" reference sent alarm bells to me because until this fact is verified, it's not appropriate for the Police Chief to make any insinuations about "possibilities."
The E-R ended up making a correction online:
"Correction, July 21, 2008:The original version of this story paraphrased Police Chief Bruce Hagerty as saying officers determined prescription medication and possibly alcohol caused Flynn to drive while impaired. Hagerty clarified Monday he believes prescription medication to be the culprit, and that Flynn had a blood test that will determine whether there was alcohol in her system."
I'm not sure if this correction was a result of incorrect E-R reporting in the print article version, or whether Hagerty realized he inappropriately misspoke after other people aired the same concern as I had and Hagerty asked the E-R to make the correction online.
It's important for the community to suspend final judgment on the situation until the facts are clear.
Today's Scrabble word is fluter, a flutist.
Posted by dan_nt at 08:17 PM | Comments (4)
July 20, 2008
Chico Estate
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company continues to stay on the forefront of the beer industry.
Check out the Chico Estate Harvest Ale:
"We wanted to see if we could grow hops at our brewery in Chico, California so we planted our own hop field selecting our prized Cascade and Centennial varieties along with some specialty hop varieties to experiment with. To our surprise, we not only could grow hops, we were also able to harvest them in late summer due to Chico’s ideal climate. Chico Estate Harvest Ale is one of the very few estate harvest ales produced anywhere in the world today. All the hops in the beer are grown organically on the premises of our brewery in Chico."
Here's what the BeerAdvocate had to say:
"By stealing a page from the winemaker's playbook, Chico Estate Harvest Ale will use all of the hops grown in the brewery fields for one big full-flavored Sierra Nevada beer. Typically, hops are collected and dried for use throughout the year, but as they dry, the precious oils and resins break down and some of the big flavors become muted. With Sierra Nevada's Harvest Ale series, the brewery takes care to use the freshest hops possible, and in the case of Chico Estate and fall Harvest Ales, they use only "wet" or undried hops to add not only bitterness, but the full range of character and flavors that the small but mighty hop has to offer."
In the midst of an announced mega-billion dollar beverage acquisition, Sierra Nevada keeps focusing on unique differentiation and quality - two key attributes to innovation and competitiveness.
Today's Scrabble word is rem, the amount of ionizing radiation required to produce the same biological effect as one rad of high-penetration x-rays.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)
July 17, 2008
Presidential Visit
President George W. Bush is supposed to visit Redding this afternoon for his "does anyone care I'm still President" tour of the impacts of California fires.
I don't think he's fitting any gay marriage ceremonies into his California schedule.
By now, even most Republicans would agree with Democrats that President Bush has been one of the worst Presidents in history.
Local Democrats are organizing a donation drive to help fire victims around Bush's visit.
People are encouraged to show up to the corner of Knighton Road and Airport Road outside the Redding Municipal Airport from 12:30-2:30 pm for a donation drive to support the American Red Cross.
Organizers indicate the American Red Cross "has asked for water, snack (granola bars, nutra bars, trail mixes, dried fruit) supplies individually wrapped, toilet paper, paper towels, office supplies (paper, pens, markers, notes), diapers."
By the way, below is the E-R "reluctant" editorial endorsing Bush in his 2004 re-election. It's hard to imagine the last four years have been any better under Bush. And it's equally hard to imagine the country any worse in totality under Al Gore or John Kerry as the E-R editorial suggests..
Oct. 22, 2004 E-R: Bush flawed, but better than Kerry"Aside from party loyalists, we can imagine many voters feel as conflicted as our editorial board in deciding whom to endorse for president.
We are forced to choose between two major-party candidates who appeal only to true believers, two men whose principles are shaped by their largest campaign contributors and the fringes of their political parties. The other option is hardly a good one a bunch of third-party candidates who are just too radical in their ideas.
We endorsed Republican George W. Bush four years ago but, despite bright spots in his presidency, believe he has made too many major errors. Everything he has accomplished has a "but" attached to it.
He deposed a brutal, genocidal dictator, but he did it under false pretenses, either because of bad intelligence or a narrow-minded focus. He performed admirably in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, then shepherded the Patriot Act through Congress, a law that tramples freedom more than it preserves it.
He cut taxes for all Americans to help stimulate the economy, then oversaw reckless spending even discounting the war, which has led to the largest federal deficit in history. The spending belies his claim to being a fiscal conservative. He has never vetoed a spending bill. He vowed to make the government smaller, then made it larger. He vowed to be a uniter, not a divider, then displayed an unwavering my-way-or-the-highway attitude.
On the other hand, there is Democratic nominee John Kerry, whose record in the Senate creates much concern and confusion over what he would do as president.
Kerry has plans for billions, or even trillions, of dollars in programs, and he'll have little choice but to raise taxes to pay for them all. That certainly won't help the economy, and it won't help the average American.
Most disconcerting of all, Kerry's stance on the war in Iraq and foreign policy is inconsistent and alarming. He
supported the war, but opposed adequate funding for the troops. Now he advocates withdrawal. Or seems to.We'd all like to see the troops come home, but we must finish the job in Iraq and Afghanistan or risk having to do it all again years later. We cannot put the citizens of those countries at risk by abandoning them now. We must help the countries achieve stability, which is a painstaking process, then leave.
And Kerry's idea of trying to reach a world consensus on foreign policy matters makes him sound like a Pollyanna. If the United Nations couldn't agree on action against a man who consistently thumbed his nose at its resolutions, there may never be consensus. We need a firm leader as president when it comes to foreign policy, not a mediator who sends mixed messages.
Four years ago we gave a reluctant endorsement to George W. Bush for president reluctant because he was the best choice in a poor field. We still believe an Al Gore presidency would have been worse for the nation.
This year we give another reluctant endorsement to George W. Bush. He's not a great candidate but and this is a sad indictment on our political system he's the best one."
Today's Scrabble word is cricoid, a cartilage of the larynx.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2008
Mortgage Market
Are you confused by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their impacts on the housing market, mortgage industry and general US economy?
The NY Times provides an excellent "Making Sense of Problems at Fannie and Freddie" diagram.
The Chico housing market is not suffering as greatly as the Sacramento market where there is an abundant supply of new and resale homes of the market.
But there's definitely a lot of more people feeling the mortgage and housing crunch.
Today's Scrabble word is zooks, used as a mild oath.
Posted by dan_nt at 10:22 AM | Comments (1)
July 15, 2008
Health Care
The Onion's hilarious headline: Most Children Strongly Oppose Child Health Care
Nice.
Today's Scrabble word is schuit, a Dutch sailing vessel.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2008
Professional
Former PVHS and Butte College standout Aaron Rodgers has been getting a lot of national publicity lately since he's part of the sports saga called Brett Favre.
Once again, Rodgers seems to be handling a very awkward situation with grace and professionalism.
Today's Scrabble word is huic, used to encourage hunting hounds.
Posted by dan_nt at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2008
Bob Barr
Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr making his case.
It's saying a lot that former Clinton impeachment manager Barr thinks President George W. Bush has been a greater threat to "liberty" than Bill Clinton.
Today's Scrabble word is slue, to cause to move sideways.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:22 PM | Comments (1)
July 12, 2008
Firehouse
This 1902 photograph by Churchman Bros is Chico Engine Company No. 1 standing in front of old firehouse on Second Street between Main and Wall.
Image Courtesy of Chico Fire Department and Special Collections Dept. Meriam Library, CSU, Chico.
Today's Scrabble word is sizy, or viscid.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2008
Why Are You
Minneapolis or Denver?
Even though he doesn't sound too excited, RNC Chairman Mike Duncan wants you to join him at "the most exciting political event of the summer."
And not to be outdone, DNC Chairman Howard Dean tries his best pitch too:
I don't think most people can sound interesting or exciting with that lousy background music playing in both videos.
Today's Scrabble word is gleed, a glowing coal.
Posted by dan_nt at 08:34 PM | Comments (1)
July 10, 2008
Not Important
John McCain's not important time line.
Today's Scrabble word is sclera, the white, fibrous outer coat of the eyeball.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:15 PM | Comments (1)
July 09, 2008
Fires
Click on the image above to view the State's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's map of Northern California fires as of 7 am this morning.
According the State figures:
Location: Throughout Butte County
Acres Burned: 49,000
Containment: 40% contained
Structures Threatened: 3,800 residence
Structures Destroyed: 40 residence, 10 outbuildings & 10 unconfirmed
Injuries: 10 minor injuries
The E-R continues to provide an excellent public service with updated Google Maps for local fire locations and current information.
Check out this E-R video footage of the Camp Fire burning:
Today's Scrabble word is cuddy, or a donkey.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2008
Bush Tour
Hilarious. The Onion rocks.
Today's Scrabble word is revet, or to face with masonry.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 07, 2008
Governor's Visit
Here's a video of the Governor's visit to survey the impact of the Humboldt Fire.
Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker made a pitch for people to make a donation through North Valley Community Foundation.
Already $20,000 has been raised through NVCF to support people impacted by the fires.
Governor Schwarzenegger's visit was welcome, but he faced a tough question about how the State will pay for firefighting efforts stretched thin throughout California. Here's an transcript showing he clearly dodged the tough fiscal question:
QUESTION: Governor, as you mentioned, the state has an obligation to pay for all this firefighting as a public safety issue. But given this $15-17 billion shortfall, the timing couldn't be worse. Could you comment on the extra pressure this is putting on the state in terms of the budget, having to pay for all of this firefighting effort?GOVERNOR: You're absolutely correct. The state has a big problem this year with the budget, not only because of the economy that has declined and the subprime mortgage crisis and the housing market being down and all this, but also our budget system itself has failed the people of California for decades now, and so I want to straighten that out this year.
But nevertheless, with all of those problems one thing we know; when it comes to public safety we don't even want to look at the budget, because public safety is our number one priority. So we will do everything that we can, all of the resources that we have will be poured into those fires. We're going to make sure that we use every engine that we have out there, every man that is fighting fires, any firefighter, everything will be out there, including, like I said, bringing in the National Guard and everything. We want to do everything we can to protect lives and to protect property. And I think that our firefighters have done an extraordinary job because of the great coordination between the locals and the state and the federal government and not only just the firefighting, but also law enforcement has come in, in a very strong way, which is very important for evacuating, that everyone's homes, when they move out, is protected and so on. So I think that public safety is the number one priority.
Today's Scrabble word is brevet, or to confer an honorary rank upon.
Posted by dan_nt at 07:39 PM | Comments (0)
Real Estate
If you want to know what some of the real estate and development industry professionals in Chico think about the current and future local market, check out “The Market Opportunities and Land Absorption Projections Report” as part of the General Plan update.
The report includes this observation about the local residential housing market:
“As of January 2008, Chico had a residential vacancy rate of 3.3 percent.7 Although brokers acknowledge a surplus of single-family housing units in the current market due to marginal overbuilding during the housing boom, a majority of these units have transitioned into the rental market, either permanently or on a temporary basis, while the market corrects itself. Thus, a surplus of for-sale housing units has not corresponded to an increase in vacancy rates. This highlights the unique role of the local student population in moderating the for-sale housing market through their strong demand for rental housing. There is also a small market for student for-sale housing, primarily due to parents purchasing homes as investment properties.”
Some of the professionals widely cited in the report include Georgie Bellin of The Chico Group, Debbie Brodie of Chico Association of Realtors, Bill Brouhard of Guillon Brouhard Real Estate, Tim Edwards of North Valley Apartment Brokers, Rodney Krebs of Coldwell Banker Commercial, Dufour Realty, and Tony Symmes of Aspire Homes.
Some of the observations about downtown Chico demonstrate the tension or at least co-existence between chain and locally-owned businesses. Chico's downtown already has many chains, including Starbucks and Subway.
However, I know many long-time downtown merchants are concerned that having more chains in downtown Chico will simply push rents up and make it more difficult to operate a locally-owned downtown business. According to the report:
”Overall, local real estate professionals expressed the need to broaden the appeal of the downtown retail market by increasing the quality and selection of retail establishments. They felt that a mixture of both chain and local retailers is key to future retail development in downtown. Georgie Bellin, a real estate broker with The Chico Group, stressed the need for additional stores downtown given her recent trip to San Luis Obispo with other local real estate brokers. She noted that San Luis Obispo has stores like Victoria’s Secret and GAP, which do not exist in downtown Chico (but do have stores in the mall). Jeff Fararr, a developer with Ingram Commercial Real Estate, expressed a similar sentiment saying that there is an excess supply downtown of “C grade uses,” including antique stores, tattoo parlors, etc., and that attracting more quality stores downtown was essential. This renewed emphasis on quality would bring about higher downtown rents and limit the number of “C grade uses” in downtown. The idea is to have a stronger downtown economy through a combination of local retailers and chains. Chains currently exist in the downtown primarily as eating and drinking places, but an appropriate mix that includes chain “merchandising” retailers may better strengthen the market for locally based businesses, by bringing more shoppers into the downtown in general."
Today's Scrabble word is hurst, a small hill.
Posted by dan_nt at 05:09 PM | Comments (4)
July 06, 2008
Local Democrats
Local Democrats will open a headquarters for the 2008 election season this coming Saturday, July 12 on 5 pm at 600 Main Street (at 6th St).
The headquarters is a coordinated effort among many Democratic groups, including Congressional District 2 for Obama.
Local Democrats should stop by the headquarters over the next several weeks to make a donation to operate the headquarters and also make separate donations to support individual candidates.
With this type of coordinated effort, I predict Democrats will do quite well in Chico and throughout Butte County. John Kerry beat George W. Bush in Chico in 2004 and Obama is a much stronger candidate than Kerry.
Jeff Morris, the presumptive Democratic nominee for CD2, will be a strong candidate and will actually put resources and time into Chico.
And even Lt. Col. Charlie Brown, CD4 candidate, has an organizer and volunteers working hard in Oroville going door-to-door trying to leave no Democratic-leaning voter behind.
Today's Scrabble word is weevil, a small beetle.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:56 PM | Comments (1)
July 05, 2008
Wikipedia Chico
Ever read the Wikipedia entry for Chico, CA?
I actually think it's a pretty good entry full of interesting information.
My favorite is the list of notable Chicoans, or people who once lived in Chico. The list includes Saudi billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who has a Queen song named after him.
And I love this historical tidbit: "On July 31, 1961 the first-ever hijacking on United States soil occurred at the Chico Municipal Airport. Two men were critically wounded and the hijacker was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison."
Is this true? I'm trying to locate the source of information.
Keep in mind that Wikipedia is not always accurate since it relies on the community to provide information and to fact check.
Greg Bard, who launched the Chico Wiki, is one of the main contributors to the Chico entry on Wikipedia.
Today's Scrabble word ablins, or perhaps.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:47 PM | Comments (5)
July 04, 2008
4th of July
Happy 4th of July!
Today's Scrabble word is gamay, a red grape.
Posted by dan_nt at 09:57 AM | Comments (1)
July 03, 2008
Ugly Spots
The News & Review's list of "10 Ugliest Spots in Chico" is a pretty good list of architectural and land-use eyesores.
I'm surprised the N&R decided not to take a pot shot at rival E-R by proclaiming the windowless E-R building as one of the ugliest spots in Chico.
And what about most of the commercial strips in Southeast Chico where chain store design and architecture dominate? Or large stretches of Mangrove Avenue.
My least favorite is the Bank of America building along the City Plaza. That building, along with Taco Bell and Jack in the Box, ruin the main downtown plaza.
I think local muralists Scott Teeple and Gregg Payne should work on some of the walls of the buildings listed by the N&R. Their art will go a long way to improving some of those buildings.
Today's Scrabble word is bename, or to name.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:48 PM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2008
Dr. No
Despite the E-R's past contrary editorials, the City Council has taken important steps to balance the City's long-term budget.
Across-the-board 7.5% cuts in City departments and renegotiated employee group wage concessions will lead to a stronger City fiscal position for the next several years.
The E-R editors might complain about the time it took to make tough budget decisions, yet this opinion largely ignores the reality that important budget decisions should be deliberative, transparent, and give the public plenty of opportunities to weigh in.
The current Council majority has followed this deliberative process and has made some correct, albeit tough budget decisions. Kudos to Councilor Steve Bertagna for also voting with a 6-1 majority.
Bertagna is a good example of what happens when an elected official has likely decided not to run for re-election. He's taking principled positions, not just pandering to prescribed political expectations.
In contrast, Councilor Larry "Dr. No" Wahl continues to cast dissenting votes that demonstrate his lack of alternative solutions. He simply votes no, takes no responsibility, and offers no concrete steps to deal with budget challenges.
As the E-R reported, Wahl said: "Our public safety is going to suffer dramatically on this and I think it is actually quite shameful we will balance this budget on the backs of public safety and put the community at risk."
Wahl doesn't want to cut the public safety budget, which represents the largest share of the City's General Fund expenditures, but he offers no alternatives as to how he would balance the budget with draconian cuts to other departments without cutting public safety.
This is very typical of Wahl. Keep voting no and make complaints without offering any constructive alternative.
The sad part is the E-R editors will try to paint the Council majority as taking inaction on the City's budget, or at least taking too much time to finally act on the budget.
But the reality is that Wahl, who is running for re-election this year, is the real poster child for inaction since he offers no action or constructive alternative to address the City's budget challenges.
It's easy to say no when other people are doing the hard work for you. It's much harder to actually come up with alternative solutions - something Wahl hasn't done much of on the City's budget.
Just ask Bond. James Bond.
Today's Scrabble word is boojum, a spiny desert tree.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
July 01, 2008
Scott Bauhs
Former E-R sports writer Luke Reid wrote a great piece on Chico State runner Scott Bauhs' attempt to become the first Chico State student to qualify for the Olympics.
According to Reid:
"Bauhs, getting set to compete in the 10,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 4, has clocked the second fastest 10,000-meters by a U.S. runner this year, the fastest time in the history of NCAA Division II, and the fourth fastest time ever by an American NCAA athlete. He will toe the line in Eugene, Oregon, Friday at 9:20 p.m. in a Chico State Track & Field uniform as one of only seven American athletes who have met the Olympic “A” Standard and, thus, would be guaranteed a spot on the United States Olympic Team in Beijing, China, by finishing among the top three. If he does, he will be the first Chico State athlete to compete in the Olympics."
I think everyone in Chico will be hoping Bauhs places in the top three this 4th of July.
It would be an amazing feat for a runner who wasn't even on the national radar screen a few years ago.
Today's Scrabble word is bedrid, or bedfast.
Posted by dan_nt at 04:33 PM | Comments (0)