Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

My wife and I have many, many dozens of books throughout our house, most of them on display in bookshelves. I just dusted them, so I know it’s true.

This includes books from my childhood. On Monday, our son had a night to read from a “chapter book,” his words for a book that most of us take for granted. But times are different.

I was intrigued when he chose “My name was Jesus,” a book I have kept since childhood. As I’ve written before, we want to raise our child with a religious upbringing but remain skeptical about the intolerance of religion.

“My name was Jesus” is a beautifully illustrated book, copyrighted in 1950 by Rand McNally. It is written by Mary Alice Jones and illustrated by Rafaello Busoni, one of Europe’s leading artists at the time.

It is a straightforward description of the life of Jesus, aimed at children. It is nonjudgmental and fact based.

I also couldn’t help but notice that the price was $3.95, still a deal adjusted for inflation.

We’re going to read the book for the next week and compile a reading log. I think it’s going to be fun. It certainly compares favorably with “Marley and Me,” which is probably our latest addition over our nearly 20 years of marriage.

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The commentary on the right-wing blogs increasingly belongs on the Jerry Springer show, as I’ve written before.

On Monday, outgoing conservative Supervisor John Spencer chose his friend Russ Steele’s blog to break his post-election silence in the blogosphere and shoot a verbal harpoon at former Grass Valley City Council member Steve Enos. Steve worked to help liberal Terry Lamphier defeat John — a stunning blow to county conservatives.

Enos commented on the blog that Ted Owens’ decision to support Prop. 23 could cost him some votes. He also pointed out that the California Ski Industry Association, a big business in Ted’s neck of the woods, opposes Prop. 23.

“Reminding everyone that Ted (Owens) will suffer because of his supports or opinions shows how shallow Mr. Enos is. Liberals really prefer sock puppits (sic),” Spencer wrote.

“John, enjoy packing up and moving out of the Supervisors office. You were voted out of office because of your ‘opinions,’” Steve retorted.

Barry Pruett and his wife Kim, the field representative to our Congressman Tom McClintock, weighed in too.

Kim’s comments suggested she needs to bone up on the economic impact that the ski industry provides in our county and neighboring Placer County — and their reason for opposing Prop. 23.

I can’t figure out if Kim’s job is to get Tom McClintock re-elected and to help carry his water for Prop. 23 or to merely be a field representative for Tom and his constituents (including Steve Enos). And Barry’s job — he’s proven time and again— is to just butt in, even though he got whipped in the clerk-recorder’s race and has no political base.

If I wanted to bring my school-age son on a White House tour — something you’d request of a Congressional “field representative” — I’d contact Barbara Boxer or Dianne Feinstein’s office instead.

The McClintock office reeks of “freshman.” Let’s hope some lessons are learned in the second term.

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On Monday, I saw Florio’s Olive Oil Co. Owner Neil Sarchett loading his truck with some charred “fustis,” the stainless-steel containers from Italy that hold olive oil, from his store on Mill Street in Grass Valley.

You’ll recall that Neil’s store burned in a fire last month, and he’s relocating to Nevada City. The details are here.

Later Neil emailed me a photo to show that some copies of Sierra FoodWineArt, though a little charred on the edges, had survived the blaze — even if the rest of the store didn’t.

My son and I had dropped off some copies and bought some olive oil on the day of the fire. We look forward to Neil’s re-opening on Spring St. in Nevada City next month.

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I reported previously that Dave Moller, The Union’s most experienced reporter, left to become Editor of the Louisiana Press Journal in Louisiana, Mo. — his home state. (No “goodbye” from The Union to Dave in its pages, however, which would have shown some class). Jeff Ackerman now has the longest tenure at The Union newsroom, with a crew of mostly younger reporters.

Here’s the first installment of Dave’s column in his new job. It’s a good read. The link is here.

“Louisiana Press Journal
9/8/2010 1:07:13 PM
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of Editor Dave Moller’s column entitled “The Buck Stops Here.”

In mid-June I was at my son’s high school graduation, wondering what the future would bring the family.

After 18 years in the Sierra mountains of Northern California, I’d had enough of the prices, attitudes and governmental refusal to grasp reality. My wife and I couldn’t afford the $300,000 median price homes and moving was on the horizon.

I began looking for a new job right after Steven’s graduation, figuring I’d be leaving some time in 2011.

But soon I found the Press-Journal had an opening and I jumped on the opportunity. Things happened quickly and 10 weeks later, I took over from Bertha Yoder as your new editor.

I realize I have large shoes to fill, but I’m up to the task after 35 years in the weekly and daily newspaper business.

Although I came here from California, I am not a native of the state that now really is going crazy. My deceased parents both went to Webster Groves High School in St. Louis County.

I grew up in Kirkwood and graduated from high school there in 1969. I went to college in Missouri and started my career at the Cuba Free Press in Crawford County.

I eventually became city editor at the Jefferson City News Tribune. I also ran a string of weekly newspapers in California, before switching over to my last job as senior writer for a small Sierra daily.

Many of my old friends and relatives still live in Missouri and my sister lives in the Chicago suburbs. With my wife’s family in Little Rock, Ark., Louisiana became a great spot to land.

My oldest son, Ben, just got out of the Navy and served in Iraq as a medical corpsman with the Marines. He is going to college on his GI bill near Sacramento, Calif. He will come to visit soon, I’m sure.

My wife, Pam, and son Steven arrived last week. They will be looking for work once they’ve acclimated themselves and visited all the relatives.

If you are wondering, my political bent is right down the middle. I’ve been a decline-to- state voter for years because of my profession and a desire to remain independent.

I vote for the person I feel is best for the community, not for the party.

Being a journalist has forced me to see all sides of an issue and that molded my moderate political stance.

Some people become upset when they can’t pin me as a pure conservative or liberal, but I consider that their problem.

I believe in keeping a good eye on what we are doing to the earth, but I am wary of environmentalists who create controversy just to keep their jobs.

In California’s Sierra, I saw them use the spotted owl to destroy an entire culture of once-thriving logging towns.

Fiscal responsibility in government is pretty big on my plate, because I know what happens when the checkbook doesn’t balance at home.

At the same time, I’m not against giving government assistance to someone to help them out of a jam. I just don’t particularly think anyone should be allowed to rely on welfare as a lifestyle.

I am not tolerant of discrimination based on race, age or sex. I was very pleased to see three youths of various colors riding their bikes together in town last week.

My Goldwater Republican mother and Central Methodist College in Fayette professors taught me there are many paths to God, and I believe that as well.

My father taught me early on to work hard and admit my mistakes. That philosophy has brought me a pretty good reputation for integrity and honesty.

If I make a mistake, I want to hear about it. Accuracy is what I strive for.

I will have an open door policy and you can contact me at any time.

I hope to meet many of you soon and I must thank those who have already welcomed me to town.

I am at your service.”

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Vocal Tea Party activist Barry Pruett, who got drubbed in the “nonpartisan” race for clerk recorder in June, losing every precinct, has repeatedly hammered some moderate conservative Supervisors (who happened to endorse his more qualified opponent).

“You know as well as I do that neither Nate (Beason) nor Ted (Owens) believe in TP values. They are ‘politicians’…not statesman, and are militantly against the TP,” is a typical comment from Barry, now a self-appointed local political pundit.

The county supervisor’s decision to pass on endorsing Prop. 23 as a board — following established policy — has only heated up the criticism, from Barry and his fellow “right-wing” bloggers Russ Steele and George Rebane. Some of it is nasty and hardly statesmenlike. All of them, led by our electeds Tom McClintock and Dan Logue, support Prop. 23.

Now Barry, whose wife works for McClintock, has done an about face — praising Ted. Who’d have thunk it.

You see, this weekend Ted “spoke out publicly in support of Prop. 23″ to the Truckee Tahoe Republican Women Federated, as Barry wrote on his blog. Ah, now I get it. They are suddenly geniuses!

“Kudos to Supervisors Spencer and Owens for taking a stand for jobs in Nevada County and the rest of California. Owens even bought a Tea Party T-Shirt,” Barry said.

Yes indeed, our supervisors also are politicians.

It’s fine to have a supervisor who can endorse the best qualified candidate for clerk recorder (not a GOPer) but also express his personal view on Prop. 23 (joining other GOPers). Who wants “party soldiers” when many of our problems are nonpartisan. This is why I supported Greg Diaz for clerk recorder, easily the most qualified candidate.

I expect Ted has his eyes on a state political seat and he wants to build a broader conservative constituency.

On the other hand, he risks losing the support of moderates who oppose Prop. 23 — and there are many longtime Californians who believe strongly in global warming and the environment. In addition, Ted and Nate’s board seats could wind up going to more liberal people in coming years as our demographics become more “purple” politically. Terry Lamphier’s election to the supervisors is a case in point.

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Though not reported in the local media, Nevada County residents are raising formal concerns about the proposed Enterprise Rancheria casino in Yuba County.

The proposed casino would be on 40 acres on Forty Mile Road and include a 170-room hotel, restaurants, gift shop and meeting centers, generating about $200 million in annual economic activity, tribal officials have told the Marysville Appeal-Democrat.

More details are here. A map of the proposed site south of Yuba City is here. Despite the recession, the casinos continue to expand in the foothills.

“Western Nevada County is in a ‘non-attainment’ area for ozone which is created and transported from the northern Sacramento Valley and beyond,” according to Barbara Rivenes, conservation chair of the Sierra Nevada Group of the Sierra Club in a letter.

“The negative health effects from ozone are well known and documented. Hence, we have serious concerns when development that will cause a large influx of automobile traffic and its attendant ozone producing pollutants into our already unhealthy air.”

“The proposed casino has the potential to impact the environment and the people living in western Nevada County. These potential project impacts must be considered, identified and responded to in the FEIS review. The proposed FEIS fails to review, consider or mitigate these potential impacts as required.”

In addition, Steve Enos, land use planner and director of Grass Valley Neighbors wrote a letter.

“The proposed Enterprise casino in Yuba County would be a large ‘out of area’ traffic generator that has the potential to decrease air quality here in Grass Valley,” Enos wrote.

“The two principal areas of concern is the lack of adequate review and adequate mitigation measures for air quality impacts and the reliance on the Yuba County-Enterprise
Rancheria MOU to mitigate impacts. It’s important to note the Yuba-Enterprise MOU was undertaken without CEQA review.”

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