Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

Dai Meagher spent $74,724 while the victor Tina Vernon spent $47,400 in the race for county Treasurer, according to election documents filed this week.

Of the total spent, Meagher received $39,173 in contributions but also spent $33,275 of his own money, the documents showed. In the latest round, he had a handful of out-of-town contributors and $200 from Jeanne Marks, the spouse of Greg Marks, who participates in CABPRO and is local representative for Dan Logue.

Vernon’s contributions totaled $47,468. Her latest round of contributers included Mike Ferguson ($300), Lisa Swarthout ($100), Cheryl Rellstab ($300), Peter Van Zant ($150), Jim Hurley ($100), Chris Dabis ($999), Jim Dal Bon ($200), Hank Weston ($100) and Stephen Munkelt ($605). The figures represent their latest contributions, as well as the total donated for the campaign.

Vernon’s expenses included $3000 to campaign consultant Donna Kingwell and $2000 to Hurley for data management. The Sierra Sun-Swift Communications collected $2220 in campaign ad revenue, while KNCO collected $1329.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

On his blog Russ Steele — giddy from an ERC meeting where Tom McClintock spoke — also writes: “Young families continue move away from the area, cost of living and lack of jobs being the primary reason. In young families, both parents must work to afford family life in Nevada County.”

All true, but to what extent does our political culture play a role in failing to attract young families?

Many California families are a little more progressive than what you find here. To what extent does our growing reputation for right-wing political extremism, being the home of the tea party patriot’s co founder, having a vocal, local and nasty “wingnut” contingent, as well as having a hard right Congressman deter our ability to attract young families? This is, after all, still California.

In fact, the culture we promote often is more like Del Webb than Lance Armstrong. Aside from the surrounding beauty, our culture diverges from San Luis Obisbo, the most friendly town in America, according to Oprah.

I wonder if this occurs to our decision makers who keep blaming the lack of jobs in our area. Perhaps they ought to “dig deeper.”

Exit question: Did you ever notice how few children of the hard right retirees are living up here with their parents? Why not? What can we do with our “culture” to make it more attractive to them?

Filed under: Uncategorized | 34 Comments »

Filed under: Uncategorized | 33 Comments »

More wineries are expanding in downtown Grass Valley, and the county’s wine association has a new name, showing industry growth despite the economic downturn.

The county’s wine association is being renamed Sierra Vintners, with a tagline “where the vines meet the pines,” as first reported in Sierra FoodWineArt magazine. A companion website also is planned.

Meanwhile, the Grass Valley Wine Co. — a venture of Bent Metal, Pilot Peak and Solune wineries — has found a new location, at 128 Mill St. in the historic downtown, according to the magazine’s website. The tasting room, where JordanWood used to be, is expected to open in the spring.

Their previous location — the Grass Valley Event Center, across the street — also is expected to feature local wineries when it reopens with music, food and wine. The wines could include Naggiar and Montoliva, among others, according to my sources.

Local wineries are expanding despite the economic downturn: Clavey just opened a new tasting room in Nevada City, Sierra Knolls is planning a new tasting room off Hwy. 49, and Sierra Starr is expanding its winery in Grass Valley. More details are here.

Click on the name to read profiles of Pilot Peak, Bent Metal, Solune and Naggiar.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

I find it ironic that our staunch conservative developers have Jerry Brown, not Tom McClintock, to thank for the revived discussions to build the Dorsey Drive interchange.

The proposed project would link the roadway with Hwy. 49. Though the interchange would provide some traffic relief and improve access to the hospital, the developers of the Loma Rica housing project and the Idaho-Maryland Mine will greatly benefit.

When Gov. Brown proposed eliminating Redevelopment Agency’s across the state to help preserve basic services, Grass Valley city leaders jumped into action to protect the local funds earmarked for the interchange.

Critics have argued that RDAs, created in 1988, subsidize developers at the expense of basic services.

The county Transportation Commission promptly approved Grass Valley’s financing plan for the proposed interchange — the only missing piece of the project.

Brown — the Democrat who has been vilified by many local developers, The Union editor/publisher and other “leaders” — was the perfect “foil.”

McClintock, meanwhile, has been preoccupied with lecturing the Mexican president, working to unravel Obamacare and introducing a bill to limit the debt ceiling that the Treasury calls “unworkable.”

Filed under: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

A memorial for Nevada City artist and preservationist Charles Woods, who died last month, is April 10 at the Miners Foundry.

Woods helped revitalize Nevada City as a haven for artists and was a co-founder of KVMR. He died at age 79 of complications from a recent stroke.

An obituary is here.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »