Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

“Jane Russell, the dark-haired siren whose sensational debut in the 1943 film “The Outlaw” inspired producer Howard Hughes to challenge the power and strict morality of Hollywood’s production code, died Monday at her home in Santa Maria, Calif. She was 89.

“Russell, who would later turn her sexy image to comic effect in films with Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe and other major stars, had respiratory problems and died after a short illness, her family said.

“Russell’s provocative performance in ‘The Outlaw’ — and the studio publicity shots posing her in a low-cut blouse while reclined on a stack of hay bales — marked a turning point in moviedom sexuality. She became a bona fide star and a favorite pinup girl of soldiers during World War II. Troops in Korea named two embattled hills in her honor.

She went on to appear in 18 more films in the 1940s and ’50s and, though only a few were memorable, she remains a favorite from the era for her wry portrayals of sex goddesses who seem amused by their own effect.”

The article is here.

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“The California State Board of Equalization (BOE) today announced that the list of California’s largest unpaid sales and use tax delinquencies has been updated at http://www.boe.ca.gov,”; according to a press release. “The BOE replaced 11 names on its list of debtors. Those added to the list have delinquencies totaling $11.4 million in sales tax owed.”

“Registered Business Name Doing Business As (DBA) City/State Liability Amount Due
Weaver Automotive Inc. Grass Valley, CA $641,591.00″

The BOE statements are here and the full list is here.

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I’m out of town, but a citizen journalist has passed on this business scoop: Starbucks is coming to the vacant Arby’s drive-through in the Pine Creek Shopping Center in Grass Valley.

A sign is on the side of the building confirming the deal. Though rumored, this marks the first official confirmation.

Starbucks will relocate from its previous location in Pine Creek to the drive-through location. In this case, the permitting is minimal.

It’s a welcome switch. The empty Arby’s building has become an eyesore, in full view from the freeway.

It’s a big, open space, so you can envision couches and chairs and reading material, including Sierra FoodWineArt magazine.

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“Mary Carolyn Dobbs, a California State University, Fresno alumna who became a teacher and internationally renowned pioneer in special education, passed away Jan. 12 in Grass Valley. She was 99,” according to Fresno State News.

“Ms. Dobbs was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the California State University at Fresno State’s 2004 Commencement. The honorary doctorate recognized her contributions to special education through her advocacy at the state and national levels and her tireless efforts to win teaching and legislative improvements for children with special needs.

“It wasn’t easy overcoming prejudices based on stereotyping.

‘“My career was fraught with vast, intense challenges because of all of the opposition in my work,’ Ms. Dobbs said in 2004,. “Handicapped people were looked upon with disdain and scorn, and we had to put forth our best efforts to change that on a global scale. We had much to overcome.”

“Her selfless work brought significant changes at the state and national levels in the classroom and in everyday life for students, and she also was an advocate for support and assistance for teachers of special needs pupils.”

The rest of the article is here.

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The power outages in our area lasted for days, compared with Lake Tahoe, which had few outages. People were cold, hungry, lost the items in their refrigerator. Some accrued motel expenses.

If you want to make a claim, PG&E will send you a form and will consider reimbursing you from $25 to $100.

Nowadays, however, we perform little scrutiny of corporations. Instead, its fashionable to bash government. Then let’s bash the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates PG&E.

On the front line, however, thanks to the many men and women of PG&E who worked hard to get power restored.

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“As one essayist wrote not long ago, it’s become an article of faith in Conservative America that Hollywood is a ‘collection of hopeless la-la-land liberals — or worse, an elitist gaggle of heartland-bashing snobs,’” the L.A. Times writes.

“Conservatives have routinely ridiculed Oscar movies for attacking the military (‘Avatar’), promoting homosexuality (‘Milk’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’) and depicting corporate executives as evil villains (‘The Constant Gardener’ and ‘Syriana’).

“So it must’ve been quite a shock to watch all the la-la-liberals at the Oscars Sunday night honoring their elders and celebrating tradition on a show where the first clip of the night was from ‘Gone With the Wind’ and the two guys who may have had the most screen time were Kirk Douglas and Bob Hope. Outside of a couple of lesbian jokes and one tiny barb directed at Wall Street from documentary filmmaker Charles Ferguson, the awards were drearily free of controversy, outrage or anything remotely resembling lefty sanctimony.

“On the other hand, the Academy Awards were true to the spirit of this past year’s movies. As this year’s show demonstrated, Hollywood isn’t so easily stereotyped. It may be a town full of liberals, but when it comes to its most prestigious awards show, the most exalted statuettes went to films that espouse conservative values. ‘The King’s Speech,’ which won four Oscars, including the climactic one for best picture, is a profoundly conservative film, paying tribute to King George VI, an aristocratic English monarch who, humbled by a humiliating stutter, develops a deep friendship with a commoner, his speech therapist.”

The rest of the article is here.

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Nobody who works on The Union’s editorial staff has a three-digit address in Nevada City, as far as I know.

But that isn’t stopping the newspaper paper from carrying water for outsourcing the city’s police services – on the Op-Ed pages, the news pages and reader polls. There have been countless columns, including one from the editor/publisher, and two online reader polls in the past month alone.

In the latest example, a Penn Valley resident, no less, writes: “It is disingenuous (or naively misinformed) at best for city council members to suggest economic efficiency in a contract might only be achieved at the expense of control or responsiveness to local concerns.

“At worst, it appears a shameful exercise of valuing political power over the public good.”

“it would seem the elected council members of the Nevada City Council owe their constituents an apology.” The rest of the article is here.

Well, thank you. Could I make a humble suggestion: Why doesn’t Penn Valley become a nuclear-free zone? LOL.

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