Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

“Joe Frazier, the heavyweight boxing champion who in 1971 became the first fighter to defeat Muhammad Ali, then lost two epic rematches including a ferocious battle known as the “Thrilla in Manila,” died Monday night. He was 67,” as the L.A.Times reports.

“Smokin’ Joe, as he was known, died in Philadelphia, said his manager, Leslie Wolff. He had liver cancer.

“It was a golden age of heavyweight boxing in the 1970s, when fight fans filled massive arenas and boosted the sport’s television ratings to watch the likes of Ali and Frazier and George Foreman, Jerry Quarry and Ken Norton.”

The rest of the article is here.

A video of the “Thrilla in Manila” is here:

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Here’s the scoop from American Legion Post #130:

The annual Veterans Day Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, November 11. Please enter the dining area at the ground floor entrance at the rear of the building.

The ladies of the Auxiliary will serve coffee, water and orange but there will be no table service this year so please be prepared for a cafeteria style buffet with scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, orange juice and coffee.

Following the breakfast, at 9:45 a.m., the Veteran’s Day Memorial Program will take place in the auditorium upstairs portion of the Veterans Memorial Building. The memorial service is expected to end at 11 a.m.

This will be the last year for the maestro of our Veterans Day breakfast, Frank Stanovich, to serve in that capacity.

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From Sierra FoodWineArt:

WHAT IS COWBOY POETRY? “After the labors of the day are over, the men gather around the fire and the social hour of the day is spent in yarning,” writes Andy Adams in Log of a Cowboy. “The stories told may run from the sublime to the ridiculous, from a true incident to a base fabrication.”

Best of all, it’s a one-way ticket to the past and a glorious way of life, according to the sponsors of the 17th Annual Cowpoke Fall Gathering in Loomis.

The gathering, Nov. 10-13, is a weekend of cowboy heritage, poetry and singing at the historic Blue Goose Event Center.

It features nationally known performers such as Sourdough Slim, a “one man Western extravaganza” who has performed at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. Others include cowboy singer Dave Stamey and poet and storyteller Chris Isaacs.

There are also cowboy activities such as a stagecoach ride, a western BBQ, cowboy and cowgirl shopping and real Texas longhorns. Youths get a chance to write and recite their own
cowboy poetry.

The popular event was launched by locals Bert and Carol Braun in 1995. They had attended cowboy performances in Elko, NV and wanted to start one here.

“We have donated funds since the very beginning to various charities,” according to the founders, including the renovation of the Blue Goose fruit shed.

This year all proceeds will be donated to the Blue Goose restoration project, the “Ride to Walk” program that helps children with disabilities; and “Tough Enough to Wear Pink,” a program for the western community to rally against breast cancer.

For more information, go to www.CowpokeFallGathering.com or call 916-652-6113

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“The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt,” as the Huffington Post reports.

“The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday.

“While people typically accumulate assets as they age, this wealth gap is now more than double what it was in 2005 and nearly five times the 10-to-1 disparity a quarter-century ago, after adjusting for inflation.

“The analysis reflects the impact of the economic downturn, which has hit young adults particularly hard. More are pursuing college or advanced degrees, taking on debt as they wait for the job market to recover. Others are struggling to pay mortgage costs on homes now worth less than when they were bought in the housing boom.

“The report, coming out before the Nov. 23 deadline for a special congressional committee to propose $1.2 trillion in budget cuts over 10 years, casts a spotlight on a government safety net that has buoyed older Americans on Social Security and Medicare amid wider cuts to education and other programs, including cash assistance for poor families.”

The rest of the article is here.

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From Wednesday’s Nevada City Council meeting agenda:

NEW BUSINESS:

A. Subject: Discuss the Response to Submission of Referendum Petition Against Ordinance No. 2011-10 Adding Chapter 9.14 to the Nevada City Municipal Code Regulating Conduct on Public Property.
Recommendation: Direct Staff

The staff is recommending that the referendum be submitted to the voters on June 5. The fiscal impact is NONE if that is the case, as the memo states, correcting some public misstatements before about the initiative.

The rest of the agenda and packets is here.

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From Tuesday’s Grass Valley City Council agenda:

“Title: Second reading and adoption of Ordinance 732 approving the
Development Agreement for the Loma Rica Ranch project.

Recommended Action: Conduct second reading and adopt Ordinance 732 approving a Development Agreement for the Loma Rica Ranch project.

Agenda: Consent

Background Information: On October 25, 2011, the City Council conducted a public hearing, held the first reading, and introduced an ordinance to approve a Development Agreement (DA) for the Loma Rica Ranch project. As noted in the previous report, the proposed agreement is a first tier DA with the primary intent to protect the overall land use and other elements in the Specific Plan. The applicant intends to create a more comprehensive DA after the annexation of the land.

The two key components of this DA are: 1) it vests the development rights as approved by the City, and 2) it provides for dedication of a 3-acre park site to the City within the Farm Neighborhood. The DA, once legally effective, would serve to vest or protect all of the entitlements issued by the City such as the General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan.”

•As reported, the Council also is expected to approve a contract with Ascent Environmental for a revised EIR of the Idaho-Maryland Mine. But as reported here, Emgold is then expected to put the project “on hold” for up to three months to secure more financing.

The other agenda items are here.

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In the pre-9/11 days, I remember valet parking the car at the curb of the Reno Airport for just $6 and going inside to catch a flight — quick and fast. In years past, Burbank had been good to quickly get to a flight, just like La Guardia in New York.

But times have changed. Now getting to the airport, parking, standing in line at security and so on, is an ordeal. In fact, the hustle-and-bustle at the airport can take longer than a one-hour flight itself down the coast.

Last week, I went to the new $1-billion terminal at Sacramento Airport for my out-of-state flight. To be sure, the terminal is stylish: with public artwork (including a 63-foot rabbit named “Leap”), top-notch restaurants (13, to be exact), shopping (including jewelry) and fast, free internet and so on. There’s even a massage bar. (I ate a “wedge” salad at “Esquire Grill” before the flight).

But it’s also a longer journey just to get to the gate: There is no “day” parking in the new terminal yet. From the “economy” lot, you take the shuttle bus on a longer ride. You’re dropped at the terminal, where you have to find a long escalator for a ride up to security. (They are working on improving the signage). The lines can be long, so plan ahead.

Then you board a tram to get to your gate, like at some of the East Coast airports. There’s usually a wait for the tram too (though they are going to add more).

Once you get to the gate area, you can board your flight. This is going to be the terminal for Southwest flights, so plan ahead for a quick trip to L.A. or San Diego.

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