Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

This is cool:

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I noticed The Union’s 16-page election guide leads with a full-page ad from Sue McGuire’s campaign. Then the first page lists a Q&A with Sue. The guide doesn’t seem to list the candidates in an alphabetical fashion. There are three paid ads: One from McGuire, one from George Smyrnos, one from Tom Anderson and a house ad to balance the 1/4 page ad from Smyrnos. It is here.

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From Emgold’s website:

Emgold Mining Corporation (“Emgold” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Andrew MacRitchie, C.A. as an independent Director of the Company. Mr. MacRitchie holds a B.S.C. Honors degree from the University of British Columbia and received his Chartered Accountant designation in 2003 while articling with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Between 2003 and 2007 he worked for Quorum Management Services as Corporate Controller. Quorum provides accounting services for a group of exploration stage companies (including Emgold) with corporate offices in Vancouver, B.C. and gold, silver, and base-metal projects located in North and South America. In 2007, Andrew joined Helio Resource Corp., a gold exploration company with projects located in Africa, as Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. MacRitchie is a Director of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. He will bring to Emgold’s Board over 10 years of accounting experience in the mining industry and will serve as Chair of Emgold’s Audit Committee.

Mr. MacRitchie has been granted a total of 200,000 incentive stock options, exercisable at CDN$0.15 per share for a five-year period and expiring May 22, 2017. The stock options were issued in accordance with the Company’s 10% rolling stock option plan (“the Plan”) adopted by the Company’s shareholders on June 8, 2005. The Plan is approved annually by shareholders and was last approved on September 6, 2011.

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Agenda Item 25 (not Agenda 21, thank goodness) at Tuesday’s county Board of Supervisors meeting seemed straightforward enough: “Presentation by Sierra Business Council (SBC) on the results of the Nevada County 2005 Community-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.”

After all, seven counties and 11 cities in the region are participating. And it was an information only presentation; no board action was being considered.

But George Rebane, Russell Steele and Judi Caler all showed up to speak out against the inventory, global warming proponents, Agenda 21, even the “I” word (as in vaguely worded international policies targeting our small, rural county).

The SBC contingent just stuck to their presentation, avoiding the political rhetoric. One gentleman came to the podium to thank the group for their work.

Several times Brian Sussman’s book “Climategate” was cited as an authoritative source. The agenda item meeting ran long — but not as long as some others that featured this contingent.

I was surprised at the group’s vigilance, too, since the board largely was sympathetic to concerns about the greenhouse gas inventory process, the “I” word and “more regulations” — perhaps more than they should have been given that Prop. 23 lost in our county, not just the state.

It’s tough to keep all your constituents happy, including the ones who show up at board meetings to protest. It’s important to remember that most of us don’t have time to attend. I call them the “silent majority.” They vote, though.

Some more background is here.

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The national entertainment media is ecstatic about a winning performer on America’s Got Talent this week named “Granny G.” Her video has gone viral on the internet.

As it turns out, “Granny G” (AKA Paula Nelson, 80) is from our county! according to my sources. The hazel-eyed Nelson has a fine “alto” voice, according to a bio.

“America’s Got Talent has had its share of eclectic acts, but Tuesday’s episode featured one of the most unique that we’ve seen to date,” writes TV Guide.

“Eighty-year-old Paula Nelson (aka Granny G) isn’t about to let her age — or walker — stop her from achieving her lifelong dream of being an entertainer. Clad in a pink dress, strands of pearls and orthopedic shoes, Granny G took the stage and instantly won over the audience and judges with her family values-inspired rap performance.”

“Granny G Quickly Becoming TV and Internet Star After Surprising Rap,” said the headline in Social Barrel.

“Granny G, 80 – Former Real Estate Broker,” wrote one reviewer. “She entered the stage with her walker – so inspiring. She shared her opinions on family values in a mixture of rapping and standup. Hilarious!”

A review in Rolling Stone is here.

America’s Got Talent celebrity judges — Sharon Osbourne, Howard Stern and Howie Mandel — all gave “Granny G” a thumbs up, meaning she goes to Las Vegas for more competition.

Congratulations “Granny G”! She now has a Facebook page too.

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The Union has done a good job of carrying water for local political gadfly Barry Pruett over the years, whether it is dutifully posting Tom McClintock press releases on its website, omitting key facts from the AtPac lawsuit or publishing uninformed columns by the editor/publisher about our judicial system that benefit candidates whom Pruett supports. Whether intentional or careless, it helpes fuel the perception by some citizens that The Union is the “Tea Party Gazette.”

This time, however, Pruett should have helped out with the rudimentary headline writing (a task the Editor oversees in a newsroom) — not just the story — on his latest campaign: “dirty tricks” allegations against LaMalfa involving a website.

“Aanestad files SEC complaint against rival,” said a big headline on page A3 of this morning’s newspaper.

Come on. As the first sentence reads, “Congressional candidate Sam Aanestad on Monday filed a formal complaint against his biggest rival with the Federal Election Commission, alleging several violations of election law.”

It’s the FEC, not SEC. These regulatory agencies have vastly different roles. At least correct it in the online “paywall” story ASAP.

My prediction: LaMalfa beats Aanestad (whom McClintock is supporting) handily. Negative campaigning is losing its luster, as I’ve been writing recently.

All this “high-brow” political ethics discussion brings to mind another local topic relating to campaign election laws: Do the anti-Nate Beason campaign signs that are being poked in the ground around Nevada City comply with the political sign ordinances? Will the electorate get to know who paid for them?

Funny how one case gets scrutiny and the other gets none. Small-towns, and their political machinations, are a hoot!

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