Mark Baird receives Sheriff’s Commendation

Photo by Cyndi Baird

Pictured from left to right are: College of Siskiyous Administration of Justice Program Director Glenn White, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey and (right) Mark Baird, who was honored with the “Top Cadet” placing first in his class held last fall.

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Liz Writes Life 1-17-12

Jan. 17, 2012

Published Siskiyou Daily News

Mark Baird, vice-president of Scott Valley Protect Our Water, was honored on Jan. 13th with the “Top Cadet Award” for his outstanding performance during the College of the Siskiyous Administration of Justice Program Level III Course. He finished first in the class. Glenn White is the course program director.

Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey presented a Sheriff’s Commendation to Baird and praised him: “Your efforts are truly exemplary and your scholarship, skill, tenacity, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to the class, stringent class requirements, and fellow students reflect great credit upon you, your instructors, and the Administration of Justice Program. Congratulations for a job well done!”

Mark Baird, who is an airline pilot and flies quite often around the world, said he will now apply to become a reserve deputy for Siskiyou County. Juggling the class with his other careers and responsibilities was intense and Mark appreciates his wife, Cyndi, for her tremendous support. The Bairds also own KSYC radio, in Yreka, and a ranch in Quartz Valley.

When Sheriff Lopey mentioned Mark’s “tenacity” he hit the nail on the head. Mark is in his late 50s, but never quits learning or challenging himself. He is a major motivator within Scott Valley POW and the movement to save our water from government regulations strangling business and our rights. Congratulations Mark. We are so proud of you.

Sheriff events

Several of the organizers of the Defend Rural America event held last October, in Yreka, are planning monthly events hosted in counties throughout Northern California.

Sheriff Lopey will kick-off this string of Support Rural America Sheriff events on Sat. Feb. 25. He is sending out invitations to the sheriffs who attended last October, and if I know him, will be inviting other sheriffs as well. We will likely end up with a large panel of sheriffs.

Modoc County has set its date for April 21st in Alturas. Doug Knox and the Independent Tea Party are sponsoring the event, which will not only feature the sheriffs’ panel, but Wyoming attorney Karen Budd-Falen has been invited and agreed to attend.

Trinity County will hold its Support Rural America Sheriff event on Sat. May 19th in Weaverville. Herk Shriner is a leader in the Trinity Tea Party Patriots and will set the agenda.

As more county dates are set, I will announce them. Guess I will need to set up a “page” on Pie N Politics.com and Liz Bowen.com for easy access to information on these sheriff events.

We also have a website called “Support Rural America.com.” Right now, you can view the environmental destruction from blowing of Condit Dam in Washington is at the top. But if you scroll down, just a little, you can click on the youtube video from the Sheriffs’ Panel held during the October event. This is in interactive site and you can post your own statements or articles. Erin Ryan, of the Redding Tea Party, is keeping it up-to-date.

For those who decry the Tea Parties, I would say they are not going away. The Tea Parties are major supporters of county sheriffs and are co-sponsoring these meetings.

Well-known Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack is headlining a Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association Convention in Las Vegas Jan. 29-31. Sheriff Lopey and Trinity Co. Sheriff Bruce Haney are headed that way. Sheriff Lopey and Sheriff Dean Wilson, of Del Norte County, serve on the nationwide board of directors of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. These sheriffs are finding they have the same issues and are standing together. And it is up to us to “support our local sheriff!”

Farmageddon

Reminder: Attend one of the Farmageddon events that will be held this weekend. On Friday, Jan. 20, the Siskiyou Water Users Association will show this movie at the Greenhorn Grange in Yreka. Time is 6:30 p.m. Please bring a dessert to share. Learn more on our website: Pie N Politics.com.

On Sat. Jan. 21, Scott Valley POW will host the Farmageddon movie at the Scott Valley Grange in Greenview. Time is 6:30 p.m. Bring a dessert to share for Pie N Politics afterwards.

Wolf in Siskiyou

A Canadian wolf from an Oregon pack traveled through western Siskiyou recently. Wolf reintroduction or migration is an emotional issue as seen at the Board of Supervisors meeting last week. I am not a wolf hater, but I sure would hate to meet up with one. The biggest reason I’m against any wolves in Siskiyou is that even the wildlife experts admit there is not enough of natural prey in California to maintain a wolf pack. We already have significant amount of predators in lions, bears and coyotes. So naturally, wolves will be eating our livestock, pets and possibly us; and they are a very real threat.

Leo Bergeron said it best: No wolves should be allowed in Siskiyou County.

Liz Bowen is a native of Siskiyou County. She writes biographies and free lances. Check out: Liz Bowen.com

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Liz Writes Life

Jan. 10, 2012

Published Siskiyou Daily News

Yreka, CA

Jan. 10, 2012

Farmageddon — the movie

Awareness is growing. Government over-regulations are destructive to business and society. Did you know more than 44,000 new laws were enacted in the U.S. at the beginning of 2012? How can more restrictions make our lives better?

Yes, here is Siskiyou County we feel the heavy hand and economic havoc from government agencies: county, state and federal. As most of you who read my column know, I am taking a stand for our Constitution. It is an amazing document and is the law of our land.

Recently, I was interviewed on a radio show, called America Betrayed with John Clark, and Rattlesnake Ray from Arizona joined us. I explained the “new” watershed-wide Permit situation demanded by State Dept. of Fish and Game, last year, which would have drastically affected our right to our irrigation water. Rattlesnake Ray quickly understood and explained a similar situation in Arizona.

So Siskiyou County is not alone. Rural America is under assault by bureaucracies that fully expect to thrive on the backs of the landowner and tax payer.

For more understanding of this insidiousness, please attend an eye-opening movie called Farmageddon. Admission is free. Seating will be first-come-first-serve. It will be shown twice in Siskiyou County.

Farmageddon features instances where family-owned farms and ranches have been assaulted and or destroyed by government agencies, officials and unfair regulations. The movie also shows how more and more “people” are finding ways to stand together.

Siskiyou Water Users Association, Scott Valley Protect Our Water, Greenhorn Grange, Scott Valley Grange, Save Rural America and FREE Rural America are sponsoring this event. For a synopsis and more info, check out: www. pienpolitics.com and click on the page tab at the top that says “Farmageddon.”

On Jan. 20, Farmageddon will be shown at the Greenhorn Grange at 6:30 p.m. in Yreka. There will be time for questions a after the movie shows. Debbie Bacigalupi will lead the discussion.

In Greenview, Farmageddon will be presented for Scott Valley POW’s meeting on Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Come early as we will also have a brief POW meeting.

The dates for Farmageddon were set to follow Mt. Shasta Cal-Trout’s meeting on Klamath Dam removal on Jan. 19. But organizer, Curtis Knight, called Dan Dorsey just before Christmas and said Cal-Trout canceled the meeting. Dan was disappointed, since he had contacted many organizations and elected officials asking them to attend the meeting and “ask the tough questions.”

For those of you who do not know, Cal-Trout is a Greenie group and Curtis Knight is one of the signers of the KBRA, called Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, as one of the “stakeholders.” Just to let you know, Siskiyou County wasn’t allowed to be a “stakeholder.” And the KBRA will include the removal of the four hydro-electric dams, which the Siskiyou Water Users, Scott Valley POW, Granges and Tea Parties are trying to save. It is outrageous that Cal-Trout was a stakeholder and the County of Siskiyou was not.

Darrah case

More anti-business activity: I was wrong on one item. District 5 Supervisor Marcia Armstrong emailed to tell me that she never voted against Keith Darrah. I thought the Board of Supervisors had already voted, once, against Darrah on his appeal of County Planning Director Terry Barber’s Stop Order (of construction work paving his Truck Village parking lot.) The Board did not make the vote to uphold Barber and the Siskiyou County Planning Commission’s decision until Dec. 29; and yes, Armstrong was not in attendance.

It was over a year ago, when the Planning Commission voted against Mr. Darrah and he appealed, which began this unique Judicial Procedure by the county. An unusual twist to that meeting is when a witness saw four Commissioners discussing Darrah’s documents after the meeting was adjourned for lunch. This is a clear violation of the Brown Act. After noticing they were being watched, the Commissioners left the meeting room in twos. The witness made a citizen’s complaint to the Yreka Police Dept. In follow-up by the YPD, three of the four Commissioners admitted to discussing the item outside of the meeting. Hum, wonder what happens next on that one?

And I couldn’t believe it when Supervisors Ed Valenzuela and Jim Cook stated on Dec. 29 that all Darrah had to do was get a Reclamation Plan for the construction site. Hello, is anyone staying on task? Darrah was never accused of needing a Reclamation Plan for paving a parking lot because under state law, it isn’t needed. A construction project is not a surface gravel mine. Darrah has an approved Reclamation Plan for his permitted gravel mine.

A new Reclamation Plan was not discussed during the 8 days of hearings. Most of the issues alleged are just smoke and mirrors and have cost the county over $312,000 — all because “good ol’ boys” and agencies want to over-regulate business.

Liz Bowen writes biographies and free lances. She has updated her website Liz Bowen.com

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Liz Writes Life

Jan. 2, 2012

Published in Siskiyou Daily News

Yreka, CA.

Jan. 2, 2012

Liz Writes Life

Rain last week was a welcome sight. It even rained in Callahan.  So I decided to check the carrots and see if they survived the frosty temperatures in December. It was in the low teens for several weeks and dropped to zero just before Christmas. I grabbed my shovel, because there was still a frozen crust on the ground. But the five carrots that were tossed up are good and crunchy. Whew!

It was cold enough to wilt the carrot tops that were sticking up from extra soil I pulled up adding protection – last fall – but I really would have liked to had layered flakes of old alfalfa hay for even more insulation. That means I gotta get some old alfalfa hay bales.

Three gardening catalogues arrived, already, in the mail – one before Christmas. No I am not in the mood to garden right now or even dream of gardening, but I decided to start at the back of the “Territorial Seed Company” catalogue and take a gander. All the supplies, tools and natural fertilizers just look like work. My one constant desire is to figure out cheap and easy ways to extend the season or start the season. It is so frustrating here, in Scott Valley, everything ripens at the same time. The cantaloupes were late this year as were the tomatoes. I would really like to enjoy both earlier in July. Making cold frames or putting up small greenhouse is the likely the answer.

Then, I read about the Arctic Beauty Kiwi. It is supposed to survive down to zone 3, which should make it here. I didn’t realize kiwi is a vine that can grow up to 20 feet, so you can also landscape with it on trellises or fences.  The plants are durable, hardy and relatively disease free, according to the catalogue. They prefer a part-sun location and produce slightly fragrant small flowers in early summer. This variety doesn’t need peeling like the ones we purchase in grocery stores as the skin is smooth. Both a male and female plant is necessary to produce fruit. Hum, if I could figure out where to put them, these would be fun. Ops, they ripen in September – like everything else!

Keith Darrah case

I wrote up a long comment after the hearing on Dec. 29 and it is posted on Pie N Politics.com. Just look for “Keith Darrah” in the category list in the right column and click. It will come up. Or you can find the December calendar on the left side and click Dec. 30.

Yes, the four supervisors in attendance voted against Keith Darrah.  District 5 Supervisor Marcia Armstrong was not in attendance, but has continually voted against Darrah. And, yes, Mr. Darrah filed a lawsuit, last fall, naming County Planning Director Terry Barber, past County Supervisor LaVada Erickson, a state employee from SMARA (the mining agency), and County of Siskiyou.

At the beginning of the hearing last Thursday, Darrah’s attorney Darren Mercier alleged the proper amount of time to “notice” the hearing had not been met. Those of us who were trying to find out when and where the hearing would be, agreed it was difficult to find the information before 2 p.m. the day before. We are looking into a possible Brown Act violation.

Surprisingly, it was a new state attorney from SMARA who narrowed Darrah’s alleged violation to this: In doing his construction work of paving his parking lot, the state attorney said Darrah “co-mingled” material from the “construction” parcel with material from the “surface gravel mine,” which is on the adjoining parcel.

The county Planning Dept. claims that 95 percent of the material from the construction project (paving the parking lot) was co-mingled with 5 percent of material from surface gravel mine. Apparently, “co-mingling” is a no-no.

Keep in mind that it is legal to sell material from a construction site, according to Terry Barber’s testimony during the hearing. I heard her say it.

It is also legal to sell material from a surface gravel mine, which is under a permit.  Darrah’s surface gravel mine was under a legitimate Permit!

Yep, all the allegations by the county during 8 days of hearings were really just smoke and mirrors. The state attorney finally provided the one real alleged violation? And the supervisors have spent $300,000 for two private attorneys to prosecute this case. A huge waste of our money.

For those who have not sat through these hearings, it is difficult to fathom the depths of this cover-up.

This case should never have taken place. Darrah never should have been out of business for 3 years. His 20-plus employees should still be working and the county should be receiving tax revenue from his business. Siskiyou County cannot afford for the “good ol’ boys” to rule the business community.

Liz Bowen writes biographies and free lances. Check out her website: www .lizbowen .com

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Scott Valley friend — Bunny Lincoln

‘The Spirit of Eagle Point’

By By BILL MILLER
for the Mail Tribune
January 12, 2012 – 2:00 AM

EAGLE POINT — When Bunny Lincoln retires in February, the city may lose its principal planner of 20 years, but residents will continue to have a nearby friend who always put others’ interests before her own.

“She is hugely the spirit of Eagle Point,” said City Administrator Dave Hussell, “a driving force for the community — making things happen by stepping up and providing leadership, not just by her words, but mostly by her actions.”

Born in Marin County, Calif., Lincoln moved to Siskiyou County with her family in the early 1960s, settling in the small town of Etna, not far from Yreka.

“I lived there a long time,” she said. “I spent my adolescence there. Went to high school and eventually taught there.”

Following her mother’s example, Lincoln became an English teacher, but in 1990, after teaching for a number of years, she decided to move to the Rogue Valley.

“When you lived where I did, a small community like Etna,” she said, “the place you go to when you want to see movies, go out to dinner, go to the doctor’s, go to the dentist’s, or do much of anything, is the Rogue Valley. I’ve always liked it here.”

She was hired by the city of Eagle Point and became the town’s first planner.

“There were 3,000 people when I came to work here in Eagle Point,” she said, “and now there are 10,000.”

“Bunny is a self-made planner,” Hussell said. “She learned how to be a planner because she wanted to do a good job. She picked the brains of some of the better planning people throughout this region to learn her craft. As result, she really got good at it.”

“Everyone always appreciated the fact that she could cut to the quick, get through a complex issue and see what the real problem was without a lot of verbiage,” said Michael Cavallaro, executive director of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. “She is always the voice of reason, always able to bring us back to task as we wander around in this wilderness of words.”

Cavallaro was surprised at how Lincoln was “always able to make clear, wise comments, even while she knitted during some very complicated meetings that involved Regional Problem Solving. I’ve never seen anyone else who was able to do that.

“She knows that city brick by brick,” he said. “She didn’t have to look anything up. We’d ask a question or something would come up and she would be able to answer it with GPS precision.”

Outside of City Hall, Lincoln has always been active in the Eagle Point Community Association, most recently leading the organization as its president.

“It does the community things that are special, each year and every year,” Hussell said. “Her involvement with the Fourth of July parade, the Easter egg hunts, the exotic dessert auctions and all the other things the group does, really means a lot to this community.”

He said what really amazes him is how Lincoln seems to know everybody in town.

“It’s uncanny,” he said, “Bunny literally knows everybody. You talk to her about something or somebody and she knows who they are. She knows their relatives. She knows their dad and mother.”

Even while the city looks for a new planner, Hussell said Lincoln will be difficult to replace, “Just because of her and her personality and her attitude about dealing with issues,” he said.

“She’s very tenacious and she pretty much tells you the way it is and as a result she has created huge respect,” he said. “She’s not afraid to tell you what she thinks and why she thinks it and most of the time she’s right.”

Bunny Lincoln doesn’t seem fazed by the coming change in her life. She said she hasn’t made many plans about what she’ll be doing after she steps down Feb. 29 — except to say it won’t be retirement.

“I’m not really retiring,” she said. “I’m just taking a turn in the road and going off to do some other things.”

Writer Bill Miller lives in Shady Cove. Reach him at newsmiller@live.com.

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What a fabulous life story this is: Mom reunites with biological child 77 years later

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Minka Disbrow, 100, shows a photo of her, right, and daughter Ruth Lee taken the day they first reunited in 2006. The Associated Press

By Amy Taxin Associated Press / January 3, 2012

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) -- For most of her 100 years, Minka Disbrow tried to find out what became of the precious baby girl she gave up for adoption after being raped as a teen.

She hoped, but never imagined, she'd see her Betty Jane again.

The cruel act of violence bore in Disbrow an enduring love for the child. She kept a black and white photograph of the baby bundled in blankets and tucked inside a basket.

It was the last she saw of the girl -- until the phone rang in her California apartment in 2006 with the voice of an Alabama man and a story she could have only dreamed.

Disbrow, the daughter of Dutch immigrants, weathered a harsh childhood milking cows on South Dakota dairy farms. Her stepfather thought high school was for city kids who had nothing else to do. She finished eighth grade in a country schoolhouse with just one teacher and worked long hours at the dairy.

On a summer day in 1928 while picnicking with girls from a sewing class, Disbrow and her friend Elizabeth were jumped by three men as they went for a walk in their long dresses.

Both were raped.

"We didn't know what to do. We didn't know what to say. So when we went back, nothing was said," Disbrow recalled.

Months passed. Her body began to change.

Disbrow, who had been told babies were brought by storks, didn't know what was happening.

Her mother and stepfather sent her to a Lutheran home for pregnant girls. At 17, she gave birth to a blond-haired baby with a deep dimple in her chin and named her Betty Jane.

In her heart, Disbrow longed to keep her. But her head and her mother told her she couldn't bring an infant back to the farm.

A pastor and his wife were looking to adopt a child. She hoped they could give Betty Jane the home she couldn't.

"I loved that baby so much. I wanted what was best," Disbrow said.

She never met them, or knew their names. But over the years, Disbrow wrote dozens of letters to the adoption agency to find out how her daughter was faring. The agency replied faithfully with updates until there was a change in management, and they eventually lost touch.

Disbrow's life went on. She married a fruit salesman who became a wartime pilot and drafting engineer and they had two children. She worked as a dressmaker, silk saleswoman and school cafeteria manager in cities spanning from Rhode Island to Minnesota and Northern California before moving to the seaside town of San Clemente an hour's drive north of San Diego.

Every year, she thought about Betty Jane on her May 22 birthday.

Read more:

http://www.boston.com/community/moms/articles/2012/01/03/mom_reunites_with_biological_child_77_years_later/

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More sheriffs standing tall

Larry Pratt — Sheriffs Standing with the People against the Feds

http://www.newswithviews.com/Pratt/larry124.htm

SHERIFFS STANDING WITH THE PEOPLE AGAINST THE FEDS

By Larry Pratt
January 7, 2012
NewsWithViews.com

I have reported earlier that sheriffs in New Mexico are threatening to arrest federal agents if they attempt to enforce unconstitutional federal acts in contravention of state law.

The even better news is that sheriffs in other states are doing the same. Sheriff Brad Rogers of Elkhart County, Indiana has told Food and Drug Administration agents they will be arrested if they go on Amish farmer David Hochstetler’s land. Having falsely alleged that raw, unpasteurized milk sold by Hochstetler had caused several cases of food poisoning, the FDA filed a complaint in federal court to support their attack on the farmer.

I have consumed raw milk for years and can affirm that it is not only safe, but much healthier than pasteurized milk.

The threat of incarceration led the feds to withdraw their complaint against Hochstetler. This was even after US Department of Justice attorney Ross Goldstein emailed the Sheriff that he would be arrested if he protected Hochstetler. When Sheriff Rogers refused to back down, the FDA cried uncle.

Rogers’s communication to the feds seemed to have been quite convincing: “Any further attempts to inspect this farm without a warrant signed by a local judge, based on probable cause, will result in Federal inspectors’ removal or arrest for trespassing by my officers or I.” The feds have gotten used to acting without due process — in this case, that means not bothering to get a search warrant.

Rogers’ campaign website listed his number one objective as “Upholding the Constitution.” He is also concerned about the heart condition of his inmates and is determined to help “Provide Hope to Change a Heart.” Under that header he says, “The Elkhart County jail has 74 church services a month and allows unprecedented access to ministry volunteers. Not only can we impact inmates for the here and now, but for eternity.”

Sheriff Rogers requires his deputies to take three, two-day classes on the Constitution (at a tuition rate of $125 per person).

Rogers is not alone in his love for the Constitution. Ellis County, Texas Sheriff Johnny Brown has stated that he would resist any effort by the federal government to confiscate firearms in his county.

Sheriff Joe Baca in Sierra County, California told his county commission that he will not enforce road closures on Bureau of Land Management and Gila National Forest Lands.

Sheriff Gil Gilbertson of Josephine County, Oregon has told the Forest Service that he will protect those using the forest in his county. He has written a short treatise entitled, “Unraveling Federal Jurisdiction within a State.” It is actually a scholarly piece based on citations from the Constitution, court cases and statutes and concludes that the Forest Service has no authority in any county.

Siskiyou County, California Sheriff Jon Lopey has said: “I have told federal and state officials over and over that, yes, we want to preserve the environment, but you care more about the fish, frogs, trees and birds than you do about the human race. When will you start to balance your decisions to the needs of the people?…We are right now in a fight for our survival.” Lopey spearheaded a coalition of eight sheriffs calling themselves: “Defend Rural America.”

In the days after Hurricane Katrina, power was out for days. Food and medicine were about to be lost. So Sheriff Billy McGee of Forrest County, Mississippi — a Democrat – took action when he realized that a federal shipment of six trucks of ice bound for Hattiesburg turned out to be only four. McGee went in search of the other two and found them being guarded by some Army reservists who possessed bureaucratic mindsets.

McGee took steps to secure the ice, but was told he was not authorized to take the vehicles. When a reservist would not get off one of the trucks, McGee had him handcuffed. The ice was delivered where it was needed in Hattiesburg, explaining why McGee is also known as The Ice Man.

Not surprisingly, the feds have brought suit against the Sheriff in federal court. Perhaps McGee will arrest any marshals seeking to interfere with the duties of a peace officer.

It is encouraging that men of integrity, who understand that the sheriff is the top law enforcement officer in his county, have been elected in counties around the country. We should be looking for more who fit this description.

Please let me know if you are aware of any constitutional sheriffs, and email me their names and stories at ldpratt@gunowners.org.

© 2012 Larry Pratt – All Rights Reserved


Erich Pratt is the Director of Communications for Gun Owners of America, a national gun lobby with over 300,000 members. GOA is located at 8001 Forbes Place, Springfield, VA 22151.

Either Pratt or another GOA spokesman is available for press interviews.

Larry Pratt has been Executive Director of Gun Owners of America for 27 years. GOA is a national membership organization of 300,000 Americans dedicated to promoting their second amendment freedom to keep and bear arms.

He published a book, Armed People Victorious, in 1990 and was editor of a book, Safeguarding Liberty: The Constitution & Militias, 1995. His latest book, On the Firing Line: Essays in the Defense of Liberty was published in 2001.

The GOA web site is: gunowners.org. Pratt’s weekly talk show Live Fire is archived there at: www.gunowners.org/radio.htm

E-Mail: ldpratt@gunowners.org

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Oregon Congressman aids homeless veteran

Ongoing work for Oregon’s veterans

News from Congressman Greg Walden

Recently, a homeless veteran from Medford contacted my office regarding a claim he had filed for veterans benefits. My office inquired on his behalf, and the folks at the VA Regional Office in Portland responded quickly — two days after Christmas, we were informed that the veteran’s claim had been approved and that he received a check for retroactive benefits of almost $16,000 and is now being compensated at the rate of $2,040 per month.

Records of military service are vital for our veterans when they attempt to access the benefits they have earned. Sometimes, our veterans encounter difficulty navigating the complex bureaucratic process surrounding a records request. A veteran from Harney County had been struggling with just such a request, despite the best efforts of the County Veterans Service Officer, since April 2011. When my office was contacted in November, I inquired with the National Personnel Records Center on his behalf and I am happy to report that a complete copy of this veteran’s service records was delivered in just over a month. As a result, the veteran now has the evidence needed to file a claim for service-connected disability.

Also, just before the end of the year, my staff helped organize a meeting between central Oregon veterans advocacy groups and VA officials to continue to strengthen relationships in the HUD-VASH Program — that’s the initiative that helps chronically homeless veterans find housing and an opportunity to get their lives back on a positive track. I got involved to help speed the dispersal of housing vouchers after I learned about Delbert Dungan, a homeless veteran from central Oregon who suffered serious burns in an accident in his tent on Christmas day in 2010—about 6 months after he signed up to receive a housing voucher.

The picture is much better now—central Oregon has 50 vouchers for homeless veterans. The VA and community organizations, including the Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, have done good work to give veterans in that area a chance to get a roof over their heads.

We expect the VA to release another round of 10,000 vouchers nationwide, but details are not yet available regarding how many will be awarded to southern, central, and eastern Oregon. I’ll keep you posted.

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Calling elected state officials worked!

Sent from CA. Assemblyman Dist 2 Jim Nielsen

Victory!

Author Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has pulled AB 266! We want to thank you for calling your Assemblymembers as well as the Assembly Education Committee. Because of the pressure you applied this bill has been withdrawn. Your voice was heard loud and clear!

If this bill would have gone through it would have allowed for self-selection of gender by students. Boys would have had access to the girl’s locker room and bathrooms and would have been allowed to play and compete on girl’s sports teams, starting in elementary school.

But because of your hard work this bill has seen it’s end!

Thank you for standing for children in CA schools!

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Liz Writes Life

Jan. 2, 2012

Published Siskiyou Daily News

Rain last week was a welcome sight. It even rained in Callahan.  So I decided to check the carrots and see if they survived the frosty temperatures in December. It was in the low teens for several weeks and dropped to zero just before Christmas. I grabbed my shovel, because there was still a frozen crust on the ground. But the five carrots that were tossed up are good and crunchy. Whew!

It was cold enough to wilt the carrot tops that were sticking up from extra soil I pulled up adding protection – last fall – but I really would have liked to had layered flakes of old alfalfa hay for even more insulation. That means I gotta get some old alfalfa hay bales.

Three gardening catalogues arrived, already, in the mail – one before Christmas. No I am not in the mood to garden right now or even dream of gardening, but I decided to start at the back of the “Territorial Seed Company” catalogue and take a gander. All the supplies, tools and natural fertilizers just look like work. My one constant desire is to figure out cheap and easy ways to extend the season or start the season. It is so frustrating here, in Scott Valley, everything ripens at the same time. The cantaloupes were late this year as were the tomatoes. I would really like to enjoy both earlier in July. Making cold frames or putting up small greenhouse is the likely the answer.

Then, I read about the Arctic Beauty Kiwi. It is supposed to survive down to zone 3, which should make it here. I didn’t realize kiwi is a vine that can grow up to 20 feet, so you can also landscape with it on trellises or fences.  The plants are durable, hardy and relatively disease free, according to the catalogue. They prefer a part-sun location and produce slightly fragrant small flowers in early summer. This variety doesn’t need peeling like the ones we purchase in grocery stores as the skin is smooth. Both a male and female plant is necessary to produce fruit. Hum, if I could figure out where to put them, these would be fun. Ops, they ripen in September – like everything else!

Keith Darrah case

I wrote up a long comment after the hearing on Dec. 29 and it is posted on Pie N Politics.com. Just look for “Keith Darrah” in the category list in the right column and click. It will come up. Or you can find the December calendar on the left side and click Dec. 30.

Yes, the four supervisors in attendance voted against Keith Darrah.  District 5 Supervisor Marcia Armstrong was not in attendance, but has continually voted against Darrah. And, yes, Mr. Darrah filed a lawsuit, last fall, naming County Planning Director Terry Barber, past County Supervisor LaVada Erickson, a state employee from SMARA (the mining agency), and County of Siskiyou.

At the beginning of the hearing last Thursday, Darrah’s attorney Darren Mercier alleged the proper amount of time to “notice” the hearing had not been met. Those of us who were trying to find out when and where the hearing would be, agreed it was difficult to find the information before 2 p.m. the day before. We are looking into a possible Brown Act violation.

Surprisingly, it was a new state attorney from SMARA who narrowed Darrah’s alleged violation to this: In doing his construction work of paving his parking lot, the state attorney said Darrah “co-mingled” material from the “construction” parcel with material from the “surface gravel mine,” which is on the adjoining parcel.

The county Planning Dept. claims that 95 percent of the material from the construction project (paving the parking lot) was co-mingled with 5 percent of material from surface gravel mine. Apparently, “co-mingling” is a no-no.

Keep in mind that it is legal to sell material from a construction site, according to Terry Barber’s testimony during the hearing. I heard her say it.

It is also legal to sell material from a surface gravel mine, which is under a permit.  Darrah’s surface gravel mine was under a legitimate Permit!

Yep, all the allegations by the county during 8 days of hearings were really just smoke and mirrors. The state attorney finally provided the one real alleged violation? And the supervisors have spent $300,000 for two private attorneys to prosecute this case. A huge waste of our money.

For those who have not sat through these hearings, it is difficult to fathom the depths of this cover-up.

This case should never have taken place. Darrah never should have been out of business for 3 years. His 20-plus employees