Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/8847
THURSDAY APRIL 8, 2010 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Top Poet PASTIMES See 4A RED BLUFF Rodeo All-Stars SPORTS 1B Partly cloudy 67/49 Weather forecast 8B By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Supervisors might have been ready to reapprove the 3,730-home Sun City Tehama project in northern Tehama County on Tuesday, had attorney Tom Lippe not delivered a stack of memos a quarter-of-an-inch thick the day before. “All of a sudden, we’re into another world,” Supervisor George Russell said. Lippe, representing the California Oak Foundation, sued the county over the project’s impact on nearby oak trees. The foundation’s claims were all dismissed by the California Court of Appeal’s Third Appellate District, except for one. The court agreed that the county set fees for Interstate 5 improvements without disclosing an e- mail from its own consultant on the subject. In the e-mail, consultant Robert DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Sun City on hold, again Spencer stated the amount a developer can afford to spend on infrastructure is usually below 15 to 20 percent of the finished home price. The county was required by the court to undo the approval of every document relative to the project, but was given the option of reapproving it they disclosed the consultant’s e-mail and made it part of public record. Spencer has since been reached and agreed with the county’s original pro- posal of charging the developer a total of $13 million for regional traffic improvements, $3 million of which would go to mainline I- 5 improve- ments, officials said Tuesday. CalTrans methodology puts the developer’s “fair share” of I-5 improve- ments at $57 million. Lippe, whose suit has been joined by Chico-based non-profit AquAl- liance, argued the cost would put an undue burden on CalTrans and taxpay- ers by extension. He also argued Spencer’s advice was outdated because it uses 2006 home price estimates. He cited a report from an indepen- dent economist, whose calculations indicate the developer could fund the full $57 million while staying under 15 percent, and called for a new Environ- mental Impact Report. Richard Zeilenga, attorney for Developer Pulte Homes, accused Lippe and his clients of serving as a front for CalTrans and of bringing up evidence that should have been consid- ered at the beginning of the lawsuit. He rejected Lippe’s argument for submitting the memo the day before the meeting. Lippe had said the memo could only be drafted once the county’s staff report was available, but Zeilenga said the county’s intentions should have See SUN, page 7A Making a future through the past Wake up with brew and boots The Red Bluff Round- Up kicks off officially at 7:45 a.m. today with Cowboy Coffee at the Red Bluff Round-Up Museum in front of the Tehama District Fair. Bill Cornelius will be Master of Ceremonies and there will be presentations on upcoming Round-Up week events. Winners of the dec- orating contest will also be announced. The event is free and open to the public. Saturday packed with Round-up Week events By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Downtown Red Bluff is the place to be this weekend when traditional events kick off Round-Up Week. There will be live entertainment, over 20 craft and food vendors, a beer garden and more. The Kiddie Kapers Parade starts at 10:30 a.m. near the courthouse lawn. The classic car show will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Washington and Pine streets. “It’s basically a family fun day,” said Chili-Cook organizer Michelle Blunkall said. Spring Run Soroptimist International of Red Bluff will hold its 10th annual Spring Run starting at 8 a.m. Everyone is invited to come out and participate or watch, Mary Alice George said. The event has gotten bigger and better each year and usually has about 80 to 100 people participating. Any- one from professional runners to families with toddlers in strollers have been seen on the course. The run will feature a 5 km, 10 km and 1-mile fun run-walk and will take place near the Red Bluff Diver- sion Dam. Race day registration will be $25. Chili Cook-Off A number of competitive chili cookers will compete to qualify for the World Champion Chili Cook-Off. The cooking starts at 10 a.m. for those who want to watch. At about 11:30 a.m., the public will get the chance to sample from the 25 people’s choice entries. Tickets are $2 each. Proceeds benefit the Red Bluff Rotary Club. “Come out and sample some world class chili and vote for your favorite,” Blunkall said. Carol Hancock, CEO of the International Chili Soci- ety, will be at the event. This will be Hancock’s first time in Red Bluff. Magic Movie After a long day of fun, the family can settle down to a classic John Wayne movie. A screening of the “The Cowboy” will be held at the State Theatre as part of its Magic of Movies series. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $3 adults, $2 children ages six to 12 , and free for children under- five. Proceeds benefit the Shasta College Humanities Through the Film class. Courtesy photo Luke Trout takes note of petroglyphs found while surveying an area in southern Arizona. By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer By the time he was 13 years old, Luke Trout knew he wanted to be an archeol- ogist. He used to dig up the backyard and just couldn’t get enough, he said. Trout, a 2005 Mercy High School graduate, went on to study archeology at Humboldt State University and now works as an arche- ology intern at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arizona. Trout and his coworkers survey areas before the land is cleared and used for wildlife habitat rehabilita- tion. Archeologists take an inventory of everything to make sure that no artifacts are present. “It’s about conserving our cultural resources,” Trout said. If anything of signifi- cance is found, the area is flagged for further study. Some of the interesting things Trout has found at a site are a stone ball the size of a softball and 12 inch- thick coaster-like objects. When artifacts are found during excavation they are left in place until their importance is determined. Archeologists obtain the help of Native Americans from the Tohono O’odham Nation when evaluating the artifacts. The wildlife refuge staff works closely with the nation, one of the largest Native American reserva- tions in the US, Trout said. The tribe has taught the archeologists a lot about the findings and the significance of landmarks in the area, including a mountain peak that the tribe says is where it originated. “Working with the nation is one of the great aspects of the job,” Trout said. “Our constantly working together adds something to the expe- rience.” Trout has met world- class archeologists who spe- cialize in the Hohokam cul- ture, which dominates the archeological record in southern Arizona. His work has taken him to some of the most remote areas of the state. Some areas near the Mexico bor- der have never been archae- ologically surveyed before, he said. On the border With the refuge being so close to the Mexico border Trout has seen illegal immi- gration first hand while sur- veying sites, he said. Trout’s first experience seeing illegal immigrants was three men with back- packs heading north, appar- Round-Up Hours Open Jack the Ribber SPECIAL Saturday, April 10 11am - 9pm Come by after the Chili Cook off 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff Outdoor Power 1150 Monroe St. • 527-6108 (530) ently looking for work, he said. Other times, he has seen odd things such as abandoned backpacks and even bicycles. “Despite being in such a remote area we clearly were not alone,” Trout said. “And yet, I never felt worried about my safety.” The archeologists have been mistaken as illegal immigrants while surveying in their field clothes. During that incident, the border patrol circled above them in a helicopter, he said. Being right in the front lines of the illegal immigra- tion controversy, including the presence of human rights groups such as See PAST, page 7A California seeks to reduce influence on pension funds SACRAMENTO (AP) — California lawmakers took a step Wednesday toward cracking down on the middlemen that help private investment firms land lucrative contracts with the state’s giant pension funds. The use of so-called ‘‘placement agents’’ has erupted into a scandal in California and New York, where allegations of cronyism and exorbitant fees have prompted investigations. On Wednesday, the state Assembly’s Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Commit- tee voted 4-1, with one member abstaining, to improve oversight of the way California public pen- sion funds invest money. The California Public Employees Retirement Sys- tem is the nation’s largest pension fund, with about $210 billion in assets under management. The California bill would require placement agents to register as lobbyists and file quarterly reports stating any gifts or fees they received. It also would prohibit the practice of allowing out- See FUNDS, page 7A • “Main Street or Wall Street” banking, which do you want As Local As.... CALL TODAY 529-1222 237 South Main Street • Still offering better than free checking • Now offering Health Savings Accounts • Local decision making • Community Support