Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/14095
WEEKEND JULY 31 - AUG. 1, 2010 Breaking news at: Can you keep a secret? USA Weekend www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF Rivalry back home SPORTS 1B Weather forecast 10A Sunny 95/65 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 Festival looks to sue county By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Tehama County could be going to court over a financially ruined five-day art, music and spirituality festival. Originally scheduled for Flournoy, then the Tehama Dis- trict Fairground, then near Man- ton at Water Wheel Park, the Mystic Garden Party ended early on July 24 in an economic collapse. “It was only by a series of miraculous events that we actu- ally made it to the (headlining) Michael Fonte concert, which Michael agreed to do for no compensation,” Producer Jason Gallagher said. The chaos left vendors like John Ross, of Chico-based Northern California Fence, with little or no pay. Ross began with what was supposed to be a day’s worth of work. But by the end of the day he was holding a bad check and it was clear the work would require another day and then some, he said. As of Friday Ross had not received the $5,300 owed to Parker fights ammo law By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Sheriff Clay Parker, the National Rifle Association and the California Rifle and Pistol Association are setting their sights on a controversial handgun ammunition law. AB 962 takes effect in February and would post new restrictions on ownership and sales of handgun ammunition. Vendors would have to collect thumb prints from customers and could be limited to face-to- face transactions. Parker, the suit’s lead plaintiff, said the bill is broken and misguided. Many bullets are used interchangeably between hand- guns and rifles, a distinction the bill fails to make. “Right now I can’t go out and enforce it because I don’t know what handgun ammu- nition is,” he said. Besides its broad language, Parker objected to the bill on principle. “The way I look at it, all it’s doing is infringing on people’s second amendment rights,” he said. Parker, a member of both the NRA and CRPA, said he was active in the case of McDonald v. Chicago, a citywide ban on handgun registration overturned by the Supreme Court in June. His position as sheriff affected the deci- sion to make him the lead plaintiff, a move the NRA/CRPA Foundation Legal Action Project called “highly unusual” in its press release. Part of the NRA and CRPA’s strategy may involve his police experience, Parker said. “There’s a lot of law enforcement offi- cers that think taking guns away from peo- ple is a good idea,” Parker said. “ Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, who drafted the legislation, has said the bill would keep ammunition from criminals. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton were both present at the bill’s sign- ing, according to a statement on Leon’s website. Daily News photo by Chip Thompson A push is on to create a classroom at William B. Ide Adobe State Park. Special to the DN The William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park has no education center and training classroom, yet it has a building that houses a now unused tank for well water. California State Parks has funding to remove the old water storage tanks, knock down the inside walls of the building, and donated architectural plans for construction, but the park has no money to do any of the finish work required to make the building a suit- able, safe and usable classroom. Such a facility would benefit the park by providing a room for training docents, especially high school stu- dents from Red Bluff Union High School, to present living history pro- grams. This feature to the community would provide an indoor space that Filing period open for Nov. election Staff Report Tehama County Clerk & Recorder Beverly Ross announces that the Candi- date Filing Period is open for the Consolidated Gen- eral Election to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2, for spe- cial district board of direc- tors, governing board members for school dis- tricts and city offices. The filing period closes on Friday, Aug. 6, for all interested parties includ- ing incumbents. If incum- bents do not file for open positions then the filing deadline will be extended until Wednesday, Aug. 11, for all interested parties excluding incumbents. The following posi- tions are open for filing: Red Bluff City Council, Corning City Council, Corning Mayor, Tehama City Council and Tehama City Treasurer. Board of Directors of Corning Healthcare District, El Camino Irrigation Dis- trict, Gerber/Las Flores Community Services Dis- trict and Los Molinos Community Services Dis- trict. Governing Board Mem- bers of Tehama County Board of Education, Antelope School District, Bend School District, Capay Joint Union School District, Corning Union Elementary School Dis- trict, Corning High School District, Elkins School District, Ever- green School District, Flournoy School District, 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See FILING, page 9A offers a multitude of other public pre- sentations and educational programs, said Robii Dotson, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ante- lope Ward. “I believe this is a very unique and perhaps inspired opportunity for our citizenry, regardless of religion, to come together and render another form of humanitarian aid that not only beau- tifies and restores California parks and historic sites but magnifies their ser- vice to the public,” Dotson said. “It is also my belief that all the citizens of Red Bluff and Northern Californians owe it to ourselves, our youth, our tourists to raise the $6,000 needed to convert the unused tank house to an education center/training classroom.” The state’s budget crisis simply cannot continue supporting state parks, See ADOBE, page 9A Feed the Children food drive ‘The brand of the Mystic Garden Party is so destroyed. (Tehama County) may have destroyed the business’ Producer Jason Gallagher him by Gallagher, he said. “Lesson learned,” Ross said. Gallagher declined to dis- close just how much money the event lost or how many vendors went unpaid, citing unfinished calculations. He blamed the county. Months before the event, Tehama County Planner II Robert Halpin told Gallagher the county’s festival ordinance was unconstitutional and would not be enforced. At the time, Halpin was in talks to work in a spot for his Adobe classroom own band at the Mystic Garden Party. Halpin confirmed the e-mail, which was sent from a personal account. But he also notified Gallagher when the county changed its festival permit process in April to one it could enforce. Gallagher still had 87 days to apply for a permit, Halpin said. “Rules change, right?,” Halpin said. “Life goes on.” Gallagher said he took Halpin’s initial e-mail as a sign to begin work on installing See SUE, page 9A Redding bird had West Nile REDDING – A dead house finch retrieved by the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control was tested at U.C. Davis and confirmed to be positive for West Nile virus, according to a press release from Shasta County Public Health. The bird was found on July 15 in Redding. “The WNV-positive dead bird is an early indicator that we are in West Nile virus season, and people need to prevent mosquito bites,” said John Albright of the Shasta MVCD. The virus was introduced into Shasta County by birds and is transmitted from birds to humans by mosquitoes. The virus has infected people in the North State every year from 2004-2008. West Nile can be serious, and during the summer and fall, residents need to remem- ber to make effective mosquito repellent a part of their regular outdoor routine. “West Nile virus disease is uncom- mon, but if you have symptoms including high fever, severe headache and stiff neck, contact your health care provider immediately,” said Andrew Deckert, health officer for Shasta County Public Health. “We need to put West Nile virus prevention into our everyday routine.” The best way to avoid the virus is to prevent mosquito bites using the Four Ds: • DRAIN standing water around the house weekly since it’s where mosqui- toes lay eggs. This includes tires, cans, flower pots, clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, toys and puddles. • DUSK & DAWN are when mosqui- toes that carry the virus are most active, so limit outdoor activities or take precau- tions to prevent mosquito bites. • DEET is an effective ingredient to look for in insect repellents. Always fol- See BIRD, page 9A Courtesy photo Many downtown businesses teamed up with the Red Bluff Family Resource Center for a Feed the Children food drive. Center Director Barbara Kurbanick accepted the truck load donation of nutritional breakfast and lunch foods for local children in need. Collection Chairman Jessie Woods of the Gold Exchange,thanks the community for their support and help in assisting Tehama County Children.