Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/199146
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25, 2013 Eagle Project Educates LosMo Court Education Page Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 2B SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Mostly Sunny 83/50 Weather forecast 8A TEHAMA COUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 L asting tribu te County OKs raises for deputies By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer The Tehama County Board of Supervisors approved a new classification system Tuesday that essentially gives 5 percent salary raises to 46 sheriff's deputies and correctional officers. Sheriff Dave Hencratt said the new two-tiered structure would provide an incentive for his employees to stay in Tehama County, decreasing the overall attrition of his department. The new classification specifications create two steps for correctional officers and sheriff's deputies. Promotion to the second step, which comes at the sole discretion of the sheriff, comes with a 5 percent increase in salary. Correctional officers earn between $37,368 and $45,516 per year. Sheriff's deputies are paid between See RAISES, page 7A Gun groups consider recalls of Calif. lawmakers Daily News photo by Andre Byik Red Bluff Cemetery District manager Gary Wilson, left, and former manager turned district board of trustees member Ed Byrd hope to spur donations with a recently installed Endowment Care Donors monument at the district office in Red Bluff. By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer The Red Bluff Cemetery District is in survival mode, and a longtime manager turned trustee has an idea to help keep the district above ground. Ed Byrd, who managed the cemetery district from 1960 to 1991 before he became a district trustee in 2011, sees how the Great Recession affected the district's finances, which current manager Gary Wilson describes as "dire." The cemetery grounds aren't as green as they should be because of water considerations, some crew members that tended to the district's three cemeteries have been laid off, and equipment is aging. "I have people complain that the cemetery is looking horrible," Wilson says. "Yes, it is. I agree with them. Yes, it is. My mow crew has been off, we've been busy with burials and we haven't had time to mow is what it comes down to. Things are suffering out here." Byrd, 84, proposed in February an idea that's fitting for the district: a monument that would recognize those who make donations to the district's Endowment Care Fund. In August, a two-pillar granite monument was installed outside the district office off Walnut Street. Byrd helped pay for cost of materials and is featured on the monument's first installed plaque. "$50,000.00," it reads. "By Joseph E. Byrd. In memory of my beloved wife of 64 years. Hazel B. Byrd. Jan. 4 1928 - July 5, 2010." "I did it for her as much as anybody else," says Byrd, who said he fell in love his managerial job that kept him well connected with Tehama County. The minimum donation to receive a plaque on the monument is $5,000, and Byrd admits that a donation can take time — sometimes years — to come to fruition. But like a grave marker, the donation and the plaque that comes with it could last hundreds of years. The district's Endowment Care Fund is one of three main sources of income for the cemetery district, manager Gary Wilson says, but it comes with a catch. The money in the fund, about $2 million now, can't be touched. That money goes toward low-risk investments such as mutual funds or certificates of deposit, where it accumulates interest. "It's not our money," Byrd says. "It belongs to the people." It's the accumulated interest on investments that can be used by the district, and with interest rates at 2, 3 and 4 percent in recent years, the district brings in about $40,000 to $50,000 per year, Byrd says, while the district runs at a deficit and tries to spend as little money as possible. The cemetery district comprises Oak Hill Cemetery, St. Mary's Cemetery and Lowrey Cemetery, and its financial woes are compounded by the See TRIBUTE, page 7A SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gun owners groups said Thursday they are considering recall campaigns against five Democratic lawmakers in California, including Assembly Speaker John Perez, for supporting a variety of firearms bills this year. The effort could be patterned on recall elections in September that unseated two Colorado legislators, including the state Senate president. The successful Colorado recalls suggest that lawmakers also are vulnerable in California, Jennifer Kerns, who recently founded the group Free California, said at a Capitol news conference. Some of the lawmakers are newly elected to their seats and have the support of independents who are more likely to oppose gun restrictions, she said. Kerns is a Republican political strategist who helped with the Colorado effort. She also is the spokeswoman for the gubernatorial campaign of Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly of Twin Peaks, who was the only lawmaker to attend the news conference. Donnelly said lawmakers who voted for gun control measures ignored their pledge to support the Constitution. ''When they violate that oath by trying to erase the Second Amendment, then I think we have a duty ... to remove that threat,'' he said in an interview before the news conference. He and Kerns denied that the event was designed to promote his bid for governor, noting that both have long opposed gun control measures. The announcement See RECALLS, page 7A Red Bluff, Corning Fundraiser brings in more than $5K schools lauded BloodSource recently announced achievements related to North State area high school blood drives, including Red Bluff Union High School and Corning High School. High school students and their community service efforts through blood donation make a tremendous difference in saving thousands of lives each year. Meredith Spencer, BloodSource director of Operations, thanks high school blood drive teams and school advisors for their commitment to provide a safe and plentiful blood supply for patients in need. "We depend on the generous efforts of high school students who hope to make a difference in their communities by giving what only another human can give – blood," she said. "Each day, we strive to collect 700 units of blood to meet patient needs." 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff won an award for the Most Registered Donors in the Large School Category and Corning received an award for Most Units Collected at a single Blood Drive. Mike Burke from Redding shared his family's story about his daughter Annie and her fight against leukemia that started when she was 2 years old and lasted for several years. Annie, now a high school student, received many blood transfusions. Her family is immensely grateful for blood donors and their lifesaving gifts. BloodSource applauds high school students who help with an important community health need. High school seniors who participate on school blood drive committees are eligible to apply for a $500 college scholarship from BloodSource. Established in 1948 as a not-for-profit community blood bank, BloodSource provides life-saving services to millions of people in 26 counties throughout Northern and Central California. Tabs 4 Toby, a fundraiser for the family of an ill Red Bluff boy, raised more than $5,000 with a spaghetti feed Sunday at the Moose Lodge, 11745 State Route 99W. Four-year-old Toby Drummond, the son of Mercy High School graduates Bryce and Suzanne Drummond, was diagnosed at an early age with Arnold Chiari Malformation Type 1. This means the portion of the brain controlling his central nervous system is being choked off by his spinal cord, causing paralysis and inability to sit up, crawl, walk, talk and sometimes eat. To move forward in treatment, a genetic test to see what mutations there might be must be done and insurance won't pay for the $10,000 test, which doctors want done before Toby turns 5. Tehama County residents turned out in large numbers for the fundraiser with several going above and beyond. The Tehama Firefighters Burn and Benevolent Fund donated $1,000 and Donna Bushnell donated $150, well above the suggested price of a meal. Singer and songwriter Chad Bushnell, who is Courtesy photo competing in the top 15 for American Country Star in Nashville, Tenn., drove back from a show in Sacramento the day of the event to perform with his band. Bushnell left town a few hours later to fly to Nashville. The event was a coordinated effort between the Drummonds and Jessie Woods, owner of the Gold Exchange, who has col- lected soda can tabs for the family for years. Tabs are used to help with the cost of staying at the Ronald Macdonald house. See $5K, page 7A