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TUESDAY JANUARY 4, 2011 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Healthy towns See Inside American Profile RED BLUFF Magical encounter Sports 1B Sunny 52/31 Weather forecast 8B 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 28 years later: Jerry Brown returns SACRAMENTO (AP) — Democrat Jerry Brown was sworn in Monday as Califor- nia’s 39th governor, returning to the office he left 28 years ago but inheriting a much different and more troubled state than the one he led then. The man who once was Cal- ifornia’s most famous bachelor took the oath of office after being introduced by his wife of five years, former Gap Inc. executive Anne Gust Brown, inside Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. As California Supreme Court Justice Tani Cantil- Sakauye administered the oath, Gust Brown held a Bible that had belonged to her grandfather and was used during her wed- ding with Brown. Brown has predicted a grim future for the financially belea- guered state. Where his prede- cessor, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, expressed optimism at every turn, Brown has been realistic since winning the Nov. 2 election. California has faced several years of deep budget deficits and is con- fronting another estimated at $28 billion through June 2012. Its general fund is $15 bil- lion less than it was just three years ago, reflecting a sharp drop in tax revenue from a recession that has battered the economy of the nation’s most populous state. Brown, 72, said the choices facing California’s 38.8 million people are painful. ‘‘The year ahead will demand courage and sacrifice,’’ he said. Brown noted how the reces- sion has taken a toll on Califor- nia and referred to polls show- ing most voters believing the state is on the wrong track. He urged lawmakers from both political parties to get out of their comfort zones and rise above ideology for the good of the state, asking them to embrace a ‘‘philosophy of loy- alty’’ to California. See BROWN, page 7A MCT photo Gov. Jerry Brown makes his first official speech after he was sworn in as California's 39th governor during his inauguration at Memorial Auditorium, Monday in Sacramento. Taking an oath City aims to keep vehicle license fee By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer The city is looking to support legislation that will keep the vehicle license fee intact. The fee was established in lieu of a property tax on vehi- cles 75 years ago by the state Legislature but is due to sun- set June 30. Part of the revenue from the fee goes to city and county public safety programs. Without the fee, the Red Bluff Police Department could potentially lose thousands of dollars through the Citizen Options for Public Safety grant and have to pay about $37,000 in booking fees, Police Chief Paul Nanfito said. The Tehama County Sheriff’s Department would be affected, as part of the fee funds the Rural Sheriff’s Program. Nanfito and City Manager Martin Nichols are seeking approval from the council to draft letters to state legislators in support of AB66 or any other legislation that would keep the fee in place. AB66, introduced by assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D- North Coast), would repeal the sunset date for the vehicle license fee. Other agenda items • The council will pick the company that will perform the Walnut Street Enhancement and Rehabilitation Project. Bids were opened Monday, and will not be presented to the council beforehand. The time sensitivity of the project requires the Proposition 1B funds to be spent by June 30, which is why the council is being asked to make the deci- sion even though they will be seeing the bids for the first time. Daily News photo by Tang Lor County officials who were elected in June took the oath of office in front a crowd of family, friends, co-workers and the public at the courthouse Monday. In all, eleven officials were sworn in by Judge Richard Sheuler. Pictured are District Attorney Gregg Cohen, District 3 Supervisor Dennis Garton, Superintendent of Schools Larry Champion, District 4 Supervisor Bob Williams, Sheriff/Coroner Dave Hencratt, Assessor Dale Stroud and Clerk and Recorder Bev Ross. Others sworn in were Treasurer and Tax Collector Dana Hollmer, Auditor-Controller LeRoy Anderson and Judge Jonathan Skillman. Judge Todd Bottke was sworn in at an earlier private ceremony, as he had to be in court at the time. • The council will be asked to adopt a fire code ordinance that reflects the updated building code standards issued by the state legislature that went into effect Jan. 1. Among the new standards is a requirement for residential buildings to have fire sprinklers. • A representative from the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce will give an update on chamber activity. The council meeting will be 7 p.m., today, at 555 Wash- ington St. ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527-2153, Ext. 110 or by e- mail at tlor@redbluffdailynews.com. Parker bids farewell to 12 years as sheriff By ANDREA WAGN- ER DN Staff Writer The Tehama County Sheriff Department has changed hands and outgo- ing sheriff Clay D. Parker is looking forward to a little rest and relaxation. Parker passed the reigns he held for 12 years to new Sheriff Dave Hencratt Monday morning. He’ll also part ways with two men he’s worked with the whole time. Parker, 53, lost the race for sheriff in county elec- tions in June by fewer than 500 votes. “My stress level has gone down a lot,” Parker said in the days leading up to his departure. Working around the clock, seven days a week, has been exhausting. “Every time the phone rings, I wonder what hap- pened,” he said. Undersheriff Dennis Garton is also shifting gears. Like Batman’s Robin, Garton has worked by Parker’s side for some 30 years, second in com- mand. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 “He would come up with the plans and I’d sup- port them,” Garton said. “I’m going to miss him.” Garton, 62, will be retir- ing from the Sheriff’s department and taking a position as the elected Dis- trict 3 Supervisor for the Tehama County Board of Supervisors. March would mean 41 years in law enforcement for Garton, if he were stay- ing. The transition from enforcing the law to mak- ing the law is going to be interesting, he said. “For the last 40 years, I have been a do-er,” Garton said. “I get things done.” Now, he will be one of five policy-setters in the county after being sworn in Monday morning. At a recent retirement dinner, Garton told Parker that he looks forward to dinners together and being able to enjoy each other’s company without talking about work. touch,” Garton said. “We’ll definitely stay in Some things will be dif- ferent, but the way Garton and Parker supported each other meant a personal rela- tionship that won’t change. Sheriff’s Department Administrative Captain Paul Hosler is also moving on. Retiring after 25 years with the Tehama County Sheriff’s Department, Hosler will now be working as the director of ski patrol at the Mt. Shasta Board & Ski Park. Parker was Hosler’s supervisor throughout his career. Working with Park- er, Hosler saw his boss as non-traditional, he said. Officers might tradition- ally want to “get the bad guy, throw them away and be done,” but Parker tried to do things differently by try- ing to get different school programs going, Hosler said. Hosler could have retired sooner, but he chose to stay because he enjoyed working with Parker. “If he would have been re-elected, I probably would have stayed on another four years,” Hosler said. Saying good-bye to Parker has not been easy. “I attended his last staff meeting on (last) Monday,” Hosler said. “It was a rough one. I’ve spent more time with him than I did my wife.” Parker said his legacy is the administration he has built. COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Smog Inspection $ 2595 + cert. (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) Pass or FREE retest 195 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530 527-9841 “My administration has been a highly respected organization throughout the state and the nation,” Parker said. As the first Tehama County Sheriff to be presi- dent of the Western States Sheriff’s Association and as a Congressional Affairs See BIDS, page 7A