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TUESDAY AUGUST 2, 2011 Breaking news at: A Bookcase for Every Child American Profile www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF Ladies Winners SPORTS 1B Sunny 97/65 Weather forecast 8B By HEATHER HACKING MediaNews Group FRESNO — A case for area- of-origin water rights in the Sacramento Valley was shot down Friday by a federal court judge. The Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, with landowners in Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, and Yolo counties, made the case 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 Valley farmers lose area-of-origin lawsuit that its water users should have priority in dry years over feder- al water contractors south of the Delta. In 10 of the past 33 years, Tehama-Colusa has received less than its full water contract, causing shortages on the 150,000 acres of land it ser- vices, water managers said. The issue dates back to assurances made when water infrastructure was built to deliv- er water throughout the state, said water attorney Steve Sax- ton of the firm Downy Brand, and even further back than that, back to the 1920s. At the crux of the argument is California Water Code 11460. It states that in an “area wherein water originates, or an area immediately adjacent thereto which can conveniently 36 fix be supplied with water,” the area “shall not be deprived by the department directly or indi- rectly of the prior right to all of the water reasonably required ...” for beneficial needs. These are the state rules, and the Central Valley Project is federally operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. However, there are also rules that require the federal govern- ment to follow state law, Saxton explained. In 2006 a water case worked its way through the court sys- tem, providing what is called “the Roby decision.” In this case, California appellate Judge Ronald Roby ruled that the fed- eral Bureau of Reclamation was required to follow those state See VALLEY, page 7A Vaccine clinics scheduled A new school immunization law — Assembly Bill 354 — requires all students entering 7th through 12th grades in the 2011-2012 school year in California to be immunized with a pertussis — whooping cough — vaccine booster called Tdap. For the 2012-13 school year and beyond, only students entering 7th grade will need proof of a Tdap vaccine. Tdap safely protects against three dangerous diseases: tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. Whooping cough has been increasing across the United States and continues to be widespread in California. Tehama County Health Services Agency, Public Health, will be offering the following Tdap clinics for 7th –12th grade students. Meuser Memorial Health Center, 275 Solano St., Corn- ing, 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, and Thursday, Aug. 18. Tehama County Public Health, 1860 Walnut St., Build- ing C, Red Bluff, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17. The cost for receiving the Tdap vaccine is $4 per indi- vidual or $8 per family. For further information, call Tehama County Health Ser- vices Agency, Public Health Division in Red Bluff at 527- 6824, Corning at 824-4890 or toll-free at 1-800-655-6854. Daily News photo by Tang Lor A proposed Caltrans project will straighten curves on Highway 36 near Baker Road to improve roadway safety. By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer A proposed project would make a segment of Highway 36, near Baker Road, a lot safer once com- pleted. The Baker Curve Improvement Project will straighten out the six curves along the highway about a mile west of city limits with the intention of reducing the number of severe accidents in the area. Before the project can be imple- mented the California Department of Transportation is seeking public comments on the preliminary drafts of the initial study and the proposed negative declaration environmental review. The deadline to submit comments is Aug. 17. The project is really about safety Assembly blocks release of state lawmaker budgets SACRAMENTO (AP) — The committee that oversees spending for members of the California Assembly is refusing to disclose the current office budgets for the 80 mem- bers of the chamber. The Assembly Rules Committee rejected the disclosure request by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who is in a budget feud with Assem- bly Speaker John Perez. The refusal was dis- closed in a letter received Monday and provided to The Associated Press. Portantino, who is from La Canada Flintridge, says his office budget was slashed because he was the only Assembly Demo- crat who refused to vote for the state budget in June. Perez, a fellow Democrat, says Portantino overspent. The committee said lawmakers’ approved bud- gets and any correspon- dence about them is exempt from disclosure under the Legislature’s open records law. Portantino, who hired an attorney to file his records request, said he would urge other lawmak- ers to pass legislation requiring more public dis- closure of legislative spending. ‘‘This is the people’s business and the people have a right to see how their money is being spent,’’ Portantino said. The Assembly speak- er’s office denies that Por- tantino is being punished. The lawmaker was first told he was over budget in January, said Robin Swan- son, a spokeswoman for Perez, D-Los Angeles. ‘‘This is all a giant cha- rade by Anthony Portanti- no to draw attention to something other than the fact that he refuses to bal- ance his own budget,’’ Swanson said. The 11 employees in Portantino’s Capitol and 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See STATE, page 7A more than it is a road improvement project, said Project Manager Chris Harvey of Caltrans. It was generat- ed based on the accident rate in the area. “There is no doubt that safety improvements are needed,” he said. Traffic accidents on this stretch of the highway occur about four See 36, page 7A Corning to join haz-mat team By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — The City Council voted July 26 to join the Shasta Cas- cade Hazardous Materials Response Team (SCHM- RT). “We have a huge expo- sure to hazardous material with the truck stops, waste water treatment plant, agriculture,” Corning Vol- unteer Fire Department Chief Martin Spannaus said. “You name it, it’s been up and down our streets.” One requirement of being a part of the team is that at least four personnel are trained in keeping hazardous materials from spreading, Spannaus said. The cost will be about See TEAM, page 7A Night out may not include police By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer As neighborhoods in communities across the nation join law enforcement in celebrating National Night Out, here in Red Bluff the presence of police at local events will be limited. National Night Out, which is being observed this evening, is a time for local police departments to foster relationships with the peo- ple they serve. It’s a special event that allows law enforcement and communi- ty members to stand togeth- er and speak out against crime. But for the cash-strapped Red Bluff Police Depart- ment, the special event is something it will have to forgo. As budget cuts came over the past two years, the department had to look at means of prioritizing events and activities as well identi- fying ways to reduce over- time costs, Police Chief Paul Nanfito said. “This is just one of the areas where cuts have been made,” he said. In past years, anywhere from five to seven off-duty officers were brought in to attend neighborhood watch groups’ events within the five areas of responsibility that are supervised by patrol sergeants. Now, with normal patrol staffing levels reduced per shift it makes is very chal- lenging to handle these types of “special events” with regularly scheduled on-duty staff, Nanfito said. The rate at which calls for service are received will make it very difficult for on- See NIGHT, page 7A COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Smog Inspection $ 2595 + cert. (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) Pass or FREE retest 195 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530 527-9841 DN file photo Cabernet Apartments staff and children celebrate National Night Out with Red Bluff Police Sgt. Dan Flowerdew in 2010.