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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A state ban on gay marriage is costing the city of San Francisco millions of dollars a year in lost revenue and increased services, an economist testified Thurs- day in a lawsuit aimed at overturning the prohibi- tion. Chief city economist Edmund Egan said mar- ried people accumulate more wealth and have more to spend on property and consumer goods, which bolsters tax rev- enue. He also said the city must spend more on health care for uninsured workers because same-sex couples are not always covered under their part- ner's employee health care plans. ''It's clear to me that Proposition 8 has a nega- tive material impact on the city of San Francisco,'' he said. ''These are impacts that are hard to quantify, but over the long term they can be powerful.'' Egan testified during the fourth day of a federal trial on a lawsuit challeng- ing Proposition 8, the bal- lot measure approved by statewide voters in 2008. The city was allowed to join the suit to demon- strate that governments bear some of the costs of the ban. Peter Patterson, a lawyer for Proposition 8 sponsors, challenged Egan's methodology and had him acknowledge during cross-examination that he based many of his estimates on assumptions drawn from the spending habits of opposite-sex couples. The case is being heard by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who said Thursday he was abandoning his push to have the trial broadcast on the Internet. He said he didn't want the broadcast issue to distract from the trial itself. SACRAMENTO (AP) — A judge invalidated a landmark pact Thursday intended to cur- tail Southern California's overuse of water from the Col- orado River but left the deal in place during an appeals period. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Ronald Candee ruled that many of the contracts enacted as part of the 2003 agreement were invalid because they obliged the state to pay for environmental restoration work with funds that lawmakers never appropriated. Candee, however, allowed water shipments to continue for 30 days after he formally enters his judgment. The ruling, if upheld during expected appeals, could unravel a deal that ended years of bick- ering over how to divide Col- orado River water among Cali- fornia and six western states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The judge's decision could carry consequences for those drought-stricken states, which based their own water agree- ments on California's Colorado River deal. Malissa McKeith, who repre- sents opponents of the deal, said the judge's ruling would benefit the environment and return tax money that was unfairly seized from state coffers in the deal. ''Today's ruling gives the state and local agencies a new chance to make things right,'' she said. Kevin Kelley, spokesman for the Imperial Irrigation District, said an appeal was planned, among other actions. The pact allowed more than 30 million acre-feet of water — the amount of water that 30 mil- lion families of four would use in a typical year — to move from farms to cities in Southern California over a 75-year period. It also committed the state to help finance the restoration of the Salton Sea, an enormous desert lake that is fed by the Col- orado River irrigation channels that were being diverted. The agreement was enacted through a series of contracts between the Imperial Irrigation District, which supplies water to Imperial Valley farms, and water districts in Los Angeles, San Diego and other jurisdictions. Four of the agencies agreed to pay up to $133 million toward restoration of the Salton Sea, which was formed in 1905 when floodwaters from the Col- orado River burst past a series of dams. One estimate in court docu- ments pegged the total cost at $193 million, which would leave the state on the hook for $60 million. Candee's ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed in 2003 by the Imperial water agency that sought the court's blessing of the deal in anticipa- tion of challenges by farmers and landowners who lost water. But instead of validating the deal, the judge sided with its opponents over the Salton Sea issue and voided the arrange- ment. Friday, January 15, 2010 – Daily News – 9A Red Bluff Simple Cremations & Burial Service Family owned to provide you the best service & pricing in the area. It's what you can expect from family. 722 Oak Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 527-1732 • FD Lic. 1931 Death Notices Obituary GEORGE T. WEAVER George T. Weaver, age 75, passed away on January 12, 2010. He moved to Califor- nia in 1948 from Waterbury, CT., and grew up in Culver City, CA. He worked as an Industrial Insulator and was a member of the Local 5 As- bestos Workers Union for 55 years. George was married to the love of his life, Trudie, on August 22, 1954. They moved to Red Bluff on Au- gust 20, 1974, where he lived the rest of his life. He opened Liquors by George on September 13, 1974, and closed the doors on Sep- tember 13, 1985. During the time in the liquor store, he was a member of the Sun- rise Rotary Club. He is a life- time member of Red Bluff Elks Lodge. George was an avid fisherman and lived by the motto: "Fish Fear My Name" He enjoyed spending time on his boat, and with his friends and family. Survivors include Trudie, his wife of 45 years, brother Bob, daughters Juanita and Eileen, son George, daugh- ter-in-law Debbie, grandchil- dren Lindsay, Carly, Emily, Natalie and James, preced- ed in death are brothers Ri- chard, Bill, Buddy, Mark, and sister Marilyn. Visitation will be held on Friday, Janu- ary 15, 2010 from 5pm to 8pm at Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers. Services will be on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 10am at Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers, with graveside services immedi- ately following the services. A reception will be held at The Elks Lodge, Gilmore Road, Red Bluff, following all services. Marie K. Van Zandt Marie K. Van Zandt, a 21-year Tehama Coun- ty resident, died Tues- day, Jan. 12, 2010, in Redding. She was 76. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18, 2010, at Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers. A grave- side service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010, at Los Gatos Memorial Park, 2255 Los Gatos- Almaden Road, in San Jose, 95124. Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers is handling the arrangements. Published Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Mildred Whitegone Mildred Whitegone died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, in Chico. She was 81. Brusie Funeral Home in Chico is handling the arrangements. Published Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Have a news tip? Call 527-2151, Ext. 112 Pot charges dropped for trio Charges have been dismissed against three men who were arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession in October. Garret Mun Houchins, then 29, Corey Everett Perkiss, then 25, and Travis William Stock, then 30, were initially arrested at a Front Street res- idence on suspicion on charges of possessing and distributing marijua- na. Police initially found 18 pounds of processed marijuana, two pistols, four rifles, two metal throwing stars, a but- terfly knife, numerous illegal fire- works and marijuana processing material, according to Red Bluff Police Department press release. Since then, all three men were found to have recommendations for medical marijuana and charges were dismissed in December for Houchins and Perkiss. Stock pled guilty to reduced charges for possessing a deadly weapon and selling a switch-blade knife. He was sentenced to two years summary probation. Stock, who was the only one charged with possession of illegal fireworks, had a charge of possession of an explosive dismissed. tact with the boy, were pre- scribed antibiotics as a pre- cautionary measure. Because the girl was isolat- ed during her break, those measures have not been nec- essary for her school. Lucero and Public Health Director Syd Wilby both declined to release the name of the school the girl attends because the girl was diag- nosed and treated before she could return to school. County Superintendent Larry Champion said the girl did not attend school in the Red Bluff Elementary School District. Because the cases of meningitis are similar, they may be considered a "clus- ter" and warrant more mass vaccinations in the coming days. That decision should be made within the week, Wilby said. Vaccinations remain available at the Tehama County Public Health Department for children 11 and older. Call 1 800 655- 6845 for information. Continued from page 1A 2ND "I just get sick thinking of the fees," Cullison said. "We just couldn't afford to do it anymore. The price jumped from $25 to $175 to $235 over the last few years. This year will probably be double that. It's too much for a small community." While the chamber had a small core group of members, most were seniors and the group decid- ed the name, which many might think meant only business owners could join, might be keeping peo- ple from joining, Cullison said. As a solution to the problem of declining membership, members of the former chamber are dis- cussing the possibility of forming the Gerber Community Club. "We want to get more people involved and this will be more community friendly," Cullison said of the name change. A date for the first meeting has not been set at this point as the group is waiting for the dissolu- tion of the chamber to be final, she said. "I have to sit and wait," Culli- son said. The wait could be anywhere from three to six weeks or possi- bly longer as there are 21,000 dis- solutions pending in California, she said. Those interested in more infor- mation or the progress of a new club can call 385-1691. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com. Continued from page 1A GERBER state comes in, it won't care about what is impor- tant. Montero works with school districts statewide and as far as Tehama County schools compare with others, he said he was impressed with the leader- ship of the county depart- ment and the superinten- dents. "Your districts are going to make it through whatever the state and the industry throws at you because you have really good leadership, at the dis- trict and county level," he said. Georgene Neher, assis- tant superintendent for business services, said it's crucial for everyone to be working together. The fiscal strength of a district depends on the tri- angular relationship of its board, superintendent and chief business officer. If all three parts work together, districts can withstand demands they are facing. If they don't work together, they will be weak and literally fall apart, Neher said. As far as positive things from the governor's pro- posed budget, Montero said no mid-year cuts are anticipated and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has guaranteed Prop 98 funding. Overall, the state is showing signs of recov- ery, which will help with the budget crises, but that is not the same as being recovered. "Tehama County School districts are work- ing together to minimize the effects of the proposed California budget short- fall," County Superinten- dent Larry Champion said. "Our districts will again be forced to reprioritize and reduce spending levels based on projected rev- enues. It is imperative that we work closely together to reduce costs and increase operational effi- ciencies. Continuing to focus on a quality educa- tion for all students remains our highest priori- ty." ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527-2153, Ext. 110 or by e-mail at tlor@redbluffdai- lynews.com. Continued from page 1A BUMPY be reported at the time of final construction allocation in phase two in 2010-11 fiscal year. Con- tributions from other sources include $5,000,000. More than $5.2 billion in Proposition 1B funding has been allocated to improve California's transportation system during the past three years. "This investment will not only help ease traffic congestion and make our highways and bridges safer, but create jobs for hard working Californians and help stimulate local economies throughout the state," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a press release. Staff report Continued from page 1A ROAD keep his commitment to the youth because the rela- tionship has been life- changing for him as well. "Being a mentor has made me much more aware of the needs of those around me," he said. "I'm now able to relate to other people that I normal- ly would meet, and I've seen and dealt with things that I never would have otherwise." Aside from mentoring youths in their personal lives, the program also focuses on academics. Of late, the program has been focusing on high- er level education, encour- aging youths to go to col- lege. "They have the same dreams and goals as many of us and it's education that will help them attain those goals," Medonca said. It is a personal interest for Medonca to focus on education. "In my own life I've been successful because of my education," she said. Latina girls from Ger- ber and Los Molinos schools have the opportu- nity to meet with college students from the Lambda Sigma Nu sorority at Chico State, where knowl- edge, interest and skills to go to college are generat- ed. Several of the mentees are first generation college students, meaning they are the first in their family to go to college. "Mentoring helps stu- dents get better grades, stay in school and get a higher education," Medonca said. Recently, the mentoring program was awarded a Golden Bell from the Cal- ifornia School Boards Association. The statewide award honors excellence in educational programs. "We have some very dedicated and remarkable adults in the program," Medonca said. "This award shows that what we're doing is working." The program is always looking for new mentors. The greatest need is for adult male mentors. Many boys grow up in a single mother household where they don't have male role models. Carter, one of the pro- gram's few male mentors, encourages other adults to become mentors. "I wish more people would volunteer," he said. "There's a lot more names on the list than there are mentors." The Board of Supervi- sors, Red Bluff City Coun- cil and Corning City Council all gave procla- mations to the mentoring program recognizing the importance of mentoring for youths. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a celebration of mentoring, as well. "I encourage the peo- ple of California to get involved in mentoring and witness firsthand the dif- ference it can make as you coach, tutor or participate in other positive activities with our youth," he said. Jan. 21 is Thank Your Mentor Day. ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527-2153, Ext. 110 or by e-mail at tlor@redbluffdai- lynews.com. Continued from page 1A MOVIE Judge voids landmark California water agreement SF economist says gay marriage ban costs city