Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6263
By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Democrats presented differing views Thursday evening at the year's first meeting of the Tehama County Democratic Central Committee, including a Fall River Mills attorney seek- ing to unseat Wally Herger, R-Chico, the head of the California Democratic Pro- gressive Caucus Karen Bernal and Board of Equal- ization Candidate Chris Parker. Jim Reed Optimistic but aware of Tuesday's Massachusetts election of Republican Scott Brown to fill the Sen- ate seat of the late Ted Kennedy, Congressional candidate Jim Reed spent most of his time before the committee explaining his strategy for taking down the long-standing Herger. In the North State, Herg- er is vulnerable enough to be sending out taxpayer- funded flyers to summarize his positions, Reed said. Reed's strategy depends on winning over some of the 19 percent of voters who decline to state their prefer- ence. Their silence is part of his theory that voters are unfamiliar with Herger's policies, and that Herger himself has not been active in working to benefit his part of California, he said. "He's been in Congress for 23 years," Reed said. "(Yet) what piece of legisla- tion do you associate with Wally Herger?" The candidate was criti- cal of Herger's allegiance to the Republican party. "If you're voting for what's best for the people in your district, you're not going to vote along party lines 94 percent of the time," Reed said. Reed said he would place the needs of the North State ahead of his own party's agenda. One of those goals would be to increase the amount of fed- eral funding California receives. Karen Bernal Bernal was less opti- mistic. Massachusetts was such a shocker that it was enough for her to toss out her planned speech in lieu of a warning that Massachusetts was a sign that Republicans had been successful in derailing health reform, with the election of Brown ensuring anything the Obama administration pass- es will be watered down further. Part of the problem was the administration's attempt to fight wars overseas while pursuing a domestic agenda — two ideas that are mutu- ally exclusive, she said. Instead of splitting the agenda, the party needs to continue pushing for health care and progressive issues, because these were exactly what won seats in 2006 and the election in 2008, Bernal said. That includes health reform, for which she pro- posed extending Medicare to all Americans, as pro- posed cuts to Medicare have been a common complaint of conservative protesters. "If it's good enough for the teabaggers, if it's good enough for people over 65, then it's good enough for all of us," she said. Chris Parker Last to speak was Chris Parker, the sole Democratic candidate for the California State Board of Equalization. The board's job is pri- marily to interpret the state's complex and some- times contradictory tax laws, which collect about $6.5 billion less each year than they are supposed to. But the board has become a comfortable seat for termed-out-legislators who are seeking the next title for their career, Parker said. "If they had any ideas about how to close the tax By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Fifteen years ongoing, and the Jim Owens Memorial Ranch Rodeo continues to celebrate the skills that make ranching possible. Rodeo, before it was recognized as a sport, was done in casual competi- tions between ranch hands, in which cowboys would show off the same skills that earned them a living. The Jim Owens Memo- rial Ranch Rodeo cele- brates those skills. Event organizers frequently tout the fact the events, includ- ing Ranch Doctoring, Herd Counting, Calf Branding and Bronc Rid- ing, are all practiced on the ranch today, and the 26 teams, each composed of three men, all hail from ranching backgrounds — nearly a third from the North State. Among those compet- ing Saturday was Joe Slagowski, the bronc rider for Laird Ranch of Dubois, Idaho. Slagowski has been competing in the rodeo for at least a decade, but the competition is really just an extension of ranch work, he said. Asked about the danger of the competition, the rider said that luck goes both ways. "You're just taking a chance on not getting hurt," he said. For Red Bluff resident Weather forecast 6A Cool and rainy 49/39 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ MONDAY JANUARY 25, 2010 Super Saints to face Colts Spartan Slopes Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 Sports 1B SPORTS 1B in Super Bowl 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Corning Chamber honors 3 By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A World War II veteran and the owners of a Corning medical business received national, state and local recognition Saturday at the 2010 Corning Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner. Don and Connie Massey, of Corn- ing Medical Associates, and E.L. Bud Gott were granted the Business of the Year and Hometown Hero of the Year awards, respectively. The Masseys and Gott also walked away with special recognitions from Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, State Sen. Sam Aanestad, R-Grass Valley, and Rep. Wally Herger, R- Chico. The Masseys have served Corning residents in numerous ways, said newly elected Chamber President Bar- bara Landavazo said. Over the years, Corning Medical Associates has pro- vided free physical exams for junior football players and cheerleaders and on-site flu shots for Corning Union Elementary School students and Mid Valley Bank employees; conducted breast cancer awareness outreach and co-sponsored the Health Fair. Gott, meanwhile, was recognized for his efforts in the Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946; 57 years of perfect attendance in the Corning Rotary and establishing Corning's Christmas Tree Lane, , a tradition that continues today, in 1970. While the Masseys returned to their seats, Gott used the opportunity to draw attention to the military. While close to 4,500 US personnel have died in Iraq, the US lost around 7,000 men in the 36-day battle of Iwo Jima. "I'm not a hero," Gott said. "I'm a war survivor." Landavazo outlined her hopes for the next decade, saying she hoped for the audience to carry lessons over from last year and that the economy will improve. "Most of all, I hope that you'll join us," she said. Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson From left: E.L. Bud Gott receives recognition for his contribution to Corning by State Senate candidate Doug LaMalfa, who appeared Saturday at the Corning Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner on behalf of Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber. Everyday skills on display Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Double Bar X ranchers made it to the finals Saturday at the Jim Owens Memorial Ranch Rodeo. Fire department is focusing on improvements By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Emergency response, training and education, fire prevention and departmental projects continue to be priorities for the Red Bluff Fire Department. "If we're not responding to emergencies, we're training to respond," said Fire Chief Michael Bach- meyer during a State of the Fire Department report to the City Council Tuesday. During 2009, the department responded to 2,584 calls, which is about 7 incidents per day. Of those, only 116 were for fires. The majority were medical calls. Hazardous conditions, alarm malfunctions, stand by and other incidents made up the rest of the calls. Bachmeyer was not sure why the number of medical calls are so high, but fire calls are not as frequent because the department has done very well in educating the public about fire suppression and performing annu- al inspections of businesses, he said. The department is usually staffed with enough per- sonnel to fill two engines. Each engine has a captain, two engineers and a reserve firefighter. By staffing two engines per shift the department can respond to multi- ple simultaneous incidents and keep callback of off- duty personnel to a minimum. Goals and challenges for the department include fill- Daily News photo by Rich Greene James Garner and his band performed Walk On, a tribute to Johnny Cash, Saturday night at the State Theatre in Red Bluff. Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Hotdoggers Chris Kitts and Rachel "Relish" Kerr stopped by Raley's Saturday in the Wiener Mobile to explain Oscar Meyer's campaign to donate 1 million pounds of food to Feeding America. More information is available at goodmoodmission.com. Democrats gather to discuss priorities, candidates Wiener Mobile stops in Red Bluff Cash tribute See SKILLS, page 3A See FIRE, page 3A See DEMS, page 3A