Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/696762
ByAlisonNoon TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO Califor- nia lawmakers on Thurs- day proposed a $3 billion bond to appear on No- vember ballots that would pay for improvements at state and local parks, say- ing that green spaces are a natural way to improve public safety, health and air quality. It would join a crowded ballot that is expected to include dozens of other measures. The Assembly approved the measure on a 55-14 vote, with six Republicans joining 49 Democrats in fa- vor of AB2444. The Senate must also approve it before July 30 for it to appear on the statewide ballot. Bill author Assembly- man Eduardo Garcia, D- Coachella, and other sup- porters said many local government agencies can- not afford to maintain their outdoor spaces. "We are still coming up short when it comes to the expansion and improve- ments within parks and forest communities in the state," Garcia said. "That's why part of this bond is aiming at tackling the ab- sence of parks within dis- advantaged communities." Up to 20 percent of the funds would be reserved for low-income communi- ties and nearly $1 billion would be used to develop neighborhood parks in ar- eas without them. The state Department of Parks and Recreation would oversee about $2 billion of the fund. The de- partment came under fire in 2012 for hiding nearly $54 million during a bud- get crisis that threatened to close parks. Garcia said he's confi- dent in the changes the de- partment has made since then and noted that the money would ultimately be used by local governments, not the state agency. Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, said safe outdoor spaces are criti- cal to lawmakers' broader goals of helping working families, particularly in communities where par- ents are afraid to send their children outside. "It's essential that, in those toughest neighbor- hoods, that we have places like community gardens and parks and open spaces forourgrandparentsandour parents and our children to be able to enjoy it," he said. One of 69 amendments added Thursday carves out $35 million for urban ar- eas to increase access to the outdoors. The bond includes a to- tal of $310 million to gen- erally restore state park facilities, $280 million of which must be used to ad- dress a backlog of deferred maintenance. Assemblyman Brian Jones, R-Santee, opposed the measure, saying it's ir- responsible to issue bonds rather than funding such projects through the state's general fund budget. "We don't need to be going into additional debt for those programs," Jones said. SACRAMENTO Lawmakers propose $3 billion parks bond for November ballot By Alicia Chang The Associated Press VENTURA Anunderground pipeline spewed thousands of gallons of crude oil Thursday near the South- ern California coast but the foul-smelling goo was con- tained in a lengthy stretch of ravine and never reached nearby beaches. About 29,000 gallons of oil spilled and flowed at least a quarter-mile in the canyon near Ventura, fire authorities said. Resident Kirk Atwa- ter said he called 911 after smelling and hearing the flowing crude. "We started getting this horrendous smell and I knew right away what it was," he said. Atwater, 56, said he went up the canyon on his mo- tor scooter and found the oil gushing from an above- ground box that he sur- mised covers equipment. "It was just pouring out like water coming out of a fire hydrant," he said. He said he found a posted phone number and reported the leak to the pipeline com- pany. Fire crews responded and a pump house operat- ing the line was shut down. Firefighters built a dam of dirt to keep the oil from moving farther. The oil left a black stain down the brush- and tree- filled arroyo. The line operator, Crim- son Pipeline, estimated that at most 25,200 gallons were released, said spokes- woman Kendall Klingler. The cause was under inves- tigation, she said. The spill was the 11th for Crimson since 2006, with prior releases totaling 313,000 gallons of crude and causing$5.9millioninprop- erty damage, according to accident reports submitted by the company to federal regulators and reviewed by The Associated Press. The largest was a 2008 spill of 280,000 gallons — one of three blamed on an equipment failure. All the spills occurred in Southern California. The leak Thursday oc- curred near a valve on an underground line that runs from Ventura to Los Ange- les. The line was closed for maintenance and crews had replaced that valve the day before, Klingler said. The line contained a total of 84,000 gallons of crude. The spill occurred in the HallCanyonareaandflowed into the Prince Barranca, a ravine that ends near the Ventura Pier. Initial projec- tions that up to 210,000 gal- lons may have spilled were later reduced. The oil was produced by a company called Aera Energy. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Pipeline spills crude but none reaches beach JAEC.HONG—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Cal State Channel Islands professor Sean Anderson talks on the phone as he studies oil from a spill Thursday in Ventura. By Brian Melley The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Led Zeppe- lin did not steal a riff from an obscure 1960s instru- mental for the introduction of its classic rock anthem "Stairway to Heaven," a federal jury decided Thurs- day, legally settling a debate that has divided music fans for decades. The trust of the late Randy Craig Wolfe claimed that Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page lifted a passage that Wolfe, better known as Randy California, wrote for "Taurus," a short work he recorded with his band Spirit in 1968. The "Taurus" record- ing contains a section that sounds like the in- stantly recognizable start of "Stairway," but it was never played for jurors. In trying to show the works were sub- stantially similar, the trust had the tricky task of re- lying on expert renditions from the sheet music filed with the U.S. Copyright Of- fice. Jurors, who deliberated about five hours, reached their verdict shortly after having videos of a guitar- ist performing both pas- sages in question replayed in court. Those renditions seemed more like distant cousins than twin siblings. Page, 72, and singer Rob- ert Plant, 67, both wearing suits and with their long hair pulled back in pony- tails, hugged their lawyers after prevailing. "We are grateful for the jury's conscientious service and pleased that it has ruled in our favor, putting to rest questions about the origins of 'Stairway to Heaven' and confirming what we have known for 45 years," the two said in a statement is- sued by a publicist." Jurors found the trust had proven Page and Plant had "access" to "Taurus," meaning they would have been familiar with it — something they denied on the witness stand. "The reality is that we proved access, but (the jury) could never hear what (Page and Plant) had access to," said trust attorney Francis Malofiy, who called the ver- dict sad and disappointing. "It's bizarre." Page and Plant, who wrote the "Stairway" lyrics, said their creation was an original. In several hours of often-animated and amus- ing testimony, they de- scribed the craft behind one of rock's best-known songs, all the while deny- ing knowledge of one of the genre's least-known tunes. Plant cracked up the courtroom when said he didn't remember most peo- ple he had hung out with over the years. In closing arguments, Malofiy criticized Page and Plant's "selective" memories and "convenient" truths. Experts dissected both compositions, agreeing mainly that they shared a descending chord progres- sion that dates back three centuries. Trust experts, however, noted several other simi- larities that made the two works unlike the many other tunes they were com- pared to, including "My Funny Valentine." Led Zeppelin's lawyer said the trust failed to prove a case that should have been brought more than 40 years ago when Wolfe was alive and Page and singer Robert Plant would have had better memories. COPYRIGHT Led Zeppelin happy 'Stairway' origin question settled Findusonline! 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