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THURSDAY JULY 26, 2012 www.redbluffdailynews.com Breaking news at: Blessing of the Grapes Sunny 95/61 Weather forecast 8B DAILYNEWS See 4A Pastimes RED BLUFF Sports 1B 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 State water tunnel plan revealed SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's ambitious $24 bil- lion plan for ending the state's water wars was unveiled Wednes- day, but standing in its way are unanswered questions and hurdles that will take years to surmount if they can be at all. With fanfare, Gov. Jerry Brown and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar touted a massive twin-tunnel sys- tem to carry water from the Sacra- mento-San Joaquin River Delta to vast farmlands and thirsty cities. But critics say the proposal calls for costly construction before scientists determine the impacts on Sheriff lauded the fragile delta ecosystem, includ- ing its imperiled fish species. Brown said the tunnels would guarantee a stable water supply for California while being able to withstand earthquakes and other threats. Construction alone would cost $14 billion. ''A healthy delta ecosystem and a reliable water supply are pro- foundly important to California's future,'' Brown said. ''We know there are a couple big issues — earthquakes and climate change. And this facility is absolutely essential to deal with both of them.'' Brown and Salazar, dozens of opponents gathered on the Capitol During the announcement by By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer At Wednesday's Cali- fornia Emergency Man- agement Agency (CalE- MA) Region III Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committee meeting Northern Region Administrator Jim Brown took time to rec- ognize Tehama County Sheriff Dave Hencratt. "You opened your training in May to any- one in the region and put on a full-scale exercise to help others meet their (Emergency Manage- ment Principles)," Brown said. "You've made it a priority in this county and on behalf of Region III and the inland region I thank you." ''It is the pumping from the Delta that has largely destroyed the Delta.'' —Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove However, the proposal met stiff opposition from delta residents, environmental groups and North- ern California legislators who say the tunnels could severely damage the delta ecosystem and agricul- ture-based economy. steps and carried signs reading ''kill the canal'' and ''the tunnel will suck California dry.'' Opponents say it's unaccept- able to proceed without knowing upfront how construction would impact already imperiled fish species such as salmon and smelt. Others said the project could be beneficial to fish but only if studies are done before construction. ''We're really concerned they want to divert too much water south without figuring out the impact on salmon,'' said Victor Gonella, president of Golden Gate Salmon Association. ''There's no hard science on how much is the See WATER, page 7A Supervisors create fire appeals board By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Backed by the agricultural community, the Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday adopted an ordi- nance that would designate the board to hear fire code appeals. Supervisor Bob Williams introduced the ordinance at the July 10 meeting, saying he had received several comments from the public who feel it's impossible to meet some of the fire-flow requirements in various areas within Tehama County. Williams said an across-the-board implementation of the California Fire Code could prevent construction in certain areas within the county and believed a Board of Appeals would lend more allowance. County Counsel Arthur Wylene told the board Tues- day the county had the right to amend aspects of the code when it adopted it. State law upheld a case in which the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors designated themselves the Board of Appeals for fire and building issues. Under the existing fire code, the county's fire chief is responsible for interpreting and applying require- ments for new construction. Emergency manage- ment and preparedness is not something all sheriffs make a priority and he appreciated Hen- cratt's work to do so, Brown said. the exercise took time to jump in and help at the tables to set up at the training exercise, which helped to make it more successful, a woman at the meeting said. Hencratt and others at Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) Northern Region Administrator Jim Brown called Tehama County Sheriff Dave Hencratt up at Wednesday's Region III Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committee meet- ing to thank him for his help in getting the county prepared for disasters. "I appreciate your kind words, but most of the credit goes to the worker bees," Hencratt said. "Sergeant Rod Daugherty is a valuable asset to the cause and I'm fortunate to have a staff that helps get us up to speed." It is not a matter of if a situation happens, but when it will happen, he said. said. As a part of being prepared, the advisory committee meets about once a month, Hencratt Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynew s.com. Follow her on Twitter @DN_Zeeb. ——— Corning street project approved By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — The City Council approved a resolu- tion Tuesday authorizing a median left-turn lane to be added on part of Solano Street. be extended about 1,800 feet, will run between Prune Street and the railroad tracks. "We've looked for some- time to provide a median turn lane east of the railroad tracks (to Marguerite Avenue), but it looks like we'll have to end it just at Prune Street," City Manager and Public Works Director John Brewer said. "There's too much cross slope after that to make it safe, particu- larly at the intersections." The area was evaluated The turn lane, which will for a 4-way stop sign at the request of city council by City Engineer Ed Anderson who said in a memo to Brewer that if the need for a stop sign was justified he felt it would be better to check into getting a traffic signal. The turn lane should ade- ing the bid for the installa- Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb City Manager and Public Works Director John Brewer holds up a box of at least 30 signs at Tuesday's city council meeting. quately take care of the problem, Anderson said. "Maybe one day we'll have a traffic signal," Ander- son said. "Probably not in my life time, but that'd be nice." 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 The city is expecting the turn lane, which was a part of the bid for the 2012 street repaving project, to be about $11,000 more to have the additional striping to create the turn lane, Brewer said. Council approved award- tion of waterline along Blackburn Avenue and Solano Street repaving to local contractor Jason Abel Construction in the amount of $518,600. "We're pretty excited about it," Brewer said. "It picks up where we left off in December at First Street and goes out to the city limits. Prior to being repaved, they'll put in the waterline that's missing there." The city will meet with Jason Abel Construction on Aug. 2 and hopes to get the project started immediately, he said. "We've gotta' get going because this needs to be started before Aug. 23 when school starts," Brewer said. The project, which includes two new hydrants along Blackburn Avenue, came in well below the engi- neers estimate, he said. A public hearing was held for the grantee perfor- mance reports for the Com- munity Development Block Grant Program. The hearing was regard- ing the grant given to widen Blackburn Avenue from Salado Orchard Apartments to Edith Avenue. "It's our yearly report on what action we've taken," Planning Director John Stoufer said. "We're at a Catch 22. We're still looking for a developer and have been in constant contact with the group that did Sala- do Orchards." expire, but Corning is at a stalemate, he said. Without a developer, there will not be an exten- sion. The grant is about to See STREET, page 7A The county already has a Board of Appeals to hear appeals from decisions made by the building official. Supervisor George Russell said at first he was a lit- tle reluctant to the idea of having the supervisors become the fire appeals board because of the technical aspect of the decisions. found fire code appeals would tend to be less technical than building code appeals. fire-flows, access requirements and driveway construc- tion. Fire code appeals typically address such issues as non-voting member. Several members from the agricultural community lent their support to the ordinance. This process would be consistent with the "check and balance" constitutional governance upon which our democracy was founded," Tehama County Farm Bureau President Sam Mudd wrote in a letter to the supervisors. The fire committee reviewed the ordinance as its last The fire chief would sit on the board as a de facto meeting. Kiwanis Camp opens "My bottom line concern is safety," he said. Russell said after further discussion with staff he World Series Daily News photo by Chip Thompson Youth campers assemble at the Tehama County Department of Education on Lincoln Street Wednesday morning before boarding buses for Camp Tehama and the Red Bluff Kiwanis Camp, which runs through Sunday. The free resident camp is staffed by Kiwanis volunteers and local high school students. About 85 campers are participating this year in activities that include tubing, fishing, archery, woodworking, disc golf, arts and crafts, GPS navigation and a hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park.