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THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2012 www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 8A Breaking news at: RED BLUFF Reader Photos Camp Opens SPORTS 1B Sunny 105/70 Weather forecast 8B 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 Demo turns real Lassen fire closes trails Park began nearing the park's boundary Tuesday as the smoke made for an odd display over Mt. Lassen for Red Bluff residents. The fire, which started as the result of a July 23 lightning strike, has grown to 2,000 acres. The National Parks Service said the fire was being managed for ecosystem health, habitat improvement and wildlife enrichment. The Reading Fire inside Lassen Volcanic National That all changed Monday afternoon when winds See FIRE, page 7A City pens plea for TOT tax on RVs By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Red Bluff has its argu- ment in writing and in November it will be up to the voters. Courtesy photo Tehama County Young Marines recruits prepare to take a trip on the Tehama County Sheriff's boat on Tuesday afternoon. Pictured are Owen Burden, Nick Mandolfo, Gabriel Clines, Michael Perry,Tim Sain, Gabriel Hernandez and Joshua Williams. By JULIE ZEEB Young Marines recruits got a spe- cial treat Tuesday, when they went for a ride on the Tehama County Sheriff's boat. DN Staff Writer A few of the Tehama County Young Marines Boot Camp for the last few years, but this time recruits got to watch the deputies at work as they recovered a stolen boat. "We were riding with Deputy A boat ride has been a part of the investigation on a case with Deputy Chad Parker," White said. "We watched as he collected the evi- dence on a stolen boat." There was no suspect at the scene when the boat was found and it was returned to the owner, Young Marine Executive D'Lorah Hurton said. "It was very funny watching the Chad Parker when we came upon a weird-looking scene involving a missing boat," said recruit Macken- zie Alby. "It was cool to see him in action when it was originally just a tour. It was probably the coolest thing I've seen so far." Fellow recruit Hanna White said it was a fun boat ride. Other recruits on the trip were Owen Burden, Nick Mandolfo, Gabriel Clines, Michael Perry, Tim Sain, Gabriel Hernandez, Joshua Williams, Jasmine Farias, Lupe Barba and Tina Higuera accompa- nied by Registered Adult Leader Noel Bookout. Sheriff's logs, the boat was reported missing by owner Howard Bentley, who reported the boat had been tied in the river in the 22300 block of Critics blast state retirement for private workers SACRAMENTO (AP) — Opponents of a bill that would create the nation's first state-run retirement program for private-sector workers testified Wednes- day that California taxpay- ers cannot afford to take on the potential for billions of dollars in new liabilities at a time when the state's public pension systems already are facing massive shortfalls. Businesses, insurance companies and financial services firms criticized SB1234 by Democratic Sen. Kevin De Leon of Los Angeles. His bill would establish the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program for nearly 7 million low-income work- ers whose private employers don't offer retirement plans. The bill's fate was uncer- tain after it was held by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. It had earlier passed the Senate, where it had the backing of the Sen- ate leader, President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D- Sacramento. ''We all know that mar- kets are volatile, and if the projections that are associat- ed with the investment returns of this program come up short, then the state or the employer will be on the hook for the shortfall,'' said Nicole Rice, represent- ing the California Manufac- turers and Technology Association. ''I don't think it's a stretch of the imagina- tion to acknowledge this fact given that we currently have an outstanding pension debt that we owe to public employees at the tune of bil- lions of dollars.'' Employees' Retirement System posted a 1 percent return on its investments last fiscal year, well below its long-term annual target of 7.5 percent. The current long-term unfunded liability for CalPERS is estimated at about $85 billion, and the California State Teachers' Retirement System is short by about $64.5 billion. Rice added that Califor- nia also faces billions of dollars in projected budget shortfalls. The California Public According to Tehama County Adobe Road and was last seen Monday afternoon. The boat was found just before 1 Boot camp lasts all week, with graduation Friday morning. In addi- tion to the boating safety demon- stration and rides, the recruits were visited by the Red Bluff Fire Department on Wednesday and will be visited Thursday by the Califor- nia Highway Patrol K-9 unit and helicopter. p.m. Tuesday by the William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park on Adobe Road. The Tehama County Young Marines of the Marine Corps League Detachment 1140 and AmVets Post 2002 are in the middle of holding the second Recruit Training Series of 2012. See DEMO, page 7A include RV parks. At its meeting Tuesday, the City Council approved a proposed argument to appear on the upcoming ballot on why it believes commercial RV parks should be subject to pay- ing Transient Occupancy Tax. Mayor Forrest Flynn praised the work of City Manager Richard Crab- tree who authored the argument. He said he especially liked how Crabtree referenced TOT money is used to support police and fire services and not just the chamber of commerce. "It tells it like it is," Flynn said. lecting TOT tax from RV parks, the city changed gears in recent years and tried to collect from Durango RV Resort. The council eventually amended a previously ambiguous ordinance to After years of not col- tives have said the tax puts them at an unfair dis- advantage as they are the only business being tar- geted and other RV parks outside city limits would not be subject. Durango representa- On July 17, the City Council voted to put the question to voters. City staff estimates the city will receive an addi- tional $100,000 a year in revenue, if voters agree that RV parks should be taxed under the existing TOT ordinance. Agenda items • The council autho- rized a revised agreement with 3Core, Inc. to keep the city's membership within the non-profit eco- nomic development plan- ning and coordinating agency. In June, 3Core asked the city to raise its annual $3,500 contribution to $5,000. The council sent the issue to the budget com- mittee, which set aside $3,500 in the 2012-13 fis- See TAX, page 7A Stone returns to state singing finals By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Tehama County will be well represented Sunday at Knott's Berry Farm, where 16-year-old Stacy Stone of Red Bluff will compete against eight or nine others at the Califor- nia state final for the Tex- aco Country Showdown. Stone, who will be a senior at Red Bluff High School, competed and won at the Yuba Sutter competition on Aug. 2, singing Carrie Under- wood's song "Flat on the Floor" and her own origi- nal song "Summertime." At Sunday's state finals, she intends to play two of her own songs, "Summertime" and "Goodbyes Don't Exist," Stone said. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 De Leon introduced the bill earlier this year in response to what he called the ''looming retirement tsunami'' as millions of low-wage workers face financial hardship in their retirement years. He says the program would act as a supplement to Social Secu- rity by offering private-sec- tor workers a portable sav- ings plan with a guaranteed return. Stone recorded the two songs, along with a third, "Where No Heart Ever Breaks" in March in Nashville, Tenn. "It was a lot of fun," Stone said. "It was a long three days, but it was worth it." sung to a crowd. She started out singing Gretchen Wilson's "Red- neck Woman" at a local spaghetti feed in fifth grade and has gone on to be a three-time winner at the Texaco Country Showdown, advancing to the state final level. In May, she sang the National Anthem at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in front of a crowd of about 18,000, she said. Her hope is to have a three-song demo CD out by Aug. 19 for Country in the Park to be able to give to her fans. As soon as it's done, it will be played on Redding-based radio sta- tion Mix 101.1, she said. Anyone who goes to Courtesy photo Stacy Stone shows off her certificate after winning the Aug. 2 Stone plans to return to Nashville in the near future to record some of her other songs as she fin- ishes them, but the first three should be done in time for her first big per- formance, she said. On Aug. 19, she gets to open for several big names, including Ronnie Dunn formerly of the well-known country duo Brooks and Dunn, Thompson Square, Lee Brice and James Wesley, at Country in the Park, at Gibson Ranch in Sacra- mento. to have a crowd of 14,000 to 15,000 people, she said. The event is expected Texaco Country Showdown in Yuba City. Stone heads to Knott's Berry Farm to compete Sunday. "I can't wait," Stone said. "This is huge. I never thought I'd get this far and I couldn't ask for more. It's kind of surreal. Several of my friends have freaked out when I told them. It's a super big event." This isn't the first time Stone, who will be singing the National Anthem at the event, has www.stacystonesmusic.c om can request a copy of her song Summertime or see a list of events at which she will be per- forming. She can also be found on Twitter @stacy- stonemusic and her fan page on Facebook. Stone has a full band and is performing up and down the West Coast just about every weekend, she said. She said she is thank- ful for all the people who have helped her get to where she is, especially her mother who drives her See STONE, page 7A