The California Department of Water Resources has directed all groundwater districts to develop a sustainability plan over the next few years that addresses groundwater levels, groundwater quality, surface water interaction and more.  In an effort to meet the mandates of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the Sierra Valley Groundwater Management District (SVGMD) Board of Directors has been working on ordinances and policies that will satisfy the requirements of the law.
The SVGMD is responsible for measuring actual and potential groundwater extraction by municipal and agricultural high-capacity wells.  In pursuit of that goal, the Board has identified a need to create a report describing the number of high-capacity inactive wells and the location of those wells to assist in the calculation of groundwater extraction capabilities in the Sierra Valley Groundwater Basin.
The Board of Directors has adopted an ordinance requiring registration of all high-capacity inactive wells. The District will plot the GPS location and record your estimate of its pumping capacity.  A high-capacity inactive well is defined in Ordinance 18-01 per section 3(a) and section 4(a) “as those capable of pumping 100 gallons per minute or more or constructed with casings larger than a seven (7) inch outside diameter (OD), and unmetered.”  To view the ordinance in its entirety, please visit the District’s website at www.sierravalleygmd.org.    
Failure to register all high-capacity inactive wells on your property within the District may result in the loss of your ability to activate an inactive well for future use.  Inactive wells must be registered with the SVGMD by July 1, 2018. 
 

 
Please contact the SVGMD clerk of the board if you have any questions or need a registration form.
 

 

 
SACRAMENTO – Today is National 529 College Savings Plan Day and Senator Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado) is highlighting his Senate Bill 1218, legislation that will help families save money for college by making contributions to 529 plans tax deductible in California.


“The cost to send kids to college has skyrocketed over the past several decades. Students who work, receive scholarships and/or financial aid, and get help from their parents still manage to graduate with tens of thousands of dollars racked up in student loans,” said Senator Gaines. “My hope is that by allowing the ability to deduct 529 contributions, it will increase savings and decrease the amount needed in student loans.”


According to a new survey by the investment firm Edward Jones, only 29 percent of Americans even know that 529 plans are an education savings tool.


A 529 savings plan is an investment account meant for college tuition and other higher-education costs. The plans are usually sponsored by states and offer various benefits. Many states give the account owner full or partial state income tax deductions for their contributions to the state’s 529 plans. California is currently one of only nine states that do not offer a state income tax deduction or tax credit for contributions to the state's 529 college savings plan.


Senate Bill 1218 will make contributions to 529 plans of up to $3,000 per individual filer and $6,000 per joint filers tax deductible each year in California.


For reference, tuition and related costs (books, living expenses, etc.) at both the University of California and California State University systems have tripled over the last 15 years. The average cost for one year at a California State University is approximately $25,000. The average cost for one year at a University of California is nearly $35,000.


To attend the private University of Southern California, tuition alone will cost more than $50,000 per year. Data from The Institute for College Access & Success shows that the average borrower from California has $22,191 worth of student loan debt that still needs to be paid.




Senator Ted Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.


# # #

Sacramento – After extensive and thorough investigations, CAL FIRE investigators have determined that four Northern California wildfires in last year’s October Fire Siege were caused by trees coming into contact with power lines. The four fires, located in Butte and Nevada counties, are the first fire investigations from last October to be completed.

CAL FIRE investigators were dispatched to the fires last year and immediately began working to determine their origin and cause. The Department continues to investigate the remaining 2017 fires, both in October and December, and will release additional reports as they are completed.
The October 2017 Fire Siege involved more than 170 fires and charred more than 245,000 acres in Northern California. More than 11,000 firefighters from 17 states helped battle the blazes.
Below is a summary of the four completed investigations:
• The La Porte Fire, in Butte County, started in the early morning hours of Oct. 9 and burned a total of 8,417 acres, destroying 74 structures. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by tree branches falling onto PG&E power lines. CAL FIRE investigators determined there were no violations of state law related to the cause of this fire.
• The McCourtney Fire, in Nevada County, started the evening of Oct. 8 and burned a total of 76 acres, destroying 13 structures. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by a tree falling onto PG&E power lines. The investigation found evidence that PG&E allegedly failed to remove a tree from the proximity of a power line, in violation of the state Public Resources Code section 4293.
• The Lobo Fire, in Nevada County, started the evening of Oct. 8 and burned a total of 821 acres, destroying 47 structures. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by a tree contacting PG&E power lines. The investigation found evidence that Public Resources Code section 4293, which requires adequate clearance between trees and power lines, was allegedly violated.
• The Honey Fire, in Butte County, started in the early morning hours of Oct. 9 and burned a total of 76 acres. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters and no structures were destroyed. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by an Oak branch contacting PG&E power lines. The investigation found evidence that Public Resources Code 4293, which requires adequate clearance between trees and power lines, was allegedly violated.
The McCourtney, Lobo, Honey investigations have been referred to the appropriate county District Attorney’s offices for review.
Californians are encouraged to remain vigilant and prepared for wildfire. For more information, visit www.readyforwildfire.org or www.fire.ca.gov
### 

​

By Senator Ted Gaines

 
California might end the fiscal year with a whopping $20 billion in its rainy day fund. You might think a reserve that size, plus billions more in unanticipated revenue flowing into the state’s coffers this year, would satisfy even the tax-hungriest Sacramento politicians and satisfy their appetite for tax increases. Sadly, you would be wrong.  Even during this tax boom, Senate Bill 993 is trying to slap taxpayers with the single biggest sales tax increase in state history.


Currently, Californians don’t pay taxes on services, but SB 993 would change that. Next time you visit a dry cleaner, hair stylist, manicurist, mechanic or any of the other countless services that we use day after day, week after week, you’ll pay a new and additional three-percent tax for the exact same service.  That’s the last thing financially-stretched Californians need in this already unaffordable state. And history is clear that the three-percent tax will only creep up over time.


The damage wouldn’t stop there. Small businesses contract out myriad tasks so they can focus on their core money making activity. They pay for computer services, payroll, janitorial, bookkeeping, legal services and more. Under this bill, they will be paying a premium for those services. This additional cost puts them at a further disadvantage to their larger competitors, who have staff to perform these services in house, and they will have no choice but to pass those new costs on to consumers, shrink already thin margins, or go out of business completely.


By taxing businesses for services provided during multiple stages of production, this tax will be added on to the final costs of every product we use, including prescription drugs, milk, bread and other staples that are exempt from any sales tax. Although they will not be taxed directly, everyone – even the state’s poorest citizens – will be paying a backdoor tax on the products they depend on.


In true California fashion, the plan envisioned in SB 993 is wildly complicated, with a maze of exemptions and allocation decisions that make the bill not just a bad idea, but an unworkable one.  It’s estimated that first-year administrative costs for the state would be around $900 million, settling towards $600 million annually afterwards.  Good taxation should be simple, and the convoluted scheme embodied in the bill violates that core principle.


A tax on services will spread over the California economy like a Kilauea lava flow, slowly destroying opportunity, prosperity, and the bottom line of family budgets. It could lead to a short-term bump in revenue, but would further damage California’s faltering economic competitiveness and corrode our long-term financial health.  That’s a price none of us should be willing to pay.


Senator Ted Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING
Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness.
 
Due to the recent event low voltage power event which occurred on Friday, May 18, 2018 and subsequent pump failure on Saturday, May 19, 2018, the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water in conjunction with the Sierra County Health Department, and Sierra Brooks Water System are advising residents of Sierra Brooks to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution.
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one (1) minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking and food preparation until further notice.  Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.  
Optional alternative to include for prolonged situations where it fits.
An alternative method of disinfection for residents that are not able to boil their water is to use fresh, unscented, liquid household bleach.  To do so, add 8 drops (or 1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per gallon of clear water or 16 drops (or 1/4 teaspoon) per gallon of cloudy water, mix thoroughly, and allow it to stand for 30 minutes before using.  A chlorine-like taste and odor will result from this disinfection procedure and is an indication that adequate disinfection has taken place.
Water disinfection tablets may also be used by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
We will inform you when tests show that water is safe to drink and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem by Friday, May 25, 2018.
For more information call:
Water Utility contact: Water System Manager Tim Beals 530-289-3201 (Sierra County Department of Public Works) or  530-862-1377 (Home)
               
State Water Resources Control Board – Drinking Water Field Operations Branch- District Office at 530-224-4800.
Local Environmental Health Jurisdiction:  530-993-6700.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

 
Small towns have always had the reputation of being welcoming places. Have we gotten out of practice? Long time residents often recall how neighbors and townsfolk took care of each other. New residents cite how they moved here for the friendly atmosphere. However, when we look a little deeper, many think we may have forgotten how to be better neighbors.
 
One of those people is Fair Manager John Steffanic. “I recently took the time to really look at the people on the street in Portola,” he explained, “And I realized, not only did I not recognize anyone, I hadn't even seen many of them before!” He says he began to think about how difficult it is to get people involved in everything from school activities, to getting people to enter their jelly or photograph in the Fair. Many of the people he was seeing for the first time, may have never had the background to encourage them to offer to work in the school concession stand, or know that they even could enter something in the County Fair. “We have a disconnect between our small town values, and people that may want to be part of those values, but don't feel welcome.” says Steffanic. The Fair Manager feels that it would do our communities good to extend a welcoming hand to new residents, or even those that have lived here for awhile, but have never been made to feel welcome.
 
Steffanic, and the Plumas Sierra County Fair Board, think it only makes sense that the one event that exists for every resident in both counties, should lead the way in making those residents feel like part of their communities. The 2018 Plumas Sierra County Fair theme is “Welcome to the Neighborhood!”. Quite simply, the goal of the theme, is to help every resident in Plumas and Sierra Counties feel they are part of the place they live. “If you run into someone that you have seen before, but have not met, introduce yourself,” Steffanic suggests, “Ask them where they are from, if they like it here, do they have kids, what do they enjoy doing... in other words, show interest by being nosey!” Steffanic has cited examples of asking people at the Fair, who he is not familiar with, to help someone else carry their Fair entries or whatever. He says the response; the feeling of helping, fosters the kind of connections we have all remembered and longed for. It all starts with reaching out, he says.
 
To help get the ball rolling, the PSCF Foundation, the non-profit corporation that exists to solely support the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, is offering a Block Party 1-2-3 package to each of the main communities. The package contains instructions on how to throw a block party, giving residents an opportunity to gather and meet. The Foundation will supply the food for a taco feed, as well as a budget for entertainment. It is hoped that this initial block party will encourage several other parties in each community. Steffanic says he, and others from the Fair and Foundation Boards, will show up to serve food while local organizers can spend their time handing out special “Hello, my name is...” tags to attendees. “If we can have several of these parties in each of our towns, it can only help to make our communities closer.” declared Fair Manager Steffanic. To tie it all together, a white cube will be set out for everyone in attendance to sign their names on. These cubes will be gathered up and stacked in front of the main gate at the 2018 Fair, August 8-12.
 
Foundation Board President, Nancy Gambell, says, “Everytime someone waves at someone else at the annual Fair, it shows the theme “Welcome to the Neighborhood!” in action. We just want to open the Fair up to even more waving!” The PSCF Foundation has spent over $50,000 to benefit the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, purchasing equipment, facilitating youth awards and sponsoring events, like the Neighborhood Block Parties. “We are honored and excited to be part of this great effort to make everyone feel like they are part of our community, especially bringing more into the Fair community.” Gambell said.
 

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, and Californians are expected to kickoff the unofficial start of summer in record numbers.


According to AAA’s first travel forecast of the summer, nearly 5.2 million Californians are projected to travel over the upcoming three-day weekend. This is an increase of 5.3 percent from last year and the highest number on record for the holiday. AAA projects that 41.5 million Americans will travel nationwide, nearly 5 percent more than last year and the most in more than a dozen years.


“The highest gas prices since 2014 won’t keep travelers home this Memorial Day weekend,” said Michael Blasky, spokesman for AAA Northern California. “A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Californians all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season.” 


By the Numbers: Memorial Day Travel Forecast

• 2018 will be the seventh straight year of state growth and fourth consecutive year of nationwide growth during the holiday period.
•  
• More than 4.3 million Californians will drive to their destinations, an increase of 5.2 percent over last year.
•  
• Nearly 528,000 Californians are taking to the skies this Memorial Day, increasing air travel by 7.5 percent over last year. 

Outsmart traffic by avoiding worst times to hit the road
For those traveling by car, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25 – in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Several major U.S. metros, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip. 


Although these travel times might look daunting, be glad you're not driving through the core of the Big Apple: The largest delay in the nation is expected to occur in New York City, where a normal 23-minute commute on I-95 West is predicted to take 2 hrs & 18 minutes, 506% higher than normal. 
 
 
 

 
Work on Highway 89 and Highway 49 Will Impact Area Motorists
 
SIERRAVILLE/LOYALTON – Caltrans is alerting motorists to expect lane closures and one-way traffic controls on Highway 89 between Sierraville and Sattley and on Highway 49 in Loyalton as  maintenance crews perform emergency paving repairs.
 
The paving work is scheduled to take place as follows:
 
            Thursday/Friday, May 24-25 – 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. – One way traffic controls will be in effect with a pilot car escorting vehicles through the four-mile work zone between Sattley and just west of Sierraville.
 
            Tuesday, May 29 – 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. – One way traffic controls will be in effect with a pilot car escorting vehicles through the work zone at the Lombardi Point curve near Genasci Road.
 
            Wednesday, May 30 – 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. – One-way traffic controls will be in effect on Highway 49 through the town of Loyalton with a pilot car escorting vehicles through the @ one mile work zone.
 
Motorists are encouraged to plan for delays (@ 5-10 minutes) and adjust their travel time accordingly. Weather or other unexpected events may delay or prolong the work.
 
Visit Caltrans' “QuickMap” for current road conditions and chain requirements at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov. A mobile version is also available through the iPhone App Store or in Google Play. Motorists also can use the California Highway Information Network automated phone service by calling 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).
 
Follow Caltrans District 3 on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and Facebook to receive the latest information about current roadway conditions. Motorists are urged to be “Be Work Zone Alert” and to “Slow for the Cone Zone.”

​LOYALTON CITY COUNCIL met May 15th at the City Center with Counsel Steve Gross present.
California Department of Forestry will be at the cemetery May 21st and 22nd to clean it before Memorial Day. It was stated new flags need to fly at the cemetery and social hall.
CalPERS: Mayor Mark Marin has consistently said the City doesn’t have funding to pay the five former employees which amounts to nearly $5,000 a month. At the meeting, he said they’d voted to pay December and understood January and he was going to direct the “money people” to try and pay the retirees. “Gotta pay 60%,” he said, adding he’s been told it could come out of water and sewer and have settlement money. It was stated 95% comes out of water and sewer to pay employees.
Bookkeeper Tracy Smith gave a description of the break down of departments and the mayor questioned taking 60% out of water and sewer. Tracy told of the need of a budget to pull a report and nothing had been created. Councilwomen Joy Markum agreed they need a budget. The mayor agreed, “Then let’s do one,” he said, not having had a finance meeting since September 2017.
From the audience, Phyllis DeMartini stated “money you’re talking of taking represents this whole community,” and told of driving over and dodging streets. The mayor stated the city has “$980,000 to do Beckwith Street and it’ll start next year.” Phyllis stopped the mayor from blaming past councils and stated, “This council needs action,” and received applause.
Markum talked of a clause on settlement monies being used only for water and sewer plant. Counsel Gross said it was limited to improvements of facilities not pension supplement payments.
From the audience, Brooks stated both settlements given were neither stipulated for water and sewer and takes a 4/5 vote. Gross stated they were USDA-funded and had limitations and prohibited expenditures of funds to fund litigation and would limit how funds are expended. This was tabled to the next meeting.
VERIZON TOWER: Markum addressed the Verizon tower  and the contract appeared the property is in the county and to follow the County’s ordinance on what it would look like, adding it wasn’t “aesthetic appropriate.” This resulted in the county planning director being referred to as “the enemy” by a member of the audience and Beals stating the characterization was false. He told of a title issue on how the city obtained the property  and at no time was it rejected or told about aesthetics. He agreed to help push it through “If Verizon wants to meet.” This would be agendized.
FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT: Assistant Fire Chief Robert DeMartini told of a positive spaghetti feed. There have been 49 calls so far this year with two just that day. 98% are medical calls. With the upcoming annexation, they need a water tender to cover outlying areas. Battalion Chief John Evans told of advanced classes for wildland fire fighting and they anticipate it being a busy season. Robert told of how with all the rain, it rejuvenates grass and asked property owners “to please cut it down and protect yourself.  Report anything,” he added.
4-H & FFA: There was a lengthy discussion  regarding 4-H and FFA  with Allison Gunier telling of her daughter’s six years of 4-H involvement, 4 years with a pig purchased and housed in her backyard.  Carrie O’Reilly, County representative and several 4-H leaders were present. Allison told of heat lamps, play, feeding and watering, washing and walking, communication and trust, shots, nutrition, skin care, percentage of fat and muscle in her daughter’s raising of the pig. Her neighbor, Joy Markum, she stated was watering the pig creating a stench, to which Joy wanted the pig’s pen moved.
O’Reilly told of 4-H’s main job of serving our community and being helpful and respectful with neighbors and had sympathy for both. She hoped within May to find a more satisfactory location for the pig. In Plumas County, she said there is a special use permit expected and getting buy-in from the neighbors before it becomes an issue.
City Clerk Kathy LeBlanc said there is a special use permit on file and Allison has 60 days. Gross told of when the permit comes back, to make sure it meets regulations and if the applicant can keep a pig as it might require to move it or not to grant. He said to see if the property complies with the ordinance, evaluate the permit and see the conditions to mitigate problems.
O’Reilly stated Loyalton’s permit is exactly the same as Plumas County’s and the same, good process having a public comment for those affected and for all other animals.
Gross will bring a draft and have it on the next agenda. From the audience, 4-H leader Sara Jackson felt the City had “drifted so far it’s unrealistic to expect us to do this after the animal is purchased.” According to LeBlanc, there are permits out for the pig and two lambs this year. Joy asked Allison to “build a new pen,” and Allison wanted Joy “to stop watering.”
CREDIT CARDS FOR THE FIRE DEPT.: DeMartini said charges come out of their own budget and if there are stipulations, they need to know. Apparently, the credit cards were torn up over thoughts of the city being disincorporated. John Evans stated the chief authorizes all purchases and there is a $2,000 limit with no cash back.
RELEASING THE ATTORNEY STATEMENT: Gross told of the law changed and the court has said in less pending litigation, the bill can be provided.  Audience members questioned his presence. He stated he got no overtime and charged $200/hour.  The mayor took credit for having the attorney at the meeting, thought there would be a “bunch of people raving about Nancy,” some who screamed at him.
 

Small towns have always had the reputation of being welcoming places. Have we gotten out of practice? Long time residents often recall how neighbors and townsfolk took care of each other. New residents cite how they moved here for the friendly atmosphere. However, when we look a little deeper, many think we may have forgotten how to be better neighbors.
 
One of those people is Fair Manager John Steffanic. “I recently took the time to really look at the people on the street in Portola,” he explained, “And I realized, not only did I not recognize anyone, I hadn't even seen many of them before!” He says he began to think about how difficult it is to get people involved in everything from school activities, to getting people to enter their jelly or photograph in the Fair. Many of the people he was seeing for the first time, may have never had the background to encourage them to offer to work in the school concession stand, or know that they even could enter something in the County Fair. “We have a disconnect between our small town values, and people that may want to be part of those values, but don't feel welcome.” says Steffanic. The Fair Manager feels that it would do our communities good to extend a welcoming hand to new residents, or even those that have lived here for awhile, but have never been made to feel welcome.
 
Steffanic, and the Plumas Sierra County Fair Board, think it only makes sense that the one event that exists for every resident in both counties, should lead the way in making those residents feel like part of their communities. The 2018 Plumas Sierra County Fair theme is “Welcome to the Neighborhood!”. Quite simply, the goal of the theme, is to help every resident in Plumas and Sierra Counties feel they are part of the place they live. “If you run into someone that you have seen before, but have not met, introduce yourself,” Steffanic suggests, “Ask them where they are from, if they like it here, do they have kids, what do they enjoy doing... in other words, show interest by being nosey!” Steffanic has cited examples of asking people at the Fair, who he is not familiar with, to help someone else carry their Fair entries or whatever. He says the response; the feeling of helping, fosters the kind of connections we have all remembered and longed for. It all starts with reaching out, he says.
 
To help get the ball rolling, the PSCF Foundation, the non-profit corporation that exists to solely support the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, is offering a Block Party 1-2-3 package to each of the main communities. The package contains instructions on how to throw a block party, giving residents an opportunity to gather and meet. The Foundation will supply the food for a taco feed, as well as a budget for entertainment. It is hoped that this initial block party will encourage several other parties in each community. Steffanic says he, and others from the Fair and Foundation Boards, will show up to serve food while local organizers can spend their time handing out special “Hello, my name is...” tags to attendees. “If we can have several of these parties in each of our towns, it can only help to make our communities closer.” declared Fair Manager Steffanic. To tie it all together, a white cube will be set out for everyone in attendance to sign their names on. These cubes will be gathered up and stacked in front of the main gate at the 2018 Fair, August 8-12.
 
Foundation Board President, Nancy Gambell, says, “Everytime someone waves at someone else at the annual Fair, it shows the theme “Welcome to the Neighborhood!” in action. We just want to open the Fair up to even more waving!” The PSCF Foundation has spent over $50,000 to benefit the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, purchasing equipment, facilitating youth awards and sponsoring events, like the Neighborhood Block Parties. “We are honored and excited to be part of this great effort to make everyone feel like they are part of our community, especially bringing more into the Fair community.” Gambell said.
 

 
            Kristi DeBerg (45) Loyalton.  DeBerg violated her probation.  DeBerg was on probation for two counts of first degree (residential) burglary where she entered victim’s homes and stole prescription medication.  She violated her probation by being arrested in Reno and charged with burglary and theft when her co-workers at the Ethan Allen store noticed credit cards missing, and then returned.  Unauthorized charges were racked up on the cards.  An investigation by Reno Police led to DeBerg as the person stealing and using the cards.  For this violation, DeBerg was sentenced to 9 years and 4 months in prison on the original charges of burglary in Sierra County.  The Reno charges are still pending.
 
            Beatriz Cuenca (41) Sacramento.  After a contested preliminary hearing Cuenca was ordered to stand trial for felony child endangerment, and driving under the influence.  The evidence at the preliminary hearing established Cuenca was driving under the influence with small children in the car.
 
            Becky Brown (32) Dickinson North Dakota.  Placing refuse near a stream where it could go into the stream.  One year probation, fine $640.
 
            Aaron Hansen (37) Quincy.  Driving with a .08 blood alcohol level or greater.  Three years probation, two days jail, fine #$1885, and attend alcohol school.
 
            Pedro Lopez (46) Antioch.  Hunting bear without a tag.  One year probation, fine $1285.
 
            Miguel Reyes Mira (41) Vacaville.  Illegal take of deer without tag, and in closed zone.  One year probation, fine $1285.
 
            Scott Killian (37) Truckee.  Driving under the influence.  Three years probation, two day jail, fine $1885, and attend alcohol school
 
Jocelyn Ramirez (21) Kings Beach.  Driving on a suspended license with a prior conviction.  Eighteen months probation, five days jail, fine $2249.
 
Fredrick Harris (45) Portola.  Driving on a suspended license with a prior conviction.  Eighteen months probation, 14 days jail, fine $2249.
 
Robert Vanamberg (46) Truckee.  Sentencing after a felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and boating under the influence of alcohol.  Three years probation, 38 days jail, fine $2410.
 
           
 

 

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chair Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) issued the following statement in response to the release of Governor Brown’s revised budget proposal:
 
“We owe it to Californians to act as good stewards of their tax dollars. I’m pleased that the governor’s proposal adds to the rainy day fund, but we must do more to prepare for the next economic downturn. Saving more now, will ensure that education funding and other essential programs will remain intact down the road.
 
“With our current $8.4 billion surplus, it’s clear that there was no need for the Legislature to pass a $52 billion gas tax. Surely our state could have prioritized spending to pay for maintaining our roads. We need to focus on wisely investing this surplus to pay down debt and make one-time expenditures in modernizing our state’s crumbling infrastructure. We also need to prioritize funding for programs that keep our communities safe and make California more affordable. As it is, California working families are struggling to survive in our high tax climate and we need to look at ways to lower their tax burden.
 
“I look forward to working with my colleagues and the governor to pass a responsible budget that funds critical programs, safeguards our state’s fiscal health, and invests in California’s future.”
 
 
Assemblyman Jay Obernolte represents the 33rd Assembly District, which includes the San Bernardino County communities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Big River, Crestline, Fort Irwin, Hesperia, Johnson Valley, Lake Arrowhead, Lenwood, Lucerne Valley, Needles, Oak Hills, Phelan, Running Springs, Silver Lakes, Trona, Twentynine Palms Base, Twin Peaks and Victorville.
# # #



​

 

Sacramento – The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) today released revenue numbers for cannabis sales in the first quarter of 2018. Tax revenue from the cannabis industry totaled $60.9 million since January 1, 2018, which includes state cultivation, excise and sales taxes. It does not include local tax revenue collected by cities or counties.
 
In November 2016, California voters approved Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Beginning on January 1, 2018, two new cannabis taxes went into effect: a cultivation tax on all harvested cannabis that enters the commercial market and a 15 percent excise tax on the purchase of cannabis and cannabis products. In addition, cannabis and cannabis products are subject to state and local sales tax at the time of retail sale.
 
California’s excise tax on cannabis generated $32 million in revenue for the first quarter of calendar year 2018.  The cultivation tax generated $1.6 million, and the sales tax generated $27.3 million in revenue. Medicinal cannabis is exempt from sales tax if the purchaser holds a valid Medical Marijuana Identification card.
 
To learn more, visit the Tax Guide for Cannabis Businesses on the CDTFA website.
 



​

By Ryan James Girdusky



No one would mistake President Trump for an environmentalist. Yet his immigration policies could inadvertently safeguard the environment.


Here's why. More than 325 million people live in the United States.  By 2065, that figure is expected to grow to 441 million. Immigration will account for 88 percent of this increase.  


If this growth materializes, we'll have to bulldoze millions of acres of open spaces to build housing for new arrivals. To feed a larger population, we'll have to convert more forests and grasslands to farms. Further ecosystem destruction will occur, more species will be threatened, and U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will rise


Environmentalists can prevent this ecological catastrophe by supporting humane reductions in future immigration levels. 


Sensible limits on immigration were once the mainstream environmentalist position. The Sierra Club's first executive director, David Brower, remarked, "Overpopulation is perhaps the biggest problem facing us, and immigration is part of the problem."  The founder of Earth Day, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, commented that "it's phony to say 'I'm for the environment but not for limiting immigration.'"  


They were right. Population growth is the chief driver of urban sprawl in America.  


Look to Texas. The Lone Star State population grows by 450,000 people each year, forcing the state to build 115,000 new houses and 2,500 roads annually. Texas loses 120,000 acres of open space every year due to population growth.  The Center for Biological Diversity noted that “Soaring human populations are putting incredible pressure on endangered animals in Texas and across the Southwest. We’re crowding out wildlife and destroying wild places at an alarming pace.” 


Sprawl results in a sharp reduction in farmland per capita -- even as food demand increases. America boasted 1.9 acres of cropland per resident in 1982. That number could drop as low as 0.3 acres by the end of the century if current trends continue.  


A lack of farmland could send food prices soaring, thereby harming working-class families. Or farmers would convert pristine wild spaces into farms, using harmful pesticides and fertilizers to boost crop yields. 


A growing population would also overtax fresh water sources. Consider California, which has suffered horrific droughts. Due to immigration, California's population is set to grow from roughly 40 million today to 44 million by 2030.  


That means more pressure on limited water resources, more sprawl, and less space for nonhuman inhabitants. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife states unequivocally, “Habitat loss due to human population growth presents the single biggest problem facing native plants and animals in California.”  


A growing population also means that the nation's total emissions could increase. Population growth was responsible for nearly 30 percent of the increase in U.S. emissions between 1997 and 2007. 


President Trump's proposed limits on "chain migration" would prevent such emissions and sprawl. Currently, legal immigrants are allowed to sponsor non-nuclear family members for admittance into the United States. The process results in a "chain" of migrants who in turn sponsor more family members.  Chain migration accounted for 70 percent of all legal immigration between 2005 and 2015. 


Reducing chain migration would curb population growth. And the changes would only affect future immigration levels. So no immigrants currently living in the United States would have to leave.


Environmentalists rarely agree with President Trump. But they should give his immigration proposals a second look. Curtailing immigration-fueled population growth is an essential element of any pursuit of a sustainable future.


Ryan James Girdusky is a writer based in New York.

California’s gross domestic product surpassed $2.7 trillion in 2017, reports the Associated Press, an output with places California’s economy ahead of the United Kingdom’s.
California now has the distinction of having the worlds fifth largest economy, a distinction it last held in 2002. According to the AP, California’s economy in recent years has ranked as low as 10th, which it reached in 2012.
While strong economic growth is certainly welcomed news, for far too many Californians, higher GDP numbers have yet to translate to greater prosperity.
In fact, according to the Census Bureau’s Supplemental poverty measure, one in five Californians live in poverty, 20.4 percent to be exact, compared to a national average of 14.7 percent, the highest rate of poverty in the nation.
By extension, California also has the distinction of having the highest child poverty rate in the nation, with an average of 22.8 percent of California’s children living in poverty in 2013-15, including 5.1 percent living in “deep poverty.”
On top of it all, California is also the home of a quarter of the country’s homeless.
It is unconscionable that a state can be as wealthy and purportedly progressive as California is and yet fail as much as California does.
But while some might see the disconnect and see a need for more government meddling and more government spending, perhaps we would be better off assessing why it is that a wealthy state like California with a state government that spends as much as California’s finds itself in the position it is.

We already know that even when California has the money and the mandate to spend money on particular problems, government officials always seem to find a way to mishandle things. We know that much of California’s job creation is for low-wage work, and that superficial minimum wage hikes will only do so much good for people fortunate to get jobs while other jobs get lost as a consequence. And we know that California’s regulatory and taxation environment stifles housing production and job creation alike.
And don’t get me started on the recent push for farcical “solutions” like rent control.
Perhaps putting less trust and power in government to solve all of our problems is the way forward. If a government as large and well-financed as California’s hasn’t solved the problems of poverty and homelessness, and in many ways only make the problems worse, then maybe bigger government isn’t the solution.
Sal Rodriguez is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. He may be reached at salrodriguez@scng.com

​The Loyalton Mobile Home Park is currently up for sale. Live coverage of the listing began on Monday the 23rd of April.
Bonnie Jessee, Dickson Realty is the listing agent. The three parcels will be listed for $425k. All offers will be reviewed by the Court on the 11th of May.
Details regarding back taxes with the County and water/sewer fees 'on the books' of the City of Loyalton will be reviewed as well. It is anticipated - but not guaranteed - that these fees may be waived with an appropriate buyer who intends to provide additional housing for current and future citizens of Loyalton.

​

“BRAIN STORMING” or Town Halls have been started by new resident, Jackie Mertton and carried on by City Councilwoman Joy Markum, held the first Tuesday of each month. The public is invited. At the meeting held Tuesday night, many of the City’s problems were discussed and several spoke out against disincorporation with a desire to keep their sovereignty and independence with local control. They’re willing to wait until November elections for change.