A membership drive for Friends of the Arts at Turtle Bay began last week with a Friday-night reception to reacquaint Turtle Bay members with its private collection, starting with an intimate view of some of the visual artwork and a short but information-packed presentation by longtime area art expert John Harper (pictured, with microphone). He was the art curator for the former Redding Museum of Art, which was folded into Turtle Bay along with others years ago.

The collection includes pieces from local artists (we saw some by Janet Turner, Robert Arneson, Roy DeForrest, Manuel Neri, Christopher Brown, Ken Auvil, Richard Wilson, Bob McGill, Bert Olsen) as well as others who aren’t local, such as Ansel Adams.

Turtle Bay wants to reinvigorate its arts component and educational mission. It is working with Sam Davidson Gallery in Seattle to help improve its programs. And, says marketing director Toby Osborn, “It’s a goal of mine to exhibit more of the collection in the museum.”

Friends of the Arts members supports such programs as Famous Artist Portfolio for schools, Shasta Artist Open Studio Tour, Turtle Bay Art and Craft Fair, Whiskeytown Artist-in-Residence, special art exhibitions, workshops and lectures.

Memberships begin at $50. For more information on Friends of the Arts at Turtle Bay, call 530-242-3162.

—

In a unilateral display of determination, the Redding City Council and senior staff on Tuesday night discussed pointedly the importance of public employees and their unions being willing to make financial commitments and sacrifices in this down economy.

Mayor Mary Stegall, who said she was probably the most union-supportive member of the group, made it clear that the pain of financial cutbacks in the next few weeks must include every aspect of city government.  Otherwise, it was agreed, layoffs will be inevitable.

The city is looking to trim $3 million from its expense budget. It has already made a set of overall cuts and now is going back for more.

A budget workshop is penciled in for Dec. 16 at 9 a.m.  The cost-cutting guidelines are here (at the top of the page are places to increase the type size for readability and to go to the next page).

—

The City Council did indeed approve the top two senior staff member’s recommendation that they forfeit their raises from earlier in the year and postpone next year’s raises as well. City Manager Kurt Starman and City Attorney Rick Duvernay, the only two positions the council hires directly, volunteered the action in the spirit of sharing the pain. It’ll save the city upwards of $20,000.

—

During the public comment portion of Tuesday night’s meeting, Redding attorney Jeff Swanson offered what he called a bit of good news. He said NorCal Investment Partners, which he represents, is offering to give the city 35 acres near  the Oasis Park/I-5 interchange at the north end of Redding in the next year in hopes of jump-starting retail development activity.  NorCal was formerly Thomason Development, which has been working on such a development for years.

—

It’s official: Missy McArthur and Dick Dickerson are the top vote-getters for Redding City Council’s two open seats, the Shasta County elections office said Tuesday. Click here for all the hairy details. That leaves incumbent Ken Murray (who is traveling in China) and five other contenders disappointed. McArthur and Dickerson will be sworn in Dec. 2.

On Tuesday’s Redding City Council agenda are several interesting items, among them, that two top bosses are forfeiting their ‘08 raises and postponing their ‘09 raises, that budget-cutting guidelines have been drawn up for the next two years, and that Redding Electric Utility wants a Dec. 16 hearing on an eye-popping rate hike for the next two years.

All the agenda documents emphasize that times are hard, everyone’s having to cut back, including city employees, departments and services, and that the head honchos are trying to lead by example (thank you; it’s a nice gesture).

My gut reaction to a proposed rate hike is to scream bloody murder about reduced services and increased energy costs (while REU sits calmly on a giant stack of reserve cash, $42 million), and point wild and crazy fingers and shout about rogues and scoundrels. But after I count to 10, I must acknowledge that the people who run City Hall are neither stupid nor incompetent. Most are earnestly doing the best they can with The Monolith that is city government.

And yet.

It is hard to square that against so many other things we’re told.

Over and over we hear that REU does whatever REU wants, and damn the consequences as long as rates are cheaper than PG&E.

The message is to look the other way.  Accountability is foggy.  Numbers are confusing.  Audits are … where?  Conducted by … whom? Explained … how?

The business of buying and selling energy and issuing bonds and everything else REU commands is extraordinarily complicated.

It is ridiculously easy to confuse even the sharpest of gatekeepers.

It would be tempting, as a regular-joe city councilor unskilled in the energy business, to want to simply trust that the REU folks always understand the business perfectly, find the best possible deals, never take shortcuts, never perpetuate their own job security by artificially inflating energy needs that require more layers of management or higher-paid employees, never fudge a number to get that year-end bonus and always do the right thing by the taxpayer.

But that’s asking too much of mere human beings.

People make mistakes.  Some get greedy.  Personality disorders slip through the best of HR filters. And when this much money is involved, systems need strong checks and balances, and absolute transparency.

So before the City Council and staff simply trust a brand-new REU boss to know that there’s no other way but a rate increase, we hope they have thoroughly investigated REU’s mission and needs and consider the following:

This past spring and summer, while other city departments were recovering from months of embarrassing money-skimming schemes and sex scandals, and preparing to make painful cuts in resources and services, REU was filling open positions, granting promotions and raises, and entering into big-ticket contracts with the approval of the council. For example:

Action: Authorized Mayor to execute a Supply and Professional Services Agreement with Siemens Power Generation, Inc. to furnish a Distributed Control System and associated technical services for Redding Power Plant Generating Units 5 and 6 for a total amount of $1,364,377 and authorized the City Manager to approve change orders with Siemens in a total amount not-to-exceed $125,000; authorized the Mayor to execute an amendment to the Supply and Professional Services Agreement with EmeraChem Power, LLC to furnish and deliver a catalyst handling system for Generating Unit 6 for an additional amount of $868,000 and authorized the City Manager to approve change orders in a total amount not-to-exceed $475,000; and adopted Resolution No. 2008-145 appropriating $830,000 for Generating Unit 5 control system upgrade and the addition of two new positions (Automation Specialist with a salary range of $4,881 to $7,782 and Maintenance Planner/Materials Coordinator with a salary range of $4,128 to $6,533 in the Executive Management Pay-for-Performance Salary Plan) at the Redding Power Plant.

And this:

Action: Approved contract with EmeraChem Power LLC to furnish and deliver an EMx Emissions Control System for Redding Power Plant Unit 6 in a total amount of $11,100,000, and authorize change orders not-to-exceed $200,000; approved contract with Express Integrated Technologies LLC to furnish and deliver a Heat Recovery Steam Generator for Unit 6 in the amount of $6,034,000; awarded Bid Schedule No. 4122, Furnishing and Delivery of Generator Step-Up Transformer, to Kuhlman Electric Corporation in amount of $989,688.99; and adopted Resolution No. 2008-26, increasing budget appropriation for Unit 6 from $64.5 to $69 million.

- Firstly, did/do we really need a new Unit 6 ($70 million to build and a million a year to operate)? Unit 1 gas turbine has fewer than 200 hours on it since being installed in 1994 for $12 million.  And the new combine-cycle Unit 5 , which cost $48 million, has operated an average of fewer than seven months a year since it was put into commercial service in 2002.

- Secondly, of the entire city budget, the power-generation division (including debt service, spare parts inventory, and wages including much overtime) is about 30 percent of the total expenditure. Yes, REU brings in some $600,000 a month on average, but how and when and why did REU became an intentional revenue-producing entity instead of a utility for the people?

- Thirdly, is REU’s funding and freedom to operate outside normal supervision and accountability deliberately designed to keep it a cash machine from which the city can “borrow” money (some of those loans are never repaid, by the way, such as the one for the municipal airport)? Is that even legal?

- Fourthly, would it be prudent to ask the Purchasing Department to query power engineering and operations firms asking for an estimate to operate all our projects? Many companies do nothing but operate, maintain and manage power-generation projects, and do it for less money than we are paying.

- Finally, what expenses could REU delay, reduce or eliminate before extracting more money from people who are losing their jobs and businesses that are barely treading water?  Indeed, in these hurting circumstances, could REU find a way to return excess revenues to ratepayers?

Item No. 2 in the budget-cutting guidelines released Friday reads: “The City should not increase taxes or fees to balance its General Fund budget. Redding residents and businesses are already struggling due to the weak economy.”

No kidding. Is this truly the prevailing sentiment? Does it apply to Redding Electric Utility?

I implore the City Council to address these and many, many more questions before considering accepting a rate increase as the only possible solution.
And if we don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle, somebody please spell it out in clear, coherent sentences that a general audience can understand.

I encourage the public to turn out for hearings and discussions, and to listen well and ask questions. If we don’t, we’ll have to call names and point wild and crazy fingers at ourselves as well.

To communicate with city councilors:
City of Redding
PO Box 496071
777 Cypress Ave
Redding, CA 96001

(530)225-4055 Phone
(530)225-4463 Fax

mayor@ci.redding.ca.us
rbosetti@ci.redding.ca.us
pjones@ci.redding.ca.us
kmurray@ci.redding.ca.us
ddickerson@ci.redding.ca.us

They say things are tough all over, and they’re willing to do their part.

Click here for more.

Gadzooks, look what I found. It’s a relic, a 70s thowback, a Swiss-steak special, a tomato-orange K-Mart slow-cooker, that vintage vat of cool-weather convenience cooking that delivers food to the table tasting as good as if you babied it along on the stove top all day long.

Guess where I got it. Superior Thrift Store. $4.98. Works perfectly.

(Don’t tell Doni, but I stole the idea of getting one from her after I saw a cooker happily, softly bubbling away on her kitchen counter one day. It might have been one of the days we made toffee candy party favors for a month. In a few hours, voila, she served chili. Spectacular.)

They’re making a comeback, these crockpots. They turn cheap cuts of meat into tender morsels, use less energy than the oven and save the cook some time as well. We have to make every penny and every minute count these days, don’t we?

Unlike Andrea and Doni, I’m no trained cook. I haven’t taken classes or studied the masters or specialized in anything.   My method is Cooking By The Seat Of Your Pants. That sounds just dreadful. Let’s say it’s Cooking By Guess or By Golly.

This week I made something new for me, chicken apple curry, which might quickly become a comfort food. I put a large chicken breast in the pot, add a little chicken broth and tossed in some peeled, cut-up apples (two or three, whatever). I don’t suppose you’d have to peel them, now that I think about it.  I put in a teaspoon of curry, and because I like a little snap to my food, a teaspoon of cayenne. Salt and pepper.  Oh, and I snipped a couple of scallions into it. Stirred it up and set the cooker on high, knowing I’d be around and could turn it down later. Except I forgot to turn it down.  The chicken was done, but the apples were mush.  After four hours it looked like this:

Glurch: Bland yet vague; soft yet soupy. It tasted good but it didn’t look appetizing.  Back I went to the fridge. Took out the leftover rice (about two cups) I was going to serve the glurch on and stirred it in instead. Opened a can of black beans and stirred that in too. For a little more color, I used up some small carrots, cut into chunks. Do they look like thumbs? Those gave the dish a little contrast, more texture and much more appeal. Next time I’ll cook on low for two or three hours, add the scallions last so they don’t cook until the green disappears, and add more cayenne (but that’s just me). A little ginger would taste good too.

Here’s the final dish, much more appealing.

If you have favorite slow-cooker meals, feel free to share.  We’d love to have them.

The Old Veteran

A free reception is set for 6-9 tonight at Old City Hall Gallery, 1313 Market St. in Redding, for  “A Portrait in Time: Portraying the Faces of the Second World War.”

Military-chopper-pilot-turned-local-artist Chuck Prudhomme has learned the stories and painted the portraits of 20 WWII veterans to honor their service to their country. Veterans Day is Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Prudhomme, 61, recently spoke at my Rotary Club of Redding, which includes many of the veterans he painted, such as Ray Williams, Bill King, Bob Dicker, Bob Jones and Bill Holmes (who recently passed away).

“There’s more history in a town like Redding than we know of,” he said. “Incredible history. Incredible stories.” Brief biographies accompany the series of portraits. Framing was donated.

All the surviving veterans will attend the reception, he said. After the show (it runs through Nov. 14), he will give the portraits to the veterans and their families.

“It needs to be said: You literally put your lives on the line for a cause that was nationwide, worldwide,” he said. “You did a hell of a job. As a Vietnam veteran, I don’t want anybody to forget that.”

Prudhomme as profiled by Jim Dyar.
Prudhomme at Hawkman Studios.
Prudhomme at Art & Soul Gallery.

After months of rollercoaster emotions and pell-mell activity that included a highly charged presidential election, joining this upstart start-up’s first (and very successful) year, researching and reporting a difficult series of news stories, my charming mother-in-law’s breast cancer recovery (hi, Bobbie), my friend’s intense City Council campaign (high fives, Missy), the sudden death of our beloved family dog of 10 years, my own physical therapy for a mystery back ailment, and last but not least, Doni’s and my marathon Tuesday of working Precinct 770, I did something Wednesday night I rarely do: collapsed and watched television for three solid hours.

Like my friend Jim Dyar, I don’t need an excuse to watch TV, even though it probably sounds like I just set up an elaborate justification for it. No, I love TV and I don’t care who knows it. But I don’t indulge too much or – also like Jim – I’d be glued to it until somebody dope-slapped me off the couch.

(Sidebar: I don’t get reality TV, though. It doesn’t appeal. I’ve never seen “Lost,” “American Idol,” “Survivor,” “Fear Factor,” or “Runway.” And I despise the talking heads of the 24-hour pretend-news cable stations. Along with the clowns of hate radio, they are nattering nabobs, a cancerous, corrosive poison pouring into your living room. They’re a scourge on the earth. They’re infectious diseases. They’re ebola and e. coli. They’ll give you pimples and wrinkles and a limp dick. They are a hideous virus accessing your brain through your ears. Switch them off. Run away!)

No, the TV shows I love are character-driven. The plots hardly matter. I just want to watch characters I know and love do stuff.

Over the decades, I’ve been devoted to “M*A*S*H,” ”Dallas,” “Thirtysomething,” “ER,” “L.A. Law,” “Ally McBeal,” “Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,” “SportsNight,” “The Gilmore Girls,” “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “West Wing,” “Saving Grace,” and “24.”

I’ve missed out on a few popular ones — “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Wire,” “Mad Men.” I loved them, but I couldn’t commit. Knew I wouldn’t be faithful. My schedule was too erratic, my time not my own. Don’t speak, I said. I can’t bear to have only a tiny bit of you.

Oh, sorry, veered off again there for a second.

So last night, the TV I watched was not the news, election rehash, sports, movies or sitcoms. It was three hours of “Boston Legal” reruns, getting to know the brilliant, inimitable Denny Crane.

OMG, why didn’t somebody tell me? (I think my friend Margaret tried to, but I was in a fog.) I love that guy. He is the best character ever. And his friendship with law partner Alan Shore is so weird and wonderful. Great banter. Gravelly voices. Quirky personalities. Stellar writing. Great understanding of human nature, and of men.

William Shatner is a delight in this stage of his career, making fun of himself in Priceline commercials and Comedy Central roasts and whatnot, and he’s hysterical as the larger-than-life Denny Crane. That Shatner twinkle comes straight through to Crane yet doesn’t interfere with the character. Those eyebrows. That nearly imperceptible lip twitch. Crane is completely full of himself (”Must go on Larry King! The public wants to hear from Denny Crane!”) yet endearingly funny about it. He gets himself. He knows and accepts himself. He’s a hard-nosed, conservative lawyer with self-diagnosed mad cow disease who can be unexpectedly, poignantly perceptive.

Anyway, at the end of one episode, Alan and Denny were having their end-of-day cigars on the balcony, and Denny leaned over, clinked his scotch glass against Alan’s and said with enormous satisfaction, “It’s FUN being me! Is it fun being you?”

Well, slap me nekkid and sell my clothes.

That’s it right there – the point of everything.

Having fun being yourself.

For a stretch of time a few years ago, it wasn’t fun being me. It was a suffocating blur of other people’s agendas and objectives, motives and Machiavellian mechanisms. I longed to be somebody else. Who? Couldn’t tell you at the time. Anybody else, some days. I barely remember most of it.

Not anymore, though. Since I quit the corporate newspaper business and later joined up with Doni and this website’s team come true, it has been complete fun, living in the moment, being authentic, keeping it real. That’s because now I AM being myself.

I flashed back on the huge mix of little moments that have made up the last few months, the hope, effort, achievement, anxiety, worry, pain, grief, relief, exhilaration, pleasure and joy. Even the sad bits, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. In fact, every day of the past 18 months have been more vivid and real than I can describe. It’s because they’re true moments, mine, unmasked, undiluted, unpolluted.

If it isn’t fun being us, it’s because we aren’t being us. We’re faking it.

You can tell who is faking it because they are almost invisible. They’re rarely glimpsed in public. You can hardly see them, they’ve concealed themselves so well. They’re disappearing, even in the mirror.

Genuine people are easy to spot. They’re not like everybody else, they don’t blend in, and they don’t care about that. They’re larger than life. They pop out against the landscape of gray people trying to fit in. They’re real and three-dimensional and memorable. They stand out as originals and attract other originals.

If you find yourself longing to be someone else, take it from somebody who’s been there. I can tell you exactly who it is: You long to be you. Figure out who that is. Go be that person. Do work that matters to you. Being you = fun.

Know thyself, Plato said. That’s essential to Be thyself. And that’s essential to Enjoy thyself.

Watching TV isn’t always a waste of time. Remember that “West Wing” episode, “Let Bartlet Be Bartlet” ? Same principle. Reveal yourself. Be who you want to be. Let other people do the same.

Thank you, crazy Denny Crane, for another truth plucked from fiction, and for my new daily standard: It’s FUN being me. Is it fun being you?

After the last year of beastly crap-flinging, won’t we be glad to see it end?  Won’t it be sweet to breathe freely after the campaigns let go their chokehold on our throats and hearts? Won’t it be a relief when the storm of artificially stirred-up hate and fear clears up?  Won’t we enjoy turning with newfound cheer to the holidays?  Yes, yes, yes, yes. It can’t come too soon.

Doni and I will be working at the precinct all day. Have fun storming the castle. See you tomorrow.

From Sue Vanderwerf, PIO and Shasta College assistant to President Gary Lewis, comes news of activities of Shasta College staff in their spare time…

In the spring of this year, Keli Anthis had the opportunity to travel to Colombia with a team of 5 Rotarians to deliver/train others/and install 125 prosthetic hands to individuals who lost limbs due to landmines, birth defects, and accidents.  Their Rotary club raised the money to purchase the hands.  http://www.reddingrotary.org/LN-4.htm  They are currently hosting an exchange student from Colombia who they met while there.  A new trip to Africa is being planned for next spring.

Calvin and Jaye Brown established and sponsor four socials every month that are attended by sign language students and the local deaf community. Card games are offered on the first and third Sunday of each month.  A group meets at the Starbucks in Discovery Village the first Friday each month and at the Mt. Shasta Mall Food Court the second Saturday.  Everyone is welcome to enjoy themselves, while students can practice what they have learned in class by signing with deaf people and other learners.

Since the fall of 2007, Anthony Eckhardt has served as advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, Beta Mu Mu Chapter; the honor society for the two-year college.  Anthony has given countless hours of his time to the organization; coordinating a yard sale and other fundraisers, holding bi-weekly chapter meetings, as well as managing the Books for Africa, Toys for Iraq, and Adopt-a-Road programs.  Under Anthony’s leadership, our local Beta Mu Mu Chapter of PTK has been given a 3-Star status by the National Phi Theta Kappa organization.  In one year, our local chapter went from not even being ranked to rising to 7^th in the state!

Jason Kellyis the founder of Add Some Color, a non-profit organization whose goal is to reach out to young people through athletic endeavors. With the cost of participation fees on the rise, many kids are limited in their ability to participate in athletic programs.  This organization ensures that all our youth will have the opportunity to have their lives enriched by athletic programs. Furthermore, Add Some Color was the organization responsible for bringing the minor league stadium from Vacaville to Redding.

Two years ago, Barbara Schiermeyer and Wendy Rose (of Simpson University) conceived the idea of a live remote component to College Quest - “Wear Your College Logo Day” on Oct. 1.  Their idea was to link all three events:  Shasta College Transfer Day in the morning, “Wear Your College Logo Day” during mid-day, and College Quest in the evening.  They arranged a live round robin (question and answer session) with Redding Radio the morning of the event.  They contacted the Chamber of Commerce for Anderson, Redding and Shasta Lake City and encouraged their staff to participate in “Wear Your College Logo Day.”  Their efforts increased the attendance for the high school event by 500.  Her goal with “Wear Your College Logo Day” was to raise awareness within the community regarding the value and benefits of a college education. 

Happy Birthday, Food for Thought: A News Cafe. You’re a year old! Tonight’s the party. We wanted to give something back to our community, so the celebration is a fundraiser for People of Progress and Shasta Women’s Refuge. Bring a few extra dollars if you can, to tuck into the money jar or to buy an original drawing or cartoon rendered on request by renowned artists Phil Fountain and Benita Epstein. We can’t wait to see everyone. This has been a terrific year. To all our co-conspirators in fun –readers, advertisers and contributors — thank you, thank you, thank you.

Affectionately yours,
Doni & Kelly

For nine weeks the Redding City Council candidates have answered a question a week about their positions on local issues. Today’s answers are the last before Tuesday’s election.

QUESTION 9
Why should Redding residents vote for you rather than your opponents?  In other words, what sets you apart?
Answers are unedited and appear in the order in which they were received.
Length limit is 300 words.*

DICK DICKERSON

Having served in the State Assembly, as Chairman of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors and as Mayor of Redding, I posses experience not held by any other candidate. I am a veteran and I served for 30 years in California Law Enforcement.

However, experience should not be the only criteria in choosing whom to support. A great indicator of how a person will perform in the future is how he performed in the past.

During my first term on the City Council we accomplished a great deal for the people of Redding. We have a new library, more policemen and fire fighters, two new fire stations, new parks and trails. Bridges are being rebuilt, roadways widened and streets are being paved again. Redding has moved forward.

During this campaign voters were bombarded with “information,” some facts, mostly rhetoric. It is helpful to know which is which.

Rhetoric: It’s the People versus City Hall

Fact: Any city exists only to deliver services to the people. Police and Fire are for the people. Parks and trails are for the people. Sewer, water and power are for the people.

Rhetoric: The City Council overspends and asks the taxpayers for more.

Fact: Redding has a balanced budget with a 13% General Fund Reserve. We have never asked for tax increases.

We are now at a time in our economy when we must be prepared to make tough choices which will enable us to continue to provide services to the people, with our current level of revenue. I have made those difficult decisions in the past and am ready to do so in the future.

Planning for future growth is very important. With your help, I commit to working to ensure that Redding remains “The Jewel of the North State.”

MISSY McARTHUR

Kelly’s asterisked comment as a prelude to this week’s question illustrates why I am the candidate that deserves your vote. I have better things to do than count other people’s words and rat them out, even if the person writing his answer to Question 7 knowingly “fudged” and thought he’d sneak by, thus not abiding by the rules set forth. This reminds me of two children fussing at one another. We citizens have seen MORE THAN ENOUGH of that “children-squabbling attitude” on the current City Council, and we’re sick of it.

As a Councilperson, I will always keep my tongue civil and treat everyone with the respect they deserve. Addressing the City Council (microphone, audience, TV, paper, City staff, opposing opinion) is very intimidating for Joe the Taxpayer. Time and time again, I have seen Joe address the Council with a concern and get put down or railed against by a Council member. The Council should ENCOURAGE, not discourage, participation in the democratic process by listening to differing thoughts and engaging in constructive discourse: only then can the Council can make an informed decision about our community. If time is a constraint, limiting each speaker to three minutes like the Board of Supervisors does on occasion would suffice.

I want to hear what you, the voters have to say and be responsive to your needs and concerns; my ego is irrelevant. I am a thinker, a consensus-builder; I am very intelligent and not in any group’s back pocket. I am not thin-skinned when it comes to criticism; I welcome new ideas or viewpoints.

I promise to keep your interests at heart, and to be available to you if you have an issue to discuss. Thank you for your participation in this important American process: the right to vote. (For issues: missyforcitycouncil.com)

KEN MURRAY

My hat is off to all candidates. It is not easy to make oneself the target of criticism in this era of anonymous on-line commenting. As a person I have strengths and weaknesses like everyone else. I am not the lesser of evils or a better person than the rest. We are all merely different one from the other. I possess the temperament to absorb criticism without becoming defensive, but am not sure if my challengers do.

I do bring certain abilities to the City Council. For many of our families times are economically perilous, however the city is not in eminent danger of collapse. It takes a time on the council to understand the complexities of the city’s various funding sources and laws governing expenditures. My familiarity with the budget makes me capable of making prudent course corrections in a timely fashion. I’m ready now!

When I last ran for council I promised to achieve certain things if elected. I did keep my word. There are other areas I would like to expand city focus to in the coming years. We can and must be on the cutting edge of providing municipal services in an environmentally friendly fashion. We should also use more of our utility, state mandated, set aside monies to help residents lower their utility bills. I am in favor of adopting a city “Sunshine Ordinance” to make individual inquiries about city programs, activities, votes, meetings, and other information readily available to all. Most of all I want to continue the effort to empower our youth and prepare them to take over civic responsibilities tomorrow. Our future is in their hands and I trust that with the support of their parents and the community they will be ready.

GARY CADD

While each of the candidates would bring a unique experience to the council, mine would be a valuable new addition to the council. Of the challengers, I am the only one who has regularly attended City Council meetings and been part of the discussion on the most important issues of the past couple years. Unlike the incumbents, my positions have been consistent and on the side of the people of Redding. The central message of my campaign has been People First – I’m there to serve the people of Redding, not to serve city hall. I will work to safeguard the interests of taxpayers above all others.

Unlike the incumbents, I will not support the $120 million tax hike known as Fix 5 that does nothing to help a single street managed by the City of Redding. An interstate is the responsibility of the Federal and State government – not the City of Redding. We have countless local roads that need improvements before we start assuming the responsibilities of the Federal and State government.

My priorities are clear and I will make basic municipal services a priority with our limited taxpayer funds. My wallet does not have an endless source of cash and neither does yours. I will insist we take care of our priorities before expanding wish list amenities. When the Redding Firefighters association endorsed me, they recognized my common-sense priorities. A bankrupt city is not good for anyone.

In short, the people voting for Gary Cadd on next week’s ballot will know exactly who they are voting for, what I stand for and know I’m not somebody who changes positions for the sake of an upcoming election. If you have questions, please contact me gary@garycadd.com or visit my website at www.GaryCadd.com . Finally, I respectfully ask for your vote Tuesday.

JIM McDILDA

The vote for Jim McDilda is a vote to change the City list of priorities. There must be an increase in police and fire protection. I am not satisfied with counsel’s position that what we have is adequate. The money for these essential services must have precedence. The infrastructure of the city must be constantly upgraded and maintained and be budgeted for so that we are not dealing in crisis management. We have a forty million dollar back log of street repairs that needs to be addressed. The decisions to add additional debt for new buildings needs to be more closely examined for practicality vs. desire for architectural appeal. The City Building department needs change in the manner in which they do business. The voice of the public and business community needs to be heard above the political rhetoric. I bring thirty years of business experience with me. I am not a career politician but someone who gets the job done. The Cities list of needs is a long one. The priorities of that list need to be rearranged. If I am elected I will do all I can to bring about these changes while keeping a balanced budget. The time for talk is about over. The people of Redding are asking for new answers to many of the old problems. I believe in creative thinking and want to bring it with me to serve the people of Redding. The “time is now” for “the voice of reason” to “secure the future” while being a “fiscal conservative” and change the cities list of priorities. Vote for Jim McDilda and get all of the above.

* Last week an unhappy candidate pointed out that I let someone’s answer run 43 words over the 200-word limit the week before. Mon Dieu, the shame. My apologies to all. That’ll teach me to to count on the honor system. (I do know better. Journalism rule No. 1: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”) Anyhoo, last week the pointing-out candidate thought I should let him take a turn at running  over the limit to make up for my mistake. Tough noogies!, said I. Do I look like Capt. Fair Trade to you?  You can just get happy in the same pants you got unhappy in. … But, upon reflection, this last week (and I think we’re all glad about that) everybody gets to Blab On and On for 300 whole words — that’s 50 percent more answer than usual. Free!  If candidates go over the count, there will be no silly negotiating.  I’m just going to lop them off in the middle. The answers, I mean. OK then. Don’t make me come over there.

Previously:
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
QUESTION 6
QUESTION 7
QUESTION 8

However, Scott, 45, announced this week he would be joining the Sacramento office of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP when he steps down from his federal job in January.

Scott said he will start a white-collar-crime practice for the firm in Sacramento, working closely with counterparts in San Francisco and nationwide.

Scott has been the U.S. attorney for California’s eastern federal judicial district since March 2003.

Click here to read more.

Redding veteran law enforcement officer Peter T. Hansen is the new chief of police.

He replaces Leonard Moty, who retired in early October.

Hansen, 51, began with RPD 25­ years ago as a  patrol officer, rising through the ranks to become captain six years ago.

Hansen will begin his new duties on Nov. 3,  City Manager Kurt Starman said.

As chief, Hansen will oversee a department of 118 sworn officers and 74 non-­sworn personnel (part-­time and full-­time), with an annual budget of more than $26.3 million. His annual salary will be $138,000.

He was chosen as chief following a nationwide search that attracted 18 applicants from throughout the country. Qualified candidates were formally interviewed by a three­-person oral board as well as a separate panel of community leaders.

Among those on the panel were: Tom Armelino, Shasta County Superintendent of Schools, Greg Balkovek, President­-elect of the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce, Jerry Benito, Shasta County District Attorney, Fran Brady, President of Shasta County Citizens Against Racism, Callie Froese, president of the Youth Action Council, Pastor Dave Honey, Chief Administrative Officer of the Good News Rescue Mission, Maggie John, Executive Director of the Shasta Women’s Refuge, Brad LaCroix, President of the Redding Peace Officers Association, Charlie Menoher, Executive Director of the Youth Violence Prevention Council, and Greg Wrigley, Shasta County Undersheriff.

Hansen joined RPD after serving as a deputy sheriff in Riverside  County. At RPD he served as a patrol officer (1983­-1988), investigator (1988-­1991), patrol corporal (1991­-1993), patrol sergeant (1993-­1996), and sergeant supervising the Investigations Division (1996-­2001). He was promoted to lieutenant in 2002 and assigned to the Patrol Division as watch commander. He was promoted to captain later that year, first overseeing Field Operations and, most recently, Investigations.

Hansen earned his bachelor’s degree at San Francisco State University and has trained with the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, including the POST Command College. He also graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

“I’m looking forward to this opportunity to serve the community. I appreciate the support
from the community and members of the department, and the confidence Kurt Starman has
shown in me,” Hansen said.

We asked the eight Redding City Council candidates to answer one question a week for nine weeks until the Nov. 4 election.

QUESTION 9

Why should Redding residents vote for you rather than your opponents?  In other words, what sets you apart?
This week’s length limit is 300 words.*

Answer deadline is noon Thursday. Email to kellyb.anewscafe@gmail.com. Answers are kept confidential until Friday morning, when they are published in the order in which they were received. 
Get cracking.

* Last week an unhappy candidate pointed out that I let someone’s answer run 43 words over the 200-word limit the week before. Mon Dieu, the shame. My apologies to all. That’ll teach me to to count on the honor system. (I do know better. Journalism rule No. 1: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” ) Anyhoo, last week the pointing-out candidate thought I should let him take a turn at running  over the limit to make up for my mistake. Tough noogies!, said I. Do I look like Capt. Fair Trade to you? No whining! Just get happy in the same pants you got unhappy in.  But, upon reflection, this last week (and I think we’re all glad about that) everybody gets to Blab On and On for 300 whole words — that’s 50 percent more answer than usual. Free!  If candidates go over the count, there will be no silly negotiating.  I’m just going to lop them off in the middle. The answers, I mean. OK then. Don’t make me come over there.

 

Previously:
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
QUESTION 6
QUESTION 7 
QUESTION 8

Students will be able to vote at school on Thursday, Oct. 30, before school, during lunch and after school. The votes will be sent to the Secretary of State and tallied and recorded.  Statewide results will be made available the next day.
Here are the participating schools and number of students.

College Connection, 125
St. Joseph School, 60
Mountain View Middle School, 150
Parsons Jr. High, 400
Shasta High School, 1,800
University Preparatory, 400

We find places for most of the incoming, such as in main articles or in the press-release (does that sound suggestive?) section at the bottom left corner of the home page, where webmaster Joe (hi, Joe!) posts many local items, or on the right sidebar, where webmaster Jim (hi, Jim!) posts national stories of local interest.

Still, the sheer volume of updates means some things get away from us. So let’s catch up a bit with a newzblitzkrieg.

-

The Benton Dog Park Association has raised enough cash to meet its partner goal with the city for upgrades for the city only off-leash park. President Jenn Bulmer says the group raised $4,000 to get a new water fountain for the large-dog park and water for the small-dog park, including a spigot, which means no more hauling buckets. Inside the north gate will be a three-tier water fountain (adult, child/handicap-accessible, and pets) on a concrete pad about 30 feet from the fence. The current water fountain will remain with the hose bib. Total cost will be about $21,175 dollars. Bulmer sends heartfelt gratitude for every dollar and every effort toward making this come true.
-

Shasta County flu shot clinics have begun and will run through the first week of December. To make an appointment for a $10 shot, call 225-5591 or 1-800-971-1999.

Public Health has several offices:
Anderson, 2889 East Center Street
Burney, 37491 Enterprise Drive, Suite D
City of Shasta Lake, 4217 Front Street
Redding, 2650 Breslauer Way
Downtown Redding at 1220 Sacramento Street
Public Health does not bill private insurance. Clients may request an itemized receipt to receive reimbursement from their insurance. Medi-Cal and Medicare Part B are accepted if you don’t carry other primary private insurance. The flu shot schedule can be found at shastaflushots.com or requested via mail by calling 225-5591.

-

Eric Marshall, local engineer and pilot who had an unhappy Cessna landing in March 2008 almost-but-not-quite-to Benton Airpark in Redding, is up and around and spotted recently coming out of Baskin Robbins at Sunset Market. No crutches, no cane, no walker, just walking around free as a bird and as cheerful as you please. Amazing, considering how smashed-up he was and how long he was in physical therapy. Seemed to be enjoying an ice cream - looked like Rocky Road.

-

California television personality Huell Howser is coming to Redding next week to do a show on Stillwater Business Park and other civic projects.

Howser, whose popular “California’s Gold” travelogue programs are carried on public television throughout the state, will visit Oct. 27 and 28, as part of a new series entitled “California’s Communities.”

Sponsored by the California Redevelopment Association, the 30-minute programs highlight what local officials and citizens are doing to make their communities more vibrant places to live and work. Howser is expected to report on other city projects completed with redevelopment resources.

Redding became a show candidate after Economic Development Director Jim Zauher responded to a magazine advertisement. The towns of Winters and Clovis already have been featured in the series.

-

Shasta Community Health Center won a grant for operating support to build and operate a dental clinic in the city of Shasta Lake. CEO Dean Germano said competition was nationwide with over 253 communities competing for 62 grants.

The medical clinic, at 4215 Front Street, opened last year and leases space to Lim’s to operate a community pharmacy and to the Shasta County Public Health Department to provide services to the Shasta Lake community.

Germano said construction begins in a few months and the dental clinic should open by early next summer. It will be the third dental site owned and operated by Shasta Community Health Center, an area independent, non-profit organization with other dental clinics in the county.

-

The third round of the entrepreneurial contest Venture Island North State brought the number of contestants who will compete in the final round for $25,000 to three:

James Phillips, Inovius

Gisele Maxwell, Shasta Crystals

Eric Mogensen, Elements

The final round — The Whole Piña Colada — is set for Nov. 6 at the Cascade Theatre. (Yours truly is a judge. The pressure, you can’t imagine.) Tickets are available for advance purchase at the box office; adults $20, students and children $10. Be there. I’ll know if you’re not.

-

Mercy Medical Center in Redding recently received the Organ Donation Medal of Honor by the Department of Health & Human Services. This national award has been given annually since 2005 to honor active and successful organ donation programs. Mercy also recently received the National Research Corporation’s Consumer Choice Award for the greater Redding area.  That means local consumers ranked Mercy as the best for overall quality, best image and reputation, and best doctors and best nurses.

-

Minuteman Press of Redding recently acquired Valley Secure Medscript Company of Oakdale, which specialized in printing secure prescriptions for the health-care industry. Minuteman transferred those operations to its Redding facility. Jay Farquhar’s Minuteman is a locally owned franchise that offers onsite graphic design, printing and copying, and promotional products.

-

Keller Williams Redding has inked a deal to move to a new location, 2165 Larkspur Lane, the Alliance Title Building. It’s 8,100 square feet, with plenty of parking, spacious meeting rooms, training rooms, full kitchen and break room, elevator to second floor, spacious entry, reception area and four custom bathrooms.

-

Shasta Builders Exchange CEO Kent Dagg says he’s feeling monumentally better as the year wears on, after his ATV tumble in the summer. He’s back to work full-time, weighing in on local politics here and there, and says he’s considering resuming a regular column about local civic issues in the SBE newsletter.

-

We asked the eight Redding City Council candidates to answer one question a week for nine weeks until the Nov. 4 election. Questions are asked on Tuesday. Answers appear on Friday, word-for-word, in the order in which they were received.

QUESTION 8

What is your understanding of the city’s
retirement and benefit plans?
Can they be financially sustained indefinitely,
or will they need a taxpayer bailout?

Missy McArthur

The City’s retirement plan needs adjusting. I have heard loud and clear while in this campaign that Joe the Taxpayer does not want to pay government employees more retirement benefits than he, himself, receives. Most voters feel that is simply inequitable. As a Shasta College Trustee, I can tell you that there we have a three-tier retirement system: those hired before 1989, those between 1989-2001, and those hired after 2001. These different tiers reflect the changing economic times: that is what must happen in the City of Redding, and the incumbents have been very slow to make these changes at the bargaining table. At this time, I believe a taxpayer bailout is not needed… not YET, anyway! Not to be alarmist, but if the current package continues with “new hires,” it might not be just a taxpayer bailout that is needed for our wonderful City, but a Chapter 11, pre-bankruptcy filing. We must be fair to the loyal City employees we have, but we MUST look responsibly to the future.

Russell Hunt

Police and fire receive up to 90% their salaries at age 50. They pay nothing for their pensions but contribute 10% to their health care. When 43 employees of Vallejo, took advantage of this same type of contract, that city had to declare bankruptcy. The average salary of a Redding Fire Department employee, including overtime is $90,000 a year. The Public Employees Retirement System also requires the City to make up pension deficits when their invests don’t cover costs. Also of concern is the political patronage of the unions that represent the police and fire personnel. How can a council member require safety personnel to pay part of their own benefits when they are taking campaign funding from those very unions. Maybe Mr. Murray and Dickerson can explain this conflict of interest ? I will ask all city employees to pay 7% of their salaries to PERS, which is the standard for most public agencies. Because the city is self insured for health benefits, employees must pay 25% of their health benefits to make sure it is self supporting. Alike services such as police, fire, animal control, etc. will be contracted with from the county .

Gary Cadd

Several different employee groups work for taxpayers under different contracts representing varied services such as clerical, police, fire, electric utility and management.  The City of Redding offers each of these groups generous pay and benefits compared to other governments.  As these contracts come up for renewal, the council will have to evaluate each independently to ensure the taxpayers’ interests are defended and each compensation package is sustainable.

One key component to each of those plans is the additional compensation offered in the form of pensions and health benefits for employees’ future retirement.

The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) 45, requires that governmental agencies disclose the anticipated costs of retiree benefits.  Redding’s retirees do get health insurance, but unlike pensions, retiree health benefits have been paid on a cash basis and are not saved for.  A recent study has determined this amount of Redding’s unfunded liability is approximately $94 million.

These cost benefits must be addressed! The City needs to do what most private sector employers are doing and require employees to share in the cost.  As with our pension packages, employees should participate in their futures by contributing toward a savings investment to pay for this these costs.

Ken Murray

I am very aware of the California laws governing our retirement/pension plans.  Most candidates are unaware of these laws and offer simplistic, illegal solutions.

Before I was elected, the Council negotiated with City unions to provide certain retirement benefits in exchange for immediate raises in pay. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Some of these benefits are proving to be unsustainable. The legal way to change benefits is to engage the employee unions in a “meet and confer” process, to renegotiate the terms of the agreements. Negotiations with each union take place as the existing labor agreement expires. Since I have been on the Council, we have successfully negotiated new contracts with several of the unions and have eliminated the lifetime medical benefit package which is unsustainable.  As other union agreements renew, I have taken a strong stand to negotiate this element out of our contracts so that Redding has a secure financial future.

The question asks if there will need to be a ‘taxpayer bailout’. The answer is ‘NO’! The city lives within its means. As long as I am on Council we will never ask for a taxpayer bail out.

Dick Dickerson

The City’s retirement and benefit package is the result of a combination of the California State Public Employee Retirement System (CALPERS), and negations between the City and the eight employee bargaining units (Labor Unions).

The current City Council is working to reduce the cost through labor negations.  Some bargaining units have contracts that will remain in effect for 2 to 3 years. While we are working to reduce future costs, our current budget contains funding to meet the current commitments.

At this time I see no reason to believe that a taxpayer bailout will be needed, barring the complete collapse of PERS.

Jim McDilda did not respond.

Terry Oxley did not respond.

John Wood did not respond.

Previously:
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
QUESTION 6 
QUESTION 7

We asked the eight Redding City Council candidates to answer one question a week for nine weeks until the Nov. 4 election.

QUESTION 8

What is your understanding of the city’s
retirement and benefit plans?
Can they be financially sustained indefinitely,
or will they need a taxpayer bailout?

 

Questions are asked on Tuesdays. Answer deadline is noon Thursday. Answers may be up to 200 words; email to kellyb.anewscafe@gmail.com.  They’re kept confidential until publication (in the order received)  on Friday morning.  Readers are encouraged to weigh in.

Previously:
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
QUESTION 6
QUESTION 7

Victoria Sherman’s occasional cellmate, or celly, was Tabitha Willard, who spent 18 months incarcerated on various drug-related charges in Shasta County Jail and elsewhere.

She describes Sherman as a good friend to her.

“She would always read to me every night,” Willard says. “She was smart. She taught herself Spanish in there.

“She was brutally honest. She couldn’t lie. … She’d always tell me, ‘Tabitha, you got to stop being such a piece-of-shit mom to your kids. You got to grow up and get straight and take care of your kids.’ “

Sherman was treated OK by most members of the jail staff, Willard says.

“Everybody adored Vikki. They always did special things for her. I’ve not met one cop that didn’t like her.”

Rick Sherman says some staff knew how to deal with his daughter’s mental condition and limitations: “I think they understood her capacity. She was 10 to 12 (years old) emotionally. That’s in her psych eval.”

But Willard and the Shermans agree that one person didn’t, and seemed to zero in on Sherman — Deputy Carol Burch.

“She had nothing but hatred for that girl,” Willard says. “I don’t know why. You could see it in her eyes. She didn’t like Vikki being happy. She just treated her like shit.

“Vikki was a scapegoat. She would not be doing nothing, and Burch would get in her face. She would always find reasons to strip-search her. Once, she stripped her down to the waist and made her sit for hours in the middle of the room where everybody could see her. She was humiliated.”

Sherman’s mother, Diane, says they heard that the deputy “singles one out every so often to taunt and torment. She had no right. She shouldn’t have that power. That’s what Code 147’s about.”

California Penal Code 147 says: “Every officer who is guilty of willful inhumanity or oppression toward any prisoner under his care or in his custody, is punishable by fine not exceeding four thousand dollars ($4,000), and by removal from office.”

Sheriff Tom Bosenko and Jail Capt. Don Van Buskirk said Burch could decide for herself whether to talk about Sherman for this article.

Burch did not respond to requests for an interview.

Van Buskirk finally said Burch respectfully declined to talk.

“Most people (inmates) who are here for three years have issues,” he says. Sherman was in the jail for 32 months. “They’re known commodities, they know the system. They develop a sense of ownership —  ‘my cell,’ etc. The longer they’re here, the more problematic they become. … “A person like her (Sherman) might not have been afraid to act out with anybody,” he says. “Some inmates she liked. Some not. It was day-to-day.

“In general — and this applies to her — they’re written up or disciplined by numerous staff, Deputy Burch no more than others.”

Burch has been with the department for some 30 years. In February 2005, she received an award as Shasta County Employee of the Month.

- - -

Is it possible the Shasta County Jail is short-staffed, or could it be underfunded for officer training or mental-health-care training?

No, Van Buskirk says.

“We are fully funded for our needs,” he says. “At a cap of 381 inmates, the needs are predictable. If the population changed and we needed more, we’d get more. As long as the population is 381, we can control the cost of mental and medical health care.”

The jail contracts out for those services: a physician is in the facility for 10 hours a week; physician’s assistant, 40 hours a week; an MFT counselor, 40 hours a week; dentist, two hours a week.  On the day shift there are two registered nurses or licensed vocational nurses.

Communication between the medical side of things and the officers is on paper or by phone and has adequate controls and backstops, Van Buskirk says.

Sherman’s counselor did not return a phone message asking to speak about the case.

Some things we would like to have asked: Why wasn’t Sherman on suicide watch? Did you feel your mental health assessments were shared by the officers, or at least that your orders were carried out appropriately? What is the case load like, and is there time enough to do thorough care?  Why is Sherman’s birth date wrong on so many of her records? And so on…

“This is a quality institution,” Van Buskirk says. “It’s inspected on a regular basis. The grand jury comes through every year.”

As for officer training, he says, it’s “plentiful and thorough — not on-the-spot training working with someone else.”

Officers have “a minimum of 176 hours of core course training and 24 hours annually of supplemental training such as in communicable diseases and suicide prevention classes,” he says.

“We run a very fair facility. If the general programming of a facility is sound, barring a mistake, you won’t have bad outcomes.”

- - -

Rick Sherman shakes his head, mystified at Victoria’s outcome.

“Let’s see: “Was she on a suicide watch? No. Did she have a celly? No. Was she medicated consistently? No.”

His voice rises.

“They absolutely dropped the ball. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen to anybody. She wasn’t deranged. She had mental problems - fetal alcohol syndrome, cerebral palsy, bipolar and probably even post traumatic stress disorder.”

This is why they are consulting legal advice, he says.

“Naturally, we’re unhappy. We are dealing with it the best we can. For her sake and other people’s sake, I have to sue. It’s that simple. It’s not a money thing. It’s a human rights thing. Nobody should ever have to suffer like this.”

- - -

Sherman says little information has been given to them about the details of the suicide — who found her, who took her down, or who called it in.

“We got a call about 10:30 that night from Van Buskirk,” he says. ” No preparation, just ‘Your daughter hung herself.’ “

Willard, Sherman’s sometimes cellmate, says she knows three people who were in jail the night Sherman hanged herself, and they said Burch is the officer who cut her down.  But that’s not even close to eyewitness territory.

This is the entire internal incident report, as far as the Shermans know:

7.22.08 Time Unknown … responded to man down 1A upon arrival to 1A inmate lying on floor (with) custody officers performing CPR and applying AED machine — ambu bag placed (with) oxygen — AED machine initiated (with) commands — Defibrillated (once) and CPR continued until LSUU arrived on scene — inmate non-responsive — hands bluish/bpurple in color — pale — CPR continued (with LSU), intubated and transported to Mercy via ambulance — s aguilar RN

The Shermans say they have tried talking with jail officials about their daughter’s life and death in custody — “to no avail.”

“What bothers me the most is the total lack of input and compassion when you talk to them — like talking to a wall,” Rick Sherman says. “I would not throw down on anybody, but these people…” He makes a face of frustration. “There is no input. They listened well. That’s all I can say.”

He says one lieutenant told him “she didn’t understand why I was there, as Vikki was an adult and should stand up for herself. I gave her a list of names of deputies and service officers that would back up Vikki’s statements as to how Burch was treating her, and to this day we have heard nothing about our complaints.”

He says another lieutenant he talked to agreed Burch “is a pain in the ass to him and definitely pushes the parameters. This was after a 38-year-old lady committed suicide. Vikki told us they took her (the 38-year-old’s) cellmate away and she hung herself. I asked (the lieutenant) if they needed another suicide, and he responded no. I stated to him if things didn’t change in Burch’s behavior, I was sure he was going to have one.”

They had a hard time getting copies of their daughter’s jail records after her death, he says.

“We kept asking, and they kept saying the records were ‘evidence.’ I says, ‘Evidence of what? A crime?’ Are you saying a crime has occurred? I would agree with that. Carol Burch is the Grim Reaper of the Shasta County Jail.”

He says the jail never told them about Sherman’s other suicide attempt, which took place Nov. 17, 2007, two years after the murder of her ex-boyfriend, the crime for which she was found guilty.

“She told us about that one, nobody else did,” he said. It was identical to the incident that finally did kill her. The emergency room referral says, “Found hanging in cell (with) sheet wrapped around her neck - unconscious - released from sheet - did have a pulse, (oxygen) placed and she woke up combative and yelling - to SRMC via ambulance …MD notified at 22:30.”

Diane Sherman simply says that despite the lack of official information about the July 22 suicide attempt, she believes her daughter “got in trouble somehow with Burch that day.”

- - -

Custody deaths require a law-enforcement review. District Attorney Jerry Benito was asked to lead the multijurisdictional investigation in Sherman’s case. “My findings were that the death was caused by suicide and that there is no basis for a criminal charge against anyone.”

Rick Sherman says he recently was told the grand jury, which works in secret, is now looking into his daughter’s death.  Two independent law enforcement sources confirmed it is considering the case.

- - -

Last words of Victoria Sherman, 21

I’m so tired of fighting and being an echo that no one hears. My life is already gone. I have no one and nothing. I’m so tired of no one understanding. I miss Kat. I miss my brothers, I miss my sister’s. I miss my momma and my Daddy. I lost my life because I couldn’t stand up for myself. I wanted so much more than this. I’ve suffered enough for people’s amusment and I’m done being caged! No one will ever hurt or betray me again. Those who love or care for me Don’t be sad. Smile because I am finally free. I don’t believe there is a Hell. And if there is a god, why has he turned his eyes from me, when I needed so desperatly to be heard and loved. Momma, tell my story, take it to Women’s Refuge. To the mission. Let me be heard so I did not suffer in vain. My last wish is that I help someone. Please send Ronnie a copy of my story and tell him I love him and I always wanted to be his Angel. Thank him for showing me what love is really like. Last but not least I would like to thank Deputy Burch, always able to kick me when I’m down. dig the knife in deeper. Believe it or not I pray for Deputy Burch because when karma hit’s her it will be a bitch. I’d like to thank her for all the times she humiliated me in front of the pod and showed me just how unloved and alone I am. I am now free. Not even Deputy Burch an hold me down. I love you Momma and Daddy. Remember I’m happy and free.

July 24, 2008. Time of death, 1:26 a.m.

He speaks with striking intelligence and heart about strongly advocating for the north state and wanting to “create opportunities for people in a very large way.”

Morris hails from Trinity County, where he is a county supervisor with tons of experience and dozens of community and regional successes. His wife, Judy, is no slouch, either. This is a very energetic, organized couple. Read all about them on his website.

Political success and strength run in the family — his parents and grandparents (he’s a sixth-generation Trinity County native) always lived local lives of public service, entrepreneurship and patriotism.

“I’ll follow the leadership of my grandparents,” he said. “They also made opportunities for their communities.”

“It’s been a fascinating year” in politics, he said, and “the iron has never been hotter than it is right now” to make a change in our representation.  “We need big, brave steps.”

Morris says he’ll focus on health care, natural resources, alternative energy production and education. “These should be the big issues for us.”

He spoke definitively but respectfully (how refreshing) about the weakness of the north state’s current representation.

“Wally Herger has paid no attention to the needs of the north state. He doesn’t understand the mechanism of how things work. The 10 counties of Northern California have been ignored for 22 years.”

I agree. Herger’s taken an appallingly long nap in a congressional easy chair. Let’s let him off the hook to take his snoring Rip Van Winkle act home to his own bed.

Jeff Morris is so natural and direct, candid and focused. There’s actually an enthusiastic,  thinking person behind those shining eyes.  He has a rare and wonderful ability to make you want to believe in the system again. He’s got my vote.

Watch him Tuesday, Oct. 21, on KIXE-TV @ 8 p.m. Betcha a dollar he’ll have your vote too.

Forest management, water issues, health care and the nation’s economic crisis are all expected to be discussed when Herger and Morris meet in the KIXE studio for a 60-minute debate simulcast on Northstate Public Radio station KCHO/KFPR (91.7 FM in Chico and 88.9 FM in Redding).

Lorraine Dechter, KCHO/KFPR’s morning host, will serve as moderator. Questions will be posed by Bruce Ross, opinion-page editor of the Redding Record Searchlight, and Mike Mangas, a news anchor with KRCR Channel 7.

Prospective viewers are welcome to e-mail potential debate questions in advance to Jon Lewis, KIXE community affairs coordinator, at jlewis@kixe.org.

We asked the eight Redding City Council candidates to answer one question a week for nine weeks until the Nov. 4 election. Questions are asked on Tuesday. Answers appear on Friday, word-for-word, in the order in which they were received.

QUESTION 7
Please discuss your assessment of and intentions toward
Stillwater Business Park.

Russell Hunt

Stillwater was a huge mistake for a number of reasons. It duplicates existing properties that sit empty. Most of the Park is dedicated to preserve the fairy shrimp resulting in cost in excess of $250,000 an acre for the actual parcels. It lacks the full range of services needed for industry such as a major natural gas line, a refined oil pipeline, and the railroad. And it is a pure propaganda attempt designed to mislead people into thinking the city is creating jobs.Once the first stage is finished, it should be sold and the rest of the project canceled.

Instead of Stillwater, I would use redevelopment funds and clean-up funds from the Environmental Protection Agency to revamp the much larger old mill sites in Anderson and South Redding. The infrastructure is already in place. These lands were graded before environmental restrictions existed protecting the fairy shrimp. Thus more acreage is usable. We would give these parcels to any company willing to use them for manufacturing products here.

Missy McArthur

The City of Redding has spent considerable sums of money on Stillwater Business Park. Time will tell whether or not it is successful. Ultimately, it will be successful if success is measured in terms of Stillwater being built out and filled with businesses. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn and the passing of time, it may prove financially unsuccessful in the short term. At this point, any methods the City can use to market and attract businesses to Phase 1 should be done. Whether I would have supported the project in the first place is unknown, as I wasn’t part of the City Council at that time. Whether or not I would support Phase 2 is the next question that I hope to tackle as a City Council member, basing my answer on economic conditions at that time and how successful Phase 1 turned out to be.

Dick Dickerson

The Stillwater Business Park is a long term project which was created and promoted about twelve years ago by the Chamber of Commerce, the Shasta Builders Exchange and the City of Redding.

It is a project that will, in the long term, bring good paying jobs to Redding. Our location, midway between Los Angeles and Seattle, combined with affordable utilities; Enterprise Zone Benefits, affordable housing, and a strong workforce are significant attractions to companies and manufacturers interested in Northern California.

I intend to continue to support Stillwater. A nation wide marketing firm has been retained and is working hard to promote Stillwater. Phase One construction is well underway. The current Economic slowdown is troubling. However, when conditions improve, Stillwater will put Redding, and all of Shasta County, in a strong position for the future.

Ken Murray

I’ve lived in Redding for almost 40 years. Virtually every election during those 40 years has featured local politicians campaigning on the slogan that they will do something to create ‘better jobs’ in our community. In my opinion, The Stillwater Business Park offers the best opportunity to finally make that hollow promise whole, and for attracting higher-paying jobs to Redding.

The current economic situation will recover, and businesses will grow again. The very environmental regulations and processes that have delayed the construction of Stillwater since a previous Council voted to move forward on the project in 1998 may prove to be our greatest ally and best advantage in an improving economy. Competitors to Stillwater will face years of very expensive studies and analysis before they can offer the ‘ready’ sites that Redding