Monthly Archives: May 2007

A little trip

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 26, 2007 | Comments closed
My wife and I are headed to Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks for a mini-vacation, so this blog will take a brief hiatus through the middle of next week. In the meantime, here’s something to ponder: the General Sherman Tree, generally (ha!) considered to be the largest living thing on Earth, grows within a mere 70 miles or [...]
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whale trek

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 25, 2007 | Comments closed
The plight of our Rio Vista whales brings back memories of a great ol’ flick: Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home. Remember? An alien probe is threatening to destroy the Earth, so Capt. Kirk and his gang travel back in time to 1986 to retrieve a pair of humpback whales. The whales, which have become extinct [...]
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Toxic fish

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 24, 2007 | Comments closed
Stockton’s Lao Family Community is reminding anglers this holiday weekend and for the rest of the summer to be careful eating fish that have accumulated large amounts of mercury. Big fish like the largemouth and striped bass and white and channel catfish have the highest amounts of mercury, the group says, while smaller fish like bluegills and sunfish [...]
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The "D" Word

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 19, 2007 | Comments closed
When newspaper reporters call up the cops just to check in, one of the standard responses from dispatchers is something like: “It’s all Q here,” or, “It’s that Q word again.” They don’t want to say “quiet,” because as soon they do, someone will call in and report a triple murder. Sources on the water beat are kind of [...]
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For the bugs

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 18, 2007 | Comments closed
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded Lodi-based Vino Farms, Inc., $60,000 to help save the endangered elderberry beetle. Here’s the scoop, as announced by the feds: “Vino Farms, Inc., an award-winning sustainable farm, produces more than 10,000 acres of premium wine grapes in California and has contracted with River Partners to implement a restoration plan [...]
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Fighting words

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 15, 2007 | Comments closed
I haven’t been to many North San Joaquin Water Conservation District meetings, but I’d imagine most of them aren’t this lively. Arguing against a groundwater pumping fee on Monday night, landowner Bryan Pilkington, from his seat in the first row, shouted (out of turn): “We’re mad as hell, the way he (district engineer Ed Steffani) misleads [...]
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Going, going….

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 12, 2007 | Comments closed
Next Friday is Endangered Species Day, and according to this article, fully 40 percent of the Earth’s examined species are endangered; at the present rate, half of all plant and animal species will be extinct by the year 2100. Have a great weekend…
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Turbine troubles

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 9, 2007 | Comments closed
A few readers have come forward with solutions to the bird kill issue at the Altamont Pass. Their ideas include: 1. Attaching glitter strips to the blades to deter raptors, like some farmers do to their fields to protect their crops. That could be a heck of a sight for I-580 commuters on a bright, windy day. 2. Painting [...]
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Weed warriors

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 8, 2007 | Comments closed
Spotted two kids this morning playing swords with stalks of Arundo donax on the banks of the lower Calaveras River near UOP. Not to be a stick-in-the-mud, but this ain’t a good idea. The last thing we need is for this bamboo look-alike to spread any farther. Arundo grows up to 4 inches a day, in clusters that can reach 30 feet [...]
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Warming up

By Alex Breitler | Published: May 7, 2007 | Comments closed
The National Weather Service says Stockton could hit the 95-degree mark this afternoon — not record-high territory, but well above average. Typically we’d see temps in the lower 80s this time of year, according to the Reno-based Western Regional Climate Center. The air conditioning in my 1997 Toyota Tercel — “Old Red,” we call it – died last October, [...]
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