Monthly Archives: October 2008

First look: Grim

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 30, 2008 | Comments closed
State water officials predicted today that next year they may be able to deliver just 15 percent of the amount of water that would be available to cities and farms south of the Delta under the full terms of their contracts. Of course, it’s October, and the coming winter is still a big question mark. The only [...]
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The upshot

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 28, 2008 | Comments closed
Outdoors writer Tom Stienstra sheds light on some history that, well, hasn’t seen the light of day since the early 1990s. If you’re a history buff, then this is the good news when it comes to the state’s dwindling reservoirs. Read on: Shasta Lake, Shasta County: The state’s largest reservoir, with 370 miles of shoreline, is down [...]
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Straw poll numbers

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 27, 2008 | Comments closed
Results from a straw poll conducted after the Delta College trustee candidate forum last week. Very unscientific, but if reflective of the popular vote, very bad news for the incumbents.   District 1: Anthony Bugarin: 27 James Grunsky: 57 Jannet Stebbins: 7 Undecided: 16   District 2: Mary Ann Cox: 33 David Rishwain: 33 Motecuzoma Sanchez: 34 Undecided: 7   District 5: Steve Castellanos: 64 Al Lennox: 24 Undecided: 19   District 6: Teresa Brown: [...]
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Loco-WHAT?

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 25, 2008 | Comments closed
First, there were locavores. You know, greenies who eat locally-produced foods to decrease the carbon footprint required to sustain their bodies. Now, we read about locasexuals. Who, pray tell, are they? Long-distance relationships, it seems, are taking their toll on the planet. Think of all the miles driven. All the flights, uh, flown. Flying once a month to hook up [...]
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Debate night… in north Stockton

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 23, 2008 | Comments closed
The unusually crowded field of candidates running for the Delta College Board of Trustees may cause confused voters to resort to the untried and untrue method of Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo. Or, they could make an educated decision by attending a candidates’ debate at the college Thursday night, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Atherton Auditorium. Should be lively. Won’t [...]
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"Unquestionably in jeopardy"

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 22, 2008 | Comments closed
Federal judge Oliver Wanger today ruled once again on the troubled Delta, but his decision today on salmon won’t have the impact that last year’s smelt ruling had on water supplies in California. From AP: FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that California’s canal water systems are placing wild salmon “unquestionably in jeopardy,” but stopped short of [...]
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From the ground up

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 20, 2008 | Comments closed
Cool happenings at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge near Vernalis, as reported in today’s Record. Crews are planting what will ultimately be the largest solid block of riparian forest in the San Joaquin Valley. This kind of habitat has mostly been wiped out due to ag and urban development. Below is a field of trees [...]
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V as in Very Contentious

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 17, 2008 | Comments closed
This November, the hottest election item that you’ve never heard of is Measure V, a proposal to toss out a new fee to pump groundwater. The fee applies to landowners in the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District, which includes mostly lands east of Lodi. It’s wildly controversial. I guess that’s what happens when people are charged for something they’ve always gotten for free. Ruth [...]
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Drought in Death Valley

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 13, 2008 | Comments closed
Maybe the earth always looks this way in Death Valley. How should I know? A cooler-than-usual Saturday visit was my first to the ominous-sounding, yet starkly beautiful, national park in southeastern California. At the very least, the cracked and crusted ground — certainly normal for October – helps illustrate the serious nature of the state’s two-year drought. This is Devil’s Golf [...]
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A $50 million evening

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 8, 2008 | Comments closed
Delta College trustees tonight may sink nearly $50 million into its Mountain House campus. That’s one-fifth of the entire Measure L bond. We’ll report in tomorrow’s Record. And after that, I’m disappearing for a couple of days. No, not backpacking… too cold for that. Temps in the teens this weekend in the Sierra, per the National Weather Service. I’ll [...]
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