Monthly Archives: November 2008

On climate change

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 26, 2008 | Comments closed
We find harsh words in today’s Huffington Post in response to a Politico reporter’s coverage on global warming. The article in question says that climate change skeptics point to a “growing accumulation” of data suggesting that temperatures are cooling and global warming may be, well, hot air. This assertion, Huffington blogger David Roberts writes, is an embarrasment to the reporter who wrote the piece, an embarrasment [...]
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Drip, drip, drip

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 21, 2008 | Comments closed
The New York Times reports today on drip irrigation, which may not save as much water as you’d think. This is more than relevant for San Joaquin County and California: In an effort to make irrigation more efficient — to obtain more “crop per drop” — farmers have adopted alternatives to flooding and other conventional methods. [...]
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A Delta analogy

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 21, 2008 | Comments closed
A couple of hundred folks got together at UOP today to talk about water and the Delta and how to work our way out of this mess. Some big names were there, including Lt. Gov. John Garamendi. But the most colorful speaker was Dino Cortopassi, rancher and anti-peripheral canal advocate. He said the state’s problems could be [...]
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Audit alert

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 19, 2008 | Comments closed
The state Controller’s Office today released a final version of an audit critical of Delta College’s handling of Measure L bond money. You can read it here. The findings have not changed from a draft version released by the college earlier this month. Read our initial report about that draft audit here. Bottom line: Apparently the auditors weren’t moved [...]
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Do U(FO) Believe?

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 19, 2008 | Comments closed
Hot off the fax machine is a 15-day old press release from an organization called the Paradigm Research Group. The group claims to have sent a “large quantity” of pre-election faxes and emails to sens. John McCain and Barack Obama calling on the new president-elect to: 1) Demand and receive a full briefing from his military and [...]
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Are you surprised?

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 18, 2008 | Comments closed
This from McClatchy Newspapers: WASHINGTON —The Senate will postpone until early next year action on a big public lands bill that includes efforts to restore the San Joaquin River, lawmakers decided Monday.  While not entirely unexpected, the delay disappoints those who had hoped to resolve the long-simmering river restoration issue sooner rather than later. It also [...]
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The full story

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 15, 2008 | Comments closed
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, always good for a ‘Hey, I didn’t know that’ or two, reports today on the American Indian meaning of the 12 full moons. Tonight we have the Full Beaver Moon. For colonists and American Indians, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of [...]
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River breakthrough?

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 12, 2008 | Comments closed
After more than two years of little or no progress on legislation needed to fund the restoration of the San Joaquin River, this news today from AP: FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Congress is on track to sign off on a deal to restore California’s San Joaquin River, bringing water and salmon back to a now-dry stretch [...]
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BIG FISH

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 7, 2008 | Comments closed
(DFG photo… courtesy Record Searchlight) This mother of all salmon was found recently on Battle Creek, a major tributary off the Sacramento River leading to Coleman Fish Hatchery east of Anderson. The fish — it was dead, after spawning — was 41/2 feet long and weighed 85 pounds, according to this report in the Redding Record Searchlight. He was [...]
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Upset special

By Alex Breitler | Published: November 6, 2008 | Comments closed
The biggest surprise in Tuesday’s Delta College race came when Jennet Stebbins, a perennial candidate for public office, squeaked by businessman James Grunsky. Grunsky raised nearly $40,000 and had billboards, hundreds of signs and key endorsements. Stebbins raised $257 and printed fliers. Stebbins, who served on the Stockton Unified School Board in the early 1990s, said she [...]
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