Author Archives: Alex Breitler

Alex Breitler

A native of Benicia, he lives in Stockton with his wife, Ann (a Record copyeditor who fixes all of his mistakes). He has been writing mostly about natural resources since 2003, first in Redding and now in Stockton. He is on the lookout for a giant garter snake but has yet to spot one.

Delta counties are not ‘obstructionists,’ supervisor says

By Alex Breitler | Published: March 10, 2010 | 0 Comments
Larry Ruhstaller remembers when representatives from the five Delta counties visited U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein late last year during a lobbying trip to D.C. They were pleading their case to the senior senator when she interrupted. “She said, ‘It’s the law. Get over it and get involved,’” Ruhstaller, a San Joaquin County supervisor, told legislators during a Delta oversight [...]
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LAO: Legislature should audit DWR’s bond spending

By Alex Breitler | Published: March 8, 2010 | 0 Comments
While there’s a lot of talk about the $11.1 billion water bond on the November ballot, the general public may not realize that Department of Water Resources has already been on the receiving end of over $15 billion in bond funds over the past decade. Of that sum, several billion are still available, according to a [...]
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‘Save the salamanders’

By Alex Breitler | Published: March 5, 2010 | 0 Comments
  The Fish and Game Commission listed the California tiger salamander as a threatened species this week. Watch this parody. Spoiler: Guy in amphibian suit solicits signatures for a ‘Save the Salamanders’ petition outside a FoodMaxx.
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‘Bubble car’ owner was a classic

By Alex Breitler | Published: March 4, 2010 | 0 Comments
I was sorry to see a death notice in the paper for Carol Lee Dooley, whom I met on a cold December morning in 2007 at her north Stockton apartment. Carol drove a way-cool “bubble car” which, as my story pointed out, “measures 99 inches bumper to bumper, tops out at 25 mph and resembles a golf [...]
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Snow surveys already out of date

By Alex Breitler | Published: March 3, 2010 | 0 Comments
The snowpack in California is above normal, the Department of Water Resources reported today. Central Sierra Nevada numbers are lagging, but that may be because of the timing of snow surveys in our area. And of course, it’s dumping today. These numbers were likely ancient history long before they were announced. As usual, the amount of water stored in [...]
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Snow: Delta council appointments are ‘imminent’

By Alex Breitler | Published: March 2, 2010 | 0 Comments
At last week’s Delta Protection Commission meeting, California Secretary for Resources Lester Snow said appointments to the seven-member Delta Stewardship Council should be coming sometime this week. It’s unclear which day. We already know one of the members — Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli, who will serve on the Council by virtue of his position as chair [...]
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Where beats collide

By Alex Breitler | Published: February 25, 2010 | 0 Comments
Dan Parises, the longtime Delta College trustee who sat at the dais from 1975 until 2008, wants to dive back into public service. This time, it’s water. Parises, 73, served as a San Joaquin County supervisor from 1971-1975 and was once a member of the county’s Advisory Water Commission. And he’s been growing grapes since he was 15, [...]
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‘They just think it’s too big’

By Alex Breitler | Published: February 24, 2010 | 0 Comments
Jonas Minton of the enviro group Planning and Conservation League told the audience at Monday’s UOP water forum that the state and water exporters should consider building one small tunnel, rather than two large ones, to convey water past the Delta. The plan right now is to focus analysis on two tunnels, each capable of carrying 7,500 [...]
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Michael: Salmon job losses also inflated

By Alex Breitler | Published: February 22, 2010 | 0 Comments
University of the Pacific business forecasting prof Jeffrey Michael dropped an interesting bit of news at today’s water forum in Sacramento. The news: Job loss estimates by the salmon fishing industry may be greatly exaggerated – as were earlier estimates for agriculture in the south San Joaquin Valley. “Job loss exaggerations are now officially an epidemic in the water debate,” [...]
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We have a nomination…

By Alex Breitler | Published: February 19, 2010 | 0 Comments
AND EVEN MORE: How ’bout the Peripheral Cavern, Peripheral Cave or Peripheral Bore (for those who’ve had enough of this story involving a giant drill)? Or the Eeew Tube? Thanks to all who have contributed ideas. I have left you nameless, for fear that should your suggestion stick, you be will forever associated with this project. [...]
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