Union Pacific Railroad Files Campaign Disclosure With Elk Grove - Who Benefited?

July 31, 2014 |

The Elk Grove City Council received a California 461 filing yesterday from Union Pacific Railroad. The city clerk's office received this filing because the Fortune 500 company, who made $90,250 in donations in California during the first six months of 2014, contributed to an Elk Grove City Council candidate.

While most of the 45 donations made by the rail and energy behemoth went to high-profile candidates such as Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic State Assembly Speaker Toni Adkins and state assembly and senate candidates, there were a smattering of local candidates who benefited. 

Among them was Elk Grove City Council District 4 candidate Steve Ly. The document (see page 11) reports that Ly, who has served on the Elk Grove Unified School District for less than two years, received $250 on June 2.

Ly, who is in what is thought to be the most competitive race of the Elk Grove City Council seat's up for election this year, has yet to report his fundraising for the first six months of 2014. Ly's main opponent, fellow Democrat and current Elk Grove Planning Commissioner Nancy Chaires, has not yet reported either.      

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Elk Grove City Council Member Pat Hume Raises Over $17k For Reelection Bid

July 31, 2014 |

According to financial documents filed yesterday and posted today by the Elk Grove City Clerk, Elk Grove Council Member Pat Hume raised $17,688 for the six-month period ending June 30, 2014.

Hume received a total of 32 donations, 20 of which were from individuals and the balance from businesses. The largest contribution amount was $2,500 from both John Reynen and Christo Bardis. 

Additionally Hume received a donation of $1,500 from Tim Lewis Communities, Roseville and three $1,000 contributions from Village Properties Operating Company, LLC, Belmont Calif, M&H Realty Partners Affiliated Fund, San Francisco, and Gil Moore Oil Company, Wilton. He also received a non-monetary contribution valued at $500 from McConnell Estates Winery for event space and wine.

Hume, who was first elected to the city council in 2006 and represents the city's District 2 area, reported a total of $33,321 in his account for the period. The entire report can be viewed here.      

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Chew's Reviews - 'Child of God'

By Gary Chew | July 30, 2014 |

If Lester Ballard's intelligence were to be measured by his will to survive, then this retarded and mentally disturbed man would be a genius.

That's how best I can describe this prominent character that was hatched in the unfathomable mind of the award-winning novelist, Cormac McCarthy. His novel, “Child of God,” tells a more than unsettling story of Ballard in rural Tennessee in the 1960s.

An orphan of society, Lester (Scott Haze) is isolated from it and any sense of societal decency that might randomly come from it. He is disconnected … no family, no home, no significant other. This violent, barely coherent soul exists outside the comfortable margins of the civilized. His behavioral level is not much above that of a wild bear in the Appalachian woods.

Playing Jerry, film actor James Franco has taken on the thankless burden of putting McCarthy's story to film. Not to suggest that McCarthy's work shouldn't be brought to the screen, let me just say: “Child of God” seems to be the least likely in McCarthy's oeuvre for a filmmaker. Consistently, violence and outrage play out. Less common anti-social acts are depicted … not down to intimate specificity … but plainly enough in order to make one aware of what they are.

Here's the list: human defecation in the wild; male masturbation stimulated through voyeuristic means while heterosexual intercourse takes place nearby; and most difficult for holding a steady eye to ... necrophilia.

“Shocking” might be the most concise description. Having seen so many movies over the years ... long ago, I stopped turning my head or shutting my eyes when really disturbing scenes appear … until last evening when I saw “Child of God.”

On the other hand, I don't consider the Franco film to be awful, although it has primitive production values, causing one to think that the budget could've only been less than meager, and with only mediocre performances.

If you've read any of Cormac McCarthy's novels, you might have felt drawn in by the dark, simple, primitive kinds of behavior that keep the author's attention. His characters are unadorned, yet face up to what has-to-be-done in order to survive ... like much of the , shall I say(?), civilized population.

A passage in one of McCarthy's books or one that's written for a scene in a movie could easily contain a prehistoric ape tossing a large bone up high into the sky. Moreover, Lester Ballard and Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem in “No Country For Old Men”) have much in common … and so do the rest of us. But we mask it better. I suppose that's the reason Cormac McCarthy writes what he writes.

Copyright © 2014 by Gary Chew. All rights reserved.

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Elk Grove Police Arrest Validated Gang Members Allegedly in Possession of Sawed-off Shotgun

July 30, 2014 | 

A call to police regarding a suspicious car late last night led to the arrest of two validated gang members in Elk Grove.

According to Elk Grove Police, officers responded to the 9200 block of Elk Grove-Florin Road just after 11 p.m. after receiving a call about a suspicious car. Officer contacted the occupants in the car, 18-year old Jordan Junious of Elk Grove who is a validated gang member and 20-year old John Damian of Elk Grove, also a validated gang member, who is on probation.

After detaining Damian, Junious and a 16-year old male from Elk Grove, a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a modified sawed off shotgun and two shotgun shells in the front center console. Both suspects were arrested and booked into the county jail where they remain in custody with Damian ineligible for bail and Junious on $50,000 bail.

The juvenile suspect was issued a citation for breaking curfew and released to a parent.

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Three Suspects Apprehended by Elk Grove Police Following Alleged Residential Burglary

July 30, 2014 |

Three suspects, one of whom is a juvenile, were arrested yesterday morning on suspicion of burglarizing an Elk Grove residence.

According to Elk Grove Police, officers were dispatched to the 5600 block of Laguna Quail Way after a resident called in an in-progress burglary. After being discovered, the three burglars fled on foot.

Responding officers located the three suspects after a perimeter was established. Officers also located a loaded handgun in a sweatshirt that one of the suspects had discarded.

The suspects arrested were 18-year old Trevon Smith of Elk Grove, 18-year old Tyrell Banks of Sacramento and a 15-year old Sacramento male. Smith and Banks were arrested and taken to the county jail where they remain in custody on numerous counts with Banks being held on $50,000 bail and Smith ineligible for bail.

The juvenile was taken into custody and is booked into juvenile hall.   

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Cosumnes Community Services District to Scale Back Watering at Elk Grove Parks

July 29, 2014 | 

In response to the recent water conservation mandate from the State of California, the Cosumnes Community Services District (CCSD) announced today a significant reduction in watering schedules for the parks they manage.

Starting this Friday, the CCSD will water landscape turf and plants three days a week and close four spraygrounds that do not have water recirculation systems. Those parks, Backer Park, Kunsting Park, Stephenson Park, and Wright Park, will close July 31 rather than on their scheduled closing of September 15. 

The sprayground at Morse Park, which has a recirculation system, will remain open until September 15.

The CCSD, which maintains over 1,000 acres of landscaping in Elk Grove, will continue to conduct daily irrigation checks to maximize water conservation. Irrigation checks include on-site staff turning water on for short periods to fix broken sprinklers, adjust heads, and ensure irrigation is working properly.

Please call the CSD Parks Maintenance Hotline at (916) 405-5688 to report any water problems at CSD facilities.

For more information about CSD water conservation efforts are at www.yourcsd.com/waterless. 

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Elk Grove City Council Member Makes Loan to Own Campaign Fund

July 29, 2014 |

According to information filed with the Elk Grove City Clerk's office, Elk Grove City Council Member Steve Detrick extended a personal loan to his campaign fund.

The California Form 460 disclosure that was posted today showed that Detrick and his wife Jan Detrick, made personal loans of $25,000 and $6,500 respectively to his campaign committee during the six month period ending June 30, 2014. Detrick did not receive any contributions during the period.

During the same period, Detrick showed expenditures classified as professional services totaling $60,183. The two payments were made to the Sacramento-based law firms of Boutin Jones and Churchill White in the amounts of $56,188 and $3,995 respectively. 

Detrick made an additional expenditure of $1,500 to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. For the period, Detrick showed an ending cash balance of $1,312.   

The filing deadline or postmark for the three other council members, Jim Cooper, Gary Davis and Pat Hume, who have not yet filed their disclosures, is this Thursday afternoon. 

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Two Women Robbed While Making Late Night Deposit at Elk Grove Bank

July 29, 2014 |

Two women were robbed as they were making a late night deposit at an Elk Grove bank.

According to Elk Grove Police, the 44-year old and 61-year old victims were making a deposit at the Wells Fargo branch on West Stockton Boulevard Friday night when they were approached by an unknown male. The robber pulled the bag from the 61-year old victim's hand and pushed the other victim.

The suspect ran to an awaiting car at the rear of the bank and fled westbound on Laguna Boulevard. The robber was described as a black male adult, 25-30 years of age wearing a hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans.   

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Cooper Earns Democratic Party Endorsement Over Fong in Ninth Assembly Race

July 28, 2014 |

Elk Grove Vice Mayor Jim Cooper announced today he received the Democratic Party endorsement in his race against Darrell Fong for the California State Assembly Ninth District seat.

Cooper and Fong, both Democrats, were the top two finishers in the June primary and under new state election laws, will both advance to November general election. Fong is a current first-term member of the Sacramento City Council and Cooper has served on the Elk Grove City Council since its incorporation in 2000.

"As a lifelong Democrat fighting for working-class men and women for 14 years on the Elk Grove City Council, I am honored to have received the California Democratic Party's endorsement," Cooper said.

The endorsement came after receiving 62-percent of Ninth Assembly District delegate votes. 

To mark the lead up to the November general election, Cooper will also be holding a kick-off event at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 9 at his campaign headquarters at 8238 Laguna Blvd., Suite  200, Elk Grove. More information about the event and Cooper's campaign is available here. 

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Elk Grove Shooting Victim Expected to Survive

July 28, 2014 |

An 18-year old man is expected to survive a gunshot wound he received on Saturday afternoon in Elk Grove.

According to Elk Grove Police, at 5:25 p.m. officers responded to the 8500 block of Armada Court regarding reports of gunshots but were unable to locate the source. At 6:03 pm., EGPD received a call from Sacramento Police regarding a victim who had been dropped off at an area hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. 

Officers located physical evidence that a shooting had taken place one block away on the 8500 block of McPhetridge Drive. The victim was shot by an unknown suspect who fled the scene in an unknown direction in a vehicle. 

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What Have They Done Lately? Construction Halt on Elk Grove Promenade Now in its Sixth Year

July 28, 2014 |

On or about July 25, 2008, construction on the Elk Grove Promenade came to an abrupt stop. The unanticipated and sudden stop of construction precipitated the Great Recession's credit crunch and the bankruptcy of the mall's developer, Chicago-based General Growth.

In the six years since then there has been much speculation on what will become of the half-built structure on the city's far south side. Notwithstanding the rumors and sometimes humorous suggestions on future uses for the abandoned structure (see video below), the mall's current owner, Howard Hughes Company (HHC), has most recently announced the facility would be converted to an outlet shopping center.

This east facing sloping roof shows visible deterioration.  

With much fanfare, this spring HHC announced that the unfinished shopping center would be converted into an outlet mall dubbed the "Outlet Collection at Elk Grove." According to HHC's website, "the first phase includes reconfiguring existing buildings and site work that began during the economic downturn by the former developer to allow for approximately 500,000 square feet of retail in the suburban community located just seventeen miles south of downtown Sacramento."

Since that announcement, anyone who has driven by the skeleton-of-a-facility along Highway 99 and Grant Line Road can attest, the weeds continue to grow in the rainy months, dry out in the heat and the structure, most notably the sloping east facing roof, seems to be deteriorating. Aside from a lone security guard, there is absolutely no activity of any sort on the fenced-in site.

Obviously since the hullabaloo following the announcement of the conversion of the structure to an outlet mall, not much has happened. Indeed, had HHC landed enough leases on the Outlet Collection, one suspects construction would have restarted

The Outlet Collection faces many challenges until construction can restart and the eyesore be eliminated. First, there is the nearby Delta Shores project in nearby southwestern Sacramento city that will easily draw shoppers from the west side  of Elk Grove as well as north side when the Cosumnes River Drive extension to I-5 is completed.

Another big challenge is the quickly evolving way consumers shop. When the mall was originally proposed close to 20-years ago, companies like Amazon and numerous others were in their infancy.

Cities no longer compete for malls like they once did, rather the competition is for the huge distribution centers the likes of Amazon need to get product to their customers. 

Closer to home, the Outlet Collection still faces another daunting challenge - not enough nearby rooftops. While building in the Laguna Ridge area is slowly ramping-up following the housing collapse, it may not be enough.

Likewise, while city leaders have promised a greater concentration of commercial zoning in the SEPA area, notwithstanding pressure from residential builders who fund city council members, there could be organic pressure to build more homes to create the rooftops needed for HHC to sign some leases.  

So while we all wait to see when construction restarts, or the site re-purposed, all we can do is ask HHC what have they done for Elk Grove lately?

An interesting use for the Outlet Collection at Elk Grove

  


Last known video recording of construction activity at the Outlet Collection of Elk Grove, formerly known as the Elk Grove Promenade. 

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Stop Fooling California exposes oil lobbyist conflict of interest

By Dan Bacher | July 27, 2014 |

The same oil industry lobbyist who led the task force to create marine protected areas in Southern California is now opposing a bill to protect the Vandenburg State Marine Reserve from offshore oil drilling. 

Stop Fooling California recently created a meme exposing the big conflict of interest posed by Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President of the Western Petroleum Association, while chairing the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force for Southern California and sitting on the task forces for the Central Coast, North Central Coast and North Coast. 

The meme features three panels with photos of the oil industry official on the left and “name tags” on the right. 

The first says, “Hello my name is Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President of the WSPA.” 

The second says, “Hello my name is Catherine Reheis-Boyd, Member of the Marine Life Protection Act Task Force.” 

The third says, “Hello my name, is Catherine Reheis-Boyd, walking conflict of interest.” 

The group, Stop Fooling California, an online and social media public education and awareness campaign that ”highlights oil companies efforts to mislead and confuse Californians,” pointed out that the former Chair of the MLPA Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force opposes a ban on offshore drilling in the Vandenberg State Marine Reserve area. 

“Big Oil, we know you're no stranger to conflicts of interest. But you have outdone yourself this time!” the group stated. 

The campaign was referring to WSPA's opposition to Senate Bill 1096, a bill to ban offshore oil drilling in state waters in the Santa Barbara Channel known as Tranquillon Ridge. 

Other opponents of the legislation besides the Western States Petroleum Association include the California Chamber of Commerce, California Independent Petroleum Association, California Manufacturers & Technology Association, Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business, Concerned Taxpayers, I.N.C., Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association, Santa Barbara County Technology and Industry Association and Sunset Exploration. 

That bill, sponsored by sponsored by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), passed out of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on June 26 by a vote of 6 to 2. It is now headed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 

The passage of the bill through the Committee sheds the spotlight on two glaring loopholes in the implementation of California environmental law –one in the California Coastal Sanctuary Act and the other in the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative’s creation of “marine protected areas.” 

This loophole in the California Coastal Sanctuary Act authorizes the State Lands Commission to enter into a lease for the extraction of oil or gas from state-owned tide and submerged lands in the Sanctuary, "if the commission determines that the oil or gas deposits are being drained by means of producing wells upon adjacent federal lands and the lease is in the best interest of the state." 

In the privately-funded MLPA Initiative process, Reheis-Boyd and other officials oversaw the creation of questionable “marine protected areas” that fail to protect the ocean from fracking, offshore oil drilling, oil spills, pollution, corporate aquaculture, military testing and all human impacts other than fishing and gathering. 

The Coastal Justice Coalition, a group of members of the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, Karuk and other Tribes who agree that the State of California has no right to regulate tribal gathering, exposed this loophole in the MLPA Initiative when they stated, "Protected areas would allow for deep water drilling yet would ban tribal gathering," in a news release issued in June 2010.

Senator Jackson, in explaining the reason for sponsoring her bill, said, "Even the slightest chance of an oil spill in a Marine Protected Area far outweighs any potential benefit to the state. This bill will close the book on the possibility of offshore drilling in these state waters and help ensure that our precious coastline remains protected forever." 

Meanwhile, ocean waters off the Southern California Coast continue to be “fracked” by oil companies. A Freedom of Information Act and Associated Press investigation last year revealed that Southern California marine waters were fracked at least 203 times in the past 20 years. 

Much of the fracking took place while the WSPA president was overseeing the creation of the oil industry-friendly "marine protected areas” in a privately-funded "initiative," a process that state officials, the corporate media and MLPAI advocates touted as “open, transparent and inclusive” when it was anything but. 

Grassroots environmentalists, Tribal activists and fishermen believe the time to ban offshore oil drilling, fracking, pollution, corporate aquaculture, military testing and other harmful activities to marine life in all "marine protected areas" created under the MLPA Initiative is long overdue. The oil industry's inordinate influence over the MLPA Initiative and other environmental processes, the Legislature and the Governor's Office is due to the enormous amount of money that the oil industry dumps into campaign contributions and lobbying in Sacramento every year.

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Department of Water Resources Faces $60 Million Shortfall

By Dan Bacher | July 26, 2014 |

It appears that California is not only running out of water during the drought, but it is running out of money to move that water because of mismanagement, according to the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN). 

The environmental group accused the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) of facing a $60 million shortfall after failing to collect $125 million owed by water contractors. 

“Even as it continues to promote the ruinously expensive, environmentally destructive and ultimately unworkable Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), the California Department of Water Resources has failed to collect $125 million for ongoing operations owed by water contractors, and now faces a $60 million shortfall,” according to a C-WIN media release. 

“The dearth of cash couldn’t come at a worse time for the beleaguered agency,” said Carolee Krieger, C-WIN Executive Director. “DWR now has only $50 million available, enough for about 60 days of operations, including meeting payroll.” 

The group said this shortfall required the agency to withdraw a $500 million bond proposal for BDCP planning costs because the measure’s draft disclosure form did not cite the financing deficit. 

While this shortfall is occurring, Krieger criticized Governor Jerry Brown and “his proxy, DWR,” for continuing to promote the Bay Delta Conservation Plan to build two massive water conveyance tunnels beneath the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta at a final cost to ratepayers and taxpayers of $ 67 billion or more, inclusive of interest and cost overruns. 

“Ultimately, DWR cannot go broke because it has a default source for funding: property taxes and water rates,” Krieger pointed out. “They believe property taxes can be increased to meet the agency’s needs without a public vote.” 

The group said an increase in property taxes is planned for Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California, where officials claim the moves are exempt from Proposition 13 and Proposition 218 that restrict state government options on raising property assessments. 

A memo from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, demonstrates that district officials believe they can raise property taxes to pay for the Twin Tunnels without a vote, according to Tom Stokely, Water Policy Analyst/Media Contact for the California Water Impact Network. (Seehttp://www.c-win.org/webfm_send/444) 

“Staff financial modeling assumes that BDCP costs associated with conveyance of State Water Project supply (approximately 65 million out of the $228 million ten year total) would be paid for by the State Water Project tax. Consequently, the State Water Project tax for average single family residence would increase from $36/yr to $60/yr by FY 2023-24,” the memo stated. 

Stokely also cited a document submitted on March 19, 2014 by Goldman Sachs to the State Water Contractors' Project Authority that flat out says the bonds will be secured by "ad valorem tax" increases. For example, page 10 of the document, the "Goldman Sachs Request for Qualifications and Proposals for Underwriting Services," cites "The authority of DWR to adopt a new Indenture, finance and build BDCP projects and obligate contractors to levy ad valorem tax (if necessary)." 

Nancy Vogel, Director of Public Affairs for the Department of Water Resources, confirmed the shortfall that DWR now faces, attributing it to “cumulative underbilling” of $125 million in 2013 and 2014, and cited a number of reasons why the underbilling occurred. 

“DWR is obligated to provide the State Water Project contractors with a projection of the following year’s costs and bills by July 1,” said Vogel. “We became aware in June that actual SWP operational costs for 2013 and 2014 have been higher than previously accounted for due to a number of factors, including unanticipated maintenance needs and compliance requirements, elimination of State government furloughs, salary increases for skilled project trades and crafts staff, new staff positions, and increases in overhead.” 

“Because these cost increases were not completely accounted for in 2013 and 2014 bills, a cumulative under-billing of about $125 million occurred over these two calendar years,” she explained. “The under collection amounts to 6 percent of the cumulative billing in those two years.” 

She noted that the total State Water Project billing was $1.06 billion in 2013 and $1.03 billion in 2014 – and that they are working to reduce charges and operating expense in 2015 and to mitigate the “under-collection.” 

“We are working to reduce the charges for 2015,” said Vogel. “For example, we have identified about two dozen projects at existing SWP facilities that were originally billed as operating expenses that could have been capitalized. And we are evaluating the deferral of certain non-critical SWP work for six to 18 months. We anticipate having a revised statement of charges for 2015 in the next few months that reflects a reduction.” 

She concluded, “No payments have been or are threatened to be missed on any SWP obligations. No compromise of safety has occurred, nor has SWP operational capability been impaired. We are working to reduce SWP operating expenses for 2014 and 2015 and otherwise mitigate the under-collection, and we are confident that the SWP water contractors will be able to absorb the increase without undue hardship.” 

Krieger called DWR’s response “one of the most defensive spins I’ve ever heard to cover up blatant incompetence.” 

“If they go ahead with this twin tunnel boondoggle, they’re on the verge of running out of money,” said Krieger. 

Krieger said DWR’s quandary comes at a critical time for the BDCP. "The administration has yet to make a strong ‘business case’ for the Twin Tunnels. The lavishly expensive project is being pushed at a time of growing public resistance to gigantic infrastructure projects that have no palpable benefit,” she stated. 

“As the facts emerge about the BDCP, it is clear the plan will not increase the state’s net supply of water, the Delta will be placed at great risk, and the beneficiaries will be a handful of corporate farms in the western San Joaquin Valley and Tulare Basin, not southern California urban ratepayers,” Krieger emphasized. 

She also said secure funding is becoming increasingly elusive. “A large water bond seems foredoomed to failure,” noted Krieger. “Property owners are thus the only viable alternative.” 

‘The $125 million dollars that ratepayers and taxpayers will cough up to pay for DWR’s shortfall is just the beginning. It will take an additional $1.2 billion to complete the planning process for the Twin Tunnels,” Krieger noted. 

She said that if the project moves forward, many California residents will see their properties taxes and water rates rise to support the $67 billion Twin Tunnels. 

“Few state citizens understand their properties can be so encumbered without a vote or even token input. Unfortunately, they may be about to receive an object lesson in property taxation without representation,” she summed up. 

The twin tunnels won't create one drop of new water, but they will lead to horrendous environmental degradation, according to tunnel critics. The construction of the tunnels will hasten the extinction of Central Valley Chinook salmon, Delta and longfin smelt and other fish species, as well as imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers.

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Person of Interest in Custody Related to Elk Grove Homicide

July 25, 2014 |

Elk Grove Police disclosed they have a person of interest in custody relating to the discovery of the body of a 75-year old man yesterday.

Early yesterday afternoon the body of Xihao Huang of Elk Grove was discovered in a field near Bellaterra Drive and Whitelock Parkway. The victim suffered numerous stab wounds and the death is being investigated as a homicide.

During the course of this investigation, officers identified a person of interest who is in custody on an unrelated charge. Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, the person of interest is not being identified at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide is asked to call the Elk Grove Police Department Detective Bureau at (916) 478-8060 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (443-4357). Callers to Crime Alert can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Tips can also be sent via SMS text message by entering CRIMES (274637) on a cell phone, followed by Tip 732 (agency identification number) and the message.

Person of Interest in Custody Related to Elk Grove Homicide - See more at: http://www.elkgrovenews.net/2014/07/Elk-Grove-murder-person-of-interest.html#sthash.Jk1ZC6o2.dpuf

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Another Candidate Draws Papers For Elk Grove's District 4 City Council Race

July 25, 2014 |

According to information posted on the Elk Grove City Clerk's webpage, another person has drawn candidate papers to enter the race for the Elk Grove City Council.

In documents filed earlier today, Elk Grove resident Kristofer J. Tan has submitted a Form 501, candidate intention statement. Tan, who listed a Democratic party affiliation, is entering the District 4 race. 

The current seat is occupied by Bob Trigg who promised not to seek election when he was appointed in January, 2013 to fill a vacancy when the previous representative, Gary Davis, was elected mayor. With Tan's entry, there are now six district residents who have declared their intention to fill the seat.     

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Identity of Suspicious Death Victim in Elk Grove Revealed

July 25, 2014 |

The Sacramento County Coroner's Office has released the name of the victim found yesterday in Elk Grove.

The victim has been identified as 75-year old Xihao Huang. The victim's body was found in a field near Bellatara Drive and Whitelock Parkway on the city's southwest side.

Elk Grove Police said the victim's body suffered trauma and are conducting an on-going investigation.

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Sacramento Juveniles Arrested On Suspicion of Burglarizing Elk Grove Residence

July 25, 2014 |

Two Sacramento juveniles were arrested yesterday afternoon after they allegedly burglarized an Elk Grove house.

According to Elk Grove Police, officers responded to the 9000 block of Devon Crest Way after a resident observed two suspects leaving the backyard of a neighbor's house. Responding officers determined the house had been burglarized and located two juveniles a short distance away.  

A search of the 15-year old and 17-year old male suspects led to the discovery of property taken from the house. Additional property was located outside the residence near a neighboring fence. 

Both suspects were taken into custody then transported to juvenile hall.

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'Women For Nancy' Holding Fundraiser For Elk Grove City Council Candidate

July 25, 2014 |

With just one woman having served on the Elk Grove City Council in the city's 14-year history, a group of area women is holding a fundraiser in hopes of changing that.

On Tuesday, August 5, a fundraiser for Elk Grove Planning Commissioner Nancy Chaires will be held at Logan's Roadhouse in Elk Grove. Chaires is one of five people currently vying for the District Four seat that will be vacated by Bob Trigg.

Among the numerous hosts for the event is Olga Batey, a well-respected longtime Elk Grove educator and Democratic party activist.

For more information or to RSVP for the event, contact Teresa Rodriguez at 916-606-3905 or ttmrodriguez @ gmail .com.

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Elk Grove Police Investigating Possible Homicide

July 24, 2014 |

Elk Grove Police are  investigating a suspicious death as possible homicide at Whitelock Parkway and  Bellaterra Drive.  

A 75-year-old male was found deceased in a field with obvious signs of trauma to his body this afternoon. The Sacramento County Coroner has taken possession of the body. Officers are canvassing the area.

The name of the vicitm will be released by the county coroner pending notification of next of kin.

Story Developing.

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Elk Grove City Council Conditionally Approves 'Silverado,' Further Toxicity Tests Required

July 24, 2014 |

At their regular meeting last night, the Elk Grove City Council conditionally approved a controversial housing subdivision but not before further environmental testing is conducted.

The so-called Silverado housing project, which is located on the northeast corner of Waterman and Bond roads, was unanimously approved after a nearly 10-year process. The 230-acre project, which will be built on a parcel being purchased from Sacramento Area Sewer District, will have a total of 651-residential units when built-out. 

Although the project proponents Vintara Holdings got the approval they have long sought, the project still faces another hurdle after the city council agreed the parcel needed further environmental testing for hazardous materials. In numerous public meetings, several long-time and well-respected Elk Grove residents acknowledged using the parcel as a dumping site for a variety of hazardous materials.

Prior to the their June 25 meeting, Elk Grove resident Lynn Wheat presented maps and documents from 1988 and 1993 to the city council from Sacramento County that suggested that hazardous material including lead may be present on the site. One letter from 1993 from the County of Sacramento Environmental Management Department that says 'Due to the lead analysis result of the initial site assessment, further testing for lead . . . should be conducted in the Independent Disposal Service Area."

During last night's meeting Elk Grove resident Steve Lee urged the council to conduct further soil testing beyond what was required in the project's environmental impact report. Lee stressed that soil contamination tests should have been done during the entire EIR process and that the council should force Vintara to do further analysis before the project progresses with soil samples being taken from as deep as 15-feet. 

"It is an easy solution to a potentially very serious problem, " Lee said. "Please take care of that."

Duing her comments to the council Wheat also urged further testing based on a 1988 Sacramento County Public Works report that she said states that the "northern portion of the parcel should not be developed for sensitive land uses such as day care facilities, school."

During their deliberations and after calling Lee back for further testimony, the council agreed to condition their approval of the project after further toxicity testing at 10 locations on the site. No time frame for when the tested will be conducted or when the result will be made public were provided. 

The project proponents indicated they would like the test done very quickly. Another condition the council placed on the project was funding for a new round-about for the Bond Silverado and Waterman (between Waterman and Sheldon) intersection.    

           

 

16:45 | 2 comments | Read More

Chew's Reviews - 'Lucy'

By Gary Chew | July 23, 2014 |

Opens this Friday |

Superman got his mojo by being born on Krypton. Lucy gets her mojo from having large quantities of CPH 4 in her system. In reality, the planet Krypton and the substance CPH 4 don't exist. But that can't keep Luc Besson from entertaining the hell our of moviegoers with his action/sci/fi flick, “Lucy.”

Scarlett Johansson stars yet again this summer as another hot female who kicks male buttocks bigtime. First it was in the ultra creepy “Under the Skin.” Now she does it even more convincingly as Lucy, a young woman who is abducted by an Asian mobster who surgically implants CPH 4 in her to mule out his new illegal drug to market. The drug looks as though it might've been cooked under the expert hand of Walter White.

Lucy is just your average American woman living in Taipai. She's been dating a real loser of a guy who  sets her up to make the drop of a briefcase with unknown contents to a Mr. Jang (Min-sik Choi) at a ritzy hotel. Mr. Jang is a very bad guy.

After she's viciously abducted, Mr. Jang's boys implant small bags of the CPH 4 in her stomach. Due to a later altercation with a rape-minded guard where she's being imprisoned until she's to be put on a plane to transport the drug, a large dose of the drug releases into her blood stream.

Meanwhile a half world away, Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) is lecturing students on the human brain. Professor Norman is a very smart guy. His chatter sets up a viewer to important neurological information that give credence to how Lucy later morphs into a human being who just might beat Clark Kent in more than just a game of rotation pool in the basement of The Daily Planet newspaper.

All the change is right there in her beautiful head … in her brain, as its wiring goes totally cerebral.  She senses everything, remembers things prior to her own cognition as an infant. She's already way ahead of Professor Norman in his own field in a matter of hours. It's a kinetic trip for Lucy, too. She can move stuff around with her mind ... that includes bad guys who work for Mr. Jang.

Professor Norman helps her get her really smart head on really straight with some wisdom that could be used more frequently than it is in our real world, alas, right at the moment. But in order for Lucy to carry out that strategy, she must employ harsh tactics … some of them rather bloody. More and more, she moves toward her goal with less and less emotion. Scarlett does an excellent “blank stare” at a movie camera while charming the hell out of an unsuspecting target … who is, more often, a dude with less than good intentions. Clark Kent would be proud. Lois Lane would be jealous.

“Lucy” gives awesome CGI; and Besson teases us with really neat documentary clips that allow for explanatory support for us folks who's brains don't work with the rapidity of Lucy's.

Finally, Lucy provides Professor Norman with what he had suggested she work for, in her unfortunate state of exponentially spreading genius occurring behind those mesmerizing eyes of Ms. Johansson's.  Besson has called for lots of extreme close-ups.

Bringing it off, “Lucy” goes … maybe … a little overboard. But hey … the water's fine and just right for ninety minutes of top notch entertainment for people who aren't locked into Creationism.

Copright © 2014 by Gary Chew. All rights reserved.

14:16 | 0 comments | Read More

Elk Grove Traffic Stop Nabs Suspected Identity Thief

July 23, 2014 |

A Tuesday night traffic stop led to the arrest of Sacramento man on numerous identify theft charges.

According to Elk Grove Police, 32-year old Joseph Weaver was stopped for a vehicle code violation on the 9100 block of Elk Grove-Florin Road. A records check revealed that there was an active warrant out for his arrest and that he was on probation.  

A search of Weaver's vehicle led to the discovery of several credit cards, identifications and personal information in the names other than his. Weaver was arrested and booked into the county jail where he is being held on $585,000 bail and for a warrant from Placer County.  

13:44 | 0 comments | Read More