Mixed results for Memorial Day DUIs
Depending on the jurisdiction, Memorial Day drunk-driving arrests took a hop or a dip this year – with Sonoma in the second category, having registered only one such bust during the holiday weekend.
“She was driving around town with the parking lights on, almost bouncing into curbs on West Napa Street,” Sgt. Dave Thompson said Friday, adding that the woman was arrested around 11:45 p.m. on May 24 and released to her sister.
Thompson said sheriff’s deputies logged 31 arrests between 12 a.m. May 23 and 11:59 p.m. May 26. During the same period, the Bay Area’s 125 law enforcement agencies netted 555 DUIs up from 529 last year. Alcohol related deaths dipped from five last year to one this year.
The California Highway Patrol, on the other hand, is reporting an overall statewide drop in DUI arrests, with 1,450 down from last year’s 1,614. The trend was reversed within the Bay Area, though, with 239 drinking drivers, up from last years total of 198.
Fire season starts
With recent wildfires raising concerns and readiness across the state, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has declared June 2 as the start of 2008’s fire season – and local firefighters are reminding residents of their own prevention responsibilities.
“Experience has shown that suspending debris burns is an effective way of preventing wildfire escapes, especially as California enters a period of hotter and drier weather,” CAL FIRE spokesperson Colleen Baxter said in a May 29 statement. “Although all fires cannot be prevented through a burning suspension, their numbers can be significantly reduced.”
The proclamation bans all burn permits within the counties of Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano, Colusa, and Yolo. Agricultural, forest-management, and other industrial-type burning may proceed if a CAL FIRE official inspects the area and issues a permit. Campfires will be allowed in designated campgrounds with permission of the jurisdictional authority.
In addition, CAL FIRE stations are staffed – including the Sonoma Air Attack Base in Santa Rosa – and seasonal firefighters have been hired to augment CAL FIRE’s permanent workforce.
Inside the 32-square-mile Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority, firefighters are turning their attention toward such fire hazards as high weeds or too-thick vegetation close to a house or other structure. SVFRA Administrative Capt. Spencer Andreis said the annual reduction effort relies on a variety of input.
“It’s based on complaints to the department from citizens, or us going out and viewing it,” he said, adding that the official prevention deadline is June 13 – after which time the owners may be cited or have to reimburse the city for abatement.
“Generally, most people adhere to it,” Andreis said. “It’s few and far between that we’ve cited somebody.”
Home winemaking is almost legal!
Approved by a 56-24 vote in the Assembly and 40-0 vote in the Senate, legislation to legalize competitions for home winemakers now heads for the governor’s desk. The bill contains an urgency clause, and will go into effect immediately, once Governor Schwarzenegger signs it.
Even though home winemaker competitions and similar events have been held in California for years, including at county fairs and the state fair, a top enforcement official for the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) recently pointed out that, under existing state law, home winemaker competitions are illegal. In fact, it’s technically against the law for any home winemaker in California, defined as someone who produces less than 200 gallons of wine per year for their own consumption, to share their product with anyone – including a family member.
Current law defines a “winegrower” as any person who has the facilities and equipment for the conversion of fruit into wine and is engaged in the production of wine, except for those persons who produce less than 200 gallons of wine per year for their personal consumption. SB 607 expands the definition of a winegrower by removing that exception.
Senate Bill 607 authorizes a person to manufacture wine for personal or family use up to 200 gallons per household per calendar year without the need for a license or permit. And it would authorize the removal of wine from the premises where it has been manufactured for use in competition at organized affairs, exhibitions or competitions, including homemakers’ contests, tastings, or judgings.
“Our state and county fairs have had a long tradition of competitions for everything from homemade cakes and quilts to homemade beer and wine,” said author of the bill, Senator Patricia Wiggins, (D. Santa Rosa), who chairs the Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry, “Correcting this outdated law, which criminalized home winemaker competitions, was urgently needed.”
New bill to expand SDC’s community care
In a 25-14, the Senate approved legislation that would call on the State Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to operate an outpatient clinic at Sonoma Development Center (SDC) to provide a range of health-related services for regional clients.
The center, which will be operational by no later than July 1, 2009, will provide medical, dental, and other health-related services, including wheelchair repair and modification and orthopedic shoe services, to persons with developmental disabilities who live at the center or in the surrounding area.
Patricia Wiggins (D – Santa Rosa), who introduced the bill, said SB 1183 attempts to “resolve the shortage of medical, dental and other developmentally disabled service-provider professionals within the community” by authorizing the SDC to provide these services to developmentally disabled individuals who are Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
The program will be funded through existing resources at DDS.
SDC is the largest facility in California established specifically for serving the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and is one of five developmental centers operated by DDS. Services to these individuals are provided through contracts with twenty-one non-profit regional centers that are geographically situated with defined “catchment” areas. The DDS also operates two state-operated community residential facilities.
School District seeks CBET grant
At a special meeting May 28, the board of trustees of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District agreed to apply for a continuation of the Community Based English Tutoring (CBET) grant for FY 2009-9. The program, explained Pam Garramone, Principal for Sonoma Valley Adult School, is expected to continue to be funded as it is not part of the education cuts, which have pained the trustees and the rest of the educational community. “This is a grant, not a categorical. The schools which had the grant are allowed to continue.” Also, the grant is not that big state-wide. For this district, she said, “it’s about $45,000.”
The year-long program helps district’s English learner students by “contracting” with participating parents and guardians to learn English so they can participate in their child’s education.
Murder suspect suspends plea again
A 20-year-old Chico man made his second plea entry postponement Thursday in connection with the May 20 killing of his grandfather on Bonneau Road.
Sean Patrick Mooney was represented in court by, but had not formally retained, defense attorney Chris Andrian, Sonoma County District Attorney spokesperson Donna Edwards said Monday. She said Mooney will next appear in court June 12 to enter a plea and set a date for his preliminary hearing.
The victim, 77-year-old Robert Ferris Deming, was killed by a close-range shotgun blast to the back of his head while he was watching television, said Sheriff’s Lt. Robert Giordano. He said Mooney was found at the scene after having called 911 around 9:21 p.m. to report that two suspects had shot his grandfather and fled in a vehicle.
Mooney was charged May 23 with murder, elder abuse, and possession of a stolen shotgun. At that time, he asked that his plea entry be postponed to May 29.
Firehouse vetting begins
The disposition process for Sonoma’s old Patten Street firehouse is sliding quietly forward, as the city’s Community Development Agency has begun meeting with potential developers.
The redevelopement agency – made up of the five city council members – oversees properties in the city’s downtown commercial corridor. At its March 19 public session, the agency approved a “request for qualifications” from interested parties. The next step involved a closed session to meet with those parties prior to the May 21 council meeting. Another session was expected last night, but that doesn’t mean the city is ready to commit – or that it couldn’t scrap the process and start over with fresh applicants.
So far, possibilities identified by the applicants are retail shops topped by offices, a boutique winery or hotel, and a demonstration center for sustainable architecture. Without commenting on the negotiations, City Manager Linda Kelly said Friday that the open-ended process could take months and will eventually result in a public hearing on any potential agreement between city and developer.
