Fill 'er up -- and pay

California always seems out of step -- hey, it's part of our charm -- and nowhere is that more true than in gasoline pricing. When you fill up here, you have to dig deeper into your wallet than any place else in the country. That gnashing you hear is teeth, not gears.

From the Mercury's Gary Richards: "While drivers across the nation are enjoying paying just a touch over two bucks a gallon for gas, Californians are getting hammered -- again -- with a new surge for a fill-up."

"The state average climbed to $2.78 a gallon on Christmas Eve, up 13 cents in the past week after steadily falling since Labor Day. That's compared with $2.01 a gallon across the U.S.

Drivers in the Golden State are noticing, and wondering why."

"What's the story with the 15-cent hike at Chevron?" asked Jack Harper, 76, of Concord, where 12 days ago the price for premium was $2.85 at the station at Treat and Clayton, followed by a jump to $2.89 a few days later and then up to $2.99 this week. "Tell me there's a gas shortage."

Two years ago, San Francisco City College successfully fought to raise taxes to stave off insolvency. But some public institutions never learn.

From the Chronicle's Nanette Asimov: "City College of San Francisco has spent thousands of dollars on fancy restaurants and international and cross-country travel for two top administrators — often with no record of what the expenses were for — since the school’s successful campaign in 2013 for a parcel tax to help save the college from bankruptcy, records show."

"A Chronicle review of college expenses found that Chancellor Art Tyler, hired by state officials in October 2013 to help City College manage its accreditation crisis, traveled so often that he was absent from campus for roughly a third of his tenure..."

"Records also show that City College reimbursed President Virginia Parras for travel to China, Taiwan and Vietnam for a week in March and April. But records do not explain why the trip was necessary or why the college paid for the trip."

The fundamental issue in California is water, which means -- with apologies to Shakespeare -- to dam or not to dam, that is the question.

From the LAT's Bettina Boxall: "Drought, climate change and environmental curbs on water deliveries are fueling campaigns for more water storage in California. Sites Reservoir — as it would be called after the tiny settlement it would wipe off the map — is one of a handful of resurgent proposals challenging the notion that the era of big dam building is over."

"Central Valley growers especially are pushing dam projects as their salvation, despite multibillion dollar price tags and studies that show the new reservoirs would do little to boost the state's overall water supplies."

"Sutton, 43, is general manager of the Tehama Colusa Canal Authority, a group of Sacramento Valley water districts that contract with the federal Central Valley Project for irrigation supplies. The drought slashed their deliveries to zero over the last two years. Growers had to pump more groundwater and purchase expensive supplies from districts with senior water rights to keep their nut trees, olive groves and vineyards alive."

Meanwhile, in rugged, far north Siskiyou County, the wolf is at the door -- literally.

From the Bee's Ryan Sabalow: "Wildlife officials announced this month they had classified the November incident as a “probable” wolf kill. They said the calf may have died through other means, and the wolves may have merely scavenged the carcass. But ranchers in Siskiyou County have little doubt the wolves made the kill, in what would be the first documented attack on livestock by a wolf in California in a century."

"The news has put ranchers on Siskiyou County on edge. More broadly, it highlights the deep divide between rural and urban California on the issue of wolves returning to the state after being exterminated almost a century ago."

"Those living in California’s faraway cities seemed to respond positively this summer when state wildlife officials announced that a pair of gray wolves had moved into the woods of Siskiyou County, likely from Oregon, and had five black-furred pups. They welcomed the notion of majestic predators again howling in some distant corner of their state."

If you've ever waited for hours in a California-Mexico border checkpoint, you'll love this new idea: A fast crossing where cars and trucks can zip through, sort of.

From the Union-Tribune's Sandra Dibble: "At a time when border waits can stretch for hours, the plan seems almost too good to be true: a major new international crossing between Tijuana and San Diego, where trucks and passenger vehicles would wait no more than 20 minutes to reach the border."

"Planners in the United States and Mexico are thinking big as they envision Otay Mesa East, a future port of entry that would serve both passenger vehicles and commercial trucks."

"Otay Mesa East, also known as Otay II, would be California’s first tolled vehicle border crossing, incorporating binational lane management and toll collection. It would be privately financed through bonds in a plan where San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG, would play the central role."

Finally, from our "Dive Bomber" file comes word that the fast, fierce owl of Salem, Oregon is back. Call Alfred Hitchcock.

"The famous jogger-attacking owl of Salem, Ore., appears to have returned to the town -- or at least inspired a new flock of imitators."