"On Tuesday, with drifts of fuel and bunker tar still present on portions of the bay and found in patches from the Gulf of the Farallones to near Bodega Bay, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
issued an order suspending all fishing and crabbing for human consumption in areas affected by the spill," reports the Chron's Brian Hoffman.
"The ban on fishing and crabbing, or the gathering for consumption of other marine life, will remain in place until at least Dec. 1.
"The affected areas include San Francisco Bay, along with shoreline and bay waters of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Solano and Sonoma counties. As the fuel has drifted beyond the Golden Gate, the ban also encompasses ocean waters impacted by the spill.
"The order was to take effect immediately, but a determination on exactly which areas are to close will be made by the Department of Fish and Game. According to
Yvonne Addassi, with the Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response, a division of the DFG, clarification will be made in the next day or two."
Matier and Ross catch up with
Don Perata, and
talk to him about his criticism of Gov. Schwarzenegger. "Perata called out the camera crews in the wake of the big fuel oil spill to lambaste Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for vetoing legislation to strengthen regional water quality control boards and leaving key anti-pollution agencies understaffed.
"'
I'd just come to the end of the line,' Perata said Tuesday.
"'First he vetoes $600 million in water repairs. Then he vetoes an overhaul of the water boards. Then he doesn't fill vacancies in the department that's supposed to help with spills like this.'
"'We're running around talking about global warming, yet things right in front of us are not getting done,' the Oakland Democrat said."
"Superintendent
Jack O'Connell's 'Achievement Gap Summit' began Tuesday and continues today, drawing about 4,000 people from across California to the Sacramento Convention Center for
lectures on why the academic performance of African American and Latino kids lags behind that of their white and Asian peers -- and what educators can do to change the trends," writes Laurel Rosenhall in the Bee.
"'I'm looking for solutions and to ignore this would be a disservice to countless millions of students over my last three years (in office),' O'Connell said.
"'What's riding on this is more students' ability to become contributing members of our society.'
"O'Connell, elected as superintendent in 2002 and re-elected last year, has made closing the achievement gap the main focus of his second term. He surprised many people in August when, in releasing annual test scores, he said the difference in performance among groups of students is not just an issue of poverty."
Dan Walters
says that any findings of the summit that cost money will probably have to wait.
"While those participating in O'Connell's conference and other forums float what-if? scenarios, the more immediate reality is that the state budget faces at least a $10 billion deficit next year and the school community is bracing for a potential cutback in its constitutional floor of financing from Sacramento. In light of that, the 'year of education' may be postponed indefinitely."
Well, maybe that means we can focus on water and health care...
From our
Pointing the Finger Files, "Two lawsuits were filed yesterday blaming San Diego Gas & Electric for not clearing vegetation around its power lines and
contending it caused two of the largest fires that swept through the county last month," reports the U-T's Greg Moran.
"The suits were filed in San Diego Superior Court by two families who lost homes in Fallbrook and Rancho Santa Fe. The lawyers are seeking to have the cases certified as class-action suits on behalf of any county residents who suffered property damage, injury or death in the Witch Creek and Rice Canyon fires."
Meanwhile, prosecutors said Tuesday they
will not to charge a boy who admitted to starting a 38,000-acre fire last month that destroyed 21 homes in northern Los Angeles County."
"The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement that there was no evidence of intent by the 10-year-old who accidentally ignited the brush outside his home by playing with matches."
"Attorney General
Jerry Brown on Tuesday
touted a record haul of illegal marijuana pulled from secluded fields in rural California, but legalization advocates say the crackdown has only helped push growers indoors," reports Judy Lin in the Bee.
"Citing a U.S. Justice Department report released Nov. 8, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project said vigorous eradication efforts by state and federal officials have caused growers to adapt by moving into suburban homes.
"Police in Elk Grove have unraveled two marijuana-growing networks in the past two years. In both operations, the criminals established indoor groves in half-million-dollar new homes.
"'
Indoor cannabis cultivation is increasing in some areas of the country as growers attempt to avoid outdoor eradication and attain higher profits through production of indoor-grown, high-potency marijuana,' according to the National Drug Threat Assessment for 2008."
The AP reports: "State Sen.
Dean Florez is hoping a little legislative detour will help build momentum for his stalled bills seeking to regulate the lettuce and spinach industry.
"The three measures were introduced in February after officials linked leafy green vegetables from the Salinas Valley to E. coli outbreaks last year that killed at least three people and sickened about 300 nationwide.
"The bills passed the Senate but stalled in the Assembly in June following an acrimonious hearing in the Assembly Agriculture Committee. The committee rejected one of the measures, 5-2, and didn't vote on the other two.
"Florez is planning to bring the bills back next year and ask Assembly leaders to send them first to the Health Committee, a more liberal panel that also had been scheduled to consider the legislation.
"Approval by the Health Committee would send the bills back to the Agriculture Committee 'with a little more momentum,' said Florez, D-Shafter.
"But even with that push, the bills face a tough challenge. The Agriculture Committee is dominated by lawmakers from the farm-rich Central Valley and is chaired by Assemblywoman
Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, a Florez rival."
Do they not get along or something?
Now,
which would you rather do -- be the mayor, or wrestle in pie? For residents of one Ohio town, the answer is clear.
"Last week's election in this Ohio River village, population 97, didn't attract any candidates for mayor. There were no names on the ballot for clerk/treasurer, either, or two open spots on village council.
"However, seven women have signed up for a Nov. 21 wrestling match in pie filling at Everybody's Sports Lounge, one of three businesses in the village about 25 miles southeast of Cincinnati."
Democracy triumphs, yet again.
