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California voters made public records a right, will they give it more teeth?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

Nearly 20 years after California voters made access to government records a constitutional right, requests are being met with interminable delays, exorbitant fees and a host of exemption claims, consumer and open-government advocates say.Those advocates are behind a new effort to sharpen open records laws with a proposed 2024 voter initiative designed to end abuses that keep the public’s business from public view.“The Public Records Act is full of loopholes and fails to live up to the constitutional right to open records in California,” said Jerry Flanagan of Consumer Watchdog, the advocacy group sponsoring the proposed initiative. “The Government Transparency Act is necessary to protect and expand the public’s right to an open and accountable government.”Gov. Ronald Reagan signed California’s Public Records Act into law in 1968.  In 2004, the state’s voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 59 to bolster its provisions by establishi...

PG&E faces questions amid wildfire prevention strategy shift from tree trimming to grid tech

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

Heading into California’s peak wildfire season, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has shifted its strategy to avoid sparking another devastating blaze: It’s focusing less aggressively on trimming trees that pose hazards near electrical wires and relying more on technology to quickly de-energize damaged lines.The pivot at Northern California’s beleaguered utility giant has raised questions among regulators, who have given PG&E until Monday to respond. The shift has been in the works for more than a year, but began in earnest in January when PG&E ended its “Enhanced Vegetation Management” program of stepped-up vegetation removal around power lines.The utility concluded that program, started in 2019 after a series of destructive wildfires were sparked by trees or limbs falling on electrical equipment, hasn’t been cost effective. PG&E says that a combination of routine and select tree work and new power grid technologies will deliver more pro...

‘Morale is very low’: Labor talks stall between Pleasanton police, city

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

PLEASANTON — Labor talks have stalled between the Pleasanton Police Officers Association and the city, as officers seek higher compensation and additional incentives to attract and retain employees amid a staffing shortage they say has led to fewer officers available to enforce traffic and drug laws.The impasse has entered its third month, and it’s unclear when the dispute could be resolved. A mediation session last month failed to bring the two sides to a new agreement. Brian Jewell, president of the POA, said the association is now requesting a fact-finding panel through the California Public Employment Relations Board, a legal step in negotiations meant to bring independent scrutiny to the opposing positions. That panel, he said, could begin its work by the end of September.“Morale is very low,” said Jewell, who is also a Pleasanton police officer. “Agencies all over California and the nation are struggling; the law enforcement profession as a whole ...

From Garfield to Betty Boop, Bay Area woman makes her mark in Hollywood and beyond

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

Being quiet was never easy for Désirée Goyette. But, the Mill Valley resident never expected that the animal sounds and impressions of people she grew up doing would help her make a name for herself in Hollywood.Since stumbling into voice acting, Goyette has voiced Betty Boop; Nermal in “Garfield” and Petunia Pig, as well as more than 100 toys and video games, including Barbie items, talking Snoopy and LeapFrog and Fisher-Price products —  to the amazement of her twins.The San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumna’s career has always revolved around children, from writing songs for “Charlie Brown” and “Garfield” specials to working with young performers in Hollywood such as Henry Thomas, of “E.T.” fame, and Drew Barrymore to teaching students in Marin.Désirée Goyette, second from left, performs with the Unity in Marin Chorus. “I grew up in a pretty religious household where prayer was an important part of how we dealt with everyday life,” she says. Douglas Zimmerman/Special to...

Fatal Marin County plane crash report cites preliminary findings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

A fatal plane crash in San Rafael last month remains under investigation, but a preliminary report says the weather conditions were “conducive to serious carburetor icing at cruise power.”The report by the National Transportation Safety Board makes no conclusion about the cause of the crash. However, the federal authorities say severe carburetor icing can reduce flow to the point the engine might stop.The report states the wreckage showed no evidence of an explosion or fire, and investigators found no signs of mechanical malfunctions that would have prevented the plane from flying normally.The crash happened at about 10 p.m. July 8 near San Rafael Airport. The plane’s tail hit power lines before the plane struck the ground.The single-engine Cessna 172 was carrying the pilot, Kirk Harford of San Rafael, and one passenger, Marc Pankin of Novato. Pankin, 59, was declared dead at the scene, and Harford suffered major injuries. Medics took Harford to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Cr...

Travel Troubleshooter: Should Overseas Adventure Travel cover fare after cancellation?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I booked a trip for two to Costa Rica through Overseas Adventure Travel last year. It included pre-trip and post-trip extensions and round-trip airfare from San Francisco. I also paid for a business class upgrade, which cost $2,032 per person.In late December 2022, I received a call from Overseas Adventure Travel advising that it had canceled the pre-trip portion due to a lack of interest. I had to rebook the airline tickets because the departure date would now be different. Because we were only two months from departure, the cost for this rebooking was an additional $1,056 per person, which the agent advised I would have to pay.I appealed the decision to the executive contacts on your website, but never got a response.During the trip, I spoke to some of the travelers who indicated they had inquired last October about the pre-trip. Overseas Adventure Travel told them that the pre-trip had been canceled, but the company waited another two months to advise ...

Coroner IDs man found dead in Santa Cruz County shopping center parking lot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

APTOS — A man who died in the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center parking lot has been identified as a 68-year-old Aptos man.According to the Santa Cruz County Coroner’s Office, Mark Steven Gandolfi died of an unexpected medical emergency.The California Highway Patrol responded to Soquel and State Park Drives around 3:15 a.m. July 25, for a vehicle left running up against the shopping center’s curb.Despite life-saving efforts, Gandolfi was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Fatal Marin County plane crash report cites preliminary findings Crime and Public Safety | 2 women killed, 3 more people hurt in California pleasure boat fire Crime and Public Safety | New California law triggers surge of lawsuits by alleged victims of prison sexual assault Crime and Public Safety | 3 killed when two firefighting helicopters collide, one crashes in Southern California Crime and Pub...

Study shows drop in homelessness in Santa Cruz County in past year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — Coming out of a punishing winter and the end of the coronavirus pandemic’s state of emergency, Santa Cruz County’s homeless population has remained highly visible and yet significantly dwindled, according to results of a recent study.Jessica and Betsy Scheiner scan the area for people experiencing homelessness during the 2023 point-in-time homeless count. (Aric Sleeper — Santa Cruz Sentinel file) The region’s annual homeless point-in-time count, conducted by volunteers on a single day in late February, recorded a one-year decrease of more than 21%, bringing the census to the county’s lowest recorded population of 1,804 unhoused individuals. The latest survey numbers were published Thursday, more than a month after local governments set in motion their budget plans for the coming fiscal years.With the support of ongoing state dollars and a twisting labyrinth of specialized grants, Santa Cruz County’s efforts on the homeless front have expanded in areas of broader ro...

Medi-Cal covers gender-transition treatment, but getting it isn’t easy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — From an early age, Pasha Wrangell felt different. Societal expectations of boys, and many characteristics of masculinity, did not match how Wrangell felt inside.Bullied and ostracized, Wrangell started repressing those feelings in middle school and kept them bottled up for a long time. That led to decades of sadness, isolation, and even a couple of suicide attempts. What gnawed at Wrangell was gender dysphoria, a condition widely acknowledged in the medical community, which causes severe distress to people whose sexual identity does not match their sex assigned at birth.“It’s a sense of wrongness, like someone attached an arm to my head badly, and it just punches me in the face every time,” said Wrangell, 38, who grew up and still lives in this idyllic central California beach community. Facial and body hair is particularly upsetting: “I see my face in the mirror, and anytime I have to deal with hair, it is uncomfortable. I hate seeing it.”Santa Cruz resident Pasha Wran...

Single family residence sells in Alameda for $2 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:21 GMT

1615 Moreland Drive – Google Street ViewA historic house located in the 1600 block of Moreland Drive in Alameda has new owners. The 1,997-square-foot property, built in 1929, was sold on June 13, 2023. The $1,955,000 purchase price works out to $979 per square foot. The layout of this two-story house consists of two bedrooms and two baths. In addition, the house provides a two-car garage, granting ample space for parking and storage purposes. The property is situated on a lot spanning 5,000 square feet.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:A 2,553-square-foot home on the 2800 block of Lincoln Avenue in Alameda sold in April 2023, for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $666. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In June 2023, a 2,529-square-foot home on Southwood Drive in Alameda sold for $2,100,000, a price per square foot of $830. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Versailles Avenue, Alameda, in June 2023, a 2,736-square-foot home was sold for $1,950,000, a...