The Colusa County Probation Department will be preparing a report for a possible plea deal in the case of a man charged with second-degree burglary, vandalism, evading a peace officer, and possession of a controlled substance.

David Michael Gibson of Citrus Heights, who was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing the Fouch & Sons pharmacy in Williams and stealing prescription pills before leading a Williams police officer on a high speed chase on Interstate 5 on March 6, appeared in the Colusa County Superior Court last Wednesday for the setting of his preliminary hearing. Gibson waived his preliminary hearing to allow the probation department to prepare a pre-plea report. Absent a plea deal, the case will proceed to trial. Gibson’s attorney, Albert Smith, waived time for arraignment and a trial.

The report is due back from probation by May 10. Under the potential plea agreement, Gibson would plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of burglary and a felony charge of evading arrest, while the charges for vandalism and possession of a controlled substance would be dismissed.

Gibson allegedly broke into Fouch & Sons and stole an undisclosed number of prescription pills at about 1:30 a.m. on March 6. A Williams police officer heard the business’s alarm sounding and observed a black BMW containing two suspects speeding away, running stop signs as it traveled toward, and eventually got onto, Interstate 5. The officer pursued the vehicle, reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph on southbound I-5 before finding it abandoned in Arbuckle. Officers found Gibson, who they believed to be one of the two suspects, after a subsequent search of the area. The second suspect remained outstanding as of Monday.

“There is nothing further to report as of right now,” Williams Police Sgt. Steve Woldanski said. “The investigation is still continuing.” ■

Questions were answered, and both support and opposition was expressed last week in the Williams City Council’s public workshop held in regards to a proposed cannabis business park near the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 20.

Canna-Hub founder and CEO Tim McGraw gave a presentation to the roughly 45 people who attended the special informational meeting of the Williams City Council, once again going into detail about the proposed 80-acre facility before fielding questions from those in attendance.

McGraw opened his presentation by noting that California’s currently unregulated marijuana industry would be reigned in by various licenses and regulations stemming from Proposition 64, and that the Canna-Hub facility would be operating under the state’s new regulatory environment – including compulsory third-party testing for quality and pesticides, water regulations and seed-to-sale tracking – which will go into effect in 2018. He again described a number of potential financial and social benefits that his project could bring to the City of Williams.

“States like Colorado and Washington have not only seen not only huge amounts of revenue come in from cannabis, but huge amounts of social benefit, too: A 25 percent drop in opiate overdose in Colorado; an 11 percent reduction in traffic fatalities; an actual reduction in teen use, because you take away the novelty of it when it becomes regulated; and then the safety of pure medicine that has been tested; and then – like we intend to do here in Williams – a lot of these states have funneled a lot of the money that has come in through cannabis has been funneled to schools and other social programs,” McGraw said.

“We plan to work with the city of Williams to be a good corporate citizen, we plan to work with the school district to set up a scholarship fund for two or three scholarships per year, and we also intend to fund, if not fully fund the Promises Program (at Williams Unified School District). We intend to help as many programs as we can.”

He went on to describe the financial benefits to Williams as substantial, with licensing fees – which are still being discussed by the city and Canna-Hub – at full build-out amounting to “well in excess of $1 million per year, probably closer to exceeding $2 million per year, which goes into the city’s coffers.”

In addition to the annual licensing fees, McGraw estimated there would be over $5 million in impact fees paid through the city through development, along with increases real estate taxes, and building permit fees, among others. He also said that the fully-developed site would conservatively create “in excess of 1,300 jobs,” which would be year-round. He added that there would be residual benefits for other local businesses from the project.

Throughout the meeting, representatives from the city noted that they were doing their due diligence and evaluating the background and claims of McGraw and his company.

Councilmember John Troughton said that the background work done so far was “looking very good.”

Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Bergson indicated that it is the council’s obligation to be both pro-business and pro-development, so long as projects meet the city’s planning and zoning codes. Troughton and Bergson both said that the project would be treated like any other proposed business development, and go through the same approval processes, including public hearings at the city planning commission and council levels.

“From what I understand from Mr. McGraw, he wants to act rather quickly. The first thing we would have to do is modify our zoning, do an overlay zone in order to allow that to happen,” Kennedy said, adding that the city was still exploring its options as to how it would benefit monetarily from the project. “We have not determined that yet at all, and that’s something that the council will be working on for the next several months.”

Kennedy also said that while Canna-Hub was the only cannabis related business to approach the city, they would be open to hearing proposals from others.

“We would certainly hear their proposal. I think competition is a good thing.”

Questions, answers and comments

After his presentation, McGraw responded to questions from the audience. During that period, McGraw said that the site would be extremely secure, with 24-hour on-site security, including fencing, thermal cameras, and extremely limited access to the facility. In response to another question, McGraw said that the individual lots in the development would be both sold and leased, and that the facility would house both medical and recreational growing operations. In response to a question about local hiring, he noted that while Canna-Hub would not be the operators of the facility, they would try to encourage the operators to hire locally. City Administrator Frank Kennedy said that the city could offer incentives for local hiring, offering discounts in the permitting process.

“If they were to hire five local people, we could discount their fee by $10,000, or something like that. It could be set up (by the city) for them to hire locally,” Kennedy said.

Sajeet Singh, a Williams local who sits on the city’s planning commission, inquired about potential air quality issues and smells. McGraw said that the development agreement between Canna-Hub and operators would include covenants that would explicitly require the latter to follow certain rules, including air quality rules.

“These are completely sealed environments. Smell is not leaking out. The only thing that will be coming out will be the exhaust, which will be running through a carbon filter,” McGraw said.

Singh also expressed concerns that the relatively well-paying jobs created at the facility would effectively steer local youth from pursuing a post-secondary education. McGraw said that the labor force would be over 21 for the most part, and that he believed that the opposite was actually true.

“What we see with young guys in the facilities in other states, they’re incentivized to go to school and learn more about agriculture and science… Most of the people that end up working for these facilities end up being passionate about it, and how the cannabis industry helps people. We actually see the reverse happening,” McGraw said. “…The future of cannabis is a much more technical one.”

Other questions raised about the project revolved around water and sewer concerns and potential issues with banking. Kennedy said that the project might actually benefit Williams’ water and sewer infrastructure, and McGraw noted that the project recycled the vast majority of its water. Kennedy added that the only real wastewater coming from the project would be that created by the workers on each site, and would be essentially equivalent to that of a household. In regards to banking, McGraw said that the forthcoming state permitting process would clear up the current issues with the cannabis industry and banks, and that the operators at the facility shouldn’t have an issue.

“As an operator in Illinois and other states, we have access to full banking services because the – right now, it’s a cash-based industry and that’s why its a huge problem. And there’s no state license, so the banks have no cover to deal with illegal, or gray-area operators, which is what California is right now. That’s what is going to change come January 1. Once you have a state permit, it’s much easier to bank,” McGraw said. “Now, you can’t use a federally chartered bank, and there’s no FDIC insurance… but the state chartered banks have started picking up the slack.”

A number of residents spoke up simply to express their opposition to the cannabis industry in general, citing concerns about the impacts on the local culture and the youth. There were also a few that spoke in favor of moving forward with the project, including Don Parsons.

“I want to thank the council for entertaining this idea. It’s long overdue, as far as not having a NIMBY (not in my back yard) attitude, as far as what past councils decades ago have had on this city. That’s why this city is in the state of neglect we’re is in right now,” Parsons said. “It’s very imperative that we have good services in this city, as far as roads. The citizens and the visitors that come to Williams deserve that… You guys need to make that your priority now. This is an excellent idea. You need to move forward this idea. Marijuana is here to stay – it’s not going to go away, and we need to take advantage of this opportunity.” ■

During a special meeting of the Colusa City Council, preceding an unconventionally scheduled regular meeting, the Colusa City Council voted in a 4-1 decision to agree to a severance settlement with former interim City Manager Randy Dunn in the amount of $13,600, in exchange for Dunn waiving all claims against the city.

The decision was announced at 10:45 a.m. yesterday, during the announcement of closed session action at the beginning of the rescheduled regular meeting.

Typically, the council meets at 6:00 p.m. It isn’t the first time that the council has heard an item pertaining to Dunn’s employment during a meeting scheduled for an irregular date or time: Dunn’s contract as the interim city manager was terminated at a special, closed session meeting on Friday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.

Asked about the reasoning behind rescheduling the meetings to the mornings, Mayor Kirk Kellher said that he couldn’t recall the precise reason.

“I don’t remember why they decided to do that. (In the case of the latter meeting) We decided a couple weeks ago, it seems like I remember that there was just a very short amount of stuff on the meeting and we wouldn’t have to come back at night. We’re all for that,” Kelleher said.

When asked whether the rescheduling of the two closed session meetings to morning hours – when many members of the public are working – might create an appearance that the council is intentionally obfuscating the actions they take in closed session, Kelleher disagreed.

“It might seem like that at times, but mainly it’s a convenience thing. It’s never an intentional thing to hide stuff from the public… I respectfully disagree with this in mind: The reporting out (of closed session), whether the public is there or not, it doesn’t change what happened in the meeting, and it doesn’t change the reporting out in the meetings,” Kelleher said. “To me, it doesn’t matter when we have closed sessions, because the public doesn’t have the same level of input,” on reports out from closed session as with items discussed in open session.

In regards to the meeting, California Newspaper Publishers Association Legal Counsel Jim Ewert said that there were a number of potential violations under the Ralph M. Brown Act – California’s open meeting law – beginning with the way the item pertaining to Dunn’s settlement was noticed on the agenda. The item was placed on the agenda for the closed session special meeting under the Brown Act exemption for conference with legal counsel: anticipated litigation. The exemption is listed specifically under California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2)

“They can go into closed session and talk about pending litigation, and that includes anticipated litigation, if litigation has been initiated formally, or a point has been reached wherein the opinion of the council, at the advice of its legal counsel and based on the facts and circumstances, there is significant exposure to litigation against the agency – that’s possible,” Ewert said. “For purposes of paragraph two and three, existing facts and circumstances consists of one of the following: facts and circumstances that might result in litigation against the agency, but which the local agency believes are not known to a potential plaintiff or plaintiffs, which facts and circumstances need not be disclosed. That is not the case here, because the potential plaintiff does indeed know what the facts and circumstances are. Facts and circumstances including but not limited to an accident, disaster, etc. that are known to a potential plaintiff or plaintiffs, which facts and circumstances shall be stated on the agenda or announced.”

Ewert said, because the agenda did not notice the actual settlement of potential litigation with the former city manager, the notice may be deficient “for what it was that they intended to do in closed session, because facts and circumstances as defined in the law might result in litigation, but they’re known to the potential plaintiff.”

“Because of that, they were required to publicly state on the agenda, or announce what they were doing. Otherwise you have to be clairvoyant to know that they were going into closed session to do this.”

Also a matter of concern, Ewert said, is the council’s decision to reschedule the regularly scheduled meeting outside of an open and public meeting.

“The second potential violation of the Brown Act is a violation of the requirement that they meet openly and publicly to discuss items that follow in their subject matter jurisdiction, which can include changing meeting times,” he said. “Where are the minutes that reflect that? If they discussed it, it had to be in an open meeting. There’s a potential violation there as well. They can do what they did, without any question. I mean, if they want to meet at 3 a.m., they can certainly do that, but it certainly raises the question as to whether they are doing it for their own convenience or the convenience of the public.”

After reviewing the Pioneer Review’s recordings of the past two city council meetings, it appears as if there was no discussion related to rescheduling the regular meeting. The minutes from the March 7 meeting do not reflect any such discussion, either, and the minutes for the March 21 meeting are not yet available.

According to councilmember David Womble, current interim City Manager Jesse Cain called to inform him that there would be a special meeting on Tuesday, and because some of the councilmembers had commitments on Tuesday night, and the fact that the agenda was so short, the regular meeting would be rescheduled to the morning, after the special meeting.

“He said that there wasn’t much on there, and a couple of council members had something to do tonight,” Womble said.

Councilmember Greg Ponciano at first declined to comment on the closed session item, calling the settlement as a personnel issue. When pressed, Ponciano said that he understood the money for the settlement did in fact belong to the public, and indicated he would contact Ryan Jones, the city attorney, immediately to see if there was a statement the city could legally make. Neither Ponciano nor Jones had called back at the time of publication.

According to Ewert, the public is actually (and explicitly) entitled to know the terms of the settlement, according to the law.

“At a minimum, under the Public Records Act, the public is entitled to see not only the settlement agreement, but any documents that are relevant, or pertain to that agreement,” Ewert said. “…the law clearly states that if a party to a settlement is a public agency, that agency is prevented by law from entering into secret settlements.”■

Hopping down the bunny trail, hipity, hopity, Easter will come a little early for the communities of Arbuckle and Maxwell as they each celebrate the holiday this weekend.

■ The Arbuckle United Methodist Church will host its Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8, at 10 AM in Balfour Park, near the baseball field, in Arbuckle. All children are welcomed and must bring their own Easter baskets.

■ The Maxwell Parks and Recreation will host its Easter Eggstravaganza and Spring Breakfast on Saturday, April 8 at Maxwell Elementary School. A pancake and sausage breakfast will be served from 7 AM to 10 AM for $5; pre-sale and to-go orders available. The egg hunt and carnival will begin at 10:30 AM for children aged infant through 13. In addition to finding eggs and the treasured golden egg, children can visit with the Easter Bunny himself. An Easter raffle, kids activities, and games will be available.

Easter Weekend

■ The Arbuckle Golf Club will host an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15, at 9 AM on the Golf Course, 5918 Hillgate Rd. in Arbuckle. Refreshments will be served after the hunt. Donations are welcome and must be dropped off by Friday, April 14, by the end of the day. Pre-filled plastic eggs, cookies, cupcakes, candy, or monetary donations are appreciated. Looking to help? The Arbuckle Golf Club is seeking volunteers to help setup; volunteers must arrive to the club by 7 AM on Saturday, April 15. The event is free.

■ The Colusa Lions Club will host their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15, promptly at 9 AM at the Colusa County Fairgrounds. There will be four divisions: pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade. Two golden eggs will be hidden in each area for special prizes. The Easter Bunny will be available for photo opportunities.

■ The Williams Community Church will host its Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15, at 10 AM in Valley Vista Park, Teal Way and Greenwing Drive in Valley Ranch. The event has been moved from its prior location of Venice Park due to park construction.

Easter Service at the cross

The annual Easter Sunrise service at the cross west of Williams on King Road at Leesville Road starting at 6:00 AM Easter morning. Many local Christian Churches gather and celebrate their Christian faith while watching the sun rise over the Sutter Buttes. ■

With your sneakers laced from egg hunting, head on over to the Veterans Memorial Park in Colusa for the Color Colusa Blue 3K Color Run at 9 AM, Saturday, April 15.

Registration opens at 9 AM at $15 per person; children aged 12 and under are free. The run will start promptly at 10 AM.

Hosted by the Community Advocates of Parents and Children of Colusa County, the Color Colusa Blue 3K Color Run was started to provide an opportunity to raise awareness for National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Participants are encouraged to wear blue, and will follow a predetermined route through the community of Colusa, beginning and ending at the Veterans Memorial Park.

Following the run, a family fun day will be held with free children activities and raffle prizes for both children and adults.

To register or to find more information visit https://goo.gl/nSOouZ or contact the Colusa County CAPC (530) 458-7678 or visit 217 9th Street in Colusa. ■

Click to view slideshow.

About 18 adults and children were displaced Saturday after a smoke-type explosion occurred in a four-plex apartment building in Williams.

At around 1:15 PM on Saturday, Williams and Maxwell Fire units were dispatched to a report of an explosion with smoke. Upon arrival crews found the front bottom unit in flames.

“It appeared to be a smoke explosion inside the water heater closet where a fire must have started,” said Williams Fire Chief Jeff Gilbert.

According to officials, no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

“There was a woman getting ready to leave the apartment when it happened,” said Gilbert. “She managed to get out okay and not injured.”

Gilbert commented that both the front top and bottom apartments had heat and fire damage, while the two back units had smoke damage. ■

Colusa High School’s Super Seven Seniors: (l-to-r) Front Row: Vanessa Mendoza, Adriana Abele, Grace
Boeger, and Alissa Selover. Back Row: Justin Davies, Lucas Davison, and Vanessa Munguia.

Fourteen of Colusa High School’s highest-achieving upperclassmen were honored for their academic prowess at the 43rd Annual Super Seven Dinner, put on by the Torchbearer Gamma Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, and co-sponsored by the Colusa Lion’s Club for the second year running.

The top seven students from the junior and senior classes, based on grade point average, are invited to the dinner each year. This year’s Super Seven Seniors are an example of sustained achievement, as each was honored last year as juniors. They will look to continue that trend as they move on to various colleges across the country, and begin pursuing a wide variety of different careers.

2017 Super Seven Seniors

Adriana Abele is the daughter of J.R. and Bethe Abele. Her main academic interests are biology, government, and environmental science. She is active in Future Business Leaders of America, currently serving as her chapter President and a Northern Section Officer. Abele has competed for Colusa’s cross country team for four years. She is also a member of the Spanish Club, the Environmental Science Academy, and CSF.

In her off-time, Abele enjoys playing with her dog, spending time with friends, and iPhone photography. Her hobbies include hiking, swimming, and running.

After high school, Abele plans to major in neurobiology at a four-year college and to eventually start a career at NASA. She named Lori Tanner as her teacher of influence

Grace Boeger is the daughter of Matt and Jill Boeger. Her main interest in school is government. She is the Associated Student Body President. Boeger is an active member of the Future Business Leaders of America and the Spanish Club, in addition to being a member of Colusa’s cheerleading squad.

Boeger’s hobbies include cooking, writing, and dancing.

After she graduates, she would like to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she will study business law. She named Dak Kalisuch as her teacher of influence.

Justin Davies is the son of Mike and Bonnie Davies. His favorite subject is math. Davies is a three-sport athlete, with football, basketball, and baseball being his sports of choice. He is also member of both Future Business Leaders of America and Future Farmers of America. Davies likes to hunt and fish, and to spend time with friends when he’s not at school. He also manages to find time to work for Chevron.

After high school, Justin will attend a four-year university, where he will major in business. Davies’ teacher of influence is Craig Richards.

Lucas Davison is the son of Frank and Julia Davison. Science and math are Davison’s primary academic interests. Davison is a member of Young Life, and stays busy with football, basketball, and baseball as three-sport athlete for the RedHawks.

Davison’s hobbies include skiing, hunting, and fishing. He also works at Davison Drugs & Stationary in Colusa and at Fouch & Son Pharmacy in Williams.

Davison has decided to attend Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where he will major in biochemistry.  Davison’s teacher of influence was Matt Giffin.

Vanessa Mendoza is the daughter of Jose Luis and Maria Elena Mendoza. Her primary academic interests are math and science. Mendoza participates in track and field and is a member of the tennis team. Mendoza’s hobbies include cooking and baking. She likes to take her dogs for runs when it’s not muddy.

When not at school, Mendoza works at a daycare.

Colusa High School’s Super Seven Juniors: (l-to-r) Front Row: Emerson Redding, Laura Preciado,
Kendall McCarty, and Sidney Crippen-Lay. Back Row: Aubrey Miller, Estefania Orozco, and Benjamin
Davies

She plans to attend a four-year university and will major in animal science. Mendoza’s teacher of influence is Becka Robertson.

Vanessa Munguia is the daughter of Emidio and Silvia Munguia Chavez. Her main interest in school is theater production. Munguia’s extra-curricular activities include volunteering at the Independent Living Program, being a member of the Colusa County Youth Council, the Colusa County Advocacy Against Tobacco, and the Spanish Club.

Vanessa’s hobbies are reading, ice skating, and volunteer work.

She plans to attend either CSU Chico or UC Santa Cruz to pursue a major in women’s studies and multicultural or Chicano studies. After graduating from college, she would like to join the Peace Corps. Munguia’s teacher of influence is Bob Kirkman, Sr.

Alissa Selover is the daughter of Richard and Terri Selover. Her main interests at school are calculus and physics. Selover is also a member of CSF and FBLA and a two-sport athlete, competing for the RedHawks’ varsity volleyball and soccer teams.

Selover enjoys playing sports, watching Netflix, and shopping in her free time. She plans to attend a four-year university to study finance. Her teacher of influence is Susan Barrett.

2017 Super Seven Juniors

This year’s Super Seven juniors are Benjamin Davies, son of Mike and Bonnie Davies; Sidney Lay, daughter of Jamie and Christina Lay; Kendall McCarty, daughter of Dino and Kim McCarty; Aubrey Miller, daughter of Jeremy and Teia Miller; Estefania (Stef) Orozco, daughter of Saul and Raquel Orozco; Laura Preciado, daughter of Mariano Sr. and Imelda Preciado; and Emerson (Emmy) Redding, daughter of Kent and Marina Redding. ■

Click to view slideshow.

The community of Maxwell once again came together to put on a successful event, as more than 80 kids picked up 1,000 candy-filled plastic eggs last Saturday for the Maxwell Park and Recreations District’s first ever community Easter Egg Hunt.

The Maxwell Park and Recreations Auxiliary kicked off the morning with an affordable pancake, egg, and sausage breakfast fundraiser. The Auxiliary, which was established to help support community events by lightening the load on the District’s general fund, sold 73 breakfasts and raised $365 to go toward future projects.

“We raised some money at our hot chocolate booth during Parks and Rec’s Country Christmas, and we put everything we made and more into this breakfast. To be honest, we were just hoping to break even. That was definitely above and beyond what we thought. Because we made our money back and then some, we should be able to continue to help support Parks and Rec,” said Auxiliary member Samantha Wilkins. “Seventy-three breakfasts was way better than I expected, especially with the rain. I was a little bit worried.”

The Maxwell Park and Recreations District’s Easter Egg Hunt also went well, especially for its first year.

“I thought it was a good turnout. Kind of a little bit more than I expected, but I was happy that we had the turnout that we did,” Miller said.

While the Auxiliary’s breakfast was intended to be a fundraiser, the hunt itself was simply supposed to be a free community event to benefit Maxwell kids. The community helped make that happen.

Both Miller and Wilkins noted that the event received a great deal of support from the community: All of the candy and plastic eggs were donated by community members in the week leading up to the Easter Egg Hunt. All it took was the District putting a flier out to solicit candy donations.

“We really have the community to thank for all of the donated candy,” Miller said.

“This was really a community supported event,” Wilkins added. “I thought it was great to see the community to come together for another event like this. I’m really liking the direction that this is all going, seeing people more involved, coming together, when donations are needed, people come together to make it happen.” ■

Colusa marine continuing a family tradition

Kimberly Zepeda – a 27-year-old Colusa native and 2008 graduate of Colusa High School – has known for a long time that she would be a Marine, and ultimately transition to a career in law enforcement.

“It sounds really corny, but ever since 9/11, that’s something that’s always – going into law enforcement and the military – I’ve always wanted to serve my country, and then to serve my community: I love the law enforcement field, of wanting to do a job that most people don’t want to do. I just want to help people, as corny as that sounds. I like to serve,” Zepeda said.

Zepeda is now serving her country as a Marine, and is headed back to California. Late last month, she received her orders and will be stationed for two years at Camp Pendleton in Sourthern California.

Zepeda chose the Marine Corps for a couple of reasons. First, it’s something of a tradition in her family: Both of her older siblings are Marines, and including Kimberly and her two older brothers. There are seven Marines in her family over two generations: her cousin, two uncles, and an aunt are also Marines. On her mother’s side of the family, the tradition of serving in the Marine Corps stretches back four generations.

Second, she noted that the Marine Corps is a family in and of itself, and it’s something she wanted to be a part of.

“Ever since I saw my older brothers graduate from boot camp, it’s something that I kind of knew I wanted to be a part of – the brotherhood and sisterhood of it all. Marines are a lot different than any other branch. Having seen my uncles, everywhere you go, when you find out someone is a Marine you kind of shake their hand and they’re family pretty much. Other branches don’t seem as close as Marines do, and that’s something I wanted to be a part of.”

Zepeda said that she initially wanted to join immediately after graduating from high school, but after talking it over with her parents, they decided it would be best that she go to college first. She started at Sacramento State in 2008, and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice in 2013, while getting her feet wet in the field of law enforcement. As a full-time student there, Zepeda worked at the Sacramento State Police Department as a Community Service Officer for two years, from 2011-2013. After graduating, Zepeda became a full-time employee with the department, working as a Community Service Specialist, and was named Employee of the Quarter in 2015.

During her junior year of college, Zepeda began looking into the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program. Zepeda spent two and a half years in the program before she decided it was time to enlist.

“For the longest time, I was working toward the officer program, but it was just taking too long and I’m already 27 years old. So when I enlisted, the process was a faster, and once you sign those papers, it’s kind of a reality check of what you’re doing… but I was excited to finally join,” Zepeda said.

Part of that reality check was the realization of the grueling 13 weeks that were ahead of her. Shortly after being sworn in to the USMC, Zepeda was sent to boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. While Zepeda heard some stories from her family about boot camp, they mostly told her she would have to see for herself. Having now completed it, Zepeda said that nothing comes close to comparing with the experience.

“It’s exhausting,” she said. “It’s rigorous: You’re mentally challenged, physically challenged, but you don’t really have the choice to quit. You just kind of keep pushing on. You do things that you never thought you could do. Looking back to it and my drill instructors – they were constantly on us, 24/7, and you never get a break from them – I actually miss them, because they were some pretty amazing women that taught me how to be a Marine… Completing the Crucible and receiving my Eagle Globe and Anchor is something I will never forget and no one can ever take that away from me. I earned that. It is an amazing feeling to put my uniform on every day. In the left it says US Marines and on the right side is my family name. I am blessed to represent both the US Marine Corp and my family name. Keeping the family tradition going,” Zepeda said.”

Zepeda became the second woman in her family to graduate boot camp as a Marine, following in the footsteps of her aunt.

“She actually showed up to my graduation. It was awesome, because all females go through boot camp on the East Coast, and so that actual  parade deck that I graduated on is the same parade deck she graduated on,” Zepeda said. “It’s pretty amazing that I graduated on the same parade deck as all other females before me.”

After boot camp, Zepeda completed Infantry training at Camp Geiger in North Carolina, and then graduated from Military Specialty School to become a Correctional Specialist. Last month, she received her orders and learned that she will be stationed for two years at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. She said that the plan right now is to serve for four years, but noted that things could change.

“I know after, I do want to go into law enforcement – that’s always been my end-goal. But I can’t really say how long I’ll be in for,” Zepeda said. ■

In response to a California Public Records Act request filed by the Pioneer Review on Tuesday, the City of Colusa immediately released the settlement agreement that the City Council struck with former Interim City Manager Randy Dunn last week.

As reported in this publication last week, the city  council agreed in a 4-1 vote to pay Dunn $13,600 in exchange for his waiving all claims against the city. The motion was made by councilmember Greg Ponciano, and seconded by mayor Kirk Kelleher. Dave Womble was the lone councilmember to vote against it. According to the settlement agreement, the money will be paid in a lump sum amount without any deductions.

Also stipulated in the agreement was that the city would provide “a reasonable Letter of Recommendation concerning Mr. Dunn’s service to the City” to be signed by the mayor.

In exchange, Dunn agreed to discharge the city “from all liability in connection with all claims, damages, attorney’s fees, costs and allegations arising from or in any way related to his employment with the City and ending of his employment with the City, whether made or unmade, asserted or unasserted, stated or unstated or that could have been stated, and of any kind whatsoever.”

Also stipulated in the contract was the agreement to keep “the settlement and terms and conditions thereof as confidential insofar as is consistent with controlling law.” The settlement agreement noted that both parties were aware that disclosure of the settlement and the terms and terms and conditions thereof involved public records and expenditures of public funds, and that these may be subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act, and/or pursuant to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, but that “nonetheless, the Parties agree that they will, insofar a (sic) lawfully able, treat this agreement in confidence.”

City attorney Ryan Jones described the language pertaining to the settlement’s confidentiality as being consistent with most settlement agreements.

“That language, in my understanding, is boilerplate in most settlement agreements. The settlement agreement itself is public record, and there was no intent to withhold it if a request was submitted,” Jones said.

Last week, mutliple councilmembers declined to comment on the settlement before speaking with Jones, citing legal concerns and confidentiality. When the city received a California Public Records Act request from this publication on Tuesday, however, they released the public records immediately.

Despite the city’s compliance with the public records request, California Newspaper Publishers Association Legal Counsel Jim Ewert described the confidentiality agreement as “overlawyered and a little bit disingenuous.”

“It amounts to bullying someone who is trying to follow up on the settlement agreement. It has no legal import as far as the ability to get that information. They’re still required to disclose it. That would be unenforceable because of the state of the law,” Ewert said. “If you were to have an agency say that the settlement agreement prevented them from disclosing it, and the newspaper was unaware of the law, it could be used or enforced in that way.”

Jones was also asked about the reasoning behind the council holding a morning meeting to consider Dunn’s settlement, and said that it was “purely based on councilmember availability.”

“Certainly there no intent to be discreet about it. That was a time when council members were available, and that’s why the agenda was posted within the time frame required by the Brown Act. We gave a report out, as we were required to,” Jones said.

The city did indeed meet the notice requirements for both the special meeting (during which Dunn’s settlement was approved by the council) and the rescheduled regular meeting that immediately followed it. Under the Brown Act, special meetings require 24 hours notice, while regular meetings require 72 hours notice. The Pioneer Review received notice for both meetings on March 30, well in advance of the 72-hour notice requirement.

While the report out and notice requirements were met by the city, Ewert said last week there was a potential Brown Act violation pertaining to the way the item was noticed on the agenda: The Brown Act exemption listed on the agenda, California Gov. Code § 54956.9(d)(2), references cases of potential litigation, which Ewert said includes anticipated litigation. In cases where the facts and circumstances (including an accident, disaster, incident, or transactional occurrence) that might result in litigation against an agency are known to plaintiffs or potential plaintiffs, those facts and circumstances must be on the agenda or announced. That was not the case with the closed session item last week.

Asked about the potential Brown Act violation, Jones said that he and the council believed that the noticing was appropriate, given that there wasn’t any litigation filed.

“I guess i didn’t see it that way. Typically if there is a claim or lawsuit that is filed, you would have pending litigation. In this case we didn’t have that yet. Maybe I need to research that further,” Jones said, adding that he would look into the matter, and if he determined it was necessary, take steps to correct any violation of the Brown Act at the next city council meeting. ■

Lester Miller, Sr. was born in Colusa, California, on June 23, 1933, to Eugene and Paula Miller. He passed away April 4, 2017, in Chico, California, at the age of 83.

Lester grew up on a ranch in Arbuckle, California, where he graduated from Pierce High School. He was a rice farmer in Williams for nearly 40 years. After many years of traveling all over California, he settled in Butte County for retirement.

He was preceded in death by his wife Christine Webb-Miler. He is survived by two sisters, Phyllis and Lynda; two children, Lester and Mary; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; four step-children and their families; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be held at Williams Cemetery on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, at 10:00AM. View obituary and send condolences online at affordablemortuary.net.

This year’s tax-filing deadline is April 18. Taxpayers needing more time to file their taxes can get an automatic six-month extension from the IRS.

Below are five things to know about filing an extension:

Use IRS Free File to file an extension. IRS Free File allows taxpayers to prepare and e-file their taxes for free. It can also be used to e-file a free extension to file request. Midnight April 18 is the deadline for receipt of an e-filed extension request. Free File is accessible for tax return preparation and e-filing through Oct. 17. It is only available through IRS.gov.

Use Form 4868. Fill out a request for an extension using Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The deadline for mailing the form to the IRS is April 18. Form 4868 is available on IRS.gov/forms.

More time to file is not more time to pay. Requesting an extension to file provides taxpayers an additional six months (until Oct. 16) to prepare and file taxes. However, it does not provide additional time to pay taxes owed. Taxpayers should estimate and pay any owed taxes by April 18 to avoid a potential late-filing penalty. To avoid penalties and interest, pay the full amount owed by the original due date.

Use electronic payment options to get an automatic extension. An extension of time to file will automatically process when taxpayers pay all or part of their taxes electronically by April 18. There is no need to file a paper or electronic Form 4868 when making a payment with IRS Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or by debit or credit card.  Select “Form 4868” as the payment type. Keep the confirmation as proof of payment.|

The IRS can help. The IRS offers payment options for taxpayers who can’t pay all the tax they owe. In most cases, they can apply for an installment agreement with the Online Payment Agreement application on IRS.gov. They may also file Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request. If a taxpayer can’t make payments because of financial hardship, the IRS will work with them.

Taxpayers should keep a copy of their tax return. Beginning in 2017, taxpayers using a software product for the first time may need their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity. Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and electronically sign tax returns at Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return.

The Internal Revenue Service wants taxpayers who have yet to file their 2016 federal income tax return to know they can still get last-minute free tax help. Taxpayers can choose to either use IRS Free File or go to a community tax-help site for free tax preparation and assistance.

IRS Free File

All taxpayers can use either IRS Free File or IRS Free File Fillable Forms.

IRS Free File is available for anyone who earned $64,000 or less last year. Through a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, a group of 12 leading tax software companies, taxpayers can use their tax software to prepare and e-file their tax return at no cost. Since 2003, more than 50 million people have used IRS Free File; saving $1.5 billion based on a conservative $30 fee estimate.

More than 70 percent of all taxpayers are eligible for the software products. Each of the 12 companies has its own special offers, generally based on age, income or state residency. Taxpayers can review each company offer or they can use a “Help Me” tool that will find the software they are eligible to use.

Active duty military personnel with incomes of $64,000 or less may use any IRS Free File software product without regard to the criteria. IRS Free File software does the hard work. It walks users through the tax preparation process and helps identify those tax changes that may affect their return.

Taxpayers earning more than $64,000 can use IRS Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms. The Fillable Forms option is best for people who are comfortable preparing their own tax return.

Taxpayers have the option to prepare their return at any time and schedule a tax payment as late as the April 18 deadline. Taxpayers who cannot meet the April tax filing deadline can also use IRS Free File (with no income restrictions) to request an automatic six-month extension until Monday, Oct. 16, 2017.

IRS Free File, available only through IRS.gov/FreeFile, will be available through Monday, Oct. 16, 2017.

Pierce High School has announced the names of students who made the honor roll for the third quarter of the 2016-17 school year.

GPA of 3.0-3.49

Jesus Aceves, Alejandro Ambriz, Jordi Ambriz, Luz Ambriz, Logan Amsler, Isabel Andrade-Hernandez, Angela Arambula, Saul Arambula, Yvette Arce, Rebeca Ayala, Gilberto Barajas, Marisol Barba, Kathileana Boualinthong, Esteban Briones, Kelsey Burgess, Denilson Yair Carmona, Oscar Carmona, Jose Castaneda, Zorenzo Cellucci, Julyxy Chavez-Ambriz, Amelia Collins, Gentry Condrey Jr, Jonathon Corchado, Julianna Corona, Laritza Correa, Robert Cullen, Hannah Cutter, Joseph Diaz, Emmanuel Diosdado, Hannah Doherty, Daniella Duran, Luis Duran, Rogelio Duran, Betsy Garcia, Martha Garibay, Adam Gomez, Luis Gutierrez, Ulysses Gutierrez, Drew Hartill, Grant Hartill, Myles Henry, Abigail Monserrat Hernandez, Ana Hernandez, Andrea Hernandez, Angel Hernandez, Fabiola Hernandez, Luz Hernandez, Mario Hernandez, Devine Herrera, Benjamin High, Analleli Iniguez, Monesha Korm, Anthony Labrecque, Jewell Lattimore, Jonathon Lomeli, Nathalie Lopez, Miguel Martinez, Noemi Martinez, Omar Martinez, Ramon Martinez, Misael Maturin Barrera, Sydney Medina, Marco Mendoza, Oscar Meza, Sandra Mondragon, Alfredo Montañez, Renata Montañez, Xavier Montoya, Callie Muniz, Christopher Muniz, Jacqueline Muratalla, Shaylyn Napiewocki, Darin Nelson, Alondra Orozco, Nelli Orozco, Alondra Padilla, Monserrat Padilla, Ariana Paiz Villanueva, Michael Paniagua, Sara Pappenheim, Gustavo Pina Paiz, Maria Ponce, Ivette Quezada, Johana Ramirez, Jose Ramos, Alexander Richins, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Juan (Franky) Rodriguez, Leobardo Rodríguez, Fabiola Saavedra, Guadalupe Sabedra, Cielo Sahagun, Ricardo Salud, Adriana Sanchez, Mary Sanchez, Ashley Santana, Eric Shoaf, Sally Shoaf, Destiny Silva, Dylan Stephens,Gerardo Tapia, Jorge Tapia Donate, Jessie Tatum, Christopher Valencia, Oscar Valencia, Sarah Vann, Curtis Vaughn, Alexandro Velazquez, Daisy Velazquez, Rafael Velazquez, Tanya Velazquez, Manuel Villa Silva, Maria Villa Silva, Paityn Wayman, Luke Williams, Madison Winans

GPA of 3.5-3.99

Selene Aceves, Eduardo Almanza, Gerardo Alvarado, Selenia Alvarez, Adrian Ambriz, Alejandra Andradez, Savanah Arens, Angela Barriga, Justin Brown, Carmen Calderon, Katia Calderon, Jorge Angel Campos, Francisco Carabez, Saul Carrillo, Ezequiel Castaneda, Daniel Castaneda, Alejandro Centeno, Halle Charter, Katherine Corona, Clarisa Cortez, Renee Coutee, Briden Dafoe, Zechariah Dafoe, Maria De Los Santos, Raphael Delgado, Francisco Diaz, Alexis Dorantes, Emily Ehrke, Daniel Garcia Rivera, Rogelio Garduno, Jenna Godinez, Emily Gonzalez, Samantha Gonzalez, Gabriel Grimmer, Michael Grimmer, Emily Hathaway, Lilian Hernandez, Mitchell Kley, Cecilia Lopez, Alexis Lopez, Allison Lux, Samuel Lux, Daniela Martinez, Kailey Medina, Daniel Medina, Isaac Mendoza, Max Myers, Lauren Ornbaun, Juan Ortega-Garcia, Mayra Palomares Jacobo, Gonzalo Pina Paiz, Alisse Ramirez, Ana Ramirez, Pamela Nicole Regalado, Edgar Reyes Orozco, Connor Richins, Hector Rodriguez, Jonathan Rodriguez, Oscar Rodriguez, Elisa Rodriguez, Leonardo Romero, Luis Ruiz, Christian Saavedra, Eduardo Saavedra, Sergio Saavedra Cano, Esmeralda Salud, Giselle Santana, Cody Stafford, Kyler Stassi, Alejandro Tapia, Connor Tomlin, Paola Yuritzi Torres, Kaileia Velasquez, Jarrett Veliz, Giselle Vera, Jesus Villa III, Soliel Villanueva, Anahi Villanueva Tapia, Erin White, Saffa Yafai

GPA of 4.0 and above

Grace Alonso, Bryce Alonso, Montserrat Ambriz, Jacob Amsler, Aiden Charter, Cora Cherry, Darleny Corona, Lauren Curtis, Emma Doherty, Jose Duarte, Alexis Erickson, Ellian Geyer, Devin Griffith, Ambar Gul, Gisell Hernandez, Emma Hofhenke, Asa Kalfsbeek VI, Emily Kuykendall, Carlyn Marsh, Thalia Martinez, Crystal Medina, Abigail Mendoza, Thuria Moharm, Linette Navarro, Jessica Orozco, Diego Vazquez, Christopher Wilderman

Nicole Adamik, 37 of Colusa, CA, was arrested on April 8, 2017, at about 11:19 PM on Wintun Road just east of Highway 45 in Colusa by a California Highway Patrol officer. She is charged with a felony for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent. She was booked into jail, with bail set at $20,000.

Oscar Graciano, 39 of Gerber, CA, was arrested on April 8, 2017, at about 5:00 AM on E Street near the CHP Williams Office by a Colusa County Sheriff’s Deputy. He is charged with a misdemeanor for the possession of a controlled substance, and he is also charged with felony possession of a controlled substance for sale, transporting a controlled substance, and criminal conspiracy. He was booked into jail, with bail set at $500,000.

Joshua Hetherington, 22 of Grimes, CA, was arrested on April 8, 2017, at about 1:27 PM on South Third Street in Grimes by a Colusa County Sheriff’s Deputy. He is charged with a misdemeanor for receiving known stolen property valued at $400 or less. He was booked into jail, with bail set at $5,000.

Jose Rico, 31 of Corning, CA, was arrested on April 8, 2017, at about 5:00 AM on E Street near the CHP Williams Office by a Colusa County Sheriff’s Deputy. He is charged with a misdemeanor for the possession of a controlled substance, and he is also charged with felony possession of a controlled substance for sale, transporting a controlled substance, and criminal conspiracy. He was booked into jail, with bail set at $500,000.

Katie Pfeil-Espell, 29 of Colusa, CA, was arrested on April 11, 2017, at about 2:51 AM in the 800 Block of Market Street in Colusa by a Colusa Police Officer. She is charged with the possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia, and for the possession of drugs or an alcoholic beverage in jail. She was booked into jail, with bail set at $20,000.

— All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. All information posted to our Internet site via our Police Blotter program is preliminary data and is subject to change without notice to the publisher. This information is not to be used to intimidate or harass any person or persons listed within the Blotter. This information is deemed correct as submitted by the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office.

Lawrence Edward Kaeding, 100 years old, almost would have made it to 101. Born in Delvan, Walworth Wisconsin on May 18, 1916 to Anna and Edward Kaeding. He attended Highland University for 2 years, Graduated from the University of California Berkley with a degree in production management and business administration and studied at the University of New Mexico. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1950. Lawrence was a tool engineer at Boeing Aircraft Corp., a price analyst at McDonald Douglas and was a member of the American Legion for 50 years. It was in the American Legion where he met Nancy Schoffnit while hunting and they got married Sept. 26, 1970. He was a devoted husband and loving person. Lawrence enjoyed big band music and was a man of Faith; and was also affiliated with Knights of Columbus; he was funny, charismatic, witty, intelligent and a true gentleman. He enjoyed fishing, camping and traveling with his family and friends. Nancy and Lawrence both traveled quite a bit to Canada, Hawaii; Alaska and New Mexico. He retired in 1983, and then settled in Colusa, Northern CA where they lived for many of years. He later settled in the Simi Valley retirement home for about 7 years. You are truly going to be missed Uncle Lawrence.  He is survived by Donald (Gerrie) Kaeding, Cassandra Kaeding and Amanda Sewalson, David and Juanita, Ethan (Valeria) Kaeding, Jimmy and Maria and Lauryn Walker.

Burial services will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 1741 Wescott Road, Colusa, on April 19, 2017 with reception to follow at Rocco’s Bar and Grill.

Arrangements are under the direction of McNary-Moore Funeral Service FD-410  www.mcnarymoorefuneralservice.com ■

Many popular songs speak of endless love, but many of those singers and songwriters have discovered that it is much easier to sing about endless love than to live it out.

In 1975, Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille, better known as Captain and Tennille, got married and made a hit with the song “Love Will Keep us Together.”  The song promises:

Young and beautiful, but someday your looks will be gone.

When the others turn you off, who’ll be turning you on?

I will; I will; I will.

I will be there to share forever.

Love will keep us together.

On January 16, 2014, after 39 years of marriage, Tennille filed for divorce.  Dragon didn’t even know about it until he was served with divorce papers.  The reason Tenille gave for the divorce had to do with Dragon’s battle with a neurological condition similar to Parkinson’s Disease.  Apparently love could not keep them together when his health deteriorated.

On October 18, 1975, Lionel Richie married his college sweetheart, Brenda Harvey.  In 1981, he recorded “Endless Love” with Diana Ross.  The song declares,

‘Cause you, you mean the world to me.

Oh, I know I’ve found in you

My endless love.

In 1986, Richie began an adulterous relationship with Diane Alexander.  It is reported that Brenda discovered Richie and Diane Alexander together in a Beverly Hills hotel room in 1988 by knocking on the door and calling out, “Room service.”   

In 1972, Al Green’s song, “Let’s Stay Together,” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song declares,

Why some people break up

Then turn around and make up

I just can’t see.

You’d never do that to me, would you, Baby?

Staying around you is all I see….

Let’s stay together,

Lovin’ you whether

Times are good or bad, happy or sad.

On October 18, 1974, Green’s girlfriend, Mary Woodson White, who was actually married to someone else, got mad at Green for refusing to marry her.  She doused him with a pan of boiling grits while he was in the bath tub, then she found his .38 and killed herself.

Enduring love is easier to sing about than to live out.

Yet every year at Passover, Jewish people around the world sing a psalm (Psalm 136) about lasting love.  Twenty six times in the 26 verses, they sing, “His love endures forever.”

Since Jesus’ “Last Supper” was actually the Passover meal, that means that he and his disciples sang that same song about God’s enduring love shortly before he was arrested, condemned, and crucified.  Singers and songwriters make great promises about love but often fail to live it out.  Jesus’ death and resurrection is evidence that God lives out his love for us—to death and beyond.

You can be certain that One who was willing to die for us will never stop short of pouring out the full supply of His love to us.

You can be confident that One who already took upon Himself all of our sins—including the worst things we have ever done or will ever do—will never come up with a reason to stop loving us.

You can be sure that One who died and rose again has already taken away every obstacle to loving us endlessly.  His love endures forever!

  “In that moment I let go of my clamoring for answers. I was a child believing my Father because He is my Father. That simple. That hard.”

Trust is not so much a matter of making sense of everything in our lives but of trusting in the character of the One who is with us through it all. “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

—Tom Tripp is the Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Colusa. Pastor Tripp can be reached by e-mail at tomtripp@frontiernet.net.

The application deadline for the competition has been extended until Thursday, April 27.

Applicant requirements:

• Contestant must be between the age of 16 and in the 11th grade and not older than 19 as of June 1st of this calendar year.

• Entry/sponsor fee is $100.00 (payable to: 44th District Agricultural Association)

• Applications with additional rules/requirements are located in your school office, the Colusa County Fair office, or online at www.colusafairgrounds.com

• Questions, please call the Fair office at 458.2641.

Contestants will have the opportunity to enhance your personal development in the areas of poise, self-confidence, communication skills, and good sportsmanship. The competition is not a beauty contest, but rather a program that fosters youth accomplishments, community service, academic achievement, and recognition for excellence. All rules and regulations are designed to make the pageant a fun and successful event for all involved.

Applications must be submitted no later than 5 PM. ■

In light of the new tobacco tax going into effect this month, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reminds Californians that resources are available to help them kick the habit.

On April 1, the tax on a pack of cigarettes increased $2, from $0.87 to $2.87. This increase is a result of Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act, which was approved by voters last November.

Californians who want help to quit smoking can call the California Smokers’ Helpline at 1-800-NO BUTTS. The helpline provides smokers free telephone counseling and plans to help them quit. The Helpline is staffed with trained counselors who are fluent in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese. Additional resources and materials are available at www.nobutts.org.

“We know most smokers want to quit, and paying more for their habit could be the extra motivation they need to make an important life-saving step,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “Quitting smoking helps protect your physical and financial health. A smoker who quits today could save nearly $1,500 in just one year.”

Smoking remains the number one cause of preventable death and disease in California. About 3.1 million, or one out of nine, California adults smoke, and an estimated 34,000 Californians die from smoking-related diseases each year.

The state’s new tax increase also impacts tobacco products like electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, which are taxed based on their wholesale cost.

Proposition 56 funds tobacco-use prevention programs, the new state Oral Health Program, and research on tobacco-related illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. It also strengthens the Medi-Cal health care system and provides additional resources for CDPH to enforce underage tobacco-sales laws.

The California Tobacco Control Program was established by the Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988. California’s comprehensive approach has changed social norms around tobacco use and secondhand smoke. California’s tobacco control efforts have reduced both adult and youth smoking rates by 50 percent, saved more than one million lives and have resulted in $134 billion worth of savings in health care costs. Learn more at TobaccoFreeCA.com.■

It’s that time of the year where we head to the garden center to purchase plants. Here are a few tips to purchasing a healthy plant?

Quality of garden center – Take an overview of the plant department. Look to see if the plants look healthy. Are there a lot of wilted or browned plants? Chances are good the rest of the plants are not being given great care.

Foliage – Evaluate the condition of your specific plant. Are the leaves green, shiny and lush? Steer clear of any plants that are wilting or yellow. Stressed plants may not recover.

Shape – Consider the shape of the plant. Is it compact and full, with multiple stems? Taller is often not better.

Insects & disease – Inspect closely for signs of insects or disease. Check both sides of the leaves and the potting soil. Signs can include; blackened areas, holes, spots, mushy areas, stickness and distortions.

Root system – Carefully, pull the plant out of the pot. A dense root ball means the plant has been in the container too long and may not do well. If there aren’t many roots. it was probably recently repotted and could use more time to become garden worthy.

Stem damage – If the plant has a thick or woody stem, make sure there are no cracks or scars. Even prior damage can weaken a plant.

Weeds – The last thing you want to do is introduce a new weed into your garden.

Buds & flowers – Although it’s tempting to buy a plant that is already covered in flowers, plants in bud will transplant and thrive better. You’ll get a longer bloom time at home if you purchase a plant that is in bud.

When all is said and done – Allow ample time when shopping for landscape garden or vegetable plants. Taking a little extra time to choose your new plants carefully is sure to result in you buying beautiful, healthy plants.

— For more gardening information go to cecolusa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardeners.