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21 Jun "Parent and me" Program for Infants and Toddlers A new ?Parent and Me? program for infants and toddlers begins January 5, 2012. Co-sponsored by The PJ Library® and Congrega…

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01 Jun First Friday Date Night at Lupin Lodge Come join us in our mountain paradise this season for First Friday Date Night in our clubhouse restaurant. Starting Novembe…

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12 Jul Late Night at the Coop Happy! Happy!! Hour at the Bar. Two Drinks for the Price of One*. Tuesdays and Thursday we have Live Music from 5pm to 7pm. S…

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Portola Valley Area News

Assemblyman introduces legislation to reduce costs for PG&E ratepayers

In an attempt to save PG&E ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 50 years, state Assemblyman Jerry Hill introduced legislation Tuesday morning that aims to use fines levied against the utility to reduce costs associated with upgrading its pipeline system.

PG&E executives said earlier this year that the company expects to pay at least $200 million in fines associated with three separate investigations by the California Public Utilities Commission into the deadly

September 2010 San Bruno that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes.

In January, the CPUC also slapped PG&E with a $16.8 million citation for the utility's failure to conduct gas safety tests on more than 13 miles of gas distribution pipelines in several Contra Costa County cities.

Because of a CPUC order issued last year, all state gas corporations were responsible for developing a plan to implement National Transportation Safety Board recommendations for all transmission pipelines that were issued in response to the San Bruno explosion.

Current law stipulates that the money paid by PG&E for its fines will be deposited into the state's general fund, money that can be used throughout the state.

According to Hill, Northern California ratepayers would be paying for 95 percent of PG&E's plan for the first phase of work to comply with the NTSB recommendations -- work that would address pipelines in San Bruno and other high-consequence areas.

Without the legislation, Hill's office estimates that PG&E ratepayers would be paying off more than $5 billion over 50 years for the $2.27 billion borrowed when the financing costs, PG&E profits and taxes associated with the improvements are included.

The cost of the second phase is estimated to be as much as $9 billion.

Hill's legislation would ensure the fine money is directly applied to the pipeline improvements, applying the fine money toward paying down interest on the loans associated with paying for the Phase 1 work.

"Given the unprecedented amount of pipeline investment that PG&E is proposing to make, any fines assessed to the utility as a result of the explosion should go toward offsetting the costs that ratepayers would otherwise bear for safety upgrades," Hill said in a statement he issued on the legislation.

"The fine money that would be generated should benefit the people who have been the victims and those that have really suffered over the years because of the improper maintenance and operation of the PG&E gas and transmission system" Hill said by phone Tuesday afternoon.

PG&E spokesman David Eisenhauer said Tuesday that PG&E has not taken a position on Hill's legislation.

Eisenhauer said the company supports the concept and registered support for a similar bill introduced by Sen. Mark Leno in February, SB 1350, which, because of concerns on its impact on the general fund, stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Hill said that his bill, which was co-authored by Leno, differs in that it is specifically tied to the San Bruno disaster.

Because the fines have yet to be levied, Hill did not expect strong opposition within the Legislature over the loss of the General Fund revenue source.

"These funds are not going to be budgeted this year, regardless, and it could be years down the road before those fines are imposed," Hill said. "This gets more to the issue of equity and fairness."

_{Tue, 29 May 2012 18:34:15 -0700}

Parents outraged over teen attacks caught on tape at Vallejo school

Two recent incidents of bullying at a Vallejo junior high school caught on tape left parents outraged, including one who is contemplating pressing criminal charges against her child's assailant.

Parents from Hogan Middle School have called KTVU with a number of stories about their children being bullied and beaten. In some cases, the abuse was captured on camera.

One brutal video shows an 11-year-old girl on her back with another student apparently pummeling her. Other students watch and can be heard cheering during the incident that happened in the middle of the Hogan Middle School campus more than a month ago.

The girl's mother Ladonna Williams told KTVU she is outraged.

"It sickens me that my daughter could not go to school and feel safe while she is being educated," said Williams.

Williams showed KTVU photographs of the injuries the sixth grader suffered that included bruises, a swollen eye, hair pulled out and numerous scrapes. She still hasn't returned to school.

"She is trying to hold down a good face," said Williams. "But it is very traumatic for her."

Being bullied has also been traumatic for victim Briana Kim, who said she was beaten up and harassed at Hogan last year. With her mother by her side, she told KTVU she got to a point where she couldn't take it anymore.

"I couldn't handle it no more," said Kim. "I just ended up shutting down and going to a mental hospital. I just wanted to kill myself."

Kim now receives her schooling at home through a special program.

School district officials would not go on camera to discuss the incidents. School administrator Alanna Shackelford told KTVU during a phone interview that the students responsible are suspended,  

Shackelford also said that Hogan has an anti-bullying positive intervention team at the school. She told KTVU that she "...wouldn't say Hogan has a problem with bullying."

"The bullying has to stop," said Briana Kim’s mother Barbara Kim. "It is not fair. Our children are suffering."

Ladonna Williams has posted the video of her daughter's attack on the website change.org, a platform for political and social issues. She did that after she saw it making the rounds on social websites.

"At first, I was so outraged," said Williams. "But you've already done this so, let's turn this around and show this and expose the bullies in the schools."

A third teen, Jaylene Schweizer, told KTVU she began attending Hogan in January. On her second day of class, she was beaten by a bully. That attack was also caught on camera, showing the mayhem Schweizer was subjected to.

"Everybody started jumping in. Everybody was jumping in at one time," remembered Schweizer. "I feel mad about it. It irritates me."

Ironically, just last September KTVU ran a story about an anti-bullying video produced by Vallejo teenagers.

Parents and students say more needs to be done.

For her part, Jaylene Schweizer refuses to set one foot on the Hogan campus again.

"They just want to fight somebody to prove they can beat somebody up," said Schweizer. "It doesn't matter if you can beat them up."

Ladonna Williams told KTVU she plans to meet with the district attorney to discuss pressing criminal charges against her daughter's attacker.

_{Tue, 29 May 2012 17:40:09 -0700}

Vallejo OIS victim praised as good worker, had pending battery case

The Vallejo man who was fatally shot by Vallejo police early Monday morning was a valued, 10-year employee, an executive at a Napa winery said Tuesday.

Anton Barrett was a foreman in the barrel room of the Domaine Carneros Winery in Napa County, the winery's CEO Eileen Crane said.

Barrett started at the winery at 1240 Duhig Road in January 2002 and was to receive an award at a brunch in two weeks for 10 years of service, Crane said.

"He was well liked by his co-workers and a very good-hearted and respected member of the team," Crane said.

"We're very sorry this happened," Crane said. "He was committed to doing his job right. He made sure the barrels were clean and in order."

Employees work a four-day week and Barrett would have last worked on Thursday or Friday, Crane said.

Barrett, 41, was unarmed when he was shot at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Wilson Avenue after a vehicle pursuit.

Barrett did not comply when an officer, a seven-year veteran, told him to stop and put his hands up, Lt. Ken Weaver said.

Barrett ran toward the officer, the officer backed up and told Barrett several times to show his hands, Weaver said.

Barrett had his hands in the waistband of his hooded sweat jacket, reached into his pocket and pulled out a dark-colored metal object, Weaver said.

The object was later determined to be a metal wallet, not a firearm, police said.

The officer believed Barrett was armed and was going to shoot him or other officers, Weaver said.

The officer shot Barrett several times, Barrett fell to the sidewalk but tried to get up, Weaver said.

The officer told other officers Barrett had a gun and another officer shot Barrett with a Taser, Weaver said.

Barrett was handcuffed and officers performed lifesaving procedures and called for fire and medical personnel to respond to Wilson Avenue, Weaver said.

Barrett was taken by ambulance to the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where he died at 5:34 a.m. Monday.

The incident began when a white 1999 Lexus without headlights on sped through stop signs and stoplights at intersections in the area of Santa Clara and Indiana streets just after midnight, police said. The Lexus did not stop until it was behind the apartment complex, police said.

Police arrested the right, front seat passenger in the Lexus, 18-year-old Anton Barrett Jr., for resisting arrest. An unidentified passenger in the back seat of the Lexus is still at large, police said.

The officer who shot Barrett was on paid administrative leave as of Tuesday, and the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County District Attorney's Office were still investigating the shooting.

Solano County Superior Court records show Barrett had a felony spousal battery case pending in court. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for July 23.

Felony charges also were filed against Barrett on Aug. 3, 2004 and Dec. 7, 2007. The nature of the charges was not identified. Barrett received probation in the 2004 case.

Barrett was convicted in Napa County Superior Court on July 30, 2009 of felony possession of marijuana for sales, Napa County Deputy District Attorney Holly Quate said. Further details of that case were not available Tuesday, Quate said.

_{Tue, 29 May 2012 16:40:24 -0700}

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