Lincoln Arts sees red ink, not red-clay sponsors
It’s a troubling sign of the times. After 21 years, the region’s biggest arts event is in peril of being canceled next year if more corporate sponsors don’t step forward this year – and soon.
The Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation’s highly respected and internationally known Feats of Clay ceramic art competition and exhibition – now in its 21st year – announced it is seeing lackluster support from local businesses due to the economic downturn and a more cautious business environment. The not-for-profit organization, which sponsors a range of arts programs in Lincoln, is funded almost entirely by community donations and member contributions.
“We are running behind in our corporate sponsorships this year,” said
Claudia Renati, executive director for Lincoln Arts in a press
announcement released Feb. 28. “We realize businesses may not have as
much to give in these financially difficult times, but they should look
at (the Feats of Clay) sponsorship not only as helping their local arts
organization, but also as a good investment.”
While Rocklin is struggling with decreased tax revenues, there are no plans to layoff city workers.
Rocklin, population 52,000, was incorporated in 1893 and built on granite mining and the railroad. According to the city’s website, 22 quarries operated in Rocklin in 1910 and in 1912, close to 2,000 train carloads were shipped out of town. Granite from Rocklin was used in San Francisco and the state capitol building. Today, Rocklin still has many reasons to be proud including top schools, plenty of parks and low crime rates.
Public safety and schools have been high priorities for Rocklin as
demonstrated by the numbers the city unveiled last month at the town’s
State of the City address.
“Rocklin happens to be, as far as
crime is concerned, the safest community in the Sacramento region,”
said Rocklin City Manager Carlos Urrutia. “In 2007, we experienced our
lowest crime rate in the last five years. Our crime rate (for) serious
crimes went down by 12 percent.”
Sean Ryan, 30, of Colfax was arrested by Placer County Sheriff’s deputies after allegedly dipping into the company coffers. Ryan was employed as the manager of Target on Bell Road in Auburn at the time of his arrest. Investigators allege that Ryan helped himself to as much as $10,000 from the company’s night deposits and safe.
In a written statement, Target officials said, “We are extremely disappointed to hear of the allegations against one of our team members and are partnering with law enforcement as needed for their investigation.”
After last call at Bob & Betty’s 160 Club on Cleveland Avenue in Auburn, two men got into an argument that landed one in the county clink and the other in the hospital.
Shortly before 2 a.m. early Monday, two Auburn residents – Michael R. Lane, 32, and Britton J. Reed, 21 – got into a war of words in the bar before taking the fight to a nearby parking lot. A knife came into play and, according to Lt. Scott Burns of the Auburn Police Department, Reed was stabbed multiple times.
When officers arrived, they detained several individuals who witnessed the altercation. Lane was arrested and booked on charges of attempted murder. Reed was transported to Sutter Roseville Medical Center for surgery and, as of Tuesday morning, is still listed in “critical” condition.
In the private economy, the small business owner is either making money or looking for work. There is no “grade inflation” or “social promotion” in the real world of small business. In contrast, when it comes to government performing basic functions, voters too often accept, coddle and put up with incompetence. Sometimes, the voters even reward failure by public officials by increasing their budgets.
Lonnie Schwenk, Sierra College Chief of Police Services since 1990, was born for a career in law enforcement. His dad was an officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, and Lonnie’s earliest ambition was to follow in his footsteps. While waiting to reach the qualifying age to become a police officer, he attended Sacramento City College majoring in Police Science. Fifteen years later, he came to Sierra College and earned an Associate of Science degree in computer science while working part time as a campus security officer. That led to full-time permanent employment opportunities at the college, and Lonnie never got around to leaving.
Salvation Army Social Services Director Michelle Talbot believes God chose her to help the less fortunate in Auburn because of her life experience.
Michelle Talbot is the mother of three daughters, a graduate of the Leadership Auburn program, involved in the community and a self-described rebel of the 1960s and ’70s. She also helps get the homeless off the streets and into rehabilitation programs as the social services director for the Salvation Army of Auburn.
Helping those less fortunate is something she never expected to find herself doing but considering her background, she can’t imagine doing anything else.
Growing up in Reno, NV, she never really knew her biological father and her stepdad had a violent temper.
“I wasn’t a happy camper as a kid growing up,” she said.
She
says her parents were too involved in their own partying lives to be
good parents, so she rebelled. At 17, Talbot left home and got married,
eventually having two daughters.
Her marriage wasn’t ideal. Drugs and alcohol abuse dominated the relationship.
Working as a hairdresser, she said it was one of her clients who helped change her life.
“At 28, I was working on a little old lady who kept inviting me to a bible study fellowship,” she recalled.
Dear Editor, Development in Rocklin has been too fast, too much, and ill planned. With its unique array of natural and cultural resources, Clover Valley is very much worth saving from Rocklin’s “just-pave-it” disease.
Yes, legal action has been filed (not one, but two lawsuits). Yes, Clover Valley’s rare concentration of diverse natural and cultural resources must be preserved for generations to come. Yes, the public was deceived by the developers and the city with regard to Measure H, so much so that many who voted for the egregious development still don’t get it. Yes, not one of the owner/developers, nor any of their campaign spokespersons, lives in Rocklin.
Tough
choices were made at Auburn
City Hall last week with
the elimination of up to eight city staff positions. Sentinel file photo.
As the Sentinel reported in the Feb. 29 edition, cities in Placer County are facing major losses in sales tax revenue. Auburn is the first to make drastic cuts as a response to those revenue shortfalls. In its March 10 meeting, the Auburn City Council approved a resolution to notify the public that a two-year retirement incentive, called the Golden Handshake Program, was going to be offered to eight employees for a 90-day period beginning in two weeks.
Auburn Finance Director Andy Heath said the cost of the program is estimated to be $276,477.14 if all eight employees participate. The cost would not be “up front,” as reported elsewhere, but would take effect over the next two years. Heath estimated the maneuver would save the city some $640,000 annually.
Airport Manager Jerry Martin wasn’t happy with the way the city handled the layoffs. “I’d like to confirm publicly what I’ve been told privately, that the airport manager position is being eliminated,” Martin said. “I don’t understand this. The airport (has been) in the black.” Martin said he wasn’t consulted regarding his layoff or the future of the airport. Three airport users spoke in Martin’s defense, trying to salvage his job, during the public comment portion of the meeting. John Nielson is a hangar renter and pilot who said the airport is a gem for Northern California. “This is a destination spot. This is a friendly field,” he said. “You go out there on a weekend (and you’ll) see lots of ‘$100 burger’ weekend warrior pilots.” He said pilots fly into the Auburn airport for lunch (hence the $100 burger) and shopping or other activities. "It’s a busy field,” he said. “I’m very loyal to this airport.” Nielson said that Martin has always been responsive when something needed to be done.
A statue of Schuyler Colfax overlooks the town that bears his name. Photo by Don Chaddock.
City facing unexpected costs, leaner budget
This is the second in a series examining local communities.
Colfax, a city hard pressed to make ends meet, is trying to stretch its budget to fulfill its obligations.
As the Sentinel reported in its Feb. 29 edition, Colfax lost 19 percent of its sales tax receipts based on third quarter 2007 compared to the same quarter in 2006. Fourth quarter sales tax figures will not be available until the end of March.
Early last year, the Colfax Chamber of Commerce held a community forum titled “Colfax: Ghost Town or Not?” as a way to kickstart an open dialogue between the residents, businesses and city government.
Businessman Gary Todd said at the time that something needed to be done quickly to improve the business climate.
“There’s nobody in town,” he said last year. “Locals are great, but they don’t keep the businesses going. (If something isn’t done,) this town is going to be a ghost town.”
The meeting seems to have worked as the Colfax Chamber of Commerce took a lead role in improving signage to help visitors navigate the town. A new billboard has gone up along Interstate 80 to help entice motorists to stop and, hopefully, shop.
Jim Wood spoke at the meeting last year and stressed the need for the town to focus on its roots.
