Joe Carroll's Auburn Augur column, a Sentinel staple for years, focuses on politics at all levels -- and plenty of other things. Even the politicians who get skewered in his often irreverent pieces respect him as an old time newsman who knows his stuff. In addition to newspaper experience in San Francisco and Placer County, Joe spent 15 years as a state legislative aide, working for both Republicans and Democrats. He describes many politicians as "people who shake your hand before the election and your confidence afterward."
MORE STAR QUALITY AT LA BONTE’S — Mr. Gilbert Ortega, right, is shown with lovely Judi LaBonte and his very able attorney, Patrick R. Little, as he arrived at the legendary Lou LaBonte’s restaurant the other noon for a lunch in his honor that was hosted by — who else? — mouthpiece Little, who says he’s proud to number Gilbert among his star clients. Gilbert did not pedal his bicycle to LaBonte’s, opting instead to ride along with lawyer Little. Judi was glad to see Gilbert in one piece after his latest bike-car collision. She recalled that her late mother, the beautiful Frances LaBonte, frequently remarked that in his younger years Gilbert looked like a cross between Fernando Lamas and Ricardo Montalban and was considered a hot commodity by the young ladies of the village. In any case, Gilbert had one heckuva a good time at the Little lunch...Mention of Lou LaBonte’s prompts me to report that on or about December 10th — early next week — there’ll be a grand opening of the Wine Rack store on the premises of the old LaBonte’s deli next to the restaurant. The new establishment will feature the retail sale of wines from some of the area’s top vintners: Vina Castellano, Mt. Vernon, the Green Family and Dono dal Cielo Vineyard. And if you plunk down $5 to help with the overhead, you’ll be treated to samples of the swell vintages.
Star Newsman Visits Auburn — John Trumbo, the most dogged investigative
newspaper reporter to have ever worked in this territory, was back in
town for a few hours last week to say hello to some old friends. That’s
Trumbo on the left next to Wayne White, Auburn’s retired chief building
official. I snapped the photo at Depoe Bay, where John enjoyed some tea
while Wayne and I slurped java. By the time you read this John will be
back at the McClatchy-owned—Tri-City Herald in Kennewick WA, batting
out some more prize-winning and always hard-hitting news stories.
WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY? — My favorite 2007 photo is the one of Congressman John T. Doolittle shaking hands with Auburn’s own Rob Haswell. I snapped it last February when JTD spoke at the local fairground as the first part of his “Get Cuddly With Constituents” tour of the 4th Congressional District following his near-loss to Charlie Brown a few months earlier. Haswell, who got creamed by Doolittle-sponsored Supervisor Ted Gaines for the 4th Assembly District seat in the same election, was on hand to listen to his congressman. The fact that a far-right Republican and a very liberal Democrat can shake hands is proof that political politesse is possible (even if it’s faked). Now what are these gents going to do next year? JTD insists he’ll seek a 10th term in the House of Representatives and still shrugs off speculation that he (and maybe his wife) might be indicted on corruption charges related to their close association with Jack Abramoff, the crooked lobbyist now doing hard time in a federal pen. The U.S. Department of Justice’s probe of the Doolittles has been underway for about three years and it’s about time the G-Men either file charges or get off the couple’s backs (with a statement that their suspicions had no merit).
HOLMES BOYS ON THE RANGE (AGAIN!) — Sunday’s Veterans Day Parade through Downtown Auburn was light on elected officials (thank goodness), but among the handful of pols who did show up were brothers Jim and Mike Holmes, who were seated aboard a spanking new red Mustang loaned for the occasion by Maita Ford and driven by Pat Lyons, with Linda Haggins as co-pilot, and here’s a photo of ‘em.
NICE PEOPLE — I was feeling lousy Tuesday morning until I bumped into Jenine Windeshausen and John Marin just outside of Circus Maximus, where a short time later the board of supervisors gave them longevity pins for their service to the county: 20 years for Jenine and a quarter-century for John. Just the sight of them made me feel like doing a samba, but, rather than dance alone in public, I took a photo of them, and here it is. They were among the dozens of county employees whom the board lauded for sticking it out for 20 years or more. (If the Yoder/Fitch/Miller p.r. firm will oblige, I’ll print all their names when space allows.)
