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WILL HE OR WON’T HE? — Congressman John Taylor Doolittle, still the target of a marathon corruption investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, is to meet with supporters in his Roseville district office this Thursday (too late for this edition) to confirm or deny reports that (1) he’ll run for a 10th term this year (filing opens February 11), or (2) he’ll not run and instead “retire” from politics, at least until his situation cools down (meaning the feds either clear him or get a grand jury to indict him). The Thursday session is being called a Team Doolittle briefing, and in the e-mail invitations he sent out John says, “I am eager to get your perspective on numerous issues currently facing our country. I hope you will feel free to share with me any question or comment you may have.” That certainly doesn’t sound like he’ll be quitting. On the other hand, House Republican bigshots supposedly have been urging him not to run because Democrat Charlie Brown probably will beat him and they want to make sure that the 4th Congressional District, where GOP voters overwhelmingly outnumber Democrats, remains in safe Republican hands. Some reports are to the effect that Doolittle has already decided to retire from Congress and will support former State Assemblyman and Senator T. Rico Oller, a lightweight if there ever was one, as his successor. However, a decision by JTD that he’s stepping down would be construed by many constituents as a tacit admission that the feds might have some heavy stuff on him. But if he does quit, would this mean a knockdown primary fight in June among Oller, Assemblyman Ted Gaines, Auburn Councilman Mike Holmes and perhaps other Republicans interested in going for a vacant House seat? Stay tuned.
* * * MEASURE FOR MEASURE — As promised in the last opus,
here’s some more information on the intra-county measures that will be
decided in the February 5 presidential primary election. Measure G is
the Loomis Union School District’s $17.5 million general obligation
bond proposal and it’s being backed by the likes of Sheriff Ed Bonner,
veteran County Treasurer/Tax Collector Jenine Windeshausen, and Big Ed
Horton, a former Loomis fire chief and popular PCWA director. Opponents
include Tom Hudson, who chairs the Placer County GOP Central Committee;
George Park Jr. of the Placer Republican Assembly; and, of course,
Wally Reemelin of the League of Placer County Taxpayers....Measure H to
affirm the Rocklin City Council’s Clover Valley plan numbers among its
supporters District 2 Supervisor Robert Weygandt, Rocklin Councilwoman
Kathy Lund, Rocklin Mayor Brett Story, Rocklin Councilman Pete Hill and
Lincoln’s Tom Cosgrove in his post as a member of the Placer County
Transportation Planning Commission. Measure H opponents include former
District 5 Supervisor Rex Bloomfield, former Placer County Planning
Commission Chairman Jim Forman, business owner Stephen Loeb, and
Allison Miller of the Save Clover Valley Coalition...Approval of
Measure J would bump the Rocklin park assessment fee to $45 for each
household and it’s supported by Roy Ruhkala, one of Rocklin’s most
respected citizens and an esteemed former PCWA director; Kathy Lund,
former Rocklin Mayor Jerry Mitchell; and the same Pete Hill. Opponents
include GOP stalwarts George Park Jr., Tom Hudson and young Ben Mavy,
who is emerging as a local Republican star. * * * R.I.P.
BILL SWEIGERT — Bill, a dear friend of mine for four decades, died in
his South Auburn home Sunday at age 81, a victim of cancer. Bill
Sweigert was one of the Sacramento area’s top special district and
water law attorneys. He also was a student of western history, an avid
horseback rider, a lover of cowboy poetry (ugh!) and a generous gent
who’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. His obituary
appears elsewhere in this edition (page B2) and is accompanied by a
wonderful snapshot of him. There’ll be a celebration of Bill’s colorful
and productive life in the Chapel of the Hills this Friday the 11th at
1 p.m. * * * NICE PEOPLE — Perry King, the very versatile
movie and TV actor, will be Loyce Smallwood’s guest on her KAHI
Connections show this Thursday the 10th, starting at 9 a.m. King, who
is said to own ranch property across the river on the Georgetown
Divide, can safely be labeled a star, maybe not a super star, but a
star nonetheless...Jennifer Johnson, the noted local sculptor, will
show her latest work, “The Kiss,” at a reception in PlacerARTS at 808
Lincoln Way in Auburn next Thursday the 17th from 5 to 7 p.m. “The
Kiss” is a new steel, 150-pound bust of a woman with puckered lips.
Jennifer adds that local artist Nancy Langhorn’s latest paintings will
also be on view...Bud Anderson, the World War II triple ace and famous
test pilot, will speak at next Friday the 18th’s Friends of the Library
NOON program in the Auburn Library’s Beecher Room. Be sure to be there
and bring a sandwich for yourself... And don’t forget FOL’s annual “We
Love Our Library” dinner on January 27 in the Auburn Library, starting
at 5 p.m. with a social hour. The event is in celebration of the
library’s 35 years at 350 Nevada Street. Incidentally, the library was
designed by the late architect Jon Benton Lardner, whose 1970s projects
also included the Bank of America branch on High Street as well as Mary
and Keith Sparks’ showcase home in Loomis overlooking Folsom Lake. If
you’d like to attend the library celebration on the 27th, call Jane
Misplay at (530) 889-8227 and order some $35 tickets. You’ll love the
fine wine and the great Latitudes food.
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Thanks, Joe, for the Perry King mention. King visited me on my program two years ago and I enjoy talking movies/television with this humble actor. L! 
