NICE PEOPLE – It’s an old photo but I like to run it occasionally just to show how politicians can differ on some matters but still remain friends. That’s my favorite new mother, lovely Alice Dowdin Calvillo, laughing at the words of advice she’s receiving from Mike Holmes, my favorite old salt. Actually, both are former Auburn mayors and were city council members a few years ago when Peekaboo Pennington snapped the picture. Fast forward to this week: Mike has pulled out of the race to replace John T. Doolittle in Congress while Governor Schwarzenegger has rewarded Alice, his chief deputy cabinet secretary in recent years, with a $128,109-per-year seat on the State Employment Relations Board. Now let’s go back to 2004. Alice was running for a $30,000-a-year seat on the Placer County Board of Supervisors and her general election opponent was Jim Holmes, a retired automotive repair shop owner and the kid brother of Mike Holmes. It was a tough battle all the way and I was obliged to root for Jim Holmes after Alice’s candidacy was heartily endorsed by Mr. Doolittle, who also pointed her in the direction of hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars. And Mike Holmes sure as blazes campaigned for his sibling. In the long run, Alice’s loss was a big win for her. She certainly never would have progressed in state government as far as she has if she were sitting as a Placer County supervisor (and having to run for re-election this year like Jim Holmes). And she might not have married Frank Calvillo, the handsome retired leatherneck who at last report was handling security matters for the governor.
* * * ANYONE FOR CONGRESS? – My guest at Mary Belle’s five-star Old Town
restaurant the other day was a cleancut chap with an improbable name:
Theodore “Ted” Terbolizard. Ted, who resides up in Cedar Ridge, Nevada
County, is a declared candidate for the Republican nomination in the
4th Congressional District, which embraces much of northeastern
California. A web site design wizard and former DJ and p.r. guru who
hails from Mountain View, Santa Clara County, he’s got a gift of gab
that makes other pols green with envy and is solidly in favor of Ron
Paul for president. I particularly like this part of his platform: “Our
Grand Old Party has drifted dangerously far from its traditional roots
and needs to be taken back from big government neo-conservatives who
angrily argue for expensive programs we don’t need and cannot afford.”
Ted, who legally changed his surname from Hommel a decade ago (he’ll be
glad to tell you why), will hold a fundraiser dinner in the banquet
hall of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Grass Valley on
Friday, February 1, starting at 6 p.m. The dinner will cost $100 as a
contribution, but if you come at 7 p.m. for the speeches you can get in
free. Call 530-477-1700 for more information. (Yeah, this is a free
plug. If and when Ted’s treasury swells, maybe he’ll buy an ad next
time.)...Rico Oller, who had inside information that his buddy John
Doolittle was stepping down, has Bill Bird, a seasoned pro, as the
press agent for his congressional candidacy’s press releases, and the
first one arrived Tuesday. Rico announced that his run for the House
seat JTD will vacate next December has the backing of State Senator Sam
Aanestad, who says Oller is “the right man at the right time for the
constituents of the 4th Congressional District.” Rico is right, all
right. He’s to the right of Attila the Hun...And it looks like the
Libertarian Party will field a nominee for the same seat in Congress.
I’m told that Paul Netto of Meadow Vista has taken out
in-lieu-of-signature papers for a stab at replacing Ol’ John.
Libertarian nominee Dan Warren of Truckee garnered five percent of the
vote in the 2006 House race that saw Doolittle edging Democrat Charlie
Brown by three percentage points. Who knows, the Warren candidacy might
have played a role in the final count. If candidate Netto gets in touch
with yours truly, we’ll be sure to give him some ink. * * * TRIVIA DEPT. – What with all the concern about the upcoming county
budget, let’s keep in mind that the current county payroll calls for
2,844 employees. The health/human services department has 878 employees
and the sheriff/marshal/coroner’s department has 466. (I can remember
when there were maybe 500 workers on the county payroll, and the late
and great AJ publisher Bill Cassidy used to say that that was 300 too
many!) ...And do you know how many cars and trucks are in the City of
Auburn’s motor vehicle fleet? Don’t keel over when I reveal that the
number is 85! The public works department has 36, the police 29, the
fire laddies 11, the transit unit five and the building unit four. So
now you know. * * * POLITICAL POTPOURRI – Ferrin Call and Lisa Zacharias of Election Chief
Jim McCauley’s first-rate staff report that the elections division will
host a free candidate workshop on February 13, starting at 6:30 p.m.,
in McCauley’s office at DeWitt Center. Guest speakers will include a
successful candidate, a campaign consultant (they ought to shoot these
guys on sight unless they’re Jeff Raimundo and David Townsend!), and a
media representative whose advice is 10 times more valuable than any
consultant’s. So if you’re thinking of running for an office in the
June primary, be sure to show up on the night before Valentine’s Day.
So what offices be on the line in the June election? The 4th
Congressional District, of course; the 1st State Senate District and
the 3rd, 4th and 5th Assembly Districts; the 3rd, 4th and 5th county
supervisorial districts; and a bunch of seats on the Republican,
Democratic and American Independent county central committees. Call
Ferrin or Lisa at 530-886-5650 for more information. * * * ROUNDABOUT — Has longtime Placer County resident Lew Uhler of the
National Tax Limitation Committee (and the father of District 4
Supervisor Kirk Uhler) really endorsed Rudy Giuliani, the family values
candidate, for president? From what I hear, I guess he has. I thought
he’d be in Romney’s or Huckabee’s corner by now...How could I have
forgotten to mention that old pal George Duff donated nearly $17,000 to
Placer High’s football program last year? Consider it mentioned (and
thanks to Pat Little for telling me about it — last June!)...This
Saturday the 26th’s Auburn Masonic Hall Preservation Association’s
annual crab feed is one of this burg’s best epicurean events. Ducats
are $35 and you can call George Williams, one of the best mayors in
Auburn ever had, at 530-885-6652 to reserve some...Thanks to Gus
Thomson’s “Media Life” in the AJ for mentioning that this year marks
the 35th birthday of the what’s now called PlacerArts. We remember it
as Artcetera when Bud Pisarek and crew launched it back in 1983 in the
old Carnegie Library on Almond Street. Pisarek, who served a couple of
hitches as mayor, was also responsible for getting the city arts
commission started. I got to know Bud when we both worked for Bill
Cassidy at the old AJ 45 years ago and I’ll never understand why the AJ
hasn’t honored his many good works with its V.G. McCann award. Maybe
next time. Subscribe to the Sentinel and receive this weekly newspaper (the only general circulation newspaper in the area that is locally owned and operated) delivered right to your mailbox. Call the Sentinel at 530-823-2463 for more information.
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