NEWSLETTER
Chamber News LARGEST BUSINESS ORGANIZATION IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY
JANUARY 2015 - ISSUE 2
Legislature Should Resolve to be More Transparent in 2015 Courtesy Olsen on the Issues - January 2015
With the New Year upon us, we traditionally make resolutions to better ourselves. In keeping with that spirit, the State Legislature can make one simple resolution for 2015 – give legislators and the public enough time to review the bills that will be voted on. Every day, legislators are faced with policy proposals that will impact the future and the household budgets for all Californians. And yet, we are too often provided mere moments to review hundreds of pages of legislation before casting a vote. Last Session, the Legislature’s majority party had to do an embarrassing aboutface to eliminate an insidious budgetrelated provision that they approved a few days earlier. The original measure, Assembly Bill 76, suspended key provisions of the California Public Records Act. It would have made it more difficult for the public to compel local governments to provide data and documents. If this measure had been in force in prior years, journalists may never have been able to expose some of the scandals that have shocked our state. We may not have known about the corruption in the small city of Bell, where city officials received six-figure salaries for little work, or the former BART general manager who received $420,000 after she was fired. The majority party could have avoided the
scenario of voting for something before voting to reverse it if they simply gave legislators at least 72 hours to review the bill. That is why I am renewing my call for the Legislature to pass my Legislative Transparency Act this year. Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 1 would require all legislation, including the budget, to be in print and publicly available for at least 72 hours before passage by either the State Assembly or Senate. The only bills exempt from this requirement would be those required to respond to a state of emergency formally declared by the Governor. I have introduced this and similar transparency measures each year since being elected to the State Assembly. Unfortunately, previous Assembly leaders refused to give legislators the opportunity to vote on these bills. Defenders of the status quo inevitably respond by saying that most bills are debated in public committee hearings weeks in advance. Yet political insiders know that the final details of significant bills – especially the state budget – are negotiated behind closed doors and then presented to legislators for a vote as quickly as possible to minimize controversy. The State already requires local governments to adhere to the 3-day-inprint rule – Why would we allow a lesser standard for the Legislature? California can do better. The Assembly and Senate can start off 2015 on the right note by requiring a 72-hour review period before final votes are taken. It will improve public policy. It will allow
Democrat and Republican legislators to better represent their constituencies. And it will increase transparency and trust among the public in an institution that too often inspires neither. Assembly Republican Leader Kristin Olsen, RModesto, is recognized as a solution-focused reformer. She represents the 12th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties in the Central Valley. Follow her on Twitter: @KristinOlsenCA
Ambassador Spotlight—Paula Cheatham Hello everyone! My name is Paula Cheatham. I am the Personal Accounts Manager for Caldwell Insurance. I am a licensed insurance broker with Property, Casualty, Health and Life Insurance Licenses. My primary focus is Home and Auto Insurance. I began my insurance career in 1987 and joined Caldwell Insurance in July of 2014, Caldwell Insurance is an independent insurance agency dedicated to providing quality Personal and Business insurance programs. We are not limited to any one company and we shop the insurance marketplace to give you the best protection at the most competitive price. I moved to Sonora in February of 1987 from Redondo Beach, CA. I love the sense of community, the beauty and friendliness of Tuolumne County. I have been involved with the Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce for almost six years and love what the Chamber offers to our Business Community. When not working you can usually find me in the kitchen. I love to cook and entertain. I enjoy reading, camping, hiking and spending time with my family. My greatest accomplishment is a young lady named Christina, my daughter, currently an officer in the Navy and simply a beautiful person inside and out who makes me proud every day!
BUSINESS BRIEF LAKE VIEW CATERING
Tony and Elfi Taylor moved to Tuolumne County in 2005 and purchased the Twain Harte Lake 'Snack Shack', where they upgraded the menu, equipment and staff, turning it into the restaurant it is today. The Snack Shack offers apple wood smoked tri-tip, chicken, turkey along with Angus beef burgers, fresh grilled quesadillas and fresh cut fries. The demand for these quality favorites lead to the establishment of 'Lakeview Catering Company'. The team is frequently called upon to do onsite catering throughout the County. Elfi's family, owned and operated a health conscious deli in Hollywood, CA and Tony served as a sourdough bread salesman in San Francisco for over 27 years. Together, they have over 40 years combined experience, and now operate Lakeview Catering, serving Tuolumne county for over 8 years.
Dodge Ridge Race Team Delivers a Commanding Perfor mance at the USSA Far West Central Series Rassmusen Classic Slalom and Giant Slalom Race Courtesy Dodge Ridge The Dodge Ridge Race Team took a commanding position this past weekend, January 10 & 11, winning the first Far West Central Series Ski Race of the 2015 season against teams from Bear Valley, China Peak, and Yosemite Winter Club. The two day Slalom and Giant Slalom event hosted by Bear Valley kicked off the USSA Far West Central Series with anxious racers vying for the top position in this first time trial race of the season. Highlights from the weekend include 1st place podiums in 5 of the 12 races across all divisions with 24 of 36 medals awarded going to the Dodge Ridge Race Team (DRRT).
The U10 (ages 9 and under) girls division was dominated by Meara McCarthy and Avery Booth with Booth finishing 1 st on Saturday and 2 nd on Sunday and McCarthy finishing 3 rd both days with fellow teammate Sarah Azevedo taking 2 nd place on Saturday. The U10 boys division was strong as well with Owen Bartholow picking up a 2 nd place finish with Tej Suklikar in 3 rd on Saturday. On Sunday the two racers swapped positions with Suklikar in 2nd and Bartholow 3rd . For the U12 (age 10 & 11) boys Evan Lear dominated the weekend with a 2nd place on Saturday and a win on Sunday with DRRT racer Ian Fergunson in 3rd on Saturday. Lear recorded the fastest single run of the weekend on Saturday and had the fastest overall combined time on Sunday. In the U12 girls division Victoria Gast finished 3rd on Saturday and Rylie Booth earned the 3rd spot on the podium on Sunday. Dodge Ridge's U14 (age 12 & 13) division was just as successful with Ava Law in 2nd on Saturday and 1st place on Sunday followed by Jensen Perry in 3rd place on both days. In the U14 boys division, Dodge Ridge’s Varun Suklikar won on both days and he was followed by Ethan Perry in 2nd on Saturday and 3rd on Sunday with Stash Perry in 2nd on Sunday. In addition, Ava Law and Varun Suklikar received special recognition on Sunday for having the fastest male and female combined times for the entire weekend. Congratulations to all of the competitors from this past weekend whose team spirit and commitment continually pushes the sport of ski racing in a positive direction. A big thank you also goes out to Bear Valley for preparing the race course for the Rassmusen Classic. The next USSA Far West Central Series races will be held at Dodge Ridge, February 7 & 8 as they host the annual Ryan Lavagnino Classic Giant Slalom event. Races to follow will be at China Peak on February 28 and March 1, Yosemite/Badger Pass on March 14 & 15, and finally moving on to the U14 Championships at Squaw Valley on March 26-29 and the U10/U12 Championships at Northstar April 4-7. Visit www.DodgeRidge.com for details.