News from SacBee.com

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., right, accompanied by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., gestures during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

In a show of unity, Senate Democrats sealed a 60-vote majority needed to advance health care legislation Saturday ahead of an evening showdown with Republicans eager to doom the bill and inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama.

Two final holdouts, Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, announced in speeches a few hours apart on the Senate floor they would vote to clear the way for what is expected to be a bruising, full-scale health care debate after Thanksgiving.

At a 10-year cost approaching $1 trillion, the measure is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny benefits, and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.

"It is clear to me that doing nothing is not an option," said Landrieu, who noted the legislation includes $100 million to help her state pay the costs of health care for the poor.

Lincoln, who faces a tough re-election next year, said the evening vote will "mark the beginning of consideration of this bill by the U.S. Senate, not the end."

Both stressed they were not committing in advance to vote for the bill that ultimately emerges from next month's debate. Even so, their announcements marked a major victory for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the White House in a year-end drive to enact the most sweeping changes to the nation's health care system in a half-century or more.

The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance, and large firms would incur large costs if they did not provide it to their workforce.

Congressional budget analysts put the legislation's cost at $979 billion over a decade and said it would reduce deficits over the same period while extending coverage to 94 percent of the eligible population.

The House approved its version of the bill earlier this month on a near party line vote of 220-215.

In hours of debate before the Saturday evening vote, Republicans attacked the legislation as a government takeover of health care and worse.

"Move over, Bernie Madoff. Tip your hat to a trillion-dollar scam," said Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., likening the bill's supporters to the imprisoned investor who fleeced millions.

Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said Reid had delayed implementation of many of the bill's key provisions and made it look less costly as a result. He put the true price tag at $2.5 trillion over a decade once implemented.

"Senators who support this bill have a lot of explaining to do," said the Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "Americans know that a vote to proceed on this bill is a vote for higher premiums, higher taxes and massive cuts to Medicare. That's a pretty hard thing to justify supporting."

That was a rebuttal to Landrieu and other Democrats who described the evening vote as one of procedure instead of substance.

In her remarks, Landrieu said, "I've decided that there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done." She also touted the $100 million included in the legislation to help her state cover its costs under Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor.

"I'm proud to have fought for it. And I will continue to," she said.

Reid worked for weeks drafting the legislation, a blend of bills approved earlier by two committees with new provisions designed to straddle the ideological divide among Senate Democrats.

Among the most controversial is a requirement for the government to sell insurance in competition with private industry, unless individual states opt out.

Landrieu, Lincoln and other Democrats have expressed unease about it, and attempts to modify the so-called public option are certain once debate begins in earnest. One possibility would require the federal government stay out of the insurance business unless there was a shortage of competition or affordable coverage offered by private companies.

At its core, the legislation would create insurance exchanges beginning in 2014 where individuals, most of them lower income and uninsured, would shop for coverage. The bill sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits to help those earning up to 400 percent of poverty, $88,200 for a family of four.

Additional funds would be available to help small businesses defray the cost of providing coverage to their employees.

The insurance industry would come under significant new regulation under the bill, which would first ease and then ban the practice of denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions. Beginning in 2014, there would be no limits on lifetime coverage. Effective immediately, children could remain on their parents' insurance policies until age 26, three years longer than under current law, another attempt to cut into the ranks of the uninsured.

Individuals would be required to purchase coverage or pay a fine, unless affordable coverage was not available. Larger employers would not be required to provide coverage, but would face penalties if they did not and any of their workers received federal subsidies to buy individual coverage.

To finance the expanded coverage, Reid proposed higher taxes as well as cuts totaling hundreds of billions of dollars in projected Medicare payments. Hardest hit would be the private insurance Medicare plans, although providers such as home health agencies would also receive significantly less in future years than now estimated.

The bill raises payroll taxes on incomes over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. Reid eased the impact of an earlier proposal to tax high-value insurance plans, which has emerged as one of the principal methods for restraining the growth in health costs.

The bill includes tax increases on insurance companies, medical device makers, patients electing to undergo cosmetic surgery and drugmakers.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., center, accompanied by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., right, and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., speaks during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., center, accompanied by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., left, and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., speaks during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Ky., center, gestures during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. From left are, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., McConnell, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Ariz.

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., accompanied by, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., left, and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., speak during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., walks in the Capitol before heading into a Democratic caucus on health care reform in Washington Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., left, accompanied by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Ariz., right, lifts copy of the Democratic health care reform bill, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., right, followed by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., leave a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Ky., center, shows copy of the Democratic health care reform bill during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. From left are, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., McConnell, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Ariz., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., center, accompanied by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., left, and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., speaks during a health care reform news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., left, accompanied by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Ariz., right, lifts copy of the Democratic health care reform bill, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

An injured rider whose horse fell was rescued this week by a California Highway Patrol helicopter and other emergency crews from a remote area along the south fork of the American River in El Dorado County.

Others riding the same trail discovered the fallen rider, whose name and age were not immediately available, and her horse Thursday afternoon and called for help.

County firefighters and medics from Georgetown responded to the trail between Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park and Salmon Falls Road in Pilot Hill. After the rider was located, one firefighter was lowered by hoist from the chopper to the rider, while another firefighter was taken to the site by a local resident on an all-terrain vehicle.

Firefighters stabilized the rider, secured her in a device called a Bauman Bag, and she was hoisted into the helicopter and flown to Sutter Roseville Medical Center. The extent of her injuries was not immediately available.

The horse was not injured and will be with a caretaker until it can be reunited with the rider.

El Dorado County Fire Captain Mike Pott said, "The rider was very lucky she was found. Had she spent the night on the trail, the outcome could have been tragic."

He warned against going into such remote areas without a partner and recommended carrying a cell phone and a GPS if possible, and "always let someone know where you are going."

TODAY

Viking for a day

What: Who doesn't want to don a horned "helm"? It hardly matters that historical evidence doesn't back the notion that Vikings wore horned helmets. Seems they actually wore basic, no-frills headgear in battle – although some were adorned with carved bird figures arcing toward each other, kind of horn-like. Nonetheless, we're sure there will be many of the mythical horned helmets at the Viking Fest/Norwegian Christmas Bazaar, which also features crafts, food, music and dancing. There's also a promise of plenty of the famed "Viking on a Stick" snacks.

Where: San Juan Masonic Hall, 5944 San Juan Ave., Citrus Heights

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cost: Free

Information: Call (916) 783-8830

TODAY

Remember victims

What: The Ukrainian Heritage Club of Northern California sponsors a commemoration of victims of oppression and famine during the Soviet regime. The program features speakers and a film about events that once dominated life in Soviet-era Ukraine.

Where: Carmichael Public Library, 5605 Marconi Ave., Carmichael

When: 6:30 p.m.

Cost: Free

Information: Call (916) 771-2402

TODAY

Gospel gives back

What: "Gospel Gives Back" is the theme of an evening of inspirational music that doubles as a benefit for Francis House, an aid center for homeless children and families. This year Francis House has assisted 30,000 people, organizers said. The concert features Melinda Watts of Fair Oaks, who won the 2008 edition of the national "Gospel Dream" singing competition. She'll share the stage with the Sacramento Metropolitan Choir and pianist Theresa Keene, among other performers.

Where: Antioch Progressive Church, 7650 Amherst St., Sacramento

When: 7 p.m.

Cost: $20 for adults; $10 for children under 12

Information: Call (916) 443-2646 or visit www.francishouse.info.

SUNDAY

Motivating youth

What: Ruthie Bolton, the Sacramento Monarchs star and member of the U.S. basketball team that won an Olympic gold medal, is the guest speaker at a youth rally sponsored by Peece Keepers – Positive Energy Engaging Communities Everywhere. The goal is to motivate youths and show them how they can volunteer in their communities this holiday season. Participating kids can help prepare Christmas gifts for friends in Africa.

Where: St. Stephens A.M.E. Zion Church, 1550 Grand Ave., Sacramento

When: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost: Free

Information: Call (916) 541-5737, or visit www.peecekeepers.blogspot.com.

Devontae Butler ran with power and purpose, leaving cleat marks on the chests and chins of overwhelmed Tokay Tigers. Shaq Thompson was fast to the corner and a blur to the end zone. And the defense dominated the line of scrimmage, laid players out, pounced on loose balls and raced with a convoy into the end zone for two scores.

All told, it was another typically thorough Grant High School rout as the visitors from Lodi were overwhelmed 65-0 in a first-round Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoff game Friday night in Del Paso Heights.

Grant extended its winning streak to 25 and posted its eighth shutout of the season as all the D-II title contenders rolled in openers.

Coming in as the No. 3 seed in the stacked D-II field – blame the so-so strength of the Metropolitan Conference for the seeding – Grant played like the top-ranked team in Northern California that it is. Coach Mike Alberghini, with his 19th consecutive playoff team, pulled all his starters early in the third quarter when it was 56-0, and he assured his team that the games would get more difficult from here. Next is Fairfield, a Monticello Empire League team that handed Monterey Trail one of its two losses this season.

"We have talent," Alberghini said in sizing up his bunch. "We control our own destiny if we play up to our ability. We have size, speed, athletes. It's really about taking care of business now."

Business for the Pacers (11-0) generally means setting the tone with physical line play and unleashing Butler.

The senior tailback rushed for 201 yards on 15 carries and a score. During one of his highlight runs, he ran up and over two Tokay defenders. Butler showed burst up the middle, thanks to gaping holes by the line, and plowed into safeties who tried to slow him. He also pushed his season rushing totals to 2,345 yards and 35 touchdowns.

"We just need one pancake block and that's it with Devontae,'' said Vei Moala, Grant's two-way lineman star. "He's fun to watch."

So is Thompson, a sophomore all-purpose threat who scored on an eight-yard run and on a 66-yard run out of the Wildcat formation. He also flattened the Tigers on special teams as a blocker.

Dezmon Epps, who missed the Week 10 game against Burbank because of a sore shoulder, had a 15-yard run for a score when Butler fumbled on a 40-yard gain. Quarterback Glenn Deary ran for a two-yard score and had a perfect 46-yard touchdown pass to Ronald Thompson.

Not to be outdone, the Pacers' defense held Tokay to minus-13 rushing yards. Puka Lopa had two of Grant's five sacks. Also, Robert Isaacs came up with a five-yard fumble return for a score, and Ronald Fields had an 18-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

And all of that was in the first half.

Grant recorded a safety in the second half when Tokay kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone on a high snap.

"I thought we'd give them a better game," Tokay coach Louis Franklin said. "Their overall team, speed, we just don't see that. We couldn't slow them down."

A sea lion with a visible wound to its eye was spotted with an injury near its eye early Wednesday morning along the Sacramento River near the Tower Bridge underneath the Joe's Crab Shack restaurant on Front Street.

California game wardens early today arrested a North Highlands man for allegedly shooting a sea lion in the Sacramento River.

The case prompted widespread sympathy for the sea lion when the suffering animal was spotted on a dock in Old Sacramento last week with a gruesome wound near its right eye. A witness at the time claimed the animal had been shot. But that remained unproven -- until this morning.

A team of about eight wardens from the California Department of Fish and Game arrested Larry Allen Legans, 43, after raiding his home on 34th Street in North Highlands at about 7 a.m. this morning.

Warden Patrick Foy said that, upon questioning, Legans admitted shooting the sea lion with a 12-gauge shotgun on Nov. 11 while fishing from his boat in the Sacramento River near Verona. A shotgun allegedly used in the crime was confiscated from the home as evidence.

"He said he was tired of watching sea lions take his fish," said Foy.

Foy said Legans allegedly told a fisherman in another nearby boat that he "may not want to watch this," then loaded a slug round into a shotgun he was carrying in his boat. He then allegedly fired on the sea lion when it surfaced nearby.

The case materialized after that witness later reported the suspect's license plate number to authorities, Foy said.

About a half-dozen sea lions have begun to spend much of the year in the Sacramento River between Rio Vista and Verona. The animals have outraged fishermen because they frequently seize fish right off the hook. The alleged shooting is the first documented example of retribution by an angler.

Sea lions are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a federal law. Legans was arrested on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, negligent discharge of a firearm, and take of a marine mammal.

The injured sea lion has not been seen since it slipped back into the river from a dock in Old Sacramento on Nov. 12.

A sea lion with a visible wound to its eye was spotted with an injury near its eye early Wednesday morning along the Sacramento River near the Tower Bridge underneath the Joe's Crab Shack restaurant on Front Street.

California game wardens early today arrested a North Highlands man for allegedly shooting a sea lion in the Sacramento River.

The case prompted widespread sympathy for the sea lion when the suffering animal was spotted on a dock in Old Sacramento last week with a gruesome wound near its right eye. A witness at the time claimed the animal had been shot. But that remained unproven -- until this morning.

A team of about eight wardens from the California Department of Fish and Game arrested Larry Allen Legans, 43, after raiding his home on 34th Street in North Highlands at about 7 a.m. this morning.

Warden Patrick Foy said that, upon questioning, Legans admitted shooting the sea lion with a 12-gauge shotgun on Nov. 11 while fishing from his boat in the Sacramento River near Verona. A shotgun allegedly used in the crime was confiscated from the home as evidence.

"He said he was tired of watching sea lions take his fish," said Foy.

Foy said Legans allegedly told a fisherman in another nearby boat that he "may not want to watch this," then loaded a slug round into a shotgun he was carrying in his boat. He then allegedly fired on the sea lion when it surfaced nearby.

The case materialized after that witness later reported the suspect's license plate number to authorities, Foy said.

About a half-dozen sea lions have begun to spend much of the year in the Sacramento River between Rio Vista and Verona. The animals have outraged fishermen because they frequently seize fish right off the hook. The alleged shooting is the first documented example of retribution by an angler.

Sea lions are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a federal law. Legans was arrested on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, negligent discharge of a firearm, and take of a marine mammal.

The injured sea lion has not been seen since it slipped back into the river from a dock in Old Sacramento on Nov. 12.

Mayor Kevin Johnson is back in the spotlight with the release of a GOP report investigating the firing of the man who conducted the St. HOPE probe.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson allegedly offered to pay a young woman $1,000 a month after she accused him of touching her inappropriately two years ago, according to a congressional report released Friday.

The accusation is contained in a 62-page report issued by two ranking Republican congressmen investigating President Barack Obama’s firing last summer of Gerald Walpin, a federal inspector general who had been investigating alleged misuse of federal grant money by Johnson and his nonprofit St. HOPE organization.

Walpin sent the findings of his probe – including the allegation that Johnson had offered the payments – to the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento for consideration of criminal charges. The office reviewed Walpin’s findings and opted instead to reach a civil settlement with Johnson.

“The facts outlined in the referral give rise to reasonable suspicions about potential hush money payments and witness tampering at a federally funded entity,” the congressional report concludes. “Yet, it is unclear what, if anything, the U.S. attorney’s office did to investigate these allegations.”

Johnson spokesman Steve Maviglio vehemently denied the allegations Friday.

“There is absolutely no merit to these politically motivated allegations,” Maviglio said. “They are categorically false.

“It is sad and unfortunate that the right-wing minority in Congress is playing politics with allegations that have been dismissed by professional prosecutors, the Republican U.S. attorney, and federal officials at AmeriCorps from both political parties.”

The report was compiled by investigators for U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley. It is the latest salvo from a group of congressional Republicans who contend that Walpin’s firing was politically motivated.

Democrats have declined to order hearings into Walpin’s firing, and the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento did not cooperate with the GOP probe, the report states.

The White House downplayed the report as partisan, saying Walpin was fired because of his performance as inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees the AmeriCorps program that provided grants to St. HOPE.

“The White House stands behind the decision to remove Mr. Walpin,” spokesman Adam Abrams said.

“There is nothing new in today’s report, which ignores the multiple bases for Mr. Walpin’s removal and doesn’t provide a shred of evidence that suggests he was removed for any reason other than performance issues.”

For Mayor Johnson, the allegations in the GOP report threaten to reopen controversies the mayor’s camp thought had been settled last year.

Johnson has been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct since the 1990s, when he was a star point guard for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.

In 1996, Phoenix police investigated claims by a 16-year-old girl that Johnson molested her. No charges were filed, but Johnson made a $230,000 confidential settlement with the teen, according to a draft legal document obtained by The Bee. The draft agreement said that Johnson, 29 at the time, had denied the allegations.

In 2007, Sacramento police investigated a teacher’s report that a 17-year-old Sacramento High School student told him Johnson had fondled her. Police said the teen told investigators her comments had been misconstrued – that Johnson rubbed her shoulders, but the contact was not criminal.

Walpin account a vivid read

Along with their report, Issa and Grassley released 30 pages of findings that Walpin sent to the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento last year detailing his investigation into Johnson and St. HOPE.

St. HOPE, based in Oak Park, runs an array of nonprofit endeavors, including Sacramento High School and Hood Corps, an urban service program for young adults funded in part by federal grants. Johnson founded St. HOPE and directed its programs until he stepped down last year to run for mayor.

Walpin began investigating St. HOPE’s use of federal grant money in 2008. In the course of the investigation, his office accused St. HOPE of numerous violations, including using Hood Corps members to wash Johnson’s car, run errands and recruit students for St. HOPE schools.

Walpin’s report also provides vivid details of allegations made by one young woman against Johnson. The report does not name the woman or specify her age, but indicates she was serving in the Hood Corps program Johnson oversaw.

According to the report, the woman reported in 2007 that Johnson showed up at her apartment around midnight to review grade entries. The report does not clarify what the grades were for.

She told investigators she sat on the edge of a bed to show Johnson the grades, and Johnson “laid down behind me, cupping his body around mine like the letter C. After about 2-3 minutes or so, I felt his hand on my left side where my hip bone is.”

The woman showed investigators “that Mr. Johnson’s hand went under her untucked shirt and moved until his hand was on her hip,” according to Walpin’s report. She said she left the room and when she returned, Johnson was asleep in her bed.

Eventually he moved to a couch in the living room, the report states, and left the apartment around 6 a.m.

The woman told investigators she reported the encounter to her supervisors at St. HOPE. The night after reporting the incident, Johnson “approached her and apologized,” Walpin’s report states.

The woman said she then was approached by Kevin Hiestand, St. HOPE legal counsel and Johnson’s personal attorney. The woman told investigators that Hiestand “basically asked me to keep quiet.”

A week later, according to Walpin’s report, the woman told Johnson she was going to quit Hood Corps for financial and family reasons. Johnson “offered to give me $1,000 a month until the end of the program,” the woman told investigators. She said Johnson told her the arrangement would be “between him and I.”

According to the report, Johnson told the woman “all he needed was my savings account number” to make deposits. But she declined the offer.

The woman’s roommate recounted a similar version of the incident for investigators, the Walpin report states.

Johnson fiancée involved?

The congressional report also alleges involvement by Michelle Rhee, chief of public schools in Washington, D.C., and now Johnson’s fiancée.

According to the report, a former St. HOPE official told investigators that Rhee – at the time a St. HOPE board member – did “damage control” after learning of a sexual misconduct allegation against Johnson. The report does not specify whether it was referring to the allegation by the Hood Corps member.

Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez told investigators she notified Rhee of an allegation against Johnson and was told by Rhee that she was “making this her number one priority,” the report states. Soon after, the report says, Wong-Hernandez learned Johnson’s attorney had contacted the person who made the allegation.

After reviewing Walpin’s evidence, Lawrence G. Brown, then acting U.S. attorney for Sacramento, determined there was no criminal wrongdoing by Johnson or St. HOPE, and agreed to a civil settlement in which they would repay $400,000 in grant money.

The congressional report concludes that decision came because of “mounting political pressure.”

Walpin said Friday that he believes Brown should have convened a grand jury.

“I have no reason to believe that they did a thorough investigation of all of the allegations,” Walpin said. “I was a former prosecutor, and I know that every time I received a referral from a government agency … I would use a grand jury in order to determine the facts, both to protect the government’s interests and the defendant’s interests.”

Instead, Brown asked for a federal investigation of Walpin for allegedly overstepping his authority, withholding key information from his report and engaging in a media campaign about his findings.

That review by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency determined last month that Walpin had done nothing improper.

By then, however, Walpin had been fired. He has since filed a federal lawsuit seeking to be reinstated.

On Friday, Benjamin Wagner, the newly installed U.S. attorney in Sacramento, defended the way the case had been handled.

“The referral was thoroughly reviewed by experienced career attorneys in this office, and it was determined that criminal prosecution for violations of federal law was not warranted,” he said. “Nothing in the report issued today affects our view that the matter was handled appropriately by this office.”

Yolanda Griffith, right, hugs Kara Lawson after the Monarchs won the 2005 WNBA title at Arco.

The franchise that turned Arco Arena into a purple haze of confetti in September 2005, that captured a basketball championship and paraded down J Street, is uprooting and possibly dissolving.

The Monarchs on Friday ceased operations in Sacramento, though WNBA President Donna Orender is pressing to keep the club intact. Discussions are ongoing with a potential ownership group in the Bay Area, she said.

The Maloof family's decision to abandon their decadelong ties with the WNBA was prompted by a renewed emphasis on the struggling Kings, according to Kings and Monarchs co-owner Joe Maloof.

"We're really bummed about this," he said Friday. "This is our team that won a championship. We love the Monarchs. But all of our efforts have to be on getting the Kings back to where they once were, and that takes our full commitment.

"We have to have all our people getting out in the community, working, blocking, tackling, doing the things to rebuild our relationship with the fans."

It is unclear how many employees, who work under the umbrella of Maloof Sports and Entertainment, would lose their jobs.

The fate of the Monarchs likely will be determined within a few weeks. If sale talks fail, the players will be dispersed among the league's 12 remaining franchises.

"I think the Bay Area offers a real opportunity," Orender said by cell phone. "It tends to be one of the top markets demographically, it has a strong fan base and basketball tradition. We have an existing franchise, a great coach (John Whisenant), and all it has to do is move 80 or 90 miles down the road."

While Orender refused to reveal which Bay Area sites were being considered, sources cited Oakland's Oracle Arena as the one receiving the most attention. Officials at San Jose's HP Pavilion told Associated Press they were interested in the franchise, but had yet to talk to WNBA officials.

In a larger context, the Monarchs departure furthers ongoing concerns about the stability and long-term viability of the 14-year-old league. The three-time WNBA champion Detroit Shock only weeks ago relocated to Tulsa, Okla., the Atlanta Flame underwent an ownership change, and only last December, the four-time champion Houston Comets were disbanded. One other franchise recently fraught with uncertainty – the Indiana Fever – committed for the 2010 season.

The reaction within the Monarchs organization was one of shock and disappointment. According to Whisenant, who is both coach and general manager, several players and employees broke down when contacted Friday morning.

"Ticha (Penicheiro), DeMya (Walker), Kristin (Haynie) and Hamchetou (Maiga-Ba) were all together at one of their apartments," said Whisenant, "and we're all down in the dumps.

"I had gotten attached to these players, to this franchise, and to making this league a success. We weren't making money, but we weren't losing a lot of money, either. We were casualties of the economy and what's going on with the Kings."

Whisenant, who guided the Monarchs to the 2005 title and into the championship series the following year, said he would accompany the team in any move – "unless the new owners have their own coach in mind. Under the circumstances, I would feel obligated."

One of the original eight WNBA franchises founded in 1997, the Monarchs reached the playoffs nine times in 13 years. The rosters featured All-Stars Penicheiro, Walker, Ruthie Bolton, Nicole Powell, Kara Lawson, Rebekkah Brunson and Yolanda Griffith, who was the 1999 WNBA Most Valuable Player and the team's emotional anchor during the best seasons.

Last year was not one of those seasons. The Monarchs racked up a league-worst 12-22 record despite a 9-8 finish. Whisenant fired coach Jenny Boucek at midsummer and returned to the sidelines after functioning solely as general manager for 2 1/2 years.

The decline was reflected in attendance. The Monarchs attracted an average of 7,744 fans to Arco Arena last season, slightly below the league average of 8,039.

Longtime season ticket holder Eloise Nielsen, fighting back tears, said the news struck her "like a kick in the gut. I can't believe they'd do something so thoughtless after all of the support they have. It's the one thing we really look forward to every year."

Only a week ago, season ticket holders were talking with Monarchs sales personnel about seat assignments for 2010. On Friday, the team Web site had been reduced to a five-graph summary of the day's developments and directed viewers to the WNBA site for further information about a potential relocation.

"I'm very sad," said season ticket holder Lynne Fowler. "I'm shocked because of what the Maloofs have said all along about their support for the Monarchs and the WNBA. But on the other hand, in this economic environment, I'm not shocked. Retrenchment is all over the place."

TOUGH TIMES: Monarchs Yolanda Griffith, Kristin Haynie and Rebekkah Brunson, from left, absorb their team's loss of its WNBA championship series against the Detroit Shock in 2006.

Sacramento Monarchs, Ticha Penicheiro and Kara Lawson, are all smiles as the players put their hands on the championship trophy after winning the WNBA championship game against the Connecticut Sun, Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at Arco Arena.

Charities that feed the hungry in the Sacramento region are counting on a surge of public generosity this weekend as they prepare to offer Thanksgiving meals to an unprecedented number of needy people.

Sharp declines in donations of Thanksgiving turkeys and financial support plus a surge in demand for food and other services have conspired to make for a stressful beginning to the holiday season, officials said.

"Our agencies are seeing record numbers, and our donations are down 37 percent from two years ago," said Jose Martinez, director of the Food Bank of Yolo County. "Our phone has been ringing off the hook with agencies and people asking whether they can get food."

The Yolo Wayfarer Center in Woodland, for one, needs 500 turkeys to distribute in Thanksgiving food baskets for needy families, and as of Friday afternoon was well short of its goal, Martinez said.

"All of the agencies across the region are struggling," Martinez said. He said the food bank is distributing fresh produce to 300 people a week these days, compared with 120 less than two years ago. "We're having to limit the amount of food we give out. We have no choice."

Volunteers of America in Sacramento is among the groups desperately seeking turkeys this weekend. Spokeswoman Christie Holderegger said VOA had hoped to gather 300 birds to supply meals to the Salvation Army, the Senior Safehouse and other agencies, but as of Friday afternoon it had received only 60.

Anyone interested in donating fresh or frozen turkeys or pies can deliver them this weekend to VOA's central kitchen at 700 N. Fifth St.

Loaves & Fishes needs cooked and sliced turkeys to serve to about 1,000 guests at its Thanksgiving meal on Tuesday at 1400 N. C St.

"We need 200 turkeys, and right now I have about 20," said the agency's dining director, Reinelda Wilkerson.

Some smaller agencies that typically serve Thanksgiving meals are not doing so this year because of drops in donations, Wilkerson said.

"We're telling them to send their people over here, so we could have double or triple the number of people that we usually get." Cooked turkeys and pies can be dropped off this weekend.

The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership will welcome 600 families to its Partnership in Thanks feast at the Marriott Hotel in Rancho Cordova on Wednesday, said associate director Kimani Kamau.

"We had trouble filling it up last year, but this year we're turning families away," Kamau said.

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services went trolling for turkeys on Friday with its annual Thanksgiving drive in its parking lot in Oak Park, and hit the jackpot. With the help of KCRA, the agency quickly surpassed its goal of gathering 3,000 birds, said director Blake Young. By early afternoon, in fact, it had more than 5,000.

Young said he is sure the turkeys will go fast when the agency begins handing them out on Monday.

"Our numbers are up 35 percent this year, so I feel we're going to see a lot more people than we did last year," he said.

Food banks across the region are seeing different types of clients today than they have in the past, said Martinez.

"The faces of the people in line are very different than even a year ago," he said. "We're seeing more young people, more middle-aged people, and you can tell by the looks on their faces that they are ashamed to be there. Because for many of them, it's the first time in their lives that they have had to stand in a food line."

Jeff Darlington, left, of the Placer Land Trust and Megan Wargo of the Trust for Public Land tour Bruin Ranch in Placer County on Wednesday. A donation from the late Virgil Harrigan will help preserve the area as open space.

There is a good chance Virgil Harrigan never saw the sun set over Bruin Ranch. He likely never heard the babble of Bear River, where it cuts through a rocky gorge on the ranch, or spied the wild turkey, blue heron, deer and boar on the 2,500- acre Sierra Nevada foothills property.

Still, the late Roseville resident is playing a role in protecting the back-country ranch.

When Harrigan died in January at 91, he left instructions to sell his stock market and real estate holdings and give the money to 12 charities in Placer County. The contributions to local churches, literacy programs and conservation nonprofits totaled $5 million, according to attorney and family friend Guy Gibson.

Harrigan grew up in Roseville and graduated from Roseville High School. He earned a reputation as a gregarious real estate man, but forged his wealth through early investments, Gibson said. Harrigan spent his final years as the life of the party at a Roseville retirement home, having outlived his wife, his brother and sister-in-law. He had no children.

Some of the charities knew Harrigan from his days as a volunteer, but others like the Placer Land Trust were surprised by his generosity.

Placer Land Trust had dreamed of teaming with Nevada County Land Trust and the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land to purchase all or most of Bruin Ranch, an oak–and-pine-tree-covered swath five miles northeast of Auburn. Jeff Darlington, executive director of Placer Land Trust, said a portion of Harrigan's $540,000 contribution will kick-start fundraising to secure 2,300 acres of the land.

"It's always nice not to start from zero," he said of the arrangement, which will help preserve Bruin Ranch as open space.

The total cost for Bruin Ranch is $14 million. The partners envision Bruin Ranch eventually linking with Hidden Falls Regional Park to create more than 6,500 acres of contiguous open space.

The agreement with landowner Lloyd Harvego allows him to keep around 200 acres and have access to some of the property for cattle grazing.

On a tour, a group from the Placer- and San Francisco-based trusts shared a laugh over a wild turkey's nonchalant behavior. "They probably don't know Thanksgiving is next week," joked Megan Wargo of the Trust for Public Land. If the partnership can raise the $14 million by August 2010, the easygoing turkeys will be safe for many Thanksgivings to come.

Harvego, who also owns the Firehouse and Ten 22 restaurants in Old Sacramento, said it was the right time to scale back his breeding operation.

"I'm getting a little older," Harvego said. "If we can put this with a few thousand other acres, it will be a great thing to have for future generations."

In Roseville, Harrigan's other contributions will aid education.

In April, Roseville librarian Rachel Delgadillo got word that Harrigan had left the library $270,000 for its adult literacy program. The only problem was, the three-library system hasn't had such a program for years. Delgadillo said library directors decided to honor Harrigan with a new literacy project.

"There is a great need out there. There are a lot of people that are reluctant to admit they need help," Delgadillo said.

Delgadillo said the program's details and the needs of the community are still being assessed. The key, she said, would be blending Harrigan's contribution with other funds to create a sustainable program. She said, for example, that while reading is fundamental, so are basic Internet skills.

"We notice that a lot of places that are hiring only hire online," she said. "We want to be able to help (participants) not only learn how to read, or improve their reading skills, but also be able to utilize the computer."

Virgil Harrigan, who died in January, left $5 million to 12 charities in Placer County.

Chu Vue

He didn't pull the trigger and he used to wear the uniform of a deputy sheriff, and that's probably why prosecutors announced Friday they will not pursue the death penalty against Chu Vue, according to a criminal law expert.

McGeorge School of Law professor Ruth Jones said in an interview that jurors usually have no problem convicting a defendant who arranged a murder, which Vue is accused of doing in the Oct. 15, 2008, love-triangle shooting death of California correctional officer Steve Lo.

But it's a different story, she said, when it comes to putting that person to death.

"It's a pretty common concept in criminal law that in certain instances, if you are working with someone or have someone working with you, it's as good as if you did it yourself," Jones said.

"But in terms of a juror's perspective on justice, while they may be convinced enough to convict, it's another question of whether or not there will be sufficient evidence, after they convict someone who is not the physical shooter, if they would be willing to impose the death penalty."

And Vue's standing as a 44-year-old former sheriff's deputy with no prior criminal history "would form a strong potential mitigation package" that his lawyers could present on his behalf during the penalty phase of his trial, Jones said. It would put him in better standing with a sentencing jury, she said, than "someone whose life has been a series of difficulties with the law and committing other crimes."

Deputy District Attorney Eric Kindall announced in a Sacramento Superior Court pretrial hearing on Friday that the District Attorney's Office would not seek capital punishment against either Vue or his co-defendant, Lang Vue, who is no relation. Lang Vue is charged as an accessory to the murder of Lo, 39. Prosecutors say the killing was motivated by Chu Vue's discovery that the slain correctional officer was having an affair with the former deputy's wife.

Two other defendants in the case, Chu Vue's brothers Gary, 29, and Chong, 30, are awaiting a murder trial in Minnesota in an unrelated 2001 gang killing in the Twin Cities area. One of those two defendants is reputed to be the shooter in the Lo homicide, although prosecutors are not exactly sure which one allegedly pulled the trigger.

Kindall declined to comment about the DA's decision against seeking the death penalty for Chu Vue. The defendant would qualify for capital punishment if he is convicted in the Lo murder and the jury finds it was committed with the special circumstance of the defendants lying in wait.

Lo was gunned down in the garage of his Sacramento home on Tambor Way while he was getting ready to leave for his job. He worked at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, the prison where Chu Vue's wife also worked as a medical technical assistant.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Cindy Besemer said that "based on the facts and the circumstances and all the evidence, we felt the appropriate penalty was life without possibility of parole."

Besemer said Vue's status as a former sheriff's deputy was not a factor in the DA's decision.

She said no decision will be made on whether to seek the death penalty on Gary and Chong Vue until they are returned to Sacramento for trial.

According to testimony at his preliminary hearing, Chu Vue personally checked out Lo's house in south Sacramento several times in the months before the fatal shooting. Prosecutors presented evidence at the hearing that Vue's cell phone number repeatedly pinged off towers close to Lo's house. They also put on testimony that surveillance cameras showed Vue's truck driving down Tambor Way in the weeks before the shooting.

Prosecution witnesses also testified that Vue had arranged to put up his two brothers around the time of the shooting on property he purchased in Tehama County. Lang Vue, meanwhile, rented Sacramento motel rooms for the brothers and bought them a car for the drive back to Minnesota after the killing, the prosecution has charged.

Chu Vue's lawyer, Donald Masuda, said the DA's decision announced Friday came as no surprise to him.

"I kind of knew they weren't going to seek it," Masuda said. "It's a good thing. I don't think they can get the death penalty in this case anyway, so they're not giving up that much."

Lang Vue's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Matthew Scobel, said the decision is "certainly good news by any measure" for his client.

Mayor Kevin Johnson is back in the spotlight with the release of a GOP report investigating the firing of the man who conducted the St. HOPE probe.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson allegedly offered to pay a young woman $1,000 a month after she accused him of touching her inappropriately two years ago, according to a congressional report released Friday.

The accusation is contained in a 62-page report issued by two ranking Republican congressmen investigating President Barack Obama’s firing last summer of Gerald Walpin, a federal inspector general who had been investigating alleged misuse of federal grant money by Johnson and his nonprofit St. HOPE organization.

Walpin sent the findings of his probe – including the allegation that Johnson had offered the payments – to the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento for consideration of criminal charges. The office reviewed Walpin’s findings and opted instead to reach a civil settlement with Johnson.

“The facts outlined in the referral give rise to reasonable suspicions about potential hush money payments and witness tampering at a federally funded entity,” the congressional report concludes. “Yet, it is unclear what, if anything, the U.S. attorney’s office did to investigate these allegations.”

Johnson spokesman Steve Maviglio vehemently denied the allegations Friday.

“There is absolutely no merit to these politically motivated allegations,” Maviglio said. “They are categorically false.

“It is sad and unfortunate that the right-wing minority in Congress is playing politics with allegations that have been dismissed by professional prosecutors, the Republican U.S. attorney, and federal officials at AmeriCorps from both political parties.”

The report was compiled by investigators for U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley. It is the latest salvo from a group of congressional Republicans who contend that Walpin’s firing was politically motivated.

Democrats have declined to order hearings into Walpin’s firing, and the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento did not cooperate with the GOP probe, the report states.

The White House downplayed the report as partisan, saying Walpin was fired because of his performance as inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees the AmeriCorps program that provided grants to St. HOPE.

“The White House stands behind the decision to remove Mr. Walpin,” spokesman Adam Abrams said.

“There is nothing new in today’s report, which ignores the multiple bases for Mr. Walpin’s removal and doesn’t provide a shred of evidence that suggests he was removed for any reason other than performance issues.”

For Mayor Johnson, the allegations in the GOP report threaten to reopen controversies the mayor’s camp thought had been settled last year.

Johnson has been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct since the 1990s, when he was a star point guard for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.

In 1996, Phoenix police investigated claims by a 16-year-old girl that Johnson molested her. No charges were filed, but Johnson made a $230,000 confidential settlement with the teen, according to a draft legal document obtained by The Bee. The draft agreement said that Johnson, 29 at the time, had denied the allegations.

In 2007, Sacramento police investigated a teacher’s report that a 17-year-old Sacramento High School student told him Johnson had fondled her. Police said the teen told investigators her comments had been misconstrued – that Johnson rubbed her shoulders, but the contact was not criminal.

Walpin account a vivid read

Along with their report, Issa and Grassley released 30 pages of findings that Walpin sent to the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento last year detailing his investigation into Johnson and St. HOPE.

St. HOPE, based in Oak Park, runs an array of nonprofit endeavors, including Sacramento High School and Hood Corps, an urban service program for young adults funded in part by federal grants. Johnson founded St. HOPE and directed its programs until he stepped down last year to run for mayor.

Walpin began investigating St. HOPE’s use of federal grant money in 2008. In the course of the investigation, his office accused St. HOPE of numerous violations, including using Hood Corps members to wash Johnson’s car, run errands and recruit students for St. HOPE schools.

Walpin’s report also provides vivid details of allegations made by one young woman against Johnson. The report does not name the woman or specify her age, but indicates she was serving in the Hood Corps program Johnson oversaw.

According to the report, the woman reported in 2007 that Johnson showed up at her apartment around midnight to review grade entries. The report does not clarify what the grades were for.

She told investigators she sat on the edge of a bed to show Johnson the grades, and Johnson “laid down behind me, cupping his body around mine like the letter C. After about 2-3 minutes or so, I felt his hand on my left side where my hip bone is.”

The woman showed investigators “that Mr. Johnson’s hand went under her untucked shirt and moved until his hand was on her hip,” according to Walpin’s report. She said she left the room and when she returned, Johnson was asleep in her bed.

Eventually he moved to a couch in the living room, the report states, and left the apartment around 6 a.m.

The woman told investigators she reported the encounter to her supervisors at St. HOPE. The night after reporting the incident, Johnson “approached her and apologized,” Walpin’s report states.

The woman said she then was approached by Kevin Hiestand, St. HOPE legal counsel and Johnson’s personal attorney. The woman told investigators that Hiestand “basically asked me to keep quiet.”

A week later, according to Walpin’s report, the woman told Johnson she was going to quit Hood Corps for financial and family reasons. Johnson “offered to give me $1,000 a month until the end of the program,” the woman told investigators. She said Johnson told her the arrangement would be “between him and I.”

According to the report, Johnson told the woman “all he needed was my savings account number” to make deposits. But she declined the offer.

The woman’s roommate recounted a similar version of the incident for investigators, the Walpin report states.

Johnson fiancée involved?

The congressional report also alleges involvement by Michelle Rhee, chief of public schools in Washington, D.C., and now Johnson’s fiancée.

According to the report, a former St. HOPE official told investigators that Rhee – at the time a St. HOPE board member – did “damage control” after learning of a sexual misconduct allegation against Johnson. The report does not specify whether it was referring to the allegation by the Hood Corps member.

Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez told investigators she notified Rhee of an allegation against Johnson and was told by Rhee that she was “making this her number one priority,” the report states. Soon after, the report says, Wong-Hernandez learned Johnson’s attorney had contacted the person who made the allegation.

After reviewing Walpin’s evidence, Lawrence G. Brown, then acting U.S. attorney for Sacramento, determined there was no criminal wrongdoing by Johnson or St. HOPE, and agreed to a civil settlement in which they would repay $400,000 in grant money.

The congressional report concludes that decision came because of “mounting political pressure.”

Walpin said Friday that he believes Brown should have convened a grand jury.

“I have no reason to believe that they did a thorough investigation of all of the allegations,” Walpin said. “I was a former prosecutor, and I know that every time I received a referral from a government agency … I would use a grand jury in order to determine the facts, both to protect the government’s interests and the defendant’s interests.”

Instead, Brown asked for a federal investigation of Walpin for allegedly overstepping his authority, withholding key information from his report and engaging in a media campaign about his findings.

That review by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency determined last month that Walpin had done nothing improper.

By then, however, Walpin had been fired. He has since filed a federal lawsuit seeking to be reinstated.

On Friday, Benjamin Wagner, the newly installed U.S. attorney in Sacramento, defended the way the case had been handled.

“The referral was thoroughly reviewed by experienced career attorneys in this office, and it was determined that criminal prosecution for violations of federal law was not warranted,” he said. “Nothing in the report issued today affects our view that the matter was handled appropriately by this office.”

El Dorado County sheriff's officials are seeking information about a reported kidnapping and possible sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in the Pollock Pines area.

Sheriff's deputies responded to the incident about 5 p.m. Thursday.

A department news release provided these details:

The victim reported that she had been walking along a local trail, when she was attacked by a man. The suspect dragged the victim off the trail and attempted to sexually assault the victim. The victim was able to fight off her attacker and flee.

The victim provided this description of the suspect: white male adult in his late 20s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, medium to muscular build, short straight brown hair, light complexion, with a reddish goatee beard. The suspect was wearing dark tight-fitting pants and a long-sleeve red/black checkered shirt.

Officials said the suspect was not found after an extensive search of the area.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about the incident to call (530) 621-6600.

-- Bee staff

Jeff Darlington, left, of the Placer Land Trust and Megan Wargo of the Trust for Public Land tour Bruin Ranch in Placer County on Wednesday. A donation from the late Virgil Harrigan will help preserve the area as open space.

There is a good chance Virgil Harrigan never saw the sun set over Bruin Ranch. He likely never heard the babble of Bear River, where it cuts through a rocky gorge on the ranch, or spied the wild turkey, blue heron, deer and boar on the 2,500- acre Sierra Nevada foothills property.

Still, the late Roseville resident is playing a role in protecting the back-country ranch.

When Harrigan died in January at 91, he left instructions to sell his stock market and real estate holdings and give the money to 12 charities in Placer County. The contributions to local churches, literacy programs and conservation nonprofits totaled $5 million, according to attorney and family friend Guy Gibson.

Harrigan grew up in Roseville and graduated from Roseville High School. He earned a reputation as a gregarious real estate man, but forged his wealth through early investments, Gibson said. Harrigan spent his final years as the life of the party at a Roseville retirement home, having outlived his wife, his brother and sister-in-law. He had no children.

Some of the charities knew Harrigan from his days as a volunteer, but others like the Placer Land Trust were surprised by his generosity.

Placer Land Trust had dreamed of teaming with Nevada County Land Trust and the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land to purchase all or most of Bruin Ranch, an oak–and-pine-tree-covered swath five miles northeast of Auburn. Jeff Darlington, executive director of Placer Land Trust, said a portion of Harrigan's $540,000 contribution will kick-start fundraising to secure 2,300 acres of the land.

"It's always nice not to start from zero," he said of the arrangement, which will help preserve Bruin Ranch as open space.

The total cost for Bruin Ranch is $14 million. The partners envision Bruin Ranch eventually linking with Hidden Falls Regional Park to create more than 6,500 acres of contiguous open space.

The agreement with landowner Lloyd Harvego allows him to keep around 200 acres and have access to some of the property for cattle grazing.

On a tour, a group from the Placer- and San Francisco-based trusts shared a laugh over a wild turkey's nonchalant behavior. "They probably don't know Thanksgiving is next week," joked Megan Wargo of the Trust for Public Land. If the partnership can raise the $14 million by August 2010, the easygoing turkeys will be safe for many Thanksgivings to come.

Harvego, who also owns the Firehouse and Ten 22 restaurants in Old Sacramento, said it was the right time to scale back his breeding operation.

"I'm getting a little older," Harvego said. "If we can put this with a few thousand other acres, it will be a great thing to have for future generations."

In Roseville, Harrigan's other contributions will aid education.

In April, Roseville librarian Rachel Delgadillo got word that Harrigan had left the library $270,000 for its adult literacy program. The only problem was, the three-library system hasn't had such a program for years. Delgadillo said library directors decided to honor Harrigan with a new literacy project.

"There is a great need out there. There are a lot of people that are reluctant to admit they need help," Delgadillo said.

Delgadillo said the program's details and the needs of the community are still being assessed. The key, she said, would be blending Harrigan's contribution with other funds to create a sustainable program. She said, for example, that while reading is fundamental, so are basic Internet skills.

"We notice that a lot of places that are hiring only hire online," she said. "We want to be able to help (participants) not only learn how to read, or improve their reading skills, but also be able to utilize the computer."

Virgil Harrigan, who died in January, left $5 million to 12 charities in Placer County.

West Oakland author Novella Carpenter will be in town today to talk about raising chickens and to sign "Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer." Carpenter bought her first chickens in 1998 after reading a book on country living. "They're the gateway animal. They're so easy," says Carpenter, who now has goats, rabbits and a beehive along with chickens in her 1,000-square-foot backyard.

Novella Carpenter grabs a cup of coffee, heads out to her backyard, where a Discount Market stands just beyond a chain-link fence, and watches four chickens scratch at the ground, chase bugs and lie in the sun.

It's an oddly bucolic scene for urban West Oakland, where Carpenter lives.

"It's very soothing," she said. "If you think about it, a chicken's life is very cool."

With chickens, three goats, six rabbits and a beehive, 36-year-old Carpenter has created a country oasis in a backyard that measures 1,000 square feet. That includes the wooden steps rising to the top floor of her Victorian duplex, and a side walkway leading to the front of her house.

The author of "Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer" (Penguin Press, $25.95, 276 pages) speaks in Sacramento today as part of an educational series on farmers and growers, sponsored by the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

"We have kids going to bed at night who are hungry, and we have open fields all around," said the co-op's marketing manager, Janet Zeller.

"This isn't a big effort to get chickens in the city but definitely (to get) urban farms. During these hard times, we are encouraging people to start gardens in their backyards."

Carpenter went to a feed store and bought her first chickens while living in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood in 1998. She was reading a book on country living and was taken by how simple it seemed to raise chickens.

"They're the gateway animal," she said. "They're so easy."

Many chickens later, Carpenter estimates she spends five minutes a day on their maintenance. She wakes up to see them at the back door waiting to be fed. She sprinkles feed on the ground, refreshes their water, looks in the nesting box for eggs, and is finished.

The big work is building the predator-proof chicken coop, and then deep-cleaning it every six months. She also sweeps it out once a week to keep flies away.

Oakland permits hens but bans roosters. Other cities allow a certain number of hens or require licenses. Sacramento County condones chickens on parcels bigger than 10,000 square feet.

Chickens are illegal in the city of Sacramento, although there's a growing effort working to change that.

Councilman Ray Tretheway said he believes people should have access to inexpensive protein that eggs provide. He wants the city to revise a mishmash of laws forbidding chickens but allowing bees.

City staff members are compiling a proposal on urban farming that Tretheway believes will have the full support of the council next year. Roosters would likely be outlawed, and a clause would outline how to handle neighbor complaints.

Carpenter lives in a part of Oakland known as Ghost Town, where boarded-up windows equal the number of corner markets, and several freeways provide a nonstop soundtrack.

She rented the upstairs of a peachy-pink duplex because of its proximity to BART and because of an abandoned, 4,500-square-foot lot next door.

She's turned that space into a fertile source of squash, potatoes, Swiss chard, rhubarb and rosemary that her neighbors harvest for free.

The current flock of chickens came in a $45 package of 10 chickens, two ducks, two geese and three turkeys. Chickens can live from five to eight years, but Carpenter culls hers after two; the meat is still delicious when stewed.

She slaughters them in the garden, lopping off their heads, bleeding them out and plucking the feathers.

Carpenter teaches classes on slaughtering at BioFuel Oasis, a Berkeley bio-diesel station she owns with four other women.

"I hate slaughter day. It's horrible," she said. "But it makes you think about it more when you eat meat."

"So much of our society is, 'Do you want chicken on your salad?' And you just throw it on there," she added.

Carpenter also takes special care in the kitchen. A burned piece of meat seems like such a waste, she said.

"This is a connection," she said. "I know what happened to this chicken, I know it had a good life, and I know it was killed humanely."

Each chicken ideally needs 4 square feet of indoor space and about 10 square feet of outside space to run around, Carpenter said. Carpenter's chickens eat organic feed – which costs about $35 for a 50-pound bag – and she supplements that with table scraps of rice, beans, greens and expired yogurt and cottage cheese.

Each hen lays an egg a day; Carpenter estimates each one costs her about 50 cents.

And the chickens, while petted and handled regularly, don't have names.

"I'm not a crazy chicken lady who says, 'That's Agnes,' " she said. "No, it's a chicken. And I have goats to name."

A goat hangs out on the stairs to Novella Carpenter's Victorian duplex. Carpenter spends five minutes a day caring for her hens, but there's also the weekly sweeping of the coop and a deep-cleaning every six months.

Charities that feed the hungry in the Sacramento region are counting on a surge of public generosity this weekend as they prepare to offer Thanksgiving meals to an unprecedented number of needy people.

Sharp declines in donations of Thanksgiving turkeys and financial support plus a surge in demand for food and other services have conspired to make for a stressful beginning to the holiday season, officials said.

"Our agencies are seeing record numbers, and our donations are down 37 percent from two years ago," said Jose Martinez, director of the Food Bank of Yolo County. "Our phone has been ringing off the hook with agencies and people asking whether they can get food."

The Yolo Wayfarer Center in Woodland, for one, needs 500 turkeys to distribute in Thanksgiving food baskets for needy families, and as of Friday afternoon was well short of its goal, Martinez said.

"All of the agencies across the region are struggling," Martinez said. He said the food bank is distributing fresh produce to 300 people a week these days, compared with 120 less than two years ago. "We're having to limit the amount of food we give out. We have no choice."

Volunteers of America in Sacramento is among the groups desperately seeking turkeys this weekend. Spokeswoman Christie Holderegger said VOA had hoped to gather 300 birds to supply meals to the Salvation Army, the Senior Safehouse and other agencies, but as of Friday afternoon it had received only 60.

Anyone interested in donating fresh or frozen turkeys or pies can deliver them this weekend to VOA's central kitchen at 700 N. Fifth St.

Loaves & Fishes needs cooked and sliced turkeys to serve to about 1,000 guests at its Thanksgiving meal on Tuesday at 1400 N. C St.

"We need 200 turkeys, and right now I have about 20," said the agency's dining director, Reinelda Wilkerson.

Some smaller agencies that typically serve Thanksgiving meals are not doing so this year because of drops in donations, Wilkerson said.

"We're telling them to send their people over here, so we could have double or triple the number of people that we usually get." Cooked turkeys and pies can be dropped off this weekend.

The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership will welcome 600 families to its Partnership in Thanks feast at the Marriott Hotel in Rancho Cordova on Wednesday, said associate director Kimani Kamau.

"We had trouble filling it up last year, but this year we're turning families away," Kamau said.

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services went trolling for turkeys on Friday with its annual Thanksgiving drive in its parking lot in Oak Park, and hit the jackpot. With the help of KCRA, the agency quickly surpassed its goal of gathering 3,000 birds, said director Blake Young. By early afternoon, in fact, it had more than 5,000.

Young said he is sure the turkeys will go fast when the agency begins handing them out on Monday.

"Our numbers are up 35 percent this year, so I feel we're going to see a lot more people than we did last year," he said.

Food banks across the region are seeing different types of clients today than they have in the past, said Martinez.

"The faces of the people in line are very different than even a year ago," he said. "We're seeing more young people, more middle-aged people, and you can tell by the looks on their faces that they are ashamed to be there. Because for many of them, it's the first time in their lives that they have had to stand in a food line."

William Jessup University has announced that it will not raise tuition for the 2010-11 academic year.

Tuition at the private Christian college will remain at $19,980 a year, not including room or board, a 2.5 decrease from the 2008-09 tuition.

Jessup leaders lowered tuition last year, saying they wanted to ease the financial pressure many families face. The cut reduced the annual tuition by $500 for a full-time student.

William Jessup University used to be known as San Jose Christian College. It moved to Rocklin in 2004.

For more information, go to visit www.jessup.edu or call (916) 577-2200.

– Laurel Rosenhall

Because its first winter-driving safety class, limited to 50 people, filled quickly, the California Highway Patrol is offering a second class Dec. 15.

"It is highly recommended that persons interested in attending the class reserve a space immediately by contacting the CHP" at (530) 577-1001, Officer Jeff Gartner said in a news release.

The class is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe High School library, 1735 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

The Winter Driving Safety & Survival class was created in an effort to reduce injuries and deaths resulting from winter-related vehicle collisions, Gartner said.

– Barbara Barte Osborn

Thousands of Hmong Americans and their friends will ring in Hmong New Year this weekend and next with two celebrations.

The festivities kick off at Gibson Ranch Park today for two days, then resume at Cal Expo Thursday through Nov. 29.

Each Hmong community in America holds its own New Year's festival between November and January. Many Hmong go on the New Year's circuit to reconnect with relatives and old friends – or to find a spouse.

Atari Xiong met his wife during a traditional ball-toss ritual called pov pob at the 1984 Hmong New Year in Fresno.

"We dated for eight years before we got married," said Xiong, 39, who will help run sound equipment at both Sacramento celebrations.

Crystal Vang said many younger Hmong don't put much stock in the old ball toss. "Now you go there and you're circling around, looking at videos, go eat, buy stuff and come home," said Vang, who is single. "Nowadays, a guy will follow a girl to a food stand and maybe she'll buy lunch."

Xiong said the Gibson Ranch fest is celebrated the same day as the traditional Hmong New Year in Laos marking the harvest festival.

The Cal Expo event is "more modern and falls around Thanksgiving, when we have more vacation time," Xiong said.

The Gibson Ranch Park celebration runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and Sunday in Elverta and is free. Parking costs $10. The celebration is in its 12th year.

The celebration at Cal Expo runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is $4 a person. Children under 5 and seniors 66 and older are admitted free. Parking is $10.

Both events will feature traditional Hmong singing, dancing and foods, vendor booths and soccer tournaments.

Bryan David Weinrich was booked on felony charges after an argument with his girlfriend.

A Sacramento police officer was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of felony domestic violence and brandishing his service weapon during an argument with his girlfriend, according to authorities.

Bryan David Weinrich, a 23-year-old patrol officer who works downtown, was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail at 11 a.m. and later released, according to jail booking records. He was booked on suspicion of domestic violence, brandishing a firearm, kidnapping and false imprisonment – all felonies.

Galt Police Lt. Jim Uptegrove said the charges stem from an argument that began Wednesday night at the couple's Galt home and lasted through Thursday. Weinrich's girlfriend called police at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Uptegrove said.

Weinrich could not be reached for comment.

Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said Weinrich has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.

"We take the allegations seriously, and we'll be conducting a concurrent internal investigation," Leong said.

After Galt officers arrived at the couple's home Thursday night, Uptegrove said Weinrich's girlfriend told officers Weinrich had "physically shoved her down" and brandished his service weapon Wednesday night.

The girlfriend had evidence of physical injury, Uptegrove said, but did not need medical attention.

She told officers that Weinrich left the house Wednesday night, but the couple patched things up when he returned Thursday morning, Uptegrove said. Later Thursday, they drove together to a home Weinrich owns in Roseville and began arguing again during the drive, the lieutenant said.

Several times, the girlfriend told police, she tried to get out of the car when they were stopped at an intersection, but Weinrich "held on to her and wouldn't let her leave," Uptegrove said.

He eventually let go and she left, Uptegrove said. She told officers that she walked to his Roseville house, and the couple returned together to Galt. Weinrich left sometime before his girlfriend called 911, Uptegrove said.

Galt police asked Roseville officers for assistance, and officers there arrested Weinrich at his home about 3 a.m., Uptegrove said.

Uptegrove said Galt police had never before been called to the couple's home.