jjardine's blog

Excerpts from a report that shows Modesto's so-called fringe areas -- unincorporated county areas including some of the so-called islands -- have all the characteristics, and few of the amenities, of urban areas:

"Since it has been determined that much of the fringe is definitely an urbanized area, it is assumed that certain urban services are, or should be, provided to meet the needs of the population," the report states. "Failure to provide certain of these services or the installation of substandard services to these fringe areas, will give rise to certain problems that might affect the entire community.

"Lack of adequate sanitary and drainage facilities create eventual health problems. Lack of proper police protection and recreation facilities may combine to form the core of a juvenile delinquency problem. Sub-standard firefighting organizations serving in areas where substandard dwellings are situated almost wall to wall, without benefit of routine building inspection, provide a combination which invites fire disasters and which may become a potential menace to the entire community," the report concludes.

Been following the San Francisco Zoo tiger attack episode? According to reports, the height of the tiger enclosure was only 12 feet when the industry standard is 16 feet. Still, people seem amazed a full-grown tiger can jump that high, crossing a moat in the process. I have a Jack Russell terrier that stands about a foot tall. His vertical leap is nearly five feet. I bought one of those 10-by-10 foot kennels to contain him when necessary. It stands six feet high. First, he used his teeth to tear away the cyclone fencing apart at the bottom, and he escaped. I wired it tight all the way around, giving him no slack or leverage to pull it apart in other areas. Then, he began climbing the panels to get out. So I put wire across the top of the pen as well. He then climbed up, hung on and chewed on the wire until he created a hole and escaped again. So I had to rewire the top as well. You get the feeling he's Houdini reincarnated _ that you could put him in a padlocked crate, wrap it in chains and drop it through the ice into the Detroit River, and he escape and beat you home. This is one playful, loving but determined Jack Russell Terrier who refuses to be contained in a completely closed pen. Imagine how easy it would be for a full-grown, really agitated tiger to get out of a 12-foot high enclosure. In fact, we don't have to imagine. The folks at the SF Zoo already know.

My Sunday column on the slowness of the justice system drew a couple of interesting voice mails. They were from readers who suggested the five farm workers killed north of Oakdale last year were illegal aliens.

 It just as easily could have been group of U.S. citizens from Oakdale carpooling to work in Stockton. Being from another country, legally or illegally, certain doesn't make it less of a tragedy, nor does it absolve anyone from responsibility.  

The issues are whether the driver who caused the fatality was on driving while under the influence of controlled substances, and the slow speed at which the case is creeping through the system while the driver is out on $50,000 bail.

If you've driven east on 108-120 lately, you've probably noticed the electronic road information signs east of Oakdale and near Yosemite Junction just east of Jamestown. These signs indicate that Sonora and Tioga passes are both still open, the result of virtually no snow in the Sierra this fall.

Generally, both are closed by this time of year, although there have been some exceptions. In 1999, Tioga (120) closed Nov. 23, reopened Dec. 23 and didn't close for the remainder of the winter until New Year's Day 2000. Otherwise, Tioga has been closed no later than Nov. 27 the past five years.

In 2005, Sonora Pass (108) -- often closed by mid-November -- didn't close for the winter until Dec. 5.

With only a chance of rain or snow in the forecast, it might be worth a chilly but dry horseback ride into the high country this Christmas week.

It's tempting ... . We'll see.

Last week, I attended the Salvation Army's 15th Kettle Kick-Off at the Modesto Centre Plaza. As benefits go, this one was quite a rush _ like fundraising on caffeine overload.

 The annual event includes a 7-minute free-for-all in which the various teams work the crowd for cash. Many folks bring lots of currency to spread the joy. Being a first-timer to the event, I didn't understand that. Since my boss, Bee Publisher Margaret Randazzo, co-led one of the teams, and since sucking up is a great job security ploy, I put all of my cash in her kettle at the beginning. I figured the teams would work their way to the back of the room, and that would be it. Instead, team after team kept coming by our table. Having emptied my wallet, I could only sit there pretending not to see them. Police Chief Roy Wasden came by. "C'mon, Jeff, not even a dollar for me?"

Sorry, chief. I'm all tapped out. But hey -- we are downtown. How about if I dance, you fine me, and then donate it to the cause? It was the best I could come up with under the circumstances, but he hustled off in search of more available cash before I could pose the offer.

A disturbing e-mail came from Joe Browne, a Twain Harte resident who commutes to Modesto daily for work. He avoids the city of Oakdale by using back roads such as Wamble, Stearns and Warnerville.

Monday morning, on Warnerville, he came upon four or five dead puppies that had been dumped along the road _ spaced about 20 yards apart as if they'd been systematically thrown out of a moving pickup. Down Warnerville a bit, he saw an Oakdale police officer and reported what he'd seen.

"(The officer) said that they were reported to the Sheriff's office (Sunday night) and they figured someone had a litter they could not get rid of and they killed the puppies and then dumped their bodies alongside the road," Browne wrote.

Browne said they appeared to be pit bulls, and speculated they were dumped because the breeder didn't have a permit from the county's Animal Services. Without that permit, Browne said, they couldn't advertise to sell the puppies through Bee classifieds.

Some folks in Oakdale think keeping the chocolate as the focus of festivities is a slap in the face to the people who lost their jobs, or will lose them, at the Hershey plant. After all, Hershey's is moving its operations to Mexico in order to line the pockets of the CEO and shareholders.

As I wrote in my Tuesday column, Mary Guardiola, who heads the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce, defends her group's decision. She points out that Riverbank has a cheese and wine festival, but no winery.

 Find a better argument. Riverbank might not have a winery, but it does still have some vineyards. When the Hershey's plant closes up in Oakdale, that's it. There will be no chocolate made in Oakdale, period.

That stated, question becomes this: If not chocolate, then what? The ConAgra Canned Tomatoes Festival?

The Tract Home Festival?

The Phantom Bypass Festival?

Wait to see what goes into the old Hershey plant, which is for sale?