Rexroad.com > Blog > 2010 Archive

Night at the Museum - Gibson House
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 :: 1 Comments
Here is a picture from last Friday at the Gibson house. They will be doing this again next week. It was a great turnout, for the first week, they had close to 100 people. These are free events. Proceeds from pizza, popcorn and drinks help support the museum.

Dan Morain: Capacity Issues in Government
Monday, June 28, 2010 :: 0 Comments
It used to be rare that I agreed with Dan Morain. Lately however he has been right on the money on several issues.

This is an excellent piece about the difficult situation being faced in the California State Senate by the leadership.

It is my understanding that County Boards of Supervisors, City Councils, and School Boards do not have the same sort of remedy available to the Legislature to remove members with capacity issues.

A new Sunday
Sunday, June 27, 2010 :: 0 Comments
Many of you know that my family attends church virtually every Sunday. It is important to the way Jenn and I are raising our kids and a foundation for our marriage.

In my life I have had several church services stand out to me. One of them was Easter Sunday 2003 when I was in Kuwait. This Navy Chaplain was excellent. Excellent. I remember that one.

The day I was confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran in Woodland stands out to me. Remember that one.

I also remember when one of my brothers stood up in the middle of a sermon, pointed right at Pastor Faust and screamed "There's the boogie man." I will never forget that one.

Well, today I went to St. John Missionary Baptist in Sacramento. The reason I went was work related but I have to tell you it was a wonderful experience. It was a service that was different from anything I have ever seen.

Several things stood out --

1) People were friendly. I must have had 15 people greet me as I was trying to get to a seat.

2) They were a family. It was clear that the people in the pews cared about each other. Not just as friends but as family. You could just sense it.

3) The Pastor and his wife were true leaders in the lives of the congregation. Today was a day when they had free HIV testing for the whole congregation. In fact, the Pastor and his wife got tested right in the middle of the service. I loved that. Don't see that too often.

4) Lots of people are involved in the service. Probably 30 people when you count uniformed ushers, choirs, pastors, greeters served in some way today. That was impressive.

It was great for my work that I went but I really truly was touched by a great congregation and team. It was very cool -- like right out of a movie.

Jenn and I are not looking for a new church home but St. John is obviously a great one.

This service made my day.

Stockton School Board Member lives in Davis?
Sunday, June 27, 2010 :: 0 Comments
Every day I get this great e-mail from the Maddy Institute at Fresno State. It is very well done.

One of the things it has is links to news stories up and down the valley. This editorial that mentions a Stockton School Board Member that lives in Davis is odd.

Read editorial here.

Anyone know this guy?

Gateway 2 on BOS Agenda
Sunday, June 27, 2010 :: 0 Comments
The County is going to comment on the Draft EIR for Gateway 2. The item is open for discussion on Tuesday morning at our Board meeting.

I just read the stuff in my packet on this. Mostly, I am fine with what is in there.

Here is my issue -- What does the City of Woodland want? I have no idea.

The draft response letter is right. The county does not have great detail on what is in the project at all. I have concluded that the City of Woodland doesn't have any details either.

So I really don't understand why we are going over this whole exercise when to my knowledge the Woodland City Council has not even taken a vote on this item.

Based on my past experiences with the county and city negotiating for these items these issues tend to raise my blood pressure. The County sent in a team of people without a real mission and no authority to make a decision. As a result of their own incompetence they felt they were mistreated. It was not my issue to negotiate for both the City and the County in 2005.

Facinating impact of government regulations......
Sunday, June 27, 2010 :: 0 Comments
On the Board of Supervisors agenda this week is Item 2.19 about the Cache Creek Technical Advisory Committee. Here is a part of the well-written staff report that drives people like me crazy.

"In addition, the Cache Creek Technical Advisory Committee has long held an annual "creek walk" where members hike from the Capay Dam down to the town of Yolo over a period of one to three days. Under the Brown Act, public meetings must make accommodations for those with disabilities. It is impossible to hold a hike over rocky terrain and through low-flows of the creek that is handicapped accessible. As a result the hikes have been discontinued."

What a complete shame for a group of people involved in managing a public resource to be prevented from actually going out and looking at it together when they do their work.

Terrible.

The Winner is......Wu Ming of Davis
Saturday, June 26, 2010 :: 0 Comments
The winner of the election prediction contest is Wu Ming (aka Surf Putah) of Davis. Missing only two of the ten.

The low score was The Realist. In fact, I think that was an all time low score with four. It was a pathetic effort in looking at the entry a few days later.

Second to last was the Vice-Mayor of Woodland. That is pathetic but in a different way.

Host Families Needed
Friday, June 18, 2010 :: 0 Comments

Host families are needed for Chinese exchange students. The students will be in the region for two weeks starting around July 25.

Information for potential host families

What is a Homestay?
Simply put, a homestay is when a foreign visitor stays with a host family. An educational homestay program is designed to allow the foreign visitor and the host family to learn and share their language and culture with each other. Volunteer host families open their homes to students. During the short visits (usually two to four weeks), students attend morning classes where they study English as a Second Language and participate in cultural exchanges and activities in the afternoons. One day a week is dedicated to touring the local area. During the academic year program students attend the local high school in their host family's community. Evenings and weekends in all programs are spent with the host family. These types of programs totally immerse the student in a culture and language different from his/her own. Experts estimate that two weeks of living with people whose language is different from one's own is roughly equivalent to six months in the classroom.

Who can be a Host Family?
A typical host family has the following elements: open hearts and minds, enthusiastic about the concept of cultural exchange, willing to share their homes and lives with a new friend, and interested in the world around them. Families of all sizes and descriptions are welcome. The minimal requirements for a qualified host family are: positive comments from two community references, at least two related persons living in the home, at least one family member with English as their native language, English spoken in the home during the time the student is present.

What are the responsibilities of a Host Family?

To provide the student with meals
To provide the student with his/her own bed. The visitor may share a room with a host family sibling of the same sex
To provide conversation with the student and allow him/her to participate fully as a family member
To provide transportation to and from the study center, which can include walking, biking, carpooling, or taking public transportation

How does a family benefit from the hosting experience? Families benefit from hosting in many ways! It is an educational experience that is fun for all involved, from the baby to Grandpa. The family is able to see their own culture and lives through the eyes of a foreign visitor. They learn about the culture and life of that visitor and can compare the differences and similarities. We have many stories of families who have hosted years ago and their children were so affected by the experience that they began to study foreign languages in school and travel to other countries. Some even went on to study international law and international business. At the least this experience allows the family members to learn about another culture without leaving their living room. Another benefit to the families is that they meet many other families right in their own neighborhood. We frequently see these new relationships blossom into long lasting friendships. It is a wonderful way for a family who is new to the community to very quickly feel at home.

Feel ready for a student?
Contact Melody Stone - 7078322099
Forevermelody@gmail.com

Child needs your support
Thursday, June 17, 2010 :: 0 Comments
Dear Colleagues,

Lupe Ramirez, a Woodlander and a valued long-time employee in our Clerk/Recorder's office has a wonderful 20 year-old daughter, Leanna, who is fighting a courageous battle against a virulent form of cancer, Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors, that has now spread to her lungs.

The costs to the family for transportation, co-pays, prostheses and other medical necessities have become close to unbearable.

Staff and friends are organizing a 3 mile walk/run to benefit Leanna on Saturday, July 10th, at Douglass Junior High School in Woodland.

Colleagues, this is our family. I am imploring you to post the notice of the walk/run in your offices and to organize any of your willing employees to participate and show their support for this young woman and her loving, supportive family.

I can not tell you how much it would mean to us for our co-workers to show their support in this way.

As a Department Head and decision-maker, I know that you share with me a deep and gnawing sense of responsibility and sorrow for what employees like Lupe are going through as they struggle to maintain their families when we have had to cut their incomes by ten percent.

Kindness and charity are among the core values that all of our belief systems call on us to honor. Please be true to yourself and to your beliefs by helping and urging others to help.

Information is attached. Please let us hear that you are prepared to step up in a meaningful way.

Yours sincerely,

Freddie Oakley
Yolo County Clerk-Recorder

Find more info at: www.loveforleanna.blogspot.com

Great Column in Daily Democrat
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 :: 0 Comments
Jake Dorsey of the Daily Democrat had an excellent piece in the paper yesterday about how Woodland needs Bobby Harris. It was right next to an equally bad editorial about mandating the ban of plastic bags by cities.

Dorsey is so right. We do need someone to hold people accountable and talk about issues that push our community. You know, I did not support Bobby Harris for City Council this time. In my opinion Marble and Davies were much better choices. However, I could actually imagine a field of candidates in which I would support Bobby.

Bobby Harris is a smart guy. He is certainly the most articulate public speaker that has ever run for office in Woodland.

If Bobby does want to hold office in this community at some point I think he needs to get control of his personal situation. He could clean up and get a job. He also needs to be able to state his views more concisely. Sometimes getting a 10 paragraph description as the answer to a simple question does not help his perception.

In the end -- Bobby is going to be whatever Bobby wants to be. He can run again and again. If his purpose is just to run and ask pointed questions -- then I guess he has no reason to change anything he is doing.

Fiscally conservative.......
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 :: 0 Comments
I like to be called "Fiscally conservative Matt Rexroad...."

I think I might try to change my first name. Here is an article in the Daily Democrat about the budget adoption yesterday.

Read here.

Local Mental Health Board
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 :: 0 Comments
I need someone to appoint to the Local Mental Health Board. I had appointed a service recipient that was a great choice but he had a scheduling conflict.

If you or someone you know would like to serve (ideally a service recipient) please let me know -- matt@rexroad.com.

Rugby from Woodland
Sunday, June 13, 2010 :: 0 Comments
Knowing that I am going to be offending a certain number of you -- Listen up.

I just got contacted by a good friend of mine from Sacramento about some rugby player from Woodland. I was busy last week and did not focus on it until just now.

Well it turns out he was born in Woodland but probably lives in Davis. Anyone know?

I don't get the Davis Enterprise anymore so maybe he has been getting local publicity there.

Check this out. His name is Thretten Palamo and he even has his own Wikipedia page. Read it here.

See this article. Mr. Palamo is the guy soaring in the air for some kind of a rugby score.

Chamber of Commerce -- No on V
Thursday, June 03, 2010 :: 0 Comments
I am shocked. SHOCKED.

The Woodland Chamber of Commerce has come out against Measure V. That is amazing.

Granted it is only five days prior to the election -- but good for the Chamber.

See Daily Democrat article here.

Call it for next week
Tuesday, June 01, 2010 :: 0 Comments
Prize will be Ludy's again...

Send entries to matt@rexroad.com

Each worth one point

Woodland City Council -- who gets the most votes? Davies, B. Harris, Marble

Woodland City Council -- who gets the least number of votes? Davies, B. Harris, Marble

Republican Attorney General? Harman, Cooley, Eastman

Democrat Attorney General? K. Harris, DelGadillo, Kelly, Lieu, Nava, Torrico

Sup of Public Instruction top vote getter? Torlakson, Romero, Aceves

Prop 16 by PG&E Pass/Fail?

Prop 14 Open Primary Pass/Fail?

Woodland Sales Tax Pass/Fail?

Who gets a higher percentage of the vote -- Skip Davies for City Council or Steve Poizner for Governor?

Who gets a higher percentage of the vote -- Charlie Schaupp for Assembly or Elizabeth Barber for Public Administrator.

Tie Breaker
What percentage of the vote does Bobby Harris get for City Council?