Category Archives: Education

Hogweed in Backyards: Beware It Can Burn And Blind you

November 2, 2018 jd

Hogweed is popping up in more backyards, and environmental agencies are warning of the dangers of coming into contact with it. For those who do, the giant weed can reportedly give you blisters, cause third-degree burns, and even permanently blind you if you get in your eyes.

The towering weed may look unassuming. Realtor.com® describes it as looking similar to Queen Anne’s lace. However, it can grow up to 14 feet high and it can reproduce quickly and spread fast, appearing in urban, suburban, and rural areas’ yards and gardens. Don’t be fooled by its delicate white flowers either.

“It has purple blotches and coarse white hairs along the stem, very large, lobed leaves with serrated edges, and a large white umbrella-shaped flower growing on top of the plant,” Daniel Waldhorn, a hogweed information line coordinator for New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, told realtor.com®.

Hogweed is most often found in the northeast—Maine down to North Carolina. But it can also pop up elsewhere, like in Oregon or the Pacific Northwest. Craig Vacula, owner of Lawn Tech in Flemington, N.J., says that hogweed tends to grow best in areas with lots of rain and sunlight.

The sap of hogweed is the true danger to humans. The sap covers the leaves and stems of the plant. “There are toxic chemicals in it called furanocoumarins that can cause photodermatitis—making your skin unable to protect itself from the sun, so it causes severe burning and blistering when exposed to ultraviolet light,” Vacula says.

Reactions to the plant can happen within 15 minutes of coming into contact with it; blisters typically appear within 48 hours.

For those who do come into contact with hogweed, wash immediately with soap and water and then consult a doctor, Waldhorn says. Also, if you suspect hogweed in a yard, report it to environmental services in your area and leave getting rid of it to the professionals, who will wear protective suits to eradicate it. Some states, like New York where hogweed is the most common, even have “hogwood hotlines” to report sightings.

Source: Realtor.com®

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Education, Environment

66 Million Trees are Dead in the Sierra Nevada Forest

July 26, 2016 jd

Pine trees killed by bark beetles. Little York Close cul-de sac

I’ve noticed with great alarm the number of trees dying from the drought and beetle infestation here in Nevada County It seems like every day, while driving around the county, I see another group of pine trees dying or dead.

There is a small about 1,000 foot long cul-de-sac near my house. I counted 27 pine trees dead or dying in that cul-de-sac. According to various sources we have 66 million trees that are dead from the drought and the number is growing. Pine beetles of different varieties are to blame and the principal species which are responsible are: mountain pine beetle, fir engraver beetle, western pine beetle, Jeffrey pine beetle and pine engraver beetles.

Mountain pine beetle, about the size of a grain of rice.

The following is an excerpt from the National Forest Service

The U.S. Forest Service today announced that it has identified an additional 26 million trees dead in California since October 2015. These trees are located in six counties across 760,000 acres in the southern Sierra Nevada region of the state, and are in addition to the 40 million trees that died statewide from 2010 to October 2015, bringing the total to at least 66 million dead trees. Four consecutive years of severe drought in California, a dramatic rise in bark beetle infestation and warmer temperatures are leading to historic levels of tree die-off.

“Tree dies-offs of this magnitude are unprecedented and increase the risk of catastrophic wildfires that puts property and lives at risk,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “While the fire risk is currently the most extreme in California because of the tree mortality, forests across the country are at risk of wildfire and urgently need restoration requiring a massive effort to remove this tinder and improve their health. Unfortunately, unless Congress acts now to address how we pay for firefighting, the Forest Service will not have the resources necessary to address the forest die-off and restore our forests. Forcing the Forest Service to pay for massive wildfire disasters out of its pre-existing fixed budget instead of from an emergency fund like all other natural disasters means there is not enough money left to do the very work that would help restore these high mortality areas. We must fund wildfire suppression like other natural disasters in the country.”

Between 2010 and late 2015, Forest Service aerial detection surveys found that 40 million trees died across California – with nearly three quarters of that total succumbing to drought and insect mortality from September 2014 to October 2015 alone. The survey identified approximately 26 million additional dead trees since the last inventory in October, 2015. The areas surveyed in May covered six southern Sierra counties including Fresno, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Tuolumne and Tulare. Photos and video of the May survey are available on the Forest Service multimedia webpage.

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Community Events, Education, Nevada County Information

Fire Safe Council Offers 2014 Firewise Calendar

October 12, 2013 jd

The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County in cooperation with the Allstate Foundation, County of Nevada and the National Firewise Communities Association are offering residents in Nevada County free defensible space advisory visits to educate citizens about Defensible Space. Complete your visit in October or November and get a 2014 Firewise Calendar.

California Public Resources Code 4291 requires every landowner to “maintain around and adjacent to the building or structure a firebreak made by removing and clearing away, for a distance of not less than 100’ on each side of the building or structure or to the property line, whichever is nearer, all flammable vegetation or other combustible growth”.

In addition, this code allows insurance companies to require

landowners to maintain their vegetation.

We live in a wildland urban interface area which has the potential for catastrophic wildfire.

Receive custom advice about:

Building materials
Fire facts
How to manage the vegetation on your property
Plant species considered “high fire risk”
Proper clearance from structures
Proper signage for your property
Answers to any questions you might have about the defensible space around your structures
And a variety of other helpful information

In addition, you will be provided with referrals for contractors and other resources that could help you achieve your fuel objectives.

Advisors will inform residents about:

The burn permit process
The California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP)
The FSCNC Chipping Program
The FSCNC Special Needs Assistance Program

Sign up online at www.areyoufiresafe.com,

email info@areyoufiresafe

or Call 530-272-1122

For all your real estate needs
Email or call today:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
Civil Engineer
General Contractor
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

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Community Events, Education

Sacramento Home Winemakers Club Are International Winners, 2013

May 28, 2013 jd

Typical Sacramento Winemakers meeting. Photo credit: Sacramento Winemakers

Yes, the Sacramento Home Winemakers Club was the top amateur international winemaking club winner again this year!

Judy and I went to the 2013 WineMaker Magazine’s International Home Winemaking Conference held in Monterey, California, May 17^th and 18^th to hear the results of the wine judging. Judy is twice past president and has been on the Executive Board of the Sacramento Home Winemakers Club for many years.

It was an exciting time for the club, since they were the club winners last year and were hoping to be a winner again this year. It is such a stiff competition that some winemaker clubs were subsidizing their members by paying entry and shipping fees to their members. The Sacramento Home Winemakers Club did not do that for their members.

This was no small feat, since the judging was held from April 19-21, 2013, with a record total of 4,564 different wines at the Burlington Hilton in Burlington, Vermont. This year’s competition was the largest in the 11-year history and is again the largest wine competition of its kind in the world. The 4,564 entries arrived from hobby winemakers throughout North America in all 50 American states and 8 Canadian provinces and as far away as Italy and Australia. It was the single largest and most diverse collection of hobby wines ever assembled under one roof.

Over the course of three days, experienced judging panels worked through 923 flights, examining each wine using the UC-Davis 20-point wine scale evaluating appearance, aroma, taste, aftertaste and overall impression. The wines were entered in 50 different categories and included an astonishing array of varietals and wine styles. Kit wines competed alongside fresh-grape entries in this blind tasting.

Entries were awarded gold, silver, bronze and best of show medals based on the average score given by the judging panel. The Grand Champion wine medal was the top overall scoring wine across all categories. The Club of the Year was given to the club whose members won the most medals and the Retailer of the Year and U-Vint of the Year awards were given to the winemaking supply stores whose customers outperformed other similar shops.

Finally the Winemaker of the Year award was given to the individual entrant who has the highest average score across their top 5 scoring wines in the competition.

Winemakers of the Year &
Best of Show Dessert Wine
Rex Johnston and Barbara Bentley

Front: Barbara Bentley, Rex Johnston - Photo credit: Sacramento Home Winemakers — Front: Barbara Bentley, Rex Johnston – Photo credit: Sacramento Home Winemakers

In all, SHW won 13 golds, 10 silvers and 12 bronzes for a total of 35 medals.

For all your real estate needs:
Call or email now:
John J. O’Dell, Broker
O’Dell Realty
(530) 263-1091
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Education, Government

The Dirty Dozen Tax Scams For 2013

May 11, 2013 jd

Although the 2012 tax season is officially over, tax scams unfortunately are not, which is why the IRS issues an annual “Dirty Dozen” list that includes common tax scams affecting taxpayers.

Taxpayers should be aware of these tax scams so they can protect themselves against claims that sound too good to be true, and because taxpayers who buy into illegal tax scams can end up facing significant penalties and interest and even criminal prosecution.

Here are the tax scams that made the IRS “Dirty Dozen” list this filing season:

Continue reading The Dirty Dozen Tax Scams For 2013 →

Education, Nevada County Information

California Wildfires 2012

September 14, 2012 jd

httpv://youtu.be/asA_MGOQK24

No Time To Burn

This video shows breathtaking images of several of this year’s wildfires, including point-of-view aerial footage from specially-equipped California National Guard Blackhawk helicopters dropping hundreds of gallons of water on flames. It also takes viewers along with Cal EMA Secretary Mark Ghilarducci, California National Guard General David Baldwin and CAL FIRE Director Ken Pimlott as they visit a special “helitack base” near the massive Ponderosa Fire in Tehama County. There’s also footage from a strategy session with federal and state coordinators at a regional emergency operations center in Redding, Calif. Officials also included an interview with two residents of Manton, California who were evacuated from their homes, expressing the grim reality of destruction caused by the Ponderosa Fire.
For all your real estate needs
Email or call today:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
Civil Engineer
General Contractor
(530) 263-1091
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Education, Entertainment, Travel

Vacation to Angels Camp, June 10-13, 2012, Part 1

August 12, 2012 jd

Image 1 of 6

By Judy J. Pinegar

We were staying in a WorldMark Vacations Complex just west to town. On Monday morning the group (John, myself, my sister and brother-in-law, and my daughter and granddaughter) decided to visit California Caverns.

In 1849 or 1850, Captain Joseph Taylor was target practicing on a rocky outcropping and noticed that his targets were being moved by a breeze which seemed to emanate from the rocks. When he investigated this curious phenomenon, he discovered the entrance to a cave which he named Mammoth Cave.

In 1850, he opened the cave for public tours, making it the first show cave in the state of California. In 1980 the cavern was renamed California Caverns and it is now a State Historic Landmark. There are three tours at the cavern: 1) 70 minute Trail of Lights Walk Tour, 2) 2-3 hr Mammoth Cave Expedition and, 3) the challenging Middle Earth Tour taking 4 hours (crawling through very small spaces). Needless to say, with two senior citizens and a 4 year old we took the walk tour!

Early visitors included Bret Harte, Mark Twain and John Muir who wrote about this visit in “Chapter 15 – In the Sierra Foot-Hills” of his 1894 book “The Mountains of California” when it was called Cave City Cave. For 150 years, visitors have enjoyed the unique delicate beauty of the cavern’s crystalline formations. Some speleothems, such as the beaded helictites found in the Middle Earth area are very rare. Others are so numerous as to be spectacular, such as the “Jungle Room’s” array of stalactites.

That tour goes through passageways into large, highly decorated chambers including newly discovered pristine areas like the Jungle Room. Here you see large displays of milky white stalactites, helictites and flowstones decorate the walls and ceiling.

You may visit the website at California Caverns

Judy J. Pinegar is a writer and her articles have appeared in numerous publications.

For all your real estate needs
Email or call today:

John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
Civil Engineer
General Contractor
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

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Education, Hiking, History

A Tour of Granite Quarries – Griffith Quarry, Penryn, CA and Rocklin, CA

November 11, 2011 jd

By Judy Pinegar

John and I wanted some exercise so we went to Griffith Quarry Park and Museum in Penryn, CA. This site is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the California Landmark Program. The surrounding 23-acre park contains ruins of the first polishing mill built in California and some of the quarry holes from which the unique Penryn granite was taken. It is a wooded area with trails both close to and wider around two large former quarries. The walk starts at the parking lot, where the museum is the same building that used to house the Quarry Office, and the parking lot itself used to be the main Yard and polishing buildings.

Here is a picture of what it looked like circa 1881.

Click on picture to enlarge

As we walked John took pictures of several areas of interest in the park.

museum

Image 1 of 6

Office and museum

Click on picture to enlarge. Click on picture to return to page.

The Penryn stone is dark gray biotite granite, uniform in color, and there was also “black granite,” a very dark granite one mile east of Penryn. This stone is used mainly for cemetery monuments and buildings.

Then we went to the Museum, and learned more about the quarry, established as Penryn Granite Works, by Welsh immigrant Griffith Griffith in 1864. Mr. Griffith formerly worked in the famous slate quarries in Penrhyn, Wales. He quarried granite at Folsom, but in 1864 he came to Penryn, which he named after his Welsh home. Here he remained, and he and his descendants quarried granite from that time until about 1906. The museum contains some of the original office furniture of the Penryn Granite Works and information on the Griffith family, the granite industry, and the history of the Penryn-Loomis Basin area. While there, talking to the volunteer we heard about the Rocklin History Museum, which had some old mining tools in the basement.

Since that is just a few miles down Taylor Road, we went there next, where they display Rocklin’s history of “Rock, Rails and Ranches”. They have a timeline of the small settlement of the 1850’s to the thriving community of today. There also was a lot of information about when the Central Pacific Rocklin Roundhouse provided engines to power the Transcontinental Railroad over the high Sierra. When they grew out of space in Rocklin, they moved the whole roundhouse to Roseville along with some of the houses!

Rocklin was the “Granite Capitol of the West” over 40 quarries were in operation at one time. The Rocklin granite quarries were first opened about 1861. The Big Gun granite quarry is located behind the Rocklin City Hall building, and John and I walked across the street to see it. Rocklin stone is biotite granite, lighter in color than the Penryn granite.

For further information:
Rocklin Historical Society Presentation Big Gun Granite Quarry: Past, Present, Future
(Very large PDF file)

Judy Pinegar is a writer and her articles have appeared in numerous publications

View Larger Map to see the location of the quarries

Thinking of buying or selling?
For all your real estate needs
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John J. O’Dell Realtor® GRI
(530) 263-1091
Email jodell@nevadacounty.com

Education

California’s Budget Shortfall Causes Increase in Class Sizes

August 17, 2010 jd

By Judy Pinegar

Judy Pinegar is the Manager of the California Department of Education Waiver Office. The function of the Waiver Office is to manage the process of school districts, charter schools and county offices of education requesting waivers of state statute (Education Code) or regulation (Title 5 California Code of Regulation) which are then heard by the State Board of Education. Recently she was interviewed about the increasing trend of local educational agencies requesting waivers of the statute which charges a penalty if the class sizes rise above certain levels.

Current state limits set in 1964 are as follows: 1) Kindergarten: Average 31, not to exceed 33 in a single classroom; 2) Grades 1-3: Average 30; 32 maximum; and 3) Grades 4-8: Average 29.9, or whatever the class size was in 1964. Local educational agencies requests to increase class sizes is a reflection of their lack of funds and attempts to avoid teacher layoffs.

Sacramento Bee, Friday, Aug. 13, 2010

“California students returning to school this month are finding some of the biggest class sizes in more than a decade. And they are likely to get even bigger. Large numbers of school districts are bombarding the state with requests to expand classes beyond the legal limits.

The California Board of Education which reviews class-size waiver requests, gave out 16 exemptions in an 11-month period ending in July. Since then, the board heard 16 more waiver requests at its board meeting Aug. 2 and expects another 16 in September, said Judy Pinegar, manager of the waiver office at the California Department of Education.

The state had no requests for class size increases between 1999 and 2009. “It’s the hot item right now,” Pinegar said. “I’m expecting almost every district in the state to request one.”

The state allows an average of 31 students in kindergarten, 30 in first through third grade and 29.9 in fourth through eighth grade. The waivers allow school districts to avoid stiff financial penalties for going over allowable class sizes. Without a waiver, districts can lose nearly all the state funding for each child over the limit.

The state school board has been accommodating. “The board is recommending up to 33, no higher than that,” Pinegar said. “No district has otherwise convinced the board.” The main criteria for an exemption, said Pinegar, is if paying the penalty would hurt student learning.

The requests have not been without controversy. The California Teachers Association protested the waivers at the August meeting, Pinegar said.

But research on whether class sizes affect student learning isn’t clear. A five-year study paid for by the state and conducted by a consortium of research groups could not determine whether class-size reduction was responsible for increases in achievement test scores during that time.”

To read the whole article go to:Sacremento Bee

Education, Local Writers & Contributors

Swimming: For Fitness, or Just For Fun?

June 24, 2010 jd

by Lisa J. Lehr

It’s been a long, cool spring, but it’s bound to get hot one of these days. And when it does, human bodies will be heading for water bodies in droves.

There’s no question that swimming cools you off, provided the water temperature is lower than your body temperature—which it is, unless we’re talking about a hot tub or a hot spring. But is swimming the equivalent of a glass of lemonade: cools you off, but has no real health benefits? Or is it really good for you?

Well…it depends.

First, the pluses of swimming as exercise:

1. It uses all your major muscle groups.

2. It can provide a good workout for your heart and lungs.

3. It’s easy on your joints.

4. The buoyancy factor (you weigh about one-tenth as much in water as you do on land) makes it a good exercise for people who are pregnant, have injuries, or need to avoid high-impact types of exercise.

5. It’s appropriate for people of all ages and ability levels.

Now the minuses:

1. In order to count swimming as exercise, you’ll need to swim a good number of brisk laps (floating and splashing won’t do it), and some people find that monotonous.

2. Swimming puts no stress on your bones, and weight-bearing exercise is essential for maintaining bone mass and strength.

3. Swimming makes you hungry, so the calories you consume after a swim may exceed those you burned during the swim.

4. Unlike with other types of exercise, your body does not continue burning calories at an increased rate after your workout. This is because you don’t heat up as much exercising in water as on land; you lose body heat faster to water than to air because water is denser, so your body doesn’t have to work to cool you down post-workout.

5. Finally, if swimming is to be your workout of choice, you need convenient access to a pool. The “inconvenience factor” may become a convenient excuse not to exercise.

So if you like swimming, find that it meets your exercise needs, and is convenient and not too boring, go for it. But if you’ve been swimming for a while and wondering why you’re not seeing the results you expected, now you know why! You may want to explore some other type of exercise.

And if you’re heading for a natural water body, especially the fast-moving, snowmelt-fed rivers of Nevada County, remember that humans (and other land creatures) and cold, white water are a dangerous and often deadly combination. Especially when alcohol is involved.

Lisa J. Lehr is a writer, copywriter, and fitness enthusiast living in Grass Valley. She can help you promote your business with a full range of online and offline marketing pieces. A member of Empire Toastmasters, she’s available to speak to your business or professional group. Visit her website www.justrightcopy.com for more information, opt in for a message series, and receive a free Marketing Guide.

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Lisa J. Lehr
I write words that make you money–just ask me how.
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