SACRAMENTO – As the State’s Fire Prevention Fee continues to be implemented, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is providing property owners multiple resources to answer their questions about the fee. This outreach effort is being implemented as a result of Assembly Bill X1 29, which was signed into law July 7, 2011 establishing a fee ...

CALIFORNIA – The State Board of Equalization has begun mailing bills for the 2012-2013 fire prevention fee, due and payable by property owners in State Responsibity Areas (SRA). The amount of the fee has not changed since last year, at $150 per habitable structure, with a $35 credit per habitable structure for parcels located within the jurisdiction of a local ...

Written & Photographed by Don Grove – We arrived at the Berkeley Marina on Saturday morning looking forward to spending time with old friends and learning about kites. These are not the ordinary paper kites you used to buy at the local variety store. These highly efficient kites can soar, dive, stop abruptly in mid-air, and then make a 90 ...

SACRAMENTO – Attorneys for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) had their day in Superior Court on Friday, July 19, to argue against the State’s response to their lawsuit fighting the so-called Rural Fire Fee. HJTA has always held that the fee is actually an illegal tax, requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, and filed suit to have it ...

CALIFORNIA – Is your family the Mexican version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Are you of Mexican descent and come from a big family? Do you laugh a lot and think your family is crazy when everyone gets together? Do some of your older family members embarrass you with the things they say?

CALIFORNIA – The class action lawsuit filed by Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) challenging the “fire prevention fee” as an illegal tax under Proposition 13, is scheduled for a hearing in Sacramento Superior Court on Friday, July 19. “This lawsuit is at a critical crossroad,” says HJTA in a message from their website http://firetaxprotest.org/.

Invitation from Tim Fullerton AMERICA – The U.S. Department of the Interior manages some of America’s most breathtaking national parks, national wildlife refuges and other public lands. That is why I am excited to invite you to join our new photo project, Summer in America’s Great Outdoors. Our goal is to create a large photo collection of all the fun ...

FREMONT, NEBRASKA – Natura Pet Products has announced a voluntary recall of all Innova, California Natural, EVO, Healthwise, Mother Nature and Karma branded dry pet food and biscuit/bar/treat products with expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014. “We made this decision in part due to a single positive Salmonella test by the FDA on product manufactured April 3,” says their ...

CALIFORNIA – The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Special Weather Statement, alerting residents of an excessive heat warning and the chance for thunderstorms across the Sierra Nevada. Strong high pressure building across the region will result in very hot temperatures later in the week with record high temperatures likely at many locations on Friday and Saturday.

MARIPOSA – Due to the lack of rainfall and higher than normal temperatures this past spring, fire danger is above average across the Central Sierra. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit (MMU) has transitioned into fire season preparedness levels with increased staffing at all CAL FIRE stations as of Saturday, May 4. The chance ...