Paradise, California, lost in deadly Camp wildfire Video

November 10, 2018 by administrator

“The town is gone,” said one Paradise resident who evacuated to nearby Chico.

By Dennis Romero

LOS ANGELES — Linda Fisher looked out her window Thursday morning and saw the pines beyond her backyard in Paradise, California, ablaze.

“That whole canyon was on fire,” the certified nursing assistant, 33, said. “When I saw the flames I called 911 and they said we’re not taking you out — you need to get out.”

For the next 15 minutes, she ran around her two-story condominium in mountainous Paradise, less than 100 miles north of Sacramento, and scooped up clothing for her boys, ages 4 and 8, before driving them into a traffic jam of evacuees punctuated by spot fires in every direction.

Fisher and her sons fled and are staying with loved ones in the Bay Area while she figures out her next move. They were lucky. At least nine people have perished so far in the 90,000-acre Camp Fire that consumed most of the residences in Paradise.

“In the residential areas, 80 to 90 percent of the people lost their homes,” Mayor Jody Jones said.

Fisher said her landlord reported that the home she was renting is gone. The devastation in the 26,682-population town is so complete that folks like her are seriously wondering if they’ll ever go back.

“We don’t have anywhere to go,” she said.

Brian Rice, chairman of the California Fire Foundation, toured the aftermath Friday and checked in on the families of local firefighters who were still at war in the verdant hills.

The Camp Fire, only 20 percent contained as of Saturday morning, is now the most destructive fire in state history, said Deputy Chief Scott McLean of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Rice said 50 firefighters live within the blueprint of the fire. So far he’s verified that at least 18 have lost homes. He said the California Professional Firefighters union, of which he’s president, provides $3,500 checks on the spot to those who have lost residences.

Some local evacuees who come across firefighters are being handed $100 gift cards from the California Fire Foundation’s SAVE (Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency) program, too, he said.

It’s little consolation. Rice said the town really was decimated, with rebuilding now possibly up in the air.

All-out aerial assault helps firefighters save homes in Holy fire: ‘They’re fighting so hard’

August 11, 2018 by administrator

A helicopter fighting the Holy fire drops water on flames at along Ortega Highway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

By Ruben Vives

This fire might be won from the air. A squadron of 12 fixed-wing planes and 14 helicopters pounded the Holy Fire, an epic aerial assault that is showing signs of success. The hot conditions and unpredictable weather have made it difficult for firefighters to get ahead of the fire. But they have one big advantage: easy access to the water from Lake Elsinore, which they have used for countless drops. The short distance to the lake has proven a key factor in tamping down the flames.

— Amid California’s destructive year of fire, a pitched battle is underway over how much slack the Legislature should — or can — provide for the state’s utility companies facing liability under a strict standard they have been held to for more than a half-century. Industry representatives have warned that those rules, combined with the forecast of a hotter and drier California, mean that proactive fire policies won’t be enough to prevent the kinds of costs that could lead to bankruptcy. Los Angeles Times

Breaking News: California wildfires destroy buildings, force evacuations

June 24, 2018 by administrator

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Wind-driven wildfires destroyed buildings and threatened hundreds of others Sunday as they raced across dry brush in rural Northern California.

The Pawnee Fire that broke out Saturday near the community of Clearlake Oaks has destroyed 12 buildings and threatened an additional 600 as it burned out of control across about 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers). Authorities ordered people to evacuate all homes in the Spring Valley area, where about 3,000 people live.

“What we’re stressing is that people, when they get the evacuation order, they heed it immediately and get out and stay out until it is safe to return,” state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Jonathan Cox said. “This is one of four large fires burning in Northern California. It’s a good reminder that fire season is upon us.”

Erratic wind and heat gripping a swath of California from San Jose to the Oregon border drove the flames, which were north of the wine country region where devastating wildfires killed 44 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses last October.

Farther north, a fire spanning about three-quarters of a mile in Tehama County destroyed “multiple residential and commercial buildings,” Cal Fire said. But firefighters appeared to be making good progress — it was nearly halfway contained and some evacuees were allowed to return home, authorities said.

The largest of the fires, a second one in Tehama County, consumed 5.5 square miles (14 square kilometers), but no buildings were reported burned. Some homes were threatened and some had been evacuated, Cox said, although he did not have specific numbers. It was partially contained.

A smaller fire in neighboring Shasta County was three-quarters contained and had damaged no structures.

The cause of each blaze was under investigation Sunday. No one was reported hurt.

More than 230 firefighters using helicopters, bulldozers and other equipment were battling the Pawnee Fire in a rugged area that made it difficult to get equipment up close.

“It’s kind of the worst possible combination,” Cox said.

Matthew Henderson, who was in the area taking photographs, said he saw the fire jump a road at one point, briefly cutting off access to part of Spring Valley until firefighters pushed it back.

California sends 20 millionaires to Congress. Here’s what we know about their fortunes

March 5, 2018 by administrator

20 millionaires in Congress from California,

By Iris Lee and Los Angeles Times staff,

California’s members of Congress are worth at least $439 million

The 55 members of California’s congressional delegation are worth at least $439 million. The state is home to both the richest and poorest man in Congress.

Find your lawmaker, and filter their investments and debts with our interactive database. The data was compiled by Roll Call from the most recent annual financial disclosures covering 2016.

Come January, California will lose the distinction of being home to the richest man in Congress. More than a third of the lawmakers in the state’s congressional delegation are millionaires, and Rep. Darrell Issa’s wealth dwarfs them all.

Issa, a Vista Republican who won’t run for reelection this fall, claimed a minimum net worth of at least $283.3 million on his most recent federal financial disclosure form.

There are 20 millionaires in Congress from California, an analysis of the data finds. Their fortunes come from real estate holdings, tech stocks, investment portfolios and their spouses. Lawmakers are not required to disclose property they own unless it is earning income, and they also do not need to list their $174,000 annual salaries, putting each and every one of them above the average Californian.

While the figures can give constituents and voters a glimpse of how the people who represent them in Washington live, they are imprecise, thanks in part to disclosure rules that allow the members of Congress to report assets using broad ranges. The ranges for reporting assets and liabilities start at between $1 and $1,000 and top out at $50 million and greater. So that means Issa could be worth $283.3 million, or he could be worth a lot more.

1. Darrell Issa (R-Vista)

$283.3 million minimum net worth

2. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D)

$58.5 million minimum net worth

3. Scott Peters (D-San Diego)

$32.0 million minimum net worth

4. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont)
$27.0 million minimum net worth

5. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco)
$16.0 million minimum net worth

6. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock)
$6.2 million minimum net worth

7. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough)
$4.5 million minimum net worth

8. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove)
$4.0 million minimum net worth

9. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana)
$2.8 million minimum net worth

10. Ken Calvert (R-Corona)
$2.4 million minimum net worth

11. Jim Costa (D-Fresno)
$2.1 million minimum net worth

12. Anna Eshoo (D-Menlo Park)
$2.0 million minimum net worth

13. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove)
$1.9 million minimum net worth

14. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park)
$1.8 million minimum net worth

15. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego)
$1.7 million minimum net worth

16. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena)
$1.6 million minimum net worth

17. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)
$1.6 million minimum net worth

18. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale)
$1.3 million minimum net worth

19. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance)
$1.2 million minimum net worth

20. Susan Davis (D-San Diego)
$1.2 million minimum net worth

21. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach)
$840,100 minimum net worth

22. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine)
$717,000 minimum net worth

23. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento)
$703,000 minimum net worth

24. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks)
$699,000 minimum net worth

25. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley)
$619,000 minimum net worth

26. Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village)
$584,000 minimum net worth

27. Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro)
$524,000 minimum net worth

28. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael)
$497,000 minimum net worth

29. Sen. Kamala Harris (D)
$391,100 minimum net worth

30. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster)
$359,000 minimum net worth

31. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk)
$319,000 minimum net worth

32. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank)
$313,000 minimum net worth

33. Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier)
$279,000 minimum net worth

34. Jerry McNerney (D-Stockton)
$252,000 minimum net worth

35. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare)
$101,000 minimum net worth

36. Mark Takano (D-Riverside)
$91,000 minimum net worth

37. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles)
$90,000 minimum net worth

38. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield)
$81,000 minimum net worth

39. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles)
$28,000 minimum net worth

40. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert)
$20,000 minimum net worth

41. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles)
-$35,000 minimum net worth

42. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin)
-$54,000 minimum net worth

43. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine)
-$60,000 minimum net worth

44. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles)
-$175,000 minimum net worth

45. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland)
-$225,000 minimum net worth

46. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara)
-$263,000 minimum net worth

47. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove)
-$281,000 minimum net worth

48. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey)
-$353,000 minimum net worth

49. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton)
-$425,000 minimum net worth

50. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa)
-$445,000 minimum net worth

51. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands)
-$464,000 minimum net worth

52. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel)
-$470,000 minimum net worth

53. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord)
-$497,000 minimum net worth

54. Norma Torres (D-Pomona)
-$534,000 minimum net worth

55. David Valadao (R-Hanford)
-$17.5 million minimum net worth

BREAKING NEWS A California couple is accused of holding 13 of their children captive, some shackled to beds. A 17-year-old escaped and called the police.

January 15, 2018 by administrator

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said a 17-year-old girl told authorities that she managed to escape a Perris, California, home and call 911 to alert police that she and her 12 brothers and sisters were being held by her parents — and that some of her siblings were bound, shackled or padlocked to beds.

When officers arrived, they discovered 12 people ages 2 to 29 being held captive in squalid conditions. The girl who escaped is believed to have been a 13th victim.

David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, were being held on $9 million bail each on Monday.

American Armenian Rose Float 2018 Pasadena, California. Video

January 1, 2018 by administrator

American Armenian Rose Float 2018 Pasadena, California. Winner of Judges Trophy “Armenian Root”

Pasadena: Three local entrants in the 2018 Rose Parade walked away with awards for their floats during the chilly annual New Year’s Day parade.

The Burbank Tournament of Roses Assn., the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. and the American Armenian Rose Float Assn. received awards for their impressive floats, which impressed the thousands of parade-goers on Monday.

American Armenian Rose Float 2018 Pasadena, California. Winner of Judges Trophy “Armenian Root”

The American Armenian Rose Float Assn.’s entry, titled “Armenia Roots,” received the Judges Award.

The entry is a tribute to Armenian women, whether they be a mother, daughter, grandmother or aunt, who work tirelessly to be the foundation of their family, said Noubar Derbedrosian, a board member of the association.

Derbedrosian added that this is the third award the association has received out of the four float entries the organization has submitted. Last year, the group was given the Past President Award for its float titled “Field of Dreams!” in which the entry represented the American-Armenia experience in literature, music and science.

“This is an honor for us,” he said. “We’re a small group of people that do this, and we’re trying to represent all of the Armenian people, not just in Glendale, Pasadena or the L.A. area.”

After not receiving an award for its float “Home Tweet Home” last year, the Burbank association bounced back and was given the Founder Award for its nautical-themed float “Sand-Sational Helpers,” in which sea animals team up to clean a beach, coinciding with this year’s Rose Parade theme, “Making a Difference.”

Steve Edward, the Burbank association’s vice president, said that most of the pieces fell in the right place this year. The jump start on construction and decoration week going off without a hitch, he said, resulted in a solid float this year.

California’s Deadliest fires in history kill 31, 100s still missing

October 13, 2017 by administrator

Local US officials have confirmed that the death toll from this week’s wildfires in the state of California has climbed to 31, making it the deadliest series of blazes in the state’s history.

Fire officials said on Thursday the tally could rise further in the eight counties which have been affected by the fires.

In Sonoma County alone, where entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, hundreds of people are still unaccounted for.

The fires have swept through California’s wine country, leaving thousands of people homeless and burning over 190,000 acres (76,000 hectares) of land.

Firefighters said gusty winds and dry conditions have hampered their efforts to contain the fires, which began on Sunday. Some 8,000 firefighters were battling 20 blazes as of Thursday.

“What this means is that our fires will continue to burn erratically,” California fire chief Ken Pimlott told a press conference. “They have the potential to shift in any direction at any time.

“We are a long way from being done with this catastrophe,” he said.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in California, releasing funding and resources to fight the catastrophe.

Forest fires are common in the western United States during hot months, but few have claimed as many lives as this week’s blaze.

California Wildfires: Officials Get More Than 100 Missing Person Reports

October 10, 2017 by administrator

by Alex Johnson,

LOS ANGELES — Sonoma County said it had received more than 100 phone calls to its missing person hotline as wind-powered wildfires swept through California wine country overnight, destroying at least 1,500 homes.

Officials said they were combing through the calls and believed some could be duplicates.

At least 10 people have died in the blazes as more than a dozen wildfires consumed parts of California wine country. Gov. Jerry Brown declared an emergency in eight counties, including Napa and Sonoma, and asked for a federal declaration of a major disaster for the entire state.

Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said seven people had been killed there in fire-related incidents — and “that number’s going to change.” The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection confirmed that two people had been killed in Napa County, as well as one person in Mendocino County.

California, Once Compared to Greece, Now Trading Better Than AAA

August 10, 2017 by administrator

(Bloomberg) — Seven years ago, California was “the next Greece.” Today, the state’s bonds are trading better than AAA.

As the Golden State benefits from record-breaking stock prices, Silicon Valley’s boom and a resurgent real estate market, demand for tax-exempt debt in the state with the highest top income tax rate in the U.S. is “insatiable,” said Nicholos Venditti, a portfolio manager for Thornburg Investment Management. Spreads are so tight that Venditti has stopped buying California bonds for his national fund.

“They’ve gone to a level that just seems ridiculous,” Venditti said. “It just seems unsustainable for any long period of time.”

If demand for California bonds is insatiable, supply is meager. Over the next 30 days, almost $4 billion more bonds are set to mature or be paid off earlier than planned issuance, leaving investors with more cash to invest.

An investor Tuesday bought about $1.1 million of state general obligation bonds maturing in six years at a yield of 1.33 percent, or 4.3 basis points below AAA rated bonds with the same maturity. California bonds are rated AA- by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings and Aa3 by Moody’s Investors Service.

f the market turns and spreads widen, investors holding California bonds may be “hit disproportionately hard,” Venditti said.

“It’s got to widen out quite a bit to get to a reasonable level relative to Kansas or Texas,” he said.

After the Great Recession, California was so strapped it took to issuing IOUs and drew comparisons with Greece. Now, flush with cash from the tech economy and record-breaking stock prices, California has boosted budget reserves to $8.5 billion and made an extra $6 billion payment to the state employee pension. At the local level, assessed values have recovered, bolstering property tax revenue.

“You have a whole swath of tech employees, tech investors, who are now trying to protect that substantial wealth from Uncle Sam,” Venditti said. “So they’ve gone out and they have bought up every municipal bond.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Martin Z. Braun in New York at mbraun6@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Maloney at cmaloney16@bloomberg.net, Dave Liedtka.

Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/california-once-compared-to-greece-now-trading-better-than-aaa/ar-AApJl9o

California Governor signs state budget with $3 million for Armenian American Museum

June 28, 2017 by administrator

Photo: Getty Images

California Governor Jerry Brown signed the 2017-2018 state budget Tuesday with $3 million earmarked for the Armenian American Museum. The new funding will be dispersed over the next 3 years at $1 million per year. The approval brings the State’s total funding commitment for the Museum to $4 million.

“We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our State of California leaders to build a historic cultural and educational center that will honor the rich history and celebrate the diverse cultures who call our great state home,” stated Museum Governing Board Co-Chair Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian.

“We would like to express our special thanks to Senator Anthony J. Portantino, Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León, and Budget Subcommittee Chair Richard Roth for leading the efforts to prioritize the funding in the 2017-2018 state budget,” stated Museum Governing Board Co-Chair Archbishop Hovnan Derderian.

The $3 million funding request was initiated in the State Senate by Senator Anthony J. Portantino with the support of Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León and Budget Subcommittee Chair Richard Roth. Upon the approval by the Senate Budget Subcommittee and Budget Conference Committee, the new funding for the Armenian American Museum was included in the 2017-2018 state budget proposal approved by the State Legislature on June 15.

“There is a long history of California supporting laudable museum projects around the state,” stated Senator Anthony J. Portantino. “I wanted to make sure that the Armenian American Museum garners equal and fair support.”

“It was an honor to work with my colleagues in the California legislature to secure $3 million dollars in funding for the Armenian American Museum,” stated Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León. “I am proud to stand in solidarity with the Armenian community.”

Last year, Governor Brown approved the 2016-2017 state budget with $1 million for the Armenian American Museum, an initiative led by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and supported by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León. Governor Brown’s January budget proposal released earlier this year suspended the previously approved $1 million for the Museum. State Legislators called for the restoration of the funds and advocated for additional funding in the 2017-2018 state budget.

“The Armenian American Museum in Glendale has the potential to serve as a beacon of hope for countless visitors through its work to embrace our diversity, educate, and empower all who step through its doors,” wrote Assemblymember Laura Friedman in a letter in March urging the Governor to reinstate the $1 million for the Museum. Friedman’s support for building the Museum in Glendale began as a Glendale City Councilmember and she has continued to advocate for the project in the State Assembly as one of her top priorities.

Ultimately, Governor Brown’s May Revise budget proposal reinstated the initial $1 million and the 2017-2018 budget signed by Governor Brown today commits an additional $3 million for the Armenian American Museum.

“The State of California’s investment in the Armenian American Museum lays the foundation for a momentous project that will serve generations to come,” stated Museum Governing Board Co-Chair Bishop Mikael Mouradian.

Museum officials continue to work closely with the City of Glendale on developing the project’s concept design, traffic, parking, economic, and environmental studies in preparation for the upcoming ground lease agreement consideration by the Glendale City Council.

“We are looking forward to working with our City of Glendale partners to build an iconic center in the heart of Glendale’s Arts and Entertainment District,” stated Museum Governing Board Co-Chair Reverend Berdj Djambazian.

The Museum’s concept design by Alajajian Marcoosi Architects was unveiled in December 2017. The video of the concept design can be viewed at www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org.

The Armenian American Museum is a developing project in Glendale, CA, with a mission to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. When completed, it will serve as a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity and speak out against prejudice.