Wishing you joy, hope, and the peace that Christ gave through His birth. Thank you for your prayers, friendship, and support during the past four years.

Best wishes in 2011 and always,

Teri, Rich, & Megan Murrison

If you’re like our family, during the protracted power outages last week due to early, low snow, you wondered what it was like for PG&E and road crews working outside for days to restore power to thousands of Tuolumne County residents.

While it was certainly cold and dark in our homes (at least one constituent told me her family dined on tomato soup on Thanksgiving), it was exponentially worse out there in the weather.

A friend of our family works for PG&E and sent us a note about his Tuolumne County Thanksgiving week. I thought you might like to read it – he has graciously allowed  me to post it here.

If you’d like to thank him and others for getting the juice back on, post a comment at www.TeriMurrison.com or on Facebook and I’ll see he gets it.

Dear Teri and Rich,

Monday thru Friday I spent in Tuolumne County.  It was a disaster zone in a band that included Mi-Wuk, Twain Harte, Tuolumne, Cedar Ridge and Columbia—trees down, broken poles and crossarms, wires down, all over the place.

We got that second heavy snow on…Tuesday?  That dashed any hopes of going home for Thanksgiving.  The company canceled all vacations.

We had troublemen and crews from as far away as Bakersfield, and contract crews from who-knows-where.  In many cases, access was a huge problem.  Several guys were patrolling lines on snowshoes.  We got a break in the weather for a couple of days, so they were able to bring in helicopters to patrol lines that hadn’t been assessed yet. That was a huge help–they can get more done in 15 minutes than we could do in a week.  It is expensive, but it is the right tool for the job, and it pays for itself in a hurry.

Unfortunately[because of laptop limitations, dealing with contract crews, etc.],  it was not a smooth operation, though…more like mass confusion.  Only a handful could do their jobs the way we normally do them, sending and receiving work via the electronic media.  The rest were on paper.  And it was a huge pile of paper!  That was a bottleneck.

Often we would get a line cleared (or so we thought) and restored, then something else would cause it to go out again.  That was frustrating for all concerned.  By Wednesday, my joints hurt and my fingernails hurt, of all things.  I put my chains on and took them off quite a bit.

Not too many places had turnarounds, so I had to back out of a lot of long driveways and even a mile or so on some county roads with limited snow clearing.  My most challenging driving was trying to travel in reverse about a quarter mile, alone in the back country, with a cliff on one side and a ditch on the other, downhill, in whiteout conditions, while my mirrors were loading up with snow…sheesh.  Forward was bad enough…backward was badder.  The mirrors had heaters, a nice feature, but couldn’t keep up with the blizzard.

Thursday evening, the company catered with Black Oak Casino to bring us a big turkey dinner at the yard.  We ate as we got the chance, a few at a time, on paper plates, but it was good.

By Friday morning, we still had over 1,000 customers out of power.  I worked on my last outage (one of those repeat outages) in Twain Harte Friday night the 26th just after dark. I cut a tree out of the line while a crew replaced a broken insulator, and we got power restored.  By nightfall, we got it down to 27 customers still out (undoubtedly more than that, but only 27 known and reported), so they released us.  I was so happy to go home!

I must say this.  Every person we talked to, without exception, was grateful for our efforts.  People stopped me and thanked me repeatedly.  I found a handwritten note on my truck’s driver side door at the motel early Friday morning saying, “Thanks 4 all your hard work”.

People who had been out of power for days, desperate for heat and electricity and water, were so very thankful that we were there working on it, and especially that we were giving up precious family time to do it.  When we were finally able to close fuses for a test and it held, it was a great feeling, every time.

You guys and gals are heros up here. Thank you, thank you!

And now, something you may very well find quite useful: After Dinner Pants.

My Colorado cousins, Jeannie, Paul, and Banjo Edwards recently filmed this commercial. What a silly family. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVqALdJylzQ

Some departments will be open on an emergency basis including public safety responders (Sheriff, Fire, and Ambulance services can be reached as usual at 911).

If you have an non-public safety emergency please call Sheriff’s office dispatchers at 533-5815 and they will contact the appropriate department head.

To view a press release with additional information, click here: http://portal.co.tuolumne.ca.us/ps/psft/V1177297525/Furlough_Press_Release.pdf

Closing down between Christmas and New Years Day is expected to impact the fewest amount of residents and will save approximately $4.4 million in labor and facilities operations costs.

Merry Christmas!

Every year at this time, women – and one man this year -decorate a themed table for the Tea. After the winning table is chosen, TWIST members, table decorators, and guests sit down for a  gourmet Tea.

As usual, Saturday’s wildly popular sit-down Tea Party is sold out, but tickets will be available at the door for Friday night’s Preview. See beautifully decorated tables, participate in drawings for prizes, and enjoy refreshments. Proceeds from this event and Saturday’s Tea benefit TWIST scholarship and community improvement projects.

Over the past four years, TWIST has donated $17,000 to local high school seniors and has assisted over 100 families with community clean-up projects. Additionally, TWIST donated a new stove to the Tuolumne Memorial Hall and gave $2000 toward Summerville High School’s new tennis courts.

TWIST is a non-profit service organization dedicated to community improvement through volunteer service. Donations are tax deductible and much appreciated. For more information, contact Terri Neher at (209) 928-4908.

At the Tuolumne Veterans Day Ceremony today I got to thinking about the tremendous sacrifices made by men and women who gave so much for their country – our country.  I was thinking about the strong sense of duty that drove many of them to leave home, family, friends, and country that we might be free. And then I thought about the mess California and the US are in and asked myself, what’s our excuse? How did we come to this?

Quite simply, we did not show up. We let it come to this.

We ignored our duty to get involved. We abdicated our responsibility to direct and correct our leaders.  We let agendas we didn’t share chart the course to the future. We allowed political and governmental leaders to legislate and spend to their hearts’ content. We figured it was someone else’s job to be vigilant. When folks tried to warn us about a day of reckoning, we ignored them.

We need a strong dose of what you have, Vets. Duty. Self-sacrifice. Commitment to something beyond ourselves.

We let you down. We didn’t do our part while you sacrificed elsewhere. Dare I say that you had a reasonable expectation that while you served in the military, we would watch over the land you love?

We didn’t. We wanted to be left alone to recreate, prosper, and follow our dreams. We believed your sacrifice was enough to maintain what made California and the nation great. We didn’t attend meetings where decisions were made, didn’t vote, and didn’t hold anyone accountable for bad behavior or poor choices.

In Tuolumne at the Veteran’s Day ceremony today, I saw men and women who did their duty. They showed up – you showed up – when needed. We have no excuse.

At the risk of asking too much, may I suggest one more thing you can do for California and your country? We’re in trouble. Big trouble. Teach your children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends about duty, self-sacrifice, and commitment. Teach them to show up and stay there.

We’re going to need it.

When I awoke this morning, our yard was covered in snow. Its beauty was breath-taking. Had I not known it was snowing when I went to bed, I would not have anticipated what awaited me this morning. The snow fell silently all night without announcing its presence through blustery wind and deafening downpour.

There’s something going on now in Sacramento and elsewhere that isn’t making much noise here. As we go about our business, studies are being released, decisions are being made, and an outcome we may not like is falling into place silently, or so it would seem. Just like the snow last night, by the time most of us notice what’s being talked about for the Delta and peripheral canal, our world could look much different. 

Locomotive-like support is building to restore the health of the Delta and build a peripheral canal to take water from above Sacramento and speed it more directly south along the east side of the Central Valley. If you are suspicious, you might suspect that water exporters finally found the sweetner they need to sell the deal to Northern California.

Sacrificial lambs identified so far include agricultural producers on the islands that may be flooded as part of the Delta restoration, historic and traditional practices and lifestyles, cultural resources, and local economies (including counties that receive tax revenues from ag producers). Oh yes, and there was a little sentence in one of the plans that referred to conservation actions that might need to be implemented upstream from the Delta (that’s here).

The recommendations of scientists, conservationists, blue ribbon panels, and Southern California water interests may lead to mountain counties being required to consume less water to slake the thirst of natural and human communities elsewhere. We do need to conserve, but may be required to go beyond voluntary compliance. You don’t want to sleep through this one.

Lest you not anticipate what’s now being decided about water resources in the state and wake up unhappily surprised, the Sacramento Bee has compiled a good section on what’s happening in the Delta and peripheral canal dialogue. Check it out:

http://www.sacbee.com/delta/

No matter your opinion on the proposed Delta restoration or a proposed peripheral canal, you will likely be asked to vote on it because it will cost billions of dollars. And expect impacts in our own backyard.

We are planning a joint Board meeting with Tuolumne Utilities District, likely in January. We’ll study our current water consumption, TUD’s system, future needs based on population growth, see how we can better work together as agencies, and discuss what’s going on down in the Delta, as well. I’ll announce the date here and we’ll publicize it in the paper and on radio. Don’t miss it.

OK, I admit this photo wasn’t taken this year and that my nose would make even Rudolph envious, but snow is falling above 3,000′, our balcony has a dusting of powder  on it, and the yard could look like this tomorrow. Hurrah!

We’re supposed to get a lot of precipitation, hopefully as snow, in the next few days. That will really help local businesses.  Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is planning to open at the end of the week if it keeps up. That’s not only a great boost to our economy, but my ski and snowboard-loving family and many others feel they’ve been waiting ever-so-long! I don’t ski or board, but I love to watch the snow fall when I’m inside our cozy home. And that’s another reason to cheer!

There’s more: Tuolumne County Transit guru Darin Grossi has scheduled once-a-day ski shuttle  service from Sonora to Dodge Ridge that will operate on weekends and holidays provided a minimum of five passenger reservations are made by 4:00 pm the day before. The round trip fare is $10 – a very affordable fare. We hope local lodging establishments, the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau, and the Chambers really publicize the service and that it’s a smashing success so the shuttle continues to operate all season. Thanks to Darin, Frank and Sally Helm, and the Dodge Ridge staff for your hard work to make this happen. For more information, call 532-0404.

I’m also cheering because I learned Friday that the county will receive a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to figure out how best to utilize downtown alleys and parking in Tuolumne! A final contract with the funder should be inked in February so we can begin to plan the next phase in the revitalization of downtown Tuolumne!  Hurrah and congratulations to the hard working folks here who want to see the community come back and prosper and who dislike taking no for an answer!

Further, my family and I are cheering because we’ve decided that I’ll seek another term as your 3rd District Supervisor. We’re cheering because I love working for you and we look forward to two more years in this term and then another four, Lord and the registered voters willing. My husband is cheering because I am starting to campaign early rather than putting it off for another year to make a mad scramble in the last year of my term.

For more information on our decision, what we’ve achieved together this term, what lies ahead of us, and how you can help us win another term, visit www.TeriMurrison.com. Hurrah again!

Finally, we’re cheering because Christmas parties, show-stopping songs, dances, plays, and parades are taking place all across the Mother Lode – we’re really getting into it this season. No big, bad state budget or negative economic outlook is going to keep us from celebrating our faith, families, friends, and communities this year or any other. 

It’s snowing and despite all the bad news on TV, Internet, and in the papers, we feel hope… because it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Hurrah!

Tuolumne Veterans Memorial Hall update

I attended a meeting of the Tuolumne County Veterans Committee last week where members of Tuolumne’s VFW post 4748 asked the Committee to eliminate other groups’ use of the vet’s traditional meeting room in the Tuolumne Veterans Memorial Hall. Not only have the vets lost items and relics they cherish due to public access to the room, but they felt not all users demonstrate respect for them or honor the room and its importance to the vets.

Ultimately, the Committee decided to give it 6 months to see if some changes will alleviate the vets’ concerns and encourage careful and respectful usage of the room. At the end of 6 months, the Committee will hear how things have gone and make the final decision. In the meantime:

• Tuolumne Parks and Recreation District (TPRD) will continue to schedule public use of the room. They will, however, adhere to a policy of zero tolerance for groups and individuals that abuse the privilege.
• Tuolumne County Facilities Management will replace the entry doors with ones that can be locked to prohibit unauthorized access and will make sure storage areas can be securely locked. The county will also update its facilities usage policy during the first part of 2009 to address a lack of clarity and confusion and to officially establish usage and rental terms.
• A VFW Post 4748 member will go through the storage areas and remove items that don’t belong to them and TPRD will remove items stored in a closet in the room. If you have items stored there, please contact Rusty Jones to arrange for their removal.
• Post members will give TPRD a schedule of times they want the room and will have a key and on-demand access to the room at all times (except when it is scheduled by TPRD in advance).

I am thankful that many vets showed up to voice their concerns and support for Post 4748 and that the Committee honored them. We’ll see how it goes. I am pleased that the vets will receive the honor they are due!

USDA Rural Housing Program to  help homeowners and potential homeowners

Thanks to an alert friend, I recently learned that the Rural Housing Program is helping low income and the elderly make necessary repairs to their homes. For more info, contact:

Tonja K. Galentine
Area Technician
3800 Cornucopia Way, Ste. E
Modesto, CA  95258
Phone: (209) 491-9320 ext. 101
Fax:   (209) 491-9331
e-mail tonja.galentine

www.rurdev.usda.gov/

Vandals strike Red Church… again

Vandals have struck the Red Church in Sonora for a second time, according to Laurie Sylwester. Laurie writes:

“A second stained glass window was vandalized this week. The window is the “Virgin & Child” window – a photograph of this is in my current rotunda exhibition. I have donated three framed photos of the window and am holding a fundraiser to repair it.

The window has historical and cultural significance in our county, and it is for that reason that I will encourage the community to help pay for the repair. You might not be religious and you might be. It doesn’t matter how you think - your donation will be used directly for the repair. The last window cost $1800 to repair.

I hope to raise enough so that the current protection can be reinforced. If you are interested in donating $5 or more, your name will be entered in a drawing for one of the three photos. The drawing will be held before Christmas (one entry per each $5contribution).

If you can help, make your check payable to: “St. James Anglican Church” and on the memo line write “for stained glass repair.”

Donations are tax deductible and should be mailed directly to: St. James Anglican Church; P.O. Box 1145; Sonora, Ca. 95370. They will make sure your name is entered into the drawing.

The repair artist is the famed Peter DeMartini. He needed an archival photo for the restoration which I have provided. This is one of the reasons that I wanted to inventory the windows of the county – when there is a problem, there are photographic records and the collective will to help with repairs and protection of our cultural resources.”

This is a very worthy cause. For more info, contact Laurie at 928-3423.

Thank you for all you do and for your support. And have a great Thanksgiving with friends and family!