VOLUME VII NUMBER 1 JULY 2, 2020
Continental Features/Continental News Service
"The newspaper-feature super-channel"
Honolulu News Edition
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of Continental Newstime newsmagazine
Continental Features/Continental News Service
* Congressional News Briefs ... Senator Brian Schatz, who has joined Kentucky Senator Rand Paul in introducing the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act for several years, has received backing from Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and California Senator Kamala Harris to amend the National Defense Authorization Act's so-called 1033 program, to limit the transfer of military-grade combat equipment to local police and other law-enforcement agencies. Saying that providing defensive equipment like body armor does help to make communities safe while the militarization of police fails to reduce violent crime or alter the number of law-enforcement officers who are assaulted or killed, Schatz and Senate colleagues assert that tear gas, armor-piercing firearms and ammunition, bayonets, grenade launchers and grenades, combat tracked vehicles, and weaponized drones have no place in civilian policing, should never be used against the American people, and instead work to transform American cities into war zones. Citing the bipartisan consensus for ending the practice of militarizing state and local law enforcement, Senator Schatz declares that equipping law enforcement with offensive military equipment is immoral and contributes nothing to keeping our communities safe. In other developments, the Senator has reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the five Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems and Papa Ola Lokali, which coordinates health-care services for Native Hawaiians, a total of $16,999,696 to help the centers furnish health education and promotion, disease prevention, and basic primary-care services for their thousands of clients. Besides, the Senate Appropriation Committee member notes that HHS has awarded an extra $8,725,608 for the Parents and Children Together program in support of Head Start early-childhood education and $2,954,977 to the State Department of Health for child and adolescent mental-health services. On her part, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard informs that the Federal Transit Administration has allotted a total of $8,906,600 in coronavirus funds to the State Department of Transportation, HDOT, with the Kaua'i County Transportation Agency and the County of Hawai'i Mass Transit Agency being the sub-recipients tasked to spend the money to make public transportation safe and to sustain public transit, so that the people who rely on it continue to be served. The funding, under the Section 5311 Rural Areas Formula Fund, geared to support public transit in rural areas having populations of fewer than 50,000, is designed to cover the expenses of cleaning and disinfectant supplies, salaries, fuel, and vehicle maintenance. These Section 5311 Formula Grants for Rural Areas also furnish capital, planning, and operating assistance for state and national training and technical assistance, along with job-access and reverse-commute projects, through the Rural Transportation Assistance Program.
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* State Government News Briefs ... Governor David Y. Ige has announced, effective August 1, that the state has inaugurated a pre-travel testing program, whereby travelers arriving in Hawaii from out of state are required to have a valid COVID-19 test before arrival and exhibit proof that the test was negative, in order to skip the usual 14-day quarantine. Not only must the testing location be approved by the State Department of Health, but it is expected that the regulations the Department finalizes will require federal Food and Drug Administration certification of the testing laboratory, and temperature checks are ongoing at airports state-wide. Those who exhibit coronavirus symptoms, such as a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees will be subject to a secondary screening by trained health-care staff members. The Governor adds that these precautions will enable local businesses to safely re-open for their employees and managers, as well as the incoming travelers. In other developments, the Governor's supplementary emergency proclamation for Kaua'a, in the aftermath of heavy rains, flooding, and extensive damage in late March, remains in effect through August 19, 2020. The initial emergency proclamation on April 21 set in motion emergency-management funding, personnel and equipment to provide relief from the damage and losses and to protect residents. Meantime, the Governor assures that the state has adequate hospital capacity to accommodate new patients and that the "spike in positive cases" of the coronavirus was expected as Hawaii re-opens because the increased testing and contact tracing are working. At the same time, Ige emphasizes that Hawaiians must not relent in observing safe practices to protect the most-vulnerable populations and to prevent the state's hospital facilities from becoming overwhelmed.
*City Government News Briefs ... Mayor Kirk Caldwell has announced that Governor David Ige has okayed the Mayor's proposal to permit, with some restrictions, singing and/or playing of wind instruments at indoor and outdoor restaurants and bars. Performers must maintain a distance of at least 10 feet from others, except from members of their performing group. Performers who play wind instruments--or who sing--are not required to wear face coverings, but indoors a physical barrier must be in place between performers and patrons, and restaurant/bar staff. The Mayor reports, as well, that, since the City Department of Community Services initiated the Housing First Program, 315 vouchers providing rental assistance for approximately 450 individuals at any given time have been funded. In fact, during the 2015 fiscal-year through the 2019 fiscal-year, $17,783,371 has supported the program in Honolulu, plus $1.2 million in HOME Funds has been tapped to furnish additional Tenant-Based Rental Assistance housing vouchers. Offering permanent and affordable housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, the national program here, in 2018, counted more than 60 percent of its clients coming directly from living on the streets and 91 percent suffering from chronic homelessness. Calling Housing First a "hand-up program," the Mayor points out that a University of Hawaii-Manoa study has found that the social services provided the clients have resulted in 86 percent of the clients remaining housed, with 74 percent remaining housed for an average of 2.4 years; a lowering of stress levels and drug use among clients; a decline in the rate of arrests, incarceration, and emergency-room use; and heightened participation in support-group activities and volunteerism. On its part, the Honolulu City Council is scheduled to meet on July 8 at 10 AM, and the Parks, Community Services and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee plans to meet on July 14 at 9 AM. One day later, the Budget Committee is set to conduct business at 9 AM. Lastly, Honolulu hopes to repeat its top-10 ranking in destination-branding company, Resonance Consultancy's best small city (200,000 to 1 million residents) category. Last July, Honolulu ranked first ahead of Omaha, with Madison, Wisconsin holding the number -10 spot. Crime rate, air quality, housing affordability, entertainment offerings, cultural diversity and economic vitality all figured in the selection.
*School District News Briefs ... The Hawaii State Department of Education, in turn, has announced, upon the retirement of Bill Arakaki, Ann Mahi, and Art Souza, that Paul Zina and Sione Thompson will discharge their appointments as complex-area Superintendents serving Kauai and the Leeward Oahu Coast public schools. In addition, Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto informs that the Hawaii State Department of Education is distributing $49.8 million in federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant money to sub-grantees that will enhance the programs of 82 schools in the state. The Superintendent explains that 50 percent of the five-year grant provision must expedite student achievement in grades K-5 and 50 percent must advance student achievement in grades 6-12, based upon innovative, evidence-based literacy plans in the schools. With a major focus on "learners vulnerable to academic challenges," the importance of family involvement from birth to grade 12 is also recognized.
* Weather ... The National Weather Service reports that current conditions at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, as of 1:53 PM, are partly cloudy, with a temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, relative humidity of 48 percent, wind out of the east at 13 miles per hour and gusts as high as 18 miles per hour, barometric pressure of 29.97 inches, a dewpoint of 64 degrees, and visibility of 10 miles. The forecast for this afternoon calls for mostly-sunny skies, a daily high temperature near 87 degrees, breezy conditions, east-northeast wind of about 16 miles per hour and gusts as high as 23 miles per hour. Tonight, scattered showers, mainly after midnight, are expected, together with partly-cloudy skies, with a low temperature of around 72 degrees, east-northeast wind 11 to 15 miles per hour, gusts as high as 20 miles per hour, a 30-percent chance of precipitation, and new precipitation amounts of less than 0.1 inch possible.
* Sports ... The University of Hawaii-Manoa is scheduled to open the 2020-2021 Men's Basketball season hosting Washington State on November 11 and San Diego on November 15 in the Stan Sheriff Center, with game times yet to be announced.
Flashback: By Francine Silverman
Terry Anderson Reflects On His Den of Lions
I caught up with ex-hostage Terry Anderson in his diminutive office building in the parking lot of a funeral home in Yonkers, New York. Winding down a phone interview and wearing jeans and sneakers, he seems very much the reporter. I ask if these modest questions remind him of the cells he occupied during his seven years of captivity. "I got the keys," he laughs, jiggling them like bells.
Anderson, 46, was the Associated Press Chief Middle East Correspondent before his abduction in 1985. Den of Lions (Crown, 1993), his moving memoir of that harrowing experience, has sold about 150,000 copies in the U.S. and is being translated into several languages. Throughout the book, Anderson berates himself for his characteristic arrogance and aggressiveness. "I have not become a saint," he admits. "I hope I am less irritable than I was."
When he was released, Anderson was physically weak, he had a 6-year-old daughter he had never seen, whose mother--his beloved fiancee--had remained ever hopeful of reunion. (The couple wed April 18, 1993, a second marriage for both.) "All that took work and we had psychiatric counseling for a while," he admits. "They are not things you mind doing. I don't look at them as problems."
The book is a parallel account by the couple. Madeleine, pregnant and distraught at the separation, agonizes over Anderson's welfare, as he wonders whether she'll wait. Since reuniting, "I've been given my life back," he says.
Question Time with Public Figures
The American public expects public officials to deal with, rather than dodge, difficult public-policy problems, to be transparent in their public-policy positions, and to state their views confidently, thoughtfully and boldly. One week was allowed to finalize the response, by E-mail, of each of the Presidential candidates listed below.
The Continental News Service had announced its intention to publish results of this multi-respondent poll in its on-line newspapers over the course of time, and these newspapers include its Washington D.C. News Edition, Chicago News Edition, Honolulu News Edition, Atlanta News Edition, Anchorage News Edition, Boston News Edition, Seattle News Edition, Miami News Edition, San Diego News Edition, Rochester (N.Y.) News Edition, Minneapolis News Edition, and Houston News Edition.
Would you, Senator/Representative/Governor, support legislation, or even sponsor legislation, ending all federal government grants to Planned Parenthood if it was conducted in an even-handed and non-discriminatory manner; that is, likewise ending all federal and federally-subsidized state grants to faith-based and all other non-profit groups, whatever their specific tax-code classification?
__ Yes. Uncheck "No Comment." My reasoning is ________________________________________________________________________________.
__ No. Uncheck "No Comment." My reasoning is _________________________________________________________________________________.
X No Comment. Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Washington Governor Jay Inslee.
* Proverbs (chapter 28/verse 22): “He that hastes to be rich has an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him.” hastes=hurries.
[A timely warning against get-rich-quick schemes]
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*Free
Fort Jones News Edition
of Continental Newstime newsmagazine
VOLUME I NUMBER 1 JUNE 18, 2020
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* Congressional News Briefs ... Dong LaMalfa, Fort Jones' agent in the U.S. House of Representatives, has nominated five students, based upon recommendations of his Military Academy Selection Committee, to four of the five U.S. Service Academies. The three students from Chico were nominated to attend different Service Academics: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The student from Cottonwood was also nominated to attend Annapolis, while the student from Shasta Lake was nominated to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. No students were nominated to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. In other developments, Congressman LaMalfa, who had worked with Oregon Congressman Greg Walden on behalf of Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers on both sides of the state line, credits the Trump Administration with acknowledging the Convoy for Change rally in Midland and acting to restore the full 140,000-acre-feet water allotment promised in April. The rally was a reaction to plans in May to reduce the water allotment further to 80,000 acre feet, which would threaten with ruin crops that were planted based on assurances given in April. LaMalfa observes, "While Basin farmers are still only receiving 40% of their legal water right from Upper Klamath Lake, it will help to get them through the remainder of the growing season with the crops they currently have in the ground." He says the Bureau of Reclamation decision to reverse course operates to "prioritize agriculture and overrule the bureaucracies that created this crisis," adding, "The water in the Klamath Project needs to remain where it belongs: with the Basin farmers who hold the water right and rely on it for their economic survival." Also, the Congressman reports becoming an original co-sponsor of the Coronavirus County Relief and Stability Bill, to ensure that small and medium-size counties, operating on "tight budgets" and facing revenue deficits, receive the funds necessary to support senior-care agencies, first responders, and public-health departments. He argues that previous legislation furnished direct assistance to local governments having service populations of more than 500,000 people, overlooking 42 counties in California likewise in need of federal support during the pandemic, LaMalfa resumes, "Despite Congress' clear directive that the Coronavirus Relief Fund be used to assist local governments, several governors continue to withhold counties' allotment. In California, further cuts to rural counties' withheld share were reduced to half and then redistributed to urban areas." Although the bill would furnish more funding than the National Association of Counties requested, he says that the funding sought "will benefit all Americans." Senator Dianne Feinstein's focus, meanwhile, has partly been on U.S. foreign policy. Accompanied by Senators Mark Warner, Angus King and Jack Reed, she wrote Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to declare: "While we support the goal of bringing the war in Afghanistan to a responsible end, we are concerned that a repeat of our hastily-announced withdrawal from Syria could needlessly put more American lives at risk, increase the threat to allies and partners participating in the Resolute Support Mission, and squander important intelligence relationships and counter-terrorism operations." The Senators cited "reports"; that is, a statement in the New York Times that "President Trump has repeatedly voiced a desire to leave Afghanistan sooner than the timeline laid out in the Feb. 29 peace agreement. He may want to campaign on bringing home every soldier" before the November election. The Senators expressed concern that the withdrawal would not be "orderly, conditions-based, and planned in conjunction with military and diplomatic counterparts," but would instead be "much earlier than the timeline established in the Taliban peace agreement that was signed earlier this year." Other considerations Feinstein and her colleagues raised were the "stability and governance in Afghanistan, the threat posed by groups like the Haqqani Taliban Network, al-Qa'ida,and ISIS, and the risk posed by a precipitous U.S. withdrawal." Senator Feinstein has expressed alarm, as well, to General Tod D. Wolters, of the U.S. European Command, that President Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper have reportedly decided to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Germany by 9,500, to limit America's NATO deployment there to 25,000 troops, so our NATO ally bears a larger share of the burden for its
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defense. Besides, the Senator, joined by Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Mark Warner, has contacted FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to request release to the public of any information supporting the President's claims that, in the looting, violence and destruction of property, "our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists and Antifa," agents of "domestic terror." Terming the President's declarations "inflammatory claims," the Democratic Senators charged that the purpose is to discredit "legitimate peaceful protests" and to "justify unnecessary federal, even military, intervention and the excessive use of force."
* Governor's Office News Briefs . Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to work with the California Legislative Black Caucus, the California Latino Legislative Caucus, other legislative leaders, national experts, community leaders, law enforcement and journalists in developing new policing and criminal-justice reform & following nation-wide demonstrations related to the killing of George Floyd. The Governor points out that in 2019 his Administration collaborated in passage of Assembly Bill 392, what he characterizes as the “nation's strongest standard for police use of deadly force," and that this year the thrust of his Administration is promotion of a "now conversation about broader criminal-justice reform" toward establishing "a cultural change.'' In particular, he has announced support for a general prohibition of the carotid hold and other techniques that will apply to all police departments in California. Already, he emphasizes that he has ordered removal of carotid-hold instruction from state training materials and state police-training programs; he suspended use of the death penalty due to racial and economic differentiation in its application; he proposed closing two state prisons and the Division of Juvenile Justice; his revised May Budget called for shortening prison time for offenders who take part in treatment or education programs and who demonstrate good behavior; and he has advocated access by incarcerated youth to higher education. In addition, the Governor acknowledges that BYD North America has finally received certification from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for its respiratory masks, thereby meeting a State deadline of June 12. Consequently, the company is now set to ship additional masks, some 150 million N95 masks, to health-care workers and first responders, in connection with California's public-safety and re-opening plans. Previously, an estimated 110 million surgical masks were delivered under the State contract with BYD, and Governor Newsom says that the new supply of personal protective equipment will ensure that the State can meet the future needs of doctors, nurses and yet other front-line workers. Meantime, the Califomia Senate's Budget and Fiscal Review Committee planned a hearing for June 12 on the Budget Act of 2019. Besides, the Committee scheduled a hearing on the same date relative to education-finance apportionments, as well as a hearing on statc taxes and charges. Then, on June 18, the Senate Appropriations Committee was due, at this writing, to conduct a hearing on flavored tobacco products.
* County Government News Briefs … The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors, meeting just two days ago, was scheduled to approve a Consent Agenda of routine and non-controversial items including approval of a 2020-2021 fiscal-year, contract addendum with Scott Valley Veterinary for provision of spay/neuter services, boosting the contract value by $2,000 to a total amount not greater than $12,500; authorization for the County Fish and Game Commission to purchase $4,336 (plus tax) in deer decoys, and to transfcr the articles to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; clarification of the January 7, 2020 appointments of Frank Hayden and Dan Drakc to the Scott Valley and Shasta Valley Watermaster District for terms closing December 15, 2023; approval of a 2020-2021 contract addendum for used-oil collection and recycling services with the Oil Re-Refining Company; and approval of a not-to-exceed-$365,818 contract with the California Department of Social Services for coordination of adoption services. Departmental Requests included support for the Chief Probation Officer's study of the feasibility of Siskiyou County becoming one of the proposed Regional Hub Centers to house juveniles in the aftermath of the State Division of Juvenile Justice no longer accepting juvenile intakes; consideration of an application for $150,000 in Local Government Planning Support Program funds from the California Department of Housing and Community Development; development of an administrative fine schedule for violations of Siskiyou County Code provisions on industrial hemp cultivation; and presentation of an update on the status of coronavirus cases in the County. Also, a Public Hearing initiated on May 19 resumed, concerning the second reading of an Ordinance amending County Code provisions relating to personal marijuana cultivation, to allow for increased fines for multi-day citations. Plus, County Supervisors anticipated that a Public Hearing on the 2020-2021 fiscal-year Recommended Budgets it was undertaking must he carried over to a Public Meeting on June 23. Further, the Board of Supervisors was poised to appoint one member to an unscheduled vacancy on the Scott Valley and Shasta Valley Watermaster District for a term closing December 15, 2023, the candidate, among other stipulations, not holding water rights.
* City Government News Briefs … The Fort Jones Town Council, conducting a special meeting by Zoom computer hook-up on June 17, was set to consider, toward approval, Resolution 1076, to consolidate local-election balloting with the November, 2020 General Election. Additionally, the Council was scheduled to take up, toward approval, Fort Jones’ final 2020-2021 fiscal-year budget. Thereafter, with adjournment, the Council planned to hold its next meeting on July 13 at 7 PM in City Hall. At the Council's previous meeting on June 8, also held through Zoom link-up, the Council was set to take up such non-action, discussion items as the monthly Police Department report, the monthly Fire Department report, Code Enforcement, the monthly Public Works report, City Administrator Karl Drexel's Report, the Planning Committee Meeting, and the Etna Ambulance. Among the Consent Calendar items the Council was due to approve, unless a Council Member or a member of the public requested removal, were the Minutes of the Council's Regular Meeting of May 11; ratification of disbursements during the period May l-May 31, 2020; June Accounts Payable, and Fort Jones' budget versus actua1 spending during the period July 1, 2019-May 31, 2020. Now, the action items included discussion of a permit and use permit in the Scott Valley Business Park; review and adoption of the Employee Handbook, appointment of a New Ordinance and Policy Committee; adoption of an Interim Policy on Bulk Water Sales Permits; and review and adoption of the 2020-2021 Preliminary Operational Budget. Next, leading to adjournment, the Council had set aside time on its agenda for a Public Hearing, spotlighting an associated Staff Report and Board Comments, on the Second Reading of an Ordinance regulating Mobile Home/RV Parks.
* Weather ... The National Weather Service reports that current conditions at Montague Siskiyou County Airport, as of 10:53 PM, are clear, with a temperature of 71 degrees Fahrenheit, relative humidity of 40 percent, winds out of the north at 14 miles per hour, barometric pressure of 30.01 inches, dewpoint of 46 degrees, and visibility of 10 miles. The forecast for tonight calls for mostly-clear skies, with a low temperature of about 56 degrees, and light and variable wind. Friday is expected to be sunny, with a daily high temperature of around 87 degrees and light and variable wind.
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Please E-mail info@continentalnewsservice.com for a copy of David Illsley's cartoon feature.
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