Deer Season Closes

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Posted by Annie in Outdoors, Tuolumne County on October 30, 2011

Today is October 30th and marks the last day of deer hunting season in California.

California Mule Deer - Image by Alan Vernon.

Just moments ago I watched an 8 point buck grazing in our yard. He is a magnificent creature with bright, alert eyes that watch my every move. I pray that he survives the last day of hunting season, while at the same time, I know he would provide many meals for an adept hunters family.

Twice this week I was blessed to observe a rare sight: traveling together was a young forkie buck, a doe with a young fawn having recently lost her spots. It isn’t very often you find young bucks in the wild, roving with a doe. Generally, bucks travel two or three together. The elder bucks guiding and teaching the younger ones. The bucks are so mighty and graceful to watch — I’m not sure I have the heart to take one down during a hunt.

Shortly the deer will begin to rut and motorists will want to pay extra attention as deer tend to act more erratic than usual during rutting season.

Stay alert: Steer clear of deer during rutting season – It’s true that the activity level of deer is rising this time of year as rutting, or breeding, season peaks in November, said Tom Micetich, deer project manager with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

It’s the rutting season, the time when our forests come alive with deer. Deborah King picks up their trail.

Deer rutting season: Stand and stare

Behold the rutting season, the time when male deer are driven by an urge to reproduce. From October until early November strange groaning and belching sounds will echo from clearings in the woods. The clash of antlers will be heard as males show off their virility to potential mates and, like gladiators entering an arena, they parade around showing off their armoury of antlers.

Apparently, avid deer hunters enjoy the sport of rut tracking.

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Wave Goodbye to Ma and Pa

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Posted by Annie in Opinion, Political, Tuolumne County on October 5, 2011

Expect to see more local “Ma & Pa” businesses to go under, as the county Board of Supervisors further relaxes their permit process. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think the entire process is too arduous and discourages new business development. However, inviting more “big box” retail establishments into the area won’t grow our economy.

Tuolumne County Jail, now the Tuolumne County ...

Sonora, CA - Small Town, USA

Big-box rule change OK’d

Written by Chris Caskey,
The Union Democrat
October 05, 2011 03:10 pm

It will be easier to build a “big box” retail store in Tuolumne County than it used to be.

The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved changes to the county ordinance code to loosen up regulations on large-scale retail developments in the county.
The motivation behind the changes, said Community Resources Agency Director Bev Shane, is to encourage economic development with fewer restrictions.
[Read more…]

No wonder the board has voted to place a ban on medical marijuana dispenseries, they are planning to cater to the likes of Lowe’s and Walmart. We are losing our small town charm, with our small business establishments. One by one we will begin to lose more and more of our locally owned, small-town businesses that employ the locals.

Maybe you haven’t noticed but we’ve seen a huge influx of chain stores coming to Sonora — the problem is they are bringing valley workers to staff them, instead of hiring local residents, which is partially to blame for the crowded streets we are all experiencing.

We need to do more to encourage small business owners to set up shop in Tuolumne County. Doesn’t anyone on that board have an economics degree? Maybe the county should splurge to hire someone.

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Tuolumne County bans dispensaries

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Posted by Annie in Opinion, Political, Tuolumne County on October 5, 2011

For months we’ve been following the saga of the Sonora and Tuolumne County battles against medical marijuana dispensaries. The Union Democrat reported…

County carving out medical marijuana sales ordinance

one high-quality "dank" nugget of ma...

Image via Wikipedia

Written by Chris Caskey,
The Union Democrat
October 05, 2011 03:11 pm

Tuolumne County is moving forward with a proposal to ban medical marijuana dispensaries.
The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to have county staff finalize an ordinance that would make it a misdemeanor to run a retail center that makes available, sells, transmits or gives marijuana to two or more patients, primary caregivers or members of the public.

However, supervisors and other county officials suggested the ordinance should allow for clinical medicinal use of the drug that is legal under California state law.
Supervisors heard the first reading of an ordinance prohibiting pot dispensaries that, according to County Counsel Gregory Oliver, is similar to a law passed by the Sonora City Council on Aug. 1.

Under the proposed ordinance, a dispensary would not include a “qualified patient or a person with an identification card delivering, administering or providing medical marijuana at the primary residence” of a legal medicinal user.

According to the ordinance, the definition also does not include licensed clinics, health facilities, residential care centers for the elderly or those with chronic illness, or a home health care agency.

However, the first draft of the law does lump collectives and cooperatives together with dispensaries.

During a lengthy discussion, supervisors and county officials juggled a desire to expand what they considered a widely abused system into the county without restricting local access for residents who use it responsibly and legally.

“We don’t have a balance here,” said Chairman John Gray. “We’re trying to do what’s right because I think we all can agree that it’s been abused the way it’s being run now. But in fixing that, are we causing additional harm?”

It is difficult to estimate how many medical marijuana users live in Tuolumne County, Public Health Officer Dr. Todd Stolp said. While the county has issued 28 medical marijuana identification cards, the cardholder is not required to receive the substance through a clinical setting. [Continue Reading…]

How much sense does it make to have people running around the county delivering marijuana in their vehicles, when they could keep a better eye on the dispensaries if they are stationary?

The reasons there are only 28 medical marijuana identification cards issued are many and varied. Some people are waiting for the local police policies to catch up with state law. After all, I doubt many seriously sick people would enjoy a night in jail waiting for their day in court. Further, it is still difficult to find local physicians willing to prescribe marijuana.

Many people don’t possess medical marijuana prescription cards but smoke to stay alive.  Many have given up on the medical community being able to solve their health issues. The doctors solution is always to pump us full of narcotics, until the patient is unable to function on any level.

I have back issues that qualify me for a medical marijuana prescription card, but the back pain I can deal with, it’s the nausea and being unable to keep anything down that keeps me searching for alternatives. I’ve tried many things, ginger helps soothe my troubled tummy to some degree but smoking marijuana provides relief and allows me to keep up with my busy family.

Why can’t we all just get along and stop making the lives of those who struggle with medical issues harder still?

You say…

 “There’s no question that (the laws) have been abused. A considerable number of patients and health care providers have been very lax and unprofessional,” he said.
But Stolp said he is concerned — if the ordinance passes as is — about those who actually use it legitimately.

“It would be more difficult” for those patients to gain access to cannabis, he said.

To that, I say…

First off, who cares? Those inside cabins for miles around get to “enjoy” the sounds of vociferant music,  foul-mouthed drunks that spill out into the streets almost every evening. Compared to that, marijuana smokers are almost comatose.

The only reason I can see for the county Board of Supervisors to ban dispensaries must have something to do with all the federal dollars that pour into our county to eradicate marijuana being grown in the Stanislaus National Forest.

I know our county isn’t rich. We could use the tax dollars that would come from allowing these dispensaries. The new policy simply doesn’t make good sense from a fiscal standpoint or a social one. Besides, once marijuana is legalized, your ordinance won’t mean a blessed thing anyway and all you will have succeeded in doing is wasting a bunch of time on a non-issue.

Listen to what Ron Paul has to say on this topic…

Ron Paul on Marijuana Prohibition and its Scandalous Racist Roots!

http://youtu.be/Y58k1VC7yaw

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