WEDNESDAY JANuArY 27, 2016VOL 9 • ISSUE 4 • SEQ 243

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Colusa County Relay for Life Kickoff

LLOYD GrEEN Jrlloyd@colusacountynews.net

The Colusa County Relay for Life is still months away, but the organization took giant leaps to prepare for the upcoming year.

Colusa County Relay for Life Members held their Kickoff event Wednesday night at Steelhead Lodge giving people the opportunity to learn about the event, sign up to participate and to thank those who sup-ported last year’s event.

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and Cultivation Hot Topic at Williams City Council

LLOYD GrEEN Jrlloyd@colusacountynews.net

At its regular scheduled council meeting, on Wednesday, January 20, 2016, the City of Williams discussed amending its current city ordinance prohibiting cannabis dispensaries, cannabis manufacturers, cultiva-

tion and delivery of cannabis for medical use as allowed by state law.

This is in response to recent California legisla-tion identified as the Medical Marijuana Regula-tion and Safety Act (AB 243, AB266, and SB 643) that will take effect March 1, 2016. This legis-lation will comprehensively allow the state to regulate medical marijuana (medical cannabis); however it preserves the local ability to control, or regulate, or ban medical cannabis cultivation, transportation, and distribution within its city.

Although the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act allows municipalities to regulate or prohibit cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and distribution of medical can-nabis within their jurisdiction, it requires some local enabling legislation to accomplish some aspects of this.

“If the city chooses to regulate these activities comprehensively, it must adopt an overlay of lo-cal regulatory standards that are at least as strict as the state’s default regulations,” said Williams Chief of Police, John Osbourn.

“Specifically, the Medical Marijuana Regula-tion and Safety Act provides that if a city has not banned or regulated cannabis cultivation by March 1, then cultivation in that City will be subject only to state law on the issue.”

About five community members expressed their concern for their rights for safe access for the use of Medical Marijuana, asking the City of Williams to consider allowing a dispensary within city limits.

The council although remained opened to the idea, rebuffed the topic as the City of Williams has already banned medical marijuana dispensa-ries since 2012 and that the subject was to amend the current ordinance to allow the ability to discuss the possibility of dispensaries after the March 1 deadline.

Medical Marijuana | Page 3

Chicken In a Barrel DinnerMOLLIA JEWETT

molllia@colusacountynews.net

Hungry community members eagerly lined up at the Parkside United Methodist Church on Sat-urday, January 23, 2016, to enjoy smoked chicken dinners and raise funds for their local parish.

Banquet tables were laid out with barrel smoked chicken, rice casserole, fresh fruit, green and gelatin salads; crusty sourdough bread and warm dinner rolls rounded off the evening's menu.

Members of the congregation provided many of the side dishes as well as the variety of home-made desserts.

The main attraction was the chicken cooked in a barrel.

Half chickens hung inside a barrel by stainless steel “S” hooks, and rested above an almond wood fire at the base.

“Cooking time depends on a lot of factors,” stated Edward Emerick of Williams, who was managing the barrel, “Sometimes the dripping fat can cause the fire to flare quickly and the chicken burns. You have to monitor the fire at all times and be ready to put out any grease fires.”

Mr. Emerick explained that he cooks the chicken halves at a time and plans on about an hour and a half of cooking time for each batch of ten.

“The slow cook allows the chick-en to be tender and moist, and, of course, gives it the smoky flavor,” he added.

When asked if the event was a fundraising success, board mem-ber, Betty Koch replied, “Oh yes, it was successful.

Kotch commented that atten-dance was slightly down from last

year; however, needed funds were raised.

“You just never know how these events will go when there are other events on the same night,” she said.

Koch added that she would like to thank local sponsors for the door prizes.

“They were all very generous,” she said.

The event was the second Chick-en in a Barrel fundraising dinner for the organization and is plan-ning a future event. ○

MOLLIA JEWETT | WILLIAMS PIONEEr rEVIEW

CHRISTIAN GUTIERREZ | WILLIAMS PIONEEr rEVIEW

Colusa County Relay for Life Leadership Team, Krystal Brownfield, Monique Spence, Dawn Brown, Elly Gutierrez, and Santana King.

Relay for Life | Page 1

2 January 27, 2016

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Williams Discusses Medical Marijuana

Dispensaries According to Williams

Chief of Police, John Os-bourn, the City’s Municipal Code currently bans medi-cal marijuana dispensaries per Williams Municipal Code Section 17.01.030.8(b)(2), which reads “It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to own, manage, es-tablish, conduct, or operate, or permit to be established, conducted, operated, owned, or managed as a landlord or property owner, any medical marijuana dispensary, or to participate as a landlord, owner, employee, contractor, agent or volunteer or in any other manner or capacity, in any medical marijuana dispensary, in the city.” and that Section 17.06.320 defines medical dispensary to mean “any facility or location where medical marijuana is made available to and/or distributed by or to three or more persons who are pri-mary caregivers, qualified patients, or persons with an identification card, in strict accordance with California Health and Safety Code Section 11362.5 et seq.”

In Osbourn report, he noted that the cultivation, transportation, and distri-bution of medical marijuana can create problems relat-ing to public health and safety, crime, water, and air quality, as well as energy consumption.

City Staff recommended that the City Council adopt medical marijuana culti-vation regulation or ban. Additionally, it was sug-gested that overhauling the existing language to track closely the Medical Mari-juana Regulation and Safety Act.

Williams Citizen, Dixie LaGrande commented that she understands that people need access to medical mar-ijuana and would like more information on why doctors can prescribe it to their pa-tients medically if that was its original use.

“I also understand that dispensaries are a signifi-cant revenue source, and Lord knows we need that,

but I would like more infor-mation on a law officer point of view, and I wish that the California Highway Patrol was represented to answer questions,” said LaGrande, “my greatest fear besides legitimate customers, would a dispensary attract unsa-vory people with unsavory purposes. That is where in-formation is needed. Is this going to be a crime magnet or not.”

Councilmember Bergson introduced a motion to table the item to a special meeting on February 10, and then vote on the ordinance at the regular meeting on Febru-ary 17. The motion failed approval.

Councilmember Kent Boes then made a motion to accept and introduce and waive for the first reading as the ordinance has been presented.

“This ordinance requires no action at this time and is only an introduction waiv-ing the first reading,” said Boes.

He then added to his mo-tion to hold a special meet-ing on February 3, where the council and community members can introduce a new ordinance with the regulations that have been brought forward.

Boes commented that he understood that two weeks would be a little tight but wanted to give extra time for the community to review and have a chance to come back at the regular meeting that will be adjourned to February 24.

The motion received a passing vote.

The City of Williams will discuss the opportunities of medical marijuana ordi-nance at the special meeting to be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, at 6:00 PM at Williams City Hall. A de-cision on the new ordinance or amended ordinance will be slated for decision by councilmembers at the Wednesday, February 24, 2016, regular council meet-ing of the City of Williams at 6:00 PM. ○

Severson Named Assistant Superintendent of Colusa County Schools

WILLIAMS PIONEEr rEVIEWlloyd@colusacountynews.net

Dr. David L. Severson (Dr. Dave) joined the Colusa County Office of Education (CCOE) administrative staff on January 21.

Severson will serve as Assis-tant Superintendent; Admin-istrative Support to Student Support Services, and will be located at the CCOE’s Education Village campus in Williams.

Primarily Severson will be heading up the William S. Abel Community School, but he will also lead adult education/second languages components, inmate education, career techni-cal education and ROP classes.

Under the direction of the CCOE Superintendent Mi-chael West Severson will plan, organize and direct the activi-ties, services, operations, and functions of the instructional and support programs of the Student Support Services de-partment.

“We are beyond blessed to have Dr. Severson join our Colu-sa County staff,” said West.

Severson comes to the post with an impressive number of credentials and degrees.

West also has a firsthand knowledge of Severson’s teach-ing skills. – He was a former student of Severson’s at Brand-man University.

Severson most recently served as Interim Superintendent of Golden Feather School District.

Previously he was Superinten-dent/Principal at Bangor Union School District. Since 1999, he has been an adjunct faculty member at Brandman Univer-sity.

Additionally, he is the author of five books presented by Profi-ciency Publishers, Figure It Out Faster with the Twelve Bridges to Meaning, a book to help ju-nior high students more quick-ly understand what they are reading, Figure It Out Faster: A Writer's Guide to the Twelve Bridges to Meaning, a book to help junior high students under-stand how to more logically set up a writing assignment, Figure It Out Faster with the Twelve Bridges to Meaning: a Teacher's

Guide, and Author! Write it. Print it. Sell it, a workbook for aspiring authors who plan to self-publish, and John Dewey's Essentials for Democracy and Education, a condensed text of a classic book on educational philosophy, but a tough book to read in the original version. The Dewey book is also avail-able on Kindle, as well as an adult writer's guide called Write Your Book and Self-Publish Today.

His first day on the job in Wil-liams, Severson said he was ex-cited to work with the students here. “I had an opportunity to visit with some of the students today, and I see so much poten-tial,” he said.○

SUBMITTED PHOTO | WILLIAMS PIONEEr rEVIEW

First 5 Express Tour Comes to Colusa County

WILLIAMS PIONEEr rEVIEWlloyd@colusacountynews.net

Looking for a fun way to entertain the toddlers and pre-school-aged children on a Friday?

If so, take a drive over to the Colusa County Library (738 Market St, Colusa) on Friday, January 29, 2016 to enjoy the First 5 Express.

This fun-filled Express will be available from 1:00 PM to 4PM.

The First 5 Express is a bilin-gual children’s activity center that travels across California to inspire families with chil-

dren ages 0-5 to make healthy choices and understand the significance of a child’s earliest years. This year the traveling van has games and activities that emphasize the importance of talking, reading and singing with children and the impact on early brain development. Parents will be able to put into practice lively ways to talk, read, and sing with their kids and then take home free items that will inspire everyone to continue these healthy activi-ties.

Yolo County Supervisor

and Chair of First 5 Yolo Jim Provenza said, “We are very ex-cited to bring the First 5 Express to Yolo County in partnership with the Yolo County Library. More than 80 percent of a child’s brain develops during the first five years. These events at local libraries give children and parents a chance to learn and play games while encourag-ing healthy activities they can do every day.”

For more information about the First 5 California’s Express Tour, call the Colusa County Library (530) 458-0372.○