Photo’s Courtesy of Office of Dave Cox
“This lighthearted lunchtime tradition is a fun way for elected officials to come together and help promote the Calaveras County Fair,” said Senator Dave Cox whose district includes Calaveras County.
In the Legislative & Public category, Assemblyman Jim Beall, Jr. (D-San Jose) whose frog “Alcohops” jumped 9’ 2” took first place. Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s “Tad Poll Worker” leaped 10’ 2” to grab the top spot for the Constitutional Officers category.
Last year’s winner in the press category – KFBK’s “Gordon Jump” made an admirable effort to defend his title but came up short. The green and gold trophy went to “Bubba,” jockeyed by James Myers of Capitol Television News Service, who jumped 8’ 11”.
Senator Dave Cox’s “Small Town Max” made a decent effort and jumped 7’ 5”.
Began in 1928, the frog jump was inspired by Mark Twain’s fictional work, “the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” The Calaveras County Fair adopted the Jumping Frog as their theme ten years later. This year’s fair will run from Wednesday, May 14th – Sunday, May 18th in Angels Camp.
“Thanks so much Dave Cox and staff for providing this to the media of Calaveras County!”
The links below are to some of the most popular or featured videos we have shown on ThePineTree.net. We now have over a thousand hours of video content in our video archives.

thepinetree.net

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Firefighters said high winds and dry conditions could cause brush fires to flare up again Tuesday. On Monday firefighters in Orange and Brevard counties rushed to put out old fires that re-ignited.
Firefighters worked Monday night to contain the fire in Waterford Lakes at the Barrington subdivision. There were some hot spots, but fire officials said the fire is finally out.
Three Orange County fire engines were at the scene overnight to make sure the fire did not flare up again. Firefighters even left a fire hose in a wooded area near the fire in the event the fire did flare up.
The fire was extremely close to homes in the Barrington subdivision in Waterford Lakes. Residents in the Waterford East apartments were evacuated because the flare up started a second fire in the area.
Orange County Fire Rescue used chain saws and axes to get through the wooded area where it all started. The Division of Forestry believes the fire was intentionally set and neighbors believe they know who did it.
“Kids. Because kids ran out of there on Sunday. A kid ran out, ran down Lake Underhill,” said Tracy Hartman, a homeowner.
A brush fire in Brevard County got worse Monday. Residents watched flames as high as 15 feet move towards their Port St. John homes.
“All of a sudden I saw black smoke and it just flared back up in the wind,” said Chris Broadwell, a resident.
The fire smoldered underground in the muck for days and the wind quickly caused it to move across fire lines and spread over 60 acres.
“It’s burning underground. It just has to burn itself out,” added Broadwell.
Fire rescue crews in Brevard County say that will likely take several days. But residents are worried that there’s little room left to spare if the high flames come their way again.

wftv.com

In the early morning of May 13, contact between the earthquake stricken region of Wenchuan County and the outside world finally resumed through satellite phone, reported the Aba district government Web site.
According to Wenchuan County Party Chief Wang Bin, the majority of houses have collapsed in the Weizhou, Miansi area, and contact has not resumed in areas such as Yingxiu, Xuankou, Wuolong etc.
Currently all road transportation to Wenchuan are broken down. The region urgently needs tents, food, medicine, satellite communication equipment and medical staff, but supplies can only be delivered by air.
Areas around Wenchuan are also suffering from communication and road transportation break down; no recovery can be seen in the near future.

en.epochtimes.com

School Board discusses budget
BY JEFF brANSCOME
BY JEFF brANSCOME
Some Stafford County School Board members want more specifics of Superintendent David Sawyer’s plan to reduce the division’s budget by $15.07 million.
Others think administrators should handle the nitty-gritty details.
During a budget work session yesterday, Sawyer said he’s doing his best to make sure students’ education isn’t harmed. The board hopes to approve the spending plan next Tuesday.
“The overall principle is, protect the schools first,” Sawyer said. The School Board was in agreement with most of Sawyer’s proposed cuts.
The Board of Supervisors has approved a $767,500 increase in local money for schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The School Board had asked for a $15.4 million increase.
The 2009-2010 budget won’t be any easier, Sawyer said.
School Board members John LeDoux and Patricia Healy asked for more information about $2.9 million in cuts to travel, purchased services and supplies. Administrators don’t yet know exactly what would be removed from those budget line items.
“These lines were chosen because that’s where the money is,” Sawyer said. About 85 percent of the school system’s budget pays for salaries and benefits.
At one point, Healy, who is the board’s chairwoman, began going through a list of new positions that aren’t on the chopping block, which includes an ESL coordinator.
Member Nanette Kidby said she’s wary of taking a piecemeal approach to the budget, and said it’s not the School Board’s job to get into specifics. Member Robert Belman agreed.
Sawyer also warned the board about getting too involved.
“Surely, this board does not want to decide by a majority vote how much money we want to spend on copiers next year,” he said. “If you do, you will be here until the Fourth of July.”

fredericksburg.com

Pupils at Grafton Village Elementary walk to their buses. The current Stafford County budget means schools face overcrowding and may not afford more than the basics.
RHONDA VANOVER/THE FREE LANCE-STAR
Stafford County budget/wasteful spending
S TAFFORD County has
the 11th highest per
capita income in the nation and is one of Forbes “best places to get ahead.” Yet somehow county officials can’t figure out how to perform budgetary liposuction to trim wasteful spending without cutting public safety (fire, EMS, 911, and the sheriff), schools, and roads to the bare bones.
Despite being the seventh richest state, Virginia ranks 32nd in per-pupil expenditure for education. According to the Virginia Department of Education, Stafford’s 2007 local contribution to education was 28 percent below state average. Over the last three years the share of the county budget committed to schools has fallen 15 percent below the somewhat predictable and respectable levels of the previous eight years. Fiscal conservative David Beiler,
a former Falmouth district supervisor, noted that from 2001 to the present, in per capita “real” dollars (adjusted for growth and inflation), support for the schools has fallen 10.8 percent, while support for other county programs has risen 32.5
The school budget is fixed at 85 percent salaries and benefits, and reductions ultimately affect the quality
of our children’s education. The cumulative impact is that teachers face more than 1,100 overcrowded classrooms each day. The number of schools meeting Adequate Yearly Progress has fallen from 92 percent (23/25) in 2005 to less than 50 percent (14/29) in 2007.
The anemic budget increase will barely cover
the increased costs for the 535,000 gallons of diesel fuel for the buses. Delaying cyclical replacement of 5-year-old computers or 12-year-old buses increases this year’s maintenance costs and next year’s replacement budget.

fredericksburg.com

MARCH 28 and 29 — Violinist John Michael Vaida will perform at the Elm Street Methodist Church, Wilkes-Barre on Friday and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Both concerts are at 7:30 p.m. and are free.
MARCH 29 — Smucker’s Stars on Ice at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $23.50 and are on sale at the arena box office or by contacting Ticketmaster at one of its outlets or online.
APRIL 4 — Tanglefoot, a Canadian folk group, will perform at the Chicory House at 8 p.m. Cost is $12 per person or $9 for supporting members. Event in at the community room of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 35 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre.
APRIL 5 — A New England Contra dance is set for the Church of Christ Uniting, Sprague Avenue, Kingston at 7:30 p.m. Music is by Contra Rebels. Admission is $8 per adult or $20 for a family.
APRIL 11-24 — Spring 2008 Film Festival at the Dietrich Theater, Tunkhannock, offering 14 days of 16 foreign, independent and art films. Tickets prices (excluding opening night) are $6 and $7 for evenings. For a list of films go online at www.dietrichtheater.com.
APRIL 12 — 45th anniversary of The Poets & Frankie & The Corvettes Evolution CD release party at Convention Hall, Pittston Township. Tickets are $35 for show, dinner and dance or $20 for show and dance after 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
APRIL 19 — “A Great Day for the Irish” presented by the Barbershop Harmony Society at Holy Redeemer High School, South Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, $15 and $20.
MAY 1 — The Backyardigans Live! Tale of the Mighty Knights at the F.M. Kirby Center for performances at 4 and 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. at the F.M. Kirby Center box office, Ticketmaster locations, Gallery of Sound or on line at www.kirbycenter.org.

zwire.com

Sure, there was the hypocrisy in Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s stunning self-destruction.
But what really frosted Saratoga County Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman this week was that the wayward soon-to-be-ex-governor keeps giving U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton more land mines to sidestep during a primary fight with U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.
“As a county chairman, it’s your job to worry about your candidates,” Bulman said. “I was a strong supporter of our governor, but in the presidential race, he’s hurt (Clinton) a couple times now, first with the licenses for immigrants thing and now this,” said Bulman, who is also secretary and treasurer of the state Pipe Trades Association. “It’s a negative issue both Clinton and Obama will have to talk about, but it hits close to home with her because she’s a senator from New York and she’s endorsed by (Spitzer).”
In an interview Tuesday, Bulman said Spitzer had to quit.
“He talked the talk,” he said, “he ran on ethics and reform and people liked that, we thought he was tenacious and he meant what he said.”
Another hat in ring?
Also in the wake of the Spitzer call girl debacle, Republican Albany County Legislator Carl Zeilman told the Times Union he is considering challenging Democratic Assemblyman Robert Reilly in the 109th Assembly District, which spans Colonie, Clifton Park and Halfmoon. Zeilman said Spitzer’s radioactive meltdown may weaken the two-term incumbent.

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Public and private elementary and secondary schools in Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland, Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania and Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties in West Virginia are closed today because of a winter storm.
Classes are also canceled at Hagerstown Community College, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, Frederick Community College, Frostburg State University, Hood College, Mountain State University, Penn State-Mont Alto, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College.
The snow emergency plan for Washington County went into effect a 1 a.m. Friday, Maryland State Police announced. All vehicles traveling on designated snow emergency routes must be equipped with chains, snow tires or all-season radial tires.
For information on road conditions in Maryland, call 800-327-3125 or visit www.marylandroads.com.
· City governments in Hagerstown and Frederick, Md., are open today, with liberal leave policy in effect.
· Fulton County government is closed today.
· The Washington County Commission on Aging is closed today.
· Due to the inclement weather today,the Washington County Public High School artist reception for the exhibit, Momentum: Emerging Artists Moving Forward in Visual Arts, has been postponed until Friday, March 7. It will be held n the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown Library from 6 to 8 p.m.
To submit a cancellation or postponement, call 301-733-5131 or 800-626-NEWS, fax 301-714-0245 or e-mail webupdate@herald-mail.com

herald-mail.com