2011: A year in review

More than any other topic, the City of Anderson’s efforts to control cultivation of medical marijuana and ban its distribution dominated Anderson Valley Post’s news coverage during 2011.

Medical marijuana, rated No. 4 in last year’s review, moved to center stage quickly and stayed there throughout the year. But there were plenty of other topics to keep readers interested.

Each of the 25 stories nominated was evaluated by our news staff in terms of Overall Importance, Headline Impact, Enterprise Reporting, Significance to the Community and News Value. Individual stories and general topics were also validated by the frequency of page views from online readers.

There were two ties – at No. 7 and at No. 9 – so a total of 12 topics made the final cut as the year’s Top 10 news stories, Editor George L. Winship noted.

No. 1 — Medical marijuana

Whether in favor or against, large numbers of citizens turned out each time medical marijuana was on planning commission or city council agendas.

Early in January, the council banned cultivation of marijuana outdoors or inside any residence. The ordinance was enhanced later by strict policies and fines.

By August, planners used zoning laws to ban all medical marijuana collectives, cooperatives and dispensaries in city limits. A public hearing in September drew an overflow crowd to the Community Room at City Hall.

The zoning ordinance took effect Nov. 3, but not before an attorney for the city’s only collective sued the city and asked for a restraining order to block the ordinance. City officials counter-sued. A hearing is set for Jan. 3 in Shasta County Superior Court.

Meanwhile, the city is issuing citations since the business remains open despite the ban.

No. 2 — Police Chief takes leave

On April 21, Dale Webb, Anderson’s Police Chief since late-April 2006, took an indefinite leave of absence for an undisclosed medical condition amid swirling rumors.

It was widely speculated that Webb was under pressure from several investigations following the Aug. 20, 2010, firing of Officer Bryan Benson, accused of kidnapping and raping a woman in his custody while transporting her to the Shasta County Jail in late May 2010.

Webb continues to collect $16,000+ monthly while on leave and the city hired Shawn Watts, a retired California Highway Patrol captain, to serve as interim police chief.

No. 3 — South County rallies

Residents showed their heart and rallied support for leukemia victim Matt Farley, 10, of Cottonwood and Karissa Howsmon, an Anderson infant who died of a common lung infection never properly diagnosed until too late.

Cottonwood showed its deep cowboy roots when 51-year-old Don Jones, a second generation Cottonwood resident, died unexpectedly.

No. 4 — Veterans honored

Anderson City Council member James Yarbrough awoke two years ago after dreaming of a memorial to honor veterans. Yarbrough saw his dream turned to reality on Sunday, Dec. 18, when the Veterans Walk of Honor opened downtown.

The nearly $500,000 project was financed by city redevelopment funds and private and corporate donors.

No. 5 — Development spurned again

An Idaho company planning to develop a 92-acre parcel off Knighton Road ran into roadblocks from the Churn Creek Bottom Homeowners and Friends Association, which gathered more than 11,000 signatures to force the issue onto the June 2012 ballot.

No. 6 — City personnel shake-up

Personnel changes at City Hall continued to dominate news coverage throughout the year and culminated in the Dec. 20 departure of City Manager Dana Shigley, 48, who will take a similar job in American Canyon, near Vallejo, starting Jan. 3.

Assistant City Manager Jeff Kiser will fill in until early January when John Blacklock, a retired Butte County administrator, takes over as interim city manager.

Tie: No. 7 — Depressed economy

Evidence of our flagging economy abounds and no business is immune. Blockbuster Videos, Long John Silver’s, and Debs closed, as did Prime 11 Cinemas in the Shasta Outlets. However, the cineplex reopened last week with new owners.

On the residential side, only 13 permits were issued for new home construction during 2011. Commercial development also lagged with just one new commercial permit issued for the new Anderson Walk-In Clinic on McMurray Drive.

Tie: No. 7 — City seeks

budget cuts

The poor economy also caused Anderson’s City Council to consider rejoining SHASCOM for police dispatching services until opposition from citizens, police officers and dispatchers led the council to hold off on the SHASCOM proposal until a new city manager is selected.

Meanwhile, the city continued to shuffle departments and consolidate areas of responsibility.

No. 8 — Process Method grabs attention

Online readers helped propel a single story about Anderson New Technology High School’s process method into the Number 8 slot with an astounding 3,153 page views in just three weeks.

Only one of our other Top 10 stories – Anderson Police Chief Dale Webb’s medical leave – even broke 1,000 page views while most received from 344 to 809 page views each.

Tie: No. 9 — Claude Lane cleaned up

A multi-year effort to clean up the River Cove Mobile Home Park on Claude Lane is finally paying off.

Prodded in large part by city code enforcement violations, property owner Bob Meissner of Redding is clearing the park of residents to make much-needed repairs.

Tie: No. 9 — Police investigate homicide

The stabbing murder of Sue Eian Saeturn, 31, of Oakland, outside City Hall was the city’s first homicide since 2004.

Hundreds of Saeturn’s friends and family members held a memorial service to mourn the passing of a soft-spoken man whose death resulted from a dispute over a barking dog.

No. 10 — Border fight over students

When an inter-district transfer agreement between the Anderson Union High School District and Red Bluff Joint Union High School District expired in 2010, parents in the Evergreen Elementary School District revolted.