West Sacramento News Ledger • June 21, 2017

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News-Ledger  Wednesday, June 21, 2017  Page 1

NEWS-LEDGER West Sacramento

Entire Contents Copyright News-Ledger 2017

USPS 388-320

Serving the West Sacramento Region Since 1964

53rd Year  No. 42

Local Scene See what’s going on. Calendar on page 9

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Comics & Puzzles

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Police Logs

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First dentist of West Sacramento passes away at age 96 By Daniel Wilson dwilson@dwilsononline.com The first dentist to ever practice in the West Sacramento region Dr. Oliver E. Quam died on Saturday, April 22, 2017 in Auburn. He was 96 years old. Quam, who was born on Nov. 6, 1920, the youngest of 10 children, died of natural causes and old age, according to members of his family. Quam, who friends and family called Ollie, short for Oliver, moved from his family farm in Minnesota to West Sacramento in the 1950s after serving in the Navy, according to his official obituary, published in the Auburn Journal on May 23, and information provided by the family. Quam earned his degree in dental from the University of Minnesota and then travelled to San Francisco with several friends from the military where they took their medical license exams. He then established his dental practice in the heart of West Sac-

ramento some 30 years before it officially became a city. After a brief stint in the building across from the city library, the medical office moved to the Pioneer Building at 1035 Jefferson Blvd. where it remained for more than 30 years until Quam retired in the mid-80s and the building was sold. Upon retirement, Quam dedicated his time to his true passion of gardening. He owned 8.9 acres of farm land in Auburn, which he called “Tooth Achers,” a play on the word “acres.” Quam is survived by his wife of 39 years Jeanne Quam, his children Nancy L. Quam-Wickham, Jean M. Nakano (Ron) and David M. Quam; his children by marriage John R. Boese, Charles R. Boese (Sue), Michael C. Boese (Diane), Pam M. Card (Joe) and Cara J. Wefers (Patrick); his grandchildren Laura Wong (EJ), Claire Quam-Wickham (Ben), Lindsey Nakano, Thomas Nakano and

Rose Quam-Wickham; his grandchildren by marriage Ryan Boese (Shannon), Woody Boese (Kyrie), Nicolas Card (Jaci), Lisa Boese (Michael), Michael Boese, Grayson Boese, Dawson Boese, Jae Wefers; and his great-grandchildren by marriage Cova, Maverick, Vera, Oliver, Kane and Bristin. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews. A celebration of life service was held on May 24 at the First Congressional Church of Auburn and featured a remembrance by the Navy Honor Guard among presentations, mu-

United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria Members Will Monitor Levee Project

By Jan Dalske for the News Ledger

When the major levee project broke ground recently in West Sacramento, there were members of the United Auburn Indian Community present. The Southport Levee Project is the largest levee project to date in the area. It will improve almost six miles of the now vulnerable levee which runs along the Sacramento River in Southport. Project partners include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and the California Department of Water Resources. On September 19, 2011 Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed Executive Order B-10-11, which recognized and reaffirmed the inherent right of the Native American tribes in the State of California to exercise sovereign authority over their members and territory. The position of the Governor’s Tribal Advisor (GTA) was created with the Office of the Governor. The GTA was to oversee and implement effective government-to-government consultation between the administration and the Tribes. Communication between the Tribes and the Governor of the State, the state agencies, and agency tribal liaisons would be better facilitated. This advisor would also serve as a direct link and would review state legislation and regulations which effected the Tribes and make recommendations on these proposals. A position called “tribal policy advisor” for the Dept. of Water Resources was created in 2013, after the implementation of B-10-11. Current advisor Anecita Agustinez has a unique position with the DWR. All of her time is dedicated to Native American tribal issues.

Ms Agustinez stated: “We are doing a series of consultations at the department with Tribes who may have an interest in issues that concern the California Water Fix, and Delta levee issues. The area is very significant for many California Tribes – not only Tribes with traditional boundary areas, but Tribes throughout the State because it is a historical natural confluence area for travel, trade and resources. The consultations will ensure cultural resources will remain protected”. The Tribes were not consulted during the creation of the policy. As a result, the coastal Tribes saw their access curtailed to areas used for traditional fishing and harvesting as well as cultural and spiritual renewal. Eventually, the state agencies listened to the concerns of the Native American community in California. They included those concerns in the Marine Life Protection Act. A California Water Code authorizes the Department of Water Resources to investigate, excavate, and to preserve any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument, or any object of antiquity, situated in areas to be used for state water development purposes. In 2015 there was a settlement with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) concerning the handling of artifacts that were found during the Feather River project. The ACE issues permits for any levee repairs. Federal Law requires them to retain non-burial items for study. And the state law requires items to be immediately turned over to the tribes that have ties to the area. The members of the United Auburn Indian Community are concerned about bones and cremated remains in the form of soil and ash.

sic and speeches from family and friends. Three of the grandchildren Laura Wong, Lindsey Nakano and Tom Nakano prepared a list of fun facts and information about their grandfather and read it during the celebration. “He had a positive attitude and was realistic and pragmatic when it came to problem solving,” the grandchildren said. “His optimism, the way he took his declining health in stride, is an inspiration that we admire and hope to follow.” The family consensus is that everyone enjoyed

Quam’s knack for growing the most delicious produce they’ve ever tasted. Another statement from the grandchildren reads: “He generously shared his regular bounty of fresh-picked mandarins, peaches, tomatoes and countless other fruits and vegetables of his labor, the rewards of his hard work, and dedication to the care of his land. He definitely loved his land. More than that, he loved working his land.” Quam’s son-in-law and local real estate broker Ron Nakano, who added that the farm land is now being maintained by Quam’s widow, agreed, saying that nowhere else can you find juicier produce. He said that he would often ask Quam if he ever wanted to go back to dentistry and that Quam would tell him he loved dentistry but that he was truly happy on the farm. “He had the sweetest fruit, ya know,” said Nakano. “Ya know, he just had the sweetest peaches,

right? I mean, you bite into a sweet peach on a hot summer day, that’s just like something you’ll always remember for the rest of your life. It’s the kind of peaches and the plums and the fruit, it’s the kind that you have to bend over and let it just drip onto the ground.” Nakano said a conversation with Quam shortly before he died convinced him that Quam was happy and had accepted that it was his time to go. “He goes, ‘Ya know, Ron, I thank God for my life and I’m really happy. I lived a good life and I thank God for it.’ That’s what he said,” Nakano explained. “He lived 96 years and he’s happy, ya know. He was content with passing away.” The family’s program for their celebration of life ends with a quote from Quam, saying “Old gardeners never die, they just spade away,” which they say is the perfect way to commemorate Quam’s passion and personality.

Yolo County Board of Supervisors release proposed fees The Yolo County Board of Supervisors will be conducting a public hearing on Tuesday, June 27 beginning at 9:45 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in the Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 625 Court St., Room 206, Woodland. The purpose of this hearing is to consider amendments to the fiscal year 2017/2018 Master Fee Resolution.

To the extent required by Government Code Section 66016, data is available indicating the amount of cost, or estimated cost, required to provide the services for which the fees are charged. All interested parties are invited to attend the meeting and provide any comments they believe are appropriate. Send written comments by June 23, 2017 to the

Clerk of the Board of Supervisors at 625 Court St., Room 204, Woodland, CA 95695. List of proposed fees are on file with the Clerk of the Board for public review. You may also subscribe online to receive e-mail notifications and updates on proposed fee changes. To subscribe, go to www. yolocounty.org, select the Email Updates and check ‘County Fees.’

West Sacramento Launches OpenGov Platform to Increase Government Transparency New User-Friendly Site Makes It Easier for the Public to See How Tax Dollars are Spent West Sacramento, Calif – June 15, 2017 – The City of West Sacramento has announced the launch of a new platform in partnership with OpenGov, the leader in government performance management, to improve transparency and increase access to important public information. The platform, powered by OpenGov’s Smart Government Cloud TM allows residents to track government spending and also makes it easier for public officials to share complex financial and performance data in simple, understandable reports. The new software enables more transparent and

effective governance and informed decision-making. “We’re thrilled about this interactive tool which allows citizens to explore budget and other financial data online,” said City Manager Martin Tuttle. “ OpenGov takes the guesswork out of tracking City spending, and we invite the community to explore the budget using this handy application.” West Sacramento’s new OpenGov platform improves both internal and public access to key financial information, which provides better analysis and performance measurement along with civic engagement. Users can drill into current year spending and compare to previous See Government, page 8


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West Sacramento News Ledger • June 21, 2017 by West Sacramento News-Ledger - Issuu